text:
Andrea Silver of Dig It Up & Whiskey Trench
Photo by Megan Moore of Dig It Up
Full name: Andrea Silver
Nickname: hmmm don't really have a regular nickname, but Angry was popular for a little while.
Hometown: Lorraine, Quebec
Where do you live now: Montreal, Quebec
What do you do for a living: Dental Receptionist (pays well and getting time off to tour is too easy!)
Bands You were in: Summer of George, Explode and Rebuild, Switzerland
Bands You are currently in: Dig It Up, Whiskey Trench
Tom Tom Magazine: How long have you been playing drums?
Andrea Silver: 13 going on 14 years. I started when I was 11.
TTM: Did you take lessons or are you self-taught?
AS: Self-taught all the way through. I basically learned by listening to a ton of music and watching music videos or concert videos and paying attention to nothing but the drums. I'm actually really bad at remembering lyrics to songs because i'm only really listening to drums, haha!
TTM: Did you like to dance a lot as a kid? Did you always have a natural rhythm?
AS: Good question! I think I was always a hyper kid, so dancing was probably involved! But there was never a moment when my parents realized I had any sort of natural rhythm to be honest, I'm a terrible dancer.
TTM: How long have you been in whiskey trench for?
AS: Since December 2009. They asked me to do that weekend in New York and I was so stoked they asked me. Whiskey Trench have been a name in Montréal for a while and it was so exciting for me to actually become a part of it. I was originally just a filler but after that weekend, they asked me to play the rest of the shows they had lined up. I couldn't be happier with how things worked out. I really enjoy playing with those guys.
TTM: Have you always been in bands or did you ever take a hiatus?
AS: I started playing in bands in grade 8. My High School had a yearly concert called "The Jam Session" (haha) and students would get together and create cover bands. My first experience on stage was playing a Smashing Pumpkins cover in front of the entire student body. But my first REAL band was out of high school, playing in a punk band with some friends
TTM: Is the punk drum beat your favorite to play?
AS: I enjoy it, I mean all the bands I've played in are "punk-derived." I actually really have fun playing funk/r&b/hip-hop a lot.
TTM: Is that more fun to play than punk?
AS: It can be. If you start getting into a good groove, it's almost like dancing. Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of fun playing punk. It's a great opportunity to just lose it, get out some frustrations. But I think it's really important to have a good amount of variety in what I'm able to play.
TTM: Have you ever been in any all-girl bands?
AS: No! Unfortunately not. I played in a band for about 5 months last year with 3 other girls and 1 guy. So I guess that would be the closest thing.
TTM: That counts! Have you experienced any discrimination as a lady drummer? Or any set-backs?
AS: None. I think if anything, sometimes being a female drummer has it's advantages. I hate to play the gender card, but my band(s) sometimes get a little more attention BECAUSE there's a female drummer. I think a lot of times there might be an expectation of me not being a very capable drummer and that's really unfortunate. There are so many talented female drummers out there! But in all the shows I've played, I think I've only shared the bill with another female drummer, maybe 3 times. So that might be why people are curious and maybe pessimistic when they see me get on the stage. So I try even harder to break down those false expectations of me sucking!
TTM: Do you have any favorite drummers, or admire any female drummers in particular?
AS: I'm sort of embarrassed…most of my favorite drummers are male. I just saw the Bronx last night and i think Jorma Vik is one of the most impressive drummers I've seen play in a while. Mariachi el Bronx played before and he was playing on this amazing stand up kit. It was unreal the stuff he was playing. I like classic Spanish drum beats; that's what I mean about variation. Derek Grant from Alkaline Trio, ?uestlove, etc.
TTM: And your favorite bands?
AS: Oh boy. The Bronx are definitely a favorite, A Wilhelm Scream. [Those are] definitely two favorite "punk-rock" bands. Their performances are something everyone needs to see once in their lives.
TTM: What is your set-up like?
AS: Very, very simple: 4 piece, 1 crash, 1 crash ride, hi-hats. I could actually do without the crash. I've never been one for really elaborate kits. The kit I used in those high school concerts was, like, a 15-piece kit with a ridiculous amount of cymbals. i didn't touch half of it! I really like the set up/tear down process. I never take a helping hand. I just really enjoy doing it myself.
TTM: That's awesome. Usually the drummer is doing so much of the setting up and it seems annoying to do. It's good you actually enjoy it. Do you have any other hobbies?
AS: I love it! Sometimes I make it a challenge to try and do it as quickly and efficiently as possible. As if I'm in some sort of contest. Haha, silly I know. I draw and paint. I do a lot of the designs for my band. Tee shirts, flyers, etc.
TTM: You've always done artwork for the bands you've played in?
AS: Yeah, it's always been a reason for me to sit down and draw. Dig it Up was the first band I was in to actually have tee shirts! I started getting into doing flyers, and I did a couple designs on my bass drum. Then I started getting asked to do flyers, tee shirts and actually a whole album design for my friends' bands! I would love to do that for a living. spread the word!
TTM: I will! Do you play any other instruments?
AS: I wish. I fool around on guitar here and there but nothing serious. I would love to really sit down and learn another instrument. Piano would be amazing. but I would one day love to play guitar or bass in a band. Just being up front, pulling sick moves, haha. Sitting down gets a little old sometimes, but I definitely keep up the energy.
Exclusive Interview for Tom Tom Magazine by: Lindsay Cain
Lindsay Cain hails from Lindenhurst, NY. She studied Journalism and Women's Studies at CUNY Brooklyn College. Lindsay interned for BUST Magazine in 2008 and wrote for Under the Volcano, a long island-based Punk 'zine for close to five years. She now educates in a public school near her home town and is planning on going to Grad school to study Teaching English to Students of Other Languages and Special Education.
Photos courtesy of drummer
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YES! Awexome interview. So pumped to see you guys this summer.


Kawaihae Village is located on the northwestern Kohala Coast on The Big Island. This small country town is just minutes from the warm, sunny white sand beaches of the Kohala Coast, including Mauna Key Beach and Waikoloa Beach Resort. Kawaihae is home to the Garden of Pua Mau Place, which is located on the west slope of the Kohala Mountains. This impressive botanical garden has beautiful mountain and ocean views, and interesting ravines that slice through the Earth. The garden contains original sculptures, huge lava boulders, and a variety of everblooming tropical flowers, as well as a Hibiscus Maze. The park also contains The Magic Circle, which is an interesting collection of large stones based on the standing stone circles of the Celtic region of the British Isles. A ten-minute drive up the Kohala Mountains takes you to Waimea, home to Parker Ranch, beautiful boutiques and great restaurants. You will find Kawaihae to be a good central location to base your Big Island vacation, with its remote country charm being just a short drive to the island's finest resorts and restaurants, championship golf courses, hiking, snorkeling, sailboat rentals and kayak rentals, surfing, beachcombing and more!
The closest airports in the area are the Waimea Kohala airport (MUE) located about 10 miles southeast of Kawaihae in Kamuela, Hawaii, the Kona International At Keahole airport (KOA) located approximately 25 miles southwest of Kawaihae in Kailua / Kona, Hawaii, the Hilo International airport (ITO) located roughly 55 miles southeast of Kawaihae in Hilo, Hawaii, and finally the Kahului airport (OGG) located around 70 miles northwest of Kawaihae in Kahului, Hawaii.
Hapuna Beach State Park HI 3.6 mi.
Kona Coast State Park HI 20.9 mi.
Mauna Kea State Park HI 28.5 mi.


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text:
WBASNY WNY Membership
Gretchen Gonzalez
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: State Delegate
E-mail: gretchengonz@gmail.com
GRETCHEN GONZALEZ, State Delegate, joined the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) in 2012. As a Staff Attorney, Ms. Gonzalez provides free civil legal services to families and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. Her cases have involved family law proceedings, matrimonial cases, SSI/SSD appeals, debtor/creditor cases, and end of life planning. In addition, she provides in house training for local service providers on HIV Confidentiality Law and HIPAA as it relates to HIV/AIDS.
Prior to joining VLP, Ms. Gonzalez worked in New York City as a trial attorney in the housing unit of both Queens Legal Services and the Legal Aid Society's Harlem Community Law Office. She was a member of the New York City Family Eviction Prevention Subsidy team and represented individual clients in all aspects of nonpayment and holdover cases as well as Section 8 and Public Housing terminations and appeals.
In 2011, Ms. Gonzalez was appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Pfau to the New York City Advisory Council on Housing Court where she served as the tenant representative in the appointment of housing court judges.
Ms. Gonzalez has also worked as a Staff Attorney with the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project where she represented clients with severe and persistent mental illness in Medicaid and Social Security hearings. She has clerked with the ACLU National LGBT Rights Project and Children's Legal Services.
Ms. Gonzalez holds an MA in Psychology, cum laude, from City University of New York Hunter College, and a Bachelors of Arts and Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Boston University.
Ms. Gonzalez is happy to be living in her hometown of Amherst NY with her husband. She is a member of the Junior League of Buffalo, An Ambassador for Planned Parenthood of Western New York and sits on the Continuum of Care Project Review Committee for the Homeless Alliance of Western New York.
Annual Awards and Scholarship
WBASNY WNY Celebrates 35 Years
Judicial Welcoming Ceremony
8 Minute Networking
Judge's Choice
The Western New York Chapter of WBASNY
P.O. Box 1012, Niagara Square Station, Buffalo, NY 14201-1012
contact@wbasnywny.org
© 2016 The Western New York Chapter of WBASNY

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is the touristy stuff really worth doing?
1. Pedi cabs: I agree this is a DON'T. Same goes for those black town cars who honk at you when it's raining and you're desperate for a cab. Rip-off city, folks.
2. Hot dog carts: I haven't died yet. That said, the last pretzel and churro I had were cold and stale —and the pretzel guy was out of salt, wtf. Stick to the hot dogs these days!
3. Top of the Empire State: When I last went, the guy at the kiosk was like, "Where are you from?" From here, I said. "Then why are you here?" And I was all, "Wait, what?" Why would I not want to see this view just because I live here? Be prepared to wait in lines no matter when you go, but it's all part of the fun. Embrace the tourists…breathe…embrace the tourists.
4. Cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery: The quintessential do! They are fantastic. Go when it's nice out so you can sit across the street on the little park benches. Bring a bottle of water, because you'll be dying of thirst after all that sugar.
5. Carriage ride in Central Park: Up to you. If you want to spend the money, go for it! This is your life, right? Not a dress rehearsal. And hey, you can always try to bargain with the guy — you never know.
6. Restaurants in Times Square: A probable don't, with the possible exception of the on-the-rocks margarita from the bar at Applebees. Good view and a good value — you can fill the martini glass like four times (they give you the extra from the shaker). And I've always heard that it's legit fun to hit up the Olive Garden. Aren't we all a sucker for those breadsticks?
8. Century 21: Tons of people swear by it. I hated it. Don't! TJ Maxx and Filene's are way better, less crowded and in a more convenient location. If you're in Queens, the Ross out there is good too! Recently scored a $20 J.Crew-inspired dress.
9. The Meatpacking District: Do! It's gorgeous down there with just the right touch of glamour. Dinner at Paradou followed by drinks and dancing at Gaslight is a perfect evening.
…Wait, a list of nine? What's that about?
Fill in 10 for me in the comments. GO!
TV and Movie Sites Tour giveaway!
It took me three years to lay eyes on this famous cinematic site! Can anyone ID it?
Even those who have been in the city for years can learn something on this tour. It's a great way to see the city, and steps above an MTA bus, to be sure. The buses are clean, cozy and (my favorite) have footrests!
Our pleasant tour guide, Kymberly Tuttle, made the experience delightful, even though it was rainy and cold out. Also a working actress, Kym was effortlessly funny and an expert guide. Three hours flew by, and we were never bored.
For a bus tour that could have been really cheesy, too long and not interesting, this was anything but. She even made me want to sing a few TV theme songs — and I'm not the type!
• 1 entry just for completing this form.
• 1 entry for following NewNewYorkers on Twitter.
• 1 entry entry for posting about this giveaway on your blog.


G-Shock is a brand of watches manufactured by Casio.
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G-Shock logo image sizes: 1000 x 1000 pixels. Format: png. Filesize: 44 KB.
Please warn us if you consider G-Shock logo to be incorrect, obsolete or having wrong description.


text:
Translator Interview: Megan Shank
Megan Shank has a background in journalism (both freelance and as former editor of Newsweek Select in Shanghai). She has recently relocated to New York City after living in both Dalian and Shanghai. She also keeps a blog. This is the sixth and final interview in a series entitled The Many Paths to Translation Work.
1. What formal Chinese study programs have you participated in?
I'm primarily self-taught (many hours writing and rewriting characters at the kitchen table) and have also worked with some tutors. For two semesters, I took advanced intermediate Chinese classes at the Dalian Foreign Languages University. I never took a translation class, though I'm still interested in enrolling in some sort of program to improve my skill and speed.
2. How has living in China helped prepare you to become a translator?
For me, living in China has proved essential to my Mandarin studies. Opportunities abound for students to directly apply and test what they're learning; they can use the language to create real connections. In terms of reading and writing, the characters fly out at you on the street, on a menu, in the subtitles of the late-night news. They dazzle and envelop you; you can't escape them. Finally, in my experience, I've discovered the Chinese love their language. People from cabbies to park-side chess sharks have patiently drawn out characters for me on their palms and explained the radicals. I owe much to these patient and priceless—literally free—teachers.
3. How did you start working as a translator? How did you know you were ready?
The first piece I translated for publication was a compilation of Chinese blog posts protesting the Chinese Net Nanny. It was to accompany a feature I wrote for Global Journalist. At that time, I didn't know about all the great online resources for translation, so I did it all by hand with one of those little red dictionaries. It was challenging, but I didn't really question whether I was ready or not—I just did it.
4. What were the major challenges you faced when you first started translating?
I would become fatigued, and my speed was abysmal. I'm still more careful than I am quick. Learning how to efficiently transform chunky passive-voice sentences into readable English text took some practice. As a writer and editor that passive construction irked me; similarly, I had to get over the superfluous use of adjectives in most Chinese writing and stick to my job—to translate rather than question the writing.
5. Can you tell about any particularly challenging translation job you've done?
I think the most challenging translation jobs I did were for Newsweek Select, the now-defunct Chinese-language edition of Newsweek and my former employer. We'd face big turnover in a tight amount of time, and much of the work was financial columns—not my forte, though I've worked on it. Luckily, I had a great team of freelance translators—like Brendan O'Kane, John Biesnecker, Micah Sittig and Even Pay—that I could solicit for help.
6. How have recent technological advancements affected your work as a translator?
I love Google Translate to search for names of companies and other arcane phrases. I'm also a huge fan of Nciku.com and XueZhongwen.net.
7. How do you see the state of Chinese-English translation in China?
I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the market for it, but I'm interested in exploring that question since I'm on the lookout for work again.
8. What kinds of material do you love translating? What do you hate translating?
I love to translate news, commentary and policy reports; I could probably happily live the rest of my life without translating another Chinese luxury villas advertisement, though even those can be a gas sometimes.
Megan writes on Megan Shank dot com, and you can contact her there regarding relevant projects.
interviewmegantranslation
Little Cheese Says: April 10, 2009 at 4:13 am
Great interview! It's interesting to hear about all different kinds of translators. This series has inspired me to 继续努力得学中文!
Kevin Says: April 10, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I agree! I come back to Sinosplice every now and again to check up, even though I lapsed somewhat in my Chinese studies for a few years (after marrying a Chinese woman, go figure) and it's funny how this series sort of coincided with my decision to take some formal courses at the college level to start learning reading and writing characters. I have a pretty good base of spoken language, intermediate by Chinesepod standards I guess, but never learned the reading and writing of characters. I think learning that is really going to help me expand my vocabulary via reading, in addition to what I learn by watching/listening. It's fun to see these people putting the knowledge to practical use and see how they got to where they are now.
Dan Says: April 13, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Don't stop….. I loved the series.
jacob Says: April 16, 2009 at 3:08 pm
these are really good !!
thanks John ! 🙂


When the seasons change, and the days and nights get cooler, its the perfect time to bundle up in a cozy embroidered sweatshirt. With thousands of embroidery designs to choose from, your perfect sweatshirt is just stitches away. Watch this embroidery video tutorial for tips on the process. Embroidered sweatshirts make great gifts!


The two openly lesbian Ellens, Canadian actress-activist Ellen Page and American TV host-comic Ellen DeGeneres, recently met up for a chat in an episode of the latter's eponymous talk show and discussed matters that are important to the LGBTQ community.
"Sometimes, we just keep our heads down and try to do what we can," DeGeneres said of not being as outspoken as Page, who recently called out American Vice President Mike Pence for various antigay stances, and actor Chris Pratt, for joining a church accused of referring gay members to conversion therapy.
"We have so little representation in the media, and we don't learn about LGBTQ history in schools," lamented Page, who has been out of the closet since 2014. She is married to dancer-choreographer Emma Portner.
"These are the things that we need. You know what it's like, Ellen," Page told DeGeneres, who publicly came out in 1997.
"I do," responded DeGeneres, whose wife is actress Portia de Rossi.


Well my long-anticipated Spring Break is finally over. I traded in my couple hours every morning of listening to waves crash on the sand in favor of the passing cars on the busy street outside my window.
Like so many other times, I built up expectations in my head of what the week would look like, and its funny how those rarely line up with real life. The best part? Real life is much better.
If I don't let go of my plans and my ideas, I miss out on the even bigger and better plans God has waiting for me if I only choose to step outside my little bubble I've created.
Is it terrifying to let go? A hundred times yes. Will it be worth it at the end? My experience says yes.
Oh how precious it is that we have a God who hears us and tells us to come find Him with all our heart! The idea of all of who we are - every single little piece of ourselves - whether we think its significant or not, He asks us to bring to Him. Its to experience true freedom.
As you go throughout your day, join me in looking beyond what we've imagined life to be so we can find the story God is writing upon our hearts and live it out.
The best is truly yet to come.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
RBS 2016 AGM
/ May
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc will hold its Annual General Meeting at 2.00pm on Wednesday 4 May. The meeting will deal with the proposed resolutions as set out in the Notice previously issued to shareholders.
The following are extracts of the speeches to be made by Howard Davies, Chairman, and Ross McEwan, Chief Executive, at the meeting.
Click here to read Chairman Howard Davies' speech
I will begin with some remarks on governance and strategy, and will then invite our Chief Executive, Ross McEwan, to talk about the progress the business has made in the last twelve months.
First, I wish to thank my predecessor, Philip Hampton, who stepped down last August after seven years in the chair. He led the Board and the Group through a very difficult period, and we are all grateful to him for the calm and careful way he did so.
In the rest of the Boardroom, after a lot of change in recent years, a period of stability has been helpful. I pay particular tribute to Sandy Crombie, the Senior Independent Director, who has helped me enormously in my induction to RBS, and indeed to the Edinburgh community. As a result, the chairmanship transition has proceeded smoothly.
Turning to strategy, that remains largely unchanged from last year. I can reaffirm the Board's commitment to refocusing the bank on its core retail and commercial franchises in the UK and Ireland. Our overseas presence has been significantly reduced, and is now largely justified by its relevance to our clients in the British Isles. We aim to build a strong and stable bank, with a core tier one capital ratio of at least 13 per cent, and a fair bank that meets customers' needs effectively.
In our results for 2015 I believe that the underlying performance over the year shows the strength – and further potential – of our core businesses, albeit issues like our conduct legacy and restructuring have taken their toll on our bottom line. So while adjusted operating profit for the year totalled £4.4 billion, we recorded a full year attributable loss of nearly £2 billion.
Our First Quarter results released last Friday underscored the strength of those core franchises and future quarters will I believe continue to show not only their value, but continued progress as we move towards our goals for 2020.
Ross will explain the progress we have made with customer facing franchises, but I would like to draw your attention to some of the major strategic developments during the year.
In October 2015 we completed the sale of Citizens Bank in the United States, at what we believe was a satisfactory price for the shareholders. We wish Citizens Bank every success as an independent entity.
We have made excellent progress too in running down our non-strategic assets during the year. Risk-weighted Assets in Capital Resolution fell from £95 billion to £50 billion during 2015. We have also completed the sale of our subsidiary in Russia, and our Luxembourg-based fund management business. In total, by the end of this restructuring process we will be focused on 13 countries.
We also succeeded in reducing the size and scope of our investment bank, whose past low profitability, in terms of return on equity, was depressing our overall returns. I note that a number of other European banks have concluded that, in very difficult markets, they also need to downsize their investment banking operations. We are pleased that we began that process rather earlier than some others, which helped to dispose of assets at prices which would be difficult to replicate today.
Against that generally positive background it is disappointing to note that the share price, as at last night's close, was 38 per cent lower than at last year's AGM. I am sure all shareholders are well aware of this, but it is important to recognise that during the same period UK bank stocks on average are down 30 per cent, and European bank stocks are also down by an average of 35 per cent. That reflects the fact that current financial conditions are difficult for all banks. When official interest rates are so low net interest margin tends to contract. And investors have been influenced by the view that in a generally softer environment for global GDP, rates seem likely to remain lower for longer.
But while there are broad market reasons for the stock's performance, neither the Board nor management sit back and accept that decline as inevitable. We know that our future lies in our own hands to a large extent, and the prospects for your company and your investment will be heavily influenced by the way we address the challenges we face.
Clearly one of the idiosyncratic features of RBS is the large government shareholding, following the bank's rescue in 2008. On that front there have been two positive developments. The sale of the first tranche of 630 million government owned shares last August was an important way point on the road to recovery. And in March this year our capital position was strong enough to allow us to repay the Dividend Access Share, another return of £1.2 billion to the tax payer.
Further returns of capital depend on our ability to resolve a number of outstanding issues which are particular to RBS.
Although last year the bank resolved a number of litigation and investigation issues, we have others still to address. The most significant of them now is the investigation, by various US regulators, both federal and state, of potential liabilities surrounding the sale of mortgage backed securities. These cases date back to 2007 and before, but we have not yet been able to reach a conclusion. We are keen to resolve these issues, but the timing is not under our control.
There are of course other cases of significance, notably the shareholder action related to the 2008 rights issue, and the Financial Conduct Authority's review of the Global Restructuring Group. I cannot forecast when the former will conclude, while on the latter the FCA have said they plan to publish their conclusions as soon as possible.
There are also two important structural issues to address: the separation of the Williams and Glyn business, and the creation of a ring-fenced bank following the legislation implementing the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking.
The European Commission mandated the full separation and divestment of Williams and Glyn by the end of 2017, as one of the conditions of the State Aid we received. As we reported last Thursday this is a very complex process, that involves standing up a full service retail and commercial bank that works seamlessly for around 2 million customers on day one.
The closer we get to delivering this, the more clarity we have on the risks and we now see a significant risk that the separation and divestment will not be fully achieved by the end of 2017. That said, we remain committed to our state aid obligation and are exploring alternative means for achieving that.
At the same time, along with other UK banks we must achieve ring-fencing by 1 January 2019. Our planning is well under way, but again it is a complex and costly IT challenge.
When we have completed all the sales of non-core businesses, and restructured the bank on the lines I have set out, around 90 per cent of our income will be generated from clients in the UK. So our fortunes are heavily influenced by the evolution of the UK economy. Recently, we have seen signs of a slowdown in investment and in retail sales. Overall growth continues, but seems likely to be a little slower than was expected last year.
The EU referendum is generating additional uncertainty. We are not one of those financial institutions whose core business depends critically on unfettered access to the EU markets, though our Irish and Western European businesses are significant. But if a vote to leave the EU leads to a slowdown in growth, as the Treasury, Bank of England and most other economic forecasters suggest, that would be an unwelcome headwind for your company. So, as a prudent business we are preparing as best we can for various potential scenarios. However, our primary responsibility is to serve and support our customers, which we will continue to do, whichever way the UK electorate ultimately votes.
I conclude by thanking you, the shareholders, for your patience and support as we continue to rebuild RBS. Our aim is to restore it to a position in which the citizens of Scotland, and the whole of the UK, can take pride in the support it gives to individuals, businesses and the economy in general.
We know there is a lot more work to do before we can say that job is done. But I can assure you that I and the rest of the Board are fully committed to the role we play in overseeing management's delivery of a refocused, profitable and socially responsible bank.
I would now like to invite Ross McEwan to report on the progress being made by individual business within the Group's portfolio.
Click here to read CEO Ross McEwan's speech
At last year's AGM I told you that in 2015 we were going to go further, faster with the implementation of Phase 2 of our strategy. That is exactly what we have done. As the Chairman alluded to, this inevitably produced a set of results for the year that were not as good as we would have liked, but the outcome is a stronger, simpler and more resilient bank.
We have continued to make strides in the right direction, moving from a global bank to one that is substantially focused on retail and commercial customers in the UK and Ireland.
As the Chairman has noted we have exited businesses that don't fit with our strategy, notably the sale of Citizens and of our international private business which is now complete. We have also exited some significant loan books, including the North American and Asia-Pacific portfolios. We are reshaping our geographic footprint to refocus on UK and Western European businesses. That is not a simple task, exiting countries is a complex process. We also completed the targeted rundown of assets within RBS Capital Resolution one year ahead of schedule. Accelerating our work on restructuring and reshaping this bank translated into a significant reduction in the risk we carry on the balance sheet; funded assets were down 21% in 2015 and RWAs down by 32% - improving our core capital ratios.
This reshaping of our balance sheet has underpinned our confidence to invest in our core customer franchises to achieve good growth through better meeting the needs of our customers. Improving customer satisfaction is a key element of our strategy. Last year we met the targets that we set for improving customer satisfaction in 6 out of 9 categories (1) . We also recorded the highest scores we have ever seen for NatWest Personal and RBS Business Banking.
In our Personal and Business Banking business, which contributed 45% of our income last year, we have continued to deepen our relationship with our customers. We have removed incentives for front line staff and ended teaser rates. This may cost us some business in the short term; but it was the right thing for our customers and it will serve us well in the longer term.
I want our products to be built around the needs of our customers - products like our new Reward current account. 'Reward', enables customers to receive 3% cashback on household bills for a monthly account fee of £3 – it's a simple product, and it gets us closer to our customers by offering them straightforward value. As we get better at meeting the needs of our customers we have seen our strongest growth in mortgages since 2009. This reflects our concerted investment in this area with a 21% increase in mortgage advisors resulting in our mortgage lending increasing by 10% last year, or £9.3 billion. Again this shows how we are using the strength of our balance sheet to serve our customers and meet their aspirations.
Commercial & Private Banking contributed 33% of income last year. Its mission is to be known as the No.1 supporter of business through our commitment to supporting business ambition and growth in the UK. We are the largest lender to SMEs, with 1 in 4 choosing to bank with us and it achieved net new lending of £1.4 billion. This is evidence of the success of our relationship banking model, designed to support our customers through the cycle, and of the investment we are making in our people - 3500 of our commercial bankers going through a new Lending Skills Programme. We want our customers to know that we are there for them when they need finance for their businesses, so last year the Commercial Bank issued 12,500 'statement of appetite' letters to our customers, offering up to £8 billion of new borrowing facilities.
We have also developed a number of initiatives and packages of support for entrepreneurs and businesses: we have delivered an incubator spin-out service for tech businesses born out of the cutting edge work UK universities are doing, as well as new products such as an R&D tax credit bridge-over loan. Alongside this we are embedding and growing our partnership with Entrepreneurial Spark, the world's largest free business accelerator. By the end of this year we will have 12 hubs across the country supporting fledgling businesses. Our HQ here in Edinburgh has been refurbished and we recently launched our hatchery right here to support hundreds of entrepreneurs with free business advice, facilities, and access to the bank's networks and suppliers.
Across the sector investment banks have had a tough time recently. Whilst our Corporate & Institutional Bank has underperformed it is undergoing a multi-year transformation. And it was always going to be the case that income would reduce more quickly than we could reduce costs. The market volatility we experienced at the start of this year supports my conviction that we were exactly right to move quicker than our peers to reduce our product set, reduce locations and reduce our client base. Three years ago, an external environment, like we have had last quarter would have had a much bigger impact on our overall results.
In 2014, and again in 2015, we set out five priorities for the year – and then delivered against them. The ambition is exactly the same this year across the five areas:
Strength and sustainability: maintain bank Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 13%.
Customer experience: narrow the gap to No.1 for Net Promoter Score in every primary UK brand.
Simplifying the bank: reduce operating expenses by another £800 million.
Supporting growth: net 4% growth in PBB and CPB customer loans.
Employee engagement: raise employee engagement to within two points of the Global Financial Services norm.
We have made good progress against them so far this year. Delivering against these goals will help move the bank forward. Underpinning this activity is a concerted effort to make even more of our strong customer brands like NatWest in England & Wales, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Coutts. Over the course of this year you will begin to see new brand positions being unveiled that will support our journey to being number one for trust, service and advocacy by 2020.
However, in an environment where interest rates look set to stay lower for longer and where the macroeconomic outlook remains uncertain, we need to adapt. There are a number of issues that are not within our control, but one thing that definitely is within our control is our cost base. This year we will take at least another £800 million out of the cost base. A cost to income ratio of 72%, as it was for 2015, is simply too high. My intention is to get the cost base properly aligned to the bank we are becoming, not the global bank we once were. And we are making real progress in becoming simpler. Over the last two years we have closed one in three of our registered companies; approaching one in four of our London properties; and one in five of the products we had on sale.
So in conclusion, in each area of our strategy we are delivering – capital is strong, costs are down, we are supporting more business than any other bank in the UK and we are challenging industry practice and developing products like our Reward account that deepen the relationship we have with our customers. This is exactly what RBS should be doing.
In 2017 we will move into phase 3 of our plan with strong market positions, a concerted focus on our great customer brands. This focus will be designed to drive our operating performance so we can target attractive, balanced and sustainable financial returns - a 12%+ return on tangible equity. And the heaviest restructuring will be behind us by the end of 2016. That said, as Howard made clear significant challenges still lie ahead. The day when I don't have to give that qualification will be very welcome!
I am always grateful for the opportunity to share with you my perspective on where we are with the implementation of our strategy.
(1) As gauged through Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Read the full RBS 2016 AGM RNS
RBS Annual General Meeting Scotland 2016
The Royal Bank of Scotland has held its Annual General Meeting today.The following is an extract from the remarks to be made by RBS Chairman Philip Hampton, and RBS Chief Executive Ross McEwan.
Q1 2016 Interim Management Statement
RBS continues to deliver on its plan to build a strong, simple and fair bank for both customers and shareholders, and remains committed to delivering its 2016 targets.


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Khar (nep. खार) – gaun wikas samiti w zachodniej części Nepalu w strefie Mahakali w dystrykcie Darchula. Według nepalskiego spisu powszechnego z 2001 roku liczył on 623 gospodarstw domowych i 3666 mieszkańców (1785 kobiet i 1881 mężczyzn).

Przypisy

Khar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Can't decide between blue and green? Use both! The alternating spindles on this staircase make an eye-catching design statement in this cool white hallway.
You'll feel all at sea - in a good way - with this bedroom colour scheme. Ocean-inspired tones of green and aqua combine with rich petrol blue for a dramatic, coastal feel.
You don't have to make a loud statement with a blue and green colour scheme; calming shades of mint and aqua create vintage charm in this living room.
Nature never gets it wrong so take inspiration from the great outdoors and use a simple colour palette in your hallway of earthy wood tones with sky blue and leafy green accents.
Dark inky colours and rich kingfisher blue make moody partners for accents of jade and emerald green in this home office, whilst the polished gloss of the lacquered desk instantly lifts the scheme.
A soothing navy blue headboard is the perfect colour for a relaxing bedroom, especially when teamed with a fresh aqua throw.
The calm, sea-green wallpaper and soft sky-blue door of this home office are close enough in tone to create a relaxed, harmonious space, perfect for quiet contemplation.
Choose tones from the pastel end of the colour spectrum to create a soft, pretty room scheme. Soothing shades of baby blue in this dining room create a fresh, summer feel when teamed with a floaty aqua tablecloth and crisp white chairs.
If you fancy making a bold colour statement in your dining room, try painting the inside of a cupboard a contrasting colour to the outside; it'll make crockery and glassware really stand out.
Blue and green isn't just a colour scheme for indoors - it works brilliantly in the garden, so why not reclaim your shed, paint it mint green and sky blue, then add some classic wicker furniture for the ultimate retreat at the end of your garden.


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Oscar Nominees 2015, Best Original Score (Part 2 of 6): Alexandre Desplat's The Imitation Game
Film Music Notes Posted on January 29, 2015 by Mark Richards February 14, 2019
In addition to earning two Oscar nominations in 2014, Alexandre Desplat managed to score some of the year's biggest box-office successes as all five of the films he scored ranked within the top fifty-five. These include The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Monuments Men, Unbroken, Godzilla, and The Imitation Game.
The Imitation Game revolves around the life of Alan Turing, the British mathematician, cryptographer, and computer scientist who played an instrumental role in breaking the code of the Nazi's "Enigma machine" during the Second World War, and who pioneered the subjects of computer science and artificial intelligence.
While Desplat's score for The Imitation Game is orchestrated much more traditionally than that for The Grand Budapest Hotel, it shares with the latter the technique of drawing on a small number of themes as a unifying device. It is these themes that I focus on below in a film music analysis of the score.
Alan Successful
This theme, which is consistently associated with Alan (Benedict Cumberbatch), could well be considered the score's main theme as it is heard with the film's titles and is its most prominent musical idea. It serves as an appropriate accompaniment for Alan as its musical features subtly express aspects of his personality and circumstances. Hear this theme in the clip below:
The theme begins innocuously with a motif in the piano that is repeated to form an ostinato. The broken-chord harmony of this ostinato clearly establishes the minor key of the theme. Shortly after the theme's true melody enters at 0:40, however, the ostinato continues to move through the same minor chord, even as the harmony around it is changing. This clash of chords could well be heard to represent Alan's staunch reluctance to "harmonize" with those around him and the "dissonance" that comes as a result.
Upon the entrance of the theme's melody, the harmony surrounding the ostinato starts on a minor chord then shifts upward to a major chord. While this motion suggests a struggle from a negative (minor) state to a more positive (major) one, only two chords later, the harmony has, with seeming inevitability, sunk back down to the minor chord where the tune began. These motions closely reflect several of Alan's interactions with others, in which he unwittingly places himself at a disadvantage then tries to dig himself out of a hole, so to speak. During his job interview to work at Bletchley Park, for example, where cryptographers are attempting to break Enigma, his untoward social manner earns him the dislike of Commander Denniston (Charles Dance), who is in charge of the operation. He spends the remainder of his time at Bletchley trying to avoid giving Denniston an excuse to fire him. Much the same could be said of his relationship with the other male cryptographers and the detective who is investigating him a few years after the war.
But as the name suggests, the theme is also used to highlight Alan's major successes in the film. These include:
Alan travelling to his prestigious job interview at Bletchley at the start of the film
A montage showing Alan inventing the Christopher machine that is used by the cryptographic team to break the code
Alan's fellow cryptographers standing up for him and preventing Denniston from firing him
The breaking of the Enigma code itself
The description of Alan's legacy through his breaking of the code and the many lives saved as a result, and the invention of his machine, which became the basis of the modern computer
Alan Defeated
One of the most ironic aspects of The Imitation Game is that, not only does Alan experience great success in ways that most others can only dream of, but he also suffers equally great defeats in other areas of his life, namely in the death of his boyhood love, Christopher, and his ultimate conviction for his homosexuality. The theme's connections to these ideas are clarified by its placement in the film. It appears, for instance, when Alan is being interrogated at the police station at the very opening of the film, when the boy Alan waits in vain for Christopher to return to school after a two-week holiday (a scene that leads us back to Alan at the police station), and when we see the aftermath of the Nazi attack the cryptographers could have prevented after breaking Enigma. Listen to this theme in a solo piano version in the cue below:
The sense of defeat is made palpable through several musical aspects of the theme. Most obviously, like the other prominent themes in the film, it is set in a minor key. Furthermore, the melody's first two phrases both linger around and end on the fifth degree of the scale. This lack of emphasis on the first scale degree (tonic) suggests something that is incomplete and in need of resolution (to the tonic), much as Alan's feelings for Christopher are in the film. Notice, too, that the last two notes of each phrase outline a half-step from the sixth to the fifth note of the minor scale. This particular combination of minor scale degrees (6-5) has a long history of associations with expressions of the tragic, a fitting emotion for the theme's connection with Alan's defeats.
After considering the score with the film, one might believe this theme to simply represent the character of Christopher in the way that leitmotifs generally do, by drawing on musical techniques that suggest aspects of the associated character (a la John Williams or Howard Shore, for example). But in this case, the theme's melancholic sound does not reflect Christopher's good will and strong devotion to Alan. More importantly, the theme is only ever heard during the scenes from Alan's childhood, which are always flashbacks in his own mind. Hence they are seen (and heard) through Alan's emotions. The theme's sadness, then, is a reflection of Alan's thoughts of Christopher rather than of Christopher himself, and for this reason, it would be more accurate to consider the theme along the lines of "Alan thinking of Christopher."
Desplat does a fine job of clarifying this interpretation as the Christopher theme possesses the very same notes and rhythms as the bass line to the Alan Successful theme. I show both melodies below transposed to a mid-range for ease of comparison:
Listen to the bass notes of Alan Successful in the main title below from 0:00-0:26:
and now compare that to the Christopher theme in the cue below from 0:13-0:33:
The only real differences are that the Christopher theme is always in a higher register, giving it more the character of a true theme, and its melody is always scored for the piano, an instrument that in film is typically used for moments of introspection, as here. But the fact that the theme is derived from the Alan bass line suggests that Christopher is literally the support for and basis of Alan's emotions, an idea that is very consistent with Alan's relationship with the character in the film. Desplat's musical expression of this relationship is ingenious for both its simplicity and effectiveness.
Whether they take the form of the coded messages of the Nazi Enigma machine, Alan's hidden homosexuality, or Alan's work with the British government to keep the public and Germans from realizing that the Enigma code has finally been broken, secrets are one of the film's most pervasive narrative themes. Specifically, the film explores some of the sinister aspects that can surround secrets. The coded Enigma messages are perhaps most emblematic of this idea as they often carry directions for military offensives on the Allied forces. But there are also morally grey areas raised in connection with some of the other secrets in the film. For instance, keeping one's homosexuality secret for several years prevents entanglements with British law (which at the time viewed homosexuality as a crime) but at the same time prevents one from having an open relationship with a member of the same sex. And keeping the breaking of Enigma secret allows more military intelligence to be gained, but at the cost of allowing many known attacks on the British to occur so as not to arouse the Nazis' suspicion.
Desplat's Secrets theme aptly expresses this mixture of negative and positive emotions by resolving a minor chord unusually into a major chord and creating an odd mixture of both cold-bloodedness and something approaching hopefulness:
In technical terms, the distance of the minor chord from the major (as measured by the chordal roots) is a minor sixth down (or major third up). Had the second chord also been minor, the chord progression would have upheld a long tradition of being associated with evil, most famously in Darth Vader's theme from the Star Wars saga. As it is, Desplat's progression certainly references such associations but, through the use of a major tonic chord, creates a tension between positive and negative emotions.
While much more traditional in its overall sound than his other Oscar-nominated score, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Alexandre Desplat's score for The Imitation Game manages to capture much of the expressive content of the film in its four most prominent themes. Combined with the composer's penchant for distinctive ostinatos and colorful orchestrations, the result is a score whose subtly appropriate use of musical devices allows us to more acutely feel the incredible highs and lows that define the remarkable life of Alan Turing.
Coming soon… The Theory of Everything.
Posted in Alexandre Desplat, Analysis, Oscars	permalink
Oscar Nominees 2015, Best Original Score (Part 2 of 6): Alexandre Desplat's The Imitation Game — 2 Comments
Quaziliev on April 29, 2018 at 4:13 am said:
Not f minor, but mode in d on f(= f dorian mode). I've heard bitonal passages and expected analysis of instruments imitating morse code typing sound. On subtitle "secrets", it's relationship is tonika-gegen, if we analyze in classic style – or rather we can analyze it as a mode change[Db – F – Db – F], little like pop-jazz.
Mark Richards on April 29, 2018 at 10:56 am said:
Hi Quaziliev – Yes, I would agree with F Dorian for the theme. I was using the term minor in a looser way to mean a scale that has a minor chord as its tonic. Since my analysis didn't rely on distinguishing the exact mode, I didn't get into that point, but it is more precise. It's interesting to note how flexible the mode can be while keeping the tonic the same. Notice that, although the Dorian mode that is sounding when the main melody is sounding, the music just before it enters has Db-C in the bass, so is the true minor (or Aeolian) mode.
Oscar Nominees 2015, Best Original Score (Part 1 of 6): Alexandre Desplat's The Grand Budapest Hotel
Oscar Nominees 2015, Best Original Score (Part 3 of 6): Jóhann Jóhannsson's The Theory of Everything
Oscar Nominees 2015, Best Original Score (Part 4 of 6): Gary Yershon's Mr. Turner
Oscar Nominees 2015, Best Original Score (Part 5 of 6): Hans Zimmer's Interstellar
Oscar Nominees 2015 (Part 6 of 6): Prediction, Best Original Score


Valentine's Day is a time for love and being with that special someone in your life. It's a night that starts with flowers followed by candle-lit dinners, romantic movies, slow dances to live music, and cuddling on the couch. It's a chance to create a memory that will last forever, to be passed on for generations.
Students around campus are sharing their plans and giving other students ideas. Valentine dates range in prices high to low. Students don't have the same preferences when it comes to how they spend their Valentine's Day but Wichita Falls offers a variation of places that meet exactly what they want.
It is a great place for students to have a more formal date. The layout will allow them to enjoy their meal in a romantic setting. Students that are interested in this Valentine's Day dinner have to call and make a reservation.
($$$) Pelicans offers a variety of topnotch steaks, fresh fish and other seafood. With dimmed lights, the setting is romantic and allows guest to enjoy some one-on-one time with their significant other.
"Pelicans is definitely a great place for a date. It's dark inside but very romantic," said Maddy Schiek, education sophomore.
($$$-$$) Another great place is further away from campus but has a similar vibe. Located downtown, The Highlander Public House offers a bridge between their proud Texas heritage and the great pubs of the United Kingdom.
($$) Another downtown gem, The 8th Street Coffee House is offering a spaghetti dinner only $30 a couple. The dinner price includes all the food and drinks, along with live music by James and Stacie Cook. This coffee house has a very cozy, warm, home like feel, and the live music will add a touch of romance. This is perfect for the students that enjoy being out of the house but still want that cozy feel.
($$) The Wichita Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a Valentine's day celebration. It starts with dinner at Stage 2 at 6:30 p.m. After dinner, students can walk across the street to the historic Wichita Theatre to watch Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan on the screen at 8:15 p.m. It costs $33 per person for dinner and a movie. If students are interested you have to make reservations in advance.
"The perfect Valentine's date to me is dinner and a movie, so this is something I would really love," said Marissa Lopez, exercise physiology junior.
($$) For students 21 and older, Half Pint Taproom is a local bar featuring craft beer, cocktails, wine on tap, and authentic brick oven pizza. The atmosphere is unlike any other bar in town. Students can see their pizza being made, and they have servers that wait on them throughout their visit. The bar even offers fire pit seating outside.
($) Going out to dinner isn't what every student has planned. Emily Stubblefield, sophomore pre-veterinary biology, will be spending her Valentine's Day at home. She plans on going to Walmart, grocery shopping and cooking at home. This is a great idea for the students that would rather stay home.
"My boyfriend and I will be making dinner together because I think it's really romantic," said Stubblefield.
($) Market Street is another place in town that students can go grocery shopping at. They also have a food court area, that has hot food for students that want homemade food without having to make it. At the salad bar students can build their own salad, or they can go to the sushi bar and pick up their choice of sushi. Starting Feb. 13 through the 19, sushi will be 20 percent off. Market Street offers a large variety of food at an affordable price.
($) Take out and movies at home is what students like Natty Cervantes, business junior, have planned. Chick-fil-A is offering nuggets, cookies and mini sandwiches in a heart-shaped container from now through the end of February, so you can snack on fried chicken all month long.
($) Another fast and easy meal for students is Qdoba. For the ninth year in a row, the Qdoba For A Kiss promo is back on Feb. 14. Students get a free entree when they purchase an entree and share a kiss with anyone (or anything).


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Photopolymer Holographic Optical Elements for Application in Solar Energy Concentrators
By Izabela Naydenova, Hoda Akbari, Colin Dalton, Mohamed Yahya so Mohamed Ilyas, Clinton Pang Tee Wei, Vincent Toal and Suzanne Martin
Submitted: May 29th 2012Reviewed: November 16th 2012Published: May 29th 2013
Home > Books > Holography - Basic Principles and Contemporary Applications
chapter and author info
Izabela Naydenova
Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics, School of Physics, College of Sciences and Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin, Ireland
Hoda Akbari
Colin Dalton
Mohamed Yahya so Mohamed Ilyas
School of Chemical & Life Sciences, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore
Clinton Pang Tee Wei
Vincent Toal
Suzanne Martin
*Address all correspondence to:
From the Edited Volume
HolographyBasic Principles and Contemporary ApplicationsEdited by Emilia Mihaylova
Holography - Basic Principles and Contemporary Applications
Edited by Emilia Mihaylova
Show +
Making use of the sun's radiation as an alternate energy resource has become increasingly worthwhile in recent years both on a domestic and large industrial scale. Rooftop solar collectors for domestic water heating are now common even in regions where direct sunlight is somewhat limited, and large installations for commercial electricity generation are increasing in sunnier climates. In 2010 in the US there was a 45% increase in the number of grid connected photovoltaic systems installed compared to the preceding year, raising the cumulative grid-connected capacity to 2.15 GWdc. In the same year, the largest solar concentrating plant since the 1980s (75 MWa) was completed in Florida [1].
There are three key technologies for the conversion of solar energy; thermal heating, photovoltaic and thermal to electric.
In thermal heating systems, water is heated directly or indirectly by the sun, typically in insulated tubing on the premises roof, and used for domestic or sometimes for commercial water heating. Photovoltaic cells generate electricity directly and are widely used in domestic and commercial applications.
Thermal to electric involves mechanical heat engines and requires higher temperatures, so to date it has been mostly used in large scale commercial generation plants where concentrating collectors can be used.
However availability of new materials and technologies currently under development may well change the applicability of each technology. For example, a recent paper in Nature[2] describes the use of nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally selective solar absorbers in a solar thermal to electric power conversion system. This has efficiency 7–8 times greater than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel solar thermal to electric (STEG) system and could lead to a much wider use of STEG systems.
Solar collector technologies in current use can be divided into concentrating and non-concentrating types. Concentrators have obvious advantages where the solar conversion surface is expensive (photovoltaics) or requires high temperatures to work efficiently (thermal to electric systems). The most common concentrators currently used in commercial systems are either cylindrical or hemispherical reflectors. They concentrate the light by reflectance off a curved surface either to a line or spot where the solar energy is converted.
The holographic equivalent is a concentrating diffractive optical element, or holographic lens, which will focus the collected light in a similar fashion.
2. Solar application for holographic optical elements
Holographic Optical Elements (HOE) have also been studied for controlling and directing the radiation of the sun with high potential for energy saving.
Photovoltaic energy conversion is very suitable for solar energy generation but the main disadvantage of photovoltaic electrical energy generation is the cost.
In order to solve this problem a significant amount of expensive photovoltaic material can be replaced by an optical concentrator. By providing complex optical functions in thin, low cost layers which can be used with other PV components, benefits could be expected.
HOEs are very good examples of optical concentrators and have been suggested for use as solar concentrators [3]. HOEs are produced by dividing coherent light into monochromic waves with the same polarization and equal intensities. An optical lens is placed in one of the beams and focuses the incident beam; the HOE can be recorded where two beams overlap with each other. HOEs have several unique features such as ability to diffract light through a large angle, and Bragg selectivity. They also have the potential for multifunctionality by multiplexing a number of optical components in the same layer. They are thin, flat and lightweight, making HOEs attractive for solar collector/ concentrator devices.
Another type of HOE has been used for window shading in buildings with a defined orientation [4, 5]; the holograms have been designed and produced to shade the windows of a building with a facade facing 56º east of south. HOEs were recorded at 45º and 60º and tested in a solar simulator for an entire year. The test revealed that the maximum illumination took place at 11 a.m. Comparison of the spectral characteristics proved that the HOES recorded at 45 º are more suitable for window shading. Due to the ammonium dichromate in the HOEs they showed some absorption in the blue spectral range and due to iron ions (which can be found in standard green glass) they showed some absorption in the red.
3. Advantages of HOE solar energy concentrators
The collection of light from a moving source (such as sun) which exhibits a broad spectral range of wavelengths is a complex process. HOEs have the capability to perform a range of functions in one element thus providing a potential solution to this problem without the need for tracking or mechanical movement.
Holographic solar concentrators can use flat optics for the collection of sunlight because they can be designed to have a very wide field of view which would make them attractive for improving power conversion efficiencies in energy conversion devices which have fixed orientations and locations.
HOEs can be designed to redirect, concentrate or block the incident light, such as that from the sun. They may also be designed for wavelength selectivity, so a range of wavelengths can be directed to one position while other wavelengths go to another position and the diffracted light can be focussed in one spot [6, 7].
4. Types of HOEs
Depending on their effect on the incident light holographic optical elements for use in solar energy collection can be classified as:
Non focussing elements: optical elements that are used simply to redirect light;
Focussing elements: optical elements that produce a converging wavefront, having the same effect as spherical or cylindrical lenses. The focal length can vary depending on the devices; they can have a dual role in solar collectors by focusing the light and redirecting the beam.
Depending on the geometry of the recording, HOEs can be classified as:
Reflection HOEs: The incident beam and the diffracted beam propagate on the same side of the hologram; they allow diffuse light to be transmitted whilst the direct beam is diffracted.
In this type of HOE the fringes due to interference between the recording light beams, form planes that are usually parallel to the recording material surface. The spacing between fringes depends on the angular separation between the reference beam and the object beam and on the wavelength of the recording light.
Transmission HOEs: In a transmission HOE the incident and the diffracted beams are both transmitted through the optical element. The fringes due to interference between the recording light beams can be perpendicular to the layer surface (unslanted gratings) or at an angle (slanted gratings). As in the case of the reflection gratings the spacing between the interference fringes depends on the angle between the two recording beams and the wavelength of recording light.
5. HOEs used in solar concentrators
Prism Solar Technologies manufacture a solar cell concentrator which at present has a limited bandwidth and low conversion efficiency [8]. The sunlight is reflected and concentrated onto the photovoltaic cell (PV) with all components supported by a substrate. The HOE reflector is placed in a waveguide. The waveguide has been used in this application to receive the sunlight and redirect it to the PV cell. The concentrators produce uncompensated aberration such as dispersion and wavelength shift produced by the reflector, so that the spectral bandwidth of reflected band may not be precisely matched to the energy band gaps of the PV solar cells.
Another application of HOEs in light harvesting that could be useful in solar energy collection is reported in [9]. Holographic diffractive optical elements were used in order to increase the light collection from fluorescence-based biochips. The HOEs increased the transmitted fluorescence intensity and also served to filter out the undesired wavelengths. This was possible due to their high angular selectivity. The diffracted intensity of the HOE was measured to be about 50% of that of the incident beam. The diffraction efficiency was relatively low due to a complexity of the recording process that covers a large spatial frequency range (0-2800 lines/mm). It was found that the HOE can collect fluorescent light coming from a spot with the same size as that of the HOE.
Another example of holographic solar application described in [10] uses a sensor and feedback system to maintain 0.5 degree tracking accuracy with one-axis tracking holographic planar concentrators (HPCs). It was found that in the polar one-axis tracking HPC system the efficiency increases by 43.8% compared to non tracking HPC systems due to high overall module optical efficiency and higher levels of irradiance.
Dispersive concentrating systems based on transmission phase HOEs for solar applications are reported in [2]. The authors demonstrate that volume based transmission HOEs can be used advantageously in solar concentrators due to their high diffraction efficiency, low absorption and adjustable dispersion. The ratio of diffracted intensity to incident beam intensity is defined as diffraction efficiency. In solar applications the measurement of the diffraction efficiency as a function of wavelength is essential. The transmissivity of HOEs as a function of wavelength was measured when white light illuminated the phase holograms and due to diffraction the light was split spatially and spectrally. It was determined that a minimum angle of 20° is required between the recording beams for achieving high diffraction efficiency in one diffraction order so that only an off-axis zone plate was suitable. A zone plate with diameter of 8 cm and a focal length of 25 cm was recorded at 488 nm wavelength. The diffraction of efficiency of the recorded zone plate was about 70% for monochromatic light. The shrinkage of the gelatin layer caused a change in the Bragg angle depending on the shape of recorded interference patterns and the intensities of the recording beams.
Volume HOES are suitable for multiplexing; a range of HOES with various angles between the recording beams can be recorded in one photosensitive layer and this allows spatial separation of the red and the blue spectral ranges of sunlight into different areas. Three solar cell systems with various band gaps and multiplexed HOEs were tested [3]. The maximum efficiency achieved was 42% since the concentration ratio for diffracted wavelengths was about c= 100.
Holographic solar concentrators have been theoretically modelled [11] and several useful aspects of holographic gratings have been investigated for use in solar concentrator applications. The basic relationships for designing holographic elements have also been presented.
A solar radiation receiver is described in [12]. This combined system uses a holographic film to concentrate the solar radiation and to optimize the efficiency of the sensor. A mathematical model is used to calculate the Volt-Ampere behaviour and the thermal and photovoltaic efficiencies to demonstrate the advantages of the suggested system.
The design and optimization of photopolymer based holographic solar concentrators was recently reported in [13]. The authors demonstrated the recording of broad band spectrally splitting holographic solar concentrator in HoloMer photopolymer material with an efficiency of 70% and an average efficiency of 56.6% for a wavelength range from 633nm to 442 nm. The recorded elements showed a narrow angular selectivity hence tracking would be required for an effective photovoltaic concentrator system.
A simple technique to realize a compact and nearly all-angle solar energy concentrator using a volume holographic element is presented in [14]. The theoretical modelling of the HOE predicts up to a fivefold concentration of energy per unit area of photovoltaic material.
In the following section we present experimental results from the recording of simple focusing holographic optical elements in a photopolymer layer, namely a spherical lens and a cylindrical lens. Furthermore we have explored the possibility of multiplexing a number of elements in the same layer.
6.1. Photopolymer solution preparation
The photosensitive layer was prepared as previously described [15]. Briefly, 2ml of triethanolamine was added to 17.5 ml stock solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (10% w/w). Then the monomers, 0.6g acrylamide and 0.2 g of N,N Methylene bisacrylamide and 2ml of initiator, TEA, were added. Finally, 4ml of Erythrosin B dye was added (stock solution concentration - 1.1mM) to sensitise at 532 nm. The solution was made up to 25ml by adding distilled water. Methylene blue sensitised samples of thickness 50 μm were used to record at 633nm.
6.2. Layer preparation
Different amounts of photopolymer solution were spread evenly on a 50x50 mm2 glass plate placed on a levelled surface and allowed to dry. This resulted in layers of thickness varying between 50 and 120 μm. The drying time was usually 18-24 hours.
6.3. Recording of HOE consisting of a single optical component
A standard holographic optical setup (Fig.1) was used to record transmission gratings and lenses using a 532nm Nd:YVO4 laser. The recording intensity was controlled by a variable neutral density filter. The inter-beam angle was adjusted to be 9 degrees in order to obtain a spatial frequency of recording of 300 lines/mm. At the end of the holographic recording, the focusing beam was blocked and the collimated beam was used to probe the recorded HOE. The intensity of the diffracted beam was measured using an optical power meter (Newport 1830-C) to determine the diffraction efficiency of the recorded grating or lens respectively.
Optical set-up for recording of a single lens HOE.
The recording set up at 633 nm was similar to that shown in Fig. 1. A single off-axis HOE of focal length 5 cm was recorded. The recording intensity of the beams was 1 mW/cm2 and the average spatial frequency of recording was 650 l/mm.
6.4. Recording of HOEs by multiplexing
The aim of this experiment was to record a holographic optical element which would direct the light in a fixed direction independently of the direction of incoming light.
Optical set-up for recording multiplexed HOEs in this case - diffraction gratings of different spatial frequencies. B S (Beam Splitter), C L (Collimating Lens), S F (Spatial Filter), P S (Photopolymer Sample)
Figure 2 shows the experimental set up for the recording of multiplexed transmission gratings. The photopolymer sample was kept at a fixed distance from the beam splitter and the reference beam was varied in direction by using five mirrors fixed at different distances from the beam splitter to reflect the light onto the photopolymer layer. The photopolymer sample was adjusted so that the object beam and the reference beam from mirror 5 overlapped in the plane of the photosensitive medium with the sample normal bisecting the interbeam angle. This ensured the grating was unslanted when recorded by the beam reflected by mirror 5 and the beam transmitted by the beam splitter. The gratings were recorded in the same photopolymer layer starting with the lowest spatial frequency (mirror1). Mirror 1 was then removed and the next grating was recorded in the same area by the light reflected onto the photopolymer layer from mirror 2 and the light transmitted by the beam splitter. This procedure was repeated for the other three mirrors, with mirror 5 corresponding to the largest spatial frequency. Cylindrical lenses were also recorded in the same volume of the recording medium using a cylindrical lens of 15 cm focal length placed in the path of the beam transmitted by the beam splitter so that this light was focused into a thin line just behind the photopolymer sample. In order to find the optimum recording conditions for HOEs with equal diffraction efficiencies the transmission gratings were recorded in two ways. First, the intensity was kept constant and the exposure time varied from one recording to the next. The second approach was to keep the exposure time constant and vary the intensity. The recorded HOEs initially consisted of three gratings utilising mirrors M1, M2 and M5 and then five gratings utilising all five mirrors (M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5).
The spatial frequencies of the recorded gratings using the different mirrors in the recording set up were respectively: M1- 450 lines/mm; M2 - 1065 lines/mm; M3 -1295 lines/mm; M4 -1470 lines/mm and M5 -1700 lines/mm.
6.5. Characterisation of the recorded HOEs
Two procedures were used in order to measure the maximum diffraction efficiencies (η) of the HOEs at different spatial frequencies.
Probing the recorded holograms using Nd:YVO4laser beam (532nm)
After the recording of the transmission gratings with the photopolymer sample fixed in the same position, one of the recording beams was stopped and the HOE was illuminated only with the other recording beam, but with intensity much less than that used to record the grating, in order to avoid further polymerization. A photo detector was used to measure the intensities of the diffracted beam, the incident beam and the beam reflected from the photopolymer surface.
The percentage diffraction efficiency (η) was calculated from the equation
η=IdI1−Ir×100.E1
where I1is the intensity of the incident beam, Idis the intensity of the diffracted beam and Iris the intensity of the beam reflected from the front photopolymer surface.
Probing the recorded holograms using a Helium-Neon laser (633nm)
Figure 3 shows the experimental set up for measuring the diffraction efficiencies using a Helium-Neon laser beam that has a much smaller diameter than that of the HOE. The Helium-Neon laser was positioned so that it probed the centre of the HOE that was recorded on the photopolymer layer. The photopolymer is not sensitive to light of wavelength 633 nm, therefore further polymerisation does not occur. The photopolymer sample was rotated until the maximum diffracted intensity of the laser beam was observed on a screen behind the photopolymer. The angle of incidence of the probe beam at which the maximum diffraction efficiency is obtained is known as the Bragg angle.
Characterisation of the HOE at 633nm. I1 is the intensity of the probe beam,
Idthe intensity of the reconstructed or diffracted beam and Irthe intensity of the beam reflected from the photopolymer surface.
The intensity Idwas measured using a photo detector, and equation (1) was used to calculate the diffraction efficiency. In the case of multiplexed gratings the value of Idfor each grating was measured in turn by further rotation of sample until the diffracted intensity maximum for each was obtained at the appropriate Bragg angle.
7.1. Recording of focusing HOEs
The diffraction efficiency of a single lens recorded in a red sensitive layer of thickness of 50 μm as a function of recording time is presented in Fig. 4. It is seen that the maximum diffraction efficiency is nearly 45 % and it is reached after 100 s exposure time.
Diffraction efficiencies of single lenses recorded in 50 micrometer layers. Recording wavelength was 633 nm. Recording frequency was 650 l/mm and recording intensity was 1 mW/cm2.
Much higher diffraction efficiency was achieved in green sensitised layers of thickness 50 μm (Fig.5). The total recording intensity of the beams was 1 mW/cm2. The spatial frequency of recording was 300 l/mm.
Diffraction efficiency of gratings recorded in 50 μm layers. Recording wavelength was 532 nm.
7.2. Recording of three multiplexed holographic gratings
Initial experiments were carried out in layers of thickness of 100 μm. In order to find the optimum exposure times required to obtain gratings with diffraction efficiency above 50 %, gratings were separately recorded at 1000, 1500 and 2000 l/mm. At the next stage of the experiment, three gratings of spatial frequencies 2000, 1500 and 1000 l/mm were recorded in the same volume of the recording medium, first by using the measured recording times required to achieve 50% diffraction efficiency at each of the spatial frequencies. This produced gratings with unequal diffraction efficiencies. In order to equalize the diffraction efficiency of the gratings the recording time was varied. The diffraction efficiencies of previously recorded gratings were measured after each exposure to observe how the recording of the gratings at 1500lines/mm and 1000 lines/mm affected the grating recorded at 2000 lines/mm.
Diffraction efficiency of three gratings multiplexed in the same region of a photopolymer layer of thickness 100 μm.
It is seen from Fig. 6 that the recording of the grating at 1500 lines/mm had a large effect on the diffraction efficiency of the grating previously recorded at 2000 lines/mm. The diffraction efficiency at 2000 lines/mm increased by 23.8% after the recording of the second grating at 1500 lines/mm. It increased a further 14% due to the recording of the third grating at 1000 lines/mm. This shows that the recording of a grating affects the diffraction efficiency of a previously recorded grating. This must be taken into account when the exposure schedule for equalization of the diffraction efficiencies is developed.
This procedure was repeated several times by varying the exposure times, but it was not possible to equalise the diffraction efficiencies of the three gratings and to achieve diffraction efficiency above 50% for all three of them.. From Fig. 6 is seen that the maximum diffraction efficiencies measured at spatial frequencies of 1500 lines/mm and 2000 lines/mm were greater than the set target of 50%. The lower diffraction efficiency at 1000lines/mm was assumed to be due to the dynamic range of the photopolymer layer being consumed.
In order to achieve gratings with diffraction efficiency higher than 50% layers with greater thickness and dynamic range were prepared. The next set of gratings was recorded in layers of 120 μm thickness.
It can be observed in Fig.7 that the three gratings of different spatial frequencies were successfully recorded with nearly equal diffraction efficiencies around 50%. This confirmed the assumption that in the thinner layers the main obstacle to equalising the gratings with diffraction efficiencies above 50% was insufficient dynamic range of the photopolymer layer. The order of recording and corresponding exposure times for the three gratings were 450, 1065 and 1700 l/mm and 2, 4 and 18 seconds.
7.3. Recording of five multiplexed holographic gratings
After successfully multiplexing three gratings in the same layer the next step was to try to increase the number of holograms and in this way to increase the number of solar light incidence angles that can be exploited. The aim of this experiment was to obtain optimum diffraction efficiencies from five gratings recorded in the same volume of the recording medium. This was achieved by using two different recording conditions, constant intensity with variable expsosure time and constant exposure time with variable intensity. The experimental set-up used was as shown in Fig. 2. The diffraction efficiencies were measured using a He-Ne laser.
The results of these experiments are represented in Fig. 8.
Diffraction efficiencies of five multiplexed gratings recorded by using two exposure schedules- constant exposure intensity of 10 mW/cm2 (black symbols) with variable exposure time and constant exposure time of 4s (red symbols) with variable intensity. The order of recording and the exposure times and intensities are given in Table 1.
Constant Intensity of 10mW/cm2 Constant Exposure time of 4 s
Grating No. Spatial Frequency l/mm Exposure time, s Exposure energy mJ/cm2 Exposure energy mJ/cm2 Exposure Intensity,mW/cm2
1 450 1 10 12 3
2 1065 3 30 30 7.5
3 1295 5 50 60 15
4 1470 15 150 150 37.5
5 1700 19 190 188 47
Exposure time and intensity for recording of the five multiplexed gratings.
From Fig.8 it is seen that recording the gratings with constant intensity produced less variation in the diffraction efficiencies of the recorded gratings. In both cases the dynamic range of the layer is insufficient to produce all five gratings with high diffraction efficiency..
7.4. Recording of five multiplexed holographic lenses
The method of varying the exposure time for the recording of the gratings was repeated with a cylindrical lens in the path of the beam transmitted by the beamsplitter focussing the beam into a long narrow line. The diffraction efficiencies were measured using the He-Ne laser and compared with the diffraction efficiencies measured for gratings recorded under the same conditions with two collimated beams (Fig. 9).
Comparison of the diffraction efficiencies of HOEs of five multiplexed gratings (squares) and five multiplexed lenses (circles).
From Fig. 9 it is seen that the diffraction efficiencies of the first three gratings (recorded at low spatial frequencies) were around the same value above 50% and that the diffraction efficiency is lower for the last two gratings recorded at larger spatial frequencies.
In a further experiment just four lenses instead of five were recorded to reduce the risk of the dynamic range being consumed. The recording conditions were optimised again (Table 2) and are presented in Fig. 10.
Constant Exposure time of 4 s
Lenses No. Spatial Frequency l/mm Exposure energy mJ/cm2 Exposure Intensity,mW/cm2
1 450 6 1.5
2 1065 13 3.2
3 1295 60 15
4 1700 160 40
Recording conditions for multiplexing of four cylindrical lenses in a 120 μm thick photopolymer layer.
Diffraction efficiencies of multiplexed holographic cylindrical lenses.
It was demonstrated that high diffraction efficiency HOE consisting of a single spherical lens can be recorded in a relatively thin photopolymer layer of 50 μm thickness. The advantage of using thin layers and lower spatial frequency of recording in this application is the larger acceptance angle of the optical component.
It was possible to equalise the diffraction efficiencies of three multiplexed gratings at 51.9±3.5 %.
A study of the influence of the exposure schedule – keeping the intensity constant and changing the time or keeping the exposure time constant and varying the intensity, revealed that the first schedule delivered better equalisation of the diffraction efficiency.
Three HOEs - containing five gratings with a range of spatial frequencies from 450 to 1700 l/mm, five cylindrical lenses and four cylindrical lenses, were successfully recorded in the same photopolymer layer. These can be considered as successful first steps in the design and fabrication of holographic solar concentrators fabricated in acrylamide based photopolymer.
1.Introduction
2.Solar application for holographic optical elements
3.Advantages of HOE solar energy concentrators
4.Types of HOEs
5.HOEs used in solar concentrators
6.Experimental
7.Results and discussion
8.Conclusions
Izabela Naydenova, Hoda Akbari, Colin Dalton, Mohamed Yahya so Mohamed Ilyas, Clinton Pang Tee Wei, Vincent Toal and Suzanne Martin (May 29th 2013). Photopolymer Holographic Optical Elements for Application in Solar Energy Concentrators, Holography - Basic Principles and Contemporary Applications, Emilia Mihaylova, IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/55109. Available from:
Optically Accelerated Formation of One- and Two-Dimensional Holographic Surface Relief Gratings on DR1/PMMA
By Xiao Wu, Thi Thanh Ngan Nguyen, Isabelle Ledoux-Rak, Chi Thanh Nguyen and Ngoc Diep Lai
HolographyResearch and TechnologiesEdited by Joseph Rosen
Edited by Joseph Rosen
The Fourier Transform in Optics: Analogous Experiment and Digital Calculus
By Petre Cătălin Logofătu, Victor Nascov and Dan Apostol


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text:
Steven Elwyn Smith
STEVE SMITH & THE SNEAKERS
STEVE SMITH BIO
DAVE PAINTER BIO
RICK SALVADOR
LARRY PITTMAN
BILL JONES
HOODOO MAN LYRICS
CRYIN FOR MERCY LYRICS
HOPELESS TROUBADOUR LYRICS
Bill Jones was an original member of the band Family Tree, before that band evolved to become The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Bill had left the Family Tree to work with a band called Granny's Bathwater, which went on to serve as the touring band for the legendary R&B singer, Martha Reeves. He was invited to join, or rejoin, the Dares in 1974 for the It'll Shine When It Shines album tour, and participated in the recording of the albums Car Over the Lake (1975), and Men From Earth (1976).
Bill left the band in 1977 to pursue other career opportunities. He worked for 30 years in Nashville, New York City, Austin, Branson, and the Mediterranean, but returned to retire in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. He was invited to, again, return to the Daredevils in 2010. Bill has played on all the Sneakers albums and Steve's solo effort, Hopeless Troubadour. He joined the Sneakers in 2016
Cryin Mercy
Hoodoo Man
© 2023 Steven Elwyn Smith


So with the help of Kováč and by splitting and separating some people from the Movement for Democratic Slovakia, the situation arose in Slovakia that the Parliament removed Mečiar. So for half a year we had a relatively decent government, a centrist government, you could say, where we had the right, where we had the center, where we had the left. [Meciar's government lost a vote of confidence in the spring of 1994 and was replaced by a coalition of opposition parties.] And then the elections came when Mečiar won again [in September 1998], and he created this strange coalition, it rarely happens in the world and sometimes it happens, that of course the head of this whole thing was his party, who, I say, showed the elements of national social populism, and at the same time the second partner was the extreme trotskyist, almost trotskyist Union of the Workers of Slovakia, and on the right, there was this radical, nationalist Slovak National Party.
And that is when another period started which was later called Mečiarism. And this Mečiarism basically meant a system of a semi-authoritarian state that limited the rights of the opposition, violated the constitution, tried to censor the press, tried to suppress the civil society and its organizations, tried to suppress any greater rights of ethnicities and nationalities. You could say that at that time it developed in full and Slovakia entered a problematic period of time, this non-consolidated democracy. And no one really knew how it would end, I think they easily could have placed us somewhere between Belarus and Ukraine, if the things that happened later did not happen. In the beginning, in Slovakia, in that segment that was against Mečiar and that basically disagreed with the separation of the state, basically we all wanted a more equal partnership because that way of Prague-centrism repeatedly appeared in the Czechoslovak history, so I think that it was that principle of equal partnership, we had it in our political program, I was the editor of a political program called Chance for Slovakia, and it fairly clearly stated that we needed to find a partnership cooperation, divide competencies, etc.
But we did not want to split the country, we could imagine doing it all in Czechoslovakia and that was a confluence of two things; that it was a double frustration for the people that the country got split up, and the country was run by the people who really were not democratic. So now the mood in Slovakia was not good because it happened again, like I was mentioning in the 1970s and 1980s that the opposition was fragmented, there was no real hope that it would change easily, Mečiar took problematic steps, it looked like the secret service participated in the kidnapping of the president's son, there was much evidence to that effect, and justified suspicions.
The society became really polarized. In this situation I think it was extremely important that besides the party-line environment, civil society started to get active. They founded something that was called the Civic Campaign or OK '98, incidentally the name of the campaign was saying up front that we believed that it would turn out OK, yes, even though it was called the Civic Campaign, which gradually became organized as a significant, strong and definitely one of the deciding elements that contributed to the change.
That was fantastic, because in one of the first statements this Civic Campaign clearly said that in the spirit of the Slovak Constitution we will consider violating the free and democratic elections a violation of the Constitution, and we will fight it with full civil disobedience. So it was a clear political challenge, and you could say that astounding things happened because several dozens of different types of campaigns started, round tables, discussions, debates, concerts, theatrical performances, different forms, different ways that spoke to different classes.
The March Across Slovakia, which lasted for 15 days, during those 15 days the activists visited almost 1,000 Slovak cities and towns, incidentally, the Institute for Public Affairs where I worked at the time, a think tank, where we published some thousand page reports at the time, we suddenly had to condense them into three pages, into these packages. But these three pages, half a million copies were distributed by these activists all over Slovakia. I think this campaign was well prepared, well organized, learned from the experience of other campaigns that we lost in '96 and in '97, and was a clear expression that the civil society would no longer remain silent and they managed to create something called a pro-democratic alliance, which included political parties, unions, some churches, some media, and included this civil sector which contributed to this very high election turnout, and I think it was the key and important contribution. Many people said that it was basically the second Velvet Revolution in Slovakia.