text:
Peter Rabbit Necklace| Beatrix Potter Jewellery| Peter Rabbit jewelry| Peter Rabbit| wife gift| gift for wife| Gift for Her| 8
Our Necklace Pendant would make a charming, unique gift. The artwork is set within the glass dome which measures one inch across and is set within a metal bezel. The pendant measures 27mm wide and 35mm high.
The Necklace is presented in a square jewellery gift box - perfect for ones self or as a present.
Available as silver plated with a 18 inch silver plated chain, antique bronze with an 18 inch bronze chain and black with a 18 inch black suede cord.
- Water Resistant (not waterproof).
- Not suitable to be worn in water.
- Not suitable for babies or young children.
- Small parts/choking hazard.
© Images and Text/ButterflynBeezSKU 1185
We Also Recommend
Personalised Starfish Charm Necklace| Beach Charm| Ocean Charm| Personalized Necklace| Initial Charm| Monogram| Initial Necklace| Gifts
Custom Personalised Map Glass Dome Round Cabochon Pendant Necklace Gift UK
Tree of Life Gustav Klimt Necklace Pendant| tree of life jewelry| tree-of-life| tree-of-life pendant| tree of life pendant| tree necklace
Running Shoes Necklace| Personalized Necklace| Initial Charm| Monogram| cross country| fitness| running necklace| running jewellery


text:
Description:2 x HP AMD Opteron 6136 BL685c G7(2.4GHz/8-core/12MB/80W)Full 2 Processor Option KitPart Number(s)
Manufacturer Part# 518874-B21
HP Processor Kits:
Manufacturer Part# 518874-B21
This is the full processor option kit. It includes the
Processor(s), Heat-Sink(s), Fan(s), Thermal paste
Overview:The AMD Opteron 6000 Series platform offering the industry's only eight-core x86 processor. Built to excel when the workload gets tough. Match tough workloads with the right fit server platform and realize superior performance in memory and compute intensive workloads. Gain advantages normally reserved for high-end systems with exceptional value low total cost of ownership and generational consistency.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Students can get all colleges like medical, engineering, dental, law, management, dental and major universities in India. Also student can useful links in various imp filds like agriculture, food, law, passport office, government offices, insurance companies, transport and infrestructure and much more where you get helplinks or offices or colleges in India.
© 2018 MazaIndia All rights reserved | Design by Dream Computer


text:
Sale's miscues make him second best in duel vs. Dickey
Lefty dominates on mound, but makes error, struggles to hold runners
TORONTO -- With a series victory in their sights, the White Sox handed the ball to their staff ace for Thursday's finale.
Chris Sale didn't disappoint, but the Blue Jays' ace was even better.
The White Sox wasted a strong effort from Sale as their bats were unable to solve Toronto's R.A. Dickey and settled for a series split with a 3-1 loss in front of 18,015 at Rogers Centre.
"He threw fine, gave up a couple hits here and there, but stuff-wise, he was good," manager Robin Ventura said of Sale. "We just have to clean it up and score some runs. Against R.A., that's just tough luck, because he had it going."
Sale rebounded from a dismal outing in which he allowed a career-high eight runs in a loss against Cleveland, the only time this season he hasn't recorded a quality start.
The southpaw ran into some trouble in the first, allowing a leadoff single to Rajai Davis, who proceeded to steal second and third before scoring on an Edwin Encarnacion base hit to left to put Toronto in front, 1-0.
Sale quickly put the first inning behind him, though, settling in and finding a groove as he retired eight consecutive batters after a second-inning walk until hitting Emilio Bonifacio to start the fifth.
Bonifacio advanced to third on a throwing error by Sale, who threw his pick-off attempt at first base into the dirt and past Adam Dunn. Dunn then made an error of his own on a grounder by Munenori Kawasaki, allowing Bonifacio to score before Davis won a nine-pitch at-bat with Sale that ended in an RBI double to give Toronto a 3-0 lead.
What Sale was most upset about after his start was allowing Toronto to run on him -- the Jays stole three times in the first inning alone -- and his costly throwing error.
"You have to know what's going on. [Davis is] probably the fastest guy in the league -- up there, anyway," Sale said. "Just have to focus a little bit more and realize what's going on."
Sale allowed nothing after that, but it didn't matter, as Chicago's bats had no answers for Dickey and managed just one run off Toronto's bullpen a night after matching a season high with seven runs scored.
Catcher Tyler Flowers hit an RBI double off reliever Aaron Loup in the eighth, but was stranded at second base to end the White Sox's threat.
The backstop was pleased with Sale's outing and ability to bounce back after the worst start of his season. Toronto's hits, Flowers said, did not come on bad pitches, and the result -- Sale's second loss of the season -- is not something he should hang his head about.
"I thought he threw the ball, obviously, a lot better than he did last time with a little more conviction with every pitch, too, and executed pretty much every pitch for the most part," Flowers said.
Sale lasted seven innings and allowed three runs -- two earned -- on four hits, walking one and punching out six.
"Location was good for the most part, but some things happened," Sale said. "I made a stupid throwing error at first. I'd like to believe I had him picked off."
His opponent was dominant.
Dickey retired 11 consecutive batters to start the game before Alex Rios recorded Chicago's first hit with a two-out single in the fourth. The White Sox only got one more hit off Dickey after that -- an infield single by Dayan Viciedo in the fifth -- and looked completely fooled by the right-hander's knuckleball.
The 38-year-old Dickey left the contest after six innings for precautionary reasons after experiencing back and neck tightness that he said he initially felt in his last start in Kansas City. Dickey walked one while striking out a season-high seven batters.
He needed only 64 pitches to get through six and recorded 14 swinging strikes, a season high.
"I had a knuckleball tonight where I could have pitched a complete game," said Dickey, who won his second consecutive contest.
It's that knuckleball that turned him into one of the game's elite, and as far as Ventura's concerned, one of the hardest matchups in the game.
"That's the one thing about him throwing a knuckleball -- if he has a good feel for it and it's moving, it's pretty hard to hit," Ventura said. "It's probably the hardest pitch to hit. He was throwing a lot of strikes, too."
It was Flowers' first time facing a knuckleballer and it wasn't easy for him, particularly his first at-bat, when he went down swinging.
"That's the first time I have seen one, so for me, it was kind of like someone turned off the lights every couple feet as it was coming to you -- it was moving that much, at least the ones to me were," Flowers said. "It's definitely something I think you need repetition to get comfortable with."
Chicago will look to get back on track Friday when it opens up a 10-game homestand against the Twins after finishing a three-city road trip with a 3-7 record.
"It's been a long, rough trip," Ventura said, "so we are ready to go home and hopefully turn it around."


text:
Topic "Questões da Ciência"
Seven tips in science journalism for finding good story ideas
Creating narratives in science journalism can be difficult, demanding and time consuming. In many cases the topics are dry, scientific publications are complicated to understand and the research is not always easily accessible. To facilitate the entry of their findings into the media, many universities and scientific magazines periodically pitch story ideas to reporters. Read more »


text:
Microsoft presents its new Xbox
- Blu-ray disc drive%3B no details released on hard drive storage%2C chips
- New system will have expanded on-demand library of TV and movies entertainment library
- Pay TV subscribers can connect set-top box to let TV programming flow through
REDMOND, Wash. — Now representing Microsoft in the next round of the video game battle: Xbox One.
The software giant introduced the successor to the Xbox 360 at an industry event at its headquarters here Tuesday. No price was announced, but the system will join the Sony PlayStation 4 in stores this holiday season.
A renewal of the Microsoft and Sony rivalry will energize the global $27 billion console game industry, says Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. "Gamers have become fatigued, and they are ready for something different. Publishers have been reluctant to launch new (intellectual properties) late in the cycle, so there is a lot of fresh content ready for the next generation," he says.
Nintendo's Wii U system, launched last November "is a flop so far, and that opens up the playing field for Microsoft and Sony," he says. Last week, Electronic Arts announced that it would no longer be supporting the Wii U. That decision, says Pachter, "is probably only the first of many similar decisions by third parties, but everyone will support the next Xbox and PlayStation."
What is clear is that Microsoft hopes to expand its dominance in living rooms with the Xbox One. In addition to cutting-edge video games, the new system will have larger on-demand movie and TV libraries, bolstered Internet features, including Skype video calling and increased control of live TV programming. The new system also aims to capitalize on emerging consumer acceptance of smart TV and social television experiences with improved online networking while viewing.
Adding to the luster: A new TV series based on the Halo video games, with Steven Spielberg as executive producer, is in the works. A new deal with the National Football League will result in Surface tables on sidelines and real-time interactive video, stats and data delivered split-screen during broadcasts.
"There is more entertainment flooding into the living room than ever before, delivered through a sea of devices," said Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business. "We designed Xbox One to be the first all-in-one device that puts you at the center of it all — making games, TV, and entertainment better and easier to enjoy."
Included with each Xbox One will be an upgraded Kinect controller, with improved voice- and gesture-tracking with its built-in camera, microphone array and infrared detection. Pay-TV subscribers can connect their set-top box and let the TV programming flow through the system and be controlled by Kinect's voice and gesture monitoring.
"We're making the proposition to gamers and developers alike that you can assume every single box has voice and gesture capability, and (developers can) build applications on top of that," says Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing, strategy and business for Microsoft's interactive entertainment business. "We know that the way people enjoy entertainment in their living rooms is going to change a lot over the next 10 years. ... We are architecting (the system) for the living room of the 21st century."
Rumors had the system named "Infinity," including a Blu-ray disc drive and requiring an always-on Internet connection. Xbox One does have the Blu-ray drive; the system is an "Internet native device," says Microsoft chief product officer Marc Whitten. However, movies and TV can be viewed when not connected to the Net, as can some single-player games, "assuming they don't take advantage of something on the Net."
Microsoft sold 76 million Xbox 360 systems worldwide since bringing it to market in 2005; that's slightly more than Sony's PS3 (74 million) but short of Nintendo's Wii (99 million). The designers behind the new system have tried to build this successor for an equally long life.
"We believe our next console will be a 'must-have' product for anyone who wants to take the entertainment experiences they love and make them decidedly better," Mattrick said. "By expanding beyond just the best game experiences to the best TV and entertainment experiences, the value proposition and market for Xbox becomes significantly greater and as a result, will continue to drive growth in the overall industry."
Xbox One will only support games made specifically for the system, as well as used Xbox One games. The new system will build on current smart-TV features found in sets from Samsung and other makers that customize TV menus for each member of the family. But the new Xbox One will "remember the things you did before, watching TV or playing games," Mehdi says, "and start to tailor content around you. … When you walk up and say, 'Xbox On,' it will automatically recognize you and give you your own personalized, customized home screen."
Xbox Live, which has 48 million members, will evolve beyond online gaming to foster social TV "moments" during special events such as the Academy Awards or major sports events, he says. "The whole idea is get to a premium single box that can do the best of games and entertainment in one system."
Top video game publishers were on site pledging support for the new system. Activision showed the first footage from Call of Duty: Ghosts. EA Sports previewed its lineup of games, including new Madden, NBA Live, FIFA and UFC releases.
To prepare for the increased computing power in Microsoft's new system — as well as Sony's PS4 — EA Sports has created a new underlying Ignite game engine that will transform games, says the studio head Andrew Wilson. Athletes in the games — be they football or soccer players — will be drawn in real time with 10 times as many animations, and four times the artificial intelligence, or brains.
That means a running back will more naturally follow a blocker and hit a hole in the defensive line. Of course, the opposition is smarter and more agile, too. "You start to feel like these (virtual) athletes are making decisions based on human-like intelligence," Wilson says, and moving with fluid, realistic motion. A running back in Madden might, "give a stutter step as he tries to anticipate where his offensive line is and where the defensive line is going," he says.
More frequent, faster influx of sports data — daily performance and injury updates — will make athletes in the games more resemble their real-world models. "Every time you boot up the game, you'll get players that truly interact how they were interacting at that moment in the real world, Wilson says.
As for Microsoft's deal with the NFL, the new multi-year interactive TV rights deal means fans watching at home will be able to augment live game broadcasts with interactive fantasy football stats, displayed side by side on screen during live NFL broadcasts. Via Skype and Microsoft's SmartGlass apps, viewers will get additional video, photos, stats and be able to interact with friends via social networks.
"We want to improve all facets of the NFL experience for fans and the game on the field," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an e-mailed statement.
Actual NFL teams will begin using Microsoft tablets. Two years from now, Microsoft hopes to see coaches calling plays using Surface tablets.
Also planned: Increased integration of Skype to include fitness and education uses. "The integration of Skype into the Xbox experience will allow friends to see one another's screens (and) to talk to one another while playing," Pachter says. "I think it's a killer app."
Details were sketchy on when the Halo TV series would arrive. But Microsoft has high hopes for the project. "The longstanding success of the Halo novels is testament to the fans' hunger for new stories, and last year's live action (online video) series Halo: Forward Unto Dawn garnered enormous community support and won numerous awards," Mattrick said. "We now have the technology, teams and our newly announced relationship with Steven Spielberg to bring Halo The TV Series to life in ways never before possible."


text:
Ikon Semiconductor is a fabless semiconductor company focused on developing innovative, highly integrated and efficient solutions for the rapidly growing LED lighting industry. Ikon Semiconductor provides high performance digitally controlled LED driver ICs and LED lamp reference designs for the LED retrofit market.
Proprietary digital algorithms ensure dimmer compatibility and enable substantial LED bulb cost-down while maintaining high PFC and ripple minimization. As increasing government regulation encourages green technology investment Ikon Semiconductor brings a novel approach looking at the whole system solution. more »


text:
Personal space and privacy
Men sleep in cars, one arm sticking out of the window. Cars pass them, honking, and people walk closely by them. But the men lie with their heads back and their mouths open as if they were taking an afternoon nap on the couch. Privacy in Cairo has nothing to do with the walls or the door you can shut. Privacy is all behind your eyes.


text:
+1 (888) 468 7419
United States
English / $ USD
All Categories
About Us
Structured Cabling
Optical Transport Network
Get customized solutions & services
for your business needs.
About Us
Discover FS services & missions.
Contact Us
Help with all your questions.
Quality Commitment
Deliver products of highest value.
Learn what's new about FS.
Track Your Package
Check updates on order status.
Return Policy
View return process and guideline.
Request Quote
Get best price of bulk orders.
Help Center
Explore help topics & get solutions.
Track Your Package
Check updates on order status.
Return Policy
View return process and guideline.
Request Quote
Get best price of bulk orders.
Help Center
Explore help topics & get solutions.
New Customer? Create an account
In Stock, AU Warehouse
In Stock, EU Warehouse
In Stock, Asia Warehouse
In Stock, SG Warehouse
Please select an option for each attribute.
Please choose a brand.
If items don't work as expected, FS warranty may allow the items to be returned, exchanged, or repaired.
We offer a 30-day return & refund and exchange service for most in-stock items. And within the warranty period, we still offer free repair services.
For consumables, there is no warranty period and free repair services. If there are any quality issues after delivery, please feel free to contact us. We will handle it promptly. View Return Policy and Warranty page for more details.
|IBM Compatible
|Vendor Name
|Connector Type
|QSFP+ to 4 SFP+
|Max Data Rate
|Minimum Bend Radius
|Wire AWG
|Cable Length
|Jacket Material
|0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F)
|40G InfiniBand 8x DDR, 4x QDR, 10G/40Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel
Quality Control System
FS S5850-32S2Q Switch embedded switches and RackSwitches FS S5850-48S6Q Switch
BLADE&rsquoFS S5850-48S2Q4C Switch
Can I have different compatibilities for each end of my direct attach cables? By Recinos on 08/18/2017
Yes, you can. FS.COM offers customized dual compatibility solutions for direct attach cables so that you can choose compatibilities for each end individually. All you need to do is to select "Dual Compatibility Solutions" option in Compatible Brands drop-down box and note down your devices' model numbers in custom page. By FS on 08/18/2017
What kinds of custom choices are offered in FS.COM? By Glasscock on 07/25/2017
As for customized direct attach cables, FS.COM offers regular custom choices such as compatibility, cable length, cable color, operating temperature, label pattern, label colors and etc. What's more, FS.COM welcomes any inquiry for customized products and solutions for all need and specifications. By FS on 07/25/2017
Why should I trust FS.COM compatible direct attach cables? By Dwage on 07/10/2017
Besides the price advantage we have compared to branded cables, FS.COM DACs also maintain the same performance and reliability. To satisfy our customers' needs of high performance, all of our DACs are tested multiple times in mainstream original brand switches in our test center before shipped out. What's more, using compatible optics in brand devices will not negatively affect manufacturers' warranty if that's your concern. By FS on 07/10/2017
Your opinion matters to us. We'll review and use it to improve the FS website for future visits.


text:
Youth can apply for city Civic Leadership Academy
May 1, 2012
Applications are available for the city's second annual Youth Civic Leadership Academy (YCLA), a free six-week course designed to educate and engage high school students about the inner-workings of city government.
The YCLA program was launched last year, based on the Civic Leadership Academy, a similar program available twice yearly to city adults. Both programs are initiatives of the servePGH service plan.
"Our goal is to connect with high school students through fun, hands-on, interactive activities that will show them the importance of city government and public service," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. "This year, I have grown the program to include fifty participants, who I hope will gain a stronger sense of pride and accomplishment that will lay the foundation for them to become informed, effective and inspired civic leaders."
The sessions will highlight different city departments and the services they provide that help make Pittsburgh the most livable city. City directors will develop their sessions with tours, hands-on demonstrations and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how their department helps to operate the city. At the conclusion of the course, the mayor will lead a graduation ceremony where participants will be awarded certificates.
The program will take place on six consecutive Wednesday evenings between July 11 and August 15 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The city will provide bus/shuttle transportation to sessions held outside the Downtown area, as well as Port Authority bus passes for all sessions.
Applicants must be a high school student residing within Pittsburgh city limits at the time of application. Special consideration will be given to applicants who are highly motivated, interested in community service and civic engagement, and committed to using the experience to make a positive difference in their neighborhood and/or school communities.
Interested youth may apply online at cla.pittsburghpa.gov or request a hard copy application by calling or emailing the Mayor's Office of Service & Civic Engagement. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on May 31; late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-June 2012.
Throughout the course, participants will reflect on their experience and will be provided with the opportunity to develop a group service project that is based on their experience in the program.
To date, more than 100 Pittsburgh residents have participated in the Mayor's Civic Leadership Academy. Past service projects have included a community garden planting, a recycling awareness campaign, a playground rehab in East Carnegie, and the facilitation of small business district revitalization discussions in partnership with the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
For more information, visit cla.pittsburghpa.gov, call 412-255-2280, or send an e-mail to email@example.com.


text:
The Educator's PLN
The personal learning network for educators
First graders are the BEST! :) :) Merci pour tout!
Views: 162
Join The Educator's PLN
Welcome toThe Educator's PLN
Sign Upor Sign In
Or sign in with:
Listen to or download FREE podcasts with weekly recaps from #edchat
March 31, 2020 to April 3, 2020 – Sheraton Grand Chicago
April 23, 2020 at 9am to April 24, 2020 at 4pm – Marriot Courtyard South Center
October 8, 2020 to October 9, 2020 – Courtyard by Marriott
© 2020 Created by Thomas Whitby.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
Archive for the 'kerrs' Tag
Mahler Reigns Again: Torino Worlds Ice Dance FD
A Fond Farewell
Navarro & Bommentre: I will miss this program, and this team. Although part of me wishes Belgosto had competed so we could finally capture our North American sweep, I'm happier that NavBomm could compete, and enjoy their presumable competitive farewell at such a high level.
The skate didn't have as strong an emotion for me as it did at Nationals, but part of that may be that the camera work feels less personal and nuanced here, and Nationals is just a more "homey" and warm setting for skaters and fans. That being said, they gave a strong skate, with only a small lack of twizzle unison, and a blade catch for him during a transition. They get -1 deduction, presumably for a lift that was too long. If this is the end, you have given fans so much pleasure, and I can't wait to see what you'll do in Pros! Next up…as per their backstage interview: Italian wine, cheese, culture, art. Well deserved pleasures!
Other Early Highlights
Crone & Poirier: He has one of the best backs of the men in this competition! I love this program…gentle, lyrical, and intimate, starting with "Nocturne." He especially is a very engaging performer, and really communicates with her throughout. I was amazed to discover that he's a singles' skater too (as is she), as the requirements of ice dance are so different. I love the transition into their mid-section, a lyric version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." I'm developing a skating crush on him…seems to be such a vulnerable guy in the kiss-n-cry. Great speed on their spins! I get a kick out of their Coraline-looking coach!
The Zaretskys: A dramatic, somber couple, and program. I feel their costumes are actually TOO stark, and the accent colors too subtle, and too much of a dark wall to draw me in. The tempo of the music is also largely the same throughout the program, not providing the emotional ups-and-downs that a program like Marlie's provides. Their spins feel slower than the prior Canadians, and I was surprised they were placed ahead of the them…but, by only 1 pt.


text:
Know what you're looking for? Start shopping and browse all of our products.Start Shopping
Not sure which oil you need? Look up your vehicle in our product guides.Look up your vehicle
Browse the full line of premium AMSOIL products in the latest factory-direct catalog.Request Catalog
Browse the latest articles and videos to find out what's new at AMSOIL.Learn more
All trademarked names and images are the property of their respective owners and may be registered marks in some countries. No affiliation or endorsement claim, express or implied, is made by their use. All products advertised here are AMSOIL-engineered for use in the applications shown.


text:
07 April 2011
Managing Intellectual Property
Managing IP presented more than 60 awards to the leading firms in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America at the annual global awards dinner in London last night. Here are the winners:
Argentina: Marval O'Farrell & Mairal
Australia – prosecution: Davies Collison Cave
Australia – contentious: Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Austria: Gassauer-Fleissner
Belgium: NautaDutilh
Benelux: Knijff & Partners
Brazil: Dannemann Siemsen Bigler & Ipanema Moreira
Chile: Alessandri & Compañia
China prosecution: Liu Shen & Associates
China contentious: Zhongzi Law...
Log in
Join here
The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors
and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws.
© 2020 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please
see our FAQ.
Switching to MIP International


text: No, not this Hammer Party, although the AMG Hammer came out around the same time as the Big Black album. We're talking about one of 21 American-built 1988 AMG "Hammer" Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars, which is up for sale with a Buy It Now of $89,999. Yes, even though this is a high-end, super-collectible factory musclecar, the seller feels compelled to do the "many nines" pricing routine more commonly associated with a clapped-out '86 Buick Somerset sitting on the Dollar Bill's Easy Autos lot with a Day-Glo "$1,999.99" sign on the windshield. But never mind that, because buying this car today is like buying an LS6 Chevelle 20 years ago; sure, it seems way overpriced now, but just wait another 20 years and see what happens! The only drawback here is the lack of the 32-valve 6-liter AMG engine, though the seller claims the 2-valve 5.6 is actually better. Either way, now that we're in a Hammer Party mood, make the jump to hear "Steelworker." Oh, and thanks to Schm for the tip! [eBay Motors]


text:
October 21, 2011
Guest lecture, faculty and student presentations highlight English department events for November
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
The Kansas State University department of English will offer several events in November, including a guest lecture and presentations from students and faculty.
All events are free and open to the public. They include:
* Guest lecture by Cecelia Tichi, professor of English at Vanderbilt University, 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in the K-State Student Union Little Theater. Tichi will present "A Necessary Revolution: Jack London's Fight for America's Future." Tichi's latest book, "Civic Passions: Seven Who Launched Progressive America (and What They Teach Us)," examines innovative leadership through the perspective of seven social activists during periods of crisis in American history. She has earned praise from the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly and other publications for the connections she draws between the Gilded Age of the 19th century and contemporary culture.
* Poetry on Poyntz, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Strecker-Nelson Gallery, downtown Manhattan. Join various English department faculty and students as they gather to read some of their literary work.
* SAGE Department Colloquium, at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, in Room 213 in the Union. The event will feature presentations from three graduate students in English on their various research efforts. For further information about the presenters and their selected topics, visit http://www.k-state.edu/english/calendar.html.
More information about the events is available by contacting the department of English at email@example.com or 785-532-2190.


text:
Brown recalled for relief; Pridie DFA'd
DENVER -- Tuesday's 12-inning tango with the Cubs coupled with left-hander Brett Anderson's early departure due to lower back spasms left the Rockies in a precarious position come Wednesday.
After Anderson left just one pitch into the fourth inning, manager Walt Weiss was forced to burn through every pitcher in his bullpen before left-hander Boone Logan gave up the go-ahead homer to Javier Baez in the 12th.
On Wednesday, the Rockies recalled right-hander Brooks Brown from Triple-A Colorado Springs to bring in a fresh arm for the beleaguered bullpen. And with Jordan Lyles already scheduled to return from his broken non-pitching hand, the Rockies were forced to designate outfielder Jason Pridie for assignment along with placing Anderson on the 15-day disabled list.
"We felt like protecting the 'pen tonight was a priority," Weiss said.
In the Rockies' third extra-inning game against the Cubs in less than a week, Weiss asked Franklin Morales, Matt Belisle, Adam Ottavino and Logan to each pitch more than one inning in relief. And if the Rockies had answered back in the 12th as they did in the 11th, Weiss had utility infielder Charlie Culberson up an throwing in the cage just in case.
"I asked him the last time he pitched [and] he said, 'High school,'" Weiss said. "I said, 'You're hired.' I thought he was going to tell me Little League or something. When he told me high school, it was a no-brainer."
Brown was called upon to begin his second stint with the Rockies on Tuesday to avoid emergencies like that, considering these teams have already played 11 extra innings in five meetings this season.
After making his Major League debut with the Rockies on July 6, Brown, 29, went 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA with two walks and eight strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings pitched.
Pridie, 31, was recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 2 to provide the Rockies with some outfield depth while Carlos Gonzalez battled an ankle injury. He saw action in two games, going 1-for-4 with a run scored.


text:
Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.
Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.
Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.
from notes by Graham Johnson © 2005
extrait des notes rédigées par Graham Johnson © 2005
Français: Hypérion
|Fauré: The Complete Songs, Vol. 4 - Dans un parfum de roses
'There are songs of a fragrance, ambiguity and vision unique to Fauré and all the singers involved in this glorious project, while not always in their ...
'This completes Hyperion's recording of all Fauré's songs master-minded by Graham Johnson with a quintet of specialist singers: Jennifer Smith, Felici ...» More


text:
Analyze This: You Wrote How Many Emails This Year?
It's that looking-back time of year again, when friends post collages of Facebook status updates, calendars of Foursquare check-ins and year-ago-today tweets.
Here's a year-end recap app that could actually be useful: ToutApp analyzes your email throughout the course of the year and provides data on your busiest month, day of the week and time of day for email exchanges. It also tells you who you email the most, who you receive the most emails from, and which marketers send the most emails.
An application that analyzes your email accounts may seem like a huge waste of time, but the purpose of ToutApp is to make users more aware of what their email patterns are so they could, theoretically, be more efficient with their time. According to Pingdom, 107 trillion emails were sent worldwide last year, up from 90 trillion in 2009; an average of 294 billion emails are sent per day.
ToutApp can take some time to work, depending on the size of your inbox. It took a couple hours for the ToutApp to scan my entire Gmail inbox — around 15,000 emails — and it eventually revealed that I receive more emails than I send. I also learned that January of this year was my busiest month in terms of email traffic (I'm going to unscientifically pin that one on the annual Consumer Electronics Show, which probably upset the average), and that I send the most emails between 8 pm and 9 pm — which makes me a fantastic dinner date. ToutApp also listed individuals as well as circles of people I email with the most, and highlighted key words that often appear in my email.
Some of the data, such as the list of emails from marketers, could be channeled into usefulness. And ToutApp's analysis says I received hundreds of Facebook notification emails this year, which reminded me that I should probably disable "Notifications," as that would help declutter my inbox.
But other info — such as the fact that "FW" is a key word that often appears in my emails — didn't tell me much, except that I get a lot of forwarded mail.
ToutApp only works on Gmail accounts, and in order for it to work, you have to allow it access to your Gmail account. The company is not affiliated with Google, and it says says that during the analysis process it will not have access to your password or any other personal info through your Google account.
Google's information section on third-party access says the data and activities available to third-party sites, like the ToutApp, depend on the Google product;, some apps may not be able to add or modify data or may be able to see a small portion of data. (To unsubscribe after your ToutApp report is generated, you can go to Authorizing Applications & Sites under the My Account area in Gmail, and revoke access.)
ToutApp comes from a San Francisco-based start-up that offers email management services for business owners. According to its Web site, Tout is backed by venture capitalists Esther Dyson, Dave McClure and Eric Ries, along with other angel investors and seed-stage firms.
If you're looking for apps that dissect non-Gmail accounts, a research group from the MobiSocial laboratory at Stanford University has created something called MUSE, or Memories Using Email, that works to analyze and chart your exchanges across different email accounts. There's also something called Topalt Reports for analyzing email through Microsoft Outlook.


text:
Everyone knows Everybody
James Welling photo courtesy of Dérive.
Last night we invited our friends D & M to join us for a trip to Regen Projects for the opening of the James Welling: Glass House exhibit. The place was architect-heavy (Greg Lynn was there) and so D & M (both architects) instantly ran into people they knew. Also, as it turns out, M designed the Regen Projects space, so of course M knew the owner. And She and M both knew Stacy, who is Regen's assistant. It's strange how small the second largest city in the United States can be.
Oh yeah, the show was great. We had two glasses of nondescript white wine in plastic cups and perused the very colorful images of Philip Johnson's Glass House.
Leaving the opening, we were all hungry and had to decide somewhere to eat on a Saturday night with no reservation. Lou, The Hungry Cat, Lucques, AOC?
It was obvious that we wanted to eat some Suzanne Goin. I have never been to a Goin restaurant (except The Hungry Cat, which isn't totally her) and have only eaten her food secondhand; meaning what we have cooked out of the book Sunday Suppers at Lucques. It's almost a crime to live in LA and not eat at AOC or Lucques, so I was pushing for one of those.
We pulled up to Lucques and could see through the window that we were not going to get a seat here anytime soon. Off to AOC.
AOC was less full, but still busy, busy. We asked the host if there was any possibility of us getting a table for 4, or sitting at the bar. She informed us it would be almost impossible, but would be at least 50 minutes. (To be fair, it is ridiculous for us to think we are going to get 4 seats at AOC on a Saturday night without reservations.)
She decided that before we left to our third choice for dinner, She would use the restroom. And who does She see on the way to the restroom…her old dear friend Suzanne Goin. The hostess saw them hugging and I heard the maitre'd mutter "oh" under her breath and look back at her reservation list to see if there was anything she could do.
Suzanne came and introduced herself to D, M & I, and then spoke to the hostess (Suzanne also called Lucques herself to see if there was anyway for us to get in there. This woman might be the greatest restaurateur I have ever seen; calm, hospitable, sweet, very welcoming.)
Five minutes later we had a 4-top at AOC. We began with some bubbly and then the wine steward came over to introduce herself (at Suzanne's bidding) and assist us with selecting our wine. We had:
- Lassalle Champagne (to begin)
- Bordeaux Superior (with dinner, recommended by the steward and very nice, but we both forgot the name. Think it starts with an "M".)
- Tement Sauvignon Blanc (for dessert)
- jamon serrano
- chicken liver crostini with pancetta
- little gems, dungeness crab, avocado and lime
- braised pork belly, kabocha purée and gremolata
- farro and black rice with pinenuts and currants
- arroz negro with squid and saffron aioli
- clams, sherry, chanterelles and garlic
- grilled quail (Sent out by Suzanne)
- hooks blue
- tomme savoie
- l'abbaye
- warm pink lady apple crostata with caramel and vanilla ice cream
- banana choux à la crème with toffee and bittersweet chocolate
Everything was great; the food, the wine, the service. I want to go back very soon (can we get a reservation tonight?)
We didn't take any pictures, but for a very comprehensive review with nice images, check out Kevin Eats (from whom we borrowed the pic above).


text:
Social recruiting also known as social hiring or social media recruitment is the system used to find potential candidates by using social platforms for advertising.
Best Practices of Posting Jobs in Job Boards
Whenever any job seeker clicks on your advertisement to get information about the opportunity, it is possible to convert him into an applicant. In case if your job posting is not framed with essential details then the person will be naturally forced to press the back button.
Make Job Postings more Effective
Have you ever come across employments that did not have enough insights with respect to the job details or obligations? What about those position that lack what you will be doing when coming abroad?
Free Job Posting Vs Paid Job Posting
There are two types of job postings that companies usually follow to fill their vacancies time to time; the first of is free job posting and second one is paid job postings.
Is your CV /Resume / Profile Selling YOU Enough?
Have you ever wondered why you are getting few callbacks despite the fact that you have sent out literally thousands of CV via email and dropped even more in mailboxes?


text:
We have a HSNS circuit at one of our branches in Chch and they are complaining of slow performance on terminal server.
We have 10 - 12 PC's running over a 2mbit/2mbit HSNS connection back to our servers which are hosted in Chch somewhere.
I have been recieving complaints about slow speeds, and apparently the speeds have been slow since they moved due to the earthquake in Feb 2011.
Snap have been running tests on the circuit and have sent me a graph. Just wanting to get an opinion on what the graph is showing, the upload speed seems very slow to me, but I don't know if this just means that uploads are less frequent on terminal server or if they are just slow.
I had a collegue in Chch run a speed test and the results are below.
I have been openly communicating with Snap but need some further outside advise.
One solution I have been advised by sales at Snap is to increase the bandwidth, obviously at a higher rate, however I haven't been convinced that we are getting the service we have been paying for so far.
We don't have the option to change to another provider, or go to UFB at this stage due to the higher costs and set up.


text:
|(Rogue) To complement the change to combo points, non-damage abilities such as Recuperate and Slice and Dice will no longer have target requirements and can be used with any of the rogue's existing combo points, including combo points remaining on recently killed targets. This will not affect damage abilities, which will still require combo points to be present on the specific target you want to damage. To coincide with this, the UI will be updated so that rogues know how many combo points they have active.
After reading this, I was curious if they are considering to implement similar for druids: I'm thinking especially of Savage Roar. Someone else thought the same thing and asked on the forums. GC's response:
This is also mentioned in another blue post:
|Using Savage Roar after a target with cps on it has died will help too. (source)
/happy kitty. It's not 100% definite, but it is likely that cat druids will be able to use combo points from recently-dead mobs to fire off a Savage Roar, rather than having those combo points completely lost and useless to them.


text:
VKA - Institute for Combustion Engines
Head of the Institute
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. (USA) Stefan Pischinger
Fields of Study
Energy Technology, Automotive Engineering and Transport
Main Focus
Combustion Engines
Research Focus
Classical issues concerning the combustion engine, such as the implementation of innovative engine design or the research and development of new, more efficient and cleaner combustion processes are investigated. Furthermore topics, which more and more are gaining importance, are considered, like the virtual engine development, the research for hybrid propulsion taking into account the whole power train, or the in significance rising electronics for engines and vehicles. These subjects are combined with the advancement of "intelligent methodologies" in the testing and engine application phase via for example the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach.
Key activities make up amongst others:
- Flow analysis and mixture preparation with experimental and numerical methods. The experiments include among others special optical measurement techniques.
- Optimization of the combustion process in experiments connected with simulation tools.
- Fundamental research of exhaust aftrertreatment systems for gasoline and diesel engines in VKA's chemistry and catalyst laboratory and on the engine testbench
- Optimization of combustion processes with regard to alternative fuels, research on optimal synergy effects of fuels and new combustion processes
- Engine design for series production and implementation of innovative solutions for minimized frictional losses or to increase the variabilities such as variable valve trains or systems for variable compression ratios
- Examination and optimization of the acoustical engine and vehicle behaviour in experiments and by numerical tools
- Fundamental research and development on fuel cells and hybrid powertrain systems
- Powertrain systems for electric vehicles, especially with Range Extender
- Control systems for vehicle powertrains and vehicle calibration
VKA - Institute for Combustion Engines
Forckenbeckstraße 4
52074 Aachen
Phone: +49 241 80-480 00
Fax: +49 241 80-926 30
Homepage VKA


text:
Handbook DSAMUN 2019
Dear Advisors,
We would like to inform you about the policy followed by our School regarding the deposit of remittances for your participation in the 22nd DSAMUN Conference 2019.
The permissible cash deposit per day is 500 Euros. This means that you must have settled your payments accordingly, otherwise it may not be collected by the DSA pay office. Also, the individual remittances made by students from other schools participating in the DSAMUN Conference will not be registered. These will be returned to them at their own expense.
Best Regards
Security Council Manual


text:
Buying update: Storage managers' purchasing plans
The second installment of Storage magazine's 2007 Purchasing Intentions survey reveals some subtle changes in storage managers' buying plans but, for the most part, many storage shops are following through with the goals they laid out in the spring edition of the survey. With capacity growth seemingly under control, more attention is being paid to newer storage technologies.
The fall 2007 edition of Storage magazine's exclusive Purchasing Intentions survey reveals some subtle changes in storage managers' buying plans as new technologies gain greater consideration.
A quick scan of the results of Storage magazine's fall 2007 Purchasing Intentions survey might suggest a new chapter in our ongoing barometer of buying plans called "All quiet on the storage front." But with just a little digging, it's plain to see that life isn't quite that tranquil among storage buyers.
We conduct our survey twice a year (see "Storage managers in control," Storage, May 2007), so the fall edition often reveals the reassessments storage managers will make to bring what might have been lofty springtime goals back down to earth. To be sure, these survey results reveal some of those readjustments but, more significantly, they show that many storage shops are following through with the plans they set out earlier in the year. Juggling plans and setting new priorities may mean spending more than planned, which may be the case this year. The average storage budget reported was $3.4 million--approximately a 5% increase compared to last spring's average.
Capacity is still an issue
Over the years, our surveys have reflected the tremendous growth in installed storage capacity, precipitated largely by compliance and legal readiness efforts. Consequently, as recently as last fall, survey respondents reported they were adding an average of 40TB of capacity--approximately twice as much as two years ago. In this year's spring survey, the average amount of additional storage dipped to 37TB. At that time, we speculated that many storage managers anticipated future needs and purchased arrays that had room to grow. In the most recent survey, that number nudged upward to 38TB (see "Average storage capacity to be added this year," below). While the change isn't statistically significant, adding 38TB to the average storage environment is--and storage managers will continue to juggle resources to cope with rising capacities.
All of that new capacity isn't necessarily coming in the form of brand-new arrays. Last spring, our survey group said that 35% of their disk-related expenses would go to new or replacement disks for existing arrays. That was nearly triple the number recorded on previous surveys, and was counterbalanced by a big drop in planned new Fibre Channel (FC) SAN spending. That trend appears to be continuing, as the percentages from the fall survey jibe almost exactly with the spring results.
Another indicator of the capacity dilemma is the physical crunch storage managers are facing. Nearly 40% of respondents say they were involved in building or renovating a data center and of those, almost two-thirds cite the need for data center capacity as the principle reason for their expansions. If you're adding nearly 40TB of disk each year, it isn't surprising that floor space could become a precious commodity.
Further evidence of the capacity quandary is borne out by respondents' wish list for storage management software. Repeating and building on the results of previous surveys, the primary factor driving respondents' management software purchases is to "manage more storage with the same staff," with more than 50% of those surveyed citing it as their key factor. The second most urgent need (far back at 17%) is to "simplify the management of different storage environments."
HP rising?
Disk hardware--historically approximately 40% of the pie--takes the biggest bite out of the storage budget. This is fairly consistent regardless of company size, although disk hardware accounts for a slightly larger slice in smaller companies.
EMC Corp. has been the dominant provider of disk systems for midsized and larger companies. Smaller firms typically find it more comfortable to deal with an "end-to-end" vendor that can supply their servers, networking gear and storage. It makes purchasing easier and provides a "one throat to choke" approach to technical support.
In this survey, EMC is still king of the hill, cited by nearly 25% of all respondents as their prime disk system vendor. Among large companies, EMC has an even greater presence, with 37% saying the big "E" will be their primary disk vendor in 2008. As far as purchases made or planned for this year, EMC is once again the overall leader, with approximately 41% of respondents stating they bought EMC systems. But at 34%, second-place vendor Hewlett-Packard (HP) Co. has shaved approximately four points from EMC's springtime lead.
HP has also lengthened its lead over the third most-popular source of disk systems, Dell Inc., by approximately six percentage points; last spring, IBM Corp. held the third slot, four points behind HP. HP shows strength across the board in this survey; regardless of company size, 35% to 36% of respondents purchased or plan to buy HP storage systems this year. To achieve this, HP's numbers for medium-sized companies went from 29% last spring to 36% this time; among smaller companies, a similar rise was shown from 29% to 36%.
The main factor in choosing a disk vendor is still the features and functions of the equipment in question, according to 28% of respondents, about the same as last spring. Twenty percent say they favor a vendor that provides other technology to their companies, while approximately the same number indicate tech support is a decisive factor.
Some growth for newer storage techs
While analyst firms like IDC predict a rosy future for iSCSI storage--seeing impressive growth and considerable sums being deposited in the coffers of iSCSI vendors--survey respondents appear to be proceeding more cautiously. In our survey, gains for iSCSI run the gamut from modest to impressive, with 36% of those surveyed saying they have already or will deploy an iSCSI system this year; last spring, 32% indicated they were opting for iSCSI.
The iSCSI adoption numbers for smaller companies (often considered the most fertile ground for the technology) actually dropped a little, with 34% going with iSCSI storage this fall vs. 37% last spring. Thirty-seven percent of medium-sized companies, another key market for iSCSI vendors, will deploy iSCSI this year, a big gain over last spring's 28%. Larger companies, which often consider iSCSI storage for remote offices and departments, also showed more interest in iSCSI, with 37% saying they'll deploy this year vs. 30% last spring.
Price is still the main motivator for buying iSCSI systems. Thirty-four percent of respondents say it was their reason for deploying iSCSI, which is six points higher than last spring's tally (see "Why iSCSI storage is being deployed," this page). Interestingly, having TCP/IP expertise ranked next to last as a reason for opting for iSCSI, possibly debunking the notion that iSCSI has an edge in many IT shops because of the entrenched TCP/IP experience.
Virtualization is another technology that always seems to be "on the verge." In this latest survey, the verge has been nudged forward--not dramatically so, but enough to indicate that virtualization is establishing a beachhead in storage shops. When asked "Have you virtualized all or part of your installed storage?" only 43% of respondents said "No" vs. last spring's 61%. Among those who have virtualized, most are taking a cautious approach, with 23% having virtualized some of their file storage and 17% indicating the same for block storage. Those numbers are roughly in line with what was reported in the spring survey.
Buying plans for virtualization had some modest increases, with interest split among implementing virtualization in the network, on the array or at the server. It might not yet be the "year of storage virtualization," but we seem to be at least a few weeks closer.
Tape hangs on
Last spring, storage buyers indicated they may finally be moving away from tape in their backup operations. At that time, the number of firms decreasing tape spending rose, while far fewer indicated they would increase spending on tape systems. It was the first significant shift we've seen away from tape, and this fall's results don't suggest that a comeback for the venerable technology is imminent.
Twenty-five percent of respondents say they plan to decrease their tape systems spending (vs. 24% last spring) (see "Plans for use of tape in backup operations," below). Over the period of a year, the number of storage managers planning to increase spending on tape dropped by approximately 12 points, from 47% in fall 2006 to 35% in the current survey.
Among those companies planning to add tape libraries, smaller is the operative word. In the fall of 2006, the average number of slots in planned library purchases was 150; that number dipped to 130 this past spring and plummeted to only 79 in the current survey. Compared to last spring, the scaling back of library sizes is happening in all organizations, with small companies expected to purchase 30% fewer slots, medium-sized firms cutting back to 48% fewer slots and large companies buying 26% fewer slots.
On the flip side, spending on disk for backup has held fairly steady, with 80% saying they'll maintain or increase their spending in the latest survey (the same percentage as last spring). Perhaps the most interesting development in disk-based backup, however, is the rising interest in data deduplication (or single-instance storage) technology. In the spring, approximately 12% of respondents said they planned to deploy deduplication; six months later, 20% of those surveyed now say deduplication is in their plans.
We posed a new question in the most recent survey, asking respondents to rank the importance of a specific functionality in the backup apps they'll consider. The ability to back up to disk is the most favored function (56%), which seems to dovetail with the declining interest in tape as a backup medium.
On the horizon
Encryption isn't a new technology, but many storage managers seem to treat it as something new and unusual. Last spring, we initiated a question about storage security and found that 55% of respondents hadn't taken any serious steps in that direction. This fall, the results are even bleaker, with 58% still sitting on the encryption sidelines. That's not to suggest that there isn't interest: 26% report they have implemented or plan to implement encryption this year (vs. 22% last spring), while another 39% say they'll evaluate it (vs. 40% in the spring survey).
Other new technologies and processes made some modest inroads, with more respondents implementing SAN/NAS gateways (37%), wide-area replication (31%) and service-level agreements (27%). Approximately 26% of respondents intend to bolster their disaster recovery (DR) plans with new DR monitoring tools. But some technologies are still struggling to gain acceptance and adoption, with more than 60% of respondents saying they have no immediate plans for or won't implement chargeback, ediscovery tools, automated provisioning systems, WORM media or wide-area file systems. With the exception of chargeback, these are all relatively new technologies and, in future surveys, the pendulum may swing in their favor.
ABOUT OUR SURVEY: Storage magazine's Purchasing Intentions survey is conducted twice a year (in the spring and in the fall). Storage subscribers are contacted by email and invited to participate in the survey. For the current survey, there were a total of 660 respondents. They're asked if they have purchasing authority in four areas: disk subsystems (595 respondents), storage networking (461), backup and disaster recovery (445), and storage management (334). Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey.


text:
Eric Jaffe
Eric Jaffe is the former New York bureau chief for CityLab. He is the author of A Curious Madness and The King's Best Highway.
Chicago police commissioner Garry McCarthy drew heavy criticism this summer when crime statistics showed, in mid-June, that homicides were up 38 percent over the previous year. When the rise in murders first became noticeable, back in March, McCarthy announced the city would conduct a so-called "gang audit" to help police get a handle on the problem. The audit found that Chicago now has some 625 gang factions — up from 500 about a decade ago, according to Chicago magazine.
In the aftermath of the audit WBEZ took steps to compile an interactive map of gang territory throughout the city. Using a reference called the Gang Book, published by the Chicago Crime Commission, as well as public homicide data, the public radio station created an overlay of communities and gangs that's searchable by address:
The task wasn't easy. WBEZ reports that the Chicago police department refused requests to supply digital territory maps; they eventually provided basic maps at the behest of the state attorney general. Nicholas Roti, chief of organized crime for the city, told the station that the department is reluctant to release online territory maps because it doesn't want to spark a rivalry:
"We don't want to either glorify a gang or maybe unintentionally cause a gang rift," Chief Roti said. "You [a gang member] could look at a map and say, 'They got way more territory than us.'"
Chicago isn't the only city being what we might call a bit territorial about its gang knowledge. The Toledo Blade recently sued the city police department for refusing to release a "gang boundaries map" that circulates internally. Earlier this year a King County detective questioned the accuracy of an interactive map of Seattle gangs produced by the blog Northwest Gangs.
Criminal justice professor John Hagedorn of the University of Illinois at Chicago counters that the fear that gang maps will incite violence is overstated. For starters, the gangs know their boundaries much better than the police do. Additionally, the territories are regularly changing: the new WBEZ map uses information from the 2011 Gang Book, reflecting 2010 data, and as a result may be woefully outdated.
"Publishing a map in a magazine … or in a newspaper is related to no violence at all," he says.
Gang maps created by media organizations might not be harmful, but that doesn't mean they're helpful either. Earlier this year Chicago magazine created an overlay map of gang territory and homicides, suggesting a direct causal connection between the two. The maps blog Carticulate criticized the magazine for oversimplifying a complex situation:
What we can see from the map is that these two phenomenon, sometimes linked but also sometimes independent, are taking place in the same areas. What we want to know as cartographers, researchers, and observers should be: what are the underlying factors that cause both of these things to take place in the same area?
A much bigger problem with public gang maps, says Hagedorn, is that they magnify cultural and racial divisions within the city. "These maps reinforce gangs as 'the other,'" he says. "The negative part is that the public looks at where the gangs are and confirms it is 'them' — black people and Latinos, not good upstanding respectable white communities — that are 'gang infested.'" In a 2006 research paper [PDF] Hagedorn wrote about how race, not space, explained most of Chicago's gang problem.
Since the rise in homicides, Chicago police have implemented a program that may render territorial maps a little beside the point. In a late September piece for the Daily Beast, David Kennedy of John Jay College of Criminal Justice describes how Commissioner McCarthy has embraced a crime-reduction strategy that emphasizes people over places. Much in the way that Amazon uses data and algorithms to suggest which books a customer might like, the Chicago police is using a social-network approach to identify gang members tied to a majority of the violence. Kennedy writes:
In other words, even in a neighborhood with a horrible gang problem, most people are not gang members, so focusing on the neighborhood misses the point.
To rein in traffic-snarling new mobility modes, L.A. needed digital savvy. Then came a privacy uproar, a murky cast of consultants, and a legal crusade by Uber.
Most cities aren't fond of letting people use parks after dark. But there are good lifestyle, environmental, and safety reasons to reconsider.
Two new studies have revived the long-running debate over how police respond to white criminal suspects versus African Americans.
The new book Golden Gates details how California set itself up for its current affordability crunch—and how it can now help build a nationwide housing movement.
Looking at the population and job growth of large cities proper, rather than their metro areas, uncovers some surprises.


text:
If these prototypes running around jolly old England are what we and spy photographers think they are — it would appear those test mules we saw in September were right — there's a Jaguar XFR on the way as a high-po follow-up to the new XF sedan. There doesn't appear to be a lot of visual differences between the already-revealed XF and this lightly camo-ed XFR, but the quad-pipe exhaust and the huge cross-drilled rotors give away the R-aging 4.2-liter V8 beast within, capable of producing about 500-horsepower. That's right Mr. McGee, you wouldn't like the XF when it's angry. Full spy report from the helpfully quick to the shutter button folks from KGP below the jump.
Our man in the U.K. has snapped the first photos of what appears to be the first full-fledged prototype of Jaguar's upcoming XFR. Although the visual differences are subtle, there are some telltale cues that suggest that this car is something a bit hotter than your normal XF. A new quad-pipe exhaust design hints that this car is running a revised powertrain, and the large, cross-drilled rotors speak of an upgraded braking system to deal with this XF's higher performance potential. Large 20-inch wheels and a noticeably lower ride-height suggests a more aggressive suspension set-up, in keeping with Jag's usual formula for their R-spec cars. Any changes to the front fascia of this XFR prototype are very subtle, and may be limited to this car's blacked-out grille mesh.
Earlier this summer, some mules appeared that hinted that an XFR was in the works. Based on previous-generation S-Type bodies with XF noses grafted on—those mules also had cross-drilled rotors, the same wheels, and a makeshift quad-pipe exhaust configuration. This latest prototype takes those same details, and applies them to a complete XF package, suggesting that the XFR is now in the home stretch.
Our sources from Britain believe that a highly tweaked version of Jaguar's venerable Supercharged 4.2-liter V8, to produce about 500-horsepower, basically matching some of the hottest metal from BMW, Audi and Mercedes AMG. The long-rumored, range-topping XFR-plus (for lack of a better name) may employ a new 5.0-liter engine, and could push power ratings closer to 600-hp. But that car is a good way's off, while this XFR prototype is now running the streets of Coventry, being readied for launch sometime in the next 12-15 months.


text:
CourseLeaf Features
- Leepfrog custom tailors CourseLeaf to what is right for you with our extensive customization offerings.
- Leepfrog transitions your catalog to the web during implementation, noting and correcting errors and discrepancies between catalog data and your SIS.
- Leepfrog support staff go above and beyond to make sure your catalog is the best it can be.
- Effortlessly integrating your new system with your existing campus authentication systems in order to continue to use your existing account names and passwords.
- Confidently delegating work to those who know it best, including assigning tasks to new authors while dealing with staff changes, knowing you have the tools to oversee the quality of their work whenever you choose.
- Coordinating individual schedules—and monitoring the individual progress—of your authors at any time, online.
- Enjoying an instant birds-eye view of the way every team member uses the system at every stage of your process, along with the tools and reports you need to direct each task whenever necessary.
- Increase accuracy and validity with CourseLeaf's integrated Accuracy Reports, flagging courses and errors between your catalog and SIS.
- Leepfrog will identify and correct errors during our Implementation process.
- Our software can update both the catalog and your SIS data, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry.
- CourseLeaf tightly integrates with your system, pulling data from your catalog and SIS.
- CourseLeaf Curriculum Management takes the process online, making updating your SIS course data easy and efficient.
- Integration with degree audit software provides accurate student data and allows students to know exactly what courses they need.
- CourseLeaf features a powerful collaborative approval system, taking the entire update process online. Email notifications let the right person know when they have actions to take.
- Setting permissions is a breeze with multiple user roles and integration with your LDAP or SSO system.
- CourseLeaf will track, log, and archive all changes over the life of the catalog.
- CourseLeaf streamlines the update process with author tools, using convenient color coding to display proposed and accepted changes to your catalog.
- Update both your catalog and SIS from one program with our Data Bridge capability.
- Eliminate the need to format for printing with CourseLeaf's powerful one-click PDF generation.
- CourseLeaf takes your catalog and update process online, consolidating efforts to an easy, browser based solution.
- CourseLeaf's enhanced Focus Search engine allows students and staff to find what they're looking for and expands for detailed information.
- CourseLeaf reduces the number of hours spent updating by 33%


text:
Move In Move Out Cleaning
When you are moving, the last thing you want to worry about is doing that last deep cleaning. Don't do it yourself, just call eMaids of Tennessee. Because every move is a little bit different, we would like to give you an estimate over the phone for your Move in/ Move out cleaning
Our Move In/Out Service Includes
- The inside of the oven, refrigerator, and all appliances
- Inside of all cabinets and closets
- Windows
- Doorframes and baseboards
- Everything else, so you do not have to touch a broom or mop!
Our Complete Move in/out Checklist
Call now 865-806-5551
With eMaids:
- If you're Moving Out, we can ensure that you can get your security deposit back!
- If you're Moving In, we will ensure your new apartment has a sparkling welcome.
- All cleaning supplies are included.
- We also have a packing/unpacking service for your moving needs
- All our cleanings are 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Your complete satisfaction is our only goal and is guaranteed, always!
Call eMaids inc. at 865-806-5551 or email us at email@example.com for an instant quote.
You have additional questions? Call us 24/7 at 865-299-3070 FREE and our friendly representatives will assist you!


text:
In 2005, Wal-Mart and Netflix teamed-up to ward-off Blockbuster: Wal-Mart ceased renting DVDs online, and Netflix promised never to sell physical DVDs. According to a court case, that agreement violated antitrust laws—which means Netflix customers are owed money.
Wal-Mart chose to settle the case, and will gift Netflix customers who become class members of the case a Walmart.com gift card, or maybe even a check. They're said to be spending between $29 million - $40 million making this issue disappear. Only those living in the US are eligible, but taking into account there's 16 million Netflix customers in the US and Canada, that's still a lot of people who could be in for a lump-sum. [PaidContent]
UPDATE: Readers, please stop emailing me asking for a gift card. I am not Wal-Mart, nor Netflix.


text:
Blinds can help get your home ready for winter
By Networx
As winter nears, the weather is getting colder! There are some simple ways to make the interior of your home winter friendly and cozy too. Keeping your home cozy can help you feel good during the winter months when so much time is spent indoors.
Area Rugs
Area rugs add warmth and comfort to a home and off course style too. From smaller scatter rugs to large area rugs in a den, fall is the time to put one in your home. The kitchen is a great room to place a scatter rug can as it can add some warmth and comfort for your feet while you wash dishes. Ceramic floors can be especially hard on your feet and heels (and ceramic floors get cold in the winter), so if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen washing dishes, then try putting a soft cushioned rug in front of the sink. Check out these cute kitchen themed rugs.
As it starts to get darker earlier, most of us will be closing our drapes and blinds pretty early in the evening which means that you'll be looking right at your window treatments for more hours each day. If you're unhappy with your current window treatments then change them now! Bamboo blinds are hot these days and also eco-friendly.
Large mirrors in unconventional shapes are one of the hottest trends for entryways and or foyers. Hang a mirror up now so that you can check how your snow day hat looks before leaving the house!
Wreaths aren't just for Christmas! Make your own wreath or find one at a store.
Source: http://www.networx.com/blog/simple-ways-to-get-your-home-cozy--read


text:
Mike Cravens
Turlock High Class of 1980
Memories of Mike Cravens
Are you Mike Cravens?
This page means someone is someone is looking for you. Register for free to let other alumni contact you and more:
- Let others find you
- Contact old friends
- Share photos and memories with other registered alumni
Looking for Mike Cravens?
This is a placeholder page for Mike Cravens, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Mike Cravens.
About placeholder profiles
You are visiting the placeholder page for Mike Cravens. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Mike Cravens. We created this page automatically in hopes Mike Cravens would find it. If you are not Mike Cravens, but are an alumni of Turlock High School, register on this site for free now.


text:
A shiny picture of the Creative Zen Vision W found its way into the latest issue of Popular Mechanics, marking yet another time that a Create portable media player had its premature unveiling in the print press (we're looking at you, Maxim). The "W" stands for widescreen, and the 4.3-inch display is a nice upgrade from the 3.7-inch from the current Zen Vision. Popular Mechanics went so far as to say that it "has the best screen we've seen on a portable media player." This dream PMP will come in two sizes, a 30GB and a 60GB version.
What does the Zen Vision W actually play? Again, according to Popular Mechanics, "every format we've thrown at it," which apparently includes several incarnations of Divx and MPEG.
Creative still hasn't officially announced prices nor a release date, but the magazine blurb points to a $399 price tag for the 30GB and a $499 price tag for the 40GB.
Creative Zen Vision W Revealed! [epiZENter.net]


text: Halie James is a sexy brunette with big natural melons. Before getting into porn Halie used to be a comedian doing standup. She started in porn in late 2009 only doing girl-girl scenes and blowjob scenes. With her natural girl next door look she has a very bright future ahead of her. Enjoy her getting drilled from the ZZ cocks.


text:
Lunchtime sale! Get 15%‡‡ off on with any $250 purchase or more.
participating stores). Consumers save 20% with any purchase of $450 or more at regular price (applicable to the most expensive product or other product for which more than one unit is purchased, based on which option offers the best rebate to the customer) (before taxes and on the same invoice). This offer can only be used once per transaction, per family, per day. Only purchases of products at regular price paid in credit card or by PayPal are eligible. This offer also applies on products being delivered and/or installed if delivery and/or installation charges are paid in full at time of purchase. Limit of 15 units of the same product, except for the 40-gal., 50-gal. and 60-gal. electric water heaters, for which the quantity is limited to 2 per customer. RONA reserves the right to limit quantities of products purchased. While stocks last. Doesn't apply to purchases of construction lumber (wood, plywood, OSB, treated wood, cedar, composite), asphalt shingles, gypsum panels, major appliances and branded products: Alfred, Thor Kitchen, Canexel, Rockwool, Dyson, Google Home, Nest, Ecobee, Broil King, Kamado Joe, Napoléon, Traeger, Weber, Arlo, Samsung Smart Home, Lutron Caseta, Amazon; does not apply to Sico Evolution and Sico Muse products purchased in Quebec. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other coupon, discount, instant savings or rebates on kitchen cabinets or promotional offer including; RONA employee discounts, RONA low price guarantee, RONAdvantages incentives, or any other special pricing programs. Cannot be used in conjunction with the following products and/or services: extended protection plans, installation, shipping, assembly, rentals, cut-shop service, delivery charges, service purchases, labour, tool rentals etc. or previous sales. Gift card, special orders or purchases made with in-store accounts or purchases made PEFC Certified by clients with a specific contractual agreement executed with RONA are not eligible for this offer. Doesn't apply to previous purchases and layaways. Not convertible into cash. Certain conditions apply. Details in participating stores and at rona.ca.


text:
Wow! The week is over and it is almost time to go back to work. Fortunately for me, I only have lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, tomorrow is primarily catch up in my office, posting grades, and working on the next chapter in the textbook. I actually got one chapter revised over the break, so that makes me happy.
Most of this week I spent at Shakespeare's Peddler helping Theresa pack all those many, many orders. Theresa is one of a kind. She is very busy right now, but she remains so calm. I had such a great time helping and talking. If you haven't checked out her online store and designs, you really should. She is great.
I have been a bit unmotivated with my stitching lately. I selected 22 designs (11 new and 11 WIPs) to complete this year. The main issue is that I selected several series. So when I finish a block, I still am not finished. This gets a bit frustrating for someone like me who loves to mark things off a list. I stitch and stitch and still this list is there. So, I decided I needed to work on a stricter rotation. I just went down my list and worked on a different pattern each day of the week. Some things were slow going others were much more enjoyable. I have three of these to share today.
First on my rotation was Trousse. I love this piece. All of the cats and motifs and letters. I can't wait to finish it and use it as my needlebook. But, I found a major error and spent most of the time pulling out stitches. But, I did make some progress, so that's good.
Next up, Lizzie Kate Go Green Flip Its Series. This one was great. I stitched the 4th block in one night. I love the colors, so bright. When this is finished, I am framing it for my office. Since I only have two blocks to go, that should be soon and then I can mark it off my list.
The next day, I worked on the 5th block in the BBD Anniversaries of the Heart series. If you have been following my progress on this one, you know that I am adding the initials and dates for my family members to these blocks. At first, I was only adding myself, husband, children, our parents and our grandparents. The problem was that I had no one for May. Now, I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers and Hobbie has 3 sisters and 1 brother. We also have lots of nephews on my side of the family and lots of nieces and nephews on his side. I decided to add our siblings and selfishly, just my nephews. So, after adding these extras to the completed blocks, I was able to focus on new stitching and actually finished this square. I love the colors and it looks great with the rest of the piece. I just can't wait to see this one finished, framed and hanging in my home.
I did stitch on several other things, but not a lot of progress. Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful Sunday and has a lovely week. Thanks for stopping by...


text:
Greetings from California
- 2004 24 Jun
There's good reason why California's called "The Golden State." From San Diego to San Francisco, the nation's 31st state boasts some of the most artistically progressive cities in the world, not to mention the entertainment capital in Hollywood. As the state that outdid Minnesota in terms of celebrity governors, California offers an endless array of oddities, from pet therapists to hotels with poolside outdoor waterbeds. Still, the oddest irony of all is that this often secular, largely left-wing, left-coast state remains one of the most supportive places for Christian music.
The Crossover Factor
Exactly 20 years ago, it was the Orange County group Stryper that helped put Christian music on the mainstream map. And thanks to modern bands like Switchfoot and P.O.D. from San Diego and Lifehouse from Los Angeles, the stigma on faith-based music is starting to wash away like Santa Monica waves. Nashville surely provides much-needed focus and centralization for Christian music, but the West Coast bands and labels have often pushed the creative wheel, tested and broken new trends.
"If you are skilled and up on your game, people are more open to whatever you believe," says FLYNN of LA Symphony, a Gotee Records act that recently performed with X-zibit, Westside Connection, Clipse and Jurassic 5 as part of a Power 106 (L.A.'s trendsetting hip-hop station) radio fest. "Making good music with universal appeal bridges the gap and makes people ask what we're really about. It's the catalyst for so much more."
"The lines are blurred because the art and music are getting better," says Tim Tabor, a leading Christian promoter and the owner of Floodgate Records, home to such California acts as Cool Hand Luke and East West. "The doors are opening to play the same venues that anyone else plays, which allows for a higher level of ministry. People are going to the same clubs they've always gone to, but they are hearing great music that challenges their ideas about faith. To me, that's a breakthrough."
In recent years, California bands like Stavesacre (Nitro) and Project 86 (Tooth & Nail) released mainstream albums, following in the footsteps of other West Coast artists such as the 77s (Island/A&M), Guardian (Capitol), Michael Knott (Elektra), Dakoda Motor Co. (Atlantic), Charlie Peacock (Island/A&M) and Freedom of Soul (Epic). MxPx, though from Washington State, got its break on a then California-based label (Tooth & Nail) and with invaluable help from L.A.'s KROQ radio. In fact, today's mainstream labels are often discovering hot, new, faith-driven acts before the Christian labels do.
"We all love the Lord, and we all love playing and writing good music," says singer Christopher Wade of the new Elektra Records band April Sixth from Orange County. "I've felt nothing but love from both the mainstream and Christian industries. Everyone's pretty much the same: If the music rocks, then the music rocks."
Mean Street Magazine, the largest free monthly music publication in Southern California, also took notice and started covering California's edgier Christian artists. Says Waleed Rashidi, the magazine's chief editor, "I suppose the Christian element used to be at the forefront of my mind upon receiving such releases, but that was back when the division between Christian and secular music was more blatant. These days, releases from such labels are perceived quite equally to those from secular labels. Overall, there's been an astoundingly large acceptance of Christian-based artists by the local secular market."
Among other key benefits, the close proximity to a world-class music market affords California bands access to more opportunities. Surrounded by such a vast and vibrant live scene, talented bands can always find a place regardless of their message. Moreover, there's no denying the benefits of being near the heart of the entertainment industry.
East West drummer Bob Vergura explains, "We got hooked up with TV shows like 'Blue Torch' on Fox Sports and on USA Network's 'FARMCLUB' because we lived in SoCal. You have access to industry people who you would not have living elsewhere."
The Start of a Scene
As home to the "Jesus People Movement," California is often called the birthplace of Christian rock. Looking back to the late '60s, the movement started in a small evangelical mission in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district and proceeded to spread throughout the country. The movement significantly reached out to disenfranchised hippies who, once involved, simply added a gospel message to the rock music they were already playing. Dubbed "Jesus people music," the early California scene included Love Song, Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, the Eternal Rush, Jeremy Spencer & the Children of God and, of course, Larry Norman, whose '69 Capitol Records disc, "Upon this Rock," is considered the quintessential breakthrough classic. As evidence of the music's popularity, there was even a "Jesus People Live at the Hollywood Palladium" album by '72. Later West Coast acts included the immensely popular Sweet Comfort Band and alt-rock pioneers Daniel Amos.
"Being progressives from the 'land of fruits and nuts,' we just didn't and don't know any better," says Daniel Amos singer/principal songwriter Terry Taylor about the state's forward-thinking bent. "Cultural changes in fashion, music, art, politics, etc., for good or ill, usually explode here and in New York first and then leak out like water through a slow sieve to the rest of the country. Since California has always been on the cutting edge of cultural changes and social upheaval, it makes perfect sense that its Christian artists, emboldened by their own indigenously creative climate, would mirror their secular counterparts."
Thanks to progressives like Taylor, the scene continued to grow and reached a "golden age" of sorts in the '80s. During this time, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa featured huge, free Saturday night concerts; popular bookstores like Joybells and Maranatha Village hosted record release events; and many of the major Christian labels were still in California and featured significant West Coast talent. Likewise, the Orange County television network TBN launched the first-ever Christian rock video show, "Real Videos"; and SoCal had quality Christian radio, KYMS 106.3 FM, playing rock and alternative on weekend programs.
With so many opportunities, countless new bands emerged, offering a variety of progressive styles. Such artists include Undercover, Uthanda, the Lifters, 411, The Choir, Common Bond, Vector, Adam Again, Point Blank, Crystal Lewis, The Crucified and a host of metal bands like Neon Cross, Barren Cross, Red Sea, Tourniquet, Jordan and Holy Soldier. As bands multiplied, a host of progressive labels followed suit, such as Glasshouse, Vineyard, Pakaderm, Metro One, New Breed, Narrowpath, Ocean, Broken/Brainstorm and later Rescue, Patriot/Rugged and the once-indie Essential Records.
Regarding the West Coast's progressive edge, Crystal Lewis recalls, "The California scene has always been a catalyst for the new — and not just Christian music. Orange County spawned several bands that went on to be huge successes, like No Doubt, Sugar Ray and Social Distortion, to name only a few. I think once up-and-coming artists see something happening to others in their same field and in their own backyard, they gain inspiration and encouragement. That keeps the scene evolving and growing."
Before beginning Metro One Records with her husband, Lewis was signed to Frontline Records, arguably the most prolific modern music label of the time. The Santa Ana-based company helped propel several new genres into the Christian marketplace with such SoCal artists as speed-metallers Deliverance, industrial rockers Mortal and reggae-infused Christafari. Bay Area artist Jon Gibson even introduced MC Hammer to the world with his '88 album "Change of Heart." Other California-based Frontline artists included the Lifesavers, the Altar Boys, Bloodgood, Shout, Vengeance and later Mad at the World and the Scattered Few. Frontline also played a role in developing early Christian hip-hop by releasing such Texas-based rappers as P.I.D. (Preachers In Disguise) and the late D-Boy.
Though the artists tended to sing light, sunny fare when they started, the decade closed with them tackling deeper, personal issues and concerns, a step that again produced revolutionary growth from the Pacific coast. The Lifesavers, changing its name to Lifesavers Underground, shocked the industry with the dark, brutally honest album "Shaded Pain." Similarly, Undercover took a more introspective turn with "Branded" and the Altar Boys with "Forever Mercy." The most controversial album, however, was Leslie Philips' "The Turning" [produced by her then husband-to-be, T Bone Burnett), a breathtaking album loaded with songs about doubt, hurt and pain. Philips encountered such opposition to this album that she eventually left Christian music, changed her first name to Sam and started releasing a string of acclaimed albums on Virgin Records.
As these artists took such bold steps, the changes won over new fans and alienated others but collectively marked a shift in faith-based music. More artists started expressing emotions and deeper thoughts while elevating the overall quality and breadth of their music, changes that eventually birthed California's current musical climate.
From Blonde Vinyl to Tooth & Nail
Though short-lived, Michael Knott's Blonde Vinyl Records played a major role in creating an indie scene within Christian music. Based in Orange County, the record label released numerous albums in what were then underground genres like punk, house and industrial with such local groups as Fluffy, Breakfast With Amy, Black and White World, Plague of Ethyls, Dance House Children (which later splintered off into Starflyer 59 and Joy Electric) and, of course, Knott's own band, Lifesavers Underground (a.k.a. L.S.U.). Distribution problems eventually led to the label's demise but not before Blonde Vinyl showed that Christian music fans were, indeed, interested in "college radio" type music.
In the wake of Blonde Vinyl's closure, Knott started releasing albums on various labels, including his former label home, Frontline Records. There he got to know the label's radio/publicity guy, Brandon Ebel, who had been a big fan of Blonde Vinyl. With a vision for his own indie-centered label, Ebel left Frontline in 1994 and started Tooth & Nail Records with inaugural artists Wish For Eden, Focused and Starflyer 59. Making great strides in building a national base for Christian artists previously considered too fringe, the label eventually hit the big time with the ska-punk hit O.C. Supertones and the pop-punk outfit MxPx.
Starflyer 59 front man Jason Martin recalls, "During that early scene, 90 percent of Brandon's bands were from California. He was living in California back then, and he was going to see bands there that weren't getting record deals at that time. He took a chance on those bands, and it actually worked. I don't know if he would have been able to do the same thing in Nebraska, but there were some cool bands in those days; and they were all from California."
In the '90s, California helped developed a great scene for indie rock, punk and ska; but the state also played a pivotal role in urban music. Brainstorm Records, which broke into hip-hop with JC & the Boyz, enjoyed further success with the Chris Cooper-led rap collective SFC. The label later released albums by SFC cohorts the Dynamic Twins and Freedom of Soul. Today, Cooper goes by Sup the Chemist and has started his own label, Beesyde Records, with a new album through Uprock. Likewise, Sup's old turntable master DJ Dove developed and broke another L.A. rap group, the Gospel Gangstaz. T-Bone, one of California's top breakout emcees, actually paid homage to West Coast rappers like SFC, Freedom of Soul and Poetic Lee on his recent track "Our History."
Entering the New Era
Today's West Coast labels, which include Floodgate, Northern, Marathon, N*Soul, Metro One and Velvet Blue, among others, feature dual market mindsets and a vision for free artistic expression. Inglewood's B-Rite and Gospo Centric Records, for example, enjoy significant cross-market success with Kirk Franklin and "American Idol's" R.J. Helton. With its mix of opportunity and challenge, the left coast remains a progressive hub and oftentimes an artistic magnet, drawing in the likes of dc talk's Kevin Max, a recent L.A. transplant, and Indiana native Jeremy Camp.
"It is separate from the industry," says Camp about the benefits of starting out in California. "That can be a good thing because [the scene] is not influenced by any normality or structure that tends to sway a lot of artists into the 'you-have-to-be-this-way-and-write-songs-this-way' type situation."
Without question, today's California artists, which also include Noise Ratchet, Holly Nelson, Ping, Priesthood, Fernando Ortega, Kathryn Perry, Havalina, Violet Burning, Slick Shoes, Dogwood, PAX 217, Map, CUSH and the Halo Friendlies, provide ongoing testimony that Christians value artistic excellence as much as anyone else.
Upon This Rock: How Churches Helped Spark a Scene
As Christian rock started becoming popular in the '70s and '80s, many churches found the most uncomplimentary of words for a musical movement they viewed as too "worldly" or incapable of ministry. While resistance from the pulpit hindered the music in some places, California evolved into one of the most prolific and progressive Christian music scenes in the world. In terms of cause and effect, surely there were many influences on the growing West Coast scene, though a clear, pivotal cause was a supportive church community.
At the time, many California Christians were already comfortable with Christian rock, thanks to the influence of the "Jesus people music," so when a host of new groups emerged in the early '80s, many of the churches latched onto the movement and used pastoral experience to help guide these artists toward maximum impact. For example, some of the churches helped support the bands financially so these artists could spend their days traveling to public schools across the state, performing lunchtime concerts. In fact, this writer's brother actually became a Christian at an Undercover show in the early '80s when the band played Carlsbad High School in north San Diego.
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa took this approach to the hilt. The Orange County-based church started hosting free, ministry-centered rock concerts every Saturday night, and they would use the lunchtime school shows to help bring kids out each weekend. The church, which already had the praise & worship label Maranatha!, eventually started a rock imprint called Broken for such local artists as Undercover, the Altar Boys, Darrell Mansfield and The Choir. Of course, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa wasn't the only church starting record labels.
Up in Sacramento, the Warehouse Church launched Exit Records in 1982 with its inaugural release, the 77s' "Ping Pong Over the Abyss." Artists such as Vector, First Strike, Charlie Peacock and Steve Scott soon followed with Exit releases. Likewise, the Anaheim Vineyard started New Breed Records for one of its early artists, the Violet Burning, whose original alternative sound inspired countless other California groups such as the hugely popular Prayer Chain. Though many churches helped propel the California scene, there were still some resistant to the change that indirectly helped launch a new church and yet another musical movement.
After seeing too many instances of church kids persecuted for long hair and heavy metal dress, Bob Beeman began the L.A.-based Sanctuary Church in 1984 as a place for hard rock-lovin' Christians. Integrating rock music into its worship services, the church became fertile ground for a host of hard rock and metal bands. In 1987, these fresh new faces earned national attention with Regency Records' California Metal compilation, introducing such headbanging favorites as Neon Cross, Guardian, Deliverance, Mastedon, Barren Cross and others. That same year, Sanctuary sponsored the first Christian hard rock fest, the Metal Mardi Gras; and the scene simply exploded, lasting more than half a decade.
By giving the artists such a supportive community, the churches were able to offer them much-needed ministry direction and help to keep them more accountable in a very positive way. Likewise, the amazing music scene provided many redemptive alternatives for young people searching out fun on the weekends or on holidays like New Year's Eve. Rather than fight the tide, California's Christian community embraced the music and used it to reach a new generation of young people. Sure, the bands were innovative and ambitious; but the California scene would never have reached its zenith without the forward-thinking support of the local churches.
© 2004 CCM Magazine. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Click here to subscribe.