text:
Search in titles only Search in Linux Gaming only
Wishlist for Porting Projects (Pt. 2)
Previous 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 18 58 79 template Next
Raven3x7
Drakensang on linux would be great.
And what about Assasins Creed? It's a good game, if a tad repetitive. Published by Ubisoft so probably not a hot prospect
Last edited by Raven3x7; 30 May 2009, 03:10 PM.
Braid would be great
What about Sega Rally "Revo" or Virtua Tennis 3/2009?
Svartalf
Linux Game Publishing
Originally posted by gilboa View Post
* Ubisoft's Ghost recon series. (Older games should be relatively cheap to gain access to; Some of them were ported to MAC, so the code-base should be there...)
* Ubisoft's Rainbow Six series. (Same as above).
* Ubisoft's FarCry. (1 should be cheaper, shouldn't it?)
You will be surprised at what they think they can gouge for on older titles as they're part of the franchise and if you muck up a release for the platform you're doing it can 'harm' the other franchise titles. They're going to charge only about 1/3rd what they'd charge for the latest stuff just to make it painful if you boggle on them and to keep the low pikers that they'd not normally want out of the game.
... Oh, X3:TC is not in the list. Intended?
Yes. No conflict-of-interest items with LGP. Sorry.
(Not directed at you...)
Having said that, if you're interested in seeing things like that, you need to be honest with yourselves and buy the titles in question, including the X3 title already published. Doesn't matter if you've bought it for Windows in a past life. It's a differing SKU. The industry isn't formed with what anyone calls "common sense". The fact that iD still seems to produce it for Windows with an unofficial "patch" is unusual. Epic seems to have quit that practice and BioWare hasn't done any more than NWN that way- more because of publisher interference than anything else that I can tell. You buy the game for the platform you want to run on it.
If you want Linux games, you have to BUY them. Otherwise we have to be visibly larger than the Mac userbase in a way that's shown in IDC type figures- which won't happen for a long time yet to come because they measure userbase in "units sold" instead of what is actively being used. MS' figures are dead wrong- you can take about 10% of the market MS claims to have and apply it to the Linux/*BSD side of things because they claim 'shipped' and for every non DIY Linux machine, there's a concomitant Windows install claimed in those figures that's just not accurate anymore. Buying Linux games gives the publishers and studios numbers that they can show to the big boys to get better deals.
Originally posted by rafi View Post
Heh... There's four little letters associated with those titles that would make the price for either a deep 5-figure deal for rights access. I'll try to remember to add them to the "maybe" list this evening or tomorrow.
Apopas
Originally posted by Raven3x7 View Post
YEAH! If any of them ever comes to Linux it will be the first time I'll preorder a game
yoshi314
Freespace 2 (We've got code- need to get rights for assets for commercial release if possible...)
i don't see the point, unless you would like to redistribute the data files.
there is already a pretty mature linux fs2 project underway ( on http://scp.indiegames.us/ ), so that might be a duplicate effort.
PopCap's game framework and PopCap's games themselves.
that would be a major win. especially a port of bejewelled 2.
now this would be awesome. anyone who has seen this game in action would probably agree.
deus ex really deserves a new port. i'd vote for it.
how are things looking with studios that don't exist anymore? i'm thinking of classics made by bullfrog (dungeon keeper, theme hospital, theme park) or muckyfoot (startopia)
Last edited by yoshi314; 30 May 2009, 03:49 PM.
Melcar
A lot of good games being mentioned. Most of my favorites fall in the "Maybe" and "Being Looked Into" columns .
I don't know what is the current status for the old Infinity Engine games; some were Black Isle which is dead (Interplay I think kept the rights), and others Bioware (they are EA know no?). It would be awesome to have Torment, Baldur's Gate Saga, and Icewind Dale Linux ports (we desperately need RPGs in Linux anyway). Most of these titles work on WINE, so I wouldn't be totally bumbed out if they ended up in the "Dead End" column of suggestions.
Rome: Total War has been mentioned (still keeping my fingers crossed for that). So how about the others in the series? Medieval 2 or Shogun would be awesome.
The first two Thief games would have been great too, but I can see them in the "Dead Ends" list now. Drakensang I didn't particularly like, but it's a competent single player RPG and God knows we need more of those in Linux. The Freespace games would be cool; even with fs2open out there, you still need the actual game (fs2open is more of a mod for the original game anyway). Oh, and another 50 votes for Deus Ex .
wolterh
I don't mean to repeat this game if it is already in the list--a fact that I ignore. Nevertheless, if it is already in the list, then its use is to let you know that a lot of people would like this.
Port Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion (And obviously the non-expansion version, I guess)
It was already done for the apple computers by the Bold company.
L33F3R
Originally posted by wolterh View Post
Love both of these. i can see the potential on netbooks because of the low system requirements.
*ughh i juz remembered the big Microsoft logo that shows up.
And welcome to phoronix wolterh
Last edited by L33F3R; 30 May 2009, 06:12 PM. Reason: microshaft
Originally posted by L33F3R View Post
See people? I have a fine taste. You should follow my suggestions XD
Thanks for the welcoming, L33F3R!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The striated parachute spider Poecilotheria striata Pocock, 1895 (Araneae: Theraphosidae): a note on taxonomy, distribution and conservation status
Manju Siliwal, Neha Gupta, Sanjay Molur ,2013
The known distribution range of Poecilotheria striata Pocock, 1895 in India is from Mysuru in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south. During the recent surveys in northern Karnataka, P. striata was recorded from six locations in Dandeli and nearby areas in the Uttara Kannada District. With the new records from Uttara Kannada, the distribution range of this species extends to the northern part of the Western Ghats by ca. 400km from Mysuru. Additional records on distribution of P. striata are also provided from various surveys carried out in the last 10 years. Based on these new records, the IUCN Red List status of P. striata is recommended to be reassessed as Near Threatened. Additional information on the morphology and natural history of P. striata is provided in the paper. Keywords:
Journal of Threatened Taxa 5: 4630-4640
A new genus of the family Theraphosidae (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) with description of three new species from the western Ghats of Karnataka, India
Manju Siliwal, Neha Gupta, Robert John Raven ,2012
The subfamily Ischnocolinae of the family Theraphosidae is a generic complex and Raven (1985) considered all genera (including the only Indian genus Plesiophrictus Pocock, 1899) as incertae sedis. These genera require re-examination of the type specimens along with examination of new collections from the type locality to revalidate their taxonomic position under Ischnocolinae. Recently, Guadanucci (2011) revalidated the genus Heterophrictus Pocock, 1900 and removed it from the junior synonym of Plesiophrictus; he also provided distinct generic characters for Heterophrictus and Plesiophrictus, which are helpful in the revision of Indian Plesiophrictus. Though the taxonomic position of Heterophrictus is still confusing in the absence of cladistic analysis (R. Raven pers. comm. 7 February 2012), in this paper, we consider Heterophrictus a valid genus until further cladistic analysis (based on more specimens) is published.
Neoheterophrictus crurofulvus, Neoheterophrictus sahyadri, Neoheterophrictus uttarakannada
Revalidating the taxonomic position of the Indian Ischnocolus spp. (Araneae: Theraphosidae)
Manju Siliwal ,2009
The two Indian Ischnolocus species, I. decoratus and I. khasiensis are transferred to the genus Chilobrachys Karsch, 1891 based on presence and pattern of stridulatory setae on maxillae and chelicerae. Further, Ischnocolus decoratus is synonymised with Chilobrachys fimbriatus Pocock, 1899.
Journal of Threatened Taxa 1: 533-534
A new species of the genus Plesiophrictus (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Ischnocolinae) from western Ghats, India
Manju Siliwal, Sanjay Molur, Robert John Raven ,2007
The genus Plesiophrictus belongs to the subfamily Ischnocolinae of the mygalomorph family Theraphosidae and is reported from China, India, Micronesia and Sri Lanka (Platnick, 2007). Amongst the Indian genera of the family Theraphosidae, Plesiophrictus is a relatively species-rich genus (Siliwal et al., 2005; Siliwal & Molur, 2007). Pocock (1899) established the genus Plesiophrictus with description of three species, P. millardi and P. collinus from India and P. tenuipes from Sri Lanka, assigning P. millardi as the type species. Later, a number of new species were described from India under this genus (Pocock, 1900; Gravely, 1915, 1935; Tikader, 1977). After the establishment of the genus Plesiophrictus, the two Indian species, Ischnocolus linteatus Simon, 1891 and Stichoplastus fabrei Simon, 1892 were transferred to this genus by Pocock (1900) and Simon (1903), respectively. This genus was considered endemic to South Asia until the Micronesian species Ischnocolella senffti Strand, 1907 was transferred to this genus by Roewer (1963). Recently, Yin & Tan (2000) described a new species, P. guangxiensis from China. Till date, 16 species have been reported under this genus from the world, of which 13 are endemic to India, one endemic each to China and Sri Lanka and one endemic to the islands of Micronesia (a conglomerate of 9 countries) (Platnick, 2007). Most of the species described from India are known only from the type localities; information on range and geographical variations are limited. More than fifty percent of the species were described a century ago based on very few morphological characters, missing details used in present day taxonomy like morphometry of legs, description of genital structure especially of female, illustrations, sternum, male palp and female spermatheca (see Simon, 1891, 1892; Pocock, 1899, 1900; Strand, 1907; Gravely, 1915, 1935). The more recent descriptions of P. meghalayaensis and P. mahabaleshwari by Tikader (1977) are also incomplete as they lack morphometry of legs, comparison with other species and diagnosis for the species. This paper is an effort to describe a new species based on a female specimen after comparing the available prominent characters with other known species. The objective of this paper is not only to describe a new species, but also provide South Asian arachnologists with a standard description pattern on theraphosids or any mygalomorph spider along with pictures (see Images in the web supplement) in addition to figures as a useful tool for comparative studies. None of the past descriptions of Plesiophrictus spp. includes notes on natural history or ecology, which we have added as noted during our study.
Zoo's Print Journal 22: 2853-2860
Plesiophrictus nilagiriensis
Distribution of the Regal Parachute Spider Poecilotheria regalis Pocock, 1899
B.A. Daniel, Manju Siliwal ,2004
Zoos' Print Journal 19(10):1665-1667
Record of Poecilotheria regalis Pocock, 1899 from Nallamala Hills, Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh
K. Thulsi Rao, M Prudhvi Raju, I. Siva Rama Krishna, S.M. Maqsood Javed, Manju Siliwal, Chelmala Srinivasulu ,2004
Zoo Outreach Organisation; www.zoosprint.org 1668 The Nallamala (15 0 20'-16 0 31'N & 78 0 30'-80 0 10'E) is a group of low hill ranges in the central part of Eastern Ghats. It is an unbroken chain of rugged hills spread over 7,640km 2 (Srinivasulu & Nagulu, 2002). The vegetation is typically of southern tropical dry deciduous and southern tropical moist deciduous forest types intermingled with scrub (Champion & Seth, 1968). The climate is generally hot and dry with temperature rising up to 43 0 C to 45 0 C during May and dips down to 8 0 C in December. Average rainfall in this region is between 900 to l,000mm. It includes two protected areas, namely the Nagarjuanasagar Srisailam Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gundla Brahmeshwaram Metta Wildlife Sanctuary. Surveys were carried out in selected locations of Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve) from December 2001 onwards to document the faunal diversity. During the survey we sighted Poecilotheria regalis Pocock, 1899 in different locations. To study these large bodied spiders we basically relied on indirect evidence including exuvia and silk lined burrows/holes on tree trunks.
Zoos' Print Journal. 19. 1668
Neoheterophrictus crurofulvus
Neoheterophrictus sahyadri
Neoheterophrictus uttarakannada


text:
CHVRCHES Crush Their US TV Debut
We've been listening closely to the Glaswegian trio Chvrches for about a year now, so it feels both surprising and kind of triumphant that we're just now witnessing their U.S. TV debut. The band's performance of their breakout single "The Mother We Share" is sure to gain them more fans on this side of the pond – not only is that song instantly infectious, but the band's stage presence, especially that of perfectly-eyeliner'd singer Lauren Mayberry, is effortlessly charming and fun. Check it out – and remember, the band's debut The Bones of What You Believe is out September 24.
Savages Destroy Their US TV Debut
A Conversation with Chvrches' Iain Cook
CHVRCHES - "Now is the Time"
Video: CHVRCHES - "Lies"
CHVRCHES cover Lorde's "Team"
Video: CHVRCHES - "The Mother We Share"
CHVRCHES - "Stay Another Day"
Check Out: CHVRCHES - "Science and Vision"
TV on the Radio debut "Mercy"
CHVRCHES - 'The Bones of What You Believe' Tracklist
Video: CHVRCHES - "Recover"


MUSIC consumption goes through format phases. From just being heard on radio to vinyl records, to tapes, to CDs, to purchasing music online to streaming.
There are sub formats that are associated with these, and that is singles versus albums. There are artistes who are very successful singles artistes but are not very successful with albums. Then there are also those who are successful at both. If one looks at the Billboard Charts (USA's number one music sales tracking system), you will find that the singles charts top artistes are not the album charts top artistes save for a few.


text:
Romney says he'd 'clean house' to remove Secret Service agents involved with prostitutes
Posted Apr 18, 2012 10:31 am ADT
WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney says he'd "clean house" to remove Secret Service agents involved with Colombian prostitutes ahead of President Barack Obama's visit.
Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told radio host Laura Ingraham on Wednesday that people should be fired who put "their personal play time" ahead of the nation's interests. He suggested a lack of leadership led to scandal, which involved at least 20 women, but said he has confidence in Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan.
"I'd clean house," Romney told Ingraham when asked how he would address the situation. "The right thing to do is to remove people who have violated the public trust and have put their play time and their personal interests ahead of the interests of the nation."
In an earlier radio interview, Romney said he shared Obama's confidence in the Secret Service chief.
"We are a nation, after all, under law and the president has confidence in the head of the Secret Service, as do I," Romney said. "I believe that the right corrective action will be taken there and obviously everyone is very, very disappointed in these stories, very uncharacteristic of the service."
Romney, unlike some GOP critics on Capitol Hill, has been receiving around the clock Secret Service protection for more than two months.
The situation has become an election-year embarrassment for Obama, who has said he'd be angry if the allegations are true.
Sullivan, facing questions on Capitol Hill about whether the escapades could have jeopardized the president's security, said he had referred the matter to an independent government investigator.
He said the 11 Secret Service agents and 10 military personnel under investigation were telling different stories about who the women were. Sullivan has dispatched more investigators to Colombia to interview the women, said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.


text:
Ashram Diary
an outer/inner pilgrimage
← Christian meditation, yoga practice, 'intention'
On "Christ the King" Sunday, but is He? →
Hindu Diaspora in America
Posted on January 16, 2013	by ashramdiary
9. Building a traditional Hindu presence in America: the arrival in greater numbers of Indian immigrants, the building of temples across the continent, where authentic vedic rites are celebrated by immigrant Brahmins.
Some Hindu scholars and Brahmins are still of the opinion that belonging to Hinduism is somehow identified with dwelling in the land of 'greater India,' that is, the current national territory plus Pakistan, Bangladesh, all of Kashmir, and perhaps also Sri Lanka. This is not a political judgment but one of jurisprudence (based on the Laws of Manu) and even of a certain theology of sacred place and time. Hence some believe that Caste Hindus who leave India thereby lose their caste status and become 'profane,' whatever their personal adherence to Hindu credences may be.
Of course, times have changed, the Hindu diaspora has extended itself to every continent, and other canonical-theological considerations have come to the fore, making the above-mentioned opinion a minority position (a position, by the way, which does not speak to the important historical fact of earlier diasporas, such as the pre-Islamic presence of Hindus and Buddhists in the Indonesian archipelago, or the forced migration of Indians to South Africa, Guyana, and British Caribbean islands in the colonial era).
Even in the strictest sense of 'belonging to India,' there was never any question raised with regard to the swamis (Vivekananda, Yogananda, et al.) and other gurus who went abroad or lived abroad; as liberated spirits, they had gone beyond space and time, caste and formal religion. Both V and Y were given a hero's welcome on their respective return to Mother India.
So today the issue for Hindus in America and elsewhere is mainly practical, albeit with psychological repercussions: Is there a temple where I may (occasionally or regularly) worship? How best may I fulfill caste duties in a secular context? What if I marry a non-Hindu, or my children depart from Hindu devotion and rules? Hindu culture and mores in India are generally quite conservative, but even if a Hindu in America is of a conservative mind-set, he or she may be attracted to America's privatization of religion and our respectful indifference to others' creed or ritual practices.
When the wave of Indian immigration to the U.S. was beginning (often made up of well-educated and qualified professionals), and in the absence of traditional Hindu places of worship (temples, pilgrim sites etc.), many attended services in the temples of Yogananda's Self-Realization Fellowship, which was, in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, the largest neo-Hindu body in this country. The Vedanta Society and the centers of the Ramakrishna Mission were also available.
Then, through the eighties and nineties of the last century, Hindus in America began to acquire the financial means to begin building temples. Builders and sculptors were brought over from India, and (most important) Brahmins consented to come to this country, to bless the grounds and foundations of the temples, and to consecrate them at their completion. With some adaptation to local circumstances, the Brahmins have continued to conduct the vedic rites in full conformity to their traditions. See Diana L. Eck, Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India (N.Y.: Columbia U. Press, 1998), pp. 77-92.
About ashramdiary
Thomas Matus, who blogs this Ashram Diary, was born 1940 in Hollywood, California. Academics: A.B. in music from Occidental College (Los Angeles); S.T.L. in ecumenical theology from Athenaeum Anselmianum (Rome, Italy); Ph.D. in comparative mysticism from Fordham University (New York). Initiated into Kriya Yoga (by direct disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda) in 1958. Became a Catholic in 1960 and entered New Camaldoli Hermitage (Big Sur, California) as a novice monk in 1962. Lived for more than 30 years at the Monastery of Camaldoli in Italy. Traveled to India some 20 times; made frequent retreats at Saccidananda Ashram (Shantivanam) in southern India. Was in Brazil, off and on, from 1999 to 2006. Now back in California, he lives at the Hermitage in Big Sur and Incarnation Monastery in Berkeley, California. See: http://www.youtube.com/user/thomasmatus
View all posts by ashramdiary →
This entry was posted in dialogue, Hinduism, India, inter-spirituality and tagged Caste, diaspora, Hinduism, temple, Vivekananda, Yogananda. Bookmark the permalink.
Trinity & Saccidananda
Answering a question about Ananda Ashram
Tantra Symposium in Rome
The Sign of Jonah
Bach and Indian music
ashramdiary on Incubus 1966 [Movie Script in…
Kevin Ford on Incubus 1966 [Movie Script in…
faith as hope
green theology
inter-spirituality
spiritual sexuality


text:
Recent and forthcoming publications
Semaan, L. (forthcoming). "The timber trade in the Lebanon in the Bronze Age and the Iron Age: the case of fluvial transportation". TROPIS X-10th International Symposium on Ship Construction in Antiquity 2-7 Sep. 2008, Hydra, Greece.
J.P. Cooper (Forthcoming), 'Humbler craft: Rafts of the Egyptian Nile, 17th-20th Centuries AD.' International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (submitted).
J.P. Cooper (Forthcoming). 'No easy option: Nile versus Red Sea in ancient and medieval north-south navigation', In W.V. Harris and K. Iara (eds.), Maritime Technology in the Ancient Economy: Ship-Design and Navigation (submitted).
C. Zazzaro and C. Calcagno, Evidenze di attività navali dal sito faraonico di Marsa/Wadi Gawasis, Atti del III Convegno A.I.A.Sub., Manfredonia 4-6 ottobre 2007, Bibliotheca Archaeologica, forthcoming.
C. Zazzaro, Ship timbers and ship equipment in their archaeological context at Mersa Gawasis, Egypt, Proceedings of the "Primo Convegno Napoletano di Egittologia", Napoli, 18 Jun 2008 - 20 Jun 2008, forthcoming.
D. Agius, J.P. Cooper, J. Jansen van Rensburg, and C. Zazzaro. (Forthcoming) 'The dhow's last redoubt? Vestiges of wooden boatbuilding traditions in Yemen'. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 40 (2010)
J.P. Cooper, Egypt's Nile-Red Sea canals: chronology, location, seasonality and function. In Blue, L.K., Cooper, J.P., Thomas, R, and Whitewright, J. Connected Hinterlands: Proceedings of Red Sea Project IV held at the University of Southampton, September 2008. British Archaeological Reports series. Oxford: Archaeopress, forthcoming.
J.P. Cooper 'Nile navigation: Plain sailing or the long haul?' Living In The Past: Living Conditions through Time and Space, Oxford, 28 Mar 2009 - 29 Mar 2009, forthcoming.
Jansen van Rensburg, J. 2010. The Hawārī of Socotra, Yemen. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. 39.1: 99–109
D.A. Agius, (translation of In the Wake of the Dhow [Reading; Ithaca, 2002] tr. Abd al-Ilahi al-Mallah and ed. Hasan Salih Shihab). Dhākirat al-safīnat al-shiraciyya fī-l-khalīj al-arabiyya. Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, 2009.
C. Ward and C. Zazzaro, Evidence for Pharaonic Seagoing Ships at Mersa/Wadi Gawasis, Egypt, in The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (2010) 39.1: 27–43.
C. Zazzaro, Nautical evidence from the pharaonic site of Marsa/Wadi Gawasis: report on two parts of a steering oar/rudder. In ed. by R. Bockius (ed.), Between the Seas. Transfer and Exchange in Nautical Technology. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Boat and Ship Archaeology, Mainz 2006, hosted by Romisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Forschungsbereich Antike Schiffahrt, Verlag des Romisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums, Mainz 2009: 3-8.
C. Zazzaro, Adulis and the Eritrean Coast in Museum Collections and Italian and Other European Travellers' Accounts in Lucy Blue, John P. Cooper, Ross Thomas and Julian Whitewright (eds.), Proceedings of Red Sea Project IV, held at the University of Southampton, September 2008, Society for Arabian Studies Monographs No. 8, BAR International Series 2052, 2009: 49-59.
A. Veldmeijer and C. Zazzaro, The Rope Cave at Mersa Gawasis, Journal of American Research Centre in Egypt 44 2008: 9-39.
Last updated on Wednesday, 17 February, 2010 by: q.i.iskander@exeter.ac.uk


text:
La  est une gare ferroviaire située à Hikone dans la préfecture de Shiga au Japon.

Situation ferroviaire
La gare se trouve au point kilométrique (PK) 458,3 de la ligne principale Tōkaidō.

Histoire
La gare a ouvert le .

Service des voyageurs

Accueil
La gare dispose d'un bâtiment voyageurs, avec guichets, ouvert tous les jours.

Desserte
 Ligne Biwako :
 voie 1 : direction Kyoto et Osaka
 voies 2 et 3 : direction Maibara, Nagahama et Ōgaki

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Ligne Biwako

Lien externe
  La gare de Kawase sur le site de la JR West

Gare dans la préfecture de Shiga
Gare JR West
Gare mise en service en 1896

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
LIMITED TO 500 HAND-NUMBERED COPIES!
WATCH A TRAILER FOR THE FILM HERE
When Peru's biggest action film star and Jordan's newest rising talent find themselves pursued by a notorious bookie, a couple of private investigators are forced to choose between their job and their conscience.
A glorious tribute to the wild martial arts action of Hong Kong cinema, Gold Ninja Video is proud to present UNLUCKY STARS: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT on Blu-ray for the first time alongside a starfield's worth of special features: A feature-length commentary track, an interview with Writer/Director/Star Dennis Ruel and much more!
ALL-NEW AND EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES:
A feature-length audio commentary track by Writer/Director/Star Dennis Ruel and Justin Decloux
Spin Kicks To The Head: An Interview with Writer/Director/Star Dennis Ruel
The Making of UNLUCKY STARS: A Tribute to Hong Kong's Golden Era
Meet the Composer
Meet the Lucky Stars
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR'S CULT COLLECTION:
The Director's Cult Collection is dedicated to preserving and celebrating little-seen films that have fallen between the cracks. Every release in the collection has been made in collaboration with the filmmaker and the goal is to be comprehensive, contextual, and most important of all, full of pure movie making love.
Back to Releases


text:
Don't Forget about Radio: Leveraging One-Way Communications to Inform Devices and Users
August 22, 2019 | By Andrew Cotter and Jackson Wang
Today, the "Smart" in "Smart Grid," "Smart Meter," or "Smart Home" is synonymous with two-way communications between devices and a centralized system, as opposed to the one-way "command and control" electric grid of the 20th century. This two-way communications capability is fundamental to data-driven automation, control, and optimization of the current and future electric grid. That said, utilities and solution providers should consider the capabilities and distinct benefits of one-way communication systems.
While a one-way system cannot directly replace Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), the simple setup, inherent data security, low cost, and scalability of the network make it a tool still worthy of consideration for certain applications. One-way systems can effectively support emergency broadcasts and transactive energy, and may have the power to transform demand-side management as we know it today.
Join the Customer-Grid Edge (CGE) Working Group on September 6th from 1-2:30pm ET for an interactive discussion with Jackson Wang of e-Radio about how this technology can augment emergency communications systems, send price signals, or drive DSM programs. Joined by utilities with experience using this technology, the group will explore some of the less-obvious benefits of secure one-way communication networks. This presentation is one of many featured by the CGE Working Group to share our most interesting conversations and give SEPA members a chance to interact with our resident experts.
These presentations are free and open to all SEPA members. Learn more here.
The One-Way Landscape
One-way communication networks take three forms:
At its most simple, there are point-to-point (P2P) networks with just two nodes — the broadcaster and the receiver — via a dedicated communication path that can be wireless or hardwired.
Point-to-multipoint (P2MP) systems, also sometimes referred to as "narrow cast", wherein one broadcaster sends data to a specific list of receivers. This is best illustrated in the pre-internet cable TV model.
The third type is broadcast communications, where a single broadcaster sends information to all receivers within an area, such as terrestrial and satellite radio and TV. For example, the data-carrying portion of radio signals communicates song and station information often seen in car and home radio displays. This article focuses specifically on radio broadcast communications, as satellite signals may not penetrate buildings to reach in-home devices such as water heaters or thermostats directly.
Example system architecture from e-Radio. Data packets are encrypted by a single data processing engine, and sent to radio towers via satellite or direct hardwire link to send to any FM receiver within range.
Broadcast Communications 101
Three characteristics are inherent to broadcast communication networks and provide unique value: scalability, simplistic system setup, and security.
First, broadcast communications networks are capable of reaching a very large number of devices simultaneously. As with a dedicated communication line, they avoid network congestion. Examples could include broadcasting price signals for a dynamic pricing program, sending command signals for a demand response program, or supporting utility emergency response management with reports and backup communications.
Second, system setup is simple. A very robust broadcast network of satellites and radio towers can be leveraged to access a portion of system bandwidth. Using this national network would require:
Negotiating bandwidth access with major networks or local radio stations.
Establishing a secure data path from the utility to the radio station.
Installing signal receivers to reach selected devices such as thermostats, electronic displays, or inverters.
Programming the receivers (can be done via radio).
Testing and optimizing transmitter and receiver settings.
Third, one-way communications are inherently secure. Data sent to FM broadcast towers from a utility is generally not internet accessible, nor is data sent from the broadcast tower to the end device. More importantly, no data is sent from the end-devices to the utility, meaning that the utility is only adding one "access point" regardless if the end-device has an internet connection. This also makes device setup and firmware updates much easier, avoiding the need for burdensome device-level registration and password protections. Finally, the reduced cyber risk greatly simplifies the leasing of FM bandwidth options.
Consider an electric vehicle smart charging program as an example. EV's are increasingly smart and connected, traveling from port to port connecting to public bluetooth, wifi, and cellular networks. These EVs are not the type of asset a utility CTO wants exchanging data on their network without protection. Since each EV has an FM receiver, information such as price signals could be sent to the EV without exchanging data with the utilities' network. This mechanism could reach thousands of vehicles with little additional effort and without exposing the utility to additional cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Utility Examples of Broadcast Communications
Utility Emergency Management Support: A broadcast communications network could perform 3 tasks
In this capacity, a utility would use the broadcast communication network to supplement nonfunctioning microwave or cellular networks in the aftermath of a natural disaster otherwise limiting crews to short-range walkie-talkies. Vital information such as crew assignments, priority lists, status updates, and communication alerts could be encrypted and sent via radio. Crews would use USB FM receivers in laptops or cellphones. Messages could also be displayed through a service vehicle's FM radio. Crews would receive a temporary access code, enabling them to receive broadcast data, including any necessary software.
USB FM receivers are the size of a thumbstick, cost as little as $5, and can be secured using rapidly deployed access codes and encryption. As such, broadcast communication networks represent a very safe method to coordinate and communicate with emergency crews without compromising utility systems.
Demand Response: For a demand response program, the utility needs to add a feedback mechanism. This would be achieved by leveraging devices already linked to a two-way network such as AMI or sensors in the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
Utilities would install FM receivers on customer grid edge devices such as water heaters, pumps, or HVAC systems. To retrofit older devices, the FM receiver could be coupled with a simple load switch. Utilities have been using this approach in DSM programs for over a decade. For modern, intelligent devices, the FM receiver could be connected directly to the device to capture commands and data points. In either case, the utility would reconcile the commands and the responses by measuring the data provided by the utility's AMI or SCADA system.
Other potential applications for this technology include:
DR & Ancillary Services: Sending pricing information or command signals to DERs.
Transactive Energy: Sending real-time pricing signals to devices participating in a transactive market.
Asset Management: Providing basic system reports such as, "Primary communications line is down, do not respond" or delivering secure firmware/software updates.
Authenticated Messaging and Security: Sending reports and updates to crews or other service providers who should not have access to a utility's network – such as crews and support staff from other utilities during a crisis.
Broadcast Communications Limitations
As seen in the DR example, the technology has limits. Primarily, direct feedback from specific devices or groups of devices requires a secondary communications channel such as SCADA, wifi, or cellular. Other issues include:
Bandwidth – FM broadcast technology uses Radio Data System 1.0 (RDS1.0) that can transmit 1kb per second (about a paragraph of text), enough for changing electronic signs, or sending commands and simple reports.
Range: Typical FM signals travel 60-120 miles, and can be blocked by physical obstacles, as experienced when driving through a tunnel or parking garage. Lower frequencies (100MHz for example) travel further and penetrate more deeply than higher frequencies.
Device targeting is possible, but only a finite number. Targeting single devices or groups of devices can be achieved by incorporating authentication codes or other signals. The current standard, RDS1.0, can target up to 64,000 unique addresses, but identifier codes consume valuable bandwidth.
Devices need a receiver installed with appropriate programming. Any device or appliance in one of these systems will need a receiver. The effort required to install these receivers can vary depending on the device. Devices with an ANSI/CTA-2045 port (similar to a USB port for demand response devices like HVAC) have plug and play options. Other devices have data ports that can accept an adapter. Also, FM receivers can access home networks to connect to multiple devices. Finally, a radio-controlled circuit switch can be installed in front of a device (like a light switch).
A new standard, RDS2.0, is currently in testing. It will be able to reach over 100,000 unique addresses and increases the data transmission capacity of 8-fold. A second standard, HD radio, increases the number of devices and data transmission rate another 10-fold. Some receivers will need to be replaced to take advantage of these new standards, while other radios could be upgraded to use the new standards.
A Vision for the Future: Bringing DSM to Toasters
Currently, DSM programs focus on expensive, high-energy consuming devices such as HVAC systems, water heaters, and EV chargers. This makes sense, as DSM programs cost money, and both users and program operators need to prioritize their time and efforts.
In a world where FM receivers cost less than a dollar, and integrate into most electronics, a new paradigm for DSM is possible. One where billions of small loads like cell phone chargers that constantly draw power, cable boxes that sleep instead of shutting off, TV's constantly looking for a signal from a remote control, and coffee makers with standby clocks could all participate in a broad-based DSM program.
For example, cell phone chargers leak 0.25W when not charging. While not a big number in isolation, multiplied 300 million times equates to 75MW of unused, unmanaged load. An average TV in standby mode uses 45W of power, which in aggregate consumes 4,500MWs. In total, these passive loads account for an estimated 10% of all residential power consumption, a staggering number that is rising as consumers adopt more "always-on" electronics.
Fortunately, this vision is quite possible. A related technology, radio-frequency identification (RFID), has transformed much of manufacturing tracking and logistics. Beginning in the 1990's tracking rail cars and toll booth EZ-Passes, RFID tags are today so ubiquitous they cost less than a penny. Devices to enable the DSM vision above are conceptually simpler, since RFID uses two-way communications.
Until such simple, low cost integrated devices exist, one-way broadcast communications technology can supplement the two-way networks that are the cornerstone of the modern grid. The simple setup, inherent security, and scalability provide new opportunities for this century-old technology to address today's challenges.
Jackson Wang is the founder and CEO of e-Radio. Wang serves as the co-chairman of the U.S. National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC) Digital Radio Broadcasting (DRB) subcommittee, and is currently a member SEPA's Customer Grid Edge working group. He was also a founding committee chairman of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and past chair of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC/204 WG10.1 subcommittee on advanced traveler services integration.
About e-Radio
e-Radio Inc. (ERI) develops devices and operates national networks that integrate and communicate with appliances to facilitate real-time demand optimization solutions. The company operates an expanding secure wireless communications platform based on globally standardized FM-RDS technology. By leveraging the networks of existing FCC-licensed FM radio broadcasters, e-Radio is able to reach 99.5% of the North American population.
e-Radio Inc.'s P2D 2045 module was named a 2015 CES Innovations Awards Honoree in the Tech For A Better World product category at the annual consumer technology convention in Las Vegas. More recently, e-Radio worked closely with Bonneville Power Authority (BPA) and 8 participant utilities over 2 years, to successfully enable one of the largest smart water heater demonstrations to date by providing broadcast FM communications hardware and cloud-based control software for the project.
Andrew Cotter joined SEPA in November 2017 as Senior Manager of Technical Services to coordinate SEPA's working groups. He brings over 13 years of utility research and program management experience from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association where he oversaw its "Renewable and Distributed Energy" research portfolio.
Andrew has a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Maryland College Park and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Mass Communications from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Phone: 202.869.1948 Email: [email protected]
A Coordinated Approach to Fleet Electrification
Making Sense of Utility Carbon-Reduction Targets


While working with Amy, I finally found the courage to quit my job after months of inner turmoil. Amy helped remind me that the only way to be authentic is to have a career that's based on my values. It's been two months since I've quit my job, and I'm now building a strong foundation for my business, one that reflects my authenticity and true self. I'm so excited for what's to come!


Erected on the right side of the Chorokhi Gorge, in the village of Iokushlu, this kuppelhalletype church of the transitional period, is mostly ruined. Only the north walls and the north-west corner have survived.
Regrettably, the church fell prey to the construction of a road. The north wall has three arches. Two of them, which are relatively smaller, are located westwards, while the third bigger one stands eastwards in the area which formed part of the underdome bay.
The church is built of brownish and grey stone arranged in horizontal courses. Structural parts are made of neatly hewn basalt stone.


For those who might be interesting in sweetening your life, here's the recipe for chocolate fudge frosting/sauce/body paint I spoke of in my interview on All Cupcakes, All the Time.
Cook over moderate heat until mixture thickens and begins to boil, stirring frequently, about five minutes.
Cool thoroughly before spreading on cake, use immediately as sundae sauce. Cool to lukewarm for use as a body paint.
**Since this is a recipe from childhood, it tastes "right" to me with less chocolate, maybe 1 1/2 ounces, although with our modern appreciation of dark chocolate, the higher amount might suit the current taste better.


Liked vpetmad's post in the thread Tribal World Wonders – MS Paint contest.
Replied to the thread Efficient starting guide (COM).
1) What level do you take the granary up to? Given the focus on crop production I imagine it needs to be quite high?
Wrote a comment on ignacio013_CL's wall.
Replied to the thread com Path to Pandora X2 Rumors.
Are you? Didn't know I had another dual.
Replied to the thread Tribal World Wonders – MS Paint contest.
Replied to a comment by OPRINCHNIKI on GM_Kalasnikov's wall.
Wrote a comment on Vegetto's wall.
vegeto weyyyyyyyy q haaces tio!!
Wrote a comment on GM_Kalasnikov's wall.
vuelve PR al proximo speed?
Liked eatie's post in the thread Com1 Restart Rumors.
Liked sarcy's post in the thread What's in your name?.
That is lovely to hear about Matt. He built a brilliant Wonder support account on that Wild server and was an amazing Wonder sitter. It was pure joy to work in that Wonder team.
Replied to the thread What's in your name?.
My nickname is after my cat's name. Somehow I tend to choose the nickname same or derived from my pets name. And I named my cat Shanti because I like the word. It's Indian word meaning 'calmness'. And no, I'm not Indian (I got that question a lot).
Liked Papaya87's post in the thread [COM] Fact and Rumours tx3 - Round ? (February 2019 - ).
Replied to the thread Game Continent Tug Of War.
Liked MrSimplyD's post in the thread Tribal World Wonders – MS Paint contest.
Replied to the thread [COM] Fact and Rumours tx3 - Round ? (February 2019 - ).


Over 20 years ago I went on a trail ride in Sonoita, Arizona. We all brought something for a picnic lunch that we enjoyed on the trails, and one of the women brought some of the best chocolate chip cookies that I have ever had. She said there was something special about them, and when none of us could figure out what was different she finally told us: they were made with balsamic vinegar.
I never saw her again or got the recipe, and I have been trying to replicate it ever since. Chef Joanne Bondy suggested I try a balsamic glaze instead of straight balsamic and she was right - that worked! By using the balsamic glaze I was able to use unsalted butter and not add any extra salt which keeps the sodium levels down, but the balsamic really brings out the beautiful intensity of the chocolate without being overwhelming. Lazy cooks that we are, we discovered a Monari Federzonu Balsamic Glaze that works perfectly with this recipe and saves you the time of making your own glaze. It also is delicious with our favorite Summer dish - fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
Preheat mixture to 375 degrees. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. When mixed well together and creamy mix in balsamic glaze and vanilla. Add eggs until mixture is well mixed together, then slowly beat in flour and baking soda. Turn off mixer and mix in chocolate chips using a spatula.
Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper, and using a small cookie scoop, drop approximately a tablespoon of batter on to the sheet.
Bake approximately 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on wire racks and allow to cool if you can resist that long!


How to Get Every Dollar You Deserve…. By Getting the Full Value of Your House!
The ability to reap additional profits on the sale of your home can be accomplished easily enough if you make the rightimprovements. Many changes can provide the prospective buyer with enhanced feelings about your home. Feelings of more space, more light, more rooms, more closet space, greater privacy, warmth and security. Basic, simple and inexpensive improvements can provide an improved emotional response in a potential buyer.
One of the biggest complaints heard from potential buyers is that there just isn't enough closet space! Simply purchasing an inexpensive closet organizer and installing it in any or all of your closets can make all the difference. You can also try putting a rod across one corner of a bedroom for hanging clothes. Also you could try hanging a screen made from a variety of materials. The screen could match the material of the bedspread, drapes etc. The idea here is to be creative so that the "fake closet" looks as though it was a part of the room.
This simple but seldom used technique, can give a buyer the feeling there are more actual rooms in your house. Floor to ceiling room dividers are inexpensive and simple to install. When a buyer walks through your home, they will generally count the rooms in a subconscious manner. Each room will present an emotional response as they walk through your home. By dividing and designing each side of your room, you create a " separate room" feeling in the potential buyer. It may sound crazy but it works!
Though people don't like to admit it, everyone's home has a certain smell to it. We just never notice it because we live with it day in, day out. Strategically placing fresh scent devices throughout the home will be pleasant to the nose of any potential buyer. As a matter of fact, an old Real Estate Professional trick is to pop some cinnamon rolls in an oven 5 minutes before a showing. I bet you thought all Real Estate Professionals just had a sweet-tooth!
Distress Selling: At times, selling quickly is unavoidable. That's when knowing the right techniques to sell your home without looking desperate and making yourself a target for low bidders really pays off. Know all there is to know about the market before listing and work hand in hand with the right real estate professional. Ensure that you are not settling for the first offer through the door.
Best Home in the Neighborhood: Your home is one of your most personal possessions. Don't be blind to flaws and needed cosmetic improvements. This will cause overvaluing of the home, hurting it's chances to be sold. Listing with the right agent gives you a well informed third eye that will help you price your home at a fair market price.
Restrain Emotional Decisions: Don't allow a few hundred dollarsto ruin a sale. That money will mean very little to you in the long run. Take a look at the big picture and react rationally. Use sound business judgment!
For Sale By Owner: Most homeowners who decide to sell their own home do so because they believe they can save the commission paid to the real estate agent. Everything has a price and selling a home carries a high one. The enormous amount of time and effort required to sell a home often surprises the "For Sale By Owner." Furthermore, many costly mistakes can be avoided with the right guidance.
Refusing to Trust Your Agent: Would you tell a physician that you've decided to run your own tests and come to your own diagnosis? By choosing the right Real Estate Professional, you can relax and trust their judgment. The right agent is a valuable team member who will protect your best interests and make your sale as profitable as possible.
Choosing a Real Estate Professional Based on Personal Relationships: Home sellers often pick a friend or family member as their agent. Choose an agent with a strong track record and aggressive Marketing Plan. A top producer knows the market well and can generate many buyers. Selling your home is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! Base it on good, sound business sense and the rewards will add up.
Before you make one of your most important decisions regarding your home sale shouldn't you become as informed as possible? By aligning yourself with a top agent you ensure that all the important issues and seemingly insignificant but….very important….details are handled professionally. Your home sale should not be a grueling ordeal. The more informed you are, the better chance you have of making a sound business decision.
Look at all the alternatives: hiring a moving company, for example, versus renting a truck and doing it yourself. Whichever alternative makes most sense for you, get bids from more than one vendor.
A few days before the moving company is scheduled to arrive or you're supposed to pick up your rental truck, call to confirm that everything is on track to happen when it's supposed to .
Prepare your change of address cards in advance and send them out as soon as it's appropriate to do so. The post office, utilities, companies and people you do business with, city hall, friends, relatives – all should be notified of your move.
Get an early start on packing by concentrating on seldom-used items first. Each box should have its contents and the room those contents belong in written on it clearly.
Take a hard look at things you seldom or never use and throw away as many of them as you can. The more you throw away, the less you'll have to move. Every item you throw away is one less item to clutter up you new home.
Use your extra towels and linens to protect breakables. When your supply of these things is exhausted, crumpled newspaper makes an excellent substitute. Write "Fragile" on all appropriate boxes.
Put your valuables (such as jewelry) and important documents (birth certificates, car titles, etc.) aside in some safe place where they won't be misplaced.
When the house is empty, go back for a thorough final inspection. Check closets, crawl spaces, basement, attic, out-of-the-way nooks and crannies of all kinds. Have a second person make the same inspection separately.
Clean your new home thoroughly before moving in. It's infinitely easier that way.
Decide in advance where you want the heavy furniture. Changing your mind after the movers have departed is no fun – especially for your back!
Locate all fuses, circuit breakers, and water/gas and electrical valves. Record the meter readings and check the smoke detectors.
List the phone numbers of the local police and fire stations, doctors, nearby hospitals, etc. Put a copy of your list near each phone.
Whether it's a lakefront cottage or a log cabin in the woods, a vacation home often seems to be a dream that only the wealthy can afford. But these days, you don't have to be a millionaire to own one.
A nationwide survey shows the median household income of second-home owners is $46,500. And, according to recent statistics, there were 7.2 million U.S. households in 1990 that owned some kind of recreational property or second home for vacation purposes. That number is expected to at least double and possibly triple over the next 10 years. With today's continued low interest rates, the tax advantages a second home can bring, and a wide selection of areas experiencing solid home price appreciation, this is an excellent time to consider purchasing a second home as an investment – and a great getaway place.
When searching for your second home, remember to investigate the area thoroughly. Ask a Realtor® and the local chamber of commerce to provide information packets, maps and brochures. Take time to visit the area several times – a few months prior to and during its peak season(s). Are the crowds unbearable? Is the weather unpredictable?
Speak with a local Realtor regarding current and past home prices. Knowing the area's sales history will help determine the market value of the homes and effectively predict their appreciation potential.
Once you've settled on a community, work with a Realtor and lending institution to determine how much home you can afford. Drive around the town and its neighborhoods. Experience the day-to-day activity around potential properties. Keep in mind you may decide to retire to the area one day. Will the property serve two purposes – that of vacation and retirement home? More and more Americans are purchasing vacation properties in areas where they plan to eventually retire.
Remember, vacation homes remain a good investment and provide substantial deductions on yearly tax forms if they meet certain criteria. As the laws are ever-changing, complex and detailed, consult your real estate agent, who will usually work with a tax attorney or certified accountant, to calculate the tax benefits of owning a second home.
Relaxing in your own home in that dream vacation spot is not out of your reach. More and more Americans are realizing that owning a vacation home is do-able – not to mention a good investment and a peaceful retreat for years to come.
With these concerns in mind, Century 21 sales associates offer a few tips for those struggling to add value to their home.
Enlarged bathrooms are the most popular attraction for new home buyers, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Today, the most popular additions for younger buyers are sunken whirlpool baths and showers. But be sure to install modest, solid amenities. It's easy to quickly over-spend on bathroom fixtures.
Buyers are, by convention, more interested in above-ground living space – not basements, yards and walkways. Swimming pools can be a poor investment if installed for the sole purpose of increasing a home's value; it's rare that a pool's cost will be recovered in a home sale. It can also be a negative feature for potential buyers with very young children.
For many renters, the first step in buying a home is becoming educated about the process. If you're like many people considering a home purchase, you've spent nights and weekends poring over your local real estate section. You've talked to friends and relatives about their experiences. Maybe you've even purchased a book or tow to help you become more familiar with real estate terminology and the various types of mortgages commonly used today.
Coming up with a down payment and finding a loan that meets your needs are the greatest hurdles faced by first-time homebuyers. So, you may even have leafed through stacks of brochures and flyers from lenders offering down payments that are far less than the 20 percent you'd always thought you'd need to save before you could buy. With so many excellent first-time buyer programs to choose from these days, you practically need to be an expert to sort through them all.
That's why if you're a first-time homebuyer seeking a low down payment loan, you'll save time by selecting a professional real estate agent who is experienced in working with people just like you in the area where you plan to buy. An agent who frequently assists first-time buyers will know from experience which lenders in your area offer a low down payment program that will most closely match your needs.
A professional real estate agent can help you determine whether you are likely to qualify for these special programs, since participation in some may be limited to buyers under a certain income level or for the purchase of homes below a certain purchase price. Your agent also will be able to tell you whether there are other requirements you must fulfill in order to be considered. With some programs, for example, you must attend an educational seminar before you can be considered for one of these low down payment loans.
`It's important that your agent become familiar with your current financial situation. Before you meet with your agent to discuss your financial situation and housing needs, you'll want to collect some basic information to make the process easier. Be prepared to show recent paycheck stubs or pay vouchers to certify sources of income; a complete list of current credit card, auto and other consumer credit payments you make each month; and recent bank and savings statements. These documents will help you and your agent determine how much home you can afford. It's also important that you disclose any prior credit problems or late payments. Your agent may be able to suggest ways to remedy any negative remarks on your credit report that could disqualify you from a low down payment loan program.
In addition, because most lenders w2ill require that you have several months of house payments in the bank as a reserve, your agent may be able to suggest ways you can increase your savings in the weeks and months leading up to your home purchase. Don't forget that some programs allow you to apply a cash gift from a family member to cover the required down payment and losing costs.
Your agent also may know a motivated seller who would be happy to assist you in accomplishing your home purchase by caring a second mortgage. A second mortgage is helpful because it reduces the amount of the first mortgage you need to obtain. In some cases, a second monthly payment and generally is required to protect the lender when a down payment is less than the standard 20 percent of the loan amount. Even if your seller isn't willing to take a second mortgage to complete the sale, he or she may be willing to pay your closing costs, which will reduce the amount of cash you need to have on hand up-front.
With interest rates edging up, innovative mortgage financing programs that require a low down payment are even more important than ever to first-time buyers. A professional real estate agent can help you sift through the countless programs that are available and help find the one that's mortgage can eliminate the need for private mortgage insurance, which is added to your right for you. To locate a CENTIURY 21 agent near you, call 1-800-4-HOUSES.
If you're like most people, you'll start by seeking assistance from a professional. A local real estate sales associate, who knows your neighborhood, can help you determine a fair market price. The sales associate should also recommend the extent to which you should make repairs or improvements to your house.
In order to select a real estate professional who's right for you, ask family, friends and neighbors for referrals. Attend open houses and interview several sales associates to find out how professional or experienced they may be. Get a written outline of how they plan to market your property and the services they will offer you.
The brokerage firm that your agent is associated with is also important. Research the firm's success rate and commitment to quality service. Does it survey existing clients in order to ensure customer satisfaction? What are the results of those surveys? How in tune are they with consumer needs? Do they offer guidance with mortgages or any discounts for other home related or moving services?
Determining your home's fair market value is one of the most important decisions you'll make during the home-selling/buying process. Your sales associate can help you set a fair price based on local market conditions. For instance, she or he will provide sale prices and other statistics of homes similar to yours that have recently been sold. Prospective buyers will be comparing your home to others on the market. Therefore, setting a comprehensive price can determine if your property will or will not sell.
For the first offer made, it's rare that the prospective buyer matches the asking price. If the offer is reasonably close to the asking price, carefully consider the offer before you consider turning it down. Curiously, it's the first offer that can often be the best offer. If the first offer is unacceptable to you, it may in your best interest to have your sales associate respond with a counter offer. Whenever considering an offer, ask yourself if you would purchase the property for the amount being offered. Always be willing to negotiate, especially if the prospective buyer is pre-qualified for a mortgage.
Once you decide what terms are acceptable, let your sales associate negotiate with the prospective buyer to work out the best agreement for you. You'll need to be patient while the buyer arranges financing and as the real estate company compiles and prepares pertinent data.
Careful planning and sound advice from a real estate professional can make selling your home a very satisfying experience. For further information, please contact, (BROKER NAME), (FIRM NAME), (FIRM ADDRESS), (FIRM PHONE NUMBER).
Century 21 Real Estate LLC (century21.com) is the franchisor of the world's largest residential real estate sales organization, providing comprehensive training and marketing support for the CENTURY 21 System. The System is comprised of approximately 7,100 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 74 countries and territories worldwide with more than 100,000 sales professionals. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services.
Whether you're a first-time buyer, selling your current home or relocating to a different part of the country, the support of a qualified, knowledgeable real estate agent can alleviate many of your concerns and ensure a smooth transaction. A professional agent can market your present residence, help you locate the home of your dreams and assist in making your transfer to an unfamiliar area easier.
To find a trained sales associate or broker, you may need to look no further than your own neighborhood or home town. If a well-established brokerage is involved in many listings and sale, this is a god sign. Speak with some of the agent's past customers about the quality and integrity of service and performance. Successful real estate agents rely heavily on customer referrals and will therefore strive to provide the very best in customer service and satisfaction.
Set up appointments to "interview" agents and brokers much like an employer world interview a prospective employee. Inquire about their training, marketing programs and specific service policies. Also determine how many years of experience they have, the number of listings they have had, and the number of homes they have sold within the past few years. More importantly, find out how well they know the area. Ask for references, and check them out.
Your goal is to determine just how knowledgeable the agents are. Question them on financing, closing costs and/or local market conditions, depending on whether you're a prospective home buyer or seller, to determine their expertise. If they know their stuff, they should be able to answer your questions effortlessly.
If you're selling your home, learn what they will do if you decide to list with them. How do they plan to market your home? Will they provide you with a market analysis to help you determine the most effective listing price for your property? Will they supply regular progress reports and assist with negotiations once you've received offers?
If you are relocating to a different part of the country, is your agent connected with a national relocation service that will not only expose your present property to incoming transferees, but assist with your search for a new house?
Ask for a written guarantee that everything promised will be delivered. The CENTURY 21® organization, for example, backs its listings with the CENTURY 21 Seller Service PledgeÔ. This 11-point written commitment covers everything from furnishing the seller with a marketing plan to monitoring pre-settlement activities throughout the closing process. It also gives the seller the right to terminate the listing if the pledge is not fulfilled.
A qualified real estate agent should be able to answer all your questions and provide you with qualify service that is courteous and responsible. Finding the right person may take time and patience, buy when purchasing or selling a home, the selection of a dependable agent should be tops on your list.


text:
Vivid-Pix News
Select CategoryVivid-Pix News & EventsRandy Fredlund Tech TalkCreate Treasured GiftsUnsung HeroesShare Your PhotosScan, RESTORE, Record & Share Treasured GiftsYour City. Your Story.Tech Talk - RESTORETech Talk - Land & Sea SCUBATips & Tricks - Learn how to do more and save time.Photo Guru: Rick VoightPhoto Guru: Marty SnydermanPhoto Guru: Cathy ChurchCreate Your Story - RootsTech Video GalleryAffiliate News
Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix Announce Unsung Heroes Awards at Federation of Genealogical Societies 2020 Conference
Vivid-Pix News & Events Unsung Heroes
Rick Voight
The time that volunteers commit to scan, index, and transcribe records, documents, and photos is immense and often goes unrecognized. This is why we created the Unsung Heroes Programs. Please join us in giving thanks!
Media Release, Tampa, FL, September 1, 2020
The Genealogy Guys Podcast, co-hosted by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, producers of the oldest continually produced genealogy podcast, and Vivid-Pix, makers of RESTORE photo and document restoration software, are pleased to recognize the winners in the Unsung Heroes Awards at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference being held online.
The Unsung Heroes Awards acknowledge and celebrate those members of the genealogy community who digitize, index, or transcribe documents of value to genealogical researchers. The Unsung Heroes Award is designed to recognize the efforts of its recipients in multiple categories.
The winners selected for Unsung Heroes Awards for August 2020 are in the Individual and Genealogical Society categories:
Individual – Rosemary McFarland of Mount Eden, Kentucky. Rosemary created the Kentucky Genealogical Society's digitization project and has chaired the committee for the past three years. In this time, she has led an effort that first started by digitizing family bible records of members and anyone in the public. These digitized scans and indexes were then placed on the www.kygs.org website on the member portal where they are accessible for member researchers. This is an active project. Rosemary actively encourages members and the public to contribute family bible page scans to this ongoing effort. The current archive includes Bible records that date from the founding of the Commonwealth to today.
A second project that has been ongoing is the Kentucky Tax List project. This project is digitizing early tax lists from Kentucky counties that are not available anywhere else. Rosemary leads this effort and so far they have scanned and created indexes for the following Kentucky counties: Bourbon (1787-1788), Daviess (1873-1875), Fayette (1787-1789), Jefferson (1789), Lincoln (1787-1789), Madison (1787-1802) and Mercer (1789). These records would not otherwise be accessible unless a researcher were to physically go to the Kentucky Department for Library and Archives to view them.
Rosemary has also proactively identified rare and at-risk records and through her will and determination set out to get these records digitized and then made accessible to members of the Kentucky Genealogical Society through the member portal of the website.
She is also leading the volunteers who index these materials every single day. Just recently she led an effort to create an index for 46 years of the society's quarterly journal which had never been indexed.
Society – Eller Family Association
The Eller Family Association in Midlothian, Virginia, is the society winner. The EFA was created in 1987 to help "promote a sense of kinship" and to "encourage and aid genealogical and historical research on Eller and allied families in the United States and Europe."
In November 1987, the Association published the first of thirty years of quarterly newsletters that have included extensive genealogical information. From the start, The Eller Chronicles were made available by mail and, for those interested, on the Internet. By the mid 90's, the publication was on the Association's own website.
For the first several years, The Eller Chronicles were just photocopies but soon they were able to scan photos and documents into the publication. The first foray into an Eller Association website was pretty basic but it soon added documents, photos and back issues of The Chronicles.
Now they boast a website (www.ellerfamilyassociation.com) containing an online database of more than 60,000 names. Because there are multiple contributors, there are some duplications. Nevertheless, they believe there are 50,000 individuals there. In addition, there are more than 800 photos, 40 documents, 780 headstone-photos, 200 research articles along with maps, obituaries and web-links. Nearly all are linked to the names in the database. And it's all searchable. They also include Association news and information about upcoming conferences.
There are numerous books about the Eller family, both in Germany and in the United States. Where they have permission, those books are online, or their website has a link to the book. In other cases, they provide information and a purchase-link.
The thirty years of their newsletter have been converted to a digital format and are also online and searchable. They reserve some parts of the website, like the most recent Chronicles, the membership list and information on living people, for members of the association. But the rest is open to all researchers and even those with just a passing interest. They know they are making an impact. In 2019 there were more than 49,000 visits and 5,677,000 page-views. Their website is usually among the top returns on Google when researchers are looking for information on the Eller ancestors.
The winners will receive a beautiful custom-made commemorative mug from Vivid-Pix with their choice of one of their own images, and an announcement on an episode of The Genealogy Guys Podcast. A profile of each winner has been published today on The Genealogy Guys Blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com/ and recognition will be published at the Vivid-Pix Unsung Heroes Blog at https://vivid-pix.com/blog as well. They will also receive a copy of Vivid-Pix RESTORE software.
The Individual Winner will also receive a one-year subscription to the Genealogy Guys Learn subscription genealogy website.
Many nominations in each category were received and these will be considered for future Unsung Heroes Awards. The nomination due date for the next set of awards is January 31, 2021. Full details and links to the nomination form can be found at https://ahaseminars.com/cpage.php?pt=24.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix salute these selfless volunteers whose efforts make invaluable genealogical and historical information available to researchers around the globe. "We Sing Your Praises!"
Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix Announce Unsung Heroes Society Scanning Equipment Grant Winner at Federation of Genealogical Societies 2020 Conference
The Genealogy Guys Podcast, co-hosted by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, producers of the oldest continually produced genealogy podcast, and Vivid-Pix, makers of RESTORE photo and document restoration software, are pleased to recognize the first winner in the Unsung Heroes Grant at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference being held online.
The Unsung Heroes Grant enables a genealogical society, historical society, or museum to make images available to the genealogy community. The award includes a high-quality scanner, software to save and back up images, and two copies of Vivid-Pix RESTORE software. The package is valued at $500.
The winner selected for the Unsung Heroes Grant for August 2021 is the Morgan County History Partnership (MCHP).
The Morgan County Public Library family files and business archives are in the Martinsville, Indiana, county courthouse. So, too, are the Morgan County newspapers, private collections of citizens of Morgan County, Indiana, and a vast collection of photographs and data that are available only to patrons who visit the county. The Morgan County History Partnership and Museum Committee is dedicated to enhancing the culture of their county by exploring who they were, who they are, and who they will be by preserving the History of the Morgan County from 1822. Highest priority will be given to pre-1923 material. Photos will be identified by date and description and/or name, and newspapers will be identified by edition and date. Everything will be indexed to provide seamless searches. Copyright laws will be adhered to and written permission will be received for digitization of any material requiring such permission.
The digitized documents/photos will be shared on the Morgan County History Partnership website, with the Indiana Historical Society, in the Morgan County History Museum, and accessible via the county library website. Morgan County was the home of numerous sanitariums, basketball icon John R. Wooden, small villages, Indiana State flag designer Paul Hadley, musician Bobby Helms, Congressman William G. Bray, is the goldfish capital of the world, Old Hickory Furniture manufacturer, and contains numerous other celebrities and noted businesses which they are eager to digitize and share.
For the beginning project, set to be available in 2022, photographs and documented histories of families, businesses, homes, Family Bibles, and events of Morgan County, Indiana will be digitized to celebrate the bicentennial of the county in 2022. Collaboration and sharing of private family albums and histories will be encouraged following the celebration to provide thousands more documents.
Genealogical research of the residents and history of Morgan County, Indiana, will be enhanced and shareable worldwide. Currently the following Morgan County, Indiana, digitized records are available at the Indiana State Library (42), Indiana Genealogical Society (56), Indiana Historical Society (less than 200). The digitization of materials on the MCHP and Genealogical Society websites include high school yearbooks, a few church biographies, and school graduation brochures. Digitizing, identifying, and categorizing materials will enable researchers to quickly find information pertinent to their research. The ability to restore photos and documents will improve the ability to transcribe and identify photos and documents that are faded. Having an accessible digital database that is indexed will provide their group with the ability to quickly assist researchers. This is a prestigious and appreciated beginning to our bicentennial work.
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix salute the Morgan County History Partnership and its volunteers whose efforts make invaluable genealogical and historical information available to researchers around the globe.
"We Sing Your Praises!"
About the Unsung Heroes Awards Partners
The Genealogy Guys Podcast is a production of Aha! Seminars, Inc., a Tampa Bay-based company that has been providing training to genealogists and library personnel since 1996. Its principals are George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, noted speakers, authors, and world's longest genealogy podcasters. The company also produces the Genealogy Connection podcast and The Genealogy Guys Blog. The Genealogy Guys Podcast is a production of Aha! Seminars, Inc. In addition, we offer a subscription genealogy site, Genealogy Guys Learn, with educational videos and written lessons and new content added each month.
Vivid-Pix designs, creates and delivers Fast, Easy and Affordable Imaging Software. Since launching in 2012, Vivid-Pix has advanced its products to earn the support and respect of business leaders and photographers in over 100 countries. Co-Founder Randy Fredlund has more than 150 digital-imaging patents and has extensive experience in Research, Development and Commercialization, enabling him to translate theory into practice. Co-Founder Rick Voight has created billion-dollar businesses through Product Development, Sales and Marketing for Eastman Kodak and Hewlett-Packard. The Vivid-Pix Team is a far-flung group of excellent people who deliver software that "Give your pics (and documents) the Vivid-Pix Fix!"
Create Reflective and Future Wishes for "The New N...
Create a Gift from the Heart – an Anniversary Phot...
Rick Voight has spent his career helping people take/make/share pictures and with his clients has created billion dollar business through consumer and business research, business development and marketing for Kodak, HP, and Vivid-Pix. He's a father and husband who loves traveling, scuba diving, and has made it his personal goal to get his partner to blow bubbles.
Wednesday, December 16 2020 Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!
Wednesday, December 09 2020 STAY SAFE AND CONNECTED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH FREE FAMILY HISTORY & FAMILY REUNION TUTORIAL VIDEOS PROVIDED BY EXPERTS
Wednesday, November 11 2020 Vivid-Pix Helps Family & Friends Safely Celebrate the Holidays and Create Holiday Time Capsules
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://vivid-pix.com/
Randy Fredlund
3 Parts Of The Plan To Give You A Hand When You Scan
Vivid-Pix News & Events
Tips & Tricks - Learn how to do more and save time.
Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!
Create Treasured Gifts
STAY SAFE AND CONNECTED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH FREE FAMILY HISTORY & FAMILY REUNION TUTORIAL VIDEOS PROVIDED BY EXPERTS
Vivid-Pix Helps Family & Friends Safely Celebrate the Holidays and Create Holiday Time Capsules


text:
Why a Haircut Feels Like Sorcery — and Therapy
Written by Lauren Entwistle on June 26, 2019
Coco Chanel once said, "A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life." And while she wasn't the first to suggest that going for the chop wields power, that idea has certainly been internalized by those aching for transformation.
On social media sites like Twitter, the impulsive snip has been made akin to seeing a therapist — or, in most cases, acknowledging that you should probably see one before making any big decisions.
@freakin_dani: "do I actually want to cut my hair or do I need a therapist?"
@alliewach: "personally I believe wanting bangs is almost never about wanting bangs and if u want bangs u should go to therapy first."
Hair experimentation can be seen as self-care — arguably the most low-risk alteration we can get away with. No harm, no foul. The bowl cut you got on impulse but have come to regret will grow back.
Whether or not you believe the semantics run that deep, for many people haircuts have always been signposts of the need for something new. And the way society reacts to hair transformations only reinforces the symbolism.
The haircut has always been surrounded by mysticism
Whether we're discussing the post-breakup chop or the new-me 'do, haircuts have become a marker for pivotal moments in life. But the mysticism is in the act itself: sitting in a salon chair and listening to the snips as pieces of ourselves get chopped away so we can show the world how we wish to be seen.
It's a magic spell that combines potent emotion with a real-life alteration that's quick, easy and painless. That's what makes it feel like sorcery.
This idea has also been fueled by fashion and popular culture, with styles gaining traction via screen, song, or celebrity status: The "Rachel," the "pixie," the "flapper," and the "pageboy" are now hallmarks of their respective eras.
We think the cuts themselves will make us feel good, but it's the narratives around them that make us think we'll be imbued with the same qualities as those who wore them in the past.
These feelings are most perfectly captured in film scenes, such as the moment in "Empire Records" when Robin Tunney's Debra cuts, buzzes, and then shaves her head after surviving a suicide attempt.
In "Roman Holiday," Audrey Hepburn's Princess Ann frees herself from the royal pressures by decisively choosing a pixie cut and a short fringe.
Mulan uses her father's sword to cut off her long hair so that she can go unnoticed in the Imperial Army — but by the end of the film, she wears it long again, signaling a change in identity.
In Hans Christian Anderson's original fairy tale, the Little Mermaid's sisters sacrifice their mythical locks to the sea witch in exchange for a magic knife.
A hair-transformation montage in "The Princess Diaries" shows Mia Thermopolis' frizzy hair becoming split-end-free and glossy.
It's easy to understand why haircuts are often cited as a way to take control of certain feelings or ideations. The mental craving for release or change is satiated by physical action, and — presto! — we suddenly have agency.
But of all the visual depictions of haircuts, the one that stuck with me as the greatest haircut catharsis was from the opening of "500 Days of Summer."
We see a young version of Zooey Deschanel's character brushing out her long hair in the mirror, and the narrator tells us: "Since the disintegration of her parents' marriage, she'd only loved two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and feel nothing."
Summer picks up some scissors and quickly snips off a whole chunk of her hair.
Though the cut is never mentioned again, it shows the viewer that Summer valued the fact that she could get rid of something she cared about without it causing her pain. That really stayed with me.
The takeaway is supposed to be that we should be wary of this character because she can distance herself from emotion, but all I got from it was that hair is reassuringly constant in its qualities: There's no pain.
Plus, it comes back.
When I cut my hair last year, I desperately needed control
I'd come home for Easter break from university, convincing myself that I wanted to be there to start my dissertation — rather than admitting that I didn't trust myself to be on my own.
Over the course of the year, I'd begun to experience periods of deep, low mood (as opposed to the usual static-crackle of generalized anxiety disorder, the symptoms of which I've had since I was young) and had been ambushed by distressing intrusive thoughts. They quickly escalated into suicidal ideation.
My Mum was a trained hairdresser in her youth, so haircuts in our house were not a wild occurrence. With my new compulsive tendencies, I often played around with the thought of getting the scissors and just cutting it all off — but I never had the guts to do it myself.
Yet I suddenly felt suffocated by my hair, which elicited a deep-set panic that someone else could grab or pull it. So I begged her to get rid of it, and although it pained her to do so, she did.
Within the hour my hair was shorter than it had ever been, my neck cold and covered in itchy flyaways. I spent most of the session with my eyes closed, listening to the snip of her scissors, as the urge to hurt myself softened a little.
It goes without saying that lopping all my hair off did not, in fact, cure me of my ills. But it gave me a reprieve, a sense of authority over something that often makes me feel small and powerless.
Because shorter haircuts require more maintenance, I also had to take care of it (and, by extension, myself) through regular trims and washes. It suddenly became something to focus on other than worry.
As my mental health improved somewhat, I allowed my hair to grow again. My anxiety is still something I grapple with on a day-to-day basis, as are intrusive thoughts, but the need to cut is not as strong.
The haircut itself was a plunge, something I probably won't be brave enough to repeat in the future. But living with my choice taught me a lot about self-care. Yes, haircuts are transformative in a physical sense, but they can also provide a mental balm that combines "real" action and therapeutic methods.
The practice of growing out a cut is representative of mental recovery, too. I look at my hair growing and know that I've come really far and I'm striving for a future when it can be longer.
Now I have a long bob and an anxiety diagnosis, which I'm awaiting treatment for. And almost predictably, I got a fringe. Some things never change.
Lauren Entwistle is a reporter and freelance journalist writing about mental health and pop culture — sometimes both at the same time. You can follow her on Twitter.
Wall Murals Are All the Rage Right Now — Here's How to DIY Your Own
Painting a wall mural is way easier than it sounds. We worked with an interior designer to walk you through each step of the process.
16 Sweet Potato Recipes to Give Thanks For
Sweet potato is just as versatile as it is sweet. These recipes give a fresh spin on the Thanksgiving staple while packing plenty of leftover power.
10 Feel-Good Formulas to Show 2021 Who's Boss
Some things are inherent to feeling good — eating nutritiously, staying active, sleeping, being mindful, and having a sense of community — but…
94 Creative Ways to Save Money Today Without Sacrificing Quality of Life
Money can be an absolute pain in the ass — unless you have it. Learn this small but powerful life hacks to put money aside.
The 7 Best Mattresses for Murphy Beds
Murphy beds are a great way to save space. But you need to make sure the mattress is worthy of a great night's sleep. Here are our top picks for the 7…
9 Breakfast Parfaits That Are Basically Morning Sundaes
Get out your parfait glasses and fresh fruit because these parfait recipes are healthy breakfasts that look like your favorite ice cream sundaes.
How to Organize Your Fridge So Food Keeps Longer — and Your Energy Bill Works Harder
Fridges are not just chilly closets — it matters what you put where. Learn about turning your fridge into a strategic weapon for making the most of…
Turn Down for What?: Everything You Need to Know About Dry January
Dry January might sound like nothing more than a simple 31-day challenge, but there's much more to the picture. Here's how to approach it.
Not a Fan of Being on Top? These 10 Sex Tips Might Change Your Mind
Rider-on-Top isn't everyone's favorite sex position, but according to the experts we interviewed, you may change your mind after learning these tricks.


The new year brought a new look for Avalon Integration. Our logo and website have had a makeover!
The industry has changed so much over the past two decades since Avalon Integration was launched. While we've been riding high on the wave of the evolution, we realized that our corporate appearance wasn't reflecting our own innovation and growth.
Avalon Integration has over 20 years of service—improving efficiency in warehouse, store, and field. That's where we come from and what we do. But who are we? Problem-solvers. Professionals who dig deep for a better way to do something. That could be making a change that helps a worker complete a task with more comfort or to prevent injuries. It could be uncovering a glitch in a process that opens the door for errors to creep in—like delays in replenishment, out-of-stocks, and missing inventory in service vehicles. Our experience gives us the advantage to go beyond cookie-cutter fixes that don't address the unique nature of your individual operation. Most importantly, we look beyond the immediate problem to find a lasting solution, so your operation works smoothly in the long run.
Why change with a new look and why now?
It's never a random decision to overhaul a brand. It's our identity. The graphics and contextual presentation impact how people see us. The logo is used on everything from our website and social media to labels, invoices, packaging, and company shirts. The brand message has to be communicated throughout the business, to distinguish us from the other providers. We pondered the idea for many months but realized the change was due.
We felt the symbol we had been using wasn't effectively demonstrating our forward-thinking approach to solving efficiency issues for the industries we serve: warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, and field service. These businesses are challenged with maximizing operational efficiency, by dramatically increasing productivity, accuracy, and speed, without cutting into profit margins. That's not an easy task. It requires rethinking every process, dissecting each step, and then evaluating the pieces in order to rebuild the process in a more efficient way.
The new symbol for Avalon Integration is a stylized "A" that's pointing in a forward direction, with lines that represent all the steps involved in completing a total solution.
With the logo redesigned, the new website is in the works. The homepage gives you a glimpse of all things Avalon—products, and services to the latest news. From here, you can click through to quickly get the information you need. We're revamping the content, making sure everything is up-to-the-minute on technology innovations and changes that impact the industry, like the current compliance standards, IoT, wireless networking, and locationing.
After 20 years, we're still growing, and we'll continue to do so. Count on Avalon Integration to step up and give you what you need to stay on track and achieve your goals. Let's see how we can get started. Contact us to arrange a free consultation.


text:
Young Polar Bears Set To Debut At Maryland Zoo
Filed Under:Baltimore, Local TV, Polar Bears, The Maryland Zoo
BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) — Two new polar bear cubs, Neva and Amelia Gray, make their public debut on Thursday at the Maryland Zoo.
The bears came in from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in early October and went through a mandatory quarantine period as they got used to their new home. The Maryland Zoo said goodbye to Anoki, their 22-year-old polar bear who returned to her birthplace at the Seneca Park Zoo.
The Maryland Zoo Welcomes Polar Bear Cubs Amelia and Neva
Neva and Amelia Gray are half-sisters. Amelia Gray was born on Nov. 8 2016, while Neva and her twin brother Nuniq were born a bit more than a week later on Nov. 14.
Amelia Gray, Neva and Nuniq were the only polar bear cubs born at a North American Zoological Facility in 2016. The Columbus Zoo stated in August that Nuniq's new home will be announced at a later date.
Courtesy of The Maryland Zoo
The Maryland Zoo says that Neva and Amelia Gray weigh at least 400 pounds each, and will probably reach over 500 pounds when they're fully grown.
As Neva and Amelia Gray get used to their new habitat, public viewing times may vary. For updates on the bears, follow The Maryland Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, or visit their website.


First up, Seraph and Doc get into Free Comic Book Day and how Doc experience of it. Doc and Seraph decide to just get their minds blown with Secret Wars to female Transformers combiners and more. And then … it is time to full analyze, review & react to Batman: END GAME!


text:
Randolph-Macon Women's College (Lynchburg, Virginia, United States)
Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Choephoroi (The Libation Bearers)
Oedipus the King
Suppliant Women
Perikeiromene (The Girl with the Shaven Head)
Alcestis (1909) 1909 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Alkestis
Antigone (1910) 1910 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Antigone
Medea (1911) 1911 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Medea
Oedipus Tyrannus (1913) 1913 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Oedipus the King
Electra (1914) 1914 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Elektra
Antigone (1916 - 1917) 1916 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Antigone
Iphigenia in Tauris (1919) 1919 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Iphigenia among the Taurians
Birds (1926) 1926 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Birds
Trojan Women (1927) 1927 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Trojan Women
Girl with the Shorn Locks (1928) 1928 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Perikeiromene (The Girl with the Shaven Head)
Eumenides (1932) 1932 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Eumenides
Prometheus Bound (1934) 1934 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Prometheus Bound
Ion (1935) 1935 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Ion
Suppliants (1936) 1936 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Suppliant Women
The Birds (1937) 1937 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Birds
Iphigenia at Aulis (1940) 1940 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Iphigenia at Aulis
Bacchae (1941) 1940 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Bacchai
Agamemnon (1945) 1944 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Agamemnon
Hecuba (1947) 1947 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Hekabe (Hecuba)
Frogs (1949) 1949 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Frogs
Seven against Thebes (1950) 1950 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Seven against Thebes
Oresteia (1954) 1954 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Agamemnon, Choephoroi (The Libation Bearers), Eumenides
Trojan Women (2001) 2001 Granite Hills Acting Workshop Trojan Women
Iphigeneia at Aulis (2001) 2001 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Iphigenia at Aulis
Libation Bearers (2002) 2002 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Choephoroi (The Libation Bearers)
The Bacchae (2006) 2006 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Bacchai
Elektra (2008) 2008 Randolph-Macon Women's College (Department of Greek) Elektra
Curculio (2011 - 2013) 2011 Governor's Latin Academy, Virginia Curculio
Rudens (2014) 2014 Governor's Latin Academy, Virginia Rudens (The Rope)
Poenulus (2015) 2015 Governor's Latin Academy, Virginia Poenulus (The Carthaginian)
Randolph-Macon Women's College (Lynchburg, Virginia, United States), accessed at http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/productions/venues/718 <18 January 2020>


Grav Weldon's remarkable photos showcase the USS Razorback from the inside.
Grav Weldon and I took an end-to-end tour of the submarine. It involved going in through one airlock and down into the belly of the submarine. Sorry, folks - it's not accessible for those who cannot climb a ladder. There's a nifty museum attached, though.
This is the rear of the sub. Those are torpedo tubes. And yes, those are bunks you see to top left and right. The Razoback is 311'7" but it's full of everything from the electronics and pneumatics needed to run the ship to all the things needed to keep a crew going. It didn't leave much room for the crew - which could be up to 99 men.
While there was a designated bunk area, there were also these sling-style bunks wherever they would fit. There were far more men than bunks back when the USS Razorback was put into service, so when one guy was on duty another was catching kip in his bunk.
As you can imagine, this room held major importance.
There were a total of 74 bunks on board, so the crews typically "hotracked," which meant three men shared two bunks (though of course not at the same time).
Learn more about the USS Razorback in this video.
Great story. I turned 19 on a sub just like this one. Mine was the USS Thornback. It was a great adventure. I grew up a lot and learned things that served me for the rest of my 73 years. I have fond memories of the service and the men I served with. God bless America.


Gray Connective specialists design and install cost-effective technology solutions that provide secure and efficient systems now and in the future.
With today's heightened security concerns, superior protection is essential for your business.Even just the presence of a security system can make a business more effective and efficient by giving the owners and employees peace of mind.Gray Connective's security specialists have a wealth of experience designing and installing a variety of security, surveillance and access control systems that are certified especially for commercial applications. Take this responsibility off of your shoulders and leave your business security to a professional security system.
Integrated voice and data systems allow your employees to work more efficiently. Gray Connective offers a high level of field-proven expertise for installation of your system regardless of hardware or cabling requirements. We will design your system to ensure optimal performance.
Building automation allows centralized control of your lighting and HVAC systems utilizing programmable logic controllers (PLC) and variable frequency drives (VFD) to increase energy savings and decrease maintenance costs. These systems are also utilized for machine automation, which offer similar energy and cost savings.


Ingredients for Chinese Tea Eggs. Photo by Oic Yan.
My cousin from Hong Kong saw my post on Chinese tea eggs. It inspired her to make her own batch. Some of her ingredients surprised me. Here Oic Yan shares photographs of her handiwork.
Basic cheese quesadilla. Photo by Gary Pang.
My girlfriend made quesadilla for us on a recent night. I've been eating them at Mexican restaurants for years but never made my own. So, I insisted that she teach me her basic cheese quesadilla recipe.


What purpose drives you mad?
What makes you unique? Would you let it shine?
Do you feel the rush when you visualize?
Do you feel the dream stimulate your inner being?
Could I forgive myself for the resistance?
Can I wake up every day with persistence?