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A Festival Like No Other
Electronic Theater
The Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater, a qualifier for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is the pinnacle of animation excellence. Discover the evolution of animation and the limitless possibilities ahead through this showcase of short stories told through computer graphics.
Submit to Electronic Theater
Be a part of the SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater experience by sharing your groundbreaking project and demonstrating your unique approach to storytelling in this well-respected animation showcase.
Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival's Electronic Theater has been recognized as a qualifying festival by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It began as an annual showcase of advances in computer graphics, and now celebrates the rise of computer graphics as a medium for storytelling in animation, visual effects, games, scientific visualization, and more.
Submit your best work that educates, entertains, or informs for your chance to be featured in this prestigious showcase. An internationally recognized jury will review your work and award Best in Show, Jury's Choice, and Best Student Project prizes. Notably, several works originally presented in the Electronic Theater have been nominated for or have received a Best Animated Short Academy Award.
SIGGRAPH 2023 will gather in person in Los Angeles. We look forward to celebrating 50 years of advancements in computer graphics and interactive techniques and are excited that you are considering submitting your work for consideration.
Steps to Submit:
Log into our submission portal.
Select the "Make a New Submission" tab, and choose the Electronic Theater form. To review the information you will need to submit, view this Stage 1 Sample Submission Form.
After submitting the initial form, a slate image will be auto-generated and provided to you for download. Include this slate at the start of your video, following instructions in the "SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS & SPECIFICATIONS" section below. Upload the slate+video combination to finish the Stage 1 submission.
After submitting Stage 1, you will need to complete the ACM Rights Management Form. View this sample form here.
What to Expect After Initial Submission:
Stage 1 submission must be completed by 21 March 2023.
ACM Rights Management Form must be completed shortly after submission, requested within 24 hours.
Submissions will go through two rounds of jurying.
Submitters will be notified of the outcome in early May 2023.
If accepted, you will be asked to fill out additional information in a Stage 2 Form.
Attendance at the conference is encouraged, but not required, 6-10 August 2023.
ACM Rights Management Form
If you are submitting work to the SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater:
You must complete the ACM Rights Management Form. The form will be sent to all submitters as a final step to the application. All rights forms for submitted work must be completed upon submission (not upon acceptance). View a sample form here.
Your representative image and text may be used for promotional purposes. Several SIGGRAPH 2023 programs — Art Gallery, Electronic Theater, Real-Time Live!, Technical Papers, and all installation programs — will prepare preview videos for advance promotion of accepted content, which may include a portion of the video you submitted for review.
ORCID Mandate
Contributors who are required to complete their permission upon submission must provide a valid ORCID identifier upon submitting. Corresponding contributors are responsible for collecting these ORCID identifiers from co-contributors and providing them to ACM as part of the ACM eRights selection process.
You and your co-contributors can create and register your ORCID identifier at https://orcid.org/register. ACM only requires you to complete the initial ORCID registration process. However, ACM encourages you to take the additional step to claim ownership of all of your published works via the ORCID site.
21 March 2023, 22:00 UTC/GMT
Electronic Theater submissions due.
Early May 2023
Electronic Theater submitters notified.
6–10 August 2023
Advertising: Commissioned short films that tell a narrative story on behalf of a brand or entity.
Feature Films: Applies to works that are either trailers or clips (snippets) from full-length feature animated films and/or television series/programs.
Short Film: An original film with a runtime of 10 minutes or less.
Cinematic: Selections from larger works, such as games, that are developed and presented as short films.
Real-Time Graphics: Short films, feature films, or visual effects reels that showcase graphics created via the use of real-time rendering software.
Visual Effects: Applies to visual effects showcase reels or breakdowns from work done for full-length feature film, television/streaming show, or short film.
Visualization (Data-Driven): Applies to imagery created based on the research data of domain scientists, including 3D data from a supercomputer simulation or numerical model; generally rendered as real-time or pre-rendered computer graphics transformed from or driven by large scientific data.
Visualization (Conceptual Animation): Applies to imagery created in collaboration with and from the knowledge of domain scientists, employing digital tools and methods rather than large computations.
Simulation: Uses a mathematical description, or model, of a real system in the form of computer imagery to represent the dynamic responses of one system by the behavior of another system.
Retrospective (Reel): A reel showing computer graphics content from the company/individual over a significant span of years. Reels selected for this new, one-time category will be shown at a special, second event commemorating SIGGRAPH's 50th Anniversary.
Retrospective (Resubmission): A resubmission of content screened previously in the last 50 years of SIGGRAPH, for consideration in a special, second event commemorating SIGGRAPH's 50th Anniversar
Submission Requirements & Specifications
Submission Requirements:
Content must have been completed after last year's Electronic Theater submission deadline (22 March 2022).
Content needs to be uploaded at final resolution by 21 March 2023 at 22:00 UTC/GMT.
Include the auto-generated entry slate, which will be provided to you after the initial form submission. The Electronic Theater requires each submission to include a slate. Submissions without slates will be considered incomplete.
All descriptions, captions, and notes to the jury must be in English.
Each applicant must complete the ACM Rights Management Form, which will be sent as a final step in the submissions process. (See sample form here.) All rights forms for submitted work must be completed upon submission (not upon acceptance) in order to be considered. The ACM Rights Management Form defines the manner in which the material you have submitted will be used, if accepted. It also allows you the opportunity to grant or deny specific uses of the material and its presentation before, during, and after the conference. Applicant information must include a full name, an affiliation, and a unique email address – no generic "festivals@…" or repeated email addresses within the same submission are permitted.
A maximum length of 10 minutes may be submitted; however, the Electronic Theater reserves the right to show only excerpts of selected works at the jury's discretion.
The autogenerated slate should be presented in the following order:
5-second slate
5-second black
Submission start
Submissions without slates are considered incomplete.
The sum total of end titles and credits should be no longer than seven seconds.
2-Pop Cue
There should be an audio and visual 2-pop cue two seconds before the first frame and two seconds after the last frame of the work.
Apple ProRes 422
DNxHD
NTSC Video Wrappers
Please note that DCP format will not be accepted.
Video Resolutions
1080p (1920p x 1080p) preferred
Upon acceptance, you may have an option to re-submit at 4k
23.97, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94, or 60 fps
Audio Configurations
Number of audio tracks accepted is [0,1,2,4,5,6,8,10,12].
Levels should be normalized for -23 LUFS (+/- 0.5).
Entry Review & Festival Jury
All submitted entries are evaluated by a dual review process that involves individuals from various communities focused on technical, creative, production, and more.
The first review team is involved in pre-selection and will review and rank all entries as they come in. Pre-selected submissions then move on to the Festival Jury. The Festival Jury is composed of industry peers in senior positions. These jurors review and rank all entries that pass pre-selection.
Submitters will be informed by email of the status of their submissions only after the Festival Jury makes its final decisions. All submitters will be notified of their status by early May 2023. The Festival Jury also selects the recipients of the three festival awards: Best in Show, Jury's Choice, and Best Student Project.
The Electronic Theater reserves the right to place submissions in a different category if deemed appropriate by the festival subcommittee or jury. Stay tuned for the reveal of your 2023 jurors.
Upon Acceptance
All Electronic Theater submitters will be notified by email of the status of their submission(s) in early May 2023.
After Acceptance
The time between the Electronic Theater Jury meeting and the SIGGRAPH 2023 conference is very short, and a lot of work gets processed behind the scenes. If your work is selected, you will be expected to reply promptly to any request for information or clarification from the Electronic Theater subcommittee. It is unlikely that we will need to contact you regarding your work after your notification, but please plan to be available via email in case a need arises.
Presenter Recognition
Contributor attendance is not required. You can find a link to the contributor recognition policy here.
Electronic Theater Frequently Asked Questions
I have submitted my work to the most recent SIGGRAPH Asia Computer Animation Festival. Is it OK if I submit the same work to the SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater?
Yes. You can submit the same work to SIGGRAPH 2023, as long as it was released after 22 March 2022. We are independent festivals with separate juries and acceptance procedures.
Do submissions to the Electronic Theater have to be 3D animations?
Absolutely not. We generally feature works where the computer was essential to the creation of the work, but there is no specific requirement that it be 3D. All forms of computer animation are eligible, including but not limited to: 3D computer animation, 2D animation, visual effects and live action, real-time video game play, data visualizations, simulations, scientific illustrations, and digitally manipulated imagery and video. If you have computer-generated work within a larger piece, we request that you call our attention specifically to the portion where computer-generation was used.
How many works can I submit to the SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater?
There is no limit. You may submit as many as you like, but ensure you complete a separate submission form for each work. However, note that the Electronic Theater values diversity in its content. We receive a high volume of quality submissions for this short program, so occasionally, high-quality works are not selected simply due to overrepresentation from one company/individual/category/etc.
Is there a submission fee for submitting to the SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater?
No. You only need to complete the online submission process.
Can I submit the same piece to both the Festival Electronic Theater and to Talks or the Art Gallery, or any other SIGGRAPH 2023 programs?
You are welcome to submit pieces to the Electronic Theater as well as to submit related work to other programs. Each submission requires a separate online form, however, and each program has varying deadlines and requirements. You can review all submission deadlines here.
I have an art animation (abstract or experimental). Should I submit it to the Art Gallery or the Electronic Theater?
All animation submissions should be submitted to the Electronic Theater.
Where do I send my submission materials?
All works must be submitted via the SIGGRAPH 2023 online submission system. The online submission process allows submitters easy access to the submission system, eliminates time-consuming shipping and mailing, and provides an efficient procedure for reviewing submitted work.
Can I enter my work through Withoutabox?
The Electronic Theater does not accept submissions through Withoutabox. All works must be submitted via the SIGGRAPH 2023 online submission system.
When is the submission deadline for the Electronic Theater?
Online submission forms and accompanying uploads must be completed no later than 21 March 2023 for the Electronic Theater. All deadlines are 22:00 UTC/GMT (convert to your time zone). Submissions received after either deadline will not be reviewed.
I will not have my work finished by the submission deadline. Is it possible for me to submit "work in progress" for review?
No. The SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater reviews only finished projects. The file/project you upload at the time of entry is what will be shown at SIGGRAPH 2022, if your work is accepted. If you have questions or would like to make a case for an exception, please email caf-s2023@siggraph.org.
We are an art school, and we are planning to submit several student works as one submission. Is this OK?
No. Each piece must be uploaded separately to the online submission system along with its own completed and signed submission form. Each piece is judged on its own merit.
I am a student, and there is no Student Projects category. Where should I enter my work?
All student work should be submitted under the category that most closely describes it (e.g., animation or visual effects). Make sure to select the "Student Project" checkbox as you fill out the form so that your work may be considered not only for the Best in Show award and Jury's Choice prizes, but also for the Best Student Project prize.
What file formats are acceptable for submission?
See the "How to Submit" guidelines above for other file format details.
What criteria will the jury use to select works?
Jurors are expected to select the highest quality works from among those submitted. Each juror takes into consideration the technical aspects of the piece, the visual interest, and, for story-based projects, the storytelling; however, the jury's primary criterion is to select the pieces it feels will form the strongest show.
What is the difference between the juried program and the curated program?
The juried program presents work selected by the jury, representative of the best computer-generated content in the world. The curated program is used to round out the final show with invite-only special presentations.
Why must the credits be no more than seven seconds?
To maintain the pace of the Electronic Theater program for the sake of our participants, SIGGRAPH conference policy requires that all credit sections for accepted entries must be seven seconds or less.
My animation makes use of commercially recorded music. Is that OK?
You are responsible for securing the necessary permissions and licenses for audio material that is contained in your work. If your music was not created originally for your content, or if you are using another person's music, you must obtain the necessary permissions or required licenses. We will not purchase these rights for you.
If my work is selected for the Electronic Theater, will SIGGRAPH 2023 pay for my accommodation and/or travel expenses?
No. You are responsible for your registration. Once the contributor recognition policy becomes available, it will be linked here. Check back at the end of January 2023.
Why are your technical requirements so specific?
The technical requirements are very specific to make the submission process more streamlined for you. We have carefully selected codecs and resolution formats that are easily accessible to all, and that offer the highest quality with the least amount of data loss, while also providing a much more streamlined post and DI process. This ensures that the material you send us, if accepted, will look amazing on the big screen!
I am having trouble uploading my files. What can I do?
If you have problems uploading your files to the SIGGRAPH 2023 online submission system, your server may be behind a firewall that doesn't allow HTTPS connections. If you are submitting from a corporate or institutional network, ask your information technology department to assist you in completing your submission. If you have any questions about uploading files, review "Uploading Files" in the Submissions FAQ. If you do not find the answer to your question there, feel free to contact the Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater subcommittee at caf-s2023@siggraph.org.
Tue, 21 March 2023
22:00 +00:00 GMT
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 22:00 +00:002023-03-21 22:00:00Submit
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Megaw retrial set for Aug. 23
July 21, 2010 at 12:00 a.m.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – An Aug. 23 retrial date has been scheduled in James Andrew Megaw's molestation case. The former elementary school teacher is charged with four felonies for allegedly touching students in a sexual manner.
Megaw's first trial ended in a mistrial in May after a jury deadlocked in its deliberations. Jurors were split in favor of not guilty verdicts for three of the four counts.
A prosecutor said last month that family members of Megaw's accusers expressed a desire for a retrial.
Megaw's new trial date was scheduled when he appeared in West Valley Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing Friday. Attorneys estimated a trial will last four weeks, according to minutes of the hearing.
Five students testified during Megaw's trial that the former teacher at Valencia Elementary School in Upland fondled their genitals in class, and in some cases touched himself while touching them. A sixth student said Megaw made a sexual comment to him in a bathroom.
Megaw, a 43-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident, was the head of Upland's teachers union before criminal charges were filed two years ago.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Business Tech Industry
WebEx founder backs Sharepoint killer Huddle
UK based enterprise cloud collaboration vendor Huddle is taking over where collaboration pioneer WebEx left off after its ill-fated acquisition by Cisco, gaining market share at the expense of Sharepoint.
Written by Phil Wainewright, Contributor on May 24, 2012
To me, the most interesting aspect of the $24 million C round announced by cloud collaboration provider Huddle today is the participation of Subrah Iyar, the founding CEO of WebEx, one of the earliest cloud application companies to go public before its $3.2 billion acquisition by Cisco in 2007. UK-based Huddle may not be so well known as other vendors in the space, but Iyar's backing is an endorsement from one of the earliest pioneers of cloud collaboration, someone who has 'been there and done that' as the saying goes, and has the scars to prove it.
I was following WebEx closely at the time it bought another company I knew well, Intranets.com, which as its name implies was offering online enterprise collaboration in the cloud as early as 1999. That acquisition in turn became the foundation for the launch of WebEx Connect, an ambitious collaboration platform that was once viewed as a serious rival to Salesforce.com's AppExchange. The problem with Connect was that it took a peer-to-peer approach (similar to Ray Ozzie's Groove Networks at the time, which Microsoft had acquired in 2005) that left it fatally hardwired into individual enterprise networks. The engineering challenges that arose from this then got mired in the Cisco machine, where it ultimately died.
Fast forward five years and what Iyar sees in Huddle is a fulfilment of those original aspirations at WebEx. "He saw our business and immediately understood what we're trying to do," Huddle's CEO Alastair Mitchell told me in a briefing earlier this week. "In his words, 'You're following on from where we left off,' especially WebEx Connect." In particular, the Huddle Sync technology, announced in February, allows Huddle to deliver centrally managed access to local files in a loosely coupled model that avoids getting mired in behind-the-firewall infrastructure.
This is fundamental to Huddle's challenge to Microsoft's Sharepoint platform, which is its main competitive target in the market. "Cloud has matured to the point where it can deliver now on the original vision and it's why Sharepoint will never win in the long term," Mitchell told me. "[Sharepoint] is architected for the client-server generation of technology and that's fundamentally not the way the world works anymore."
In support of that contention, Mitchell cites the example of a Huddle customer that had 2,000 Sharepoint users but saw many other people in the organisation using cloud based tools to share documents. The choice was between embarking on a huge project to implement Sharepoint for 85,000 users across the organisation or signing up with Huddle to deliver that capability on demand. This is typical of the type of scenario that is helping Huddle grow its enterprise business by a factor of five to eight times annually, says Mitchell. "The CIO gets involved and says let's not upgrade Sharepoint next year. Let's actually switch people to Huddle."
With its headquarters offices overlooking London's Silicon Roundabout, Huddle isn't numbered among the Silicon Valley glitterati but should not be discounted on that score. It has now raised a total of $40 million in venture funding and, although it has not raised as much as more consumer-focused rivals such as Box and Dropbox, its C round is larger than Silicon Valley darling Box at an equivalent stage. What's more, Huddle's business is generating cashflow and, as Mitchell put it when we spoke on Monday, "We don't have to do this to survive." Huddle's business was already tripling annually and the funding allows it to invest in further growth, especially in the US and other international markets.
Maybe, as I've said before, as a Brit based in London I'm over enthusiastic to cheerlead for a home-grown cloud success story — Mitchell was the opening keynote at yesterday's EuroCloud Day London event, which focused on cloud growth success stories — but I have a certain track record on predictions and my forecast is that this company is one to reckon with.
Microsoft: We're bringing ChatGPT to the Azure cloud-computing service
Microsoft Viva is making it easier for you to hit your goals


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Former Lion Brown helping Cherilus adapt to NFL
By Brian VanOchten | grsports@mlive.com
AP File Photo
Former Lions tackle Lomas Brown is lending a helping hand during Organized Team Activities.
ALLEN PARK -- In his post-NFL career, former Detroit Lions left tackle Lomas Brown has spent a lot of time teaching the fundamentals of football to up-and-coming prodigies attending his summer camps around the state.
His latest project: First-round pick Gosder Cherilus.
Brown, a seven-time All-Pro selection, is lending a helping hand during Organized Team Activities to help Cherilus learn the finer points of the game.
In offseason drills, Cherilus, a 6-foot-6, 319-pound right tackle chosen 17th overall out of Boston College, has been less than impressive so far.
"I watched the big fella, and I love the attitude," Brown said following Monday's voluntary session. "I see he's got a tremendous punch (getting off the line of scrimmage) but, like any new guy, the footwork is bad. He's not going to see a lot of speed rushers on the right side, so it's not going to bother him that much.
"It just needs to improve."
Brown insists he can help Cherilus adapt to the NFL.
The occasional ESPN commentator, who is conducting football camps in Lansing, Adrian, Rochester Hills and Grand Rapids this summer, has offered his services to the Lions to continue working with Cherilus once training camp opens next month.
He sees a lot of untapped potential.
"It's rare you get guys (in the first round of the draft) who come in and make an impact right away," Brown said. "Once he gets the pads on and he has a little success out here, that'll help his confidence. People might not have a good opinion about him from what they see right now, but give him a little time.
"I remember when we drafted Herman (Moore, 1991 first-rounder, 10th overall). The first two years, Herman couldn't catch a cold. He was horrible. It was like, 'We spent our money on who?'
"The more reps he gets, he'll be better."
The same approach applies, according to Brown, whether he's teaching and preaching basic concepts to NFL players or summer campers.
Brown also is hosting a charity golf outing July 27 at Quail Ridge Golf Club in Ada. All proceeds benefit brachial plexus palsy research at the University of Michigan.
NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders is scheduled to headline the tournament. He is expected to be joined by former Lions Moore, Ron Rice, Stephen Boyd and Luther Elliss, ex-Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods and others.
In the meantime, Brown is having fun mentoring Cherilus.
He told him Monday to keep focusing on the fundamentals.
"Your set has to be the same. It has to be repetitive. You have to be able to do it in your sleep," Brown said. "I'd like to keep working with him.
"I went up against William Gay, a pretty good veteran defensive lineman, every day in practice as a rookie. That helped my progress a lot," he added.
So, upon first glance, what's Cherilus' best attribute?
"He's got a nasty attitude," Brown said with a huge smile. "I like that. You can't teach that."


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Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction
Yao Nie, Wei Ning Wang, Yi Jiang, John Fortner, Pratim Biswas
Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (CGOATI) were synthesized by an one-step aerosol technique to enable simultaneous carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption and photoreduction. Graphene oxide (GO), chemically modified by ethylenediamine (EDA), was crumpled using an aerosol process, encapsulating TiO2 nanoparticles to form core-shell nanostructures. The three-dimensional (3D) structure largely prevented the crumpled graphene nanosheets from restacking by minimizing π-π interactions, thus enhancing the stability of the catalyst by retaining its higher surface area. A combination of a 20% mass percentage of TiO2/GO, a 15 : 1 mass ratio of EDA/GO in precursor solution, and a 200 °C synthesis temperature led to the highest CO yield (65 μmol g-1 h-1, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 0.0094%), which was two-fold higher than that of crumpled reduced GO-TiO2 (CGOTI) and four-fold higher than that of TiO2 alone. The enhancement of CO2 photoreduction was attributed to higher CO2 adsorption on the amine-functionalized reduced-GO (r-GO) surface and the strong electron trapping capability of r-GO. The insertion of EDA on r-GO nanosheets, the adsorption of CO2 by amine groups, and the photoreduction of the adsorbed CO2 were confirmed by FTIR and XPS spectra analysis. The r-GO nanosheets themselves were simultaneously photoreduced during CO2 photoreduction. Raman spectroscopy and conductivity measurements showed that photoreduced r-GO had a higher electronic conductivity than thermally reduced r-GO, and led to more effective CO2 photoreduction. This study offers new insights into the design and fabrication of graphene-based photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction.
https://doi.org/10.1039/c6cy00828c
10.1039/c6cy00828c
Dive into the research topics of 'Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Reduced Graphene Oxide Engineering & Materials Science 100%
Graphene oxide Engineering & Materials Science 91%
Titanium dioxide Engineering & Materials Science 81%
Amines Engineering & Materials Science 74%
Nanocomposites Engineering & Materials Science 67%
Adsorption Engineering & Materials Science 61%
Ethylenediamine Chemical Compounds 59%
Carbon dioxide Engineering & Materials Science 58%
Nie, Y., Wang, W. N., Jiang, Y., Fortner, J., & Biswas, P. (2016). Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction. Catalysis Science and Technology, 6(16), 6187-6196. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6cy00828c
Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction. / Nie, Yao; Wang, Wei Ning; Jiang, Yi; Fortner, John; Biswas, Pratim.
In: Catalysis Science and Technology, Vol. 6, No. 16, 2016, p. 6187-6196.
Nie, Y, Wang, WN, Jiang, Y, Fortner, J & Biswas, P 2016, 'Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction', Catalysis Science and Technology, vol. 6, no. 16, pp. 6187-6196. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6cy00828c
Nie Y, Wang WN, Jiang Y, Fortner J, Biswas P. Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction. Catalysis Science and Technology. 2016;6(16):6187-6196. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6cy00828c
Nie, Yao ; Wang, Wei Ning ; Jiang, Yi ; Fortner, John ; Biswas, Pratim. / Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction. In: Catalysis Science and Technology. 2016 ; Vol. 6, No. 16. pp. 6187-6196.
@article{0d44836358464475b8be6f233cfadc50,
title = "Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction",
abstract = "Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (CGOATI) were synthesized by an one-step aerosol technique to enable simultaneous carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption and photoreduction. Graphene oxide (GO), chemically modified by ethylenediamine (EDA), was crumpled using an aerosol process, encapsulating TiO2 nanoparticles to form core-shell nanostructures. The three-dimensional (3D) structure largely prevented the crumpled graphene nanosheets from restacking by minimizing π-π interactions, thus enhancing the stability of the catalyst by retaining its higher surface area. A combination of a 20% mass percentage of TiO2/GO, a 15 : 1 mass ratio of EDA/GO in precursor solution, and a 200 °C synthesis temperature led to the highest CO yield (65 μmol g-1 h-1, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 0.0094%), which was two-fold higher than that of crumpled reduced GO-TiO2 (CGOTI) and four-fold higher than that of TiO2 alone. The enhancement of CO2 photoreduction was attributed to higher CO2 adsorption on the amine-functionalized reduced-GO (r-GO) surface and the strong electron trapping capability of r-GO. The insertion of EDA on r-GO nanosheets, the adsorption of CO2 by amine groups, and the photoreduction of the adsorbed CO2 were confirmed by FTIR and XPS spectra analysis. The r-GO nanosheets themselves were simultaneously photoreduced during CO2 photoreduction. Raman spectroscopy and conductivity measurements showed that photoreduced r-GO had a higher electronic conductivity than thermally reduced r-GO, and led to more effective CO2 photoreduction. This study offers new insights into the design and fabrication of graphene-based photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction.",
author = "Yao Nie and Wang, {Wei Ning} and Yi Jiang and John Fortner and Pratim Biswas",
note = "Funding Information: Y. N. thanks the McDonnell International Scholars Academy and the McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership (MAGEEP) for the fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis. Partial support from the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization (CCCU) and the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS) funded by the US Department of Energy at Washington University in St. Louis is gratefully acknowledged. Electron microscopy work was performed at the Nano Research Facility (NRF) at Washington University in St. Louis, a member of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ECS-0335765. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.",
doi = "10.1039/c6cy00828c",
journal = "Catalysis Science and Technology",
publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",
T1 - Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for simultaneous carbon dioxide adsorption and photoreduction
AU - Nie, Yao
AU - Wang, Wei Ning
AU - Jiang, Yi
AU - Fortner, John
AU - Biswas, Pratim
N1 - Funding Information: Y. N. thanks the McDonnell International Scholars Academy and the McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership (MAGEEP) for the fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis. Partial support from the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization (CCCU) and the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS) funded by the US Department of Energy at Washington University in St. Louis is gratefully acknowledged. Electron microscopy work was performed at the Nano Research Facility (NRF) at Washington University in St. Louis, a member of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ECS-0335765. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
N2 - Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (CGOATI) were synthesized by an one-step aerosol technique to enable simultaneous carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption and photoreduction. Graphene oxide (GO), chemically modified by ethylenediamine (EDA), was crumpled using an aerosol process, encapsulating TiO2 nanoparticles to form core-shell nanostructures. The three-dimensional (3D) structure largely prevented the crumpled graphene nanosheets from restacking by minimizing π-π interactions, thus enhancing the stability of the catalyst by retaining its higher surface area. A combination of a 20% mass percentage of TiO2/GO, a 15 : 1 mass ratio of EDA/GO in precursor solution, and a 200 °C synthesis temperature led to the highest CO yield (65 μmol g-1 h-1, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 0.0094%), which was two-fold higher than that of crumpled reduced GO-TiO2 (CGOTI) and four-fold higher than that of TiO2 alone. The enhancement of CO2 photoreduction was attributed to higher CO2 adsorption on the amine-functionalized reduced-GO (r-GO) surface and the strong electron trapping capability of r-GO. The insertion of EDA on r-GO nanosheets, the adsorption of CO2 by amine groups, and the photoreduction of the adsorbed CO2 were confirmed by FTIR and XPS spectra analysis. The r-GO nanosheets themselves were simultaneously photoreduced during CO2 photoreduction. Raman spectroscopy and conductivity measurements showed that photoreduced r-GO had a higher electronic conductivity than thermally reduced r-GO, and led to more effective CO2 photoreduction. This study offers new insights into the design and fabrication of graphene-based photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction.
AB - Crumpled reduced graphene oxide-amine-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (CGOATI) were synthesized by an one-step aerosol technique to enable simultaneous carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption and photoreduction. Graphene oxide (GO), chemically modified by ethylenediamine (EDA), was crumpled using an aerosol process, encapsulating TiO2 nanoparticles to form core-shell nanostructures. The three-dimensional (3D) structure largely prevented the crumpled graphene nanosheets from restacking by minimizing π-π interactions, thus enhancing the stability of the catalyst by retaining its higher surface area. A combination of a 20% mass percentage of TiO2/GO, a 15 : 1 mass ratio of EDA/GO in precursor solution, and a 200 °C synthesis temperature led to the highest CO yield (65 μmol g-1 h-1, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 0.0094%), which was two-fold higher than that of crumpled reduced GO-TiO2 (CGOTI) and four-fold higher than that of TiO2 alone. The enhancement of CO2 photoreduction was attributed to higher CO2 adsorption on the amine-functionalized reduced-GO (r-GO) surface and the strong electron trapping capability of r-GO. The insertion of EDA on r-GO nanosheets, the adsorption of CO2 by amine groups, and the photoreduction of the adsorbed CO2 were confirmed by FTIR and XPS spectra analysis. The r-GO nanosheets themselves were simultaneously photoreduced during CO2 photoreduction. Raman spectroscopy and conductivity measurements showed that photoreduced r-GO had a higher electronic conductivity than thermally reduced r-GO, and led to more effective CO2 photoreduction. This study offers new insights into the design and fabrication of graphene-based photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction.
U2 - 10.1039/c6cy00828c
DO - 10.1039/c6cy00828c
JO - Catalysis Science and Technology
JF - Catalysis Science and Technology


text:
HBO Announces Album of Music Inspired by Game of Thrones
Good Nerd Bad Nerd / April 9, 2019
COLUMBIA RECORDS AND HBO® ANNOUNCE
FOR THE THRONE (MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES®)
SOUNDTRACK TO RELEASE ON APRIL 26; AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
CHECK OUT THE ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT HERE
Columbia Records and HBO have announced For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) in celebration of the highly anticipated global hit series' final season. This is first time HBO has partnered up with a major label to curate a soundtrack, specifically for the series, that will feature brand new songs from an array of music's biggest names. The soundtrack is set to release worldwide on April 26.
For The Throne is available for pre-order now via 11 different vinyl configurations: nine cover variants representing each house crest, one color variant with fire and ice colored vinyl, and one standard. Check them out HERE.
Jacob Banks
Lennon Stella
Matthew Bellamy
Rosalía feat. A.CHAL
Ty Dolla $ign
About HBO Licensing & Retail
HBO Licensing & Retail, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., partners with best-in-class licensees around the world to give HBO's global audience new and exciting ways to engage with their favorite shows. The division leverages iconic, award-winning HBO programs such as Game of Thrones, VEEP, Sex and the City, Silicon Valley, Insecure, The Sopranos, Big Little Lies, True Blood and more to create officially licensed consumer products, innovative merchandise programs, retail activations and live immersive experiences. HBO Licensing & Retail works across a broad range of product categories, including collectibles, apparel, publishing, live branded experiences, digital gaming, fashion and beauty collaborations, luxury accessories, and beyond. Officially licensed HBO merchandise can be purchased in retail stores around the world, online in the US at http://store.hbo.com, and at the HBO retail hub, the HBO Shop®, located at 42nd and 6th Avenue in New York City.
About Columbia Records
One of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, Columbia Records is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.
About Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including Arista Nashville, Bazmark Records, Beach Street Records, Black Butter Records, BPG Music, Bystorm Entertainment, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Descendant Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Essential Worship, Flying Buddha, Fo Yo Soul Recordings, Freesolo Entertainment, Kemosabe Records, Latium Entertainment, Legacy Recordings, Louder Than Life, Masterworks, Masterworks Broadway, OKeh, Polo Ground Music, Portrait, RCA Inspiration, RCA Nashville, RCA Records, Relentless Records, Reunion Records, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Syco Music, Vested in Culture and Volcano. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.
April 9, 2019 in Game of Thrones. Tags: Game of Thrones, HBO, Music, Soundtrack
Johnnie Walker Comes to Westeros
Brewery Ommegang and HBO announce Mother of Dragons, Game of Thrones inspired Beer
Another Game of Thrones Brew is Here
← Major X? More like Major Disappointment
Warner Brothers is Bringing Scooby-Doo to the Stage →


Contributed by the Materials Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received April 24, 2012; final manuscript received August 12, 2014; published online August 27, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Marwan K. Khraisheh.
The weight of a bipolar plate is one of the most crucial properties from the viewpoint of improving the power density of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. Aluminum alloys have good material characteristics such as low electrical resistivity, high thermal conductivity, and low density. Furthermore, they are less expensive and easily machinable compared to graphite when used for fabricating bipolar plates. In this study, the use of AA5052 for fabricating a bipolar plate was investigated. The results of the feasibility experiments conducted to develop fuel cells with AA5052 bipolar plates having multiple microchannels were presented. The formability of microchannels under various types of pulsating loads was estimated for different punch loads and die radii using 0.3 mm thick AA5052 sheets. For a 0.1 mm die radius, the optimum formability was obtained for five cycles of sine wave dynamic loading with a maximum load of 90 kN. The experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed technique for fabricating bipolar plates.
Mepsted, G. O., and Moore, J. M., 2003, Handbook of Fuel Cell, Vol. 3, Wiley, London, pp. 289–290.
Pulsating load curves as a function of time and displacement. (a) The load–time curves regarding different type of dynamic load and (b) the load–displacement curves at stamping, sine, square, and ramp dynamic load.
Koo JY, Kim HH, Jeon YP, Kang CG. Formability Evaluation of Microchannels of Aluminum Bipolar Plate Stamped Under Pulsating Load. ASME. J. Eng. Mater. Technol. 2014;136(4):041004-041004-8. doi:10.1115/1.4028336.


text:
Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living
Reviewed by William Shetter
By Krista Tippett. Penguin Press, 2016. 288 pages. $28/hardcover; $17/paperback; $12.99/eBook.
Buy from QuakerBooks
"I'm a person who listens for a living. . . . This book chronicles some of what I've learned." These are a few of the introductory words written by someone who to many Friends may not need introduction. The voices she listens to are her conversation companions in her popular and award-winning radio program On Being. She is the author of the best-selling Speaking of Faith and Einstein's God.
The narrative of this book knits together excerpts from conversations she has had with a broad variety of partners—in an appendix she lists more than 200. From Tippett's many conversations she has selected just five "breeding grounds for wisdom" around which she structures her often personal narrative.
Words. Naming things and concepts brings their essence into being, and we are ready for fresh language to approach each other. The word "tolerance," for instance, no longer reaches far enough; it is too small an idea for our present time. "The point of learning to speak together differently," she says, "is learning to live together differently," not merely tolerating. This chapter explores a variety of aspects of the art and skill of truly listening conversations, and Tippett provides excellent examples of how asking incisive and animating questions is a particularly powerful use of words. In these and five more excerpted conversations that appear in the chapter's endnotes, she lucidly pieces together an astonishing variety of insights.
The body. Mind and spirit join physicality into one inseparable whole. One of the conversations shines an illuminating light on the Jewish concept of the soul as not preexistent but emergent, formed only through physicality and relational experience: "We need our bodies to claim our souls," she says. Another of the conversational excerpts is an exploration of the worldwide L'Arche communities, illuminating the ways in which the creation of support networks for those with mental disabilities illustrates this spirit–body wholeness, able-bodied and handicapped striving to share each other's lives. Still another pointed out that Descartes's "I think, therefore I am" is too cerebral, and should be "I feel, therefore I am"—we must not just think our existence but feel it.
Love. The conversations excerpted here are searches for the strength and resilience behind a word that for Tippett is the most watered-down in the language. It's not just a feeling but a way of being—searching in "the quiet spaces of the everyday in which we live and move and have our being." It also involves accepting the difficult task of appealing to the goodness in every human being and never giving up. The reality of this idea has been nowhere more forcefully and personally experienced than by the former civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis of Alabama. Another person interviewed claims that love is "like dark matter, this force that permeates everything."
Faith. The subtitle of this chapter is "The Evolution." Truly living faith evolves from a childhood fear of not measuring up, through successive stages toward a mature faith: learning to reckon with the mysteries that make life life. The origins of a deeper and sturdier mature faith are to be found in wondering, and this more or less sums up the diverse ways interviewees saw their evolving faith. Tippett sees a remarkable growth of mature faith: centering prayer, spiritual direction, retreats, and meditation are becoming mainstream as never before. There is frequent exploration—nimbly sidestepping clichés—of the ways in which the mystic and the scientist are converging in their sense of wonder and never-ending discovery.
Hope. It is not wish-based optimism, not an emotion, but a firmly reality-based process. "It is a privilege," she says, "to hold something robust and resilient called hope." The L'Arche movement is invoked once again as a prominent example of this deeply rooted confidence in goodness. This final chapter is in many ways the most intense and personal of the book. Tippett never limits herself to simply quoting others, but in personal reflections reminds us of all that these conversations have stirred up in her. She reflects, "I am dazzled by the great good I can discern everywhere out there. I've shared a sliver in these pages, just a sliver."
Has this book shown us routes to "becoming wise"? The two words of the title neatly wrap up the book's message: becoming—the path always rich with possibility—is wisdom, and the source of wisdom is this becoming. After journeying through all these wide-ranging conversations that she so skillfully knits together, we see that the answer has been at our fingertips all along: "We have it in us to become wise." All of us do, and it is in opening new conversational spaces that we unlock the wisdom in each other.
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The Wewak National Day Of Prayer grandstand sported an Israeli flag on one side and the PNG and Sepik flag on the other.
There is a growing movement in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to associate with Israel. This is especially prevalent here in the Sepik. Did you notice the Israeli flag on the grandstand for the National Day of Prayer? A church raised K10,000 ($4,100 USD) for missions and sent it to help relocate Jews back to Israel. Almost any march that happens here in Wewak has the Israeli flag somewhere in the march, and often the flag is at the front. I heard (unconfirmed) of a group of people who took several kilos of gold to Israel and presented it to the Temple Institute to help prepare for the building of the next temple. Why is PNG so concerned about Israel?
This stone sits at the entrance to a driveway in Wewak. The flags from top to bottom are: Israel, Papua New Guinea, Sepik Province.
There are many reasons which stem from the interaction of the Bible, the Melanesian world view, and traditional beliefs. The most common thread is that those who help Israel will be in God's favour and receive a blessing of some sort from God. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you." Often this is interpreted as a physical blessing such as riches. Receiving a blessing from blessing Israel makes sense from a viewpoint that sees a direct connection with cause and effect between the physical and spiritual aspects of life.
Papua New Guinea is undergoing rapid cultural change as the interaction between PNG cultures and outside cultures increases. But this is one area that seems likely to stay for years to come and continue to increase in prevalence in the near future.
blessing, cargo cult, East Sepik, Israel, Jew, Papua New Guinea, PNG, resettle, Sepik, Wewak. Bookmark.


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By Nayla Razzouk, Dina Khrennikova and Grant Smith, Bloomberg News Sep. 27, 2016 Updated: Sep. 27, 2016 4:50 p.m.
Saudi Arabia gave the strongest indication yet it's ready to compromise with regional rival Iran, potentially paving the way for the first limit on oil production in two years, although a deal is unlikely until OPEC's next meeting in November.
Still, Iran and Saudi Arabia face significant hurdles as both nations have yet to agree on their respective new production targets. As OPEC headed into informal talks in Algiers on Wednesday, they now have two months to resolve differences over production limits if they want to secure an agreement that could prevent another year of oversupply on the oil market.
The two countries started the meeting looking to close a gap of 600,000 barrels a day between their respective positions. The difference, more than the daily production of fellow OPEC member Ecuador, shows how much work remains before the group can replace the pump-at-will policy adopted in 2014 that upended the oil market, shaking investors, corporations and entire economies. The International Energy Agency predicts a worsening oil market if OPEC doesn't act.
"It's not our agenda to reach agreement in these two days," Iran Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Tuesday. Al-Falih echoed the sentiment, saying the meeting on Wednesday will be used for consultation and that he doesn't expect that an agreement will come out of it.
The market reacted with skepticism to round-the-clock OPEC meetings in Algiers and signs of progress among member countries, with the Brent and West Texas Intermediate benchmarks down around 3 percent on the day.
At stake isn't just current oil output levels, but a mix of Middle East politics and domestic pride that have over decades made the allocation of individual ceilings for each member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries the most difficult issue the group has to deal with. OPEC has in the past needed many months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic talks to resolve previous battles.
Whether Saudi Arabia and Iran can narrow the gap will determine the fate of the oil market and industry in 2017. The stakes are high: the head of the International Energy Agency said Tuesday that oil supply will exceed demand until late next year.
"We don't see the oil market re-balancing until late 2017" unless there's a "major intervention," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in Algiers.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the biggest Wall Street bank in commodities, added to the pessimism, saying in a report to clients Tuesday that the near-term oil "supply-demand balance is weaker than previously expected." The bank lowered its price forecast for New York oil futures for the fourth quarter to $43 a barrel, down from $50 a barrel.
As OPEC ministers gathered in Algiers, they only agreed that oil prices weren't high enough and a production deal was needed. Still, the history of OPEC shows why returning to individual production ceilings is likely to prove arduous, even if most countries signal their desire to reach a deal to end the downturn.
The oil producers' club hasn't published individual targets for its members since October 2006, when the organization set a quota for Iran of 4.1 million barrels and one for Saudi Arabia of 9.1 million barrels. A decade later, Riyadh is offering a deal that, in effect, would give official stamp to its current production of more than 10 million barrels, while forcing Tehran to accept a target below 4 million barrels.
"None of the current scenarios seem plausible," said Seth Kleinman, oil analyst at Citigroup Inc. in London, adding that Saudi Arabia and Iran are discussing what amounts to a direct trade-off between their own market shares.
"Trying to sell this to the domestic governments, monarchies and leaders of both nations would likely prove almost impossible," he said in a note to clients.


Check the list available at www.psecu.com/Products_Services/Membership/Eligibility to see if you qualify for membership.
Graduating high school seniors have the opportunity to receive scholarships funds from the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union. To qualify for a PSECU scholarship the student must be a PSECU member by December 26th.
Students interested in joining PSECU must be eligible for membership. There are many ways to qualify.
Students who qualify may call 800.237.7328 or apply online at psecu.com/student.
All applications must be received in Harrisburgh, PA. by the PSECU Scholarship Committee by noon on February 27th.


We are very excited to announce that our team has moved into a shiny new location just by Southwark bridge. Some of you, familiar with our old location, will recognise that this sounds just like the old office, and you wouldn't be far off the truth. In fact as I sit here now typing this up I am sat next to a window with a lovely view of the old place. So why the move?
Space. We are growing. As well as the opening of our Sydney office earlier in the year we were starting to run out of space in the office. As well as simply offering more square footage the new office allows us all to work in one big space, allowing us to work closer both literally and figuratively.
Location. Okay so yes, we might not have moved far, but we are no longer the office just behind the Tate Modern, no not the Bluefin building the other one. We are now firmly planted just down from Southwark Bridge with a sterling view of the Shard. Not to mention that we are now marginally closer to Flat Iron Square for Friday night socials, every second counts.
Fridges. Yes this might not have been at the top of the agenda when deciding on a new space but there is no denying that sales is hungry working. Two floor to ceiling fridge freezers and a larger kitchen are a welcome addition to the office especially for those burning the late-night oil on our American campaigns. There might even be some room for a couple of those Friday afternoon refreshments, you never know.
So we are having to say bye to 185 Park Street however our new address of 24 Southwark Bridge Road is going to provide a ton of opportunity moving forward. Not to mention the fact that we now have a bunch of empty desks that need filling! If you are a recent grad, first jobber or have just left school then get in touch it would be great to have a chat!
That being said it is fair to say we are very proud of our new place so would love to show you around if you wanted to come in for a coffee.


color from the global root figure parent object.
"defaultaxesbox" when creating a new axis and set the "box" property to "on".
Next by thread: [Octave-bug-tracker] [bug #49401] texinfo for help texts no longer covered in manual - please bring it back!


Tell me all about this name, that is difficult to say.
It was given me the day I was born.
Want to know about the stories of the empire of old.
My eyes say more of me than what you dare to say.
All I know of you is all the sights of war.
A film by Coppola, the helicopter's roar.
One day I'll touch your soil.
One day I'll finally know my soul.
One day I'll come to you.
That have carried me every mile of the way.
Want to see your house, your streets. Show me all I do not know.
Wooden sampans, floating markets, light of gold.
All I know of you is the sights of war.


text:
A Short Guide to Death Positivity
Death is one of the greatest taboos of Western society. Over recent decades, death and dying have been kept out of the public eye, hidden away in hospital wards and funeral homes. However, the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic has very much forced the unavoidability of death into the public consciousness. This has led many people to rethink attitudes towards death and dying and what strategies can be put in place to make this universal condition less traumatic to the living. Read on for a short guide to death positivity.
What is death positivity?
Death positivity is a movement that encourages people to speak openly about death, dying, and corpses in order to remove the fear and stigma surrounding this unavoidable part of the human condition. It advocates for the reduction of barriers surrounding death so that grieving families feel comfortable and encouraged to dress and mourn the bodies of their loved ones in a way that brings them closure without fear. The key to death positivity is the education about death, grief, and mourning, to help dispel harmful myths.
Thanatology
Thanatology is the scientific study of death and the practices around it, such as mourning and preparing for impending death. So, as an extension of this specialty, what is a thanatologist? Simply put, a thanatologist is an expert on death, dying, and grief and uses this knowledge to educate and offer comfort and support to grieving people and those who are preparing for the imminent death of a loved one due to, for instance, terminal illness. Your expertise as a thanatologist will always be valuable – particularly during a global pandemic. You will be able to help people to come to terms with death by offering support services in a wide range of settings, from hospitals and nursing homes to education centers and funeral homes.
Bringing death back to the home
For the past half-century, at least, in Western society, mourning rituals have been mainly carried out away from the home by funeral professionals who did not personally know the deceased. After death, the body is usually taken away to a morgue, where it is prepared for viewing at a funeral home before being laid to rest by either burial or cremation. Such practices have only led to a distance being created between the dead and the living, which has, in turn, led to increased fear and stigma of the dead body. However, it is perfectly legal in the United States to have a home funeral. Doing this will enable you to spend time with the deceased and to grieve exactly how you would like. When planning a home funeral, research how to properly care for and prepare a body. Embalming is not a legal requirement, but you should be aware that the body does go through several changes in the hours and days following death. Consult a funeral director or death doula if you would like more guidance on planning a home funeral for your loved one.


text:
Visa For Music, Rabat
by AddictiveTV	on 26th November 2019 28th November 2019
Selected to join hundreds of artists from across mainly Africa and the Middle East and some from Europe and Latin America, we headed to Morocco's capital Rabat to perform at music industry showcase event Visa For Music – the largest of its kind on the African continent.
events, other stories
by AddictiveTV	on 10th July 2019 11th July 2019
July 2019 and we were asked to once again play at the amazing Timitar Festival in Agadir, Morocco, so took the opportunity to record that most Moroccan of instruments – the Rebab (which we didn't record last time we were here in 2014).
Autumn tour press
by AddictiveTV	on 19th November 2018 20th December 2018
November 2018 and our UK tour is finished! The almost year-long set of dates, kindly supported by Arts Council England, took us all over the country and after the summer, the autumn tour dates took in the likes of Cambridge, Liverpool and Belfast amongst others, with interviews on Sue Marchant's BBC Cambridgeshire show (main photo at the top) and you can listen to her interview above, but the highlight of interviews was being grilled on BBC News (below) on BBC Music Day in late September where we were given the HARDtalk treatment by presenter Stephen Sackur, who's more used to interviewing heads of state and difficult politicians!
events, press
Czech those samples!
by AddictiveTV	on 5th September 2018 20th September 2018
September saw us perform at the Soundtrack Festival in the Czech Republic in the spa town of Poděbrady, about 50km east of Prague. Headlining the festival was French composer and soundtrack megastar Eric Serra, who's composed the scores for films incuding The Fifth Element, Nikita and James Bond movie Golden Eye – it was an absolute pleasure to meet him and see him perform live.
More tour press…
by AddictiveTV	on 1st August 2018 18th December 2018
It's the summer of the long heatwave! The last 2018 UK tour gigs before the summer break saw us perform Orchestra of Samples in the UK towns of Milton Keynes at the IF: Milton Keynes International Festival with Dame Evelyn Glennie, in Horsham where 2018 BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist Toril Azzalini-Machecler joined us and in Harwich at the Harwich Festival of the Arts, performing in one of the oldest cinemas in the world, the beautiful Electric Palace built in 1911 (we also happen to be the last artists to perform there, as it's now undergoing a huge restoration).
We're 'Pick of the Week'!
by AddictiveTV	on 2nd June 2018 3rd August 2018
With a great start to our 2018 UK tour, the first date in London at Splice Festival was chosen as Pick of the Week by the Metro Newspaper (photo above). Then to top it off, a journalist from Sweden's Release Magazine was there reviewing the whole festival and gave us this glowing quote…!
Quai Branly Museum, Paris!
by AddictiveTV	on 23rd November 2017 3rd December 2017
We've just performed Orchestra of Samples in Paris at the world famous Musée du Quai Branly, the prestigious museum of world cultures by the Eiffel Tower! The night was part of their weekend L'Afrique des Routes (Africa on the Road), closing the museum's year long Africa exhibition.
2017 tour photos…
by AddictiveTV	on 29th October 2017 27th November 2017
Our final date at Musicport festival 2017 ends our UK tour! We took Orchestra of Samples up and down the United Kingdom, from Wiltshire to Whitby, via London, Sheffield, Hull, Norwich and many other towns and cities.
We were joined on our performances by both guest and regular musicians, including fretless guitar virtuoso Alejandro de Valera…
events, other stories, press
WOMAD Festival!
by AddictiveTV	on 11th August 2017 13th August 2017
WOMAD 2017 was simply fantastic! We performed on the Bowers & Wilkins stage to a wonderful capacity crowd and even did a cheeky encore cutting up and remixing Seu Jorge who was playing the main stage.
While there we were interviewed on Radio WOMAD 87.7FM, interview below alongside tracks from the album. Big thanks to the WOMAD press team. Tracks from Orchestra of Samples played: Hangman, Beachcoma and Rapscallion.
by AddictiveTV	on 4th August 2017 5th August 2017
Summer 2017 and we're halfway through the Orchestra of Samples tour! So time to round up some of the interviews and album reviews over recent weeks. Having kicked-off the tour in Hull as part of Hull – City of Culture 2017, here's us on local BBC radio making fools of ourselves…
Cartagena, Colombia!
by AddictiveTV	on 24th January 2017 22nd February 2017
Early January 2017 and we were performing Orchestra of Samples in Colombia, in the beautiful South American tropical coastal city of Cartagena for a special event organised by the Lux Festival. The event was held…
Coventry Cathedral
by AddictiveTV	on 3rd October 2016 22nd November 2016
It's not often artists get asked to perform in a cathedral! Coventry's Festival of Imagineers took place in the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral, where we were meant to perform Orchestra of Samples, but due to rain the festival moved all…
Back to China!
by AddictiveTV	on 4th May 2016 17th November 2016
May 2016 and we were in China for some dates, including performing at the opening of the GMIC16, the Global Mobile Internet Conference, in (quite incredibly) the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing (watch the video below) and at Club Tango, also in the capital.
Playing with Yaaba Funk!
by AddictiveTV	on 3rd May 2015 22nd November 2016
Awesome awesome night! Always great to play on home turf, not just the UK but the good old East End of London! Guesting with us were members of afrobeat/world/jazz/funk band Yaaba Funk – both percussionists Clive Wales and Paul Brett and the superb trumpet player Byron Wallen, often cited as one of the best trumpeters in the World.
Cultured Vultures!
by AddictiveTV	on 5th March 2015 22nd November 2016
Well, what a fantastc review from Cultured Vultures! Click here to go to the article… but a few choice extracts below…
"I've been to a lot of live events and seen and heard some fairly unique things… Nothing could prepare me for Orchestra of Samples though."
Abycine Film Festival!
by AddictiveTV	on 24th October 2014 22nd November 2016
Hola España! It's the third time we've been asked back to perform at the Abycine Film Festival in Albacete in Spain, and it's always such a fantastic event! This time we performed Orchestra of Samples at the gala opening night of the festival, at the spectactular Teatro Circo de Albacete – one of only six existing 19th Century theatres of its kind left in the world. It's the second time we've performed the project in Spain and French guitarist Alejandro de Valera once again joined us on stage. Was also great to see the peice in the local paper the following morning over breakfast…!
A few dates in Brazil…
by AddictiveTV	on 27th February 2014 21st November 2016
Ola folks! We've just taken Orchestra of Samples to Brazil, playing in Belo Horizonte as the first international artists to perform at the wonderful arts venue Cento Quarto, as part of a Brazilian mini-tour where we also played at La Paz club…
We're in Istanbul!
by AddictiveTV	on 16th March 2013 4th June 2019
Whilst in Istanbul this month performing at Ghetto Club we gave talks about our work at both Istanbul's School of Audio Engineering and at Bahçeşehir University, who also arranged for us to film on their roof terrace with the amazing Tanbur player Korkutalp Bilgin.
Off to Cairo, Egypt!
by AddictiveTV	on 18th December 2011 13th November 2016
December 2011 and we headed to Egypt to play at the Disco Cairo 2011 event in the West El Balad area of the capital. Only just this year, the country has been through revolution but is still in it's transitionary period and while we were there, there were still huge demonstrations in the streets and particularly in the famous Tahrir Square.
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We're in Mexico!
While in Mexico for a gig at the huge Sonorama Festival in the incredible Azteca Stadium, we were introduced to Humberto Alvarez, formally from the well known Mexican band Sangre Asteka, These days Humberto is an expert in…
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The Parry Sound Bike Rally
The 2009 Sport Bike Rally in Parry Sound
10 Reasons To Bring It Back
Chelsey Hennig is passionate about motorsports, and her take on why Parry Sound needs to bring it back is just that; an impassioned plea. While we know there are dozens if not hundreds of reasons why this event ended, and maybe just as many why it hasn't come back, perhaps it's time to revisit these reasons and ask ourselves..why not?
By Chelsey Hennig
Chelsey is a lifelong gearhead who grew up in Northern Ontario, with a passion for motorsports.
At one point in time, the Town of Parry Sound in Ontario, Canada held one of the largest sport bike specific rally's in North America. With the Parry Sound Sport Bike Rally attracting over 5,000 visitors to the town for 3 days, hotels and restaurants were packed, the streets were bustling with riders and spectators, and stores were busy. The Parry Sound Sport Bike Rally featured a professional stunt show, national trials, a manufacturers expo of new products, food and clothing vendors, radar runs, an auction and demonstrations and the famous Thunder Run through town, which spectators lined the streets to watch.
Riding in Explorers' Edge: Muskoka, Parry Sound, and Algonquin Park
2008 Thunder Run
On November 15th, 2011 the town of Parry Sound and the Parry Sound Motorcycle Association took a year off from holding the event to restructure around a wide age range and bike range (older riders on touring bikes, and younger riders on sport/street bikes, and 3-wheeled bikes becoming more popular such as the Can-Am Spyder). However, since November 2011, nothing has happened. After 30 years of holding the Sport Bike Rally, there has been minimal to no talk about another bike related event in the town of Parry Sound.
In everything from dirt biking to boating Parry Sound is the ideal place for motorsports. Parry Sound has hundreds of kilometers of ATV, side-by-side, and dirt bike trails, which double as OFSC snowmobile trails in the winter. The Deaf Camp motocross track is just south of town, which is also home to Motocamp (a motocross training camp for children). Parry Sound also hosts World Enduro Canada Cross Country MX Races as well. Parry Sound is located along the shores of Georgian Bay and surrounded by inner lakes, which makes it the ideal place for boating and PWCing. The beautiful twisty Muskoka roads surrounding Parry Sound also make it ideal for on-road bikes as well; in the summer months you can always see touring bikes and street bikes on the twisty roads of Parry Sound/ Muskoka. With all that being said, Parry Sound is the ideal place to have an event such as the sport bike rally; here are 10 reasons why the town of Parry Sound should consider an event like the sport bike rally again in the future.
1. It has the Potential for Great Tourism and Economic Benefits
Statistics show that over 5,000 people came to Parry Sound for the three days of the Sport Bike Rally. Whether they were riders, spectators, photographers, etc there were over 5,000 people coming to Parry Sound and spending money in the town of Parry Sound. Lets just say that on average, each person spends $150.00 minimum on entry fees, accommodations, food, and any souvenirs – that equals out to $750,000 going into the town of Parry Sound for one weekend alone.
With having so many people come to Parry Sound in one weekend, the town of Parry Sound would also have the opportunity to promote other events throughout the summer and promote winter attractions as well to get people to keep coming back to town throughout the year, not just in the summer.
I briefly talked to a few store owners downtown Parry Sound about the previous Sport Bike Rally's in town. "I remember being so busy that weekend, I had to bring in another employee", "I met a lot of interesting people that weekend, I remember meeting a couple who came up all the way from Georgia… Crazy that they came all the way to Parry Sound of all places", "That weekend was incredibly beneficial to the town of Parry Sound and small business owners… It brought so much money into the town", "I hope it comes back, I remember by café being busy that weekend and I really enjoyed watching the Thunder Run with my family".
2. It's An Event For Everyone
The Sport Bike Rally was not just an event for people who are interested in bikes or rode bikes. The Sport Bike Rally was a great family event as well. There would be families with small children, and/or teenagers walking around looking at bikes, taking pictures, watching the professional stunt show, and lining the streets to watch the Thunder Run. The Sport Bike Rally was an opportunity for families to go to a different event, one where they could learn about bikes and bike safety (for riders and those in cars driving near a bike), see a wide range of modified and stock bikes, and experience motorsports. The Sport Bike Rally had something for everyone of every age. Parry Sound, much like any other city has a wide range of age groups – so hosting an event where there is something for those young and old allows everyone in town to enjoy the bike rally.
3. It's a Sport Bike Specific Event
These days, many bike events are geared towards cruiser and touring bikes such as Harley Davidsons, or Can-Am Spyders. There's nothing wrong with that, but sport bikes essentially get left out of the fun and there are minimal events that are street bike specific anymore. By hosting another Sport Bike specific event, or an event that at least features a street bike specific show, it allows for a nice balance in the road bike industry as the street bike owners will now have an event to attend.
4. Parry Sound is The Perfect Motorsports Town
Parry Sound is an ideal town for motorsports for so many reasons. The trails surrounding the town, which go through surrounding communities, such as Mactier, McKellar, Rosseau, etc are perfect for ATV's, Side-By-Sides, and dirt bikes; these trails in the summer double as OFSC Snowmobile trails in the winter. Boating and personal watercrafts are ideal to have in the Parry Sound area because of all the lakes and Georgian Bay. The twisty roads through Parry Sound/ Muskoka are ideal for touring and sport bikes, making this area a road bike owners dream ride. Having another bike rally and possibly including a day ride where groups of bikes travel through the twisty Parry Sound/Muskoka roads, and stopping in small villages for lunch and fuel. This would help show the riders that the Parry Sound District is beautiful, would help bring tourism to the smaller villages surrounding Parry Sound, and would make the riders want to return.
5. It Has Huge Appeal Across North America, Not Just Canada
Considering the Parry Sound Sport Bike Rally was one of the largest Sport Bike Rally's in North America, it would not be hard to resurrect another bike rally in the town of Parry Sound, especially with the reach of social media. A new event would put Parry Sound on the map in this community. The Sport Bike Rally used to attract riders, spectators and photographers from the northern United States, and even southern states such as Georgia. If Parry Sound were to bring the Sport Bike Rally back and return to it's previous levels, the town would benefit from a higher awareness as a motorsports destination.
6. It Can Help Get Kids Outdoors
These days many kids are glued to their computers, phones and gaming devices, and they spend more time inside than they do outside. A child spending so much time inside is becoming a health issue (which is why we are beginning to see TV advertisements promoting "Bring Back Play" and why medical journals are publishing more child obesity articles for example). Parents are finding it harder and harder to get their children outside to play due to the influence of technology. I know many children myself who would rather be on Instagram, texting their friends or playing video games then be outside swimming for example.
I find it incredibly disappointing that the majority of children these days would rather be beating a level on their game then be outside, considering my whole childhood was spent outside. Living in Northern Ontario, there are so many opportunities for children to get outside and play, there are so many things to do and adventure but outside play is becoming obsolete. I strongly believe that hosting another bike rally in town, will give vendors and manufacturers an opportunity to target the younger generation, by showing them how much fun a bike can be, to make them want to get outside and learn how to ride a bike whether it be a motocross bike or a road bike.
I believe that any way to get children outside and learning something new is worth doing, especially since outdoor play is competing against technology. A child can learn a lot by learning how to ride a bike. For example, starting a child on a 50cc motocross bike will teach them self-control and patience. If a child acts out aggressively they will be penalized for their actions in a motocross race – a child will learn that allowing anger to get the upper hand will only negatively impact their performance. Riding bikes requires children to control their emotions and actions. Being able to manage frustration is a skill that every child should learn. A child will also learn the value of money with a bike. In addition, a child will develop excellent mental focus.
After taking numerous developmental psychology courses while pursuing my degree (Honours B.A Psychology), the years before a child becomes a teenager are the most important developmental years. Having a child develop mental focus from a young age is an important thing. Learning to ride a bike at a young age requires a lot of mental focus, especially for the young generation of today. Children get on a bike and expect it to go (just like in their video games), but what most children don't understand when first learning is that a clutch and shifter can be hard to learn. By learning a clutch and shifter on a bike, a child will learn to focus and concentrate on what they are aiming to do. Children will also meet new friends outside of school and their online gaming group. There are SO many benefits to starting a child off on a bike, and having vendors at a bike rally to attract children and educate parents would be incredibly beneficial. We do not want our youth to grow up glued to a television, computer or phone, lacking verbal in person communication skills, and lacking basic outdoor skills.
7. It Brings Families Together
A well-planned sport bike rally can be an event for the whole family, much like the town of New Liskeard has planned the Bikers Reunion. Family time is important, but becoming rare. I am sure almost everyone has seen the "Go Camping" TV Commercial where each family member is in their own room, on their cell phone or computer not spending time with each other. By hosting another bike rally; the town of Parry Sound will be putting on an event, which families can go to together, even if they do not know anything about bikes. The Sport Bike Rally was an excellent event and almost everyone loved the Thunder Run and Professional Stunt Show.
8. The Community Needs to Show Some Compromise
With recent controversy over a small group of individuals boycotting ALL motorsports in the Parry Sound area, it can be agreed that a middle ground needs to be found for the people who want motorsports events and the people who do not want them due to noise. This small group of individuals needs to realize that motorsports is a driving force for the economy here in Parry Sound; if the town of Parry Sound were to cut out everything (snowmobiling, ATV spring jam, boating, etc) there would be nothing left and minimal tourism revenue.
Parry Sound is the ideal motorsports town due to its location, trails, and roads. The town of Parry Sound hosts quiet, low key events such as Art in the Park, and the Festival of The Sound for those who like to relax and drink wine. But however for the majority of people who live in, have a cottage and travel to Parry Sound for motorsports - there is nothing for us. The Deaf Camp motocross races are slim to none, the World Enduro Canada races are not as popular as they used to be, and most importantly the Sport Bike Rally is gone. The Town of Parry Sound needs to stop being one sided to the small group of people who do not like noise and put on a bike rally again to keep everyone on both sides of the happy.
9. It's Not Just for Men
Many believe that bikes, both on road and off road are a guy's thing. Although many of these industries are male dominate, they aren't just for men. There are many women who both own and ride their own touring bikes and sport bikes. It would be great for Parry Sound to host another bike rally and possibly offer incentives (such as prizes) for women riders to attend to increase female participation. By having a town, with the reputation for hosting such a large sport bike rally, offering incentives for women would make more women want to break out their bikes and travel to Parry Sound. Many women own and ride their own bikes and if Parry Sound were to put on another bike rally, it would be great and beneficial to the industry to have classes and prizes for women.
10. Parry Sound Needs to be Known for Something Cool to Keep It's Youth!
Honestly, Parry Sound needs something cool again. I know I am not alone when I say this, but I always find myself traveling OUT of Parry Sound to attend cool motorsports events and shows such as drag races at the King of the North DragWay, Car and truck shows in Barrie/Toronto, or RJ's Motocross track just north of Barrie. It is disappointing to think that Parry Sound used to have something cool then they foolishly got rid of it. Now, people need to drive over an hour either way to attend a motorsports related event. I hate to be harsh but Art in the Park, and the Festival of the Sound are dull events; yes there is amazing local and external talent, from musicians to visual artists that I can respect but I find that most of the events in Parry Sound are feared towards the older generation leaving virtually nothing for the younger generations. Dragon Boat races aren't anything special as a lot of cities have a race, and almost every city has a Rib Fest…big deal. It is straight up boring to be young and live in Parry Sound. The town of Parry Sound is driving its youth out of the town and making them not want to come back. You would think that a town would host events and do things to try and keep a younger generation to stay and live in Parry Sound when they get older. Parry Sound should heavily consider an event again like the sport bike rally to attract and keep the younger generation in town, not drive them away.
Comments and Testimonials About the Sport Bike Rally
"The Sport Bike Rally was one of my favorite weekends of the entire year and I would wait for it and count down the days anxiously until it was here! I miss it and would love for it to come back"
"I really miss that rally and really believe that it did generate a lot of revenue for the area"
"It is a great experience to take part in or be a spectator for. You get to ride some of the best roads in the province and meet new people with a diverse selection of motorcycles that you wouldn't normally see. It's always cool to see when I'm out riding and I'm stopped at a stoplight, I look over at a vehicle beside me and the kids are in the back seat waving at you with a big smile, kids love motorbikes and they love the thunder run. Its a great atmosphere that is brought to the town."
"I honestly no nothing about bikes and have never rode one before in my life, but I would always go with my family to watch the Thunder Run. My kids loved watching people go by waving"
"I had only went to the rally once, and when I did go it was a lot of fun and I saw so many bikes that looked like a rainbow all parked beside each other – it was really cool"
"Oh I made a lot of money in the store that weekend [laughs], it would be great for the town to have another event like that"
"It was one of the highlights of the summer to go see them all, and hear them all ride around the town. It would be awesome if it came back, we would absolutely volunteer our time if Parry Sound were to bring it back"
Ride the Edge - Motorcycle Routes in Muskoka, Almaguin Highlands, Parry Sound and Algonquin Park
Chelsey Hennig I am a lifelong gearhead who grew up in northern Ontario, with a passion for virtually anything with a motor. I am the Public Relations and Communications director for the International Women's Diesel Association and have my Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.


The success of the AAU Junior Olympic Games Sport Stacking Championships relies greatly on the volunteers who help out at the event. With over hundreds of competitors, we need about 50 volunteers! In most cases, no particular experience is necessary, just some enthusiasm and a willingness to help!
All-day Volunteers also receive lunch and a AAU Junior Olympic Games Sport Stacking Championships T-shirt!
Judges - Work in teams to officiate the Stacking Competition. Training provided.
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Runners - Run time sheets and supplies to officials.
Give It A Go! Stack Zone Station Leaders - Work with another leader and manage an interactive Stacking Station. Think of it as running a carnival booth. No experience necessary.
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