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This Filmmaker Recruited George Lucas to Invent the Technology for His Movie
What do you do when you don't have the technology to get that perfect shot? Invent it, of course.
When Mike Day was filming his award-winning documentary The Islands and the Whales, he encountered a particular production challenge.
His film, shot over the course of four years, reaches deep inside the controversy surrounding whaling on the Faroes, an archipelago of 18 volcanic islands in the north Atlantic ocean between Norway, Iceland, and Scotland. Forces including vehement anti-whaling environmentalists and the increase of pollution threaten to dismantle the entire foundation of the Faroese existence; whaling is the only sustainable option for the islanders.
To transport audiences into their world, it was incumbent upon Day to create the most immersive experience possible given the constraints of the medium. The film's sweeping cinematography captures the dramatic oceanside cliffs and the faces of the island's hardworking people, but images are only part of the story.
Day decided to recreate the environment's soundscape in order to provide viewers with the full experience of the Faroes. But in order to do this, he needed a very specific kind of multi-directional microphone. He contacted George Lucas's Skywalker Sound. Together, they invented a groundbreaking sound technique: an ambisonic microphone which allowed Day to remap the full sphere of sound in the field—including the sound from above and below the microphone. In other words, they created the ultimate experience of spatial audio.
"It worked—subtle, but present," Day told Moviescope. "It's not a fireworks FX, but it takes you there to the windswept cliffs."
Harpex developed software specifically for Day to translate the ambisonic recordings from a specially designed tetrahedral mic to Dolby Atmos. The Islands and the Whales is the first film to use ambisonic sound recordings in production and to reproduce them in cinemas. The theater system uses 128 speakers, including vertical channels, which allow audiences to experience the sound as it was when it was originally captured in the field.
"This technique adds another tool for us to transport audiences into the world on the screen," Day said. "It's been great to hear audience reactions to it, many not knowing the system was being used, but feeling its effect. It gives another reason to see the film on the big screen, and that's always a good thing!"
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13 Comments
NFS why would you use this headline when you know George Lucas actually didn't really do anything at all, it was the engineers at Skywalker Sound who did the work!?!? again with these clickbait headlines smh.
June 15, 2016 at 10:40AM
June 15, 2016 at 11:04AM
Yawn. Everyone in VR is making films with spatial audio using ambisonic microphones. The ultimate immersive experience of spatial audio is one that tracks and moves with your head and is binaural encoded so it sounds like it's right at your ear, not a stationary one heard while sitting in a theater with speakers many feet away. This film seems like it couldn't figure out which tech generation it wanted to be in and is just gonna get lost in the transition from film to VR (like radio to TV). It chose the wrong medium for better immersion.
June 15, 2016 at 11:19AM
I don't think that VR has a monopoly on immersion. Story is and always will be king when it comes to immersion. No technological advancement will change that.
June 15, 2016 at 12:31PM
We're not talking about the same type of immersion. One can be immersed in a story and one can be immersed in a setting/environment. Those are not the same thing, though they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. See Vincent LaForet's thoughts on the 48FPS "Hobbit" - it's a great example of the dichotomy.
June 15, 2016 at 1:45PM
I recruited George Lucas yesterday as well!! I was using Photoshop which, as everybody knows, was created for ilm back then. ilm is a company of Lucasfilm and George Lucas didn't do shit to create that software but due to this article's logic it still makes him the creator of it thus I hired him yesterday!
June 15, 2016 at 11:04PM
So you give him no credit for the decisions he made that allowed so many developments so widespread throughout the industry?
He steered a ship and in the right direction when so many had no clue.
June 16, 2016 at 5:20AM
I am very appreciate your site,and your article is useful, thank for sharing us this information. download hub
November 20, 2017 at 1:23AM
Nothing but negative comments...on a filmmaking forum?! There's no way...trailer looks amazing! Cool article. Thanks for sharing :)
June 17, 2016 at 9:58AM
The click bait title is misleading and your information about Dolby Atmos is incorrect.
Cinema-grade Atmos allows for up to 118 positional objects and 10 (9.1) bed channels (128 total). A maximum of 64 individual speakers/subs are addressable by the Atmos renderer (or 62.2).
Translated to the home version: you have up to 20 positional objects (any additional objects from the cinema files are combined with the closest adjacent objects based on their positional metadata information - Dolby calls this spatial compression), 7.1 bed channels (the stereo overhead bed channels are converted to two fixed objects), and a maximum of 34 speakers and one sub channel are addressable.
Please do better research. :)
June 20, 2016 at 12:29PM, Edited June 20, 12:40PM
examcollection 642-883 - Thanks for providing such useful information. I really appreciate your professional approach. I am very happy to see this. It is totally useful for me. - examcollection 70-243
August 15, 2016 at 5:15AM
Hi, The topic that you have discussed in the post is really amazing, I think now I have a strong hold over the topic after going through the post.
Baby Care Tips
November 20, 2017 at 1:21AM

subset: commoncrawl


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While companies struggle to find engineering talent, bright students are turned away from computer science departments that are too budget-stressed to expand.
Busy recruiter Nathan Ollestad, director of technology practice at Greythorne, lists his phone number prominently on LinkedIn. When called by a stranger, he answers right away.
He has to. No matter how consumed with work he is, Ollestad can't miss a chance to grab precious engineering talent that might be on the other end of the phone line. Grab it, hold onto it, and find the company with just the right perks, incentives, and stimulating projects to entice a talented candidate to sign employment papers.
It's not easy. "The industry we're in now is unlike any I've ever been in. It's the most competitive market I've ever seen. You have to be extremely creative," he says.
Ollestad's clients include big tech companies as well as smaller startups. Large companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon "have money to throw their weight around," he says, and those companies can offer high starting salaries. To compete, startups sell themselves on their workplace environment, offering advantages like telecommuting, equity, flexible working hours, more vacation time, and fun stuff such as game rooms with Xboxes, ping pong, pool tables, kitchens with bars, or even chocolate fountains and indoor tree houses.
"We're having to go above and beyond, these days, to excite candidates. They get two, three, four offers at the same time," Ollestad says.
The battle for the employer isn't over after a new hire starts, either, because other recruiters are immediately on the prowl. "You have to be sure to keep them happy, because 20 other companies could offer better salary, a better product, a better work environment."
With such fabulous employment prospects, especially in a down economy, you might think student enrollment in computer science programs would be soaring — and you'd be right.
You might also think colleges would be expanding their departments proportionately, since even with higher numbers of students, the universities aren't anywhere close to filling industry demand.
But there, you'd be wrong.
At a time of state budget cuts, some colleges are cutting back their computer science programs, while others are merely treading water in the face of vastly increased demand. The University of Florida in April announced plans for cuts in its engineering college, sparking campus protests and widespread condemnation (in light of the controversy, the university says it is now considering alternatives). At the University of Washington, the state legislature recently agreed to increase funding for computer science by about a third, but as of last year, the school was graduating the same number of students as it did 30 years ago, according to Ed Lazowska, who holds the Bill and Melinda Gates chair in computer science at the university.
There's no denying that enrollment overall has increased. The Computing Research Association (CRA), an association of more than 200 American departments and related fields, states in a recent report that overall undergraduate enrollment in computer science increased by 12%.
At some of the top schools, enrollment has increased more dramatically. At Harvard, enrollment in an introductory computer science course has almost quadrupled in five years. At Columbia, computer science majors were up 12% in 2011 alone. Enrollment at the University of Colorado increased 35% between 2008 and 2011.
It's not enough, though, a fact at least tacitly acknowledged by the CRA report, which cites "anecdotal evidence" that growth in enrollment is constrained by enrollment caps put in place by faculty or infrastructure limitations.
In human terms, that means that while recruiters like Ollestad are pounding the pavement in search of software engineers, students who would love to someday fill those jobs are being turned away from computer science programs unable to expand enough to let them in.
Those students include people like Cody Stebbins, a high school valedictorian who graduated with a 4.0 grade point average but was not admitted to the University of Washington's computer science program, even after he took an intro computer science course there and got a 4.0.
"I was a little shocked," says Cody, who thinks an impending 3.2 in a physics class he ended up dropping may have been what set him back. Cody landed on his feet at the university's informatics department; an interdisciplinary major offering courses in business, technology ethics, and some programming and computer classes.
But many schools don't offer departments like informatics, and would-be computer science majors must turn to mathematics or to an entirely different field.
Until recently, the University of Washington was only able to accommodate 25% of computer science applicants, though it will be expanding somewhat this year due to the recent funding increase.
Cody has talented friends who also didn't get into the program. At other schools, the numbers are even starker. Carnegie Mellon, for example, admitted just 130 of the 4,200 applicants this fall to its computer science school. Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. accepted only 21% of 3,144 computer science applicants last year.
And that's a shame, with so many computer-related jobs going unfilled.
But it gets worse — much worse, when you look at the demand that's coming.
A US Bureau of Labor Statistics report projects huge increases in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) jobs over the next decade, but not just any STEM jobs. The vast majority is in computer-related occupations:
If computer science programs don't quickly and drastically increase enrollment, who in the world is going to do all these jobs?
At more specialized levels, work-visa issues may also come into play. Though at the undergraduate level just 7% of computer science students are non-resident aliens, at the master's degree level, the figure is 57% percent, according to the CRA report.
Of course, not every computer-related job requires a computer science degree, or any kind of college degree. Banking, insurance, and manufacturing all hire IT professionals who can do their jobs without one. But companies like Microsoft and Google that carve out new avenues in computing only hire degreed students from schools with strong programs, and they would rather leave a position vacant than fill it with someone they consider unqualified.
The kind of skill those businesses require doesn't come cheap, and economics is the reason universities aren't responding to the demand as well as they'd like to.
"We lose money for every student on a tuition basis in computer science and other fields of engineering. Only state subsidies can provide it," says the University of Washington's Ed Lazowska.
Engineering programs require labs, mentoring, and small teams, which makes them more expensive than liberal arts programs. Plus, professors who could make exponentially more working for private industry require higher compensation from colleges than professors in liberal arts fields.
Creative ideas such as differential tuition for different majors have been bandied about in academia, but because of the way education is planned for and structured, not much has come of them. Slow economic growth and weak tax revenues are predicted to continue for years to come, giving little hope of substantial increase in government help.
For the fortunate students able to enroll in and graduate from good computer science programs, recruiters, high-paying jobs, and the company Xbox await. For those who didn't make the cut due to enrollment restrictions, there's currently no algorithm for success.
"These degrees cost more money. There's no magic way to provide it," Lazowska said.
See also:
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I remember dreaming with friends
Download the essay for free here: I remember dreaming with friends
About the author
Haizea Barcenilla is Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of the Basque Country. Her research focuses on the analysis of curatorial practices and historical narratives from a feminist perspective. She was an invited researcher at Konstfack University in Stockholm, where she studied the importance of the commons in context-responsive curatorial practices. Most recently, she undertook a research residency at Keio University in Tokyo studying the relationship between feminist economics and creative practices at Kosaten and Hospitale Art Centres. She has presented these lines of research around the world including at Málaga University, New York University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
About The Sustainability Plan
Ormston House is a meeting place for the arts in the heart of Limerick city. The Sustainability Plan (2017-) is a project creating resources to publish research on the expanded value of Ormston House and other non-commercial or non-governmental cultural space and programmes.
InformationHaizea Barcenilla
I remember dreaming with friends
Editor: Adrian Duncan
Design: Piquant
© 2019 Haizea Barcenilla, Ormston House
Image: detail from Erkyna's Garden (2019) hands-on eco-printing workshop on the banks of the River Erkyna led by Mary Conroy with Mary Michou (local agronomist and photographer) in Levadia, Greece, as part of Memory of Water (2018-2020). Photograph by Niamh Brown.


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Notes on the Synthesis of Form. Christopher Alexander. Really widely applicable philosophy. Every architecture student is taught this, but hey are taught that it is very difficult to put these concepts into play, because it contradicts the institutional structures of architecture, because architects plan places beforehand in a very modular way.
Pattern Language
Christopher Alexander, an architect and author, coined the term pattern language. He used it to refer to common problems of civil and architectural design, from how cities should be laid out to where windows should be placed in a room. The idea was initially popularized in his book A Pattern Language.
Alexander's book The Timeless Way of Building describes what he means by pattern language and how it applies to the design and construction of buildings and towns. However, the system has been used in many fields of design, from designing computer programs to designing a classroom curriculum.
The Oregon Experiment – his third book.
Filed under: anthropology, architect, architecture, christopher alexander, civil design, cyborg anthropology, design methods, pattern language, philosophy, synthesis of form, timeless way of building |


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Please use the following resources to assist you in the transition to Google Apps. Some of this information is for faculty and staff, but students will benefit from it as well.
Google was very liberal with what it considered to be your contacts when it made the transition. As such you will have a lot of "extra" contacts under your Contacts section. The only contacts that should be here are your personal contacts. You can safely remove all of the BRTC faculty, staff, and students from here because those are available to you and are maintained by Computer Services.
To clean up your contacts sections
- Click on Contacts
- Select the contacts to delete
- Click More
- Click Delete Contacts.
The search capability of Gmail is very, very strong and is a much quicker option compared to the old Outlook searching/sorting methods. Basic searching (from, date, subject, etc.) is quickly available using the search options drop down accessible by clicking the little arrow on the end of your search bar.
More advanced searching options are covered here: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190?hl=en&ref_topic=3394914.
- Departmental and shared calendars did not migrate.
- To re-share your personal calendar, please use the steps outlined here: https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37082
- To export your old departmental calendar please contact me and we'll assist you.
Google Drive is BRTC's cloud storage component. If you've ever used DropBox then you should be very familiar with what Drive can do.
Each user on our system has 35 GB of storage available. You can access all of it strictly from the web or you can use the Google Drive application to use it directly from your desktop. If your PC does not have the Google Drive program installed, please contact us.
On your mobile devices, we highly recommend that you install the free Google Drive app to have access to all of your Drive data regardless of where you are.
If you also install the free Google QuickOffice app you will be able to not only view Microsoft Office documents on your Google Drive, but you will be able to edit them as well.
Please remember the training videos and information that are available at https://sites.google.com/a/blackrivertech.edu/moving-up/. Here you will find instructions on all of your common tasks as well as info on how to set up your account on your phone/tablet.


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Good Boy Gingerbread House Dog Treat and Toy Set
Tax included.
This Good Boy Gingerbread House Dog Treat and Toy Set is a fantastic alternative to a stocking, with treats & a vinyl toy with a built in squeaker it ticks all the boxes for the perfect gift for your four legged friend.
Key benefits:
- 2 different styles of treats
- 1 soft, vinyl toy with internal squeaker
- 1 x 50g Yuletide Yummies
- 1 x 5pk Chicken & Calcium Bone Treats
- 1 x Gingerbread Man Toy


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All Lessons
(Lessons are listed in groups of 10, with the newest lesson at the top. Click the page numbers below to navigate to other lessons. Use the 'Choose Lesson…' option in the right-hand column to go to a specific lesson. (The 'Choose lesson…' menu is visible only when you're logged in.))
We'll be talking about someone who is quite religious in this lesson. We'll meet the adjectives 'croyant' and 'pratiquant' to describe such a person, we'll see how to use 'ne... jamais', we'll use the verb 'se souvenir de', and we'll practice other interesting expressions, too. Let's get started...
Lesson #: 41
Level: Intermediate
Relationship problems are the topic of this lesson! We'll learn how to ask someone what's wrong, we'll meet the reflexive verb "se séparer" and we'll ask ourselves the question, "How am i going to explain it to him?" We'll also distinguish between "ne... pas" and "ne... plus".
Lesson #: 40
Level: Intermediate
We'll deal with a common scenario in this lesson: we've lost our keys. We'll learn how to say we can't find them and where to look for them. We'll also meet the expression 'jeter un coup d'oeil'. Let's get started.
Lesson #: 39
Level: Beginner
In this lesson we'll see what vocabulary is required to cancel or postpone a meeting. We'll discover the verbs "annuler", "reporter" and "modifier", as well as the expression "C'est vraiment pas de chance!" On y va!
Lesson #: 38
Level: Intermediate
We sometimes find ourselves in a position where we need to borrow money from someone. In this lesson - lesson 37 - let's find out how to do just that. We'll meet the verbs "prêter", "rembourser" and "embêter", as well as other useful expressions. Let's get started.
Lesson #: 37
Level: Beginner
Some people choose to pay their mobile phone bills by monthly standing order. Many others, however, simply choose a pay-as-you-go option, buying credit whenever necessary. In this lesson, let's see what vocabulary we'll need in order to purchase that phone credit.
Lesson #: 36
Level: Beginner
In this lesson, lesson 35, we're going to talk about a topic we'd sometimes prefer not to think about - putting on weight. We'll meet the verbs "grossir" (to put on weight) and "voir" (to see) in the past, as well as the expression "être à deux doigts de faire quelque chose" (to be on the verge of doing something). Allons-y!
Lesson #: 35
Level: Intermediate
We often pass comment on fragrances – food, perfume, flowers, nature, and so on. Let's see, in this short lesson, which expressions will allow us to do that. We'll meet the verbs "sentir" and "mettre", in particular. We'll also see how to say that something smells quite strong.
Lesson #: 34
Level: Beginner
Whether we like it or not, our modern lives are ruled by the clock. In this lesson, let's study one of the basics: how to tell the time. We'll also meet the expressions: "I'm going to be late!", "I'm going to be early!" and "I'm going to be on time!"
Lesson #: 33
Level: Intermediate
Amélie has a new colleague at work. Let's see what his responsibilities are and discover a little about his linguistic capabilities. We'll meet the verbs "s'occuper de" and "apprendre" as well as the expression "avoir l'air de".
Lesson #: 32
Level: Beginner


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Heavy Trip
You are watching the movie Heavy Trip produced in Finland, Norway, Belgium belongs in Category Comedy, Music with duration 92 Min , broadcast at 123MOVIES.LA,Director by Juuso Laatio,Turo is stuck in a small village and the best thing in his life is being the lead vocalist for the amateur metal band Impaled Rektum. He and his bandmates have practiced for 12 years without playing a single gig. The guys get a surprise visitor from Norway -- the promoter for a huge heavy metal music festival -- and decide it's now or never. They steal a van, a corpse, and even a new drummer to make their dreams a reality.
Actor: Johannes Holopainen, Samuli Jaskio, Antti Heikkinen, Max Ovaska, Minka Kuustonen, Ville Tiihonen, Kai Lehtinen, Chike Ohanwe, Pirjo Lonka, Martti Syrjä
Director: Juuso Laatio
Duration: 92 Min
Release: 2018
IMDb: 7.1


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For whatever reason, summer seems to have hit New York with a fiery passion this last week. It's supposed to rain sometime Friday, so hopefully we'll get some relief, but as of last night, things were a bit, shall we say, steamy.
And not in a sexy way. There's nothing sexy about the backs of your legs sticking to whatever you're sitting on from the sweat. Just sayin.
The point is, the hubs and I were looking for some refreshment.
I've never been a huge beer drinker, and since my favorite brew isn't even available in New York, I'm more inclined to order a cocktail, wine, or cider out at bars. The first drink I legally purchased (just moments after turning 21 my first summer in New York) actually happened to be cider.
Don't believe me? Check it.
Photo taken by my darling friend Susan. Yes, I had short hair. Yes, I was fatter. Let's move along, shall we?
The point is, I really love cider, especially in the summer. What I don't love? The extra calories. Which is why I was really excited when I heard about Michelob ULTRA Light Cider.
In case you haven't heard of it, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is a less sweet, lower calorie alternative to traditional ciders. In fact, it has one third fewer calories than the average cider. Well played, Michelob ULTRA. Well played indeed.
We enjoyed our cider with homemade shrimp fajitas, which is quite possibly the easiest dinner ever.
Simply saute sliced peppers and onions for about seven minutes whilst lightly sauteing the shrimp in another pan.
I added a few dashes of paprika, cumin, and cayenne to each while cooking for a little kick. Once the onions and peppers are soft and the shrimp are pink and curled, you're done with the cooking portion.
Add chopped veggies (like tomatoes and lettuce), freshly grated cheese, and some non-fat plain Greek Chobani in place of sour cream, and you're done!
And I have to admit, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider made a pretty great pairing with the fajitas. It's really refreshing (ideal for heat waves) and will appeal to anyone who likes traditional cider. (Translation: It doesn't even taste like alcohol. Proceed with caution.)
Want to try it for yourself? Michelob ULTRA Light Cider will be available nationwide (excluding CO, UT, WY and OK) beginning May 7, 2012, and will be available in six-packs of 12-ounce clear glass bottles. And in case you like your drinks really cold, it can also be served over ice. Just got a little chill, didn't you?
Have you tried this cider? Which favorite summer meal do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Light Cider?


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With IdentityNow, you can easily request access to the systems and applications you need to do your job using access requests. Simply select from a list of available options and the approval process kicks off automatically.
To request access to an app, click Request on the app in the Request Center. You can track your request in the My Requests tab, or you can wait for an email to let you know when a decision's been made. You'll also get:
Take a look at the following documentation for more information on how to request access and track your request once it's made.
For more information about reviewing access requests, see Helping People Get Access.


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In honor of the signing of the Declaration of Indepence, all star items in my TPT store are free!
(click to download)
As part of this year's third grade astronomy unit, we worked on the Earth, sun, and moon system as well as other celestial bodies like planets, meteoroids, asteroids, comets, and stars. I thought the Fourth of July would be a great time to share the star / constellation activities with you!
While students are working, I play this constellation song so they get used to their names and have an easier time identifying the stars and their constellations when we visit the StarLab.
We also compare meteors, asteroids, and comets using this sheet.
Don't have materials? Check out this FOSSweb module.
Check out my website for lesson plans, lab sheets, and more astronomy websites for teacher and student use.


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Immigration uproar will upstage health care debate
A few months ago, I was talking to a group of political strategists who insisted that - given the Obama administration's desire to pursue both immigration reform and health care reform - immigration should go first. Otherwise, they said, health care would fail because of public fears that illegal immigrants would get free medical services. Make those immigrants legal, they said, and it would defuse the issue.
The point is moot since the administration decided to roll the dice on health care first. But the strategists were right that the immigration debate would find a way to infiltrate the health care debate and damage it.
In fact, as divisive and shrill the health care discussion has been at times, the soon-to-be resurrected immigration debate could be much worse. The issue, expected to be on Congress' fall agenda, will provide its share of theatrics.
If Obama wants to get an immigration reform package through Congress, he will again need help from conservative Blue Dog Democrats. Just like with health care. And if Obama panders to the Blue Dogs too much, he could alienate more liberal Democrats. Just like with health care.
Already, in cities such as Houston with large immigrant populations, protesters who showed up at town halls ostensibly to demonstrate against health care wound up complaining about immigration.
This includes the woman who phoned into conservative talk radio host Michael Smerconish's show last week to ask its special guest - President Obama - if he believed that illegal immigrants should benefit from health care reform.
Obama tried to shut down that line of inquiry in a hurry.
"This has been an example of just pure misinformation out there," he said. "None of the bills that have been voted on in Congress, and none of the proposals coming out of the White House, propose giving coverage to illegal immigrants - none of them. That has never been on the table."
Then, Smerconish asked if illegal immigrants would still be treated in emergency rooms, as they are now.
"That will continue," Obama said. "I think there is a basic standard of decency where if somebody's in a death situation or a severe illness, that we're going to provide them emergency care. But nobody has talked about providing health insurance to illegal immigrants. I want to make that absolutely clear."
At least one piece of health care reform legislation under consideration - House bill 3200 - specifically excludes anyone who is not a legal resident of the United States from coverage of extended insurance provisions.
Those are the facts. But, unfortunately, fear doesn't listen to facts. Even so, here's another fact: While it's true that illegal immigrants use emergency rooms, they do so because most of them lack health insurance. And why is that? It's because their employers don't provide it. Those are the same employers who often make a hefty gain from using cheap illegal immigrant labor. When those employers do well, the rest of us do well. And when they don't, we don't. The pieces of the economy may seem separate, but they are all interlocked.
So don't tell me that illegal immigrants don't pay their way in this economy. They do, paying all sorts of taxes - property, sales, etc. And they also act as a stimulus by benefiting employers.
Of course, you'll rarely hear that kind of candor and honesty when the immigration debate heats up again. Too bad.


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Home renovations are always daunting because of all the preparations and the planning that needs to be done. More often than not, the hardest part of renovations is getting started. According to Colebrook Construction, the decisions you make during the planning stage can make all the difference between success and a remodeling nightmare.
Imagine buying an old house whose roof needs replacing, the walls need repainting, the flooring needs regrouting, the backyard needs landscaping, and more. It's really hard to know exactly where to start. For those who want to renovate their homes, here are a few tips on how to get started.
Create an Overall Concept
The first step to renovating your house is to have a concept or, at the very least, a visualization of your finished project. Even though you will be getting a contractor to do the work, they will be following your concept, which means that you have to be the brains behind the design. Why shouldn't you hire an interior designer? For one, you'll be the one living in your home. The design must speak to you and reflect your lifestyle. You may take some suggestions from a professional, but ultimately, you have to create the design.
Create a Budget
The next thing to do is to create a budget for the renovation. You may ask your contractor to help you with this if you are not very familiar with renovations. Consider cost of the materials and set a budget for the contractors to stick to.
Set a Schedule
One of the most important things you should do during the whole renovation process is to create a schedule. If you want your home to be liveable as soon as possible, then you have to make sure that you and your contractors are following a tight schedule. You have to work together with your contractor on creating this.
Check the Materials
Ensure that you're getting the right materials by checking each one of them. Are the flooring tiles exactly as you ordered? Is the paint the right color? Have the contractors bought quality hardwood? You need to monitor the project personally if you don't want to be cheated. As an employer, it's also your responsibility to make sure that your contractors are working within the safety regulations. Check whether their protective equipment including the helmets, safety footwear, dust mask, gloves, and more. Some of these things can be provided by the contractor, but there are a few things you need to buy as well.
Finalize Everything With Your Contractor
The last step is to go over your final plan with the contractor. Aside from the materials and equipment, you will also need to be pay for their professional service fee. Before you start, you must make sure that everything is properly put into paper. Let both parties sign the paper to seal the deal. If there should be an issue during the renovation process, any party can refer to the agreement for clarification.
Once all of these steps are already done, you may start with the whole renovation process. It is important to at least have an idea of what you are doing even though you do have a contractor. That way, you can monitor how your plan is brought to life.


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(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)
Betsy and I enjoy visiting the Smokies just about any time of the year, but winter is probably our favorite time to visit. One reason is that there are usually fewer people around during winter, Another reason is that the streams in the park usually have a good amount of water in them, and we love hiking along the river banks. A couple of years ago we were hiking along the West Prong of Little Pigeon River in the Greenbrier section of the park. I used Photoshop to convert a photo of the stream into a 'painting'.


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It was truly a great opportunity to obtain this interview with Donald Brant. This is our first ever interview where childlessness not by choice is discussed from and with a man's point of view.
In listening to this interview you will find that although men may typically not show their emotions, they of course have the same feelings we women do. We all know there are men and women who opted not to have children. But just as there are women who wanted but could not have children, there are men who wanted but did not have children.
I believe you will find as I did, that this interview was educational on many different levels. It was quite interesting to learn about life in a different country, as well.
This interview was originally done in video form. So some of the conversation will sound like we are seeing each other, and that is because we are. I hope you will enjoy this interview.
And feel free to let me know what you think. I have posted Donald's information below. Below his contact information, is my information.
Thanks again for listening. It is appreciated!
Donald Brant's information:
blab.cafe is his blab show. For those not familiar with blab, it is a video platform for interviews and conversations, produced by Twitter, which means you can sign in with your Twitter credentials. Donald Brant also has a YouTube Channel.
My information:
Twitter @civilla1
Instagram @civilla1


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By T.J.S. GEORGE
What a curse democracy has become. It truly is bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people. With no stops. Look at the cabinet circus in Karnataka. Look at Devendra Phadnavis fighting ally-turned-enemy Shiv Sena. Look at Yogi Adityanath still struggling to figure out whether governance is animal or vegetable. Look, if you have the heart, at the tragic spectacle of Manohar Parrikar, stricken with advanced cancer, being forced to carry on as chief minister in Goa because the party wants to safeguard its interests. Pathetic.
The MLA circus of the kind seen in Karnataka is by now a familiar feature of Indian politics. Parliament went to the extent of amending the Constitution in 1985 to pass the anti-defection law. The aim was to stop "the evil of political defection." The evil never stopped. The resort politics popularised by N.T. Rama Rao continues unabated. The old motto of Aya Ram Gaya Ram has given way to the new bazaar practice of Buy Ram Sell Ram.
The Kumaraswamy government that carries on precariously in Karnataka was the result of swalpa adjust maadi between the Congress and Gowda-run Janata Dal (Secular). The BJP's Yeddyurappa sat momentarily in the seat of power thanks to the connivance of the State's BJP Governor. But not all the treasures of Arabia could buy him a majority in the House and Yeddyurappa had to quit before he could form a government.
But the Buy Ram Sell Ram culture continued as the latest "crisis" has proved. The BJP was out to buy 12 to 15 Congress MLAs and negotiations must have progressed far enough for several MLAs to be housed in luxury water holes in Delhi and Mumbai and other places. More than ten Congress MLAs had apparently conducted their bargains successfully. But Yeddyurappa & Co., still could not reach the magic number that would have toppled the government.
Then came the Congress shouting from the hilltops that no force could bring its government down. Translated into everyday language, it meant that the Congress-JD(S) had out-bid the BJP in the auction of MLAs. As the ruling combination, they could offer not only cash but also Ministerships and Boards' Chairmanships, both recognised routes to riches. Expect new ministers in the cabinet with plans of course to serve the people. Congress leader Siddharamaiah, sounding more innocent than a baby, accused Yeddyurappa of horse trading and "offering crores of rupees" to Congress MLAs. What a nasty thing to do to the pure-as-heaven Congress.
The chances are that the crisis and its sudden ending (has it ended?) were more than a Congress-BJP affair. A Congress-Congress combat could as well have been part of it. The power struggle within the Karnataka Congress is no secret. Siddharamaiah who headed the Congress government until Kumaraswamy took over in May last year is not reconciled to his loss of office. He speaks and acts like the Congress party boss if not also as the effective Chief Minister. That means a barely hidden confrontation with party maverick and troubleshooter, D.K. Shivakumar. The long-standing ambition of Shivakumar to become Chief Minister makes him an active player in the buy and sell market. Ambitions are not snuffed out by temporary ceasefires. So the drama in Karnataka will continue, crisis giving way to peace and peace breaking into crisis.
That pattern has become part of life across the country. Those in power believe that they should remain there indefinitely while those in opposition believe it is their right to topple the government and take over. To achieve their aims, sworn enemies become close friends, like Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have done in UP and Chandrasekhar Rao and Jagan Mohan Reddy in Hyderabad. Every tukda party is proclaiming that it will join hands with "like-minded partners." All are like-minded in their shared greed for power.
What makes politicians different from ordinary human beings is the certainty with which they can extoll their own supposed virtues and ridicule others. At a long, televised press conference in Guwahati last week the BJP's Ram Madhav did just that. He proclaimed how mahagathbandhan parties were unstable, corrupt and devoid of vision while the BJP was stable, corruptionless and visionary. As simple as that. What a pity that there are citizens in India who vote for unstable, corrupt and visionless parties when the saints and angels of the BJP are ready to sacrifice themselves for the country.
We already have the facts and figures of tomorrow: public presentation of lies as truths, intolerance, polarisation, religious violence. The future is already here.


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Rep. Derek Kilmer hosted a delegation of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies to an Olympic Forest Collaborative Stewardship Project during the August recess. Committee Chair Betty McCollum and Ranking Member Rep. David Joyce joined Rep. Kilmer and the Collaborative at the H to Z sale and learned about Collaborative efforts to restore forests and generate economic gains for local communities. The Collaborative also held public meetings on its progress in Forks, Aberdeen and Port Angeles.
OFCO is working with Collaborative members and partners on a monitoring and evaluation project that will document the restoration results of the Collaborative, funded in part by Washington legislative appropriations to the Department of Natural Resources. The grant helps to fund permanent monitoring plots and drone photography of how the forest is responding to treatment. OFCO Board Member Jill Silver (Exec. Director, 10,000 Years Institute) leads the monitoring and evaluation team.
(L to R) Rep. Derek Kilmer, Matt Comisky (American Forest Resources Council and Collaborative Co-chair), Chair Betty McCollum, Ranking Member David Joyce, OFCO Board Chair Connie Gallant.


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Deutsche Bank Does Not Have Trump's Tax Returns, Court Says
If investigators are going to get their hands on President Trump's tax returns, they will have to find them somewhere other than Deutsche Bank.
The German bank — which for nearly two decades was the only mainstream financial institution consistently willing to lend money to Mr. Trump — has told a federal appeals court that it does not have the president's personal tax returns, the court said on Thursday.
Democratic-controlled congressional committees issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank this year for financial records related to the president, his companies and his family. Mr. Trump sued the bank, which became his main lender after a string of bankruptcies cost other banks hundreds of millions of dollars, to block it from complying.
That litigation is working its way through the federal courts. Last month, The New York Times and other media outlets asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York to unseal a letter from Deutsche Bank that identified two members of the Trump family whose tax returns the bank possesses.
On Thursday, the court rejected the request. Part of the reason, it said, was that Deutsche Bank had informed the court that "the only tax returns it has for individuals and entities named in the subpoenas are not those of the president."
Current and former bank officials previously told The Times that Deutsche Bank had portions of Mr. Trump's personal and corporate tax returns. The bank collected at least some of those tax records in 2011, when Deutsche Bank's private-banking arm — which caters to the ultra-wealthy — took on Mr. Trump as a client. The returns and other financial documents were reviewed by a number of bank executives, according to the current and former officials.
Deutsche Bank relied on the information provided in the tax returns and other financial documents to approve a series of loans to Mr. Trump in early 2012 in connection with his Doral golf resort in Florida and his Chicago skyscraper.
Over the ensuing years, Deutsche Bank's private-banking arm continued lending to Mr. Trump, including $170 million in 2014 to convert the Old Post Office building, a few blocks from the White House, into a hotel. By the time Mr. Trump was sworn in as president, he owed the bank more than $300 million, making it his largest creditor.
It is unclear when Deutsche Bank stopped retaining Mr. Trump's tax returns. A former senior bank executive, who said he had seen the returns, said the normal practice was for Deutsche Bank to keep such materials on file.
Troy Gravitt, a Deutsche Bank spokesman, said the bank was "committed to cooperating with authorized investigations."
Breaking with decades of presidential precedent, Mr. Trump has refused to publicly disclose his federal tax returns, and Democrats are keen to obtain the documents, believing they are crucial to unlocking his closely guarded financial secrets. Mr. Trump is fighting those efforts.
Mr. Trump's lawyers sued Deutsche Bank and another lender, Capital One, to block them from complying with subpoenas that were issued in April by the House Intelligence and Financial Services Committees.
The Financial Services Committee has said it wants to know whether Mr. Trump helped Russians and other foreign real estate buyers launder money through his properties, and the Intelligence Committee is trying to determine whether Mr. Trump's financial dealings made him subject to foreign influence. Mr. Trump's lawyers have argued the subpoenas have no legitimate legislative purpose.
During one hearing, judges from the appeals court asked the banks' lawyers whether they had copies of Mr. Trump's returns, and requested a written answer. Deutsche Bank released a partly redacted letter saying it did have at least draft versions of some returns covered by the subpoenas, prompting the news media requests for the information to be unsealed.
Investigators seeking Mr. Trump's tax returns have other avenues to pursue.
Another congressional committee and the Manhattan district attorney have subpoenaed Mr. Trump's accounting firm, Mazars USA, for his tax returns. Mr. Trump has sued to block those subpoenas as well; on Monday, a federal judge sided with the Manhattan district attorney's office, but Mr. Trump's lawyers quickly appealed.
The House Ways and Means Committee asked the I.R.S. this year to hand over six years of Mr. Trump's returns. The Treasury Department has refused that request.
Real Estate, and Personal Injury Lawyers. Contact us at: https://westlakelegal.com


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Runway Light ST & Battery - 4.5Ah 6V
Runway Light ST & Battery - 4.5Ah 6V
Portable lighting set is safely contained in a secured box which allows to transport lights anywhere. If you require mobile lights that can be deployed in minutes or if you are going to use lighting occasionally S4GA portable lighting will definitely meet your needs.
Techincal Details:
Pack Includes:one replacement battery (4,5Ah. 6V) for portable lighting unit.
Key technical parameters:
- Voltage: 6V
- Capacity: 4,5 Ah
- Battery operational temperature range: from -20 to +50 degrees Celsius (Arctic pack -40 to +80 degrees Celsius)
- Battery lifespan - 4-5 years or 1.200 cycles
Battery is user-replaceable and allowed to be transported by air.


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Designers shape the world of tomorrow
A communications expert, Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, was President of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) from 2005 to 2007. In 2006, WirtschafrtsWoche, a leading German business magazine elected him as one of the '20 most innovative and unconventional thinkers who have changed the face of their company or created completely new markets'. In this column for Careers360, Prof. Zec shares his views on the impacts that design makes on society…
How are we likely to live in the future? Which ideas will become reality and what will simply remain a vision? Will we be surrounded by super-skyscrapers, go on virtual holidays with electrodes that stimulate our senses and will 3D printing take off in a big way some day? All these questions fascinate us humans. But how do we know what we require in future?
In a world that is spinning ever more rapidly, this question is difficult to answer. Technology is changing at a phenomenal pace and in the space of five years, mobile platforms, for example, have gone from being an emerging part of company strategy to becoming the focal point of its future. So, who is to say which trends will become prominent in five to ten years? Fast-evolving tools and constantly changing demands make it almost impossible to predict the future. Nevertheless, there are some people who have made shaping the world of tomorrow and to improve people's lives their business: designers and creatives.
The Red Dot Design Award, one of the largest design competitions worldwide, is a good platform for newcomers as well as for established designers to have their products evaluated. Furthermore, it enables them to see whether they have kept their fingers on the pulse of time and whether they did a good job in predicting peoples' needs. In order to appraise the diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, the award breaks down into three disciplines: The Red Dot Award: Product Design honours the best products of a year, while one can enter communication works to the Red Dot Award: Communication Design. The Red Dot Award: Design Concept evaluates concepts and prototypes.
When the jurors of the Red Dot Award: Product Design, decide on the design quality of the entered products, aesthetics is not the only aspect that plays an important role. It is rather the harmonious interaction of four qualities of design: the quality of function, of seduction, of use and of responsibility. These requirements do not have to be fulfilled to the same extent for every design. Depending on the product, some qualities are emphasized stronger, while others are more in the background. This is why the focus of the design of tools, for example, is more on the quality of use. Opposed to this is a piece of jewellery where the attention is rather on the quality of seduction. So, in order to steadily fulfill people's needs, it is the task of designers to find better ways of use, better forms, a more appealing outer appearance and a more effective way of acting responsibly.
Whether with product design, communication design or with just a concept – the winners of the Red Dot Award significantly contribute to the world of tomorrow. They embody change, improvement and creativity and therefore deserve to be rewarded for their great work.


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Over the last couple of evenings I've been implementing what I hope will be a solution to the trickeries of managing the creation of my large Hero Lab data files.
If you've not played with Hero Lab at all, it's a program that allows you to create RPG characters for a number of supported gaming systems, including my preference of Savage Worlds. The data for each setting is contained within separate XML files, one for each setting. If there's only one or two books, creating one of these data files as a single entity is fine... but when you start looking at a large series of books it becomes daunting scrolling up and down this large file trying to work out exactly where you want to place the new entries, or find that annoying bug.
I've decided to try a slightly different approach and split the datafile up into smaller text files, each containing specific things, such as skills or equipment for individual books. For example this is what my current folder structure is like
In order to then recombine these into the one data file we need to use some form of concatenation script to merge it all back together again. My tool of choice for this is Apple's Automator, but linux and windows both have their own ways of doing this. For anyone interested in doing this, here's the workflow I'm going through.
We are prompted to select a starting folder (with the default set). It then scans all the folders and subfolders, building up a list of all the files. The text is pulled out of all these files, added to the clipboard and then run through the final batch script.
the issue I was encountering with this was that there seemed to be no particular order to how it was combining the files. Originally I had the start and end tags in their own files, but these were ending up in random places in the file, so now these pieces of text are being added to the clipboard text before it gets written out as the data file. So far this seems to be working and should make it much easier to add new content as the Achtung! Cthulhu books are released.
Now to work out what that niggly bug was back in April!


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What I have done,
7 Unwounded.
Laer. You mock me, sir.
Ham. No, by this hand.
King. Give them the foils, young Osric.—Cousin
You know the wager ?
Ham. Very well, my lord; Your grace hath laid the odds o'the weaker side.
King. I do not fear it: I have seen you both:— But since he's better'd, we have therefore odds. Laer. This is too heavy, let me see another. Ham...This likes me well: These foils have all a
length [They prepare to play. Osr. Ay, my good lord. King. Set me the stoups" of wine upon that table:–
If Hamlet give the first or second hit,
Ham. Come on, sir.
Laer. Come, my lord. [They play.
Ham. One.
Laer. No.
Ham. Judgment.
Osr. A hit, a very palpable hit.
Laer. Well,—again.
Ring. Stay, give me drink: Hamlet, this pearl is thine;
Here's to thy health.-Give him the cup.
[Aside. Ham. I dare not drink yet, madam; by and by. Queen. Come, let me wipe thy face. Laer. My lord, I'll hit him now. King. I do not think it. Laer. And yet it is almost against my conscience. w [Aside. Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes: You do but dally; I pray you, pass with your best violence; I am afeard, you make a wanton? of me. Laer. Say you so 2 come on. [They play.
* Handkerchief, * Drinks good luck to you. 3 Boy.
Osr. Nothing neither way. Laer. Have at you now. [LA ERTEs wounds HAMLET; then, in scuff. fling, they change Rapiers, and HAMLEr wounds LA ERTEs. King. Part them, they are incens'd Ham. Nay, come again. [The Queen falls, Osr. Look to the queen there, ho! Hor. They bleed on both sides:—How is it, my lord 2 Osr. How is't, Laertes ? Laer. Why, as a woodcock to my own springe, Osric; I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. Ham. How does the queen 2 King. She swoons to see them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink,-O my dear Hamlet ! The drink, the drink;—I am poison'd! [Dio, Ham. O villainy!—Ho! let the door be lock'd: Treachery! seek it out. - [LAERTEs falls. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good, In thee there is not half an hour's life; The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, Unbated," and envenom'd: the foul practice Hath turn'd itself on me; lo, here I lie, Never to rise again: Thy mother's poison'd; I can no more; the king, the king's to blame. Ham. The point
* The foil without a button, and poisoned point.
Envenom'd too!—Then, venom, to thy work.
. Follow my mother. - [King dies.
Laer. He is justly serv'd;
Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.
Hor. Never believe it;
Ham. As thou'rt a man,—
5 Mixed, 6 A sergeant is a sheriff's officer.


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Reasons for Relatively Low Rates for Auto Insurance in South Austin TX
It may seem unfair when auto insurance premiums become more expensive after moving from a rural area or a small town to a big city. The driver may never have been in a collision. This person may have been ticketed for very few or even no traffic violations. Nevertheless, premiums almost invariably cost more in urban areas because the risk of collisions is greater and so is the risk of criminal activity. Shopping for Auto Insurance in South Austin TX is important to compare rates from different companies. Quotes can be obtained from independent agents and from those working directly for insurers. An agent like Patrick Court represents one particular company, such as State Farm.
One main reason for the higher risk of automotive accidents in cities is the traffic congestion. Insurance company underwriters have even determined which cities are the most prone to collisions, and the insurance rates are adjusted accordingly. Other issues underwriters account for include the risk of vandalism, vehicle theft and window glass damage by burglars. This explains why Detroit residents have the highest insurance premiums in the country and why the rates for residents of North Carolina city Winston-Salem are relatively low.
State laws regarding automotive insurance also affect premium rates. Some states require companies to provide no-fault insurance, which means those companies must pay for their policyholder's medical bills and vehicle damage even if another driver caused the accident. Texas is not a no-fault insurance state, so residents do not have this additional factor driving up rates.
In the top 30 most expensive places to buy auto insurance as determined by NerdWallet, Houston is the only Texas city on the list. That's good news for people shopping for Auto Insurance in South Austin TX. Houston's accident rate is high and so is the rate of vehicle theft there. The Austin metro area isn't nearly as big as Houston, and traffic congestion is much lower. Crime rates also are dramatically lower. Even with Austin being the capital of the state and thus bringing in a large number of visitors every year, the roads and the community, in general, are safer, and insurance rates reflect that.


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Vantage Pointe
Vantage Pointe is located in the area just south of Cortez Hill as you enter downtown from the scenic 163 highway through Balboa Park. With 679 suites, it is the largest residential building in Downtown. There are 3 interconnected towers in our building which will fill an entire city block with convenient street-level retail shops to create a community within the metropolis. The south tower will be 10 stories high, the center tower rises 26 stories, and the north tower will soar 40 stories creating a new skyline. Vantage Pointe offers million-dollar views of the bay, ocean, city skyline, Balboa Park, the Laguna Mountains, and twinkling night lights! Owners will enjoy a lap pool and spa on the southwest corner of the 10th floor rooftop, an entertainment room with a catering kitchen/wet bar, onsite media viewing room, and a fitness center.
Building Amenities
Year Built:
Price Range:
Number of Units:
Square Feet:
Units per Tower:


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www.USAPlayers.com Craps Casino Games RTG Craps Online Casinos
Craps is one of the most popular USA casinos games and despite what many think it does take some skill. When you play Real Time Gaming (RTG) casino craps you have many advantages. RTG Casino Craps are not only easy on the eye they are very simple to understand and with some strategy they could make a difference to your bankroll. If Craps is your game and you haven't yet tried them in a casino powered by RTG it is a good idea to do so and discover quality gaming with a special touch.
Quality Craps At RTG Casinos
When you play Craps you need to keep track of your bets and this is best done when the Craps table layout is easy to read and understand. The craps games in RTG casinos come with graphics that makes the game very clear even to a beginner player. This is this case at all the RTG casinos you will play in because the variations of theme to the graphics don't change the underlying quality of the software and its structure. You'll find that the game runs smooth and fast and with a few instructions you'll be well on your way to mastering this classic casino game.
Play for Free At RTG Casinos
It is not always convenient to play for money and especially if you are a beginner craps player and you need to learn more about the bets and the odds for them, the craps beginners guide is a good place to pick up tips. Most online casinos that are built by the RTG casino software come with the option of playing craps for free. It is true that the real excitement of RTG Casino Craps are best experienced when you bet real money and stand the chance to win real cash but the practice mode is a great place to start for anyone. RTG casino craps for free let you understand the game and get to know the casino.
RTG Craps Casinos Odds and Winnings
The art of being a great craps player is to understand the odds and their relation to your possible winnings. Most RTG casino craps are offered with double odds as standard. It is common that about four percent of buy bets and winning lay is charged as a commission and this is important to keep in mind when you calculate your craps gaming. Once you have won at a craps table your prize sum will most likely be rounded down to the nearest quarter which is also good to keep in mind but not necessarily the rule in every RTG casino available online.
Make use of RTG Casino Promotions
There are plenty of great online casinos powered by the RTG casino platform and sometimes the choice of were to play can be based on what you'll be rewarded simply for showing up. When you've decided to give RTG Casino Craps a try you should make use of a gamble forum online and find out where the best RTG casino promotions are available. Through such a forum you can also learn from other players more about good online craps strategy and where your money will have the most value around the craps table.
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Mossberg .22 buttplate screw, top, later style #435-R170 n.s.
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original used
Some parts may need additional fitting to accommodate wear in old firearms.
Sorry, we are unable to do any international sales of firearms parts due to excessive cost and regulations.


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This weekend I finally expanded the 'Transforms' area of IM Examples,
so take a look.
http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~anthony/graph ... transform/
The big addition however was the result of a long discussion with Theo van Hoesel, who is using IM to generate Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces from images.
As a result of this discussion is a whole nex set of "Advanced Techniques"
http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~anthony/graph ... ed/#jigsaw
On Jigsaw Piece Cutting (or any other shape) from images. At the end of this a script 'jigsaw' was created for simplier and faster creation of interesting shapes.
One new techniaue that was figured out is for 'adding thickness' to images and shapes. This was also listed onto the "Creating Thumbnails" page...
http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~anthony/graph ... #thickness
This method may be a good one for people to study to try and find an improved method, with a view for inclusion into IM as a new operator.
Comments, Additions and Improvements are of course always welcome for any IM Examples. Remember to use the latest IM version is you get unexpected results. The IM version used in the Examples is always automatically added to the bottom of each IM examples page.
IM Examples, Transforms, and Jigsaws
Announcements pertaining to ImageMagick, or ImageMagick related software. This list is moderated. No discussions here, instead post to the users group instead.
1 post • Page 1 of 1
- anthony
- Posts: 8884
- Joined: 2004-05-31T19:27:03-07:00
- Authentication code: 8675308
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
IM Examples, Transforms, and Jigsaws
Anthony Thyssen -- Webmaster for ImageMagick Example Pages
1 post • Page 1 of 1


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Gratitude * Sunday
Quote of the Week – "When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." Khalil Gibran
Sunday Haiku
Rain enough between
sun showers to send cedar
scent through open doors.
Sunday Musings
The instructor swam over to me after the 5-6 year old class left the pool, her face gleaming.
"That was so cool," she said.
She is 19, California blonde and lithe, off to her second year of college, and if her parents had named her Sunny they would have pegged it. Over the last three or four years we've talked and shared stories as she was lifeguard for me in the pool. She sometimes spoke of her concerns about the littles she taught, and I offered encouragement to her because I could see the progress she coached out of each child.
"What was cool?" I asked.
Sunny told of one of her littles who had always been afraid of the water, unsure of her ability, complaining and resistant to trying anything new. Suddenly today, the little girl gleefully demonstrated all the previous skills she had learned and joyfully tried everything new without argument or hesitation. At the end of class Sunny asked her what had happened, to change in a few days from afraid at the last class to her enjoyment of this class.
"I woke up this morning," the little girl said to Sunny, "and told myself I was going to be brave. It's been hard but I've had fun all day!"
She certainly impressed Sunny who couldn't wait to share the story and I was the closest person. I enjoyed the story so much I asked her permission to share and she said of course. And of course I've changed her name for her privacy.
The child's thought was so simple, yet she admitted it had been hard to do, and then it led to a fun day. Sunny mused why it didn't seem to be that simple for most of us. And since I'm a hundred years or so older than Sunny and a worst-case scenario (read: hyper-vigilant) person, I was thrilled to find a moment of pure joy in the day, and I shared my theory about joy. Which is that joy is fleeting and when it happens you have to enjoy the feeling at the moment, in the moment, with every fiber of your being no matter where the moment of joy comes from, whether it's a moment of nature appreciation, an epiphany of some sort, or the clicking of new knowledge into something retained. And sharing that moment of joy amplifies it exponentially if other people can share the joy as well.
That's why it's so satisfying to have a job you enjoy; you get moments of joy all day long. The best moments of joy come from sharing other people's joy, like new babies, or tickling toddlers, or getting to watch little ones learn to swim when they thought they were afraid. Or watching an older person, still and always being the lovely person she's grown into, imagining her as a younger, and all the parts it takes to make up the whole of a person. Taking a minute outside the local lending library because the beautiful large tree in the neighbor's yard is bird friendly and with every exit from the library doors the birds twitter and whistle and sound so joyful; do birds experience joy? Can birds tell humans of their joy? Is thinking about birds a moment of joy? Or watching a spider weave his web. Critters are joy (as long as they are outside). Outside the door at my counselor's office the blue spruce has cones the most beautiful soft shade of green. I want a room that color. Color is joy. The neighbor kids playing, their voices together sounding like music rippling through the yards. Finding a couple of words to fit together that makes your skin tingle. Doing something new even though you are afraid, or unsure, or shy, or sometimes because you have to, and you know by no stretch of the imagination it will be fun, and it's joy merely because you pushed through the fear and did it. Life is joy. Wonder is joy. Marveling and thinking too much are joys.
Sunny kindly listened to my theory about joy, and bounced out of the pool to share the story with the other staff. The story was enough to cheer anybody's day. But there was another kind of brief joy: somebody taking the time to share a story, and somebody taking the time to listen, and then it went back the other way as well. Sometimes the greatest kindness we can give to another is the gift of listening.
I'm lucky. I'm nosy and curious and I love listening to other people's stories and thoughts. I love thinking I might learn something from them if we can talk long enough. I treat it like story time, but I'm not always the best listener, because if anything confuses me I interrupt; I have to have sense immediately. I'm learning to be more patience about that. It can scare people if you are easily confused or ask too many questions. I just like a complete story, and I like being able to tell the characters from each other. I confess to re-reading, and paging back in novels and non-fiction, or reviewing videos, when I feel I've lost the plot line or get characters confused.
Good thing people come in all shades of fear. I suspect we all have fear, some of us have learned not to show it, for better or worse. Some people have no fear, no problem with trying new things, or at least it looks like that to the rest of us. Some people seem confident with all they do, hesitating only briefly to prepare for the next step. Other people seem overly confident and then don't deliver. Others are so afraid they can't even lift their eyes from the ground or get a job when they might be able. Like Sunny's little girl said: it's hard.
If we were kinder to each other and celebrated each others' success I suspect we would have less fear in this world. People could feel free to try new things because they would know nobody would make fun of them or put them down, and might even make it easier for them to achieve what they want. A bit of competition can be good, but in America I fear we are seeing the results of too much of that "good" thing.
I still vote for being brave. To wake up each day and say, "I will be brave today" and then go about your day with that mantra in your mind, it could make your day a little more fun. It's worth a try, like when we were kids before our spirits got broken and being brave was just what we did. If it's hard it makes the joy all that more dear; one must know darkness to appreciate the light. If enough of us approach each day that way perhaps we could change the world, by sharing our joy in being brave.
Color Watch – colorful attractions in my neighborhoods this week – My favorite hot pink fuchsia is loaded this year. I keep trying to capture the blue of this spruce tree, and I love the contrast with the other shades of green. I found a small patch of lavender with its lovely gray foliage. Love the wine-burgundy tones the leaves of my coral bells take on. Trying to capture the multiple shades of green, pinks, and yellows as this bush puts on its autumn dress. Because I love critters, a bumble bee butt is all we see as he wiggles deep into a purple mallow.
Current View – {These are only my opinions about movies and books, but don't let me stop you from trying these reviewed items yourself; your opinion may differ.} (My internet was down for five days this week, that's why I didn't post on September 30, and it gave me some time to watch a few extra items.) * Black Panther (2018, rated R), a Marvel Comics production. Despite the gratuitous sex and violence, these Marvel productions employ witty dialogue and make me laugh. * Genius: Einstein (2017, rated TV – MA) a dramatized BBC series about the life and times of Albert Einstein. He had challenges many of us have, the ones of us who have trouble following rules or who question the way it's always been done before. As a man of his time he also benefited from the brilliance of his wife while giving her no credit as she cared for his home and raised his children, as many men of our time do and have done as well. The production portrays Einstein's struggle to maintain science separate from politics, and both the characters and the dialogue echo what we are living through in today's political climate of science deniers. Rhyming history, which we can learn from if we will. * And now we move into the Halloween scary movies for October. 15 Minutes (2001, rated R), with Robert de Niro, a cop thriller, with de Niro trying to stop two killers who are videotaping their murders in an attempt to claim video fame. Chilling, quirky, and unpredictable. * Hereditary (2018, rated R) with Toni Collette who is one of my favorite actors. The trailers on this were deceptive. I thought I was going to get a psychological thriller, instead it disappointingly sank to the level of the typical gory-bloody demonic possession horror movie. While Collette demonstrates a wide range of emotions and facial expressions, I felt this was beneath her to lower herself to the blood and guts level. * The chillingest I've watched this week was season one of The Handmaid's Tale (2017, rated TV- MA). I remember reading this novel many years ago and being disconcerted at the futuristic world novelist Margaret Atwood created where we've damaged our world so much we lose human fertility, and it comes across even more bluntly on film to think that a few people can subvert the politics of America to control the bodies of women. Oh, wait. That's what we are fighting against right now, in America, in 2018. Vampires and zombies and witches will never frighten me as much as men and women who seek power over other people. * The Florida Project (2017, rated R) about a six year old girl living in poverty in the shadow of Disney World. I may have to think about this movie for a couple weeks to get its point. To start, we all have difficult lives and hard stories behind them.
Currently Reading – The Little Paris Bookshop (2015, fiction) by Nina George. The plot thickens as Monsieur Perdu casts free from the harbor and glides down the Seine. I read cinematically and with the tidbits of humor the author writes I can easily see this as a fun movie. We'll see what the ending reveals. * Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class is Leaving Everyone in the Dust, Why That is a Problem, and What to do About It (2017, sociology, wealth) by Richard V. Reeves. Money comparisons disturb me, as it indicates competition rather than cooperation, especially where the wealth of the wealthy drives consumerism by the lower income classes in an attempt to keep up, the keeping up of which cannot happen in the society we currently have. The capitalist game and the American myth of anybody achieving the rags to riches wealth is rigged in America from birth on, and mere wealth is a poor marker of intelligence or merit. We will need to make changes.
This week I have been grateful for:
- Some lovely, mild, fake summer days with the doors open and soft breezes.
- Being overcome by the feeling to take a short walk, which unfortunately isn't more than a couple blocks these day, but was treated to the delight of finding an older neighbor whom I haven't talked to for a couple years, crawling around weeding her lovely front garden, and a friendly discussion.
- Her invitation to crawl around and help her weed. I declined. We laughed.
- Her cute little dog who minded me when I told him he had to go be by his mom as we were standing right next to the street.
- Having the opportunity to thank her for sharing her garden with the rest of us in the neighborhood.
- The moon bright and clear peeking in the corner of my open door while I work.
- That feeling of missing someone you haven't talked to in a long time, because it's still not likely you'll get to talk to them anytime soon, and knowing your heart and soul is still intact because you feel the missing.
- Getting some housework done I've been wanting to do when internet service crashed for a few days.
- Flashlight at the ready when I had a nightmare.
- A day of scattered rain showers after the nightmare which felt like a cleansing.
- A bag of pears from a friend which I put into the fridge to ripen and have been perfect as I pull each one out to eat.
- Water.
Hoping you have a lovely week.
Namaste. Peace. Blessings.
Floral ribbon border by Laurel Burch


text:
June Quarter Financial Highlights
Adjusted earnings per share were $2.35, reflecting a 32 percent increase year over year with 8.7 percent top-line growth, 2.3 points of operating margin expansion and $1.8 billion of free cash flow.
Total adjusted revenue, which excludes refinery sales, grew nearly $1 billion to $12.5 billion, a new quarterly record, with 52 percent of adjusted revenue from premium products and non-ticket sources.
Total unit revenue, adjusted, increased 3.8 percent driven by healthy growth in leisure and corporate revenue and an approximate one point benefit from the amended American Express agreement announced earlier this year.
Non-fuel unit cost (CASM-Ex) increased 1.4 percent compared to the prior year period, driven by better operations, fleet transformation and efficiency initiatives.
Generated $5.2 billion of operating cash flow and $2.5 billion of free cash flow on a year-to-date basis, after investing $2.7 billion into the business, primarily for aircraft purchases and modifications.
Returned $497 million to shareholders, comprised of $268 million of share repurchases and $229 million in dividends.
"Our record June quarter financial and operating results demonstrate that we are translating our powerful brand and competitive advantages into earnings growth, margin expansion and solid returns for our owners. Our people are the best in the business and I'm proud to recognize their hard work and dedication this quarter with an additional $518 million toward next year's profit sharing," said Ed Bastian, Delta's chief executive officer. "With our strong first half performance and building momentum from our customer-focused initiatives, we are increasing our full-year earnings guidance to $6.75 to $7.25 per share."
September Quarter 2019 Outlook
For the September quarter, Delta expects to deliver solid top-line growth and margin expansion.
Revenue Environment
Delta's adjusted operating revenue of $12.5 billion for the June quarter improved 8.7 percent, $1 billion higher than prior year quarter. This revenue result marks a record for the company, driven by improvements across Delta's business, including a ten percent increase in premium product ticket revenue and double-digit percentage increases in loyalty and third-party maintenance revenue. Cargo revenue during the quarter declined 17 percent driven by lower volumes and yield. Other revenue declined by $24 million as growth in loyalty and third-party maintenance was offset by $176 million lower third-party refinery sales.
Passenger Revenue by Geographic Region:
"With record passenger loads, customer satisfaction and $1 billion in revenue growth for the June quarter, demand for Delta's customer-focused product and service has never been stronger. Our third quarter is off to a great start with a new highest revenue day on record on July 7th," said Glen Hauenstein, Delta's president. "We now expect revenue growth of six to seven percent for the year, a $3 billion increase over 2018, as we benefit from our multi-year pipeline of fleet, product, and loyalty initiatives."
Cost Performance
Total adjusted operating expense for the June quarter increased $559 million versus the prior year quarter, with approximately 20% due to higher profit sharing expense. CASM-Ex was up 1.4 percent for the June quarter 2019 compared to the prior year quarter. This performance was driven by industry-leading operations, savings from the company's fleet transformation and the One Delta efficiency initiative, which partially offset investments in our people and product. During the quarter, the company decided to accelerate retirement of its MD-90 fleet by two years to the end of 2022, which pressured CASM-Ex by approximately $60 million due to higher depreciation expense.
Adjusted fuel expense decreased $35 million, down two percent, relative to June quarter 2018. Delta's adjusted fuel price per gallon for the June quarter was $2.08, which includes a $37 million benefit from the refinery.
Adjusted non-operating expense for the quarter was $60 million higher versus the prior year quarter, driven primarily by lower pension income and lower results from international equity partners.
Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns
Delta generated $3.3 billion of operating cash flow and $1.8 billion of free cash flow during the quarter after the investment of $1.4 billion into the business primarily for aircraft purchases and improvements. Year-to-date, the company has generated $5.2 billion of operating cash flow and $2.5 billion of free cash flow.
For the June quarter, Delta returned $497 million to shareholders, comprised of $268 million of share repurchases and $229 million in dividends. The company also completed repayment of the $1 billion short-term loan that was used to accelerate the repurchase of shares in the March quarter.
The Board of Directors today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.4025 per share, an increase of 15% over previous levels. This marks the sixth consecutive increase in Delta's dividend since it was established in 2013. The September quarter dividend will be payable to shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 25, 2019, to be paid on August 15, 2019.
"With efficiency gains from our operations, fleet transformation, and One Delta initiatives, we have solid line of sight to achieve our 1% cost growth target for the year," said Paul Jacobson, Delta's chief financial officer. "Our strong financial foundation and cash generation allow us to sustainably invest in the business, while maintaining our investment grade balance sheet and consistently returning cash to shareholders. With our cash flow exceeding original expectations, we are on track to return $3 billion to our owners this year through share repurchases and our increased dividend."
Strategic Highlights
In the June quarter, Delta achieved a number of milestones across its five key strategic pillars.
Culture and People
Operational Reliability
Network and Partnerships
Customer Experience and Loyalty
Investment Grade Balance Sheet
June Quarter Results
Adjusted results primarily exclude the impact of unrealized gains/losses on investments.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is the U.S. global airline leader in products, services, innovation, reliability and customer experience. Powered by its 80,000 people around the world, Delta continues to invest billions in its people, improving the air travel experience and generating industry-leading shareholder returns.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections or strategies for the future, may be "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections and strategies reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the cost of aircraft fuel; the availability of aircraft fuel; the impact of fuel hedging activity including rebalancing our hedge portfolio, recording mark-to-market adjustments or posting collateral in connection with our fuel hedge contracts; the performance of our significant investments in airlines in other parts of the world; the possible effects of accidents involving our aircraft; breaches or security lapses in our information technology systems; disruptions in our information technology infrastructure; our dependence on technology in our operations; the restrictions that financial covenants in our financing agreements could have on our financial and business operations; labor issues; the effects of weather, natural disasters and seasonality on our business; the effects of an extended disruption in services provided by third parties; failure or inability of insurance to cover a significant liability at Monroe's Trainer refinery; the impact of environmental regulation on the Trainer refinery, including costs related to renewable fuel standard regulations; our ability to retain senior management and key employees; damage to our reputation and brand if we are exposed to significant adverse publicity through social media; the effects of terrorist attacks or geopolitical conflict; competitive conditions in the airline industry; interruptions or disruptions in service at major airports at which we operate; the effects of extensive government regulation on our business; the sensitivity of the airline industry to prolonged periods of stagnant or weak economic conditions; uncertainty in economic conditions and regulatory environment in the United Kingdom related to the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union; and the effects of the rapid spread of contagious illnesses.
Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause differences between actual results and forward-looking statements is contained in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which represent our views only as of July 11, 2019, and which we have no current intention to update.


text:
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I appreciate your support.
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Paid for by the Keli For Congress Committee. Military images and information do not imply endorsement by DOD (Department of Defense) or any service branch.


text:
As seen in the February issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.
Linda Rae Sande was a Feature Author in the October 2016 issue of Uncaged Book Reviews. We catch up with her this month to see what she's been up to since we last chatted.
Uncaged: You were a Featured Author in Uncaged Book Reviews in October 2016. How was your experience being in the magazine?
We had a great experience! So many readers contacted us with comments about the article as well as the excellent reviews you posted on the three books that make up "The Sisters of the Aristocracy". That series has since been released as a book bundle and has a completely new audience.
Uncaged: You've been very busy this past year! You've had five books release in 2017, is that correct?
Usually, we write three full-length novels and release a book bundle of one of the series. That's our regular schedule with Twisted Teacup Publishing.
Scarsdale Publishing released THE ENIGMA OF A SPY in ebook on Amazon and TTP released THE ENIGMA OF A WIDOW in paperback as well as THE PRIDE OF A GENTLEMAN, THE SECRETS OF A VISCOUNT, THE CHRISTMAS OF A COUNTESS and THE SISTERS OF THE ARISTOCRACY: BOXED SET.
Uncaged: The Dream of a Duchess released on January 19, 2018, also in your Aristocracy family. What else is coming up in 2018?
We're currently writing THE VISION OF A VISCOUNT for release in May (hopefully in time for RT Convention) and will follow it up with another in The Widowers of the Aristocracy series. We love writing the books that feature men as the main characters—they're so interesting to research. And interviewing live men is always entertaining. We don't mean to embarrass them—truly—so it helps to get a couple of drinks into them before asking for their takes on what happens between the sheets.
Speaking of books featuring men, the book bundle THE BROTHERS OF THE ARISTOCRACY is now available at most online retailers and will release on Amazon February 23. The first book in that series, THE LOVE OF A RAKE, is only 99¢ and is a favorite with my male readers.
Uncaged: You will be attending some in-person events this year including Wild Deadwood Reads – can you tell readers where they can meet you this year?
We'll be at RT in Reno, Deadwood for Wild Deadwood Reads, and the Novelist, Inc. convention, NINC, in Florida and possibly InD'Scribe in Burbank.
The Dream of a Duchess
Linda Rae Sande
Historical Regency
When Lady Isabella witnesses the murder of her mother—by her father, the Earl of Craythorne—she rides off to London in search of the man her mother, Arabella, instructed she contact lest anything befall her.
Directions send Isabella to the doors of The Elegant Courtesan, a high-end brothel owned by David Fitzwillim, Earl of Norwick, to whom she relates her gruesome tale. Stunned and heartbroken at hearing the fate of Arabella, David vows to ensure Isabella's safety from Craythorne, and he enlists the aid of Octavius, Duke of Huntington, to provide protection and a home in the country, where she won't be found. He would do it himself, but he's due to marry the girl's aunt, Lady Clarinda, and has some courting to do— his twin brother seems determined to make her his own wife.
Still suffering from the loss of his wife in childbirth, Octavius has long since given up the joy he took in his race horses—choosing to ignore his stables and country estate and live in London, immersed in reading and attending sessions of Parliament.
Not particularly pleased with having a ward, Octavius soon discovers Isabella's passion for horses goes far beyond just riding them. With a new generation of racehorses in his stables, and his country estate suddenly in pristine condition, he may just experience some horse sense himself in "The Dream of a Duchess".
Octavius continued to listen to the quiet in the front hall of Huntinghurst, wondering where the servants might be. He didn't bother trying to soften the sound of his boot heels as he finally made his way down the hall that led to the courtyard. Perhaps everyone was outside, or in the village. He nearly stopped in his tracks when he remembered it was market day. Allowing a rather loud sigh of annoyance, he decided to make his way to the stables. He was already out the door and on the crushed granite path before he realized there was someone in the parterre garden.
And something with her.
Pausing, he angled his head to one side and watched as Isabella walked through the paths between the boxwood hedges. Wearing an apple green muslin gown and short gloves, her hair gathered into a bun atop her head, she looked as if she could be any one of a dozen chits he might pass in Jermyn Street whilst shopping, except instead of holding onto the handles of a hat box or shopping bag, she held onto a rope that encircled the neck of a colt.
Isabella had nearly reached the end of one row and was coaxing the colt to turn onto the next row in the pattern when she suddenly glanced in his direction.
Resuming his walk toward her, Octavius watched as Isabella had the colt turning onto a path that would allow her and the colt to exit the parterre and head in his direction. He met her just as the colt cleared the boxwood-lined path.
"Your Grace! What a pleasant surprise," Isabella gushed as she pulled the colt to stand alongside her. She dipped a curtsy and, instead of offering her gloved hand, she stepped forward, wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck, and bestowed a kiss on his cheek. Next to her, the timid colt finally overcame its initial fear of the duke and showed a bit of curiosity by sniffing at his pockets.
A bit surprised by her greeting, Octavius managed to capture her free hand as she stepped back. He brushed his lips over the back of it. "For me, as well," he replied, wondering at her affectionate greeting. Had she been taught a version of the French way to welcome an old friend? No one was about the grounds to see what she had done, though, so he decided not to admonish her. "Who do we have here?" he asked, rather stunned to see a colt so soon in the spring.
"This is Hermés. He's proving to be as ornery a colt as his older namesake was."
Octavius arched both eyebrows, rather surprised to hear the assessment given she had a lead around the colt's neck. And the colt had seemed to follow her through the garden without trampling the plantings. "Yet he seems to be behaving right now."
"It's early," she countered with a grin. "Pray tell, do you have something in your pocket?" she asked. "I'm afraid I'm all out of carrots, and he seems to think you have a treat," she added as she noted how the colt was nosing his topcoat.
Remembering he carried the pasteboard box David had given him, he was about to pull it out of one pocket and hand it to her, but thought better of it. Instead, he reached into the other pocket and pulled out a small apple. He had intended it for his own mount, thinking he would go for a ride since he had spent the entire trip to Huntinghurst in the coach. He offered the apple to the overly curious colt.
Isabella rolled her eyes as the horse knickered and proudly downed the apple. Hermés was about to reach over and continue sniffing at the duke's topcoat when Isabella said, "No, you've had quite enough," as she pulled back on the lead.
Hermés' stubbornness became apparent, though, and Isabella finally undid the lead from around his neck. "I've had enough of you today. Off to your mum," she said as she placed a hand against the side of his head and gave a slight push. "It's probably his dinner time anyway," she added as she returned her attention to the duke.
Octavius watched as the colt, realizing it was free of the rope, hurried off to join Maia. The mare was tethered to a post just beyond the parterre garden.
"Other than the fact that she's outside of the fence, why is Maia tied up?" Octavius wondered as he squinted in the direction of the brood mare. A descendent of several racing horses, she had the perfect lines and profile to be one herself, but he had never trained her for the track. He rather doubted she had ever had a saddle on her.
"She's finally learning patience," Isabella replied as she turned her attention back to the duke. "She manages to be the first at everything, you see."
Octavius resumed his walk toward the stables, offering an arm to Isabella as he contemplated her mention of Maia being first at everything. Could she have been first at the finish line? he wondered. Well, it was too late given her age. She was well past six years, the top age for any of the races that took place in England. "For example?" he prompted, rather entertained by Isabella's comment.
"She's first at the hay, first out of the stables in the morning, first with the stud, first to foal…" She allowed the sentence to trail off as she placed her hand on his arm and walked alongside the duke.
"I must admit I didn't expect to find any foals this early," he said. "How many more will there be, do you suppose?" Ever since Jane's death, he hadn't given half a thought to the stables at Huntinghurst. Knowing Isabella took an interest and seemed amenable to spending time with the horses allowed him to continue his ambivalence.
"Just three," Isabella replied with a sigh.
Uncaged Review: When Lady Isabella sees her father murder her mother, she runs away, jumping on her horse and going to the one place her mother told her to go if anything ever happened to her – the Earl of Norwick, David. David is determined to see to her safety, so he asks a Duke, to hide her away at his country estate.
Tucked away at the estate, Isabella finds a dream come true in Octavius' stable of race horses. She's given permission to work with his horses, and she spends most of her waking moments in the stables, as Octavius is in London most of the time with Parliament duties.
This is nice regency, with a bit of suspense and just the right touch of romance. I liked that this is an unconventional regency and that all the characters were flawed and had to grow beyond to reach their HEA. There is more than one story running in this book – and a couple of the supporting cast will be getting their own stories, which I am definitely looking forward to reading. And I definitely admit to reading the last chapter more than once. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 1/2 Stars


text:
Man breaking bonds of Mother Earth
Jets spaceward from his pad of clay
Exploring realms of outer space
He streaks along the milky way:
He trods upon the moon's bleak face
And leaves his clutter in the sky.
Like pioneers of bygone years
The astronauts break new frontiers:
May Providence in mercy guide
The pioneering astronauts
To find an unpolluted home
For earth's beleaguered habitants.
Ode to the Candle
Tallow is a wondrous thing,
To every chandler it is king:
Graceful in a candle stick
With its slender twining wick,
When you light it you will see
A glorious, sparking fantasy:
Sodt and mellow is its light
Perfect for true love's delight.


text:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Nokia E71 Vodacom Bluetooth modem on the Mac
1. Download the Phone script here.
2. Expand the file then in the folder, copy the CID1 file and paste it on "harddrive"\Library\Modem Scripts.
3. Pair the phone with the computer.
4. Instead of doing the normal *99#, type "internet"
5. Go to System preferences, Networking, click Bluetooth, Configure.
6. Make sure the number is still "internet" under the PPP tab.
7. PPP configuration, disable "send data packets".
8. Go to Bluetooth modem and see if the Nokia CID1 is selected.
9. Apply now.
Try and connect now.
4 comments:
- digitaldion (Dion Forster) said...
Well done Wes! You're turning into a Mac guru! I struggled to get my Nokia E90 to work as a bluetooth modem with my Macbook some time ago, but after going to the Nokia website I was amazed to discover that they had actually put together a Mac .dmg package file! I simply downloaded it, installed it, and viola, I had 3G access via bluetooth, and what more, I could sync contacts and calendar events via bluetooth. I even found (via our friend Gus) a dashboard app that would allow me to send SMS text messages from the Mac via the phone (this is a generic Nokia app).
Blessings from God's fairest Cape!
- 12:32 am
Thanks for the advice. This page: http://europe.nokia.com/A4516037 helped me with the phone side things on MacBook...
- 9:55 pm
- Miss jane said...
- 12:09 pm
- Unknown said...
- 3:01 pm