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Like kids heading back to school, landscape designers and garden enthusiasts dearly look forward to The New York Botanical Garden's (NYBG) annual autumn, three-part Landscape Design Portfolio Series.
The venue was new this year: The Asia Society. This is a much better locale: good theater seats, convenient to get to and good viewing from every spot -- unlike past rooms where often far too hot with overcrowding, chairs that went bump and not enough seating for the SRO crowd.
NYBG's Landscape Design Coordinator, Susan Cohen, an award-winning Connecticut landscape architect and lauded for her work producing the Landscape Design Portfolio series, told me after the lecture that the series has always had an international theme. I hadn't noticed till now. Susan said this lecture was two years in the making. Just that day, she and Yu flew back to New York from the ASLA conference held in Phoenix.
This year there is a Chinese, Japanese and Canadian are the award-winning designers who will present their work, focusing on "sustainable design and aesthetic innovation."
First up in the series was Kongjian Yu, Chinese landscape architect and educator, founder and dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University and founder and president of Turenscape, one of the first and largest private architecture firms in China. He recently won the ASLA's Excellence Award for his work at Qunli Stormwater Park. He also has recently just published his monograph, Designed Ecologies, the Landscape Architecture of Konigjian Yu.
So Yu clearly has the street cred. Literally.
Yu demonstrated how he took what he described as "dirty" areas and "through landscape architecture, made it beautiful."
Yu is made for lectures and presentations: he possesses a tall, commanding presence and a compelling passion for his art, dusted with an endearing sense of humor.
More than a few times, he characterized his designs as "Messy" because he uses lots of ornamental grasses, a la the Midwest prairie grasses or Piet Oldief.
By the end of the lecture, Yu had the audience, laughing along with him, each time he chanted the "Messy" attribute. Yu seemed delighted with the charm of Messy, saying Conde Nast Magazine on 2008 described one of his design creations as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. And Messy!
He had the audience loving his work and his design stories.
While there was no mention of how Yu secures his public commissions – in a country that spends 9% of GDP on infrastructure, drinking even a few drops from this spigot can be lucrative and ….
Through images and remarks, Yu described how he and his firm could take a blighted, dirty area, and within a few months, transform the spot into an urban park, enjoyed by its citizens. And in China, that means A LOT of people. Yu cited that more than 200,000 in just the first month!
There seems to be a certain theme and style in Yu's designs:
· They follow the contours of the landscape,
· Refrain from cutting trees,
· Cut and fill landscape
· Skywalks and boardwalks,
· Use of low maintenance plants, and a sense of child-like wonder and joy, bound with a grown-up embrace of the romance.
He showed his gardens with kids jumping on walls, people taking a nap in the park, and a couple stealing a kiss on a starlight night.
"You don't have to change everything," Yu said, "Just what is needed."
Just help nature do its work." He added, "Simple" to emphasize the Zen of his work.
But the parks do look like they've always been there, courtesy of Mother Nature.
A hallmark of Yu's design and one that makes him a pioneer is his ability to use rainwater.
Not only
Uses diff pH values to introduce a variety of flora and fauna species.
Moreover, landscape design can artfully create urban solutions to flooding and drought.
He recounted how in 1977 so many citizens had died in urban floods. "It was on CNN," he noted. "People were dead in the streets!"
China recognized it needed a "Green Infrastructure."
"The landscape can be used as a 'sponge' to transform the park through use of walls and plants and a series of interconnected and spiderlike skywalks above."
Using a "cut and fill" technique, he creates boardwalk networks and then "just" plants the periphery, using the water as a filtration system. The parks can then generate clean water that is enjoyed by the people. The ponds are filtering the water and introduce new ecosystems. And at very little cost, according to Yu.
"It is a city AND nature," Yu points out. "Like Central Park, but low maintenance," he adds.
This is surely a model for the other cities.
Yu explains that 75% of their water system was polluted. And they simply couldn't afford to fix it.
But landscape concepts and engineered design can play a huge role in remedying the problem./issue.
"I learned from the farmer," Yu explains while showing images of crops and botanical gardens that are nutrient-rich in a planned landscape.
"We can use different nutrients to get the oxygen into the water and create a cascade wall of aerated water, for example." We can create a 300 meter aqueduct wall to generate 2,400 tons of water so that 5,000 people can use the water – even to shower using clean water."
I daresay the thought bubbles of the audience were trying to visualize New Yorkers bathing in a park's waterfall…
In any event, he has created an eco-friendly waterfront.
"Seventeen new species of fauna have come to the waterfront in just one year," Yu cheerfully and proudly claims.
He also claims they are just helping nature do her thing.
They capture rainwater and storm water --design the parks and gardens -- and in one to two years, they have transformed the urban space to one of utility and beauty; at low cost.
Yu went on to describe a landscape in Guizhou in the Yunan province where by following an ecological strategy using wetlands to purify the water and his sky bridges, he created a green infrastructure, saving the government billions.
Having been to the gardens in Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing, and having witnessed this incredible patchwork of storm drain deserts; Yu's solutions seem sylvan and doable.
Further, I hope his urban works preserve many of China's heritage neighborhoods. We stayed in the fascinating, charming hutongs, and I hope the ancient ways of water and land use remain so. Too many of them have been ripped up for the people or the Olympics…
One Can Make A Difference
Finally, he showed his own apartment as a template for sustainable, green infrastructure.
In a country where scale is sometimes unfathomable and dense, it was easy to recognize the progress to see how just one family can make a difference and achieve success.
Yu described how his family collects storm water and produces 60 pounds of vegetables using the collected water.
"We have been living well, testing the systems for three years," said Yu. "Using nature, we didn't even need air conditioning," he added, noting how humid and hot it is in Beijing.
His apartment is a learning center of sorts.
His spatial strategy provides free service and can solve almost all the big problems
"Small solutions to big problems," he repeated with conviction throughout the talk.
"We need a new aesthetic," commanded.
"Performance Landscape" that is today!
He concluded how it might be possible to repurpose buildings.
He showed several iconic Chinese architecture in new ways, drawing laughs and encouragement. For example, the Birds Nest, designed for the Olympics, can become a farmer's market!
Tiananmen Square can be a farm, he implored! Make it beautiful not useless.
Following Yu's talk, Gregory Long, NYBG president praised Yu as a good leader. Long thanked the guests, encouraging the audience to get his book that was just shipped. "Only NYBG has the book," he added, no doubt spurring the frenzied book buy after the lecture.


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Lumify Video Editor App for Quick Videos on the Go
Want to edit video on the fly? Want to get a video sped up for that short 15 seconds on Instagram? Want to splice together multiple clips quickly to load to Facebook? I've found a great app for you. Lumify Video Editor is a great solution I stumbled upon looking for a way to speed up some video clips to a short 15 seconds for Instagram.
Let's start editing a movie.
Quickly select video clips from your iOS device to start building your movie from various scenes.
Edit the various clips
- Adjust the scene audio volume or add scene music
- Adjust the video playback speed (slower or up to 2 times faster) I wish you could speed up even more
- Add special effect to just this scene: Zoom Finish, Slo-mo Finish, Stop Motion
- Play a scene backwards
- Trim scene with automatic trimming
- Zoom and highlight specific areas
- Apply filters
You are able to apply these various setting to each of the scenes you imported. Now it's time to make finish your movie.
Choose transitions between scenes: Auto, Fade, Cut, Blackout
Choose various music setting for the entire movie, not just a single clip.
- Background music from a short list available or import from your iTunes
- Overall music volume
- Select music start and stop points
- Music video mode will allow Lumify to repeat certain scenes
Add audio such as narrations or sound effects
Choose filters for the entire movie: Sunset, Cinematic, Studio, Lumicolor, 1970's, X-Pro, Postcard, B&W, 1900's, Documentary, Litho, Red, Alien, and Grunge.
Add environmental effects such as snow, rain, & hearts.
Save the video to your camera roll, save as square for Instagram, or upload to YouTube in seconds.
Example of a finished product:

subset: commoncrawl


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Student Advice Blogs
Student Money Saver provides advice on how to manage your student finance, by providing the best.. student offers and student discounts in the UK! Our blog is the only student guide you need!
Owner: Ivor_Stankov
Listed in: Academics
Other Tags: Student Offers, Student Discounts, Student Life, Student Recipes
Provides students with a range of resources and articles from how to survive your first weeks at.. university to surviving in the UK as an International student. There's something for everyone.
Owner: advicefo
Listed in: Academics
Other Tags: education uk, international students, study in the uk, student events


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Don't be too quick to cut carbs out of your diet – your body uses them as the main source of energy. If you're carefully monitoring all of the macronutrients in your diet, broccoli will fall under the carbohydrate category. Sure, broccoli has a trace amount of fat and even a few grams of protein, but the majority of the calories come from carbohydrates.
Macronutrient Breakdown
One cup of steamed broccoli gives you a minimal 55 calories. Eighty percent of the calories in broccoli come from carbohydrates, while the remaining amount stems primarily from protein. That heaping 1-cup side of broccoli provides about 11 grams of carbohydrates, around 3 grams of protein and a miniscule amount of fat.
Carbs in the Diet
Because carbohydrates are your body's preferred source of energy, a big chunk of your calories needs to come from them. Somewhere between 45 and 65 percent of your overall calories for the day should ideally come from carbs, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states. This means that if 1,600 calories per day is average for you, you'll need 720 to 1,040 calories from carbohydrates. Since carbs have 4 calories per gram, this amounts to 180 to 260 grams of carbs. Your 1-cup side of steamed broccoli only takes up 4 to 6 percent of your daily carbohydrate allowance, based on 1,600 calories.
Low-Carb Toppings
If you're carefully keeping tabs on all the carbohydrates in your diet, you'll want to opt for low-carb toppings for your favorite green veggie. Vegetable oil-based margarine is carb-free, but if you prefer a butter-margarine blend spread, you'll wind up with 0.1 grams of carbohydrates. Olive oil is a healthier alternative to butter blends that is full of heart-friendly fats. You'll get the flavor you crave, without adding any carbohydrates. Garlic adds even more flavor to broccoli. One minced clove of garlic contains 1 gram of carbohydrates, while the powdered variety has 2 grams of carbs in a teaspoon. Black pepper, chili powder and paprika are other low-carb toppings that each have 1.5 grams of carbs or less per teaspoon.
The Fiber Bonus
Broccoli also has another type of carbohydrate that doesn't add any calories to your diet: Fiber. Even though fiber doesn't give you energy, your body needs it each day for basic digestive processes. For every 1,000 calories in your diet, you should be getting 14 grams of fiber, reports the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For example, based on 1,600 calories per day, you'll need 22.5 grams of fiber. That same 1-cup portion of cooked broccoli has more than 5 grams of fiber – roughly 23 percent of your fiber needs for the entire day.
Video of the Day
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Broccoli, Cooked, Boiled, Drained, Without Salt
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Carbohydrate, by Difference (g) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, Sorted by Nutrient Content
Photo Credits
- Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images


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Demi Lovato & Wilmer Valderrama Show Sexy PDA On Disneyland Date
Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama were seen at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on Aug. 25. They enjoyed a good amount of turkey legs and PDA, as they celebrated Demi's birthday, a source tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively!
Demi Lovato recently turned 21, so she decided to hit up Disneyland with friends and her on-again/off-again boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama. HollywoodLife.com has learned that Demi had a blast with Wilmer by her side — they were often seen holding hands and hugging throughout their time at the resort.
Demi Lovato & Wilmer Valderrama Disneyland Date Details — Sexy PDA
When most people were concerned with watching the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 25, Demi decided to have fun in Disneyland instead. And it sounds like the singer had a blast as a source close to the X Factor judge tells us EXCLUSIVELY:
It was a late birthday celebration when she went to Disney with Wilmer and friends. She has been traveling and working on her X Factor duties and this was one of the few days she has free, so she decided to see people she hasn't seen in a bit and hang out with Wilmer. She wanted to go to Disney and enjoy the rides and just have a fun birthday with people she was unable to hang out with when she was in Africa [during her actual birthday].
And as for what they did while they were there, Demi and her friends seemed to get into the same fun most people get into as they enjoyed the park. Our source said:
They did everything you can do at Disney — they enjoyed the parades and they spent a majority of their time in Cars Land and the Tower of Terror areas, which they were really happy with. It was a nice and enjoyable day out. A lot of laughs and a lot of fun were had. It was a good birthday.
Demi also left room to share some PDA with Wilmer, 33, as we're told, "They were holding hands and hugging throughout the day, they are very cute together."
So sweet!
We're glad to see that Demi had such a great birthday and it looks like she's in such a happy place professionally and personally. We only encourage that to continue because we love Demi!
WATCH: Demi Lovato Talks Defeating Bullies and X Factor!
— Russ Weakland
More Wilmer Valderrama & Demi Lovato News:
- Wilmer Valderrama Tweets Romantic Birthday Message To Demi Lovato
- Demi Lovato's Dad Dies: How Wilmer Valderrama Has Been Her Rock
- Wilmer Valderrama Parties With Sexy Blondes — Dissing Demi Lovato?


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On the road again October 29, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in branding, intent, marketing, philosophy, work/life.
Tags: Amazon Kindle, British GQ, Heidi Klum, Jack Kerouac, Lynne Truss, Mark Earls, Public transport
3 comments
I have had Jack Kerouac's On The Road given to me a gift to keep at least three times. I imagine some combination of traits my friends spotted in me (wannabe-philosopher mixed with restless-and-easily-distracted) focused their attention on this book. When people visit, they remark on the copies that line my shelf:
"You liked it enough to buy it twice?"
"No. I ignored it long enough to be given another."
This is not about that book though. This is about perception (and a little intent).
Your friend and mine Mark Earls referenced a piece from Lynne Truss in the UK's Sunday Times in which she states:
…I like to see what other people are reading on the bus or the train; how far they've got; whether they're enjoying it. It seems to me that such information needs to be public for the good of us all and I'm sad to think of reading in public places ultimately becoming so private…
Lynne was lamenting the arrival of E-Readers and the disappearance of actual book and magazine covers from the parks and cafes and public transport systems of the world, along with the loss of a shared look or a fleeting conversation about the work at hand.
Lynne Truss' worry stems from the removal of social identifiers in public spaces; it seems we don't just judge a book by its cover, but the reader as well. I smile whenever I see another grown-up reading Harry Potter in public, because I remember being consumed by those books and also embarrassed to have them out in public without an 8 year old in sight. We use these things (and clothes, iPods, cars and holidays) to signal via the perceptions we assume others will have. My intent given my office wardrobe today of boho-cardigan and falling apart at the seams (but limited edition John Varvatos-collaboration) Converse sneakers, is to signal something true about myself; unfortunately that truth is little more than the clothing equivalent of the never opened copies of Kerouac's masterpiece, or as I wrote in Everyone 2.0, you're unique.
Just like everyone else.
I have friends (they shall remain nameless because I love them dearly) who have taken great pleasure in displaying tomes they have conquered in the name of enlightenment. These friends drew more pleasure from others seeing they had read (or at least bought) the appropriate books than perhaps they did from the work itself. On The Road is a book a selection of my friends feel I am supposed to have read, and as anyone who knows me will tell you, something someone says I am supposed to do instantly defaults to the thing I am least likely to do. Their intent is to help me appear a culturally astute and well-rounded individual; my intent is the equally pretentious attempt to thumb my nose at convention simply for the sake of it.
Now, my favourite magazine is British GQ as its collection of columnists is a veritable who's who of the UK's newspapers. They are regularly funny and insightful and it pains me when the publisher stoops to putting a scantily clad woman on the front cover, partly because the writing is better than that suggests but also because I then feel the need to explain to others, much as the joke about Playboy goes, "I read it for the articles." Perception reveals, or so we would assume, intent. Perception is also said to be reality, and so given the option of tangling with the looks I imagine women might give me on the subway in the mornings, I opt for Wired and instead leave Heidi Klum in her various states of undress on my coffee table for next Sunday (sorry dear, you know how it is).
Back to the Kindle, on one hand I like where we're heading as I could potentially just read A.A. Gill's column without wondering if someone's nipple is slipping out on the other side for the rest of the train to see.
On the other hand I'm envisioning a birthday not too long from now, where a gift arrives as a download along with a note "Didn't see it in your "Read Items" list on Amazon and thought to myself David is supposed to have read books like this!!"
The identifiers are perhaps moving out of the physical world in some ways, I doubt however this will have much impact on the intentions we have for everyone else's lives.
And the world seems to disappear August 18, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in advertising, marketing, storytelling, strategy, technology.
Tags: Clay Shirky, Fred Wilson, Johnny Walker, Robert Carlyle, TED, Television, vimeo
2 comments
So I was watching Curious Films' Best Ads on TV vodcast this morning, the latest installment of which has a cracking Johnny Walker ad in it featuring Robert Carlyle. It's below, enjoy.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
So as I was watching this I got thinking about the length of this "commercial". It may get a few runs on TV in its entirety, may get a few more in cinemas, but will most likely find its life, if it is to have one, online. So, that takes us quickly to a place where it isn't a TV spot, it isn't anything other than video which will be consumed in various places and fashions.
We're seeing the destruction of industries built to sell physical things in large quantities. Text, pictures and sound are things that will shortly exist almost exclusively in bits, not atoms. Fred Wilson talks about the destruction of industries that are "end-to-end digital". We're seeing in the music industry, in publishing, in television, in marketing, in R&D and we're going to start seeing it in a bunch of other industries that perhaps aren't as innately adaptable to being entirely digital, but you can bet that the parts that are will follow swiftly.
Clay Shirky said in a recent TED talk that advances "don't become socially interesting until they come technologically boring", and we're almost there. When everything is delivered via what we used to differentiate as "the Internet", the medium may infact cease to be the message.
That strikes me as, social or not, very, very interesting.
It's all about them words June 25, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in advertising, business strategy, marketing.
Tags: advertising, Google, Search engine optimization, Yellow Pages
2 comments
A few years back I did a consulting gig on a print directory service everyone is familiar with. The project looked at how digital media was changing the landscape they existed in and they were interested in finding out how they could continue to be profitable while these changes happened. In the end the recommendation was to ensure migration from the offline service to the online one, and involved a strategy for doing so. Having delivered the final report however, the response came back stating their print directory represented X-million dollars of revenue so they expected it to still be a thriving business in years to come, regardless of what we had to say.
No prizes for guessing how that turned out.
I was reminded of this when I got home one day last week to see the below in the lobby of the building I'm living in at the moment.
Now, Yellow Pages wasn't the company so desperate to display their desire to stick their head into the sand, however they must, at some point, have had someone have a similar conversation with them. Three years ago when I was doing that project I stood in the middle of my agency and asked the entire office who had used a print directory in the last 6 months. Unless I was willing to accept "door stop" as an appropriate use, I had nothing.
It used to be if you weren't in the Yellow Pages you didn't have a business. Now it's a matter of being on Google's pages, and you best make sure its the first one. If I was advising a company still advertising in the Yellow Pages, I would tell them to take that spend and invest it in SEO, optimising its site for core competancies and locality.
Understand I don't think it is a good thing that a once proud business is dying, but few things are more Darwinian than business itself; ignorance should not be rewarded, nor should an inability or unwillingness to change with the times.
And we definitely shouldn't invest in delaying the inevitable.
All I wanna do is to thank you June 16, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in branding, business strategy, conversation, marketing.
Tags: Balzac's, coffee, customer service, Facebook, Starbucks, Wired Magazine
3 comments
Readers who recall my 5 step marketing mantra will remember point 5 stated the most remarkable thing you can have is exceptional customer service. We're sadly still in a place where a number of organisations don't get this, due in large part to the customer service departments being seen as a necessary evil, a cost of doing business. As a result, the people staffing these roles are not empowered to simply solve problems and instead are hamstrung by rules designed to elicit the bare minimum of support; enough to keep the customers at the table but not nearly enough to actually make them happy to be there.
The contrast between the great and the not so great was rammed home for me recently thanks to a lousy experience with one of the world's largest magazine publishers and one of the world's smallest cafes. Those who know me know my love for coffee is wholly unbridled, bordering on obsessive. They will also know the outright contempt I hold for the Starbucks of the world, suffice to say North America is not David-friendly when it comes to my dark master.
Thankfully here in Toronto I have found Balzac's, an independent coffee house which roasts its own beans and makes, quite simply, the best coffee I've had here so far. Having fallen in love with the store-bought goods I began ordering online, and when the first batch showed up, I was greeted with a hand-written card, offering up a 15% off code for my next order and a note about their Facebook application.
Let's review that people:
- I already love the product
- They're making it cheaper for me to get
- AND they're offering me another way to interact with their brand.
Contrast this with Conde Nast, who told me, when my issue of Wired failed to appear (while my co-workers waltzed around with their's) that I needed to wait 2 weeks before they could fulfill a missing order. Having waited patiently, I contacted them at the appropriate time to be told:
We are sorry to inform you that the issue you requested is no longer available.
To be fair, they then told me my subscription would be extended by an issue, but this is not the point. I understand magazines are having a hard time of it lately.
Can I suggest though the ways to innovate in your business model are not to deprive people of the thing they desire in the interests of saving a couple dollars.
Treetop Barbie March 5, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in branding, marketing, philosophy, politics, work/life.
1 comment so far
On the subway this morning I was watching the below TED talk by Nalini Nadkarni on her work as an ecologist, studying life in the canopies of rainforests. It's a great talk which i recommend you check out, my favourite part though was her institution's appropriation of every girl's favourite doll, Barbie.
They buy them from thrift stores and other cheap outlets then hand-sew costumes for them and send them out. They're also available for purchase which makes me wish I had cousins who were young enough to get one for!
A few thoughts:
- I love the appropriation of a classic symbol, recast with new meaning in this day and age
- Is this brand-jacking? Maybe, but not in a way that casts the original in a bad light
- If I were Mattel I would be all over this. Nalini's group send a booklet out with each Barbie on the work they do, Mattel could release a whole line of eco-warrior Barbie, created entirely from renewable materials in a series of different guises. Sea-Rescue Barbie, Treetop Barbie…Ivory Coast Barbie? (ouch!)
I'm wondering about other campaigns, brands, products, services, whatever. Major symbols like Barbie that can be given new purpose in an eco-aware age. There's a lot of chatter right now on how green issues will be cast aside as people just try to hang on to their homes, I'm hoping initiatives like this might manage to keep it front of mind for people.
This post is also a special dedicatuion to Alex White, one of my best friends and a tireless eco-warrior himself. He gets married to an extraodinary woman (hi Fern!) tomorrow, a wedding I am sadly not in Australia for. Mate, I love you to absolute pieces and am sorry I can't be there to share your special day. I cannot wait to hear about it, watch the videos and catch up when I'm back home at the end of the year.
Marketing quote of the day February 27, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in marketing, technology, web 2.0.
4 comments
Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. – Chief Seattle, Amerindian. pg. 10 – The Art of Looking Sideways, Alan Fletcher.
There's always so much written about how social norms can go out the window when the anonymity of the web or even the simple removal of a human face takes over. I believe it's a temporary state though, and as much as I am loathe to admit it, I think the rise of Facebook has done more to bring about social change over the web than any other service, placing a premium back on the connections we really do have, versus say MySpace, Friendster, or whatever came before which was mass convergency at the expense of intimacy.
Of course lots of people still choose to use Facebook in that manner, personally I like to keep things a little more closed. But I think we're just about past the idea that what is appropriate social behaviour somehow differs face to face versus online. What we do to the web – or on it – we do to ourselves, and when we reduce the connections we have down to a series of contact details and earning potential, we get nothing more than that in return.
Do you see what I see? January 20, 2009Posted by David Gillespie in marketing, philosophy.
5 comments
As I walked through snow to Union Station yesterday, counting the number of beaches I used to live near that I'm not currently spending time on, it occurred to me that marketing is so often just a matter of perspective. We say and do things in order to alter someone else's perspective. To manipulate, maybe, but there's a point of view people attempt to get across; the more successfully you alter someone's perspective, the more compelling your message is going to be.
My friend Michael has a fun twist on this, he calls it CVS2BVS – Current View of the Situation to a Better View of the Situation. CVSBVS (everybody now…), CVS2BVS. Once you move to from the current view of the situation to the better view of the situation, the improved position becomes the current one, and you're free to figure out what the even better vantage point to be in is.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. Once he has achieved the BVS, he can never go back to the previous CVS. Once perspective is altered, it is permanent.
I was thinking about all of this as I walked through the snow, aware of how warm I actually found it. And I smiled as I realised that less than a month ago I could not conceive of hearing it was -5 degrees, and be glad it had actually warmed up.
It is, after all, simply a matter of perspective.
Social capitalism December 6, 2008Posted by David Gillespie in advertising, marketing, work/life.
Tags: 15 Below Project, Art, Art Basel, Dave Eggers, Firefox, Miami Art Basel, NASA, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, TAXI (agency)
1 comment so far
I have an obscene habit of opening tab after tab after endless tab until Firefox starts to resemble an attempt to learn about everything there ever was to know. People spend their time playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, I can get you from Miami Art Basel to Dave Eggers talking about after-school-learning projects (watch that by the way, it is amazing) to NASA's space imagery without currently needing to open any new links. I can get you there, but I can't tell you how I myself wound up on them in the first place.
I love teh interwebs.
Anyway, one of the tabs open is a piece I've been meaning to blog about since it was posted, instead I'm just going to give you the link and tell you to go read it. It is from Tamir over at Frank Thoughts and it is to do with TAXI's 15 Below Project. When I bang on about experiences facilitated by brands but not about brands, this is what I'm getting at.\
Fantastic stuff.


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Meet UNLV Cheerleaders When They Cruise Into Las Vegas Harley-Davidson on August 26th
Nothing can kick up dirt like a Harley-Davidson and few groups can kick up their heels with the gusto of the University of Las Vegas cheerleaders.
So sparks are expected to fly when these two forces of nature collide on Saturday, August 26, when Las Vegas Harley-Davidson hosts the cheerleaders a meet and greet from 1 to 3 p.m. at the dealership, located at 5191 South Las Vegas Boulevard.
It's unknown whether any of the 30 girls in the squad ride a motorcycle, but an inquisitive visitor may wish to ask. These young women enjoy fielding questions as they visit Las Vegas schools and businesses in their role as public relations ambassadors for the university.
The Dealership Rolls Out the Red Carpet
While the chance to meet the UNLV cheerleaders will be the main attraction at the event, Las Vegas Harley-Davidson knows how to roll out the red carpet for all visitors and will also provide:
- Complimentary hot dogs and hamburgers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (or while the supplies lasts)
- Be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift card with a $75 purchase
Like Harley Riders, Cheerleaders Root for "Rebels"
The UNLV cheerleaders are best known to Las Vegas residents from their front-and-center role at football and basketball games. And rain or shine, the girls can be counted on to rally fans to cheer the Rebels to victory.
The girls perform nine months out of the year, submitting themselves to a challenging workout and rehearsal sessions while maintaining a 2.0 grade-point average.
Like Harley-Davidson owners, they enjoy rigorous performance comparisons to their peers and the chance to triumph through competition. The UNLV cheerleaders regularly compete in the prestigious UDA/UCA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships. In 2015, they placed seventh in the division-1A all-girl division – their highest placement ever.
We Know How to Keep Riders Cool
If asked, they also might render a suggestion or two about how to spend $75 to attain the $500 gift card. It will be drawn at 4 p.m. and the winner need not be present to claim the prize.
Las Vegas Harley-Davidson offers a full array of gear so riders can take to the road with style, including pants, jackets, gloves, helmets, goggles and boots. Some products have engendered a particularly grateful following among Harley riders who have sought relief from the blistering heat:
- Hydration headwear, lined with polyscrylite crystals soaked and when in water for five minutes create an evaporative cooling effect.
- Hydration vests, which rely on the same technology to keep riders cool.
- Woven shirts contain UPF-30 treatment that protects against 96 percent of the sun's harmful rays.
Join the Rebel Cheerleaders at Las Vegas Harley-Davidson
On August 26th be prepared to cheer for the motorcycles and riding gear you'll find at Las Vegas Harley-Davidson while meeting the UNLV cheerleaders.


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It's like we're artists and this is how we screw ourselves.
— Daria
Hey, remember that time I said I was gonna do a DeadPool act?
One of the best reasons for me to play DeadPool is that my brain kind of hates me. We fight a lot. My brain doesn't so much hate me as it is horribly annoyed by my physical inability to do absolutely everything a human being can do. And it's annoyed that I can't do it all right now. I'm not exaggerating when I say I come up with at least one act a week. If I have a specific assignment (i.e. come up with a comic book act) odds are good I will at the very least conceptualize, if not totally choreograph in my head roughly 3 to 5 acts and then choose one. My brain is annoyed that I have not done all of these acts.
My brain is fuzzy on the whole possible/impossible spectrum and difficulty rating scale. Sometimes it's obvious that I can't do something, like an aerial act. Sometimes it is not so easy to tell. When my boyfriend said I should do a Heath Ledger Joker act my response was "What? That's impossible…. but let's watch the movie again." We watched the movie again, my madness took over, and now it's my signature act. However, when I came up with my idea for my DeadPool act, where I would have a full muscle suit that ripped away in sections, no "That's impossible" alarms went off in my head. Not even really any "That's really fucking difficult" alarms went off in my head. Not one. I didn't think it would be easy but I didn't think it would be that hard.
Guess what, Self-from-a-year-ago, it was THAT FUCKING HARD AND THEN SOME. IT WAS SO FUCKING HARD I WANT TO KICK YOU IN THE FACE YOU ARROGANT TOOL. For reals, what was wrong with me? I estimated that the whole shebang would take me 60 hours. In my original estimates the cutting and shaping of muscles out of foam would take 6 hours. I was so very fucking wrong I could cry. I lost track of how long it took carving those things but I think two or three weeks would be a bit more accurate.
If you want to make a muscle suit, my advice to you is Don't. Seriously, DON'T. It's just not worth it. Buy this and modify as needed.
Still, I've decided to document my folly, because maybe I will need to make something else out of foam that can't be easily bought an modified. But man, I hope not. At least not for, like, several years. Ok, one year.
First I had to make a full body mannequin, which was relatively easy but very time consuming. I already had a torso mannequin so I put some tights on my legs and arms and had a friend wrap them in duct tape. Then we cut them off *very* carefully, taped them back together, stuffed them with newspaper, and taped them to the torso mannequin. This you CAN do at home but be aware that it'll take most of day and not the 3 hours I originally expected. Also, if you can get something less stretchy than tights, like leggings or something, that would be a good idea, but it's a bit more expensive.
Once I had my mannequin, I wrapped it in newspaper and sketched out on the newspaper where the muscles would be. Once I took of the newspaper I had a pattern for the shape of the muscles I wanted. I traced those shapes onto 2 inch upholstery foam (You can probably use 1 inch. I wish I had) and cut them out with badass kitchen shears. Easy right? So far, yes, kinda. Then it started getting complicated. See, humans aren't flat, they're curved. Especially their arms and legs, which was where most of my muscles were going. So if you want the foam to conform to their curves you need to cut wedgelike channels in the back of the form and then glue the sides of those channels to each other so that the foam has the necessary curve. The deeper and wider the channel, the tighter the curve. Odds are good you'll need more than one channel to get the curve right. I generally had 3 per piece. I hope that made sense to anyone who isn't me because I don't have pictures. For glue I recommend spray adhesive. There was another glue that I used that worked really well but I'm not sure what it was called. Possibly contact cement?
So now that you have your basic shapes and they conform to the body part you want them to. Now it's time to sculpt it into something that actually looks like a muscle. If you are working under any kind of deadline, kiss the rest of your life goodbye because this will take FOREVER. I'm not kidding. FOREVER. Use the same badass kitchen shears and just start cutting. Keep a trash can nearby because you will get foam shavings EVERYWHERE. If you've never done subtractive sculpting before (I hadn't) there are worse materials to learn on. At the very least it's cheaper than marble and, I would guess, more forgiving. If you have no experience with sculpting, try to think of it as a 3D drawing First you want to get the general shape right, then you get into details. If you have no experience with sculpting or drawing, you may be screwed. But maybe not. I wouldn't know. Just try to get a really good 3D mental image of what you're going for and slowly cut away whatever looks like it shouldn't be there.
Many times I thought I was finished and found that I was not. Once I thought I was finished I glued the muscles onto a black body suit I'd already made and put it on the mannequin. It looked awful and I spent two more weeks sculpting till it was done. Many times when I thought it was done, I had to put the DeadPool body suit on over it to see if it A: looked awful and B: the suit would fit over it. And then it was back to sculpting.
Finally it started to look not crappy!
That's how I made the muscle suit. I'd like to have some good shots of the full costume and preferably shots of it coming off before I post the rest of the making of. I'm debuting my act in Portland Oregon this saturday at Geeklesque Saves the World! at the Bossanova Ballroom If you are in Portland you should come see the show!


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A warm welcome to my new blog linking music making with music psychology, health and wellbeing.
This blog is intended to be helpful to anyone who is interested in the processes and practicalities of teaching, learning and performing music. It is partly inspired by my own experience of enjoying musical performance, developing practical musicianship, and adopting a broad spectrum of teaching strategies. It is also partly led by my interest in the real-world applications of the psychology of music, and using music-making to enhance physical, psychological and social wellbeing.
Music psychology is a relatively new discipline, which began to gain prominence towards the middle of the last century. The first well-known writer on this subject was Carl Seashore, who published his book (simply entitled Psychology of Music) in 1938. Since then, there has been a rapidly growing number of researchers in this field, and an ever-increasing potential for applying our findings in real-life music-making.
Whenever I mention music psychology, someone usually expresses surprise that such a thing exists, and they immediately want to know what on earth it could be. The most straightforward answer is that music psychology helps us to study musical behaviour and experiences. It helps us to explore the connections between what is going on inside our heads and what is happening in the music when we are participating in musical activities, whether as a listener, audience member, learner or performer.
The areas covered by music psychology include musical development, which explores the origins of human musicality and how we acquire musical skills; music in everyday life, which examines how we use music to influence our mood and environment; and performance psychology, which investigates phenomena such as music performance anxiety or 'stage fright'.
There is also a burgeoning interest in the related field of music and wellbeing. Virtually every month there is new research-based evidence demonstrating the effects of musical participation upon physical, psychological and social wellbeing. In this blog, I will highlight some of the research into music psychology, and music and wellbeing; to record some of my own relevant experiences; and to suggest some practical applications of the emerging body of literature in this area.
I hope that anyone who happens to read this blog will find some useful information, some thought-provoking anecdotes, and some helpful ideas about teaching, learning and making music. Enjoy!


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© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.
The older I get, the more I appreciate Duke Ellington's music.
I doubt that there is any correlation, but my growing awareness of Duke and his extraordinary legacy reminds me of the following Mark Twain observation:
"When I was fourteen, I thought my Father was the dumbest man in the world, but when I turned twenty-one, I was surprised at how much he had learned over the last, seven years!"
Believe it or not, when I was a young man surrounded by what-was-then the sounds of modern Jazz, I didn't "get" Duke; I thought he was one of the "old guys."
Well, it's been a lot more than seven years, but as I've listened to Duke's music since those early days of quick dismissal, the more in awe I've become of his musical accomplishments.
From every perspective – melody, harmony, rhythm and texture – Duke's music is full of originality, creativity, and what the esteemed Jazz author Whitney Balliett once termed as Jazz's essential ingredient: The Sound of Surprise.
Lately, my admiration for Duke has taken on a different form – his writings about Jazz. Not surprisingly, his style of writing is infused with the same sense of flair, humor and urbanity that one finds in his music.
Here's a sample from Music is My Mistress [
: DaCapo Press, 1973]. New York
© - Duke Ellington/DaCapo Press, copyright protected; all rights reserved.
"The City of
is a place in which certain people live.
Some are on their way out, while many others are on their way in. Some are
rushing to get there, but others appear reluctant and are cautious in their
approach. Still others claim they are afraid, and hesitate to expose themselves
in this place where they feel so strange, this strange place where the most
solid citizens are so hip, or slick, or cool. These hesitant ones fear they
will feel like country folk in the metropolis, or like people on the Jazz Chinatown bus tour. They wonder if they will be
taken for suckers or squares.
My experience on my many visits to and from the city (I do one-nighters, you know) has convinced me that its people are all very nice human beings. There are those who work for the city (the players), those who work at the city (the analysts), and those who just enjoy it (these are my people). The citizens of all three groups are more concerned with what they like than what they dislike. All of them, too, assume that they know one another. For instance, when they meet for the first time they embrace warmly like old college chums.
In the city's public square, you find statues of heroes. Some are of those who built the walls, like Buddy Bolden and King Oliver. They appear to have been sculptured in bars, after-hours joints, and houses of ill-repute. Some are of those who fought to save the city, like Fletcher Henderson and Paul Whiteman, and they are identified with the world of ballroom palaces. Some are of those who went down swinging, like Bix Beiderbecke and Chick Webb, and who were decorated posthumously for heroic performances above and beyond the call of duty. Last, in the same concert halls where they play the masterworks, are statues of some of the great ones who long defended the walls, like Bechet, Armstrong, and Hawk.
This City of
does not have any specific geographical
location. It is anywhere and everywhere, wherever you can hear the sound, and
it makes you do like this—you know! Jazz Europe, Asia, North and South America, the world digs this burg—Digsville,
Gonesville, Swingersville, and Wailingstown. There are no city limits, no city
ordinances, no policemen, no fire department, but come rain or come shine,
drought or flood, I think I'll stay here in this scene, with these cats,
because almost everybody seems to dig what they're talking about, or putting down.
They communicate, Dad. Do you get the message ?
Villesville is the place—trelos anthropos!"
In celebration of this brief remembrance of Duke's lasting contributions to Jazz, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles has re-posted an earlier feature about The American Jazz Orchestra's tribute to Ellington in the blog sidebar, as well as, the related video to both The Duke and The AJO which you will find below.
Rest assured that we will have a great deal more to say about The Duke in future postings.


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You've heard Jennie Garth's story. Now take a moment to read the inspiring stories below.
Real women with real stories speak up about their heart to help save lives. Their stories will inspire you to get informed with the facts and make a positive commitment to your heart health.
Jenna chose to change her lifestyle when, at just 23 years old, she was told she was at risk for sudden cardiac death. She Goes Red for what is yet to come. Gail chose to LIVE after her daughter begged her to change the lifestyle that was destroying her heart. She Goes Red for her father and the other people who have died of heart disease in her family. Andrea was 35 and pregnant and didn't realize she was having a heart attack until it was too late for her baby... and almost too late for her. She Goes Red for all the women out there that live with heart disease.
These real life Go Red For Women stories highlight not only these women's courageous battle against heart disease, but the role your contributions play in making their healthier lives possible. The American Heart Association uses all revenues from Go Red For Women to support awareness, research, education and community programs to fight the No.1 killer of women. We ask for your support as we continue to look for new ways to keep you heart-healthy and strong!
Every day stories like those of Jenna, Gail and Andrea are made possible by the research and education provided by the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women and more women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined. But with your help, all this can be largely preventable.
Open Your Heart is an opportunity in the Go Red for Women luncheon where you can speak up by making a lifesaving donation. Chances are you know a woman, man or child who has suffered from heart disease. Your donation honors these survivors, but also those who did not. Make a difference with a donation to fund the programs and research that will make a healthy future for women a reality. Together we can conquer heart disease. Contact your local Go Red for Women luncheon director. Or click the button. Or attend your Luncheon, and give as your heart speaks to you.
Andrea's Story
"We need each other's support"
Rolanda's Story
"That's when I said, 'No way!'"
Maria's Story
"This was the way it was going to be."
Jenna's Story
"Listen to your body."
Gail's Story
"I'm up for this fight."
nationally sponsored by
locally sponsored by


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Bournemouth Shopping Guide – where and what to shop and buy
Find a place to stay
The Vintage Quarter is the more common name for the Christchurch Road area in Pokesdown, and is where you will find an eclectic collection of retro and period goods. With a younger population and a cosmopolitan atmosphere, Bournemouth's vintage quarter is a goldmine of unique fashion shops, second-hand book stores, and chic coffee shops. If you have a taste for all things classic, then it's worth giving yourself a good amount of time to explore the Vintage Quarter, as you can trawl the rails to find that hidden gem to add to your wardrobe.
Westbourne is a short bus drive away from the town centre and is known locally as "the village". With quaint streets and a host of small boutique stores, you can take your time perusing each shop to find a unique gift for a loved one, as well as a personal trinket to remember your trip by. Being a more prosperous and elegant area, you can also find an array of independent and artisan retailers, including arts and crafts stores, high quality delicatessens, and luxury fashion boutiques.
Castlepoint Shopping Park
Castlepoint lies on the outskirts of Bournemouth and is one of the biggest shopping parks in the UK. With expansive glass buildings, wide open air walkways, and a variety of high street fashion retailers and department stores, it is one of the best ways to spend a shopping day in Bournemouth. Castlepoint also has a variety of on-site dining facilities, from chain restaurants to coffee shops and supermarkets to make sure you won't go hungry while browsing and ogling the wares.
Southbourne is a laid back borough of Bournemouth that has a variety of bistros, delis, and chilled-out stores in which to shop. Expect to find a more independent shopping experience, especially on the main shopping thoroughfare of Southbourne Grove which has an assortment of fashion, food, and beauty retailers. Southbourne is also home to a large stretch of golden coastline, where you can go to relax and find
Find your perfect holiday in Bournemouth
From 220 hotels.


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Bullions can send shivers of fear down the spine or even the most serious and advanced stitcher, but not too long ago I decided to get over it and try and tackle this sometimes elusive stitch. First of all, the most useful materials I've found about bullions is Mary Corbet's video on Needle N Thread. Yes, I realize this is an embroidery site, but the stitch is the same and I have learnt so many technique from Mary. If you haven't spent significant time on this site, I highly recommend you do. I am also a big believer of tools... In general I love stitching accoutrements and going to the trouble of getting bullions needles really is worth it in my opinion. For one thing the eye of the needle is the same width as the rest of the needle making it easier to pull your wraps through, for another the extra length or the needle helps with longer bullions so your wraps don't keep falling off. I suggest getting a package with assorted sizes so you can experiment and find what's best for the situation at hand. I used the 3 1/2 size and I will admit they were a bit too big, I probably would have been fine with the next size down, but this worked fine. I used the ones put out by Colonial Needle and if you go to their website they also have instructional videos which is a nice bonus.
Some other things to think about, don't wrap the needle too tight (or too loose....it's kinda like Goldylock's bed) and after the last wrap, I give the wraps on my needle a quarter twist in the opposite direction of the direction I wrapped, hold the wraps firmly but don't squeeze and pull your needle through. I personally do the little quarter twist because I tend to me a tight wrapper and I find it just helps. And most importantly, do NOT be afraid. Even if your bullion looks really messed up as your pulling, just keep holding and pulling, I have saved some really dire bullion knots and had them come out just fine in the end... sometimes you have to finagle a bit by putting the needle under the knot and running it back and forth sometimes even with a little tension and then re-pulling it to help smooth it out. Bullions are used a lot for natural things like hair, flowers, fur and quills, none of these things are perfect in nature so don't over analyze your bullions, they're not "imperfect" they're "realistic".
For Bonnie's hair I used Vineyard C-042 Dark Earth and really packed them in. I even had to do some bullions almost on top of others, but I wanted a certain look. I followed my "hair rules" that I wrote about in my previous blog previous post by breaking it up with a few directional knots and then filling in.
In our next episode we're going to focus on the mark of any proper Southern young lady (besides her manners that is), her attire, so if you haven't subscribed, please consider doing so and you'll get our next edition in your inbox!
In our next episode we're going to focus on the mark of any proper Southern young lady (besides her manners that is), her attire, so if you haven't subscribed, please consider doing so and you'll get our next edition in your inbox!


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Poser Pro 11 Sale Sept 21-30, 2016
tdelchiaro last edited by
Poser Pro 11 is on sale through noon PDT on September 30, 2016.
If you haven't moved up to Poser Pro 11 yet or are thinking about getting it for the first time, now is a good time. Both new user and upgrades are discounted.
Buy Poser Pro 11 now
See What's New in Poser Pro 11
And if you know anyone who may be interested in Poser, feel free to let them know about the sale.
mad_l last edited by
I have Poser 11 now, I purchased the upgrade to Pro.
I Downloaded a fresh Downloader app, used the new serial number issued, during install it prompted me to Uninstall the existing and then installed.
But, I find I am still only with P11, no Pro features are there?
What happened and how do I successfully upgrade to Pro?
richard60 last edited by
Both Poser 11 and Poser Pro11 use the same program just the serial number is different. Go into Help-->Personalize and put your PP11 serial number in. Most likely your non Pro number is in the serial number slot. Also you may want to deactivate that copy so that you can place it on another machine if want.
mad_l last edited by
Thanks! That was it!
Heck, guess I didn't need to re-download at all.....just good housekeeping I guess.


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Bromine In Workplace Atomspheres
OSHA Method ID-108 | 1982, Revised April 1990
For problems with accessibility in using figures and illustrations, please contact the Salt Lake Technical Center at 801-233-4900.
These procedures were designed and tested for internal use by OSHA personnel. Mention of any company name or commercial product does not constitute endorsement by OSHA.
|Method no.:
|OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits
Bromine (Final Rule Limits):
0.1 ppm (Time Weighted Average)
0.3 ppm (Short-Term Exposure Limit)
|Bromine (Transitional Limit):
|0.1 ppm (Time Weighted Average)
|Collection Procedure:
|A calibrated personal sampling pump is used to draw a known volume of air through a midget fritted glass bubbler containing a sodium bicarbonate/sodium carbonate buffer solution.
|Recommended Sampling Rate:
|0.5 L/min
|Recommended Air Volumes
Short-Term Exposure Limit Samples:
|Time Weighted Average Samples:
|Analytical Procedure:
|In the buffer collection solution, bromine disproportionates to bromide and bromate ions. Samples are analyzed with minimum sample preparation as these anions by ion chromatography.
|Detection Limits
0.001 ppm (30-L air volume)
0.005 ppm (30-L air volume)
|Precision and Accuracy
Validation Level:
Overall Error:
0.052 to 0.21 ppm
|Method Classification:
|Validated Method
|James Ku
|1982, Revised April 1990
Commercial manufacturers and products mentioned in this method are for descriptive use only and do not constitute endorsements by USDOL-OSHA.
Similar products from other sources can be substituted.
Branch of Inorganic Methods Development
OSHA Technical Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
- Introduction
This method describes the collection of airborne bromine (Br2) in the breathing zone of personnel in the workplace and the subsequent analysis by ion chromatography (IC).
- History
Previously, Br2 air samples were collected in 0.01 N NaOH and analyzed as bromide (Br¯) at the OSHA Laboratory by ion specific electrode (ISE) after neutralization with nitric acid. This method had lower recoveries than expected (8.1) and was possibly due to Br¯ and bromate (BrO3¯) reacting with each other and gradually reverting back to Br2 in an acidic solution. According to the following equation (8.2):
BrO3¯ + 5Br¯ + 6H+ ----> Br2 + 3H2O
loss of analyte can occur in acidic media. The ISE analysis was further hampered by interferences from other ions such as chloride, iodide, cyanide, or ammonia (8.3). A method for bromine was developed to allow analysis by ion chromatography and to diminish any problems with interferences.
- Principle
Bromine is collected in a midget-fritted glass bubbler (MFGB) containing a weakly basic buffer [sodium carbonate / sodium bicarbonate (Na2CO3 / NaHCO3)]. Bromine disproportionates in basic solution to produce Br¯ and BrO3¯ according to the following equation (8.4).
3Br2 + 6OH¯ -----> BrO3¯ + 5Br¯ + 3H2O
The mole ratio of Br2 per Br¯ formed is 1.2. The amount of Br¯ measured by IC is multiplied by this factor to gravimetrically convert Br¯ to Br2. The BrO3¯ formed can also be measured, in principle, with this method. Because the BrO3¯ peak may overlap with peaks of chloride or iodate, measurement of BrO3¯ is normally only used to confirm the presence of Br2.
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- This method has adequate sensitivity for measuring workplace atmosphere concentrations of Br2.
- This method is less affected by interferences found in other methods (i.e. ion specific electrode, Volhard titration, and colorimetric determinations).
- The analytical method can be fully automated. Use of an automatic sampler can improve analytical precision.
- The amount of Br2 may be simultaneously confirmed from the bromate anion formed during disproportionation.
- High humidity does not affect the sampling procedure.
- A disadvantage is the sampling device. Use of bubbler collection techniques may impose certain inconveniences. Spillage can occur during sampling, handling, and during transportation to the lab.
- Uses
Bromine is used in the following operations (8.5):
- the manufacture of ethylene dibromide (anti-knock gasoline)
- organic synthesis reactions
- bleaching agents
- fumigants, as an intermediate (methyl bromide)
- fire-retardants for plastics, dyes, and photography
- water purification
- shrink-proofing wool
- Physical Properties
Bromine (CAS No. 7726-95-6) is a fuming liquid with a pungent odor. Some physical properties of Br2 are listed below (8.5, 8.6):
Atomic Number 35 Atomic Symbol Br Molecular Weight(Br2) 159.89 Melting Point -7.2°C Boiling Point 59.4°C Vapor Pressure 22.9 kPa (172 mmHg) at 20°C Color (liquid) Reddish-brown Flammability Nonflammable Classification Corrosive, strong oxidizer Solubility Slightly soluble in H2O
- History
- Range and Detection Limit (8.1)
The analytical portion of the evaluation was conducted using a model 10 ion chromatograph (Dionex, Sunnyvale CA) with a 3 × 500-mm separator and 6 × 250-mm suppressor columns. The following results were obtained using this equipment:
- The working range was 0.015 to 0.31 ppm (30-L air sample).
- The sensitivity of the method was 1.96 microsiemens/cm/µg as Br¯. The ion chromatograph was set on a range of 30 microsiemens.
- The qualitative detection limit of the analytical method was 0.003 µg of Br¯ per 200-µL sample injection or 0.17 µg Br¯ in a 10-mL sample volume.
- The quantitative limit was 0.015 µg Br¯ per 200-µL injection or 0.75 µg Br¯ in a 10-mL sample volume. The CV of replicate determinations of standards at this level was about 0.11.
- Method Performance (8.1)
This method was evaluated in 1982 using commercial analytical equipment mentioned in Section 2. Advances in ion chromatographic and sampling instruments should enable users to obtain similar or better results as those mentioned below.
- The CV for the overall sampling and analytical method (CVT[pooled]) in the range of 0.052 to 0.205 ppm was 0.067.
- In validation experiments, this method was capable of measurements within ± 25% of the true value over the validation range (95% confidence level). Bias was -0.056 and overall error was ±19%.
- Collection efficiency was 100% for the buffer collection solution.
- A breakthrough test, conducted at a concentration of 0.21 ppm, indicated breakthrough of 2.4% occurred after sampling for 240 min at a sampling rate of 0.5 L/min. This amount of breakthrough is within acceptable limits (<5% breakthrough).
- In storage stability studies, the mean of samples analyzed after 15 days was within 1% of the mean of samples analyzed immediately after collection. After 30 days the mean was within 10%.
- Interferences
- Any substance that has the same retention time as BrO3¯ or Br¯ using the operating conditions as described in this method is an interference.
- Nitrate is a potential interference if present in concentrations greater than Br¯. Anions such as chloride (Cl¯), chlorate (ClO3¯) and iodate (IO3¯) may interfere with bromate analysis. These interferences may be minimized by changing the eluent strength, eluent pump flow rate, or separator column. A gradient pump system and an alternate eluent (as specified in Section 6.7) displayed excellent separation of ClO2¯, Cl¯, and BrO3¯. This alternate eluent is recommended when Cl¯ or other anions prevent positive identification of the presence of bromine with the bromate peak.
- Bromide collected with Br2 in air is an interference; however, differentiation of these two species can be accomplished by determining the amount of BrO3¯ in the sample.
- Sampling
- Equipment
- Collection solution, 0.003 M sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)/0.0024 M sodium carbonate (Na2CO3): Dissolve 0.25 g each NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 in approximately 250 mL of DI H2O and then dilute to 1 L with DI H2O. Prepare a new solution every month.
- Personal sampling pumps capable of sampling within ± 5% of the recommended flow rate of 0.5 L/min are used.
- Midget fritted glass bubblers (MFGBs) (25-mL, part no. 7532, Ace Glass Co., Vineland, NJ).
- Shipping vials, glass or plastic: Scintillation vials, 20-mL (part no. 74515 or 58515, Kimble, Div. of Owens-Illinois Inc., Toledo, OH) with polypropylene or Teflon cap liners. Tin or other metal cap liners should not be used.
- A stopwatch and bubble tube or meter are used to calibrate pumps.
- Various lengths of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing are used to connect bubblers to the pumps.
- Sampling Procedure
- Calibrate each sampling pump with a calibration sampling device in-line. The calibration device is a MFGB containing about 10 mL of collection solution.
- Place 10 to 15 mL of fresh collection solution in each MFGB. Connect a MFGB to a calibrated sampling pump and then place the sampling device in the breathing zone of the employee.
- Sample at a flow rate of 0.5 L/min. For STEL determinations, sample for at least 15 min. For measurements of TWA exposures, sample up to 240 min. Take enough samples to cover the shift worked.
- Transfer the collection solution into a 20-mL glass scintillation vial. Rinse the bubbler with 2 to 3 mL of unused collection solution and transfer the rinsings into the sample vial. Place the Teflon-lined cap tightly on each vial and seal with vinyl or waterproof tape around the caps to prevent leakage during shipment. Wrap the vial end-to-end with a sample seal (OSHA 21 or equivalent).
- Prepare a blank solution by taking 10 to 15 mL of the unused collection solution and transfer to a 20-mL glass vial. Seal the vial as mentioned in Section 5.2.4.
- Request bromine analysis on the OSHA 91A form.
- Ship the samples to the laboratory using appropriate packing materials to prevent breakage. The identities of any substances known or suspected to be present in the sampled air should be transmitted with the sample.
- Equipment
- Analysis
- Precautions
- Refer to instrument and Standard Operating Procedure (8.7) manuals for proper operation.
- Observe laboratory safety regulations and practices.
- Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) can cause severe burns. Wear protective eyewear, gloves, and labcoat when using concentrated H2SO4.
- Equipment
- Ion chromatograph (model no. 2010i or 4500, Dionex, Sunnyvale, CA) equipped with a conductivity detector.
- Automatic sampler (model no. AS-1, Dionex) and 0.5 mL sample vials.
- Laboratory automation system: Ion chromatograph interfaced to a data reduction and control system (AutoIon 450, Dionex).
- Micromembrane suppressor (model no. AMMS-1, Dionex).
- Anion separator column (model no. HPIC-AS4A, Dionex) with pre-column (model no. HPIC-AG4A, Dionex). An alternative separator column to use when unresolvable interferences occur is model no. HPIC-AS5 (Dionex).
- Disposable syringes (1 mL).
- Syringe pre-filters, 0.5-µm pore size (part no. SLSR 025 NS Millipore Corp., Bedford, MA).
(Note: Some syringe pre-filters are not cation- or anion-free. Tests should be done with blank solutions first to determine suitability for the analyte being determined).
- Miscellaneous volumetric glassware: micropipettes, volumetric flasks, graduated cylinders, and beakers.
- Analytical balance (0.01 mg).
- Reagents - All chemicals should be at least reagent grade.
- Deionized water (DI H2O) with a specific conductance of less than 10 microsiemens.
- Sodium carbonate.
- Sodium bicarbonate.
- Sodium hydroxide (for alternate eluent).
- Eluent [0.0015 M sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) / 0.0015 M sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)]: Dissolve 0.636 g Na2CO3 and 0.504 g NaHCO3 in 4.0 L of DI H2O.
- alternate eluent: An alternate eluent is used if interferences are unresolvable. For a gradient pump, use a mixture of: 97% DI H2O / 3% of 0.1 M NaOH. If a gradient pump is not available, this is equivalent to 0.003 M NaOH.
- Collection solution (0.003 M NaHCO3 / 0.0024 M Na2CO3): See Section 5.1.1 for instructions.
- Sulfuric acid (H2SO4), concentrated (98%).
- Regeneration solution (0.02 N H2SO4): Carefully add 1.14 mL concentrated H2SO4 into a 2-L volumetric flask which contains about 500 mL DI H2O. Dilute to volume with DI H2O.
- Standard stock solution, Br¯ (1,000 µg/mL as bromide): Dissolve and dilute 1.4893 g potassium bromide (KBr) to 1 L with DI H2O.
- Standard stock solution, BrO3¯ (1,000 µg/mL as bromate): Dissolve and dilute 1.3057 g of potassium bromate (KBrO3) to 1 L with DI H2O.
- Standard Preparation
Standards (10 and 1 µg/mL as Br¯ or BrO3¯): Make appropriate serial dilutions of Br¯ and BrO3¯ stock solutions with the collection solution. Take aliquots of these standards and prepare the working standards in the range of 0.1 to 5 µg/mL using the collection solution as the diluent.
- Sample Preparation
- Measure and record the total volume of each sample with a graduated cylinder.
- If the sample solutions contain suspended particulate, remove the particles using a pre-filter and syringe.
- Analytical Preparation
- Fill the 0.5-mL automatic sampler vials with sample, working standard, or blank solutions and push a filtercap into each vial. Label the vials.
- Load the automatic sampler with labeled samples, standards and blanks.
- Analytical Procedure
Set up the ion chromatograph and analyze the samples and standards in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (8.7). Typical operating conditions for a Dionex 2010i with a data reduction system are listed below.
Standard Conditions
Ion chromatograph Eluent: 0.0015 M Na2CO3 / 0.0015 M NaHCO3 Separator Column: AS4A Column temperature: ambient Regenerant flow: 1 to 3 mL/min Pump Pump pressure: approximately 1,000 psi Flow rate: 2 mL/min Chromatogram Run time: 6 min Sample injection loop: 50 µL Average retention time: Br¯ approximately 2.5 min BrO3¯ approximately 1.5 min
Alternate conditions are available if interference from other anions pose insufficient resolution. Operating conditions with a model 4500 gradient pump system (Dionex) are:
Alternate Conditions
Ion chromatograph Eluent: 97% DI H2O / 3% 0.1 M NaOH Separator Column: AS5 Column temperature: ambient Regenerant flow: 1 to 3 mL/min Pump Pump pressure: approximately 800-1,000 psi Flow rate: 1 mL/min Chromatogram Run time: 14 min Sample injection loop: 50 µL Average retention time: Br¯ approximately 10.9 min BrO3¯ approximately 4.3 min
The alternate conditions should be used when nitrate, chloride, or other anions interfere and make positive identification of bromide and bromate peaks difficult.
- Precautions
- Calculations
- Hard copies of chromatograms containing peak area and height data can be obtained from a printer. A typical chromatogram of Br¯ and BrO3¯ is shown in Figure 1 and one with interference from chloride on the bromate peak is shown in Figure 2. A chromatogram of 10 µg/mL standards of BrO3¯, ClO2¯, and Br¯ using suggested alternate conditions (Section 6.7) is shown in Figure 3.
- Prepare a concentration-response curve by plotting the concentration of the standards in µg/mL
(or µg/sample if the same volumes are used for samples and standards) versus peak areas or peak heights.
Assuming a constant sample injection volume was used for all samples and standards, calculate sample
concentrations (total µg) from the curve. Blank correct all samples as shown:
µgC Analyte = (S)(SV) - (BL)(BLV)
Where: µgC Analyte = Corrected amount (µg) in the sample solution. S = µg/mL sample (from curve) SV = Sample solution volume, mL (from Section 6.5.1) BL = µg/mL blank (from curve) BLV = Blank solution volume, mL (from Section 6.5.1)
- The concentration of Br2 in each air sample is expressed in ppm and is
calculated as:
ppm Br2
MV × µgC analyte × conversion
formula weight × air volume)
Where: MV (Molar Volume) = 24.45 (25 °C and 760 mmHg) µgC Analyte = blank corrected sample result Conversion (Br¯ to Br2) = 1.2 Conversion (BrO3¯ to Br2) = 3.75 Formula Weight (Br2) = 159.8 Air Volume = Air sample taken (in L)
This equation reduces to:
ppm Br2
0.184 × µgC Br¯
air volume
(for Br¯ as analyte)
ppm Br2
0.574 µgC BrO3¯
air volume
(confirmation using BrO3¯)
- Reporting Results
Results are reported to the industrial hygienist as ppm bromine. The numerical result is determined from the bromide analysis.
- References
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration Technical Center: Bromine Backup Data Report (ID-108) by J. Ku. Salt Lake City, UT. Revised 1990.
- Blaedel, W.J. and V.W. Meloche: Elemental Quantitative Analysis -- Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1963. p. 854.
- Orion Research Incorporated: Instruction Manual, Halide Electrodes, Model 94-35, Model 94-53. Cambridge, MA: Orion Research Incorporated, 1982.
- Cotton, F.A. and G. Wilkinson: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry -- A Comprehensive Text. 2nd rev. ed. New York: Interscience Publishers, 1966. pp. 569-570.
- Hawley, G.G.: The Condensed Chemical Dictionary. 11th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1987.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): CAMEO [Computer Software]. NOAA, 1988.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration Technical Center: Ion Chromatography Standard Operating Procedure. Salt Lake City, UT. In progress (unpublished).
Chromatogram of Br¯ and BrO3¯ (AS4A Column)
Chromatogram - Mixture if BrO3¯, Cl¯, NO3¯, HPO42¯, and SO42¯ (AS4A Column)
Chromatogram of Mixture of Chlorite, Bromate, Chloride, and Bromine
(AS5 separator column, gradient pump, and 97% DI H2O / 3% 0.1 M NaOH eluent)


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(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog May 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)
It's just for fun, so don't ring in but please do leave a comment below and
let us know what YOUR Coronation Street name turns out to be!
Me? I'm Cilla Tomlin!
There's also a generic all-decades version of the quiz here.
Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter


text:
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How to use Android as microphone – Best microphone for YouTube:- click here watch
How to change background in Photoshop and matching background:- click here watch
After effects Tutorial | 3D Audio spectrum:- click here to watch
How to Create a Lower Third in After Effects:- click here to watch
After Effects Tutorial #1 (Super Speed):- click here to watch
After effect cc Cineware & Cinema 4D Tracking tutorial:- click here to watch
After effect Tutorial #2 (Ground smash):- click here to watch
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What's a girl to do when there is a task this daunting??? Work on a pair of mindless stripey socks of course! I'm nearly finished the second sock! Two of my friends and I plan on getting together to add the afterthought heels. There's a certain amount of moral support one needs when she's about to cut into knitted fabric. Let's hope the tears are few.
It seems wrong to delve into this small-talk subject, but we have had unseasonably warm and gorgeous weather here in Central New York these past few days. Yesterday was the St. Patrick's Day parade and the weather couldn't have been nicer. Sam was actually in the parade helping a dog rescue group with their pups. He managed to get a bit of sunburn on the back of his neck....in March. I feel I need to remind myself of the month because normally we have at least two feet of snow still on the ground at this point. This has been anything but a normal year.
|Daisies in the grass (Instagram)
|Crocuses and bees
|Pippin enjoying the sun (Instagram)