GENIUS! Spend your stimulus twice and save money!
THIS JUST IN FROM WEST AUSTRALIAN GREENS SENATOR, SCOTT LUDLAM.
Please take the time to read this and repost on your own blog!
For those of us who still have jobs and are wondering why the hell we're getting a payment (it is not possible to opt-out), or are wondering how buying a bunch of (probably imported) goods is going to do anything other than a momentry bump to the retail sector, how about using the stimulus package to future-proof your house against rising electrical and water costs (which MUST happen)?
Spend the money when you get it, and then get it back… this is a great opportunity!
Along with the Australian Greens, you may have preferred the Federal Government's recent economic stimulus package to have been spent on infrastructure projects and initiatives that support sustainability and mitigate climate change, rather than cash payments designed to encourage shopping sprees.
The Government has chosen to give people earning under $80,000 a one-off payment of $900*. However you can still choose to use this money to address climate change by increasing your home energy efficiency and minimising water use. Doing this may even save you money in the long run!
Below are just some of the water and energy efficiency products that Western Australian residents can buy for $900 or less, including rebates from the State and Federal governments. There may also some rebates available from your local council. (These have not been included, so ask your local council about what they offer.) Links to information on rebates available in states other than WA are at the end of this document.
* Smaller payments are also being made to people earning under $100,000. Information on eligibility and timing for payments is available on the ATO website.
• Rain water tanks are available for various prices depending on the size, material and design. Many cost less than $900, while combined rebates can add up to $1100.
– $500 for tanks storing more than 4000 litres.
– $600, or 50 per cent of purchase and plumbing costs (whichever is the lesser), for tanks holding 2,000 litres or more and plumbed in for toilet and/or washing machine use.
• Water pumps for use in conjunction with the tanks start at around $300.
• Small grey water systems such as the Home Water Bowser Grey Water Wheelie Bin can cost under $500.
– The Federal Government rebate is $500 for eligible systems.
• Swimming pool covers cost up to $1000, depending on the size.
– The Water Corporation rebate is 50 per cent of the cost, up to $200.
• 4-star or more washing machines cost around $600.
– The Water Corporation provides a $150 rebate.
• Flow restrictors and tap accessories such as aerators are inexpensive.
– The Water Corporation has rebates for regulators rated at three or more stars ($2 per regulator). Each household can have a maximum value of $20 of rebates.
• Rain sensors shut off any watering system when it senses rain and cost between $40 and $400, depending on the sophistication of the system.
– The Water Corporation rebate is $20.
• Hot Water Recirculator System is a pump/thermostat/timer combination that ensures the water from your hot water tap is warm straight away, which means no water is wasted waiting for the shower to warm up. It is also an energy saver as it reduces the amount of water that needs to be heated in a hot water tank. It costs about $350.
• AAA-rated showerheads cost between $100 and $200.
• A Shower timer will switch off the water after a warning and costs between $250 and $450.
• Water-saving washing devices, such as the Autowasher, cost less than $100.
• Dual flush toilets cost around $300.
• Solar hot water systems (HWS) cost around $3500 depending on the size. However, with all the possible rebates it can end up costing well less than $900, and sometimes nothing at all.
– Federal Government rebate: $1600 if replacing electric storage.
– Sale of renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated from solar HWS (typically 26 to 30 RECs in WA): around $1320, depending on market value.
– $700 for bottled LP gas-boosted solar water heaters used in areas without reticulated gas.
• An Electricity Usage Monitor costs around $200. They display the energy being used by cost to encourage householders to be more energy-conscious.
• Compact Fluorescent Lights cost as little as $2, up to $100, depending on the type and size. LED are also available to replace halogen down lights for just a few dollars.
• Insulation costs anywhere between $660 and $1600 for a standard 120m2 ceiling.
– The Federal Government's Energy Efficient Homes Package offers free ceiling insulation worth up to $1,600 to all Australian home owner-occupiers of currently uninsulated homes. (However, this is not available to any home-owners taking advantage of the $1600 solar HWS rebate).
I hope you will find this information useful, consider using some of the tax bonus payment for this purpose and share this information with friends, family and colleagues.
Please let us know what you think and what you use the money for. Email feedback to Rachel.Pemberton@aph.gov.au and we'll compile a record of the outcome.
for Western Australia and spokesperson for sustainable cities.
Following on from the unbridled success that was the 'Drinking Recycled Water' song, Coca Cola recently released its environmental performance report for 2005, including 'water risk assessments' for 811 bottling plants worldwide, along with their host communities.
In 2005, the water use ratio was reduced by 4 percent throughout the Coca-Cola system.
On average, Coca-Cola plants used 2.6 liters of water to make one liter of beverage, as compared to 2.72 liters in 2004 and 2.90 liters in 2003.
Perhaps the rest of us can conserve water by not drinking Coke…. and here we have the acid test of conservationists everywhere.
It's not just that Coke tastes good — even the Zero version… it's the fact that my work's Coke machine has the refrigeration turned up too high, making each can an icy-cold gift from heaven (C.O.D.)– too good to give up!
The Coca-Cola beverage system's largest consumption of energy comes from manufacturing processes, the operation of a fleet of vehicles, and the operation of the vending machines and coolers that keep products cold.
In 2005, the Coca-Cola system reduced its energy use ratio by 5 percent through such innovations as the introduction of more energy-efficient coolers.
In addition, the Company advanced further toward the elimination of hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) as a refrigerant. Currently, some 4,000 coolers are using alternative coolants that have negligible environmental impacts.
To hasten these next-generation refrigerants to market, The Coca-Cola Company has partnered with Unilever and McDonald's to found "Refrigerants Naturally," which in 2005 was recognized by the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development as a Public Private Partnership for Sustainable Development.


For strategy on the Gruul's Lair encounter, see Gruul the Dragonkiller (tactics).
"Gruul" redirects here. For the Warlords of Draenor encounter, see Gruul (alternate universe).
Gruul the Dragonkiller was the gronn overlord of the ogres of Outland, ruling with an iron fist. He earned his "nom de guerre" (and the emnity of Sabellian) after slaughtering many members of the black dragonflight who had come to Outland in order to aid the Horde of Draenor. Gruul was worshiped as a deity by the ogres of the Blade's Edge Mountains, and his powerful sons ravaged both the Blade's Edge Mountains and the plains of Nagrand. Gruul's unparalleled strength and experience in battle would have posed a serious threat if he ever chose to attack the Horde or Alliance forces in Outland. Gruul was also allied with the Illidari, though to what extent is unclear.
Gruul far surpassed any others of his species in strength and cunning, and once lorded over a small number of ogres and gronn in Gorgrond. After the fall of Shattrath City, the Old Horde sought to scour the rest of Draenor's races. The Thunderlord clan reveled in the slaughter of their ancient enemies: the gronn, ogron, magnaron, and ogres. Yet Gruul was one of the few gronn to escape the Horde's onslaught. From his lair in the mountains, he fended off numerous Thunderlord assaults. Casualties grew so great that the clan's chieftain Fenris Wolfbrother backed off.
On Azeroth, the black dragonflight has long been hated and hunted by both mortals and other dragons. This is not so on Draenor. Indeed, dragons are not a species native to Draenor. When the infamous Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, discovered the Dark Portal and Draenor, he felt sure that few of Draenor's denizens would dare challenge the dragons. Thus, it was during the Second War that he traveled to Draenor and hid clutches of his eggs all over the world. Returning to Azeroth, he left behind only a small number of drakes to guard the eggs.
However, Deathwing had made a serious miscalculation by leaving some of his eggs in Gorgrond and Frostfire Ridge. The gronn living in the area were not pleased by this potential challenge to their sovereignty. Tension soon erupted into conflict. Led by the mighty Gruul, the gronn and their ogre servants proved too much for the outnumbered black dragon guardians to handle. Nearly every dragon was torn from the sky by the diabolic incantations of the Bladespire clan and then impaled by Gruul on the stone spires of the mountains. The bones still scattered about Dragons' End serve as a stark reminder of the black dragons' defeat.
Gruul is the father of the seven gronn lords of the ogres, and the most powerful of them. Although he seems to be nothing but a cruel brute, he possesses intelligence. In the events unfolded during the Invasion of Draenor — shortly after Deathwing invaded his home — Gruul was met by the lost heroes of the Second War: Khadgar, Turalyon, and Alleria Windrunner. They were after the Skull of Gul'dan which Deathwing possessed. After that, Gruul and his ogre minions, along with the heroes, challenged Deathwing from his perch in Blade's Edge Mountains — killing his eggs and impaling his lesser black drakes on the mountain spikes. Infuriated by this act, Deathwing landed on top of them and attacked Gruul. Although clearly no match for the mad Aspect's power, Gruul was saved by Khadgar's miraculous spell when he disassembled some of the adamantium plates that were holding Deathwing's unstable body together resulting in Deathwing's retreat. This led to a clear devastation for the black dragonflight in Outland. The results can still be seen as impaled black dragon corpses all over Blade's Edge Mountains. This earned him the title the Dragonkiller.
By this time, Gruul's "small amount" of ogres he ruled during the Horde's rise seems to have expanded, now including clans that were once among the Gorian Empire such as the Bladespire clan. Gruul is the final boss of Gruul's Lair in the Blade's Edge Mountains. He drops Tier 4 Legs tokens. He is the father of seven Gronn: Goc, Gorgrom the Dragon-Eater, Grulloc, Maggoc, Slaag, Skulloc Soulgrinder, and Durn the Hungerer.
This boss is also part of (what used to be) the Serpentshrine Cavern attunement quest [70R] The Cudgel of Kar'desh. This quest requires two signets. One of which, the [Earthen Signet], drops directly from Gruul. The other, the [Blazing Signet], drops from Nightbane in Karazhan. Serpentshrine Cavern no longer requires attunement as of June 20, 2007.
Lady Malande reported Gruul's death to Illidan Stormrage one day before the siege of the Black Temple.
"I! I am Gruul, greatest of gronn! This my land. My mountains. And you will not take them! You go or end up like children!"
Gruul is a "memory" in the fight against Argent Confessor Paletress in the Trial of the Champion encounter of the Crusaders' Coliseum.
Gruul appears as a legendary card in Hearthstone. His flavor text reads: "He's Gruul "the Dragonkiller". He just wanted to cuddle them… he never meant to…"
Although this is a Gronn Skullcracker from the TCG, the art is being used to represent Gruul in Hearthstone.
This page was last edited on 6 March 2019, at 01:02.


OFFICIAL Panasonic S1 / S1R Camera Preview | Can it COMPETE with Nikon, Sony, Canon?
Panasonic just announced the full specs and availability for their first full frame mirrorless cameras, the S1 and S1R. Basically think of them as the Nikon Z6 Z7 and Sony a7 III a7R III.
Olympus E-M1X Hands On Preview | Should Sony, Nikon & Canon Be Worried?
SONY a6400 PREVIEW | 11 FPS, 4K Video, NO IBIS, $900, BUT FLAWED?


text:
Women Born Transsexual
My Pride Story | ep13 | Aviya Eschenazi
Mazel Tov, Trump. You've Revived the Jewish Left.
August 30, 2019 — Suzan
From The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/24/opinion/sunday/trump-jews.html
On Aug. 11, more than 1,000 people marked Tisha B'Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, by occupying an Amazon Books store in Manhattan, protesting the technology behemoth's technical support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sitting on the floor, they read harrowing accounts of people in immigration detention and recited the Kaddish, the traditional Jewish prayer of mourning. One of their signs said, "Never again means never again."
According to organizers, 44 people, including 12 rabbis and a member of New York's City Council, were arrested. It was one of over 50 Jewish-organized demonstrations against ICE held across the country that day.
A few days later, a corrections officer drove a truck into a row of Jewish protesters who were blocking the entrance to a private prison in Rhode Island where migrants are being detained. Two of the protesters were hospitalized. That demonstration was one of at least 38 organized this summer by Never Again Action, a decentralized group formed two months ago to engage in nonviolent direct action against immigrant detention.
Donald Trump might have thought he was going to lure Jewish voters to the Republican Party with his lock-step alliance with the Israeli right. Instead, by attempting to use American Jews as mascots for an administration that fills most of them with horror, he has spurred a renaissance on the Jewish left.
New progressive Jewish groups are forming. Older ones, like New York's Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, one of the forces behind the Amazon action, are growing; once-sleepy organizing meetings have become standing room only. Jewish Currents, a left-wing Jewish publication founded almost 75 years ago, was reborn last year with a new cadre of writers and editors who speak to the millennial socialist zeitgeist.
Obviously, American Jews have long leaned liberal, and have always been overrepresented in progressive movements. But there's a difference between leftists who happen to be Jewish and explicitly Jewish left-wing activism. "People who may not have been that close to Jewishness, they feel suddenly like it's very important to express who they are as Jews in the context of their activism and in the context of their collective memory," said Arielle Angel, the editor of Jewish Currents.
Alyssa Rubin, a 25-year-old organizer with Never Again Action, told me that in college, she had little interest in Jewish communal life, much of which seemed to revolve around support for Israel. But in the months leading up to the 2016 election, as Trump spouted rhetoric that smacked of fascism and white nationalists grew giddy at their new relevance, "I had never thought about my Judaism more," she said. For the first time, anti-Semitism seemed an immediate, urgent threat.
For Jews on the left, fear has been magnified by insult as Trump, the man who helped unleash a new wave of anti-Semitism, posed as the Jews' savior because of his devotion to the Israeli right.
Continue reading at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/24/opinion/sunday/trump-jews.html
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Actor After Scene: Mom tells transgender woman not to use women's bathroom | WWYD
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Donald Trump and the 'Disloyal' Jews
From The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/opinion/trump-jews.html
A president loyal only to himself uses my community as a political weapon.
By Bari Weiss
The major debate tearing apart the American Jewish community on this particular Wednesday is whether or not the 45th president of the United States just accused them — us — of disloyalty to Israel and the Jewish people or of disloyalty to the Republican Party and the man who has remade it in his image.
"Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they are defending these two people over the state of Israel?" President Trump said on Tuesday, referring to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, Democratic congresswomen who support the boycott movement against Israel. "And I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty."
As my people say: Nu?
What do you hear in the president's statement, which, like many things he blurts out, manages to be both opaque and outrageous at once? If you're pro-Trump or Trump-curious, you'll generously hear an assertion that Jews should be loyal to Israel. If you're anything like me, you can't help but hear echoes of the sinister charge of dual loyalty.
I've been around enough tables with pro-Trump Jews to strongly suspect that this is a riff on a theme Mr. Trump himself has overheard at many dinners with Ivanka and Jared, the favorite daughter and dauphin: dismay that even those Jews who have appreciated the president's Israel policies — moving the Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, cracking down on Iran — will never pull the lever for him.
It's easy to imagine what they say: Look how much you've done. More than any other president. They should be grateful. Why can't they see that? Why can't they see that the Democratic Party has abandoned them? Meantime, you're more pro-Israel than most American Jews! Indeed, on Wednesday afternoon at the White House, Mr. Trump clarified as much: "If you want to vote Democrat, you are being very disloyal to Jewish people and very disloyal to Israel."
Brace yourself for further presidential Twitter rants on the matter because I do not believe that Mr. Trump is capable of higher-order thoughts about loyalty — loyalty to the office in which he sits, loyalty to the Republic, and, above all, loyalty to the idea of keeping America united. Fealty to him is the only litmus test.
Indeed, if we have learned anything about the former host of "The Apprentice," it is that he looks at the world in the exact way he looked at those contestants. You're a winner or you're a loser. You're for him or you're a turncoat. In his small mind, if you're on Team Jew, you vote for his party because Republicans are pro-Israel and, therefore, pro-Jew. If you're on Team Anti-Semite, well, then you vote for the other guys.
All of which is why I have zero doubt that if the prime minister of Israel criticized Mr. Trump on the wrong day or in the wrong way, the president would dump Israel at that very moment. And it is why anyone with a shred of knowledge about Jewish history should be extremely concerned.
If 2,000 years of diasporic living has taught the Jews anything, it's that an existence that is contingent upon the kindness of strangers is never too safe or too long lasting. A president with authoritarian tendencies who cares about nothing more than lock-step loyalty is not one American Jews, let alone anyone, can rely on.
Continue reading at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/opinion/trump-jews.html
The Forward: Trump Doubles Down: Jewish Democrats Are 'Very Disloyal To Israel'
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'I refuse to regret waking up a day older': Ashton Applewhite's fight for age pride
From The Guardian UK: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jun/17/ageism-activist-ashton-applewhite-bias-older-people
The activist on her manifesto to empower older people, how to challenge age prejudice – and why she dyes her hair grey
Amelia Hill
Mon 17 Jun 2019
When Ashton Applewhite hit 55 years old, she dyed her hair. So what? That's what women the world over do, you might think: dye grey hair to hide their age. But what Applewhite did was different: she dyed her hair grey. Not Kim Kardashian-platinum grey, but defiantly uncool, bog-standard grey.
"I went to a matinee, so it was all old people," she says, grinning widely as she absentmindedly tousles her hair, the brown roots showing. "When it finished, everyone left via an escalator. I looked down and there was not a grey head to be spotted. I suddenly thought: 'This is one way we collude, en masse, in making ourselves invisible as older women – and that's a real problem, because when people are invisible, so are the issues that affect them'."
When Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, gave a TED talk titled Let's End Ageism in 2017, it was an unexpected hit, with 1.5m views to date. In the video, the audience gives Applewhite repeated standing ovations as she talks about how it is not the passage of time that makes it so hard to get older, it's ageism: a totally illogical prejudice that pits us against our future selves. "Ageing is not a problem to be fixed or a disease to be cured," she exhorts from the TED stage, to shouts of support. "It is a natural, powerful, lifelong process that unites us all."
But back to the matinee: "I stood at the top of that escalator," Applewhite, now 66, says, "and I thought, wouldn't it be amazing to have the year of letting our hair go grey, so the world can see how many of us there are and how beautiful we are and how diverse we are?"
Applewhite, who is based in New York, inherited her mother's no-grey-hair gene. But she decided that if she was going to talk the talk, she needed to walk the walk: "The big, if shallow, surprise is how much I liked having grey hair, because I didn't expect to," she says. "But other people's reactions varied. My manager at work said: 'You don't look older'; my friend Mer said: 'You look older'; and her husband Josh said: 'You look hot!'"
"But what was most interesting was a contributor to my blog, who said: 'Fine for some, but my hair doesn't look good grey.' OK, no judgment, but I wonder how much of her opinion is coloured by what the grey signifies to her – because that's what we need to work on, in ourselves and in the culture: decoupling 'older' from 'undesirable' and 'old' from 'ugly'."
This is the elevator pitch for Applewhite's exuberant, thoughtful and surprisingly entertaining book. "My call to action skews towards the first and foundational step of confronting internalised ageism," she says. "But that is only the first step. It is clear that upending discrimination on the basis of age will require fundamental changes in the way society is structured."
Continue reading at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jun/17/ageism-activist-ashton-applewhite-bias-older-people
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Even People Who Like Some of Trump's Policies on Israel Should Condemn His Dangerous 'Disloyalty' Comment
From Time Magazine: https://time.com/5657576/trump-jews-great-disloyalty/
By Rabbi David Wolpe
It is the mark of a well-managed mind that one can hold principles that are not dependent on the people who espouse them. So it is possible to believe, simultaneously, in the following:
The move of the American embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem was both necessary and overdue.
Some of the statements of Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar and some of the organizations and individuals who support them are anti-Semitic.
The President's statement that Jews who vote Democratic are either ignorant or disloyal is both foolish and dangerous.
In the past few weeks, partisan anger has risen over the issue of Israel's denial of admission to Reps. Omar and Tlaib, and subsequent invitation to Tlaib for only a humanitarian visit that she then refused. The Jewish community, which has seen both rhetorical attacks from the far left and a spate of violent attacks from the far right, is increasingly subject to angry divisions. Today, a day after Trump said that Jews who vote for Democrats show "either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," the President tweeted a quote from a conservative talk show host comparing him to "the king of Israel."
Along with many commentators over this month (and indeed over the past few years), I have discovered that it is impossible for many to hear any sort of nuance in conversations about the issues. My Facebook page has changed from a discussion to a boxing match. But we have to be able to hold principle above personalities. When President Obama linked the establishment of the state of Israel to the Holocaust, I condemned the statement. When President Trump said that good people marched with Nazis, I condemned the statement. That is what adults do. We do not assume our sports team never fumbles, our children never err or our favored politicians never do wrong. Is there no adulthood left in America?
The accusation of disloyalty has a long history in the Jewish experience. Those who have hated Jews, from the biblical stories of Egypt onwards, have catalyzed their nefarious plans by declaring the disloyalty of Jews to whatever country they inhabit. In Germany, despite having fought for the country in World War I, Jews were suddenly treated like a cabal of traitorous outsiders. That trope is one of the most reliable ways to mobilize anti-Jewish sentiment. In this paranoid, delusional world, Jews are not native — they are interlopers and disloyal ones at that.
Defenders of the President will note, correctly, that he has Jews in his own family and among his many associates. They will note, again correctly, his popularity in Israel and his close relationship with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. What they will not dwell on is the fact that there is also a disturbing double messaging from this administration that has been the delight of alt-right sites and pundits — and that the danger of accusing Jews of disloyalty (since over 70% of Jews vote Democratic, wisely or not) cannot be remedied by other aspects of his Presidency that Jews find congenial or praiseworthy.
A problem that arises with always supporting "your guy" is the same that arises with always defending your kid. The motivation to change never comes from the opposition, it always comes from those who support you. So if Omar and Tlaib's voters would stand up and say, "You cannot speak that way about Israel or Jews," it would matter. If pro-Trump voters would say, "This is unacceptable," it would matter. Shouting over the fence does nothing but make each side wish to build it higher.
The President should have the maturity and graciousness to admit he ought never have suggested that Jews are disloyal to their country or their tradition. That is not a judgment for a President and it carries some terrifying implications. Progressives in the Democratic Party should raise alarm bells at the increasing anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric that threatens to undo generations of bipartisan building.
The rest of us should ask a simple question: if someone I disliked said the same thing that was just said by someone I like, what would be my reaction? Believe in more than "your team." Believe in your principles.
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For trans people, birth certificate battle is a fight against discrimination
From The Guardian UK: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/26/for-trans-people-the-birth-certificate-battle-is-a-fight-against-discrimination
After years of resistance, Kansas will finally change its anti-transgender birth certificate policy – and it will be life-altering for many trans people
by Chris McGreal
Luc Bensimon's mother knew early in her child's life that he would struggle. For a start, he was black in America. Then he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy on his right side, necessitating years of operations and physical therapy.
But there was something else that Bensimon's mother only came to recognise years later: she assigned her son as female on his birth certificate because that is what his physical appearance told her.
Bensimon, who is now 47, says he was "born with three strikes. Being African American. Being physically challenged. And being assigned female. My mother told me those are three things that you're going to battle your whole life."
His mother was right. But for all the racism and physical struggle he endured, it is the fight to be recognised for who he is that has been the most demanding.
"I had a very strict religious upbringing. My uncle was a Baptist minister. My mom and my dad and I went to a Pentecostal church. My mom would dress me up for Easter in those ugly little dresses and I would just be angry," he said.
Then there was puberty.
"I had to go get the training bra. I was just not OK with it. I guess my mom thought I was just rebelling and that was a teenage thing. So I told her in so many words that I'm pretending to be something I'm not comfortable being. My mom was, 'I'm not OK with this'," he said.
Much has changed. Bensimon began to transition in his 30s. A diminutive man with a neatly trimmed beard proudly wearing a sash proclaiming him "Mr Black Trans Kansas 2019", he now has a name reflecting his gender. He describes his mother as very supportive in recent years.
But to this day, his Kansas birth certificate says that he is female.
For Bensimon, having the state effectively deciding who and what he is was an intolerable position. When he goes for a job, he's required to prove he is a US citizen. The birth certificate he has to give to HR outs him in what is all too often a hostile world.
"You've got the dead name [the name before transition] and then the gender. You might have been living for God knows how many years as the gender you were meant to be. But you turn in that birth certificate and they're just like, 'Who is this?'," said Bensimon.
That is finally about to change in Kansas. Earlier this month, Governor Laura Kelly said it was time for the state "to move past its outdated and discriminatory anti-transgender policy". After years of resistance to change by Republican governors, the Democrat elected to the state's top office last year withdrew opposition to a lawsuit by Bensimon and others seeking the right to say what is on their birth certificates.
"People say I'm just trying to erase the past. No, I'm not. But I can't play a role I'm not meant to play. I'm a bad actor," said Bensimon. "It's important. Maybe not for some people but it is for me."
Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, a lawyer at Lambda Legal who has fought an array of cases on behalf of LGBT people, said Kelly's decision leaves only Ohio and Tennessee as the outliers in refusing to allow transgender people to amend the record of their birth (Gonzalez-Pagan has filed lawsuits against both remaining states).
Continue reading at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/26/for-trans-people-the-birth-certificate-battle-is-a-fight-against-discrimination
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Before Stonewall, decades of West Coast queer activism helped build a movement
From The San Francisco Chronicle: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/before-stonewall-decades-of-queer-west-coast-activism-helped-build-a-movement
Ryan Kost
This is how we tell the story: On a warm summer night, 50 years ago, almost to the day, a Greenwich Village bar rowdy with hustlers and queens and queer people of all sorts got rowdier still when police came to raid the place. A crowd gathered outside. There were 100 people, and then 200, and then 500 or 600, each new person adding to the tension. A woman in handcuffs shouted at them all. Why don't you guys do something? And so they did. Bricks went flying, or maybe it was shot glasses, and riots raged at the Stonewall Inn for two nights.
This, we say, is how the modern gay-rights movement began. And now this year, we celebrate the riot's 50th anniversary as we celebrate Pride.
But that's not really how history works, all nice and neat with clear-cut beginnings and endings. Stonewall was not the first riot like it, and neither were the organizations that grew from it the first of their kind. Stonewall was more like "the crest of the wave, rather than the beginning of a wave," as historian Susan Stryker put it. The movement had been gathering itself up for decades before that.
A couple of weeks ago, queer historians made their way to San Francisco for a queer history conference. Historian Marc Stein spoke at the event. He's written much about Stonewall, and for this occasion, he hoped to tie that event to California, in part, by contextualizing what came before it. The Berkeley Barb, an underground newspaper, wrote about Stonewall not long after it happened, he said. They congratulated New York City on "joining the revolution."
"You know every year at Pride, we hear the narrative that everything began with Stonewall," Stein said later over the phone. So it's been an annual ritual for historians, at least as far back as the '70s, he said, to push back on that. To talk about a movement that began in the '50s, and one that could also trace its roots to Europe decades before that.
"Social movements are complicated, right?" he said. "And understanding the longer history of LGBT resistance and activism, I think helps us appreciate that the struggle is a long one, and it's one that takes many shapes and forms over a long period of time."
Before Stonewall, there were protests at the Black Cat Tavern on Sunset Boulevard ('67); and before them a riot at Compton's Cafeteria, an all-night diner in San Francisco's Tenderloin ('66), and before that a protest outside a restaurant called Dewey's in Philadelphia ('65); and before that a riot at Cooper Do-nuts in downtown Los Angeles ('59).
Each of these is a piece of a "bigger more complicated story. We can't sew things up neatly," says Stryker, the historian who is credited with rediscovering the Compton's Cafeteria Riot. "I'm also weary of 'Stonewall wasn't the first, it was actually Compton's. Oh no, it wasn't Compton's it was Dewey's. Oh no it was Cooper Do-Nut, oh it wasn't Cooper Do-Nut, it was this thing we never heard of.'
"So firsts are not significant for me. For me what we're seeing in the post-World War II years is this really different way relating identity to bodies politic to rights and citizenship, there's new ways of thinking about the kind of person you can be."
Much of that thinking began in San Francisco.
Continue reading at: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/before-stonewall-decades-of-queer-west-coast-activism-helped-build-a-movement
Posted in Uncategorized. Comments Off on Before Stonewall, decades of West Coast queer activism helped build a movement
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text:
Outlaw Audio Model 950 User Review
There have been several updates to this review. I've provided the following outline of when additions to the review were made.
April 8, 2003: DTS-ES LFE fix
January 17, 2003: Blue Dot Model 950 experience
December 25, 2002: Hiss fix report ("blue dot")
the last word on the hiss reported by a small number (approximately 2%) of 950 owners -- as of December 17, 2002, all units were shipping with the final hiss fix included
September 30, 2003: Notes on bass management operation added
August 29, 2002: "Red Dot" hiss fix
August 20, 2002: Second Update
some notes on how I set the 950 up with a subwoofer (my SVS 25-31PCi) and on some user-friendly tricks I discovered for the 950's included remote
May 24, 2002: First Update
OK, I know we've all been waiting for 950's to start shipping for a while now. Now that Outlaw has begun shipping production units out to consumers, there's a lot of interest in hearing from those consumers. Was the 950 worth the wait?
You wanted reviews? You asked for it...
First, some background: as with many 950 buyers, this is my first pre/pro. I have advanced through an inexpensive shelf system (late 80's Panasonic) to an inexpensive stereo receiver (early 90's Pioneer) to a Yamaha Pro-Logic receiver (RX-V690, early '97) to the Outlaw 1050 Dolby Digital/DTS receiver in October 2000. Each change provided a noticeable improvement. Separates was a "logical" progression, and I bought an Outlaw 750 amp and used Parasound HCA-800 two-channel amp last year. Even while relying on the 1050 as a pre/pro, I found the amps to be a worthwhile upgrade. Originally I had not planned on replacing the 1050 as pre/pro, but the information that appeared last November on the 950's final feature list intrigued me greatly. I got on the reservation list in the first minute or two after it opened in December, and have been eagerly awaiting the 950 ever since. For those interested, there's an equipment list at the bottom of this page.
As eager as I was to get my hands on a 950, I have grown steadily more and more concerned that it might suffer from the often insane amount of hype generated by forum discussions of the unit. The reviews of the beta testers made me feel better, and worse. Better because the reports indicated that this was the real thing. Not perfect (it would be almost impossible to cram every possible feature into one box at any price, and Outlaw did have to leave some stuff out), but an excellent value with clean sound. Worse because their largely positive feedback served to in some ways fuel the hype. I worried that it would arrive and all the hype would be too much for the 950 to live up to. Look at Phantom Menace (which is playing as I type this) -- it's a decent movie that struggles to set up the story for five movies to follow, but it was so massively hyped that many people felt (and still feel) disappointed in it. The Internet hype machine is powerful, and it can be dangerous. Does this all sound like I'm setting up a way to find fault in the 950? If so, do I have a surprise for you.
THE ARRIVAL:
The DHL man arrived before I had really gotten myself going Saturday morning. Needless to say, I woke up in a hurry. I proceeded to yank out the Model 1050, moved a shelf in the entertainment center, moved my Parasound into the equipment rack for the first time, and slid in the 950. Then (finally) I hooked everything up. By this point, the DHL truck had been gone for at least an hour and a half, maybe longer. For all of you out there with cables that have locking RCA's (Outlaw's PCA, TMC's Yellow Label and White Label, etc.), the 950 jack layout is going to please you: the spacing between inputs leaves room for the big locking connectors to coexist pretty happily (the left and right channels for a given input will rub a little, but it's not really a hindrance and on my 1050 the spacing between inputs was so close that they were tight together in both directions). I plugged the 950's power cord in, fired everything up (after briefly forgetting that I'd turned the main power off on the back during the hook-up), sorted out which wires were from the VCR, and started spinning CD's...
The Model 950 in place in the equipment rack.
I started out listening to CD's; the default mode was "7 Stereo" (which soon became "6 Stereo" after I told the 950 that it only had one surround back speaker -- there is definitely some attention to detail in the design of the 950). I've never liked DSP modes very much, but was pleasantly surprised by the natural sound of the 7/5 stereo mode. In an effort to get a feel for how the 950 sounded, I tossed in Episode I and started surfing through various scenes. After watching a few scenes and realizing that I was not paying attention to "how the 950 sounds" because I was enjoying the sound and video so much, I decided that I had a winner on my hands.
AUDIO/VIDEO:
This is first and foremost a home theater processor. So what about those of us (most of us to one degree or another) who like music, too? The beta testers were unanimously complementary of the 950's sound, particularly the pure stereo and multi-channel (DVD-Audio or SACD) performance. For me, it's been an act of sheer willpower to try sources other than the CD player this weekend -- it is thoroughly transparent to the music, moreso than any system I've spent any time with (except perhaps an audiophile two-channel system I've had a couple opportunities to listen to, which uses Classe pre-amp and amps, KEF Reference mains, and some very nice sources). The stereo bypass mode sounded great, but it didn't take long to find that I preferred the sound of the 950's DAC's to the sound of the DAC's in my Yamaha CDC-775. The best description I can have for the 950's audio is neutral: there seems to be nothing added to or taken away from the original music. I noticed an improvement in sound from the moment I hit "play." As someone who started out in this stuff for the music rather than video, the 950 has met and exceeded my expectations for music listening. I'll be re-visiting a lot of my CD's in the coming weeks, and will add any thoughts I have on music playback here, but so far I've sampled Jewel's This Way, Five for Fighting's American Town disc, Lord of the Rings soundtrack, the new special edition of Toy Matinee, and Indigo Girls' Rites of Passage (basically whatever was in the changer Saturday morning).
I'm using the triple crossover somewhat differently than most, since I don't have a subwoofer (and won't until later this year). My Studio 60's (set to large, with the Studio CC's and ADP's set to small) are currently tasked with the brunt of the bass in my system. While they have performed quite admirably in that role in the past, they took on a slightly more natural and clean bass presence with the 950. At the same time, the highs remain very well balanced -- I had sometimes felt that the system was a little weak in the highs while using the 1050 as a pre/pro, but that sense is completely gone now. Once I add a sub this summer (hopefully), I'll of course be revisiting this, but I think the 950 currently has a nice enough balance that I can continue to live without a sub for a while longer comfortably.
S-Video switching is very good. I had been very pleased with the video switching on the 1050, but I think the 950 is cleaner -- I can find no difference between switching through the 950 and going directly to the TV. I haven't tried the composite / S-Video conversion or the component video switching, as I have everything hooked up via S-Video. It's worth noting that some of the first batch of users did have problems with the S-Video switching and Outlaw reportedly has identified and resolved the problem, but I can not confirm the existence of such a bug; if it exists, someone forgot to tell my 950 and Mitsubishi TV because they have worked together flawlessly with everything I've tried on them.
DIGITAL PROCESSING:
As I said above, the Model 950's main purpose for existence is as a home theater processor. As such, it is equipped with a wide range of processing modes. These include: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, DTS-ES, Dolby Pro Logic II (both Cinema and Music, as well as the original Pro Logic if you are nostalgic), DTS NEO:6 (both Cinema and Music), Cirrus Extra Surround (to provide surround back decoding for modes that lack that), and both 7 channel and 5 channel stereo modes. That's a lot of options. Personal taste will dictate which modes different people prefer for different roles (some people will probably leave the CD input locked on 7 Stereo, while others may prefer Pro Logic II Music or good old Stereo). I can't say what you will like, but in lieu of that I will offer a few of my thoughts on the different modes.
A couple of the early 950 owners reported some odd drop-outs with Dolby Digital and DTS playback. I was able to witness this behavior only a handful of times (I think perhaps four times in a week, maybe five). A week after the first reports of this drop-out made their way back to the Outlaws, Steven Simon (a moderator in the receivers/separates/amps forum at Home Theater Forum and one of the people who received one of the first of the Model 950's) reported on Sunday, April 14 that Outlaw had identified the problem and shipped him a fixed unit that run for six hours without a drop-out. From what I understand from Outlaw, there were several other units used during the search for this bug that were similarly fixed and also heavily tested -- all proved "rock solid" after the fix was applied. That is the last major hurdle between the Model 950's and the home theater enthusiasts eagerly (and even sometimes impatiently) awaiting their arrival. With that said, on to a summary of the different processing modes included in the Model 950.
Dolby Digital 5.1 / Dolby Digital EX [DOLBY D / DOLBY EX]: Most people using a Model 950 will have had some experience with a Dolby Digital receiver, pre/pro, or processor of some sort. There's not a lot to say here. The presence of the official Dolby EX decoding is a nice bonus, especially as more and more DVD's begin to use it. See the next entry for what may prove to be the better way to get "Dolby EX" sound from standard Dolby 5.1 soundtracks.
Dolby Digital 5.1 with Cirrus Extra Surround Cinema/Music [DD CR-C / DD CR-M]: We've got Dolby EX already, why do we need this proprietary decoding for the surround back speaker(s)? Because for many 5.1-mixed tracks, Dolby EX has a reputation for letting information from the surrounds "collapse" to the surround back. CES reportedly works hard to prevent that narrowing of the surrounds, and from my listening it seems to handle 5.1 mixes very well. Personally, this is what I tend to use when listening to Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.
DTS [DTS]: Good old DTS. Like Dolby Digital 5.1 above, it's a standard that belongs in a new processor, and it is ready and waiting to do its job.
DTS-ES [DTS-ES]: If you toss one of the handful of DTS-ES discs (such as Gladiator) in your DVD player and select the DTS-ES track, the Model 950 will politely inform you that the digital input is a DTS-ES signal formatted to "DSCRT 6.1" rather than the "3/2.1" that is standard for 5.1-mixed DD and DTS audio tracks. You can also switch to DTS-ES when playing regular DTS material, if you don't want the surround back speaker(s) feeling left out. I haven't tested this a lot yet to see if there are problems with the data collapsing to the surround back when DTS-ES is used on standard DTS signals, but from what I've heard so far I'm leaning toward the next option for standard DTS tracks.
DTS with Cirrus Extra Surround Cinema/Music [DTS+CR-C / DTS+CR-M]: Sure enough, CES even works on DTS tracks, and it works very well. While DTS-ES is capable of extracting a surround back channel from regular DTS discs, my limited listening tests tend to make me lean toward DTS with CES Cinema over DTS-ES for regular DTS 5.1 tracks.
Dolby Pro Logic [DOLBY PL]: Why is Pro Logic still around? Beats me, but there it is. I actually didn't take the time to listen to it, just skipped on past to other things (actually, I think it's the last option in the menu, so you don't have to skip past it to get to the stuff you're probably interested in -- a nice touch, since most people will ignore it and rely on Pro Logic II).
Dolby Pro Logic II Cinema/Music [PLII-C / PLII-M]: There is a lot of talk these days about Pro Logic II. It offers a way to get something similar to Dolby Digital's 5.1 format when restricted to sources like VCR's, CD's, and television. My first impressions of Pro Logic II Cinema using broadcast TV were positive with a clean and un-synthesized sound (unlike many DSP modes found on receivers) and a very nice front soundstage. While Pro Logic II can not transform a stereo input into Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, it is certainly an improvement over the original Pro Logic. Surround use is sparse on a fair bit of mundane TV watching in PLII Cinema, which I would expect -- how much can you expect from the evening news or an old mono-mixed TV show? My initial listening tests with Pro Logic II Cinema were for regular TV watching, and the results were pretty good. Would I upgrade my processor just for Pro Logic II for TV viewing? Probably not, although I would probably change my mind if I used satellite or some other higher-end source (while we have digital cable, most of what we watch is in the station range that is really not any different from regular "analog" cable). It wasn't until I tossed in an X-Files DVD (Season Three, the episode "D.P.O.") that I was truly sold on Pro Logic II Cinema. This is a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, not very exciting, but the opening sequence takes place in a video arcade. The background noises in the arcade and in the parking lot found their way into the surrounds very well while the dialogue stayed well anchored. As for Pro Logic II Music, I was almost immediately sold on the benefits of PLII Music. I plan to listen to it a lot more, but for now I will say that I was very pleased with the active surrounds and the "intelligent" (for lack of a better word) choices in what to split out to the different speakers. The adjustments available to PLII Music are definitely worth investigating, as they do make a difference. I preferred having panorama on, dimension set to "step 0," and c width set to "step 3," but I'll probably experiment some more with those. I don't think that I will be leaving PLII Music as my default mode for the CD player since I still like pure stereo for most listening, but I will use it from time to time.
Dolby Pro Logic II Cinema/Music with Cirrus Extra Surround [PLIIC CR / PLIIM CR]: Pro Logic II is a 5.1 scheme only, so the surround back speaker(s) will be left out. CES steps in here to help with that, and from the listening I've done I see no reason for anyone with a 6.1 or 7.1 speaker setup to use PLII without using the CES option as well.
DTS NEO:6 Cinema/Music [NEO:6 C / NEO:6 M]: Unlike Pro Logic II, NEO:6 only works on two-channel PCM data (analog audio input, or digital audio from a source like a CD player) -- it will not work with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio sources like some satellite, digital cable, and two-channel DVD's. The Cinema mode seemed like more of the same after listening to PLII. NEO:6 has not been as heavily publicized or widely praised as Pro Logic II, and in fact has in one or two cases been reviewed and considered pretty disappointing. My personal experience with NEO:6 Music and CD's was not overwhelming. Switching between NEO:6 and Pro Logic II for music, I tended to prefer Pro Logic II -- it seemed less "forced" and more like a refinement to stereo rather than a manipulation of stereo. For television watching, NEO:6 has fared a little better. In the end though, I find myself concurring with many of the online opinions: NEO:6 does produce 6.1 surround from a two-channel source, but it doesn't do it as well as the alternatives.
5 Channel Stereo / 7 Channel Stereo [5 STEREO / 7 STEREO]: For those of you with 6.1 speaker setups (like myself), you may be interested to learn that the Model 950 will refer to the "7 Stereo" mode as "6 Stereo" after you set the surround back speakers to a single speaker (connected to the left surround back channel). As for how 5/7 Stereo sounds, it is not as "intelligent" as Pro Logic II or NEO:6 music modes. Rather than try to retain the vocals in the front soundstage, 5/7 Stereo spreads everything all the way around the room. It'd be great for playing background music for parties or while puttering around the house, but for just sitting down and listening, most people will probably prefer PLII or NEO:6 (or just plain stereo). I say "most" because there are probably people who will actually like the sound of 5/7 Stereo for watching broadcast TV or for other two-channel sources. In fact, the first time I switched from Pro Logic II to "6 Stereo" while watching TV with my wife, she said that she preferred the "6 Stereo." I doubt that everyone will prefer it over PLII since it is not intended for this sort of material and it tends to scatter the dialog through all of the channels, which sounds extremely odd (especially if you are just walking through the room, not trying to watch the TV).
Stereo Bypass [BYPASS]: Any of the analog stereo inputs (four audio-only, five audio/video) can be set to "analog bypass" so that the analog input is sent directly from the input jacks to the volume control and on to the pre-amp outputs. This prevents analog-to-digital conversion, digital processing (Pro Logic II, for example), and digital-to-analog conversion, and is intended for anyone with a source that has a high-quality D/A converter. This would be ideal for someone wanting to merge a home theater system and a two-channel system (audiophile CD transport/DAC or a turntable and phono pre-amp perhaps) or for connecting a two-channel SACD player. I've tested it, but currently none of my sources have DAC's that are good enough to make this worthwhile -- I've got my CD player connected via optical digital cable only at the moment, and we are using the digital processing with the digital cable box.
Direct 5.1 Input [DIRECT BYPASS]: As with all pre/pros and receivers (except for the Denon 5803 / DVD-9000 combo for DVD-Audio), the Model 950 can not decode DVD-Audio or SACD. As most readers are aware, this is because there is not an industry standard digital input or RIAA-approved encryption scheme available to use. The standard solution is to have a six channel analog input, which is the "DIRECT" input on the Model 950. In an unusual twist, the 950 includes an analog 80Hz crossover for limited bass management, since so many DVD-Audio players lack proper bass management. I mention it here only to be thorough -- since I don't have a DVD-Audio player or an SACD player, I haven't tested this.
The bass management on the Model 950 (as with many other new pre/pros and receivers) can get sort of complicated at times. With the Model 950, in particular, the behavior of the bass management in the "Stereo Bypass" and "Direct 5.1" modes has been a source of much debate and confusion. To help clarify matters, I recently pulled together a summary in a thread at the Outlaw Saloon. For the sake of convenience, I'm adding it to my review as well.
There are basically three scenarios to keep in mind when trying to understand the Model 950's bass management. The most hotly-debated scenarios are the "Direct 5.1" and "Stereo Bypass" modes. For both of these modes, there has been concern by some people online that the 950 may be "doubling" the bass sent to the subwoofer. Outlaw maintains that in real-world operation and use, this "double bass" is not a problem. The "Direct 5.1" and "Stereo Bypass" modes are both capable of being configured to produce this "double bass" scenario. Personally, I have not been bothered by the issue, but that is largely because my gear is well-suited to using modes that avoid this condition entirely (I use the analog bass management on the 6-channel input and do not make use of the stereo bypass mode at all). There is also the most heavily-used scenario, which is be bass management used for everything else -- the full digital bass management (used for all digital inputs and any analog inputs that are not switched to "Stereo Bypass"). The "double bass" condition is not applicable to this bass management scenario at al. Below is an outline of the behavior for each case.
6-channel analog input
bass management off: full-range speakers receive full-range signal, subwoofer receives LFE signal plus information below 80Hz from the other five full-range speakers ("double bass" condition); subwoofer also has a filter that discards material above 120Hz on the LFE input signal (material that subs typically can't reproduce well)
bass management on: full-range speakers receive all information above 80Hz, subwoofer receives LFE signal plus information below 80Hz from other five full-range speakers; subwoofer also has a filter that discards material above 120Hz on the LFE input signal (material that subs typically can't reproduce well)
Stereo Bypass Mode
Mains set to LARGE: Left and right channels receive full-range signal with no processing, subwoofer is off
Mains set to SMALL: Left and right channels receive full-range signal with no processing, subwoofer receives information below specified crossover from left and right channels ("double bass" condition)
Digital bass management
Applies to all digital inputs and all stereo analog signals that do not use the "stereo bypass" mode
Any speakers set to large will receive full-range signal with no data sent to the subwoofer (crossover setting is ignored)
Any speakers set to small will receive all information above the specified crossover and nothing below the crossover; data below the crossover is sent to the subwoofer
subwoofer will receive the LFE channel of multi-channel soundtracks as well as any re-directed bass from small speakers
If there is not a subwoofer (sub turned off in the menu) and the mains are set to "LARGE," then information redirected from small speakers will be sent to the mains and the LFE channel of 5.1 soundtracks will also be sent to the mains
Please note that in the examples above, I treat the crossovers as "absolutes" -- in reality, the filters used in crossovers are not that clear-cut. The real-world behavior and design of crossovers will involve certain slopes determining their specific operation. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, I have simply treated the crossovers here in absolute terms.
Remember all the fuss during the beta test about the radio section? The Outlaws asked the beta testers not to worry with it because they'd already decided to replace it. The replacement is pretty slick for a basic on-board tuner section. The 950 comes with a fancier FM antenna than I've seen with any of my receivers, which was a nice touch. Reception is excellent -- the 950 pulled in stations that the 1050 and my Yamaha RX-V690 before it always struggled with. The sound is well-matched to the rest of the 950's sound, very clean. I'm not much of a radio listener, but I may listen more now. I guess that is a pretty good complement for the radio section.
The OSD's are well laid-out, and for those of you with component video who won't be able to see the OSD the good news is that the front display is sufficient to do everything. I do want to make one observation here. The Model 950 (and the other notable pre/pros: the Rotel 1066, Anthem AVM-2 and AVM-20, B&K Reference 30, whichever you pick) is crammed full of features, many of which are tied into digital processing, bass management, time delays, and a slew of other stuff. The level of complexity is high, which means a lot more challenge for the designers of these units and it can quickly make the end-user's job of understanding it all a lot more difficult than was the case with older gear. This thing is in one sense nothing more than a purpose-built computer. I think a lot of the 950 buyers are going to have a LOT of questions -- it's a big change from many receivers (especially older ones and entry-level ones). The manual is pretty good about explaining, but it's worth keeping in mind that there's a lot going on here -- if it seems overwhelming, it's not just you. Robert Fowkes has mentioned that Outlaw is apparently planning to supplement the manual with some online references that will go into greater detail on the "tweaking" of the 950 and of some of the hidden features, which will likely be very useful.
REMOTE:
Mrs. Gonk (gonk's better half) informed me Sunday evening that she approves of the new remote. It is the third universal remote that I've used to address the "coffee table o' remotes" syndrome. The Model 1050's remote served in this role admirably, but was retired last fall when I received a Sony RM-AV2100 touchscreen universal remote as a birthday gift. The AV2100 is nice, but the touchscreen can sometimes be a pain and the cats have a habit of walking on it and changing the channel or the input. The Model 950's remote is also a more manageable size than the AV2100 (almost exactly the same size as the Model 1050's remote, although with a boxier shape), and it's been nice to be able to hold and operate a remote with one hand again after using two hands for most everything except changing volume on the AV2100. After spending a week with the Model 950's remote, I have become very comfortable with it; the AV2100 is sitting rather forlornly on a bookcase at the moment, ignored by both myself and my wife. It didn't take me all that much time to get all of the various devices set up on the Model 950's remote. This is basically the Home Theater Master SL-9000 with the LCD removed -- it shows up with a lot of other pre/pros, and there are plenty of people using either the off-the-shelf version of one of the OEM versions. The only weakness I've found is a need to teach the remote the transport commands and navigation keys for your DVD player because they are all combined on the same buttons; this is a common complaint about the 9000, but is surprisingly easy to work around. I found a few spare buttons and assigned the basic transport stuff to them (CR SURR is now play, STEREO and T.MODE are rewind and fast forward, SLEEP is stop, and P.SCAN is pause); I may get out a marker eventually and draw small transport symbols on the buttons, but so far I've had no trouble remembering where they were. The "light" button is easy to find in the dark and my wife was pleased to notice that it is even labeled clearly as "LIGHT" (as compared to the Radio Shack 15-1994's small light button which is marked with what is supposed to be a light bulb). Also, the "buzzing" that is sometimes associated with illumination on remotes like this is effectively non-existent. I did hear it once, when I turned on the light and pressed the keypad against my ear. Otherwise, it is completely silent, and the light is only active when the "LIGHT" button is used, so it will be less of a drain on the batteries. One particularly nice feature of the 950's remote is the ability to switch decoding modes quickly: there are buttons for Dolby, DTS, CES, and stereo that allow you to scroll through the options for each category quickly. This makes it easy to switch from Pro Logic II Music to pure stereo in one step, or scroll through "7 Stereo", "5 Stereo", and "Stereo" without having to also go through all of the Dolby, Cirrus, and DTS modes along the way. For a useful macro trick that users of the AUX1, AUX2, and 6-channel inputs might appreciate, check this update below.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
In my book, the Model 950 is a winner. The only thing keeping it from being a slam-dunk at the moment is the need to resolve the mysterious audio drop-out, but I have spoken to Outlaw about it and know that they are very agressively pursuing a solution to it (as I mentioned in my review, it's tricky since none of the beta units exhibited the problem and it's very difficult to reproduce in the production units). Since I haven't been able to reproduce the problem more than a couple times, it hasn't directly affected me so far. Once the drop-out bug is squashed, it will qualify as a great success in my opinion. If you are looking for a reasonably-priced pre/pro with good video switching and great sound, this may be the way to go. As some people have vocally noted in online forums, there are some setting/control features that were left out -- some people will have a hard time parting with some of those features if they already have them. For many, many users, however, the 950's plentiful range of features and it's extremely impressive sound will be sure to please. I expect to spend the first couple weeks that I have it trying a lot of different things with my 950 and answering a lot of questions from people online, but I also expect to spend the next several years enjoying it.
Still reading this? Thanks for hanging around. I'll be adding to this review some as I get more time with the unit, but I went ahead and posted this now to help get some information to the people who are waiting for their own 950's or considering buying one soon. I hope that it was of some use to you.
As of today (tax day, April 15, 2002), I'm wrapping up this review. I may add to the end of it in the future, after I get my "fixed" Model 950 and get more experience with it (and I plan to have this unit in my equipment rack for a long time to come).
I created this review about a month and a half ago and updated it some shortly afterward. In the weeks since then, I've gotten a good bit more familiar with the Model 950, and I've spent several weeks now with the "final" Model 950. I wanted to add some of my thoughts now that 950's are shipping in quantity and I have the final version of the unit.
When the Model 950 started shipping, it faced some very, very high expectations. Some people wanted the 950 to provide everything -- every feature they could ask for, great sonic performance without any blemishes, a tiny price tag (for a pre/pro), and perhaps even a pony (don't ask...). Because of those expectations, the 950 caught a great deal of grief in the weeks before it first arrived, as details from the beta testers revealed specifics about the unit's feature set. Limitations in the speaker calibration were a sticking point for some people, and there was a great deal of debate about bass management for the 5.1 analog input and the stereo bypass mode. The truth of the matter is that (based on my experience using a Model 950 for over a month and a half now) the Model 950 pre/pro is an inexpensive home theater pre-amp/processor that provides extremely good sound and the latest processing modes at a reasonable price. TANSTAAFL is a universal truth: "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." You can't get the sound quality, flexibility, and full feature set of a $3,000+ pre/pro (Anthem AVM-20, Lexicon, ...) for $900. You can get very, very close on some of that, though -- the 950 sounds absolutely great, offers a robust selection of processing modes, and has a core feature set that will be sufficient for many users. If you do not need all of the flexibility provided by those more expensive units (or would really like the flexibility but can't afford it), the 950 offers a great value.
There has been a fair bit of talk online about the remote's ergonomics and about hum on some units. The remote (as with all remotes) is a personal preference. I've been generally very satisfied with the remote, but your mileage may vary. As for the hum, I've fought with ground loop hum and power noise for over a year (it's not good to have the refrigerator and microwave on the same circuit as the home theater), and only shortly before the arrival of my 950 I had a dedicated circuit put in the for home theater. That combined with a power conditioner has effectively silenced my ground loop hum problems, and the 950 has not caused me any problems in this regard.
The sound of the unit continues to be extremely satisfying. The Cirrus Extra Surround is a great feature for anyone moving to a 6.1 or 7.1 speaker configuration and wanting to get full use of the extra speaker(s). Pro Logic II has been great for TV watching and the occasional Dolby 2.0 DVD. Perhaps most impressive to me has been the CD performance. And very recently I've begun playing with DVD-Audio thanks to a new Panasonic DVD-RA60 player, with very good results. I'll be reviewing the RA60 here on the site after I have a little more time using it.
First, I wanted to include the bass management settings that I'm using now that I've got a subwoofer in the system. I now have an SVS 25-31PCi powered subwoofer in the system, and am using the following bass management settings:
Speakers Large/Small Crossover Speaker Performance, +/-2dB
Mains: small 40Hz 42Hz-22kHz (30Hz, -3dB)
Center: small 80Hz 70Hz-22khz (42Hz, -3dB)
Surrounds: small 100Hz 75Hz-22kHz (50Hz, -3dB)
The mains are actually crossed over a little lower than the specs suggest they ought to be, but I found that for music the sub blended with the mains better at 40Hz than it did at 60Hz. It's a personal preference, really, and is probably due to the fact that I lived with these speakers for a year and a half with no sub at all.
One quirk of the 950's remote that I discovered when I added a DVD-Audio player to my system was the fact that the device buttons at the top of the remote can be a problem when trying to control a device (such as a DVD player) while using an input that is different from the device's standard input (such as the 6-channel analog input instead of the DVD input). What's the problem? Well, you have to switch to the "AUD" device (the 950) to select the 6-channel input, but then when you hit the "DVD" button to actually control the player, it switches back to the DVD input. This problem also applies any time you want to use the AUX1 or AUX2 inputs with a source that you want to control with the 950's remote.
One solution is to cover the front of the remote when you hit the "DVD" button. I did this for a few months, and always felt sort of silly doing it. Another solution, the one that I discovered recently and am now using, is to use a macro to send the command to change inputs. The process: for the CD, DVD, or AUX (TAPE) devices, do the following. (1) Hold down AUD and MUTE together. (2) Select the macro button you want (I'm using M3 for the 6 CH for my DVD player). (3) Select the AUD button. (4) Select the input you want (AUX1, AUX2, or 6 CH). (5) Select the channel up button to save the macro. For the SAT, TV, VCR, and CBL devices, change step (1) and hold down the SAT and MUTE buttons (I think -- haven't actually tested that, but that's what the 950 manual and the SL-9000 manual both indicate).
I've now got my remote set up so that when I'm using the DVD device (my Panasonic DVD-RA60 player), I can hit M3 and switch to the 5.1 analog input. I never have to press the "AUD" button, so the remote's "focus" never leaves the DVD player. I can also hit M4 and switch to AUX2, which uses the same digital input as DVD but is set up to play in stereo -- so I can use the DVD player as a two-channel CD transport (mainly for some CD-R's that my Yamaha doesn't like or MP3 CD-R's if I want) without having to change the default processing on the DVD input. The M1 button for the bottom row of device buttons (SAT, TV, VCR, and CBL) is a power-on macro that turns on the digital cable box and TV, and the M2 button for the bottom row of the device buttons is a power-off macro that turns off the digital cable box, TV, and 950.
August 29, 2002:
During much of the summer, shipment of new Model 950's was halted while Outlaw pursued a complaint of audible hissing from some units. It was not a universal problem, as many units did not exhibit noticeable noise. Nonetheless, Outlaw went back and made some design changes in order to reduce the unit's noise floor. On August 22, I received a sample 950 with these fixes incorporated. Over the several days that followed, I tested this revised unit for potential problems or changes relative to my old Model 950 (which had been one of the units that did not have a hiss problem). I was one of several consumers conducting similar at-home tests of the new 950.
New 950 (with plastic still over the front panel display) ready to be installed in the equipment rack.
Old 950 and the Panasonic DVD-RA60 pulled out of the rack.
I really need to pick up a set of 0.5-meter PCA interconnects for the DVD-Audio...
The new 950 has a significantly reduced noise floor. At Outlaw's suggestion, I switched the new 950 to an analog input (CD player, specifically, set to analog rather than digital) and turned it up to +10dB -- with no CD playing, of course -- to see what sort of hiss I might be able to get. I had to get within 6" to 12" of the tweeters on my mains to hear anything. At my listening position (a little over 6' from the speakers, probably), it was dead silent. For comparison, the center channel (which was getting no signal from the 950) had a hiss at about 2" distance simply due to the system - interference from power cords and the like. I think that would qualify as "fixed". For digital inputs, the results were quite a bit quieter. As an additional comparison, I hooked my old 950 back up and repeated the test. I had never noticed a hum or hiss problem at my listening position during normal use, but I discovered that at +10dB on an analog input with no signal there was a hiss from the old 950 that could be heard at the listening position. (I'll spare you the look my wife gave me when I told her about this test -- neither of us have noticed any objectionable noise from our old 950, and she considered this "max volume, no sound" test sort of silly. Can't say I blame her. ) For people experiencing an objectionable hiss currently, the new 950 should be a real eye-opener.
I had both units set up so it only took switching three cables to change between the old and new 950's for some two-channel sound tests. The old 950 is on top of the entertainment center.
What about the sound of the new unit in general? Outlaw asked me to do an A/B comparison between the new unit and the old one, using some fairly revealing material if possible, to see if I could hear any difference and if there were any sonic trade-offs on the new unit. They didn't want to turn loose the new fixes if the result would lessen the 950 in any way. So I did some back-and-forth testing. Both units were connected to my Model 750 amp with the same type of cables, both were using optical cables to connect to my Yamaha CD changer, and both had the mains set to "large" so the sub wasn't involved (saved me switching the sub between the two units). My initial tests were done with the Theater Compensation mode inadvertently turned on on the new unit and off on the old unit. Before I caught that mistake, I found a few discs where my wife noted that the highs were more pronounced on the old unit (she actually considered them harsher). It showed up on tracks with a lot of cymbals, chimes, or high and very sibilant vocals when the volume was up around -15dB. The new unit's Theater Compensation, of course, was tempering those highs. Once I caught my mistake, I re-visited some of the more revealing tracks. With both units using Theater Compensation, I could not distinguish between the two units at all. With Theater Compensation off on both units, I felt like the reduced noise floor on the new 950 was showing through, as it seemed like the sound might be a bit clearer or cleaner, particularly the highs. It was a very, very slight difference though - for anyone with a 950 that isn't exhibiting hiss, you'll be hard pressed to find a difference between the one you have and a new 950.
There have apparently been a few software tweaks along the way, too, and my test unit (as they were quick to tell me before I even got the new unit unboxed) has a setup quirk. The 950 has to be in a surround mode for the test tones to work on all of the channels. If you have the 950 in stereo mode when you go to calibrate with the test tones, the unit will show that it's sending all of the tones but will only send tones to the mains and sub. Pro Logic II will do fine for a surround mode (I tried it, in case it actually was looking for a multi-channel input), so even if you are using nothing but stereo analog connections to the 950 you won't have a problem. I don't know if this behavior applies only to the samples they are testing, but they wanted me and others to be aware of it. The new 950 is also a couple of dB quieter, so when I set my speaker levels I ended up bumping them all up a dB or two. Those are the only real differences I could find between the old unit and the new unit. The "standby" lights blinked out of sequence on the two when they were both paused at the same time, but I don't think that really matters.
Just a brief update here -- I added an outline of the Model 950's bass management features here.
In a newsletter sent out by Outlaw Audio on Christmas Eve, it was reported that they had developed and implemented a modification to the Model 950 that resolved the lingering hiss problem reported by a handful of 950 owners (approximately 2% of the users, according to Outlaw). As of December 17, all new 950's sold include this fix. Based on reports from users in Outlaw's forum who have begun receiving replacement units and some new owners using highly sensitive gear (horn speakers, etc.), this revision ends the hiss battle for all users. Anyone considering a 950 who has been worried by the reports of hiss in some systems can rest easier now, and anyone with a 950 already in there rack who has experienced this hiss should drop Outlaw a line so that they can get you taken care of.
I received a "blue dot" revision of the Model 950 on January 9, 2003, and hooked it up late that night. As I have mentioned previously, my system had not exhibited objectionable hiss using the "red dot" revision, but my testing of that revision had me on the "hiss list" so I ended up swapping out units anyway. The "blue dot" revision of the 950 (which is applied to all 950's shipped after December 17, 2002) is the end product of over six months of design work to track down and eliminate an objectionable hiss noted by a small portion of 950 owners. As unfortunate as this long process was, it speaks highly of Outlaw's determination to make things right for their customers. Any 950 owner who encounters an objectionable hiss (audible at several feet from the speaker with nothing playing) from a Model 950 purchased before December 17, 2002 should contact Outlaw to arrange for an exchange or to return their existing unit for a blue dot upgrade.
There it is, the blue dot...
There's a bit of wire-shuffling involved in swapping out pre/pros in my system. The DVD player (a Panasonic DVD-RA60) includes DVD-Audio support, so there are a few audio interconnects to hook up. Thankfully I replaced the 1.8-meter interconnects with 0.5-meter cables at Christmas.
In addition to the DVD-Audio cables, there are just a few other cables behind the equipment rack. The 950 is at the bottom of the picture, with the two amps below it.
After half an hour of labor and another half hour or so setting speaker levels and other preferences, I was back in business. That first night, the system seemed a little bright, but it hadn't burned in yet and the sub was still unplugged. I waited a day or two before listening to it real closely (more because of schedule limitations than any intentional choice), and by the time I started spinning some DVD's and CD's the initial brightness (much more pronounced than any previous 950's I've used have exhibited) was gone. Several other people have commented online about the blue dot 950's definitely benefiting from some burn-in, so perhaps some of the components changed in the blue dot revision need a bit more burn-in time to settle in than the old components. Either way, I'd recommend a day or so of casual use before trying to decide how the 950 really sounds.
Once the 950 had broken in a bit, I did quite a bit of DVD watching and CD listening. The blue dot has a higher gain than either the original or red dot versions, so all of my channel trim settings were lower than in the past. I could definitely see some people with larger spaces, less efficient speakers, or a profound love of really reference level listening enjoying the extra headroom -- I could have easily calibrated the system for 85dB at a volume level of 00 rather than 75dB, something which would have been difficult to do with the red dot revision. Since I typically listen with the volume between -25 and -05 (depending on the source and who else is in the room), I saw no reason to do so, and I never had any problem with the 4dB reduction in headroom on the red dot 950's. As for the unit's sound, I could find no difference in sound between the previous 950's and the new unit. The Model 950 continues to perform beautifully. Pre/pros with more robust feature sets exist, and some of those will offer superior performance for two-channel listening, but they have price tags to match. I don't believe anything in the 950's price range can seriously challenge it (the Rotel 1066 is comparable, with reportedly a less forward and detailed sound that may work better in certain systems, but it retails for around $600 more than the Model 950 and will cost you at least $300-$350 more). Anyone with an older Model 950 and no problems currently should feel very comfortable sticking with the unit already sitting in their rack. Anyone with high-sensitivity speakers like Klipsh horns who has been looking at the Model 950 but was concerned about hiss can now lay those concerns to rest.
Before I could get the "red dot" unit back in the box and shipped back, both cats decided to camp out on top of it...
April 8, 2003:
In March, 2003, a 950 user discovered a bug in the 950's DTS software that caused the LFE channel of DTS-ES soundtracks to be discarded when the main speakers were set to large. Outlaw tracked down the bug in a bit of software contained in a removeable E-PROM on the 950's digital input board, and in mid-March they began accepting requests for the upgrade. 950 owners were given the option of shipping their units to Outlaw for the upgrade or having a replacement chip, instructions, and an extractor shipped to them. In the latter case, a stamped return envelope was included for the owner to use to return the original chip and the extractor; the owner could then take their unit to a local service center and have the chip swapped. Outlaw agreed to pay up to $48 in service fees from a reputable service center if a receipt was included. Outlaw does not suggest that the owner attempt the upgrade themselves, but they do not forbid it either, and the instructions provided with the kit are extremely clear and detailed. I received my kit on April 7 and installed it that evening. The process took approximately 50 minutes, including 25 minutes to remove my 950 from the equipment rack and put it back afterward. Opening the 950 and replacing the chip took 15 minutes, and closing it back up took 10 minutes (less, actually, since I received a phone call about half-way through the re-assembly). It was a fairly straight-forward process that was made significantly simpler by Outlaw's excellent instructions.
The pictures above give some idea of the process involved in replacing the E-PROM. All new Model 950's shipped since late March 2003 include the new software, and owners of older units that exhibit this bug have several options available to them if they need the fix but don't want to try to do it themselves. It is a straight-forward and well-documented process, and I was impressed with Outlaw's rapid response to the problem.
I hope that this review can be of help to anyone shopping for a good, inexpensive home theater pre/pro. For now, I believe that it is finished, but I will of course update it later if anything crops up.
Mitsubishi CS-27309 27" television
Panasonic PV-S4566 S-VHS VCR
Panasonic DVD-A310 DVD player / Panasonic DVD-RA60 DVD player (replaced A310)
Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable
Outlaw Audio Model 950 pre/pro
Outlaw Audio Model 750 amplifier
Parasound HCA-800 Mk II amplifier
Yamaha CDC-775 CD changer
Paradigm Reference Studio/60 v2 speakers (mains)
Paradigm Reference Studio/CC v2 speaker (center)
Paradigm Reference Studio/ADP v2 speakers (surrounds, surround back)
SVS 25-31PCi subwoofer (added August 2002)
Sega Dreamcast game console
Mixture of TMC, Outlaw, and BetterCables interconnects
Mixture of TMC, Bettercables, and Monster XP speaker cables
Panamax MAX 5100 power conditioner
Sony RM-AV2100 universal remote / Outlaw Model 950 (Home Theater Master SL-9000) universal remote
OTHER ONLINE REVIEWS:
Turbo's 950 review (dead link removed)
Robert Fowkes (RAF) 950 beta review (the review that started it all)
Steven Simon's 950 review
ltkhuc's 950 review (dead link removed)
Jeffrey Mercado's "electrifying" 950 review
Ronald Epstein's review
Home Theater Forum "Official Outlaw 950 Review Thread"
Outlaw Audio Outlaw Saloon 950 Forum and Unofficial Review Thread (includes some reviews / feedback from users)
Sound and Vision and other reviews available on Outlaw's site
If you have any questions about this review, click here and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can.
-- gonk
[an error occurred while processing this directive] hits since April 8, 2002
Prillaman.net | Home Theater and DVD | Equipment Reviews


text:
Jacob Epstein's work expresses the power and grandeur of human life
Leave a Comment / On This Day
\"Intellectually it [sculpture] requires a far greater effort of concentration to visualize a work in the round. I find it difficult to work on more than two busts in the same period. Also in carving there is absolute finality about every movement. It is impossible to rub out and begin again. This fight with the material imposes a constant strain. A sudden flaw or weakness may upset a year\'s work.\"
Sir Jacob Epstein was a pioneer of modernism in his use of \"direct carving\" and of \"primitive\" art as a means of conveying the deepest abstract feelings. He sparked animosity throughout his career with his desire to shatter the taboos surrounding the representation of sexuality and his use of expressive distortion of the figure that was more influenced by non-Western art than the classical ideal. Epstein leapt to public attention in 1908 as a result of the debate over his carvings on the British Medical Association building in London\'s Strand. He achieved the architect\'s desire for \"a project as wide in scope as Whitman\" in the eighteen figures representing the eras of man and woman. Although austerely classical-realist in style, they nevertheless offended the public\'s sensibilities with their candid images of nudity and pregnancy.
Sir Jacob Epstein was an American-born British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born on November 10, 1880 to Polish Jewish refugees living in New York\'s Lower East Side. He studied art there as a teenager, sketching the city, and joined The Art Students League of New York in 1900. Then he worked in a bronze foundry by day, studying drawing and sculptural modeling at night. He relocated to Europe in 1902 and attended Auguste Rodin\'s classes at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian in Paris. In 1905, he moved to London, and a few years later, he acquired British citizenship.
The general feeling today is that Epstein was an oddity, an anomaly. In general, his body of work is misinterpreted. Epstein\'s contribution to the history of 20th-century art has undoubtedly been underappreciated. Even though Epstein may not have been a major stylistic innovator, it is reasonable to claim that he was a trend-setter. One would find it difficult to dispute Epstein\'s significance when considering some of the things he popularised, such the acquisition of African art, the advocacy of direct carving, and the use of readymade objects in sculptural schemes. Epstein, for better or worse, is responsible for elevating sculpture to the fore of British media reports on the arts. Even while, in retrospect, pieces like Rima or Genesis may not have been the best ever created at the time or even by the artist, the truth remains that they sparked conversations about representation, identity, and aesthetics in a way that was unprecedented in England.
Despite his intimidating presence and rare outbursts, he generally acted politely and quietly, and his discourse covered a wide range of topics. His New York accent and bohemian style never completely left him, especially when it came to money, which frequently gave him concern. Henry Moore\'s memorial to him stated that \"Epstein took the brickbats for modern art,\" yet despite a display of fortitude in his work, he was severely wounded by criticism and attacks on his work. At times, he appeared to love and court his status as an outsider.
Epstein also helped to change the Eurocentric viewpoint of many artists and critics. His excellent collection of African and Pacific sculptures, probably one of the best private collections of non-Western art at the time, was purchased by the British Museum after his death. Some two hundred of his plaster casts were donated to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and to kibbutz Ain Herod in Galilee. Other artists followed the path Epstein blazed into non-Western art.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Epstein
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/epstein-jacob/
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jacob-epstein
On This Day: Rewind and get a feel of history
Patriarch of sculpture who carved a kiss in stone
The leading world museum that began today


Image Title: Translucent Room Divider By Seven Colors Design Pertaining To Dividers 23. Post Title: Translucent Room Dividers. Filename: translucent-room-divider-by-seven-colors-design-pertaining-to-dividers-23.jpg. Image Dimension: 840 x 630 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Dave Bergnaum. Uploaded Date: Saturday - March 03rd. 2018 04:40:23 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: lowes.com. Is Transparent Pertaining Room Within Translucent Best Decorations On 28. 25 What 3 Throughout Remodel Decor Designs Dividers Hanging For Divider 7. STAY Com 29. To 5. Screen Black 4. W System Curtain Soft Ideas 16. LET Wood Solid Forlenza Amazon Opaque Creative Panel Idea With From Staggered Shoji Dan By 75 EShoji S Sliding Regard Apartment 26. The H Living Plans 6. Houzz X Therapy Partition 2. 0.


text:
Q: Using Task.Delay within Task.Run I have a Windows Service that monitors my application by running a couple of tests every second. A bug report has been submitted that said that the service stoppes running after a while, and I'm trying to figure out why.
I suspect that the code below is the culprit, but I have trouble understanding exactly how it works. The ContinueWith statement has recently been commented out, but I dont know if it is needed
private Task CreateTask(Action action)
{
    var ct = _cts.Token;
    return Task.Run(async () =>
        {
            ct.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
            var sw = new Stopwatch();
            while (true)
            {
                sw.Restart();
                action();

                if (ct.IsCancellationRequested)
                {
                    _logger.Debug("Cancellation requested");
                    break;
                }

                var wait = _settings.loopStepFrequency - sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
                if (wait <= 0) // No need to delay
                    continue;

                // If ContinueWith is needed wrap this in an ugly try/catch
                // handling the exception
                await Task.Delay(
                    (int)(_settings.loopStepFrequency - sw.ElapsedMilliseconds),
                    ct); //.ContinueWith(tsk => { }, ct);
            }

            _logger.Debug("Task was cancelled");
        }, _cts.Token);
}

Are there any obvious problems with this code?

A:
Are there any obvious problems with this code?

The one that jumps out to me is the calculation for the number of milliseconds to delay. Specifically, there's no floor. If action() takes an unusually long time, then the task could fail in a possibly unexpected way.
There are several ways for the task to complete in either a cancelled or failed state, or it can delay forever:

*

*The task can be cancelled before the delegate begins, due to the cancellation token passed to Task.Run.

*The task can be cancelled by the ThrowIfCancellationRequested call.

*The task can complete successfully after being cancelled, due to the IsCancellationRequested logic.

*The task can be cancelled by the cancellation token passed to Task.Delay.

*The task may fail with an ArgumentOutOfRangeException if _settings.loopStepFrequency - sw.ElapsedMilliseconds is less than -1. This is probably a bug.

*The task may delay indefinitely (until cancelled) if _settings.loopStepFrequency - sw.ElapsedMilliseconds happens to be exactly -1. This is probably a bug.

To fix this code, I recommend two things:

*

*The code is probably intending to do await Task.Delay((int) wait, ct); instead of await Task.Delay((int)(_settings.loopStepFrequency - sw.ElapsedMilliseconds), ct);. This will remove the last two conditions above.

*Choose one method of cancellation. The standard pattern to express cancellation is via OperationCanceledExcpetion; this is the pattern used by ThrowIfCancellationRequested and by Task.Delay. The IsCancellationRequested check is using a different pattern; it will successfully complete the task on cancellation, instead of cancelling it.

A: There are so many problems with this code, that makes more sense to rewrite it than attempt to fix it. Here is a possible way to rewrite this method, with some (possibly superfluous) argument validation added:
private Task CreateTask(Action action)
{
    if (action == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(action));
    var ct = _cts.Token;
    var delayMsec = _settings.loopStepFrequency;
    if (delayMsec <= 0) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("loopStepFrequency");
    return Task.Run(async () =>
    {
        while (true)
        {
            var delayTask = Task.Delay(delayMsec, ct);
            action();
            await delayTask;
        }
    }, ct);
}

The responsibility for logging a possible exception/cancellation belongs now to the caller of the method, that (hopefully) awaits the created task.
var task = CreateTask(TheAction);
try
{
    await task; // If the caller is async
    //task.GetAwaiter().GetResult(); // If the caller is sync
    _logger.Info("The task completed successfully");
}
catch (OperationCanceledException)
{
    _logger.Info("The task was canceled");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    _logger.Error("The task failed", ex);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Scala Inc. and Hitachi, Ltd. have reached an agreement that will provide Hitachi with an, "Exclusive license to operate and resell Scala's SignChannel low-cost digital signage software services throughout Japan."
Hitachi is already one of Scala's larger customers, having deployed more than 5,000 Scala driven displays throughout Japan. Scala's software powers Hitachi's Mediaspace digital signage ASP services, which are used by customers such as barber shops, general retail and convenience stores, shopping malls, train and subway stations, real estate chains, etc.
Scala says that: "SignChannel is an online SaaS service that combines the simplicity of a Web 2.0 application with the power of Scala's traditional template-based composition system. It integrates all of the modern features of a digital signage system, including creation and editing of playlists, scheduling, composition of messages from templates and more. SignChannel also includes a wealth of ready-to-display licensed content such as general news, sports news, weather information and health advice, which allows anyone to set up a digital signage display without ever having to worry about where to get useful and interesting content to keep their audience engaged."
SignChannel's most interesting feature is its ability to use very low-cost media players (basically an appliance) and the resultant lower "total cost of ownership", ease of installation and ongoing operation. Anyone who can connect an appliance to a WiFi network can install and use SignChannel—nothing else to install.
Hitachi plans to launch its fully localized SignChannel services with content sourced from local Japanese content providers. Hitachi will also promote the service through its extensive sales network across Japan.
The companies have also agreed that they will jointly develop various user interface customizations to enhance the commercial potential of the service in Japan. Hitachi plans to deploy SignChannel on its own cloud server technology and will work closely with a number of Japanese manufacturers to enable them to offer SignChannel-compatible hardware devices for sale in Japan and in the rest of the world.
Visit hitachi.com and scala.com/signchannel for more information.