text:
Q: Vue: method is not a function within inline-template component tag I have this component:
<template>

        <ais-index index-name="templates"
                   app-id="BZF8JU37VR"
                   api-key="33936dae4a732cde18cc6d77ba396b27">

            <algolia-menu :attribute="category"
                          :class-names="{ 'nav-item__item': 'nav-color', 'nav-item__link': 'nav-link', 'nav-item__item--active': 'active'}">
            </algolia-menu>

              <ais-results :results-per-page="10" inline-template>

{{ result.description }}

                        Created: {{ result.created_at }}

{{ result.description }}

                        Created: {{ result.created_at }}

              </ais-results>

        </ais-index>

          <button type="button" class="btn btn-danger" data-dismiss="modal">Close</button>
          <button type="button" class="btn  btn-primary">Save changes</button>

</template>

I have a click listener on the .card div within my <ais-results> tag which calls my getTemplate method. But, whenever I click on that element, it produces this error:

imageModal.vue?8d74:85 Uncaught TypeError: _vm.getTemplate is not a
  function
      at click (imageModal.vue?8d74:85)
      at invoker (vue.runtime.esm.js:2023)
      at HTMLDivElement.fn._withTask.fn._withTask

Why is this happening? I have tried @click.native as well, but that didn't work.

A: The issue is that you're using an inline template for your <ais-results> component tag, so the data references within that tag are scoped to the <ais-results> instance. This means Vue is looking for a getTemplate method on the <ais-results> component, but not finding it.
In your case, instead of directly calling getTemplate, you could emit an event with the result data and then listen for the event on the <ais-results> tag.

Below is a simplified example where clicking on the .card div in the inline template will emit a card-click event (@click="$emit('card-click', result)"). The <ais-results> tag has a listener for that event (@card-click="getTemplate"), so when the card-click event is fired, the getTemplate method will be called with the result data being passed automatically.
<ais-results :results-per-page="10" inline-template @card-click="getTemplate">

        ...

</ais-results>


Three Ways School is a generic Community Special School, opened in September 2007 on our new site, prior to 2007 there were three separate Special Schools in Bath that amalgamated in September 2005.
The school provides for 165 children with a wide range of Special Educational Needs.
Three Ways became an Academy in September 2013.


Picture from Aidy : View from the northeast side.
Picture: View from the northeast side.
Picture from Harry Goodman : A walker on the high point of the hill.
Picture: A walker on the high point of the hill.
Eglish is a newly appointed Binnion, and it gloriously conforms to many of the more pessimistic stereotypes associated with the Sperrins. Especially given the recent weather it's distinctly reminiscent of a disastrous entry on The Great Irish Bake Off; hugely shapeless and way too moist.
I started at (512048 B) on the minor road contouring the hill's eastern flank; it's easy enough to squeeze a car off the road. The skies were somewhat grief-stricken, and my usually enthusiastic partner-in-crime Mr Neelix T. Dog seemed much more interested in having a snooze in the back of the BMW. Undaunted, I hopped over the gate and sallied forth along the track marked on the map. This was certainly less vegetated than the surroundings, but it didn't seem noticeably less wet (i.e. it was saturated). I persisted with it for a few hundred metres before just gritting my teeth and heading straight for the highest point on the skyline. About ten minutes of squelching and swearing led to a fence junction (easily climbed over) beyond which lay the summit area. The map suggests the views to be reasonably open to west and east...someone blessed with better weather may be able to verify that on the ground.


text:
THE MEDIEVAL INSTRUMENTS
Bass Psaltery
Standing at a height of five feet, the imposing bass psaltery is one of a kind. Made of cherry and Sitka spruce, the 35-string psaltery features a Gothic rose sound hole intricately carved from wood and parchment. Psalteries, which are far smaller than this bass psaltery, date back to Babylonian and Sumerian times. They were also played during the Middle Ages. Premier luthier Edward Turner made Winter Harp's bass psaltery and much smaller alto psaltery.
Where did the concept of a bass psaltery come from? In 1998, Winter Harp Director Lori Pappajohn was looking for someone to make rare medieval instruments. She was delighted to discover this award-winning luthier whose works are found throughout the world.
Lori had a specific instrument in mind, one that didn't exist, but could if someone was adventurous enough to take on the task of making it. She wanted a deep-voiced psaltery. Based on her concept, Edward Turner designed a five-foot tall bass psaltery. Its 35 strings produce a haunting, ethereal sound.
Organistrum
For hundreds of years, the medieval organistrum was almost lost to history. But in the 1970s Canadian instrument maker Edward Turner made one of the first organistrums of the 20th century. That instrument is in the collection of the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa. When Winter Harp Director Lori Pappajohn learned of this instrument, she commissioned Edward Turner to make a second one. Mr. Turner's organistrum is a replica based on a stone carving on the frieze over the entrance of the 12th century Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Elaborately carved, the organistrum takes two people to play. One person turns the wheel to produce the drone sound while the other person turns the pegs to produce the different notes. It is the grandfather of the hurdy-gurdy, also known as the Vielle a Roue.
The organistrum's guitar-shaped box has a square key box attached to it that has movable vanes which stop the strings at pre-determined intervals, making the different notes of a melody. A wooden rosined wheel "bows" the strings. Not all the strings are stopped, thus giving a bagpipe-like droning effect.
The origins of the instrument are lost in the mists of time. The earliest known construction methods were recorded by Odo of Cluny in 10th century France.
Hurdy-Gurdy
The hurdy-gurdy's sound is produced by turning a crank attached to a rosined wheel that rubs against the strings. The wheel acts much like a violin bow. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents, small wedges, typically made of wood, against one or more of the strings to change their pitch.
Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple drone strings, resulting in a sound similar to bagpipes. For this reason the hurdy-gurdy is often used interchangeably with bagpipes.
Jeff Pelletier's hurdy-gurdy was custom made for him by Altarwind Music in Oregon. It is La Priel de Moncur (the Pearl of My Heart) hurdy-gurdy.
The hurdy-gurdy has its origins in the organistrum. The organistrum was later made smaller and more versatile, becoming the hurdy-gurdy. It was played throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Nyckelharpa
This unique instrument, with its wistful sound, was replaced after medieval times by the violin. However, it is still played in Sweden and is experiencing a revival in Europe and North America.
The nyckelharpa is a combination of a violin and a hurdy-gurdy. Its four strings are bowed like a violin, while the melody is made using keys like a hurdy-gurdy. Its name means keyed (nyckel) stringed instrument (harpa). Underneath its four bowed strings are 12 sympathetic strings which give the instrument its rich resonant tone. The nyckelharpa dates back to the 1300s.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Clear out the hazardous materials that have built up in your garages, attic, basement, closets and under the sink.
The Burlington Board of Health will conduct a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, April 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Francis Wyman Elementary School, 41 Terrace Hall Avenue.
This collection event is for Burlington Residents only and provides an opportunity for proper disposal of household quantities of hazardous materials. Proof of residency will be required.
Oils, gasoline, pesticides, pool chemicals, propane tanks, car batteries, and mercury containing materials will be accepted for proper recycling or disposal. Do not bring latex paint; it can be dried and put into the trash. All materials should be transported in sturdy containers. Medical sharps and expired/unwanted medications will not be accepted; however, sharps kiosks are available at the Fire and Police Departments. A medication kiosk is available at the Police Department.
Brochures will not be mailed to residents. For event details and a list of accepted materials, visit the Board of Health website or call 781-270-1955.


This airy and long-lasting summer border is fairly easy to replicate and includes just a few ingredients: charming fragrant Orchid Dahlias with flowers reminiscent of stars, which happily mingle with bouquets of "see-through" plants such as Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) and Cosmos which are invaluable additions to borders thanks to the long-lasting floating flecks of color they elegantly weave among perennials. They are complemented with the graceful, slender stems of Gaura plants which will demonstrate how they got their nickname "whirling butterflies" as they dance in the breeze. Enjoy a captivating result!
Slightly fragrant, Dahlia 'Honka White' is truly charming with its showy, 8-petaled star-shaped pure white flowers. Unlike most Dahlias, it is delicate-looking and enjoys a subtle presence. Its flowers, up to 4 in. wide (10 cm), blend in nicely with other plants and add welcomed color and form to the late summer and fall borders.
Winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, Verbena bonariensis is a tall and slender-stemmed perennial that displays rich lilac flowers in tight clusters atop long stems that sway gracefully in the summer breeze. They rise well above rosettes of lance-shaped, dark green leaves that hug the ground. A superior nectar plant, hummingbirds and butterflies love it, and so will you!
Newly introduced, Cosmos 'Double Click Rose Bonbon' is a very charming and spectacular variety of Cosmos. Tall, very floriferous with large and fluffy double, rosy-lavender flowers, up to 3" across (7 cm), this highly showy Cosmos creates a striking visual impact in the garden from early summer until fall or as cut flowers in a vase indoors! Fairly pest-free and low maintenance, add this charming and graceful plant to the landscape and you will be rewarded with abundant happy butterflies!
Native to Texas and Louisiana, Lindheimer's Beeblossom (Gaura lindheimeri) is a remarkably pretty perennial plant with tall, airy-looking flowers giving the appearance of butterflies floating in the garden. It adds a unique texture in the garden with its 4-petaled, pink tinged or white, 1 in. long (2.5cm), butterfly-like flowers borne at the top of the airy spikes. It enjoys a long blooming season, typically from early summer into fall and forms a vase-shaped clump, about 2-4 ft. high (60-120 cm). Tolerates drought, heat, humidity, partial shade and dry soils. Deer and rabbit resistant, Gaura attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Recreate this garden. Specify the percentages you would like to have of each plant and input the dimensions of your garden space.
We'll give you a shopping list so you know how many plants you need.


– Face time with my kids – even if I'm working, I get to see my kids' faces and they get to see mine. Though I have to say quite a few times "I can't find your Barbie right now, Mama is working" or "I can't help you with that stage on Wii, Mommy's working", I am at least here to say that.
– Getting more done – I know everyone's work style is different, but I truly can accomplish more in the comfortable setting of my comfy chair and pjs.
– Great connection with volunteers – One of my biggest worries was that my volunteers would feel slighted that I wasn't in the office during office hours. But the reality is, most of them work real jobs too and they aren't available to think church business during office hours either. Part of my crazy working schedule includes lunches with volunteers and their kids or late night ice cream runs to chat ministry or Facebook chat recruiting.
– Work never really stops – I fit productive times around and throughout my girls' schedule. This often results in working whenever I can. I often use the phrase "I'm always working and always not working." I don't clock out at 4:30. I just get it done when I can.
– Impossible to do anything in a straight line – This is probably more the dysfunction of my brain more than it is a result of working from home, but I am usually working on chunks of different projects all at the same time – usually something at the office, something before dinner, something before bed. There's usually lots of zig zags, lots of requests for juice, a few games of The Ladybug Game, finding a lost stuffed animal, and a few timeouts before a task is completed.
– Having two work spaces – I wish I had a dollar for everytime I said, "Aw man, I left that at the office." Seems like too often what I've needed here I've left there and vice versa.
– Mama Guilt – When I'm working I feel bad I'm a bad mama. I feel bad when I have to say "wait" or "stop that" or "Mama can't right now".
– Employee Guilt – When I'm being mama, I feel like I'm a bad employee. I feel I need to overwork at other times to compensate for the minutes I am being mama during the day.
– Choose your guilt – Andy Stanley's book Choosing to Cheat was a life changer for me. Basically he says you can't be everything to everybody. You are going to cheat someone. If you are giving 110% to work you are cheating your family. If you're giving 110% to your family, you're cheating work. You will cheat, so choose your guilt. Choose what you are going to feel bad about. Ministry is a marathon not a sprint. Ministry will still exist when my girls are bigger. I can NEVER have these days back when they are little. I do not want to cheat them.
Time management and planning– One of the greatest skills I learned from Jim Wideman is to track my time and to very specifically plan my time. This did two things: 1) made sure I was utilizing my time most efficiently and 2) relieved some guilt because I could see on paper how much time I was spending with my girls and how much time I was working.
– Iphone – Though it could probably now be classified as an addiction, I started with a Blackberry and then my husband graduated me to an iphone. Having email in my hand has made ministry from home possible. I can respond to volunteers' emails quickly even if I'm standing on the playground or at the office or sitting at a red light.
– Google docs – I put important documents that I need to access from anywhere I'm working on Google Docs. I can pull it up and edit it from home, from the office, and even from my phone. That's eliminated alot of the stress of forgetting.
So, I know there are more of you out there who work from home. What are your good/bad/uglies?
I said stopped. 🙂 Not while driving. I would not admit that in type in a public forum. And most of those messages were responding to you!
Wow, Jenny, you just summed up my life! I've often said that my iphone should be a work expense because I can work, even if I'm sitting in a car line waiting to pick up my girls. The guilt is definitely something I've had to learn to manage. I'm a driven person but have had to come to grips with the fact that I can't be in multiple places at one time and can't be everything to everyone. One of my primary goals in raising my children is that they will love the church, which means that I have to make sure that my ministry as Children's Pastor doesn't ever make them feel like the church has taken their mom! So far, so good.
Great stuff Jenny. Love how you present the problems then follow with practical solutions. I too share your iPhone addiction. Keep blogging away!


text:
Stop the Pigeon!
04 Apr 2018 Blog
Cartoon fans who were young in the late 1960s and early '70s will recall one of the most famous songs from an opening sequence. Stop the Pigeon is forever ingrained in their memory.
In fact, the chirpy theme song for Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines was so well-known that a lot of viewers thought it was the actual name of the show. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera had written the theme song based on the "Tiger Rag" jazz standard.
The title sequence featured Dick Dastardly, his sidekick dog Muttley and a host of other weird and wonderful characters in airplanes trying to catch a carrier pigeon… who always outwitted them!
Years after it was first broadcast in the late '60s, viewers admitted they had little idea why everyone was trying to catch the pigeon, but they enjoyed the show anyway!
The cartoon was originally produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the United States, for the CBS network. It was then broadcast in the UK by the BBC and was a popular Saturday morning kids' show. The first episode was shown on 13th September 1969.
It followed on from Hanna-Barbera's previous cartoon series, Wacky Races, in which Dick Dastardly and Muttley were the villains of a car race. The concept of Wacky Races, which was a 1968 animated TV series, was based on the 1965 film, The Great Race, starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The cartoon contestants in Wacky Races were competing to win the title, The World's Wackiest Racer.
While the film, The Great Race, was about a spectacular motor car race from New York to Paris in the early 20th century, the character of Dick Dastardly wasn't based on the film's bad guy, Professor Fate - the melodramatic villain played by Lemmon. Instead, Dastardly's character was based on English actor Terry Thomas's famous "cad" persona.
Some of the characters from Wacky Races went on to appear in Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, which was loosely based on Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - the 1965 British film starring Terry Thomas and James Fox, about the early pioneers of aviation.
Lots of young viewers were left wondering why the pigeon had to be stopped, although they loved the cartoon anyway, thanks to its array of crazy characters and non-stop slapstick action.
In fact, Dick Dastardly and Muttley were World War I flying aces who were members of a crew of aviators called the Vulture Squadron. Their mission was to stop a homing pigeon called Yankee Doodle Pigeon from delivering messages from the Front Line to headquarters - a common practice in real life.
Dick Dastardly was a bit of a "bounder" and he shouted, "Stop the pigeon!" so frequently that many viewers thought that was the name of the show. He is also famed for saying, "Drat, drat and double drat!" many times when his cunning plans went wrong.
Muttley doesn't speak much but has a sniggering laugh that has often been imitated. Needless to say, they never succeed in stopping the pigeon, who always stays one step ahead.
As well as Dastardly and Muttley, there were many other characters in the show who were all pilots of the various aircraft in the squadron. Their planes were the biplanes of the early 20th century.
They included Klunk, who developed new aircraft or weapons designed to catch the pigeon - but of course, none of them ever succeeded. His weapons included a missile that mistakenly homed in on a person sneezing.
Vulture Squadron member Zilly understands it's his duty to fly the aircraft and stop Yankee Doodle Pigeon, but Zilly isn't well equipped for his role as a pilot, since he is a self-confessed "chicken" and a coward who is afraid of flying!
All of the characters were voiced by just two actors, with Paul Winchell providing the voice of Dick Dastardly and a number of other squadron members and Don Messick voicing Yankee Doodle Pigeon, Muttley, Klunk, Zilly, the narrator and the remaining pilots.
Although there were only 34 episodes of Dastardly and Muttley, with the series finishing in early 1970, the characters left a lasting impression. However, a correspondence in the Guardian newspaper some four decades later revealed that many viewers remained puzzled.
In answer to the question, "What was the pigeon carrying that had to be stopped?", some respondents thought his bag was full of bird seed, while others believed Dastardly had simply set Muttley a random challenge to "stop the pigeon" to prove himself. Not everyone had grasped the significance of Yankee Doodle being a wartime carrier pigeon.
Pigeon netting
Henry Cowls can "stop the pigeon" - at least in terms of preventing them from causing damage in towns and cities! Our pigeon netting is a simple, humane and effective way of deterring the birds from invading urban areas.
Choose from Henry Cowls' knotted pigeon netting and bespoke sized knotted pigeon netting, manufactured from heavy-duty UV stabilised polyethylene.
Able to withstand the unpredictable British climate for up to 20 years, our pigeon netting can prevent the birds from causing possible damage to buildings. Please contact us for further information.


text:
Sangam.org
Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
European Union – the Mask Slips
by Dr. Sachithanandam Sathananthan, tagots@hotmail.com
The liberal mask
On 29 September 2005 the liberal mask slipped. The European Union (EU) dropped its evenhanded approach and singled out the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for punitive action in its 'Declaration on Sri Lanka.' The Declaration announced the specific decision that delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU member states until further notice. It also warned that the EU might proscribe the LTTE as a "terrorist" organisation.
Sinhala nationalists in south Sri Lanka celebrated the Declaration as a slap-in-the-face for Norway. Ruling Sinhala politicians heaved a collective sigh of relief that the EU, first, tacitly condoned their refusal to implement key provisions of the February 2002 Cease-Fire Agreement and, second, effectively endorsed the shadow war the Sinhala government is waging against the LTTE-led Tamil National Movement.
The British High Commission, in its capacity as local European Union Presidency in Colombo, moved quickly to limit the damage. It issued a defensive press release on 4 October to explain that the EU does not side with Sinhala chauvinism. "Some reporting" it noted, "has implied that the EU Declaration represents a 'defeat' for the Government of Norway." And it decried: "this is false and highly misleading."
The revelry among Sinhala nationalists proved the contrary. Moreover, Norway publicly distanced itself from the Declaration and Japan made no comment. None of these facts discouraged the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca. She reportedly made the claim the day after the Declaration that "the travel ban is a concerted message from the Co-Chairs – the US, EU, Japan and Norway."
Sinhala peace activists
Simultaneously, the liberal mask slipped also from the Sinhala peace activists in Colombo. They openly support the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) presidential candidate, the Sinhala Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, claiming he will - after elected President in November - "negotiate" with the LTTE and "bring peace" in the country. What about the anti-Tamil pact he has signed with the Sinhala-chauvinist Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and his commitment to retain the unitary State? The peace activists glibly assure us that Rajapakse would abandon them after the election.
We then ask the obvious question: if Rajapakse is so untrustworthy, can the Sinhala people depend on him to negotiate in good faith with the LTTE? The LTTE is untrustworthy, retort the peace activists, their liberal mask slipping, again.
There is a more interesting question. Why have peace activists turned apologists to a hawkish and blatantly anti-Tamil Sinhala politician? In fact, Rajapakse's government has projected an increase of 23% in military expenditure, which would rise to a record US$700 million in 2006. Ominously, the biggest chunk – US$40 million – of the increase is earmarked for the Air Force. (This Air Force is particularly destructive of Tamil civilian infrastructure and its inhabitants.)
We, of course, remember how the same Sinhala peace activists vociferously backed President Chandrika Kumaratunga's grotesque "War for Peace." As the Sinhala army barrelled towards Jaffna in late 1995, peace activists defended the nakedly Sinhala colonial war as "something" Kumaratunga has to do to pacify Sinhala nationalists. After occupying Jaffna, they duplicitously asserted, Kumaratunga would be "politically strengthened" enough to willingly devolve power to the Tamil-majority North East Province (NEP).
On the contrary – and as Tamils anticipated – Kumaratunga celebrated the "conquest" of "Yappa Pattu" on the 6th of December 1995. The wretched peace activists turned on the Tamils; they accused the LTTE of intransigence and lack of good faith!!!
The support of these same peace activists for Rajapakse now reveals once again – this time conclusively – that the peace activists are rabid Sinhala nationalists shrouded in liberal cloaks.
The EU Declaration cited the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar as the main reason for imposing the ban; and Rocca underlined this point. She claimed the Co-chairs had concluded, "the assassination of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar should not go unpunished." But both direct and circumstantial evidence of the assassination strongly point to the probability that he was a victim of an internal conspiracy in Colombo; moreover the LTTE has categorically denied any involvement whatsoever.
By not disputing the Declaration, the peace activists have in effect lent credibility to the EU's unfounded allegation against the LTTE.
Political maturity
Here the most interesting questions are the following.
Why did the EU act so precipitously against the Tamils?
Are chauvinist peace activists divining a saviour in Rajapakse because he would inevitably attempt a military solution again to the Tamil National Question?
To answer them, we must look at the unprecedented changes taking place in ground conditions in the NEP.
For the first time, most Tamils are not interested in the upcoming November presidential election. There is a new edge to their often-repeated indifference to national elections – "it doesn't matter whether Rama or Rawana rules." This time round, Tamils do not anticipate or even hope for any improvement in the Sinhala position, irrespective of whether Rajapakse or the opposition United National Party (UNP) Sinhala candidate Ranil Wickremasinghe is elected to power.
In other words, Tamils in the NEP have correctly concluded that the Sinhala leadership will not open the door to negotiations. Sinhala politicians' decades-old antics over "unitary", "united", "union of regions", "decentralisation", "devolution", etc are semantic mystifications to reject the "F" word – Federalism. The "Oslo Declaration" is the most recent wordplay exploited by the Sinhala leadership to resist federalism. Since federalism is the absolute minimum basis for a political settlement, most Tamils now fully understand the justification for the LTTE-led armed resistance and they have become acutely consciousness of the need to continue it.
For the first time Tamils are not giving the benefit of doubt to Tamil politicians and are confronting the web of deceit these politicians have spun for almost 50 years. The politicians belonged to the Tamil Congress (TC), Ilankai Tamil Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) – popularly known as the Federal Party (FP) – and later the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). They fed Tamils the political fiction that it was possible to negotiate a settlement with some Sinhala leaders. After all, if there are no Sinhala leaders who will negotiate a just solution, why on earth should Tamils send anyone to Parliament in Colombo?
So Tamil politicians conjured up "moderate" Sinhala leaders. Then they sought Tamil votes. "Send us to Parliament to negotiate on your behalf," they cried themselves hoarse at each election.
The most notorious instance of this deception took place in 1977. The TULF declared the parliamentary elections that year would be a referendum on the Vaddukkoddai Resolution, calling for an independent Tamil State. And TULF politicians, led by A Amirthalingam, purveyed a monumental lie. They swore it is possible to create an independent State by NEGOTIATING with "moderate" Sinhala leaders and beseeched the Tamil people to elect them to Parliament!!
Of course, Sinhala leaders have implacably opposed negotiating federalism since 1951. So, the TULF's assertion that they might agree to an independent Tamil State was a "pigs are flying" story.
After the elections the TULF unceremoniously dumped the Tamil mandate it had received to implement the Vaddukkoddai Resolution and Amirthalingam compromised the Tamil National Movement by accepting the post of Leader of the Opposition. To justify the betrayal, the TULF floated another canard. It assured Tamils that the then Sinhala President J R Jayawardene was a "moderate" from the "older generation" who "is above Sinhala chauvinism" and is willing to negotiate a compromise settlement short of an independent State.
But Jayawardene was true to his Sinhala chauvinism. The heinous crimes – and the Holocaust of 1983 – Jayawardene and his ilk committed against the Tamil people are well known.
As the LTTE-led armed resistance gathered momentum through the 1980s and early 1990s, it inexorably underlined the utter irrelevance of Tamil politicians. Simultaneously, these politicians strained every nerve to deceive Tamils by conjuring up "moderate" Sinhala leaders. In the run-up to the 1994 presidential election, the TULF's Neelan Tiruchelvam marshalled Tamil votes for Kumaratunga claiming that she was from the "newer generation" and is "samathanathin chinnam" ("the symbol of peace"). On the eve of the election, another TULF politician, R Sambanthan, went on national television to convince Tamils to vote for Kumaratunga because, he alleged, she is "extending the hand of friendship" ("nesakkaram neetukira").
That "hand of friendship" unleashed the grotesque War for Peace within 7 months of taking office as Executive President.
Self-serving Tamil politicians cynically held up the mirage of a parliamentary path to solve the Tamil National Question for two important reasons. First, they had to escape the spectre of unemployment. Becoming a Member of Parliament seemed an easy way out.
Second, which is more important, after 1977 they manoeuvred to outflank the LTTE leadership by discrediting the armed resistance as unnecessary and at best premature. So they dishonestly promoted a non-violent parliamentary path – which, in fact, never existed.
For the first time, most Tamils are seeing through the deception. The LTTE skilfully helped the learning process along by not preventing Tamils from voting (after an early misjudgement). The more Tamils have sent politicians to Colombo, the more they have learned that the TC and TULF politicians and members of assorted mercenary groups are political impotents.
This political maturity of the Tamils has greatly strengthened the LTTE.
Not surprisingly, the LTTE approves Tamils voting at the November presidential election. After the elections those who voted hoping a Sinhala President would agree to a just settlement will again be short-changed. And the popular Tamil support for the LTTE will inevitably grow larger.
The Sinhala government and its foreign backers did not anticipate this turn of events. Nor were they prepared for some other developments that have further empowered the LTTE.
The LTTE is unable to induce the UNP or the SLFP to negotiate a just settlement despite the organisation's impressive military prowess. So Tamils are deducing that the toothless Tamil politicians in Parliament cannot fare any better - that there is no non-violent parliamentary path.
The unseemly tug-of-war over the LTTE's proposed Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) and the limited Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) revealed the fundamental flaw. It is now crystal clear to Tamils that the current Constitution will not permit any power sharing.
The chauvinist election propaganda of the two Sinhala parties conclusively demonstrates that the SLFP and the UNP are vying with each other to be the better Tamil-basher. It is obvious to Tamils that neither party will amend the Constitution to share power and, therefore, that any Tamil politician who alleges there is a parliamentary path to a just settlement is deliberately deceiving Tamils again.
The international community expected the "counter-insurgency" tactic or the so-called "peace process" to reinforce the illusory parliamentary path, to confer greater legitimacy upon supine Tamil politicians and to drive a political wedge between the Tamil people and the LTTE. The international community failed on all three counts because the LTTE managed the "peace process" in a way to neutralise the tactic and to politically strengthen the organisation.
One measure of the LTTE's success is that the international community is unable to demand the organisation must engage in negotiations in good faith. Earlier, as recently as in 2002, the foreign backers of the Sinhala government routinely exhorted the LTTE to negotiate. That has changed. Now the LTTE is requesting the same foreign backers to coax the Sinhala leadership to negotiate and to follow through on promises already made.
But the EU is reluctant to take the Sinhala government to task. Instead the EU Declaration attacked the LTTE since the international community is alarmed by the rapidly spreading and deepening support among the Tamil people for the LTTE-led armed resistance.
We can expect the international community to put the cart before the horse in order to let the Sinhala government off the hook. It is likely the foreign backers will make the absurd demand that the LTTE must disarm as a precondition to negotiate. That will expose further the dilapidated "peace process" and convince all Tamils that the LTTE-led armed resistance is the only way forward.
Will the international community respect the wishes of the Tamil people? Or will they help the Sinhala army to implement a Bosnian solution* in Sri Lanka, to slaughter the Tamil civilian population into submission?
* Bosnian solution:
When Yugoslavia disintegrated, Slovenia and Crotia unilaterally declared independence on 25 June 1991. Europe recognised them. When Bosnia-Herzegovina declared independence on 15 October it emerged as the first independent Muslim-majority State in the heart of Europe. Alarmed European powers set out to crush this emerging Muslim State. They allowed the Serbians living in the Srpska region within Bosnia to slaughter Bosnian Muslims; and they helped the Serbians along by imposing an arms embargo on the Bosnian Muslims to prevent them organising armed resistance. It was the biggest bloodbath in Europe since the Second World War and it was presided over by the international community. At an opportune moment Europe stepped in and offered "protection" to Bosnia-Herzegovina provided the Muslims formed a federation with the Bosnian-Serb Republika Srpska. Bosnian Muslims, with their backs to the wall, conceded and there ended the independence of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
© 1996-2021 Ilankai Tamil Sangam, USA, Inc.


text:
Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone: a review article
Toshifumi Ozaki
Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Academic Field of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is rare in Japanese people, and only 30–40 patients develop the disease annually. To diagnose ES, molecular techniques that aim to detect characteristic fusion genes are commonly used in combination with conventional histological and immunohistochemical examinations. The treatment strategy for ES is characterized by multi-disciplinary collaboration between pediatric oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and orthopedic surgeons. In recent years, numerous large-scale national or international multi-institutional studies of ES have been performed. Pre- and postoperative intensive systemic chemotherapy with multiple anticancer drugs is the standard treatment method for ES. Depending on the obtained surgical margin, postoperative radiation might also be performed. If preoperative radiological examinations indicate that surgical excision would be difficult, preoperative radiation can be administered. As the treatment outcomes of ES have improved, late complications and secondary malignancies have become a problem. After treatment, patients with ES require very long-term follow-up in order to detect secondary malignancies and growth-related musculoskeletal complications.
Journal of Orthopaedic Science
Dive into the research topics of 'Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone: a review article'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Ewing's Sarcoma Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Oncologists Medicine & Life Sciences 25%
Radiation Medicine & Life Sciences 17%
Radiation Oncologists Medicine & Life Sciences 15%
Gene Fusion Medicine & Life Sciences 13%
Orthopedic Surgeons Medicine & Life Sciences 13%
Ozaki, T. (2015). Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone: a review article. Journal of Orthopaedic Science, 20(2), 250-263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-014-0687-z
Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone : a review article. / Ozaki, Toshifumi.
In: Journal of Orthopaedic Science, Vol. 20, No. 2, 30.03.2015, p. 250-263.
Ozaki, T 2015, 'Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone: a review article', Journal of Orthopaedic Science, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 250-263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-014-0687-z
Ozaki T. Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone: a review article. Journal of Orthopaedic Science. 2015 Mar 30;20(2):250-263. doi: 10.1007/s00776-014-0687-z
Ozaki, Toshifumi. / Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone : a review article. In: Journal of Orthopaedic Science. 2015 ; Vol. 20, No. 2. pp. 250-263.
@article{2d1f691ae2ae4c1c8748bd8179692cb0,
title = "Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone: a review article",
abstract = "Ewing sarcoma (ES) is rare in Japanese people, and only 30–40 patients develop the disease annually. To diagnose ES, molecular techniques that aim to detect characteristic fusion genes are commonly used in combination with conventional histological and immunohistochemical examinations. The treatment strategy for ES is characterized by multi-disciplinary collaboration between pediatric oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and orthopedic surgeons. In recent years, numerous large-scale national or international multi-institutional studies of ES have been performed. Pre- and postoperative intensive systemic chemotherapy with multiple anticancer drugs is the standard treatment method for ES. Depending on the obtained surgical margin, postoperative radiation might also be performed. If preoperative radiological examinations indicate that surgical excision would be difficult, preoperative radiation can be administered. As the treatment outcomes of ES have improved, late complications and secondary malignancies have become a problem. After treatment, patients with ES require very long-term follow-up in order to detect secondary malignancies and growth-related musculoskeletal complications.",
author = "Toshifumi Ozaki",
note = "Funding Information: This study was supported in part by the Health and Labor Sciences Research Expenses Commission; an Applied Research for Innovative Treatment of Cancer grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (H26-084, H26-062); and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) from The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (Grant Number 25293323) Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015, The Japanese Orthopaedic Association.",
journal = "Journal of Orthopaedic Science",
T1 - Diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the bone
T2 - a review article
AU - Ozaki, Toshifumi
N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported in part by the Health and Labor Sciences Research Expenses Commission; an Applied Research for Innovative Treatment of Cancer grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (H26-084, H26-062); and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) from The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (Grant Number 25293323) Publisher Copyright: © 2015, The Japanese Orthopaedic Association.
N2 - Ewing sarcoma (ES) is rare in Japanese people, and only 30–40 patients develop the disease annually. To diagnose ES, molecular techniques that aim to detect characteristic fusion genes are commonly used in combination with conventional histological and immunohistochemical examinations. The treatment strategy for ES is characterized by multi-disciplinary collaboration between pediatric oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and orthopedic surgeons. In recent years, numerous large-scale national or international multi-institutional studies of ES have been performed. Pre- and postoperative intensive systemic chemotherapy with multiple anticancer drugs is the standard treatment method for ES. Depending on the obtained surgical margin, postoperative radiation might also be performed. If preoperative radiological examinations indicate that surgical excision would be difficult, preoperative radiation can be administered. As the treatment outcomes of ES have improved, late complications and secondary malignancies have become a problem. After treatment, patients with ES require very long-term follow-up in order to detect secondary malignancies and growth-related musculoskeletal complications.
AB - Ewing sarcoma (ES) is rare in Japanese people, and only 30–40 patients develop the disease annually. To diagnose ES, molecular techniques that aim to detect characteristic fusion genes are commonly used in combination with conventional histological and immunohistochemical examinations. The treatment strategy for ES is characterized by multi-disciplinary collaboration between pediatric oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and orthopedic surgeons. In recent years, numerous large-scale national or international multi-institutional studies of ES have been performed. Pre- and postoperative intensive systemic chemotherapy with multiple anticancer drugs is the standard treatment method for ES. Depending on the obtained surgical margin, postoperative radiation might also be performed. If preoperative radiological examinations indicate that surgical excision would be difficult, preoperative radiation can be administered. As the treatment outcomes of ES have improved, late complications and secondary malignancies have become a problem. After treatment, patients with ES require very long-term follow-up in order to detect secondary malignancies and growth-related musculoskeletal complications.
JO - Journal of Orthopaedic Science
JF - Journal of Orthopaedic Science


text:
Hidden Gems of the Southwest
There are schools across the country that are waiting for passionate and dedicated students, and yet may also be off the beaten path. If you're interested in pursuing an excellent learning experience, rest assured the below schools offer intimate campus settings, all while providing a quality curriculum enriched with challenging academics, supportive and experienced faculty, and innovative learning opportunities. These schools focus on assisting their students in becoming leaders in their chosen field and their communities. In addition, many are steeped richly in Christian values, accepting students of all faiths. Find a perfect match at one of these Hidden Gems of the Southwest!
This list contains mostly small liberal arts colleges and universities that provide students with:
outstanding campus-life,
impressive curricula,
and invaluable extracurricular activities.
These schools were also selected:
due to their average student enrollment,
student reviews and degrees of happiness,
and the quality of degree programs.
Information concerning the school's popularity and academic quality was gleaned from various sources and statistical databases such as Niche.com.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY – Prescott, AZ
This small college in Prescott, Arizona offers some of the most outstanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs in the country. The STEM Education Center has been in existence for over 90 years and provides students with the know-how and skill to make an impact on their communities as well-educated scientists. With 9 labs and studios, the STEM Center is a state-of-the-art facility that is well-stocked with all of the most technologically advanced equipment and resources. Aeronautical students have access to the Riddle Ramp, which is an incredible fleet of planes, as well as to excellent flight simulators, in a Flight Department that is committed to safety and professionalism that is second to none in the flight training community. The beautiful campus provides students with amazing outdoor recreation, and there are exciting events planned throughout the year!
LEARN MORE ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY-PRESCOTT
PRESCOTT COLLEGE – Prescott, AZ
Another outstanding institution of higher education in Prescott, Arizona: Prescott College has been educating students since the 1960s, and operates under the central goal: "to produce the leaders increasingly crucial to successfully meeting the challenges of the changing world." There is a huge emphasis put on collaborative teamwork as the cornerstone of education and rejects the idea of hierarchical thinking. In this way, Prescott students learn to be natural leaders and team-players who go on to make a difference in their field of expertise. This school is actively engaged in social justice and activism, and the campus represents a diverse and inclusive student body. There is a strong sense of community and connection at Prescott, and with a 72% retention rate for first-time students, individuals feel incredibly satisfied and well-taken-care-of.
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CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE – Claremont, CA
30 miles east of Los Angeles, nestled on an incredibly scenic campus, Claremont McKenna College educates students through strong, real-world coursework and in roles of responsible leadership. Claremont McKenna is part of a 7-college consortium that is modeled after Oxford University and is distinguished by 11 world-class research institute, such as the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship which foster business initiatives between students and partnerships with the college. With an enrollment of 1,338, students can look forward to small class sizes and immediate access to their professors. Some of the most renowned and popular areas of study are in economics, political science, government, and humanities. The campus atmosphere is studious and well-dedicated to collaborative learning, while also providing students with exciting opportunities and a vibrant social scene. Athletics are strong at Claremont McKenna, as are the student-lead clubs and organizations, making this school, truly, a hidden gem of the Southwest.
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SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA – Aliso Viejo, CA
Soka University of America is a small, non-profit institution of higher education that provides uniquely excellent undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, individuals have a tremendous amount of access to their professors and end up forming long-lasting relationships with teachers, advisors, classmates, and other peers throughout their time in school. SUA has been ranked on numerous occasions as one of the Top 25 National Liberal Arts Colleges and Top 15 Best Value Colleges by U.S. News and World Report. The school is founded on Buddhist principles of peace, human rights, and the sanctity of life. The campus is diverse and welcoming, and about 40% of the student body comes from more than 45 countries around the world. Undergraduate and graduate programs feature traditional, well-founded degrees, as well as new and exciting programs such as Life Sciences. SUA students go on to answer the need for global leaders with practical skills and experience.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
POMONA COLLEGE – Claremont, CA
Founded in 1887, Pomona College has been educating students for 131 years in Claremont, California. The academics offers a broad range of degree programs, with over 48 majors in arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Of the 1,670 students in attendance at Pomona, a huge percentage comes from 63 nations across the globe, as well as all 50 states, making the campus a diverse and far-reaching network of individuals. The student-to-faculty ratio is 8:1 and small class sizes give access to all of the resources and aid that anyone could ever dream of at an institution of higher education. The 140-acre campus has seven colleges and consortiums, all of which are housed in beautifully designed buildings. 10 of the 15 residence halls have been LEED certified—1 silver, 6 gold, and 3 platinum! The campus is 35 miles away from Los Angeles, which gives students outstanding opportunities in prominent internship positions and community outreach.
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SCRIPPS COLLEGE – Claremont, California
Scripps College is a small, women's liberal arts school dedicated to the development of the intellects and talents of women through active participation in the community. This internationally recognized leader in women's education has accumulated numerous grants for student and faculty research, curriculum development, and educational initiatives, which gives individuals incredible opportunities to expand their scope of knowledge and experience in their field of study. Scripps is a member of a five-college consortium, which gives yet even further opportunities to connect with various professionals, professors, and students in different majors. Students have only the most glowing things to say about Scripps and the nurturing academic environment that it has created. The beautiful campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the impeccable food makes each student feel at ease throughout their challenging programs.
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FORT LEWIS COLLEGE – Durango, CO
Fort Lewis College offers their students a blend of small class sizes, dynamic and integrated academic programs, and a strong liberal arts perspective throughout a transformative learning experience. Students are immersed in coursework that strongly educates them in fostering entrepreneurship, leadership, and creative problem-solving. With 3,356 students, the class size average is about 20, and 98% of classes have fewer than 50. The stunning campus overlooks the Animas River Valley and downtown Durango, Colorado. The architecture features unique and distinctive themes and quarried sandstone that gives "Native pueblo building still and evokes the Four Corners' landscape and colors." Students have the opportunity to major in undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize critical thinking, and every year there are a huge number of research opportunities, field studies, public performances and presentations, study abroad programs, and conferences on campus, making Fort Lewis College a distinctive and exciting place to learn!
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COLORADO COLLEGE – Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado College utilizes a special approach to their academics called The Block Plan. Using this approach, students do not take multiple classes at a time, but instead study one class for 4.5 hours per day, over a period of 3.5 weeks, and there is 8 block per academic year. In this way, students are able to become fully engrossed in their coursework without the distractions of other classes, and individuals are encouraged to develop their own independent blocks! This also allows them to form stronger relationships with their classmates and professors such that they have long-lasting networks of peers. There are 4-day breaks between each block, giving students time to take advantage of fun activities and events across an incredibly gorgeous campus and Colorado landscape. The 2,000 Colorado College students will be seen engaging in passionate debate and communication inside and outside the classroom, and the campus is an encouraging learning community.
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REGIS UNIVERSITY – Denver, CO
An academic environment that is shaped by the traditions set forth by the Jesuit Catholic sect of Christianity, Regis University is a strong institution of higher education that aims to develop students as a whole person. Despite their Christian foundations, Regis is welcoming to students of all faiths and backgrounds, and the award-winning faculty members are highly dedicated to all of their pupils. In addition to the on-campus programs, a huge draw of this school is their outstanding online programs, which combined, support over 11,000 students. Regis has been consistently ranked as a Top Tier Western University by U.S. News and World Report, and the campus houses over 10 centers and institutes, such as the Innovation Center which links students with local businesses, and the O'Sullivan Art Gallery which features work of nationally recognized artists. The opportunities at Regis University are truly unmatched.
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BENEDICTINE COLLEGE – Atchison, KS
Established in 1868, Benedictine College is founded on the divine principles of the Benedictine Order by two monks who sought to create a prominent school in Atchison, Kansas. There are a huge number of new and recently renovated buildings on campus such as the new Recreation Center, Residence Halls, and Sports Facilities. Since 2000, there have been many alumni to achieve outstanding awards, positions of employment, and recognition for their success, which include 13 bank presidents, 8 university presidents, 7 bishops, 2 Kansas Secretaries of Commerce, and 1 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. All of these successes can be attributed in large part to the strength and stability of the Benedictine College majors of which there is a large and varied amount. There are also exciting extracurricular opportunities such as The Discovery Program, which promotes innovate educational practices and active teaching-learning relationships through collaborative problem-solving.
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NEWMAN UNIVERSITY – Wichita, KS
Past and current students of Newman University proudly profess their love and dedication to their school, according to the scholastic statistics website Niche.com. This higher education institution is a fabulous learning environment that is founded on Catholic values and traditions, however, is also welcoming and respectful of students of all faiths. The challenging and rewarding programs are designed to educate the mind and inspire the spirit in a way that goes beyond the classroom and the traditional student-teacher relationship. There a strong spirit of outreach at Newman University, that extends to Western and Southeast Kansas, as well as Colorado and Oklahoma. The staff and faculty are extremely dedicated to the success of their students, who also profess the excellent and supportive relationships that they build between one another and that last a lifetime. The campus is quiet, small, and calm, giving individuals a welcoming break from the typical raucous college party atmosphere for those who are more dedicated to sensible and academically-inclined activities.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NEWMAN UNIVERSITY
MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY – Olathe, KS
MidAmerica Nazarene University offers both online and on-campus students well-established majors, minors, degree-completion programs, masters degrees, and certificate options. Students find a home on the 105-acre campus in Olathe, Kansas, which is one of the largest cities in the state, and the school MNU maintains 10 beautiful academic buildings including the 40,000 square foot Bell Cultural Events Center, a cutting-edge Virtual Patient Center, and a Simulation Nursing Studio. The school is well-connected throughout the community, which offers excellent opportunities to complete projects and internships, and establish prominent networking connections. The low tuition rate and high-level of financial aid opportunities give all students access to outstanding education no matter their fiscal position. Students at MNU feel safe and supported by the administration, teachers, as well as the friendly atmosphere of the campus.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
SIERRA NEVADA COLLEGE – Incline Village, NV
Resting on the shores of the stunningly beautiful Lake Tahoe, Sierra Nevada College is "like no place on earth," and is a place where students will walk a unique academic path. The degree programs are a collaborative partnership between students, teacher, and the entire college, with engaging, out-of-the-classroom, real-world projects. The on-campus facilities feature the Holman Arts and Media Center studios, to which students have 24/7 access, as well as the platinum LEED-certified green laboratory, which is the first of its kind in Nevada. There are exciting and unique programs of which students can take advantages, such as the Ski Business and Resort Management degree or the Outdoor Adventure Leadership degree, and Incline Village is recognized as America's Top Ski Destinations, therefore students have access to local businesses and organizations to give them access to invaluable experiences and networking connections.
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NEVADA STATE COLLEGE – Henderson, NV
At the foot of Mount Scorpion sits the 511-acre campus belonging to Nevada State College, which includes a wide array of energy-efficient classrooms fit with solar panels, as well as community spaces and teaching gardens. The only four-year, comprehensive public institution in Nevada, NSC supports students in 45 majors and minors in classes that average about 26 in size. There are generous Financial Aid and Scholarship opportunities allotted to a sizable portion of the student body. Students can take advantage of the exciting and varied clubs and organizations focused around social justice, cultural awareness, and more, such as the Black Student Organization, the American Sign Language Club, and the Academic Queers Club. Nevada State College is dedicated to hands-on learning to give student store than just book knowledge, and there are amazing for-credit internship opportunities in Biology, Business, Criminal Justice, Environment Resource Science, History/Pre-Law, Psychology, and Visual Media. Anyone can and will find a supportive academic home at NSC.
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ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE – Santa Fe, NM
St. John's College, since it's founding in 1696 as King William's School, has established a vibrant community of learning that is focused around collaborative inquiry. The Santa Fe Campus opened in 1964 and produced the college's first graduate programs in 1967. Since then there have been many different, highly successful programs set up at SJC, including prominent doctoral degrees, such as the nationally renowned Ph.D. in Humanities. The professors consistently receive outstanding recognition for their excellence in research and teaching and push students to delve deeply into the works of Homer, Plato, Euclid, Nietzsche, Einstein, Woolf, and many more. Students have wonderful things to say about both the administration and their teachers, and happily, engage in incredibly challenging, yet highly rewarding, programs that drive them to think critically with teams of peers. Not only that, but the tutors and academic resources are extremely well-celebrated by all, and help to form a strong learning environment.
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EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY – Portales, NM
Eastern New Mexico University operates under a strong mission to "emphasize liberal learning, freedom of inquiry, cultural diversity, and whole student life." This school maintains an impressive 90 program options, 1,200 unique courses, as well as an excellent array of online degree options. Many courses utilize on-site video conference courses at Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, Hobbs, Roswell, Ruidoso, and other locations. Some top undergraduate majors at this school included Business Administration, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Communicative Disorders, and Aviation Science! Some students attend EMNU entirely online and are very happy with their decision to do so. With a 97% student satisfaction rate, this is as popular as any school can get, and ENMU is one of the most affordable colleges in the Southwest United States, as well!
LEARN MORE ABOUT EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY
NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY – Socorro, NM
This superb Southwestern school was founded in 1889 as the New Mexico School of Mines, and in 1951 became the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Located in the spectacular Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico Tech is a luscious green campus that also includes an 18-hole championship golf course! Undergraduate degree programs are strongly focused around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and faculty members are highly involved in their students' success throughout their rigorous programs. Coursework is quite challenging, yet there are innumerable academic resources upon which students can fall throughout their schooling. The tuition is highly affordable, particularly for STEM degree programs, and the administration is extremely supportive of its students. Professors are well-published researchers who bring worlds of information to the classroom, and classes are team-based and include real-world projects with private companies and government agencies.
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OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY – Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City University is a private, urban university located in the uptown district of Oklahoma City. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Forbes has listed OKCU as one of the "Best Christian Colleges," as well as one of the "100 Best College Buys." The academics offer students 70 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs that are made up of a wide range of disciplines in the liberal arts, fine arts, sciences, and business. There are excellent opportunities in the University Honors Program, and OKCULEADS is the President's Leadership Class designed for students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in academics and extracurricular endeavors. Students almost ubiquitously agree that the professors put a considerable amount of effort into the education of individual persons. There are plenty of exciting opportunities on campus to see music, watch plays, and engage in outdoor activities.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY – Tulsa, OK
On a 263-acre campus in south Tulsa, Oklahoma, lies Oral Roberts University which seeks to educate the spirit, mind, and body of each individual student through challenging and thorough curricula. ORU is highly dedicated to individual student outcomes in 76 undergraduate and 12 graduate degree programs, as well as 2 doctoral degrees. There are also excellent online programs, study abroad opportunities, educational partnerships, and outreach work throughout the town of Tulsa. Students come from all 50 states and 89 different countries from around the world so that the population is highly diverse and distinctive in its makeup. This Christian university is "founded in the fires of evangelism and upon the unchanging percept of the Bible," giving students and faculty members alike access to strong principles, and classes will often begin with a short prayer from the teacher. ORU has been recognized as one of the best colleges in its region by reputable resources such as The Princeton Review.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA – Chickasha, OK
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is a diversely accredited institution of higher education that has received recognition from such organizations as the Council on Education of the Deaf. This excellent school operates under the mission to provide liberal arts and science academia "by combining an interdisciplinary core curriculum with superior instruction in major fields of study." The university is strongly tied to the city of Chickasha and maintains partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council, and other civic organizations. The tuition is extremely affordable at less than $9,000 per year, with extensive financial aid and scholarship opportunities, as well! Some of the most popular majors at the school include Business Administration, Elementary Education, and History. The friendly atmosphere of the campus gives students, faculty, and staff a profoundly encouraging environment in which to learn, where people support one another through all types of challenges.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE – Salt Lake City, UT
Located in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Westminster College is a nationally recognized school and, according to their website, has been identified for its exemplary commitment in four distinct areas—"engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community, and successful outcomes." There is a strong spirit of community engagement and service to the public at Westminster, and more than 1,900 students participate in service-learning every year. Faculty at this school are consummate professionals in their fields, and more than 90% hold the highest degrees of their discipline. Nursing students can look forward to attending one of the strongest institutions for their field, and have access to state-of-the-art training facilities where nursing is a popular major. The gorgeous campus is thick with greenery and has beautiful, old buildings in which students attend classes, perform, and reside throughout their college lives.
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AMERITECH COLLEGE – Draper, UT
Ameritech College is a healthcare-focused institution that has been specializing in this field since 1979 and is dedicated to establishing students with certificates and degrees in as little time as possible. According to their website, Ameritech provides one of the largest and highest-ranking nursing programs in the state and is best known for its accelerated programs. The school also offers online healthcare degrees since 2009, giving distance education students just as much access to the outstanding programs as on-campus students. The student-centered administration fosters a "culture of integrity" that is focused around open communication and ethical decision-making. Students longingly review their alma mater and professors, as well as the friendly and supportive nature of the entire campus. Ameritech is committed to establishing a culture of caring on its campus, which considers the whole person and embodies respect.
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SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY – Georgetown, TX
Southwestern University is a school made-up of award-winning researchers and professors that work collaboratively with students in a highly effective learning environment. Students and alumni alike create groundbreaking achievements in their respective fields that foster an atmosphere of camaraderie and support among peers. While all the undergraduate programs at this school give students outstanding opportunities and resources, some of the most popular degrees include business, psychology, and communications programs. The administration is well-committed to each individual student, from the financial aid department to academia to student outreach. There is a consistent enrollment of about 1,300 students, which keeps class-sizes at a reasonable attendance, access to professors impeccable, and gives individuals a voice with which to communicate ideas to a receptive audience of classmates and teachers.
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TRINITY UNIVERSITY – San Antonio, TX
At Trinity University, the myriad degrees provide outstanding academic opportunities. The Pathways curriculum blends together liberal arts and sciences with business and pre-professional programs and is also largely focused around education in writing, speaking, and problem-solving skills. Students have access to 47 different majors that are taught by faculty of whom 97% have Ph.D. degrees in their fields. Trinity has been training students of all kinds for over 140 years, and today offers some of the most prestigious programs in Texas, while still offering small class sizes and incredible access to professors. Some of the most popular programs at the school include communications, political science and government, and psychology, all of which include excellent resources and opportunities inside and outside of Trinity University. Located in historic San Antonio, Texas, the campus overlooks downtown, which offers excellent museums, riverwalks, parks, and music!
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LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY – Longview, TX
LeTourneau University, also known as "the Christian Polytechnic University," highly values real-world, hands-on experience that educates students in approaching critical issues in their areas of study. LETU offers impressive programs in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration and Management that are guaranteed to give students invaluable opportunities. Students are dedicated to their studies and success, and the school is also a fantastic place for military veterans to achieve their degrees. The population at LETU represents over 50 different denominations and faiths, 46 states, and 35 countries, making the campus life rich and diverse in its undertakings and activities. 71% of students are engaged in more than 20 intramural sports such as football, ultimate frisbee, and air hockey, and there are over 30 student-led organizations on campus! LeTourneau also offers superb online degree programs that are some of the most popular in the United States.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY


text:
Christmas on the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean… awesome, relentless, unforgiving. She can entice you with her endless and incredibly hypnotic beauty, but suffers no fools and will smite you in an instant for being careless or brazen.
Our journey from North Carolina to South Carolina would involve our third overnight passage (the first two were between Annapolis and Norfolk in August). At 144 nautical miles, it was almost the same distance as Annapolis to Norfolk. The two biggest distinctions this time would be that we would not have a training skipper aboard; and, instead of traveling within the relative protection of the Chesapeake Bay as before, the course we had plotted from Carolina Beach to Charleston was scheduled to take us twenty miles offshore… our first offshore passage into the Atlantic Ocean.
Carolina Beach, NC
We had discussed this at great lengths and fully recognized the gravity of what we were about to undertake. We had no intentions of pursuing foolish ambitions that would put us in danger, yet this passage afforded us a great opportunity to stretch a bit further than we previously ever had, and would certainly test our abilities towards their limits.
Exit would follow a near straight line against the coastline that was gradually arcing away from us. After having traveled fifty miles, we would be approximately twenty miles offshore. Then, for the next fifty or so miles, the coastline would slowly arc back towards us, until it finally converged with our line at Charleston, South Carolina. The weather reports forecasted 10-15 knots of wind, with some gusts to 20 knots, and three to four foot waves expected to subside to one or two feet by the time we reached Charleston… about as good as we could hope for.
We left Carolina Beach just after 10:00am on Christmas morning. We had about four hours of channels to navigate through before reaching the inlet to the Atlantic Ocean and wanted to time the opposing currents to have a minimum impact on us, especially at the mouth of the inlet. We also planned on 24-26 hours to reach Charleston, and we thought it prudent to arrive during daylight hours. This would give us three hours of light before that window and five hours after as a margin for error.
Clearing the mouth of Bald Head Inlet, we exchanged tentative looks.
I asked Kris, "Is everything good?"
She replied, "Everything's good."
And, with that, we turned Exit into the wind, hoisted the mainsail and the genoa, and set our course for the Atlantic Ocean.
Xmas cheer from Scuba Junkie Mabul
and Lydia from Komodo
As expected, the wind was right around ten to twelve knots and we estimated the waves that were following us as three to four feet. It was biting cold, but the dodger did a good job of providing protection from the wind coming from directly off our starboard beam.
The space in front of us appeared vast and daunting; yet Exit gracefully rode atop the rising and falling waves that passed under us at a slightly faster speed than we were traveling at. The color of the ocean surrounding us, still not deeper than fifty to sixty-five feet, stood in stark contrast to the waters we had been navigating through previously. The muddy shades of brown, characteristic of so much of the ICW we had begun to grow accustomed to, suddenly had been replaced by a deep, rich blue color that reminded us immediately of Tahiti.
It took a while for both us and Exit to settle in with the sails and rigging trimmed as best we could interpret; but, before long, it seemed we had locked into a groove and found ourselves cruising along solely under wind power at a respectable seven knots of speed.
We had less than two hours of daylight left when we shut off the engine. As the sun began to set, the wind started moving slightly aft and increased to a steady fifteen knots, gusting up to seventeen or eighteen and the seas appeared to be building closer to five and six foot waves.
Night offshore Christmas 2017
Had the wind been forward of our beam, we would have put a reef in the main. Yet, Exit seemed to be riding very comfortably with the current wind direction so we left it alone. However, we were less certain about the genoa. An increase in wind would put the genoa at its limit before the mainsail. We opted to bring it in while it was still light out and both of us were in the cockpit; and still we managed to maintain between six and eight knots.
We continued our two hour watch shifts, with one of us standing watch in the cockpit at all times, until 11pm. Then we each took a four hour shift so the other could get a bit better rest.
By 11pm, the wind had started dropping off substantially. Between eleven and five o'clock it became schizophrenic, shifting continually between five and fifteen knots and moved to almost directly astern of us. The waves calmed, and the time was spent trying to coax as much speed from the mainsail as possible. As the wind fell off to six knots, our speed would drop to three; then, about the time the decision was made to unfurl the genoa, the wind would pick up to between nine and fifteen knots and we would accelerate back to between five and seven knots.
One thing that had been very conspicuous was the complete lack of boat traffic we saw during the entire night. A couple of sailboats and commercial boats in the distance. Not really anyone, which caused us to vacillate back and forth between enjoying the space and wondering if everyone else knew something we didn't.
At one point, a sailboat identified on our AIS as Petronella, which had been overtaking us but moving further offshore, came within about 200 meters of us for some unknown reason but then veered back away and skirted outside of us for the rest of the passage; nothing else.
We hoped we had either under-anticipated the holiday effect on traffic, or maybe just got our first taste of one of the things that makes offshore cruising so desirable… being a tiny object in a huge space to work within.
By 5am, the wind had begun building steadily. By 7am, when I poked my head into the cockpit, the conditions had deteriorated into a very messy state. The wind, blowing steady at seventeen to eighteen knots and gusting between twenty and twenty-two, was coming from far enough aft to pierce directly into the cockpit, leaving very little space to tuck into for protection.
The waves, which had been forecasted as calming to one or two feet, obviously had not received the memo. Instead, they had gradually built back up and were exceeding anything we had seen so far. Certainly five to six feet, with many that seemed more like at least seven or eight feet. Also, the direction of the waves starting becoming a bit more confused, with most of the waves directed at the starboard side of our stern but some coming almost on the beam.
We had reached a top speed of 9.7 knots, which seemed amazing considering we were running under mainsail alone. We cursed the fact that we hadn't sorted out the stay sail – this was the perfect passage for it… one more lesson learned and one more thing on the to-do list. Regardless, we were making great time with just the mainsail; averaging seven knots was fine.
As noon passed and we closed in on the Charleston inlet, we started thinking about dropping the main. We envisioned a time, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, when we could comfortably sail onto and off of an anchor point, run narrow channels without relying on the engine, and enter and exit inlets solely under sail power. However, currently our ambitions were to simply get from Point A to Point B without any mishaps. And dealing with only an engine helped to massively simplify these already higher stress and more complicated situations.
The question became when to drop the mainsail?
Charleston's bay would certainly be much more protected and, consequently, should theoretically provide much better conditions to lower the mainsail in. However, we weren't sure whether maneuvering might be restricted by traffic and/or space limitations. We also envisioned potential difficulties in the narrow channel approaching the inlet regarding waves, current, and traffic that, under sail, could further complicate matters.
The charts gave us a fair sense of the inlet but it would require actually seeing it to get a better perspective of what we were dealing with (another important lesson learned – look at actual photos of inlets on Google Maps prior to getting underway to have a better impression). But, we wouldn't know exactly how severe the waves and currents really were in the channel until we were already committed… too late to do anything at that point.
On the surface, we agreed that the safest bet appeared to be dropping the mainsail before entering the channel and motoring in.
Looking around we were less certain of that.
The surrounding waves, ranging between five and eight feet, were bearing down from both behind and slightly to the right of us. Breaking waves created confused streaks of foam and spray, and washed over the top of Exit's toe rails onto the deck, occasionally even delivering a splash of sea spray into the cockpit.
The digital numbers on the cockpit wind gauge jumped up and down endlessly between fifteen and twenty-one, but lingered around the eighteen knot range. We were running at around seven knots of forward speed.
Both of us were clearly nervous about what seemed to be the two options before us.
Attempting to lower the mainsail facing any direction other than into the wind, especially in higher winds, rarely went smoothly, and often proved disastrous. Either the sail piled off of one side of the boom or, even worse, the battens got hung up in the lazy-jacks and the sail became stuck partway down.
Sill, neither of us relished the idea of bringing Exit one hundred eighty degrees full about into the wind, putting us pounding straight into the rolling five to eight foot waves. The turn would be rough, with the waves temporarily coming straight on our beam. And, once the full force of the wind was pushing against us, we were uncertain whether or not Exit would be able to maintain enough speed to steer over the crests of the waves and out of the troughs.
I was confident in Kris' ability at the helm, I was confident in Exit's ability to shoulder through the mess, and I was pretty sure I might possibly be confident about being able to get the main down and secured quickly.
Kris brought us around as quickly and strategically as possible; yet the instability of having the boat roll back and forth with the big swells momentarily coming at our beam was a clear reminder of how vulnerable we were in this orientation. As we came around, the boat regained its side to side stability but immediately began bucking up and down as her bow began pounding straight into the cresting waves.
We were struggling to maintain three knots… just enough to keep forward steering. No longer riding the wind, our wind indicator now revealed the true speed of the wind coming at us, which was reaching twenty five knots.
It was now or never. I shimmied out onto the deck and tucked into the granny bars next to the mast. As I struggled with a tangled main halyard, Exit crested over a large wave and descended into the trough on the other side.
Kris later recounted how, from the cockpit, she watched wide-eyed as we came down the back of one wave, the top of next the wave beyond looking taller than me standing on deck. As we slid down the back of one wave, Exit's bow submarined into the base of the next wave.
Water cascaded over the bow and washed across the deck, giving me my first proper baptism in the Atlantic. I grabbed ahold of the mast and realized at this less-than-opportune moment just how wise having a tether would be… that's one we'll definitely file away for next time.
With the main halyard finally untangled (having the mainsail stuck halfway down would have been a catastrophe), the sail dropped quickly and relatively cleanly. A couple of sail ties secured the main until we could go back and clean things up after dropping anchor.
Bedraggled, but ultimately still mostly dry under my foul weather gear, I climbed back into the cockpit. The expression on Kris' face was crystal clear… she was not enjoying this portion of the passage.
Kris brought us decisively back around so we were once again running with the waves. Suddenly, this way didn't seem so heavy after all…
We motored into the channel and, ironically, encountered minimal wind and waves, as well as no traffic. We entered Charleston Bay and found even calmer conditions, plenty of space to bring down the mainsail, and almost no boat traffic… lessons learned.
Charleston only has one real anchorage area. It made that decision easy.
As we approached, it looked as though most of the ten or so boats at anchor or mooring were unoccupied. Much more dramatic was the exposed top spreader and mast of a sunken sailboat we passed by, as well as three sailboats which lay awkwardly aground on the shore of a nearby island. These were the broken victims of, and crushed dreams left by, Hurricane Irma.
Anchoring was becoming more and more challenging as we progressed further south down the coastline. Four to five foot tides here would produce two knot currents, shifting one hundred eighty degrees in direction four times a day. Consequently, we would find ourselves swinging around on the anchor chain in a current-controlled "figure eight" pattern, instead of swinging in a typically limited arc dictated by wind direction as we had previously experienced.
We were careful to make sure the anchor was fully set even though we both felt the fatigue of our twenty eight hour passage.
The biting cold of the wind had undoubtably taken its' toll on both of us. Yet, had we been beating into the wind, the conditions certainly would have been exponentially more brutal.
As for learning experiences, it's hard to quantify all the information we were exposed to in a day and a half – from epiphanies and moments of clarity, to a much harder to grasp sense that we were finally beginning to gain some level of understanding of the many subtleties required to even begin to approach harnessing the full potential of Exit.
We had successfully completed our first offshore passage. Our 144 nautical mile overnight journey clocked in as our longest nonstop voyage yet; and I would imagine that twenty two hours under sail-power alone will hold it's place in the Ashby record books for quite some time.
Once again, it had been demonstrated that Exit could handle much more than we could.
It felt amazing… and we wanted to sleep.
Author ashbysvexitPosted on December 25, 2017 January 24, 2019
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With a bit of imagination, dice can appear to be something else, say, a Creeper. For an extra dose of fun, set one of these up in the dark recesses of a computer desk, just barely in view. See if your Minecraft-loving kids notice.
I'm doing a new Thing here. OK, it's something I've already done, but now I'm calling it TEShots. (For now, anyway.) I take a LOT of photographs of the world around me, and every once in a while, I feel like sharing. Today, it's the Minecraft Edition.
We're excavating a smallish pit on the back of our house, so we can make the existing window into a proper bedroom window, so we can remodel/finish the basement and squeeze in another bedroom. It's actually something that's bugged me since we bought this house; there's no proper escape from the basement in the case of fire. Ah, the building code of the late 70s. Anyway, to save $2000, we had the concrete cutter people cut a chunk out of our back porch, and I'm digging out the new window well so they can come back and cut out the window space.
It turns out that excavation is way easier in Minecraft than in real life. Weird, huh?
Yes, that's a 100-pound rock I pulled out, and the one still in the pit wound up being over 200 pounds. I had to get help for that one, since it turns out that hitting it with my fist didn't break it into small blocks.
The crazy thing is that those rocks, though the biggest ones I've had to deal with, were hardly the only rocks. By weight, I've pulled probably about a literal ton of rock out of that hole, and I'm not even done yet. My father-in-law helped with the top layer of busted concrete and the top layer of obvious rocks, and my brother and his friend helped with that biggest beast of a rock, but there has been plenty for me to do in between. There was a bit of soil and clay in there, too, but the ground here in the Rocky Mountains is, well… rocky. It's also fairly compact. Speaking of volume, I'll probably have pulled out the equivalent of two of these trailers… which sure seems like a lot more than should be in that hole to a depth of 5 feet.
Apologies for not getting more shots of the project in progress. In the meantime, here's a photo of where the rocks wound up. It took that bulldozer two pushes to get our load on the pile. Less than a minute for weeks of work to be just another part of the crowd.
Yeah, we have rocks here. Lots of rocks. I'm just glad my father-in-law is letting us use his trailer. This would have been even more of a project without it. Yay for summertime house projects, hm?
No, not that Anvilania, my Anvilania in Minecraft.
I bought the game a couple of weeks ago, but still haven't done much with it. Since I don't have time for grand, sweeping construction/carving projects, I settled for wandering around to see if I could find a bit of scenery to call home. Imposing at a distance, the impossible peak I've come to call Anvilania was my first and only real contender for my point of residence.
I've tinkered a bit with the free version of Minecraft, and there found that I could build a bridge out into space thanks to the conveniently selective laws of physics. I could just sort of leeeean over the edge of oblivion and place a block, and with enough of this vertigo-inducing cartoon-physics construction, I could have my very own bridge that would have made Frank Lloyd Wright dizzy.
And finally, the Pouting Porch, a curious little spot on the island where the only way to safety is back the way you came (without building a new skyrail, anyway). It's that little corner under the crosshairs, under the torch. It's a nice place to find perspective, since so many deadly accidents in Minecraft seem to be self-inflicted. This is especially true when playing on Peaceful mode like I am. No monsters, but you can still drown, burn or fall to your death. Anyway, this will likely be where I start to carve my home into the interior of Anvilania. Not much of a front porch, but it should be easy to take care of door to door salesmen.
Speaking of dying, though, I just had to test out my high diving skills, since it turned out that there was a nice little pond below Anvilania.
…yeah, water needs to be at least two blocks deep to save divers from bodily injury. Once I found my way back to Anvilania from the spawn point, that was my first project; carving out the pool to make it deeper. After that, I carved a locker room out of the wall nearby (which is really just storage, but since it almost looks like a rec center locker room, I figured it was for pool visitors) and cleaned out some of the nearby sand. This, so I could make glass, of course.
I decided I wanted a new path up the mountain to Anvilania, so I set about scouting a path. My first path got too steep too soon, so I abandoned it. I considered carving a spiral tunnel up through the mountain near the waterfall, but decided that would take too long and would be pretty boring. I tried another path up the mountain, and with minimal carving and building, managed to make a nice sweeping path back up to my skypath.
Then I destroyed the skypath and remade it in glass.
It's much easier now to see where you can dive from, and now that the water is deep enough, it's possible to actually enjoy the trip.
With that, I jumped once more into the pool, then visited the locker room and emptied my pockets. I wandered off to see what that other big mountain was just across the bay. The swim was refreshing, but it's alarming how quickly I sink if I let myself. Most disturbing, though… the chicken beat me to the other side.
Waterfalls notwithstanding, I'm not sure I like this place.
Looking back in the evening after a nice fried chicken dinner, it's nice to see my path on the mountain and the torches I lit for the Anvilania shrine.
I'll be going back in the morning. I suspect there's ore to be mined under the mountain. There shouldn't be any chickens there. Who knows what I might find?
…and that makes all the difference. Exploring and experimenting make me happy.


text:
LG HT902TB review
A home cinema bargain packed with features
By TechRadar Staff 2008-01-31T14:47:16.3Z
If you can live with the speaker size, you'll struggle to find a system that offers better value for money
Outrageous value for money
Imposing looking subwoofer
Picture quality has room for improvement
Considering the vast number of AV products we've reviewed over the years, it's understandable that it takes something genuinely amazing to take our Test Lab by surprise. Step forward LG's HT902TB: a mighty all-in-one system that leaves jaws dropping in its wake.
How such an audaciously priced system (a mere £270) can deliver so much while costing so little money simply beggars belief.
Amazingly, this bags you a full all-in-one home cinema solution complete with DVD player, 5.1 speaker set, and multi-channel amplification. What's more, the front and rear speakers aren't the puny little cubes you might expect, but rather full-sized (over 1m tall) floorstanding affairs that promise a level of audio delight far beyond what you've any right to expect for such a low price.
As if all this wasn't enough, the entire package's design is little short of dazzling, with a delightful high-gloss black finish unifying all the various elements to seriously stylish effect.
The only trace of inelegance in the whole package is the subwoofer, which looks a bit brutish compared with the slender chic of everything else. But then a bit of brutishness in the bass department is often a good thing, sonically speaking. You can always hide the sub behind a chair or under a table if its chunkiness proves overly offensive.
Shifting our attention to the HT920TB's connectivity, it's pleasing to find it sporting an HDMI through which the system can output your DVDs upscaled into 720p or 1080i. There's no 1080p, but this is easily forgiveable on such an affordable system.
Scart and component video output options are also on hand. Additionally, you're provided with a digital audio input, so that an external source like a PS3, Xbox 360 or SkyHD box can reap the benefits of its audio talents.
Heading into the HT920TB's menus, it has to be said that the feature finery rather dries up. The only discoveries of note are a test tone facility (to help you balance the speakers correctly) and an adjustable audio delay (to help out in the event that your display introduces some lag between its pictures and sound).
Still, all the things we've so far described are already enough to make the HT920TB better specified than we'd have dreamed possible for just under £300.
Here again the HT920TB does the business. 'Building' the tower speakers, for instance, is a simple case of sliding a top part onto a bottom part, with no screws required. The speaker cables are all colour coded so that you marry the right speaker to the right output, and the onscreen menus - while ugly as hell to look at - are at least foolproof to use.
Finally, the remote control puts in a better performance than most when it comes to handling the multiple disciplines inherent to any all-in-one system.
Considering we've been singing the HT902TB's praises from the rooftops, we'd forgive you for thinking that making such a fuss about the picture is a mistake.
But, the LG's pictures really aren't all that great when compared with the very best standalone budget disc spinners - such as Denon's awesome DVD-1740. That criticism made, they're certainly decent enough by the standards of rival affordable all-in-one systems.
The main problem here is the amount of fizzing noise in the picture. It's not truly horrific, but if you're using the HT920B with a large TV or projector, you'll certainly notice the frailties. And it persists even if you upscale the picture to 720p or 1080i.
On a more positive note, colours are reasonably rich, motion is fluid enough, and overall the picture is quite sharp, especially when it's being upscaled.
The speakers that partner the DVD deck are so slim and affordable that, despite their 'tower' style, we didn't expect them to be up to much. How pleased we were, then, to have that particular preconception blown clear out of the water.
Particularly astonishing is how clean and detailed the soundstage is. The speakers avoid distortion even at loud volumes, and manage to portray lots of subtleties, especially in the treble register, without sounding tinny or harsh. And they do this while also delivering a really open, richmid-range that does vocals proud.
Transitions from front to back and steering from left to right, meanwhile, are smooth and believable thanks to each channel having exactly the same speaker design, while lower frequencies are delivered with authority by that big old bass bin. Yet the sub still blends with the towers really very well considering this is such an affordable system.
All in all it's nearly impossible to fault the HT920TB's audio given how little it costs.
LG could have quite comfortably charged twice as much for the HT920B and we'd still have recommended it. It's quite simply the bargain of the year so far.


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