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Hi guys, today I'm lucky enough to be part of the Bewitching Books Tour for Revelation by Erica Hayes. If you love dark and sexy angels, you'll love Luniel and the Tainted ;) At the end of the review there is a super tasty excerpt and Giveaway as part of the tour. Enjoy!
Title: Revelation
Author: Erica Hayes
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: 3rd January 2013 (UK) | 2nd October 2012 (US)
Series: The Seven Signs, book 1
Source: E-copy from the publisher as part of the tour.
Blurb from Goodreads:
A fallen angel with a mission and a medical examiner who's lost her faith are fighting for their souls in a glittering, near-future Manhattan…
Blind faith is for fools. That's what Dr. Morgan Sterling believes. And she's going to prove it by curing the zombie plague ravaging her city's slums. She's certain it's not a sign of the End of Days, but a nasty disease—until an angel appears in her morgue in a flash of glory.
Luniel is not just a fallen angel. He's a powerful warrior sworn to fight evil in hopes of a chance at redemption. He's after the demon princes who are stealing the seven vials of holy wrath which, when perverted, will unleash eternal hell on earth.
To stop the plague, Luniel needs Morgan's help, and her faith. But Morgan believes science is their salvation. If the zombie plague is a demonic curse—and if Luniel is true—he'll have to prove it. Even if he loses his heart to true love or his soul to Hell…
First Line: 'Today, of all days. It was Thursday. The world couldn't end on a Thursday.'
Yup, that's where we start, with our sexy leading man discovering that the world as they know it may actually be ending. Of course, as an angel, Luniel (Lune) had always known this was possible. There's just one problem. Heaven was supposed to control the apocalypse...and by the looks of it, right now, that isn't happening. So it's up to Lune and his fellow Tainted's to figure out what the hell (pardon the pun) is going on and fix it.
Set in a future New York City, renamed Babylon (yes, I have issues with the name, but I won't go into them here), unbeknownst to mankind, fallen angels, and demons alike roam the earth. There are seven signs of the apocalypse and here at the start of Redemption, Lune has discovered sign number 2 - oceans drowning in blood. However, there are supposed to be seven guardians keeping the seven vials of holy wrath safe and having not received a memo from above that He has given the apocalypse the go ahead, Lune and his fellow Tainted's deduce that all is not well and hell is attempting to start the apocalypse before scheduled. On top of all this, Lune has a second pressing problem. He hasn't been able to contact his twin brother for nearly a week. Putting that with the fact that there are probably two dead guardian angels around the city somewhere, and Lune has a base for his search for answers. Which leads him straight into the path of a rather sexy junior pathologist named Morgan.
About to unknowingly conduct an autopsy on Lune's twin, Morgan is surprised to say the least when this drop dead gorgeous angel appears from no where. Refusing to believe it's all not just some prank or weird dream, Morgan uses her scientific background as a shield against the magnificent specimen that is Luniel. Only Morgan was involved up to her neck before she even met the handsome angel. She's been investigating the Manhattan virus that's been plaguing the city, turning it's residents into basically zombies with a taste for human flesh. What she doesn't know is that this virus was the first sign of the apocalypse, and now her research will be key in the Tainted's search for patient zero, and thereby the demon princes that have let loose these plagues on the city.
Now to our hero and heroine. I have no problems with Luniel. He is a pretty awesome hero as heroes go. Dark, sexy and damaged...my kind of man. BUT Morgan is a little different. Admittedly I have a problem generally with books where the two main characters are instantly attracted to one another. Sure in this case both of them are fighting it, but for two very different reasons. Lune's issue is a past horrific end to a relationship where his love got damned to hell for all eternity after being horrifically tortured in front of a chained Lune. Add to that the 800 years of self imposed celibacy and I can get why he's more than a little reluctant to jump feet first into a new relationship. However Morgan's problem seems to be herself. She's too much of a scientist to actually believe he's an angel, but she lets herself get caught up in the moment - and in one pretty steamy scene she was more than willing to go all the way, except Lune pulled back at the last second. Only then did she berate herself about how stupid it was. Rinse and repeat. It got repetitive to say the least. I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason I just did not connect with Morgan the same way I did with Lune. Whether that's because I want Lune all for myself or not I don't know ;)
He angled his wings, driving the air to breeze as he flipped and rolled. Blue light flashed. Blood splashed, black and fetid, and decapitated bat bodies flew, heads splattering the pavement. The creatures screeched, and speared for him, teeth gnashing, their leathery wings a blur.The premise of this book isn't exactly unheard of, however the way Erica Hayes goes about this makes it instantly more charming. Firstly, the secondary characters in the form of the band of Tainted's are absolutely fantastic. These men and women are warriors through and through, Dashiel, Trillium, Jadzia, Iria, Japheth and Luniel, they make one hell of a team. They have great chemistry and a lot of good natured teasing and fighting goes on...you know, warrior stuff. I'm a big fan of humour in my books and Revelation has just the right amount to offset the more gritty and serious aspects of the book, such as demons that are into pain, and certain Archangels who don't seem very Archangely...*cough* ..Michael ..*cough*. Speaking of the grittier aspects of the book, there are some scenes of violence that made me cringe a little. In some places they are used well to show exactly what they Tainted's are really up against, and to show Lune's loss of his last love some 800 years ago. However in others, I didn't think they were really necessary Not that it detracted from the book's appeal once I got over the initial shock, but some scenes, like when we first meet the all powerful Archangel Michael, took me a re-read to understand why it was wholly necessary.
One flew for Morgan's face, cackling, wicked talons outstretched. She shrieked and swatted at it, shielding her eyes.
A neon- blue bolt seared her cheek, and the bat- thing dropped in two halves at her feet with a stinking squelch.
The second reason this team of rogues charmed their way onto my bookshelf is because some of the most unexpected phrases are used by this band of unruly fallen angels. The one that literally had me in stitches, purely because of the way it was used was this one:
Jesus Christ on a jelly sandwich. Lune tugged his hair, rough. Him and his bleeding heart. Michael would laugh his righteous blue ass off.And trust me, there are many more like that. It's that offbeat sense of humour that had me falling in love with these characters and Erica's writing style as a whole.The story is pretty damn interesting, though I have read similar things reasonably recently. To me Revelation is almost a blend of Larissa Ione's Lords of Deliverance series and J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels. There's some awesome fight scenes, some gritty violent stuff, steamy sex scenes and a beautiful topping of fresh humour. Where the series will take us next I don't know, but I can't wait to find out. I did have some misgivings to begin with, what with the violence and Morgan's almost unbelievable instant attraction to Lune, but all in all, Redemption is most definitely a very promising start to the series, and I will most definitely be keeping up with the Seven Signs series.
My Rating: 3.5/5
White light erupted, brighter than any flashbulb.
She gasped, dazzled. Breeze ruffled her hair. Her elbow hit the trolley, and the camera jolted from her fingers.
A hand gripped her arm, steadying her. A man's voice, deep and unfamiliar. "Sorry, lady. I didn't think anyone would be here. Are you—oh, shit."
Her vision cleared, and she scrabbled on the floor for her camera. "Jesus, you scared the hell outta . . . oh!" She looked up, and fell right back onto her ass, her nerves in disarray.
Whoa. Not just tall, or big. More, in every way compared to . . . well, compared to a normal man.
This guy wasn't normal.
Black hair, blacker than soot and wilder than music. Blue eyes, hotter and deeper than summer sky, luminous pale skin, long dark lashes any woman would kill for. Arms thicker than her thighs in a dark shirt with no sleeves, strong wrists that made her weak, hands that could crush rocks. And his thighs in those jeans . . . long, powerful, rippling as he moved.
His face was familiar, she realized. Those carved cheekbones and, umm, luscious lips. The bird man. Only Birdy was blond, and this guy was dark and . . . tasty.
His gaze lasered onto hers, relentless, and she shivered. He looked dangerous. Driven. Not a patient man.
Morgan scrambled up, struggling to keep her mind on the issues. This was Babylon, the psycho-killer capital. Well-adjusted guys didn't break into morgues after-hours. But how Mr. Huge-dark-and-oh-by-the-way-totally-hot had gotten in here was beside the point. So was how easy it'd be for a guy his size to tear her limb from limb, or worse.
He'd seen Birdy's body. She couldn't call security. Not yet. Not before she'd preserved the evidence.
She licked her lips. "Um. Hi. I was just . . ."
He strode up to the trolley, and his fingers clenched the edge, hard enough to dent the steel. On drugs. That explained the crazy swirl in his eyes. "You found my brother," he said stiffly. "I guess asking how he died is redundant."
"Umm . . . he's . . . well . . ." Morgan stuttered, unable to keep it in any longer. "He's a frickin' bird man! Who the hell are you?"
He turned, and to her surprise, he laughed.
Her guts melted, like warm honey, and she shivered again. So beautiful. So smooth and melodic. She wanted to press her thighs together, feel his tingling warmth . . .
Or not. Her indignation sparked. He hadn't answered her question. Who the hell was he?
The guy with the Rohypnol laugh shook his head. "Bird man. Christ. You people. Never believe what's right in front of you."
"Sorry, but I'm a scientist. I believe what I can see." Morgan folded her arms, defiant, and edged closer to the wall where the alarm button was. Screw collecting more evidence. This guy was seriously creeping her out, and it wasn't just because he had her thinking about sex instead of squirting him with capsicum spray.
"You do, do you?" His gaze flicked to the alarm button, and back to her, and swift as the flashbulb he dived forward and grabbed her arm. "Then believe this."
Light shimmered again, dazzling. And glossy black wings burst from his shoulders in a rain of golden glitter.
Morgan's heart catapulted, and she gulped for breath. The golden light glimmered, and dissolved.
But his lush midnight feathers didn't. And he held her, his body close in the heady scent of altar smoke. His whisper rumbled through her chest. "I'm sorry. I can't let you call your security. You never should have seen any of this, but it's too late for that now. My name is Luniel. That's Ithiel, my twin. He's an angel. And so am I."
Morgan struggled, her mind blanking. It couldn't be true. Not possible. She must be dreaming. Yet . . .
She wriggled, beating at his massive forearm. "Let me go!"
He let go.
She stumbled away, rounding on him. More fool him. Whatever this guy was, he wasn't to be trusted. "Sorry. Not possible. I don't believe in angels."
"Not my problem." The man—Luniel—shrugged, feathers ruffling. His accent was elusive, a mixture of exotic and familiar, like he came from no place in particular.
"It'll be your problem when I call the cops, you freak." The dude still wore a shirt with no sleeves, and the wings—his wings—fit easily into the cutaway space. Blacker than black, like soot, broader than his massive shoulders, and long, the tips of the feathers reaching to mid-calf. It looked so real.
Morgan's mind stuttered. She must be dreaming. But if this was a dream, surely he'd be wearing white robes and a halo? Instead of all dark and smoldering and . . . and sinful, like some insane Mardi Gras biker?
She sidled backwards, towards her desk in the cutting room. A girl didn't grow up in Babylon without learning some self-defense. Her pistol was in the drawer. Maybe she could get away, lock him in, call security. 9-1-1 was a waste of time, despite her threat. Resources were stretched, and police response to anything short of a terrorist plot in progress just didn't happen.
Luniel stalked her, midnight wings flaring. "Freak? Wow. I'm so pleased to meet you . . . I'm sorry, what didn't you say your name was?"
"I'm Dr. Morgan Sterling. This is my mortuary. You're trespassing." Behind an autopsy bench, a few steps closer to the desk.
He circled, leaning over the bench on two hands, muscles flexing. "As they say these days, Dr. Sterling: whatever. Tell me where they found my brother."
She fumbled against the desk, feeling behind her. "Screw you."
"Is that an offer? I'm touched." His hot blue gaze drilled her, magnetic. "But not distracted. Come on, Doctor, it's important."
She ripped the drawer open and grabbed the pistol, leveling it at him two-handed and thumbing the safety off. "So's this. Back off."
"No." He vaulted the bench with ease, landing silently before her on wafting wings. Careless of her pistol. Unruffled, like a panther facing a hissing pussy cat, some small, insignificant creature who posed no threat.
His delicious scent paralyzed her, a rich toffee sweetness. Her mouth dried. He was luminous, dazzling, too perfect to be real. Certainly too perfect to be telling the truth. "Get away."
"Wait, let's see. Umm . . . no." He cocked his head, and reached for her hair, stroking it with one finger. "You're very pretty, Morgan Sterling. Pity if that got spoiled. Tell me about my brother."
Now her gun was trapped between them. Her hands quivered, her memory of defensive moves a blank. "Get away! I'll shoot!"
"No, you won't." He wrapped her hair around his fingers, and leaned closer, sniffing her. "You're a doctor. You don't hurt people."
"Don't bet on it." She inhaled, and squeezed the trigger.
As part of this amazing tour there is a tour wide giveaway! We all love giveaways I know so let me fill you in. The prizes are: 1 $25 bookstore gift card (winner's choice of bookstore), 1 a signed set of the Shadowfae series (4 paperbacks) and 2 Kindle copies of short vampire romance HUNTER'S BLOOD. All you have to do to enter is fill in the form below. GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*V's Book Life is not the host of this giveaway and is in no way responsible for the allocation or distribution of prizes.


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Tyra Banks is expanding her empire – into the written word.
The model, talk show host and "America's Next Top Model" impresario is heading into Jackie Collins territory with her first "fantasy" novel.
"I'm so EXCITED!! I said I was going to do it, and here it is! It's for all the girls and guys who want a lot more FANTASY in their lives… and some fierceness and magic, romance and mystery, crazy and wild adventures, and yeah, some danger too," Tyra wrote in a post on her Web site, announcing the first novel – "Modelland" — from the new literary wing of her Bankable company – Bankable Books.
"Modelland" will take readers to "a fantastical place you've never seen, or heard about, or read about before…. Where dreams come true and life can change in the blink of a smoky eye," Tyra wrote.
The book takes place in what Tyra describes as "a make-believe place" called "modelland – every girl in the world wants to go there because it's where 'intoxibellas' are trained," Tyra wrote. From the woman who gave us "smize" (smiling with your eyes), Tyra described an "intoxibella" as "drop-dead beautiful, kick-butt fierce, and… maybe they have some powers too."
Tyra said that as a youth, she loved books that featured "strong girls and women – you know, girls with guts, smarts and attitude" and that love inspired "Modelland."
Tyra's first book in her three-book deal with Delacorte Press is slated to be released in the summer of 2011.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: From Sexy Supermodel to TV Mogul: Hot Shots of Tyra Banks!
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Verdict Is In! Judges Of Reality Television
PLAY IT NOW: 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards Backstage: Tyra Banks - 'We Are So Excited' We Won
PLAY IT NOW: Tyra Banks Talks 'Top Model' & Talk Show
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Tyra Banks - TV One - Literary - America's Next Top Model

subset: commoncrawl


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Gas prices turn upward after long skid
updated 6:14 PM EDT, Sun July 29, 2012
- Gas prices are up nearly a dime in two weeks, Lundberg Survey finds
- That breaks three months of declines for U.S. motor fuel
- The cheapest gas was in Jackson, Mississippi; the most expensive was on Long Island
The average prices of a gallon of regular gasoline at filling stations in the continental United States jumped about 9.6 cents per gallon, to just under $3.51, according to the latest Lundberg Survey. Gas prices had been falling since April 6, skidding downward by 56 cents a gallon by mid-July, survey publisher Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.
The price of crude oil -- the largest single component of gasoline -- on the New York futures market went up about $3 a barrel in the past two weeks, closing Friday at more than $90. That helped drive prices upward, Lundberg said. But she said motorists may see "a comparative period of stability" at the pump.
"Weakness in demand around the world from economic conditions is keeping the price from rising further, while the Middle East tensions and a great deal of noise in the currency markets about the possibility of printing more money in Europe and the United States is having the effect of raising the price of crude," she said.
The Lundberg Survey samples prices at about 2,500 gas stations across the Lower 48 every two weeks, most recently on Friday. Lundberg said the current price is still 46 cents below the April peak and down more than 10 cents from a year ago.
Jackson, Mississippi, had the cheapest average prices in the latest survey, at $3.14 a gallon. The highest were on Long Island, New York, at $3.83.
A sampling of prices in other U.S. cities:
Atlanta: $3.49
Baton Rouge. Louisiana: $3.30
Boston $3.62
Cleveland: $3.45
Denver: $3.47
Phoenix: $3.21
Portland, Oregon: $3.58
San Francisco: $3.80


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SS scam
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Copyright whitenumber 2019 - 2019. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, partial or total, is strictly forbidden.


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The importance of implanting digitization in education will be fed in the minds of the emerging youth like a parasite.
Our resemblance with that of the populace of a developed nation has started sprouting.
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Retail Sales Specialist - Tysons Apply Share Posted Date: Oct-22-2018 Job ID: 12464 Job Function: Retail Sales City: Mclean State: Virginia Store: Tysons What's cool about this job You will serve on a team whose job is to help REI, the nation's largest consumer co-op, engage with all of its audiences. You will contribute to the success of REI by processing purchase transactions, selling memberships and other REI products and services to customers, supporting our 100% satisfaction guarantee by processing customer returns, and completing other unique customer service functions. You will maintain a working knowledge of REI products and services and use this knowledge to sell products, services, and memberships to our customers. You help to maintain the store visual standards and assist in keeping the floor stocked with merchandise. REI employees pride themselves on living the REI values: balance, authenticity, quality, service, respect, and integrity. Sound interesting? Keep reading to learn more about this position and life at REI.
⏵ Supports customers by responding to product, membership and REI service questions, general inquiries and customer feedback.
⏵ Effectively helps to prepare the store: maintains and stocks work areas making sure all items are accurately priced.
⏵ Works with store management, visual merchandising point person, and Sales Leads to maintain visual standards.
⏵ Promotes the sale of REI goods and services as well as engaging in the steps of REI's Sales and Service Training.
⏵ Provide customers with product, membership and service information including but not limited to the REI Mastercard program.
⏵ Processes purchase, membership, service and return transactions at the register in alignment with REI's 100% satisfaction guarantee. Collect payment for goods, make change, and distribute receipts.
⏵ Performs unique transactions such as special orders, Outdoor School registration, special ticket sales, and store mail-outs.
⏵ Identifies, research, and resolve customer issues.
⏵ Supports Retail Store Pick-Up by assisting with the receipt of product from truck and processing customer pick-up.
⏵ Maintains customer and employee hold area by keeping the area organized and removing items that are beyond the hold dates.
⏵ Additional duties as assigned Bring your passion and expertise Do you aspire to adventure? Do you thrive in the outdoors and want to help others do the same? Bring your passion to REI and help fulfill our mission to educate, inspire and outfit our customers for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship! Here are some qualities we look for in our Sales Specialists:
⏵ Previous retail store experience (preferred)
⏵ Actively participates and collaborates with others on one's own team and across REI for the achievement of business goals.
⏵ Flexible in one's viewpoints and positions in order to support the direction taken by others at REI.
⏵ Uses business knowledge, innovative thinking, and sound judgment in the solution of problems or the pursuit of business opportunities.
⏵ Consolidates information from various sources including feedback from others to reach sound decisions.
⏵ Effective communication skills.
⏵ Builds rapport with all kinds of people inside and outside the organization.
⏵ Knowledgeable of outdoor activities in assigned department.
⏵ Considers the ultimate impact of decisions and actions on internal and external customers.
⏵ Works smart by setting effective work goals, establishing priorities, and planning well in order to produce quality work.
⏵ Executes effectively by using resources efficiently, meeting deadlines, and keeping others informed of work plans and progress toward goals.
⏵ Acts upon opportunities and involves and influences others in the accomplishment of worthwhile organizational goals.
⏵ Availability to work a flexible schedule based on business needs, including evenings and weekends. Why you'll love it here Real. Alive. Connected. These are a few words that describe life at REI. Whether it's in our careers or in the great outdoors, we aspire to adventure in all ways! At REI we value our customers; we work hard to earn our reputation for quality and integrity every day. Our commitment remains the same as when we started out in 1938: to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure. Join a passionate community of people who believe in one simple truth: an outdoor life is a life well-lived. Get ready to harness your creativity, customer focus and enthusiasm for living life outdoors—we can't wait to meet you! Oh yeah, did we mention perks? At REI, we understand that benefits matter – we offer a competitive benefit package for all employees which includes:
⏵ A workplace built on respect, integrity, and balance
⏵ Healthcare coverage for full-time employees
⏵ A competitive bonus/ incentive program
⏵ REI Retirement Plan
⏵ Generous gear and merchandise discount
⏵ Paid time off
⏵ Professional growth and development opportunities REI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer At REI we offer an enviable work environment that has been recognized on the "100 Best Companies to Work For" list since the award's inception – 20 years in a row! Sure, we work hard, but it's balanced with time off to play—a strategy that works for us as we continue to grow and thrive. Want to enjoy a workplace where you can be yourself, be heard and be respected while having a job that challenges you? This is the place. With more than 140 retail locations (and growing), REI offers unique competitive benefits to its more than 12,000 employees, including healthcare, gear and apparel discounts, free equipment rentals and challenge grants to help employees reach personal outdoor goals, generous retirement plan contributions, public transit subsidy, adoptions assistance, paid sabbaticals, and more. REI is an Equal Opportunity Employer Apply Back to job search Share
Retail Sales Specialist - Tysons
Mclean Virginia
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Posted 5 days ago


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For seven years I went every afternoon at 2:30. I'd have a chocolate shake and coffee, and I'd try to catch ideas and write them on napkins. I caught many ideas at Bob's. But one day, I crawled into the trash bin behind Bob's and read the ingredients of what I'd been having, and I had to give it up. I didn't recognize anything! So, now I just make it a once a year thing and have the Big Boy [burger] combo. I love Bob's food!
I guess this a good time to resurrect my theory from C&C, with pictorial support.DISCLAIMERS:Do not read this if you haven't seen the movie.I'm not sure I believe the puzzle can be entirely solved.I'm not claiming this was Lynch's intention.So here's the theory:The dream is Diane's creation, but Rita is having the dream. Betty is Diane's ghost. Her purpose is to fix the mess she helped create before her death... to alleiviate Rita's guilt, put the world back together for her in a manipulated frame, and bring her back to full consciousness.Diane isn't falling asleep in the first red pillow scene.She's dying.Rita falls asleep for the first time.CUT TO:Rita's dream begins.Surreal and almost absurd.Rita falls asleep again, under Aunt Ruth's kitchen table.CUT TO:Rita's dream continues......with the Winkie's story, even more surreal.CUT TO:Rita, still asleep.CUT TO:Mr. Roque introduced.Up to this point, Rita's visions have been pretty vague, unconnected, and entirely non-poigniant. They must be shaped to mean something.Enter Betty, precisely when Diane (chronologically) would have killed herself.After Betty has met Rita and has becomed concerned about her......she puts Rita to sleep, placing her hand on her forehead, infusing a dream directly into her headCUT TO:Adam Kesher's story begins.This is the real beginning of Rita's detailed dreams. A completely absurd and overelaborate conspiracy is blamed for Camilla's success, and indirectly, Diane's dejection... when it was really Camilla's fault. History is rewritten, and Rita's guilt is gone.CUT TO:Just a reminder, Rita is still sleeping/dreaming......and Betty touches her forehead again.CUT TO:Mr. Roque's story continues......this time with more detail, and a connection to Adam's story & the larger conspiracy.CUT TO:The Black Book......with reference to the car crash and the conspiracy.Rita wakes up.Betty encourages Rita to find her identity.Betty points out the waitress' name (even saying it slowly and clearly)......thus getting Rita to remember the name "Diane."Betty gets Rita to help her practice her lines in an angry scene......deliberately giving Rita a glimpse of Diane.Adam sees a ghost......then agian, he's not really there either.Betty encourages Rita to fear conspirators.Rita tries to stop Betty from knocking......but you can tell from the look on Betty's face that she knows more than we think."I guess you're not Diane Selwin"......pushing her further towards an identity.When Rita sees Diane's body......Betty's purpose is not to be shocked, but to support & expose Rita.Diane holds Rita's hand......and Rita starts saying "silencio"...Diane gives the blue box to Rita......(Rita does not discover it.)Right before Rita opens the box, Betty disappears......because she is no longer needed.As Diane pushes her out......Camilla's guilt is obvious.In some of the last moments of her public life, Diane collects characters.And finally, Adam's hair changes in the middle of the party scene--
All things are. But for me, [the film] is very specific. But it doesn't do any good for me to say what I think it is. It's so beautiful to see something and make up your own mind as with the films that I love. That's one of the beautiful things about film. It can tell abstractions and allow you to come up with your own meanings.
I also don't think this "dream" does much of anything to alleviate Diane's guilt. The casting conspiracy etc. shifts blame away from Rita, not Diane. I could be forgetting or missing something, but I'm not aware of anything in the dream that would actually assuage Diane's guilt. Whereas there's a long list of things that would assuage Rita's guilt.
I suppose the "dream" itself (that she's helping Rita etc.) could alleviate Diane's guilt, but there's not much internal detail supporting that sentiment. What is supposedly Diane's dream is filled with so much content that has so little to do with Diane's guilt.
I think we should also consider that "Diane's guilt" is a lot more complex than that. It might even be more heartbrokenness and depression than guilt.
It seems that the real imperative (supported by the bulk of the narrative) is to fix Camilla's broken situation, to right that wrong in a practical and meaningful way.
If it's all Diane's dream, why would Diane disappear at the point of Rita's self-actualization? It would be very hard to convince me that we're still in "Diane's dream" at that point.
Suppose you're dreaming about yourself disguised as your desired self/other and you open a box with a key to find only darkness, your dream will collapse, and you'll wake up to find your real self.
Finally, I think I have a problem with just how much of the film is just a dream if you adopt the conventional "Diane's dream" theory. It's kind of silly and, for me, massively less meaningful.
What content in the film would even be outside of Diane's dream?
All I know is I'm definitely not on Jenkins SamFZGames side.
I thought he was the authority on lynch so to me it's like if someone came in and properly schooled me on Kubrick. I'd feel.. inadequate.
Please don't think I'm shooting down your interpretation, it's awesome, but if you'll allow me I'd like to point you to the moments which, for me, completely confirm the popular "Diane is dreaming" explanation. I also want to explain why I think this explanation has a HUGE amount of meaning.
If Adam Kesher's bad day is Diane's way of spiting him in her dream, why is he such a sympathetic character? (Or is that just me?)
The big one: Why does Rita appear to be having the conspiracy dream? She even appears to dream the Winkie's scene before that. The way it cuts back and forth between her sleeping and those scenes, we're clearly supposed to think it's her dream, and even that Diane is helping her have this dream. Is that just Lynch's joke, an epic misdirect within Diane's dream? I'm not finding any meaning in Diane dreaming that Rita is dreaming the Winkie's and conspiracy dreams. (But there's probably something there.) This is such a central part of the movie that I feel like it needs to be resolved.


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Hickenlooper campaign spokesman threatens reporter with arrest
Arthur Kane, an award-winning journalist, posted a first-person account Friday of an encounter with the Hickenlooper campaign in which he says he was threatened with arrest.
Kane is a former Denver Post reporter and former Channel 7 investigative executive producer whose new gig is with the libertarian-leaning Watchdog.org.
Like many Colorado media outlets, including The Post, Kane asked the campaigns for Hickenlooper and former congressman Bob Beauprez to provide copies of the candidates' income tax returns.
The campaigns have provided tax information to outlets, like The Post, but Hickenlooper's campaign has denied Kane. The returns are private information that candidates aren't required to release. They are not part of open records laws. But serious candidates usually honor the request.


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Justin Bieber Pleads Not Guilty to DUI Charge
Faces charges he was drag racing and alleged DUI last week in Miami.
Justin Bieber's attorney entered a not guilty plea to DUI, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license in Florida stemming from the singer's arrest in Miami last week.
The plea was entered on Wednesday in Miami-Dade County. He also has an arraignment set for Feb. 14 on Valentine's Day.
Justin Bieber was arrested around 4 a.m. on Jan. 23 after leaving a Miami Beach club for drag racing and alleged DUI. Police allege the pop singer admitted to having beer, marijuana and prescription drugs in his system.
Read: Justin Bieber's Latest Troubles Continue
Police also said he failed a sobriety test.
SLIDESHOW: Justin Bieber: Through the Years The singer spent the rest of the night in jail, posted bail for $2,500 and exited the courthouse later in the day. As he left, he jumped up on a car and waved to a throng of fans.
This is a first-degree misdemeanor, which could get him up to six months in jail and have his license suspended for six months.


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New Hampshire police chief accused of asking to take nude photos of suspect
New London police chief resigns over photo complaint
The police chief in New London, N.H., has resigned after authorities say he told a woman he'd drop charges against her if she allowed him to photograph her nude.
The attorney general's office said Thursday that it received a complaint about Chief David Seastrand on March 6 from a woman who had been arrested a few days earlier. The woman said Seastrand indicated the charges would be dropped if she allowed him to take nude pictures of her.
The attorney general's said it will not bring charges against Seastrand, who agreed to resign and permanently relinquish his certification as a police officer.
The Concord Monitor reports that Seastrand, a 27-year veteran, told town officials Monday that he planned to retire later this month but did not give a reason.


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Understanding Player Positions in Basketball
In basketball, a five-player team scores points by getting the ball through the hoop. Each basketball player has a specific position and responsibilities. The positions — which consist of two guards, two forwards, and one center — call for different physical requirements and skills:
Point Guard: Usually the shortest player on the team. Should be the team's best passer and ball handler; not primarily a shooter. Traditional role is to push the ball upcourt and start the offensive wheels turning. Should either take the ball to the basket or remain near the top of the key, ready to retreat on defense. Best and brightest: Derrick Rose.
Shooting Guard: Generally taller than a point guard but shorter than a small forward. Not necessarily a great ball handler, but normally the team's best perimeter shooter. A good shooting guard (or two guard) comes off screens set by taller teammates prepared to shoot, pass, or drive to the basket. Also tries to grab rebounds on offense. Best and brightest: Dwyane Wade.
Small Forward: The all-purpose player on offense: aggressive and strong; tall enough to mix it up inside but agile enough to handle the ball and shoot well. Must be able to score both from the perimeter and from inside. Best and brightest: Carmelo Anthony.
Power Forward: Has muscles or at least a little bulk. Must be able to catch passes and hit shots near the basket. A good, rugged rebounder, but athletic enough to move with some quickness around the lane on offense and defense. Expected to score when given the opportunity on the baseline, much like a center, but usually has a range of up to 15 feet all around the basket. Best and brightest: Pau Gasol.
Center: Usually the tallest player on the team. Should be able to post up offensively — that is, receive the ball with his back to the basket and use pivot moves to hit a variety of short jumpers, hook shots, and dunks. Also must know how to find the open player in the paint and grab offensive rebounds. Best and brightest: Dwight Howard.


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DO NOT BE ALARMED AT HIGH INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES, we will only charge for the actual shipping cost.
International shipping charges are calculated automatically and may be subject to a refund. This is especially common on orders with multiple items. Some shipments might require additional shipping charges as well. We try our hardest to offer the best shipping in the industry at the best rates. We will make sure your order is professionally shipped in a timely matter. Always feel free to call 859.408.2000 if you need any assistance with your order. We are here to help.


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Chania Venetian harbour with its lighthouse is the trademark of the city of Chania. One rarely finds a place so full of historical memories, which unfold before our eyes with exquisite skill through the architecture of the buildings looking onto the Venetian harbour, bearing scents from past times, drawing the visitor into a nostalgic game of the senses, a mixture of East and West. more: http://www.explorecrete.com/chania/EN-chania-05-venetian-harbour.html
The History of Crete, the Southest piece of land of Europe continent, encompasses the ancient Minoan civilization. After this civilization was destroyed by natural catastrophes, Crete developed an Ancient Greece influenced organazition of city states, and then successinely became part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. Modern Crete embraces all western habits and faculties with in a multilayered-multicultured attitude due its history. It's mostly touristic without loosing its traditional nature. Visitors can choose from five stars luxury hotels to traditional villas and from hidden tracks, picturesque beaches to dancing clubs, bars and wild night life. Everyone can find his choise in Crete.


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The City of El Centro imposes a transient occupancy tax ("TOT"), also called a "room" tax, at the rate of ten percent (10%) of the rent paid by guests for the ability to occupy a room or other space in a hotel or other similar accommodation for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes (collectively "occupancy" and a "hotel") for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days or less. This TOT currently is imposed upon paying hotel guests for the ability to occupy a room or other hotel space and collected by the hotel operator.
The City Council has placed Measure "Q" on the ballot by unanimous vote. Passage of Measure "Q" would amend the City's Municipal Code as follows:
• Effective April 1, 2017, increase the TOT rate from ten percent (10%) to thirteen percent (13%) of the rent paid by guests for hotel occupancy. Because the tax is a general tax, its proceeds may be used for any City general governmental purpose, including but not limited to fire and police services; street operations and maintenance; library and parks and recreation facilities and services. The rate increase may generate up to an additional $480,000 per year.
• Clarify that when a guest occupies a hotel for longer than 30 consecutive days, the TOT will apply only to the first 30 days of occupancy;
• Clarify that the ordinance applies to online travel companies and other third parties as hotel "operators" who must collect the TOT from guests who purchase hotel occupancy on the internet;
• Clarify that taxable rent paid for a hotel occupancy includes all rates and fees commonly charged including room rates, parking fees, cancellation charges, and online booking fees, but excludes charges for food and beverages;
• Provide that for "block reservation" arrangements the period of taxable occupancy is measured by the length of an individual guest's stay, not the length of the "block reservation" entered into by the guest's employer or agent; and
• Clarify exemptions from the TOT for state and federal employees.
Measure "Q" must be approved by a majority of the votes cast by the City voters who vote on the ballot proposition. A "yes" vote on Measure "Q" will authorize the amendments to the City's Municipal Code described above. A "no" vote on Measure "Q" will prohibit the City from adopting the amendments to its Municipal Code as described above and the TOT will remain in place at ten percent (10%) until otherwise revised by a majority vote of the voters.
The above statement is an impartial analysis of Ordinance or Measure "Q". If you desire a copy of the ordinance or measure, please call the election official's office at 442-265-1060 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.


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Although only a side dish, this recipe is packed with nutrients. Asparagus is an excellent source of folate, and hazelnuts contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring about 1 inch water to a boil. Add the asparagus, cover, and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pot.
In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, garlic, chopped parsley, hazelnuts, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss well to mix and coat.
Arrange the asparagus neatly on a serving platter and garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
This recipe is one of 150 recipes collected in "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook," published by Mayo Clinic Health Information and Oxmoor House, and winner of a James Beard award.
Original article: https://kcms-prod-mcorg.mayo.edu/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/asparagus-with-hazelnut-gremolata/rcp-20049602
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Robert Goddard could scarcely believe his eyes as he scanned the newspaper the morning of January 12, 1920. A young physics professor at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, Goddard had figured that the scholarly paper he gave to the Smithsonian Institution, his sponsor for high-altitude research, might attract attention. But not this: "New Rocket Devised By Prof. Goddard May Hit Face Of The Moon" screamed the front-page headline in the Boston Herald.
From This Story
Goddard's treatise, "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes," had been released to the public the day before, along with what was then a startling press release from the Smithsonian. Although the original release has not been found, all the major U.S. newspapers across the country quoted from it.
It was mind-boggling news, for two reasons. First, the very idea of flying in space was simply inconceivable when just seven months earlier, in June 1919, Britain's Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown had notched a major milestone in aviation by completing the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic, a 16-hour journey they made at an average speed of 118 mph. Second, the average person in 1920 knew rockets only as the simplest kind of fireworks, something that flew up to 100 feet or so on holidays like the Fourth of July.
But here was the venerable Smithsonian touting a scientist who, the newspaper said, "had invented and tested a new type of multiple-charge, high-efficiency rocket of entirely new design for exploring the unknown regions of the upper air. The claim is made for the rocket that it will not only be possible to send it…beyond the Earth's atmosphere, but possibly even so far as the moon itself."
The Herald article went on to describe the rocket and explain how it could help study the upper atmosphere's chemical composition, temperatures, electrical properties, densities, and ozone content. But the newspaper, and many others across the country, chose to sensationalize what Goddard had intended as a strictly hypothetical exercise: to mathematically demonstrate the possibilities that a multi-stage, unmanned rocket could reach the moon.
The rocket concept was soon featured in magazines, movies, poetry, cartoons, and even music. Goddard would spend much of his career trying to knock down the misimpressions and rein in what he called "popular fallacies" about his treatise, which never mentioned manned spaceflight at all.
Goddard began his rocketry career in 1899, when at 17 he daydreamed of a spacecraft that could fly to Mars. The vision came to him after he read two serialized stories in the Boston Post, an adaptation of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells and Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garret P. Serviss. Goddard was so inspired that he vowed to devote his life to seeking a method to get into space.
Unknown to him, about 8,000 miles away, in Kaluga, Russia, a partly deaf schoolteacher named Konstantin Tsiolkovsky had already worked out the possibilities of spaceflight. In 1903, Tsiolkovsky's seminal article appeared in a popular scientific journal, Naouchnoe Obozrenie (Scientific Review). The title of the article, translated, was "The Exploration of Space by Means of Reactive Propelled Devices." The czarist authorities seized the journal because another piece in it was deemed politically subversive, but Tsiolkovsky continued to write about space. His articles were little known even in Russia, mainly because he could barely afford to pay for their private printing. Because of this, and the isolation of Russia from the West, his early works on space were then practically unknown in America.
The young Goddard, meanwhile, while studying for a doctorate in physics, spent years searching for the most practical way to escape gravity. It was not until 1909 that he settled on the rocket as the solution. In 1915, drawing on his assistant professor's salary, he started experimenting with solid propellants. (He switched to liquid propellants in 1921, but did not announce his 1926 liquid-fuel rocket flight—the world's first—until a decade later.)
In 1916, Goddard conducted one of the most significant experiments in his career: He proved that a rocket could work in a vacuum. This was revolutionary: Throughout the 1,000-year history of rocketry, most people believed rockets needed air "to push against." But Goddard's experiments were expensive, and in 1917 he secured a $5,000 grant from the Smithsonian to continue them. He was secretive about his work, saying only that his rockets were for upper atmospheric research.


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Rockies will look to move newly-acquired Harang
DENVER -- The Rockies sent catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Dodgers on Saturday -- and escaped some of their financial commitment to him -- in exchange for pitcher Aaron Harang, whom the Rockies will not keep.
The Rockies decided at the end of Spring Training not to keep Hernandez when they went with Yorvit Torrealba as the veteran backup to Wilin Rosario, and were hoping to find a place for Hernandez and escape some of the $3.2 million salary he was owed. In the trade, the Dodgers agreed to pick up about $1 million of Hernandez's salary.
The Rockies also announced they had designated Harang for assignment, meaning they have 10 days to decide what to do with him. The Rockies are committed to trading him. The other options within the 10-day period are to release him or outright him to the Minors, but there is no plan to have Harang pitch at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
"With Aaron, we've respected him and what he's done in the past, but we've committed to five starters and we know he wants to start," said Bill Geivett, the Rockies' senior vice president of Major League operations. "We also have a group of younger pitchers that are in Colorado Springs right now, and we'd like to make sure there is opportunity at some point of the season for them to come up."
The Dodgers were looking to deal Harang throughout Spring Training and offered him to the Rockies, who were looking for a groundball pitcher and ended up signing Jon Garland (who made his Rockies debut Saturday night against the Padres), and found a trading partner when their need for backup catching arose.
Now the Rockies are hoping to use Harang to fill another need. In dealing him, the Rockies are not necessarily looking for a Major Leaguer or even a 40-man roster player, but a prospect -- hitter or pitcher -- that can be developed.
"I don't know that we're close, but we're talking to a number of clubs, and we spoke to Aaron's agent," Geivett said. "We'll begin those discussions now."


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I had an idea the other day, to run a simulated World Cup with CricketWeb members filling up the teams.
For those unaware of how that'd work - you sign up as, for example, an English opening batsmen and, before England play India, I simulate England v India as a curtain-raiser to the main event using a computer program. You open the batting in that game against silenstriker and Cevno who have signed up as Indian opening bowlers. It'd follow the same schedule as the real world cup. You don't have to do anything after you sign up other than check your progress.
There would definitely be some problems filling up some of the teams (getting eleven Kenyan posters could be a struggle, for example), but we could be a bit liberal with eligibility, or use filler players, or maybe even just play sixes depending on sign-ups.
At the moment I'd just like to get a rough idea of how much interest there'd be in it, who'd be interesting in captaining/selecting a nation's team/squad for each game, and any other problems people can think of.
EDIT: Oh, and if anyone is eligible or willing to play for a more obscure nation, that'd be good information at this point too.
EDIT2: Sign-ups: http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/worl...-sign-ups.html


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Daily Courier-Light (Corsicana, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 264, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 4, 1905
Description: Daily newspaper from Corsicana, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with some advertising.
Date: February 4, 1905
Creator: Hand, F. C.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History


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Royal Munster Fusiliers hackle – Traditional military regimental feather hackle made to order for pipe bands and regimental associations. 100% hand made in the UK as supplied to the regiments. The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1922. It traced its origins to the East India Company's Bengal European Regiment raised in 1652, which later became the 101st Regiment of Foot
Total length from base of loop to tip of feather pressed flat approx 5 – 5 1/2″ / 12.5 – 13.5cm
Hand made from goose coquille feathers.
100% made in the UK – We normally keep singles in stock. For large orders they will made to order approx 7-10 days
Our regimental feather hackles and plumes are all made in the UK to Ministry of Defence standards. Perfect for your glengarry, Balmoral or Tam O Shanter. As supplied to the Highland regiments and British army and hand made using high quality feathers which comply with the rigorous Ministry of Defence requirements in the UK.
We can also offer bespoke regimental feather hackles. As supplied to pipe bands, re-enactors, film and theatre, why not email us with your requirements – Minimum quantity applies to special order pattern hackles.


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I have just added nearly 70 more pictures to the newest album. It is the 2008 album and has been appropriately named. As we continue through the year, I will do like I did with the Virginia Living album and put the most recent photos at the front.
The pictures all come from our most recent trip to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. There are photographs from the U.S. Capitol, Washington Cathedral, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Carpenter's Hall, and other sites in Philadelphia. Amanda and I drove up Thursday evening to Kensington, Maryland and stayed with my Uncle Donald and Aunt Lolane Andra. We worked in the Washington D.C. Temple Friday morning and then went to visit the Capitol and Cathedral. Saturday morning we arose early and drove to Philadelphia by way of Delaware and New Jersey. Philadelphia for the most part was a beautiful day. It was a bit brisk at moments but they were not long lasting.
We were fortunate to not have any long lines for us to wait. We entered most of the buildings very quickly and in some instances had the building almost to ourselves.
It was a great little get away weekend. This coming weekend we are headed off to Williamsburg. What will be in store for us there?


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This week's challenge is SDL, written by stayscrisp.
SDL is a cross platform graphics library written in C++. There are also a number of extension libraries available that enable network and audio functionality. SDL is a great way to add graphics to your application whilst hiding the platform specific details, it can even create OpenGL windows for 3D graphics.
SDL has been used in many commercial projects including Second Life, Neverwinter Nights and World of Goo. Many games are ported to Linux using SDL due to its cross-platformness (it's a word!).
Getting Started
It would be great to see some simple games such as Pong, Arkanoid or Asteroids or some none game related graphics.
Week #44- SDLPage 1 of 1
1 Replies - 10679 Views - Last Post: 11 December 2010 - 10:52 AM
Week #44- SDL
Posted 08 December 2010 - 06:55 AM
Replies To: Week #44- SDL
Re: Week #44- SDL
Posted 11 December 2010 - 10:52 AM
A simple program to initialise SDL, create a window and display a BMP image.
I thought I'd put in error checking unlike my tutorials which left it out for the sake of clarity Hopefully this might help some people interested in having a go at SDL
/* Create a window and blit an SDL surface to it */ #include <SDL.h> #include <string> #include <iostream> bool g_bRunning = false; bool g_bFullscreen = false; SDL_Surface* g_pScreen = NULL; SDL_Surface* g_pTestSurface = NULL; SDL_Surface* LoadImage(std::string filename) { // pointers to some SDL surfaces SDL_Surface* pTempSurface = NULL; SDL_Surface* pReturnedSurface = NULL; // create the surface from the loaded BMP and point to it through pTempSurface if((pTempSurface = SDL_LoadBMP(filename.c_str())) == NULL) { std::cout << "Could not open file" << filename << "\n"; return NULL; // return nothing } // set the display format of the final surface using the temporary surface pReturnedSurface = SDL_DisplayFormatAlpha(pTempSurface); // free the temporary surface SDL_FreeSurface(pTempSurface); // return a pointer to the final surface return pReturnedSurface; } // creates a rectangle to blit the SDL_Surface to bool DrawSurface(SDL_Surface* dest, SDL_Surface* src, float x, float y) { if(dest == NULL || src == NULL) { return false; } SDL_Rect destR; destR.x = (Sint16)x; destR.y = (Sint16)y; SDL_BlitSurface(src, NULL, dest, &destR); return true; } // Very simple event management, if the cross is clicked the program ends void HandleEvents() { SDL_Event event; if (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) { switch (event.type) { case SDL_QUIT: g_bRunning = false; break; } } } bool InitialiseSDLWindow(const std::string title, int width, int height, int bpp, bool fullscreen) { // used for fullscreen in this instance int flags = 0; // initialise SDL video capabilities if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) == 1) { std::cout << "Could not init SDL\n"; return false; } // Set the window title SDL_WM_SetCaption(title.c_str(),title.c_str()); if(fullscreen) // set fullscreen if wanted { flags = SDL_FULLSCREEN; } // Create the screen surface g_pScreen = SDL_SetVideoMode(width, height, bpp, flags); g_bFullscreen = fullscreen; g_bRunning = true; return true; } int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { if(!InitialiseSDLWindow("Test", 800, 600, 32, false)) { std::cout << "Could not init SDL window\n"; return 1; } // load the surface g_pTestSurface = LoadImage("test.bmp"); if(g_pTestSurface == NULL) // error checking ;)/> { std::cout << "Could not open image\n"; return 1; } // main loop while(g_bRunning) { HandleEvents(); DrawSurface(g_pScreen, g_pTestSurface, 100, 100); SDL_Flip(g_pScreen); } return 0; }
I thought I'd put in error checking unlike my tutorials which left it out for the sake of clarity Hopefully this might help some people interested in having a go at SDL
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- Isolation Booths (12)
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- - Acoustic Foam Tiles (41)
- - Melamine Acoustic Foam (16)
- - Bass Traps (10)
- - Acoustic Ceiling Tiles (3)
- - Acoustic Floor Tiles (3)
- - Isolation Equipment (7)
- - Acoustic Tile Kits (16)
- - Bass Trap Kits (4)
- - Starter Kits (8)
- - Installation Tools (1)
- - Discounted Items (2)
- Cinema & Listening Room Acoustics (17)
- Office Acoustics (46)
- Soundproofing Products (57)
Wedge PRO 30"x15" Acoustic Studio Foam Tile Pack
Product Code: HBWEDPRO
For delivery on :
Availability: 100
Ex Tax: £63.33
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The wedge profiled acoustic tile is the most popular profile of tile that is used for studios, for both professional and home alike. And it is clear to see why, the classic CNC cut of the wedge profile is clean and tidy and the consistent uniform profile makes installation of the tiles a breeze too. Plus with the various ways you can layout the tiles and orientate them you can create some stunning patterns too. Of course, it's not just the look of the tile that is important but it also the performance and durability. You'll be glad to hear we haven't spent all our time making the tile look good and sacrificing those two other more important aspects.
The acoustic foam we use in manufacturing these and all our other acoustic tiles and products has been carefully selected to offer you optimum performance. The structure of the cells, the foam's density and the composition of the foam is perfect for offering even, controlled and balanced absorption. As you can see below even though the product is only 75mm thick it offers very good performance for the lower mid range and all the way up to the high frequencies. This is all thanks not only to the foam we use with its density of 30kg/m3 and perfect cell structure but it is also thanks to the design of the profile. The wedge profile we have painstakingly developed is the optimum for getting the best performance out of the tile. The surface area of each tile is greatly increased when compared against a flat piece of foam. That, balanced with not taking too much foam out of the tile to create the wedge profile, means there is still plenty of foam per tile to give you that required absorption.
The acoustic foam we use also conforms to the more stringent fire tests of Crib 5 and Schedule 1, Part1 of the Furnishings and Furniture Regulations so you will have peace of mind that the product you are using is safe also. And you also have our guarantee that the foam will stand the test of time. The colour we use has been carefully selected to ensure that it doesn't quickly discolour or fade over time. You won't have the problem of the foam crumbling and turning to dust either. We know that treating your studio is a big investment and we want to make sure that your investment stands the test of time. The only way to ensure that is by sticking with Advanced Acoustics. We have many years of experience in acoustic treatment and soundproofing. Acoustic Treatment and Soundproofing are the only products we deal with. You won't see us selling any other forms of foam or bedding. Acoustic foam is all we do and we are very good at it as our outstanding feedback testifies. Our products have been used by a full host of companies including the BBC, Williams F1 Team, McLaren, Cisco, Cadburys and ITN just to mention a few.
This item is kept permanently in stock. The foam we use is an open cell polyurethane acoustic foam and is available in charcoal only. A thinner version of this tile is also available.
Technical Details
Individual Acoustic Tile Size
15" x 30" (381mm x 762mm)
Quantity Of Acoustic Tiles Per Box
Total Area Covered Per Box
37.5ft2 (3.48m2)
Acoustic Tile Thickness
1 ½" (38mm) at the base, 3" (75mm) at the peak
Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)
Acoustic Foam Colour
Acoustic Foam Density
30 kg/m3
Acoustic Foam Composition
Open Cell Polyurethane Acoustic Foam
Fire Classification
Crib 5 and Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Furnishings and Furniture (fire)(safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989)
Profile Description
CNC cut Wedge Profile with 3" (75mm) between the peaks
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Sorry, but no Performance Data has yet been identified for this lineage. If you know where such performance is available, please email the Project Director.
Please cite as:Data from Ronald B. Mitchell. 2002-2019. International Environmental Agreements Database Project (Version 2018.1).Available at: http://iea.uoregon.edu/Date accessed: 14 December 2019Version Release Notes
Developed with support from: National Science FoundationUniversity of Oregon Envl Studies ProgramUniversity of Oregon Summer Research AwardAm. Phil. Society


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Learn more about attractions, guided tours, parks, and more.
Photo Tours on Sundays. The Photo Tours are $20 per person. For 2019 we will tour and photograph Cascade Falls starting mid-May – date TBA. Join us and bring your family. Children under 14 free. It's easy walking for everyone. We have several locations at the falls. Bring your camera, phone or tablet . Other tours available upon request; Son Ranch Timber Company, Christina Lake and the Granby River Valley. Check the website for details.
Grand Forks
Atracciones, Museos y Sitios Patrimoniales, Accesibilidad
Only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, allow 2 – 3 hours for your visit to Vancouver's iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, hanging 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above Capilano River. The park offers more than just the bridge. Its surrounding 27 acres celebrate nature, history and culture in unique and thrilling ways. No more so than with the newest attraction, CLIFFWALK. Cliffwalk hangs for 213m (700ft) and reaches 91m (300ft) high, hugging the granite cliffside and offering a panoramic view of the thriving rainforest and canyon far below. On Treetops Adventure venture from one magnificent old growth Douglas-fir to another on a series of seven elevated suspension bridges, reaching as high as 110 feet (33m), for a squirrel's eye view of the forest. Guides, signage and interactive exhibits throughout the park help you in your understanding of rainforest ecosystems and their sustainability.
North Vancouver
Bodegas de Vino y Tours
Private and semi-private tours that are fully customized to suit your needs. Sit back, relax and explore the sun-drenched Okanagan wineries, where you can tour the vineyards, the cellar, learn about wine-making and sample the many award winning wines and taste what makes them world-class.
Galerías de Arte, Teatro y Artes Escénicas, Accesibilidad
Vancouver Island's Theatre Destination. We are a vibrant, established and fully professional theatre nestled in the seaside community of Chemainus, BC. We feature some of the finest performers and performances in Canada, Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. Enjoy theatre to the fullest, with our terrific complements: The Playbill Dining Room, with live music and show-themed buffet; and The Gallery Gift Shop, featuring the art of BC artisans.
Parques y Áreas Silvestres, Zona de Acampar y Parques para Casas Rodantes
Facilities: 34 campsites, 2 group sites, public beach, picnic area, boat launch, hiking trails, pit toilets, hand water pump. There is a 10hp boating restriction on the lake. Location: The best access road is off of Highway 3 about 6km east of Bridesville. Follow Johnstone Creek Road for 25km to the park. It is a maintained gravel road and takes approximately 40 minutes from the highway turnoff. Other access points off of Highway 33 and from OK Falls are not well marked and are unmaintained forestry roads that are not suitable for vehicle traffic. Conkle Lake is a secluded lake in the sub-alpine Kettle Valley area that offers rainbow trout fishing, canoeing, swimming and hiking. Come enjoy the sunshine, sandy beach and pristine views at this out-of-the-way gem! Firewood is available for sale. Open from May Long Weekend through Labour Day.
Spas y Bienestar
Visit The Parkside Spa to escape into a tranquil, welcoming atmosphere complemented by our full menu of professional services and treatments. Our spa uses only the most luxurious products which have been hand-picked in order to bring you the very best nature has to offer. We are committed to helping our guests restore their natural harmony of wellness and beauty.
Galerías de Arte
Port Moody
Navegación, Tours de Vida Salvaje, Turismo
Your spectacular journey to Desolation Sound with Beyond the Road Adventures begins in Lund, British Columbia, where the road (Hwy 101) ends. Cruise with us on our 37 foot tri-cabin yacht, the Agate Pass, while viewing the magnificent scenery and wildlife of our protected coastal waters. Leave your cares behind as you enjoy an afternoon of comfort and relaxation. Sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises to Desolation Sound and the Copeland Islands are available, as well as custom day trips and multi-day cruises through the tidal rapids for bear and whale watching. With our personalized service and care, attention to detail, and extensive knowledge of the area, we are able to provide you with a unique sightseeing experience that will make memories to last a lifetime. We look forward to welcoming you on board the Agate Pass and showcasing the natural beauty our area has to offer!
Boutique Traveler is a specialist tour company in Vancouver with a unique twist – we create memories! All our guides are passionate photographers so you can leave your camera at home and let them capture and professionally edit your entire experience. We pride ourselves on providing private walking tours that are customized to our guest's requests. Because of this, we can venture into hidden alleys to discover local art, wander through buildings to marvel at the architecture, and meet with local vendors to sample their tasty treats. If nature is your thing, come visit the stunningly beautiful Stanley Park with us and learn about the local flora & fauna along with the history of the First Nations culture.
The W.A.C. Bennett Dam Visitor Centre is now open until September 2, 2019. You can join us seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and enjoy an underground bus tour and explore our exhibits, interactive games, cafe and gift shop. The Visitor Centre is fun and engaging for all ages and interests. It's an amazing experience that should not be missed. Visit our website for specific details on tour times and to plan your trip today.
Hudson's Hope
I provide sightseeing tours on my fully licensed Toyota Sienna with 8 leather seats, DVD, moonroof, etc. I am fluent in English and my native language is Portuguese. I worked as an Architect in Rio (Brazil) during + 20 years before immigrating to Canada. My passion is travel and I've already been to + 30 countries. Tripadvisor member since 2007, now I am on the âÂÂother sideâÂÂ, offering services.
The brainchild of Rob Braithwaite, UK-born wine expert and enthusiast, Wine Lovers Tours was established to showcase the very best of BC's thriving wine and beer scene. As a certified WSET Level 2 in Wine & Spirits, a certified beer cicerone, and a certified Level 3 first-aider, Rob knows exactly what goes into an unforgettable wine and beer tour. Having explored wineries and breweries far and wide, Rob found there is a whole world of world-class wine, craft beer, and spirits to be discovered in BC â and that's when Wine Lovers Tours was born. On a tour with us, you'll stroll through vineyards surrounded by mountains and crystal lakes, meet the creative minds behind the bottles, and sample the finest range of wine BC has to offer. If beer is more up your street, we've meticulously selected the most up-and-coming craft breweries and brews that you're bound to be writing home about. Pick-up and drop-off at your event, residence, or hotel means that you are free to relax from the begin
Paseo a caballo y Ranchos, Hospedaje, Bed & Breakfasts
Navegación, Turismo
Our tours are based in the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park, located on Hwy 16 about 35 minutes west of Terrace or 55 minutes east of Prince Rupert. We can pick you up in either community or you can meet us at the park site which is the launch point for your river adventure!! All tours are day trips which include a shore lunch of wild BC sockeye salmon cooked over the open fire, salads, drinks and dessert. Your tour and river adventure can last from 2 to 8 hours.
Prince Rupert


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Properties with modern, clean appliances command higher rents, according to a recent survey by Perfect Places. Vacation rental owners and managers said they can charge from 10% to 50% more for superior, well-maintained appliances.
So if you've been thinking of replacing your refrigerator, microwave or stove, putting it off longer could cost you money. If your appliances are relatively new, you can still upgrade with smaller items, such as coffeemakers and toasters. Here are some tips on kitchen appliance design trends for 2013.
|An example of an integrated fridge and wine and
beverage cooler (another kitchen trend).
Stainless steel continues to be a popular choice. It wears well and the exterior is easy to clean. Plus, stainless steel, even though it has an industrial feel to it, is neutral in color when compared to black. Another trend is a built-in, or integrated, refrigerator (shown in photo). Door panels match the rest of the cabinetry in the kitchen, giving the illusion that the fridge is another cabinet. This style offers a seamless appearance and cohesive design. On the opposite end of the spectrum are retro or whimsical kitchens. Whichever design option you choose, remember that it needs to work well with the rest of your vacation rental. Placing a retro fridge in a modern kitchen will stand out, but not in the way you intended.
Multi-function ovens
|Miele Speed Oven, which pulls double-duty
as a microwave and a convection oven.
A microwave is a must in any vacation rental—it's what most people are used to at home. But you can add another dimension to your guests cooking experience with a microwave that does double duty as a convention or steam oven. Chefs in many upscale restaurants are using steam ovens more and more because of steaming's health benefits. Convection ovens have been around for a while and may be more familiar to your guests. Either way, if you're replacing your microwave, consider adding a multifunction oven as a way to make your unit stand out. Just remember to leave instructions on how to use the convection or steam oven.
Smaller appliances
Along the same lines as an integrated fridge are hidden appliances. A clean, wide-open countertop is inviting, relaxing and reassuring. De-clutter by putting toasters and coffee makers behind bi-fold doors. Alternatively, you can opt for a built-in coffee maker, which makes a great impression on any coffee drinker. If these options aren't viable for you, then consider updating your smaller appliances frequently. This is a relatively inexpensive way to keep your kitchen looking modern without spending a lot of money. Also, small appliances are often among the most used items in a kitchen, which means guests will notice them more.


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Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 DLC now available on XBL and PSN
Activision's announced that DLC for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 has landed on XBL and PSN and is available until December 31. There are five new playable characters in it: Black Panther, Carnage, Cable, Magneto and Psylocke along with four new challenge missions, new boss encounters, gauntlets and a bit more for 800 MS Points ($10.00/£6.80/€9.30) […]
Juggernaut headlines
Ultimate Alliance 2 DLC dated, detailed, priced
Activision has announced that a DLC pack for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 will hit November 3. It features playable characters Black Panther, Cable, Carnage, Psylocke and an unannounced character. Also included are boosts, and simulator missions for $9.99 on PSN and 800 MS Points on XBL. The former GameStop exclusive, Juggernaut, will also be available […]


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When Jill Kirchen and her husband started a family, one thought stood out to her: she didn't want to miss the special moments of her children's childhood.
So, the Chippewa Falls resident put her higher education on hold. But now that the kids are older, Kirchen has returned to the classroom, and she said she isn't sacrificing family time, thanks to Lakeland University's adult education program and its BlendEd® feature.
"With the online classes through BlendEd, I was still able to be there for the soccer games and orchestra concerts yet still get class assignments done," said Kirchen, who also works full time. "I really like how that flexibility for you, as adult students, makes it so you're not restricted to having to sit in a classroom for three hours in the evening after a full day of work."
It's that flexibility that has students like Kirchen excited. Lakeland is taking the BlendEd feature of its adult education program to another level this spring with several new ways to take a class.
Lakeland launched BlendEd in 2005 with classes that allowed students to seamlessly transition from week to week between the traditional classroom and online. Now, the institution has developed three more ways for students to take classes.
"We have yet to find a program that provides students with this much flexibility within a single class," said Zach Voelz, Lakeland's vice president for enrollment management. "Many colleges and universities around the country offer students different pieces of our program."
Learn more about the additional class options with the new BlendEd.
Voelz said the push for more options has come from students like Kirchen who are shopping the higher education market for programs that don't require major lifestyle changes.
"Working adults want quality academic programs offered in flexible formats," Voelz said. "It is forcing higher education to be creative in the ways we make classes available to students."
Lakeland piloted the expanded BlendEd in the spring of 2013, and Voelz said feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Many students really love the opportunity to attend a live class without having to leave home," Voelz said. "We heard from students who had time to have dinner with their family, then logon to class without having to travel."
Voelz said he often shares two student stories when discussing BlendEd with prospective students:
- A Lakeland graduate student who travels regularly for his job (he is a pilot for a major manufacturer) loves the ability to log in to a live course from his hotel room.
- Another graduate student was admitted to the hospital unexpectedly during the middle of a term. He didn't want to miss class, however, so he logged in to a live class from his hospital bed.
Voelz said students also like getting live, online access to classes that, in the past, might have been only offered at a center in another part of the state. "Our new features are stripping away the geographic barrier for students," Voelz said. "Students have said the savings in time and money was much appreciated."
Lakeland's programming for working adults began in 1978 with the creation of its Lifelong Learning Program, the state's first evening degree-completion program for working adults. Lakeland created one of the nation's first complete online degree programs in 1998.
This fall, approximately 2,850 students were enrolled. Lakeland has centers in Chippewa Falls, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Neenah, Sheboygan and Wisconsin Rapids.


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Kasavana, who had coined the term "v-commerce" at the turn of the millennium to summarize the retailing power of networked vending machines, observed that the astonishing developments since then have created an opportunity for "v-engineering," a broader approach that supports v-commerce with an array of new tools ranging from online flat-panel displays to vending-oriented applications for smartphones, including a wider range of cashless payment options.
His panelists at this year's OneShow in Las Vegas, included Ron Spinella, Apriva; Lori Marshall, Byndl; Mandeep Arora, Cantaloupe Systems; Joanne Bethlahmy, Cisco Consulting Services; Brendan Kehoe, Crane Streamware; Rainish Maini, Intel; Doug Haddon, MEI; and Mike Lawlor, USA Technologies.
MEI 's Haddon observed that more technology inevitably generates more data that must be managed if it is to be used effectively. That data also must be transmitted and received, and this must be done more quickly as volume increases. "Be prepared," he advised the audience.
Wireless networks are being upgraded to deal with the fast-growing demand from consumers, as well as commercial customers. Yesterday's "second-generation" (2G) networks are giving way rapidly to 3G systems, and 4G already has risen well above the horizon. Competition among networks developed from the original GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) standards continues, as each undergoes development. With no clear winner in prospect, a system that depends on access to a wireless network must be designed flexibly, so future advances can be accommodated with minimum disruption and expense.
The concurrent proliferation of payment systems also calls for prudent system design, Haddon continued. Such advances as banknote recycling and cashless payment systems of all kinds continue to make the settlement process more complex. Again, operators are well-advised to assemble systems that are easily expanded or modified as new communication standards and services become prominent.
With the industry's continually increasing reliance on the automatic collection, retrieval and processing of data, it is important to keep in mind that these activities are not immune to error. "Understand the implications if, for example, some of your DEX data is wrong," Haddon urged. The ramifications of a data fault can extend all the way from the moneyroom to the warehouse, and it's advisable to make provision for detecting and rectifying errors.
"Operational process change should be governed by choice, not chance," the MEI executive emphasized. "So partner with your technology providers: you need one another, and you have common goals."
Not only must an operating company's management make a strong commitment to effecting successful change, Haddon continued; the company's employees must buy into it, too. Focused implementation is necessary to minimize the time needed for the transition and the disruption it can cause; and this calls for good management.
"Operators need to build successful, sustained relationships to meet their goals," he amplified. "Sell the vision, top down and bottom up. Cultivate the new skills needed to deal with things like video displays and telemeters. Dedicate the resources required to accomplish that," the speaker urged.
"Focused implementation," he explained, refers to remaining concentrated on the vision while proceeding step by step to get the processes right, and then automate them.
"And get your people set up for success," Haddon urged. "Sustain that success through continual training; partner with your technology provider." He reported that a recent survey found that, while 70% of operators agreed that ongoing education is important, 90% had not taken part in any for at least two years.
The speaker summarized the implementation process as a loop, which one enters by identifying a need. The next steps are to assign an "owner," develop and test a process that meets the need, apply technology to automate that process, measure the benefits and make whatever adjustments are shown to be needed by the measurements. The last step is to initiate another cycle by identifying another need.
Apriva's Ron Spinella addressed the changing communication standards for which operators must prepare when setting up equipment on wireless networks. He summarized the progress of the wireless art by recalling that the original cellular network was set up for radio pagers, and may be thought of as "0G." The early mobile phones prompted the deployment of an analog network as the first generation (1G), and the swift growth of the industry drove the development of today's digital "2G" cellular network.
"Most wireless payment systems today use the 2G network -- but 2G is going away," Spinella warned. "When you evaluate a new technology today, ask whether it will work on a 3G or 4G network."
Payment media also are evolving, the Apriva executive said. "Remember the original Diners' Club and American Express cards? They had embossed print on the front, and a magnetic stripe on the back," he recalled. This design also has proven very durable, but it, too, is on the way out.
The payment card industry today has turned to the EMV standard, Spinella explained, and plans to start rolling out the new cards this year and continuing through 2018. The EMV medium (originally a joint project of Europay, MasterCard and Visa) incorporates an integrated-circuit chip that cannot be duplicated; it is suitable for contact and contactless readers. "And the IC chip doesn't need to be in a card," Spinella added. "It can be built into a phone."
The new EMV medium is designed to accommodate PIN and/or signature authentication for larger transactions; the requirements for small payments vary. The speaker advised operators to make certain that their payment-system plans will support widespread adoption of EMV.
Mandeep Arora of Cantaloupe Systems observed that, when his pioneering remote-monitoring organization opened its doors, "We thought it would be simple: we'll connect the machines, and tell the driver where to go each day. But it's more complicated than that."
That model simply was designed to reduce the frequency of stops, which has proven a very valuable thing to do, he said; "but under the new model, you also can call your customer and say, 'We've identified a defect and corrected it.'" A scheduled route delivery is costly -- about 20% of a vending company's expense is route service -- and an unscheduled service call is expensive, too. So Cantaloupe set out to minimize both kinds.
A traditional vending operation could identify accounts with reasonably steady demand and set up a service schedule that usually would avoid out-of-stocks, at the cost of refilling machines whether they needed it or not. "Suppose you're servicing a machine every seven days," Arora instanced. "If you can push that out to eight days, it's better." In fact, detailed information about the depletion rate of each product in each machine allows menu modification that avoids selling out while reducing the frequency of service.
And the conventional method of carrying sufficient inventory on the truck to accommodate the maximum anticipated sales of each machine necessarily results in "bring-backs." Carrying just enough stock to meet the actual demand of the machines on the route reduces product handling, the speaker pointed out.
Equipment repair has always been a priority for operators who know that an out-of-service machine not only sells nothing, but erodes patrons' confidence in the reliability of the vending service. The best traditional systems for dispatching a technician depend on the dispatcher's receiving a call from someone at the location to report an out-of-order machine -- "but you don't want your customers to be your quality assurance department," Arora emphasized. "They usually don't call you promptly, and you lose sales." A machine equipped with diagnostic circuitry and a means of sending an alarm when a malfunction occurs enables the operator to be proactive, and to take the credit for staying ahead of problems.
Merchandising is another area in which remote monitoring can have a strongly beneficial effect that was not anticipated in the early days of developing the concept, the Cantaloupe executive added. "Traditionally, operators watched what sold out, and then added more on the basis of guesswork," he recalled. "With real-time monitoring, you see what sells out first -- and what people then buy instead, so you know what to do."
He reiterated Haddon's point about the need for management changes when new technology is added. "He's right," Arora concurred. "You don't need mountains of data; you need the right tools. And you don't have to connect every machine; one that's doing less than $100 a week doesn't need it."
Byndl's Lori Salow Marshall noted that software, and the context in which it's used, evolve, too, often in conjunction with hardware advances. "For example, in the old model, users occupied distinct 'silos' containing the software they used: salespeople used customer relations management programs, operations people used enterprise resource planning software, financial people used financial programs. There has been steady progress away from those 'silos' to software suites allowing free association among functions, following prescribed rules."
Other advances have included the proliferation of "software as a service," a concept that allows the user to subscribe to a software application available through a secure website, rather than buying the program, installing it and keeping it up to date. This proliferation has proceeded in parallel with tremendous improvements in mobile devices and the consequent surge in demand for them. "People like mobile data," Marshall said, "and you can be a connection-point for them."
In the past, product suppliers, payment companies and coupon program providers occupied "silos" of their own, she said; "We need free association here, too." Byndl has set out to facilitate this with a flexible mobile payment and rewards application that can work with vending machines.
The speaker reported that 59% of mobile users today are comfortable with mobile advertising; "they don't hate it, and you can gain from it. Vending operators and digital service providers can work together."
Crane Streamware's Brendan Kehoe observed that convenience stores and supermarkets have become proficient at engaging their customers, attracting attention and influencing behavior. "How can vending do this, too?" he asked.
Kehoe noted that discount pharmacy chains at present are trying to lure business away from competing retail channels by running loyalty and rewards programs. This kind of consumer interaction now is available to vending operators, he said.
The starting-point here is the new generation of flat-panel video display screens, available in a variety of sizes from diverse sources, on new venders and for retrofitting to existing ones. They communicate with vending patrons using images as well as text.
"Screens can present advertising, promotional and nutrition information," the speaker observed. "With a screen, you can create a user experience."
The rise of e-commerce over the past decade has produced a good deal of information about what works best in encouraging people to make unattended purchases, Kehoe said. Among these findings are that using a "shopping cart" metaphor and always asking whether the customer wishes to buy something else are effective ways to put the patron in charge of the process and thus maximize sales. A video screen working as the user interface on a vending machine can do these things.
The technology developed to connect vending machine screens and controllers to a central server also can be used to extend the appeal of vending to patrons' mobile devices. It should be possible to engage consumers who are away from the machine, and encourage them to visit it, the speaker said.
And the bidirectional nature of interaction through a screen, coupled with advances in pattern and gesture recognition, has opened the door to sophisticated behavior analysis, Kehoe continued. This should permit marketers to obtain detailed information about how consumers react to a message or an offer, and suggest improvements that will elicit a more favorable response.
In considering all of this potential, the Crane Streamware executive concluded, it is important to keep one's priorities straight and to use common sense. "You don't use technology for technology's sake alone," he reminded the audience. "And remember that your customer is likely to say, 'I don't want an experience -- I want a cold drink, and I want it right now!' So be careful."
Joanne Bethlahmy, director of Cisco Consulting Services' Internet Business Solutions Group, retail and consumer packaged goods, observed that her organization has been conducting "thought experiments" in applying technology to retailing. The fusion of vending's unattended payment systems with the use of automatic product identification scanning, which has given rise to the micromarket, has just begun to show what it can do, she said.
Three trends that attracted the Cisco researchers' attention are innovations in vending, some of which also are affecting other segments; the development of micromarkets, which to date have had the greatest impact on business-and-industry locations; and the "virtual store," an idea which has been around for a while but which has demonstrated its practicality in the Republic of Korea. A "virtual store" houses information displays that provide product photos and specifications, and payment terminals at which to place orders for delivery.
"We thought, why not combine these concepts?" the speaker reported. "Why not apply them to creating branded digital destinations in high-traffic venues?"
[Editor's Note: Bethlahmy described this concept in more detail at a OneShow micromarket seminar, covered in the August issue.]
In a resort hotel, for example, guests might stroll through a series of attractions, starting with a "remote concierge" kiosk. Other opportunities would include shopping at a digital mall, buying refreshments from vending machines, playing games, patronizing a micromarket food court and interacting with experts by teleconference. All of these technologies exist today.
The promise, she summed up, is of an immersive consumer experience that can yield valuable business intelligence. The requirements are for secure connectivity and payment processing, and capable back-end systems and support.
"How to do it? A 'consolidator' or organizer is needed, to design pilot programs and conduct them to test their viability. Then the successful ones can be translated into a scalable business model," Bethlahmy summed up. The versatility of the micromarket concept is worth keeping in mind when evaluating market potential and choosing equipment.
Intel's Raj Maini observed that vending (of a sort) was invented two millennia ago, but at present, the revolution in digital media threatens to bypass the vending retail channel. "We need to address this," he said.
"And it's not about vending, nor about providers of digital media," the Intel executive reminded the audience. "It's about the consumer. Consumers want this or that product when and where they are. Vending can deliver those products, and the machines can be transformed from passive dispensers to interactive retailers."
The interactivity made possible by intelligent, networked vending machines offers a great many benefits to operators and patrons alike; and one of them can be entertainment value. "Today, you can use a vending machine to send a gift to a friend in another state," the speaker instanced. "I can play a game. I can charge my phone."
Intuitive, appealing user interfaces supported by open standards and remotely managed are drawing attention to vending machines in high-traffic public locations in many lands. The behavior of the people who are attracted to them and invited to participate is being studied by means of anonymous video analytics. "The machines are remotely managed and they convert behavior into data," the speaker explained. Video analytics, for example, can determine the distribution of age and gender among viewers, and track the total number of people who stopped to look at the machine, whether or not they chose to participate in the promotion.
These "intelligent vending" initiatives suggest ways in which the capture and interpretation of patron behavior in front of vending machines can increase their revenue stream and decrease their cost of operation, the Intel executive summed up.
USA Technologies' Mike Lawlor recalled that he has been speaking at NAMA's technology seminars for the past 12 years, describing the power of cashless payment to increase vending sales and profits. "Operators have agreed that it's exciting," he said. And excitement has been needed; since 2000, vending profit has declined 70%, the speaker reported, and 75% of Americans use vending machines less often than once a month -- or never use them at all.
USA Technologies has been following the penetration of the vending industry by cashless payment systems, and assembling detailed information about their performance into a knowledge base. Lawlor observed that this continually updated historical record demonstrates that expanding customer options and pricing flexibility does have a substantial positive impact. Moreover, the benefits are obtained from additional volume, not by "cannibalizing" traditional cash sales.
The speaker showed a graphic representation of vending sales over a 12-month period following the adoption of cashless payment systems. The sample was 9,729 machines doing a total of about 70 million transactions. In the first month, cash sales averaged $549, compared with only $77 for the new cashless alternative. By the 12th month, cashless sales had increased to an average $134 -- and cash sales also had risen, to an average $571. Cashless had most effect on higher-priced items, Lawlor noted; the average cash sale was $1.16, while card sales averaged $1.51. "Higher vend prices encourage card use," he explained.
"There is a cost associated with cashless payment," the USAT executive continued. "After taking that into account, we see an average $700 incremental profit."
The conversion of a vending machine into a node of a wide-area network, allowing it to handle cashless-payment authentication and recording over the Internet, also allows it to take advantage of remote machine monitoring, Lawlor added -- and vice versa. Used in conjunction with a capable vending management system, this further augments profitability.
He described a pilot project conducted by an operating company on one route of 75 to 125 machines yielding $7,000 to $8,000 per week. Under test was a five-point plan: machines would be fitted for telemetry, and the top 25% of them also for cashless vending. The remotely transmitted data was used to rationalize route scheduling, optimize menus and streamline order picking.
The results were dramatic, and the program was fully implemented. As a result, the operation enjoyed 12% organic growth while consolidating its routes from 14 to nine. These routes are run by trucks with 12-ft. bodies, rather than the larger 16-ft. vans used previously. Two-tier pricing was added on the cashless venders. "As a result, the operator has realized a total benefit of $785,000," Lawlor concluded.
During the question-and-answer period that followed, an audience member raised the question of high-security buildings, whose management often opposes introducing third-party networked equipment.
"The problem is that they see your device as a 'hole' through which data can leave their building," Spinella explained. Cantaloupe's Arora recommended that operators ask their suppliers for assistance if this objection is raised.
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