This model is equipped with the OLED display to ensure greater video quality and viewing angle. Thanks to this, you will be able to enjoy a clear picture with sharp contrast while playing on your PS4.
It requires constant cable connection.
The PlayStation VR allows you to step into new reality and experiences. Once you acquire the whole package (PS Move and PS Camera), taking part in a combat with swords or playing tennis with a celebrity won't be a problem.
This Samsung Gear VR is equipped with an extra micro USB jack for charging the viewer as well as your smartphone when the set is not in use.
It is compatible with Samsung smartphones only.
If you're an owner of Samsung smartphone, this Samsung Gear VR will definitely catch your attention. You will be able not only to feel the effect of presence but also experience life-like participation using this wireless Gear VR. It has convenient controls and can be used as a remote for many other VR apps.
A wide field of view provides maximum picture coverage. A fully adjustable headset design adds to the usability greatly, allowing you to regulate it for your personal use.
Instructions may seem rather complex for novice users.
The BlitzWolf headset is a quite simple yet high-quality VR headset. It gives you the key to an alternative reality. All you need for that is a smartphone and a specialised App.
This VR viewer has a reasonable price-quality ratio. Plus, you'll find a mini flashlight in the box which is included as a nice bonus. With this model, you get all you might need for full immersion in VR.
Continuous use might make your skin sweat.
The ability to adjust different settings including lens focus and inter-lens distance makes the YSSHUI headset easy-to-use by all family members so that everyone could explore virtual worlds with comfort.
This virtual reality headset is compatible with smartphones by different manufacturers thus giving you a lot of options. Plus, ergonomic design makes the use of this VR headset a real pleasure.
Using a remote control for the first time might be quite tricky.
Well-thought details of the BUYKUK VR viewer make it a perfect choice for those, searching for a universal device. Indeed, with such an intuitive control and well-designed interface, this model is a gem for any user.
Sony is the type of company that needs no introduction. This name is always in the air, and there's hardly anyone who's never heard of its PlayStation 4. For over 20 years, the company has been doing its best to provide consumers only with superior-quality entertaining devices which is why it comes as no surprise it holds to one of the leading companies in the industry today. Their virtual headset called Sony PlayStation is a great example of the authentic Sony quality. If your ever dream was to try to walk in the shoes of your favorite game characters, now you can make it true using this fantastic VR gear. It's made so you can fully immerse in the world of games participating in any battles and scenes you want. This headset is equipped with a 5.7" OLED 1080p display and has a landscape scanning function making your participation in the virtual reality as close to realistic as possible. On the back of such great image specifications, this VR Headset offers you super clear and smooth 120 Hz sound, 360-degree vision, and true 3D audio allowing you to experience games in an entirely new way so you can live every detail as if you were in the middle of the action. Without a doubt, using stereo earbuds produced by Sony, no step or word or rustle would escape from you making your virtual experience more vivid and enjoyable. Furthermore, you can engage your friends in your games using the PlayStation social scan function so that they can witness what you're seeing and share your excitement and emotions. With this set, your opportunities are virtually limitless. You can win battles, take part in rally races or Formula 1, and enjoy realistic 3D Blu-ray video.
The Sony VR Headset is made not only to bring you an unforgettable experience of augmented reality but also to provide you with comfort. Its headset is designed to be as lightweight as possible so you could comfortably wear it without the feeling of discomfort, and comes packed with everything needed for using it right out of the box. Thus, along with the headset itself, the package contains stereo earbuds, a processor unit, HDMI and USB cables, a power cord, AC and connection adaptors. Unfortunately, the PlayStation Camera and Move are not included, but you will not have difficulty finding them on the market; both of the units are available on the official website of the manufacturer for a reasonable price. Also, the PS VR gear is compatible with Dualshock 4 wireless controller that comes with PS4. If you're a fan of shooting games, you can get an aim controller and enjoy your game to the fullest.
That is to say, this Sony VR Headset is a fantastic device that meets the latest sound and visual quality standards and has comfortable and simple operation thus giving you the opportunity to dive into the alternative reality that is beyond your imagination.
Meet this fantastic VR Gear by Samsung that gives you a key to the exciting world of virtual reality. The Gear Gen 2 is an improved model that is designed with 101° field of view and several high-quality sensors (gyro and proximity sensors, and accelerometer) for the best viewing experience. Being compatible with some of the latest Samsung mobile devices, this headset does not limit you to only one model. You can watch 2D, 3D, and 360-degree content with it; all you need to do to start is connect the Gear to your smartphone. The Samsung Gear VR is powered by Oculus thus treating you to thousands of videos, premium films, pictures, and games. Moreover, using the Oculus social features, you can spend time with your friends sharing unforgettable experiences of virtual reality with them. And that is not all. You can also record your own 4K 360 ° videos with the Gear 360 camera, upload and rewatch them afterwards to relive the best moments of your life or share them with your friends. Take note though, the camera doesn't come in the box, yet it is available from the company for a very reasonable price. Indeed, with Samsung, your options are almost infinite.
Samsung ventured to produce a headset that would provide not only a realistic visual and sound experience but also extremely comfortable fit. Suchwise, we've got their new Gear Gen 2 that has the most lightweight design out there. Also, compared to the previous model of virtual reality headsets produced by Samsung, the Gear Gen 2 has got longer straps which feel stable and flexible enough to keep the gear on the head for a long while feeling no discomfort. The foam cushioning is soft to the touch, light-tight, and fits closely to the skin, making your immersion into the picture as comfortable as it only can get. The Gear Gen 2 VR is easy to control. It has a few buttons on the viewer and a touchpad and can be controlled via a remote that comes included in the box. Unlike most remote controllers which usually come with VR, the one of the Gear Gen 2 has a handy wrist strap for its comfortable wear around the user's wrist. Apparently, Samsung never fails to satisfy customers' demands and requirements producing equipment that appeals to the majority of people worldwide. The appearance of the Gear Gen 2 on the market has only proved this point, bringing Samsung products to the forefront of cutting-edge gear tailored towards entertainment. Which is why, if you look to buy a quality product that you'd be able to use with the maximum comfort and for a long while, immersing yourself in unforgettable VR world adventures, this PS Gear VR is the right choice for you.
BlitzWolf company has been doing its best to provide their customers with modern, highly technological and perfectly designed devices since 2015. Their BW-VR3 VR headset unites these features perfectly thus showing the high level of their professionalism. This model is compatible with smartphones with 3.5" – 6.3" displays and virtual reality support. So, more likely than not, it will be compatible with your gadget, too. For more secure hold of your smartphone, the manufacturer has equipped this model with adjustable rubber pads so that you won't accidentally press any button while mounting the device. It's also easy to navigate the menu and games with a remote control that comes in the box. Note that the manufacturer has thought of a user's comfort, too, and equipped the BlitzWolf BW-VR3 headset with an adjustable strap. By regulating its length, you'll be able to fix the viewer on your head according to your anatomic features. Plus, the area around eyes is made of soft perforated leather that adds to comfortable wear and looks pretty stylish.
Talking about the BlitzWolf 3D Virtual Reality Headset, we can't avoid mentioning the high-quality lenses installed. This model is equipped with 42mm Mitsubishi lenses with 108° field of view, 8-layer nano-coating, and multiple polishing. Such an approach ensures that you will get the best viewing experience ever while watching a 3D movie or playing your favourite game. You can also adjust the lenses for your comfort by changing focal and pupil distance (leftward and rightward) using three regulators located on the top of the viewer. The manufacturer has thought about all their users and added the option of focusing both lenses for each eye separately for people who suffer from different levels of shortsightedness. Therefore, if you have such an issue, you can wear the headset without your specs and enjoy the game with the maximal comfort. In spite of the fact that the BlitzWolf VR gear offers you a quite good video quality, 3D image isn't the only guarantee of high-quality virtual reality experience. Sound shouldn't be understated too. That's why you may need to use good earphones to immerse yourself totally in the virtual world. All things considered, we can easily say for sure that playing VR games with the BlitzWolf BW-VR3 headset is going to be an exciting experience for most users.
If you're looking for a VR headset to carry around, we'd like you to pay attention to the YSSHUI 3D VR Box II. This model enables you to watch 3D movies or YouTube videos wherever you are. All you need to do is install VR BOX application on your smartphone and here you're – virtual reality will follow you where you go. By the way, you can choose among 100 applications for this headset in App Store and Google Play. Take notice of the viewer's design and features since they contribute to the overall usability of the device. First and foremost thing to consider is the lenses. They are aspherical, so you can be sure that images won't be distorted. There is also a possibility to adjust lens focus and inter-lens distance using 2 special controllers. Finally, even people with poor eyesight can use this VR viewer as its design allows wearing glasses under the headset. And, of course, the YSSHUI 3D VR Box II is one of the lightest models represented on the market, so taking virtual reality to go is as easy as anything.
The 3D VR Box II Headset is a good-looking device, made of high-quality plastic with close attention to every detail. All of the parts are carefully designed to deliver an enjoyable and realistic VR experience to customers. Designed with a sliding mechanism on the front side, the headset allows for mounting a smartphone so you can extend the reality a bit further. If you look at the other side of the gear, you'll see a soft-to-touch upholstery providing a comfortable fit for a user. What we also like about this model is that it's got adjustable straps including one extra for a more reliable fit so you can wear it comfortably, not worrying that it might accidentally slip off your head.
One of the other things that add appeal to this model is its great compatibility. This headset is well compatible with all smartphones (iOS, Android and Windows) that have screens varying from 3.5-6 inches in dimensions. The only thing we'd like you to keep in mind is that in order to ensure proper operation of the headset, your phone shouldn't be longer or wider than 163mm and 83 mm correspondingly. Rather than that, the 3D VR Box II Headset is more than a decent model to consider, especially if you do not anticipate paying a lot of money on the headset but still want it to be good enough to be able to enjoy your collection of 3D videos and games to the fullest.
VR Box 2.0 A Cheap VR/AR Headset: Review!
Simple. Budget. Practical. These are the three main words that describe the BUYKUK 3D virtual reality headset best. Take notice of its main features and you'll understand why we've brought it on our shortlist.
Lenses used in this VR viewer are made in Japan, a country famous for its breakthrough and impressive results in the optics industry.
The headset features a special coating film to prevent possible glare and protect your eyes from harmful blue light emitted by your smartphone.
The headset design is compatible with the majority of smartphones represented on the market. The only thing to take into consideration is a gadget's display. Keep in mind that the BUYKUK 3D model won't suit smartphones with a screen diagonal smaller than 3.5" or bigger than 6".
The headset's price is quite wallet-friendly, so almost every fan of virtual reality can afford it.
So if you're looking for a simple way to dive into the atmosphere of a virtual world, consider the BUYKUK 3D virtual reality headset. And don't forget that high-quality headphones are a must-have accessory for a total immersion experience.
Talking about this VR headset in more details, we would like to highlight its reliable construction and stylish design. Take the headset itself, for example, it has easily adjustable straps that hold the viewer fixedly on your head keeping it from shifting and slipping off. The phone compartment is also made high-quality. Thanks to a fixating piece with a sponge pad, your smartphone is reliably secured in place thus adding to a better picture quality. All fixators close tightly without free plays and cricks. Plus, with soft to the touch upholstery, wearing this headset is a pleasure, and, there is a socket for a nose; it is quite wide, so it won't cause any discomfort or pressure while wearing the viewer. As for the control, the BUYKUK 3D virtual reality headset is equipped with a remote control. It has an intuitive operation and fits a hand perfectly thanks to its ergonomic design. One of the greater features of the BUYKUK 3D headset is that it's got a handy switcher on one of the sides of its controller for connecting it to smartphones driven on different OSes.
Considering all the above, we can say for sure that this VR headset by BUYKUK is an excellent example of a high-quality device that gives an unforgettable VR experience. Convenient, user-friendly, and reasonably priced, this model has all the best features expected of all good-quality VR headsets. Indeed, the BUYKUK is a good value for the money.
What Is a Virtual Reality Headset?
With such a rapid development of the technological world, 3D videos don't surprise anyone. All skilled gamers and movie enthusiasts look for different ways to experience a virtual reality environment. This desire and popularity of 3D video have encouraged the leading electronic manufacturers to start producing special virtual reality headsets that would provide all avid users with new impressions by means of visual and audio effects. The distinguishing feature of virtual reality gear is that they are compatible with game-boxes, smartphones, and PCs. With a virtual reality headset on, a user can observe the world around, listen to a high-quality surrounding sound and even crouch down, and move around in a physical world. This allows the user to fully immerse in the virtual world and get the unforgettable experience of the alternative reality or the places far away from us.
In this review, you will find a comprehensive analysis of the best virtual reality headsets available for sale. For the ultimate comfort and gaming experience, we suggest you also consider buying one of the premium gaming chairs.
When selecting a VR headset, the quality of image is one of the most important parameters to check out. All modern devices can be divided into two groups on that account, those that work on smartphones, and those that are equipped with a built-in display. The picture quality depends on its resolution, so it won't be a waste to check on that too, since the higher the range is, the more detailed and brighter an image will be. If a viewer requires a smartphone, the parameters of its display will qualify a picture. On the other hand, the frame aspect ratio is the key factor of models with a built-in display. Suchwise, to get a wide-screen image, it's advised to go with the 16:9 format screen. Furthermore, make sure to see to the picture gradation, which determines the clarity and crispiness of action scenes, and to check the viewing angles to know how much of the picture you'll be able to observe.
The sound characteristics are of no less importance, therefore you should be well aware of what the chosen VR has to offer you, for even if the picture's good, poor quality sound is likely to spoil your experience. In this respect, manufacturers of modern virtual reality headsets provide you with two options - you can choose a model that either has built-in headphones or allows for connecting to your smartphone. If you choose the latter option, the quality of sound you'll hear will depend directly on the quality of external headphones you'll use. With the former one, you'll get voluminous 5.1-channel surround sound.
In order to get the most out of your adventures into the virtual world, the chosen VR should be equipped with a number of motion sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, and proximity sensor designed to guide you in the virtual reality. If your viewer connects to a smartphone, the phone should have these sensors too, in order to give you that feeling of immersion. Some of the other things that are desirable to have include user-friendly controls, touch pad, and several jacks for connecting to external devices. Some of the more advanced virtual reality headsets give you the option to customize the image you see by zooming it in and out, adjusting lenses etc.
If you've decided to buy a virtual reality headset that uses a smartphone as a video source, make sure to check it's compatible with the screen size of your gadget. In general, modern VR gear is produced for 4-6" phones. While those who've decided to opt for a headset that connects to a PC should make sure that the chosen model is compatible with their OC and system requirements (CPU, RAM, and video card).
Manufacturers do their best to produce VR gear which would provide not only high-quality audio and video but also convenience of use and comfortable fit. For this particular purpose, they fit their products with long adjustable straps and lessen their weight so that you can wear them without feeling fatigued.
The VR market is so wide today, with all of the models available, that it is very easy to get lost in the array of choices while selecting a virtual reality headset to meet your individual needs. Generally speaking, all headsets can roughly be divided into three main categories in relation to their price tag. So what features can you expect from headsets from each of the categories? Let's find out.
When it comes to virtual reality headsets, such a low price cannot be regarded as a synonym for high quality. Headsets with such price tags will be primitive models made either of cardboard or plastic. The VR gear will have plastic lenses and a very plain construction. The headset may have a single control button or a hole for a finger to tap the screen of your smartphone. The Google Cardboard is the most popular artificial reality headset in this class. It is a simple carton box. It is portable, cheap, and makes what it is supposed to for such a price. Anyway, talking about such cheap models, they are a good choice for those who wish to get a general idea of virtual reality before turning to more advanced models.
Compared to previous class of headsets, the manufacturers of these devices have made notable improvements. Buying a VR gear from this range, you get a viewer that is made of better materials and cushioning that minimizes light disturbance while playing or watching a video. These devices also have a lot of buttons, a sensor, and a remote control. All these features give much more options on the VR headset use, yet some users might find an excessive number of buttons challenging. In addition, the Gear VR has worthily become one of the most popular models in this range by now.
With a premium VR headset, you get an absolutely new experience of virtual reality. Firstly, they are not powered by a smartphone, but by an external PC or a game console. This means they give you incomparable graphics and video resolution in combination with motion tracking and significantly more comfortable use. Some of these models are equipped with multiple tracking cameras or allow you to set one on your viewer thus allowing you to tilt, crouch, and even move around for a few meters in any direction. This, in combination with a spectacular video and audio accompaniment, allows you to fully immerse in a virtual world and enjoy this new experience to the full. Another pleasant extra of high-end VR headsets is that most of them provide users with the option to use a motion controller, which makes the use of the headset even more convenient and enjoyable.
All in all, any of these headsets have their advantages, and without a doubt, they give you the experience you pay for. So, probably the most important question to answer when selecting the best VR headset is what you expect it to do for you. If you are eager to get absolute quality from your gear, you will have to spend more, yet there are many decent models from the mid-priced range that are worth consideration, too.
A: In simple terms, virtual reality is a simulation of another (real or fictional) reality that was created by programmers, graphic designers, etc. It delivers visual and audial experiences, and in some cases, even lets you move in a physical space thus giving you the sense of complete immersion into another world. Not only is VR an excellent device for recreation that gives you the feeling of being somewhere else in time and space, it is also quite a useful device for science. Suchwise, surgeons use VR headsets to practice and prepare for very difficult operations. Astrologers use VR to explore the universe. While you can use it to explore the places you always wanted to visit.
Q: Is there any difference between AR and VR?
A: Actually, there is some, and not just in the name (VR – virtual reality; AR- augmented reality). The main difference between these concepts is the reality that they create. For example, VR takes you to a completely different place. It simply changes your reality replacing it with the image of the alternative world. Augmented reality, on the other hand, shows the real world around you but adds some virtual things to it. Such headsets have either an external camera or a little opening for a smartphone camera to capture the physical world around you on which the virtual stuff is superimposed.
Q: Can I wear a VR headset with my glasses?
A: While for some people the selection of a good VR headset resolves mostly to a general quality and comfort of use, for those of us who wear glasses on a daily basis this situation becomes more complex. Nowadays, mostly all VR headsets are designed for use with glasses, however, the level of comfort will depend on the construction of the latter (how thick/large the frames are, for example). Besides, if you wish to immerse into VR, but can't take off your specs, try to wear contact lenses, if you don't mind them of course. They will be of great help to you.
Q: Are there any safety rules for a VR headset?
A: Many will agree that virtual reality is one of the best recreations that attracts both children and adults. However, in spite of someone's beliefs, it does have some essential advice on its use. So, in order to avoid neurological effect or minimise nausea that often occurs in novice users, it is recommended to take frequent breaks between sessions for about 15 minutes every half an hour. You should also take all injury-causing objects, pets, etc. away from you so that you will neither step on them nor crash against them. In any case, it is better to read the safety instructions for your VR gear before the first use so as to avoid injuries or any other awkward situation.
Q: How are VR films captured?
A: 360-degree or immersive videos are simultaneously recorded with a collection of cameras or an omnidirectional camera. In contrast to cameras that record video from different angles, the omnidirectional one is designed with many camera lenses. After the video is captured, it is merged together into one piece through stitching and is calibrated afterwards. This can be done either with specialised software or by the camera itself.
Q: Are there any age limits to use a VR headset?
A: Depending on the game or video content virtual reality is safe for almost any age. However, it is recommended to watch over the kids under the age of 13 and seniors over 70 for the tech support and to guarantee their safety.
1. Adi Robertson The Ultimate VR Headset Buyer's Guide, THE VERGE.
2. Brad Bourque The Best VR Headset You Can Buy, DIGITAL TRENDS. September 23, 2016.
3. Jim Martin VR Headset Buying Advice: Which Virtual Reality Goggles are Best? PC Advisor. March 19, 2015.
4. John Patrick Pullen Everything to Know About Virtual Reality, TIME. November 20, 2015.
5. Virtual Reality Headset, Wikipedia. November 15, 2016.
6. How to Keep Your Battery From Overheating When Using a Virtual Reality Headset, technorms.
7. Augmented and virtual reality in surgery—the digital surgical environment: applications, limitations and legal pitfalls, NCBI. December 2016.
8. Sophie Charara Explained: How does VR actually work? wareable. May 22, 2017.


From about six months ago, many marketers will remember gloomy headlines about the death of organic reach online. Digiday warned us that "Organic reach on Facebook is dead", and many other harbingers of doom followed suit.
Why? Because in January Facebook decided to change its newsfeed. In order to improve user experience, Facebook shifted its algorithm to give greater priority to what users' friends share, and very little priority to unpaid content that users were accustomed to seeing from brands and publishers.
Of course, this also forced even more businesses to use paid advertising on Facebook. Snapchat's major update also came in January, and it had a similar purpose: Snapchat told us it would improve user experience; commentators (like myself) argued that it was a clear attempt to increase advertising income.
Either way, the resounding message of early 2018 was that organic engagement on social media was dead.
But it's not. What's tricky is keeping ahead of the game when it comes to virality, and right now, Snapchat's AR lenses presents one of the biggest possibilities for organic engagement in the augmented reality game.
When Warner came to Fanbytes to promote ICY GRL, the new single by American hip hop artist Saweetie, AR presented a fantastic opportunity.
The concept was simple. We'd tap into the themes of female empowerment behind the song, as well as the idea of the 'girl boss', with a lens that made snowflakes and dollar bills rain down on whoever used it.
We distributed to an audience of 13-25 year old girls. The Fanbytes team shared the lens fewer than ten times, and within 24 hours the lens had been shared over 22,000 times.
Every one of these shares was organic. The people who used the lens chose to share it and, without much prompting from us, the lens organically reached over 850,000 people!
We saw tonnes of fantastic responses from the audience of our channels, a few examples of which we have compiled in the video below.
Overall, this was part of a push which helped the song reach 26,000,000 streams on Spotify, and over 47,365,075 views on YouTube.
Again and again, we're seeing fantastic organic engagement from our AR lenses. This is fantastic for brands because it means less money spent on distribution, and – even more importantly – it means that the content was engaging enough that users choose to share it.
For example, we helped Deezer get over 1 million views on a dancing 3D boombox which we made and distributed for them.
If you'd like to find out how Fanbytes can help you get incredible organic engagement via AR, get in touch by emailing us at [email protected].


AaronDelp.com: VCE's FastPath Desktop Virtualization Platform is Here!
VCE's FastPath Desktop Virtualization Platform is Here!
Rapid Provisioning, Setup & Configuration – Standing up a View environment has never been easier! Apply power and network connections to the Vblock, complete the Wizard (screenshots included below), upload a VDI "Golden Master" Image, and go get some coffee or maybe lunch and the FastPath Platform will take care of the rest!
Factory Reset – The FastPath Platform was built with the ability to quickly and easily hit the "Reset" button and set everything back to factory defaults. Great for POC and lab environments!
If you are at VMworld this week, stop by VCE's Booth (#1121) to see a demonstration or to speak with somebody about this exciting new product!
Wonderful to see VCE releasing the first and only fast deployment wizard driven solution for VMware, in FastPath. I'm looking forward to the complementary solution for mission-critical resilient healthcare desktops with VCE/VMware AlwaysOn Point Of Care in coming weeks.
This site is mainly for past history (Cloud Computing, VMware, NetApp, Cisco, HP). While I might post some personal stuff here and there, I don't post industry related content here anymore. Please listen to my Podcast on Cloud Computing and Follow Me on Twitter.
All content on this site copyright Aaron Delp. Theme images by enot-poloskun. Powered by Blogger.


But don't despair! You can still turn up on the day in several locations. Check out the location you want to run in for more information about how and where to sign up. And until 8pm UTC on Friday May 1, you can still register for the Selfie Run.
3. Click on the Info tab at the top of the page to get the lowdown.
Locations that have onsite registration will be open for sign ups until two hours before the race starts – 9am UTC.
Last year's Global Champion Elise Molvik turned up on the day in Norway and ended up the last woman caught by the Catcher Car – so there is always hope!
Join thousands who have already signed up to run for those who can't and see how far you can go before the Catcher Car chases you down.


The South Col route on the Nepalese side of Mt. Everest is the way taken by late Sir Edmund Hillary and Late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who successfully climbed the top in 29 May 1953 registering their names as the first to ever climb the highest summit in the world and establish themselves as heroes of the adventure world.
The Everest climbing expedition has been successfully organized and executed many times since then, but this should not lull prospective Everest climbers into complacency. Everest is a deadly mountain. Noting this, one cannot approach the mountain with anything but with serious determination and a focused mountaineering attitude.
Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla (2886m.) takes approximately 30 minutes and trek from Lukla to Phakding (2640m.) which takes three hours. You will be transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Lukla. You begin today�s trek from Lukla following a gentle climb up the mountainside on the left bank of the Dudh Koshi. Nupla (5885m) can be seen in the distance on the opposite bank and is a peak atop the Kongde Ridge. You descend a mountainside path that merges into your route to Everest, with views to a valley to your right; and at its far end, Kusum Kang (6367m.) The Dudh Kosi approaches as you pass a Mani wall and arrive at Ghat teahouse. You continue along a small path with many climbs and descents following the left bank of Dudh Koshi to Phakding. Stay overnight at lodge.
Day 11-52 : Mount Everest Climbing period.
Day 55 : Trek from Tyangboche to Monjo. Stay overnight at lodge.
Day 56 : Trek from Monjo to Lukla. Stay overnight at lodge.
Day 59 : Fly out from Kathmandu.


text:
Calling a Truce in the 'Culture Wars'
by Scott Sauls
In my role as a "public Christian" who leads a church and who values spirited discourse about the issues of our time, I want to nurture environments where people can openly wrestle with their beliefs—but without the fear of being caricatured, labeled or demonized.
In other words, I am for disagreeing in an agreeable way. I guess you could say that I am an advocate for tolerance.
My friend and former colleague Tim Keller says that tolerance does not require us to abandon our convictions. True tolerance, says Keller, is revealed by how our convictions lead us to treat people who disagree with us. Tolerance that tolerates only people who think like us is not tolerance. It is covert prejudice.
For the Christian witness to be taken seriously in an increasingly pluralistic and secular environment such as the West, Christians must learn the art of being able to 1) have integrity in our convictions; 2) genuinely love, listen to and serve those who do not share our convictions; and 3) consistently do both at the same time. Otherwise, rather than being a light to the culture, we run the risk of becoming products of the culture.
"The Year of Outrage"
Recently, there have been several articles written about outrage. Most notably, Slate featured a multi-essay piece identifying 2014 as "The Year of Outrage: from righteous fury to faux indignation, everything we got mad about in 2014."
Similarly, Emma Green wrote a piece in the Atlantic called "Taming Christian Outrage," in which she identifies ways that certain Christians have contributed to the outrage culture.
Both pieces confirm a recent statement from Bill Clinton, who said that the one remaining bigotry in modern society is that we don't want to be around anyone who disagrees with us.
Can Christian participation in outrage culture be a good thing if Jesus went out of his way to move toward His enemies in love?
Can Deep Disagreement and Love Coexist?
I appreciate what a former Harvard chaplain says about bridging relational divides between people who disagree, even on the most fundamental level. He writes:
The divide between Christians and atheists is deep … I'm dedicated to bridging that divide—to working with atheists, Christians and people of all different beliefs and backgrounds on building a more cooperative world. We have a lot of work to do … My hope is [to] help foster better dialogue between Christians and atheists and that, together, we can work to see a world in which people are able to have honest, challenging, and loving conversation across lines of difference.
The Harvard chaplain's name is Chris Stedman. He is an atheist. Yet, his perspective and tone are deeply Christian and biblical.
The Israelite spies came alongside Rahab, a working prostitute, to get the work of God's Kingdom done. Joseph served alongside Pharaoh, Nehemiah alongside Artaxerxes, and Daniel alongside Nebuchadnezzar. Jesus, a Jewish male, requested a drink from a Samaritan woman. Paul, a Messianic Jew, affirmed secular poets and philosophers as he quoted their works from memory to Athenian intellectuals.
All these were faithful, non-compromising people of faith in deeply secular pluralistic environments who 1) had integrity in their convictions; 2) genuinely loved, listened to and served those who did not share their convictions; and 3) consistently did both at the same time.
Belonging Before Believing
Contested issues should be approached and discussed in a way that builds relational bridges instead of burning them. Inviting others to belong and journey with us even before they believe with us or agree with us is a Christian thing.
So is breaking bread with people and welcoming them into our circle, whether or not they ever end up agreeing with us. Do we understand this?
In this, Jesus shows us the way.
When the rich ruler dismissed Jesus' invitation to come follow Him, Jesus looked at the man as he walked away and loved him. And as the man walked away from Jesus, the man was sad. Not angry or hostile or feeling judged … but sad.
A Perfect World
Gut check. How many religious skeptics do you know who "saw the light" because a Christian lectured them? How many do you know who fell in love with Jesus because someone gave them a firm ethical scolding? I have been a Christian minister for 18 years, and I have yet to meet one.
But I have met hundreds who—having been invited to belong before they believe, having been assured that acceptance was not conditional, having tasted grace and truth not just propositionally but relationally, having sensed that even if they walked away from the faith, they would walk away loved—eventually made their way into Jesus' fold. It is God's kindness that leads people to repentance.
Always Gracious
I'd like to share one last thought, a brief excerpt from my book, Jesus Outside the Lines, which summarizes what I'm trying to say here:
What matters more to us—that we successfully put others in their place, or that we are known to love well? That we win culture wars with carefully constructed arguments and political power plays, or that we win hearts with humility, truth, and love? God have mercy on us if we do not love well because all that matters to us is being right and winning arguments. Truth and love can go together. Truth and love must go together.
Paul writes, "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders … Let your speech always be gracious" (Colossians 4:5-6).
What is our basis for always being gracious? It is the fact that we, too, have been treated graciously. Because of the cross and resurrection of Jesus, our day of judgment has been moved from the future to the past.
For those of us who identify as Christians, what better reason could we have to be the most gracious, not to mention the least offended and least offensive, people in the world?
Scott Sauls
Scott Sauls is senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee and author of several books. He also blogs weekly at scottsauls.com, and can be found on social media at @scottsauls.
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Profit tumbled at Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil company
Saudi Aramco had a rough 2020, just like every other oil company. But Aramco isn't any ordinary oil company -- it's the world's biggest, and the pandemic's toll on its business had a decidedly adverse effect on the Saudi-owned business.
The company announced Sunday that its net profit fell a whopping 44.4% to $49 billion in 2020. Dealt that significant blow, Saudi Aramco committed to spend less this year than it had anticipated: Aramco said it planned to spend about $35 billion in 2021 on capital expenditures, down sharply from its previous estimate of $40 billion to $45 billion.
Nonetheless, the oil company was upbeat about the future: It maintained its $75 billion dividend for the year and the company thinks it will return to pre-pandemic oil production levels by the end of 2021.
Saudi Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser said on a call with reporters he is very optimistic about 2021, and he expects the company to reach close to 99 million barrels per day by the end of the year. He said this outlook is based on the views of different global entities and agencies, and he predicted demand will increase in 2022."Vaccine deployment will make the situation much better," he added.
The profit drop reflects the coronavirus pandemic's effect on global energy markets."As the enormous impact of Covid-19 was felt throughout the global economy, we intensified our strong emphasis on capital and operational efficiencies," Nasser said.
The earnings report comes at a time when Saudi Aramco refineries have been facing drone attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
"Our reliability in 2020 despite Covid-19 and these attacks on different parts of our facilities in the north and the south and in Ras Tanura lately is 99.9%," Nasser said. "It's even higher than previous years."
It's further demonstration about the robust crisis management and continuity plans that we have."


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Food & Function
Green tea polyphenols prevent lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory liver injury in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Dongxu Wang,a Man Zhang,a Taotao Wang,b Min Cai,a Frank Qian,c Yue Suna and Yijun Wang*a
a State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
E-mail: yijun@ahau.edu.cn
b Department of Clinical Nutrition, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, PR China
c Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
Inflammatory liver diseases present a significant public health problem. Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) have a myriad of health benefits in animals and humans, including alleviating of hepatic inflammation; however, the underlying mechanisms are complicated and remain unclear. The current study investigated the preventive effects and mechanism of GTPs on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory liver injury in mice. The ICR mice received intragastric GTPs once per day for 7 consecutive days prior to LPS stimulation (15 mg kg−1, intraperitoneally) and liver damage and oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the hepatic nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and Nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes were observed. Our results showed that GTP supplementation significantly reduced LPS-induced plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels; and LPS-induced reduction of glutathione (GSH) levels and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities was drastically improved by GTP pretreatment. GTP supplementation significantly reduced plasma contents and hepatic mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, compared with LPS-treated mice which did not receive GTP treatment. In addition, the production of cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and TNF-α in mice livers, and acute-phase response (plasma levels of nitric oxide and C-reactive protein) were also decreased following GTP pre-treatment. Furthermore, GTPs reduced LPS-induced hepatic NF-κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. GTPs exert protective effects against inflammatory liver injury by regulating NF-κB signaling and the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Our findings suggest that dietary GTP supplementation may be an adjunctive prevention and treatment for acute liver injury-associated inflammation.
You have access to this article
The article was received on 19 Mar 2019, accepted on 21 May 2019 and first published on 23 May 2019
DOI: 10.1039/C9FO00572B
Download Citation: Food Funct., 2019,10, 3898-3908
D. Wang, M. Zhang, T. Wang, M. Cai, F. Qian, Y. Sun and Y. Wang, Food Funct., 2019, 10, 3898
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Dongxu Wang
Man Zhang
Taotao Wang
Min Cai
Frank Qian
Yue Sun
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Home/News/'Zimbabwe edging closer to instability needs dialogue soon'
'Zimbabwe edging closer to instability needs dialogue soon'
Lulu Brenda Harris18th January 2020
MDC Vice President Prof. Welshman Ncube
The MDC has warned that Zimbabwe is edging closer to instability and chaos unless the state commits to dialogue.
MDC Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube, observed that the government was pushing people to become more agitated due to its failure to solve the 'untenable' economic and political crisis.
In an interview with CITE, Prof Ncube said there was no better alternative to a peaceful resolution of conflict and his party was obligated to call for dialogue.
"We have an obligation as the MDC to continue to call for peaceful resolution because the alternative is violence, chaos, instability and we do not want to go there. Ultimately, when you push people, push them and they see no other alternative resolution of the political question, they will resort to violence in the same way when the Rhodesian state was intransigent," he said citing how during pre-independence nationalists said enough was enough and resorted to violence to enforce change.
MDC Vice President Prof Welshman Ncube
"We don't want to go there and we should not go there. As Zimbabwe, we must ask those who wield political power, whether it is worth driving this country to the urge."
Prof Ncube said the MDC even implored SADC to act as the situation in Zimbabwe was worsening.
"If in fact, the situation has not arisen to the level where it is a threat to the peace and security of the region, it certainly is a threat the peace and security of Zimbabwe, borne out of the August 1, 2018 shootings and the violence in January 2019 Shutdown where we witnessed mass torture and incarceration. The economic implosion itself is also ultimately a threat to the peace and security of this country," he noted.
"We said to SADC under your own protocols, you need to act preventively at the very least and make sure there's a resolution to the Zimbabwean crisis. We believe it can only be done through dialogue. It is our understanding that this is the context former South African President Thabo Mbeki comes in to say let's see we if we can find each other."
Prof Ncube observed that the current government "not borne of the will of the people but through the barrel of the gun, will never be able to resolve the challenges of this country."
He emphasised the answer to Zimbabwe's woes was dialogue, noting the worst of wars were ended by dialogue.
"Zimbabweans must question whether you want to go through chaos before you talk to resolve. Talk you will at some point because dialogue ends all conflict and we are saying let's not wait for our society to be in absolute conflict to talk."
Prof Ncube said there was no doubt, everyone agreed Zimbabwe is in crisis.
"We all agree that our political system is not working. That's why the military had to intervene. We all agree that our economic situation is untenable and currently the government doesn't have answers for our economic problems because they have roots in political legitimacy. If we are all agreed there's a problem, surely we must agree to talk about how to resolve the problem," he underscored.
On the issue of Mbeki's supposed mediation given that Zimbabweans have expressed reservations for his handling of talks leading to the Government of National Unity in 2009, Prof Ncube said people must not worry about the identity of the mediator but whether the parties would talk.
"It's not Mbeki's responsibility or any facilitator but what happens in our face to face dialogue. A facilitator can only nudge us to talk to each other. The question is Mbeki able to facilitate and bring in particular the two main sides namely Zanu PF, captured as it is by the military and the MDC," he explained.
He added that besides Mbeki is 'deeply' familiar with the country's history, the Global Political Agreement that was not implemented and also knows what went wrong.
The MDC VP stressed that dialogue must include Zanu PF and his party, not other sideshows.
"If we are serious and concerned about addressing the ills of the country, spare me the agony of having to make any comment about POLAD because really every person with common sense knows it is not a serious platform for anything," Prof claimed.
MDC political dialogue Professor Welshman Ncube Thabo Mbeki Zanu PF
Lulu Brenda Harris
New ZWL$50 notes coming out soon: RBZ
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BECKWITH: MANCHU, ETC.
May 5, 2009 by languagehat 8 Comments
I've only got a couple of chapters left in Beckwith (see my earlier posts: 1, 2), so I thought I'd pass along a few tidbits culled from what I've read so far, to give an idea of the kinds of facts and insights the author provides as sidelights to his main story of the gradual suppression of Central Asia by what he calls the Littoral System.
The first is what to me is a convincing etymology of the name Manchu. On page 225 he writes:
In 1616 Nurhachi (Nurhači, 1559-1626), the leader of the Jurchen in southern Manchuria north of Liaotung, established a Chinese-style dynasty, the Later Chin, named after the Chin Dynasty of his Jurchen forebears. … In 1636 his son and successor Hung Taiji (1592-1643) changed the dynasty's name to Ch'ing ('Clear') and in 1643 adopted a new ethnonym, Manju (Manǰu) 'Manchu', apparently after the name of the Boddhisatva of wisdom, Mañju-śrî 'Lord Mañju'.
A footnote sends us to endnote 89, which says:
By the time of Nurhachi's son, Hung Taiji ('Abahai'…), the Manchus had been converted to Tibetan Buddhism, mainly through the efforts of the Mongols and Uighurs, who had themselves been converted to Tibetan Buddhism in the Mongol Empire period. The Manchus belonged to the "reformed" Dgelugspa ('virtuous school') sect headed by the Dalai Lama, who had become a politically important reincarnation lineage with the help of the Mongols…. The dynastic name Ch'ing 'clear' is evidently connected to the name of the holy mountain Ch'ing-liang Shan ('Mount Clear and Cool') in Shansi (Shanxi), where Manchu, Mongol, Uighur, Tibetan, and Chinese Buddhists believed Mañjuśrī resided…. There are other well-argued theories about the etymology of the name Manju (e.g., Stary 1990 [Giovanni Stary, "The Meaning of the Word 'Manchu': A New Solution to an Old Problem," Central Asiatic Journal 34.1-2: 109-119]), and it is quite possible that the Manchus deliberately fostered different interpretations among the different peoples who made up their empire, but for the Manchus themselves it is difficult to imagine most of them, as fervent new converts to Buddhism, seeing the name as anything other than Mañju, the name of the Boddhisatva of wisdom.
(The OED, in an entry revised June 2008, simply says "Manchu Manju is said to have been the name adopted by Abahai, leader of the Altaic-speaking Ruzhen tribes of Manchuria, who conquered China and ruled as the Qing dynasty from 1644-1912.") I like both the laying out of the reasons he supports this etymology and the fact that he refers to "other well-argued theories"; although he sometimes seems overly certain of his own theories, he doesn't try to paper over controversies, and is perfectly willing to say some of his previous views were mistaken, a form of humility that is welcome in a scholar (and not as common as one would like).
On pages 76-77 he introduces one of the major themes of the book, the mutual dependence and comparable nature of nomads and settled peoples:
Trade was important for both nomadic and non-nomadic cultures, but it was critical for the nomadic states. The crucial nature of trade was not, however, because of the supposed poverty of the nomads. Nomads were in general much better fed and led much easier, longer lives, than the inhabitants of the large agricultural states. There was a constant drain of people escaping from China into the realms of the Eastern Steppe, where they did not hesitate to proclaim the superiority of the nomadic life-style…. Central Eurasian peoples knew that it was far more profitable to trade and tax than it was to raid and destroy….
All of the Central Asian cities depended primarily on irrigated agriculture…. Yet, despite their urbanity, the peoples there were just as warlike or non-warlike as the nomads—who were just as interested in trade as the urban peoples…. The ancient Chinese travelers to Sogdiana found it an intensely cultivated agricultural region with many cities and huge numbers of warriors. The Sogdians, no less than the nomadic peoples around them, needed to trade to acquire the wealth to bestow on their comitatus members; it was clearly not the reverse. They needed their warriors for their internal political purposes, just as the nomads did.
This is not an especially original insight, but a useful thing to point out (pp. 176-77):
The limitation in the size of states in the period between the Early Middle Ages and the Mongol Conquest limited the evil that governments and politicians could do to individuals. Especially in Western Europe, the Islamic world, Tibet, and East Asia, it became possible for philosophers, scientists, and other creative people to escape to another more amenable state when they were endangered in their homeland. The result was increased international movement, and with it continued intellectual growth.
On page 202 he mentions that Persian miniature painting was "a result of the Mongols having brought with them numerous Chinese scholar officials to help them run the Il-Khanate," and on page 240 he describes the massacre in 1756-57 of the Junghars, until then the main power in Central Asia, at the orders of the Ch'ien-lung Emperor: "only about 10 percent of the Junghars, mainly women and children, survived." That's just a sampling; amid the (rather dry) chronological rundown of rulers and tribal movements, there are all sorts of eye-openers like those.
"Nomads were in general much better fed and led much easier, longer lives, than the inhabitants of the large agricultural states."
Funny, that's how you recognize Oaxacans and distinguish them from other Mexicans (bean and corn diet, almost no animal products) even before they open their mouths. They all seem to be about four feet tall.
Doc Rock says:
For those with interest in the interrelationship of China and the nomads peripheral to China, I recommend Wolfram Eberhard's _A History of China_ which can be downloaded free from Project Gutenberg and, also Rene Groussett's _Empire of the Steppes_, still available from booksellers.
While those are both excellent works, Eberhard's book is originally from 1947 and the Grousset dates from 1938; there's only so much you can do with occasional updates. Beckwith incorporates the latest research and has thoroughly rethought the history of the region.
I agree with the Hat completely on the issue of modernity and of the importance of Chris Beckwith's new publication and his new insights–nevertheless, Eberhard's work remains seminal in its examination of China's history in relationship to the rann volke, the peripheral peoples of China. Similarly, there is much in Grousset that is not covered in Beckwith, but which should be part of our view and understanding of the peoples of Central Asia.
We are in full agreement!
Actually, I'm a tad disappointed in how Beckwith has structured the book; if he had gone off on fewer tangents that seem fairly irrelevant to Central Asia, he would have had room for more of what you're talking about.
caffeind says:
Sounds rather littorally minded.
David Marjanović says:
Interestingly, the Wikipedia article on the Dzungars informs me that "Hong Taiji" is a title ("supreme chief") rather than a name.
rann volke
Based on your explanation I guess Randvölker?
Beckwith also dishes up "Ironsmith" as the meaning of Temujin. I have just read Genghis Khan by John Man, and Man is quite adamant (and rather convincing) in his view that Ironsmith for Temujin is a false etymology. For a start, Mongolian Tomor (iron) has an 'r' in it; Temujin doesn't.


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The Legends Of Anzac Cove
It's early morning on a brisk April day in the middle of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Or depending on where you are, it could be the middle of spring. The sun is yet to make its appearance over the horizon and a cool mist cloaks the landscape. Then, slowly, candles begin to flicker into life. First a trickle, then more until a cloud of them glow in the pre-dawn darkness. It's Anzac Day somewhere in the world. Australians and New Zealanders have gathered to pay tribute to a group of courageous soldiers who landed on the remote shores of a far distant country on April 25th, 1915. And paying tribute alongside them are Turks, remembering the equally as heroic deeds of the 'homeland' soldiers who valiantly defended their coastline against the intruders.
On April 25th, 1915 Australia was still a young nation. A very young nation. She had only officially become a sovereign entity on January 1st, 1901, a mere 14 years previously. But Australian officials were keen to prove to the world, or to Great Britain and her allies at least, that young though she may be, she could still do her share to support the Allied efforts in the war currently happening. Even though that war was many thousands of miles away from home and realistically nothing to do with Australia at all! Old habits, instilled by a century or more of supporting the Mother Country in overseas battles, die hard.
Australian Forces Sent To Assist British Interests In The Middle East
To that end, Australia sent an Australian Imperial Force to Egypt to assist British forces protecting British interests in the Middle East and Suez Canal. After minimal training in Cairo the Australian forces, together with forces from her close neighbour across 'the ditch' AKA the Tasman Sea, were dispatched to the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. The aim of the offensive was to capture the peninsula and establish a safe passage to the Black Sea for allied naval forces. There were also troops from Britain and France involved in the campaign but they landed elsewhere.
The Gallipoli campaign was prompted by the ongoing stalemate happening on the Western Front in Europe. Both sides were going nowhere in particular so the British Imperial War Cabinet decided an attack on the 'enemy' from a different quarter was called for. To this end, in February 2015 they mounted a naval offensive against the Ottoman Empire to gain control of the Dardanelles Strait and from there, Constantinople. The idea was that the Turkish people would be forced into signing an armistice by the sight of British naval vessels arriving at their capital with all guns blazing!
Unfortunately for the Allied Forces, whilst that style of campaign had won England many battles throughout history, times were changing. They were now up against an enemy who was not particularly impressed by England's naval strength. Nor were they prepared to let Allied forces take control of the Dardanelle Strait, let alone get anywhere near Constantinople! The Turkish people were fighting back, and fighting hard.
The British Imperial War Cabinet therefore decided to mount a land-based attack as well. The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was cobbled together for this purpose. Commanded by General Ian Hamilton, three amphibious landings would drop troops off at various coastal points along the Gallipoli Peninsula to secure it. And once secured, the British Navy would be able to sail unimpeded into Constantinople! At least that was the plan. The reality was to be far different…!
The Anzac Legend Begins
At 4.30am on Sunday, April 25th 1915, 36 rowing boats carrying two contingents of Australian troops were towed to an obscure, and unmapped, cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula called Ari Burnu. It was not their intended landing spot. That spot, namely Gaba Tepe, was some one and a half kilometres to the south. In the darkness, the landing fleet had gotten off target! It was a portent of things to come.
ANZAC cove, site of World War I landing of the ANZACs on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.
Upon landing at what was supposed to be an open cove, the troops found themselves confronted instead by steep hills and cliffs. But being enterprising Australians with a heritage of meeting adversity head on, the troops got on with the job of moving inland. They climbed the steep gorse covered slopes, only to meet Turkish fire when they reached the top. However, they hung on and managed to make some headway to establish a small stronghold from which to base future attacks. The first of the New Zealand troops landed around 6 hours later at 10.30 am and were faced with the same challenges of steep cliffs and hills where there was supposed to be open flat beach country.
On the bright side, Ari Burnu was relatively undefended. The Turks were expecting them to land at Gaba Tepe and had amassed a considerable defence force there. The hills and cliffs at Ari Burnu also provided the troops with some defence from Turkish gunfire. Nevertheless, there was still considerable gunfire exchanged on both sides and in that first 24 hours official records claim 754 Australians and 147 New Zealanders perished with a further 2000 or more injured. Exact numbers for Turkish casualties were never recorded but some reports put the figure at around 2000 at least. And that was on the first day alone! It also meant the boats that were supposed to be ferrying back up troops to the Cove were slowed up as they were needed to take the wounded back to the hospital ships.
Eight Months Later….
The stand off at Gallipoli, as it ended up becoming, lasted 8 long soul destroying months. It cost the lives of 8,708 Australians, 2,721 New Zealanders and some 87,000 Turks. The official Australian toll by the end of it, including both dead and wounded, was 26,111.
It's also been stated that probably the most successful manoeuvre of the entire campaign was the withdrawal operation at the end of those 8 months. That particular operation went without a hitch and successfully removed 142,000 Allied troops from Anzac, Suvla and Cape Helles between December 19 and January 8th, 1916.
During the occupation, Ari Burnu was unofficially dubbed Anzac Cove in reference to the combined Australian and New Zealand forces that landed there. It was officially renamed Anzac Cove in 1985 by the Turkish government. Anzac of course is the acronym of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
A Hero Is Someone Who Has Given His Or Her Life To Something Bigger Than Oneself ~ Joseph Campbell
British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill could easily have had the Anzacs in mind when he coined his famous quote: "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
As far as war campaigns go, Gallipoli could be considered an epic failure. For both sides. However, for the fledgling nations of Australia and New Zealand, it was their first war campaign since being granted sovereignty. The tales of heroism, mateship and courage at Gallipoli in the face of almost unsurmountable odds fired the imaginations of Australians and New Zealanders back home and fostered a wave of overwhelming patriotism like few other things could have. It united the peoples of those countries and marked a turning point in their national pride and sense of worth.
Indeed, so significant was the impact of the ANZACs and the Gallipoli campaign that on January 10th, 1916 a public meeting was held to discuss the inception of a day of remembrance to honour those who had lost their lives at Gallipoli. The meeting was held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. From that meeting, an ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee was appointed to set the wheels in motion.
April 25th Officially Becomes Anzac Day
The first Anzac Day commemorations were scheduled for April 25th 1916, exactly 12 months to the day of the first landing. It proved to be a huge success with ceremonies, parades and services being held around Australia and New Zealand. Some of those parades featured a convoy of cars carrying soldiers who had been injured on Gallipoli. Two thousand or more Australian and New Zealand troops marched on Westminster Abbey in London and were dubbed 'the knights of Gallipoli' by a London newspaper. And so April 25th officially became Anzac Day. A day of remembrance observed by Aussies and Kiwis around the globe and commemorated also by Turks and Brits.
In the 1920's Anzac Day was officially established as a national day of tribute. By 1927 it was a gazetted public holiday in all Australian states and territories and by the mid 1930's all the proceedings, rituals, marches and memorial services that are now part of Anzac Day had been established. The day had also become a broader day of remembrance, extended to include the fallen soldiers at subsequent battles, not just Gallipoli. Over the ensuing decades, this list of battles has grown and today's Anzac Day parades now commemorate the fallen from all wars and peacekeeping missions in which Australia and New Zealand have been involved:
Sudan 1885
Boer War in South Africa 1899 – 1902
Boxer Rebellion in China 1900 – 1901
World War 1 1914–1918
Occupation of Japan 1946–1952
Korean War 1950–1953
Malayan Emergency 1950–1960
Indonesian Confrontation 1963–1966
Vietnam War 1962–1975
First Gulf War in Iraq 1990–1991
Afghanistan 2001 to present
Second Gulf War in Iraq 2003–2009
Peacekeeping 1947 to present
Representatives from all 3 armed forces as well as the police force take part in the official marches and proceedings. Descendents of service men and women also often march, proudly wearing their forebear's badges. In fact, the growing presence of the younger generations at these services, and their involvement in the marches, is testament to the enduring spirit of the Anzacs and the Anzac tradition.
If you're going to be visiting Anzac Cove this April 25th and are a bit light on top hair wise, why not pop in and visit us to discuss a possible hair transplant solution. After your visit to Anzac Cove of course!
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I decided last march that I wanted to get a transplant, having spoken to a friend who also went with Get Hair. I emailed Stuart and then went on to book a consultation at the hq in Chiswick. Stuart made me feel at ease straight away and explained in detail the experience ie. info about the transplant and the journey to Turkey. They took photos and then were in contact in a few days to tell me how many grafts I would need and the cost. i went ahead and booked in right away. Ive not long been back from Turkey having booked the treatment for 10/01/20 and could not recommend the guys any more highly. before flying i was given the contact details of the liaison out in Turkey, and as soon as i landed the communication was great. however the only blip was my driver was not there right away, this didn't do much for my nerves being in a foreign country and about to have surgery but this was the only down side. the surgery itself was painless, a little discomfort when they inject the aesthetic but thats it, they talk to you and let you know what they are doing throughout. having spoken to a few lads at the airport. I definitely know there are cheaper companies to go with when thinking of a transplant, but they do not offer the same things as get hair. for one having the consultation before getting to Turkey is massive, with the language barrier this could easily go wrong if you go in there blind. But for me money was not the issue. I didn't shop around as i went with a friend and saw his results. and also seeing other people and speaking to them the aftercare instructions are different with many different companies but i feel the instructions i was given were much better than anyone else i spoke to. I hope this review will help anyone thinking of booking with these guys! Joe Morris
The whole experience was really smooth. I am so pleased with the initial results (writing this 2 weeks post op) Dr Tayfun and his team performed my procedure, and they were very professional throughout. Communication throughout was spot on aswell! I'm so excited to see the final results!!
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You are here: Home / Videogames / E3 2011 / Does E3 Give Non-Gamers a Reason to Mock Us?
Does E3 Give Non-Gamers a Reason to Mock Us?
June 5, 2011 by Sara 1 Comment
The flight down to LA for E3 2011 gave me two hours to process what's in store for me, my peers and the rest of the gaming community this week. My most interesting revelation was how many reasons the industry itself gives non-gamers to think of our community as immature, "off" or just plain weird. And in light of all the credibility-boosting changes E3 has gone through during the years, the thought hit me like a ton of bricks.
E3 has had several homes during its trade show life, including a stint in Las Vegas where the only thing sinful about it was attendees' blood alcohol content. In recent years, E3 has found a semi-permanent home in Los Angeles, although even that was interrupted one year by an ill-fated detour to Santa Monica. The goal of the Santa Monica move was to rein-in the show after growing to 60,000 rabid attendees the year prior. Following that mega show, several publishers grumbled about the circus of it all, requesting not so subtly that something be changed. Of course, the publishers themselves were largely to blame for said circus; I vividly recall one EA booth tour where I had to wear closed-circuit headphones just to hear the EA rep standing three feet away from me.
Ironically, the Santa Monica show proved too small and too spread out, so E3 went back to the LA Convention Center the following year, slightly larger but still a far cry from the 60K madness. The show that year performed well, but there were still some kinks to iron out. Meanwhile, Nintendo launched its Wii that fall and essentially shotput the industry into the mainstream stratosphere, essentially forcing the industry to do two things: figure out its own trade show structure, and give the non- and newly-gaming world reason to believe we weren't all a bunch of mouth-breathing teenage boys.
No offense, kids.
The Electronic Software Association, which organizes E3, has limited the scope of E3 2011, with only about 2,000 media passes granted worldwide, including about 1,300 U.S. press (DailyGame included). No longer is every Gamestop employee allowed to attend; only buyers and senior executives can go. No longer is every blog with 54 readers allowed in, only established sites that have regularly reported on the industry and built a decent following. In short, the ESA has tried to reinforce E3's value as an information-rich annual trade show, not a three-day excuse to get drunk (although there will be some of that, too). I think the ESA will largely succeed — as long as nobody talks too much about the craziness that goes on behind the scenes.
Several examples illustrate where publishers have failed to grow up with the annual show, but none is greater than the booth activities of Nival, which is making its return to U.S. publishing. Nival, like other publishers at E3, will have games on display, media kits and PR booth tours. But lost in many inboxes last week was a note from the company about one of their "sideshow" activities: a big-ass bouncy castle filled with booth babes that E3 attendees can go bounce with. Seriously.
Remember that line from the Dead or Alive 3 commercial of "she kicks high"? Can you imagine the one-liners that will come out of Nival's booth about bouncing objects? I can, and Wii-owning parents everywhere are going to cringe.
Then there's THQ's Saint's Row The Third car wash, which takes place this week across the street from the LA Convention Center. On the surface this wouldn't raise an eyebrow, but what's the over-under on the number of car washers wearing bikinis? Or, on the head-scratching front, what's the chance that anyone even gets their car washed, considering that more than half of the cars at the LA Convention Center will be rentals?
Nintendo this week will finally divulge information about its next system, and if the rumors are true — a touchscreen controller, full 1080p video and a faster processor than the Xbox 360 and PS3 — all those gamers who entered the industry with a family-friendly Wii are going to be paying plenty of attention to E3 news this year. Sony's going to take the wraps off its NGP system, which it hopes will revitalize its handheld gaming stable, while surely addressing its recent security breaches. Microsoft will inevitably talk about the evolution of Xbox Kinect in addition to Gears of War 3, maybe even announce its own mobile device, and with the Xbox 360 is riding a sales high, millions more people than ever before will be listening to what the company has to say.
In other words, E3 2011 will have, perhaps more than any year prior, the full attention of people who wouldn't otherwise consider themselves hardcore gamers or E3 devotees. The LA Convention Center and everyone inside it will be front and center, giving publishers the opportunity to improve and/or change whatever negative perceptions or misconceptions may be out there. This week is the industry's chance to shine, yet here we are looking at a few bizarre activities that could blow up any goodwill that other publishers' announcements may create.
Am I the only one who finds it odd that these publisher-produced activities may undermine the very efforts of publishers themselves to impress anyone who thinks Facebook is the pinnacle of gaming? I'm all for changing perceptions, but if E3 2011 doesn't make strides in that regard, the industry may not have anyone other than itself to blame. Bouncy castles filled with booth babes? No wonder some people still think we're nothing but a bunch of teenage boys. Here's hoping the news out of E3 this year is compelling enough to outshine the rest of the craziness that some people in the industry just can't seem to let go.
Filed Under: E3 2011, Features Tagged With: op/ed


One measure is always equal to 25ml or 1 fld oz. A cocktail 'jigger' pours out one measure easily.
A Dash is a always just a few drops from the bottle. Bitters etc. are called for in dashes.
These are the top 10 best cocktails in the world, of all time. Cocktails which remain classics and which are deservedly here on their taste and 'look'. Any modern cocktail created always has one eye on these greats, and it would take something special to dislodge one of these to break in to the top ten. What they all have in common is that they are not overly fussy, or complicated, and none of them are needlessly showy or vulgar looking – even the Bloody Mary. Yet all of them 'hit' that sweet spot – you know the moment … taking the first sip, then releasing a 'sigh' of contentment; this tipping point may be difficult to describe, but these cocktails all have this magic ability to put us at our ease and make the day seem better.
A straight 'Martini' is always made with gin, if you want a Martini made with vodka then this is called a 'Vodka Martini', when ordering at a bar you have to be specific. And although mixing a Martini in a cocktail shaker, and actually shaking it, instead of stirring it, is common due to the influence James Bond, (who always asked for his vodka martini to be "shaken, not stirred") it is not the authentic way of making it. Stirring has a long history in Martini's and stirring is recommended as it does not dilute the drink too much or excite it with bubbles. The 'dryness' of a martini refers to the amount of 'vermouth' used in the drink, with a very dry martini having little or no Vermouth. Conversely, a wet martini has a significant amount of vermouth added. Tradition has it that in terms of garnish you should always put one or three (odd numbers) of olives etc. on a cocktail stick and never two (even numbers). Martini's are served as cold as they can be.
Directions: Chill a stirring glass or cocktail shaker and add some ice cubes. Add the gin and vermouth and stir well (do not shake the Martini, unless this is what you want to achieve). Strain and pour into a chilled cocktail glass (martini glass) and serve garnished with an olive. Optional Garnish: Instead of the olive use a twist of lemon peel (a strip of the peel is squeezed or twisted to get the zest oils onto the surface of the drink first).
A Dry Martini: 2 & ½ measures of London dry gin – ½ measure of dry vermouth – 1 olive. For a Very Dry Martini swirl the vermouth around the inside of the chilled cocktail glass first to coat the glass (without mixing it with the gin) and then discard any excess – pour in the chilled gin, then garnish.
A Gibson Martini: 2 & ½ measures of London dry gin – ½ measure of dry vermouth – 1 small pickled onion – To make it Dirty: a dash of vinegar from the onion jar.
A straight 'Martini' is always made with gin, if you want a Martini made with vodka then what you want is a called a 'Vodka Martini'. The 'dryness' of a martini refers to the amount of 'vermouth' used in the drink, with a very dry martini having little or no Vermouth. Conversely, a wet martini has a significant amount of vermouth added. Vodka Martini's are served as cold as they can be.
Directions: Chill a stirring glass or a cocktail shaker and add some ice cubes. Add the vodka and vermouth and stir well (do not shake the Vodka Martini, unless this is what you want to achieve) . Strain and pour into a chilled cocktail glass (martini glass) and serve garnished with a twist of lemon peel (a strip of the peel is squeezed or twisted to get the zest oils onto the surface of the drink first). You can optionally add in an olive rather than the twist of lemon peel.
A Dry Vodka Martini: 2 & ½ measures of Vodka – ½ measure of dry vermouth – twist lemon peel. For a Very Dry Vodka Martini swirl the vermouth around the inside of the chilled cocktail glass first to coat the glass (without mixing it with the vodka) and then discard any excess – pour in the chilled vodka, then garnish.
A drink to impress. This is the ultimate black tie dinner drink.
Directions: Into chilled champagne flute carefully drop in one sugar cube which has been saturated with a dash of bitters. Pour over one measure of brandy, and top up with chilled Champagne.
A classic Manhattan should always use Rye Whiskey, although a common bourbon is also now acceptable in many bars. Modifications: a modern Manhattan is frequently served 'on the rocks' in an 'Old Fashioned' glass (a low-ball glass) instead of a cocktail (martini) glass. It should also be noted that some New York bartenders are now also shaking the ingredients with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker instead of stirring it, creating a froth on the surface of the drink.
Directions: Pour and combine the vermouth, rye (or bourbon) whiskey, and bitters (with 3 ice cubes) in a mixing glass. Stir gently, don't bruise the spirits or cloud the drink. Place the cherry in a chilled cocktail glass (martini glass) and strain the whiskey mixture over the cherry. Rub the cut edge of the orange peel over the rim of the glass and twist it over the drink to release the oils – but don't drop it in.
This famous luxurious cocktail was invented at Harry's Bar, Venice, in 1934 by the legendary barman Giuseppe Cipriani. Prosecco or Champagne? Champagne is the choice of purists but Prosecco (a mild Italian sparkling white wine from the home of the Bellini) is a good base for a delicate fruit like peach. Champagne, which has a much stronger flavour, can overpower the peach, so you sometimes have to add more purée, destroying the balance.
Directions: Chill the champagne and glasses. Place the peaches in a small blender and purée until totally smooth, (this can be done in advance and kept in the fridge). Spoon half neatly into two chilled champagne glasses, and slowly top up with champagne, stirring as you pour. Ideally it is one-third peach purée to two-thirds champagne. Serve straight away. Note you can use the equivalent of preserved peach halves in natural juice if fresh white peaches are seasonally unavailable.
The 'cosmo' a sophisticated girl-about-town cocktail. A 1990's favourite 'always' making a comeback.
Directions: Add all the ingredients to cocktail shaker half filled with cracked ice, shake, then strain into a chilled martini glass with a piece of lime rind. Optional Garnish: Cut an inch wide, 2 inch long strip of orange peel. Hold the orange peel in your thumb and forefinger (over the drink) and hold cigarette lighter in front, just touching, light it for about 3 seconds, then squeeze the peel hard, releasing all the oils which light and set fire. Then wipe around rim of glass and drop in, skin side up.
Everyone loves a Margarita: and although it now has a 'young persons' tag, anyone, of any age, should enjoy a properly made one – particularly on a hot-sticky summer evening.
Directions: Prepare the cocktail glass by rubbing lime juice all the way around the edge (rim) of the glass and place it upside down on a saucer sprinkled with finely ground sea-salt (to achieve the salted rim effect). Add the Tequila, Cointreau, and Lime Juice into a cocktail shaker, half-full of crushed ice, and shake well together. Strain into the cocktail glass. Serve.
Directions: The Original Negroni is equal parts Gin, Campari and Sweet Vermouth, poured in at the same time over ice in an 'Old Fashioned' glass (the 'Negroni Sbagliato' ads a measure of proseco to make it sparkling) garnish with an orange slice. It is also acceptable to serve the Negroni in a chilled cocktail (martini) glass.
Some people say that this is the ultimate 'hair-of-the-dog' morning after restorative drink, while others claim it is a sophisticated afternoon drink to have with friends. Whatever its proper place within the hours of the day, it certainly tests the skill of any bartender when ordered because they need to achieve a delicate balance in the seasoning of this drink – a poorly made one is horrible.
Directions: Optional Frosting: onto a saucer containing celery salt put the upturned rim of a tall highball glass (or medium wine glass) which has had lemon juice rubbed on the rim to make the celery salt stick to it. Into the glass add the lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste. Add the vodka and ice cubes, then fill the glass (stirring) with the tomato juice to just under the top of the glass. Stir well. Serve. Optional Garnish: add a cleaned and trimmed stick of celery into the glass before serving.
A simple cocktail to make but there are several versions of a Daiquiri, (with a myriad of additional flavourings) but the most famous one is the one made in the 'El Floridita' bar in Havana, Cuba.
Directions: Half-Fill a cocktail shaker with cracked ice-cubes. Add the rum, lime juice and sugar syrup. Shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass (martini glass). Serve garnished with a slice of lime.
The first alleged use of the specific name "Old Fashioned" was for a Bourbon whiskey cocktail in the 1880s, at the Pendennis Club, Louisville, Kentucky. However there is contention on the proper way to make an Old Fashioned. One of the earliest recipes, written in 1895, specifies the following: "Dissolve a small lump of sugar with a little water in a whiskey-glass; add two dashes Angostura bitters, a small piece ice, a piece lemon-peel, one jigger (1.5 fl oz or 44 ml) whiskey. Mix with small bar-spoon and serve, leaving spoon in glass". Topping off the old fashioned with soda water is contested by cocktail purists but it has become a common twist on the drink.
Directions: Make the drink in stages in a chilled 'old fashioned' glass. Add the sugar to the glass, soak in the angostura bitters, add a drop of Bourbon Whiskey and stir. Add the ice cubes, slowly stirring, and adding more of the Bourbon until the sugar has dissolved and the drink is ready. Rub the cut edge of the lemon or orange peel over the rim of the glass and twist it over the drink to release the oils – but don't drop it in. Alternative garnish: Twist of lemon peel over the top of the drink to release the oils, and serve garnished with the lemon peel twist and a maraschino cherry.
Posted in All Recipes, Books.


Highly recommended course if you are about to apply to college! It gives you a very good idea of how it all works, great advise and resources.
A good and comprehensive course. The instructors are expert in their fields and the additional resources are very relevant.
Horribly slanted with political correctness, racism against whites (and Asians), and local (Philadelphia) concerns which do NOT belong in a MOOC. The idea was great; the implementation (partnering with a special interest) was horrid.
Excellent course even for international students who are just beginning to think about the college application process.
Best app to use for your future plans.
This course offers every little detail you need to know about college.
Excellent course. But it's a good idea to issue the certificate of completion.
Informative course. Good for high school students.


It is the devotion to care and protection of what you have and cherish most that will determine how you will be able to see to it that what you have sitting at the back of your lawn or balcony is one investment that should be worth protecting.
For those who do not may not have a general idea of how to take care of that long -cherished outdoor furniture, here are some tips to keep it in tip top shape and make it last for years on end.
Outdoor furniture made of light or water- absorbent materials like fabric, wood- except cedar and teak, and mixed materials may need to be stored indoors or made sure to have it covered when not in use.
This way the elements will not be able to cause damage to the material.
Although cedar and teak are two of the most common yet durable materials used for outdoor furniture, the only concern that you may have in maintaining it would be to simply sand it at least once a year to remove any signs of stressed wood particles that could potentially spread out and damage the entire structure over time.
Cedar and teak wood are both characterized by their durable and hard wood properties that make them ideal materials for wood -based outdoor furniture.
These two wood materials continue to stay durable as they age, both characterized by retaining a silvery grey color as it ages and in order to make it appear rustic or natural, all that it simply needs is to apply wood stain or dye to help it achieve a more natural look.
But all the same, regardless of whether it is made of wood, metal or plastic, it is still best to keep it away from standing water.
As you know, water can be a corrosive agent for metal and a decomposing agent for organic material like wood, same with fabric and textiles.
Lastly, prevent your outdoor furniture in coming to direct contact with damp soil for extended periods of time.
These are but common tips to protect your hard -earned and cherished investment and may allow you to may as well keep what can be considered your best outdoor furniture.


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FRANKLY...PIZZA!
FRANK LINN IS A madman. ;at's the word he uses to describe his obsession with pizza, especially the dough. His customers are crazy, too—for those 11-inch pies. ;ey've flocked to the 40-seat (plus 22 outside) Kensington pizzeria since Linn opened it in 2014, just as they had to the food truck of the same name he operated for two years. His pizza is Neapolitan-like in that the dough is made with only four ingredients—Caputo 00 (double-zero), an Italian brand of very finely milled bread flour; water; yeast; and salt—and comes out of the oak-fired oven with lots of leopard-spot charring. Linn puts cooked tomato sauce on his pizzas instead of the crushed, uncooked tomatoes usually found on Neapolitan pies, and rejects serving pies with soupy centers that require a fork and knife. "I want you to be able to pick up a slice and fold it," he says.
We like the Hot Mess, named after a customer who came to the food truck years ago looking like one and wanting something with bacon and heat. Linn's creation is a white pizza made with Berkshire pork bacon that he cures, smokes and sautés. He adds caramelized onions for sweetness and Gruyere for nuttiness, in addition to mozzarella and Romano cheese. Heat comes from jalapeños he roasts, peels, brines and slices. "It's a hot mess because you're supposed to su;er a little bit," he says. We're happy to.
Frankly…Pizza!, 10417 Armory Ave., Kensington; 301-832-1065;
franklypizza.com
A Hot Mess pizza
We asked owners of our featured restaurants: "What is vital for a perfect pizza?" Here are some of our favorite responses.
; Ruth Gresser, Pizzeria Paradiso
"Someone who knows what they're doing at the oven. Cooks work their way up through the various stations of our kitchen, and the oven is the last station to get to. They have to enjoy the thrill of moving 13 pizzas around and having them come out perfect."
; Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana
"All phases need to come together—perfect fermentation of the dough, perfect hydration, the temperature in the room, the quality of the products and a good bake."
; James Alefantis, Comet Ping Pong
"It's about ;avor and texture, that little bit of gooeyness between the crust of the bread and the sauce and the cheese, where you feel the aliveness of it all. It's a living thing, made with yeast. We hand-make each one and treat it like it's a little present for the guest. It brings you back to the moment of the best pizza of your childhood."
; Ankur Rajpara, Pizza CS
"Passion in what you're doing—crafting the dough, how to manipulate it, to open it up, to make adjustments according to the seasons.
It's more of a craft than a process, which is why I went back to Naples to be certi;ed as a pizza-maker by the APN, the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani."
; Alessandro Ferro, Pizzeria Da Marco
"The dough. And the weather. On more humid days, the dough is wetter and chewier. On days with perfect humidity, the dough is perfect. My mom would say, 'The dough is nervous today' when the weather wasn't cooperating."
; Frank Linn, Frankly…Pizza!
"The dough is de;nitely a focal point; it's the platter everything else is placed on. Pizza is its own plate. Everything must come together to make a great pie—sweet, salt, chew. Char and crispness are important. I've traveled around a lot and haven't had a lot of great pizza."
MAKING A GREAT PIE
PH OT O BY STACY ZAR IN G OL DBE RG