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Website Re-launch
Posted on 22 August 2015
When I launched this site in 2010; I had no vision of what it was or would become.
WhatIsMyBrowser.com started off very simple; the first of its kind: a website to clearly explain to a non-technical user what their browsing set up was.
Sure, there were websites which simply echoed back the browser's user agent, but try getting a "non-technical" person to understand a user agent when they're already not savvy enough to even know which browser they're using!
Back then there was no site which did this, so the site was borne out of a simple need that I had, and over the years since then, it grew and evolved. I would come up with new ideas or people would make feature requests. So after a while the site had features including the iFrame embed or the email feature.
There's also quite a complex system under the hood which stores, aggregates and counts all the different user agents that the homepage sees; this is how I know which user agents to add detection for next.
But up until now, all of these features, additions and changes had all just organically occurred, and as such the codebase - for everything except the User Agent Parser library itself - was admittedly a bit of a mess.
It was a weird hybrid of Symfony and SilverStripe and a bunch of other glue in between. I had changed the look and feel a number of times in those years and the html structure by this point was pretty average. The management systems I had built worked, but were clunky.
After those all those years of being built with out a vision, evolving and changing rapidly, the site had become a bit of a Frankenstein's monster.
Looking forward
By early 2015 the site was getting millions of hits and was continuing to grow. As I looked at my big list of features I wanted to add, it became clear that if I wanted to continue to expand and make the site as good as it could be, I would have to spend serious time and rebuild it so that all the new features had a strong foundation.
Adding to this was the fact that I had learnt and fallen in love with Python in the previous year, and having to keep going back to PHP to maintain the site was killing me.
I now knew what the site was and I knew where I wanted to take it. It had gone from being an accidental success in to something I cared and was passionate about making excellent.
I started by rebuilding the API server in Python, using Bottle. This was easy and quick work. I also deployed it on its own dedicated server to increase redundancy and fault tolerance.
The next task was rebuilding this site in Python and this was going to be a huge job. I chose the Django framework because it made developing a large and complex site easy and I really liked the way that the framework is put together.
Bigger, better
When I rebuilt the site, I generally kept the same visual look I had at the time - everything's still flat and modern - but I added lots of new features and content - it was a rebuild but it was also an expansion.
More detection on the homepage, including things like local ip address detection. I also made individual pages for each piece of functionality detection.
The interactive user agent parser was overhauled and I added a catalog of user agents to browse through.
"Cool urls don't change"
As Tim Berners-Lee said: "Cool urls don't change" and fortunately I was able to keep > 90% of the urls exactly the same. The Developers section was split a little different; into Tools and Guides, but with a few 301 redirects, everything worked out fine.
Most importantly, I was able to make the actual url for the iFrame embed feature identical, so that the hundreds of sites which have embedded it already didn't need to change anything on their end.
Without delving deeper and/or getting more rambly, that's about it for the public-facing rebuild.
Behind the scenes, the management system continues to grow and evolve. I'm using things like statsd and grafana to monitor everything from server vitals to API calls to types of user agents seen. OSSEC, Trac and Klaus are all vital parts of the system.
I now continue to build a bigger and better management system so that I can keep everything running and continue to provide the best user agent parser and hopefully continue my original goal: to make a tool to help other web developers with their clients.
Thanks for coming on the journey with me.


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6 Essential Tips for Visiting the First Friday Art Trail
Here in the "Hub City," a night at First Friday Art Trail (FFAT) is filled with thousands of visitors every month looking for a unique cultural experience comprised of art, music, food and wine. Hosted in the Lubbock Cultural District, FFAT is an art lover's dream and inspires the artistic eye for anyone doubting their creative nature. During FFAT, artists display their work and engage visitors in an array of art, color and culture, leaving them with a deeper appreciation for the arts.
FFAT is a free, self-guided art tour in the "Hub City," centered around the Lubbock Cultural District in downtown on the first Friday of each month (6 to 9 p.m., rain or shine). Take advantage of the free trolleys that travel between LHUCA, the Buddy Holly Center, McPherson Cellars and GlassyAlley Art Studio. See an original Andy Warhol or Peter Herd (at the Charles Adams Gallery), get your hair French braided by students from the Wade Gordon Hairdressing Academy or check out what's new at LHUCA. There's a lot to see and do, so gather your friends for an unforgettable evening in Lubbock.
Check out these six tips to get the most out of Lubbock's First Friday Art Trail:
- Arrive as close to 6 p.m. as possible. Three hours may sound like a long time, but trust me, you'll find yourself wishing you had just a little bit longer to experience all the art trail has to offer. While the highest concentration of venues is in the Lubbock Cultural District, some locations are a trolley ride away so you'll want to plan accordingly, which leads me to my next point.
- Plot out your trail in advance. You won't have time to peruse every single gallery, talk to each artist, try a bite from every food truck and savor live music from the Reagor Dykes Stage. Needless to say, you want to plan ahead. Check out the venue list and map to see which exhibits interest you.
- Come hungry! Part of the FFAT experience is the food. Food trucks line the streets of LHUCA, attracting droves of hungry art lovers. From barbecue and street tacos to ice cream and snow cones, you'll find something delicious to enjoy. For example, Crusty's Wood Fired Pizza dishes out some of the best made-to-order pies in the "Hub City" that are served on the patio tables in front of The Charles Adams Studio Project. The individual sizes are quite generous, but they're so good you won't want to share. Wash it all down with your choice of beverage including soft drinks, beer or wine sold on-site.
- Show off your style. You're going to spend a lot of time walking between art galleries, studios and venues, make sure to be comfortable in your choice of footwear. But, let your inner creative play a little; FFAT is the perfect opportunity to break all the rules and flaunt your fashion. No matter how creative you are, you won't look out of place when you're surrounded by artists who appreciate creative style.
- Download the FFAT app. The easy-to-use app lists all the venues with details on what you'll see at each location that month. Every FFAT is different, and most locations will have new art exhibits and performances for you to admire. The map tab shows where the venues are in proximity to your current location, which can be a real lifesaver especially if you like to wander.
- Bring some extra cash with you. You never know when you might find a hand-thrown bowl, a set of etched wine glasses, a stained-glass masterpiece or a watercolor that you simply can't resist. The art featured at FFAT comes from local talent and international icons, so the prices vary. Browsing through FFAT is a perfect opportunity to start or build onto your own private art collection—and an even better way to take home a one-of-a-kind piece of the "Hub City."
As famed 19th-century French artist Edgar Degas said, "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." So bring a friend and experience the beauty and curiosity of art here in Lubbock. For more art and cultural events in the "Hub City," check out our website.
Planning to visit Lubbock's FFAT? Share your photos with us on social media using #LiveLoveLubbock for a chance to be featured on our home page!

subset: commoncrawl


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New class added: Knit Smarter
Just added! New class, Knit Smarter. Do knitting patterns baffle you or leave you with a headache? Alissa will talk you through reading the most convoluted of designs. Sample patterns will be provided for use in class, feel free to bring any questions or problem patterns with you and together we will learn how to make sense of the senseless and give you the skills you need to knit the pattern of your dreams!
July 7th and 14th (2 days) 10am to Noon


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Essays Blogs
Articles about academic writing for college students
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10. Here Is Thirty
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Six summer daytrips for students
Get the kids out of the house and take them on a literary road trip this summer.
Longing for a summer family adventure? Take a literary journey through Arizona. Gather a stack of exciting books to share with your child, and you're off!
1. B is for Bearizona! After reading The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach or Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, visit some real bears at this Williams wildlife park.
2. I Am Cornflower: The Story of a White Mountain Apache Girl by Cornflower and The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble are fascinating stories. Explore Native American ruins, such as Tuzigoot in Clarkdale, for a journey back in time.
3. In the Wild West, we love cowboy tales like Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo. For an authentic cowboy experience, head up to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, which offers free admission to children under 17. For a historical trip a little closer to home, take the Light Rail to the Wells Fargo History Museum in Downtown Phoenix, which offers free admission for all ages.
4. Ocean calling? Dive into Pool by Jihyeon Lee, The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan and Swimming, Swimming by Gary Clement, then experience the Sea Life Aquarium in Tempe or visit your nearest community pool.
5. A Walk in the Woods: Into the Field Guide by Emily Laber-Warren will fire up your little scouts for a trip to the forest. Pack a picnic, grab binoculars and travel to Payson or Prescott for the day.
6. Wind up your travels with a Diamondbacks game at Chase Field or a visit to a local batting cage. The books You Never Heard of Willie Mays?! by Jonah Winter and Terry Widener, and Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon are sure to be a hit!


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I mentioned in a recent post that over the last year I have tried various incarnations of the Bakewell tart. It started with me trying a recipe from Marsha's Baking Addition for Bakewell tart muffins. A delicious combination of light sponge with raspberry jam in the centre, topped with icing and cherry with a not too overpowering almond flavour. Not only did I enjoy these at home but we also sold them at Lynwood & Co for a period of time. Although they went down well with the customers, they were a bit of a faff to make on a regular basis, given the time restrictions in the kitchen.
I knew the Bakewell flavour was popular so my next incarnation of the Bakewell was a Bakewell traybake. I tried an Allrecipe recipe first but although the flavour was good, the rise was not as good as it could have been. If I recall correctly, the cake did not have enough flour/raising agent (sponge was made largely of ground almonds). I wanted to make a traybake with a shortcrust pastry base with jam, almond sponge and icing layers (topped with toasted almonds and glace cherries), so I found a similar recipe to the Allrecipe one but with more flour/raising agent from Marsha's Baking Addition. The result was excellent and the traybake was very well received at the cafe. So much so that after a few such traybakes at Lynwood & Co, it became so popular that I could not keep up with the bake and I had to go back to the drawing board again. It is not that a Bakewell traybake is difficult in itself, it is just that it is more difficult to make in large quantities i.e. a large single sheet of shortcrust pastry, which needs to be chilled, rolled, chilled, blind baked etc. before completing the rest of the bake. In a larger kitchen with more prep chefs, this would have been possible, but as the main prep chef at the time it proved quite difficult to do when I had the Lynwood signature bakes to complete as well.
I tried a couple of almond and cherry cakes after the Bakewell traybake and although they were still quite popular, they were never quite as delectable as the first two incarnations of the Bakewell.
My last attempt at Bakewell at Lynwood & Co was in March of this year, when I tried Bakewell biscuits. Although my bake resulted in the largest biscuits known to all people kind (okay, a hefty exaggeration) they were very delicious indeed. The only problem with the bake (and a significant one at that) was that they were not too popular with the customers. What we discovered through trial and error is that the preferred choice of biscuit at Lynwood & Co is the triple or quadruple chocolate cookie, which my colleague Shemaine first baked.
Not put off entirely, but possibly for some months, my next Bakewell attempt was in August of this year. Armed with a trusty BBC Good Food recipe, I made a cherry Bakewell cake. Two light sponge cakes, separated by a cherry jam layer, topped with icing, toasted flaked almonds and glace cherries. A culinary triumph even if I say so myself (so much so that the image of this bake adorns this post).
I am not sure if or when there will be another Bakewell bake, but given the evidence above I am sure that I will give the Bakewell another go in the not too distant future.


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When you look at the photo above, you see only a stunning image of three stealth fighters soaring in close formation.
What you are actually looking at, however, is the result of a "billion-dollar dance" directed by a talented US Navy camerawoman, who managed to pull off a perfect shot while puking her insides out.
The awesome power of the US military is on display daily in thousands of photos taken by expert photographers like US Navy Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe, who recently produced a collection of stunning photos of three F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters soaring over the Gulf of Mexico and Eglin Air Force Base.
It was a particularly memorable flight because it was the last time the three squadrons represented in the photographs would be together.
Renfroe talked to Business Insider about her photo shoots and the challenges of getting that perfect picture.
To get the photos of the F-35s, Renfroe strapped into a T-45 trainer jet, calling the shots while chasing the most expensive weapons in US military history.
Juggling an 8-pound Nikon D5 SLR camera with a 24-70 mm zoom lens, a touch of airsickness, and an inconvenient oxygen mask where the comms are located, she orchestrated the airshow, telling the T-45 pilot to relay key commands to the F-35 pilots.
"Can they get any closer?" Renfroe asked. "Can they each break left one at a time?"
Everyone involved had discussed the desired formations and maneuvers on the ground in a series of briefs, even going so far as to use toy models to play out the flight. "I wanted photos of them breaking away because I thought it would be kind of cool to have the three and have them one at a time breaking left so that I could get the undercarriage of the aircraft," Renfroe told Business Insider.
But when you are soaring through the air and the intense gravitational forces are making you rethink breakfast, things are not always that simple.
"Chief, is this where you want them?" the T-45 pilot asked over the comms.
At that moment, her stomach was rolling as they tore through the air at speeds in excess of 300 mph. (Though it's not something you notice, she said. Everything seems to slow down. Your body knows though.)
"Ummm, I'm still puking. One minute," she replied, realizing that there was no time for that. "Back to business ... I have photos to take," she thought to herself, a recent Facebook post on the experience indicated.
In November, Renfroe had climbed into an F/A-18 Super Hornet for a photo shoot. "When I was flying in the F-18, I asked the pilot if we could do some acrobatic moves. I wanted to see what that felt like," she told Business Insider. "That was intense. Once in a lifetime. We did a break wing left, break wing right, like what I took a picture of" with the F-35s.
"It is one thing to see it and photograph it," she said, but when you're in it, "it's this crazy, crippling, borderline painful experience."
That flight gave Renfroe a lot more respect for the fighter pilots.
"I don't know if it's something where if you do it every day, your body gets accustomed to it, but, I think just looking through the viewfinder and trying to focus on the imagery, and not being cognizant of the movements and the way fluids are rotating in your head, you get dizzy."
"You feel so much better after you get sick, though," she said.
Before she took to the skies, Renfroe was practically sewn into a gravitational suit. The fitting takes a few hours because they have to find one that fits perfectly. She also needed the vest that connects to the seat and the survival vest, as well as the helmet and harness. The latter piece has to fit exactly right, otherwise it could tear off limbs should she have to eject.
Everything she wears is meant to keep her safe and secure for the flight so she can focus on the task at hand.
In the air, there's no time for delay, Renfroe said, even if your body is trying to violently redirect your priorities and your attention to a zip-lock bag nearby.
"These moments are so quick. And there are always those moments where you put your camera down and then they do something really cool."
She got what she came for, though.
Renfroe described the recent photoshoot as "surreal," a mixture of shock and awe.
"One cool part is seeing the new technology and being so close to it," she said. "People keep hearing about these F-35s, but to be able to have a seat right next to it and be watching it in the air ... the whole experience is really neat."
The pilots are also "executing these cool maneuvers for the photos," she added, explaining that one of her fears was that something would go wrong since "they're not flying like they normally would." She said she crosses her fingers and says a little prayer each time.
She's been shooting for many years, but her nerves sometimes still get the best of her, keeping her up the night before hoping that everything goes right, she acknowledged.
The speed also made for an unreal experience, as she has done only a few fighter flights. Most of her aerial work has been from helicopters.
"Photography was my calling. I found it my senior year of high school in a photography class," Renfroe told Business Insider, explaining that she started with an old film camera her father gave her.
"I knew it was something I wanted to pursue, so I actually ran away to New York City and I thought it would be a possibility there," she said. It wasn't, but the Navy is where she turned her dreams into reality, discovering opportunities that most people simply will never have.
For example, she directed a photo shoot for the Rim of the Pacific exercises in 2014, guiding dozens of vessels, everything from carriers to destroyers, from multiple countries.
"They're in the Pacific, and I'm in the helicopter, and I'm telling each ship, each country where they need to be. That to me was wild," Renfroe said.
"Some people might think, 'Oh, you're just a photographer,' but there's a lot of weight in that," she told Business Insider. "I feel very grateful and know that it is unusual in that it just doesn't happen, you're not usually controlling monstrous machinery or 42 ships. It's a unique opportunity," especially for a woman in a field that is "definitely male dominated."
Renfroe joined the Navy almost 18 years ago, exploring photography in ways she hadn't previously. Aerial photography, however, was a more recent development.
"It's something I fell into in 2012 when I was with a combat camera unit in San Diego," she said.
To be an aerial photographer, she went through the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape program, as well as aircrew school, neither of which was easy. SERE is regarded as one of the US military's toughest courses.
"It was super cool, pushing your body and mind to limits," Renfroe told Business Insider. "I really wanted to do something challenging. I was 30 years old at the time. I just wanted to see if I could do it. I'm 36 now, and I'm still flying."
"I've always kind of wanted that challenge. I got lucky."
Check out some of Renfroe's other work here.


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Packers Daily Links: Donald Driver to Compete in DWTS Finals
Donald Driver avoided elimination for yet another week on Dancing With The Stars. That and more in today's Daily Links...
Packers wide receiver Donald Driver avoided elimination on Tuesday's semifinals episode of ABC's Dancing With The Stars, making sure he advanced to next week's finale. "Driver will face opera singer Katherine Jenkins and actor William Levy in the finals, with the winner to be crowned on May 22," writes Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. "The team's first open-to-the-media, open-to-the-public OTA practice is that day." Entertainment reporter Maria Menounos was voted off the show yesterday.
More on Donald Driver appears at Fox Sports Wisconsin.
Teammate Jordy Nelson spoke to the media on Tuesday lending his support for Donald Driver hoping he remains with the team for the 2012 season. Nelson made mention of the need for a veteran presence on the team and gave specific examples of two veterans that were released earlier this offseason. "I think he's important," Nelson said of Driver to Wes Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. "He's fun to be around. You build those relationships and you don't want them to end. We've already experienced two of them this year with Chad (Clifton) and Nick (Collins), and I think it would be tough to take a third." It's been speculated that the Packers may cut Driver to make room for younger receivers on the roster such as Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel.
More on Jordy Nelson's comments appear at ESPNWisconsin.com, the Door County Advocate and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Former Packers linebacker George Koonce appeared in the media on Tuesday when he publicized the contents of his recent doctoral thesis as he attends Marquette University. "Through my personal experience and the experiences of those whom I have interviewed for this study, I conclude that playing in the NFL is detrimental to one's life and well-being, especially for the players who are engulfed in the role of a professional athlete," Koonce is quoted as writing by Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com. The findings by Koonce are of particular interest because of the timing of his thesis, which has coincided with scrutiny on concussions of NFL players and its effects. The suicide of linebacker Junior Seau had a profound effect on Koonce. More from George Koonce appears at ESPN.com.
Recent progress on the new video boards being installed at Lambeau Field received attention on Tuesday. "Construction crews this week began installing video panels on the north end zone board and have about three weeks of work remaining," writes Richard Ryman of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Work on the south end zone board will follow. Both are scheduled to be operational for the Green Bay Packers shareholders' meeting on July 24." The new video boards will be the highlight of changes at the stadium in store for the 2012 season. The new south end zone seating won't be completed until 2013.
More on the new video boards at Lambeau Field appears at the Packers official website.
Safety Charlie Peprah told the media on Tuesday how he views himself as a starter at safety despite speculation Charles Woodson could move to the position or a rookie could take over. "As far as I'm concerned, I plan on it just because that's the way I view myself and my abilities," Peprah is quoted as saying by Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. Peprah spoke to the media as part of his role on this year's Packers Tailgate Tour, which began on Tuesday.
More on Charlie Peprah appears at PackersNews.com and Packer Report.
More about the Tailgate Tour departing from Green Bay appears at ESPNWisconsin.com and Packer Report.
The first stop on the annual Tour was at Omro High School. An account of the event comes from the Oshkosh Northwestern.
Current and former Packers players also visited the Tomah VA Medical Center during the first day of tour activities.
The culminating event on Tuesday was a stop in La Crosse where TV station WXOX interviewed Charlie Peprah.
The Packers announced their annual Family Night scrimmage will be held on Friday Aug. 3. Details come from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Packer Report, ESPNWisconsin.com, Press-Gazette and Fox Sports Wisconsin.
New center Jeff Saturday is featured in an article by Jason Wilde at ESPNWisconsin.com.
Head coach Mike McCarthy's offseason program is highlighted in an article by Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel.
First-round draft choice Nick Perry is featured in an article at Fox Sports Wisconsin.
The agent of new undrafted free agent signing Shea Allard, an offensive lineman from Delaware, spoke to South Coast Today.
Only a few spots remain at Clay Matthews' youth football camp.
Some award predictions are made by Andrew Garda at Bleacher Report.
Video: Fox 11 in Green Bay has more on the Packers Tailgate Tour...
Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email [email protected].


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power harrow, rated to 400 hp
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If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) more than once, you most likely consumed an alcoholic beverage and then drove a car. That is an error in judgment. You could kill or maim yourself, or someone's son, daughter, mother or father. Whether or not you believe you need intervention, get help!
You need to honestly ask yourself: "Do I have a drinking problem?" If, in fact, have a drinking problem, you need to get help in order to understand the problem of alcoholism. Obtain an alcohol evaluation, and attend Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meetings. You may or may not be an alcoholic, but everyone can benefit from the advice and insight available at a twelve-step group. Use this challenge as an opportunity to improve your life.
Consider the consequences of a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest. This arrest poses a major inconvenience in your life, and is expensive to handle in Court, whether or not you win the case. Then, consider the price of a taxicab. A taxicab is much cheaper.
For additional resources, please visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Or, call the toll-free hotline provided by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) for alcohol and drug information/treatment referral assistance: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)


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How Workplace Surveys Make Knowledge Workers More Productive
In knowledge work and in most service work, productivity improvement requires the elimination of whatever activities do not contribute to performance. Non-productive activities sidetrack and divert from performance.
Eliminating such work may be the single biggest step towards greater productivity in both knowledge and service work. Generally speaking, most problems can be converted into opportunities. That's the guiding principle underlying the proper use of employee surveys.
Examples abound. Peter Drucker tells how one survey achieved jaw-dropping gains in knowledge worker productivity in an article in the California Management Review.
He provided an excellent example of how nurses in a major hospital were asked these questions in an employee survey: What is your task? What should it be? What should you be expected to contribute? What hampers you in doing your task, and should these obstacles be eliminated?
According to Drucker:
"The nurses were sharply divided as to what their task was, with one group saying 'patient care' and another saying 'satisfying physicians.' However, they were in complete agreement on the things that made them unproductive.
They called them 'chores,' paperwork, arranging flowers, answering the phone calls of patients' relatives, answering the patient bells and so on. All—nearly all—of these could be turned over to a non-nurse floor clerk, paid a fraction of a nurse's pay.
When the nurses were freed of chores, their productivity nearly doubled, as measured by the time at the patients' bedsides. Further, patient satisfaction more than doubled and turnover of nurses (which had been catastrophically high) almost disappeared, all within four months."
Another Example and Its Lessons
In today's modern department store a great many controls are required. Each sale has to be recorded. There is need for information for inventory control, billing, credit, delivery and so on.
But Drucker reminded us:
"In far too many department stores the salesperson is supposed to provide all the control information. As a result, he/she has less and less time to do what he is paid for, that is, selling. Indeed, in some large American retail stores, over 50 percent of the salesperson's time is devoted to paperwork...with only one third left for selling.
The remedy is a simple one and works whenever tried. Once the salesperson has done his or her job, which is to serve the customer, the entire paperwork is turned over to a separate clerk who services a number of sales people and does the paperwork for them. The impact both on the ability of salespeople to have more time to sell and on their morale is astonishing."
Knowledge workers—engineers, project managers, sales representatives, call center managers, quality specialists and the like—must be continually surveyed if obstacles to their performance are to be identified and eliminated.
The result? The quality of service increases, individual and organizational productivity soars and employee retention increases.
The Power of Asking the Right Questions
Knowledge workers and service workers should always be asked: Is this work necessary to your main task? Does it contribute to your performance? Does it help you do your job?
If the answer is "no," according to Drucker, the procedure or operation must be a "chore" rather than "work." It should either be dropped altogether or engineered into a job of its own.
Improving the productivity of knowledge workers and service workers demands well-constructed, first-rate surveys and focus groups. It demands an understanding of the right questions to ask, a methodology for obtaining truthful (i.e., unbiased) answers and a command of simple statistical tools that enables collected data to be correctly analyzed and interpreted.
Learn how to get the truth out of employee surveys. Equally important, redesign the work process to maximize productivity. Once the "information" is obtained it must be acted upon, that is, converted into action. Otherwise it remains an exercise in expensive data collection.


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Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
Source: Netgalley and Harlequin Teen
Author's Website: http://www.juliekagawa.com/
My name is Meaghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
This time, there will be no turning back.
Once again, our favorite characters (except for poor Ironhorse) come calling in this fourth installment of The Iron Fey series. Meghan and Ash have left the Nevernever, banned from ever returning because of their declaration of love for each other. But, of course, they can't stay gone for long. They are inevitably drawn back into the world of Faery to help fight against the growing threat of the false Iron King and his army of Iron Fey.
I won't go into too much detail here, because pretty much anything will be a spoiler, but I really loved how Meghan stepped up into her roll in this book. She is finally tired of playing the damsel in distress and is ready to take matters into her own hands and learn how to defend herself, whether with Faery magic, or with a sword. I love reading about Meghan in this book. Where the other two books, I felt, left me thinking about Ash (or Puck), this one really left me thinking about Meghan, and how strong and independent she has become. My favorite scene was when Meghan learned how to fly. I won't explain what that means, but I could just picture the whole thing in my head, and I thought it seemed exhilarating!
The only bad thing about Meghan becoming such a strong, independent girl, was that I felt like Ash kind of stepped into the background too much. He just seemed to be following Meghan around all the time, not really doing or saying too much. Their relationship was still intense, and certainly kicked up a notch, but I missed Ash's normal strength. And, yes, even though I want my females to be strong, I still want them to be rescued sometimes, too :) So, I was SO VERY HAPPY to find out that Ash would be getting his own book! The epilogue gave a glimpse into what that book might be like, and I absolutely LOVED it (the epilogue)!
I also really loved Puck in this book. I thought that he seriously proved himself as a loyal friend to Meghan, and his lighthearted jokes and witty rhetoric were a perfect balance to the harshness of the war and the sacrificial choices that Meghan had to make! Of course, Grim was the adorably persnickety snark that seems to have captured the hearts of everyone who has read the books, but the most surprisingly lovable characters may just come as a shock to you. You'll just have to wait and see!
I think that this book ended on the biggest cliffhanger yet in the series, so I can not wait for The Iron Knight!


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Deafening your iPhone: Jailbreak apps
July 6, 2011
Ok, folks. As of right now, it's easy to jailbreak your phone. Just update to iOS 4.3.3 via iTunes then go to jailbreakme.com. Done? Good.
(Jailbreaking is reversible and basically legal. And what jailbreaking basically does is install an 'alternate' app store named Cydia that's full of thousands of apps, tweaks, and themes that Apple would not have approved.)
Here's a list of apps I bought and/or downloaded from the Cydia app that makes my iPhone 4 MUCH more deaf-friendly:
Vibrafications – set up custom vibrations for different actions (SMS versus mail versus Twitter / Facebook notifications). Vibrations can be of different patterns and lengths. You can even set up custom vibrations for different people!
3G Unrestrictor – make it possible to use FaceTime and several VRS apps over 3G, not just wifi. Came in handy when I needed to call AAA for service.
Notified Pro and Notification GriP – set up "quiet" notifications on the top or bottom of the screen and which does not interrupt your work or play. No more intrusive iPhone notifications in a box in the middle of your screen. So many freaking options to customize these whichever way you want!! A definite MUST-have for me. More on this on a later blog post. (EDIT: I use the PushMail app – from the regular app store – to send me push notifications whenever I get new email. Similarly, I use the free Boxcar app to send me Twitter notifications.)
LockInfo – extensively customize the lock screen to show a variety of information. I have this set to dim after 5 minutes and to display emails, SMS messages, and notifications. So that means I can just glance at my iPhone at least once every 5 minutes to see if I have new messages instead of having to frigging turn it on and checking different apps. LockInfo comes with numerous plug-ins as well to display even more info – calendar, Twitter, to-dos, etc.
BiteSMS – send and receive SMS messages in a small window on your screen from inside any app or the lockscreen. No need to switch to the Messaging app. Wish there was something like this for mail messages!
These are just a handful of handy jailbreak apps I use to make the iPhone a vastly better experience for me as a deaf person. I know – iOS 5, announced for release this fall – does nearly all these (except for BiteSMS). Where do you think Apple got its ideas?
In addition to these, I use quite a few more jailbreak apps to improve the overall experience, like SBsettings (quick access to common Settings), Snappy (quick photo-taking), MyWiFi (ahem, using my iPhone as a wifi router for laptops or iPads when on the road), InfiniDock (having more than just 4 apps on my dock bar), FolderCloser (close a folder upon launching an app), and many more.
Go forth and jailbreak!
Deafening Your iPhone: BuzzCards
March 20, 2011
Perhaps you're trying to keep track of those complicated coffee orders. Or you're trying to remember your kids' different Happy Meal preferences (seemingly depending on the time of the day or even the moon's stage). Or sometimes, like me, you just need to write down your order.
This is where the iPhone Sorenson BuzzCards app becomes really, really handy.
With this app, you can easily type and save your order. The words are easy for the cashier to read (even from the car in a drive-thru!), and the font size automatically increases or decreases to take up all available screen real estate.
You can give titles and even categories to your orders for later reuse. Easy to use the same orders over and over again (or even do minor tweaks each time):
You can even flirt from across the room using the BuzzCards app!
Oh yeah, it's hard to beat the price: free.
My only beef: Comic Sans font. C'mon, how can anyone take you seriously!?
UPDATE: Here's one for my favorite toy store.
DeafDC post: SLA, VLI, and GoAmerica Merging
July 2, 2008
Check out my recent DeafDC blog post with breaking news: SLA, VLI, and GoAmerica are merging.
Easiest way to subtitle and show your videos: Overstream + Google Video
September 17, 2007
(EDIT 8/28/2008: YouTube now supports the ability to import .srt and .sub files as well.)
Heads up: a new subtitled bonus video at the end of this blog post — this time, of my younger daughter walking for the first time!
Four months ago, I told you about Overstream, a website where you can easily add subtitles / captions to your videos. Several of you (including myself) mentioned that while this website was wonderful, there wasn't a way to move your captioned videos from one site to another.
I'm happy to tell you that Overstream now has made it easy to export your captions / subtitles to other video-hosting websites.
Max, the creator of Overstream, recently added a feature where you can save your subtitles as a ".srt" file. An SRT file pretty much just contains your subtitles and the times in hundreds of seconds that they are to appear (and then disappear) in your video. I believe SRT files are similar to what is being used by major television and movie producers, but I could be wrong. And I also believe this is similar to what rather complex subtitling computer programs create — like Subtitle Workshop and MAGpie.
Anyhow, on Overstream, after you're finished creating your subtitles, you can then click on "Tools" to see an option for exporting current subtitles as SRT. Click on that option, and then you'll get an option to save the subtitles as a file on your computer or copy all the subtitles (and time codes) to your clipboard. (Hey Max, yet another suggestion: can you add buttons to allow the user to move the current video frame back or fro a half second, a second, and five seconds? I found myself constantly re-positioning the arrow showing the current video frame.)
Last July, I told you how Google had added a feature where you can upload ".srt" files which is used to add captions / subtitles to videos. This is where you can import the SRT file you created with Overstream, or even paste the subtitles into a special text box.
And thus, I was able to easily subtitle my 21-second Google video of my younger daughter walking for the first time! Here's a quick step-by-step guide on how I did this:
- Upload my video to Google Video
- Go to Overstream.net and create a new Overstream (series of subtitles) using my new Google Video as the base video
- Export the subtitles (via the Tools button on the Overstream Subtitles editing screen) to a SRT file on my computer
- Go back to Google Video, and view my "Uploaded Videos"
- Click on the "Add" button next to "Captions / Subtitles" for that video
- Upload my SRT file to Google Video
- … and hey presto, the video is now subtitled!
A huge benefit of using Google Video and an uploaded SRT file is that the subtitles can be turned on or off (!!!) using the "CC" button at the bottom of the video screen. The subtitles appear just below the video itself. Doubling the size of the video or making it full-screen still makes the subtitles look sharp — the subtitles aren't stretched and distorted, but rather the font size is increased by Google Video. Very nice. When the video is embedded on another website, like what I'm doing below, the captions seem a bit small — but that seems to be a Google Video issue and not Overstream's.
The SRT export functionality brings the Overstream – Google Video duo to the top of my list of recommended sites to use to caption your video. Thanks, Max, for listening to us and adding this super-duper-terrific functionality! Makes me think — it's not easy for a sitemaster like Max to allow users who create media on his site to take this media elsewhere, so I really appreciate the new Export SRT file feature that Max added.
What's that? You want me to shut up now and show you the video? Ok, ok! Without further ado, here's the video of my younger daughter walking for the first time!
Sorenson Adds Call-Waiting
August 10, 2007
You're having fun vp'ing (videophone-ing) with your best buddy who lives across the country, and you talk for hours and hours. Then you hang up and find out that other friends (or, heaven forbid, your mother!) had been trying to vp you with important news. Hearing folks has had it easy for many years; with call-waiting, they can hear a beep on their phone when someone else's trying to call. We deafies hasn't had something similar.
Until now. Sorenson recently announced that they've added call-waiting functionality for users of its VP-200 videophones.
Now, for those lucky VP-200 users, when another call comes in while they're talking with someone, a visual notification will appear on the television screen. The user can then put the first caller on hold and talk with the new caller before returning to the first caller.
Ah, the freedom to be like one of those Mean Girls, constantly switching back and fro between callers and playing games with each other! I'm positively salivating at the prospect. Too bad I've still got a VP-100 videophone … Hey, Sorenson, can I have a VP-200 soon? Pretty please?
Spinvox + Skype = SMS Voicemail
August 3, 2007
The hugely popular Skype service has pretty much left the deaf community behind because, well, its primary service is low-cost or free voice communications over the Internet. Its video chat quality isn't up to par (at least when I tested it several months ago), and so I quickly stopped using Skype. But that hasn't stopped many hearies from signing up for Skype — and using its voice communication services (much like a telephone) over the Internet. Some cell phones are even beginning to allow Skype voice services whereever WiFi is available — saves a lot on caller minutes.
But now there's a reason for deaf folks to have a Skype account. Skype has paired up with Spinvox (which I briefly wrote about several months ago) to convert voicemail on Skype accounts to text messages (otherwise known as SMS) that can then be sent to any cellphone.
This could be an useful pairing for us deafies. If you've got hearing family members who use Skype for low-cost or free voice communications through the Internet, now they can call your Skype account and leave a voice message for you. The voice message will then be converted to text and sent to your Sidekick or Blackberry (or Treo if you're lucky and geeky enough to have one) as a SMS message.
If you do this, let us know in the comments what you think of this service.
(Thanks, Download Squad!)
New DeafDC Post: Surfing While Flying High
August 1, 2007
Check out my new DeafDC post about wifi Internet service coming soon to the friendly skies, courtesy of American Airlines. Can't wait!


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How many times have we recognized a painting almost immediately, but cannot quite recall the artist's name? If we do know the artist's name, how much do we actually know about him or her or their life? An artist's personal experiences and surroundings influence their work and specific style.
Therefore, I wanted to take a moment to really delve into the life of the current artist on display: Pierre Daura. The special exhibition, which runs until December 21, focuses on how Daura's family inspired his work throughout his career. Typically the lives of artists are quite fascinating and sometimes scandalous. It is history and facts that you can't make up. Daura is no exception. He had a life affected by the times and events happening around him.
Born Pedro Francisco Daura y Garcia in 1896, Pierre grew up in Barcelona, Spain. The name Pierre only came about when he moved to Paris in 1914 and was issued his French identity papers. He sold his first painting when he was only fourteen and worked with Emile Bernard, a French Post-Impressionist painter, after he moved to Paris. Unfortunately, in 1923, Pierre's left hand was badly injured and became useless after his scaffolding collapsed while working on a mural in Normandy. Tragedy struck again in 1927 when Daura's and Gustavo Cochet's batik material business burned down.
In 1929, Pierre helped organize a group of artists calling themselves Cercle et Carré, or Circle and Square. This group "promoted geometric construction and abstraction in opposition to Surrealism." They and their one exhibition in Paris were completely ignored by the French press in 1930. Individually though, Pierre had several exhibitions in both Spain and France from 1928 to 1935.
Soon after, he signed up to fight in the Spanish Civil War against the dictator Francisco Franco. Six months later, he was severely injured and sent back to France, and he refused to return to Spain causing him to lose his citizenship. The war also affected his viewpoint on life and things such as fame became of little importance.
Daura and his family left Europe in 1939 for Virginia, where his wife was from. He no longer sold his art in commercial galleries but from his home and academic venues. Daura created both abstract and representational sculptures and paintings throughout his life. He passed away in January 1976 and is buried in Virginia.
In his later years Daura said:
All I have ever wanted to do is to find a way to paint. I have painted. I have worked. I have given myself to my art. That is what I have wanted since my very early age…to be an artist, good or bad…that is what I am.
According to Lynchburg College, where Daura was once the chairman of the Art Department, "Pierre Daura's strength as an artist was that he understood, experimented with, and absorbed diverse influences, distilled from them what was significant to him, and developed his own distinctive way to paint."
- Davis, Virginia Irby. A Biography of Catalan-American Artist Pierre Daura 1896-1976. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd. 2001.
- Macià, Teresa. Pierre Daura (1896-1976). Barcelona: Àmbit Serveis Editorials, S. A., 1999.
- Pierre Daura Archive, Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia.
- Pierre Daura: His Life, Daura Gallery, Lynchburg College.


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Peshawar University's library hit by staff shortage
Anonymous Patron writes "Daily Times - Lahore,Pakistan
Reports Despite being lavishly funded and well equipped, the Peshawar University's (PU) central library is not serving the needs of students, owing to its poor management. The library's annual salary budget amounts to Rs 6 million and it also receives an annual Rs 200,000 for necessary library developmental and repair works. It has been provided with books and journals worth Rs 5 million this year alone, the PU treasurer told Daily Times.
The central library has purchased new books, especially books related to subjects taught at the various departments of the PU, and established a textbook section, the assistant librarian said."
Burning Libraries in Pakistan
The news article also says: "The library is expected to establish an American section in November, after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US consulate. The section will provide information about American Literature through DVDs, CDs, publication material and the Internet. The section will also organise educational workshops and seminars for the students of the university and provide free printing, photocopying and Internet facilities, library sources said."
What they don't mention in the article is that the American USIA library was sacked and burned by Pakistanis who were outraged that Shi'ite Moslems from Iran took over some holy sites in Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and shot up the local cops. So to protest Iranians shooting up Saudis, they burned the American library.
I hope this one has a better future, and isn't used once again to demonstrate anti-American hostility.


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Southern Africa:Faith Leaders: A Key Link to Successfully Tackling Malaria
[Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative] Malaria, both an ancient and modern scourge, claims a life every two minutes. It also knows no borders, which is a particular challenge in the highly affected countries of southern Africa. To realize the ambition of eliminating malaria, an innovative "no border" approach by committed faith leaders is producing results.
Related Links:
Condition: P. Falciparum Intervention: Other: No intervention Sponsor: Barcelona Institute for Global Health Completed
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov - Category: Research Source Type: clinical trials
Conditions: Vivax Malaria; Plasmodium Vivax; Malaria, Vivax; Malaria Relapse Interventions: Drug: Tafenoquine; Drug: Primaquine Sponsors: Menzies School of Health Research; University of Melbourne; National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Cambodia; Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit; Addis Ababa University; Ethiopian Public Health Institute; Universitas Sumate ra Utara Not yet recruiting
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov - Category: Research Source Type: clinical trials
[Concord] The Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with its partners including UNCEF, Global Fund and USAID, has distributed over four million mosquito nets in fourteen districts across the country.
(Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)) Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in the pathogenesis of malaria vivax, according to a study led by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the Germans Trias i Pujol Health Science Research Institute (IGTP). The findings, published in Nature Communications, indicate that EVs from P. vivax patients communicate with spleen fibroblasts promoting the adhesion of parasite-infected red blood cells. These data provide important insights into the pathology of vivax malaria.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Abstract Helminths, including cestodes, nematodes and trematodes, are a huge global health burden, infecting hundreds of millions of people. In many cases, existing drugs such as benzimidazoles, diethylcarbamazine, ivermectin and praziquantel are insufficiently efficacious, contraindicated in some populations, or at risk of the development of resistance, thereby impeding progress towards World Health Organization goals to control or eliminate these neglected tropical diseases. However, there has been limited recent progress in developing new drugs for these diseases due to lack of commercial attractiveness, leading to the ...
Source: Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry - Category: Chemistry Authors: Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry - Syndicated Feeds Tags: anthelmintic antiparasitic cestode nematode trematode Review Source Type: research
Sanofi Stops Enrolling COVID-19 Patients in Hydroxychloroquine Trials Sanofi Stops Enrolling COVID-19 Patients in Hydroxychloroquine Trials
Sanofi has temporarily stopped recruiting new COVID-19 patients for two clinical trials on hydroxychloroquine and will no longer supply the anti-malaria drug to treat COVID-19 until concerns about safety are cleared up, it said on Friday.Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines - Category: Intensive Care Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news
US Hospitals Slash Use of Drug Championed by Trump as Coronavirus Treatment US Hospitals Slash Use of Drug Championed by Trump as Coronavirus Treatment
US hospitals said they have pulled way back on the use of hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as a COVID-19 treatment, after several studies suggested it is not effective and may pose significant risks.Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines - Category: Intensive Care Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news
[Ghanaian Times] Wa -The AGA Mal-AngloGold Malaria Control Programme has provided a US$300,000 support package to the Upper West Region to help in the management of the Coronavirus (CODVID-19) pandemic.
To the Editor I was alarmed to read the recent JAMA Internal Medicine article by Bao et al suggesting that pyrethroid insecticide exposure is associated with a 3-fold increase in the risk of adult mortality from cardiovascular disease. The significance of this finding cannot be overstated, should it be replicated and shown to be true. The world relies heavily on pyrethroids for the control of vector-borne diseases, including malaria. Huge advances have been made over the past 20 years in malaria control —we have cut transmission by about half, primarily using pyrethroid-treated mosquito nets, and prevented millions o...
Source: JAMA Internal Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Source Type: research
IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 3923: How to Estimate Optimal Malaria Readiness Indicators at Health-District Level: Findings from the Burkina Faso Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) Data
This study provides an approach for estimating health district-level malaria readiness indicators from survey data designed to provide regionally representative estimates. A binomial-hierarchical Bayesian spatial prediction method was applied to Burkina Faso Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) survey data to provide estimates of essential equipment availability and readiness for malaria care. Predicted values of each indicator were adjusted by the type of health facility, location, and population density. Then, a health district composite readiness profile was built via hierarchical ascendant classificatio...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Rouamba Samadoulougou Compaor é Tinto Gaudart Kirakoya-Samadoulougou Tags: Article Source Type: research
More News: African Health | Infectious Diseases | Malaria


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How does war feel to those who report on it? In the documentary film "War feels like War," the filmmaker Esteban Uyarra portrays journalists who covered the war in Iraq without the cover of helmets, bullet-proof vests, or the American military
. The film will air on the BBC in coming months
Coverage of the war in Iraq was the largest media event the world has witnessed on the television screen – more than 3,000 international correspondents reported from the war zone. And the war took its toll on journalists: 14 reporters died in Iraq, and the human rights organization "Reporters without borders" has made the US army responsible for five additional deaths.
From another perspective
After the war in Iraq a few "embedded journalists" published books about their experiences, made the rounds on talk shows, and commanded a fair amount of media attention themselves, for example in Germany the correspondents Stefan Kloß and Ulrich Tilgner.
During the war new "experts" were born, some were stylized as heroes. In his documentary, British filmmaker Esteban Uyarra portrays the media workers who were not under the protection of the American army or reported from the safety of their hotel lobby, looking instead at journalists who were there more or less on their own with only each other for support. These journalists made up the majority of those reporting on the war.
In his documentary "War feels like War," Esteban Uyarra accompanied some of them over three months as they went about their work. On his own with a simple hand-held camera, he wanted to find out what it feels like when one enters the world of wartime media:
"At first I wanted to make a film about a hotel where journalists are staying in a crisis-ridden region. I got the idea from a book by a Spanish war reporter. I waited three years for the opportunity to arise. It happened with the Iraq conflict. But the problem was that it was forbidden to enter Iraq. So I first went to Kuwait City because someone told me that 3,000 journalists were waiting there for the American invasion," says Uyarra.
Hungry journalists waiting
The 60-minute documentary opens with the words: "Kuwait City: Over 3,000 journalists are hungry." "Hungry" meaning hungry for information, which was very scarce in the first weeks of the war in March and April of 2003. The journalists are visibly nervous, tension is in the air at the hotel. Uyarra's film portrays the daily life of the journalists without commentary, recording the mood among them and their heated discussions with military administrators, who were not forthcoming with information.
One reporter expressed the anger of the journalists when he shouted at a member of the American military, "We're supposed to film you delivering mail, but not the bombing of Baghdad!" Iraq in the spring of 2003: a diary of waiting. Then the action: The first visible light streaks of the bombs reach Kuwait City, sirens are heard, a chaotic rumble of camera people, photographers and journalists in the hotel's bomb shelter. By now at the latest, no one is willing to cover the American invasion from a distance anymore.
Surreal realities
Uyarra wanted to make a documentary, "but against my will it became an action film," says the filmmaker, who recently showed his unusual look back at the beginning of the Iraq war at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. As more and more journalists made their way illegally across the border toward Baghdad, Uyarra followed on the heels of his colleagues.
His camera records the conflicting moments of their media mission: the fears, but also the desire to get to Baghdad in order to finally know what is happening—although at this point no one really knows what awaits them. The journey into the unknown is not without its dangers: on the way to Baghdad their vehicles are stopped by Iraqi fighters, and at night they are exposed to combat. In a few scenes the camera cuts off in a wash of sand.
The spectator is brought uncannily close to the events, which, though real, seem surreal from this proximity. Uyarra says this was no place to give oneself over to fear: "I was occupied with my film because I never knew what was coming next. I filmed 15 hours a day and at night I slept with my camera."
Extended war zone
On the twentieth day of war, the 8th of April 2003, something happened which many had feared all along. An American tank grenade hit the Palestine Hotel where journalists were housed, killing two correspondents. Earlier another reporter had also died in Baghdad.
The news hits the journalists hard, and the mood strikes a new low. One reporter says, "I have not come here to die, but to report." Uyarra's film exposes the power of war to act on the mind. We see the personal changes among the journalists, for example the young photographer Stephanie, who is in a war zone for the first time, or even the experienced Polish radio journalist Jacek.
Profitable sensationalism vs. duty
"I think there are two types," says Uyarra, "People like Jacek and Stephanie, who would rather work independently and according to their own sense of responsibility, who strongly believe in what they are doing. And then there's the other side, the large media corporations and the American media, who, of course, have the money to equip their reporters and tech staff with drivers or translators."
The question arises as to one's own position in this situation: "Most of the journalists I met were ok. I had a lot of respect for what they did and how they did it. Above all for the photographers, because mostly they were completely on their own, unprotected and always in the midst of the action to get the shots. A reporter has more of a distance."
And respect goes to Esteban Uyarra himself, a young filmmaker who courageously documented what went on behind the scenes during the reporting on the war in Iraq. It is perhaps telling that the only group willing to insure him for his work was the organization "Reporters without Borders."
Petra Tabeling
© Qantara.de 2004
Translation from German: Christina M. White
"War feels like War," Director/Camera: Esteban Uyarra. Editing: Brian Tagg. Coordination: Sarah Brownrigg. In Focus Production/Uyarra Films 2003
More information on Uyarra's film can be found on the homepage of the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam.


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Osamu Kobayashi Completes Middle of Nowhere, Mural in Vista
July 28, 2017
The Congaree Vista Guild and One Columbia for Arts and History announce that Osamu Kobayashi has completed Middle of Nowhere, his vibrant mural on the East-facing wall at 808 Lady Street. The mural is the latest piece of permanent public art in the Vista and on the Lady Street corridor.
The Vista as we know it today, which is a South Carolina Arts Commission-designated South Carolina Cultural District, began when artists made their homes in the neighborhood several decades ago. Many of those same artists are still in the Vista, and as the district has grown to include Columbia's top hotels and more than 80 bars and restaurants, historic preservation and fostering a culture for the arts are ideas central to the Vista Guild's goals for growth. Middle of Nowhere is one of a handful of pieces of public art the Vista Guild has commissioned since 2013.
"As a leading hospitality district in Columbia, our permanent art pieces are giving the Vista and our historic properties even greater character, especially as the Lady Street corridor sees exciting development near the revamped Vista Greenway entrance," said Meredith Atkinson, executive director of the Vista Guild. "We are grateful to One Columbia for their partnership and guidance in seeing Kobayashi's mural come to fruition."
In partnership with the Vista Guild, One Columbia worked with Kobayashi to facilitate the piece and to help the artist scout appropriate locations in the Vista for the mural.
"Osamu is a rising star and his work is internationally recognized," said Lee Snelgrove, executive director of One Columbia for Arts and History. "We are privileged that he felt that he could make his art in his hometown in such a large and lasting way."
According to the artist, viewers who see Kobayashi's mural could interpret the piece as portraying the mountains on the left and the beach on the right edge with a sun in the middle of the painting. This interpretation captures the way the artist sees Columbia as a hub of radiating energy connecting different areas of our state.
"When I was approached by One Columbia and the Vista Guild to paint a mural, we strolled throughout The Vista for potential sites. The wall at 808 Lady Street immediately caught my interest. As a standalone wall, it had the powerful presence I wanted for my work," said Kobayashi. "The bright colors and bold shapes I would use would be intensified by the site, speaking to the liveliness of the area."
About the Artist:
Osamu Kobayashi (b. 1984, Columbia, SC) lives and works in Brooklyn, N.Y. He has exhibited widely in the United States and abroad, including solo exhibitions at Underdonk Gallery in Brooklyn, AplusB Contemporary Art in Italy, and the 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia. He has participated in group exhibitions at the Lissone Contemporary Art Museum, Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery at Stony Brook University, Bronx River Art Center, and the Columbia Museum of Art. In 2013, Kobayashi was awarded the Hassam, Speicher, Betts, and Symons Purchase Fund from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His work has been reviewed in The L Magazine, Artcritical, and Hyperallergic.
For more information about the Vista, please visit VistaColumbia.com or call Meredith Atkinson at (803) 269.5946. Follow the Vista Guild @VistaColumbiaSC on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.


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The Soul Collective
Join us in The Soul Collective — a tribe of like-hearted souls seeking enlightenment within the human experience. Our focus is of healing and rebirth that we may reorient ourselves as a vehicle for our collective evolution and return our compass to 'true north' — our soul's correlation with the universal energy that inhabits us all.
In this accelerated online series, we will use lecture, discussion, meditation, and the Toltec practice of Dreaming to realign our mind with our heart and soul, shifting our assemblage point from the Domesticated Mind to the Soul Mind; and together, we will practice accessing this clear channel as a source of healing thyself and creating a life of true fulfillment and love.


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We recently published a news item on the detrimental effects of daily commuting on well-being (International Therapist, Issue 108).
New research has revealed people who walk or cycle to work benefit from improved mental well-being, compared to those who travel by car.
Data on around 18,000 commuters across the UK from long-running studies (over 18 years) showed active travel improved concentration, decision making, enjoyment of normal daily activities, and reduced the feeling of being under constant strain. NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends schools, workplaces, local authorities and the NHS develop strategies to address safety concerns and make using these transport methods regularly easier.
Source: NICE
Image: Dollar Photo Club


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USN-1857-1: libxext vulnerability
5 June 2013
libxext vulnerability
A security issue affects these releases of Ubuntu and its derivatives:
- Ubuntu 13.04
- Ubuntu 12.10
- Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
- Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
Several security issues were fixed in libxext.
Software Description
- libxext - X11 miscellaneous extensions library
Ilja van Sprundel discovered multiple security issues in various X.org libraries and components. An attacker could use these issues to cause applications to crash, resulting in a denial of service, or possibly execute arbitrary code.
Update instructions
The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:
- Ubuntu 13.04
- libxext6 - 2:1.3.1-2ubuntu0.13.04.1
- Ubuntu 12.10
- libxext6 - 2:1.3.1-2ubuntu0.12.10.1
- Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
- libxext6 - 2:1.3.0-3ubuntu0.1
- Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
- libxext6 - 2:1.1.1-2ubuntu0.1
To update your system, please follow these instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/Upgrades.
After a standard system update you need to restart your session to make all the necessary changes.


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Royal Doulton Grand Soiree
Royal Doulton
Regular price
Grand Soiree is magnificent in an extravagantly flounced and multi-layered midnight blue ball gown with a bardot style neckline. Each layer of her swirling skirt is edged with ribbon and shimmering platinum decoration, whilst 14 crystals from Swarovski ®, three on the neckline and eleven on her dress, add further sparkling adornment to her gorgeous dress. Holding an elegant pale blue clutch bag and with a platinum necklace and earrings peeping through her waist length and elegantly coiffured dark hair, Grand Soiree is the dazzling star of the evening.


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This article was printed in
a Special Hemp Section of the Utne
Reader Magazine (Sept/Oct 2004). To
download a PDF copy (1.4mb), click
is Hip, Hot and Happening
So Why Are American Farmers Being
Left Out?
American farmers
are prohibited by law from growing a low-input,
sustainable crop common in Europe and Canada with
tremendous economic potential: industrial hemp.
Hemp cannot be commercially grown
in the United States because it is erroneously
confounded with marijuana. In fact, industrial
hemp and marijuana are different breeds of Cannabis
sativa, just as Chihuahuas and St. Bernards are
different breeds of Canis familiaris. Smoking
large amounts of hemp flowers can produce a headache
but not a high, or as Ruth Shamai of Ruth's Hemp
Foods says, "I've personally stood in a burning
field of hemp, and if you wanted a buzz you'd
have to drink a beer."
Most Western countries distinguish
industrial hemp from marijuana on the basis of
THC (the chief intoxicant in marijuana) content
and permit the growing of non-psychoactive low-THC
hemp for fiber and seed. Straightforward European
Union and Canadian regulations prevent attempts
to camouflage marijuana in hemp fields and limit
THC levels in hemp flowers to 0.2 percent and
0.3 percent, respectively; THC levels in marijuana
flowers are generally between 3 percent and 15
But the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) lumps low-THC hemp with marijuana.
As a result, although the United States permits
trade in nonviable hemp seed, oil, and fiber,
it is the only major industrialized nation that
prohibits the growing and processing of hemp.
It is time to clear up the misunderstanding,
change the law, and clear the way for ecologically
sustainable, economically viable opportunities
for American farmers and businesses.
Why Industrial Hemp?
Notoriety obscures the history and value of hemp.
Hemp has a long history in America, from the first
plantings in Jamestown, where growing hemp was
mandatory, to the hemp sails of 19th-century clipper
ships and the hemp canvas covers of pioneer wagons,
to World War II's massive "Hemp for Victory"
program. Hemp is a major part of humanity's agricultural
and commercial heritage, having been used extensively
for millennia in cultures around the world.
Hemp seed was known long ago
for its healthy protein and rich oil. The stalk's
outer fiber was used for clothing, canvas, and
rope, and textile rags were recycled into paper
pulp. The Declaration of Independence was drafted
on hemp paper, and the finest Bibles are still
printed on hemp-based paper. The woody core fiber
of hemp stalks was used for construction and fuel.
In the early 20th century, hemp-derived cellulose
was promoted as an affordable and renewable raw
material for plastics; Henry Ford even built a
prototype car from biocomposite materials, using
agricultural fiber such as hemp.
Beginning with the passage of
the "Marihuana Tax Act" of 1937 and
continuing after the World War II "Hemp for
Victory" program, misplaced fears that industrial
hemp is marijuana and harassment by law enforcement
discouraged farmers from growing hemp. The last
crop was grown in Wisconsin in 1958, and the Controlled
Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 formally prohibited
Today, driven by entrepreneurial
spirit and the desire to build a new industry
for a new age, hemp has reemerged. A diverse but
increasingly unified and politically influential
group of interests supports the commercial growing
of hemp, including farmers, businesses, nutritionists,
activists, and green consumers.
Hemp is not a panacea for the
world's social, economic, and environmental woes
— no single crop can do that. But with focused
and sustained research and development, hemp could
spur dramatic change. Renewable, fast-growing
hemp could allow major industries to reduce their
dependence on nonrenewable, fast-disappearing
resources and move toward sustainable production.
Hemp Textiles
Today's hemp-based fabrics are nothing like 18th-century
canvas sailcloth (canvas derives from the Latin
cannabis). Hemp fiber, blended with everything
from Tencel to organic cotton, can be used to
create textiles as different as terrycloth, flannel,
and luxurious satin brocades. Hemp fiber offers
greater durability and breathability than cotton,
which accounts for 25 percent of the pesticides
sprayed on the world's crops. Hemp-based textile
products on the market include apparel and accessories
such as T-shirts, pants, dresses, baby clothes,
bathrobes, and shoes; housewares such as blankets,
shower curtains, and rugs; and sundries such as
hammocks and pet supplies.
Technical Hemp Fiber
and Core Products
The most successful emerging industrial use of
hemp fiber is in the automobile industry. "Biocomposites"
of nonwoven hemp matting and polypropylene or
epoxy are pressed into parts such as door panels
and luggage racks, replacing heavier and less
safe fiberglass composites. European hemp fiber
made into biocomposites by Flexform in Indiana
has been used in more than a million cars and
trucks in North America. Automotive applications
alone are expected to push European hemp cultivation
to over 100,000 acres by 2010. Emerging technology
for injection molding of natural fibers is expected
to accelerate growth of this sector. Hemp fiber
is also used for insulation and horticultural
growth mats, and hemp core is used in animal bedding,
mortars, and horticultural mulch.
Hemp Paper
The low impact of the farming and processing of
hemp stalks and the high strength, length and
yield of the bast fibers make hemp, a traditional
source of high-strength specialty paper, a favorite
in today's ecologically aware market. Pulp made
from hemp's bast fiber is superior to short-fiber
wood, and is an ideal additive to strengthen recycled
post-consumer waste (PCW) pulp, thus expanding
PCW's use. Tough and durable, hemp content paper
can be finished to a smooth-surfaced sheet with
as good as or better print qualities than virgin
wood-based paper. The markets for hemp content
paper are growing, including not only high-quality
PCW printer paper, but also ecological product
packaging, brochures and promotional materials
for progressive businesses.
Hemp Biofuels
Ethanol — ethyl alcohol, currently produced
by fermenting cornstarch from kernels —
is gradually replacing toxic Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether (MTBE) in the United States as a high-octane,
pollution-reducing gasoline additive. As a source
for ethanol, corn kernels are economically viable
only because of high federal subsidies. In the
next two to five years, the energy-efficient production
of ethanol from cellulosic biomass such as wheat
and rice straw, hemp, flax, and corn stalks will
become commercially viable. This process also
generates much lower overall emissions of the
greenhouse gas CO2, and because most automobile
engines can run on 15:85 ethanol:gasoline blends
without modification, ethanol will help nations
worldwide meet their greenhouse gas reduction
goals. Hemp grown for both seed and biomass has
a stalk yield of up to 3.5 tons per acre, which
would make it an economical source of cellulose
for ethanol production. Farmers in the Midwest
could welcome hemp as a pofitable addition to
their marginally profitable soybean and corn rotations.
Hemp Foods
Increasingly found on store shelves, shelled hemp
seeds ("hemp nuts") and cold-pressed
oil have exceptional nutritional benefits and
rich flavor. They are used in salad dressings,
nutrition bars, flour, breads, cookies, granola,
meatless burgers, nut butter, protein powders,
chips, pasta, coffee blends and frozen desserts.
Virtually all hemp nut and oil in U.S. foods are
imported from Canada.
An impressive 33 percent of the
hemp nut is high-quality protein, providing all
essential amino acids in a reasonable balance,
making it an attractive component of a meat-free
diet. Hemp also contains significant amounts of
the vitamin E complex and trace minerals such
as magnesium, iron, and manganese.
But hemp seeds are valued primarily
for the exceptional fatty acid composition of
their oil, which makes up 30 percent of the whole
seed and 44 percent of the nut. Studies link many
common ailments to an imbalance and deficiency
of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the typical
Western diet: too much omega-6 and not enough
omega-3. Consuming sufficient omega-3 in the right
EFA ratio has impressive benefits, including:
reducing cholesterol, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis
and sudden cardiac death, reducing the need for
insulin among diabetics, decreasing the symptoms
of rheumatoid arthritis, promoting mood improvement
in bipolar disorders, and optimizing development
in infants.
Hemp oil contains the most EFAs
of any nut or seed oil, with the omega-3 and omega-6
EFAs occurring in the nutritionally optimal 1:3
ratio. As a bonus it offers the higher-potency
omega derivatives GLA and SDA. Fish and fish oils
are recommended because they provide the omega-3
derivatives SDA, DHA, and EPA. But concern over
the contamination of fish by mercury and other
environmental toxins has led the FDA to warn pregnant
women and nursing mothers to restrict their fish
intake. Hemp's omega profile means that using
hemp nut and oil as a staple food is a good alternative
to fish: One tablespoon of hemp oil in a shake,
salad, soup, or sauce provides 3 grams of omega-3,
more than the 2 grams per day recommended by the
U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Virtually all common vegetable
oils, such as soy, corn, sunflower, safflower
and olive oil offer a much less desirable omega
balance, i.e., not enough omega-3. Even walnuts,
touted in recent media due to the FDA's qualified
endorsement of their omega-3 health benefits,
contain significantly less omega-3 and in a lower
ratio to omega-6 than hemp seed. Of the commodity
vegetable oils, only flax seed contains more omega-3,
but flax does not have hemp's optimal EFA balance.
Because it is more easily digestible with a longer
shelf life and a nutty natural flavor, hemp nut
also offers a greater range of culinary options
than flax seeds.
Hemp Body Care Products
Hemp oil's high and balanced EFA content also
makes it an ideal ingredient in body care products.
The EFAs soothe and restore skin in salves and
creams and give excellent emolliency and smooth
after-feel to lotions, lip balms, conditioners,
shampoos, soaps, shaving products, and massage
oils. Recent Canadian research shows that hemp
oil has potential as a broad-spectrum ultraviolet
skin protector.
What Can I Do?
Here are two simple ways to help hemp blossom
in the marketplace: Buy hemp! Vote hemp!
Buy hemp! Hemp foods
and body care products are carried by large chains
such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's
and by thousands of smaller independent natural-food
chains, stores, and co-ops, and even by some mainstream
grocery stores. Outdoor retailers, ecological
specialty stores, and some department stores carry
hemp clothing. See the wide range of hemp products,
and their makers, listed in the Hemp Industries
Association's (HIA) Members Product Directory
at http://www.hempindustries.org.
Search for local retailers at http://www.hempstores.com.
Vote hemp! Be informed,
talk to your state and national representatives,
and tell your friends and family about the benefits
of hemp for a sustainable economy and healthy
environment. Fourteen states have passed legislation
supporting industrial hemp. What's the status
of your state? See http://www.votehemp.com/state_legis.html.
Activists are working to shift
federal regulation of industrial hemp back to
the Department of Agriculture and out of the hands
of the DEA. Donations to support this effort can
be made online at the Web site of Vote Hemp, the
industry's lobbying group, where you can also
find sample letters and easy ways to contact elected
officials; see http://www.votehemp.com.
TestPledge, DEA and the
Right to Eat Hemp Foods
Under the Hemp Industries Association's (HIA)
TestPledge program (see www.testpledge.com),
U.S. hemp food companies voluntarily observe trace
THC limits in hemp nut and oil. These conservative
limits protect consumers from workplace drug-testing
interference; they are based on a study, jointly
commissioned by a Canadian governmental program
and industry members, published in the Journal
of Analytical Toxicology (Nov./Dec. 2001).
Nonetheless, fueled by drug war
ideologues and hysteria, the DEA has attempted
to ban hemp foods. Hemp food manufacturers and
the HIA have won a series of legal battles, culminating
earlier this year in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals ruling that the DEA ignored Congress'
specific exclusion of hemp fiber, seed and oil
in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), exempting
them from the DEA's control. The court viewed
the trace amounts of THC in hemp seed as insignificant
and irrelevant, just like the trace opiates in
poppy seeds, which are similarly exempted from
the CSA and which the DEA hypocritically ignores.
Fighting the DEA's attempted
ban has cost hemp companies over $200,000, but
they are prepared to spend what it takes to fight
any further appeal to the Supreme Court. "The
public and the media should question the DEA's
waste of tax dollars in trying to crush the legitimate
hemp food industry," says Eric Steenstra,
president of the hemp industry's lobbying organization,
Vote Hemp. "A Bush administration appeal
will fail and only further embarrass the DEA.
Appealing the decision is a last-ditch effort
to save face at the expense of taxpayers and limited
law enforcement resources." Visit www.votehemp.com
for up-to-date information.
Bulk orders for events
are also available for a donation to cover shipping
and handling from our Merchandise