text:
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, "A Year With 13 Moons"
Buzz Bin
A master of romantic abstraction, Jefre Cantu–Ledesma is not new to the scene. In fact, he's been releasing a steady stream of music for nearly twenty years. With the brilliant album A Year With 13 Moons, however, the ever–prolific Ledesma appears to be hitting a new high. Or low, depending on how you like to see things. More on that later. First, some background.
Born & raised in Texas, Ledesma's formative artistic years were spent studying painting & sculpture in San Francisco. He began playing & releasing music in 1996 and has developed a steady relationship as a collaborator – he's released notable collaborations with Liz Harris (aka Grouper) as Raum, with Alexis Georgopoulos in his Arp project and with their ensemble The Alps, as well as filmmaker Paul Clipson. Ledesma also founded the influential label, Root Strata, who have released music by Oneohtrix Point Never, Keith Fullerton Whitman, and Grouper, and continue to release new and archival works.
A Year With 13 Moons, a nod to a Rainer Werner Fassbinder film, was recorded at the Headlands Center for the Arts, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco – where he and Clipson were artist in residence. It was a time of major transition. As he describes it, "the time at the Headlands was a real gift – of space, time and being cared for. This allowed me to create music in a way I never had before, on a day–in, day–out basis for hours on end. I stopped caring about end results and fell in love with the process. I learned how to let the music create itself in a way, to lead me rather than trying to force it down a path. I would start each session with a simple rhythm, or sound or a guitar riff & see where that led – it was cathartic, freeing and ultimately really transformed my approach to music making. In the end I was left with literally hours & hours of recordings. A Year With 13 Moons was culled from these and formed while traveling the week after I left the residence."
Using a friend's reel-to-reel tape player, Cantu employed electric guitar, modular synthesizer, drum machine and concrète sounds from his surroundings at the Headlands, recorded while walking to the studio, cooking in the kitchen, talking with friends, the ocean, films he was watching, driving in a car. Everything was record stereo to tape. There is only one track with overdubs – otherwise each take is a true document of an entirely live take.
The result is gorgeous, haunting and sprawling. A companion to his last full-length LP, Love is A Stream, (Type, 2010), 13 Moons is a dense, swirling mass. A bookend to the end of a relationship. To say 13 Moons is comprised of "songs" might not be entirely accurate. They're closer to transmissions from a satellite of love. Opener "The last time I saw your face" sets the tone. A bittersweet goodbye letter that unites guitars and modular synthesizer to widescreen ends over the course of its 8 and half minutes. It works dramatically well as an opening statement, and also as a summary of what he's been doing in recent years. Second track, "In and Out of Love," on the other hand, seems to represents where Cantu might be going.
Cantu was interested in ways of "conveying memory in music without being sentimental – somehow translating the fog of images, people and places that (he'd) experienced in the last two years into a body of work that could still be ambiguous & leave space for the listener to enter." As such, 13 Moons succeeds. Incisive editing allows hypnotic guitar and drum performances to be interrupted by Modular synth squalls and otherworldly textures –– combining overdriven guitars, avant-garde composition (a la Xenakis) with the informal approach of underground tape weirdos (like Robert Turman, K. Leimer) into a lovely brocade of harmony and dissonance.
Tracks like "Shadows," "Early Autumn" and "The Isar" bring these avant-gardisms to the fore, conjuring early experiments in industrial sound. "A portrait of you at Nico's grave, Grunewald, Berlin (For B.K.)" might represent the album's loneliest moment, the air moving in hovering cloud formations. It would be perfect to soundtrack a Werner Herzog film. "Body of Moonlight" allows hope, a disappearing presence in the latter stages of 13 Moons, to resurface. It's a feeling Ledesma is very good at. That sense of something very intense at hand, and that fracturing sense of looking down at yourself. It's a feeling nearly impossible to describe. Then again, if words can't convey something, sometimes sound is better.
Simon Crab (ex-Bourbonese Qualk), "After America"
After America is the first solo album by Simon Crab - most well-known as the founder and front-man of the group Bourbonese Qualk (1979-2003). The album contains 20 new tracks recorded from 2010-2014 at various locations in the UK and featuring contributions from Geoff Leigh (Henry Cow, ExWiseHeads) and Dave Smith (Guapo).
"An audio tapestry, After America is a tonal epic poem of moods and texture that narrates an intense emotional journey. Instrumental melodies from horn, wind, drum kits, acoustic and electric guitar and even Gamelan percussive arrangements verge on orchestral as they relate tumultuous tales and respite in oasis' of calm. At moments, the instrumentals are pierced by Industrial-strength synths and machine drums; other moments are cocooned in shimmering electronics that echo Basic Channel at their most sublime; and still others are haunted by misty ambientdrone. Instrumental bard, Simon Crab seamlessly blends otherwise disparate textures into a cohesive narrative while dragging the music (and listener) through a "hall of mirrors" that flirt with psychedelics. Rather than push his sounds through exaggerations, Crab accentuates and emphasizes using real-time audio synthesis, Supercollider, to instill a distinctly 'other' quality. What might have passed as improvised, minimal folk, or traditional/ethno/postjazz is actually a kind of 'cyborgmusic,' a surprisingly harmonious blend of natural and synthetic. After America heralds the end of a colonial Empire that flails in a Brave New World where ideas and change fire across the globe and the speed of thought. In the way that a masterfully woven tapestry depicts tales, so too does After America, taking you on an Odyssey with each listen.
Simon Crab has been a music maker since the late '70s, where he founded Bourbonese Qualk, as well as Sunseaster, an experimental/improvised/electroacoustic noise project. Crab also learned traditional African and Middle Eastern music and is a member of London's Gamelan orchestra."
-Ibrahim Khider, Toronto, 2014
More information can be found here and here.
Noveller, "Fantastic Planet"
Fantastic Planet is the soaring, evocative new album from Noveller, the solo instrumental venture of Austin-based composer and filmmaker Sarah Lipstate. The LP is a journey through eclectic sonic terrain, blending rich waves of synth with soaring cinematic guitar lines, guiding the listener through Noveller's most diverse and compelling release to date.
Originally self-defined as an electric guitar project, Lipstate began recording under the name Noveller (pronounced "know-veller") in 2005 whilst living and studying in Texas. She uprooted to Brooklyn and subsequently made waves on New York's live scene and internationally, sharing the stage with the likes of Six Organs of Admittance, St. Vincent, Xiu Xiu, the Jesus Lizard, U.S. Girls, Aidan Baker and Emeralds, whilst capturing the attention of NPR, The Village Voice, Time Out New York and The Wall Street Journal.
Noveller's prolific output has seen her release albums via No Fun Productions and her own imprint, Saffron Recordings, including the Desert Fires LP and the critically acclaimed Glacial Glow. She also released a split LP with unFact (David Wm. Sims of the Jesus Lizard) and has collaborated with several renowned musicians, including live improvised duo performances with Carla Bozulich (Evangelista, The Geraldine Fibbers), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), and JG Thirlwell (Foetus, Manorexia). She has previously performed as a member of Cold Cave, Parts & Labor, and One Umbrella.
Upon returning to Texas, Lipstate developed her signature cinematic soundscapes further, and it was here she completed her spectacular new release Fantastic Planet. It is an album largely steeped in place, both real and fantastical, and influenced by Lipstate's various interchanges and relocations, physical and emotional.
Noveller takes the elements of rhythm and synth textures introduced in her previous album No Dreams and expands them to a new level of prominence through her guitar work on Fantastic Planet. From the dark beat propelling "Pulse Point" to the distorted synth on post-punk track "Rubicon," Lipstate pushes her sound in new directions that complement and elevate her intoxicating filmic soundscapes.
"Some artists traverse boundaries. Sarah Lipstate's work seems to come from a world where they never existed. Her color-rich visual art has a mournful literary quality to it; her short films trigger collisions of emotional crosscurrents; and her instrumental music, which she makes under the name Noveller (emphasis on the middle syllable), seems to call to attention all senses at once, to the point where even the word music seems somehow limiting." - Time Out NY
"...simultaneously soothing and mind-wrecking noise, along with a compositional depth that most loud-for-the-hell-of-it guitar droners never reach." - NY Press
"...hypnotic, rich-textured electric guitar works." - New York Times
"Sarah Lipstate creates miniature musical worlds, places that you feel like you'll never leave long as the record is playing." - Pitchfork
James Blackshaw, "Summoning Suns"
Summoning Suns is James Blackshaw's tenth studio album and the first recording to feature his voice and lyrics. Drawing inspiration from '60s and '70s singer-songwriters, baroque/orchestral pop and folk music, while still sounding contemporary, Summoning Suns is Blackshaw's foray into more traditional forms of songcraft.
Blackshaw sings in a gentle but assured voice while his words combine his personal experiences, neuroses and fantasy through many layers of abstraction, poeticism and dark humour.
While the deft fingerpicking acoustic guitar style of Blackshaw's previous recordings is still a prominent part of the sound, the songs are lushly and intricately arranged for drums, bass, piano, violin, flute and pedal steel guitar and features contributions from Simon Scott (Slowdive), Annie Nilsson and Japanese musicians Mori Wa Ikiteiru and Kaoru Noda (with whom he duets in Japanese on one song).
Summoning Suns will be released in the US on Important Records on February 17th. More information can currently be found here.
Sean McCann, "Ten Impressions for Piano and Strings"
Realized over a four-year period, Sean McCann's Ten Impressions for Piano & Strings is a document of transition and maturation. Slow-moving cloud forms over corporeal landscapes, these impressions whisper of McCann's imminent & decisive lean towards classical & avant-garde musics, culminating in 2013's Music for Private Ensemble on his own imprint, Recital. Less a final statement on ambient music, more a meditation on change, discovery and process.
Jan St. Werner, "Miscontinuum Album"
Miscontinuum Album documents an impressive new work by seminal electronic musician Jan St. Werner, whose innovations with Mouse on Mars and Microstoria are well-documented. Over a period of approximately four years, Miscontinuum has been developed and refined as an operatic live performance in Munich, as well as a radio play. This recorded incarnation of the work is the third entry in Werner's lauded Fiepblatter series, and features contributions by Dylan Carlson (Earth), Markus Popp (Oval), Kathy Alberici, and Taigen Kawabe (Bo Ningen). It is a challenging listen not compromised for casual music consumption habits, but with time and close listening, it yields vast rewards. Miscontinuum Album is a radical convergence of sound exploration and storytelling that has few precedents.
The central concept of Miscontinuum explores misconceptions of time and memory, inspired by unique acoustic phenomena derived digital phasing and musical time-stretching techniques. There is an aura of doom that pervades the work. Much of the album's evocative nature comes from the interplay of Werner's electronics with Alberici and Kawabe's voices and the contrast between those organic and inorganic elements. Popp, a longtime collaborator with Werner in Microstoria, wrote the libretti, which is presented in five distinct scenes and recited redolently by Carlson. The surreal plot involves a progressive distinction of time as a force rather than a structuring system, and an individual who can shift consciously between states within that force. The high concepts and unusual creative partners combine for an album that is uncommonly emotionally resonant.
Miscontinuum was first performed as a part of Werner's Asymmetric Studio series in Munich on June 18th, 2013, and also featured video by Werner and Karl Kliem and stage design by Christina del Yelmo & Sonia Gomez Villar. It was broadcast by Bayerischer Rundfunk public radio ten days later. The striking visual elements, flowing dresses and impressionistic masses of color, make appearances on the album's art, and will be presented in new forms in the coming months. The first revised version of the Miscontinuum, featuring live video by Zoya Bassi, will premiere at the St Luke's Church in London on Feb 8th 2015 and is the first in a series of more shows to come in 2015.
Sarah Davachi, "Barons Court"
Barons Court is the debut full-length album by Canadian electroacoustic composer Sarah Davachi, following short-run releases on Important Records' Cassauna imprint and Full Spectrum.
Trained at Mills College, Davachi's work marries an academic approach to synthesis and live instrumentation with a preternatural attunement to timbre, pacing, and atmosphere. While the record employs a number of vintage and legendary synthesizers, including Buchla's 200 and Music Easel, an EMS Synthi, and Sequential Circuit's Prophet 5, Davachi's approach to her craft here is much more in line with the longform textural minimalism of Eliane Radigue than it is with the hyper-dense modular pyrotechnics of the majority of her synthesist contemporaries.
Three of the album's five compositions feature acoustic instrumentation (cello, flue, harmonium, oboe, and viola, played by Davachi and others) which is situated alongside a battery of keyboards and synths and emphasizes the composerly aspect of her work. "Heliotrope" slowly billows into being with a low, keeling drone that is gradually married to an assortment of sympathetic, aurally complex sounds to yield a rich fantasia of beat frequencies and overtones. Later, "Wood Green" opens almost inaudibly, with lovely eddies of subtly modulating synth clouds evolving effortlessly into something much larger, as comforting and familiar as it is expansive. In an era in which the synthesizer inarguably dominates the topography of experimental music, Davachi's work stands alone - distinctive, patient, and beautiful.
Bal Paré, "Early Recordings"
Medical Records presents a hand-picked selection of the early recordings of Germany's Bal Paré.
The band started as Jeanette & das Land Z in 1981 with a 7" on Konkurrenz Rec./ Phonogram which included two cover versions (a piece from a weird science fiction TV series soundtrack and a sixties Grand Prix Eurovision number one hit). The 7" became an underground hit.
The band then changed their name to Bal Paré and begin recording independently. The band name was based on the song "Es war beim Bal Pare" from the German chansonette Hildegard Knef, which was a musical influence beside bands like Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Yazoo, etc.
The first Bal Paré LP, Hamburg-Paris-Catania, was released in 1982 on Konkurrenz Records. Since they had a large fanbase in Sweden, the second release (Metamorphose) came out in Stockholm on the Krautrock label.
Shortly after, the band experienced a major line-up upheaval. There were many tracks produced during this time that ended up unreleased. Much of the material from this selection of tracks were culled from those unreleased sessions (which were later collected on the "Best of" CD-only release in 1996 on Tatra Records).
The original two LPs are long out-of-print and demand very high prices on the collectors market. This is the first time this collection has been reissued on vinyl.
The opening track "Rien" is a perfect display of what synth pop is modeled after: rich lead synth textures, male/female interplayed vocals, and electronic percussion. Though the entire record flows with ease and captivates the listener from beginning to end, other stand-out tracks include "Palais d'Amour," "Die Idioten," and "Meilleur Du Monde." This collection is absolutely crucial for fans of early new wave such as Deux, Moderne, Performance and other similar acts of the genre.
The tracks have been lovingly restored by Matthias Schuster.
Maurizio Bianchi, "Untitled 1980/Untitled 2013"
Active since 1979, Maurizio Bianchi is an Italian pioneer of noise and industrial music.
Untitled 1980 was originally released in 1980 on cassette in Japan. This release marks the first re-issue of this work and pairs it with a 2013 re-working of the original material into four entirely new compositions.
This work was created using only a single semi-modular, monophonic synthesizer or, as Maurizio says:
"Originally composed in October 1980 simply by using a synthesizer KORG MS20, but with so much imagination. Dedicated to technological sophistication."
Francisco Lopez, "Untitled #274"
Untitled #274 was composed by Francisco Lopez and and performed by Kasper T. Toeplitz at GRM Studios in Paris, France.
Francisco Lopez is internationally recognized as one of the major figures of the sound art and experimental music. For more than thirty years, he has developed an astonishing sonic universe, absolutely personal and iconoclastic, based on a profound listening of the world. Destroying boundaries between industrial sounds and wilderness sound environments, shifting with passion from the limits of perception to the most dreadful abyss of sonic power, proposing a blind, profound and transcendental listening, freed from the imperatives of knowledge and open to sensory and spiritual expansion.
Kasper T. Toeplitz has worked with academic research organizations, such as GMEM, GRM, IRCAM, and Radio-France, as well as with experimental musicians, such as Éliane Radigue, Zbigniew Karkowski, Dror Feiler, Tetsuo Furudate, Phill Niblock and Art Zoyd. Citing Giacinto Scelsi and Iannis Xenakis as influences, his early work was mostly written for traditional instruments.
Aaron Dilloway & Jason Lescalleet, "Popeth"
It is with great pride and pleasure that Glistening Examples announces the newest collaborative efforts of Aaron Dilloway and Jason Lescalleet.
Recorded at Tarker Mills in February 2014 then mixed and mastered at Glistening Labs, this 38 minute LP was carved deeply into 150 grams of virgin vinyl via Direct Metal Mastering at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.
More information can be found here. Also of note, Jason has started a subscription series for his ongoing This Is What I Do project.
Klara Lewis, "Msuic"
Following on from her highly acclaimed Ett LP on Editions Mego, Klara Lewis presents 4 new works which further her signature explorations of field recordings, electronics, rhythm, sound and atmosphere. Here Lewis exemplifies her uncanny ability to harness the world outside in order to reconstruct and re-present this as amorphous musical matter. These 4 new tracks exude a certain ambiguity where standard signposts such as rhythm, ambience, texture, light and dark remain as elusive as they are present. Whilst bypassing passive or photographic representation of the source material these works withhold a strong emotional quality resulting in a confident and at times brutal musical manifestation. As suggested by the title, Msuic resides in a zone at once familiar and slightly off-kilter, a world of Lewis' devising in which the listener is warmly encouraged to enter and explore. Msuic is another superb collection of music as fantastic matter.
Else Marie Pade, "Electronic Works 1958-1995"
Else Marie Pade's Electronic Works 1958-1995 is a heavy-duty three-LP set which was restored, mastered and cut at Dubplates in Berlin under the watchful ears of curator Jacob Kirkegaard. These monumental works are presented, for the first time, pressed on audiophile grade heavy duty vinyl where they belong. Audiophile grade 3LP is pressed in an edition of 500 copies.
"The sounds outside became concrete music, and in the evening I could imagine that the stars and the moon and the sky uttered sounds and those turned into electronic music." Else Marie Pade
Else Marie Pade (born 1924 in Aarhus, Denmark; currently living in Copenhagen) is a precious golden gem in the world of contemporary electro-acoustic music. She is a true pioneer of Musique Concrete and electronic music recorded on tape. She is Denmark's first lady of electronic music and her piece "Syc Cirkler" (Seven Circles) became Denmark's first electronic piece to be performed on the radio.
EMP's search for sound began in early childhood when she was isolated in her bed for long periods of time due to illness. There she would lie and listen to the sounds around her just as she did years later when she was imprisoned for spying on Nazi compounds in Arhus. Once released from prison she became a piano student at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen but chose to instead pursue the nuances of her inner sound world after hearing Pierre Schaeffer in 1952. She began studying with him not too soon thereafter. Her first electronic composition premiered in 1955.
Else Marie Pade & Jacob Kirkegaard, "Svaevninger"
Gorgeous electronic collaboration between Jacob Kirkegaard and Else Marie Pade. Urgent CD reissue of the sold out LP edition. This CD includes a beautiful 15 minute bonus track not included on the LP release.
Else Marie Pade (born December 2, 1924 in Aarhus) is a Danish composer who pioneered electronic and concrete music in Denmark beginning in 1954. Pade was active in the resistance movement during the Second World War, and was interned at the Frøslev prison camp from 1944 till the end of the war. An archival collection of Else Marie Pade's electronic work is now available on Important Records.
Danish artist Jacob Kirkegaard's works are focused on scientific and aesthetic aspects of sonic perception. He explores acoustic spaces and phenomena that usually remain imperceptible to the immediate ear. Kirkegaard's installations, compositions & photographs are created from within a variety of environments such as subterranean geyser vibrations, empty rooms in Chernobyl, a rotating TV tower, and even sounds from the human inner ear itself.
Based in Berlin, Germany, Kirkegaard is a graduate of the Academy for Media Arts in Cologne. Since 1995, Kirkegaard has presented his works at galleries, museums, venues & conferences throughout the world. His sound works are primarily released by the British record label Touch and he is a member of the sound art collective freq_out.
"For all the scientific rigour to Kirkegaard's research into the sonic possibilities of various materials, his work reveals an underlying fascination for the mysteries and myths embedded in them. His work channels an access to an inner world." Anne Hilde Neset, The Wire, 07/09
Despite an age difference of 51 years, Else Marie Pade and Jacob Kirkegaard speak a similar musical language and are prominent listeners and communicators of sounds that we tend to overhear. For the first time these two pioneers are collaborating on a new work: SVÆVNINGER investigates the variations that one can hear when sound waves collide. Both artists have previously worked on this phenomenon; Jacob Kirkegaard in his work Labyrinthitis (2007) and Else Marie Pade in her work "Faust Suite" (1962). For their new joint piece SVÆVINGER, they remixed some of Pade's early (and hitherto unreleased) sound experiments with some of Kirkegaard's recordings from his own ear, thus leading the audience straight into the undiscovered labyrinths of their own hearing.
Janek Schaefer, "Unfolding Luxury Beyond the City of Dreams"
White Lights of Divine Darkness (for Sir John Tavener) 7:34
"By chance I composed this for my brother-in-law the day he passed away. In recent years he had seen the white lights of heavens gate, but returned, and became fascinated by what he called God's divine darkness in this lifetime."
Unfolding Honey 6:06
"A track from my exhibition soundtrack 'Future Beauty, 30 years of Japanese fashion' held at The Barbican Gallery, London. The exhibition featured some amazing folded garments by Issey Miyake, that inspired the unfurling fabric feeling of the composition."
Luxury 3:00
"An orchestral drone piece featuring an old French lady singing to her cats with an extra celestial chorus."
Skyline Ascending 3:28
"A Carpenters LP piano loop is layered again and again over a high sky recording, which was recorded using a helium balloon floating in the clouds over the city, with raindrops."
Coda (for Sir John Dankworth) 5:00
"In my early teens, I used to attend week long music camps, in tents, within the grounds of Sir John Dankworth's home with Cleo Laine. I used to know them, and composed this piece with one of their vinyls on the day I heard he died. The installation premiered at the Sydney Cooper Gallery in Canterbury, broadcasting a 3-channel version to six '50s radios."
The City of Dreams 8:28
"Theme tune for the opening of 'The Mill: City of Dreams' a site-specific theatre production in a deserted mill in Bradford. Piano motif recorded live with my twin-arm turntable, additional overlays recorded with Mark Robinson on his old family piano."
Beyond 6:30
"The Carpenters return, sliding piano loops through recordings made in Grand Central Station at closing time when the vast hall was deserted, and the full majesty of the acoustic space could be appreciated. Stilettos pass by forming polyrhythms, as the last train announces its departure..."
Janek Schaefer, "Inner Space Memorial in Wonderland"
Inner Space Memorial [for J.G.Ballard] 20:57
"Over the years, I have produced a number of works in praise of the ideas of J.G Ballard. He lived just over the river from my home. While reading his autobiography in 2009, I was wandering how to go and say hello, but found out I was too late. I produced a monument in honour of him called the 'Inner Space Memorial,' part of my Retrospective at the Bluecoat in Liverpool. A pair of speaker cones were turned around to play back into the void of their cabinets. An epitaph for a great mind."
Wonderland 20:00
"'Wonderland' is the finale of my exhibition soundtrack to "Asleep at the wheel...". A work that questions where our culture is heading further down the highway ahead. A single majestic daydream that drives you forwards as reality undertakes you. Location recordings were made in the middle of the night on a footbridge over the M3, at the end of Ballard's street. I was fascinated to work out that while he was writing Crash and Concrete Island, the six lane motorway was being built right past the front of his home. Ideal music for when you need to stay awake on the road!"
Hamburg's Marc Richter has been busy since his last Type appearance (2009's genre-bending and critically acclaimed Alphabet 1968). Aside from helming the prolific Dekorder imprint, he's put out a number of musical curios, including 2012's excellent film soundtrack EARTH. Now Richter is back with Alphabet 1968's proper followup, a sprawling double album pieced together with crumbling samples, vocal snippets and an arsenal of noise generators and filters.
Richter's material has always been characterized by an air of surrealism, but it's never been more obvious than on the pulsing, chattering opener "Human Gidrah" or in the delirious fractured pop of "Hands." There are real songs in hidden somewhere, but disintegrated by Richter's sound manipulation techniques and dissolved into soupy extended drone marathons. The centerpiece is undoubtedly "Is Nowhere," which builds slowly over 20 minutes with rumbling organ sounds and buzzing filters, never budging your attention for a second.
Black To Comm is a deeper, more challenging record than its predecessor, but one which repays the patient listener. Richter's dusty, unique sound has never sounded more well-honed and pointed, and it's a patchwork of ideas and fragments that only improves over time.
Tarcar, "Mince Glace"
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."
A modern-day revenge tragedy in six parts. Symmetrical, finespun, almost courtly; but quick-tempered with it, and far from blood-shy.
A picture emerges: domestic disturbances, pissing on the compost heap, noise complaints from hateful neighbours. Sulking, pouting, goading – a hierarchy of needs. Cold leaves and Christmas. Body-clocks betrayed. Staying up late to collect bottles to smash in the carpark across the road. Marijuana and make-believe. Cracking this thin ice with deft stomping aplomb.
Due out December 15, 2014, in an edition of 300. Recommended if you carry a torch for AC Marias, Brenda Ray, General Strike, The Poems, Robert Storey or other such angels of shut-in dub dysfunction.
Andy Stott, "Faith in Strangers"
Faith In Strangers was written and produced between January 2013 and June 2014, and was edited and sequenced in late July this year. Making use of on an array of instruments, field recordings, found sounds and vocal treatments, it's a largely analogue variant of hi-tech production styles arcing from the dissonant to the sublime.
The first two tracks recorded during these early sessions bookend the release, the opener "Time Away'"featuring Euphonium played by Kim Holly Thorpe, and last track "Missing," a contribution by Stott's occasional vocal collaborator Alison Skidmore, who also appeared on 2012's Luxury Problems. Between these two points, Faith In Strangers heads off from the sparse and infected "Violence" to the broken, downcast pop of "On Oath" and the motorik, driving melancholy of "Science & Industry" – three vocal tracks built around that angular production style that imbues proceedings with both a pioneering spirit and a resonating sense of familiarity. Things take a sharp turn with "No Surrender"- a sparkling analogue jam making way for a tough, smudged rhythmic assault, while "How It Was" refracts sweaty Warehouse signatures and "Damage" finds the sweet spot between RZA's classic Ghost Dog and Terror Danjah at his most brutal. Faith in Strangers is next and offers perhaps the most beautiful and open track here: its vocal hook and chiming melody bound to the rest of the album via the almost inaudible hum of Stott's mixing desk. It provides a haze of warmth and nostalgia that ties the nine loose joints that make up the LP into the most memorable and oddly cohesive of Stott's career to date, built and rendered in the spirit of those rare albums that straddle innovation and tradition through darkness and light.
Loscil, "Sea Island"
Sea Island is a collection of new material composed and recorded over the past two years. While many of these compositions were performed live extensively prior to recording, others were constructed in the studio and are being heard for the first time here. Musically, the album represents a range of compositional approaches. Murky, densely textured depths of sound are explored with subtle pulses and pings woven within, contrasted with composed or improvised moments of acoustic instrumentation making a move into the foreground. Certain tracks on Sea Island such as album opener "Ahull" make rhythm their focus by exploring subtle polyrhythms and investigating colliding moments of repetition and variation.
Though staunchly electronic at its core, instruments such as vibraphone and piano make appearances, and layers of live musicality, improvisation and detail appear in the looped and layered beds of manipulated sound recordings. A varied cast of players appear in the loscil ensemble, some familiar collaborators from the past such as Jason Zumpano on rhodes and Josh Lindstrom on vibraphone, and others new to the mix such as Fieldhead's Elaine Reynolds who provides layered violin on "Catalina 1943," and Ashley Pitre contributing vocals on Bleeding Ink. Seattle pianist Kelly Wyse, who collaborated with loscil on his 2013 edition of piano-centric reworks Intervalo, performs on the tracks "Sea Island Murders" and "En Masse."
First Page Previous Page 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 Next Page Last Page
z'ev


text:
Upcoming D&D Game For PC Lets Players Take The DM Seat
By Kevin Parrish 13 February 2015
Developers n-Space and Digital Extremes officially announced Sword Coast Legends on Friday, a new Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game for Windows PC that is set in the Forgotten Realms universe. PC gamers can pre-purchase the game now by heading here, and it's slated to hit retail stores sometime in 2015.
The big selling point with Sword Coast Legends is that one player can serve as the Dungeon Master, just like the tabletop version. That means this player controls the environment and the path the adventurers take. However, that doesn't mean the game sticks to a 4x1 formula. Active DMs can steer the adventure so that it's not only more fun for the players, but more lucrative in both experience and loot.
Nathan Stewart, Brand Director for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast, said on Friday that the former director of Dragon Age: Origins is on the team, as well as individuals who previously worked on the Neverwinter Nights and the Baldur's Gate series of PC games. Sword Coast Legends will also support Modules, thus extending the game's shelf life for years to come.
"We are huge D&D fans and are thrilled to create a modernized storytelling experience in the iconic Forgotten Realms universe," said Dan Tudge, President, n-Space. "Developing a new way to experience such a beloved and culturally influential franchise is a dream come true for our team."
According to the product page, Sword Coast Legends is based on the Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons ruleset and provides six character classes and five playable races. N-Space says that the game is a "return to form," meaning players will enjoy an old-school RPG that includes party-based "tactical combat," the ability to pause time, and an immersive storyline that should satisfy even the diehard pen-and-paper D&D fans.
Customers who love the extra bling when it comes to purchasing a game have plenty to choose from, as the game will ship in five different bundles. The digital pre-order pack consists of just the game, which costs $34.99, whereas the Digital Deluxe Edition costs $59.99 and includes lots of goodies including the soundtrack; the Tome of Knowledge; and the Order of the Burning Dawn cloak, armor, weapons and more.
The biggest bundle, the Limited Edition Collectors Campaign, costs a meaty $349.99 and includes everything in the Digital Deluxe Campaign edition along with several trinkets including a statue of Belaphose (which will have a pose determined by the community), a cloth map of the Sword Coast, headstart access and more. The second largest bundle, the Digital Deluxe Campaign edition costing $149.99, includes five copies of the game along with the stash of goods offered in the vanilla Digital Deluxe bundle.
Sword Cost Legends will be an interesting title to watch over the next several months. Currently, n-Space has a wide variety of games in its portfolio including Bug Riders: The Race of Kings and Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas, both for Windows PC. The studio's most recent games include Suits and Swords for iOS and Android, Skylanders: Swap Force for the Nintendo 3DS and Skylanders: Giants for the Nintendo 3DS.
As for Digital Extremes, the studio is probably best known for its work on the Unreal franchise, Warframe and BioShock. Perhaps we'll see a bigger glimpse into Sword Cost Legends this June during E3 2015.
Follow Kevin Parrish @exfileme. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.
WRXSTIGuy 13 February 2015 21:14
For me, if this game is anywhere close to being good as Baldur's Gate, it is going to be a huge hit. Finally, back the old school!!
RedJaron 13 February 2015 21:36
Getting the original NWN guys was smart. That game had wonderful module tools and was the best adaptation of D&D to computer in a long time.
clonazepam 13 February 2015 21:38
Yeah Baldur's Gate was huge for me. Nothing since has been able to create what I felt back then. Neverwinter Nights came pretty close.
It's good to see there's a human DM. Gamers' sophistication levels are far surpassing what development teams are able to put out with tight budgets and short deadlines. I suspect this is why most games these days are met with a 'meh'.
That's why I liked NWN so much. It's hard to compare BG to NWN story-wise, but the third-party tools and custom adventure modules for multiplayer in NWN were fantastic. I remember Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption tried doing some multiplayer letting a player be the active DM. It was a good idea, but really buggy. I wonder how well the DM role works here. Tabletop is much slower paced so the DM can react easier. With the game handling all the dice rolls and combat order will this move faster than a DM can handle?
Spoogemonkey 13 February 2015 22:22
"Do I need a Steam account to play Sword Coast Legends?
Yes, a Steam account is required to download the game at launch."
Slyons89 13 February 2015 23:07
How would you prefer to receive the game, Spoogemonkey? Great name by the way, I am sure your opinion will be mature and well-informed. /s
How about a stand alone program, unencumbered by garbage? Or is that too much to ask?
Likewise with Origin. :-/
mortsmi7 14 February 2015 02:17
Only six character classes? Are you sure this is a D&D game? I'm guessing fighter, cleric, rogue, ranger, bard, sorc/wizard.
WINTERLORD 14 February 2015 04:38
this will be a kool game, and like most things the second version of this if this one goes off well will be even alswomer
cobra5000 14 February 2015 07:55
I like this DM idea! I am on-board!
Shuttle Launches an Ultra Small Ryzen-Based SFF Unit
Seagate FireCuda 120 SATA SSD Review: Fast, Expensive, and Enduring
The Ryzen-Powered Aya Neo Tablet Debuts In February
Pascal Rides Again, Nvidia Launches the GeForce GT 1010
Intel Rocket Lake Price, Benchmarks, Specs and Release Date, All We Know
Best Tech and PC Hardware Deals 2021: CPUs, SSDs and More

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ornamental grasses add texture to the landscape with muted plumage and simple foliage. Gardeners include these plants in the home landscape for their beauty as well as their low maintenance needs. Cutting back ornamental grass differs by the height of the plant. Low-lying clumps require the use of different tools and techniques than towering masses of pampas grass.
Schedule pruning for late spring before new shoots appear around the base of the ornamental grass. If you're a little late, don't worry. Just avoid clipping the tips of new shoots.
Wear protective clothing and gloves to limit cuts on your hands. Grass blades, especially dried ones, can be very sharp.
Tie a length of twine completely around the clump of grass close to the ground. Tie it off and gently slide the twine midway up the stalks.
Select long handled hedge shears as the first tool to prune the plant. Cut below the twine level to remove old growth, making sure not to snip off the tops of any new growth. Tidy up the length with hand-held pruning shears to create a uniform clump of grass.
Pull off the length of twine. Remove clippings from the garden bed and dispose of them in the compost pile or yard waste bags. Reach into the center of the grass clump and remove dead foliage to encourage new growth in the center.
Time the pruning session for late spring before major new growth appears.
Tie twine around the base of the plant, collecting as many stems and leaves as possible into this lower level of twine. Tie a second piece of twine halfway up the plant to make for easy transport of clippings.
Use hedge clippers to cut back less dense clumps of ornamental grass. Leave about 6 to 8 inches of old growth with each cut. Thick masses of dense grass blades require the use of electric hedge clippers or a chain saw to make an even cut through the ornamental grass. Wear protective gear when using this type of motorized equipment.
Remove all clippings and twine from the plant and garden bed. You should be able to easily lift the larger bunches of grass using the twine as a handle. Reach into the interior of the grass clump to strip out older foliage. Opening up the center of the plant promotes thick interior growth.


Tell us a little bit about yourself! What do you do, and what should we know about you as a creative?
Los Angeles is where I call home. Watercolors are my bread and butter and my illustrations are precise and controlled while also being soft. They have their own small magic. I'm a Christian but you won't find me drawing crosses, black-velveteen white-Jesus' or putting bible verses on everything; my religion informs my view of why I'm creating and motivates me to continue improving. Currently I'm pursuing children's book work (this is the dream) and other work (portraits, pop-ups, solo shows and print sales) to pay the bills. Most of my current work features people; I took quite a few life drawing classes in college and it turned out to be my favorite subject. It feels like I've spent the last 10 years trying to figure out what I really wanted to do in the art world and for the first time I am settled and focused. It's a really nice feeling.
I love your soft illustration style - can you talk a little bit about how you developed that? Were you always drawn to more muted colors?
Thank you! When I was 11 or 12 I decided I wanted to be an artist when I fell in love with Digimon and that style stuck with me for a long time. When I decided to change my style I focused on breaking my old art habits. Now I use shapes, colors and shades to define my shapes; I use lines more sparingly and I also developed a completely different artistic language for drawing people's features. As far as colors I used to be quite intimidated by using them so I started using only one or two colors in my paintings. I slowly became more assured in my choices. You can tell though that I'm still very conservative with my pallets but now it's because those are the colors that I love.
How did becoming a mom change your art?
Becoming a mom has completely changed my work! Style, themes, work habits, work space (I now work in a closet so I can keep all my x-acto knives and hazardous etc. away from her). When I found out we were having a kid I went through a difficult transition mentally. At first I was mourning the loss of my time and self but since becoming adjusted to the changes I've become a better artist. The loss of time has forced me to use what I have left more intentionally and I'm taking it more seriously. I also had some postpartum depression that left me feeling not as in touch with my emotions and for awhile I was worried that I didn't love my baby. It's not how you see it in movies and tv. But as I've become acquainted with this little human I know I love her even if my feelings are occasionally still missing. Most of the time I only want to draw her and I have sketchbooks mostly filled with drawings from our outings. I'm capturing her little gestures and thoughts. Somehow that helps me know that I love her. Otherwise I wouldn't be so obsessed.
What's the most challenging part about the work you do?
Recently there have been two most challenging parts, though they're kind of linked. One is not letting myself be influenced by all the art I see on social media and the second is walking my own path. I'm more content to be a follower, it feels safer to me and for a long time I've trusted what others said over my own instincts. This comes up in many different parts of my life but art is where I feel the tension most. It's also where I'm trying to push back the most. Small steps.
What's the most rewarding part about the work you do?
What makes art rewarding to me is pushing past the difficult parts and finding success in the completion of the project. Sometimes I even forget to post my art to social media because the majority of my happiness comes from me seeing the finished image and knowing I did it even though it was hard work. Occasionally I get caught up in creating just for likes and attention but the process is really what motivates me. Oh and money. Money also motivates me.
If you could identify a theme in your illustrations, what would it be? Do you gravitate towards that theme on purpose, or does it just come through naturally?
It's weird because I think I do have a list of general themes: motherhood, snuggles, acceptance, love. But I didn't set out to make those my themes (or really to be that rosy-eyed and cheesy). I am an impulsive person and planning is not my strong suit so this all comes from just making what I want. Conflict is something I avoid at all cost so you will see little of that. I am incredibly snuggly and a hard-core people pleaser (I'm working on it). Maybe my work is more tied to my own personality than I've previously realized.
If you could tell an aspiring creative something they should know about pursuing a creative life, what would it be?
If I try and think about what to say to an unknown person with an unknown personality about creativity I'll get lost in the unending amount of possibilities of what they may need to hear. So, instead I'll tell you what I would tell a younger me about the creative life: You have so much more time than you think you do. Use it. Don't worry about what other people are doing, don't try to find what's "right", find what you like and pursue it! If you really really want this you can have it but you'll need to sacrifice and sweat and fight for this. It's hard, but it's worth it. Also, young-Shelley you don't really want to do graphic design, just go do Illustration.
Where do you see yourself creatively a year from now? Best case scenario, what will you have accomplished by then?
Check Shelley out on Instagram and her website.


text:
#ifndef __USB_DEVICE_HID_H__
#define __USB_DEVICE_HID_H__

/*******************************************************************************
 * Definitions
 ******************************************************************************/

/*! @brief The class code of the HID class */
#define USB_DEVICE_CONFIG_HID_CLASS_CODE (0x03U)

/*! @brief Request code to get report of HID class. */
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_GET_REPORT (0x01U)
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_GET_REPORT_TYPE_INPUT (0x01U)
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_GET_REPORT_TYPE_OUPUT (0x02U)
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_GET_REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE (0x03U)
/*! @brief Request code to get idle of HID class. */
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_GET_IDLE (0x02U)
/*! @brief Request code to get protocol of HID class. */
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_GET_PROTOCOL (0x03U)
/*! @brief Request code to set report of HID class. */
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_SET_REPORT (0x09U)
/*! @brief Request code to set idle of HID class. */
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_SET_IDLE (0x0AU)
/*! @brief Request code to set protocol of HID class. */
#define USB_DEVICE_HID_REQUEST_SET_PROTOCOL (0x0BU)

/*******************************************************************************
 * API
 ******************************************************************************/

#endif /* __USB_DEVICE_HID_H__ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Cross Country: Huge areas with different layouts, perfect for competing in checkpoint races in the most evocative landscapes. Run through a waterfall with the aurora borealis as backdrop or try the right grip in the largest deserts in the world.
Wild Rush: The wildest locations where you can compete in lap races. Unique environments with natural obstacles that will force you to race your way through the slopes of a mountain, on paradise islands, and through masses of debris and quarry rocks.
Speed Cross: Races set in the most beautiful tracks in the world. Real-world tracks, from Europe to America, where you can show your skills in incredible jumps and chicanes.
So turn on the TV and enjoy the first episode!
Deliver2 © 2018. All rights reserved. Trademarks property of their respective owners.


Shanghai's water towns, often referred as "Venice of the East".
Enjoy Four Days tour to Suzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing Tour, explore the highlights of this cities.
In the Morning, pick up at the exit of the train station.
You will start the tour with the famous classical garden-The Master of Nets Garden. The Garden is the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens, yet it is the most impressive because of its use of space which creates the illusion of an area that is much greater than its actual size. The garden is divided into three sections: a residential section, the central main garden and an inner garden. The garden is especially fancied by overseas visitors and is praised as the most ornate and intact private gardens in Suzhou. Some tourists even offer a huge amount of money to buy it.
Afterwards, you will visit Hanshan temple (Cold Mountain Temple), is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Suzhou. Traditionally, Hanshan Temple is believed to have been founded during the Tianjian era (502–519) of the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, in the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. More than thousand years ago, a poet had described the midnight bell rings of Cold Mountain Temple. The temple is famous for its bell rings at night. The temple can be traced back to 6th century, and it was destroyed and repaired for times in history. A sitting statue of Buddha is in the main hall of the Hanshan Temple. On each side of the statue there are nine gold-plated Arhat statues, each with a different facial expression. If you come to visit them, you will definitely be touched by their life-like designs.
In the afternoon: After lunch, you will visit the Panmen Gate. Panmen Gate is part of the ancient city wall built in 514 BCE that surrounded and protected Suzhou. It is so famous for its complex of both land and water city gates that many times, people directly refer to it as the "Land and Water Gate". In order to attract more tourists, in recent years, the city of Suzhou has renovated the old wall and built many other attractions around the original gate in the Pan Gate Scenic Area.
The last spot is Suzhou Silk Factory. Suzhou is not only a garden city, but also a city with a long history of silk culture. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Suzhou is the silk cente. The No.1 Silk Factory was built in Suzhou in 1926. It is divided into three parts: the exhibition hall which shows the history of Suzhou silk and some ancient collections; the working spot, where you can see how the silk is made and the product exhibition hall, exhibiting the main products of this factory, the silk wadding quilts. The factory gains a good reputation in the silk industry for its complete technical process of silkworm raising, cocoon sorting, cocoon boiling, and silk reeling, rewinding and packing. Suzhou first silk mill provides magic silk production and fashion show the whole process, so as to prove the Chinese silk glorious history. At the same time, it also describes the history of the development of Chinese silk response which further profound Chinese culture. In this factory you can not only see how the silk is processed from worm to the final product, but also learn some histories of silk in China.
Afterwards, drive you back to your hotel.
In the morning, pick you up at your hotel lobby, drive you to Zhouzhuang Water Town. Full-day private sightseeing tour of Zhouzhuang water town, with round-trip transport included.
In the morning, pick up from your hotel lobby and take you to train station for your train to Nanjing. Upon arrival, our local guide will pick you up at the exit of the train station.
Firstly, you will visit the tour with Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum: Dr. Sun Yat-sen is considered to be the rather of the Republic of China and forerunner of the Chinese Revolution. The Mausoleum were built on the central axis, along which the mausoleum rises gradually and squarely: marble dolmen, the pavilion, sacrificial hall and coffin chamber will come into view one by one, and perfectly demonstrate traditional Chinese architectural styles.
After lunch, visit Linggu temple, which was built in 514 during the Southern Dynasty as a burial site of the famous monk, Baozhi. It was described as' the best Buddhist temple in the world', now surrounded by a large park.
The last stop is Confucius Temple: It was originally constructed in the year of 1034 in the Song Dynasty and was a place to worship and consecrate Confucius. The area around the temple consists of a series of tourist shops, snack bars, restaurants and tea cafes. They all appear to be in the architectural style of the Ming and Qing style. A variety of snacks encompassing eight of the most famous flavors are available for purchase at here.
After the tour ends, drive you back to train station and take you back to your hotel.
In the morning, pick up from your hotel lobby and take you to train station for the train to Wuxi and our local guide will meet your at the exit.
You will take a visit to Lingshan Grand Buddha, which is one of the largest standing Buddha statues and best Feng Shui colossus in the world. It is an 88-meter-high bronze statue of Sakyamuni in the open air, 17 meters higher than the Grand Buddha at Leshan, it forms up the pattern of "Five Buddha in Five Directions" together with Big Buddha to the south, the Grand Buddha at Leshan Mountain to the West.
After lunch at local Chinese restaurant, then head to Three Kingdoms City, which is one of the CCTV Television Bases, and a renowned tourist attraction. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical TV series, was filmed here.
After that, you will visit Yuantouzhu park, which is praised as the 'wonder among wonders around the Taihu Lake' by a famous Chinese poet, Yuantouzhu is actually a peninsula occupying the northwest part of the lake. The place is named after its turtle-head-like appearance and known as a must-see spot within the area.
Drive you back to train station or your hotel and your four days tour come to the ends. Have a pleasant trip!
The following Water Town Tours may also interest you!
Tour Style:A private Tour for you to explore the famous water towns in Shanghai, Luzhi with our tour guide to feel the picturesque of the town.
Tour Style:Explore the picturesque water town of Wuzhen on a full-day guided tour from Shanghai. For original atmosphere, buildings and culture.
Tour Style:Nanxun Water Town is a unique charm and less crowds water town nearby Shanghai. Mixture of Chinese antiquity and western architecture.
Tour Style:Explore one of six famous water towns in china, Xitang, to experience the old life style of China.
Tour Style:Enjoy two Days Suzhou Extension tour to Tongli and Hangzhou, explore the highlights of those cities.


Good price! "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set" exellent design By Red Barrel Studio. "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set" very well made, sleek and simple. Complete your living room furniture with a modern "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set". Its charming sturdy, attractivce and it looks expensive and a good value for the money. "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set" is one of the most homey, cozy, beautiful look and exotic "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set" especially for the price and made of awesome products. Great quality, easy to assemble, delivery on time and in best condition. "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set" is good merchandise at fair prices and wonderful free shipping. Guarantee damaged claim by offering to send parts or to keep the item at a discounted price. Great buy would definitely recommend. Shop with our low-price guarantee and find great deals on ##ptitle# and more!. Reading the reviews helped you purchase.
There are not that lots of people that also have a club set up in your own home. For some, it could seem like some thing out of place or otherwise appropriate for a living space but if done correctly it can genuinely include individually towards the inside of the condo or house. One thing that should be around the grocery list is some a variable club feces. They will prove their really worth when having a person over or hosting a little celebration. Barstool merely provides a special contact that changes the room. Getting flexible bar stools does generate some benefits. The very first major plus is they consider hardly any floor space. They are created to be compact but comfy enough. Speaking of comfort and ease, barstools are not too shabby. Even if they're little, they still supply good assistance. A number of them even have a bit of back assistance and a soft padded surface area. For adjustments, many of them have a adjustable height. The most important element which makes a club stool so easy to acknowledge is always that they swiveling. A great feces is designed in a way that it is difficult to knock down and comfortable enough. The good thing is that there's no shortage with regards to design diversity. There are plenty of greatly adjustable bar stools to select from but we'd to pick just 10. Only 10 of them were considered buy worthy due to their quality, design and general power. Here's what we assembled for our listing of the recommendations for the top 10 greatest flexible bar stools in 2018.
The Lawson might be known as perfect American couch style. It is comfortable and simple: The boxy form is large and characteristically has 3 back again soft cushions as well as three chair soft cushions. The classic Lawson also has A higher back and container-shaped soft cushions which have welts in the sides, as do the back cushions. Ideal for cuddling and sleeping, this sofa style was created for Thomas Lawson, a united states copper mineral tycoon in the change of the century. He wanted a settee that was very different from the picky Victorian styles that were typical at that time. Current variations from the Lawson can also include wood or metal contained in the arms. Most significantly, this couch design is the one which will change its feel with the fabric you select for the upholstery. The form is really versatile that it can be glamorous, luxurious, industrial, informal or formal depending on your fabric option.
This set features a 1 left equip couch set, two armless couch models and something corner couch established. This gives enough space to support your family and friends. The material is 100% rayon for enough comfort and durability. The advantage of this couch set is the mixing and matching of chairs within the space within the room for a ideal shape. As well as allows for fitting even in little rooms. It takes just light putting together.Additionally, it features drive cushions for optimum comfort. You may want to try this established. It does the job well.
This luxurious group of urban-stylish couches is created to supply an embellished site. Actually, even your modest rooms may have you obliged to have an perfect film night. Lay him down to get a totally changed mattress. This auparavant-garde sleeper futon is obtainable in various tones. This includes some bright tones out of control such as Lemon, Mild Blue, and Light Crimson. Put them in your innovative studies or loft to assess the exuberance. It's also accessible in decreasing tones such as darkish, dark and darkish. These nuances, once more, printing a respectable part of the upper class. With the breaking element of the back, you are able to relaxation to your favorite position. This couch looks rich with tufted material texture furniture. Fortunately that it is personalized with hypoallergenic filling. A conclusive result supplies a comfy relaxation.
This set is padded inside a drive and comfortable distinctive padded velvet. This gives it the incredible comfort and ease that its cherished for. Once again it supports chaise style seating for sufficient comfort and ease. Furthermore, the nose spring base increases the durability and comfort. Additionally, the couch has hardwood structures that add to its sturdiness and sturdiness. The couch has soft cushions on both the seat and also the back. Yet still, the couch can move from a sitting placement to some reclined placement effortlessly. Having said that, just to replicate, the couch is very gentle and gives outstanding comfort.
This established features a 1 left equip couch established, two armless sofa sets and one part couch set. This provides sufficient space to accommodate your family and friends. The material is 100% polyester for sufficient durability and comfort. The good thing about this sofa established may be the matching and mixing of seats within the space in the room for any perfect shape. As well as allows for fitted even in little areas. It takes just mild assembling.Additionally, it features push soft cushions for optimum comfort and ease. You might want to try this established. It does the job well.
This ultra-elegant, high-sovereign couch is made to assistance cutting-advantage lounge innovation. It's created like a 2-item sectional couch coupled with an attractive lounger. Additionally, it offers mobile armrests and advantageous back support. The beautiful tapestry is completed with dark fake leather, firmly tufted. You are able to feel comfortable padding with froth inside the chair soft cushions. This guarantees a fragile sensation when you relaxation following a monotonous day. The sofa is reinforced with wooden advantage engrossed in darkish synthetic leather-based. False tufted leather-based and strong pinus radiata give extreme brightness. It is true that it takes a second appear since it is more expensive of computer really seems to be. Speaking of dimension, its huge! This is what provides much more stars to this set. The height can also be impressive for high and brief people.
Whilst the back of this couch hints at the Chesterfield, with its series of tufting, a tuxedo sofa has cleaner, more angular lines. It is stated to possess been the bellwether more contemporary styles within the 1920s. Although some say this couch style took its name from Tux Recreation area in Ny, it is also said to be named following the traditional fancy men's match. You are able to determine a tuxedo sofa by its arms that are identical height as the back. The tufting on the back of the couch and it is rectangular outline will also be classic qualities. Cushions add comfort and ease for this high-equipped design. Also, while the couch above from Upcountry is padded in leather, this well-liked design is often done in fabrics of all types, such as the very stylish purple velvet.
The best part that compensates for the time lost the glory from the buyers is its design without problems. Just for the feel of the upholstery, you get a nice and stylish environment. It's available in wealthy solid shading, emulating as incredible official attire. While keeping an honorable prominence, the fabric furniture could be washed very easily. You should not regret following turning over a glass of drink in your nice sofa. All you need is to wash the stain for ever and ever precisely if this hits the furniture. Despite the fact that good reputation comes with delicacy, it's not the problem right here. This amazing sofa is fed having a contour growth and development of wood. You're more unwilling to listen to squeaks and wobbling sounds.
John RTA Copenhagen Collection 61 Loveseat in Marzipan was created specifically for small rooms. Nonetheless, you can use it in any space: apartment, dorm etc. This established will give you ample support. It offers high grade fabric, high denseness foam pocketed coils, leading-collection rayon dietary fiber, and strong hardwood body. This adds to the comfort, durability, and sturdiness of the established. The set includes an ultra broad back shoulder straps. The set also includes extra comfy cushions all that makes it much more comfortable. Particularly, it's softly rounded hands and luxurious fabric to give it the exceptional appear that matches with any style. The established list small, therefore it's very easy to transport. It has a minor scent that ends with time. More to the point, the couch is very simple to put together. It offers the putting together resources and directions. You easily commit your penny hear. It acts the purpose.
Typically now used in houses having a great room or open up floor plan, they are usually big designs that chair lots of guests. In smaller sized areas, they can be useful for seating in an area that has an odd part or any other room restriction. The opportunity to combine corner units, end models and reclining areas based on room and person preference tends to make this sofa style extremely versatile. Sectional couches are also available in a wide variety of designs, from extremely modern or extremely luxe, to much more loved ones-friendly contemporary designs.
Copyright © "Ka 30"" Single Bathroom Vanity Set" By Red Barrel Studio in Bathroom Vanities2 All right reserved.


text:
Report: UFC 249 heading to Florida, exact location still unknown
When Florida governor Ron DeSantis recently declared that pro sports were essential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, it felt inevitable that the UFC would head to the Sunshine State at some point as they searched to find a home, any home, to stage an event.
On Tuesday, MMA Fighting reported that May 9th's UFC 249 will take place in Florida with the exact location still unknown. UFC has yet to publicly give the location or the official card for the show. Citing sources close to the situation who chose to remain anonymous, fighters will be flying into Jacksonville and then heading to wherever the event will be.
Florida has hosted one MMA empty arena show during the pandemic and their athletic commission told MMA Fighting they are prepared to do so again.
This will be the company's third attempt at staging the event, first scheduled for Brooklyn, NY, on April 18th, and then moved to Lemoore, CA's Tachi Palace. In the case of the latter, California governor Gavin Newsom reportedly intervened, contacting upper Disney/ESPN management as the show would have fallen outside federal guidelines as it sits on tribal land.
The pay-per-view is set to be headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje and a bantamweight title fight between Henry Cejudo and Dominic Cruz. Women's dual champion Amanda Nunes said on Monday that she will not participate in the show despite her name being initially added to the show.
The event was officially re-christened UFC 249 on Tuesday according to ESPN's Brett Okamoto.
headlinesufcufc 249coronavirusicymiFlorida


text:
Advertisement: Story continues below That was enough for US motoring website Jalopnik, which is now on a campaign to collect the names tally it needs to convince Ewanick to kick-start the ute program.
Former Holden managing director Mark Reuss, who now heads up GM's North American operations, told Drive recently that rising fuel prices and the weak US economy could open up space for the Commodore ute to find a place as low-cost tradesman's transport.
The groundwork has already been done, too. Holden has had one failed attempt to get the Commodore-based ute — the two-seat version has quite a lot in common with the four-door sedan it shares its name with, including the way it drives — into the US.
After building up hype, including a fan-based competition to name the US version of the ute as the Pontiac G8 ST, the program was cancelled in early 2009 as GM collapsed into bankruptcy and diverted it efforts to trying to keep the company alive rather than build new markets.
However, with GM since shelving the Pontiac name indefinitely, the new US version of a Holden ute would need to wear a Chevrolet badge — again spurring hope that the El Camino name could be resurrected.
GM has even shown a more rugged-looking version of the Commodore ute — badged the GMC Denali XT concept — in 2008, but the concept is yet to make it into production.
Jalopnik's call has only been out for a week so far, but already the website has collected more than 3000 names.
''Let's show GM [that] 'Merica wants the only car that's business up front with a party in the back,'' the website says.


Home » Feline Facts » Are Domestic Cats Like Tigers?
There is really very little differences between house cats and big cats, they both sleep, purr and eat red meat, etc. for starters. The big difference is that the BIG CATS will eat you.
Do Tigers And Big Cats Like Catnip?


If looks could kill, Sheridan Smith would have a few casualties on her hands after last night's Bafta Television Awards.
The Funny Girl star was said to be furious after Graham Norton joked about her recent troubled turn on the West End Show, which was cancelled 15 minutes in due to 'technical difficulties'.
Many of Sheridan's fans were shocked by the 'completely unnecessary' and 'harsh' comments, taking to Twitter to defend her.
Sheridan also looked less than impressed to see her show, The C Word, lose out in the Best Single Drama category to fellow BBC show Don't Take My Baby. A candid shot of the star showed her shooting a withering look at the stage shortly after the results were announced.
Sheridan was quick to turn it around though, with the next shot showing her celebrating her rival's victory in an exaggerated fashion.
Many Sheridan fans again rushed to her defence, claiming she should have won the prize.
Has the pressure got too much for Sheridan Smith?
Reports have surfaced over the weekend that acclaimed actress Sheridan Smith is struggling to cope with the pressure of performing in her sold out West-End show 'Funny Girl', in London.
Last week a performance was cancelled just 15 minutes in to the show after beginning 40 minutes late, and although theatre bosses blamed technical difficulties, the audience suspected it was due to Sheridan being unable to perform.
A theatre source confirmed that the actress, 34, was struggling to fulfil the role at the moment, revealing to the Daily Mail there was "a lot of fear and terrible upset. The cast have been told to keep their mouths shut and support Sheridan".
This isn't the first time that Sheridan's ability to perform has been called into question, as she had to pull out of a performance back in March, after receiving heartbreaking family news.
Sheridan couldn't take to the stage for the hotly anticipated performance, which disappointed fans, because she found out her dad Colin has been diagnosed with cancer.
The TV and stage star took to Twitter at the time to personally apologise to her fans for pulling out of the performance at the last minute, and to respond to a few people who had criticised her on social media for not showing up, before they were aware of the reason. "If u just found out ur dad had cancer u wouldn't be such a heartless human. Take care love (sic)" was one later deleted messaged from Sheridan to a disappointed and critical fan.
Sheridan Smith is incredibly close to both of her parents, and regularly takes to social media to express her love and admiration for the two people who inspired her singing and performing career. She even tweeted the below message about her beloved dad just weeks before the devastating diagnosis.
Despite the heartbreaking news, Sheridan only missed one show at the time, and the strong star bravely finished the run of performances that week. It may be that as her father continues to battle his illness, it is taking a toll on the usually resilient and strong star.
Our thoughts are with Sheridan and her family at this difficult time, and we wish her father Colin a speedy recovery.


text:
Mirage News World	April 29, 2019 7:25 pm AEST Date Time
Dow Wins Two Prestigious 2019 Ringier Plastics Technology Innovation Awards
–New PACACEL(TM) solvent-less adhesive and TUNABLE hand-wrap recognized for innovation and sustainability impacts
Dow (NYSE: Dow) has been awarded two innovation awards in the Plastics Raw Materials & Additives category at the 2019 Ringier Plastics Technology Innovation Awards. Dow's new solvent-less adhesive, PACACEL(TM) 968/C-108 and TUNABLE hand-wrap products were among several innovations recognized at the awards.
As part of Dow's 2025 Sustainability Goals, the company has pledged to help lead the transition to a sustainable planet and society with new innovative solutions that promise to minimize waste, increase product shelf-life and reduce material usage. Both of Dow's technologies recognized at the awards are designed to help meet these goals.
"We are serious about our commitment to sustainability. Through breakthrough innovations like PACACEL(TM) adhesive and TUNABLE hand-wraps which result in less wastage, damage and contamination in the packaging process while complying with high testing standards, we are honoured to be recognized for our efforts in sustainability," said Bambang Candra, commercial vice-president for Dow's Packaging and Specialty Plastics business in Asia Pacific.
PACACEL(TM) 968/C-108 — The new sustainable standard for flexible packaging
Conceptualized as a game-changing, eco-friendly solution, PACACEL(TM) enters the market at a time where climate change, and environmental consciousness governs business conversations and profit margins. As a solvent-less adhesive, PACACEL(TM) promises to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the environment. The solution offers applications in medium and high performance segments which are generally dominated by solvent based adhesives which in turn have higher VOCs. PACACEL(TM) brings unparalleled speed, versatility, savings and efficiency to the flexible packaging process.
"PACACEL(TM) 968/C-108 is an innovative solution specially developed for the flexible packaging market, providing improved operational efficiency and saving more than 30% of application costs compared with traditional solvent-based adhesives. With excellent chemical and heat resistant qualities, it can be used widely in various applications such as personal care products, seasoned food items, standing and heavy-duty packaging," said Hou Peimin, Deputy Secretary General, Shanghai Plastics Industry Association.
TUNABLE Hand-wrap — More strength and shelf life utilizing less material
Utilizing a unique combination of proprietary DOWLEX(TM) Polyethylene linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and LDPE Resins, Dow has produced a stretch cling hand-wrap film solution that has a "tunable" stiffness. The solution offers film extrusion at thin gauge (below 10 microns) on standard and fast cast stretch lines while delivering higher wrapping efficiency compared to conventional thick film.
"TUNABLE Hand-wrap is a game-changing innovation. The solution provides a technical advantage for the cargo packaging industry with its cost effectiveness and sustainable development," said Zheng Zheng, President of China Synthetic Resin Association.
The 2019 Ringier Plastics Technology Innovation Awards further validates the industry recognition received by Dow's Packaging & Specialty Plastics business over the years, adding on to recent accolades — the 2019 Edison Awards for Breakthrough Technologies and the 2018 R&D 100 Awards from R&D Magazine for ENGAGE(TM) PV Polyolefin Elastomers and Tenter Frame Biaxially Oriented Polyethylene (TF-BOPE) film.
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines one of the broadest technology sets in the industry with asset integration, focused innovation and global scale to achieve profitable growth and become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow's portfolio of performance materials, industrial intermediates and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for our customers in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 113 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,000 people. Dow delivered pro forma sales of approximately $50 billion in 2018. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries.
/Public Release.
Tags:Asia, breakthrough, business, Chemical, China, climate change, contamination, environment, industry, infrastructure, innovation, President, Secretary, sustainability, sustainable
Buy us a coffee Why?
The Government of Canada has taken steps to start supporting recovery efforts in Newfoundland and…
PM calls for UK to be the 'investment partner of choice' for African countries Summit…
Regional Air Connectivity Review aviation minister visits Liverpool John Lennon Airport to launch UK
Aviation Minister, Paul Maynard, launches UK tour of regional airports as part of the Regional…
The UK is strengthening its economic partnerships with African nations, as part of a Government…
World Trade Organisation reform, agricultural trade and a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom…
The Minister of Defence, Ron Mark, departed today for the United States and Canada where…
Building stronger communities across Manitoba with federal Gas Tax Fund
Modern public infrastructure is key to promoting economic growth and developing healthy sustainable communities. This…
PM meeting with President Putin 19 January 2020
The Prime Minister met President Putin in the margins of the Berlin Conference on Libya.…


text:
Flying Theatre coming to The Island in Pigeon Forge
La salle de projection.
The Island in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is adding a new flying theatre. The Island selected the flying theater
from industry-leader Dynamic Attractions, who has built some of the most popular rides in the world for theme park leaders including Disney and Universal Studios. The $20 million investment will combine a state-of-the-art ride system and a custom film featuring some of the nation's most beautiful natural wonders and iconic landmarks. Riders will experience the movements, sounds, scents, and mists of a breathtaking aerial adventure across the United States.
"We are very excited to bring another premier attraction to The Island in Pigeon Forge," said President Bob McManus. "This flying theater will truly be a one-of-a-kind, immersive entertainment experience. From The Island, guests will be transported to places that they otherwise may never have the opportunity to see, and experience the beauty of America in a unique and unforgettable way."
The Island in Pigeon Forge is a 23-acre eat, shop, play, and stay entertainment destination offering affordable fun for families, night and day, with free parking and free admission. The Island is a must-see tourist destination in the region, located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which draws over 11 million annual visitors.
The new flying theatre will be located adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, a 200-foot observation wheel, and The Island's multi-million dollar show fountain. The Island also provides the area's newest shopping options with over 250,000 square feet of retail space, unique dining experiences including Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, and on-site lodging at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Island Hotel and Margaritaville Island Inn.
The new flying theatre attraction is expected to open in early 2021.
Two Toes
Tekzone awarded MENALAC Award for interior design concept


text:
Artificial Intelligence with Robotics
University of Hertfordshire · School of Computer Science
A recent, good bachelors degree (e.g. honours degree from the UK) or equivalent in Computer Science or closely-related subject.
For admission to MSc Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, the normal requirement is a good Honours Degree (or equivalent) in computer science or cognate discipline. The choice of award title students may be accepted on to will be determined by the award applied for and the prior learning of the student as demonstrated by the transcript for existing qualifications held by the applicant.
Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate sufficient competence in English to benefit from the Programme. This is normally demonstrated by recognised awards equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0. Candidates who do not satisfy these requirements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
One of a range of advanced courses within our postgraduate Master's programme in Computer Science, this particular course provides you with a specialism in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Advanced topics studied include artificial life with robotics, neural computation and machine learning, theory and practice of artificial intelligence.
Taught by a highly-regarded and long-established computer science department.
Sixty percent of our research impact in Computer Science and Informatics at the University of Hertfordshire has been rated at world-leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
The school has a strong international reputation for research in this area and this expertise influences this course which explores current research and practice in artificial intelligence and robotics. This MSc can lead to a career such as a designer of intelligent systems or in research.
The former version of this programme was accredited by BCS under the award title MSc Artificial Intelligence with Robotics as below.
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the further learning academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
This new version of the programme has been carefully designed to achieve appropriate levels of accreditation, and the department is currently in touch with the BCS regarding continued accreditation.
If English is not the first language a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent will be required.
Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.
View profileUniversity of Hertfordshire
admissions@herts.ac.uk
Similar courses from University of Hertfordshire


The Salvation Army of Sedalia is hosting a youth night on Friday, Jan. 24, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. When I was a kid, I bet you'd say I was pretty boring. I hung out in my room (I had the attic room, totally mod), listened to the radio and read books. I didn't have a computer or a cell phone or anything like that, and as a consequence I guess I didn't get out much. I socialized and stuff, but mostly it was through school stuff with friends or in after school extracurriculars. I was pretty active with my church and our game nights and such, too.
Nowadays there are so many ways for kids to get in trouble! In my day you had to do something really wrong or crazy. These kids just have to type the wrong thing on their laptop and bam, Trouble City. So I think it's important for us adults out there to offer plenty of things for the kids to do that won't necessarily end up in Trouble City.
There is an option out there for them this weekend where they can chill amongst themselves (parents are totally lame, right) and it won't cost anything. The Salvation Army of Sedalia is hosting a youth night on Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.Youth aged 10 years and older are invited to a night of games and pizza. There is no admission charge for youth attendees. Call 660-826-1525 for more information.


Any questions or concerns should be brought to our attention by submitting a ticket at www.monetizedmarketingsupport.com, and providing us with information relating to your concern.
You agree not to copy content from our website without our permission. Any requests to use our content should be submitted to us by submitting a ticket at www.monetizedmarketingsupport.com.
If you believe that your intellectual property rights have been infringed upon by our website content, please notify us by contacting us at www.monetizedmarketingsupport.com. Please describe in detail the alleged infringement, including the factual and legal basis for your claim of ownership.
obligated to do so, we reserve the right to monitor, investigate, and remove obscene or offensive material posted to our website.
10. COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION..
You agree that the laws of Florida govern these terms and conditions of use without regard to conflicts of law's provisions.
Any questions or concerns about these terms and conditions of use should be brought to our attention by contacting us at www.monetizedmarketingsupport.com, and providing us with information relating to your concern.
Copyright © 2011 Law Office of Michael E. Young LLC, and licensed for use by the owner of this website. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this document may be copied or used by anyone other than the licensee without the express written permission of the copyright owner.


MagVenture TMS Therapy is an easy to use TMS system especially designed for use in practices. All you need besides the TMS equipment is a treatment room and personnel. Once you and/or your staff have been trained by our dedicated team, you are ready to offer the treatment to your MDD patients. Training typically takes one day.
The full treatment protocol consists of repeated cycles of TMS followed by rest periods.
5 treatment sessions per week during a period of normally 4-6 weeks.
I like MagVenture because it's a really easy to use system [...] It has functioned really well the entire time I've had it. It's a cool thing. It's been really good for our practice.


The Maldives incurred huge debts under the regime of former president Abdulla Yameen, which has created difficulties for President Ibrahim Solih, stated European think tank European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) in a recently published report.
According to a report published by EFSAS, a week after Ibrahim Solih took charge of the nation as the President, it came to light that country's finances are in the worst shape and the amount owed to China is still being assessed.
Nasheed, who is now President Solih's advisor had also highlighted the pitfalls of China's influence over the Maldivian economy. He had opined that this would only assist in building China's strategic muscle. "Foreign powers, among them China, are engaged in a 'land grab' of Maldivian islands, key infrastructure, and even essential utilities. Shrouded in secrecy, all manner of projects have been awarded to foreign State-run companies".
Claiming that China has already seized some 16-17 islands in the Maldives through an "opaque leasing process", he opined, "it always starts with a real estate project, but it can be turned into something else". His grim conclusion was, "As I watch my country in exile, I fear that piece by piece, island by island, the Maldives is being sold off to China".
China, however, rejected the figure and stated that amount was about USD 1.5 billion USD. "…it was an invoice. It just had a figure, $3.2 billion. It was shocking. It wasn't just a conversation, it was a written note handed over, it was clear, you owe us this much". He further said, "…direct debt or direct bilateral government-to-government debt is one thing, but there is on top of that sovereign guarantees for the private sector. And there is also on top of that our State-owned enterprises that have gone into debt," said Nasheed.
It was further revealed by Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid that the Abdulla Yameen government had given sovereign guarantees not just to state enterprises but also to individuals. He also revealed that the huge debt had not translated into projects. "The Yameen government is also suspected to have pocketed a part of the grants and earned commission on soft loan", the report published by EFSAS stated.
"We are trying to unravel this. It looks like lots of IOUs were issued, pieces of report. We are trying to find out, how many and to whom", he said.
"We cannot go into default. We will face a default situation if we agree the debt to be what the sovereign guarantees are saying," another member of the team that is reviewing the liabilities of State-run enterprises claimed.
"The FTA, as per which humongous China and the tiny Maldives agreed not to impose tariffs on imports from each other, was pushed through without even providing the opposition time to read its contents and has resulted in completely skewing the balance of trade against the Maldives," the report published in EFSAS stated.
Stating that China is not buying anything from the South Asian island nation, Nasheed said, "The trade imbalance between China and the Maldives is so huge that nobody would think of an FTA between such parties. China is not buying anything from us. It is a one-way treaty".
The 2015 law, meanwhile, has enabled a Chinese company to lease the uninhabited Feydhoo Finolhu Island, which is close to Male and its international airport, for a period of 50 years for a paltry 4 million USD. China has also been developing Gadhoo Island, 437 km from Male, since 2016. This island is seen by analysts as a potential future supply-berthing-maintenance base, similar to what China has in Seychelles. China is also helping build a Joint Ocean Observation Station on the Maldives' northern-most atoll of Makunudhoo, which is close to the sea lane connecting to the Suez Canal.
Pakistan is also one of the threats in the Maldives given that since the early 2000s, the youth from the Maldives have been going to Pakistan for training under the Lashkar-e-Taibah (LeT), a proxy of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to the research report, Maldivians have also participated in major terrorist attacks in Pakistan and were caught trying to enter Afghanistan from Pakistan's restive Waziristan region. At least two Maldivians are known to have died fighting in Jammu and Kashmir in early 2007, and Maldives national, Ali Assham, was alleged to have been involved in the LeT-linked attack on the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru in 2008.
Nasheed in November 2009 also pointed to "a Maldivian connection" in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
"Indoctrinated by fundamentalist Maldivian clerics returning from Madrassas in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan who have brought back a puritanical version of Wahhabi Islam and Salafism, members of these groups capitalised on the protection they received from the Yameen regime and were allegedly used by the regime against its opponents," the report stated.
Solih's victory has provided the international community with an opportunity to play its part in strengthening the roots of democracy in the country, arresting the growth of extremism, and countering China's efforts at squeezing territory out of the clutches of the South Asian country as well as thwarting any aspiration it may have of setting up military installations on the islands.
Solih's government, ever since it came into power, has also promptly asserted the Maldives' 'India first' policy. Both Solih and Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid chose India as their first international destinations. Shahid during his visit stated that the Maldives owes close to 70 per cent of its external debt to China.
The regional dynamics would counsel Solih to keep Pakistan, which is near-bankrupt and has little of substance to offer to the islands, at an arm's length. "Pakistan's highly suspect role in promoting terrorism in the Maldives has been brought out above. The island nation can ill-afford a supposed partner that further fans the terrorist flames. India, meanwhile, will draw Pakistan's involvement in the Maldives as its red line," the report states.
China will not only seek to leverage its investments in the Maldives but also use its preferred debt-trap diplomacy to demand further concessions.


In end-stage heart failure, several molecular, biochemical and functional alterations have been described to occur at the cellular level [11, 32]. Evidence indicates that disturbed excitation-contraction coupling processes may underlie disturbed myocardial function in various animal models and human conditions [3, 34]. Specifically, Ca2+ uptake and release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) have been shown to be altered, and the ratio of phospholamban/SR Ca2+ ATPase has been suggested to play a key role in the pathophysiology of heart failure . Thus, it becomes important to dissect the molecular mechanisms governing the highly regulated excitation-contraction coupling process and their alterations in heart failure in order to develop new therapeutic approaches for this disease.


If you're a creative person with internet access (oh hey, everyone), you're probably familiar with a web activity I like to call "The Black Hole of Inferiority". As post-apocolyptic as it sounds, the name is accurate in that it describes a similarly end-of-the-world feeling that only happens you find them. Yes, them.
That person or company doing sort of what you're doing only 1000x better and faster and cooler and are making like 5x as much money as your net worth if you got caught giving Kim Kardashian a high-five by the paparazzi. You know the ones.
As you click through all of their flashy web links, scrolling through their stunning portfolio and countless client recommendations, you start to feel your chair slowly creeping through the floorboards into a bottomless black abyss. It's deep stuff. But hey, there's good news.
You can learn to use comparison as a tool to grow your business in exciting, uncharted ways.
It seems foolish to start a business without first chalking up the competition, yet so often we as creatives keep a one-track mind and steer clear of similar mindsets as to not be diluted or distracted. Yet, whenever we stumble across someone who's painting close within our lines, we have a freak-out and head full force down the spiraling staircase of fear and insecurity.
Staircases, black holes... There must be a 'Monday' nearby.
Here's the thing: if you find yourself in this position, consider yourself lucky. Ignorance isn't bliss when it comes to your business, and knowing who you're up against - or who you can collaborate with in the future - is only going to make you stronger and more adaptable.
To help us view each and every competitor as "industry research" and not "reason to binge on donuts and wine", Caty and I came up with the Competitor Analysis Worksheet. Each competing company or brand is dissected into basic categories so that you can clearly see what makes them tick (and you cry).
This exercise is 1000x more effective when we run through it together over coffee. Why don't you reach out and we can check our schedule?
Mark Twain might have said "Comparison is the death of joy", but he clearly wasn't equipped with our Competitor Analysis Worksheet and a good dose of #realtalk.
Once you've filled it out, really spend some time dwelling on what struck you at first glance and how you can replicate that same feeling with your own consumer experience.
It's not about copying. It's about learning what works from people who have succeeded and implementing those successes into your own business.
It's called being smart; no need to reinvent the wheel. Download our Competitor Analysis Worksheet and drop us a line below if it helped.
P.S. Are you into freebies and solid branding advice as much as we are? Drop your name in the hat to receive bi-weekly content from yours truly. Click here to signup.