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Please note: You will need Superior Drummer 3.0 to use this product.
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› Toontrack SDX: Decades By Al Schmitt EDUCATION
Toontrack SDX: Decades By Al Schmitt EDUCATION
A massive collection of drums recorded by a prolific audio craftsman: Al Schmitt
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The Toontrack Decades SDX was recorded at Capitol Studios and comes with five drum kits, all handpicked to represent a specific sound or era in Al's career. Expect a palette of immaculate drum sounds encapsulating not only a lifetime of experience working at the apex of the industry, but just as much a personal and reflective collection of kits that in a way represents his entire body of work.
From jazz and big band to rock, fusion, pop, funk and AOR – the Decades SDX covers all the styles that can be traced back to Al's illustrious lifetime achievement.
Produced by 23-time Grammy Award-winning engineer/mixer Al Schmitt
Recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, CA
Five (5) kits (Slingerland, Pearl, Yamaha, Ludwig, Leedy)
12 snares, nine (9) kicks as well as a broad collection of hi-hats and cymbals
Includes several iconic original instruments, like the original snare drum used by Jeff Porcaro on Toto's "Rosanna" as well as Steve Ferrone's personal drum kit.
Brushes and/or mallets available on select kits/instruments
Drums from the 1920s through the late 1990s
Recorded with an additional seven room microphones for playback in stereo up to 9.1 systems
Al Schmitt is a recording engineer and and producer. At 88 years old, with a career spanning 7 decades, Schmitt has won 23 Grammy Awards and recorded/produced over 150 gold and platinum albums. Needless to say, he is the most successful engineer/mixer in history, despite not necessarily being a household name. His legacy has seemingly flown under the radar, despite his name almost certainly being on a record (or several) in your collection.
Schmitt was inducted into the TEC Awards Hall of Fame in 1997; in 2006, he received the Grammy Trustees Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. A few years back, in 2015, Schmitt received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just outside the Capitol Records building which has been his second home since 1976. To date, he is the only recording engineer with a star, recognising his contributions to the music industry.
Al Schmitt is nothing short of a living legend and one of the most important figures in recording history... but where did it all start?
The early years...
Schmitt grew up in New York City, shadowing his uncle, a producer, as a child. He would eventually serve in the United States Navy before working at Apex Recording Studios alongside the legendary Tom Dowd (Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Bobby Darin) at 19 years old. Though it isn't around today, Manhattan's Apex Studios was a well known jazz studio of the late '40s and '50s. Miles Davis's Miles Davis and Horns was partially recorded at Apex in 1951.
By the late 1950s, Schmitt made the move to Los Angeles where he began working at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. Radio Recorders owes its name to the popular radio shows it recorded throughout the '40s and '50s. Over the years, countless musicians are reported to have entered the facility, including Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, and Frank Zappa, amongst others.
Schmitt eventually moved to RCA in the early '60s where he became a staff engineer. It was there where he engineered albums for Henry Mancini, Cal Tjader, Al Hirt, Rosemary Clooney, Liverpool Five, The Astronauts, and Sam Cooke. As RCA's very first house engineer, Schmitt recalls sessions with Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner, and Henry Mancini, all in the same day. Also engineering Elvis Presley's recording sessions at RCA for his first post-army film, G.I. Blues, in 1960.
By 1966, Schmitt had left RCA to become an independent producer. After making this move, he would go on to produce albums for Jefferson Airplane, Eddie Fisher, Glenn Yarborough, Jackson Browne, and Neil Young.
After roughly a decade of working as an independent producer on pivotal albums in music history, Schmitt rededicated himself to engineering by the mid-'70s, making his second home at Capitol Records in 1976. He was also featured in an ad for AMS Neve's 88R console, currently housed in Capitol Records Studio A.
Since then, his most significant collaborators have been Diana Krall (with whom he's won three of his 23 Grammy Awards), Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Natalie Cole.
Al's recording techniques..... Having been brought up in the days of single-track mono recording, Schmitt has learned that skilled mic selection and placement is key. He's somewhat notoriously "anti-EQ," which is an approach he learned early on from mentor Tom Dowd, who taught him how to use microphones as equalisers. If something doesn't sound right, try moving the mic around. If the sound is too dark, use a brighter mic. Schmitt records and mixes with no EQ. It's almost impossible to imagine what that must be like according to today's standards!
When recording big bands and ensembles, Schmitt isn't concerned with microphone bleed, either. He understands that leakage can actually make things sound much bigger than they are. The only time to worry about leakage is if you're using bad mics, because bad microphones means bad leakage. If you're using great mics, then the leakage will be, too! Schmitt comes from the days when there weren't headphones, so performers had to hear themselves and each other in the room together. He set's musicians up as close together as possible and lets the leakage contribute to his sound.
Al Schmitt is widely recognised as the most successful engineer of all time, with countless Grammy Awards, gold and platinum certifications, and acknowledgements. He is one of the most respected engineers ever, and his contributions to the music industry are simply unparalleled.
THE DRUMS (download the PDF on the right for a full instrument overview)
THE BALLROOM SWING KIT
The rise of jazz and swing in the early 20th century wasn't only a milestone for music on a whole, it was also epoch-making in terms of drums. This is the era when we went from an often random collection of percussive instruments to standardizing what we still refer to as a classic 'drum kit' setup. These original drums from the 1930s and 1940s were selected as a homage to the very beginning of Al's career and his work with the pioneering artists that defined the genre. Problem getting the drums to cut through the horn section in your mix? This kit's got you covered.
THE 1930s BROADWAY KIT
This genuine 1930s kit combines two legendary drum brands and serves as our tribute to Al's work with immortal crooners like Frank Sinatra and many others. The original calfskins on all instruments produce that uniquely warm and time-accurate tone. Great for any jazz context – ideal for big band arrangements.
THE MODERN JAZZ KIT
Al's more recent work with award-winning vocal and small ensemble jazz artists like Diana Krall, Natalie Cole and others is represented by this kit. If there is a "studio standard" for drums, this is it. These drums have an almost eerie way of combining balance, nuance and detail.
THE 1970s SOUL KIT
There probably are no better suited drums than these to pay tribute to Al's work on seminal albums by the likes of Al Jarreau, George Benson, Steely Dan and the Yellowjackets. Looking for that unmistakable 1970s dry, deep, round and in-your-face type of tone? This is it – complete with some of Al's signature dampening, often a "must" during this very era.
THE 1970sTIGHT POP KIT
The same set but recorded with thin towels covering all drums. The result? A tight, snappy and muffled tone with loads of transient punch while still maintaining that heartwarmingly thick resonance. This excessively muffled way of deadening the tone was used a lot during the 1970s. Listen to Al Jarreau and Steely Dan (to name a few) and you'll hear it.
THE 1980s ROCK & FUSION KIT
This unique prototype set was picked as a reference to Al's work with some of the biggest AOR and melodic rock acts of the 1980s. Looking for the "million dollar" drum tone? This is it – punchy yet silky smooth.
To inspire and enable you to make music immediately, the Decades SDX includes a total of 42 mix-ready presets showcasing an amazing width and scope of use.
AL SCHMITT'S PRESETS
The first set of presets were crafted by Al Schmitt himself in Studio C at Capitol Studios. Al's approach to mixing begins at the very start of a recording where he applies his unparalleled knowledge of microphones to achieve his signature drum sounds from the outset. A diverse palette of warm, organic presets were created in Superior Drummer 3 by careful balancing of microphone levels, blending of different reverbs and subtle use of the Comp 670 compressor in Superior Drummer 3. The results are the familiar drum sounds that document the iconic recordings of Al's
illustrious career.
TOONTRACK IN-HOUSE PRESETS
These presets were created by Toontrack's own Head of Sound Design, Mattias Eklund, and provide the perfect contrast to those created by Al Schmitt. Using Al's pristine recordings as a starting point, Mattias has unleashed his trademark creativity, sculpting a variety of tones that range
from classically vintage to edgy and modern.
KIT PRESETS
In addition to the mix presets, there are a total of 11 kit presets that enable you to quickly access and audition all the different kits and configurations included in the Decades SDX.
The making of the Decades SDX
Walkthrough with Al...
Norman on te Modern Jazz Kit
The Ballroom Swing Kit:
The 1930s Broadway Kit:
The 1980s Rock & Fusion Kit:
The Modern Jazz Kit:
The 1970s Soul & Tight Pop Kits:
The Mixer:
The Presets:
The Articulations:
The MIDI:
Getting that big '80s reverb
The perfect snare stack
The ultimate fat drum mix
Make the brushes fat!
Make hybrid kits
Managing the Macros
Getting creative with reverb
Did you say pre-delay?
Please click on the link below to view the download and install guide for this product.
http://help.timespace.com/home/toontrack-install-guides
PDF Contents
"for Toontrack's massive [95GB] new Superior Drummer 3 expansion, American production legend Al Schmitt has put together five custom kits drawing on his long and richly varied recording history and multi-sampled them at the equally legendary Capitol Studios. Spanning from a 1930s Leedy/Ludwig up to a 1990s Yamaha Maple Custom, via a 40s Slingerland, a 70s Ludwig (open and - yes! - towelled) and Steve Ferrone's prototype Pearl MLX (80s), and throwing in a ton of extra snares and kicks, it's a tour de force of diverse drumming delights." - 9/10 COMPUTER MUSIC
Toontrack Superior Drummer 3 is required to use this expansion
64-bit Windows 7 or newer
8 GB RAM (16 GB RAM or more recommended)
Mac OS X 10.6 or higher 64-bit Intel-based Mac with 8 GB RAM (16 GB RAM or more recommended).


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STARRED FEATURE: The Devil's Noose – A Pandemic Medical Thriller by Michael Angel
The thing that wiped out the dinosaurs is about to make its comeback.
It's a trillion times smaller than a killer asteroid.
And it's fallen into the hands of a madman.
After surviving a horrific outbreak of the Black Nile virus, epidemiologist Leigh Austen's done her best to bury memories along with the bodies.
But when a call for help from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrives at her lab, she's got to face her nightmares all over again. Something's wiping entire villages clean of humans and wildlife in a war-torn former Soviet Republic. Leigh's skills are desperately needed to identify and stop the pathogen's spread before it explodes into a global pandemic.
Austen's team of scientists and armed security set off into the epicenter of the hot zone: over a mile straight down the throat of the Karakul, the deepest open-pit mine in Asia. From there, they'll contend with treacherous military officers, caverns filled with scalding-hot poisonous gas, and an organism so deadly it annihilated the dinosaurs sixty-five million years ago. What Leigh and her people discover will shake them to their very core.
If they survive.
Author's Note: The Devil's Noose: A Pandemic Medical Thriller is a self-contained work and does not end on a cliffhanger. It contains a limited amount of strong language, gore, and some graphic violence. Ratings-wise, it would either be a hard PG-13 or soft R. Please decide to purchase accordingly.
"Fast-paced action and sly wit make Angel's writing irresistible fun."
— Rebecca Moesta, NYT Bestselling co-author of Young Jedi Knights
CLICK HERE FOR A COOL BONUS!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Mar 2, 2020, 10:00am EST
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Meet Raicilla: Mexico's Native Gin Now Making Its Way To The USA
Jenny Nguyen
Sep 29, 2015, 05:34am EDT |
In May, at the DARDO festival, Mexico's largest celebration of artisan agave spirits, a little known spirit called Raicilla (pronounced rye-see-ha) won 1st and 2nd place in the tasting competition that fielded over 150 brands across Mezcal, Bacanora, Sotol and Raicilla categories. The result signifies the rise of Raicilla as a bona fide category, and with a cult following in Mexico, it's now gaining interest from mixologists and agave aficionados here in the US looking for fresh spirits to keep them on the forefront. With Raicilla's crisp floral notes and subdued smokiness in comparison to Mezcal, Raicilla's been dubbed Mexico's native Gin.
Made in the isolated highlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the Mexican state of Jalisco, Raicilla has a 400 year old history and is considered by many to be the grandfather spirit from which Mexico's most famous tipple, Tequila, originated from.
This artisan spirit emphasizes the floral characteristics of the wild and extremely rare Maximiliana agave with its bouquet of citrus and floral aromas that are highlighted by notes of orange blossom, hibiscus, beach plum and roasted pineapple. In comparison to its agave cousins, Tequila and Mezcal, Raicilla is considered the most fragrant in the family, and quite possibly the most versatile for mixing.
Industry folks and early adopters in the US looking to get a head start on Raicilla while it's still a relative unknown can get their hands on one of the two bottles currently available on the market. Our first pick for taste as well as aesthetics is Estancia Raicilla - the second brand to make its way over the border (La Venonosa was first to market in the US) and has recently been picked up by New York stores Urban Wine & Spirits and Spirits of Carmine.


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Home/FAQ/how are solar cells different from most other power sources
how are solar cells different from most other power sources
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1 How are solar cells different from most other power source?
2 How is solar power different?
3 What makes solar energy unique?
4 What are advantages of solar cells?
5 What is the different type of solar cells?
6 What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar cell?
7 What are 3 advantages of solar power?
8 Why is solar the best energy source?
9 What are sources of solar energy?
10 What are 3 interesting facts about solar energy?
11 What is solar power and why is it important?
12 Does a solar cell have energy?
13 What type of solar cells are the most efficient and why?
14 What is difference between photovoltaic cell and solar cell?
15 What is the difference between a solar panel and a solar cell?
16 What are two advantages of solar cells?
17 What are some cons about solar energy?
18 What is an advantage of solar cells quizlet?
19 Why is solar power good for the environment?
20 How effective is solar energy?
21 What are the advantage of solar energy over mineral energy?
22 How do solar cells generate electricity?
23 How do solar cells work?
24 Which is most common source of energy from which electricity is produced?
25 How can solar energy change the world?
26 What is solar cell and its uses?
27 What is solar energy in simple words?
28 Which solar cell is the most efficient?
29 What is the most efficient energy source?
30 What is the most commonly used solar cell?
31 How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp
32 How Do Solar Panels Work? (Physics of Solar Cells)
How are solar cells different from most other power source?
they aren't used to meet all our needs because solar cells produce only a small amount of electricity thus acres of them would be needed to supply energy for a small city. Also, solar cells require extended periods of sunlight. developing countries use wood fuels and dung energy as source.
How is solar power different?
Photovoltaic technology directly converts sunlight into electricity. Solar thermal technology harnesses its heat. These different technologies both tap the Sun's energy, locally and in large-scale solar farms. … Photovoltaic solar technology, which directly converts sunlight into electricity.
What makes solar energy unique?
It's Environmentally Safe
Solar power doesn't produce greenhouse gasses the way that traditional methods of electricity production such as coal, oil, and gas do. Without any harmful byproducts, solar power produces the energy we need while keeping Earth safe from harm.
What are advantages of solar cells?
Benefits or Advantages of Solar Cell
➨It is very easy to operate compare to other power sources of re-newable type. ➨It does not produce any noise as it does not have any moving parts. ➨It does not generate emissions or radiations. ➨It does not require fuels or water to produce electricity.
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What is the different type of solar cells?
Solar cells can be divided into three broad types, crystalline silicon-based, thin-film solar cells, and a newer development that is a mixture of the other two.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar cell?
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
Renewable Energy Source Cost
Reduces Electricity Bills Weather Dependent
Diverse Applications Solar Energy Storage is Expensive
Low Maintenance Costs Uses a Lot of Space
What are 3 advantages of solar power?
Solar power is low-emission. …
Solar power is suitable for remote areas that are not connected to energy grids. …
Solar power provides green jobs. …
Solar panels contain no moving parts and thus produce no noise. …
In the long run, solar power is economical.
Why is solar the best energy source?
Solar power systems derive clean, pure energy from the sun. Installing solar panels on your home helps combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduces our collective dependence on fossil fuel. Traditional electricity is sourced from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.
What are sources of solar energy?
Solar energy is any type of energy generated by the sun. Solar energy is created by nuclear fusion that takes place in the sun. Fusion occurs when protons of hydrogen atoms violently collide in the sun's core and fuse to create a helium atom.
What are 3 interesting facts about solar energy?
10 Facts About Solar Energy That Might Surprise You
Solar power is the most abundant energy source on Earth. …
Solar panel costs have fallen 99% since 1977. …
Solar Energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. …
Solar power plants can last 40 years or more. …
China is the world leader in solar energy … by a lot.
What is solar power and why is it important?
The energy contained in sunlight is the source of life on Earth. Humans can harness it to generate power for our activities without producing harmful pollutants. There are many methods of converting solar energy into more readily usable forms of energy such as heat or electricity.
Does a solar cell have energy?
solar cell, also called photovoltaic cell, any device that directly converts the energy of light into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect.
What type of solar cells are the most efficient and why?
Essentially, efficiency determines how much power a solar panel can produce. The most efficient solar panel is the monocrystalline solar panels. Monocrystalline solar panels can reach over 20 percent efficiency. On the other hand, polycrystalline panels can usually only reach 15 to 17 percent efficiency.
What is difference between photovoltaic cell and solar cell?
As you can see, photovoltaic cells and panels are both integral, closely connected parts of your solar PV system. Photovoltaic cells are the main component that makes up a solar panel, while solar panels are a vital component that makes up a solar system.
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What is the difference between a solar panel and a solar cell?
Solar cell is the smallest functional unit or building block of electrical generator which utilizes solar energy as its input energy that is capable of converting solar energy to electricity while solar panel is the collection of solar cells which generate electrical energy directly from solar energy through …
What are two advantages of solar cells?
Solar power is pollution-free and causes no greenhouse gases to be emitted after installation. Reduced dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels. Renewable clean power that is available every day of the year, even cloudy days produce some power.
What are some cons about solar energy?
Cons of Solar Energy
Solar doesn't work at night. …
Solar panels aren't attractive. …
You can't install a home solar system yourself. …
My roof isn't right for solar. …
Solar hurts the environment. …
Not all solar panels are high quality.
What is an advantage of solar cells quizlet?
They're free to flow as DC. Large area needed to generate same amount as fossil fuels. Less electricity on cloudy days and during the night.
Why is solar power good for the environment?
Solar energy decreases greenhouse gas emissions
Generating electricity with solar power instead of fossil fuels can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). … By going solar, you can reduce demand for fossil fuels, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and shrink your carbon footprint.
How effective is solar energy?
Most figures say that solar panels are roughly between 15% and 18% efficient, meaning that 15% to 18% of the sunlight they absorb is converted into electricity while the rest hits the solar panel and warms the surface like it would anything else.
What are the advantage of solar energy over mineral energy?
Provides Clean, Renewable EnergySolar power is a 100% clean, renewable energy source. It reduces reliance on oil, coal and natural gas for electricity production. These fossil fuels produce harmful emissions that affect the quality of air, water and soil, and are responsible for global warming.
How do solar cells generate electricity?
When photons hit a solar cell, they knock electrons loose from their atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and negative sides of a cell, it forms an electrical circuit. When electrons flow through such a circuit, they generate electricity.
How do solar cells work?
Simply put, a solar panel works by allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. … (Photovoltaic simply means they convert sunlight into electricity.) Many cells linked together make up a solar panel.
Which is most common source of energy from which electricity is produced?
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most of the nation's electricity was generated by natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy in 2019. Electricity is also produced from renewable sources such as hydropower, biomass, wind, geothermal, and solar power.
How can solar energy change the world?
Each year, the sun produces enough electricity to meet the world's energy needs without having to use fossil fuels. Energy from the sun is collected and channeled into homes and businesses. … Homeowners who go solar benefit from significant cost savings and a clean supply of energy.
What is solar cell and its uses?
Solar cells, also called photovoltaic cells, directly transform energy into electricity from the sun. Renewable energy is provided by solar cells, and they are durable, compact and low-maintenance. In remote environments, solar cells often generate electricity, powering machines far from the closest electrical outlet.
What is solar energy in simple words?
Solar energy is simply the light and heat that come from the sun. People can harness the sun's energy in a few different ways: Photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. Solar thermal technology, where heat from the sun is used to make hot water or steam.
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Which solar cell is the most efficient?
Top 10 most efficient solar panels *
1 SunPower 22.8 %
2 LG 22.0 %
3 REC 21.9 %
4 Panasonic 21.7 %
What is the most efficient energy source?
Wind, the most efficient fuel for electricity, creates 1164% of its original energy inputs when converted into electricity; on the other end of the efficiency spectrum, coal retains just 29% of its original energy.
What is the most commonly used solar cell?
Silicon Solar Cells
The greater the purity of the silicon molecules, the more efficient the solar cell is at converting sunlight into electricity. The majority of silicon based solar cells on the market – about 95% – are comprised of crystalline silicon, making this the most common type of solar cell.
How do solar panels work? – Richard Komp
How Do Solar Panels Work? (Physics of Solar Cells)
how are solar cells of today superior to solar cells that were produced 20 years ago?
which of the following energy sources is useful in most parts of the world?
how are solar cells used today
renewable energy is energy from sources that
which renewable energy source is the fastest growing energy source in the world?
a house that uses passive solar heating in the northern hemisphere will
in a developing country you are most likely to find biomass used
where do buddhists pray
how much gold did the spanish take from the aztecs


We turned 60 this year and to celebrate we threw a footpath fiesta for everyone who has supported us over the years, our local community and our wonderful employees, past and present.
Traditional Greek feast was the type of spread we put on with lambs and gyros on the spit. The smell drifted down the street throughout the morning and people just couldn't resist taking a peak at what was going on. We had the Habibis, who provided a beautiful array of Greek tunes to which we danced to in the middle of the shop. The kids were happy with free munchkin milkshakes being given out and Kat's Facepainting turning the little ones into butterflies, superheroes and fairy princess'. The old kids also joined in on that fun as well. Moondog Brewery launched their brand new canned beer on the day, while the Balloonatics brought the festive spirit with the enormous, colourful balloon display.
This was a truly magical day, filled with full bellies, dancing feet and smiling faces.
Thank you to all that were involved in pulling such a great event off. And a big thank you to our local community and customers, past and present, that have supported us over these 60 years. We wouldn't have stuck around so long without you.


There are different ways of looking at this question. One way is to look at it in terms of how people's beliefs and their engagements with religious communities can affect their integration. Another way to look at it is by examining the assumptions that people make about what religion is and how that can affect integration processes, by looking at the kinds of biases or prejudices that it can generate.
For a lot of people, religion provides support in the integration process, in that it provides a community to immediately connect with, to ask about where to go for groceries… these kind of things.
There are many examples of organizations that offer these kinds of support services. Sometimes they are established as NGOs, such as the Hotham Mission in Melbourne, Australia, or Kinbrace in Canada. Other times they are the community that worships at a church, mosque, synagogue or temple. The risk that can arise from people seeking help from within their own religious community is that they then just stay within that community and don't connect with broader society. It depends very much on the make-up of the religious community. Sometimes they can be very closed, not very heterogeneous, and quite ethnically and culturally uniform… so it can hinder integration in some aspects. Other times they are highly diverse in terms of age, income, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds…so it really depends; context is everything.
The other important issue is the assumptions that broader society makes about displaced people arriving in their country and their religious identity. For example, in the context of people coming from Syria, there is often an underlying assumption that everyone coming from Syria is Muslim. There is a lack of information or understanding about what it means to be a Muslim in broader society, so there is very little appreciation for the huge diversity that exists within Islam. Not everyone coming from Syria is Muslim, and even if they are, being Muslim is not necessarily the most defining part of their identity. So there can be a lot of misapprehension about people's priorities and their identity that hinder the integration process. Locals might not want to talk to them because they don't understand Islam or they fear it for various reasons, whereas if you think about them as people rather than as Muslims or a refugees, then it is easier to see commonalities.
Religion is something that we often haven't considered in the integration process, and we are trying to catch up on that now, but there is the risk of putting too much emphasis on it. We have to be careful not to ignore it but also not to make too much of it.
There is another example from Canada, where in the initial stages of Syrian refugees arriving, the resettlement services were looking at whether towns and villages in Canada had mosques or not as to whether they were appropriate places to send newly arrived refugees from Syria. What would make more sense would be to first ask the people being resettled what their priorities are, look at their qualifications, see if they could work there or if they have family there. Whether a town or a village has a mosque is not necessarily the most important thing for someone to integrate successfully into a community. It can help, but only if it is important for that particular person. It shouldn't be the assumed primary category for everyone. Again, context is everything.
From your research and experience, how can interreligious dialogue contribute to integration?
I think it is very important, but there is also a danger in emphasizing religion too much. In the context of communities divided along religious lines, in some research that we have been doing in Indonesia on the right to freedom of religion or belief, one of the things that research has showed us to be quite successful is that people from Christian and Muslim communities would learn a lot more when they come together to work on community issues or to socialize rather than explicitly for the purpose of interreligious dialogue. Through the process of working on community projects, trying to campaign together on issues that were important to their community, like education or employment, they would learn about each other's religious beliefs and religious practices. That was a much more productive way of having an interreligious dialogue.
It is really important for people to be learning about each other's belief systems, but that shouldn't be the primary emphasis because it can backfire, it can mean that people dig in and reinforce their own identities rather than trying to connect with others to find common ground across their different beliefs.
I think the challenge is how to have a balance. In Europe, people are arriving into highly secularized environments and in some cases, environments that are suspicious of religion. So I think one of the challenges is for the host communities to become more open to religion and more open to religious beliefs. Instead of dismissing it as wrong or dangerous, to appreciate that people hold certain beliefs, and not to expect that they would give those up when they arrive in Europe.
One of the challenges when we are looking at integration processes is that religion needs to be part of that mix. But it needs to be part of that mix for everybody. Most of the time the expectation is placed on the people arriving, saying 'well, you have to adapt to our lifestyle', but there is also a need for host communities to adapt as well.
The reality is that communities adapt all the time. They adapt to change whether it happens consciously or not, and in this particular case it is much more helpful to be conscious about it and to think about the ways that we want this to take place, rather than to put up barriers that further entrench differences and feelings of separation and otherness amongst people who are arriving.
Can you share a story of IRD & integration that motivates you to continue working in this field?
I've been working with people who have been displaced and doing research on the topic since the late 90s. In some ways, I am not really sure why it is an issue that I feel very strongly about, but I do and I always have. I am a Christian and that is something that is important to me, but I have seen responses from Christian communities that to me have not been Christian, have been very harsh, very exclusionary, and discriminatory. That has made me quite angry in many respects. But then I hear stories of other communities and faith-based organizations like Kinbrace providing assistance to newly arrived refugees. I also saw this when I did some interviews in 2010 with organizations in Melbourne. In Australia, most of the organizations are Christian, mainly because Christianity has been the longest established religion in Australia, they have more resources and people to help. One of the questions I asked my interlocutors was 'Is it a problem that you are a Christian organization and most of the people you are assisting are Muslim? And they said 'no, we find that it helps in many aspects. Often we have more in common with them than secular organizations working in this sector. Because even though our beliefs are different, we believe in something, we share values about the importance of family, we share ideas about God in our lives and so we are able to talk about these kinds of issues in a way that someone coming from a secular background or a non-believer wouldn't be able to engage.' So I think there is a lot to be disheartened about in this world, but there are good people and there are people who are committed to just seeing the humanity in everyone. That keeps me working on this.


Technical fouls: N.C. Central-None. North Carolina A&T-None.
Points in the paint-NCCUM 26,NCAT 28. Points off turnovers-NCCUM 13,NCAT 13.
2nd chance points-NCCUM 8,NCAT 6. Fast break points-NCCUM 4,NCAT 9.
Bench points-NCCUM 12,NCAT 18. Score tied-3 times. Lead changed-11 times.
Last FG-NCCUM 2nd-00:15, NCAT 2nd-00:02.
Largest lead-NCCUM by 7 2nd-17:54, NCAT by 5 1st-16:35.
NCCUM led for 21:37. NCAT led for 17:26. Game  was tied for 00:57.


The Bible clearly admonishes us to love one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, accept one another, bear one another's burdens, and build up one another. A Home Group is where we enjoy this! Home Groups are where we study God's Word, pray, worship and enjoy close friendships together.
Here in Healing Stream Centre, our Home Group is managed by a minister who oversees the bible study and constantly ministers to the needs of each member of the group. Each group meets once every week to fellowship together and it is opened to every one (no membership is required). We encourage everyone to enjoy the benefits of this Home Group, for we believe that life-changing experience happens best when we share meaningful relationships with fellow believers.
We truly are Better Together!