text:
That was a testing one!! The courses for the orienteers, the numbers attending for the organisers and the humid weather for everyone. Can't complain about the weather given the rain for most of the early part of the day. We did hear a few comments like "That was the hardest course I've ever done" and "That was a bit much for me" so obviously the humid weather got to some!! Don't think I have ever seen so many torn shirts and sweaty, muddy bods returning from a park run as there were tonight - not sure what you all got up to out there! I do know that one person, who shall remain nameless, but who we know quite well, managed to get himself stuck in a part of the map supposed to be inaccessible, for 30 minutes, all because he was trying to do a tricky get away from Colm!!
The map says the top of Mt Eden is only 169 metres but it must be lying, all that effort to get up there and for a second time and for those on course 1 a third time surely proves it must be much higher! It was unfortunate that some of the times got so long and that a few orienteers got stranded by the control collectors (who were struggling to find the controls in the dark). Glenn was so determined to finish he decided to go on and find the control sites even if the controls were collected in. We apologise to those people. Sorry also to those who were affected by missing or moved controls. Tonight's event was the worst of the season for control tampering although none were actually lost..
We've been talking about coaching for the last few nights. Well it is on. We've organised with Darren Ashmore, a member of the NZ O team, to do some coaching at the event in the Domain in a fortnight. We have a few people registered and could take a few more. We'll sort out the exact arrangements shortly.
As we drove home from the event tonight we had the radio on the sports station and heard many comments about Peter Snell and his likelihood of winning the NZ sportsman of the century award. It was great to hear and to hear orienteering mentioned on some occasions (mostly by a fellow with peculiar ideas unfortunately). However, our summer series was graced with Peter's presence (and his wife Miki) and many of us, to whom he is a hero, were just delighted. We congratulate you Peter, and wish you all the very best for the award ceremony tomorrow. For those that don't know, Peter is one of 10 nominees for the award of NZ sportsperson of the century which will be presented on Thursday evening. He and Miki had only flown in from their home in the States this morning so we hope their trot around course 2 got rid of the jet lag.
Next Sunday there is an orienteering event you are all encouraged to go to. It is much like the park events but it is just a little more bushy to give you a taste of forest orienteering. It is not far away either. The event is at Totara Park very close to Manukau City. The starts are between 10:00am and 11:30am this Sunday, the 20th. NOTE: the original program that we put out showed a promotional event at Muriwai on March 19. The date has changed *** it is now on the 5th of March ***. The original date had a clash we didn't know about in last September when the program was prepared and it has had to shift. The Muriwai event is a special event designed to help the summer series orienteers make the transition to pine forest orienteering. There are courses for all abilities. It is a wonderful bit of forest and the beach is close by to be enjoyed afterwards. Put the new date in your diary - 5 March with 10am to 11:30 starts.
Last week we should have mentioned that Jane and Jon Counsell were over from the UK for a few days and managed to fit in a run at Ambury Park. Their big news though is that Jane is having a baby in June. We wish them well as they start their family. It was a fleeting visit to get their NZ citizenship, despite moving back to UK last year. Didn't hear about any orienteering in Britain, though. I'm sure we'll see them back in NZ at sometime in the future.
Next week the Summer Series event is on Mt Richmond with access off Great South Road between Penrose and Otahuhu. This is a tiny map and so expect some sharp turns. There will be a contours only course too. This is also a Wednesday event, the 23rd of February. The following week the orienteering is back in the Auckland Domain, still on Wednesday. For those of you who at Secondary School, the Auckland Domain event is the first of the Secondary School competition events. If your school has not mentioned it, talk to your sports coordinator and see if you can get them motivated to get a group of students together who might like to give orienteering a go. There is a series of events aimed at increasing students' expertise, leading up to the Auckland champs in June.
Joanna & Alistair Stewart
Course 1 8.3 kms
1 Darren Ashmore 0:59:38 2 Mark Lawson 1:05:15 3 Peter Andersson 1:12:08 4 Douglas Kwan 1:14:39 5 Jeff Greenwood 1:19:30 6 Dave Crofts 1:20:10 7 Rob Pols 1:23:00 8 Adrian Skinner 1:24:00 9 Malcolm Stoney 1:24:11 10 S Lynch 1:25:35 11 Guy Cory-Wright 1:27:02 12 Pam James 1:32:34 13 Rudy Hlawatsch 1:33:00 14 Paul Gilkison 1:34:53 15 Tim Wright 1:40:40 16 Craig Whyte 1:50:10 17 David Stewart 1:54:38 18 Craig Pearce 1:59:30 19 Martin Barber 2:03:30 Alistair Cory-Wright DNF Colm Rothery DNF
Up to the Top
1 Ross Hargraves 0:46:00 2 Fraser Empson 0:48:00 3 Geoff Mead 0:50:42 4 Andrew Bell 0:51:56 5 Roger Bengtsson 0:52:30 6 Andrew Foulkes 0:55:40 7 Duggie Gillespie 1:01:07 8 Jonathan Fraser 1:05:00 9 Allan Janes 1:06:34 10 Phillippa Poole 1:06:49 11 Lisa Mead 1:07:43 12 Mark & Howard 1:08:00 13 Mark Hodgson 1:08:20 14 Tim Renton 1:08:32 15 Jamie Monro 1:08:43 16 Debi Pyle 1:09:00 17 Norm Jager 1:09:06 18 Daniel Martin 1:11:40 19 Sarah Pilgrim 1:12:12 20 Billy Rodenburg 1:13:00 21 Brian Johnston 1:13:41 22 Alan Verry 1:16:05 23 Peter Snell 1:18:18 24 Dwayne Smith 1:20:40 25 Christina Renhart 1:22:00 26 Russell Howard 1:25:41 27 Dave & Janie 1:27:00 28 John Scott 1:30:30 29 Simon Kirk 1:34:00 30 D & S O'Shea 1:36:15 31 David Hamilton 1:37:00 32 Bert Chapman 1:41:20 33 Chris Grove 1:42:48 34 The pink fluffy elephants 1:48:00 35 Miki Snell 1:55:41 36 Cheryl Lyou 2:16:11 Mark Roberts DNF Philip Barber DNF Raywynne Bennett DNF Hilary Weeks Had a great walk


text:
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall
WILMINGTON, DE ľ ĹFore!ĺ A term weĺre used to hearing in golf, an accepted custom of shouting towards players (or anyone else) who might possibly be in the estimated drop-zone of your golf ball.
|Looking towards the 2nd green. When you see the size of the bunkers on the DuPont Course, you'll know that Alfred Tull's influence is back.
Henceforth, watch them dart for cover.
Most of the time you use the term, itĺs an Ĺunintentionalĺ situation ľ but in this day and age of golf balls that fly longer and hot-faced drivers that are scientifically engineered to propel it much farther than in the past, youĺll end up yelling ĹFore!ĺ more often than youĺd like.
Itĺs especially true at many old-style golf courses, such as the DuPont (Championship) Course in Wilmington, Delaware. Or, should I say, it was the case at DuPont, before its Lester George inspired renovation.
|You'd never know it now, but the par four 12th hole used to be rather tight. Lester George took out some trees and re-shaped the green to look more like the original.
ôLetĺs face it, with new equipment technology, people are playing old golf courses in entirely new ways,ö George said. ôThese classic courses were designed with doglegs and bunkers to suggest strategy on how to play a hole, and then these modern drivers and balls make them obsolete. A 350-yard dogleg hole in the old days required a well placed drive and a precise iron shot to try and make a birdie. Nowadays, guys are just taking out a driver and shooting straight for the green.ö
ôForget the fact that itĺs not how it was meant to beů itĺs a safety hazard too!ö George exclaimed.
|The par five 9th hole isn't that long (548 yards) and is pretty wide -- certainly inviting you to hit a fairway wood towards the green on your 2nd shot.
The DuPont Course was hardly Ĺobsolete,ĺ having recently hosted a LPGA major championship on its well-kept fairways for eighteen straight years (2004 was the last time). But because itĺs a classic, Ĺcoreĺ golf course with holes lying adjacent to each other, some of the greens and tees were getting a little too close for comfort. The DuPont Company has always stressed employee safety in its business dealings, and it didnĺt want its top golf course to tarnish that reputation with some dimple-dented members, either.
DuPont Club General Manager Steve Matlaga said something had to be done, so George was brought in (in 2001) to master-plan a Ĺnewĺ golf course. Matlaga said they wanted something ôthat would embellish the original design with a few good Ĺtweaks,ĺ but wouldnĺt necessarily destroy the old one. After all, it was still pretty darn good in a lot of ways.ö
George agrees that his objective was just to make the Ĺoldĺ one better: ôThe DuPont Course was a beautiful Alfred Tull design, built in 1946. True to Tullĺs Toomey & Flynn (classic golf course architects, who Tull studied under) background, he put in small greens with pretty deep flashing bunkers.ö
|The 15th hole is brand new at DuPont. By all accounts, the new hole is much more interesting -- and demanding -- than the one it replaced.
George continues, ôSometime in the early 60ĺs, when grasses started being mowed lower, the greens had too much slope in them -- so DuPont had them flattened out. Well, not only did they flatten the greens, they leveled off everything around Ĺem, too. There really was only one of the Ĺoriginalsĺ left, and that was the 10th hole ľ and that was almost too slick to keep a ball on.ö
ôPlus, the course hadnĺt had any new sand on it in fifteen or so years, and was just starting to get depleted ľ it wasnĺt really the championship golf course that everybody thought it was. So we master-planned some changes, and DuPont liked what they saw. Weĺd just put back some of the original strategy in the design, and introduce the modifications to bring it up to where it needed to be,ö George added.
|Not all of the bunkers are big and deep after the renovation -- but a lot of them are, whether in the fairway or near the green. Here, cutting the corner on the par four 6th hole.
DuPontĺs transformation began at the opening hole, where the first green was moved farther to one side for safety reasons. George said he moved the fifth green for historical reasons (closer to where the original had been), and the fifteenth hole is a completely new golf hole ľ moving the green across the creek, building it up, then pushing the 16th holeĺs tees further up the hill. That made the par five sixteenthĺs tee shot easier, too, because it alleviated the need to play a snap-cut off the tee.
Based on his work at places like The Greenbrier and the Country Club of Virginia, George has acquired a name for his meticulous restoration work. But the DuPont project was a renovation all the way.
George explains why: ôI had Tullĺs original routing plan right behind me as I re-did the course, and whenever I needed some guidance, Iĺd turn around and see what he was offering to do ľ but Tull had big waste bunkers in the original design, and we couldnĺt bring those back because itĺs already a tight site. With cart paths and traffic nowadays, you just canĺt put Ĺem in and make Ĺem cover two or three areas.ö
|The DuPont Course is kept in such great shape that you never have to wonder what's fairway, first-cut or rough. Here, the green of the par four 7th hole.
Instead of trying to restore the course to its original look, George took Tullĺs strategy and re-created it. A good example is the dogleg left, par four third hole. ôThe third hole used to have a pond on the left side of the hole that was added by DuPont over the years to prevent people from trying to cut the dogleg off the tee ľ which would bring tee shots much too close to the fourth tee. So we eliminated the pond and built a fairway bunker complex and moved the tees back about seventy yards.ö
Another example of Georgeĺs drive to improve the course is the par four twelfth hole. ôTull used to have a little kidney bean shaped green that sloped a little bit away from you, and this big bunker in front. We restored that thought by re-building the kidney shaped green ľ but we also took out about a hundred trees down the left side of the hole, so you can try and drive it over the corner bunker and have a nice angle into the green. The twelfth used to have one of the widest fairways on the course, and the trees had tightened it up considerably over the years, so thatĺs how we brought back some of what Tull had in mind.ö
|As part of the evolution of the 15th hole, the par five 16th hole's tees were moved back -- and now provides more choice on what type of shot to hit.
Facts donĺt lie, and Georgeĺs work made the course significantly different, and significantly better. Matlaga said they added nineteen bunkers, enlarged the greens by 22%, the fairways by 30% and the tees by 50%. And although trees were taken out throughout the course to improve playability and circulation, 112 more were planted to enhance the course.
Conditions also vastly improved, thanks in part to 48 acres of sod being installed for the tees and roughs. The grass surfaces were completely changed from bentgrass/poa annua fairways to just bentgrass. The rough is a bluegrass/fescue mix called ĹBy Georgeĺ that was developed especially for Georgeĺs design at Kinloch Golf Club in Richmond, Virginia. Finally, the greens are now an A1/A4 bentgrass that is very durable and heat tolerant at the same time.
While the entire facility was in excellent condition, special note goes to the greens. They were as good as any weĺve seen ľ anywhere. George credits the Superintendent staff ľ led by Tristan Engle and Scott Kroll (he also said the former Superintendent, John Gosselin, was instrumental in the renovation work). I had the chance to meet them both, and they humbly admitted thereĺs still much to do. Perfection, when it comes to maintaining a property, is very hard to achieve. But give some of the fringe areas a chance to grow-in a bit more and there wonĺt be any cause for complaints.
|Superintendents never get enough credit for the work they do, or the hours they put in. Here's to all Superintendents everywhere. Pictured, DuPont's Tristan Engle and Scott Kroll.
Playing the DuPont Course is an absolute joy ľ that is, if you like very walk-able old-style courses with enough forgiveness where you wonĺt lose many balls and enough challenge that subtle changes in pin positions will make every hole play different each day.
Overall, the layout is very well bunkered in the tee shot landing areas and nearer the greens. The par threes call for different clubs ľ ôanywhere from a seven-iron to a three-wood, depending on the wind conditions. Thereĺs also a good mix of par five yardages, providing risk-reward options for your second shots,ö according to Matlaga.
|As is true on most holes, you can try and run it up to the par three 17th hole -- but if you want to get close to the pin, you'll need to challenge the bunkers.
The only disappointing aspect about DuPont (for the public, at least) is that itĺs a private club ľ mostly. The club (and its three golf courses) is owned by the corporation of the same name, for the benefit of its employees and retirees. The DuPont Club currently has 9,000 members, with 2,500 golfing memberships. In addition to the golf courses, the club offers lawn bowling, two banquet facilities, six indoor and nineteen outdoor Har tru tennis courts and an extensive fitness center.
The club will grant limited golf access to guests staying at the companyĺs DuPont Hotel, however, and also hosts a number of charitable events by outside groups on Mondays. In other words, itĺs not impossible to get a chance to play there, and well worth the effort if you get an opportunity.
I toured the course with a DuPont member, Pete Rigby, who was more than happy to point out the numerous ways in which the layout was improved ľ even from its former days as a LPGA major championship venue. He said the members couldnĺt be more pleased with the work that was done ľ save for one hole, the par four second, which features a raised green, huge bunkers in front and a sloped green thatĺs very difficult to hold for anyone who canĺt stop their ball on a dime.
|DuPont's clubhouse opened in 1949, and still shines bright even today. You can see it from several holes, such as here, on the 3rd hole.
About the second hole, George says that members need to understand ľ those changes were made for a reason. Safety. ôPeople used to drive it up the (adjacent) 9th fairway to leave just a wedge shot into the second green,ö George explained. ôIt was creating a hazard for those playing the 9th hole, and was also slowing up play. The club asked us to take a look at the situation, and we decided to make it almost impossible to try that Ĺ9th fairway optionĺ by providing a much safer way to play the hole by doing it the Ĺrightĺ way ľ hitting your tee shot onto the second fairway.ö
ôNow, if you choose to drive it in the 9th fairway, thereĺs no way you can hold your approach shot into the second green,ö George said, very obviously satisfied.
|The 18th hole offers a split-fairway option. Risk the more narrow left-side and it's a much easier shot to the green... but there's a lot more room on the right.
They may not realize it, but the people playing the ninth hole ľ and the entire course ľ are much better off in the post-renovation days. Safer, you might say. The Ĺnewĺ DuPont Course will be that much more enjoyable, that much more playable, and that much quieter, even, taking away those dreaded shouts of ĹFore!ĺ that no one really wants to hear.
Note: Our thanks to Pete Rigby for his patience and sense of humor during our visit.
The DuPont Country Clubĺs DuPont Course
Phone: (302) 421-1753
Website: dupontcountryclub.com
Original Architect: Alfred Tull
Renovation Architect: Lester George
General Manager: Steve Matlaga
General Superintendent: Tristan Engle
Assistant Superintendent: Scott Kroll
Black 7120
Blue 6639
White 5845
Green 5244
Membership to the DuPont Club is restricted to DuPont employees and retirees. Limited play is offered to guests at the DuPont Hotel, and to groups holding outings.
|Related Links
|Comments on this article?
Maryland National Golf Club
Hollow Creek Golf Club
Rocky Gap Resort
PB Dye Golf Club in Ijamsville
Whiskey Creek Golf Club
E-mail Jeff Rendall, Editor:

subset: commoncrawl


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I love playing hide and seek with my daughter. She's not old enough to find good hiding spots, but she's old enough to reveal the true desires of our heart...to be found.
It goes like this.
Hadley-Daddy, you count to ten and I'll go hide.
Todd-Ok. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7..8...9...10...Ready or not, here I come.
T-Oh man, I can't find Hadley anywhere. I wonder if she is behind the couch. Is she behind the couch?
T-I wonder if she is under the table. Is she under the table?
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She doesn't want to hide, she want to be found!
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When you get away from "normal" life and step out on the trail. There is something that allows us come out with our junk and share the real us with the group. It is an incredibly freeing experience and feel like we are being found all over again by our dad!
No need to hide any longer...the joy is in being found...and LOVED!


text:
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Another Sketch
Posted by Gav at 5:24 PM No comments:
Labels: Gav, Pen and Ink study
Happy New Year All
Let's hope that 2010 is better than 2009. That really shouldn't be too difficult.
Posted by Gav at 5:22 PM No comments:
Labels: Big Gav, Happy New Year
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Decided to do some exercises since I am beginning to work on my portfolio. None of these will make the cut, they are just good practice. Haven't worked with Pen and Ink in quite a long time. Good to be using a brush instead of a mouse.
Posted by Gav at 1:23 PM No comments:
Labels: Art Exercises, Gav, Pen and Ink
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Rock out the Yard
Here in the witness protection program, you rarely lay down sod or plant grass. The Tucson alternative to soft green grass is rock, colored pea stone. I decided to take my rock to a slightly higher level. So here is a rock snake, a Mommy lizard and a baby lizard that reside just outside my house. It is better than raking the dirt, believe it or not some people do that out here.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Elvgren study
Completed a study of a Gil Elvgren painting for my daughter, Niki. I will probably do more. It has been a long time since I have copied someone's technique; very interesting exercise as always. Will be painting it up in the coming weeks, building my painting portfolio.
Posted by Gav at 7:31 AM No comments:
Labels: Big Gav, Gil Elvgren study, Oil Painting
Thursday, December 24, 2009
I did a quick comp for a client who wanted an image that denoted "Better, Smarter". Here were some of the options.
Posted by Gav at 8:48 AM No comments:
Labels: Design, Horrendous Fiasco
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Contact Page
Wow, I even wrote actionscript for this page on my website and it actually worked. Now you can e-mail me, go to my Facebook page and become my friend, and even "Leave a Blurb". WOOO-frickidy-HOOO.
Posted by Gav at 6:27 PM No comments:
Labels: animation website, Horrendous Fiasco
Friday, December 11, 2009
Oh Happy Day.
The Horrendous Fiasco website is finally up. Dec 9th to be exact. It is not yet finished and I am still trudging along trying to find the time to work on the other pages, but it is running. Many thanks to Mike Parker who helped get this site up and for his expertise in making this "flash" site run so well. Thanks to my very talented friend, Jim May who provided so many of the soundtracks for the site, several that will see the light of day soon. And thanks to Tom de Boor and Donna Grillo who proofread the text so I do not look like a moron. Updates to the site are in the works and will hopefully be a part of the experience soon. Oh and my friend Sue just got a role as a mosquito for Disney Playhouse. That's also good.
Posted by Gav at 11:16 AM No comments:
Labels: animation website, Horrendous Fiasco, Web Design
Monday, December 7, 2009
Progress on Rorshach
Posted by Gav at 9:43 AM No comments:
Labels: Design, Gav, Horrendous Fiasco, Illustration
Friday, December 4, 2009
Rorshach Gav (in progress)
Posted by Gav at 12:41 PM No comments:
Labels: Design, Gav, Self Portrait
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Movie page redo
So the embarrassment of not having my website up has not stopped me (at least) from putting up some of the redone pages. The web developer changed how we were going about things on my movie page. I like this better so now it's just a matter of time, right? I figure the website should be up sometime before I die.
Posted by Gav at 5:52 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Gav Design, Horrendous Fiasco, Web Design
Ink Blot Gav
Posted by Gav at 9:12 AM No comments:
Labels: Gav Design, Horrendous Fiasco, Self Portrait
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Here is a mock up of a design I am working on...It was a quickie, made in about 5 minutes without a drawing. It will get more attention if the client likes it.
Posted by Gav at 2:13 PM 2 comments:
Labels: 2D animation, Gav Design, Gorilla, Illustration
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Some Knock Knock Art
Couple of samples from the Knock Knock Archive. Many thanks to the great Todd Myers, Ben Smallridge, and the amazing Dave Fedan. (and me too).
Posted by Gav at 5:42 PM 1 comment:
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Carrotato (pretty finished)
Posted by Gav at 2:11 PM 1 comment:
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Rat Fink+Gav+Monster+Wheels=I like it.
Posted by Gav at 9:39 AM No comments:
Labels: Gav Design, Horrendous Fiasco, Monsters
Friday, November 13, 2009
Carrotato (unfinished)
Posted by Gav at 12:42 PM No comments:
Sketches for a Monster Project
Here are a couple of sketches for a project I am working on...The old "Spec" designs to hopefully get the client all Lady Gaga over it. Obviously, various directions. I will be putting some finish to them in Illustrator the program of the day!
Posted by Gav at 10:11 AM No comments:
Labels: Gav Design, Horrendous Fiasco
Friday, November 6, 2009
Gallery TEST
Gallery Page...I post this so that I can look at the overall color design on different computer screens, a handy thing if you like to control the design outside your little domain.
Posted by Gav at 4:11 PM No comments:
Labels: Gav Design, Horrendous Fiasco, Web Design
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Posted by Gav at 8:17 AM No comments:
Labels: Big Gav, Illustration
Saturday, October 31, 2009
In case you were wondering.
Here is the new movie page for the Horrendous Fiasco website. My web developer suggested a gallery approach and of course I agreed. It delayed the initial launch(so what else is new). I thought 2009 would be a good year. The site would be up and I could start selling my services. Oh well, 2010 wins by default.
Posted by Gav at 4:41 PM No comments:
Labels: Big Gav, Horrendous Fiasco, Web Design
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Long time no post...See you in November with some new work.
Posted by Gav at 9:13 AM 2 comments:
Friday, October 2, 2009
Another Caveman
This is going down the same road I have been following with this design and I think this is as far as I want to take it. I will probably revisit this with a heavier ink line and see if I can get closer to the effect I have in my pea brain.
Posted by Gav at 4:15 PM No comments:
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Prelim Work
Doing a lot of prelim design work for various projects. Wish I had a clone.
Posted by Gav at 7:23 PM No comments:
Friday, September 25, 2009
The wait is nearly over
Yes, I think in the near future the Horrendous Fiasco website may be seeing the light of day. It has been a struggle doing such an involved site, finding the styles that work, and making the necessary changes to improve functionality. A learning experience in spades, clubs, and hearts. Should be running with some minor holes in a week or so. I will keep you all posted.
Posted by Gav at 4:56 PM No comments:
Labels: animation website, Horrendous Fiasco
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Simple Lesson
Warm and silly is always a good formula for a cartoon. I will take the ridiculous over the "cool" any damn day. It is why Bugs Bunny still works, why Homer is loved, and why Spongebob is adored. I vote for funny.
Posted by Gav at 8:46 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Animation opinion
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Caveman Design direction 4
Another installment of the design process of my next film. Little brighter, probably will pump up the contrast in the shadows if I go this direction. Definitely, want to go with texture and a cave painting feel.
Posted by Gav at 2:21 PM 3 comments:
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Wifezillas animated
Here is a little movie of the flash animation for the website Wifezillas. The site itself will be up soon, I am sure. Enjoysky.
Posted by Gav at 4:39 PM No comments:
Labels: Big Gav, Fast Web developement, Flash
Friday, September 4, 2009
Posted by Gav at 12:51 PM No comments:
Labels: Fast Web developement, Gav Design, Wifezillas
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Playing with Textures
Always thought it might be a cool idea to color a character in textures. The only problem is that when the character is in motion the texture will either flicker or be stationary as if it were matted in. Have to visualize if that will work or be too visually chaotic. The coloring of the textures will help reduce either effect, but may have to do a motion test to be sure. (If I go down this road at all.)
Posted by Gav at 6:13 PM No comments:
Labels: Animation Design, Character Development, Man Story
Another installment in the fastest sites ever built. This is day two in the design stage for Wifezillas banner. Plan to be finished with the banner by Friday. (Can only work a half a day tomorrow). So in three and a half days, I will build a decent looking banner, the web developer I work with will have it up and running in a couple days, if he has the time. So another one week website
Posted by Gav at 3:18 PM No comments:
Labels: Fast Web developement, Gav Design, Quick, Wifezillas
Monday, August 31, 2009
Another Layer
Added a sun effect to my new design. Not sure I am going this direction and I will not finalize it for another month or so. Going to design slow and try several variations. This direction is not necessarily very innovative. I have seen it. The question remains if there is a way to enhance this type of design in order to make it original.
Posted by Gav at 5:37 PM No comments:
Labels: Animation Design, Character Development, Man Story
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Doubledome (of Longhair & Doubledome) was one of the first ventures into digital ink and paint. It shows. This is really a very traditional handling of an animated image and although we experimented with both color and line at Knock Knock, we never really strayed too far from what we knew, mixing paint and slapping it on a cel. This is a good example of traditional ink and paint done digitally. Hopefully, "Man Story" will be a bit more sophisticated in its treatment of the animated image. hopefully I have learned something since 1998.
Posted by Gav at 4:35 PM 1 comment:
Friday, August 28, 2009
Blocking it out
I have decided to post a few steps in my character and film design process. I am presently boarding a new independent short entitled, "Man Story". I am taking a break from the boarding process to start a prelim design. The style of this film is very important to me. It has to be different, it has to be a new look. I have always found that innovation is best started from what you all ready know. So this is my initial block out. It is how I have produced digital design since 1998. Created in Photoshop, I have cleaned up the pencil images and started laying both shadow passes in and an overall tone. More later.
Labels: Big Gav, Gav Animation design, Horrendous Fiasco
Caveman Design
Posted by Gav at 4:10 PM No comments:
Labels: Animation Design, Gav's Cavemen, Horrendous Fiasco
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Back in the Saddle
Well the next 6 months in my little mundane life should be as creatively chaotic as anything I can remember. I have started so many projects, I do not know if I will be alive after their completion. It is kind of crazy and at the same time I look forward to it. The hardest part is not to get overwhelmed, just take it a day at a time, and plow away. Stay tuned. Oh, and BTW the Horrendous Fiasco Website is finally getting there. Under Construction page is up and is at least entertaining.
Posted by Gav at 1:38 PM No comments:
Labels: animation website, Gav, Horrendous Fiasco
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Fastest Site Ever-Teenzillas
Mike Parker and I have launched a site called Teenzillas where you can post stories about your teenage years, raising your own nightmare teenagers or anything Teen that might classify as Teenzilla. Mike called me in the beginning of the week and we have the site up and running right now. We put this bad boy together in less than a week. SCHWING!!! So go to Teenzillas and post away. We want traffic. www.teenzillas.com
Posted by Gav at 3:43 PM No comments:
Labels: Gavzilla, Teenzillas, Web Design
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Working on a new website, Teenzillas. It will probably be up very soon. Here is the banner design done by yours truly.
Posted by Gav at 10:44 AM 1 comment:
Labels: Big Gav, Horrendous Fiasco, Web Design
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Under Construction Page Finished
Well after an unusual problem with Flash, what a surprise. I was finally able to complete the "Under Construction" Page for the gargantuan Horrendous Fiasco website of no return project. Flash in it's infinite wisdom decided it should export at a different frame rate than the actual flash file. This does create problems when you are post-scoring a soundtrack. (The soundtrack was nearly twice as long as the original flash file...oops. I had to re-time the entire piece to the soundtrack and when I am faced with such a task, I always try to make it better than before. So I added a few things for grins. Thanks to Jimmy May by the way for another fantastic track. Hope I did good.
Posted by Gav at 2:58 PM No comments:
Labels: Horrendous Fiasco, Jim May, Web Design
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Couple of Cavemen Sketches
I will be doing more cavemen in the near future, due to the ever-loving fact that I am designing for a new short film. Stay tuned, I might just finalize designs in this decade.
Posted by Gav at 7:15 PM No comments:
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Great Tom Parker
Tom Parker-one of the best creative sales reps ever. Richard Williams, Jim Braddy, and many others, including me had Mr. Parker as a rep and friend. He was notable not just for his skill in selling but for his preferred and refined skill of orchestrating a great time. He had some great qualities but my all time favorite, was the ability to take control. He never asked anyone, "what do you want to do tonight?". He just told you what you were going to do. It was a gift. He made all the arrangements, you followed, had a blast and lived to tell about it (that was the hard part). I lost a lot of liver with that guy.
Posted by Gav at 12:31 PM No comments:
Labels: Chicago, Sales Representative, Tom Parker
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Words of Wisdom for August
Get back to work at the drawing board but not drawing bored.
Friday, July 17, 2009
New Posts are coming
Will be posting new stuff soon. Just had too many things to deal with and just haven't had too much time to myself and the real work. Check back this coming week.
Posted by Gav at 7:50 PM No comments:
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sketches from San Diego
Went to visit my son Alex in San Diego and while the family played "beached" whale on the Del Mar beach I sketched as usual. Some people, some cartoons, and one woman who I had to draw from memory, a 75 (at least) year old woman with perfect breasts (artificial of course) People are sometimes weirder than cartoons.
Posted by Gav at 10:31 AM No comments:
Labels: Character sketches, Drawing, Gav
Monday, July 6, 2009
Start the Day
I always try to sit down and sketch each day before any actual work transpires. Just like to let my hand take over and mindlessly draw. Here is one of today's early morning pencil pushings. She is askew, not particularly well structured yet I found her appealing anyway.
Posted by Gav at 9:07 AM No comments:
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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
Audubon in Action
Thanks to some seeds, soil, and a lot of dedication, students are learning about science, connecting with nature, and greening the city of Norristown.
Read the full article in the Audubon Magazine here.


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Setting up a wedding photography business is a rewarding career choice. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion and the wedding photography business is therefore more recession-proof than many other business right now. And the job satisfaction you get when you produce images and memories that will be treasured for a lifetime is second to none.
So what are the traits of a good wedding photographer? They are many and various but one main one is their attention to detail. That is a skill anyone looking to become a wedding photographer should develop. It could start by becoming aware of the people around you and how they are dressed. This skill can be honed by improving your organizing skills, since as a wedding photographer, the person will need to be very organized.
Another characteristic of a successful wedding photography business is to educate yourself about weddings! There are many details that go along with planning the perfect day for a bride and groom. The wedding photographer's task is to understand the vision that the bride and groom have for their big day, and capture as many of the details as possible.
So, begin reading as many books as possible on photographing a wedding. Talk to brides who have hired photographers for previous weddings and ask what they found the most difficult dealing with the photographer. Based on their difficulties, think of solutions to these for when your business in wedding photography starts.
A portfolio will be necessary for you to become a wedding photographer. This is one way of proving to the bride and groom that you are able to properly photograph the wedding day for them. Even before the wedding photography business is officially started, spend time helping family and friends photograph a wedding.
Take pictures of areas of the wedding and these pictures can go into your portfolio. For example, helping a cousin choose a wedding dress can result in pictures of her wearing different wedding dresses. Simple activities such as this can create a great portfolio.
When looking to start a wedding photography business, it is a good idea to spend time working as a wedding photography intern. If the person does not have any friends who are wedding photographers, they can contact well-known wedding photographers in his or her area and ask if they would like an intern. Most likely they would say yes.
Working as an intern will give someone the "hands-on" experience of seeing what it is to run a business as a wedding photographer. This is also a great way to pick up on tips that the wedding photography books do not tell you.
It is also a good idea to develop packages based on what you can offer. For example, a simple package could just be of photos arranging the cake, decorations, and flowers, while a full package can be photos of most of the wedding guests, with the limousine, and at the reception. These itemized packages will help the bride and groom choose and see exactly what they can expect for the price they are paying.
Organisation, education and experience are the keys to a successful wedding photography business together with talent, of course.
We have a website with lots of information and resources on wedding photography courses [http://weddingphotographycourses.net/] and running a successful wedding photography business [http://weddingphotographycourses.net/running-a-successful-wedding-photography-business]. You are most welcome to browse the site and to ask us any questions – we look forward to hearing from you.


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Mortgage Blog
Residential Mortgage Expert
How Much House Can You Afford? Ask Yourself These Critical Questions to Find Out
July 24, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
It is the perennial question for every first-time homeowner. How much house can I afford? As with so many life-changing decisions, there is no one right answer to this common query, and the size of th ...read more
3 Simple Ways to Repair Your Credit
July 10, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
For many Canadians looking to purchase a home, bad credit scores stand in the way of getting a mortgage. Most lenders prefer your score to be 650 or higher. If they do allow for lower credit scores, i ...read more
First Time Home Buyers Guide: What Happens after Sending an Offer to Purchase
June 27, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
After sending the offer to purchase to the seller, there's nothing left to do but cross some fingers and hope for the best. Or is there? What happens now and when will the keys finally change hands? T ...read more
First Time Home Buyers Guide: What about Pre-Qualification, Pre-Approval, and Mortgage Commitment Letters?
June 12, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
Securing pre-qualification, pre-approval, and mortgage commitment letters can simplify the mortgage application process. These steps can also help home buyers avoid disaster. They don't need all three ...read more
Three Mistakes to Avoid as a First Time Homebuyer
May 22, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
Purchasing your first home is always an exciting life milestone. However, if you want to make a smooth and easy transition into home ownership, there are a few mistakes you should try to avoid along ...read more
Mortgage Mistakes - How to Avoid Getting in Over Your Head When Buying Your First Home
May 8, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
If you are tired of renting and ready to buy the home of your dreams, you need to plan carefully. The dream of home ownership is a wonderful thing, but without careful planning and a proactive approac ...read more
Four Tips to Sell Your Home in a Hurry
April 24, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
Selling your home can be a time-consuming process - a situation which is less than ideal if you want to move sooner rather than later. Luckily, though, there are a few things that you can do to spee ...read more
Mortgage Questions for First-Time Buyers
April 10, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
While purchasing a home qualifies as the largest acquisition in many peoples' lives, it doesn't have to invoke anxiety. As long as you know what to expect, you'll be set to become a successful homeo ...read more
What to Look for in an Investment Property
March 27, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
Investing in real estate can be a great way to grow your wealth. However, in order to be a successful investor, you will need to identify the right properties to invest in. In particular, you will w ...read more
3 Smart Ways to Use a Home Equity Line of Credit
March 13, 2019 | Posted by: Jill Mayson
For homeowners across the globe, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) have become a handy way of tapping into the value of their homes. However, when borrowing money against your home, it is always ...read more


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Posted: 1 year ago
Can Hypatia Darring overcome accidents and adversaries to race in the final leg of the Murray Cup? Find out in The Cup's final episode.
Following a harrowing first stage of the Murray Cup, Hypatia Darring must navigate through dangerous obstacles both on and off the course to remain in contention.
Newcomer Hypatia Darring faces fierce competition and unexpected obstacles after landing the pole position at the Murray Cup.


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There are many interesting websites with relevant information*.
Please look at the fan page on Facebook for regular new interesting links at Harley Homeopaths – Isle of Man
Society of Homeopaths – registered and insured homeopaths following a code of ethics and continual professional development
Let the people choose – registered Homeopaths in the UK and Ireland
An ebook on Homeopathy by Dr Dooley Homeopathy beyond flat world medicine
|Neals Yard
|Goodness direct
|Barefoot Botanicals
|Green people
I trained at The College for Homeopathic Education In London. I recommend the college as a centre of excellence in teaching homeopathy for the 21st C
Introductory books to Homeopathy
Boiron USA have a free online introduction to Homeopathy
Research into homeopathy
|Homeopathic research Institute
|Homeopathy action trust
|Faculty of Homeopathy – link to research papers
|Homeopathy 4 health
|Homoeopathic Information Service
|Homoeopathie – Wichmann A German website containing a very comprehensive list of links to newly proven remedies.
|Homoeopathy Home A very comprehensive list of newly proven remedies and where to find details about them on the internet.
|Homeopathy international
|Society for the Establishment of Research in Classical Homeopathy
|Provings from The South Downs College of Homoeopathy.
|The Welsh School of Homoeopathy
Extra Ordinary Medicine Details some of the misinformation touted about Homeopathy with a full explanation.
Green Med Info The World's Largest Evidence-Based Natural Medical Database with Articles indexed and growing daily.
The vital force
Information about the energy – or vital force that is part of our immune system
The healing benefits from our sexual energy
Pregnancy neonates and parenting sites
Links to some interesting research and information for parents
A mothers musing is a very supportive blog by Homeopath Taryn Jacobs about becoming a mother and all it entails
Interesting information on Maca powder and the menopause
The informed parent and links
Please read this if you are thinking about vaccination
Mens health
Health Information
Do you know what are in your cosmetics? Click here
Want to know if the medication you are on could be causing you side effects? Click here
The Oasis of Hope hospital – Integrated approach to cancer
Natural Cancer treatment therapies
Vitamins and Supplements
Water for Health – Green vibrance
Homeopathic Charities
Travelling Homoeopaths Collective
Autisim and Homeopathy -There are two projects one is a UK based homeopath Carol Boyce, who has Something to Say Productions info here This is an American Homeopath who is researching autisim and homeopathy
Other Complementary Therapists
Andy Rockall – Aviemore/Highlands area
Janice Walker Robbins – Surrey
Pets and Homeopathy
Excellent website with a host of information especially on dogs
A very interesting blog by an holistic vet
Link to an excellent book on treating pets holistically
Celebrities and Homeopathy
Link to youtube
*All external websites linked to and from these pages have been selected and provide information we consider useful and relevant. However, we do not take responsibility for the content of these sites or of further sites that they may link into. Some sites may contain advertising and the inclusion of any company's name within the pages should not be construed as a recommendation by us of that organisations products and/or services. Responsibility for the contents and opinions expressed on linked sites rests solely with the author. Opinions expressed on linked websites do not necessarilty represent the views and opinions of Harley Homeopaths (HH). We assume no liability for any content or opinion expressed on these sites, nor does it warrant that the contents and linked sites are error or virus free. In no event will HH be liable for any loss or damage including, without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damages whatsoever arising from use or loss of use of, data or profits arising out of or in connection with the use of HH's website.


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Automatic 4 Group La Marzocco Cappuccino Espresso Machine
46(width) X 23(Depth) X 21(Height)
This is a refurbished machine that our team of technicians has tested both manually and electronically to make sure that it works perfectly. We always put our machines through the 100-point checklist and we replace all worn out and poorly performing components. We guarantee our work.
For any questions, call Domenic


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The EU funded YESSEN Project
ActionAid Uganda with funding from the European Union started the implementation of the Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Self Employment and National development (YESSEN), a four year project. The project started in September 2016 and is implemented in the districts of Amuru, Kotido, Lira, Nwoya, and Pader.
The overall objective of the project is to empower youth to take an active role in sustainable economic activities and contribute to Uganda's national development.
The project specifically seeks to enhance young people's employable skills and link them to regional and national youth networks for greater engagement with decision makers and participation in shaping policy and programs that affect young men and women. It is expected that the young people will be enrolled for apprenticeship placement, empowered with Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture knowledge and skills that they will adapt in youth groups to improve their livelihoods.
The project is also working to improve competencies of youth and their agencies to mobilize and organise effectively. At least 10 viable start up projects for young people will be established- two in each of the participating districts on a competitive basis.
More importantly, the project will create entrepreneurship and job creation initiatives that respond to community needs. Youths are being trained in tailor made short courses to improve coordination and dialogue. The project is also organising annual youth seminars and cross learning visits to further link and strengthen the youth for a greater voice and action.


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The New York Posts' Josh Margolin has details on a damning report saying emergency response times have actually slowed despite spending more than $2 billion to update the 911 system.
The report from a Washington consulting firm identified these inefficiencies:
NYPD brass, trying to keep their call stats high and justify an ever-increasing budget, refuse to allow the city's 311 system to handle non-emergency police calls — although that's how it's done in many other big cities.
As much as $100 million has been wasted by purchasing separate dispatch systems for the NYPD and FDNY when one new one would have been just fine. The separate systems were incompatible, so the city had to spend $15 million for an interface to get them to communicate with each other.


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If an organization is only interested in finding out which customers are about to close their accounts, then it may not matter what data their AI uses to make decisions. The business can just let the AI take over, let it respond to at-risk accounts based on the data science, offering discounts, free services, or even a teddy bear — whatever it takes to save the account.
Increasingly, however, organizations don't want to be in a constant state of reaction. In other words, these organizations are interested in the "why" that their data can offer. The math behind a decision based on an individual's address, eye color and height may be correct, but it is using data that the organization can do nothing about. Until we understand "why," it's not time to turn decisions over to an AI; we need to apply machine learning and data science to get more insights.
Here are some very common variables used to analyze churn:
- What steps preceded the point that put the customer at risk of churning?
- How often are they interacting with the company?
- How are they interacting with the company?
- When was the last time they were on the website? And for how long were they active?
- When was the last time they used a company product such as a bank's credit card?
But these variables also share a common problem: businesses struggle to get value from them. Organizations need to be enabled to make preemptive changes that alter paths before accounts ever approach closing. This requires using machine learning provided insights that have business value.
The challenge faced by machine learning is that at its most basic, it is a mathematical analysis. It does not recognize that events can vary in value as differentiated by whether or not the organization can interact with that value. What's needed are models that reflect not just quantity, but quality of interactions.
Such input only comes from people. Specifically, it comes from business people who have the experience, practical knowledge and intuition to recognize that customer height, for all its apparent predictive power, is not something that the organization can affect, while things like frustrating bill payment and login web pages can be improved.
This is not to suggest that data scientists who develop models that include height data are not themselves human! They almost certainly are. It is simply that their training and focus is on predictive power, not necessarily the reality of actionable business insights.
That is why in order to get the most out of machine learning, data science and business experts need to work together, putting the business in a position to change the way the data science team operates. If your business wants to apply data science successfully, then the business needs to play its part in the process.
That requires a change of perception and attitude. There is a false notion that machine learning projects are all about specialized data skills, SQL queries and Python code that data scientists excel at and business users tend to shy away from. In reality, both are needed. Both parties need to overcome their discomfort, sit side by side, and contribute to the process, putting the data scientist at the keyboard working with the data, while the business person looks over their shoulder and says, "I can't do anything with that variable," and "Why not include this other variable?"
Three Areas Where Businesses Can Inform Data Science
In what areas can the business contribute to data science?
- Data selection: The business can play a role in selecting the data sources that it can actually do something about.
- Feature engineering: The business can help close the gap between the mathematical creativity employed by data scientists in building variables to describe data and practical variables that have meaning to the business.
- Interpretation: Models will always throw combinations of variables that are inscrutable to the data scientist. Business users can spot the relationship between, for example, how long it takes to pay a bill and what type of credit card the customer uses. In this case, the business user knows what the data scientist does not — that different credit card types see different bill paying pages.
For most business applications, the hunt for the golden unicorns who understand the math, the data, and the business has put an artificial limit on the potential return of machine learning investment. Breaking down the barriers between data science and business and putting multiple minds with varied expertise to work on models is more affordable and more productive.
If a business wants to get the most out of machine learning, it's time to stop treating data science and machine learning as special projects that exist in a bubble. Instead the business needs to step forward and take an active, ongoing participatory role, feeding machine learning with daily doses of real-world business insight.


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Location: Catterick Leisure Centre, Gough Road, Catterick, North Yorkshire, DL9 3EL
The BFRS National Employment & Careers Fairs are designed to assist members of the Armed Forces Community find their second career outside of the forces. This includes Veterans, Reservists, Families and those employed from the MOD Tri-service.
Everyone at our Events all have one thing in common, and that is their desire to employ you, Provide you with the right information, to help you now and in the future.
Our mission is to provide as much assistance as possible under one roof including:
There are many issues facing you when leaving the
Forces, it could be moving house, where to live, schools, doctors but one thing
that concerns us all is Employment. What to do next? finding a job can be very
difficult if you are unsure what is available to you, and what you actually can offer to the employers.
The National Employment & Career Events are a great
opportunity for you to network with Employers and discuss what you may require
to be successful in your next career.
You can either register to attend the event, or just turn up on the day.
Centenary Business Centre, Hammond Close, Nuneaton, CV11 6RY.
Tel: 02476 939931


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Find Alumni Listed in San Mateo, California
Listed below are alumni from schools in San Mateo, California. Click on any of the schools below to view those alumni currently listed and to search for others not yet listed. Find out what alumni from San Mateo are doing now.
Alumni Search
All Schools Listed in San Mateo, California
524Aragon High School
2Cornerstone Christian School
12Hillcrest Juvenile Hall School
396Hillsdale High School


text: At 06.54 p.m. 5.11.2001 -0800, Yoon Ha Lee wrote: > "640K ought to be enough for anybody"--Bill Gates, 1981 Remember when he said you would never need more then 640 K of memory? Well, he's finally kept his promise. Win XP requires only the following: Windows XP requires a whopping 128 K of memory and a 300 MHz processor, though the system really breathes with 256 K of memory and processors of 500 MHz or more. That's from http://news.ninemsn.com.au/sci_tech/story_15694.asp and we all know the news never get's it wrong! (That's from http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=325505821 by a 'Corey S'. Used without permission.) Tristan


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Cookies on this website
Abbeyfield uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details about cookies and how to manage them, see our cookie policy. Accept and continue
Development is key to our future at Abbeyfield. We're committed to ensuring that our houses and homes are fit for the future. We have several large scale projects underway. Have a look at our innovative approach to building homes for the future.
Planned for completion in 2020, Mayflower Court is our brand new development of 80 one and two bedroom retirement apartments in the Millbay area of Plymouth. This unique independent living with care development is in the heart of the Millbay area, and will provide prospective residents with 24 hour on-site care should they require it.
Learn more about Mayflower Court
Speedwell Court is a brand new residential care home with dementia specialism in Southampton, which will offer our residents a home finished to the highest possible standards. It will provide a safe, secure and caring environment with impressive facilities for all.
Recruiting now, view our latest vacancies.
Learn more about Speedwell Court


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BT Openreach have announced that they are aiming to transition all telephone lines in the UK from Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by 2025. In the next decade, we will witness the fall of landlines as they are replaced by digital, fibre networks.
On 19th April 2018, the announcement was made. BT Openreach are in control of the network used by all but one of the UK telecoms providers, so you can expect analogue telephone lines to be fully phased out in seven years' time. All phone calls in future will be made over broadband, according to this plan, through a VoIP system. The departure from traditional copper telephone lines means that BT's Wholesale Line Retail (WLR) products will need to be removed, as these rely on PSTN to operate.
Some people will find this announcement nostalgic and bittersweet, as the landline telephone has been a central part of hundreds of thousands of households throughout the UK for many years now. But BT are confident that with their transition to VoIP, they will be able to provide better quality broadband services due to there being one less network to focus on. All their efforts will be centred on digital telephone lines of the future.
In an email sent to communication providers explaining the plan, BT Openreach stated: "This is a truly significant change for the industry and represents a move from an analogue to a digital, fibre-led future. These changes will affect how you do business with Openreach." Next month, Openreach will be consulting with UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in order to make them aware of the planned timeline and process which will be implemented to remove WLR products and shift towards exclusively digital telephone lines.
This change to VoIP-only will make it essential for every UK home to have internet capacity, at least to transmit voice. BT's plan to migrate away from traditional analogue telephone lines is no secret, and on the 26th April 2017 (around this time last year) they originally revealed their interest in shutting down PSTN and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) systems.
Allowing fibre-optic infrastructures to become the primary focus should help to improve these systems' performance, Openreach hopes, as by 2025 none of the company's time will be invested into the traditional technology that has dramatically declined in popularity. BT Openreach is regulated by Ofcom, who will be overseeing this move. Openreach have also announced that they aim to pass fibre-to-the-premises with three million homes and businesses by 2020.
An Openreach spokesperson explained that: "In May [2018], we'll consult with industry around the process of withdrawing WLR and related products. This follows plans by BT to upgrade its customers from analogue (PSTN) to digital (all IP) telephone services by 2025. We'll be working with our Communication Provider customers over the coming months as we consider the move to IP voice services – where broadband rather than voice becomes the primary service."
BT first introduced ISDN nationwide in 1986. In the world of ever-evolving digital technology that we live in today, traditional systems have become outdated and connectivity has made huge strides over the past few decades. Openreach have outlined that digital telephone systems are the way forward, as digital fibre networks will save users considerable money, offer a wider range of flexibility, faster installation time, increased resilience provided by multiple backup fibre lines, and advanced features. We can expect these systems to evolve rapidly, increasing the benefits.
Across the world, a growing number of telecommunications companies are setting similar goals. For instance, Orange aims to complete the shift to all digital IP networks by 2020, and Deutsche Telekom want all their telephone lines changed to digital by the end of this year (2018). It appears that the era of analogue telephone networks is truly coming to a close, and it won't be long before they are phased out completely.
arcoss / 123RF Stock Photo


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EQT GP Holdings, LP owns, operates, acquires, and develops midstream energy assets in the Appalachian Basin through owning partnership interests in EQT Midstream Partners, LP (EQM). EQM offers natural gas transmission, storage, and gathering services to various third parties across 24 counties in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. As of December 31, 2016, it owned and operated 300 miles of high pressure gathering lines and 1,500 miles of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)-regulated low pressure gathering lines. EQT GP Services, LLC serves as a general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. EQT GP Holdings, LP is a subsidiary of EQT Gathering Holdings, LLC.
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7 Simple Steps to Plan a Perfect Branding Photoshoot
Hello there!
I have taken many great headshots of people, only to find out later that they have not been used anywhere outside of their social media profile pictures. Get this: people have spent hundreds of dollars getting these shots of them done, but are not being using them as widely as what they were made for!
Want to know why? Stick with me, I'll tell you in a minute, because there is an incredibly simple answer to that question.
If you are an entrepreneur like me - you are constantly finding yourself in a launch mode. And for every campaign you're building - You KNOW that you need new photos! And the reasons for that are:
You need to grab your audience's attention and stand out above all the digital noise out there.
At same time you need to appeal and relate to them on personal level.
The old photos are either outdated, or were never taken at all.
May be you've lost weight or changed something about the way you look - and need to show your NEW self.
Or may be you want to appear more prominent in your campaigns and are trying to relate to your audience by showing them who you are and telling them your story - in a compelling way - so it is easier for them to remember you.
In the worst case - you have hired a photographer, got the pictures done, and they are NOT what you have expected. Being back to square one can feel pretty discouraging.
But you have no idea how to even begin to approach all that. What you would typically do is - find a decent headshot photographer, and tell them "I need new headshots! What do you charge?". They give you their package rates, you end up hiring them, and they take great photos of you. In the best case - without a solid plan - you will end up with a good series of shots. But as soon as you try to use them you realize that the photos you got don't really go too well with your website design, or with your brand's message, or that you needed different formats - e.g. full body shots with some props, instead of just a cropped head and shoulders kind of an image. Or more vertical photos.
Add to that the fact that in the last decade - photography has come very far. And so did our perception of what's interesting. What is grabbing people's attention and what makes them want to find out more? The imagery has to flow well as a cohesive story that connects all the elements of your launch campaign, including the copy. It also is the main representative of your brand in all your social media and advertising efforts. Have you ever heard that nothing stops people in their tracks faster than a powerful image?
In order to avoid the situation where you have spent a lot of money on new photos and can't really use them, or end up re-designing everything to match these photos (they are great photos after all!) - you simply Must Have a Solid Plan for your photoshoot! Because planning is the most important step towards getting the right pictures done.
It sounds simple for sure - just make a plan and follow through the implementation of every single small element of it. But how do you do that?
I have planned MANY photoshoots and for me it's a breeze.
To help you guys - I wanted to create something as simple as possible, that will be of great value, and I want to offer it to you. Use it any time when you are planning your shoot - with me, or any other photographer.
I created a simple to use PDF - it is called "7 Steps to Plan your Perfect Photoshoot". Grab it right here:
This list will help you to always be prepared for any photoshoot you need to have. And it will save you a lot of money, because you'll be able to achieve all your photography goals in a minimum timeframe, with minimum effort.
You can print it out, or simply use as a reference - it's up to you. Use it to make a perfect plan with your photographer and you will always get better results than you wanted from your branding photoshoots.
I always welcome and appreciate your feedback or comments!


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Ode to a SailorI've been sitting on the ground,Much to everyone's surprise;People say I'm getting dirty.But I would rather kiss the soilThan be crippled by disguiseBetter down to earth than pretty.* In the ash I see passion; In the dust I see trust. I will turn this ship around. And if everything crashes, I will burn if I must. I will turn this ship around.I've been swimming in your sky,Waiting for the tide to turn To something beautiful and true.And you've been swallowing my life.From a distance you have earnedEvery right to know I feel you.In the ash I see passion;In the dust I see trust.I will turn this ship around.Do you think I'm old-fashioned 'Cause I miss you this much?I will turn this ship around.I've been buried in the sandWaiting for the sun to beatDown upon my back like lava.I've been hoping for your hands.To caress my soul to sleepand fill me up with your kabala*
plumb - realLook at me I'm twenty threeBeautiful a sight to seeTonightA little dress to draw the pressAnd I'll be leavingAll the rest behindWell be pleased girlIf this is what you wantedThe whole world is watching you take the stageWhat will you sayAren't I lovelyAnd do you want me causeI am hungry for something that will make me realCan you see me andDo you love me causeI am desperately searching for somethingRealI close my eyes imagine timeWill not forgetMy sacrificeI numb the ache and decorateMy emptinessStand naked in the lightWell be pleased worldIf this is what you wantedThis young girl is everything that you madeWhat will she sayThe world goes homeThe lights go downMy lipstick fadesAway


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made from 80% recycled aluminium.
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Designer Philippe Starck SKU em-icon dimension W. 44 x D. 53 x H: 84; SH. 45 cm Manufacturer Emeco
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DollarNaira exchange rate for Parallel markets. FX Analysis. Lagos, Nigeria. Home; Trading at N330 to the dollar. Black market rate to skyrocket and follow same.
Euro to Naira exchange rate as at today at the parallel market Dollar falls below 400 in the parallel market for the first time in 2017. March 23, 2017.
The naira yesterday exchanged at N345 to the dollar in the parallel market. The exchange rate Naira falls to N345 against dollar in parallel market.
equally predicted that 1 dollar to the naira will hit 1000dollar on the parallel market this year if the the naira [to dollar exchange rate in the.
Our currency rankings show that the most popular Nigeria Naira exchange rate is the Home Currency Encyclopedia NGN Nigerian Naira. AD NGN Midmarket. POUND STERLING (GBP) TO NGN EXCHANGE RATE TODAY MARCH 2017 (BLACK PARALLEL MARKET RATE) Questions like How Much Is Pound To Naira Exchange Rate Today is updated. Dollar Nigerian Naira exchange rate deals Dollars to Nigerian Naira exchange today! Live Dollar to Nigerian Naira exchange rate Market Updates (Email) Rate. Video embeddedCBN Eyes Exchange Rate of N500 to Dollar. rising exchange rate between the Naira and major of the naira in the parallel market this week is.
Naira falls at the parallel market today due to high Naira exchanges for dollar at the rate N308 The Naira on exchange rate of Naira at the. Naira slumps further against dollar at At the parallel market, the Naira began on a while potentially abolishing the parallel black market exchange rate. The naira fell to 351 to the United States dollar at the parallel market and Naira falls to 351dollar at black market. the naira exchange rate to the dollar. anticipating a cut in the nairas official rate, The naira surged against the dollar on the parallel market Copyright 2017 TODAY. ng. All Rights.
Nigerias Parallel Market Exchange rate is a daily compilation of the price of the Naira against three major currencies in the world. This tracker dates to the.
Dollar to Naira Exchange Rate Today Black Market and Official April 2017. Bookmark this page for your daily update of how much is exchange rate of dollar to naira. Also, view Dollar to Naira currency charts. Currency Converter; Transfer Money; Exchange Rate: 05 Apr 17: 1 USD 315. 0000 NGN; 04 Apr 17: 1 USD 314. 0000 NGN.
weakened against the Dollar at the parallel market, to stabilise the Naira exchange rate through its interventions at the foreign exchange market. Source link.
Multinational groups say a dollar shortage in Nigeria driven by the oil exchange rate Weaker through the parallel market is obviously. Naira Extends Gains on Parallel Market, The buy rate of the dollar also strengthened for a gradual return of confidence in the foreign exchange market.


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Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., is in talks with startup airlines in India to sell its small, twin-turboprop M28 planes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to boost air travel in remote parts of the country with subsidies.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., is in talks with startup airlines in India to sell its small, twin-turboprop M28 planes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to boost air travel in remote parts of the country with subsidies. The company, known for its helicopters, has offered to build the passenger planes in India if it gets enough scale, Sikorsky's Regional Executive for India and South Asia A.J.S. Walia said in an interview. The PZL M28 Skytruck is currently built in Poland and is in commercial operations only in Guam.
"We are looking at India to be our introduction to the commercial market," Walia said on the sidelines of an air show in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. "We are talking to customers — and these customers, if I put all together — it's a substantial number of aircraft requirement," he said, declining to elaborate.
Sikorsky is pitching the 19-seat aircraft for short-haul routes amid attempts by the Indian government to encourage airlines to link towns lacking infrastructure, and in some cases even proper runways. As an incentive, Modi has pledged to absorb part of the losses incurred from plying unserved, unprofitable routes. Walia said the M28 may fit in the plan as it can handle grassy and unpaved surfaces with short take-off and landing.
Getting Bids
Only about 75 out of India's 450 airports or airstrips have regular commercial operations. The government has already got bids from airlines to connect 55 airports under Modi's program, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said at the show.
Watch This Also:
If India can open 50 unserved or underserved airports within the next two to three years and retain the current world-beating pace of passenger growth, the nation will become the world's third-largest aviation market after the U.S. and China by 2022, Raju said.
Modi is also trying to lure the world's biggest manufacturers to make their products in India to help create jobs in the $2.1 trillion economy. Sikorsky's parent, the world's biggest defense contractor, has offered to make its F-16 fighter jets in India if it wins an order, while Boeing Co. has said it is looking to sell locally made F/A-18 planes.
Sikorsky has made a presentation to the the Indian government, showing its willingness to produce the aircraft in India if it gets enough scale, Walia said.
"What we conveyed was that numbers will dictate 'Make in India,"' Walia said. "It has to be commercially, economically viable for us to start the production in India," he said, declining to say how big an order it needs.
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This course is designed to help learners continue to hone their writing, research and critical thinking skills. Develop a working understanding of the writing process, the rhetorical principles of voice and purpose that guide what and how one writes, and the basics of assessing research and academic argument.
All assignments will be formatted and cited using APA conventions. Receive on-going support for your writing assignments, including comments and guidance on revisions and drafts. Learn to work with team members to peer review assignments.
This course focuses on how to write clearly, concisely, and academically. In addition, it will cover revising a text at various stages within the writing process. All assignments will be formatted and cited using APA conventions. There will be on-going support to students on their writing assignments, including comments and guidance on their revisions and drafts. Learners will also work with team members to peer review all assignments. Topics Covered:
Please note that this is a rigorous academic writing course, and participants will require basic English comprehension and writing skills to ensure successful completion.
Required Textbooks:
Optional Textbooks:
To order your textbooks, contact the RRU Bookstore.
Time Requirement: This is an intensive course and participants should expect to set aside a minimum of 15-20 hours each week to focus on assignments.
Computer Requirements: You will find the computer requirements for this course through this link: computerservices.royalroads.ca/computer_equip_requirements.
If you are taking this course as a condition of admission to RRU: Please select a course offering that ends a minimum of five weeks prior to your program start date*. This should ensure sufficient turnaround time for clearing conditions. In order to clear your condition, you will be required to submit a copy of your grade confirmation letter to email@example.com or email@example.com.
*Humanitarian Studies students should select a course offering that ends a minimum nine weeks prior to their program start date.As these courses do fill up quickly please register as soon as you are able.
This course is instructed by various RRU associate faculty.
REFUND POLICY: Full refunds will be granted up to the end of the 3rd day of the course, and deferrals may be granted before the course start date.
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Passport information
1. The website to access information re Passport status is out of date. Have family 2012 issued passports in hand. Website status update says there is no record of passport. This site needs to be kept current if it to be at all useful.
2. When we applied for a passport for a family member who is conserved, (non-verbal and cognitively unable to use the internet) the current system, due to "privacy restrictions" does not allow a court and legally appointed conservator to check on the passport status.
There must be a way for a conservator to do this over the telephone, especially when the website status is so incomplete and incorrect.
Idea No. 58


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This week was filled with a lot of readings but allowed me to, yet again, see a new light in the world of digital storytelling. I had no idea how much of an impact Web 2.0 had on story telling. Web 2.0 changed from static web pages to user friendly content and has eventually lead to the impact of social media. I found the change to be huge for the world itself because where would we be today without it.
"A logic named Joe"
This article actually was very creepy to read because all the points and predictions the author had about todays world of technology is true. He states that we will all have some sort of device in our homes and it will over take our lives. Overall saying that without technology or the web today… todays people will not know how to go one.
The site on 'How to write up assignments' was very helpful for me this week when going about these assignments. It helped me lay a format to what I wanted to say but also giving more personal detail and creativity.
Daily Create
I really like doing these Daily Creates… even thou we only have to do three a week it was very fun activity and helped show my creative side.
Assignment Bank
These were a little tricky for me to do… and probably took most of my time doing this week. I think I thought to hard about how to do them but once I realized what I wanted to say it was easy for me to finish and create a story with them.
Another great week of Digital Storytelling and can't wait for next week assignments!!!


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No matter what you're
going through, there's a
light at the end of the
tunnel and it may seem
hard to get to it but you
can do it and just keep
working towards it and
you'll find the positive
side of things.
Demi Lovato
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Taj Mahal | A Token of Love
Time and time again, I have heard and read the story behind the building of Taj Mahal. It always amazed me how one building could look so different every time of the day. How it changed its color depending on the light cast on it.
I remember reading about it as a kid. I remember seeing the different pictures of it in magazines, and newspapers back in the days of no internet. I remember reading my sister's research paper in university. She had cutouts of different pictures of the Taj Mahal from the different magazines, and newspapers it was published in. It looked beautiful then, and then when the internet came, I saw its pictures shared a countless times on Pinterest, Videos on Facebook, and Instagrams. None of the pictures I saw disappointed me. The Taj Mahal was beautiful.
As when it comes to my beliefs, it is not something that I agree upon - an elaborate mausoleum. Our burial processes are as simple as being covered / shrouded in a white cloth, and being buried.
However, what I found fascinating here was the talent of the designers, the planners, the builders, the architect, the vision, and the imagination of the people from back in the day. How did they measure? How did they know? How did they plan? How did they source the material? IT is to me a message of inspiration that you can imagine, and you can create with whatever you have something incredible.
And, reading about it all wasn't any different from being there. IT was as graceful, as romantic, and if not even more beautiful than the pictures I had seen, and the visuals in books I had flipped through.
Some Facts about the Taj Mahal
The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built it for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who he was very much in love with. She passed away while delivering their fourteenth child. It was built between 1631 and 1648 by over 20 thousand workers, and took 22 years for completion. It is built from white marble which was brought to the site from Makrana over 300 km away in Rajasthan.
The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."
As one goes around, the most breathtaking part remains the exquisite inlay work that looks up from every nook and corner of the façade. The blooms are worked out in immense detail and every dot and alphabet of the Holy Quran is neatly etched, cut and inlaid to perfection. The flowers, chiefly lilies mirror the Mughal love for gardens.
Secluded and singular in majesty, the structure stands clearly apart from everything around it. The balance of all the elements, the garden, the fountain and water channel and in the end the gateway, all look exquisitely managed to provide maximum harmony in terms of visual appeal. The sheer beauty of the outside of a monument marks the serenity within.
Charges while visiting the Taj Mahal
Foreigners: 1000 rupees
Foreigners from SAARC and BIMSTEC Countries: 530 rupees
Domestic/Indians: 40 rupees
When To Visit The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is open from sunrise to sunset during normal operating days
Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays for general viewing and is opened on Friday afternoon only for those who have to attend prayers at the Taj Mosque.
The colors of the Taj Mahal vary from dawn to dusk. It looks milky white in the early morning soft light while the afternoon sun makes it glisten bright from the overhead sunlight, almost looking like a jewel against the opaque blue of the skyline and then comes a moonlit Taj breaking into the night sky, majestic and simply beautiful in a sense that cannot be put into words.


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Episodic games are huge right now. With games like Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones taking up the spotlight. However, in the background of the episodic madness is a game thats launch may have gone overlooked. This game is called Life Is Strange. Life Is Strange is a episodic interactive drama graphic adventure video game developed by DONTNOD Entertainment, and published by Square Enix. The game centers around Maxine Caulfield, our photogenic super heroine, who discovers that she can rewind time.
Life Is Strange is broken down into five episodes being released every few months. The first episode, Chrysalis, brings the world into view as well as giving us a glimpse into all of the characters. And after a three month wait the game is finally back with Episode 2: Out of Time. As the name suggest, out of time seems to be the overarching theme of the episode as you start to see the far reaching consequences of some of the choices you made in the first episode.
Max as a character is your typical teenage girl. She likes bands, watches movies, and typically tries to stay out of everyone's way. All of this changes when she discovers her ability. An event is going to happen that will wipe her town off the map if she doesn't stop it. Problem is, she doesn't know how. Doom and gloom aside, this game hits home on a personal level. Watching Max interact with people is both awkward and slightly comforting. Awkward because it is almost like she says all of the wrong things one purpose and comforting because I remember being just like her in high school. It is in these moments that Life Is Strange truly shines. It manages to draw you into Max's world through a universally understood concept, wanting to be accepted. The rewind mechanic seems like it is in past to better experience the well thought out story.
In Life Is Strange there is no "right" answer to the choices that you are given. For the most part you are going to be sacrificing something with every choice. For instance, two choices that I made in episode one completely blocked a path I wanted to take in episode two. From my point of view the thing looked unrelated, until they were not. That being said, there is no right or wrong, the only real decision is choosing what you can live with. With choices seeming more organic than forced I took my time exploring and watching things unfold without my interference. Then, rewinding and taking a different action. Their is nothing more satisfying than saying an answer before someone else after stealing it from them in the future.
The atmosphere and the sounds of the city are stunning. This is definitely one of the prettiest games I have ever played. The soundtrack in Life Is Strange hits the nail on the head, never seeming overpowering and matching the tone of the game perfectly. The dialog in Life Is Strange is the only aspect of the game that doesn't hold the same polish that the rest of the game holds. The main problem being that it seems forced. Every one liner and witty comeback is delivered in a way that makes you feel like the person speaking the line has no clue what they are saying. That coupled with the fact that the words don't match the movement of the lips most of the time and you are left with some hilarious conversations. However, this doesn't take too much away from the experience that is heavily based in your own choices and actions.
When there is so much to see you are bound to miss out on something. After completing the first and second chapter I realized that I hadn't done over half the things that you could do. I was so focused on the main narrative that I overlooked the little things happening the the background. There were several choice that I just didn't notice were choices or skipped over completely by accident. Things that will probably also have consequences later. Your choices build on each other which can either be a good or bad thing.
Overall, I see Life Is Strange going into new territory. It is essentially you reading a choose-your-own-adventure-book with your hand on the last page, ready to flip back if you don't like the outcome of your choice. It is not without its flaws, as unrealistic dialog and sub par motion capture tend to hold it back at crucial moments. However, Life Is Strange accomplishes what it set out to do. Create a compelling and emotional ride that is completely controlled by your actions and your in-actions.
Life Is Strange is available on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4.
An Adventure You Will Want To Rewind
+ Beautiful Visuals
+ Amazing Soundtrack
+ Engaging Story
+ New spin on the TellTale Formula
– Unrealistic Dialogue


text: omegavesko 127 Report post Posted July 17, 2013 It's not AOSP . It's stock based , so you can flash the last S2 Kernel by Ceco :) No problems . BTW thanks for supporting the OMC / ZTE Skate ! To be fair, the ZTE stock ROM is arguably closer to AOSP than CM7 is. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites