With another Twittercamp over, it was time for us to head north again – as we have done for the last couple of years – as our school's Easter holidays continued.
This time though we weren't going as far, deciding this year to give Northumberland a miss and heading instead for North Yorkshire in general and the city of Ripon in particular to a campsite on it's western extremities. This was a part of the UK we had barely set foot in before so were very much looking forward to it.
The run up itself was pretty straightforward – with the vast majority of the journey being straight up the A1, although a one car 'pile-up' at the A14 junction and the inevitable road closure meant us heading south first and joining the A1 further down.
I'd punched in Ripon on the sat-nav app and with our diversion we were looking at a couple of hundred miles or so. Trev took the wheel for the first stint, stopping after a couple of hours to replenish our tug Rosie's dwindling reserves and to swap driving duties.
The earliest arrival time at the site was 2:00pm and with it being so small I didn't want to risk arriving early and causing problems, so soon after we turned off the A1 we paused to ring and check. Fine, no problem, the warden said, our pitch was ready and waiting.
I checked the route on a map prior to setting off and it looked a straightforward trundle along a road to the south of the city, so was a bit surprised when the sat-nav steered us around the market square, but even more surprised when, on passing the town hall, the app announced proudly that we had 'reached our destination'. Great.
And then it dawned. I'd not bothered to put the site location into the sat-nav, just 'Ripon'. Pillock. Fortunately a large vacant loading bay gave us a chance to sort ourselves out and we were checking in just a few minutes later.
The complex is largely given over to holiday homes in the form of static caravans. There are two seasonal pitches and just seven hardstanding pitches for tourers, all with mains electric, water and waste hook up. Which would have been great if our fresh water hose was not sitting in our garage nearly 300 miles away. Doh. Leaving something behind is becoming a habit. One of these days we'll turn up on site and wonder where the caravan is.
Having set up, a foray to the nearest supermarket was as far as we ventured to stock up on grub for the next few days, along with a selection of locally brews for my seemingly never ending 'research' project.
The facilities are worth a mention at this site – they are fantastic. Clearly very new and immaculately clean, the shower cubicles are spacious although the push button fixed temperature showers can't be cheated with the usual the awning peg/ladder combo. There's also a laundrette with iron and pot wash area – all immaculate.
Wednesday and after a nice lie in, we decided to stay local, travelling no further than the car park by Ripon's Cathedral. Extremely reasonably priced – for someone who lives in the south east anyway – at just £2.00 all day.
The Cathedral was the main focus of our interest looking stout and extremely substantial from the outside, somewhat of an illusion as it is not as tall as many.
The original cathedral dates back to Saxon times – some 1300 years ago – but all that remains of that is the spooky little crypt. One can only wonder how many have passed through over the years, whether for prayers, or as visitors like us.
It's well worth a visit – basic entry is free all though you encouraged to leave a donation which seems reasonable. A couple of quid buys you a permit to take photo's and a guide at three pounds helps you make the most of your visit.
At the front of the cathedral a narrow road led into the market square. Trev had spotted a tailoring repairs and alterations shop which I was on the look out for since the zip in a pair of my leathers gave up the ghost last week. Two pairs of heavy leather jeans may be excessive in a caravan, but I like to alternate – anything that is stretched to it's limit across my substantial backside and thighs deserves a day off, if only to retain it's shape. Anyway, I had them in the car just in case and they promised they'd have 'em done by the weekend. Superb.
We spent another couple of hours strolling around the city. The centre is not big and under grey skies didn't look it's best but pleasant enough and clearly very functional with plenty of folks going about their daily business. Like many places we have visited, it would look so much better devoid of cars.
Keen to press on with my extensive research project, we called in at a pub for a couple before heading back. Timothy Taylor brew one of my favourite ales – Landlord – and this was available but I took the chance to sample another couple of their ales instead – Bolt Maker and Ram Tam. Both tasted divine and will appear on my Ale Archive. Eventually!
Thursday, and it was time for our tug Rosie to take the strain, although mercifully for her, without the caravan on her back as we made our first foray into the Yorkshire Dales.
First up was Richmond – a Georgian market town passing overlooking the River Swale and recommended to us by a friend on Facebook. Perched on the edge of the dales it is a real gem of a town, it boasts – apparently – the largest cobbled market place in England and the town's name is the most duplicated in the UK with over 50 Richmond's found world wide.
Whilst the castle was closed, there was a lovely walk around it's perimeter giving fantastic views down to the river below.
Clearly they breed 'em tough up here – they need to. The sight of several old dears making short work of Richmond's' steeply sloping paths against a strong icy wind was impressive.
Next up was Reeth – another recommendation and further into the dales. Another real picture postcard of a place but the rain, which had been threatening had now appeared, so we didn't stop, but pressed on.
We were heading towards Tan Hill, a high point in the Dales and home to a pub that can boast to be the highest in the British Isles at 1,732 feet above sea level. We remembered seeing this on some TV programme a while ago and I'd made a note on my phone, but had, predictably completely forgotten about it.
The weather got worse and worse as we climbed – driving rain and howling winds gave a stern reminder of how bleak – as well as beautiful – the dales can be. On a better day the drive would have been really fun, however the sight of the pub standing against the stark landscape was a welcome one. Of course there was no point coming all this way just to have a look….
That's all for now, look out for the second part of our adventures in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales coming soon.


text:
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A235182 Number of (n+1)X(4+1) 0..5 arrays with every 2X2 subblock having its diagonal sum differing from its antidiagonal sum by 5, with no adjacent elements equal (constant stress tilted 1X1 tilings) 1
1696, 3796, 8224, 19584, 45128, 112432, 270056, 694680, 1719360, 4527576, 11467512, 30743168, 79346904, 215790584, 565988848, 1557731960, 4144240488, 11523618144, 31052234856, 87128705240, 237510624832, 671813438520 (list; graph; refs; listen; history; text; internal format)
Column 4 of A235186
R. H. Hardin, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..210
Empirical: a(n) = 4*a(n-1) +41*a(n-2) -177*a(n-3) -709*a(n-4) +3405*a(n-5) +6658*a(n-6) -37423*a(n-7) -35857*a(n-8) +259792*a(n-9) +100713*a(n-10) -1189883*a(n-11) -44519*a(n-12) +3652705*a(n-13) -650588*a(n-14) -7506845*a(n-15) +2237158*a(n-16) +10206566*a(n-17) -3478912*a(n-18) -9024208*a(n-19) +2879248*a(n-20) +5075680*a(n-21) -1279200*a(n-22) -1728912*a(n-23) +283680*a(n-24) +319968*a(n-25) -24192*a(n-26) -24192*a(n-27)
Some solutions for n=4
..2..4..3..5..1....2..4..2..5..1....4..1..4..1..3....3..2..3..2..4
CROSSREFS
Sequence in context: A325884 A224605 A252570 * A237170 A301985 A237845
Adjacent sequences: A235179 A235180 A235181 * A235183 A235184 A235185
nonn
R. H. Hardin, Jan 04 2014
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Poverty in Germany 'at Record High'
By Hayley Richardson On 2/20/15 at 1:58 PM EST
A man begs as pedestrians walk past at Wilmersdorfer shopping street in Berlin October 9, 2012. Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
World Germany Poverty Angela Merkel Inequality
Poverty in Germany is at its highest since the reunification of the country in 1990, with 12.5 million residents now classified as 'poor', according to a study by a German welfare organisation.
The report, commissioned by the Joint Welfare Association, identifies Bremen, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as the states most affected by poverty. Residents determined to be 'poor' were people whose household income fell 60% short of the national average.
It identifies "the unemployed, single mothers and people without education" as being currently at the greatest risk of poverty, while showing pensioners are also experiencing a faster rise in poverty than any other group.
Ulrich Schneider, executive director of Joint Welfare Association, said: "Poverty has never been as high and the regional disunity has never run as deep."
The report urges the federal government to take action to combat poverty and demands a significant tax policy overhaul and changes to the benefits system.
Dr Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn, a speaker for the Green parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, agrees. He believes cuts in social security funding are responsible for labour market incomes in the country becoming progressively more unequal, and points the finger at German chancellor Angela Merkel.
"While other countries have introduced tax credits for low income groups, this has not been on the agenda in Germany," he says. "The fight against poverty is not on the agenda of the present government, neither has it been on the agenda of the preceding governments under Merkel."
He says he believes that while Germany is profiting from the low value of the euro - which he attributes to the "crisis in southern Europe" - it is purely the upper-income groups who benefit.
"The poor lag behind because they have been neglected by the Merkel government," he says.
"What is needed in Germany is the introduction of minimum levels in the social security systems, and it is also necessary to make the social insurance system universal."
However, a spokesperson from the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs refutes the claims that Germany has seen a steep rise in poverty. She says poverty is a multidimensional problem and that the study does not take into account the degree of individual needs and merely uses one way of measuring relative income distribution.
"The 'at risk of poverty' rate shows the proportion of people with equivalent income below 60% of the median income. It is not to be equated with poverty in the sense of indigence," she says.
"Other highly important factors such as wealth, health, education, property or other social services are not considered. In addition, the indicator is not very robust due to random fluctuations of the median income. This means that small random fluctuations of the median income may have significant changes in poverty rates."
She also cited Germany's recent introduction of a nationwide minimum wage and a new policy package to reduce long-term unemployment as steps taken to improve the social inclusion of the long-term unemployed.
Greece to Submit Loan Request to Eurozone, Germany Resists
Austerity Drives Greek Suicides to Record Level as Germany's Decrease


text:
Drive N Dunk aka Cars & Coffee or Cars & Corvettes!
On any Saturday Morning you might find Corvette Indy Members showing up at the Paradise Cafe on 96th Street to get together for breakfast and a great social time. Starting out as a part of Cars & Coffee, this weekly get together of club members changed locations as the C&C group moved across the street to a less desirable location for our group to just spend the morning. One never knows who will show up and which Corvettes will be there, members even drive their 'metal' car to the event to be a part of the group.
The morning events usually start at around 9:00 and go to near noon depending on the crowd and how many Corvettes or other cars there are to view and how deep the discussions get.
Conversation among Members and other car enthusiasts is always interesting and lively. With a number of tables inside for their coffee and discussions the members have even morphed in to separate guys and gals tables with discussion topics suited to each.
Enjoy viewing the different days on this page and who got out on a Saturday morning.
On a dreary Saturday morning, a group of regulars met for coffee and conversation. Charles B did not let the gloomy, drizzly weather deter him from driving his Vette to Drive 'n Dunk this morning. Plenty more folks arrived in their metal cars to enjoy great conversation. We talked about the lap around 465 scheduled for New Years Day. At least 4 of those in attendance plan to join the group. Subjects also included Christmas day experiences, upcoming college football bowl games, and New Year's Eve plans. Another topic was model trains, Wylie and Jim S. compared notes on their layouts. Wylie told us about the heritage painting of Norfolk and Southern locomotives. They have painted current engines in the colors of lines they have acquired over the years. AS to be expected, there continued to be an analysis of both pro and college football teams. If only the owners and coaches would seek our advice, they would all be winners. Charity brought her special Crown Royal cookies. It was a nice way to wrap up the last Drive 'n Dunk for 2014 and to look forward to 2015.
Thanks to Jim A & Jim S for this week's writeup and pictures.
With the weather only being overcast on the last Saturday before Christmas 6 Corvettes and a number of members headed to the Paradise Cafe morning get together. Bill R was definitely in the Christmas spirit with his Santa Claus cap. Not only that, he had a mistletoe graphic on his smart phone and was putting it to good use with the CI ladies. The group also enjoyed the plate of cookies brought by Jim S that were baked by Bonnie for the enjoyment of all. Once again, the conversations were light, lively, and entertaining with it varied from Corvette Indy and sports items to Holiday preparations and events coming up in the next week. As the morning wound down a small groups headed to Greg's so that they could 'help' Al install his new Borla exhaust system using Greg's expertise and lift.
Several Corvettes showed up this morning at Paradise Bakery & Café despite the dark, dreary weather. Most notable was Phil V's '67 350hp 327 coupe that many members had not seen before. As usual, the conversation was varied and interesting. Donna B. was glad to see Dick and Bonnie P. arrive so she had someone to sit with at the ladies table.Thanks to Jim A, Jim S, & Bill R for the reports & pictures.
Following 18 hours or so of steady drizzle, the streets had dried enough for Bob Y to show up in his red C7. Everyone else drove their metal vehicles, but the dreary Saturday morning still brought a good turnout for our Drive n Dunk. Once again another group got in early and took "our" spot so we moved over a bit. As always the conversation was lively. There is still concern about the drive to Louisville on I65 (to be avoided if possible). The NFL was analyzed in depth. The group had some agreement on the best players and coaches. Interest in Bloomington Gold continues to grow. At this point not too much is definite, but we will keep in touch with them. NCM Ambassador Jerry C was discussing the possibility of a club tour to the National Corvette Museum next spring, and possibly a tour to the Woodward Dream Cruise next August. Other conversations included college football and the club's Christmas party later in the evening. As usual, everyone had a great time. Thanks to Jim A and Jim S for the pictures and report of this week's get together.
The dry but cool morning resulted in a better than usual turnout of Corvettes and Corvette enthusiasts as the beautiful fall weather brought out 15 Corvettes and several metal cars for another morning of coffee and conversation. The group also included 25 people at one time or another. It was great to see such a good turnout after last Saturday's dismal weather. Everyone realized there won't be many more nice 'Corvette' days, so they took advantage of it. As usual, the main topic from Greg B. was this afternoon's football game between Notre Dame and USC. In fitting with the season, we talked about getting Christmas lights up while the weather was nice. Robert S. had pictures of his lights: pretty impressive.
Thanks to Jim S and Jim A for the reports and pictures
On a very damp morning there still was a good group of Corvette Indy members that met at Paradise Cafe without their Corvettes to have the Saturday morning get together. Discussions as always were varied from hooking up a battery tender to a C7, how GM is now doing, to the economy with even more varied topics at the ladies table including Thanksgiving dinner and who was visiting for the holiday. Jim A even passed around some pictures of he & Judi looking at a new C7 that just arrive at Penske in Jim's colors of Silver with Red interior. Now having seen what that combination looks like they will use it as a template when they are ready to order. As the morning wound down members headed off to do more holiday shopping or home to keep dry. Jim A later sent in pictures and the following: Did you notice the missing Corvettes? Of course you did. It was very barren along the west side of the Paradise Bakery parking lot, but very enjoyable inside. I had to inspect the silver C7 again. Greg T. joined me and all we could talk about was Corvettes – what a surprise. The overcast conditions made for more diffused light and much less shadows.
A nice turnout of Corvettes that have not yet been put to sleep for the winter. As to be expected, a main topic of conversation was winterizing. Some wait until spring to get the oil changed, others do it first. Some remove collision coverage during the winter and some leave it on just in case the weather turns nice. We debriefed the Veterans' Day parade and decided the failure of the PA system was no reason to keep the student participants waiting in the cold. Another hot topic was Bloomington Gold coming to IMS next year, June 25-27 to be specific. All were in unanimous agreement the decision is a win-win for everyone. There is clearly interest in participating at some level. Jim S will contact the folks at Bloomington Gold to get more information.
Thanks to both Jim A & Jim S for the report and pictures.
Another good turnout on a crisp fall morning at Paradise Bakery. As to be expected at this time of year, a main topic of conversation was today's Arizona State University vs Notre Dame football game. We also discussed leaf raking (a pain), car show judging (not always fair), the upcoming Veterans' Day Parade, and the drive n dine to Ray Skillman's. A red C7 convertible pulled in and parked with the metal cars. The owner, Tom P., was there to meet some friends and didn't know about us. We invited him join us for coffee and to become a regular. The highlight of the morning was when we learned the Greg B. had recently stopped at McDonalds to get a cup of coffee at the Senior Citizen rate. He had to skip it because he didn't have the 53 cents. We took up a collection so he could get his next cup of coffee. Thanks to Jim S for the vibrant report and he and Jim A for the great pictures.
The unexpectedly cold, windy, and rainy Halloween night not only discouraged a lot of trick-or-treaters, the Saturday morning gathering at Paradise Bakery was down also. It was not raining or windy, but it was definitely cold. In spite of that, three Corvettes did manage to make an appearance in addition to those who drove their metal cars. Much of the conversation centered around Rita and Wylie's party on Wednesday evening, a review by those who attended the Ron Fellows Corvette owners school at Spring Mountain, and Medicare options.
Thanks to Jim A for the report and this week's photos
10/25/2014
The day dawned with a heavy overcast but that didn't stop our hearty Corvette Indy members. Our regular table was taken by a small group so we had to move just a bit. For a while it looked like Shelly N. was going to be alone at the ladies' but then Donna B. and Sarah L. joined her. The main topic at the men's table was a review of the Spring Mountain Driving School attended by Wylie E., Jim N., and Larry G. Another good start to a Saturday that later turned out to be a wonderful Fall day.
The fall season has definitely arrived. It was a cool (50°) overcast morning, but the faithful were not deterred from driving their Vettes. The conversation was lively and interesting, ranging from social issues to collegiate football (By the way, Notre Dame plays Florida State tonight.) Another topic of discussion and inspection was Greg T's graphics he had installed on his Cyber Gray C6. The material is a silver/light gray carbon fiber product that looks very nice against the cyber gray. The carbon fiber weave does not show in the photos, but it is visible on close inspection. Thanks to Jim A for the pictures & report.
A cool but clear Saturday morning brought out quite a few beautiful Corvettes. Knowing that nice Corvette days are winding down, fourteen or fifteen Corvette owners showed up for interesting conversation, coffee, sweet rolls, and a good time at the Paradise Bakery and Café. Unfortunately, the nice days like today will be giving way to cold, rainy and/or snowy days in the not to distant future, so everyone was making the most of it. One hot topic had the dreamers comparing notes on the new Z06 specs. Jim A had pictures from a B17 flight he took a few years ago. Wylie and Rich took turns driving the others C4 in order to compare exhaust systems and ride adjustment. The funniest item of the day was when the manager came over to our tables to tell us that a customer had just asked her, pointing at our cars, "is that employee parking?
"Thanks to Jim A and Jim S for the report and photos
Pretty good turnout considering the cold and windy weather. There was some concern as the sky darkened but a quick check of cell phone radar showed the storms moving to the north. Bob H was there with his newly repainted 81. He was especially proud of his hand crafted brushed stainless steel sill plates. We were surpassed to see Greg and Donna B arrive. Seems Greg got a flu shot on Friday and had a bad reaction. No trip to South Bend for the Notre Dame game. Robert S took time on his wedding day to visit with his Corvette friends.
Thanks to Jim S and Jim A for the report and pictures.
Jim A was there long enough to get the pictures below and the following information.
It was another beautiful Saturday morning at Paradise Bakery & Café. Over 12 happy Corvette owners participated to enjoy the usual camaraderie, coffee or tea, and a muffin or sweet roll. One of the conversations included discussions about the newly revealed eighth generation mid-engine Corvette that is in the design and planning stages. Several members departed earlier than usual to participate in the Butler University parade and the Crusin' With The Cops Car Show
It was a beautiful morning for a Corvette drive to Paradise Bakery & Café. Several Corvette Indy members and friends took advantage and enjoyed the discussions and friendly camaraderie. Much attention was paid to Jim and Pam K's new 2014 Night Race Blue Metallic Z51 convertible they picked up at Penske Chevrolet earlier in the week. Other conversations included Mid America Funfest football, and ours and other clubs upcoming elections.We also talked about the possibility of outgrowing Champps but Greg is confident we will still fit for a while longer.
Thanks to Jim A and Jim for the pictures and report of the day's discussions
It was an unseasonably cool morning (high 40s), but not cool enough to hold back about ten Corvettes. Several other events were taking place today, so the turnout was a bit lighter than normal. Upon arriving at Paradise Bakery & Café, most noted an unfamiliar Corvette parked near the man in entrance. Once inside, we learned it was Anita V's 'new' 1996 red LT1 convertible. Phil located the car in Ohio and they brought it home on Monday. Wylie E was there to show them how to lower and raise the convertible top. Anita now has a very nice red Vette to compliment Phil's red C7.
A smaller crowd than usual showed up at Paradise Bakery & Café this drizzly Saturday morning while several of the regular D & D attendees were busy participating in the Zionsville Parade. In spite of the rainy morning, Greg T, John V, and Steve and Mary did drive their Vettes.
Other attendees included Charles B, Lynn P, and Jim A.
The main topic of discussion at today's drive & dunk was a review of the caravan to the NCM 20th anniversary gathering. There were apparently a few glitches while there, but overall everyone enjoyed the experience. Al F and Wylie E both commented about the torrential downpour on the way to dinner at the Montana Grill Thursday evening. Al said at one point he could barely see the windshield wipers. Bob W had a new Corsa Extreme exhaust system installed on their new C7, and had to demonstrate it to us in the parking lot. It sounds great and has a very nice sound at idle
Today's turnout was down a bit due to several members attending the Meals on Wheels car show in Greenfield and the Artomobilia Show in Carmel. Those that did attend had to park in different spots due to a crew sealing cracks in the parking lot which made it an interesting morning at Paradise Bakery. You have never seen a bunch of car guys move so fast when we noticed they were sealing the area in front of the cars. In spite of the slight inconvenience, all managed to have a good time as usual. Greg T had a new (to him) Silverado from Penkse which he showed off to the assembled group.
The impending rain did not prevent several folks from driving their Corvettes to Drive 'n Dunk this morning. About 20 people in all turned out for lively conversation that covered a multitude of subjects. Everyone is hoping for better weather this evening for Corvette Indy's 25th anniversary dinner at Ritz Charles. Good or bad weather, everyone will have a great time.
Even though the Mystery Trip group took much of the club south with them on a Drive N Dine, Greg T and a few other hardy members managed to make it to the weekly Drive N Dunk for coffee and breakfast. All the cameras must have been traveling south but we still believe them!
A damp start to the morning kept a number of Corvettes away, but not club members to the weekly Drive N Dunk Event. Several had been planning to show their cars at the Hamilton Town Center car show, but instead decided to enjoy the dry morning club get together. As the weather cleared a few of the members then headed out to the car show to support those members that had taken a chance on the weather getting better.
With grey skies and then an early thunderstorm the Corvette number was limited but the member count good for this week's Drive N Dunk as the Paradise Cafe. As the morning progressed there were comers and goes attending, with some that left early going home to get their Corvettes and head to the Classical Glass Car Show for the 11am registration. A good portion of the group stayed to 11:30 and then headed to see the car show later in the day.
Thanks to Jim S & Jim A for the pics as Bill was a late comer without his camera
Many of the normal Saturday morning gang at Paradise Bakery & Café met earlier than usual for a caravan to Harry Bond's annual all Corvette car show at Nashville, Indiana. None the less, a few diehards did show up at the usual time for a lot of car talk, general conversation, and camaraderie.
Thanks to Jim A for the pictures and report.
Several club members attended the Drive N Dunk but then left earlier than usual as about 13 Corvettes in a caravan to Lincoln Tech car show from the Paradise Cafe. Present were: Greg & Donna B, Terry A, Charlie B, Jim A, Jim S, Rich B, Jim & Shelley N, Bob & Barb Y, Jeff B & Charity, Dick & Bonnie P, Wylie & Rita E. There were certainly more of the usual Saturday morning crew that arrived after 9am when the caravan left and they were probably surprised to find a smaller than normal turnout. Along the way the caravan picked up another 7 Corvettes at the Burger King around the corner from Lincoln Tech.
See the Paradise Parking Lot & Burger King Lot Pictures on the Lincoln College Car Show Page
With a beautiful second day of of the holiday weekend a large contingent of Corvettes went to Paradise Cafe for the weekly Drive N Dunk. Other than for the over 20 Corvettes the parking lot was bare for most of the morning. This did not bother the members and friends as it gave everyone plenty of room to check out the assembled group. The day's discussions covered the previous days Parade and car shows that many of the assembled attended plus, of course, continuous discusions of new C7's and the upcoming Z06 and who was already thinking of purchasing one.
After six or seven consecutive dry Saturday mornings, it finally happened – rain. It was actually a light drizzle, enough for folks to leave their clean Corvettes in the garage and drive their metal cars. The turnout was lighter than usual as a result of some members attending Bloomington Gold in Champagne, IL, and others participating in Chris and Paula W's Drive N Dine to the "Bluegrass Festival – Wounded Warrior Project" trip to Metamora.
Corvette Indy folks will be busy over the upcoming July 4th weekend with parades and car shows.
It was a very pleasant morning for the Drive 'n Dunk gang at Paradise Bakery & Café. The gals sat outside in the shade while the guys met inside for a short period of time before moving outside to talk about, yes, you guessed it, CARS.
It was a beautiful but coolish morning for the weekly gathering at Paradise Bakery & Café. Quite a few Corvette Indy members and friends were off to the Strawberry Festival Car Show in Crawfordsville, IN, thus the smaller than usual turnout. The conversations included Corvette Racing's participation in the 24 Hours of LeMans today and tomorrow, the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational at IMS last weekend, and the usual wide and varied conversations. Those enjoying the the beautiful morning included Al F, Greg T, Rich P, Bob H, Dick and Bonnie P, Marg and John H, Sara L, and Jim A. A new couple joined us a little later, and unfortunately I do not recall their names, however they indicated they will be attending the meeting Monday evening. It is a beautiful day - enjoy your Corvette. Thanks to Jim A for the report and take pictures.
Wow, another beautiful day. The ladies moved outside on the patio where it was much quieter and very pleasant in the shade. Naturally, the guys moved outside to talk about Corvettes. Jim and Shelley's new C7 received a lot of attention and show and tell. Thanks to Jim A for the report and pictures.
Greg later sent in a list of who was there; Greg & Donna B, Jim A, Greg T, Rich P, Jim & Shelley N, Neil & Sarah D with their new baby at Baby's first Corvette event, Bob H, Dick & Bonnie P, Jerry H, Jerry & Elaine C, Kim C... Greg also reported the following parking lot encounter: A Porsche owner stopped by to admire the Vettes, he really like Dick P's and he leaned over to look inside and placed his hand on the car for support, Dick did not draw he just leaned over and calmly said "Hey buddy, get your filthy hands offa my paint!"
About a dozen Corvette enthusiasts showed up at various times at Paradise Bakery & Café this morning. With the big Indy 500 weekend activities including the car show at Marion, IN and the caravan to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the afternoon, it is no wonder the turnout was light. The weather was spectacular, and the conversation was interesting and varied. Thanks Jim A for documenting and taking the pictures to 'prove that it happened'
Greg later added who was there, including a few who were not pictured: "Greg B, Rich B, Jim A, John & Marg, Greg T, Vince M, Bob H, Linda W, plus a couple from CCCC on their way to Hare for the escort to the track stopped in for bagels and saw the Vettes so they joined us for breakfast, just bought a new C7 and joined about a month ago... I think there were a coupe of others but my memory fails me, again... "
A good group of members and two NEW to the club Corvettes made there way to Paradise Cafe for the weekly Drive N Dunk. The two new Corvettes were Jim & Shelley's Friday delivered C7 Z51 and Wylie & Rita's '93 40th Anniversary Convertible purchased on Friday at Mecum Auction. Both couples still had great grins from the previous day's purchases. The conversations revolved around the new cars along with plans for the upcoming events including Sunday's and next Saturday's Chevy sponsored IMS Track events and the NCM road trip in August.
Even with the Indy Car and other road course races at IMS the Drive N Dunk had 15 Corvettes show up at Paradise Cafe through out the morning. The group took their usual seats inside and had many conversation topics fully covered. With the weather warming up, a number of the attendees will soon be moving out to the southerly exposed patios to enjoy the sun and view of the cars.
05/03/2014
The fifth straight nice Saturday contributed to several Corvettes' appearance at today's drive & dunk. Most of the conversation centered on Bob H's jacket and comments about the recently completed pre-cravan trip to Bowling Green. Attendance this morning was down a bit due to several folks participating in the annual Vettes for Vets trip to the Indiana Veterans Home in West Lafayette. The group was surprised to see an unfamiliar Laguna Blue C7 convertible park in the lot. It did not take long to meet and greet the couple and talk about Corvettes. As it turned out, the fellow is a Porsche owner who now has his first Corvette. Thanks to Jim A for the day's pictures and report.
04/26/2014
It was a glorious morning for the Corvette gang to meet at Paradise Bakery & Café. Not surprising, more time was spent outside looking at cars than inside. Among others, Robert S appeared with his beautiful Night Race Blue/Light Gray C7.
There is also a photo of the T-shirt quilt Judi A is working on that was shared with the attendees so they could see the early stages of the project. The finished quilt will be auctioned at the 25th anniversary dinner party on August 16. Proceeds of the auction will go to a charity in behalf of corvette Indy.
Thanks to Jim A & Jim S for the day's pictures!.
On the Saturday before Easter a good group showed up for coffee, breakfast, and talk at the Paradise Cafe. The day was sunny and therefore a good car count was in the lot for everyone to look at. Soon there may be more cars for us to view as the Cars & Coffee group may move back to the McAllister's lot in the near future. If so, we will be able to walk over and see them or enjoy them from the South facing patio at Paradise. Many of the group headed home a bit early so that they could make their way to back to Greg & Donna's for the afternoon drive to Rick's.
Another great group of 13 Corvettes and many more members arrived at Paradise Cafe for the Saturday morning ritual Drive N Dunk. With the weather creeping in to the 60's a good amount of the mornings time was spent looking at the latest additions to everyone's Corvette. The additions included Rich's new 'cup holder' proudly displayed under his open hood. Discussions covered the usual topics plus the evening's Drive N Dine hosted by Al & Terri and the many other upcoming events that will be filling the club weekend calendar. These include cars shows, autocross, Dine N Drive, IMS events, and the many other things that the diverse Corvette Indy membership enjoys doing. On a final note one of the members had a previous engagement and is pictured below on his was to a retirement home that he works at. Bill 'Bunny' R looked great pulling up to the early Easter party.
As the weather starts to break a larger group goes to the Saturday morning get together at Paradise Cafe. Not everyone drove their Corvettes, as the morning started out cool, but certainly enough to show that the Club was there. From C3's to C7's there was a good showing with several trips out to view them by the members. There was also a new Jag convertible owned by one of the members that was checked out, with notation that it's trunk is even smaller than a C7's! There was also a beautiful ZR1 among the group. Rumor has it that the original Cars & Coffee group is trying to go back to McAllister's but we will continue at Paradise and walk across the parking lot if there is really anything of interest to see.
Another wet & slushy day did not deter a large group of Corvette Indy members from attending the Saturday morning get together, even if none of them drove their Corvettes. There were a few exotics plus a Mustang in the lot to view from inside. The day's group was lively with many discussions around the multiple tables. Those getting out on the dreary day were Donna B, Terri F, Erika L, Linda W, Judi A, and Elaine C at the ladies table, while at the other tables were Greg B, Rich B, Phil V, Rich P, Jerry C, Sammy V, Bob H, Jim S, Bob W, Jim A, Al F, and club friend Larry G. As it was Vietnam Veterans day, Bob H & Jim A proudly wore their Vietnam era jacket & vest. Jim A sent the following further info: "today (March29,2014) is recognized as Vietnam Veterans Day, so Bob H and I wore actual garnets from our time 'in country'. We were both in the U. S. Air Force, as was Jim N. Bob flew F-104s, I was a crew chief on AC-119G gunships, and Jim N flew the C-9, the military version of the DC-9." We certainly thank them and all of our other members who are veterans for their service. With the weather promising to be sunny and in the high 50's for Sunday, Bill & Erika planned to have a Drive N Dine to start welcoming in the spring. As always thanks to Jim A & Jim S for the additional pictures to prove that it happened..
The third day of Spring did not live up to it's name as it was still cold and cloudy, but that did not stop the dozen Corvettes showing up at the day's Drive N Dunk. The inside of the Paradise Cafe was filled with members getting warm with food and drink. Those getting out were Rich & Suzanne B, Greg & Donna B, Jim & Shelly N, Jeff B & Charity N, Sarah L, Kim C, Jim A, Jim S, Greg T, Bob W, Rich P, Bob H, Al F, Lynn P, Wylie E, Bill R, club friend Terry A, and Bill & Erika L who headed out early to their grandson's pinewood derby competition. Chris W arrive a bit later and then drew all of the guys to the lot to see the latest additions to 'Blkboti', including his loud mouth exhaust. As always there were many topics of discussions and a lot fun for a Saturday kick off.
As always thanks to Jim A & Jim S for great pictures.
A dry sunny day brought out a number of Corvettes to the Drive N Dunk with generations from C7's to C3's represented for a total of 10 cars through out the morning. Those members coming by were Donna B, Shelley N, Erika L, and Bonnie P at the ladies table while at in the mens tables were Greg B, Jim N, Bill L, Dick P, Jim A, Rich P, Wylie E, Al F, Greg T, Bob W, Chris W, Joe M, Cody R with a couple of friends, soon to be member Mike C, and club friend Larry G. The group started out inside with most getting something to eat and drink with the general discussions centering around Corvettes and other car topics for the me . Then they moved outside to check out Larry G's new Lime Rock over Brownstone C7 along with the rest of the Vettes on display. Jim N really checked out the new C7 Z51, as his is still to be produced, looking for items he could change. We also checked our Chris W's new stinger hood, along with wheels and soon to be installed exhaust and other chrome dress up items. A great morning to be outside enjoying the colorful array of Vettes.
Thanks to Jim A for a number of the day's pictures.
A cloudy day did not keep the Vettes away from the Saturday morning get together at Paradise Bakery with a total of 9 showing up including Bob W's just picked up C7 from a sponsor Penske delivery on Friday afternoon. With nearly 20% of the membership showing up on a not so great day, one can only imagine how many will show up when the weather finally breaks. Others who drove their Corvettes were Neil & Sarah D (with their Blue C5), Jim A (C4), Rich P (C4), Jim S (Z06), Greg T (C6), Cody R (with his newly purchased '09), Alan C (displaying his C6's winter additions), and club friend Terry A with his Cyber Grey C7. The rest of the members; Jim & Shelley N, Greg & Donna B, Rich & Suzanne B, John & Marge H, Sarah L, Kim C, Al F, Dick P, Chris W, Jeff R, Wylie E, Bob H, and Bill L, safely arrived in their metal vehicles. Our usual table was full when we got there, so many little tables were pushed together for the multiple conversations that went on through out the morning from cars, drag racing interest, club points, weather, and what ever else came to mind at the different tables. There were also several trips out to the parking lot to see the Vettes that were there, with everyone enjoying them, and making driving plans for the near future. Thanks to Jim S, Jim A, and Bill L for the day's pictures, if you don't see yourself - you weren't there!
Another good turnout for our weekly "Drive n Dunk." With the weather threatening, only Jim A was brave enough to bring out his Corvette. Topics of conversation include removing a virus from a computer, various photographic topics, and handgun ballistics. Pictured members are Rich B, Greg B, John H, Rich P, Dick P, Al F, Jim S, Bob H, Greg T, Linda W, Bonnie P, Suzanne B, Kim C, Marge H, Donna B, Jim A, Chris W, Judy C, and Alan C. The day's photographers were Jim A & Jim S again documenting that the event happened!
There was a good turnout for today's Drive n Dunk at Paradise Bakery. Those getting out were Wylie & Rita E, Sarah L, Jim & Shelley N, John & Marg H, Jim & Judi A, Greg & Donna B, Bob & Barb Y, Randy & Sherry S, Chris & Paula W, Dick & Bonnie P, Lynn T, Mike T, Rich P, Jim S, Bob H, Robert S, and Sam V. As custom has it, there were separate men's a women's tables. Topics of conversation ran the usual gamut. The weather was at the top of the list but the progress regarding the sinkhole at The Museum was right up there. One brave soul (Sammy) even got out his Blue Stingray to enjoy the sunshine. Others wished they had. Bob Y said that he had read that the museum is going to display the recovered cars for a couple of weeks before sending them off for restoration. A road trip may be called for to see them. With a C7 plus a late model Porsche and Viper also parked in the McAlister's parking lot, it was enough to proclaim it our first car show for the year. Thanks to Jim S & Jim A for the day's pictures.
On a sunny but still cold Saturday morning another good group of members made their way to Paradise Cafe for their coffee and tea drinking conversations. The group included Doug & Arminta I, Greg & Donna B, Rich & Suzanne B, Wylie & Rita E, Greg T, Rich P, Al F, Jim A, and day's photographers Jim S and Bill L. Discussions were many and varied with weather and being tired of snow a major one. Thoughts of upcoming days were the Corvettes can again be driven were on everyone's mind. There was also discussion about the sinkhole at the Museum, and glad that no one was hurt. Plans are still going forward for the trip at the end of August for the NCM Caravan. A good day to get out and hopefully the weather for Monday's meeting will be as nice.
A good group of the folks made it to the Saturday morning meeting at Paradise Bakery. Those pictured are Greg T, Greg B, Jim A, Bob W, Jim N, Rich P, Marg H, Donna B, Shelley N, Robert S, Wylie E, John H, Chris W along with unpictured Jim S taking the day's pictures. Conversation started with a discussion of the Sochi Olympics: failed portions of the opening ceremonies, accommodations, bathrooms, etc. Another topic was Dexos oil, apparently this is the new standard from GM for the Corvette. Some may have felt more at home at the ladies' table when the discussion turned to antique violins. With the weather holding out most everyone was vowing to make it out to Jim & Shelley's party later that evening.
A huge group made it's way to Paradise Cafe for the Saturday morning get together on a damp, but bit warmer day. Nearly 28 members and friends made it out during the morning event. Those pictured at the mens table are Bob W, Greg B, Jim N, Phil V, Rich P, Greg T, Jim S, Wylie E, Dick P, Bob H, Bob Y, Terry S, Rich B, while at the ladies table are Donna B, Bonnie P, Shelley N, Barb Y, Susie H, Suzanne B, along with unpictured photographer Jim A.
Jim A reports that there were a few hearty souls that made it to C & C this morning. In spite of the small turnout, everyone had a great time.
Along with Jim were Greg & Donna B, Jim & Shelley N, Al F, Terry S, Bob H, and Rich P.
A cold morning did not stop the early risers from meeting for the weekly Drive N Dunk at the Paradise Cafe. Those getting there before the day's predicted storm were Greg & Donna B, Jim & Shelly N, Sarah L, Jim A, Jim S, Greg T, Rich P, Bob W, Wylie E, Bob H, and Bill L. The upcoming weather became a majority of the day's topic with a decision finally made by Bill to cancel that evening's party until the next weekend. With 3" to 5" predicted starting in the late afternoon it did not make much sense to get members out in the evening. Other discussions included Bob W ordering a new C7 from Penske, and Jim N debating moving his C7's order up by changing from a Z51 model to a base unit. Hopefully what ever his decision he will have a Corvette to drive this spring! Wylie and Jim S also had a discussion about model trains and the setup of electronics, as Jim is about to get in to the hobby. As the morning wound down, everyone headed to before storm errands and saying that they would now see everyone at the Monday night meeting.
A few of the regulars met at Paradise Bakery for breakfast and conversation. As usual, the topics were wide ranging. Bob H got camera advice from Jim A. Jim S. got model train advice from Wylie. Greg reported that about 26 members with cabin fever made it to the rescheduled meeting on Thursday. There was also much discussion of the recent severe weather. Those getting out on the damp morning were Greg & Donna B, Doug & Arminta I, Rich P, Greg T, Bob H, Kim C, Jim A, Jim S, Jim & Shelley N, John & Marg H, Wylie E, Bill R, and Phil V.
With a predicted storm not due until the next day a few hardy members were in attendance, sans their Corvettes. Those in getting out were Greg & Donna B, Rich P, Rich & Suzanne B, Judy & Alan C, Jim & Judi A, Bob H, Dick & Bonnie P, Arminta & Doug I, Bob & Barb Y, Phil V, Wylie E, and photographer Jim S. Wylie was asked where his new C7 was and his reply was "no way." He had a story to tell about the new car's steering. When he drove it around the lot at Penske, he noted a loud thumping sound. Everyone including the Penske staff was stumped. They kept the car overnight to "check it out." Greg pointed to Jim S and told the group they should have called him. Jim experienced the same thing in his C6 Z06 and thanks to some research by Bill L. had an answer. It has to do with Akermann steering along with the low profile summer tires and is considered 'normal' in cooler weather. After they got past the friendly harassment over the recent college bowl game wins and losses, the conversation turned to the weather.


Sophie Hannah is a poet, novelist and children's writer. She is the author of five psychological thrillers and has also published five collections of poetry. Her fifth, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the 2007 TS Eliot Award.
Hannah: I am talkative, nosy, sociable and nothing interests me more than people and the way their minds work.
Hannah: Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison. It's better than Astral Weeks, though not many people seem to realise this!
Hannah: I always wanted to write, ever since I was a young kid, and my plan was to get a boring, easy job that would support me financially and leave me with lots of energy for my writing.
Hannah: Suzanne Davies - I met her when we were both 11, and we're still close friends now.
Hannah: I would see to it that every pregnant woman was able to have a Caesarian section if she wanted one, on the grounds that it's barbaric to compel women to go through the agony of childbirth if they would rather not. I would also make it illegal to make any woman feel guilty about bottle-feeding her baby if breast-feeding is proving almost impossible, or if she simply wants to be able to hand her baby over to someone else in the early weeks/months and have a break. I would also do lots of other things, but if I tell you all of them, we'll be here all day!
Hannah: I think it's a bit creepy to wish you'd written someone else's book, however much you admire it. My favourite books are The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch, A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine, and Coming From Behind by Howard Jacobson - but I don't wish I'd written them. I'm happy for Murdoch, Vine and Jacobson to have written them.
Hannah: Hypocrisy. I try not to have any principle that I might one day sell out on. As a result of this, some people have accused me of not having any principles at all. But there are very few things that are always bad and wrong, no matter what the circumstances. What's the point of saying, 'Infidelity is wrong' and then having to amend it by saying, 'Oh, but if your husband neglects and ignores you...' The things I feel strongly about - I am very much against capital punishment - are things I can safely say I would never be hypocritical about.
Hannah: Iris Murdoch, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, M Scott Peck and Edna St Vincent Millay - on the condition that they all left by about eleven, and didn't mind a takeaway.
Hannah: I can't tell you, because the person is supposed to be a friend of mine. I got into the friendship not knowing how much of a pain this person would be, and now I'm trapped in it and wondering how to extricate myself - so being stuck in a lift is a pretty good metaphor for the friendship!
Hannah: I always loved books, and always felt compelled to write - there was no real reason I was aware of, I just had to do it.
Hannah: In Cambridge, exactly where I do live. I lived there between 1997 and 1999, and fell in love with the place. Then we had to move up north because my husband got a job in Yorkshire, and we spent 12 years pining for Cambridge, promising ourselves we'd move back there when we retired. Then we got fed up of waiting, so my husband gave up his job and we moved back last February. It's heaven! I travel a lot, all over the world, and I've never seen anywhere I've preferred to Cambridge.
Hannah: Blood-soaked body on property website, fleetingly. Then disappears. Is Connie going mad?


Over Easter I visited Peterson's Lookout, a crag of conglomerate (that rock that looks like lots of stones or pebbles held together with cement) in the Tyers area of Gippsland.
There's nowhere to place trad gear, but it looked as though it might make for an entertaining day of top-roping, with protruding river pebbles offering numerous smooth rounded holds. While it all *seemed* very solid, a quick search of the forum suggests that in other places conglomerate is often crumbly, as you'd expect from a rock that is basically made up of many smaller rocks compacted together.
I realise it's difficult to say, but when conglomerate breaks is it the odd individual stone that falls out, or does it tend to frequently break off in large, hazardous chunks that make climbing unreasonably dangerous?
Any thoughts would be appreciated- thanks!


text:
> Convert object keys to PascalCase

This is essentially a copy of [sindresorhus/camelcase-keys](https://github.com/sindresorhus/camelcase-keys).

## Install

```
$ npm install --save pascalcase-keys
```

## Usage

```js
var pascalcaseKeys = require('pascalcase-keys')

pascalcaseKeys({'foo-bar': true})
//=> {FooBar: true}
```

## License

MIT © [Andrew Joslin](http://ajoslin.com)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Travis CI not linking library for Maven Surefire Plugin I am attempting to build a maven project (https://github.com/sdiemert/jgt) on Travis CI that depends on the Z3 SMT Solver.
I need to specifiy the location of the z3 dynamic library using:
-Djava.library.path=<path-to-directory-containing-lib>

I am using the Maven surefire plugin to execute tests and have specified the configuration as:
    <plugin>
      <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>2.20.1</version>
        <configuration>
            <argLine>-Djava.library.path=./lib/</argLine>
        </configuration>
    </plugin>

I am able to execute tests on my local machine using: mvn test
However, when executing tests on Travis CI, I get build failures:
java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: no libz3java in java.library.path`java.library.path

Here is a recent Travis CI build log:

https://travis-ci.org/sdiemert/jgt/builds/384010136

I am at a bit of a loss for how to proceed. The closest thing I could find on SO is: Travis CI ignoring MAVEN_OPTS?.
Any help apperciated.

A: So I seemed to have found a solution, posting for anyone who runs into this in the future.
Z3 for Java depends on the libz3java.so (or dylib on OSX). I had these correctly pointed to using the Surefire plugin's argLine configuration option (slightly modified from above):
    <plugin>
      <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>2.20.1</version>
        <configuration>
            <argLine>-Djava.library.path=${project.basedir}/lib/</argLine>
        </configuration>
    </plugin>

HOWEVER, the z3 binaries rely on libgomp1 which is not installed by default in the Travis CI environment (or the Atlassian Bamboo environment for working in that ecosystem). The obvious fix is to install this lib by adding an apt-get update install build-essential prior to invoking the mvn test.
Also, for good measure, I have also set LD_LIBRARY_PATH=<path-to-z3-libs> which seems to be required on Linux.
The resulting travis.yml is:
language: java

install:
    - sudo apt-get update
    - sudo apt-get install build-essential
    - scripts/install-dependencies.sh
    - mvn install -DskipTests=true -Dmaven.javadoc.skip=true -B -V

script:
    - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/lib/"
    - mvn test -B

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: kill or detect dynamic stopwatch? I have a dynamic form with different labels generated at run time, when something critical is detected I set the label to blink via this:
SoftBlink(label, Color.FromArgb(30, 30, 30), Color.Red, 2000, true);

private async void SoftBlink(Control ctrl, Color c1, Color c2, short CycleTime_ms, bool BkClr)
{
    var sw = new Stopwatch(); sw.Start();
    short halfCycle = (short)Math.Round(CycleTime_ms * 0.5);

    while (true)
    {
        await Task.Delay(1);

        var n = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds % CycleTime_ms;
        var per = (double)Math.Abs(n - halfCycle) / halfCycle;
        var red = (short)Math.Round((c2.R - c1.R) * per) + c1.R;
        var grn = (short)Math.Round((c2.G - c1.G) * per) + c1.G;
        var blw = (short)Math.Round((c2.B - c1.B) * per) + c1.B;
        var clr = Color.FromArgb(red, grn, blw);

        if (BkClr)
            ctrl.BackColor = clr;
        else
            ctrl.ForeColor = clr;
    }
}

this works fine the first pass through the loop but every following loop keeps adding another stopwatch to the label and the blinking goes mad.
what would the best way to kill/ check if blinking is already set on that label and not refire another stopwatch?
I guess I would need to pass what label I'm blinking to the SoftBlink and kill the existing stopwatch somehow in the while true loop?

A: On the Label's tag property set a flag to indicate whether it's blinking or not.
bool? blinking = ctrl.Tag as bool?;

Stopwatch sw;
if (!blinking ?? false)
{
    ctrl.Tag = true;
    sw = new Stopwatch();
    while(true)
    {
        // do stuff
    }
    ctrl.Tag = false; // doesn't look like you would ever reach this point.
}

A: I would choose for a timer and a class that will update the controls. I think it is a bad practice to use awaits within a while loop. How will you ever stop them. It will be more confusing. It's better to add the controls to a list and update them all on a timer. Also, don't set the timer too fast.
Here's an example, I created a new windows forms application and added two labels and two buttons on the form. I created a ItemBlinker class which will track all controls added and update them:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace TestBlink
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        private Timer _timer;
        private ItemBlinker _itemBlinker = new ItemBlinker();

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            // create the timer
            _timer = new Timer();
            _timer.Tick += Timer_Tick;
            _timer.Interval = 10;
            _timer.Enabled = true;
        }

        private void Timer_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // update all blinkers
            _itemBlinker.Update();
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // add two labels
            _itemBlinker.Add(label1, Color.FromArgb(30, 30, 30), Color.Red, 2000, true);
            _itemBlinker.Add(label2, Color.FromArgb(30, 30, 30), Color.Blue, 3000, true);
        }

        private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // remove all blinked controls
            _itemBlinker.Clear();
        }
    }

    public class ItemBlinker
    {
        private Dictionary<Control, BlinkItem> _items = new Dictionary<Control, BlinkItem>();
        private Stopwatch _sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();

        public void Add(Control ctrl, Color c1, Color c2, short cycleTime_ms, bool bkClr)
        {
            BlinkItem item;

            // if it allready exists, just restore the colors first.
            if (_items.TryGetValue(ctrl, out item))
                item.RestoreColor();

            _items[ctrl] = new BlinkItem(ctrl)
            {
                C1 = c1,
                C2 = c2,
                CycleTime_ms = cycleTime_ms,
                BkClr = bkClr
            };
        }

        public void Remove(Control ctrl)
        {
            BlinkItem item;

            if (_items.TryGetValue(ctrl, out item))
            {
                item.RestoreColor();
                _items.Remove(ctrl);
            }
        }

        public void Clear()
        {
            foreach (var item in _items.Values)
                item.RestoreColor();

            _items.Clear();
        }

        public void Update()
        {
            // get the elapsedMilliseconds
            var elapsedMilliseconds = _sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;

            foreach (var item in _items.Values)
                item.Update(elapsedMilliseconds);
        }
    }

    public class BlinkItem
    {
        private readonly Color _initFore;
        private readonly Color _initBack;

        public Control Ctrl { get; }
        public Color C1 { get; set; }
        public Color C2 { get; set; }
        public short CycleTime_ms { get; set; }
        public bool BkClr { get; set; }

        public BlinkItem(Control ctrl)
        {
            Ctrl = ctrl;
            _initFore = ctrl.ForeColor;
            _initBack = ctrl.BackColor;
        }

        public void Update(long elapsedMilliseconds)
        {
            var halfCycle = CycleTime_ms / 2;
            var n = elapsedMilliseconds % CycleTime_ms;
            var per = (double)Math.Abs(n - halfCycle) / halfCycle;
            var red = (short)Math.Round((C2.R - C1.R) * per) + C1.R;
            var grn = (short)Math.Round((C2.G - C1.G) * per) + C1.G;
            var blw = (short)Math.Round((C2.B - C1.B) * per) + C1.B;
            var clr = Color.FromArgb(red, grn, blw);
            if (BkClr) Ctrl.BackColor = clr; else Ctrl.ForeColor = clr;
        }

        internal void RestoreColor()
        {
            Ctrl.ForeColor = _initFore;
            Ctrl.BackColor = _initBack;
        }
    }
}

This way your functionality is much better separated and less spaghetti code. It's easy, with this structure, to kill a blinker. There is even a RestoreColor method to restore the initial colors. (added later)
Also I used a Dictionary to avoid blinking the same control twice.


text:
Rimoi Park: The gem that adds allure to Kerio Valley
Tuesday January 12 2016
The main entrance to Rimoi National Game Reserve in Elgeyo Marakwet County. The park is home to East and Central Africa's largest herd of Elephants. PHOTO | STANLEY KIMUGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Rimoi elephants graze mainly at night for during the day, they shelter under riverine bushes because of the sweltering heat in Kerio Valley.
Rimoi Reserve is also home to other unique wildlife that includes the world's rare white crocodile at the campsite along Kerio River.
By STANLEY KIMUGE
For decades, the vast Kerio Valley has been infamously known for cattle-rustling and conflict but, as peace slowly returns, a gem that has been lying unnoticed may now prove to be the magic the region needs to polish up its image and lure visitors.
Tucked away in the scenic Elgeyo Marakwet County, is the little-known Rimoi National Game Reserve, home to East and Central Africa's largest herd of elephants.
The reserve is 40 kilometres from Iten town, the world's athletics capital.
To access the reserve, one uses the meandering Iten-Kabarnet road that offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
The elephants at the reserve move together in a group of about 100, compared to other elephant herds that move in pairs, or in a group of three or five.
So peculiar are the elephants in this characteristic that they train their young ones early enough to belong to a herd rather than a small group.
The reserve is also very unique as it has been established by wildlife scientists as a breeding ground for elephants that trout to the sanctuary from neighbouring Turkana and Samburu counties.
So a visitor to the reserve should look out for the elephants in these bushes, or at night when they roam freely in the reserve.
However, one must be cautious as any slightest provocation sparks ire from these wild animals.
The crocodile witnessed a decline in population due to interference in the habitat by human activity.
But the County Government of Elgeyo Marakwet and Kenya Wildlife Service have moved in to rehabilitate the reserve, including fencing it off.
"Poaching incidences have declined greatly since we increased surveillance and the County Government embarked on infrastructural development of Rimoi and employed rangers and a warden. The fence has really helped ward off these poachers," said KWS warden in-charge of Elgeyo Marakwet County, Mr Dominic Kilonzo.
Other animals resident in Rimoi include dik diks, guinea fowls, warthogs, baboons and a huge variety of bird species.


text:
Brain Differences in Young Children With Binge Eating Disordersagittarius august 2021 tarot reading
Summary: Children with binge eating disorders have differences in gray matter density compared to their peers who do not experience overeating disorders.
Source: UCS
Brain scans of children ages 9-10 with a type of eating disorder that causes uncontrollable overeating showed differences in gray matter density compared to their unaffected peers, according to a USC-led study.
Binge eating disorder, which affects about 3-5% of the U.S. population, is characterized by frequent episodes of eating large amounts of food and a sense of having no control over the behavior. The study's findings suggest that abnormal development in the brain's centers for reward and inhibition may play a role.
The recently published study is available online in the journal Psychiatry Research.
"In children with binge eating disorder, we see abnormality in brain development in brain regions specifically linked to reward and impulsivity, or the ability to inhibit reward," said lead author Stuart Murray, Della Martin Associate Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where he serves as director of the Eating Disorders Program.
"These kids have a very, very heightened reward sensitivity, especially toward calorically dense, high-sugar foods. The findings underscore the fact that this is not a lack of discipline for these kids."
Pandemic saw increase in eating disorders among young people
Experts say eating disorders in young people soared during the pandemic, along with steep increases in hospitalizations. Social isolation, stress, disruption of routine and a social media-fueled quest for perfection all exacerbated disorders such as anorexia, muscle dysmorphia and binge eating.
Binge eating disorder puts people at risk for obesity, metabolic syndrome, abnormal cardiac function and suicidal thoughts. Treatment goals include reducing the frequency of binge eating episodes by removing "trigger" foods, as well as addressing underlying anxiety or depression. Treatment with medication and talk therapy is effective about only half the time, Murray said.
For this study, Murray and his colleagues analyzed brain scans and other data from 71 children with diagnosed binge eating disorder and 74 children without binge eating disorder, who are part of a large longitudinal study called the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. That study includes data of 11,875 children ages 9-10 who were enrolled in 2016-2018 and recruited from 21 sites around the U.S.
Experts say eating disorders in young people soared during the pandemic, along with steep increases in hospitalizations. Image is in the public domain
In the children with binge eating disorder, they saw elevations in gray matter density in areas that are typically "pruned" during healthy brain development. Synaptic pruning, a development phase that occurs between ages 2 and 10, eliminates synapses that are no longer used, making the brain more efficient. Disturbed synaptic pruning is linked to a number of psychiatric disorders.
"This study suggests to me that binge eating disorder is wired in the brain, even from a very, very early age," Murray said. "The question that we don't know, which is something that we will address in time, is whether successful treatment of binge eating disorder in kids helps correct brain development. The prognosis of almost all psychiatric diseases is better if you can treat them in childhood."
In addition to Murray, other authors were Christina Duval, Ane Balkchyan and Steven Siegel of the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine; Ryan Cabeen, Arthur Toga and Kay Jann of the USC Mary and Mark Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the Keck School of Medicine; and Jason Nagata of University of California, San Francisco.
USC's Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences includes about 200 faculty members who provide services to patients at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and USC Student Health.
Funding: The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH115184)
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The Vitamin C Serum by Mad Hippie is the third product I was sent to test out and review for you guys. You can find reviews for the Exfoliating Serum, Cream Cleanser, and Vitamin A Serum on my website (use the search bar on the right hand side), but if you are a regular reader of my blog you would know that all of the products I have tried from Mad Hippie have become firm favourites and permanent staples in my routine. I am happy to report that the vitamin C serum has been just as transformational as my other Mad Hippie products, and you can find below my full review on why I love this product so much.
Mad Hippie's Vitamin C Serum comes in a brown glass dropper bottle and has the most beautiful yellow floral label. Just seeing this packaging every morning really brightens my day. The serum is a thin clear liquid which absorbs into skin quickly without any stickiness. The scent is light and sweet, and smells to me like a combination of floral and citrus tones.
Mad Hippie claims that this serum will 'brighten, tighten & smooth the skin, while reducing the effects of photoaging'. This serum certainly does contain a plethora of skin loving ingredients, including Vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for collagen production, and can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and discolouration, while providing protection against photodamage. Mad Hippie employs Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate; a more stable and bioavailable form than L-Ascorbic Acid, to provide the same benefits without the risk of oxidation and irritation that L-Ascorbic Acid carries.
This serum also contains Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid; two ingredients when used together with Vitamin C, are found to have a compounding photo-protective effect on the skin.
I love that this serum also contains hyaluronic acid; which works to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that begins to deplete as we age. A new to me ingredient in skincare; Konjac Root Powder, is an exotic flower from Asia that helps to soften & smooth the skin while forming a thin protective barrier. It is rich in nutrients such as copper, zinc, phosphorus, fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates, lipids, potassium, magnesium, iron, niacin, folic acid & vitamins A, E, C, D & B!
Mad Hippie's Vitamin C Serum also contains chamomile to provide a soothing and calming protective shield, grapefruit to remove dead skin cells, and clary sage to balance sebum production.
Full Ingredients: Water Deionized, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Alkyl Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea), Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis), Hyaluronic acid, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E (Tocotrienol), Ferulic acid, Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria), Sodium Phytate, Xanthum Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose.
I have been using this serum every morning, for over a month now. I apply to clean dry skin, and wait until it is fully absorbed before applying my moisturiser, sunscreen etc. I am generous in the amount I use, and probably use almost half a pipette worth of product over my entire face. I find I do have to moisturise after applying this serum as I have really dry skin and this product makes my skin feel taut and in need of some moisture.
I really have seen a difference in my skin since adding this product to my routine. My skin looks brighter, and calmer. My old acne scars seem to be fading at lightning speed, and any new scarring and pigmentation seems to heal much quicker than usual. My skin tone just seems generally more even and refined.
I highly recommend this serum, and all of the Mad Hippie products I have tried.
You can pick this serum up online at iHerb, or on Mad Hippie's website, here.


I mean how hard can it be to write a back cover blurb? I've lived with His Brand Of Beautiful and its characters for all this time, surely I can sum up what the book is about in three catchy paragraphs that will make someone want to read more? It's just like writing a query, isn't it? Err… no, apparently not. The query is to make an agent or a publisher want to read your book and they want to know what happens, and some of them even want to know how it ends (the cheek).
The back-cover blurb can't tell the reader what happens… or they won't need to read your book (See the one-third rule below). And possibly if you tell them the wrong thing, they'll decide it isn't for them (even if it might be perfect).
Who is your book being marketed to?
Your blurb should speak to those people you imagine are most interested in the type of book you have written. A blurb for a book for teenage girls will have a different tone to one for teenage boys, for example. An overview detailing how the story will help Suzie mature into a well-rounded adult is not as enticing to a teen as a short sentence telling us Suzie will get sweet revenge on her tormenters, so keep you audience in mind as you write.
What is the most interesting aspect of your book?
Is it the characters, the location, the era, the conflict to be resolved, the plot twists, the moral dilemmas? I can understand that having immersed yourself in your book for so long you can't see the forest for the trees, so ask a friend or partner to offer some words or phrases they think summarises your book. Create a list of synonyms for those words and circle the evocative and fresh ones.
• Use the one-third rule. When outlining your story, try not to reveal anything that occurs more than one-third of the way through your book. Your blurb needs to encourage reading on, not spill the beans.
• Avoid cliches. Tired, overused phrases will not coax a reader to continue reading, so look for fresh ways to express ordinary ideas.
• Avoid too much detail. Remember, you only have two or three paras to make your point, so don't waste space saying Johnny had a red wagon when he was ten if it has nothing to do with the story. Any characters that do not drive the story in a major way should not be mentioned.
• Use evocative words. A back cover blurb is your last chance to persuade someone to buy your book, so you want to make them feel emotionally involved in your story, and a clever way to do this is to use words that evoke feeling within the reader. Words like laughter, glamour and whisper, or terror, dread and shriek are better than amused, well-dressed and quiet, or scared, worried and loud. Using active rather than passive sentences will involve the reader further.
• Shoutlines. If you come up with a great sentence or phrase that encapsulates your book, use it as a shoutline (one or two lines in a larger and bolder font). Movies call them taglines and they can be very effective, for example, 'In space no-one can hear you scream' (Alien, 1979) and 'See our family. And feel better about yours' (The Simpsons Movie, 2007).
1st para — Introduce characters and give basic plot outline.
2nd para — More detailed plot outline (what is the conflict/dilemma/challenge of the characters).
3rd para — Can be effective to have questions here, such as will Suzie be humiliated or triumph?
Keep your audience in mind, be concise and evocative.
There is no strict formula to writing a good blurb, but time must be taken to ensure your book is presented at its best to potential buyers. Hopefully some of these suggestions will be helpful and we encourage you take a look at your own bookshelf and on the internet to get more ideas (search terms such as 'back cover blurb', 'writing a book blurb, 'shoutlines', 'passive active voice' will get you started).
Good luck indeed! Here's what I came up with. I tried a 'shout line'. Any thoughts? Would it make you want to read His Brand Of Beautiful?
Sometimes to get a woman out of your head, you have to let her in.
When Tate Newell first met Christina Clay he had one goal in mind: tell Christina he won't design the new brand for Clay Wines. Tell her: thanks but no thanks. So long, good night.
But Tate has always been a sucker for a damsel in distress, and when a diary mix-up leaves Christina in need of his help, it's Tate who gets more than he bargained for.
What does a resourceful girl do when the best marketing brain in the business won't play ball? She bluffs (badly). She cheats (a bit). And she ups the ante (by a mile). But when the stakes get too high, can anybody win?
Let's see how many revisions this gets!


As an update to our share window, we will be adding more transparency to not only what you are sharing, but who you are sharing with.
The new window will now display the names of all documents being shared, as well as who has access to these documents currently.
Roles of each person in the loop will now display in the share window, and when adding a new person to the loop via the share window, you will now have the ability to add their role as well!
Easier sign up process for new users invited to dotloop.
When sharing a document for signing, new users are asked if they would like to sign up for dotloop. This sign up window will now allow the user to select their state and role for an easier, more customized, sign up process.
We are now happy to release the Doc Editor Lite for mobile users! What this means is that when opening an email shared to you with 'Can Edit in Private' from your mobile device you will now be taken to a mobile formated document editor. This new editor will allow you to quickly perform actions on the document such as download, share, and edit.
Within Safari and Firefox we identified and fixed an issue where multiple menus in the document editor top bar were displaying at the same time, hindering users from completing their document actions.
When opening multiple documents at once, we noticed that no matter which document was being displayed, the top menu bar would only display the name of the first document. This has been remedied and will now only show the name of the document you have currently scrolled to.
In certain situations users were able to attempt to re-assign locked task lists, but in doing so would be asked to sign in each time. We have fixed these task lists and they will function normally now!
When submitting to TRACS, the button will read 'please wait', as is normal, but it would not stop displaying 'please wait'. This will now return to say submit to TRACS as normal.
When a client selects radio buttons on a document, then downloads the document, the downloaded PDF was displaying different selected options. This has been resolved.


text:
Q: Rails 4 - js changing all comments onClick issue I've been struggling with this (probably simple issue) for many days and nobody here seems to know the answer. I've asked a question and another question and I am now able to change icons to text on click.
The problem is that when I have a list of comments and I click on one of the icon (thumbs_up/thumbs_down), it changes ALL icons for all comments on the page to "Voted!".
comments index page
<% @comments.each do |comment| %>

  <% comment.content %>

    div class="thumbsup">
      <%= link_to image_tag('othericons/thumbsup_off.PNG', height: '20', width: '20', like_post_comment_path(comment.post_id, comment), method: :put, :remote => true %>
    </div>

    <div class="thumbsdown">
      <%= link_to image_tag('othericons/thumbsdown_off.PNG', height: '20', width: '20', dislike_post_comment_path(comment.post_id, comment), method: :put, :remote => true %>
    </div>

<% end %>

A: Lets see on the code
$('.thumbsdown a, .thumbsup a').on('click', function()
{
    $('.thumbsdown').before('You voted')
    $('.thumbsdown, .thumbsup').remove()
})

$('.thumbsdown, .thumbsup') is the jQuery function which returns all elements with the selector .thumbsdown. And removes also all of them.
You should let the jQuery knows what exaclty you want to remove or change.
For example it could be:
$('.thumbsdown a, .thumbsup a').on('click', function()
{
    var parent = $(this).closest('li'); # would be better to use some class instead
    $('.thumbsdown', parent).before('You voted'); # select elements in context of the parent
    $('.thumbsdown, .thumbsup', parent).remove(); # select elements in context of the parent
})

added:
jQuery .on() requires at least one element to be available at the moment of function call for proper work. In this case .thumbsdown a, .thumbsup a.
If you use assets pipeline then plain scripts are loaded before the body is loaded. You may wish to put the example code into
$(function(){
    /* code here */
})

to load it after DOM is loaded, or modify it to
$(document).on('click', '.thumbsdown a, .thumbsup a', function() {


Wiggin hold departmental team building exercises walking in Wales. They hold a fancy dress pub crawl and hold a film and TV team away day.
Wiggin carry out a Firm listening exercise asking employees in small groups what they could do to help the firm's strategy.
Wiggin have a monthly Wiggin Wiglet award which goes to the employee who has gone the extra mile in delivering service either externally to clients or internally. The reward involves the employee wearing a brightly coloured wig for the day alongside media related gift vouchers, champagne and their merits applauded at the monthly briefing.


Stop the bleeding if there is any. Apply pressure to the wound with a clean piece of clothing or cloth and elevate the injury.
Don't try to walk on it. Bearing weight could cause further damage.
If you have access to ice, place it in a towel or cloth and apply to the injury.
Protect against shock. Get in a comfortable position and cover up with a jacket or blanket.
Seek medical help. Either call 911 if the injury is severe, or get to an emergency room for professional care. Otherwise, come see us for an X-ray and treatment plan.
Depending on the degree of your break, treatment can range from an immobilizing splint, boot, or cast, to a surgical procedure that corrects the alignment of bones in order for them to heal correctly. Proper healing is extremely important to prevent further problems in the future, which is why a broken bone should be attended to right away!
If you have any questions about first aid for a broken bone, don't hesitate to call! You can reach our Troy or Clifton Park, NY office at (518) 273-0053 (and next time, maybe just go for a layup).


text:
What Does it Take to Create a Revenue-Generating Audible App?
How to Choose Beautiful Background Images for your Website & Hypnotize your Customers?
Infographics – Stats That Hint Towards a Bright Future of Mobile App Development
Published by Muneeb Qadar Siddiqui at April 6, 2018
Life has become a whirlwind for everyone, each minute racing past, finding us in a never-ending race against time, hustling to complete this or that. We have become so overwhelmed with tasks that 24 hours a day seem almost too less to attain closure. To get everything done on time, we are constantly on the search to unearth solutions and technologies that can save our precious time and energy, while allowing us to multi-task.
When I talk about something as simple and pleasurable as reading a book, how many of us can actually afford to snuggle leisurely in bed, wrapped around in a hand-made quilt, with a cup of steaming tea in hand and a good book in another? As a result, people are deviating further away from books, after all, who has the time anyway! However, since there is an app for everything, even an app that instantly gratifies your desire to push a button when you feel like it and one that only says "Hodor"! Ironic right? How about if you could get a mobile app that reads to you, just like those coveted bedtime stories you couldn't seem to sleep without in another life it seems? An app that lets you get absorbed in the fascinating world of literature while you do everything else?
Audiobook apps are a haven for reading aficionados who have had to put their reading recreation to rest due to a hectic schedule. They allow you to indulge in your favorite books while you are roasting a chicken for lunch, sweating it out in the gym, mowing your lawn, stuck in incessant traffic, or on your way to the grocery store. Some people argue that a simple mp3 player could have sufficed, but can an mp3 player suggest books that you might be interested in by gauging your reading preferences? Can it bookmark your predispositions automatically, in case you change your mind later? Sorry, but it ain't exactly a smart cookie!
One such app: the Amazon Audible, boasts over a whopping 50 million downloads to date, and listeners around the globe have downloaded more than 1.6 billion hours of reading material via it. Such ubiquitousness of audible books got us thinking about the challenges that web developers have to contend with when it comes to formulating an intricate audiobook application, such as Amazon's Audible!
Strike While The Iron Is Hot: Why Should You Consider Developing An Audiobook App?
When it comes to the publishing industry, an audiobook is a rapidly escalating segment, one that is bound to take mobile application development in Dubai by storm. The success of Amazon Audible has paved the way for retailers to invest heavily in the development of audiobook apps and it is also lucrative for publishers to promote their catalogs via it.
Research has proven that the audiobook app industry is projected to reach the $2.8 billion mark, and since 2013, the number of audiobook apps has jumped from 20,000 to a whopping 43,000 as of last year. Not to mention, the popularity of these apps is giving EBooks a run for their money. This makes us question ourselves: why is the audiobook app industry so hot these days?
The Growing Popularity of Audiobook Apps
I would credit the rise of the audiobook app industry to Amazon Audible since its unprecedented offerings and functionalities are shaping the entire industry and providing a new way of thinking to the world. In an era where we have an app for literally everything, nobody realized the importance of an app for listening to audiobooks until Amazon came out with its brainchild. The launch of Audible not only augmented customer interest in reading significantly but also caused the company revenues to soar manifolds as well. Before Audible, we either had to go through the drudgery of downloading audio files to our desktops and transferring them to our MP3 devices to listen to an audiobook or buy endless CDS, one for each written work. Now, all you have to do is to download the book directly to your phone, plug in your headset, and find yourself losing the wonders of your favorite books!
In addition to Audible, The Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), another boomer by Amazon, has also created a buzz in the marketplace for authors, publishers and narrators to create and exchange audiobooks for mutual benefit.
The Ideal Business Model for your Audiobook Apps
Did you know that an average audiobook listener downloads about 17 audiobooks per year? Audible offers more than 180,000 audiobooks to its users and charges a minimal membership fee of $14.95 per month after the free 30-day trial has ended. The membership fee gives you access to one free audiobook per month and a further discount of 30% on any future purchases. Annual plans are also available to facilitate fans.
Such a subscription model seems ideal for an audiobook app that people get hung up on. A plethora of other audiobook services, such as Downpour and Scribd, are also leveraging such a model where users are getting access to one audiobook a month. Upon its launch, Scribd came up with a seemingly too-good-to-be-true subscription model where users could get their hands on as many audiobooks as they aspired for each month. However, after Scribd noticed that the model wasn't lucrative enough, they altered their subscription plan to fall more in line with audible. Their current monthly plan gives readers access to only one audiobook per month, charging more for any additional titles.
Dealing with the Right Holders
All audiobooks sold on Audible and fabricated using ACX have to part with 25 percent of all sales revenue in the favor of right holders if the book is not exclusively available on audible, while right holders solicit a 40% cut for books that are exclusive to Audible. iTunes follow the same policies when it comes to right holders, while a host of other credible platforms promise a flat 35% cut to right holders.
However, what makes Audible stand out from the rest and appear as the golden egg laying hen to publishers is the fact that all its audiobooks are sharable via Emails, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS. Any costs incurred during the distribution of these titles is taken care of by Audible. Each time a user downloads a book and shares it with peers, right owners get rightly paid for each subsequent listen. This facilitates individual publishers by allowing them to reach a wider audience without breaking their bank.
How can you create content for an audiobook app?
While ideally, you would want to fill your app with all the content created and owned by you, this is a far-fetched vision and one that can cost you an arm and leg. Here are a few feasible ways to fill up your audible book app with viable content:
Marketplace for Content Creators
Although you can create content in-house for your audiobook app, it takes a lot of efforts and requires a fully functional content creation team, responsible for fabricating content for the readers. Certainly, this is a time intensive route. Why go through such a grueling process when there exists ACX: a marketplace that brings under the same umbrella anyone involved in the creation process of an audiobook, such as right holders, narrators, publishers, and authors. For each specific book, the right holders can create jobs for pertinent tasks in the marketplace and solo narrators or studios can choose any titles that they are interested in taking forward. Publishers then have an advantage of distributing the final audiobook from ACX directly to their own websites, iTunes or Audible itself.
Instead of selling directly to users, a lot of companies offer APIs to retailers to allow them access to titles which they can later push out to readers. Findaway is one such app that deals with over 200 publishers and has over 100,000 titles to its name. Playsters, Scribd, and other credible companies use its APIs to sell to customers.
An App of your Own!
With the proliferation of professional mobile app development in Dubai, it has gotten imperatively easier to create an audiobook app of your own and start monetizing it. You can also include features in your app which can help deliver the latest articles and podcasts to your target customers. Another viable idea is to create a strategic partnership with premium publishers and newspapers to keep your customer abreast of any developments without much ado.
Since the audiobook application development is still in its infancy, we are expecting some serious innovations in the apps that have been rolled out in the market or the ones that are in the making. None the less, audiobook apps are certainly going to bring back the trend of book reading to the masses through the ears.
Muneeb Qadar Siddiqui is a blogger/Social Media fervent. Nestled in the heart of digital cosmos, of course not married (for now, at least!) but his first love is blogging on digital marketing, web design & development, corporate branding, and e-commerce solutions. Fused with passion and astronomical view of the digital galaxy. Muneeb loves to connect with fellow bloggers and share ideas that work. For awesomeness do connect with him: Facebook |Twitter |Linkedin
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