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Apparently it wasn't enough for Linden Lab® to screw over owners of regular sims by dropping the price, thus pretty well ensuring that sim owners like Lexx would stand zero chance of ever recovering their investment. Now it's time for owners of openspace (or "low-prim") sims–ironically, who proliferated as a result of changes LL instituted at the time of the aforementioned screwing of regular sim owners–to get it in the shorts:
We need to therefore take some steps to improve [open sims'] performance and better reflect their actual usage levels in our pricing so that we can maintain the best performance level for everyone. As a result, we will be implementing a pricing change effective January 1st along with some policy changes effective immediately.
Let the reaming commence!
We will increase the monthly maintenance fee from USD$75 to USD$125 per month. This price increase will apply to all owners of Openspaces on January 1st as well as new purchases after that date. There will be no grandfathering of Openspace maintenance pricing.
At the same time, we will be increasing the upfront fee for brand new Openspaces from USD$250 to USD$375.
Yeah, I don't suppose a 66% increase in tier, combined with a 50% increase in purchase price, is going to make anyone owning one of these sims real happy.
Lastly we will begin to proactively discuss overloaded Openspaces with their owners. This is important because as with abuse of region resources, a heavily overloaded Openspace can adversely affect other Openspaces sharing the same machine which is clearly unfair to residents who are using them responsibly. We have listened to your feedback on this, and agree that we need to make changes to better support our Openspace users by actively working to keep the performance levels as high as possible. We will also provide some detailed guidance about what 'overuse' looks like and how to prevent it.
And, as if that weren't enough, they promise more policing of "overuse." But who decides what "overuse" is? Is it just going to be like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart (thanks for the correction in SL Bloggers chat last night, Lillie) famously said about pornography, "I know it when I see it"?
This is going to drop demand for openspace sims through the floor. Here's an analogy: If General Motors were to declare bankruptcy, who'd want to buy a GM car? How would you know whether your warranty would be honored, or even whether you'd be able to get repair parts for it in the future? Similarly, why would you buy an openspace sim, when at any time, LL could come along, declare what you're doing to be "overuse," and yank the rug out from under you? Uncertainty is a powerful "negative incentive" towards investment.
Needless to say, this announcement has raised merry hell among the existing owners of OS sims. Some have even gone so far as to announce they're calling it quits. And I don't know as I can blame them for doing that, having just been cut off at the knees. Others are urging calm, saying that this is only LL's "first offer" and the price increases may be mitigated somewhat before they actually go into effect. Which would be all well and good, but ignores the "negative incentive" factor of stricter enforcement without clearly defined terms.
Of course, anyone who's in the business right now can tell you that the rentals market in the Second Life® virtual world just plain sucks at the moment. Witness this article by Prokofy Neva. Now, friends, I'm not one to always agree with what he says, but he's speaking from extensive experience here, and I've seen the numbers of this business for myself with Lexxotica's rentals, and I can tell you that he's right. It is very difficult–nay, impossible–to make money at rentals unless you have damn near 100% occupancy, and Lexxotica wouldn't be here if I didn't pour a lot of my money into it to keep it going. (Of course, I get a sizable chunk of the land, as well as the continued existence of a club to DJ in, so there are other benefits, too…) Now, when I saw this announcement, I thought, "Prok is just going to be laughing his ass off," and I wasn't the only one. And sure enough, he's got plenty to say on this, too.
Prok does point out what LL says about openspace sims and their intended usage, to wit:
They are provided for light use only, not for building, living in, renting as homes or use for events. As a stretch of open water for boating or a scenic wooded area they are fine, but we do not advise more serious use than this and will not respond to performance issues reported should you not use them in this way.
Fine, but this raises a few questions:
- Why are they starting to get anal about this now, given that people have been using these sims in "unapproved" ways for so long?
- Why did they double the prim limits for openspace sims (from 1875 to 3750), when they knew or should have known that this would just encourage more of these "unapproved" uses?
- Why did they give people the opportunity to convert their sims from full to openspace, when they knew or should have known that people probably weren't just going to rip up their existing builds and plant trees or dig lakes on these newly-converted sims?
Now, I'm going to try to give LL the benefit of the doubt, employing the maxim, "Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." I think they got overconfident about how much load their "openspace" sims could really bear, post-Havok 4 deployment, and about how many people would pick an OS sim over a regular sim for their needs. They overestimated the former, and/or underestimated the latter, and it's killing their revenues while imposing loads higher than anticipated. The Law of Unintended Consequences cannot be circumvented; people will always find loopholes in the rules, and do as they damn well please.
And killing revenues is not what LL wants to be doing right now. The whole RL world is currently in the throes of a financial downturn (how deep or long, it's anyone's guess at this point), and despite indications to the contrary, the SL world is not immune from RL's effects. If you check out this PowerPoint presentation, you'll see that high-tech companies all over the place are being advised to hunker down and focus on sheer survival right now. (As one of the last slides puts it: "GET REAL or GO HOME.") Much as I hate to see anyone screwed over by LL, the fact remains, if they go down, all of SL goes down with them, and we're all screwed. And maybe that poisons the dream of a "real" Metaverse for years, or decades.
Tateru, over on Massively.com, says, "The simplest explanations for all of this that fit the observed facts, is that either the March 2008 changes have progressively gutted Linden Lab's market for regular simulators, or that they're in need of a large cash infusion for Q1 2009 — or possibly both." Two sides of the same coin here, Tat. It all comes down to money, and, for LL, as for every other business out there right now, Money = Life, especially now. With the coming move to Class 6 server hardware (which sure as hell ain't cheap, as I know from being in the HPC cluster business in RL), plus the cost of energy to keep those data centers powered up and cooled down, plus programmer salaries in San Francisco (where the cost of living is among the highest in the country), LL's burn rate is nothing to sneeze at right now, I'm sure. Anything that helps stem the tide is probably welcome right now.
But what about the effect of this on the average Joe the Resident? Well, I think we have adequate evidence now that LL's Give-A-Shit Meter about Residents per se is strongly down in negative territory–if not in imaginary numbers. First it was the full island owners, then certain groups at SL5B, and now this. One wonders if a second-order effect of all these policy changes is to drive Residents away to OpenSim-based Grids as soon as the interoperability technology is there to support it, leaving LL and their Grid to lead out a corporate-friendly, Disneyfied existence. (Lillie Yifu tells me, "That is a long way off Erbo." Well, maybe it is and maybe it isn't. Depends on how hard LL pushes for it, doesn't it?)
In the meantime, this Grid, of its users, by its users, and for its users, shall not perish from the Earth. These things pass; the trick is to live through them. Just make sure you're ready for the next episode of "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again."


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A bipartisan group of senators renewed their push on Wednesday for legislation addressing global currency manipulation issues they argue put U.S. exports at a disadvantage.
The bill, introduced by eight senators, several of whom are members of the Senate Finance Committee, would use U.S. trade law to counter any economic harm encountered by U.S. manufacturers because of currency manipulation, while providing consequences for countries that fail to change their policies that cause the undervaluing problem.
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Robert Casey (D-Pa.) are pressing for President Obama to raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California later this week.

subset: commoncrawl


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Take the initiative. Go to work, and above all co-operate and don't hold back on one another or try to gain at the expense of another. Any success in such lopsidedness will be increasingly short-lived. These are the synergetic rules that evolution is employing and trying to make clear to us. They are not man-made laws. They are the infinitely accommodative laws of the intellectual integrity governing universe.
r. buckminister fuller was born on this day, 12 july in 1895 (he died on july 1, 1983). buckminister fuller, also know as 'bucky,' was a true visionary. he was an architect, inventor, philosopher and social critic and as a futurist was light years ahead of most individuals of his (our) time. bucky had an extraordinary life and contributed a great deal to humankind. he is perhaps best known as being the designer of the geodesic dome and coining the expression 'spaceship earth.'
he believed passionately that we must all work together - like a crew - in order to survive on our planet which he likened to a spaceship.
We are on a spaceship; a beautiful one. It took billions of years to develop. We're not going to get another. Now, how do we make this spaceship work?he can also be given credit for making synergy a common expression and the majority of his work was about exploring and creating synergy. he advanced the notion that synergy is the basic principle of all interactive systems, and incorporated this into his theory of synergetics or "geometry of thinking."
while researching today's brief celebration of bucky, I ran across this great piece by medard gabel and jim walker; in it they outline 10 principles which they describe as:
... a framework of leadership which we call "comprehensive anticipatory design leadership". Through a careful study of Fuller's writings, inventions, and methodologies what emerges is a powerful blueprint for problem-solving leadership in an age of rapid change – a leadership approach that has implications far beyond the field of technological innovation.I hope you'll take a few minutes and read gabel and walker's article - it's quite brief but loaded with an excellent distillation of bucky's operating instructions. I also discovered that a buckminister fuller exhibit recently opened at the whitney museum in new york. another reason to visit to new york soon!
considering fuller's advice to be a trimtab, fuller was indeed a doctor of mouse medicine.
also born on this date, christine (perfect) mcvie (b. 12 july 1943) performing the bluesy and soulful when the train comes back, 1970 (1:23)
photo: mars, pennsylvania june, 2008


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We surveyed 1,400 policy professionals, and now we're sharing the results with you.
Learn about your peers, benchmark your organization's investments and time allocations and surface new best practices that you can bring with you into 2020 and beyond.
POLITICO Pro Cannabis is launching a preview newsletter on September 9th.
Sign up today to recieve high-quality, credentialed and balanced coverage of the cannabis industry.
People make policy. If your organization depends on you to make, influence or understand policy, it is key to know who to talk to. POLITICO Pro Directories are your lifeline to communicate and network with policymakers on Capitol Hill and within federal agencies.
Pro's newsroom features the most trusted and well-connected policy reporters in the industry. When it comes to policy intelligence, we've got you covered.


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The Beauty Within Someone Else/
"In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others." --C. S. Lewis
A secret Master of Ceremonies? Wow. Do you look at your friends differently when you consider that God has chosen them for you? How amazing to consider that friendship is all about the God revealing to us the beauty within someone else. Are we receptive? Do we see?
God, show me the beauty in the people with whom you have surrounded me. I want to see them as you do, as you created them to be. And God, I want to be an instrument for good in their lives.
Lattes are a love language. I have a local friend who is really, really good at reading my needs. She can take two hurried text messages and know that things are heading in a bad direction. But what comes next is even more extraordinary. She shows up. One her way to run errands or even out-of-her-way, she appears on my porch with a latte. And a bouquet of flowers. She turns the whole day around. And here's the thing: I had no idea that lattes and daisies are my love language. But apparently, they are. I feel loved every single time.
Speak another woman's love language today.
Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.
I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.


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My mom's first husband.. she married him when I was 6, so my mom was like 26. He molested me from the age of 6 until… I don't really know when it ended because my entire childhood is blocked out. I remember it in bits and pieces, but its blocked out until like 13, 14. Like until my mom met her second husband. After that I had a memory but from those first 14 years of my life, I don't remember anything.
I've worked really hard. This is the first time in a while I've been able to have this conversation without crying at all. And I don't know if its like… (long pause) I think for so long I did not want it be a part of who I am as a person - my identity. But it is, you know? And that stings a little. (long pause) Because of all the things that I am, victim is something I never saw myself as. But even the word "survivor," its like I don't want to be associated with that those things. To be associated with "victim" or "survivor" is to be associated with the effects of those things, you know? (crying) It just like, sucks. (laughs)
And the worse part is when you be in school studying this shit...And you checking off boxes like, no this isn't me, no, no, I am not a statistic. But then you are. Because you don't remember your childhood. Because intimacy freaks you out a little bit. You know what I mean? Like, it took years to enjoy a guy going down on me. Years. Years. Because as a child you enjoy it because its sexual. But you're not supposed to… it just… horrible.
Its crazy. Its so fucking crazy. And I think that's a lowkey fear I have about not wanting kids because, lets just say I marry a man who molested my child. Of course I would divorce him, that's a wrap. Of course. But my thing is like, I would never want to subject the shit I've had to deal with to my worst enemy. This is gonna be a lifelong journey for me. It's not something that six months or a year of therapy is going to fix. And I used to think that it would be. And it wasn't until recently that I was like, fuck!
This shit is never going away. Its never fucking going away. And the fucked up part is that when I am in a relationship with a person and we're together for a couple of months or whatever and I end up telling that person, so… let me explain to you what happened to me when I was little and explain why I am the way I am about certain things... You can see a light bulb flicker in their head because they're like, fuck, now I know why you are the way you are. Its crazy. Because its like, what percentage of crazy would I be if this hadn't happened to me? Its just crazy. It drives me crazy. But its not something I deal with on a daily basis. But when it hits me, its like a fucking truck.
I think those other cousins didn't think it was nothing wrong with what they was doing to me because we wasn't blood related. I guess. And then you know, I had to be around them because they were my babysitters. That type of shit.
You know what I'm saying? And it's like, how many children are going through this type of stuff? Because I didn't really realize, but a lot of people have been molested. Even my friend that I want to grammar school with, this guy, he was talking about his uncle was molesting him. And we didn't know! He gay now, too. That's why I be like, are we homosexuals because we were molested as children? How is it okay to be gay then? That's a violation! Somebody violated you and now you're sexually confused and you don't know what the hell you want. You know what I'm saying?
That's what make me think about the whole gay thing, because I don't know… I've had sexual relationships with women as an adult, but it wasn't because…. actually I had damn near drained that out of my mind, from what happened as a child. I was young, G. My cousin, my female cousin was giving me oral sex. And I didn't understand it. And she used to make me do it and I used to hate it, because I remember the smell. I remember the smell. And I used to be like, it don't smell right. And I don't want to do this. And it was like, hair, and smell, and I was like, this is just torture. You see what I'm saying? I remember that.
That's why, honestly, when I turned 23 that's when I became aware that girls was actually doing this shit with each other willingly, like, it was cool. And I was like, for real?! What the fuck, like seriously?! And then folks was like, my girl got a girlfriend, and all that shit, and I was like, what the fuck is all the hype about? Okay, I want to see what the fuck the hype is all about! But when I did it, it was like, more of an experimentation type of thing, because I had remembered that happening to me but I was just was like grossed out from it, you know what I'm saying? And then my male cousin, he used to do stuff like try to force me to give him oral sex. Like to the point where I never wanted to be left alone with him but it was like, what am I gon' tell my mama?
Because my mama is crazy, G. She'll lose her keys and blame you. You see what I'm saying? Like, somebody stole my fucking keys, and you be like, why would I steal your keys? I don't even know how to drive, motherfucker! Like, are you serious? My mom was a firecracker, like, pow! Pow! Pow! So, honestly, I was scared. I ain't even know if it was my fault, I ain't know what the fuck! I didn't know if I made them think I wanted this type of shit, or something – I don't really know. That's why I was like, why didn't I say nothing? Why didn't I say nothing? And it's so many people who don't say nothing.
Basically I just got to a point where I was old enough and I just put a stop to it. I spoke out. I told. My dad kind of knew I told because I had this smug look on my face. So the last thing he said to me was, you a selfish bitch! And then he said he was going to kill himself, but he didn't. He left.
So that was the end of the relationship as far as me and my father was concerned. But he would always say this one thing that like would really get in my head. Because the only thing I ever wanted him to say was, I'm sorry for fucking up your life. He could never do that. And on top of that, when he would get in his drunk rages he would start talking about how bad his childhood was. And if I said how bad my childhood was, then he would say something to the effect of, the statute of limitations is up so you can't do anything about it.
But guess what? When I was pregnant with my daughter I started reading the state law and it said the statute of limitations is up after ten years, however – if you're the legal guardian or parent of this particular individual – the statute of limitations is not up until ten years after their 18th birthday. I was 28 at this time, so I went and started prosecuting him based under that law. Because if you're their guardian and you control them, you can make them do whatever sexual shit you want them to, under the guise of, I'm your parent and if you don't do this, I'm going to do this, this and that. Or I'm not going to do this, this and that.
But I started the prosecution because by me having a daughter I was like, hell no. Hell no. So my dad always had this thing that he would never go to prison. He always said if he had to go to prison, he would kill himself before he went. And we all thought that was bull. Like, for real? But he really had the biggest fear of being gang raped in prison and I guess I would too if molested my own daughter. Because yeah, they really gon' get yo' ass. I mean they really gon' get yo' ass anyway, but they really gon' get yo' ass if you're a rapist. So when I put that heat on his ass he couldn't take it so he hung himself.
I've cried just about all I can about all of that stuff. I'm at a point where… it don't affect me no more. There was a point where I wouldn't have been able to tell nobody about all this. But if it helps somebody else, then I'm gon' talk about it.
That's how the cycle gon' stop. Because if that's a cycle, or a generational curse, or whatever it is, its gon' stop with this one here. So I put a stop to that shit.


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Belgian standout Julie Croket told IG that she is eager to regain form after a torn left ACL kept her out of this summer's London Olympic Games.
"My knee is recovering very well," said Croket, who injured herself on floor exercise at a competition in France in June. "I'm ahead of the schedule the doctor prescribed me and I don't have much pain anymore."
Croket, who was otherwise considered a contender for the Olympic all-around and floor exercise finals, said she is closing in on full recovery. She hopes to be fully recovered for next year's world championships in Antwerp.
"The duration of the (rehabilitation) is up to four to six months, and I'm three months away now," she said. "I still have to recover for a while but I already started the countdown."
Croket led Belgium to fifth at the pre-Olympic test event in January in London, where the finish guaranteed Belgium one Olympic berth. She helped the team place a best-ever sixth at the 2012 Europeans in Brussels, in its first appearance in a European team final.
The expressive Croket is a two-time European finalist on floor exercise, finishing fifth in 2011 and eighth in 2012. She won the silver medal on floor exercise at the 2010 Ghent World Cup.
Croket, 18, credits her admirers for keeping her optimistic.
"I'd like to thank all the people, young and old, who have supported me during this difficult time," she told IG. "I have been contacted by people from all over the world."
Read more on Croket in the December 2012 issue of International Gymnast magazine. To subscribe, click here.
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Germany is now the team to beat in this World Cup. Fresh off a 4-0 beatdown of Diego Maradona's impressive Argentina team, they will be confident riding into Wednesday's Spain vs Germany semifinal against a Spain team that has struggled to edge out its opponents.
Although Germany will miss scoring threat Thomas Müller because of a one-game suspension for accumulation of yellow cards, the team has plenty of offensive firepower to fill the void. Lukas Podolski, Mesut Özil, and, of course, Miroslav Klose will force Spain's world-class goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, to play the game of his life if Spain is to have a chance.
Here are the top three reasons why Germany will beat Spain:
IN PICTURES: Paul the octopus predicts World Cup outcomes
1) Miroslav Klose
When it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net in the World Cup, there's no one better than the 32-year-old Polish-born former carpenter, Miroslav Klose. Only Brazil's Ronaldo, who no longer plays, has more career World Cup goals (15) than Klose (14). But Klose is guaranteed two more games (Wednesday's Spain vs Germany semifinal and either the championship match or the third-place game) to boost his tally. In this World Cup, he has scored with his head, he's scored on a volley, and even one sliding goal. Expect him to test Casillas early and often.
2) Organization
Germany's soccer team has always been known for its superior organization. This World Cup is no different. German defenders don't blow marking assignments. On the counterattack, players move quickly to space and use one-touch passing to blow by opposing defenses. And with tireless midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger distributing the ball, Spain will have trouble keeping up.
3) They strike early, score in bunches
When it comes to breaking down opponents, Germany certainly subscribes to "the Powell Doctrine" of overwhelming force. While other teams cautiously feel out an opponent with a slow start, Germany comes out swinging. They've scored five first-half goals this tournament, two coming in the opening minutes of matches. And when they score once, they do everything they can to demoralize opponents by quickly adding to the tally. In each of their three goal fests of this World Cup (4-0 against Australia, 4-1 against England, and 4-0 against Argentina), they scored back-to-back goals, leaving their opponents stunned and blinking.
Don't buy the argument? Read "Three reasons why Spain will beat Germany."
Opinion: World Cup semifinals: the case for German pride
IN PICTURES: Paul the octopus predicts World Cup outcomes
World Cup 101:


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The Hockey India (HI) Executive Board Saturday decided to incorporate the new international hockey federation (FIH) rules in its domestic circuit from June 1.
The FIH, March 20, introduced major changes to the sport by reducing the 70-minute game to 60 minutes comprising four 15-minute quarters instead of two 35-minute halves. The changes in the international calendar will come into effect Sep 1.
"It was decided that the newly announced FIH tournament rules and regulations featuring four quarters of 15 minutes each will be introduced in India in all domestic tournaments June 1. Similar regulations have successfully been implemented in the Hockey India League (HIL)," said an HI release.
In its 22nd board meeting here, HI took some more major decisions in the functioning of the sport in the country.
Firstly, it was decided that the 2014 HIL tournament director Bjorn Isberg and umpires manager Craig Gribble will also officiate in the next edition in 2015. The board has also appointed Sports Mechanics to provide video analysts to its national teams.
In another significant decision, the federation decided to relegate Hockey Andhra Pradesh from the permanent member category to associate member for changing their president without any intimation.
Permanent member Hockey Delhi was, however, disaffiliated on similar grounds while Hockey Hyderabad was disaffiliated as an associate as they are not an active member, barring them from any participation in the national championships.
Meanwhile, Food Corporation of India's (FCI) associate membership was ratified.
The board also decided to introduce a new membership category -- Hoc-Key Member -- for Under-15 teams with Hockey Citizen XI's membership being ratified in the category.
R.D.T. Academy, Chennai, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy, Punjab, Tamil Nadu Hockey Academy, Nehru-NDMC Hockey Academy and Hubli Hockey Academy were also added.
Meanwhile, HI secretary general Narinder Batra was given authority to take further action on the matter of Harbir Singh Sandhu, who was denied visa for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, only after consultation with Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Sandhu was also denied a British visa on three previous occasions -- in 2008 he was denied a work visa, in 2009 a student study visa and in 2012 a visa for London Olympics.


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Jason Dykes, Jo Wood and Cagatay Turkay are participating in the Spring Term of City's 'pop-up' University.
City Unrulyversity consists of workshops run by academics from City, intended to "inform, inspire, and empower the next generation of Tech City entrepreneurs".
Sessions are on Wednesday evenings at Unruly Media just off Brick Lane and bookable through EventBrite.
Jo is "Telling Stories with Data Visualization", Jason is exploring ways of "Using UX and Visualization to Give You an Edge?" with UX consultant Paula de Matos and Cagatay is identifying the "Origins, Methods, Challenges and Future of Data Science".
You can get reports of the sessions and see pictures through the @CityUnruly twitter feed.


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NYCH's twice-annual Leadership and Community Engagement training offers in-depth lessons on the structure of government, field trips to City Hall and Queen's Park, and a practicum project based on a civic issue of their choice. In 2016, the spring cohort garnered over 20,000 signatures on a petition supporting their cause: basic income for all Canadians. We asked two of the petition's leaders, Reza and Feroza, to share why they chose the issue of basic income and what they gained from the leadership training.
Which issue does your community project address? And why is it important to you?
Reza: The intent of our petition is to advocate for a basic income policy that can work with existing income security programs to help people live a more dignified life. We came up with this idea when, as a part of the class exercise, we used a "2x2 Matrix" to prioritize activities that we thought of as urgent and important..
Out of all, we deemed basic income to be the one with both the highest urgency and most importance. This was due to our belief that our existing income security system in place has become ineffective when it comes to helping people afford life's basic necessities – food, housing, and other general expenses.
Feroza: For me, I am motivated to pursue a Basic Income Agenda, because there are 5 million people currently living in poverty here in Canada. In particular, 1.3 million children. Yes, the government speaks of the middle class and the recent Canada Child Benefit that lifted 300,000 children out of poverty, but what are they doing for the 1.3 million who still experience poverty?
What did you gain from the Leadership & Community Engagement Training that helped you develop your community project?
Reza: In relation to our decision to choose basic income as our main priority, we feel that NYCH's LCE training was valuable first, because it taught us how to plan, organize, and raise awareness and support for our issue within both the community and political system.
Each of us also brought different experiences and ideas to the training and this not only enriched all of our experience but contributed to our group's results after the training ended. We felt that the mentorship pedagogy of our facilitator, Beatriz Alas, allowed us to excel, learn the material effectively, and make the leadership training sessions meaningful and satisfying. Furthermore, we felt that we were mentored by someone who saw themselves on the same level as us and who was equally ambitious to learn from our knowledge and experiences as she was in sharing hers.
The resources that NYCH has provided along with Beatriz's continued guidance and mentorship have been key to our group's success since the end of the training. We are confident that with this continued support, we can continue to grow, break new boundaries, and establish ourselves as a vibrant community group.
Where can people get more information about your project, and how can they support you?
Reza: We are looking for people to help us out with a variety of duties and responsibilities including media, policy analysis, or just as active members. We can be reached at email@example.com, and if you haven't yet, we ask that you check (and sign!) our petition: https://www.change.org/p/jean-yves-duclos-parl-gc-ca-a-basic-income-in-canada
NYCH's Leadership & Community Engagement Training is an intensive training that aims to provide basic knowledge and tools for participants to strengthen their leadership capacity, enhance civic literacy and practice leading a community engagement project.
The training has two components: 48 hours of in-class instruction, and 35 hours of a practicum component, where participants work in small groups to plan, research, and carry out a community engagement project on an issue that concerns them.
If you would like to learn more or register for the Fall 2016 session, please fill out an online application.


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Intelligent control system migration is more complex than just replacing your system. The modernization, retention and adjustment processes must be carefully coordinated to ensure the most cost-effective and risk-free transition possible. Siemens' solution is a strategic migration package that combines products, solutions and services for our systems and those of other manufacturers.
Given the variety of process control systems that have been used since the 80s and 90s and considering the dwindling support and fading know-how, a mid-term and long-term migration plan is a crucial prerequisite to not only keep your production running but to match it to the increased demands on flexibility, product quality, resource conservation and documentation. Compared to older systems, a modern process control system, such as SIMATIC PCS 7, offers tremendous benefits of which you need to take advantage.
We know: Each plant is unique and each migration project comes with its own special challenges and constraints. Our engineers, with all their migration experience, will work with you to find the right approach to modernize your old systems: either all at once or in smaller or bigger phases.
Use these pages to find out more about the different options we offer for successful modernization of your control technology with SIMATIC PCS 7 and a long-term partnership with Siemens.
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A control system is the central component that determines productivity and flexibility of your production plant. Old systems may still work well after 10, 20 or even more years – but an update to a current control system, such as SIMATIC PCS 7, not only minimizes risk of failure but opens up a whole range of completely new possibilities.
at a Glance


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Merc's new CLS 53 AMG is a sort-of hybrid
Mercedes has given its new, curiously styled CLS the AMG treatment. But before you start salivating about the E63's infamous Drift Mode in swoopier, more svelte four-door, calm yourself. And prepare for a mild lecture.
The introduction of another AMG product is also the dawn of a new AMG number. The current range includes 43s, 45s and 63s… and now the 53.
This is the CLS 53 AMG, and it has a new engine and some interesting tech. The base engine is – as you'd expect – a twin-turbo petrol. It's a 3.0-litre straight-six, however, something you'd normally expect in a BMW.
It produces 320kW and 520Nm, which when pushed through its four-wheel-drive system, yields a 4.5sec 0-100kph time. Quick, but a time not in the sub-fours marks this out as a tamer AMG product. We suspect a full-strength CLS 63 will come in time.
Only, those figures aren't its absolute peaks, because the petrol engine is supplemented by some clever electric stuff. It doesn't comprise motors on the wheels, like proper hybrid performance cars, rather an 'EQ Boost' starter-alternator motor between the engine and transmission.
It delivers 16kW and a more substantial 250Nm, essentially filling in the gap normally left by turbo lag to improve performance, while also cutting fuel consumption. Mercedes quotes 8.4l/1000km and 200g/km of CO2 emissions. Impressive on a near two-tonne AMG-badged saloon.
The gearbox is a nine-speed auto, while the four-wheel-drive system is naturally rear-drive, with the front axle assisting whenever the clever computers deem it helpful or necessary. But while the system can frequently be rear-drive only, there's no cheat-code Drift Mode here. We suspect the CLS 53 will still allow some lairiness with sufficiently exuberant driving, mind.
Other nice bits include 'AMG Ride Control+' air suspension, which can lift the car up over speed bumps then drop it back down when you want to go quickly, and a wealth of semi-self-driving tech and wellness functions to keep you happy and stress-free inside.
The CLS 53 AMG comes with 19in wheels as standard, with 20s optional, while there's a subtle body kit to ensure you'll be able to tell it apart from lesser diesel versions. The nerdiest detail is its front air curtains, subtly worked into the front bumper and designed to reduce lift on the front wheels.
Don't want a four-door? The 53 powertrain simultaneously goes into the E-Class coupe and convertible. Merc boasts that the 53 AMG treatment is a bit posher and comes with more colour and trim choices than the 43 AMG, which you get on E-Class saloons and estates. The coupe and convertible weigh almost the same as the CLS, so offer nigh on identical performance and economy numbers.
All three body styles have been revealed at the Detroit motor show, with prices to follow. Like what you see? Or are you patiently hoping for a properly tyre-killing CLS Sixty-three?
Source: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/detroit-motor-show/mercs-new-cls-53-amg-sort-hybrid


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"Where Two Rivers Join" - Part modern tree house, part vintage tiny house, it's the place to experience the airiness of life up among the trees. This unique two- structure abode is perched atop a 21-acre wooded hill sloping to dramatic river views. The dwelling consists of two elevated structures connected by a private deck, and accessed by a spiral staircase. We've used vintage and salvaged materials when possible.
Weekday $189 / Weekend $199 (4 night minimum)
Madawaska -
The first structure is a bedroom, with an entire wall of south facing windows, affording stunning river views. Includes king size bed (or two twin beds upon request).
The second structure includes a small kitchen and small dining area with large windows for water views, a small full bathroom, and a screened-in porch with sitting area, and river views. Kitchen includes: two-burner stove, sink, small fridge, pots, pans, dishes, toaster oven (no regular oven). Both structures have views across a river bay, and down river to where the Back River meets the Kennebec River (hence "Madawaska") just before both flow into open ocean, past Seguin Island (where George Washington commissioned a lighthouse).
Canoes and kayaks are available to use at any time in the Back River.
AUTUMN VISITS: Come stay in the tree dwelling in Autumn for stunning views of foliage. The dwellings are super cozy, well-insulated and contain heating units that heat them up quickly.
Specifications & features:
- Beds - 1 (or 2 twins upon request)
- Guests - up to 2
- Bathroom - toilet and shower with hot water
- Kitchen - fully equipped kitchen with dining area
- Private deck and screened in porch.
- Blankets, linens and towels.
- Grill, hammock and stunning river views.
- Kayaks and canoes available for rent
- Wifi
- Electric heaters


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Welcome to Bulgucheva Law, p.c., where your justice is our priority. Call (925) 854-2926 for a free consultation!
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Bringing suit against large companies involves focused efforts. Our knowledge of specific federal and state statutes protects consumers against fraudulent behavior, unfair practices, and false advertising.
Civil Rights
Civic entities are over burdened and as a result can encroach on an individual's rights. If you feel you are a victim of discrimination or that your rights have been violated, we can help.


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Epic Old Video Games That Are Still Being Played
Introducing 9 Epic Old Video Games
Gamers are always looking to play games that has good replay ability and also memorable. So what makes a game top quality? Here are the determining factors:
- Game play
- Story line
- Graphics
- Replay ability
- Characters
Final Fantasy VII
This classic RPG is still being raved about after its first release in 1997. Today in 2013, although we have Final Fantasy XIV, many still wonder what it takes for Square Enix to make another classic game like Final Fantasy VII. So what makes Final Fantasy VII a great game to play?
The story of FF VII is awesome. Cloud, an Ex-SOLDIER, joins AVALANCHE to try to stop mega corporation Shinra from obtaining the life stream. We also have not mentioned Sephiroth. Both Cloud and Sephiroth have appeared in many other games such as Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII:Crisis Core. The fact that they appear in sequels really highlights their popularity among gamers.
Age of Empires II: Age of Kings
This baby was released in 1999 on PC and Macintosh. It is a real time strategy game that is set in the Middle Ages. You get to choose 13 playable civilizations. They are the Britons, Byzantines, Celts, Goths, Teutons, Franks, Mongols, Chinese, Japanese, Persians, Saracens, Turks and the Vikings. Similar to Starcraft, you have to obtain resources to build your empire and conquer other enemies. Due to a huge selection of civilizations and being able to use different strategies to outwit your enemies, this game is definitely keeping players engaged.
Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction
With Diablo 3 failing to live up to its hype and expectations, Diablo 2 LoD is still a game that many still play. The first Diablo 2 was released in 2000. Building of the success of Diablo, this hack and slash game definitely brought some excitement for gamers during its release. Players get to choose 7 different classes, each with their strength and weaknesses. They are Amazon, Barbarian, Sorceress, Necromancer, Paladin, Druid and Assassin. Each of these characters can become really good when played right.
Starcraft 1
Its predecessor, Starcraft 2, is doing exceptionally well and definitely living up to gamer's expectations. Unlike Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 has retained a lot of its characteristics from Starcraft 1. I definitely see SC2 being a game that is going to be played for a long time. It wouldn't have been possible without the epic SC1 though. You have to play SC1 to be able to really know the story that continues on SC2. This real time strategy game is a national sport in South Korea, with people getting paid there to play the game in competitions. That tells you a lot about the popularity of it doesn't it? Having said that, SC1 was released in 1998. I also find the story line extremely interesting, and also what happens to Sarah Kerrigan. Starcraft 2 Heart of the Swarm does give a better ending to the saga.
Starcraft 1 Cinematics
Call of Duty
Call of Duty was the first and third person shooter game that kick started the popularity of the franchise. It was released in 2003 by Activision. The setting is in World War II, where you get to really experience the history of WW2 through a intense shooting game. It is widely popular back when it was released, and it is still a game that people still play.
This game is the granddaddy of World of Warcraft(WoW). It was released in 1999. This game definitely lead to the creation of the awesome WoW. Being a 3D fantasy MMORPG, it definitely had the depth to keep gamers interested. You get to choose from 16 different races. They range from regular humans, elves, dragons, ogres, gnomes, half lings and more. You then get to choose their class such as cleric, ranger and wizard etc. Even with the release of Everquest 2, people still play Everquest 1.
Counter Strike 1.6
This was released in 2003. It is a tactical first person shooter game which originated from Half-Life modification. You get to choose between the terrorist or the counter-terrorist team. Right at the start of battle, you get to choose which guns to buy. The more kills you accumulate, the more money you have to buy better guns. This game is also highly addicting due to the fact that no matter how skilled you are, there are always better players than you. Isn't that crazy?
Need for Speed
Need for Speed(NFS) is a racing video game published by Electronic Arts. The Need for Speed: Most Wanted released in 2012 is a continuation of the popular racing game. So what makes Need for Speed so addicting? You have to sniff it. I am kidding. It employs the fundamental rules and similar mechanics of car racing in all versions. The only difference is the car models and graphics. Each new release is to keep the game up to date. Needless to say, if you are a car fan, you will want to play this game. Learning how to drift an exotic car you dream of in a race is really fun.
Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne(WC3)
This game got released in 2002, and people still play this today. It is a real time strategy video game similar to Starcraft. Blizzard always makes some really good games. In WC3, you get to choose between Humans, Night Elves, Orcs and Undead. Each group has their own special abilities. You also get to build and hire your own classes' heroes. Each hero has a unique ability that can help aid you in battle. This game also lead to the creation of Defense of the Ancients(DOTA), which is a very popular game today.
Which one is your favorite game?
Epic Old Video Games Conclusion
There you have it. I personally still play Starcraft 1, Final Fantasy 7 and occasionally Counter Strike 1.6. If you have not played any of them, try it out and see how different it is compared to newer games we have now!
Stuff you might like:
- Top 10 Best Facebook Games - Fun, Free and Popular
Here is my top 10 list of the best Facebook games that I enjoy playing.
- Dragon City Guide: Tips & Tricks, Dragon List & Drag...
A brief introduction to Dragon City, the popular Facebook game that allows you to breed rare dragons and fight other player's dragons.
- ECOL Tactics Online - Open Beta Review
A brief review of ECOL Tactics Online, a MMORPG similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.
I think you missed the point here somewhere EJ... Nobody is playing Star Fox 64 in the millions per day =).
Don't forget the original Star Fox from N64. That game took everything that was interesting about the original from the SNES and refined it into a superb piece of gaming. I must've played thirty times as a teenager and still own it so I can go back from time to time.
Yeah, my brother still plays Age of Empires II. I'm playing StarCraft right now, and I was playing Diablo II not too long ago. The first Need for Speed was my favourite. Not a bad list.
You had me at Starcraft... I am addicted to this game. Play it just about every day. I definitely agree that you need to play the first to appreciate the others though, especially with the recent release of Heart of the Swarm. Great article.


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Now I am confused, Toyota has a commercial out that says "this is Toyota Truck Month" which is okay, I suppose. But just the other day, I see one that explains that "February is Ford Truck Month." So we either have two auto manufacturers that are clearly outta whack, or it could be that the Japanese are just copying our products again.
Here is something else to add to the mix.
Each time that Chevy truck commercial comes on where they hook the truck to a tree stump with this massive chain and rip the stump out of the ground. Well, I just sort of smile to myself. This is because I remember Earl and Wally, who in their profound wisdom did the very same thing, with a somewhat different twist.
Earl, in an effort to appease his wife, agreed to pull some shrubs on the front of the house. He called Wally and he came over. They positioned their trusty 4-wheel drive pickup on the front lawn and hooked cable around some huge bushes in front of the house. During this preparatory cabling, they consumed several beers in the process.
After insuring that the bushes were properly wired up, and being as they were more or less, oiled or gassed up to some extent, they decided that a "whole lot of digging around the root system of the bushes" wasn't all that critical or necessary. Jumping into their trusty steed idling on the lawn, Earl reached down and deftly put the truck in 4-wheel drive (just like on the commercials by gawd) and engaged the throttle for all it was worth.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvroooooom! Ka-pow, ka-chink, ka-thunk.
The bushes stood their ground, as if they were completely oblivious of what was going on. Earl's truck however did not fare so well, they ripped out the transfer case on the 4-wheel drive to the tune of some $6,500.00 Now as you sit there and digest that, make a mental picture of it all, I will try to illustrate to you in words, the time they were both driving in Wally's car, just below the dam at Lake Hefner. Coming home from the Red Dog Saloon in Wally's Chevy two-door sedan.
Late at night, when all of a sudden out of nowhere, this big buck ran across the road in front of them, and they hit it. Stumbling around in the dark, they locate the animal, in their somewhat inebriated condition decide that it is dead. This is when Wally gets the great idea that "we can take it home, hang it up in the garage, butcher it and we will have venison" for everybody.
As they drag the animal back to the car there is a lively discussion that ensues on Barbecue etiquette and who not to invite. Plans are made, agenda's set, it is on … This Saturday Night!
They open the door of the car and after a little time, they finally get the animal into the vehicle and into the backseat. They then get in, and start on down the road to Wally's house to butcher and field dress the animal. They open their last beer, and as with all good buddies, they split it and one more dead soldier is laid to rest.
This is where the master plan starts to unravel, you see, the buck is not dead.
It was merely unconscious from the blow it received from the automobile. It awakens and comes to life, in the backseat of the Chevy 2-door and it is definitely not a happy camper. At this time, Earl and Wally, figuring discretion is the better part of valor, exit the car and for the next ten to fifteen minutes, watch as the deer (and his rack of antlers) manages to destroy the interior of Wally's car. It rips up the seats, the headliner, just about anything it comes in contact with, until finally it extracts itself from the automobile. One trashed car, no barbecue and no deer jerky.
Well, there is the bottom of the page rolling up, I see it is time for me to close.
Next time I will share with you how this dynamic duo, this terrible two-some, decided to go coyote hunting and sat under a tree with this digital tape of a rabbit in a snare (the bait call). Both of them sitting there, in the dark, playing this tape over and over, sippin on their brew. Everything was going just swell … Until this huge owl swooped in to their location out of the dark, homing in on the sound, and put his talons into Wally's head and they had to take him to the Emergency Room for stitches.
Not really sure if any of this happened during Truck Month, will have to check on that, and get back to you.


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The Phoenix and an Elephant had a Baby/
One thing was not meant to be related in context of fear, but it's how I applied it due to what I'm going through in my heart right now.
When we ask God to order our steps, we want the entire blue print to what He's doing. We want to see the whole picture (mostly because if He sends us to the Red Sea, we're pretty much going to tell Him we'll pass). The key to this prayer to God for Him to order our steps is SURRENDER. He can't order our steps if we don't want to move and take that first step without seeing where we're going. We have to have faith to walk out and trust that if He ordered the first step, He will guide us on the rest of the path.
The second thing that changed me that night was that what keeps us from really doing the first thing that I mentioned was fear. Our fear sometimes gets settled on this critical inward thinking that we tend to do in life. We tend to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember. We focus on many of our failures and forget how we overcame them. If we reversed that, we'd be some righteously confident individuals conquering injustices and inequalities all the live long day.


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The contractor friend I helped design this for did a number of things on the fly, including surprising me that it had to be LEED certified.
Even with that, sketchy maintenance and caliche soils are giving way to a maturing planting for more than the usual, bullet-proof plant posse of Yucca-Sotol-Purple Three Awn-blah blah blah.
Though the latter is there.
The end-of-the-monsoon skies and a quick flash of warm, humid air help provide a backdrop of my simple design of Quercus fusiformis, Nolina greenei, Rosmarinus officianalis 'Prostrata', and accents of beefy Yucca faxoniana and Dasylirion wheeleri.
These are actually the first live oaks I noticed when I drove by, and they just need some light, interior pruning with some more drip emitters.
But those root sprouts…just let them fill in and mow to 4″ like a groundcover.
The sides and decline or removal of once-thriving native wildflowers is disappointing to me. But the maintenance here is finally better than it was.
There's hope.


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Wednesday evening August 28
Thursday evening
Tuesday evening
Opening response
Favor us, Lord, and deliver us.
Lord, come quickly and help us.
Prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory forever.
As darkness falls you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
By the light of Christ, your living Word,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
that we may walk as children of light
and sing your praise throughout the world.
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God forever.
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and forever.
Blest Be Our Everlasting Lord
Charles Wesley
Blest be our everlasting Lord,
Our Father, God, and King!
Thy sovereign goodness we record,
Thy glorious power we sing.
By thee the victory is given:
The majesty divine,
Wisdom and might, and earth and heaven,
And all therein are thine.
The kingdom, Lord, is thine alone,
Who dost thy right maintain,
And high on thine eternal throne,
Over men and angels reign.
Riches, as seemeth good to thee,
Thou dost, and honor give;
And kings their power and dignity
Out of thy hand receive.
Thou hast on us the grace bestowed,
Thy greatness to proclaim;
And therefore now thank we our God,
And praise thy glorious name.
Thy glorious name, thy nature's powers,
Thou hast to man made known;
And all the Deity is ours,
Through thy incarnate Son.
Confession of sin
Let us admit to God the sin which always confronts us.
A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.
Almighty God,
patient and of great goodness:
I confess to you,
I confess with my whole heart
my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments,
my wrong doing, thinking, and speaking;
the hurts I have done to others,
and the good I have left undone.
O God, forgive me, for I have sinned against you;
and raise me to newness of life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
May the God of love and power
forgive us and free us from our sins,
heal and strengthen us by his Spirit,
and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord.
The Word of God
Psalm 119:81-104
God, your way is holiness! Who is as great a god as you, God?
My whole being yearns for your saving help!
I wait for your promise.
My eyes are worn out looking for your word.
"When will you comfort me?" I ask,
because I've become like a bottle dried up by smoke,
though I haven't forgotten your statutes.
How much more time does your servant have?
When will you bring my oppressors to justice?
The arrogant have dug pits for me—
those people who act against your Instruction.
All your commandments are true,
but people harass me for no reason.
Help me!
They've almost wiped me off the face of the earth!
Meanwhile, I haven't abandoned your precepts!
Make me live again according to your faithful love
so I can keep the law you've given!
Your word, Lord,
stands firm in heaven forever!
Your faithfulness extends from one generation to the next!
You set the earth firmly in place, and it is still there.
Your rules endure to this day
because everything serves you.
If your Instruction hadn't been my delight,
I would have died because of my suffering.
I will never forget your precepts
because through them you gave me life again.
I'm yours—save me
because I've pursued your precepts!
The wicked wait for me,
wanting to kill me, but I'm studying your laws.
I've seen that everything,
no matter how perfect, has a limit,
but your commandment is boundless.
I love your Instruction!
I think about it constantly.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies
because it is always with me.
I have greater insight than all my teachers
because I contemplate your laws.
I have more understanding than the elders
because I guard your precepts.
I haven't set my feet on any evil path
so I can make sure to keep your word.
I haven't deviated from any of your rules
because you are the one who has taught me.
Your word is so pleasing to my taste buds—
it's sweeter than honey in my mouth!
I'm studying your precepts—
that's why I hate every false path.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
God, your way is holiness! Who is as great a god as you, God?
Psalm prayer
Lord Christ,
as we sit at your feet,
teach us your living way;
for you are our Word and Wisdom,
one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
Old Testament reading
1 Samuel 28:3-25
Now Samuel had died, and all Israel mourned him and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned all mediums and diviners from the land.
The Philistines gathered their forces and advanced to camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they camped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was so afraid that his heart beat wildly. When Saul questioned the Lord, the Lord didn't answer him—not by dreams, not by the Urim, and not by the prophets. So Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who communicates with ghosts! I'll then go to her and ask by using her techniques."
"There is such a medium in En-dor," his servants replied.
So Saul disguised himself, dressing in different clothes. Then he and two men set out, going to the woman at nighttime.
"Please call up a ghost for me! Bring me the one I specify," Saul said.
"Listen," the woman said to him, "you know what Saul has done, how he has banned all mediums and diviners from the land. What are you doing? Trying to get me killed?"
But Saul promised to her by the Lord, "As surely as the Lord lives, you won't get into trouble for this."
So the woman said, "Who do you want me to bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel," he said.
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed at Saul, "Why have you tricked me? You are Saul!"
"Don't be afraid!" the king said to her. "What do you see?"
The woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up from the ground."
"What does he look like?" Saul asked her.
"An old man is coming up," she said. "He's wrapped in a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed low out of respect, nose to the ground.
"Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Samuel asked Saul.
"I'm in deep trouble!" Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with me, and God has turned away from me and no longer answers me by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do."
"Why do you ask me," Samuel said, "since the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy? The Lord has done to you exactly what he spoke through me: The Lord has ripped the kingdom out of your hands and has given it to your friend David. The Lord has done this very thing to you today because you didn't listen to the Lord's voice and didn't carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. The Lord will now hand over both you and Israel to the Philistines. And come tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me! The Lord will hand Israel's army over to the Philistines."
Saul immediately fell full length on the ground, utterly terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he hadn't eaten anything all day or night. The woman approached Saul, and after seeing how scared he was, she said, "Listen, your servant has obeyed you. I risked my life and did what you told me to do. Now it's your turn to listen to me, your servant. Let me give you a bit of food. Eat it, then you'll have the strength to go on your way."
But Saul refused. "I can't eat!" he said. But his servants and the woman urged him to do so, and so he did. He got up off the ground and sat on a couch. The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly butchered it. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. She served this to Saul and his servants, and they ate. They got up and left that very night.
Silence may be kept.
New Testament reading
Acts 4:13-31
The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus. However, since the healed man was standing with Peter and John before their own eyes, they had no rebuttal. After ordering them to wait outside, the council members began to confer with each other. "What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem is aware of the sign performed through them. It's obvious to everyone and we can't deny it. To keep it from spreading further among the people, we need to warn them not to speak to anyone in this name." When they called Peter and John back, they demanded that they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John responded, "It's up to you to determine whether it's right before God to obey you rather than God. As for us, we can't stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." They threatened them further, then released them. Because of public support for Peter and John, they couldn't find a way to punish them. Everyone was praising God for what had happened, because the man who had experienced this sign of healing was over 40 years old.
After their release, Peter and John returned to the brothers and sisters and reported everything the chief priests and elders had said. They listened, then lifted their voices in unison to God, "Master, you are the one who created the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. You are the one who spoke by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the rulers gathered together as one
against the Lord and against his Christ.
Indeed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with Gentiles and Israelites, did gather in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and plan had already determined would happen. Now, Lord, take note of their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with complete confidence. Stretch out your hand to bring healing and enable signs and wonders to be performed through the name of Jesus, your holy servant." After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking God's word with confidence.
Silence may be kept.
Gospel canticle
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)
God, you have done great things and holy is your name.
With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
He shows mercy to everyone,
from one generation to the next,
who honors him as God.
He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty-handed.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy,
just as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to Abraham's descendants forever.
Luke 1:46-55
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
God, you have done great things and holy is your name.
Brief silence.
The Apostle's Creed
Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Thanksgiving and intercession
Thanksgiving may be made for the day.
Intercessions are offered
for peace
for individuals and their needs
Prayers may include the following concerns:
The social services
All who work in the criminal justice system
Victims and perpetrators of crime
The work of aid agencies throughout the world
Those living in poverty or under oppression
Other intercessions and supplications may be offered as the Holy Spirit leads.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Silence may be kept.
Collect of the day
Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and that they may obtain their petitions
make them to ask such things as shall please you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
The Lord's Prayer
As our Savior taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.


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"Sat on two panels this week at ITExpo 2018. Artificial Intelligence and Business Process Automation. In addition to business and technical considerations, much lively and animated conversation related to philosophical, legal, regulatory and human impact concerns. Technology will continue to advance and improve, but at what cost and what are the appropriate applications? ITExpo Ricoh Business Solutions"- Brett Lancaster
"Lose $ on Blockchain or Get Paid to Understand It. With @BitcoinHomework, you really can do the second item. Who else was inspired by @ITEXPO #itexpo2018 #blockchaintechnology #blockchainmovement #blockchain @BlockchainEvent?"- Suzanne Bowen
"Had a fabulous time at the #ITEXPO2018. Met some super people and some valuable partnerships, and gained valuable insight. Very productive week. See you next year #ITEXPO"- IVR Solutions
"Wonderfully busy days at #itexpo2018 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Lots of interest on how #portabilling can be used for #IoT and #M2M projects"- PortaOne
"Been go-go all day here @ITExpo. Moderated panels earlier - on #AI and on #chatbots - full rooms and great engagement. Any photos out there? Please share! #ITExpo2018 @tmcnet #collaboration #CCTR #CX #ucoms #UC"- Jon Arnold
"TelcoBridges@ #ITEXPO: Great session this morning, talking about using APIs to create new value! Want to discuss? Book a meeting with us at #telecom #cloud #APIeconomy #ITEXPO2018 "- TelcoBRidges
"So much love happening here at #itexpo2018 #itexpo @TimBasa @Telegration_Inc @BullsEye_Inc"- MojoMktg
"Enjoying our time at #ITEXPO! #RIDETHEWAVE #ITEXPO2018 "- Phonedotcom
"ITEXPO community together with Windstream encouraging #innovation #disruption and #collaboration #itexpo2018 #itexpo"- AlexPaunic
IDEA Showcase #Startup #ICOs Pitch @BlockchainEvent #blockchain #ITEXPO2018 #bitcoin #Cryptocurrency #ETHEREUM @sfta- pravvy
We had an awesome time riding the wave this week! Thanks @ITEXPO for hosting a wonderful event!- @Phonism
Overall for the week, we at Fiber Mountain were thrilled with the 2017 event. The combination of the IoT conference and IT EXPO with several collocated events provided consistent traffic across all three days, with plenty of influencers and decision makers, and a mix of company types from carriers, ISPs, enterprises and resellers. A special thanks to the TMC team for a job well done and a great all-conference party where all of us got to see and visit with old long-term friends and make new friends.- Bill Miller, Fiber Mountain
"Great Show and Attendance" - Mark Straton, Broadsoft
" I just finished an awesome, standing room-only panel on SD-WAN at the ITExpo that has already been described as the best panel discussion so far on the topic ever at the conference...Now invited by a major service provider in Australia for dinner on the ocean beach"- Akshay Sharma, VP Corporate Strategy, Beesion
If you keep up to date with the latest innovations in communications technology, ITEXPO has always been one of the places to learn, meet key vendors, and network. With a regular winter event in southern Florida every year, it's hard to say "no" to attending. This year did not disappoint, especially with the addition of a co-located Internet of Things (IoT) event and even more to see and experience during your trip to Florida.- Alan Percy, Dialogic Blog, February 15, 2017
"It's been a very interesting Day 1. There have been sessions on a wide range of different topics. Despite having a blizzard in the Mid-Atlantic which has cancelled thousands of flights, there's a good crowd of attendees here."- Hugh Goldstein, VP Strategic Alliances, Voxbone
"This year's ITEXPO was a huge success, and organizations from around the country gathered to share technology insights, tips and tricks to growing as a business"- Ariel Cruz, Nexogy
"ITEXPO has been great, its been pretty busy and we've met a lot of good attendees. Traffic has been good and we have had a lot of great inquiries in terms of what we do and how we fit in with the rest of the crowd."- Digium
"come every year and always leave with new ideas/technologies/suppliers that improve my business. It is 3 days and money well spent. One show I will NOT miss during the year"- Alan Montgomery, ModTel
"ITEXPO is one of the consistently productive and enjoyable events in the industry. It provides excellent opportunities to learn and network."- Mark Ricca, IntelliCom Analytics
"It was a very informative, high energy event that was a great forum for meeting and being introduced to new technologies, partners and relationships."- Peter Maher, TetherView
"I found the show to be vibrating with energy. There was a great mix of topics covered and the opportunity to meet with current customers and prospects is exceptional."- Karine Vosberg, GSA
"ITEXPO is an interesting forum because lots of different people come together from different backgrounds...I was impressed by the vibrant nature. There are a lot of people, a lot of foot traffic, an awful lot of conversations. I was very pleasantly surprised at how busy it was."- Colin Ayer, CTO, SwitchRay
"Really great - it's been very busy, it's been good. We're meeting some current customers, we're meeting some new customers, a lot of people who haven't heard of us before so the exposure's been really good. I am looking forward to seeing people that I've met this time around, looking at how we grow next year." - Bicom Systems
- 888VoIP
Lot of service providers, lot of new vendors, resellers, agents with the service providers, so basically tons of traffic. It started off with a bang, we're looking to close out strong. We have about 80 cards, 80 follow up calls to do on Friday, it's going to be a busy Friday. I can't wait actually, that's what I love to do. We're looking forward to the next show, we can't wait to be a part of it. We love this event."
"Oh it's been fantastic, we've had a great time. It's really unique for us to be here because we work with both the folks who are here attending the show in terms of the IT buyer - we help them find solutions, and then we also work with a lot of vendors here doing demand generation. So it's been great interacting from both sides - from buyers and sellers. We actually attended in Anaheim last year and had a great experience and we're able to come in Ft. Lauderdale. We are also a media partner for the conference."- Technology Advice
"If you sell or if you work with technology - you have to be at ITEXPO." - VoPero
- IDI Billing Solutions
I've really come away with some good leads, so I was impressed with the quality of the attendees and I was able to connect with some folks I've already been talking to.
"It's been great - we got a speaking slot, had really good attendance there and actually got three customers that want to business right from that event alone. It's been great. We've also got to talk to a number of MSPs - who are a big part of our customer base, a growing part of our customer base. The show's been great for us. - accelops"
It's an audience that we might not necessarily reach otherwise. We're very much in the network and data center space but this gets us in touch with a lot of people who are here for VoIP and carrier work who actually also have data center space, collo space, they can use things like our solutions. It's a great way to get the message out.- Fiber Mountain
It's kind of like a jumping off point for us. Beginning of the year every year. Get a lot of resellers, lots of our distribution partners are down here. It really sets the tone for us throughout the course of the year.- Grandstream
It's a great chance for us to see resellers that we don't get to see often, so it's the one place to meet them. Have dinners and meetings with them and obviously gather new business and gather what's new in the industry.
It was a great experience, we had a great opportunity to meet some resellers that we know and perhaps onboard some resellers that we haven't seen in the past. It's our third year at the show.
- Phil Edholm
"I am excited about the event and great attendance, really seeing a lot of interesting new technologies. You're seeing some end users, a lot of channels, obviously"
It was awesome. I came all the way here from New Zealand. So it's really been a good experience to see what happens here in the U.S. market compared to home. Everything here is just brilliant. The keynotes here were really good and relevant."
The audience here is very targeted and you can really build relationships with providers and business' here. It's a good place to network and meet new partners.
It gives us the opportunity to raise awareness. It's been a combination of physically at the event and the social media exposure, the online presence, it's the integrated marketing campaign.


text:
I suffer with anxiety. The root of my issues is worrying about the future or dwelling in the past, which is the classic formula for hell. They say the key to mindfulness is living in the moment. To unlock this mysterious level of mental peace and happiness, I'm supposed to think about the present. What am I doing right now? How does it feel? What can I be grateful for? (I mean, I can't even think of any other hypothetical questions because I'm really un-mindful.)
So here I am, an anxious millennial being told to chill tf out. But I just can't. Besides the 1 minute a day that my Apple Watch cues me to "breathe", I spend most of my day mentally constipated with anxiety. Except for when I walk outside...
Nature is breathtaking. Fall in Minneapolis is just stunning. The LEAVES are SO COLORFUL.
But it's not just fall. It's summer when the sky is blue, or winter when I stomp around in the snow like a 2-year-old because it's a magical substance. When I'm driving in the car with friends, I shout, "Look out the window!! Look at the sky!!" and they laugh at me. They're right. I've seen it all before. But lately, I just can't get enough.
I'd like to think that my profound appreciation for the outdoors is a blessing. In a world where I can't escape my own brain, I find peace in moments reflecting on the HD skyline above the rush of traffic. I lose myself pondering the depths of the crystal blue lake, or the incredible hues of fall leaves.
So if you think I'm corny, but slightly interested in achieving extreme levels of earthly appreciation, here are some thought-starters for the next time you're outside:
- The ground you're walking on has been in existence for millions of years. Some horse-drawn buggy rolled through these streets. A Native-American probably pitched a tent here. A 1940's teenage couple probably snuck out of their houses to make out in this exact spot. The possibilities are endless.
- The colors of nature are trendsetters. Seriously, they were being beautiful centuries before any machine found a way to replicate them.
- At one point, someone stumbled across this same land without a map. Imagine what it looked like undeveloped?? Forests for days!! The world is so vast and multifaceted.
- Nature is ALIVE. All of the trees, grass and animals are living beings that cycle through time like humans. We need the plants and the plants need us. How cool is that?
I know. It's a lot. But the world is a beautiful place.


text:
If you could attend a quantum physics lecture and view the scribbled equations on the chalkboard, what would you see?
Artist Alejandro Guijarro... spent three years traveling to the quantum mechanics departments of Cambridge, Stanford, Berkeley, Oxford and elsewhere to shoot large format photographs of blackboards just after lectures. Completely removed from the context of a classroom or laboratory and displayed in a gallery, the cryptic equations from one of the most formidable branches of physics become abstract patterns of line and color.
I don't know what it's like to launder dimension and manifold from the abstractions that Guijarro captures on film. But I do have an amateur's appreciation for what poetry can achieve, and hear in the physicality and phrasing of favorite works the sound of an echoing. It's amazing to me that any one person can do this, and, like my respect for poets, I deeply admire the mathematicians who can skillfully arrange and rearrange their symbolic material until its full and ineluctable sense materializes. And it would appear that mathematicians find the aesthetics pleasing too. A recent study showed that the brain area associated with emotional reactions to beauty activates when mathematicians view elegantly stated formulas.
This takes time. Artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer said in his IdeaFestival 2013 talk that the job of an artist was to "slow down" and "to intercept" communication, by which I think he meant that in an age when so many answers are available to our fingertips, the human preoccupations with place and meaning are largely the same. We long to understand. As a non-mathematician, I am reminded that the line and color represented in Guijarro's images do not just present a pleasing appearance, but for those who have managed to describe the very nature of these vanishingly small realities, the culmination of a life's work. Of course there were dead ends, blind alleys and the faintest of intimations along the way. Few of us will ever write something as penetrating as Schrodinger's equation or prose with Auden's thrilling brevity. We will come no closer, alas, than pictures of scribbles. We will wonder.
What goes there?
Stay curious.
Reading the post at Colossal reminded me of autistic savant Daniel Tammet talking about his love of numbers at the IdeaFestival nearly four years ago, a moment captured in this 12 minute video. Enjoy.


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2009 USAPL Longhorn Open Entry Form
The Longhorn Powerlifting Team will be hosting the 2009 USAPL Longhorn Open will be held November 14, 2009. The competition will be held at the University of Texas Recreation Sports Center in Austin, Texas. The meet is limited to the first 120 lifters. Make sure to get your entry in early if you would like compete!
2009 USAPL Longhorn Open Entry Form
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Collar and Tag
Did you know that it's the law that every dog must be microchipped and that any dog in a public place must have a collar and tag with the contact details of the owner? And that last year nearly 5,000 dogs faced being put to sleep simply because owners hadn't updated their contact details.
We were asked by the Dogs Trust how to turn a serious message into a fun and engaging campaign ?
We came up with the idea of the #doggiereunion. Every dog owner loves that big, cuddly, ear-licking moment when they are reunited with their dog, be that after a day at the office or a week on holidays. With that insight we hero-ed the reunion moment, to encourage dog owners to microchip and collar and tag their dog.
As a fully integrated campaign it needed to work across all platforms; film, digital, social and print; both indoors and outside sheet posters to raise awareness and most importantly drive traffic to the microsite. The Dog Trust has strong colour branding so we went with a bold graphic design and turned a chunky tagline into a memorable message that was strong across every platform: Nothing beats a #doggiereunion
The campaign had to resonate with a multitude of dog owners, so we reached out to real dog owners to tell the story. The campaign is seeing fantastic traction. Already the Facebook videos have received over 500k views, 6k reactions and 300+ comments which we think is absolutely Paw-some! You can see the micro-site here.


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Scarcely two generations ago, viewing beautiful, powerful dance performances were often limited to urban centers across this country. However, the national dance landscape began to change in 1956 through commitment, hard work and a vision set by the National Association for Regional Ballet. Its prime purpose, continued by Regional Dance America since 1987, has been to decentralize dance throughout the United States by creating standards and fostering quality at all levels of development in order to provide pre-professional performance opportunities for dancers and audiences throughout the United States and Canada.
It became evident to Anatole Chujoy, editor of Dance News, that a festival which would bring together dancers and choreographers within a specified region could offer quality training found in larger metropolitan areas to the smaller corners of dance across this country. Chujoy proposed the festival concept to Dorothy Alexander, director Atlanta Civic Ballet. The seeds of the idea could not have been planted in a more fertile mind for Mrs. Alexander, a visionary and leader enthusiastically developed the idea. In 1956 the Atlanta Civic Ballet hosted the first regional festival in its home city where eight Southeastern companies were invited to participate. The success of this event immediately led to the formation of the Southeastern Regional Ballet Festival Association.
By 1958 it became apparent that there was a nucleus of persons consistently interested in the festivals and capable of objectivity concerning the aim of a regional movement. This group Dorothy Alexander, Atlantic Civic Ballet; Anatole Chujoy, founder/editor, Dance News; Doris Herring, associate editor & principal critic, Dance Magazine; Lydia Joel, editor, Dance Magazine; P. W, Manchester, managing editor, Dance News; Ben Sommers, "Mr. Capezio"; and Alice M. Bingham of Capezio; developed into an advisory board with Dorothy Alexander elected as chairman. From this point forward, The National Association for Regional Ballet continued to evolve in order to meet the needs of its member companies.
Expansion of the festival experience began because among the important guests who attended the first Atlanta Festival in 1956 was Alexi Ramov, director of the Scranton Ballet Guild. He was so inspired that he promptly set about organizing a similar association for his area—the Northeast Regional Ballet Association. So in 1959, the Northeast Region held its own first event. Barbara Weisberger, director of the Wilkes-Barre Ballet, joined Ramov in sponsoring the festival.
Word began to spread across the country with Ben Sommers, president of Capezio, Ballet Makers, being a great supporter and chronicler of the new phenomenon. In 1963, the Southwestern Regional Ballet Association was formed and held its first festival with Barbara and David Carson of the Austin Civic Ballet as hosts. This was followed in 1966 by the formation of the Pacific Western Regional Ballet Association with its first festival hosted by Deane and Barbara Crockett of the Sacramento Civic Ballet. Finally, the Mid-States Regional Ballet Association held its first festival in Kansas City in April, 1972, hosted by the Kansas City Ballet.
In 1963 at the urging of the Regional Associations, the National Association for Regional Ballet was incorporated as a non-profit organization and chartered under the laws of the State of New York. The original advisors became a Board of Directors, which continued to act in an advisory rather than a legislative capacity. The Board was expanded and, most importantly, each Region elected a coordinator to be its representative on the National Board. Thus a strong bond between the Regions and the Board was formed.
After the first festival in Atlanta and under the guidance of the NARB, the regional ballet movement gained impetus and became one of the liveliest of all grass roots, cultural activities. Initially there were perhaps thirty-five local or civic companies spread throughout the United States which existed in great isolation. The regional movement created opportunity for connectivity of companies who were committed to standards and the festival experience. NARB produced an enormous impact on dance and its decentralization in this country and certainly shouldered a great deal of the responsibility for the much-talked-about dance boom of the sixties and seventies and a significant role in the development of renowned professional companies. Boston Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Atlanta Ballet, Washington Ballet, and Philadanco are companies representative of those who had their start as members of NARB or RDA. Today, due to NARB and RDA the number of member companies has expanded almost ten-fold from thirty-five to three hundred.
The annual festivals within each region continue to be the focal point of the regional ballet movement and have raised public awareness and knowledge of the scope of regional ballet in this country. Through the adjudication process, master classes, seminars, and performances, the festivals truly serve to raise the standards of those amenable, diligent companies and individual dancers. The evening performances of the three day festival give each member company the opportunity to demonstrate the development and growth of artistic standards. Hence, the festivals typically held in spring have become the season's grand finale for both dancers and directors.
The Summer Choreography Conference (now known as the National Choreography Intensive) was first developed in the Northeast Region under the guidance of Josephine Schwarz, artistic director of Dayton Civic Ballet 1961 It was found to be so successful that with the support of the five regions the National Board assumed the role of running the conferences making it a national project. With funding from the NEA as well as other sources, the conferences were successfully presented for fifteen years, generally using the format of two summer conferences per year in alternate regions. This method of encouraging and raising the standards of choreography assisted in the development of many young choreographers who have gone on to productive careers as free lance choreographers and/or artistic directors. Dancers in attendance have also found it exciting and helpful in learning to work well with many genres of choreography and choreographers.
Since the transition of National Association of Regional Ballet to Regional Dance America in 1987, a two week Choreographic Conference has continued to take place in various regions of the country each summer through the strong support of the five regions. A unique experience is provided for dancers and choreographers. For the dancers, master classes in different genres and experiencing the choreographic process with emerging and young newly established choreographers adds depth and understanding for daily performances. The choreographers are given time, opportunity, and guidance to experiment and hone their craft. This equates to the regional movement continuing to be the source of some of America's most meaningful choreographers.
In 1990 Regional Dance America was invited by Thalia Mara, artistic director of the International Ballet Competition, to perform in Jackson, Mississippi. Through an adjudication process, one company was selected from each of the five regions and an RDA Exhibition Performance was presented on the single free day of the competition. This afforded RDA validation as a dance organization that provided artistic standards of quality and exposure to an enthusiastic international audience. IBC continues to be in Jackson every four years, and RDA continues to be committed to the event sending dancers/companies from each of the five Regions to perform a selected piece of choreography.
A milestone—a significant change for RDA—came in the form of the first National Festival in Houston, Texas, in 1997. All five Regions, Mid-States, Northeast, Pacific, Southeast, and Southwest, comprised the 100 companies, 1,500 dancers, and 500 artistic directors, teachers, chaperones, and board members in attendance for the five full day experience. Glenda Brown, artistic director of Allegro Ballet, served as Festival Host with the support of the National Board and member companies from across the country. The success of the first National Festival inspired three ensuing National Festivals.
Gretchen Vogelzang, Managing Director of RDA and now RDA's Executive Director has led RDA through three National Festivals. "See America Dancing" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the second National Festival which celebrated 50 years of Regional Dance. As with the first National Festival, over 2,000 dancers, teachers, chaperones and board members were afforded a diverse experience—national and international faculty provided new insight, performances offered inspiration, and time between classes afford connecting and networking for all attendees.
The third National Festival in 2012 crossed the border and became an international festival; a festival in the "City of Lights," Montreal, Canada. "Festival de Danse" afforded RDA's 2,000 dancers, 250 directors and teachers the opportunity to be embraced by a community with a thriving and diverse dance population supported by a very strong arts and entertainment district. Exposure to a diversified culture created a depth, and experience like no other festival, regional or national, for the RDA dancers.
RDA recently held its fourth National Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, in the spring of 2017. Like the previous three, the vision and success is accomplished through the dedication of the National Board and commitment of the Regions in order to provide a unified, positive experience for each company, each dancer, and each choreographer— to show that RDA is of significance to the dance world. National Festival by National Festival will see RDA traverse across this country Region by Region in order to fulfill dancers' passion and audiences' appreciation for the art of dance.
The future of RDA lies in its steadfast commitment to dancers and choreographers. It endeavors to elevate the level of dance across the nation through established rigorous standards in education and performance opportunities. Regardless of geographic boundaries, dancers and choreographers are provided quality training in order to master their craft. Through the effort of RDA and its Regions, tens of thousands of dollars are given to dancers to attend prestigious college/university, professional, and choreographic intensives throughout the U.S. RDA is an organization of distinction which provides situations that may open dancers' eyes to the full dance experience—traveling to a new venue, a variety of dance genres, master teachers and corrections, auditions, performances to peers. Ultimately, revealing possibilities of enriching our country in world of dance.
This history was written by Doris Hering and Barbara Crockett with subsequent contributions by Gretchen Vogelzang.


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Washington Post, junius 26:
"Her and Him
Several months ago the Post reported that a Gaithersburg woman had
been convicted of seducing a 13-year-old whom she was tutoring. The
woman was sentenced to six months in jail. A female attorney was
quoted as saying that this proved that sex with minors was treated
just as seriously when a woman was the miscreant as when a man was
involved. The woman's name, however, was not published. The Post
said that this was to protect the privacy of the teenager.
No such courtesy was given to an obscure professional athlete
(from another city) who was named in The Post in a short piece the
same day. He had been previously charged with rape by a woman, but
had not been convicted. The woman later withdrew the charges.
Several weeks later, in a tiny article buried in the back of The
Post, we learned that the aforementioned female tutor's sentence
been reduced to one month in jail with the remainder of her short
sentence suspended. There were no protests and certainly no
On June 16 in the Post a similar story was reported from Fairfax
County, where a male tutor had seduced a 14-year-old. The man was
named by The Post, of course, and sentenced to 50 years in jail
25 suspended. He will be eligible for parole in five years, it was
This must be more evidence of how unfairly women are treated by
legal system and the media in sex-related cases, a situation that
reported regularly in The Post and most of the national media.
-Robert E. Mumford Jr."
Begepelte: Zeke Laszlo