Group and bulk orders are quite welcome and a discounted price based on the size of the order may be available. Please e-mail to enquire about a group or bulk order with a complete list of what you would like to order including material and finish to see if you qualify for a discounted price. Group orders must be placed by a single designated individual and must be shipped to a single shipping address.
WWholesale inquiries are quite welcome. As a wholesale customer you will enjoy lower prices then even the bulk or group discount. There are of course strings attached. A minimum first time order of 25 or more items must be placed in order to become a wholesale customer. Wholesale purchasers must be using the armor for resale or in the construction of items for resales i.e. shield bosses to make finished shields with. Resellers may not sell items bought from me on e-bay unless I have given permission.


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AT&T takes up membership in the Linux Foundation, furthers open source efforts
Mar 28, 2017 11:11am
The open networking industry is in a rapid time of transition.
AT&T has become a Platinum member in the Linux Foundation, a move that reflects the telco's ongoing effort to implement open source and open networks not only in its own networks but also to drive broader industry collaboration.
One example of this is AT&T's Enhanced Control, Orchestration, Management and Policy (ECOMP) architecture.
In February, AT&T contributed several million lines of ECOMP code to The Linux Foundation, as well as the new Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) Project based on production-ready code from AT&T and OPEN-O contributors.
For AT&T, ECOMP is being applied in its Open ROADM project for its optical network. By creating the Open ROADM project, AT&T is looking to accomplish two main goals: software control of ROADMs and open hardware.
Specifically, by implementing software control of the ROADMs AT&T has in the field, the devices will be able to automatically detect and adjust bandwidth. As a result, the ROADMs move traffic to different lanes as needed.
A number of service providers are taking interest in ECOMP. Orange and Bell Canada have begun testing AT&T's ECOMP platform, for example.
Chris Rice, SVP of Domain 2.0 architecture and design at AT&T Labs, told FierceTelecom in a previous interview that it is engaged with several other Tier 1 telcos and systems integrators about ECOMP.
"Think of what you have seen so far as the tip of the iceberg," Rice said.
RELATED: Linux Foundation merges Open Source ECOMP, OPEN-O, further harmonizes virtualization group efforts
As part of the new relationship with the Linux Foundation, Rice joins The Linux Foundation Board of Directors. He was also recently selected as the ONAP chairman.
Rice said in a release that while the company's transition to a software-driven network has a number of benefits for its own operations and how it delivers services, the company's work can have a benefit to the broader telecom and IT industry.
"SDN is helping us meet performance, capital spending and efficiency goals and we expect continued benefits," Rice said. "But more so, we recognize that the open source community accelerates innovation."
Besides AT&T, Linux Foundation Platinum members include Cisco, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Oracle, Qualcomm and Samsung.
AT&T has a long history of collaborating with open source communities. These include OPNFV, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Open Container Initiative, OpenStack, ON.Lab, Open Networking Foundation and the OpenDaylight End User Advisory Board. The company also manages more than 70 GitHub projects.
Earlier this year, Open source ECOMP and the Open Orchestrator Project (OPEN-O) merged to create the ONAP Project.
In aligning the two projects, the groups said they will create a harmonized framework for real-time, policy-driven software automation of virtual network functions that will enable software, network, IT, and cloud providers and developers to rapidly create new services.
SDN network functions virtualization (NFV) management software AT&T

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Stones, Fossils, Archaeology and Art / July 6, 2018 by Jeannine Cook
Stones that I picked up in the fields around Tremblay, France, led me on a wonderful voyage of discovery about the upper Seine River valley's geology, archaeology and history, all of which helped me appreciate even more the seemingly humble stones I was drawing.
Aube-Champagne, Archaeology, Artistic Dialogue, drawing Troyes, Arkeaube, metalpoint, silex, Neolithic man, Cretaceous, fossilised stones July 06, 2018
Talking about Silverpoint / September 12, 2013 by Jeannine Cook
It has been a while since I could get to this blog – mainly because I am back for the second half of an art residence at DRAWinternational in France, and there is a certain fever of creativity.
No comments on whether the results are good or bad!
But the days fly past with the privileged situation of only requiring that one thinks about art, how to do something that pushes out boundaries and grow. Such luck! Nonetheless, there is the more serious side of the residency, namely giving and talk and demonstration to the public.
Of course, I suggested that I talk about my passion, metalpoint-silverpoint, and then had to spend some time putting together a serious survey of the history of this medium. That is always a fascinating exercice, and it reminds me how many different voices there have been and are today in this rather restrictive medium of drawing with a metal stylus on prepared paper. Selecting examples of contemporary metalpoint to show my audience how varied, elegant and imaginative are the silverpoint voices drives home to me what a special medium this is.
This is the poster/invitation to Sunday's presentation – which I will give in French.
Poster for my Talk on Metalpoint at DRAWInternatioonal
Meanwhile, I draw and draw, experiment and try to balance long hours of sitting with vigourous walks up hill and down dale in this delicious medieval village of Caylus. The weather is totally unlike usual Mediterranean September weather, in that it is distinctly chilly.
No matter, another layer on and get down to drawing! In other words, vive l'art and art residencies!
Metalpoint, Silverpoint metalpoint, silverpoint February 16, 2018
Sharing One's Passion / May 5, 2013 by Jeannine Cook
Between spending my days in hospitals and hotels, there has been little time in the last six weeks to remember about my real passion in life, art. Nonetheless, luck lent me a day of being able to talk about art-making, the joys and fascinations - and challenges - that come with it.
Aloe Exuberance, Palma., watercolour, Jeannine Cook artist
I felt a little like this watercolour painting that I had done in early January, which I entitled Aloe Exuberance. The talk I was giving about art was at the end of my exhibition, Brush or Stylus: Jeannine Cook's Choices, at the spacious Albany Arts Council gallery in Albany, Georgia. A roomful of ladies and one gentleman gathered at lunchtime: I soon learnt that most of them were watercolour artists, some art teachers, and most were also curious about metalpoint drawing.
It was really restorative to be talking about my passion for art and about how I approached art-making. Each of us is very individualistic about this process of creation, but nonetheless, as I reminded my audience, there is a unifying element to it all. Beyond the life experience that each of us brings to art, there are the basics of technique, in whatever medium being used.
Being able to draw, from real life, is for me of prime importance. It doesn't mean that the finished result will even resemble what is in front of one; that is not really the point. Drawing this way enables one to understand how the object works in space, how it is weighted, how it is articulated, how it smells and feels... Even if later, the resultant art is abstract, there is a veracity, a knowledge implied that help to convey what the artist is trying to say. This understanding aids in composition, in colour planning in a painting, in catching the light, in organising what one is trying to depict. Obviously, in a finished drawing, the initial understanding and exploration aid hugely, particularly if the drawing is in silverpoint/metalpoint, where no erasure nor alteration are possible.
Being comfortable in the medium chosen, whether it be watercolour or other painting media, is crucial. That ease only comes with practice and understanding, but a realistic choice of pigments helps too. A limited palette is often much more harmonious and does not restrict the range of colours and tones at all. Being beguiled by all the brightest, newest and most luscious of pigments can be problematic in art! A little restraint often pays off and makes for a less complicated painting process.
Perhaps the most important aspect to me of creating art is learning to listen to that small, interior voice in one's head. Trust it, because it allows the creation of truly individual pieces of art, expressions of you and you alone. You are a unique person and artist. Your own ideas and visions, your own way of expressing them, in an adequately professional technical fashion, are the path to your own artistic voice, one that will make you different from every other artist.
Warbler Weaving, Palma - silverpoint, Jeannine Cook artist.
As I reminded my audience in Albany, we are all products of complex, rich lives. Thus our art-making can be equally individualistic and special. In a way, this silverpoint drawing, Warbler Weaving, that I drew earlier this year, is a symbol of our creative lives as artists. We weave together so many strands of different things - large, small, fragile, strong- to create art that expresses who we are. The results go out into the world, sending messages and inviting shared experiences, as the creative circle is completed between artist and viewer. In the same way, this exquisite little nest I found goes from being a home in which to rear nestlings to sharing the warbler's magical creation with a wider human audience.
I was so grateful to the Albany Arts Council and its gracious Executive Director, Carol Hetzler, for allowing me to share my passion for art. It enabled me to remember that I need to return to creating art, very soon.
Drawing, Metalpoint, Watercolour, Silverpoint Albany Arts Council, drawing, metalpoint, passion in art, silverpoint, watercolour February 16, 2018
Experiments in Art / May 21, 2012 by Jeannine Cook
When luck is kind and an opportunity presents itself to work in peace and beauteous quiet, experiments in art-making are a serious option.
As part of the WCAGA Drawing Marathon, a day of plein air work had been organised for yesterday, Saturday. Luck was indeed on our side - it had poured with rain the previous days, and today, the day after, while Saturday dawned crystal clear, sunny and delicious. With such good auguries, it was time to try different media, different subjects in art. It seems to me that it is so important always to try to grow as an artist by experimenting, refining one's voice and one's style of art, whilst still remaining true to that little "inner voice". As artist/art coach Bob Ragland once remarked, "Being an artist is like planting a garden - plant the seeds and see what sprouts".
The Last Days for the Red Cedar, Prismacolor, Jeannine Cook artist
Seeing what sprouted was fun as I worked yesterday. I used sepia Prismacolor to tell the story of a wonderfully contorted dead red cedar which was slowly decaying, lichens and other forces working on its reduction.
Growing right at the edge of the marshes, the tree showed what happens when salt water levels rise and affect both the tree's root system and the solidity of the oyster shell bank into which its roots burrowed. Using Prismacolor to depict the tree is a very different medium, as compared to graphite or silverpoint, with its wide range of tone and its waxy quality that can lead to build-up on the paper. Like silverpoint, Prismacolor does not allow erasure. So the experiment was about flying blind, to a certain extent.
Another venture I tried was to look around me with fresh eyes, to try and see possible subject matter that was totally new and different for me. It is always tempting to return to the same types of subject matter in art -in essence to stay in a zone of comfort and depict things/places/people with which you are familiar. I am not sure, however, that one grows a great deal if you are always doing the same things - whether it is making the same pastries over and over again, using similar phrases only when learning a new language or doing the same things again and again in art-making.
Charles Hawthorne, the American painter who founded the Cape Cod School of Art, declared that "in his attempt to develop the beauty he sees, the artist develops himself". In other words, try putting on new spectacles in life.
Marsh Wrack, metalpoint, JeannineCook artist
I spent some time prowling along the wonderful interface between salt marsh and high ground, with sunlight filtering through the many live oaks, cedars and palmettos. But what I finally "saw" was the wonderful patterning of the marshwrack, the amazing amalgam of dead stalks of the Spartina alterniflora or Cord grass, the essence of the salt marshes of the South Eastern coast. The high tide gathers up these dead stalks and deposits them in wonderful rafts at the high water mark along the banks and higher ground. There, they eventually break down, aided by the activities of a myriad small crabs and insects, and contribute to the enrichment of the marshes and salt water, nourishing all life in the marshland nurseries. This marsh wrack was the subject of my next drawing experiment, using metalpoint to follow its rhythms and weavings. Gold, copper and silver followed the Spartina's patterns,a meditation about life, decay and new developments, both for the marshes and, I hope, for my art.
Drawing, Trees, Plein Air Charles Hawthorne- Bob Ragland, Drawing Marathon, metalpoint, Prismacolor, red cedars, Spartina alterniflora, WCAGA February 16, 2018
Metalpoint's Voices / April 21, 2012 by Jeannine Cook
Sometimes, when I am working in silverpoint - or metalpoint, when I include gold or copper in the drawings - I find that there is a wonderful parallel to music and musical instruments in these shimmering lines. Perhaps my imagination runs away with me - who knows!
I find that the pure, simple line produced by silver being passed over a surface prepared with ground reminds me of the ineffable beauty of a boy's soprano voice as it floats out into Gothic vaults and dies away to a whisper.
Solitaire, Wild Acres, silverpoint, Jeannine Cook artist
Perhaps a drawing like Solitaire, Wild Acres could illustrate what I mean for the silver lines are essentially simple. As I drew this image, the mountain air was crisp and thin, again a suitable parallel to a soprano voice.
Balsam Mountain Beech, silverpoint, Jeannine Cook artist
When the silver lines are more sustained and yet their delicacy is evident, silverpoint reminds me of violins. The range and subtlety of this instrument is echoed in silverpoint's capabilities. This drawing, Balsam Mountain Beech, shows some of these characteristics and was great fun to "orchestrate" as the leaves curled more and more as they dried out during the time I drew them.
A Day at Manassas Bog. silverpoint, Jeannine Cook artist
Silverpoint allows for deeper, complex tones, such as those of a violoncello. Sometimes the choice of ground for the paper surface will allow these darker, more sonorous voices to emerge from the silver lines, just as the cello sings in that wonderful lower register. A Day at Manassas Bog allowed me to explore this aspect of silverpoint, for the subject matter, all dried plants, seemed to resonate with deep memories of past seasons.
Mist on the River, silverpoint, silver, Jeannine Cook artist
Even the sound of a human whisper has a parallel, I feel, in some ways of using silverpoint. Often whispers go from soft to loud, or vice versa. They seem staccato, truncated, random, muffled at times. This drawing, Mist on the River, made me think of whispered voices carrying on the river Edisto as I sat quietly on the bank, early one fresh spring morning.
Grevillea, silverpoint, Jeannine Cook artist
Perhaps I am being more fanciful than ever, but a drawing like Grevillea makes me think of a piano playing. The Grevillea tree is so wonderful in its silver-white to dark green-black and its pulsating energy sets up rhythms and harmonies that seem to echo those one hears so often, with delight, from a piano being skilfully played. The leaves are sturdy, yet light, and the branches tough and resistant - similar to aspects of the piano, an instrument of such versatility.
Fallen Palmetto, silverpoint, Jeannine Cook artist
My last "interpretation" of silverpoint's voices: when all the lines are working, some light, some dark, some deep, some quiet, but all in miraculous harmony, then one can perhaps think of the drawing as paralleling an orchestra playing. Rhythms, pauses, simple passages and complex moments – a drawing can have those aspects that one finds also in an orchestra. Fallen Palmetto, while I was drawing this complicated pattern, made me think of such an orchestral performance.
Sometimes, drawing can become even more fun to do when one imagines other aspects of the medium. I love listening to all the voices that silver, gold and copper can produce. It enriches the whole experience of drawing in metalpoint.
Metalpoint, Music, Silverpoint metalpoint, musical instruments, silverpoint, silverpoint drawing February 16, 2018
From Reading about Art to a Metalpoint Show / September 1, 2011 by Jeannine Cook
Threading my way between matters of health, matters of daily life and delights ranging from markets that are a visual and sensual feast of fresh produce to turquoise-sapphire seas sparkling enticingly, I keep trying to remember I am supposed to be an artist!
A reminder of this came this week with the opening of "Luminous Metal: Contemporary Drawings in Metalpoint" at the Clement Art Gallery in Troy, New York. Despite Hurricane Irene being in evidence in the area, apparently there was a goodly number of people at the reception. Photos of the show can be seen on Facebook. I was one of ten artists invited to exhibit in this show, something I was delighted about. We each had to submit three pieces for the show, and judging by the photos and sneak preview, we are all as diverse as possible, which of course makes for a fascinating exhibition when it comes to savouring of the wide range of possibilities even within this relatively narrow medium of silverpoint/metalpoint.
Meanwhile, threading though my daily life, I keep dipping into a truly interesting book which I found recently. Entitled "Artists' Techniques and Materials", it was written by Antonella Fuga, translated into English by Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia, and published by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles in 2006. One of the simple reasons I looked at it originally in the Royal Academy bookshop in London was that it was one of the few books dealing with artistic techniques and media which talked of silverpoint. (I found some seemingly definitive and weightly tomes on drawing there, which did not even mention the words "silverpoint" or "metalpoint" - shame on the authors, for they did not do their homework.)
I soon realised, however, that the book I did buy by Ms. Fuga is a gem. It is teaching me, in succinct and clear fashion, with wonderful, annotated illustrations, about media in a way that has me enthralled. Not only are drawing media talked of, but all manner of other media - printmaking, painting, sculpture, mosaic and intarsia, ceramics, glass, metalwork and jewellry, as well as contemporary techniques. Within each discipline, there are a myriad techniques explained, many of which are new to me – filigree glass, reticello work in glass, scagliola intarsia, for instance. There is a page of text for each, so that you learn enough about each technique to be at least sensible about it - and it is a door opened to further exploration if you want. Such fun!
It certainly keeps reminding me of the privilege of belonging to this great band of incredibly diverse artists, one that has existed since time immemorial in such intensity, imagination and skill.
Metalpoint, Exhibitions Antonella Fuga, Clement Art, metalpoint February 16, 2018
The Elegance of Imperfection / June 26, 2010 by Jeannine Cook
Back in May when I was in Spain, I read with interest a long article in El Pais by Antonio Muñoz Molina on the artist Vija Celmins' exhibition then showing at New York's McKee Gallery. The descriptions told of how Celmins works, in her studio, in quiet solitude, communing with objects that she has brought into the studio from walks on the beach or Western deserts, from sidewalk or garage sales in New York or where ever. Her close inspection of the objects then is translated into minutely detailed, intimate paintings and drawings of surfaces, interiors, textures, patterns. Their abstraction and depth, both in tactile effect and message, seem to reach far beyond the mere frames. But always, these images apparently allow for imperfection, as it is first in nature and real life, but more so as she creates her art. The overall effect is powerful and compelling.
Vija Celmins , Web # 1, Charcoal on paper, Image courtesy of Tate / National Galleries of Scotland
Sky, 1975, Vija Celmins, Lithograph on paper, (Image courtesy of the Tate, London)
Her work is very well considered, with awards and exhibitions in major institutions in this country. What interested me was the way she apparently deals with blacks - in paint but especially with graphite. When drawing with graphite, with all its permutations of hardness in the grades of Hs and soft Bs, a lot of skill is need to go on getting a more and more intense black. Unless you are careful, as with pastels, the paper surface gets to such a point of "saturation" that no more graphite will adhere.
What is always fun, when looking at other people's art or reading about it, is to have a sudden idea about something interesting and new to try in one's own art. Thinking about Celmins' work brought back to mind a wonderful goldpoint/platinumpoint drawing I saw in the Telfair Museum of Art metalpoint exhibition, The Luster of Silver, in which I was involved in 2006. Dennis Martin, now sadly deceased, had done the most sensitive and beautiful portrait of his wife. He then surrounded this delicate, almost ethereal three-quarters-size portrait with deep, dark, lustrous graphite. The contrast with the goldpoint drawing was dramatic and most effective.
All these thoughts about artists' skills with graphite are tempting me. Now if the temperatures outside would just diminish a little, I could go off and start doing some drawing plein air!
Drawing, Graphite drawing, Metalpoint, Silverpoint Dennis James Martin, El Pais, graphite drawing, metalpoint, silverpoint, The Luster of Silver, Vija Celmins February 17, 2018
The White of Paper / May 7, 2009 by Jeannine Cook
I have drawing on Stonehenge paper, which I find so responsive, and the white of the paper came again to the fore. It is fascinating how the white of the surface on which one is painting or drawing suddenly takes on its own life and begins to dictate.
Initially there can be the white paper fright - rare, I have to admit, but it happens. This is when one is totally intimidated by that pristine white surface facing one on the drawing board. It is so pure, so virgin, so unsullied. Where on earth does one start? And CAN one even start sensibly? But then that stage passes, usually pretty quickly because one is already all involved with the project already and anxious to move ahead.
The Three Feathers, metalpoint/watercolour, Jeannine Cook artist
Once into the work, the decisions as to where to leave the white of the surface, or even if to do so, become more interesting. And the paper itself begins to talk and dictate. White is a powerful colour; it is not just the negative part where one has not put colour. It can hold its own against all comers, and can even dominate too much unless care is taken. And, of course, it does not have to be pure white - I draw on cream papers where the same situation pertains. Since, ideally, I try to adhere to the concept of "less is more", that plays hugely into the role that white can play, particularly in a drawing. It is all a balancing act, where a sense of composition becomes important. And of course, it becomes fun and interesting, because you never know if you or the white of the paper is going to "win".
I think every artist should cultivate their own personal relationship with that powerful player, Lady White, because it can lead to endlessly rewarding dialogues and good art.
Metalpoint, Paper metalpoint, Stonehenge paper March 02, 2018
Welcome / February 28, 2009 by Jeannine Cook
Tanzanian by birth, European by heritage, British-American by nationality, Jeannine Cook is one of a small number of artists worldwide who specialize in silverpoint drawing. Her luminous watercolor paintings complement these shimmering drawings executed in silver. Cook's work is in many public collections in the United States and Europe.
Jeannine Cook Drawing
We hope that you will enjoy Jeannine's blog.


The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS camera is the second 20x super-zoom model from the Japanese giant, and the big brother of the SX10 IS that we reviewed at the end of 2008. Offering a lens equivalent to a massive 28-560mm focal length, Canon have included image stabilisation to help ensure that the majority of your shots are sharp, plus Ultrasonic Motor (USM) and Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technologies that promise fast, accurate and quiet zooming and focusing. The 10 megapixel PowerShot SX1 IS also features Canon�s new DIGIC 4 processor, full manual control over both aperture and shutter speed and an electronic viewfinder. Key differences from the SX10 IS include a larger 2.7" LCD screen, faster 4fps continuous shooting, a CMOS sensor (instead of CCD) and most notably the ability to shoot full 1080p HD video (1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second). Priced at �529 / �679.99, Gavin Stoker discovered if the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is worth the substantial price-premium of �160 / �210 when compared with the SX10 IS.
With sales of point and shoot digital compacts fairly flat in the UK at the time of writing, Canon has been turning its attention to expanding its 'superzoom' range of bridge models in recent months, one of the camera varieties that, along with DSLRs, still appears to be shifting units. The PowerShot SX1 IS joins the recently reviewed SX10 IS at the head of the charge, and like it forms a joint replacement for the earlier S5 IS model. There's a distinct sense of d�j� vu here, as, near identically to its not-so-little brother, the chunky DSLR-styled SX1 IS also features 10 megapixels, a lens shift stabilized 20x optical zoom starting at a wide angle 28mm, but brings HD video clips (and a Full HD 1080p at that) to the table. With a manufacturer's UK asking price of around �529, it's far from cheap however, some �160 more than the SX10 IS and exceeding the price of many entry level digital SLRs bundled with a kit lens. So what have we got on board the SX1 IS that makes it worth, if not quite a king's ransom, then a pauper's ruin?
Well, like Canon's EOS DSLR range, the PowerShot SX1 IS features a CMOS sensor as opposed to regular CCD at its heart, which is a first for any of its compacts, enabling, along with a Digic 4 processor, the camera to shoot full resolution JPEGS at up to four frames per second, plus those High Definition movies. OK, while that frame rate's no match for a CMOS-sporting semi-pro DSLR in Canon's EOS range, nor sounds quite as impressive coming after Casio's 60fps EX-F1 or 40fps EX-FH20 bridge models (albeit achievable via a resolution drop), it's faster than most of us would arguably need from such a 'jack of all trades' device.
From the front however the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS gives few clues as to why it's worth the additional expense, being nigh the doppelganger for the previously reviewed SX10 IS model. It's big and tough looking, the only immediately discernable difference is the silver grey colouring of the chunky grip has been swapped for a more uniform black, whereby it better blends into the curves of the rest of the bodywork. As with the SX10 IS, the SX1 IS' larger than average grip is partly due to the four alkaline AAs required for power slotting into its base, which help lend the mainly plastic build camera its solid feel. They also mean however that the SX1 IS isn't in any way a pocket camera � you'll need to attach the provided shoulder strap or take a bag with you if you're heading out shooting.
As we complained when reviewing the SX10 IS, there's no full hard copy manual provided in the SX1 IS' box � though there is a lens hood and remote � just the typically rudimentary 'getting started' pamphlet, with the full manual alternatively provided on CD. While the latter is fine if you've a PC to hand, when you're outside shooting and can't track down the setting you want, not having a manual to hand to quickly flick through is a hindrance. And not everything about the SX1 IS proves immediately obvious. For example, for a camera that � following the ethos of the PowerShot range � should be fully featured yet intuitive to use, it's not readily apparent how 30fps HD movies are accessed. Turn the shooting mode dial to video and press the function button to select the resolution and, in head scratching fashion, you're offered just standard 640x480 or 320x240 pixel clips.
On the plus side, like the SX10IS, this flagship superzoom features a pair of stereo microphones sitting directly above the lens, which means stereo sound to accompany those videos. Given their location, thankfully (and necessarily) operation of the gargantuan zoom is near silent, thanks to Canon's pairing of an Ultrasonic Motor (USM) with Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology, also included on the SX10 IS. The zoom lens is also equipped with optical image stabilization, enabling in our experience crisp and clear results when shooting handheld at maximum telephoto if there's plenty of light around.
Examining the key features first, at the top of the camera we find a hotshoe for accessory flash from Canon's Speedlite series, also a feature of the SX10 IS, plus a useful flip out and twist LCD screen at the rear for those creative/awkward angle shots, here 2.8-inches rather than 2.5-inches in size, and newly elongated to widescreen dimensions. A night display mode enhances low light visibility. On the right hand side of the camera, if viewed from the rear, we find one of the other few differences over the SX10 IS; a covered HDMI port for connecting the camera up to a High Definition TV, though the cable you'll need to do so is (inevitably) an additional purchase. As with its baby brother, a dedicated button at the rear activates the video feature whichever shooting mode you're in. Marked by a red dot that universally signifies a record button, this naturally falls under the user's thumb at the rear of the camera.
Looking down on the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS with the back facing us, we are presented with the same fairly busy smattering of large buttons and dials as found on the SX10 IS. These run in an L-shape provided by the forward protrusion of the grip, and range from a dual purpose flash and voice memo button at the far left (that if held down on start up mutes the camera's operational sounds), across the familiar DSLR-like hump housing electronic viewfinder, built in flash and hotshoe, to a shooting dial at the other side featuring no less than 13 user selectable modes. Again the creative choice for S1 IS users here is the same as on the SX10 IS: full auto, program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual, plus a user-attributable custom setting. Joining them are a selection of hand-holding pre-optimised settings for shooting portraits, landscapes, night snapshot, sports mode, plus a grouped selection of scene modes, including the familiar likes of a dedicated fireworks and sunsets settings, plus a stitch assist mode to help with shooting a sequence of shots for compositing together later as a single panorama. The final mode on the dial is, once again, for capturing movie clips.
As with its forebear, as you twist the physical dial a virtual version appears in the top right hand corner of the LCD screen if it's in operation, or in the EVF above if it's not, so you don't need to take your eyes off the subject.� Like the SX10 IS, the 'traction' of the mode dial itself is a little loose, as it's easy to slip unnoticed from one setting to the other when retrieving the camera from a bag or during general handling. Adjacent to the shooting mode dial is a recessed but prominent on/off button that glows a comforting orange when the camera is activated, and on the forward slope of the grip itself we find a main shutter release button encircled by a rocker switch for moving through the broad zoom range (28-560mm equivalent).
Press the power button and SX1 IS proves as responsive as expected, taking just over a second for the zoom barrel to extend to maximum wideangle setting while the rear LCD or EVF bursts into life for composing the image in just over a second. Unlike rival cameras, there's once again no obvious dedicated EVF/LCD button for switching between the two options, this task falling instead to a press of the display button. If the user prefers, the camera can be set up so if the LCD screen is facing into the body upon power up, the EVF automatically bursts into life. Alternatively, if the screen is already facing out at the user, then it provides the method of shot composition. As you'd expect from an enthusiast model, shutter delay is imperceptible, yet committing a full resolution JPEG to memory took around two to three seconds; that's longer than the second or so it took on the SX10 IS.
Again, a press of the function button at the rear of the camera brings up a familiar L-shaped menu on the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS' screen, from which users can select from Superfine, fine or normal compression levels and a pixel count that varies from the full 10 million down to an email friendly VGA-quality, 640x480 pixels. Once again there's no RAW or TIFF shooting options offered here, which may be a black mark for some, and are perhaps a more serious omission given that, whopping lens range aside, the camera costs more than DSLRs with such features as standard.
Sound-tracked by a low mechanical whirr the zoom is very responsive, so much so that determining an exact point in its range can be tricky, though, unusually, markings detailing incremental steps throughout its range (both digital and, usefully, 35mm equivalent) are etched onto the top of the lens barrel. For improved accuracy, users can tab through these in baby steps with a gentle nudge of the lever. As indicated on the lens barrel, that Ultra Sonic Motor (USM) ensures your zoom transitions are commendably smooth. Given the SX1 IS' baby DSLR-like bulk, gripping it with both hands when shooting handheld feels necessary, not only to aid comfort but help prevent any instances of camera shake. Fortunately there is just enough of a ridge to the left, when viewing the camera from the rear, and at the back by the hinge for the LCD, for the user to do so without inadvertently smearing the screen with thumbprints.
Examining the back of the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS in more detail, top left of the LCD we find a direct print button that will be familiar to users of the Canon PowerShot range. However, unlike the SX10 IS that doubled up the use of this key in shooting mode as a user assignable short cut to the likes of red eye reduction or auto exposure lock, here the SX1 IS adds a second button alongside that changes the ratio of the image displayed on the LCD (or EVF) from regular 4:3 aspect ratio to widescreen. In reality you don't gain any more of the image at the sides however; the visual trick is simply performed by cropping into the image. Once you've performed this crop you suddenly and automatically have access to that full HD 1920x1080p video that was missing from the obvious menu line up earlier. Therefore Canon's own labeling could certainly be improved where this is concerned.
Adjacent to this button we have the rubber eye relief for the electronic viewfinder, just set back from a partly recessed dioptric adjustment wheel, while on the right hand side of the EVF we find aforementioned record button for shooting video clips. Luckily, the full extent of the optical zoom can be deployed when filming, and coupled with the stereo sound, this means that, while no match for a dedicated camcorder, video clips look better than expected when compared alongside clips from your average compact (view our provided video samples to decide for yourself).
Top right of the camera back are a trio of buttons set into the back, where they fall immediately under the thumb as your forefingers snake around the grip to the front. These serve the same purpose as those found in an identical position on the cheaper SX10 IS. The top one is self evidently marked for image playback, its positioning meaning you can quickly check the results of a capture while your finger remains hovering over the shutter release button for the next possible shot. A press of the next one down brings up an exposure compensation slider (+/- 2EV), or, if alternatively the user is still in playback mode, allows a sequence of images to be 'jumped' to find the one you're looking for more rapidly in this age of ever larger card capacities, search criteria determined either by a number of images, categories or folders. The bottom and last of the three small buttons is for deleting images when in playback mode, or, if in capture mode, lets the user move the otherwise central AF point to another portion of the screen. This is effected in conjunction with the four-way control pad with central 'function set' button and fiddly scroll wheel that we've criticized in the past and which encircles it just below.
Located at the four axis points around this pad are, at 12 o'clock, a means of determining manual focus. Press this and you're once again presented with a distance slider on the right hand side of the screen and an enlarged central portion of the image so focus can be more accurately determined. The very sensitive scroll wheel is used for moving through the available range, so a lightness of touch is required in operation. Moving to three o'clock on the dial we have a setting for adjusting ISO � here a manually adjustable range that moves incrementally up from ISO80 through ISO1600 � while at six o'clock is a means of switching from single to continuous shooting, choosing one of the available self timer options or wireless delay via use of the provided remote. Moving around to nine o'clock we find a close up mode� � with either macro or super macro settings possible.
Press the function/set button at its centre when in any of the capture modes, and, as on the SX10 IS the aforementioned L-shaped toolbar that will be familiar to Canon users appears on the screen, offering pull out toolbars with further options from the range when you come to rest on a particular setting. In auto mode, only resolution/image size for stills and video is highlighted from the range, whereas if you move into one of the more creative PASM modes and press the button again, you can choose from any of the now fully accessible options. These include being able to adjust white balance, select from the familiar Canon 'My colors' modes � of which we preferred the 'vivid' setting for added visual punch (here there's the further option to individually bias vivid red, green or blue) � the chance to bracket exposures or focus, tweak the intensity of the flash, plus switch between evaluative, centre weighted and spot metering. Again this is the exact same range of options offered for the SX1 IS as on the SX 10 IS. Beneath this control pad and wheel are two more familiarly marked buttons, this time for image display ('disp') and menu. With subsequent presses the former turns the display on off, or calls up a nine zone compositional grid complete with live histogram.
Again the PowerShot SX1 IS is as quick and responsive as the SX10 IS as you tab though and effect the various options. A press of 'menu' meanwhile provides the user with the ability to select from four separate folders � the first containing a comprehensive list of shooting options. Here as with the SX10 IS, Canon has included iContrast, selectable on an 'auto' or 'off' basis from the shooting menu and akin to the D-Range Optimiser on Sony Cyber-shots (or Nikon's D-Lighting feature) that evens out exposure and to avoid losing detail to shadow.� The second folder is the fairly generic set up menu, the third a rather superfluous list of start up images and sound peculiar to the Canon range, and the fourth for accessing user-defined My Menu settings.
While the left hand side of the camera, if still viewing it from the back, features a built-in speaker, catch for attaching the provided strap and hinge for the vari-angle LCD, the right hand (grip) side is slightly busier. This features a dedicated slot for an SD or SDHC card protected by sliding cover near the base, above which is a plastic flap covering its USB port, now joined on the PowerShot SX1 IS by an HDMI connection, and a further flap hiding DC in and AV out ports. Each of these flaps and covers presses flat to the camera body when not in use, helping maintain the smooth and generous curves of the camera as a whole. Flipping the camera upside down you find a familiar screw thread for a tripod at its base, and slightly stiff (and so awkward) sliding cover for the battery compartment that houses the four AAs needed for power. You need to press the batteries down with the cover at the same time as sliding it shut; otherwise they stand slightly proud and impede its progress.
PhotographyBLOG is a member of the DIWA organisation. Our test results for the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS have been submitted to DIWA for comparison with test results for different samples of the same camera model supplied by other DIWA member sites.


I have a bunch of Radar images taken from the same location, that i would like to georeference. It works great when i georefrence one image and save the GCP to a file, and use this for the other images.
I would like to apply this to a loop command and georefrence all files with the same georefrence file(.gcp).
But i can not find the script command to do this. Can this be done in global mapper?
The IMPORT command has several parameters that can be used to georeference a raster image. It sounds like GCP_FILENAME is the parameter you would need. You don't indicate what version of Global Mapper you are using. The link is for Global Mapper 19. If you are using a different version, you can look in the Scripting Reference section of your help file for more information.


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Beck Lane
Lauren Mitchell
Beck Lane's artwork merges extraordinary creative vision and innovative technique.
A native Cape Codder, Beck's work has been collected and shown in pop up galleries, solo shows, galleries, and private collections from Boston to California, NYC to North Carolina, Pittsburgh to Carolina, Miami to Brussels, Switzerland to South America, to Israel and beyond.
The artist's mixed medium work pulsates with powerful, vibrant energy, fluid color and rare style. Often described by fans, collectors, gallerists, fellow artists and online followers as being "highly prolific" and "a painter's painter"; the style is often described as "the future of painting" or, as one passionate Youtube subscriber wrote, "...the love child of a Soviet graffiti artist and Vincent Van Gogh".


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Odisha Tourism has bagged the PATWA International Award under the category "Best Heritage State in India" for 2012 in a prestigious award ceremony at ITB Berlin. Director Tourism, Shri H. S. Upadhyay, and President Tour Operator Association Mr Simon Benjamin were present in the ceremony to receive the award.
PATWA organizes international awards every year at the ITB Berlin, which is the world's biggest travel fair, attended by exhibitors from 180 countries and more than 7000 journalists. The PATWA award is given in cooperation with Messe Berlin, to recognize Governments, individuals, organizations involved in promotion of tourism from various sectors such as aviation, hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, government agencies and the like. The PATWA is the world's biggest 'Travel Writers' organization, represented by members from 70 countries across the world. The aim of the PATWA International Award is to honor the destinations, entrepreneurs, who have made an invaluable contribution in Aviation, Hospitality and Tourism industry.


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ASC Turnarounds: Ideas to Improve Performance
States challenge CMS vaccination mandate, 6 more federal government updates
Patsy Newitt - Friday, November 12th, 2021 Print	| Email
A CMS emergency regulation issued Nov. 4 requires COVID-19 vaccination of staff at healthcare facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Since it was issued, a coalition of 10 states has sued the federal government in an attempt to halt the mandate.
Here are six more updates from the federal government in the last two weeks:
1. CMS on Nov. 2 finalized the Outpatient Prospective Payment System and ASC Payment System final rule for 2022. Major changes included the removal of 255 procedures from the ASC-payable list, cuts to physician fees and the change of a colorectal cancer screening rule.
2. HHS will invest $785 million in funding to bolster COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives in the hardest-hit and vulnerable populations, White House officials said Nov. 10.
3. Bipartisan legislation aimed to improve CMS access to ASCs, dubbed the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2021, was recently introduced in the U.S. House and Senate. Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La., introduced the bill.
4. The White House unveiled several key healthcare changes as part of its broader $1.75 trillion domestic spending package in an Oct. 28 fact sheet. The framework would reduce premiums for more than 9 million Americans who buy insurance through the ACA marketplace. The reduction would cut premiums by an average of $600 per person per year.
5. HHS proposed repealing its "sunset" rule that would require the department to eliminate existing regulations after 10 years unless the department reviewed them and could justify keeping the regulation in place, according to an Oct. 28 Federal Register notice.
6. First lady Jill Biden, EdD, is leading a campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for young children. Here are three ways the White House is promoting pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.


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Britney Spears' Boyfriend Sam Asghari Calls Out Jamie Spears In New Post
In a brand new Instagram Story, Britney Spears' boyfriend Sam Asghari is sounding off about Britney's father, Jamie Spears, who has been under increased scrutiny since a new Hulu documentary, "Framing Britney Spears", was released on Friday night.
In the post, Sam calls Jamie Spears a "d**k* and implies he's trying to control him and Britney's relationship.
This comes just a day after Sam spoke exclusively to PEOPLE, saying: "I have always wanted nothing but the best for my better half, and will continue to support her following her dreams and creating the future she wants and deserves. I am thankful for all of the love and support she is receiving from her fans all over the world, and I am looking forward to a normal, amazing future together."
All of this comes as the aforementioned "Framing Britney Spears" documentary premiered on Friday night, amid the "Free Britney" movement. The documentary dissects not only Britney's career, but the scrutiny she has faced from the media and the press, as well as the conservatorship she has been under for 13 years.
Asghari and Spears have been dating for over 4 years, ever since he appeared in her "Slumber Party" video.


OMG ..... please be okay Beast! Please be okay! Save him Beauty! He needs you!
Go, Beauty! Go and find him! Save him!
This hurts. I once rejected the love of my life because I did not know he was the love of my life. I was completely new to romance and understood nothing. If only I had spoken with him instead of running away. We had a happy ending not unlike a faery tale, but regret for lost time does remain.
This series, Ms. Megan, has always affected me deeply. I carry your Beauty and Beast in my heart.
This is the best version of this. I can relate to, I boldly say, all of the characters, emotions, struggles. This huts my heart to the deepest level. Thank you for this.
Go Beauty! Go to him while you still can. QUICKLY!
On another note, though I rarely comment I absolutely love this story. Soooo much. When the series is complete I am 100% buying the whole set.
Re: Star Trek BATB, Deep Space Nine featured not one, but two couples who could qualify, Worf and Jadzia Dax and Kira Nerys and Odo. Kira and Odo was my favorite of the two.
And what are you doing to me?!?!?!
Leaving without saying anything, Beauty? Tsk tsk. And this is the second time this has happened! Oh, dear.
I know right?! Gah! Beauty, I get it, you love him and right now he really needs you! But your "talking first" idea is really good advice for everyone you love, not just the Beast!
To be fair, Beauty, the Beast wasn't very open to having a conversation at the time--he was determined to do what he thought was best for you, regardless of how he would be hurting/killing himself as a result. So even if you'd thought to ask him some questions--and why would you, when you were homesick and had been told that you two couldn't have the kind of relationship you'd been fantasizing about--he might not have given you any answers.
As for how the Beast is doing right now--I think there is some time manipulation going on, magic-wise. Days seem to be passing for her, but only hours are passing for him. It's possible that the magical force holding his contract isn't keen on letting him go, and wants to find a way around that by keeping him alive until Beauty returns. That or Swan Mom is interferring somehow, since she's already sent Beauty a dream telling her that she has a choice to make and should do it soon.
I do hope you're at least going to leave a note this time, Beauty.


Duttcon Consultant & Engineers, conceived as an Engineering Consultancy organisation in 1992, has grown and diversified over the years into number of activities ranging from Electromechanical Engineering & Re engineering projects, mechanical engineering & fabrication, Civil Engineering & construction, service industries through Testing & failure Analysis.
Chemical Analysis of Iron, Steel and Non Ferrous metals like Aluminium, Copper, Silver, Zinc and alloys like, Brass, Bronze, Gun Metal etc. Chemical Analysis of minerals, Ferro Alloys, ash content of coke, polymar, leather, rubber, jute etc.
DCEPL provides failure analysis for failed / collapsed Installations like Factories, Pipe Lines, Heat Units / Boilers, Bridges and Fly-Over.
YOU WILL BE SURPRISED WITH THE CHOICE WE HAVE !


The 8th Annual Preservation Luncheon at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens will take place this year on March 1, welcoming more than 300 stylish guests, who are for the most part, of the female persuasion. This year's luncheon was kicked off at artefacto in Coral Gables with an elegant reception hosted by Christy and David Martin and Lais Bacchi.
Here, guests had the chance to reserve their tickets and/or tables for the luncheon (informally known as "The Vizcaya Hat Lunch"), buy hats, and preview the Azamara Club Cruise for two, which will be on auction at the main event.
Everyone wears their best hats to the lunch. "Each year, the ante is upped to the point where the lunch-goers know they must debut a truly stunning hat-and-outfit combo to make a splash," says event committee member and SHAPOH.com owner Suzy Buckley Woodward. Miami Beach-based SHAPOH has become the go-to online retailer for the finest hats, fascinators, headbands and 'hatinators,' and hosted a pop-up sale at the event's kick off party on February 9th.
What kind of hats does SHAPOH.com carry? "Classic hats, headbands, fascinators, and 'hatinators,' which is the style Kate Middleton usually wears. It's a hybrid between a hat and a fascinator with a bit of a brim, usually set on an angle. It's very chic and modern," explains Buckley.
Swanee DiMare is this year's Honorary Chair supported by Co-Chairs Eilah Campbell-Beavers, Sonia Gibson, Linda Levy Goldberg, Barbara Hevia, Daysi Johansson, Nicole Lozano, Christy Martin and Laura C. Munilla.
Committee members are Lesli Ann Brown, Suzy Buckley, Ana Hernandez, Carol Iacovelli, Marile Lopez, Bronwyn Miller, Marisa Toccin, and Alexa Wolman.
The Preservation Luncheon raises funds to preserve and protect Vizcaya Museum and Gardens for the community and future generations to come. Founded in 2009, the luncheon is a friend-raiser and fund-raiser to support the preservation of Vizcaya.
Tickets can be purchased online or email [email protected].


Launched in 2012, this Lagoon 500 catamaran has outstanding space, comfort and sailing performance. Sailing Catamaran Nana is a perfect charter yacht for families, friends and companies.
Nana accommodates six guests in 3 double cabins with queen size beds and she is equipped with the latest technology and amenities. Nana's crew is professional team with attention to detail and will make sure you can enjoy all a yacht charter cruise has to offer, relax – explore – indulge.


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Lawsuit challenges Nebraska's ban on same-sex marriage
by Fred Knapp, NET News
Nick Kramer, right, discusses Nebraska's same-sex marriage ban as his husband, Jason Cadek, holds his daughter Alice and Sally Waters looks on. (Photo by Fred Knapp, NET News)
Listen to this story:
Fred Knapp, NET News
A lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha challenges Nebraska's ban on same-sex marriages.
Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in 33 states. The lawsuit for seven couples filed Monday aims to add Nebraska to that list.
Among the plaintiffs is Sally Waters of Omaha. Waters, who's 58, married her wife Susan, 53, while living in California in 2010. Sally and Susan, who have three adopted children, have since moved back to Nebraska.
Sally Waters said she's been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. But because Nebraska doesn't recognize their marriage, Sally said, if she dies, Susan will have to pay an 18 percent inheritance tax on property they own jointly. She also won't get Social Security survivor benefits or tax protection on distributions from Sally's 401(k) retirement account.
Sally Waters spoke at a news conference Monday.
"When I die, my wife and my kids will face an emotional burden that's indescribable and a crushing financial burden. That's why we are here today," she said.
Another plaintiff, Nick Kramer, said he and his husband Jason Cadek got married in Iowa and have a three-year old adopted daughter named Alice. But because Nebraska doesn't recognize their marriage, only Nick and not Jason is considered her father. Nick said if something happened to him, Alice could become a ward of the state or be placed in custody of his family instead of with Jason, whom she calls "Daddy."
If the lawsuit succeeds, it will overturn the ban approved by Nebraska voters in 2000. Amy Miller of ACLU Nebraska, which is helping with the lawsuit, said that vote should never have happened in the first place. "We've been asked several times already about 'Aren't we a democracy -- didn't the Nebraska voters vote on this in 2000?'" Miller said. "And they did, but it should never have gone to a vote.
"America is a democracy for all things but constitutional rights. The constitution protects the individual. It protects us from having the majority rule on fundamental rights that all of us share," Miller said. "And we also in a democracy have the beautiful saving grace of the courts."
Those same courts are where incoming Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said he will try to save the ban. "When I take the oath of office in January, what I will simply say in that oath of office is that I will be sworn to upholding the laws for the state of Nebraska -- the constitution and its statutes," Peterson said.
"And so that's what we intend to do in defending the Nebraska Constitution on marriage," he added.
Peterson said he thinks the federal district court that two weeks ago upheld same-sex marriage bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee got it right. In his opinion upholding those bans, Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote, "When the courts do not let the people resolve new social issues like this one, they perpetuate the idea that the heroes in these change events are judges and lawyers."
Sutton continued it would be better in this case to allow change through politics, so gay and straight people "become the heroes of their own stories by meeting each other not as adversaries in a court system but as fellow citizens seeking to resolve a new social issue in a fair-minded way."
That decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals conflicts with decisions in several other federal courts. On Monday, two Michigan women asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal. If the court takes that case, the issue of same-sex marriage bans could be decided nationwide by June.
Outgoing Nebraska gov. Dave Heineman and Gov.-elect Pete Ricketts discuss same-sex marriage recognition
Federal Judge To Rule Later on Nebraska Gay Marriage Ban
Some Nebraska couples quickly embrace new right to marry.
Nebraska's same-sex marriage ban overturned; one week for appeal
Federal Judge Blocks Nebraska's Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Connect with NET News
news@netNebraska.org
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Dennis Kellogg
Becca Costello
Bill Kelly
Fred Knapp
Brandon McDermott
Melissa Rosales
Christina Stella
Tweets by @NETNewsNebraska


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War is not the answer. Only love shall conquer. Let's live in love, let's live in love with one another. That's my new song I ve got for you my friends but in the meantime please practice LOVE. Love ya.
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Cursed Court Review — Place your bets!
By Matthew Smail On Apr 16, 2018 0
Intrigue and scandal are common at the court and the common folk watch with fascination as fortunes rise and fall. Whether interpreted as a game about wagering ones own influence in order to survive; or as a fly-on-the-wall observation of fame and politics seen through the eyes of an outsider; there is no doubt that Cursed Court is one of the tightest betting, bluffing and deduction games that I've ever played. It's a real beauty as well, with incredible artwork and fantastic production value.
Cursed Court takes place over three rounds of gameplay, each of which represents a single in-game year, although the passage of time has absolutely no bearing on the game mechanics. What each year does do, however, is end with a scoring round that resets all of the pieces and cards in preparation for the next round. During the year, players will take turns to place chips (topped with Crowns) on specific characters or groups (rows or corners, for example) which demonstrates their support for that character or event.
The relevance of that support is determined by a card driven system of both hidden and public information. Every player has access to two face-down cards that sit between them and their neighbours, so two people have visibility of every card at all times, but no one has access to every card. Adding to these secret cards is a public card that is drawn before each round of betting.
At the end of every year, players score their supported locations based on the number and variety of cards among all of those dealt before resetting for the next year. Each player has only twenty chips per year, however, and stacks can be bumped off the board by any bid of twice as many chips. It is possible to bet big right at the start, but if you do, you may risk being bounced off other lucrative spots in later rounds during the same year. Bluffing is also a risky but potentially critical consideration during every decision to bump another player, especially if it will cost you a significant proportion of your stack.
The pieces in Cursed Court are almost flawless and the overall quality level really enhances the overall experience because it feels appropriate for the subject matter. The board is richly detailed with fantastic artwork that depicts people from a wide variety of races, sexes and roles as equals, which is something that I really appreciated. The deck of cards has matching artwork on the face and is produced to a high standard, whilst the instruction booklet does a perfectly decent job of introducing the game and a number of alternative variants.
Of course, the real stars of the show are the six different stacks of chips and the crowns that sit atop them on the board. The crowns are larger, harder and more pointy than I imagined (don't step on one) whilst the chips are very chunky and nicely weighted. I dare say that the only downside with the chips is the fact that they don't stack, so larger piles tend to fall over in a noisy cascade that can often send other pieces tumbling off the table. Someone will always fiddle with them as well, which means you'll probably want to kill them long before the game ends.
Turn Structure
A turn in Cursed Court is more or less as simple as it gets. Play initially passes around the table, but before any round of betting can end, all players must have the same number of crowns on the board, so by the fourth round of betting in a four, five or six player game, it is likely that one or two players will have to catch up due to being bounced off of their chosen locations. The only way to avoid this for certain is to place more than half of the starting stack of twenty chips (eleven) which will lock it out for the rest of the year because it can't be doubled.
One thing to get your head around in Cursed Court is that the value of the chips is irrelevant for scoring purposes – stacks are simply used to show control of the space they sit on. Scoring relates to exactly how many cards of a specific person are among the cards that have been dealt or in the case of an event like The Wedding, all characters in a row. For example, two cards showing any character will be worth two points to the player who has their crown on that character during the scoring phase, whilst three cards would score five.
Because two players can see every hidden card and all players can see the open ones, there's always competition for characters that are likely to score five points (or eight, if the elusive four of a kind is found.) Some players may have easy sight of the row, column or corner sets as well and whilst these locations score a reliable but unexciting three or four points, they are often less competitive and therefore, can be a sensible choice. In any event, turns are simply a matter of placing a stack of chips (which may or may not bounce an opposing stack) and then placing a crown on top – it's that simple!
Game Experience
Or is it, really? Well, not really, because there's a lot to think about in Cursed Court. The decision making process becomes increasingly more complex with every round and then again as the years pass and the leaderboard takes shape. This is all compounded in different ways by the player count. Large games force smaller, more hectic bidding, bluffing and outbidding, whilst smaller ones arguably cause the most consternation about which opposition bets are legitimate.
There's never any mechanical complexity to handle in Cursed Court. This isn't like a game of Lisboa, where there are fifty potential actions, many of which are nested inside others. Even so, whilst all a player can do is place a bet, there is much less left to chance than one might think. As betting continues and premium (whether public or preferred based on cards you can see) scoring opportunities reduce, there can be a bit of a pause to determine what's next. This can lead to stone cold bets or manufactured bluffs, which can be a little unsatisfying, or on the contrary, you may be the only player to spot an unguarded opportunity to score on a location space that no one has spotted.
Personally, I have always found betting and bluffing games to be a bit dull and lacking in replay value as well as depth. Cursed Court undoes basically all of my usual reservations without introducing other mechanics to underpin the actual betting. Because it uses the chip stacks as an area control mechanism that is reset each year, rather than as a scoring measure, the game never moves beyond the lower placed players, which is a very important factor in ensuring a nail-biting finish.
I foresee Cursed Court remaining right at the top of my pile when introducing casual gamers to something that is both serious and at the same time accessible, or whenever I want to begin or end an evening with a really tight, competitive game that is quick to play and very likely to remain highly engaging for all players. If you're looking for a wager or bluffing game right now, then based on both production and mechanical quality, I don't think you can do better than Cursed Court; it is fantastic.
You can find out more information about Cursed Court on the website of publisher Atlas Games.
Atlas GamesCursed Court
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Our lease plans and boundary surveys are produced to Land Registry specifications, including digital Ordnance Survey map insets and clear scale bars. For lease plans, the building or rooms in question are identified as well as shared areas and access routes.
We produce lease plans and boundary surveys for a wide variety of clients and property types, from single office lets within a block to large, landscaped commercial units. We also regularly produce conveyancing plans for Stroud District Council as part of the Right-to-Buy initiative.
We can also provide impartial surveys and setting-out services for boundary dispute resolution, and we have done so in the past for organisations including Thames Water, Vale of Glamorgan Council and private clients.
For boundary surveys, the area of the plot is shown, in addition to all buildings and significant structures and any services such as electrical substations or pylons. Again, shared areas and access routes are shown and can be highlighted as required.
All lease plans and boundary surveys are plotted onto OS National Grid via GPS observations. Internal details are typically surveyed using highly accurate Leica Disto laser measuring devices, while external details are obtained through use of GNSS RTK systems or total station observations.


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By Austracks on May 24, 2012 in
Current weather conditions in St George
St George. In spite of its name, and its association with fire-breathing monsters, there was not a dragon in sight on either of our visits here, although I did hear the odd dubious remark around our campsite from time to time! The town actually got its name when the explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell crossed the Balonne River and landed on this site on St. George's Day, April 23rd,in 1846. On our first visit, back in 2003, we were tenting and were so impressed with our stay that we decided to return.
Dig your own bait!
A few things had changed this time, not the least of which was the "Wormpatch". Back then, when John had asked where was the best place to buy bait for fishing, he was told that he had to dig for his own in the Wormpatch. But this time we couldn't find it and I strongly suspect that it is now a park or part of a housing estate. Yes, St George has grown remarkably in six years and the district now has a population of around 4000 people.
1920's Nostalgia
Another of the changes here is at the St George Hotel. I remember our visit to the bistro for lunch and what a great place it turned out to be. The bistro was reminiscent of the old hotel foyers of the 1920's. You know the kind, lots of potted palms, ceiling fans turning slowly, a couple of high-back cane chairs in the corner. I almost expected Peter Lorre or Sidney Greenstreet to walk in, dressed in a white suit, fedora in hand. It was that kind of place.
But, sadly, a change of ownership has meant changes in the bistro. The ceiling fans have been replaced
John in "The Wormpatch"
by air conditioning, there's not a potted palm in sight, and the chairs are functional steel and plastic. Who says progress is for the better! We arrived in St George on our second visit after a 4-hour drive from Cunnamulla that included stops for animals on the road, approximately 295 kilometres (183 miles) west of here. Some of those animals took their own sweet time in getting out of the way, too, but it wasn't long before we were pulling into the driveway of the Pelican's Rest Tourist Park ([star][star][star][star][star_half]) where we'd stayed on our first visit.
Well, almost everything
The tourist park hadn't changed; still the same great folks running the place, plenty of grass and roomy van sites, and lovely amenities. We wandered off down to the Visitor Information Centre to pick up some brochures and while there we picked up a bottle or two of Dragon's Breath Sauce. This super-hot sauce makes Tabasco mild by comparison and where else, I ask you, would you expect to find such a throat-burning concoction but in a place called St George!
A western winery
But there was one place that I particularly wanted to visit during our stay. Riversands Winery is about 2
First night bubbly with Two Tails
kilometres (a little over a mile) from town. It is Queensland's most western winery and is located on the banks of the Balonne River. Lunch in the gardens and a stroll along the river bank was what I wanted and I wasn't disappointed. It was a perfect afternoon after the long drive this morning. Returning to camp late in the afternoon, we settled in for a quiet evening, our bottle of Two Tails Sparkling Wine chilling nicely for our first night ritual, a couple of steaks sizzling on the barbecue, and some pleasant conversation with our camping neighbours. Does it get any better than this?
Cobb & Co in Surat
St George is a great base from which to explore the region and the little town of Surat is definitely worth some exploration. Only 115 kilometres (71 miles) from St George, it's a sleepy little village nestled on the banks of the Balonne River and only an hour or so drive north. We arrived in Surat and stopped for a coffee before visiting the Cobb & Co Changing Station. This is a museum dedicated to the days of old and is actually the former site of the depot where the coach drivers would change horses. Hence the name.
Big fish and history, Surat has it all
There's a tank inside the museum that holds the biggest Murray Cod that I have ever seen, not that I've seen one before but, as fish go, this was the granddaddy! However, our guide did point out that it isn't the biggest one that's ever been caught in these parts. I found the whole museum fascinating with its many historical artefacts, pictures, and stories; I could happily have stayed there all day. The displays of mining equipment from the early days of oil and gas exploration were remarkable and there were even newspapers from over the last hundred years or so right up until today including some interesting articles on a recent gas explosion that had almost been a major disaster in the town. In another part of the museum there was a huge display on the old Cobb & Co coaches that carried passengers and freight in this area as recently as the 1930's and a fully restored coach that was almost a hundred years old.
Fully restored Cobb & Co coach
A perfect display of balance
Behind the Changing Station is the Balonne River Gallery where local artists display their works in various exhibitions. The exhibition that we saw during our visit was called "Understorey" by local artist Victoria Arthur. Ms Arthur described her work as "A collection of sculptural pieces in clay– incorporating a variety of forms, techniques, and styles, unified by their multistorey construction, reflecting the idea that there is usually more than one layer, or level, to a structure; more than one side to a story, and always more than one way of looking at things." John and I were entranced by the exhibition but disappointed that photography was not allowed. An arch of sandstone rocks was just one of her pieces and it was as perfect a display of balance as either of us had ever seen. The intricate detail must have taken her years and a lot of patience to complete. We were almost too scared to breathe around these sculptures as each single piece was secured in place only by the next piece. As I said, perfect balance, and one wrong move, a bump against a table, a slam of the door, could have seen it all come crashing down!
Fishing in St George
But soon it was time to leave and so we made our way back to St George where the Beardmore Dam
One that didn't get away!
beckoned. The dam, completed in 1972, holds more than 81000 megalitres (several billion gallons) of water and is one of the best fishing spots in St George, or so the locals say. After all, St George is the fishing capital of inland Queensland.
Mud fish?
Well, John threw in his line and I got comfortable with a good book but, as I was discovering painfully, even in the late afternoon in May the Queensland sun has a bite to it. I could feel myself burning and so beat a hasty retreat to the car. Not for long, however, because then John caught his first fish. I don't know what sort of fish it was but the water was so muddy from the recent rains that there was no way he was keeping it so back in it went. Two or three more followed the same way until finally he caught a Yellowbelly which, I believe, is a golden perch. It also lived to see another day.
A popular picnic place in St George
Not long after that we left the dam and drove to the other side of town to the Jack Taylor Weir. Now this is a popular place with its boat ramps, parks, and amenities, and a lot of people were enjoying late afternoon picnics by the river. The weir is a mass concrete construction about 5.8 metres (19 feet) high and contains a pump station that provides St George's main irrigation channel. In the landscaped gardens adjacent to the weir is a cairn commemorating the crossing of the Balonne River by Sir Thomas Mitchell. Today, the
Balonne River
crossing is via the Andrew Nixon Bridge. Completed in 1953, it replaced the original timber bridge that had been built in 1890 by Andrew Nixon, the original owner of the largest property in the shire.
Morning tea at Riversands
Another visit to Riversands was on the cards before we left St George and so the next day, our last here, we drove out to the winery. We spent some time talking with the manager there and learning a little of the history of Riversands and about the names of some of their wines and then enjoyed a sumptuous morning tea in the garden before a stroll down to the river. St George is located in southwestern
The grounds at Riversands Wines
Queensland not far from the New South Wales border and is the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne. Our second visit here had come to an end and it was time to say farewell to this pretty little town. From the purple and white flowered bauhinias lining Victoria Street to the brilliant display of jacaranda trees, St George really is a beautiful town and one well worth seeing. Both our visits here have been great and we were sorry to be leaving again so soon. But, who knows, perhaps one day we'll be back. I certainly hope so.


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El término Barrio Norte puede referirse a:

En Argentina
 Barrio Norte, en la ciudad de Buenos Aires.
 Barrio Norte, localidad de la provincia de Río Negro.

En Chile
 Barrio Norte, en la ciudad de Concepción.
 Barrio Norte, en la comuna de Villa Alemana, Gran Valparaíso.

En Panamá
 Barrio Norte, en el distrito de Colón.

En Portugal
 Bairro Norte, en la ciudad de Póvoa de Varzimen.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


She's one of your favorite Wild N' Out girls and she also happens to be one of the finest women to walk on the planet. Here's model Brittany Dailey.
You might know Brittany Dailey from her time as a Wild N' Out girl during the show's fifth and sixth seasons. We certainly had our eyes glued to the screen whenever she was present, given that she added a little extra something to the proceedings. She is of Black, Apache and Irish descent, giving her a very unique and alluring look that few men can resist, if any can resist at all. With measurements of 34D-24-37, you can bet this bombshell does very well in the modeling industry and has garnered a loyal following of dedicated fans. In fact, as of this writing, Brittany has 202,000 followers on Instagram and 101,000 followers on Twitter. She could probably amass a smaller army if she wanted.
On top of modeling and appearing on television shows, you might also know her from her different appearances in music videos. Brittany has starred in music videos for songs like "Boss' Life" by Snoop Dogg, "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne featuring Static, "Push It Baby" by Pretty Ricky featuring Sean Paul and so many more. It's not hard to see why she was in demand.
Be sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on her life and what she's doing in the industry. You'll also be treated to more of great pictures, so that's a good incentive too.


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Brooklyn Lawmakers On The Move July 8, 2019
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Eugene Kicks Off 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (D-Prospect Lefferts Garden, Flatbush, East Flatbush) today will lick off the 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) in his district.
The initiative, made possible through a partnership between Eugene and the Council of Jewish Organizations Flatbush, is an opportunity for local youth ages 14 -24 to gain valuable work site experience in the summer months. Throughout his tenure in city government, Eugene has been a tireless advocate to make sure SYEP get a top priority in city funding.
Eugene will meet with the leadership of COJO Flatbush along with program staff and participants to discuss the important role that summer jobs play in helping NYC students excel in school and reach their full potential.
"This program is so important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it provides our young people with valuable job training that will help them excel in school and shape them as individuals. I have first-hand experience with providing opportunities to young people through my work running a non-profit organization, so I understand how crucial these programs are to our students, and to the families who need to place their children in a safe and structured environment when they are out of school," said Eugene.
"Many of our parents are working multiple jobs while struggling to make ends meet. It is important that we help them by providing a program where their children can engage with other students and have a learning experience. That is the value of SYEP, and why it has been critical to our hardworking families during the summer months. We don't want our young people being led down a negative path when they are on summer break. SYEP is an important initiative for the City Council to fund, and one that I am proud to support," he added.
The kickoff is slated for 9 a.m., today, July 8 at Caton Park, 274 Consumer Square on the southeast corner of the Prospect Park Parade Grounds in Flatbush.
Myrie Approves of Public Finance Commission Appointments
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, Sunset Park), chair of the Senate Election Committee, last week put his stamp of approval on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the legislative leaders appointments to a nine-person commission that will make binding recommendations by Dec. 1 about how to implement publicly financed elections in New York.
The commission was a compromise that was part of the 2019 budget agreement. It has the power to implement public campaign financing for legislative and statewide offices – authorizing up to $100 million annually in public funds.
"This last legislative session showed what happens when we elect candidates powered by the grassroots. The Elections Committee's hearing on public financing hearing made it even clearer that New York is in dire need of strong campaign finance reforms that reduce the influence of special interests and magnifies the voices of everyday New Yorkers," said Myrie.
"This is why it is critical that we have a public financing commission that has the skills and expertise to do the job. With Ms. Getachew's experience on good government reforms, Mr. Nonna's experience serving in local government, and Mr. Berger's extensive election law expertise, I am confident that the Majority Leader's appointees will equip the commission to succeed," he added.
Gournardes Joins U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Brief In Support of LGBTQ
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes
State Sen. Andrew Gournardes (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park) last week joined with the de Blasio Administration in announcing the city along with Los Angeles and a coalition of 66 local governments across the nation in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of three LGBTQ employees in their legal fight to remain covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in the workplace.
Amici supports plaintiffs in the following cases:
R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. EEOC & Aimee Stephens – Funeral home director fired after informing owner that she is transgender.
Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda – Skydiving instructor fired after disclosing that he was gay.
Bostock v. Clayton County – Child welfare services coordinator fired after employer learned he is gay.
The brief argues that government agencies, institutions and communities are strengthened by longstanding local laws prohibiting discrimination based on sex, and that these institutions and individuals would be harmed if the Court eliminates federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ workers.
"We are stronger when LGBTQIA New Yorkers have strong protections from workplace discrimination reinforced at the federal level. Every person, regardless of who they love or what gender they identify as, has the right to contribute to the economy, support themselves and reach their full potential. I urge the court: Don't take us backwards," said Gounardes.
Cornegy Holds Press Conference Ahead Of Scheduled TPT Hearing
City Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr
City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr (D-Bedford Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) on Wednesday, will host the joint oversight hearing on the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Third Party Transfer (TPT) program.
The TPT program has been subject to an ongoing Kings County Politics investigative series dealing with how the program has been taking properties of mainly black and brown property owners and giving them to favored non-profits.
Corengy, who chairs the Housing and Buildings Committee, and Council Member Ritchie Torres (D- Bronx), chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations and the Committee on Housing and Buildings, will direct the hearing.
Cornegy will host a press conference the day of the hearing at 12 noon, Wednesday, July 10 on the steps of City Hall. The public hearing will begin at 1 p.m. in City Hall, Lower Manhattan.
Kings County Politics
Founded in September 2014, Kings County Politics covers the elected officials and government that serve the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. Content is curated, aggregated and original reported.
Round One: NYS Legislature Rejects Redistricting Maps
Mayor Names Philip Banks III as Dep Mayor of Public Safety
Mayor, Governor and Congress members gather in Harlem for MLK forum
Mayor's school safety agent video revives conversation on police in schools
Mayor, local electeds react to Capitol attack anniversary
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UPSPart Time Associate
Cannabis Industry Power Players: Meet Eddie Brennan, President of Beak & Skiff
Cannabis Industry Power Players: Meet Patrick McCarthy, Managing Director at Mercury Public Affairs
State of the State: Queens Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson talks Food Apartheid
Cannabis Industry Power Players: Meet Senator Liz Krueger, Sponsor of the MRTA
State of the State: Lupe Medina, Governor Hohcul's campaign advisor
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Preservationists rally against city plans for dog run near Downtown Brooklyn abolitionist site
'Remove the perception of fear': Mayor Adams vows subways safe after horrific shoving at Times Square
Brooklyn Borough Prez Antonio Reynoso taps Richardson for Deputy BP
'No one will outwork me': Mayor Adams' first day includes eventful subway ride to work and first Cabinet meeting
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The Nassau County Correctional Center, located in the city of East Meadow, in Nassau County, New York is a medium to maximum-security facility.
Every year this facility has 20000 Bookings, with a daily average of 1000 Inmates and a staff of 250.
Correctional officers in Nassau County Correctional Center are armed with mace and trained to use physical force to protect themselves, visitors and inmates from violence.
All of the men and women being held in the Nassau County Correctional Center are either awaiting trial or have been sentenced in the Nassau County Court System and been sentenced to one year or less.
The Nassau County Correctional Center also houses inmates arrested by this county's municipal police departments.
This facility, known as "Nassau County Correctional Center" is also known as Nassau County Sheriff's Department, Nassau County Criminal Court, Nassau County Jail & Correctional Center , Nassau County Jail & Correctional Center , New York, Nassau.


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Q: Port Triggering (Forwarding) Enabled by Default on ISP Router I was going through the settings on my grandma's router, which was installed by the ISP some years ago, and noticed something called Port Triggering. After doing some research, found that it's basically the same as port forwarding; the only difference is that the forwarding is not always active - only when triggered by specific packets (not sure about this, though).
Anyway, what made me curious was the fact that there were two port triggering rules, one regarding L2TP and another TFPT, as shown here.
Another relative of mine has the same router, so I checked it. The same rules show up, so it's most likely a default configuration.
Why are these rules configured by default? And what do they actually do? Can I remove them?
The router doesn't support UPnP and I'm almost sure no machine on the network is using L2TP nor TFTP.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Tensfield is a distinctive bluesband from Leuven. With the refreshing and energetic music on their debut Freeze The Clock, the band writes a new page in the history of the blues.
Freeze The Clock dwells on our society and on the pressure we all experience, one way or another. It is an album that talks about time, confusion and how we experience the events around us. The lyrics focus on universal themes, there is always a part someone can relate to.
Singer and guitarist Raffe Claes writes most of the songs, but Koen Geudens (keys) and Geert Zonderman (bass) have also contributed to this album. The writing process usually begins with one of them initiating a song, after which they finish it together. This process is very important to all four of them.
Tensfield starts with blues and then gives a new dimension to the classic chord schemes. That is how they create a new sound without denying their love for the blues. But there is more than the blues: the band shares years of experience in jazz, rock and funk. All these different styles filter through their music and give it an extra dimension.
Tensfield is a band with a story, loads of energy and spontaneity. The album brings honest music with soul, and shows the band members exactly as they are.
Enjoy! And now and then: freeze the clock!
The album "Freeze The Clock" is available through the studio upon request, via iTunes and all other digital stores.


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Home>Investor Profile>NZ Super: contrarian Kiwis rewrite rules
NZ Super: contrarian Kiwis rewrite rules
Amanda WhiteApril 17, 2013 | 4.46pm
No one who works at New Zealand Super has a business card that has an asset class attached to it. This simple representation speaks volumes to the investment approach taken by the fund.
One could work for the strategy team or the investment analysis team, but the investment structure by which NZ Super invests, such as equities, is seen as a legal structure, an access point, not a predetermined allocation, desire or need. So having staff organised according to those lines makes little sense.
"Everyone is working on or for the same fund. It is very hard to implement and you have to be very disciplined," chief executive of the NZ$24 billion ($19 billion)NZ Super, Adrian Orr, explains.
"It has changed how we recruit, and the culture, everyone has to understand what each other does as much as the whole part and what they do as individuals. You have to be very open-minded and encouraging to understand where everyone's coming from."
The reference portfolio and reality
In a similar way to how the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board approaches investments, NZ Super has a reference portfolio, which is the low-cost growth-oriented portfolio that could achieve the fund's objectives.
"The reference fund is deliberately chosen as passive, the listed cheapest access point to the risk we want to achieve our goals. It's not a strategic asset allocation in that sense. The actual portfolio can be and is very different to that – but at our own peril," Orr says. "We are judged on the total return and value add."
In this context active investment is viewed as anywhere the asset allocation differs from the reference portfolio, for example, even adding private equity to strategic asset allocation is an active decision.
It also provides a clear benchmark to assess the value added as an active manager, something NZ Super does through dynamic asset allocation, investment strategies (such as timber, private equity and infrastructure) and treasury management (such as foreign exchange and liquidity management).
The asset allocation of the reference portfolio is really simple: 70 per cent in global equities; 20 per cent fixed interest; 5 per cent global listed property; and 5 per cent New Zealand equities.
In reality the portfolio looks quite different to that and at the end of January 2013 it had 61 per cent in global equities, 9 per cent in fixed income, 8 per cent in infrastructure, 6 per cent in timber, 6 per cent in property, 5 per cent in New Zealand equities, 2 per cent in other private markets, 2 per cent in private equity and 1 per cent in rural farmland.
The access point, or asset structure, is the last thing to be considered.
Orr says there are three lenses to look through the portfolio: asset class, risk factors such as market, credit, liquidity, duration, price/asset, and an economic lens such as exposure to growth or inflation. NZ Super continuously cross-checks all of these, taking the attention off the asset class lens, which Orr says is useful but is just the legal form within which those investments are bundled.
Playing to advantage
NZ Super doesn't change the strategic asset allocation every couple of years, because it doesn't have one.
"How we choose to actively invest through dynamic asset allocation or active strategies is done through a stable consistent framework: we look at what are our advantages and play to them," he says. "We primarily invest in price/valuation gaps where we are confident that gap truly exists. We are more contrarian in our investing than trend or momentum driven. We were long equities in March 2009 when the natural position was the foetal position."
In recent years there has been quite a lot of active risk in the dynamic asset allocation.
The fund strategically tilts underweight or overweight across major asset classes, equities, fixed income, property, credit and has been heavily tilted towards growth since March 2009. It has been long equities and short fixed income plus increasingly long the US dollar, where it has been tradition to be 100-per-cent hedged to the New Zealand dollar.
"This was done on the best estimates of valuation gaps," he says.
Rankings, relationships and risk management
The process is in constant evolution. The fund recently introduced a new ranking system so that every investment opportunity can now be ranked on consistent financial attractiveness and confidence factors. This has resulted in the fund managing more internally, a reorganisation of the investment teams and an impact on costs – which, net of performance-fees expenses, remain flat at 0.45 per cent of funds under management – and it has changed the dynamic of its external relationships to include more flexibility.
About 45 per cent of the fund's exposures are through derivatives, and the treasury, asset tilting, investment analysis and asset allocation are all done in house. It has also recently established a New Zealand active-listed-equities desk, and the internal team also conducts external manager-search activities.
The $22-billion fund has about 30 external mandates, which include private equity and multi-strategy hedge funds.
"We are pushing very hard on external relationships," he says. "We are narrowing those down, we have to understand the opportunity set they're looking at. We don't believe in skill alone but have to understand the opportunity set and then decide whether to manage that inhouse or externally."
The internal team has grown from 17 to 90 in six years, decreasing the fund's cost base and increasing the range of internal activities. But Orr says it doesn't have aspirations around the team size.
"We do want to look at the scalebale bits and how to make the ships go faster," he says.
Next for the fund is an increased focus on risk management and the development and integration of investment themes, which it has identified as emerging markets, resource sustainability and evolving demand patterns.
One of the first actions is to look at how responsible investment can be embedded within investments rather than being learned outside the investment decision-making process.
"We want to look at ESG up front as part of the investment decisions and the expected return in terms of sustainablility."
NZ Super has exceeded both its predetermined measures of performance since inception, outperforming the New Zealand treasury bill by 3.28 per cent and the reference portfolio by 0.74 per cent.
Adrian Orr, Asset Allocation, benchmark, Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, chief executive of NZ Super, FISNZSF, investment analysis team, low-cost growth-oriented portfolio, New Zealand Super, reference fund, strategy team, total return, value add