Fixed blade knives are made for dozens of applications and include hunting knives, survival knives, combat knives, boot knives, dive knives, throwing knives and more. We have them all.
Ontario Knife Company - King Cutlery 10 Pc Kitchen Set Int.


I think back to my eighth grade year and let's face it – I hated middle school. I was awkward, everyone smelled bad, and I got in trouble for holding hands under a science book in the middle of my astronomy and earth science class – in front of everyone. Needless to say, it was a traumatic period of my life.
When Michelle contacted me about taking pictures of her 8th grade daughter, the oh so beautiful Kamryn, I of course was all about it. Kamryn just got her braces off and Michelle wanted to treat her to some pretty pictures. (Michelle is an amazing mom! I love that she is always making sure Kamryn knows she's valued and beautiful!). We met at the Avalon in Alpharetta early this morning in hopes to not be around tons of people. Thankfully, the only people who joined us were people walking cute dogs, and I'm all about a cute puppy!
Kamryn is beautiful inside and out. She's passionate, sweet, caring, and an all around good kid. We talked a lot about photography tips and tricks because she is the editor of her school's year book (watch out world!) and loves taking pictures. I've known her for several years and it's a joy to watch her grow and mature into a beautiful young lady. Have a great school year, Kam! Take on 8th grade like a boss!


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Q: Segfault with lcms2 ctypes binding and threads First of all, excuse me if it's been anwered before... I'm pretty good at finding informations but since my programming skills are rather basic I might not have understood what was there...
I'm trying to do color conversions with Python. I used to use the Python bindings of lcms1 but since there are no official bindings for lcms2 I tried my luck with ctypes and ctypesgen.
I used ctypesgen.py -llcms2 /usr/include/lcms2.h /usr/include/lcms2_plugin.h -o lcms2.py and deleted all .value() as it wouldn't work otherwise.
It all works beautifully (for my rather simple needs) except when threads are involved...
Here is a sample code:
from multiprocessing.dummy import Pool
from lcms2 import *

DblTriplet = c_double * 3

def Lab2RGB(values):
    context = cmsCreateContext(None, None)
    inprof = cmsCreateLab4ProfileTHR(context, None)
    outprof = cmsCreate_sRGBProfileTHR(context)
    inbuf = DblTriplet(*values)
    outbuf = DblTriplet()
    xform = cmsCreateTransformTHR(context, inprof, TYPE_Lab_DBL,
                               outprof, TYPE_RGB_DBL,
                               INTENT_PERCEPTUAL, 0)

    cmsCloseProfile(inprof)
    cmsCloseProfile(outprof)

    cmsDoTransform(xform, byref(inbuf), byref(outbuf), 1)
    cmsDeleteTransform(xform)
    cmsDeleteContext(context)

    return tuple(outbuf)

Lab = ((88.98,-1.31,110.87),
       (87.55,2.18,109.06),
       (60.81,65.68,85.06),
       (58.66,70.05,51.19),
       (55.26,72.14,43.46),
       (43.8,79.35,12.7),
       (51.55,78.77,-13.89),
       (47.52,68.9,-42.48),
       (18.74,54.58,-69.51),
       (17.5,42.9,-76.01),
       (14.92,31.84,-67.1),
       (47.57,-33.39,-53.38),
       (57.74,-77.16,0.18),
       (17.06,1.29,2.54),
       )

pool = Pool()
pool.map(Lab2RGB, Lab)
pool.close()
pool.join()

I actually use this in a PyQt app so I'm using QThread but it crashes with Python threads as well. I also used threading but finished with multiprocessing.dummy in order to easily compare with multiprocessing. I also tried the "non THR" lcms2 functions, same problem. I tried ctypesgen as well as h2py.
So my question is: is there anything wrong in my threading implementation? I read you'd have to take care with ctypes and threads but didn't manage to understand what I could do...
I tried valgrind python thatscript.py but that guy speaks way above my head, but strangely it doesn't segfault...

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Tigers Manager Ron Gardenhire recently reiterated his belief that Baseball botched the review, alleging that the league admitted wrongdoing; in response, MLB claimed Gardenhire's statement was false, that the decision to overturn was correct, and released a four-second video of 13 different angles (many of them completely irrelevant to the play) as proof of its "definitive angle."
Randazzo observes Cervelli's tag attempt.
Follow along as the Tigers and MLB argue about who said what. Maybe the next phone line MLB should wire tap is the one between Corporate and the various team GMs.
The Play: On Detroit's Opening Day Friday afternoon, Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle challenged HP Umpire Randazzo's 10th inning call that baserunner R2 Nicholas Castellanos was safe at home plate, thus scoring the game's winning run in walk-off fashion. After a three-and-a-half minute delay, Replay Review returned a "call overturned" decision, good enough for the third out of the inning, prolonging the game. Gardenhire earned his ejection after continuing to argue the reversal.
MLB claims the evidence was definitive.
Tigers Claim MLB Wrongdoing: According to Gardenhire, Detroit GM Al Avila spoke with MLB brass over the weekend, with MLB officials allegedly telling Avila that A) Yes, the 3:30 review took too long, and, more notably, B) the video evidence wasn't conclusive: "The explanation was they didn't really have conclusive evidence that somebody tagged him."
Thus, if MLB admitted to Avila that it didn't have conclusive evidence that the runner was tagged, yet still overturned the "safe" call, then Gardenhire's point prevails: MLB made a mistake.
MLB released this image as its "Definitive Angle."
MLB Responds, Trolls Gardenhire with Mass Video of Many Angles: In its written response, MLB contended that the Replay Official made the correct call, and that he used conclusive evidence to do it.
Said MLB, "The video clearly shows the catcher applying the tag on the upper right arm of the runner."
MLB then released a "definitive angle" video of 13 different images (three of which were from center field and focused on the batter-runner, one which was sitting idly in a dugout capturing video of a staircase, and one which overlooked the entire field of play).
Due to this hearsay controversy, the UEFL Appeals Board will revisit Ejection 002 to review whether or not the decision to overturn Randazzo's safe call was correct or not. In other words, the Board will now consider whether there existed clear and convincing evidence with which to change the original call.


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Tag Archives: Sam Prekop
Monade, The High Llamas and The Sea and Cake at the Union Chapel
January 29, 2003 Phonopsia Leave a comment
I have too much to say about this show, so strap in, pour yourself a hot chocolate, grab your best spectacles and read on!
Last night was my first trip to The Union Chapel in Islington. I got off the bus a couple of stops too early, walking up Upper Street for about 10 minutes on my way there. I passed 3 other churches on the way, each looking more magnificent than the last. When I finally arrived at Union Chapel I could hardly it would be so tall, yet there was a line of indy rockers, ready to rock out, so I made my way over. I paid my £13, spent my last £10 on 4 cans of John Smith's and found myself a seat near the aisle with a view of the trap set. I knew I wanted to see what John McIntire was up to more than anything else. This strategy paid off. Between 7:30 and 8:00 more people filtered in, I examined the stunning church around me, and took in some amazing entrance music that sounded like the string arrangement in the last ½ of Nobekazu Takemura's remix of Yo La Tango's Danelectro. It probably was another Takemura I haven't heard yet, and it played between all of the intervals. It really set the mood and made the anticipation that much sweeter. One other thing I noticed during the intermissions was that the crowd seemed to be very American. This was not nearly as bad as the Superbowl the night before, but strangely annoying. They should quit following me… 🙂 Anyway, on to the show…
Monade was up first, in what I would later find out was their first performance, when the singer of the High Llama's pointed it out. Monade is Jim O'Rourke, who has produced everyone and everyone's mom, including Stereolab, The Sea and Cake, Sonic Youth and Wilco. He also has a number of his own projects under his belt. Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab joined him, along with an unknown rhythm section. I imagine this was probably the first time she's performed live without Mary Hansen since she was killed in a biking accident in London last month. Given that I've never heard her sing without Mary Hansen's accompaniment, the first few songs sounded very lonely. I could've been reading that into it on my own, or it could have been really there. In either case, it was there for me, since I missed Mary Hansen's voice next to Laetitia's. It was also strange when the male bassist would sing along with her. Mary Hansen will indeed be missed.
You could also tell there was a composed anxiousness from these performers, who have all got tons of experience on stage, but none as a unit. There were a few near-mistakes in the first few songs – nothing that leapt out as terribly bad but a few unexpected 'errors' fed the energy of a raw, experimentation with new material. For instance, Laetitia would be concentrating so hard on the chords she was playing on guitar she would sometimes pull away from the microphone accidentally. There was also the really silly entrance before the first song, where they all got ready to play, and then Laetitia realized she didn't have here pick. She fumbled though her corduroy pockets in front of a full room of antsy customers who all seemed to be enjoying the humanity of the moment. Towards the end of the first song, she busted out some trombone, but it wasn't exactly the best tromboning I've ever heard. Still fun though!
The music itself was splendid. It sounded like a paired-down Stereolab. I got the feeling they are still working out some of the mixing issues, because Jim O'Rourke's Nord Electro keys often drifted into the background. Again, it didn't detract at all for me, as all of the rawness translated into untold enthusiasm elsewhere. One thing that stood out (for all but one song) was the de-emphasized rhythm section. It seemed to be very squarely on the shoulders of Laetitia and Jim. No complaints here. More than anything else, what really made its mark on me was Laetitia's voice. She slides in and out of French monotone to a scary, accurate range that seems to come out of nowhere. In one song, she started singing before Jim O'Rourke's synth line crept in, which created a perfect-pitch 'reverb' to her words on entry, trailing off just after her voice. It was a creepy and effective technique that really took me by surprise. You expect a singer to match key to an instrument, not to be so perfect that a keyboard can join in unnoticed. Her voice simply transformed into a synthesizer, and continued to do so throughout the refrain. I was also blown away by how accurate her voice sounds live to the quality on her recordings. There is no difference at all from what I can tell, further evidenced by the sometimes-strange facial contortions she makes to hit some notes. Real singing does not usually look pretty. It was really refreshing to watch someone bare all on stage like that, rather than look good and lower their register. Her voice was given the spotlight throughout, and she seemed to take advantage of that liberty even more than she does with Stereolab. This was all I could've hoped for and more, especially for their first performance. Everyone at ATP should run to check this out (I hope she will be there – Jim O'Rourke is confirmed).
I must confess to knowing very little about the High Llama's. They are Irish, and very Stereolabesque, for lack of a better word. There are six guys as follows:
-Drummer on trap set
-Percussionist on vibes and Roland drum pad with effects (playing with four mallets at once and twiddling drum pad effects)
-Keyboardist on two keyboards (sounded like a Rhodes and a Farfisa to my ears, although from what I understand the Farfisa does not travel well, so it may have been something else, or at least this is why I hear Stereolab does not travel with theirs)
-6 string Guitarist/Banjoist (about a 50/50 split between the two)
-6 string bass
-Singer/12 string guitar/keyboard (also could have been a Farfisa, not sure)
The singer was really humble and polite. Probably a weird thing to say in a music review, but it really came through. The first things he said on stage was that he really loved Monade's debut, and that it was an honor to play with them and Stereolab. The guy just oozed 'nice-guyness'. His singing was a bit 'folksy' for my taste, but I have to say his brief speeches between songs really endeared me to the authenticity of his singing. When he wasn't singing, the songs broke out into very Stereolabesque territory, meandering everywhere, with slight variations on a theme. I enjoyed them more as the set progressed. One thing that made the biggest impression on me was how amazing the vibes sounded in that church. Wow! They rung out with the most luscious authentic reverb I've ever heard. Amazing…
I need to preface the rest of my comments by confessing that The Sea and Cake are my favorite band. I have easily listened to them more than anything else in my collection for the last three years solid. In my estimation, Archer Prewitt is the best guitarist since Johnny Marr and John McIntire is the best drummer ever. Add to that an uncanny musical chemistry between the two, the discordant vocals of Sam Prekop, his own excellent guitaring, bass work that knows its place, a healthy does of synths, and you have the definitive modern band. Nearly every song has vocals, but most allow at least half the song for the instruments to breath.
Sam Prekop's vocals were brilliant. I still don't understand what he's on about most of the time, but one thing that really impressed me was how many of the vocals were different now. That is a dedication to writing, and the first evidence of their commitment to endless revision and a gift-giving live show. I wish I had words to describe Archer Prewitt's guitar, but they are failing me. I can only compare it to the diversity of Johnny Marr, never requiring the focus, always delivering when it's given. I also never realized how much singing he does, and how well he does it. Can't believe I missed his solo stuff until now…
What really distinguishes both Tortoise and The Sea and Cake is that every song gives John McIntire a chance to shine in some way. He drums like a man possessed. The look in his eye is of a completely immersed consciousness, pounding precisely with a funk uncommon at half his speed. He rotates, massages and lends dynamics to beats in a way that no one else has ever done before. His funk is curved at a swing that doesn't exist in time – just in rhythm. He literally massages the snare with his stick (to what effect I'm not sure), while drumming at 160 bpm. To watch him play subtle background rhythms is engrossing – to see him gain focus in their finale is awe inspiring. I have simply seen nothing like it, and am really regretting not having paid more attention to Tortoise when they played DEMF in 2001. Later that same day IIRC, The Roots' drummer blew me away in his DEMF 2001 15-minute finale, but this is something altogether different. You need to hear it, learn it, then witness it live, with all the added variations that slide past unnoticed unless you watch him in action. One very minor detail that explains some of what needs to be seen is that with one hand, in the middle of a song, he unscrewed a tambourine from the foot pedal to which it was attached, did it in a way that it only shook once when he grabbed it, again when he lifted it, and one last time when he plopped it on the ground (it was still mic'd throughout this process). He did all of this while drumming with his other foot and hand, and each of those shakes was not only in-time, but perfectly accented the guitars that were dueling in the foreground.
The synth-man just came along for the tour – he is not an actual member of the band (they usually do this bit after recording, or have it sequenced while playing live, I suspect). He was this bigger crew-cut-lookin' guy who totally looked out of place, but he had some sweet tricks up his sleeve. There was some sort of pen device he was using to play all of their legato synth solos with. That was really cool to see – the guy was literally writing music (I should know better than to throw out such a horrible pun towards the end of such a long review ;).
If I have any complaint at all about the show, it's that The Sea and cake were trying out the material from their new album 'One Bedroom' live for apparently one of the first times. While I was really excited to hear what I haven't bought yet, their music is crafted with such care that it often takes about 4 or 5 listens to start to hear it, and about 20 to really get the idea. Usually after hundreds I still pick out nuances I've missed. So when they only played about 5 older songs, I didn't get quite what I'd bargained for. This is not to say the new stuff wasn't great. In one of the first songs they played, Archer Prewitt busted out a rare solo that was mind-blowing. I'll point it out when I get the CD. In that dueling guitar song I mentioned, Sam Prekop had his own solo, which I think is really unusual, and very cool to see.
The encore came quickly, to a crowd that was very subdued (it was a church full of people sitting in pews after all). At one point in between songs, Sam Prekop even said "Shhh…", joking about how quiet it was in there. I'd love to see them in a more animated venue, although this was good in its own reverent way. So this finale lasted for about 15 minutes, in which John McIntire got to do three show-off songs. In two of them he completely recreated the beat from the original, in a way that was still recognizable, but completely reemphasized. These were also three of my favorite songs. The end of the last song even extended into a droney drum and guitar dialogue that explained all of the chemistry between Prewitt and McIntire. After only 75 minutes I wanted more. After only 15 minutes of uptempo McIntire madness I really wanted to hear The Man Who Never See's a Pretty Girl That He Doesn't Love Her a Little, which is his opus and probably my favorite song by them. But I was happy to have had an introduction to them live, knowing that they will probably stop back through here in May on their European tour. With all this music, it helps so much to know the songs inside and out before you see the live performance, which inevitably breaths new life into that material, no matter how well you know it. Good musicians will reinvent it and show you some more of what you can barely keep up with through speakers alone. It is precisely what music should be. It is what inspires me more than anything else these days.
Archer PrewittDEMFJim O'RourkeJohn McEntireLaetitia SadierMonadeSam PrekopThe High LlamasThe RootsThe Sea & CakeTortoiseUnion Chapel
Prosthetic Memory
ATTACK!!!
Top stuff 2011
Five Note Leo Groove
A n00b shops for hardware compressors
Sonic Rolling Ball Sculpture
Mike Harmon on Movement 2004 – Friday May 28, 2004
Tristan Watkins on Five Note Leo Groove
Vince on Five Note Leo Groove
Tristan on Five Note Leo Groove
chaircrusher on Five Note Leo Groove
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Our all natural eczema cream has been formulated to be effective yet gentle. We have combined ingredients from nature that have a positive affect on eczema, gentle enough for babies.
Our ultra thick Eczema Cream is made with natural soothing and healing ingredients for soft, healthy skin.


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Invisible "arcs of chaos" stretch across the solar system
An extensive network of invisible energy structures has been discovered in solar system – a celestial highway that future space probes could use to explore distant corners of solar space.
These hidden energy structures, called multiples, appear in space time due to the gravitational interaction of massive objects such as planets, said Nataša Todorović, a mathematician at the Serbian Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade and lead author of a paper on the discovery. While astronomers have long known about such paths and even used them to navigate our celestial neighborhood, the new study has revealed a new form in these varieties: "chaos arcs" that form an invisible "ornamental structure." which has evolved over the decades. And this discovery could help explain the mysterious behavior of comets and other small objects that dance erratically inside and outside this part of the universe.
Related: From the Big Bang to the present: snapshots of our universe through time
Manifolds are essentially cosmic express bands that emerge from the complicated gravitational pull between celestial objects. "Gravitational [manifolds] they are simply a catalog of unusual paths of "free fall" through the solar system, "meaning paths in which an object appears to fall, like Newton's apple, on a path dictated by the gravity of a large object," said Shane Ross, o Virginia Tech Aerospace Engineer, who pioneered the study of these structures.
"Here on Earth, close to the ground, the free fall paths look pretty boring – a collection of straight lines pointing to the ground (for objects starting from rest, like a falling rock) and parabolic lines if the object has been given a horizontal speed, like a baseball, "said Ross, who was not involved in the current study for Live Science." But imagine a rock starting farther from Earth, actually close to the moon. "
At that moment, the arrangement of the gravitational corridors becomes more complex. A small nudge could make a big difference – a sensitivity that mathematicians call chaos. As the gravity of the Earth and the gravity of the moon are getting closer and closer to mutual balancing, chaos is increasing, and varieties are becoming more complex.
"I understand a single variety as the boundary between chaos and order," said study co-author Di Wu, a research engineer at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
Todorović, Wu and Aaron Rosengren, also an engineering researcher at UCSD, studied the varieties that emanate from each planet's "Lagrange points" with the sun, which are the points where the gravities of the two massive objects can combine to hold smaller objects in place. -a fixed position in space relative to the planet.
An animation shows how the (numbered) Lagrange points of a (blue) planet move along with the planet as the planet orbits the sun. (Image credit: Anynobody, Wikimedia commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)
A third object orbiting the Sun at a Lagrange point appears to hang in space from the planet's perspective due to that gravitational effect.
Researchers have studied these varieties by simulating the solar system on a computer and sending "test particles" through it, like thousands of small imaginary spaceships. Over time, the paths followed by those spacecraft have revealed the true shape of the varieties that emanate from the Lagrange points of the planets, such as the gas giants.
They discovered that Jupiter's varieties create an arc shape, with more chaotic varieties surrounding the most orderly central gallery. In each new Jovian year, Jupiter produces a new arc and accumulates over time. The various following Saturn, Uranus and Neptune also produce arcs.
Jupiter's chaos arcs are represented graphically over the years in the simulation. (Image credit: Science Advances)
These varieties of arcs probably explain the behavior of asteroids and comets that tend to sit around Jupiter before jumping unexpectedly into deep space or diving into the inner solar system.
Over the course of a century in the researchers' simulation, thousands of test particles passing through Jupiter's Langrange points changed course and exploded into Neptune. Some completed that epic journey in less than a decade.
Related: 9 weird scientific excuses why humans haven't found aliens yet
These multiple changes could also explain why small objects drawn by a giant planet often behave in predictable ways – until they do. Comets around Jupiter have been observed suddenly changing their orbits after long periods of stability.
Researchers have long thought of varieties as forming an "interplanetary highway," Rosengren said. So it is not surprising that Jupiter's gravity can help objects reach deep space.
"However, the unique aspect of our research and what has not been observed so far is [full] The structure of this highway, "Rosengren told Live Science." What is also revealed is the surprising depth to which the varieties emanating from the vicinity of Jupiter can penetrate the solar system. "
Hopefully, this new deal will eventually lead to more advanced navigation for space missions, Rosengren said. A probe that rides expertly along the arcs of chaos could reach its destination much faster and could use less fuel than current probes, which rely on blunt navigation techniques that are only a major source of gravity (such as be Jupiter or the sun) at some point.
"More research is needed to understand the shape of the bow," Rosengren said.
The springs seem to connect in a superb, hidden logic.
"As for why it connects in such a beautiful model, frankly, we still have no idea."
Originally published on Live Science.


Bitcoin, the virtual currency, which is described as mathematically elegant, finds success demanding . It has lured many including a billionaire entrepreneur to create a payment service internet company to an ex patriot American who writes a blog on it and provides a tracking of its movements on line with an update every ten minutes.
Now Bitcoin is in the news again today as another alarming theft has been reported. This time the Danish Internet Payment System site, Coindesk, states that 1,295 bitcoins have been hacked which is about $1 million.
Coindesk Chief executive Kris Hendriksen reports that the hackers may be from Russia or neighboring countries. It appears that they weakened the site by launching a catastrophic denial of service attack, which is when a server is bombarded with data until it collapses. The hackers stole the virtual currency amidst the confusion.
Mr. Hendriksen added: 'Several consumer wallets have been compromised'. While the Bitcoin clients are contacted, BIPS (Bitcoin Payment Service) will temporarily close down the wallet site, the focus will shift to the real-time merchant processing business which does not require storing Bitcoins and invite risk of theft.
Currently Bitcoin is worth about $1,100 per coin and worth more than an ounce of gold for the first time for one coin transaction.
Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an anonymous, Satoshi Nakamoto, a person or persons, who have not appeared anywhere on the Internet since 2010. The inventor released a coding for the virtual currency in open-source form so that users called 'miners' can create their own bitcoins. These miners solve a complex algorithm to create a block of bitcoins, which is coded for production of a block every ten minutes.
There is a maximum of 21 million bitcoins set from Nakamoto of which about 11.5 million is determined to be in use on the internet websites for Bitcoin trading.
Since Bitcoin currency has appeared as the old "wild west" or gold rush days of California, the U.S. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a senate hearing on Nov 18 to listen to testimony from the Assistant Director of the Treasury and a FBI representative.
Private business investors such as Jeremy Allaire, chairman and CEO of Circle Internet Financial (a site which delivers digital currency as a payment tool), testified at the hearing 'that it represents one of the most important technical and economic innovations of our time' and considers it to be an advance in the ease of electronic payments and money transfers while lowering costs for business worldwide.
Richard Branson is accepting it for payment in space flight travel and political contributions may be made to a candidate's campaign fund in the U.S. next year.
The Weizmann Science Institute researchers, Dorit Ron and Adi Shamir, admitted today that their report released last Saturday is wrong on their theory linking Satoshi Nakamoto and the online black market Silk Road, 'Dread Pirate Robert,' criminal activity of which the FBI has made an arrest and prosecution in process.
The person accused of sending the money to the Silk Road founder turned out to be Dustin Trammell, a tech-savvy libertarian in Austin, Texas. In actuality, he sent it to Mt. Gox, a Bitcoin exchange. Trammell said he's communicated by email with the famous Satoshi, but that's it.
Bitcoin has had a wild ride this past year but its traders provide methods of its use and reduction of risk due to the digital wallet which can be monitored and maintained without subject to theft.
Theorists discuss that Bitcoin may be a bubble soon like the Tulip trade of the 17th Century Amsterdam which bankrupted investors; or is a Black Swan on the horizon?


Did you know that Barrett-Homes is the oldest Acoustical Contractor in Arizona?
Acoustical ceilings offer designer touches and sound improvement to commercial, healthcare, educational and industrial spaces. BHC offers a broad range of acoustical suspension systems and acoustical tiles in a variety of textures, sizes and colors for every budget and design. We have over 60 years of industry experience and continue to provide leading edge service to our clients. BHC offers design assistance, budgeting and construction for all of your acoustical needs. Our commitment to exceptional quality and the detail of our work can be seen in many regional facilities.


The Nicolaïte de Chaillot is a cultural and sports association which offers after-school activities such as football, gymnastics, judo, kung fu, tai chi and tennis, as well as camps during the school holidays. They also organize artistic, educational and sports activities and outings for kids from 6 to 17 years on Wednesdays and weekdays after-school at their Centre de Loisirs. Activities are led in French.
Check their website for details and to enroll.


I've been seeing this gathered clutch by Anna at Noodlehead in so many posts lately. It's a completely incredible and beautiful bag (which I've made several times, here and here) and I hopped on the bandwagon again because a good friend sadly misplaced the one I made for her. When she said it was lost, I interrupted her sentence to offer to make a new one because they are that much fun (and quick, and easy, and cute...). My friend has been doing "textile art", using beautiful fabrics to create abstract wall art, so I borrowed her aesthetic as inspiration for this one. Instead of the band described in the original pattern, I used an upholstery-weight woven fabric, and frayed the edges. I applied it with the reverse side of the fabric outward, so you can see the contrast better.
I used a vintage metal zipper and lined it in a fun orange pattern. Seriously, what makes this bag so fun to plan and make is the myriad of ways you can combine fabrics and textures.
Gorgeous! Love the two toned woven band - great idea!
I love sewing clutches, and this one is gorgeous!
They are such fun and quick projects--I love them too!
By the way, I am SUCH a huge fan of your fabric designs! They are simply beautiful. Love, love, love the boy meets backyard critters in Backyard Baby, and your florals are gorgeous. Wow!


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Argos misses forecasts despite Black Friday boost
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30826429
Image caption Argos received over 13.5 million visitors to its digital channels, three times last year's visitors.
Black Friday "significantly impacted" sales at the retailer Argos, according to the chief executive of parent group Home Retail.
The group, which also owns Homebase, said sales at Argos on Black Friday were up 45%.
But despite the boost, the store still failed to meet forecasts.
Like-for-like sales in the last 18 weeks nudged up just 0.1%, compared with expectations of a like-for-like increase of 2%.
Shares in Home Retail were down by nearly 5% on the news in early trading.
In a trading statement covering the period from the end of last August to the beginning of this month, Home Retail group said like-for-like sales at Homebase were up 0.6% and total sales were down 2.7%, which the group blames on store closures.
Homebase has shut 12 stores in the period, bringing a total of 19 closures in the last year.
John Walden, Chief Executive of Home Retail Group, said: "I am pleased with our overall performance during our important peak trading period, having managed through a volatile trading environment with good control of both gross margin and costs.
"This year's adoption of 'Black Friday' promotional events generally by the UK market significantly impacted the shape of Argos' sales over its peak trading period.
"In anticipation of volatility in trading patterns and the profit pressure caused by aggressive promotions, Argos pursued a more cautious trading stance over the period.
"This resulted in broadly flat like-for-like sales, but achieved both improved gross margins and good cost management."
Home Retail Group
Homebase to accelerate store closures
Home Retail Group reports Argos sales rise


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Web Performance

                        Good morning my names Matt. At little bit about me I studied graphic design.
Companies I have worked for in the past are
                        Kiddicare.com, Johnston Press who run local newspapers including Peterboroughtoday.com and play.com.
Currently I work as a software engineer at comparethemarket.

                        Can I have a show of hands if anyone here go who went to Deacons School?

                        Today I am going to be talking about web performance.

Too many sites are too slow

                        - Lots of websites today are to slow.

This makes users angry

                        - And slow sites lead to a bad user experience

Speed matters?

                        Why does any of this matter. Walmart.com for every second of improvement they experienced a 2% conversion.

                        - User negativity towards a brand, Tesco did some user testing on this and for one group they delivered a really fast experience and
                        they got some positive feedback to the brand, then they throttled the website and the comments became more negative towards their brand.

User Perception

                        These numbers here are hard coded we have no control over them anything over 3 seconds is considered not to be working.

                        "40% will abandon a web page if it takes more than three seconds to load" - Akamai Study

Performance + Great UX = Happy Users

                        So a fast website and a great user experience makes a happy user!

Set Goals

"Usable within 10 seconds on GPRS connections" - BBC News

"SpeedIndex under 1000" - Paul Irish

Load something useful first

                        Make sure you primary content are the first things on the page you do not want user attention focusing non primary content.
                        Defer all non-essential content.

Test on a slow connection

                        Always text on slow connections by throttling. There are lots of tool to simulate slow connections and its useful to see how you site behaves on different speeds.

                         Go to tab.
                         Google Page Speed insight use this tool to validate a build

                        Go to tab.
                        WebpageTest is a tool written by Patrick Meenan he currently works at Google he built this tool around 2008 and again this is a great tool to use

Desktop Cable

                        One of the features WPT gives you is to be able to view a video of a website loading up and at different connection speeds, browsers and devices

Mobile 3G

Speed Index

                        Speed Index is an important metric as it measure the time all visible parts of the page are displayed. Its measured in milliseconds and is reliant on the screen size or viewport

Different ways to measure web performance

First view

This is the view of the page for someone who has never been to the site before (or has cleared their cache since their last visit)

Repeat view

This is the view of a page if a user goes only to the page, closes their browser, and then reopens the browser and goes only to that page again as the first page they hit on the site.

Flow view

This is the view of the page when a customer has previously visited at least one other page on the site.

Critical Rendering Path

It is lot's of work for a browser to deliver a fast experience

Optimising for performance we need to understanding what happens in when a browser when it receives the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and renders them into pixels this is known as the critical rendering path

                        -The critical rendering path is the journey a browsers take to display a page.

                        -Its important to understand whats happening in the browser to be able to optimise for it.

                        -So what happens when the browser receives the HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Constructing the Object Model

HTML markup is transformed into a Document Object Model (DOM)

                        1.HTML is converted into the Document Object Model.

CSS markup is transformed into a CSS Object Model (CSSOM)

                        2.CSS is converted into the CSS object Model.

Render-tree construction, Layout, and Paint

                        3.Combine DOM and CSSOM to build the Render Tree.

What about JavaScript?

Where JavaScript is placed within a document is important

JavaScript can modify the DOM and CSSOM

JavaScript execution is delayed until the CSSOM is ready

JavaScript blocks DOM construction unless explicitly declared as async

                        1.JavaScript placement in the page is important

                        2.JavaScript can modify both the DOM and CSSOM

                        3.CSSOM construction blocks JavaScript execution

                        4.JavaScript blocks DOM construction unless deferred or loading asynchronously

Things browsers can animate cheaply

Postition, Scale, Rotation and Opacity

                       CSS transforms and opacity animations are easy for the browser to handle

Layer Creation

Examples

A single-layer page.

An element in its own layer.

                        This is called graphical hardware acceleration and uses the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
                        Go to tab.

CSS animation top/left vs transform in slow-mo.

                        Here is short video on the left is an animation using the CPU and on the right an animation using the GPU.

Emulation

                        Go to tab.

Prototype

Rapid Prototype and Create a working front-end quickly

Your site will always look different from Photoshop

Responsive or Adaptive design changes everything

Some things coming up and already in use to help in performance gains

Task runners

Take advantage of task runners there are some great tools being produced to help with performance gains

Critical Path CSS Tool

                        Automate performance you can minify, combine, build image sprite, compress images and this way it becomes part of the build process and not a manual task you have to do each time you relase.

GZIP + CDN

GZIP you content on the server.

Use a CDN to deliver your content to users.

                        For text based files GZIP performs best and can compress a file in a range of 70 - 90 % of it original site.

                        Use a CDN a content delivery network is basically lots of servers that can delivery content to users rapidly.

                        At CTM we use Akamai who claim they are only ever a single hop away from 90% of internet users.

Picture element

Now is the W3C HTML specification, Firefox 33+ and Chrome 38+ support the picture element. This is the future of responsive images.

<picture>
  <source media="(min-width: 45em)" srcset="large.jpg">
  <source media="(min-width: 32em)" srcset="med.jpg">

</picture>

                        The ability to serve up different images to different screens has now been standardised and it part of W3C specification.

will-change property

Hardware Acceleration - when certain operations such as 3D transforms are performed on an element on a page, that element is moved to its own layer. This allows it to render independently from the rest of the page and can be drawn on later.

Moving an element to a new layer is an expensive operation which can delay the start of a transform animation by a noticeable fraction of a second.

will-change: transform;

                        The will-change property informs the browser an element is going to change so it moves it to a new layer ready for animation.

Summary

Validate with PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest

Test on a slow connection

Understand the critical rendering path

Only animate opacity and transform, avoid painting and layout changes

Use emulations and the real device

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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The Road Map for Agriculture
The Three Pillars of the Climate Action Strategy
Signpost Advisory Programme
Sustainability Digital Platform
Climate Centre
The Urgent Actions
The Climate Challenge
The Road Map for Land Use
Time for Action
Farmers and Industry are taking Action
Keeping up the good work
Signpost Demonstration Farm Locations
Signpost Partners
Teagasc has set out opportunities to reduce GHG emissions in three phases (Figure 1). In Phase I, initial implementation of the technical measures in the current Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for Agriculture, 2019 can bring the sector about one third of the way to the 2030 target, almost-ready technologies (Phase II) and early stage technologies (Phase III) are required for the remaining two thirds.
While the pathway shown below is linear, it is unlikely that this will be the case in reality as, for example, not all of the Phase I measures will be implemented on farm at an early stage, while some of the Phase II and Phase III measures may emerge more quickly or slowly than currently anticipated.
The updated Teagasc GHG MACC, to be published in 2023, will give a more accurate assessment of the scale and timeline of the mitigation options available to Irish agriculture. The National Climate Action Plan 2023 will provide clarity of policy actions that will support the decarbonisation of Irish agriculture, and it will be informed by the reports of the Food Vision Dairy and Food Vision Beef and Sheep Groups.
In addition, the science behind how methane contributes to global warming is constantly evolving. For example, changing the metric for assessing its contribution from the current GWP100 to GWP* would be very significant in the assessment of the impact of methane. GWP100, accounts for methane emissions evenly across a 100 year time-horizon, while GWP* reflects methane existence as a short-lived gas that causes warming for about a 12 year period. This means that using GWP* in a herd with stable methane emissions will show a much lower warming effect coming from livestock. While the concept of GWP* is discussed in the IPCC's AR6, it is not yet used in the international accounting system for greenhouse gas emissions.
Figure 1: Roadmap for Agriculture to 2030, Teagasc MACC, 2019


Anna Steneholm is an experienced industrial toxicologist with regulatory expertise (e.g. REACH, CLP, food contact materials (FCM)), who has worked in the petroleum industry for more than 10 years. She represents Nynas AB, Stockholm, in the European petroleum trade associate Concawe, where she also acts as the chairman of the Health Management Group and is an active member in the Mineral Oil Task-Force and the Toxicology Group. She is also a member of the FEICA Paper and Packaging Technical Working Group.
Mineral oils are very versatile petroleum substances which can be used in many applications, including holtmelt adhesives. To ensure the supply of safe raw materials to customers, the oil industry has agreed on common criteria on how to assess the hazard of substances during the production process and how to demonstrate a safe product for the intended use. Many of these criteria and specifications have later been incorporated into regulations.
In recent years, mineral oils have been in focus as a possible contaminant in food. Here, many misunderstandings have resulted in additional work for many stakeholders throughout the supply chain. This presentation intends to shed light on the different types of mineral oils, specifications and the intended uses, including FCM. This will allow the formulator to choose a safe raw material for the specific application.


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Your weekend arts forecast: Sounds from Brazil and Ybor
Brazil's Daniela Soledade has lived in the bay area since 2003. Photo provided.
Blame it on the bossa nova, Eydie Gorme crooned on a 1963 hit record, it's a one-way mainline to love.
One of many sensual and seductive delights to come out of Brazil, bossa nova music – that soft, undulating sway of jazzy guitar chords and singing just above a whisper – retains a massive international fan club, decades after its introduction and commercial heyday in the 1950s and '60s.
Bossa nova requires a vocalist with precise breath control and pitch; a little too much breath, or too much extra expression, they might as well be doing samba in the dance-party streets of Rio de Janieiro.
"Most singers nowadays are trying to show off volume and all kinds of juggling, you know?" says Clearwater-based vocal artist Daniela Soledade. "And bossa nova is exactly the opposite of that. It's very minimalistic. It's just simple and beautiful and melodic."
She performs tonight (April 18) at the Palladium Theater, with jazz guitarist Nate Najar and saxophonist Jeff Rupert, in a program called From Rio With Love, Bossa Nova.
If that lineup sounds like the classic bossa nova trio, guitarist João Gilberto, singer Astrud Gilberto and sax player Stan Getz, it's intentional. The 1964 Getz/Gilberto album (featuring "The Girl From Ipanema") popularized bossa nova around the world.
She's currently spending her days in the recording studio, where Najar is producing her debut album. This song has just been released as the first single:
Born in Rio, Soledade has been in Florida since she was 16, when her mother married a Cuban American gentleman from Tampa. At first, it was tough for Daniela, who spoke no English at the time.
Bossa nova, she says, "runs deep in my veins." Her grandfather, Paulo Soledade, co-wrote with musical pioneers Antonio Carlos Jobim (composer of much of Getz/Gilberto), Vinícius de Moraes, Toquinho, Baden Powell and others. Her father Paulinho is an artist/producer whose resume includes work with Ivan Lins and Gilberto Gil.
The majority of young Brazilians don't dig the bossa nova, or its sprightlier cousin samba, as much these days. The contemporary trend, Soledade explains, is towards MPB ("Música Popular Brasileira," or Brazilian Popular Music).
But she's stuck on the classics. "In my opinion, it's the most beautiful thing, musically speaking, that we have created in Brazil," Soledade offers. "Nothing that's been made now, in my opinion, compares. It's so rich, the melody, the lyrics, the harmony, the feel, just so beautiful.
"That's why I've always loved it, and I continue to love it the same way."
Tickets and info are here.
ICU/Catherine Wheel at MFA
Theo Wojick, the late Tampa Bay artist whose works are on view in Cantos, at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, was a towering figure on the boho arts scene of Ybor City in the 1980s (an era lovingly and creatively recalled in Paul Wilborn's book Cigar City: Tales of a 1980s Creative Ghetto).
One of the most popular local bands of the era (this was before the ridiculous prefix "alt" was attached to any rock 'n' roll act that didn't sound like Journey) is reuniting for a one-off show at the MFA Saturday (April 20).
Known initially as ICU, and later as The Catherine Wheel, the group frequented the Impulse, Masquerade and Cuban Club in Ybor, and other such venues across the bay.
The show, starting at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6), features original members Jonathan Harrison, Gerald Hammill, Martin Connor and Doug Prescott, along with Mark Warren (of Mod-L Citizen). Tickets available here.
And now, this
Interesting stuff at thestudio@620. Tonight (April 18) Bob Devin Jones directs a staged reading of Art People, an original play by local playwright and theater critic Mark E. Leib, who also teaches creative writing at the University of South Florida. Showtime is 7 p.m. Details and tickets. And 22 young artists participate in Saturday's The Art Garden, a "Multi-Media Arts Extravaganza" at 7:30 p.m. including dance, live painting with harp accompaniment and spoken word plus fashion and original clothing designers. Info and tickets.
The Mainsail Art Festival is at Vinoy Park for its 44th weekend; hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. It is, of course, a juried art show, with $60,000 in prize money. Organizers expect 100,000 visitors to come by, stroll, gawk and (hopefully) buy something. It's just a short (albeit warm) walk up the street to the Saturday Morning Market, which means we should expect a lot of co-mingling on opening day. There's continuous live music, children's activities, food and drink, plenty of shade and great views of the marina, the Cross Bay Ferry and the Pier-in-progress. Details are here.
Baked in the Florida Sun (Saturday, April 20) is a benefit for Keep St. Pete Lit, featuring live painting by St. Pete artist Chad Mize and poetry readings by local poets, including Florida Poet Laureate Peter Meinke. Live music, local food, bev and craft vendors, books and other cool stuff. It starts at 5:30 p.m. at the offices of Behar + Peteranecz Architecture, 2430 Terminal Drive S. (in the Warehouse Arts District). Admission is $5 at the gate. It's part of the ongoing 2019 SunLit Festival. Monday's SunLit Event, A Celebration of the Erotic (7 p.m. at Venus) has live readings from Lisa Birnbaum, Amber DiPietra, Maureen McDole and Enid Shomer (among others) and a panel discussion.
Let us not forget the thespian arts, all outdoors this weekend – American Stage with Mamma Mia! at Demens Landing Park, and Much Ado About Nothing from the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival, at Williams Park.
Related Topics:American StageDaniela SoledadeMainsail ArtsNate NajarSt. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival
Floridian Social Club temporarily closed due to Covid
Your weekend arts forecast: So this is Christmas …
Christmas Caroling and more with American Stage's Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj


Founded in 1996, Morinda is a global, research-driven company with a mission to use the power of nature to help people live healthier, longer lives. Cutting-edge technology and extensive research have allowed Morinda to develop an innovative TrūAge product line, as well as other natural wellness products that reflect their passion to help people live younger, longer. Morinda is headquartered in Provo, Utah, and has a presence in over 70 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.morinda.com.


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British Council Funded GREAT Scholarship for Studies in the UK
January 3, 2023 January 3, 2023 by foilus.com
For the academic session 2023-24, up to 200 scholarships are on offer from 49 universities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. British Council Funded MAJOR Scholarships offers students from 14 countries the chance to have £10,000 towards their tuition fees for a wide range of one-year postgraduate courses.
Each scholarship is jointly funded by the UK Government's GREAT Britain Campaign and the British Council with participating UK higher education institutions.
Scholarship Sponsors: British Council
Host institutions: Institutions in the United Kingdom
Scholarship Worth: £10,000
Number of awards: Enough
Level of education: Postgraduate (Master)
See also: British Council Full Degree Scholarships 2023 | Application Guide
Funded by the British Council GREAT Scholarship 2023 | Eligibility criteria
To be considered for the GREAT Scholarship funded by the British Council, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Be a citizen of an eligible country
Have an undergraduate degree, be motivated and have an interest in the proposed subject area
Satisfy the UK HE English language requirement
Establish a commitment to the UK as a Scholar, through personal and academic fulfillment
Be keen to attend a networking event of all UK-based SENIOR scholars to discuss experiences and capture perceptions about studying in the UK
Be willing to liaise with the British Council and their Higher Education Institution and act as an ambassador for the BIG Scholarships
As a GREAT Scholarships graduate, please be willing to occasionally speak to potential applicants about their own experience of studying in the UK.
MAJOR Scholarships are available to students from the following countries: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam.
How to apply: Interested applicants for the GREAT Scholarships 2023/24 funded by the British Council should visit the participating university's page to find out more information and then follow the link on the university's website.
Applicants should then proceed to apply for individual scholarships following the instructions given on each university's scholarship websites.
Application deadline: The deadline varies by institution


My Instagram followers are already familiar with these new babies that I picked up in Zara (on sale!) the other day. Not only they add a special masculine touch to the whole look, they are going to be perfect for the upcoming fall days, so besides a few more items that are still on my fall wishlist, I consider myself fall ready!
realy classy look! like this outfit!
we love your new shoes!
Your are very stylish as always. A perfect sense of style.
Wow very original look, love it"
woahhhh! LOVE how you've styled this! that skirt is insane! amazing look!
You look so incredibly elegant! Love it!
I'm so in love with your look.
I'm curious to know from where do you come from?
Amazing outfit, I'm in love with your skirt!!!


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Actual and verified news from Ukraine and the world
StreamFX Reviews
Apr 6, 2022 StreamFX
About StreamsFX
Spreads and commissions
StreamsFX is a Cyprus-based worldwide Forex and CFD broker. Streams Financial Services Ltd. is the company that runs the broker. CySEC has approved and regulated this firm, and it is a member of the Investor Compensation Fund. Streams is a fully automated STP broker with a No Dealing Desk (NDD) execution model.
The broker has recently opted to remove its services from UK citizens under a Temporary Authorization (TPR) framework and is presently subject to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) legislation's Controlled Reuse (SRO) regime.
MetaTrader 4 is the sole trading platform offered by the company. MT4 is a market-leading Forex and CFD platform with several tools and features that are essential to a trader's success. Interactive charts, analytical items, and technical indicators are all included. Another advantage of trading using MT4 is the flexibility to tailor the interface to your own requirements. Currently, millions of traders utilize it all around the world. The following are the key benefits of MT4:
User-friendly interface suitable for beginners.
The MQL4 programming language
2000 unique indicators
3 types of order execution
30 technical indicators.
9 timeframes
The platform is available for Mac OS X, Windows PC, Android (APK), and iPhone (iOS).
The organization offers over 36 trading instruments from global markets that can be accessed from a single trading account. Below are some of the available assets:
Forex: 28 major and minor currency pairs.
Indices: 6 major world indices
Goods: 4 metals and oil, including gold, silver, and crude oil.
Users are offered floating variable spreads starting at 0 pips, although spreads and commissions vary by account type.
Classic account: starting at 1.6 points with no commission.
Pro account: from 0 pips with a commission of 4 units on each side.
ECN from 0 pips with a commission of 3.5 units per side.
Please note that market spreads can widen significantly during market open and close times and prior to key market announcements.
ESMA legislative restrictions impose leverage limitations on the broker. As a result, all account types have a maximum leverage of 1:30. By taking a percentage of a position from a broker, you may trade in considerably higher quantities than you could typically afford.
Leveraged trading can raise both earnings and losses. The business does, however, offer negative balance protection to all clients to safeguard them from losing more money than they put in.
There are several options for depositing and withdrawing funds from your account:
Payment cards, including credit cards and debit cards, Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro
Electronic wallets such as Neteller and Skrill
The firm charges a 2.75 percent maintenance fee for card deposits and a 4 percent charge for e-wallets. The cost of a bank transfer varies depending on the bank. There are no withdrawal fees charged by the broker.
Members must request a withdrawal from their personal profile and send it from an email address that has been confirmed. The minimum amount for a wire transfer withdrawal request is 20 EUR or USD. Withdrawals from a bank normally take 3–7 business days, while withdrawals via a credit or debit card might take up to 8 business days.
Members with a verified account can access a demo account for free directly from the client area. Unfortunately, unverified members cannot try out the platform.
The economic calendar keeps you up-to-date with market fundamentals and economic data affecting the markets so you don't miss a trading opportunity. The broker's economic calendar is based on TradingView.
This will allow members to view pip value, margin requirements, and get indicative quotes. The broker also provides a forex heat map and a market overview powered by TradingView.
StreamsFX offers three account types with Direct Processing (STP) and No Dealing Desk (NDD) trading models. All accounts have a fast execution speed of just 0.2 seconds, a 50% stop-out level, and a 100% margin call. In addition, all accounts have negative balance protection, and the MT4 platform:
Classic: This account requires a minimum deposit of $500 or EUR to open. This is the only brokerage account with no commission.
Pros: The minimum deposit for this premium account is $500/EUR, and the spreads are 0 pips. However, the fees on this account are the highest at $4/EUR on each side.
ECN: An electronic communications network account provides direct access to other market participants through interbank trading prices. The minimum deposit required for this account is 20,000 USD or EUR, with spreads of 0 pips and a commission of 3.5 USD/EUR on each side.
To open an account, you just need to click "Register Now" on the broker's website and provide your details, ID, and proof of address. Your account will be verified in just 10 minutes.
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Nokia and Samsung agreed on 5G patents.
Moody's is working on a scoring system.
Tesla receives a $5 billion credit line.
The US sues Google
Spotify will cut about 6% of jobs.


Government Chairs. Shopping for bosses may appear difficult at first, but not should you go this route. Getting a nice executive chair for your boss is a great way to earn brownie points at your workplace and show your boss they're appreciated at the same time. Chairs from this style, like the 811-LX Avenger Chair by OFM, typically feature soft leather upholsteries to encase plush comfort. The best part is that these chairs most likely won't cost you any more than other great boss gifts, for example a gift certificate to a elegant restaurant for two, or a well-known sporting event. Most great executive chairs offer amazing design and comfort cheaper than $200. Task Chairs. Like computer chairs, task chair typically deceptively simple modern designs. However , these are some of the versatile chairs on the planet! Task chairs have been known to contribute wonderfully to multiple workplace applications, including desks, cubicles, conference rooms, and even house offices. They often feature a relaxed compact design perfect for any, schools, and libraries. While they can be found boasting a number of upholsteries, often the most popular are mesh task office chairs. If you're in search of a seat to meet any of these criteria, it will please you to know that the very best feature of most task patio chairs is the incredibly affordable price.
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So I had an impulse idea on NYE before I hit the hay at about 9pm lol (pretty adventurous for me lately). To crochet a flower a day for the entire year. Yep that's also adventurous lol. It didn't come to me to do a different flower each day till day two though lol. So far we are about to enter the third week and I am loving every single flower.
I usually design the flower in bed the night before after a big day when my brain is quite drained. But some days you'll notice when I pick up the hook first thing in the morning haha. I will try and keep most of the designs easy and simple, but there comes a time when you need to mix it up a bit and bring other stitches into it to flare it up.
All patterns of mine are written in English and in US (American) terms. I will try and include either a table of stitch conversions or the UK terms as well. Just depends how busy I am with my boys and home life.
For now or at least until I can edit this post, it will only include US terms. My plan is to have an album or post for each month so that you don't get lost for where you are up to. I'll have to remember how to work that out but as we are still in January I can get away with having it all here for you in the one spot.
Please note, I will not be naming every single flower, I have a hard enough time naming one design let alone 365 small ones hahahaha. Feel free to suggest some if something jumps out at you.
I am using my DMC Natura Just Cotton stash and a 3.5mm hook.
Easy to catch up on though 🙂 have fun.
I only see January, February and March here.
Did you complete the whole year and I just can't find the rest of the flowers or did you stop after three months of making them?
I must be going nuts as I do not seem to be able to get to the actual patterns???? I so badly want to start following along although a bit late…….. Please help!!
Do you post a pattern each day?
I found it THANK YOU!!!! So so beautiful and am ready to start my flower journey.
Hello Emily, just found your blog and am so thrilled to discover your wonderful site, I have started on the 365 flowers with my left over tapestry wool threads as all the colors required are small amounts. Thank you for your blog whilst bringing up 3 boys, no mean feat!
Hey Wendy! My absolute pleasure. I do love what I do 🙂 I look forward to seeing what you make. If you have other social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, you can share it on there and use the #hashtag #365daysofcrochetflowers.
Thank you, I think it's going to be wonderful even though I am terribly late.
Hi Emily, there is no pattern for 10/3/18 is that correct? only a photo, so far been able to keep up its great, enjoying every minute of it.
Hi Wendy, It's hard to stick to certain yarns. Something new and exciting in the works with the flowers…stay tuned.
Thank you for sharing your time, your talent and your creativity. Love that you have each month as a link with all the patterns for that month. Sure makes it easy to find what your looking for. I have saved them to my computer so that I can be working on them a few at a time, but still have all the patterns so I don't miss out on anything. Wishing you and yours all the very best that life has to offer.
Are you continuing with an April bouquet? My Co-workers are anxious to see some new flowers!
Help please – where are the instructions for the flowers for April 1 on? I cannot seem to locate them in Instagram. Thanks for your help!
Hi KD I had the same problem but after searching everywhere finally found them on facebook under the heading of The Crochet Hook Up , seemingly it is going under a new lady and she puts new ones up everyday it is already up to 110, hope you finf them ok. Wendy.
Think it is only via the hook up on f/b not sure about instagram though.
That's lovely to hear Dawn 🙂 I can imagine how beautiful it will be.
What is your plan to use all these little flowers at the end of the year?
I'd like to know what I'm working toward–more than a bunch of lovely flowers.
Hi Christine, I'm not making these anymore but other people are making blankets, garlands, etc. If you have instagram, Look up Suregal and see what Susan is doing, it looks amazing.
The Crochet Hook Up (a bunch of beautiful crocheters) have taken over this now.
Please where can I find the links to the other months from April to December.


This property is just outside of the town of Heron, MT situated between the breathtaking Cabinet & Bitterroot Mountains in majestic western Montana & bordering Idaho. This rural community is nestled along the enticing Clark Fork River in Sanders County. The comfortable ranch style home has 3 bed/2 baths with a great shop for storing all of those recreational toys you will be using. An inviting hunting treehouse is tucked within the property allowing for prime hunting of bear, elk & deer not only on the property but on the Forest Service Land just minutes away. The 147 acre property borders the Cabinet Gorge Reservoir, which is a 3,000 acre impoundment on the lower Clark Fork River which extends from the Idaho border upstream to the town of Noxon, Montana. This narrow water body is located below the rugged peaks of the Cabinet Mountains to the north, & provides a scenic fishery for warm and cool water species.


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Star Wars Squadrons: A Review
October 10, 2020 October 10, 2020 Lisa ClarkStar Wars: Squadrons
Is Star Wars: Squadrons finally the new Star Wars game we've all been hoping for?
Since it's release on October 2nd, reviews of the game have been quite favorable. I've seen little, if any, complaints from people who have played it. If anything, the complaints have been that it's an amazing game in a limited package and fans are wondering how that will play out in the future or for expanded content of the game. Let's take a look for ourselves.
First, for those who don't know, what is Star Wars: Squadrons?
Star Wars: Squadrons is a space combat game set in the Star Wars universe developed by Motive Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It has both multiplayer game modes and single-player campaigns.
Squadrons allows you to play as an ace pilot for both the Empire and the New Republic. You can fly, fight and complete missions as you work with friends on multiplayer or solo for singleplayer campaigns to beat the game.
It has two multiplayer modes – the dogfights and fleet battles. Fleet battles allow two teams to match up head-to-head with the goal of taking out the other's capital ship. But, of course, you have to work through the other teams defenses of fighters first.
Fleet battles start with dog fights, which are short teams of deathmatch-style game play. The goal is to take down the enemy team's flagship.
Overall, it's a very solid game that is well worth your time and the money to purchase it. It has been a while since we've gotten a Star Wars game that focused solely on space combat and ships. Some of my favorite Star Wars games of all time were combat-based games and we were beyond due for another.
This one just hits it right out of the park. Why?
It's a clean, crisp game with a beautiful design and succinct storytelling and it has an enjoyable single-player mode as well as the chance to play multi-player with your friends. It's one of the most focused games I've seen EA put out in years now.
All in all, they delivered precisely the game they advertised (and isn't that a relief itself?) Although there are a few minor bugs here and there, it's a complete game that was deliver as advertised.
It's a fully-immersive VR game with the option to play normally out of VR as well. Some players report different experiences, depending on if they played in VR or not.
Campaign story mode is fairly brief with only 14 missions, but they are challenging enough to keep you working at it and not beat it in one day. There are complex mechanics that add to the experience.
At only $40 for a complete game, you're also getting a good deal and you don't need to purchase a bunch of additional expansion packs to get the full experience.
SWTOR In-Game Events for October 2020
Star Wars Pinball Readies to Change the Game at Home


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Costantino Ceoldo
The horror of the Islamic gangs in the UK
Opinion » Columnists
Pervert and inhumane. These are just two of the adjectives used by the judge in Leeds to describe 20 men, all of Pakistani origin, sentenced to Huddersfield. What apparently seems a quiet town in the heart of Britain hid, and according to several sources still hides, a traffic of disturbing child sexual exploitation. In other words, even girls aged only 11 have been turned into sex slaves. Such as? The gang lured prey on the street, leaving school or the bus station. Apparently, it could be a simple invitation to a party. But here, then, there were alcohol. Moreover, the drugs were inside the drinks. What happened next can be imagined. "At one point I was alone with one of them. That was the first time they raped me. And before that night I did not even know what sex was like" K. says, who has to remain anonymous for legal reasons. Then she adds a disturbing detail: "Often they told us that we were nothing but white trash".
by Eugenia Fiore Bennati
Once you enter the tour, it is virtually impossible to get out of it. Everyday life turns into a nightmare based on torture and threats. Yes, because if at the age of 12 you are covered with gasoline on your head and they threaten to set you on fire, you do not say no. You let they rape you. And if they then threaten to set fire to your home and your family too, you get in that dark car waiting for you in front of the gate. From the stories of the victims, in addition to the gruesome nuances, a key factor emerges: these monsters were able to control the minds of the teenagers. It is as if they had somehow become their property. Property of their rapists. Just to give an example: the mother of one of the victims said that her daughter was in danger of getting hurt by jumping off the balcony of the first floor of the home, to go out after her attackers had ordered her to meet them. Another girl managed to escape the abuse after the Pakistani gang set fire to her home. As a result, the family had to relocate: "It was the best thing they could do to me, that of setting fire to my home."
"Used and abused at will"
The abuses took place between 2004 and 2011. The 20 men of Huddersfield, who are all part of the local Muslim community, were sentenced to Leeds Crown Court after three trials: they committed more than 120 crimes against 15 kids and girls. But, according to what emerged from the papers, one thing is sure: many aggressors have not yet been identified. The same applies to the victims. And it's not over here: it dates back to November 16, in fact, the news that another 30 people from the same country are accused of rape, mistreatment, trafficking in children and drugs. They will go to trial in a year.
The gang leader, Amere Singh Dhaliwal, a 35-year-old married with two children, was sentenced to life imprisonment. "The magnitude and severity of your violence far surpass all that I have seen in all my years of work", said one of the judges involved shortly before the sentence. The other beasts of the group took instead from five to 18 years. They used code names like "Dracula", "Bully" or "Beast". According to reports from other jurors in Leeds, the attackers, in particular, were predating young and vulnerable kids and girls. In fact, one of them would have had the mental age of a seven-year-old during the years of the nightmare.
National horror
But it's not just Huddersfield. It is all over the United Kingdom: it is Rotherham, Oxford, Rochdale, Newcastle, Keighley, Halifax, Bristol, Aylesbury, Peterborough, Telford, Banbury, Derby. And certainly many other cities.
Since 2005, around 300 men have been convicted of rape, child trafficking and kidnapping. Of these, 99% [1] belong to the local Muslim community. In particular, it is in 84% of cases of people of Pakistani origin. A smaller slice, on the other hand, is of Somali origin. Then there are to be considered that many processes and many investigations are still ongoing. Furthermore, the possibility of some of these gangs being connected to each other should not be ruled out, considering the fact that often the victims were taken to the other side of the country and then sold to other men.
This crime, until a few years ago, was rarely discussed in the country. It represented a kind of taboo. These sexual abuses were often ignored or even buried. In Rotherham, in fact, where 1400 girls have been raped and abused for years, the police [2] have publicly apologized for ignoring the countless requests for help from girls and families for years. Many policemen admitted that they were afraid of being identified as racist by addressing the topic. And so, the protection of institutional reputation or community cohesion came before the protection of these girls.
"We gang victims, covered with gasline and raped"
"A car has approached. Inside there were two Asian men. Later, one of them raped me". Katy is one of the victims of the Pakistani gang in Huddersfield. Victim of 20 animals condemned in total to more than 200 years in prison. They raped, tortured, drugged, kidnapped and sold girls and teenagers for years.
Katy, who is now a woman but during the years of the nightmare was 14, is one of them. She talks with difficulty. He does not want to remember. Alternatively, often, she can not do it. Yes, because often the orcs drugged her without her knowing. "That evening I do not know if I was raped by the other one too. I can not say it". "Were you conscious?" we ask. "No", she answers with a faint voice. Katy lost her virginity with violence. With that man who considered her only as "white trash". "They told us that we were just white whores. They were racists". For more than three years, this was her life. A reality equal to that of other teenagers and girls of Huddersfield (those found are about fifteen but, according to the judges of Leeds, they would be many more). The youngest of them was only 11 years old.
They, the orcs, are all of Pakistani origin and are part of the local Muslim community. They preyed on vulnerable girls with a complicated family situation because it was easier to lure and rape them. And even carry them around the United Kingdom to sell them and make them rape by others. "Once they brought me to Manchester in a hotel. First, they drugged me by putting something in my glass. Then someone came into the room and raped me" Katy says.
"Later they left me there. I did not know how to get home...". This is an example of the everyday life of these girls. Today they are women, but at the time - between 2004 and 2011 - they were only girls. "Have you ever tried to oppose, to say that you did not want to do it?". "Yes, but when I tried, they threatened me. Once they told me they would knock me out of the window" Katy says. The nightmare, for her, will only end at age 17. "I got pregnant with one of them. He was never accused of anything because there was not enough evidence. I think my child saved my life". "Why?" we ask. "Because suddenly it was like I was too old for them. They simply let me go".
But it's not just Huddersfield. It's all the United Kingdom. In total, from 2005 to date, there are about 300 convictions for rape, mistreatment and kidnapping of members of local Muslim communities. And even in these cases the victims are mostly of English origin. Yes, because for these orcs who raped and used them, they were just "white trash". It is impressive to find the same stories from other girls. We talked to Elizabeth and Sammy, victims of the Pakistani gangs of Rotherham and Swinton. Other years. Other men. The modalities, however, the same. "They were all Pakistani. The ladies, on the other hand, were white women converted to Islam" Elizabeth says. "Once I was segregated in an apartment for 10 weeks. Then they started selling me all over the country". We ask hem how many men raped her in those four years. "I can not say a specific number...".
"Once you enter this tunnel, you're already trapped. You can not get out of it. You start to feel like a property of them" Elizabeth adds. "If you were not doing what they ordered you, they threatened you with death. Some girls were covered with gasoline and then raped 30 or 40 times in the evening. You could not say no" Sammy remembers. In Great Britain they call it Grooming scandal, that is: soliciting scandal. "I think it's one of the most dangerous crimes. Because at first you do not know what's happening to you. So, it's like a silent crime. Then, once you realize it, it's already too late. You can not get out of it" Sammy says. "Once they tried to kill me. We were on this car and started going fast. Then even faster. We arrived at the top of a hill and told me that he would throw me off the cliff. Then, in the car, he raped me again. In those moments I was like a dead body in a morgue". They lured you, they raped you and then they threaten you. And they threaten your family too. "Sometimes they told me they would set fire to my house if I did not get on their car", Sammy says. "The police knew, but did nothing. They were afraid of being called racists". At the end of the interview, Elizabeth's eyes are bright. Many years have passed, but that nightmare is still inside her. She will never be free of it. "Today I always repeat that I'm lucky to still be alive".
[1] https://www.quilliaminternational.com/shop/e-publications/group-based-child-sexual-exploitation-dissecting-grooming-gangs/
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-28943381/rotherham-child-abuse-police-chief-apologises-to-victims
Original articles by Eugenia Fiore Bennati:
(part 1) http://www.occhidellaguerra.it/lorrore-delle-gang-islamiche-migliaia-di-bimbe-stuprate-e-torturate/
(part 2) http://www.occhidellaguerra.it/stuprate-per-anni-dagli-islamici-le-testimonianze-choc/
Translation by Costantino Ceoldo - Pravda freelance
Author`s name Costantino Ceoldo
Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare for massive counteroffensive near Zaporizhzhia
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We connected with Raleigh based rap artist Oneway Ty for an exclusive interview to talk about his newly released single "What I Like", which features Chapel Hill artist K.A.L. During our interview with Oneway Ty, we also got to chance to discuss why he changed his name from Young Ree, his thoughts about the Hip-Hop music scene in Raleigh, what he looks for in production and much more.
After reading our Q&A with Oneway Ty, be sure to connect with the talented emcee on his social media and be on the lookout for his debut album "Then There Was Me", coming soon.
Big ups to you on the release of your new track "What I Like". How did you connect with the featured artist K.A.L. and what inspired you to write the track?
I met K.A.L at a Carolina Waves artist showcase event back in December. I felt like he was a great artist. I liked his voice, his vibe. I felt like he was a dope artist.
What inspired the track was me having a need of a breath of fresh air. And by breath of fresh air, I mean a lot of music I hear from my peers sounds the same. So I wanted to bring back an old school vibe and most importantly "feel good" music. I felt a collaborated track with K.A.L would bring that feel good energy. Whether you're riding in a car, at a party or just something you can vibe to.
Why are you releasing this new track under the name Oneway Ty and not Young Ree?
Young Ree was my first artist/stage name. But over the years as time went by and I matured, I wanted my own identity and a new start. That brought about the name change Oneway Ty. The music that I'm making now is what I would like to represent me - who I am as a man now!
What can you tell us about your upcoming debut album "Then There Was Me"? Will "What I Like" be featured and will any other Raleigh or Triangle based artists/producers appear on the project?
My up and coming album 'The There Was Me' represents the mindset that I have of being different and separating myself from the "copy-cat" musical output in my city. My mission with this album is to bring back the feel good music, the ride around in your car music, the cookout music, the party feel. But also respecting the hip-hop culture and bringing a lyrical approach to each track. Almost like a late 90s early 2000s feel.
'What I Like' will also be one of the leading singles featured on the album 'Then There Was Me'! There will be a second single to follow up with 'What I Like' and there will also be visuals to both singles, radio play and other marketing promotions to draw people to the album!
Other than K.A.L I will feature 2 or 3 other artists. But currently I'm indecisive on who I'd choose because I'm picky about features and because it's all about creating an organic vibe! As far as producers, there will be too many to name!
Speaking of Raleigh, which is where we are based as well, what are your thoughts about the local scene? What do you think needs to be done for the city to emerge into prominence on the national stage for Hip-Hop relevance?
I think the local scene is dope in its own way. I respect a lot of artists. I'm a fan of artist such as Ace Henderson, K.A.L, Jianni, Trez Falsetto, Northside Rocky and the list goes on! It's a lot of talent in the city, and I'm just happy to be recognized in the same field as such.
I think as a whole, North Carolina is now on the radar when it's comes to the national stage for hip-hop. Because of artists like J Cole, Rhapsody, DaBaby, and producers like 9th Wonder! As far as Raleigh as a whole it needs to be more unity as Atlanta had back in the day. There's a lack of support between artists and some people get competition and uplifting your fellow artist confused. There's not enough unity. There's a lot of talent but we need more "actual events" to showcase more artists in the city because Raleigh has HEAT!
From a creative perspective, what do you look for in the beats that you select to write to, and what's your creative process for song development?
When it comes to my creative approach when I hear a beat I instantly get a vibe off of it! When I listen to a beat I want to hear how it sounds in the car and in the speakers and see what emotions it brings out of me. Whether it's an upbeat feel, a sad feel, a party feel. I just look for those things when picking my beats!
My creative process when I was younger was all about trap, trap, trap! But as I matured and did more studying into the hip-hop culture, I started learning how to touch on different topics, ideas and melodies. So when I'm creating a song I have 2-3 ideas/topics for each beat! 9 times out of 10, it's never the first idea, it's usually the second or third.
My mission in creating music now compared to then is wanting to make people dance and feel good! But I also try to stay true to myself and true to the art by remaining lyrical in my creative process!