Ready for flight? Excellent! We are too! Before we put on our jumpsuits, you'll want to make sure all the i's have been dotted and t's, crossed. Please take a moment to read through our frequently asked questions so you'll be prepared for the best experience!
Paraclete XP is located at 190 Paraclete Dr, Raeford, NC 28376. Our telephone number is (910) 848-2600. We are the premier indoor skydiving facility for Raleigh, NC, Fayetteville and surrounding areas.
Is There An Indoor Skydiving Weight Limit?
To fly in our wind tunnel, individuals must not weigh over 250lbs. Some exceptions can be made, so please give us a call if you have questions.
Are there any restrictions to flying in the wind tunnel?
We routinely welcome guests as young as three years old! There isn't a limit on age. Restrictions are based on general fitness and health.
What should I wear for indoor skydiving?
We recommended that you wear comfortable clothing, such as T-shirts, shorts/pants, and tennis shoes for indoor skydiving. If you have long hair, we recommend bringing a hair tie to keep your hair inside your helmet.
Paraclete XP strongly suggests making a reservation in advance to provide you with the best experience while you're onsite. This guarantees availability on the day you wish to fly and significantly reduces your wait time. Certain sessions sell out quickly due to increasing demand. To check on availability, view our online reservations.
Please note, it's important to arrive at least 45 minutes prior to your flight time.
Paraclete XP SkyVenture does not offer refunds for any reason. If someone wants to fly in place of another, that can easily be done.
While it may sound like fun to fly with family and friends at the same time, when it comes to first-time flyers, safety is our top priority. As such, we only allow one flyer at a time (with their instructor) in the flight chamber. Our complimentary 360 observation area allows for excellent viewing where your loved ones and group members can cheer you on as you experience bodyflight! As you progress in your skills, you will have the opportunity to start flying with others.
If I'm not flying, is it acceptable to bring friends to watch?
SkyVenture is a vertical wind tunnel with fans located at the top to draw the air upwards through the flight chamber. You will experience a controlled environment providing you with just the right amount of air flow for the utmost flight enjoyment. Read more about How Indoor Skydiving Works.
In skydiving, different body positions permit an individual to control the way they fall. For example, when in a belly to earth position, extending the legs straight out will permit the individual to fly forward. Bending the legs will permit the individual to fly backward. These 'flight controls' include sliding to the left or right, pivoting in position and increasing or decreasing the fall rate. The combination of any of these controls is body flight. Skydivers love flying in a wind tunnel as it allows them to fine tune their controls in a controlled environment.
Many people think skydiving is simply falling to earth followed by the deployment of a parachute and the landing. This is not the case! What individuals do during that free fall is what makes skydiving so much fun! As you'll learn in indoor skydiving, skydivers are able to control their body flight using different body parts as literal rudders to allow freedom of movement. It's an incredible sensation!
As individuals improve their body flight skills, joining other skydivers to execute preset routines or "dive flows" is incredibly satisfying. These dive flows allow for the measurement of their execution within a specified amount of time thus creating skydiving competition.
Check out some incredible bodyflight moves from our home team – AntiGravity.
While it may look easy, doing flips and tricks in the wind tunnel takes a lot of practice! To ensure the safety of our guests, advanced maneuvers are reserved for experienced flyers only. During your first flight, depending on your comfort level, you may have the opportunity to try turns, move up, down, front and back. WARNING: Once you get a taste of flying, you will probably want to do it again and again. Take advantage of our repeat flyer package and elevate yourself to the next level of tunnel flying!
People typically describe the feeling of indoor skydiving like something between flying and floating. It's similar to the feeling you get in free fall when you go skydiving. Your instructor will assist you at all times to ensure that you maintain a stable body position.
Indoor skydiving is not scary at all. To begin, you will simply lean forward from the door, until you are supported by the airflow and you will be in flight! You will not experience any sensations of falling or jumping and your experienced instructor will guide you every step of the way.
Indoor skydiving is a very safe sport. Before you fly, you will go through a safety briefing so you know what to expect and how to maintain proper body position in the tunnel. Risks are typically limited to minor bumps or scrapes with tunnel walls which you can prevent by wearing elbow and knee pads (if you wish). Your flight instructor will also be within arm's reach through your entire flight to provide guidance and help you navigate bodyflight. Read more on Is Indoor Skydiving Safe.
How Dangerous is Indoor Skydiving?
Indoor skydiving isn't without risk. Injury can occur when flying and that usually comes from bumping into the walls. The risk is relatively low as we have small children from age 3 able to fly without injury. Flight instructors do accompany flyers in the tunnel to help with body position and controllability.
How long does indoor skydiving last?
Most flight sessions are broken up into two-minute increments. This doesn't sound like very much time, but once you experience indoor skydiving, you'll realize that it's an amazing workout and will tire you quickly. The most well-trained flyers train in two minute increments. Flying for much longer does cause fatigue and can increase the chance of injury.
Ready to Fly With Paraclete XP?
We have been twice now and absolutely love it and are already planning our next family flight! Andy, Derek, and all of the staff have been amazing. They are excellent with both kids and adults, and our 4 year old daughter can't get enough! The facility is top notch, and they ensure you have a safe and REALLY fun time. You can tell everyone loves what they do, and it more than their job - it is their passion. I would HIGHLY recommend this for kids and families, and they even offer birthday party packages.


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Family Ties: Generations of Kaneohe 'ohana have devoted themselves to educating Hawaii keiki
January 4, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing
Being an educator runs in Agnes Brown's genes. Her grandmother was a music teacher at Kapaa Elementary for 30 years. Her mother, Mandy Thronas-Brown, was the principal at St. Ann's before it closed in 2021 and now serves as Associate Superintendent with Hawaii Catholic Schools. And most of her aunties and cousins are also educators. It's only fitting then that the Elementary Education major would follow the same trajectory.
"Growing up with my mom as a teacher at St. Ann's, I was always inspired by how she engaged her students," says Brown '23. "I knew that education was always a passion of mine, and I knew that I loved working with kids, especially younger kids."
However, like many events that were paused—or canceled—due to COVID-19 restrictions, Brown's observation in the classroom was also sidelined, forcing the school to turn to Teaching Channel videos as a way to supplement students' field experience.
"COVID impacted all of the education programs because students were not allowed in schools," says Katrina Roseler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education Programs. However, she points out that as restrictions eased after two years, Agnes and her peers did get the chance to experience working with students at Palolo Elementary School during after-school tutoring.
Starting in 2023, Brown will lead her own classroom at Sacred Hearts Academy, her alma mater. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm going to make it fun for the kids," says Brown, with a smile. "Education was not always fun for me. It was definitely more of a chore than anything to be excited about."
As a lifelong learner, Brown plans to take cues from some of her previous teachers and professors, who, she says, made concepts interesting and easier to understand. But there will be challenges, just like with any profession. The Kaneohe native accepts that she will encounter tough days, from planning engaging lessons to responding to classroom distractions.
"My advice, stay calm," says her mom, Thronas-Brown, who has been in the education field for 28 years. "The fears I think she is experiencing are being able to plan lessons accordingly and being responsible for the education of her students in her classroom, which is always a concern of all new teachers."
Thronas-Brown also offers another sage nugget: strive to be the best teacher you can possibly be and treat each child in your classroom with compassion while ensuring you meet all teaching expectations.
"Trust yourself and give yourself time to develop your style of teaching," Thronas-Brown advises. "Never be afraid to ask for help. No teacher is given a 'playbook' for each child in their classroom stating the best way to educate that individual."
Kindhearted, curious, empathetic and leadership have defined Brown since she was a child.
"I was still in elementary school when I knew that I wanted to become a teacher," Brown acknowledges. "I know I want to become a teacher that likes to help kids who don't get it right away—like me when I was in school. And I want to provide the same nurturing environment that some of my former teachers created."
Brown's mentors have also taught her the value of an education, especially a Catholic one. And while friends have questioned her choice of career, based on pay grade—in Hawaii, an elementary teacher's entry-level salary ranges between $45,593 and $51,209, according to Hawaii State Teachers Association's 2022-2023 salary schedule—she would rather accept a lower income doing what she likes best than a higher one that would blunt her passion for teaching.
"We are truly blessed with a self-driven, dedicated, loyal, compassionate, and loving child who knows God and seeks to be the best version of herself each day," Thronas-Brown says. "We are extremely proud of our daughter Agnes, and we wish her nothing but the best in her life and future career."
Filed Under: Education, Featured Story, Students Tagged With: Elementary Education

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Elena Roy
AGENT LICENSE ID 12001012
CALCULATE YOUR PENALTY
Morneau Ordered to "Review" Stress Test. What Can We Expect?
The directive from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Friday was short and sweet: "Review and consider recommendations from financial agencies related to making the borrower stress test more dynamic."
What will actually come from this review and the resulting tweaks (if any) to the mortgage stress test is unclear.
BACKGROUNDER: There are two mortgage stress tests, one on insured mortgages (less than 20% down payment) and another on uninsured mortgages. The latter, implemented on January 1, 2018, and overseen by the banking regulator OSFI—and arguably the more contentious of the two tests—requires buyers to be qualified at the greater of their contract rate plus 200 bps or the Bank of Canada's benchmark rate, which is currently 5.19%. In an interview with BNN Bloomberg, Morneau noted that his mandate includes the insured part of the market, so it's likely any changes that come from this review would focus on the insured mortgage stress test. However, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) could always follow the government's lead and adopt its own changes for the uninsured stress test.
Up until now, the Liberal government and the head of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)—responsible for implementing the stress tests—have been opposed to any tweaks.
"Given the context of a minority government, we should not be shocked [the Liberals] are giving it some consideration," Robert Hogue, senior economist at Royal Bank of Canada, wrote in a research note.
And given its minority government situation, any tweaks will require the support of other parties in Parliament. During the election, the Conservatives had promised to "fix" the stress test to help first-time buyers, so it's plausible any tweaks proposed by the Liberals will be palatable to the Conservatives.
Mortgage Industry Reacts Favourably
Friday's announcement elicited positive responses from mortgage brokers on social media, hopeful the review will result in changes that will lessen the burden faced by first-time homebuyers unable to pass the current stress test.
Canada's national mortgage association, Mortgage Professionals Canada (MPC), also welcomed the news, noting this marks the first time the Trudeau government has pledged to review the stress test, which was introduced under its watch.
"This news stands out for our mortgage brokering community because MPC has strongly advocated for a review and adjustments to the mechanism since their initial introduction, which occurred without consultation," J.P. Boutros, Director of Government Relations for the association, told CMT. "MPC is not against stress testing, but feels it needs re-calibration. We also know that stress tests on mortgage switches and renewals especially bothered voters of all political stripes as being anti-consumer and anti-competitive."
Boutros added he's encouraged by the news, since mandate letters from the Prime Minster are traditionally deemed a priority for the government. "We appreciate the government's perspective that stress tests have done what they were intended to do, and that there is now an appreciation that a review is needed."
Potential Stress Test Tweaks
So, what could changes to the stress test look like? There are two key aspects of the stress test that are ripe for tweaking, according to industry observers.
One would be a change in how the minimum qualifying rate is calculated.
"The biggest problem with the stress test is that it relies on a number that can be manipulated, the benchmark 5-year posted rate," wrote mortgage columnist Rob McLister in a story on Friday.
Since the rate is based on a mode of the Big Six banks' posted 5-year fixed rates, he argues bureaucrats "can manipulate it by persuading banks (behind the scenes or with public moral suasion) to keep their rates propped up."
Instead, McLister argues the rate should be based on a rate that adjusts to market conditions.
"One way the government could do that is by basing the MQR (mortgage qualifying rate) on an objective number, like Canada's 5-year bond yield plus 300 bps, for example. Were that the case this past summer, the MQR would have been in the 4.30% range instead of over 5%, where it's been stuck for almost two years."
A second component that has been criticized is the application of the stress test on mortgage switches. That is, borrowers who want to switch to a different lender at renewal time, typically in pursuit of a more competitive rate compared to their existing lender.
The current rules allow borrowers who renew with their current lender to bypass the stress test, which has resulted in higher numbers of borrowers unable to change lenders.
"This policy traps a subset of renewing borrowers into staying with their current lender…" wrote Dave Larock of Integrated Mortgage Planners. "It is disappointing that this regressive policy has not already been rectified because its intrinsic unfairness was highlighted when the stress test was first introduced."
Government Likely to "Tread Carefully"
Any change to the stress test is sure to be measured and cautious, so as not to further fan the flames of rising home prices.
Which is why observers say increasing available housing inventory needs to be part and parcel of any solution to addressing affordability.
"On the surface, ideas like relaxing the mortgage stress test, extending the maximum amortization period for insured mortgages, or increasing the amount of RRSP take-out for a first home down payment might bring short-term relief to buyers," Hogue wrote in his research note. "What millennials in Vancouver and Toronto really need is more inventory of homes they can afford, and a better mix of housing options – be it to own or rent."
He added, "A more nimble and responsive supply side of the market would go a long way to address the needs of buyers on a more permanent basis," and that addressing the supply issue will require cooperation from all levels of government.
In addition to his directive to review the mortgage stress test, Minister Morneau has been tasked with limiting housing speculation by "developing a framework and introducing a 1% annual vacancy and speculation tax on applicable residential properties owned by non-resident non-Canadians," according to his mandate letter. "This would involve working with provinces, territories, municipalities and law enforcement to track housing ownership and speculation," it added.
If you have questions on how to make your mortgage work for your financial plans, talk to me.
I'm a mortgage expert and I'm committed to providing the best mortgage advice to all my clients.
Talk to me :)
Mortgage Agent
Licence # 12001012
elena@capitalmortgages.com
Kanata Office
200 - 260 HEARST WAY
KANATA, ON,
Joomlabamboo templates


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Q: JavaFX won't load on my webpage I realize this is a very vague question, so I'm not looking for specifics, just suggestions...
I wrote a JavaFX application in NetBeans, which automagically builds it into a jar, jnlp, and html page. After uploading these files onto my webserver, I can navigate to the page and everything works, on the computer I developed it on. On any other computer, it just hangs at the loading screen (spinning animation). Things I've tried:

*

*Made sure these computers have most up to date JRE

*Tried it in both Chrome and IE

*Set all files to RWX permissions for all users (I have since undone this)

Any ideas?
Thanks!
Also, in case it's important, the link to the JavaFX app is right here.

A: Turns out it was because I was using the NetBeans generated JNLPs. Take a look at this article. It describes exactly the problem I was having and how to fix it, towards the bottom. In a nutshell, you'll notice the JNLPs have some attributes called 'codebase' and 'href' that are no longer valid once you move the execution files from your NetBeans project to your webserver.

A: I've got the "forever spinning" wheel.
Have you looked into the console of the JVM started up by the browser? I'm running FF3 on XP and in the Taskbar I've the Java-Icon where on right-click I can open the console which gives me:
Exception: null
java.io.FileNotFoundException: JNLP not available: RABfx_browser.jnlp
    at sun.plugin2.applet.JNLP2Manager.loadJarFiles(Unknown Source)
    at sun.plugin2.applet.Plugin2Manager$AppletExecutionRunnable.run(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Exception: java.io.FileNotFoundException: JNLP not available: RABfx_browser.jnlp

The JVM is 1.6.0_11 .

A: It worked fine for me. One thing I noticed is that there was a security check dialog box (trust content from Sun?) and a Sun advert saying how great JavaFX was :-).
Make sure these aren't starting up behind your browser window - it won't continue to run until you trust the content, and I've seen that behavior before.
Otherwise, I suspect it's a security (or other) setting in your browser. FWIW, I'm using Firefox 3.0.5 and the recently downloaded Sun JRE 1.6._03 (I think).
It's also not very smart yet, even on difficulty level 2. Player to top-left, Computer to center, Player to bottom right, "Computer to a corner" will always result in a player win (unless they're TicTacToe-deficient somehow). The right move for the computer in the quotes above is one of the edges. But I'm pretty certain you didn't want me to critique your AI :-).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Quotas are an imperfect, but important first step because the change starts with the people we are surrounded with. However, without serious commitment and proper oversight, unconscious biases can easily break down any real effort at improving diversity within a company. The change will be an uncomfortable, even painful process, until you get used to it. That is because our unconscious biases affect more than our recruiting decisions, they affect our entire world view.
Diversity isn't about winning. It's about win-win.
It is a lesson that Singapore learnt over 50 years ago. Creating a unified Singapore was not about blending the black and white it into a single, homogenous grey. It was about respecting each group's cultural identity, each culture's approach to life. It was about seeing those differences as a heterogenous whole and maintaining balance.
Will AI Put the Human back into Human Resources?
Automation will allow us to do certain things much faster than before. What we need to work out is how we can do things better than we used to. We need to be smart with the data and challenge our assumptions to create better situations. Just as new technologies allow buildings to move beyond stone and steel and become living, breathing systems, these same technologies, if used creatively, can allow us to make the hiring process much more organic, personal and effective.
If you've ever endured the withering gazes of your colleagues while you punched out of the office promptly at 5 while the rest of them had to stay on to work late, then you know how much pressure a workplace culture can have on an individual.
In a culture where hard work is prized as a virtue this pressure can force workers to stay in the office much longer than they would like to, or need to despite their legal rights to do so. But there is more to this than simple social niceties. Failure to work equally long hours can be assessed as a mark of un-productivity despite actual results stating otherwise. It's simply human nature. If an employee is not present at their desk, then it's hard to think that they're working.
The Olympics…From Rio, to Tokyo…….to Singapore?
It's time for Women to join the club!


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David Chen in movies, podcasts | January 31, 2010
Dispatches from Sundance 2010
I love meeting new people and talking with them about their unique life experiences, so going to the Sundance Film Festival was an amazing time. While in Park City, I was surrounded by tons of interesting journalists, film critics, directors, actors, and celebrities. Thus, I felt compelled to document the occasion using my iPhone to record audioblogs with people. I hope that these audio files give you a good impression of what it was actually like to be there, and that they provide insight into the people and the movies of Sundance 2010.
From now on, if you want to listen to my audio blogs as I post them, please follow me on Twitter.
I spoke with Adam Roffman from IFFboston about what we were looking forward to at Sundance:
On the ride to Park City, I met some South Africans in the van and asked them what they thought of Invictus:
I spoke with Neil Miller from Filmschoolrejects and my boss, Peter Sciretta from slashfilm.com about how hard it is to make money off of movie blogging:
I asked Neil and Peter what they like most about Sundance:
Neil and Peter talk to me about how important it is to be at the WORLD PREMIERE of a film:
At a dinner featuring a bunch of bloggers, I talked with Laremy from Film.com and Kevin Kelly from Cinematical about blu-ray discs and the future of physical media:
We also discussed
I asked Vic from screenrant.com about the gun he's packing:
On the busride home, I asked the guys why Gerard Butler strips down naked in the movie Law Abiding Citizen:
I spoke with Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, in the filmmaker's lounge:
I met Eric D Snider, one of the most prolific online writers. We talked about his most anticipated movies of the festival:
I spoke with Quint from Aint It Cool News about Austin, Texas:
I finally got to meet Adam Kempenaar from Filmspotting:
I speak with Andrew O'Hehir from salon.com, one of my favorite critics:
I explain how I got tickets to Howl, the opening night film:
Me and Elliot Kotek from The Hollywood Reporter talked about Last Train Home, one of my favorite documentaries of the festival:
On a busride, I met Brian Pope who worked on the visual effects for The Phantom Menace:
While waiting for Happythankyoumoreplease to begin, I spoke with Ricki Stern who directed the new documentary about Joan Rivers:
I spoke with illustrious Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers, who says he reads slashfilm.com:
I met Jeff Goldsmith from the Creative Sreenwriting Podcast on the streets of Park City and talked to him about "Winter's Bone," his favorite movie of the festival
I spoke with Devin Faraci from CHUD about his favorite movies at the festival in the first few days:


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Home Debugging Getting to grips with Dynamic SQL: Debugging
Thom A 2020-11-20 2020-11-20 Debugging, Dynamic SQL, SQL Server
Something that many find difficult with Dynamic SQL is debugging it. When looking at a batch that creates and executes a dynamic statement it can be daunting to understand where exactly the error is happening, or even where the SQL that is generating the error is coming from, as it might be a value that was injected, rather than part of the literal strings.
I've touched on this before, but to reiterative Formatting is Important. That doesn't just mean with your statements that are creating the dynamic SQL, it means ensuring that the dynamic SQL you create is well formatted as well. This is probably one if the harder things to keep in mind when writing dynamic SQL, as putting formatting into a literal string can feel quite "odd" to do. It's also very easy to forget about. The reason, however, that it's so important is because the first step to debugging a dynamic statement that is failing is to take the dynamic SQL statement and attempt to run it. The error will still be the same, but you can now actually see the SQL that's actually being run, and so it's far easier to debug.
The simplest way to get the dynamic statement is to use PRINT, however, note that the value printed will be truncated if it is longer than 4,000 characters. Often that isn't a problem, but there are times where you may well have dynamic statements well in excess of that value. Instead, in these cases, you can SELECT the value, however, this isn't something you should blindly do in a stored procedure (as it couldn't easily break existing code). SELECT too may not return the full length, depending on the application you are using; for example SSMS' default maximum length returned is around 64,000~ characters and I suspect ADS (Azure Data Studio) has a similar limitation; though I couldn't stop the setting at a quick glance.
Once you have the dynamic statement, copy and paste it into a new query window so you can run it. Note that if you are passing any parameters to the dynamic statement you'll need to declare these in the new window too, and assign values to them; though that work will mostly be done in the prior query window. Then, when you run the query, the same error will be presented to you, however, the position information of where the error is, such as the line number, will be far more meaningful. This, of course, further enforces why formatting is important, as if every thing in on a single line, then "error on line 1" is not helpful.
Spend time debugging the non-dynamic statement, and ensure you keep a note of the finalised changes you make to the query. Once you have the non-dynamic statement working correctly propagate those changes to your batch that creates the dynamic statement. The solution(s) you implement may not be exactly the same as the correction you made, due to the fact the statement is dynamic mind, but they will highlight what the underlying problem is. Some simple errors might be that a single quote hasn't been "double doubled up", as within a dynamic statement a string literal that has a single quote in it, would need 4: N'DECLARE @String varchar(30) = ''You can''''t do that'';'. It might be that you have an value that is being injected, such as an object name or literal string, that isn't being properly quoted, so you need to make sure you wrap the injected value in QUOTENAME or add a REPLACE to escape the appropriate characters.
You may well find that as you fix one problem, you find another; don't be disheartened by this, it happens with non-dynamic SQL as well. Sometimes you might fix a problem, have the non-dynamic SQL run fine, propagate the solution to have it not run. Just ensure you PRINT/SELECT the code each time, if the generation is working correctly (as in you aren't getting an error with the SQL generating the dynamic statement).
If you're getting the wrong results from the query, then you'll likely be better off writing the statement you are expecting to have generated, then compare the two and find the the differences. Then check the SQL you're using to generate the statement and review that part that's generating the specific area that's different and make the needed corrections. These can be difficult to debug if you're dealing with creating the statement using multiple columns, so you one suggestion is to return the dataset that you're using, not as part of the dynamic statement, but in its "raw" form. Most likely a value you're expecting isn't there, or the opposite.
Other than that, trial and error, like any SQL is your friend. I can't really offer any full examples here. Every scenario is different and specific to the statement you have. As you debug each statement, you'll learn the things to look for first, and the likely candidates, but you'll also learn what things to watch out for as your write the initial statement.
Dynamic SQL, Getting to Grips.
Getting to grips with Dynamic SQL: Working with datasets
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OCD Nutrition Blaze X is not for the faint hearted! It contains an insane blend of thermogenics and fat-burners, all whilst giving you one hell of an energy kick! If you want a supplement that gives you energy, helps you lose body fat, suppresses your appetite and helps get rid of excess fluid retention – look no further than Blaze X!
Question about OCD Nutrition Blaze X Fat Burner is Successfully Submitted.


Please don?t tell me iPad-3 screen also has Backlight Bleeding issues !!
Oh No ! Not again, now with this one also ? Does the iPad-3 also have a Backlight Bleeding issues ?? Even before getting it, it has sent shivers down my spine !! I have been reading about it. Ok, how does one identify if the one he has, has a Backlight bleeding issues ?
If you don't know what "backlight bleeding" looks like, why do you care?
And if he doesn't know that every LCD suffers from some amount of this, why would he be trying to purchase something with an LCD screen?
So need a genuine suggestion !
This whole issue of Backlight Bleeding being there / not there as reported by a couple of people has put me in a strange Dilemma, What I am thinking now,is do I get thing done or not ? I was gonna get the New iPad from the U.S from one of my friend and since a common opinion on that is it is because the Glue has not dried which was used to stick the display screens to the panel maybe that is causing it and once it is dried up it will, maybe not there and since Apple had to rush out urgent stocks it never had the time to let this thing happen. So what I was thinking was, maybe this is a problem with newer stocks and as and when we get into the 2nd phase of stocks which will likely hit my country as my country's name does not appear in the first nor second list of countries where the iPad-3 has been released as of now, this will also give some time to get into the 2nd Phase of stocks which will be all ready with the problem having been overcome and that would have also given it time to dry up.
So does it make more sense to wait till the iPad-3 is officially released in my country in another 2 months time, that way it will also give some time to overcome this problem, if at all it is there ?
LCD - IMO best colour representation and sharpness in mobile devices, screen bleeds white onto black, so blacks occasionaly aren't as black as they could be.
OLED - good brightness and contrast, true blacks, unrealistic colour representation, whites sometimes look blueish.
In my opinion, LCDs win compared to where OLED technology is right now, despite the backlight bleeding.
It seems like between your problem with "full" HD and now possible backlight issues, you already have serious misgivings about the iPad without ever having seen one. I wouldn't be surprised if other issues cropped up, for you.
So I'd suggest waiting. I can't imagine that you're going to be happy if you purchase a device with the full expectation that it has a bunch of problems. Wait till you can play around with one, see if the problems outweigh the advantages, and make your decision then.
Thanks for the Explanantion !
It happens with all LCDs, and is not noticeable unless the screen is always black.
Hmm....Now this is the second confirmation that I have got. Somebody else was also describing it to me that it occurs only when the Brightness level is set to max and the screen is Black.


Philippine factories ramped up production in October, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported this morning.
Preliminary results of the PSA's Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI) showed that in October, factory output – as measured by the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) – grew 3.7% year-on-year.
This was slower than the revised 4.2% growth recorded in September but was a reversal from the 6.6% contraction a year earlier.
"Among the 13 major industry groups that reported increases in VoPI, eight major industries recorded two-digit growths, namely: textiles (41.9%), miscellaneous manufactures (31.2%), petroleum products (30.8%), machinery except electrical (17.6%), wood and wood products (17.1%), electrical machinery (16.9%), non-metallic mineral products (11.9%), and paper and paper products (10.7%)," the PSA said.
Average capacity utilization — the extent by which industry resources are being used in the production of goods — was estimated at 84.3%. 11 of the 20 sectors registered capacity utilization rates of 80% and above.


SeaFall is a 4X game (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) set in an "age of sail" world reminiscent of our world. In SeaFall, the world is starting to claw its way out of a dark age and has begun to rediscover seafaring technology.
Seafall is a Legacy game. In a nutshell it's a game that evolves, decisions you make in 1 game will carry though into future games. They often tell a story with a definite starting and end point.
28/10/2011 · To get at the code: 1) Right mouse click anywhere in the menus and select "Customize" (at the bottom). 2) Right mouse click on the button and select "Assign Macro" (at the bottom).


A cheap cafe/izakaya for when you're really hungry.
When walking downtown along the Obiyamachi covered arcade, there are a number of dining options. A recent addition to these options is a very small place called Cafe Stanley. While the space might be small, the portions were surprisingly large.
Cafe Stanley opened in late 2011, and was a one man show when I went in. The owner was a very nice man who is enamored with American culture and claimed that was one of the main influencing factors that went into the idea of the cafe. While I couldn't quite see the connection he was trying to make, the lunch set portion was definitely influenced by American sizes (not quite as large, but the perfect size if all the running around you've been doing has left you feeling pretty hungry).
As an added benefit, the lunch special was also quite cheap. For 650 yen, the set included: salmon with tartar sauce, stewed chicken in a tomato soup, salad, soup, and rice. A coffee at the end of your meal will cost another 100 yen, but it is freshly ground coffee.
Unfortunately, I actually didn't get to have the lunch set the day I went. I was a little late, and he had already run out of ingredients needed to make it. Being the only one there with a steady flow of hungry people, he couldn't run out to get what he needed. I saw the two last sets going out, however, and they looked good. I also happened to see the hamburg steak plate, a great looking option for when you're really hungry. It will cost you 950 yen, however.
I went with the omellette topped rice with a demi grass sauce. It also came with soup and salad, and was quite tasty. I probably would have enjoyed it a bit more had it been my first choice.
One great little touch that Cafe Stanley introduced me to was a shiso leaf (perilla leaf) in the pitcher of water set down with my lunch. Did you catch that? A whole pitcher. That doesn't happen much. Not only was it just my own pitcher of water, but it was also refreshingly flavored by the shiso leaf. For the hot, tired traveler, I imagine this would be perfect.
My one complaint, and this is just a personal preference, is the choice of music. This was also obviously inspired by American culture, but sounded like it was being streamed in from a hairband rock station from about thirty years in the past. If that is the kind of music you like listening to, then that's fine, but it was just such a huge contrast with the otherwise quiet atmosphere created by low lighting, dark wood, and the rows of cute plants lining the window. I guess it could have just been a one time selection. Perhaps he chooses different music everyday, or he was just too busy to notice.
This wouldn't have been so bad if he had a couple of people helping him out. My food would have come out much faster, and I wouldn't have had to listen to the music for nearly as long.
Cafe Stanley is doing a lot that is good, and I hope that he finds some help soon. If you come to Kochi, you will be near Obiyamachi at some point. You will probably also be very tired as you will most likely be walking a lot. Cafe Stanley will be a good place to go and recharge with a big lunch for more siteseeing in the afternoon.
I've been living in Kochi since 2006. I enjoy taking every chance I can to ride my bicycle, camp, swim in rivers, relax on the beach, and explore the surrounding mountains -- all of which can easily be done in Kochi. We're out of the way, but worth it.I'd love to connect with you on Twitter @KochiJPTouristor Facebook.
Kochi Shore Excursion for Cruise..


Email marketing is one of the most effective ways you can share your message, sell your services, and build a relationship with your customers.
In fact, companies who send automated emails are 133% more likely to send relevant messages that correspond with a customer's purchase cycle. Over 75% of email revenue is generated by triggered campaigns, rather than one-size-fits-all campaigns. Automated email campaigns account for 21% of email marketing revenue.
In short, email marketing is a big deal, and if you're in charge of engaging with existing customers or new prospects, you need an email marketing tool that will help you effectively manage your lists, connect, campaign.
Read on to find out the key factors you should consider when choosing your email marketing platform and our recommended email marketing solutions.
As we know, email marketing isn't about sending random promo emails to people, hoping that they'll become profitable conversions overnight. It's about communicating with people in a humanized fashion, using targeted content to deliver your message.
That said, using an Excel spreadsheet coupled with Outlook to manage your lists and send emails no longer cuts the mustard. In the modern age, you need something far more efficient.
According to a recent survey, 60% of marketers state that email marketing is producing a significant ROI and 32% state that it eventually will. That means that choosing the right email marketing software for the job is crucial to your efforts.
When you work in digital marketing, your CRM (Customer Relationship Management Software) is your best friend. Updating lists and sending emails manually is time-consuming, so choosing an email marketing platform that integrates seamlessly with your CRM will provide you with a hassle-free solution for managing valuable content and customer data, as well as providing you with an overview of key metrics (open rates, click-through rates) to see which campaigns are performing the best.
43% of people now check their emails on their smartphone every single day.
In today's world, fewer and fewer people are opening their emails from a traditional desktop setting, which means choosing an email marketing tool with functionality and mobile-optimized templates is essential. If someone opens an email on their mobile device and it can't display correctly, they'll bounce immediately, and your efforts will be redundant.
Whether your business is small, medium or colossal — email response handling is of vital importance. If you are part of a smaller business sending out a newsletter or email series to around 1,500 people per month, you'll require less sophistication regarding automation and response handling, and you'll be able to handle some of the work manually. But, if you're handling mass amounts of emails, choosing email marketing software that will allow you to send automated responses or aggregate customer responses into tickets will be beneficial.
Now that you understand what you're looking for in your email marketing software, let's look at the some of the best tools available for the job.
MailChimp is one of the most accessible email marketing platforms in the world today, with around seven million users worldwide. For small to medium-sized business managing weekly or monthly newsletters, alongside regular campaigns, with a strong social media focus, this tool is ideal. Regarding Analytics, MailChimp integrates with the likes of Salesforce, WordPress and GA. The platforms also work seamlessly with Hootsuite, Facebook, Twitter Pinterest and Instagram.
The platform allows you to automate templates, customise emails, and add designs with ease. Although effective and visually pleasing across all platforms, if you're looking for a tool that allows for a little more backend development, MailChimp is somewhat limited. According to a recent benchmark report, MailChimp shows an average open rate of around 22% across all the key industries.
GetResponse is a scalable email marketing tool which offers an excellent return on investment as your price plan will depend on the size of your company and how many contacts you have at the time of sign up.
With 500 pre-designed templates powered by user-friendly editing software plus intuitive list-building tools, it's possible to create fully-integrated, interactive campaigns with limited technical knowledge. GetResponse has some of the best Salesforce integration software on the market and has been praised for its 24/7 customer report and tutorial user seminars. If you're building campaigns based on assets from some sources, GetResponse will allow you to export files from several formats and offer in-built statistics including best-performing emails and cart abandonment rate.
For an e-commerce business, SendinBlue is particularly effective. The platform offers user-friendly email design tools as well as plenty of backend scope for developers looking to add extra functionality to your email campaigns. One of the most useful features of SendinBlue is the fact that it allows you to synchronize contact lists from most major platforms, meaning if you're dealing with a broad target audience, you can manage your content with ease.
Detailed analytics include insights on where emails have been opened as well as device type, and the transactional email options are more advanced than most email marketing tools available. These functions include targeted SMS messages that work in conjunction with your emails, in addition to tailored messages to customers including 'make a purchase', 'remember your password, and 'you left items in your shopping cart'.
A little technical know-how is needed to open up SendinBlue's full potential, but with a little internal collaboration, this could well be a powerful asset for your e-commerce business.
The ActiveCampaign drag and drop interface is a great way of building content rich email campaigns with speed and accuracy.
The platform boasts a range of sophisticated market and sales automation features as well as a huge library of free stock images, image hosting, and real-time analytics so you can monitor campaign performance as it's happening.
One of the main selling points for larger or more active businesses is its A/B testing tool. The functionality is easy to setup and coupled with the real-time analytics; it can prove very effective for optimization of campaigns that will offer maximum ROI.
Choosing the best email marketing tool for your needs can be tricky, but by asking yourself the right questions, setting clear measurable goals, and taking the time understand your options, you'll be sure to make the right decision.
Ultimately, one of the most important elements to any campaigns is planning and content. If you want to strengthen your digital skills, our Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing will provide you with a strong foundation in the core concepts of digital marketing.
Develop a detailed understanding of key social media specialisms including content marketing (both creation and distribution), and the social media platforms on which you can promote this content.


text:
<TITLE>Review for City of Joy (1992)</TITLE>
<LINK REL="STYLESHEET" TYPE="text/css" HREF="/ramr.css">

City of Joy (1992)

reviewed by
Jaideep Mukherjee

                                   CITY OF JOY
                       A film review by Jaideep Mukherjee
                        Copyright 1992 Jaideep Mukherjee

     There is no gainsaying the fact that looking at a society from a
distance can often provide new insights into its underlying dynamics.
However, when a disproportionate amount of attention is paid to the
observer-observed interface, all too often, the messenger becomes more
important than the message.

     This is what happens in CITY OF JOY almost right from the word
"go."  Employing a footage that seems suspiciously contrived (smelt like
herring to me) to produce shock in a Western audience, Roland Joffe
proceeds to tell a story of the triumph of Western optimism and
enterprise over a thousand years' worth of superstition and passivity in
a "cesspool of a country."

     A Texas doctor (Patrick Swayze) chooses to seek the meaning of life
in a foreign land, after realising he can't handle death.  Having
reached his destination, Calcutta, he quickly learns that salvation does
not lie in winning speed drinking contests with teenage prostitutes
(okay, so she was 20) but in confronting the evils of destitution and
hopelessness that seem to be endemic in this "City of Joy."  With a
little help from a British nurse (Pauline Collins), he manages to rescue
assorted poor people (rickshaw pullers, lepers, etc.) from the clutches
of the local don (Shyamanand Jalan) and his crony, played by Art Malik.
(Clearly not an idea as ridiculous, as say, the big B singlehandedly
liberating Goa from Portugese occupation, but this is not a Hindi Movie,
right :-) ).

     The histrionic abilities of Swayze and Collins, if they exist,
were carefully concealed from this viewer, thanks to a decidedly
underwhelming script.  The underutilization of an extremely talented
cast was a pity though.  Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, Shyamanand Jalan,
Rudraprasad Sengupta, Anjan Datta, Pavan Malhotra et al have all acted
in better productions than this one.

     I did not find the basic premise of the film disagreeable simply
because it attempts to reinforce the all too familiar stereotype of
white folks delivering coloured people from their collective misery.  In
many Indian films, and even in real life, one encounters this idea in a
different form.  Only there the operating premise seems to be that doing
away with poverty, inequality and exploitation involves shoving superior
morals down the unwilling throats of the huddled masses.

     This point of view fails to recognize that people's values are,
up to a large measure, determined by objective economic conditions.
Based on similar economic situations, people tend to polarize into
self-contained societal pockets within which values are roughly
constant.  In my book a film, which pretends to deal with marginalized
people as its subject, is a success only when it  recognizes the above
dynamic.  By this yardstick, I would rate Susman and Mandi (both Shyam
Benegal) as examples of successful movies made in this category.

     I don't know why, but as I was walking out of the hall after seeing
this film, I found myself thinking that renaming that street with the
American Consulate after Uncle Ho wasn't such a bad thing, after all.
And by the way, before you proceed to flame me just because I haven't
found anything positive to say about the Hollywood people in this
venture, one need not infer from what I have written here that I hate
everything that comes out of Hollywood.

Jaideep

.

The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).

The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.

Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.

Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.

The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.

Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


If there is one thing that business owners often overlook is the maintenance of their website. Though a tedious task, maintaining a website is important if you want to garner benefits like improve ranking and increase traffic. Moreover, a well-maintained website will also help boost your brand's visibility, which is essential if you want to improve your conversion rate.
Additionally, from the perspective of site's functionality and performance, a well-maintained site will ensure easy accessibility and smooth navigation for both visitors as well as search engines. Thus, if you have not been doing much, with regards to maintaining your website, then it's high time that you start on this task right away!
WordPress website maintenance includes many daily, weekly and monthly routines and accomplishing each of them is important in order to optimize your site. Hence, to get you started, here is an infographic that provides you with 50+ useful website maintenance tips.
Take a backup of your entire website as well as the database files.
Update your WordPress website to the latest version.
Delete unnecessary WordPress plugins, themes and widgets. Likewise, update all WordPress plugins, themes and widgets on your site.
Check your site's compatibility with different devices and browsing platforms.
Regularly check your site's contact form and email opt-in form.
Monitor your site's security for malware, virus and other security loopholes.
Clear Trash and delete unnecessary Media files.
Optimize your site's images and other media files.
Check your site's download links, social media links, affiliate links etc.
Review your site's on-page SEO elements.
Keep an eye on your web hosting resources.
These tried and tested methods will help tighten up your site's security and improve your site's page speed and download time. Furthermore, by systematically following these website maintenance tasks on a regular basis, you will ensure that your site works smoothly and is optimal at all times.
So, check out the below-mentioned infographic now to learn about other website maintenance tips and implement them right away on your website in order to enhance your site's performance.


We carry OEM ink cartridges for the Muratec 1600. High quality original cartridges print beautifully on your Muratec 1600 Toner printer. Buy your OEM Muratec Toner cartridges for your 1600 printer at Printerinks.com.


text:
Home / Children's Health / UNC-CH Kenan-Flagler Business School students sponsor BBQ fundraiser to fight childhood hunger
UNC-CH Kenan-Flagler Business School students sponsor BBQ fundraiser to fight childhood hunger
Kenan-Flagler student Holden Sasser
The first "Q for the Kids" fundraiser benefiting No Kid Hungry NC is scheduled for May 6 from 5-8 p.m. in the McColl Courtyard of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, located at 300 Kenan Drive, in Chapel Hill. "Q for the Kids" features Eastern-style North Carolina barbecue and is being organized by Kenan-Flagler undergrads Holden Sasser and John Valencia for Larry Chavis' International Development class.
This event will feature live music by the Southern String Band as well as a silent auction and other entertainment. William C. McKinney, co-author of a North Carolina based barbecue book, will be giving an oral history about barbecue in our state. Tickets for the event are $30 and available at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/q-for-the-kids-benefiting-no-kid-hungry-nc-tickets-16316540211. One hundred percent of proceeds will be donated to No Kid Hungry NC.
Sasser commented that in North Carolina, more than one-in-four kids are at risk of hunger. No Kid Hungry NC helps connect low-resource children to federal nutrition programs, including school breakfast and summer meals. "We plan to continue this event annually in order to create on opportunity for UNC students, faculty, alumni and friends to connect over food and raise money for children in need of basic necessities," said Sasser. His father, Tom Sasser, prominent Charlotte restaurateur, has been a supporter of No Kid Hungry NC for nearly two decades. "My father's devotion to this work has inspired me," said Holden, "and this is a way for me to give back while honoring a family tradition."
Sasser and Valencia have enlisted the services of legendary Eastern North Carolina Pit Master Larry Knott who will be cooking a whole-hog from Rock House Farm in Burke County, North Carolina. Knott, a former sheriff of Harnett County who has been roasting pigs for 45 years, cooks traditional, Eastern North Carolina style barbecue using the eastern vinegar-based sauce. He has won numerous barbecue and Brunswick stew cook-offs. "These are outstanding young people," Knott said, "and I am honored that they have asked me to help raise funds for No Kid Hungry NC."
Rock House Farm has developed an all-natural forest-raised program for their Heritage Breed pigs. Its pigs snack daily on mushrooms, acorns, black briars, black walnut, persimmons and various starchy roots and tubers. In addition to their forest diet, the pigs receive a supplement of all-natural, custom-mixed grain consisting of flax-meal, alfalfa and barley. No corn, soy or GMO feed products are added. "In addition to raising funds for a very worthy charity," said Valencia, "we have the opportunity to introduce classmates, professors, friends and others here to sensational barbecue from a heritage pig cooked by a local pit master and legend."
Sasser and Valencia are actively seeking sponsorships and items for the silent auction. They can be contacted at Holden_Sasser@kenan-flagler.unc.edu or 704-989-8824.


text:
package com.phloc.commons.mutable;

/**
 * Base interface for mutable numeric values
 *
 * @author Philip Helger
 */
public interface IMutableInteger <IMPLTYPE extends IMutableInteger <IMPLTYPE>> extends IMutableNumeric <IMPLTYPE>
{
  /**
   * @return true if the value is even
   */
  boolean isEven ();

  /**
   * @return true if the value is odd
   */
  boolean isOdd ();
}


A woman's hair is a symbol of beauty with natural hues that are as unique as a snowflake. At Apollo Hair we understand what a thinning scalp means to a woman and how it effects your confidence and self-esteem. Schedule a private consultation today and let Apollo Hair restore your natural beauty.
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At Cirrus Hair Centers, we let our quality products speak for themselves.Many other companies produce shampoos, conditioners and other styling products with different colors and smells, but they are the same old products with only different colors and smells. At Cirrus Hair Centers, we produce "Products with a Purpose." Products that fulfill a need and really work.
Since 1979 Apollo Hair Systems of San Antonio has proudly brought to their customers the latest non-surgical solutions for hair loss and continue to introduce new technologies such as Apollo Cosmetic Reconstruction (ACR). With ACR, you can have a great looking hairline. You can pass the fingers through the hair-test. You, or someone else, will feel nothing but natural, healthy hair. No seams, no bumps, no knots.
No membership fees and no long term contracts. Our prices are reasonable and less expensive than alternatives.
We provide friendly family service with attention to detail and the ultimate goal of making you look terrific!
Over 160 Apollo branches have opened worldwide since it was first founded in Kansas City in 1972.
Apollo Hair Systems has supplied the private sector for over 30 years, during this time we have serviced many burn and cancer patients with our products. Recently we have been actively working with The San Antonio VA Hospital and have been awarded contracts with the prosthetic department to assist in prosthesis for injured serviceman.


text:
namespace Generic
{
    using System;
    using System.Text;

    public class GenericList<T>
        where T : IComparable
    {
        private T[] elements;
        private int count = 0;

        public GenericList(int size)
        {
            this.elements = new T[size];
        }

        public int Count
        {
            get
            {
                return this.count;
            }

            private set
            {
            }
        }

        public int Capacity
        {
            get
            {
                return this.elements.Length;
            }
        }

        public T this[int index]
        {
            get
            {
                if (index >= this.Count)
                {
                    throw new IndexOutOfRangeException();
                }

                T result = this.elements[index];
                return result;
            }
        }

        public void Add(T element)
        {
            if (this.Count == this.Capacity)
            {
                this.ResizeData();
            }

            this.elements[this.Count] = element;
            this.count++;
        }

        public void InsertAt(T element, int index)
        {
            if (index < 0 || index > this.Count)
            {
                throw new IndexOutOfRangeException();
            }

            if (this.Count == this.Capacity)
            {
                this.ResizeData();
            }

            for (int i = this.Count; i > index; i--)
            {
                this.elements[i] = this.elements[i - 1];
            }

            this.elements[index] = element;
            this.count++;
        }

        public void RemoveAt(int index)
        {
            if (index < 0 || index >= this.Capacity)
            {
                throw new IndexOutOfRangeException();
            }

            for (int i = index + 1; i < this.Count; i++)
            {
                this.elements[i - 1] = this.elements[i];
            }

            this.elements[this.Count - 1] = default(T);
            this.count--;
        }

        public void Clear()
        {
            this.elements = new T[this.Capacity];
            this.count = 0;
        }

        public int IndexOf(T element)
        {
            return Array.IndexOf(this.elements, element);
        }

        public T Min()
        {
             T result = default(T);

             if (this.Count > 0)
             {
                 result = this.elements[0];

                 for (int i = 1; i < this.Count; i++)
                 {
                     if (result.CompareTo(this.elements[i]) > 0)
                     {
                         result = this.elements[i];
                     }
                 }
             }

            return result;
        }

        public T Max()
        {
            T result = default(T);

            if (this.Count > 0)
            {
                result = this.elements[0];

                for (int i = 1; i < this.Count; i++)
                {
                    if (result.CompareTo(this.elements[i]) < 0)
                    {
                        result = this.elements[i];
                    }
                }
            }

            return result;
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();

            for (int i = 0; i < this.count; i++)
            {
                result.AppendFormat("Element {0} --> {1}\n", i, this.elements[i].ToString());
            }

            return result.ToString();
        }

        private void ResizeData()
        {
            int newSize = this.elements.Length * 2;
            T[] newArray = new T[newSize];

            for (int i = 0; i < this.elements.Length; i++)
            {
                newArray[i] = this.elements[i];
            }

            this.elements = newArray;
        }
    }
}


text:
Why Innovation Needs Academia
It's in style to dismiss business school, and higher education in general, as unnecessary. But our company wouldn't exist without it. Here's why.
By Maura McCarthy, Co-founder, Blu Homes@BluHomes
Shutterstock Images
Fifteen years ago my co-founder and our president, Bill Haney, wrote an article called "The Power of Invention," which discussed the core and enduring American spirit of innovation. He also posited that our innovative spirit is inextricably linked to our country's higher education system.
Of course, that was back before business school fell out of vogue and dropping out of Harvard was a pre-requisite to becoming a tech-baron. Let's face it, higher education may or may not be worth the personal investment. But we certainly came up with some intriguing ways to put it to work for our business.
As Bill wrote: "if you looked at the vast history of the United States…the key in building products and companies of value [is] connected inherently to our fundamental American values around education…The wealth of technology that is driven by government, university and nonprofit laboratories throughout our country is unique and staggering."
We really believe in American investment in this kind of innovation and in the early days at Blu, we found ourselves searching for a competitive, tech-oriented basis on which to build a firm that would revolutionize a backward, bankrupt, and environmentally detrimental homebuilding industry. So, we transformed Bill's words into action, and turned to some of America's greatest learning institutions to help us establish the foundation for our company—and the unique building-technology that is crucial to its success.
Our first stops were the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Rhode Island School of Design, where, among other things, Blu sponsored two years of seminars. There, we were able to draw on the invaluable brainpower and raw enthusiasm of graduate students and professors in architecture, industrial design, computer science, logistics, and interior architecture.
We started with a review of the history of housing in the United States, which lead us to ask—and try to answer—some very big questions.
Why had industrial housing succeeded in Western Europe, but not the United States? How was Toyota able to apply its intelligence in car making to its precision-built homes in Japan? And most importantly, how and why had home building in the United States become such an over-bloated, low-tech, energy sucking, and consumer-unfriendly industry?
Students and professors got down to business and contributed some of the leading thinking on combining architecture and computer science. And, because these institutions attract talent from around the world, this "R&D" yielded perspectives that took into account many different global building systems and green building products. Moreover, doing R&D this way is at a relatively fixed cost, and fixed timeline –you get to see results the end of each semester!
Through this research—and subsequent research from University of Michigan professors and students—we have re-imagined homebuilding and built a new paradigm for the entire industry:
Our Blu | 3-D Configurator allows consumers to visualize and customize homes completely online.
Operational advancements and a proprietary steel framing system have allowed us to, in factories, build homes that have the high ceilings, open spaces, and vast windows expected in a custom-built home. Our homes also deliver high resistance to extreme weather and seismic challenges, and come at a fixed, pre-agreed cost.
And finally, we invented a way to connect product design and visualization directly to the manufacturing process—something standard in the auto and aerospace industry, but, until now, nonexistent in homebuilding.
We also researched what consumers felt were lacking in homes—namely, a connectedness to nature, lower energy bills, long-term durability, and integration of technology—and used that information to model passive solar, renewable energy, air exchange systems, and green fixtures that would make our homes beautiful, healthy, and 50 to 70 percent less expensive to operate. In other words, we're letting people live greener, more beautiful lives—and save money.
We founded Blu on the principle of revolutionizing a very sick industry. We are still working hard to achieve our goal. Staying connected to and continuing to learn from America's great academic institutions is still very much a part of our strategy.
And why not? Students and professors alike are excited and inspired to contribute to something "real," and we are glad to have such a variety of perspectives, yielding high-quality, thorough research.


text:
Du er her: Institut for Molekylærbiologi og Genetik Forskning Forskningsområder Plantemolekylærbiologi
Plantemolekylærbiologi
Kasper Røjkjær Andersen
Stig Uggerhøj Andersen
Simona Radutoiu
Dugald Reid
Jens Stougaard
Neurobiologi
Genomekspression
Proteinvidenskab
Molekylær medicin og ernæring
Sektionen for Plantemolekylærbiologi
Plant Molecular Biology
The section's activities focus on genetic, molecular and biochemical research in the model plant Lotus japonicus, as well as several crop plants.
The research seeks to elucidate and understand the mechanisms behind genetic control of signal transduction, cell differentiation, developmental processes, local adaptation, and plant-microbe interactions. Key research areas include symbiotic nitrogen fixation, plant perception of microbial signalling molecules, susceptibility to pathogens, and colonisation by symbiotic and endophytic bacteria/fungi.
The section has state-of-the-art facilities for plant cultivation in Aarhus and Påskehøjgaard, including tissue culture rooms, climate chambers and greenhouses. In addition to general competencies in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry and structural biology, the group has specialized knowledge in various types of microscopy, applied bioinformatics and genome sequencing.
The section has also built up a population of retrotransposon mutants in Lotus japonicus. The population of more than 130,000 plant lines is available as a resource (Lotus Base) for determining the function of genes using reverse genetics.
The section consists of groups investigating:
Intercelluar infection - Professor Jens Stougaard
Legume genetics and genomics – Associate Professor Stig U. Andersen
Plant-microbe interactions from simple to complex associations – Associate Professor Simona Radutoiu
Structural and biochemical basis for LysM receptor kinase signalling in symbiosis and immunity – Assistant Professor Kasper R. Andersen
Microbiome and bacterial genetics – Assistant Professor Simon Kelly
Nodule organogenesis – Assistant Professor Dugald Reid
Research activities within the section are currently funded by grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the European Research Council, Innovation Fund Denmark, the European Union, and the Independent Research Fund Denmark. In addition, the group participates in a project that is currently supported through a grant to the University of Cambridge by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK government's Department for International Development (DFID).
InRoot: Molecular Mechanisms and Dynamics of Plant-Microbe Interactions at the Root-Soil Interface
Recent research on plants and their naturally associated microorganisms has laid the groundwork to look into new perspectives and concepts for understanding plant function, performance and growth under limited input conditions. These new perspectives will help to reduce the environmental footprint and have the potential to define breeding targets and develop applications through microbial interventions. InRoot links plant and bacterial genetics, protein chemistry, analytical chemistry and plant physiology with bacterial and plant population biodiversity studies and advanced modeling.
The overarching aim of InRoot is to establish knowledge and tools for the evidence-based development of new resilient crops and associated microbial interventions that will improve productivity, reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and alleviate negative environmental impacts accompanying food production. In order to do this InRoot looks at both the plant and bacterial contributions to crop resiliency. InRoot is organized around six research area that combine the expertise available at the PM section to investigate the natural diversity, host controlled rhizosphere and endosphere interactions, root responses, plant physiology and advanced modeling in a tightly interconnected and iterative workflow.
The InRoot provides funding to all PIs at PM section for the period 2019-2025, and is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation as part of Novo Nordisk's wider 'Collaborative Crop Resilience Program' (CCRP).
For more information about this project, see inroot.au.dk or contact Jens Stougaard (stougaard@mbg.au.dk).
RINFEC: The Roots of Infection
RINFEC aims to identify and characterize the plant and bacterial genes responsible for interactions between plant roots and soil bacteria. The hypothesis behind the project is that the intercellular infection mechanism used by symbiotic rhizobia is an evolutionary development of a mechanism(s) that already exists to regulate plant root interaction with endophytic bacteria living within plant roots. By characterizing this unexplored intercellular mode of infection in Lotus japonicus, we hope to uncover both the plant and bacterial genetics involved as well as the biochemical processor that controls these mechanisms.
RINFEC will exploit Lotus' capacity to support either intercellular entry (conserved mode) or legume specific infection thread entry, dependent on the rhizobia encountered. This allows comparative investigations of these two infection modes in simple binary interactions with the same host. Given the exceptional ability of different rhizobia for intercellular endophytic colonization of non-legume roots this provides an unprecedented platform to identify mechanisms by which plants selectively enable a subset of bacteria to infect roots. RINFEC will pioneer novel plant and bacterial genetic methods, cell-layer transcriptomics, phospho-proteomics and advanced biochemistry to break new ground in understanding infection and soil microbe influences on plant performance under environmental stress conditions.
The RINFEC project is funded by an ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council and runs for 5 years, 2019-2024.
For more information about this project, please contact Jens Stougaard (stougaard@mbg.au.dk).
NORFAB: NORthern FABa
NORFAB (NORthern FABa) is a consortium of Northern hemisphere groups with key expertise in Faba beans who aim to develop sophisticated genomics-based plant breeding methods and provide access to germplasm with the relevant genetic diversity. NORFAB aims to improve the yield and quality of faba bean seeds in order to make them a competitive protein crop in northern European and Canadian/US northern prairie conditions. Research on Faba bean genomics and genetics will be developed using new genotyping and phenotyping methodologies and new hybrid approaches combining genomic selection with QTL mapping and gene introgression. The methods for genomics-based breeding will be developed by the university partners and implemented by the industry partners involved in the project. The approach will target multigene control of seed quality, content of protein, fiber and antinutritional factors along with agronomical traits.
The NORFAB project provides funding to Stig U. Andersen and Jens Stougaard through an Innovation Fund Denmark Grand Solutions grant, 2016-2021.
ENSA: Engineering Nitrogen Symbiosis for Africa
The ENSA project involves ten international partners and aims to use naturally occurring biological nitrogen fixation to provide nitrogen to crop plants in small-holder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. The first phase of ENSA focused on the early recognition steps that allow rhizobial perception. Now in the second phase, the project is focusing its efforts on engineering nodule organogenesis in cereals and establishing a framework of understanding to tackle the challenge of engineering bacterial infection. Within the ENSA project, members of Plant Molecular Biology section mainly work on: auxin, cytokinin and cell cycle regulation and organogenesis; LCO perception, signal transduction and rhizobial interactions; and genetics of infection and organogenesis.
The ENSA project provides funding to Simona Radutoiu, Dugald Reid, Kasper R. Andersen, Simon Kelly and Jens Stouggard and is currently supported through a grant to the University of Cambridge by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UK government's Department for International Development (DFID).
For further details see ensa.ac.uk or contact Jens Stougaard (stougaard@mbg.au.dk)
NCHAIN: Forging stronger links in the organic nitrogen chain.
In agriculture, nitrogen (N) is an important macronutrient critical for plant yield. Without access to synthetic N fertilizers, many Danish organic farmers face a severe challenge in providing sufficient amounts of nitrogen for optimal crop yield. The main N contribution often comes from clover/grass swards, which both generate feed for livestock and provide N fertilization and soil improvement for successive crops in a crop rotation scheme. The N chain in this production system has four main links: 1) Symbiotic N2 fixation by rhizobia; 2) Transfer of fixed N to legume hosts (clover); 3) Transfer of fixed N to other plant species (grasses); 4) Transfer of plant N to cattle. Overall, the efficiency depends heavily on interspecies interactions between rhizobium/clover and clover/grass. The state of the art is to assume that rhizobia already present in the soil provide effective nitrogen fixation with all clover varieties: essentially, that genetic variation between rhizobia is insignificant or that optimal rhizobia for all clover varieties are present in all soils. In terms of plant interactions, it is assumed that the performance of clover and grass varieties determined in monoculture reflects their performance as mixed crops. We hypothesize that gains in N fixation and biomass yield can be obtained using genomic prediction of interspecies interactions, and we will test this hypothesis by capturing and analyzing genotype and phenotype data for rhizobium/clover/grass crops.
NCHAIN provides funding to Stig U. Andersen and is funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark, 2015 – 2020.
For more information about this project, please contact Stig U Andersen (sua@mbg.au.dk).
ProFaba: Developing improved Vicia faba breeding practices and varieties to drive domestic protein production in the European Union.
ProFaba aims to boost protein production in Europe by improving faba bean (Vicia faba) as a European protein crop, thereby contributing to a more balanced and protein-self-sufficient agricultural system. The project brings together experts in a variety of fields to tackle the main obstacles to faba bean success as a protein crop. Using a collaborative approach focusing on common resources, ProFaba will build a common reference and data repository for faba genome, genotype, and phenotype data, ensuring easy communication throughout the faba community. These resources will be leveraged by developing common diversity panels and breeding lines, phenotyped for agronomic traits in five European locations. This will allow deciphering the genomic architecture of faba traits, understanding genotype by environment interactions, and direct incorporation of this knowledge into active, predictive breeding programs through the participating breeders from Denmark, Germany, France and Spain.
ProFaba provides funding to Stig U. Andersen and is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No [771134]. 2019 – 2022
Nanobody-driven signal modulation of symbiotic plants LysM receptors
This project provides funding to Kasper R. Andersen and is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark | Nature and Universe. 2019 – 2022.
For more information about this project, please contact Kasper Røjkjær Andersen (kra@mbg.au.dk).
Identifying functional determinants of specificity in receptor kinases signaling
In this project we use a structural approach in combination with phylogenetics of key plant lineages to predict and model candidates for immunity or symbiosis determinants of specificity (DoS) in CERK6 and NFR1 protein kinases. Their predicted function will be tested and outlined biochemically and in vivo in genetically characterized plant backgrounds. This strategy will enable us to decouple immunity and symbiosis at the molecular level and gain a mechanistic understanding of how similar kinases drive opposing pathways in the same cell leading to specific whole plant responses.
This project provides funding to Simona Radutoiu and Kasper R. Andersen and is funded by the Novo Nordisk Fonden, 2019 – 2022.
For more information about this project please contact Simona Radutoiu (radutoiu@mbg.au.dk) or Kasper Røjkjær Andersen (kra@mbg.au.dk)
Carbohydrate signalling during plant root microbiota establishment
Intensive agricultural systems can secure the necessary crop yields for food supply of a growing human population. However, they rely heavily on resources that have negative impacts on ecosystems. Research and exploitation of biologicals emerged as a sustainable alternative, but this approach is currently less efficient and therefore needs to be revisited and suitable alternatives identified. The current study combines genetics, metagenomics and (meta)transcriptomics strategies across two legumes and two cereal crops to determine the role of exopolysaccharide signaling for plant colonization by endophytic members of Burkholderiales and Rhizobiales. This is used as a genetic framework to identify bacterial pathways associated with recognition of bacterial exopolysaccharides. Together this will establish a toolbox for accessing the compatibility of soil microbes and evaluate microbial communities prior to their development as biologicals with beneficial effects on plant hosts.
This project provides funding to Simona Radutoiu and Simon Kelly and is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark | Nature and Universe. 2019 – 2022.
For more information about this project please contact Simona Radutoiu (radutoiu@mbg.au.dk)
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Stougaard, J., Jørgensen, J-E., Christensen, T., Kühle, A. V. D. A. & Marcker, K. A. (1990). Interdependence and specificity of cis acting regulatory elements in the soybean leg hemoglobin lbc3 and N23 gene promoters. Molecular Genetics and Genomics, 220, 353-360.
Sjokvist, E., Lemcke, R., Kamble, M., Turner, F., Blaxter, M., Havis, N. H. D., Lyngkjær, M. F. & Radutoiu, S. (2019). Dissection of ramularia leaf spot disease by integrated analysis of barley and ramularia collo-cygni transcriptome responses. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 32(2), 176-193. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-05-18-0113-R
Shrestha, A., Zhong, S., Therrien, J., Huebert, T., Sato, S., Mun, T., Andersen, S. U., Stougaard, J., Lepage, A., Niebel, A., Ross, L. & Szczyglowski, K. (2021). Lotus japonicus Nuclear Factor YA1, a nodule emergence stage-specific regulator of auxin signalling. New Phytologist, 229(3), 1535-1552. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16950
She, Q., Lauridsen, P., Stougaard, J. & Marcker, K. A. (1993). Minimal enhancer elements of the leghemoglobin lba and lbc3 gene promoters from Glycine max L. have different properties. Plant Molecular Biology, 22(6), 945-956. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028968
She, Q., Sandal, N. N., Stougaard, J. & Marcker, K. A. (1993). Comparative sequence analysis of cis elements present in Glycine max L. leghemoglobin lba and lbc3 genes. Plant Molecular Biology, 22(5), 931-5.
Shah, N., Hirakawa, H., Kusakabe, S., Sandal, N., Stougaard, J., Schierup, M. H., Sato, S. & Andersen, S. U. (2016). High-resolution genetic maps of Lotus japonicus and L. burttii based on re-sequencing of recombinant inbred lines. D N A Research, 23(5), 487-495. https://doi.org/10.1093/dnares/dsw033
Shah, N., Wakabayashi, T., Kawamura, Y., Skovbjerg, C. K., Wang, M-Z., Mustamin, Y., Isomura, Y., Gupta, V., Jin, H., Mun, T., Sandal, N., Azuma, F., Fukai, E., Seren, Ü., Kusakabe, S., Kikuchi, Y., Nitanda, S., Kumaki, T., Hashiguchi, M. ... Andersen, S. U. (2020). Extreme genetic signatures of local adaptation during Lotus japonicus colonization of Japan. Nature Communications, 11(1), [253]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-14213-y
Schneeberger, K., Ossowski, S., Lanz, C., Juul, T., Petersen, A. H., Nielsen, K. L., Jørgensen, J-E., Weigel, D. & Andersen, S. U. (2009). SHOREmap: simultaneous mapping and mutation identification by deep sequencing. Nature Methods, 6(8), 550-1. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth0809-550
Schauser, L., Roussis, A., Stiller, J. & Stougaard, J. (1999). A plant regulator controlling development of symbiotic root nodules. Nature, 402, 191-195.
Schauser, L., Wieloch, W. & Stougaard, J. (2005). Evolution of NIN-like proteins in Arabidopsis, rice and Lotus japonicus. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 60(2), 229-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-004-0144-2
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Many different things, from singers to personal experiences, inspire me. A huge inspiration of mine is the wondrous Paloma Faith.She's taught me to step outside the box and dare to try new things that I hope will help define me as an artist.
The ultimate goal in the near future is to release songs onto iTunes and reach a fan base that can relate to my lyrics. I'd like to create an album that takes people on a journey.


text:
Lindsay Lohan: Really Committed to Sobriety?
We know that Lindsay has really been making an effort to make her sobriety stick, she has a sober living coach living with her, she made lists of "bad influences" to be X'ed out of her life and has acknowledged that she is an addict, which are all positive steps.
But many are questioning Lindsay's commitment to sobriety this week, because she was seen hanging out (more than once) with another known addict, Vikram Chatwal. Chatwal and Lohan were once romantically linked, they would party together like it was 1999 and they were both forced to go to rehab by the courts. Chatwal, who was busted in Miami back in April with a LOAD of drugs – everything from weed to heroine to pills – is supposed to be completing a 12 month in-patient rehab. So we gotta ask? If he is in an in-patient rehab, why is he running around town (dinner, shopping) with Lindsay?
Sources close to Lindsay dont understand why she is even hanging out with him, if she supposedly cut out all of the bad influences in her life…and her friends are afraid she is going to relapse. Lindsay thinks its good for her recovery, to hang out with another recovering addict, but professionals across the board say its a BAD idea! They say it is especially dangerous for addicts who just got out of rehab, to be hanging out with old friends from their "party life".
What do you think? Do you think LiLo is committed to her recovery? Or do you think she is already falling back to her old ways?
Tags: ABC Kitchen, addicts, alcohol, drugs, Lindsay Lohan, nyc, Oprah, partying, shopping, sober living, sobriety, the dream hotel, vikram chatwal
Lindsay Lohan SPOTTED in NYC – No Pants and Bad Company?
Lindsay Lohan was spotted in NYC, heading to dinner in SoHo, with an old friend to whom she was at one time romantically linked. Lindsay dined out with hotelier Vikram Chatwal – owner of The Dream Hotel and who recently checked into rehab himself. A few months ago, Chatwal was arrested at Florida airport for possesion of marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills (yes, he was trying to board a flight with all that!). I dont know if he is the best company LiLo should be keeping, but hey, maybe she can help him. Lindz was also arrested at his hotel (The Dream Hotel) for a hit and run earlier this year (the charges were later dropped). But the real story here, where are Lindsay's pants? She decided to wear a plain, white, long collar shirt with some statement piece jewelry and boots. Although it appears she didnt wear pants to her dinner date, if you look closely, she was wearing black short shorties under the shirt.
What do you think about her outfit? What about her hanging out with Chatwal? Hopefully, he doesnt cause her to relapse….We are rooting for you Lindsay!
Tags: ABC Kitchen, Lilo, Lindsay Lohan, no pants, nyc, post rehab, soho, the dream hotel, vikram chatwal


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