text:
Eager to Get In On These Instagram Battles, Ja Rule Issues a Challenge to 50 Cent: 'I Want All the Smoke'
Jay Connor
Photo: John Parra (Getty Images for Barstool Sports)
When it comes to bitter rap rivals Ja Rule and 50 Cent, there's no such thing as friendly competition. And while the coronavirus pandemic has provided producers, songwriters and recording artists with the perfect opportunity to entertain the masses by putting their catalogs to the test with Instagram Live battles, Murder Inc.'s former franchise player would rather use it to humiliate the same rapper who ended his career.
On Sunday, Bronx legends Fat Joe and Swizz Beatz were chopping it up on IG Live when the "Always on Time" rapper called in with an open invitation.
"Ja Rule is saying he loves hip-hop, first and foremost, and he wants to do this for the culture," Fat Joe told the audience. "Jesus Christ. Ja Rule, c'mon, man. You guys want the smoke for real."
Swizz Beatz then tells Ja to send over 20 songs so that the multi-platinum rapper can participate in the next installment of the #Verzuz battle series, leading Fat Joe to put his phone on speaker so that Ja can be heard loud and clear.
"For the culture, nigga. I want all the smoke!" Ja yells through laughter. "I'll behave!"
Incredulous, Swizz responds, "That sounds like a devilish behave."
Fat Joe then claims that a battle of that magnitude would break the internet, leading a thoroughly entertained Ja to reply, "Yes it will. It will break the internet in a bad way. The shit would be fucking broke for real. They may not be able to put it back up for a week or two. My catalog is ridiculous, man."
In a perfect world, I'd never have to hear Ja Rule howl at the moon ever again, but it's impossible to deny the headlock he kept the radio in during his heyday. Six of his seven albums went at least gold—four of which sold at least a million copies—and he has 10 singles that cracked the Top 40. And if you count songs he wrote for other artists, or singles he was featured on—like Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real" or Fat Joe's "What's Luv"—that list gets a lot longer. So while I have no desire whatsoever to hear any of that shit, it's clear there are millions of people who feel otherwise.
Just please, no more music festivals, bruh.
Fyre Festival Co-Founder Ja Rule Swears He's Not a Scam Artist, Even Though He Co-Founded a Scam...
In the past week, not one but two documentaries surfaced chronicling the rise and fall of one of…
But does 50 want the smoke?
During his own IG Live with La La Anthony, the rapper-turned-TV exec had a few opponents in mind, but not a single one was Ja Rule.
"Snoop's catalog would probably do it," 50 said. "Outside of that, wait…It would be fun to do Ludacris."
Dammit, Fif. Boo and hiss.
Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that 50 accepts Ja's challenge and gives the people want they want.
Menace to supremacy. Founder of Extraordinary Ideas and co-host and producer of The Extraordinary Negroes podcast. Impatiently waiting for ya'll to stop putting sugar in grits.
Nunna Yorz - You're NOT my ally just because you hate Trump
That ship has already sailed and sank. 50 is the one that torpedoed it.


The Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra needed an ERP system to optimize the supply chain and to handle increasingly diverse products at its subsidary A-Factory in Finland. Vitra chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV with TRIMIT Furniture.
Vitra was especially convinced by the experience with variant configuration and the product know-how presented by TRIMIT Partner Hanse Solution. This made it easier for Vitra to chose Hanse Solution as their implementation partner.
Vitra is an international company headquartered in Switzerland, and it has 14 independent subsidaries in 14 countries.
Vitra's products and concepts are developed in an intensive design process that brings together engineering with the creativity of leading designers. This results in functional and inspiring interior design concepts, furniture and accessories. Longevity of materials, construction and aesthetics is their leading principle, as demonstrated by their Classics – many in continuous production since the 1950s.


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Q: Replace YouTube Link with video Player I run a forum and want to automatically replace any link to a YouTube video with a youtube video player. I can't really find anything like this on the ineternet, but I have seen it in Wordpress.
I'm running PHP.
This is what i'm talking about:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/videos/youtube/

A: There are many, many questions on SO about regexping Youtube video IDs - just do a Google or site search. I took the liberty to modify this answer by ridgerunner to do what you want, ie. replace a Youtube URL with the embed code. Have a look and edit the pattern or embed code if needed. For example, you might want to wrap the embedded video in a div.
<?php

// Replace Youtube URLs with embed code
function embedYoutube($text)
{
    $search = '~
        # Match non-linked youtube URL in the wild. (Rev:20130823)
        (?:https?://)?    # Optional scheme.
        (?:[0-9A-Z-]+\.)? # Optional subdomain.
        (?:               # Group host alternatives.
          youtu\.be/      # Either youtu.be,
        | youtube         # or youtube.com or
          (?:-nocookie)?  # youtube-nocookie.com
          \.com           # followed by
          \S*             # Allow anything up to VIDEO_ID,
          [^\w\s-]        # but char before ID is non-ID char.
        )                 # End host alternatives.
        ([\w-]{11})       # $1: VIDEO_ID is exactly 11 chars.
        (?=[^\w-]|$)      # Assert next char is non-ID or EOS.
        (?!               # Assert URL is not pre-linked.
          [?=&+%\w.-]*    # Allow URL (query) remainder.
          (?:             # Group pre-linked alternatives.
            [\'"][^<>]*>  # Either inside a start tag,
          |           # or inside  element text contents.
          )               # End recognized pre-linked alts.
        )                 # End negative lookahead assertion.
        [?=&+%\w.-]*      # Consume any URL (query) remainder.
        ~ix';

    $replace = '<object width="425" height="344">
        <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/$1?fs=1"</param>
        <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
        <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param>
        <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/$1?fs=1"
            type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344">
        </embed>
        </object>';

    return preg_replace($search, $replace, $text);
}

$string = 'This is the forum post content with some Youtube links:'."\n".
    'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLqAF9hrVbY'."\n".
    'http://www.youtube.com/v/u1zgFlCw8Aw?fs=1&hl=en_US';

echo embedYoutube($string);

?>

A: You don't need to generate embedable HTML by hands, Youtube supports oEmbed protocol: http://oembed.com/#section5

A: You can try a tiny class for generating player's code - http://github.com/chernikovalexey/Livar. I've found it interesting ;)

A: Here's my version of Viktor's modification
/**
 * Finds youtube videos links and makes them an embed.
 * search: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg7aeOx2VKw
 * search: http://www.youtube.com/embed/vx2u5uUu3DE
 * search: http://youtu.be/xg7aeOx2VKw
 * replace:
 *
 * @param string
 * @return string
 * @see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6621809/replace-youtube-link-with-video-player
 * @see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5830387/how-to-find-all-youtube-video-ids-in-a-string-using-a-regex
 */
function generateVideoEmbeds($text) {
    // No youtube? Not worth processing the text.
    if ((stripos($text, 'youtube.') === false) && (stripos($text, 'youtu.be') === false)) {
        return $text;
    }

    $search = '@          # Match any youtube URL in the wild.
        [^"\'](?:https?://)?  # Optional scheme. Either http or https; We want the http thing NOT to be prefixed by a quote -> not embeded yet.
        (?:www\.)?        # Optional www subdomain
        (?:               # Group host alternatives
          youtu\.be/      # Either youtu.be,
        | youtube\.com    # or youtube.com
          (?:             # Group path alternatives
            /embed/       # Either /embed/
          | /v/           # or /v/
          | /watch\?v=    # or /watch\?v=
          )               # End path alternatives.
        )                 # End host alternatives.
        ([\w\-]{8,25})    # $1 Allow 8-25 for YouTube id (just in case).
        (?:               # Group unwanted &feature extension
            [&\w-=%]*     # Either &feature=related or any other key/value pairs
        )
        \b                # Anchor end to word boundary.
        @xsi';

    $replace = '';
    $text = preg_replace($search, $replace, $text);

    return $text;
}

A: hello i need same code but my content got html + youtube url
so i update reg pattern
private function generateVideoEmbeds($text)
{
    // No youtube? Not worth processing the text.
    if ((stripos($text, 'youtube.') === false) && (stripos($text, 'youtu.be') === false))
    {
        return $text;
    }
    $replace = '';
    $text = preg_replace("/http:\/\/(www.)?(youtube.com|youtube.be)\/watch\?v=[\w]{8,25}[^< ]/si", $replace, $text);

    return $text;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The August consumer confidence is said to be the best monthly rise since June 2015.
GfK's consumer confidence index for August has risen five points to -7. This is said to be the best monthly rise since June 2015. The index is an economic indicator that measures the degree of optimism that consumers feel about the overall state of the economy and their personal financial situation. It studies the spending and saving intention of customers.
This is a sharp improvement over last month, when the consumer confidence saw its steepest fall in 26 years post the Brexit vote. The index had fallen to -12 in July.
Joe Staton, head of market dynamics at GfK said that the index was seeing some recovery this month "as consumers settle into the new wait-and-see reality of a post-Brexit, pre-exit UK". He further explained that historic low interest rates, declining prices and high levels of employment helped boost confidence among UK consumers.
"This can be seen in positive growth across all major measures including both our Personal and General Economic situation for the next 12-months. And at +7 points (a jump of nine points from last month), the Major Purchase Index reflects strong retail figures. But more remarkable is the 16-point collapse in the Savings Index (down from +1 last month to -15). We Brits are clearly determined to carry on shopping for today rather than saving for tomorrow," Staton said in a statement.
It was also noted that all measures used to calculate the index had increased. For instance, the index that measures changes in personal finances over the last 12 months saw an increase of one point to zero. This was three points lower than August 2015.
Also, the measure for General Economic Situation in the country over the last 12 months saw an increase of two points to -23 for August. The Major Purchase Index increased nine points from -2 to seven in August, while Savings Index came in 16 points lower to -15.


In the past few years, debates about RTI-strategies have gained international importance. In most OECD countries, national RTI-relevant "policies" and specific "science and innovation strategies" have become indispensable. The target of this working group is to elaborate national RTI-strategies and their implementation in the respective political context and discuss them in an international comparison. Here it will be essential to also discuss the structures and stakeholders of RTI-governance.
1998 Chairman, Evaluation Committee OECD Programme "Megascience Forum"
Main tasks: promotion of scientific and technological cooperation, exports and internationalisation, eBusiness.
since 2008 User and demand driven innovation, information society issues.
1970-1971 Guest Researcher at Chalmers University in Goteborg, Sweden. For the work on development of new materials for low noise microwave masers I obtained the title of Docent of Chalmers University.
1970-1988 Worked in the Institute of Electron Technology (ITE), Warsaw, on measurements and modelling of microwave semiconductor devices.
1984-1985 Visiting Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Massachussets, Amherst teaching and studying noise generation mechanisms in microwave semiconductor devices.
1989-1991 "Robert Bosch" Visiting Professor in Hannover Universities and coordinated a research project on diodes for submillimeter waves realised by four German Universities.
My current research interests are the design, characterization and noise analysis of microwave, submillimeter and optical semiconductor devices, circuits and microsystems and research on new materials for Microwave- and Opto-electronics. I have coordinated national and international scientific projects executed by several R/D institutions.


Slit Maxi dresses for the win! We love this NYTT taupe V-neck Maxi dress with a thigh high side slit! This dress is your go to backyard party or day on the town attire. Look extra boho with this maxi when you add a belt and some gladiator sandals. Loose fit.


Both have their advantages and suit different applications.
Price range: $1750 - $4890.
Luggie: New Technology, New Opportunities*.
The original and best portable folding scooter. Buy here from $2190!
The highly engineered premium travel scooter from Freerider that folds up in less than a minute. See specs and prices here.
The Luggie folds easier than any other scooter, and its unique design makes it easier to transport in different configurations.
Fold the Luggie with three easy actions: drop the seat down; collapse the tiller; unclip the chassis to fold up. Nothing could be easier.
Pull the Luggie like a travel case, or pack it in its own travel bag on wheels. Take it on a cruise, on a plane, or in a car and you're ready to see the world!
* Actual range can vary significantly based on terrain, age of battery, and weight of user.
WARNING: Scooters Australia will not service or warrant any Luggie scooter not purchased from an authorised Luggie Australia dealer.
Lightweight collapsible portable mobility scooter that's great for transport in the car boot. Unclips into 5 easy-to-handle lightweight pieces for transport. Both Buzz 3 and 4 wheelers are a great value for money budget scooter. Easy to drive with simple to use controls and a very comfortable fully padded seat, they collapse for transport in the car boot in an instant - just unclip the sections. The four wheeler has a very good turning circle, soft ride suspension, and plenty of leg room for such a compact scooter. It's safe and stable, and comes with 18 amp hour batteries as standard (smaller batteries an option). The front basket is standard on both scooters. Several interchangeable colour panels allow for individual colour choice. They're both great little portable scooters when you need to transport them to your destination before hopping on and buzzing around. Check out the video above to see how the Buzz collapses to fit in a small car boot.
Portable mobility scooter that breaks apart easily for transport. Stylish lightweight motorised scooter from Pride Mobility designed for the boot and indoor applications, especially shopping malls. Some flat outdoor use also a possibility with this scooter. Easy collapsible design without the need to undo any plugs. Comfortable plush seat. Very manoeuvrable, especially the three wheeler. Interchangeable colour panels for different moods, or just keep some to smarten the scooter up at a later date. Good battery level indicator. External scooter battery charger.
* Note that our dealers will only service Luggie scooters that are listed on our data base with the correct serial number.
Scooters Australia provides a range of lightweight portable travel mobility scooters for easy transport. We are the agent for the Luggie scooter, and offer a variety of easy to lift, collapsible & fold up / folding scooters. We supply travel scooters to stores throughout Australia.


SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – March 7, 2018 /Canna Newswire/ – The Peak Beyond (www.thepeakbeyond.com) has been named a finalist chosen to present at the CNvest: Terps and Tech cannabis industry startup and investor conference next month. The Peak Beyond will pitch an audience of accredited investors and media at the CNvest: Terps and Tech 2018 conference, taking place at the Hilton San Jose on April 9. Investors in the audience will also select a company for the standout pitch, who will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
CNvest entries were received from startups seeking funding located across North America, from Southern California to Eastern Canada. The sixteen CNvest finalists earned top scores on a set of criteria critical in determining both a company's market and investment potential. Entries were analyzed by cannabis industry editors, reporters and influencers whose background make them uniquely qualified to uncover aspects of businesses that could help them thrive in the complex cannabis market.
The Peak Beyond's Interactive Smart Displays enable brands to market to consumers in a novel and information-centered way. Their innovation lies in their product recognition technology, that when a customer handles a featured product, their display automatically reacts to show all of the relevant information pertaining to that product. Interactive Marketing is a new and growing industry and The Peak Beyond is the first to market in the cannabis space.
The Peak Beyond's vision is to revolutionize the way that retail is executed. The company's modern, customizable smart displays utilize object recognition and touch screen technology to create an educational, interactive digital display through which customers can interact with featured products. When customers interact with products at the point of sale, they are more likely to purchase those products. By virtue of the product triggered display, The Peak Beyond witnesses sales increases in featured brands by 50-250%. The company is working to create a stronghold in the cannabis market, offering leases, advertising, and private labeled versions of their display.
CNvest™ is produced by Canna Newswire™, the cannabis industry's platform for making news. The inaugural event, CNvest: Terps and Tech, is a cannabis science and technology startup and investment conference co-located with the Terpenes and Testing World Conference, April 9, 2018 in San Jose, California. CNvest's mission is to become a leading platform for early stage cannabis startups seeking funding to network with cannabis investors and build their brands in the market. For more information visit www.cnvestevent.com.


Following a statement by the OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States) trade ministers on Antiqua and Barbuda's ongoing dispute with the United States on Internet Gaming. This statement is among the conclusions of the OECS ministers of trade meeting in St. Lucia last Wednesday.
We the OECS ministers of trade declare solidarity with Antiqua and Barbuda's quest for satisfactory treatment from the United States of America on the question of cross border supply of Internet Gaming Services.
We recognize the challenges faced by Antiqua and Barbuda as the United States fails to implement the World Trade Oganization's General Agreement on Trade Services (GATS) rulings.
We the OECS ministers of trade are dissatisfied with the decision by the USA to circumvent its WTO GATS obligations by attempting to withdraw its commitments tabled in 1994 on Internet gaming.
We further recognise that although Antigua & Barbuda has consistently won cases against the USA at the WTO disputes panel and appellate body, the USA is yet to bring its offending measures into conformity as directed in the consecutive rulings. We the OECS ministers of trade recognise findings by the WTO's compliance panel that the USA is yet to implement the decision of the compliance panel.
The OECS ministers of trade view the ongoing response by the USA as unfortunate and that such action can significantly harm Antigua & Barbuda's economy. In fact this has so far resulted in the closure of some Internet gaming facilities and the termination of some workers in that industry in Antigua & Barbuda. Such action by the USA has also undermined the credibility of the WTO.
To this end, the OECS ministers of trade declare their solidarity with Antigua & Barbuda in taking measures calculated to obtain compensation for the actions taken against it. The OECS ministers of trade will fervently express such concerns about Antigua & Barbuda's plight during individual and collective dialogue with the USA.
We (OECS) strongly suggest that the United States of America engage in the appropriate dialogue with Antigua & Barbuda and take the steps to comply with the WTO ruling.


Ian Kazi Shakil is Co-founder of Augmedix, a stealthy company building an app for medical doctors on Google's Glass eyewear computing device. Shakil studied biomedical engineering at Duke University and then worked for Edwards Lifesciences, which makes heart valves that can be implanted without surgery.
He received his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2012. Last summer, a friend who works at Google let him try on the Google Glass. He was instantly inspired and decided to drop everything in order to start a company that took advantage of the emerging technology.


text:
CES 2009: Sony pushes OLED tech with new TVs (updated)
OLED comes to Sony TVs in a big way. Sony's new OLED HDTVs are big, almost …
Frank Caron - Jan 8, 2009 3:33 am UTC
OLED televisions may not be the most affordable choice for the family home television, but the technology has come quite a long way and videophiles of all sorts have watched on anxiously as it has developed. Though the technology is still on the expensive side for the average consumer, Sony showed its continued support by unveiling a new line of paper-thin OLED TVs.
The new line may be a bit expensive, but the televisions are drop-dead gorgeous in person. Though they sport a separate HDMI receiver, likely a by-product of the jaw-droppingly thin design, the sets themselves boast both stunning picture displays and a sharp design aesthetic.
We had the chance to check out one of the new OLED units in person and it was a sight to behold: no more than a quarter of an inch thin but sturdy and well-designed, the Sony OLED sets were beautiful if not extremely pricey. A nice television to "aspire to own," said Sony multiple times during its press conference.
Sony had a vast number of other BRAVIA televisions and new details on its eco-friendly manufacture to tease for tomorrow's press conference, but suffice to say that the company plans to continue its Bravia line with what appears to be little concern for the economic recession. Watch out for further details of the new OLED line as well as further information on the OLED line from our staff tomorrow morning during Sony's official press conference.
Update: Many of you wanted a better look at the size of the TV, so we went back and snapped a quick video. Check it out:
Thin is in with the new Sony OLED TVs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


32 backers pledged £8,909 to help bring this project to life.
I make high quality leather goods by hand in my secluded floating workshop on the south coast of England under the Victory Leathercraft brand.
Backers of my three previous Kickstarter campaigns have been asking me 'What's next?' Well, after polling them, here it is - The Leatherback leather backpack.
Like all my products, this is a nod to days gone by when products were built to last for generations and were made by hand, with care, pride, skill and craftsmanship, using the finest available materials.
The Leatherback is made from premium full-grain English vegetable tanned leather with nickel-plated solid brass fittings.
Having made several leather bags for my personal use in recent years & been stopped by countless people asking where I bought them, I was finally persuaded to make a 'production' leather backpack, but I didn't want it to be like the hundreds of other nondescript bags on the market.
In many ways this bag is as much a piece of art as a piece of luggage. It has a unique minimalist look yet it's still a highly practical item, designed & built for use by adventurous travellers, discerning city-workers or active sportspeople of today.
My buyers are very discerning & don't like to be 'one of the herd'. This is why I've spent an extremely long time perfecting the design of the Leatherback – ensuring it's not only supremely practical & durable but also visually striking.
A word of caution though – If you're a frequent traveller, I'm afraid you will probably have to start allowing extra time for passing through airports & stations when carrying this bag as (I've already experienced) you'll be constantly asked about it by fellow passengers & airport staff!
One more thing - owing to the low numbers I have the capacity to produce, you're highly unlikely to ever see anyone else with one.
The backpack can be worn like any other, with its wide, comfortable English bridle leather shoulder straps. It can also be carried by its top carry-handle. Lastly, the shoulder straps can be snapped together end-to-end, giving the option to wear it as a single-strap messenger bag.
The top flap is secured with a special catch that only releases when pinched & pulled upwards. Unlike magnetic catches or traditional snaps, anyone trying to open the bag by tugging at the flap will have no success.
Inside the bag there is a main compartment, a separate compartment big enough for a 15" laptop or tablet, plus a centrally placed smartphone pocket and two pen holders. There is also a leather strap with a trigger-snap on the end for easy retrieval of any keys you might wish to attach, meaning you won't need to rummage around the bottom of the backpack to find them.
The Leatherback is comfortably within regulation sizing for airline carry-on baggage yet still manages to hold all of the essentials.
Leather – Thick (3mm) vegetable-tanned full grain leather. This leather will look even more appealing over time as it develops its own patina from daily use & abuse. The shoulder straps are made from the same English oak bark tanned bridle leather that I use in my belts.
Hardware – Fittings used are solid brass, sand-cast, hand-finished and nickel-plated in a traditional foundry here in the UK. Super-strong & great looking. Simple and honest with none of those cheap, brittle zinc alloy components used in most bags available in stores, whose plating peels off and starts to look scruffy in no time.
I fully appreciate this bag isn't going to be within everyone's price range. Because I make each one personally by hand, that's inevitable I'm afraid.
The way I approach product design isn't like that of most makers.
Rather than attempting to keep costs down in all areas (compromising on quality of leather & fittings) in order to meet a certain retail price point, I simply select the highest quality materials & the most suitable construction methods in order to make the best products possible.
That said, marketing the bag through this channel rather than through high street retailers means that the price I'm asking here is less than half what it would be priced at in any high-end store in New York, London, Paris or Milan.
Fortunately for me, there is an ever-growing number of discerning consumers worldwide who appreciate the uniqueness, quality and longevity of handmade goods such as these.
Unlike millions of nylon & faux leather backpacks in the world, this won't be heading for landfill!
I'm always reading between the lines of other campaigns on Kickstarter, curious to see where they're manufacturing their products, especially those involving leather goods. In a great many campaigns the manufacturing location either isn't mentioned at all or it's concealed behind smoke & mirrors by clever use of such phrases as 'designed in the USA' when they're actually being made in a low-wage overseas sweatshop.
In contrast, I not only know the tannery where this leather is produced (in an environmentally-friendly way) I also know the foundry (just up the road) where all the hardware is cast. I then make every product personally. It's a highly-skilled, labour-intensive and time-consuming process.
I could have had my design manufactured in a host of low-wage countries from poor-quality leather and cheap, low-quality hardware. If I chose to do that, the bags could be made & shipped to me for less money per bag than it costs me just to buy the leather here in the UK.
As a result, I could set a much lower selling price & have no cap on the quantity on offer. The thing is – I could never put my name to something like that. I never have & never will. I believe in making heirloom-quality goods that will be around, being used & being loved for generations to come.
Leather goods manufacturers use a bewildering range of terms to describe the type of leather their items are made from. Much of the terminology is used to confuse the buyer & conceal the fact that they're using the cheapest of materials in order to mimimise their manufacturing costs whilst maximising their profits.
Here's a quick code-breaker, in order from best to worst.
FULL GRAIN LEATHER The absolute best part of a hide is right at the top – the surface layer that has the hair follicles in it. This is the strongest and most durable part of the hide. It will often show signs of things that have happened to the cow during its life – scratches from thorns or barbed-wire, stretch marks, mosquito bites etc. These are natural, they're a part of life and they simply impart more character to the leather. I only use full grain leather, nothing else will do.
TOP GRAIN LEATHER The second-best part of a hide is known as Top Grain leather. This is leather from near the top layer but it has had the surface sanded away to remove the uppermost layer that has the signs of life – the scratches, bite marks etc. It's good but it's not as good as Full Grain because some of the strength (and most of the character) has been removed.
GENUINE LEATHER This comes from the weaker, bottom half of the hide. It's what's left over after the hide has been split horizontally into 2 or more layers & the full-grain part has been removed & used for more premium products. It can have a shiny surface added by painting & polishing, it might even have a texture embossed on it (to make it resemble full grain leather) or it can be left with a suede finish. Much cheaper than Full Grain but it has nowhere near the same character, feel, strength or longevity.
BONDED LEATHER Imagine sweeping up all the leather dust and shavings in the leather workshop, grinding them up and then mixing with glue & pressing into a sheet before painting the surface. This Frankenstein's monster is known as Bonded Leather! It's not dissimilar to attempting to pass off MDF as real wood.
It holds much more than you might think!
No, not leather that's been boiled up with carrots & sprouts! Vegetable tanned leather has been tanned by prolonged immersion (usually a period of weeks or months) in vats of water that contain strong infusions made from tree bark and other plant materials. This type of natural tanning is eco-friendly, produces strong, supple leather and has been in use for thousands of years. Unlike chrome-tanned leather, veg-tanned leather develops a character and patina as it ages, meaning it looks better the older it gets! I only use veg tanned leather in my products. Nothing else will do.
This is the most common tanning method in use today. Over 90% of leather is now chrome-tanned. The reason is, it's quick, requires very little skill and is therefore much cheaper. The disadvantages of the process include such things as… up to 5% of the chromium used remains in the leather after tanning. This has been known to cause allergic reactions in some people. In addition to creating potentially toxic wastewater, some tanneries also produce large amounts of solid waste that contain chromium, including: hide scraps, skins, and excess fats. Toxins from this waste can leach into nearby soil and water supplies, placing nearby residents at risk of contamination.
This campaign needs to used as a model on how to run kickstarter. Thank for you committiment in doing what you say your going to do, much need here! I will definitely be a part of your next endeavor, keep me posted! thanks again!
Just received mine today! omg.. SO GOOD! SMELLS REALLY GOOD!! thanks Peter for your awesome work!
This has to be an exemplary KS campaign that can serve as a benchmark for all others to follow. The belts are top quality. Solid buckles, and exceptional leather. Looks and feel, without doubt, like a product to last a lifetime and KS pricing is makes it such value for money.
Peter, As has come to be expected with your campaigns now a Beautiful belt & buckle & on time, Please keep more of your Leather products coming our way.
I just got mine it´s just perfect. Thanks Peter very nice job.
Hi Peter, got my belts and they are perfect, thank you. Let me thank you one more time for these wonderful pieces of British craftsmanship, and I hope this is part of the beginning people will reconsider what kind of products should be supported by buying them and which kind of products shouldn't!
The belts have arrived, and are wonderful as promised. The look and feel are perfect, and it does even smell amazing. Very well done, and very happy as a backer.
Got it! Simply superb! The best belt that I own.
I could say all kind of nice things but when I opened the delivery this morning my wife asked do they make narrower belts in red leather for women? The ultimate seal of approval.
Received my belt last week and I would say it has the best leather and workmanship in my collection thus far. Thank you Peter.
Love it, love it, love it. I am so happy with my belt and hoping I can afford to buy them as Christmas presents.
A big THANK YOU for those amazing belts! I love them, my wife loves them, as well as anybody I'm showing them to loves them! You did a really nice job there! Hope to see more projects from you and I'll more than certainly be a backer again! Cheers!
Amazing Wallet, this will last me a lifetime!
Mine arrived today in tan and it looks, feels and smells fantastic.
Just got mine today and i can certainly agree that the quality is top notch, this is one healthy piece of leather!
I have received my wallet today, and I must say the finishing and the quality of leather is a lot higher than I expected. This is truly a well crafted wallet and every care has been put into it's construction. I can feel this has been built to stand the test of time and years of usage.Thanks for the beautiful wallet Peter.
I got mine today. Thank you very much. It is lovely to own a wallet of true craftsmanship and beauty. I keep taking it out to small the leather. Well done Peter and thanks again.
Just received mine. So far I'm loving every single bit of it, even the smell. Incredible job Peter.
Mine came earlier in the mail today- am absolutely pleased with it. Great quality, pleasant packing and a fantastic smell of leather. Thank you so much for your hard work Peter!
Just got my wallet today. Really, really, really happy with it. It's excellent work. Thanks so much.
Missed out on my previous leather belt campaigns?
I've been asked if I would make my belts available again as rewards in future projects so I've decided to try it to see how that goes.
I've created separate rewards for the belts but for anyone wanting both a backpack and a belt, just add the price of the belt to your backpack pledge & I'll know what you want. I'll contact these backers directly to get their choices of size & colour etc.
The Oak Bark Belt £70 (Saving £20 on normal price) including free worldwide shipping. Made from oak-bark tanned leather in your choice of 3 colours with stainless steel or solid brass buckles.
The Firefighter Belt £80 (Saving £30 on normal price) including free worldwide shipping. Made from oak-bark tanned leather in your choice of 3 colours with solid brass quick-release buckle.
Having successfully run three previous campaigns, all of which were delivered on time or early, I have no concerns regarding my ability to once again deliver a quality product as promised.
Also, as my suppliers are all local & I have been using them for years, there should be no issues regarding material availability.
As a previous backer you'll be first to hear whenever I bring a new campaign to Kickstarter.
One (1) Oak Bark Belt (any colour/any size).
£20 saving on normal pricing.
One (1) Firefighter Belt (any colour/any size).
£30 saving on normal pricing.
One Leatherback leather backpack in either Black or Chestnut colour.
* Approx $545 USD or €445 EUROS!


ITC has an expanding presence in the state across all three sectors of its economy – agriculture, manufacturing and service.
NEW DELHI: ITC Managing Director Sanjiv Puri Sunday said the company's investments in Uttarakhand over the years have already crossed an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Uttarakhand's first investors summit Sunday.


If you are curvy , or Rueben-esgue, or even shall we say fluffy, doesn't imply you have to be condemned to a lifetime of oversized garments and a wardrobe of black. Thank you Mary Ellen – I enjoy that definition and how it orients our concentrate toward building our self-esteem and confidence. Halloween themed modelling jobs and fashion show themes are accessible for the duration of the month of October. I not too long ago created an overnight trip from Orlando to Washington DC, a temperature distinction of a lot more than 40 degrees. Even though it is accurate that men's fashion held a level of significance amongst American society, its significance pales in comparison to that of women's style, which altered so radically and a lot a lot more frequently than men's clothes.
This style pump will often slim down a thick ankle since the vamp is cut close to the toe box and the sides are cut away. Also, I combined style components of the 1930s up to the 1950s for this retro-mix. Style in turn, is that which emerges consistently in the tastes and alternatives of individuals even as fashions adjust it's not fully static, but it is slow moving, nostalgic, celebratory, confident. Helen Mirren was one particular of the avant garde in enabling signs of age grow to be integrated into her style and personal brand of beauty.
We can examine high style to 5-star restaurant dishes that show innovation, creativity, and expertise. Thanks as always for stopping by, reading and commenting-it really is so extremely significantly appreciated, I adore hearing your thoughts and opinions on almost everything style connected!! Known to her 300k plus Insta following as Camtyox, the ex Net-A-Porter stylist fills her blog with specifics of her fave new style finds, personal style and jet setting way of life. Guys who want to carry off a retro appear with a modern twist can also pick to put on Wayfarer style sunglasses.
Elegant street style with black tank prime that highlights her sophisticated curves and a forest green skirt with tan handbag. Cartier of Paris and Tiffany and Co. of New York City crafted spectacular necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and brooches in the Art Deco style. It is a fashion simulator game that permits the player to take on different jobs such as operating a fashion boutique, make-up artist, hairdresser, model and style designer. They might also be a nice match for guys with an offbeat style sense, eccentric personality, non-standard options and a quirky attitude.


Hello Doylestown and the greater Bucks County area! We are so thrilled to make your acquaintance! We couldn't be happier to join your community and provide you with the opportunity to stretch your mind, body and soul through our Bikram Yoga Classes. Once we are up and running, we will be offering 15 classes per week in an effort to accommodate everyone's schedules. Construction is currently underway at 1717 S Easton Road! Floors are being laid, mirrors.


The wallpaper has become an interesting alternative for those who want to decorate a room in the house or even the whole space.
The advantage is that you can invest in themes that can be changed whenever you want - for example, the baby's room can get a new decoration when the child grows - in a super fast and practical way.
You can do this yourself, without the need to hire a professional.
The footage of the wallpaper is usually much cheaper than buying a brass of paint and all the materials needed for painting (in which case you probably need to hire a professional).
Choice of prints is what we do not miss when we talk about wallpaper. So much so that you can choose to use a style in each room of the house and create a super comfortable and fun environment.
Moreover, it is not just the prints that have variety. There are many textures and color choices as well.
Ideal for environments that receive enough sunlight and suffer from moisture. That's because this wallpaper is resistant to both problems and will last longer on your wall.
It is also easy to clean, allowing you to bet on washing the walls of the house without losing the quality of the wallpaper.
The traditional wallpaper is made of cellulose. Which means to say that it is more fragile, since it is really made of paper.
It is interesting to be applied in places that do not suffer from moisture, usually the driest spaces in the house, far from laundries and bathrooms.
Because it is more fragile, it requires more care to last longer. Cleaning, for example, can be done with the help of vacuum cleaners and at most a slightly damp cloth.
TNT wallpapers resemble a fabric. It is also indicated for drier environments, since in humid environments it may come to be mocked.
Cleaning is done with the aid of detergent and it is interesting that the wallpaper is in a place that receives more light to prevent it from getting wet after cleaning.
Besides the composition of the wallpapers there is also the question of being stickers or need glue to adhere to the wall.
The stickers come with adhesive and are indicated for those who do not have as much practice in the application or do not want to spend also with the glue.
Wallpapers that need glue to stick to the wall will require a little more practice and care in the application.
In addition, you will have to include in your costs the glue for wallpaper.
Cloth and sponge to wipe fingerprints after application; If the wallpaper is traditional only opt for the slightly damp cloth.
The entire wall area should be the same, with no differences. Then level before applying. Gypsum or running dough should help with this task.
Before making the application, tape holes, sand the wall to remove paint textures and resolve any type of seepage.
It is not interesting to apply the wallpaper directly to the plaster or to the running dough, as pieces of powder can stick to the material. Pass at least one coat of paint, which may be white.
If you put the wallpaper in the whole space, floor to ceiling, calculate this measure.
In addition, when finding windows, outlets and switches you should mark this measurement as you will need to cut the paper and then resume the application after these elements.
For non-embossed wallpapers, give a clearance of 5cm on top and 5cm on bottom, ie 10cm more than the calculated height.
Now if the idea is to apply stamped or detailed wallpaper, you have to make the prints fit. The tip is to always calculate 10% more paper than the height value.
For example, if the calculated space for application is 1 meter, you should cut 1.10 meters of wallpaper.
Use scissors for this task.
With the help of a paint roller, pass the glue on the wallpaper. To facilitate the application you can use a container recommended for wall painting to place the glue.
If you have opted for wall sticker, you can skip this step.
At this point you will need the ladder as the application starts from top to bottom. Insert the paper in the upper corner and then smooth it with the aid of a brush or your own hands.
At this point the idea is to make sure the paper fits on the wall, so do not be surprised if a few bubbles remain, they will disappear naturally in a few days.
The scraps of paper are cut with the help of a spatula and the stylus. The idea is for the spatula to help you cut right what's left of the paper.
You can schedule the paper to go to the outlet and then continue past it, cutting a thinner strip for application.
But if you choose to place the full paper at the height of the wall, cut with the help of the stylus while sticking the paper.
You can also mark on the paper itself, where the switch or plug is located and cut out before passing the glue.
To clean the seams it is recommended to use only a damp cloth, in the case of traditional TNT wallpapers. For those of vinyl you can also count on the help of a sponge.
Avoid rubbing. The idea is to just take off the fingerprints and the excess glue.
Now that you already know how you can apply wallpaper, head to toe? Tell us the results!


text:
A passage from Chapter Four, so it preceeds the last passage I posted, bringing Stryker and Devon face to face for the first time in the book. Enjoy!
The following morning, Stryker walked through an elevated walkway into the terminal at Heathrow, among a group of passengers off a flight from Paris. Holding one carry-on bag, he was part of the mixture of tourists and businesspeople coming into one of the world's great cities. Up ahead, he spotted Devon, standing beside a customs officer. They had met a year ago, in Egypt. He had been working at a dig near Lake Nasser, when a terrorist group called the Sword of the Faith had abducted him and his crew, holding them hostage prior to a devastating terrorist attack. Stryker had escaped, and while the attack had resulted in many deaths, thousands more had survived, including world leaders, thanks to his actions. Afterwards, he had gone into training in the Agency, turning his back on archaeology and confusing or angering his former classmates, teachers, and colleagues. Since then, he had worked with Devon on a handful of occasions, most recently in Afghanistan, where they had hunted down a high ranked terrorist, who was locked in a cell, awaiting trial on war crimes in The Hague.
She saw him, nodded, and spoke to the officer. He made his way towards the pair through the crowd of people, smirking. Devon rolled her eyes. "You're looking disgustingly pleased with yourself," Devon remarked, her tone disapproving.
"Climbing will do that for you. You ought to try it," Stryker suggested.
"No thank you." She nodded to the officer, who headed off. "Your luggage is being retrieved. Come on. She's waiting." She turned, heading for the exit, and he followed, past the customs lines and into the arrivals space. They weaved in and out of the crowd in silence, until they reached the exit. There was a light rain falling outside.
"What a surprise," he remarked with a straight face. "Rain in London."
"Go to hell, Stryker," she told him, her lips curling into a smile.
Stryker and Devon stepped into the outer office at Vauxhall Cross, seeing Claire's executive assistant at her desk. She nodded to them in hello, and picked up the receiver, pressing a number. "Stryker and Devon have arrived, ma'am." She set down the receiver, and told them, "She'll see you now."
He opened the door. "Ladies first."
"Bastard," she replied with a smirk.
Claire was sitting at her desk, looking as serious as ever. She looked up at the pair, and clicked her tongue as they walked in. "Stryker, have you ever heard of wearing a suit?" she asked, regarding the jeans, T-shirt, and leather jacket he was wearing.
"I've heard of it, yes," Stryker answered.
"He's a heathen, ma'am," Devon stated.
"Sit down, both of you," Claire told them.
The two agents sat across from her. "I've been briefed on the trip," Stryker remarked. "So, he's actually coming, is he?" Claire nodded. "And we're to be there at the reception too?" She nodded again. "This place he'll be staying at... it's not secure."
"I know that," Claire agreed. "So does Five, and so does the DPG. Hastings just does not like government agencies like ours intruding on his personal life. We've all been insisting he reconsider and allow a proper security detail on the grounds, but no luck there. It was all the PM could do to get the old bastard to let as much as we've got there." She paused. "So, we'll be using a decoy at the hotel overnight to make people think he's there, motorcade in the morning and all, while Touqan actually spends the night with old schoolmates. It's all a whole lot of fuss and bother just to accommodate a stuffy, irritable Oxford don, if you ask me." Her annoyance shone through in her voice.
"Not very diplomatic of you, saying that about Oxford, ma'am," he remarked.
"As a Cambridge graduate, I'm allowed to insult Oxford dons. I'm expected to, in fact," Claire remarked. "Well, settle in for a few days again, Stryker. Your boss extended your stay with us. I want you two to confer with Caldwell's people over the next few days. You'll be attending that party, and I'm expecting you to be wearing a suit."
"Wouldn't you look strange in a suit?" Stryker asked Devon.
She sighed in dismay. "How Carmody puts up with you..."
"I wonder that myself," Claire remarked, smiling.


Kate Middleton has inspired a new nail polish from Butter London.
Blue Issa dress, check. Kenneth Jay Lane Princess Simulated Sapphire Ring, check. But how to accessorize this imitation of Kate Middleton's engagement-announcement ensemble?
Try Butter London's blingy new nail polish, inspired by the royal bride-to-be.
No More Waity, Katie is a grayish-blue and glitter-infused shade that borrows its moniker from Middleton's nickname before she became affianced to Prince William, reports People magazine.
Interestingly, the announcement comes on the heels of a recent warning from royal aides that using Middleton's name or image to promote a product could result in a lawsuit.
The princess-ly polish—which will retail for $22 and ship internationally—is set to début the second week of March.
However, Middleton mimickers who are lusting after the lacquer should avoid being a "Waity Katie" themselves and pre-order it one week earlier on zuneta.com.


Great investment property, This spacious 1 BR, 1 BA condo has been tastefully and fully remodeled featuring a light, bright, and airy open floor plan. Elegant kitchen with breakfast area, custom cabinets, and pristine counter tops which leads to your own private patio area. Ample closet space throughout along with hardwood floors and carpet in the bedroom. Community pool and laundry. Tenant currently occupies - 11 months remaining of original 24 month's tenant's lease at $1,400 per month.
Lot Size 33,058 sq. ft.
Listing provided courtesy of Shawn Tabatabai at Metropolitan Realty Group Inc..


Having an Articles Parent page, and a number of associated child articles which the editors can add to freely, provides a good example page of the power of Umbraco. We'll assume our fictional company, Widgets Ltd, write about ten articles a month and want the articles page to act like a blog (e.g. you could use this functionality for a blog or news and events pages).
For this you can create a Document Type Collection, go to Settings > Document Types > Create > Document Type Collection call the Parent Document Type Articles Main and the Child one Articles Item.
Now go to the Settings > Document Types >Articles Main node > Permissions screen and you will notice that Articles Item has already been added as an allowed child node, this is because we created it as a Document Collection.
This allows us to create items under the main (which acts as a parent container). We also need to allow the Articles Main node to be created under the Homepage node (do this in the Settings > Document Types > Homepage node > Permissions screen > Allowed child node types - don't add the Articles Item - only the main should be allowed at this level).
Now go to Content > Homepage node (hover)> ... and create a node called "Articles" of type Articles Main (if you don't have this option go back and check your allowed child nodes - did you forget to click Save)? Give the Articles node some content and a title.
When you click save you will notice that it has been created as a list view, this means that child nodes are automatically in a list to make it easier to see them, you can create new nodes from this section too, go ahead and create a few.
Now you should have a content tree that looks like the image below (obviously with your own page node names). Let's go update our templates we just created (automatically when we created the Document Types). First, update them to use the Master as a parent Settings > Templates > Articles Main node > Master template = "Master" - do the same for the Articles Item remembering to click Save.
Copy the template content from the Simple Content Page template and paste this into both the Articles Item and Articles Main (you may need to refresh the nodes again to see these. Set the Master template to be "Master" and then replace the Page field tags with the relevant properties e.g. articlesTitle and articlesBodyText for the Articles Main and the articleTitle and articleContent for Article Item.
Take care when copying not to overwrite the first line @inherits Umbraco.Web.Mvc.UmbracoTemplatePage<ContentModels.ArticlesMain> - if you get an exception when loading the page about not being able to bind to source ensure the last part in < > brackets matches your Document Type Alias.
If we now go and check our Articles Main page in the browser we should see our content. We'd like to list the child article items under the intro content so that our visitors can see a list of our articles. Umbraco makes this easy for us but we need to use a bit of Razor.
Click on the Settings menu from the top menu, and navigate to the Articles Main template.
We are going to use Razor to query between all instances of Article Item under the Article Main content node. In order to do that, we are going to use the built-in Query Builder.
There are a few parameters we need to consider, when creating a query like that.
If you've set the correct parameters, you will get a preview of the items being selected with the query. When you're happy with the parameters, click Submit, and you will see a code snippet has been added to your template.
Now check this in the browser!
At this point we have a basic site, but wouldn't it be cool if we could make the same site in another language? Read on to see how easy it is with Language Variants!


Nature Lovers Paradise - Spectacular One of a Kind Property!
This home is located in the midst of a tropical rainforest with abundant wild life. A very unique property with multiple uses. It is ideally suited as a family estate, yoga retreat, Surf Camp, or upscale B&B. Panoramic ocean and mountain views. All types of fruit trees and flowering tropical plants, humming birds etc.
There are 2 swimming pools, yoga / multi purpose rancho plus various patios and terraces. 2&1/2 car garage, 2 kitchens (one with commercial grade appliances.
Property consists of a main house plus various other houses and amenities that are connected together by an expansive lacquered wood walkway. The walkway starts at the main house and extends over a walking bridge to the guest house and the European Style Doll House plus the sunset Kitchen compound. The walkway overlooks the almond trees, the jungle and the frequent monkeys and Scarlet Macaws that come to feast on the almond trees. There is a rose garden that can also be seen when walking over the bridge.
One of the main features is the large 20,000 gallon swimming pool that is divided into three sections--a deep section for diving and into which the ceramic tiled water slide exits from the upper patio, a mid-level lounging area with built in seats and a wading area. The slide has a water feature that pumps water up from the pool to the top of the slide so you can have an exhilarating and fast ride into the pool direct from the guest house.
Large and open gourmet kitchen with many windows that open to the jungle below and two French-style Dutch doors, commercial grade/restaurant style gas range with pizza oven. Built in pantry and numerous cabinets including unique hanging cabinets over large custom made hardwood kitchen island complete with bar stools. New large capacity Samsung French door refrigerator freezer and built in Frigidaire dishwasher.
There is a 125 meter deep well on the property that delivers plenty of fresh sweet water to the buildings, There is a 100-gallon pressurized storage tank in the main garage that provides high pressure water to every location on the property. There is a new large capacity water softener attached to the system as well as a water filtration system.


May. 2, 2014 5:00 a.m.
As her run in a nation-wide music contest came to an end in the regional finals, Lac la Hache artist Candace Copley was emphatic about her appreciation of the support she received. For the rest of the story, read the May 7 edition of the 100 Mile House Free Press.


Biomedical engineering is the field of sciences that makes use of the techniques and applications of engineering in the medical and biology field in order to achieve better healthcare purposes. As we all know that biology and engineering are entirely different as well as opposite domains, biomedical engineering is a domain which comprises of both. Biomedical engineering applications include the very advanced health care treatments such as diagnosis, monitoring and therapy. Though it is still a developing discipline, but a lot of new information on biomedical engineering and biomedical engineering research has been coming up in the recent years. The most prominent application of biomedical engineering includes the biomedical prostheses, certain clinical equipment, micro implants, imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs. The most commonly used therapeutic drugs, therapeutic biological and the regenerative forms of the tissue growth are all the examples of biomedical engineering applications.
What do you learn in biomedical engineering?
Not every person in the world has proper and complete information on biomedical engineering and hence, most of the people ask questions such as "what do you learn in biomedical engineering? ". The most common thing that biomedical engineering teaches is making use of technology and engineering in order to benefit the healthcare and the medical facilities. Biomedical engineering is an extremely vast discipline which teaches a lot to the students. The biomedical engineering future is extremely bright and it provides a number of new concepts to learn to the students who are pursuing biomedical engineering. The study of biomedical engineering teaches you about various technologies like the bioinformatics, biomechanics, biomedical optics and much more. Biomedical engineering is interconnected to various other disciplines of engineering such as the tissue engineering, pharmaceutical engineering, genetic engineering and neural engineering. Nanotechnology is yet another discipline which works in close relations with the biomedical engineering.
Biomedical engineering and nanotechnology are known to have very close relations and have benefited the technological as well as medical industries together. Together they can transform the most basic form of science into highly advanced techniques, processes and devices. They have been known to work quite extensively with each other and have been known to benefit almost all areas of engineering together. Nanotechnologists, having even the most basic information on biomedical engineering can lead to life changing transformations by combining them both. Nanotechnologies have been proven essential for both medicine as well for engineering and this is the reason why it has found its position in the biomedical engineering applications. Both nanotechnology and biomedical engineering play a very essential role in the currently emerging technologies which lead to the better health care facilities and sustainability. The applications of combined nanotechnology and the biomedical engineering are extensively diverse. Biomedical engineering and nanotechnology when combined find its applications in the sustainable energy, drug and vaccine delivery, personalized medicine, regenerative medicine, biomedical imaging and many more. The fields of biomedical engineering and nanotechnology illustrate the importance of the cross disciplinary branches of the sciences. With the help of these two fields together, the doctors and the researchers are being able to explore the exact study of the diseases and the medicines in a new way.
The scope of biomedical engineering is so everlasting, that future generations cannot be imagined without the presence of the biomedical engineering research. When both biology and engineering come together the scope of research and study increase to a thousand fold. Biomedical engineering has been known to lead to a number of innovations and discoveries already and is supposed to be a discipline providing a very wide scope of research. Most of the students are pursuing this uniquely interesting field of biomedical engineering and are enjoying it with all their heart. Considering the amount of demand of the technologies in the healthcare and medicinal sector, it can be said that the scope of biomedical engineering is extensively vivid and vast.
Some of the biomedical engineering applications have been already described in the above section of this excerpt. Some of the examples of the extremely innovative biomedical engineering applications can be the minimally invasive surgeries and the robotic surgeries. The minimally invasive surgeries include making of small incisions in the human body instead of cutting the human body during surgeries, and then inserting tube carrying cameras through the incisions in the body and carrying out surgery through designed surgical instruments. The robotic surgeries involve the use of the robots for surgery purposes. Some other biomedical engineering applications include the regenerative tissue growth in the medical area and the non-invasive form of medical devices.
A journal of biomedical engineering includes all the information on biomedical engineering research that is taking place anywhere in the contemporary world. If you are looking for any kind of information about biomedical engineering then a biomedical engineering journal is something that you need very badly. Different kinds of journal of biomedical engineering are available these days. The main motive behind these journals is to keep the students, researchers, doctors or anyone who is interested, up to date with information on biomedical engineering. If you feel even a bit interested in biomedical engineering and you wish to know anything about it, you can refer to a biomedical engineering journal in order to get an overview on biomedical engineering. The journals include all the information on biomedical engineering research and all the new discoveries and innovation in the field.
Biomedical engineering is a vast and an extensively used discipline having cross disciplinary relationships with a lot of disciplines. Scope of biomedical engineering is extremely unending considering the applications of biomedical engineering in various fields. Below mentioned are some of the sub-disciplines that lead to a better and higher level of biomedical engineering research.
Bio-instrumentation - it basically consists of concepts of computer sciences, electronics engineering and the principles of the measurements in order to produce the devices that are used to create further and better diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Biomechanics - the science of biomechanics deal with the application of the concepts of the mechanical engineering for the purpose of solving problems in the medical fields.
Clinical engineering - this field of engineering focuses mainly on the applications of the main principles of the medical and the technology in order to benefit the health care facilities and the clinical environments.
Bio-materials - this is the field of biomedical engineering which includes the study and the development of the different materials that are used in the biomedical engineering applications. The materials are mainly natural and synthetic.
Systemic physiology - this discipline stresses on the use of the application of different kinds of engineering tools in order to understand the dynamics as well as the behaviour of different kinds of living organisms.
Biomedical engineering is an extremely vast discipline and has a number of different theories to be studied. Although the main part of the biomedical engineering focuses on the biomedical engineering research and analysis as compared to the theoretical portion. But most of students studying biomedical engineering are given with theoretical assignments and homework too. Biomedical engineering is a very tough subject to study and hence, students do not get enough time to study as well as to complete their assignments. Hence, they look for biomedical engineering assignment help and biomedical engineering homework help on the internet. NeedAssignmentHelp is the ultimate solution to all the problems of students and hence, provide the best quality help with biomedical engineering homework.
NeedAssignmentHelp has a team of highly qualified experts that knows everything about biomedical engineering and hence, provides with the best biomedical engineering homework help. Our team of professionals go through many rounds of tests after passing which they join the team of the highly qualified experts. Our subject matter experts always remain updated with every new technology of biomedical engineering and hence, provide with the most updated biomedical engineering assignment help. Our experts work meticulously and diligently to provide you with the most authentic and plagiarism free help with biomedical engineering. Assignments, once completed undergo a plagiarism check and only then are delivered to the students. This way we ensure that our students are free from any kind of burden of the assignments, home works and course works. The main motive of NeedAssignmentHelp is to provide a high-class homework help.
Need biomedical engineering assignment help? Order it from the NeedAssignmentHelp portal.


The category of 'black tea' is diverse, flavorful, and filled with fantastic teas, many of which are our favorites. But what is considered a black tea? Where does it come from and how does it taste?
You've likely been drinking black tea for years, and now it's time to really understand these bold teas.
Black tea is the most popular type of tea in the West. Many believe that this is due to the bold flavor and long shelf life of black teas.
In the East, black tea consumption is less common. In China, black tea is known as "hong cha" (or red tea) due to the reddish color of its liquor (or infusion).
In the United States, the vast majority of black tea is consumed as an iced tea. Traditionally, iced tea has been more popular in the Southeastern U.S., but this is gradually changing with the widespread popularity of bottled and canned iced teas.
There are several stories that claim to explain the origin of the first black tea. One tells of Gong Fu Wuyi Oolong (or 'Congou black tea') being developed in the Wuyi mountain range of China in the 15th or 16th century. Another story says that the first black tea was Xiao Zhong (or 'Souchong black tea'), which was developed in Fujian, China, around 1730.
Black tea was the first type of tea to be introduced to Europe and the Middle East. Its commercial success in the West led to large scale production in China. Fueled by Scottish and English entrepreneurs and adventurers who stole tea plants and seeds from China, black tea production spread to other countries. These early English tea companies planted tea plantations in other countries and developed machinery for processing tea without the need for skilled tea makers.
In recent years, several countries that are not known for making black tea have begun to produce limited quantities of it. This includes England (where tea is grown in greenhouses) and Japan (a country known for its green tea). Japanese black tea is known as wakocha (literally, "Japanese black tea").
Harvest by hand or by machine, it is also known as 'plucking' in the tea industry.
Oxidation due to the exposure of the essential oils to air. The result is a change in flavor, aroma, and color, much like what happens when you slice an apple and leave it exposed to air for a few hours. This step is sometimes referred to as "fermentation," though oxidation is a slightly more accurate term for the chemical processes that occur during this phase.
Sorting is a process in which any waste material, such as large stems, are removed and different sizes or grades of leaves are divided into separate batches. This step is usually done for machine made teas.
Generally speaking, black tea contains 50-90 mg of caffeine per cup. However, there are many factors influencing caffeine levels in tea which may make a particular cup of black tea higher or lower. For example, a masala chai will likely have less caffeine than a pure Assam tea because it is blended with spices that do not contain caffeine.
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EDITED TO ADD: Thanks to blog readers Carmen and Cari for finding it for me on Rhapsody! My life is complete.
for Shift, the sequel to Shade. It's absolutely the theme song. How often does that happen, especially during the first few chapters of a first draft? For me, never. The song has kept me going through long periods of doubt--about how big this book can be, about how much I'm asking readers to believe in the impossible.
So anyway, I bought the album, Plans, which I'd been meaning to buy for over a year, since I adored Narrow Stairs. The studio version of "Soul Meets Body" frankly disappointed me after hearing the purity of the acoustic. The words are still the same, but the emotion gets sucked out by the perfection of the production, you know? I like my recordings a little rough and spontaneous (which is one why reason why I loved Narrow Stairs--on that CD, they kept in all the mistakes).
So if this studio acoustic version is out there, available for legal purchase and offline possession (as a fellow creative artist, I'm against stealing music), please let me know. I'd be eternally grateful. Until then, let's enjoy the YouTube version.
Happy Birthday, and I hope you can find it. Music is still that one thing you get to search for, especially rare cuts.
acoustic version is available on the "Rolling Stone Originals" album and can be purchased at Rhapsody.
Found it!!! Took a bunch of searching too lol.
Have you listened to Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More CD? 1st song out is Little Lion Man. I think you would love them!
you can watch the video here!!
sorry i couldn't find it!!!
Carmen & Cari, thank you so much! It was a bit of a hassle to do the Rhapsody thing, but so worth it!!
Best of all, I'm pretty sure THIS was the version I heard on the radio, not the AOL sessions one (which is also good).
I can't believe they didn't have this on iTunes. Or at least not that I could find.


text:
Anthoplexaura dimorpha är en korallart som beskrevs av Kükenthal 1908. Anthoplexaura dimorpha ingår i släktet Anthoplexaura och familjen Plexauridae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Koralldjur
dimorpha

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package dbus

import (
	"testing"
)

var introStr = `
        <!DOCTYPE node PUBLIC "-//freedesktop//DTD D-BUS Object Introspection 1.0//EN"
         "http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/dbus/1.0/introspect.dtd">
        <node name="/org/freedesktop/sample_object">
          <interface name="org.freedesktop.SampleInterface">
            <method name="Frobate">
              <arg name="foo" type="i" direction="in"/>
              <arg name="bar" type="s" direction="out"/>
              <arg name="baz" type="a{us}" direction="out"/>
              <annotation name="org.freedesktop.DBus.Deprecated" value="true"/>
            </method>
            <method name="Bazify">
              <arg name="bar" type="(iiu)" direction="in"/>
              <arg name="bar" type="v" direction="out"/>
            </method>
            <method name="Mogrify">
              <arg name="bar" type="(iiav)" direction="in"/>
            </method>
            <signal name="Changed">
              <arg name="new_value" type="b"/>
            </signal>
            <property name="Bar" type="y" access="readwrite"/>
          </interface>
          <node name="child_of_sample_object"/>
          <node name="another_child_of_sample_object"/>
       </node>
`

func TestIntrospect(t *testing.T) {
	intro, e := NewIntrospect(introStr)
	if e != nil {
		t.Error("Failed #1-1")
	}
	if intro == nil {
		t.Error("Failed #1-2")
	}

	intf := intro.GetInterfaceData("org.freedesktop.SampleInterface")
	if intf == nil {
		t.Error("Failed #2-1")
	}
	if intf.GetName() != "org.freedesktop.SampleInterface" {
		t.Error("Failed #2-2")
	}

	meth := intf.GetMethodData("Frobate")
	if meth == nil {
		t.Error("Failed #3-1")
	}
	if meth != nil && "sa{us}" != meth.GetOutSignature() {
		t.Error("Failed #3-2")
	}

	nilmeth := intf.GetMethodData("Hoo") // unknown method name
	if nilmeth != nil {
		t.Error("Failed #3-3")
	}

	signal := intf.GetSignalData("Changed")
	if signal == nil {
		t.Error("Failed #4-1")
	}
	if signal != nil && "b" != signal.GetSignature() {
		t.Error("Failed #4-2")
	}

	nilsignal := intf.GetSignalData("Hoo") // unknown signal name
	if nilsignal != nil {
		t.Error("Failed #4-3")
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Switch between the UK and Dubai websites. UKDubai
Change the law to make sexual activity by deception illegal, say experts
The law must be toughened up to make intentionally deceiving a person into engaging in sexual activity a crime, according to a new report published today.
Credit: Pexels/Ekaterina Bolovtsova
The latest Criminal Law Reform Now Network (CLRN Network) report calls for a change to the law, which would make deceiving a person to induce them into sexual activity a new crime.
The new offence - inducing sexual activity by deception - would potentially apply to all forms of deception. It would avoid what the report calls a 'legislative pre-judgement on good/bad reasons to engage in sexual activity'.
The academics, practising lawyers, and other legal experts who make up the CLRN Network say that because no crime of inducing sexual activity by deception currently exists, courts have instead needed to decide that a deception has had the effect of nullifying the supposed consent of the victim. However, the courts currently struggle to say which sorts of deceptions have this effect, and which do not.
One example of this difficulty arises in a recent controversial case called R v Lawrance (2020). Lawrance deceived his partner by saying that he had had a vasectomy when he had not. This led to the victim (R) agreeing to have unprotected sex with him. Lawrance was initially convicted of rape and other sexual offences at the Crown Court because it was held that his deception nullified R's consent.
But the Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the Crown Court, saying that only deceptions relating to the 'physical performance of the sexual act' should nullify consent, and that a lie about having had a vasectomy did not relate to the physical performance of the sexual act. At the same time, it recognised a previous decision of the High Court where it was held that surreptitious removal of a condom (the use of which had been insisted upon) was capable of invalidating consent.
The CLRN Network's approach would avoid reliance on such potentially artificial distinctions and create an offence that straightforwardly allows any deception which induced agreement to sexual activity to be the basis of an offence, subject only to the possibility of a reasonable excuse.
R v Lawrance is just one example of how the law is failing victims who have been deceived into sexual activity. There is a huge lack of clarity around the application of the law in cases like this, which has real-life impacts on victims and makes it incredibly difficult for them to seek justice.
Professor John Child, Co-Director of the CLRN Network
John Child, Co-Director at the CLRN Network and Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Birmingham said: "R v Lawrance is just one example of how the law is failing victims who have been deceived into sexual activity. There is a huge lack of clarity around the application of the law in cases like this, which has real-life impacts on victims and makes it incredibly difficult for them to seek justice.
The current law is inadequate in cases such as Lawrance and those controversial cases where undercover police officers have adopted fake personas and conducted sexual affairs with vulnerable women. That is why today the CLRN Network is calling for the legislation to be amended, providing bespoke and clear legal protection for victims."
The CLRN Network approached the issue by first commissioning 10 legal experts on the topic to put forward their own proposals for reform (published within the CLRN Network Report). Based on these proposals and a subsequent consultation exercise, the CLRN Network Committee developed and is now recommending the creation of the new offence.
Paul Jarvis, CLRNN Committee Project Lead and barrister at 6KBW, commented: "The need for legislative reform is pressing. The current law is failing victims and creating unnecessary confusion in the courts. Our recommendation provides a clear solution to the problem, providing a bespoke offence to target a bespoke criminal wrong, whilst leaving the other provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 unaffected."
Featured staff
Professor John Child
Professor of Criminal Law
For media inquiries please contact Ellie Hail, Communications Officer, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)7966 311 409. Out-of-hours, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.
Launched in 2017, the mission of the Criminal Law Reform Now Network (CLRN Network) is to facilitate collaboration between academics and other legal experts to gather and disseminate comprehensible proposals for criminal law reform to the wider community. The network includes members of the public and mainstream media as well as legal professionals, police, policymakers and politicians. The CLRN Network has received funding through the AHRC; the Society of Legal Scholars; the University of Sussex; the University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge.
CLRN Network recommendation for new section 4A within the Sexual Offences Act
4A. Inducing a person to engage in sexual activity by deception
A person (A) commits an offence if—
A deceives another person (B);
A intends by his deception to induce B to engage in sexual activity;
B engages in sexual activity;
B's decision to engage in sexual activity is induced by A's deception; and
A has no reasonable excuse for deceiving B.
A will deceive B for the purposes of subsection (1) whenever:
A knowingly makes a false representation to B about a matter that A knows is important to B's decision whether to engage in the sexual activity;
A intentionally fails to disclose to B information about a matter that A knows is important, or that A believes would be important, to B's decision whether to engage in the sexual activity.
Where evidence is provided of a reasonable excuse for A's deception of B, it will be for the prosecution to prove that A had no reasonable excuse for that deception.
In deciding whether A had no reasonable excuse for that deception, the court should have regard to the following factors so far as they might arise:
The age and vulnerability of B;
The risks of serious consequences for B if B were to engage in the sexual activity;
The age and immaturity of A;
Any purpose of A in deceiving B beyond the intention to induce B to engage in sexual activity; and
The personal or private nature of the matter referred to in subsections (2)(a) and (b).
A person guilty of an offence under this section, where the sexual activity engaged in consists of, or includes, penetration of B's vagina, anus or mouth with A's or another's penis, is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.
A person guilty of an offence under this section, where the sexual activity engaged in consists of, or includes, penetration of B's vagina or anus with a part of A's or another's body or anything else, is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.
A person guilty of an offence under this section, where the sexual activity engaged in consists of, or includes, the touching of B by A or another (including B) is liable—
on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both; or
on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.
Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT United Kingdom
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text:
Time Binds: Queer Temporalities, Queer Histories (Perverse Modernities: A Series Edited by Jack Halberstam and) (Paperback)
By Elizabeth Freeman
Hardcover (November 29th, 2010): $109.95
Time Binds is a powerful argument that temporal and sexual dissonance are intertwined, and that the writing of history can be both embodied and erotic. Challenging queer theory's recent emphasis on loss and trauma, Elizabeth Freeman foregrounds bodily pleasure in the experience and representation of time as she interprets an eclectic archive of queer literature, film, video, and art. She examines work by visual artists who emerged in a commodified, postfeminist, and postgay world. Yet they do not fully accept the dissipation of political and critical power implied by the idea that various political and social battles have been won and are now consigned to the past. By privileging temporal gaps and narrative detours in their work, these artists suggest ways of putting the past into meaningful, transformative relation with the present. Such queer asynchronies provide opportunities for rethinking historical consciousness in erotic terms, thereby countering the methods of traditional and Marxist historiography. Central to Freeman's argument are the concepts of chrononormativity, the use of time to organize individual human bodies toward maximum productivity; temporal drag, the visceral pull of the past on the supposedly revolutionary present; and erotohistoriography, the conscious use of the body as a channel for and means of understanding the past. Time Binds emphasizes the critique of temporality and history as crucial to queer politics.
Elizabeth Freeman is Associate Professor of English at the University of California, Davis. She is the author of The Wedding Complex: Forms of Belonging in Modern American Culture, also published by Duke University Press.
Publisher: Duke University Press
Series: Perverse Modernities: A Series Edited by Jack Halberstam and
Semiotics & Theory


text:
Wouters growing into integral role with Saskatoon
Derek Neumeier January 30, 2018 2018 Draft Center, Features, WHL
Photo by Steve Hiscock | Saskatoon Blades
Playing in the Western Hockey League is no easy task for any 17-year-old hockey player.
Even just carving out a roster spot as a fourth line player in what is one of the world's best junior leagues can be a challenging feat.
Imagine, then, what it would be like to be a team's top center at 17, being counted on as a go-to guy and playing a lot of minutes, often head-to-head against the best competition the opposition has to offer.
That's precisely the situation that Chase Wouters of the Saskatoon Blades currently find himself in.
Wouters had already been steadily taking on a bigger and bigger role with the Blades as the season had gone on, but when his team shipped away their top forward — 21-year-old pivot Cameron Hebig — before the WHL trade deadline, that process was kicked into another gear.
"Because of where we are with our process, he's been forced into those situations," Blades head coach Dean Brockman said. "We've traded away Cam, so that thrusts him into that role. It's a lot to ask of him, but his maturity and the way he's approached it have been excellent."
The results since then, however, have been very impressive.
Wouters, 99th in Future Considerations' Winter ranking for the 2018 NHL Draft, is holding his own as Saskatoon's first-line center. He has 10 points in the nine games since Hebig was traded.
He's found strong chemistry with wingers Braylon Shmyr and Josh Paterson, forming a potent top line that is helping to keep a young Blades squad in the hunt for a playoff spot.
"He's a heart-and-soul, character type of guy," Brockman said. "He has a strong work ethic and brings a lot of leadership skills.
"He cares passionately about the team. He's improved because he's gotten a little bit stronger, he's gotten a lot smarter, because he's played a year in the league."
For his part, Wouters says that he is thankful for the trust his coaches have placed in him, but prefers to not think about the bigger picture of the situation too much.
Instead, he's focusing instead on letting his play on the ice do the talking.
"It's a great opportunity. I thank my coaches for everything," he said. "I just try to take it step by step and do the best I can. I try to not think about that (playing such an important role). Once you think about that, you start to not play your game."
Wouters has been on an offensive tear over the past month, scoring 21 points in his previous 14 games, which have helped bring his totals on the season to 39 points in 51 games.
The Lloydminster native, though, still considers himself more of a defensive forward.
Not satisfied with his recent scoring pace, he believes his offensive abilities can still reach another level.
"I'm a two-way forward who leans a little bit on the defensive side of things," Wouters said. "I like to take care of my own zone, and then if the offense comes, it comes.
"The little things matter.
"I feel like I have some room to grow in the offensive zone, learning how to get more patient with the puck and the little things. I feel like I'm better in my 'D' zone than the 'O' zone, so I try to work on that."
The Blades are currently engaged in a fierce, next-and-neck race with the provincial rival Prince Albert Raiders for the last wild card playoff spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference.
If the Blades make it, the rapidly improving Wouters will likely have played a crucial part.
Tags:Chase Wouters


text:
Universal Music expands to Africa as it plans to explore Africa's streaming growth
Magdalene Teiko Larnyoh
One of the least tapped aspects of music in Africa is streaming and other modes of music delivery.
Mr Eazi and head of Universal Africa, Sipho Dlamini sign a licensing deal in South Africa
To tap into Universal Music Group Inc. is reinforcing its presence in Africa.
The company's new regional Chief Executive Officer, Sipho Dlamini said the company intends to develop operations in African countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya in this year.
Universal Music has also created another office to manage operations in French-speaking countries. This office is located in Ivory Coast. There is also an office in Morocco to manage the affairs of Northern Africa
Most African enjoy music. However, most music consumers on the continent prefer to enjoy it for free.
But with the increased mobile penetration and higher internet speed most people are getting more connected.
The young people on the continent would also prefer to enjoy African music by streaming.
To make Universal the go to streaming outlet, Dlamini said they aim to sign more artistes to the label
"For African music around the world, there has never been a more exciting time as it continues to influence and inspire culture and creativity while reaching a wider audience through streaming globally every day," he said.
According to the International Phonographic Industry Federation, recorded music revenue for Africa and the Middle East went up by almost 16% to just over $100 million in 2019.
Universal has said that it will continue to partner with the largest telecommunications firms in Africa, such as MTN Group Ltd., Vodacom Group Ltd. and Orange SA.
Source: Business Insider Africa
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This characterful capital may only cover a small area of the hilly landscape, but it's a big enough city to be full of surprises.
With world-class museums sitting alongside fine dining destinations and scenic viewpoints.
Make the most of your limited time in Luxembourg by wandering along the Chemin de la Corniche, a scenic walkway that follows the contours of the Alzette River. It's built on the back of old battlements that will eventually lead you to the Bock Casemates. These tunnels weave into the cliff-sides of the city, dug out of the rocks in the 17th and 18th centuries as fortifications. Wander around them to learn about stories from the city's history.
If you're visiting in summer, make sure you visit the Ducal Palace. This impressive, vast building is still the home of Luxembourg's dukes and duchesses, but in peak season you can take tours around its storied halls. Take photos of its elegant exterior, which has intricate patterns carved into the stone, before heading inside to see its opulent halls.
If you have time, explore the Luxembourg City History Museum, a multimedia attraction over six levels, with a glass lift taking you between the different floors. It's an engaging way to grapple with the city's complex history, with multilingual exhibits chronicling different eras from the 10th century onwards.
Spend your evening in one of the local bars or restaurants. The town centre and the Kirchberg neighbourhood are both packed with dining options, offering both regional staples and international cuisine. Try the national dish, judd mat gaardebounen (a pork and bean stew), to eat like a local. Make sure you accompany your meal with some excellent Luxembourgish wine (hard to get outside the country).
Two days in Luxembourg City gives you the opportunity to see two sides of the capital. Experience the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, over an exciting weekend spent exploring the city. Start in the old town, with its winding pathways, numerous levels and historic fortifications. The underground tunnels of the Bock Casemates are just one of the numerous attractions to discover in the historic centre.
After wandering around the historic centre to get a sense of its character, choose one of its many museums to explore. The National Museum of History and Art is a particular highlight, combining ancient Neolithic history, the Napoleonic era and fine art from masters such as Picasso and Joseph Kutter.
End your day in the Old Town with a trip to the Abbaye de Neumünster. This converted religious building is now a thriving artistic and cultural events venue. Browse the exhibition spaces or watch a concert and then head into the surrounding neighbourhood, Grund, for a drink in one of the many pubs here.
Day two is all about modern Luxembourg. Take a lift up to the Kirchberg plateau, where an array of stylish modern buildings brings you back to the 21st century. Stroll around this modern quarter, home of the European Courts of Justice, the European Investment Bank and more. The raised vantage point of the neighbourhood gives you excellent views of the old town.
Kirchberg is the home of MUDAM, the modern art gallery designed by I.M. Pei. The airy exhibition spaces help make the work of numerous contemporary artists even more engaging. This neighbourhood also houses major exposition centres and a campus of the University of Luxembourg.
Spend your evening in the Philharmonie Luxembourg, a beautifully designed, eye-shaped concert hall that hosts orchestral performances throughout the year. The Philharmonie also puts on a wide range of events for children, too, making this a family-friendly destination as well as world-class venue. Alternatively, Kirchberg also has as a casino and cinemas for your evening's entertainment.
Luxembourg is such a pleasingly compact country (it takes about an hour to drive from top to bottom) that you can explore many of its regions in the space of just a week. Fly into Luxembourg City Airport, then do a loop of the Grand Duchy. It may be a small state, but in seven days you'll see castles, vineyards, rivers and fairy-tale cities, all piled into this one beautiful nation.
Start by heading southeast into the Moselle Valley, which runs along the border with Germany. The landscape is dominated by the Moselle River, which meanders through hills and woodlands, with vineyards lining its banks. Explore the region in a day from the seat of a canoe, paddling along the currents, or by taking a tour of the wine region. Enjoy a glass of crisp white wine, with common varietals including Müller-Thurgau, Riesling and Auxerrois.
From Moselle, head north into Mullerthal. You can take your pick between exploring a historic town or remaining in the picturesque countryside. Echternach, the regional capital, wears its history proudly, hosting traditional parades, including the unmissable dancing procession, and fascinating sights. If exploring ancient abbeys and villas doesn't appeal, join the epic Mullerthal Trail for gorgeous hikes into remote, tranquil valleys.
Carve out plenty of time to explore the Oesling region of Luxembourg, in the Ardennes in the north of the country. You'll need more than one day just to visit its numerous castles, which lie scattered across the fertile landscapes. Vianden Castle was reconstructed in the 20th century to maintain its storybook appearance, while Clervaux Castle hosts three separate fascinating museums. Take a tour of Bourscheid Castle, a 10th-century marvel with expansive views of the Oesling's stunning valleys. If you have time, make sure you go for a walk through one of the region's nature parks.
Head south from Ardennes, back towards the capital, but stop in Guttland. This region above the city prides itself on slow tourism, meaning that it's okay to pause from sightseeing and simply relax, snacking on locally produced cheeses or finding a family-run pub in a quiet village. If you do get the tourism itch, you can visit creameries and castles in the friendly towns of the region.
End your trip with two days in lively Luxembourg City. First-time visitors to the city won't want to miss some of the big-hitting sights, such as the Ducal Palace or the historic fortifications known as the Bock Casemates. Look beyond those famous spots, however, to discover a wealth of other museums and architectural wonders. The Bank Museum looks at the history of money, the Villa Vauban hosts a collection of Dutch artworks and Merl Park invites you to simply relax beneath the shade of its trees.
Take your pick of these attractions and make time to simply walk around the city, letting your curiosity take you down cobbled streets and into unusual museums. End your trip to this glorious Grand Duchy with a night at a stylish, modern bar, drinking a local wine with views of the Old Town lit up at night.


Periodontal disease is caused by bacterial infection and inflammation of the gums that over time causes loss of bone that supports the teeth; tooth loss is a consequence of severe periodontal disease. Two studies have found a link between tooth loss or periodontitis and pancreatic cancer, but one consisted of all smokers and the other did not control for smoking in the analysis, and therefore no firm conclusions could be drawn from these studies.
The results showed that, after adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, body mass index and a number of other factors, men with periodontal disease had a 63% higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those reporting no periodontal disease.
Another explanation, according to Michaud, is that periodontal disease could lead to increased pancreatic carcinogenesis because individuals with periodontal disease have higher levels of oral bacteria and higher levels of nitrosamines, which are carcinogens, in the oral cavity. Prior studies have shown that nitrosamines and gastric acidity may play a role in pancreatic cancer.


Smiling Happy People: Glass half empty, or half full?
Glass half empty, or half full?
Halfway there! Today is 20 weeks, or four and a half months. So far, Lauren has gained somewhere around 11 pounds, and people are starting to notice the pregnancy.


Ropes & Gray will sponsor Boston's War on Cancer on October 20.
Cancer hasn't been cured, but it may be the mother of all pharmaceutical opportunities for the 21st century. Drug makers are now testing an estimated 860 cancer drugs and pursuing a global caner market worth some $84 billion by 2010, and Boston is at the heart of much of the action. We will convene some of New England's leaders who have crafted creative strategies for fighting this complex and deadly disease.