In today's modern marketplace, lack of engaging customer experience (CX) is resulting in a massive customer churn directly impacting profits. To acquire, engage and retain customers in the telecommunication and utilities industry, it has become essential to deliver personalized, consistent and superior multi-channel customer experiences.
Smart telecommunication and utility businesses are realizing the need to deliver the personalized CX needs of their customers to accelerate customer wins and drive profitability.
Espire being a digital and CX transformation expert, is enabling telecom and utilities companies worldwide to revamp their digital and CX strategy, resulting in connected customer journeys and enhanced customer engagement through digital channels.
Understanding the need for personalized CX, telecommunication and utility organizations are turning to intelligent Multi-Channel Customer Communication Management solutions from Espire that enables delivery of consistent, personalized and connected CX during multi-channel customer interactions.


Aren't you tired of paying the worth for your sub-par pc components? The Dell XPS Tower Special Edition is a reminder of just how convenient and affordable it may be to skip the laborious assembly course of and easily purchase your gaming PC from a distinguished and effectively-appreciated manufacturer. Comparatively unknown within the gaming world, the CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 3400A offers a mainstream gaming expertise at a fraction of the value.
Learn reviews from other gamers to discover the attainable pros and cons of each game. The beginning XPS Tower's Core i5 processor and AMD Radeon RX 580 make it Oculus-ready for simply over $1,000, though you'll have no problem including in stronger components must you resolve to turn the PC right into a 4K powerhouse.
Between its pair of EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition twins and the brand new Intel Broadwell-E Core i7-6950X processor, there may be nothing the Origin Millennium cannot deal with – and on the best of the most effective displays at that. Choose from a huge number of gaming methods, including desktop PCs, overclocked desktop PCs, watercooled PCs, small kind factor PCs and gaming laptops.
Gaming PCs need a large storage capability for all these recreation installs, however benefit from pace. However why would you could go away the home when you can play games in 4K at a buttery easy 60 fps? Origin COMPUTER gaming desktops are all equipped with reducing-edge expertise for the highest performance, clearest graphics, and quickest speeds in the marketplace.
Some video games require sure specs, while others wouldn't run with out the correct graphics and functionalities. Whether you need a water-cooled multi-GPU gaming behemoth, or a slim and modern Gaming LAPTOP for the living room, at Novatech you'll be able to design your dream gaming PC with the most recent in gaming technology from the worlds leading brands.


Life sciences is a dynamic and growing sector, taking in specialisms such as medical technologies, biotechnology, animal health and plant sciences. It's an exciting time, with advancements in technology and innovation opening the door to new treatments and techniques.
So when it comes to deciding which life sciences businesses to support, how does Scottish Enterprise select where to target its finite resources in an effort to deliver maximum impact?
"Life sciences pulls together many disciplines in biology, chemistry, engineering and computing," says Julia Brown, the agency's director for healthcare, life and chemical sciences.
"We therefore have a diverse range of companies contributing to the sector, each requiring special areas of support.
"Currently over 50 per cent of the life sciences sector in Scotland is made up of medtech or pharma services companies.
"Medtech covers both medical technology solutions and devices, while pharma services can be all kinds of support businesses for pharmaceutical companies – research, manufacturing, testing centres, packaging firms and so on.
Scottish Enterprise's mission is to "help Scotland's life sciences community build on its rich heritage of innovation, successful partnerships and pioneering research" and to "equip [companies] with the right skills, expertise and knowledge to grow their business at home and overseas, while maximising the future of the industry here in Scotland".
Brown says the way Scottish Enterprise works with each life sciences business will depend on its need.
This means a package of support tailored by Scottish Enterprise to the specific focus of the business and involving, when necessary, the financial clout of the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) and the overseas expertise of Scottish Development International (SDI).
"Compared to other sectors, life sciences requires significant investment, and lead-in times can be long before you see a return," says Brown.
"We support a lot of life sciences companies through the SIB, which is one of the largest investors in life sciences at a UK level.
"In the first six months of this year, SIB invested £6 million in life sciences companies, leveraging some £19m from third-party investors.
"That support is very important in making sure businesses have enough capital to help them move forward, or to assist them with investment in research and development (R&D).
"When companies are perhaps looking to invest in new products or services, requiring R&D, we will look at grant applications.
There are a number of specific funding streams which Scottish Enterprise can help businesses access – including the Genomic Industrial Catalyst Fund, which helps to "facilitate collaboration, technology development and validation in the area of precision medicine in Scotland".
More over-arching support includes an analysis of funding options to take a business on to the next level, business improvement workshops to increase profits and productivity and the Preparing to Export programme, to introduce a business to potential markets abroad.
April Kelly, account manager in the Scottish Enterprise company growth team, highlights the type of blended and targeted support through the agency's work with REPROCELL Europe, a contract research organisation providing expertise in the use of living human tissues.
Another example is the targeted and successful support Scottish Enterprise provided to TC Bio-Pharm, which aims to "develop and commercialise innovative cell-based products to target disease [with a significant focus on cancers], improving patient health and quality of life".
Brown is also excited by the great things going on outside medtech and pharma services. "There are some really exciting drug discovery companies and early products development businesses like NuCana and IOmet Pharma," she says.
IOmet, which set up at Edinburgh BioQuarter and was initially supported by SIB, was acquired by Merck (MSD) in 2016 for $400m.
The company discovers and develops novel small molecules for the treatment of cancer, with a focus on cancer immunotherapy and cancer metabolism.
"Companies in this space tend to need longer-term investment and support to get to market, or to partner up with a larger organisation, like IOmet did," says Brown.
Scottish Enterprise has a very strategic role in the life sciences sector, working alongside universities, companies and the National Health Service. One example is the development of BioQuarter at Little France, Edinburgh.
"We acquired the land and worked with Edinburgh University, the NHS and the city council to develop the Edinburgh BioQuarter cluster," says Brown.
"We have invested, in partnership with the UK Government, at Building No 9, an innovation facility for young businesses. We want to make it an 'attractor' for young talent and businesses to come to Scotland.
Another example of cluster development is BioCity based at Newhouse, east of Glasgow. "BioCity is an industry-focused site, offering laboratory and office space to companies of all sizes, but more importantly offers businesses a range of services to help reach their ambitions," says Brown.
In addition, BioCity's accelerator programme, which is supported by Scottish Enterprise, provides a mechanism for growing the cluster and creating successful companies of scale for the future.
It sums up Scottish Enterprise's ambition for Scotland's life sciences sector.
"We want an environment where companies can reach their full potential, create jobs, contribute to improving our healthcare system and, of course, grow the economy of the country," says Brown.


text:
Jordan Storey: Sheffield Wednesday announce loan signing of Preston North End defender amid rival interest
Darlington reveal full extent of injuries sustained by Chesterfield player Sam Muggleton
Darlington FC have revealed the full extent of the injuries sustained by their on-loan Chesterfield player Sam Muggleton.
By Graham Smyth
Tuesday, 19th February 2019, 8:01 am
Sam Muggleton, left, joined Chesterfield last summer after spells with Gillingham, Barnet, Eastleigh, York and Boston United.
In a statement released this morning the National League North outfit confirmed that, along with a fractured femur, there was severe damage to the 23-year-old's left knee.
"As well as a fractured femur, he has suffered three ruptured ligaments; his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and lateral colateral ligament (LCL)," the statement said.
"He has also suffered a tear on his knee tendon.
"Obviously, he is going to need an operation and further medical treatment, and so we would like to wish him well, and a speedy recovery."
Muggleton was playing his second game as a Quaker when he collided with Southport's Marcus Wood.
Barry Bannan admits big transfer window wish as Sheffield Wednesday search goes on

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
MyHMS
Faculty and Affiliates
Review of Systems Podcast
Harvard Home for Family Medicine
Programs, Trainings and Events
Based at the HMS Center for Primary Care, the Harvard Home for Family Medicine (HHFM) is building upon the growing community of HMS family medicine students, residents, and attendings engaged in family medicine education, research, and mentorship opportunities. The HHFM was established in 2016 thanks to a generous donation made to the HMS Center for Primary Care. The director of the HHFM is Kathe Miller. Dr. Miller is a faculty member at the HMS Center for Primary Care who teaches throughout the HMS curriculum and has a busy community practice.
The Harvard Home for Family Medicine (HHFM) provides a center for HMS affiliated family physicians to connect, share ideas, and build community. The HHFM sponsors a wide range of projects, contact us today to join the movement.
The HHFM also maintains a database on HHFM faculty members, to be included in the list, please complete this survey.
Check out our blog for posts profiling HMS family medicine alumni and students and their achievements.
Primary Care Blog
Interested in learning about more opportunities like this?
Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter.
scroll--up
© 2019 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College


text:
Florida races away from Oregon State with big first half
Trey Bonham scored a game-high 19 points Saturday as Florida coasted past Oregon State 81-68 in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament in Portland, Ore.
The Gators (4-2) led all the way - starting off with a 17-2 bulge and keeping the Beavers at arm's length the rest of the way. They will play Sunday for fifth place in the Legacy event while the Beavers (3-3) will play in the seventh-place game.
A transfer from VMI, Bonham entered the tourney having scored only 14 points in Florida's first four games with 11 of those against Florida State earlier in the week. He has 42 points in the Gators' two games in the Phil Knight tourney.
Bonham was one of four Gators in double figures in the win over the Beavers. Will Richard scored 13 points, Colin Castleton 12, and Riley Kugel 10.
Jordan Pope and Tyler Bilodeau each scored 12 points for Oregon State while Michael Rataj added 11.
With 13 points, Bonham was the only player in double figures for either team in the first half.
The Gators went 6-of-8 to start the game and never really cooled off, posting a second consecutive game of better than 50 percent shooting, finishing with a season-high 56.6 percent on 30-of-53 shooting.
The Gators jumped out to a 9-0 lead, increased that to double digits (13-2) less than five minutes into the game, and were sitting on a 23-point cushion with under five minutes left in the first half before the Beavers came to life.
After OSU made only four of its first 20 shots, the Beavers finished the first half by making 6 of 7 to trim their deficit to 40-26 at the break.
They shot well in the second half - 55% (16 of 29) - which enabled them to trim a 20-point deficit at the 8:45 mark of the game down to 13 points on five occasions the rest of the way but they could get no closer.


Fight without fear, Love without limits.
I grew up in Cardiff, California. I was fortunate enough to take part in Soccer, Baseball and Bodyboarding at amateur and professional levels until my early 20's. Being in the ocean was particularly special to me as it was my self therapy and a way to always stay in humility being surrounded by mother nature and her power. I've always searched for activities that were similar that would not only help me become a stronger person physically, but also mentally and spiritually.
I had always been a huge fan of martial arts and mixed martial arts since the late 90's and studied it. In early 2009, I started officially training Jiu Jitsu with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro at the University of Jiu Jitsu in San Diego. I was training 4-5 days a week and many times two training sessions per day. After about 6 months of training, I started to notice that I was getting really tired after training and this was not a normal kind of tired. This felt different. I felt lump in my neck that I had but it never bothered me until around this time. I was starting to have this heavy fatigue along with pain shooting from the lump in my neck all the way up to my ear along with my equilibrium starting to go off. I would hold in all of this after training sessions and either walk around the corner or drive nearby so no one would see my get sick. I found myself needing to take naps and sleep a lot and still felt exhausted. I just pushed this off as me just needing to push through the pain and fight through this as I grew up doing a ton of cardio and just told my self to "man up".
Jiu Jitsu prepared me mentally and spiritually for what I was about to go through next. I was humbled every day and every morning. My professors always taught me the valuable lesson that we all put on our gi's the same way but what makes us different is our heart. In a fight, you will see your true self, you can't fake who you are when you are in a bad position. You either will give up or fight through a tough position, this applies to life as well. Every moment is a fight, you choose to fight through it or give up.
During Thanksgiving of 2009, I heard a voice in my head tell me to get myself checked out while I was driving down the beach and to my home. This situation was different and was not to be taken lightly. I researched the best Ear, Nose and Throat doctor in San Diego and met with him in December. I met with my doctor, he felt around my neck and then stuck camera through my nose immediately to have a better look. He was calm but with a sense of urgency. He had me immediately take a CT scan with contrast dye. Several days later my doctors called me and wanted to meet with me. He sat me down and explained to me that I had Stage IV papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. The cancer had spread to my thyroids, lymph nodes, already consumed part of my voice box and was spreading to my chest. He explained that we need to perform surgery within 4-6 weeks and then proceed with radiation.
We made the scheduled surgery after my 17 day surf trip to Oahu in January. Two days after I got back, I had a 9 1/2 hour surgery as they found more cancer than expected. The doctors had to open me up from ear to ear and all the way down past my collar bone. I spent a couple of days in ICU and then got a nice room with a window. I couldn't eat, sleep or really even walk for a couple of weeks in the hospital. While in the hospital my pancreas stopped working completely which made me a Type 1 diabetic and many of my calcium levels became dangerous. My doctor requested that I be released to go home and heal up as I was getting worse in the hospital and in hopes that sleeping in my own bed would help, and it did. I had my radiation treatment several months later to eliminate any cancer that may be left. Several more months passed and my doctor informed me after taking some more tests that the cancer had come back. We did another round of radiation and that was successful in killing any left over cancer cells. I have been cancer free since then!
Throughout the whole process, I could not have gotten through it without my son, family and friends. I was mentally prepared and felt in my soul that I had won the battle but had to fight through the war. My doctors would always say to me that I never complained when I found out that I had cancer, never complained or got upset with my diabetes. I always felt that although it's completely fine to show those types of emotions (I did break down privately at moments) but no matter what happens, I can never give up and I have to keep on fighting. No matter how much pain or discomfort, It would all be OK. I had to make it through for my beautiful son and amazing wife. They are both the reason I am alive today, they are the reason I breathe and they give me the power to fight without fear and love without limits.


The tiny country of Armenia. The oldest Christian nation in the world. Watched over by Mt Ararat this little country has had a tumultuous past and is striving to create a better future.
History adorns the very hills of Armenia, with a seemingly endless collection of ancient monasteries and churches. Add to this mix a happy, welcoming people and delicious shashlik and you get a wonderfully memorable adventure.


My research focuses on the theory of quantum information and its applications to algorithms, complexity theory, and cryptography. Specific topics that I am currently interested in include quantum interactive proof systems, quantum information theory, and the theory of entanglement. I am also interested in algorithms, complexity theory, and theoretical computer science more generally.
If you are looking for my lecture notes, you can find them on this page.


Betty Loves Vintage - Take a peek at some real weddings and creative styling in our portfolio.
Take a peek below at some of the real vintage weddings we have had the honour of being involved with and get inspired by some of the creative styled photoshoots we have planned and worked on.
The Peculair Dream Fun and Quirky Vintage shoot at the budworth hall open day.
This quirky vintage shoot was the concept of Hayley from A perfect Dream. Her main goal is to provide pop up weddings for the budget conscious couple! Creating amazing spaces I humble places!
The concept behind this shoot was Greenery, The Pantonne Institutes Colour of The Year 2017. We created two very different interpretations that featured greenery and foliage. One simplistic and minimal and one crammed full with lush foliage and vintage details. Together with a bunch of super talented Sussex suppliers we aimed to provide elegant botanical style inpiration for couples and to showcase our products, collections, services.
Vintage Crockery, Tableware, Linens, Glassware, Props, and Styling: Helen Baker Betty Loves Vintage (me)!
The concept behind this floral colorful teaparty shoot was to celebrate the arrival of Spring and all things floral! To provide a bit of bold and fun vintage style inspiration to couples and also to showcase our collection of vintage crockery and props. Myself and a super talented bunch of Sussex suppliers worked together to create this fun look.
This Vintage,colourful,floral tea party styled shoot was the concept of Sam Freeman of Rosadior and showcases her stunning bespoke floral crowns and floral accessories.
Doily Days Loves Weddings Magazine Special Limited Edition Issue, March 2016.
Vintage Life Magazine Issue 68, August 2016.
We supplied some of our vintage crockery and vintage linens to The Oyster Pearl Company for their open day. They created two different looks in their stunning tents, blush pink and rose gold and brightly coloured woodland.
We supplied some of our vintage crockery, linens and props to The Oyster Pearl Company For their Spring open day.
We supplied vintage linens, including embroidered table cloths, large embroidered napkins and large log slice.
We supplied Vintage crockery and cutlery. Vintage props including distressed table numbers, books, bottles, suitcases, bunting and crocheted linens.


Following a detailed scoping mission (Abuja, 6-18 October) which met with a variety of NGOs, donors, UN and other stakeholders, the INSO Senior Management Team (SMT) has given a green light for establishment of INSO Nigeria early in 2016.
"We identified a strong need in terms of security co-ordination and large gaps in information management" said Emmanuel Rinck, the INSO Section Director who undertook the scoping mission "We believe an INSO platform can certainly have a strong added value in terms of safety and access for the humanitarian community"
With organised armed groups, such as Boko Haram, driving an increase in conflict activity, especially around Borno state, UNOCHA estimates as many as 2.2 million people have become internally displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance.
INSO services to NGOs will focus on the North Eastern region of the country, with a presence in Maiduguri anticipated early 2016.


text:
Today we're joined by Rich Routman, President & Chief Revenue Officer of Minute Media, a rapidly-growing sports media platform connecting content studios with fans in fascinating ways. Routman offers insights on branded content, both today and tomorrow, and how Minute Media's adaptable strategies have helped them evolve in the COVID-19 media landscape.
TeamWorks Media · Minute Media – Rich Routman
Listen on Apple here.
Rich Routman on Brand Story, Inc.
Late in 2019, Minute Media made waves in the sports media landscape when they acquired The Players' Tribune, the athletes' direct-to-fan publisher owned by New York Yankees' legend, Derek Jeter. It is one of seven owned and operated publishers for the Israeli-based emerging sports media giant, yet the core of Minute Media is its technology platform, which includes its own proprietary content management system and a robust video syndication tech solution and ecosystem that has distribution on more than 1,000 sites.
On this episode, Minute Media's president and chief revenue officer, Rich Routman, joins Brand Story, Inc. to offer up his insights into owning and operating multiple content studios that services seven different media publishers as well as advertisers. With nearly 400 employees overall, with content staff spread across 13 cities as well as recently integrating another company's content studio, I thought the complexity and rapid evolution of Minute Media made for a great source of learning for all of us.
Rich is smart, battle-tested and shoots it straight. He's also a workhorse and one of the most respected minds in the content business I know. In the full disclosure department, TeamWorks Media-owned La Vida Baseball is a partner of Minute Media. I'm excited to have the Digiday Publishing Executive of the Year (2018) step up to the mic for Brand Story, Inc!
Here are a few of the topics we cover in this episode:
Minute Media's technology platform and artificial intelligence in content distribution
Acquiring & integrating The Players' Tribune and its impact on the content studio org structure
The state of branded content and what to expect in the rest of 2020 and 2021
The publisher content studio and brands' content studios – friend, foe or both?
Advertiser perspective on scaled audiences vs powerful niche communities
Adapting a content studio in COVID-19 and how it might evolve
Morning Musts – what Rich consumes to stay on top of his game
If you have feedback, ideas or suggestions for Brand Story, Inc. please let us know! We'd love to hear from you.


text:
The Mystery of Fire
Is it an everyday tool or an instrument for forging heroes?
By Bill Heavey | Published Jun 1, 2017 10:40 PM
Courtesy Chuttersnap/Unsplash
Which of the following is something you will never hear a man say?
(A) I have no sense of humor.
(B) I'm actually a lousy driver.
(C) I'm terrible at building fires.
While all are unlikely, only (C) is a genetic impossibility, overriding the DNA inherited from countless generations of our fire-making male ancestors. In fact, should you ever hear a man say that he is anything less than the best fire builder he knows, examine him more closely. He is probably a woman. Man's acquisition of fire—usually by theft, often from the gods—is a theme in mythologies worldwide. And not solely because one publisher puts out all those mythology books, although that's part of it. No, the truth is that fire speaks deeply to men's souls. It's just that we have no idea what it's saying. This is also because we're men.
We've been making fires for 700,000 years or so and the skill remains key to establishing the male pecking order outdoors. On a fishing canoe trip, I once watched three men from the same family argue for an hour over starting a fire. Alone, each could have kindled a blaze in minutes. But it's not sufficient to show that your method works. It's equally important to show that nobody else's has a chance. This can take a while.
My personal love of fire dates to the Christmas when Dad brought home some magic dust. A handful tossed into the fireplace instantly turned the flames marvelous colors—blue, green, white, purple. I couldn't have been more than 4, but I knew this was the greatest invention ever. Dad would pour some in my palm. I could make the fun last by feeding it in gradually or detonate an explosion of color with the whole handful. I never hesitated. It was always the full load. For a few glorious seconds, I became a god of fire.
Dad taught me to build tepee-shaped fires. "Fire likes to go up and down, not side to side," he said. It drove him nuts when the cleaning lady swept the fireplace bare. A good bed of ash is the best foundation. He infused me with these and other views, including disdain for grilling over anything other than charcoal or actual wood. The invention of "firestarter" briquettes was one more sign of Western civilization's moral slide into propane. "Who wants a steak that tastes like lighter fluid?" he said. It was years before I learned that in his own boyhood he had accidentally burned down the auditorium at a dance at a girls' school. The hall had been chilly and the papier-mâché logs in the fireplace looked real. Dad was never big on asking permission—another trait I inherited. He was cold, he had matches, and someone had laid a fire. The incident did teach him an important lesson, though. Papier-mâché burns like nobody's business.
Because I'm endlessly curious about fire, other people's lack of curiosity always surprises me. Recently, at a cookout, the host had gotten one edge of the coals to catch but couldn't persuade the fire to spread. Being male, he declined my offer to assist. Being both male and hungry, I found a fan and an extension cord, set the fan up 18 inches from the kettle, and cranked it to high. I had to apologize to several people downwind for blowing ash into their drinks, but the fan accelerated the fire such that we were sitting down to dinner within 20 minutes. My friend said, "I've never seen anybody do that." This was as close to thanks as could be expected. Actually, I'd never seen anyone use a fan like that either. It just stood to reason.
It turns out that a lifelong fascination with fire may be a comparatively recent development. Evolutionary anthropologist Daniel Fessler writes that in societies where fire-making is a daily chore, children master the skill by 7 or so. From then on, according to this overeducated killjoy, fire gradually loses its allure and becomes another tool. I don't like this idea. I especially don't like that he may be right.
In Africa, I saw two memorable fires that may confirm this. One was a small, hot fire made for cooking a fish dinner on a beach. It flared up nearly instantaneously, reached and maintained the temperature required to cook the fish perfectly and—as if knowing its work was done—died almost immediately. In a Maasai village fenced in by sharpened poles to discourage lions from snacking on the cattle at night, I visited a hut with a dirt floor and a raised fireplace where the last night's embers glowed faintly. The fire had not been abandoned. It had been casually but expertly banked, the coals precisely spaced and covered with ash. I understood that it would stay in this state until it was rekindled that night. Banking a fire is a demanding and underappreciated art. This was the work of a master.
So the anthropologist may be right. Personally, I don't want fire to lose its mystery. I don't want the magic explained. Every fire I make is the first one—new, different, experimental. Sometimes, even what looks like a perfectly laid fire won't light. So there's always a wonderful uncertainty as I scramble to place twigs where the flame is hungriest until the fire does catch. When it does, when I've once again made this living thing, for a moment I'm both boy and hero, the child transfixed by the quivering flames at Christmas, and Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods.
RELATED: 10 Fires Every Outdoorsman Should Master
Michigan Man Cuts Straps on Another Hunter's Tree Stand, Causing Dangerous 20-Foot Fall
Thomas Steel III pleaded guilty to intentionally sabotaging another hunter on public land in Northern Michigan. He is serving jail time and received an indefinite hunting ban
Colorado Town Deals with Series of Mountain Lion Attacks on Pet Dogs
Colorado Parks & Wildlife has responded to three...
Polar Bear Kills Woman and Boy in Remote Northwestern Alaska Village
According to Alaska State Troopers, the bear was...


Benicassim Festival have announced a series of new acts playing on this year's event .
Babyshambles and My Bloody Valentine were already confirmed for the three-day festival which will take place in Spain on July 17 to 20 this year.
The likes of The National, The Rumble Strips and Spiritualized have joined the bill.
Go to Fiberfib.com for more information.
To check the availability of Benicassim tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/GIGS now, or call 0871 230 1094.


text:
June Q&A: Mini Boone
The June Q&A features Craig Barnes of the NYC-based quintet MiniBoone. MiniBoone's song "The Devil In Your Eyes" was featured on Fingertips in February. The friendly and articulate Barnes had so much to say that he voluntarily divided the first question into two, so this month, the Q&A has six questions instead of the usual five. If you want to know why the wild people may not be making the music any more, keep reading….
L to R: James Keary, guitar/keyboard/vox; Taylor Gabriels, drums; Sam Rich, bass; Doug Schrashun, guitar/keyboard/vox; Craig Barnes, guitar/keyboard/vox
Q: Should MP3s be free across the board? Why or why not? And if musicians can no longer make money off their recordings, as some presume, where does that leave you? What are your other options?
A: If music recordings are going to be free across the board, then people will need to accept the consequences. First off, free music requires the musician to find a source of income to replace what was lost. That could mean a number of things, for instance:
* Bands who in another era would have been opposed to licensing their songs or lending out their image will now accept it
* More bands will need to be funded by private donations
* The music industry will simply shrink (fewer record labels, fewer music magazines, fewer bands that can actually make music without working 9 to 5)
If music listeners are comfortable with the implications of those things, then I suppose it's okay to for MP3s to be free.
I feel that another consequence of musicians' shrinking incomes is that they will have less money to spend on hiring someone to handle the business side of things, and will have to take on more of this role themselves. It's been interesting releasing and promoting our record, Big Changes, because while we've gotten a lot of invaluable support from our buds at Drug Front Records, we've also done a lot of work ourselves that in another era a band might have paid somebody to do. It's not financially feasible for us to hire a PR company, so Sam and I have been reading and emailing hundreds of blogs to cover the record; we can't afford a booking agent, so Doug and Taylor have been busy booking a tour for us this summer; and James has done a lot of research into buying a van and forming an LLC under the band's name. It's hard for me to imagine Joey and Dee Dee Ramone doing this sort of work.
I don't know if there's a way to actually prove or disprove this statement, but I think you could argue that the modern (independent) music industry isn't going to attract the wild people anymore. The musicians themselves have to be super organized and disciplined in an administrative sort of way. And those kinds of organized people probably make different music than the wild people do, so it's also going to direct the overall sound of the scene.
Q: If musicians can no longer make money off their recordings, as some presume, where does that leave you? What are your other options?
A: I was shocked to read on Wikipedia a while back that Peaches' newest record sold 3,000 copies in its first week, and then promptly fell off the sales charts. I don't think Peaches is very well known outside the underground, but nonetheless, I was surprised that an act that has been around for more than a decade and has a pretty popular live show sold so few records. So, rather than asking "IF musicians can no longer make money off their recordings, where does that leave you?" I would ask, "NOW THAT musicians can no longer make money off their recordings, where does that leave you?" And the answer is, touring and licensing.
For the most part, music fans seem to be accepting the licensing and increasing commercialization of their favorite bands. I think that's actually a good thing, because if you download a record illegally–or, for that matter, legally and for free–then you've lost the right to protest when a band tries to make money in a more "commercial" way. Since you've already guaranteed that a band will not make a living off of you, that band has to figure out how to do it another way. Actually, on the Peaches topic, I just did a little search on Google and found out that one of her songs was used in a Gap commercial a few years back. So that's where Peaches finds the money.
I think the question should no longer be "Should a band be active in the commercial realm?" but rather, "How can a band be commercial artfully, and with minimal intrusion in their art?" I do think this is possible. Bushmills has an awesome campaign going on right now with hand-painted ads of Chromeo, the heads of DFA Records, DJ A-Trak, etc. all over Brooklyn. Something about "Friends Since Way Back." And although I'm not really a Neon Indian fan, I think his thing with Mountain Dew was a really cool idea. Normally I might look at beverage advertising and think that it's cheesy and fake, but these campaigns are done with such class and with bands that actually make sense that the ads themselves become fascinating pieces of art.
Q: There's a lot of talk these days that says that music in the near future will exist in the so-called "cloud" and that music fans will not need to own the music they like any longer. As a working musician who writes songs and puts out albums, at least in theory so people will own them, look at the packages, put them on a shelf, etc., how do you feel about this?
A: As a listener, I'm super excited to think that in a few years we might be able to listen to any song at anytime on our iPods simply by paying a monthly fee. I don't feel I know enough about the record industry to predict if and how quickly this will happen, but it's a cool idea.
Music sales are already such a small part of MiniBoone's income that I'm not sure if it will make a big difference to us when people are no longer buying our record at all and are just listening to us on the "cloud" instead. I'm ready to accept it. As for the death of the physical product, I think that's okay, because I do think people still care about the art, even if they're viewing it on a computer instead of on a CD insert. I see people proudly displaying the covers of their most recent favorite records like badges on the walls of their music blogs. The record cover, even when represented in a 90 x 90 JPEG, is a symbol of pride.
Personally, I haven't bought a physical CD for years, and I don't feel that I have less of a connection with bands because of it. If you like a band's music, you will want to know more about them, what they look like, how they act, what kind of scene they fit into, how they choose to visually express their music on a t-shirt, record cover, etc., regardless of how you heard the music.
Q: How has your life as a musician been affected–or not–by the existence of music blogs?
A: MiniBoone became a working band in the age of blogs, so I don't know what it was like to be a working band before blogs existed. Personally, I find them a lot of fun. It's fun creating a dialogue with a blog and I like it when writers actually come up to talk to us at shows. I think that musicians should not just create music for themselves, but also actively create a discussion with the listener. And it's fun to look through blogs and find somebody who we think we will actually like us.
That being said, it's difficult to say if we've actually yet gained anything financially from blog coverage. The amount of information that pours out from just one blog is too great to push favor in the direction of one band over the others. I would say that their value is in their ability to give you an immediate idea of how people are reacting to and processing your music, and they make it easier to open up that line of communication between musician and listener.
Q: What are your thoughts about the album as a musical entity– does it still strike you as a legitimate means of expression?
In your previous columns for the Q&A, you framed this question as something like "What do you feel about the death of the album"? Even though I still listen to full albums most of the time, I am fine with the "death of the album." First off, the LP didn't come into vogue until the '60s, so it hasn't been around for that long–not nearly as long as the sonata form in classical music, for instance. Exciting pop music was being made before the birth of the LP, but it was instead being presented on singles. The LP was an awesome artistic invention, but it's kind of strange that it's become the standard form for pop music. It would be like if modern classical composers were expected to write in sonata form all the time.
If the album does "die," I think that all that means is that it will cease to become the main form of presenting music, and musicians will only put out a full album if it makes sense as a cohesive work of art: the songs are tied together conceptually, maybe there's a central sound to it, or maybe they were just all written and recorded in a short period of time. I think it's perfect for that. Otherwise, if there's no central concept to a group of songs, the EP is a better and quicker way of presenting music. It captures the sound of a band at a certain point in its life without having the band worry about putting out an "important" record or anything like that. Better to capture that sound before it changes into something else. So far, we've only put out one EP as a five-piece and we're planning for our next record to be an EP as well. Not sure yet what we'll do after that, but for now I think the EPs make more sense for us.
Besides, I learned in a basic level science class in college that mass extinctions (i.e. The "Big Five" according to Wikipedia) are actually very exciting from a biological perspective, because after an extinction, the ecosystem opens up for the birth of new species. If the dinosaurs hadn't gone extinct, then there might be no people! It's very exciting to think of what will arrive to replace the album after its "death."
Q: What is your personal preferred way of listening to music at this point?
A: When I was still in school, I liked to listen to music with my headphones on in a dark room with my eyes closed. I don't feel I have the time to do that anymore, so when I listen to music now, it's mostly while I'm doing something else at the same time: writing email, washing dishes, eating a meal, etc. That being said, I get distracted a lot when a good song comes on. I'll stop whatever I'm doing, turn it up, and start dancing. Lately I've been listening to Peter Gabriel's So and every time it gets to "Sledgehammer," the invitation to dance is just too powerful. Actually, rather than dance, I really just freak out and march around my apartment. And sometimes, when I'm in a bar and a really awesome song comes on the speakers, I can't concentrate on what people are saying to me.
Usually I put full albums on repeat and let them run three or four times through before I switch to another record. When I'm in the moment with one record, it's hard for me to think of what else I might want to listen to, so I just like to let it keep going. I do not trust shuffle.
Author jeremyfingertipsPosted on June 1, 2010 Categories QandA
Previous Previous post: Free and legal MP3: Light Pollution (short, bashy, melodic)
Next Next post: Free and legal MP3: Kathryn Calder (New Pornographer goes solo)


text:
History of Exercise
by webguy | Jun 13, 2018 | Exercise and Nutrition Myths | 0 comments
The history of exercise dates back to the birth of humankind, though earlier humans might not have realized that they were indeed exercising, when running for their lives from wooly mammoths. In and around 400 BC, Hippocrates famously mentioned about exercise, "If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health." Being a time of great ideas and new thought, people seriously started to study the importance and relevance of physical exercise, and its effects on human health. Hippocrates's same thoughts were shared by other famous thinkers, Cornelius Celsus and Galen, a few centuries later.
But when exactly various systematic forms of exercise routines came into being as an artificial means to build muscles and agility, this is a piece of puzzle that is still shrouded in anonymity. History pages, even though it refrains from throwing up any specific piece of info on this point, vaguely suggests that such practices could have been popular in ancient Rome, Greece and India in the 9-11th centuries where combats and wars were of regular occurrence. The discovery of stone dumbbell weights in India and similar artifacts from Europe also points to such a possibility.
The workout routines or exercises, as we all see it today, shaped up however since only the early 18th century. This was when exercises became more streamlined and better and efficient workout routines were suggested, thanks to the rapid strides that occurred in medicine and science in general. It was during this period that aerobics, weight lifting, weight training, running, and other similar conventional exercise forms evolved, and gymnasiums and fitness centers became popular. The 18th century was also the period during when many wrong myths about exercise and health were busted by the new found wave of scientific justification. Wrong beliefs such as weight training slow down athletes, endurance training not a healthy proportion to one's heart and unhealthy for women, and exercises in general not good for elders, were all laid to rest during this period. But it is ironical that still many in the world hangs onto this logic-less perceptions.
Come 19th century and all those developments and innovations in science and technology that was started in the previous century picked up a frantic pace. Industry revolution and a new emerging economy forced people into newer lifestyles, routines, work, and even diet. Soon various health issues popped up and the need for a new fitness regime replacing the conventional methods started to grow pressing. In response, fitness experts churned out path breaking methods to regain and maintain fitness, while a flurry of in-house training equipments – thanks to the new improved manufacturing technology – like the tread mill, exercise bikes, rovers, chest and shoulder presses, leg extension machines and butterfly machines, to name a few, hit the markets, letting the consumers to redefine the concept of workouts altogether and empowering them to access it whenever they feel to do so. With so much working out apparatus in the disposal, it became rather simple for the common man to exercise give exercise to virtually any part of his/her body for strength building, a choice none have had a few decades earlier. The number of gyms also increased substantially in this period.
The rise of media, especially television, in the latter half of 19th century, also had done its part in spreading the importance of remaining fit amongst the common man. Many thousands who took to exercising in the decade following 1960, their inspiration was nothing by the TV. The internet revolution in the last decade before 2000 had made people even more empowered and it brought them at arms' length with innumerable resources pertaining to workouts, fitness, and health. And soon the wheels of history of exercises were undergoing a redefinition once again.


text:
Thank You, Deeply
Dear Deeply Readers,
Welcome to the archives of News Deeply's Women & Girls Hub. While we paused regular publication of the site on January 22, 2018, and transitioned our coverage to Women's Advancement Deeply, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on the Arctic. We hope you'll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors contributors.
We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you'd like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at partners@newsdeeply.com.
Team Deeply
VISIT WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT DEEPLY
VIEW THE WOMEN & GIRLS ARCHIVE
Women and Girls — Women and Girls
News coverage and community engagement focused on women & girls in the developing world. Learn more about us.
Crisis and Conflict
Economic Independence
Community & Insight
BROWSE THE WOMEN AND GIRLS DEEPLY ARCHIVES
Cambodian Women Recount Escape from Slavery as 'Brides' in China
Cambodian women are being lured to China with the promise of well-paid jobs, but are instead trafficked and married by force. Back in Cambodia, those who managed to escape share their stories.
Written by Cristina Maza Published on  Aug. 2, 2017 Read time Approx. 5 minutes
Neath (not her real name) was sold into slavery in China, where a family bought her to serve as a "bride" to their son. She escaped and is now back home in Cambodia. Cristina Maza
KAMPONG SPEU, Cambodia – Neath*, 27, sits in the shade of her family's small wooden hut in Cambodia's Kampong Speu district, west of Phnom Penh. With her slight build and spindly arms, most observers would never guess that she had been kept as a slave for three years and forced to carry heavy bags of cement and sand.
Lured to China with the promise of well-paid employment, Neath and her cousin Noun* caught a flight from Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, to Guangzhou. They had tourist visas but little money, so the brokers facilitating their journey provided them with cash to bribe any border guards who might grow suspicious.
A Khmer woman and her Chinese husband greeted the girls at the airport. The cousins didn't realize something was amiss until the woman locked them in a rented apartment for several days and allowed a stream of visitors to come to assess them.
Eventually, a couple purchased Neath for almost $12,000. (She found this out later, when the couple told her they could not pay her for work she did, because they had already paid this sum.) As soon as she arrived at their home, they insisted she sleep with their son.
"I tried to run away three or four times. But every time they would lock me up and keep me without food for two or three days."
"I called the Khmer woman who picked us up at the airport and I asked why they want me to sleep with their son. I thought they were my bosses," she explains. "But the woman just told me that probably their son liked me."
At first, Neath refused. She had never had sex before and had a boyfriend back home. But alone and scared, she eventually gave in. That was the beginning of her four years in captivity, during which she was forced to work for the family's construction business for no pay, and to cook and clean for her new "husband" – they were never officially married – and his parents.
"I tried to run away three or four times," Neath says. "But every time they would lock me up and keep me without food for two or three days … They all beat me, my 'husband' and his parents."
Neath is just one of an untold number of Cambodian women who are trafficked to China every year and sold as brides. In China, a country where sons are often valued more highly than daughters, the government's one-child policy has created a surplus of single men. China's National State Population and Family Planning Commission estimates there will be 30 million more men of marrying age than women by the year 2020. That means Chinese women can be picky about who they partner up with, and Chinese men who lack the funds to own a home and live independently of their parents have trouble finding a wife.
In response to this demographic dilemma, human traffickers have started importing desperately poor women from Cambodia to be sold as brides. These women are often told, like Neath, that they will be given a job in a Chinese factory. Instead, they are married to men with whom they do not share a language. Many of the women are raped, abused and forced into domestic servitude.
"I could tell that he didn't care about me. We couldn't communicate and he was easily angered."
Sophal*, 20, spent most of her time in China helping her new husband's mother do housework. She says she was happy her husband didn't abuse her, but she felt lonely and neglected.
"I could tell that he didn't care about me. We couldn't communicate, and he was easily angered," she says.
After a month, Sophal decided she couldn't stay with the family any longer. One day, she woke up early and snuck out of the house. After making her way to the police, she was kept in a detention center for a year before she was eventually repatriated.
While the exact number of Cambodian brides in China is unknown, stories about their life are trickling out as more of these women escape.
A report published last year by the United Nations found 85 Cambodian women were repatriated in 2015 after being sold into forced marriage. The U.S. State Department's annual report on human trafficking notes that 64 trafficking victims were repatriated from China last year.
Some women are reported to have wed their husbands in official ceremonies, but researchers say that the language barrier, as well as pressure from brokers and husbands, make it difficult to object to the marriage. None of the women interviewed for this article was officially married.
"We walked to the edge of the hill, and when they told us to jump, we jumped."
While most women are repatriated by the Cambodian embassy, some, like Neath, take matters into their own hands.
Neath met a Cambodian woman at a local market in China who promised that she could help Neath escape, but the assistance would come at a price. Neath hadn't been in contact with her family since she arrived in China, but the woman provided her with a phone to call them and arrange the payment.
Neath's aunt sold her farmland in Cambodia and brought the $3,000 profit to the parents of the woman Neath met in the market. Once that deal was done, the woman helped Neath escape, along with two other Cambodian women who were also running away from forced marriages. Neath says the woman and her Chinese husband regularly earned money helping Cambodian women flee China.
"We traveled by car with a broker for eight days until we reached a small cliff overlooking the border with Vietnam," Neath remembers. "We walked to the edge of the hill, and when they told us to jump, we jumped. Luckily no one was hurt."
The women managed to travel through Vietnam back to Cambodia, bribing border guards along the way. When Neath arrived home she discovered that her cousin had also returned, with the help of the Cambodian embassy.
"Unless you solve the problem at the root, the problem will always be there […] You can't just bring these girls back because they will just go somewhere else."
Mu Sochua, a member of parliament and a vocal advocate for women's rights, says the only way to stop Cambodian women from being trafficked is to provide them with economic opportunities at home.
"What we need is heavy investment in education and health. Unless you solve the problem at the root, the problem will always be there," Sochua says. "You can't just bring these girls back because they will go somewhere else."
Today, Neath is employed in a garment factory sewing clothes for around $200 a month, but she hopes she will eventually find better paid employment.
"I want to learn a skill," she says. "I would like to open my own hair salon."
* Names have been changed to protect identities.
Cambodia China Forced marriage human trafficking
North Korean Trafficking Survivor Speaks Out
North Korean Mothers Fight to Reunite With Children Left in China
Trafficked, Enslaved and 'Without Hope' in China
Forced Marriage and Rape: The Legacy of the Khmer Rouge on Trial
'I Thought I Had Died': Women Share Stories of Life Under Khmer Rouge
Love Child: Behind the Rise in Cambodia's Teen Pregnancy Rates
'I Was Going to Starve': A Story of Trafficking and Escape in Kuwait
Empowering Girls in Cambodia Starts With Dormitories
Lessons in LGBT: Cambodia Brings Gay Rights Into the Classroom
Activists Condemn Turkey Over Polygamy Upsurge
Video: Turkey's Trans Sex Workers Are the Most Vulnerable in Europe
The trans sex workers of Turkey take an enormous risk when they step out to find clients each night. But as one sex worker tells News Deeply, most lack any alternative. April 25, 2017
How Microfinance Helped Nepali Women Recover From the 2015 Earthquake
Migrant Women Sentenced for Having Unmarried Sex in Qatar
India's Devadasis Trapped in Cycle of Poverty and Sex Work
Expert Views: Soaring Teen Pregnancy Rates in the Philippines
Cristina Maza
Cristina Maza is a journalist currently based in Cambodia. She covers international affairs, politics, development and gender issues from Asia. You can follow her on Twitter or see her website.
Expert Views: How to Overcome Challenges Women Face in Building Peace
Our mission is to empower stakeholders and the wider public with high quality information, insights, and analysis on critical global issues. To help achieve this, we encourage you to republish the text of any article that contains a Republish button on your own news outlet.
By copying the HTML below, you agree to adhere to our republishing guidelines.
By copying the HTML below, you agree to adhere to our republishing guidelines. Click to expand
In republishing any of our articles:
Ensure that you include a line of our HTML tracking code on every article you republish. This is a lightweight, efficient way for us to see the number of page views of each specific article published on our partners' websites. This does not affect page layout, nor does it provide any information about your users, other web pages on your site, or any further data. By copying and pasting the HTML code in the box below, the tracking code is automatically included.
If, for any reason, you do not copy the code prepared for you, you must paste this code snippet into the end of the article in your CMS:
<img src="http://ping.newsdeeply.com/pixel.gif?key=118475&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsdeeply.com%2Fwomenandgirls%2Farticles%2F2017%2F08%2F02%2Fcambodian-women-recount-escape-from-slavery-as-brides-in-china" alt="" />
Adhere to the guidelines below:
Edit our stories only to reflect references to time (e.g. "today" to "yesterday"), location (e.g. "New York" to "here") or editorial style; do not edit the wording of our articles.
Include all the links within the story.
Credit our authors and partner institutions — ideally in the byline. We prefer "Author Name, Institution"
Note at the top and/or bottom of the story that it originally appeared on Women and Girls. This note should include a direct link to the original article and a sentence that offers the reader the opportunity to join the Women and Girls's mailing list. Our recommended example is:
This should read : "This article originally appeared on Women and Girls. You can find the original here. For important news about gender issues in the developing world, you can sign up to the Women and Girls email list."
Do not republish a photo without our written permission. Some sources don't allow their images to be republished without permission.
Do not translate a story into another language without our written permission.
We often republish pieces from our partners. If you want to republish a partner's story, you must credit the original partner and include a "via News Deeply" link.
Note that News Deeply considers the publication date to be the date marked on the story, and is not responsible for any content that you choose to repost.
After republication on the partner website, if you make an accompanying post on social media referencing the republished article, you must include the relevant Deeply social media handle in such post. For example, (i) for Twitter posts this means adding the appropriate @Deeply tag such as @SyriaDeeply, @WaterDeeply, or @WomensGirlsHub and (ii) for Facebook this means tagging the appropriate Deeply page in your Facebook post.
News Deeply material may not to be provided, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to third parties or affiliates for redistribution through those entities, unless you have received prior written approval from News Deeply.
You may not automatically or systematically republish any material from our sites; all stories must be chosen individually for republishing.
You may not sell our content or republish it for commercial purposes without our prior written consent.
We reserve the right to request that any partner ceases republication of our content, including but not limited to if the guidelines listed above not being followed.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact community@newsdeeply.com
Suggest your story or issue.
Share Your Story.
Have a story idea? Interested in adding your voice to our growing community?
© 2020 News Deeply. Read more about our copyright, terms of services and republishing guide.
Read the Rest of the Article for Free
Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus.
Have an account? Log-in here


Below, Calhoun Sophomore and YGC Social Chair Emily Howell details the last few days of tour - our final concert, free time in San Francisco, our tour banquet, and the journey home.
California native and Trumbull Freshman Cynthia Weaver describes the journey from Eugene to Chico and our concert that evening.
5:45 AM- Wake up, tired from staying up chatting and playing board games with five other glee girls. Answer emails, take a shower, and wonder what I'll do for the six hours on the glee bus that we have to do today.
7 AM- Packing, Breakfast, our host made us a giant Dutch Baby pancake. Playing with our host's two daughters, ages 3 and 6. Adorable... makes me want to drop out of Yale to have kids. Or maybe not.
8:41 AM- This bus is the awesome bus (says Casey). As of now everyone is pretty much sleeping. Somehow our projected travel time morphed from 6 hours to 8 hours. So we'll see. I'm going to try to catch some shut-eye now, too. We're going to start watching movies at 9 AM, but I'll probably be asleep by then.
Below, Sophomore Dylan Morris gives his account of our fourth day of tour.
6:45am: The YGC wakes up early for the 8:00am bus to Eugene. We're aiming to arrive midmorning; our director Jeffrey Douma is scheduled to teach a master class at the University of Oregon. We thank our Portland hosts and head to meet the bus.
~8:30am: The Glee Club buses roll out of Portland. Several Glee-ple on my (quiet) bus catch a few extra Zs.
10:45am: The YGC arrives in Eugene, Oregon, home of the University of Oregon Ducks. As a former high school cross country runner, I am excited when I spot Hayward Field, the fabled University track and field venue and the site of this past year's Olympic Trials.
While Jeff is teaching his class, the members of the YGC have a chance to explore the city. YGCers disembark and head off in packs. Fellow YGCer Mari Oye '11 and I decide to take a running tour of the city that bills itself as Tracktown, U.S.A.
Today's post comes from Rachel Wilf, a sophomore in Timothy Dwight College.
The Glee Club left Astoria early this morning heading for Portland. On the way we stopped in Seaside, a small beach town on the Pacific coast. Especially for a born Northeasterner like myself, the sight of the wide Pacific in the shadow of snowy mountains was exhilarating. Some Glee Clubbers waded into the (very cold) water and others struck up an impromptu game of ultimate Frisbee—which usually happens when Glee Clubbers have any free space to run around in.
Today's post is written by Virginia Calkins, a junior in Pierson College and the 2008-2009 YGC Outreach Chair.
Last night marked the first concert of tour, at Town Hall in Seattle, Washington. Below is a post from senior Bram Wayman reflecting on the experience.
Tonight, I had a rare and very special experience: I heard the Yale Glee Club in concert. It's not often that we get to hear ourselves sing from the audience's point of view. Once in a while, somebody gets sick, and has to sit out for a concert, but that doesn't leave one in much of a position to listen critically or enjoyably. In my case, airline trouble and delayed baggage left me with no concert attire, and also left me free to see the Glee Club as our audiences see us.
With today marking the beginning of a new year and the first day of tour, it seems like the right moment to reflect briefly on the fall semester. What truly sets the YGC apart is our shared passion for singing and the strong friendships within the group. The earth may be green (YGC apple picking!) or white with snow (YGC caroling!) - but the camaraderie carries on unchanged.


text:
Q: Generating random but believable digital elevation model? Is there a way to generate a DEM, programatically or otherwise, that will feed into ArcGIS Desktop for further spatial analysis?
Perhaps this needs to be broken down into smaller incremental steps:

*

*Generate a grid

*Fill grid with values where: 0 > value < maxElevation

*Neighbouring cells: (x1-x2) < maxSlope

A: You could also consider having a script that takes random part of an existing real DEM.

A: Here's a great resource on terrain generation algorithms and software on vterrain.org: http://vterrain.org/Elevation/Artificial/

A: Try or read this page for some good information. and second link show you the way of random digital elevatin model.

*

*Numerical and Scientific Python and Data Visualisation

*creating elevation/height field gdal numpy python

A: Here is an R solution using a Gaussian Kernel to add autocorrelation to a random raster. Although, I have to say that the GRASS r.surf.fractal function, suggested by @markusN, seems like the best approach.
require(raster)

# Create 100x100 random raster with a Z range of 500-1500
r <- raster(ncols=100, nrows=100, xmn=0)
  r[] <- runif(ncell(r), min=500, max=1500)

# Gaussian Kernel Function
GaussianKernel <- function(sigma=s, n=d) {
          m <- matrix(nc=n, nr=n)
            col <- rep(1:n, n)
            row <- rep(1:n, each=n)
          x <- col - ceiling(n/2)
          y <- row - ceiling(n/2)
         m[cbind(row, col)] <- 1/(2*pi*sigma^2) * exp(-(x^2+y^2)/(2*sigma^2))
        m / sum(m)
       }

# Create autocorrelated raster using 9x9 Gaussian Kernel with a sigma of 1
r.sim <- focal(r, w=GaussianKernel(sigma=1, n=9))

# Plot results
par(mfcol=c(1,2))
  plot(r, main="Random Raster")
  plot(r.sim, main="Autocorrelated Random Raster sigma=1, n=9")

A: You could try using Perlin noise to create some random fractal terrain. This answer on Stackoverflow explains a way you could get started in Python. The trick would be to zoom in on a very small area of the noisy grid so it's not too irregular looking.

A: libnoise gives you what you want. You will likely have to customize it to some extent. Check the 'complex planetary surface' example.

libnoise is a portable C++ library that is used to generate coherent
  noise, a type of smoothly-changing noise. libnoise can generate Perlin
  noise, ridged multifractal noise, and other types of coherent-noise.
Coherent noise is often used by graphics programmers to generate
  natural-looking textures, planetary terrain, and other things. The
  mountain scene shown above was rendered in Terragen with a terrain
  file generated by libnoise. You can also view some other examples of
  what libnoise can do.
In libnoise, coherent-noise generators are encapsulated in classes
  called noise modules. There are many different types of noise modules.
  Some noise modules can combine or modify the outputs of other noise
  modules in various ways; you can join these modules together to
  generate very complex coherent noise.

A: This code can be used to create a "Hill slope" DEM of just about any number of rows and columns:
# Building a fake hillslope
# hisllop is 5 rows by 6 columns

x <- seq(-15, 15, by=0.01)
z <- 1/(1+1.5^-x)
plot(z)

z <- 150 - (1-z)*5
plot(z)

# Doing it by hand - DELETE if needed - JUST HERE AS AN EXAMPLE!!!
elev <- c(mean(z[0:500]), mean(z[501:1000]), mean(z[1001:1500]), mean(z[1501:2000]), mean(z[2001:2500]),mean(z[2501:3000]))
plot(elev, type="l")

# doing it by loop
bins <- 6      # could also be considered the length or the hillslope - AKa the number of columns
elev1 <- numeric(bins)

for(i in 0:(bins-1))
{
  begin <- floor( (0 + (length(z)/bins)*i) )
  print(begin)
  end <- floor( ( (length(z)/bins) * (i+1) ) )
  print(end)
  print(mean(z[begin:end]))
  elev1[i+1] <- mean(z[begin:end])

}

plot(elev1, type="l")

# Making the hillslope wide - AKA creating identical rows
width <- 5

# creating empty matric
hillslope <- matrix(0, nrow=bins, ncol=width)

#overwriting the matrix with the elevation column
system.time(
  {
    for(i in 1:width)
      hillslope[,i] <- elev1;
    hillslope <- as.data.frame(hillslope)
    }
  )

# applying random error grid
error <- rnorm((width*bins), mean = 0, sd = 0.25)
error.matrix <- as.matrix(error, nrow=bins )

random.hillslope <- as.matrix(hillslope + error.matrix)
image(random.hillslope)

A: You can use fractals for this: .
The upper row was generated with the fractal dimension d=2.0005 (left: elevation map, right: aspect map), the lower row with fractal dimension d=2.90 (left: elevation map, right: aspect map). I used r.surf.fractal of GRASS GIS. Then simply export the artificial DEM with r.out.gdal (or the GUI) to GeoTIFF.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Supreme Court rules on contractual penalties
Company & Commercial Switzerland
Federal Supreme Court decision
The creditor's interest is that the debtor performs its contractual obligations as required. As a common legal remedy for the protection of the creditor's interests, the parties may agree on a contractual penalty that is triggered in case the debtor is in breach of its contractual obligations. The rationale behind penalty clauses is to encourage performance of contractual obligations. A contract clause penalising one party for non-performance or breach of contract is enforceable under Swiss law. According to Article 161(1) of the Code of Obligations, the enforcement of a penalty clause requires no proof of any real damage. Article 161(2) establishes that where the creditor has incurred damage and that damage amounts to more than the amount of the penalty, the excess amount can be claimed in addition to the penalty, provided that the damage is due to a fault of the debtor. Article 163(3) stipulates that penalty clauses can be mitigated by the court if they are excessive.
Most penalty clauses provide that the debtor must pay a fixed sum in case of non-performance or breach of contract. The payment of a fixed sum can either be construed by the parties as liquidated damages or as a penalty. Both are admissible under Swiss law. Liquidated damages are used to estimate damages in case of non-performance or breach of contract and are due only if the creditor can demonstrate the existence of damage. As the damages are liquidated, the exact amount of the damage need not be shown. On the other hand, the triggering of a penalty clause does not require proof of any real damage. The code does not define the scope of contractual penalties. In 1954 the Federal Supreme Court held that the statutory forfeiture of pension claims against a pension fund in case of breach of membership duties cannot be construed as a penalty.(1) It ruled that a contractual penalty can only arise from a conditional promise to deliver a performance, not in a forfeiture of a right. This narrow penalty scope has been widely criticised in Swiss legal doctrine.
In a decision published on April 23 2009 the Federal Supreme Court had the opportunity to review its position.(2)
The Federal Supreme Court had to decide a case in which dentist B had undertaken to sell his dental practice and to hand over the patient files to dentist A. The contract provided that payment of the second instalment of Sfr340,000 was subject to the condition that both parties perform faithfully and according to contract. Having paid the first instalment, dentist A refused payment of the second instalment on the grounds that dentist B had not properly handed over all the patient files and as such had performed neither faithfully nor according to contract. Dentist B filed action against dentist A for payment of Sfr340,000. The district court dismissed the case, but the appellate court overturned the decision. Dentist A then appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.
The court held that Articles 151 and following of the code pertaining to contractual conditions were not applicable to the case at hand. Dentist A's promise to pay the second instalment was subject to the condition that dentist B perform according to contract. According to the court, in cases in which an agreement on a conditional payment obligation serves the purpose to encourage contractual performance, the articles regarding contractual penalties rather than those on contractual conditions are applicable.
In a second step the court reviewed its 1954 precedent regarding the scope of contractual penalties. Swiss legal doctrine argued that, from an economic point of view, it is irrelevant whether a penalty clause consists in an obligation to pay money or in a forfeiture of a right. Furthermore, Swiss legal doctrine argued that it is illogical for the debtor to be protected from excessive penalties only when the penalty is construed as an obligation to perform. The purpose of Article 163(3) of the code, pursuant to which excessive penalties can be mitigated by the court at its discretion, should also be applicable to contractual clauses which provide for the loss of a right in case a contract is breached. Lastly, Swiss doctrine emphasised that penalty clauses which provide for the loss of a right are enforceable under German and Italian law and thus should also be enforceable under Swiss law.
The Federal Supreme Court held that the arguments brought forward by the Swiss legal doctrine against the case law of the Federal Supreme Court case law on contractual penalties were persuasive. The court left the position it had taken in its 1954 precedent and confirmed that the forfeiture of a right could also be construed by the parties as a penalty. The court held that dentist B had breached the contract by withholding patient files and database software. The penalty clause has been triggered with the result that dentist B had forfeited the right to receive the last instalment. The court further stated that the basic principle of nulla poena sine lege (ie, the rule of legal certainty of criminal law) does not apply to contracts. Thus, parties to a contract can agree under a blanket clause that each and any violation of the contract shall result in a penalty. In the case at hand, the Supreme Court stated that dentist A had breached obligations set forth in the contract.
The decision of the appellate court was annulled by the Federal Supreme Court. The case was remanded to the appellate court to determine whether the contractual penalty was excessively high and was thus to be reduced by the court pursuant to Article 163(3).
This revision of the Supreme Court's position on contractual penalties was long overdue. It is now possible to provide in purchase agreements, for example, that the seller will forfeit the right to claim part of the purchase price if it breaches contractually stipulated obligations. However, penalty clauses which provide for the loss of the right to claim part of the purchase price in case of breach of the seller's contractual obligations may be mitigated by the court at its own discretion if they reach a certain level of excessiveness.
For further information on this topic please contact Markus Dörig or Olivier Bauer at BADERTSCHER Rechtsanwälte AG by telephone (+41 44 266 20 66), fax (+41 1 266 20 70) or email (doerig@b-legal.ch and bauer@b-legal.ch).
(1) Decision BGE 80 II 123.
(2) Decision BGE 135 III 433.
Markus Dörig
Enforcing board members' information rights
Shareholders' agreements for closely held companies under Swiss law
Interpretation of company articles in Sika takeover battle
New Federal Court decision on business judgement rule
Defects in company organisation caused by deadlock


Combining multiple design aesthetics into one cohesive package takes planning and a good eye, which is something Rebecca Leivars, a British Interior Designer, definitely has. Her ability to layer in multiple styles into a singular scheme without any one style dominating the other is not easy to do. Here she has taken the house's naturally rustic fireplace and juxtaposed it against a contemporary version of a claw foot tub. The wood burning stove housed within the fireplace is reminiscent of the days when water had to be heated and then poured into the tub. Luckily these days that doesn't happen and we live a much more relaxed lifestyle as witnessed by the soft pouf beside the tub and the cozy arm chair by the fire.
Even the facade of this Wimbledon. London multi level home combines the old with the new. Keeping the original brick facade intact, Leivars added in the indoor outdoor lifestyle that is so desirable by cutting through the facade and fitting the wall with a large expanse of glass that opens to the back deck. Comfortable outdoor seating lines the edges of the deck for an outdoor living space that is almost as luxurious as the space above on the terrace.
Wrapped in plants contained within terracotta pots of all sizes,The terrace is a private oasis complete with a glassed floor that allows views down into the family zone below.
The family room is flooded with light from both the terrace's glass floor and the wall of glass to the outdoor lounging area. While the outdoor area is a comfortable place to hang out on a sunny day, the family room is just as enticing with its deep and cozy sectional of multicoloured fabric blocking. The sectional is well positioned for movie night on the built in flat screen. The wood plank look of the TV surround and the wood plank dining table offer the rustic touch while the vintage chairs add in a cottage feel. Industrial lighting and copper and glass accessories add in the shine while the sofa brings on the pattern.
Other design elements in the dining space include the large mirror framed in a traditional pattern that is painted out white. The vintage chairs and wall sconces continue the white colour scheme, as does the reflection of the stairwell through the mirror.
The kitchen continues the wood blocks used around the TV in the family room, here, along with the plank flooring, it creates a backdrop to the full height white cabinets and stainless steel fridge. The contrast between the warmth of the wood and the high gloss white keeps the space feeling both cozy and bright. The large oversized industrial pendants over the bar tie in nicely with the drawer pulls and the traditional goose neck faucet on the sink. The addition of a large blackboard above the subway tile backsplash creates a moment of whimsy in an otherwise formal space.
This kitchen makes the most of every nook, it even has bookshelves below the island under the bar overhang. While storage is maxed out it doesn't feel overdone as the shelving along the stove wall is both open and floating. Vintage canisters on the counter and vintage styled appliances add in a layer of charm while the industrial lighting, bar stools and stove says this kitchen is ready for some serious cooking.
From the kitchen a doorway through the wood block wall offers a peak to the office and its super sized wall of comic fun.
More rustic charm is featured in the office via the wall of brick, the flating wood plank desk top and the leather chair itself with its well worn patina. The Industrial moments are through the two wall sconces and a country flare is introduced through the wall mounted wood boxes used for display and while the boxes do add in a bit of humour – as does the vintage red dial phone, the real fun lies in the wall mural.
The office is not all about work. A super comfy and very bright blue chaise is tucked into the corner offering the perfect place to curl up with a book, ipad or laptop – it also brings in a not so quiet moment of traditional flare juxtaposed against the woodsy moment of an animal rug and if that's not relaxing enough – there's always the wine cellar through the glass door.
The wine cellar is a carefully laid out room of the homeowners collection of wines stored in wine cubbies or cedar boxes. Favourites are featured in lit display cases and all are easily accessible within the temperature and light controlled room.
While it might be tempting to open up a bottle of wine while hanging out in the office, the living room is a more social environment to taste for wine tasting. This room is saturated with gemstone colours of amethyst and turquoise while a softer palette of greens and peaches are introduced on the multiple pillows. A large traditional chandelier has almost the same diameter as the glass and chrome coffee table below and though the chandelier, crown mouldings and fireplace create a strong traditional base, the industrial cabinets beside the fireplace and the contemporary silhouette of the occasional chairs layer in alternate styles as does the soft knit wood holder in front of the fireplace insert.
The living room connects to the library area via the industrial cabinets beside the fireplace. These cabinets form the base to the shelving and a library ladder in the same grey tones is ready to access books on the highest shelves. A second chandelier similar to the one in the living space is featured in the centre of this zone and two heavily tufted ottomans offer a place to sit facing into or out of the space. The library is kept interesting by alternating personal mementos with books and by continuing the personalized groupings onto the surface of the cabinetry and hanging art on the wall above, this causes the library to become a continuation of interesting vignettes rather then a rigid and stark wall of books upon books.
A cozy armchair outfitted with two comfortable cushions is an inviting seat for reading or listening to music and a wall sconce on a pull out arm allows for adjustable lighting.
That music you might be listening to in that cozy armchair could be coming from this upright piano. Placed on an interior wall for controlled temperature and surrounded by a vignette of pictures, the traditional underscore to the room brings to mind images of guests surrounding the piano singing while someone pounds out a tune.
Just behind the piano wall is a tiny hallway that connects the lower and upper stairwells. Here a fun chair upholstered in a large floral print on the front and a solid magenta on the back tucks carefully into the corner.
Back downstairs and next to the family room is the kids station. Here another wall mural is used but this time, instead of having a fun comic as in the office, it has a more serious global image. Tucked in a niche between the planet wall and the couch is a series of three industrial lockers for storing things out of sight while agricultural totes on wheels are used to store toys quickly and less formally. Trophy heads of stuffed animals keep an eye on the couch while a plush dog pretends he's a pillow.
A small corner next to a private entrance is fitted with a custom countrified bench complete with storage below the seat and wall hooks above hold the kids outdoor gear. While the bench is an informal way of humanizing the corner, the mismatched floor tiles really liven the area up with both colour and pattern while adding in that necessary layer of being water, mud and snow friendly.
Near the kids entry is a powder room that also makes good use of the fun floor tiles. Acting like a patchwork quilt below the traditional sink and wainscoting, the vintage chair adds in its own flair with a new oversized floral pattern of black and white that stands out against the multitude of colours within the flooring. Contrasting against all the florals and motifs is the hard lines of the striped window treatment. The yellow stripes pick up on the vertical battens within the grey wainscoting.
The children's bedrooms are designed for easy access to toys and books while keeping the bulk of the floor area empty. Kids like to play on the floor and in this room a comfortable sheepskin rug offers the perfect place to hang out on while the flags strung across the ceiling add in the vertical fun.
The second bedroom is a boy's paradise. Pops of red and blue are introduced everywhere. A star rug adds in the comfort when playing on the floor and a toy car makes zipping around the room a breeze.
The washroom used by the children and guests is a soft greenscape surrounded by whites and greys. With subway tiles installed all the way up to the ceiling, the kids can splash as much as they like and although the space features a claw foot tub, a rainshower has also been installed from the ceiling.
The Master bedroom by contrast is a subdued space with the exception of the headboard wall and lampshades. Keeping the large and intricate floral behind the bed brings on the visual interest when moving around the room but also keeps it out of sight when its time to drift off. The bold choice of red shades on the lamps stops the room from being busy by offering a calm place for tired eyes to rest upon.
Opposite the headboard wall a soft celery green armchair and ottoman is the perfect place to kick back and relax before getting ready for bed.
While the Master ensuite might offer the perfect place to soak away the day, it also is outfitted with a frameless walk in glass shower complete with two rain heads, a hand held shower, a wall niche for shampoos and soaps and best of all small lights near the base of the subway tiles.
The traditional sink in the Master ensuite has been outfitted with a custom bench that tucks carefully around the exposed drainpipe. To make accessing the bench as easy as possible it has been outfitted with castors and a hand pull. With the glass wall of the shower on one side, a window on the other and a mirrored cabinet above, the sink area feels large and spacious even though it is actually quite small. All these little touches and planned moments combined with the various design aesthetics makes not only this Master suite but the whole home a place that feels as though it has unfolded over the years rather then created over a short time frame; this can only be done by careful editing and planning – kudos to Rebecca Leivars for designing such a naturally eclectic feel against the bones of a traditional home.


text:
Inside the Market
Why the entire Canadian stock market should benefit from the lifting of trade uncertainty
Published October 1, 2018 Updated October 1, 2018
David Rosenberg is chief economist with Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc. and author of the daily economic newsletter Breakfast with Dave.
What is the difference between "disaster" and "amazing" when it comes to the North American free-trade agreement? Let's be charitable and say a few minor tweaks.
But at the end of negotiations, Canada comes back with a deal that averts a very bad economic outcome and lifts a cloud of uncertainty from this country's business outlook.
The down-to-the-wire new trilateral trade agreement was met positively by the markets after weekend media reports were not exactly that optimistic. Canada will allow for greater access to its dairy industry, provide greater intellectual property provisions, tighten origin rules for automotive production (this hurts Mexico) and will not face the recessionary effect of auto tariffs while keeping the Chapter 19 dispute-resolution mechanism intact.
The proposed deal, with a new name – the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – is hardly a major rewrite that warranted so much wasted time over a 13-month-long period of negotiations. Wisconsin farmers rejoice and Canada doesn't get spanked by auto tariffs and other threats out of the White House. And it is a relief that both Canada and Mexico get a six-month reprieve from any further negative U.S. trade action.
One key feature is that the three amigos have agreed on a 16-year term for the deal, which one could argue is a significant compromise from the United States, which had initially insisted on a sunset clause that could terminate NAFTA following five-year intervals. If anything, this removes a pervasive cloud over the business-investment outlook in Canada, although there are clearly other impediments on this side of the border, notably from excessive regulation, an incoherent energy policy and uncompetitive top marginal tax rates.
As for the winners here from an investment landscape, here are my initial thoughts. The deal is very good for the automotive industry since the tariff-free export limits for Canada are about double what we are now shipping south of the border. At the margin, it could be mildly positive for grocery chains and drug stores insofar as their margins on dairy products expand. Generic-drug producers may be hit slightly from the terms agreed to on patent extension. But the auto-parts sector is where you would see the biggest impact. For others, the effects will likely be fairly modest.
From a broad standpoint, this helps stabilize the macro climate and lead to lower uncertainty and we could see a capital expenditure pick-up that would be good for machinery, industrial construction and engineering. Transports would benefit as well. At the same time, it would help free the Bank of Canada's hands to raise rates again, which would be a negative for housing/housing-related names and interest-sensitive spending. Perhaps there will be a margin-boost for the banks.
The Canadian dollar pierced the 200-day moving average Monday ($1.2860), although some will point out the loonie was trading closer to $1.22 prior to the onset of the trade tensions escalating earlier this year. There obviously are other impediments (pipeline frustrations, tax rate differentials) but we could get a moderate rally in the loonie, too, although much of the currency move is behind us. So screening for companies that may benefit from a near-term Canadian dollar relief rally will make sense as well (note that there are still almost 18,000 net speculative short contracts on the CME ripe for a squeeze).
The biggest impact from a resolution of NAFTA will be the lifting of uncertainty. This will positively affect the whole Canadian market. I think valuations have been under pressure as a result of the trade "noise." In fact, the forward P/E multiple on the TSX is almost 14 times (the S&P 500 is at 17 times), and to revert back to where it was at the start of the year when U.S. President Donald Trump started the trade dispute, would mean a two-point multiple expansion or the equivalent of a 14-per-cent bounce just from the removal of these clouds.
Follow David Rosenberg on Twitter @EconguyRosie