text: Hifiman HE500 & HE400 Jergpad Mod v2.5 By Jerg & Modulor Feb 16, 2014 - @modulor just notified me that he will be closing reservations for Batch 3 orders now. Scroll down to spoilered message past big tutorial link for details. Jan 27, 2014 - @modulor is up for making new Jergpads in Q1 of 2014! Just PM him for details. Sep 23, 2013 - Tutorial for version 2.5 of the Jergpad is out! It is written by Modulor, and incorporates much of his optimized approaches at doing the 4 modding steps (damping holes, velour top, backvents, adhesion mods) inherent in v2.0 guide I wrote, as well as a further optional 5th step I came up with specifically for HE500s, called "Outer Damping Holes mod for HE500" aka "port hole mod" (I like the latter name better ). There is also a brief (modded or stock) Hifiman earpad installation video I recorded for those who have no clue how to install the earpads properly. Without further a-do... Modulor's Jergpad v2.5 Modding Tutorial (by Modulor) -hosted on Imgur.com Up-to-date order updates (updated) from Modulor: Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler! Feb 16, 2014 update from Modulor: Earpad installation video for full Jergpads (and stock pads) Jergpad v2.5 measurements Oct 6, 2013 Courtesy of purrin for conducting the measurements, of Modulor for providing purrin with modded pads for HE500 measurements, and of Thujone for providing purrin with HE400s+Jergpads for HE400 measurements HE500 + full v2.5 Jergpads Reference: HE500 + stock velours Reference: HE500 + stock pleathers Analysis: Treble region is much more cohesive with the modded pads than any of the stock pads, which will be noticed as a "smoother upper midrange / treble, and more coherent midrange~treble transition". Overall frequency response becomes very flat, with a slight warm tilt, non-intrusive upper midrange, and a present but again non-intrusive treble region. Low bass behaviour is interesting; a small sub-bass (<50Hz) bump is introduced as intended, there is some 3rd order harmonic relative to stock earpads, but still quite low in practice. My subjective interpretation (which can be disputed) is that this extra harmonic distortion at the very low frequency contributes to the rumble of the sub-bass, which otherwise is very low profile. CSDs (cumulative spectral decay "waterfall" plots) indicate the HE500s to decay very nicely with the modded pads, with midrange decay comparable to the velours especially around the trouble region ~600 Hz. Treble decay is also great, evenly across 3000Hz - 10kHz+. There is just the start of a more prominent decay "belly" below 400 Hz with the modded pads relative to the stock velours, which at least partly accounts for the more satisfying "meaty" lower end with pleathers. Note the 2000 Hz "wall of ringing", that is a benign CSD artifact inherent to most planar magnetic headphones and can be ignored. HE400 + v2.5 Jergpads (without backvent openings*) HE400 + v2.5 Jergpads (with backvents open) Reference: HE400 + stock pleathers Analysis *As noted above, this measurement is done without the backvents being open, the reason as we found out through the measurement / discussion process, is that HE400 drivers are not well-damped by themselves, and are thus very sensitive to improper damping. That is the case here where having the backvents open aka having a broken seal between the pads and the cups/drivers, causes a hump at 50 Hz and roll-off below 35 Hz or so. Of course the open backvents are done to improve the soundstage openness, so in the end it is a trade-off with HE400s. Like the HE500 measurements, with HE400 the modded pads bring in more cohesive midrange and treble behaviour, smoothing out most of the peaks and valleys - bringing in more coherency in the sound and better mids~treble transition (less treble disconnection). HE400's innate voicing is still retained, with the laid-back upper midrange and highly present treble, but much less extreme than the stock pleathers. Harmonic distortion in the midrange is improved, that correlates somewhat to the FR changes. Measured low bass behaviour with the modded pads are questionable; having the backvents open allows for a 50Hz hump sound great with most bassy music tracks I test, but having the backvents closed (full seal) allows for more accurate behaviour. I devised and improved upon the Jergpads on the basis of HE500 always, so this bass interaction with HE400 was largely overlooked by me. Honestly having the backvents open with HE400 is subjectively more satisfying for me despite the poorer measurement. Note: Tutorials/impressions/elaborations/measurements of past revisions of Jergpad will be spoilered and packed up below. Modulor July batch Jergpad impressions Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler! Jul 24, 2013 - Modulor Jergpads photos and impressions Link to post here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/646812/hifiman-he500-he400-jergpad-mod-v2-0/675#post_9644743 (Contact Modulor via PM if you want to get in on his second batch of orders) Preface(s) of my progression thought process / timeline in devising the mod Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler! PREFACE First off, The Preface of the Preface (this is the Preface of version 1 of Jergpad mod where I described why exactly I even bothered, the background story so to speak): Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler! PREFACE Ever since I got my HE500s two months ago, I have been very bothered that no earpad worked out perfectly for me with them. The stock Hifiman velour pads (with detachable mounting rings) thin out the bass and lower midrange too much and cause the whole tonality to shift toward the upper midrange and treble, giving too much forwardness and glare, and too little body and fullness to the sound signature. The stock Hifiman pleather pads, on the other hand, are almost exactly the opposite; they give an incredibly satisfying full-bodied lower end, tame the treble and upper midrange effectively, resulting in a tonality that renders everything from voices to instruments realistically and without any fatigue or glare. However there is one major downfall with the pleathers – they have a huge amount of chamber resonance in the opening of the earpads and so the HE500 ends up sounding cupped, and have little to no "air", losing a huge amount of upper end detail extraction, and is almost muffled but not quite. **Quick note: I never kept the foam spacers inside of the stock pleather pads because it 1) compromised the comfort and 2) muddled up the sound considerably into a wonky mess; also it won't be compatible with this particular mod, so don't even think about it….just throw it in the garbage right now ** This led me to try 2 other pads: vintage Hifiman velour pads (with permanently attached clear brittle plastic mounting mechanism), and the J-Money (J$) Beyerdynamic lambskin earpads. In short, neither gave me exactly what I want still. The vintage velours tame the upper end much better than the new velours, but a large part of the lower end is nonexistent with these pads so the overall sound becomes too light and powerless. The J$'s were the closest to perfect from my experience, where they extracted the most amount of overall detail from the drivers, had a great balance of the full-bodied nature of pleathers and the airiness and openness of the velours, and were just superior earpads in terms of comfort. The thing that persuaded me it was still not quite right was that it retained a lot of the upper mids glare and treble sibilance similar to the new velours, which was no issue with the pleathers and to a lesser degree to the vintage velours. After playing around these four types of earpads for the past couple of weeks, I came to the realization that the unique effortless tonality of the Hifiman pleathers is intrinsic to the foam used in them (a dense foam with a memory-foam-like consistency), and the thickness (which determines how close your ears are to the drivers). This was not replicatable with any of the other pads as they use different types of foams with different thicknesses. Another observation I came to have was that the main reason why all the earpad types except the pleathers have great upper end detail extraction and cleanness, was because they are all properly damped to minimize chamber resonance! With both the velour pad types, sound bouncing in the inner opening of the earpads escape through the velour fabric, while in the J$ pads, the sound reflects off the leather but is ultimately absorbed by the huge number of holes bored into the underside of the pads (Fig 1), and absorbed into the earpad foam itself. Fig 1. The multi-hole scheme in the undersides of the J$ Beyer pads used to properly chamber-damp the earpads; inspiration for this mod. And so the lightbulb went up in my head. What if I mod the stock pleathers so that they are more properly damped? Thus this mod was born. This version 2 of the Jergpad mod is an evolution upon the first version, as I collected more ideas for modifications, and consolidated old methods to optimize the protocol. The essential goal of this series of modifications is to optimize the sound conducting from the Hifiman drivers to your ears, through tweaks and changes on the Hifiman stock pleather earpads. Instead of the scatter-brained babble with confusing instructions that was the first version of this mod, I am able to organize my thoughts and split the mod into 4 components here. - The 'core' damping holes mod - The backvents minimod - The velour-top mod - The sub-bass adhesion mod The first 2 mod components are directly inherited from the first version of Jergpad, but I have refined the methods so that they are 1) less destructive on the earpads being modded, and 2) much, much simpler to understand and carry out (hopefully). The second 2 mod components have interesting stories. The velour-top mod came about as I was reading Mad Lust Envy's complaints about his hate for leather/pleather earpads, and another user harked back to the special earpads that Sennheiser Orpehus used, which had a velour top on a leather base earpad; later another user Beaver316 carried out a similar mod, sewing a piece of felt cut-out onto his pleathers to great effect. Having little to no sewing skills, I had to find an alternative way, and thus this was conceived, and to great effect! This medium-difficulty mod transforms the sound by opening up the imaging and giving the overall sound signature an "out of the head" sense, via the unique ability of the velour to break the seal of the pleathers without negatively impacting the innate tonal balance. The sub-bass adhesion mod was something I always wanted to try out even before Jergpad v1.0. I always knew that Audeze LCD2/3 earpads were installed by adhering the pads onto the cups with double-sided tape that they provided (video: http://audeze.com/padschange, scroll to the bottom for the video), and the consensus has been that it allowed for optimal bass conduction. I never did it before as it is a semi-permanent change that is a mess to clean up. Eventually trying it though, revealed that it indeed granted a dramatic boost to sub-bass conduction; my HE500s now extend comfortably down to 20Hz (it previously rolled off quite hard by 25 Hz). The fact that it is a semi-permanent mod means it is the last on the list, so that you can choose to do it, or not. I would recommend that you go the extra mile and do it though. An infograph I made trying to present the goal of the mod: IMHO slightly south of the "best balance" is nicer and more synergistic with the nature of the planars sound, so the mod is ideal, in that light. P.S. Other Hifiman ortho owners (e.g. of HE5LE/HE4/HE6) are also welcome to try Jergpad mod. I could only test it on HE400 and HE500 but it would make sense that the improvements are less about synergy, and more about intrinsic improvements to the sonic qualities of the earpads. Now let's get to it… Jergpad v2.0 modding tutorial Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler! TOOLS NEEDED 1. Pic of all the tools needed assembled together - A pair of Hifiman stock pleather pads, with the mounting rings - A pair of sharp scissors, or xacto knife (any precision cutting tool you are comfortable with) - A Sharpie marker - Electrical tape, or duct tape (any kind of thick rubbery tape really) - (For Parts III & IV) double-sided adhesive tape (thin variety, where the adhesive tape is extremely thin) - (For Part III) A pair of sacrificial (you will be destroying it) Hifiman stock velour pads, without the mounting rings - Other basic stuff like pencil/pen/masking tape etc PROTOCOL PART I CORE PLEATHER DAMPING MODS - The modifications in this segment dramatically increases the damping factor of the Hifiman pleather earpads, clearing up the midrange, which boosts clarity, imaging, and improves the timbre, taking off the nasty midrange "glare" associated with the stock pads. It is the meat of the Jergpad mod compilation. *inspired by Beyerdynamic stock / J$ earpads* - 2. Remove the mounting ring from under the pleather pads; also be sure to remove the ring of hard foam tucked inside the pleathers (and throw the foam rings away; they negatively impact the sound) 3. Flip the earpads inside out 4. How the earpads look after turning them inside out 5. Mark out damping hole spots with a sharpie marker (also shown is a rough diagram of how I lay out the holes pattern) 6. Use sharp scissors or knife to cut out the holes (I try to pinch out the part where a hole is to be cut out, and use scissors); this will take a while to do for all the holes 7. Finished cutting the damping holes; trim if necessary to maximize the hole sizes without compromising the integrity of the fabric (overall took me about 15 mins; will probably take you closer 30 mins if not longer, depending on your proficiency with cutting the holes) 8. Unflip the pads so they are not inside-out anymore, and re-insert the plastic mounting rings; using a pencil or pen, mark out the circle where there is the slight indentation of the mounting ring along the outer edges; trim the rubber flap under the earpads along that guideline, so they no longer go over the mounting ring holes (credit to itshot!). **** DO NOT GET OVERZEALOUS WITH TRIMMING THE RUBBER FLAPS, OTHERWISE THEY WILL NOT PROPERLY RETAIN THE PLASTIC MOUNTING RINGS ANY MORE. PART II 'BACK-VENT' MINIMOD - The modifications in this segment slightly angle the drivers to the ears while at the same time lifts the earpads from the drivers slightly, allowing for a more centralized focal point with music but also boosting the openness of the sound; for some it also improves comfort as it slightly distances the ears away from touching the drivers. - 9. Make the 4 tape stacks of electrical or duct tape; I do 2x stacks of 7 thick (for the center two stacks) per earpad, and 2x stacks of 5 thick (for the two flanking stacks) per earpad; totalling 48 strips of rectangles of about 1cm x 0.5cm (that's ½'' x ¼'' for Americans) that need to be assembled into these 8 stacks of tape. All in all the stacks are about 1.5mm~2mm (about 1/10'') in thickness. 10. bond the tape stacks onto the mounting rings; again, the center 2 stacks are the thicker 7-layer tape stacks, and the two flanking stacks are the thinner 5-layer tape stacks 11. If you put these earpads onto the headphone now, orientate the pads so that the back vents line up with the yoke screw facing toward the back of the head if you wear the headphones (hence the name of the mod "back-vent", haha) Parts I and II pretty much encompass the version 1 of Jergpad mod in a more refined way, and you can stop here in the jergmod; however, I strongly recommend that you go the extra steps (below) to further improve the pads! Part III will improve imaging and dynamics drastically, while Part IV will give Audeze-like sub-bass extension. Yeah...better do them PART III 'VELOUR-TOP' MOD - The modifications in this segment improve comfort in two ways: via the velour material, and by giving a slightly farther distance with the ears from the drivers to prevent ear irritation. More importantly, it improves the sound quality by breaking the seal of the pleather material, giving a significantly more open and "out of the head" sound, WITHOUT losing the natural tonal balance of the pleathers/jergpads. Dynamics are improved dramatically also. *inspired by Sennheiser HE90 earpads / beaver316* - *note: steps 15-17 can be alternatively done by sewing the fabric onto the pleathers, if your sewing skills are good. In fact, it is the preferred method. 12. Score / use tape as outline on the velour pads for precision cutting; basically the inside rim cutting will be along the inner seam of the velour fabric contacting the underside rubber material, while the outer cut will be along approx the middle of the vertical portion of the velour fabric, as shown in the photo 13. Cutting into the velours 14. How the cannibalized velour cutouts look like, with a ruler showing the dimensions 15. Add double-sided tape to backsides of the velour cutouts; trim the inside and outside edges of the tape to have them in line with the edges of the velour cutouts 16. Peel away the covers for the double-sided tape 17. Adhere carefully onto the jergpads; trim the edges of the velour top where necessary PART IV PAD-CUP ADHESION 'SUB-BASS' MOD - The modifications in this segment have one single goal: to improve sub-bass conduction from the drivers to the earpads. The adhesion of the mounting ring base to the headphone cups with this mod forces full conduction of bass in the range of 15-30 Hz, thus vastly improving sub-bass extension. It is by far the most discreet part of the Jergpad mod, and allows for very secure bond between the earpad and the headphones (some owners complain about stock pads shifting around feeling cheap). *inspired by Audez'e earpad installation methods* - 18. Trace out the double-sided tape with pen, for where they will bond to the undersides of the mounting rings; do THREE per earpad, leaving ¼ of each earpad mounting ring for the backvent mod tape stacks 19. How the double-sided tape looks like once trimmed to the trace pattern 20. Tape the tape cutouts onto the mounting rings, peel off the covers 21. Score out the holes of the mounting ring through the adhesive double-sided tape, and expand those holes with a tool 22. Install the pads onto headphone cups carefully (making sure to line up the backvent tape stacks I mentioned in Part II), and press for the undersides to bond well RESULT 23. Finished product with all the optional steps done. HE500 with the full jergpad mod becomes tonally perfect, taking on a slightly romantic sound where bass, midrange, and treble are in just about the right balance with each-other. Imaging is very natural and expands out of the head, and clarity is stellar. Not much more to say really, I just can't pick on the resulting sound at all, everything is in its right place. HE400 with the same jergpad configuration also takes on a new life in its sound, the best way to describe its sound would be that it turns very close into how HE500 with velour pads sounds like, except with a punchier bass and slightly more aggressive treble (though nowhere near as aggressive as with velour pads). The biggest factor is that the midrange is pushed forward, and treble is pushed back, and genres like female vocals become much more enjoyable and natural-sounding with this new tonal balance. Jergpad v1.0 measurements (courtesy of Purrin) Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler! Measurements; much thanks to Purrin 1. FR; green = jergpads, blue = velour 2. CSD of jergpads v1.0 3. CSD of velours (Note that these measurements are with v1 of jergpad!!!!! It does NOT include the changes from Parts III and VI of the current mod version) Overall much more even and full upper end, less peaks / dips, sibilants would thus be tamed as reflected by my subjective impressions. Things that are not readily shown by the measurements are that the midrange is much thicker and more satisfying with the jergpads, without the glare/ringing of stock pleathers. Have fun modding!


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Early 2018 is a particularly dynamic time for codec development and deployment, and many streaming publishers are wondering whether to stand pat with H.264 or to start to experiment with VP9, HEVC, or even AV1. When Apple added HEVC to HLS in mid-2017, HEVC seemed like the frontrunner. Then, in January 2018, Apple joined the Alliance for Open Media, seemingly backing the AV1 codec, which is scheduled to be released in early 2018.
Which codecs will advance in 2018 and beyond, and which will fall by the wayside? To a great degree, this depends upon which codecs are deployed by streaming producers and when. A new report from Unisphere Research and Streaming Media magazine, and sponsored by Harmonic, reveals these intentions.
The new report, entitled The Impact of Apple's HEVC Adoption: A Survey-Based Report, asks how quickly the over 600 respondents anticipate supporting HEVC in HLS, as well as their plans for VP9 and AV1. It also delves into the concerns each publisher has about each format, such as unknown royalty costs (HEVC) or uncertain performance parameters (AV1). Anyone seeking a snapshot of how codec deployments will play out over the next 12-18 months should download this free report.
The OTT Video Services is hot. Right now, Hulu is nearing 12 million paid subscribers; Netflix has in excess of 75 million subscribers, and is available in almost 200 countries worldwide; and Amazon has almost 50 million Prime members, all of which have access to original and licensed video on-demand (VOD) OTT content as part of their memberships.
And, beyond the "big 3" of OTT, there are hundreds of OTT providers, catering to various niches. Whether building a base of OTT subscribers around user-generated content (UGC), linear channel OTT as part of the "TV Everywhere" initiatives, or even live event OTT pay-per-view or event models, OTT providers serve the needs of viewers across the content spectrum.
Understanding that the agility of OTT providers to simultaneously look backward to gather best practices while also looking toward the future is what will enable their accelerated market growth, Unisphere Research and Streaming Media magazine have published a new survey report, titled "The OTT-Video Services Market—Today's Trends and What is Next for 4K, HDR, HFR & VR." Helping to assess the potential of OTT, the research, which was sponsored by Level 3 Communications, and crafted by Transitions, Inc., represents the views of 628 respondents who either consume or create OTT content and services.
Streaming Media magazine and Unisphere Research, along with Onstream Media Corp., and Transitions, Inc., set out to gauge trends in Large-Scale Webcasting (Large-Scale Webcast) and the impact of pricing on recurring webcasting usage.
Approximately 700 respondents completed this 34-question survey, with approximately 84% of respondents hailing from North America. Over half (56%) of survey respondents identified themselves as working for a company that produces live webcasts.
Respondents who work for companies that produce Large-Scale Webcasts were aware of the need to support smartphones and tablets. However, many of these same respondents noted that live webcasts are often viewed on a bigger screen than a smartphone or tablet: typical webcast viewing still including laptops, desktops, external monitors connected to a laptop, or even a set-top box or streaming dongle on a television.
This use of a bigger screen to view live webcasts was one of several surprise findings, perhaps due to the value placed on live webcast content. Pricing was also an area that attracted significant interest.
These details and more can be found in the free Large-Scale Webcasting Services report, available for download.
Streaming Media magazine and Unisphere Research, along with along with key sponsor and research partner Brightcove, surveyed a wide cross-section of media professionals on the challenges and benefits of using a hosted video service (HVS).
Titled "Hosted Video Services Survey and Analysis," the report is sponsored by Brightcove, produced by Unisphere Research, and crafted by Transitions Inc. The report analyzes responses from 992 Streaming Media magazine and streamingmedia.com readers on their use of HVS.
Key findings include continued growth in mobile consumption, especially from Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad. This move to mobile has presented challenges for some respondents.
"Mobile devices (tablets, smartphones) require different video formats than PCs, so that creates more complexity in both encoding and delivery and storage," one respondent stated.
In addition, Transitions noted that respondents tend to work for companies that either deliver less than 100,000 or more than 1 million unique streams of online content per month, meaning a wide gap exists in the use of HVS solutions, although those above 1 million streams tend to use multiple HVS partners to cover redundancy and scalability.
Finally, respondents rated multi-device delivery capability as their top need when it comes to using HVS, followed by a "need for speed" when it came to player load times, as well as a need for detailed analytics. The report is available at no charge.
Streaming Media magazine and Unisphere Research, along with key sponsor and research partner Level 3 Communications, set about to gauge the state of over-the top video delivery and the challenges and opportunities for global OTT service providers. Survey respondents weighed in on OTT growth, both today and in the near future.
Key findings from the survey include the following:
Titled, "Over-the-Top Video Delivery—Challenges and Opportunities for Global OTT Service Providers," the report is sponsored by Level 3 Communications, produced by Unisphere Research, and crafted by Transitions Inc. The report analyzes responses from 809 Streaming Media Magazine and streamingmedia.com readers on OTT trends and opportunities. The survey asked respondents to examine OTT from a variety of angles, ranging from business and technology challenges to the competitive challenges and revenue viability of offering OTT services.
There is no charge to download the full report. Simply register and download the report here.
Streaming Media magazine and Unisphere Research, along with key sponsor and research partner Akamai, set about to gauge the State of CDN Services. We asked survey respondents to provide details of both their viewing habits as well as their assessment of CDN services, both in terms of expected terabytes served and CDN features.
Our research centered on industry experts, media engineers and executive management, so we asked questions that provided insight into both the actual and intended uses of CDN services. We found three primary results: Our survey takers tend to be fragmented when it comes to primary media consumption devices, tend to work for companies that either deliver less than 1TB or more than 100TB of online content per month, and are almost equally concerned with pricing in CDN service models as with the need to maintain multi-screen delivery to existing and emerging media consumption devices.
Some key results of the study include:
Streaming Media magazine and Unisphere Research, along with Piksel, set about to gauge the State of the Second Screen. We asked survey respondents to provide us with details of both their viewing habits as well as their assessment of second-screen users, both in terms of expected viewing habits and key features for second-screen applications.
Most research into second-screen trends only accounts for the consumer's point of view, but our research centered on industry experts, media engineers and executive management, providing insight into both the actual and intended uses of second-screen applications.
What we found was an industry that is a bit at odds with itself...
Download the full research report and analysis today
OTT video is maturing towards a pay environment, with sustainable business models. Premium content delivery is becoming a more significant component of the overall online video business, thereby transitioning OTT delivery towards a pay-TV model. Obtaining broad content rights to stream video to multiple screens is felt to be a significant business growth obstacle.
These are some of the findings of a new StreamingMedia.com survey of media industry executives, which sought to uncover their views on the current and future state of OTT video from inside the trenches.
Download the complete report to get more insights and analysis on this growing business segment, plus the Executive Summary by Dan Rayburn of Streamingmedia.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Ascaron Entertainment
Sacred 2 video for Ice & Blood expansion shows dragons
The Ice & Blood expansion for Sacred 2 is expected to arrive for PC on August 28 – for Germany only. Until the rest of the globe gets it, we will just have to be content to watch the first video for it. Watch it over on Shack.
Ascaron Entertainment headlines
Sacred 2 PC gets patched to 2.43.0
Exactly what it says on the tin: the PC version of Ascaron's RPG, Sacred 2, has been patched to version 2.43. Download it directly from Ascaron's site and read the full patch notes over on the forums. There's no hint if this is on its way to consoles or not. Get clicking.
Sacred 2 dev files for bankruptcy protection, add-on and third game in works
Sacred 2 developer Ascaron Entertainment filed for bankruptcy protection on April 14, reports WorthPlaying. According to the site, delays may have attributed to the firm's financial issues. To try and get another company interesting in acquiring the studio, it was revealed that an add-on for Sacred 2 is scheduled for release this summer, as is […]
King's Bounty: The Legend in stores today for PC
King's Bounty: The Legend arrives in stores today. The RPG/RTS hybrid allows you to lead an army of dwarves, humans, vampires, pirates, snakes and devilfish across a huge continent, completing missions such as leading revolutions, overthrowing tyrants, slaying dragons and taking part in strategic battles. Eclectic. You can even start your own family should the […]
Sacred 2 gets firm release dates, Atari to publish
Atari has announced that it will be publishing Ascaron Entertainment's RPG, Sacred 2, and to celebrate, they've unveiled firm release dates for both PC and console. The PC version will ship November 11, not November 7 as we told you the other day. The console versions hit the shelves on February 17. So that's that. […]


text: Hi Joseph, Your project and projects like yours were one of the principal motivations behind the decision to focus on FR. GTA03 as defined would not have met your needs: no wifi, no GPS. Comments below inlined address your other concerns Joseph Reeves wrote: >> Werner and I are discussing various possibilities. I rule nothing out. > > Steve, at the OpenExpo Sean refered to the Dash navigator as a > "dashtraction" from the serious business of Openmoko. To be specific he said that Dash took 90% of our resources. That forms the heart of the argument to characterize it as a distraction.. perhaps the better word would be DIVERSION. How will "Plan > B" (which is presumably not a distraction but a means of improving ROI > for FIC) avoid becoming thought of as Dash2? Project B is not a dash like diversion of resourse. The prototype engineering didnt even rise to half the level of a EVT run for a phone. That's been paid for long ago. Sunk cost. So we have two choices for the hardware team working on GTA03: A: let them continue and they run out of resources 1/3 the way through the project ensuring failure. B. Keep them relatively intact and have them work to cost down project B and bring it to market. and then transition to a more well defined GTA03. Openmoko is not a part of FIC anymore we spun out in 2008. Having said that, Project B, like all new category devices is a calculated risk. In my 11 years at Creative labs I did nothing but bring new category products to market. It's hard, but it's not impossible. Finishing GTA03 as it was defined, given our resources, was mathematically impossible. I dont know anything more distracting that trying to prove that 2+2=5. So, given the choice between what I know to be impossible and what I know to possible, I'll pick the possible everytime. so would you. > > Thanks for your emails on the subject so far, > > Joseph > > > > 2009/4/7 Steve Mosher <steve at openmoko.com>: >> >> Gerald A wrote: >>> Hi all, >>> I originally wrote Lothar in private, and asked for his permission to repost >>> to the list. There have been a few replies in the meantime, but there were >>> some good points here. >>> >>> Now, I'm not a hardware guy, so take my input with a grain of salt, but I >>> have been watching the project for a while, and as a software person I hope >>> we can make it work. >>> >>> Lothar -- new comments are inline. >>> >>> On Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 10:47 AM, Lothar Behrens <lothar.behrens at lollisoft.de >>>> wrote: >>>>> On Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 7:08 AM, Lothar Behrens < >>>>> lothar.behrens at lollisoft.de> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Ok I cannot buy expensive equipment to test hardware that I may have >>>>> developed, but I virtually could >>>>> develop hardware. But many developers at one subject could spend money for >>>>> a rent to let one of the >>>>> team do outstanding tests. >>>>> >>>>> Isn't it possible to also develop hardware collaboratively? >>>> I have to say -- at this point, I don't think so. It's not that the concept >>>>> is impossible, or as you mention above, that testing can't be done. But >>>>> based on what OM and FIC before them have reported, it would be very hard. >>>>> >>>> Yes, it would be hard, but FIC and OM have made a great job. We have a >>>> fully functioning phone, but we couldn't easy create our own prototypes to >>>> play with. Good ideas are published as the robotics project. If having a >>>> really open schematics and even the board design. one could change the >>>> formfactor and add his/her needed stuff to play with. If you have to worry >>>> about how to enter a completely new schematics from the PDF, the fence is >>>> higher to think about jumping over and just DO it. >>> >>> Steve has commented a bit about this, as far as a packaging and final >>> production are concerned. There might be a possibility to build "modular >>> kits" so different hardware (and software) combos could be tried out, but >>> translating that into a widget that can be sold as a phone is also a >>> consideration. We could put together an awesome phone as a kit that is about >>> the size of a CD drive, but then find out that some parts we used aren't >>> available in quantities or timelines that make sense to produce a phone. The >>> concept is awesome, but I'm not sure it can feed into a real product -- but >>> it's something to think about. >> Werner and I are discussing various possibilities. I rule nothing out. >> >>> >>> >>>> Principally, this is due to a moving target. Since everything is obsolete >>>>> in a few months, the shelf life of products in the embedded space is very >>>>> small. The next big hurdle is in getting specs. OM/FIC were producing >>>>> thousands of devices and possibly more, so had better quantities then a >>>>> hobby group might muster -- and still had poor access to hardware specs, >>>>> when they got them. Now, of course, some of their decisions might have been >>>>> practical too (we can get >1000 more closed pieces from company X, while we >>>>> can only get ~100 more open pieces from company Y), we don't know. >>>>> >>>> Yes, the technique is moving forward fast - for the real phone, not for a >>>> GSM module for sample :-) >>>> >>>> Today I have searched for a GSM module and indeed found one with a complete >>>> ARM based Linux stack. It would be much too expensive, but when having only >>>> the next planned GSM module that will appear in the phone, one could test it >>>> on a standard pc. Or even participate in GSM related development only. >>> >>> I love the idea of being able to mock up hardware, as it lets the software >>> move forward too. But if our test platform can't be translated into a >>> suitable form factor, it might be a waste. >> YUP. Just to review the GTA03. At one stage the WIFI and GPS had to be >> removed because it didnt fit in the case. If "thin" is in, then using >> a module is out, for the most part. How thin is thin? Typical marketing >> answer would be "thinner than the iPhone" but obviously some fat phones ship >>> >>>> I had an idea about my car radio. The idea came because I use my Neo to >>>> transmit music over bluetooth, then over a FM transmitter to the radio. This >>>> is bad quality. >>>> There are really much entusiasts building their own carPC in double DIN >>>> factor or similar - even small PC barebones. Why not equip it with a GSM >>>> module to become a real handsfree carPC + phone. They will benefit from such >>>> a module and propably participate in development. >> On of our early partners, in fact, was designing such a carPC and >> wanted to use FR as a dev platform. Alas they demanded a different >> processor ( Intel) so that deal didnt go through. >>>> Open the development by also selling parts of a phone for the hobby >>>> electronics would increase the audience and the feedback. >>>> I don't know how this component has to be deliverded, but I think it must >>>> be compilant to some law. >>> >>> The current phone stuff already passes those laws. Would it be possible to >>> adapt them, on the electronic side? I have no doubt. Steve or someone on the >>> OM side might be able to speak to the regulations issue. >> You change the RFs ( antenna/circuits etc) and you have to recert. >> I'll have to take a closer look. I know this, I could not sell the >> STREAKER ( a freerunner with no case) without a recertification. >> Antenna and case are a system. >>> Now, there are many people who like the idea of an "open source" phone, but >>>>> I think that a lot of them assume it will be polished to the level that >>>>> modern Linux distros are up to nowadays. And the truth is, the open linux >>>>> phone isn't there yet. >>>>> >>>>> Now, these aren't impossible hurdles to climb, but they aren't going to be >>>>> simple either. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> What I also think about, is why are there only PDF schematics available? >>>>> >>>>> I think there were other formats too, but that might have only been case >>>>> design. My feeling is that OM isn't trying to be closed about hardware -- >>>>> but rather make some money selling it and be able to subsidize software >>>>> development. >>>>> >>>> Selling a mobile phone lab with components and the full schematics would >>>> propably taken from other companies to participate. They may be able to pay >>>> for the kit and inturn >>>> help development and give feedback. Think about opencores or the other >>>> projects and sites. The open hardware movement is at the way. >>>> >>>> With such a kit OM could get money, but also feedback - maybe in schematics >>>> and board design parts. I am not sure if a board could be divided in >>>> subdesigned subboards >>>> as schematics could (KICAD). But at least a part could be developed or the >>>> design could be overtaken. >>>> >>>> Small companies could jump onto that train, if such a kit is available. And >>>> it eases the jump, if Schematics would be based on open source software like >>>> KICAD :-) >>>> >>>> Dont always think about selling ready usable phones. Think about kits that >>>> help driving the idea behind an open phone in general (car PC for sample). >>>> The carPC hobby entusiast propably won't buy a not 'ready' phone, but think >>>> about adding the hands free phone option in his/her project. This is because >>>> he/she is acting in building the carPC. >>> >>> >>> If it is possible to delegate hardware development tasks to the >>>>> comunity why isn't it done yet? >>>>> >>>>> I think this is a good idea. Maybe the community could launch a proposal >>>>> for what should go into an "GTA0X, X >2". The only problem here is that you >>>>> get everyone coming out of the woodwork to add their dream widget to a >>>>> phone. And if that got built, we'd need wheels on it to truck it around. :) >>>>> What we really need then is a way to get community involvement, but also a >>>>> realistic "put your money where your mouth is" way to solicit $$ from people >>>>> who are willing to buy the things. Something like, but stronger then, "if >>>>> the phone had features (x, y, z), would you pony up $AAA bucks for it?" >>>>> >>>> Therefore a site with adding votes would be valuable. This eliminates these >>>> ideas only few have and push ideas many have. >>>> Then propably membership could be enabled to help in that idea... >>> >>> Votes are nice, but even with voting you'll end up with lots of good ideas >>> and perhaps not so many marketable ones. My thought above there was to put >>> your money on the table with a "vote". "My company will by 10 GTA0X.Ys if >>> they have sexy widget Z in them, for $500 a pop". Now, that quantity is too >>> small to mean anything, but if you get 100 people like that, it might be >>> more interesting. >>> >>> >>>> Then if there are some results that have a chance to become a real >>>>> 'next' phone, a company like openmoko could >>>>> think about producing some prototypes. So the company has a reduced cost. >>>>> >>>>> That's a good question -- what would producing prototypes cost? Maybe >>>>> that's the line to take with OM -- we can do the hardware specs, you produce >>>>> a few prototypes to see if they work, and then we go to production? >>>>> >>>> The strength behind the comunity would propably reducing cost of >>>> prototyping. Here is a cost sample: >>>> >>>> http://www.eurocircuits.com/index.php/PCB-production-service-overview/PCB-proto-the-new-PCB-prototype-service-from-Eurocircuits.html >>>> >>>> I know of another printed circuit manufacturer my mother was visiting with >>>> her friend. I'll ask him about such prototyping issues. Maybe he could offer >>>> cheaper. >>>> >>>> The comunity is big and some came to quite good hardware ideas, so why not >>>> push the comunity be selling parts as premanufactured elements and let them >>>> have fun. >>>> Good ideas could be communicated (by voting), cost could be saved when an >>>> idea finds more attract and the chances of usable ideas for the next phone >>>> could be taken, because the hardware is open source. >>> >>>> Swapping prototypes in the comunity would also be an option. Not always a >>>> new prototype is nessesary. One may build a wirewrap circuit and an engineer >>>> could catch up >>>> the prototype to work for a first layout that needs some HF knowledge to >>>> get properly working. Others that are interested in a first prototype >>>> printed circuit could be served by voting to add room for their ideas needed >>>> space on the board as breadboard. >>>> >>>> It's always the comunity that drive good ideas and thus cost is saved. More >>>> boards are cheaper :-) >>> >>> Would a prototype with GSM stuff be ok to be shuffled around? Would the >>> cost to produce such boards really be in the affordable range? >>> >>> There is one really good electronics project: The internal debug board. >>>>> I'm not sure about that. The debug board(s) are one tact, but there are >>>>> lots of different neat knobs in the FR. Early on, someone was using the FR >>>>> for a small remote boat. Some of that stuff needs a creative mind, and it >>>>> might be external to the FR, but it can show what can be done with it. >>>>> >>>>> >>>> I know about the boat, I have watched his video :-) >>>> >>>> A hardware project site and using open source software for board design, >>>> such as KICAD would help to enlarge the comunity. Not all must be inside a >>>> phone, something could >>>> be at a Eurocard sized board. Say the remote boat or in general a device >>>> that supports remote appliances would find more attraction if it would be >>>> 'pluggable' on a stacked board. I am not sure how much electronics the >>>> remote boat needs, but at least controlling servos. >>>> >>>> BTW, I had developed a train station clock driven by a Microchip PIC 16F84, >>>> a stepup DC/DC converter and a simple H bridge to drive the 'motor' of the >>>> clock. >>>> Good ideas must be publisched open sourced (I think about that now :-) >>>> >>>> The project died, because it stuck at soldered wirewrap level board >>>> prototype, it was not communicated, therefore no interest came back thus no >>>> printed circuits were developed at a next development step. It would have a >>>> chance to grow and improve, when it were open sourced and other hobbyists >>>> get knowledge about it - the comunity. >>>> >>>> The project is more than 10 years ago :-( >>>> >>>> My current hobby is software development and I follow a movement that other >>>> argue to be unusable, or only at university level, (so it will be called >>>> 'arsed around'), but I don't agree to them. It's great stuff about code >>>> generation, MDA / MDSD and the like. It's a movement to a new methology how >>>> to develop software. It's not always understood by a mortal developer. They >>>> must see that new methologies work. >>>> >>>> Even a stupid idea like distributed hardware engineering may be a way to >>>> earn money. Services like board layout could be payd for. So it will >>>> propably not always >>>> at a hobby level. Another area is distributed music making - as reported at >>>> one of our local TV broadcaster. Things seem not realizeable but must >>>> thought twice. >>>> Link: http://www.3sat.de/neues/sendungen/magazin/132217/index.html >>>> That isn't really related to this thread, but points out, that things are >>>> possible. >>>> >>>> Developing on a board design could also done that way. We have Skype, could >>>> share the project files and even could keep versions of design ideas in the >>>> CVS >>>> or SVN repository. There is only the question if an open source board >>>> design could easily converted in a format that - for sample is required for >>>> electromagnetic compatibility >>>> tests (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_compatibility) >>>> >>>> Renting equipment or swapping parts would save money, who better could >>>> spend in a good layout. Using colaboration like the music sample could also >>>> save money. >>>> An electromagnetic compatibility specialized firm could inspect a layout, >>>> before it will go to a real hardware test. >>>> (If the format conversion from open source SW to expensive ECAD SW is >>>> possible) >>>> >>>> Many ideas when sitting at home :-) >>>> >>> I've been to installathons and other software type events, where the idea is >>> to fiddle around with stuff. Would it make sense to do something like this >>> in the community? A hack-a-moko day, whether it was sponsored by OM or not? >>> While it might not lead to a design that translates 100% into something >>> mass-produceable, could that inspire something that is, or it it too far >>> away? >>> >>> (I apologize for the quoting -- something seems a bit off there) >>> >>> Gerald >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Openmoko community mailing list >> community at lists.openmoko.org >> http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community >>


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International news agencies, including AFP, warned Tuesday they may be forced to suspend coverage of the Test cricket series between India and England to protest restrictions imposed by authorities.
The News Media Coalition, which represents a group of media organisations, "deplored" a decision by the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI) to bar photo agencies such as Getty Images and Action Images and urged it to rethink.
Any suspension would deprive millions of cricket fans of coverage of one of the most-eagerly anticipated series of the year, which starts on Thursday. "In our view, the BCCI's move will hit fans and cricket sponsors alike," said Andrew Moger, the executive director of the London-based coalition.
"The BCCI has offered to make its own photographs available but this is no substitute for independent and objective press photography." While accreditation has only been withheld from photo agencies, other news organisations fear the move sets a dangerous precedent.
"Despite numerous opportunities, the BCCI has yet to explain why it is discriminating against photographic agencies or indeed whether other news sectors will be targeted," said Moger, whose organisation campaigns against reporting restrictions.
"We deplore this move and insult to organisations which have supported cricket worldwide." In a statement, Agence France-Presse said the agency would not provide text and photo coverage of the four-Test series unless the matter could be resolved ahead of the series.
The agency said it "strongly believes the right of the media to cover news events without undue restrictions should be protected", adding it hoped "the BCCI will lift its policy so news media and fans can continue to get independent coverage".
Reuters and the Associated Press also said they may be forced to suspend coverage. BCCI media manager Devendra Prabhudesai said the board was not seeking to bar news agencies.
"The BCCI has a policy not to accredit photo syndication services like Getty Images and other similar foreign and domestic agencies," he told AFP. "We have no such problems with AFP, AP or Reuters since their text and photo service is for editorial use only. We have already explained our stand to the News Media Coalition."
The accreditation dispute is the latest between the BCCI and media organisations in the build-up to the series. Satellite broadcaster Sky, which holds the British rights to the series, is set to commentate from its London headquarters off a live picture feed rather than pay a reported additional 500,000 pounds ($795,000) to the BCCI.
The BBC however has reached an agreement with the BCCI to broadcast live from the venues after the Indian board reportedly demanded an extra 50,000 pounds in addition to the already-agreed fee for the rights to cover broadcast costs.


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PAT CAPUTO: I will not now, and probably never will, vote for Bonds, Clemens or Sosa for Hall of Fame
I will not mark the names of Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens on my Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
Nor will I vote for Sammy Sosa or Mike Piazza or Craig Biggio.
All are on the ballot for the first time this year.
And I will continue to leave Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Bagwell and Mark McGwire off my ballot, as well.
Each of the above-mentioned players had careers that strongly suggest they belong in the Hall of Fame. Bonds was the greatest player I have ever seen play live, and Clemens the best pitcher.
Yet, I suspect each of the above-mentioned players of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).
To me, it is not just smoke, but a raging fire, which set the integrity of the game ablaze.
And it's still smoldering. For evidence, I present the names of Ryan "Technicality" Braun and Melky Cabrera for your disapproval.
If you don't believe Bonds and Clemens used PEDs, then you likely believe O.J. Simpson didn't kill his wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman.
The term "beyond a reasonable doubt" is brought up many times when it comes to the Hall of Fame balloting these days, like the burden of proof is on those voting to definitively point to specific instances of proven PED use by players. I don't agree.
I see it more as the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard meaning there is no doubt a player belongs in the Hall of Fame.
That includes a standard which precludes any possibility they achieved their Hall of Fame measure by using drugs designed to improve performance.
Every one of the above-mentioned players involves a different circumstance, and should be viewed as such. Palmeiro tested positive and was suspended after a strong denial before Congress.
Ever read the book "Game of Shadows?" It couldn't be more revealing about Bonds. It was tremendous reporting, which is more than I can say for the baseball beat writers of the "steroids era" -- myself very much included among those who, frankly, failed.
I believe "The Mitchell Report" about Clemens. His former trainer, Brian McNamee, does seem like a troubled person with many issues. I don't believe lying about Clemens is one of them.
I do remember Sosa suddenly not being able to speak English before Congress, and his corked bat incident. He went from a skinny, marginal regular with little power to Superman. That doesn't happen magically. Same with the transformation of Mike Piazza from extremely late-round draft pick into SuperDuperStar.
Bagwell and Biggio present more interesting cases. They get much more benefit of the doubt from writers, and not without some justification because their names haven't shown up on lists or in a book.
But look at all their connections to the Astros of that era -- Ken Caminiti, Clemens, Andy Pettitte.
Bagwell's body had an incredible amount of muscle given his frame. It was like Barry Bonds' head in 2001 -- it just didn't look normal.
Biggio is far less suspected because of his smaller frame, but he was on those teams, and reportedly close to those players, and his power numbers did suddenly and magically rise at one point of his career (not just home runs, but doubles), and before the Astros moved into a more hitter's friendly ball park. Again, I am very skeptical about there being any "magic" involved.
I reserve the right to change my mind. I have 15 years to decide. Certainly, I will be more inclined to vote for Bagwell and Biggio at some point than the others, but to me neither is necessarily worthy of early Hall of Fame induction anyway, especially Biggio, whose career OPS was barely higher than that of Lou Whitaker, who didn't even get the 5 percent necessary to stay on the ballot for more than a year.
I will watch with great interest how my brethren votes. I respect their opinions and will note them. I am sure there are those less than enamored with my stance on this, and I do have an open mind about it, especially from the fans. As strongly as I feel about this, I have sincerely considered all sides and will continue to do so.
But I will tell you this much for certain:
I will never consider voting for Bonds or Clemens if they don't come clean. I mean a genuine mea culpa.
I have gained a great deal of respect for McGwire the way he has been forthright in recent years, and how he returned to the game as a hitting coach in a dignified and sincere manner. But let's face it -- he wouldn't have remotely put up Hall of Fame caliber stats if he didn't use PEDs. Bonds and Clemens already had established Hall of Fame careers before there is a hint of evidence.
There is reason to be cautious. Once a player is in, it'd be like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube if the future reveals more conclusive evidence. It'd be next to impossible for it to be undone.
The truth is often revealed over time. There is a possibility 10 years from now we'll know a lot more than presently.
In the meantime, there is no need to hurry to induct players who are under a cloud of possible PED use.
If there is an error, it should be on the side of caution, not under the guise of a blind eye, which was a major factor in enabling the "steroids era" initially.
To me, that would be akin to making the same mistake twice, and, frankly, I still feel bad enough about the first one.
Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him firstname.lastname@example.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo


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Positive Jobless Claims Highlight Key Econ Data
Dow Jones' Matt Jarzemsky joins the News Hub to discuss changes in jobless claims, retail sales and the impact on European markets from the news that the Euro-zone will release delayed aid to Greece. Photo: REUTERS.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... that means it can ... mean ... one can easily chat with Plains Festival yet that's raised on jobless claims were significantly lower than expected which is a good thing is cleansers for good measure of layoffs ... um we'll send out some key data on retail sales ... which also ... topped expectations set of futures trading on a higher this morning ... which isn't it about that story from Europe instead of bacon past week was seen on the U S markets any sense among ... you know all these ... summits in Europe are just sort of this ... uncertainty generator for U S stock investors you never know when have ones that come out of their decade ... yes and isn't a new direction is Khona like ... Nokia are of course got this fiscal cliff debate ... where ... it's always kind of in the background creating a sense of uncertainty ... and you know was that the kind of keep benefits have ones that can chill stocks higher or ... the soul of his sick bed to read a customer I guess that they'll preannounced from the Fed ... and a sense of how estimates vary ... you know it's hard to say because you know what he said it was sort of roller coaster like him in stocks ... one way Up wine now ... aam ... but yet when a new survey maddening during burning keys press conference are due ... to it ... he's often ended up mostly flat for the day so ... you know will see iam SNP five hundred rose for the sixth straight day yesterday so want to see taken a number of again ... market still seems to have this kind of faith that some kind of the cases will be released along with us ... stocks as a site ... that does this effect is uncertain and that is a photo of these sandals no clothes


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Wang left in the third inning of today's spring training start after breaking down while attempting to beat a runner to the bag. It's funny, but it's not funny, because it was another non-pitching related activity—running the bases in interleague play—that turned Wang from a 19-game winner into a "give him a one year deal and maybe we'll get something from him" guy. Coincidentally, the Yankees were Washington's opponent today.
The Nationals announced Wang has a strained hamstring. It's not known how long he'll be out.


text:
Watch CBSN Live
With the World Health Organization warning that tobacco-related deaths could soar to eight billion a year by 2030, nations around the world are getting serious about their efforts to rein in tobacco use. In addition to levying tobacco taxes and putting bans on cigarette sales to minors, they're creating graphic new labels for use in cigarette advertising and on cigarette packages. And the labels (like the one from Hong Kong, shown left) feature shocking photos depicting the dangers of tobacco use, including dead bodies, gangrenous limbs, and gruesome tumors.
Keep clicking to see more warning labels now in use around the world, along with dozens of warning labels proposed recently by the FDA...
Credit: World Health Organization
Credit: FDA


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ORCHESTRATION:Solo Harp, 2 Flutes (2nd doubling Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns in F, Timpani, Percussion (1 player: Snare Drum, Tambourine, Triangle, Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Wood blocks, Sandpaper, Glockenspiel, Bass Drum, Tubular Bells, Cow Bell)Strings (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Bass)Devonshire Dances are dedicated to harpist Elizabeth Jane Baldry and were inspired by her love of Devon and its folklore. Appropriately, for they were composed in the first flush of our ten-year romantic liaison, the premiere took place on St. Valentine's Day, 1998, with Elizabeth Jane as soloist and the South West Sinfonietta conducted by myself. With the exception of the second movement, all the melodies are traditional Devon folk tunes whose origins are lost in the mists of time if not in the mists of Dartmoor itself!Molly in the Hay: After a cinematic opening we plunge into a rustic romp based on a song which contains the lines: "I saw the parson out one day, Romping Molly in the hay."Chagford Romance: Though I could find many Devon folksongs which spoke of rustic pleasures such as romping Molly in the hay, I could not find a truly romantic one, so I borrowed an air with all the characteristics of an ancient melody which Elizabeth Jane Baldry herself had composed in Chagford. The emotional core of the movement is the heartfelt cadenza which she improvised for the first performance.Dartmoor Jigs: A set of jigs from Chagford and nearby Dartmoor, the most famous being "Widecombe Fair". From polite beginnings the music becomes more and more inebriated until we are galloping merrily across Dartmoor in the middle of the night, four sheets to the wind, only to be deposited unceremoniously on the ground outside our home.Fol-de-liddle-liddle-lie-do: Variations on the melody of "The Lying Song", a folksong in which the singer makes ever more preposterous claims, even having us believe he knocked Napoleon down in a bout of fisticuffs. Each boast is greeted with the refrain "Fol-de-liddle-liddle-lie-do", in other words "Pull the other one!" The movement attempts to end sensibly with a return to the cinematic opening music but the story-teller bursts in with one last raucous tale-of-the-highly-unlikely before the music rushes to a headlong conclusion. Paul LewisDuration 17 minutesA PACK comprises one full score, string parts 4/4/3/4/2 and any wind, brass and percussion parts.
Click the play button below to hear a performance which has been computer-generated from the score.
Secret of Technique in Vln Playing
by Albert Sammons
Five Christmas Carols Pack
by David Willcocks
March in G Minor (Wilkinson) Flute2
by Franz Schubert


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Children with the surgically implanted hearing aids called cochlear implants rate their quality of life as highly as children with normal hearing, according to one of the first studies that looked at children as well as their parents.
The findings are important, the researchers said, because deaf children often feel socially isolated, have trouble making friends and tend to have low self-esteem as a result. The lead author, Betty A. Loy, said the information would be useful to parents making decisions about cochlear implants for their babies.
"They want to know: 'Is my kid going to be made fun of? Is my kid going to be bullied? How is my kid going to feel about themselves with this apparatus on their head?' " said Dr. Loy, of the Dallas Cochlear Implant Program.
The researchers asked 84 children with cochlear implants how they felt about themselves, their family lives, their friends and school. Parents were questioned separately, and the responses were compared with those of a control group of 1,501 children the same ages, 8 to 16, with normal hearing. The paper appears in the Feb. 1 issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
Though the overall quality-of-life scores were very similar to those of the control group, the younger children appeared to be happier than the adolescents but scored their family lives lower than did children with normal hearing.Continue reading the main story


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Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) joined California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer in introducing legislation on Monday to try and provide Los Angeles County residents a respite from helicopter noise.
The Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act would require the Federal Aviation Administration to establish regulations on flight paths and minimum altitudes for helicopter flights in the county, Schiff said.
"Residents living in Glendale, Pasadena, the Valley, the Hollywood Hills, West Hollywood and other areas are especially affected by intrusive, disruptive and often non-emergency related helicopter traffic above their neighborhoods," Schiff said in a statement. "If the FAA won't act, Congress must pass this legislation to give residents the relief they need."
Schiff said that Pasadena residents are especially impacted because the canyons around the Rose Bowl concentrate low-flying helicopter noise.
If passed, the bill requires the FAA to set guidelines on where and how low helicopters can fly over residential areas in the county within 12 months of the bill's passage.
In December, Schiff announced his plans to take up stalled helicopter noise legislation introduced by Howard Berman – the Valley Village congressional representative who lost his longtime seat in November.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), who defeated Berman in that contest, joined Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) in offering support for the new measure, Schiff said in an announcement.
San Fernando Valley residents have been among the most vocal about the low-flying police and news helicopters.
Daniel Siegal, Times Community News
Follow Daniel Siegal on Google+ and on Twitter: @Daniel_Siegal.


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[Verse 1: Kassa Overall]
Spit it how I feel, cooking up a meal
Before I make a mil', I'm a take a pill
Red pill, blue pill, tell me how you feel
(Motherfucker, I'm ill) Never lost in the sauce
Paid the cost to be the boss
(Motherfucker, I'm ill) For real, cold as a ice box
I get it in every day like white socks
And I'm on the come-up like the right stock
And I eat MCs like livestock
So when the heat on, mufucka I chill
You know why? Cause (motherfucker, I'm ill)
So please pay attention to the moves made
Either that or fall off like a toupee
Or something like the end of a new day
Cause life's a gamble, Russian roulette
If you got the juice, please don't spill
But I'm good (Motherfucker, I'm ill)
Keep on tracks I kill, me a murderer?
(Motherfucker, I'm ill)
And this shit right here, call it history
Make the king disappear, officially
I'm here to claim the hill, get jacked like Jill
Cause mother-mother-mother-motherfucker I'm ill
(No, Please!)
[Verse 2: Kool AD]
I'm real sick, Vic V-A-Z
Kool AD, behave, please, pay me
Fed Ex man move tree unbeknownst to he
Bag it up, grocery, supposedly
(Motherfucker I'm ill) At least that's what they tell me
Sheesh, for real, smell me? (Motherfucker I'm ill)
Who am I to say they don't smell what they smell, B?
Grace like Kelly, taste like jelly
Laced like Melly Mel, oh welly-well
It's shelly-toed, spaghetti ropes, Anne Geddes green smokes
Plus smoke gross curry, my celly blows up frequently
But I don't hurry cause (Motherfucker I'm ill)
Don't worry I got this
25 milli Double-A Hotchkiss
No-fly zone, the clouds is my home
I'm grown, I like to do things on my own terms
See me with worms and rhizomes
Hecka psychotropical, cop a view
How that rockin' you, by the way? (Motherfucker I'm ill)
I'd a rock you like a hurricane, I'm a scorpio, man, eh
(Motherfucker I'm ill)
Sippin' on the 'tussin and huggin' the crill
Like what a whale eat, no fail, feet
No kale, meat, no braille, glasses
Grasses, for masses, with they silly asses (Motherfucker I'm ill)
[Verse 3: Heems]
And this spot look like the Foot Clan hideout
Kool A.D., Kass, Heems alone gettin' fried out
We ride out, slide out, white out with the cousins, nice
One take wasn't enough, now we buzzin' like twice
No conundrum, your bars straight hum-drum
Young Cocoa Butter, something like an old tum-tum
A blocka blocka like Grandfather Mori Tanaka
Tatonka, Chief Rocka (Motherfucker I'm ill)
Always get the pussy cause I tell 'em that I'm Spanish
I'm out this world, a brother from another planet
Rest in peace, Dio, ay dios mio
And you can keep Weezy, please free P though
How dare you question his trends?
And what he brought to the table?
More than a plate, paintings
Prodigy more Picasso than Schnabel
But free Weezy too, though, and Max B, too, yo
Free the whole prison system, what they did to you, bro?
Puerto Rican judo, ju-don't know? (Motherfucker I'm ill)
Based off of Lil Wayne's classic song "A Milli", specifically the iconic line "Motherfucker, I'm ill", Das Racist and frequent collaborator Kassa Overall trade bragging barbs over a mellow beat.


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text: Once a body is placed inside, the tank is filled with water and lye, pressurized and heated. Edwards Funeral Home/AP hide caption toggle caption Edwards Funeral Home/AP The Two-Way When It's Your Time, Would You Like To Be Liquefied? August 30, 2011 Instead of being cremated or buried, advocates say dissolving bodies in a mixture of water and lye is a greener way of dealing with the dearly departed.


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January 4, 2012
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, held at an old Japanese confectionary shop in the old part of Gifu City known as Kawara-machi (川原町). Now, there are several uses of the word "old" in the previous sentence, but I assure you, this is a GOOD kind of "old"...the kind that retains a deep sense of history and longstanding tradition while still maintaining relevance in the modern day and age.
Before I get into a description of the sweets shop and the tea ceremony itself, I should briefly introduce Kawara-machi for those who are not familiar with it. One of the first things that most Japanese think of when they hear "Gifu" is ukai (鵜飼), the 1,300 year-old traditional method of fishing using cormorants to catch ayu (sweetfish) on the Nagara River. The loading docks for the ukai viewing boats are in Kawara-machi, which is located right on the riverside, leading to a close relationship between the town and ukai that has existed for a long time. In fact, one of the most famous, award-winning products of the confectionary shop Tamaiya (玉井屋本舗), where the tea ceremony was held, is an ayu-shaped sweet. Kawara-machi is quite an old town, but gems like Tamaiya, which has been in-business for over a century, are sprinkled throughout!
On to Tamaiya, then! This sweets shop makes products of infinite variety, as you can see with just a brief glance through the shop's website (http://www.tamaiya-honpo.com/okashi/namagashi.html). I highly encourage you to browse this site (http://www.tamaiya-honpo.com/nousaijiki/index.html) for a minute or two; even without any Japanese, clicking any entry on the left-hand list will reveal the stunning confectionaries that the store has produced in the last several years. One of the distinguishing characteristics of traditional Japanese sweets is that, along with taste, visual aesthetics are of the highest importance. I know that I could spend all day marveling at the visual beauty of each and every one of those sweets...except there's probably not enough time in one day to do so! I was able to taste one of the currently-produced sweets (well, SEVERAL, actually, but all of the same type!), and I can assure you that it was just as delicious as it was visually striking.
But the appeal of Tamaiya doesn't stop there...the shop itself is gorgeous and is a tribute to traditional Japanese architecture, with a small garden in the middle and a traditional tea room as well. It was here, of course, that the tea ceremony was held, led by a kind teacher of the Urasenke school, one of the three main schools of Japanese tea ceremony. I had been to a Japanese tea ceremony before, but at this session I was free to ask questions (it's usually a fairly quiet function), so I learned a lot about the history, culture, and various other aspects of tea ceremony.
For one, I did not previously know that at a tea ceremony, there is a spot for the guest of honor, who, as you might guess, is served before the others. I also learned that (at least at "official ceremonies") the seating order/arrangement is directly according to this "scale of honor," meaning that those closer to the guest of honor are in a "higher" position than those who are not. And what I found REALLY interesting is that the host-the person who makes and serves the tea)-is the one who decides this order, which means that, to some degree, the host actually has to KNOW everybody attending in order to come up with the seating arrangement! That surprised me for a moment, although it does in fact make sense when you think about when tea ceremonies are held-especially for occasions such as weddings and when celebrating the changing of seasons-usually times when one is with family and friends.
The general flow of a tea ceremony is fairly simple...the guests are presented with sweets, then the host makes the tea, offers it to the guest of honor-who then drinks it ALL-and then proceeds to do the same for the next guest, and so on. And yet, as a guest, there are many intricate responsibilities that you have that make it quite a challenge, even for the guest of honor! For example, there are three different degrees of bows that are used in the tea ceremony, and they are each clearly differentiated, have their own names, and are used at specific times. So knowing when to use what type of bow, and towards whom-the host, the neighbor sitting to your left, etc.-is something that undoubtedly takes time to get used to. So in a sense, being a guest at a tea ceremony is an art unto itself!
One particularly memorable part of the ceremony that I didn't previously know existed was the part where the guest, after draining the bowl of tea, takes his or her time to inspect it carefully, admiring its shape, color, etc. Bowls used for tea ceremony are often extremely old and valuable, and this practice of really APPRECIATING the work of art is illustrative of that fact. While it felt unnatural at first to lean forward and look closely at the bowl for literally a minute or two, rotating it in my hands to see it from every angle, I understood that this was an important part of the ceremony, and I came away with an understanding that the act of appreciation is at the very heart of Japanese tea culture. (This idea is further strengthened by the fact that the tea ceremony is the origin of a Japanese proverb-"ichi-go ichi-e"-that encourages one to treasure every meeting and moment as if it will never come again.)
Some other intriguing tidbits that I came away with include the fact that you are not supposed to step on the edge of any tatami mat in the room. While it is no longer necessarily the case today, the edges of the mats were often made from extremely expensive fabric and were branded with the seals of noble families, and thus stepping on the edges was avoided. Another fact is that maccha tea used in the tea ceremony is made from crushed tea leaves, whereas Western tea is made by soaking the leaves in water. Finally, I learned that the tea ceremony was, in its early days, used as a political and business tool by those in power-among them, Oda Nobunaga, who controlled Gifu Castle for a time.
In the end, I came out of the tea ceremony-with the sweet aftertaste of the confectionaries and the bitter taste of the tea balancing each other out-with an increased APPRECIATION (keyword!) and heightened knowledge of various facets of Japanese tea culture. It's a very ritualistic experience, but in the pre-determined actions, there is a lot of significance that gets at the heart of what traditional Japanese culture-not just related to tea-is all about. So attending a tea ceremony is a great way to learn about Japan and to just try something new!!
October 25, 2011
A few weekends ago I had the privilege of going to see the 18th Mino Washi Akari-Art Exhibition held every year in the old district of Mino City, Gifu, and I can tell you that it honestly surpassed all of my expectations in terms of the beauty of the town itself and the quality of the works of art made using Mino Washi Japanese paper and utilizing light.
On the way from Mino Station to the old, historic district, where the exhibition is held, I passed the old Mino Station, still intact and with a couple of train cars that people can enter and relax in for a bit. It was nice touch to see that kind of thing preserved.
Here is the entrance to the old district, marked by some festival food booths while it was still light out...
...And here is the same scene an hour or so later, after it got dark and the exhibition got underway.
Aside from the works of art themselves, the town was very much a focus of the Mino Washi Akari-Art Exhibition, and this included spotlights drawing attention to the "udatsu," which you see in this photo. "Udatsu" are walls between houses that prevent the spread of fire from one house to another in the case of a large fire that would otherwise threaten the entire wooden town. They are one of the more famous features of the architecture in Mino. In fact, the historic district in Mino is named for the "udatsu," as is is called "udatsu no agaru machinami," or the "town where the udatsu rise."
And here are particularly memorable works of Mino Washi art that I was impressed by!
Even though this one with the flowers was towards the beginning of the neverending chain of works, I was convinced that it would be among the winners! (I was not correct.)
The design spells out "Mino Washi Akari-Art Exhibition!" Would be great as an advertisement for the exhibition!!
It may be somewhat difficult to tell from the photo, but this work featuring the cherry blossom tree was really exquisitely done.
And this one was probably one of the most colorful. It very much had the feeling of a traditional work of Japanese art.
Finally, a traditional Japanese Daruma (Dharma) doll.
And though there were still a bunch more fantastic works that I wanted to photograph...my camera died at this point! It had served me well, however...
The sheer number of Mino Washi pieces of art truly was impressive...it felt like an eternity had passed until I finally had seen every last one. I certainly not expected there to be that many, but I suppose that that speaks to the reknown of the festival.
In addition to several musical performances at several locations throughout the night, at the end, there was an awards ceremony where the winners of this year's contest were announced for the first time. The judges had been going around all night looking at all of the pieces, just as I had, and each chose one piece that he or she thought most deserved recognition.
None of the pieces that I had pegged as the best technically, most impressive, or most original made the cut, however. And yet, it was fascinating to hear the reasoning behind the judges' decisions, which they each elaborated on. How the piece made the best use of the qualities inherent to Japanese Mino Washi paper, how the piece could be taken as reactions to recent events such as the March 11th disaster, and the initial impressions that the works gave were all elements that the judges discussed. In the end, four works were honored out of the three hundred or so, and not all of them were made by Japanese artists, which again shows the international reach of this exhibition.
I was extremely impressed by what I saw and I can't wait to go back next year, and I hope that you will make an effort to be there too!!
October 19, 2011
Two weekends ago, I made my way to the annual Cutlery Festival held in Seki City in central Gifu Prefecture, so here are some of the highlights of what I saw there!
Dozens of ayu (sweetfish) being grilled greeted me as I arrived, the salt balancing their natural sweetness as is customary here in Gifu! I really regret not buying one of these...
There was also delicious yakitori, or grilled chicken on skewers, which comprised a part of my lunch! It was tender and tasty and as good as it looks here! It's hard not to love the food stalls at Japanese festivals!
These are the figures that greet you as you enter the Seki Sword Tradition Museum, a place that details the sword-making process, displays many gorgeous Japanese swords as well as other blades made in the famous city of Seki, and offers-during the Cutlery Festival as well as at other times-live demonstrations of the different stages of sword-forging.
Some of the raw materials that are eventually made into the hard, steel blade of the sword. "Iron sand" is combined with some copper and other metals to eventually form the final metal that is used in the forging process.
Learning to make fine charcoal flakes-used to cover the metal and allow for it to be uniformly molded-from burnt wood like this takes much skill and time to master, and this ability is one thing that is required before one can be licensed as a swordsmith.
Pieces of metal are melded together onto these rods, at which point they are tempered, elongated, and folded back against themselves, which results in what you see at the end of the bottom rod. This process is repeated over and over. And over. And this layering is what gives the steel much of its strength.
Two of the swords on display at the museum. Simply stunning works of art. Notice the pattern on the edge of the blade...this pattern can vary drastically depending on the swordsmith and the exact process he uses to temper the steel.
A tsuba, or sword guard, on display with beautiful decoration. This is located just above the sword's hilt, when attached.
Some swords have blades that are intricately designed, as you can see here under the magnifying glass.
More intricate blade designs...this one is actual writing, which is easily made-out at this magnification. This design runs up and down the entire blade!
Outside the museum, there was a metal forging demonstration, which involved four swordsmiths, each with his own specialized role. Seeing the sparks flying in all directions upon each hit of the hammer never fails to leave a deep impression.
Inside the museum, four craftsman were demonstrating different operations involved in the sword-making process. This first craftsman, called a "tsukamak-ishi" or "hilt maker," is expertly weaving the threads, making the standardized yet very distinctive pattern that adorns the handles of Japanese swords.
A close-up of the hilt maker at work.
Next is the "togi-shi," or "polisher," who drips a faint amount of water on the blade and then scrapes it against these blocks repeatedly. The edge is not yet sharp, so there's no need to worry about him injuring himself holding the blade this way!
Then we have the "saya-shi," or the sheath maker, who we see here shaving what will be the inside of the scabbard/sheath so that the blade fits perfectly like a figure into the mold from which it was made.
Lastly, there was the "shirogane-shi," or decorative part maker, who we see here making the "habaki," the piece of metal located above the guard that serves the dual function of preventing the guard from falling off and keeping the sword firmly in the scabbard when it is sheathed.
Reportedly the largest katana (Japanese sword) in the world!
Some of the other types of blades made in Seki that were on display at the museum included these unbelievably thick, multi-functional Swiss army knives! Which would certainly not fit in any kind of pocket...
Elsewhere, there were sword unsheathing and sword cutting demonstrations, as seen here. Just about to being his swing...
...And mid-swing as he slices the target cleanly in half!
The next demonstrator about to slice through a collection of targets as part of an "obstacle course" that he had set-up.
Then I finally arrived at the street buzzing with the stalls I expected to see at a Japanese festival!
While some stands were selling food, others, like this one, were selling blades of all kinds, shapes, and sizes! People came from around the country to buy the highest-quality kitchen knives at greatly reduced prices! ...And I personally came away from the festival with a (replica) katana in hand!
October 11, 2011
The Battle of Sekigahara, perhaps the most famous battle in all of Japanese history fought in 1600, determined the course of the nation for next several hundred years. It's significance is widely regarded, and it still captures the imaginations of many Japanese to this day.
This coming weekend, on October 15th and 16th, the annual Battle of Sekigahara Festival will be held in the town of Sekigahara itself, the sight of the climactic fight. As in previous years, a grand parade of soldiers, a gun firing ceremony, and a battle-reenactment that brings to life the historical picture scrolls depicting the actual battle are highlights of the festival. From all around the country, more than 200 armor-wearing, rifle-bearing people will be coming to participate in the above events!
...And as a special treat, this year's festival will be adding a brand new element; not only will the battle be recreated and celebrated on the field, it will also be recreated on the stage, through theater and music! The Qublic Theater troupe will be performing "The Gale of Shimazu," which honors the battle participants not through swordplay but through dance. And there will be several live performances by two singers/groups whose songs share the thematic element of Sekigahara. This multi-faceted tribute is sure to be entertaining and stirring, so you won't want to miss it!
In addition to all of the above events, there will be much more, including but not limited to discussions, social gatherings, and markets where you can find all sorts of historical goods and foods to enjoy!
Generally speaking, the theatrical and musical performances will be on the 15th, while the battle reenactments, parades, and firing ceremonies will be on the 16th.
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Venue: Sekigahara Fureai Center and its surrounding areas and the Mt. Sasao Parking Lot, Sekigahara-cho, Fuwa-gun, Gifu
Access: Train from JR Gifu Station to JR Sekigahara Station on the Tokaido Main Line towards Maibara (transfer at Ogaki Station may be necessary)
October 7, 2011
To be held this Sunday on October 9, 2011, this annual festival held in Toki City, Gifu is said to have begun in 1623 when the lord of Tsumaki Castle offered a horse in exchange for good fortune in battle. To this day, horses still play a central role in the festival, as archery on horseback is the main attraction! Six elementary school boys, riding up the mountainside on horseback towards the shrine, each take 6 rounds of shooting as their horses whiz pass the targets-3 times in battle garb, battle helmets and all, and 3 times in the garb of ancient Japan. Aside from that event, the horses themselves are paraded for all to see, there is a matchlock rifle ceremonial firing, and finally there is a parade of school children fully equipped with samurai armor. It is a relatively unique event among Japanese festivals, so if you have time this weekend you should definitely check it out!
Location: Hachiman Shrine, Tsumaki-cho, Toki City
Time: 11am (horseback archery from 2:30pm)
Access: Train to JR Toki Station South Exit à Tohnoh Tetsudou Bus on the Toki Tsumaki Line à Get off at Tairaguchi à 10 minute walk to the Hachiman Shrine
Last updated October 7, 2011 02:26:31 PM
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Last weekend, I was able to attend the Gifu Nobunaga Festival 2011 in Gifu City, a festival that honors the great historical figure Nobunaga who did so much for both Japan and for Gifu (which he in fact named). Exiting the train station, this is the sight with which I was greeted: taiko drums! One of the three essential parts of any Japanese festival, taiko performances are pervasive, and yet...for me at least, their power to enchant never fades.
Along one of the main streets of Gifu City, the long parade began at around 1pm, and it was headed by this marching band.
Following them was this group led by Minamo, the official mascot for the upcoming National Sports Festival of Japan to be held in Gifu in 2012. "Minamo" literally means "water surface," and indeed, Minamo is supposed to be a fairy that lives on the surface of a beautiful river, evoking images of the pure rivers on which Gifu prides itself. You can make out the water surface around his torso area.
Next came the ceremonial firing of matchlock guns by this group of 16th century warriors. To be honest, I could not see very well with the crowd before me (the camera is way over my head here), and I was not expecting the incredibly loud firing shots when they came. I was quite startled, to put it mildly!
After firing off one round, the men in armor continued to parade...they would later fire off several more rounds at intersections farther down the road!
Standard bearers marching in front of the nobility.
And here is the man of the hour, Oda Nobunaga himself!
Following closely behind is Nohime, Nobunaga's wife.
And then Oichi-no-kata, Nobunaga's youngest sister.
And another noblewoman.
After the parade ended, the "festival" part of the day began, with crowds assembling around the food stalls and game booths, both elements that traditionally mark Japanese festivals. The above photo is of a man making what is known in Gifu as "pon-haze," which is similar to popcorn except that it is made with rice instead of corn kernels! On occasion, it made a "pop" just as loud as the matchlock guns and released just as much smoke...but with much sweeter results!
The finished "pon-haze" was shaped and packaged in different ways...like rice krispies treats, but also in bags in which all of the kernels remained unattached to each other. Either way...it was delicious!
A little further along at a hands-on pottery station, a ceramist was helping this girl and another boy shape clay on potter's wheels.
It turned out that the Gifu Nobunaga Festival was not the only festival in town this last weekend. There was also a festival promoting kimono, traditional Japanese garments. And here, at the end of one road, I spied a bunch of birds sitting along the rim of some portable swimming pool-like object. Lo and behold, they were cormorants! Again, something for which Gifu is well known...cormorant fishing on the Nagara River! This fellow on the left was the only one that would spread its wings, though.
And here's a closer look at the proud, impressive bird.
All in all, a successful day!
October 6, 2011
Also known as the Hachiman Festival, the Takayama Autumn Festival, along with its counterpart in the spring, is considered one of the three most beautiful festivals in all of Japan. During October 9th and 10th of every year, the usually quiet city of Takayama - referred to by many as the "mini-Kyoto" - erupts with a color, sound, and energy that is infectious and magical.
Thought to be around 400 years old, the festival is particularly beloved because of the fantastic floats that are displayed and pulled around the town during the festival. Elaborately decorated both inside and out, they show off magnificent carvings, masterfully crafted dolls, curtains, bamboo blinds, and the like. In the past, different communities that owned different floats used to compete with each other over who could make the most beautiful float, which is why Takayama is now home to 25 of these extremely high-level works of craftsmanship built by the famed "artisans of Hida." 11 of these are used during the Autumn Festival, though 10 will be used this year because of repairs to one of them.
On the night of the 9th, the floats - each adorned with over 100 lamps - will be paraded through the town again on the way back to their storage houses, and this sight, mixed with the sounds of the traditional farewell song that is sung at that point, makes for a highlight of the festival. The marionette performance that takes place on the "Hotei-tai" float is another highlight of the event, as the puppet masters bring the marionette to life in a display that awes the crowd.
The processions featuring hundreds of people in traditional Japanese garb also transport you to the past, and as the most famous festival in the area, the Takayama Autumn Festival is one not to be missed!
October 5, 2011
This year's annual celebration of Mino Washi Japanese paper will be held this weekend, October 8th and 9th, in the city of Mino in central Gifu! Mino Washi is the thinnest and yet one of the strongest types of traditional Japanese paper, and it has a history of over 1,300 years! In order to both celebrate that history as well as the viability of Mino Washi paper even in today's world, and in order to create a lasting connection between Mino City and the people who come to visit, the Mino Washi Akari-Art Exhibition is being held this year for the 18th time.
The event features illuminated works of art made using this famed Mino Washi paper lining the streets of the darkened city, creating a fantastical sight that is dream-like and that transports spectators to an age long gone. There is one contest for general entrants and one for elementary and middle school children, so come check out all of the beautiful works of paper and light by people of all ages from all over the country!
Works will be exhibited 5pm - 9pm on both days.
The Exhibition will be held in the Udatsu no Agaru District of Mino City, easily accessible from Mino Station, which itself is reachable by bus or via the Nagaragawa Railway (transfer from JR at Mino-Ota Station).
October 4, 2011
This weekend, on October 8th and 9th, the annual Seki Cutlery Festival will be held in Seki City in central Gifu! Well-known internationally for its high-quality products, Seki has a history and tradition of excellence in blade-making that extends back over 700 years. Of course, in the past this blade-making tradition was focused on the production of Japanese swords and made Gifu the hub of that industry. With the coming of the modern age, those skills and that know-how were applied to products like kitchen knives, and resulted in comparably sparkling (and sharp!) results. The Cutlery Festival is not only meant to show off what the city has to offer in terms of modern-day blades; it is also a celebration of Seki's more traditional blade-forging history, and so at this event you can enjoy blades of both the past and the present!
At this event, you will find stall after stall selling Seki cutlery at lower prices than you will ever find anywhere else, sword forging and polishing demonstrations, sword cutting and unsheathing demonstrations, and many more such exhibitions that you will only find in the city of blades, Seki! Of course, as befits a Japanese festival, there will be taiko drum performances and others as well. Definitely an event not to be missed!
Seki can be accessed easily by bus from the Gifu Station Bus Terminal or by train via the Nagaragawa Railway.
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