text:
Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed
Educator, Visionary, Quizmaster.
Mr. Ahmed has a history of nurturing young leaders to become global change agents. He is currently serving as the Dean at Learning Paths School in Chandigarh. Mr. Mushtaq, a product of the same education system that he now leads, felt the urge to change the orthodox ways in which education is imparted on the students. Being an entrepreneurial educationist with eyesight and zest to make a difference in the way students comprehend education, he has always endeavoured to pave the way for a glistening and a better education system for students.
His guild with Junior Achievement India spans over 23 years where he has mentored the Student Company Program in which students learn entrepreneurial skills while they create their own student companies. They make and market real products, raise "capital" and make "real" profits (or losses) with the support and mentoring of professionals like Mr. Ahmed himself. He also led the business competitions vertical as the Program Head in which teams are prompted to make decisions that affect the profitability and sustainability of their virtual company and attempt to outperform their competitors in profit, sales and market share. Also a faculty member for courses like Financial Accounting, Cost/Management Accounting and Financial Management, Corporate Strategy and Managerial Economics, this makes Mr. Mushtaq not only an able Qbiz quizmaster host, but a leader who leads upfront bringing students face to face with the real life challenges thus nurturing the young leaders of tomorrow.
He has been associated with Qbiz since our inception. His jovial nature and unique manner of quizzing have always made him a quizmaster with a difference.


text:
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A quick hello
I still do yoga and walk, but blogging is somehow no longer in my daily radar of commitment. Maybe I've just taken an involuntary hiatus. Maybe I'll blog more when I get to Canada.
Who knows . . .
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
This bright and pretty studio, situated in the heart of Baka - one of the most residential neighborhoods of Jerusalem for long term rental August 1st, 2020!!
The apartment is new and modern and can sleep 2 to 4 people.
There is A/C, TV, a fully equipped kitchenette and a clean and new bathroom with a shower. Located on a beautiful, picturesque street in Baka you will be at only 3 minute walk to Emek Refaim and a short journey into downtown Jerusalem and the Old City.
- 3200 shekels per month + Agency fee: 1 month rent + VAT
Extra charges:
-Water: 50 ILS
Arnona: 120 ILS
Please feel free to contact us for more information:
+972-54-629-0632 or locally 054-629-0632


text:
EVANS COOLANT Liquid Prep Fluid without Water
EVANS COOLANT Liquid Prep Fluid without Water
Help us serve you better.
Enter your postal code to confirm your expenses as some fees vary depending on the shipping location
Your item has been added, do you want to go to your shopping cart now?View cart
This product is also sold in a kit. Do you want to shop by kit?
- Validate that parts and accessories are either compatible between each other and your vehicle.
- Make sure that you have everything to allow the installation or use of the product.
- Buy clothing that looks great together.
Contact usTel.: 1-(519) 738-6888
Prep Fluid should be used when block drains are unavailable or cannot be removed. It is not a substitute for thoroughly draining the cooling system and related components. Prep Fluid is NOT intended to be a stand-alone operating coolant, but as a flush only.
Engines Types:
- For use with all engines being converted to any Evans waterless coolant, after draining 50-50 coolant from the cooling system.
- Evans Prep Fluid is ready to use—no water required.
- Hygroscopically absorbs water
- Ensures all residual water is removed from the system
- Ensures that Evans coolants will meet the water content limits and provide peak performance
- Protects cooling system metals during flush
* Installation: To ensure success using Prep Fluid to prepare your cooling system for Evans waterless coolants and to determine the amount of Prep Fluid needed, follow the recommended on the bottle.
List of part numbers that are compatible with the Kimpex number :
Barcode :853613002264
Supplier number :EC42164
Kimpex catalog number :115810
List of additional OEM numbers :
- None


text:
Connecticut is ranked #3 in the 2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States, its highest rank in the survey's history and up 13 spots since 2017. It progressed in every key element category polled, the most noteworthy being Overall Treatment of Tort and Contract Litigation, as well as Discovery.
Connecticut at a Glance
State Lawsuit Climate Report
See the Executive Summary
Costs and Compensation of the U.S. Tort System - State Details
Get the Full Report | Detailed State Chart Only
Tort Costs as % of State GDP
Tort Costs per Household ($)
Browse another stateChoose State
- Choose State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
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- Connecticut
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- Hawaii
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- Maryland
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- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
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- Texas
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- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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Suggested Resources
All Results for Connecticut
2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey Ranking the States Videos
September 17, 2019 | Video | Watch
2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Press Video
September 17, 2019 | Video | Watch
2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States
September 17, 2019 | Research
The 2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States was conducted for the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform by The Harris Poll to explore how fair and reasonable state liability systems are perceived to be by U.S. businesses... Read More
101 Ways to Improve State Legal Systems: A User's Guide to Promoting Fair and Effective Civil Justice - Sixth Edition 2019
September 17, 2019 | Research
A user's guide to state legal reforms, providing policymakers with an array of options available to foster a sound legal system and promote states' economies. This resource also offers a compilation of recently-enacted legal reforms to show how legislators can move the proposals described in the guide from theory into practice.... Read More
In the News Today - March 29, 2019
March 29, 2019 | News
Judge Allows Advertising Suit Against Nestle to Advance; "Climate Litigation Can Backfire And Harm Cities"... Read More
The Great Myths of State False Claims Acts
February 28, 2018 | Research
The 2018 update to "Great Myths of State False Claims Acts" shows that the whistleblowers' bar is continuing to capitalize on state qui tam False Claims Acts (FCAs), harvesting windfall awards from states and the federal government. The paper also points out that the dubious benefits of implementing a state FCA turn into a clear financial net negative when states allow their FCAs to fall out of compliance with federal standards.... Read More
Lawsuit Alleges Firm Used Smartphone App to Secretly Troll for TCPA Cases
April 01, 2016 | News and Blog
A recent court filing in a lawsuit by a former partner of a plaintiffs' firm details the allegedly deceptive tactics she says the firm used to bring in new clients-many of whom had no idea that they were part of a lawsuit.... Read More
In the News Today - September 28, 2015
September 28, 2015 | News and Blog
Is duplicative enforcement and litigation by city and state governments, as well as private lawsuits, "putting the wheel clamps" on "gig economy" companies, such as Uber? (Wall Street Journal)... Read More
Survey: Companies Say State Lawsuit Climates More Important than Ever in Deciding Where to Grow
September 10, 2015 | Press Release
New Poll Shows Several Large States Like California and Illinois Rank Among the Worst Litigation Environments for Businesses; Delaware at Top Spot... Read More
In The News Today - July 6, 2015
July 06, 2015 | News and Blog
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is expected to face penalties from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for alleged recall "lapses." (Wall Street Journal)... Read More


text:
Stand Out Online
In today's episode, I'm joined by online marketing master, Carrie Kerpen, who helps me break down how job-seekers and entrepreneurs alike can stand out online.
Related links:
- Find Carrie's podcast, All the Social Ladies, here.
- Find Carrie's Facebook show, Work It, here.
- Ep 07: How to Land Informational Interviews
- Join me at Bossed Up Bootcamp
Got a career conundrum you want us to cover next? Or a boss move to share? Call and leave a voicemail NOW at 910-668-BOSS(2677).
We're here to help you craft a happy, healthy, and sustainable career path with award-winning personal and professional development training.


text:
As I mentioned in my earlier review, I saw Gersey playing support for Pavement a few months back.
They were in awe-inspiring form, belting out a rousing set of swirling, loud, consistent and epic songs.
What is odd is that the soundscapes I recall evoked so completely the vibe of their debut and not that of their later releases. It's peculiar because there was a clear evolution in the band's sound, yet they have chosen to revert back.
The shift between albums #1 and 2 continued with this their 3rd release. The vocals have been pushed forward even more, the guitars retreat:
The drum sound is where it loses a little of its oomph. It has got a little too predictable, and the cymbals work is overdone. Craig Jackson's voice doesn't do it for me as much as it has in the past. The mix really does him no favours, highlight the frailty of his range.
So, it would seem the lads were on to something in revisiting their finest aural moments as an umbrella approach. Shoegazing never sounded better.
File under: Only for foot fetishists


text:
Interaction Between Sipi and Knora
TODO: reorganise this to make clear that it describes Knora API v1.
General Remarks
Knora and Sipi (Simple Image Presentation Interface) are two complementary software projects. Whereas Knora deals with data that is written to and read from a triplestore (metadata and annotations), Sipi takes care of storing, converting and serving image files as well as other types of files such as audio, video, or documents (binary files it just stores and serves).
Knora and Sipi stick to a clear division of responsibility regarding files: Knora knows about the names of files that are attached to resources as well as some metadata and is capable of creating the URLs for the client to request them from Sipi, but the whole handling of files (storing, naming, organization of the internal directory structure, format conversions, and serving) is taken care of by Sipi.
Adding Files to Knora: Using the GUI or directly the API
To create a resource with a digital representation attached to, either the browser-based GUI (SALSAH) can be used or this can be done by directly addressing the API. (Of course, also the GUI uses the API. But the user does not need to know about it.) The same applies for changing an existing digital representation for a resource. Subsequently, the first case will be called the GUI case and the second the non-GUI case.
GUI Case
In this case, the user may choose a file to upload using his
web-browser. The file is directly sent to Sipi (route:
create_thumbnail) to calculate a thumbnail hosted by Sipi which then
gets displayed to the user in the browser. Sipi copies the original file
into a temporary directory and keeps it there (for later processing in
another request). In its answer (JSON), Sipi returns:
preview_path: the path to the thumbnail (accessible to a web-browser)
filename: the name of the temporarily stored original file (managed by Sipi)
original_mimetype: mime type of the original file
original_filename: the original name of the file submitted by the client
Once the user finally wants to attach the file to a resource, the
request is sent to Knora's API providing all the required parameters to
create the resource along with additional information about the file to
be attached. However, the file itself is not submitted to the Knora
Api, but its filename returned by Sipi (from the
Create a new Resource with a Digital Representation
The POST request is handled in
ResourcesRouteV1.scala and parsed to a
CreateResourceApiRequestV1. Information about the file is sent
separately from the other resource parameters (properties) under the
originalFilename: original name of the file (returned by Sipi when creating the thumbnail)
originalMimeType: original mime type of the file (returned by Sipi when creating the thumbnail)
filename: name of the temporarily stored original file (returned by Sipi when creating the thumbnail)
In the route, a
SipiResponderConversionFileRequestV1 is created
representing the information about the file to be attached to the new
resource. Along with the other parameters, it is sent to the resources
See Further Handling of the GUI and the non GUI-case in the Resources Responder for details of how the resources responder then handles the request.
Change the Digital Representation of a Resource
The request is taken care of in
ValuesRouteV1.scala. The PUT request
is handled in path
v1/filevalue/{resIri} which receives the resource
Iri as a part of the URL: The submitted file will update the existing
file values of the given resource.
The file parameters are submitted as json and are parsed into a
ChangeFileValueApiRequestV1. To represent the conversion request for
the Sipi responder, a
SipiResponderConversionFileRequestV1 is created.
ChangeFileValueRequestV1 containing the resource Iri and the message
for Sipi is then created and sent to the values responder.
See Further Handling of the GUI and the non GUI-case in the Values Responder for details of how the values responder then handles the request.
Non-GUI case
In this case, the API receives an HTTP multipart request containing the binary data.
Create a new Resource with a Digital Representation
The request is handled in
ResourcesRouteV1.scala. The multipart POST
request consists of two named body parts:
json containing the resource
parameters (properties) and
file containing the binary data as well as
the file name and its mime type. Using Python's request
a request could look like this:
import requests, json
params = {...} // resource parameters
files = {'file': (filename, open(path + filename, 'rb'), mimetype)} // filename, binary data, and mime type
r = requests.post(knora_url + '/resources',
data={'json': json.dumps(params)},
The binary data is saved to a temporary location by Knora. The route
then creates a
SipiResponderConversionPathRequestV1 representing the
information about the file (i.e. the temporary path to the file) to be
attached to the new resource. Along with the other parameters, it is
sent to the resources responder.
See Further Handling of the GUI and the non GUI-case in the Resources Responder for details of how the resources responder then handles the request.
Change the Digital Representation of a Resource
The request is taken care of in
ValuesRouteV1.scala. The multipart PUT
request is handled in path
v1/filevalue/{resIri} which receives the
resource Iri as a part of the URL: The submitted file will update the
existing file values of the given resource.
For the request, no json parameters are required. So its body just
consists of the binary data
(see Create a new Resource with a Digital Representation).
The values route stores the submitted
binaries as a temporary file and creates a
SipiResponderConversionPathRequestV1. A
containing the resource Iri and the message for Sipi is then created and
sent to the values responder.
See Further Handling of the GUI and the non GUI-case in the Values Responder for details of how the values responder then handles the request.
Further Handling of the GUI and the Non-GUI case in the Resources Responder
Once a
SipiResponderConversionFileRequestV1 (GUI case) or a
SipiResponderConversionPathRequestV1 (non-GUI case) has been created
and passed to the resources responder, the GUI and the non-GUI case can
be handled in a very similar way. This is why they are both
implementations of the trait
The resource responder calls the ontology responder to check if all
required properties were submitted for the given resource type. Also it
is checked if the given resource type may have a digital representation.
The resources responder then sends a message to Sipi responder that does
a request to the Sipi server. Depending on the type of the message
SipiResponderConversionFileRequestV1 or
SipiResponderConversionPathRequestV1), a different Sipi route is
called. In the first case (GUI case), the file is already managed by
Sipi and only the filename has to be indicated. In the latter case, Sipi
is told about the location where Knora has saved the binary data to.
To make this handling easy for Knora, both messages have their own
implementation for creating the parameters for Sipi (declared in the
trait as
toFormData). If Knora deals with a
SipiResponderConversionPathRequestV1, it has to delete the temporary
file after it has been processed by SIPI. Here, we assume that we deal
with an image.
For both cases, Sipi returns the same answer containing the following information:
file_type: the type of the file that has been handled by Sipi (image | video | audio | text | binary)
mimetype_thumb: mime types of the full image representation and the thumbnail
original_mimetype: the mime type of the original file
original_filename: the name of the original file
nx_thumb, and
ny_thumb: the x and y dimensions of both the full image and the thumbnail
filename_full: the names of the full image and the thumbnail (needed to request the images from Sipi)
file_type is important because representations for resources are
restricted to media types: image, audio, video or a generic binary file.
If a resource type requires an image representations (subclass of
StillImageRepresentation), the
file_type has to be an image.
Otherwise, the ontology's restrictions would be violated. Because of
this requirement, there is a construct
mapping file types to file value properties. Also all the possible file
types are defined in enumeration.
Depending on the given file type, Sipi responder can create the apt
message (here:
StillImageFileValueV1) to save the data to the
Further Handling of the GUI and the non-GUI case in the Values Responder
In the values responder,
ChangeFileValueRequestV1 is passed to the
changeFileValueV1. Unlike ordinary value change requests, the
Iris of the value objects to be updated are not known yet. Because of
this, all the existing file values of the given resource Iri have to be
queried first. Also their quality levels are queried because in case of
StillImageFileValue, we have to deal with a file value for the
thumbnail and another one for the full quality representation. When
these two file values are being updated, the quality levels have to be
considered for the sake of consistency (otherwise a full quality value's
knora-base:previous-value may point to a thumbnail file value).
With the file values being returned, we actually know about the current
Iris of the value objects. Now the Sipi responder is called to handle
the file conversion request (see Further Handling of the GUI and the non GUI-case in the Resources Responder).
After that, it is checked that the
file_type returned by Sipi responder
corresponds to the property type of the existing file values. For
example, if the
file_type is an image, the property pointing to the
current file values must be a
hasStillImageFileValue. Otherwise, the
user submitted a non image file that has to be rejected.
Depending on the
file_type, messages of type
can be created. For each existing file value, such a message is
instantiated containing the current value Iri and the new value to be
created (returned by the sipi responder). These messages are passed to
changeValueV1 because with the described handling done in
changeFileValueV1, the file values can be changed like any other value
In case of success, a
ChangeFileValueResponseV1 is sent back to the
client, containing a list of the single
Retrieving Files from Sipi
URL creation
Binary representions of Knora locations are served by Sipi. For each file value, Knora creates several locations representing different quality levels:
"resinfo": {
"locations": [
"duration": 0,
"nx": 95,
"path": "http://sipiserver:port/knora/incunabula_0000000002.jpg/full/max/0/default.jpg",
"ny": 128,
"fps": 0,
"format_name": "JPEG",
"origname": "ad+s167_druck1=0001.tif",
"protocol": "file"
"duration": 0,
"nx": 82,
"path": "http://sipiserver:port/knora/incunabula_0000000002.jp2/full/82,110/0/default.jpg",
"ny": 110,
"fps": 0,
"format_name": "JPEG2000",
"origname": "ad+s167_druck1=0001.tif",
"protocol": "file"
"duration": 0,
"nx": 163,
"path": "http://sipiserver:port/knora/incunabula_0000000002.jp2/full/163,219/0/default.jpg",
"ny": 219,
"fps": 0,
"format_name": "JPEG2000",
"origname": "ad+s167_druck1=0001.tif",
"protocol": "file"
"restype_label": "Seite",
"resclass_has_location": true,
Each of these paths has to be handled by the browser by making a call to
Sipi, obtaining the binary representation in the desired quality. To
deal with different image quality levels, Sipi implements the IIIF
standard. The different quality level
paths are created by Knora in
Whenever Sipi serves a binary representation of a Knora file value
(indicated by using the prefix
knora in the path), it has to make a
request to Knora's Sipi responder to get the user's permissions on the
requested file. Sipi's request to Knora contains a cookie with the Knora
session id the user has obtained when logging in to Knora: As a response
to a successful login, Knora returns the user's session id and this id
is automatically sent to Sipi by the browser, setting a second cookie
for the communication with Sipi. The reason the Knora session id is set
in two cookies, is the fact that cookies can not be shared among
different domains. Since Knora and Sipi are likely to be running under
different domains, this solution offers the necessary flexibility.
Authentication of users with Sipi
Whenever a file is requested, Sipi asks Knora about the current user's permissions on the given file.
This is achieved by sharing the Knora session cookie with Sipi. When the user logs in to Knora using his
browser (using either
V1 or
V2 authentication route), a session cookie containing a JWT token representing
the user is stored in the user's client. This session cookie is then read by Sipi and used to query for
the user's image permissions.
For the session cookie to be sent to Sipi, both the Knora API and Sipi endpoints need to
be under the same domain, e.g.,
api.example.com and


text:
Recent graduate of Cedar Grove High School in Cedar Grove, New Jersey (2019).
Four year Varsity Letterman for the Panthers, Ray also played Summer and Fall Baseball for the New Jersey Nationals, a Northern NJ Club team affiliated with Seton Hall Prep.
Named to Star Ledger's 2017 All State Group 1, 3rd Team. (P)
Agreed to play for Montclair State University where he will attend classes beginning Fall Semester 2019.


text:
Name: Kim HulinHomeroom: 201Email: email@example.com: 467-5210 ext 21201Planning: 1:40 - 2:32
This is my 20th year teaching at Centreville Public Schools. I taught sixth grade math and science for six years and this is my fourteenth year teaching seventh and eighth grade math. For the 2019-2020 school year, I will teach eighth grade math, accelerated seventh grade math and seventh and eighth grade math exploratory. I also serve as an eighth grade class advisor and coach junior high girls' track.On a personal level, I am married and have two children. My husband, Shawn, teaches high school math and coaches varsity girls' track here at Centreville. My children are William (10) and Kate (8). When I am not at school I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and running.


text: Crenarchaeota: A kingdom in the domain ARCHAEA comprised of thermoacidophilic, sulfur-dependent organisms. The two orders are SULFOLOBALES and THERMOPROTEALES.DNA, Archaeal: Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of archaea.Archaea: One of the three domains of life (the others being BACTERIA and Eukarya), formerly called Archaebacteria under the taxon Bacteria, but now considered separate and distinct. They are characterized by: (1) the presence of characteristic tRNAs and ribosomal RNAs; (2) the absence of peptidoglycan cell walls; (3) the presence of ether-linked lipids built from branched-chain subunits; and (4) their occurrence in unusual habitats. While archaea resemble bacteria in morphology and genomic organization, they resemble eukarya in their method of genomic replication. The domain contains at least four kingdoms: CRENARCHAEOTA; EURYARCHAEOTA; NANOARCHAEOTA; and KORARCHAEOTA.Glyceryl Ethers: Compounds in which one or more of the three hydroxyl groups of glycerol are in ethereal linkage with a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic alcohol; one or two of the hydroxyl groups of glycerol may be esterified. These compounds have been found in various animal tissue.Pyrodictiaceae: A family of archaea, in the order DESULFUROCOCCALES consisting of anaerobic coccoid to disc-shaped cells. They grow either chemolithoautotrophically or by FERMENTATION. Three genera are recognized: Pyrodictium, Hyperthermus, and Pyrolobus.RNA, Archaeal: Ribonucleic acid in archaea having regulatory and catalytic roles as well as involvement in protein synthesis.Autotrophic Processes: The processes by which organisms use simple inorganic substances such as gaseous or dissolved carbon dioxide and inorganic nitrogen as nutrient sources. Contrasts with heterotrophic processes which make use of organic materials as the nutrient supply source. Autotrophs can be either chemoautotrophs (or chemolithotrophs), largely ARCHAEA and BACTERIA, which also use simple inorganic substances for their metabolic energy reguirements; or photoautotrophs (or photolithotrophs), such as PLANTS and CYANOBACTERIA, which derive their energy from light. Depending on environmental conditions some organisms can switch between different nutritional modes (autotrophy; HETEROTROPHY; chemotrophy; or PHOTOTROPHY) to utilize different sources to meet their nutrient and energy requirements.Genes, Archaeal: The functional genetic units of ARCHAEA.Genome, Archaeal: The genetic complement of an archaeal organism (ARCHAEA) as represented in its DNA.Korarchaeota: A kingdom in the domain ARCHAEA, comprising thermophilic organisms from terrestrial hot springs that are among the most primitive of all life forms. They have undergone comparatively little evolutionary change since the last common ancestor of all extant life.Sulfolobaceae: A family of SULFOLOBALES consisting of aerobic or facultatively anaerobic chemolithotrophic cocci, usually occurring singly. They grow best at a pH of about 2.Phylogeny: The relationships of groups of organisms as reflected by their genetic makeup.Thermofilaceae: A family of THERMOPROTEALES consisting of anaerobic, thermoacidophilic thin rods found in solfataric hot springs.Hot Springs: Habitat of hot water naturally heated by underlying geologic processes. Surface hot springs have been used for BALNEOLOGY. Underwater hot springs are called HYDROTHERMAL VENTS.RNA, Ribosomal, 16S: Constituent of 30S subunit prokaryotic ribosomes containing 1600 nucleotides and 21 proteins. 16S rRNA is involved in initiation of polypeptide synthesis.Nanoarchaeota: A kingdom of hyperthermophilic ARCHAEA found in diverse environments.Archaeal Proteins: Proteins found in any species of archaeon.Seawater: The salinated water of OCEANS AND SEAS that provides habitat for marine organisms.Euryarchaeota: A phylum of ARCHAEA comprising at least seven classes: Methanobacteria, Methanococci, Halobacteria (extreme halophiles), Archaeoglobi (sulfate-reducing species), Methanopyri, and the thermophiles: Thermoplasmata, and Thermococci.DNA, Ribosomal: DNA sequences encoding RIBOSOMAL RNA and the segments of DNA separating the individual ribosomal RNA genes, referred to as RIBOSOMAL SPACER DNA.Sulfolobus: A genus of aerobic, chemolithotrophic, coccoid ARCHAEA whose organisms are thermoacidophilic. Its cells are highly irregular in shape, often lobed, but occasionally spherical. It has worldwide distribution with organisms isolated from hot acidic soils and water. Sulfur is used as an energy source.Geologic Sediments: A mass of organic or inorganic solid fragmented material, or the solid fragment itself, that comes from the weathering of rock and is carried by, suspended in, or dropped by air, water, or ice. It refers also to a mass that is accumulated by any other natural agent and that forms in layers on the earth's surface, such as sand, gravel, silt, mud, fill, or loess. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed, p1689)Biodiversity: The variety of all native living organisms and their various forms and interrelationships.Sulfolobus acidocaldarius: A species of aerobic, chemolithotrophic ARCHAEA consisting of coccoid cells that utilize sulfur as an energy source. The optimum temperature for growth is 70-75 degrees C. They are isolated from acidic fields.Ammonia: A colorless alkaline gas. It is formed in the body during decomposition of organic materials during a large number of metabolically important reactions. Note that the aqueous form of ammonia is referred to as AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE.Plankton: Community of tiny aquatic PLANTS and ANIMALS, and photosynthetic BACTERIA, that are either free-floating or suspended in the water, with little or no power of locomotion. They are divided into PHYTOPLANKTON and ZOOPLANKTON.Desulfurococcaceae: A family of archaea, in the order DESULFUROCOCCALES, consisting of anaerobic cocci which utilize peptides, proteins or carbohydrates facultatively by sulfur respiration or fermentation. There are eight genera: AEROPYRUM, Desulfurococcus, Ignicoccus, Staphylothermus, Stetteria, Sulfophoboccus, Thermodiscus, and Thermosphaera. (From Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2d ed)Molecular Sequence Data: Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.Sequence Analysis, DNA: A multistage process that includes cloning, physical mapping, subcloning, determination of the DNA SEQUENCE, and information analysis.Methylmalonyl-CoA Decarboxylase: A carboxy-lyase that catalyzes the decarboxylation of (S)-2-Methyl-3-oxopropanoyl-CoA to propanoyl-CoA. In microorganisms the reaction can be coupled to the vectorial transport of SODIUM ions across the cytoplasmic membrane.Bacteria: One of the three domains of life (the others being Eukarya and ARCHAEA), also called Eubacteria. They are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. Bacteria can be classified by their response to OXYGEN: aerobic, anaerobic, or facultatively anaerobic; by the mode by which they obtain their energy: chemotrophy (via chemical reaction) or PHOTOTROPHY (via light reaction); for chemotrophs by their source of chemical energy: CHEMOLITHOTROPHY (from inorganic compounds) or chemoorganotrophy (from organic compounds); and by their source for CARBON; NITROGEN; etc.; HETEROTROPHY (from organic sources) or AUTOTROPHY (from CARBON DIOXIDE). They can also be classified by whether or not they stain (based on the structure of their CELL WALLS) with CRYSTAL VIOLET dye: gram-negative or gram-positive.Water Microbiology: The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in water. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms.Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal: Any of the processes by which cytoplasmic or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action in archaea.Genes, rRNA: Genes, found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which are transcribed to produce the RNA which is incorporated into RIBOSOMES. Prokaryotic rRNA genes are usually found in OPERONS dispersed throughout the GENOME, whereas eukaryotic rRNA genes are clustered, multicistronic transcriptional units.Methane: The simplest saturated hydrocarbon. It is a colorless, flammable gas, slightly soluble in water. It is one of the chief constituents of natural gas and is formed in the decomposition of organic matter. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)Marine Biology: The study of the origin, structure, development, growth, function, genetics, and reproduction of organisms which inhabit the OCEANS AND SEAS.Soil Microbiology: The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the soil. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms.Ecosystem: A functional system which includes the organisms of a natural community together with their environment. (McGraw Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)Fresh Water: Water containing no significant amounts of salts, such as water from RIVERS and LAKES.Anacardiaceae: The sumac plant family in the order Sapindales, subclass Rosidae, class Magnoliopsida. They are tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs, and woody vines that have resin ducts in the bark. The sap of many of the species is irritating to the skin.Echinodermata: A phylum of the most familiar marine invertebrates. Its class Stelleroidea contains two subclasses, the Asteroidea (the STARFISH or sea stars) and the Ophiuroidea (the brittle stars, also called basket stars and serpent stars). There are 1500 described species of STARFISH found throughout the world. The second class, Echinoidea, contains about 950 species of SEA URCHINS, heart urchins, and sand dollars. A third class, Holothuroidea, comprises about 900 echinoderms known as SEA CUCUMBERS. Echinoderms are used extensively in biological research. (From Barnes, Invertebrate Zoology, 5th ed, pp773-826)Acanthaceae: A plant family of the order Lamiales. It is characterized by simple leaves in opposite pairs, cystoliths (enlarged cells containing crystals of calcium carbonate), and bilaterally symmetrical and bisexual flowers that are usually crowded together. The common name for Ruellia of wild petunia is easily confused with PETUNIA.Brachyura: An infraorder of chiefly marine, largely carnivorous CRUSTACEA, in the order DECAPODA, including the genera Cancer, Uca, and Callinectes.Agaricales: An extensive order of basidiomycetous fungi whose fruiting bodies are commonly called mushrooms.Catfishes: Common name of the order Siluriformes. This order contains many families and over 2,000 species, including venomous species. Heteropneustes and Plotosus genera have dangerous stings and are aggressive. Most species are passive stingers.Organelles: Specific particles of membrane-bound organized living substances present in eukaryotic cells, such as the MITOCHONDRIA; the GOLGI APPARATUS; ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM; LYSOSOMES; PLASTIDS; and VACUOLES.Transition Temperature: The temperature at which a substance changes from one state or conformation of matter to another.BooksCell Wall: The outermost layer of a cell in most PLANTS; BACTERIA; FUNGI; and ALGAE. The cell wall is usually a rigid structure that lies external to the CELL MEMBRANE, and provides a protective barrier against physical or chemical agents.Halobacterium: A genus of HALOBACTERIACEAE whose growth requires a high concentration of salt. Binary fission is by constriction.Peptidoglycan


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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Normally I can ignore it but that is because Phil gets up and tells our DEAR dog to be quiet. He is away for 3 days and so I have to be the disciplinarian. But I needs my sleeps. So I am v. grumpy this afternoon. I wasn't helped by photoshop crashing on me this morning as I was trying to get my card edited for the Little Extra on Daring Cardmakers today. Its all fine now though.
the theme is -oh so juicy - make a card using lemon or orange toned colours. So I did! And I also used two of my brand new cuttlebug embossing folders and dies. You won't thank me for sharing them as they are just too lovely and you will want to buy them too.
Build a flower
Swiss Dot
and I also bought perfect paisley and number collage.
All very reasonably priced from my wonderful local craft shop Imagine That
Its a cream square card; Stamping Up ribbon; Scrapworks Ethan Kate and American Crafts Bookshelf papers
I made this layout on Sunday.
It is honestly square. I have tried putting layouts on walls, between my feet, everything but I still canna get them straight. Its a simple one. Piggy tales papers, circle punches, felt thickers and oodles of doodles
5 comments:
- SueH said...
Aww Lythan, I'm sorry to hear that Lucky is giving you sleepless nights again; I thought she was beginning to settle down. Guess she must be missing her dad!
Love you card, so bright and sunny; which I guess is to be expected when you're using yellow and Orange.
I didn't realise there were 'new' embossing folders. Think I need to shop!
- 5:05 pm
- Katie said...
Lovely card, I love, love, love cuttlebug embossing folders! I can never get stuff straight either. Everything is always 'wonky'. Thank you for your kind comment on my blog.
- 8:43 am
- Lavender Rose said...
I love your sunny flower card, reminds me of juicy oranges and lemons. I love CB folders too, just ordered a couple of the new ones today....was tempted by the flower die cutter you used and thought I didn't need it...now I am not so sure!
- 2:59 pm
Oh, hope you can get some sleep!!
Your cards are just fabulous. :)
- 3:13 pm
- Judy said...
Beautiful card Lythan! Love the new embossing folders you've used.
Judy NZ
- 7:27 pm


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West Tisbury Free Public Library presents One Big Home
Saturday, December 1, 3pm
West Tisbury Free Public Library, West Tisbury, Massachusetts
FREE and open to the public
Post-screening panel discussion featuring representatives from Chilmark who were involved with the Big House Bylaw: Thomas Bena, Jessica Roddy, Chris Murphy, Joan Malkin, and Steve Bernier
The West Tisbury Free Public Library is screening the documentary One Big Home on December 1 at 3pm. This film follows one carpenter's journey to understand the trend toward giant houses. When he feels complicit in wrecking the place he calls home, Thomas Bena takes off his tool belt and picks up a camera. Bumping up against angry homeowners and builders who look the other way, he works with his community and attempts to pass a new bylaw to limit house size.
More Information: https://www.facebook.com/WestTisburyLibrary/photos/a.464367960654/10161010079225655/?type=3
1042 State Rd
West Tisbury, MA 02575
United States
Google map and directions


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The way Americans engage with the performing arts is rapidly changing. We have instant access to millions of songs on the phones we carry with us everywhere. We can stream theater and dance shows whenever we want from the comfort of our living rooms.
The upshot of this constant access is that more people than ever can experience great performances; it requires just a click, not an expensive ticket. But the downside is that live shows are losing their audiences. For small-scale, community-based performers, this is especially problematic. Often short on resources and lacking broad exposure, local artists and venues depend on people filling up seats to stay afloat.
Is there a future for community-based performance art? Or will local stages be abandoned in favor of iPads? In advance of the Zócalo/James Irvine Foundation event "How Do We Keep Community in the Community Arts Scene?" we asked people involved in the community arts: How do we keep community-based performing arts vital in the digital age?
Technology can either connect us to or disconnect us from the present, depending on the relationship we have with the devices we hold in our hands. As we post, tweet, and yelp for those who can't be present, are we missing the moment we're in by viewing it through our phones?
Prior to film and digital technology, we exclusively witnessed performance in real time. There were no recordings, no broadcasts—but now, we can watch the Metropolitan Opera "Live in HD" anywhere in the country. A definite upside of technology is this ability to obliterate geographic and socioeconomic boundaries, making performance accessible to unprecedented numbers of people. The downside is that when you strip away the audience from the work of art, the art's "aura" is lost.
German cultural critic Walter Benjamin defined this aura in his 1936 essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" as having a unique presence in time and space, and a certain authenticity, which is lost with technological reproduction. The reproduction enables a democratization of the art form and allows its foray into the political sphere. He also spoke presciently of contemplation versus distraction—a common concern about the effects of technology, both then and now.
There is no denying that the digital age has shaped our interactions into a collective experience made up of multiple points of view. But, as a 40-something,who has managed to navigate the digital divide without too much trepidation, I feel that we still need to find a way to engage audiences and their devices on a deeper level, or we risk diluting the experience that performance provides, which, while ephemeral, leaves a lasting impression.
Danielle Giudici Wallis is the program coordinator for Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County. She is also a visual artist, with work currently on view at the Riverside Art Museum through October 2, 2015.
At the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, a key component of our mission is to provide programs and activities that encourage diverse artistic expression, so that all of our residents and visitors can experience the rich culture of our city. Community-based performing arts are a way to accomplish that mission.
The performing arts can create an immediate and communal experience that's quite different than digital media alone. We live in an age where it is common to stream our entertainment on our computers, and our social interactions take the form of words typed on a tiny screen. To ensure the future of audiences for live performances, it is vital that we expose our young people to the arts early. Community-based performing arts are an important vehicle for this exposure.
Washington, D.C., hosts an impressive array of festivals throughout the year that include the performing arts. Programs such as the D.C. Jazz Festival, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and several theater festivals all offer free or low-cost admission and are held in a variety of locations around the city.
Families' attendance at such festivals exposes young people to live performers creating art just a few feet away from them, not on a screen. They experience communality at its finest—an experience that makes the performing arts one of the highest forms of human interaction. These opportunities will hopefully help to ensure audiences in the future.
Community-based performing arts can provide a much-needed outlet of engagement for people in the digital age, and can be a great way to capture and express the culture and vitality of our cities and our nation.
Lisa Richards Toney is the interim executive director of Washington, D.C.'s Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Well, I was a young man back in the 1960s
But hey, you young people
Well, I just do not know
And I can't even understand you
When you try to talk slow
Those prescient lyrics from the song "Way Back in the 1960s," recorded in 1967 by The Incredible String Band, reminds me of that popular '60s word: relevance.
The word definitely had a special meaning back then. Anything worth caring about was related to the issues of foremost concern to my generation at the time—peace, racial equality, the environment, and freedom of expression.
Somehow, in the intervening years, use of the word became scarce. And somehow, over the same time period, much of the art that was created also seemed less relevant. I'm not saying this art wasn't good, or that it didn't break new ground, or even that it wasn't important—only that it consciously distanced itself from what many found relevant.
Recently, I've heard the word "relevant" start to come up again in conversation, and I've seen it more in print. I'm also seeing artists and those who present art place a renewed emphasis on being relevant. Not everyone defines "relevant" identically, but if one of the main purposes of art is to cast meaning upon our existence, it sure makes a greater impact when it connects to the concerns and interests of the community.
And since that is an ever-moving target, it makes staying relevant more than just an opportunity. For community-based performing arts, it's a matter of survival.
Richard Stein is executive director of Arts Orange County, the arts council for Orange County, California, and is a longtime theater producer and director.
Community-based performing art, particularly theater, is alive in communities all over the world. An estimated 7,000 community theaters serve, and are sustained by, Americans across the country and by members of our Armed Services overseas. Humans have a need to express themselves, and to come together to share experiences and a sense of community. When there is no theater, we create it.
As a result, theater and other performing arts have not been replaced by radio, TV, movies, the Internet, or streaming entertainment in the digital age. What is vital about community-based performing arts is that it is live, it is shared, and it is in the moment. Performers can feel the pulse and adapt to meet the needs of their audience.
In many cases, new technologies enhance performances, rather than ruin them. Live theater, for instance, embraces digital technology to enrich production values and add a new dimension of creativity and wonder to arts experiences. Performing arts groups use digital communications (and commerce) to reach more people, with less expense, than ever before. And audiences become more involved as they text, tweet, and post about their arts adventures.
Not all groups will be successful in changing alongside their community, but that is not a digital phenomenon. Change is not a creation of the digital age. Change is forever with us. Those who can change with the digital age will remain vital now and in the future.
Julie Crawford is executive director of the American Association of Community Theatre, a nonprofit association for community-based theaters, theater artists, and supporters.
It is a daunting task for community arts to remain vital in the digital age. Digital tools offer audiences an almost infinite supply of art in a huge variety of forums, easily obtained from the comfort of home at the viewer's convenience. Understanding why people come to live arts events in the current digital age is important.
In a 2012 National Endowment for the Arts "participation in the arts" study, surveyed respondents indicated that socializing, learning new things, experiencing high-quality art, and supporting the community were the top four reasons for attending live performances. Equally important is what prevented people from attending these events: Time, cost, and access to venues were mentioned as top reasons, but not digital migration. The survey demonstrated that live arts participation is indeed down.
To compensate, community arts agencies must embrace new strategies to meet the needs and wishes of their potential audiences while holding onto their current participants. I believe community engagement—reaching out to people, getting them involved, and actively participating in their communities—is the most important strategy for the arts to focus on. Engagement programs can address critical local issues, meet the needs of underserved audiences, and even focus on creating economic vitality for the locality in which they operate.
Focusing on community engagement means the artistic offerings that result might be different from what has been presented before, but the risk is worth the reward of emerging as a revitalized and locally relevant organization. The role of community arts in society is as important now as it has ever been, even more so in the digital age. Those working in the arts have the tools and ingenuity to ensure that community arts remain vibrant and vital, while serving the needs of 21st-century audiences.
Stephen Butler is the executive director of CNY Arts, Inc., a regional arts council based in Syracuse, New York. He also is an adjunct professor at Le Moyne College's Graduate Arts Administration program.
The digital age provides performing arts organizations with exciting ways to reach audiences and to support the visual artists, musicians, curators, arts educators, and students who share their talents with us.
My organization, Center for the Arts Eagle Rock, uses digital media to showcase the stories of our eclectic Northeast Los Angeles arts community and to generate excitement for our live events, workshops, and education programs. As the novelist Grace Paley once observed, "The personal is the universal." The digital age gives us the opportunity to virtually invite the public into our space. It helps us expand the boundaries of what it means to be a community arts organization, and allows us to reach more people with meaningful arts programming.
There is strength when we combine our social media network with the networks of the artists and performers we support, too. To generate excitement for the Eagle Rock Music Festival, we share our creative resources and work collaboratively with our musical performers to reach new audiences. And it's fun.
There are so many ways to connect directly with your audience. Create video sneak peeks, document and share your idiosyncratic stories, post rehearsal snippets, share behind-the-scenes, tease a song from an upcoming band, interview an audience member, share the work of an emerging artist.
When you make the digital connection with your audience, the arts community flourishes. Dream it. Shoot it. Share it. Repeat.
Melinda Ann Farrell is the executive director of Center for the Arts Eagle Rock (CFAER), which provides multidisciplinary arts programming and free afterschool arts enrichment classes to the communities of Northeast Los Angeles and beyond.


text:
16" Medication Box
Our 16″ medication box offers a great deal of space with a small enclosure. This medication box keeps drugs secure while leaving additional room for storage of other items.
- Double panel door with choice of locks
- Adjustable shelf
- Powder-coated finish
- Antimicrobial powder-coated finish is standard on our most popular colors (Metal Only).
- Available in wood with choice of 3D Laminates.
- Custom configurations available
- Push button lock
- Electronic keyless lock
- Spring or cam keyed locks
- IP-based Network Lock
- Cutouts for power
- Laminate panels on metal doors
Click to download product brochure.
- MBX1618 Dimensions:
- Metal with powder-coated finish, 16" W x 18" H x 6" D
- WBX1618 Dimensions:
- Wood with 3D Laminate, 16" W x 18" H x 6" D
- Weight:
- 24 lbs


text:
6 October 2011
art of serendipity
6 comments:
Thank You Maki! I have so enjoyed your blog and wonderful photos,and of course all the birds that flew my way.I look forward to your return and wish you the best for your degree.ReplyDelete
I will keep my eyes open for your return. Do have a good year finishing your degree! And thank you for introducing me to these Japanese artists! You were definitely in the right place at the right time--in tune with the Universe!ReplyDelete
Dearest sweet maki, these are really beautiful and very inspirational! Thanks so much for sharing! Best of luck with your final year of degree study! We will be here waiting for your return. :) Have a lovely merry happy sunday and love to you!ReplyDelete
Dear Maki, I just read your post on Japan after six months...I am very grateful that you have shared your experience with such directness, honesty and respect- it was very moving...I will look out for your return and for your new fundraising project- good luck with your studies.xxReplyDelete
Thank you all, I am pleased you enjoyed it, and also your best wishes on my study.ReplyDelete
Annamaria- Hi, thank you for dropping and commenting. I will keep you informed about the project.
i love Mogu TReplyDelete


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Palm Computing is to announce today two new products, the Palm Vx and the wireless Palm VII, according to industry sources.
The company's Vx is an upgrade to its slimline Palm V handheld computer, with increased memory from 2MB to 8MB, a faster processor and revamped operating system and software, according to various rumours on the Web.
The Palm VII with its wireless antenna and wireless Internet service, was officially launched last December and has been shipping in the New York area of the US for the last six months. It is now to be unleashed officially in the rest of the US.
Palm Computing now has to compete with another contender in the marketplace. Handspring, formed by Palm's co-founders, has recently unveiled its Visor handheld, based on the Palm operating system (see Hot Reviews).


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The Link between Mental Health and Learning Difficulties
Catholic Education Office, Sydney
Friday, 27 June 2014 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm (Pacific Daylight Time)
Event Details
The Catholic Education Office presents The Link between Mental Health and Learning Difficulties.
In this riveting lecture, special guest Barbara Arrowsmith-Young (author of international bestseller The Woman Who Changed Her Brain) will focus on the research findings linking mental health outcomes related to learning disabilities supported by the 'voices' of individual students, aged 11 to 63, describing their experiences. Barbara will also describe her own personal struggle with learning disabilities and its impact on her mental health in context with the research findings in this area.
As the founder and Director of the Arrowsmith Program, Barbara continues to develop programs for students with learning disabilties and her program of cognitive exercises is implemented in 55 schools in Canada, the U.S, Australia and New Zealand. She holds a B.A.Sc in Child Studies from the University of Guelph and a Master's degree in School Psychology from the University of Toronto.
The lecture will also feature Debbie Gilmore (Arrowsmith Australian representative) and Dr Kate O'Brien (Assistant Director: Teaching & Learning, CEO Sydney) who will be exploring the Arrowsmith program, the cognitive functions the program can address and changes in learning characteristics.
"Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is a pioneer, a bold and ingenious woman, deeply empathic and utterly determined. Rarely is hte person who makes a discovery the one with the defect. Barbara is the exception" - Normal Doidge, M.D., author of The Brain That Changes Itself
Prepare to be engaged and inspired! Learn how the brain has an incredible ability to change and overcome learning problems. Deepen your understanding of the workings the brain and its profound impact on how we participate in the world.
Please note that this is Barbara's only Sydney lecture for 2014.
When & Where
Southern Cross Catholic Vocational College
17 Comer St
Friday, 27 June 2014 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm (Pacific Daylight Time)
Add to my calendar


text: Nas Posted May 17, 2019 1. The Giants passed on re-signing safety Landon Collins, who landed a six-year, $84 million contract with the Redskins. 2. The Giants selected Duke QB Daniel Jones with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, passing on Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who was selected by the Redskins with the No. 15 pick. "Honestly, I thought the Giants were going to take him," Landon Collins told NJ Advance Media. "It slipped into our hands. I was like, 'Wow, we got the best quarterback. We stole the best quarterback in the draft. Awesome.'" 3. Norman signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Redskins in 2016. That came after Gettleman, who was general manager of the Carolina Panthers at the time, used the franchise tag on Norman, and then rescinded it, making the cornerback a free agent. According to reports at the time, screwing up the Norman deal for Carolina was one of the main reasons why the Panthers fired Gettleman. https://www.nj.com/giants/2019/05/redskins-josh-norman-throws-shade-at-giants-dave-gettleman-hes-winning-for-us.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Yesterday we released the beta of the first service pack of Team Explorer Everywhere, and while a service pack is just supposed to be a roll-up of bugfixes, we managed to sneak in some great new features.
I mentioned before that Team Explorer Everywhere 2010 was sort of a tough release for us... fortunately we got a second chance with our service pack and we were able to add some new features that we didn't have time to include for the initial release.
We were able to add Gated Check-in, which is a great feature for bringing your continuous integration up a notch to ensure that your code quality stays high. This was one of the flagship features of TFS 2010 and something we use internally, so it was especially important for us to provide it to our customers.
We added support for conflict resolution using the built-in Eclipse Merge Tool. While we've always had the ability to use an external merge tool like SourceGear DiffMerge, we'd never investigated using the internal Eclipse compare/merge tool to resolve a conflict. In SP1, we're going to add that as the Eclipse merge tool as a resolution option so that you don't need to install a 3rd party tool.
Finally - and perhaps most visibly - we've added rich text editing for Work Items, which will allow you to easily edit the rich text in HTML field controls in work items. (Previously we provided a poorer experience with HTML in controls.) In SP1, we're able to leverage the web browsers on each platform to render a nice rich text editor.
Of course, we've also been busy fixing a bunch of bugs. We're really pleased with the way our first service pack has come together, and we think that this is a release that you'll be very happy with.


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Common Name: Pedra Azul Encyclia
Native to: Brazil
Plant Size: Large. The egg-shaped pseudobulbs grow to 4 inches (10 cm) tall and the foliage reaches 18 inches (50 cm) tall. Each pseudobulb produces between 1 and 3 leaves that are 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Flower Size: 2 inches (5 cm)
Flower Description: Well-grown plants produce very tall (over 1 meter) branched flower stems that bear over 40 flowers. The petals and sepals are green washed with brown. The lip is white to creamy white and has purple veins. The plant and flowers are similar to Encyclia osmantha.
Bloom Season: Summer
Growing Temperature: Intermediate to Warm
Additional Information: Encyclia pedra-azulensis is another large Encyclia species from South America that produces monstrously large plants with impressive flower spikes. Grow mounted on a large cork mount or in a slatted basket. Provide ample water and fertilizer during periods of active growth and let it dry out a little during cooler weather. Provide standard Cattleya conditions. This species was only described to science in the early 1990's and was discovered by an amateur orchid grower in Brazil.
Synonyms: None.


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Finding a venue for your band to play usually isn't difficult. Most cities are overflowing with bars and clubs that welcome live entertainment. You might want to try a different type of venue to showcase your talent. With today's focus on environmental concerns, your fans will appreciate it when you show you are willing to do your part. Outdoor venues have been around for as long as people have been able to carry a tune. They can be as simple as an open field for an afternoon acoustic arrangement. Most outdoor venues today will require the use of portable power or access to a nearby power source. These days, solar powered outdoor venues are becoming more popular and let music lovers share their appreciation for the earth, as well as your music.
A solar powered outdoor venue makes use of the sun's energy to power all of your equipment, including amplifiers and lighting. Continue reading Solar Powered Outdoor Venues Help Your Band Go Green


text:
Required Materials
Textbook, pencils, 3-ring binder, notebook paper, graph paper, ruler, and a Texas Instruments TI-30XII scientific calculator.
1 0 Preparing for Algebra
2 and 3 1 Expressions, Equations and Functions
4 and 5 2 Linear Equations
6 and 7 3 Linear Functions
8 and 9 4 Equations of Linear Functions
10 - 12 5 Linear Inequalities
13 - 15 6 Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities
16 and 17 7 Exponents and Exponential Functions
18 Review
19 and 20 8 Quadratic Expressions/Equations
21 and 22 9 Quadratic Functions and Equations
23 - 25 10 Radical Functions and Geometry
26 - 28 11 Rational Functions and Equations
29 - 31 12 Statistics and Probability
32 - 36 Review for final
Grading Policy:
Tests: Tests can be expected approximately every 8 to 10 class days (generally 3 to 4 tests per nine-week grading period).
Classwork & Homework: Students can expect class activities and/or homework assignments daily; points assigned will vary. Assignments are expected to be complete when you come to class. If an assignment is turned in late, but within one day of its due date, half credit will be given provided the missing assignment was due to an excused absence.
Quizzes: Short quizzes may be given at any time, either announced or unannounced. These should be no problem for those who are present, pay attention, and participate in class activities.
Notebook: Students are required to keep a notebook of all work done for this class. A notebook test will be given at least once during the nine-week grading period. Notebooks must be neat, accurately completed, labeled with assignment numbers, and in order. A list of all assignments will be posted, as assigned, to help students keep notebooks current at all times.
Points: Tests and notebooks will generally count 100 points each. Points assigned for homework, classwork, or quizzes will vary. The nine-weeks grade will be based on total points earned divided by total points possible. If extra points are earned, the nine-weeks grade will not exceed 100 points, nor will extra points in one nine-week grading period be transferred to another nine-week grading period. Semester averages also will not exceed 100 points.
Progress Reports will be sent home at the midpoint of the nine-week grading period. These will be given out to each student by their homeroom teacher and will contain grades for each class. These reports are to be signed by the student's parent/legal guardian and returned for a homework grade. This ensures that parents are kept informed and know which areas may be in need of improvement
Digital Algebra I Textbook - LOMB-PYZN-W5PH-CJ9Y


text:
Best Use: Multi-Cat, Strong Cat Litter Box Odors.
Works In & Around The Cat Litter Box & Room - Daily Spray
Sorry - you still have to clean the box and change out your dirty litter!
Works with any litter: clay, wheat, corn, walnuts, crystals, hemp and all other cat litters.
> Liquid Positive Ion™ Odor Technology Cancels Out Negative Ion Odors On Contact
Live Pee Free!® Cat Litter Odor Eliminator contains billions of positive Ions that totally offset the negative ions contained in pet urine. It naturally eliminates odors on contact without enzymes, surfactants or fragrances.
INGREDIENTS: Purified Water, Liquid Positive Ion™ Odor Technology, Malic Acid, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Pectin Extract.


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19% of People Have Mild Mental Health Problems
- 19 Jun
Statistics show that almost a fifth of people aged 16 or over suffer with anxiety or depression.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says women are more likely to suffer mild mental illness, and people between ages 50-54 are more likely.
The ONS figures from their Measuring National Wellbeing programme, surveyed 40,000 households between 2010 and 2011, and showed that 19% of people aged 16 or over have anxiety or depression, with 21% of women reporting the symptoms and 16% of men.
Lifestyle is also a big contributor; those who were divorced or separated were more likely to have symptoms of mild to moderate mental ill health, with 27% showing signs of the conditions compared with 20% of those who were single, cohabiting or widowed and 16% of those who were married or in a civil partnership.
38% of those who said they were relatively unhappy with their health also had some indication of anxiety or depression, compared with 11% of those who declared themselves to be relatively satisfied with their health.
23% of people who are not in paid work reported they were experiencing mental health issues, compared with 15% of those in paid work.
The types of mental illness recorded on the questionnaire did not include severe mental disorders.
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/867286
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Responding to the DWP Consultation: Housing Benefit Reform - Supported Housing "Sincere thanks to Michael Patterson for an excellent presentation on the HB Reform issues in Leeds last week, and for all the very helpful info and links. I do intend to respond on behalf of our organisation, Caring For Life, but feel that Support Solutions' response is excellent." E.S. - Caring for Life


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Roanoke Times says Virgil Goode had a "macaca moment" and that "He shouldn't apologize for his beliefs because that would just pile the sin of hypocrisy onto the heap of bigotry...Goode's got another two years in Congress, but his constituents will have little representation during that time. No one, other than of a handful of his bigoted supporters, will ever take Goode seriously again."
Meanwhile, Robin Hayes' crusader moment has hit the national blogs, and made it as far into the mainstream media as the Charlotte O.


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" My Italian Collection being now ariv'd, came Moulins the great Chirurgion to see & admire the Tables of Veines and Arteries, which I purchasd, & causd to be drawne out of several humane bodys at Padua:
I saw a private dissection at Moulin's." so John Evelyn writes in his Diary for April 1649.
One of Evelyn's anatomical tables, from Padua, 1646
© Hunterian Museum, London
The College of Physicians was very keen for Evelyn to donate these rarities to them, but he was only prepared to lend them for an annual Lecture, although by 1667 he felt able to present them to the Royal Society, "and are hanging up in their Repositary; with an Inscription;". The remarkable panels were eventually given to the Royal College of Surgeons, where they are on display in the Hunterian Museum.
The museum is tucked away in Lincoln's Inn Fields, based on the amazing collection of Dr John Hunter, the eighteenth century pioneering anatomist and surgeon. 3000 of his specimens, or preparations, are now displayed in spectacular glass showcases* at the Royal College of Surgeons. Thousands more were lost during wartime bombing, but hundreds of his original specimens, or preparations, beautifully dried or preserved in formaldehyde, many in their original glass jars, are still in constant use today for the detailed study of animal and human anatomy.
The younger brother of Dr. William Hunter (founder of Glasgow's better known Hunterian Collection), John worked as his brother's assistant dissectionist, and as an army surgeon, before setting up on his own, teaching and studying anatomy, and researching new medical procedures. He married well, and his surgical skills, together with his wife's fashionable salons for artists and intellectuals, brought him in touch with leading figures of society.
Dr John Hunter 1728-93, Joshua Reynolds 1786
He introduced several new surgical procedures, from his practical experiences and his anatomical researches, including a cure for Coachman's Leg, a contemporary industrial strain injury. His collections included a menagerie, and paintings by William Hodges and George Stubbs, and Sir Joseph Banks collected specimens for him.
This preparation, a gift from Edward Jenner to his former teacher, shows the embryo of a cuckoo, with the shell forming. Hunter wrote to him: "don't think, try the experiment".
Rare preparation of a pig's epididymis.
Skeleton of Charles Byrne, the Irish Giant
Hunter was determined to obtain the Irish Giant's skeleton, against Byrne's wishes, reputedly paying around £500 for it. It now is lasting evidence of Byrne's actual height of seven feet, seven inches.
The collection has continued to explore surgical history and the amazing nature of the body, carrying on from John Hunter's original work. Today you can wonder at the left (analytical) half of Charles Babbage's brain or Winston Churchill's all-important dentures, along with the pioneering history of Lister's antiseptics and Harold Gillies' plastic surgery, with films of today's brain and keyhole surgery, all learning from John Hunter's collection and his mantra, "try the experiment!"
Images © Hunterian Museum, RCS
* John Ronan designs


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The opening of several big-name supermarkets led a Queensland small business owner to commit tax fraud in an attempt to stay financially afloat, a court has heard.
Tolga Akkurt, 42, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Thursday to three counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The court heard he fleeced the federal government of more than $65,000 by filing false business activity statements and income tax returns from his kebab shop at Redcliffe during the 2007-2008 financial year.
He used the money to try to pay mortgages on two properties and to prop up his fruit business, which struggled to remain profitable after several chain supermarkets moved into his area when it was redeveloped.
The court was told Akkurt was under intense financial pressure at the time as he was trying to support his three children, his wife and his parents.
Judge Tony Rafter accepted Akkurt was extremely remorseful for his actions but said a prison term was needed to deter others.
Akkurt was sentenced to two years' jail but will be released on a $1000 good behaviour bond after three months.
He was also ordered to pay reparation to the Commonwealth.


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Kick Off Meeting of the Western Balkan Regional Network of National P-CVE Coordinators
In pursuit of achieving the goals set up in the WBCTi Integrative Plan of Action 2018-2020, adopted by the IISG Board in March 2018, and in consideration of the recent EU Western Balkan Strategy the IISG Support Group, together with the EUD / EUSR to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the CEELI Institute organized the first meeting of the Western Balkan Regional Network of National P-CVE Coordinators. The main objective of the meeting was the establishment of a regional platform, whose purpose will be to create a high-level forum for a regular exchange of good practices, national approaches and challenges faced in the development, as well as the implementation of the P-CVE strategies and action plans in the Western Balkan region, including efforts contributed by the international community.
The meeting, held between 7-8 June in Prague, was attended by national P-CVE Coordinators or P-CVE representatives within the respective Ministry of Interior of the six Western Balkan countries, who presented an in-depth overview of their country`s state of play and national approaches in the field of P-CVE. In general, they expressed concerns over the high number of implemented activities, which are causing overlapping and duplication, and the lack of capacities and knowledge. The second part of the meeting was dedicated to representatives from the EEAS (EEAS HQ, EUSR and EUD BiH) and the European Commission (DG HOME and DG NEAR) to present the Strategy for the WB, as well as the latest developments and future support for the region. The IISG Chair presented the recently adopted integrative Plan of Action 2018-2020, and the multiagency cooperation mechanism, the P-R-A Concept. The meeting was also attended by EU Delegations and Offices from Albania, Kosovo, and Skopje.
In conclusions, participants welcomed the establishment of the Western Balkan Regional Network of National P-CVE Coordinators and agreed on future engagements of the network, as maintaining a continuous and active communication line between the members of the network on all P-CVE related matters is crucial for ensuring its effective functioning.


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What is the iPhone 6 Plus?Like the fashion industry in the 90's, it was once inconceivable that Apple could go for a plus size model. But the success of big Android phones like the Galaxy Note 3 and upcoming Note 4 has told. Apple has resolutely stuck to its guns for years, but now it has finally capitulated.
The iPhone 6 Plus is just like the iPhone 6, but really big. There are a few other small differences, but the main is its huge 5.5-inch screen. But why now? Yes, Samsung's Galaxy Note series has something to do with it, but so does the companion device that Apple announced with the iPhones – the Apple Watch. With an Apple Watch on your wrist you won't need to pull the iPhone 6 Plus out of your pocket or bag all the time.
Bottom line, the iPhone 6 Plus displays Apple's key strengths once again. Quality fit and finish, outstanding screen fidelity and a great all round camera are all present, but there's no escaping how big it is. iPhone 5S owners will likely baulk at its heft, but anyone concerned by its size shouldn't write it off. Read on to find out why.
Watch our iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus video
iPhone 6 Plus: DesignThe iPhone 6 Plus looks huge compared to some other 5.5-inch phones like the LG G3. LG worked hard to make that _phone_ as compact as possible and achieved something of a miracle. Apple, on the other hand, has used the same design that the iPhone 6 possesses and it doesn't work quite as well with the larger size.
The main problem is the large top and bottom bezel. They're big and they make the _phone_ look chunkier than it could be. The effect is offset by the fact that the iPhone 6 Plus is thin at just 7.1mm. It also comes with a typically accomplished design. The glass and aluminium back merge seamlessly together. The iPhone 6 Plus feels great in your hand, like a smooth pebble you can skip across a lake. If you are feeling particularly flush that is.
It's well balanced and light too at just 172g. You'll happily hold it for hours and that screen is perfect for browsing the internet or watching movies on the hoof.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5
The size means that you'll struggle to reach the whole screen, though. You will need a crash course in hand yoga to get your thumbs across to some areas of the screen if you want to use the iPhone 6 Plus one-handed. Apple has thought of this issue and has added a feature to the iPhone 6 Plus that brings the top of the screen closer to your digits.
Tap the home button twice and the active area of the screen drops, giving you access to address or search bars. Unlike on the iPhone 6, which is much slimmer, this doesn't resolve all the issues caused by a big phone. You'll still find it a bit of a stretch to get to the sides of the screen unless you've got big hands, particularly when texting where most people will need to use both hands to be comfortable. Still, it's an elegant solution that makes using the iPhone 6 Plus easier.
Just as on the iPhone 6, the 6 Plus has the power button on the right hand side, about an inch and a half from the top. It's reachable but it would have been better if it was a little lower down. It's the same story with the volume buttons on the left.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Despite the slightly awkward location of the side buttons the iPhone 6 Plus handles well even when you're using it one handed. It feels like a premium product – no-one can quite match Apple's superb build quality. The iPhone 6 Plus manages to feel both solid and soft at the same time.
There is one area where Apple couldn't quite get everything to fit smoothly into the body of the 6 Plus. The camera juts out of the back so it can fit the sensor with the addition of optical image stabilisation. It only comes out slightly and the edges are chamfered, which means it doesn't snag on material as you put it in your pocket.
They better be large pockets, though. The 158.1mm tall, 77.8mm wide and 7.1mm thick body fits into tight jeans, but not with much to spare. It's more than a centimetre taller than the LG G3 but is almost 2mm thinner, which helps it slide into pockets, but it is larger than other phones with the same size screen.
For that reason the iPhone 6 Plus isn't quite the design triumph we've come to expect from Apple. It's very well made and feels great in hand, but is just a bit too big. LG has shown with the LG G3 that a 5.5-inch screen can be fit into a body that feels more like a phone than a phablet. It feels as if Apple could have tried harder to make a design was bespoke to this size, rather than larger version of the iPhone 6.
So, if you're happy with the size of your current iPhone, or if you struggle with larger phones, then you should go for the iPhone 6 as opposed to its bigger brother. It's a lot more pocketable and decent step up from the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S.
If you do opt for iPhone 6 Plus, though, it's worth also considering the leather case Apple sells. It adds a little bulk but provides a super grippy surface to ensure you don't fumble your phone. The larger phone is little slippery thanks to its curved corners and greater width.
Finally, we need to address the issue that has gone viral – the bendable iPhone. Apple has responded by claiming that there have only been nine cases so far and we believe it. We've had both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in tight jeans while cycling and for more than a week in day-to-day use. We've experienced no sign of bending at all.
Time will tell if this is a valid complaint or not but in our experience they appear as solid, if not more, than many other phones on the market. This has also been verified by independent tests.
iPhone 6 Plus: ScreenApple is often accused of being behind the times when it comes to screen resolutions. The iPhone 6 Plus comes with the highest resolution display ever on an Apple phone. It's a full HD screen – 1920 x 1080 – with 401 pixels per inch (ppi). Apple calls it Retina HD but in pure number terms it falls behind of the best Android phones. Both the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 come with QHD screens, which means a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and 534ppi / 515ppi respectively.
That sounds like a big difference, but it isn't really. You don't notice the extra pixels much. The Korean phones are sharper than the iPhone 6 Plus but you'll have to zoom into text or pictures to notice any difference. In most other respects the iPhone 6 Plus has them beaten. The screen is bright and copes brilliantly in bright sunlight.
Colours are supremely accurate – they remain perfect at every angle and it has the best contrast and black level of any LCD-screened phone. It can't compare with the perfect blacks that the AMOLED display on the Note 4 can muster, but the natural colours make up for it.
Screen experts DisplayMate also rate the screen on the iPhone 6 Plus, calling it the "best performing Smartphone LCD display that we have ever tested". This is a very special screen indeed and you'll love using the extra real estate to play games or watch videos.
The extra space means that the iPhone 6 Plus comes with a bigger and better speaker than the one on the iPhone 6. It is louder but more importantly it also comes with more depth and low end. It's still mono, but you'll happily watch your favourite Netflix series.
One issue that is more apparent with the speaker on the 6 Plus is that the grille is at the bottom right where your index finger is when holding it in landscape mode. The iPhone 6 is narrow enough to allow your finger to curve and not muffle the speaker, but this is more problematic on the iPhone 6 Plus. Considering the size of the top and bottom bezels it's a shame that Apple didn't choose to place front facing stereo speakers like the ones found on the HTC One M8.
iPhone 6 Plus: ConnectivityIt's been a while coming but the big news is that the iPhone 6 Plus has NFC (Near Field Communication). It's limited to Apple Pay so you won't be able to use it to pair with other NFC enabled devices you might have around the home, like wireless speakers, but Apple Pay has a huge amount of potential.
In other respects the 6 Plus has everything you'd expect from a top-of-the-range phone. You get Bluetooth 4.0, AirDrop (Apple's feature that lets you easily share content from your phone with other Apple devices) and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. That's a lot faster than the Wi-Fi on the iPhone 5S although you will need an 802.11ac capable router to take advantage of this.
The iPhone 6 Plus also comes with a comprehensive 4G/LTE chip that covers 20 bands supports speeds up to 150Mbps. This means that it should work well on 4G networks around the world – a useful fact if you're planning on importing one or you travel widely.
iPhone 6 Plus: PerformanceApple's new A8 processor powers the iPhone 6 Plus. It's an excellent system on a chip (SoC) that provides oodles of grunt for high definition 3D gaming and means that the iPhone 6 Plus is butter smooth in day-to-day operation.
If you just looked at the numbers you'd be forgiven for believing that the iPhone 6 Plus is a lot less powerful than the Android competition. The A8 is a dual-core processor running at 1.4GHz and is supported by just 1GB of RAM. It sounds paltry when compared to the quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 and 2GB RAM of the Galaxy S5.
In fact, the iPhone 6 Plus performs better than the Samsung in some graphic intensive tasks like playing games.
Interestingly, the iPhone 6 Plus also performs a little better in our like-for-like processor tests when compared to its little brother. The wins are small though, just a few percent points.
In the 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark the 6 Plus scores a hefty 17,740 while it manages 2,871 on Geekbench 3. These are very high scores, on par with the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is the fastest of big-name Android flagship phones, and almost 30% faster than the iPhone 5S before it.
The biggest benefits of the A8 SoC, though, come from its graphical performance. The quad-core PowerVR GPU from Imagination Technologies is perfect for high intensity 3D gaming. Games look and perform brilliantly on the 5.5-inch HD screen.
The increased performance comes with some other benefits, too. Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint recognition feature, unlocks your phone quicker than it does on the iPhone 5S.
The iPhone 6 Plus also uses an M8 co-processor, a tiny processor that keeps track of all data created by the array of sensors. Apple has added a new measurement into the mix, a barometer. This means that the 6 Plus can also recognise altitude, so it knows if you've been climbing stairs or hills. Fitness tracking apps can now hook into this information to provide more accurate information about your exercise regime.
The clever thing about the M8 processor is that it's energy efficient. Battery life would be compromised if sensor data was constantly processed by the main A8 processor. It means that when you're not doing much with your phone your battery doesn't drain as quickly. It restricts phone functions when it knows your phone hasn't moved for a while and is in an area with no signal. Clever stuff.
One feature that some may find lacking from the iPhone 6 Plus is the digitiser stylus. The Galaxy Note series is famous for it and while some people find it useful many others rarely use it. It is a useful addition and if you like taking hand-written notes, drawing or using a pen rather than a keyboard you might want to wait for the Galaxy Note 4.
iPhone 6 Plus: Storage and PricingApple has never provided the option of adding a microSD card into its phones and the iPhone 6 Plus is no exception. If you like to store loads of music, games or movies on your phone you'll need to pay for the extra storage up front.
It comes in three capacities: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB and that final version costs a fortune. In fact at £789/$949 for the top model the iPhone 6 Plus is the most expensive major smartphone we've ever seen. Unfortunately, the 16GB model (£619/$749) only provides around 11GB of storage after iOS 8 takes its cut. This means the 64GB model is the one to get. At £699/$849 it's not exactly cheap, but 64GB should be enough for all but the most avid mobile media hoarder.
iPhone 6 Plus: iOS 8The iPhone 6 Plus is identical to the iPhone 6 in use with one noteworthy exception, it supports screen rotation, just like the iPad Air. This means that you can use it in landscape mode at all times, not just in apps.
You won't notice many differences between iOS 7 and iOS 8 at first glance but there are many new features that add to the experience. No it's not anywhere near as customisable as Android. But iOS has never been about customisation, it's about doing the things iPhone owners do most with ease.
To find out every in and out of Apple's new operating system read our exhaustive iOS 8 review or read on to find out about the key new features.
iOS 8Interactive Notifications
iOS 8 lets control certain features of some apps from the lock screen. You can now control your music without having to go into the music app.
You can also respond to emails, invites, texts and more from certain apps like Facebook without having to leave the app.
Choice of Keyboard
Apple has opened up the keyboard on iOS 8 for the first time which means you can pick from third-party app makers. If you're an Android user going to the iPhone you can now have your favourite keyboard on your new phone.
Apple's own iOS keyboard is also a little different. The larger screen of the iPhone 6 Plus means you can get additional functions on screen and Apple has added cut, paste undo and bold keys when typing in landscape.
Notification Centre "Widgets"
A light form of the widget feature that Android has had for ages is now available on iOS 8. Instead of appearing on the home screens, widgets are set up in the Notification Centre where they bring up some information without having to go into the app.
Recently Called Shortcut
Press the Home button twice and the currently open apps appear so you can scroll through them. This existed on iOS 7 but Apple has now added bubbles with your most recently called contacts at the top so you can get to them with ease.
Health is a hub for all the data relating to your body and health -- it can store everything from your blood type to your diet. It's more of a repository of information you have to input yourself at the moment, but the most recent iOS 8 update has seen apps begin to add Health app support. We'll be exploring this in greater detail soon.
Battery Monitor
The battery life of the iPhone 6 Plus is great, but you can find out which apps are causing it to go down quickly. If you want to find out more tips about keeping you iPhone's battery tip top then read: iOS 8 Battery Problems: Extend your iPhone's Battery.
Apple Pay
As we've already mentioned, Apple has finally added NFC to the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple Pay adds the ability to pay for products using contactless technology and Touch ID. We've not been able to test this feature yet as it won't be coming out until October and even then it will initially be limited to the US.
Continuity lets you take calls from your iPhone 6 Plus to any other Apple product running iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite as long as they're on the same Wi-Fi network.
Hey Siri
You can now activate Siri by voice alone. As long as your iPhone 6 Plus is plugged in you can shout 'Hey Siri' and ask your question. Siri has now also been integrated with Shazam so it can tell you which song is playing and make it easy for you to buy it via the iTunes store.
Family Sharing
You can now share apps, video, audio and books can among the family. Parents can create Apple IDs for their children and they can include the option to send an approval request for purchases so big.
This is just a selection of the most important and useful features in iOS 8, but (one or two early bugs aside) it's an excellent update that adds some powerful new features. You need to be an Apple user through and through to get the most of all of them, particularly the Continuity feature, but if you are then iOS 8 connects your devices in a more meaningful way then ever before.
iPhone 6 Plus: CameraThe iPhone 6 Plus has an 8-megapixel rear camera similar to the camera found on the iPhone 6. It comes with the same new phase detection feature for faster focussing that Apple calls 'Focus Pixels' and allows you to change the light balance on the fly. Focus pixels help the iPhone 6 Plus focus a lot more quickly than the iPhone 5S before it.
There is one important difference between the iPhone 6 Plus and the 6 – it includes optical image stabilisation. It's by no means the first phone camera to use it, we've seen it in Nokia phones in the past and the Nexus 5 last year, but it's the first Apple phone to have it.
What is Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)?
Optical image stabilisation helps you take good quality photos by using a gyroscope to keep the lenses stable. This comes with some major benefits when you're shooting. The most important is that you can get sharp, blur-free images even in low light conditions.
To get the most amount of light possible the shutter speed of a camera is slower in dark conditions. This means that any slight hand movements while taking the picture are exacerbated, leading to out of focus images. OIS particularly helps eliminates some of issues associated with taking phone pictures one-handed, where you're less stable.
The OIS on the iPhone 6 Plus (right) means less noise and better colours compared to the iPhone 6 (left)
In our test shot in low light conditions (above) the iPhone 6 Plus provides pictures with less noise than the iPhone 6. Those big pixels also mean it's streets ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S5 in dingy lighting.
In our test shot on an overcast Sunday afternoon you will notice that the iPhone 6 Plus's shot is a little brighter and the colours more authentic.
However on a bright and sunny day the differences between the iPhone 6 Plus and its little brother are negligible. In these conditions the extra pixels of the Samsung Galaxy S5's camera makes it shine, providing more detail than the iPhones can muster.
From left to right: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S5
In terms of video the iPhone 6 Plus shoots full HD, so it doesn't quite match the 4K shooting that some other flagship phones offer. It does, however, come with sensational slow motion video capture that now captures 720p video at 240FPS. It's easy as pie to use and results look fantastic.
240FPS Slo-mo video
Optical image stabilisation improves the video capture on the iPhone 6 Plus, too. It smooths some of the movements that occur when videoing on the move, but not as much as we expected. The iPhone 6's software stabilisation does a good job of keeping video from juddering too much and you'll be quite happy with shooting video on it. The iPhone 6 Plus's OIS helps eliminate these movements even more.
Watch a video comparing image stablisation of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 Plus does not manage well with large, sharp movement during video recording. The stabilisation tries to overcompensate and results in video that is over processed. A video we took with it strapped to a bike's handlebars looks like it's been shot underwater.
The front facing camera has also had a boost. The aperture has been increased to f/2.2, which means more light gets to the sensor and better selfies can be taken in low light conditions.
Time lapse is the final new feature that Apple has added to the camera app on iOS 8. It's a fun feature to play around with if you have a little patience.
iPhone 6 Plus: Battery LifeIf there's one area where the iPhone 6 Plus stands out, and is streets ahead of the iPhone 6, it is battery life. The 2,915mAh battery packs enough juice to let the iPhone 6 Plus last two full days of reasonable use with the screen set to 50% brightness. Whack the brightness up though and that big, bright 5.5-inch screen will start sucking up the juice.
That's far longer than the LG G3's 3,000mAh battery can last and it bests the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, too.
But how did it fare in our tests? Apple quotes 14 hours of video playback and 80 hours of music. We managed more than three hours and 45 minutes of high intensity 3D gaming, which is exactly the same as the Galaxy S5, but is a full hour more than the iPhone 6. We also found ourselves leaving the office with more than 75% battery left on occasion, which never happened when using the iPhone 6.
In our standard video test where we play a standard definition video on loop until the battery dies, the iPhone 6 Plus's battery managed just under 12 hours before shutting down. That's two hours more than the iPhone 6 and almost an hour more than the Galaxy S5.
The iPhone 6 Plus has a lot of staying power – in fact it is close to having the longest battery life of any smartphone we've tested. It's slightly better in some respects to the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5, two recent smartphones that boast great stamina.
If battery life is a key factor for you then you won't go wrong Apple's biggest phone yet.
iPhone 6 Plus: Call QualityiPhones have good call quality and the iPhone 6 Plus is no different. It comes with a noise cancelling microphone that manages to moderate external noise enough for you to hear the person on the other line, even in noisy conditions.
The iPhone 6 Plus suffers from some poor quality sound in locations where your connection to the network is poor. This isn't a problem limited to the iPhone 6 Plus by any stretch but Apple has included VoLTE (Voice over LTE) , which should help matters once networks start using it.
Some Samsung phones also carry this feature but you'll have to check with your network provider to find out when they'll be enabling it in your
From left to right: iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5S
Should I buy the iPhone 6 Plus?It's all a question of size. Can you live with such a big phone? If the answer is yes then there are some clear benefits to getting the big iPhone. Battery life is one, optical image stabilisation the other and that magnificent screen the third.
If size is an issue though, and you really want an Apple phone then you should look to the iPhone 6. It is also a great phone.
The LG G3 is a good, and more pocketable, 5.5-inch phone that doesn't quite reach the build quality of the 6 Plus but comes in at half the price. We haven't yet had enough time with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to compare it to the iPhone 6 Plus quite yet. It's the most obvious competitor so we'll update this section with our finding once we've put it through its paces.
Fundamentally, though, this is an excellent phone. Some people will prefer one thing or the other depending on their needs and preferences, but if you do buy an iPhone 6 Plus then you won't be disappointed.