Brrrr…. Winter is upon us in full force. While the weather isn't horrible in Appleton, we have seen sleet, ice, snow and slush in an ongoing cycle.
Winter brings challenges to a rental relationship between landlords and tenants. Most of the problems arise from rental lease agreements being unclear about who is responsible for what during the winter and the rights of both landlords and tenants.
There are 6 main questions tenants have about renting during winter months in Wisconsin.
Generally, your lease should tell you if you are responsible for mowing the lawn, shoveling the snow, general and safe maintenance of outside walkways and parking spaces. However, if it's not written in and you haven't made any verbal agreements with your landlord, check in with them to be sure. You don't want to pay extra city fines for not shoveling the sidewalk or driveway if it was your responsibility.
Most apartment buildings have a crew come through to clear parking lots and sidewalks but again this isn't a given. If you are unclear, make a call to your property management company or landlord.
What happens if I fall on the ice outside my building?
Leases should address who is responsible to keep the walkways and driveways clear. If there is language about havi"exclusive possession" of the yard, the tenant is responsible for the walkways and driveways. This means if a tenant slips and falls on ice, they were responsible for clearing, any injury remediation is on them.
If it was the landlords responsibility, the tenant can write them a letter, informing the landlord of the issue and they should take care of removing the ice. Many landlords provide ice melt for the tenant to use as they need to during the winter and are not aware when ice builds up. A friendly phone call to the landlord or property management company can have tenant's sidewalks clear again.
If tenants are still experiencing problems after informing the property owner, they can call the authorities and have them address the landlord.
On the other hand, if snow removal and clear sidewalks and driveways are in the lease and the tenant is responsible but not taking care of it; landlords can evict with proper notices.
What happen if I can't pay the heating bill and the utility company turns off the heat?
If the lease states, tenants pay the heating costs and they are unable to do so, they will also be responsible for any repair issues that may arise. One example is if pipes freeze due to having the heat turned off the tenant will have to pay to have them thawed or replaced if pipes rupture.
If a tenant knows they will be unable to pay for heating costs, they should contact their landlord or property management company. There are budget programs and assistance tenants can use to help them with winter heating costs.
Can I move during the winter?
If your lease expires during the winter months and you want to move, you are free to do so. If you wish to stay on month-to-month until the weather is nice and it will be a more pleasant moving experience, most leases allow for the extended time.
However, you must then follow the month-to-month requirements on moving out by giving the correct notice. Read your lease carefully if you are planning on making any changes to your lease dates.
Can a landlord evict me during the winter?
The short answer is yes. A landlord can evict you at any time for lease violations as long as they follow the proper notice guidelines. However, most landlords do not like having a vacant unit in the winter and may have clauses in the lease stating they will not evict due to certain terms. Read your lease carefully and be a responsible tenant.
What are the landlord's responsibilities for keeping the heat on during the winter?
If property owners pay for the heating costs in a rental unit, the heat must maintain at least 67°F. According to Wisconsin Law the statue says it's the landlord's duty to maintain and repair "all equipment under the landlord's control necessary to supply services that the landlord has expressly or impliedly agreed to furnish to the tenant, such as heat…,". You can access the full statue here.
This means landlords must repair or replace heating systems so they work properly to maintain 67°F. If tenants notice their temperature falling below the maintenance temp, a friendly phone call or letter to the landlord or management company should have this taken care of.
Your lease agreement should have all of these questions answered for you. You may have also signed a Nonstandard Rental Agreement when you signed the lease. If you signed the Nonstandard Rental Agreement, you signed a contract and it holds legally like the Residential Lease Agreement signature binds legally. Review both to understand and clarify which responsibilities are yours and which are the landlords.
If you have questions about any of your responsibilities, contact your landlord or property management company such as Day Property Management. They can tell you what your lease says and who is responsible for winter maintenance.


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Home » Faculty » Faculty Announcements » Alumnus David Gier named dean of SMTD
Alumnus David Gier named dean of SMTD
Jul 19, 2018 | Alumni, Announcements, Faculty, Faculty Announcements, News
David A. Gier, professor and director of the University of Iowa School of Music, has been appointed dean of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. His appointment, approved Thursday by the Board of Regents, is effective Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2023.
Gier, who also was named the Paul Boylan Collegiate Professor of Music, follows Aaron Dworkin, who stepped down as dean last year. Melody Lynn Racine has served as interim dean of the school since August 2017.
"Professor Gier is an accomplished musician and an award-winning teacher," Provost Martin Philbert said in recommending Gier for the role. "As an academic leader, he has demonstrated an impressive ability to combine vision and action effectively. His commitment to learning and ability to forge innovative partnerships will make him an outstanding dean."
Although Gier will be new to the faculty, he will be returning to a familiar setting; he received his bachelor of music degree, with high distinction, from SMTD in 1983.
"It is a thrill to be returning to my alma mater, and I am both excited and humbled by the prospect of working with the exceptional faculty, staff, and students of SMTD," Gier said. "The school has a rich and sustaining legacy, remarkable artistic and intellectual resources and a longstanding commitment to deep disciplinary excellence and innovation.
"I look forward to helping SMTD build upon these assets and expand its reach and influence through an investment in creative cross-campus collaborations, public engagement, and programs that prepare students to be leaders in the profession."
Gier served for six years on the faculty of Baylor University, starting in 1989, before joining the University of Iowa as an assistant professor in 1995. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure, in 1998 and to professor in 2008. He received the Collegiate Scholar Award at the time of promotion "for exceptional achievement."
Gier became the director of the University of Iowa School of Music in 2010 and was appointed as the inaugural Erich Funke Professor in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences in 2014.
In his role as director, Gier's priorities included leading the School of Music's recovery following a devastating flood that destroyed the music and performing arts facilities in 2008. When concerns surfaced about student recruitment during the recovery, Gier directed discretionary funding toward faculty recruitment projects, initiated a comprehensive review of materials and processes and actively engaged faculty in the development of student recruitment strategies and disbursement of scholarship money.
The new faculty-led process now allocates $580,000 in undergraduate scholarships and $2.1 million in graduate teaching and research assistantships and fellowships.
From 2014-2017, Gier also served in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development as an administrative faculty fellow, and in that role worked on cross-campus initiatives at Iowa that supported arts and humanities research and creative activity.
An accomplished trombonist, Gier began his professional career in New England as a member of the Springfield (Mass.) Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra New England and performed with numerous professional ensembles. From 1990-2008, Gier was the principal trombonist of the Breckenridge (Colo.) Festival Orchestra under the direction of Gerhardt Zimmermann.
As a soloist, clinician, and adjudicator, Gier has performed and presented at many colleges, universities, and professional conferences, including the International Trombone Festival, Eastern Trombone Workshop, Music Educators' National Conference, and New York Brass Symposium. While at Iowa, he performed widely with the Iowa Brass Quintet, and has served as principal trombonist of Quad City Symphony Orchestra since 2001.
His recordings include Toot tooT, an album of mixed chamber music featuring trombone, which was released by Albany Records in 2007.
Gier is an elected member of the National Association of Schools of Music Commission on Accreditation and serves as a visiting evaluator for the association. He is active in the International Trombone Association and recently co-hosted the International Trombone Festival at the University of Iowa, the largest annual professional gathering of its kind.
Gier's teaching expertise is nationally recognized. His students have been prizewinners in the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition and the St. Louis Symphony Young Artist Competition.
In addition to his undergraduate degree from U-M, Gier also has a master of music degree, master of musical arts degree, and doctorate in musical arts from the Yale University School of Music. Gier's wife Elizabeth is also an alumna of SMTD, having earned her bachelor of music in clarinet and music education in 1984.
← SMTD Alumni Receive Emmy Nominations SMTD to offer non-credit group piano lessons for adult beginners →
Blindfolded Rubik's Cube World Champion Sets the Score (On Violin)
Jan 30, 2023 | Students
SMTD Students Perform Well at 2023 KCACTF Region 3 Festival
Jan 27, 2023 | Awards & Accolades, News, Students
Several SMTD students were recognized for accomplishments in their crafts at the recent Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region 3 Festival. The 2023 Region 3 Festival - encompassing university theatre entrants from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,...
SMTD Announces Winners of 2023 Concerto Competition
Jan 24, 2023 | Awards & Accolades, Students
Recently, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance held its annual Concerto Competition, with undergraduate students competing on January 4 and graduate students on January 5. The undergraduate winners are Ben Deighton (BM '24, cello) and Nathan Landers (BM '24,...
Colleen Conway, Recipient of Teaching Excellence Award, to Deliver Lecture
Jan 23, 2023 | Awards & Accolades, Faculty, News
Last January, Colleen Conway, professor of music education, was named the recipient of the 2022 SMTD Teaching Excellence Award. As part of receiving this award, Conway will deliver the lecture "Music Teacher Learning and Development" on January 30, 2023, at 7 p.m. The...
Happy Holidays from SMTD
Dec 21, 2022 | Faculty, Performance
SMTD Intranet
SMTD COVID-19 Information
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Rysslands röst (ryska: Голос России, Golos Rossii) var den ryska regeringens internationella utlandskanal. Den var världens tredje största radiostation efter BBC och Voice of America. Dess föregångare Radio Moskva var sovjetregeringens utlandsorgan. Den 10 november 2014 ersattes Rysslands Röst med den nybildade nyhetsbyrån Sputnik.

De första åren
Radio Moskva började sända 1922 med en RV-1-sändare i Moskvaregionen. 1925 tillkom en andra sändare i Leningrad. År 1929 var Moskva först i världen med sina utlandssändningar när man började sända på tyska och engelska. 1939 sände Radio Moskva på flera språk, däribland engelska, franska, tyska, italienska, svenska och arabiska, till utlandet. Radio Moskva uttryckte oro över Nazitysklands ökade makt i Europa samtidigt som de italienska sändningarna blev utsatta för störningar på order av Mussolini. När andra världskriget bröt ut gjordes sändningarna från Ufa och inte ett enda program ställdes in, medan västra Sovjetunionen bombades av tyska flygplan.

Under kalla kriget
Det var först under 1950-talets början som man riktade uppmärksamheten mot USA, med sändare i Vladivostok och Magadan. De första sändningarna på franska och engelska till Afrika gick ut i etern i slutet av 1950-talet. År 1961 talade Moskva för första gången tre afrikanska språk: amhariska, swahili och haussa. Med tiden fick lyssnarna i Afrika möjlighet att lyssna på ytterligare åtta afrikanska språk.

Förändringar 1980-1991
I slutet av 1970-talet bytte den engelskspråkiga tjänsten namn till Radio Moscow World Service. Samtliga program var tvungna att godkännas av en "direktoratprogrammering", en form av censur som togs bort först år 1991. Vid sin höjdpunkt sändes Radio Moskva på över 70 olika språk med sändare i Sovjetunionen, Östeuropa och Kuba. Radio Moskvas igenkänningsmelodi byttes ut från att ha varit Широка стрaнa моя ("Mitt vidsträckta land") till Mussorgskijs "Bilder från en utställning" 1991.

Språk
2013 sände Rysslands röst radio på 38 språk, däribland följande:

 albanska
 arabiska
 armeniska
 bengaliska
 bulgariska
 dari
 engelska
 franska
 grekiska
 hindi
 italienska
 japanska
 kinesiska
 kirgiziska
 koreanska
 kurdiska
 moldaviska
 mongoliska
 pashto
 persiska
 polska
 portugisiska
 rumänska
 ryska
 serbiska
 slovakiska
 spanska
 tjeckiska
 tjetjenska
 turkiska
 tyska
 urdu
 uzbekiska
 vietnamesiska

De svenska programmen
Moskva sände på svenska mellan den 11 februari 1932 och den 27 mars 2009. På måndagar, onsdagar och fredagar kunde man höra de svenska sändningarna, på kort- och mellanvåg, mellan 19.30 och 20.00.

De första anställda på redaktionen var Tanja Sterina och Sixten von Gegerfelt. Tanja Sterina åkte till Moskva för att hälsa på sin far i början av 1930-talet, men kunde inte resa tillbaka till Sverige när hennes far arresterades. Därför började hon arbeta på Moskvaradion, endast 18 år gammal. Programchef år 2009 var Ljubov Zacharova, reporter Irina Gardenina. Gleb Gorevtsov och Rasmus Smeds översatte från ryska och läste upp programmen, Svetlana Poliakova och Eugenia Tjertova skötte inspelningen och ansvarade för redaktionens webbplats. Ett av de mest populära programmen var "Lyssnarbrevlådan", där Irina Gardenina läste upp lyssnarnas brev, svarade på frågor och spelade önskad musik.

Efter att de svenska sändningarna upphört 2009 fortsatte Rysslands röst svenskspråkig nyhetsrapportering via nätet. I april 2015 ersattes denna av Sputnik.

Externa länkar
 webbplats - på svenska
 webbplats - på engelska
 webbplats - på ryska
 Sveriges DX-förbunds diplom till Rysslands röst
 Hyllningssida till Rysslands röst - på engelska

Ryska radiostationer

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Blog Company
Nov 3, 2021 | 6 min read
Ransomware Recovery: Langs Building Supplies "We've Been Hacked!"
Every CIO's Worst Nightmare
It was 4:00 in the morning, May 20, 2021. Matthew Day, CIO of Langs Building Supplies (Langs) was excited for a long-anticipated holiday after 14 months of lockdown due to COVID-19. His wife was thrilled. His friends, ecstatic. But the day took an unexpected turn. Instead of waking up delighted to leave for his getaway, Day woke up to every CIO's worst nightmare, the dreaded phone call: "We've been hacked."
Upon arrival at his office, he tried to bring up the system. Nothing. Instead, what came up was a ransom note, "You've been hacked." This is when he realized this was not just an unplanned outage. It was a targeted attack. Langs was profiled. The hackers looked at their business, and they took their time. They found a source that Langs trusted implicitly.
When you think of ransomware attacks, it's easy to imagine squads of shadow-dwelling hackers circumventing impregnable firewalls behind black screens of darting green text. The reality is that something as devastating as a ransomware attack can start as simple as an everyday phishing attack that any IT team would be familiar with.
The attack on Langs started with just another phishing email. The gang behind the attack began by composing an email intended to appear ordinary. In this email, recipients were encouraged to click a web link that would allow them to access a purchase order. While the link did take users to a web portal with a login prompt that appeared normal, it was actually a convincing impersonation of the real thing. As the hackers intended, the email slipped under the radar, and in an instant they had acquired user credentials from a Langs user who tried to log into the fake portal.
Once user credentials were obtained, the gang could enter the Langs network via the user account. Throughout a fortnight, they continued to access Langs systems until they were ready to launch an attack that could paralyze the organization.
Rubrik Zero Trust Data Security™
Leveraging the Rubrik Zero Trust Data Security platform, Langs could see they were compromised. Pulling up their Rubrik Ransomware Investigation dashboard, they noticed hundreds of thousands of files were deleted, and thousands were modified in the span of minutes. This helped Langs assess the scope of the threat and where they needed to start targeting their recoveries.
With Rubrik, Langs was able to quickly identify what data was impacted and where it resided in their environment. They did not have to pay the $15 million ransom. They experienced zero data loss and were fully recovered, up and running in less than 24 hours.
Best-in-Class Support
Rubrik's Ransomware Response Team (RRT) is a 24x7x365 organization made up of Support, Support Escalations, and Management. Langs notified Rubrik of the ransomware attack, and the Support team immediately jumped into action. Support drove the recovery efforts, while the Escalations team assisted with resolving roadblocks. Management (Support Management and Customer Experience Managers) maintained consistent communication with Langs.
Thousands of files were impacted due to the attack, and Rubrik seamlessly leveraged its API-first architecture to automate recovery of all files. Support identified key engineers who took charge of the recovery effort by assuming end-to-end ownership of the support ticket.
After successfully recovering and verifying the integrity of the restored files, the restore of the vCenter was initiated. While the Langs team worked through the process of vCenter recovery using the guidelines provided by Rubrik Support, the support engineers worked in the backend to update the respective metadata to have their VMware environment connected back to Rubrik. This enabled Live Mount of their production VMs in order of priority outlined by the Langs team.
Post-VM recovery, another round of validation was performed to ensure the VMs were stable and not infected. Lastly, the TOTP Based 2-Step verification was leveraged to provide an additional layer of security to Rubrik logins and further lock down the Rubrik CDM cluster.
The commitment from Support, Customer Experience Managers, and Management by relentlessly working day and night with a customer-first strategy ensured recovery from the attack was as smooth and efficient as possible.
"The War is Won. People's Jobs are Safe."
There is an extreme amount of pressure facing CIOs, especially when there is no production happening in a factory that employs thousands of people and they are all sent home. Not only do the implications of a ransomware attack hit home personally, it also implies revenue loss, production delays, and brand damage.
Rubrik was ticking away recovering all our data, and I had this blinding flash of the obvious. We've been fighting battles all day, but we're at this point where I can happily declare 'the war is won.' I knew that people's jobs were safe. Rubrik is not just about recovering from ransomware. Rubrik is the difference between survival and non-survival in this new digital age.
Matthew Day
CIO of Langs Building Supplies
Organizations need to be prepared for when ransomware strikes. Learn more from leaders across the public and private sectors on how to develop a ransomware recovery and cyber resilience plan at the Rubrik Data Security Summit on-demand.


How does a large format printer work?
Large format printing allows us to print on a larger scale and make an impact while still maintaining high resolution and clarity. It enables printing on a range of materials, shapes and sizes.
Large format printing allows us to print on a larger scale and make an impact while still maintaining high resolution and clarity. It enables printing on a range of materials, shapes and sizes. Large format printers ensure businesses, events and advertising messages can be presented in a clear, bold and impressive way.
This type of printing is also known as wide-format printing or grand printing.
How does large format printing work?
Once you have decided the type of product you want, you need to select a material to print on. There are many different surfaces such as metals, wood, PVC, vinyls, plastics, canvas, paper and fabrics that you can print on.
Once you have chosen your material and decided on the size, shape and design to be printed, the dimensions will be programmed into the printer to ensure precision and accuracy.
Working from the design provided, the printer will spray the ink to match the graphics exactly. Many large format printers have a rapid drying process, usually using UV lights, so you can use your printed material as soon as it is complete.
Depending on the nature of your business, you may choose to outsource your large format printing. However, if you regularly need printed materials on a larger scale, it may be cost effective to have a large format printer solely for your business.
Here at Perfect Colours, we provide a range of large format printers that are capable of printing up to 100 inches wide. Explore our full range here, or get in touch to find out more!


For the next person who chooses to travel in the best way possible (the way we did on this trip), just know this: you won't be able to return home unchanged. Traveling this way will change you in one way or another, the changes will probably be multifaceted and complex and sometimes seem to come all at once, sometimes they will feel slow and tiring. You can't travel thinking you'll return home to the same life you led before– something within you will have to shift. A perspective, an opinion, the depth of your knowledge, your aspirations, the way you fall asleep at night– something will change whether you want it to or not. The change will be for the better though. You will meet people who inspire you and trigger a feeling in your heart that you may not have felt before. You will get frustrated and sad, angry at everything that seems unfair– for you sometimes… but mostly for your neighbors and the people you get to learn so much from who work so hard, yet have a myriad of systems and institutions working against them. But there will also be times when you feel like you are on top of the tallest mountain in the world, and everything below you is just magnificence. You'll feel powerful and hopeful and extreme in all senses of the word.
At some point you will come back to neutral, and while not on either end of the spectrum, you will be somewhere in the middle. Having memories that are both good and bad, that undoubtedly change you and the way that you live and navigate this world of extremes. These experiences will continue to affect you and continue to make changes in your heart each and every day. Hold your memories close to you, keep them in your heart and listen to your voices. These experiences are the most valuable, and what you do with them is the only thing that is important after you leave.


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Table Talk: Seafood chef back in the swim at 26 North BYOB
Mike Stollenwerk, one of Philly's most visible seafood chefs before stepping out of the scene nearly two years ago, is back with 26 North BYOB (26 N. Third St., 267-239-5900).
Chef Mike Stollenwerk at 26 North BYOB, 26 N. Third St.Read moreMichael Klein / Philly.com
by Michael Klein, For The Inquirer | Columnist
Back in the swim
With the revived Bistro 7 down the street - where Michael O'Halloran has gone for romance with a renovation of his 11-year-old dinner-only, French BYOB - this is an intriguing time for the slice of Old City north of Market.
At 26 North, the Jersey Shore-bred Stollenwerk (Little Fish, Fish) is working in an industrial, Old City-chic sort of dining room, with the requisite Edison bulbs (though kept dim), exposed-brick walls, slate tile floor, large newspaper-page reproductions, white subway tiles, reclaimed wood, and marble eating counter.
Five of the eight entrees on his opening menu are unfussy preparations of fish, priced in the $20s. It is open for dinner Monday to Saturday, from 5 p.m. Weekday lunch will start soon.
Ting Wong back
Ting Wong (138 N. 10th St., 215-928-1883), the Hong Kong-style duck house in Chinatown that closed this month for a renovation and what was billed as the return of the old owners, has reopened. Though ducks still hang up front, it's now a white-tablecloth eatery beneath a fancy tray ceiling ringed with lights that change color, and a new menu where the prices are not all $7 and under. It's still cash only.
Aussie coffee
Bluestone Lane Coffee, an Australian-inspired cafe from New York, has taken over the coffee bar at the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel, 17th and Locust Streets. It's the first non-New York location for Nick Stone, a Melbourne-born New York financial worker who missed the coffee scene of his hometown. Besides coffee, the shop sells a light menu, including a signature avocado smash sandwich, salads, a chickpea wrap, and hot coconut quinoa porridge. It is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. A second location, at 1700 Market St., is on the way for late winter.
Briefly noted
Spring will bring the tentative opening of a second (and larger) Garage location, as it will take the corner of Frankford and Girard Avenues in Fishtown. Like the original, built in an old auto garage across from Pat's and Geno's in South Philadelphia, this Garage will have no pretense and many canned beers. The Fishtown location will have a dedicated kitchen for a visiting lineup of chefs and two large roll-up doors.
Vetri Family has named Joe DeLago chef at the flagship Vetri location on Spruce Street. DeLago, a Culinary Institute of America grad, has been with the company since 2010 - three years at Vetri. DeLago's predecessor, Adam Leonti, has a Dec. 2 opening date for Brooklyn Bread Lab, a test kitchen and baking lab in the borough's Bushwick section.
More restaurant news at www.philly.com/mike.
Michael Klein, For The Inquirer


COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Highway Patrol is looking for two carjackers who posed as police officers to steal a car on Alligator Alley this weekend.
It happened near mile marker 56 in Interstate 75 around 10:22 p.m.
Troopers say the suspects were driving a white pickup truck with flashing red and blue lights on Alligator Alley on Saturday night and used a loud speaker to pull someone over.
They told the man to give them his driver's license and lay down on the grass shoulder. When he did, one of the carjackers stole his car and his cohort drove off in the truck.
The victim and a passenger were left stranded along I-75.
The suspects are described as two Hispanic men wearing camouflage jackets.
If you know anything about what happened, please call Florida Highway Patrol or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers .


RAM Buildings Inc. offers a heavy timber post and beam building system. This method of construction is in the spirit of the great American post and beam barn. Experience the warmth and beauty of a framework of vertical posts and horizontal beams of exposed wood as you add lasting value to your acreage. This time-tested technique traditionally uses full-dimension, rough-cut wood for a truly authentic look and feel. Post and beam buildings are the perfect construction alternative for horse barns, hobby barns, workshops, garages, homes, and cabins.
RAM post and beam buildings are a great addition to any property. Post and Beam framework is an excellent building style that allows for traditional style barns while maintaining a solid and safe structure. Post and Beam framing kits are easily customized to ensure that your building will meet your needs.
RAM's Post and Beam kits can be fitted with many different features including several different handcrafted window and door styles, lofts for storage or living space, cupolas, weather vanes, and different styles of hardware for a customized look. Post and Beam kits are a great way to maintain the proud traditions of the rural Midwest heritage including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, & Iowa.
Not only are these beauties unique and time tested but they are sturdy, as well. Massive timbers are used to form the base, or load bearing portion of your building. All of the timbers used in our buildings are stronger than conventional wood, making an abundantly strong building for many years to come. As with all of our buildings, we can easily meet all building codes necessary. Rest assured whatever your intentions are for this post and beam building, it will remain intact.
To learn more about this American Tradition Contact Us.


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Ana Maria Pacheco
Ana Maria Pacheco is a Brazilian artist, living in the UK, who works in paint, printing and wooden sculpture. Born 1943, she bore witness to the coup by the military junta in her home country in 1964, and much of her art is influenced by Brazil's turbulent past. Initially trained in sculpture and music in Goiás and Rio de Janeiro, she moved to study at the Slade in 1973.
Pacheco's parents were both Catholic and Protestant, and Brazil's religious folklore features heavily in much of her work. Other inspirations include Brazilian modernist literature and the local custom of Cordel literature – inexpensively produced pamphlets of songs and poetry. She has also taught at Goiás and as Head of Fine Art at the Norwich School of Art.


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Q: Getting data into ViewModel by calling datalayer I'm trying to get stored data from an SQLite database into a simple textbox but I keep getting null. When the datalayer gets called the data loads correctly at first but at some point it turns null again and I can't figure out where or why it goes wrong.
Here's my ViewModel
public class FirstReadViewModel : NotifyUIBase
{
    private string _scriptNotes;
    public string ScriptNotes    //binded in the View
    {
        get { return _scriptNotes; }
        set { _scriptNotes = value; RaisePropertyChanged("ScriptNotes"); }
    }

    public FirstReadViewModel()
    {
        var dbFunctions = new DataLayer();
        dbFunctions.GetFirstReadNotes();
    }
}

The DataLayer
public void GetFirstReadNotes()
{
    String dbConnectionString = @"Data Source =DB.sqlite";

    SQLiteConnection cnn = new SQLiteConnection(dbConnectionString);
    cnn.Open();

    SQLiteCommand cmd = new SQLiteCommand(cnn);
    cmd.CommandText = "SELECT* FROM projects WHERE projectID = 1";

    SQLiteDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
    while (reader.Read())
    {
         string ScriptNotes = reader["scriptnotes"].ToString();
    }
    reader.Close();
    cnn.Close();
    }
}

A: Your data layer method should be as follows as you want to return only first notes :
public string GetFirstReadNotes()
{
    string scriptNotes = string.Empty;
    String dbConnectionString = @"Data Source =DB.sqlite";

    SQLiteConnection cnn = new SQLiteConnection(dbConnectionString);
    cnn.Open();

    SQLiteCommand cmd = new SQLiteCommand(cnn);
    cmd.CommandText = "SELECT* FROM projects WHERE projectID = 1";

    SQLiteDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
    if(reader.Read())
    {
         scriptNotes = reader["scriptnotes"].ToString();
    }
    reader.Close();
    cnn.Close();
    }
    return scriptNotes;
}

And FirstReadViewModel as follows :
public FirstReadViewModel()
{
        var dbFunctions = new DataLayer();
        this.ScriptNotes = dbFunctions.GetFirstReadNotes();
}

A: you should inject your DataLayer in your FirstReadViewModel by using an interface and also change your code a little bit
create a interface
interface IFirstReadViewModelDAL
{
    string GetFirstReadNotes();
}

use it, and also make use of the using function
   internal class DataLayer: IFirstReadViewModelDAL
    {
        public string GetFirstReadNotes()
        {
            string ScriptNotes;
            String dbConnectionString = @"Data Source =DB.sqlite";

            using(SQLiteConnection cnn = new SQLiteConnection(dbConnectionString))
            {
                cnn.Open();

                SQLiteCommand cmd = new SQLiteCommand(cnn);
                cmd.CommandText = "SELECT* FROM projects WHERE projectID = 1";

                using (SQLiteDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader())
                {
                    while (reader.Read())
                    {
                        ScriptNotes = reader["scriptnotes"].ToString();
                    }
                }
            }

            return ScriptNotes;
        }
    }

inject your DataLayer by using the interface
    private IFirstReadViewModelDAL dbFunctions;

    private string _scriptNotes;
    public string ScriptNotes    //binded in the View
    {
        get { return _scriptNotes; }
        set { _scriptNotes = value; RaisePropertyChanged("ScriptNotes"); }
    }

    public FirstReadViewModel(IFirstReadViewModelDAL injectDAL)
    {
        dbFunctions = injectDAL;
    }

    private void LoadData();
    {
        // use your dbFunctions
    }

to inject it you are needing a separate class, something like
public class Controller
{
    public static FirstReadViewModel getNewFirstReadViewModel()
    {
        var dal = new DataLayer();
        var vm = new FirstReadViewModel(dal);

        return vm;
    }
}

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text:
WA5BDU.COM
Ham radio and other topics from Nick Kennedy
wa5bdu-home
Programming the Si5351a synthesizer
An Arduino Si5351a quadrature VFO controller
By Nick, WA5BDU in Uncategorized
Front view of the VFO. The display is indicating the Receive and Transmit frequencies, the step size, and the current mode. Pushbuttons PB1, PB2 and PB3 are surface mount type soldered to a bit of circuit board material.
Here's a full-featured VFO I built around the Si5351a synthesizer IC and an Arduino controller. I've written a manual describing its construction and features and I'll excerpt bits of it below as a description. I'll also link to the complete manual as well as the source code. It's painfully obvious that I don't know how to use this HTML editor, so please forgive the strange formatting changes and misaligned bits.
Nick Kennedy, WA5BDU
After getting the basic functions working I began to expand my software to add features necessary to meet my needs for a VFO to be used in a transceiver project. Those features include:
A keyed line input, so the controller can swap between TX and RX frequency outputs as required as the user keys and un-keys the transmitter.
A TX_Out output pin echoes the keyed line input, but doesn't change state until the TX frequency registers have been sent, and changes back to key up before the RX frequency registers are sent.
An LCD display to show the frequency I'm on, menu options and so on.
A user settable CW Pitch value which is the amount that the VFO shifts between TX and RX states if in CW mode.
CW/Phone mode selection which functions to enable or disable the CW offset shift when the key line is closed.
LSB/USB selection. This chooses the direction of CW offset in CW mode, so the user can listen to a station on either side of zero beat. In CW it's sometimes called NORMAL and REVERSE operation. There is also an output pin SB_Relay than can be used control a sideband select relay in the receiver. As of V1.7, this function also changes the phase relationship between the two outputs from 90 to 270 degrees, so you don't have to do sideband switching in the hardware.
RIT control. This provides for separate TX and RX frequencies, with both displayed. The receiver can be tuned without disturbing the transmit frequency. RX and TX frequencies can be swapped and the offset can be zeroed without turning off RIT.
Frequency step selection. There are both a menu for selecting from seven step sizes and a quick pushbutton selected step change between fine (10 Hz) and fast (100 Hz).
Band selection with all ham bands from 3.5 to 144 MHz selectable.
A Save State menu option which writes most of the current parameters into EEPROM so the VFO will start in the same state the next time it is powered on.
Three miniature pushbuttons allow quick selection of often used functions while a menu controlled by the rotary encoder is used to access other functions. The pushbuttons operate with the familiar TAP and HOLD logic, giving two uses for each.
A sidetone which sounds when the key is closed. A menu option can enable or defeat this function.
Details of operation
The pushbuttons offer six actions, one of which opens a menu with additional actions. A brief press of a pushbutton is called a TAP and a long press (> 0.5 second) is a HOLD operation.
There is audio feedback in the form of a short beep immediately as a switch is closed, followed by two short beeps after it has been held long enough for the HOLD function.
Above is a listing of functions accessed via the pushbuttons. I tape a copy to the top of my VFO for reference.
There's a great deal of detail to discuss concerning use of the functions of the VFO, but I'm going to refer the interested reader to the manual and try to keep the size of this page down. I do want to tell a bit about the hardware.
An Arduino board, such as a Nano or Uno
A Si5351a module
A rotary encoder
A standard 16×2 LCD display with Hitachi interface
Three N.O. pushbuttons
A few miscellaneous diodes, resistors capacitors and connectors
An Arduino might be $4 to $5 for a Nano or $9 or so for a Uno
A Si5351a module might be $5 or so. I like the module over the bare chip for avoiding difficult soldering and because it has a built in 3.3 V regulator and 5 to 3 volt logic level shifters for the data lines. You can power and talk to it from your 5 V Arduino.
My rotary encoder is a Bourns PEC11L-4020F-S0020 encoder with switch from Mouser. The switch isn't used. Update: I'm switching to an optical encoder as these inexpensive mechanical ones do wear out and give erratic performance after a time.
Above is a schematic for the VFO. It doesn't show the Key Out jack, which if used connects to D10 on the Arduino. Also the USB/LSB select relay if used would be driven by A2.
Here's a photo of the rear of the VFO. CLK0 and CLK1 are the two quadrature RF outputs. The KEY/PTT input will cause the VFO to swap between receive and transmit frequencies, it will also generate a sidetone if desired and actuate a Key Out circuit with which to key a transmitter.
Above is a photo of a Si5351a module connected to an Arduino UNO for testing. I think it's impressive that with just four wires the system functions by coming up on the default frequency with quadrature outputs.
Here's an oscilloscope trace of the two quadrature outputs. The output is about 3 Vpp open circuit and about 2.1 Vpp into 50 ohms.
A couple of variations
Some receivers have a divide-by-four logic arrangement in front of a circuit that develops I & Q signals. Since this VFO provides I & Q outputs already, there's generally no need for an output of four times the indicated frequency. However, one friend wanted to use this VFO with his existing hardware which needed the X4 signal. So I added a flag which will cause the VFO to operate in the X4 mode. It requires editing one line in the source code. At startup, the LCD reminds you of which mode is being used.
The Si5351a can have up to three outputs. Friend #2 wanted to use that 3rd output to drive his transmitter while the other two were used for his phasing receiver. There's no reason you couldn't use one of the two quadrature outputs for the transmitter, since it already jumps between TX and RX frequencies. But my friend didn't want to risk adverse loading effects by having both a RX and a TX stage driven off the same output. So I did another version which provides a third output on CLK2 for the transmitter. After some comedy of errors keeping it on the right frequency and making sure it didn't QRM the receiver, I think I finally got it right.
Changes made in V1.8, released January 20, 2023
I sometimes get feedback from users with fast rotary encoders, meaning they output a lot of pulses per revolution. This can cause the pulses to outrun the software leading to erratic stepping. I decided to change the input signal processing from a polling method to interrupt driven. Making this change required changing Arduino pin usage such that two pairs of wires need to swap places. Don't install V1.8 if you don't want to make these changes. They're described in the manual.
The interrupt code accumulates step demand pulses in a queue and the main line code works them off as fast as it can. To speed things up, if the queue contains 10 or more demands, it increases the step size by a factor of 10 and does 10 demands in one pulse.
Some encoders can be very fast, making tuning too sensitive. Another change in V1.8 allows the user to compile the software to give one step per pulse, one step per two pulses, or one step for four pulses.
Variations in encoders have caused most of the problems reported to me. My own mechanical encoder has become pretty noisy. I'm hoping that switching to an optical encoder will smooth things out.
I also developed an Arduino program to allow troubleshooting encoder problems. It uses a separate Arduino to generate simulated Arduino pulse trains of varying length and direction and repetition rate. This is mainly to insure a clean pulse train when testing flaky software. Also it can be used to find out how fast the utilization software can process pulses. I may put it on line but if you are interested, email and I'll send you the sketch and a manual of sorts in Word format.
Changes made in V1.7, released April 29, 2022
I fixed a few bugs you'll see reported in the comments section, most of which were fairly minor. One more serious bug caused the 90 degree phase offset between the two outputs to be lost, ruining the quadrature relationship. This would occur while adjusting the frequency and crossing a certain threshold, such as going from 7142 kHz to 7143 kHz. That problem has been diagnosed and corrected. Thanks Tony Bertezzolo, IZ3EYY.
Also in some cases, enabling the RIT resulted in the RX and TX outputs being in different bands. Also corrected.
There's also a new feature. A software switch now allows changing the phase difference from 90 degrees to 270 degrees. The existing control for selecting USB or LSB (tap PB3) will cause this toggle. The advantage is that you won't have to design upper and lower sideband selection in your hardware – it's now in the VFO.
Files you'll want:
Links to the manual for the VFO and for the Arduino source code are given below. The manual is a PDF file. It includes information on processing the source code in the Arduino IDE and sending it to your Arduino. The file 'si5351a_quad.ino' is the Arduino source code, which is a plain text file.
Si5351a_VFO_manual
si5351a_quad
Nick, WA5BDU
Nick Kennedy from Arkansas - retired EE from nuclear power business. Hobbies are ham radio, electronics and programming.
Kirk on December 31, 2020 at 7:32 pm
Hi, Nick,
Is 160 missing because of some quadrature limit in the hardware? If not, can you add it?
–NT0Z
Nick, WA5BDU on January 1, 2021 at 4:50 pm
In the code my VFO is based on, 80 meters is a lower limit so the vco frequency doesn't go too far below its datasheet limit. However, I'm seeing now that there's an output divider 'R' that's not being used. I'm going to see if it can put the VFO on 160.
73, Nick
Mont Pierce on January 1, 2021 at 5:18 pm
I don't believe the Divider will work with Si5351a programmed for Quadrature signal output… As an alternative, using a 12MHz crystal instead of the normal 25-27MHz crystal will get down to 160M range. But of course, it will limit the upper range…
I'll be very interested to see your Divider results.
Are you using Arduino Sketches? Or Atmel Studio?
The later, while more complex, will give you faster tighter code. There is a lot of overhead in the Arduino libraries…
Nick, WA5BDU on January 4, 2021 at 2:10 am
Yeah, I wondered if it might be necessary to change the phase offset value to keep the same 90 degree offset. I'd hope that it might be that simple, but I'm not sure yet.
I'm using the Arduino IDE. I've done bare ATmega AVRs in the past with AVR studio but this is so much simpler. I'm not aware of overhead other than memory for stuff like the bootloader, but there may be some for a clock that seems to be always available.
Steven Dick on January 1, 2021 at 4:16 pm
Great Project!
-Steve K1RF
Another option to get down to 160M:
In the Si5351 datasheet, section "5.6. Applying a Reference Clock at XTAL Input" means it's possible to use a programmable clock in place of the 25/27 MHz Crystal.
So as an option, you could use the "ProgRock" from QRP-Labs, have it programmed for 25/27MHz and for 12MHz, and with one i/o pin from Arduino, switch your Si5351a's reference frequency when tuning below/above the 3.2MHz limit.
PS. Yes, 12MHz reference xtal/clock is below the Si5351a's datasheet specs. but I've heard that it does work just fine… Your mileage may vary ??
Sounds like a possible option.
Gary on January 1, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Excellent project and website Nick!
Arduinos and Si5351s are my favorite
toys. 73 WB6OGD
Bob McClements on January 3, 2021 at 10:31 pm
Built a proof of concept version using an I2C version of the lcd, worked perfectly straight off, an interesting well documented design, thank you.
Curious as why the and diodes for the pb3 switch when there are spare digital io ports availabole.
73 Bob GM4CID ex VP2LI
Yeah, good observation. I guess I did the diode logic thing on another project and just carried it to this one because it's easy. But if I did away with it, it would simplify the hardware a tiny bit …
I think I may have mentioned this in the manual.
I did read and digest the manual, outstanding documentation, and had noticed your reference to use of the diodes.
Must admit, I too recycle lots of my previously used sketch snippets.
jack margolis on January 10, 2022 at 11:21 pm
I prefer to use the I2C versions of those LCDs so if you would kindly share the code with us, it would make my breadboard setup much cleaner. Of course, I have it working with all those wires but it still would be cleaner with only four. Thanks, Jack
Bob Bruno on January 29, 2021 at 4:12 am
Hey Nick,
Wonderful info. It gives me a nice firm place to start with my future projects.
I will check back from time to time to see if you add anything,
Take care es 73…
Bob de k2ki
Nick, WA5BDU on January 29, 2021 at 1:38 pm
Great, Bob. Have fun with it.
Bob on February 12, 2022 at 8:49 am
Nick – great project, all working! Am I blind or not, cannot find an IF offset frequency facility in your sketch – for upper & lower sideband, applications. Output from CLK identical to display. I.E. maybe only designed for a DSB rig? Am I missing something? Incidentally I have built about 8 different DDS synthesizers over the years, but yours is the best sketch up to now. Look forward to a replay before making a PCB.
Regards, ZS6RZ
Nick, WA5BDU on February 12, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Hi Bob and thanks for the comment. This VFO is mainly aimed at a phasing type receiver where the I & Q from the VFO go to a Tayloe mixer which also receives RF from the antenna. In short – it's a direct conversion scheme. The audio I & Q out of the Tayloe Detector goes to an all-pass filter which is what gives single-signal reception. But those audio I & Q signals going to the all-pass filter are first routed through a DPDT switch so they can be swapped to give the ability to select LSB or USB.
73 – Nick, WA5BDU
ian G3VAJ on March 14, 2022 at 11:46 am
Trying your vfo for my direct conversion receiver. All functions working well except that frequency change is 4* step value, eg when 1Hz step selected, frequency changes by 4Hz for each step of the encoder. Encoder works ok for other functions eg menu selection, step size, band select. Any suggestions please. I am fine with making minor changes to your code.
Ian G3VAJ
Nick, WA5BDU on March 14, 2022 at 1:07 pm
Hello Ian,
That's very strange, although differences between different types of rotary encoders often cause problems in projects like this one. I typically use every state change, to maximize resolution. When that makes encoder actions too fast, as in selecting menu options, I might throw away half of the changes. I'm not sure if I have ever seen a factor of four issue. Is the behavior consistent and repeatable?
A crude fix might be to require four 'ticks' for every step taken. It would take a little thought on how to implement smoothly. I'll take a look at the code when I get a minute. Feel free to email direct – I'm good in QRZ. Although I'd like for the final resolution to appear here for the benefit of others.
Here's a follow up to my reply. I did make the change to give 1 encoder pulse out for every 4 in and it worked OK for Ian.
Rotary encoders are a common source of difficulty for projects like this. Sometimes different encoders work somewhat differently and sometimes you'll just find one that's a bit erratic. Encoders with detents seem to work differently from those without detents, which I generally use.
Also, Ian noted a bug in the current program in the function to select ham bands. It should roll-over going up from 2 meters to 80 meters and going down from 80 meters to 2 meters, but it inserts an invalid band between those steps. It's not fatal as you can continue to turn the knob and arrive at the right place.
I'm not uploading a new version at this time, but you could edit your source code if desired in these two lines:
Line 935:
if (hamBand_index > 10) hamBand_index = 0; // V1.6 10 was 11 (change '> 11' to '> 10')
if(hamBand_index == 0) hamBand_index = 11; // v1.6, 11 was 12 (change '= 12' to '= 11')
Or email me and I'll email you the latest code back.
antonio on March 25, 2022 at 7:49 am
Hi! This is IZ3EYY Antonio.
I built it the sinthesizer for using with the glorious miniR2 by kk7b.
Everything runs quite well, exept the quadrature.
In fact, while i can have total cancellation of unwanted side band by using other vfo's, analogue and digital…i can't obtain the same with this, it seems that the 2 outputs are equals both in amplitude and phase. I dont have a scope at moment, but receiver functions with other vfo's..- I'd like to solve the issue, because this vfo is a very beatiful project.
P.s. si5351 i currently use is not an original adafruit board.
Hello Antonio and thanks for the comment.
It is strange for the 90 degree shift to go away without some modification to the source code.
The miniR2 uses a single L.O. input and performs the phase shift in its circuitry. In order to use a quadrature (two channel) L.O. input, I assume it was necessary for you to modify the miniR2. Or maybe not? Is your miniR2 the circuit shown in figure 9.62 of EMRFD? If you are driving diode mixers directly, there may be problems caused by the Si5351a not having a constant 50 ohms source resistance. You may need attenuators between your L.O. and your diode mixers. And if you add them, some amplification might also be necessary. I'm speculating here because I'm not really familiar with your hardware. I think the Si5351a will put about +10 dBm into 50 ohms.
antonio on March 25, 2022 at 9:39 pm
Thanks Bob for the prompt answer, well, i measured the output and it seems to be in the +10/12 dbm on 50 ohm, it's the same output i have on Andy Summers vfo…so no problem, i suppose that the problem, considered the fact that nobody complains for this issue, is related to my si5351 board..i'll try to change it, and i'll let you know….thanks again, best 73's…tony.
Anyway mini r2 is a phase cancellation in analog way, and it works very well, be it with analog phase shifters, dividers by 4 and I/Q oscillators as yours…the 2 diode mixers work correctly…Bye!
Nick, WA5BDU on March 25, 2022 at 12:50 pm
One more response to Ian's comment. I overlooked the fact where he stated that roll-over and roll-under on the step size selection function also has a glitch in which a bogus step size appears between the highest and lowest value. The fix again is a quick edit so I won't re-publish the whole file at this time. I added this comment:
// V1.6 with step_index as a uint8_t, the test for roll-under to
// negative fails because it is unsigned. A char can be used as
// a signed or unsigned 8-bit number, so change to signed char
That's just FYI. The line you need to change is this one, somewhere around line 260 or so:
signed char step_index = 2; // start with 100 Hz steps V1.6 changed type
Currently, the line starts with 'uint8_t'. Change that to 'signed char' as shown above.
73 – Nick
Sorry if I call you Bob in my latest emails…Hi Hi!
I just want to thank you for your beatiful project. Now i have substituted the si5351 board and it works well. I used an original Arduino Uno board, and si5351 bought cheaply on the net, Maybe one has to buy a lot of ten for having 3 working! Perhaps it's only bad luck, but this is what has happened to me. Nice vfo's indeed. I'll follow you in future projects, bye Antonio.
Thanks for updating us, Antonio, and I'm glad you've got it working.
I had been thinking of how you could verify the phase shift without an oscilloscope. If you had an RF voltage probe, you could measure the voltage at OUT0 and OUT1 to ground. Say they're equal and call the magnitude V. If they are in phase, the voltage from OUT0 to OUT1 would be 0. If they are 180 out, it would be 2V. If they are 90 degrees apart, then SQRT(2) * V. This wouldn't tell you the exact phase relationship of course, just an approximation.
But of course you couldn't measure this voltage with a simple RF probe because one side is grounded. You'd have to isolate from ground with a transformer connected between OUT0 and OUT1. Or maybe there's a simpler way.
73-Nick, WA5BDU
Tnx Nick, precious advice!
antonio on April 7, 2022 at 9:43 am
Hi Nick, i have another question to ask.
Yes vfo as i said it works, even though, i noticed that spanning through frequencies, for example tuning up on 40 meter band, but not only, there is at a certain point, say around 7143.00, a click (maybe the insertion of some divider o something like that) is heard and it resets the phase from 90° to aproximately 0°loosing the unwanted side band cancellation. I discovered that to turn again at 90°, i have to do a reset on the si5351 board, by short-circuiting the xtal, or by turning off and on the board. It seems that a software reset is missing from arduino sketch, am I wrong?
I wouldn't like to put a hardware switch for reset it, obviously. Thanks a lot for your attention.
P.s. the same happens at 14060 more or less, at 25000, and other points…I didnt try other frequencies, but it seems bands as 80 or 17 meter no clicks are heard and no undesidered phase reset are noticed…
Nick, WA5BDU on April 7, 2022 at 12:31 pm
Thanks for those observations Antonio. I wish I could investigate right away but it will be a couple of weeks before I can get back to the workbench. I'll try to replicate what you have seen as soon as possible, and then try to figure out a cure.
73- Nick, WA5BDU
Nick, WA5BDU on April 30, 2022 at 12:50 am
Thanks Tony. Your specific descriptions of how to reproduce the problem allowed me to see it and go to work on fixing it. That has been done and V1.7 has the problem corrected.
As noted in my description of V1.7 changes in the main body of the blog, I also added the ability to switch the phase shift from 90 degrees to 270 degrees. Other less serious bugs reported by others and sometimes by me have also been fixed. Users should download V1.7 and replace their existing source code.
antonio on May 3, 2022 at 9:08 am
That's great Nick!
I've tested it and now it's very functional and stable. Cancellation of unwanted side band is 100% obtained an all frequencies. Really appreciated even the lsb/usb done with a simple touch of toggle switch. What can I say? I' m convinced that this quadrature vfo is one of the best around with a plus of several features for gettin promptly on the air. Great project indeed! Thanks. Tony IZ3EYY
Maciek sp9wfh on May 14, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Hello! I don't know how to connect to the Arduino Nano. The diagram is hardly readable for me. Pity.
Maciek on May 14, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Czy ktoś z Kolegów móglby mi podesłać na e-maila schemat tego projektu na Arduino Nano? będę bardzo wdzieczny.
Hello! Can any of my colleagues send me the connection diagram of this project for Arduino Nano. I will be very grateful.
Maciek sp9wfh
sp9wfh@interia.pl
Maciek sp9wfh on May 15, 2022 at 8:52 am
Hi Nick! I have a sincere request to you, I want to build a Vfo according to your project. I am 66 years old, I do not know arduino. I know I need a sketch and all the libraries I need, could you please provide me with your latest sketch for this project and all required libraries? My mail: sp9wfh@interia.pl.
73 Maciek sp9wfh
NICK KENNEDY on May 23, 2022 at 6:48 pm
Hello Maciek,
If the diagram in the post is not clear on your monitor, try downloading the manual which is linked in the post. It has the same diagram. It also has a list of terminals for the Arduino and for the LCD that can help with interconnections.
The sketch you ask for is also linked in the post. I don't think there are any libraries that are not part of the standard Arduino IDE installation, but there are instructions in the manual telling how to add libraries.
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Daily Tips Blog
Best Android TV box
Android TV Box has changed the way we see the television. The android operating system makes it possible for the running of various applications on your television. They have a variety of features that you can access. It has certainly revolutionized the age of digital appliances. Certain features are absolutely necessary for an Android TV Box to have. These are:
OTA Firmware Updates
The version of Android should be 6.0 or higher.
USB 2.0 or more.
The newest version of Kodi.
1 Audio Passthrough.
Here are some of the best android TV boxes in India:
1) The Amazon Fire TV stick
Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, Amazon has emerged as one of the giants when it comes to online business and digital appliances.
The Amazon Fire TV stick has several features. Some of them include the assistance of Alexa. This is highly appealing and contributes to the allure of the product. The TV Box is sleek and stylish and also offers thousands of channels. The availability of parental control makes the Amazon Fire Stick one of the best Android TV Boxes.
What to love: The most appealing factor is the voice feature which, helps you to use all the apps. The upgraded Wi-Fi allows quick buffering, and is bound to please several viewers, and is easy to set up.
What's missing: The absence of some popular streaming apps can cause some users to search for another TV Box.
Fire OS.
OTA Firmware Updates.
Find the best price on the Amazon Fire TV stick directly from https://www.amazon.in/Amazon-FireTVStick-Alexa-Voice-Remote-Streaming-Player/dp/B0791YHVMK/
2) Xiaomi Mi Box S
Since its inception in 2010, Xiaomi has progressed in leaps and bounds and has expanded exponentially in the field of digital devices.
The Xiaomi Mi Box S has several features. The cheap nature of the product makes it greatly attractive to the common people. It also has android 8.1 and has the feature to mirror any device. The presence of various apps and its compatibility ranks this TV box in the top ten Android TV box. It allows streaming at high speed which, is an added advantage.
What to love: The voice feature of the remote makes the experience of watching using this TV Box all the more easy and fun. It is easy to set up and provides a gaming experience that is free of glitches and disturbances.
What's missing: There is no place designed for Ethernet or a TF Memory Card.
USB 2.0.
1 Audio Passthrough
Find the best price on Xiaomi Mi Box S directly from https://www.amazon.in/Ml-Box-Android-Assistant-Bluetooth/dp/B0851GPSKP/
3) X96 Tanix TX6 mini
Tanix has acquired its status as a manufacturer of Digital Electronic Products. They specialize in designing and assembling all of their products.
X96 Tanix TX6 has several features. Some of them include supporting wireless as well as wired keyboard and mouse. It also has an Android 9.0 operating system and is fairly easy to use. The thrill of 3D can be completely utilized by the viewers. The TV Box also comes with a true 4K Media Player.
What to love: It supports a wide range of audio and video formats. It also comes with an HD resolution of 1080 that gives the user an enthralling visual experience. Further, it supports 2.4G Wi-Fi as well as 100M LAN. Browsing websites like Netflix, Amazon, etc. have never been easier.
What's missing: The screen lock is faulty and some glitches pop up from time to time. The remote needs loads of improvement. And, the range of Wi-Fi is not good.
Find the best price on X96 Tanix TX6 directly from https://www.amazon.in/X96-Android-Tanix-TX6-Miracast/dp/B07S2ZLGT8/
4) Zidoo H6 Pro
Zidoo was established recently in 2014. But, it's more than honest and talented employees have made up for it and made the brand a promising name in the field of digital appliances.
Zidoo H6 Pro has several beneficial features. Among these features, the user-friendly interface makes it easy to use and navigate the TV Box. It also comes with Android 7.1 and also has a 3.0 USB port. The allowing of the 4K streaming makes it one of the top Android TV Boxes in India.
What to love: The box is elegantly designed and comes with two USB ports – 2.0 and 3.0. The availability of Bluetooth remote control is a great feature. One of the major appealing features is the already installed Netflix HD which, makes this TV Box all the more popular.
What's missing: The Wi-Fi is considerably slower when compared to other TV boxes, and the previously installed miracast app does not run smoothly.
Find the best price on Zidoo H6 Pro directly from https://www.zidoo.tv/
5) Matricom G-Box Q3
With a new visionary in the position of CEO, Alex Rodriguez has a promising foresight for the brand. It aims to extend its reputation in the android TV community.
Matricom G-Box Q3 has several features. Perhaps, the most interesting attribute is its customization feature. It is bound to stun the viewers. The product also comes with Android 7.1 and has Quad-Core S905x CPU. The processor of this TV Box is a high speed and gives an incredible performance.
What to love: It is one of the few TV boxes that provides an unlimited warranty. You can play the newest android games without any glitches. The new launcher sorts your apps in a way that makes it easier to navigate.
What's missing: The remote is not good and also has some faulty functions. It is not apt for playing intense graphic games.
Find the best price on Matricom G-Box Q3 directly from https://www.amazon.in/Matricom%C3%A2%C2%AC%C3%A2-%C2%A2s-G-Box-Q3-Streaming/dp/B07PYF98Z1/
6) MECOOL KM3
Relatively a new brand in the field of android boxes, MECOOL was founded in 2015. Some of the brightest minds of the field decided to open an enterprise that was devoted to bringing about the best android TV box that they could.
MECOOL KM3 has several features. The most notable feature is its certification by Google. It also supports HDR formats which, result in the high quality of the image that the viewers see. The sound quality of the TV Box is good and it is controlled by the voice feature.
What to love: The 60 frame per second feature provides you the cinematic experience that is bound to stun you. The Bluetooth Voice Remote Control is another attribute that makes this TV Box extremely alluring. The Wi-Fi is fast and also supports Netflix HD.
What's missing: The Ethernet is not up to the mark as it has a 10/100 port.
Find the best price on MECOOL KM3 directly from https://www.amazon.in/Profitech-Communication%C2%AE-KM9Pro-Certificated-16GB/dp/B07X887T74/
7) Mobipro X96
Mobipro uses Japanese technology in the development of its digital appliances. Now, a prominent brand, Mobipro aims to extend its services to the best of its capabilities.
Mobipro X96 has several features. The TV Box can be connected via Wi-Fi and it also processes HDR, HLG, and HDR 10 videos. It comes with the Android 7.1. The processor is Quad Core which lends to the high quality of the image that is enjoyed by the users.
What to love: The multilanguage feature makes this TV Box popular among the masses. The LED indicator is a great addition. It the TV Box is on standby, then it is red, and when it is on, the light turns blue. It also supports a wide array of audio and video formats.
What's missing: The lack of Bluetooth support might be off-putting for some users. There is also a distinct lack of 3G functions.
Find the best price on Mobipro X96 directly from https://www.amazon.in/SreeTeK-Android-TX6-4GB-Miracast/dp/B07MYV1P4M/
8) SEC X96 Mini Android TV Box
Emerging as a well know and reputed brand, SEC has significantly grown in the last few years. It produces appliances in the field of digital technology.
SEC X96 Mini has several notable features which makes it one of the best android TV boxes in India. It runs on Android 7.1 and also has a Wi-Fi feature. It operates in various languages that attract users. The product also supports keyboard and mouse with the help of USB.
What to love: The presence of various applications that come already installed with the TV Box is a great feature. Also, the availability of multi-languages is an excellent addition. The latest display mode that this product offers is 1080p-60hz.
What's missing: The Ethernet port is 10/100, and the image quality is not good as the resolution is 720p.
OTA firmware updates manually.
Find the best price on SEC X96 Mini directly from https://www.flipkart.com/artek-x96-mini-android-7-1-v4-4-kitkat-cortex-amlogic-1-gb-ddr3-8-flash-pc/p/itmfhvfcvvmfentz
9) Minix Neo U1
Established in 2008, MINIX has always strived to attain perfection and has created its name in the technological field. With innovative ideas and great designs, MINIC hopes to expand all across the globe.
Minix Neo U1 has several features. Some of them include the 802.11ac 2*2 MIMO Dual-Band Wi-Fi. It also supports the 10-bit color format which, is a plus point. It also provides a great quality of the image which, increases the visual experience of the viewers. The product is also extremely efficient in saving electricity.
What to love: It is rather cheap, all the while providing 10-bit video decoding as well as 4K video. It also comes with HDMI 2.0 and is easier to navigate. The TV Box comes with a dual antenna which, is a unique feature of the MINIX boxes for years.
What's missing: Android needs to be updated form the lollipop version. Issues with audio passthrough need to be fixed too.
Find the best price on Minix Neo U1 directly from https://www.amazon.in/MINIX-MINIX-NEO-U9-H-NEO-U9-H/dp/B06WGNY9L2/
10) Cubetek CB4KTX2
Based in Singapore, Cubetek was founded by innovative and talented individuals who excelled in the field of technology. It also releases other digital appliances into the market.
Cubetek CB4KTX2 has several features. Some of them include supporting Wi-Fi. It is comparatively easy to navigate and is powered by Rockchip RK3229. The product comes with Android 6.0 and also has a user-friendly interface. Moreover, it has Dolby 5.1 which makes the visual experience more appealing.
What to love: It is easier to use and plays various types of formats. There are no problems related to buffering in this product. Also, it efficiently copies apple products, and that too, wirelessly.
What's missing: The remote is faulty and needs massive improvement. The TV Box gets heated up quickly, and the quality of the video in the 4K format is not good. It also lacks OTA firmware updates and audio passthrough.
Find the best price on Cubetek CB4KTX2 directly from https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B0744L6WG5/
There are many android TV boxes that you can choose from. But, these are some of the best that is there in the market. They offer a range of features that are bound to make your visual experience more enthralling. After all, a good TV show is usually how we relax after a day of hard work, right?
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Anand Vihar Colony, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
Copyright © 2020 Daily Tips.


Visual arts education is a vital part of the grade school curriculum. As with most areas of the classroom, technology developments have expanded the possibilities of what visual art do for developing students. Visual arts education has several software programs such as ArtRage, ArtWeaver, and SketchUP7. Students can experiment with various drawing and painting tools, changing the way teachers conceive of art class in schools. These programs would not eliminate essential, hands-on learning, but they can alleviate waste and other cost concerns in public schools. Additionally, arts teachers can design curricula that promote students' critical thinking and visual thinking skills, using this technology. Software and mobile applications enable teachers to collaborate with other arts educators or institutions to improve their teaching methods. Tech giants like Apple and Microsoft have been supportive of implementing education technology in schools by donating hardware, software, or services.
"Analysis of Costs to Upgrade and Maintain Robust Local Area Networks for all K-12 Public Schools." Education Superhighway. Accessed October 14, 2017. https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Connecting-Every-Classroom-LAN-WiFi-Analysis-May-2014.pdf.
"Integrating the Arts with Technology: Inspiring Creativity." LDonline. Accessed September 30, 2017. http://www.ldonline.org/article/30245/.
"How sustainable is your educational technology strategy?." Newmind. Accessed October 13, 2017. https://www.newmindedtech.com/blogs/news/how-sustainable-is-your-educational-technology-strategy-2.
Mclntyre, Erin. "Measuring the costs and benefits of new ed tech." Education DIVE. February 17, 2016. Accessed October 12, 2017. http://www.educationdive.com/news/measuring-the-costs-and-benefits-of-new-ed-tech/413885/.
Rothstein , Russell, and Lee McKnight. "Technology and Cost Models for Connecting K-12 Schools to the National Information Infrastructure." The National Academies Press. Accessed October 14, 2017 . https://www.nap.edu/read/6062/chapter/58#499.


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Our Network >
We recognise that this continues to be a challenging time for schools worldwide.
We want to facilitate the sharing of best-practice resources and trusted information around managing the impact of school closures due to the pandemic, as well as schools reopening with new guidelines and requirements. Here you will find advice on safeguarding, well-being, continuity of education and official guidance from education bodies, as well as case studies from teachers and schools all around the world.
This page will be updated regularly, so do check back.
We are focused on providing the best care and support to our member schools. So, we're asking you to reach out and let us know what you need, and how we can support you. Email us and share your thoughts and concerns, and we'll do what we can to help.
We have also curated a list of resources available for schools and teachers, at a free or discounted rate, helpfully offered by our Supporting Associates.
VIEW SUPPORTING associate RESOURCES Visit our Supporting Associate Hub
We have a helpful series of webinars on various topics, including safeguarding remote learning, recruitment challenges in lockdown and QA in distance learning. You can sign up to hear about upcoming webinars here.
Search for Webinars
Insights for Education have a global tracker of school closures, which is updated daily. Find out which countries have implemented school closures here.
We have a number of support resources and information and guidance in our Members Area. Log in to view this.
The World Health Organisation has daily updates on COVID-19 here.
The Department for Education has a helpline for staff, parents and students. You can contact them on 0800 046 8687, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. You can also email them at DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk. Note, this applies to those based in the UK only.
The Foreign and Commonwealth office has updated travel advice on their website.
As always, our Guide to Good Governance is essential reading.
Following the Prime Minister's announcement on 4 January that summer exams will not go ahead as planned in England, and the Education Secretary's confirmation that grades in England will be awarded based on teacher estimations, we have been working closely with international examination bodies to gain clarity on what this means for international schools.
To read the statement from Pearson/Edexcel, please click here.
To read the statement from Cambridge Assessment International Education, please click here.
For the latest updates from the IBO, please click here.
OxfordAQA's statement can be read here.
Read OfQual's statement here.
We hosted a webinar on university admissions in a changed world - watch it here.
The Department for Education have released guidance on actions for schools during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read it here. They have also released guidance for early years and childcare providers, which you can read here. Their guide to Keeping Children Safe in Education is always worth a read.
SouthWest Grid for Learning have published a support page on Safeguarding and Planning for School Closure including resources and policy templates. You can also download the flyer on Safe Remote Learning here.
EduCare have a news page dedicated to Safeguarding and Duty of Care specifically. Keep an eye out for updates.
The Safeguarding Alliance have created a template for schools to use as a safeguarding policy. You can download it here.
TES have written an article on safeguarding children in international schools during COVID-19 closures, and an article on 6 safety tips for staff.
Andrew Hall, a Specialist Safeguarding Consultant, has put together a list on how to use Zoom safely.
The mental health charity MIND have a mental well-being hub, full of useful info. Read it here.
TES has an article titled '8 ways to boost teachers' well-being', which you can read here.
Educational Psychologist Angie Wigford, from Dover Court International School, has written a piece on developing emotional resilience during difficult times, useful for both students and staff. She's also written a piece with advice on how to speak to children of different ages about the virus.
The Lancet have published an article advising on how to mitigate the effects of home confinement on children.
The NASWUT has offered advice on how to deal with racism and abuse around the virus in a school setting.
View our webinar on well-being in uncertain times, with Simon Mann.
The British School in the Netherlands have written a piece on helping children to understand their emotions, which you can read here.
YoungMinds have a host of resources for supporting students through the pandemic. Read more here.
WISEducation magazine discusses many topics around well-being in the international school context. View all issues here.
ITT: The latest DfE guidance on ITT provision, including considerations for ITT courses disrupted by Covid-19, can be found here [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-initial-teacher-training-itt/coronavirus-covid-19-initial-teacher-training-ittamendments]
NQT Induction: The DfE's guidance on induction for newly qualified teachers during the coronavirus outbreak can be found here. The DfE has extended to 1 September 2021 the period during which NQT absences relating to Covid-19 will not contribute towards the absence limit.
We know it can feel isolating when dealing with a closure. We've reached out to schools that have been dealing with closures for a number of weeks, and asked them to share their insights and advice, what to expect and how to cope. .
Our latest blog is from Paul Walton, Principal of the British International School of Ljubljana, discussing the steps they took to ensure the safety of both staff and students when reopening.
Fiona Cottam, Principal of Hartland International in Dubai, has written a blog for us detailing their experience of closing the school within 5 days.
Learn about some basic principles of e-learning, from Ahmed Hussain at Wellington College China.
The Principal of Kellett School in Hong Kong, Mark Steed, has written an article on communicating with staff, students and parents, with advice on answering questions, dealing with the media and being responsive.
In Milan, John Nicolls has written about preparing for an incoming shutdown.
British Embassy School Ankara have shared how they're supporting SEND students with the difficulties of distance learning.
TES has a number of articles on various topics, such as crisis planning, safeguarding children from COVID-19, and what it's like for teachers doing their jobs from overseas.
The Council of International Schools have a page discussing the new realities of life during school closures, which you can read here.
The Latin American Heads Conference have created a resource centre for schools, view it here.
Tes has a coronavirus hub, which you can find here.
UK Based
The Association of School and College Leaders have created a hub of essential information.
The Boarding Schools Association have been issuing guidance updates here.
The Independent Schools Bursars Association has a Coronavirus legal briefing for schools, which you can view here.
The Independent Schools Council's Digital Strategy Group has created an online hub of information and resources on COVID-19 and e-learning, which you can view here.


This is a review about the leading SEO agency supplier Fat Joe and definitely not Joseph Antonio Cartagena P.K.A Fat Joe. Fat Joe offers various ranges of services that can improve SEO agencies significantly when continuously used and in coherence with other SEO practices. Before we go into full details, let's keep you up-to-date about Fat Joe.
Fat Joe is a 'link building buffet for SEO agencies.' They offer various services like content-writing, infographic design, press release, and much more.
Fat Joe gives their clients the opportunity to choose and merge services from them, and build an impeccable campaign for their business in other to achieve their principal objectives. Fat Joe has developed significantly over the past years; it has gained mentions in publications from MOZ, Brighton SEO, Pubcon, and many others. They are headlining the SEO industry due to their impeccable service delivery.
Fat Joe was established in 2012 by two Joes, which is where the name "Fat Joe" originated from (although neither one of them is fat). Fat Joe has since grown into the fastest growing outsourced Link Building and Content Marketing Agencies in the world. They work with more than one thousand Agencies in 12 different countries; the team produces more than 5,000 link placements per month.
Fat Joe provides its personalized services in tandem with an agency order dashboard and downloadable link reports. This enables you to track your outcomes and get a glimpse of its progress. They also offer free SEO tools that are very beneficial for SEO agencies and their clients.
Fat Joe has an excellent habit of meeting deadlines when it comes to delivering services, they respond to all their Emails in the shortest time possible. Fat Joe also has the best customer support and answers to customer query swiftly. You can check out the faces of their team in the 'Meet the Team' section of their website, where you'll be able to see their designers, copywriters, and support workers.
Fat Joe link building services are designed to provide natural link references to websites, imitating natural supply as it would occur over time.
Google and other search engines use these references as signals of trust; they determine how noticeable your webpage is within search results. Fat Joe team sells its services separately; this enables you to control everything (anchor text, link quantities) and make their services the most suitable for you.
Blogger outreach – This process involves creating relationships with blog owners in a bid to promote contents, businesses, products, and services. Fat Joe creates materials in conjunction with blog owners; within the text of these contents, they naturally reference your websites, products or services. It is a definite link reference that provides signals to search engines which works together with other SEO factors to improve your visibility. This service works efficiently because it gives blog owners quality content as well as helping you build a quality link profile.
There are various advantages attached to blogger outreach, this includes references from genuine blog owners, having your content writings handled for you, ability to manage and monitor results within a dashboard, and being able to export full placement reports. It is used most times as a frequent link service by agencies and business owners to get improved outcomes. Fat Joe will help you spread out your placements and mentions so that they can appear natural.
Local business citations – This provides you with submissions in directories like Yelp, Foursquare, and Yell. Majority of these directories provides links that people do follow. It helps you back up your businesses' NAP profile for it to perform better in a local listing. They also form an excellent foundation for any link profile at the start of an operation. It is an entirely manual service that can be used in the UK, US, Australia & Canada, and it is reliable and suitable for local or national businesses. You have the opportunity to choose close to 100 submissions.
Press release distribution – A press release supply submits the remarkable press release to various media outlets that offer you links back to your website. What makes press release great is that it can be for months, even years in the future. It provides instant online publicity; it is also a great way of giving an announcement and generating many link references. It is also included in Google news.
Infographic promotion – Infographic promotion gives you the opportunity of having your infographics shared on blogs, which provides you with link mentions from bloggers. These bloggers are genuine, and the Fat Joe team can write the original content if need be. You can choose the DA and metrics to suit further customizing your campaign with Fat Joe.
Infographics design – Fat Joe helps you promote your infographics, they can also design one for you, if you don't have or you need a new one. Infographic is a visual piece of content designed to provide an easy to read information on a topic related to your industry. Fat Joe offers various ranges of infographics from basic to platinum to suit different budget and requirements.
Content writing – Fat Joe also provides content writing services, either for the home page or short products description. You can select your preferred keywords and word count to ensure it perfectly suits your website and helps you attract more traffic and conversation.
Fat Joe website gives you access to some free SEO tools like keyword rank checker, blog title generator, infographic embed code generator, etc.
The keyword rank checker is a user-friendly app; it enables you to track keyword rankings across multiple websites. This app is used in close to 60 countries and has over 500,000 searches with more than 17,000 users to date. It is called the Fat Rank, and it's one of our free SEO tools.
The blog title generator helps those who prefer writing their contents themselves by generating tittle for their content. All it requires is typing in the main keyword you want your title to base on, and the generator provides you with ten different titles you can either choose or build your own from it. You can keep refreshing the tittle generator until you get what you like.
Fat Joe services are 100% white label, and their contents are well written and arranged correctly in the correct order. There's no cause for worry whatsoever when you order from them.
At Fat Joe, services are designed to suit clients need. Their prices vary widely depending on the service and the level of the services you need. Essential services are available for each service, but you can also select additional stats, sites with more domain authority, and similar things if you have got a larger budget to spend. Fat Joe services are intended to suit both your business/agency and your budget. They also offer a guaranteed complete refund on services like infographics if you're not happy with the design for whatever reasons.
Pay As You Go service.
An order dashboard to track and control your campaign in a place.
Absolute control to build your drive to your taste.
Access to free SEO tools.
Quick turnaround within a week to a month.
Fat Joe services have been tested and trusted to give clients their desired result. You stand to gain more by outsourcing them. You get to have your work done quicker. They also provide you with quality services at the cheapest rate possible.
Fat Joe's services help you increase visibility, conversions. It also helps to generate more leads, customers and better website traffic.
Constant use of Fat Joe services guarantees you a more reliable and enhanced brand awareness across the web; it helps to strengthen your online presence and gives you improved results over time.
Every company has its cons and shortcomings, which makes it essential to highlight some of Fat Joe's shortcomings.
Fat Joe is not an SEO agency; this makes their SEO services/products limited. Depending on what you need and what your objectives are, you may have to outsource to various companies if you require some elements for your SEO campaign that Fat Joe doesn't have.
Fat Joe offers as many customization options as possible, but sometimes you might find out that these options are fewer than what you expect if you handle things yourself.
The above mention things are the few shortcomings of Fat Joe. You can carefully consider and determine whether their services suit you best or not.
Conclusively, if you're an SEO agency that needs improved results for its clients, or you run a website that needs an improved SEO, you might want to try out working with Fat Joe. You get to save your time, money and impress your audience with their well thought out campaigns. There would be no need to hire an in-house team or undergo any training. The advantages of working with Fat Joe are much more than its demerits, which is the reason why they are the most prominent SEO agency supplier around.


Many Midland residents gathered at the Haley Memorial Library (www.haleylibrary.com) on March 2, 2010 in the late afternoon for a special celebration. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Midland County Historical Society hold an annual gathering to celebrate Texas Independence Day. This day 174 years ago the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed, representing our freedom from Mexico. The Midland County Deputy Sheriff even joined in, leading the group in the annual singing of the Texas state song, "Texas, Our Texas." There was even a "Toast to Texas" with Texas themed shot glasses which were all filled with "branch water." This celebration has been taking place at the Haley Memorial Library since 1996, and before that is was held at the Historical Museum. The history of out state is very important to Midlanders, and we are very proud of our state. Not only was there a celebration, the DRT members went out to local cemeteries Tuesday morning and placed medallions on the gravesides of former members. All in all, Midlanders wanted to honor Texas.