BOSTON – A Beverly man was sentenced today in connection with mailing threatening letters containing suspicious white powder to high-profile individuals, law enforcement officials and others.
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Postal Inspectors are investigating a series of 'dock thefts' at two Henderson post office locations which could affect thousands of customers.
A postal inspector says two locations, one at 404 S. Boulder Highway, and another at 1575 Horizon Ridge Parkway have reported someone is stealing plastic trays of mail, potentially holding between two and three thousand letter-sized pieces of mail from restricted areas.
"It's quite unusual," said Liz Davis, postal inspector with the Phoenix Division.
"It's pretty bold to go into a restricted space, a back dock is typically in a gated area that is restricted to employees only," added Davis.
Ramsay – The U.S. Post Office in Ramsay has been locked for more than five weeks, since regional postal authorities in Grand Rapids posted a notice of closure on March 8.


text:
Q: What happens if pass extra variables in ExpressJS middleware? Some libraries declare own custom middleware function like this
function ApiCache() {

   ...
   return makeResponseCacheable(req, res, next, key, duration, strDuration, middlewareToggle)
}

that pass extra variables, not like the standard middleware's signature is function(req, res, next) only get three variables?

A: you can pass any no. of argument in express internally it is like a var arg function which checks all the middleware's passed

A: You can pass arguments the way you want. But i would suggest to create the middleware function and use that in middleware.
The ES6 pattern make it simple,
    let _listener: express.Express;
    const myMiddlewareClass: MyMiddlewareClass= new AuthorMyMiddlewareClassizationMiddleware(arg1, arg2, arg3);
    _listener.use(route, myMiddlewareClass.makeResponseCacheable.bind(myMiddlewareClass));

Here, using bind will make the variables accessible outside the class or function directly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In the past 40 days, only wonderful things have happened for me. As captain of the Chilean Davis Cup team, I helped my country reach the World Group stage for the first time since 2011. Soon after that, I began working with Dominic Thiem at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. I accompanied him to Rio de Janeiro (for the Rio Open presented by Claro) a week later and now we're here in the United States. The most incredible thing is that in just our third tournament together, at a time when we're still getting to know each other, Dominic has won his first ATP Masters 1000 title, and he did it on a hard court at the BNP Paribas Open [d. Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5]. One of the reasons why he asked me to join his team in the first place; was because he felt that I could help bring his hard-court game up to speed with his very accomplished clay-court game.
What's most impressive is that Dominic is producing the intended results so quickly. It even surprised me because it's the first time I've been in this situation and under these circumstances as a coach, where I've been brought in for a very specific role.
Besides being Davis Cup captain, I have a tennis academy in Chile and I manage players', but I don't travel with them. So, it's amazing that after a few weeks of accompanying Dom, we won in Indian Wells. I cannot be any happier; it feels great to help him achieve his goals.
And to think, all of this came together just recently. Thiem didn't compete for Austria in the Davis Cup tie against Chile, but his coach, Gunter Bresnik, reached out to me at one point. I joined Dominic's team during the Argentina Open soon after. Even though we never actually met prior to working together, I had been following Dominic's career for a long time and admired his game. I considered him championship material. What I liked most was the sense of family among Team Thiem. Having worked with other teams before, I was delighted by how Dominic's group had a sense of unity. They opened all doors to me and accommodated me in every way possible, to ensure that I had the tools to get the job done.
It was then that I recommended fitness therapy coach Duglas Cordero to work with our team. Duglas is an experienced physical trainer; he's worked with Fabio Fognini and I spent time with him during my professional career. This allowed Dom's physiotherapist, Alex Stober, to handle one set of roles and for Duglas to take on another and guarantee we got our player as fit as possible. I continued my part in developing his game for the hard courts. I feel that between the three of us, we made an immediate impact. As Thiem put it, he started looking at his game in a different way and because of very precise planning, an intense drive and strong work ethic — all at a very high level — the results showed quickly. Add to that the passion and positive energy we bring, and you can see why his game has grown in such a short amount of time.
The BNP Paribas Open was the perfect place for Thiem to demonstrate how far he had come in such a short space of time. Throughout the tournament, I contributed by instructing him to make small adjustments, minor tweaks that would make a lot of difference on Indian Wells' hard courts. I was surprised by how quickly he picked up on things; he has an incredible ability to learn something and immediately apply it during a match. He's an amazing talent and extremely disciplined. Ask Dom to do something and he'll do it — just better. It's a privilege as a coach to work with a player of that calibre.
We discussed a lot of things as he progressed through the tournament. We approached each match with its own game plan. I explained to him that in addition to improving his overall game, he needed to work on his return of serve. I felt he needed to step closer to the baseline, even inside of it, more often. If you look back at replays of his matches, you'll notice as the deeper he got into the tournament, the closer he got to the baseline while returning serves.
In addition to his return game, Dom and I spent a lot of time talking about what types of shots to use and when to execute them. When to hit high, looping balls; when to go with the slice; when to use topspin or to surprise with a drop shot. We took a close look at all his weapons and broke down when they would be most effective. If you look back at the most critical points throughout the tournament, you'll notice those are when Dom played at his best. It goes to show he's got a champion's mentality. It's those little alterations that make a huge difference to a player like Dom. Even so, I'm still surprised at what a spectacular talent he is. Dom's back to a career-high No. 4 (which he first attained on 13 November 2017) and feeling at an all-time high. That makes my life much easier as a coach.
I feel a close connection with Dominic's game and I'm able to identify key areas of it every day. I see a lot in his game that resembles my own game and the way I played when I was on tour. He's got fluid footwork; he's always moving into position and maneuvering the ball around the court to line up his best shots. We've got different personalities, of course. After all, he's Austrian and I'm Chilean. But maybe that's why we complement each other. It's still hard to believe that a little over a month ago, we didn't even know one another personally. Since then, we've bonded as a team. I don't change my ways for anyone and in this case, that isn't even an afterthought. I'm working with an incredible talent.
Ask Dom to execute an Edbeg/McEnroe volley and he does it?
Ask Dom to have Samprasesque first serves on BP's?
Ask Dom to be as mentally tough as Pete, Becker or peak Nadal?
Yeah, beating Fed doesn't mean anything nowadays. It's not like Sissy or Kandy went on a roll after taking him out.
In fairness to Stef, he had a real nice win vs RBA the next round and then encountered his worst possible match-up against Nadal (although he should've done better). And overall, he's had a pretty nice season so far.
So at least he's trending upward.
Oh, c'mon, he barely survived that boring Ferrer wannabe and he could've lost against the old timer too. I really don't think that win affected the Greek Zoolander that much.
Lifting the Dubai trophy would've been a different thing.
Gunter Bresnik asked Tim to play a tournament almost every week and Tim did not rise to the challenge.
Massu is the only Coach to check himself out repeatedly after Thiem wins a big point.
excessive spin or excessive wear on himself.
on when they need to and finish things off while still well balanced and focused.
ball that was hacked back.
where as mentioned, he needs to be the formidable force he was looking to be.
them in the previous months leading to the RG in straight sets. Maybe Massu can ask for at least a 4 set loss so he can do better and lose in 5.
Maybe Thiem's game will now get smarter tactically and he'll stop overhitting so much.
At least win a set against old Rafa ta RG. That should be step 1. Not even a 7-5 set between the 2 of them.
Yeah, he is slacking currently at #4 in the world. Shame.
It was really nice to see Dom's performance @ Indian Wells. Well earned.
What does he even have without his big shots?
He has a poor slice and even worse net game. I don't even know what his returns would look like if he stopped backing all the way up to take a full swing. His speed/defense is still pretty good, so I guess he'd make for a decent grinder?


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text:
Manufacturers of Audio Products for AV,
Installed Sound, Broadcast Radio & Broadcast TV
GDPR and Privacy Policy
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Audio Distribution Amplifiers
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Passive Packs
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Video Embedders/
De-embedders
Sonifex is a Private Limited Company owned by the Directors, which manufactures broadcast audio equipment for the radio, TV, security and telecommunications industries. This is a family business, started as a partnership in 1969 by Paul and Dorothy Brooke, which has had a steady turnover of trading, and has established a recognised position in the radio broadcasting industry.
The company became a limited company in 1983 and the operation moved to new purpose built premises at Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, during 1986. In 1987, the size of the premises was doubled to 11,000 square feet of production space with excellent working conditions and facilities for recreation. An extension was completed in February 1998, adding another 7,000 ft² of engineering and storage space.
Paul retired as Managing Director in 1994, when Marcus Brooke took over. The company presently employs forty three staff with a high percentage of those dedicated to R&D projects entirely motivated from within the company.
Over 90% of British radio broadcast studios have in the past used some form of Sonifex equipment and the company exports on average 50% of its products. Sonifex supplies equipment to over 60 countries world-wide and is recognised for the quality and reliability of its designs and finished equipment.
Sonifex manufactures telephony equipment and is authorised as a BABT (British Approvals Board for Telecommunications) certified manufacturing facility. Sonifex also operates a quality system and achieved ISO9002 status in 1999.
The constant need to innovate is now an integral part of the Sonifex culture, combining healthy and outward-looking ideas with sound and efficient design practices. During the next decade Sonifex will consolidate its position in the broadcasting and security industries by expanding its research and development efforts in order to offer new designs of equipment reflecting the quality and reliability that is expected by its customers.
Sonifex Premises.
History of Product Lines
The name Sonifex was synonymous with NAB cartridge machines, and carts, for playing adverts and jingles on the radio. These products had their heyday in the 1980's & early 90's with the analogue micro HS redesigned as the digital Discart floppy disk cart machine.
In 1989 the HY-02 telephone hybrid was developed to enable radio station talk-show callers to be heard more clearly and the HDX2000 hard disk radio automation system was released on Windows 3.11™ in 1994, and developed on Windows 95/98™ until 1998.
The Sovereign analogue radio broadcast mixing console was developed in 1995 together with the DHY-02 DSP based telephone hybrid.
1996 saw the release of the Sentinel 8 channel digital audio logger and the Solutions radio studio furniture, allowing us to sell complete radio broadcast studios.
In 1997 the award winning Courier portable flash-card recorder was announced. With its stylish design, built-in recording, scrub-wheel editing, USB and ISDN live audio, the Courier justified its selection as a Millennium Product by the UK's Design Council. Over 850 Couriers have been sold to the BBC and All India Radio. (Courier shown.)
1999 saw the birth of the Redbox range of Audio interfaces, designed for systems integrators. Between 1999 and 2008 the range has expanded to over 40 different products.The first of the range was the RB-DA6 a 1U rack-mount high performance 6 way stereo distribution amplifier for splitting a source into a number of different outputs.
In 2001, the Net-Log audio logger was born, a 4 channel audio logger which can record weeks of programming on a large internal hard-disk. The unit was designed as dedicated hardware for reliability reasons, i.e. there's no PC motherboard in this machine. Although PC based systems are great for playback, they generally aren't robust enough for continuous recording 24/7/365. (RNet-Log shown.)
The D:Scribe transcription system was added in 2004. The S2 hybrid analogue/digital mixer replaced the Sovereign in 2004 and a talkback system was developed in the same year. (Talkback TB-6D shown in new style casing.)
In 2008, two additions were made to the Redbox range of audio interfaces: The RB-ADDA2, a 1U rack-mount which produces an AES/EBU or S/PDIF level digital audio output from a balanced XLR or unbalanced phono stereo audio input; and the RB-SC2, a sample rate converter and a 1U rack-mount which produces AES/EBU, S/PDIF and TOSlink
optical level digital audio outputs from a balanced AES/EBU,
S/PDIF and TOSlink optical level digital audio inputs.
(RB-DC2 shown.)
In 2008, the Reference Monitor range of 1U rack-mount audio monitors was released. Heralding the start of a new direction for Sonifex, these products offer superb quality audio, comprehensive feature-set and exact audio/visual monitoring in a small rack space. Combining the latest DSP technology with outstanding audio enclosure design to produce monitors of the highest standards with exceptional sound quality, a comprehensive feature set and good looks in the rack.
Uniquely an embedded 5 band parametric EQ allows you to configure the monitor for your environment or to suit your listening tastes.
In 2009, three Rack Monitors With Dolby® Decoder,
(RM-4C8-HDE1, RM-4C8-E1X and RM-4C8-E1B) were added to the range of Reference Monitors. The new version of the Reference Monitor can decode a Dolby E or Dolby Digital audio stream allowing you to monitor visually 8 or 5.1 audio channels respectively and to monitor audibly any 2 of those channels. (RM-4C8-HDE1 shown.)
Also, added to the Reference Monitor range in 2009 were the two Confidence Monitors, RM-CA2 (2 LED Meters & 2 Analogue Stereo Inputs) and the RM-CAD8 (2 LED Meters, 2 Analogue & 6 Digital Stereo Inputs). These units use the same outstanding speaker system as the Reference Monitor range,offering a superb sound with a cut-down feature set. The confidence monitors have been designed
to give the best possible performance at a reduced price.
(RM-CAD8 shown.)
In 2009, Sonifex' first Video Redbox was added to the Redbox range of audio interfaces. The RB-VHDA8 is a high performance, reliable eight way digital video distribution amplifier for re-clocking and distributing a 3G, HD (high definition) or SD (standard definition) SDI source to eight outputs. (RB-VHDA8 shown.)
Another addition to the Redbox range in 2009 was the
RB-DSD1 digital silence detection unit. The unit works in a similar way to the Sonifex RB-SD1 analogue silence detection unit, but has AES/EBU, S/PDIF and TOSlink inputs and outputs instead of analogue inputs and output respectively. Designed to switch from one input to another in the event of loss of audio, the unit is ideal at transmitter sites,
or after the master output of a studio, to switch in another
audio source, or simultaneous broadcast, should a master
source fail. (RB-DSD1 shown.)
Yet another innovative design was added to the Sonifex range of products in 2009, the SignalLED Studio Illuminated Signs. The signs are designed for installers and because the sign itself contains the control electronics, and RGB LEDs are used, it can be simply configured onsite.
In 2010, Sonifex further expanded the Reference Monitor range with the introduction of Reference Monitor Meters and Reference Monotor Controllers:
The Reference Monitor Meters are a range of freestanding and 1U rack-mount precision meters offering accurate, high resolution metering of between 1 and 4 stereo audio sources. Each stereo source is auto-switching between either analogue or digital AES/EBU format with sample rates up to 192kHz accepted.
The new Reference Monitor Controllers are a range of 1U rack-mount audio production control units, for providing source selection, volume, DIM and CUT controls for external analogue monitors, together with light controls for the Sonifex SignalLED range of studio signs, or similar.
A innovative addition to the console range is the S1 Digital/Analogue Radio Broadcast Mixer.This is a high performance compact, low cost, fixed format mixing console designed for on-air radio use. It can be fitted flush into a desktop or can be rack-mounted by the addition of optional rack ears.
To the Talback and Commentary range, Sonifex have introduced the CM-CU21, CM-TBU and the CM-TLL.
The CM-CU21 is a rugged desktop commentator unit for two commentators and a guest providing microphone inputs/outputs, return audio circuit inputs, comprehensive headphone monitoring and talkback facilities. With an extensive feature set the CM-CU21 is perfect for commentary at outside broadcasts and sports events. The CM-TBU Line-Powered Telephone Balance Unit is compatible with all analogue direct exchange lines and provides a 4-wire communications system to interface with the telephone network.The CM-TLL Line Powered Telephone Line Listen Unit provides a low-loss interface to receive audio from a telephone line.
openGear Cards were introduced this year. openGear is an open-architecture rack system developed by Ross Video, a leader in video technologies, to provide a standard rack-based platform on which companies can develop card-based audio & video products. The adoption of openGear based cards by Sonifex allows customers to choose Sonifex cards as part of an overall terminal equipment solution.
Yet more new Redboxes this year including: delays, a voiceover monitor ; tone generators ; a silence switcher and the introduction of the new Video 3G, HD & SD-SDI models, including embedders/de-embedders and the Dolby® encoder and decoder . Still in the familiar Redbox chassis offering rackmounting as standard and a universal AC power supply, these new video Redboxes use latest technology components to offer embedding and de-embedding for analogue and digital audio signals into and out of all 3G, HD and SD-SDI video signals, respectively.
In 2011, Sonifex further expanded the Redbox range with the introduction of the Dolby® E Encoder & Decoder.
The Redbox RB-VHDDD8 is a Dolby® E & Dolby Digital Decoder and De-Embedder. It de-embeds 16 channels of audio within any audio group of an SDI video signal and a further 2 which are sent to the Dolby® Decoder. Up to 10 channels from the decoder or any of the 16 channels from the de-embedder can then be re-embedded onto either of the two SDI outputs and also transmitted on a BNC or D-type situated on the rear panel.
The new Redbox RB-VHEDD8, which is a Dolby® E Encoder and Embedder, encodes 8 channels of audio into two channels of an AES/EBU digital audio stream which is then embedded onto any of the available groups within each of the two video output paths. The encoded Dolby E bitstream is also available via a dedicated output on the rear panel. The audio inputs to the Encoder can be selected to come from the external digital audio inputs or from embedded audio contained in the incoming SDI input. The outputs from the de-embedder can also be re-embedded into the video outputs, along with the encoded inputs.
Also, this year, the Pro Audio Streamers which are a range of three IP to audio and audio to IP streamers which have professional analogue and digital inputs and outputs. They allow audio to be streamed around a building, wan or lan using IP audio and CAT5 cabling infrastructure.
There are three products in the range providing encoding/decoding and streaming:
The PS-SEND converts an audio input to an IP stream.
The PS-PLAY reads an IP stream and outputs to balanced and unbalanced audio line levels.
The PS-AMP reads an IP stream and outputs audio to stereo speakers.
2012, saw the introduction of a new small simple radio mixer for novice and professional users…the S0 Radio Broadcast Mixer.
The S0 is a high quality yet simple to operate radio broadcast mixer ideally suited to community radio stations, for educational purposes and for internet radio. Easy to understand, the S0 includes a telephone hybrid for making and recording telephone calls and a 3.5mm stereo jack for plugging in an mp3 player. The addition of a USB port allows for recording to a PC and for playing a PC automation system directly through the mixer. The headphone outputs have a built in limiter to offer hearing protection and the studio speakers mute when a microphone fader is open, with automatic mic live sign switching. The S0 allows presenters and DJs to be up and running quickly with a fully featured radio studio mixer.
The RB-IPE IP Extender for GPIO & Analogue Control Signals which is a 1U rackmount unit designed to provide remote control of GPIO and analogue control voltages over an Ethernet network. Configured using a built-in web server, two units can control each other across an Ethernet network, or a single unit can be controlled via Ethernet commands and the web server interface. The unit can be used in any position where you need to remotely acquire GPO signals or remotely control equipment, for example controlling equipment at unmanned posts, outstations or transmitter sites.
The CM-CU1 Commentator Unit 1 Commentator & Line Input which offers the same high quality, robust specification as the CM-CU21, with a feature set tailored to single commentator applications.
It provides a fully featured commentator position and a line-level input. The unit has an individual commentator output, with an additional output providing a mix of commentator and line input audio. A limit indicator on the main panel shows when the adjustable limiter on the main output is active, and a bright 21 segment LED PPM meter, which can be disabled, shows the main output level.
The CM-TB8 8 Channel Talkback Control Unit which is a powerful and highly flexible self contained communications unit allowing multiple 4-wires and IFBs within a single 1U rack space. It offers easy connection to any industry standard talkback system including the Sonifex CM-TLL line listen unit plus the CM-CU1 and CM-CU21 commentator units.
The CM-TB8 8 Channel Talkback Control Unit is ideal in an OB truck or small studio. The CM-TB8 is a talkback control unit providing 8 channels of 4-wire communication, housed in a 1U rack mount enclosure.
2013 brought a new brand of portable, battery powered belt packs: the CM-BH4W 4-wire headphone amp and the
CM-BHA headphone amplifier with limiter & loudspeaker , for use in live applications such as in-the-field news reports. The CM-BH4W uses audio transformers at its input and output, providing galvanic isolation and ensuring that communications are loud and clear. It can operate in 4-wire and IFB modes with an AGC to maintain output level, using a talk switch which can be latching or momentary. The CM-BHA has a wide incoming signal gain and an adjustable limiter to prevent and indicate excessive levels. Both units have a long battery life (up to 200 hours on one 9V battery) and a low battery warning LED.
We complimented our existing CM-TB8 8 channel talkback control unit with two new add-in cards: The CM-TB8T which extends the talkback capability of the CM-TB8 by allowing telephone calls to be made and received on two independent analogue direct exchange or PSTN lines and the CM-TBG which is a dual GSM telephone expansion card which allows mobile telephone calls to be made and received via two independent quad band mobile telephone modules. The web server provides access to features including network selection, telephone number storage and phone logs.
More new products in the Redbox range include 3 audio distribution products:
The RB-AES4B3 AESID3 splitter with BNC connectors . This is a passive, quad "one-to-three" splitter housed in a 19" rack with each bank designed to split a single AES3ID digital audio source to up to three destinations. The RB-AES4X3 AES/EBU splitter with Neutrik XLR connectors is a passive, quad "one-to-three" splitter which splits a single AES3 digital audio source to up to three destinations and the RB-MS4X3 microphone splitter is a passive, quad, "one-to-three" splitter for distributing a single microphone or line source to up to three destinations. These are also available in a small form factor as single three way splitters: the CM-AESB3 AES3ID splitter (BNC) , the CM-AESX3 AES/EBU splitter (XLR) and the CM-MS3 microphone splitter .
Also new to the Redbox range is the RB-SD1IP silence detection unit with Ethernet & USB , which offers all the functionality of the existing RB-SD1 with several extra capabilities. Ethernet connectivity allows finer set up and control via a browser based GUI together with a real time view of signal levels and alarm statuses. SNMP V1 is implemented so that the unit can be controlled by existing network management systems and GPI pins enable the generation of SNMP traps on behalf of other, non-networked, hardware. A front panel USB port can hold a pre-recorded message which the unit can play out in the event that both main and auxiliary signals fall silent.
The RB-FS82 audio failover switcher is an important tool in many critical areas in telecommunications and broadcast chains. The device has 8 main + 2 standby, stereo analogue audio, AES/EBU digital audio and RS232 connections (both inputs and outputs) and is used for switching of program sources to a standby destination in the event of a destination failure, or for switching of program sources, including standby sources, to destinations in the event of source failure which would typically be audio decoders at a transmission site.
And the RB-VHDA2x4 is a 3G/HD/SD-SDI 2 input, 8 output video distribution amplifier for re-clocking and distributing up to two 3G, HD (high definition) or SD (standard definition) SDI sources.
2014 brought more Redboxes, the GSM telephone hybrid, radio capture & sound cards and the Flashlog 8 which is a multi-channel logger.
The RB-DA24MD 24 Way Mono Audio Distribution Amplifier is a 1U rack mount high performance 24 way audio distribution amplifier with 2 inputs which can be each individually routed to 12 outputs, or mixed and routed to all 24 outputs.
The RB-DDA6A3 6 Way Stereo AES3ID Digital Audio Distribution Amplifier is used for distributing AES3id digital audio, repeating both the audio data and the status information of the input whilst re-normalising to standard digital audio levels. It has a single BNC AES3id audio input which is distributed to 6 BNC AES3id audio outputs.
The RB-AEC Acoustic Echo Canceller is a 1U rack-mount acoustic echo canceller primarily designed for the benefit of studio personnel for television and radio. When a studio presenter's microphone signal is played out through a monitor speaker in the control room, it can be picked up by the control room microphone(s) and returned to the presenter's earpiece as an undesirable echo.
There are two new telephone hybrids. The DHY-04 Single Automatic Digital TBU, AES/EBU & Analogue I/O With Ethernet which is an enhanced redesign of the DHY-03 , the best performing telephone hybrid in the world. It now has auto-sensing combined analogue and AES/EBU inputs and outputs, front panel speed dial buttons, together with an Ethernet interface to allow web browser access to the configuration and internal settings. All whilst still retaining stunning line balance rejection figures.
And the DHY-04G Single Automatic GSM Hybrid, AES/EBU & Analogue I/O With Ethernet with the ability to be used on a GSM cellular (mobile) phone network instead of a telephone (POTS) line. The DHY-04G can accept a SIM card in the rear panel slot and by connecting a suitable GSM antenna, the DHY-04G can receive and make high quality broadcast calls over the cellular network, converting the GSM call to the 4 wire audio signal to and from a connected mixing console. The GSM module used in the DHY-04G is quad-band GSM, so it can take and make calls on any 2G network.
There is a range of three radio capture cards. These consist of the PC-DAB1-4 Multi-Ensemble DAB+/DAB Radcap PCle which receives and decodes the entire contents of up to four DAB+/DAB ensembles; the PC-FM6-32 FM Radcap PCle designed for simultaneous recording of multiple radio stations; and the PC-AM6-32 AM Radcap PCle designed for simultaneous recording of up to 32 radio stations. There are two professional sound cards, namely the PC-DIG4 Digitorc 4, 4 Stereo AES-3 I/O PCIe which has four AES-3 stereo input and output channels on a Windows platform; and the PC-AUR44 Auricon 4.4 PCIe Analogue Sound Card which is a professional quality 4 stereo input and 4 stereo output analogue PCIe audio card.
Finally, the PC-FL8 Flashlog 8 is a configurable, ultra powerful multi-channel logger which uses the PC-AUR44 and PC-DIG4 sound cards, IP based line inputs (Axia or Wheatstone), radio capture cards and internet radio streams, in a rugged, reliable 4U chassis to continuously log up to 2 years of radio broadcasts or audio.
2015 introduced a number of new products: the AVN-GMCS IEEE1588 PTP Grandmaster Clock with GPS Receiver which is a PTPv2 grandmaster clock for use with AoIP applications. IEEE1588-2008 PTPv2 (precision time protocol) is used to synchronise all the nodes within a network. To achieve this one of the nodes must become the master clock and distribute time packets to the others. The AVN-GMCS is designed to perform this role simply and accurately, enabling sub micro second synchronisation between all nodes. RAVENNA (of which AES67 is a subset) allows for the distribution of audio across a network. For this to be possible, each of the nodes needs to be time synchronised with one another. Ravenna uses PTP time stamping to achieve this, which distributes the network time but also works out the latency involved in the delivery and adjusts the time at each node accordingly. Unit configuration is achieved easily either with the front panel controls or the webserver, including the setup of the PTP profile.
More Redboxes added to the audio interface collection: the Redbox RB-MSP6 6 Way Phantom Power Supply is a 1U rack-mount phantom power supply, designed to be used in conjunction with up to six RB-MS4X3s, providing mains input redundancy to ensure the target microphones remain powered in the event of a single mains failure. Two mains AC inlets power separate 48V supplies that are diode fed to six locking DC connector outputs. Each output connector is individually protected with a resettable fuse rated at 50mA, so a fault on one output will not affect the others.
And, the RB-FS42 Audio Failover Switcher, 4 Main I/O, 2 Standby I/O , which is a smaller channel count version of the RB-FS82, offering a lower number of inputs and outputs. It is a more cost effective solution where failover is needed for a smaller number of sources/destinations and supports all of the features of the RB-FS82.
2016 introduced more of the AVN range of products which are IP audio based talkback intercom units with an advanced feature set, allowing them to be used in multiple applications. With both 4-wire analogue inputs and outputs, as well as AoIP network audio connectivity, the AVN-TB units can be used with existing legacy 4-wire systems and with new AES67 AoIP networked audio infrastructure. Additionally, all audio is at 48kHz sample rate, meaning that it's broadcast quality audio as standard.
RAVENNA (of which AES67 is a subset) allows for the distribution of audio across a network. The AVN range use RAVENNA as the communication method providing compatibility with other AES67 systems.
New this year is the AVN-TB10AR is a 10 button intercom meaning that 10 other 'stations' can be defined, one per button, for communication. Comms can be made as a Talk action, a Listen action or a duplex Talk/Listen action to/from each station. Coloured LEDs in the buttons help to show which action is being used and there is also a Callback button for when you're unavailable to receive a call.
Also, the DHY-04HD Single Automatic HD Voice & GSM Hybrid, AES/EBU & Analogue I/O With Ethernet.The new DHY-04HD is an HD Voice & GSM hybrid for handling high quality voice calls, ideal for studios in remote locations, for OB vans and trucks on the move, and in emergency situations where a telephone landline can't be guaranteed.
Using a 3G or GSM cellular network, it can receive and make high quality broadcast calls of 7kHz bandwidth, converting the 3G or GSM call to the 4 wire audio signal to and from a connected mixing console. The module used in the DHY-04HD is quad-band GSM and 5 band UMTS/HSPA+, so it can take and make calls on any 2G GSM, or 3G network.
2017 introduced more products to the AVN range. The AVN-TB20AR 20 Button Advanced Talkback Intercom, AoIP Portal and theAVN-TB20AD 20 Button Advanced Talkback Intercom, AoIP Desktop Portal. The AVN-TB20AR is a 2U rackmount 20 button version of the AVN-TB10AR with the same specification, but more station buttons allowing greater communication for larger facilities. It also has 'GPI/O' and 'Phone' buttons for remote control of external equipment and Sonifex DHY-04 telephone hybrids, useful in an OB truck or production gallery. The AVN-TB20AD is a desktop version of the rackmount AVN-TB20AR intercom with a smaller form factor and an elegant sloped front. It has the same feature set and connectivity (Except for an additional headset connector on the rear of the AVN-TB20AR).
Finally, the PC-AD2 2 Stereo Analogue I/O & 2 Stereo AES-3 I/O PCIe Half Height Sound Card. The new PC-AD2 is a half height PCIe sound card with dual stereo analogue inputs/outputs and dual stereo AES-3 digital inputs/outputs. It has full Windows 7/10 driver support.
2018 introduced yet more AVN (AES67, AoIP) products. The award winning AVN-PXH12 2 x 12 Channel Mix Monitor, AoIP Portal. The AVN-PXH12 is a world first – it can simply and effectively simultaneously monitor and mix up to 24 AES67 AoIP sources in a compact 1U rack to a speaker/headphone combination in a quick and intuitive way. Any AES67 audio channels on your network can be assigned to input channels on the unit and mixed down to analogue outputs, a headphone output and built-in speaker.
The AVN-TB6 6 Button Talkback Intercom. This is a 6 station talkback intercom using AES AoIP ideal for areas with reduced communications needs, plus the AVN-TB6D 6 Button Talkback Intercom, Desktop. The AVN-TB6D is a desktop version of the AVN-TB6 intercom with a smaller form factor and an elegant sloped front. It has the same feature set and connectivity.
The AVN-PX8X4C 8 x 4 Channel Mix Engine, 24 Inputs, 16 Outputs, AoIP AES67. The mix engine houses the hardware where the complex routing, mixing and DSP functions are performed. This resilient 2U rack has dual hot-swappable AC power supplies and both 1Gb Ethernet & SFP ports.
The AVN-MPTR Technician Remote Controller.
The AVN-MPPR 4 Channel Presenter In-Ear Monitoring Remote Controller, AES67. The presenter remote provides the mixed audio to the presenter's earpiece via front panel ¼" & 3.5mm headphone outputs, together with a rear panel XLR output.
Multi-Channel Audio Interfaces Using AES67 AoIP - AVN Portals. These are a range of 3 audio interface portals which mix and route analogue, AES3, microphone & AES67 stream inputs to analogue, AES3 & AES67 outputs: the AVN-PA8D 8 Stereo Analogue Line Inputs & Outputs, AES67 Display Portal, the AVN-PD8 8 Stereo Digital Line Inputs & Outputs, AES67 Portal and the AVN-PM8T 8 Mic/Line Inputs, 8 Line Outputs, Terminal Block, AES67 Portal.
Each of the portals can be ordered either with the input/output metering displays (D version) or without and there are two options for rear panel connectivity - with XLR/RJ45 connectors or terminal block (T version) connectors. All units have input and output level trim and output limiters.
Passive Packs.The passive packs are a range of small utility products which use transformers to change audio input & output impedances and levels and to distribute audio signals.
Finally, the AVN-CU2-DANTE Dante® Commentator Unit, 2 Commentators. The AVN-CU2-DANTE is a portable commentator unit. Using Dante® AoIP together with 4 wire connections the AVN-CU2-DANTE bridges the gap between old and new technology, allowing the ease of connectivity & functionality of AoIP, together with the legacy connections needed to operate with the existing infrastructure in some stadia and sports grounds. The AVN-CU4-DANTE is a portable commentator unit using Dante® AoIP. It is a dual version of the AVN-CU2-DANTE providing four mic/line inputs with a wide, adjustable gain range and four stereo headphone outputs with lockable jack sockets, suitable for operation by three or four commentators.
Multi-Channel Dante® Audio Interfaces
These new Dante® audio interfaces convert balanced analogue audio line inputs and outputs to Dante AoIP. Simple to configure and operate, these cost effective rack-mount solutions offer an easy solution for AV professionals and system integrators.
Provide 4 (AVN-AI04) or 8 (AVN-AI08) analogue audio inputs and 4 (AVN-AI04) or 8 (AVN-AI08) analogue audio outputs on Neutrik XLR connectors.
Dante network connection for configuration using Dante Controller.
AES67 operation & Dante Domain Manager compliant.
1U 19" rack-mount form factor.
Powered by PoE.
DIO Audiophile Dante® Interfaces
If you're putting audio onto your Dante® network, make it the best audio quality that it can be. Introducing the new DIO audiophile Dante® interfaces.
These nine simple plug and play audio interfaces provide a convenient and elegant method of connecting legacy analogue and digital audio equipment to the Dante AoIP audio network.
What's the difference between these units and others? The audio quality. We're using A/D and D/A circuitry that provides analogue performance that's 10 times better than similar competing products, offering >120dB of dynamic range.
"If you're more interested in what you're saying than the person listening to you is, you're the definition of a boring person".
David Foster Wallace,
quoted in The Guardian
"It's my belief we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain".
Lily Tomlin,
quoted on Parade.com
"My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem. But they don't really know me".
Comedian Garry Shandling,
"The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world".
Alexander von Humboldt,
"Don't talk unless you can improve the silence".
Jorge Luis Borges,
quoted in The Economist
"School was probably a lot easier for Shakespeare because they didn't have to study Shakespeare".
Philomena Cunk,
quoted from BBC Two's Cunk on Shakespeare
"Live every day like it's your last, and one day you'll be right".
A line from the Woody Allen movie, Café Society,
quoted in The Daily Telegraph
"I prefer people who rock the boat to people who jump out".
Orson Wells,
quoted in GQ Magazine
"Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen".
Disraeli,
quoted in Condé Nast Traveller
"I've conducted more orchestras than you can shake a stick at".
Mike Batt,
Composer, quoted in The Times
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies".
Groucho Marx,
quoted on Politico.com
"My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income".
Errol Flynn,
quoted in The Times
"It is now proved beyond doubt that smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics".
Fletcher Knebel, Author,
quoted in the Montreal Gazette
"Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything".
Fred Allen, Comedian,
quoted in the Associated Press
"When you are done changing, you're done".
Benjamin Franklin,
quoted in the Billings Gazette, Montana
"The wheel is turning but the hamster is dead".
Australian insult,
"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are".
W. Somerset Maugham,
quoted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies".
Nelson Mandela,
"Politics is just the art of making the inevitable seem planned".
Quentin Crisp,
"Possessions are generally diminished by possession".
Nietzche,
quoted in The Independent
"The luxury of doing good surpasses every other personal enjoyment".
Playwright John Gay,
quoted in The Financial Times
"I could pull the plug. But would the water leave the bath?"
Unnamed Cabinet minister, when urged to provoke a leadership crisis by resigning,
"There's a strange thing goes on inside a bubble. People inside it can't see outside, don't believe there is an outside".
Lucy Prebble,
"They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?".
Princess Diana,
quoted in The Adelaide Advertiser
"A good listener is a good talker with a sore throat".
Katharine Whitehorn,
quoted in Canada's Waterloo Region Record
"If anyone breaks a window you can answer to her".
Prince William, warning players about the Queen before a football match at Buckingham Palace,
quoted in Business Times
"Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory".
Franklin Pierce Adams, American writer,
"As a child I thought I hated everybody, but when I grew up I realised it was just children I didn't like".
Philip Larkin,
quoted in The Spectator
"There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher ".
Flannery O'Connor,
quoted in Forbes
"Men hate those to whom they have to lie".
Victor Hugo,
quoted in The Nation
"Taking stupid risks is what makes life worth living".
Homer Simpson,
quoted in The Sunday Times
"One thing that annoys me is if people say I'm arrogant. But I am a legend. It's not arrogant. It's a fact.".
Usain Bolt, the Olympic and World champion sprinter,
"He told me his career had gone as far as it could and he was planning on opening a little tobacconist's shop".
Barry Cryer, the comic, remembering when Sir Bruce Forsyth was ready to quit showbiz 50 years ago,
"In theory, theory and practice are much the same. In practice, they are not".
Albert Einstein,
quoted in The Washington Post
"Cash can't bring you happiness, but it comes attached to a better class of problem ".
Woody Allen,
"I won't lie to you, fatherhood isn't easy like motherhood ".
quoted in the Daily Express
"Never go to bed angry. Stay up and plot your revenge ".
Bumper sticker,
quoted in The Advertiser
"Most human beings are quite likeable if you don't see too much of them ".
R.W. Lynd,
quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle
"If people did not sometimes do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done ".
Ludwig Wittgenstein,
quoted in The Buffalo News
"Invest in a business that even a fool can run, because some day a fool will ".
Warren Buffett,
quoted in The Observer
"When someone starts a sentence 'I'm not being..', 'they always are' ".
Ian Martin,
"Memory is a fickle friend, it something something in the end".
"The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off".
Abe Lemons, College basketball coach,
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it".
Mary Wilson Little,
quoted on Forbes.com
"My job is to be president; your job is to keep me humble. Frankly, I think I'm doing my job better".
Barack Obama,to journalists at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner,
"Prejudice is a great time-saver. You can form opinions without having the facts".
E.B. White,
"Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person".
Mark Twain,
quoted in The Daily Mail
"A team effort is a lot of people doing what I say".
Michael Winner,
"I think of the past as a little sister. I love her - but she could benefit from a couple more showers".
Alanis Morissette,
quoted in More
"I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman: 'Where's the self-help section?' She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose".
Steven Wright,
quoted in The Wall Street Journal
"I don't have a sex 'drive'. I have a sex 'just sit in the car and hope someone gets in'".
C.K. Louis, Comedian
"Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but many of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done".
Andy Rooney,
quoted in the Flushing Observer (Mich)
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception".
"They say hard work never killed anybody, but I say, why take the chance".
Ronald Reagan,
quoted in The FT
"It would have been splendid...if the wine had been as cold as the soup, the beef as rare as the service, the brandy as old as the fish, and the maid as willing as the duchess".
Winston Churchill, when asked about dinner,
"If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money".
Abigail Van Buren,
quoted in The Monterey County Herald (California)
"I believe in the discipline of silence and can talk for hours about it".
George Bernard Shaw,
quoted in The West Australian
"The more I practice, the luckier I am".
Ben Hogan, Golfer,
quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald
"You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake".
Bob Hope,
"In the art world, 'tasteful' is probably a bigger insult than 'tasteless'".
Grayson Perry,
quoted in The Sunday Telegraph
"My relationship with death remains the same. I am strongly against it".
"Creativity is intelligence having fun".
quoted in Ad Age
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough".
Mae West,
quoted in the Morton Grove Champion, Illinois
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do".
Isaac Asimou,
"If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel".
Joe Pasquale,
quoted in The Sun
"If you're not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold".
Warning to users of online services,
"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something".
Wilson Mizner,
Playwright,
quoted in the Palm Beach Daily News, Florida
"Never invest in any idea you can't illustrate with a crayon".
Peter Lynch,
Wall Street investor,
quoted in The Australian Financial Review
"Never go into a room unless you know how to get out of it".
Margaret Thatcher,
as recalled by Michael Heseltine in The Times
"I like work: It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours".
Jerome K. Jerome,
"If, on Monday morning you wake up dreading going to work - by Friday you should have done something about it".
Timothy Ian Bradbury,
in Talk of the Town, SA
"When desire comes in the door, judgement jumps out the window and cracks its skull on the pavement".
Yiddish saying,
quoted in The New Yorker
"Wherever my dad is now, he's looking down on me...Not because he is dead, but because he is very condescending".
Jack Whitehall,
"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get".
"It's easy to be miserable. Being happy is tougher and cooler".
Thom Yorke, from the band Radiohead,
"I've learnt one thing, people who know the least anyways seem to know it the loudest".
Andy Capp, Cartoonist,
"Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity".
Simone Weil,
"Fun is like life insurance: The older you get, the more it costs".
Kin Hubbard, Cartoonist,
"My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 now, and we don't know where the hell she is".
Ellen DeGeneres,
"If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered".
Edgar Allan Poe,
"It takes only one one drink to get me drunk, Trouble is, I can't remember if it's the 13th or 14th".
George Burns,
quoted on BBC News online
"There is only one thing people like that is good for them: a good night's sleep".
Edgar Watson Howe,
quoted on Bookreporter.com
"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life".
Rita Rudner,
US Comedian,
"There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better. But the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more".
Woody Allen, quoted in The Daily Telegraph
"The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall".
Mitch Hedberg, quoted in the Montreal Gazette
"Be yourself. That's the worst piece of advice you could give an impressionist".
Rory Bremner, quoted in The Times
"When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog, so that someone in the house is happy to see you".
Nora Ephron, quoted in NYTimes,com
"You know you're working class when your TV is bigger than your bookcase".
Rob Beckett, at the Edinburgh Festival, quoted on BBC News online
"Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy".
Adage, quoted in the The Times
"Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion".
Richard Nixon, quoted in the Montreal Gazette
"What is that unforgettable line?".
Samuel Beckett, quoted on BroadwayWorld.com
"People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war, or before an election".
Otto von Bismarck, quoted in The Montreal Gazette
"It is never too late to be who you might have been".
George Eliot, quoted in The Times
"I have never been guilty of method acting, or even any acting".
Roger Moore, (on his career), quoted in the Daily Mail
"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning".
Catherine Aird, quoted in the Savannah Morning
"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness".
Bertrand Russell, quoted in The Courier-Mail
"Television enables you to be entertained in your home by people you wouldn't have in your home".
David Frost, quoted in The Washington Post
"Civilisation begins with distillation".
William Faulkner, quoted in the Los Angeles Times
"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate".
Charles Dickens, quoted in the Peoria, Ill., Journal
"You're not stuck in traffic. You are traffic".
German transport campaign, quoted in The Guardian
"When a man tells you he got rich through hard work, ask him: Whose?".
Don Marquis, quoted in Forbes
"The value of an industry is inversely proportional to the number of awards it gives itself".
Blogger David Burge, quoted in The Weekly Standard
"Accentuate the positives, medicate the negatives".
Actress Amy Sedaris, quoted in The New York Times
"He that doesn't tooteth his own trumpet, doesn't get his trumpet tooteth".
Old Tennessee adage, quoted on RealClearPolitics.com
"Man Finally Put in Charge of Struggling Feminist Movement".
Headline in satirical magazine, The Onion,quoted in The Independent
"Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than bad memory".
Franklin Pierce Adams, Journalist, quoted on NewYorker.com
"A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car".
Kenneth Tynan, quoted in The Times
"Exhilaration is that feeling you get just after a great idea hits you, and just before you realise what's wrong with it".
Rex Harrison, quoted in The Buffalo News
"A journey of self-discovery starts with a single step. But so does falling down a flight of stairs".
Kathy Lette, quoted in The Independent
"Breasts are still our cheapest special effect".
Hollywood saying, quoted in The Guardian
"If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet".
Keith Richards, quoted in The Wall Street Journal
"The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it's so rare".
Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, quoted in The Buffalo News
"The only difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets".
Will Rogers, quoted in The Times
"Common sense and a sense of humour are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humour is just common sense, dancing".
William James, quoted in the St Paul Pioneer Press
"A committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing but as a group decide nothing can be done".
Fred Allen, US Humourist, quoted in the Guardian
"Behind every successful man there is a surprised woman".
Maryon Pearson, quoted in the Chicago Tribune
"There are many things in life that are more important than money. And they all cost money".
Fred Allen, quoted on CNN.com
"The only thing statesmen learn from history's past mistakes is how to make new ones".
A.J.P. Taylor, quoted in The Daily Mail
"Any party that takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the drought".
Dwight D. Morrow, quoted in The Independent
"All progress is based upon universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income".
Samuel Butler, quoted in The Daily Telegraph
"Education is what's left when what has been learnt has been forgotten".
Psychologist B.F.Skinner, quoted in The Independent
"What is the point in growing old if you can't hound and persecute the young?".
Kenneth Clarke, quoted in The Times
"It just seems to me that the left hand don't know what the extreme left hand is doing".
Gordon Brown, on his left-wing rivals, quoted in The Independent on Sunday
"Learn from others mistakes. We don't have time to make them all ourselves".
Eleanor Roosevelt, quoted in The Huffington Post
"If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style".
Quentin Crisp, quoted on CNN.com
"There is no such thing as fun for the whole family: there are no massage parlours with ice cream and free jewellery".
Jerry Seinfeld, quoted in the Denver Post
"Being famous is my job. When I leave the house I'm clocking in".
Noel Gallagher, quoted in The Times
"A radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air".
Franklin D. Roosevelt,, quoted in The Independent
"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level".
Quentin Crisp, quoted on CNN
"Chess doesn't drive people mad, it keeps mad people sane".
Bill Hartston,
Former British Chess Champion,
"Never eat more than you can lift ".
Miss Piggy,
"The trouble with life in the fast lane is that you get to the other end in an awful hurry".
John Jensen,
Danish Soccer Star,
"It's worse than dog eat dog. It's dog doesn't return other dog's phone calls".
Woody Allen, on Hollywood,
"History is just one damn thing after another".
Arnold Toynbee,
"A newspaper is a device unable to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilisation".
"Youth might be wasted on the young but university is definitely wasted on students".
Ian Hollingshead,
"Fame is like watching someone ride past very fast on a horse. It looks exciting and you think: 'I want to do that' but the actual experience can be frightening or a substantial pain in the arse".
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see".
Arthur Schopenbauer,
quoted in The Boston Globe
"I support gay marriage because I believe they have the right to be just as miserable as the rest of us".
Kinky Friedman,
"If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse".
Henry Ford,
"Stupidity has a knack of getting its way".
Albert Camus,
"Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?".
Tony Hancock,
"Thanks to my devoted wife, without whose unquestioning faith and support this book was nevertheless written".
Rupert Morgan, a dedication in one of his novels,
"Winston has devoted the best years of his life to preparing his impromptu speeches".
F.E. Smith,
"If it weren't for the fact that the TV and the fridge are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all".
Joey Adams, Comic,
quoted in the New York Post
"Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell".
Jean Paul Richter, German Writer,
"Politics is an honest effort to misunderstand each other".
Robert Frost,
quoted in the Los Angeles Times
"Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm".
Winston Churchill,
"When asked what wine he liked, Diogenes replied:'That which belongs to another' ".
"Don't be afraid not to follow the herd - because where the herd's gone, the food is already eaten".
Bob Dylan,
quoted on OpenDemocracy.com
"Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won't buy you the wag of his tail".
Henry Wheeler Shaw,
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity".
The adage know as Hanlon's Razor,
cited in The Daily Telegraph
"What you have to remember is that civil servants use vagueness and ambiguity with razor-sharp precision.".
Senior Civil Servant,
quoted in letter to The Times
"Whenever I date a guy, I think:'Is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with?".
Rita Radner, US Comedian,
"If anyone tells me I'm fat, I say, "That's because everytime I make love to your wife, she gives me a biscuit".
Clement Freud,
on combating 'fat-ism' on Radio 4's Just a Minute
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you; it's the things you know that ain't so".
"I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific".
Lilly Tomlin,
quoted in the Calgary Herald
Bertrand Russell,
"I always invest in companies an idiot could run, because one day one will".
quoted in The Mail on Sunday
"Men are always asking what women want in bed. The answer is breakfast".
Kathy Lette,
"The man who makes no mistakes usually does not make anything".
Theodore Roosevelt,
"An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell you more than he knows".
Dwight Eisenhower,
quoted in the Illawarra Mercury
"I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves".
Nick Helm,
Most popular joke at the Edinburgh Fringe
"If the young are not initiated into the village, they will burn it down just to feel its warmth".
African Proverb,
"The thankless task of drowning other people's kittens".
Cyril Connolly's definition of book reviewing,
"Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's just too much fraternising with the enemy".
Henry Kissinger,
"I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again".
Joan Rivers,
"I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes".
Oprah Winfrey,
quoted in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"Other players are involved in tennis, but I'm committed. It's like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed".
Martina Navratilova ,
"The real menace in dealing with a five-year-old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five-year-old".
Writer Jean Kerr ,
quoted on WashingtonPost.com
"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues."
Elizabeth Taylor, quoted in the Guardian
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time"
W. Somerset Maughan, quoted in the Herald, Monterey County, Calif
"In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant".
Charles de Gaulle, quoted in the Montreal Gazette
"Success is a great deodorant. It takes away all your past smells".
"Economists have predicted nine out of the last five recessions".
Old Joke, quoted in the Times
"The art of diplomacy is letting the other fellow have your own way".
Anonymous Indian
diplomat, quoted in the Times
DHY-03
Flashlog
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Pro Audio Streamers
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Sonifex Ltd. 61 Station Road, Irthlingborough, Northants, NN9 5QE, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1933 650700 Fax: +44 (0)1933 650726 EMail: sales@sonifex.co.uk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Walking With Giants
Bible, Theology, Preaching
Bible Study Notes
Types of Literature in the Bible
What is the shape of the Bible's story?
The canon of Scripture
Historical Difficulties
The Old Testament story – chart
Genesis (intro)
Exodus (intro)
Deuteronomy (intro)
Esther 1
Esther 10
Job – intro
Psalms (intro)
Proverbs (intro)
Ecclesiastes (intro)
Song of Songs (intro)
Song of Songs 1
Isaiah (intro)
Hosea 11
Jonah – intro
Micah – intro
Habakkuk 1
Zechariah 1
Malachi 1
Canonical Order of NT Books
Mark (intro)
Luke (intro)
John (intro)
Acts (intro)
Romans (intro)
1 Corinthians (intro)
Galatians (intro)
Ephesians (intro)
Philippians 1
Colossians (intro)
1 Thessalonians (intro)
Hebrews (intro)
James (intro)
1 Peter (intro)
1 John (intro)
Water From the Rock, 1-7
The Amalekites Defeated, 8-16
The Israelites of the Exodus may have stopped at the oasis Wâdī Feiran (the traditional Rephidim) near Jebel Mûsā if they had taken a southern route through the Sinai. At Rephidim Moses provided water for the complaining people by striking a rock with his rod (Ex. 17:1–7) (ISBE)
Ex 17:1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, travelling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
Verses 1-7 tell of Israel's complaint, and of the provision of water at Horeb. There is a similar account in Nu 20:13, but it is unlikely that both passages are describing the same event.
Ex 17:2 So they quarrelled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"
They quarreled with Moses – This is the key statement in this episode, and the reason why the place was named 'Meribah' ('arguing').
Ex 17:3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
Ex 17:4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."
"They are almost ready to stone me" – Compare the experience of David at Ziklag, 1 Sam 30:6, and of Adoram at Shechem, 1 Kings 12:18. Cole points out that Christ, Jn 10:31, Stephen, Acts 7:58, and Paul, Acts 14:19, all faced stoning at the hands of God's people, the very people to whom they had been sent.
Ex 17:5 The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go."
Ex 17:6 "I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Horeb – This appears to be a synonym for Sinai.
Commentators usually seem to be at a loss as to how to make sense of this miracle. Stuart, for example, simply concedes that this is 'hardly a normal means of finding water'!
Durham (WBC) thinks that 'the naturalistic explanations of the water as coming from a spring that flows beneath "a thin layer of rock" (so Cassuto, 202–3) are as misplaced as the attempts at a "logical" accounting for the manna and the quails. The whole point of and reason for this narrative is Yahweh's miraculous provision for his people, by supplying water where there was none, from the unlikeliest of all spots, a rock.'
Colin Humphries thinks that a natural explanation can be found for the water coming out of the rock (the miracle, in this case, being in the timing). He notes two particular features in the story: firstly, the rock is described as 'the rock at Horeb', suggesting a large and notable rock. Secondly, Moses is commanded to 'strike' the rock (and the underlying word indicates a forcible blow). It is well-known that porous rocks, such as sandstone and limestone, can hold large quantities of water. These reserves are frequently used as aquifers, for the supply of water for human and agricultural use. In desert conditions, sandstorms can force sand and organic material onto the surface of the rock, leading to the formation of a hard impervious crust. This crust prevents the water from draining out of the rock, but, if broken, will allow it to drain out.
Ex 17:7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarrelled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
A number of OT refs to God are in the NT shown to be refs to the Holy Spirit, Ex 17:7 w Heb 3:7-9 Isa 6:3,8-10 w Acts 28:25-27 Ps 78:17,21 w Acts 7:51.
Ex 17:8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
Summary: 'While the Israelites were encamped at Rephidim they were attacked by the Amalekites. These people were descendants of Esau (Gn 36:12, 16). The Amalekites pounced upon the stragglers who were weary and worn out from the journey (Dt 25:17-19). Joshua, mentioned here for the first of twenty-seven times in the Pentateuch, was delegated to organize a fighting force to deal with the threat. Moses promised to undergird his efforts with intercession on a nearby hill. He would hold in hand his staff, symbol of the power of God at work among his people. Moses' reliance on the staff, however, did not exclude the action of Joshua (17:8-9). As long as the Israelite fighters could see the upraised staff of Moses on the hill they prevailed in battle. When the staff was lowered because of fatigue, however, the course of the battle changed. Noting this, a stone was rolled into position for Moses to sit upon. Aaron and Hur stationed themselves on either side of him and propped up his hands until the sun set. (Jewish tradition identifies Hur as the husband of Miriam.) Joshua was thus enabled to overcome the Amalekite army (17:10-13). Battles as well as blessings mark the course of a believer's pilgrimage. Sometimes the Lord fights for his people (as at the Red Sea), and sometimes through his people. In any case believers can be confident that he who is in their midst is greater than any enemy which may be encountered in the way.' (OT Survey)
'God had provided mannah from heaven and water from the rock; now he provides deliverance from enemies.' (New Geneva)
'The Amalekites, who were descended from Abraham through Esau, (Ge 36:15) were a nomadic or seminomadic people who inhabited the general region of the Negev and the Sinai during the second half of the second millennium B.C.' (OT Background Cmt'y)
According to Deut 25:17f 'Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.'
It may be assumed that the area could not support grazing for both Israel and Amalek. The Amalekites' typical method of attack (mentioned resentfully in Deut 25:18) was to cut off stragglers from the rear and sides of the group.
The Lord had brought them out of Egypt. But they sometimes felt as if they had been taken out of the frying pan and into the fire. When they were lost, the Lord was their guide; when they were hungry and thirsty, the Lord was their provider. Now they are under attack. Now their protector.
a permanent record/reminder – the altar: something happened they were never to forget
the attacks we experience – the 'fiery darts' of the evil one. Mortification. Jn 18:36
Our part – different roles for Joshua (personal effort) and Moses (fervent prayer)
But the battle belongs to the Lord: the Lord is my banner
Ex 17:9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
This is the first mention of Joshua. "Joshua was born in Egypt during the period of slavery. He was a member of Ephraim, the important tribe that later formed the heart of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He first appeared during the battle with the Amalekites during the desert travels. He was Moses' general, who led the troops in the actual fighting while Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands. (Ex 17:8-13)
Joshua was Moses's servant. (Ex 24:13) He was on the mountain when Moses received the Law. (Ex 32:17) He was also one of the twelve spies Moses sent to investigate Canaan. (Nu 13:8) He and Caleb returned with a positive, minority report. Of all the adults alive at that time, only the two of them were allowed to live to enter the land of Canaan. (Nu 14:28-30,38)
The Lord selected Joshua to be Moses' successor long before Moses' death. (Nu 27:15-23 Deut 31:14-15,23 34:9) Joshua was a military leader, a political leader, and a spiritual leader. He was quiet and unassuming, but he was not buffaloed by his responsibilities or the task that lay before him. He was a battlefield genius, particularly in the areas of careful planning, strategy, and execution. He was a capable administrator for the nation, effective in maintaining harmony among people and groups. He was a spokesman to the people for the Lord. Though he did not receive the Law as Moses had, he communicated the Lord's will and the Lord's message much like Moses.
Joshua was at the helm of the nation during the conquest and the distribution and settlement of Canaan. He led in the covenant renewal at mount Ebal and Shechem. (Jos 8:30-35 24:1-28) He was able to challenge his people by both word and example. His pattern is a hard one to better." (Holman)
This incident is alluded to by William Cowper:-
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight,
Prayer keeps the Christian's armour bright,
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.
While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel's side;
But when through weariness they failed,
That moment Amalek prevailed.
Ryle refers to this passage in his classic description of Christian zeal: 'Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do his will, and to advance his glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature-which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted-but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called 'zealous' men…A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies-whether he has health, or whether he has sickness-whether he is rich, or whether he is poor-whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offence-whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish-whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise-whether he gets honour, or whether he gets shame-for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God's glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it-he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray…If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill. (Ex 17:9-13) If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of 'zeal' in religion. (Practical Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130)
Ex 17:10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.
Ex 17:11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
The likely explanation (cf. v16; also Ps 63:4) is that Moses' hands were held up in prayer; while he did so, the Israelites were victorious. 'The act represents the efficacy of intercessory prayer-offered doubtless by Moses-a point of great moment to the Israelites at that time and to the Church in all ages.' (Barnes)
We might think of individuals today – especially elderly or frail Christians – who cannot be actively involved in the Christian fight, but who can support it with powerful and prevailing prayers.
'The church's cause is, commonly, more or less successful according as the church's friends are more or less strong in faith and fervent in prayer.' (MHC)
Ex 17:12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-one on one side, one on the other-so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
Ex 17:13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Ex 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
"Write this on a scroll" – 'It is interesting that the "writing" is paired with oral recitation here: no doubt this corresponds to the two great streams of sacred tradition, written and oral. It is also interesting that the oral is here seen to be in dependence upon the written document.' (Cole)
Ex 17:15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.
The Lord is my banner – lit. 'Jehovahnissi'. Cf. Gen 22:14 (The Lord will provide). See also Ps 60:4.
'Banners are identifying flags or streamers attached to the end of a standard. Throughout history they have served three main purposes: to identify a group, to claim possession of a space or territory and to lend festivity to a celebration. Banners are rallying points, physically and/or emotionally.' (DBI)
'The banner was frequently used to rally an army for battle (cf. Ps 60:4 MT 6); thus the altar would witness to all who saw it that Yahweh was responsible for the Israelites' victory over the Amalekites.' (ISBE)
The altar – a place of sacrifice and worship
The banner – a rallying-point
Ex 17:16 he said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."
The Amalekites are mentioned again in 1 Sam 15:2-3, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"' But Saul captured Agag the Amalekite king, and spared his life. For this act of disobedience, Saul was rejected as king, 15:23. Then we read in the book of Esther of the plot of Haman to destroy the Israelites. Haman, be it noted, was an Agagite, a descendent of the sole survivor of the Amalekites.
'Amalek's destruction was typical of the destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his kingdom. Whoever make war with the Lamb, the Lamb will overcome them.' (MHC)
Spiritual warfare - sermon notes
Text: Exodus 17:8-16 We stand, as it were, at a mid-point between two vast continents. …
©2019 - Walking With Giants	- Weaver Xtreme Theme


text:
The NEW Album And Mission Of Rusty Shipp! by Russ T. Shipp
Ahoy, mates! Captain Russ T. Shipp of Rusty Shipp here with some BIG news! A lot of new and exciting things have happened for us this year, including winning the 2020 JFH Awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and 3 other awards—which is all thanks to you wonderful JFH voters out there!
Naturally, we've turned our gaze to the future, to the new songs and next album of Rusty Shipp, an album we hope to surpass the ambition and creativity of an award-winning album like 'Liquid Exorcist.' This next album is actually one we began working on BEFORE 'Liquid Exorcist,' a full-length concept album that started taking shape right after our 'Mortal Ghost' album's release. But we decided to release an EP first before launching into another LP, and then that EP kept growing and becoming more complex until it became 'Liquid Exorcist,' a concept album in its own right, and kind of an EP/LP hybrid. But now that we've been sitting on these new songs for a while, letting this new story marinate and grow for years, we're very excited and confident that this will in fact be our biggest, best, most epic, most ambitious, most creative, ULTIMATE RUSTY SHIPP MASTERPIECE ALBUM!!!
So if we're attempting to make the ultimate, nautical rock 'n' roll concept album, what could be a more nautical concept than the ocean itself?! With scientists saying that up to 95% of the ocean is still unexplored, who knows what could be lurking down there? The imagination naturally wanders to tales of sea monsters and lost, underwater civilizations, and we plan to take the listener on an underwater journey to the "Dark Side of the Ocean" to see what mysteries could be lurking there. The further down the rabbit hole we'll go, the weirder and weirder it will get in this journey to the bottom.
**More info on the album and its concept here: https://bit.ly/RS-Presale
But something else is bubbling up from the surface of the deep; in this case it's a newfound sense of vision and mission in me (Russ T. Shipp), being the primary lyricist in the band. Whereas 'Liquid Exorcist' was very much an album of artistic expression, rich in imagery and soundscapes that brought the listener into scenes of 1940's naval battles with sea mine terrorism, lately I've been convicted to have a different approach with this next album. Even before the challenges of 2020, I've become increasingly disturbed by the lack of fulfillment, purpose, vision, and happiness I see in the lives of people today, and I think the world needs so much more than a really creative, artistic concept album about the mysteries of the ocean; they need songs that will help them navigate these current times in the world, and the more direct circumstances of their daily lives. And so for this new album, I've undertaken a lofty, songwriting challenge: make a full-on, artistic concept album that journeys to the bottom of the sea (with all the fun that goes with that), while also addressing the fallout of 2020 and replacing that chaos with messages of hope and strength. I want to give people singable, mantra-like lyrics that will empower them, fill them with real hope they can cling to in their every day lives, that will grow their faith and purpose every time they sing them.
We've been really getting more and more convicted and intentional in this band about what specific, clear messages we are wanting to communicate to people and get stuck in their heads. There is such incredible power that comes from making music and lyrics, and so we want to be responsible with that power to literally elevate the listener's overall focus to one that is set on the most important, most life-giving things in life, and specifically the following: God's desire for Shalom (or harmony) in the world, God's desire for us to individually become ALL that He created us to be, God's desire for us to love Him by loving all of His creations, and God's desire for us to be raised— like Jesus— to eternal life after we die. If the most powerful being in the universe wants all of those things for us (harmony, fulfillment, unconditional love, and eternal life) and is indeed working all the time to give them to us, then really what is there left to be afraid of in this life? That is the message we want to get stuck in the world's heads and hearts, and so we hope to accomplish that in this new album.
Want to see if we accomplish our goal? Right now we're allowing people early access to the album-making process when they preorder our new album, which includes getting a demo of one of the new songs, exclusive access to private live streams straight from the recording studio when we're laying down the new tracks, and everyone who preorders will get the new album months before its public release!
Really we need people's help from this Presale so that we can have funding to pay for the recording sessions up front, so we're trying to sweeten the deal for people by offering special, exclusive merch items and rewards that are ONLY available to people who preorder before December 8, when our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign expires. Please watch the video and click the link below to find out more about the new concept of the album and also what special merch and rewards we're giving out before the Presale ends on Dec. 8!
**Video about the new album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOHCOuCnTVE&t=1s
HUGE thanks to anyone who believes in us and our music enough to help us bring these new songs into the world by contributing to our crowdfunding campaign!!
And please join us on December 8th on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (Periscope) @6pm CST for a telethon-style live stream as we close out the final hours of our crowdfunding campaign with some live music from the band (including the revealing of a new song) and contests for FREE Rusty Shipp merch! See you there!
Hold fast to hope, everyone!
~Russ T. Shipp and the crew of Rusty Shipp
**Check out the new album Presale here: https://bit.ly/RS-Presale


text:
The cost of the repeal
February 21, 2016 August 17, 2014 by Matthew Rao
Well, the carbon tax is gone, and with it, Australia's respectability on the world stage in regards to one of the most important issues that humanity will face this century. Mr Abbott and his fellow Liberals now have the distinction of being the first government to reverse progressive policy on climate change and, in doing so, they have alienated Australia from much of the Western world.
Britain, despite its conservative government, has recognised climate change as a threat and has supported and voted for initiatives to combat it. The rest of Europe has also been quite active in regards to climate change with many of its countries undertaking carbon-pricing policies. But most importantly, Mr Abbott made himself look like a complete imbecile on the world stage recently when he failed in his attempt to form a coalition of cretins with conservative leaders in the West, in a bid to act as a counter-weight to America's increasingly progressive stance on climate change.
It is well known that President Obama has outlined climate change as a key area in his second term. Mr Obama is seemingly desperate to leave a legacy behind that consists of more than a much-maligned, although well-working healthcare program and as a result, he has enacted a number of executive orders to reduce America's 'carbon footprint'. Therefore, perhaps it would be wise for a newly elected Prime Minister of a middle power nation not to undermine the most powerful man in the world on a key issue, however, Abbott gave it a shot by trying to ally himself with numerous climate sceptic leaders from around the world. There was one problem though; none of them, with the exception of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, gave Abbott any sign of support for his plan. Instead, Britain's longest serving environment minister, Lord Debem, labelled Abbott's plan to abolish the carbon tax as "recklessly endangering".
But it's not all depressing, even though Australia now looks completely pre-historic on the international stage, at least we saved the economy right? The Abbott government's primary reason for dismantling the carbon tax has always been that it destroys the economy, not that it doesn't work. It's always been interesting to me that Liberals have often attacked the policy's impact on the economy rather than the effectiveness of the policy in combating climate change, which is what it is designed for after all.
However, the only problem with the idea that the carbon tax will destroy the economy is that it is completely unfounded in reality. Politicians are prone to make sensationalist claims but this one becomes completely laughable when you look to the data. Unlike a policy that is only proposed and yet to be implemented, the carbon tax was in full swing for two years before it was axed, so we have actual data and statistics to see how it worked.
Two of the major claims made by the opponents of the tax were that prices would rise unsustainably and jobs would be slashed across the board. In reality, we saw inflation over the two years rise at the relatively slow rates that you would expect them to in a country that is emerging from an economic downturn. The inflation rate has been between the 2-3% 'goldilocks' zone for almost two years now. As for unemployment, it experienced only the mildest of fluctuations over the life of the tax and there was never the destructive impact on the workforce that Abbott guaranteed would eventuate. In regards to two of the key factors of the economy, the carbon tax has had a negligible effect.
Although the carbon tax is gone, the issue of climate change hasn't disappeared and it will almost certainly return to the forefront of the political consciousness in the years to come. This time around there was massive debate. Debate on the floor of parliament, on talkback radio, on television, at dinner parties and in pubs all around Australia.
However, the one place where there wasn't debate was between climate scientists; coincidentally the only group of people whose opinion on climate change actually matters.
There was also very little debate between economists about the impact of the tax on the economy. The vast majority of them insisted that carbon pricing was the best and most efficient way of tackling the problem of climate change without challenging the integrity of the economy. They also insisted that Abbott's alternative measure, 'direct action', is not a sufficient replacement if it were to be passed by the Senate. Perhaps this shouldn't be too surprising considering Abbott dismissed the notion that his policy should be modelled before implementation and instead ensured that he would just "give it a crack".
So next time this issue comes up let's try to decipher the arguments of our politicians with a little more intent and try listening to the people who actually know what they are talking about. It may not be the most exciting way to go about it and it may require a bit of energy and research on our part, but it can't hurt to 'give it a crack'.
Categories National Tags australian politics, carbon tax, climate change policy, global warming, market mechanisms, Tony Abbott Post navigation
Blood money – should blood donors be paid?


To enable attendees to become familiar with the process of creating Vitalware Reports using Excel and/or Crystal Reports.
A two day workshop; each attendee has exclusive access to a PC running the Vitalware client, MS Excel and Crystal Reports software. PCs are networked to a server machine on which the Vitalware server and database engine are installed. Each attendee has access to a complete Vitalware system, including the backend databases.
Previous experience with Crystal Reports creation is highly recommended.


Let's start posting on a new thread so everyone doesn't have to scroll all the way down the old one.
I would also like to inform everyone that there will be periods from time to time during which I won't be replying to posts. This is because my travels sometimes take me into areas where internet connectivity is not available or difficult. I usually get this caught up fairly quickly when I return.


Keep a record of every time your kid brush day and night, use this colorful brushing chart to make the brushing routine fun. Color the star after each brushing, and don't forget to reward them if they brush well. The chart comes with double-sided tape for easy install.


In addition to our waterfront Marina del Rey wedding venues, Jamaica Bay Inn also offers the perfect event venues for beachfront bridal showers, romantic waterfront rehearsal dinners, or post-wedding brunches in Marina del Rey, CA. We'll work with you to create the perfect menu for this special occasion, and offer warm, professional service throughout the event. With the space to accommodate large groups, complemented with beautiful waterfront views, Jamaica Bay Inn has become a favorite spot for rehearsal dinners and post-wedding brunches in Marina del Rey!
To learn more about our beautiful event space in Marina del Rey, submit a RFP below or contact our Catering Manager, Blanca Brenes, to schedule your site tour. We can't wait to help bring your special day to life and celebrate with you!


The flood of negative comments to ICANN yesterday almost obscured the fact that a few companies have hinted that they will apply for their own ".brand" top-level domains.
As Antony Van Couvering first noted on the Minds + Machines blog, IBM's comment on version four of the Draft Applicant Guidebook makes it pretty clear the idea of a .ibm is under consideration.
IBM's filing raises concerns about the issues of sunrise periods and vertical integration, with particular reference as to whether .brand owners would be exempt from such things.
This suggests IBM is thinking about its own .brand.
If we make the (admittedly cheeky but probably realistic) assumption that the large majority of comments filed with ICANN are self-serving, we can infer that anyone taking in an interest in the nuts and bolts of running a new TLD has probably considered applying for one.
Other than IBM, I've notice two others so far: Microsoft and the American Red Cross.
Microsoft, while generally opposed to a large-scale new TLD launch, is very concerned about parts of the DAG that would allow ICANN to transfer a .brand delegation to a third party if the original registry were to shut down for whatever reason.
In other words, if Microsoft one day decided that running ".windows" was a waste of time and decided to shut it down, could ICANN appoint Apple to take it over?
I suggest that this is something that you only really worry about if you're thinking about applying for a .brand TLD.
The American Red Cross comment contains references to a hypothetical scenario where it applies for its own TLD throughout.
It's especially concerned that its administrative overheads would increase due to the high ICANN application fees, eating into the money it can spend on worthier causes.
To date, Canon is the only company I'm aware of to publicly state it will apply for a .brand.
There's no point in a big brand owner declaring at this juncture, as they'd have nothing to gain.
Agree with Michele. The brands are trying to squeeze extra concessions out of ICANN; announcing their intentions would dilute that effort.


Fun at the Sealife Centre, Brighton!
A big thank you to the Sealife Centre, Brighton for offering VIP tickets to Fun in Action for Children. All our children, and befrienders, had a great time and enjoyed learning more about our sealife, judging by the many questions being asked!! Thank you for thinking of us.


So finally the day came after four best days of my life spent in Holland, please do forgive me for calling the Netherlands so but I like the former name for it has childhood associations attached to it.
Groningen, Holland was our first destination of our almost ten days long tour of three Schengen countries; Holland, Belgium and France. Why I had chosen Groningen, an otherwise unknown city to the tourists, as my first destination in Holland?
Well I went there to meet my school days friend Tariq Hashmi at Groningen to meet him after 43 years. We enjoyed his hospitality for the next three days. He and his family looked after us immensely well – they even vacated three of their bedrooms for us and tucked their entire family in one room for as long we stayed in Groningen.
Everyday dawned with a hearty breakfast with a variety of breads, peanut butter, Nutella (I hear is going to be no more by the end of this year) beside eggs and kebabs, coffee and fresh juices. The lunch and dinner tables were equally elaborate – which spoke their love for us. His wife remained busy in the kitchen throughout the day to make mouthwatering dishes for us – I never felt more at home in someone else's home ever in my life as I did in Tariq Hashmi's house.
Although Tariq's eye was to be operated upon in a few days' time and was forbidden to drive, but for us he dared and took us around Groningen, its market places and the city center to show the little city – clean and lively.
It was from here that we went to see Amsterdam by road one day and then to the Dolfinarium in the city of Harderwijk. It was at Harderwijk that I saw a real and working original Dutch windmill besides the dolphins and walrus performing just a few feet from us.
And in Amsterdam, beside a ride in the boat around Amsterdam and a visit to the Dam - the city center, Madame Tussaud's museum was something that was a surprise as I thought it was only in London.
Tariq's hospitality continued for full three days till we finally bade goodbye to him and his family and left for The Hague and later Rotterdam to be guest of Shahid Latif, another fine gentleman from Lahore and his Moroccan wife.


View our eastern cape tour lodging that we use on our Eastern Cape Cultural tours.The lodging is all local,no big chain hotels, all adding to this special memorable Eastern Cape Cultural tours experience.
We visit Nelson Mandela childhood village.
Meet guests in East London Airport and drive to Alice.We can pick you up in Port Elizabeth as well.
If we have time,we will show you parts of historic East London,visit a township,and a local soup kitchen.These activities depend on what time you arrive into East London.
We will visit the Art Gallery in Fort Hare University popular for its breathtaking art collection.The art work here is done by African artists.
It depicts life in the Townships and rural areas, as well as life during the struggle. You will have time to walk through the campus, and if you have a particular interest,we can arrange a meeting with a local University academic for a short discussion.
Proceed to Bisho where will visit Steve Biko's home and Steve Biko Garden of Remembrance where his grave is.Steve Biko died in the hands of the South African Police while on the struggle for the liberation of the oppressed in South Africa.
On the way we will stop by to see the a local creche( day care center) started by Steve biko and his wife.
As well there is a medical clinic that we can visit as well, that was also started by him as well.
We overnite at the Kings Place..the palace of the King. The complex which has 40 rondavels (roundish Xhosa traditional houses).
These rondavels depict 40 tribes that they represent and each with it`s own chief and they are also accommodation for guests visiting the palace.
Kings Place Eastern Cape Cultural Tour Lodging.
After breakfast we cross the Kei river to get to the rural areas of the Eastern Cape ..the locals love it as they get a free ride each time a car goes across .
From here we will proceed to the Wild Coast via the Kei Mouth and cross the river Great Kei on a pontoon over to the Transkei homeland.
We travel all the way to the Wild Coast through villages experiencing the rural way of living.
For Lunch traditional food will be organised in one of the villages.
We will also be able to see and walk around Nelson Mandela`s home in Qunu village.Nelson Mandela is buried in a graveyard close to private preside.
After visiting Qunu, we drive down to Coffee Bay. Coffee Bay is a sleepy little place on the Indian Ocean, surrounded by rolling hills, dotted with local huts/local gardens…its a place where time slows way down.
Today is a free day and after breakfast you can choose from many different activities ie walking in the local hills among the local gardens, walk to hole in the wall, 4×4 drives to villages,sangomas(traditional doctors),walking trails,fishing , laying on the beach, the water is the warmer Indian ocean, river kayaking,visit a craft center, or enjoying a slow laid back day.
After breakfast we will drive to the Umtata, East London or Port Elizabeth airport,to drop you of.


Forget all those Midwest stereotypes – KANSAS CITY is a dynamic urban centre of more than two million people, with Art Deco skyscrapers and fountains, a fabulous art museum and a rich cultural heritage that includes jazz and an influential African American community. Then there's Kansas City-style barbecue, one of America's most celebrated dishes.
Founded in 1838, the city today actually comprises two fairly distinct – and governmentally separate – cities, separated by the state border and the Missouri River. Virtually all the major points of interest sit on the Missouri side (known as "KC"), while the Kansas section ("KCK") maintains a much lower profile.