text:
Interview: Burning Games – Faith: The Sci-Fi RPG
February 27, 2015 by dracs
A new Sci-Fi RPG has been making a splash on Kickstarter recently with its bold move away from the traditional forms of pen and paper role playing. I am of course talking about Faith and I recently got to have a chat with one of the game's developers, Carlos Gomez Quintana, about what we can expect to see in this new game.
Me: I am joined by Carlos from Burning Games who is here to tell us all a bit more about Faith, the intriguing new Sci-Fi RPG currently on Kickstarter. How're you doing mate?
Carlos: Very well, thank you! How about you?
Me: I'm grand, just been looking over the Kickstarter and things are certainly looking epic.
Well why don't we start with your good self, what's your part in Faith?
Carlos: I'm one of the designers of the game. We are a team of four friends, three game designers and one manager, and we count with the help of freelance artists and a graphic designer.
Me: And what's your background in gaming? What sort of games were you into and how did you come to be designing your own RPG?
Carlos: I started playing Warhammer when I was a little kid and that way I met Helio and Mauricio, the other two game designers. From there we branched out into roleplaying games. We started tweaking the games we played early on, as many people do, and when the changes started to be too significant we decided to make our own wargame.
We always talked about the possibility to eventually publish our own games, and last year we were awarded a grant for entrepreneurs from the University of the Arts in London that allowed us to pursue the idea seriously.
Nowadays we play many other games, both miniature games and boardgames. We really enjoy games like Infinity, Android Netrunner, Chaos in the Old World and others.
Me: Ah yes, a lot of us here are big fans of Infinity and I myself really enjoy Android Netrunner. Would you say these influenced your own game at all?
Carlos: Both have inspired us, especially regarding the possibilities of hacking within a science fiction universe. Both Infinity and Android Netrunner explore very interesting concepts and we have translated some of them into our system, making Hackers an integral part of the usual roleplaying character parties.
Me: Fantastic. Well, I suppose now is a good time to tell us about your own game. What's going on in Faith?
Carlos: Faith takes place in the vastness of an alternate Universe around a thousand years in the future from now. The two main alien species, the Corvo and the Iz'kal, fight a cold war for the control of the Labyrinth, while humanity struggles to survive.
The Labyrinth is a web of interconnected wormholes that connects thousands of star systems. Everyone is struggling to control as many wormhole exits as they can, without breaking into open warfare. Both species are so powerful that in case of a direct conflict they would obliterate each other, leaving no survivors to enjoy the spoils.
Humanity has been conquered by the Corvo after their Third World War, and are now highly regarded as mercenaries and bounty hunters due to their physical superiority. The Corvo are a very technological species and each seeks his own personal gain, while the Iz'kal are very social and seek to build a community that thrives and prospers.
Me: So those are the races you can choose to play as? How does each of species play in the game?
Carlos: The Iz'kal have aquatic origins and thus they innately know how to swim. Moreover, they have a neuronal adaptation that allows them to share their personality and communicate telepathically with other members of their species. In game this translates into an interesting mechanic that will give them an edge when they are in a group.
The Corvo have a Cortex Connector from the start that allows them to connect their brain directly to different devices, such as suits or advanced weapons. Other species can acquire them later, but the Corvo always have them.
The Humans have one extra card in their hand and one advantage to their Athletic skill, representing their physical superiority over the other two species.
Additionally, each species has different limitations to improve their attributes, which makes them more suited for some tasks than others. We have plans to include more species either during this campaign if we get enough funding or in the future when we continue to support the game.
Me: I like the sound of being a Corvo and plugging myself into computers. Would probably make writing the news a lot easier!
One of the most interesting things about the game is, of course, the way it deviates from traditional pen and paper RPGs. The game doesn't use pen, paper or dice. Why is this?
Carlos: There is already plenty of amazing games that use very creative dice mechanics. We wanted to do something different, as we did not see the point of making another d20 system.
The mechanics of Faith allow players to manage their luck: because the players can play cards from their hand, they can choose when to be lucky and play their high cards and when to risk failure while playing their low cards.
This allows for different strategies to arise, some players want to go all out all the time and might see themselves stranded without good cards in a risky position, while others are more cautious with their resource management, spending as little as possible.
The actions are resolved through confrontations that arise when the Game Master wants to add dramatic interest to the story and cause a failure or when the target of an action attempts to avoid or prevent it.
The confrontations are resolved playing cards alternatively, and whoever gets the highest final result after adding the cards and the relevant skill together succeeds and the opposing side fails.
The gear and NPCs come in cards that contain both illustrations and all the relevant game information to use them, allowing players to stay immersed in the story and away from long tables in the rulebook.
And finally, the traditional character sheet is replaced with a character board that allows the same degree of character customization with better aesthetics. However, if you wouldn't change your character sheet for anything else, you can always download it from our website and print it out like in other games.
Me: All these components are included in the standard boxed game, right?
Carlos: Yes they are. The Core Set includes everything you need to play Faith right out of the box without the need of any additional materials.
Me: Awesome. It does seem to me that more games are trying to step away from traditional dice mechanics. You ever play Malifaux?
Carlos: Yes, although not as much as I'd like. I've played Puppet Wars a few more times and I find the system and the setting of both games really interesting.
Me: Aw yeah love it. Haven't played Puppet Wars though, really want to get round to that.
What challenges did you face in coming up with this new system?
Carlos: The main issue we had was finding the right balance between streamlined gameplay that focused on the narrative and an interesting set of mechanics that allowed both strategic play and the customizability that makes RPGs awesome.
Me: How did you overcome this? What solutions did you come up with?
Carlos: We tied the theme and the mechanics closely together in several ways. One way is the differences between the species that we talked about, and the others are the advantage system and the Gods.
Having advantage over an opponent means he will play one card less than usual in a confrontation against you. Advantages can be granted by equipment or divine powers, and also by the GM if the player describes his actions in a way that could be considered advantageous, such as shooting at an exposed target while being under cover or thinking of a smart solution to repair a machine. This has proved to be a rather interesting concept during play testing, as players often come up with amazing ideas and descriptions of how they perform different tasks.
Additionally, in Faith the Gods represent moral compasses for the characters. When the players roleplay their characters well, following the moral code they have chosen to follow, they will eventually be rewarded with divine upgrades granted by the respective God. If they deviate from those paths they might lose those powers – but if they do so in a heroic or epic way, another God who sees value in their new ways can reward them with other powers.
Me: Hmm, I like the idea of the Gods. Kind of sounds like if the alignments in Dungeons and Dragons had an active character and affected the gameplay itself.
Why did you decide to take Faith to Kickstarter?
Carlos: We are four friends that made a game out of our love for RPGs. We found the opportunity to publish one when the University of the Arts of London saw value in our idea, and with very little money we managed to put together a project to show to our potential audience. Now we need the help of the community to finish it and make it into a real product. Kickstarter is probably the best place one could hope for to do this.
Me: Yeah it has really opened up the stage for all manner of interesting new games
How has your experience with it been so far?
Carlos: We have had amazing support from many people that has made all the effort worthwhile. We have also faced bumps on the road because as a very young company bringing our first product to life, we have to go the extra mile to prove the value of our game. We have had awesome experiences in conventions as well as in play testing sessions, as many people that were skeptic as first when we presented Faith to them left our table very happy and glad they took the time to look at our game.
Me: Aye, a lot of people seem very enthusiastic about your game, and given the quality that is appearing in the images on your Kickstarter I can definitely see why.
Right, before I let you go I have one last question. What do you have planned for the future with Faith? Any secret new races you can let us in on?
Carlos: The Labyrinth has thousands of exits, and as such many species can be introduced in remote planets. We have already two planned out: the Ravager and the Raag. The Raag will be introduced by an early stretch goal. They are very strong and loyal and they live in a frozen planet, and we would like to make them a playable species through an expansion. The Ravager are a species of World-eating creatures that use the DNA of the beings they consume to improve their own genetic material, mutating to adapt to any environment and circumstance.
Me: The Ravagers sound awesome! I can't wait to hear how they fit into the game
Well Carlos thanks a lot for joining me and letting us in on the secrets of Faith. It definitely sounds like a game for us RPG lovers to watch out for.
Carlos: Thank you so much for having us! And for all of those on the fence, remember that you can download the print and play from our website for free and give the game a try. We promise we will get back to you to answer any questions you might have!
Me: Excellent. Thanks again Carlos and best of luck with the Kickstarter.
"The two main alien species, the Corvo and the Iz'kal, fight a cold war for the control of the Labyrinth, while humanity struggles to survive."
"The Core Set includes everything you need to play Faith right out of the box without the need of any additional materials"


text:
A Field Notes column last Sunday ("Bridal Hunger Games") reported on some diets that brides use to drop 15 or 20 pounds before their weddings: Weight Watchers and a personal fitness trainer, juice cleanses, the Dukan diet, diet pills, hormone shots and, new to the United States, a feeding tube diet.
Readers began to respond as soon as the article went online and was posted on the Times's Facebook page.
"If you're with someone who wants a swimsuit model for a partner, then he is free to contact Sports Illustrated and ask to date one directly," one woman wrote on Facebook. Or why not just buy a larger size dress, asked one reader, a man. Several commenters suggested that the solution to looking good in wedding photos wasn't losing weight, but acquiring skills in Photoshop.
There were complaints about the commodification of marriage: "Just one more example of the disgusting spectacle weddings have become," another grumped.
A man jokingly suggested reverse psychology: "I say balloon up so you look as big as a house on your wedding day (wear a fat suit if you have to)." Ten years later, he wrote, people "will say admiringly how great you look today."Continue reading the main story
BluePrintCleanse's Web site was mentioned in the column for suggesting that a bridal party cleanse together. "If a friend asked me to lose weight, or join her in such an awful venture, to be in her wedding, she wouldn't be my friend any longer," a woman wrote. (On the blog Jezebel, Erin Gloria Ryan was similarly incensed, saying: "Should I be mandating my bridesmaids tan in tandem and work out the same muscle groups to ensure uniformity?")
But it was the anecdote about the "feeding tube bride" that was plucked from the dieting options and went viral as it filtered through other news media outlets and Web sites.
Melissa Gilson focused on the ethics of the K-E diet (800 calories a day for 10 days using the nasal tube), saying diet articles encouraged women to starve themselves. "If they didn't have the tube and just stopped eating they'd be considered anorexic," she wrote on Facebook. "But under a doctor's care and with a tube in their nose, it's a crash diet."
A publicist for the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition e-mailed to complain that the article was "disturbing" because it failed "to represent the medical and lifesaving uses of feeding tubes."
Tammy Frank, a nurse in Boardman, Ohio, who has lost 70 pounds on the high-protein Dukan diet in preparation for her wedding on July 14, criticized the casual use of feeding tubes as well. "If all you need are the low-carb fluids, why not just drink them?" she wrote in an e-mail. "But it is going to be the next thing for dieters — almost as dangerous as women eating cotton balls. We are all dying to be thin. I'm just glad I found a healthy lifestyle that works."
Dr. Louis Aronne, the director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, who was quoted in the original article, e-mailed to say: "The tube approach might be appropriate in those with significant obesity as a short-term kick-start if other techniques that would help with weight maintenance were also utilized. But it hasn't yet been studied as a weight loss technique to my knowledge, and I called several other experts in the field."
Times readers were mild, however, compared with reaction elsewhere. A headline on National Review's site read, "End of the World Watch: The 'Feeding Tube' Diet." A post on the Time blog NewsFeed summed it up with, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something eww." The humor writer Dave Barry commented on his blog for The Miami Herald, "You may now remove the bride's nasal feeding tube."
"Good Morning America" and the "Today" show did follow-up segments on Monday about the "feeding tube bride," Jessica Schnaider, a Miami businesswoman, and her physician, Dr. Oliver R. Di Pietro of Bay Harbor Islands, Fla. Ms. Schnaider said she went on the diet because she trusted Dr. Di Pietro (he has been her doctor for 15 years) and had both the money ($1,500) and the desire to drop 10 pounds.
Brickbats were thrown at her — "If we needed more proof that American women are cultivating a collective eating disorder, enter the feeding tube bride," blogged Julie Gunlock on the Independent Women's Forum.
Ms. Schnaider said on Thursday that people were uninformed. "I lost the weight," she said. "There was no other consequence. I wasn't putting myself at risk. I asked the doctor, 'Is there any kind of medicine or drug in the mixture?' because I didn't want that. And he said, 'No, just protein powder,' so I was fine. It made sense to me. Why can they say it's crazy?"
Criticism was directed at Dr. Di Pietro as well. Juniper Russo, a contributor to Yahoo, opined hyperbolically under the headline "Feeding Tube Diet? Irresponsible Doctors Condone Anorexia" that Dr. Di Pietro's decision to put a patient on the diet was "an astonishing display of medical malpractice."
After interviewing Ms. Schnaider, "Good Morning America" reported that "more and more brides" were using the diet. Dr. Di Pietro, an internist who alone has trademarks and patents on the K-E diet in the United States, became the plural "irresponsible doctors" in Yahoo's headline.
There are other doctors in Europe who are licensed to do the procedure — and who do it for less money. The process, called the KEN, or ketogenic enteral nutrition, diet in Europe, was invented by Dr. Gianfranco Cappello of the University of Rome. It costs about $200 for the initial visit, $79 for the protein solution and $39 for the final checkup. Airfare from New York to Rome is as little as $613 on Finnair, meaning a diet excursion would come in at under $1,000.
Dr. Cappello said his center in Rome has treated more than 20,000 obese and overweight patients with this diet, with an average of 23 pounds lost over 2.5 cycles on the therapy. Responding to criticism, he wrote in an e-mail that his diet is safe, and overall since 2006, his centers have treated 37,000 patients.
"The millions of obese patients who can benefit from this treatment outnumber the thousands of people with cancer or neurologic dysfunction that require this therapy," he added.
He also extolled the use of the feeding tube diet for fitting into a dress. By comparison, simply starving yourself and losing weight rapidly, he said, leads to the loss of muscle "on the arms, thighs, chest and buttocks, while the abdomen will remain enlarged. A bride would never fit into her wedding dress with an enlarged abdomen."
Sarah Bssisso, a commenter on the K-E Diet Facebook page, was forgiving. "I don't think you should put people down for making this choice," she said. "That's what technology and medical advancements are for, and if people have the money and so choose to do it there's really nothing wrong with it."
But Dr. Michael Cirigliano, the medical expert for the television station Fox 29 in Philadelphia, dismissed the diet as "the most ludicrous, ridiculous thing I've ever heard of." On a segment, he used a plastic head to demonstrate how a feeding tube is inserted, saying: "It's mind-boggling. I'm speechless. You should not do anything like this. It's dangerous. It's wrong." He cited risks, like sinus infections.
On Wednesday, Dr. Di Pietro said he had had to close his regular practice for two days because of the scrutiny, adding that "brides are a very small fraction of my practice."
In response to the criticism, he said: "The doctors who are against this are showing a tremendous lack of empathy for people who need to lose weight."
"When a traditional diet and exercise doesn't work," he added, "you have to go to more extreme things, like bariatric surgery or this."
A commenter on Dave Barry's page agreed, in a way.
"Guys, is it really dumber than liposuction or plastic surgery?" wrote someone who identified as Elon. "This is just the next logical step. We lost all semblance of reason long ago."Continue reading the main story

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Almost 60% of the demand comes from housing and construction activities of which rural housing demand has a high share. For FY17, the government is expected to invest Rs 2,21,246 crore on infrastructure, which includes roads and railways.
A large part of these investments will be in rural areas. Besides this, faster clearances of disputed or stuck projects have also paid off. According to an estimate by Deutsche Bank, the number of stressed projects in the roads sector has come down to a mere 19 from 384 in 2014.
The government has an execution target of 30 km per day of roads in the next two years from 22 km a day in May. Further, the hybrid mode of project award, where the government bears 40% of the costs has seen high interest among road construction companies. This too, would contribute to driving up cement demand.
In the coming quarters, though rising pet coke prices may increase fuel expenses for UltraTech, demand growth is expected to offset this. The management's focus in the coming quarters would be to make the acquisition of cement assets of JP Associates accretive for earnings per share, which is expected to take place in eight quarters.


text:
In some very exciting news to kick things off, I'll be heading to Queensland next week to visit the set of the Spierig brothers new film Daybreakers. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Claudia Karvan. Hopefully I'll be chatting to most of the cast about working in what promises to be an intriguing entry into the vampire genre.
With the release of Black Sheep my interview with director Jonathan King has appeared in the latest issue of Filmink. I also previewed the film's UK Premiere at this year's Frightfest Festival on my regular blog interviewing Dave & Lou Elsey about their make-up work on the film.
The latest issue of Smoke & Mirrors has hit the shelves and as reported before features my articles on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the Kiwi horror film The Tattooist.
This Friday I'll on the air again producing this weeks Cinemascape show on Eastside 89.7FM. This time around I'll be reviewing Once; a wonderful film about falling in love and making beautiful music. If you are a fan of The Frames you are in for a treat as lead singer Glen Hansard gives his all in an amazingly raw and natural performance. Tune in at 17:30.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
This is England
After a couple of years of reviewing films on Cinemascape, I have now donned headphones to become one of the shows producers. This Friday marks my debut as the shows host and I'll be honouring the occasion by reviewing one of the film's of the year thus far, Shane Meadows semi autobiographical This in England. Set in 1983, the film tells the story of a young boy called Shaun whose life is changed during his school holidays when he befriends a gang of skinheads. The film is beautifully played by the entire ensemble, especially Thomas Turgoose as Shaun. Roland Rat, Margaret Thatcher, Rubik's Cubes, the Royal Wedding, aerobics, Keith Chegwin; Meadows has filled his film with 1980s minutiae that gives this often grim tale an authenticity that is only heightened by the terrific soundtrack. The best British film about disenchanted youth since Tim Roth's Trevor smashed his way through Alan Clarke's Made in Britain; be prepared to be entertained, disturbed and shocked. The show will also feature reviews of Susan Bier's After the Wedding and Jonathan King's fabulous Black Sheep. Tune in to Eastside 89.7 FM this Friday at 17:30 to hear the show.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Mr Brooks
Tune in this Friday at 17:30 to Eastside 89.7 FM's Cinemascape show to hear my thoughts on the new Kevin Costner serial killer film, Mr Brooks. Against all the odds this is an enjoyable little chiller. Also starring Demi Moore and William Hurt; the film probably bites off slighty more than it can chew but at the centre of it all is an excellent performance by Costner as the eponymous Mr Brooks. Listen to the show to hear the rest!
As a footnote, the film has just been added to the line up for this years Filmfest Xtra at The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley on September 2nd. Go to www.frightfest.co.uk for details and to check out my latest "Dave Down Under" column.
As a footnote, the film has just been added to the line up for this years Filmfest Xtra at The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley on September 2nd. Go to www.frightfest.co.uk for details and to check out my latest "Dave Down Under" column.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Your loving wishes for your rites of passage can be crafted into a truly unique & beautiful service. I perform life-rite ceremonies such as hand-fastings, namings and funerals.
"Oh my! What a truly awesome evening we had for our handfasting!
A special thanks to Gabby and Paddy for being our Celebrants. You made such a special effort for us and we can't thank you enough." – G.T.
Would you like a sonic soundbath?
I retune physical, emotional and spiritual energies through pure sound using gongs, voice, drums, and other instruments.
"I had a 1-1 sound therapy session with Gabriella last week.
I had the most amazing, inspiring and relaxing time. I cannot recommend highly enough.
Treat yourself to a little space away from it all – you will not regret it." – T.C.
More wonderful workshops and events to follow, throughout 2019:
SAT 22ND JUNE - SUN 30TH JUNE: Retreat for End of Life Doulas, South of France,
"Gabby started to sing and tone, it resonated deep within me and called me back to myself." – Sunday Soundbath participant
"A safe and magical atmosphere for us to move our bodies freely and expressively. Though unsure to start with, I soon let myself go – my body leading me! I also enjoyed the follow up activity using pastels to create images and words on paper. A wonderful evening with wonderful people. Thank you!" – Ruth
"I have had the most emotional, uplifting, therapeutic, magical, spiritual weekend birthing my very own medicine drum. Words cannot express how I truly feel, but I am so grateful to everyone who was there, embarking on their own journeys or leading us through the process." – J.H.G.
about me
My background
I put my heart and soul into my life work. And my work is to help people on their journeys.
My own journey began in the 1990s. A near death experience and other intense initiations led me to a variety of therapies including Sound Therapy and Sacred Drumming and drum making. Whether working with individual clients, convening workshops or working with vulnerable people, children and families, I integrate therapeutic work at all levels.
At the request of friends, I became a celebrant, often with my husband, Paddy. My work draws on my background as a sound therapist, especially with my singing voice, and I use ritual to bring the sacred into very special memorable ceremonies. I also love to lead people with community singing.
I help people at the end of their earthly journeys too. I have supported people to write their own funeral wishes and ceremonies, well in advance, so that everything is planned and taken care of. I am part of a team of facilitators in a local death café.
The more I follow my intuition and immerse myself in these worlds, the more aligned I become with my true purpose. I am blessed to have had over 25 years helping others!
If you feel you would like to know more about how I can help you, please contact me for a discussion.
Training Establishments and Studies
Sign Up
Please leave your name and email and I will add you to the Aluna Blessings mailing list


text:
|Thien-Thi Nguyen
|Re: guile-cvs gets branching all wrong...
|Fri, 20 Jul 2001 23:58:56 -0700
From: Rob Browning <address@hidden> Date: 13 Jul 2001 10:23:26 -0500 Then you checked the diff and noticed the problem how? What command(s) did you run? apparently, `guile-core' and other related cvs modules, upon any commit, feed a diff to the guile-cvs mailing list. btw, you can see all the gnu lists (that are archived) at: http://mail.gnu.org/pipermail/ i suspect that the CVSROOT/commitinfo dispatch, if indeed this is where the call to diff lives, doesn't take into account branch, but cannot confirm this because i don't have privs to do "cvs co CVSROOT". sigh. thi
|[Prev in Thread]
|Current Thread
|[Next in Thread]


text:
Trailer 2 di Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa in lingua inglese
Alan Partridge has had many ups and downs in his life. National television broadcaster. Responsible for killing a guest on live TV. Local radio broadcaster. A nervous breakdown in Dundee. His self-published book, 'Bouncing Back', subsequently remaindered and pulped. The movie portrays the events of the greatest low-to-high-ebb spectrum in his life to date: specifically how he...
Categorie: Commedia
Commenti: 0


text:
Lake & Palmer Emerson - Hallowed Be Thy Name lyrics
Hallowed Be Thy Name by Lake & Palmer Emerson
(Lake, Sinfield)
There may be an om in moment
But there's very few folk in focus
Not the first, not the last, not the least.
You needn't be well to be wealthy
But you've got to be whole to be holy
Fetch the rope, fetch the clock, fetch the priest.
Oh this planet of ours is a mess
I bet Heaven's the same
Look the madman said, "Son,
As a friend, tell me what's in a name,"
Hallowed be thy name.
I give you the state of statesmen
And the key to what motivates them
On the left, on the right, on the nail
Still I don't see a man in a mansion
That an accurate pen won't puncture
Go to town, go to hell, go to jail.
And there's bars and saloons
Where the jukebox plays blues in the night
Till the madman says "Son,
Time to go we could both use some light"
And thy will be done.
We live in an age of cages
The tale of an ape escaping
In the search for some truth he can use
But many a drunk got drunker
And mostly a thinker, thunker
Set the place, set the time, set the fuse,
The optimist laughed and the pessimist cried in his wine
And the madman said "Son,
Take a word they'll all wake given timeâ€
Let thy kingdom come
The madman and I got drunker
Till both thought the other tank you
And we laughed all the way to the stars
The optimist asked for a taste of the pessimist's wine
And the madman said "Son,
How do you feel?†I said "Me? I feel fine
Lead me into temptation
Into temptation
I said into temptation
I need my allocation of recreation
I want a revelation in degradation
No hesitation, give me variation, give me inspiration...â€
A-Z Lyrics Universe
Follow us
Lyrics / song texts are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes.


text:
Care and Planting Instructions
Melons thrive in warm soil. Don't plant until the ground temperature is above 70 degrees F. Melons typically are heavy feeders, so consider preparing the soil beforehand with generous amounts of compost, then every few weeks side dress the plants with a balanced fertilizer. Some gardeners take advantage of their compost pile (which provides warmth and adequate nitrogen for optimal growth) and plant their melon seed in hills, allowing the vines to freely cover the space.
Mound well-worked dirt into mounds or hills. Space plants 36 to 42 inches apart. I place a stake in the center of the mound so that later, when the vines have taken over the space I can water the plants at the roots, eliminating excess watering of the vines and fruit. If space is limited, melons can be grown on a trellis. If using this method, space plants 12" apart at the base of a secured trellis. Be sure to tie the vines to the trellis daily using soft material so as to not crush the stems.
Use straw mulch or other dry material to help keep weeds in check and to provide the vines and fruit a dry place to grow. Melons require a steady supply of water, but too much on the leaves or fruit may encourage fungus rot.
Melons typically ripen over a 3-4 week period. As soon as one melon is ripe, the others won't be far behind. Reduce watering about a week before a melon is ripe, just enough to keep vines from wilting. This lets the vine concentrate sugars in the fruit. Too much water dilutes the sweetness and flavor.
You can judge a melons ripeness by skin color, stem, and weight. The rind usually changes color and the netting pattern becomes more pronounced. At the stem, a crack appears that encircles the base of the stem. A ripe melon should slip right off the vine.
Melons cucumis melo var.
Ambrosia Cantelope
Heavily netted with no ribs.
Extra sweet. Averages 4 lb. fruit.
Harvest 86 days.
Delicious Canteloupe
Juicy, sweet, dark orange flesh & sparse netting.
Roughly textured muskmelon producing 6" round fruit
that weigh on average 2.5 lbs. Harvest 83 days.
Small round melon with sugary, deep orange, fine grained
flesh. Smooth, heavily netted rind. Harvest at half-slip
and ripen for 3 days at 70 degrees, then chill. Harvest 82 days.
Honey White Honeydew
Smooth, round to oval-round fruits are very sweet,
flavorful. Slow to crack. Early and cool weather tolerant.
3-3 ½ lb. Holds well. Harvest 77 days.
Melon culture –
Melons are members of the cucurbit family of plants that include cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes and gourds. Cantaloupe and honeydew are the most widely grown, but this group also includes watermelons, crenshaw, casaba, Persian, and canary type melons. *Note: because many members of the cucumis melo var. plant family can easily cross-pollinate, when planting different varieties of this fruit you should separate them in the garden to avoid cross-pollination.
Melons are normally eaten fresh, chopped in a salad, or as a dessert with ice cream or custard. Most melons grown in the average backyard are much more flavorful than the store bought counterparts. The key is plenty of moisture, sunlight and heat. Melons need at least 2-3 months of heat to mature to full sweetness. Full of vitamin C and antioxidants they combine great taste with nutrition.*Important note because the surface of a melon can contain harmful bacteria, it is always a good idea to wash and scrub the outside rind thoroughly before cutting and eating.
Harvest melons when vines are dry, and be careful not to damage them. The melons are ready for harvest when they feel full and heavy. Tap on the fruit and listen for a sound that is dull and deep. Press gently on the stem end where the vine was attached with your thumb. If it gives way slightly it is a good indication that the melon is ripe. If it is soft or squishy it is probably overripe. Smelling the bottom of the melon can also be helpful. Unripe fruit will have a faint to no smell at all, while a ripe melon will have a sweet aroma.
Once picked, melons will soften after harvesting, but will not continue to sweeten off the vine. You can store cut melons in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, wrapped tightly in plastic. If you have extra on hand, dice or cut the flesh into balls and freeze for slushies, fruit salads, cantaloupe popsicles, or cold soup.


text:
Early Antique Stoves 1820 - 1870
Barnstable Stove Shop … see 500 Antique Stoves
1854 Temple Parlor #4
1854 Temple Parlor #4.Vose Co.,Albany,NY. Looks like a Victorian cottage, very ornate design and incredible castings. Fully restored. We also have the larger #5 for $2000, and the #6 for $2200.
Dimensions: 26" W x 20" D x 41" H
1857 Viola
A fine example of an 1857 stove made by the Wrathbone Company in Albany, New York. Absolutely one of the nicest decorated early stoves. Totally ornate from top to bottom with swags, cartouches and a host of other intricate designs, complete with a great urn on top. Shown without door handle, but it does indeed come with it.
1857 Leader
With a pair of sliding doors on the front graced with a sea shell motif, this nice early wood parlor stove is a classic. Crisp details and architectural elements reflect the design elements of many early stoves.
Dimensions: 29" Wide, 21" Deep and 33" High
1856 Laurel
A perfect example of an ornate top of the liine early stove. Simply mint condition in classic black. Topped by a very ornate finial. Made in New York.
Dimensions: 25" Wide, 19" Deep and 38" High
Tremont #5 Two Column Stove
Made by the Vose Co., Albany NY. Circa 1857. A smaller column stove, with bold, ornate castings. One of the last column stoves made.
Ransom and Rathbone
Two Column Stove
Here is an early 1844 great 2 column stove made by Ransom and Rathbone Co., Albany,NY. Crisp detail in the castings of garden urns and the paw feet. Mint Condition.
Dimensions: 32W x 21D x 50 H.
French and Winslow parlor stove, Cincinnati,1845. Artistic, ornate design, large size.
This beautiful Early Stove is not for use - it is for display purposes only.
Dimensions: 30W x 36H x 24D.
Barnstable Stove Shop has over 500 antique stoves in stock: antique wood burning stoves, antique coal stoves, gas kitchen ranges, and parlor stoves. All stoves are properly professionally restored and ready for installation.
Barnstable Stove Shop, Box 472, 2481 Rt.149, West Barnstable, MA. 02668 (See MAP)
Send us E-mail at email@example.com • (508) 362-9913
HOURS: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat 9:00 - 4:30, or by appointment; closed Wed & Sun


text:
The Most Awarded SUV Ever
Force Of Nature
The Next Level Of Performance
Pretend No More
Modern Adventure
Born to Be Wild
Coming Soon
Limited Edition.
Drive into the Spotlight.
A masterpiece with a dark side.
Genuine parts were utilised to build your Jeep in the factory, so the ongoing usage of Genuine Parts during a service or crash repair ensures the integrity and performance of your vehicle is maintained.
Genuine Jeep Parts, supplied by Mopar are:
The team at Werribee Jeep is here to help you with your genuine Jeep Parts & Accessories requirements.
187-189 Old Geelong Road
Hoppers Crossing VIC 3029
Phone: 1300 029 149
© Werribee Jeep 2019
LMCT 8938 Mintego Pty Ltd


text:
Our classic BarreAmped class is an extreme fitness method founded on the technique of dance, the mind/body aspect of yoga, and the precision and core integration of Pilates. BarreAmped produces lengthening and chiseling results fast using small isolated holds with tiny movements and tremendous mental connection. Expect an extreme challenge and prepare to leave feeling calmly energized with this hands-on group training session.
BarreAmped Advanced
Our Advanced class follows the same format as our BarreAmped class, however BarreAmped Advanced will challenge you with longer holds, deeper positions, quicker transitions, & more advanced moves. A minimum of at least 10 BarreAmped classes is recommended before entering this class. This is a hands-on group training session.
BarreAmped Bootcamp
BarreAmped Bootcamp uses the classic foundation of BarreAmped combined with cardio intervals. This program relies on high intensity interval training, which has been proven to burn fat faster than sustained endurance training, making it suitable for ALL fitness levels. BarreAmped Bootcamp will shake up your workout! This class is a fun & effective way to burn fat, lose weight, and change your body. This is a hands-on group training session.
BarreAmped Cardio
Rev up your metabolism, torch calories & burn serious fat with this Tabata style boot camp class which combines classic BarreAmped exercises with short bursts of cardio; 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes. As we say in class, "You can do anything for 20 seconds!" This class works every muscle & you will leave feeling worked and refreshed. Please bring water …you will sweat! This is a hands-on group training session.
BarreAmped Power
BarreAmped Power relies on the client's proven technique, flexibility, & strength. It includes full range of motion moves, quick transitions, elements of cardio, and advanced dynamic stretching. Prepare to Shake and Shake to Change! A minimum of at least 3 BarreAmped classes is recommended before entering this class. It is not required that you be at an advanced level to enter this class but you will want to be somewhat familiar with the BarreAmped method. This is our most favorite class among barre enthusiasts! A must try class! This is a hands-on group training session.
We are proud to be the first Studio in Pittsburgh to offer Rebound Fitness classes! Our Trampoline Fitness class offers a high adrenaline, low impact and fun workout. You will be challenging your mind and body. Our Bounce Cardio class incorporates trampoline cardio to upbeat music to strategically work the body while balancing and strengthening your core throughout. The sequences are created to engage your mind and challenge your body. Bring water and have fun! All of our classes are hands-on group training session.


text:
Showing: 1 to 4 of 4
Brugal is a range of rums from the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1888, it produces white, golden and dark rums, and today is under the control by The Edrington Group, who also own The Macallan, Highland Park and Snow Leopard.
Enjoy responsibly
Copyright © The Whisky Exchange 1999-2019. All Rights Reserved.
The Whisky Exchange is the registered trademark of Speciality Drinks Limited.
Registered in England and Wales (Company No. 4449145). Registered Office: Elixir House, Whitby Avenue, Park Royal, London NW10 7SF, UK.


text:
Pheromone for Women - Pheromone Products for Attraction: Getting StartedThe best ways to discover the very best pheromones products! are now available on the market. Pheromone products come in all shapes and sizes. For example, you have an option to buy pheromone colognes, pheromone oils, pheromone perfumes, or pheromone concentrates. Also, pheromone products are available in either unscented or scented versions. Of course, men and women use different types of pheromone products - but there are some unisex pheromone colognes, too. Androstenone and androsterone-based products attract women, while copulins attract men.
Based on popularity and effectiveness, some of the best pheromone products include: Chikara, Alter Ego, Scent of Eros, Rogue Male, Pheromax, Realm, The Edge, Passion Pheromone Attractant, Perception, New Pheromone Additive - NPA and Primal Instinct. These products contain different amounts of pheromones. Most pheromones can be combined with others. For example, Scent of Eros can be combined with androstenone products - Primal Instinct or The Edge. We worked as diligently as an owl in producing this composition on Pheromones. So only if you do read it, and appreciate its contents will we feel our efforts haven't gone in vain.
- So, where to start?
- Use one product and pay attention to the reactions of men or women around you.
- Then try another pheromone product.
- The key with testing a product is to be persistent and to test in different situations.
- You cannot just apply pheromones then sit back and wait.
- Don't be discouraged if you don't see results immediately.
- Remember that everybody has unique body chemistry.
- Try different dosage or a different mix of two or more pheromone colognes.
- Testing is the best way to find out what works for you.
- And it's not expensive - there are a lot of free pheromone samples available - and pheromone kits for beginners as well.


text: More Effective Affiliate Marketing With These Tips Posted in Business by On July 17, 2017 Lots of Internet promotion information exists nowadays. Whether this is new information is new, or just a new way of looking at an old problem, hopefully you will learn something from this article. Without a doubt, this information will help in perfecting Read More


text:
Develop an OpenMS/TOPP tool addressing the following tasks: (1) correction of instabilities of the retention time (2) multiple alignment of the LC-MS/MS signals caused by peptides (3) compute and maintain a consensus over many experiments.
A standard experimental setup in proteomics research is liquid chromatography (LC) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). In this type of experiment, the protein content of the sample is cleaved (e.g. using trypsin) into smaller peptides ("shotgun proteomics"). These peptides are then separated with respect to their hydrophobicity (other physicochemical properties can also be used) using liquid chromatography and then transferred to a mass spectrometer. Inside the mass spectrometer, peptides are ionized and separated with respect to mass-to-charge ratio. In tandem mass spectrometry, selected ions from the probe can be subjected to collision-induced fragmentation, and a secondary mass spectrum is acquired from these. Peptides will often break at the peptide bonds, and from the resulting fragment spectra it is possible to reconstruct the amino acid sequence using data base search or de novo prediction.
The goal of this Master's project is to develop a tool for creating a multiple LC-MS/MS map alignment based on peptide identifications.
A prototype implementation in Python is available from previous work by E. Lange, R. Tautenhahn, S. Neumann, and C. Gröpl (2008). This master's thesis will be implemented in OpenMS.


text:
Monday, June 29, 2015
Hire a San Diego Exterminator to Protect Your Home from Stinky Rodents
Rodents comprise the biggest group of species in the mammal kingdom. They play a vital role in the upkeep and preservation of forests by spreading seeds through their stool. That role, however, may not be so helpful in your San Diego home. Besides their odor and destructive diet, they are also a known carrier of deadly diseases. Diseases Carried by Rodents Direct contact with rodents or inhaling dust contaminated by rodent urine or droppings can cause you or your family to acquire diseases, such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, and Leptospirosis. Each of these diseases may be carried and spread by certain species of rodents, and those found in your home are most likely among them.


text:
Scope of the B.Sc course (Chemistry, Botany, Zoology)
This course enables the Students to take up advanced studies in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology and can find opportunities in
a) i) M.Sc in the respective disciplines
ii) Many interdisciplinary post-graduate courses like M.Sc and Ph.D degree in many prestigious institutions all over India and abroad.
iii) Master of Business Administration.
b) i) Teaching in schools & colleges where any of these science subjects is a discipline.
ii) Indian Administrative Services and other state and central Govt. Services where knowledge of science subjects is a definite advantage especially at the entrance examinations.
iii) In C.A /ICWA/GRE/GMAT etc. leading to very rewarding and self-satisfactory careers.
iv) Careers in Science and Technology and Management where a high level of competence and dependence on many of the science subjects is demanded.
Programme Outcome
Students of the programme would have learnt all basic concepts in biological and chemical sciences which is very much the need of the hour as there is a dearth of good students in the area of basic sciences in the country. The students would be equipped to continue higher studies in any of the branches of Life Sciences and Chemical Sciences. The modules on tissue culture, pharmaceutical botany, analytical chemistry etc makes them fit to be employable in industries.
Kindly read through the Overview, Admission Guidelines,Eligibility, Selection Process, Fee Structure,Course Structure and other details given on the right hand side of this page before you could fill the application form.


text:
Hi all
I've just been checking out Squidoo and have made myself a lens! I am very excited about this new find (well, new for me). I've only done a bit of work on it so far…so it's a bit boring right now. But it will grow (like topsy) if you have patience, dear reader!
Now what is the reference for the link…oh yes, my ID is "silkaquadots" Hmmm, wonder where I got that from???
The link is http://www.squidoo.com/createandbehappy
Bye for now….
PS I have been doing lots of making lately so stay tuned to this blog for more exciting posts!!


text:
Updating Mac OS X
As any good software developer should, Apple constantly releases improvements to Mac OS X in the form of software updates. These updates can include all sorts of fun stuff, such as
- Bug fixes
- Improvements and new features
- Enhanced drivers
- Security upgrades
- Firmware upgrades
Apple makes it easy to keep Mac OS X up-to-date with the Software Update controls in System Preferences (see Figure 1). Alternatively, you can choose the Apple menu and then choose Software Update. To check for new updates periodically, enable the Check for Updates check box. Then from the drop-down list box, choose how often you want these updates. (At least weekly, if not daily.) For a manual check, make sure that you're connected to the Internet and then click the Check Now button.
To download updates automatically, mark the Download Important Updates in the Background check box to enable it; the Big X politely downloads the updates behind the scenes and then alerts you that they're ready to be installed. (With automatic downloading disabled, Mac OS X displays any available updates with short descriptions, and you can toggle the installation of a specific update by enabling or disabling the check boxes next to it.)
Install all updates, even for hardware that you don't have yet. For example, install AirPort updates even though if you don't use an AirPort connection at home. The reason? Often, the functionality covered by an update may include system software that you do use, so you'll still benefit from installing it.
After you specify the updates that you want to install, click the Install button to begin the update process. You may have to reboot after everything has been installed.
To see which updates you've already installed, click the Installed Updates tab.


text:
Click HERE for theatre locations, telephone numbers and website links.
Click HERE for reviews of current West End shows.
The easiest way to buy London theatre tickets, especially if you are out of town or buying for more than one show at a time, is to use a ticket agent. Along with providing a one-stop service, they can frequently find tickets even to sold-out shows and offer discounts and deals not available elsewhere.
We are affiliated with one of the best, and you can do all your ticket shopping at once by clicking here.
Of course you will pay a service charge for the convenience. But we and any other reputable agents will give you a clear total price, listing the base ticket cost and any add-ons, before asking for credit card details, so you can always stop the purchase if you're not pleased.
If convenience and access to exclusive bargain deals are not a priority, you can buy tickets on your own. Although
this goes against our own interests, we remember our own
impoverished-student days and offer offer these money-saving tips.
Buy Direct You do have the option of buying directly from each individual theatre, either online, by mail or phone, or in person. Online, mail and phone bookings will carry a service charge, while buying at the theatre itself will not.
Day Seats Many West End shows have adopted the National Theatre's long-held policy of holding back a block of cheap seats (often the front row, for some reason unpopular with full-paying audiences) for sale on the day of performance. These can only be bought in person at the theatre, and you may have to be there when the box office opens in the morning.
Half Price Those on a budget will want to visit the Society of London Theatres' half-price "tkts" booth in Leicester Square, where tickets to many shows are sold at deep discounts up to seven days in advance. You have to buy in person (no phone orders), selecting from the list of what's available, but in practice all but a very few sold-out hits are available most days. Discounts vary, but are generally close to half-price, and the booth also sells full-price tickets.
(Be sure to use the official "tkts" booth, which is a free-standing building in Leicester Square itself, not the many storefront brokers on the side streets that all call themselves the "official" half-price booth but somehow run out of discounts just as you get there, and have been known to sell unsuspecting tourists balcony seats at stalls prices.)
Standby Students and senior citizens can get the best deal with standby tickets. Most theatres will sell you the best remaining seats for the next performance, for about the price of the cheapest. In most cases standby tickets aren't available until about an hour before the show, though some theatres will sell them earlier in the day, or even a day in advance. Phone or visit the theatre and ask if they're likely to have standby -- they'll give you an honest answer.
Beat the Critics Most new shows have a week or more of preview performances before the official Opening Night. While sometimes there are last-minute script changes or technical glitches, most of the time you'll see the same show as everyone else later on. If you don't need critics to tell you whether you'll like it, you can save up to 50% on ticket prices during previews.
If you come to London by train (intercity or commuter, but not underground), you can get two-for-one tickets to STOMP, THRILLER and THE WOMAN IN BLACK, along with other London attractions. Click through to the Days Out Guide.
At the moment, there are no two-for-one offers for Oyster Card holders. When a new batch are announced, we will provide a link from this page.
Each Friday at 1:00 the National Theatre releases a block of 20 pound tickets for each performance of each play for the following week. These can only be booked online at the NT's website.
Several established theatres, including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court, Old Vic, Hampstead, Bush, Tricycle and Orange Tree, offer cheap tickets to students or under-25s. Check each theatre's website for details. Many other off-West End and Fringe theatres also offer student discounts, and a few West End shows do as well, so always ask.
Theatrefix, a project of the Society of London Theatres, offers discounted tickets to West End and Fringe shows to 16-26 year olds. Click through to Theatrefix for details.
Mousetrap Theatre Projects is a charity (funded in part by the profits of the eternally-running whodunit) that encourages young people's involvement in theatre. Among their programmes are one that offers 15-18 year olds West End tickets for as little as 5 pounds, and another providing 10 pound tickets to 19-23 year olds. Click through to Mousetrap Theatre Projects for details.
Also see the notes above about Student Standby tickets to West End shows.
Unlike in France, you're not expected to tip your usher. But unlike America, you don't get a free programme book. If you want one, you have to buy it from the usher - currently the most common price is 4 pounds, though some more glossy booklets go for 6 pounds or more. Typically a programme has cast and author biographies and some magazine-style articles. The National Theatre, the Royal Court and some Off-West End and Fringe theatres give out free one-page cast lists if that's all you want.
For this you'll really have to check daily papers or ring the theatres, since there are no constants. Most shows have performances Monday through Saturday evenings, with matinees Saturday and one weekday, possibly Tuesday, more likely Wednesday or Thursday. But a few shows have a Sunday performance in place of Monday, and occasionally a show will have two evening performances on Friday.
Evening performances may start anytime between 7:00 and 8:30, with 7:30 and 8:00 the most common, so be sure to check when you buy your ticket. Matinees are most likely to be 2:30 or 3:00.
Return to Theatreguide.London home page.


text:
The six 'model demonstrator regions' in Europe are Andalusia (Spain), Groningen-Drenthe (The Netherlands), Kosice (Slovakia), Scotland (United Kingdom), South and Eastern Ireland (Ireland) and Wallonia (Belgium).
The regions have been selected from 28 applicants from EU regions, and will receive advisory support from the 'European Sustainable Chemicals Support Service' (ESCS) – a consortium led by the European Commission and CIRCE (the Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption). Cefic and SusChem will work with CIRCE and other partners to provide support to the six selected regions.
The aim of the initiative is to encourage investments in sustainable chemicals production in Europe that will contribute to the development of the circular economy, for example by taking advantage of domestically available feedstock such as biomass, waste or CO2.
Cefic and SusChem have been very supportive of collaboration within and between chemical regions based on concepts such as Industrial Symbiosis. This was demonstrated by Cefic-SusChem participation in the Chemical Regions for Resource Efficiency (R4R) FP7 project and expressed in the SusChem position paper on Circular Economy (see below). Participation in this tender continues and expands this support.
Call background
In a call for the expression of interest in September 2015, the Commission asked for applications from regional organisations interested in developing ambitious strategies to support sustainable chemicals in Europe. The final aim is to attract new investments in industrial projects in the chemicals sector, thereby also contributing to the industry policy objective of raising the GDP share of manufacturing in Europe. The call also intended to lead to further development of coherent policies, such as those related to the circular economy and low carbon economy, industrial symbiosis as well as removing investment bottlenecks.
The applications submitted clearly show the commitment of many regions in Europe to move towards circular economy and low carbon economy models, by using renewable resources for chemicals production. Experiences from the initiative will be shared with other interested European regions, to boost cooperation between the chemicals sector and other sectors, like agriculture, forestry, energy intensive industries, waste management and recycling.
SusChem and the circular economy
In October 2015 SusChem published a position paper on the Circular Economy. You can download the paper here.
The paper has three main messages:
A sustainability-based approach is needed
The integration of all aspects of sustainability is essential to the development of a circular economy in order to effectively ensure a positive impact on society while minimising environmental impact and maintaining economic growth.
Technology development is required for a sustainable circular economy
A circular economy cannot be achieved only through implementation of new regulations, services and business models. Advanced technologies are essential to enable a better use of existing resources along the whole life cycle to develop new production and recycling paths – and the expertise of the chemical industry as a material supplier is highly valuable and important here. In particular SusChem believes that the principle technology developments should take place in the following three areas:
- Utilisation of sustainable alternative feedstock including secondary raw materials, ligno-cellulosic biomass, waste or CO2 from industrial flue gases.
- Design of sustainable materials enabling eco design of 'products' that are easy to recycle while maintaining or improving performance.
- Improved efficiency for production processes to maximise the use of all resources entering the system including primary and secondary raw materials, water, and energy.
Coherence and stability over time for the policy framework is critical for European leadership
To contribute fully to a sustainable economy, the circular economy policy should be developed in coordination with other related policies such as the Energy Union Package. Policy coherence, as well as policy stability over time, is essential to establish a regulatory framework that enables investment in sustainable, resource efficient and innovative technologies in Europe and ensures European leadership in sustainable/clean technologies.


text:
About 2 years old, I originally made it as a background for my Tumblr layout. Just figured I'd upload it. The continuation of the picture is this piece: http://www.dragoart.com/art/36962/1/1/lunar-kitten.htm
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
There's a lot of chatter at the moment about 2D barcodes.
I've spoken to various creatives, service providers and marketers about this technology over the past few months; admittedly because XMPie now supports the technology directly inside uDirect. Whilst they all seem excited about the prospect of this technology very few that I can see are actually using it creatively or at all. There's a very useful site at http://2d-code.co.uk which covers alot of the technology, as well as many of the examples of where 2D barcodes have been used.
Now that XMPie supports the use of PDF417, AztecCode, DataMatrix, MaxiCode, MicroPDF and QRCodes directly within the uDirect InDesign CS plugin it is easy to insert personalised data into a 2D barcode and place it on a printed piece. This obviously means that any data (from a datasource) can be used to create a 2D barcode. Want to create a 2D barcode that contains someone's RURL or personalised URL so you negate the need to have them type it in? What about embedded personalised information about a recipient within a voucher code, presented as a 2D barcode?
It's not an insignificant?fact that XMPie's approach to QR Code is easy. XMPie's ADOR technology means that any data and logic contained within the data can be used repeatable and?consistently within the campaign and QR Codes.
One of the biggest factors holding back the adoption of this technology is the support for barcode readers already installed on the mobile devices – so the initial campaigns need to provide enough of an incentive to get people to spend the time and install one. However with most smart phones and camera-enabled phones capable of supporting QR-Code capture this is rapidly becoming a non-issue.
Hopefully those creatives that would like to implement some form of support with a DM piece or personalised campaign should be able to do so a lot easier now, as all the various commercial printers and service providers that already have XMPie now have this ability. "Ta Dah". All it needs now is a forward-thinking creative team to come up with some good campaign material.
Any takers?
[message type="info"]Full disclosure: At the time of writing this article the author was employed by XMPie, a Xerox Company. [/message]


text:
EPL side Stoke City signs Bojan Krkic from Barcelona
Stoke City has signed Bojan Krkic from Barcelona to a four-year contract, the English club announced Tuesday. The deal is reportedly worth £3million. Stoke City Chief Executive Tony Scholes said:
"We are delighted to have signed such a richly talented and exciting player, who is still only 23.
"A number of other clubs had expressed an interest in him, but Bojan believes joining Stoke City will benefit his career and we have no doubts he will prove to be a wonderful addition to our squad.
"The signing of Bojan, along with the other players we have recruited ahead of the new season, underlines the progress we are making as a Club."
Krkic, 23, scored 26 goals in 120 league appearances for Barcelona. He was born and raised in Linyola, Spain. His father, BojanKrkic, Sr., was from Serbia and played professionally for Red Star Belgrade.
The Spanish winger has also had loan stints with Italian club AC Milan and Dutch club Ajax.
Krkic is Stoke's fifth signing this summer, following Phil Bardsley, Steve Sidwell, Dionatan Teixeira and Mame Biram Diouf. Manager Mark Hughes added:
"Anyone who knows European football will be aware of him as a player and the fact that he sees his future at Stoke City is really exciting and an endorsement of the Club itself.
"He's desperate to prove himself in the Premier League and we're pleased to be able to offer him that platform.
"The time he spends with the squad in Germany will help him settle in and will give myself and the coaches the chance to take a good look at him."
- Chris Johnson


text:
Recommend UsEmail this PageeGazetteAlislam.org
Govt must protect Ahmadiyah, other minorities: Golkar
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government has a constitutional obligation to protect Ahmadiyah and other minority religious groups and must take action against violence directed against them, says a Golkar Party representative.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the party's three-day leadership meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, Golkar's patron board chair Akbar Tandjung said the government had no authority to interfere in Ahmadiyah's internal affairs, including its religious teachings, and should take action against hard-line groups that burned down Ahmadiyah mosques and other buildings in several cities in the country.
"Our party has proposed a bill on religious freedom to help provide protection for all people, including minorities."
"In the name of Pancasila — the state ideology — and the diversity of the nation, the government cannot prohibit Ahmadis from following their own teachings, which are different from the true Islam followed by the majority of Muslims. The government also has to guarantee Ahmadis their fundamental right to their faith," he said.
Hard-line groups launched a string of attacks on Ahmadiyah followers and their buildings in Banten, West Java, and West Nusa Tenggara over the last several years. Ahmadis accept Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, instead of Muhammad, as their last prophet.
Hundreds of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) followers burned Ahmadi houses in Parung, Bogor, last month. Earlier, several hard-line groups sealed mosques belonging to Ahmadis in Kuningan, West Java, demanding the government disband the sect.
Despite the 2008 joint ministerial decree accepting Ahmadiyah's existence, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali asked Ahmadis to dissolve their sect and come back to the true Islam.
Golkar slammed the government for its slow response to the recent FPI assault on HKBP church ministers in Bekasi, West Java, and is determined to campaign for religious tolerance to counter increasing intolerance among Muslims.
Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie said his party, one of the nationalist parties, together with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Greater Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), was deeply concerned about the deterioration of national attachment towards Pancasila among the people.
The declining implementation of and respect for Pancasila has been demonstrated by the increase in social disharmony, increasing intolerance among the Muslim majority and increasing terrorism and the emergence of terrorist cells, said Aburizal.
When asked why Golkar had remained silent amid the government's slow response to minority attacks, Aburizal said his party was not an executive body, although it was included in the pro-government coalition.
"Our party has proposed a bill on religious freedom to help provide protection for all people, including minorities," he said.
Golkar and local party members in Banten, West Sumatra, South Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara have been involved in the issuance of sharia-inspired bylaws, as previously reported.


text:
XEP-xxxx: Jingle WebRTC Transport
Note: Please note that this XEP has been abandoned in preference to parsing the SDP to Jingle and vice versa. See https://github.com/mweibel/sdpToJingle for a draft implementation of an SDP/Jingle parsing library.
This specification defines a Jingle transport method to negotiate media between web browsers or other compatible devices that support WebRTC.
WARNING: This document has not yet been accepted for consideration or approved in any official manner by the XMPP Standards Foundation, and this document must not be referred to as an XMPP Extension Protocol (XEP). If this document is accepted as a XEP by the XMPP Council, it will be published at <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/> and announced on the <email@example.com> mailing list.
Document Information
Series: XEP
Number: xxxx
Publisher: XMPP Standards Foundation
Status: ProtoXEP
Type: Informational
Version: 0.0.2
Last Updated: 2012-02-17
Approving Body: XMPP Council
Dependencies: XMPP Core, XEP-0166
Supersedes: None
Superseded By: None
Short Name:
Author Information
Dele Olajide
Email: email@example.com
Michael Weibel
Email: email@example.com
Legal Notice
This XMPP Extension Protocol is copyright 1999 - 2007 by the XMPP Standards Foundation (XSF) and is in full conformance with the XSF's Intellectual Property Rights Policy <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/ipr-policy.shtml>. This material may be distributed only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Creative Commons Attribution License (<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/>).
Discussion Venue
The preferred venue for discussion of this document is the Standards discussion list: <http://mail.jabber.org/mailman/listinfo/standards>.
Relation to XMPP
The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) is defined in the XMPP Core (RFC 3920) and XMPP IM (RFC 3921) specifications contributed by the XMPP Standards Foundation to the Internet Standards Process, which is managed by the Internet Engineering Task Force in accordance with RFC 2026. Any protocol defined in this document has been developed outside the Internet Standards Process and is to be understood as an extension to XMPP rather than as an evolution, development, or modification of XMPP itself.
Conformance Terms
The following keywords as used in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119: "MUST", "SHALL", "REQUIRED"; "MUST NOT", "SHALL NOT"; "SHOULD", "RECOMMENDED"; "SHOULD NOT", "NOT RECOMMENDED"; "MAY", "OPTIONAL".
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Requirements
3. Protocol Description
3.1. Transport Initiation
3.2. Target Entity Response
4. WebRTC Service Discovery
5. Deployment Notes
6. Security Considerations
7. IANA Considerations
8. XMPP Registrar Considerations
8.1. Protocol Namespaces
8.2. Jingle Transport Methods
9. XML Schema
9.1. Transport method
9.2. Transport method
Revision History
1. Introduction
Jingle [1] defines a framework for negotiating and managing out-of-band multimedia sessions over XMPP. In order to provide a flexible framework, the base Jingle specification omits data transport methods and media session types, requiring separate specifications. Typical peer-to-peer session types include voice chat (see Jingle Audio Content Description Format [2]) and video chat (see Jingle Video Content Description Format [3]) which are based on the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) and will be suitable for WebRTC.
In order to use WebRTC with the Jingle RTP-ICE Transport Method [5] requires the developer to translate between the web browser session descriptions and Jingle. This means understanding WebRTC SDP and correct translation into Jingle by the call initiator and back into SDP by the call target. The developer must also create correct RTP-ICE transport candidates at both call ends.
When both paticipants of an audio/video call are both web browsers supporting WebRTC, we already know that the web browsers will transport the media between each other, so it makes for a simpler and neater approach to simply forward the session description messages emitted from the web browser as Jingle session info payload messages instead of translating web browser SDP offer/answer media data into Jingle session descriptions and constructing redundant transport candidates.
This document defines a new Jingle transport method for establishing and managing WebRTC media streams.
2. Requirements
The Jingle transport method defined herein is designed to meet the following requirements:
- Make it possible to negotiate media between two XMPP entities contained in web browsers or compatible devices.
- Make it relatively easy for Jingle to take advantage of WebRTC when all call participants are web browsers.
- Provide web application developers a simple way of using Jingle with web browsers without having to understand SDP.
3. Protocol Description
3.1 Transport Initiation
In order for the initiating entity in a Jingle exchange to start the negotiation, it MUST send a Jingle "session-initiate" stanza as described in XEP-0166. This stanza MUST include at least one transport method. If the initiating entity wishes to negotiate the WebRTC transport, it MUST include a <transport/> child element qualified by the 'urn:xmpp:jingle:transports:webrtc:1' namespace.
<iq firstname.lastname@example.com/orchard'
id='jingle1' type='set'>
<jingle xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:1'
<content email@example.com' name='audio, video'>
<transport xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:transports:webrtc:1' />
3.2 Target Entity Response
As described in XEP-0166, to provisionally accept the session initiation request, the target entity returns an IQ-result:
<iq firstname.lastname@example.com/balcony' email@example.com/orchard' type='result' id='jingle1'/>
Once the initiating entity provisionally accepts the session, it:
- MUST initiate a WebRTC session
- MUST exchange the browser SDP session description messages with the target entity using Jingle session-info messages
The target entity MUST attempt a handshake with the initiating entity. it:
- MUST accept the session-info messages and pass the SDP session decription payload to its web browser
Example 3. Initiating and Target Entity exchange session decription payloads with Jingle session-info messages
<iq email@example.com/orchard'
id='jingle1' type='set'>
<jingle xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:1'
<webrtc xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:apps:rtp:1'>
"messageType" : "OFFER",
"offererSessionId" : "uMHcBZAa8LTylbwAM3RY7IP7LGUPPU1n",
"sdp" : "...................",
"seq" : 1,
"tieBreaker" : 431803714
<iq email@example.com/balcony'
id='jingle2' type='set'>
<jingle xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:1'
<webrtc xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:apps:rtp:1'>
"answererSessionId" : "kheolvKZYwzioZkCoK7Wxk+bDpp9TNWc",
"messageType" : "ANSWER",
"offererSessionId" : "bL9tAoEyH0NEijbYPJCHbFxAMKypUZJa",
"sdp" : "............",
"seq" : 1
<iq firstname.lastname@example.com/balcony'
id='jingle2' type='set'>
<jingle xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:1'
<webrtc xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:apps:rtp:1'>
"answererSessionId" : "bL9tAoEyH0NEijbYPJCHbFxAMKypUZJa",
"messageType" : "OK",
"offererSessionId" : "kheolvKZYwzioZkCoK7Wxk+bDpp9TNWc",
When a WebRTC handshake occurs, the remote media becomes available in the web browser of both the initiating and target entities and an event is triggered in both web browsers.
To complete the Jingle call initiation, the target entity MUST send a Jingle element with an action of 'session-accept', when it recieves this event.
<iq firstname.lastname@example.com/balcony'
type='set' id='accept1'>
<jingle xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:1'
<content firstname.lastname@example.com' name='webrtc session'>
<transport xmlns='urn:xmpp:jingle:transports:webrtc:1' />
</iq>The initiating entity then acknowledges the target entity's acceptance:
<iq email@example.com/orchard'
4. WebRTC Service Discovery
If an entity supports WebRTC SDP offer / answer model and therefore prefers to receive WebRTC session decription payloads in session-info messages, it MUST advertise support for the "http://www.igniterealtime.org/webrtc/session-info" service discovery feature.
Example 6. Service discovery information request
<iq firstname.lastname@example.com/orchard'
<query xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/disco#info'/>
Example 7. Service discovery information response
<iq email@example.com/balcony'
<query xmlns='http://jabber.org/protocol/disco#info'>
<feature var='urn:xmpp:jingle:1'/>
<feature var='urn:xmpp:jingle:apps:rtp:1'/>
<feature var='urn:xmpp:jingle:transports:webrtc:1'/>
5. Deployment Notes
This specification applies to both XMPP clients and servers. However, service administrators may wish to deploy an external gateway or internal plugin to a media server in order to simplify the channel or negotiation process. The specifics are outside the scope of this document.
6. Security Considerations
In order to secure the media streams, implementations SHOULD use SRTP protocol to tunnel their media streams through an encrypted session.
7. IANA Considerations
This document requires no interaction with IANA;.
8. XMPP Registrar Considerations
8.1 Protocol Namespaces
Until this specification advances to a status of Draft, its associated namespaces shall be "http://www.igniterealtime.org/webrtc/transport" and "http://www.igniterealtime.org/webrtc/session-info"; upon advancement of this specification, the XMPP Registrar [7] shall issue more permanent namespaces in accordance with the process defined in Section 4 of XMPP Registrar Function [8].
8.2 Jingle Transport Methods
The XMPP Registrar shall include "http://www.igniterealtime.org/webrtc/transport" (see Protocol Namespaces) in its registry of Jingle transport methods. The registry submission is as follows:
<desc> A method for exchanging media between WebRTC enabled web browsers or other compatible devices.</desc>
9. XML Schema
9.1 Transport method
9.2 Transport method
1. XEP-0166: Jingle <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0166.html>.
2. XEP-0167: Jingle Audio Content Description Format <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0167.html>.
3. XEP-0180: Jingle Video Content Description Format <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0180.html>.
4. XEP-0176: Jingle RTP-ICE Transport Method <http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0176.html>.
5. Internet Draft: Javascript Session Establishment Protocol (JSEP) <http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webrtc/2012Jan/att-0002/JavascriptSes sionEstablishmentProtocol.pdf>.
Revision History
Version 0.0.1 (2012-02-17)
First draft. (do)


text:
After a rollercoaster career with the Texas Rangers, the writing was on the wall this offseason that Scott Feldman would no longer be a Ranger in 2013. That day has come.
Feldman inked a one-year deal worth $6 million plus incentives with the Chicago Cubs Tuesday morning, ending his eight-year run in Texas, the only team he's ever played for.
Feldman will be plugged into the Cubs' rotation, something he's wanted all along and will be in the more pitcher-friendly National League. So long to the days of bouncing back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen, back and back again.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Feldman was a starter for the Rangers from 2008-2010, highlighted by his 2009 season when he went 17-9. He was actually the team's opening day starter in 2010, going seven innings and earning a no-decision. In 2011, he only pitched in 11 games after joining the team after the all-star break after knee surgery. He made two big spot starts down the stretch and was a huge piece of the Rangers' bullpen down the stretch and into the postseason.
2012 was a horribly up-and-down year for Feldman, as he was forced into the rotation because of injury and lost his first six decisions before winning six straight and being named the Rangers Player of the Month in July before going and losing his next five decisions.
Always been a fan of Feldman, it's true. Not to make excuses, but he had some horrible luck in 2012 and caught just about every bad break possible. Was he great? No. But he'll be a serviceable starter for the Cubs and will hope to build some value back up with his one-year deal after earning/stealing over $13 million from the Rangers over the past three years.


text:
Still here? Okay, here goes.
No one could have ever prepared me for the horrible and so, so, SO daunting first poo, post birth. I gave birth naturally with the assistance of a beautiful epidural and a vacuum which resulted in a second degree tear {read my birth story here}. I witnessed many women flitting about the ward with no apparent post-birth discomfort in the couple of days I was in hospital. Boy was I jealous of them. I was also envious of the women who shared my room who got enough sleep that they were actually snoring, rendering them ignorant to their baby's cry. Me? I was reminiscent of a waddling elephant with a stick up its bum who hadn't slept in days.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand.
My twin sister had given me some indication of the bad experience that might ensue when the time came that my body needed to do its thang after Ned had made his exit. Even thinking about that first poo now makes me cringe. My body's excretory system was in overdrive in those first few days of Ned's life but my brain would not let it perform. Each visit I made to the toilet got progressively worse. The hospital had posters on the wall with quite detailed instructions and diagrams illustrating correct pooing technique but that only made it harder to relax. Honestly, I thought my entire insides would fall out if I even strained just a little bit. But I needed to go. Desperately.
Eventually I asked one of the midwives for some tips and the husband darted off to the shops in search of pear juice, prunes and Metamucil. At the time I thought asking a stranger how I was going to do my business was embarrassing and I don't really know why I was ashamed to ask, as all dignity had been lost a day or so earlier when I gave birth. Oh, that, and my MIL in law asking if I knew to apply pressure down there {I think she actually used the term perineum}. I nodded politely not wanting to get into a discussion with my MIL about pooing. That shit {pun definitely intended} is limited to my immediate family and poo-talk loving friends, usually over the dinner table.
The embarrassing moment was to come a number of weeks later.
At Ned's six week check-up my GP advised that we needed to do a pap smear. I thought it was a good a time as any to let her know how much trouble I was having pooing. That basically every time I went to do a number two I nearly cried, almost always bled and was avoiding the toilet for as long as humanely possible. This post pretty much sums up my experience and the sentence 'In fact, I shit glass for 6 weeks straight before I finally went to the doctor' was so me.
My appointment was scheduled for a couple of days later and my GP, who had never ever seen my bits pre-pregnancy now got to see them all, in one horrible 30 minute appointment. I could have died.
The reason for the excruciating pain? An anal fissure. Basically I split my bum pooing.
Childbirth is so liberating and beautiful, isn't it?
Pic by the beautiful Jane Gilbey Photography


text:
Lok Virsa Vol.1 - Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen
- Music
- Traditional and folk music
Abida Parveen (born 1954) (Sindhi: عابده پروين, Urdu: عابده پروین), is a Pakistani singer of Sindhi descent and one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music (Sufiana kalaam). She sings mainly ghazals and her forte, Kafis, a solo genre accompanied by percussion and harmonium, using a repertoire of songs by Sufi poets. Parveen sings in Urdu, Sindhi, Saraiki, Punjabi and Persian, and together with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is considered one of the finest Sufi vocalists of the modern era. She is best known for the Qawwali song Dama Dam Mast Qalandar. She was a Judge on a musical show Sur Kshetra.