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Q: Is there a word for often re-read book? The book that a person might keep on their table, because they read it so often.
In Russian, there is an idiom with this meaning—"настольная книга", which literally means "an on-table book".

A: a well-thumbed book

a well-thumbed book or magazine has been read many times

A: In english we often call these books "well-loved"

well-loved books "when the phrase "well-loved books" is used, we generally think of our tattered paperbacks or copies that are falling to SHAMBLES. i suppose the interpretation fits because it implies that you've read the book over and over and over again, and assumes your love for it is endless. BUT, half of my favorite "well-loved" books are in pristine condition. i would collapse if the pages creased or the spine broke or there was a strain on it. so that got me thinking…
  what makes a book "well-loved?""

We also have "coffee table books" but they are often just for show - for decoration.  They are usually filled with pictures.

Coffee table books
  "A coffee table book is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire conversation. Subject matter is predominantly non-fiction and pictorial (a photo-book). Pages consist mainly of photographs and illustrations, accompanied by captions and small blocks of text, as opposed to long prose. Since they are aimed at anyone who might pick up the book for a light read."

A: Many times I've heard it expressed as 'pored over'. EBT

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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ADH reports higher COVID-19 cases, ending four-day downward trend
Northwest Arkansas sales tax revenue grows 12.28% in January report
2020 net income down more than 30% for Bank OZK
Arvest Equipment Finance breaks production record in 2020
Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus selects new leaders; Rep. Hodges to serve as president
LA startup Sootchy forms team in Northwest Arkansas
Small businesses see profound impact from COVID-19
Latest NewsNorthwest ArkansasRetailTalk Politics
by Kim Souza ([email protected]) March 23, 2020 2:52 pm 2,405 views
Crackerjack NWA is a food truck that serves large events and employers in Benton and Washington counties.
The National Federation of Independent Business said its research shows the coronavirus outbreak is having a stark effect on small businesses as the situation drags on. NFIB reports 76% of small businesses (under 360 employees) surveyed last week consider the disruption as profound.
This has escalated from just under one-quarter of small businesses reporting the same earlier this month.
The survey found about 5% of businesses said the impact has been positive. These firms are likely experiencing stronger sales due to a sharp rise in demand for certain products, goods, and services. This will presumably ease in the coming weeks as consumers feel more secure about their personal supply levels, NFIB said.
The national survey did not provide state-specific data, but Arkansas officials said they expect unemployment claims to rise between 8,000 to 10,000 in the coming days from people displaced from their jobs amid social distancing guidelines and the temporary shutdown of many businesses from fitness centers to nail salons and dentists' offices.
Sylvester Smith, director of NFIB, said of those businesses negatively impacted, 23% are experiencing supply chain disruptions, 54% slower sales, and 9% sick employees. The 9% of owners citing sick employees likely responded out of heightened concern and precautions with sick employees showing some signs of cold or flu-like symptoms, but not necessarily because they have employees who have tested positive for the virus.
NFIB said almost all small business owners are taking some sort of action adjusting to their changing economic condition or to protect themselves from potential disruption. Just 6% of owners have not taken any action in response to the outbreak, a marked departure from 52% not taking action two weeks ago.
The level of concern among small business owners about the coronavirus impacting their businesses has elevated significantly over the past two weeks. About 68% of small business owners are "very" concerned about its potential impact on their business compared to 16% in the earlier survey. Another 23% are somewhat concerned and 9% are slightly concerned. Just 1% are not at all concerned.
While 47% of respondents said they have not talked with their bank about financing needs, 30% are planning to do so soon. Another 13% have talked with their personal bank already, 9% with the SBA about their loan programs, and 1% with an online lender.
Smith said the vast majority of small businesses are now impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and owners are taking the threat to their business seriously.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is releasing $4 million from the Quick Action Closing Fund — created to provide cash incentives for businesses expanding from locations in Arkansas — to support "bridge loans" to small businesses that need help making payroll and covering other essential costs. These loans can be up to $250,000.
Camille Hector is a co-owner of Crackerjack NWA, a food truck based in the Prairie Creek area of Rogers that serves comfort food with a twist. Hector's husband Jason runs the truck as chef and operator. Crackerjack typically serves the lunch crowds at large employers in the Rogers and Lowell area, but with most of them now implementing work-from-home that business has dried up.
She said the truck also had numerous events to work this month and next which have been canceled or postponed.
"The Glowrun 5K in Rogers is now a virtual run and concerts at Gulley Park and other festivals have been put on hold," she said.
Hector said the truck is opening for lunch, a couple of hours a day for people in the neighborhood (13998 East Hwy. 12) in the Prairie Creek area of Rogers. She said being fairly new to the neighborhood it's been a challenge to get the word out.
She said getting the food ingredients needed to fill orders has been a constant challenge in the past couple of weeks. She said eggs, rice, noodles and napkins remain in short supply.
"We use the noodles for our mac and cheese and that's a popular dish on the truck. The rice shortage is a staple for the red beans and rice dish and now that's just beans. We can't find eggs anywhere and resorted to fresh eggs we were able to get from a local farmer, but the cost was more and that hurts margins," she said.
While the truck is mostly idle, she said the couple has kept their four-year-old out of preschool to save on expenses. On a positive note, she said they had heard from a group they recently served at an event who is asking food trucks to set up in certain neighborhoods to provide food options to people within a few steps from where they live.
Hector said she loves the Support Local NWA campaign launched to encourage consumers to stock up on gift cards from local businesses that can be redeemed at a future time.
"We're living in a weird time — and for small businesses like us, this will be a tough time. We're hanging in there and everybody is doing the best they can during these challenges," Hector said.
Consortium to accelerate scientific discovery in fight against COVID-19
New home sales in Bentonville School District triple all others in NWA
Read the Digital Issue
Follow NWABJ on Facebook
Follow TBP Everywhere
Kim Souza

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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jetBlue's first major advertising campaign incorporated phrases like "Unbelievable" and "We like you, too". Full-page newspaper advertisements boasted low fares, new aircraft, leather seats, spacious legroom, and a customer-service-oriented staff committed to "bringing humanity back to air travel".[92] With a goal of raising the bar for in-flight experience, jetBlue became the first airline to offer all passengers personalized in-flight entertainment. In April 2000, flat-screen monitors installed in every seatback allow customers live access to over 20 DirecTV channels at no additional cost.[93]
jetBlue previously had its headquarters at 80–02 Kew Gardens Road,[80] and then in the Forest Hills Tower, both in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City,[81][80] 6 miles (9.7 km) from the current office in Long Island City.[82] In 2001 the airline had announced that it wanted to take 74,000 square feet (6,900 m2) of space in the Forest Hills Tower, and by December 2002 announced that it planned to increase its leased space.
It's easy to see why this outcrop of land just an hour's drive from Melbourne has long been a weekend retreat for the city's well-heeled residents. Rolling vineyards in its interior give way to seaside villages and sandy shoreline. Travelers can swim with wild dolphins, visit wineries on horseback, or soar above the landscape in a gondola. And with a new flurry of openings, the region has begun to attract global attention. The latest addition is Point Leo Estate on the peninsula's southernmost point. Set on 330 acres, it combines a tasting room, a 110-seat fine-dining restaurant, and a sculpture park, with more than 50 works by Australian and international artists like George Rickey and Inge King. Its arrival follows the launch of Jackalope, a seductive, art-infused boutique hotel neighboring a working winery. Elsewhere, Peninsula Hot Springs, a day spa set amid geothermal pools, is slated to unveil seven new pools and a new treatment list in 2018. —Carrie Hutchinson
A century ago, Shanghai was China's star city, a cosmopolitan center of art, technology, and finance. Today, it's reclaiming that mantle, parlaying the economic boom that began in the 1990s into a world-class array of cultural and culinary attractions. On the West Bund riverfront, Tank Shanghai will transform disused oil tanks into a sprawling arts complex with a gallery, an education center, and parks when it's completed later this year. Farther north, the Norman Foster and Thomas Heatherwick–designed Fosun Foundation, with its façade of shifting bronze cylinders, began hosting performances and art shows last fall. The North Bund is being redeveloped with a park linking it to a new lifestyle development that's anchored by the city's first W Hotel. In the residential Minhang district, Cordis debuted in May, and Amanyangyun will open nearby after relocating Ming and Qing dynasty buildings, as well as 10,000 ancient camphor trees, from Jiangxi province. More luxury stays are still to come in 2018, including the Middle House, the Bulgari, and the Edition. —Samantha Culp
As Bali goes increasingly upmarket, it now offers visitors access to a buzzing food scene in Ubud, its cultural capital, as well as an island-wide luxury-hotel boom. The Ubud Food Festival, which is in its fourth year, showcases the diverse flavors of the Indonesian archipelago in dozens of events, including cook-offs, demos, talks, food tours, and events in new restaurants. Notable newcomers on the town's food scene include Spice, a casual Asian-fusion restaurant from Chris Salans, formerly Bouley Bakery's chef de cuisine and head chef at Thomas Keller's Bouchon; Room4Dessert from Will Goldfarb, whose now-closed avant-garde New York eatery of the same name won him a James Beard nomination; and Moksa, a vegan café, bakery, and organic farm with its own grocery. Heading up the wave of new high-end hotels is luxury Japanese chain Hoshino Resorts, which unveiled Hoshinoya Bali, 30 thatched-roof villas in the rain forest outside Ubud. Capella Ubud will launch 22 ultra-luxury tents, each with an outdoor saltwater Jacuzzi pool, in early 2018. And Jumeirah Bali plans to debut 123 villas surrounded by tropical gardens in upscale Jimbaran in mid 2018. A two-year overhaul at Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay means its villas will now have bigger bedrooms and better ocean views, while at Four Seasons Sayan in the Ubud rain forest, guests are being offered a new activity: being rocked to sleep in a silk hammock in a bamboo hut by an former Buddhist nun, the resort's wellness mentor. —Sharon McDonnell
For proof of Abu Dhabi's burgeoning status as the cultural capital of the Middle East, look no further than Saadiyat Cultural District, which is quickly becoming a treasure trove of world-class art and groundbreaking architecture. The multibillion-dollar initiative has already resulted in one major project, the Jean Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in November. Though its construction was controversial, the museum has quickly become the premier creative beacon in the Emirates. Work is under way nearby on the Zayed National Museum, by Norman Foster; the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre, by Zaha Hadid Architects; and the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which when completed will be the largest Guggenheim museum in the world. The city's hotel-building campaign is also in full swing: this year Marriott debuted a 400-room hotel in the Al Forsan sports center, and next year will see the opening of the Abu Dhabi Edition and Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas. —Dylan Essertier
jetBlue also utilizes various forms of advertising media. They use print, online, and television ads as well as advertisements on popular social media sites including Hulu and YouTube. jetBlue emphasizes a secondary slogan, "If you wouldn't take it on the ground, don't take it in the air" poking fun at competitors with hidden fees, little, or no amenities and what jetBlue considers an unacceptable level of customer service.[97]
In July 2007, the airline partnered with 20th Century Fox's film The Simpsons Movie to become the "Official Airline of Springfield".[26] In addition a contest was held in which the grand prize would be a trip on JetBlue to Los Angeles to attend the premiere of the film. The airline's website was also redecorated with characters and their favorite jetBlue destinations and the company was taken over by the show/film's businessman villain Montgomery Burns.[27]
In October 2005, JetBlue's quarterly profit had plunged from US$8.1 million to $2.7 million largely due to rising fuel costs. Operational issues, fuel prices, and low fares, JetBlue's hallmark, were bringing its financial performance down. In addition, with higher costs related to the airline's numerous amenities, JetBlue was becoming less competitive.[citation needed]
No matter what your ideal getaway is, one thing is certain: the best vacations in Florida happen when you immerse yourself in the climate and culture, taking full advantage of the year-round warm weather, getting to know the native wildlife, tasting homegrown produce and Gulf-caught seafood and checking out the beaches, even from under a hat and tons of sunscreen. Book a foodie tour or pub crawl, dance the night away at a blues festival and wake up in time to make a mimosa toast along the water.
In 2008, jetBlue partnered with Irish flagship carrier Aer Lingus to allow passengers to switch between airlines on a single ticket for flights with connections in New York–JFK or Boston Logan. Unlike traditional codeshare agreements, the companies cannot sell seats on each other's flights, so customers initiate the purchase on one airline's website and then are transferred to the other site to complete the transaction.[105][106]
Our travel experts — from travel writers around the globe to T+L's A-List travel advisors to our own editors — offer their recommendations. Then, we take a look at what places are now at the forefront of the global conversation, whether for new hotels and museums or major international events. In any given year, the cities and countries we recommend as the best places to travel in the world have a lot going on. And of course, we think about those travel destinations that are perennial favorites to determine which ones are reinventing themselves, ensuring there's always something new to explore.
Ever since Tolminc raw-milk cheeses and Slovenian marbled trout were featured on an episode of the Netflix series Chef's Table with chef Ana Roš, Slovenia's culinary star has been on the rise. Hiša Franko, the Soca Valley inn and restaurant that Roš runs with her sommelier husband, is now one of the region's hardest tables to get — prompting the pair to open a small brewpub, Hiša Polonka. Surging demand for Slovenia's natural and orange wines has driven local winemakers like Burja Estate and Movia to expand. And in the capital of Ljubljana, adventurous chefs at Monstera, Atelje, and Restavracija JB are helping redefine modern Slovenian cuisine, while the experimental farm and eatery Gostišče Grič has brought in a Swedish celebrity duck farmer and full-time forager to create one of Europe's most unexpected dining experiences. —Nicholas Gill
U.S. travelers have historically overlooked Mauritius in favor of other Indian Ocean destinations like the Seychelles and Maldives. That could all change, though, now that this remote, idyllic island some 1,200 miles off the African coast has become easier to reach. A flurry of new airline services launched at the end of 2017: KLM began servicing Mauritius from Amsterdam, and British carrier Thomas Cook Airlines introduced biweekly flights in November. Upon arrival, travelers can take in dreamy lagoon views from the newly reopened One&Only Le Saint Géran, fresh off a multimillion-dollar renovation. Every room and suite now has a private terrace or balcony, marble baths with cascade showers, and sophisticated teak, stone, and leather accents. Guests can also look forward to updated dining experiences — like lunch spot La Pointe, which grills fresh-caught seafood over firewood and coconut embers, or open-air restaurant La Terrasse, which offers Mauritian specialties. Unchanged at Le Saint Géran is its aura of exclusivity, thanks to the resort's unique position on a private peninsula jutting out from the island's eastern shore. —Melanie Lieberman
After making a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa that went into effect in 2010, jetBlue transitioned to the Sabre reservation system used by Lufthansa,[107] enabling the airlines to sell tickets on each other's flights, transfer luggage and passengers between the two carriers, and combine frequent flyer programs,.[108] By making use of JetBlue's North America routes as a feeder network, the agreement put Lufthansa in a position to operate quasi-hubs in New York–JFK and Boston Logan.
jetBlue's founders had set out to call the airline "Taxi" and therefore have a yellow livery to associate the airline with New York. The idea was dropped, however, for several reasons: the negative connotation behind New York City taxis; the ambiguity of the word taxi with regard to air traffic control; and threats from investor JP Morgan to pull its share ($20 million of the total $128 million) of the airline's initial funding unless the name was changed.[13]
The Emerald Isle has seen a rush of American visitors recently, spurred by favorable exchange rates and increased airlift. If you haven't yet made the trip, now's the time to go. Adare Manor, a hotel set in a grand 19th-century mansion on 840 acres of rolling County Limerick countryside, reopened in November after an 18-month overhaul. The picturesque estate now has a new 42-room wing, a redesigned golf course, and the first La Mer Spa in the British Isles. Ireland's whiskey scene has been quietly blooming for the last decade, and recently historic estates have embraced the trend. In August, Slane Castle in County Meath opened its new distillery to the public, and later this year, the iconic Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow will debut its own craft facility. In Dublin, Pearse Lyons, a wealthy Irishman with Kentucky-bourbon bona fides, recently opened his namesake distillery in the former St. James's Church, and more whiskey destinations with visitor centers are soon to come from the Dublin Liberties and Roe & Co. And now that Luas, Dublin's light rail system, has finally completed its latest expansion, getting around the city is a breeze — the $433-million project has linked two lines and added new stops near many of the city center's most popular sights. —Lila Battis
Flight Edmonton - Vancouver (YEG - YVR) C$ 99+ Flight Calgary - Vancouver (YYC - YVR) C$ 119+ Flight Kelowna - Vancouver (YLW - YVR) C$ 261+ Flight Winnipeg - Vancouver (YWG - YVR) C$ 266+ Flight Cranbrook - Vancouver (YXC - YVR) C$ 267+ Flight London - Vancouver (YXU - YVR) C$ 277+ Flight Toronto - Vancouver (YHM - YVR) C$ 298+ Flight Prince George - Vancouver (YXS - YVR) C$ 334+ Flight Toronto - Vancouver (YYZ - YVR) C$ 342+ Flight Fort St. John - Vancouver (YXJ - YVR) C$ 350+ Flight Saskatoon - Vancouver (YXE - YVR) C$ 372+
Beyond offering a glimpse into ancient history, Jordan is also making a name for itself as a luxury destination. Hilton opened the Dead Sea Resort & Spa in March 2017, making it the first Hilton in the country. Located at the lowest point on earth, some 1,345 feet below sea level, the resort offers beach access, Middle Eastern cuisine, and treatments containing the mineral-rich black mud. —Jess McHugh
In March 22, 2010, jetBlue turned down incentives from the City of Orlando and announced its headquarters would keep its Forest Hills office,[46][47][48][49] start leasing and using a new office in the Brewster Building in Long Island City, New York.[50][51] in Queens Plaza in Long Island City,[49] move its headquarters there in mid-2012,[52] and start a joint branding deal with New York State using the iconic I Love NY logo.[49]
In 2007, jetBlue was also facing reliability problems with its Embraer 190 fleet. For a couple of months, jetBlue contracted ExpressJet to operate four Embraer 145 regional jets on behalf of jetBlue. While this was going on two E-190 aircraft at a time were sent to an Embraer maintenance facility in Nashville, Tennessee.[19] ExpressJet operated routes between Boston Logan and Buffalo, New York and Washington Dulles, and between New York–JFK and Columbus, Ohio (has terminated) and Richmond, Virginia.[20]
A picture-perfect trio of islands lapped by turquoise waters, the Maltese archipelago has all the charm of nearby Sicily with far fewer tourists. Valletta, the tiny nation's capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site, feels like something plucked straight from Westeros. The historic walled city dates back to 1565, and has a vibe that's Mediterranean with a North African twist. This underrated destination is finally stepping into the global limelight as a 2018 European Capital of Culture. To celebrate the occasion, the city has planned more than 140 projects and 400 events throughout the year. The festivities begin on January 20, with contemporary dance, a choral symphony, and acrobatic performances across the city's four main squares. Should you miss the grand opening, swing by in February for Carnival, or in June for the Malta International Arts Festival and the Valletta Film Festival. —Diana Hubbell
Exposure to the great outdoors comes with immeasurable health benefits, but as our lives continue to get busier, it becomes harder to spend time outdoors. Humana and NPF are celebrating the significant benefits of spending time outdoors in our new Owners Guide by offering tips on how to start replenishing and refreshing your mind, body, and spirit in a national park.
With an exciting influx of new and revamped hotels, an up-and-coming restaurant scene, and a blossoming wine industry, Idaho's capital city—traditionally known as a convention destination — has started to attract the attention of leisure travelers. Boise's invigorated downtown is evidence of the trend, with the newly opened Inn at 500, a 110-room boutique property whose perks include balconies overlooking the capitol, and its on-site restaurant, Richard's, owned by James Beard Award-nominated chef Richard Langston, leading the way. (Meanwhile, Hotel 43 and The Grove both recently unveiled swank renovations.) The city's craft-beer scene continues to impress; one noteworthy newcomer is White Dog Brewing, whose rustic taproom features a 24-foot "frost rail" that keeps your beer, well, frosty. In other toast-worthy news, Boise has become a hub for Idaho's growing wine industry. Oenophiles shouldn't miss a stop at the new downtown tasting room of Coiled Wines. Owner Leslie Preston — a native Idahoan who sharpened her skills at Clos du Bois and Stags' Leap in California — makes a spectacular dry Riesling. Getting there is easier than ever: to meet rising demand, American Airlines has launched new nonstop service from Chicago O'Hare, while Southwest now runs a nonstop from San Diego. —Blane Bachelor
The Moroccan city has attracted an artistic crowd since the 1960s, when everyone from Yves Saint Laurent to Mick Jagger fell for its vibrant sensory landscape. Now the city's cultural scene is being reinvigorated, thanks to two landmark happenings in the world of art and design. First came last October's launch of the YSL Museum — a striking geometric building next to the Jardin Majorelle, which Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, bought and restored in the 1980s. Then, in February, the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair will debut at the storied hotel La Mamounia. Marrakesh has had an art biennial since 2005 — the next is slated for 2020 — and the city is home to a number of well-regarded galleries. But the arrival of 1:54, which has editions in London and New York and draws names like Billie Zangewa and William Kentridge, is set to position the city as a hub for African art. There's also hotel news. Oberoi is poised to open its third African property here, a lakeside resort surrounded by citrus orchards. And Royal Mansour has added a 6,450-square-foot pool flanked by seven air-conditioned cabanas. —Flora Stubbs
Flight Montreal - Toronto (YUL - YYZ) C$ 128+ Flight Montreal - Toronto (YUL - YTZ) C$ 209+ Flight Winnipeg - Toronto (YWG - YYZ) C$ 213+ Flight Ottawa - Toronto (YOW - YTZ) C$ 242+ Flight Halifax - Toronto (YHZ - YYZ) C$ 262+ Flight Québec City - Toronto (YQB - YTZ) C$ 290+ Flight Fredericton - Toronto (YFC - YYZ) C$ 308+ Flight Edmonton - Toronto (YEG - YYZ) C$ 320+ Flight Québec City - Toronto (YQB - YYZ) C$ 322+ Flight Abbotsford - Toronto (YXX - YYZ) C$ 329+ Flight Halifax - Toronto (YHZ - YTZ) C$ 334+ Flight Vancouver - Toronto (YVR - YYZ) C$ 349+ Flight Calgary - Toronto (YYC - YYZ) C$ 350+ Flight Kelowna - Toronto (YLW - YYZ) C$ 352+ Flight St. John's - Toronto (YYT - YYZ) C$ 360+
In 2009, jetBlue announced that it was looking for a new headquarters location, and was considering moving either within the New York City metropolitan area or to the Orlando, Florida area.[83] In April 2009, Helen Marshall, the president of the Borough of Queens, said that the City of New York was trying to keep JetBlue in the city;[84] in January 2010, the CEO of JetBlue, Dave Barger, and Governor of Florida Charlie Crist met in Tallahassee, Florida to discuss a possible move to Orlando.[85] A decision was expected by March 2010,[86] although a move would not happen until 2012, when its lease in the Forest Hills Tower expired.[87]
This year is San Antonio's 300th anniversary, and the city is marking the occasion with events, activities, and new infrastructure. Ahead of the festivities, there's been a flurry of development: In the past few months, the botanical gardens completed an expansion; the city's first food hall, the Bottling Department, debuted at the Pearl; and San Antonio's iconic passenger barges got an upgrade, with colorful electric models replacing the old gas-fueled boats. In January, the city will unveil Confluence Park, an expanse of trails and science-focused education facilities near the convergence of San Pedro Creek and the San Antonio River. A commemorative week is planned for early May, with celebrations at each of San Antonio's five missions and the dedication of San Pedro Creek Culture Park, a once-unremarkable drainage ditch that's been transformed into a waterfront promenade with public art and performance spaces. Ruby City, a new David Adjaye–designed art center that will house more than 800 pieces from the Linda Pace Foundation Collection, is expected to be completed at the end of 2018. And boutique stays still in the works — including a Thompson Hotel and the third location of the Saint Hotel — hint that San Antonio's heyday is just beginning. —Devorah Lev-Tov
JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU), stylized as jetBlue, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in New York City. A major air carrier and the sixth-largest airline in the United States. JetBlue is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens, with its main base at John F. Kennedy International Airport. It also maintains corporate offices in Cottonwood Heights, Utah[6][7] and Orlando, Florida.


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Q: Can not access SQL Server 2008 R2 from web api on IIS (Windows Server 2008 R2) on the same machine I have a Web API hosted on IIS.
In one environment (Windows Server 2012 R2 and SQL Server 2008 R2), the Web API can access the SQL Server database on the same machine.
But in another environment (Windows Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008 R2), I get this exception

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 52 - Unable to locate a Local Database Runtime installation. Verify that SQL Server Express is properly installed and that the Local Database Runtime feature is enabled.)

Why it is complaining about local database runtime installation and SQL Server Express - I have Microsoft SQL Server Standard (64-bit) installed. I suppose IIS doesn't see SQL Server and so expects that there should be SQL Server Express?
When I debug this API on my development machine, then it can access that SQL Server, so connection data is not wrong.
Had a though that might be IIS is executing in different security context than SQL Server
I checked SQL Server Configuration manager and set there Log on as NT Authority\NetworkService.
And did same in IIS:
Application pool (*entity to which my API is assigned*) -> Advanced settings -> Process Model -> Identity = NetworkService,

and added NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE login to SQL Server and user for the database I need to access from the Web API, but that didn't help.
Why is my code trying to access a local database, if connection string is to a regular SQL Server database?
Data Source=ip-address;Initial Catalog=database;PersistSecurityInfo=True;User ID=sa;Password=...;

From suggestions I've found there were

*

*About accept remote connections: I've checked - database engine is configured to accept remote connections (I wouldn't be able to connect to it from my development machine then)

*About firewall exception: I guess that one also is fine since I can access DB from my dev machine

*Enable TCP/IP in SQL server configuration; checked - it is enabled
Checked solutions, ideas from here

*

*Error 52 when trying to connect to SQL Server from IIS website

*Cannot Connect to Server - A network-related or instance-specific error


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ASX flat as financial, mining sectors slip: Wednesday 18 December
The Australian share market has closed flat for a second straight day, as banks and the mining sector weighed on gains by CSL and the energy sector.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished on Wednesday up 4.1 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 6,851.4 points, while the broader All Ordinaries was up 6.5 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 6,957 points.
"Given the substantial moves we've seen over the last week, it's not surprising we're pausing to reflect today," said Australian Stock Report senior advisor Ben Le Brun.
"I still think a Santa Claus rally is very much upon us.
"We're hovering just below the all-time highs, and I think the path of least resistance is to the upside."
Utilities had the biggest gains, up 1.0 per cent, as APA Group climbed 1.9 per cent and Meridian Energy climbed 1.5 per cent.
Health care rose 0.8 per cent, as CSL hit another all-time high of $287.90 before closing at $287, up 0.8 per cent on the day and 55 per cent on the year.
Burn care company Polynovo gained 4.2 per cent, Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals gained 6.0 per cent and medical marijuana company Auscann Group soared 50 per cent after releasing its hard-shell cannabis capsules for clinical evaluation.
Oil Search climbed 3.3 per cent after upgrading the resources available at its Pikka project on Alaska's North Slope.
Three sectors of the ASX's 11 sectors lost ground.
Real estate fell 0.4 per cent and the heavyweight mining and financial sectors were both down 0.3 per cent.
Commonwealth Bank was flat at $81.90, Westpac dropped 0.6 per cent to $24.50, NAB fell 0.7 per cent to $25.30 after and ANZ dipped 0.2 per cent to $25.03.
BHP fell 0.4 per cent to $40.05, Rio Tinto was down 1.0 per cent to $102.24 and South32 dropped 0.7 per cent to $2.86.
Copper miner OZ Minerals dropped 5.4 per cent while goldminer Northern Star gained 3.3 per cent after returning to trade following a $765 million capital raising to acquire a half stake in the Kalgoorlie Super Pit gold mine.
Metals X tumbled 28.6 per cent after announcing production was down at its Renison Tin operations in Tasmania.
QBE Insurance dropped 1.1 per cent to $13.13 after announced it would take a loss on its North American crop business after bad weather there.
"There's a lot of forgiveness in the market today," Mr Le Brun said, suggesting that on another day the insurer would have suffered a more significant drop.
Woolworths gained 0.9 per cent to $37.88, and Wesfarmers was up 0.7 per cent to $42.05.
The Aussie dollar is buying 68.45 US cents, from 68.66 US cents on Tuesday.
* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed up 4.1 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 6,851.4 points.
* The All Ordinaries closed up 6.5 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 6,957 points.
* The SPI200 futures index closed up 12 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 6,858.
CURRENCY SNAPSHOT AT 1630 AEDT
* 68.51 US cents, from 68.66 US cents on Monday
* 61.52 euro cents, from 61.59 cents
* 104.34 NZ cents, from 104.08 cents.


VDF (Vortex Dynamic Filter) cyclonic separators offer a cost-effective, convenient, and environmentally friendly solution to removing suspended solids from liquids for a variety of. If you have any questions please contact us for more information. Of Nikuni Co., Ltd's extraordinary VDF Series hydro.
Compressor filters, Hydraulic filters and air/oil separators.


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9 Evergreen Customer Retention Hacks For App Developers
Jini Maxin
It's almost a norm for businesses to sideline its existing customers and go for new customers, hook, line and sinker.
But then, if you think badgering a bunch of new customers to start using your app will bring in more bucks, over taking care of your existing ones, think again.
Unarguably, customer retention is hard. 75% of users uninstall the app the day after using it. But then again, don't forget, customer acquisition is harder. Partly because customer acquisition rates are touching a staggering 117% year-over-year; and partly because app hopping has become an irresistible hobby for users around the world, thanks to millions of apps and their clones looming on the horizon.
So, the point is, running after new users to adopt your app could turn out to be an exercise in futility.
Image source: http://www.superoffice.com
Rather keeping the existing customers happy and hooked. It could turn out to be the best customer retention success tool, which could really attract some lifetime users for your app.
Nevertheless, the current state of app retainment, as per a recent study conducted by Appboy, presents a pretty much gloomy picture. For instance,
by day 2, only 25 percent of the users return to the app.
by day 7, the number further dwindles to 11 percent.
by day 90, the app retention rate reaches a meager 4.1 percent.
MORE THAN 75% OF USERS ARE FAILING TO RETURN THE DAY AFTER FIRST USE
Image source: www.appboy.com
So, how to retain your app customers in the face of a constantly growing uninstall rates:
#1. Focus on Value and Utility
Apps are supposed to make the lives of users easier. And if your app is able to achieve that, be assured, your app would find big takers. According to Google's blog thinkwithgoogle, at least two out of three users will use apps on a regular basis if it helps them simplify their chores.
Say, for instance, the Walgreens app keeps users posted on different sales and discounts announced by the company time and again. The info comes handy to the user if he/she plans to visit Walgreens in the near future.
That being said, there's no surety your user will use your app once the transaction is over. So, how to make to make sure that users use your apps, over and over again even after its first use? Simple. Scale up your app's value and utility.
Image source : www.thinkwithgoogle.com
To put it another way, incentives could act a great motivating factor to re-engage with abandoned users. According to Google's survey, thirty percent of the users said that they would use the app again if discounts were available against a purchase, and nearly a quarter of app users would return if they received exclusive or bonus content. These facts particularly ring true for travel and retail apps.
#2. Implement Deep Linking
Including deep links in your app's search ads is yet another way to increase app engagement rate. How? It's because the deep links are connected to the relevant parts of your app, guiding the user to the inside pages of the app, and not to the app's home screen page.
Image source:https://branch.io/
Say, for instance, Yummly app uses Instacart, a grocery delivery service, to help its customers plan and pay for their dinner, within the app itself. When the user is busy checking out a recipe, Yummly goes ingredient hunting. And as and when the user clicks on different ingredient buttons, they get automatically added to the Instacart order. And, in case, they haven't got the Instacart app, they're guided to the instacart installation page. Once they have installed the app, the user gets to see all the saved items added to their order. The unique function has helped Yummly garner significant user retention.
#3. Focus on App's UI User Interface
You have developed a damn good app and you are almost sure it would find more takers than imagined because it has got a feature that is going to make the lives of users ultra-easy. Good. But then, also make sure, it's easier to use as well. For that, you need to make sure your app's UI – the heart of the app – is right in place. In other words, implement visual hierarchy in your app design. The best way to achieve this is to have contrasting elements in place. You could play with different colors, sizes, shapes and relationships to establish a visual hierarchy within an app.
Image source: https://tympanus.net
Contrasting helps you highlight a handful of things that really needs to capture user attention. The others parts could just be blended in and be there for the users to check out whenever he/she feels like.For more information on how to improve an app's UI, speak to the masters of UI development straight away. OpenXcell, with an expert team of 200+ app developers, would help you design a perfect UI sure to draw a good number of users to your app.
#4. Set Up a Private Feedback Option
Conduct in-app surveys to collect in-depth info about app users' taste and preferences which might help you offer better user experience, and in turn, make them your lifetime customers. You could even try setting up an in-app messaging system requesting users to rate your app in the app store.
If these weren't enough, you could make a 'private feedback' option available to the users. This would help them connect with your app development team directly and help them develop a better idea on things, or even get a few things corrected, which the developer might have inadvertently missed.
https://www.engadget.com/
For instance, the Ember app has set up a private feedback system so as to know directly from its users whether they are Happy, Confused or Unhappy while using their app.
If users are happy about the app experience, they could write reviews, tweet about it or even share their best moments with the Ember team.
On the other hand, unhappy or confused users could contact the Ember team via email.
What's more, you could even touch base with your users via emails, to know their likes and dislikes and how could they improve user experience.
#5 Personalize your In-app and Push Notification Messages
App users love personalization. So make it a point to personalize your in-app messages and push notifications as per user's preferences, location, not to mention in-app behavior. According to a Localytics study, personalization is an indispensable part of future apps. For more information, you could check out this article: 8 ways you can personalize your apps in 30 minutes.
Image source : https://www.appvirality.com/
#6. Remarketing to Connect with Drop-outs
Turns out 50% of users drop out of push messages. Nevertheless, you could get back to these users through some ingenious remarketing strategies via emails, social media and even search advertisements. But, before doing this, make sure you've a thorough understanding of your app users' interest, behaviors, and also their preferences to make sure your remarketing efforts fetches the desired results.
#7. A/B Test your CTAs and Push Messages
A/B testing helps you separate the chalk from the cheese. In short, it gives you a clearer picture on the messages and features that's attracting the best engagement and conversion rates. For instance, you could A/B test your CTAs, and even your push and in-app messages to figure out which is drawing in more conversions.
#8. Integrate App into Your Overall Marketing Strategy
Simply put, offer omni-channel experience. Marketers often forget to do this: Integrating their apps across marketing channels. What happens is that too often the apps excluded from the overall marketing strategy, resulting in disconnected experience for the users. However, if the brands could include their app across all channels, it would not only create a seamless experience for the users, but also help them come up with a more stickier app.
For instance, omni-channel helps Walgreen app users order online and buy in-store. It also makes sure that a customer's shopping cart is consistent from the desktop to app to in-store.
#9. Get them Invested
The biggest worry of every developer is losing its long-time users to competition. You could avoid this by getting them to invest in your product. Not literally, though. Say, for instance, people use Facebook to constantly update personal images and all. In a way, Facebook is prompting its users to log in time and again to upload images and all. Now even a Facebook competitor pops up from nowhere, users would think twice before switching over, given that they have to think of an easier way to shift hundreds and thousands of images from one place to other. It would be too much for them to handle.
Likewise, come up with a unique feature that makes your app an indispensable part of your users lives. Then sit back and relax, for you've have done your homework.
No doubt there are dime a dozen customer retention strategies doing rounds in the market given that customers are so hard to please these days. But then, implementing the evergreen strategies are good enough to ensure that your app thrives, much less survives in the overcrowded market space.
Categories: Blog • Customer Loyalty • Digital Marketing
Openxcell
Jini Maxin is a Sr. Writer with Openxcell - a top Mobile App Development Company. Besides acting nerdish all the time, she is an opinionated writer with a big appetite for books, buzzwords, and boatloads of bouquets :).
Pankaj Kumar March 16, 2017 at 4:32 am
Hi Jini, I like one point of your blog. As you have mention that your feedback or reviews plays an important role for retaining customers into the business for longer duration. They only stay within the business untill they are getting satisfaction. If they are complaining about our services and we are not ready listen to them then they leave us any time. Because their feedback shows us a better opportunity of growth.
Siya Carla December 27, 2018 at 9:36 pm
All the points are really beneficial for customer retention. I would like to add up one more tip to catch the user attention.
We all like rewards and gifts. Incentivization is a marketing tactic which attracts loyal customers by giving away free discount coupons and some offers which the user can take leverage of. This creates a special bond between the app and the user. Hence the user comes back to the app, again and again, increasing dwell time.


No tillage (NT) is generally associated with high levels of crop residues on soil surface, which has positive effects on physical and chemical fertility, soil biology and erosion control. However, the absence of soil cover may have a worse effect on soil quality in the long term than conventional tillage. In this study we determined the presence of surface residues and soil cover in fields for winter crops in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013.The study area included the southwest of Buenos Aires province (SOB), Argentina, where over 120 fields under NT were sampled. Our objectives were: i) to establish a simple methodology for surface residues sampling; ii) to determine the current status of surface residues and soil cover in cropped fields under NT in the SOB; iii) to establish the relationship between amount of surface residues and soil cover for the predominant crops of the SOB.A large proportion of fields in the subhumid-semiarid region of SOB had lower soil cover than the required by the literature to be considered conservation agriculture, which would provide adequate protection against erosion. In the studied area, most of winter crops (56%) left adequate soil cover while, in average, summer crops did not leave the minimum of 30% soil cover. The analyzed data show the difficulty in the region for the production of dry matter and its permanence as soil cover, even in agricultural fields with continuous no-tillage.
López F.M., M.E. Duval, J.M. Martínez, J.A. Galantini. 2015. Cobertura en el Sudoeste Bonaerense en suelos bajo siembra directa. Ciencia del Suelo 32 (2) 273-281.


Have recently built a Platform to use to demonstrate the value of CCIM Reports. Have recently provided Population Demographic Reports 'gratis' to Political Candidates specific to their respective District. I expect this to lead to "Consulting" work from Gov't - You gotta see it to believe it!
Have recently used "Gap" Analysis Reports to sell to Retailers.
Have recently supplied "The Retail Planet - TopBrand Reports" to Retail Space Owners.


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Q: Google API V3 getting js error in google main.js I get js error ( object doesn't manage the remove method and other error) from  google main.js when using the geocode service but my call to geocode service works fine.
The problem is that blocks when navigate because those error occurs on the exécution of this script !
I 'm currently using ten v3.exp version, I try the v3.13 and same errors occurs.
I tried to had a div for a map even if I 'm not using it on this page.
Any ideas woulb be welcome
Thank's in advance
Code looks like this :
function SearchGoogle(adress)
{

var geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();

geocoder.geocode({ 'address': adress}, ResponseAnalyse)

return;

}

function ResponseAnalyse(results,status)
{

 if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK)
{

    for (var i = 0; i < results.length; i++) {

        for (var j = 0; j < results[i].address_components.length; j++) {

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The Koorda farm property was purchased as virgin land in 1923. Mr Henning had first come to the area in 1911 while helping his father to deliver mail to Badgerin Rock. He was a foundation member of the Boorlaming Tennis Club. Other Activities: Booralaming Football Club President of the Koorda Football Association and Tennis Club, President of the Agricultural Society Member of the Koorda Road Board, foundation member of the Koorda Red Cross Society.
[S-76] http://www.ozburials.com/CemsWA/Koorda/koorda.htm, http://www.ozburials.com/CemsWA/Koorda/koorda.htm, 5.11.2017 Researcher Lorna Mclean.
HENNING,Charles Andrew-Husband of Phoebe,Father of June and Malcolm 8 December 1984 Aged 87 years.
[S-80] BDM WA, 5 Feb 2017 Researcher Lorna McLean.


Well the day has finally come. The Lhanbryde exchange is now ready for Broadband!
Fujitsu engineers were spotted working on the exchange last week and everything was set-up and ready to go for the go live day, today!!
If you haven't already placed an order for ADSL Broadband, now is the time to do so! Form today BT will start accepting orders for Broadband if you are connected to the Lhanbryde exchange!
And finally... Thanks again to everyone who has helped out with the campaign over the pas year and registered their interest in Broadband! The hard work has finally paid off.... Now I'm off to see if I can persuade my ISP to put my order through as quicly as possible.. See you on the other side!


If you are a WordPress site owner, then you must have experimented with various free WordPress themes yourself. You must have come to realize that the responsive WordPress themes are surely the best ones as they provide mobile and tablet users a smooth browsing experience. A responsive theme allows the content on your website to adjust to different screen sizes and layouts in order for a user-friendly navigation.
There are several responsive WordPress themes that you could choose from that would also adapt not just to your desktop but even when you browse in your mobile devices. Some of these Responsive WordPress Themes have standout features such as full CMS control, 11 Widget Areas, Webmaster tools, 6 template layouts, 9 page templates, Search Engine Friendly, and Multilingual Ready, among others.
Today's we have collected Best Responsive WordPress Themes for 2013 that we have gathered just for our readers.
deCente, by ThemeShift, who I recommend, is a newly released (March 2013) business/portfolio theme. It's my favourite theme of this collection, if my opinion matters to you. The home page is the most well structured, making fine use of columns and widgets to create a professional looking, trust inspiring layout. Those widgets are going to ensure adding content to your home page is simple as pie – drag and drop all the way.
If you click on a category (branding, graphic design, etc), the portfolio filters right before your eyes, without re-loading the page. You see this feature on some premium but hardly ever, if ever, on free ones. When you click on an image to bring up the related post, you can then click next or previous to cycle through the entire portfolio.
Full marks for the shortcode offering. Extra marks for including a page where not only do you set out the available shortcodes, but explain what they are and even examples of how to use them!
Overall, I'd award deCente 5 out of 5 stars for features (for a free theme). It looks great, too – very professional. It is possibly worth nothing that there is no support for the theme unless you make a purchase (starting at 39 euros for a single theme – other, more cost-effective options are available).
Attitude is by Theme Horse, a new theme shop. At the time of writing, they have only 3 themes to their name. They are however quickly gaining traction: Attitude is currently in the top 20 most popular WordPress themes by number of downloads (see the list here). So, you may be wondering, what's so great about Attitude? Well, it's got a big featured slider on the front page. 5 page/post layouts (left sidebar, right sidebar, no sidebar, full width and one column). A widgetized footer. Social icons. 4 widget areas. The design is clean and light. All in all, it provides a solid base on which to build. Which may be the sum of what one can ask for from a freebie.
In the demo, Andrina is imagined as a theme for a restaurant business, but there is no doubt it could serve equally well for other types of organization.
the slider has ribbon left and right buttons and feels zippier. Also, the slider navigation is clearer.
The home page thumbnails in widget below the slider on the home page slide upwards when you mouse over them.
I prefer the color scheme and social media icons.


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Home Obituary Obituary | David Paul Murphy
Obituary | David Paul Murphy
This obituary originally appeared on Memorial Funeral Home.
David Paul Murphy, 59, of Middletown, Rhode Island, passed away on the morning of Monday, November 30th at his home, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous fight against illness over the past two years.
David was born on February 15, 1961, in Goldsboro, North Carolina to the late Timothy J. Murphy and Carmella (Stravato) Murphy. David is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, Kerri (Vieira) Murphy, and his three children: Matthew, Shane, and Kendra. He s also survived by his six siblings: Michael (MaryAnna) of St. Petersburg, Florida; Timothy of South Tahoe, California; Katherine (Terry) of Newport, Rhode Island; John (Pat), Paul (Amy) and Patrick, all of Middletown, Rhode Island, and his many nieces and nephews.David was a devoted Newport firefighter, attaining the rank of Deputy Chief before his retirement this year, after 26 years of selfless service.
David wasn't born here, but he certainly was an Islander through and through. He was a 1979 graduate of Middletown High School, where he loved playing basketball and football. He could also be found during those years on his surfboard at Second Beach. There are not many places on the island where he went where there wasn't someone he knew. In 1991, David met the love of his life, Kerri, and married her on May 15, 1993, beginning a lifelong journey of laughter, travel, and family. David lived for his family and their happiness, cherishing the annual July camping trips and other family vacations. Above all else, the trips to Walt Disney World were the highlight of his family getaways. Those who knew David understood that he had the heart and soul of a young child, always looking for excitement and adventure wherever he could find it. Alongside his wife and beloved children, David would transform once more into a kid himself and take in the magic that was all around him. In retirement, David had wished to eventually move to Florida and work for the Disney company as a bus driver, just so that he could meet different people, learn their stories, and be a part of making their day the best it could be.
David was a fierce supporter of his children and that love extended itself to all of his children's events, whether it was a youth football or hockey game, a cross country meet, or even a martial arts competition. David was always the loudest "fan in the stands," constantly encouraging his children to work hard, do their best, improve wherever they could, but most importantly, to have fun. During his time as a youth sports coach, many children began to look to him as a father figure themselves, inspired by his fairness, compassion, and desire to see everyone be the best they could be. Beyond the children he coached, David formed friendships with many of their parents and families; David truly made a difference in many lives over the years as he made his mark on Aquidneck Island.
Professionally, David was sworn into the Newport Fire Department in July, 1994 and worked tirelessly to rise through the ranks, retiring as a Deputy Fire Chief in July, 2020 after 26 years of dedicated service. Described as a "firefighter's firefighter," David truly led by example and was recognized as a "take-charge, around the station kind of guy." Even on his days off-duty, David would frequently be found performing renovations on the various fire stations that he had called "home." Known to his fellow Fire Fighter brothers as "Murph," David was known as a skilled leader and would always show confidence while in command. David was also a member of the Newport Fire Department Honor Guard. The Newport Fire Department was another family David loved spending time with, whether it was in the band called "Private Parts" where David notes; "we never said we were great, but we are entertaining," or his annual trip to New Hampshire known as the "Wood Cutter's" weekend, which David looked forward to with great anticipation for the memories to be made.
For all of David's achievements and accomplishments, his greatest triumph came in the hardest job possible: being a parent. David's children could not have been prouder to call him their father. Throughout his years, David taught his children whatever he could about life, being safe, being good to others around them, but most importantly, to be good to themselves.
A truly selfless individual, David was willing to lay down his life for those in need as a firefighter and would be willing to sacrifice anything for the good of his family. David was a hero in every sense of the word and his deeds and actions in life will not be forgotten with his passing. His legacy lives on in his wife, his children, and all of those who had ever known him.
A Private Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday December 5, 2020, at 10:00 am in St. Lucy's Church, 909 West Main Road in Middletown. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Newport Rescue Wagon Fund 21 Marlboro Street Newport, RI 02840.
Due to attendance restrictions in place due to COVID19, there is limited seating available, please visithttps://app.planhero.com/gatherings/7386-david-murphy-s-funeral-service, to sign up to attend.
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This content has been contributed to What's Up Newp. The views and opinions included within are not necessarily those of What's Up Newp, our contributors, or our advertisers. We welcome letters to the editor on current local topics. Email them to Ryan@whatsupnewp.com.
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RIDOH provides an update on Rhode Island's COVID-19 vaccination effort


This python differs from other pythons in that there are no heat sensitive pits on the lower jaw. It usually occurs in open forest and woodland areas. It preys on other reptiles, birds and mammals. The body is banded brown and cream, this contrasts with the shiny black head, neck and throat.


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Murder mystery games – the Freeform Games way
Have you got what it takes to solve the murder, achieve your goals and keep your guilty secrets hidden from everyone else?
It's up to you!
FREE GAME! – We're now offering a completely free-of-charge murder mystery party game! Just sign up to our newsletter here, and you can download a copy and give it a try!
Just downloaded Lei'd to Rest – first time I have downloaded one of your games. We intend to play the game in May – but I just wanted to say how good the game looks – and so easy to download. Dave Measey, Leicester, UK
Our downloadable murder mystery games put you in the middle of the action. We don't give you a predetermined script to read out, we don't drip feed your background to you – we don't even know how the game will end.
That's up to you.
But we do give you your detailed character background in advance. We give you goals and contacts – and secrets. You might have a secret identity, you might be rich, you might be poor – you might even be the murderer (we'll tell you up front if you are). We even give you ways of finding out other players' secrets – just so you can blackmail them.
You will decide who to talk to, who to trust – and who to betray.
You may know who your friends are. Or you may only think you know who your friends are. You won't know until the chips are down.
"Thanks again for all of your help. We appreciate the excellent customer service you have given us – it is what makes all the difference!" Janis Kutterer, USA
Our downloadable murder mystery games come complete with full instructions for running a thrilling evening of deceit, treachery and murder. The games include detailed character sheets, name badge cards, and simple rules – plus newspapers and whatever else the plot requires. You'll have everything you need to host an unforgettable evening.
Here's an example of a typical character pack printed out
We've run your games at my son's birthday parties for the last two years, and everyone has loved them! Your games are awesome!" Sheila Ruth, USA
These murder mystery games are only available over the Internet. You won't find them anywhere else. The games do require Adobe Acrobat Reader (which is free) to read and to print them.
Cast-Iron Guarantee
Our murder mystery games come with a Cast-Iron, no-quibble guarantee. If you're not completely satisfied then please let us know within 30 days and we will refund you.
Our murder mystery games
Can I just say I've run about 4 of your games and they have all been exceptional. As someone who was used to those sit down dinner ones where you read from the books with no freedom, it's truly been a far richer experience and certainly more fun. I'm sure you get it all the time but thank you for providing such awesome games!"
Jaye Sutanto, Sydney, Australia
The Food is to Die For – NEW RELEASE! A star chef has been murdered in his own kitchen. Find out who did it in this game for 12–15 guests and a host, set in a fashionable restaurant in the present day.
Way out West – Dastardly railwaymen, upright sheriffs and sly good-time girls in this game for 10–14 guests and a host, set in the Wild West. An expanded version of this game is also available, for up to 24 guests and one or two hosts!
Reunion with Death – Mikolette Lukanis, former prom queen, has been killed just before the 15-year high-school reunion gala party. But who is the murderer? For 6–9 players, set in the present day.
Christmas Reunion with Death – Mikolette Lukanis, former prom queen, has been killed just before the Christmastime high-school reunion gala party. But who is the murderer? For 6–9 players, set in the present day.
A Will to Murder – The patriarch of a wealthy family is dead – who will inherit his fortune? And, more importantly, who murdered him? Find out in this game for 6–9 guests and a host.
Death in Venice – Clay McFarland, hotshot movie director, has been killed just after receiving the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. But who is the murderer? For 5–9 players, set in the present day.
A Speakeasy Murder – Fat Stan's Speakeasy, Chicago, at the height of Prohibition. Glamour, music and murder! This game is for 15–32 guests and 1–2 hosts.
Casino Fatale – A murder mystery game for 15–30 guests and one or two hosts, set at a glamorous Parisian casino, featuring espionage, crime, intrigue and murder! An expanded version of this game is now available, for up to 30 guests!
Lei'd to Rest – This game for 6–12 guests and a host takes place at an exotic Hawaiian beachside luau. Tourists and locals mingle and party – but one of them is a murderer! An expanded version of this game is also available, for up to 22 guests.
Curse of the Pharaoh – Set in Victorian Egypt, grapple with evil from beyond the grave in this game for 6–9 guests and a host. An expanded version of this game is also available, for up to 19 guests and a host!
A Heroic Death – The superheroes are trapped in their base – who's going to save the world from the evil ReptoMan? And their manager has been found dead, so one of them is a killer and traitor… find out who, in this game for 8–12 guests and a host.
Bludgeoned on Broadway – It's curtains for Broadway star Jackson Turner, but the drama's just beginning. There's no business like murder business, in this theatrical game for 8–13 guests and a host.
Hollywood Lies – It's awards night in Hollywood, in this game for 16–32 guests and one or two hosts. But some of the stars seem to be thinking about how to commit the Best Murder!
Spellbound – At the Tremaine School of Magic, danger stalks the corridors. Will the students and professors solve the mystery and save the school from an ancient enemy? Find out in this game for 13–17 guests and one or two hosts.
Dazzled to Death – Blackmail, theft and betrayal at a glittering cocktail party in 1948 Massachusetts, for 12–15 guests and a host. Family strife comes out in murder…
Death on the Rocks – A peaceful (if rather peculiar) village community has been disrupted by a savage murder. Find out who did it in this game for 12–16 guests and a host, set in an English village in the 1930s.
Death on the Gambia – Venture into the heart of darkness in this murder mystery game for 8–11 guests and a host, set in 1930s Africa.
A Dead Man's Chest – Two rival pirate ships descend on a tropical isle – who will find Captain Flint's buried treasure? And who murdered him in the first place? Find out in this murder mystery game for 12–16 guests and a host.
The Night before Christmas – Blackmail, theft and murder at a glittering cocktail party in 1948 Massachusetts, for 12–15 guests and a host. This Christmas Eve certainly won't bring goodwill to all men…
Lord and Lady Westing's Will – Lord and Lady Westing have died in a tragic accident, but why did they arrange this unusual party to read their will? Was it truly an accident? – or something more sinister? For 11–16 guests and a host.
Davy Jones' Locker – Blackheart the pirate, scourge of the Caribbean, is dead. But where is his treasure? And where are his revenge-seeking crew? Find out in this game for 10–15 guests and a host.
Murder at Sea – A glamorous and dramatic murder mystery game for 17–33 guests and one or two hosts, set on an Atlantic cruise liner at the outbreak of World War I. Spies, intrigue and secrets abound!
Snow Business – What should be an idyllic family holiday turns to tragedy in this game for 10–12 guests and a host. Even in the nicest families, dark secrets have a habit of coming out…
The Spy Who Killed Me – Cunning spies and ruthless murderers threaten the Summer Ball of an ancient university, in this game for 14–18 guests plus a host, set at ivy-clad Maudlin College at the height of the Cold War.
The Karma Club – It's the Swinging Sixties and rock group Marmalade Skies' manager has just been murdered. Find out who did it in this game for 10–14 guests and a host, set in the Karma Club commune in 1969.
Halloween Lies – It's the big horror movie awards night, in this Halloween game for 16–32 guests and one or two hosts. But some of the stars seem to be thinking about how to commit the Best Murder!
Murder on the Dancefloor – It's the 1950s, and Flo's Diner in small-town USA is set for the dance-off competition – but bad-boy Ricky Johnson has been found murdered! This game is for 14–20 guests and 1–2 hosts.
Under the Big Top – Who killed JoJo Bones, proprietor of the Exotic Emporium of Enigmatica? Find out in this game of circus folk set in 1952 Florida, for 12–15 guests and a host.
Who Shot the Sheriff – The Sheriff of Buzzard Creek has been found dead, in the stables of the Gold Nugget Saloon. Find out who did it in this game for 12–15 guests and a host, set in the Old West in 1869.
Happy Birthday R.J. – Set in 1980s Texas, when tycoons were smooth and shoulderpads were immense, for 11–15 guests and a host. Oil, scandal and family rivalry make R.J.'s birthday party a dangerous business!
Arabian Nights – Magic carpets, disguised princes and princesses, magicians and mystics in this game for 18–24 guests plus one or two hosts. It's an enchanted evening of thievery, investigation, betrayal, and magic!
The Reality is Murder – Jeff Thompson, the producer of Tribal, a reality tv show set on a tropical island paradise has been murdered! But whodunnit? For 23–30 guests and one or two hosts, set in 2003.
Court in the Act – Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, and many others, try to solve the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury in this game for 13–21 guests and one or two hosts, set at the royal court of England.
Christmas Lies – NEW RELEASE! It's the big seasonal movie awards night, in this Christmas game for 16–32 guests and one or two hosts. But some of the stars seem to be thinking about how to commit the Best Murder!
Best of the Wurst – It is 1942 Occupied France, and in the Castle Quimper Hotel, Colonel Kronenburg has organized a sausage-tasting competition to demonstrate that German/Franco relations are excellent. Is there any doubt who will win?
The Day the Music Died – Set at the post-award party for Radio Rebecca's 1965 FAB Music Awards where against stiff competition, the unknown Lovebirds have taken first prize. Did they win on merit, or was foul play involved?
Small Town Folks – In a small 1962 Nebraska town twelve people shelter from a tornado in an underground bunker. Tensions will rise, secrets will spill, long-buried rivalries will erupt: and if they survive the tornado, their lives will never be the same again…
Our kids' party games
Trick or Treat – Gangs of monsters are competing to see who's the scariest, in this Halloween party game for 8–24 monsters, aged 8 and up (there is also a non-Halloween version of this game)
Pirate Island – Take part in the annual Pirate Games and quest for treasure in this themed party game for 8–24 pirates, aged 8 and up
Freeform Games LLP, 69 Brooks Hall Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 4BZ, United Kingdom
Our murder mystery games | About us


text:
Q: Dimension of Intersection of Algebraic Sets In Mumford's Red Book (Remark III on page 21) he gives the following construction:

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field, $X=V(xw-yz)\subset k^4$ and $U=D_X(y)\cup D_X(w)$. Define $h\in\Gamma(U,\mathcal{O}_X)$ by setting $h=\frac{x}{y}$ on $D_X(y)$ and $h=\frac{z}{w}$ on $D_X(w)$.
Suppose that $h$ is of the form $\frac{f}{g}$ on $U$. Then let $Z=V(y,w)$, this is a plane in $X$ and $U=X\setminus Z$. We have that $V(g)\cap X\subset Z$ by assumption, and all components of $V(g)\cap X$ have dimension $2$.

I'm struggling to justify the statement in bold. He refers us to Chapter 7, but I can't find a result which explains it. His Corollary 3 there seems to say that if $W$ were a component of $V(h)$ viewed as a closed subset of $X$, then $\text{codim}(W)\leq1$ and so $\dim(W)\geq3$, but this can't be the case since it is contained in a plane.
I know that for irreducible affine algebraic sets $A,B\subset k^n$ we have, for any component $W$ of $A\cap B$, that $\dim(W)\geq\dim(A)+\dim(B)-n$. Then since $\dim(X)=4$, if I could show that $\dim(V(g))=2$ I think we would be done since $\dim(V(g)\cap X)\leq\dim(Z)=2$ because $V(g)\cap X\subset Z$. However I can't see why $V(g)$ needs to be irreducible, or how to show its dimension is $2$ even if it is.
Any help would be much appreciated.


text:
Le minerai de fer houiller ou blackband est un minerai de fer présent dans des gisements de houille. Le fer est présent sous la forme de carbonate, la sphérosidérite. La houille, qui représente généralement de 10 à 25 % du poids, permet sa combustion.

S'il est un médiocre combustible, il s'avère être un minerai de fer bien adapté aux procédés sidérurgiques. Ainsi, le blackband est à l'origine notamment du développement de la sidérurgie écossaise à partir des années 1840, puis de la Ruhr dans les années 1860. Ces gisements sont maintenant épuisés.

Aspect et composition

Ce minerai est de couleur noir mat, avec parfois des reflets bleu ardoise. Sa texture est parfois schisteuse et rubannée. La couleur noire domine dès que la teneur en charbon dépasse 10 % :

Ce minerai renferme de si grandes quantités de houille, et de manière si constante, qu'il est absolument noir et susceptible de s'enflammer et de continuer à brûler. La proportion de matières combustibles n'est pas inférieure à 10 %, et atteint fréquemment 25 %. Les parties qui contiennent le plus de houille brûlent seules et forment la transition entre les minerais et les houilles les plus chargées en cendres.

Il s'agit d'un mélange de sidérite, de kaolin (un silicate d'alumine) et de charbon. Une teneur en charbon de 10 à 25 % en poids est courante, bien que certains auteurs fixent une fourchette entre 12 et 35 %, voire 40 %. On y trouve aussi souvent d'autres métaux, jusqu'à 1 % de manganèse et 0,5 % de phosphore, mais certains minerais peuvent être si riches en phosphore qu'ils sont compatibles avec la production de superphosphate. L'arsenic et le soufre y sont également présents, en de plus faibles concentrations, et combinés sous la forme d'arsénopyrite et de marcassite, mais aussi de galène et de sphalérite. La teneur en soufre peut atteindre 4 %. Avant traitement, la teneur en fer du minerai se situe entre 25 et 40 %, la teneur moyenne étant 30 %. Le trait et la cassure des meilleures variétés présentent un éclat métallique. Enfin, des stériles, comme le sable, les marnes ou l'argile, peuvent être présents.

Formation

Les gisements de minerai de fer houiller datent du carbonifère. Ils se forment en plusieurs étapes, dans les mares et entendues d'eau douce peu profondes, qui sont propices à la formation de la houille. Les mousses et autres plantes, qui contiennent l'oxyde de fer(II) acide, s'en séparent dans l'eau stagnante et le fer prend la forme d'oxyhydroxyde de fer(III). Ce composé du fer précipite et se concentre alors dans la zone racinaire des plantes. Les précipités s'accumulent progressivement, la quantité de fer dépendant beaucoup de la circulation des liquides et de leur teneur en fer. Ainsi, dans la même veine charbonneuse, on peut trouver des secteurs riches en fer et d'autres non.

Typologie des gisements et extraction

Les couches de minerai se confondent avec celles de charbon, se concentrant généralement au pied de la strate charbonneuse. Mais on peut aussi les trouver en partie médiane ou supérieure. Dans certaines formations de houille, les dépôts de minerai atteignent jusqu'à  de puissance. Hors des gisements les plus importants et exploités industriellement, on le trouve disposé en rognons dans les grès.

Les gisements les plus importants ont été trouvés en Allemagne, à Sprockhövel, Gelsenkirchen et . Dans la mine d'Hiddinghausen, une couche d'une puissance de  a été découverte par un tunnel. Au Royaume-Uni, ce type de gisement atteignait communément des puissances aussi importantes.

Utilisation

Trouvé dans des mines de charbon, cette roche s'avère un combustible médiocre qui a d'abord rejoint les stériles sur les terrils des charbonnages.

La première tentative d'utilisation du minerai de fer houiller pour la fabrication de l'acier a été faite par l'écossais  (père de Robert Forester Mushet). En 1801, il réussit à produire de la fonte à l'usine de Calder Iron Works, qu'il venait de relancer avec des associés. Non seulement le minerai est adapté à la production de fonte, mais son utilisation s'avère rentable.

Pourtant, sa teneur en fer, assez moyenne, combinée avec la présence de nombreuses impuretés, en fait un minerai difficile à traiter. Peu après, vers 1830, un autre écossais, James Beaumont Neilson, met au point une amélioration clé du haut fourneau : le vent chaud. La fusion de ce minerai est alors facilitée : l'expansion de la sidérurgie écossaise, qui passe d'une production annuelle de  en 1830 à  en 1840, s'explique par la combinaison de ces deux innovations : blackband et vent chaud.

Il a été ensuite découvert dans la seconde moitié du  dans la région de la Ruhr. Des quantités importantes ont été extraites dans les mines allemandes durant les années 1860 et 1870. Sa découverte a été, là aussi, le socle du développement de l'industrie sidérurgique de la Silésie (Wałbrzych), de la Westphalie (Hoerde, , Hattingen). Il en a été de même dans le Pays de Galles.

Afin d'augmenter sa teneur en fer, le minerai doit être calciné, voire grillé. Cette opération nécessaire est cependant aisée : . Le mélange intime du charbon avec le minerai est en outre un avantage :

On ne l'emploie dans les hauts fourneaux qu'après un grillage préalable, qui est d'autant plus facile que ce minerai porte avec lui son combustible dans des quantités ordinairement suffisantes ; il arrive même quelques fois que la chaleur développée par la houille dont il est imprégné permet de calciner d'autres minerais que l'on mélange avec celui-ci.

Grâce à cette opération la teneur en fer du minerai cru, qui ne dépasse jamais 40 %, atteint 35 à 65 % après grillage, la valeur moyenne étant 45 %. Cette opération amène une perte en poids du minerai, qui correspond à la combustion des matières organiques ainsi qu'à l'envol de certaines impuretés : près de la moitié du poids peut ainsi disparaître, ce qui amène logiquement à l'augmentation de la teneur en fer.

Pour griller ce minerai, on en constituait un tas dont les dimensions allaient, selon la teneur en charbon, de  de long, de  de large et d'environ  de haut. Cette opération durait à l'époque environ un mois. Ce mode opératoire a été essentiellement appliqué à proximité de la mine, le transport du minerai grillé, plus léger, étant plus économique que celui du minerai cru. Au charbon naturellement présent, on ajoutait souvent du bois pour faciliter la combustion. Un tel procédé était extrêmement polluant. On l'a par la suite remplacé par des fours à griller le minerai. Depuis le milieu du , ce type d'opération est réalisé dans les usines d'agglomération, qui réalisent la calcination, le grillage et le frittage des minerais.

On peut aussi relever une utilisation historique du blackband manganésifère du North Staffordshire, qui a été très apprécié comme garnissage des fours de puddlage.

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Minerai de fer

Roche sédimentaire
Charbon
Extraction du charbon au Royaume-Uni
Fer (minéral)
Histoire de la métallurgie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


bluechalk wrote: When I try calling the Walgreens toll-free number, 1-866-264-2910 from ooma, I either get busy or a dead line. The number works fine from my landline phone. I called customer support and they said that ooma does not support calls to toll-free numbers, but they are "working on it."
I just tried that number you posted right now and it works. Must have been a temp thing.
I found out last night that I can't call any toll-free number too.
So, I called Ooma support's 888# this morning, it didn't work either.
I need to use my cell to get help.
After I waited for a min, he came back and told me that they had some system issues. He promised to update me by email. It has been many hours, I still don't see his email.
ok what seems to be the problem are growing pains, OOma was originally west coast, they are now starting to grow very quickly on the east coast here is wqhere the problem is arising. for 2.5 hrs every number I call today between 10:45 am to 1:00 pm EST all I got was a fast busy signal which means all circuits are busy what is happening is there are not enough (what ever they use) to transfer calls to landlines, there are not enough on the east coast, this needs too be increased since they are growing fast this is bad form especially if you need 911, let's hope they stop with all the bells and whistles and concentrate on the system and keeping it up and running for the steady growth that OOma seems to be going thru, once they can fix this then they can turn adding different features.
still no reply from Ooma for this issue.
I tried to call Ooma's 888 last night. It worked.
But, other toll free didn't. This is my 1st time need help from Ooma.


text:
The Full Mountie
Peter's tour diary of the first IQ trip to Canada
The usual suspects:
Mike (guitar)
Widge (keyboards)
Cookie (drums)
John (bass & Tour Dad)
PN (vocals)
Rob (sound)
Oggie (lights)
Andy (projections)
The set (changeable over the three nights but generally including most or all of):
The Wake
The Thousand Days
The Darkest Hour
Subterranea
Sleepless Incidental
It All Stops Here
Widow's Peak
King Of Fools / Outer Limits
Laid Low / Breathtaker
Leap Of Faith
High Waters
The Narrow Margin
Awake And Nervous
The Last Human Gateway
5.00am: Up with the lark. Actually, at this time of the morning there aren't any larks awake so I'm up with the insomniacs and night shift workers. Andy arrives at 5.30 and we zoom off to Heathrow Airport, collecting Oggie on the way. Meet up with the rest of the gang and we check in for the 12.55 flight to Montreal. The flight itself is uneventful enough, though for some reason they always assume that vegetarians don't eat any dairy produce. I gaze covetously at Oggie's knob of butter. The films on offer are The Gingerbread Man (better than expected) and Good Will Hunting (great!).
We arrive at Montreal Dorval Airport at 2.40 (though, with the five-hour time difference, my brain thinks it's really 7.40pm). Following a lengthy delay while our work permits are sorted out, we finally emerge into the sweltering heat which is only surpassed by the temperature in the van ferrying us to Quebec City. For some reason the driver either doesn't know how to operate the air conditioning or he refuses to switch it on. He also seems incapable of understanding our desperate pleas for the windows to be left open for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Scorchio!
Three hot hours later, we reach Quebec City (it's now midnight real time!) and we have the chance to wash and brush up at the hotel. Mike and I are sharing a room and hurrah! It has air conditioning! We meet up with Andy and venture outside for food. As the only veggies in the party, we're thrilled and overjoyed to happen upon the Commencal, a brilliant vegetarian buffet restaurant where you pay according to the weight of food on your plate. Great food, great price! After that, we find a Drag Bar (though disappointingly no-one is in drag) where beer is a dollar a time. Marvellous.
Eventually, after having been awake for a full 24 hours(!), we saunter back to the hotel, where a bottle of champagne awaits us in our room, a welcoming gift from Sylvain, the promoter. Sadly, we're much too knackered to enjoy it. Cookie and Andy need little persuading to snaffle it for their room. They skulk away, cackling triumphantly.
Thursday, June 25th
The day begins with a shower and a hearty Canadian breakfast (though not at the same time!). Cookie, Mike, Andy and I set off exploring Quebec City. Most importantly, CDs are astonishingly cheap. At these prices, it would be rude not to buy some. I plump for The Beatles' White Album, half the price it would be back home. Mike is slightly tempted by a banjo but manages to resist. It's a warm summer's day and we're actually in Canada! The afternoon finds us soundchecking and it sounds pretty good. Tonight's gig, the first of three, is a bit ropey, mainly due to the onstage volume which is ear-shattering. Youch! It feels weird to be playing a mixed set again, after having played the whole of Subterranea at all recent gigs, but the songs stand up really well on their own. With a sizeable back catalogue now, we have a lot of really strong material to choose from.
King Of Fools presents an interesting challenge because there's so little space behind and to the side of the stage and we need to find somewhere to position the video camera and myself. (Some people think the whole sequence is on film but no, it's performed live every night, folks!) Andy, being the ingenious problem-solver that he is, manages to rig up an elaborate series of wires, leads and plugs stuffed precariously into unlikely sockets. "Are you sure it's safe, Andy?" "Yeah, it should be fine." He's as good as his word and it works a treat. My introductions in French aren't too bad (though I can't for the life of me remember the word for "rehearse". Must polish up my vocab for tomorrow night.)
We play for the best part of two-and-a-half hours. Out Of Nowhere includes Abba's Mamma Mia. Will the audience share in the notorious IQ sense of humour? They're a bit perplexed at first, I think, but then they get into the spirit of things. After the show, there's no need to pack the gear away. With the Subterranea set taking a good couple of hours to dismantle, this is luxury indeed.
We drink beer and meet fans who have followed the band for many years and thought they'd never get the chance to catch us live. They're all very friendly and enthusiastic. Finally to bed in the early hours of the morning. Our first show on Canadian soil has had its fair share of teething problems but generally speaking it's gone pretty well. One down, two to go.
Finally to bed in the early hours of the morning. Our first show on Canadian soil has had its fair share of teething problems but generally speaking it's gone pretty well. One down, two to go.
Friday, June 26th
A late breakfast and then it's over to Le D'Auteuil to sort out the sound problems from last night. It's brilliant to still have all the gear set up. Simply switch on and play! We manage to sort out the onstage levels and it sounds so much better. Phew! Mike decides to go off in search of a new guitar. I tag along for a bit before deciding to have a mooch round the town and return to the venue. Oggie and I descend on Archambault, the big, snazzy record shop (where there's an IQ display in the window!!). Oggie spends lots of money (with no encouragement from me, your honour!), then we nip across the road for a yummy pizza. Returning to Le D'Auteuil, we're thrilled to see it packed. People have travelled from as far afield as Poland and even Phoenix, Arizona (2500 miles away)!
Mike did get a sexy new guitar but the crank shaft isn't aligned with the big knob (or something) and he can't use it tonight. Boo. Showtime is 11.00pm. Tonight's gig is much smoother. We're more confident with the equipment and the onstage mix means we're able to hear ourselves without having to crank the levels up all the time. Great audience and my French flows a little better. Between them, Oggie and Andy have concocted a marvellous light and projection show and the sound, courtesy of Rob, is crystal clear (as always).
After a couple of encores, with the crowd still demanding more, we decide to play the middle section of The Last Human Gateway. "Nah, let's do the whole thing!" quips one of us and so it is that, at 1.20am, we launch into our third encore, all 20 minutes of it. At the end of a show lasting two hours and 40 minutes, I think we can safely conclude that the audience have had their money's worth and have enjoyed themselves. It's a rare thing for all five members of the band to agree on a gig having been a good one, but this time we're all on a high. "IQ gigs don't come much better than that one!" exclaims Widge and I think he's probably right. There's still a magic there when we're all together.
A young man called Denis introduces himself to me after the gig. He's the singer with The Musical Box, a Canadian band who recreate Genesis live shows perfectly and he tells me they're intending to stage the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway show at some point. Oooh, I definitely need to see that! Denis is a lovely guy and we hit it off straight away. I insist he returns tomorrow night for our third show.
By the time my head finally hits the pillow, it's something like 4.00 am. Zzzzz...
Saturday, June 27th
Another late breakfast then we trundle off to the venue. It seems there are to be two gigs tonight at Le D'Auteuil. A band called Dolly will play at 8.00pm, then we're on about 11.00. We're not best pleased about this because it means we have to take all our gear offstage and risk losing all the levels we set up so carefully yesterday. This is a bit nerve-racking and will undoubtedly affect our set tonight. Gulp!
After squeezing all the gear into the cramped backstage area (I'd hesitate to call it a dressing room as such), we effectively have the day off. Mike goes to sort out his guitar while Widge, Andy and I race off to the CD shops again (do we still call them record shops these days?), in search of more bargains. I can't get over how cheap they all are and I'm really fighting the temptation to buy everything in sight. Today it's Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney and Dave Gilmour, among others. Widge snaps up In The Court Of The Crimson King ("...for work, I might be playing some of this stuff with John Wetton.") Andy is eaten up with indecision over a Fender Jazz bass that has caught his eye. Should he? Shouldn't he? In the end, he doesn't (though he probably wishes he had).
Unfortunately, the turn-out tonight is significantly smaller and there's a real sense of anti-climax after last night's great success. Sounchecking with the audience already in the hall is the stuff of nightmares. Nevertheless, we take to the stage about 11.30pm and where we were anticipating the sound onstage to be hideous, it's actually surprisingly good. I was fully expecting this to feel terrible tonight but, in terms of playing, it's probably the best gig in a long while. The audience, though fewer in numbers, are no less enthusiastic. It's a more intimate show for them, something different for those who have come along to all three shows here at Le D'Auteuil. We throw in No Love Lost and Widow's Peak, which we didn't play last night and, all in all, it's a relaxed and good-humoured end to our Canadian debut. Again it's 2.00am when we leave the stage. Time to drink some beer. I'm reminded of that old advertising campaign from a few years back which recommended us to "Drink Canada Dry": I think, over the last three nights, we've pretty much tried our level best to do just that. Finally, we haul ourselves off to bed sometime around 4.00am...
Sunday, June 28th
I'm awoken at 8.00am by someone knocking at the door of the hotel room. When I open the door, there's no-one there. Always good for a laugh, that one. After that, I can't get back to sleep so I make a start on packing my bags for the journey home. When Mike wakes up, we go downstairs and join everyone else for breakfast. After that, it's over to the venue to begin packing away all the gear. It's still hugely hot so most of us have to resort to eating the biggest ice creams in the world.
With all the equipment safely tidied away, it's back to the hotel where we wait for the vehicles to come and return us to Montreal Airport. John, as Tour Dad, makes a few impatient phone calls and a couple of hours later we're on our way. Luckily, we arrive in time for the return flight at 7.45pm.
On the plane I'm sitting behind the tallest (and most restless) man in the world. Either that or he's on stilts the whole journey. At any rate, I can't see the screen for The Man In The Iron Mask so instead I listen to music, drift in and out of sleep and find myself reflecting on the last few days and other band-related matters. One Sunday morning, only a few weeks ago I watched The Gallery in Manchester being demolished. This was the scene of IQ's first Mancunian gigs, back in 1983 and 1984. Geoff Mann joined us for the encore of Suffragette City there. Niadem's Ghost played live for the first time there in 1985, supporting Geoff's band, The Bond. Through the debris and rubble I could see the familiar balcony balustrade which gave the venue its name. A sad moment indeed.
It's 7.30am when we reach Heathrow, having only dozed intermittently during the night. In a couple of days we're off to Barcelona and Milan. Blimey! It's like being in a real band!
Back To The Features


Appeared In: Proceedings of ECML PKDD 2014, Springer, Nancy, France, 2014.
Multi-target regression is concerned with the simultaneous prediction of multiple continuous target variables based on the same set of input variables. It arises in several interesting industrial and environmental application domains, such as ecological modelling and energy forecasting. This paper presents an ensemble method for multi-target regression that constructs new target variables via random linear combinations of existing targets. We discuss the connection of our approach with multi-label classification algorithms, in particular RA$k$EL, which originally inspired this work, and a family of recent multi-label classification algorithms that involve output coding. Experimental results on 12 multi-target datasets show that it performs significantly better than a strong baseline that learns a single model for each target using gradient boosting and compares favourably to multi-objective random forest approach, which is a state-of-the-art approach. The experiments further show that our approach improves more when stronger unconditional dependencies exist among the targets.


There is increasing interest in the relationship between attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) symptoms and entrepreneurship. Initial research suggests that entrepreneurship is attractive to people with ADHD symptoms (Wiklund et al., 2016). It is unclear, however, whether these symptoms are functional in the entrepreneurial setting. In this paper, we hypothesize that ADHD symptoms among entrepreneurs will be linked to greater Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) of the firms they operate. This, in turn, will result in higher performance of their firms. Thus, we suggest that ADHD symptoms are functional in the entrepreneurial setting. We build this on the notion that entrepreneurship is a unique context characterized by high uncertainty. As such, action cannot be based solely on rational analysis but has to be driven by a different logic. Specifically, ADHD symptoms are linked to quick action without deliberation (Barkley, 1997), sensation seeking (Barkley, 1997) and creativity (Coetzer & Trimble, 2009). These characteristics resonate with entrepreneurship generally, and the dimensions of EO (innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking) specifically. EO has been positively linked to performance in many studies (Rauch et al, 2009).
Yu, Wei and Wiklund, Johan (2017) "ADHD SYMPTOMS, ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION (EO) AND FIRM PERFORMANCE (SUMMARY)," Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research: Vol. 37 : Iss. 3 , Article 16.


text:
Lucky Clark On Music: Jordan Kaulback
One-man band returns to Mainely Brews in Waterville.
I always enjoy discovering new artists to highlight in this column. This week's offering is Jordan Kaulback, who will perform at Mainely Brews in Waterville this Saturday, Nov. 21. What I knew about him came from a press release sent by the promoter of the venue and simply said: "A one man band for the new millennium." Needless to say, I was intrigued. I finally got in touch with him and set up a hastily-arranged phone interview where I asked him to fill me in on what he does and where he does it.
Jordan Kaulback
Time: 10 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 21
Venue: Mainely Brews Restaurant & Brewhouse
Address: One Post Office Square, Waterville
Website: www.mainelybrews.com
Q: How far afield does your music take you?
Kaulback: We traveled all the way to California this year, so pretty much anywhere.
Q: I have not heard any of your music before this interview — something I really dislike doing — so I'm not really sure about what you do. Do you record different parts on different instruments on a computer and then combine them while you sing?
Kaulback: No, I do all-live looping.
Q: Oh, like Keller Williams?
Kaulback: Yeah, like Keller and Zack Deputy. It's all live on the spot. No prerecording or anything like that.
Q: That gives you an opportunity to be as spontaneous as you want, being able to call your own shots and like that.
Kaulback: Yeah, you can mix it up definitely. It makes it a lot more fun.
Q: I imagine this is all original material?
Kaulback: Yeah, at bars I'll do covers, but when I play festivals — like in California — I do all originals mostly because that's where I can promote it the most, and then I'll mix in originals in the bar scene.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
Kaulback: Well, when I was a senior, I started playing at festivals and that opened up bars because I joined a band with my father. We were in a rockabilly band when I graduated, so we started from there — so about seven or eight years now.
Q: You found what you wanted to do in your life?
Kaulback: Oh, yeah, definitely. I love it. I mean, as long as you're having fun and if you make money along the way, that's cool, too.
Q: Do you have any albums out of original material?
Kaulback: Well, I need to get one produced actually. I have done recordings, but they're not exactly high quality ones. I've only really worked in a studio once or twice, and then I recorded a lot of my own stuff. It's sitting on a computer. That's my goal for this winter, to get a published CD and get on "207" (a Maine-based television show on WCSH). California's going to fly me and my girlfriend out next year, so I'd like to have a nice big package set up so I can play a lot more festivals and stuff. It's a lot more professional if you have your own CDs. I mean, I have merchandise and stuff, but a CD really seals the deal, you know?
Q: What style of music do you play?
Kaulback: Well, I guess it's like an acoustic-songwriting-looping thing. It's upbeat, happy because I don't really play any downer music, you know? As far as my covers go, I play stuff from reggae to Johnny Cash, Grateful Dead. I do a lot of different covers. I mix it up. There's Elvis, Ricky Nelson, a bunch of random stuff.
Q: My word, that is eclectic.
Kaulback: Louie Armstrong — I really like him.
Q: By the sound of it, you have to have a pretty broad view of things, musically speaking that is.
Kaulback: Yeah, I like to stay open-minded to all genres. I mean, everything has some type of beauty in it, you know?
Q: You've played Mainely Brews before, correct?
Kaulback: Yeah, I think two or three times. Maybe four times now. I opened for a band there a few years back, and then I think I've played twice there this year. I like Mainely Brews. It's a good spot … it's a fun venue.
Lucky Clark has spent more than 45 years writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.