So far Mike McCann has created 51 blog entries.
Pyramid schemes share one overriding characteristic, according to Debra Valentine, former general counsel of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): They promise consumers or investors large profits based primarily on recruiting others to join their program, not based on profits from any real investment or real sale of goods to the public. Bitcoin products and pyramid scheme share this description, according to Jonathan Harris. He offers a cautionary view in a recent opinion piece for the CFA Institute.
Some proponents of bitcoin equate it to investing in gold. This may be a reasonable analogy. Still, even in the best case scenario, both bitcoin and gold share the characteristics of being volatile investments with poor long-term returns. While gold has other uses (e.g. jewelry or art), Harris points out that bitcoin does not. Furthermore, after the supply of new bitcoin buyers is exhausted, final investors will find themselves with assets that decline in value as early investors sell off.
"If it looks like a pyramid scheme and sounds like a pyramid scheme, we should treat it like a pyramid scheme until proven otherwise," Harris stresses.
At Perspective, our time-tested investment strategy focuses on building a well-diversified portfolio of stocks and other securities. The Perspective Investment Committee meets quarterly to review and fine-tune the list of funds our advisors utilize to build balanced client portfolios. It is part of the firm's strategic process. Funds are selected based on several criteria. Considerations include factors such as cost and the fund manager's tenure. It also includes overall performance and risk vs. return (both of which we compare to peer funds and other benchmarks).
For Harris' full article on the CFA Institute website, click here.
Estate planning is about much more than the tangible elements of life insurance and trusts, or investment accounts and wills. That's because your money and possessions are not the only representations of your life. What about your beliefs and wisdom, your personal experiences and family stories? These are your legacy. They are the most valuable assets you can pass on to your loved ones and community. So, how do you make your legacy tangible?
One simple way to pass on your legacy is to write a heartfelt letter. You can also create short videos or audio recordings in which you share family traditions, memories and other stories. For those feeling especially ambitious, it has become easier than ever to create biographies, memoirs and other specialty books.
Regardless of how simple or elaborate you choose to be, you'll want to include these items in your estate plan along with instructions for how they are to be shared and preserved. Remember, too, you don't have to wait until your death to share them.
Sharing your life stories today can benefit you and your family in multiple ways. For example, a 2006 study from Emory University shows that children who know and understand their family's history exhibit strong self-esteem and a belief that they can influence events and outcomes in their lives. Additional benefits, according to Roser, include decreasing depression in older adults, connecting with family, and increasing the likelihood of a successful wealth transfer.
Charitable giving can also include a legacy letter, video or other vehicle that shares personal wisdom and values. Your thoughts and insights will make the gift all the more meaningful to the recipient. A college student who benefits from your scholarship will also benefit from knowing why you gave. Nonprofit employees will appreciate knowing funds to continue their work came from someone with shared beliefs and values.
Just like the drafting of important financial papers, documenting your non-financial assets should be done before it becomes urgent or too late. Why not start right now?
Pick a photo from your past and write a description of what was happening, how you felt when it was taken.
Record a two-minute video about your wedding day, the day your child was born or a family tradition.
Create a "Top 10" list (of things for which you are grateful, of mistakes you've made and learned from, or of actions you believe create a well-lived life).
Write a letter to your family telling them you love them and what you consider to be their greatest gifts.
When asked to express how much is required to be considered "wealthy" in America, the average response was $2.4 million — nearly 30 times the actual median net worth of U.S. households according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet, when asked to compare two opposing ideas of wealth at a more personal level, Americans leaned into things that money can't buy.
How do you define wealth? Whether you think of wealth in terms of mindset or assets, it's important to keep your financial and personal goals in your sightline as you tackle day-to-day life. The New Year is a great time to take a fresh look at your financial plan. Your Perspective Financial advisor would love to take the time to review it with you. Call or email us any time.
Typical goals in creating an estate plan are to establish a legacy and create a straightforward guide for your heirs. Depending on how long ago you created your estate plan, it's possible your wishes or priorities may have shifted. Your vision of your legacy and your directives may no longer be clear. That ambiguity can create additional stress and expenses for your loved ones and beneficiaries during an already difficult time. It's wise to review your plan every three to five years. That way you can address and avoid common estate planning pitfalls in the transfer of your assets. In a recent article, Rande Spiegelman, vice president of financial planning at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, shared some potential obstacles.
Review your accounts and beneficiary designations anytime there is a major change in your life, such as a birth, death or marriage in the family. Your heirs may not get the assets you intended when this information is incorrect. It may even override the wording of your will or trust in some cases.
"A revocable living trust is one way to avoid the unwieldy and costly probate process, because your assets technically belong to the trust—even while you're still alive," Spiegelman noted. You should create what he calls a "pour-over will" after creating and funding the trust (by changing the title of your accounts and other assets into the name of the trust), he suggested. This states that assets not otherwise devised by your will should be transferred to the trust upon your death. Finally, be sure to name a successor trustee (in case you or another original trustee cannot fulfill the duties).
Dscussing your estate plan can be uncomfortable. Still, it's wise to communicate as much as you can to your spouse, children or other heirs while you're still living. Your openness about your intentions can help them manage their expectations and may reduce any confusion, conflicts or legal battles down the road.


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Ananda Aluthgamage is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was elected from Kandy District in 2015.

References

Living people
Members of the 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna politicians
Politicians from Kandy
Year of birth missing (living people)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


"Discover the precise method for staying in flow with clarity and confidence, every day"
How to confidently improve your life in a way that actually works .
The exact cause of your struggle and what to do about it..
The two keys to being master of your own happiness, no matter what's going on around you.
The proven system for knowing your purpose and fulfilling it with ease.


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HomeCD ReviewsWitch Tripper - 'Witch Tripper'
Witch Tripper - 'Witch Tripper' http://rocktopia.co.uk/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/200x200s/f5/f5/5b/witch-tripper-witch-tripper-44-1524146719.jpg Hot
Added by Central Electronic Brain April 19, 2018
Witch Tripper
They have plenty of groove and attitude, while the production of the album brings out all the brutal riff work out in a splendid manor.
Witch Tripper are probably one of a hundred bands that have inserted the word "Witch" into their name! The trio are from Nottingham and were formed in 2014 with a line-up consisting of Richie Barlow vocals and guitar, Chris Stoff on bass guitar and Jimmy Collins on drums.
They have played their local circuit as well as the Bloodstock stage in 2015, and from that alone, you can guess they are a no-nonsense Metal act. The guitars tear out of each song, very much in the style of Monster Magnet, and they have plenty of groove and attitude, while the production of the album brings out all the brutal riff work out in a splendid manor.
'Attitude Adjustment' is foot-to-the-floor Metal, with Barlow's vocals having just enough of a sneer to bring to mind latter day Rob Halford of Judas Priest. The riffs don't let up on 'Chills To The Bone' – the song is a mass of driving guitar rhythms that lock in with the bass and drums to produce a true arsenal of Metal.
Things get a little predictable during 'You Get What You Pay For', though we get back on track during 'Shout' which obviously has a big meaty chorus and full-throttle approach.
By far the most ambitious musical offerings here are 'Served By Time' and 'Turbo Bitch', both having a shiny Metallic commercial edge, not unlike Five Finger Death Punch, and there is plenty emotional charge here to satisfy any Rocker.
If Witch Tripper can continue in this vein I expect to hear a lot more from them in the near future.
Ray Paul

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Aberdeen Airport (ABZ) is an international airport that is located within the civil parish of Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom with plenty of car hire options from Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, Sixt, National and Enterprise.
The airport lies on the northwestern part of the centre of the city of Aberdeen and primarily serves the city where it is situated. It was founded by Eric Gandar Dower way back the year 1934 and then only catered to flights to and from London and the Northern Islands of Scotland. The airport today already experienced a number of changes since it opened. It now serves flights not only within the United Kingdom but also to a number of international destinations.
Why rent a car in Aberdeen Airport at VroomVroomVroom?
Outstanding customer care - Contact us now!
Aberdeen airport is only about 7 miles from the city centre and easily accessible from the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road. There are separate short stay and long stay car parks and priority parking is available. Like most Scottish airports, the hire cars are available for pickup near the exit where you pick-up your luggage.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum is located within the historic Shiprow within the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is an award-winning museum that features marvelous displays of artifacts, documents and multi-media that tell about the history and development of the city of Aberdeen throughout time from fishing and on to many other industries. You can drive here quite easily in a hire car as there is parking options.
Beach Leisure Centre lies within Beach Promenade, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. For a family holiday with kids cramped in the rental car, this is a great opportunity for them to "have some fun". It is a marvelous leisure destination with highlights including a climbing wall, cafe, fitness studio, fountain, health suite, sauna and steam room, sports hall and pools complete with rapids and waves making it one of the finest options to relax and play. The centre is highly recommended to all families and sports enthusiasts.
Blairs Museum sits along South Deeside Road, Blairs. The museum features a large number of renowned historical items related to Scotland's Catholic History that spans over five-hundred years e.g. the memorial portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, church silver, embroidered vestments and a number of portraits and Jacobite memorabilia.
Codona's Pleasure Fair is situated at Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen. It is a marvelous amusement park that homes over thirty fun rides and attractions for people of all ages e.g. the giant Log Flume, 360 degrees Looping Star Rollercoaster, Haunted House and Eye Big Wheel. Please just promise me not to drive our nice new car hire on the log flume. Last time someone did that, it didn't swim very well because cars don't float.
Pathology and Forensic Medicine Collection can be found within Foresterhill which is a short drive in Aberdeen car hire, from the Airport. It is a celebrated museum owned and governed by the University of Aberdeen Medical School. The venue homes a large number of rare items and information about the country's records of disease manifestations and traumatic pathology and is only open to public by appointment.
Alamo Aberdeen Airport - Enterprise Rent A Car Car Rental Centre, Aberdeen, SCT.
Avis Aberdeen Airport - Aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen, .
Europcar D&c For Abzt01 - 16 Broomhill Road, Aberdeen, .
Europcar Aberdeen Long Distance D And C - 16 Broomhill Road, Aberdeen, .
Europcar Aberdeen Airport Prestige - Car Rental Center, Upper Farburn Road,aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen, .
Europcar Aberdeen Airport - Car Rental Center, Upper Farburn Road,aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen, .
Enterprise Aberdeen Airport - Car Rental Centre Dyce, Aberdeen, SCT.
Hertz Aberdeen Airport - Car Rental Building, Upper Farburn Rd, Aberdeen, SCT.
National Aberdeen Airport - Enterprise Rent A Car Car Rental Centre, Aberdeen, SCT.


On Monday August 1st (not long now!) my 'Lost Houses of the South Pennines' exhibition will come to Hebden Bridge Town Hall.
Come and have a look at these large, colourful paintings of the regions lost houses, and find out about their rise and fall.
Demolished by Calderdale council in 1951, High Sunderland is thought to have been Emily's Bronte's inspiration for Wuthering Heights.
An Arts an Crafts style mansion with fountains and rose gardens in the heart of Cragg Vale. It stood for less than 20 years before it was destroyed by fire in 1921.
The house that stood in what is now known as Todmorden Park. Demolished by the council is 1953.
Both owned by the Foster family in Queensbury. Both demolished in the early 2oth Century.
The strangest story of all! It was bought by William Randolph Hearst and shipped to California.
The vast castle with water gardens that stood, hidden deep in the moors at Luddenden Dean. Bad luck seemed to follow anyone associated with it.
A grand gentleman's manor house belonging to the Crossley Family of Halifax. It stood at the heart of Manor Park. It was demolished with gelignite by the council in 1957.
Home to many famous people, among them Abraham Sharp, a scientist who heightened the central porch to create an observatory. It was demolished in 1965.
The Exhibition will be there until August 25th.


Smooth and durable calfskin leather comprises this curvy mini bag styled with touches of gleaming goldtone hardware. The simplistic design of the Mini Georgia bag makes us fall in love with Chloe all over again! This petite size is just enough room to store your phone, wallet, and keys. Retail price is $1090.
The exterior leather is clean but has scuff marks throughout the bag. The leather shows light creasing and has light indentations. The hardware is bright and shiny with light surface scratches. The interior is clean with a few pen marks and light wear. Overall it remains in good condition.


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REPUBLIKA PANAMY
Independence Day of the Republic of Panama
Panama, country of Central America located on the Isthmus of Panama, the narrow bridge of land that connects North and South America. Embracing the isthmus and more than 1,600 islands off its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the tropical nation is renowned as the site of the Panama Canal, which cuts through its midsection. It is equally well known for its natural beauty, for its diverse plant and animal life, including hundreds of bird and tree species, and for its vibrant music and culture.
The home of several Native American peoples, such as the Guaymí, Kuna, and Chocó, Panama became the first Spanish colony on the Pacific. Celebrated as "the door to the seas and key to the universe," it served in the 1530s as the staging point for the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire, and until the 19th century it was a transshipment point for gold and silver destined for Spain. With the independence of Colombia, which once controlled Panama, from Spain, Panama came to serve as another staging point, this time for oceangoing migrants to the gold fields of California.
Since 1914 the 51-mile- (82-km-) long Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, has afforded a long-sought shortcut for shipping and assures the country's standing as one of the most strategic transportation hubs of the world. The canal also secures Panama's ongoing role in international affairs and world commerce. The United States relinquished jurisdiction of the Panama Canal on December 31, 1999, marking an unprecedented shift in Panamanian society. For the first time in nearly a century as an independent nation, Panama controlled the entirety of its national territory.
Panama enjoys a lively mix of cultural influences, expressed in the country's cuisine, artwork, music, and literature. Its capital, Panama City, is located on the Pacific coast just east of the canal. A cosmopolitan city where skyscrapers tower above whitewashed bungalows, it enjoys a handsome setting and a growing importance as a commercial and financial services centre for the region. However, its economic progress has been hampered periodically by environmental problems and political turmoil.
Land - Relief
Panama is bounded to the north by the Caribbean Sea (an extension of the Atlantic Ocean) and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. It has an elongated S shape, with its Caribbean coastline stretching some 800 miles (1,290 km) and the Pacific coast some 1,060 miles (1,700 km); however, a line drawn from the Costa Rican frontier in the west to the Colombian border in the east would extend only 480 miles (770 km). The shortest distance across the isthmus is about 30 miles (50 km), from the mouth of the Nergalá (Necategua) River, which flows into the Gulf of San Blas on the Caribbean shore, to the mouth of the Chepo River on the Pacific coast. Nearly as narrow is the portion of the isthmus traversed by the Panama Canal.
A central spine of mountain ranges extends almost the entire length of Panama, dividing the country into Atlantic- and Pacific-facing slopes. The two principal ranges, the Tabasará Mountains (Cordillera Central) in the west and the Cordillera de San Blas in the east, are separated near the centre of the country by a saddle of lower land. This depression (the Panama Canal site) divides the country again—roughly into western and eastern halves. Of the four quadrants thus formed, the southwestern has the largest number of settlements; however, the environs of the canal account for most of Panama's population and commerce. The country's highest peak is an inactive volcano, Barú (Chiriquí), which reaches an elevation of 11,401 feet (3,475 metres).
Paralleling the principal mountain chains, a lower mountain arc extends along Panama's southern coast. It appears only in well-separated segments—for example, on Azuero Peninsula as the Canajagua Massif and in eastern Panama as the Sierra de Jungurudó, Sapo Mountains, and the Majé Mountains. The highlands and mountains are made up primarily of igneous (volcanic) rocks.
The lowlands include the plains of Panamá and Chiriquí provinces, the plains and hills of Colón province, the Chepo and Chucunaque river basins in the east, and the narrow northeastern plains of the Caribbean region. Sedimentary rocks such as slates and shales underlie most of the lowland zones.
The Pacific coastline is extended by the Azuero Peninsula and the Gulf of Panama and by numerous headlands and bays, whereas the largest embayment on the Caribbean side is Chiriquí Lagoon. The Pacific coastline is more indented and irregular, and its continental shelf is much wider than that on the Atlantic side. In addition, most of the republic's more than 1,600 islands lie off its Pacific coast; they include the Perlas Archipelago (Pearl Islands) and the islands of Taboga, Cébaco, Parida, Jicarón, and Coiba, the largest. The principal archipelagoes off the Caribbean coast are those of Bocas del Toro and San Blas.
Drainage and soils
Of Panama's many short rivers, those that flow to the Caribbean include the Sixaola, Changuinola, Indio, Cricamola, La Miel, and Chagres. Rivers flowing to the Pacific include the Chiriquí Viejo, Santa María, Chepo, Chucunaque, and Tuira. During the rainy season the Tuira is navigable for some 40 miles (60 km) and the Chepo for 20 miles (30 km). Water in the Panama Canal does not flow from coast to coast; rather, it is released from the rain-fed Gatún and Alajuela (Madden) lakes in the central highlands. In effect, the water flows to both coasts simultaneously via the canal's system of locks and dams. For details on the engineering and operation of the waterway, see Panama Canal.
Soils are commonly reddish to brown and rich in clay. They vary in fertility, and in many areas crops can be grown continuously only if fertilizers are applied. On poorer soils, a shifting subsistence agriculture is practiced. Under this system small plots are cleared, cropped for a few years, then abandoned until their natural fertility is restored—a practice called roza in Panama.
Areas of alluvial soils (which develop from clay, silt, sand, and gravel deposited by streams) are especially fertile but are limited to the lower parts of river valleys. The commercial banana plantations around Puerto Armuelles and in western Bocas del Toro province are mainly on alluvial soils. Some of the soils along the inland edges of coastal mangrove swamps have also proved productive. In some areas, exceptionally fertile soils have developed from volcanic ash.
Climate of Panama
Climatic conditions are markedly different on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of western Panama, especially in the amount and seasonal distribution of rainfall. On the Caribbean slopes of the Tabasará Mountains, which face the rain-bearing trade winds, average rainfall is approximately twice as heavy as on the leeward Pacific slopes. The Caribbean coast receives 60–140 inches (1,500–3,550 mm) per year, while the more populated Pacific region receives 45–90 inches (1,140–2,290 mm). Furthermore, on the Caribbean side rain falls almost throughout the year, while on the Pacific side there is more seasonal variation—in Chiriquí province, for example, there is a pronounced dry season lasting from January to April, and March is usually the driest month. In accordance with this rainfall pattern, tropical rainforests are typical on Caribbean slopes, whereas savannas (tropical grasslands) are more common southward in the seasonally dry areas between the Tabasará Mountains and the Pacific shoreline. Toward the Colombian border both sides of the isthmus have year-round rainfall.
Because of Panama's tropical location, the mean temperature of the coldest month seldom drops below 78 °F (26 °C) on either coast. The Panamanian mountain slopes create three climatic zones: a low, hot zone, lying at elevations below 2,300 feet (700 metres), which makes up nearly nine-tenths of the country's territory; a temperate zone, at elevations ranging from 2,300 to 4,900 feet (700 to 1,500 metres), which accounts for most of the rest of the land; and a tiny cold zone, lying above 4,900 feet. Each zone has its characteristic plant growth and crops; cacao and bananas are produced mainly in the hot lowlands, whereas coffee is grown in the temperate zone.
Score: https://www.britannica.com/place/Panama


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Blink & ChargePoint Take New Approaches To Charging
A portion of West Antarctica over twice the size of the US state of California partially melted in 2016 as the result of high temperatures brought by an especially pronounced El Niño, compounded by a rapidly warming climate, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications.
Portion Of West Antarctica Twice Size Of California Partially Melted In 2016
James Ayre
"AWARE instruments at the WAIS Divide field camp in central West Antarctica in December 2015 under a spectacular optical display ('sun dog') due to atmospheric ice crystals." Photo credit: Colin Jenkinson, Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
While it's been clear for sometime that West Antarctica's ice sheets are being melted from underneath, by warming oceans, the new work is some of the first to document widespread surface melting occurring as a result of high air temperatures.
The findings were the result of the installation of various measurement instruments a few weeks before the January 2016 warm spell, which were intended to be used to study the effect of cloud cover on the amount of energy that reaches the snow surface.
The press release provides more: "Julien Nicolas, lead author of the paper, is a research associate at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC) at The Ohio State University. He's part of the OSU team that provides weather and climate analysis for AWARE.
"When Nicolas got a January 2016 alert from the AWARE expedition that the weather at their campsite atop of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet had turned unseasonably warm, he checked to see in the satellite data what was happening to the rest of West Antarctica.
"The presence of water in the snow is often hard to detect from visible satellite imagery, especially if clouds block the view. Instead, Nicolas analyzed satellite measurements of the microwave radiation emitted by the snowpack, since dry and wet snows have very different microwave signatures. What he saw during the melting event was an area of roughly 300,000 square miles, including most of the Ross Ice Shelf, that likely contained a mix of snow and water."
What's particularly notable about this is that it occurred despite strong westerly winds also being present at the time — which typically keep the warmer air being pushed south by El Niño events out.
BPCRC senior research associate Aaron Wilson noted: "Without the strong westerlies, it's likely there would have been much more melting."
Coauthor David Bromwich, professor of geography and leader of the Ohio State team, commented: "In West Antarctica, we have a tug-of-war going on between the influence of El Niños and the westerly winds, and it looks like the El Niños are winning," he said. "It's a pattern that is emerging. And because we expect stronger, more frequent El Niños in the future with a warming climate, we can expect more major surface melt events in West Antarctica."
In other words, it's another sign of the way that the situation in West Antarctica is changing faster than most official models have suggested it would. It's fair to guess that the whole West Antarctic ice sheet may well collapse completely within the lifetime of many of those reading this.
In this article:ice sheet collapse, west antarctica
Written By James Ayre
James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.
ACE EV On The Road — More Than Meets The Eye
Antarctica Is Melting Like Never Before
A new paper has emerged with fresh data from NASA providing a visual of Antarctica's rapidly melting ice.
Cynthia ShahanMay 1, 2020
The Tectonic & Volcanic Events That Will Accompany The Melting Of The Ice Sheets — An Overview
As the ice sheets of the world melt, an enormous amount of pressure will be lifted off of the continental crusts that play host...
James AyreApril 28, 2018
West Antarctic Ice Sheet May Hide World's Largest Volcanic Range
The ice sheets of Antarctica may be hiding the world's largest volcanic range, according to a new study from the University of Edinburgh. The...
James AyreAugust 19, 2017
Key Glacier In West Antarctica Breaking Apart From Inside Out — "We May See Significant Collapse Of West Antarctica In Our Lifetimes"
One of the key glaciers in West Antarctica, as far as the stability of the ice sheet there, Pine Island Glacier, was the site...
James AyreNovember 30, 2016


Our company's website is strictly informational.
Our site collects the IP addresses from which you visit it, as well as your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), the browser you used, the amount of time you spend on it and the tabs you visited for purely statistical purposes of tracking site traffic and improving the site.
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All the above data are statistically processed each month (the process lasts 15 days), and this means that only the number of visits per day and per tab is retained and will be deleted on the 25th of the following month.
The above personal data is not passed on to third parties. The only exception is the company that processes the traffic data on our site, which has the obligation, after completing the data processing, to delete all the usage data of the previous month no later than the 23th of each month. It is not inconceivable that the above data will be retained in the exceptional case that the data retention is deemed justified for the purpose of defending our company against legal claims.
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Description: Two or more tracks can be "group humanized" so that their timing resembles musicians playing in the same room together. For example, a bass and a drum sequence will adapt to each others delays in a "humanized" way.
3) "group humanizer HUMAN INPUT.amxd"
See documentation "group humanizer doc.txt" for further details.
Updated to 1.3 22/01/2015 - bugfixes, audio version of human input plugin now included (requires bonk~ external be properly installed).
Updated to 1.2 16/12/2014 - fix for the bug reported in comments below, ui improvements (more help, now supports 10 slaves, better graphing), swing now taken into account by human input module. console window output now tidier. MEAN FOLLOWER plugin included to use on a click track when using HUMAN INPUT plugin. demo project included.
Updated to 1.1 10/11/2014 - many bugfixes.
Thanks so much for the update! I really love this device.
thanks a lot for sharing james!
James I think a bug might be present. Some times the first channel on the master turns into a straight line and goes back to the stiff non-groove. Also some of the individual channels will turn into straight lines and seem to stop following the groove as well.
Brilliant set of devices here. :) Thanks.
QUESTION: Is the "group humanizer HUMAN INPUT AUDIO VERSION" supposed to be put on the channel with the incoming audio from the human player? Might seem like a stupid question, but when I put it on the drummer's channel, no audio goes through the device i.e. the channel becomes muted by the device.
Or maybe the "group humanizer HUMAN INPUT AUDIO VERSION" is only supposed to be put on one of two channels with the drummer input - muting the channel while the other drummer channel plays the input, thereby acting as simply a "master clock" for the "band" and not compensating the incoming audio.
Very nice plugin dude, thanks for the hard work!
The Sky was pink, and it shall be once more.
Really interesting stuff - I would love a version which allows the humanization of audio tracks rather than just midi. If I could throw these variations into samples in the same way you have done with midi, would be perfect for me.
Totally awesome. So happy I found this one.
Does this work with Live 10? I get a semi-blank device panel when loading the MASTER patch. No config options show up, nor does the SLAVE device seem to function.


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The unsolved mystery of the Claverham 'Gimp Man' who terrorised Somerset residents
The rubber-clad character was seen around a couple of somerset villages two years ago but, despite arresting two people police never got to the bottom of the mystery
Jack Colwill
Jez Hemming
Police have still never solved the case of the Claverham 'gimp man' who jumped out on unsuspecting victims and performed 'indecent acts' in some cases (Image: BPM Media)
Residents of two sleepy Somerset villages are still traumatised by a man clad in a rubber "gimp" outfit.
While the thought of a rubber-clad figure might raise a titter it was not laughing matter for those who came face to face with the individual in Claverham and nearby Yatton.
Incidents began in November 2018 and carried on until 2019. Avon and Somerset Police revealed there were 14 reports of people being accosted by someone wearing disguises, including dressed as a gimp, along with some allegations he'd performed "indecent acts".
Despite two arrests being made as police hunted the culprit, the mystery was never solved, according to Somerset Live.
One of the victims reportedly told the BBC: "Everything was running through my head. I thought: 'This is it, I'm going to get attacked'."
Residents are still living in fear of a 'gimp man' who terrorised the village of Claverham in Somerset from November 2018 to July last year
Man 'led people on leads through streets in gimp masks and 'charged naked at paramedics'
Playboy model leaves fans in stitches by wearing gimp mask to the supermarket
She said she'd been left feeling "panicked" by the ordeal, which saw her confronted down a dark lane. She added: "It's not just a man jumping out at me going boo. Every time I close my eyes I just see that face."
Yet it seems the perpetrator slid back into the shadows with no more sightings past July 11 last year, leaving a lot of perplexed people in rural Somerset.
At the time police said they'd arrested a man aged 28 on suspicion of indecency offences in the Claverham/Yatton areas, near Weston-Super-Mare.
Then a second man, aged 34, was arrested by cops also on suspicion of indecency offences but both were released without charge last year.
In November 2019 police said they'd carried out a "thorough investigation into the incidents but there was "insufficient evidence" to take action against them.
However "Gimp man" has not been seen nor heard from since. This week Avon and Somerset Police confirmed there had been no reports of new sightings of the man or any further arrests in the case.


Can't get enough of the adidas NMD R1, ladies? You're in luck as adidas is dropping a handful of new colorways next week. One of those happens to be the adidas NMD R1 Off-White.
Is The Air Jordan 3 JTH Bio Beige Heat or Hype?
The countdown for the release of the Air Jordan 3 JTH Bio Beige has begun. Said to be releasing tomorrow, here's an on-feet look at this special iteration of the Air Jordan 3 courtesy of BSTN.
With a name like the Nike Air Max 270 Futura, you'd expect this new iteration of the 270 to come with an even more modernized look than the OG 270 that made its debut this year. What you end up getting is actually quite the contrary as the Nike Air Max 270 Futura consists of a more retro look.


Taiwan chases to be a star of the show, no! These freaks cannot stop but chase like dogs. They know anyone they are serving for. I don't have a history with that crappy Taiwan.
Jesus! The government is sick. Taiwan is one of the safest country you could visit but the most dangerous because governments and people hide. Taiwan is a freak. Therefore, the Philippines is a freak. It's the cheapest country yet not as sick as Taiwan physically.
God! I would never come in that hole. It is truly a black hole of mutants. They are just a group of rats with the money and without it. All are hungry in one way to another.
If I work for the government, I wouldn't want to deal with a Taiwanese, but they could get away with it. They are great! They are truly procreated. Anyways, its just a cult. A lot will be mutants. The Philippines wants to eat them all with the strong force of Taiwan.
Freaks! This ugly family of Uy cannot stop but seek for people to buy them. Ugly! The youngest prostitutes are the children of Leslie Rose Uy Y Yiu. They are sickening! No one would let them in. They are very dangerous people.
Taiwan and the Philippines go nuts over the pesos of Alfonso Raymond To Uy. I am NOT married to that freak. The marriage contract serves nothing but "Don't be married to a Filipino!" As long as I am not married as Chuang registered in Taiwan, no marriage will be valid.
Taiwan hopes to be the talk of the town, globally, in the future. No! I am NOT a mutant. That sin will eat me up alive. They just have my size.


Brad has a wealth of business development, operations, and strategic leadership experience. Prior to joining Applico he took a start-up, Huru, from insolvency to sale as the CEO, doubled the sales of a rapid growth tech firm as the Regional Head, and increased the sales of a multi-million dollar blue chip, retail, product-line. Starting his career in financial services, he takes a pragmatic approach to growing businesses and improving efficiency with a focus on ROI. Outside of work he is passionate about philanthropy, most recently raising money by running the NYC marathon.


text:
Q: If-else condition in visual basic to delete a record from SQL Server if record exist I have written code in VB to delete a table record from database using inputbox (through user choice), but I have one problem when user inserts wrong value it still shows the "Record Successfully Deleted" MessageBox!
How to set the "if condition" to display record does not exist instead of showing successful deletion message?
Sorry this is my 1st post here that's why it is long! :p
Here is the code:
Private Sub btndelete_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btndelete.Click
        Try
            Dim isbn As Long = InputBox("Enter Book ISBN", "Delete")
            'First will delete the dependant record from published_by, book_return, memberbook_issue because
            'it can not be deleted by applying on cascade delete or update cause it has composite primary key.

            cmd = New SqlCommand("delete from published_by where isbn =" & isbn, cn)
            If cn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then
                cn.Open()
            End If
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()

            cmd = New SqlCommand("delete from book_return where isbn =" & isbn, cn)
            If cn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then
                cn.Open()
            End If
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()

            cmd = New SqlCommand("delete from memberbook_issue where isbn =" & isbn, cn)
            If cn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then
                cn.Open()
            End If
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()

            cmd = New SqlCommand("delete from book where isbn = " & isbn, cn)
            If cn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then
                cn.Open()
            End If
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
            da = New SqlDataAdapter("select b.staff_id, b.pub_id, b.sub_code, b.isbn, b.book_name, b.author, b.price, b.rack_no, b.no_of_books, pby.vol_no, pby.pub_date  from book b join published_by pby on b.isbn = pby.isbn", cn)
            dt = New DataTable
            da.Fill(dt)
            dgvbook.DataSource = dt
            MessageBox.Show("Record Successfully Deleted from current table & dependant table(s)", "Information", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)
        Catch ex As Exception
            MessageBox.Show("Not Completed Because OF The Following Error " & "%" & ex.Message & "%", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)
        End Try
    End Sub

A: As others have already mentioned, you really need to look into parameterizing your query. You should also look to encapsulate this into a stored procedure for easier reading and maintainablity.  Those things aside, you can accomplish all of this in one database call.
This snippet should produce the expected results.  Please double check the data type on the SqlParameter -- I guessed what it could be.
cmd = New SqlCommand("IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM book WHERE isbn = @isbn) " _
    & " BEGIN " _
    & " delete from published_by where isbn = @isbn; " _
    & " delete from book_return where isbn = @isbn; " _
    & " delete from memberbook_issue where isbn = @isbn; " _
    & " delete from book where isbn = @isbn;" _
    & " SELECT 1; " _
    & " END " _
    & " ELSE SELECT 0", cn)

cmd.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@isbn", SqlDBType.VarChar, 20) With {.Value = isbn})

cn.Open()
Dim returnValue as Integer = CInt(cmd.ExecuteScalar())
If returnValue = 1 Then
    MessageBox.Show("Record Successfully Deleted from current table & dependant table(s)", "Information", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)
End

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Rene closes the snack bar: " You can't make fries for six euros "
Courtney Horton November 28, 2022 2 min read
It is with a heavy heart that Renee Bowles will close his beloved snack bar in Wallwick. With energy prices constantly rising, after 33 years, he sees no other way out for 't Heike. "Tears come to my eyes, but it's no different."
Lois Verkooijen
In the many years that Renee has run the snack bar with his wife, Miranda, they've experienced price hikes before. Potatoes have become more expensive and the price of energy has often gone up. Renee used to pass this on to clients. "But that was a small difference. Now that's no longer the case. French fries will cost at least twice as much," explains Rene.
He doesn't want his customers to pay about six euros for regular french fries with mayonnaise. "You can't do that," he says firmly. Moreover, customers are also likely to say: "Wait, we'll bake them at home."
"People are so empathetic, it's overwhelming."
Renee started baking potato chips when he was a young boy. "I started in my neighborhood cafeteria when I was 15. I really liked it and that's how I got into it." And with success, because his snack bar in Walwick is popular with local residents.
"We announced on Facebook on Saturday that we were going to stop and we got a lot of feedback," says Renee. "People are so sympathetic, it's overwhelming," he continues, with a small shiver in his voice. "It brings tears to my eyes," he says.
"We work at Eneco"
Frans van Rooij of the trade association ProFri previously stated that 70 percent of the Dutch chip shop sector is in need. Renee knows that many colleagues try to reduce costs by adjusting working hours.
See also Rijkswaterstaat: Much of the roadside in the Netherlands is unsafe
He tried it himself, but because energy prices aren't going down, it doesn't help. It had already risen by 1,300 euros at the beginning of the year, and in October another 1,800 euros was added, he says frustrated. "I'm so sorry, but staying open doesn't do anything anymore; we work at Eneco."
Now the chipmaker from Waalwijk has made the difficult decision to give up. A decision he would not have had to make had it not been for the crisis. "I really like being in the chip shop, but the fun is gone. We don't see any other solution." However, Renee and Miranda keep the door open to reopen it in the future if energy prices fall again.
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Senior front end engineer whose focus is UX, architecture, and shipping well-tested products.
Proven leader and manager with a diverse background and several years of experience.
Puts users first, possesses strong work ethic, pays attention to details, and enjoys solving hard problems.
Leading long-term, major project to rebuild front end apps using TypeScript and React.
Interacting with a GraphQL API hosted on AWS AppSync. Apollo Client is used for transport.
Lead engineer on cornerstone "Campaigns" feature which includes a rich-text, drag-and-drop editor built using React and DraftJS. Campaigns also contains an HTML Editor built on top of Ace. The various campaign and message reports are displayed using Recharts which is built on top of D3.
Architected and built Alliioop product using React, Mobx, Material-UI, Babel 7, and Webpack 4. Tests are written using Jest. Dropped initial payload from 4.5MB to 1.2MB (340K gzip) with aggressive code-splitting and tree-shaking.
Built "Activity Report" feature which allows customers to explore multiple levels of customer segmentation.
Rebuilt "Funnel Report" using React and component-based CSS which allows users to visualize sales funnels.
Migrated Acceptance Tests from Capybara to a Node.js app running Codecept.js.
Architected and built the entirety of EveryoneSocial's admin and user facing web apps.
Both apps were powered by Backbone, jQuery, Bootstrap, SCSS, and Handlebars. Tests were written with Jasmine.
Continual improvements to UX and feature iterations with the product team boosted user engagement.
Features included: user and content tagging, file uploads, permission based content management, and masonry layouts.
Built HubSpot driven sales site which helped us grow, albeit in a small part, from one enterprise customer to fifty.
Delivered cross-platform mobile apps using Cordova.
Built HTML5 Mobile Web app using Backbone and jQuery Mobile for Clipboard's 140K users. Constructed "Find Friends" UI and backend Node.js connections to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Gmail.
Built Facebook Open Graph application with permission management for seamless social sharing.
Added file upload feature (multiple queued uploads and drag and drop) using a forked version of jQuery File Upload.
Built CurationSoft (desktop software) using ActionScript which was distributed via Adobe Air. Transformed Blog Success from a one-page membership site into a social community with Drupal.
Integral part of growing company from $350K to over $1M in revenue. Modest exit in 2012.
Managed numerous software and website development projects across the company.
Designed and implemented sales funnels, marketing systems, and follow-up sequences.
Formed dozens of new relationships with email list owners, and trained hundreds of affiliates in a group setting.
Grew affiliate base by 200% while raising affiliate engagement by 50%.
"I worked with Brandon at clipboard.com where he implemented a number of features, from a backend node.js based social authentication and publishing feature, to a front end HTML5 mobile site, based on backbone.js and bootstrap. Brandon's work was always of a high quality, time and time again he would impress me with his ability to work remotely on a feature with limited guidance and also simultaneously keep in sync with other feature work and refactoring that was affecting his work.
Take control of the broken images incurred by your web app.
Small wrapper for the Web Storage API which provides safe access to localStorage and sessionStorage.
Actively coaches, teaches, and trains fellow team members. Moreover, continually communicates the vision of a product or project so fellow team members always understand the underlying motivations.
Comfortable working and communicating with diverse groups of people situated throughout the world. Actively tries to embrace cultural contrasts so all involved are content and comfortable.
Managed large-scale software and web development projects through numerous versions over a span of several years. Possesses experience with budgeting and hiring as well as hands-on management.
Worked on distributed teams with no in-house supervision for several years. Proven self-motivator that understands the importance of managing autonomy while producing exceptional results.
Completed courses in information technology, computer science and management as well as core classes.


A study done by McKinsey, one of the world's trusted global management company, in the year 2013, revealed that 56% of Indians are unable to afford a decent life. However, we assume the percentage has dwindled to a certain extent with improved government policies towards wealth, health and poverty. Yet, one field that has benefited both, the masses and the companies, is the Health Insurance sector. With growing vulnerability to illnesses and diseases, having a health insurance policy saves you from unexpected financial expenses. The Oriental Health insurance company has been a pioneer in fulfilling health insurance needs and provides plans as per your needs. Take a look at this article to know more.
The only reason people are reluctant to buy a health insurance policy is due to the downside of health claims. A Health claim is viewed as a mind-numbing process and is considered as an important aspect before buying insurance. However, with tons of experience in the insurance sector, Oriental Health Insurance Company handles claims efficiently. The company accepts all legitimate claims and has the tradition of low claim rejection record.
When an individual is hospitalized, it is very common for him/her to undergo several tests in addition to taking medication. Also, there are few examinations post the hospitalization period. These expenses are equally costly and cost you a bomb. Thus, to eliminate that additional cost, Oriental Health insurance company offers pre and post hospitalization expenses that will cover 30 days pre and 60 days of post hospitalization.
Due to advancement in the medical industry, host of surgeries and procedures that required at least a day's hospitalization are now completed in less than 24 hours. Therefore, not all insurance providers are keen on covering day care treatments. With Oriental Health Insurance, one can claim for Day Care Procedures and the entire list of day care treatments is available on company's website.
In case an emergency at any given point, arranging for finances for the treatment can be a difficult task. It wastes a lot of time and also proves to be extremely dangerous to the life of a person. Thus, under such a scenario network hospitals can come to your aid. You must always keep the list of hospitals closest to your home or office location.
Hospitalization expenses like room rent, nursing charges, ICU charges, OT charges, medicine charges, etc. are also covered. These basically are those charges which require a patient to be admitted to the hospital primarily, so that he or she can be closely monitored during the procedure and afterward, during recovery.
Yes! One can save money by being healthy. Any insurer might levy additional premium or impose waiting period for certain diseases. Therefore, if you are healthy, your premiums will be lower compared to premiums charged from individuals who have health ailments.
The health insurance policies offer tax deduction under section 80D of the Income tax Act, 1961. In case if you pay premium for yourself and your family, you get a maximum deduction of Rs. 25,000. Whereas if you pay a premium for a separate health policy for your parents, another deduction of up to Rs. 25, 000 is allowed. Also, in case your parents are a senior citizen, a deduction up to Rs. 50,000 is allowed.
Your age can determine the premium for your health insurance policy. Because when you are young you tend to live a healthy life without medical complication. Therefore, your premiums are comparatively lower at a young age.
In case you are a family of 5 that consist of your parents (senior citizen), spouse and your kid, you can opt for a family floater for yourself, spouse and child and individual policies for each of your parent, instead of buying an individual health insurance policies for everyone.
In this way, each and every one is protected with good amount coverage in a cost effective way.
The best way to enhance your policy cover at low cost is to buy top-up policies. The top-up plans are well suited to your insurance plan and are generally cheaper than the base policies.
Where Should You Get Oriental Health Insurance From?
Thus, if you are new to buying health insurance, you can definitely choose Oriental Health Insurance without judging the insurance plans.
A synopsis On Identical Day Lending options: First Methods.


Please make sure to provide us - IN THE YOUR CONTACT INFO box -your name, address, phone number(s), etc. so that when your friend becomes a GuardDog customer we can make good on our commitment to you.
Also, we appreciate whatever "additional information" you may be able to provide about your friend's video application.


text:
FIRST LOOK Glass Houses
ITV's new comedy drama Glass Houses, starring Dawn French and Julie Hesmondhalgh has begun filming in South Devon and will air in 2020.
Today ITV have released a first look pic of the series which will also star Mark Heap, Vicki Pepperdine and Patrick Robinson. Further casting announcements are expected closer to transmission.
Written by Mark Brotherhood, Glass Houses is set in a picturesque small coastal town with a close-knit community. It follows the stories and fall out for Maggie Connors, played by Dawn French, who doesn't pay attention to the cautionary adage that 'those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'.
Maggie is a central character in town who makes it her business to know a bit about everyone's lives. When a radio journalist interviews her for a small reportage piece about local life she gives him far more detail (and embellishment) about the locals and their personal lives than he was counting on.
In the days and weeks following the show's broadcast, Maggie sees the butterfly effect of how her very public gossip-fest affects various figures around the town and disrupts their lives.
Maggie has been happily married to headmaster Peter, played by Mark Heap, for nearly 40 years, and their son Jamie and his wife Becka live nearby.
At the time of announcement, Dawn French said "Sophie and I have been developing Glass Houses for some time and I can't wait to finally get started in front of the camera. It's such a good story with a fantastic funny, touching script by Mark Brotherhood. Let me at it!"
Other notable residents include Maggie's best friend Jill, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, Brian the publican, school secretary Karen, played by Vicki Pepperdine, the town's GP Carol, local shopkeepers Emil and Roxanna, and Kelly who works in the hair salon. Also part-time resident is the handsome Marcus, played by Patrick Robinson, who rents a cottage to write his best-selling novels.
Glass Houses will air in 2020 on ITV
FIRST LOOK Lennie James in Save Me Too
FIRST LOOK Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special 2019
FIRST LOOK Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays in Code 404


text:
Rosamund Tomlins 1 November 2021 Bram Stoker
During the recent HRH Prog X festival at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, TPA's Rosamund Tomlins was able to catch up with Bram Stoker shortly after their set, speaking to the entire band (Tony Bronsdon [keys/vocals], Jo Marks [bass/vocals], Warren Marks [drums] and Neil Richardson [guitars/backing vocals]) about their history, line-ups, old and new songs, and intriguing tales of incidents from the past…
When the HRH Prog X line-up was announced, there was some discussion in the various TPA Facebook groups along the lines of "Is this THE Bram Stoker from the '70s with the legendary album of cult status? If so, this'll be most interesting…", so please tell me all about you, and about this particular album – do I take it that you played some tracks from it today?
Tony: Yes, we did. We played several tracks from the album, one called Fast Decay which is an instrumental written in 1969, and we did a medley of two other tracks from that album, one written by Pete Ballam, who was the guitarist and who originally set up the band with me – he died two years ago, sadly. That was Extensive Corrosion, one of his songs, and we mixed it with an instrumental called Ants, also from the same album. That album was, unfortunately, called Heavy Rock Spectacular; it was an unfortunate name because people would say, you know, without being too critical, "Well, it isn't exactly Heavy Rock, it's Progressive Rock, and it isn't really spectacular", they said, "…that's pushing it a bit far!". We had it re-released and called it Rock Paranoia – I think I mentioned it on stage?
Yes, you did.
Tony: And another company, Comet Records I think in Italy, produced a CD of the album too, which they sold quite a few copies of, and our agent down in Cornwall, Panama Music, he had a legal fight with them to get them to cough up a bit of bread for it.
Did you get any?
Tony: We got a little bit, but not much. We don't know how much he, our agent, got – well, you know, this is the way things go, but he kept the name of Bram Stoker going; at least he did that because after '72 we sort of faded into oblivion, sadly.
We got back together again around the turn of the century with John Bavin, who was the original bassist with me – and who had originally taken over from Jet Harris of The Shadows – now there's a thing, not many people know that! Well, we started the band and it wasn't called Bram Stoker then, it was called Harris Tweed!
Jo: Sounds like a mod band!
Tony: We had our first rehearsal in a big gymnasium in Bournemouth, and Jet Harris suddenly burst through the doors on a HORSE and he clippety-clopped up to the stage where we were set up, and the people who owned the place weren't at all happy about that!
He, Jet, found out very soon, from having a couple of rehearsals, well, WE found that he wasn't capable of playing the music. He had been working – our manager found him in a bar in Bournemouth, but just carting beer barrels about and he was past his days with The Shadows, you know, but our manager thought we could use this guy's name to kind of get somewhere. Our manager, well… he was a bit of an act, as he ended up in Portland Prison, but that's another story! [Nervous laughter from Tony, and surprised reactions from the others encouraging him] Well, we found out – not sure whether this should go down in print or not – that he was blackmailing a school teacher who took his nephew out on a dinghy in Poole harbour and molested him!
[Great gasps all round!]
Oh my God!
Tony: I'm not sure that I've even told all the guys this!
Warren: No, and [jokingly] I'm not sure I want to to be part of this any more! [Laughter]
Jo: It's news to me!
Tony: We didn't know! But he was using the money he was getting, until he was nobbled, to pay for our rehearsal rooms! We didn't know!
Jo: I didn't know! Ooh that's terrible!
Tony: He was such a rogue; he had an Italian background and, seriously, we weren't sure whether or not he was involved in the Mafia, but anyway, enough said. He disappeared and we ended up with a much more wholesome manager after that, from London, who got us involved with Tony Calder, who was then involved with Windmill Records. We should have signed up with Harvest, with Martin Birch, who did some recordings for us in De Lane Lea Studios. He was excellent; he did Deep Purple and I think he recorded Santana, and really we made a big mistake by not signing with them, but they wouldn't give us advance royalties. Tony Calder said, "you can have a thousand quid up front" and our guitarist thought, "Well, I've got holes in my shoes, they leak in water, let's go for it", and I was kind of out voted. I didn't particularly want it as I thought Martin Birch was great and I think we should have gone with Harvest, AND Deep Purple's manager, Derek Lawrence, wanted to sign us! But, anyway, it didn't happen.
I won't bore you with how we broke up. Poor old Pete [Ballam], he had a nervous breakdown, over a girl, and we had to get another guitar player in and I wish we could have found someone like Neil then, but we got this guy in and he seemed really good at the audition and then he buckled when we went on stage! He was a gibbering wreck and he couldn't play and so we had to dispense with him, and then we ended up with the guitarist from the Geno Washington Ram Jam band! And his drummer joined us too! I don't know what was going on with Geno – he's around now of course, he's still touring. Anyway, he was a great guitarist, of the calibre of this man [indicating Neil], he was good.
Yes, I love your guitar lines, Neil!
Tony: Yes, he's good; it's great!
So, how long has this particular line up been together?
Jo: Four years?
Neil: About four years now?
Tony: It's more than that.
Warren: It must be about five or six, I think.
I'm surprised not to have seen your name on other festival circuits, because this is only one prog festival and you are very, very prog! You went down great today!
Warren: Well, to be honest, we did, a couple of years ago…
Tony: We went down great today, do you think?
You did!
Tony: We went down pretty well we thought. The London audiences can be more difficult to please.
Jo: It was good fun!
I think the big problem with COVID is that there are far fewer people here than might have been otherwise.
Warren: A couple of years ago, before COVID, I emailed The Bram Stoker Festival in Ireland; it's a huge festival and they have loads of acts on, but I didn't hear a thing from them!
Jo: He was Irish, the author Bram Stoker.
Warren: Yes, so that's why they have it in Ireland. You know, I wrote and emailed and I never heard a dickey bird, you know, which is a shame.
Tony: We don't have any fixed agencies that we're involved with, so the work, we've managed to get it by contacting people ourselves.
That's the way of it isn't it now?
Warren: I mean, we don't have an agent and we aren't signed to anybody.
Jo: Neil recorded and produced our album No Reflection.
Ah yes, I've got that here. [producing just purchased CD]
Jo: He did all the recording and producing, and we released it ourselves.
Tony: Yes, we did all that ourselves in Neil's studio.
The thing is you couldn't do all that years ago, could you? It's great!
Warren: No, you couldn't; the equipment was all analogue, great big massive tape machines and these days you can do it all on a laptop – it's amazing, the software, you know!
Jo: Well I can't, I don't understand it all! He does. [indicating Neil]
So when did you join, Jo?
Jo: Well, me and Warren, we're like a team, and we started in the band about five years ago, didn't we?
Warren: Yes.
Jo: The guitarist had sort of drifted off, Neil joined, and he found us.
It's great to have a woman on stage, I have to say, as it has been a bit of a – as it has been called by some of my male friends here – a bit of a sausage-fest!
[Laughter from the band]
It's great to see you up front too, doing some of the vocals – most haunting vocals too!
Tony: Yes, she's absolutely great!
Jo: Thank you!
So, can you describe the music? Do you think there's a specific prog genre you think you fit in?
Jo: Melodic prog.
Tony: It's funny, there are different influences, as with one of the more recent songs, I get an idea – certainly with instrumentals – I get an idea from some classical piece that I probably first heard when I was five years old, like a Brahms symphony, and there was a riff that I heard and we only use a little bit of it, and then we end up with a song that grooves from that for about five minutes long. So there's the classical influence from me; Neil – your influence is jazz…
Neil: Yes, sort of a jazz rocky fusion type of sound.
Jo: We're sort of rock.
Warren: Yeah, well I started off playing live in blues bands…
Jo: …reggae…
Warren: …Yes, before I joined Bram Stoker I did some reggae, ska, just anything really, but the thing with this stuff that we term as progressive is that it's interesting as it doesn't just stay on one thing all the time, you have to keep your wits about you. I mean, you can't busk it.
No, you clearly have to know what you're doing but you make it all look so EASY!
Warren: It takes a lot of practice, and a lot of screwing up – in rehearsals I should say!
Well, we wouldn't know even if you had screwed up, audiences generally don't. We'd just think it was meant to be like that.
Warren: Well, thank you very much.
So was there an element of flying by the seat of your pants, as it were?
Tony: It went a lot better today.
Warren: Well, we played yesterday [in Sheffield] and we had a lot of technical problems, so we only played for something like half an hour!
Tony Half an hour!
Oh no! What's that then, two songs?
Tony: The keyboards went wrong.
Warren: Yeah, it sort of screwed us up a little bit, so when we came today and everyone was on the ball, our problems were fixed…
Jo: The sound was great, wasn't it?
The sound was very good!
Jo: They knew what they were doing.
Warren: The sound guy and the stage staff were all really helpful and friendly, you know, and it was great, and we felt more relaxed because of it, and when you're more relaxed you're more productive.
Yes absolutely, and clearly there's an element of improv, particularly with your guitars, Neil, you can see that's happening, your jazz influence perhaps coming through. And sometimes your guitar really delighted me when I thought "Ooh, I didn't expect that to go with THAT keyboard riff" and so on! And then you two [indicating Jo and Warren], your pounding driving rhythm lines underneath encouraged some of us – did you notice some of us were dancing down the front? You were all inspiring us to do a bit of spontaneous reeling and jigging!
Tony: Oh wow!
Jo: We do a lot of jigs!
Warren: The stuff we do, it's sort of powerful but at times it's very subtle, melodic, and then it goes [low voice] "brrrrrm brrrrrrm brrrrrm", and then, [high voice] "dee de dee de dee", and so there's a lot to it…
Jo: It's fun!
Warren: …and that's why we enjoy it as we're not stuck into one groove, you know? I mean there's nothing wrong with that, but it spices things up, and you have to be on the ball because it only goes for a certain amount of bars and then goes to this section, and then if you're not on the ball you can mess it up!
Yes, absolutely, and we can all see you communicating with each other; and I know it isn't, but you still make it look really easy, that's the good thing 'cos it all works!
Tony: That's nice of you!
That song Joust, the one that you [indicating Warren] introduced, that was my favourite earlier.
Warren: Ah, yes!
Jo: That's the one that got you dancing?
Warren: And did it evoke an atmosphere of Medievalism?
It did! Absolutely!
Warren: There you go, it worked then! That's great!
Well it's an archetypal traditional prog thing, prime example being Rick Wakeman's The Six Wives of Henry VIII, but there is so much in history that should be told and I think this is a great way to do it.
Warren: Well, yeah!
Jo: I write some of the songs as well, my own songs, and a lot of those are about historic figures, people from the past, and things like that, like Joan of Arc, some of my tunes come from that.
They're inspirational.
Warren: Yes, there's a song Joan of Arc on the album we've got here.
[To Jo] And you wrote that?
Jo: Yes but we didn't play that one today. I've written about quirky little events from local history, that sort of thing. I've got my own stuff, and then we put ideas together.
This is the element of storytelling in music; it's the stories told handed down that become history, so you're continuing that.
Warren: Oh yes, indeed.
One of the things I wrote down for the review I'm also doing was "A clear story-telling band!". From the first few notes, I felt I could tell because there is a sense of depth and context in the music, so you know something is behind it and I want to listen to the words and find out more.
Jo: Ah, that's good!
Warren: I'm glad you enjoyed the gig, that's great, that's the main thing, that you enjoyed it.
Absolutely! Now I've got to go and find out more about the original epic, classic, "cult" album, see if I can get hold of a copy. I guess you haven't been able to re-release it?
Tony: It's a question of demand, I suppose. Panama Music sort of hold the licence to it – the Heavy Rock Spectacular album. I've got one or two copies around at home, but, I don't know, if people would be still interested in that, I suppose we'd refer them to Panama Music, but I'm not sure we're allowed to release it ourselves. I could ask Rod Jones at Panama and say "Look, we think there are going to be people who want to buy the original album", but obviously I'm the only person left who plays on that album, but I suppose that doesn't matter.
I really think there would be, I don't know what response you got at Sheffield yesterday after the shenanigans…
Tony: Erm… they liked us.
Warren: It was OK, considering a lot of the sounds were a bit… well, askew…
Jo: The people were really nice there…
Warren: Ooh yes, the people were nice.
The only thing here was that your keyboards had to be bumped up, and luckily they were doing it as people in the audience were saying "why isn't the keyboard loud enough?", but they did it, they did react quickly to it, definitely.
Jo: Oh that's a shame.
Warren: We can't hear what sounds are going out to the front, we can only hear what's coming through the monitors, so if the monitors are OK, you know, well that's it.
Yes, of course you can't. [To Tony] I went to the side where you were, as that was best for taking photos of the whole band, although I got your back view, because if I took photos from the other direction, I couldn't see you at all because part of the keyboard obscured your face, but on your side I felt I could hear the keys there, but then I could clearly see you playing so maybe I could just imagine hearing you play, but when I returned to my place down the front, a friend said "Ooh I wish they'd turned up the keyboard sooner!", as he knew your work already – bit of a fan.
There were loads of people who went out to the foyer afterwards to buy the CD and were hoping to see you, to sign the CDs and so on.
Jo: Ooh, how nice!
Warren: Well, we're going to hang around a little bit.
I think you'll still get people coming up to you, if you want to go out there, although most people will be watching Arthur Brown in a minute.
Jo: Arthur Brown is absolutely brilliant!
Tony: He's nearly eighty! His voice is fantastic.
Yes, I saw him a couple of weeks ago at A New Day festival, and last night we had Chris Farlowe, he's eighty and still singing, and he'll be on tonight on in Sheffield…
Warren: Oh yes!
Tony: With Colosseum!
Yes! Anyway, I know it can feel awkward, but loads of people have already bought your CD, and would definitely love to meet you.
Warren: Really? OK, we'll pop out.
Oh do, definitely; don't underestimate people here liking a good classic prog band with a bit of twiddlyness and historic themes in it!
Jo: It's the nice keyboards in it. You can't go wrong with a bit of keyboard!
And you can hear the classical influences, going on.
Warren: Yes, yes, it's all there.
It's great to know that something that started… in 1969 you said…?
Tony: Yes, yes, Fast Decay was written then…
… is still around, it's fantastic! And I loved the newer songs too – the 'Getting In the Corn' song, in particular.
Jo: Cut Down the Corn?
Yes! That's it. [To Jo] Is that one of yours too? We all loved that one too, down the front.
Jo & Warren: [Together] Yes!
Tony: That one went down well then! That one's in 5/4 time of course, you know.
Yes, I noticed, I made a point of writing that down for the review.
Jo: We re-recorded that one from the old days; we've done lots of songs.
Warren: That song was written in, what, '98? No no, '94, and so we've brought it into this band, and it's been expanded and it sounds great!
Jo: The guitar bit in the middle, the keyboards too. It started on an acoustic guitar in a folk club, but it's the same song, but now longer and nicer now!
I noted your five-string bass. How big are your hands?
Jo: They're arthritic, and I do my best! [Laughter all round].
You have got small hands, but quite long fingers.
Jo: Well, I played the guitar from six and it was practice, practice… but today, it's lovely 'cos it's nice and warm here, so they don't hurt.
Tony: Yes, we get the Voltarol out; years of playing squash hasn't helped me!
There are some bass players who play in gloves.
Jo: The fingers slide about better when in gloves. I use a string cleaner and very very light strings.
Warren: Low action and light gauge strings.
Jo: I am sliding around a lot! The five-string has a nice lower level though.
You're an inspiration!
Well, thank you very very much, it's been an absolute delight to talk to you! I really appreciate your time.
All: Thank you!
One more thing; have you got a Facebook page?
Warren: No we haven't, but we have got a website.
I shall check it out. Thanks once again!
Bram Stoker – Website | YouTube
HRH PROG X - London16th Sep 2021
HRH PROG X - Sheffield15th Sep 2021
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1909 Sears Model-K Runabout. Older Restoration. Serial No.( K3026) The Sears Motor Buggy offered here is the Model K version with fenders, lights and a top. Shown Hershey AACA Annual Fall Meet 1957, Glidden Tour 1957-1958.
In the end Sears discovered that it cost more to produce their little car than it was selling for and it was discontinued in 1912. Sears was not done as they would also offer the AllState car in 1952, but the Motor Buggy from Sears represents a time when simplicity ruled the road and life was much more modest. For the discriminating collector of early cars, this Sears Model K Runabout is a charming reminder of how purchasing a new motorcar could be done from the pages of a catalog.
The Sears Motor Buggy offered here is out of a prominent collection and has not been publicly offered in years. This Sears is the deluxe Model K version with fenders, lights and a top. Being first shown in 1957 this car is now considered an older restoration. Although still very presentable it does show signs of wear and paint loss as seen in the photos. The different show and tour plaques are mounted in the rear of the car dating from 1957-1958. When this car was chosen to be restored you had the luxury of picking out a good solid unrestored vehicle complete with an original body, chassis, hardware and accessories. Although we have not started this vehicle yet we feel if will run with very little effort. We plan on starting the car in the near future so we can drive it and do a full evaluation.
This is a great opportunity to obtain a proper, authentic and correctly restored Sears Autobuggy. This Sears is fully eligible for HCCA events and could be used on the 1 and 2 cylinder Tours. Please let us know if you need any additional information or if we can be of any other assistance.


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Athletes line up to get back on the busses after...
Are Swim Cancellations Becoming More Common in Triathlon?
Sarah Wassner Flynn Dec 5, 2017
Why are so many triathlons turning into bike-run affairs?
At 5:44 a.m. on Sunday, June 11, 2017 race director Bill Burke's greatest fear unfolded into reality as he took a call from the San Francisco Police Department's Marine Unit. After initially receiving the all-clear to hold the swim at the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon that morning, the weather had taken a turn. High winds churned the bay into an unrelenting chop, creating conditions too dangerous for small watercraft, including rescue kayaks. And without a water safety team, there was no way Burke could let some 2,000 athletes plunge into the bay.
So, for the first time in the race's 37-year history, the "escape" itself—where athletes leap off of a ferry adjacent to Alcatraz Island and swim 1.5 miles to Marina Green—had to be cancelled. Burke picked
up a bullhorn, took a deep breath, and informed the athletes to disembark the ferry, strip out of their wetsuits, take a bus back to transition about three miles away, and prepare for an 18-mile bike with an eight-mile run race instead.
This turn of events at Alcatraz was unprecedented, and what Burke—the President/ CEO of Premier Event Management—calls a "worst-case scenario" as a race director. But it's something triathletes may have to get used to in the near future. While USA Triathlon, the governing body of the sport, does
not keep statistics on the number of cancelled swims at sanctioned events, a simple review of recent races shows a significant bump at major triathlons. "I've never seen so many cancelled or altered swims in such a short span of time as I have recently," says Burke, who has overseen some 900 running and multisport events in his nearly four decades as a race director. "Is it good for the sport? No. But losing athletes during the swim isn't, either."
The culprit? Extreme weather. Cold water temperatures (like in Racine, where Lake Michigan recorded a frosty 51 degrees on race morning), dangerous rip tides, fog, flooding, high winds, and large
swells have all forced swim cancellations. Even when swims were called off due to poor water quality, it's often because of weather. Case in point: The 2016 Nation's Triathlon in Washington, D.C., when heavy rain in the days leading up to the race dumped gallons of raw sewage and untreated runoff directly into the Potomac River, revealing E. coli levels well above EPA standards.
While safety is the obvious basis for these decisions, that's not to say a cancelled swim doesn't come with heaps of frustration—especially from the pros, elite age-groupers and stronger swimmers in the field who can reasonably argue their ability to swim in rough conditions. At Alcatraz, 2016 Olympian Katie Zaferes was among the crowd of athletes already on the ferry when she heard about the race changes. "We wound up having to take an Uber back to [transition] because the bus lines were so long, and it was challenging to restrategize for the bike-run and deciding things from whether to start with my bike shoes on or mounted on bike, whether or not to wear socks, how to warm up and when," Zaferes says. "Decisions I really never had to make before."
Though she still fared well by finishing second—duplicating her 2016 result—Zaferes said she would prefer two race-day rulings related to the swim at all triathlons: One for the pros and one for the age-groupers.
Burke has taken this option into consideration, but stresses that it's just not worth the risk to put any athlete into harm's way. "This year in Philly, there was debris ripping down the Schuylkill River. Even if you're the fastest pro out there, you aren't going to be able to avoid being hit by a log coming at you at full speed," he says of the modified Philadelphia Escape Tri. "And argue all you want, but every athlete signs a waiver agreeing to the fact that the race director reserves the right to alter the course. Ultimately, I'm the captain of the ship."
Caryn Maconi, USA Triathlon communications manager, echoes Burke's stance. "The race director is responsible for assessing the race-day conditions—including air temperature and swim course distance—and decision-making that prioritizes athlete safety and maintains the integrity of the event. The nature of the open-water swim lends itself to unpredictable conditions, and the safety of participants always takes precedence," she says.
So when it comes to dealing with swim cancellations, what's a triathlete to do? For starters, have
a back-up race strategy in the event that the swim is called off. Check each event's athlete's guide for information about race modifications or reach out to the race director for details on what will happen if a swim is cancelled. And if it does happen? Burke's best bit of advice is to stay calm and race on.
"Believe me, I understand how frustrating it can be when you train for months and then things don't go as planned," Burke says. "But then again, you can't control the weather.
Ask Coach Sara: Escape From Alcatraz Swim Tips
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At the 1989 Ironman® World Championship Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles in this photography courtesy of VeloPress from Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run by Matt Fitzgerald. Buy the book
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The popularity of gambling as a form of entertainment has dramatically increased over time. While most gambling is harmless, some people do become "hooked" on it just as some people become dependent on alcohol. Similarly, internet gaming is played using personal devices and computers through the Internet. The term "gaming" originated as a synonym for "gambling", although most electronic games do not involve gambling in the traditional sense.
Gambling is not a career or a way to get rich quick. It is also not a way to escape your troubles. It is a form of entertainment that is meant to be fun. Leave your credit cards at home and remember, casinos and online gambling sites are in the business of making money. If you decide to gamble, remember to stay within your limits and gamble safe!
Internet gaming is using special applications, known as electronic games, on personal devices and computers through the internet. The most common internet platforms include home computers and/or laptops, home or handheld consoles, mobiles phone, and tablets.
Contact your local Health Promotion office to learn more about gambling and gaming.


Unfortunately, controversy and personal conflicts in the debate about raising Dallas school taxes have obscured the fact that a tax ratification election may be the only way to avert fiscal disaster.
The Texas Legislature is severely underfunding public education throughout our state. We currently rank 38th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in average per-pupil spending. State funding of public education has dropped precipitously over the past 10 years, from nearly 46 percent in 2008 to 38 percent in 2016.
Yet, despite serving the highest number and percentage of students in poverty, Dallas ISD maintains the lowest tax rate in Dallas County (with the notable exception of Highland Park ISD) and the 57th lowest out of 60 school districts in North Texas. This is a luxury we can no longer enjoy if we are serious about providing poor and minority children the education they deserve.
This is why many of us see a 13-cent tax ratification election, or TRE, as the only realistic solution to this frightening crisis. The 13-cent-per-$100-property-value tax proposed by Strong Schools Strong Dallas and our allies would increase annual revenue to the school district by $116 million and more than eliminate another anticipated budget shortfall.
This money, by law, would have to be used for operations, providing resources such as additional compensation for school faculty and staff, Accelerated Campus Excellence programs, additional choice offerings, early college academies, quality pre-K and early learning — all of which have a price tag ($46 million last year). The additional revenue can be spent on intervention initiatives to help neighborhood schools achieve their full potential, innovative measures such as the community school model.
Yet, the response of DISD trustees to Austin's draconian under-resourcing of public education has been to cut our district's budget. In 2016-17 the school board cut $21 million from the district's budget; and the current year's budget eliminates vital central administration positions and campus-level positions such as librarians, nurses and counselors. And now, with estimated Robin Hood payments to the state, the district is facing a projected $81 million budget gap for next year. Tougher choices lie ahead as Robin Hood payments could balloon by 2021-22.
Our suggested 13-cent TRE could also provide our district with a road map toward greater equity regarding both race and resources. After undergoing an external equity assessment and making plans for an Office of Racial Equity, it's unclear what resources the district will have to ensure every student receives the supports needed to succeed.
Surely trustees see this. Hard-line ideological positions have led some to believe there is fat in the district's budget for administration. But DISD's expenditures on central administration amount to 0.9 percent of the total budget. To paraphrase the old Wendy's Hamburger ad, where's the fat?
This crisis is rooted in Austin. But it's disingenuous to suggest that nothing can be done until the makeup of the Legislature changes. There is no cavalry coming. Not from Austin, nor Washington.
We see no other way to meet this financial challenge. No one wants to pay higher taxes. But we stand ready to sacrifice for our children's education. Give us the opportunity and we believe citizens of Dallas will prove it at the ballot box.