Are you considering a pet for yourself or your family? Visit a shelter, and spend some time with the animals. By adopting a pet from a shelter or a pet adoption agency, you are not supporting these often inhumane businesses. To celebrate (and to hopefully find homes for even MORE pets) we caught up with Abbie Moore, the executive director of about why fall is a great time to adopt a pet, what some of the biggest misconceptions are about pet adoption, and more.
By adopting a stray dog (and having it spayed or neutered), you reduce the number of dogs that will eventually end up strays themselves. Finally, there are wide variety of dogs ready to be adopted at dog shelters and dog rescues. The great thing about adopting an adult dog is that most of them are already housebroken & know basic obedience commands.
So you want to adopt a cat? The only people who really aren't candidates for adopting a rescue dog are people who really want a purebred dog with a certain bloodline. They have a function where you can learn about the animal you want to adopt before you adopt it. You can also use it to find other adoption groups in your area, and search for pets that are available for adoption.
There are also some websites for animal adoption shelters such as Pets 911, Petfinder, and 1-800- SAVE-A-PET. By the time I get all this done an animal could be adopted (or worse because I couldn't quickly get it the exposure it needed having all this time consumed) and it will be time for me to do my bi-weekly photo session again.
There are several animals that have no homes or people to care for them. And, it is quite heartbreaking for parents to confine their children from pets. Fortunately, there are ways to tackle this and there are pets that are best suited for allergic children. You can help by caring for our homeless cats and dogs, keeping the shelter clean, helping us raise funds, or fostering pets.
Generally seen as giant goldfish, Koi fish are actually in the carp family. We are sorry for your wasted time but do appreciate the notes of support so many of you included when forwarding the mail on to us. As you know, Petfinder was founded 14 years ago to help you in the life-saving work that you do. We continue with that same mission today – and continue to bring the most adopters to view your pets – free of charge to you and to them.
The organizations that have requested an FTP account or import setup so they can upload their own data have been denied simply because of their affiliation with Uploads are allowed from 19 other software vendors, and even from individuals, but not from or the non-profit animal welfare organizations that use our services.
Dog adoption is made easy through the countless animal welfare organizations and animal shelters existing in every city across the United States. If you really want a certain type of dog, you can also check out local rescue leagues that tend to specialize in certain breeds. The ARLGP opens to the public at 11am; animals are adopted on a first-come, first-served basis and require our typical adoption process.
However, many parents are always in a dilemma when it comes to adopting a pet especially when they have children with allergies. As a result of previous mistreatment and harsh rules, adopted dogs often expect to receive much the same treatment in their new home.


text:
SportJuniors
sport, juniors,
NSW Polding finished equal first at the NSW PSSA Netball Championship last week at Homebush, beating teams from all over the state. With 14 sides entered, Polding finished equal first alongside the Hunter side. Hannah Chicken, Eve Keeling, Scarlette Hynes and Hope White all played their positions strongly to help their team to victory. Hannah Chicken's relentless defence kept the goal count for the opposition low. Hannah's strong performances in goal defence saw her named in the NSW PSSA side, along with Hope White. Hannah, from St Joseph's Taree, and Hope, from St John Baptist Maitland, will compete at the School Sport Australia event in Darwin. Five teams from St Clare's High School recently competed at the regional futsal tournament held in Taree against schools from the Manning area, Great Lakes, Bulahdelah and Gloucester. The under-13's and under-19's boys showed a high level of skill and were undefeated throughout the round games, therefore qualifying for the final. They won the grand final against Taree High School and Manning Valley Anglican College respectively to become Manning Regional champions. The under-16's girls was a team of novice players who improved on the day. They grew in confidence, became stronger and continued their success losing only one game. They won their semi-final against an under-19 team before defeating Taree High School to become Manning Regional Champions. All teams now progress to play in the NNSW Champion of Champions tournament at Port Macquarie from August 13-16.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/82901f94-0562-4500-b75a-35a3759906ee.jpg/r0_431_3024_2140_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
August 7 2018 - 6:00AM
DIOCESE REPORT: Polding, Hunter finish on top at NSW PSSA Netball Championship at Homebush
Bernadette Duggan
WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: Hannah Chicken.
NSW Polding finished equal first at the NSW PSSA Netball Championship last week at Homebush, beating teams from all over the state.
With 14 sides entered, Polding finished equal first alongside the Hunter side.
Hannah Chicken, Eve Keeling, Scarlette Hynes and Hope White all played their positions strongly to help their team to victory.
Hannah Chicken's relentless defence kept the goal count for the opposition low. Hannah's strong performances in goal defence saw her named in the NSW PSSA side, along with Hope White.
Hannah, from St Joseph's Taree, and Hope, from St John Baptist Maitland, will compete at the School Sport Australia event in Darwin.
Five teams from St Clare's High School recently competed at the regional futsal tournament held in Taree against schools from the Manning area, Great Lakes, Bulahdelah and Gloucester.
CHAMPIONS: St Clare's under-19 futsal team: Chris Taylor, Macabe Grass, Andrew Jennisson, Kane Jackson, Lachlan Brown, Kallen Di Giovani, and Kyle Brady (Absent: Jack Acheson).
The under-13's and under-19's boys showed a high level of skill and were undefeated throughout the round games, therefore qualifying for the final.
They won the grand final against Taree High School and Manning Valley Anglican College respectively to become Manning Regional champions.
The under-16's girls was a team of novice players who improved on the day.
They grew in confidence, became stronger and continued their success losing only one game.
They won their semi-final against an under-19 team before defeating Taree High School to become Manning Regional Champions.
All teams now progress to play in the NNSW Champion of Champions tournament at Port Macquarie from August 13-16.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Door Step School, Pune.: "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much" – Hellen Keller.
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much" – Hellen Keller.
A quote that holds true for so many people and organisations working towards the upliftment of the underprivileged. For those who are working at the grass roots, it is always their work that takes the top priority and it is only through word of mouth that the common man is made aware. However when communication was never so effortless as of today and the reach of media never so restricted, it is but natural to have media houses rooting for what interests them and their audiences.
One of such names is the Borgen magazine, one of the media channel for people interested in global issues, politics and human rights. We are very proud to share with you that Borgen magazine has published our story - Door Step School and the Brain behind it.


Grace your neckline with this dusty rose glass and seed bead necklace and enhance your fashion eloquence in seconds. Set in gold-tone, this 18-20-inch finery features seed beads with vivid shades. Pair this delight with matching accessories for an enhanced appeal.


Nihilent is a global consulting and solutions integration company using a holistic and systems approach to problem solving. Headquartered in Pune, India, Nihilent has extensive experience in international consulting, analytics and technology services. The company's operations span North America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia and Asia. Nihilent's mission Change for Performance encapsulates its commitment to make change happen systemically in terms of people, process, technology and knowledge for achieving sustained performance for its clients. For more information Please visit www.nihilent.com.


Program Content Which public policy issues are affecting businesses today and what can you do to prepare for them?
Grant Thornton's Chief Public Policy Officer Mary Moore Hamrick will discuss topics relating to public policy and Washington as the 2020 race takes shape. Join our webcast to hear her insights.


Troubled auto supplier Collins & Aikman Corp. may decide to sell off its operations in pieces rather than emerge from Chapter 11 reorganization as a stand-alone company, CEO Frank Macher said today. Macher said the company began considering that option after production cuts by Detroit Three customers. Actions at the Chrysler group came as a particular surprise. The automaker has been struggling for several months to reduce high inventories, particularly pickups and SUVs. In response, Collins & Aikman is reviewing its options to see whether it might make more sense to sell the company in pieces rather than as a whole, Macher said. The supplier of plastic parts, interior components and fabrics has been in Chapter 11 since May 2005. Collins & Aikman's reorganization plan envisioned emerging from Chapter 11 as a stand-alone company, with creditors getting stock for the debt they hold. But selling Collins & Aikman whole or in pieces is an option. Macher said Collins & Aikman still expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in February — either as a stand-alone company or in parts. The parts of Collins & Aikman that are particularly attractive to buyers, Macher said, are the soft-trim operations, Canadian operations and a plant in Hermosillo, Mexico. The Hermosillo plant was put in the spotlight Oct. 13 when it stopped shipping parts to a nearby Ford Motor Co. assembly plant for one shift after a price dispute. Ford's Hermosillo plant builds the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans.


Oh my. I am not the best cook in the world. Ask anybody. But last night, I stretched my culinary horizons and tried to create this dish that my husband loves. Not that I'm bragging, but I got back-pats from my entire family - which is saying something. Now mind you, this is not fancy or difficult or impressive, but it was REALLY good!
Pound out your boneless chicken to around 1/2"
Slice pancetta into about 1/4" x 2" slices and brown. Remove, then cook the blackened chicken. Remove and cover to keep warm.
You can make homemade Vodka sauce, but I used Bertolli (which I found is gluten-free.) Add the entire jar to the drippings and add in around half of the pancetta and some shredded parmesan cheese.
While you're doing this, cook the pasta.
Because we have one gluten-free family member, we layer the ingredients finishing with more freshly shredded parmesan cheese and the rest of the crispy pancetta. Oh my gosh, maybe my standards are low, but this was pretty good. I wish I had a picture, but by the time this thought occurred to me, dinner was over.


text:
Q: Combining Optoisolator and Relay into one I/O pin I have a project that uses two microcontroller pins to control the input and output of an isolated device.  The LEDs are for status, showing when an input or output is enabled.
I'd like to save some I/O pins and I was wondering how to approach combining these together to use a single microcontroller pin?

A: It's possible. You must have a very small relay to be able to drive it directly from the uC pin. You should have a Schottky catch diode across the relay coil. If you use a driver transistor you can use a regular diode as below.
The method would be something like this:

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab
To measure the input, tristate the MCU I/O pin for (say) 5 microseconds. It will go high or low depending on Q1 (the optoisolator output). Grab the value and return the pin to its desired state. Repeat the polling relatively infrequently (say at 200Hz). The relay will have insufficient time to drop out or pull in.
Note that the above circuit has the relay energized for output high rather than low.
Generally though, it's often better to move to a micro with a surfeit of pins rather than trying to cram everything into a few. There is inevitably a new feature or function that could use an extra pin.

A: Hmm, bidirectional use of a microcontroller i/o would be really hard. I think the easiest way to have more i/o's is a port expander, which you can connect on a serial bus.
If you have multiple isolated devices you could also work with a shift register, but this will result in almost the same as a port expander via spi.
If you really need to only use one pin, here the idea; you have an astable multivibrator. One state for output one for input. When writing the output, you set the the input line on a tristate. So while you are "writing" the output (open collector of the ic and a pull up), the tristate is high. You store your data in a d flip flop for the output. After a defined time you switch your output pin to a input pin and you disconnect the d flip flop from the line (transistor). Now the output is set and you can read, for this the astable multivibrator activates the tristate and switches it to a open collector. Only thing left now is the synchronization, this would be more complicated, you could make a counter from 1 to 3, in the third state there is a short synchronization signal, so it wouldn't lose track. But you see, for this effort you can also use a port expander and you don't have to worry about i/o's then.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Muscle Car Culture back in the 1960s-70s was king and kids old enough to walk themselves to school – and in those days that was young – were obsessed with all things muscle, American and big block engines. The Camaro, much like other muscle cars of its day ruled the road and was a regular sighting at not-so-legal street races.
Today, while so much has changed, the incredible performance and grunt we associate with American engineering is alive and well. The 2015 Camaro SS 1LE is a prime example of automakers sticking to their muscle car roots while modernizing to only make it better.
This Camaro is equipped with a 6.2 L V8 producing 426 HP @5900 RPM and 420 lb-ft of torque at 4600 RPM mated to a 6-speed manual transmission (standard in 1LE package).
The Camaro performed better than I expected. The handling is quick and precise, no matter what direction I gave it, the car delivered. While the ride quality was a bit rough, it was to be expected as this car is more aimed at the weekend track warrior than long distance GT driver. That being said, this Camaro is more than okay for someone who wants to make it his or her daily driver.
The optional 1LE package is responsible for some of those ride quality characteristics with a Suspension Ride and Handling Package. This package also includes a 3.91 axle ratio, further cementing its track ready nature. The engine bay also receives a nice upgrade thanks to the 1LE package; a strut tower brace, helping to add rigidity for better overall handling.
While the transmission was good it wasn't as smooth as its Ford Mustang GT competitor with the occasional popping out of gear (possibly due to over usage in testing) and operating the clutch smoothly took some getting used to. In terms of power, the Camaro isn't lacking. It's peak horsepower feels as though it comes in earlier than its stated 5900 RPM and it's torque delivery feels like an ever-increasing flow of power. Assisting in slowing the Camaro from high speeds are four-wheel disc w/ ABS ventilated front and rear rotors, four-piston fixed Brembo aluminum front and rear calipers. These provided aggressive enough stopping power when braking in high-speed turns or even at a last second red light.
The car's biggest deficit affecting its performance is its excessive weight, topping out at 3908. That's just about 200 pounds heavier than its Mustang GT Manual Fastback competitor. Unfortunately, it is noticeable when driving. And while gas mileage isn't why you buy this car, I never got near the stated numbers. Driving the car like it should be driven, the best I got was 13.5 MPG.
While the ride is a bit rough and the car is heavy this doesn't mean the Camaro isn't a great car. It is. Every time I started it, a great big smile stretched across my face, and every time I heard the incredible snap, crackle, pop of the option Performance Exhaust (a must add option that also adds about 5 HP!) I smiled even bigger. And taking it around my favorite set of twisties, I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. It's a great car in every way that matters.
On the exterior, the Camaro is finished in Red Hot paint and features a Unique Rear Spoiler and 20" Aluminum Wheels (optional 1LE package), HID Headlamps with LED Halo Rings and Daytime Running Lamps (optional RS package), and a matte black hood with functional hood vents (optional 1LE package).
The outside of the Camaro is its best attribute, other than its great performance. The black and red color combination makes the car look even more aggressive than its exhaust note alone and the 20" wheels really fill in the wheel wells nicely. The car looks good from every angle.
Inside the Camaro are Recaro Performance Seats (stand alone option), Navigation System (stand alone option), and a Suede shift knob and steering wheel (optional 1lE package).
A common complaint about the interior of the Camaro is it's lack of fine materials and just an overall cheap look. I don't think the interior needs to be overly fancy especially when the driver will be focusing on the road and not the lack of colored stitching on the dash. To put it simply, the interior is fine if you're a driver and a little lacking if you're a passenger.
©Ron Avery – this car is so track focused it even offers a Trans Temp gauge!
There are some cool elements like the suede steering wheel and shift knob, making the 1LE package even more of a must add on when spec'ing out your Camaro. The Recaro seats are also a great compliment to the 1LE package accents and are a must add option as well. The painted portions running across the front and sides of the car's interior could do with some color, maybe even matching body color for some added pop.
Something I can't seem to get past is the infotainment system. It's got to be one of the least intuitive and most confusing systems I've ever used. There's a large dial on the head unit that reads volume and also has a power symbol. When pushed in, the volume mutes and the system turns itself off eliminating access to the radio and navigation system. Also, when navigating various menus I noticed that when I pressed one thing, another would pop up and so on. If you want to mute the volume use the steering wheel button to save some trouble. I'd actually skip the purchase on this option entirely and either use the nav within your phone over Bluetooth or get an aftermarket system.
The Head-Up Display (standard) features a couple different views within the system. I stuck with the RPM and MPH display during my time with the car. The only issue I had with it was every time a commercial would come up on Satellite Radio, the Head-Up Display would show a description of the commercial, unless the volume was muted. To me, that's very distracting.
Space inside the car was a little tight, especially for people sitting in back. While trunk space was actually pretty generous. The rear seats also fold down for even more storage space. If no one's sitting in the rear seats, space up front is actually pretty good for a car of its size.
Im a current mustang owner and interested in also buying this 2015 Camaro. I've seen a lot of people complain of the poor visibility in camaros and wanted to ask you is it really that terrible? Is it anything mirror adjustments can't fix?
The claim is that the back side windows of the Camaro are entirely too small and produce blind spots when changing lanes and backing up. This confuses me a bit since I don't recall depending on my side back windows that much and more so use my mirrors for changing lanes etc. Anyway, your opinion on this is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I purchased a 1LE as a daily driver and can honestly say that proper seat adjustment and mirror placement remove any blind spot concerns. I would ensure your car has the backup camera, however. The only tough bit is backing out from an angled parking spot, where you essentially have to look directly through the fat C-pillar and is outside the range of the rearview camera.
I like the fact you get into the specs of car reviewing such as noticing the 1LE has a 3.91 rear end gear ratio rather than a standard 3.45.
Great photography, videos that are easy to understand and listen to and in depth knowledge make your site an easy choice when wanting to purchase a car.


Technology For Marketing & Advertising (TFM&A) is the UK industry's largest and longest running event, it's the show to attend to enhance your advertising and marketing strategy – and you won't be able to miss us and our shiny neon pink stand! Come and have a chat about our advanced call tracking system and how we can track your customer's journey from online, through the phone and into your CRM system. We will be at stand 36 and are looking forward to seeing you.
Head of Marketing. Mama. Tea drinker. Skier. Photography, Marketing & Tech Stuff. Football fan by proxy!


text:
Q: Complicated multirow/column table Hopefully this is the last of my table questions.
I have never done a table like this before and I'm not sure how to set it up with multirow/column (i'm assuming there is no easier way).
Here is the code I have so far (I did not put the actual numbers in yet). I've been trying to use booktabs.
\documentclass[12pt, onecolumn]{article}
\usepackage{multicol, multirow, array}
\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{colortbl}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{arydshln}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{bigstrut}

\begin{document}

    \begin{center}
    \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
    \toprule
    \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{\multirow{3}[2]{*}{1}} & \multicolumn{3}{c|}{\multirow{4}[4]{*}{2}} & \multirow{3}[2]{*}{3} \\
    \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{} & \multicolumn{3}{c|}{} &  \\
    \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{} & \multicolumn{3}{c|}{} &  \\
\cmidrule{1-3}\cmidrule{7-7}    \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{4} & \multicolumn{3}{c|}{} & 5 \\
    \midrule
    \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{6} & \multicolumn{3}{c|}{7} & 8 \\
    \bottomrule
    \end{tabular}
 \end{center}

\end{document}

This is what the table looks like now:

and this is what it eventually needs to look like:

I've been using arrays instead of tabular for other tables but this one seems a bit too complicated to go that route.
Please help as I need to write several tables like this but with different orders (ie: the last row of the table will eventually need to be at the top).
Thank you!

A: If you want this type of table, you do not need some of the styles you are loading.
\documentclass[12pt, onecolumn]{article}
\usepackage{multirow, array,arydshln}
\usepackage{geometry}
\begin{document}
\begin{center}
 \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
    \hline
     & &  \\
    1 & & 3 \\
     & &  \\
    \cdashline{1-1} \cdashline{3-3}
    4 &\multirow{-4}{*}{2} & 5\\
    \hline
    6 & 7 & 8\\
    \hline
 \end{tabular}
\end{center}
\end{document}

\documentclass[12pt, onecolumn]{article}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{arydshln}
\usepackage{bigstrut}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{geometry}
\begin{document}
\[
 \begin{array}{|>{\centering\bigstrut$}p{3cm}<{$}|>{\centering$}p{3cm}<{$}|c|}
    \hline
     & &  \\
    A & & b \\
     & &  \\
    \cdashline{1-1} \cdashline{3-3}
    \bar c &\multirow{-4}{*}{$I_{(m+1)}$} & d\\
    \hline
    \bar 0_n & \bar 0_{(m+1)} & 0\\
    \hline
 \end{array}
\]
\end{document}

In order to get the 0s in the first row, you only need to move the row up in the TeX code.
\documentclass[12pt, onecolumn]{article}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{arydshln}
\usepackage{bigstrut}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{geometry}
\begin{document}
\[
 \begin{array}{|>{\centering\bigstrut$}p{3cm}<{$}|>{\centering$}p{3cm}<{$}|c|}
    \hline
    \bar 0_n & \bar 0_{(m+1)} & 0\\
    \hline
     & &  \\
    A & & b \\
     & &  \\
    \cdashline{1-1} \cdashline{3-3}
    \bar c &\multirow{-4}{*}{$I_{(m+1)}$} & d\\
    \hline
 \end{array}
\]
\end{document}


text:
A Cinematic Multiverse: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Leads The Pack At The Oscars
By Alon Garcia
With 11 nominations, Everything Everywhere All At Once is the most recognized film at the 95th Academy Awards.
Nominations for this year's Oscars were announced on Tuesday, January 24. Everything Everywhere All At Once received the most acknowledgements, while All Quiet On The Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin followed with nine nominations each.
READ ALSO: This Is The Moment: The Golden Globes Honors Michelle Yeoh With The Best Actress Award
The Asian-led film was nominated for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Film Editing, Original Score, and Original Song.
Everything has led to this. Congratulations to our 18 Academy Award nominees including Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Whale, Aftersun, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, Close, and Causeway! #Oscars2023 pic.twitter.com/F469dcv9fQ
— A24 (@A24) January 24, 2023
Directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert received their first Oscar nomination for Best Director. Michelle Yeoh also received a long-awaited nod for Best Actress, becoming the first Malaysian actress to be nominated in the category.
Ke Huy Quan, who plays Yeoh's husband in the film, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in what was one of the best acting comebacks in recent years.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress. This is the first Oscar nomination for both actresses, with Curtis being in the industry since the 1970s while Hsu started acting in 2010.
The cast and crew gathered over a Zoom call on Tuesday morning, awaiting the announcement. "It was scary and terrifying!" Yeoh said.
"Jonathan Wang, our producer, was like, 'We're all winners, we came this far.' I was like, 'F off!' If I don't get nominated, I'm not walking out the door for the next year because so many people have said, 'You'd better get this for us! You're going to do this!'"
For Yeoh, the nominations showed how much the audience resonated with this genre-bending film with so much heart at the center of it all.
Quan set an alarm to make sure he wouldn't miss the Zoom call. "For years I watched the Oscars and imagined what it was like to be on the red carpet, to be in that room, to be nominated," he said.
He now gets to celebrate his achievements since he took a break from acting after starring in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies when he was just a child.
Meanwhile, Hsu was on a flight back to Los Angeles from Australia when she received news of her nomination, where she rewatched the film to relive and reflect on the experience of making it. "This movie is the most honest handshake I could make with Hollywood," Hsu said.
"To be an artist is a huge responsibility because you have the power to be in communication with a mass amount of people. So make art that is surprising. Make art that leads us to heal each other and ourselves, and hopefully guide us towards a better humanity."
Their film has undoubtedly done all that and more, with these awards being "the cherry on the cake," as Yeoh said.
Banner photo via Instagram @everythingeverywheremovie.


text:
Q: One tab not navigating Angular project. Used by Router. There is a navigation bar with 8 items. The transition to tab 2 does not occur if you go from tab 4. Any other combination works. How to catch the problem in this situation, how to debug it? In a subscription to route.events, nothing happens when this situation is reproduced, I look through the console, in other cases it works.

A: The question, of course, turned out to be blurry, sorry everyone)) The problem was solved, thanks to this question


text:
Q: GCM Push Notification adobe air I m developing a push notification service for my app in android  i came to some tutorials to achieve my goal. I struck to 2 things that i can't figure out. I need some help.

*

*PushNotifications.init( "*DEV_KE*Y" );

*<permission
android:name="*application ID*.permission.C2D_MESSAGE"
Now i want to know about this 2 things. Dev_key and application id.Secondly is PushNotifications.init(); necessary to call? what if i call it without dev_key param?

A: I'm guessing you're following the tutorials on distriqt's site about using the distriqt cross platform push notifications extension?
If so then the DEV_KEY is actually the developer key you get when you sign up to the distriqt extension package. It is necessary to call this function with a valid key if you are hoping to use the distriqt extensions. If you call it without the DEV_KEY param the extension will not work as documented.
The second line you have there containing the application ID is used in your application descriptor file. You need to add the following to your manifest additions on android replacing all the YOUR_APPLICATION_ID references with your applications id. This is normally of the form : com.company.name. The air prefixes are shown as these are your applications full id on the Android platform.
<android>
    <manifestAdditions><![CDATA[
        <manifest android:installLocation="auto">

            <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" android:targetSdkVersion="16"/>

            <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
            <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS" />
            <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE"/>
            <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
            <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE" />

            <!-- Only this application can receive the messages and registration result -->
            <permission android:name="air.YOUR_APPLICATION_ID.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" android:protectionLevel="signature" />
            <uses-permission android:name="air.YOUR_APPLICATION_ID.permission.C2D_MESSAGE" />

            <application>
                <receiver android:enabled="true" android:exported="true" android:name="com.distriqt.extension.pushnotifications.PushNotificationsBroadcastReceiver" android:permission="com.google.android.c2dm.permission.SEND" >
                    <intent-filter>
                        <action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.RECEIVE" />
                        <action android:name="com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION" />
                        <category android:name="air.YOUR_APPLICATION_ID" />
                    </intent-filter>
                </receiver>
                <service android:enabled="true" android:exported="true" android:name="com.distriqt.extension.pushnotifications.gcm.GCMIntentService" />
            </application>

        </manifest>

    ]]></manifestAdditions>
</android>


Cheer Up, Tommy Lee Jones! You're Now in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame!
Speaking of Fort Worth, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted its class of 2009 last night with a wingding on E. Exchange Ave., and among those taking their bows were Tommy Lee Jones and the great Barry Corbin, who actually has a place in Fort Worth. Said Jones, a St. Mark's grad, "This is the first time in all my long years of award-winning that I wish my granddad could be here." As it turns out, Jones was not inducted for his work as the Barnett Shale's drillmaster or as a coffee-drink pitchman in Japan, as recently captured in the above photo by the Flickr-ing elaine a. Dude looks like he's having a very Suntory time.


Membership on the all-volunteer fire department is currently limited to 30. There currently isn't room or PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for more members and there is currently a waiting list to get on the department. These volunteers are sent to school and are trained and ready so when replacements are needed they are ready.
Members come from all walks in the community − city council members, street Department employees, Ashley employees, Gold'n Plump employees. They understand what volunteerism is all about. They get it. They just love to come here and give their time and work for the community to give back. Local businesses understand that also. There is never a problem getting enough guys to come to a call.
The department's operations are overseen by an eight-member Fire Board. Its membership consists of three representatives from the City of Arcadia, three from the Town of Arcadia and two from the Town of Glencoe. They meet four to five times a year to discuss department needs and operations. Budget contributions are based on equalized assessed value.
The department augments what it gets from the three municipalities through fundraising. The department's big event of the year is the annual chicken barbecue and brat fry held on Palm Sunday. The department also holds a spring dance and raffle.


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FLOTSAM & JETSAM (Craig Nielsen) INTERVIEW
Posted on December 19, 2010 by Yiannis
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I am not going to lie to you guys; I absolutely adore Flotsam & Jetsam! One of the few second generation Thrash Metal bands from the US who continued producing diverse and often quite challenging music, especially at times like the mid-90s when Thrash was dead to most people, these five lads from Phoenix in sunny Arizona are still totally devoted to releasing good quality music. If what you need is evidence, just listen to their latest opus, entitled "The Cold" and you will understand exactly what makes their tenth studio album an absolute must-have. Much to my delight, I managed to arrange an interview with the band's drummer Craig Nielsen, during which we discussed all things "The Cold", the current situation with regards Metal music in the states and the band's future plans! Flots till death!
By Yiannis (John) Stefanis.
- Hi Craig. I am really pleased to be doing this interview with a member of Flotsam & Jetsam and in doing so help promote your latest effort "The Cold". I have been following the band's career since the days of "No Place For Disgrace" and I am happy to say that, having listened to your latest effort, you sound stronger than ever! Excitement is back, not only within the ranks of Flotsam & Jetsam, but within the ranks of the media.
Craig: Well, thank you very much! We took the appropriate amount of time to write the songs this time round. Mark (Simpson: guitar) has become tremendously better in understanding how the riffs from his head can be translated into the studio. It takes a songwriter a few records I think in order to get used to how ideas can get across into the final recording. So, Mark has some tremendous ideas that in his head knew how to get them on tape exactly as he imagined and this comes with time in the studio, so this was a perfect timing for these songs.
- I believe that there was a five year gap between "The Cold" and your previous album "Dreams Of Death", right? Talking about it, "Dreams Of Death" was quite an enjoyable album, but, and I hope that you will take this the right way, was not the kind of album that would make me sing along to every single composition as "The Cold" is capable of doing. This new album has totally dominated my thoughts and that has not happened for quite some time really. What can I say – I am genuinely excited here!
Craig: You are right, it did take us five years since the release of "Dreams Of Death" in order to create our next album as Mark really started writing the songs for the new record three years ago. He started writing songs and he did it slowly and then I actually tracked the drums for this record August over two years ago! It was as a result of various reasons that our record's recording process and mixing got delayed. I could go on forever about this but the bottom line is that it was not to be a five year gap between albums – the gap was only really meant to be a two year one.
- Before I make any question directly related to "The Cold" I want to ask what is happening with the band as I am aware that there have been some line-up changes recently. In the past there were some really significant changed happening, with Eric (A.K Knutson: vocals) leaving, so I am always slightly scared when I hear the term 'line-up change' in relation with Flotsam & Jetsam. A few people are probably wondering, myself included, what is the atmosphere in the band nowadays.
Craig: Look, Yiannis – Eric left very briefly at the time of "My God" tour (2001) and that was a long time ago. He left for less than six months as he was very disillusioned with a few things that had to do with Flotsam & Jetsam and others of a more personal nature. He wanted to make some changes! This didn't last very long as he came back very quickly. As for other changes, Ed Carlson (guitars) left and was replaced by Michael Gilbert (guitars). We did some touring with another bass player at some point just because Jason (Ward) has a scheduling problem – he simply couldn't do the last European tour which was two weeks, and so we replaced Jason for those shows. Jason never left the band; he simply couldn't do those shows which had been booked for a while. Something came up in his life and he simply couldn't go, so we hired some guy from Phoenix (Arizona) to do these shows – no big deal. We came back and nothing else has changed for the last fifteen years since Mark and I got hired; we were hired on the same day! So, there are no other changes other than for Ed leaving and being replaced by another original guitarist Michael Gilbert, however neither Ed or Michael had anything to do with the songs on "The Cold" – that's 100% Mark Simpsons' playing and Mark Simpsons' recording; no other guitar players have recorded anything on that record by Mark. The record was made in the transition of Ed deciding, you know, Ed became sober and made some very positive changes to his life. Unfortunately for some musicians when they become sober, they find it difficult to go on tour and be around people who party non-stop, as things become a bit lonely for the sober guy. So Ed decided that he wanted to make a change and Michael Gilbert was more than happy to come and re-claim his position as the original guitar player in the band. That transition came very smoothly and Michael never forgot apparently how to play any of the older songs. When he came we thought that it would take a little while for him to come up to speed but it didn't. He was already there! He was very, very surprising as to how well he played those songs after all these years away! With respect to your question about how all this affected the new songs, nothing to do with any change of players had anything to do with this record, because this record was always Mark Simpson from start to finish as far as guitar playing is concerned!
- Flotsam & Jetsam have always been classified as a Thrash Metal band, a description that is quite justified in some ways, but, going back in time, you were one of the first bands of the 'second generation' US Thrash Metal scene that decided to incorporate non-Thrash elements in your music. The band was always quite daring in such respect, plenty evidence of which can be found in albums such as "Unnatural Selection" (1999) – your debut release as a member of Flotsam & Jetsam. "The Cold" proves again that this successful mixture of Heavy & Thrash elements is still there, so is it accurate to continue describing you guys as a Thrash Metal outfit?
Craig: Well, we separate our work in two sections: our live shows and our studio albums. During our live shows we have to give people what they want and as you have correctly pointed out, especially in Europe, they want to listen to mostly songs from the first four records and we are glad to give them that! Live I would call us very much a Thrash Metal band as eighty per cent of our set is Thrash and we play songs probably faster than they were originally recorded and they were used to be performed back in the day! So, we still Thrash with the best of them live, but when we go to do a record and we have a singer like Eric, he sets the tone that you don't have to limit yourself! He's so diverse and he can bring out so many different moods through his vocals that Mark is smart enough to have that always in mind when he is writing that we don't have to be one style all the time because we could have limitations with our vocalist for instance. There are absolutely no limits with Eric! If you hear songs like "Bathing In Red" from "Dreams Of Death" you understand that he's so useful in so many different utilities that it would be a shame if we were to only write Thrash songs! It's not like we're tired of playing Thrash, but we play so much of it live that we look forward to the opportunity in the studio to create more 'mood'; in that sense we are like the Pink Floyd of Heavy Metal (laughs).
- What an amazing parallel! What really gets me is that, when you made all those innovations, most people were very closed minded and critical; nowadays, any band which attempts such things is hailed as unique and visionary- quite annoying to me as a fan of Flotsam & Jetsam really!
Craig: Well, without Eric such things would not have been possible! Let's face it, he is what makes all things possible! I have been in the band with him for fourteen years and I never cease to be amazed by the guy! I have heard a lot of his Country stuff that never got signed and released and if you could hear him sing Country music you would be blown away! I have never heard him attempt to do anything that he couldn't do. He sings Frank Sinatra beautifully – I don't know; I have never heard him attempt to do anything that he couldn't do. Strangely he thinks that Chad (Croeger: vocals) from Nickelback is a great singer and ever since he said that I have been listening to Chad a lot more and Chad really is a great singer (laughs). So Eric seems to listen to some people that wouldn't be traditionally on his 'Metal Idols' list.
- That is a good attitude to have, especially when such elements work wonders in the band's music. I mean, "The Cold" is such a varied and exciting album, there's something for everyone there – you guys have done an amazing job here! I cannot stop listening to it!
Craig: And you played it to other people that feel the same way?
- Well, England is a difficult nut to crack but there are a few people here who have already expressed their admiration for "The Cold".
Craig: Wow, that's good to know! How often do you get shows over there?
- There is a Metal gig almost every other day. When was the last time that you guys played in the UK? Must have been a long time in order for you to ask such a question!
Craig: We never played the UK ever! The other members did a few short dates with Megadeth back in the early days of the band's career, so this is a very emotional issue for me and the other members of the band as this line up really wants to play in the UK. We just have to find the right source to book us shows, because, apparently you need a local UK agents for such things.
- Craig, as I said before, I believe that "The Cold" is quite a varied album; however, I feel that there is an underlying theme connecting these ten great compositions. When reading the lyrics of each song, that's when I get that feeling more strongly. Songs like "Hypocrite" and "Better Off Dead", which is in my opinion one of the best Flotsam & Jetsam songs ever recorded all express feelings of angst and anger towards something! Who are you guys mad at? Is Eric the right person to ask such a question?
Craig: Eric has become recently the main lyricist; he never was before until the last couple of records. He had help on lyrics always and he's only been the main lyricist on this new album and on "Dreams Of Death" really. Whatever lyrics you have read come directly from him, he's not reading somebody else's lyrics, and I think that probably has a lot to do with the emotion behind it! Eric would probably tell you that there are many reasons why you feel all the rage and anger that you hear in our album and, for the record, he hasn't had an easy life! Put it this way, he's raising a family, he has two beautiful kids and a beautiful wife, he got caught up in the American Real Estate disaster and there's a lot of trouble in his life as a consequence! He works hard to do the right thing and raise his family and he's always struggling and struggling. So he has a lot of struggle and probably a lot of frustration and, as an artist, he conveys these feelings when he sings!
- What about the rest of the members in the band? What is Flotsam & Jetsam to you? I am asking that question because I understand that today, with the way the music industry operates; it is kind of difficult to base your whole future simply on a band.
Craig: As you are asking me personally, I will give you just my answer. I set out;I am from Connecticut and moved to Hollywood in 1990 and slogged it out in Hollywood for many years, gaining a reputation as an up and coming Metal drummer. I didn't know anybody in Flotsam & Jetsam but I knew Nick Menza, the then drummer of Megadeth who happened to know that the band was looking for a drummer. He recommended me and, ever since that day, I have accomplished every single goal that I set out for myself when leaving home. For me, Flotsam & Jetsam;I knew thousands of musicians from Hollywood that never had the opportunity to fulfil their dream unfortunately – many good musicians who had all the right ingredients and who gave their whole but which, for one reason or another, did not succeed! I never have to say that about my life, so for me, it has been a validation that the belief I had in myself when I left home and the reputation and belief that I had on myself during those key years in Hollywood put me in front of the right people and that, when the opportunity presented itself, I was recommended and I was able to fulfil all my dreams. I was always the guy who wanted to go on tour and see the world! I have managed to play in eighteen different countries so far so, personally, Flotsam & Jetsam has been the vehicle for me to accomplish every personal dream I have ever set for myself. Without wanting to sound over dramatic, I owe tremendous amounts to this band in that I can go on to my middle age knowing that I have accomplished all those goals. I am a member of a cult legendary band, we write good quality music that sticks out in people's minds, we have a very loyal fan base that enables us to continue touring and making records - I mean game over! How many bands have only one or two records offered to them by a label and then you never hear from them again? Our career, I think, will last as long as we want to; as long as we continue to write good music and have a fire for live shows we can live up this dream forever!
- I certainly hope so!
Craig: I cannot say enough about what this band has done for me!
- And I cannot say enough about what your music has done for me and for many other people who proudly claim to be your fans!
Craig: Thank you. I know that Mark and I am sure that Eric and Jason will feel the same kinship for you saying that, because you are the reason why we keep doing this! We are not doing it for the money obviously, so it's for the fans! We developed this legacy and there are fans that really look forward to our new records as such, so that's why we do them!
- Ok, back to the album then! What we have here is ten beautiful songs, some of which are quite demanding in terms of performances. You, being the drummer, are the one who physically has to endure more hardships and to sweat more than everybody else in the band. Which are the songs from the new album that you found to be the trickiest to perform in the studio and which are the ones that you feel closest to?
Craig: Well, the Thrashier songs are the ones that require more effort obviously. Some people can play mid-tempo emotional music easily from the heart which is easy; songs like "The Cold" and the slower ones,if you play them long enough, it eventually feels like using auto pilot. You have to have the right feel, of course, and the feel will come to those who have it! You won't have to put too much worry into the technique – in simple song arrangements you depend on the heart to bring out a memorable part. As far as which were the trickiest in the studio, I have to mention sings like "Blackened Eyes Staring" and "Falling short", you know ," the faster ones. There's so much technical music being put out these days that you don't want to sound sloppy, now that you have bands like Meshuggah and All That Remains, all these bands which have perfect sounding drums, that triggered sound, that digital sound perfection, you have to be in that league or you then sound sloppy in comparison. So, in creating the Thrashier parts and to sound competitive with what's going on today, you really have to think about what you're going to play and that does not come out as "old-school" because there are so many great-sounding drum parts these days on records that you'd better be on top of your game if you want to be relevant! So, I tend to worry more about the thrashier songs, but I think that what I have working for me is that when we do play a slow song, I have a good feel for it and that is something that cannot be taught and you cannot necessarily get out of the studio! A feel is something that an engineer cannot necessarily create! They can create perfection but they cannot create feel! As far as the thrashier songs are concerned, I don't pretend to be Tomas from Meshuggah or anything like that! I am trying to stay in the same ball park with the best that are out there.
- You, as a band, have a vast experience with regards working in the studio. With regards the recording of "The Cold" how much freedom was given to your producer and engineer in order to bring to life this product of yours?
Craig: In this case, with this record, we really put our faith in our engineer, because the engineer had been hired by Dave Mustaine to re-mix pretty much the entire Megadeth back catalogue. He worked with Michael Schenker, worked with Dave Mustaine and he was pretty much the most qualified person in Phoenix. He knew his gear very well, was very good at ProTools and thus was able to accelerate the recording process. The record ended up taking two years to make but that wasn't because of the recording itself – it was because Ralph, that was his name, ended up getting hired by 'Head' from Korn, who owns our label. Brian 'Head' Welch ended up hiring Ralph to do a lot of things on his recordings and on his live stuff. There was a kind of conflict of interest as our label kind of hijacked our engineer for Head's project and that delayed the mixing and some of the recording for "The Cold" but as far as the reason we wanted Ralph in the first place is because we totally believed in his ear and his technique and so we allowed him quite a bit of leeway in carving out the sound – even making parts suggestions here and there when thinking what would give the best atmosphere in any given part. He made suggestions and a lot of times we agreed with him. I mean, he's a musician and not a bona fide producer let's say, but had a lot of useful information, was very good at his ProTools and his recording, so we had all faith in him, one hundred per cent! So really what you're hearing at the end is very much his sound vision!
- Craig, it seems to me that Flotsam & Jetsam have always had more support in Europe than in the States, right?
Craig: Well, in fact, during the MCA era, MCA never released "Quatro" and "Drift" in Europe and if they did, they never put the band out on tour and neither did Electra. So there was always a problem with Europe, always with this band! These labels gave the band a bunch of money to create records and make videos, a lot of support here in the States, but they did not consider Europe as something that they had to concentrate on apparently! Metal Blade was OK with respects to Europe, Crash, with which we released "Dreams Of Death" and the Japanese DVD, was absorbed into Driven so it's basically the same label and they have real problems with Europe – they have no distribution there! We just found out that our record on Amazon is 25 Euro in Europe and people find it hard to find it anywhere! The label don't have a good excuse for it; they have a very good distribution in the States, as riven collaborates with Warner Brothers and that is as good as it gets, but they don't have a good distribution arrangement for Europe. That really sucks because we are getting really good reviews in Europe and we are going to continue getting good reviews! I have done interviews with people who tell me what the reviews are going to be like and I know that it would make a lot of sense for our record to be available in Europe right now. The label knows that too but there's nothing that we can do to make that happen – they have to do it!
- I know exactly what you're talking about as it took me a good month to get my hands on a copy! Amazon was the only place where I could order it from and it took three attempts (two cancellations) before I managed to have a copy shipped to me. Very annoying indeed, but as a fan I was determined to succeed; I am not sure, however, that someone that is not too attached to you guys will bother to go through all that, you know what I mean? Anyway, my question would be with regards the choice of label but you kind of answered that!
Craig: Well, Crash folded into the new entity that was Driven and which was one third owned by the guy who owned Crash, one third owned by 'Head' from Korn and one third by some other guy! It was Head's relationship with the industry that made it an attractive thing, because we went from having pretty bad distribution in the States through Crash to have great distribution in the States with Warner Brothers because of their relationship with Head. So, you know, it's a give and take with some positive and negative!
- Then, a good question would be how Flotsam & Jetsam are currently perceived in the States nowadays? The US is a slightly 'temperamental' market & certainly not as loyal as that in Europe! Europe always supported Heavy Metal music, something that cannot always be said about America. I am aware that things have improved a lot these last three or four years, but have they improved to the point of making you really confident about the album's potential success in the States?
Craig: Hmm…the album has been picked up by some serious satellite radio stations which have twenty million subscribers. They picked it up a couple of weeks ago an since then the record sales in the States have doubled, so that is something. It's getting a few requests on that radio and that is a good format. Before satellite radio Metal had no chance in the States on radio – all there was was college radio; some little college programs that played Metal two hours on a Saturday and now you can listen to that stuff twenty four hours a day through a satellite to which twenty million people subscribe to! So really, the potential exposure, if you can get on that programme, is pretty outstanding! I don't know the numbers per se, how they compare to those of others, but Warner Brothers did not expect so many sales, especially as the climate of record buying is so horrible in the States right now. But, as far as Metal in general in the States is concerned, what happened is that fans got spoiled and they expect three or four headliners on the same bill or they don't come out! It used to be that, you as the headliner would go out and play with local talent wherever you were and that was good enough – you could expect a decent show. Now, kids don't come out for one headliner. Like if Exodus went out or Nevermore and they didn't have another good band to tour with, the show would not be nearly as good as if they were to go out together! But the problem is that, when you package up headliners, everybody wants to get paid and nobody can get paid what they want and it becomes a logistics nightmare. I would hope that the labels would figure – Metal bands here do well when they are packaged up and do not do well when they're not. I would think that there would be more effort from record labels to put together festival type things like you find in every country in Europe in the summer. I would hope that the United States would catch on to that but, in fact, fewer and fewer festivals are being put on in the States instead of more. I think that they got it all wrong; I think that Metal would still do very well here if labels were to get smart and package up big shows and get more people to come out so that the bands that are out there to perform can actually earn a living out of what they are doing. Nobody has yet stepped up and thought creatively about how to maximize potential. There are three hundred million people here and I am sure that Metal would do well if they packaged up tours better. Now the best you can do is to have two or three bands to come in one bill and that's what people would come out for. But if you were to put together seven or eight bands, as in a typical European festival, I think that they will really go for that here. Nobody has thought of doing that yet!
- Very strange, especially as your country has given birth to some really amazing and pretty popular acts!
Craig: Indeed.
- Craig, what is the audience that Flotsam & Jetsam is targeting these days? Back in the 80s and early 90s the boundaries were quite set and pretty unsurpassable, as Thrashers would only really listen to Thrash. Is today's open-mindedness by the fans beneficial to your band?
Craig: You know, when you listen to our record against all the other records that have come out there, we sound like we are not re-inventing the wheel here, Ok? There is nothing really mysterious about what we are doing. There are a few old school bands left like Iron Maiden with singers that are versatile – we stand out today because of the fact that there are not too many bands with the vocal ability that we have with Eric A.K which allows us to experiment more with our music. I cannot remember us really having sat down during a creative meeting and deliberately having said "let's go after this core audience over here". We just realise which are our best features! We have a bass player who plays melody instead of following the rhythm guitar parts; I don't necessarily follow the rhythm guitars parts by trying to play off of them. We have a lot of musical technique between us all and we have a great singer, so that means that the options are pretty limitless. I think that people who are listening to "The Cold", if they find themselves drawn to it, it's because there's not a lot of bands out there that are doing what we are doing, and we are not doing anything mysterious. We are playing old-school music, but without making it sound boring. Even band like Iron Maiden seem to be happy playing one specific style and thus pigeonholing themselve- we are not doing that! We will do something that is very mellow, something that is very Thrashy and then something mid-tempo as "Better Off Dead" and then create something pretty much like Alice In Chains sounding as we did with "Secret Life". We will put five or six different flavours on the record and I don't know many bands that are doing that! Even Opeth, who are one of my favourite bands, they play either sad/sombre melodic stuff, or fast Thrashy bits with Death Metal growls. They execute this transition perfectly, but the moods they work with are either sad or aggressive Death Metal style! Even some of my favourite bands that seem quite versatile, at the end of their record you hear just a couple of things going on. With Flotsam& Jetsam, you hear more than a couple of things going on. I think that that's what we are doing right! What we are doing is not the most original style of music but what we do is very effective for that style and also there's not a lot of competition right now!
- Could it be that massive selling bands such as Opeth have more to lose by becoming something that their fans are not used to and thus refrain from doing so, whereas Flotsam & Jetsam, with a smaller but more devoted fan base, find it easier to indulge in different things?
Craig: As far as Opeth are concerned, I believe that as they evolve at the moment, they are going to become the most creative band ever; hopefully they will go in the right direction.
- One of the reasons why I love Flotsam & Jetsam is with regards the sense of excitement I feel not knowing what you guys are going to do next as there are no two albums that you guys have recorded which sound the same! I want this from a band that I like – I want to be surprised! I prefer having you release an album that I will eventually not like rather than having you releasing a copycat effort!
Craig: Rest assured that our next album is not going to sound at all like "The Cold" because Mark has a vast number of ideas. Songs from "The Cold" did not end up sounding at all like those featured in "Dreams Of Death" and songs from "My God" did not sound at all like those featured in "Unnatural Selection" I think that you can count on us to never write the same album twice!
- I am truly happy to hear that; what I also really want to hear, though, is that you will come to Europe for live shows. Is there such a plan? I understand that you recently played in my country Greece, Spain and a few other places too, but are there any plans of you coming to Europe for a few more shows?
Craig: Yeah, we are just talking with the agent now. There are not any dates just yet confirmed but it looks very certain that we will be coming out there in the summer. We are using the same agents so we know that we can trust him in what he does. I am sure that there are not going to be any UK shows because in order to do that we will have to get an agent who can make that happen! He will for sure put us on for Holland and Germany, but not just the typical countries- we went to Greece on a couple of tours before we concentrated on Eastern Europe, playing cities like Budapest and Prague. We also went to Poland a couple of times where we shot our DVD (note: "Once In A Deathtime") during a Metal Mind sponsored show. Our best shows, where we seem to have our core following, tend to be in Holland and Germany. We did do well in Madrid, Barcelona not as well, but we will definitely do Spain again! I would love to go back to Greece and Spain and also to places like Holland, Germany and Belgium! So yes, I believe that we will be coming there in the summer!
- Well, as you won't be coming to the UK I will make an effort to come and see you somewhere close by. I have never seen Flotsam & Jetsam live and that really hurts! Craig, thank you very much for this interview – it's been a real pleasure talking to you! I wish you all the best for "he Cold" and please give my regards to the rest of the guys in the band! A message to your fans?
Craig: We have pretty much covered everything but I will say this to our fans: we are one of those bands which know why we are here and that is only because of our fans at this point! We hope so very much that we are going to get the chance to play at a festival in England or do a few UK shows because believe me when I tell you – it's an absolute goal for this band! We don't take such things lightly – we would love to be able to play for you guys there, so hopefully we can make that happen in 2011! And I also appreciate talking to you too as you sound like you are a nice person and I am really affected by your comments – I really appreciate that! Alright, brother – I am sure we are going to be talking again in the future!
- You bet! Have a nice day!
Craig: You too!
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In this two hour special David Randall plays a selection of the GRTR! reviewer choices for 'Best of 2019′ and announces the results of the popular poll. First broadcast Sunday 22 December 2019.
Featured Albums w/c 20 January (Mon-Fri)
09:00-12:00 AUTUMN'S CHILD Autumn's Child (AOR Heaven)
12:00-13:00 THE RAGGED SAINTS Sonic Playground Revisited (AOR Heaven)
14:00-16:00 AMBERLY CHALBERG Hi-Line (indie)
Power Plays w/c 20 January (Mon-Fri)
THUNDERSTICK Go Sleep With The Enemy (Roulette Records)
BUFFALO SUMMER Everybody's Out For No.1 (Silver Lining Music)
ANCHOR LANE Dead Run (R7 Records)
MOLLY KARLOFF She Said (indie)
H.E.A.T. Come Clean (Frontiers)
THE KENDALL COLLECTION Staring Back At Me (indie)
VOODOO RAMBLE Midnight Train (indie)
Tweets by Get Ready to ROCK!
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Album review: THE ANSWER – Rise 10th Anniversary Edition
Album review: ORDEN OGAN – Ravenhead
Album review: INGLORIOUS – Inglorious
Album review: THE DEAD DAISIES – The Dead Daisies
Album review: MARCUS MALONE – A Better Man


text:
DSS raises security red alert
in Featured, News, News Update
Nicholas Kalu, Abuja and Robert Egbe
THE Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday said it had uncovered "syndicated plots" by some undesirable groups to cause a breakdown of law and order across the country.
It said the groups had made arrangements to instigate protests, mass action and violence with a view to causing anarchy and destabilising the country, "in the coming weeks."
But a retired senior military intelligence expert, Col. Ola Majoyeogbe, urged the DSS to go ahead and arrest the alleged troublemakers, if it was sure of its intelligence.
He said merely raising the alarm was unhelpful.
The DSS made the claims in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Dr Peter Afunanya.
Afunanya said: "These predetermined actions have been designed to take place simultaneously in the major cities across the geopolitical zones in the coming weeks. This is more so that the plotters are also targeting the yuletide seasons to accomplish their sinister motives.
"Considering the implications of these on public safety and national security, the Service wishes to warn the anti-democratic elements responsible for these heinous plots to desist forthwith from their inglorious acts.
"Consequently, parents are advised to rein in their wards and enjoin them not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble. Similarly, Heads of academic and public institutions are to warn their students and employees respectively from engaging in any untoward activity against public order.
"The Service and other sister agencies are at alert and will ensure that peace and security are maintained in all parts of the country before, during and after the festive periods. Law-abiding citizens are equally encouraged to go about their normal businesses without fear but report any suspected persons or breach of peace to the nearest security office to them."
Read Also: Sowore's incarceration should end, family tells DSS
Majoyeogbe said the DSS statement raised several questions.
He said: "There are a few issues with the statement. First, if the Service has "uncovered" so much about the plots and discovered how they were going to be carried out, why did it not go ahead and arrest the "undesirable" elements?
"Giving the alleged plots a public warning, is not, in my opinion, the best reaction. Should the "plotters" go ahead and attempt to cause the destabilisation anyway, then the Service would have failed to perform a duty imposed upon it by law.
"The service is an 'intelligence agency' and it should not allow any threats uncovered to materialize.
"As a long-stating member of the Intelligence community, my advice to the service is that it should immediately commence the arrests of the alleged "undesirable groups". To ask Nigerians to be on the alert about the "plots" is unhelpful."
Also, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd), urged Nigerians to shun anything that could divide the country.
He said: "What we need for now is how to grow the economy; Nigerians should come together as one to see to the development of the country. Destabilisation will not augur well for us.
"Secondly, destabilisation is no longer fashionable. Most African countries that tended to do this failed. We should come together and see how the economy will grow. We must make the country a better place for all of us to live in."


Mini Churro bites covered in cinnamon sugar dunked in sweet, creamy v'nilla milk!
Your favorite fruit cereal paired with our famous sweet & creamy v'nilla milk!
Blueberries & Raspberries blended together with sweet V'Nilla cream!


Man, I was full after the pho. Or should I say… I was pho-ll.
Phomo is a splash of colour along Wulugul Walk in Barangaroo. Since the specialty of the house was pho, that's what we had. Husband had raw and cooked beef; and I had the beef combination (not noticing it had beef tripe in it, which I don't mind, but explains why husband stuck to the other beef).
With lots of herbs and sprouts and sauce and a lemon slice, I thought the broth was delicious, the noodles appropriately slippery and I had a nice selection of beef things. I like interactive food, in any case. As a main, mine was $17.50.
We also split a plate of spring rolls, and my god: these were among the tastiest of the fried Vietnamese spring rolls that I've had lately. They tasted really freshly made, and luscious and crisp and meaty. Yum.
I'm pretty intrigued with this whole strip of restaurants. Thursday night and all of them (except the Indian place) were packed. I know it's also packed at lunchtimes. After, we walked around the back, and the little strip of cafes and bars was pretty quiet; I can understand why you'd want to be next to the water and with the buzz.
Zomato reviews though seem really harsh in general. My guess is that they're reacting to the prices, which seem a little higher than they should be (probably to cover the high cost of the rent). I've had good meals here though, and love the vibe. It's great when developers can figure out how to make a restaurant district take off and I'd say this whole strip is a nice addition to Sydney's dining scene. And if you drop by Phomo, have the spring rolls!


Before you begin working with remodeling contractors or custom home builders on your next project, consider these 7 points.
When getting bids, negotiating your contract and establishing timelines with your general contractor or remodeling contractor you'll need to understand the following. Knowing the how and why behind these steps will help keep frustrations to a minimum and costs and timelines within the proper margin.
Before you can commit to anything, establish a clear vision for what you want out of your home or a specific room. You may begin by researching or pulling together images from Pinterest, Instagram, HGTV or any other design resource, but this isn't enough. You'll need to delve deeper into, not only into the design aspects like colors, pattern, and textures but also consider the feasibility of what you're potentially asking your GC to do. For help on this, you'll need to consult a design professional (residential designer, architect or engineer).
If your idea requires major structural changes, like removing a load-bearing wall or support or rerouting HVAC, electrical or plumbing, then you'll need to consult a design professional. Before going to a general contractor or specialty home builder, you will need a set of working construction documents. Something you may think is relatively simple could become a massive undertaking that is beyond your budget. Some contractors have in-house design teams, but many (Kirby Construction included) do not. Regardless, we are happy to refer you to professionals who we have a good working relationship with and who have helped our clients in the past.
The design process may take anywhere from months to years. It all depends on you, the homeowner and the designer, architects, and structural engineers workloads. If your idea consists mainly of updating finishes or maybe moving a wall or two you may be able to go straight to your contractor.
If you're bidding out your project in the hopes of cost savings, you'll need a plan and a firm idea of what you want to do. Inconsistency is the biggest problem that arises when a homeowner or prospective custom home builder seeks competitive bids on their project. You want to ensure that you are sending the same project with the same exact specifications to every general contractor on your short list. The idea is to control this variable so that each response and the pricing you receive are consistent.
Its also important to know that once a general contractor actually views your property and walks your job, they may ask other additional tradesmen like electricians, plumbers or painters to walk the job as well. At that point, you wait for your bid.
Bidding times will vary depending on the time of year – spring and summer months are typically busy seasons. Finally, it's important to know that the general contractor or remodeling contractor may also be collecting bids from a handful of subcontractors. This means that they're not able to complete their final bid until all of the subsequent trades submit their bids. It can take a lot of time to pin each subcontractor down (especially during the spring and summer months).
Once the general contractor submits their bid, it goes on to you, the homeowner. This is now your time to review and decide if you need to make revisions or simply to award a certain general contractor with your job. Keep in mind that if you do need to revise your bid with alternative materials or finishes, you are adding time and money to your project.
Negotiating the terms of your home building or remodeling contract is crucial not only for you but for your builder and subcontractors as well. Once your builder receives the agreed upon contract and deposits, they begin work on your project. At this stage, they may begin drawing more detailed plans, pulling permits, measuring the job site for materials and then ordering those materials.
Ordering materials will only happen as quickly as you, the homeowner can make decisions. At this phase, you may need to involve a designer to help with the process. A proper interior designer can present you with options and help educate and inform you regarding alternative solutions.
Once your builder orders materials and receives an ETA from the distributor its time to mobilize. Assuming that all of the permits are already in hand and that you don't have any additional changes the builder can then provide an accurate schedule and estimated time for completing your project.
At Kirby Construction we exercise great care in shepherding you through the custom home building experience. We commit ourselves to honesty, integrity, and craftsmanship. Your satisfaction is our goal throughout your journey. We're here to help with everything from pre-construction services and new construction to remodels and additions. Get planning with us today!


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Listed as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live by Money magazine in 2007, Grapevine is a charming bedroom community in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth just west of the DFW International Airport, Grapevine offers city dwellers a pretty landscape of grassy fields, hills, trees, and lakes, just minutes from DFW's major attractions and employment opportunities.
Grapevine is home to more than 200 restaurants, which run the gamut from casual affordability to fine dining and gourmet cuisine. Pick up Italian gelato, specialty coffee, or a gyro, or enjoy a sit down meal and a glass of wine at one of historic downtown Grapevine's favorite eateries. Big Fish Seafood Bar & Grill, Main Street Bistro and Bakery, and Winewood Grill are just a few of the options available on Main Street.
Shoppers also will find a number of boutique shops on Main Street in Grapevine's historic downtown, including Bella Butterflies, Main Street Station, and Red Shed Antiques. Grapevine is also home to one of the largest Neiman Marcus Last Call stores in the country. Name-brand favorites can be found at the Grapevine Mills Mall.
Grapevine is named "The Christmas Capital of Texas" and packs over 1,400 themed events into a 40 day period during the holiday season. These include, but aren't limited to ICE! at Gaylord Texas which features a different themed exhibition each year made up of nearly two million pounds of ice and the North Pole Express where families can climb aboard a train in their pajamas and enjoy hot chocolate while on an adventure filled ride.
Grapevine real estate includes nearly 30 beautiful parks, miles of walking/biking trails, and hundreds of acres of natural parkland, including popular Grapevine Lake and the Botanical Gardens. Residents can boat, waterski, wakeboard, fish, and relax on the waters of Grapevine Lake. Camping is available on the south side of the lake, and boaters can rent, charter, or store boats at the Silver Lake Marina.
On chilly or rainy days, water lovers can head to the Great Wolf Lodge – home to an 80,000 sq. ft., indoor water park complete with water slides, wave pools, activity pools, and more.
Often described by park goers as a hidden gem of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, Rockledge Park – located on the east end of Grapevine Lake – features 8.5 miles of walking and biking trails with lake views. The 12-million-dollar Oak Grove Ball Field Complex features seven baseball fields, two multipurpose fields, four batting cages, 16 soft toss stations, a state-of-the-art children's playground, and a concession area. Opened in 2009, the complex is a favorite hangout spot for local children. The Parks and Recreation Department also offers a wide variety of recreational programs and activities. Residents can browse current offerings in the season's Playbook Activity Guide.
Though Grapevine is situated in the midst of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, the city offers a friendly, small-town feel. Quiet streets in beautiful neighborhoods boast a variety of stately, single-family homes with green lawns. Children attend excellent schools, and everyone meets up for a variety of specials events throughout the year. Median home cost as of 2017 is $330,700. Demand for Grapevine real estate has grown steadily since the 1970s, when the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport opened and brought significant development with it. The town's close proximity to the airport's north entrance continues to bring commercial success to the area. The city is also home to nearly 3,000 businesses including the world's largest BMW dealership and the headquarters to Kubota Tractor Co.
Grapevine's excellent public school system boasts highly rated schools, many of which have a GreatSchools rating of 9 or above, and a low student/teacher ratio of 15.6. There also are a number of private and parochial schools in town, which provide quality education to children from pre-K through high school. These include Hill School of Grapevine, Grapevine Faith Christian School, and OhLook Performing Arts Center. With nearly two dozen colleges, universities, and professional schools within 30 miles of Grapevine, and just as many junior colleges and technical schools, the city also offers adult students tremendous opportunity for professional and academic development.
Ethicus Hospital is a 46-bed, acute care facility located in Grapevine. Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine has been rated a top-performing hospital by the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America for its exceptional cardiac, pneumonia, and surgical care. Additional award-winning hospitals are available in Dallas, including the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Grapevine is just west of the Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad travels from the Cotton Belt Depot on S. Main Street in Grapevine to Stockyards Station on East Exchange Avenue in Fort Worth. There also are two Amtrak stations located within 20 miles of Grapevine, one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth.
Presented by Minteer Real Estate Team. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Grapevine, give us a call at (817) 481-8890 or send us an email to explore your options and to find out when is the best time for you to make a move.