text:
To this day, the details have never been disclosed regarding the emergence of the rogue signage. Who was this person or persons? Where did they obtain such official-looking signs? How did they remove the old ones?
Was this a sentinel or scoundrel, folk hero or villain?
That judgment continues to be debated. But what's beyond dispute is that the outlaw act sparked a controversy previously unknown in the neighborhood, and the issue has consumed more time and energy than any other to come before the Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) so far this year.
The planning board may have finally put the issue to rest during its June 20 regular monthly meeting. It voted 7-4 to affirm official status to the two previously subversive stop signs and keep three other stop signs along a one-block stretch of Jennings between Silvergate Avenue and Albion Street.
Though inefficient, the configuration was the safest among the four options available, said Gary Pence, a senior traffic engineer with the city.
By way of its vote, the board effectively threw out a decision it made just one month earlier when, in front of a packed house and television news cameras, it voted 4-3 to keep the yield signs-turned-stop signs but remove the three other stop signs. Keeping stop signs for northbound Silvergate at Jennings Street and southbound Albion at Jennings would have granted unhindered right of way to east-west traffic on Jennings, said planners.
The original vote was intended as a compromise to one group supporting all five signs, and another group supporting a return to the original configuration of one stop sign and one yield sign at both T-intersections. Both sides claimed popular support and collected several pages of signatures.
But after the May 16 vote, nearby resident and former longtime U-T San Diego reporter Don Sevrens charged the matter had not been properly noticed on the planning board's agenda — and alleged a violation of the Brown Act, the state's open-meetings law.
Tony Kempton, associate planner for the city's Development Services Department, said no Brown Act violation had taken place, but the matter needed to be revoted on "in an abundance of caution."
The city gets 4,000 traffic-related requests per year from citizens. If approved by the local planning board and the city councilmember with jurisdiction, the request is typically granted,
In other PCPB news
• An ordinance that would ban overnight parking of recreation vehicles, trailers and boats in the western areas of city has been delayed. It is now tentatively scheduled to come before the City Council on July 8, said John Ly, aide to District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer.
• Building 271, the former Navy "Fit for Life Center" at Liberty Station, may soon become the property of a public charter school. High Tech High, which runs several schools in Liberty Station, has agreed to buy the building from the Corky McMillin Cos. That news came from board member Patricia Clark, who said she was asked to pass along a statement from chief executive officer Larry Rosenstock. The school is reportedly applying for a conditional-use permit and plans to enroll up to 450 students. Plans also call for renovating the gymnasium for student use at the 70-year-old building.
• A rental-car facility, receiving/distribution center and other planned improvements to the north side of the San Diego International Airport could wind up further degrading water quality in the Navy Boat Channel, board members said. They voted unanimously to take advantage of the comment period to environmental documents for the airport's north side development project, scheduled for completion in 2015. The airport has not shown purpose and need for installing an additional storm drain, said Paul Webb of the board's Airport Committee.
• More than two years in the making, a plan for developing a system of trails on the 50-acre Hillside section of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is now complete, said Ellen Quick of the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Committee. The plan, along will two other plans addressing drainage and erosion issues, will be discussed at the PCPB's next meeting July 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Point Loma/Hervey Branch Library, 3701 Voltaire St.


text:
this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; This Season has been one of the most unusual rollercoaster rides Saints Fans have ever been on. In a Matter of Months the Saints Went from White Hot Superbowl Favorites in many experts eyes to 0-4 staring down the barrel ...
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
500th Post
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 938
Why The Saints Just Might Take it all ...
This Season has been one of the most unusual rollercoaster rides Saints Fans have ever been on. In a Matter of Months the Saints Went from White Hot Superbowl Favorites in many experts eyes to 0-4 staring down the barrel of lost season gun without Sean Payton. And now the ups seem to be in order once more as the Saints have been White hot Pulling Themselves together to a 5-5 record and insanely are winning the tally in division wins 2 - 1 ( Not that it matters ).
I find a few things ironic about this Sundays game with San Francisco.
#1 - Rematch of the Game of the Year : The Saints lost a consecutive playoff heartbreaker to the Defensive Juggernaught 49'ers in the closing moments of the game.
#2 - Technically for the Saints , this is a playoff rematch game. 5-5 and trailing some very catchable teams for a wildcard bid a loss especially in the NFC puts them by the numbers out of the playoffs barring all hell freezing over.
#3 - This game last year was the last we would see of a Complete Saints Team. This Game last year was the Last time we saw , Payton , Williams , Dunbar , Porter , Meachem , ect ... Things fell apart for the Saints after this Game. This game is engraved in the memory of Saints fans and players , In hindsight one can say this is the game that broke us , and ironically this can be the game that fixes what was broken ... Rarely do you get the chance to redeem yourselves against the foe that started your troubles back at home. Ironic right ?
Now onto the Meat and Potatoes of the Reasons why The Saints Just Might take it all ... The last 3 of 5 Superbowl Winners hail from a wildcard spot. Pittsburgh , GreenBay , NewYork ( Twice ). Truth is get hot and you have a great chance ...
Secondly I found an Amazing point
Preseason Included The Saints so far Have Played against ...
Tom Brady
Aaron Rodgers
Peyton Manning
Matt Shaub
Philip Rivers
Michael Vick
Matt Ryan ( 2 )
Cam Newton ( 2 )
... They have seen IMO the best of the Best at QB and with confidence can say they aren't going to play anyone this year ( Playoffs Included ) harder than Peyton Manning or Aaaron Rodgers at their home turf.
So quite fittingly , I have no reason to fear any other QB we play. This year we have seen the cream of the crop and are still alive. ( Barely )
Another Impressive yet Ironic trait of Wild Card Superbowl winning teams , Somehow out of the Blue they found a dominant running game. Ivory Thomas Ingram and Sproles the knockout punch hasn't yet been thrown. Whatever Vitt is thinking is translating into wins.
Drew Brees : Last but certainly not least , This man is a Surgeon at what he does. No matter who we play for the remainder of the Season , We know we will have the edge at QB and should our defense hold moderately as they have the last few weeks it's going to be insanely difficult to beat the Saints.
You Can't Say Impossible without first saying Im Possible ...
|Latest Blogs
Terrence Williams future threat option for Neworleans Saints? Last Blog: 02-18-2019 By: joker-saint
2019 Saints Roster Outlook Offseason Needs Last Blog: 02-01-2019 By: jeanpierre
2018 New Orleans Saints: Roster Outlook Last Blog: 01-25-2019 By: jeanpierre
B&G StaffWriter
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Posts: 382
Re: Why The Saints Just Might Take it all ...
I like your enthusiasm, bro!
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode
LinkBacks (?)
LinkBack to this Thread: http://blackandgold.com/saints/53158-why-saints-just-might-take-all.html
|Posted By
|Why The Saints Just Might Take it all ...
|This thread
|The Latest New Orleans Saints News | SportSpyder
|This thread

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NEWPORT BEACH — For as long as locals can remember, Newport Beach has been known as an easy Hollywood getaway.
Celebrities such as Humphrey Bogart and Frank Sinatra were known to seek R&R in the coastal town. Lauren Bacall, former wife of Bogart and "Den Mother" of the Rat Pack, resides in Newport. Joey Bishop, Sinatra's famed comic sidekick, was tempted by the tranquility of the beach city, moving to Lido Isle and making that his residence of choice until he died in 2007.
And, of course, Newport had its best-known resident in the late John Wayne. At least until the current era, when Kobe Bryant moved into Newport Coast.
Perhaps the stars of today are taking a cue from old Hollywood because Newport Beach has again become a hotspot for celebrity staycations. The Pelican Hill resort, located just minutes from Crystal Cove, has graced the pages of People, US Weekly and other entertainment magazines. And the Balboa Bay Club and Island Hotel have also wound up on the gossip pages.
Paul Pierce, the Boston Celtics player, wed interior designer Julie Landrum under Pelican Hill's gazebo on July 17 — not far from rival Bryant's mansion. Although Pierce is no unknown, the ceremony was small, with only around 100 people in attendance.
Giuseppe Lama, managing director of Pelican Hill, thought the ceremony came together wonderfully.
"It was so nicely done … from the flowers and décor to the menu," Lama said.
On May 28, Ian Ziering of the original "Beverly Hills: 90210" wed his longtime love, Erin Ludwig, at the resort. Co-stars from the '90s hit show were in the crowd, including Brian Austin Green and his leading lady, Megan Fox.
Besides big events, many celebs view the exclusive resort, which features two-, three- and four-bedroom villas — all with ocean views — as the perfect excuse for a quick trip.
Shortly after their 2009 romance leaked to the press, actress Kate Hudson and New York Yankee star Alex Rodriguez were guests at the resort, where they were frequently found poolside.
This past June, "McSteamy" Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart visited the resort. Only a month after the birth of their daughter, Billie Beatrice, the solo trip gave the couple some time to focus on each other. Felicity Huffman and husband William H. Macy enjoyed some alone time as well. They were seen sipping cocktails and cuddling up on chaise lounges by the pool in late May.
"American Idol" Judge Kara DioGuardi avoided the "Will she leave the show?" rumors and opted for a short trip outside the city of angels. Sitting by the pool, DioGuardi seems to be a fan of the mimosa.
Camp Pelican, a kids program for families staying at the resort, is no exception on celeb itineraries. Britney Spears, a frequent guest at the resort, enjoys seeing her children, Jayden and Sean, playing with other kids at the camp.
And when camp is over, Spears has a favorite spot.
"You can always find Britney at the pool with the kids," Lama said.
Speaking of the pool, last month visitors got a glimpse of "Bush" rocker Gavin Rossdale. The happy father of two played with his children in one of the resort's swimming pools. His wife, Gwen Stefani, was reportedly on the grounds as well.
Even the holidays are a good excuse to pack up the "fam" for a stay in the seaside villas. On April 4, Bill and Giuliana Rancic, stars of the E! reality TV show "Giuliana and Bill," came together with loved ones for a festive Easter egg hunt on the Pelican Hill lawn. Giuliana was seen scoping out the competition, as young kids searched for brightly painted eggs. Perhaps, "Apprentice" star Bill gave the kids some advice on strategy.
Lama was especially excited with one celebrity guest.
"Gilles Marini is the best," said Lama. "I want to play soccer with him!"
Actually, Lama is asking for a second game, because the "Brothers and Sisters" star was nice enough to kick around a ball with the managing director.
"We played for a little while," Lama said. "I was wearing my suit, so I wasn't very prepared for the game."
Hey Gilles, rematch?
Distinctive from other coastal locations, Pelican Hill offers what is considered a private and secluded experience, which undoubtedly celebrities in search of both. Each villa is set apart, making run-ins with fellow visitors, a choice rather than an must – an important factor to a celebrity that might want to keep their stay as secret as possible.
The golf course also draws. People magazine recently spied "Saved by the Bell" star Mark-Paul Gosselaar and "Road Trip" buddy Breckin Meyer on Pelican's links.
On July 17, "Grownups" star David Spade took a break from promoting his film to hit the driving range at Pelican. Other celebs are drawn to the green, such as Blair Underwood, who was spotted there this May.
The villas are literally a home away from home, ranging from two-bedrooms with 2,193 square-feet to four-bedroom with 3,581 square-feet. From butlers to shoppers, Pelican can personalize their retreat so guests – celebrity or not – don't have to lift a finger.
"We enjoy providing a getaway for guests," Lama said. "Celebrities often tell us the resort 'feels like a world away' from Los Angeles."
Though Pelican is on the hot list right now, other resorts in Newport Beach also draw in guests, who sometimes make headlines while visiting the so-called California Riviera.
The Balboa Bay Club recently hosted Alexis Bellino, one of the "Real Housewives of Orange County." The visit made headlines on TMZ because a stroller carrying Bellino's two daughters slipped into the pool, apparently because she left thought she had secured the device's brake but hadn't.
Then there's Tiger Woods, a part-time Corona del Mar resident, who reportedly met with one of his mistresses at the Island Hotel at Fashion Island.
Actress Lindsay Lohan is also reportedly planning a stay in Newport, though it does not appear to be at a resort. When she gets out of jail, TMZ reported Friday, she will reportedly stay at a rehabilitation "facility" in Newport.


text:
Under fire for the accuracy of "Zero Dark Thirty," director Kathryn Bigelow is defending the film's depiction of torture in the manhunt for Osama bin Laden.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and other lawmakers have criticized "Zero Dark," saying the film is "grossly inaccurate and misleading in its suggestion that torture resulted in information that led to the location" of Bin Laden. The lawmakers asked studio Sony Pictures to attach a disclaimer that the film is fictional.
In her most explicit comments on the controversy to date, Bigelow conceded that there are disagreements over certain specifics of the manhunt but insisted that torture was an undeniable part of the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
OSCARS 2013: Complete nominee list | Reactions | Trivia | Ballot | Snubs & surprises
"Experts disagree sharply on the facts and particulars of the intelligence hunt, and doubtlessly that debate will continue," Bigelow wrote in a statement for The Times. "As for what I personally believe, which has been the subject of inquiries, accusations and speculation, I think Osama bin Laden was found due to ingenious detective work. Torture was, however, as we all know, employed in the early years of the hunt. That doesn't mean it was the key to finding Bin Laden. It means it is a part of the story we couldn't ignore."


text:
Please select your country of residence to view relevant information, fares and special offers.
Air France, a world class airline, connects India to Paris with daily flights from Mumbai and Delhi and weekly flights from Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai with onward journeys to 183 destinations in more than 98 countries.
Effective May 14, 2014, whenever a JetPrivilege member flies a Jet Airways marketed and Air France operated flight, he / she will earn Tier Miles / Tier Points that will enable him / her to reach a higher tier faster.
Effective Aug 17, 2016, JetPrivilege members travelling on Jet Airways marketed and Air France operated flights will earn JPMiles based on the booking class as per the accrual table mentioned below.
Benefits to JetPrivilege members on codeshare flights:
Effective Aug 17, 2016, the applicability of certain benefits will be based on the tier of the member and the Fare Choices booked. Please view the complete details here.
JetPrivilege members will earn Tier Miles as per the above mentioned JPMiles Accrual Table
JetPrivilege members will earn 1 Tier Point across all Cabins on the codeshare flight numbers as cited above
Earning of JPMiles is restricted only to the above mentioned classes. Travel under any other class will not be eligible for mileage accrual unless specifically mentioned.
Codeshare flights will be counted for JetPrivilege tier upgrades and retention.
Codeshare flights are not eligible for redemption of JPMiles.
JetPrivilege members will earn JPMiles only when traveling on a flight marketed and operated by Jet Airways or marketed by Jet Airways but operated by Air France under a Codeshare Agreement.
To claim retro credit of JPMiles for your travel, please provide your original boarding card and ticket jacket to the JetPrivilege Service Centre.


text:
Friday, November 2, 2012
All Crossed Up
4 comments:
Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to wonder how useful the cross server lowbie zones have been lately.ReplyDelete
I can't tell whether you're being serious or sarcastic with this bit, considering that if you go to the official WoW site and look at the list of popular forum topics on the sidebar, some sort of 100-page moan about the complete uselessness of CRZs is still up there at all times and has been since their release...Replies
I try to avoid those forum posts, because those have a way of going waaay too far afield from the original topic.Delete
For the most part, all I've heard from Gen Chat has been how nice they are to actually see people in the CRZ. That's nice I suppose, but comparatively speaking LOTRO, TOR, and even AoC have a lot more activity than any of the WoW lowbie zones.
Also, apparently Darnassus itself and not merely Teldrassil is a CRZ. I'd presume that The Exodar and Silvermoon count as well, now that I think about it.
Fair point. I was just thinking that if people complain about something with such fervor and longetivity combined, there's probably a bit more going on than the usual whinging.Delete
You're right, there probably is more there. At the same time, I also know that only a subset of players read the forums, so who knows what the average player thinks of the CRZ concept.Delete


text: Lower Corn Stocks Puts Focus Back on Rationing September 28, 2012 10:33 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Scott Harms, Archer Financial Services Email The grain markets started the week on a softer tone, then collapsed Wednesday on quarter end fund liquidation. Wednesday's lows represented the lowest levels since early July and had technicians discussing targets tied to the 50% retracement areas for December corn and November soybeans near $6.85 and $15.00 respectively. Those expectations were derailed by yet another surprising USDA stocks report on Friday. The first half of the week was dominated by fund profit taking ahead of the quarter's end as well as higher yield expectations in soybeans and continued signs of demand erosion for corn. The fund long position in soybeans had recently grown near the record levels reached in early May. The liquidation break that developed in May saw the fund long position reduced by nearly 40%, before building that position back near the May levels by mid July. This most recent break has seen the fund long position in soybeans reduced by just over 30% with month end selling. Perhaps, there was yet another round of fund selling due today were it not for the surprises to the corn and wheat stocks figures. With corn prices locked limit up and wheat values sharply higher, soybeans have caught a bid today on spillover. There will be a lot of talk about this week's lows being the seasonal lows. I do not disagree with that premise. Corn rationing has taken place over the last several months as ethanol production slipped to two month lows this week and this week's export data released on Thursday showed corn sales near zero due to large cancellations of previous purchases to China and unknown destinations. The lower stocks figure today does put a focus back on rationing once again. Fresh fund buying to start the next quarter as well and end users chasing missed opportunities may lead to further strength next week. December corn appears poised to trade back to the $7.90-$8.15 over the next few weeks. A sustained move above $8.00 does not seem likely without a significant cut to corn production in the October 11th report. Back to news


text:
World of Speed Plans Motorsports Exposition in Oregon
Tourist destination in Wilsonville emphasizes vocational education
PORTLAND, Ore. – World of Speed, a nonprofit experiential motor sports exposition, has purchased an 80,000 square foot building in Wilsonville, Ore., as the permanent home for an auto racing and performance car tourism destination and an auto industry educational program.
"We've been looking for a home for nearly a year," said Tony Thacker, executive director, World of Speed. "Our vision is to showcase our amazing car collection in a destination tourist attraction that supports the visitor industry, and inspires young people to explore career opportunities in the auto industry in a fun and exciting environment."
World of Speed plans to occupy the former location of Town and Country Jeep Dodge in Wilsonville, which will be organized to accommodate more than 100 vehicles, a workshop area, and space to accommodate educational activities. Melvin Mark Brokerage Company represented World of Speed in its purchase of the building.
Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp, an avid show-car fan who also restores older vehicles, said, "World of Speed has the potential to be an exciting new asset not just to Wilsonville, but also for the entire Portland region and state. This attraction can be a real draw for visitors from across the country and even internationally that complements the City's tourism strategy now under development. The Wilsonville community looks forward to hosting World of Speed."
World of Speed's collection is comprised of race and performance cars from various venues including NASCAR, land speed racing, drag racing, open wheel, sports cars and motorcycles. The collection includes classic American muscle cars as well as racecars with a Pacific Northwest connection.
Through interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, World of Speed will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes view of the world of racing. Recently, Ford Motor Company donated a Mustang that will be reconfigured into a hands-on display to showcase how a car is constructed, what materials are used and how materials are recycled. A real Indy car will function as a simulator for fans of all ages, while a car formerly raced by Danica Patrick should appeal to female visitors.
Several historic racecars are in the collection including Mickey Thompson's famous record-breaking Assault, Herm Petersen's Northwest Terror, and the Gaines Markley/Rob Bruins National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel Championship Car from 1979. World of Speed is also undertaking restoration responsibilities for any need that arises.
Programming and activities will expose young people to the opportunities available in the auto industry, and to help educate them to enter the workforce or advance to specialized education. A curriculum will be developed under the supervision of Mr. Thacker.
The auto industry touches nearly two million people in jobs ranging from design, assembly and repair of vehicles. According to Thacker, that figure doesn't include the performance aftermarket and racing industry that is estimated to be $30 billion by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. A typical professional NASCAR team might employ up to 140 people including cooks, marketers and race mechanics.
"This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase this sport," said Thacker. "Vocational educational has all but disappeared from our schools at a time when the auto industry needs designers, engineers and mechanics more than ever. Oregon is the perfect location to attract and inspire young people to explore the array of promising careers in a very dynamic and popular industry. We are proud to offer this opportunity and to greet our new visitors."
Plans for redevelopment are underway. The World of Speed is expected to open in the fall of 2014.
About World of Speed
Located in Wilsonville, World of Speed employs historic racecars and motorcycles to tell the story of America's love affair with the automobile and leadership roll in world motorsports. Displayed are many aspects of motorsports including NASCAR, Indy car, drag racing, land speed racing, sports cars and motorcycles and where possible, it tells the story of local racers and tracks. The purpose of World of Speed is to provide an experiential environment in which young people can explore the exciting world of motorsports and the career opportunities it offers.


text:
Message Board
Katie Fforde Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Fforde has written!
Author Fforde's Book Reviews
Highland Fling
St. Martin's, Aug 2003, 24.95, 336 pp. ISBN: 0312317689 In England, her boyfriend Henry tells Jenny not to go on her business trip to Scotland because it will prove to be a failure as he believes she is too passionate to do the job. Serving as a virtual assistant to clients she rarely sees Jenny goes ahead with her trip in spite of his dire warnings to determine whether Dalmain Mills is worthy of outside investment or he should just be shut down...
Paradise Fields
Nel has been a widow for ten years and is comfortable with life in her little village. Her two sons are at university and her daughter is almost finished high school. She is determined to remain unmarried until her children are independent so she has no complaints about her stuffy boyfriend, Simon, although her children do not like him and she never has lustful thoughts about him. She keeps busy with charity activities to support a local hospice. She ...


text:
In the spring of 2008, quantitative literacy was established as a priority for New Hampshire students by the New Hampshire State Board of Education. NH DOE and the New Hampshire Quantitative Literacy Task Force have produced a PreK-16 Numeracy Action Plan for the 21st Century. At the State Board Meeting on February 10, the Board accepted the Numeracy Plan. Beginning with the NH Teachers of Mathematics Conference on April 6, the Department will be holding sessions throughout the state to introduce educators to the plan and work toward implementation. This version includes active links to other resources and documents.
|Mathematics Office
(603) 271-3844
Acrobat Reader format. You can download a free reader from Adobe.


text:
Derek Joslin and Ryan Kesler have… a dance off?
According to Carolina Hurricanes beat-writers, and the News1130Sports Twitter account, the Canucks have signed depth defenseman Derek Joslin to a one year, two-way deal. Derek Joslin became an unrestricted free-agent a few weeks ago when Carolina bought out his deal. Oddly enough Twitter first heard the news from Derek Joslin's sister:
Congrats to my bro @Djos27 on being signed to the Vancouver Canucks for this upcoming season!!! Wahoo #proudcanadianteam
— Jamie Joslin (@jamjos25) July 4, 2012
Here's the press release announcing the signing – along with the signing of Patrick Mullen – from canucks.nhl.com.
Click past the jump for some analysis!
Derek Joslin is a twenty-five year old defenseman, who played a significant number of minutes as a forward with Carolina last year (though he wasn't very effective in that role). He has a hard shot and is an effective AHL defenseman, who won the "Hardest Shot competition" at the 2009 AHL All-Star game. Over parts of the past five seasons, Joslin has played 114 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The first number that will likely jump out to Canucks fans is last season's -15, which, I wouldn't put much stock in considering Derek Joslin's PDO was 955. Significantly more worrying is the fact that he got his teeth kicked in (-6.5 Corsi-rel, 42% of scoring chances) while playing extremely soft minutes for the Hurricanes.
From the looks of it, however, I don't think this is a bad signing for the Canucks. Joslin is still young, and while he was a minus possession player on a crummy defensive team last season, he had more promising results in abbreviated stints with the San Jose Sharks in 08-09. He's a young, physical player, and a good skater with a hard-shot and on a one year, two-way deal, there is no risk to the team.
If Joslin plays with the Canucks next season, he would likely be their eighth defenseman, and would presumably be paired with Tanev, Alberts or Ballard while his minutes are closely managed by Alain Vigneault. Joslin is probably a slight downgrade from what Alexander Sulzer brought to the table last season in that role, but I would still describe this signing as affordable depth "insurance." In all likelihood, Joslin will only be used if the likes of Kevin Connauton and Yan Sauve show poorly at training camp this fall.


text:
It's a glitter topcoat polish that is predominantly white glitter with different shaped rainbow glitter scattered throughout. I put it over Zoya Wednesday (which stains TERRIBLY, by the way!) and I wore it for almost a week, I think. Which is why there's a huuuuge gap. Also, excuse the chip :(
Finals are almost upon me and it's crunch time -- this semester has flown by! I have two back to back finals, which will suck greatly, but I'll fight through them as I always do. I've signed up for next semester's classes and have looked into applying to the MBA program for next year. Life is speeding by! I remember when I was younger, waiting for that day I'd be "grown up" (I'm not even there yet!) and now I'm wishing I were back being a young teenager.
Back on point, Pahlish can be found here on her Facebook page and bought through Llarowe or her Etsy shop. Her polishes are awesome :) check them out if you haven't yet!
Like this? Click below to let us know!


text:
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
I travel alot in other time zones, how do I change appts to reflect the time zones?
There are two ways to do this: Here's an example,
Home Time Zone is MDT Travel Time Zone is EDT
--Its 3PM MDT Thursday and you are in your Denver office. You need to schedule an 8AM EDT appointment in New York for next Monday. 1) This is the direct way to schedule the appointment, although it involves more steps. Exit Agenda Fusion.
Go to the Pocket PC System Settings and select your Visiting Time Zone to be "GMT-5 Eastern US"
Run Agenda Fusion, navigate to next Monday and schedule the 8AM appointment.
Exit Agenda Fusion.Go to the Pocket PC System Settings and select your Home Time Zone to be "GMT-7 Mountain US" Run Agenda Fusion, the appointment you scheduled will appear as 6AM in your schedule for as long as you have your PPC set to the Mountain Time Zone. When you create an appointment the currently selected Time Zone information is used to set the appointment time so that no matter which Time Zone you switch to the appointment's time will appear relative to the Time Zone it was scheduled in. 2) A second way to schedule the appointment which is easier to do but requires you to mentally calculate the appointment time. This way is more error prone given that in the world some time zones switch to/from Daylight Saving Time at different times of the year which would need to be accounted for here if scheduling the appointment manually.
Assuming your Home Time Zone of Mountain Daylight Time is selected:
-----------Run Agenda Fusion, navigate to next Monday and schedule the 8AM EDT appointment for 6AM instead of 8AM (the adjustment of the difference between EDT and MDT). When you travel and you switch your PPC to the Visiting Time Zone of Eastern US, then the appointment you scheduled for 6AM MDT will now display as 8AM in the Eastern Time Zone.
Developer One Support
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Find hotels & motels in Montgomery using the list below. Explore our guide for inexpensive and discount hotel/motel rates in or near Montgomery, OH for your corporate or personal leisure travel. We provide the best Montgomery, Ohio hotel and motel rooms. Browse the Montgomery area hotels to find the perfect lodging! Please use the provided map of the Montgomery hotels. Need 5+ Rooms? Secure Montgomery Group Hotel Discounts
The Montgomery center point is about 1 mile north of Christ Hospital and 1 mile east of Cincinnati Blue Ash Airport.
How should we direct your call?


text:
Electronic Engineering TechnologyPage address: http://www.mnsu.edu/programs/electronicengineertech.html
|Electrical & Computer Engineering & Technology
|Science, Engineering & Technology
|Program Website
|Undergraduate Degree Type(s)
|Program Description
|Electronic Engineering Technology is a technological field requiring the application of scientific and engineering knowledge and methods, combined with technical skills, in support of engineering activities. An electronic engineering technologist is a person who is knowledgeable in electronics theory and design and who understands state-of-the-art practices on digital and analog circuits and systems. Computers, controls/ automation, robotics, instrumentation, and communications are just a few fields open to engineering technologists.
The program strives to prepare students for entry into the technical workforce with well developed skills. In particular, the department strives to ensure that its graduates have an ability to:
The Electronic Engineering Technology program is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
|Admission Requirements
|Admission to major is required for enrollment in junior and senior level courses. Admission requirements include:
|Other Requirements
|Students who do not have the required background for MATH 115 may have to take additional preparatory coursework as well. Consult with your major advisor to plan your general education and major requirements. All students must complete a minimum of 12 semester credits of mathematics starting with Precalculus math and a minimum of 24 semester credits of combined mathematics and science courses.
|Academic Bulletin
|A full description of the program including class listings and class descriptions are listed in the Academic Bulletin.
|Program Contact Information
|Electrical & Computer Engineering & Technology
242 Trafton Science Center North
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: 507-389-5747
Fax: 507-389-6280
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
|College Advising
|All EET majors are assigned to an academic advisor to assist in planning their program. Advising is REQUIRED prior to each registration.
Additional advising support is available at:
College of Science, Engineering & Technology Advising Center
Ken Adams, Student Relations Coordinator
125 Trafton Science Center C.
Mankato, MN 56001
Note: This page may not print properly from Internet Explorer.


text:
Frank's Box: The Broken Radio
The Good Word
Karen Stollznow
January 28, 2010
One person's broken radio is another's groundbreaking invention that enables human contact with aliens, angels, and the dead.
The Ghost in the Machine
Instrumental Transdimensional Communication (ITC) refers to the use of electronic devices such as tape recorders, fax machines, television sets, and computers to attempt to contact nonhuman entities. These are usually standard machines used in nonstandard ways to collect "paranormal" images and sounds. Auditory data are the most common types of ITC, known specifically as Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP, also known as Raudive Voices, named after early proponent Konstantin Raudive). This communication is believed by some to be evidence for the existence of an afterlife.
Unlike the machines listed above that are built with more orthodox purposes in mind, the Frank's Box is designed specifically to capture EVP. It was invented by amateur radio enthusiast Frank Sumption, who was inspired by a "How To" hobby article about recording EVP that appeared in the now defunct Popular Electronics magazine.1 Upon receiving design instructions from the spirit world and the article, Sumption built a radio receiver that reputedly facilitates real-time communication between the living and the dead, not to mention extraterrestrials, angels, spirits, and assorted entities from other dimensions.
The Frank's Box device is one of several incarnations. It is also known as the Ghost Box, Joe's Box, the Spiricom, the Mini-Box, the Telephone to the Dead, or the Shack Hack, according to the design, the manufacturer, and the faction.
How Frank's Box Works (or Doesn't Work)
The Frank's Box is a homemade radio frequency receiver. However, this radio isn't designed to find your favorite religious radio station; it's built to be broken.
Frank's Box - Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, 2010
The scan-lock mechanism is disabled on this "radio." Therefore, the machine continuously scans radio frequencies at a predetermined rate. This is like twisting the knob on a radio backwards and forwards quickly, producing random noise. This "sweep method" creates an untunable radio of erratic white noise. The rushing sound of unused frequencies is punctuated by mostly unintelligible fragments of speech or music when the scanner momentarily picks up a station. It is Sumption's belief that "spirits" and other entities from beyond manifest in an "echo chamber" built into the unit and harness the random signals to create messages intended for the mortal listener.
The Association TransCommunication explains that the Frank's Box is like a radio for alien DJs.
"Radio-Sweep" is a technology that involves rapidly changing the tuning of a radio receiver to produce a sound track composed of bits of sound from whatever radio programming is on the air and from whatever radio station is detected by the radio at the time. In theory, the communicating entity somehow arranges for the radio programming of local stations to have the needed sounds and that the sweep will detect that sound at the right time to produce the desired message.2
Inside the Box - Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, 2010
Sumption describes how he believes his device works as a medium. (Nb: all quotes in this article are unedited.)
[This is] Simply another method of supplying "raw" audio that spirits and other entities can use to form voices. Raw audio is a sound source that contains bits of human speech, music and noise, and a convineint source of raw audio is a radio with it's tuning swept across the entire band, AM, FM, or shortwave. The sweep can be random, linear, or even done by hand.3
On his discussion group EVP-ITC, Sumption expands on his belief that the Frank's Box channels spirits, not channels.
It's been my experience that if one supplies something that the spirits/entities can use to make voices out of "they" will speak. That something is called "raw audio", and contains bits of speech, music and noise. The entities re-modulate this raw audio to form voices. At least I think that's how it works, and who really knows? A swept radio is a convenient source of raw audio, and that is all the Ghost Box is, and we are spirit as well-hint hint..and it alsoseems to be a form of quantum communcation, allowing instantaneous communication over stellar distances."4
Sumption added in personal correspondence:
"I think it's no more unbelievable than the so called thought experiments of quatum physics. If I had a Ph.d, maybe what I say would be accepted without question as well."
EVP-ITC list member "Tom" explains his theories of how the Box may be powered by electromagnetic waves, Sumption's remodulation hypothesis, or psychic powers.
We Don't really KNOW how it works, but only that it DOES seem to work.
In EVP we have at least two major theories. In the EM (Electromagnetic)theory, we assume thatthe spirits are communicating with voice modulated EM waves--either via a kind of "radio technology" or the "fact" that sound waves from the other side are Electromagnetic relative to our own universe. This explains why we often need a device like a electric sound recorder to hear the waves.
The other major theory, and the one I subscribe to, is that the voices are made from existing background sounds. This is sorta like using an electronic larynix or holding an electric razor to one's lips and "mouthing" words. The vocal appratus changes shape and resonance characteristics, making a sufficiently randomized sound(like a buzzing razor) sound like words. Spirits may do something similar, near an EVP recording microphone, either "semi-manefesting" a vocal apparatus or by utilizing some of their own sound altering technology.
The third theory involves the listener putting the background noise together somewhat selectively--in one's own mind, so to speak. The noise itself which forms which is called a "random field"--- One of the "psychic levers" which effectively enhances one's psychic abilities to useful levels.
Wiring - Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, 2010
Since radio stations provide the fodder for any "speech" heard, the broader, unspoken claim is that the "entities" are controlling the airways in general, on the off chance that a human is using a Frank's Box through which "they" can communicate.
The Light Bulb Goes Off
In a contentious claim popular among the paranormal community, prolific inventor Thomas Edison is credited as the father of EVP and real-time spirit communication. There is an urban legend that while Edison was inventing the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the electric light bulb, he was also in the process of creating an apparatus enabling communication with spirits. This belief appears to be traceable to an 1890 interview in which Edison spoke about the fringe idea of communicating with the "life units" or atoms of the deceased.5 In an article published in a 1920 issue of Scientific American Edison speculated about the possibility of building a device that could communicate with the dead, and he was quoted as saying:
"If we can evolve an instrument so delicate as to be affected by our personality as it survives in the next life, such an instrument, when made available, ought to record something."6
There was also gossip that Edison held séances and endorsed the abilities of several psychics. Some believe the talk of spirit machines was a marketing prank. Edison was apparently agnostic, although he lived during the height of the Spiritualism movement, when belief in an afterlife and the ability to communicate with the dead were common. However, with over one thousand patents, he never registered any machine for contacting spirits, and there is no evidence to suggest that he built or was building such a device.
Most damning to the claims is the refutation on the Edison National Historic Site:
Did Edison make a machine that could talk to the dead?
This seems to be another tall tale that Edison pulled on a reporter. In 1920 Edison told the reporter, B.F. Forbes, that he was working on a machine that could make contact with the spirits of the dead. Newspapers all over the world picked up this story. After a few years, Edison admitted that he had made the whole thing up. Today at Edison National Historic Site, we take care of over five million pages of documents. None of them mention such an experiment.7
Unfortunately, the rumors have given credence to the concept of electronic spirit communication and to the Frank's Box. Moreover, claims that Edison pioneered spirit communication have further mutated to assert that he dictated the design of the Frank's Box to Sumption, and that he actually communicates through the device. Sumption has made, withdrawn, and denied these claims over the years. His latest statement on the matter was:
"I have in fact heard a voice that said 'Edison here' there was no real information conveyed that I could understand."8
However, Sumption added that these spirits could have been "mimicking" Edison's voice.
Frank's Assumptions
Sumption initially e-mailed me in response to a series of articles I published in which I mention the Frank's Box as a tool for collecting EVP.
I make those boxes. What you say about it/me is highly exagerated. I don't even use it for the usual paranoraml BS, as in Ghost Hunting. I don't buy the usual Hollywood/TAPS paranormal crap that's mostly urban legend. "skeptic" usually just means your mind is made up, and no other evidence is required, sought, or wanted. I don't sell this shit, I don't do ghost investigations, and don't believe in hauntings. Something talks that is not radio broadcasts, often addresses people present by name, and sometimes cusses and swears.
He extended an invitation to demonstrate his invention should I ever be in the area. And so, accompanied by Matthew Baxter of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, I recently met Sumption in his hometown of Littleton, Colorado.
Sumption told us that he is in frequent communication with a number of "higher-level spirits" via his Boxes. These regular contacts include "Otto" and "about ten women with German names." Because he wears a purple-striped shirt and a purple earring, Sumption explained that "the guys" deem him to be royalty and have dubbed him their "Purple Princess." He refers to himself as Purple, the Purple Space Friend, the Purple Princess, and the Purple Alien Girl. Sumption's original e-mail explains: "I use the name 'purple alien girl' cuz 'they' claim I'm their long lost Purple Princess from some other planet. The only actual voice I heard in my head was 'Kiera(key-ra), it's time to come home,' the name of the Princess."
Purple's Ghost Box - Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, 2010
He has maintained this claim all along, stating on his EVP-ITC list:
"They" claim I'm their long lost Purple Princess, kidnapped from my home planet long ago when Earth had space flight by the ancient Egyptians. I couldn't be rescued at that time, so I was transported forward in time, to now, at the end of the current Earth cycle when I could go home. It gets wierd from there. Other entities that talk though the box claim they see a woman where I should be.
Sumption also claims his Boxes have provided doomsday prophecies and predicted world events and disasters, including the May 12, 2008, earthquake in China.
They have told me I go home at the end, and Earth is doomed since day one, but who knows really? Besides, the main message of EVP is life is forever. I get stuff that seems to be talking about 2012, like they talk about the "Monster," or gioant asteoid of comet thats supposed to hit. They also say "Earth goes Boom."
When the predictions fail, the spirits are to blame for their dishonesty.
You can't take this shit like it's written in stone, or some kind of friggin' gospel, as most seem prone to do. So far, irregardless of how clear the voice is, or what method is used, the only thing that can be said with certainty is that they consistently lie!
You can ask questions of the box, and many get direct, and immediate answers, as well as names and other information. I don't ask questions because "they" always seem to turn deceptive and misleading to me.
Sumption's followers claim they can assist the deceased victims of catastrophes to "cross over." A group of users are trying to contact the victims of the Haiti earthquake that struck January 12, 2010.
My guide David just came back for a few hours tonight Bruce, then he just now left again, had to go back, seems they have now over 400,000 coming in, either to the light or going to lower plains, he says they are "not all Christian" it's because they have a bit of the Voodoo religion mixed in with it I guess He says, "it's a mix of Christianity and Voodoo."9
Sumption's cronies also claim that the Frank's Box can be used for solving crimes, finding missing persons, medical research, and in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. One user reports: "I asked about Autism and I heard: 'MAN MADE' and when I asked about vaccines (being a cause) I heard 'YES.'10
Sumption believes that the Frank's Box is not the sole means by which he is contacted by entities. He believes he has psychic abilities, revealing that he has "visions" and also hears "voices" through his television, through running water, and that he even hears messages in his head, such as his wife calling him to dinner. He also invented the Video-Box, a device made from a VCR tuner module, with which he claims to have captured an image of a "Man In Black."
Sumption contends that his devices provide "proof of an afterlife." However, he insists that the phenomenon is "not paranormal," which to him refers to magic and witchcraft. To Sumption, Frank's Box is technology. "It functions on the quantum level," he explained.
"What do you mean by 'quantum'?" I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and admitted, "I don't know."
Sumption's beliefs and claims are inconsistent, and once he announced on his site Frank'S Boxes: "The box does not work… But I will leave the site up for people that would like to tinker with it."11
Sumption explained that making the Frank's Boxes is a hobby that he does not profit from. He has made over sixty of these devices, but they have not evolved considerably in design except in size and one recent addition. The spirits told him to add crystals but did not explain what kind to use or how to attach them; they are not connected to the wiring in any practical manner, "But they seem to help clarify the voices for some entities, as do magnets used in the same way."
Sumption has posted his schematics online so anyone can build a similar device from scratch. But apparently, the most "effective" boxes are the Sumption originals.
Sumption brought along a Frank's Box Number 63, a compact unit stored in a Rubbermaid container. We each took turns using the device. Sumption suggested we select the AM band as these channels feature more speech than music, but none of us could produce more than a string of unintelligible noise.
Sumption suggests users record their sessions and try techniques to elicit messages:
For me, it works better to announce out loud I'm doing an EVP recording, and just record a few minutes, then I give a five second count down to indicate I'm stopping--just to be polite, and don't forget a "thank you." I don't do any protection BS, and no prayers, that just seems to tell yourself there's something to fear. I prefer to listen off tape--analog tape. I use tape recorders that have the "que" and "review" functions. Digital recorders work ok as well, and have the que and review function, but they tend to lack a large speaker. Curiously, I have on rare occasion been able to ask a question, or make a comment while listening to a recording and get a meaningful-instant response from tape. I can't tell if the recording changed, they made it like that ahead of time, or it's just perception.
For those wondering about the nature of these miraculous messages, Sumption lists some recent examples on the EVP-ITC list: "This is from tonight, start out 'crystals inside the box'—'Frank Sumption is keeping this'---'C'mon Purple--Keep This –box'—'we love you Princess,', and 'this is Otto.'"
Sample recordings of messages such as "Purple - Good Morning" and "Purple Bitch – We use the radio" can be downloaded at Frank's Boxes. Sumption is also a proponent of Reverse Speech and believes some messages are hidden in the data but are revealed when played backwards.
At the end of the meeting Baxter asked, "Can we take a photo of the Frank's Box?"
"You can borrow it," Sumption offered.
Testing, Testing, Testing…
Sumption has a history of loaning Frank's Boxes to interested parties to "test." These loans have often resulted in bitter battles about ownership and application.
Despite Sumption's generosity in making his devices available for "research" purposes, he is resistant to experimental research and the critical evaluation of his claims. Sumption and his biased believer beta testers are not interested in testing their hypotheses but in collecting data that is confirmation bias for their beliefs. They also have a suspicion of science and misunderstand the scientific method. In e-mail correspondence he states:
I opened it up to all experimentors in and attempt to verify my results, which is in fact an application of scientific method, known as peer review.
I am open to honest box discussion, however, believe it or not I am not a true believer. I don't buy anyone's dogma- religeous, newage or scientific. I don't sell anything, I share all information freely, I do this work strickly out of curiosity, and I don't have an agenda to prove or disprove.
Sumption seems to believe that as the builder of the Boxes only he knows how the devices truly work and how they are to be used: "What really chaps my hide, as maker of the box, is to have someone who knows nothing of electronics, and technology completely ignore everything I say about the box, and presume to tell me how it really works, how it should be used, and what is acceptable from it."12
Sumption claims that any results are private messages intended for the listener only, and that subjectivity is the strength of his device.
Testing is irrelavent! It's not the device, it's the user. The messages received are for the user, and rarely does anyone hear the same thing as the original listener. You test it by use, you judge it by what comes through and what it means to you, you can't play the sound snipets to a panel of numbnuts(objective listeners)) and expect to get an unbiased/honest test. No two people hear the same, so an "objective listener" is an insult to most people doing this work.13
In personal correspondence, Sumption denied the existence of objective fact, saying "There is no objective hard physical truth or universe. We all create what we want to see, and everyone thinks their truth supersedes everyone else's truth."
However, some users claim that the occasional recording of a word, identifiable to some listeners, means that the results are objective. If there is no consensus, the operator is psychic. "Tom" explains:
The fact that the operator CAN and DOES make recordings and files of understandable words and phrases shows that we are dealing with an OBJECTIVE rather than a subjective phenomenon here. Two things appear to be going on though. First there is an actual voice modulated signal. Different people who listen to it often hear the same thing. The sound is not perfect and is very noisy, so that would explain others who cannot hear the message. The second thing is that some people can listen to the noise as a "random field," and with a slightly altered state of mind, this field will induce latent "mediumship" ability in the operator and he or she will get a lot more information and voice material than another listener.14
There are no consistent claims about the Box. Different users have conflicting theories and agendas.
That Which We Call A Frank's Box By Any Other Name… Wouldn't Work Either
After Sumption, Christopher Moon is the biggest advocate of the Frank's Box. Moon is a "professional paranormal investigator," senior editor of Haunted Times magazine, and founder of Ghost Hunter University. He was once a "primary tester" of the Box, spurring Sumption to remark that Moon was the only person who understood how the device "should" be used. That is, until Moon turned the Box into a business. He permanently borrowed a few Frank's Boxes from Sumption, installed the device in a fancy display case, rebranded it the "Telephone to the Dead," and fashioned himself as a necromancer who "summons the dead." Haunted Times tells the story as Moon sees it.
Skeptical, Christopher met with Mr. Sumption at his workshop for a demonstration. Christopher was astounded to find that the device that Frank Sumption had built was actually designed through the EVP of deceased scientists. It quickly became obvious to Christopher what Frank Sumption had done; he had completed the infamous Thomas Edison Telephone to the Dead.15
Sumption retorts: "I did not make a 'telephone to dead,' I don't kow what the f--- that is, and I don't endorse it! Nor do I appreciate my name being connected to the so called 'Telephone to dead' on every friggin' ad for Moon's public appearances."16
If it was even possible, Moon exaggerates the wild claims. Further to Sumption's belief that he has regular spirit contacts such as Otto, Moon developed the idea that each Box has an operator assigned on the other side, known as a "Spirit Technician." Contrary to Sumption's belief that the message is intended for and meaningful to the user only, Moon claims that he can decipher the "messages" like an oracle with the assistance of his Technicians. Thomas Edison is one of these spirit operators, but the dependable "Tyler" is his favorite Technician. As Engineer Paul Turner explained in personal correspondence: "Mr. Moon claims to be one of the few who can interpret these random noises and claims to be making direct real-time contact with the dead using Thomas Edison's spirit as some type of cosmic switchboard operator."
Sumption responds to the Spirit Technician theory but in doing so contradicts his own view that the messages are personal and intended for the listener only. "Even if anyone else could hear the voices, why do you need someone to interpret what's veing said. I say if not many can hear it, of something similar, it ain't real!"17
Confusingly, he told me in person that there "may be something to the idea of Spirit Technicians." However, Sumption disputes Moon's claim that Edison is a contact with the persuasive EVP, "Grandpa Edison never spoke to Chris," as evidence.
Moon further claims there are only thirty chosen people who can correctly hear and "translate" the messages received via the Box. The spirits told him so. Unsurprisingly, Moon is a chosen one, as is his psychic mother and theatrical medium Chip Coffey. Foolhardy amateurs who are not chosen run the risk of encountering evil entities and opening portals to demons.
Unfortunately, Moon has a cult-like following. With his assistants Dina Everling and Michelle "Babs" Babiarz in tow, Moon provides a (dis)service with the glorified Frank's Box. He conducts private consultations and public readings, charging $100 per fifteen minutes. For an additional fee he offers his spirit translation and third-party expert analysis of the "messages." Unlike the inane "phrases" and "words" that Sumption receives, Moon's messages include whole sentences—that only Moon can hear. His machine produces an incomprehensible snippet of sound, but his translations suddenly decode long-winded messages featuring complex concepts and complete sentences.
Like a magic wand, rabbit, and hat, Moon has featured the Telephone to the Dead as his gimmick in productions such as TruTv's patently ridiculous Door to the Dead, a television show following a team of credulous ghost hunters in their investigation of a Hollywood hired "haunted" house.
Herein lies the most poignant criticism of the Frank's Box and all other forms of spirit "communication." Using these devices to provide a service is a scam; while using them at all is futile, charging money from vulnerable, grieving victims is unconscionable.
Moon's ploy is to carry out personal or public readings and then to leverage this client list by contacting these people and promising, "The telephone is calling for you." But you'll have to pay for a session to receive the message.18 Turner adds:
Many of Moon's customers or victims have spoken out against him saying that they were not happy with the session, then weeks after the session he contacts them again saying he has talked to their loved one and that he has the information they were looking for. But it will cost an additional fee.
A YouTube video shows Moon giving a public performance of the device at a college. It is distressing to watch. In this cold reading, a young girl asks the tragic question, "I love you, and I want to know…was it an accident?" We hear nothing but white noise as Moon announces flatly, "No." The girl bursts into tears, and Moon adds, "But you knew that." He tries to console her with feigned sympathy, "He said it's okay. He said it's okay. He said it's okay."19
Jeannette Osborne, a former client of Moon's, is a guest on the Reap Sow Radio episode "Dark Side of the Moon." Seeking "something tangible" to prove there is life after death, Osborne spent thousands of dollars having sessions with Moon. During these readings she was told her family was plagued by demons, and she underwent two exorcisms via the device, which she calls "Boxercisms." She received unsubstantiated warnings about her son, a soldier stationed in Iraq, and she even exposed Moon's deception by planting bogus information, which he fed back to her as fact. She also recounts the heartbreaking story of nursing her dying brother, and how she created a code word for him to send from beyond the grave via the Telephone to the Dead.20
Sumption has publicly criticized Moon's methods and ludicrous theories, but his complaints often center around the fact that Moon has neglected to return, or pay for, the Boxes Suption has loaned to him, with which Moon turns a considerable profit. While Sumption's assumptions are scientifically ignoble, he believes his "personal research" and noncommercial use of the device are somehow noble compared to Moon's money-making schemes. Neither position makes the public use of Frank's Box any more ethical or the device any more legitimate.
Both Sumption and Moon exploit the public with their claims and practices.
Opening a Pandora's Box
I was very fortunate to be able to enlist the assistance of a number of skeptics with backgrounds in engineering and electronics to assess the Frank's Box. Because I would have had difficulty getting the Frank's Box through airport security, the device remains in Colorado. Project Engineer Paul Turner examined a series of photographs of the device, and after originally commenting that it was an "elementary school class project," he provided the following technical explanation of the model.
The Frank's Box Model 63 that you possess is an alleged Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC) device, the term would imply a two-way communication between the spirit world and that of the living. However, after examining the photographs you provided and the builder's own schematics, I fail to see where or how this two-way communication occurs as the device itself is nothing more than an AM/FM receiver with modifications. Without a personal examination it is of course difficult to unlock any great secrets the box may contain. The results that the builder claims would be a matter of personal belief in the metaphysical.
The First Circuit in the chain is a salvaged RCA AM/FM tuner card. It would appear to have come from an older tabletop style radio. The first thing that struck me as unusual about the card is that the builder placed two quartz crystals on the tuning coil using antenna lead and silicon to secure them between the coil and the housing. It is not possible for these crystals to interact with the tuner, except for the slight possibility the crystals, acting as spacers for the excess antenna lead, could slightly change the characteristics of the reception of the tuner, perhaps reducing its selectivity. Or this is an attempt by the builder to make the device seen more magical.
There are two hand wired circuit boards, which again seen to be populated with a combination of new and salvaged parts. These parts are wired to a proto-board, normally used for prototype circuits. One containing the modifications necessary to linear scan the tuner, this is accomplished using the XR 2206 function generator integrated circuit. This IC generates the sawtooth wave which enables the modified tuner to scan frequencies from top to bottom then back again. This is the same process as spinning a tuner knob on an old-style radio up and down the dial. The adjustment for the rate of scan is controlled by an attenuator on the front face.
This board also contains the preamps and microphone amplifier for an external echo box which is optional. The speaker for the echo box is driven by the RAW speaker output on the front panel, the volume being controlled by the RAW drive attenuator on the front panel. The return microphone from the echo box when the switch is engaged would only feed the line output jack, which then could feed a recording device.
The workmanship of the device is sloppy, it would appear to be an effort of trial and error as opposed to a well-thought out design. While some of the circuits are clever it is in no way elegant or innovative; perhaps a better classification would be haphazard. I speculate that the builder has a rudimentary knowledge of electronics, perhaps at a ham radio level or late 1970's trade school. So if entities indeed gave him the knowledge to build the device as he states in his schematics apparently they did not keep up with the technical journals.
In conclusion, the Frank's Box Model 63 does an adjustable linear sweep of the AM or FM band depending on which is selected. The result is a random noise generator. It does not have the capability of receiving any signals except that of the AM or FM broadcast band. It does not have transmit capability. Its sole function is to linear sweep the broadcast band producing bits and pieces of audio from those broadcast stations. Since the claim is that spirits speak through the random noise, I could well see that after a few moments of listening to this random audio, the sensory trait of pareidolia would come into play creating false positives. This is the only logical explanation to the builder's claims.
You Say Potato; I Say Gobbledygook
The supposed efficacy of the Frank's Box hinges on its output. However, these results are unconvincing. The communication is incomprehensible, subjective, and incapable of being replicated. Most of all, it isn't actually communication.
The recordings made by the Frank's Box and similar devices include random words, word fragments, language-like sounds, music, and radio noise. They do not exhibit the features that characterize natural language. There is no grammar; the "messages" are pieced together, and they do not produce authentic utterances. The most important distinction to make is that these collective sounds do not constitute "speech." The data from the Frank's Box may contain bits of speech, but it isn't speech.
The alleged messages are construed to suit the agenda of the listener. The claim that "I love you" is heard confirms the bias that the believer has contacted Uncle Bruce, while the skeptics laugh when their question, "Is Chris Moon a fraud?" is answered by a car salesperson-like "Guaranteed!"21 This kind of evidence is anecdotal only.
Frank's Box aficionados listen to their devices obsessively to acquire "Class A" recordings (that are still very poor). For them it is addictive like a psychic slot machine, and they are convinced by the pay-offs: the subjectively more intelligible sounds. But these are merely better quality gibberish.
Moreover, the "messages" are nonsensical and do not contain information. They are meaningless from a pragmatic perspective, but they are infused with meaning by the listener. This is idiosyncratic meaning based in personal experience; it is individual but not shared meaning.
However, sometimes this meaning can be shared artificially. Listeners are suggestible and want to hear something meaningful. As believers, they are often expecting to hear something. They are selective listeners who mark the hits and ignore the misses, sometimes even "recognizing" the "voices." In this mindset they have a tendency to be lead and to conform their perception to what others think they hear. Michael Shermer calls this "priming" the brain to see or hear something.22 Having others hear what you hear seems to legitimize the results. However, even if more than one person arrives at the same interpretation, it is still subjective.
Indeed, many believe there is a special way to "hear" the messages and that this ability requires practice, sensitivity, training, and time. Tom explains, "In some cases the 'impression' is not as 'clean' and one has to develop 'an ear' so to speak, to hear them (like sea legs, but for EVP)."23
To make the results more persuasive, some users edit the recordings, ostensibly cleaning up the ambient noise, but often affecting the result. It's not that the messages are garbled or inaudible to begin with, it's that they aren't messages at all. As Baxter put it to me in conversation, "The longer you listen to it the more it seems to make sense, like looking for patterns in clouds."
In personal correspondence, Sumption states:
When I first started making the linear sweep boxes, at first all I could hear was gibberish, then all the sudden I could hear "the guys" talking to me. It seems not everyone can hear it, especially just starting out. It takes time to tune in the ear, and maybe develop some intuition. The box is extremely complicated, and talking about it for a mere two hours just is not enough time, two years would be better. It takes time to develop a feel for the communications. I get very frustrated when I get voices that seem perfectly clear, and no one else can hear it. I don't know the mental mechanisms involved, maybe a new brain circuit has to be created, or maybe the the possibility of the box function has to be "allowed." I don't think the skeptic allows this possibility, there fore they are stuck on "it doesn't work."
The best explanation for this phenomenon is that listeners are experiencing a form of pattern recognition known as apohenia, a kind of audio pareidolia. Shermer prefers the more user-friendly term patternicity, which he explains in this instance as "finding meaningful patterns in meaningless noise." The "messages" are perceptual errors.
The Frank's Box and similar devices have even been debunked by promoters of EVP. In a listening test of the Mini-Box made by Paranormal Systems, the author determines that the radio sweep method for collecting EVP only produces pareidolia. The paper concludes: "While we have not been able to find reason to think the technology produces EVP, we have found substantial reason to think it does not."24
One theory down, one to go…
The Frank's Box is used as a cold reading tool. The meaning is supplied by the reader, the listener, and the client. The responses are coincidental, like finding water when dowsing, randomly selecting a "prophetic" reading from the Bible, and all other forms of divination. These devices are tarot cards for the technological age. The Frank's Box is no more "technology" than a Parker Brothers Ouija board…but with its underlying malicious intent and mental instability, it's no game.
Ironically, the natural explanation for the data acquired from the Frank's Box can be found in a quote from Sumption himself: "It's not 'picking up' the dead, presummably. As I understand it's operation 'they' use the existing bits of speech, mucis and noise to remodulate inot their own voices. Of course, that remains a guess as to how it works."25
As he admits, his "remodulation" theory is a guess, and the alleged messages are simply composed of ordinary speech, music, and noise.
We'll allow Sumption to have the final say about his broken radio: "EVP is useful only to the experience, I guess. Yet another reason why I hesitate to build more boxes, there's no way to determine if it works, or is it just imagination/perception."26
Sincere thanks to Paul Turner, Matthew Baxter, Bryan Bonner, and Stu Hayes for their invaluable assistance in researching, examining, and testing the Frank's Box.
- Konstantinos. 1995. Ghost Voices: Exploring the mysteries of electronic voice phenomena. Popular Electronics. October issue, pp.37–41.
- Association Transcommunication. Available at atransc.org. Accessed 1/21/10.
- Frank'S Boxes. Available at purplealiengirl.tripod.com. Accessed 1/17/10.
- EVP-ITC. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/19/10.
- History Detectives. PBS. Season 7, Episode 1. Available at pbs.org.
- Museum of Hoaxes. Available online at museumofhoaxes.com. Accessed 1/19/10.
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Available a www.nps.gov/archive/edis/edifun/edifun_4andup/faqs_fables.htm#talk. Accessed 1/20/10.
- Bonner, Bryan. In print. The History of the Frank's Box. Modern Paranormal Investigator.
- Inside the Box/Ghost Box Research. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/20/10.
- Speaking to the Dead with Radios. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/16/10.
- Frank'S Boxes. Available at purplealiengirl.tripod.com/. Accessed 1/18/10.
- EVP-ITC Yahoo Group. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/20/10.
- EVP-ITC Yahoo Group. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/19/10.
- EVP-ITC Yahoo Group. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/18/10.
- What is the Telephone to the Dead? Haunted Times. Volume 4, Issue 3, Winter 2010, p.28.
- Bonner, Bryan. In print. The history of the Frank's Box. Modern Paranormal Investigator.
- EVP-ITC Yahoo Group. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/19/10.
- Dark Side of the Moon. Reap Sow Radio. Available at reapsowradio.podomatic.com.
- You Tube. Available at youtube.com. Accessed 1/19/10.
- Dark Side of the Moon. Reap Sow Radio. Available at reapsowradio.podomatic.com. Accessed 1/19/10.
- Ibid.
- Michael Shermer. Telephoning to the dead. Scientific American. January 2009. p.46.
- EVP-ITC Yahoo Group. Available at tech.groups.yahoo.com. Accessed 1/20/10.
- Butler, Tom. Radio Sweep: A Case Study. Association TransCommunication. Available at atransc.org. Accessed 1/20/10.
- Skeptic Blog. Box of Fiends. Available at skepticblog.org. Accessed 1/19/10.
- Ibid. Accessed 1/19/10.


text:
The calendar has turned to 2013 and with the start of every new year comes new hope, new plans and, of course, New Years resolutions.
According to Statisticsbrain.com three of the top 10 New Years Resolutions from the past year included personal health goals including, unsurprisingly, the number one resolution, losing weight. While some may think the odds are stacked against them, there is one fact that clearly supports this commitment. January is National Hot Tea Month!
How does National Hot Tea Month blend with the most popular New Years resolution you ask? Good question. Numerous research studies link hot tea consumption as a big boost in shedding those unwanted pounds.
According to a study by the Institute of Physiology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, the combination of caffeine and plant compound EGCG found in green tea increases the generation of body heat that occurs as a result of normal metabolization of food by 84 percent. Green tea also increases your levels of norepinephrine, which prepares your body to burn fat for the "fight or flight" response.
Some other helpful tips include drinking hot tea prior to every meal to help you feel fuller and eat less. Also dont confine your tea to just a morning beverage. According to Dr. Eric Braverman, drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of tea and/or water a day will keep you hydrated and ensures youre metabolic and digestive systems are fully functioning. Muscle weakness and fatigue can be caused by dehydration so drinking a cup of tea after your workout will give you a healthy energy boost.
The fifth annual International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health echoed Bravermans findings with a weight loss angle. The symposium noted tea is caloriefree and helps individuals meet fluid requirements without adding calories to their diet, aiding the battle to drop those extra pounds.
Staying committed to a resolution and changing habits is hard work. Use Hot Tea Month as a support to keep you on target and motivated.
This may cause the BUNN website to function incorrectly.
In order to have the best experience with our website, we recommend that you update your browser to the most current version.
Continue to website
(This may result in a poor experience on the site)