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Advice for Incoming Musical Theatre and Theatre Majors/
Aaron Netsky
I don't want to suggest that incoming Musical Theatre and Theatre Majors at colleges around the country need more guidance than any other majors; all of you freshmen are Alice lost in Wonderland, Dorothy lost in Oz, and Harry Potter lost at Hogwarts, and you will find yourselves and your journeys with the help of the strange and fantastical creatures you meet there (the professors and the other students). But I believe any advice I have to offer to new college students is best directed at those in the programs I know best, having come out of them myself. And I don't just mean the performers, I mean the aspiring designers and directors and stage managers.
Going to college for the performing arts can seem all consuming, but it is not nor should it be treated as such. It is crucial that your training in music, dance, acting, design, etc. be accompanied by a true college experience, so you don't end up like the characters in the musical Avenue Q, who wish they could go back.
"I can't I have rehearsal" is a perfectly legitimate reason to turn down an activity. Especially if you're going to college for a career in theatre, and especially if you haven't already started, you should start "acting professionally," and treat each show that you are not being paid to be in as though you were (also, unfortunately, good advice for early on in that career). But you are not always called for rehearsal, and, especially early in the process, everyone occasionally has the night off. Keep up with your homework, yes, but also make sure you enjoy the people and places around you. You're probably in a new town, likely a small town. Find the pizza place, find the café, find the bar if you must (I didn't, but I know how these things work), and find people with whom to go and enjoy yourself, maybe regularly or maybe just a few times. Have movie nights with these people, or go to performances. If you're having trouble finding people to do things with in your first weeks or months (or year, if you're like me), find the events being put on by the college itself to help people find each other. And these need not all be fellow theatre people; diversity of major can be as important among friends in college as other kinds of diversity. Don't let yourself be consumed so soon in your life by one thing, even if it is what you are far and away most passionate about.
Let your studies enrich your passion and your training. Depending on your program, there may be some core requirements for you to get through in order to graduate, in addition to the classes you want to take. You can use these. Whether you are an actor or a designer or any other kind of creative, your ideas don't just come from you and your brilliance, they come from everything you experience, everything you see and hear, everything you learn. A biology class gives you another perspective on how your body, your instrument, works. A psychology class gives you insight into the mind. If you're a director, a literature or film studies class teaches you about perspective, if you're a designer, about styles. If you're a singer, you're probably in a choir in addition to musicals, and in a choir you may sing in other languages, preparation for which is a great use of foreign language courses you may be required to take anyway. You don't have to overdo it, but don't hate it or think of it as a burden. It's all part of the college package, and it can all work together for you. That's the point.
Let your passion and your training enrich your studies. You never know what you will find useful from core requirements or other experiences if you don't come to them with a specific project in mind, it's just good to have them stored in your memory. But you will also be told to go looking for inspiration, whether for character development or costume ideas. I learned a lot about Japanese theatre and history to prepare for Pacific Overtures, and I read parts of John Wilkes Booth's diary to prepare for Assassins. And I loved it. Preparing for musicals has become one of my favorite ways to learn about the world, because a musical or a play is not a self-contained thing, each is about a part of the much bigger world. This may lead you to take elective courses if you have time, or work toward some quirky, obscure little minor that you may or may not ultimately add to your degree because a musical made you curious, even a second major if you don't already have one. Curiosity about the world is key to a creative life, so use creative life to feed that curiosity. College is the best place to do it.
I am reluctant to suggest that it would be a good idea, regardless of passion, to have a second major. To suggest that would be to suggest that a degree in Theatre or Musical Theatre would not be enough, and as someone who's other major was English, I'm only too aware of the inferiority complex that can come from such suggestions (but at least I wasn't Philosophy or Studio Art, am I right?). Any major is valuable, and I have always said you should major in what you can get a degree in. STEM fields are great and all, but I don't think I could have passed enough classes in those fields to earn those degrees, that was not where my abilities were. And skills picked up in Theatre have a great track record in other areas, skills like thinking outside the box, public speaking, presentation, and empathy. That said, since I did have two areas I felt confident I could earn my degree with, and since I did find myself passionate about one of those quirky, obscure little minors (Women's Studies), I did have the pleasure of blending them together into a senior year project that is still important to me today because it represents more than one area of interest in my life.
So my advice here is to not shy away from being ambitious about programs outside of the performing arts if you think you might want to explore them more deeply. You will have time and opportunity in college in a way you rarely will after college unless you are very, very lucky. And "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck," to quote a wise old man. College is an opportunity to have many opportunities, so get the most out of it and break a leg.
Aaron Netsky writes about musicals on tumblr (http://366days366musicals.tumblr.com) and books, culture, and politics on blogspot (http://cantonaut.blogspot.com), and has written one of the great, unpublished musical theatre novels. His writing has also been seen on AtlasObscura.com, TheHumanist.com, and ThoughtCatalog.com. Follow him on Twitter @AaronNetsky.


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Guitar stomp boxes are great for their durability and simplicity. Dial-in your settings, stomp on the switch and add new dimensions to your rig's signature sound. The RAT 2 from ProCo Sound is the epitome of this idea- three knobs and a switch are all that stand between you and the heady distortion that helped shape iconic sounds of some of the greatest bands around the world.
Brainworx has now introduced the bx_blackdist2, a plugin version of the RAT 2, modeled to an exacting degree of guitar tone goodness. Simply dial in the 'Distortion', filter to shape between sounds ranging from warm to crunchy to screaming, and adjust volume to taste. It's such a straightforward approach to customizing your pedal chain, no wonder the RAT 2 has become the beloved choice of guitarists and pedal collectors worldwide. The bx_blackdist2 brings the tonal charisma and flexibility of the original right into your DAW.
Supported Operating Systems
Mac - Intel CPU only (minimum 2 GHz recommended)
PC - Intel-compatible CPU with SSE2 instruction set (Pentium 4 compatible or higher; minimum 2 GHz recommended)
System Requirements:
Product activation:
An internet connection is required to authorize / activate the product.

subset: commoncrawl


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Making a Hand Made Wooden Block Plane
Even though I'm not much of a hand tool user I find myself reaching for my hand made wooden block plane all the time. It's great for rounding over corners or cleaning up an edge. The block plane I've been using comes from a kit by Hock Tools. In today's project we're going to make a new block plane that's just a bit bigger using the same methods and shapes. Making your own planes is much easier than you might think and just as good as those expensive metal planes.
In this tutorial I'm breaking a few rules and using coconut palm wood. This is not the type of wood typically found in wooden hand planes but I love to experiment and have fun. Coconut palm is just absolutely beautiful and visually unlike any other wood. It's is a bit splintery but once you get everything sanded smooth and rounded over it works just fine.


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Leverstock Green exited the FA Vase at the first hurdle as they went down 2-0 at Leighton Town in Saturday's second qualifying round tie.
A disappointing afternoon could have been a lot worse for Green were it not for their young keeper Caolan Doyle-Creamer, who made a series of outstanding saves.
Two more new signings were in the line-up, with forwards Matt Bateman and Chris Golding having joined from Kings Langley in the week, and U18s player Scott Burge was on the bench having signed first-team forms.
There was an early moment of promise for Green when a cross from Ross Adams found Bateman, but his header went over the bar.
On 12 minutes Leighton took a 1-0 lead in the simplest of fashions as James Hatch rose unchallenged to head home from a corner.
It could have been 2-0 in the 17th minute as Alex O'Brien hit a stinging volley, but Doyle-Creamer pulled off the first of his great saves to tip it over.
For the remainder of the half Leighton were well on top, hitting a succession of shots at the Green goal and winning a series of corners.
It only took them four minutes of the second-half to make it 2-0. A cross came from the left, Matt Hall was the closest to the ball, but the touch that put it in the net came from a Green defender.
Leighton continued to create a bevy of chances in the second half, as they cut through the Green defence too easily with short passes.
The Green were due to be in action again last night (Tuesday) at Hoddesdon Town in the Challenge Trophy second round and then host 11th-placed Stotfold this Saturday in the league.


text: ❀ Gyaru Mode With New Hair ❀ By Unknown 11:48 PM // No comments There was such a beautiful sunset in Washington today!!! It has been so sunny and hot the last weeks of summer, and I'm surprised. Usually Washington rains so much, but it hasn't!! I've been working on my summer tan, and trying to get all the pictures I can take before I start college. Anyways, ever since I dyed my hair, I havn't been able to be in gyaru mode because I've either been too busy or just too lazy :). But today I wanted to do gyaru, but it isn't my best, but it works. I also wanted to remind everyone about our giveaway!!! We're not closing it till we have received 50 followers!!! We're only 11 away, so please follow us, get your friends to follow us or anything. It's only a mini giveaway, but once we receive 100 followers, it'll be much bigger and more gyaru. I hope everyone had a wonderful, gyaru weekend!!! (Such a beautiful sunset!!) (Camera whore!! ♥) Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook


text: Blog Posts in August, 2015 Posted By David Levaton 19-Aug-2015 Del Taco Franchise to Open in Tennessee Here in Los Angeles, two things are taken as fact—that the 405 freeway will be jam packed at 5:00 p.m., and if you want a full meal for less than a gallon of gas, you can't beat Del Taco. Within the next year, this California-based chain ... Continue Reading Posted By David Levaton 5-Aug-2015 Steak 'n Shake Franchise Owners Lose Case In a case which has been ongoing since 2013, the owners of several Colorado Steak 'n Shake franchises lost a lawsuit filed by the compay of the restraurant. In the case, the company had alleged that the franchisees in question had intentionally ... Continue Reading


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Up & down the beautiful coast of British Columbia
Robin Bonner Photography
The talented Robin Bonner and her family are based in North Vancouver, BC. She brings an honest, natural approach to family photography, capturing real connections, emotion-filled moments and the unique stories of the families and kids that she works with.
The Coast
Roadtrip on the coast of B.C. Photographed by our talented friend Robin Bonner.


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Hooray! We have set up our blog and are keen to let you know what we have been up to as part of the expanding craft army.
On 27th May 2009 we launched the Edinburgh Craft Guerrilla at Boda Bar, Leith Walk. The Bar was packed with enthusiastic craftsters who made the launch a huge success. Anna of the Boda Bar generously got the night going with a pop by giving everyone a glass of fizz. The craft packs on offer were bauble necklaces, cranberry hearts, felt fridge magnets and material brooches - the results were amazing with everyone putting their own creativity into them.
We have since held 2 more evenings at the Boda Bar and a sugar rush has been provided by Al, who has wowed everyone with his Key Lime Pie and Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest muffins! The bauble necklaces have remained a firm favourite and we have enjoyed introducing new craft packs, including frayed necklaces and gift boxes.
The Edinburgh D.I.Y craft evenings are held on the last Wednesday of every month at Boda Bar, Leith Walk. The next craft evening will be on Wednesday 26th August - please come and join us. Al has asked for suggestions for what he should make for the next sugar rush so please email us with your wishes!
Thursday, 30 July 2009
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Wednesday is a new day in my TV schedule. I looked at it as Hump-Day but I have joined the masses and see Wednesday's as another chapter in the book of Lost. It has been a long time since the last new episode but I welcomed tonight with open arms and was not disappointed. Since Toys 'R Us and Zellers did not have the Nerf Maverick, my mid-week-weekend needed a boost and here it was.
Avatars created by the forum members at SomethingAwful.com.
There really isn't much else to write except that Scrubs and Lost have kicked my face inside out this week, and I love it.


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Dan Morain
A troubled man with a gun, and a gun-rights blogger's tyranny
Cody Moore was a 19-year-old kid with a shotgun who hit a rough patch last summer, at about the same time an anonymous gun-rights advocate who goes by the handle Doe Publius decided to splay the names and addresses of 40 state legislators on his blog.
Doe Publius, whoever he or she might be, had become outraged last summer when the California Legislature approved gun-control bills, one of which requires that people who buy bullets go through brief background checks to prove they are legally entitled to own firearms.
"If you're a gun owner in California, the government knows where you live," Doe Publius wrote July 5. "With the recent anti gun, anti Liberty bills passed by the legisexuals in the State Capitol and signed into law by our senile communist governor, isn't it about time to register these tyrants with gun owners?"
Proceeding to publish the legislators' addresses, Doe Publius asked the rhetorical question: "Isn't that dangerous, what if something bad happens to them by making that information public?" And he (or she) answered: "It's no more dangerous than, say, these tyrants making it possible for free men and women to have government guns pointed at them while they're hauled away to jail and prosecuted for the crime of exercising their rights and Liberty."
By now, two decades into the internet age, we understand that there is no privacy. Implications can range from trivial to mortifying and worse. For legislators who voted for gun-control legislation, threats that bounce across the internet turn scary. Any journalist with any level of skill can find the addresses of a public official. But unlike the anonymous blogger who sought to frighten legislators, no responsible journalist would publish those addresses without a compelling reason.
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, who carried the bill to restrict bullet sales, is among the legislators who regularly face threats. Two beefy guys visited his L.A. home one afternoon last month. He wasn't there, but they told a neighbor that they were Donald Trump supporters who wanted to "discuss the issue of guns and immigration." When discussion turns to guns, "all civility goes out the window," de León said.
When Doe Publius printed the addresses of 26 Assembly members and 14 senators, the Legislature's lawyer, Diane Boyer-Vine, sent a letter insisting that WordPress, the blog's platform, take it down; it complied. Doe Publius responded by retaining UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh, who sued. A week ago U.S. District Judge Lawrence O'Neill of Fresno ruled that Doe Publius had the right to publish the addresses.
"When viewed in that context of political speech, the legislators' personal information becomes a matter of public concern. When lawfully obtained, the truthful publication of that information falls within the First Amendment's ambit," O'Neill wrote.
Doe Publius lauded the ruling, promising in the blog to republish legislators' addresses and declaring: "Tyrants will not be insulated from the people they claim to represent but happily rule over."
The Legislature is planning to seek a full trial before O'Neill and elicit Doe Publius' identity. The law is worth defending, restricting as it does attempts to intimidate judges, cops, prosecutors and other public officials by publishing their address. It was strengthened in 2002 after Los Angeles County Court Commissioner H. George Taylor and his wife, Lynda, were murdered outside their Rancho Cucamonga home, in an attack that authorities believe was linked to his work presiding over divorce cases.
In August, after legislators had passed several gun bills, Moore was arrested for fighting in public, a misdemeanor. In September, in a fight with his girlfriend, she videotaped him as he threatened state senators. Unaware that police had been alerted to the threats, Moore that day drove out of his way past the Capitol, though he never set foot on the Capitol grounds. Later that day, he was arrested at his father's home.
Initially, Moore was charged with multiple counts of threatening to commit "a crime which would result in the death and great bodily injury" to Senate sergeants at arms, and three state senators. By happenstance, one senator named in the charging document is a Republican who regularly votes against gun-control bills, not that philosophical bent would have mattered to a gunman intent on shooting up the Capitol.
In Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Gregory Haas' courtroom on Friday, Moore readily accepted his sentence for a single felony count. By the terms of the deal, he must complete an anger management course, meet regularly with California Highway Patrol officials who are responsible for protecting California legislators, and abide by a lifetime ban on possessing firearms.
"I really don't know what was in his mind," Deputy District Attorney Paris Coleman said after the sentencing. Coleman added that Moore "doesn't seem like a bad kid," but he was "very much into the Second Amendment."
Moore appeared in court clean cut and with tattoos on his forearms. He nodded acknowledgment when Haas said he hoped to never see him in court again. "I don't think he ever had any intent to hurt anyone," said his attorney, Kevin Adamson.
There's no way of knowing whether Moore happened upon Doe Publius' blog. And Coleman is correct; no one can know what was going on in Moore's head. But words such as "tyrant" are flung all-too casually around the internet. Words have power. They can infect impressionable people and troubled individuals, some of whom may be armed.
Dan Morain: 916-321-1907, @DanielMorain


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June 5, 2013 – San Francisco, CA – With the upswing of the job climate, your chance to get ahead in your industry has finally arrived. Now comes the hard part: nailing the interview to seal the deal for career advancement.Whether you're looking [...]
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Looking To Advance? Don't Say This In An Interview!
By black on June 5, 2013 in Advantages


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Postcards from Tuscany - San Gimignano & Siena
We've been fortunate to get some time to explore the surrounding regions of Florence by car, thanks to a friend of Estelle's who let us borrow their wheels. I thought I'd do a quick round up of some of our day trips in case you were heading this way (and also to picture dump here to save me from holiday spamming on instagram... or will it...).
San Gimignano
First up we hit the beautiful medieval village of San Gimignano, set high up in the Tuscan hills, the drive there was worth doing alone - vineyard upon vineyard, grove upon grove - stalls on the side of the road selling the good stuff fresh. I don't know what I was expecting of San Gimignano but in all honesty it was exceeded by a million times. The village itself is small, winding around enormously tall 13th century walls and full of classic Tuscan culture - round every corner reveals a breathtaking scene of old buildings, ancient statues, artisan shops and sprawling piazzas. We rambled around, stopping for pasta, cooling down in the shade with gelato and browsing all the beautifully made crafts, linens and trinkets. Some serious self control was needed, especially when it came to the wooden crafts made out of natural olive wood. I settled for a couple of chopping boards and some utensils...
It sounds cheesy to say it now but at one stage I looked around at my little family, walking in the sunshine, drank it all in and felt a bit emotional and full of gratitude that we get to be here, in these incredible places, experiencing this all with each other.
As usual, the kiddos have trumped my expectations of them - walking for miles, being patient, trying new things and generally being awesome. Kids are the best teachers.
I'll say it again, the heat here is something else completely. It is tiring, sweaty, and thirsty work but we are not killing each other because of it so I'm grateful for that too. There is always shade to be found, something cold to have and I've found that feeding Ada has been a great punctuation mark for us all - slowing down to meet her needs has given us all a chance to rest in the day. I just wish there were less punctuation marks throughout the night. It seems the 4 month sleep regression is a thing and mama is TIRED.
Having heard so much about Siena from friends and family that have visited before we were so excited to get to see if for ourselves. We took the drive down on Sunday, enjoyed the breeze blowing through our little Fiat Panda, me squished between the two snoozing kiddos in the back. Again, we were blown away by the beauty of the city itself - so much history and heritage, enormous intricate architecture and we just happened to time our visit with the Palio parade - an annual festive parade that precedes the famous horse races in the main piazza in July and August every year. There were flags and men singing old festival songs in the bars on the street - you can imagine we felt right at home, being from Northern Ireland!
More pizza, more gelato (I think between us we have exhausted trying every flavour in the region) and more wandering around, people watching and exploring. We sat in the main square for a good hour, taking in the sights and sounds, letting Levi run around, fill his water bottle in the fountain and pour it into cracks in the pavement watching it race down the zig zag patterns of the stone (oh, the simple things).
We made it home tumbling into bed weary and warm but with full hearts and bellies.
Tomorrow we'll take our last day trip out of the city - hoping to find a cheese farm with goats and sheep! I can't tell you how flipping excited I am about that. Cheese is my spirit animal.
Ciao for now - I've got a pizza waiting for me in the kitchen.


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How can I support the Eliezer Children Home?
You can tell other people about our project. Please pray for us. If you are able you can support us financially - click here to find out how.
How can I help a child?
You can sponsor a child. This will cover care, education and other daily costs. We propose a sort of guardparentship. You will get anual reports about your guard child. Find out more here.
Can I come and help you there?
In principal everyone is welcome to stay and live with us. We may ask you for some money regarding provisions. You are also welcome to do an internship or a voluntary year with us. If you are interested, let us know. Just write us an e-mail here.
How can we partner with you?
If you want to support us as a church or organisation let us know. We are always looking to expand our partnerships with people and organisations that share or want to be part of our vision. Just send us an e-mail here.
Who is in charge of the website?
Our website's admin Michael Ortner will take care of suggestions and all problems regarding the website. You can drop him a mail here. Make sure that you select him as recipient.
How can I sign up for a newsletter?
If you are interested in signing up for our newsletter please send us a mail. We will then put you into our distribution list. If you sponsor a child you will get an additional anual report about the childs development.
Who takes care of the tax receipts for the donors?
This will be done by one of our German partners GMS. They will write you an anual tax receipt that lists your donations. This is acknowledged by the german goverment. If you have something similar in your country, you can also get the receipt. We cannot tell you if it will be accepted there. You can find mor about that here.
Here are some popular questions that have been asked before. We will try to update them as more questions are coming in.
If you have questions beyond the faq's please don't hessitate to send us an e-mail. We will get back to you as soon as possible.


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A wine tour was something I really wanted to do during our trip to Spain. However, for obvious reasons, these tend to be adult oriented. After a lot of research I found Villarnau, which offered kid friendly tours. Not long after I learned that right next to it was the famous Simon Coll chocolate factory and also offered guided tours. I ended up booking tours of both of them and I am so happy I did. My whole family had a day filled of fun and deliciousness.
Now that my sons are getting older, I started thinking that maybe I'll be able to pack more adventures in one day. They don't get tired as easily anymore. I decided to try this during our trip to Spain. I booked a wine tour and a chocolate tour in the same day. Here I how it all went:
Wine Tour
I visited Napa Valley over twenty years ago. This was when I first got hooked into wine tours. Since then, whenever I'm in an area where one is offered, I do all I can to go.
As you can imagine, I couldn't miss the opportunity to go on a wine tour while in Spain. However, there are a few things you should consider when traveling with kids if you want to go in these tours.
1. Not all wineries allow kids under a certain age, usually around sixteen.
2. The ones that do allow kids to visit don't have anything special for them to do.
What I wanted from a wine tour was an educational yet fun experience for my sons. However, finding a place that would be able to accommodate their needs was hard. But then I found Cava Vilarnau Wine Tours.
NOTE: Cava is a kind of wine just like champagne. However, since Champagne is a region in France, in Spain they call it Cava. It's sparkling wine.
Why Vilarnau Is the Specialist in Family Friendly Wine Tours
My challenge was to find a family-friendly wine tour, so I had to do an extended search. Just as I was about to give up Vilarnau popped up. I was thrilled!
When I contacted them, Georgina, their media and PR specialist, was as delighted to talk to me as I was to her. She told me that as part of an expansion program they had just started a full kid-friendly educational tour about the entire process.
When we arrived in Spain, we were able to do the adult part of the tour with her.
My kids joined us in the same tour but they were joined by two other lovely guys who took care of them and explained everything in a fun and simple way. This allowed them to understand and enjoy the whole experience.
At the end of the tour we have a tasting of the Cavas and also the local foods.
The kids also get a tasting but they don't get the actual Cava. They taste the local grapes in a juice form. During this time they are taught about the different flavors they have.
The tour for kids also includes arts and crafts with their guides.
My husband and I really enjoyed the experience but I still wasn't sure about my kids. That was until we got back in the car, where my oldest son wouldn't stop talking about all of the fun facts he learned. This was great news for me. All that time spent on research was worth the trouble.
FUN FACT: The winery has been working hard to become 100% sustainable and not rely on the water supply and other factors.
It was time for the second part of our day. This was the one my boys were most excited about.
Chocolate Tour
We are all chocolate lovers so a visit to the most popular chocolatiers in Spain, Simon Coll, was a must! Casa Simón has been making artisanal chocolate since 1840. They also produce the traditional "turrones" (nougat).
The place is located only 45 minutes away from Barcelona and right next to Vilarnau.
These two attractions are a bit away from all of the fun in the center of Barcelona, so they started working together to offer a fun day for families. Simon Coll is a restaurant specializing in tasty local Catalan cuisine.
The whole tour at Simon Coll takes less than one hour. During that time, you get tons of facts and interactive activities. It was a lot of fun to learn all about the process that cocoa beans go through in the factory until they becomes delicious pieces of chocolate.
However, everyone's favorite part of the whole experience here was the end, where you get to taste some of their best varieties.
During the tour you get:
– To see an audiovisual show that takes you for a journey into the origins, the culture, the history and the process of how Simón Coll makes chocolate.
– To watch the pilot production line at work, making chocolate.
– To taste some chocolate straight off the line.
These two places showed us some of the best time that we had while visiting Barcelona, Spain.


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The GD, or Gangster Disciples, creed praises the group's leader, Larry Hoover, and sets out a general framework for each member's commitment to the group. Throughout the paean, Larry Hoover is referred to as the Gangster Disciple's "honorable chairman" and makes reference to the "vision of our great leader."
Though it is difficult to find an official or endorsed version of the Gangster Disciple's Creed, a version that bears resemblance to reports by reputable media outlets focuses on selfless support of the group's goals and priorities. The Creed repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the group over individual needs by stating, "I will not be selfish except for the sake of preservation of the organization" and, "I will be willing to endure my share."
The Creed also identifies a set of values that it calls the Six Points. These are love, life, loyalty, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. After this, the Creed makes numerous references to the length of the commitment to the Gangster Disciples, which seems to be lifelong. It includes phrases such as, "as long as I stand proudly under the true blue sky" and a promise to "never abandon our Struggle, as in all struggles I realize that sacrifices must be made."
In the last lines of the Creed, members of the organization explicitly align themselves with the vision of their leader, which promises wealth and social status to a "special group of folks" as well as commitment to the creation of a "positive and productive" organization that works concertedly toward the goals of its leader.


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I found this idea online made from a milk jug or equivalent
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Tying Tip #20 - Don't Spill the Head Cement
Posted by Normand Frechette at 6:10 AM
Labels: fly tying, fly tying tip, fly tying tools
3 comments:
- Doug Korn, Fly Tyer said...
Excellent idea!
Hope you are well Norm.... my local creeks are just coming into fishing shape after some heavy rains and the last of the run off..... now I just have to get my butt out and catch a few... TL, Doug.
- April 19, 2014 at 10:30 AM
- Howard said...
Normand, where do you come up with these idea? Pretty cool!
- April 19, 2014 at 5:33 PM
- Normand Frechette said...
I was surfing "fly tying" on Pinterest and just found it
Feeling fine. Need to get a cataract taken out. Opening day for fishing was yesterday. Didn't get out, would have been too crowded.
- April 20, 2014 at 11:00 AM
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Josh Pastner believes that somewhere in his family's deep collection of sports memorabilia exists a reel-to-reel film of Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in an NBA game. If so, it would be the first complete celluloid evidence of the event, and as such, could be basketball's answer to the Honus Wagner baseball card.
Seems Pastner, the head coach at Memphis, is the son of a former 76ers ballboy who was a friend of Chamberlain. And he insists the film does exist.
Good for him. Bad for Wilt.Why? Simple: What could that film possibly reveal that would add to the legend of the triple-figure game? The answer: Nothing.
That achievement, historic as it was, occurred under what at best could be considered odd circumstances. For one, it was a New York-Philadelphia game played in Hershey, Pa., before a mob of 4,124. So casual was the night that afterward Wilt would catch a lift back to New York with some of the Knicks.
The final score was 166-147, in favor of the Philadelphia Warriors. What was the over-under - 312 1/2?
Hey, Wilt scored a buck, and no one else in NBA history has matched the number. That's enough information. What are the chances that film would reveal that the coaches had invested much prep time on how to defend the ball screen? Do you think the Knicks tried to deny Wilt the ball? Or is it more likely that they just planted some disinterested defender behind him, either fouling him or allowing him to shoot?
No, it's best for everyone - best for the NBA, best for basketball history, best for Wilt - to let that achievement to rest in peace. It's grand and it's fun and it's probably never going to be matched.
Leave it there. Just leave it there.
***Much was written and broadcast during the weekend about the treasure that is the Palestra. Why not? It remains a splendid place to watch a basketball game. Among the best - the best, maybe.
But here's one challenge: Use it or lose it.
With the exception of the Temple-La Salle game Saturday, the only men's college basketball in the Palestra this season will be Penn's home games. For the first time since 1992, not even Saint Joseph's will play a home game on 33rd Street.
There are reasons. Begin with this one: The place is obsolete. The parking is bad. The seats, most of them, have no backs. There are two men's rooms. In 1965, that was fine. It's 2014. Come on.
Philadelphia and its basketball fans deserve the Palestra to be busy. It is not. That's why it must receive the Yankee Stadium treatment, why an updated replica should be built nearby, a palace with every 21st century amenity all with that classic Palestra architecture.
Do that, and maybe Villanova could be coaxed into moving its Wells Fargo Center games there. Do that, and the other Big 5 programs would climb over one another to book it for some home games. Do it right - really right - and maybe even the Sixers would be interested.
The Palestra is special. But it's not by accident that few teams choose to play there anymore, no matter how thick the nostalgia.
It's time to call a timeout and make some necessary adjustments. Because one non-Penn Big 5 game a year is not as much a tribute to a wonderful building as it is a wail for help.
***Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will play quarterback in the AFC final Sunday. And so, it must be asked: How many more times can football fans expect such a treat? Manning is 37, Brady 36. They are not necessarily threatening retirement. But sports doesn't always provide the most appealing matchups.
So if nothing else, the Broncos-Patriots game will give this generation of football fans one late (if not last) simultaneous look not only at two classic quarterbacks but at two of the most spectacular performers in American sports history.
And basically, that will give grandfathers five decades from now the opening to dismiss the great players of that era by snarling that they were not as good as Brady and Manning.
Because that's what old men do.


text: Some people can take or leave having a formal entry way. For me personally, I simply adore one. A stunning antique chest would be a must. It would make for a perfect spot to lay my shawl as I came in from a cool fall day. I would then click on my rather lovely lamp to check to see if I brushed my hair that day. Oh yes, I am well aware that is something I should have done before I left in the first place, oh well. A quirky piece to hold my mail would make me smile every time. As for the walls I would keep them young and fresh in pretty petal wallpaper. I think I would rather like this entry way.


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Leo Ieiri
a boy
Review by Kelly-Mae Matt
Leo Ieiri's second album a boy is the first album I have heard from the singer in full, introducing me to her breathtaking voice that is both soft and strong. Featuring a decent variety of tracks, a boy is a rather charming release from the popular singer, immersing the listener into an experience that I can only define as beautifully addictive.
The title track "a boy" is a gentle, sentimental tune that truly befits the beauty of Leo's vocals, showing off her strength in singing sweet, emotional songs. It is a track that is powerful in its performance and composition, demonstrating a strong connection between Leo, the lyrics, and an amazing instrumental.
Songs such as "Message", "Lay it down" and "Kibou no Hoshi" are also delightful to listen to, showcasing different sides to Leo's vocals that we may not have known before now and truly bringing the album to life.
The experience of a boy is a joyful one, full of variety and power, truly capturing Leo Ieiri's talent while revealing the emotional singer's passionate voice. Through the quality of this album and Leo Ieiri's vocals, I have been introduced to a wonderful singer and an album that is a joy to listen to.


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Group dog training classes are a great way to teach dogs new skills while continuing their socialization with other dogs, and a great way to train your dog to work well despite distractions.
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All classes are small in size so that every student (dog and human) gets individualized attention and no dog leaves class without getting the benefits of every lesson taught. At the same time, your dog learns to perform these behaviors in a stimulating atmosphere with other dogs and to listen despite distraction, while you learn how to focus your dog in exciting scenarios and get response despite excitement.
Copyright © Friend to the Furry. All rights reserved.


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Mesut Ozil fell out with his father Mustafa because he forced him to leave Real Madrid and join Arsenal in a £42.5million deal, it has been claimed.
Ozil was taken to court by his dad this week after the play-maker sacked him as CEO of his marketing company, with their relationship since breaking down.
And Marca reports that the row between the pair started last year, with Ozil believed to be furious with his father for pushing him to join Arsenal – even though he didn't want to.
It's alleged that Mustafa, who was acting as his son's agent, arranged the whole transfer and make significant profit from the deal, but the player was not happy.
He is said to miss Madrid 'every day' and often thinks 'what if' when seeing how successful they have become in the last few months.


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When I was young my dad took me to the factory he works in a few times. It was, and still is, a huge place full of noise and movement. I remember the robotic arms made me a little nervous. The complexity of the machines gave a lasting impression, and I've since liked to be around industry and machinery.
I had an exhibition open in Chiayi recently. At the opening the local politicians attended. I made a ham-fisted attempt to talk the deputy mayor into preserving the lanes around the railway station, as they are very interesting and historic. I'm not quite sure he understood where I meant, however he could see I was interested in Chiayi's past. He began talking about the abandoned tobacco plant on the outskirts of the city. I guess my enthusiasm was apparent and he invited me to take a look around the next day.
Part of why I like visiting these places is the sense that I've jumped onto an alternate timeline in world history. It works especially well in enormous sites like this when even the traffic around the city fades away. In this world things ended around 1998 and only dust and mosquitoes have gathered since.
More seriously, a lot of unique places like this have gone, and more will follow. I hope through this blog and my drawings people can see the value in having a diverse urban landscape and re-use them. A Taiwan of gray towers is not a Taiwan I'm very interested in.
The factory handled every stage of tobacco processing and cigarette making. I was told the earliest building on the site is the number 2 warehouse, which dates from 1954. However there's a very Japanese looking warehouse and wooden building that look much earlier. The factory shut in 1998 leaving it frozen in the Lee Teng Hui era. His is the most recent portrait in what I've come to call the Presidents' Room.
After some confusion in the cultural bureau (I'd lost the director's namecard and people kept thinking I was looking for the pottery museum) I met the director. A couple of bureau workers accompanied drove me to the factory and along with the sites security guard gave me a short tour. I was very grateful for this little tour as they pointed out a few details I would have totally missed. Then they left, shut the gates, and told me the guard would be back in a couple of hours to let me out. At first they seemed a little reluctant to leave me. A lot of people in Taiwan have a very different perception of what's dangerous than I do:
Wander alone in a solidly built, empty factory - dangerous,
Swim in calm water - dangerous,
Ride three on a scooter in busy traffic with no helmets - guess that one's ok.
Luckily they trusted me.
It took me a couple of hours to cover the site. I decided at some-point I'd like to draw it, so I had to go everywhere and take photos of everything. The first part of the site has two large concrete warehouses that are actually fairly modern. The tallest one has seven floors. The interiors of these have been stripped and don't have much of interest inside.
The ground floor of one is being used as the Chiayi Plant Bank. I didn't quite understand how this worked. It seems the government stores many different plants, pots, and outdoor stuff here, and when people need something they can take it. This is how it was explained to me but I don't understand how that doesn't lose the government a lot of money. Perhaps the plants are rented out.
The next part is a complex of large two floor warehouse buildings, the earliest dating from the 1950's. This one has a unique facade with some retro-future staircases.
On the second floor of one building all the broken light fixtures are hanging from the same side. It almost looks deliberate and in some ways artistic. At times like these I wish I was a better photographer to really capture this properly.
The other tall building on the site, which adjoins these warehouses, is known in Chinese as the 'bone picking building'. A sinister name but the bones in this case are the ribs of the tobacco plant leaves. In here they were separated from the rest of the leaf.
The company offices lie near the now permanently sealed entrance to the site (along with a mouldy mid-90's Chrysler New Yorker someone clearly couldn't be bothered with anymore).
Unfortunately many of the buildings on site have been stripped of machines and other items leaving them feeling a bit empty, and in the case of the warehouse floors a little samey. These offices were also empty of most things.
Towards one corner of the site there is another office building with an auditorium inside. It looks as though a fair few Nationalist propaganda speeches went down in here, along with a few discos. Like many state-owned entities the site has a fair collection of ROC flags and Sun Yat Sen portraits. I hope if they ever renovate it they keep these as they give the place a lot of historical character.
In the center of the site there's a small tall warehouse. I'm not totally sure what this was used for, and for some reason a large hole has been blasted in one side. Along with a few large buildings on site the roof is wooden, which I didn't expect. Adjoining it is a small store room made of mud, bamboo, and wood. This seems very Japanese and I would expect it's the oldest building on the site.
The most impressive building on site is a vast barrel-roofed structure that houses a cigarette rolling machine.
I was very happy to see this. That childhood fascination with huge machinery came right back. It's hard to gauge the scale of this room from the pictures. I should have stood something there for scale. It even feels a little silly calling it a room. The machine is covered in rusty gauges and compartments full of rollers.
The roof in here also appears to be wooden. I was surprised by the good condition most of the roofs on the site are in.
Next to this building is the cafeteria and the bathhouses.
Someone left an unusual robe in one of them!
I always associate bathhouses with the Japanese era, but these are in a 1960/70's style block. I suppose a lot of post-war factories may have them too I just haven't visited that many.
So, what is going to happen to the Chiayi Tobacco Factory? No-one knows! The city do want to preserve it, the deputy mayor told me himself, which is great news. The site is a massive blank canvas with many empty buildings in good condition. However re-use is complicated by zoning. Officially the site is called Chiayi City Park Number 36, and it's apparently very hard to change zoning. This limits re-use to leisure and recreation.
Chiayi is an aging city, actually it is currently the 'oldest' city in Taiwan. One of the bureau's ideas is to use the site as a old person's recreation center. Actually I think the two large modern warehouses would make great gyms and activity centers. It would be good to do something where old and young can mix. Before its demolition the Nangang Bottle Cap Factory had become a pretty great place to view graffiti and was hosting some live events. Some of the warehouses here would be perfect for that. Hopefully Chiayi has the community to sustain such a thing. If you have any ideas regarding re-use please mail the bureau or comment here and I'll pass them on.
Whatever happens the first step is to open it up to the public who I'm sure would flock here out of curiosity. The best way to get a community to engage with a place and come up with ideas is to first let them into it. By keeping it shut off it's not in the public consciousness. Clean up some broken glass and the site is no more dangerous than an easy hiking trail. With a few guards or volunteers around people could be left to explore it and get involved.
I realize there was clearly an open day at somepoint - I saw the route map and 'do not enter' signs. However the tour was clearly very restrictive and didn't really allow for any exploration or freedom. People must not feel they are being over-protected by the government or they will not feel satisfied or interested. This mistake was made on the open day for the Taipei Railway Workshop and I ended up feeling disappointed so much of the site was off-limits.
If the government is really worried about people getting hurt have them sign a waiver on entrance absolving the government of responsibility. I remember a lot of places in the UK do this. Or perhaps seal off the one warehouse space with dangling lights as that's the only room I can see someone getting something land on them. Once the government involves the community people will come up with a lot of ideas and a grassroots movement to reuse the place will likely take hold. In the meantime if you have any ideas regarding re-use please mail the bureau or comment here and I'll pass them on.
As for visiting the site, it's currently closed off and behind high fences. It's also guarded, and I like the guard and don't want to cause trouble for him.


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VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-6), were swept by the Victoria HarbourCats (3-3), after suffering a 6-4 loss Thursday night at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C.
Wenatchee grabbed its first lead of 2016 on the season in the first inning, Thursday, off of Victoria starter James Kannenberg. Jeremy Ydens got the first of his three hits on the night with two outs in the frame, and was brought home to score on an error by the HarbourCats shortstop Wyatt Young.
Following a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first inning by Luke Mattson, who was making his AppleSox debut, Wenatchee added two more in the top of the second. Ryan Murkle, who singled, and Jordan Rathbone, who walked each scored on an error at first base by Matt Warkentin.
The 3-0 advantage was cut in the home half, when Warkentin deposited a solo home run over the wall in left center field. The HarbourCats evened the score in the fourth on a 2-RBI double from Dakota Dean.
Mattson was poised in his AppleSox debut, and the Sox got him back a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout for Steven Machtolf. Parker Price scored on the play, who was aboard earlier in the inning on a walk. A half inning earlier, Machtolf started a double play after diving for a popped bunt attempt on the first base side. He doubled his runner back at first with a throw to Erik Sauve after the miraculous diving catch.
The Sox lead was short-lived. Mattson gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth on Dean's second 2-RBI double of the night. It got over the glove of Machtolf on a sharp bounce, with the infield playing in. PJ Floyd and Warkentin scored to give the 'Cats the advantage.
Riley Guntrip added an insurance run in the eighth inning off of Ross Clevenger. An RBI single scored Floyd and made it 6-4, HarbourCats.
Holden Lyons was lights out in relief for the HarbourCats. He tossed three innings of one-hit baseball to secure the win for Victoria and pick up the club's first save.
Wenatchee heads back home, Friday morning, and will arrive at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the late afternoon to prepare for a three-game set with the Corvallis Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and Friday's game opens a nine-game homestand for the AppleSox.


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first off, the k8l is evolutionary and not revolutionary. the design changes are oriented towards solving various performance-inhibiting problems that have cropped up with the original k8 design as it has matured. first and foremost, multicore designs are clearly the way of the future, with dual core now, quad core coming soon, and "multicore"–meaning anything beyond four–showing up before you know it. amd has been well positioned for multiple cores due to its use of hypertransport, but cache coherency traffic has limited most designs to at most four or 8 cpus.
k8l addresses that problem by adding an l3 cache shared amongst all cores; the total cache size is said to be around 2mb. this seems paltry compared to the 6 mb figure intel is touting for some of its new designs, but it's important to remember that amd and intel cpus have markedly different memory access methods. while one brand might like more cache, another might not respond as well to larger cache sizes. it will be interesting to see where this leads amd.
next up in the surprise column is power support. power support, you say? yes, power, the use of which causes heat, the big bugaboo that hounds all cpu designers today. the k8l will allow voltages to be set independently for each core, something not possible right now. furthermore, the northbridge itself will have a variable core voltage. according to amd, voltage differentials were a problem with scaling the existing design, so this could potentially remove the roadblocks that have kept amd's flagship chips below 3ghz.
what else? how about memory support? it's common knowledge that amd's next chip generations are going to support ddr-2 memory, but chuck moore, who oversees amd's core microprocessor architectures, announced that k8l will also support ddr-3 and–believe or not–fb-dimm as well. amd claims to be waiting on the ddr-3 spec to "settle down" before putting final support on silicon, but if moore's claims hold true, the k8l will allow designers to use three different memory types. intel's blackford chipset will support only one, fb-dimm.
saving the best for last, k8l will throw some good old-fashioned muscle at problems with the doubling of the number of floating-point and sse execution units. this, along with substantial modifications to the prefetch logic, out-of-order loads, and some new sse instructions, all seem to point to substantial increases in performance for the k8l. as charlie demerjian of the inquirer puts it:
for those who thought k8l was more or less a tweaked k8, you are wrong. it looks like no part of the core has been left unmolested by the elves working the cad stations. it looks like amd will have a credible response to the intel mcw architecture after all. 2007 will be a fight after all.
the inquirer has the rundown on this.
eric's opinion
as noted in an earlier geek.com article, amd claims it's ready to revive the "megahertz wars," but with an odd twist: amd will have the higher clock speed and intel will have the higher ipc. can this world get any more bizarre?
admittedly, though, amd is very unlikely to be talking about 4+ghz opterons anytime soon, if ever; the design simply isn't designed to go that far. multicore is the future no matter if you're talking intel inside or amd … inside. amd doesn't have a catchy catch-phrase, does it? make a note to marketing on that. "amd within"? nah …
anyways, back on topic. although there'd been a fair amount of speculation on what would be inside (within?) the k8l, the consensus was new fp/sse units, an l3 cache, ddr-2 support, and provisions for quad cores later on. that looked good enough to keep intel in range–or not far away, at least–but not enough to make a big difference between the two platforms. with today's announcement, the sum of the whole instead looks like it might exceed its parts, for amd has left almost nothing untouched. it will remain to be seen whether or not all this boils out into something formidable, but at least now we have reason to believe 2007 will be just as spirited in competition, innovation, and (my favorite) price cuts as preceeding years were.
user comments 41 comment(s)
|ipc (9:13am est wed may 17 2006)
rumor has it that ipc will go up in a big way, possibly to 6! that's an incredible number, and it will be interesting to see if that is attainable. – by denon
|4 cores, l3 cache and the kitchen sink (9:24am est wed may 17 2006)
now if amd only had capacity and 45nm to put this on.
– by got capacity
|ownage (9:28am est wed may 17 2006)
i pity the fool who chooses intel! – by ba baracus
|nm (9:34am est wed may 17 2006)
i don't think amd requires 45nm process. their 90nm competes extremely well with intel's 65nm process, getting even better tpd and temps. i think that the 65nm will go a very long way. – by lyon
|why they need capacity. (9:46am est wed may 17 2006)
4 cores, 2mb of l3 cach is a very very large die on 65nm and probably a single field on 90nm. this has huge manufactring contrastraints. you simply are not going to be able to supply more then a small set of the market.
more like pity those that choose amd as k8l will be more scarce then a xbox360 on launch day. – by got capacity
|rldram (10:06am est wed may 17 2006)
amd should come out with a board that supports rldram and just blow everything else away. – by ideas
|re: got capacity (10:14am est wed may 17 2006)
the size for k8l is about 150mm2. conroe is 140mm2.
it is smaller than the current amd dual cores.
in h206 amd will have 3 fabs, capacity just isn't going to be an issue. – by larry
|where did you get 3 fabs? (11:02am est wed may 17 2006)
don't count charter and ibm.
its like asking as a contractor do you make money having a sub-contractor.
also you trust your sub-contractor, or is he in it only for the money and a cut of your money.
in the chip business its risky business. look at where ati and nvidia end up looking for bleeding edge graphics performance. you become the slave to your foundry.
– by got a fab
|intel's evolution (11:11am est wed may 17 2006)
so far,
intel is promising amd is delivering
intel is talking amd is making
intel is boasting amd is smiling
the intel's evolution:
– by tor
|cache size (11:27am est wed may 17 2006)
i can think of no cicumstances where smaller cache is better than larger cache. unless somehow your larger cache is introducing sufficient additional latency for memory access that it's slower than main memory, bigger cache is always better. memory access methods don't really enter into this, cache memory is cache memory. memory access methods aren't going to change this, unless somehow accessing main memory is actually faster than a cache hit. if that's the case with a design, the designer needs to go back to school.
multi-voltage support allowing each core to run at a different voltage would appear to be a good idea on a die that is as large as this. if you can push each core a different voltage then you can vary the voltage to compensate for the quality of each core in order to maintain clock speed. if one core on the die needs a higher vcore to keep pace with the other cores, this would allow the chip to compensate without the user knowing. if amd didn't do this, then any chip with one or more slow cores would have to be sold at a lower clock and less profit. varying the voltages to the cores is great for holding up the yeilds.
i like the ddr3 and fb-dimm support. this is a cool thing. the thing about intel and memory support is that the processor is not constrained by that because it doesn't care what memory it's talking to. ok so one of intel's chipsets only supports one memory type, different chipsets, different memory support. what's the big deal? k8l can support the different memory too, but your motherboard will only have one type of memory socket available, so it's largely irrelevent because in either case memory compatibility is a motherboard issue, not really a processor issue.
throwing extra fp and sse uints at the chip is all fine and well, but it's by no means revolutionary. how hard would it be for intel to do the same? not very. holding up the increased number of fp units on k8l as some great featue rings hollow to me as it is something that can be easily countered.
lots of people are talking up k8l like it's something real ly new, and it isn't. more than anything else it's scaling the x2 k8s to four or more cores instead of 2.
now that all said, amd could have reworked a lot more besides and made their integer performance even better.
the fetures presented here don't really set the heather alight for me. multi-voltage cores – sounds like a process issue to help support higher yeilds. l3 cache, gotta wonder why so small, all that talk of zram and this is it? additional fp units, coolness, as long as i am running sciencemark benchies, but will it make my windows run better?
i hope amd can make a splash with k8l it will drive intel onward, and as ever competition will be good. still, i am wonderng how on earth they will manufacture a lot of these. if these are being manufactured as quads, i have to hope that amd's logic is smart enough on chip to handle one or more faulty cores so that the faulty models can be sold as single or dual core. that woudl certainly help the bottom line.
|cache speed (12:01pm est wed may 17 2006)
with the revised ht on these chips, i wonder if the cache is as useful as it is in an intel processor since the speed of ht is so high.
if cache made such a difference in an amd64 processor, would we not have seen an increase already? chip real estate is expensive, and i would rather have 2 – 4 cores and all of my chip working for me at the task in hand than having a shared �slop bucket� for the inefficient parts.
can cache be �turned off� or resized when not needed? i don�t think so. more cache, more energy required even at idle�
i am not worried about these things, as i am sure that whatever works best will be included and what does not will be left out.
|re: highland cynic (12:12pm est wed may 17 2006)
you are completely wrong on the cache issue. well not completely but mostly wrong. of course both conroe and k8l will benefit from increased cache, the difference is, amd doesn't need all that cache to match conroe because amd has hyper transport.
amd has never claimed k8l as anything more than k8 with an l next to it. its a modification to the existing core, their next-gen architecture is a ways out still. as is zram for that matter.
k8l is just a stop gap to keep intel at arms length, its a knock out punch.
– by ktfo
|hmm (12:13pm est wed may 17 2006)
that should be: its not a knock out punch – by ktfo later
|re: got capacity (12:35pm est wed may 17 2006)
"more like pity those that choose amd as k8l will be more scarce then a xbox360 on launch day."
oh, the ways to pick this quote apart!
ferarris are scarce, too. does that mean if i want the highest performing sports car, i should instead get a mustang (because there are more of them)?
highlandcynic – i think the support for multiple memory types is significant. it means amd only needs to produce one version of the chip, no matter what memory the motherboard makers decide to use. that streamlines amd's production, which translates into better profits. it also is a bonus for system integrators since they won't be forced to stock 2-3 different versions of k8ls for use with various motherboards.
in a way, it makes intel's flexibility advantage with the off-die memory controller moot (or at least *less* of an advantage). – by jrink
|well (12:35pm est wed may 17 2006)
it could be a knock out punch. let's wait and see.
– by stalin
|lol (1:02pm est wed may 17 2006)
but will it stay with intels pace? – by
|cache and memory (1:07pm est wed may 17 2006)
ktfo – go back and read the books. here's the specific point i was responding to from the article "while one brand might like more cache, another might not respond as well to larger cache sizes." that is nonsense. if you increase the cache size you increase performance. the article is suggesting that a processor would actually perform less well with more cache. i honestly do not know of a situation where the presnese of more cache memory has hurt procesor performance. cache is not a pipeline, increasing cahce size is not like increasing pipe depth. the penaly for a cache miss in a 8mb cache is the same as a 2mb cache assuming both systems have the same main memory speed. i made no argument as to the need for more or less cache. in fact it's very true that increasing the cache size does begin to return less and less as the cache size increases. if doubling your cache size only increases your hit % by 1% then it may not be worth the extra space on the die for that 1%, especially if your fsb is high and your memory is fast. so yes a particular platform may only need 2mb, but giving it 8mb will not hurt it (but it may make it harder to manufacture).
jrink, the different types of memory things is neat, i just don't see the difference. intel makes just one kind of processor too, the chipset takes care of whether it's going to be happy with ddr, ddr2 or whatever. even if the chipset supports three different types of memory, the motherboard will still only have one type of socket. so, at the end of the day, this isn't a processor issue, it's a motherboard issue. however since amd has their integrated memory controller, it's necessary for them to add the multiple support there.
yes, i agree it is a good feature, but it's hardly revolutionary, and i see no functional difference between amd's solution for multiple memory techs and intels'. bot come down to motherboard support for the dimms themselves.
as you say, this does put amd on equal footing with intel on the flexibility side, but that is exactly my point. if intel wans to suppor xdr or some other standard, they can do a chipset revision and very quickly have it out there. amd has to do a processor revision to do the same. that integrated controller on amd chips has a number of advantages, but it can be a dragging anchor in some ways too.
– by highlandcynic
|hello (1:43pm est wed may 17 2006)
amd has only said that it is evolutioinary, not revolutionary. thus, i think that amd has a lot of faith in its current architeture.
in regards to k8, extra cache does not necessarily improve performance, but not enough cache can hurt it. it's like a car: good tires will not necessarily make a car brake better, but bad tires will certainly hurt braking performance. – by stalin
|ferarri or mustang (3:33pm est wed may 17 2006)
i guess 90% of the world drives or wishes it coudl drive a honda.
that analogy can't take amd very far.
the money is made and the funding for the next generation comes from making the "hondas" not the ferarri.
and i was getting worried that k8l was going to be something revoluationary that would crush conroe. – by got capacity
|re: highlandcynic (3:52pm est wed may 17 2006)
"i can think of no cicumstances where smaller cache is better than larger cache."
you defeat your own argument exactly one sentence after this comment. larger caches take longer to search, which means increased latency. smaller caches, while having lower hit rates, are much faster to search, which is why l1 caches on modern cpu's are rather small but amazinglly fast compared to the larger l2 (or as in this case, l3) cache.
to sum it up, cache size and complexity is always a tradeoff. the hard part is tuning these tradeoffs for a specific cpu's access pattern. amd and intel have different cache sizes and set associativity because of this, and it doesn't mean that one cpu's approach is somehow superior to any other. it is superior *for that cpu* and that's about it. – by j. eric smith
|re: highlandcynic (3:58pm est wed may 17 2006)
"that is nonsense. if you increase the cache size you increase performance. the article is suggesting that a processor would actually perform less well with more cache. i honestly do not know of a situation where the presnese of more cache memory has hurt procesor performance."
then you are fantastically ignorant of modern cpu design and ought to keep your mouth shut about topics you seem to know so little about. sorry to be so rude and blunt about it, but you're spouting off as if you're some sort of expert on this when clearly you are not.
for the record, larger caches have higher latency, smaller caches have lower latency, all other things being equal. ergo, if a cpu is very latency-sensitive, going from a 1mb cache with 10 cycles of latency to a 6mb cache with 40 cycles of latency would likely hurt performance. if you're too dense to figure this out, you need to go and read some books yourself. – by j. eric smith
|hmmm (4:03pm est wed may 17 2006)
but once again , can somebody wake me when intel has full 64 bit support for conroe with lower temps (real tdp not typical) than an athlon 64. – by zzzzzzzzzzz
|a fight after all ? (4:23pm est wed may 17 2006)
well amd never had to worry about anything past 2-ways since intels shared bus falls flat on its face once you go to 4-way + systems, even woodcrest isn't going to be anything special except for 1/2-ways.
sounds like amd will hurt intels enterprise business even more with the k8l. intel might be first with 65nm and 45nm but the bottom line is they need it just to compete in the server performance sector.
|re: highland cynic (5:06pm est wed may 17 2006)
to qoute your post:
["while one brand might like more cache, another might not respond as well to larger cache sizes." … the article is suggesting that a processor would actually perform less well with more cache.]
the article is not suggesting that a processor would perform less well with more cache, although that is possible as jes points out.
it is suggesting that as cache increases beyond a certain point, some systems may get little extra benefit – not enough to justify the extra area (and thus cost). it's stating the obvious. this is no more than "caches 101".
amd's mode of operations is not to produce the fastest possible processor but to produce the fastest processor for a given price point. cost is key, not "benchies".
|sorry — spelling (5:08pm est wed may 17 2006)
aaargh… quote not qoute!
apologies. too much alcohol (if there is such a thing).
– by tribaltalker
|j eric (5:57pm est wed may 17 2006)
i had this nice long response written and was going to post it but in the end i decide not to. oh sure, go ahead and infer what you like from that. i simply have no desire to get into a pissing match with someone apparently in an arrogant and abusive mood. if you can't conduct yourself more civily, why should anyone here? being frank is not an excuse to be abusive, don't hide behind it.
as for ignorance and being dense, whatever. there's no point in arguing the matter with you, you're not going to listen to what i say either way. as it happens, i do know a thing or two about cache memory. be that as it may, i will not participate in a pissing match with you.
|size and speed (6:27pm est wed may 17 2006)
you can never be too big nor too fast… stating the obvious.
to be big and fast has cost. often the tradeoff results in big and slower, small and fast.
there is no fundamental reason you can't be big and fast – by i'm both
|but…. (9:22pm est wed may 17 2006)
doesn't the cell chip have 8 cores already? this guys from amd and intel have something to learn from ibm… – by fc
|more k8l stuff (3:52am est thu may 18 2006)
0. native quad core
1. hypertransport up to 5.2gt/s
2. better coherency
3. private l2, shared l3 cache that scales up.
4. separate power planes and pstates for north bridge and cpu
5. 128b fpus – see 14,15
6. 48b virtual/physical addressing and 1gb pages
7. support for ddr2, eventually ddr3
8. support for fbd1 and 2 eventually
9. i/o virtualization and nested page tables
10. memory mirroring, data poisoning, ht retry protocol support
11. 32b instead of 16b ifetch
12. indirect branch predictors
13. ooo load execution – similar to memory disambiguation
14. 2x 128b sse units
15. 2x 128b sse lds/cycle
16. several new instructions – by amd me
|market timing (4:50am est thu may 18 2006)
when will it arrive as a commercial processor? intel has plans post woodcrest as well… – by time will tell
|k8l heah heah (7:55am est thu may 18 2006)
wow is that all there is.
there was them fanboys da douche and all actually making me a bit worried about it.
amd is so screwed.
– by totally un impressed
|re: highlandcynic (9:37am est thu may 18 2006)
if that last post doesn't say own'd, i don't know what does. thank you j.e.s. for pointing out blatantly wrong "facts". for those of us that are ignorant to technical aspects such as cache, i thank you. – by 7enigma
|j eric smith (9:52am est thu may 18 2006)
"for the record, larger caches have higher latency, smaller caches have lower latency, all other things being equal. ergo, if a cpu is very latency-sensitive, going from a 1mb cache with 10 cycles of latency to a 6mb cache with 40 cycles of latency would likely hurt performance. if you're too dense to figure this out, you need to go and read some books yourself."
that all depends on the optimal cache size for a given problem (not just a given processor). obviously larger, slower cache can be much faster under some circumstances than a smaller, faster cache and sloooow memory lower in the hierarchy. – by read some books jes?
|7enigma (12:02pm est thu may 18 2006)
what says 'owned' is either blasting away blindly in response to provocation or piling on with 'me too' posts.
i do not care at all what you or j eric believe about my knowledge (or lack of it) regarding anything to do with high performane computers. i don't have to prove myself to anyone here. if i required that level of validation i'd have got no where in my career.
i do have to point out to you that your post is both self contradictory and revealing. you're apparently ignorant regarding cache, but can evaluate whether a 'fact' is blatantly wrong or not. neat trick.
|highlandcynic (12:25pm est thu may 18 2006)
jes went over the top, but he's right that you know very little. – by read books geeks
|re: highlandcynic (1:39pm est thu may 18 2006)
"i had this nice long response written and was going to post it but in the end i decide not to."
oh. what a pity. i'm sure would've been just as informative and entertaining as your prior posts.
"if you can't conduct yourself more civily, why should anyone here? being frank is not an excuse to be abusive, don't hide behind it."
tell you what: i'll be less condescending if you'll be less ignorant. i will quote you verbatim: "if you increase the cache size you increase performance. the article is suggesting that a processor would actually perform less well with more cache. i honestly do not know of a situation where the presnese of more cache memory has hurt procesor performance."
now, what can we infer from your response? you say you know of know instance where more cache is worse. since it's been clearly demonstrated that there are cases when such an event can occur, you obviously do not know as much as you thought you knew. you don't want to admit it, but it's rather obvious. ergo, you should admit your oversight, admit that you left out some rather important parts of the equation, and try to learn from your failings here. instead you blather on about how you're still right, won't get into a pissing match, blah blah blah…ad nauseum, ad infinitum.
please, cry me a river. if you can't stand criticism of your shortcomings, don't post in public forums. grow up and see it as *constructive* criticism from an unforgiving teacher and move on.
to wit, a larger cache can be more advantageous than a smaller cache, *assuming* that your data set size is larger than the smaller cache yet smaller than the larger cache, and *assuming* the latency increase of the larger cache doesn't inhibit the performance gains, and *assuming* the set associativity of the caches — and thus their hit rates — are the same. that's a lot of assumptions you completely left out in your "statement of fact" that larger caches are better than smaller ones. there are other people in these forums who know even less than you, and your statements could be misleading to them. if you're not capable of painting the entire picture, quit griping when someone else points out the points you're so obviously failing to cover.
oh, and i'm not hiding behind being frank or rude. i'm being that way on purpose. welcome to the real world where your emotions aren't pampered all the time. get used to it. you'll see a lot more of it as you grow up. – by j. eric smith
|re: read some books jes? (1:53pm est thu may 18 2006)
"that all depends on the optimal cache size for a given problem (not just a given processor). obviously larger, slower cache can be much faster under some circumstances than a smaller, faster cache and sloooow memory lower in the hierarchy."
this is true in every way, and i'm in total agreement with you. however, you'll note that highlandcynic's responses covered *none* of these points. he stated, quite succinctly, that larger cache always equals greater performance. you and i know this is clearly not the case. but he went even beyond that and tried to correct other posters claiming he was leaving stuff out, then went on to actually attack my article as being factually incorrect.
there are some things i won't stand for, and criticism from people who think they know everything (but obviously don't) is one of them. if he'd taken the time to actually research a bit about what he was saying, he'd have sung a different tune. since that didn't happen, i can only conclude that he's not only ignorant, but he's *confident* in his ignorance. there's nothing i find more annoying than a fool who doesn't realize his status. – by j. eric smith
|re: highlandcynic (2:21pm est thu may 18 2006)
"what says 'owned' is either blasting away blindly in response to provocation or piling on with 'me too' posts.
i do have to point out to you that your post is both self contradictory and revealing. you're apparently ignorant regarding cache, but can evaluate whether a 'fact' is blatantly wrong or not. neat trick."
not self contradictory or revealing. i'll be the first to admit i am ignorant to certain specifics about computers, especially processor design and cache. that is the reason i posted for those of us, i meant to thank j.e.s. for challenging a very broad "fact".
by trade i am a scientist, and dislike being told wrong "facts". it cheapens an argument, as yours shows. i have no doubt you have knowledge in the cpu field, but it is overshadowed by posts that either show your own ignorance, or you simply made a mistake.
i agree with j.e.s. in the fact that rather than admitting that you overgeneralized or were wrong, you try to save face and come out looking worse.
as for siding with j.e.s. even though i might be ignorant to the topic there is a very simple reason. as a scientist i dislike the word "always" when talking about "facts". especially when they don't "jive" with my reasoning. hearing, "a bigger cache is always better", is so close to the mhz is always better statement that i'm sure you and i hate to hear.
oh and for the record, all of your posts since j.e.s. showed your lack of knowledge on the subject have been nothing but bickering. – by 7enigma
|intel r.i.p (8:24am est sun may 21 2006)
most people forget the move to 65nm, which will incease the speed and/or decrease power consuption by 40%. add this to k8l and you can say r.i.p for intel – by mohammed raei
|amd is lazy for 3 years (11:33pm est mon may 22 2006)
k8l is nothin' but a "paper launch" to prevent customers from going to intel's direction (ie. new generation core duo processors). and we are not gonna see any k8ls until early 2008, or even maybe late 2008. and by 2008 intel would have a new architecture and processor (intel did quote "a new architecture every 2 years"). also, i don't see any k8l silicon yet…
and yet to see any signs of 65nm from amd also (while intel already has), be it engineering samples (e.g. "brisbane" core) or else (and meanwhile 65nm conroe engineering samples are already making rounds).
after almost 3 years, no significant products from amd. sorry, am2 is still a (current generation) k8 with a ddr2 controller! and performance wise is about the same as its ddr older brethren. it isn't that hard to change the on-die ddr controller to ddr2, btw.. it also means its not gonna de-throne the up and coming conroe.
sorry to have poured cold water on k8l… 2 years is a loong time to wait for new products, and its a long time to still stay with old k8 architecture, in an industry that's constantly movin.. – by dumb and dumber
|necessary comments (10:57am est wed may 24 2006)


text:
It's that time of year again where we partner with Sports Backers and Salvation Army at the Richmond Marathon. We'll be collecting all the runners' discarded clothing for the first two miles of the race for the Salvation Army. We need individuals to collect items from 7:30 - 10 AM (be prepared to walk around 4-5 miles).
More details will be sent the week prior to the event.


text: We have had really mild weather this January! The sun has been out for the most part, and I like it a lot! Hoping it won't make the coming summer any colder -we need all the heat we can get in the north. Enjoying the last few hours of weekend before the workweek begins all over again ☺


text:
Inclusion Project
For young people aged 5 to 18 with addition needs
Our aim is to assist and support excluded pupils and young people with learning or behavioral difficulties, whilst they are waiting to be placed or statemented. We are a registered charity and make a minimal charge for our services.
We offer support for any young person between 5 and 18 years of age.
Placements are always available and transport is also for an extra charge.
Trained teaching personnel and play workers provide one-to-one support. All staff are DBS checked and qualified in first aid.
Confidential advice and advocacy is available for parents and carers from qualified independent advice workers.
Our objective is to provide a safe and non-threatening environment where young people have the opportunity to make friends, gain confidence and develop self esteem.
Activities available include art and crafts, sport, climbing structures, computing and internet access, trips to suit the young person.
We work with schools, social services, parents and carers.
Contact Goldhill Inclusion Project for more information and to discuss your child's needs.
For more information contact us.


text:
Dogs are one of the most companionable and fun pets to own, and while they require a bit of looking after, they give you a lot back in return. Never has it been easier to make sure your dog has everything they need with what's available for them out there on the market these days.
Here are three must-have accessories to own if you have a dog, making their life and yours an adventure that you can both enjoy.
Tennis ball launcher
The first accessory you need to get for your dog is a tennis ball launcher. Now, every dog, big or little, old or young, likes to drag you out of the house for some good old-fashioned exercise around the park. Chances are as they've almost broken down the door and tumbled down the path, they've grabbed a tennis ball along the way.
Throwing them a tennis ball over and over again can be just as much of a workout for you as it is for them. The tennis ball launcher does the throwing for you, so all you have to do is load them in all at once and aim as far away as you can. Hopefully, you have a dog that is good at fetching and will gather them all up so you can relaunch them all. It turns throwing a tennis ball around into a lively, stimulating game that will no doubt tire them out, and only them.
Dog bicycle trailer
The second accessory you need for your dog, especially if you're active and like to get into the outdoors as much as possible with them, is the dog bicycle trailer. It's tough when you want to go for a cycle, but your dog also wants to go for a walk – you end up either going slow enough so suit their pace, or they run off much faster than you can swerve around people and you end up losing them.
A dog bicycle trailer means they can come along for the bike ride, without losing steam or running away. With mesh netting on the front and sides, so they can see what's flying past with an easy zip close to keep them safe and secure, you won't have to look back once and worry if your dog is following behind.
Peek fence window
The third and final accessory you need to get for your dog is the pet peek fence window. Chances are, unfortunately, duty calls in the form of your job and you aren't able to spend the entire day with your dog, taking them on walks and making sure they're not missing out on what's out there.
It can be hard to leave them at home all alone, often outside and with little to entertain them beyond the token toys and water bowl. With the pet peek fence window, you can break down that barrier (literally) by creating a small window in your wall that they can see out of so that they don't have to worry about missing out.
Installing one of these excellent additions into your fence means they can watch the world go by at their leisure, which gives them something else to entertain themselves with until you get home from work.
In conclusion
Your pooch is an entertaining, energetic addition to the family that makes every day just that much more exciting and unpredictable. They are the perfect excuse to get out there and make the most out of life by taking them on adventures and making sure they get the exercise that they need.
With practical accessories like the dog bicycle trailer, you can make sure your dog fits in the flow of family and work life seamlessly, without having to leave them at home for half of those trips. Life is fun when you have a dog.


text:
Voices Launches Spotlight on Vermont's Kids Campaign
Over the next few months, Voices will release links to webpages, fact sheets and issue briefs about Vermont's children and youth, some of the important programs serving them, and the circumstances that make it difficult for many to thrive and reach their full potential.
Voices' Spotlight on Vermont's Kids is about the needs of our children and finding ways to meet those needs, the challenges they face, the opportunities we have to support and nurture them, and how their wellbeing is important to us all. Continuing to invest in our children's wellbeing is more important than ever in these difficult economic times. That is our surest route to the best possible future for them and our state.
To kick off the campaign, Voices would like to introduce you to kids in your county and across the state. Healthy, economically-secure children and families are the best indicators of a bright future. Want to know how they are doing in your county? Want to learn about strides made in children's health and find out about threats to family economic wellbeing? Click here to access two-page reports for each county in the state and for the state overall. You can track changes to indicators ranging from access to prenatal care and teen birth rates to health insurance coverage and child poverty, and compare your county to state averages.


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Warburg Pincus heads for the exits
FORTUNE — Back in May, Apollo Global Management (APO) CEO Leon Black said that his firm was "selling everything that's not nailed down." This week it seems those words could have been spoken by Warburg Pincus co-presidents Joe Landy and Charles Kaye.
Take a look at what Warburg Pincus has done in just the past two days:
- Agreed to sell Neiman Marcus Group to Ares Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for $6 billion. Warburg and TPG Capital had led a $5.1 billion buyout of the upscale retailer back in 2005, and reportedly will earn a 150% return on their equity investment.
- Filed IPO papers for Philadelphia-based concessions company Aramark, which it helped acquire back in 2006 for $6.3 billion. There were three other private equity firms on that deal, but Warburg Pincus holds the most shares with a 21.5% position. Expect that the eventual IPO price will be much larger than the $100 million listed on the IPO docs, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a parallel M&A process (remember, Neiman Marcus also filed for an IPO).
- Filed IPO papers for Endurance International Group Holdings, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of cloud solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs (GS) bought a majority stake in the company less than two years ago, and has seen revenue more than double between the first half of 2012 and the first half of 2013 (losses have grown at a slower clip).
It's a big spate of exit activity, considering that the firm had been fairly quiet on that front since agreeing to sell eyecare company Bausch & Lomb for $7.8 billion to Valeant Pharma (VRX) four months ago. In fact, its only other announced liquidity event was an IPO for Sophiris Bio (SPHS), in which Warburg held all of its shares.
But it's also no surprise. Private equity firms know that exit windows can close suddenly, particularly for large portfolio companies. Like Apollo, Warburg Pincus doesn't want to get caught holding some aging bags…
Sign up for Dan's daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers: GetTermSheet.com


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At the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership we teamed up with our counterparts in North East Derbyshire to deliver a number of leadership courses across the half-term break.
Part of our wider leadership programme, the courses were designed to give the young leaders the qualification needed to organise and manage sporting events or go onto further courses. Continue reading


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Craftsmanship is the Standard
Top of the line Cypress Fermentation Tanks and Copper & Wood Stills
f you are looking for the highest qaulity in your destilling process then you have come to the right place. Confederate Stills of Alabama has the quality workmanship, preferred materials, and tried and true designs that are sure to serve all of your distillation needs. If you are in need of a custom tailored design we can help. We have the experience and know how to accomplish all of your requirements providing the best results and end product.
onfederate Stills of Alabama is proud to offer a premium line of Copper & Wood Stills and Cypress Fermentation Tanks. All of our products are made right here in the U.S.A taking pride in every detail of our workmanship.
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If you are in need of a custom tailored distillation model design we can help.
CSA provides many accessories not listed on this website. Please contact us for your specific needs.