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3n2 Warriors battle back; earn spot in 12U TCSB championship game
After losing in the opening game of bracket play to the No. 8-seeded Colorado Yard Dawgs, it would have been easy for the No. 2-seeded 3n2 Warriors to pack it in and feel sorry for themselves. Instead, they used the tough loss as motivation to win four straight games in the loser's side of the bracket and advance to the 12U Omaha SlumpBuster TCSB D1 championship series.
The fight back through the bracket included wins over Oklahoma Elite (9-6), a redemption victory over the Yard Dawgs (10-2), a 10-0 run rule over the Omaha Pacesetters and concluded with an impressive 11-6 win over a strong 3D Gold squad who entered bracket play as the No. 1 seed.
"To be honest, it was brutal meeting for our players after the loss to the Yard Dawgs. We thought we beat ourselves in that game, and I told them you can't do that in a tournament like this," said Warriors head coach Ryan Duman. "I told the team that our job now is to play one inning at a time, and we will find ourselves on Sunday in the championship. That was the message we stuck with and here we are."
With the 3D Gold still reeling from a tough loss to the Dallas Tigers earlier in the day, the 3n2 Warriors came out strong, scoring two quick runs in the first inning. Pitcher Julian Terrazas, who finished the day with 10 strikeouts and was 3-for-3 from the plate, blasted a double to ignite the Warrior offense. Issac Wachsmann followed it up with a single and Brayden Duman knocked in Terrazas with an RBI single, one of his four RBI for the game. Another RBI single by Noah Scott scored Duman, giving the Warriors an early 2-0 lead.
"I told myself before going to the plate to calm down, see the baseball, hit the baseball and do your job," said Duman, a 7th grader from Highlands Ranch, CO. "Heading into tomorrow's game, we need to make sure to keep our energy levels high the entire game. Stay in the game the whole time."
In the second inning, 3D Gold's Max Burt blasted a shot over the right-center fence recording a home run and cutting into the Warrior lead, now 2-1. 3n2 would tack on two more runs in the top of three with Terrazas and Dante Nori both scoring. 3D Gold would stay in the game with two runs in the bottom of three and another in the fourth to tie the game at 4-4.
A two-run fifth inning and explosive sixth inning where the Warriors tallied five runs would give 3n2 a lead they would not give up. Terrazas did solid work from the mound, striking out 10 batters, giving up five hits, one walk and four runs in five innings pitched.
"At the start of the game I decided I wanted to try and just blow it past the hitters up and in, but when Max (Burt) went yard, I decided to start throwing outside and that work out well," said Terrazas.
The 3n2 Warriors will face the Dallas Tigers, who knocked out 3D Gold in the semifinals of the winner's bracket. The Warriors and Tigers met in pool play, with 3n2 winning, 6-3.
The championship is a best-of-three series with the first game slated for Sunday at 9 a.m. CT on field No. 4 at the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. The 3D Gold finish the 2017 Omaha SlumpBuster with a 5-2 record and earned the No. 1 seed out of pool play after an impressive 3-0 start while outscoring their opponents, 48-6, in those games.
© COPYRIGHT 2018. Triple Crown Sports ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


By: Pamela Price | Oct. 23, 2018, 11:57 a.m.
"Look around, people are unhealthy," Joe De Sena, founder of Spartan Race, said to me. Living in Los Angeles, most men and women are walking around in fitness apparel whether they've just worked out or not, seemingly in-shape. But, it's true. People are unhealthy, especially Americans. According to the CDC, obesity affected 93.3 million adults in the U.S., and that was two years ago.
"This [Spartan Race] is a public service. This is not even a business. We have no choice but to do this and convince people to start getting healthy. This is not a want to do, this is a have to do," Joe added.
After exchanging his Wall Street suit-and-tie for barbwire, sandbags and burpees, Joe made it his mission to inspire the couch potatoes of the world to get up and get moving. First, there was Death Race. Imagine, 3000 burpees in 12 hours, or 31,000 ft. of rope climbing in 7 hours. Sure, it might seem drastic, but when you put your mind and body to the test, it's all possible. Let's call it, The Spartan Way, which also happens to be the title of Joe's latest book; 196 pages filled with stories of grit, inspiration and the tools you need to eat better, train better, think better and be… better.
In our pampered society and culture of immediate satisfaction, Joe's belief system and The Spartan Race franchise is exactly what the doctor ordered. But the prescription won't work if you don't put the work in. That goes for everyone from kids to parents. But, with a "babied" generation of millennials who would rather Snapchat than do anything that takes any effort, I asked Joe what we can do to bring discipline back into our homes.
And if you think Joe goes easy on himself, you can think again. I was curious how the Spartan Godfather indulges himself. What does he do to unwind after climbing a mountain with sandbags on his back?
The Spartan Race franchise has grown to become the largest obstacle course and endurance brand in the world. With events like; Sprint, Super, Beast, Ultra and Hurricane Heat, you can pick your poison from a 5k to marathon distance. And don't forget about the obstacles: tire flips, rope climbing, multi-rig, tyrolean traverse, etc., etc., etc.
"When I started, I thought maybe there were 50,000 people that wanted to do this race. And then I said, 'Wow, maybe there's a million.' Now I think there's 100 million. It's like you said, every path of the next generation just gets softer and softer. I think viscerally, people want to feel good, they want to be connected with each other, with the outdoors and themselves. That's what living this way does. I can't imagine there's any human being that doesn't secretly want to be a Spartan. And I don't mean in the sense that they do a race. Who doesn't want to fit into a pair of jeans better, and look and feel better? All we're doing is providing a time and place for them to get out of their comfort zone and force them to drink a little less, eat a little less junk food, go to bed a little earlier and wake up a little earlier. Show them a way that they don't know," Joe passionately stated.
In The Spartan Way, Joe details this "no excuse" way of living and the steps to transforming your life. It's important to take into account that running one race is great, but that doesn't mean you should call it quits because you ate healthy for one month leading up to the race.
In the Spartan world, there is the Trifecta. You earn a Trifecta medal when you've completed one Sprint, Super and Beast or Ultra in a calendar year. Now, if you think that the Trifecta was created just to make more merchandising money, you're wrong.
"The reason I push people to do the trifecta is - You get the Sprint done. Alright, now that you've got 3 miles under your belt, let's see you get 8 miles under your belt and 13 miles. If you do that over the course of a year, your whole life changes because you've changed habits for 12 months. It's not like I trained for 30 days and I went and did this sprint and now I'm going back to eating cheese and drinking beer. So, If I can get you living that way - on the hook and being accountable for 12 months, it's very likely you're going to change your life. And that's really what my mission is at the end of the day," he said.
In the book, Joe asks the reader to find their True North. What drives us? It's almost like an objective in life; something that puts you back on track to achieve your goals. Whatever Joe puts out into the universe or for his brand, he lives by it too.
"I made a policy with myself as a kid that whenever I don't want to do something; as long as it's healthy and good... I have to do it. It's non-negotiable. I don't feel like working out this morning - I got to do it. I don't want to take a cold shower - I got to do it. What I've learned all of these years is: you eat an elephant one bite at a time, you just got to take that first step. I'm always talking publicly, forcing myself to be committed publicly. I don't want to be dishonorable when it comes to do what I say I'm going to do. That's one way to stay aligned and stay true to your values and your visions is just constantly put it out there," he said.
As far as Spartan Race goes, it's growing by the second. I can speak first-hand that the obstacle course way of life has changed mine for the better; transforming a journalist into an athlete, as well. It's Joe's hope to turn OCR (Obstacles Course Racing) into an Olympic sport. Something tells me, he's going to achieve that goal.
The Spartan Way available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.
Is Terrain Race Just As Good As Spartan & Tough Mudder?


The first thing you will notice is that instead of just offering motel rooms, our Werribee accommodation offers furnished villas that are equipped with modern amenities and come in luxurious sizes. You will have a covered carport and a fully equipped modern kitchen. All of the villas are designed to ensure you are comfortable, relaxed, and that you feel at home.
The Avalon One is a great alternative to spending a night in a cramped hotel room. This villa is designed specifically for one or two people. It has enough space and moving room, making it a bigger, better choice over a motel. You will get enough space and air to breathe in and relax about in. The Avalon One villa has one king size bed (this can be changed to a pair of king size single beds) and a car park space for one vehicle. There are two televisions in our villa, one located in the bedroom and the other in the living room. There is internet access and a verandah for your viewing and relaxing pleasure.
Kardinia One is built for one to two people with a queen-sized bed. The bedroom is designed with a built in wardrobe and the kitchen is fully equipped with all the right utilities for you to whip up meals suited for indoor dining.
The Kardinia Two is slightly larger than the Kardinia One, featuring an extra bedroom with a double bed and similar utilities and features. It has a queen-sized main bedroom. The bedroom is designed with a built in wardrobe and the kitchen is fully equipped with all the right utilities for you to whip up meals suited for indoor dining. This makes the Kardinia Two a villa best suited for two to four people looking for Werribee accommodation.
The Wyndham One offers modern and spacious Werribee accommodation for 1-2 people. As with the rest, you get a veranda, a modern kitchen, built in wardrobes, two televisions and a lot of space.
The Wyndham Two is designed for two to six people and for people who intend to stay in the area longer than just a single night. The Wyndham's second bedroom has a double bed and a large sofa bed in the living room. As with the rest, you get a veranda, a modern kitchen, built in wardrobes, two televisions and a lot of space. Wyndham Two is an ideal option for longer stays and for families seeking Werribee accommodation.
If you were to get out of Melbourne International Airport and you wanted to stay in a place relatively close to Melbourne or Geelong while in the vicinity of Wyndham, where would you go? Most people would settle for regular Werribee hotels or cheap Werribee accommodation they can search for on the web but why settle for a small hotel room when you can go for a full sized villa for a very affordable price? Werribee Short Stay Villas is the place you want to visit if you are looking for more than just a room and bed to sleep in. Your search for Werribee accommodatation and Werribee hotels is over. As mentioned the Werribee Short Stay Villas is located right in the centre of Wyndham and it is only thirty minutes away from the two other major cities and the airport. There are a ton of other tourist spots to visit and family oriented places to go to. To begin with, here is a quick discussion of what is in store for you when you visit the Werribee hotels, the very best in Werribee Accommodation.
Our villas are a popular alternative to Werribee hotels and include a spacious, shaded car parking area as well as some of the most modern amenities you could ask for. Matching or surpassing Werribee hotel features, we provide fast internet access, a spacious living and dining room, a private veranda that gives you a good clean look of the outdoors, and fully functional and modernised kitchen. The kitchens are all equipped with all the tools you will need to make the best meals possible. The kitchens are all equipped with a modern convection oven, a regular sized gas cooktop and refrigerator meaning your stay at our villa accommodation will be as comfortable as any Werribee hotel.


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Japanare är ett tekniskt konstnummer i handboll och beachhandboll. Det utförs genom att en spelare passar över en motståndare till en medspelare som fångar bollen i luften och sen skjuter. Oftast kommer passningen från en niometersspelare till en kantspelare. Tricket har uppfunnits av tyske handbollsspelaren Bernhard Kempa och kallas i Tyskland för "Kempa-Trick".

Svårigheten ligger i samspelet. Laget måste ha bra tajming så att kantspelaren påbörjar sin löpning in och sitt upphopp och sen får bollen i precis rätt läge. En annan svårighet ligger i att fånga bollen och sen snabbt skjuta mot mål. Om spelaren landar på golvet innan skottet avlossats blir den avblåst och eventuellt mål bortdömt. Spelaren har god hjälp av klister på händerna för att kunna fånga bollen.

I beachhandboll som spelas enligt internationella regler belönas japanare med extrapoäng.

Varför varianten heter just japanare är okänt. I franskan kallas den istället kung-fu.

Referenser

Externa länkar
Sand gör en japanare! - TV4 Sport. Youtube.

Handboll

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Chalkeyes presents: Eight miles high
July 9, 2019 David Slack
No matter how many times it happens, I am always wildly impressed to be shown an image of my eyeball.
In part, that's because I'm impressed by any kind of technology more finely tuned and sophisticated than something you hook to the back of a tractor. I will always be the farm boy accustomed to making things work with a sledgehammer, a piece of 4 x 2 and a length of number eight wire. To me, equipment that can point a lens at my eye and produce an image of such amazing clarity is a marvel.
The further marvel is to see how an eyeball is composed. So much like a planet, so much like Mars. I daresay many patients will observe this, and it will be necessary to politely listen as they make the comparison because both these objects are spherical and appear to be uninhabited. If this is something you have to endure, thank you for your good-natured forbearance.
I can't recall when I first saw a photo of our own planet, but that too always amazes me; this thing that was entirely unseeable for most of human existence. What a thing of beauty: the wispy clouds, the deep blue oceans, the blobs of tan which we know to be vast continents. And more than anything the delicate fragility of it: the beautiful entity that is our home, set in the dark of a universe whose scale surpasses imagination.
That image, with the sun casting its light over our fragile planet had a remarkable effect. In giving humanity a broader view in a vastly broader setting, it gave us a fresh sense of its - and our - delicate vulnerability. Over the course of the Apollo missions there were more photos, all of them breathtaking and memorable, but perhaps none more so than the one that came to be known as the Blue Marble.
It was taken during the Apollo 17 mission, snapped swiftly in a snatched spare moment because every last minute from takeoff to splashdown had been programmed and accounted for, which is also something I can't say I'd imagined. I'd imagined a lot of sitting inert in a very confined space for a long journey into the dark, but no, they used every minute to ensure the success of their work.
The Blue Marble really is a breathtaking photo and no human since has been far enough away from earth enough to take another like it. It takes in the entirety of our planet, a sphere wreathed in cloud, a marble, with seas of blue.
There's an added treat, for those of us who happen to live in the southern hemisphere, accustomed to seeing our part of the planet always placed, according to map convention, at the bottom. In this photo, snatched in a moment by a weightless Major Tom floating in his tin can, Antarctica is on top!
I like the notion that it conveys a sort of fragility because I look at the image of the eyeball and see the fragility to it too - this amazing thing that can do such a great thing for us and yet it wouldn't take much at all to ruin it.
The largest sense I take from this though, is the consideration that taking that image changed us; changed the way we see our planet, rounded and filled out our understanding. This is an enduring proposition: anyone who helps us to see more, to see better, to see more clearly, to see from a fresh perspective, is doing something enormously valuable.
This year brought a compelling TV drama about the Chernobyl disaster, for instance, and with it a much fuller understanding for many of us of what happened, and why. In the simplest terms, we're told the disaster happened because the tips of the control rods in the nuclear reactor were made of graphite which sped up the reaction when the control rod was supposed to slow it down. Why was the reactor designed this way? For the same reason that other safety precautions had been ignored - it was cheaper! Who was at fault? More than any individual, the fault lay with the soviet state, an impenetrable maze of propaganda and censorship that made it hugely difficult to distinguish between what was real and what was fabrication or obfuscation. In a system is which the state is forever restating and revising history it becomes quite impossible to know what is real, what is knowledge and what is fiction, and what is going on. In effect, the Soviet system created Chernobyl and made the explosion inevitable.
The more we see, the more we know, the better we do. The capacity to see means so very much. The absence can be catastrophic.
David Slack is an Auckland-based author, radio and TV commentator and speechwriter.
Free genetic testing for IRDJuly 16, 2019
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RANZCO NZ 2019: Look to the future, collaborativelyJuly 15, 2019
RANZCO NZ: Inaugural medal lecturesJuly 15, 2019
Nurses, championing diversity in collaborationJuly 15, 2019
RANZCO NZ 2019: presenter awardsJuly 15, 2019
Global forum for ophthalmic nursesJuly 15, 2019
Stars and their eyes… Scary SpiceJuly 15, 2019
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namespace Application\API\Repositories\Interfaces {

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        public function findAll();
        public function find($adCategoryKey);
        public function findAllAsOptions();

        public function addAdCategory(Adcategory $adCategory);
        public function updateAdCategory(Adcategory $adCategory);
        public function addOrUpdateAdCategory(Adcategory $adCategory);
        public function deleteAdCategory($adCategoryKey);

        public function addSubscriber(Subscribers $subscriber);
        public function deleteSubscriber($email);
        public function subscribersPerCategory();
        public function findSubscriber($key);

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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LACUNA COIL To Embark On National U.S. Headlining Tour
As the buzz surrounding the Italian sextet LACUNA COIL's latest single "Heaven's A Lie" continues to build at commercial radio, the group prepares to make their much anticipated return to the U.S. After developing a rabid following throughout this past year relentlessly touring with the likes of ANTHRAX, OPETH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, they are more than excited to come back as headliners. The trek will begin on November 12 and wrap up on December 15. The group will also take part in many commercial radio sponsored festivals, including performances alongside such mainstream acts as 3 DOORS DOWN. As of October 24, "Heaven's A Lie" has been added to over 65 commercial rock stations across the country, including such tastemakers as WAAF - Boston, WLZR - Milwaukee, WKLQ – Grand Rapids and WYSP – Philadelphia, among others. A video for the hit track has just been shot with acclaimed director Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR) and will make its debut on Fuse and MTV2 later this year.
Cristina Scabbia (vocals) describes her excitement surrounding the group's upcoming tour, "We are absolutely thrilled to be coming back to the U.S. in November! Even though we are proud and sure about our music we honestly didn't expect this wonderful reaction from the American audience, press and radio alike. 'Comalies' is going really great and I really want to thank everybody who supported us so far on this trip, as well as everybody who will help bring us to the next step. All of us give our best to LACUNA COIL and most of all our hearts and souls, something that cannot be reproduced by anybody else. We just finished shooting of the video for 'Heaven's A Lie' in Gothenburg, which is already looking super beautiful in the rough version and hopefully you'll be as impressed as we were. See you very soon."
LACUNA COIL tour dates:
Nov. 12 - Middle East – Cambridge, MA
Nov. 13 - Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
Nov. 14 - Scorz – Nashua, NH - WGIR Radio Show
Nov. 15 - Ultra – Providence, RI
Nov. 16 - North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 17 - Agora Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
Nov. 19 - Phoenix Hill Tavern – Louisville, KY - WTFX Radio Show
Nov. 20 - Club Laga – Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 21 - Monkey Bar – Huntington, WV
Nov. 23 - Planet Rock – Jacksonville, NC
Nov. 24 - Ground Zero – Spartanburg, SC
Nov. 26 - Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 28 – Harpo's Concert Theatre – Detroit, MI
Nov. 29 - Pop's – Sauget, IL
Nov. 30 - Club Raven – Edgerton, WI
Dec. 01 - The Quest – Minneapolis, MN
Dec. 02 - Oasis One Sixty – Chicago Heights, IL
Dec. 03 - Hurricane – Kansas City, MO
Dec. 05 - Royal Grove – Lincoln, NE
Dec. 06 - 32 Bleu – Colorado Springs, CO
Dec. 07 - Bluebird Theatre – Denver, CO
HEART's ANN WILSON Releases Music Video For Her Cover Version Of ALICE IN CHAINS' 'Rooster'
UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER Defends His Decision To Continue Performing ACCEPT Material With U.D.O.: People 'Still Wanna Hear These Songs'
TED NUGENT Says He Doesn't Take His Exclusion From ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Personally: 'I Don't Need It'
TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS Saw Tensions Brewing Between K.K. DOWNING And GLENN TIPTON During Making Of 'Demolition'
Watch AMY LEE And LZZY HALE Perform LINKIN PARK's 'Heavy' In Cincinnati


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Sitting in judgement on oneself
Posted by argumentativeoldgit in books, literature, rant. Tagged: Dostoyevsky, Ibsen, Tolstoy. 11 comments
It's a mug's game trying to propound general rules about literature. Or about any art form, I guess, but let's stick to literature for now. As soon as you hit upon something that seems reasonable, up pop any number of exceptions. But, even accepting this, there does seem to me certain principles one may propound that are true in most cases – true in enough cases, at least, to deserve serious consideration. And one of these is that messages do not make for good literature.
I suppose at this stage I should define what I mean by "message" in this context. I don't mean a particular perspective on life, or a specific way of seeing things: an individual viewpoint is something we expect from writers. What I mean by "message" is an explicitly or implicitly stated moral precept. And, unless we are talking about fables (in which moral complexities are deliberately simplified), such moral precepts do not, I think, make for good literature.
And the reason they don't make for good literature, I think, is that literature, being the least abstract of all art forms, must engage in some way or other with life. This need not imply close imitative reproduction: one may, if one wishes, and if one has the genius to do so, engage with the realities of life by making one's characters speak in intricate blank verse, and setting the action on some magical island. But at some level, in some form, the realities of life need to be grappled with. And, given the various uncertainties and ambivalences of our human lives, given all the complexities and intricacies of all this unintelligible world, moral precepts either crudely cut through it all and end up being partial ("capitalism is an evil and we need revolution now," say); or they end up being merely banal ("we should all be kind to each other"). Leaving aside fables once again, where moral simplification is the very point, neither, I think, makes for satisfactory reading as literature.
This is not to say that writers cannot project their own ideas; but when they do – when, at least, the best writers do – something strange happens: they present their ideas not so much to propagate them, but, rather, to challenge them. Sometimes, even, to subvert them. Tolstoy had famously intended to present Anna Karenina as a sinful woman who is punished for her transgression, but what emerges is entirely different. Dostoyevsky often put his own most deeply held convictions in the mouths of fools and scoundrels, and, despite himself being devoutly religious, presents through Ivan Karamazov the most powerful (and as yet unresolved) argument against religious belief.
Ibsen wrote once in a letter that to write is "to sit in judgement over oneself". Even while insisting that the truth must be told, whatever the cost, he created unflinching truth-seekers who, merely by the fact of seeking truth so unflinchingly, are maniacs. In Rosmersholm, he wondered to what extent the truth can even be discerned, let alone told. None of this is to say that Ibsen abandoned the idea that truth is vitally important; rather, he was sitting in judgement on himself. As all great writers do. And the judgement is harsh.
Tolstoy too, I think. In The Kreutzer Sonata, he presents a narrative told by a deeply misogynist man, Pozdnyshev, who murders his wife; and, very disconcertingly, he gives this man a great many of his own views. Now, quite clearly, Tolstoy is not Pozdnyshev, if only for the simple reason that Tolstoy is not a murderer; so why does he give Pozdnyshev so many of his own characteristics, and his own opinions? It seems to me that here Tolstoy, as Ibsen and Dostoyevsky had done, is sitting in judgement upon himself, putting his own most deeply held convictions under the microscope, and, with a disarming honesty, finding them wanting. The world that he presents – that Ibsen presents, or Dostoyevsky presents – is too complex for any simple moral precept to hold. It wasn't that Tolstoy was above being a moralist: he did, after all, write fables – the finest, probably, since Aesop's (James Joyce once described these fables as "the greatest literature in the world"). But when not writing fables (which, by their nature, simplify the moral complexities of this world), he had to acknowledge a world filled with complexities and uncertainties, in which moral precepts, even those embodying his most deeply held convictions, were simply not adequate – where they were either partial, or banal, or both.
And so, it frankly worries me when so many literary essays and discussions I see online consider works of literature, often major works of literature, purely in terms of their "message" – often, in the process, dragging out, based on what is known about the author, a straightforward message from all the messy complexities of the work itself. Are we really, after all, to believe that Tolstoy condoned murder? That Ibsen, speaking as his alter ego Stockmann, is calling for entire peoples to be "eradicated"? Or can we see here the authors' own shocked realisations of the shortcoming and inadequacies of their own convictions?
With writers of the quality of Dostoyevsky, Ibsen, or Tolstoy, we have to – we must – look beyond whatever it is we perceive to be the "message". In lesser writers, however, the message is all there is. This is not necessarily a bad thing: Uncle Tom's Cabin was a very important book because its message was so powerful, and, happily, so influential. However, I doubt any great claim can be made for its literary merit. There are many other writers too who are prized primarily, on even purely, because of the message their works project. Claims of literary merit are often made for these writers, but I remain dubious. Ayn Rand, say: she remains controversial because her message remains controversial. I personally think her message is nonsense, but that's not the reason her novels are so bad: rather, the novels are bad because they send out a message at all. This is not what literature is about.
Recently, on Twitter, I saw a thread (which, out of politeness, I will not link to) written by an English teacher in which she (for the author of this thread was a "she") discusses how she teaches a certain poem in class. The work in question, which was reproduced in full, is a poem only by virtue of the fact that the lines did not stretch all the way to the right-hand margin of the page: I could certainly discern none of the creative use of language that I expect from poetry; and, indeed, if we were to take out the line breaks, even the prose that would emerge would not be particularly distinctive. The interest of the poem (for such we have to call it) lies solely in the content, and sadly, even that wasn't very interesting: the imagery was banal, and the message – which may be adequately summarised as "we kill those that we are afraid of" – seemed to me both simplistic, and not generally applicable: we are all, after all, afraid of a great many people, but most of us manage to get through our lives without killing anyone. But what interested me more than the poem itself – there is no shortage of bad poems, after all, that this one should be of particular interest – is the account of its teaching: it focused purely on the content, on its message. I guess it had to, as there is nothing else in the poem that is worthy of attention – but I couldn't help wondering if there is any point in teaching poetry at all when what is taught isn't really poetry, as such, but, rather, some banal and questionable "message" it projects. Is it really a creditable thing to do to tell students that what matters in literature is merely what the literature says? That the sole purpose of reading a novel, or a poem, or a play, is to extract from it some sort of message?
This focus on message worries me because it seems to me to deny the richness of literature. It is reductive. It reduces even the greatest of writers, the greatest of works, merely to what it says – or, if what it says is complex and ambivalent (as life itself is complex and ambivalent), to a simplified (and therefore misleading) view of what it says. Children would be better not taught poetry at all than taught in the manner I saw described in that Twitter thread.
But now that I have written all this, you are all going to regale me with various titles of books that are without doubt major literature, and which certainly contain a message, even of the kind I described at the start of this piece. Well, yes: making up these rules always is a mug's game, and maybe I shouldn't have tried in the first place. But this reductive focus on "message" does, I admit, continue to worry me.


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The Weeknd Is Dropping New Music THIS WEEK!
2022 is off to a great start — with help from The Weeknd!
Monday on Twitter, the "Starboy" singer announced that he is dropping his new album, "Dawn FM," this week on Friday.
As seen in a promotional video, the LP will feature appearances from Jim Carrey, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Tyler, the Creator.
"A new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd," text from the video read.
new album : dawn FM // january 7th pic.twitter.com/2H8AsuLcCi
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) January 3, 2022 @theweeknd
On Sunday, the Canadian artist, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, hinted at the exciting news when he tweeted, "Wake up at dawn tomorrow..."
The day prior, he shared a screenshot of text messages between him and his creative director, XO Records co-founder La Mar Taylor.
"Happy New Year brother! What we thinking ??" Taylor asked.
"Happy new year! Everything feels chaotic again," the singer replied. "Music can heal and that feels more important than another album rollout. Let's just drop the whole thing and enjoy it with the people… XO."
In addition to dropping new tunes, the musician is gearing up for his After Hours til Dawn Stadium Tour this summer. Though tour dates have not been released, he is expected to travel to North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Aside from music, The Weeknd is working on a new drama for HBO where he will serve as star, co-writer, and executive producer.
As reported by Deadline in July of last year, the project — co-created by "Euphoria" EP Sam Levinson and the musician's producing partner Reza Fahim — centers on a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner, also the leader of a secret cult.
News Tuesday, January 18
Burger King Employee Killed by Alleged Gunman During Robbery
A 19-year-old Burger King employee was killed after she reportedly handed cash to an alleged thief and gunman.
Rapper Wavy Navy Pooh Passes Away in Alleged Drive-By Shooting
Wavy Navy Pooh, a promising rapper from Miami, has passed away from an alleged drive-by shooting.


The SPORT (Performance) Large Tesla Drive Unit package is similar to the Base unit, but with improved electronics for higher performance capability. Peak power to weight ratio is improved to over 1.84 HP per pound, and peak torque is improved by a full 33% vs the Base unit. With an appropriate battery pack or other HVDC power source, this package is bound to impress.


Now we have a working game engine, we need to make the game more interesting.
What quest are we setting the player? To find the gold? Escape from the space station before it explodes? To find the spy?
How about adding some characters: dragons, vampires, aliens, zombies?
What sort of objects could we use? Magic wands, rayguns, teleporters?
What sort of puzzles and riddles could we add?
Draw a map for your game (see lesson 1 for an example) Don't add too many locations – 16 is more then enough.
Think of the objects the player will have to use and add them to the map.
Make a note of the game play. What will the player have to do to complete the game.
Now modify the code of the game engine to write your own game.
Get your partner to play the game and feedback.
Make any improvements to the game.


We are excited to continue to roll out profiles of the 2019 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program teams of master artists and apprentices.
This week, we introduce readers to master Irish musician Turlach Boylan and and his most recent apprentice Molly McLaughlin. Boylan previously taught an Irish tin whistle apprenticeship in TAAP in 2008. This year, he is working with McLaughlin on traditional Irish flute.
This apprenticeship team shares Irish heritage, though McLaughlin's is a bit more distant. Her Irish great-grandparents emigrated in the late 19th century. She discovered traditional Irish music via The Chieftans [after serious studies in classical flute] leading her to immerse herself in recordings, face-to-face lessons, community gatherings, and a residency in County Monaghan, IE. She has since traveled extensively steeping herself in Irish music in the U.S. and Ireland before settling into the Irish music community in Kansas City, where she performs and teaches.
When Boylan and McLaughlin meet for their three-hour lessons, they are working diligently on jigs, reels, and hornpipes. Boylan recognizes that McLaughlin is an accomplished apprentice with passion, experience, and "considerable technical gifts." McLaughlin recognizes that Boylan is a rigorous teacher.
Beyond learning tunes, they are working to "polish" her traditional style with key ornamental techniques (with names like cranns, rolls, cuts, strikes, slides, and bounces). They acknowledge, too, that an important aspect of this apprenticeship is to immerse McLaughlin in a listening project–drawing from recordings that span one hundred years of the vibrant tradition. Ultimately, McLaughlin knows that Boylan has much to teach her; she says, "as a flutist, his tone is gorgeous, technique effortless, his ornamentation is beautiful and exciting, and his rhythm is solid as stone." She expects to improve her style, technique, and repertoire, as well as to gain confidence.
Check out the video below, courtesy of Molly McLaughlin as recorded on her iPhone, to hear "Bride's Favorite," a traditional Irish jig that she has been polishing recently.
The heart of Missouri Folk Arts Program is its Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. Master artists work one-on-one with apprentices to keep folk arts knowledge and practices alive. In Missouri, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, and the University of Missouri, the first master-apprentice lesson took place on December 10, 1984. Since then, Missouri has supported over 400 apprenticeships in which 200+ master artists have mentored more than 500 apprentices in every region and many communities in the state. Many apprentices have in their turn grown in their artistry and later recognized as master artists in TAAP. They forge anew living links in the chain of Missouri's folk arts. Some TAAP artists practice traditional regional crafts that date back to Missouri's Native American peoples and early European settlers. Some newer immigrants, such as Latinxs, Sudanese, and Bosnians, have sustained their artistic traditions in their new homes in Missouri. Still more traditions have migrated to Missouri from other regions of the U.S. All are re-imagined and honed into dynamic Show Me State traditions. Among the arts that have been fostered in TAAP over the decades are blacksmithing, cowboy poetry, old-time short-bow fiddling, African-American storytelling, Ozark Riverways paddle carving, Vietnamese dragon dancing, Western saddle making, old-time clawhammer banjo, wood joinery, square dance calling, German bobbin lace, turkey calls, Mexican paper flowers, and Slovenian button-box accordion.


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Arkansas Group Planned Monument to Racial Unity; It Isn't Going as Planned
Cameron McWhirter, Wall Street Journal, September 14, 2019
The memorial was meant to help a rural Arkansas community heal longstanding wounds from one of the bloodiest episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. Instead, it is fueling tensions among white and black people.
The monument, which is set to be unveiled in late September near a courthouse in downtown Helena, marks the centennial of what has become known as the Elaine Massacre. In late September and early October 1919, white posses who believed black sharecroppers were organizing a revolt killed more than 100 African-Americans — and some historians have said it could have been many hundreds.
Some Arkansas residents are angry about the monument's location in the Phillips County community where white leaders planned the attacks, rather than about 25 miles southwest in Elaine, near where the violence erupted. Helena, they say, is co-opting a bloody history it long suppressed to promote tourism, harming smaller Elaine a second time.
"This is white folks using white privilege to demonstrate a 21st-century version of polite white supremacy, " said Arkansas Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen, an African-American leader and pastor.
Supporters of the Phillips County monument say it is intended to raise historical awareness and promote racial harmony, while bringing more tourists to a struggling area between Memphis and Little Rock, two leading civil rights sites.
The Rev. Mary Olson, who is white and president of the Elaine Legacy Center, said her group and Elaine residents weren't consulted and want a memorial there. The group, made up of blacks and whites, is considering possible legal action, she said. Her group plans to hold an event in Elaine at the same time the other group holds its event in Helena, she said.
In the fall of 1919, black sharecroppers and a group of white people opened fire on each other in a remote area near Elaine. Afterward, white people organized posses and brought in groups of soldiers, which committed "helter-skelter killing" throughout the county, according to Robert Whitaker, author of "On the Laps of Gods," a book about the event. No official investigation ever took place, he said.
White mobs rounded up hundreds of black people, and all-white juries convicted many after brief trials. Lawyers for 12 men sentenced to death argued up to the U.S. Supreme Court that the men weren't given fair trials. In 1923, the Supreme Court agreed, and the ruling set a precedent for defendants' rights in state trials.
Topics: American History, Black on White Crime, Non-White Pressure Groups, White Privilege
< Indiana School Cancels Slave Ship Lesson After Public Outcry
Former NFL Player Faked Racially Motivated Burglary >


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Golakes
Brexit Toolkit
There's still time to 'crack' your Easter escape to the Lake District, Cumbria
If you still can't decide where to spend your Easter break, then check out our Top 5 things to do and places to stay in the Lake District, Cumbria.
Choose to stay in your own private lakeside retreat or get pampered at a sensational spa hotel. Once booked in its time to explore every corner of Cumbria with a Mountain Goat or celebrate a very special anniversary at one of the area's most iconic motoring attractions…
Stay on the shores of England's longest lake at The Boathouse, Pullwood Bay (from Heart of the Lakes)
A beautiful detached, fully modernised property situated on the edge of Lake Windermere, with sensational views all around. Built in the 19thC this charming detached property was once used by the owners of the original mansion house that is part of Pullwood Bay Estate. Today it has been beautifully renovated with all modern facilities and everything required to make it the perfect place to spend some quality time with friends or family. This Easter relax and unwind
Get pampered in the heart of a historic village at The Wordsworth Hotel & Spa
Escape to the picture-perfect village of Grasmere and you'll find it's easy to share William Wordsworth's delight at the area. Situated right in the heart of the Lake District, surrounded by magnificent mountains and the shimmering waters of Grasmere lake. The Wordsworth Hotel, nestled within this picturesque village, is no less of a jewel. The Earl of Cadogan's former shooting lodge, transformed into a country house hotel, is set within beautiful grounds and offers the finest cuisine and spa pampering. Rooms still available this Easter from £200 per night Bed & Breakfast (3-night minimum stay applies) Includes Easter egg hunt and full use of the leisure facilities.
Gear up to for motoring attraction's 40th birthday
Mark a major motoring milestone with one of the North's leading heritage attractions this Easter. The Lakeland Motor Museum celebrates its Ruby Anniversary, 40 years after first opening its doors on 1 April 1978. With a unique collection of 30,000 exhibits, including well over 150 classic cars and motorbikes, this all-weather attraction also has a perfect pitstop with an adjoining riverside café. Star exhibits include the Isle of Man TT Tribute Exhibition, with a newly-arrived Superbike loaned by motorcycling legend John McGuinness. £24.00 for a family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children). www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk
Teddies and kids go FREE at two heritage visitor attractions
From the 30 March – 15 April 2018 kids travelling onboard the historic Ullswater 'Steamers' and the Ravenglass & Railway Railway can travel for FREE when they bring along their best teddy bear friend. Visitors aged between 5 – 15 years old can take their pick from travelling by steam rail or by steam boat for an outdoor Easter adventure not to be missed. After the journey either by rail or by water, it's time to continue the fun and take Ted on a very special 'Teddy Trail' just waiting to be discovered. For further information about the events please visit: www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk or https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/
Take a whistle-stop tour of two World Heritage sites
Jump on board a Mercedes mini-bus with specialist tour operator Mountain Goat for their new 'World Heritage Tours', giving visitors an easy, convenient way to see some of the inspirational places which led to the Lake District being awarded World Heritage status. For the first time, passengers can also combine a tour of Hadrian's Wall in a two-day package, for a snapshot of some of the world's most iconic Roman landmarks. The double World Heritage Site Tour package costs £85 per person with discounted rates for groups of 10 or more. www.mountain-goat.com
Contact The PR Team on
01539 822222 or pressoffice@cumbriatourism.org
Cumbria Tourism Strategic Partners
Strategic partners are businesses who share Cumbria Tourism's values and desire to work together to support delivery of the DMO's strategy and objectives and in doing so help grow the value of tourism countywide.
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E: info@cumbriatourism.org
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Design and Build / Carne & Co


Retro inspired injection-molded anti-fog polycarbonate shields in solid and reflective finishes. Universally fits all Gringo S helmet sizes. 1 stainless steel snap secures the shield while in the down position.
UV Tested: Gringo S Bubble Shields are UV rated at UV +50 with over 92% UVA block and over 99% UVB block. Shields were evaluated for UV resistance as per test method AATCC 183.
Install Tip: Always re-Loctite helmet shield hardware when swapping out face shields.


From M23 Southbound - exit the motorway at Junction 11. Take fourth exit marked A23 Crawley Town Centre - this road is a dual carriageway. Take fourth exit at the roundabout marked A23 Pease Pottage (going back on yourself). Take second left into Tilgate Forest Business Park. Bard Limited is the last building on the right.
Trains run frequently to Three Bridges, Crawley and Gatwick Airport, all situated on the main London to Brighton Line.
Most major airlines operate regular scheduled services into both London Gatwick and Heathrow Airports. Bard is approximately 10 - 15 minutes drive from London Gatwick airport and 60-75 minutes from London Heathrow Airport.


News from the Biospec group.
These are fully-funded PhDs in the Institute of Integrative Biology (IIB) in the University of Liverpool.
The close date for both is Thursday, February 28, 2019.
You will join a dynamic research group based in the IIB where the focus is to investigate cellular metabolism. Details of the current projects and diversity of work, as well as more general papers, can be found here.
This entry was posted in News on December 12, 2018 by Roy Goodacre.
Our work on the detection of adulteration in cococnut water with Raman spectroscopy has recently featured on BBC Radio programme You and Yours.
This entry was posted in News on September 26, 2018 by Roy Goodacre.
We are delighted to see that our research work with Jon Lloyd and other colleagues in Earth and Environmental Sciences on algal colonization within a nuclear fuel storage pond which was published in mBio in June now features in The University of Manchester's In Abstract: Edition 06.
This entry was posted in News on September 7, 2018 by Roy Goodacre.
Many congratulations to Dr Claire Pickering for successfully defended her PhD on Thursday 9th August 2018.
Claire's PhD is entitled "Development of rapid reagentless, in situ detection of biological threat agents and assessment and correction of the environmental conditioning on the vibrational spectrum".
This was a DSTL funded PhD studentship and the primary supervisor was Dr Matt Baker (University of Strathclyde).
This entry was posted in News on August 10, 2018 by Roy Goodacre.
Richardson, P.I.C., Muhamadali, H., *Ellis, D.I. & *Goodacre, R. (2019) Rapid quantification of the adulteration of fresh coconut water by dilution and sugars using Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics. Food Chemistry 272, 157-164.
This entry was posted in News on August 9, 2018 by Roy Goodacre.
Dr Neha Dhami (2017) Interference of central metabolism (TCA cycle) to influence CHO cell productivity. UCB.
Dr Chloe Westley (2017). Raman Spectroscopy and its Enhancement Techniques for Direct Monitoring of Biotransformations. BBSRC.
Dr Abdu Subaihi (2017) The Development of Enhanced Raman Scattering for the Analysis of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Compounds in Biofluids. Saudi Arabia Government.
Dr Ewa Szula (2017) Metabolic profiling and imaging of CHO cells for fusion protein production. BBSRC.
Dr Robert Eendebak (2017) The potential relationships between hormone biomarkers and functional and health outcomes of ageing – a multinational longitudinal cohort study of ageing in men. BBSRC.
Dr Heidi Fisk (2017) Raman Spectroscopy for the Direct Monitoring of Microbial Biotransformations. BBSRC CASE with GSK.
Dr Mekhala Spencer (2017) The development of Raman spectroscopy for monitoring industrial biopharmaceuticals. BBSRC CASE with Pall.
We are very grateful to all funders for these PhD projects.
We sincerely wish Dr Mark Barley a very long and wonderful retirement and we wish you lots of joyous time with your family. We also look forward to seeing Mark from time to time in the MIB and hearing more of his travels.
Our work where we showed for the first time that UV resonance Raman spectroscopy can be used to monitor enzyme-catalysed reactions as the reaction is occurring: *Westley, C., *Fisk, H., Xu, Y., Hollywood, K.A., Carnell, A.J., Micklefield, J., Turner, N.J. & Goodacre, R. (2017) Real-time monitoring of enzyme-catalysed reactions using deep UV resonance Raman spectroscopy. Chemistry – A European Journal 23, 6983-6987.
The first report of spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) for the detection of counterfeit alcohol through the spirit bottle. This work also picked up some international news articles: Ellis, D.I., Eccles, R., Xu, Y., Griffen, J., Muhamadali, H., Matousek, P., Goodall, I. & Goodacre, R. (2017) Through-container, extremely low concentration detection of multiple chemical markers of counterfeit alcohol using a handheld SORS device. Scientific Reports 7: 12082.
We also collaborated with Prof Gary Siuzdak from The Scripps Research Institute on online XCMS for metabolomics: Huan, T., Forsberg, E.M., Rinehart, D., Johnson, C.H., Ivanisevic, J., Benton, H.P., Fang, M., Aisporna, A., Hilmers, B., Poole, F.L., Thorgersen, M.P., Adams, M.W.W., Krantz, G., Fields, M.W., Robbins, P.D., Niedernhofer, L.J., Ideker, T., Majumber, E.L., Wall, J.D., Rattray, N.J.W., Goodacre, R., Lairson, L.L. & Siuzdak, G. (2017) Systems biology guided by XCMS Online metabolomics. Nature Methods 14, 461-426.
Westley, C., Xu, Y., Thilaganathan, B., Carnell, A.J., Turner, N.J. & Goodacre, R. (2017) Absolute quantification of uric acid in human urine using surface enhanced Raman scattering with the standard addition method. Analytical Chemistry 89, 2471-2477.
Subaihi, A., Trivedi, D.K., Hollywood, K.A., Bluett, M.A., Xu, Y., Muhamadali, H., Ellis, D.I. & Goodacre, R. (2017) Quantitative on-line liquid chromatography-surface-enhanced Raman scattering (LC-SERS) of methotrexate and its major metabolites. Analytical Chemistry 89, 6702-6709.
Fisk, H., Xu, Y., Westley, C., Turner, N.J., Micklefield, J. & Goodacre, R. (2017) From multi-step enzyme monitoring to whole-cell biotransformations: development of real-time UVRR spectroscopy. Analytical Chemistry 89, 12527-12532.
Kearns, H., Goodacre, R., Jamieson, L., Graham, D. & Faulds, K. (2017) SERS detection of multiple anti-microbial resistant pathogens using nanosensors. Analytical Chemistry 89, 22666-2673.
Finally, Roy was made a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW) in May and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in October.
This entry was posted in News on December 17, 2017 by Roy Goodacre.


It is that time of the year again; it is carnival in Grenada. The Calypso and Soca competitions have started, the panmen and women are well into learning their Panorama songs and the masquerade bands are busy marketing their costumes. Let us not forget the recent Jab Jab craze, where fans of this traditional mas' gather for weekly "Goat Pen'' and "Cow Pen'' jams.
As an outsider looking in, it is always one of reflection and meditation for me; looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the Spicemas product and attempting to make constructive criticisms and recommendations.
For the last year or so, I have been wrestling with the problem of how the Grenadian public decides on their Road March songs or — at least — their big hits. This came into sharp focus when the Cloud 5 monster hit, 'Shell Down', did not win the coveted Road March prize in 2015. Now, this is no slight on the eventual winner, 'Jab Jab on Sesame Street', which I think is a truly creative and infectious song.
However, here we had 'Shell Down,' a song that was played more than any other in the streets of most carnivals overseas, and was by far the most popular song in the soca world, struggling to get play at home in Grenada. I attended both Crop Over in Barbados and Brooklyn's Labor Day Carnival last year and I swear, 'Shell Down' was the most played song on the streets and in the fetes of Bridgetown and New York. I am not sure whether because of the song's Carriacou origins, the Grenadian public, or the disc jockeys, did not see 'Shell Down' as a Road March contender, bearing in mind that it was not sung specifically for Grenada's carnival; or, because Cloud 5, as new kids on the "bloc'', had to pay their dues.
But indeed, we must recall, as well, that Tallpree's 'Ole Woman Alone', Killa's 'Rolly Polly', and Super P's 'Everybody Peeping', really became hits outside of Grenada before they got the love at home. So what is responsible for this phenomenon? I am not certain if 'soca mafia'' is involved; but I find it strange that our big songs have to be appreciated outside first. I will continue to give this more thought.
Now I am truly satisfied, with the numerous songs on the different "Jab Jab Rhythms''. It says to me that the seed, which was controversially sown a few years ago to spark greater acceptance of our unique traditions, has paid off. However, on one of my forays on Facebook, I noticed that one of the most respected producers with Grenada roots, making the point to the effect, that artistes must use the Jab Jab Rhythm to sing on themes other than Jab Jab. I concur whole heartedly.
In other words, the Jab Jab Rhythm is here to stay, so the artistes need to now explore other topics than Jab Jab on the Jab Jab Rhythm. This, I believe, will give the Jab Jab music a wider acceptance and will allow the music to grow.
On the issue of local music production, there is some growth in the quality of productions. However, there still is a lot of room for improvement. For instance, the need exists for greater harmony in the background vocals in too many songs, and the diction of the singers could be improved in the studios. Producers must encourage multiple takes and keep an eye out for details, not only in the musical accompaniment but also in the singing.
This brings me to another point; that is, too many producers arranging songs solely on the "melody'' of the tune the artiste brings them. There can be more creativity in the musical accompaniment; although, I must admit, there is some improvement in that regard.
Finally, I must state publicly, that I disagree fundamentally with the staging of the Soca Monarch quarter finals in carnival city, on the Carenage, in the capital city. As I understand it, it is to cut costs; I am aware of how much carnival is underfunded. However, in cutting costs the Spicemas Corporation (SMC) is also cutting significant other things.
They are cutting out the decentralization of carnival. Considering that the parishes of St John, St Mark, St Patrick and St David do not have major carnival activities, the Soca Monarch quarter finals were always an opportunity for these parishes to get piece of the action.
The SMC, essentially, is cutting out artistes who will enter the competition for the fun of it, and who do not expect to make it to the other rounds. These artistes just want to entertain their hometown parish fans and would not invest in a bus fare to go to St George's town to compete.
The SMC is cutting out the vibes that are created in the rural communities. They are eliminating the small service providers who look forward to a little business around carnival time and, instead, SMC is feeding the mega service provider. The commercial business of carnival has to spread around the country, and not even the big players of commerce are not annoyed at that idea. So, in having these events all in St Georges, in effect Spicemas Corporation is cutting out more than costs.
Yes, carnival is a business, and must be run as one; but it's a non-traditional business. Its trappings are different from a retail or wholesale store. In running the carnival business, one has to be steeped in the history of festival, its cultural relevance to a people, and its economic impact on the national economy. In addition, one has to be guided by deep philosophical appreciation of carnival. It is much more than putting on a show on a stage.
And while we value the commercial importance of carnival, and appreciate that the festival will evolve and has to be modernized, we also have to be careful about sanitizing it too much, just for the sake of earning some tourist dollars. Carnival can never, and will never, be the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York or the Pure Grenada Music Festival.
Carnival's origin was about protest against the establishment; it was the Black man's opportunity to poke fun at the ruling class and to "rebel'' without being punished; it was about bacchanal, which includes wining and dining as much as you can. Sure, such behaviour would offend the sensibilities of some; if so, then carnival — or some aspects of it — are not for you. You never would find many of our youth attending a 5-day cricket Test; it's not for them — they find it too boring. Other people who love sport, hate boxing or hockey; they consider them too violent and won't buy tickets to see a boxing match or hockey game. Perhaps, the same approach should be taken by those without the palate for the blackness of the Jab Jab; the jumping and waving of the soca artistes; and the debauchery of the masqueraders on the street.
The simple solution, instead of complaining and trying to make carnival into something it was never meant to be, may be to avoid going to Jourvert or Soca Monarch, or not leaving home on Carnival Monday and Tuesday to view the Parade of the Bands.
Did I say finally? Well, last point. Smile! A young promoter shouted out to me on the Grand Anse Main Road, "They killing carnival and all that you work hard for with Popcaan and them dancehall artistes''. I made no comment; I just smiled.
You see, I learnt years ago, that when a ball starts rolling downhill, there is no way you can tell where it will stop, unless you stop it yourself. I am fairly certain, that these dancehall artistes will sing on track on the night in question. But, so much for carnival and a quality product.


text:
Surfing Beach
Lifespire Golf Outing, July 2007
St. Chris 8th Grade Dance
Collections » Photos » Photos (Shared) » Thunderbolt Trail Hike @ Mt. Greylock
Thunderbolt Trail Hike @ Mt. Greylock
March, 2008; Mass.
The hike up was TOUGH. Not the sort of adventure for the weak-hearted (or unfit like me). Took a little over 90 minutes. The first 1/2 mile
was relatively flat, then the climbing began; a steady 4-5% grade. The snow was in good shape, no melting and not slushy. At about the 1 mile
point, things changed a LOT. The grade became almost impossible for me to climb, it had to be in the 25% category or more. Thank God I had my
snowshoes and decided not to wimp out and also brought my trekking poles. I made a lot of use of both, and developed new techniques for
using the snowshoe crampons (toe stepping, digging steps, etc). I had to take rest stops about every 15-20 minutes. I seriously considered
bailing out a few times, but kept reminding myself that I've been waiting for this hike for about 5 years and there was just no way I was
going to give up - I'd never forgive myself if I did. More than once, my friend Wayne popped into my head along with his famous "Warrior" pep
talk, and that played a big part in saving the day. Some of the views were worth the pain too.
Once I reached the summit, I walked around a bit enjoying the views and comparing them to summertime views. I also thought about my bike ride
up this mountain (I'm not sure which was harder). It wasn't too cold and the wind wasn't too bad. I took some pics, ate lunch, and
contemplated the journey DOWN.
So the downward trek began on a reverse-course of the way up. By this time however, the trail had gotten quite a bit of sunlight and the snow
was VERY soft. The steepest parts were on the verge of impossible to descend standing as I soon found out. The trip down was a bit faster
than I originally expected, but that's mostly because parts of it were completed sliding on my butt (yes, next time I'm bringing my ice-axe).
I forgot that I changed my starting point at the last minute in the morning, and completed my descent at the wrong trail head. The result
was OK though - I had a very nice 1+ mile walk on a relatively flat road back to my car. That walk revealed Pecks Falls so I'd say my mistake
couldn't have been a better one to have made!
Mount Greylock is located in the Berkshire Mountains, and is the highest mountain in Massachusetts. At 3,491 feet, Greylock wouldn't seem to be too remarkable, but this is actually one of the most scenic mountains in the Eastern United States. It is so inspirational that legend has it, that Greylock's long, saddle-like shape inspired Herman Melville to write "Moby Dick". He was, by all accounts, enamored with the mountain, and he even set up a special observation deck at his home (near Pittsfield) so he could view Greylock whenever he desired.
When you travel to Greylock, it is obvious why people believe the legend and why Melville went out of his way to keep the mountain in his sites. Greylock can be seen for miles around, and is a quite impressive site given that is rises nearly 2,700 feet above the surrounding town of Adams, Massachusetts. Furthermore, it's very colorful, and has a steep slope that shoots up into the sky, unlike most mountains you'll find of this height in New England. This is because Greylock is a Monadnock - a lone, isolated mountain rising steeply above the surrounding area.
Thunderbolt Trail is the shortest and consequently steepest route up or down Mt. Greylock - Massachusetts highest peak at 3,491 feet. It climbs the eastern side of the mountain, starting in the town of Adams from the Greylock Glen. The Thunderbolt Trail was originally a CCC built ski trail, and in 1936 hosted the United States Eastern Alpine Ski Championships. Its current course has been somewhat altered from the original, but is no less challenging. The Thunderbolt Foot Trail climbs gently west winding through the forest south of Hoxie Brook, and eventually the foot trail will intersect the old ski trail on your right. At about the half mile mark, the trail becomes considerably steeper and heads northwesterly towards the summit ridge. This stretch is quite broad and is recognizable as a steep, tree-lined ski run. At about the 1.5 mile mark the trail reaches the summit ridge, where you have a beautiful view upon the town of Adams from Hadley Lookout. The rocky outcroppings on the ridge line to your left (as you face downhill from Hadley's lookout) are Ragged Mountain, and Raven's Rocks (An awesome place to see Greylock on another day!) From the Hadley Lookout the trail levels considerably and bears southwest to the summit along a short stretch of the Appalachian Trail. This last stretch is approximately half a mile and during winter, affords a fine view of the monument on the summit when conditions permit. The trail passes a small stone shelter, and the summit road on the way to the top. The total vertical via this route is approximately 2,275 feet in about two miles. You should allow for 1-2 hours to summit via the Thunderbolt, and half that time to descend. In winter, add another hour to ascend. But if you just wanted the views and scenery without a challenging hike, you can drive up the mountain via the main road. Visit the Mt. Greylock for more information.
In winter, snow conditions are typically varied from under a foot at the base, to over five feet in sheltered areas on the summit ridge. Most of the snow may also be blown from the immediate vicinity of the highpoint. Personally, I would discourage winter hiking on the Thunderbolt without modern snowshoes, trekking/ski poles and/or an ice axe for self-arrest. It isn't Mount Everest, but people should be aware of sound winter travel principles any time they attempt steep terrain in frozen conditions. (DO NOT attempt this hike unless you have experience with winter hiking techniques.) (Skiers note: If you're looking for a challenge or if you're into some of the best back country skiing in all of New England you'll find it all on the Thunderbolt. The pitch is similar to what you may find on a black diamond trail at a modern resort, the trees and natural obstacles make this a more challenging run than at first it may appear. Typically, those interested in skiing the trail should wait until a bit later in winter for the base to form, and start hiking in the dark if they have any hopes of beating the locals to first tracks on a powder day! Also, a great resource for more Backcountry skiing is the New England Lost Ski Area Project: www.nelsap.org)
Thunderbolt is listed on the Mt. Greylock State park trail map, and is open year-round for hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. You are welcome to hike it in the winter even if you do not intend to ski it, but the considerate thing to do is stay in the path of those who have already ascended in order to preserve snow quality. Many skiers summit Mt. Greylock via the bellows pipe trail and descend via the Thunderbolt since the Bellows Pipe is a less difficult climb and occasionally packed by snowmobiles. There's also a great movie about the history of the Thunderbolt called "Purple Mountain Majesty" created a few years back by some locals, and the living relatives of Thunderbolt legends.
(The trail description on this page is courtesy of Ryan Auge'.
Directions: : The trailhead can be reached by traveling south on Highway 8 from the town of North Adams. On the northern side of the town of Adams, bear right onto Friend Street, follow this Friend Street (which will become West Road), and then approximately 1.5 miles will be Thiel Road. Turn right onto Thiel Rd., pass through the Jaeschke's Apple orchards and into the Geylock Glen. Thiel Road continues straight past the intersection with Gould Rd. and you can park at the end to access the Thunderbolt Trailhead.
Portions reprinted from:
- http://www.berkshirehiking.com/hikes/thunderbolt.html
- http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150465/mount-greylock.html
Perks Falls
Gould Road / Maples Road
Baby Carriage for Sale in Pittsfield


Goodbye, GLK. You were fine as a premium compact crossover, but you were so obviously a first-generation vehicle. The design didn't harmonize well with the rest of the Mercedes-Benz range, and what was up with the suspension? Anything worse than a smooth road surface showed the limitations of a fairly short wheelbase by turning the ride jiggly.
Hello, GLC, an all-new, second generation of compact crossover now based on the current (and fairly fresh) C-Class sedan, hence the C in the name. Most Mercedes-Benz SUVs are having their names changed to reflect their foundations. The new GLS, once the GL, is now positioned as a top-line "S-Class of crossovers," for example.
It must be hard to design a crossover and avoid being boxy (the vehicle, not the designer). Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz has managed to bring more than a touch of elegance to the GLC while simultaneously adding a family resemblance. The dashboard and much of the switchgear are taken from the C-Class sedan, which is hardly an issue since it's all quality stuff, both in terms of looks and materials.
This model is slightly wider and longer than its predecessor, which means plenty of space for occupants, even those in the second row, plus more room for their things. Cargo space aft of the rear seat stretches from 16.5 to 20.5 cubic feet, representing a 17 percent improvement over the GLK's volume. The rear seats fold down simply by pushing a button (expanding cargo capacity to 56.5 cubes), and there's even some handy extra stowage space under the floor. A power tailgate is standard, and hands-free operation—a sensor in the rear bumper detects a foot's movement—is on the options list.
A turbocharged four-cylinder engine brings the propulsion. It makes a highly respectable 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque from 2.0 liters of displacement. This is a common configuration these days, mostly because it works so well. It can provide enough push for most driving situations, while ever-advancing technology in engine management, direct fuel injection, and turbo manipulation can also keep consumption and emissions in check.
And that's how it happens in practice. Hills, traffic, open stretches of empty road—they can all be dealt with quickly and easily. Peak torque chimes in at just 1,300 rpm, so there's plenty of satisfying low-end punch. Being 176 pounds lighter than the GLK is also a plus. The nine-speed automatic transmission kicks down and shifts up almost imperceptibly. The GLC is the first of the family to have this gearbox, but it will also go into other Mercedes-Benz vehicles soon.
Naturally, it's not just a question of get in and set off. There are modes to consider. Dynamic Select, to be precise, affects suspension, gearshift points, steering, and throttle responses. This piece of standard equipment allows the driver to toggle through Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual. Most of it is fairly easy to grasp. The Eco mode has a hybrid-like start/stop function, and the Individual mode allows users to make a custom setting from all the various parameters.
The ride, especially in Comfort mode, is far superior to that of the GLK's. So yes, it's comfortable but also stable and controlled. Rear-wheel drive is the standard setup, and it's another couple of grand for the all-wheel-drive 4Matic version.
In both cases, grip is reassuring without actually transmitting to the driver the exact amount. Crossovers aren't usually the kind of vehicles to get an enthusiast's pulse racing, but with kids and gear on board, most drivers will be thankful for the GLC300's quiet efficiency. For even greater comfort, air suspension is an option. It lowers the tail end by 1.6 inches for easier loading, dips the ride height at freeway speeds for optimal aerodynamics, raises it a touch should anyone stray from the tarmac and onto a trail, and helps control body lean through the corners. So far, this is the only vehicle in its class to offer such a feature.
Another useful feature is Crosswind Assist, also found in Sprinter and Metris vans. It brakes individual wheels to preserve the vehicle's trajectory when things get gusty. This is also standard equipment, along with Collision Prevention Assist Plus (with the ability to brake automatically between certain parameters) and Attention Assist. For things like a head-up display, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and radar-based intelligent cruise control, it's time to consult the options, which are many and often pricey—a standard gripe when buying a German car. Even so, it's still possible to buy an example with some well-chosen extras for around $50,000, which compares well with competition like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
Plans are in place to offer diesel power and a plug-in hybrid later in 2016. There's probably even an AMG version in the works, but this model is an excellent place to start.
The all-new interior is lush, plush, and oozing with quality, just as we expect from Mercedes-Benz.
Ride quality takes a substantial leap in refinement over the GLK.
All-wheel drive and a 2.0L turbo engine make a great combination for easy, rapid progress.
This is what 20.5 cubic feet of cargo space looks like. The power tailgate has an optional dance-activated opening function.
Rear passenger space is fine for adults of average size, both terms of headroom and legroom.
Great high-resolution graphics on this 7-inch full-color display.
Beneath the plastic cover is four-cylinder engine making 241 hp, which is ample for everyday here-and-there work. We're still looking forward to an AMG version, though.


We are pleased to report some fantastic news from last night's Scottish Creative Awards. Our designers, Pocket Rocket Creative, won the Illustration Award for their wonderful work on our label for Angels' Nectar.
Our brand takes the much loved story of the Angels' Share from whisky folklore and presents it in a contemporary fashion. At the core of our label for Angels' Nectar sits an Angel shaped ethereal mist within which a series of smaller Angels can be seen enjoying their share. Getting the tone and feel of the illustration and label right was essential, and we are delighted with the result. It is fantastic that illustrator Brett Breckon and the team at Pocket Rocket Creative have been recognized publically for their efforts.
The winning design, and the prize!


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Come with me to the Vallee de Mai…
By Tobi Schorgenofer 2 years ago
Categories Mahe and Curieuse, Travel, Volunteering, Wildlife Conservation
Like most days, we started our morning with a delicious breakfast which always give us enough strength for whatever may come…at least till lunchtime. Our Trustworthy boat, called Dexter took us to Praslin, the Island on which the Vallée De Mai National park has its home.
In an overcrowded bus, which is always the case if you are a group with 10 people, and fifteen typical bumpy minutes later we arrived at the bus station just in front the entrance of Vallée De Mai. Surrounded by these well-known green trees it almost looks like the first steps into Jurassic park itself! We were greeted by Megan. She`s doing an internship here with SIF (Seychelles Island Foundation). Her main goal is to help with rejuvenating the Coco de Mer Plant. We were able to have her as our own personal guide in Vallée De Mai. Vallée De Mai is an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983 and so recognizing its outstanding value. Six years later the SIF took over the stewardship of Vallée De Mai.
The Goal of SIF is to protect and manage this Forest, to build perfect opportunities for research, education and tourism. We walked down this very special pathway through the jungle, always finding something new in this Coco de Mer Forest. The Coco de Mer are a lot taller here than over on "our" Island. While we had the help of ladders they only use ropes to find their way to the top for taking the necessary measurements!
At some point Megan said her goodbyes and left us. We finished our little hike trying to spot all the different geckos, birds or fruits. Back at the start we relaxed a little bit at the café (which serves an awesome banana milkshake by the way) and waited for our bus which should be here in 50 Seychelles minutes (+/- 10 Minutes ).
On our way back to Dexter and Curieuse I thought a lot about these so very important protected areas and how everyone can and should deliver his part to preserve these last beauties on earth. Research, spreading awareness, donating or even help GVI on one of their many, many projects around the world….I guess it doesn't matter.
I'm Tobi from Switzerland. Thanks for joining me on this Short Journey.


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Home Tech Discovered new variation of banking malware active 14 years ago
Discovered new variation of banking malware active 14 years ago
Leonard Manson
Malwarebytes Labs and Proofpoints, cybersecurity companies, have discovered a new fork of banking malware ZLoader, active for 14 years. Actions in this regard were found in attempts to bait via e-mail, browser extensions, activation of Microsoft Office 365 files, among others.
According to a report by Malwarebytes Labs, the new criminal system based on the illegal software ZeuS had activities observed in November 2019, under the nickname "Silent Night" – possibly in reference to the biochemical weapon of the 2002 film Triple X.
A Proofpoints study captured more than 100 such attempts since January 1, 2020 against targets in the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland and Australia. They even appeared under fake covid-19 scam prevention emails, as well as sales of tests for the disease.
The company reports that the current version has some aspects similar to the original ZLoader, last identified in 2018, in terms of functionality and network traffic. However, the latest one does not include code hiding, encryption style and other advanced features of the base program. This explains the fact that it is not an update of the first type of malware, but a fork of the edition of two years ago.
This variant works in the same way as other banking software: there is always a downloadable file with a built-in installer, which searches for a main malicious module to inject various running processes. From this operation, the victim's computer is hacked to obtain financial information, passwords and cookie data.
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text:
Why Kaplan
New YorkPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaInstructors
Accounting Continuing Education Instructors and Faculty
A program is only as good as the people who create and deliver it. That is why we have put the time and resources into ensuring our team of Accounting CPE and Professional Devlopment instructors are industry leaders.
Chris Beaulieu
Chris Beaulieu is Tax Director and a Partner with the firm of FSB&W, LLC. Chris has been a tax partner with over 30 years of experience working exclusively with private companies and their owners. Chris has worked with a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, professional services and auto dealerships. He has special expertise in the areas of entity structuring and restructuring to capitalize on favorable tax positions. Chris also has extensive experience in state and local taxation and dealing with state taxing authorities.
Jim Blair
Jim Blair is a 35-year veteran of the Social Security administration and co-owner of Premier Social Security Consulting. Jim has worked as a service representative (helping individuals who are having problems with their Social Security benefits), a claims representative (taking claims for retirement, survivors, disability, and health insurance), an operations supervisor, and a district manager running the Piqua, Ohio, Social Security office. He retired in January 2010.
Bernard Brown, CPA
Bernie Brown, CPA, licensed as a CPA in Delaware, is a discussion leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute. Bernie is a fractional CFO with Brown & Associates, LLC, a firm specializing in the improvement of small to mid-size businesses' bottom lines through strategy, improved execution, and better team dynamics. With more than 30 years of experience as a CFO, VP of Finance, Treasurer, and Risk Manager, Bernie has participated in fast-growing multi-national businesses. He has significant hands-on experience with bank relationships, reorganizations, cost reductions, acquisitions, and divestitures.
Don Paul Cochran, JD, CPA
Don Paul Cochran, licensed as a CPA in Minnesota and Iowa, has practiced law in both states for over 39 years. He is currently in solo practice of law in Apple Valley, MN, on tax, estate planning, and small business organization and management. His professional experiences include being a CPA with the Small and Emerging Business practice of then Big 8 accounting firm, Touche Ross, in Bloomington, MN, the Vice President of Tax for an operating limited partnership, and CFO with privately- and publicly-held companies. He also worked as an advanced sales consultant with Securian Financial, Nationwide Financial, and Pacific Life Insurance Company's Annuity and Mutual Fund division, providing advanced planning support for financial advisors on issues of financial and estate planning for small- to medium-sized businesses and wealthy individuals.
Salvatore A. Collemi, CPA
Salvatore A. Collemi, licensed as a CPA in New York and New Jersey, is the Managing Member and Founder of Collemi Consulting and Advisory Services, LLC, where he relies on over two decades of global business experience to guide US and international public accounting firms, litigation attorneys, valuation experts, the C-suite, and related institutions that support the profession in order to promote and enhance audit quality.
Catherine Eason, CPA
Catherine Eason, CPA, is a licensed accountant in North Carolina and has worked in the public arena for 38 years in various roles as a college professor, accountant, continuing education presenter, and a fundraiser for several charitable organizations. She taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte for 13 years, undergraduate at the Citadel for 3 years, and continuing education courses in various states for tax and divorce issues. As a minister's wife, she endeavors to help ministers understand and work through the complex issues related to clergy tax. She has extensive experience working with executive management and clientele in an environment of integrity and confidentiality where mediation and conflict resolution are priority.
Richard Ferdinand, CPA
Rich Ferdinand, CPA, specializes in providing financial and general management services to the small- and medium-sized business markets (SMBs).
Mr. Ferdinand has served as Chief Financial Officer ranging from full time, interim or on a consulting basis for companies in various industries that are either early stage or mature, as well as requiring turnaround assistance.
Allen L. Fetterman, CPA, MBA
Allen L. Fetterman, licensed as a CPA in New York, has been a discussion leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute, for 15 years. He lectures extensively throughout the country on not-for-profit accounting, auditing, single audits, tax-exempt issues, and governance. He has received the AICPA's Outstanding Discussion Leader Award and has written articles published in national accounting periodicals on accounting and taxes for not-for-profit organizations.
John M. Fleming, CPA, MBA
John M. Fleming, licensed as a CPA in Pennsylvania, has served as the Director of Content Development for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by SmartPros, and also as President and Director of Accounting and Auditing for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute. John retired on October 1, 2017. In retirement, John continues to provide seminars as a discussion leader on a part-time basis.
Tom Gancarski, CPA
Tom Gancarski is a consultant at a cybersecurity-focused CPA firm, where he specializes in data privacy, risk management, and security compliance engagements relating to SOC 2, GDPR, HITRUST, Privacy Shield, and similar regulations/frameworks. Prior roles include regulatory compliance and risk management positions at Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and BNY Mellon. He also worked as an auditor at a regional consulting firm.
Robert Gilwee, CPA
Robert Gilwee, licensed as a CPA in Maryland, is a tax partner in the accounting firm of Grandizio, Wilkins, Little & Matthews, LLP. He has over 35 years of practice experience in taxation. His primary areas of expertise are income, estate, and international taxation. He has previously held positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG Peat Marwick, and Deloitte and Touche. His background includes assistance in resolving tax-structuring issues using LLCs, S corporations, and so on.
Kenneth Heaslip, MS, MBA, CPA, CGMA
Kenneth Heaslip, licensed as a CPA in New Jersey, has extensive experience teaching all levels of accounting, auditing, and in other practice-related areas. He is an active member of the NJCPA, where he has served in positions such as Vice President, Trustee Chapter President, Committee Chair, and Task Force Chair. Kenn currently serves on the NJCPA Professional Conduct Committee and is a Director at Cullari Carrico LLC, a regional CPA firm in Northern New Jersey.
Bonnie Kennedy, CPA
Bonnie Kennedy, licensed as a CPA in Rhode Island, is a Group Practice Leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute, and has over 25 years of experience in the accounting profession. In her current role as a member of the faculty at Salve Regina University, Bonnie teaches a variety of accounting and financial management courses and has published articles in scholarly journals.
Rebecca M. Lee, CPA, CGMA
Rebecca Lee, licensed as a CPA in Alabama and South Carolina, is a Group Practice Leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute, and a founding Principal with Brooke, Freeman & Lee. She serves as the assurance, quality control, and compliance principal with responsibilities for the audit practice.
Joseph E. Manfré, CPA
Joseph E. Manfré, licensed as a CPA in New York, is a discussion leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute. He is the Founder and President of Manfre CPA P.C., A Professional Corporation, located in Armonk, New York. While the services his firm offers to individuals and businesses are diverse, their specialization focuses on servicing the needs of multi- and single-employer employee benefit plans and labor unions. Joe is licensed in the State of New York and has been servicing the needs of single-employer and multi-employer benefit plans for most of his 40-year career in accounting. He previously was the chairman of the NYSSCPAS Employee Benefits Committee and has been a speaker on audits of employee benefit plans at their annual conference. Joe is also referred to by the NYSSCPA hotline for audit and tax related questions on employee benefit plans.
Mark D. Mishler, MBA, CPA, CMA
Mark D. Mishler, licensed as a CPA in Ohio, has ten years of experience as a discussion leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute. His professional career includes Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Controller, and Chief Information Officer roles with publicly traded and private equity companies.
James J. Newhard, CPA
James J. Newhard is a discussion leader of continuing professional education (CPE), teaching practitioner A&A and tax, professional and tax ethics, and small firm best practices. Jim has authored and provides technical review of several programs for Kaplan Financial Education.
Randy C. Newton, CPA, CVA
Randy C. Newton, licensed as a CPA in North Carolina and South Carolina, is president and founder of Newton CPA, PLLC. Randy's area of expertise is in Corporate, Partnership, and Individual Income Tax Preparation, utilizing a proactive tax planning model that streamlines, simplifies, and works to reduce tax liabilities for small taxpayers. In addition, he specializes in IRS representation work plus tax planning and research. Prior to the creation of his own firm, Randy worked with First Union National Bank (now Wells Fargo) in their Corporate Accounting and Capital Markets Divisions.
Mark J. Patrick, CPA
Mark J. Patrick, licensed as a CPA in Ohio, is a Principle with Packer Thomas, a leading regional certified public accounting and business consulting firm. He has 28 years of experience specializing in taxation and has developed expertise in corporate and partnership tax issues. In addition, he has extensive knowledge in business valuations and litigation support. Mark is a strong proponent of "face-to-face" involvement with his clients in order to provide proactive planning and to take advantage of new developments in the tax law.
David R. Peters, CPA, CFP, CLU, CPCU, MST, MBA
David Peters is the Founder and Owner of Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting in Richmond, VA, as well as a Financial Advisor for Carroll Financial Associates in Charlotte, NC. He has over 14 years of experience in financial services, including 3 years in the hedge fund industry and 6 years in the insurance industry.
Nick Preusch, CPA, JD, LLM
Nick Preusch's primary focus is performing tax services for high wealth individuals and mid-to-large business entities. Nick's responsibilities include tax research related to complex business transactions and tax return preparation and review. He also works closely with businesses and individuals to find tax efficiencies through ever-changing tax legislation.
J. Michael Pusey, CPA
J. Michael Pusey is National Tax Director with Rojas and Associates, CPAs. Mike has a BBA and Master of Science in Accounting from Texas Tech where he graduated with honors. He planned to be an accounting professor and worked a year on the PhD at the University of Arizona before beginning his career at KPMG Peat Marwick. Mike won an award for high grades on the CPA exam.
Joel Rosenfeld
Joel Rosenfeld is a managing partner of JIR Consulting Co, LLC, in West Orange, New Jersey, providing consulting to the real estate industry. Joel was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU, Schack Real Estate Institute, Graduate Program. Presently, Joel is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Fordham University, teaching real estate taxation in the Graduate School. Joel was a CPA for 43 years with extensive experience in real estate accounting and taxation. Joel serves as a special consultant to the New York Times on real estate matters. Besides teaching at NYU, Joel has previously presented programs for AICPA conferences and NAIOP seminars. He is a licensed New Jersey instructor, providing CPE to commercial real estate brokers/salespersons and has been published in multiple real estate publications and is the author of Principles of Real Estate Accounting and Taxation, a textbook used by many universities.
Howard Sibelman, CPA, MBT
As the former Education Director for Crowe Horwath International, Howard provided leadership on audit methodology, the CaseWare CH International Audit Template, training initiatives and accounting and auditing technical support to the CH International members.
Nina Sorelle, CPA
Nina Sorelle, licensed as a CPA in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is a Partner with Bowman & Company LLP, and is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. She holds a BS degree in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude, from Glassboro State College (currently Rowan University). Nina received a Certificate of Educational Achievement in Governmental Accounting and Auditing from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also received the Advanced Single Audit Certificate from the AICPA.
Dr. Sean Stein Smith, DBA, CPA, CMA, CGMA, CFE
Dr. Sean Stein Smith is an expert and sought-after speaker focusing on the intersection of financial services, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies. He is a regular contributor to IBM's Blockchain Unleashed website, analyzing applications for blockchain technology on business at large, as well as being a regular expert guest on China Global TV Network discussing blockchain and related applications.
Marci Thomas, MHA, CPA, CGMA
Marci Thomas is an author and presenter on various not-for-profit, auditing, internal control, healthcare, and governmental topics to nonprofits, CPA firms, and state societies of CPAs around the country. She also writes and teaches courses in governance, financial management, grants accounting, strategy, and various operational topics. Marci is a clinical assistant professor in the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel. She works with numerous accounting firms, performing quality control and efficiency reviews and with nonprofit boards on strategic planning, internal control, and governance issues.
Dale Tuttle
Dale Tuttle is a partner and the Practice Leader for Withum Digital, part of the Advisory group at WithumSmithBrown. Dale has more than 20 years of experience building and operating information technology services firms. At Withum, he works closely with other partners to grow Withum's cloud-focused IT consulting business. Areas of specialty include Office 365, data analytics, robotic process automation, and advanced solutions such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Stanley P. Wirtheim, CPA
Stanley P. Wirtheim, licensed as a CPA in New York and Florida, has been in public practice his entire career. Formerly a partner at a Long Island-based accounting firm, he headed the SEC practice and was the firm's quality control manager.
Christa M. Yantis, CPA, CFE, CEBS, ACI
Christa M. Yantis, licensed as a CPA in South Carolina, is a discussion leader for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute, and member with Moss & Yantis CPA PA, focusing on the performances of attest engagements, including the audits of employee benefit plans and non-profit organizations. She is also an adjunct professor at the Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Edward K. Zollars, CPA
Edward K. Zollars, licensed as a CPA in Arizona, is in public practice in Phoenix, Arizona, as a partner with the firm of Thomas, Zollars & Lynch, Ltd. He specializes in tax issues for closely held businesses and individuals. He has served on committees with the AICPA Tax Section and currently serves on the Arizona Society of CPAs legislative tax liaison committee.
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The U10 is a further development of the U8, produced at the same build quality but featuring the extended playing range provided by 10 strings. It's also the only stereophonic Touch Guitar, aimed at players who might wish to focus on and differentiate the instrument's polyphonic abilities.
The U10 features a similar body to the U8 (slightly smaller than that of the U8 Deluxe), a wider neck to accommodate the greater string range, a single pickup arrangement, and passive electronics. While it remains true to the original Touch Guitar concept of a single self-contained full-range instrument, its design also allows for separate output of the two "bass" and "guitar" ranges if desired. This is achieved via a split stereophonic pickup and a two-plug output socket through which each range is processed separately, plus individual volume controls for each of the two ranges.
As with all Touch Guitars®, construction and finishing options (from wood types used through to custom paint and varnish) are discussed with and chosen by the customer, as part of the custom-creation process.
34″ (86 cm) scale length (smaller and lighter than a regular bass guitar, similar feel and heft to a baritone guitar).
Extremely well balanced (stays stable in all playing positions).
10 strings with default tuning of D G C F Bb | C G D A C (although any tuning is possible).
ABM Custom Bridge with string-through-body system.
Damping system on 1st fret (extremely well balanced, stays in place in all positions, but can also be removed easily if necessary).
Pickup: 1 x Touch Guitars® Custom Split 5/5 Pickup by Bassculture.
Controls: volume (bass side), volume (guitar side).
Default two-plug stereophonic output (switches to mono automatically when only one plug is inserted).
Finish: default natural clear or sunburst finish (with any other paint and varnish option available, via individual arrangement with customer).