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World Media
U.S. government releases a new plan to protect polar bears
Last year, President Obama, along with other 190 governments across the world, signed a treaty in Paris that hoped to address the climate change problem, while Trump has said that the US will probably back out from it when he enters the White House.
United States military to monitor development of new North Korean missile
The isolated communist state, which has carried out five nuclear tests and numerous missile launches, is thought to be planning a nu- clear push this year as it seeks to develop a weapons system capable of hitting the United States mainland.
Kim Kardashian Reality star's driver arrested in connection with Paris robbery
The suspects were 14 men and three women ages 23 to 72, officials said. The oldest suspect is in his 70s, and, according to L'Express , the mastermind of the robbery is believed to be a 60-year-old man who was arrested in Vincennes. "It makes me so upset to think about it", she said. It's said the two men are accused of disposing of the giant rock, which is exactly why they may be able to retrieve it.
Dion, McCallum out in Trudeau cabinet shuffle
Hussen, a Somali-born rookie MP first elected in 2015, is one of several new faces in cabinet that include Quebec MP Francois-Philippe Champagne, named global trade minister, and Karina Gould of Burlington, Ont., who takes Democratic Institutions from Maryam Monsef.
Sex for votes: Germany's Green Party offers voters 'sexual assistance'
In the Netherlands it is already possible to claim the cost of sexual services as a medical expense. Elisabeth Scharfenberg , the opposition Greens' spokeswoman on care policy, told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper she could imagine authorities "financing sexual assistance".
Detroit Auto Show: Honda Ridgeline Wins North American Truck of the Year
Ford last week scrapped plans to build a $1.6 billion small-car factory in Mexico, and said $700 million would go toward expanding a MI plant to build new electric and autonomous vehicles. That's because 2017 was the first time a new category was introduced, recognizing the growing importance these vehicles have on the market. "We have more than 40 manufacturing facilities in the USA and over the last two years alone we have investment more than $11 billion creating thousands of new jobs ...
Turkish Forces Destroy 12 Daesh Targets in Northern Syria - General Staff
The YPG is an affiliate of the PKK terrorist organization that is fighting Turkey. Ankara considers the US arming the YPG "intolerable" because the terror group poses a great threat to Turkey , that country's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday.
Gunman wounds United States consular official in western Mexico
The official was shot in the chest, said a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the department has previously warned Americans, including US officials, to exercise caution in the region due to " continued instability ".
Trump tells Obama's ambassadors to leave by Inauguration Day
The move, first reported by The New York Times , leaves the United States without top envoys at key posts such as Britain, Germany, Canada, Japan and Saudi Arabia until President-elect Donald Trump nominates successors and they are confirmed, a process that could take months.
Demonetisation to be BJP's key poll plank in UP
Voting in Uttar Pradesh , the most populous state that is home to 200 million people, will begin on February 11 and finish on March 8, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi told reporters. The ruling Samajwadi Party is likely to emerge as the second largest party with a vote share of 26 per cent in the latest survey, translating into 92-97 seats.
Escaped Rhode Island inmate captured in Somerville
Police say a man who escaped from a Rhode Island detention center and was captured in MA will be booked soon. The Wyatt Correctional Center warden says 35-year-old former Army reservist James Morales fled Saturday by climbing a basketball hoop to reach a rooftop, cutting through a fence and climbing through razor wire.
Former White House chiefs of staff on Trump doubting USA intelligence
Trump posted a number of tweets commenting on the interview, pointing out that Assange has once again said that Russian Federation did not leak the DNC information. He's now turned to Assange, a man who has leaked the names of Afghan civilians working with the USA as informants, to make the case against America's own spies.
Tesla starts battery cell production at gigafactory
Tesla has been criticized for its failure to meet projected delivery goals, including its promises around the hyped Model 3. First, in less than six months, the building's total footprint has doubled to 1.9 million square feet and its operational square feet is 2.6 times what it was, at 4.9 million square feet.
Man shot dead by United Kingdom police; 5 arrested as inquiry begins
The charity, which primarily focuses on deaths in police custody, said it had collected the data from its own monitoring and casework rather than relying on Home Office figures. "I saw about five or six police cars around the roundabout", she added. A further two people were arrested in a related incident in Bradford on Tuesday morning but police had said the incident is not linked to terrorism and have referred it to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Megyn Kelly Breaks Silence on Reports of Her Leaving Fox News
Rival networks seeking to hire Ms. Kelly away, including NBC News, had made it clear that they could not match that money from Fox, the cable news leader for the last 15 years running. She was pushed into the worldwide spotlight in 2015 when she accused Donald Trump of misogyny during a Republican presidential debate. The announcement isn't going over too well with some of her followers though, as many have been flooding the comment section with less-than enthusiastic responses.
DE man injured in Turkey attack returning home
The 35-year-old recalled staying perfectly still and silent, despite being hit with a bullet in his hip, which traveled down to his knee. One of the at least 60 people injured Saturday night was William Jacob Raak , a 35-year-old traveler from DE who was shot during the terror attack the Islamic State group later claimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi personally directed via a phone call.
Taiwanese leader says China is reverting to coercive tactics
The United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan is part of it. Chinese state media said that Trump's "inexperience" led him to accept the call from the Taiwanese president but warned that breaching the one-China policy would "destroy" relations between Washington and Beijing.
Celebrating New Year's? You'll have to wait an extra second
The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service , a department of a Paris-based observatory, decides when the leap second has to be inserted. You'll need to wait a second! These seconds are added at intervals ranging from half a year to seven year periods. Devices such as phones and computers will adjust on their own, and your other clocks having a one-second difference will unlikely bet noticeable.
Burke Ramsey just extended the JonBenet Ramsey saga into 2017
JonBenet Ramsey's brother, Burke, filed a $750 million lawsuit against CBS Corp. and consultants in Wayne County, Michigan, on Wednesday, the latest development in the unsolved murder of his sister. His lawsuit reportedly points to a 2008 legal decision where the Ramsey family were cleared as suspects after DNA analysis. He was 9 at the time of JonBenet's death.


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I've been reading Isaiah 53 during Holy Week (among other texts) and I concluded today that the sentiment expressed Isaiah 53.12 might be the most subversive, scandalous, and destabilizing idea in all of Scripture:
...he was numbered with the transgressors...I mean, can any church or Christian ever be smug, safe, contented, moralistic or self-satisfied in light of Isaiah 53.12? Just when the dust settles Isaiah 53.12 comes along, taps you on the shoulder and says, "By the way, God is over there. Yes, with those people."
Any other nominations for most subversive text in all of the Bible?

subset: commoncrawl


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Get ultimate flexibility to thoroughly test your mobile apps and websites
- Remotely interact and control every aspect of the device including pressing handset buttons, viewing displays, listening to ringers and tones, playing videos, swiping touch screens, muting, powering on/off, downloading/installing apps, and sending/ receiving messages.
- Extract outputs from handsets (audio, video screens)
- Utilize scripting commands (wait for specific text, images) through the API or through App Experience Studio
- Access and execute actions (test scripts)
- Access and control App Experience devices with a standards-based programming language
- Create test scripts directly in Java or use App Experience 's visual scripting language, and easily generate Java code from these scripts with the click of a button.
- Use the App Experience Studio built-in Java editor, or utilize your own Java IDE
- View executing tests in real-time through the App Experience API dashboard
- Utilize existing test frameworks by converting existing assets into Java or creating a bridge to other programming languages, such as PERL or PHP
- Easily extend testing capabilities to other systems by scripting actions between App Experience devices and external elements—for example, test instant messaging between a mobile handset and a PC
- Optionally save all results into the App Experience reporting interface
- Access multiple devices within one session—the API methods will check to make sure all required devices are available before connecting
- Integrate your test schedules with other internal events—for example, automatically initiate certain regression tests as new builds are released
- Ability to schedule and automatically deliver your app build to devices and run a set of test cases to validate the build
- Increase productivity and streamline testing process
- Automated sanity testing of each mobile application build to support earlier defect identification
- Build and schedule mobile application automated regression suite directly from your build machine to increase confidence
- Enhanced test coverage and shorter test cycles
- Immediate feedback to developers on the quality, functionality or system-wide impact of code you are writing


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As a designer, I love to create beautiful websites and strongly believe in
"Intuitive design is how we give the user new superpowers".
There are three responses to a piece of design – YES, NO and WOW!
Wow is the one I always aim for.
I also do Photography in my leisure time. The intention of indulging such an interest is mere pleasure and relaxation. It has made my senses keen and sharpened my imagination.
One of the most difficult, but most important aspects of your business is to create a strong brand. I don't just make brand identities. I bring them to Life.
I have an eye for UI and UX and work on creative ideas that perform. I offer results-driven web and mobile solutions for startups and enterprises.
Print design holds its own distinctive appeal. I provide large scale print and comprehensive graphic solutions.


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With the Summit less than a week away, folks are chomping at the bit to start sharing ideas and topics, which is great! Remember that the Summit will be organized using "open space technology," which means everyone will have a chance to propose a session, with a very quick pitch to the group. They don't have to be incredibly well formulated ideas, and could be as simple as sharing a skill or looking for someone to help teach you how to use a tool.
If you do want to share a session idea before we're all together, please feel free to create a new post on this blog (all attendees have authoring permissions), and check the category for sessions. And just title your post, "Session Proposal: short description of your idea."
Let us know if you get stuck!


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M-F 10a-3p
Q: How would you describe yourself?
A: I'm a sauce guy! The more sauce the better. Extra sauce is a must no matter what. Chicken wings, pasta, BBQ, I gotta have the sauce!
Q: What's your favorite item in your house?
A: I have this old school Hamilton Beach milkshake maker that I got from my grandma. This thing is the best and I make a killer malt! Thicker the better!
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own and what's your favorite pair?
A: I only have but maybe three pairs that I actually wear. My thing is I like to name them. Currently my favorite pair I call Bed of Roses because they look like something Jon Bon Jovi would sport in a video.
Q: What is your ideal weekend?
A: Spending time outside with my wife for sure. We love to camp, watch movies and grill out!
Q: What are your three favorite movies?
A: Okay, this is a tough question so I'm gonna just name what comes to my mind first. Lethal Weapon has always been one of my favorits but then again I do like a good chick flick as well. I'm a bit of a softy and liked The Notebook. Anchorman is always a good one too!
Q: When you have a movie made about you, what will the title be?
A: Well I always thought "I Married Caller Nine" would be a great name for a movie but it doesn't apply in my case. :)


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My latest Sixty Second Scents review is on a new release from Andy Tauer: a modern cologne called L'Eau. To watch it on the YouTube site, please click here.
This Friday, 8th July, at 2:30 pm (UK time) please tune in to my Facebook page (click here) for Episode 4 of Love At First Scent, my series of live broadcasts in which I smell new releases for the first time on camera and try to put my initial impressions into words for you. To see the previous episodes, please click here.


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Mac Avi to DVD - Burn avi to DVD, Convert avi to DVD on Mac
View Single Post
Oct 25, 2011, 10:08 PM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,606
iMedia Converter for Mac - Best DVD ripping and video conversion software for Mac use
iSkysoft iMedia Converter Deluxe for Mac offers ultimate all-in-one DVD and Video solution, a must-have software essential for digital entertainment life. In addition to all the features of iMedia Converter, Deluxe version offers many other great features including copying DVDs, creating DVDs, downloading streaming web video worth over $165.
* Enjoy your favorite DVDs and videos on portable devices on the go.
* Burn videos or physical DVDs to DVD discs to view on your big screen TV.
* Provides optimized presets for iDevices, mobile phone and more.
* A simple way to save your favorite online videos for offline watching.
[b]iMedia Converter Deluxe for Mac Key Features[/b]
Broad Video Format Support - Quickly convert High-Definition video like AVCHD MTS/M2TS, AVCHD Lite, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, HD MOV and standard videos to any popular format including WMV, MP4, AVI, MOV, MPG/MPEG, FLV, MP3, and more.
Simple Way to Rip DVDs - Take the hassle out of ripping and converting DVD movies or homemade DVDs to pretty much any format of your choice or directly for mobile devices. You can now simply accomplish the task with a few simple clicks.
Presets for Portable Devices - Straightforward presets allow you to easily rip DVDs and convert videos for your iPad, iPod, iPhone(iPhone 4 included), and Apple TV. A hassle-free way to enjoy your videos, movies and TV shows anytime and anywhere.
Convert or Extract Audio - An easy, fun and inexpensive way to greatly expand your music library by extracting audio from almost any format videos or concert DVDs to MP3, AAC, etc. Take these cool music or sound with you on iDevices!
Powerful Video Burning Tool -Copy and preserve your favorite video clips and photos to DVDs. Or burn movies stored on your Mac to DVD and you can play it anywhere you like: On the DVD player in your kids' room or on the road in your car DVD player.
Copy of DVDs and DVD Files - Copy encrypted DVDs or DVD files (VIDEO_TS, ISO, dvdmedia) to DVD discs for playback on portable DVD players. Or duplicate homemade DVDs for family members who also want a record of those special moments in life.
Download Streaming Videos - Easily download online videos from a wide range of popular video-sharing websites like YouTube, Yahoo, Vimeo, Break, Metacafe, Facebook, etc. for playback on Mac or any popular video players you like.
Easy Access to DVDs and Videos - Embedded Media Browser takes the convenience of adding any media files on your Mac to a further step, by allowing users to easily browse and add video/DVD/Audio from media library panel.
[b]More Info: [/b]
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Find all posts by mjordan


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Yesterday as I was cleaning my bookshelves I came across one of my favorite books – 'The fault in our stars'. It had been nearly two months since I didn't read that book so I started reading and I was so hooked that I didn't get up until I was finished reading it again (the reason I am still hesitant to give this book to anyone, even my cousin who was asking me about it two weeks ago. What can I say; I am just possessive about my books….). So, I thought even though it's late to review this book I can at least share my thoughts about it. So here we go-
Though people like to classify this as a romantic story, I find it much more than that. It's common to find stories where there are two beautiful, talented people, they come across each other accidently, fall in love with each other at first sight, fight their battles (which usually come in the form of their possessive ex) and live happily ever after. But this story is something which feels realistic most of the time. Where we mostly find stories of two complicated people with simple story, this is about two simple people with complicated lives.
The story is revolves around a teen girl Hazel, who has cancer from young age and has given up all hope on ever getting better. She comes across Augustus, who is a survivor of cancer. Throughout the journey there is a constant flow of sarcastic conversations between them which is quite refreshing in their depressing life situations.
There are some points in this book that I like the most. For instance, when Augustus asks them to write eulogy that they will say after his death. I always cry during this part. Even though not given in much detail, the depth of the situation cannot be ignored. We all know that we are going to die one day but we don't always realize it, we all love to be independent and taking support of others sometimes often hurts our ego. But realizing that your days are numbered each and every moment and always having to take support of others even for most of minimal tasks is something no one wants their last memories to be; which are the emotions that we often come across in this story. Knowing that you won't be able to live life to fullest like others is something no one wants but that's what exactly the lead characters face.
The scene where Gus vomits all over his clothes or pees on his bed and is ashamed to show his face to Hazel depicts exactly what cancer makes its victim feel – helplessness. Cancer is a vicious disease that when once traps its victim sucks out his entire soul till its empty waiting for all of this to get over, to end this cycle of torture, of being burden on others, of being the cause of tears in their near and dear one's eyes, of piercing a hole in the hearts that will leave a gap when the victim will leave this life, of painful memories that will continue to haunt their families till their existence.
I love this story because of the reality it shows. While we people take everything for granted and the most difficult thing we usually face is not getting a cab or bus on time to reach college or office, there are people in the world battling for every single breath they take, crossing every single day they live across calendars to see how many days they have left.
The story takes you on a roller coaster ride where you feel myriad of emotions from sad to happy to anxious to depressed and every emotion possibly known to humans. I can never see it as just a romantic story because it much more than that.
Truth to admit, even though I have a fairly simple life I feel sad at some points but seeing as the lead characters try to balance out everything to attain some sort of normalcy in their distraught lives and still getting courage to smile in order to make their families less sad is something we all can learn. I love this story because the lead characters are not depicted as too good looking, smart, perfect angels fallen from heaven but normal people like you and me who are weird, different in their own way and perfectly imperfect like us.
So friends, this is it. I hope you all liked it and please don't hesitate to comment on it as it will help me improve and motivate.


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Outfit Details:
Dress: Self made
Belt: Goodwill
Purse: Savers
Flats: F21
I made this dress over the weekend instead of doing homework, on a Saturday night. There were two things wrong with that sentence. I shouldn't do homework on a weekend, and also, it was Saturday night. Whatever happened to a college social life, huh? Not that I mind, I much preferred it! I improvised on the skirt, and I got the bodice pattern from the Selfish Seamstress for her Coffee Date Dress. It was a little tighter than I'd prefer for my size, but other than that it worked out pretty darn well! I've always loved brocades/upholstery fabrics for fall and winter. I feel like I'm a walking curtain though, which is just great.
Something tells me I'll be procrastinating on homework a lot more though...


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Centenary of the Battle of Messines
Reconciliation Fund Small Grants Funding Round
January 2017
To mark the centenary of the Battle of Messines the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr. Charles Flanagan TD, has allocated a total sum of €50,000 from the Reconciliation Fund to support organisations seeking to commemorate this important event in the history of the island of Ireland.
The battle which took place in Flanders, Belgium on 7th June 1917 saw both the 36th Ulster Division and the 16th Irish Division taking part and as such has become an important symbol for reconciliation on the island of Ireland.
Applications are now invited from organisations who wish to avail of a small grant to support a project or event which will commemorate the Battle of Messines either on the island of Ireland or in Messines itself. Any proposed project should be in keeping with the core values of the Reconciliation Fund which seeks to promote peace and reconciliation amongst all traditions and people on the island.
Organisations are asked to be mindful that the total amount of funding available for all projects is €50,000 and applications should reflect this overall limitation. Projects taking place off the island of Ireland are eligible for funding but it should be noted that the direct cost of travel to/from Messines or other overseas destinations will not be covered. All other criteria apply as normal, in that grants will not be provided for capital costs, salaries or events that have already taken place.
The deadline for applications has now closed.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade hosts an annual Reconciliation Networking Forum in Dublin which brings together community groups who work in the field of reconciliation.


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LFM – SPAR Preview
Please Visit Us at Booth #414
LFM deliver the world's most powerful laser scanning software solutions. Our neutral approach to taking data in for processing and outputting it for consumption provides our customers with the ultimate freedom of choice and enabling both specialist focus and economies of scale.
For over 15 years we have provided laser scanning software to some of the world's largest engineering and construction companies and their contractors to facilitate asset management, site-revamps, project planning and information handover. Our OPEN solutions and ability to manage huge datasets perfectly align us with large-scale delivery.
Introducing the Trusted Living Pointcloud…
Looking forward our vision is to deliver the next generation of laser scan data consumption in the form of a Trusted Living Pointcloud™; an evolving source of reliable, value-rich 3D information. With a continual strive for efficiency in the construction and maintenance of assets and as the production of laser scan data becomes ever-more commoditised it no longer makes sense to treat laser scanning as a per-project activity. Instead, by maintaining and utilising a Trusted Living Pointcloud™ laser scanning becomes part of an evolving digital asset. The main principles of a Trusted Living Pointcloud:
#1 Scalable
#2 Maintainable
#3 Verifiable
#4 Accessible
#5 Visual
#6 Intelligent
Please visit LFM on stand 414 to understand more about how you can benefit from creating, maintaining and consuming your very own Trusted Living Pointcloud.
Contact: Matthew Wren
Marketing Manager
LFM Software Limited
Direct Dial +44 (0) 161 869 0457
Mobile +44 (0)7771 517602


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Pirates purportedly kidnapped five crew members from a cargo ship off the coast of Nigeria on Sunday.
The International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre confirmed that a group of armed pirates board a general a general cargo ship underway around 15nm SW of Bonny Island, Nigeria on July 30. The incident was reported to the Nigerian navy who responded and located the ship. It was reported that some crew members were missing, the IMB report said. The Nigerian navy vessel towed the ship to a safe port for investigation.
Media reported the vessel as the Panama-flagged MV Oya 1. The reports say the pirates abducted two officers and three crew members.
The vessel is the latest to be boarded or fired on by armed pirates off the coast of Nigeria this year. Last month, IMB reported pirates in Nigeria had abducted 31 crew in five reported incidents so far in 2017, not including the five crew members taken on Sunday. Violence against crews also continues to be a concern in the region, with half of all reports of vessels being fired upon worldwide coming from Nigeria.


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I have been in the process of revamping my business. Reworking product and price lists. Finding ways to streamline and be efficient. I'm trying to bring it back to what I enjoy and be reasonable about what I have time for. Since being Jarvis' mommy is my first priority!
Part of this business make-over are these adorable little labels that I can now add to all my products!
I have quite a few of these... 300 to be exact, haha.... time to get sewing!!
And this one cracked me up.... someone thought these looked like the PERFECT toy!
More business info coming soon, restructuring is almost completely done!
For now, check out my facebook page.


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Audio Manager
Similar to the PLUJO Video Manager and youtube.com, this module allows you to easily post an Audio file to your website. You are able to upload an MP3 file (this is a mandatory file format), enter a description and other related details. A listing of all audio files appears on the public website for visitors to easily listen to or download.
This module provides you with the "typical" blogging ability available in other open source programs. The blog module allows you to post blog entries about various topics (title, date, comments, images, etc.). The latest blog postings can be integrated with the home page of the web site as well as in an area specific to all blog entries (an archive). Based on settings that you control, website guests are able to post comments to each blog entry as they wish.
The event module serves as a basic calendar which displays a number of events in list or calendar formats. You are able to post an event (date, name, location, comments, etc.) and all appropriate information will appear in various places throughout the site (home page, calendar, etc.). This module can be paired with the e-commerce Registration module to allow websites guests the ability to register and pay for an upcoming event.
The Frequently Asked Questions module (FAQ) serves as a clear way to communicate with your customers. Using PLUJO, you are able to post a series of questions and answers, organize them into categories and display them on your website. FAQ's are presented in the typical fashion with questions at the top of the page and links that "jump" to the appropriate questions further down the page.
Photo Gallery
This standard module allows you to create a collection of image galleries. After defining a gallery (collection of images), you are able to upload Jpeg images, add comments and organize the images within the gallery. Website visitors are then able to easily scroll through the images as thumbnails and view large images with a single mouse click.
Inbound RSS
Allowing for cross-site promotion and information sharing, the Inbound RSS tool is a unique module. You are able to create RSS subscriptions within PLUJO that will draw articles and content from other websites feeds. Information can be drawn based on a full subscription or filtered by keyword to ensure only relevant information is harvested. The resulting headlines and links are then posted to your live website for your visitors to read and click through.
List Manager
This basic module allows you to collect the names and email addresses of interested visitors to the website. A form is added to a single page of the live web site. A "mini version" of the sign up form may be included in the design template if this is a key purpose of the website (to build an email list). After your website visitors sign up and are added to the database, you are able to view a report within the Plujo interface. This allows for easy distribute mass emails using outside software or services.
To allow for fast moving information to be posted to the web easily, the news module is often integrated with the home page and other aspects of the main website template. Through PLUJO, you are able to post a news item (title, date, comments, image, etc.) and have it automatically appear in all the appropriate places on the web (home page segment, archives, etc.).
People Manager
The PLUJO People Manager is not a complete CRM, but creates the foundation for lead and prospect management. Website visitors are added to a central database upon any action on your website (Contact Form submission, Email List Signup, Donation, Event Registration, Store Purchase, etc.). Once users are within your PLUJO database, all actions are tracked and reported to you. Actions include receiving an email, visiting the website, etc.
Staff Manager
This module provides an easy and effective way to display your Staff/Team and their profiles on your website. You are able to add staff information such as name, title, contact information, etc. into PLUJO and have it appear professionally formatted on the live site complete with an image of the Staff member and a link for a complete biography page.
RSS Feeds
Integrated with the Blog, News, Photo, Audio and Video modules; the PLUJO RSS Manager allows you to create an RSS feed for your various collections of information. Within PLUJO you are able to set up multiple RSS feeds and manage all the custom settings for each. Website visitors are able to easily subscribe to your feeds using their RSS readers and browsers.
Social Media Engine
As a brand new module to the PLUJO collection, the Social Media Engine is one the most powerful modules to date. Integrating with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, this module allows you to quickly post data to multiple social networks with a single click. All data is tracked and reported for a detailed understanding of which networks and social methods are generating more marketing impact.
SEO Tools
The PLUJO SEO tools module is actually a collection of tools and features that allow you to better optimize your site for Search Engines. Tools such as 301 Redirects for adjusting old URLs and a dynamically generated XML site map for submission to Google, Yahoo and other prominent Search Engines are included.
Testimonial Manager
This standard module allows you to enter the name, title, company and quote into a central testimonial database. The system then displays these testimonials on a main listings page on the live site. With this module, testimonials may also be integrated within the site template (randomly displaying 1 of the many testimonials throughout all pages in the site).
Video Manager
In the same fashion as youtube.com, this module allows you to easily post video throughout your website. Through PLUJO, you are able to upload an FLV file (this is a mandatory file format) or post embed code directly from youtube.com, enter a description and other related details. A listing of all videos appears on the public website. Additionally, you are provided with a "code snippet" that allows the video to be embedded into any area of the website (within a page, news article, etc.) and even other websites.
Email Tracking
Directly integrated with the Bulk Email Marketing Module, the Email Tracking module allows you to review email campaign results in high level reports for opens and click through rates. Additionally, due to the integrated nature of PLUJO, you are provided with detailed session analysis, allowing you to observe the exact actions of each customer as they open an email, click and browse your website. The end result is a very deep and intimate understanding of your customer patterns so that you may better lead them to conversion.
Social Media Tracking
Directly integrated with the Social Media Engine, Marketing Module, this module allows you track and review the specific results from your Social Media interactions. Values such as Twitter "reach", Facebook likes, etc. You are provided with reports that help you understand what posts and terms are catching the attention of your market and prospects.


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The Chancellor, George Osborne has announced that the welfare budget will be cut by a further £10bn. Speaking at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, Mr Osborne delivered a speech in which he announced further benefits cuts of £10bn, on top of the £18bn announced two years ago. One idea he suggested was limiting the number of children in a family that should be supported on benefits.
But the Chancellor ruled out a 'Mansion Tax' for people with properties worth more than £2m. The Liberal Democrats had been advocating the tax, bus Osborne dismissed the notion, saying, "It's not a mansion tax, it's a home tax and this party of property ownership will have no truck with it." Osborne did acknowledge that the rich needed to contribute more to reducing the deficit, saying that "those with the most should contribute the most", though he did not outline plans for how this would happen.
Much of the speech was briefed in advance, but Osborne did surprise conservatives in attendance with radical reforms to employment law, in which employers are offered shares in the company they work for in return for losing certain worker's rights, such as redundancy packages.
Mr Osborne said it was a 'sink or swim' moment for the western economies, and that the further cuts to public spending would pull Britain out of recession and see the country prosper in the future.
The Chancellor also signalled further investment for scientific research at English universities, announcing an extra £200m will be made available to encourage research.
Written and presented by Alfred Joyner


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Sunday School Bonanza – The Priesthood – Quick Gospel Doctrine Review
Puh-lease subscribe in iTunes or grab the feed!
The Restoration of the Priesthood
- Why is the priesthood important?
- What are the differences between the Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood?
- How did Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery wind up receiving the restored priesthood?
- How can the priesthood benefit us today?
- Teacher's manual
- Student manual


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Great Dancing comes
Great Music!
Mission Statement To provide an upscale
dance experience for Ballroom, Swing,
Latin and Country dancers novice to
Dance Teachers
Follow and LIKE us on:
about our dances
The RMSS is
well on it's way to
completion of repairs.
Our dance
room was not affected by the
flood, but the stage section
is being used for
storage, the
2nd for activities and the
3rd for office staff.
As soon as painting and
flooring and
such are done, then
everything can get moved
back to it's
proper place.
March 9 was looking a little
tight, so we've moved to
23 for our 14th ANNIVERSARY
My upcoming 2019 dances
All lessons
No January dance
No February dance
Mar 23 (moved from the 9th)
Apr 13
May 18
Jun 22
Jul 13
Aug 17
Sept - no dance
Oct 19
Nov 9
Nov 30
Dec 31 - NY
Some Dance thoughts:
1 - If you love to dance
just do it - no excuses! Take lessons from a
professional in a group class. DON'T go to a dance
expecting to just pick stuff up. Good leads don't prefer to
dance with follows with rubber arms
and no technique, Good follows don't
prefer to dance with guys who've
watched someone and think they can
just copy and have no rhythm to
follow.2 -
Ladies you don't HAVE to only be a
follow! A couple of the
best (non-teacher) dancers I've ever
danced with
are among my FAVOURITE
dancers of all time. I'm sure their
talents as a follow is partly due to
their ability to understand what
leads do. 3 - If you
take lessons get OUT and practice,
that's the only way you'll get
better4 - While the dance styles
may be limited, Salsa dances,
Country dances, WCS dances are ideal
for singles and there's lots of
those dances around. At these events
changing partners is the name of the
game and the better the dancer you
are the more dancing you'll get. If
you're not a great dancer (and I did
this in the beginning) practice at
home and get the basics down SOLID!
5 - Join in the
mixers! This is
the easiest way to meet someone
without the awkwardness of crossing
the floor to ask someone. I'm always
amazed at the dancers I briefly meet
who have excellent skills. And even
if they don't have great skills just
imagine you're "paying it
forward" like someone else
probably did to you!6 -
Couples PLEASE dance with other
people! For two great
reasons. First your
partner knows all your moves and you
anticipate each other - not good if
you're trying to be a BETTER lead or
follower because with someone else
you're all on your own! Being a lead
means you can lead with any partner
and vice versa. Second
an email I sent out last year
highlighted research about how
dancing is the VERY BEST activity to
ward off AZ or dementia, BUT...,
only when you don't dance by rote.
If you dance without thinking it's
just exercise! 7 -
Practice dances are where you work
your stuff out. When you go
to a real dance dance like your life
depended on it! Ladies don't ask
your partner to do such and such
move. Guys while it's great to give
a new partner some verbal direction
on what's coming up, other comments
aren't necessary! It's a downer for
your partner and others around you
will notice!
Further notes:-
Single Ladies you can ask guys to
dance - don't assume men
are solely responsible for YOUR
dance enjoyment! If you LOVE to
dance, take lessons, practice on
your own (which I did for 3 years
because I had no partner in the
early days), and be proactive with
your dance enjoyment. Also by
definition there's a lot more
partner switching at WCS, Country
and Salsa dances, so those are
options you can explore.-
Couples - let your
partner dance with others! Believe
me - it's to YOUR benefit as couples
can get into bad habits - (I speak
from experience). -
Gents - Pay it forward to
newer dancers like someone probably
did for you. You may know 15 moves
with your partner, but guaranteed,
you'll only be able to do 5 basic
ones with a new partner and whatever
you do will be appreciated as it's
1,000% better than sitting down!
Regulation Ballroom dance floor size
– I did a little research
to see what are actual WDSF size
standards. Turns out it depends on
what country you're in!
Europe – 85.3 x 52.5
China – 75.5 x 49
USA – 60 x 36
Canada 60 x 35
My regular dances – 75 x 34
My Special dances – 105 x 34
(Valentines, Xmas, New Years) as
shown below.
Our NEW refinished
dance floor (July 2016)
Picture shows the $3,000
chandelier (that we picked
up for $1,100) we installed
in Dec 2006 half with
donations from dance friends
and half I paid for.
Ballroom & Swing
"Queen of WCS"
Lindy Hop, Balboa
East Coast Swing
Brent & Barbara
Salsa, AT, Bachata Merengue...
Michael & Elsie
Ballroom Beg & up
Abbotsford area
Friday Dances
Dales email
Argentine Tango
Ballroom / Latin
So far
dancers have visited this


text:
It was not a surprise, but it was wonderful that I could convince my husband and the kids to go pick up another plum tree this afternoon. I had my "landscaper" (who cuts my lawn, and does the occasional projects for me around the yard) dig a big hole just before Winter hit. But his idea of digging was to clear the layer of grass and soil, and leave a shallow "hole" of our near-undiggable clay. I suppose he would have used the excuse that he didn't want to leave a hole for the Winter.
It was me who came along after that, and actually dug and loosened up about 12" of the clay, and laid a load of grass clippings on top, to provide some organic material, before the Winter hit. Today, it was my husband who climbed in and dug a real proper hole.
Enough about the dirt. What type of plum did we plant? It was a tough decision. I already have an Italian plum which is very tasty and sweet even when a bit firm. It has started to bear a good amount of fruit these past two years, for fresh eating. I wanted another plum which would also be good for eating, but also for making juice.
I phoned Triple Tree Nursery in Maple Ridge, where I have bought nearly all our fruit trees, and asked about their plum varieties. Their European plums included the Italian, Yellow Egg, Damson (not really for fresh eating), Toka and Superior. Their Japanese plums included Santa Rosa, Beauty, Shiro (Yellow), Methley and Satsuma. For flavour, Shiro and Methley were recommended.
Since then I read up on the various plum varieties, and the ones which emerged as the top choices were:
Methley (Japanese) - Red skin with dark red juicy flesh, early bearing, self-fertile, mild and sweet flavour, attractive and vigorous tree.
Green Gage (European) - Flavour was described as "exquisite", and my mom remembers her uncle (?) having this plum tree, green colour even when ripe.
Satsuma (Japanese) - Red with deep red flesh, semi freestone, good flavour.
I was really intrigued by the Green Gage, and might have tried it, except perhaps for some random notes on the internet from people who had bought some and were looking for recipes for them. It made me wonder, if they are so exquisitely flavoured, why would they not simply eat them, and not be looking for recipes? Not to mention, the photos of them really didn't do much for me.
So in the end, I decided on the Methley, for the dark colour (I like that in a plum, and it would be great for the juice!), hopefully the flavour, that it is an early bearer, and I hear that the Japanese trees tend to bear their first crop at an earlier age than the Europeans. The Methley trees available at Triple Tree (they are bare root, not potted up yet, so a great time to buy them!) looked pretty good, too. So the Methley joins our collection of one dozen young fruit trees.
Marshalls Seed Co in the UK. In a couple of years, I hope to be sharing my own photos. :-)
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Another Plum Tree!
Posted by Garden Lily at 10:30 PM
Labels: fruit trees
2 comments:
- Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...
You can never have too many plum trees. :))
- March 7, 2011 at 11:35 AM
- rohrerbot said...
Great choice!!! Fruit trees are wonderful!!! Each offers something different to the yard.
- March 7, 2011 at 2:56 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
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text: At an Extraordinary Meeting held in Paris on 5 March 2015, the ITER Council appointed Dr Bernard Bigot as the next Director-General of the ITER Organization, succeeding Prof Osamu Motojima.Dr Bigot, a distinguished scientist, was the Chairman and CEO of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA (Administrateur Général, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) and was also the High Commissioner for ITER in France before he joined the ITER Organization. Dr Bigot has had a long and distinguished career and a record of close involvement with ITER. He is an experienced senior manager of large programs and projects, a leader capable of finding common ground among ITER Members, an excellent communicator, and he is highly respected by the fusion research community. He has taken up his duties as Director-General immediately.In 2014, faced with slippage in the schedule, the ITER Council decided to establish a new baseline for the project (scope, schedule and cost). Development of the new schedule began under Director-General Motojima. Director-General Bigot is continuing this effort and plans to provide a new baseline at the ITER Council meeting in November 2015.The transition of the project from its design completion phase to its full construction phase motivated the early handover from Prof Motojima to his successor Dr Bigot. Prof Motojima, appointed Emeritus Director-General of the ITER Organization by Dr Bigot, is leaving ITER with the gratitude of the ITER Council and after having made significant contributions to this critically important, and very complex, international endeavour.Prof Motojima said: "I am pleased by the ITER Council decision to appoint Dr Bigot as the next Director-General and I would like to heartily express my congratulations to him. I appreciated the warm acknowledgement given to me today, and it is my great honour to have the title of Director-General Emeritus conferred on me."The ITER Council endorsed the Action Plan presented by Dr Bigot, which addresses and is in line with the recommendations of the most recent Management Assessment and stresses the importance of delivery of the revised project baseline.Dr Bigot said: "The whole world needs innovative technologies to assure its long-term sustainable supply of energy. Magnetic confinement fusion is one of the most promising options. I am deeply honoured for the possibility of contributing to the large, international and ambitious research program that is ITER, which has innovation as its aim. Be assured that I will do my best to meet the expectations of the ITER Members."


text:
WASHINGTON COUNTY -- A young husband and wife were separated on New Year's Day after a head-on collision. Jeff Hasby was killed in the crash, and his wife, Katey survived, but was injured. Now, FOX6 News has learned Katey is pregnant, and Jeff's best friend is doing his best to make sure the baby gets a good start in life.
Johnathan Friess describes Jeff Hasby as a hard-worker, concerned about providing for his wife and baby on the way. Friess spent New Year's Eve with the couple.
On New Year's Day, the couple left home to get ice cream, when officials say a car driven by 21-year-old Tyler Hust of Sussex crossed the center line in Richfield, and hit the couple's vehicle head on. Jeff Hasby was killed and Katey was taken by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital.
Now, Friess wonders why a couple with such a bright future was torn apart.
"This guy's got a loving wife. He loved her more than anything. He's got a baby on the way," Friess said.
Jeff Hasby was working hard as a heavy equipment operator, starting his own landscaping business. Katey just graduated from a nursing program, and hadn't yet started her new job at a hospital.
Friess says Jeff Hasby's new family and life ahead is what made him happy -- even when working long hours.
"He was worried about it and I would have helped him, but now he's gone. He was the one that was there to take care of her, and they're going to have a baby. I mean, it's terrible," Friess said.
Friess is hosting a benefit for Katey Hasby and the baby on Friday evening, January 4th at Sheryl's Club in Ackerville -- not far from the crash scene.
"I thought right away Jeff was a guy who just took care of stuff, and the least we could do at this point is try to help Katey and make sure she gets taken care of while she's grieving, so she can heal," Friess said.
Donations can also be made to the Hasby Memorial Fund at any Associated Bank.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office says it is waiting on blood tests to determine whether the 21-year-old driver who hit the Hasby's should face charges.
Related stories:


text:
Interviewed by Doug Minnick
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Toronto and have been here my whole life.
How did you get started in the music business?
Originally I was the general manager of a 500-seat nightclub. I used to book all of the rock acts there in the late '80s. Then I saw that there was a new scene starting overseas. It was a dance craze. I started hanging out around the few clubs that were starting to spin. They were very small ones. I met up with a couple of deejays that were into it, and I started to manage them. I got them a radio show playing all this new dance music that nobody knew. And it just blew up. Not only on the radio, but in the clubs.
From there I was offered a position to go on the radio myself as a deejay. They were running out of deejays playing this dance music. I took them up on it, and I had one of the top rated shows in the Toronto area for eight years. During that time period, I was still doing the clubs, and I was also consulting for record labels. I'd tell them the hot product that was coming out from the U.K. and Europe. I also helped with touring all of those acts as soon as we got them a hit here. I was basically breaking them on my radio show, so that's why I was getting all of the new music as soon as it was coming out, many times even before it was even on vinyl or CD. All of the managers of the groups knew that I was playing this stuff, so I would actually get a CDR copy sometimes. What was really nice about it all was that I was the only deejay on the station that was allowed to program his own show. While the rest of them were following a regular playlist of I guess the Top-40, I would come on at 10 pm, and I was playing all of this cool stuff from overseas that nobody had heard. We were breaking records, like, nightly.
Then I moved into producing some tracks myself, starting around 1992 or 1993. I'd do just a few tracks a year. It just kept growing. Now we do more and more and more. Most of our stuff I do for overseas. Plus we have now a bunch of really good writers and vocalists that we put on projects, and we also got into managing a bunch of acts.
What does it mean that you do stuff for overseas? Do you do one-song projects for the dance market? Are you putting together artist projects?
Over in Europe and the U.K., they really are not totally interested in artist projects at the beginning. Over there, they still have a very vibrant singles market and they can sell a ton of singles, unlike America or Canada. A top selling single over in those areas can sell well over a million singles. Whereas, we know a top-selling single over here will do nowhere near those numbers. You can get by with just doing a single project for over there, with various remixes, which is released on vinyl, and then on CD-5or CD single, as we call it. If it's a hit, then the label will always come back and ask for a follow-up single, which we'll do. If you get a second hit out of that artist, often they will ask for an album. But again, it's really not a necessary thing, because they can make enough selling singles. Compilations over there are a massive part of the business too. If you have a top single, you can sell a lot on vinyl or CD singles, and then they just comp the hell out of it.
How are the singles marketed? Is it totally a club phenomenon, or is there some radio involved?
There is a lot of radio involved. They normally try to start them in the clubs, just build up the hype. Then they're taken to radio. If you start to get a little bit of a radio hit, even if it's only a single, often they will shoot a video for that particular single just to help break it in Europe. I think that a lot of times we in the U.S. and Canada forget how large that market is over there. Basically, the audience over in the U.K. and Europe is actually much larger than the North American audience.
Is there a difference from country to country in terms of what they listen to?
Absolutely. For example, in the U.K. they like their house music very smooth. They like what we call "disco house," which is just like a filtered disco or a house beat that has got a little bit of disco happening behind it. Also over there is what we call "two-step," which is very big. One of the artists that broke over here in America that has got a bit of a two-step feel is Craig David. It doesn't go all the way, but actually the hit that broke him as an artist was done with a fellow by the name of Artful Dodger. Craig was the featured vocalist on a track called "Rewind." It was a massive hit over in the U.K., and that was a total two-step track. That's what brought him the attention as an artist. Then you start to move into Germany. Germany likes it either two ways. They like a little bit more pop in their project. I sometimes even say that they like a little bit of cheese. Or they also like it with what they call the German techno. To me, it's just a four-on-the-floor dance beat that is a little harder than the older dance style. It's very uptempo. Germany loves that. Those are the two major markets over there, so they are the two I always try to look after first. Then we do remixes for the other marketswhat I call the secondary markets.
You mentioned that you have writers on staff. How many writers do you have?
I've got about 15 writers that I can call on for any project, whether it be pop, pop/R&B, dance, dance/pop, house... Most of them only write lyrics and melody. For most of the projects that we get involved in, we'll get a bare track of music that needs three elements. It needs lyrics and melody written for it. Then it needs a vocal. Then it gets sent back to the producer who basically finishes off the project.
So you create the beats and the basic track. Do you do that personally, or do you have producers that do that for you or with you?
On my own productions, I do them. But on some of the other projects that we get in, there are collaborations. Collaboration is very big overseas. Everybody collaborates with each other. There are some brilliant producers over there that are just tremendous at writing music. But they don't know how to write lyrics and melody, and/or they don't have vocalists to complete the project. That's where a lot of times I come in. They will call and say that they have this great music piece, but they need vocals on there. They'll send over the bare track, and then I'll try to find who I think is the best girl, or guyalthough it's 90-percent femaleto put a vocal on that track for them.
How do you find the writers and singers that you work with?
Good question. Basically they find me, for the most part. A lot of it is word of mouth, just people who know other people and they say, "I think you need to give Joe a call." Vocalists are the same way. I know a lot of them from the old days of dance who are still singing on projects. New ones just find me, or I hear about them, or someone will say, "I saw this girl the other day, and she sounds absolutely amazing, and she's not doing anything." I'll say, "Get me her info. I want to hear what she sounds like. I want to see what she looks like." Even though we all like to say that looks aren't important, they areimportant in this business. Even in dance music. You can get away with it a little bit on the house projects, but on the dance that is going to be in the clubs playing towards teens and people in their early 20's, the image and the look are still very important. I'm always on the lookout for top vocalists all over the world constantly. Sometimes someone will just send me a package and say, "Have a listen to my voice." It can come from various areas.
When you're talking about licensing a record overseas, do record companies go strictly on the sound of the record, or do they like to see if the record has some sort of a buzz going already?
They don't need a buzz. Over there, the A&R guys can hear a hit the second they hear it. That's a difference between the North American market and the overseas market that I really enjoy. Over here, the A&R people are very slow to react to things. Over there, I can just send a record over to the right A&R person. After my years of dealing with them, I know who will sign what type of record. I know what their ears are like. I always try to tailor what I send to the person. I send it to who I know is going to be interested. When they hear a record in Europe, that's it. Either they want it, or they don't want it. Hype doesn't mean anything to them, especially over in Germany where I think they have the smartest A&R guys in the world. They'll hear a track, and then they'll pick up the phone and say, "We want to license this record." That's all there is to it.
How is a licensing deal like that structured, in broad strokes?
With licensingand this is just to put it in its simplistic formbasically, you're not signing a record deal. You're not signing an artist. You are basically renting them a piece of music for an agreed upon amount of time. Most of the deals that come from overseas are licensed for three or five years. The odd one can be longer, but that's very rare. You're licensing a track that they can release, and they can put on compilations. They can do pretty much whatever they want with it in their given territorywhich is always part of the contract as wellfor that stated period of time. At the end of that time, you now re-own that track. If that original label wants to come back five years later and use it on a compilation again, they have to re-license that track from you. Licensing is very cool.
If a track does start working, then a label might start talking to you about doing more songs with the artist?
All of the deals are usually structured this way: They take the first one, then they have an option for a second single. Sometimes there is an option for a third single, and an option for an album. If the first one turns into a hit, you send them over the second one. That's exactly what it is, an option. If they take it, then the next option kicks in. Sometimes the label will hear the second one and they'll think, this track isn't for us. Now you're free to take that second track to any other label. You can take it to their competitor across the road and license it to them. So often if you look overseas, you will sometimes see a first single by an artist on one label, and the second single on a different label. All that means is that the first label didn't pick up the option on the second single for whatever reason.
If it starts to blow up, then the artist will have to go over and start making personal appearances and press. Is that a factor from the beginning?
It's not necessary at the beginning, but once it starts to build, than yes, they want you over there to do some P.A.s, to do some promotion, possibly a video if they think it's going to be a big enough record. And of course they want you to get out and perform in the clubs. If people see you and they hear the song, the line of thinking is, now those people are going to go out and buy your product. So absolutely, if it's a hit, you have to be prepared at some point that you're going to have to go over there. You'll possibly spend a few months touring and building it into a bigger hit.
How does one develop a career as a remixer or a deejay? How do you start? As a remixer, how do you get access to tracks to remix?
It's very difficult. Basically, you've got to start at the bottom. Or it's who you know. It's that simple. No guy starting out is going to get the top artists' tracks. It's just not going to happen. I mean I'm fortunate that I have access to some of the largest artists, especially overseas. We're often offered the remixes to do. At the beginning of your career, you're going to end up doing tracks for practically nothing until you get your name out there and start to build up your name. It's better actually to start producing your own tracks. If you have a hit, now you have a name, and the other name acts will want you to produce or to remix for them.
Try to collaborate also, which is great to do. That's a good thing about the dance industry, although it hasn't taken effect over here yet. I find that on the American side, everyone tries to stay to themselves for the most part. Overseas, there is a lot of collaboration. They'll bring in remixers and writers from other projects. Sometimes there are vocalists that are on three, four, or five projects at the same time. Sometimes they may not be using their name on every project, but this is what I mean by collaborationit's always looking for the best talent out there and what will make your record a hit.
What do you look for in new talent? What is it that you listen for that gets your attention?
If it's a vocal track, the first thing I'm listening for is the vocalist on the track. If it's an instrumental track, I'm looking for top quality production. To compete overseas, the production has to just be absolutely brilliant and amazing. Also I look for somebody who has their own sound. I don't want them to sound like somebody else, which is important to me. I want someone who can be a little bit original. To me, those are the important qualities.
With vocalists, especially in dance and house, I'm always looking for that diva sound, like a Martha Wash or Jocelyn Brown. Tremendous voices on these two women. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of these kinds of singers coming up over here on this side of the ocean. At least not that I'm finding. They are all being developed overseas.
What about remakes, or covers, of older songs? Is there much call for that in dance music?
Yes, that is another thing that is very, very big overseas. They like covers of classics. Actually, they don't even have to be covers of classics. They love covers, period. So sometimes when I say be original, that's sometimes difficult. But you can make an old record sound original. For example, we just did a remake with George Duke on his classic hit "Brazilian Love Affair." Now we redid this song in such a way that it has given a whole new sound to the record, a whole new life to it. It doesn't sound like the original, but yet George is on there. He delivered just a tremendous performance. The nicest thing was when George called me and said, "Joe I love this record. What you guys did to this is amazing. It's different, but yet you kept the feel and the integrity of the song."
Another one we just did for Europe is a dance cover of the Eminem song "Without Me," which isn't even a classic yet. It's basically a hip-hop rap song, and we did it very, very uptempo. We didn't use Eminem's vocals on there of course, because the price to clear a sample would be out of this world. We were fortunate that we had a vocalist who sounded very much like Eminem. He could do the same type of delivery and could do the same type of rap. So we built that into a whole new dance track that again gives the song a whole different feel that can be played in clubs.
Did you use his tracks or start from scratch?
We started from scratch. We did it as a cover, but as a dance house cover. The only element that we really used from his original music is what I call that cheesy little sax sound. Other than that, we did all new beats, all new music underneath it, and of course at a much higher tempo. I believe we did it at 136 bpm, where the original is only about 95 bpm. We're wrapping it up right now, doing the final couple of mixes. Already we have a tremendous amount of interest in the track from Europe. Overseas, those tracks sell well. We have a hit going on overseas right now with "Billie Jean." Massive. I'm just about to embark on a few other old club songs from the '80s. These were all massive hits originally overseas where they all sold millions of records. But you have to remember, overseas there is a whole new generation who has never heard these records. They were only 9, or 10, or 11 when these records came out. They weren't in the clubs, so they don't know these records.
What advice would you give to an aspiring dance producer or remixer?
Keep on producing. Try to keep your sound original. Come up with high quality songs and productions.


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Friday North Korea must commit to abandoning nuclear development completely in order for meaningful talks to take place with Pyongyang.
Onodera was speaking after a South Korean official said U.S. President Donald Trump had expressed a willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May. That came in response to Kim's invitation to hold the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea.
Reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo; Editing by Paul Tait


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Amy Neftzger, author, researcher, and drummer writes about whatever she wants on this blog. She is internationally published in both fiction and nonfiction. For more information, please visit her website at amyneftzger.com
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Plans for My Bookish Trip to New York
I'm headed to New York this Spring for Book Expo America. Since my trip is a very bookish one, I've started putting together a list of bookish things to do while there. Here's what I have so far. Please feel free to list any additional suggestions in the comments.
Central Park
I've been to New York a number of times on business and have never had the opportunity to see Central Park. On this trip I'll make time to go there. Aside from all the books that mention the park, such as the famous scene near the end of Catcher in the Rye that takes place at the carousel, there are also statues of writers such as Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and William Shakespeare. Bronze writers - how fun is that???
The Algonquin Hotel
Dorothy Parker and the round table. Need I say more?
Note to self: pack extra snark and wit. And shoes that go with snark and wit.
The New York Public Library
I'd really like to meet Winnie the Pooh, and this is where he currently lives along with the original Piglet, Kanga, Eeyore, and Tigger. I'll ask him what it feels like to be 90 and kept in a glass cage.
McSorelys Old Ale House
Many literary types have passed through this pub - including John Lennon, who just happens to be one of my favorite lyricists. The pub calls itself the oldest operating saloon in New York and it's the setting of e e cumming's poem "i was sitting in mcsorley's" (the title makes it a bit obvious). Oh yes, Abe Lincoln has been there, too.
Strand Books
I just want to go in there and small all those books! This is an independent family-owned bookstore that opened in 1927. If I can find a member of the Strand family, perhaps I can interview the person and find out what they know that Border's didn't.
White Horse Tavern
The famous place where Dylan Thomas drank himself to death (18 shots of whiskey). Other literary patrons who were more modest in their drinking behavior include Jack Kerouac, James Baldwin, and Norman Mailer. Note: by "modest" I simply mean that they stopped before the point of death.
This legendary bar is closed right now due to collapsed chimney a few years ago. But if it opens again I'll be going there to check it out and breathe in the ghosts of literary greatness. Former patrons include writers such as Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, and T S Eliot. It is rumored that Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's wedding reception took place there, also.
Minetta Tavern
Another literary tavern rife with the spirits of writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, E. E. Cummings, and Dylan Thomas.
Pete's Tavern
This tavern calls itself "the oldest continuously operating restaurant and bar in New York." O. Henry was a regular customer at the establishment, as it says along the edge of the awning (extra points for subtlety!). I might actually check out the food here so that I have enough energy to make it to the next literary tavern.
This is my list for now. As you can see, I'll be drinking a lot. It seems to be a tradition for writers in New York and, therefore, I'll be doing my part to maintain the custom. I hope my traveling buddies are diligently building up a tolerance so they can keep up with me.
9 comments:
- Replies
We'll drink a toast to you :)Delete
Have fun at BEA. I've never been to New York so I can't help much, but let me know when you go to London! LOL. Is your book being showcased at BEA?ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes - my book will also be at the London Book Fair in March, but I won't be there with it (unfortunately - because I would love to go!).Delete
Stop at Books of Wonder - best kid's bookstore in the city and a great indie.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks for the recommendation - I will add it to my list!Delete
Have fun! You have some of my favorite spots on your list (and I don't just mean the library). Cheers!ReplyDelete
Thanks for following my Rose City Reader blog. I am now following you back.
you should visit one of the best, if not the best, bookstores in NYC -- McNally-Jackson in SoHo....last time i was there, there were two maps near the cashier that pointed out the places to go in the city and Greenwich Village for those of the literary bent....you know who you are!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks so much - I will definitely check it out!!!Delete


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After almost a year of my work with Uplift Humanity, I found myself once again at the local girls' special home facility in Indore, this time to hand the scholarship money to Babita – last year's winner. Last year, we had worked with 8 girls on soft skills and other social topics such as depression, confidence, self-defense etc. I had revisited the facility on my birthday in Feb to meet all the girls. Time flies by, I was excited to find out how everyone was doing; are they closer to their goals?
First part of today's visit was pleasant. I saw the smiling faces of some of my old friends who were still there. The warden proudly asked Jassi and her sisters to show the dresses they have been designing lately. And I was floored! The kurtis were designed and stitched by the girls and looked professional. Jassi informed, with a smile, that she is trying to get into the fashion designing course at a local college. There was a shortage of funds to support her and with God's grace, we had someone close at hand who agreed to be her donor.
I am very impressed with how Mrs Sapre (their warden) takes a personal interest in the progress of these girls. What is nice about this special home is that efforts are made to not only support these children but ensure they can be independent. I feel extremely glad that Jassi, like her sisters, would be able to pursue a career of her choice. One of her sisters might land an opportunity to visit Scotland this Sep and she is feeling anxious due to her weak English. I am hoping I will be able to coach her (or other) girls in improving their English. Similarly, efforts are underway to get girls into their choice of careers where they can sustain themselves. Babita is giving PAT, BPT, Vet exams etc and we wish that her scholarship would help her inch closer towards independence.
So far so good but then we received some heart-breaking news. One of the 8 girls we had coached last year was taken back home by her parents and she ended up committing suicide. I vividly remember her, she was the kho-kho star I had mentioned in my last blog post. I cannot believe such a talented and confident girl could take such a step unless something drastic had happened. But no one knows. She told no one why. I could not stop thinking how active and good she was.
This is not about her alone – this is, unfortunately, the story of our male centric society. Girls die everyday – some physically, some emotionally – they are not anyone's priority. What kind of society are we? It is ironical – in today's episode of Mahabharata, Draupadi was telling Duryodhana how Dusshashan's execution was a proof that India will not tolerate disrespect of women. How times have changed – no one fights for women (leave apart their respect, not even their right to breathe peacefully) anymore. And yet, how little has it changed – this society has and will keep wronging Draupadi. What gives us right to deny another human being the desire to live? No coaching on depression or confidence can work if we continue to forgive such crimes.
There are still more girls who need help to stand on their feet. And if you would like to contribute to this cause, please drop me a message and I will match you to one of the candidates who deserves to be helped.


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Rabih Saab
Travelport launches business tools for MEA agents
Dubai, January 22, 2013
Travelport, a business services provider to the global travel industry, has launched a new business intelligence suite for travel agents in the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
Agentivity brings together a wide range of tools offering travel providers a unique and detailed insight into their agency's activity, client behaviour, booking related issues and more.
It allows automation of corporate reporting by doing queue forwarding, corporate data mailing, as well as giving corporate clients direct access to their organisation's booking data. Access to Agentivity is online and instant, it has no process changes for agents, and data updates are available constantly around the clock, a company statement said.
"Agentivity offers invaluable business intelligence service to busy travel agency customers by providing real-time data, 24/7, from anywhere in the world, "said Rabih Saab, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, Travelport.
"It can significantly improve agent efficiency by aggregating data from multiple suppliers and sources in one place, as well as providing access to valuable customer data, such as advanced booking patterns.
"In addition, Agentivity also offers complete transparency over any booking issues, allowing agents to address any problems in a timely manner and avoid potential human errors thanks to the fully automated process."
Agentivity was created for Travelport by Inside Group, a technology company that specialises in the travel industry.
"Agentivity helps travel agencies to reduce costs, enhance their quality of service and increase productivity," said Riaan van Schoor, director at Inside Group. "We are delighted to provide Agentivity in partnership with Travelport." – TradeArabia News Service


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|Love love love this! Whoever made it is our hero!
Download Link
Team Building Next episode: Dangerous Precedent
Boss Battles
Azsuna, Quest name: Size Doesn't Matter (65,41)
Blottis (He looks like one of those giant Naga)
- Poison Fang: This ability instantly deals beast damage and poisons your pet. Your pet will continue to take elemental damage each round for 5 rounds.
- Body Slam: Blottis will slam into your pet dealing humanoid damage to it, and also taking a bit of humanoid damage itself.
- Rain Dance: Rain dance will heal Blottis as well as increase his critical strike chance by 50% for 2 rounds.


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The April evening event was in Wimbledon, in a beautiful setting near the leafy Wimbledon Common.
Art work was arranged on the walls of several rooms and a stairwell, and the ambiance was of an attractive and comfortable home, complete with beautiful cat which slept on the sofa throughout.
Large works were hung by several of the Cynthia Corbett 'stable' of what is known as 'emerging artists'. Some of these are well-known now, except by me!
In particular I have seen the work of Tom Leighton on the internet many times recently. They are large, accomplished, manipulated photographic works. One on display is titled Beijing Canopy. I quote from a catalogue: 'Images are digital C-type prints mounted on Perspex with aluminium/Diabond backing, produced in editions of 5 & 2 artist proofs.' I am sure they look fantastic in the setting of a huge white gallery or office foyer.
Andy Burgess is another stable artist, working in Acrylic on panel. A small printed catalogue dated 2009 called 'Pop Geometry' shows very interesting geometric work relating to Pop Art, however what I saw on display at this exhibition were small works, for instance 'House' oil on gessoed panel, measured 18 x 23 cm.
Lluis Barba's work was interesting for its use of humour in making manipulated photographic images, with the use of reproductions from the masters of the past such as Hieronymus Bosch and juxtaposing these images with photos of current models and celebrities. One such work, which I have only seen in reproduction in a catalogue, has the title 'Archduke Leopold in his Picture Gallery in Brussels'. David Teniers. It is an edition of 5.
Not many paintings then, the majority of works photographic, not enought for me, who am a lover the the lucious oily brush mark.
Still, a very interesting collecting, both of art work, and people.Po


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This is to say that I am on a break, a hiatus, a holiday, taking a breather, rolling over and pressing the snooze button for the 8th time.
Thanks for being so kind and patient and cool and all the things you know you are.
I love you.
I'm back in January.
And we'll take up where we left off, darling.
Your pal,


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The watch instrument that measures the passing of time and which displays the current time. A watch movement may also display other things such as the date, day, or month.Movement:ORIENT Cal. 40N5A Automatic Hand-Winding Hacking Mov'tA part of a watch bracelet or band that is used to secure or loosen the watch on or off the wrist.Clasp:Fold-over Buckle with SafetyScrewed-downThe maximum amount of water that can be repelled by the structure of the watch case. Usually referred to in meters, ATM (where 1 ATM = 10m) and Bar (where 1 bar = 10m). Water Resistance:300mCase Material:Stainless SteelCase Diameter:45.4mm without crownCase Thickness:16.6mmDial Color:Matte WhiteBezel Material:Stainless SteelIn most cases, the bezel function on a watch will be uni-directional or bi-directional. In diver watches, the bezel is can be used measure time elapsed.Bezel Function:UnidirectionalCalendar:DateBand Material:Stainless SteelLug Width:22mm [LUGS] Easily-adjustable extensible buckleWarranty Type:2 Year International WarrantySame Model As:SEL02003W, EL02003WWatch Manual
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God shows his love for us in so many ways every day, every hour, every minute and every second.
The first and most important act of love was that HE GAVE HIS SON, Jesus, so that we would have everlasting life. This was the ultimate sacrifice that has ever been made in the name of love. He did this to show his love toward us, even while we were sinners.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."- John 3:16
New Life
When we accept Christ, we get a new life. God loves us so much that he not only gave his son so we would have eternal life, but he washed our sins away to give us another chance, a new life in Christ.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"- 2 Corinthians 5:17
He Carries Our Troubles
God encourages us to cast all our cares on him, because he cares for us. What a compassionate God we serve. He wants to carry our burdens. He wants us to trust him enough to give our cares to him. Just like our children come to us when something is wrong, that is how God wants us to come to him.
"Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."- Psalm 55:22
God shows his love as he forgives us everyday. He shows us how to forgive others and he continually forgives us for the wrongs we do and he continues to love us no matter what the sin.
"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness"- 1 John 1:9
Personal Relationship
There is nothing that we cannot share with God. He can be our most intimate friend with whom we can share anything. We can go to him with our problems, our hurts, pain, fears, and shortcomings. And if we go to him in true repentance and a changed heart, nothing will separate us from his love.
"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."-John 15:15
Sometimes God blesses us just because he wants to. We have not done anything great or wonderful to deserve the goodness of God, but he sees us as wonderful through the blood of Jesus, and deserving of a blessing.
"For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" – Romans 3:20-24
Although there may be suffering in life, Our Father doesn't want to see us in pain and hurting. He heals our broken bodies and minds. He loves us so much that when we seek him out, he can and will heal.
"The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."- Psalm 51:17
God shows his love for us in so many ways. His love overshadows any issues we may face in life. God loves us freely and unconditionally. He gave his most precious Son because of his love for us. His love is the greatest gift to mankind and he wants us to go out and share it with everyone.
Linking Up with:
Deep Roots At Home ,Frugally Sustainable, Raising Homemakers, We Are THAT Family ,The Woodwife's journal ,Women Living Well, Feminine Adventures ,Passionate and Creative Homemaking, Raising Mighty Arrows,The Purposeful Mom


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EDIT: We Hiffed it, folks!
With only two and a half weeks left in 2008, I'm sitting at a point of crisis: none of the calendars for 2009 that I've signed up for have shown up!
So I'm hoping that this free 2009 Deepak Chopra Center calendar not only arrives sometime in the next 18 days, but that it helps me feel calm and enlightened too…
[via the forums]