text:
Hi there,
i am running my synology DS415+ on DSM 6.0.2-8451 Update 9.
Madsonic is running on MADSONIC 6.2.9080.619dd31.20161222.0327 .
Sonos is on 7.2 - 35339010.
When i try to add Madsonic as a service in Sonos, i always get the problem that i can´t connect to sonos.
25.05.17 12:59] INFO SonosService Found Sonos controllers: [192.168.0.76, 192.168.0.79, 192.168.0.17, 192.168.0.25, 192.168.0.29, 192.168.0.18, 192.168.0.30, 192.168.0.27, 192.168.0.14, 192.168.0.23]
[25.05.17 12:59] INFO SonosServiceRegistration Enabling Sonos music service, using Sonos controller IP 192.168.0.76, SID 244, and Madsonic URL http://172.17.0.1:4040/ws/Sonos
[25.05.17 12:59] INFO SonosServiceRegistration Sonos controller returned: success!
I guess that there is a problem with the madsonic url.. i don´t know where to change it.. can any1 help me out here? do you need any more information?
thank you so much.


text: BROOKINGS Ð Some 15,000 businesses in South Dakota will receive a 2007 Economic Census form from the U.S. Census Bureau in December, a specialist at South Dakota State University said. SDSU Extension Rural Sociologist Michael McCurry said forms go to all but the very smallest businesses in this tally, which is done once every five years. The forms ask for basic information such as location, employment, payroll, and sales by type of product or service. Businesses that receive a form are required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code) to respond. Businesses, communities, and governments use Economic Census data for planning and market development. Statistics are published for more than a thousand industries as well as for states, counties, cities and metropolitan areas at business.census.gov. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has called this census "indispensable to understanding America's economy." McCurry said South Dakota business leaders can do their part by completing the census.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Journal of Nanomaterials
Volume 2013, Article ID 563826, 12 pages
Raspberry Extract as Both a Stabilizer and a Reducing Agent in Environmentally Friendly Process of Receiving Colloidal Silver
1Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Warszawska Street 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
2Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Warszawska Street 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Received 16 June 2013; Accepted 20 August 2013
Academic Editor: Renyun Zhang
Copyright © 2013 Jolanta Pulit et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
An ecofriendly method of nanosilver obtaining has been studied. The process involves the chemical reduction method carried out in aqueous environment. Silver nitrate (V) was applied as a silver ions source. Raspberry extract was used as a natural source of both reducing and stabilizing agents. The total amount of phenolic compounds was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Obtained nanoparticles were analyzed by the dynamic light scattering technique so as to determine the particles size and suspension stability which was characterized by an electrokinetic potential. The results confirmed that the size of some nanoparticles was under 100 nm.
1. Introduction
Nanosilver is one of the most thoroughly investigated nanomaterials and owes its popularity to its biocidal properties [1]. Its antimicrobial activity is associated with the characteristic structure of nanoparticles. They are characterized by a high fraction of surface atoms so that nanoparticles have a greater affinity for interactions with thiol groups, after which the destruction of the bacteria follows [2]. Biological activity is therefore a very important factor, so that nanosilver is used where asepsis is highly desirable. Mostly, this applies in biomedical engineering, cosmetology, food packaging industry, textile industry, crops, animal husbandry, and so forth [3]. Due to the fact that nanosilver suspensions are a valuable antimicrobial product, several preparation methods have been developed. Chemical and photochemical reduction, laser ablation, thermal decomposition, electrochemical methods, and microwave irradiation are the most important [4–7]. In order to understand the specificity of the chemical reduction reaction, electron processes accompanying this process must be considered. This occurs by taking electrons from ions, atoms or molecules. This is possible if chemical species which provide a charge during electron oxidation reactions are present in the system [8, 9].
Recently, using nanosilver as a biological agent has become increasingly common. Such an idea aims at the synthesis of nanometric silver in accordance with the principles of "green chemistry." Thanks to the use of bacteria or extracts of various parts of plants, it is possible to derive nanoparticles without the employment of well-known synthetic stabilizers and reducing agents [10]. The development of nanosilver preparation processes while respecting "green chemistry" principles was the intention of the authors. It was decided to find a solution that would allow the use of one substance acting as both a stabilizing and a reducing agent. Limiting the amount of raw materials has an influence on the process costs and reduces energy consumption. This assumption was carried out using a plant extract, which largely reflects the ideas of environmental technologies. In order to obtain nanosilver, the literature describes methods of carrying out the reaction in a chemical reduction, using a substance acting as a reductant and a stabilizer. Sodium citrate and gallic acid are such substances [11]. The existing state of knowledge allows us to provide a compound composed of similar atomic connections, characterized by the analogical properties of gallic acid. For example, ellagic acid (2,3,7,8-tetrahydroxy-chromeno[5,4,3-cde]chromene-5,10-dione) is such a substance. Raspberry fruits are a natural source. Its molecule is a dimer of gallic acid and creates a system of four condensed rings [12]. The use of raspberry extract as a source of ellagic acid offers the possibility of direct silver ion reduction, as it has strong antioxidant effects, similar to many other polyphenols. Furthermore, minor amounts of other compounds with antioxidant properties, such as gallic acid, ascorbic acid, and quercetin that also contribute to efficiently carrying out the chemical reduction, are also present in raspberry extract. The presence of other organic compounds from the group of polyphenols, tannins, and flavonols allows stabilizing emerging suspensions with no need to add other factors that inhibit the growth of metallic silver agglomerates [13].
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Reagents
Silver nitrate (V), AgNO3, 99.90–99.99% pure, was applied as a source of silver ions. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was used to adjust the pH. Water extract of the dried raspberry fruits was used as both a reducing and a stabilizing agent of the emerging nanosilver suspension. Disodium phosphate and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (V), in amounts of 0.5938 g and 0.4539 g, respectively, were used to prepare the phosphate buffer applied in electrochemical analysis. Subsequently, the salts were dissolved in water (50 cm3) and mixed together in a ratio of 1 : 4 to give a buffer at pH .
2.2. Methods
2.2.1. Raspberry Fruit Extract Preparation
Acquisition of organic compounds from the dried raspberry fruit was performed by extraction in the aqueous phase. In order to accomplish this, three-stage laboratory equipment was used, including a Soxhlet apparatus, a round-bottom flask with a reflux condenser placed in a water bath, and a magnetic stirrer, in high-pressure laboratory reactor (Parr Instrument A2256HC12EE Heater Assembly), which allows for reaching temperatures higher than 100°C. High pressure is produced without the addition of any inert gas but just by heating the contents of the stainless vessel to a high temperature. The ranges of input parameter variations which were established in order to carry out the extraction process are shown in Table 1.
Carrying out the extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus set consisted of weighting out a specified quantity of raw material and placing it in a holder in the apparatus attachment. Water (300 g) was placed in the round-bottom flask as the solvent. The extraction process proceeded for a specified time. In the case where the extraction carried out in a round-bottom flask, the reactants contained in it (dried raspberries and water) were heated to the desired temperature in a water bath while stirring with a magnetic stirrer for a predetermined time. In order to carry out the extraction in a high-pressure reactor, after weighing the raw material and the extractant, they were placed in a reaction vessel, and after the lid was closed, the temperature was set, and the mixing system was enabled; then the process proceeded for a specified time. After the extraction, the extraction vessel contents were transferred to plastic containers and subsequently filtered. The supernatant was analyzed spectrophotometrically (UV-VIS) in a wavelength range of = 350–800 nm. Total polyphenol content was determined in the supernatant by the Folin-Ciocalteu method.
2.2.2. Preparation of Nanosilver Suspension
The method consisted of performing the chemical reduction of silver ions from aqueous silver nitrate (V) solution with the compounds contained in the aqueous extract of the raspberry fruits in the presence of sodium hydroxide as a pH controller. The variation ranges of the input parameters in the nanosilver production processes are shown in Table 2.
The synthesis proceeded as follows: under conditions of continuous stirring at room temperature, 1 cm3 of the extract (at the appropriate polyphenol content) was added to 24 cm3 of an aqueous silver nitrate (V) solution (at the appropriate concentration) in a beaker placed on a magnetic stirrer. In order to achieve the desired pH of the reaction mixture, an appropriate amount of aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 0.01 M was added. The beaker contents were transferred to a plastic container, which was placed at a predetermined temperature in order to maintain the reduction process under appropriate temperature conditions. The obtained nanometric silver suspensions were analyzed spectrophotometrically to determine the time after which no further change was observed in the absorbance value. This time pointed to a cessation in the process of reduction and completion of the process. Subsequently, the resulting suspensions were examined to determine the average particle size and the electrokinetic potential, , which was achieved using the dynamic light scattering technique (DLS).
2.2.3. Research Methods
(1) Voltamperometric Measurements. In order to confirm the reducing nature of the raspberry fruit extract, electrochemical studies were performed on an electrochemical analyzer (BAS100B/W) coupled to a bioanalytical system, USA computer. Extract analysis was carried out by cyclic voltamperometry (CV), in a three-electrode dish, in a phosphate buffer at a constant pH. Measurements were performed at room temperature in air. The working electrode was made of glassy carbon (GC) with an area of 0.066 cm2. A platinum electrode in the form of a wire was the counter electrode, and an Ag/AgCl silver chloride electrode (3 mol/dm3 NaCl) was the reference electrode.
(2) Total Polyphenol Content Determination by Folin-Ciocalteu Method. The Folin-Ciocalteu method is the most widely used way of determining the total polyphenol content in different extracts. This method is based on a reversible reaction involving the reduction of molybdenum (VI) contained in the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent to molybdenum (V). The phenolate anion, formed in an alkaline environment, is the reducing agent. The reaction is demonstrated by the color change of the mixture (from colorless to blue), indicating the formation of molybdenum in the V oxidation state. The resulting reduced form of molybdenum has an absorption maximum at a wavelength λ = 745–750 nm, and the peak intensity (absorbance) indicates the content of polyphenols in the extract. The determination of the total content of polyphenolic compounds in aqueous raspberry extracts began with the preparation of the calibration curve for standard solution, using gallic acid. After obtaining the equation of the calibration curve (gallic acid concentration [mg/cm3]), spectrophotometric studies were carried out, and the absorbance of each of extract was read. Subsequently, the gallic acid concentration was calculated, and this was used as the background to calculate the total polyphenol content in the samples [14].
(3) Sample Characteristics. In the spectrophotometric analysis, a Rayleigh UV1800 spectrophotometer was used which works at a wavelength range of = 190–1100 nm and a bandwidth of 2 nm. In order to determine the average size of nanoparticles, the dynamic light scattering technique was used. Studies were performed using a particle size analyzer (Zetasizer Nano ZS Malvern Instruments Ltd.), with a measurement range from 0.6 nm to 6.0 μm. The suspension was centrifuged on the Thermo Scientific Sorvall MX Series Floor Model Micro-Ultracentrifuge. Parameters of centrifugation were as follows: 50000 rpm, 15 min, and 20°C. After centrifugation, the morphology of the nanoparticles was illustrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) and the elemental distribution on the obtained solid surface was determined by the sample surface constant mapping. SEM-EDS analyses were performed by X-ray electrodispersive spectrometry (Quantax200 Bruker AXS Microanalysis GmbH-with EDS with an XFlash 4010 detector). The detector was coupled to a scanning electron microscope (LEO 1430VP).
3. Results
3.1. Extracts
3.1.1. Voltammetric Measurement Results
As a result of these studies, a voltammogram showing the oxygen reduction process in the presence of raspberry extract was obtained (Figure 1).
For the anode potential values, a clear oxidation wave was seen with a maximum at about 270 mV. Comparing these results and the literature, it was found that the oxidation peak of the extract was related to the content of gallic acid. The oxidation process began at about 90 mV. Three measurements showed an increase in the intensity of current peak maximum . The blur of the oxidation wave was also seen. Small values of current difference peaks () (Table 3) and the oxidation wave blur indicate the adsorption of active substances contained in the raspberry extract on the electrode surface and thus the capture of these substances. In the reverse process (in the direction of negative potentials), no reduction wave was observed, which demonstrates the reversibility of the oxidation process. In the values of cathode potential, from about −580 to −890 mV, a clear peak of reduction was observed. Based on the literature data, it was found that this range corresponds to two-electron oxygen molecule reduction which leads to hydrogen peroxide formation (O2 + 2H+ + 2e− → H2O2) [15]. Three measurements showed a decrease in the intensity of current peak maximum () (Table 3). This demonstrates that the reduced oxygen molecules were consumed while the oxidation process was running.
The electrochemical data confirm the reduction properties of compounds contained in the aqueous raspberry extract, so it can be used as a factor for producing Ag+ ions in the zero oxidation state. Compounds contained in the extract such as mucilage, and especially pectin, are capable of stabilizing nanosilver suspensions in a very effective way [16].
3.1.2. Raspberry Fruit Extract Preparation
Effect of Independent Variables on the Dependent Variables. In the order to carry out the process of preparing an aqueous raspberry extract, a design of experiments (DOE) methodology was used. When using a Soxhlet apparatus, the effect of two independent variables on the dependent variable (the complete plan, 3(2–0)) was adopted. For the processes carried out in a round-bottom flask and in the high-pressure reactor, the analysis examined the dependence of the output variables from the three input values (fractional plan, 3(3–1)). Plan matrices and variable values are provided in Table 4.
Spectrophotometric Analysis. In order to determine the optical properties of the extracts, they were analyzed spectrophotometrically (UV-Vis) in a wavelength range of λ = 280–800 nm. Figure 2 shows the dependence of the absorbance on the wavelength.
In order to determine which extract is the most effective reductive and stabilizing factor in the synthesis of nanosilver, statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. As a result of the analysis, it was possible to determine the significant impact of independent variables on the dependent variables in the process of obtaining an extract from raspberry fruit. The factors investigated and the results (Table 4) were analyzed by variance analysis and the influence of the input variables on the output variables was evaluated with the statistical significance . A graphical representation of the standardized effects on the depended variables in the extraction processes conducted by the three different methods is presented in Figure 3.
The graph shows that, when using the Soxhlet apparatus, the degree of extraction depends only on the raspberry fruit dried mass; this was also confirmed by ANOVA, which revealed that the value of the test probability level, , was less than the assumed statistical significance . The algebraic sign of the standardized effect, which is negative, should be taken under consideration, as it reflects the reduced output variable value with an increase in the input variable value. If the extraction is carried out in a round-bottom flask, the mass of dry fruits and the process temperature have a significant impact on the resulting factor value. The standardized effects chart suggests that the extraction time is a statistically insignificant parameter. In the extraction process carried out in the high-pressure reactor, raspberry fruit dry weight, temperature, and the duration of the process are statistically significant parameters.
3.1.3. Selection of Extract for the Nanosilver Production Process
One of the main goals of extract selection was to find such an extract with a spectrum that did not obscure the spectrum peak originating from the nanosilver suspension, that is, the area in the wavelength range λ = 400–500 nm. The extract spectra, in numerical form, were analyzed by a multivariate analysis. For this purpose, the agglomeration method was used as one type of cluster analysis. As a result, all the spectra were divided into three subsets of objects (extract UV-Vis spectra with similar characteristics). The Euclidean distance was used as a measure of the distance between them, and in order to define the similarity between objects, Ward's method was used. According to the adoption of more restrictive criteria isolation clusters (Sneath criterion, equal to 33%), it was found that the number of clusters of objects was three. Then, the clusters were classified by the -means method, which contributed to assigning the spectra to three clusters so that the elements belonging to a given cluster were most the similar to each other and at the same time, as much as possible, were placed away from objects belonging to other clusters. Figure 4 shows the results of the analysis by the -means method. Based on the cluster analysis, it was found that the percentage of extracted polyphenols in relation to the dry matter in extract used in the synthesis of nanosilver cannot exceed a value of 0.23% because such an extract contains the maximum amount of polyphenols useful in the synthesis of nanosilver and the UV-Vis spectrum does not obscure the characteristic nanosilver peak.
A prediction of output variables was also made by setting the prediction equation coefficients for the independent variables. They form the basis of the equation, which for the extraction process carried out in a Soxhlet apparatus takes the form of where is the raspberry dried fruit weight, is the percentage of extracted polyphenols in relation to the dry matter.
If the extraction was carried out in a round-bottom flask, the mass of dried raspberry fruits and the temperature of the process have a significant impact on the resulting factor. The chart of standardized effects suggests that the extraction time is a statistically insignificant parameter. The predictive equation for the output variable in this method is as follows: where is the raspberry dried fruit weight, is the process temperature, and is the percentage of extracted polyphenols in relation to the dry matter.
In the extraction carried out in a high-pressure reactor, the statistically significant parameters are: raspberry dried fruit weight, temperature and the duration of the process. According to the designated regression coefficients, the predictive equation for the output variable is as follows in (3): where is the process temperature, is the time of process, is the raspberry dried fruit weight, and is the percentage of extracted polyphenols in relation to the dry matter.
Approximations of the output variable for different combinations of input values were made. Cluster analysis and approximate profiles allowed us to select the most favorable extraction method, which was also consistent with the principles of green chemistry. Carrying out the extraction process in a round-bottom flask equipped with a reflux condenser was the chosen method. The ideal parameters were ~4.6 g of raspberry dried fruit weight, and the process should be carried out at a temperature of 30°C for 5 min; the ideal percentage of extracted polyphenols in relation to the dry matter is 0.22% (approximate value: 0.21%). The extract provided using the optimized parameters was used as a substrate in the process of obtaining nanosilver.
3.2. The Process for Preparing Nanosilver
In the process of nanosilver synthesis, the influence of independent factors (AgNO3 concentration—, polyphenol weight—, pH—, and temperature—) on the average size of nanoparticles [nm] (), electrokinetic potential [mV] (), and sample stabilization time [h] () was examined. In order to effectively plan the experiment, the central composition plan was used (Table 5).
The data (Table 5) were analyzed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA) as well as an assessment of the impact of the input variables on the output variables at a statistical significance level of . The Pareto chart of standardized effects shows a visualization of the results. Assuming a value of statistical significance of 5%, the analysis permitted us to select the input variables which were statistically significant and had a real impact on the output variables. The set of independent variables which significantly affected the dependent variables are given in Table 6.
Average Size of Nanoparticles. Due to the fact that the distribution of the dependent variable (the average size of nanoparticles) is not normal, its function was transformed by the function 1/. New variables obtained by this transformation were further analyzed. In the course of the analysis of variance, it was confirmed that AgNO3 concentration, pH, and the temperature of the process were the only factors that significantly affected the value of the average size of the nanoparticles. According to the data (Table 7), it was found that, by increasing the value of the independent variables, the inverse of the average nanosilver particle size (1/) increased, because the effect sign is positive. This is equivalent to decreasing the average size of nanoparticles, causing an increase in the value of the independent variables which was statistically significant.
A prediction of the dependent variable was also carried out. For this purpose, the regression coefficients for the actual input value were defined. On this basis, the model can be represented in the form of
Electrokinetic Potential. Analysis of variance allowed us to determine the relationship between the stability of the suspension, which is reflected in the electrokinetic potential and statistically significant input quantities.
The data presented in Table 8 show that an increase in polyphenol weight had a positive influence on the electrokinetic potential. Since the sign of the effect involving the pH value is negative, an increase causes a reduction of the stability in the final product. The prediction of the output value allowed us to determine the coefficients of the regression equation. On this basis, the model can be represented in the form of an equation as follows in
Sample Stabilization Time. Similarly, as in the case of the average particle size, the sample stabilization time distribution was not normal. Therefore, it was converted by a function, which was the natural logarithm of the dependent variable y4 (log(y4)). The variables were analyzed further. As a result, the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variables was determined. The results are shown in Table 9.
Based on the algebraic sign of the effects, it was found that increasing the AgNO3 concentration increased the value of the dependent variable due to the positive sign of this effect, while increasing the pH value caused a decrease in the dependent variable because of the negative sign of this effect. On this basis, the model can be represented in the form of
In the program Statistica, log () corresponds to the natural logarithm of . Consider that
Based on the approximation profiles (Figure 5), the utility function and green chemistry principles, the parameters used in the nanosilver production process were optimized.
The most favorable process parameters were as follows: (i)AgNO3 concentration: 0.000483 mol/dm3,(ii)weight of polyphenols contained in the raspberry extract: 4 mg/cm3,(iii)pH: 9,(iv)temperature: 22°C.
Figures 6(a)–6(c) present results of UV-Vis and DLS analyses of some samples.
4. Discussion of Results
This study developed an innovative method for the preparation of nanosilver, in which the key factors affecting the quality of the product were found to be the AgNO3 concentration, the weight of polyphenols contained in the raspberry extract, the pH value, and the process temperature. Based on the data, it was found that, by increasing process temperature, the average particles size decreases, which leads to an increase in the reaction kinetics, resulting in a greater number of smaller nanoparticles of a monodispersed nature. Increasing silver nitrate (V) concentration contributes to a reduction in the average nanosilver size. This is related to the formation of a large number of small nanoparticles and a longer suspension stability time. Increasing the amount of the raspberry extract (whose compounds have been shown to have both reducing and stabilizing properties) relative to the AgNO3 concentration prevents the agglomeration of nanoparticles due to electrostatic integrations, such that they have greater stability. The degree of suspension stability is dependent on the pH value: intensification of alkaline pH promotes product stability. The higher the pH, the greater the number of smaller nanoparticles produced, since in the case of low pH, the aggregation of existing nanoparticles is favored rather than the nucleation of new ones. This is due to the fact that alkaline conditions stimulate the transformation of the reducing agent in a form which favors charge transfer.
As a result of this study, stable suspensions of nanosilver using aqueous raspberry extract were obtained. Statistical analysis techniques were used such that the planning and interpretation of the results were carried out more effectively.
Supporting Information Available
This information is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org/.
This work is a part of the project Synthesis and Application of Innovative Nanomaterials with Antimicrobial Properties supported by National Centre for Research and Development under the Project LIDER/03/146/L-3/11/NCBR/2012 for the period of 2012–2015.
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many times in my life i pause and say... "it's the little things in life that make me so happy". nothing could prove that phrase more true in my life than possibly my favorite past time, watching dogs. meet scotty and bama...
this is scotty, also known as "potty".
my family adopted him when i was a senior in high school.
his birthday is november 5, 2002
he is my brother.
his favorite pastimes include:
finding and chewing on sticks that are bigger than him (photo),
wrestling with bama, being my mom's shadow,
licking our plates when we are finished with them, licking himself,
barking at the vacuum, sunning, chasing cats, and chewing on one of his many toys.
this is bama, also known as "bam bam" and "the wiener".
ryan got him when he was a junior in college.
his birthday is february 14, 2006.
he is my son (scotty's nephew).
his favorite pastimes include:
chewing on his toenails, tripping me when i'm cooking,
stealing toys from scotty, barking and chasing children and squirrels,
sprinting, sunning, hiding from the vacuum,
sleeping under mounds of blankets,
sleeping on the back of the couch, and chewing on his duck (photo).
every time we go to my parents house the wiener goes with us, and inevitably, he and scotty will play and play and play, and love every minute of it. i think all dogs are funny, but for some reason, bama and scotty are so much more funny when they are together. they absolutely love each other. if we say the other dog's name in one dog's presence, they freak out because they want to be together.
best friends
who could keep from being happy with these 2 pups around... not me! they constantly teach me that it will always be "the little things" in life that make me so happy.


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This Shabad is by Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji in Salok Fareed Jee on Pannaa 1384 of SGGS ji:
sBnw mn mwixk Twhxu mUil mcWgvw ]
sabhanaa man maanik...
This Shabad is by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree on Pannaa 293
swDsMig imil krhu Anµd ]
gun gwvhu pRB prmwnµd ]
What do you think about public education and its overall political message?
Basiclly, I think its amazingly bent left, and not just a little, but...


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The following excerpt has been taken
from the new book The Way of Wyrd, by Brian Bates. It is published by
Hay House (February 2005) and available at all bookstores or online at:
The Way of Wyrd
Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer
By Brian Bates
The Sorcerers Spirit Circle
"WASTE-DWELLER, WHY DO YOU spin your spell?"
The sorcerers voice rasped from gaping fangs as he crouched over
the sick woman like a giant Wolfman. He looked awesome, wrapped in an
enormous, gray wolf-skin, the wolf-head resting on top of his own so that
he towered at least seven
feet tall.
The Spirit House was crowded with the entire population of the settlement,
including children and even babes-in-arms, but no one moved or made a
sound. People sat still as carved icons, fire-shadows dancing on faces
crammed three deep around the walls. Inside the Spirit Circle, bounded
by ropes suspended from stakes pounded into the earth floor, only I sat
next to the sorcerer, dry-mouthed, gripped by the imminent presence of
the pagan powers of darkness.
Firelight crawled over the giant wolf-skin, glowed on the snake-clasp
at the sorcerers throat, and brought the gold-wrought eyes of the
wolf-head glittering into life. Slowly, carefully, the sorcerer settled
into an attacking position opposite the woman, humping his back like a
hunting wolf. The woman sat stiff and straight-backed, her scrawny body
clamped by fear. Her head bobbed and weaved to avoid the Wolfmans
glinting eyes until, twitching, she dropped her head and stared at the
ground as if spellbound by the floor straw. In the smoky light, I could
see the grotesque growth at the bridge of her nose and the flesh around
her eye, puffy and angry with infection. Abruptly, the Wolfman howled,
hoarse with emotion:
"Spirit, why do you dwell on this womans face? You have snatched
this womans soul and left your battle scars on her face. Without
her soul, this woman is dying. Where are you now? Where do you lurk, nursing
her soul like a flesh-ripping carrion eater? Are you prowling the forest
like a dealer in death? Are you on Doddas Ridge? Grendels
Pit? Eagle Mountain? Or are you lying low, like a wounded fox, in stagnant
ditchwater? For an evil sickness, voyaging far from home, you have outstayed
your welcome. Wherever you are hiding, I shall hunt you down!"
There was a short silence, punctuated only by the hiss and snap of the
fire. Suddenly, without warning, the sorcerer ripped off the wolf-skin
and rolled into a hunched shape next to the woman, his back humped and
head pressed between his knees, his elbows projecting out from his sides.
"Leave me alone!" he said, in a high, shrill voice. Astonished,
I darted a furtive glance around the room; serious faces watched the proceedings
intently, and I choked back a nervous laugh.
The sorcerer leapt back into his wolf-skin.
"Leave you alone?" he snarled, stalking menacingly back and
forth in front of the woman. "You are leaving, banished to the Land
of the Dead from whence you came!"
He threw off the wolf-skin and jumped back into his humped position. "What
are you going to do?" he squeaked, again impersonating the wart-shape.
The Wolfman leapt to his feet, his eyes flashing like dragon-flame before
they disappeared beneath the wolf-head. "I am going to hunt you down!"
he howled.
The crumpled wart-shape again stared at the empty wolf-skin. "Why
are you hunting me?" it squeaked. "Who summoned you?"
"Worthy spirits summoned me, for you are a burden. You are a waste-dweller
trespassing where you are not wanted. You are a menace, to be driven out!"
ranted the Wolfman, strutting around the Spirit Circle, the massive wolf-skin
swaying from side to side.
I glanced back at the womans face, almost anticipating a reply from
the little wen sitting imperiously on her nose. In a mead hall, the charade
would have been greeted with roars of laughter as worthy drinking entertainment,
but in the smoky Spirit Circle, the proceedings were haunted by the choking
chill of danger.
The Wolfman turned his attention back to the woman.
Squatting in front of her, he slipped a hand inside the wolf-skin and,
like a conjurer, produced a beaded leather strap. He handed this to me
and pointed toward the womans head. I scrambled to my feet and knelt
behind the woman in order to tie back her long hair. I had been expecting
such a task for, although totally alien to such rituals, I was sitting
inside the Spirit Circle as the sorcerers assistant. But suddenly
becoming the center of attention terrified me, and my hands trembled like
the limbs of a frightened rabbit. The womans hair slipped out of
the loop before I could tighten the knot, and the audience stirred impatiently,
pushing against the hemp-rope barrier of the Spirit Circle. Blinking sweat
from my eyes, I tried again; this time the knot held, and I tied it back
Again the sorcerer dipped into the wolf-skin, and this time produced a
large linen sack from which he drew handfuls of spiky leaves, still fresh
and green. Quickly and skillfully he folded them together, intertwining
the stems, and rubbed them vigorously between his palms. I could hear
him murmuring in a strange, high-pitched voice, as if he were singing
to himself.
"Little wen, little wen, you have stolen this womans soul.
She is now as hollow as a rotten tree, but not for long, not for long."
He padded softly up to the woman and tipped his head to one side, the
glittering eyes of the wolf-skin glowing craftily. Then he addressed the
spirit in a high, wheedling tone.
"Little wen, you should return home to the wastelands, where you
will be happy."
Suddenly he slapped the pack of crushed leaves directly on to the womans
face, and she swayed back with the impact. The Wolfman glanced at me sharply,
and I moved quickly behind the woman to give her support, holding her
head in my hands.
Sitting back on his haunches and pushing the leaves against the womans
face with his left hand, the sorcerer slowly raised his right arm above
his head: Rows of eyes flashed in the firelight, following the gradual
rise of his empty hand and watching his white fingers spreading apart
above the wolf-skin. Suddenly his hand held a large object. A gasp whistled
around the packed darkness, and my stomach lurched sickeningly, for he
was grasping the enormous claw of a birdthree huge, black eagle
talons glowing menacingly in the flickering firelight.
The sorcerer moved the claw slowly toward the womans face. Her eyes
must have been open, for I could feel her head straining to keep the approaching
object in her line of vision. She began to tremble violently, and when
the hideous stump touched her she whined and whimpered like a sick dog.
Clamping the leaves on to the womans face with the eagle claw, the
Wolfman began a strange writhing, crawling dance, his body weaving slowly,
silently, the wolf eyes locked to the womans face. He chanted again,
his words a wet cackle:
I begin my singing,
and begin my chanting.
Mighty spirit sitting at earths rim,
wrapped in eagle feathers.
Mighty wind-winger,
stallion of the sky,
lend me your power
that fares over Middle-Earth
and the affairs of men.
His voice reverberated inside my head like a chanted mass, and the room
began to spin before my eyes. The Wolfmans voice faded to a hoarse
My words wing from Eagle-Spirit,
sharp-eyed dealer of death. . . .
Under the Eagles claw may you wither,
under the Eagles claw may you dry and drain
like barley in a bail, and water in a pail.
May you become as small as linseed grain,
and become so small that you become
nothing at all.
Silently, like a specter, the humped wart-shape appeared at the Wolfmans
side. I thought that my eyes were playing tricks and shook my head to
clear the dual image, but the wart-shape remained, not moving or breathing,
but staring directly at the Wolfman. I had not even had time to take in
the physical appearance of the monster when suddenly the Wolfman shivered,
jerked violently, and was thrown to the ground, the eagles claw
dropping from his hand. The room burst into uproar, and immediately the
spirit shape disappeared. The Wolfmans body convulsed and writhed
dangerously close to the fire, and I scrambled over to him and forced
my right leg between him and the fire as a barrier. The sorcerers
body was bent backwards like a hunting bow, and under the wolf-head his
face gleamed as he gasped and gurgled for every breath.
Feverishly I struggled to snap open the snake clasp that secured the wolf-skin
around his throat, but it was stuck fast. Desperately I whirled around,
peering through swirling fire-smoke for help, but at that instant, the
sorcerers knees slammed into his chest, shot away from him, and
he sprang to his feet like a willow whip. The heat of the fire burned
into my leg, and I jumped away with a yelp. I crawled back to my place
on the edge of the Spirit Circle, watching the Wolfman in utter astonishment
and unable to believe that his desperate choking had been merely an act.
Stepping away from the woman, the sorcerer paced around the fire again
and began to hum. The audience fell silent immediately. Barely audible
at first, the Wolfmans humming rose higher and higher in pitch,
then became loud, harsh, and plaintive as if he were pleading with someone.
People around the packed room took up the refrain the Wolfman had established,
the humming gradually rising and falling with increasing power, the sounds
vibrating against the walls and echoing into the roof-beams. Soon the
audience began to sway back and forth, clapping in time to the rhythms,
the smoke from the fire seeming to break up the movement of their bodies
into small staccato jerks. The effect was spellbinding. I raised my hands
and began to clap with everyone else.
While the noise continued unabated, the sorcerer turned back toward the
woman. He seemed to have changed tactics. Squatting purposefully in front
of her, he took another linen bag from inside the wolf-skin. Pulling open
the drawstring, he carefully tipped out about a dozen irregularly shaped
stones, each about the size of a mans fist, and arranged them on
the ground, apparently laying them out in a set pattern or sequence. When
he had finished, I could see that each adjacent stone interlocked with
neighboring cavities to form an unbroken ring.
The sorcerer reached again into the sack and brought out a small glazed
pot, painted with a mass of angular symbols, which he placed carefully
in the center of the small stone circle. Each movement was carefully controlled
and precise, even elegant, and utterly compelling. Not once did I take
my eyes off him.
A third time the sorcerer reached into the linen bag and this time pulled
out a small pouch of the type used for storing finger rings. He picked
open the knots on a drawstring threaded with tiny beads and poured the
contents of the pouch into the glazed pot. Then he dipped a taper into
the fire until it popped into flame and, slowly and deliberately, passed
the burning taper back and forth over the bowl. The taper went out.
All around me, the clapping and humming crashed rhythmically into my ears,
as the Wolfman relit the taper and again applied it to the bowl. Wreaths
of copper-colored smoke spiraled slowly from the circle of small stones;
immediately he discarded the taper, leaned over, and blew steadily into
the bowl. He exhaled powerfully, hissing like a striking snake, and the
burning power-plants crackled, popped, and glowed deep red, smoke pungent
as altar incense billowing into
the air.
The smoke drifted around my head like a shroud, and I sniffed at it cautiously.
At once the hairs inside my nose prickled and stiffened as if frozen by
a winter frost, and I felt a tightness in my throat. My eyes began to
stream tears, and a moment later my ears buzzed and hummed. It was a disturbingly
powerful sensation, and I shut my eyes tightly in an effort to regain
control of my senses.
When I opened my eyes, the sorcerer was leaning directly over the smoking
substance, his face close to the bowl, breathing deeply and rhythmically.
Incredibly, the wolf-skin expanded and contracted like a weapon-smiths
bellows as he pumped his body full of the orange smoke. I watched in horrified
fascination, my head still floating from the merest whiff of the smoke.
I could not conceive how he could fill his lungs with it.


text:
|A castle at the end of the world. All is still. But there is a problem…
|The Man in The Moon is fast asleep…
|The idle sailors wait for the moon to light their way
|The castle is locked for the night and the keys are inside!
It could be a long night.
A doodle from my sketchbook
Dec. 4, 2013
mixed media


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The Challengers made the most of their new Edge 540s today, putting in a fantastic performance to make one of the most exciting races in Challenger Cup history. Here is what they thought of their performances...
1st Florian Bergér
"It's amazing. I'm really happy that I won the race here. In the years before I was second or third, so it's quite a big thing for me. I struggled a lot with over-G penalties, so I tried to fly a conservative flight but fast. I was really impressed when Daniel Ryfa flew in, he had a very nice time and a good run. He was half a second faster, nearly, and then he picked up a pylon hit, and that's it. The secret was to fly on the G limit yet not to pick up a penalty, a little bit on the conservative side but still fast. I tried to be right on the limit and it worked out. My goal for the season is to fly consistent and to be on the podium as often as possible. Perhaps it will be possible to have another overall win of the Challenger Cup but it will be quite tough. "
2nd Luke Czepiela
"Am I happy? Yes and no. I've a long history of bad results in Abu Dhabi. The two races I've flown here in the past I've had pylon hits, so I flew conservatively. It did pay off in the end – second place – I'm happy with that. But I'm not happy with the time, 1.5s slower than Florian is too much. So I will push harder at the next race."
3rd Kevin Coleman
"Pretty happy; it's funny I knew I couldn't be as fast as Danny and Flo, so I just flew conservatively and didn't risk anything. I wanted to get as many points as possible and have them in the bag before working out what we can do in the next race."
4th Dario Costa
"I feel quite happy. I managed to keep it clean and penalty free as I was aiming – nothing more was in my target for this race."
5th Daniel Ryfa
"In the last turn I hit the pylon unfortunately. I'm really upset and p***** off with myself. I was pushing so hard and I didn't know I was going to hit the pylon, but I felt it when I did. Overall I'm happy with my flying; I pushed a lot and my net time was going to be the quickest in Challenger history for Abu Dhabi. It's now time to focus on Cannes. I will continue to push hard. You have to to be competitive, the margins are so small that you have to push, which adds pressure, but I'll be ready for the rest of the season."
6th Patrick Davidson
"It was an interesting experience and there was a lot of information to take in. This morning I was nervous, but the run was my best net time so far, but I picked up a penalty. I'm looking forward to the season and going to new venues with the new raceplane. It's a good learning ground and a great way to get into the Master Class, and now that we have the Edge we're getting closer to them."
7th Daniel Genevey
"I wanted to correct the line I took in Qualifying and I over-G'd which cost me. It's disappointing because it was in the race, but that's how it is. I'm very happy because I had been flying cleanly and fast. I feel comfortable in the new raceplane already."


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SL Police massacre of Tamil civilians in East
| Date: 19970928
Sinhalese police of Amparai's Central Camp station together with some muslim homeguards stormed the 4th Colony Tamil village randomly killing Tamil civilians and torching over 45 homes.
So far, 7 dead bodies of Tamils have been discovered - only 5 of which could be identified - and there are likely to be more discoveries as time passes. 20 other Tamil civilians were critically injured in the police rampage, which also caused the 4th Colony's entire population to take flight to safer areas. Bodies of dead people were set on fire by the Sinhalese police. The actual numbers of dead and severely wounded has not yet been ascertained. The identified dead bodies are as follows:
Velupillai Packiaraja of 4th Colony
Ponniah Sathasivam of 4th Colony
Velliakuddy Suntharalingam of Veeramunai
Kanapathipillai Kumaraswamy of 4th Colony
Kumaraswamy Thankanayaaki of 4th Colony


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Design impacts everything we do. What does this mean for libraries? Design comes into play as we craft our collections, create instruction programs, construct user-centered websites, renovate buildings, and redesign our policies. It mediates our information-seeking behavior, connects us with both students and faculty, and influences our interactions with our physical environment. This year's symposium looks at design in academic libraries from four very different perspectives. Come join the conversation.
Registration will open on October 4th.
The William and Anita Newman Vertical Campus Conference Center
Baruch College
55 Lexington Avenue (at 24th Street) Room 14-220 (14th floor)
New York, NY
We hope to see you there.


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Re-Nest On Living, Eating, and Buying Local
• Local Dirt: Helping You Find Local Food
• Local Means Fresh and Healthy With Seedlings, Too
• Former Urbanites, Now Local Food Farmers
• From Farm to Table: The Local Food Movement
• Another Reason To Go Local? Global Deforestation
• The 3/50 Project: Support and Save Your Local Business
• Share Some Sugar: Why Buy When You Can Borrow?
See more posts below!
• Locavore App: Tracks Seasonal Produce
• Walmart: The Newest Champion of Local Food?
• Get To Know Your Grocer For Deals on Green Cleaning
• How To Join a CSA
• Hyperlocavore: A Yardsharing Community
• Community Involvement: Green Volunteerism
• Housewarming: Have a Stock My Garden Party!
(Image: Re-Nest)


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Followers of the discipline of Art and Music are now able to build elaborate acoustic laboratories, in which an extensive range of musical wind chimes can be fashioned.
The completed chimes can be installed on ornamental "Chime Tower" buildings.
A fully-featured multi-track sequencer interface then allows the owner of the Chime Tower to create original musical compositions using the assembled chimes.
Visitors to a Chime Tower are invited to cast votes on the finished musical sequence, and each week the composers of the most popular arrangements will be elevated towards the coveted rank of "Oracle of Art and Music".
The "Test of Windsong" is the most recent of seven challenges faced by followers of the discipline of Art and Music. Other challenges include the design of advanced pyrotechnics, the creation of impressive sculptures, and the construction of beautiful ornamental flower gardens.


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3D Sound: Makes Outdoor Entertaining a Snap!?
With the weather turning warmer our thoughts are turning to outdoor entertaining. What is outdoor entertaining without some music? Adding another entry into the portable speaker category is Portuguese designer Emanuel Maia's "3D Sound."
3D Sound is a speaker concept that you may use as a necklace or a key holder. With it's small size it really epitomizes portable sound. The speaker integrates wirelessly into a system that can be programmed according to a particular concert or event. The idea behind the speaker is to provide a way for everyone to stay connected no matter where they are at the event, standing inside or outside.
We can easily see the potential for large concert venues, but we are interested to see how this would play out for home events. Would the host hand out each speaker at the door? We are not sure how well this would work in a home outdoor entertaining scenario, but we do find this concept quite interesting. What do you think?
For more information, check out Emanual Maia.
[via The Design Blog]


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Breast feeding was going so well, and now I've got this painful Mastitiis
Breast mastitis infection commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (especially during the first two months after childbirth) but can occur in all women at any time. Mastitis is a benign (non-cancerous) condition that can usually be treated successfully with antibiotics. Symptoms of mastitis include red, hot, painful, or inflamed breasts and other flu-like symptoms such as headache, nausea, high body temperature (101 degrees Fahrenheit, 38.4 degrees Celsius or greater), or chills. Women with symptoms of mastitis should see a physician. Breast-feeding with mastitis is generally not harmful to the baby and may actually help speed up recovery.


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The Inaugural Light And Love Tarot Reading Marathon
The Inaugural Light & Love Tarot Reading Marathon, #LLTRM18
Tarot is a tool that is greatly misunderstood and mostly associated with divination, but its true purpose moves far beyond the realm of fortune telling; personal development, spiritual growth and enlightenment are some of the true benefits one can gain from the personal use of Tarot. Being conscious of our health and wellness (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) is the undeniable essence which will empower us to make a difference in this world.
The First Mile:
Friday September 21st 2018.
The Crowley Arts Centre
5325 Crowley Ave, Montreal, Canada, H4A 2C6
Guests of Honour:
Rachel Pollack is the author of forty books, including two award-winning novels and a group of books about Tarot sold around the world, including 78 Degrees of Wisdom, often called the "Bible of Tarot readers". She is the creator of The Shining Tribe Tarot, and, with artist Robert Place, The Raziel Tarot.
Please visit her website for more information: www.RachelPollack.com
Mary K. Greer is a scholar, writer, teacher and professional tarot consultant. With more than forty years experience in tarot as an author and teacher, she advocates a revolutionary approach to learning and using the cards that emphasizes personal insight and creativity. As an expert tarot reader, she works as a "midwife of the soul", using techniques that are interactive, transformational and empowering.
Please visit her website for more information: MaryKGreer.com


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Before & After: '70s Bathroom Addition Finally Fits In
While glad for the extra space, the addition made on Amanda and Dustin's Sears Kit home felt out of place. So, when they started an update on its bathroom, making it fit in with the rest of the home was a priority.
From Amanda:
My boyfriend and I bought a 1925 Sears kit home in December of 2014. The entire house needed improvement, but the worst part was the way the addition they added on in the 70s felt too much like an addition. While we loved the space and extra full bathroom it had, it felt too much like it was just thrown together and not a part of the house.
One night of boredom and beers brought my boyfriend and I to start tearing down the wallpaper in the addition's bathroom to put a fresh coat of paint on. Unfortunately, we found that the drywall underneath the wallpaper was in TERRIBLE condition. We ended up taking the bathroom down to the studs and sub-floor and starting fresh.
We installed new drywall, beadboard, floor tile, trim, vent, showerhead, sink, toilet and much more. We made sure to use the same thick trim that the original part of the home has and it definitely has become less of a random 70s addition bathroom. It took two months and way more money than we expected, but we're so happy with the way it turned out.
Thank you Amanda & Dustin!


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Changing Your Family's Diet
Eating for a Healthier You
People have been discussing eating healthy for years. With fast food restaurants on every corner and a lot of them having play areas inside them for children, it can make eating healthy a difficult thing. Time constraints are another issue that makes home made healthy meals a daunting thought.
Diseases such as: diabetes, kidney diseases, celiac and food allergies can make life a little more stressed as the growing need for strict dietary restrictions become more of a necessity. Then there is the concern of the cost of healthier foods. There is hope though for both the cost and the time to make tasty, healthy, home made meals for your loved ones.
Crock-pot meals
Your crock-pot can be your best friend when preparing meals that don't take a lot of time. Pot roast, chicken, soups, even desserts can be made by quickly throwing a few ingredients into the bowl, turning the crock-pot on and going about your day. You are only limited by your imagination with what you can make with your crock-pot.
Always make more than what you need. No, this is not so that it can go to waste in the refrigerator. If you make double what you need for one family sized meal, you can freeze the rest and use it for a night when time is very restricted. If you cook meats for dinner, take the extra pieces and use them to top a salad with. This can be used to take for lunch the next day. That eliminates the problem of both healthy eating and spending the extra money to eat out.
Elimination of foods
The process of removing foods from your family's diet can be a stressful one. If the reasons that you are changing diet are for general health reasons, you can start off slowly. Start by removing a couple of items at a time. If you are changing diets because of something more serious, things might be a little more difficult, however, they are necessary. You will have to change things right away. A lot of people have more of a problem knowing they can't eat something and therefore they end up craving it more. If you can no longer eat wheat, you can still enjoy gluten free pasta and breads. If you can no longer have dairy products, start experimenting with dairy free drinks, such as: coconut, almond, soy or rice milk. A lot of these can come in different flavors as well. If you can no longer eat the excess sugars, start by switching over to sugar free sweeteners and cutting back on your carb intake. For people who eat a lot of pasta and breads try to reduce the amount you eat on a daily basis. If you crave candy, try reducing the amount that you eat and eat sugar free candy. Use natural sugars- fruits- to satisfy your sweet tooth rather than reaching for that candy bar.
Mental outlook on your new lifestyle
Don't think of the change as a "diet". It's common with people to hear the word "diet" and all of a sudden feel like they are starving and give up. This is a lifestyle and needs to be thought of in a positive way. These small changes, as enormous as they may seem at the time, are going to make a large and positive impact on your life and the lives of those around you.


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Architects in Hampshire
List of Hampshire based architecture firms offering commercial and residential architectural services.
Business Listings
We are a small creative practice of Architectural Professionals based in Southsea, Hampshire with extensive design and technical qualifications coupled with years of industry experience. We specialise in residential and small commercial projects. With our low overhead and unbeatable rates we can offer the average homeowner access to great design and planning services that could not normally be provided
AXIS ARCHITECTURE began practising as a firm of Chartered Architects on 1st February 1994. The coming together of two Architects and a Senior Architectural Technician, later joined by two Senior Technicians represents over 100 years of experience in the Building Industry. As of January 2006 the partnership became a limited company.
Providing architectural design & services to commercial, retail, residential, health, education & industrial sectors. Plans, Drawings, Planning Application, Eco-friendly Design, Sustainable Building, Green Architect, Survey, Domestic Extension, Residential Design, Commercial Plans.
Studio of architects and designers offering a full architectural service throughout Hampshire and London. Planning Applications and Building Control submissions also offered as stand a lone services. We can now also offer 3D point cloud scanning.
RMJ Surveys provide survey data to architectural practices throughout Hampshire and the South of England. RMJ Surveys specialise in Land Surveying and all aspects of Measured Building Surveying including detailed floorplans, elevation and section drawings, site setting out, drainage and boundary surveys. We offer a 10% discount for referrals from architecturefirms.co.uk
Deer Park Alpha is a specialist architectural practice in Hampshire committed to improving the environment. We help people and organisations in the residential and commercial sector who require an imaginative and personal service across design, architecture, education and urban design.
LA Hally Architect is a small RIBA Chartered Practice with a young, fresh and innovative approach to design. LA Hally Architect focuses primarily on high quality private residential projects, which they approach with a passion for contemporary design and detail. This applies across all projects no matter the budget, whether it is a Listed Building or in a Conservation area.
The Steven Barlow Partnership is an innovative, dynamic and enthusiastic design practice delivering high quality architectural solutions by working closely with their Clients within the residential, healthcare and commercial sectors in the United Kingdom.
Most of our work comes from personal recommendation. If you are interested in using our services, please contact us for an informal discussion. Regardless of the size of the project, we will come to visit you in order to appraise the nature of the scheme. We will also give you an indication of the possible costs and timescale.
Bizzy Blue Design Ltd is an architect's practice offering a full range of architectural services from inception to completion. We carry out a wide variety of architecture forms including commercial, industrial, residential, educational and health care building types. The practice employs a highly experienced architect registered with ARB & RIBA and a varied team of technical staff.


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I'm moving my blog to Wordpress. You can now find Salty Bread here.
Same blog. Different location.
See you there!
Salty Bread comes from Dante Alighieri's masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. Florentines like Dante were used to eating bread made without salt. Living in exile meant, among other things, eating foreign-tasting, salty bread. "You shall leave everything you love most. . . . You are to know the bitter taste of others' bread, how salty it is, and know how hard a path it is for one who goes ascending and descending others' stairs" (Paradiso, XVII, 55-60).
I'm moving my blog to Wordpress. You can now find Salty Bread here.
Same blog. Different location.
See you there!
Me first! It's something you hear on playgrounds every day. Children don't have to be taught how to be selfish. It comes naturally. But not just for children, for grown-ups too. We live in a Me first! society full of Me first! people. Just look at how folks maneuver and speed up to get ahead on the highways and push past in the grocery lines. It even affects religion. Go into any Christian bookstore. The self-help section is the largest. Me first! The Bible says, "Husbands love your wives" but husbands leave their wives and children to "find themselves." Me first! Women and men put their careers ahead of family. Me first! We live in a self-promoting, self-absorbed generation.
It was no different in Jesus' day. James and John came to Jesus and asked him to do them a favor: "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory" (Mark 10:37). They wanted to be Jesus' right-hand man. Only they didn't know what they were asking for.
These sons of Zebedee were seeking the ultimate political appointment, only they got it all wrong. They weren't asking a man who was about to set up an earthly, Messianic kingdom, as they supposed. They were asking someone hell-bent on getting himself killed. Jesus was a dead man walking. He was a criminal on his way to execution. And to be with him was to be guilty by association. Only they didn't know that when they asked their question. Like a good Jew, Jesus answered their question with more questions: "Can ye drink the cup that I drink of? And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
Their immediate, unreflective reply was Yes, we can! They sounded like giddy Obama groupies just waiting for their man to take power. Jesus and his disciples were again talking past each other. Not only did James and John have no idea what they were asking of Jesus, they had not a clue as to what he was asking of them.
People often don't realize what they're getting themselves into. I've read several memoirs of young men who enlisted in the military in a time of war but didn't realize what they were signing up for. Especially in World War I most joined for adventure, glory, and patriotism. What they got instead was long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of terror followed by disillusionment and cynicism. Few found what they set out after.
Jesus was great at turning things upside down, like when he overturned the moneychangers' tables. He turned the Sabbath law on its head: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). He reversed economics. Instead of "get as much as you can," he said, "Go, sell all you have and give to the poor" (Matt. 19:21). Jesus inverted the impulse of self-preservation: "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (Luke 17:33). He even promised to reverse life and death: "he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). In Mark 10, he turns the tables on his two ambitious disciples, telling them, "whosoever of you wants to be the greatest, shall be servant of all" (44). The disciples didn't get it. We don't either.
The truly great Christians are not seeking positions of power but follow Jesus on the not-so-well-worn path of self-sacrifice that leads to suffering. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said "when Jesus calls a man he bids him come and die" (The Cost of Discipleship).
Discipleship means following Jesus' teaching and example, not the shallow Me first! preaching we hear from megachurch pulpits or on TV. Robert McElvaine, author of Grand Theft Jesus, calls it "ChristianityLite." With lots of wry wit and sarcasm he characterizes the Me first! attitude prevalent today: "Turn the other cheek? Self-sacrifice? Help the poor? Nonviolence? That shit's too hard!" (4-5).
If we're going to get serious about following Jesus, we need to start by repenting of our Me first! approach to life. (Me first.) Self-centeredness is a sin, and sin must be paid for. Jesus "gave his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). This transactional theology makes my liberal friends squirm. Christianity is not a civilized, sophisticated religion. It's primitive. There's blood and sacrifice. Jesus had to die as a "ransom" to pay the penalty for my sins, and yours.If we repent of our selfishness and pride, Jesus will show us a better way: "not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Mark 10:45). It's the way of service to others. Others first! instead of Me first! That's what Gospel living is all about.
This week historic First Baptist Church of Washington, DC (FBC DC) took a bold step across the racial divide when the traditionally white congregation that once had slaves as members called Dr. Jeffrey Haggray as its first African-American pastor. (Presidents Truman and Carter both attended the church while in office.) In a previous post I summarized lessons learned from Dr. Ed Pruden's memoir A Window on Washington in which the author recounts his long tenure as pastor of FBC DC. One take-away from the book was that "racial integration took a long time, even in the nation's capital." Now the church and capital are once again setting an example of racial reconciliation. I applaud FBC DC's membership and congratulate Dr. Haggray on this happy and momentous occasion.
In my previous post I blogged on the lections (Bible readings) for last Sunday, lamenting the way both the theological right and left have selective hearing. Then I came across this gem by nineteenth-century philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard:
The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you?
(Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard)
Why is it that we let pastors, biblical commentators, Christian authors, and even (gulp) bloggers talk us out of the plain meaning of scripture (if there is such a thing)? It was the serpent who beguiled Eve by asking, "Yea, hath God said . . .?" (Gen. 3:1) In other words, "God didn't really mean that, did he?" Selective listening is a ubiquitous problem that makes the whole world hard of hearing. We all twist scripture for our own self-serving purposes at times. I want the Bible to speak to me in a way that rouses me out of my spiritual lethargy, but I'll admit don't always feel that way. Lord, Give us ears to hear what you are saying!
Theological liberals tend to be more permissive of sexual sins but passionate in their opposition to social and economic injustice. Conservatives get their knickers in a twist over sexual immorality but often ignore economic exploitation to the point of oblivion. In scripture, however, both sex and labor are powerful forces that need divine regulation.
On the sixth day of creation God established both the Sabbath and marriage, making these two the oldest divine institutions. God limited work to six days of the week and circumscribed sex within an exclusive union between one man and one woman. Work and sex are both (re)productive activities God enjoins and protects.
There are, in fact, not one but two creation stories in Genesis—the first majestic, the other messy. Guess which one involves human relationships? (Duh.) When God made the sun, moon, and stars from nothing and filled the earth with living creatures, he pronounced everything "good." But when he went back to survey his handiwork, he said something was "not good": "It is not good that man should be alone" (2:18). The Bible doesn't tell us why it's not good for man to be alone. Maybe because there's nobody who will ask for directions. Be that as it may, God's resolve to make a "helper" for man suggests the need for a coworker more than a soulmate.
If the original purpose of woman was to assist man with his labor, then the so what? of this creation narrative is a little surprising: "Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (24). God surgically removed a rib from Adam's side, in order to create a new kind of physical union—sexual relations between man and woman. At least that's what's implied by "they shall become one flesh." Woman was created to provide a suitable partner for man in both labor and sexual relations. And that partnership was supposed to last ("shall cleave unto his wife").
Moses, the lawgiver, allowed for divorce and remarriage (Deut. 24:1-4). Jesus, who often played fast and loose with the Sabbath, did not. He said, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her" (Mark 10:11). Legalism says follow the rules and you'll be rewarded. Disobey them and you'll be punished. Jesus was no legalist, yet he gave a more restrictive rule when it comes to marriage and divorce. In context he explained that this higher standard is based on God's original purpose.
Gospel living is not about what you can get away with and still be within the legal limits. It's about walking with God and following his plan; and that plan, according to the Bible, is to be sexually active only within the protective bonds of marriage and economically productive without exploitation or workaholism.


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A public hearing on proposed changes in Palm Beach County public school boundaries will be held April 8 instead of Monday in the School Board chambers, 3323 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach.
The hearing at 7 p.m. will give the public a chance to comment on all proposed changes. Most would affect schools in the northern part of the county.
Proposed boundary changes in the southern part of the county include moving some 55 students from Spanish River High to Boca Raton High. That would affect only students who are now eighth-graders planning to attend Spanish River High.
Another proposed change involves 927 students from Whispering Pines Elementary who are expected to attend a new elementary school west of U.S. 441 (State Road 7) and south of Palmetto Park Road.
More proposed changes would come from a policy that, according to school officials, is designed to balance schools racially.


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Pones Inc's production history is incredibly diverse, ranging from nine years of selection for the Cincinnati Fringe Festival to an annual holiday show "Amahl and the Night Visitors" with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Xavier University and Madcap Puppets.
Productions often have an advocacy component tied to the creation, as well as being experiential for audiences. Additionally, Pones Inc. often creates site-specific work that utilizes found space, versus proscenium stages, and blurs the lines between audience and performers.
Additionally, Pones Inc. is well-versed in more traditional productions, sharing the stage with collaborators from concert:nova, Queen City Flash, Know Theatre, and Cincinnati Choral Society.
In 2014, "ConverseNation" became Pones Inc.'s first production presented internationally, representing Cincinnati and its dance artists in the CrisisArt Festival in Arezzo, Italy.


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I took this photo this morning. What do you guys think?
Hotel PR Residency is a 3-star hotel located in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar. The excellent location of the hotel makes it easy for our guests to explore Amritsar's attractions such as Golden Temple, Shri Durgiana Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah Border.


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Posting on the official BioWare forums, community coordinator Chris Priestly explained why the studio wanted to include a co-op multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 and how the game's new Galaxy at War system will bring the mode to life.
"We have always maintained that we would only add multiplayer into the Mass Effect series if it made sense and did not compromise the power of the single player campaign," Priestly stated. "Fighting together against a common threat was the multiplayer experience that made the most sense for Mass Effect 3. The way we have designed co-op as a way to take control of key conflict zones in the galaxy is a natural extension of the premise of Mass Effect 3."
ME3's new Galaxy at War system will allow players to manage their in-game experience, both in the single-player campaign and four-player co-op, and while BioWare notes that co-op is "entirely optional," playing co-op can give players "an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory" in the campaign.
The rundown from BioWare:
Players can choose from a variety of classes and races, form an elite Special Forces squad, and combine their weapons, powers and abilities to devastating effect as they fight together to liberate key territories from enemy control. Success in multiplayer will have a direct impact on the outcome of the single player campaign, giving players an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory against the greatest threat mankind – and the entire galaxy – has ever faced.Priestly said that a dedicated team at BioWare's recently formed Edmonton office is developing the multiplayer mode while BioWare's Montreal office "remains dedicated to delivering one of the most amazing single-player campaigns gamers have ever experienced."
BioWare also revealed that players will manage a galactic map in the Galaxy at War system and use co-op to battle to take back "key conflict zones." Players will create custom characters in co-op, and the mode will include a separate character progression, weapon upgrading, and leveling system.
Mass Effect 3 is in development for Windows PCs, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The game is set for launch on March 6, 2012.
Spy Guy says: With the game's various classes -- which are really sci-fi versions of the classic warrior tank, rogue ranged, and mage magic user fantasy classes -- Mass Effect should be perfect for co-op. The single-player campaign can be a bit too easy at times, even with your AI companions, so hopefully BioWare will up the difficulty of enemies significantly. Other than that, I'm all for co-op in ME3 -- are you?


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For travel over the week of the July 4th holiday, fly nonstop from Los Angeles to Lihue for $339 round-trip, including all taxes, on American.
We found seats departing LAX on Wednesday, July 2, returning from LIH on the following Wednesday, July 9.
Other dates are available for travel Mondays through Thursdays, through July.
For booking info, see our Fare Details.


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Adapted from English Grammar Online 4U.
There are certain words in English that are usually followed by an infinitive or gerund. If you are not sure whether to use the infinitive or gerund, check out our lists or look the words up in a dictionary.
GerundsCertain words are followed by an ing form of a verb.
- As the subject of a clause.
- Cycling is great for your health.
- After these adjectives afraid of, angry about / at, bad at, busy, clever at, crazy about, disappointed about, excited about, famous for, fond of, glad about, good at, impressed by, interested in, keen on, like, near, proud of, sick of , sorry about, ired of, worried about, worth.
- He's afraid of traveling by plane.
- After about (in 'how/what about'), after, apart from, because of, before, by, in, in spite of, instead of, on, without.
- How about watching a movie later tonight?
- After the verbs admit, advise, allow, appreciate, avoid, can't help, can't stand, consider, delay, deny, dislike, enjoy, escape, fancy, finish, go (in go swimming), imagine, involve, keep, mention, mind, miss, permit, postpone, practice, reject, resist, risk, stop, suggest, understand, waste time / money.
- I really enjoy cooking.
- After accuse of, adjust to, agree with, apologize for, approve of, ask about, ask for, begin by, believe in, be, used to, blame for, care for, carry on, complain about, concentrate on, congratulate on, consist of, cope with, decide against, decide for, depend on, die of, dream about / of, escape from, feel like, forgive for, give up, insist on, keep on, look forward to, object to, pay for, prevent sb. from, protect from, put off, rely on, spend money on, spend time on, succeed in, suspect of, take part in, talk about / of, thank for, think of, use for, warn against, worry about.
- We're really looking forward to going on vacation next month.
- After these nouns: advantage of, alternative of, chance of, choice between, danger of, difficulty in, doubt about, experience in, fun, hope of, idea of, interest in, opportunity of, place for, pleasure in, point in, possibility of, problem, reason, for, trouble, trouble in, use, way of, waste of money, waste of time.
- We had problems finding our way back home.


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Based on the current New research has shown us that the Swedish passport is the strongest in the world, which will make you get into 176 out of the 199 countries in the word without a visa. Nomad Capitalist, a consulting firm that recently ranked passports from 199 different countries confirms that Sweden came out on top, Afghanistan was last and the United States lands on the 35th spot tied with Slovenia.
Well the Countries' passports were judged by how much benefit they bring in terms of visa-free travel, international taxes, global reputation, the ability to hold dual or multiple citizenship, and personal freedom respectively, so which ever offers theses comes out on top.
Also know it that Belgium, Spain, Italy and Ireland rank just below Sweden, with other European nations completing a clean sweep of the top 10.
One interesting part of this is that the Swedes visit 176 countries without a visa, but citizens also enjoy "the ability to easily escape Swedish taxes by moving overseas," according to the index.


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Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes
Natural Perfumery Info
Purple Iris
Documents/Bewitchin Kitchen Perfume Review.pdf
Natural Perfumes come of age once more…
In the realm of Natural Perfumes, one of our first
tasks is to suspend the belief that they
have much in common with the Commercial Perfumes of
today. It is simply not the case. Commercial Perfumers of the well-known houses work
with an enormous amount of ingredients. I read somewhere that the number is
upwards of 3,000 items. I worked with around 300. They are professionally trained.
I am self-trained. They create and launch one or two perfumes each year. I
created and launched much more than that.
I also feel it is important to add that just because something is natural does not mean it is necessarily good or healthy for us. Conversely, just because something is synthesized from a so-called 'man-made chemical' does not mean it is definitely bad for us either. I urge you to consider this issue with a clear head.
A century ago,
Perfumers were using all natural ingredients from nature
including essential oils, concretes,
attars, absolutes,
animal essences, floral waters, tinctures, and so
on. Today, with all the sensitivities that we have
developed due to the overwhelming of our olfactory organs (because everything is
now scented) where our sense of
smell resides, many of us are choosing to go back to simpler times.
Today, with all the sensitivities that we have developed due to the overwhelming of our olfactory organs (because everything is now scented) where our sense of smell resides, many of us are choosing to go back to simpler times.
I am one of those. The perfumes I created were made from some of the above mentioned natural ingredients. The exception is that I didn't use animal essences that had been obtained using cruel methods. The animal essences I used (Ambergris for the water element, Hyraceum representing our earth, and Honey Beeswax for element of air) have long since dissociated from the animal in question and been rendered pure through eons of the elements of water, wind, earth, and sun.
Perfume Policy
With Natural Perfumes, you need not worry about being on the wrong side of a perfume policy. Only those in your scent circle will know you're wearing perfume. It's like having a delicious secret.
A Little Dab'lldoya
These perfumes are created from concentrated essences so there is no need for more than a little dab or spray. Essential oils are volatile and readily release their fragrance into the air. So, if the scent fades hours later, you can simply re-apply. It has also been suggested that if you breathe on the spot where the perfume was applied, this will help to revive the scent.
Where to put it
I always suggest that the best place to dab or spray natural perfumes is in the
cleavage. The body heat will cause the oils to volatize and the scent will rise
to your nose.
Other good spots are the inner wrists & elbows, and the back of your knees.
Coco Chanel says -put it wherever you want to be kissed- I say, use caution in
sensitive areas.
Safety is key at Coeur d'Esprit
Natural Perfumes can have their own list of cautions just as synthetics ones do. It is an issue I address head on and formulate the dilution rate to minimize the risk. I have also cut many items from my palette as they were too high a risk for me to take on ethically.
Pregnant or Lactating
Women who are pregnant or lactating always need to exercise caution on behalf of their child. Some of the essential oils used in making natural perfumes may pass through the barriers so it is better to temporarily refrain from the use of essential oils and natural perfumes until you are finished nursing.
Photo-toxic (should not wear in direct sunlight)
The citrus essential oils I use are steam distilled, so they are not photo-toxic; and they are diluted to an appropriate level so they quite safe to use on the skin. Opopanax is somewhat photo-toxic so the perfumes I create using this ingredient are to be worn during the evening or worn on skin that is not going to be directly exposed to sunlight for at least 24 hours. Ginger is slightly photo-toxic, so again, use in the evening or under your clothing. Test in a hidden spot to ensure that it doesn't stain.
Try samples first
Of course, if you know your skin to be especially sensitive or you are prone to allergies, order samples first and try them out. This will not only help you to make a decision about the ones you enjoy, it will assist you in choosing the ones that are safe for you. Then, since it takes 4-6 weeks for your perfume to mature, you'll still have some perfume to use while you're waiting.
Aromatherapy professionals suggest to put a small drop on the inside of your elbow and cover with a bandage for 24 hours to see if your skin reacts to the ingredients. Trying out samples also applies to people with breathing disorders such as asthma or bronchitis, and others who have severe health issues. I don't recommend perfume for people with COPD, CF, or any other chronic lung issues.
My first order of business is 'Do No Harm', and I have taken every precaution on your behalf to create a safe and user-friendly product for you to enjoy. (I'm not selling perfumes at the moment.)
Documents/Natural Perfume Brochure.pdf
An informed customer is a happy consumer.
Please don't worry when people say, 'if you can't pronounce it, it can't be good for you' or believe it when the ad says, 'contains no chemicals'. This is simply not true. Did you know that Rose Oil has over 300 chemical constituents, that we know of? Hundreds more are still not identified.
Everything in nature has chemicals in it. You, me, the wood bookcase over there. The banana I had for a snack. The natural moisturizing cream I used today. Chemicals are not the enemy.
Here's is a chemical profile for one of the new natural essential oils I just purchased from Hermitage Oils in the UK.
oil (organic) Fokiena Hodginsii (Origin:
Vietnam) is also commonly known as Siam wood. The smell is glorious, it is rich,
warm, sweet and creamy and as the smell develops I would say it has similarities
in smell to the conventional Himalayan and Atlas Cedarwood I often cross with
Benzoin and a dash of blood Orange. The major constituents of the oil are
fokeinol and nerolidiol accounting for over 70% of the oil. For the perfumer
this is a superb fixative which will enable a wide variation of aromas to work
well together. Pemou is obtained by steam distillation of the roots and is warm
red in colour. Certified Organic
% (Gas
0.30, o-menth-8-ene 2.79, naphthalene,1,2,3,4.. 0.50, alpha muurolene 0.12,
2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol… 0.33, beta bisabolene 0.18, gamma cadinene 0.23,
delta cadinene 0.31, 2,6-dimethyl-22.214.171.124.-octatetetraethene 0.67,
1H-imidazole,1(1-oxopentyl) 0.20, cycloheptane,4-methylene 0.19, alpha farnesene
0.22, elemol 1.88, p-mentha-1,5,8-triene 0.13, spiro[4.5]dec-7-en-6-one 0.14,
nerolidiol 30.87, fokeinol 41.52, 9,10-dehydro isolongifolene, 4.65 gamma
eudesmol, 2.03 benzene,1,2,4,5-tetramethyl.. 0.37, alpha eudesmol 5.06,santolina
triene 0.7,1,3-cyclopentadiene…. 0.63, 2-butanone,4-(2,2,6-trimethyl… 0.43,
2-buten-2-ol…… 0.29, 1,5-hexadiene,2,5-dimethyl
0.81,2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol… 0.34, 1,3,6,10-dodecatetraene… 0.13, trans
gamma bisabolene 2.70< "
Everything has chemicals in it.
Whether or not they're synthetic is the question.
Be informed, not afraid.


text: From reading the posts here it seems like some people have horrible problems with their droids regarding battery life, random resets and programs force closing. I have had none of these problems and it seems that those who have might have had earlier batches. Mine is 42/09 and I have no problems, how about you?


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The Element of Surprise in Shooting and Postwork5 32 Share Tweet
Letting go of control can reveal unseen truths and allows for art to be better than intended. There are the analogue shooting techniques we know and love, but there are also ways of working a digital print that can evoke similar thrills and amazement.
"Surprise me." That was where the fun was when I started photography, back in high school. My friends and I would venture into dark places and shoot 35mm with a flash and be stunned at how things turned out when we got the photos back. It was comical and exciting and sometimes randomly revealed some cosmic truth, like finding out buildings have souls.
I currently have 2 digital cameras and 4 analogue cameras, one of which is a Diana F+. Whenever I drop the Diana, or mistakenly do a double exposure, or my children trip the shutter when I'm not looking, or the film doesn't wind tight enough to avoid light leaking on the edges, it made the images better than intended. Because my town of Phoenix is so sunny and bright, inevitably the frame numbers end up stamped on my images. A recent image had "666," or maybe it was "999," inextricably placed square in the image. I've learned to be so accepting of these happy accidents that my film scans usually don't involve any cleanup of dust or scratches.
Love of analogue need not be restricted to shooting film. Post work can be considered analogue, even of a digital image, if the mindset is that they are simply raw material. Digital negatives can be made for analogue contact print processes like cyanotypes and van dykes — all it takes is a transparency run through a printer or xerox machine. Collage and photomontage can be done with the traditional pair of scissors and rubber cement as much as they can be done in photoshop layers.
I recently took a cue from an actress friend who taught me if you want to have people believe you are screaming, you have to actually scream. Simple enough concept. I had a concept where people interact with unseen forces — the invisible hands that manipulate us, things we call "luck" or "fate" or "destiny" or whatever. Perhaps if we recognize these forces exist, we can take control of them and not let them control us?
One way of creating pieces for this series was to take a print of a digital image and do physical embroidery on top of it— strings pulling at a model, mental waves emanating from their skulls, sounds visualized and energy connecting everything like ley lines. Along the similar lines, I took some prints and froze them in a thin layer of water, with some dirt and debris floating in the water. When suitably iced, I made judicious cracks in the surface and rephotographed the whole thing for an effect that I'm not sure I could convincingly portray through photoshop layers. It's also a surprise, a revelation of how things turn out by virtue of incorporating handwork and physical manipulation to the final image.
I sincerely believe some level of analogue aesthetic is necessary in our lives. It's the flawed, organic works that age gracefully, create conversations amongst fans and viewers, and excite and surprise the creators.
written by dbmillerphoto on 2011-09-05 #lifestyle #35mm #frozen #lomography #diana-f #analogue-lifestyle #embroidery #digital-negatives #mixed-media #art-photography


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Have you ever heard about something for the very first time and immediately after, realizing that everyone around you has already known about it for a long time? If you haven't ever experienced that, I'll sum it up: you feel like you've been living under a rock.
Web Analytics. Ever heard of it?
Its 'techy' jargon makes it seem complicated. But stripped down to its basic definition, it's simply "the process of collecting, measuring and analyzing user activity with an ad and or website."
Those who use web analytics software do so to better understand and achieve the intended objective(s) of a specific ad or website. This intended objective could be anything from getting more traffic to your website, finding out which specific buttons visitors are clicking on once they get to your website, which keywords they are searching for using your site's search tool. This data shows the user if visitors are using the site in the way that the site owner intended for them to use it. If not, then the website can be tweaked accordingly.
Our guest lecturer, Brad Best used "google analytics" to show us how websites can use this powerful data to determine how the public are responding to a change. For example, the Missourian recently added a pay wall, which prevents people from seeing certain content without paying for a subscription.
Best was able to use web analytics to look at the Missourian's website traffic a year before the pay wall was introduced, and compare that data with the Missourian's current web traffic. It was amazing to see how the public reacted to the pay wall induction. As you probably guessed, people like free.
The Missourian did take a pretty big hit as far as web traffic goes; but as pay walls (or other methods of paying for content) become more common, web analytics will be able to provide the data for which kind of paid content does better or worse. This will be immensely helpful in the future for newspapers, magazines, etc. who want to have a large online readership but need to pay their journalists for their work.
The powerful insights web analytics provides, could be what makes or breaks many online based news. This is extremely important us journalists who want to have jobs and be successful when we graduate.
I don't know much about web analytics, but if someone mentions it again in future lectures, at least I won't feel like I've been living under a rock!