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International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 2018, Article ID 9632942, 10 pages
Propeller Force-Constant Modeling for Multirotor UAVs from Experimental Estimation of Inflow Velocity
Department of Aerospace and Engineering Mechanics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Gaurang Gupta; ude.cu.liam@ggatpug
Received 11 July 2017; Revised 6 November 2017; Accepted 6 December 2017; Published 10 April 2018
Academic Editor: Angel Velazquez
Copyright © 2018 Gaurang Gupta and Shaaban Abdallah. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Design and simulation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) highly depends on the thrust produced by a motor-propeller combination. The aim of this paper is to model a generalized mathematical relationship between the motor RPM and the corresponding thrust generated for the preliminary design process of low Reynold's number applications. A method is developed to determine a generalized mathematical model which relates inflow velocity to coefficient of thrust using experimental data from 291 motor-propeller data points, comprising of input RPM and corresponding output thrust. Using this relationship, the Force Constant is calculated, which defines each Thrust-RPM mathematical model. In the first part, expression of the inflow ratio obtained from Blade Element and Momentum Theory (BEMT) is approximated to a simplified form. In the later part, the proposed mathematical model is validated against two new sets of pairs of motor-propeller combinations. A special note in the Appendix talks about the application of this mathematical model. The computed results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.
1. Introduction
The last few decades have shown an increase in the usage and development of UAVs. Most of today's UAVs used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and disaster management missions are powered using an electrical propulsion system which has shown significant improved propulsion efficiency and noise reduction over conventional combustion engine systems. UAVs have proven themselves very useful during the time of disaster management, where they hover in one place to securely drop medical supplies or get visuals of places [1, 2].
Energy density is defined as the amount of energy that a substance or component can store or transform per unit mass of itself. Fuel, which can be burnt, has an energy density of the order of magnitude three to four times more than that of solid-state fuel cell storage like a lithium polymer (LiPo) battery [3, 4]. But the downside of using an engine is that it is highly inefficient and creates a lot of pollution. As studies suggest that the brushless direct-current (BLDC) motors are highly efficient, their usage has become very common in electric UAVs. As the propulsion system of an electric UAV consists of batteries, electronic speed controllers (ESC), motors, propellers, and so forth, a general survey shows that the weight of the propulsion system can account for approximately 50% of the total weight of the entire system as shown in [5–7]. Examples can also be taken from [8–10]. Thus, the optimization of the propulsion system of a UAV becomes a very crucial aspect of UAV design. There can be many other components in the propulsion system but the battery, motor, and propeller have a far more significant impact on the overall system. The other important aspect is to stabilize the UAV. Most of the general control methods are based on thrust force and the angular velocity of the motor assuming a simple parabolic relation. The performance and characteristics of the vehicle depend on the strong interaction between them. The purpose of this paper is not to present an optimization method or an optimal study but rather to study the interaction between these components and generalize them. The results of this paper have a significant application scope in the preliminary design process of any UAV (small or medium sized). This will help save time and drive the costs of the project down by eliminating the necessity of numerous amounts of initial bench tests using different propellers and motors to determine the best combination of propulsion system for the vehicle.
The method structured in this paper starts with estimating the inflow velocity which is simplified using approximations. There exists an alternative approach to estimate the inflow velocity. Commonly known as the thumb rule, the geometric characteristics of the propeller are considered at radius of the propeller from the center. The major parameters considered are the twist angle, the width of the propeller, and the airfoil section at that point. All these parameters will have to be calculated or measured from the actual propeller as these specifications are not available in off-the-shelf specifications. The advantage of the method discussed in this paper is that it uses only the parameters which exist in off-the-shelf available specifications like propeller diameter and pitch.
The first part of the paper discusses the development method and techniques utilized to simplify the conventional relation between the thrust generated by a propeller and its given RPM which is derived from very famous theories, namely the Blade Element and Momentum Theory. The next section discusses the assumptions undertaken to simply the estimation of inflow velocity which is the most important component in estimating the thrust generated by a propeller, using the existing relation. Secondly, the method used in the paper ensures that the output thrust is a function of only those parameters or a propeller that are available in any off-the-shelf propeller and not the geometric parameters which are used to design a propeller. The later sections demonstrate the validation of the proposed model and the estimates of error induced due to simplification of the original coefficient of thrust versus RPM relation.
2. Propeller Static Thrust—RPM Modeling
Most of the propeller designs are based on the work of Betz mentioned in [11, 12]. The design principle is based on optimizing the propeller's geometry for a certain specific operating condition such that the power required for that operation is minimized or can also be understood as maximizing the thrust generated for the given power. The thrust estimation model for a propeller in this study is based on the very famous Blade Element and Momentum Theory (BEMT). This theory helps in estimating the aerodynamic loads developed on the propeller, which can be used to estimate the thrust generated at a given RPM.
2.1. Thrust Model
First, we estimate using the axial momentum theory [13, 14]. The major assumptions are as follows: (i) no rotational motion is imparted to the flow by the propeller disk; (ii) the Mach number is small, so the fluid can be assumed to be incompressible; and (iii) the flow is steady as the propeller is assumed to be a thin disk (of cross-section area A), through which air passes, and the induced velocity is assumed to be constant at all points which lie on the same radius.
A simplified model of a propeller stream tube is shown in Figure 1. The disk is assumed to be uniformly loaded, and the velocity of air across the rotor disk is , which is assumed to be uniform across the disk and has the same magnitude before and after the disk [15]. On the rotor disk (Figure 2), at radius r from the center, consider a ring with infinitesimal thickness dr. It is assumed that this elemental area of the disk is uniformly loaded. Thus, the elemental thrust coefficient, , that is, the nondimensional form of thrust for this elemental area, is where inflow ratio is defined as the ratio of inflow velocity v1 to tip velocity ΩR; similarly, is defined as the ratio of freestream velocity V to tip velocity ΩR and as r/R. Detailed derivation to obtain is explained in Appendix A.
The modern propellers have a complex geometry, where the chord, pitch angle, and airfoil geometry vary along the radius of the blade to improve propeller efficiency. As the aerodynamic forces on a fixed wing (propeller blade) are governed by the rotating velocity, the effects of this can be described using a more fundamental Blade Element Theory [16–18], which takes into consideration the geometry of the propeller and the operating conditions. This theory assumes that each section of the wing acts as a 2D airfoil to produce aerodynamic forces (lift and drag as shown in Figure 3) which are then resolved to give elemental thrust per unit span.
Considering as the number of propeller blades, total elemental thrust coefficient at radius (Figure 2) can be defined as where . Detailed derivation to obtain , using Blade Element Theory, is explained in Appendix A.
On relating (1) and (2), derived elemental thrust coefficients from two different theories, we get where or . Solving (4) for and considering only a positive value, we get for hover, ; (2) and (5) can be written as
2.2. Inflow Velocity Estimation
From geometric data collected using nine propellers (refer to Appendix B) [19, 20], at the root, ranges from , for high-pitch-type propellers, and , for low-pitch-type propellers, to towards the tip. The variation of the twist angle with the radius can be a high-order polynomial but is assumed to be linear here. Figure 4 shows the variation of the pitch along the radius from root to tip, between high-pitch-type and low-pitch-type propellers. The geometric data collected from the nine propellers shows that the average effective radius of the blade that produces lift is approximately 86% of the total propeller radius, which includes hub losses.
If we consider infinite propellers in a given regime of diameter varying from inches to inches, the probability of occurrence of each point (where each point refers to a propeller with in between and ) in triangle CDE is equal. Thus, we try to estimate the average effect of over infinite possibilities such that in a broad domain, every propeller in this domain will have the same value of product of twist with varying radii shown as a red-shaded rectangle area in Figure 4. Here, it can safely be assumed that that infinite data set will have a normal distribution; that is, there will exist an equal number of propellers for all given values of . Assuming a linear twist and normal distribution (considering equal probability) of data sets between and to , we calculate as below and represent it as a uniform pitch propeller (as shown by the red-shaded rectangular area)
Solving for (8), we get , giving and . Using the above approximation, we assume that the inflow velocity across the entire rotor disk is uniform. From (7) can thus be defined as
From (8) and (9), we have a relation defined for for hover defined as
Considering that about 80% to 92% of the propeller blade diameter effectively produces lift, the analytical solution, considering diameter effectiveness , for (6) is as follows:
From (10) and (11), we have where and k and are selected from Tables 1 and 2. Thrust is defined as
The final Thrust-RPM mathematical model and Force Constant can be defined as where can be calculated from (12) and is selected from Table 1.
It is well known that the entire propeller is not capable of producing lift as there always exists hub and tip losses. Thus, a range of values of effective diameters has to be approximated using the available geometric data of nine propellers (refer to Appendix B).
3. Verification of the Mathematical Model
Verification of the above mathematical model is done using 291 available experimental data points obtained from http://www.hobbyking.com, which consists of various motor propeller combinations. Each data point is described as the thrust generated at a given RPM for a set of a motor and propeller. 36 propellers are used ranging from 4-inch diameter to 16-inch diameter, and 18 different motors are used ranging from 360 kV to 3100 kV. The air density used for the estimation of all data is 1.18 kg/m3, and the typical values (from Table 1) were used to calculate (estimate) the thrust. A small MATLAB (R2016a version) script is used to calculate the thrust and generate all graphs.
The graphs in Figure 5 show the thrust estimated at different given RPM for few combinations (out of the 291 data points) of the motor and propeller in comparison to experimental data. These graphs are used to build and verify the proposed mathematical model. On all graphs, "o" points are the experimental thrust values at a given RPM and "∆" points are the estimated thrust values from the proposed model for the respective given RPM. This gives us a better understanding of the comparison between the experimentally obtained thrust and the estimated thrust. It can be observed from the results that for typical ed values (from Table 1) used, the estimated thrust lies within the range of ±10% of the experimental data. The four chosen propellers have pitch-to-diameter ratios varying from 1.125 (4 × 4.5 prop) to 0.3375 (16 × 5.4 prop). This ensures that the proposed mathematical model is valid for a wide range of propellers available and the validity of the proposed as a function of p/d.
It is clear from [21–24] that there are far too many assumptions made in deriving the Blade Element and Momentum Theory for axial flow across a propeller. To generalize the thrust-RPM relation, there were more assumptions made with respect to the geometry of the propeller and the flow across it. Thus, it becomes necessary to quantify the magnitude of error induced in the results in comparison to the experimental data. The results shown in Figure 6 are the individual estimated thrust values at a given RPM for a set of motor and propeller combinations. The graph consists of all the 291 studied data points, which shows a comparison between the collected experimental thrust data from different motor-propeller combinations with the estimated thrust data which is calculated using the proposed mathematical model. The graph shows a normal distribution of the error in estimation of the thrust. The error measured is given as where is the value of thrust estimated using the proposed mathematical model against , the experimental value of the thrust.
It can be calculated from the graph that more than 70% of the estimated values (shaded area in the graph) lie within a range of ±10% of the experimental data. Few estimated values, which are off by more than ±10%, can be due to the lack of knowledge of the experimental setup data, experimental conditions (example air density), exact propeller geometry, airfoil characteristics, and so forth.
4. Validation of the Mathematical Model
As the verification of the proposed Thrust-RPM mathematical model was done using open source data available on the website https://hobbyking.com, it will be good practice to validate the proposed mathematical model using data published by different authors who have conducted such experiments. The proposed model is validated using two data sets published by two authors. In the first set (Figure 7(a)) taken from [25], we validate a model which uses a 10 × 4.7 propeller. The blade effectiveness factor, , used is 0.89, and the air density considered is 1.225 kg/m3. It is observed that the estimated data at higher RPM is undercalculated. This implies that the assumed hub losses for the propeller are greater than what actually occurs in reality and the propeller is more efficient than estimated by the model.
In the second set (Figure 7(b)) taken from [10], we validate a model which uses a 16 × 4 propeller. The blade effectiveness factor of 0.92 is used, and the density of air considered is 1.225 kg/m3. It is observed that the estimated data is undercalculated but pretty much matches with the experimental data as the estimated data lies within the −10% limit of the experimental data. From these results, we can say that the proposed mathematical model of the propeller can estimate promising data.
The above estimations are also affected by the increase in Reynolds number at a higher RPM which alters the airfoil characteristics ( and ); that is, the assumption of having a constant for the entire blade over the entire range of RPM is not always good for high RPM. But we will see in the later part of the paper that this undercalculation can be compensated for by adjusting for ed.
5. Conclusion
As observed from all the above results, even though there will always be some discrepancy between the experimental data and the estimated data, the proposed mathematical model with defined as does give promising results. The simplification of the inflow velocity estimation is likely to introduce ±10% error in the magnitude of thrust generated in the majority of cases. It is interesting to note how the effects of pitch variation and rotor diameter effectiveness is captured in the mathematical expression developed for . Thus, this process is different from curve fitting as we cannot predict the change in thrust that can occur due to change in any other parameter in (16) by curve-fitted data. Figure 6 shows the discrepancies between the estimated data and the experimental data. It is important to note that this discrepancy occurs at high RPM where it becomes difficult to generalize the aerodynamic phenomenon over such a huge range of propeller sizes and RPM in this inefficient regime of operation. It was only possible to validate the above model using propellers ranging from 4-inch diameter to 16-inch diameter, the size range which is generally preferred for small-size UAVs. Appendix C discusses an application note of this mathematical model in a real-world scenario.
A. Blade Element and Momentum Theory
General momentum theory is a magnificently huge theory which deals with the flow characteristics across the propeller disk at a much broader level than Blade Element Theory as discussed in [26] with all its development and assumptions around it. We first estimate using momentum theory [13, 14]. A simplified model of a propeller stream tube is shown in Figure 1. A uniformly loaded disk is considered and as it has been proved in [27, 28] that even for a uniformly loaded disk the axial velocity at the propeller disk is not the same throughout, we assume it to be the same for simplicity of the derivation, and we also consider that the axial velocity of the air across the rotor disk, , has the same magnitude before and after the disk as considered in [15]. There are many more assumptions made in this theory which are talked about in detail in [21–23]. As mass is conserved, the mass flow rate across the disk is given as
From Newton's Second Law, the rate of change of momentum can be defined as the resultant force applied on the airflow, that is, thrust, which can be defined as the product of the mass flow rate and the change in velocity
Assuming an ideal system, work done by thrust force per unit time equals the rate of change of translational kinetic energy of the airflow which can be defined as
Solving (A.3) for , using the above derived relations, we get a relation between the far-field velocity in the slipstream and the inflow velocity at the disk as . This relation is an alternative form of the well-known Froude's law which states that the axial velocity at the disk is the arithmetic mean between the one at the upstream and downstream (in the wake) infinity [29].
Considering a rotor disk, (Figure 2), at radius r from the center, a ring with infinitesimal thickness dr, and considering the assumptions mentioned above about uniform disk loading, the elemental thrust, dT, generated by this elemental area is described as
Thus, the nondimensional form of the elemental thrust can be defined as
Solving (A.5) for , we get (1).
Using Blade Element Theory [11, 12], elemental aerodynamic forces, lift and drag per unit span are respectively given as which are resolved (Figure 3) to give the elemental thrust as where and are the relative velocity of air experienced by the blade and the chord of the blade at radius r, respectively [19] (Figure 3). and are lift and drag coefficients, respectively, for the propeller airfoil, considered to be the same, radially, for each cross-section throughout the blade. is the relative inflow angle defined as . Assuming angle has very small magnitude, , , and . Substituting these values in (A.8) we get
Further, considering thin airfoil theory [14] and airfoil data to be origin centered, the product, , is assumed to be very small and the lift curve slope can be approximated as , where and is the blade twist. With these assumptions, (A.9) can be simplified to
Next, considering gives . Using these approximations, we can now define the elemental thrust as
From (A.5) and (A.11), the elemental thrust coefficient at radius can be given as (2).
B. Propeller Geometrical Data Approximation
Nine propellers are shown in Figure 8, which range from 4-inch to 12-inch diameters, and are used to get geometric data like twist angle, ratio, and effective diameter of the propellers. An approximate effective diameter is measured by eliminating the propeller hub and thin tip section. The relation suggests that will occur for the maximum value of the ratio and vice versa is true for . and are thus calculated using a 4 × 4.5 (leftmost) propeller and 12 × 4 (rightmost) propeller, respectively. The values calculated for and are 0.34 rad and 0.11 rad, respectively.
If a propeller is carefully observed, the blade section near the hub and the tip is tapered to the extent where it becomes incapable of generating any significant amount of lift. Based on these observations and measurements made (of diameter with significant lift-generating area), a few typical effective diameter, , values are proposed. There may exist extreme cases where the value of falls out of the proposed range, and one such case is discussed in Appendix C.
C. Application Note
Let us consider a design case where we have concluded that the propeller suitable for a UAV is a 10 × 3.3-inch propeller to be used with some low-kV motor (typically less than 1000 kV). Using the proposed Thrust-RPM mathematical model, we have the following thrust versus RPM characteristic curve as shown in Figure 9(a), plotted using a typical value of ed. From the validation, we can say there is a high probability of the estimated data to be within ±10% of the actual values. But before the final design, the experiments conducted give the following data set at discrete points (Figure 9(b)) which can be used to fine-tune the parameters in the proposed model as shown in Figure 9(c).
If we look at the mathematical model carefully, we can understand the parameters which vary from system to system. The value of the thrust is directly influenced by and . is a function of k, , and . Further, k is a function of the ratio . The parameters which have been highly approximated in the proposed model are k and . Is it suggested that the tuning of the model should be done in the following way: (1)Start with using the corrected value of air density.(2)Next, try to change ; the effective radius of a good propeller will lie between 0.75 and 0.95.(3)Lastly, if the expected value of lies outside the above-mentioned range, try to adjust k.
By following the above procedure, we end up with a finely tuned thrust-RPM model of the propeller as shown in Figure 9(c).
|Rotor disk area
|Angle of attack
|Relative inflow angle
|Thrust coefficient
|Propeller diameter
|Elemental drag per unit span
|Diameter effectiveness
|Inflow ratio
|Flow ratio
|Elemental lift per unit span
|Motor-propeller Force Constant
|Mass flow rate of air
|Rotation per minute
|Number of propeller blades
|Propeller angular velocity
|Propeller pitch
|Rotor radius from hub to tip
|Incremental radius
|Air density
|Propeller thrust
|Blade twist angle
|Free-stream velocity
|Relative velocity
|Inflow velocity
|Increment in far-field velocity.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
The author would like to thank Shivani Chandak, Gargi Kadoo, and Kiran Siddappaji (University of Cincinnati) for their comments that greatly improved the manuscript. The authors would also like to show their gratitude to Ted Baldwin and Bryan Brown from the University of Cincinnati for helping them with reference papers and for providing propellers for this research, respectively.
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Providing hands free, hands through connection; juno has been designed to deliver the very best ergonomics in all carrying modes, for both you and your child.
Developed in collaboration with medical professionals, parents and children; juno promises safety, quality materials and world class innovation in one bundle, ensuring a truly authentic Mountain Buggy experience every time you carry.
- Hands free, hands through connection - hands through connection pouch, providing a natural and connected carry
- Ergonomic positioning in every carrying mode - innovative width adjustable seat for an ergonomically supported carryí«ÌÎ?
- Juno infant insert innovation - with a flip out seat functionality the juno infant insert grows with a newborn baby for comfort and safetyí«ÌÎ?
- Juno infant insert included - included with purchase providing a newborn solution at no extra cost
- Four modes - adaptability with four medically approved carrying modes
- Tailored storage pockets -í«ÌÎ?two retractable, tailored storage pockets (big enough for the largest smart phone)
- Sternum strap runners -í«ÌÎ? for ease of adjustments
- Magnetic sternum strap fastening - for parent usability,í«ÌÎ?supporting 20 kg / 44 lbs of weight
- Protective hood -í«ÌÎ?with a stow away pocket offering protection, support and privacy
- Okeo-tex certified fabrics -í«ÌÎ?100% chemical free, Okeo-tex certified textiles, with a 100% cotton lining
- 3D padded shoulder straps and waistband -í«ÌÎ?providing cushioned weight distributing support for a comfortable, breathable carry
- Carrier panel -í«ÌÎ?a 35 cm / 13.7‰̢ۡÌâ?åÁÌÎ?? í«ÌÎ?carrier panel, for back support and stability from newborn to toddler
- Elastic loops -í«ÌÎ?secure loose strap ends, keeping them safely out of the way
- Fromí«ÌÎ?newborn - 4 years
- Product weight 1.7 lbs.
- Minimum weight: 7.7 lbs.
- Maximum weight: 44 lbs.
- Seat width: 8.3-12.9"
- Waistband extend: 27-53"


text: T-Mobile is having a huge sale on their 4G devices. These devices are the My Touch 4G, T-Mobile Rocket, and the T-Mobile G2. The My Touch 4G was previously priced at $129.99, and now is priced at $49.99. The T-Mobile Rocket is a 4G modem is now free. The T-Mobile G2 was originally priced at $149.99 and now is priced at $49.99. This sale ends at 3 a.m. If you're interested in any of these products go to the T-Mobile website to purchase this great deal.


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You are not erroneous visiting this blog. Some info regarding the gazebo trellis arch will be described here.
yard could be more beautiful if we assemble a gazebo on top of it. In the event the type of the modern house, modern gazebo also needs to be nuanced. In the event the classical-style house, gazebo also must adjust to the type that is classic.
The gazebo trellis arch can be appropriate assembled near the swimming pool. Swimming will be comfortable and more delightful.
When you purchase a gazebo trellis arch? Some gazebo are available at Amazon, Lowes or other shops. Promptly ready the amount to buy or assemble one in your home.
The following outline gazebo positioning tips:
This size is big enough. The gazebo is utilized toenjoy the garden setting.
Place in place a higher gazebo in the edge ofthe park.
Better not put the gazebo in the farthest point of the home.
Use natural materials like wood and bamboo gazebo to accentuate theperception of a powerful nature further. Avoid placing the gazebo beneath vines or tall trees, the view will be blocked and gazebos ascould be damaged if subjected to twigs or the fallen seeds.


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[Photograph 2012.201.B0143.0020]
Description: Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "Dr. Denton Cooley left, held's a mechanical heart s he tells newsmen about the implantation of a mechanical heart in to the chest of Haskell Karp, 47, last Friday and today replaced it with a human heart."
Date: April 7, 1969
Creator: Associated Press
Item Type: Refine your search to only Photograph
Partner: Oklahoma Historical Society


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Promoting one's book is necessary both when self-published or traditionally published. It takes time and research, a great amount of wheeling/dealing at times and mostly patience. You can spend money to do this, such as placing ads on book sites, but it doesn't have to be expensive. There seems to be a certain amount of double standard thinking along this line. Amazon doesn't want paid reviews, but the prestigious Kirkus Reviews are by no means free. So how does one go about getting his/her book noticed?
If you self-publish a book and do no promotion, chances are no one will ever read your book. Don't be shy, other authors certainly aren't and their wheels will out-squeak yours to get the proverbial grease. There are ways to to attract attention. Amazon's KDP lists promotional suggestions, among these being doing free Kindle weekends. What? Give away my wonderful, sweated-over, golden words for free? Yes, for free. I tried this last fall and my little-noticed book was downloaded over two hundred times. Did I make a dime? No. But this led to another promotion...
I've been following a very nice website called Mother/Daughter Book Reviews. A mother and her two children read books and review them on the site. There are both popular and indie books shown as well as guest reviewers, book giveaways, etc. I love any site that encourages kids to read and to give feedback on a book (or as we teachers call it, using their reading comprehension skills). I wrote to Renee, the site's hostess to see if I could submit Delores Fletcher, Cobweb Catcher. To my surprise, she had downloaded my book during the free promotion and planned to review it in the future. She is currently accepting submissions. She has also started selling ad spaces on her site which led to another promotional idea...
There are a lot of book sites that make their expenses back through selling ad spaces along their side columns. They're usually very reasonable and last for weeks at a time. If you've ever placed an ad in a local newspaper, you'd appreciate the low cost of a book ad on these sites. Also, many of these sites boast readership in the tens of thousands. That's a lot of potential readers.
I'm not sure how I started getting Book Baby emails, but I do like some of their articles. A recent one gave a link to a site which lists 20 free e-book promotional sites. I'm exploring these now. I've discounted a few, but have now listed Delores on Ask David. There are only 1,967 books in the queue before mine, but I am a patient person. On to the next one in the list.
Social media is big. Use any form of social media you can to put the word out about your book. Make sure it is seen. One very fun, but addictive site is Pinterest. I now have a page devoted to all things Delores. I've included pins from craft sites or recipe sites which could be related to the story as well as artwork and brooms. If you do book signings, include pictures on your book boards as well.
Speaking of book signings, don't be shy about calling your local libraries. I have been turned down from certain counties which don't offer book readings for children by local authors. I view this as their loss, but mostly feel sad for the kids whose parents can't afford to take them to the book stores to buy them books. The live readings would enrich their lives and their imaginations. I have also been welcomed in small libraries and treated like royalty. The children were so wonderful. I came away as happy as the listeners.
Some local bookstores will also welcome you into their stores. You may do most or all of the promotion yourself, but it's all of the marketing plan that you need to have in place. Even with traditional publishing, after the initial book signing, which many don't do anymore, you're left to do a lot of the promoting yourself. You need to have a plan to keep your book afloat.
Sure, there are books that will always sell. They seem to have a permanent spot on the Barnes & Noble bookshelves. But, for the rest of us, there is limited shelf space left and the spots are hard to come by. So, get plenty of sleep, budget your time to research your options and make phone calls and emails. Your book is your baby and baby will need a lot of new shoes. So, keep writing and start promoting.


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Indian weddings are known to be grand affairs in its every aspect. The decorations, shopping, number of guests invited and functions are at different level all together. Therefore, every couple wants to document this experience in such a way that they can relive these moments any time. It takes lot of hard work and talent to be a Indian wedding photographers as you have to use combinations of various genres of photography here.
The wedding photography industry in India was traditionally dominated by guys at local photography studios with standard techniques to cover each wedding. Today, with the explosion of digital photography, wedding photographers are covering each wedding in a different way. We have short listed some of the finest male Indian wedding photographers in the industry for you.
- Suman Chakravarthy
Just hire him and forget all the worries. If Suman is on ground, you don't have be to constantly worried about everything getting captured or not. He will tell you to enjoy your special day and be assured about good results. Candid photography is his strong point. He will capture all rituals and gathering at the wedding and convert it into nice photo feature which tells wedding story.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/sumanchakrifoto
- Prakash Tilokani
With an experience in covering several celebrity and businessmen's weddings, Prakash Tilokani is the best wedding photographer you can get. His work has been recognized through many awards in the field of photography.
Prakash believes that a wedding photographer should combine his photography skills with planning and consultation with client. In order to get desired emotions in a frame from his subject, he uses his social skills. Candid moments are also frequent in his photographs.
Website: http://www.prakashtilokani.com
- Vinayak Das
What can be better than a couple covering the wedding? Vinayak Das extensively collaborates with his wife Snigdha to create magic in the wedding album. Their work reflects strict photo journalistic approach to the wedding. The couple covers details of the wedding as a grand event. Kodak wedding Photographer award was given to them for the uniqueness in their work.
Website: http://www.vinayakdasphotography.com
- Sharik Verma
Sharik Verma, just like most of engineering students in India, was pursuing career in IT at Wipro. But he decided to quit this high paying profession to follow his passion. Today, he is known for his work in the domain of wedding photography in India.
His work focuses on magical moments and chemistry between couples. He has covered many destination weddings at exotic places. His clients say that photos clicked by him look alive. The secret behind this is amazing retouching effects he has been using.
Website: http://sharikverma.com
- Joseph Radhik
After getting postgraduate diploma in management from prestigious IIM, Joseph Radhik would have been placed at any Fortune 500 companies. But Radhik chose to tell stories using the audio-visual medium. He covers the human interest stories about almost every person he meets.
If you want to take the wedding coverage to next level opt for his videographies of wedding. His studio creates wedding short films, pre and post wedding shoots and candid wedding photos as well. Contact his Hyderabad or Mumbai office for more information.
website: http://www.josephradhik.com
Latest posts by Akshay Tarfe (see all)
- 5 best male Indian wedding photographers list - March 28, 2016
- 5 best women wedding photographers in India - January 31, 2016
- Wedding planning mobile games Indians must play - January 19, 2016


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This is harder than I thought!
I somehow thought this journaling/blogging thing would be easy. It's actually really not. I'm sitting here racking my brains for something to talk about, something vaguely interesting.
I can't think of a thing!
Um.. anyone have any questions that I could answer for future posts?
Where do you get your inspiration for posts?
I could tell you that my thighs are killing me after going for a run with S earlier this afternoon. Or the fun we've been having together as it's Easter break and she's off work this week. *winkwink nudgenudge*
That's not to say she doesn't still have a mountain of paperwork to get through.
Or the colleague of hers that saw us together and from the look of shock and horror on her face, clearly now must think S is cheating on J. Apparently the age-gap between them is enough of a talking point among the faculty… I think she's actually looking forward to going back to hear the gossip that will be doing the rounds that she was seen out with another woman!
I'm listening to Avenged Sevenfold for what feels like the first time in forever and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy their music. And damn is M Shadows a fine piece of ass.
I spent this morning doing some dusting around the flat, then with S pouting at me to bake a cake. She's not evil enough to order me to make a cake when she's put me on a diet – she's nowhere near that cruel – just asked me if I'd make the Green Velvet Cheesecake that I made for St Patrick's Day because she really liked it and… how exactly am I supposed to resist that?
So that's chilling in the fridge and I'm sulking because I don't know if I'm going to be allowed any. Though, with J pouting at her too, I suspect S will relent! 😀
I'm in the mood to watch something but I'm not sure what. Lucifer wasn't on last night so that's out. I might poke Netflix and see what it throws out at me. Or see what J or S want to watch.


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If you have problems with your Houzz order, they will do nothing to help. When you call, they will be nice, they will say they are working on your issue, but they never call back.
I spent $438 on a swing that was missing so many parts (including the instructions) that it could not be assembled. I called multiple times to customer support. No help. Two of the missing parts were wooden slats that from the top and bottom of the swing that the chains connect to for hanging.
The wood is Larch which is not available locally. No way to buy parts and fix it on our own.
Never again. Shame on Houzz for taking people's money, and shame on them for allowing sellers to scam people through their site.
Product or Service Mentioned: Leisure Season Swing.
Reason of review: Damaged or defective.
Monetary Loss: $438.
Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution.


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Regardless of your level of skill, home improvement projects are manageable. Don't let DIY Tv programs turn your mind. There is lots more to home remodeling project than really big jobs. Read along with the tips so you can enjoy yourself while improving your individual needs.
Ensure your air conditioner filter. A dirty AC filter causes your air conditioner to function inefficiently and consume more energy to work. It also continue to for a longer time frame. Alter your filters monthly in order to avoid buildup.
If you need to redo your homes roof, use light colored substances or white tile. This one thing can easily make a significant savings in your bills.
Choose the pieces you wear a lot and display those.
For example, having an uncovered deck in Arizona or a sun room which includes no ventilation in Michigan could be nonsensical renovations which will have potential buyers questioning your home upkeep decisions. Don't rise above your immediate climate needs, though do the things you like.
Make use of a wet sponge to help install drywall. Take advantage of the sponge rather than sander on those drywall seams. A sponge can be as effectively as being a sander. The benefit of using a sponge is it doesn't gather dust together with the sanding.
You might have gorgeous hardwood flooring that really needs refinishing hiding beneath carpeting or linoleum.You could end up with the most wonderful of floors to get a high-quality floor which costs significantly less.
Don't overlook landscaping while looking to redecorating projects. Your yard is definitely the first item people view whenever they visit your home, and a beautiful front lawn can impress your neighbors as well as any visitors.
You will have to pay limited for fast home remodeling done quickly.Most contractors is going to be pleased to produce swifter try to finish any project quicker.Just understand that they may be pleased because they will expect more money! You will usually always pay them more.
Utilize your old luggage rack like a unique side table. Apply it to keep a lamp or some books.
Tie or snip extra cord length on your blinds. These cords could be a strangulation hazard to children and pets. Be sure to remove or otherwise secure website any here excess, although leave enough cord so that you can be capable of manipulate the blinds. Tie them or make the grade to protect yourself from any unfortunate events.
Create your home's entrance look great by having new paint and drop inside a new doormat. Your home's entrance is vital in welcoming guests in your home for visitors.
Pick a comprehensive color scheme to use for your living space. Complementary colors look nice in formal rooms just like the dining area. It is a clear representation of colors and improving the appearance.
Redecorating could be a great endeavor for nearly a person to start, as once was stated. You don't have to become pro when you don't wish to, although it has a little knowledge to learn the basic principles to enable you to start improving correctly. Keep all the tips fresh at the front of your own mind and initiate chopping away with the needed jobs once they've had a chance to soak.
How To Tackle Your House Improvement Projects
Regardless of your level of skill, home improvement projects are manageable. Don't let DIY Tv programs turn your mind. There is lots more to home remodeling project than really big jobs. Read along with the tips so you can enjoy yourself while improving your individual needs.


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Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 10, Suppl A, Pages 57A-59A
Surveillance for Pneumococcal Disease in the United States
Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division ef Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for lnfectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Copyright © 1999 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This article has no abstract.


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"To hit anything"
Pierre Berthet is a 59 year old inventor, instrument builder, musician and composer from Liège, Belgium. He's also one half of Dead Plants And Living Objects, the duo he formed with Rie Nakajima.
You started out as a drummer.
I studied classical percussion, I was never really trained as a drummer.
Why did you change from playing an instrument to building instruments?
In order to escape from the rutilant kitchy pretentious look and sounds of Western percussion instruments. Most of them are depressing customized copies of Oriental and African instruments.
Do you think that there's still an influence from your classical percussion background in what you do today?
The relatively short history of Western percussion I was confronted to during my studies probably encouraged me to hit anything that would come under my hands.
Who are the people that influenced you in the making of your own instruments? Joe Jones? Harry Partch? Harry Bertoia? Because that's what your work reminds me of.
Terry Fox, Arnold Dreyblatt, Paul Panhuysen, Alvin Lucier, Frederic Le Junter, Rie Nakajima are all people you can add to that list, plus a lot of others I forgot about or am not conscious of.
Your discography is rather limited. The last CD I got from you is the Extended Loudspeakers album, which is already from 2010.
I am OK with not too much recordings. I prefer the real thing.
You studied with Henri Pousseur. What is the main thing that you learned from him?
Pentatonic modes and their transpositions, joy and happiness... not enough though. I wish he would still be here. This world misses him.
You formed Dead Plants And Living Objects with Rie Nakajima. How did you and Rie meet?
I met Rie through our common friend Phill Niblock.
What do you have in common with her?
She's my sonic sister I think. I don't collaborate so much so it's good to find someone sometimes. It helps me to hang on.
How do you match?
I used motors before meeting her but she inspired me in new ways. Also she's funny and we laugh much. And we both like food and simple cooking.
Photo © F. Le Junter
- Joeri Bruyninckx
© Copyright http://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2017


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Could one of your compliance officers, whistleblower hotline or due diligence vendor employees, internal audit employees or even a member of your board of directors be anonymously funneling information about a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") problem at your company to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in the hopes of triggering a huge enforcement action and earning a multi-million dollar bounty?
The whistleblower bounty provisions of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank") have received a lot of press. As most readers likely already know, the provisions entitle qualified whistleblowers to collect 10 percent to 30 percent of securities law enforcement recoveries by government enforcers, under certain circumstances. Most readers also probably know that violations of the accounting provisions of the FCPA can qualify as violations of the "securities laws." One aspect of the bounty program has gone largely unnoticed; however, even persons who owe your company fiduciary duties to detect and combat fraud and corruption can be eligible for lucrative Dodd-Frank whistleblowing bounties.
In August 2011, the SEC's final rules relating to whistleblower awards under Dodd-Frank went into force. Under the final rules, a whistleblower has no duty to inform the company before making a report to the SEC. If a whistleblower chooses to report a violation internally, the whistleblower must report the violation to the SEC within 120 days from the date of the internal report to be eligible for a monetary award.[i] Indeed, the FAQ webpage for the SEC's Office of the Whistleblower explicitly advises visitors that to be eligible for an award, they must promptly report the violation to the SEC even if they have already reported the violation through their company's internal compliance channels. While persons who have a fiduciary duty to report violations to the company are initially excluded from qualifying as a whistleblower, once 120 days have elapsed since an officer (including a compliance officer), director, trustee or partner informed the company's audit committee, chief legal officer, or chief compliance officer, a person with a fiduciary duty may become a whistleblower eligible for a bounty – even if he or she received the information from another person.[ii]
The result: a whistleblower – even a compliance officer, auditor, board member or officer – can anonymously report a securities law violation to the SEC. He or she can then wait to see if any enforcement action occurs and if so, whether the cash bounty will be worth any hurt feelings that may occur back at the office. Considering that numerous FCPA enforcement actions have exceeded US$100 million, the potential to recover tens of millions of dollars in a bounty may motivate even highly-compensated individuals to become SEC whistleblowers.
What About Requiring Our Key Personnel and Vendors to Sign Confidentiality Agreements?
It is unlawful for companies to contractually or otherwise forbid the making of reports to the SEC. Dodd-Frank further enhances protections for whistleblowers against workplace retaliation. Dodd-Frank whistleblowers may make their reports anonymously through counsel; a whistleblower must reveal his or her identity to the SEC before receiving the bounty, but this can occur after the enforcement action result has been announced.
Does Dodd-Frank Apply to Your Company?
Companies based outside of the U.S. may not be aware of the massive financial incentive that their most trusted employees have to swiftly report FCPA problems straight to U.S. SEC enforcers. Dodd-Frank applies to companies that qualify as "issuers" under U.S. law, including companies organized outside the U.S. that have American depositary receipts.
How Can A Company Reduce the Risk That Internal Investigation and Self-Disclosure Opportunities Are Short-Circuited by Trusted Employees Reporting Directly to the SEC?
Two things can reduce the risk that a fiduciary short-circuits your company's internal compliance efforts by going straight to the SEC: the attorney-client privilege and a swift, privileged investigative response.
- Privilege – To be eligible for a bounty, a whistleblower must provide the SEC with "original information." Critically, the SEC will not treat information covered by the attorney-client privilege as "original information," assuming the information does not fall within narrow exceptions.[iii] Accordingly, it is important to recognize that the work of a company's internal auditors and other employees and vendors may be covered by the U.S. attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine only if their work is undertaken at the direction of counsel acting in a legal role. Because information covered by the attorney-client privilege is not "original information" eligible for an award, companies should involve counsel as early as possible when there is a report of a violation of U.S. securities laws (including the FCPA). If you allow information about a potential problem to be gathered by employees or vendors that are not acting at the direction of counsel, your company may be funding fact-finding that one of your own investigators (or others who learn of their findings) can report directly to the SEC.
Because many in-house counsel often act in multiple roles (i.e., legal, compliance, and business), it is much safer for companies to rely on outside counsel to avoid ambiguity as to whether a whistleblower investigation is cloaked in the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine. Given the increasing prevalence of enforcement actions by multiple jurisdictions, involving outside counsel is also important where the company may have a nexus with non-U.S. jurisdictions that do not recognize the privilege for in-house counsel.
- A Swift Investigation – If a person has internally reported a securities law violation, they cannot be eligible for a whistleblower bounty if they fail to convey the information to the SEC within 120 days of the internal report. Moreover, 120 days after the internal report, even those with fiduciary responsibilities to the company can become eligible for bounties for reporting non-privileged information to the SEC (even information conveyed to them by others) if they are not otherwise ineligible. Thus, to preserve the company's ability to self-disclose any potential violations, it can be critical that the company determine as many facts as possible within 120 days of the first internal report. While completing a thorough investigation within 120 days is very unlikely in most circumstances, the more facts that can be determined at an early stage, the better.
To better achieve these two key goals, make sure your company has an updated response plan. Developing a response plan before a crisis will not only reduce the risk of your investigative efforts being short-circuited by your own trusted personnel directly reporting investigative results to the SEC before the company can act; it also can help reduce the actual costs of the investigation. Retention and deployment of outside global and local foreign investigations counsel (and other key services) are likely to be less costly if done pre-crisis rather than on an urgent basis and in the absence of prior contingency planning.
Takeaway: Your most trusted compliance personnel are likely the individuals best-positioned to be Dodd-Frank whistleblowers. Aside from perhaps the general counsel, who knows more about potential problems at your company than your compliance staff, HR staff, whistleblower/ethics line vendor, due diligence vendor, public auditor, ombudsman, internal audit staff, officers and board of directors?
If you don't already have a rapid response plan, develop and implement one now so that at the first sign of a problem you can initiate a proper (and more cost-effective) internal investigation that is clearly protected by the attorney-client privilege. The earlier that your company can transition from the discovery or gathering of non-privileged "original information" by potential whistleblowers to a well-coordinated, privileged internal investigation, the more likely your company will be able to receive key facts and make pro-active decisions ahead of a government investigation. If your company has a real problem, the last thing you need is a member of your fact-finding or leadership team reporting information to the SEC before the company has had an opportunity to properly consider preliminary investigation results.


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We survived! And I even got a few pictures. Here are some gingersnaps getting ready to go into the oven:
Here are some of those cute little pretzel treats, ready to go into the oven. Things did turn out, I promise. I just forgot to take after pictures. I only have befores:
And last, but not least, here's a little one all tuckered out from the baking. The older kids helped my husband hand out treats at work while I waited with the younger ones.


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Bay Area Stage and Screen
Theatre, Film and TV in the San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Diane Tasca in "The Belle of Amherst" at The Pear
I am proud to be a part of The Pear. I went and saw Diane perform last weekend in this 1 person, 2 hour show and it was riveting. Too bad it's over with. I hope she does it again some day soon.
Inside Bay Area - Bay Area Living
Posted by
Ray Renati
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
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I am actress, still trying to make my foothold strong in Bollywood. I had made a debut in Bollywood in 2004 but that went unnoticed and I moved on to south industry.
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List of Rosslyn Johanna Gross movies
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text:
Sonic Youth wrote:Rolo, are you sure you're not exaggerating a little in order to fit your narrative? You've read varying reviews on Rango's quality? A film that has 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 on Metacritic? "I cannot tell you how many times I saw this trailer in theatres, and by the end of it the audience was usually laughing." Really? Not only have I not seen the audience laughing, I'd be hard-pressed to remember the last time an audience laughed at any preview other than for a comedy.
FWIW, although my anecdotes are no more valuable than yours or anyone elses, the audience I sat with at "The Adjustment Bureau" broke out into applause at the end, much to my surprise. (I thought the film was ludicrous.)
With RANGO, I guess it is all about expectation. When I first saw the trailers I thought it looked splendidly weird. I assumed it was going to be as well reviewed as HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON or TOY STORY 3, which had a 98% and 99% score respectively from rottentomatoes. After all, UNSTOPPABLE and ALICE IN WONDERLAND received an 86% and 80% R.T. score respectively, and I would not exactly call those films well praised.
I was not too far off with my opening weekend predix though. I read the film received a C+ Cinemascore from audiences. That seems pretty bad for a family film. I guess it was just too strange for folks. I am still looking forward to it.
As for THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, I saw the trailer in theatres before INCEPTION and THE TOWN. Both were smarter than usual action flicks, so I would think the audience would be more welcoming to high concept films. I think it was a combination of the strange premise, the silly hats, and the ridiculous title, but there were most definitely laughter by the time the trailer ended. I assumed if this was the reaction these audiences were giving it, the Adam Sandler-Michael Bay crowd probably thought it looked really weird.
I definitely underestimated the opening gross, most likely because I was thinking about the reaction of younger audiences. Apparently the film was a big hit with the over 40 crowd. I just assumed they would all be seeing THE KING'S SPEECH and THE FIGHTER this weekend.
I swear Sonic Youth, I have no nefarious agenda. I do not look at any of the studio tracking before posting my predicitons. I just go off of the trailers, reviews, internet chatter, and general hype for a film. I look at past grosses for similar films and then do my best to predict where each film will end up.
I admittedly have a very different taste in films than general U.S. audiences (whom I lovingly refer to as the "idiot masses"). The film I am most looking forward to out of this entire year is THE TREE OF LIFE. The only big budget Hollywood film I am eagerly anticipating is SUPER 8. I will probably also check out X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and THE DEATHLY HALLOWS on the big screen, but mostly just due to childhood fondness for the X-men and Harry Potter universes rather than love for the films themselves.
Usually only MovieWes joins me in this thread. It is great to have you contribute as well Sonic Youth.


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Intel vs. ARM: Netbooks and Low Power
The landscape of computing is undergoing a fundamental change. Mobile computing is gaining ground at the expense of traditional desktop-based computing. Computers are no longer merely productivity tools; they are increasingly being used for communication, networking, and entertainment on the go. To be sure, powerful desktops will still be around; but their use will be limited to developing content, R&D, technology, and businesses. For the average consumer, processing power to meet lifestyle computing needs is now available on mobile phones and other mobile Internet devices such as netbooks (or smartbooks, as Qualcomm and others prefer to market them).
In the now fading era of tethered computing, Intel, AMD, and others raced to produce ever more powerful processors. First, they pushed processor speed, then bundled multiple cores together. Attention was paid to raw computing power and not to the amount of electric power these processors consumed. All was well as long as these processors were running devices connected to AC power outlets or in case of laptops running for just a few hours. Mobile phones, netbooks, and embedded devices, on the other hand, are powered by a battery and need to run much longer – at least a full workday – between recharges. Intel's portfolio of processors does not fit this low-power consumption bill. Processors powered by ARM cores excel at it.
Atom is the Pentium for non-PC platforms. Realizing that processors built for PCs will not cut it in the power-conscious markets, Intel designed a scaled-down architecture called Atom. But the first crop of processors from the Atom family is not as power efficient as the current offering from ARM. Most of the current Atom processors have total power dissipation (TPD) of over 2W. The golden rule of mobile computing is a TPD of 500mW under prevailing battery technology.
The road map for Atom promises power consumption levels comparable to ARM offerings. Both ARM and Intel plan to move to smaller transistors via smaller manufacturing processes to reduce current leakage and thus improve power efficiency. Intel is investing $7 billion across several facilities to migrate from 45nm to 32nm process technology. Intel earlier offered discrete graphics to provide powerful graphics processing alongside the main CPU. To cater to this, Intel is now pushing ahead its system-on-chip (SoC) effort by offering integrated graphics in PineView — the latest Atom offering. Intel is closing on ARM's offerings and integrated approach.
The Cortex-A series of ARM processors are powerful enough to support a full version of Linux OS. For some time, prior offerings from ARM ran trimmed versions of Linux in embedded environment. Now, Cortex-A processors already power some of the top smartphones. With the new entrants in Cortex-A series (A9 MP, A5), ARM processors can now target netbooks and eventually laptops.
A majority of netbooks today are powered by Atom. ARM ecosystem partners intend to change this and are collaborating with Taiwanese computer manufacturers to build ARM-based netbooks. Nvidia Tegra, which powers the latest Microsoft Zune HD player, is built around the ARM11 core. Tegra aims to bridge the gap between a smartphone and a netbook. Qualcomm is taking on Intel with its own ARM-based Snapdragon processors. The experience gained in developing for 3G connected devices has given companies such as TI, Qualcomm, and Nvidia the confidence and know-how to take on Intel in the netbook market.
The current crop of netbooks does not make the cut for some; the next crop promises to be powerful enough to convince many more.
In tomorrow's post, we will look at the software availability and OS ecosystems of these competing platforms.
A copy of this article appeared at Sramana Mitra on Strategy
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[…] I mentioned in the previous post, ARM cores are now capable of supporting a full Linux distribution. Beautiful things come about […]


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Kate Bosworth is a Grove Girl
Kate Bosworth and her model boyfriend James Rousseau shop at The Grove in West Hollywood on Tuesday. The cute couple was seen dropping by the Apple store together.
The 25-year-old actress is expected to take calls from viewers during the Sept. 5 Stand Up To Cancer broadcast, joining Jessica Alba, Charles Barkley, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Abigail Breslin, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Garner, Brad Garrett, Angie Harmon, Tony Hawk, Marg Helgenberger, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Mandy Moore, Don Newcombe, Sharon Osbourne, Josh Peck, Mekhi Phifer, Keanu Reeves, Jimmy Smits, David Spade and Carrie Underwood.
Previously announced celebs include: Casey Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Josh Brolin, David Cook, Dana Delany, Fran Drescher, Kirsten Dunst, Elizabeth Edwards, Jon Favreau, America Ferrera, Neil Patrick Harris, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Masi Oka, Danica Patrick, Christina Ricci, Robin Roberts, Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig, Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Goran Visnjic and Forest Whitaker.


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Professor Robert R.M. Verchick published a book on disaster and environmental protection entitled: "Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World" (Harvard University Press 2010). With the Atlantic hurricane season just beginning and oil still billowing from the bottom of the Gulf, this book is gaining attention. A book signing event will be held at Octavia Books later in the summer.
Read more: http://www.loyno.edu/news/story/2010/7/19/2174


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Environmental Sciences and Energy Research Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Solar Facilities Unit, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Rotem Industries Ltd., P. O. Box 9046, Beer Sheva 84190, Israel
A solar central receiver absorbs concentrated sunlight and transfers its energy to a working medium (gas, liquid or solid particles), either in a thermal or a thermochemical process. Various attractive high-performance applications require the solar receiver to supply the working fluid at high temperature (900–1500°C) and high pressure (10–35 bar). As the inner receiver temperature may be well over 1000°C, sunlight concentration at its aperture must be high (4–8 MW/m2 ), to minimize aperture size and reradiation losses. The Directly Irradiated Annular Pressurized Receiver (DIAPR) is a volumetric (directly irradiated), windowed cavity receiver that operates at aperture flux of up to 10 MW/m2 . It is capable of supplying hot gas at a pressure of 10–30 bar and exit temperature of up to 1300°C. The three main innovative components of this receiver are: • a Porcupine absorber, made of a high-temperature ceramic (e.g., alumina); • a Frustum-Like High-Pressure (FLHIP) window, made of fused silica; • a two-stage secondary concentrator followed by the KohinOr light extractor. This paper presents the design principles of the DIAPR, its structure and main components, and examples of experimental and computational results.
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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|"Todd Nine" <todd.n...@gmail.com>
|Help with continuum and deployment
|Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:32:48 GMT
Hi all, I'm trying to set up continuum as a means for our webmaster to deploy our applications. 99% of all changes will be JSF changes, and I want to give them the ability to push to both our staging area, as well as production. I'm unsure how to do this with continuum, or if its even possible Below is the flow of steps, and initial guidance and examples would be greatly appreciated. 1. Continuum performs a "real release", not a nightly build 2. The user selects that release and pushes it to staging 3. After completion of staging the user can go back to that build version, and push it to production. Any thoughts? Thanks, Todd
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text: It is no secret that in business, written communication will be judged accordingly by the end receiver. Poor communication reflects badly on the writer and impacts on the credibility of the business, or of the individual. This workshop has been designed to provide you with clear and effective writing skills to suceed in buisness writing at any level. At the end of the workshop you will learn to organise information effectively, review and integrate the principles of readability, and evaluate while improving your writing skills through practice, practice, and more practice. This workshop will give you skills that you can take out of the classroom and implement in your own business writing through learning appropaite writing sytles for the workplace and valuable editorial skills.


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The Weakerthans
Yeah, kudos to Jamie_Summers for introducing me to this lovely band. I just felt the urge to share my newfound love for them. They're one of these bands who I would never pick out as a band I'd listen too- think lo-fi americana melded with the lyricism of death cab for cutie or cursive. But better.
At times they verge on twee (a song written by a cat?!), but mostly it passes my twee-dar. Great slide guitars too.
I just wondered who else enjoys this lovely proposition of a band?
the thing is
that all the death cab/cursive/twee-ish lyrical indie fans should fucking love them, because they're kind of similar and yet 10,00000 times better.
everyone should download Reconstruction Site. wonderful album.
and as i said a week or so ago, first new album in 4 years set to come out in October, and then tour :D
everyone go here
and learn more
okay? okay!
I saw them
play London about four years ago. Have loved them for years. I think Left And Leaving is even better than Reconstruction Site though.
The title track is stunning.
after you posted about that here
i told my friend that. she almost pee-d herself with excitement.
they're amazing.
the band John (the singer) was in before (propagandhi) are pretty much the best punk rock band in the world lyrically. very different, obviously, but YEAH.
propahandhi also super amazing!
I just discovered them last week. Reconstruction Site is a really good album, musically it's a really nice power-pop/alt-country combination and their lyrics have a lot of wit and depth. Me likes.
I do.
Cos liek I have amazing taste.
my taste
is similarly amazing, and therefore I love them too. I discovered them the same day I discovered The Shins. Weakerthans won.
Is it a bit too 'DiS 2 years ago' to do a top 5 songs list?
Left & Leaving
Reconstruction Site
One Great City!
The Prescience Of Dawn
Without Mythologies
obviously not...


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On Friday, September 22 within the framework of the program of long-term cooperation of the Russian Centre for Science and Culture with the Maltese music schools and studios a concert concert of the music school of Janet Gauci was held in Tchaikovsky concert hall of RCSC in Valletta . This is the sixth concert that is taking place within the framework of this program.
Students of the music school performed both classical pieces and pieces of contemporary composers. Janet Gauci acknowledged the importance of musical education at any age. The audience appreciated the performance of young and talented students. All children received memorable gifts from their teacher.


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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is shamelessly indulging in the politics of `spit and run`, adding the AAP supremo has failed to deliver on the promises made to the people.
BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh, who was reacting to Kejriwal`s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, said the Delhi Chief Minister`s policy or politics has been of `spit and run`.
"We must not forget that he has said that they day he will become the Chief Minister, he will arrest Sheila Dikshit and Mr. Salman Khurshid and he will not be scared. What has happened Mr. Arvind Kejriwal? Have you gone scared against Sheila Dikshit and Salman Khurshid?" Singh asked.
"And your intention is of `spit and run` and shamelessly you follow that practice as a politician," he added.
Accusing the BJP and the Congress of being hand-in-glove in the helicopter scam, Kejriwal claimed the Central Government had `done nothing on the AgustaWestland case for the past two years and the Prime Minister, who came to power promising action against the corrupt, was now `saving the corrupt`.
"The court in Italy promptly punished the culprits in the helicopter scam. What stops the Narendra Modi government from acting against the culprits in India?" asked Kejriwal at a rally in Jantar Mantar yesterday."
The Italian court order also has names of Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, certain officers and Congressmen, but Modi is not able to gather enough courage to arrest Sonia Gandhi, to ask her even two questions, to interrogate her. Modi ji you have been made Prime Minister to take action not to leave the task to the Italy court. I want to ask Modi ji why he is scared of her?" he added.


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New independent Senator Derryn Hinch says sex offenders could be banned from heading to Asia for child sex tours within three months.
Senator Hinch said he had talked to Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop about having passports of sexual offenders blocked "so they can't go off on these child rape sex tours in Asia".
"That's a big win because it wouldn't have been raised otherwise," he told Neil Mitchell on Tuesday on Melbourne radio 3AW.


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SATEAL Conference – Saturday 16th March 2019, University of Edinburgh *CALL FOR WORKSHOPS*
Click on photo below for further information!
Please get in touch by Friday 30th November to let us know your idea for a workshop, using the link below:
SATEAL exists to foster and develop the teaching of English as an Additional Language (EAL) in a multi ethnic environment through our conference and website.
SATEAL organises an annual conference for educators across Scotland who are working with bilingual learners and wish to develop their professional skills and knowledge. The SATEAL Conference is an ideal opportunity to network and share with EAL colleagues and professionals from across Scotland.


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August 24, 2015
This has been one. hot. summer. Right now smoke from fires burning on the Washington State/Canada border is blowing up our way due to Southwest winds. It's an acrid, doused campfire smell and hazy even when just looking across the street.
'The Silt Bluffs, Kamloops', watercolour on Hot Press #140 Arches, 19cm x 24cm, (7.5″ x 9.5″) sold
Oh yeah. I'm done. Bring me a nice serving of September.


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Radiophobia—according to Wikipedia, which has never steered us wrong—is the fear of ionizing radiation, of the sort that was released during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, or in the Bikini Atoll hydrogen bomb test which irradiated the Japanese fishing vessel Fukuryu Maru, or of the sort released by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As we have mentioned elsewhere on this blog, Japan has almost certainly suffered from more catastrophic nuclear shit than any other country (with the possible exception of, say, the Marshall Islands, which is such a small country that maybe they suffered proportionately more as a result of U.S. nuclear tests; but, you know, it's not a competition). As I write this post, radiation continues to seep into the ground beneath Fukushima Daiichi and from there into the Pacific Ocean. Fukushima also hosts hundreds of containers of radioactive water (which, after being pumped through the reactors to cool their nuclear fuel rods, the Tokyo Electric Power Company apparently has nowhere else to store it but on-site) which another catastrophic earthquake/tsunami could release into the atmosphere.
It is not surprising if all of this has certain segments of the Japanese population feeling radiophobic, and this is the subject of Sion Sono's 2012 film The Land of Hope. Sono is something of an enfant terrible—his previous works include mindfucks like Suicide Club and Cold Fish, not to mention the four-hour up-skirt photography epic, Love Exposure. In the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent meltdowns at Fukushima, Sono took the script he had just finished working on and rewrote it to take the recent disasters into account; the result was Himizu (2011), which has not been made available yet in the U.S. (alas) and the merits of which I cannot speak to. He followed it up with The Land of Hope, which recently became available on Hulu courtesy of the people at Asian Crush.
In The Land of Hope, a second earthquake/tsunami/meltdown has struck a nuclear plant in the town of Nagashima (Wikipedia says there's a Nagashima in Kyushu, but it doesn't mention a nuclear plant; let's assume Sono's Nagashima is fictitious). The film mainly follows the impact of the disaster on a multigenerational Nagashima farming family (it also intermittently follows the fortunes of another family, their neighbors, but they frequently drop out of the film for long stretches and their inclusion feels like more of an afterthought). There is the paterfamilias, Yasuhiko Ono; his wife Chieko, who appears to have Alzheimer's disease or some form of dementia that causes her to experience memory impairment and a disconnect from reality; the son, Yoichi; and Yoichi's wife, Izumi. The nearby nuclear plant begins to melt down, the authorities set up an exclusion zone (much as they did at Fukushima) which comes right up to the Ono's property. Now, if you're on the very edge of a twenty-kilometer exclusion zone, you're probably not much safer on one side than you would be on the other, and Yasuhiko instructs his son and daughter-in-law to flee. He and his wife are too old and too stubborn to be moved. So Izumi and Yoichi relocate to a new town that's theoretically a safe distance away from Nagashima (and Fukushima) and there Izumi finds herself pregnant. And she becomes consumed with radiophobia. She stocks up on the surgical masks so popular amongst the Japanese, then rapidly escalates to a full-scale hazmat suit, which she wears whenever she ventures forth from the apartment which she's sealed shut with plastic wrap and tape.
In a previous post in which I touched upon the situation at Fukushima, I mentioned the famous T. S. Eliot line, "I can show you fear in a handful of dust," and pointed out how the dust is now radioactive. What Sono seeks to explore in his movie is how one goes on living when the air itself is poisoned with fear (and cesium). And he does so with a compassion and restraint that his previous films had led me to believe he didn't have in him. Movies like Strange Circus or Cold Fish are in gloriously poor taste. A subject like the recent disasters in Japan would seem to call for tact and delicacy, and Sono delivers. In his treatment of the old couple left behind near the exclusion zone, he raises similar issues to those broached in Michael Haneke's Amour (also 2012, which got all the international awards) without the Austrian miserablist's unrelenting pessimism. And in depicting Izumi's radiophobia, he demonstrates the workings of a very modern type of fear and the age-old methods with which to confront it. Finally, there is a journalistic quality to The Land of Hope—it is very "zeitgeisty"—and, as Fukushima continues to ooze radiation into the sea, Sono's film should be required viewing for those seeking to understand what this disaster means for Japan and the world.


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Well, by Hollywood's typical "based on a true story" standards, the movie presents an interesting tale, but you'd be well-advised to remember that many of the details have little, in fact, to do with reality.
Which is a shame really, because the real-life story of Dr. Bennet Omalu's efforts to shine a light on the connection between concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the face of a hostile NFL deserved a better treatment. In retrospect, the liberties that director and writer Peter Landesman took in regard to the truth look like the actions of a man who was trying way too hard to drive a personal agenda.
It leads to some serious problems including the portrayal of former Chicago Bears' safety Dave Duerson for starters. In the movie, Duerson is presented as a foil to Omalu, a 'villain' who calls Omalu a "quack" in one scene before telling him to 'go back to Africa.' Duerson is also seen getting into an argument with former Philadelphia Eagles safety Andre Waters who has filed an application for benefits related to head injuries he suffered during his own NFL career. Duerson, of course, served at one point on a panel that considered whether former players were entitled to disability benefits, and Waters eventually committed suicide in 2006 leading to the discovery that he, too, had CTE.
The problem is, Duerson's family says these interactions between Omalu and Waters never took place, and, of course, Duerson also committed suicide in 2011 and was later found to have CTE as well. Landesman blows off any criticism by saying that the movie is 'emotionally and spiritually accurate' but that's debatable when you consider that one of Duerson's final acts was asking that his brain be sent to the NFL's 'brain bank' to be studied. Ironically, his reward for contributing to the scientific understanding of CTE that Landesman's film is also trying to shine a light on is to then be thoughtlessly sacrificed by the filmmaker. He becomes a metaphor for all the selfish NFL gatekeepers who denied the claims of others while knowing all along that Omalu's work on CTE was legitimate. And, nobody, of course, would have known better than Duerson.
Then because Hollywood never met a conspiracy it didn't love, Landesman chose to present the prosecution of Cyril Wecht as directly related to Omalu's work when, in fact, there was no connection whatsoever. No, Omalu's fight against the multi-billion dollar NFL isn't big enough for the filmmaker who decides instead to frame it as a fight against the entire American establishment – from corporate America to the federal government which we are somehow to believe is in cahoots with the NFL. Of course, this makes no sense whatsoever when you realize that the government's own scrutiny in the form of congressional hearings later plays a role in the NFL acknowledging the connections between concussions and CTE.
It's a sloppy script that doesn't stand up under closer scrutiny, and that's the scene where the whole thing threatens to come apart under the weight of Landesman's sensationalism. The actors – most notably Will Smith playing the role of Omalu – actually do a great job with what they are given to work with, and Smith in particular helps hold the film together through the more unbelievable moments with his sincere portrayal of the protagonist. At the moment where the FBI confronts Wecht in his office, however, even Smith can't save the scene with his unconvincing reply – 'you're attacking him to get to me!' This time it's Albert Brooks in the role of Wecht who pulls the film through with another dose of dry humor and a deadpan delivery that helps you overlook the absurdity of the entire exchange. Fortunately, the film's most awkward moment doesn't completely sink the whole production.
There are other problems including a weird moment where they point out how many Steelers have died in recent years – 16 of the 77 NFL players from the 1970's and 1980's who died between 2000 and 2006 were Steelers – highlighting the fact that more than one in five played for Pittsburgh. There's no further clarification – just the implication that Pittsburgh Steelers are dying at unbelievably high rates. This being a movie about CTE, the natural conclusion is that they are telling us this is the root cause, but there's no attempt to understand or explain why that would mean players from the other 31 teams are, of course, dying at a much lower rate from CTE. That's because Landesman knows the truth – that the majority of those Steeler deaths have nothing to do with CTE and that it's probably nothing more than the statistical anomaly of flipping a coin and having it come up heads ten times in a row. But incidents like the 2005 death of former Steeler Steve Courson due to a falling tree (that he was cutting down, no less) don't serve a purpose when you're intentionally obscuring details.
Finally, some of the biggest problems are with the conclusions the movie draws about CTE itself. The movie never reveals details that might conflict with Omalu's (or Landesman's) conclusions, and regardless of what you walk out believing about CTE, the realities are far murkier than the filmmaker would lead you to believe. The study of Mike Webster's brain, for example, was what led to Omalu's initial discovery of CTE, and you would walk out of Concussion believing that it killed him. But Webster was also a known steroid and prescription drug abuser who suffered from clinical depression. He was abused by two alcoholic parents, and mental illness was rampant on both sides of his family even leading to the suicide of an uncle (and multiple attempted suicides by one of his siblings).
Any number of those factors could have contributed to Webster's increasingly odd behavior after his NFL career, and establishing a direct causal relationship to CTE would be impossible regardless of what the movie implies. In reality, concussion science is still in its infancy, and that might be the biggest problem of all with Concussion – by trying too hard to land a death blow, the movie ends up flailing wildly at its intended targets. With an opportunity to tell Olamu's story and present what we really do know about the links between concussions and CTE, Concussion instead ends up being as intentionally misleading as the NFL once was in its blanket denials.
- RoadTripSports.com FCS and Small College All-America Teams - January 1, 2019
- The RoadTripSports.com All-America Team - December 9, 2018
- The RoadTripSports.com Defense Starting Lineup - December 8, 2018
- The RoadTripSports.com All-America Offense Starting Lineup - December 8, 2018
- The RoadTripSports.com All-America Coaching Staff - December 8, 2018
- Sewanee holds off Austin College for 28-20 win on The Mountain - September 16, 2018
- Fighting Hawks fly past Delta Devils in 35-7 rout - August 30, 2018
- Hawaii holds off late Colorado State rally in 43-34 stunner - August 26, 2018
- Bethel (TN) stuns No. 2 Reinhardt in 2018 opener, 31-21 - August 24, 2018
- College Football America 2018 Yearbook rolls with the Tide on cover - July 24, 2018


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To say that the time period from 4:00 - 8:30 everyday was busy would be a tragic understatement. It is CRAZY busy. Today we had activity days, swim team, and mutual on the schedule. Once we hit about 8 o'clock though everyone knows just what needs to be done. Every night ends pretty much just like this.
The boys hit the tub. They will still bathe together thank goodness. They always bring an assortment of toys with them. They are always cute.
Catherine is almost always in the upstairs game room working on her homework. She likes to go there because it is quiet and I am not always right there so she can sneak a little tv while she does homework if she is stealthy enough. She thinks I don't know her tricks, but I do. I am just glad she is quietly doing her homework and not bothering anyone.
Madelyn always announces that she is going to bed and will be reading. But when you check on her, as I always do, I usually find her playing games on her iphone. Once I take the iphone away, if I check on her I find her doing a craft. Once I make her put the craft away THEN I will find her reading and quickly falling asleep.
Julianne manages to find a place to do her homework so that she can kind of annoy as many people as possible. The middle of the staircase is a favorite place of hers. Today it was the middle of the hallway.
As everyone slowly settles into the night time routine, she revs up and as I affectionately refer to it -- she stirs all the pots. She'll walk in the boys bathroom and take out a toy from the tub -- just to bug them. She will also check on Madelyn and loudly report her iphone use. She'll then head over to Catherine and take her pencil or something. She has ALWAYS been this way and I don't see it changing anytime soon. Today was a rare surprise though. She did not stir ANY body's pot. She worked efficiently and quietly on her homework and for the second time today I wondered if she was not feeling well (the first time was when she got home from school and promptly put away her school bags -- something that typically takes 4 hours and 200 requests). But . . . I soon discovered the reason for this radical shift in behavior. As soon as she had her homework done and put away she came downstairs and politely asked if she could watch TV -- "the new season of Psych is starting right now, please Mom???"
"Fine, but only if your room is cleaned up too." She raced upstairs, cleaned up and is watching psych right now. I'm definitely of the opinion that TV can be a good thing. If only a new season of Psych started EVERY night.