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One of our best selling items!!!
Some drama directors, on visiting this site and seeing the unique skits and soundtracks available, just want it all! Especially for those churches, drama teams or ministries wanting to get all the scripts and soundtracks, this new item was created. It's called "The ULTIMATE Skit Kit" and it will save you time and money!
NOW AVAILABLE in BINDER or USB Drive!
(The Binder info is here; the USB info is under it.)
BINDER WITH CDS: You get a sturdy binder holding 24 soundtrack CDs, which contain the total soundtracks for 36 separate skits, with printed pages containing the CD track listings, for easy use and reference. PLUS, you get the Supplemental Skit Trax CD Vol. 1, a veritable treasure-trove of elements, containing the musical opens and closes to over a dozen of the remaining scripts that don't have separate CDs. When you get this total package, you will have the music and effects for every single script on this site, over 50! (Preview all of the CDs by listening to the Audio Preview of each on available on each script page on this site.)
Also included is a CD-ROM containing all of the scripts on this site, in a convenient "off-line" version of the website. (Go here for a complete list of titles.) (PLEASE NOTE: The printed pages of the scripts DO NOT come in the kit: this would make a huge unwieldy notebook full of pages which you would have to take out and photocopy to use. The included CD-ROM scripts can be printed out as you need them, and as many copies as you need. This keeps down the cost and weight of the kit.)
The price for all this is just $160 plus $10.00 Priority shipping. This averages out to about $7 per CD. If you bought all of the soundtrack CDs separately, you would pay $480 plus shipping fees of $3.00 each. You'll save $320 on the CDs alone, and $72 on shipping! When you purchase a Skit Kit, you are part of the Skit Kit Club, which means you can forever after order new CDs at a reduced price!
Order the "ULTIMATE Skit Kit" today and equip your drama ministry with the best tools available!
$160 plus $10 Priority Shipping: total of $170.00
Pay by clicking the payment button below. (You can use a Paypal account, or pay using your credit card. Look for the link that says "Don't have a Paypal Account? Use your credit card or bank account." Click on that to pay with a credit card.)
NOTE: The address you give MUST be where the Post Office delivers your mail. Priority Mail comes by the U.S. Postal Service and they DO NOT deliver to a street address without a mailbox.
(Ships to U.S. ONLY. For Canadian orders, call 912-347-9579 for special arrangements and shipping fees.)
USB DRIVE: Get everything described in the Binder format above, only in convenient (and easier to store) USB Drive format! There is a folder containing all of the scripts on the site in printable PDF format, with all the Soundtracks in separate folders in MP3 format! You can burn your own CDs from the files, or play them from the USB drive! And all for only $100.00 with $5.00 Priority Shipping. Click the payment link below to pay using Paypal… you don't have to have a Paypal account or sign up for one, you can pay by credit card if you wish!
FREE bonus content only on the USB: An MP3 collection of all three of our Prime Example comedy skits and songs albums!
Use the button below to order. You can get EXTRA COPIES of the USB Drive at only $10 each, if desired, for backup!
Here's what one recent happy customer had to say:
Hey Fred,
I just received the Ultimate Skit Kit in the mail today. Thank you for sending it so rapidly. I applaud your organizational skills! This is such a professional package and quite impressive!
Also, thank you for providing such wonderful skits with sound effects that smaller churches like ourselves can afford with limited funds.
May our Heavenly Father richly bless your endeavors, your life, and your relationships.
Danny and Martha Vergunst


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Yesterday's Politics Show contained a quite fascinating interview with the man who used to be Black Rod - you know, the man in tights who traditionally has the door to the House of Commons shut in his face when he comes to summon MPs to listen to the Queen at the annual State Opening of Parliament.
Black Rod is appointed to the Lord Chamberlain and earns a significant salary. When the appointment of the man interviewed on the show was made, it was the first time that the post had been advertised to the general public.
Traditionally the role was given to a senior military man - and the opening up of the selection procedure made no difference to that - Lt Gen Sir Michael Willcocks was the appointee that time, and his successor is in fact an old army mate of his, Lt Gen Sir Freddie Viggers.
I'm not quite so bothered by the traditional costume of tights, breeches, patent buckled shoes and a jacket with a wig bag to protect the pony tail on the back as I am by the fact that it just seems that the old boy network is alive and well.
I'd be fascinated to see the range of applications they got and what they did to try and encourage non male, posh, white people to apply.
LibDig This!

subset: commoncrawl


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AR for Gaming is Obvious. AR for Mobile Business Apps is BRILLIANT!
Any fool can see the advantages of augmented reality (otherwise known as AR) in the gaming industry. But, the business guru with a fire in her belly wants to take AR to the next level. Cutting edge AR business applications for mobile phones or tablets are just about the coolest apps in business today. Listen to Trudy! Achieve greater visibility, generate revenue, and improve productivity and market share. Get with the AR program!Top AR apps provide a near real world experience, and augment those experiences with information, interactive features and functionality to enhance look and feel, and ease-of-use. Use AR for advertising, instructional diagrams, videos, 3D object manipulation, medical or technical apps, travel, real estate, construction, air and space technology, architecture, gaming, design, collaboration, hospitality, navigation, fashion, art, events, career apps, mapping, manufacturing, schools and more!###Details >
Mobile Application Development Company India, Mobile Apps Development, Mobile Apps Development Company, Mobile Apps Development Services, Mobile Apps Development Solutions
A Rock Star IT Consultant Can Help you Take a BITE Out of the Market with CMS, Portals and eCommerce
Sell it, talk about it, work on it, join forces to conquer the business market, shake hands with your customers and bring them back for more! Just about anything you want to do in business can be complemented by a Content Management System (CMS), web portals and eCommerce solutions! With the rapid growth of web marketing and sales, even the smallest business might find itself competing with regional or global businesses. With a few key strokes, your customers can find and buy products and services from companies in your community, or on the other side of the world!###Details >


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U.S. elections tend to be framed as a context between two ideologies, manifest in two parties. The electoral pattern of two parties is a result of the structural design of our voting districts, which are geographically based with winner-take-all outcomes. But the two parties conceal the diverse and complex attitudes of citizens. For example, many voters care more about environmental issues than the dominant issues emphasized by the two main parties, and these tend to be poorly represented by the 2-party structure. In short, greens are neither red (conservative) or blue (liberal). Indeed, a green voter likely supports nuclear power, carbon taxes, stewardship of nature, and is just as likely to be conservative on fiscal and social issues as liberal.
What is exciting is that such extra-partisan ideological viewpoints are able to be expressed in the new political infrastructure. What is often called "third party" politics is in fact extra-party politics: activity and expenditures made outside the 2-party system. Legally, this kind of activity is defined in campaign terms as "independent expenditures" or IEs for short. Want to see what has happened to IEs in recent elections?
According to the latest numbers, there were just over $1 billion IEs in the 2012 election cycle, which is more than the previous 20 years combined. The total amount of non-partisan expenditures in 1990, for example, was less than one half of one percent of the current level. Do you the RNC and DNC are happy? Do you think the election laws should be reformed to make the RNC and DNC happy?
Don't cry for the duopoly. The RNC raised $1.023 billion and spent $1.009 billion in this cycle. The DNC raised $1.068 billion and spent $1.067 billion. That's more than either party raised or spent in 2010 or 2008 or any year ever before. Even so, those three (party 1, party 2, and all non-party expenditures) were amazingly equal, but not likely to stay equal in the years ahead. To be sure, much of the IE money goes for partisan candidates, but that should not obscure the diversity and partisan-blindness of it by nature. Pro-life expenditures will just as happily support red or blue candidates, so long as those candidates are aligned on their core issue.
For context, the size of U.S. gross domestic product annually is now around $15,000 billion. The annual advertising budget of local businesses is around $100 billion. Total U.S. advertising is approaching $300 billion. So are elections really being "bought"? Or perhaps should we hope for more money to be spent on politics than on fast food?


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Mollie Makes 89 is here!
Give a warm welcome to Mollie Makes 89.
Winter has gone on for way too long (agree?) and we're more than ready for spring, when everything is fresh and new. This issue is all about refreshing our crafting and finding different ways to create. We've got a bold Ultra Violet hoop for your home — reflecting Pantone's Colour of the year — plus a woven bag, and a colourful crochet cushion, for an original take on a favourite technique. Want a bold statement for your wall? Our free gift is a 'Be Kind' cross stitch banner, a quick make that you'll whip up in no time at all.
Projects in this issue
• Felt softies
• Crochet floral blanket
• Patchwork placemats
• Floral papercut
• Beaded necklace
• Baby bonnet
• Clay pots
• Easy-sew kids' playmat
• Beginner's screen printing
• Pearl beaded jeans
• Crochet cushion
• Chunky woven clutch
• Scandi knit baby bonnet
Cross stitch wooden banner
Be kind — what could be a better mantra? Add some positivity to your wall with issue 89's cover gift — a cross stitch banner from Chloe Hardisty of Cotton Clara. The kit comes with a mini wooden pennant (holes pre-cut for you), needle and thread. You can use everything in the pack, or choose your own thread and paint the board a different colour to customise it more.
Meet Tom Gyr and Lucy Tiffney
Shabby ballpoints are a thing of the past for Bournemouth-based Tom Gyr, who makes the most stunning calligraphy tools (as stocked in Harrods and Quill London, FYI). We sat down with him to find out more about his business, Tom's Studio, and how he's grown it so successfully.
Fancy a peek around one incredibly colourful home? Artist and interiors gal Lucy Tiffney shows us round her vibrant Essex abode. Spoiler: expect to see one epic statement wall, lots of quirky cushions and nods to her many travels.
Take a look inside the mag…
Available from 1st February 2018 in all good newsagents, supermarkets, independent craft shops, or from our official online store. Sold out? Download the digital edition. Get it from Apple (search 'Mollie Makes' in the App Store), Google Play and Zinio.
Get the Mollie Makes issue 89 templates


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Your Sweat Can Spread Happiness—Seriously!
New research shows that getting sweaty not only boosts your mood, but it can spread happiness too
Whether you're relieving your stress through kickboxing, playing a basketball game with friends or just running through a meadow of flowers on a perfect spring day (which is totally how all our runs go, right?), you know that working up a good sweat can definitely improve your mood. But did you know that just being around someone drenched in "happiness sweat" can make you feel happier too? According to a surprising new study published in Psychological Science, a good mood is not only contagious, it can spread through our fragrant pit juices.
Researchers took healthy young men, taped moisture-absorbing pads to their underarms, then had them view a movie that made them feel happy, afraid, or neutral. The sweaty pads were then given to women who sniffed them while the scientists monitored their facial expressions. Sure enough, women who sniffed the happy sweat showed genuine smiles while women who sniffed the fear sweat showed indications of being anxious.
"This suggests that somebody who is happy will infuse others in their vicinity with happiness. In a way, happiness sweat is somewhat like smiling-it is infectious," said Gün Semin, a psychological researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the lead author of the study. (Think this is strange? See more 8 Weird Things That Are Contagious.)
The researchers think it is a form of chemical signaling, a way of communicating emotion and intention to others in a very subtle and primal way. Indeed, the women in the study didn't report feeling differently when asked how they were doing, although they did show facial expressions of happiness after smelling the happy pit juice and were better able to focus on tasks (a sign of genuine happiness according to the psychologists). According to Semin, this shows the difference between emotional signals that draw on language versus those that don't.
More research still needs to be done, the researchers caution, but the implications are as exciting as they are smelly. For instance, this might explain why women bond so well when they work out or play sports together. At the very least, it should inspire you to give your loved one a huge hug the next time they cross the finish line. Even if they do get you all sweaty, you'll be reaping the endorphins reward! (Sounds like a great excuse to hit the gym with your friend! Here's Why Having a Fitness Buddy Is the Best Thing Ever.)


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Yesterday, my family & I turned and walked away from a great job. For the last six years, I have been an active-duty JAG in the US Air Force. I worked hard at understanding my job and I even occasionally called it my hobby. But over time I have come to realize that I want to spend less time in Iraq and more time with my family.
My family has had to make sacrifices. Everybody I worked with in the Air Force knows about making sacrifices, and my family is no stranger to the sacrifices. In my six years in, I have not been home for 3 of my son's birthdays. On three of his birthdays, I was on a trip. For two of them, the family had come along, so we just celebrated in the hotel room. But one was in the middle of a nine-week training in Alabama. I missed my daughter's birthday when I was in Iraq one year. My wife and I have grown stronger while in the Air Force, but it was in spite of the Air Force's demands, not because of them.
I don't want to complain about the sacrifices we have made when I know that MSgt Randy Gillespie and his family made the ultimate sacrifice for his country this past July.
I worked with too many great people to list them all here. I worked with commanders who were smart and understood their obligations and took the time to make sure they had the best advice they could get before they made decisions. I have worked with first sergeants who really understood people and I gained so much from their wisdom and insight. I got to work with federal agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations who were also very smart, hard-working, and wanted to find the truth; they didn't just seek convictions. I thank God for the opportunity I have had to work with each of them. My Mom always told me that when I meet someone and then leave, I take a piece of that person with me. I am thankful for the opportunity to have met all of these people and made them a part of who I am.
I have even worked with great people from within the legal offices. I even met one person whose email address is 'honestjag' if you can believe that. Seriously, there are alot of honest folks out there working as lawyers in the Air Force. The lawyers and paralegals I have met are now scattered around the globe. Again, there are too many to list, but I feel that I have truly worked with some of the finest people in the world.


text: In a celebration of Italian traditions, most notably quality food and family gatherings, P Jays was born. Founded in 1974 and continuing today P Jays continues to offer the finest hand made pizza, pasta, and specialties crafted with an old world commitment to excellence. Hand tossed dough made fresh every morning. Our signature sauce cooked slowly every day. All of the freshest ingredients combined with our passion for excellence in every pizza, sandwich or specialty item make for a truly unique dining experience that only a boutique shop can produce. So Live, Love, Laugh and while you're doing so Treat yourself to the Best Slice in Town. Mangia!


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I won't Learn From You and Other Thoughts on Creative Maladjustment by Herbert Kohl was recommended to me by TFA. Like the other books they recommended, I requested it from the Library. I got it in today and began reading it as part of the strategy to study for the certification exam. I thought it would be a way to realax after a stressful day (but that's another post).
It rocked my world.
I have been reading it since about 9pm and it is going on 11:20pm. Given I was watching Eureka on Netflicks at the same time, but I digress.
Kohl starts off by defining some terms: not-earning, hopemongering, and creative maladjustment. And from the get-go you know you will be in for a ride, as long as your mind is open to the possibility.
"Not-learning is the conscious decision not to learn something you could learn. It consists, for example, of refusing to learn how to cheat on your taxes, cook crack cocaine, or yield to community pressure to become racist or sexist-choosing not to learn something that you find morally offensive or personally noxious." (Kohl, XIII)
"Hopemongering is the affirmation of hope and the dream of a just and equitable future despite all the contrary evidence provided by experience." (ibid)
"Creative Maladjustment is the art of not becoming what other people want you to be and learning, in difficult times, to affirm yourself while at the same time remaining caring and compassionate." (ibid)
Kohl warns teachers to not confuse not-learning with a failure to learn. And I already know that I will encounter not-learners who have been labeled failures. Kohl goes on to point out that not-learning is a strategy to provide a safety to yourself when confronted by the dominant class/ethnic/race structures of your community/culture that you might not fit into. Such as Latinos who are forced to learn that the "first" settlers to TX came from New England. As one child pointed out in that class, "What are we animals?" (Kohl, 26) The original teacher then walked out and left Kohl there to speak to the students, by owning up that the book was racist, Kohl was able to engage these students who were labeled "problem children" or "apathetic" in a discussion that was relevant to their lives.
I am on the path to not-learning/unlearning some of things that I was thought. Like "man" is not a correct substitute for all humans. And that "white" is not normal. And that a student who "can't" read might be choosing not to read if all they are presented with is things that support a racist ideology.
While I haven't finished reading this book, I hope to at least implement these first strategies into my teach. I hope that I can convince students that not-learn is an effective strategy, but that I will not push an ideology that I do not agree with. That I am different than the other "gringa" teachers that they have had that do not care. I will try to reach them. I will try to teach to them on their level. I will try to show them that the would world is not agains them, that there are people who care and who try to fight back, right their besides them.
Through that I hope to inspire them. I hope to show them that learning can be fun and helpful and most importantly
to their lives.
What will your journey be?


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I also thought I would make fabric flowers since my mom and I are seamstresses, we have a lot of scrap fabric. I didn't end up making them all though. I bought yards of fabric flower trim (1.5" and 2.5" big) then separated them, cutting off any mesh they're attached to. I did this for every colors besides the nude / taupe color. For those I bought yardage of mesh fabric with the flowers throughout it and separated them as well. Once they were all cut out, I laid them out together in bunches. I wanted to make sure I was evenly distributing the colors.
I liked using the turned over candlestick holders because they have a wide bottom (as you can see in the picture below) to help the poms balance better. I also used two slightly taller crystal candle holders I found at a thrift store. They worked okay but like I said I preferred the dollar store ones.
In the end, the result is really pretty and can totally be customized to match your events color scheme.
For my parents reception, there was 25+ tables and each tables centerpiece was set up differently. I bought a lot of different candlestick holders in both crystal and others I spray painted silver. I also bought crystal clear vases from the dollar store and thrift store and painted them inside with Krylon Looking Glass Silver-Like Aerosol Spray Paint and adorned those with shorter mauve colored and bleached peacock feathers.
To keep the paint on the inside of the vases, I taped plastic bags around the outside. Since it was a silver wedding, we had to use silver / gray but we paired that with dusty rose / mauve pink and ivory with pearls to create an overall theme. To keep all the pieces together I put them on top of silver platters with strings of pearls.


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What are the important considerations for when Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are implemented? Throughout my career as an Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer, I've found that when approaching a project for any LMS platform, it's important to stay flexible from start to finish. LMS systems can be quirky and very temperamental at times depending on the complexity of your project and your chosen method of development.
Being able to deliver assessments and track the results of LMS training initiatives is a must for any business. Having options for building those components is a great way to ensure success for the client and the training provider by anticipating potential issues before they become a concern.
Adobe Captivate, Lectora, Articulate and other eLearning development software applications can all be used to develop assessments and track the learner's progress. On occasion, you may experience functionality or scoring issues with the eLearning material that may be attributed to the LMS and its ability to handle certain aspects of an eLearning program. It's a good rule of thumb to become knowledgeable about building custom assessments with options such as HTML 5, Javascript, and Flash and to be creative with your solutions.
Take the time to evaluate the capabilities and expectations of the client's LMS platform. Plan the project effectively, and be ready to react with several delivery options for the eLearning piece or the assessments if the LMS poses any challenges that are due to the limitations or bugs within that platform.
How is an LMS used to track/determine the health of the company's learning & development programs? As I previously mentioned, assessments are a great way to track the effectiveness of any training initiative. Another way to track the learner's and the company's overall progress, is to set up your LMS to deliver training in stages. Most LMS platforms allow for training to be delivered in stages as the learner progresses through the modules of the training program. This way, successful completion of the module or assessment is required before the learner can progress to the next module or stage of the program.
Setting up your training program in incremental stages can give your client the ability to offer certifications over a period of time. It can also allow them to deliver pieces of training as needed or as a program is being completed, all while holding the learner to incremental development goals.
In some cases (such as Articulate StoryLine), assessment results and feedback can be delivered from the learner to the client without the use of an LMS platform. It's important to evaluate your client's budget, needs and training expectations correctly before you work within any LMS platform. And always remain flexible.
TrainingPros, founded in 1997, works closely with learning departments of large organizations to identify, attract, and support leading contract specialists for focused training and development engagements.


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Our API outputs three different primary statuses at present.
- Valid: The email address represents a real account/inbox available at the given domain
- Invalid: Not a real email address or no user exists at that designated address
- Risky: When the domain responds to every verification request as positive, and therefore cannot be fully verified
- Unknown: For some reason we cannot verify valid or invalid. Most of the time a domain did not respond quickly enough


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Tucson, AZ - Pima County, the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommend that residents in Summerhaven who were affected by the recent Aspen Fire take steps to remove smoke and to clean up in and around the house.
"Even if your house didn't suffer actual fire damage, smoke from the fire can create problems in your house and on your property," said Frank F. Navarrete, state coordinating officer for ADEM. "We encourage all of those in the area of the Aspen Fire to follow a few basic clean-up procedures."
Some helpful tips:
- Pressure wash, scrub or disinfect all exterior surfaces including walls, walks, drives, decks, window and deck screens, etc.
- Wash and disinfect all interior walls and hard surfaces with mild soap or other appropriate cleaning solutions or products, and rinse thoroughly. Don't forget inside cabinets, drawers and closets.
- Launder or dry clean all clothing.
- Wash, dust or otherwise clean all household items, including knick-knacks.
- Disinfect and deodorize all carpets, window coverings, upholstered furniture and mattresses with steam or other appropriate equipment.
- Upholstery, fabric window treatments, etc. can be spray-treated with deodorizing products available at most supermarkets, but do not use odor-masking sprays.
- Have heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units and all ductwork professionally cleaned to remove soot, ash and smoke residue. Change filters when you first return to the premises and at least once a month for the first year.
- If aerial fire retardant or firefighting foam residue is present on the house and/or automobiles, use a mild detergent and brushes to scrub and dilute the dried residue and flush it from the surfaces; rinse with clean water. A follow-up with pressure washing may be beneficial but will not replace scrubbing to remove the residue.
- Ash and soot on the ground and vegetation in the vicinity will continue to generate smoke odors and airborne particles when disturbed by air movement. Until the ash and soot are diluted and absorbed by the environment, indoor mechanical air filtration may help minimize the uncomfortable and potentially health-threatening impact of these pollutants.
"Taking these simple measures will help make your home safe and sanitary," said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall. "The results are well worth the effort."
The Aspen Fire disaster recovery is a joint effort of Pima County, ADEM and FEMA.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.


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The B&D Interview: Jackie Koo
AIA, (IIDA, LEED A.P.) Founder of KOO
With multiple high-profile projects underway in Chicago, Koo and her team are focused on finding stylish yet sustainable solutions to difficult design issues
Builder and Developer: You're a licensed architect, yet you have deep expertise designing interiors. How does being an architect help you design interiors?
Jackie Koo: Architecture and interior design go hand in hand, but just because you're a good architect doesn't mean you are a good interior designer, and vice versa. As interior designers, we focus on the personal and emotional interface with a space that is crated by materials, colors, lighting, furnishings, and art. The architecture works hand in hand to create the space and light.
BD: How has your experience designing luxury hotels translated to residential spaces?
JK: With the focus on high-service, high-amenity, high style living, especially for Millennials and seniors, it seems that residential buildings are becoming more like hotels every day. Communal spaces are growing and becoming more important as spaces for socializing with other residents, for everyday activities like relaxing with a cup of coffee, and for programmed activities planned by property managers to build community.
There is no room for spaces that are nice-looking but not well used. So design has to be aesthetically pleasing but also engaging, multipurpose, and durable. Every detail, from the fixtures, finishes, and furnishings to the number of outlets in a space, needs to have broad appeal to residents' design preferences and lifestyle needs, and reflect the identity of the building.
BD: What residential projects are you particularly proud of?
JK: Our latest project is a multifamily building that's going up now. It targets millennials who need to live in a suburban location but want a sophisticated environment with an urban demeanor. It's called 444 Social, and the name says it all.
The interior amenity spaces are designed to be "social" and provide ways for residents to interact. We put ourselves in the shoes of the resident, envisioning how they will use the space, and even imagining uses that may not be on their radar yet.
For instance, Gen Z is entrepreneurial. Someday the building management may want to hold mini-classes or mini-craft marts in that space, so we customize the design for current and future residents. There is a sunken area in the lobby that functions as a living area, a 20-foot high stone and moss wall, a two-story stair that can be used as theater seating for movie night, and a bar area with virtual golf. We add simple custom design features, such as dramatic wall coverings, tile patterns, and eclectic furnishings that transform the room.
BD: How does the idea of sustainability drive your designs?
JK: Sustainability is no longer an afterthought; it's a primary consideration in everything we do. Much of that is thanks to the fact that codes and norms have changed. Low-emitting materials and finishes are now common. Sustainability is so critical in every project that it drives design, so we are always looking for new materials that we can use in interesting and consequential ways.
BD: What trends/technologies in architecture or interior design do you see dominating the industry in the next few years?
JK: Integrating great design with sustainable design is key. Sustainable materials that apply to both architecture and interior design will continue to become more cost effective and durable. For instance, instead of wiring whole buildings with smart technology systems, the trend is to use smart parts, and focus on what's really necessary for your target market.
Or look at Terrazzo, an age-old material that is luxurious, incredibly hardwearing and easy to clean, bit is costly and takes days to install. Now, there are exquisite and cost-effective Terrazzo tiles that are made with natural resins and can be used inside or outdoors.
BD: What do you keep in mind when designing interiors like kitchens and baths?
JK: Hospitality design is trend-driven; so we try to never do the same thing twice and always push ourselves into new territory. Trends come and go, so for residential projects we try to design things that are fresh, but will stand the test of time. Longevity is one of our key considerations.
With kitchens and baths, durable, and almost commercial finishes are critical. There are so many options for finishes, and options that were once custom are now standard. Lighting is also often overlooked, but is a focus for us. It can make or break a space, and can have a huge impact on residents and homeowners since it affects how you function and how you look in your mirror.
BD: What's next for KOO?
JK: We've developed such a deep and thorough expertise in interior design, that we're expanding our interior architecture studio to do not only projects that are for the buildings we design, but also for other architects who do "core and shell." We have a knack for using materials in fresh, interesting ways, so we hope to continue to do so and expand our practice in this area.


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Essex Tackle shop
Do you know of a good traditional fishing tackle shop, past and present.
Post Reply
- Tengisgol
- Rainbow Trout
- Posts: 3429
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:49 pm
- Location: Essex Boy
- Contact:
Re: Essex Tackle shop
Excuse my ignorance but it's opening again as a tackle shop (which sounds obvious from the picture). But I'm always wary on April Fool's day!
Where the willows meet the water...
- Ljm183
- Rainbow Trout
- Posts: 3046
- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 12:34 pm
- Location: Aveley, Essex
Re: Essex Tackle shop
- The Tuesday Swim
- Grayling
- Posts: 628
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2011 1:35 pm
- Location: Clapton on Lea
- Contact:
Re: Essex Tackle shop
It's a bit of a shame as under the sign featured on the Fallon's Angler cover the owner discovered an even older sign, it was wonderful, they should have simply sealed it and kept it as is. Saying that the young couple who now own the property are very pleasant and kept the front as they understood its important to many locals.
- Ljm183
- Rainbow Trout
- Posts: 3046
- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 12:34 pm
- Location: Aveley, Essex
Re: Essex Tackle shop
But do you remember the outside, and could the people in the photo be the owners or the staff. ??????????Tengisgol wrote: ↑Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:44 amI could describe the inside of that shop to you as if we were standing inside it. Funny how you can remember these things from a long time ago yet I can't properly recall what I did yesterday! Do you have a reel bag with their details on Roachtench (I do!) or was that memorised?Roachtench wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2017 5:52 pmEddo Sports Services Ltd was at 136 North Street, Romford, telephone number 7061181
I specifically remember going in and waggling a Shakespeare Match International travel rod, brown with white finish to the whippings! Didn't buy it though...
Re: Essex Tackle shop
Greg,GregF wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2017 3:59 amIt was, Leigh. Originally Ken Stubbs Tackle & Guns, taken over in the early-mid 1970s by Mike Norris who ran it up to the end of the 80s. It went through a succession of owners after him and eventually became pretty much a carp only sort of place. It was still a tackle shop up until about ten years ago but closed down when the last owner moved to France. A niece of a friend of mine took it over and turned it into a sandwich shop but it didn't work out. I'm not sure what's there now.
When were you working in Billericay and what company was it? Did you ever fish at Lake Meadows?
I was a carpenter and joiner and dabbled in wood machinery for a short period for Crown Wood Products in Radford Cresent. This was around 1992/93.
I never fished Lake Meadows but did join Billericay and District Angling Club again for a limited period.
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Re: Essex Tackle shop
Leigh, Lake meadows was gudgeon heaven in the late 70s and also the place I first saw a carp on the bank. Word went up that someone fishing by the sluice had caught a thirteen pounder and suddenly the poor bloke's swim was invaded by scores of kids all jostling for a look at the 'monster'. As we got older and into carp fishing, the place became a popular haunt for a number of my friends but it never appealed to me as a carp water.
You were working in Billericay around the time I left the area and hung up the rods for a few years.
You were working in Billericay around the time I left the area and hung up the rods for a few years.
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Re: Essex Tackle shop
Ron Lingard's shop on St Botolph's in Colchester (near the Colchester Town station), which provided the wherewithal for my return to fishing in the early 70s after a time spent as Teenage Rebel of the Week. There were two other places in the centre of town in those days, Wass's on Short Wyre St, one of those places that sold tackle along with stuff for household pets, kids' toys and other bits and pieces (now a big tackle only shop out in Mark's Tey on the edge of town - useful if you're in the area) and another on the High Street either a department of or an implant in Williams and Griffin, Colchester's upmarket department store, which specialised in expensive game fishing kit. Ron was a noted matchman, back when this meant something, winning a section in the National at least once.
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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
The Internal Revenue Service has further extended tax-filing and payment deadlines for residents of areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Residents of the Katrina-affected areas now have through Jan. 3, 2006 to file tax returns, submit tax payments or make tax deposits for 2004 and estimated taxes for 2005, IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said Thurdsya at a press conference with Treasury Secretary John Snow.
Last week, the IRS said 64 Louisiana parishes, 52 Mississippi counties, six Alabama counties and three Florida counties would be eligible for the filing extensions, and that these areas would also be eligible for disaster-related tax relief.
Other relief measures granted to taxpayers in Katrina-ravaged areas include:
* Abatement of interest and late-filing, late-payment or failure-to-deposit penalties.
* Waiver of fees and expedition of requests for copies of previous returns.
* The choice to claim disaster-related casualty losses for the tax year 2004, which requires amending their returns if already filed but insures an earlier refund; or on their 2005 return, which means they may wait longer for money back since they can't file this year's return until January 2006 at the earliest.
Read more on lenders lending a hand to Katrina victims.
FEMA is also offering financial relief by giving debit cards to those affected by the hurricane.
And advocacy groups have called on lawmakers to exempt Katrina victims from provisions of a new bankruptcy law set to go into effect this fall.


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|Orts February
Here is my progress on block number five to date the first part of the house is nearly complete. Yeah!
|block five progress
One of these days I still want to learn how to tat, my LYS used to offer a tatting class but it hasn't been on the calendar for quite some time so I entered a give away to for some supplies and hopeful with patience (and a YouTube video) I will teach myself to tat, the give away is hosted over at the Stitching Lotus blog here:


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PMP Exam Tip: What are Activity Attributes?
Specific components of a particular activity are known as activity attributes. In the beginning, these are typically descriptive factors related to the specific activity, but they can also describe activities that will become more relevant later in the project timeline.
Most activity attributes can be organized, sorted and summarized. This happens based on a few specific categories. A few of the categories for activity attributes are activity codes, the specific people involved in the activity, locations for the activity, the time and costs required for completion, etc. It helps to organize the activity attributes into similar categories. The various components that are a part of each activity can be described to further extend the activity attribute.
Frequent uses for activity attributes are to recognize the specific people who will be handling specific pieces of the work or to specifically state where the work will be carried out. Other uses include indicating the effort levels that will be required. These include LOE (level of effort), discrete effort, or AE (apportioned effort). Developing a schedule that will identify when planned activities will be selected, ordered and sorted is another use of activity attributes. There is always a difference in the number of attributes based upon the application area.
The PMBOK Guide discusses this topic in the Project Time Management chapter.


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Many in the art world were staggered by recent reports that the Italian curator Germano Celant is being paid €750,000 to organise a pavilion for the Milan Expo 2015. Celant's fee, and the incredulity it provoked, raises questions about how much curators are typically paid for organising biennials and large-scale international exhibitions.
The Art Newspaper surveyed around 40 international curators and biennial organisers [...]. — theartnewspaper.com
Moscow wants to make Russia the "center of the sporting world," but the price tag will be steep. Four years before the 2018 World Cup, costs are exploding in the next host country, with the two most important stadiums each costing more than a billion euros. — spiegel.de
NATO is building a new headquarters for one billion euros. But the construction consortium is in financial difficulties and the project is at risk of being halted. — spiegel.de
Watch a 2008 video interview below with lead architect Jo Palma of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill discussing the ideas behind the design of the building. More European key projects in dire financial troubles: ECB Headquarters: Skyrocketing Costs for Skyscraper Project Starchitect Trio: The Men... View full entry
Art Critique Of Gramsci Monument: A Work in Public Space by Thomas Hirschhorn at Forest Houses, the Bronx, New York. — newcriterion.com
Thomas Hirschhorn's Gramsci Monument, a temporary public art work sponsored by the Dia Foundation now on view at Forest Houses in the Bronx, reportedly cost $500,000 to construct.1 If you try accounting for its material costs in plywood, nails, tarps, and packing tape, and still come up... View full entry
Premier Dennis Napthine announced HASSEL + Herzog & de Meuron as the winners of the state government's competition for the redesign of the iconic station, but the plan for the redevelopment itself has been met with a degree of skepticism from some. On top of the $1.6m spent on the competition, Napthine estimates that the realisation of the plans would cost $1 to $1.5b and would take over a decade to be built. The state government has not yet committed to its completion. — au.artshub.com
Previously: HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron Win Flinders Street Station Competition Big Names on Flinders Street Station Shortlist - Public Voting Now View full entry
At $3.74 billion, plus another $200 million in contingencies, the "Transportation Hub" at the World Trade Center—not even the busiest station in the Financial District—will be far and away the most expensive train station built in modern history.
The Hub, as it's known in Port Authority speak, will be the crowning artistic statement of the World Trade Center complex, perhaps the last grand gesture at a site that was supposed to be full of them. — observer.com
The Hirshhorn Museum's proposed Seasonal Inflatable Structure, also known as "the Bubble," a project announced in 2009 and intended as an architecturally and culturally transformative space on the Mall, would operate at a loss in each of three scenarios examined in an assessment done by the Smithsonian. — washingtonpost.com
"We've said from the beginning, and the secretary [G. Wayne Clough] has said it, this is a bold project," said Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian's undersecretary for history, art and culture. "We've encouraged this, but it has to be raised by private money. In terms of doing that... View full entry
In order to trim 300,000 square feet of construction costs from its budget, Apple has pushed the entire Tantau Development to Phase 2, which means it will be completed after the main campus is built.
Apple's revised campus plan includes the addition of an expanded section detailing bicycle access improvements, which comes with an included visualization of what bike pathways and sidewalks might look like on the campus. — macrumors.com
Download all the revised plans from Cupertino.org View full entry
Since 2011, the budget for Apple's Campus 2 has ballooned from less than $3 billion to nearly $5 billion, according to five people close to the project who were not authorized to speak on the record. If their consensus estimate is accurate, Apple's expansion would eclipse the $3.9 billion being spent on the new World Trade Center complex in New York, and the new office space would run more than $1,500 per square foot—three times the cost of many top-of-the-line downtown corporate towers. — businessweek.com
Affordability, along with a minimalist aesthetic, were the reasons she decided on a prefab house — points on which Mr. Buryk, who had years before remodeled a 100-year-old house in Portland, Ore., wholeheartedly agreed. "I, similar to Zoe, was coming from a place of not wanting to do that again," he said.
But it wasn't quite as affordable as they had hoped. The house cost $260,000 to build, from start to finish (the kit itself was $47,000) — nearly $100,000 more than they'd expected. — nytimes.com
The city was initially prepared to contribute €77 million to the project – but this figure has since gone up by nearly five times to more than €323 million – more than half the expected €600 million total cost. And the original completion date of 2010 has been pushed back to 2014.
The building's designers had underestimated certain costs – such as an acoustic panelling for the main concert hall which cost five times as much as expected, adding more than €10 million to the bill. — thelocal.de
The planned 2012 opening of the Sept. 11 museum at the World Trade Center is in jeopardy amid a dispute over hundreds of millions of dollars in unexpected costs related to redeveloping the site, people familiar with the matter said. — online.wsj.com
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The United States Department of Justice wants GM Financial to produce documents on underwriting criteria, origination, warranties and securitization of subprime loans since 2007, asking questions about its practices. The office of Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara sent a subpoena for documents to GM Financial, a person privy with the matter said.
"There are no allegations set forth in the subpoena and GM Financial is cooperating," said Chrissy Heinke, a company spokeswoman. GM president Dan Ammann said that the request is part of an industry-wide inquiry into the subprime order financing across a number of lenders.
He added that the company has yet to open its own internal investigation into its own practices. The inquiry is based on a 1989 law known as FIRREA that the US government relied on to go after mortgage lenders accused of wrongdoing.
FIRREA imposes a lower burden of proof than a criminal prosecution and could result to penalties of over $1 million for each fraudulent statement or act. Countrywide Financial was recently ordered to pay $1.3 billion in penalties for selling defective mortgage loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis.
It was found liable last year for selling thousands of bad loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Michael Bresnick, a former head of the department's financial fraud task force, remarked that DOJ's use of FIRREA in the past few years has resulted to some "enormous settlements" or court-ordered penalties, particularly when mortgages are concerned. [source: Bloomberg]


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New Victorious Password Journal Marks 19th Sakar Product from Nickelodeon Hit Series
Jan 10, 2012, 09:13 ET
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A voice-activated password journal recently became the 19th product in Sakar International's collection of branded consumer electronics and accessories for Victorious, the hit Nickelodeon live-action comedy starring Victoria Justice as a student at a performing arts high school. The full line – created in collaboration with Nickelodeon Consumer Products – ranges from a $14.99 walkie talkie set to a $99.99 high-end karaoke system reflecting the show's strong music-related storyline.
Other music-oriented Victorious merchandise released by Sakar since the collection began shipping in October includes branded MP3 and CD players, a CD boombox, plush headphones, earbuds, microphone stand and a portable karaoke system. The line also spans a digital camera and pocket digital video recorder; room accessories including a corded phone, SMS text messengers, light-up message board and clock radio; and computer accessories including a wireless optical mouse, USB flash drive and netbook sleeve.
Next on the roadmap is an iPad karaoke system that includes speakers and a mic with an iPad docking station, which will allow consumers to download an app called Karaoke Anywhere enabling lyrics to be displayed on the iPad instead of a separate karaoke machine. Expected release date is Q2. All products are currently available at Toys 'R Us.
Since its launch in April 2010, Victorious has been the number-one program in its timeslot on all TV with tweens 9-14 and teens 12-17, reaching 15.1 million tweens and 11.4 million teens each quarter. The show has earned multiple awards and industry accolades, including a 2011 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Children's Program.
Victorious follows teenager Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) who attends the prestigious performing arts high school, Hollywood Arts. From her first day at the school, however, Tori feels out of place among the amazingly talented students, especially mean diva Jade (Elizabeth Gillies, Broadway's 13). But with the help of her older sister Trina (Daniella Monet, A Fairly Odd Movie, Nancy Drew) and new friends including the musically-gifted André (Leon Thomas III, August Rush, Broadway's The Lion King, iCarly), brooding bad boy Beck (Avan Jogia, Spectacular!), eccentric Cat (Ariana Grande, Broadway's 13) and lovable but psychologically scrambled ventriloquist Robbie (Matthew Bennett) – Tori realizes that she was born to perform and that entertaining people not only makes her happy but may change her life. The series features original music performed by Victoria Justice and the ensemble cast.
Victorious is the seventh Nickelodeon property for which Sakar has produced licensed products, following iCarly, Ni Hao Kai-lan, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and Go, Diego, Go!.
The Victorious collection will be on display with other new Sakar licensed merchandise at Central Hall Booth 10144 at the 2012 CES International conference that opens today in Las Vegas.
About Sakar International
Sakar International Inc. designs and manufactures a wide range of technology, toy, and consumer electronic products. Founded in 1977, the company is the manufacturer of Vivitar camera equipment and accessories, a market leader in youth electronics and rechargeable batteries, and a producer of licensed products for leading consumer brands. Products range from digital cameras and camcorders with related accessories to computer, iPod, GPS and gaming accessories, binoculars, MP3 players, clock radios, gift and toy electronics. The company is privately held and headquartered in Edison, N.J. For more information, visit www.sakar.com.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA - News, VIA.B - News).
SOURCE Sakar International


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Why I Own a Subaru
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Author: Colt Treasure
Author: Colt Treasure
I have always been a truck, luxury car or muscle car kind of guy. A Subaru was never on my radar to own - ever. I, along with many others, had the idea that a Subaru was for the hippie tree lovers or for the kids that dumped every last dollar into their supped up WRX. That all changed when 2 things came about - 1. I bought my wife a Subaru and 2...
Categories: Testimonials, News, People, New Inventory, Pre-Owned Inventory, Social


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With a Fellowship
With a Employment Contract
Income Tax Return
Double Taxation Convention
Church Taxes
With a Fellowship
Generally fellowships are tax exempt as long as certain conditions are fulfilled:
The fellowship must be paid out of public funds or by a public or non-profit organization (as far as this is recognized by German law).
The fellowship must be granted with the goal of supporting research, academic or artistic education or further training.
The fellowship does not exceed the amount necessary to complete the research project or to pay for the education program and daily living expenses. The fellowship is granted according to the guidelines of the granting agency.
The fellowship does not require any services to be made in return or any form of employment on the part of the recipient.
Tax exempt status also means no social insurance contributions are paid.
If you are working at the University with an employment contract with the
, your income will be taxed. University of Heidelberg
Income Tax
Income taxes are deducted directly from your income by your employer and paid to the state. The amount of income tax deducted depends on your income, your marital or family status and your tax bracket.
Tax Card or Certificate for Tax Deduction
Since January 2013 we have in Germany electronic tax cards and all you'll have to do is to communicate your tax identification number to your employer. You receive this tax identification number, which has lifelong validity, by mail automatically after registering your place of residence at the residency registration office (Bürgeramt). More information is available on the web site of the Heidelberg tax office.
If you live outside of
, a different tax office may be responsible for you. You can search for the appropriate tax office here. You must inform the tax office directly about any changes to your tax card. Heidelberg
Income Tax Return
At the end of every calendar year, you can apply for an income tax adjustment through your local tax office. If you live in
Heidelberg, the tax office is responsible for you. By submitting an income tax return, it may be possible to receive a partial reimbursement of the income taxes that were deducted from your salary throughout the year. You can obtain the necessary forms directly from the tax office. Heidelberg
In some cases it can be worth it to pay the fees for a tax accountant to do your tax return for you. There is information about finding a suitable tax accountant here.
Double Taxation Convention
In order to prevent foreigners from paying taxes both in
Germany and in their home country, has entered into a so-called Double Taxation Convention with many countries. Germany
The convention establishes the country in which the taxes must be paid. If you remain in
for less than half a year (183 days), your income will be taxed in your home country if you have worked for a foreign employer and if the Double Taxation Convention gives the right of taxation to your home country. If one of these conditions does not exist in your case, your income will be taxed in Germany . Germany
Details about such issues are available in the Regulations regarding the Double Taxation Convention, which exist for countries in the EU as well as for some other countries.
Church Taxes
The state also deducts church taxes along with income taxes (approx. 9% of income tax) for the large Christian churches. For that reason you have to indicate your religious affiliation when registering your place of residence at the residency registration office (Bürgeramt). The taxes that apply to you will be deducted directly from your income.
Responsible: Welcome Centre Team
Latest Revision: 2016-11-07


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Old Fellas Costume
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Old Fellas
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This homemade costume for kids entered our 2015 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Tina, the 'Old Fellas' costume creator:
These are my 2 kids, Halee And Tyler Painter, i came up with this idea after seeing it online, i went to a local Goodwill for the clothes and bought a few extras at walmart,I had a close family member make there cane and walker, it turned out great!!!


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There are gender wars, and then there are casualties. It wasn't until 2011 that the behemoth toymaker LEGO acknowledged girls' desire to build with bricks, even though the company had long before made a seemingly effortless pivot to co-branding, video games, and major motion pictures. So it's little wonder that girls face all-too-real obstacles when […]Read more
Although "STEM women" out-earn women in other types of jobs – a 33% boost over their sisters – the same percentage of women in STEM occupations feel isolated at work. The Huffington Post reports that "40 percent reported lacking role models, and 84 percent reported lacking sponsors or someone to help make their accomplishments visible throughout the organization."
Harvey Mudd College President Maria Klawe points out that, in addition to generous compensation, the field of computer science offers flexibility. This flexibility is a natural fit for women – and men – who in the future may opt to work remotely while raising a family.
And when those young families are being raised, parents might want to consider having their daughters play with STEM-friendly toys. LEGO could be a start, or, as the New York Times reports, steering girls toward computer engineer Barbie, Robot Girl Lottie, or a Roominate engineering kit may start to break down some of the roadblocks and challenge gender roles when it comes to science, math, engineering, and technology.


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I recently called a government department and, at first, its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) coped well with my complex details. But then it failed to direct me to the right agent. This was compounded by the fact that I had to repeat myself seven times to get my issue resolved. So initially I was impressed, but ultimately realized that the IVR was doing far less than it could given the capabilities available. It was frustrating for me, and certainly unproductive for the government department.
The challenge in improving this is to connect the IVR to the digital realm.
IVRs are certainly the workhorses of customer service. But in many cases they remain islands unto themselves. They don't take advantage of the fact that today's customers use smartphones, tablets and laptops to engage with companies and that, by doing so, customers are providing a wealth of data about what they're trying to accomplish.
Businesses continue to invest in online self-service solutions hoping customers will largely take care of themselves. But when that falls short, many of them (about half according to a recent survey) switch to their phones—escalating issues they couldn't resolve in self-service—and find themselves in an IVR queue. Thus the IVR becomes a last resort. That's unfortunate for many companies, because their IVRs are not equipped to provide highly satisfying customer experiences. They were implemented years ago, before the age of the digital customer. Even when IVRs incorporate natural language, the experience can fall short of customers' expectations because context from previous engagements is not leveraged, and often there's no smooth way to complete a transaction or resolve an issue.
IVRs should become digital customer service engines
In his white paper, "Augmented IVR-Second Life for Interactive Voice Response," Dan Miller of Opus Research discusses how digital devices and using data for predictive experiences are reinventing the IVR. Miller says, "In spite of the growing use of text, chat, and websites for support, inbound call volumes continue to grow; and outbound activity, thanks to additional features and functions for IVRs (or their media service-based successors), are finding new life."
Miller calls this "the moment of truth for the born-again IVR." He says their new function "is to serve as the friendly gatekeeper and triage specialist, joined at the hip with resources that make rapid identification of the caller, automated resolution of his or her problems and intelligent routing of the call possible."
So what should an augmented IVR be able to do? To become more effective for customers and more productive for the company, it must be:
Smarter: The IVR should predict intent and best next action in real-time, based on the caller's omnichannel journey context and relevant customer data. This is key to understanding how best to engage digital customers.
More engaging: IVRs should apply one natural language model across channels and combine this with prediction to engage customers in easy-to-understand, resolution-oriented conversations. IVRs should take advantage of large-scale data about voice and chat sessions, to evolve natural language models more quickly. This produces better performance and faster time-to-benefit, and makes natural language a building block of designing a customer's omnichannel experience.
Completely connected: IVRs can be augmented by:
• Bridging web to IVR by understanding the customer's originating context
• Combining voice with rich visual content
• Offering call-back
• Move to chat if needed
These capabilities help ensure unified, consistent and contextual customer engagement across channels and devices. Customer experiences should be seamless and intuitive, and take advantage of opportunities to use a customer's smartphone or other device.
More productive: IVRs should incorporate understanding of a customer's intent, to save them time, increase self-service rates and improve customer satisfaction scores. This can be accomplished by dynamically adapting IVR self-service in real-time, based on information the customer provides combined with historical data about them.
Utilizing information about customers' activities across channels, devices and sessions, a company can turn its IVR into a digital engine for improving customer engagement. This can improve self-service rates up to 25 percent and significantly reduce customer effort.
You can learn more about transforming your IVR by downloading the Opus Research white paper


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Millar Cole Photography delivers a dream in imagery. Hoxton Hall isdraped in enough faux foliage to recreate a forest for this "Turkish / Scottish / Victorian theatrical riot" of a wedding.
Self-styled by the Bride, Anabel, the day is a perfect combination of her husband's Scottish roots with her Turkish heritage and is carried out with such romanticism and creativity. The venue is dressed impeccably, especially the table decor. It reminds me of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream, whimsical, dreamlike and packs a punch to the senses.
Anabel says her I Do's dripping in 1950's layered vintage lace from House Of Vintage Bride but changes to a hot pink 1970's caped evening dress for dancing.
With Entertainment at the top of the budget for this wedding, you can see it is well spent, it looks like everyone had a total blast.
Spoiler, things you'll want to pin – lace vintage, Croque en Bouche, faux foliage, how to dress your venue, favours.
Anabel the Bride: Callum and I were determined to find a hidden gem of a wedding venue and we certainly did that. Hoxton Hall is the most glorious Victorian Music hall. It is so unassuming from the outside but the moment I saw the theatre space and the wrought iron balustrades overlooking the hall I was sold. As an actress the idea of getting married in a theatre felt apt. There was plenty of space for Scottish dancing but at the same time the hall was small enough for the whole day to feel intimate. We completely transformed the adjoining rehearsal room space with flowers and drapes to create a perfect dining space. It was important to me to feel like the venue was full to bursting in order to really enhance the celebratory atmosphere.
I tried on so many dresses and could have designed a completely different wedding around each and every one! My venue and concept for the wedding totally influenced my decision. I found the dream dress at House Of Vintage Bride. It is a 50's design but the lace sleeves and layered skirt hark back to a Victorian aesthetic. I fell head over heels for the pointed sleeves and collar, the oyster satin fabric underneath and the glorious peplum and layers of perfectly preserved lace. The moment I caught sight of it I knew I had found something special. It also kind of reminded me of a Dolce and Gabbana advert – that inspired my styling direction. I found the 1920's headdress at pennies Vintage in Angel and customised gold court shoes with vintage shoe clips found on Etsy. My veil was £20 from a second hand shop. My hot pink 70's caped evening dress was also a vintage find. I couldn't resist it especially for £50! Both dresses moved so beautifully on the dancefloor.
Callum chose a beautiful grey tartan called 'Eternity' for his new kilt and fly plaid . It had an ivory woven set running through which complemented the tone of my dress. We chose antique gold buttons to complete his sharply tailored kilt jacket and waistcoat and I surprised him with antique gold and silver cufflinks and button holes to match the mixed metal rings which we designed. He looked so handsome!
Colour scheme and Decor
Callum is Scottish and I am half Turkish so our food and music choices were led by typically cultural flavours. We kept it subtle but I would describe the day as a Turkish / Scottish / Victorian theatrical riot with a prohibition cocktail club style aura! It was atmospheric that's for sure. We hired a beautiful lighting canopy from Party Lights and I dotted tradition Turkish lanterns everywhere. I stuck Scottish Lichen on every bare surface.
The flowers were faux!! Lisa (founder of Foliage Folk) designs displays for Liberty – she is supremely talented and the most wonderful women. She went above and beyond to make both rooms look absolutely outstanding.
I wanted an abundance of foliage and muted florals that were reminiscent of dried flowers. I chose muted blush, green, peach, ivory and darker burgundy tones to tie with the tone of my dress and the theatre curtains at Hoxton hall. I decided on a dramatic trailing Victorian style bouquet. Faux flowers meant I could pack the venue full for a more reasonable price and also not kill a tonne of flowers for the sake of one day. The beauty of a faux bouquet means i still enjoy looking at it every day. It is in a beautiful vase in my living room!
Wedding Party Fashion
I wanted my bridesmaids to wear whatever they felt good in so everyone chose their own dresses. I sent a strict bridezilla mood board of colours (the tones in my bouquet) and examples of the style direction (vintage, muted, tulle, lace, Victorian, whimsical). I hand made ivy headdresses entwined with pearls on gold wire. It all came together so perfectly. Seeing all the bridesmaids together was the first thing to set me off on the day. I wept with joy and proclaimed under my breath that I was "the best wedding planner ever" my best friend won't let me live that one down!
I wrote a poem for Callum which my Uncle read out as a surprise to kick off the proceedings. He is excellent at impersonations and had everybody in stitches. It was the perfect juxtaposition to our very serious registrar. I made a grand entrance with my entourage and a Turkish drummer and pipe player which took everybody by surprise. The normally poker faced Callum showed all his emotional facial expressions in the space of 30mins. We wrote our own vows and every guest in attendance shed a tear. It was romantic, highly emotional and truly magical. We danced out of the venue and formed a conga down the street with the musicians in tow. We brought Hoxton Street to a complete standstill – passers by stopped in their tracks to cheer and film the spectacle.
My biggest splurge was three live music acts … The Turkish musicians, a gypsy jazz band who had everyone on their feet during the canapé reception and a post modern jukebox style group in the evening. I also roped in my talented friends. James played the bagpipes as guests arrived and Adrienne and Tom performed an acoustic version of Whitney Houstons 'Somebody who loves me'. All of the guests sang along in varying degrees of talent and drunkenness. The dancefloor was chockablock all day. We also had a mini Scottish Ceilidh as our first dance. My talented Choreographer friend, Jacquie did an excellent job as the caller despite having never even been to a Ceilidh.
Social Pantry did a wondrous job of seamlessly combining Scottish and Turkish cuisine for our canapé reception. The main course was a delicious Turkish lamb dish which had guests literally squealing in delight. We fancied a croque en Bouche instead of a cake. It was filled with hazelnut cream and coated in crunchy caramel, pistachios and dried cranberries. We smashed it with a mallet!
We were incredibly lucky to be able to have a free bar all day due to Callum's work with Bacardi. Social Pantry supplied a fantastic mixologist and we created our own bespoke cocktails including 'Anabel's Fury' and 'Callum's Inward joy mojito'. Safe to say it got messy. In the evening we tactically served Macaroni Pies to ensure that guests lasted the distance. It worked. My godmother famously started crying when the final song played. She just didn't want it to be over.
Ben did such a great job in capturing the emotion of the day. He was such a pleasure to have around … if anything I would have liked to see more of him. He also oversaw the lighting design in the morning to ensure his shots of the ceremony would be well lit. I was so grateful for that.
His photography is an editorial/ documentary style. I'm so happy we decided to go in that direction.
I believe they are the greatest wedding photos ever taken!
I hired a black cab to travel to the venue with my family and to go on a jaunt around The Boundary Estate in Shoreditch (where we lived for many years) for our portraits. Tony and Ross at Corporate Cabs were so accommodating and reliable.
Unique aspects
We designed a family crest style logo with my Uncle who is a talented cartoonist. It combined a Scottish thistle and Turkish cotton plant. It acted as a letterhead on all of our stationary and posters on the front of the theatre. I did all the calligraphy myself.
We used Paperless post for our invitations – we found a perfect theatre ticket template.
My favourite project was creating the table plan and decorating it with lichen.
I also enjoyed making a speech – a bride doesn't need to be silent!
Weddings are so emotional… they make people (including the bride to be) act in mysterious and unexpected ways! I'd love to write a whole blog post for RMW on that subject actually!
So my advice would be expect the unexpected from your nearest and dearest and let it go over your head!
Also, I uncharacteristically took up boxing and meditation to deal with some of my wedding planning anxiety!!!! I've never been in better shape physically and mentally.
Meditating on the morning of the big day ensured I was so present and calm all day. I didn't feel like the day whizzed by at all … it was as though every second stretched out long enough for me to savour, enjoy and replay again and again!
Photography by Millar Cole Photography
- Videographer Gione da Silva
- Bride's Gown House of Vintage
- Veil/Headpiece Pennies Vintage
- Florist Foliage Folk
- Venue Hoxton Hall
- Decor/Styling The Bride
- Caterer The Social Pantry
- Groom's Kilt Highland House of Frasier
- Groom's Jacket and Accessories Kilts 4 All
- Stationary Cookie Cartoonery
- Entertainment Turkish drummers
- Entertainment Gypsy jazz
- Entertainment Bella and the Bourbon Boys
- Transport London Corporate Cabs


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Happy Sunday everyone!
Shabby Sunday #10 – a wee shabby egg
I have had a very busy morning up in my wee shed, I have recorded a video with all the goodies I have been buying lately, then I made my shabby sunday project below, and I have also made a couple of cards!
I will share the video & cards later … I have a one other thing I really want to make , that I think will look rather cool
supplies list:-
- Polystyrene / Styrafoam Medium sized Egg from Hobbycraft
- Aleene's tacky glue
- Muslin fabric cut into strips and patches
- Vintage lace trim &polkadot flower from Etsy Lavish Laces
- Flower Sequins
- Small pearl pins from Wild Orchid Crafts
- Rose Pin (I made this a while ago)
I hope to see you later with a couple more blog posts..
As always thanks so much for your support and for popping round
Sarah 🙂


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The attack on Gaza at this time was pre-planned.
The deaths of three teen-aged Israelites was most convenient - indeed too convenient.
The objective of this vicious assault during Ramadan is to so inflame Muslim public opinion around the Muslim world that the ranks of ISIS would be filled to over-flowing with volunteers.
As ISIS gains in momentum, the Zionist-controlled information media would then launch their propaganda offensive to convince mankind that Islam is becoming a threat and a menace to mankind, and that something must be done to save the world from Islam.
That will open a door for Israel to step up and launch her pre-planned wars to decimate the Arabs.
with love,
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Team Canada-ISEF put on a great performance at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bringing home a total of eight awards, including 5 grand awards and 3 special awards.
Not bad for a team of eight up against 1800 top young scientists from 81 countries at the world's largest high school research competition, where only one in four wins an award. In fact, six of the eight members of Team Canada-ISEF 2018 came home with awards - a number that speaks volumes about the quality of youth science in this country.
Colette Benko (17) of Calgary, Alberta (second from the left in photo) received the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) First Place Award ($3,000) and a Fourth Place Award ($500) in Biomedical and Health Sciences for her project, A Novel Pediatric Cancer Therapy Targeting Epigenetics and Neuroblastoma Differentiation.
Waleed Sawan (16) of London, Ontario (far right in photo) received the Qatar Foundation, Research and Development First Place Award ($1,000) and a Third Place Award in Embedded Systems ($1,000) for Drip - A Precision Irrigation System for the Developing World.
Other Team Canada-ISEF 2018 award winners included:
- Emily Cross (18), Thunder Bay ON - First Place Award from the American Geosciences Institute ($1,500)
- Danish Mahmood (14), London ON - Second Place Grand Award in Biomedical Engineering ($1,500)
- Tasnia Nabil (17), Windsor ON - Fourth Place Grand Award in Biomedical Engineering ($500)
- Crystal Radinski (17), Calgary AB - Fourth Place Grand Award in Biomedical and Health Sciences ($500)
Youth Science Canada's Executive Director, Reni Barlow, noted, "This year's results show that Canadian youth science continues to be world-class and that Youth Science Canada's programs are working to develop, support, and recognize our country's young scientists."
Team Canada-ISEF 2018 was generously sponsored by Youth Can Innovate, a program of the Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation.
Applications for Team Canada-ISEF 2019 are open to students who will be in high school as of May, 2019. The deadline for applications is December 15, 2018. For more information, visit the Team Canada-ISEF web site.


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Proteomes - Agrobacterium vitis (strain S4 / ATCC BAA-846) (Rhizobium vitis (strain S4))
|Reference proteome
|Proteome IDi
|311402 - Agrobacterium vitis (strain S4 / ATCC BAA-846)
|Last modified
|January 15, 2020
|Genome assembly and annotationi
|GCA_000016285.1 from ENA/EMBL full
|Pan proteomei
|This proteome is part of the Agrobacterium vitis (strain S4 / ATCC BAA-846) (Rhizobium vitis (strain S4)) pan proteome (fasta)
Agrobacterium are Gram-negative, motile, soil-dwelling plant pathogens with the species name given based on the disease phenotype associated with the bacteria. They invade the crown, roots and stems of a great variety of plants via wounds causing tumors. The diseases are crown gall, hairy root, and cane gall. Some strains possess a wide host range, whereas other possess a very limited host range. The tumor is correlated with the presence of a large tumor-inducing plasmid (Ti plasmid) in the bacteria. Thus A.tumefaciens causes crown gall on many dicotyledonous plants; A.rubi causes crown gall on raspberries; A.vitis gall formation on grapes; A.rhizogenes causes hairy roots; A.radiobacter is avirulent. However the ability to cause disease is associated with transmissible plasmids, and this grouping is easily disrupted when plasmids move from one strain to another. More recently Agrobacterium have been classified into 3 biovars based on physiological and biochemical phenotypes without consideration of disease; the 2 classification systems are not compatible. There is now a fully sequenced representative of each biovar publicly available.
Crown galls are formed when Agrobacterium with a a tumor-inducing Ti plasmid infects a wounded plant. A portion of the Ti-plasmid DNA (T-DNA) is transferred from the bacterial plasmid into the host plant cell where the T-DNA is integrated into host plant chromosomal DNA by an illegitimate recombination process. Some of the transferred genes encode enzymes responsible for the synthesis of plant hormones that cannot be controlled by the plant, causing abnormal cell divisions that produce a plant gall. Other transferred genes encode biosynthetic enzymes capable of transforming plant metabolites into a class of compounds called opines that are not catabolizable by the host plant, but are catabolizable by the tumor-inducing bacterial strain. A.vitis strain S4 is a virulent biovar III strain isolated from the Vitis vinifera (grape) cv. Izsaki Sarfeher crown gall in Kecskemet/Orgavony, Hungary in 1981. It produces the opine vitopine. A.vitis strains not only cause galls on grapevines but also necrosis on grapevine roots and a hypersensitive response on nonhost plants (adapted from PubMed 11524123 and 19251847).
|Component name
|Genome Accession(s)
|Component representation
|Chromosome 1
|Chromosome 2
|Plasmid pAtS4b
|Plasmid pAtS4c
|Plasmid pTiS4
|Plasmid pAtS4e
|Plasmid pAtS4a
- "Genome sequences of three Agrobacterium biovars help elucidate the evolution of multichromosome genomes in bacteria."
Slater S.C., Goldman B.S., Goodner B., Setubal J.C., Farrand S.K., Nester E.W., Burr T.J., Banta L., Dickerman A.W., Paulsen I., Otten L., Suen G., Welch R., Almeida N.F., Arnold F., Burton O.T., Du Z., Ewing A. Wood D.W.
J. Bacteriol. 191:2501-2511(2009) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]


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/ Sunday, May 24, 2009 / 8 Comments / Condiments and Sauces , North American
Homemade Hot Dog Relish
Well, I think the hot dog definitely taste so much better with my homemade relish. It's fresh and not too sweet compared to relish you get at the grocers. This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of relish. Do try making your own relish next time. It's so easy to make and is all set in less than half an hour.
Recipe adapted from The Dean & Deluca Cookbook
Homemade Hot Dog Relish
1 Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
Juice of 2 Lemons
4 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
2 Small Red Onions, finely diced
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground White Pepper
1/2 Cup Water
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool.
8 comments:
I just had to leave a comment. I am not really a relish fan because they all seem too sweet to me, but your recipe looks amazing and I think I will have to try it next time. Thanks!ReplyDelete
Oh, this relish looks divine. I will definitely make it soon. All of your recipes look absolutely delicious.ReplyDelete
Fabulous blog ya got here!
I adore relish, but like Julie above my husband doesn't. I suspect he'd love this, though! Gotta try it.ReplyDelete
Yummy! Now I have to go shopping for Hot Dogs and the ingredients :)ReplyDelete
Now that looks like one amazing hotdog!ReplyDelete
Oh I love this! I am such a HUGE relish fan.ReplyDelete
@Julie: Thanks for commenting and ya, do try this, its a simple relish recipe.ReplyDelete
@Marguerite: Thanks for the lovely comments:)
@debbie koenig: Do try making them :)
Thank you for this recipe. Will try soon.ReplyDelete


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Forty-one million people play fantasy sports. About 3% of those partake in daily leagues, a number expected to increase significantly over the next several years. All of them, though, have changed the way sports are consumed. Fantasy has entered the mainstream, with pro leagues not only embracing the action but promoting games of their own.
Fantasy has changed so much that traditional season-long leagues are no longer the only option. Daily fantasy sports are on a meteoric rise.�There are fantasy segments on Sunday morning pregame shows and fantasy tickers during games. Even athletes are playing fantasy games and talking about it openly; when Giants tight end Larry Donnell said he benched himself for his three-touchdown outburst against Washington in Week 4, the reaction wasn't, "What are you doing playing fantasy football? " It was, "What were you thinking?! "
New York Daily News
With websites like FanDuel, DraftKings and a new television network, fantasy sports is blowing up
By��Justin Tasch


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Photo gallery
About Sarah
Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Tennessee Sarah is a unique constellation of attributes. Her powerful soulful voice added to a gospel song or to a heavy rock tune always seems to leave people surprised and impressed.
Sarah has performed hundreds of shows all over the United States. She has gotten the privilege of sharing the stage and opening for many great artists across all genres such as Justin Moore, Collin Raye, Toby Keith, ZZ Top, The Coasters, The Platters, The Marcels, Lady Antebellum and so many more. From North Dakota to Vegas all the way back to Ohio and Pennsylvania and so many places in between she has found people to befriend through music. Her high-energy performances and soulful ballads are quite a rollercoaster of a show - there is no surprise to find out her favorite artists are all high energy entertainers as well like Garth Brooks, Elvis, and Lady Gaga. When she won the Colgate Country showdown they said "we have never seen that much energy and passion on this stage".
Other than her achievements with her live shows, Sarah has had 2 songs - 'Just Dance' and 'Walkin' on the Blue Side' on Billboard Top 100. She is returning to the studio Fall 2018.
"give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18
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Remember those video games in the mall arcade that would move as you raced your virtual car down a terrifying racecourse? They would shake and tilt and vibrate in response to your too-young-to-have-a-license driving skills, providing a totally cool, totally 90s, tech thrill.
The science that allows any regular eight-year-old kid to pretend he's Jeff Gordon is called haptic technology. For those of you who are maybe not the most tech-nerdy, haptics are a type of feedback tech that lets you feel and control virtual objects or – as we're seeing more and more these days – control and touch real objects that are thousands of miles away.
Can you guess where this is going?
Haptic technology has come a long way since the arcade game racecar. We've seen how haptics can be utilized for long distance lovers who want to keep their sex life alive through vibrating smartphone apps and underwear that can totally enhance videochat-sex, but those two applications are only the tip of the virtual touch iceberg.
Raise your hand if you've been in a long distance relationship.
I have to put both of my hands in the air, as I'm a two-time offender. The highly mobile life of a startup founder (or tech writer, for that matter) means that those of us with sweethearts end up spending a significant amount of time apart from our significant others.
Developments in technology have made these types of relationships more possible than they could have been as recently as ten years ago. Starting with email and moving up to international texting apps, we've ended up with videochat right on our phones. It's now possible to be instantly and constantly connected with your lover even when he/she is on the other side of the world.
So what's the one thing that's missing?
Touch. I know I already mentioned smartphone-controlled vibrators, but the sexual part of relationships is just a tiny part of the physical connections that lovers make every day. We kiss, we hug, we stroke; we simply lay a comforting hand on a shoulder just to show that we're still there.
There's one really cool development in haptic technology that address these non-sexual physical needs: The Hug Shirt. This awesome new design is embedded with sensors that register the strength of touch, skin warmth, and heartbeat of the person wearing it. The technology then packages up all that info and sends it via Bluetooth to whomever you want to hug (as long as they have the shirt too), allowing them to "feel" your embrace from anywhere in the world.
I. Love. This.
Beyond the obvious long-distance relationship benefits, imagine being able to comfort a friend who just had a tragedy or hug your mom when you're living abroad. As someone who has all too recently longed to do both of those things, I can say that The Hug Shirt is one of my absolute favorite developments in technology.
Touch is such an essential part of being human, one that has been eroded slowly as our lives have become more virtual. The fact that the same technology that has led us away from each other in the "real world" is now bringing us together in this amazingly physical way is truly incredible.
But back to the sexy part…
So what's the next step in haptic technology? If we're already stimulating each other intimately in these highly varied ways, the only logical advancement is to full-on virtual sex and I'm not talking old-school cyber sex or even camming. The way the technology is headed, full-body haptic suits are no longer a farfetched sci-fi nerd's dream.
To be honest, my mind is still totally boggled by this possibility. We are about to enter a whole new world of human sexuality, one that could include not only long distance communication between humans, but also interactions with virtual beings drawn from the human imagination.
The thought is both titillating… And terrifying.
Photos by… Jomphong, freedigitalphotos.net, Bonnie Brown via Flickr, the Comic Shop via Flickr


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Here's our latest Forney Flyer news letter hot off the press. If you typically get our prayer letters via e-mail, you should have already received this a few days ago. If you're on our hardcopy mailing list instead, then it should arrive in the mail sometime in the next week or so.
If you'd like to view a pdf copy of this letter, go here. To see a few of our previous Forney Flyer letters, or if you're interested in joining our ministry team, please go to our MAF staff webpage here.
You'll notice in the blue section of the front page, that I mentioned the issue with my Ugandan pilot's license. My temporary license has indeed now expired, which means I'm grounded indefinitely. The process to get a permanent conversion pilot license here is proving to be a bit frustrating and lengthy. It will likely be quite some time before I'm able to work through the process and begin flying again. I appreciate your prayers that things could fall into place as efficiently as possible.


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Integrity Automotive offers auto repair services to Frisco, TX
If you are in need of a trustworthy auto mechanic near Frisco, we hope you choose our local repair shop! Here's some information about us.
Who? Integrity Automotive - We are Frisco's leading choice in auto repair. Our staff is well-trained with the goal of consistent and great customer service.
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Thank you for considering Integrity Automotive!


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Making Some Photos at the Pumpkin Patch with the iPhone 7
When I heard about the cameras in the iPhone 7 I was very eager to try them out. I did not watch the keynote until the phone had already come out. I did order one that day though because I really wanted to try it out. I received the phone, but the portrait mode I really wanted to try out had not come out yet. A friend hooked me up with the Beta iOS that included the portrait mode while I was in Austin for Austin City Limits. I had a lot of fun trying it out during the festival. I sent out a tweet during the festival saying that the portrait mode would be a game changer. One thing that always sticks out with photos made with your phone is the infinite depth of field. You see everything in the frame fairly sharp. This makes your iPhone photos look a little more professional without really doing very much. You just have to position yourself in the right position to your subject to make it work. While at the pumpkin patch I decided that it was the perfect place to try some things out with it. Here are a few thoughts from my time at the pumpkin patch.
What a Difference a Little Bokeh Makes
I made the photo above to show just what a difference a little bokeh (the blurred out background) can make in a photo. I found an angle of this scarecrow that had a lot going on in the background. The phone lets you save both versions of the photo so you can see just what was done here. The top photo is what you have always seen from an iPhone. You have everything relatively in focus. The bottom photo allows the scarecrow to stand out a bit by blurring everything out in the background. The distractions do not completely go away, but they do sort of melt into the background. One thing that really amazed me was not that the stuff on the right side of the photo went into bokeh. It was that the flowers and pumpkins that you can see in between the stalks of corn went into bokeh as well. The 3D mapping really seems to be on point even in the Beta stage.
The Limitations of the Portrait Mode
One big limitation that the portrait mode has is the fact that your subject must be within a certain range for the effect to work. The corn above was not in that range, and it did not work for me. I really wanted to see if I could create a more interesting photo by just having a little bit of the scene in focus here. Of course that didn't work. Your subject has to stay relatively still as well. While trying it out on the kids I found that when I could get them to stay very still it was amazing. A little movement though confuses the algorithm a bit. The portrait mode also does not work in darker situations. You really need some good light for it to work. The average light in a house is on the borderline of being acceptable. The good thing is that you can see what is happening live. It will tell you that you need more light, or that you need to move back or forward. Beyond that you can see how the effect is working in real time. Once again though this is an amazing breakthrough that is still in its infancy. I can only imagine that it will continue to get better before it is released to the public.
Will Portrait Mode End the dSLR?
Do I think that this portrait mode is great? Heck yes I do. I really love having iPhone shots that look a little cooler than they used to. Will I sell my stable of Canon cameras? The answer to that is no. What I think this will do though is make it easy for anyone out there to get the look that they see in professional images. Maybe it will make someone who never thought about owning a dSLR decide to pick one up. What will be the downfall of the phone vs. the dSLR will be low light situations. Portrait mode does not work as I said above, and the overall quality fades very quickly.
A Few More Photos in Portrait Mode
After we left the pumpkin patch we went out to see the scarecrows at the Prophetstown State Park. I tried to get a couple of new situations for the phone to try out. Here are a couple of those photos. You can see that it seems to work better in some situations rather than others.