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Home » CRDN named sponsor of Collegiate Players Tour
CRDN named sponsor of Collegiate Players Tour
BERKLEY, MI, June 2, 2009 – The Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN) has signed on as a major sponsor of the Collegiate Players Tour, a summer-long golf competition for college-age men and women across the United States.
CRDN's sponsorship includes national financial support as well as local involvement in eight states from Oklahoma to Ohio and Pennsylvania, and New York to Texas and Louisiana. Following tour stops in 10 cities starting this month, the CPT culminates with the national championship in the Dallas/Fort Worth area August 10-13.
"We are pleased to support these young men and women who excel as students and as athletes," said Chip Bifano, CRDN's President. "We also are very proud of our local Partners who have committed to being involved with the events in their communities," Bifano added.
"The Collegiate Players Tour sincerely appreciates the support and involvement of CRDN," said Barry Rodenhaver, Executive Director of the CPT. "With organizations like CRDN stepping up and sponsoring our tour, we are looking forward to providing a competitive and rewarding tour for these young people, as well as support for area non-profits. In fact, over the years, the CPT has raised more than $1.5 million for local charities."
While the objective of the CPT is to provide experience and generate confidence among college players, at least eight CPT participants have gone on to play on the pro tour. More than 350 colleges and universities are represented at the CPT each year. Starting its 16th year, the Collegiate Players Tour is sanctioned by the Golf Coaches Association of America and the National Golf Coaches Association. For more information on CPT, visit www.collegiateplayerstour.com.
CRDN named Collegiate Players Tour sponsor
Ewles named CRDN Director of IT
CRDN named vendor for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
CRDN named to "Franchise 500" list for 5th straight year

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Research ›
Recordings ›
Indigo Mist: That the days go by and never come again
Indigo Mist: That the days go by and never come again, Cuong Vu, Richard Karpen, Luke Bergman, Ted Poor, RareMusic, 2014.
Cuong Vu
Richard Karpen
Luke Bergman
The ghosts of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn presided over the recording of "That the days go by and never come again," the 2014 RareMusic release from Indigo Mist, known more familiarly around the School of Music as the Vu Karpen Project—a collaboration of faculty artists Cuong Vu (trumpet), Richard Karpen (piano and live electronics), Luke Bergman (bass), and Ted Poor (drums). The group's experimental art music, which layers the musician's work with live electronic iPad per formances by students and research associates of UW Music and the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media, results in a set of covers and original music paying tribute to the jazz icons in a bold and uncompromising fashion, while at the same time, as Vu says, "flipping the whole idea of playing 'jazz' upside down."
Status of Research or Work:
Completed/published
Purchase this CD


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NBC's 6 New Fall Shows Mark Return of Katherine Heigl, Debra Messing
Katherine Heigl plays CIA analyst Charleston Tucker and Alfrie Woodard portrays President Constance Payton State of Affairs.
Image: Mashable, Brian Anthony Hernandez
By Brian Anthony Hernandez 2014-05-12 19:40:57 UTC
"All the President's men are nothing compared to her," splashed across the big screen Monday — to promote the TV slogan for NBC's new fall drama State of Affairs — during the network's annual upfront presentation to advertisers in New York City.
"Her" refers to Katherine Heigl's character in State of Affairs, CIA agent Charleston Tucker, who was once engaged to the son of U.S. President Constance Payton (played by actress Alfre Woodard) before he died in a terrorist attack.
See also: Kevin Spacey's 'NOW' Teases Inspiration for His 'House of Cards' Antihero
NBC reserved the closing minutes of Monday's two-hour presentation at the Javits Convention Center to the show, its obvious pet project for the fall season.
"We're excited to bring Katherine back to television," NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said about the former Grey's Anatomy star. "This will debut in mid-November and when we saw the first clip of the pilot we knew we had something really special."
Among the other series premiering in the fall are A to Z, a half-hour romantic comedy starring Mad Men's Ben Feldman and How I Met Your Mother's Cristin Milioti; as well as Constantine, a one-hour drama based on the DC Comics' series Hellblazer.
Debra Messing, of Will & Grace and Smash fame, also makes her return to network television in The Mysteries of Laura. In the comedy, she plays an NYPD homicide detective struggling with work-life balance and a stubborn ex-husband (Josh Lucas).
Here's how NBC's six new fall shows will fit into the new schedule alongside returning shows such as The Blacklist and The Voice:
Below, watch all six trailers for NBC's brand-new shows.
New TV Shows From NBC for Fall 2014
'State of Affairs'
Katherine Heigl stars as CIA analyst Charleston Tucker in charge of the the president's briefings and security issues.
Video: YouTube, State of Affairs
'Constantine'
This hour-long drama, based on the DC Comics' Hellblazer, follows demon hunter John Constantine.
Video: YouTube, NBCConstantine
'Marry Me'
This half-hour comedy looks at what happens when a planned marriage proposal is foiled and the aftermath of that.
Video: YouTube, Marry Me
'Bad Judge'
In this new comedy, Rebecca Wright (Kate Walsh, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) parties hard at night and works hard during the day a criminal court judge.
Video: YouTube, Bad Judge
'The Mysteries of Laura'
Debra Messing (Will & Grace) stars in this hour-long drama as Laura Diamond, an NYPD homicide detective and mother of twin boys.
Video: YouTube, The Mysteries of Laura
'A to Z'
Andrew (Ben Feldman, Mad Men) and Zelda (Cristin Milioti, How I Met Your Mother) is a romantic comedy taking a deep dive into the quirks of dating in the modern world.
Video: YouTube, A to Z
Topics: Entertainment, NBC, Television


The Journey Within: A Yoga and Mindfulness Intensive Training | Ridge's Stitches | Health Coach. Yoga. Clothing.
WHY: This intensive style training was created out of necessity. Over the years, we collectively saw the need for an in-depth exploration of yoga and mindfulness that was structured to support a curious student of life – someone who wanted more than they were getting from group classes, workshops or private sessions. This year, we heeded the call to curate a training that did just that. We are thrilled to invite you on a thoughtful, comprehensive and collaborative experience aptly called, The Journey Within – A Yoga + Mindfulness Intensive.
Props and Mat – please plan to bring your yoga mat, 2 blocks, 1 strap and a bolster. If you don't have these props, we can connect about a discounted prop package. Props will be greatly appreciated as you develop your home practice!


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Women: The Very Best Way to Lose Fat
Forget the Stupid Treadmill and Peloton Bike
by TC Luoma | January 5, 2022 December 27, 2021
Tags Fat Loss Training, For Women
The Best Way for Women to Lose Fat
It's nuts. Whether it's because of a New Year's resolution, the approach of flesh-baring summer, or even some upcoming milestone event they want to "look good for," women everywhere are drawn to the folly of aerobic activity.
If only that were the worst of it. They usually combine it with some sort of severe calorie restriction that would, in comparison, make the participants of the Bataan Death March seem like a bunch of gourmands participating in a progressive dinner.
They get smaller, all right, the same way a fresh corpse gets smaller if you leave it next to the radiator for a few weeks. That's a colorful and, yeah, harsh way of saying that they lose as much/more muscle as fat, and they kind of, well, shrivel. They may fit into a size two dress, but they look like the Corpse Bride – great cheekbones, but that's about it.
Those of us who study exercise and diet for a living know better, but our advice usually falls on stubborn ears. So in the hopes of converting at least a few of these intransigent souls, I went looking for the best-designed study I could find on the topic of women, weight training, and weight loss.
I tracked down what I was looking for in a 2017 study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism. It found that women in their 30's who combined weightlifting with mild calorie restriction lost 2 pounds of fat for every pound of muscle they gained and fared much better, body composition-wise, than those who just dieted.
Additionally, they confirmed what many of us already know: that calorie restriction, at least mild calorie restriction, doesn't appear to affect metabolism.
How'd They Figure This Out?
The scientists recruited 40 healthy but overweight females (over 30% body fat), average age 32, and separated them into four groups for a four-month study:
Resistance Training Only (RT)
Diet Only (DT)
Resistance Training plus Diet (RT+Diet)
Control (CON)
A registered dietitian calculated each woman's resting metabolic rate (RMR). All participants also had their body fat measured. That info was used to calculate their daily macronutrient and calorie goals. The women in the diet groups received 500 fewer calories per day than their bodies needed to maintain body weight.
All diet plans, regardless of whether they were calorie restriction diets or calorie maintenance diets, consisted of 3.1 grams of protein per kilogram of fat-free mass, 20% of calories from fat, and the remainder from carbohydrate.
Those in the resistance training groups were required to work out 2 to 3 times a week under the supervision of a personal trainer. The program was designed to work virtually every major muscle group in the body and contained such mainstays as squats, deadlifts, and bench press.
As I said, this was a well-designed study.
Lots of Eye-Opening Findings
Thirty-one women completed the study. All groups (minus the control) lost body fat, with the RT only group having the slowest or least fat loss. The RT group, of course, gained the most muscle (2.2 kilograms), but the RT+Diet group ended up gaining one pound of muscle for every 2 pounds of fat they lost.
(Special thanks to the people at Suppversity for cutting through the statistical jungle and coming up with that calculation.)
Perhaps surprisingly, the subjects in the diet-only group didn't lose any significant amount of muscle, while a lot of similar studies show the opposite. However, the subjects in this study were being fed a lot more protein (3.1 grams per kilogram of fat-free mass) than most other studies, so it makes sense and helps verify what we in the weightlifting and bodybuilding community have long accepted as gospel – that adequate protein protects muscle in the face of dieting.
To further punctuate the point that dieting doesn't have to lead to a loss of a lot of muscle, the authors pointed out, "There is a clear metabolic cost of maintaining lean muscle mass, the actual energy expenditure associated with skeletal muscle is rather low, estimated at only about 13 kcal/kg per day."
Another useful tidbit that came out from this study: The subjects in the Diet-Only group didn't suffer any "metabolic damage." In other words, their RMR didn't slow down from four months of dieting. Of course, their daily caloric deficit was only 500 calories, so that probably wasn't going to happen, anyhow. Still, it's an important result to add to the canon of diet wisdom.
The Main Points and How to Use This Info
Training with weights (using a whole-body program) 2 or 3 times a week, combined with a modest reduction in calories (about 500 a day), probably leads to the most dramatic and satisfying results of any fat loss program imaginable.
In contrast to what most people believe, the modest reduction in daily caloric intake used in this study (again, 500 calories) doesn't reduce resting metabolic rate, which, if it did occur, would require dropping calories further or training harder and longer.
If any wanna-be Corpse Brides are reading this, or if it's been read by someone who loves them, the message of this study is that combining a sensible and effective weight resistance training program with modest calorie-restriction is unequivocally the best way to change body comp for the better.
No other strategy could conceivably lead to anywhere near as dramatic a change as adding one pound of muscle for every 2 pounds of fat lost. That's the stuff of alchemy, only instead of turning lead into gold, you're turning weight training and a few passed-up snacks into a superhero body.
Say no to the treadmill, the Peloton bike, or jogging, in combination with, or separate from, calorie restriction.
Miller, Todd et al. "Resistance Training Combined with Diet Decreases Body Fat While Preserving Lean Mass Independent of Resting Metabolic Rate: a Randomized Trial, " Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2018, Jan 24.
Tip: JM Press Overview
Use this underrated accessory movement to build your triceps. Take a look at how they're done.
Arms, Exercise Coaching, Tips
Jason Brown October 30
Tip: The Most Butchered Ab Exercise & How to Fix It
People do this exercise wrong. Don't join them. Try this variation and turn on your abs instantly.
Scott Hansen June 26
Kroc Rows 101
A step by step guide to performing the most bad-ass upper back exercise in existence.
Back, Powerlifting & Strength, Training
Matt Kroc May 14
Tip: Before Your Leg Workout, Do This Exercise
Perform this exercise before squats, especially if you've been sitting a lot. Your squats will feel great! Check it out.
Tips, Training
Dr John Rusin June 24


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Woman Seeking Soldier Finds Siblings Half a World Away
Search by Florence Heene of Belgium ends in Canada
By Arden Dier, Newser Staff
This photo of Hellyer was given to Florence Heene's mother. (Facebook)
(Newser) – For 71 years, "we didn't even know about her. I'm getting tears now just thinking about it," says Thelma Janes of Canada, days after discovering she has a Belgian sister. Janes' father, Herbert Louis Hellyer, married and had five children in British Columbia before heading off to war in 1939, reports CBC News. He returned from Belgium after six years, having suffered a serious brain injury, and committed suicide in 1948. Unbeknownst to any of his children in Canada, Hellyer also left behind their half-sister overseas, the result of an affair he had while stationed in Ghent. Belgium's Florence Heene, 71, who knew only that her father was a Canadian soldier named Herbert, found his photo in a box of her mother's things and shared it on Facebook recently in an effort to find out more about him.
Hellyer's great-granddaughter saw the photo circulating in the media in Canada—a blogger at the Toronto Sun was among those on the case—and thought it looked familiar. In a box of her own mother's items, she found an identical picture Hellyer had sent home during the war, signed, "Love from Daddy." "I'm an elderly woman, I know what went on in the war and it's to be expected," Janes, 79, says of her father's affair. But the discovery of a half-sister left her in "absolute shock," she says. Several family members have since reached out to Heene to share their father's story and to welcome her to the family. Heene, for her part, tells the CBC that "I have the piece [of my life] that I was looking for," she says. (Read more World War II stories.)


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Two parents telework from home with their two boys aged two and seven years, due to schools closing because of the Coronavirus outbreak on March 19, 2020 in 15th district of Paris.
Manage>Security
Cyber Risks Abound as Employees Shift From Offices to Homes
Pivoting from office desktops to laptops at home are projects that security teams at large companies execute over months -- not in days.
Bloomberg | Mar 19, 2020
Kartikay Mehrotra, Amy Thomson, Alyza Sebenius (Bloomberg) -- As companies and government agencies send their employees home to avoid contact with the coronavirus, many cybersecurity teams are facing the unenviable challenge of securing sprawling, vulnerable networks.
Every time an employee connects to their corporate network from home, they're creating possible access points for hackers to exploit. When this happens 1,000 times on a single network almost overnight, as it has amid orders for regional lockdowns, it's increasingly difficult to ensure every connection is secure.
Related: Data Center Operators Cut Onsite Staff and Visitors, Postpone Projects
The specific security challenges are wide ranging. While those using company-provided laptops are likely protected by internal safety measures, they could still be vulnerable if their security software isn't updated or their remote network connection isn't perfectly configured. The bigger problem is employees using their own equipment that security teams can't monitor for malicious traffic. For all they know, these devices may already be infected with malware.
The challenge can overwhelm security personnel, especially for those companies that have previously discouraged employees from working from home. Pivoting from office desktops to laptops at home are projects that security teams at large companies execute over months.
Related: Will the Coronavirus Break the Internet? Highly Unlikely, Says Cloudflare
Instead, the shift to working at home has happened in days. And with so much emphasis placed on simply making sure company operations don't come to a grinding halt, network security can be an afterthought.
"What we're seeing is a help desk or an IT department that wasn't really responsible for setting up a mass network of remote users until a week ago," said Allan Liska, senior security architect at cybersecurity analytics firm Recorded Future Inc. This can lead to equipment and software being poorly configured and vulnerable to exploitation. "We're going to see workers using lots of different workarounds as things fail," he said.
A major power utility in southern Europe, for instance, sent home hundreds of employees last week. In a matter of three days, the company increased remote accessibility from just 9% of their machines to 53%, said Andrea Carcano, founder and chief product officer at Nozomi Networks Inc., an industrial security company in San Francisco.
"There's a risk of opening access to all of those plants," said Carcano, whose company provides network security tools to some of those power systems. He declined to name the utility. "That customer has some visibly. But it is a fact, you're opening a new door that used to be closed. If it's an opening for you, it could be an opening for an attacker."
The huge influx of people working at home has expanded the places hackers can exploit. As companies across Europe and the Americas come to grips with this new normal, hackers are tweaking their attacks -- sending phishing emails that claim to be about the coronavirus or purport to be from a trusted health agency -- to leverage fear of the global pandemic.
There has been a "flood" of cyberscams and hacking attempts related to the virus, according to Michael Daniel, president and chief executive officer of the Cyber Threat Alliance, an intelligence sharing nonprofit organization. "It's really quite amazing how rapidly the bad guys have moved into that area."
There's also been a surge in hackers targeting work-from-home tools, such as the virtual private networks companies use to let employees recreate secure office connections, said Andrew Tsonchev, director of technology at the cybersecurity firm Darktrace.
Hackers appear to be targeting the most vulnerable. Data analysis from Italy indicates that companies that have quarantined workers or instructed them to work from home are prime targets for attackers, according to Cynet, a New York-based cybersecurity company.
"This shows the propensity for hackers to shift their focus to remote work environments in order to capitalize on the virus while thwarting corporate security measures," according to a Cynet blog published Wednesday.
With a daily onslaught of scary news about the virus, people who are working at home may be more likely to click on bogus misinformation links spread on social networks, cybersecurity experts said. And because they expect to get out-of-the-ordinary emails from their IT staff, they may be more likely to click on phishing messages.
Security teams are also working from home, which means they don't have access to the tools they ordinarily use to defend corporate networks.
"The security teams themselves are largely not able to go in, and a lot of the tools that they were relying on are not necessarily at their disposal," said Adam Meyers, the vice president of intelligence at the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike Inc.
When security professionals do have access, ordinary ways to protect corporate networks are not always useful for defending a remote workforce. "A lot of the tools that they were using don't necessarily make sense for the job anymore," Meyers said.
Employees can do their part at home. Updating passwords and using paid virtual private networks and multi-factor authentication are a good start, experts said. Keeping kids off your personal computer, if you use it for work, is a good idea, too, because they could download games or other material infected with malware.
If you want to go the extra mile, buy a home router kit that lets users segregate their networks, said Aaron Zander, head of IT for San Francisco-based HackerOne Inc., a vulnerability detection and coordination platform. He warned that allowing "internet of things" devices -- such as Amazon's Echo speakers and security cameras -- to live on the same network as corporate data further expands the attack surface.
"Everyone needs to be more diligent," Zander said. "If you get an email asking you to make payment, it's important to verify who that message is coming from."
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Yesterday, I felt compelled to begin a month of poetry with Ginsberg's "Kaddish." It evoked the hymn of praise to God, the mourners' kaddish sung at Jewish funeral services; the opening of Ginsberg's poem unflinchingly explores how alternately surreal and harsh we find the reality that Death creates for us.
Last year, I spoke of my encounter and love affair with Edgar Allan Poe. My single favorite poem, above all others, actually, is probably his "The City in the Sea". Today, however, I present you with one of his more melodic works. Seriously, read this poem aloud. You will not fully feel its power if you don't.


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Cabotage basically means reserving the coastal trade for movement if domestic cargo or in other words we can say the restrictions applied by a country to protect and assist the domestic shipping industry from foreign competitors. It is a sovereign right of each country and plays an essential role in promoting domestic traders and protect the national security interests of a country.
Cabotage has some ill effects on the trade and business if the country imposing cabotage laws has a dwindling fleet of ships and if it decides to impose cabotage laws then there will be very few carriers of the goods as foreign country ships will have to obtain special permission to operate in the waters. Also, if the country has low trade potential and it imposes cabotage laws then it will be difficult to find enough carries to fulfil its requirements as the foreign traders will not be affected much even if they do not operate in that country.
The policy of cabotage in India is defined in the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. As per Indian policy, there is no complete cabotage for operating ships in Indian coastal territory. The Merchant Shipping Act is amended from time to time to adjust to the ever-changing scenario of the economy and global conditions.
The Director General of Shipping (DGS) is empowered to issue a license to ships for using Indian flag for a specific period as per its terms and conditions.
After increasing demands by various sections of the society the government recently in 2016 modified the Cabotage rules in India and now it is easier for foreign vessels to operate in Indian coastal territory. This also plugs in the gaps in some ways which the Indian Shipping Industry failed to do.
The cabotage relaxation will now depend on the capacity of the port in question.
Another condition when the relaxation can be revoked is when the port is not able to achieve the target of at least 50% contains traffic handling in a year.
The port which has been granted a relaxation has to provide monthly data to the Directorate General of Shipping and The Ministry of Shipping for assessment and monitoring.


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20 years ago in a prison – an isha yoga teacher shares
The heart wrenching sharing of an Isha Yoga teacher, one of the first teachers selected by Sadhguru to conduct classes in prisons.
Looming walls spiked with barbed wire, policemen on constant patrol, and an impenetrable iron gate – these intimidating signs are enough to keep most people away from such a place. For others, like Sadhguru and Isha Yoga Teachers, they are an invitation and an appeal for help. Over the past 25 years, Isha has been conducting yoga programs in Central Prisons all over Tamil Nadu for prisoners and police alike. Below is a poignant, yet truly inspiring sharing from an Isha Yoga teacher about her first class conducted in Central Prison Vellore in 1998.
An Isha Teacher shares: It's been nearly 20 years since I first stepped into a prison. If I had to remember and share an experience from any of the other classes that I taught at that time in my life, it would be impossible. But, the memory of this one prison class is etched in my mind as if it happened yesterday. Even today, I remember the faces and names of a few participants from that class. Here is my brief account.
During my own Isha Yoga class with Sadhguru in 1993, recordings of sharings from prisoners, who had participated in Isha Yoga programs, were played for us. I was so touched when I heard these that I had a deep longing to visit a prison myself. So five years later, when Sadhguru asked me conduct a class in the Central Prison, Vellore, I was, predictably, quite excited about it. However, when I stood in front of the huge iron gate while two police women searched every nook and corner of my bag and me, I wasn't so excited any more. I felt like a criminal myself.
From a Slow Start to Smiling Faces
Sadhguru had designed a special 11-day class schedule for the prisons – each class started with games, and the participants were to be initiated into an advanced practice along with a special version of Shakti Chalana Kriya. I was told that 45 female prisoners, 8 policewomen, and the Superintendent of Police would be attending the class. But when I went in along with three supporting volunteers, there were only 15 prisoners who came for the class. Seeing this, I requested the SP to bring at least 25-30 people to make the most of our 70 km travel each way for 11 days. They went around and brought a few more, but I wasn't happy with the numbers. Reluctantly, I started the class with a dodge ball game for those 20-odd prisoners.
"When I stood in front of the huge iron gate while two police women searched every nook and corner of my bag and me, I wasn't so excited any more. I felt like a criminal myself."
As the game progressed, all other prisoners were somehow drawn to that area, and soon we had almost everyone, both prisoners and police, playing there like children, shouting, yelling, mocking, and cheering. They were fully on. However, there were two ladies who just stood far off with stiff faces, seemingly trying hard to remain hard. After the games session, I asked them all to come into the hall for the first class session. This time, they all joyfully went into the hall and sat, except for those two ladies.
As I was entering the hall, I heard these two ladies yelling behind me because two policewomen were trying to forcefully send them into the class. I quickly went up to them and requested the policewomen to leave them alone. After they had calmed down a bit, I bowed down to them and asked them to come just for one session. "You need not come from tomorrow onwards if it doesn't work for you. Just for today, I ask you come and experience it," I gently pressed them further. They were so touched and confused by my behavior – which seemed so odd to them – that they decided to come for the first class and didn't miss a single class after.
The Sharing That Shocked Me
As days went by, each games session became a celebration of the joy within the participants. The SP and the policewomen who participated in the class were truly wonderful people. They created such an ambiance where the prisoners felt comfortable to share their personal stories. The sessions were from 7 am to 11 am, and this meant the prisoners had to miss their tea to be on time for the class. On the second day, some came late as they couldn't be without their daily dose of tea. However, at our request, the policewomen helped us to organize tea for all in the class itself, and everything fell in place again.
"Most of them were from very poor families, married young and had abusive husbands and in-laws. Some were even orphans who were sold to criminals for their use."
These were not your simple everyday prisoners. Most of them were on life term – convicted for murders, drug trafficking, terrorism, etc. I particularly remember this one big lady who wore an equally big red bindi on her forehead. She didn't talk at all until the closing session. To make her open to what was being offered there, I did many things – spoke to her directly, encouraged her to speak, had her sit in front – somehow hoping that she would open up and share. She would do what I said, but would not utter a word, she would simply smile back at me. So on the closing day, I was delighted when she got up to share.
She started her sharing saying, "This is the first time in my life I regret murdering fourteen people." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It turned out she had murdered members of a rival gang who now were looking for revenge. "I will write to that rival gang leader to kill me, if he wants, for chopping his son to pieces so cruelly. But let him not fuel the violence further by killing my family members. Then, at least, this cycle may come to an end!" she said with a heavy voice. It was an utterly touching sharing, but that was not why my breath stopped!
A New Life for the Tortured Ones
There were also a few who, one could see easily, were not capable of the ferocious acts for which they were convicted. After the 3rd day, many opened up to me and shared their stories of innocence, crime, shame and pride. Most of them were from very poor families, married young and had abusive husbands and in-laws. Some were even orphans who were sold to criminals for their use. I had to work hard within myself to hold back my tears in front of them, but each night I would come back and cry thinking about their unbelievably torturous life situations. It was truly heartbreaking to see such suffering. "I slept well after years, I feel peaceful, now I want to live," were some of the most-used expressions in their sharings over the 11 days.
"That day, I couldn't hold back my tears anymore and had to let them flow. No one was watching me crying anyway…"
Because of their sheer intensity and deep longing to find something more to life beyond the situations they were in, these ladies became very receptive by the 4th day. I remember on the 5th day, after the initiation, they sat still with eyes closed for a FULL ONE HOUR – something I had never seen happen before, nor did I see again, in almost 20 years of teaching classes. That day, I couldn't hold back my tears anymore and had to let them flow. No one was watching me crying anyway – their eyes had been opened to something much bigger and much deeper.
Today, most of them would be out of prison. Life is not easy for these people even outside the prison walls, but I hope they have continued their practices and carried Yoga with them wherever they may be.
Twenty years later, Isha now offers a 3-day program called Uyir Nokkam in prisons, as well as in businesses, communities, and many other venues. The first Uyir Nokkam prison class was held on June 15 this year for 91 prisoners – 80 were on remand and 11 were convicts. Even during this program, the class started each day with games at 7 am, prisoners missed their tea, and they shared the same expressions of suffering, intensity and transformation.
Editor's Note: Learn more about the Isha Uyir Nokkam program.


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Bineta Diop – indomnitable fighter for women's rights
Who are the Most Influential Africans of 2022?
African leaders have a new narrative on climate – brands operating on the continent should listen
Youth challenge is Africa's greatest concern, says CEO of AUDA-NEPAD
Climate funding: Africa must be pebble in the shoe for rich countries
Nigeria: Politics 'as usual' is no longer fit for purpose
Most Influential Africans of 2021
Rekindling the hopes of Africa's youth
Africa is not getting its fair share of global climate finance
Chimamanda Adichie: There are many ways for youth to organise for change
Creating the African dream: African youth speaks
Ethiopia – only African solutions can resolve crisis
Who is to blame for vaccine inequality?
Private sector role vital for food security in Africa
South Africa unites against looters
Showmax – the great African storyteller
'What we have is an "executocracy", not a democracy' – Sam Jonah
Nigeria and Africom: The dangers of ceding sovereignty
Should Africa be afraid of China?
What lies behind Mozambique's deadly insurgency?
The overthrow of Gaddafi lit the tinderbox in the Sahel, says Mohamed Ibn Chambas
Magufuli will cast long shadow
African authors – writing for the world
Voices of African women during the time of Covid
The 100 Most Influential Africans of 2020
Fallism and restitution: Removing racist statues and returning looted art objects
Review: Uncommon Wealth by Kojo Koram
'We reproach regimes for being corrupt, but we corrupted them ourselves' – Gérard Chaliand
Pascal Lamy: Africa can choose between its partners
AUF: Promoting education and skills across the French-speaking world
Why financial literacy for women and youth matters
Can collaborative leadership help bridge Africa's education divide?
The mice can influence the battle of the elephants
Articles by region
In this month's issue
Africa's leaders tell it how it is
ßß
Opinion: Why the UNDP is launching African Influencers for Development (AID) initiative.
FOCUS - UNGA SPECIAL REPORT
UNDP has launched a bold new platform, African Influencers for Development (AID), an initiative aimed at bringing together creative figures from a host of disciplines to work on innovative approaches to Africa's evolving challenges as well as opportunities. Ahunna Eziakonwa (pictured) – Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director, UNDP Africa – elaborates.
Africa stands at the cusp of a new dawn, with initiatives like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), the African Union's Agenda 2063, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) offering the promise of phenomenal economic and social transformation.
Fulfilling this promise for all of Africa's citizens is more urgent now than ever. I was impressed to listen to Patu Ndango Fen, a progressive young entrepreneur from Cameroon, at the recently held TICAD conference, with her optimism and passion. Like many young people across Africa, she is striving to become a solutions provider.
We can do much more to realise the full potential of this new generation of Africa's business leaders, who are current rather than future catalysts of Africa's development.
I truly believe Africa's power and prosperity lies in partnerships that unlock Africa's immense potential and provide tangible, equitable and lasting benefit to every African citizen.
That is why the UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa is launching a bold new platform at the UN General Assembly in September, to harness the intellectual and entrepreneurial energy of Africa.
'African Influencers for Development', or AID, will feature leading figures from Africa's private sector, academia and the creative sectors that will come together to find new and innovative ways to support Africa's development agenda in partnership with UNDP.
This creative and more sustainable approach to strategic partnerships with Africa's domestic and external stakeholders can help to transition Africa away from a legacy of patronage to more Africa-centric relationships involving bilateral, multilateral and commercial partnership. At the heart of these partnerships is an alignment with the continent's strategic priorities and an emphasis on sustainability.
UNDP is recalibrating its relationships and creating new ones. AID is a call to action for development-minded businesses, academic institutions and other development actors to use their influence for Africa's development.
The idea behind AID is a simple but powerful one, to create a platform to help drive the continent's development by harnessing Africa's creative, intellectual and entrepreneurial energy through a powerful coalition of current and future African influencers.
This call for consistent and adaptive collective actions for reducing poverty, creating jobs, reducing inequality and promoting peace and stability was echoed at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7), in which UNDP was a co-organiser.
This gathering with Heads of State and representatives from 53 African countries agreed on creative strategies for accelerating economic transformation through innovation and private sector engagement; deepening sustainable and resilient societies; and strengthening peace and stability.
The need for new ways
The new vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa calls for governments, business and communities to find new ways of working to harness the ideas, resources and innovations that are required to achieve this ambitious agenda.
Beyond public investment and traditional development flows, investment from the business sector can unlock both development gains and profit for investors. According to a report by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission (2017), the business opportunities created by the 2030 Agenda will create more than 85m jobs in Africa. A $1tn annual investment in housing alone has the potential to create 13m jobs in the continent.
At UNDP we have a long track record of working with governments, business, civil society and academia. We see the private sector as agents of change who help to unlock financing and connect investors to bankable projects.
In Uganda we are partnering with the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) to convene governments and mobile industry to co-create mobile technology solutions for the SDGs.
In Malawi, over 250,000 people (32% women) who had access to, or participated in the supply chains of 17 private companies saw their income or livelihoods improve through the UNDP-supported Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund.
Africa's needs are evolving in scale and complexity and require a comprehensive approach and effective partnerships to address them. The number of young people below 25 has grown by 145m since 2010 and over 10m join the labour force each year, while only 3.7m jobs are created.
Africa also faces multidimensional threats from climate change, described by UN Secretary General António Guterres as "the most systemic threat to humankind".
By 2030, Africa will host the highest population, vulnerable to increased desertification, located in 46 out of its 54 countries. With fertility and poverty rates declining slowly, the continent will continue to host the largest population in extreme poverty.
UNDP is working to strengthen existing relationships and create new ones to address these complex challenges and ensure no one is left behind.
The YouthConnekt programme, which helps young entrepreneurs build businesses and jobs, has created over 8,300 jobs in Rwanda since 2013. It is now being scaled up in 10 other African countries and, at the request of the AU, will be established as a continental youth initiative.
In Angola, we are facilitating a public-private SDG platform to mobilise financing for the SDGs that is linked to the Angolan Corporate Social Responsibility Network and Public-Private Partnership Initiative.
New solutions to complex issues
The Africa of tomorrow will be radically different from the Africa of today. Rapid population growth, climate change, urbanisation and migration trends will fundamentally reshape the continent's development, governance and security landscapes.
This is why, in 2019, UNDP repositioned its strategic offer to Africa to respond to the rapidly evolving development landscape in the continent. Strategic impact areas include natural resource management, youth, energy and governance and two emerging 'headlight' issues – the AfCFTA and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
UNDP is also realigning its capacities to maximise impact and results on the ground and leveraging on its corporate enablers such as a new Digital Strategy, Global Policy Network and its Africa Finance Sector Hub, based in Pretoria.
This new way of working in development is changing the discourse towards more collective approaches that see the private sector and entrepreneurs as engines of change that transform challenges into sustainable solutions.
We have established 30 Accelerator Labs across Africa to work with local actors, academia, private and public sector partners at national and global levels to find radically new approaches that fit the complexity of current development challenges.
These labs aim to introduce new services, backed by evidence and practice, and accelerate the testing and dissemination of solutions within and across countries.
We are already partnering with the Sahara Group, an international energy and infrastructure conglomerate, to promote access to reliable, clean and affordable energy in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria.
In addition, our partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation will involve the training and mentoring of 100,000 young entrepreneurs in Africa over 10 years to enable young people across Africa to build sustainable business, collectively generate millions of new jobs and contribute to their local economies.
I believe in the power of a strong coalition of established and emerging African influencers in business, academia and the arts to advance the continent's development and regional integration objectives and call upon more partners to join us in this noble cause. In my country, Nigeria, there's a proverb which says: 'A man (or woman!) cannot sit down alone and plan for prosperity.'
Written by Guest Contributor
New African Guest Contributor is a highly-respected individual who expert and intelligent opinion is shared
Read our Discussion Policy
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Case Study: How CARMMA is winning the battle against maternal mortality
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Interview: Aya Chebbi – Talking about her generation…
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Insight: What role do African think tanks play in development
As societies have become more complex, requiring more detailed data and accurate analysis, the need for think tanks has increased.
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Nuclear photonic rocket
In a traditional nuclear photonic rocket, an onboard nuclear reactor would generate such high temperatures that the blackbody radiation from the reactor would provide significant thrust. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of power to generate a small amount of thrust this way, so acceleration is very low. The photon radiators would most likely be constructed using graphite or tungsten. Photonic rockets are technologically feasible, but rather impractical with current technology based on an onboard nuclear power source. However, the recent development of Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT), the Beamed Laser Propulsion (BLP) with photon recycling, promises to overcome these issues by separating the nuclear power source and the spacecraft and by increasing the thrust to nuclear power ratio (specific thrust) by orders of magnitude.[1]
1 Energy requirements and comparisons
2 Power sources
Energy requirements and comparisons
The power per thrust required for a perfectly collimated output beam is 300 MW/N (half this if it can be reflected off the craft); very high energy density power sources would be required to provide reasonable thrust without unreasonable weight. The specific impulse of a photonic rocket is harder to define, since the output has no (rest) mass and is not expended fuel; if we take the momentum per inertia of the photons, the specific impulse is just c, which is impressive. However, considering the mass of the source of the photons, e.g., atoms undergoing nuclear fission, brings the specific impulse down to 300 km/s (c/1000) or less; considering the infrastructure for a reactor (some of which also scales with the amount of fuel) reduces the value further. Finally, any energy loss not through radiation that is redirected precisely to aft but is instead conducted away by engine supports, radiated in some other direction, or lost via neutrinos or so will further degrade the efficiency. If we were to set 80% of the mass of the photon rocket = fissionable fuel, and recognizing that nuclear fission converts about 0.10% of the mass into energy: then if the photon rocket masses 300,000 kg then 240,000 kg of that is atomic fuel. Therefore, the fissioning of all of the fuel will result in the loss of just 240 kg of mass. Then 300,000/299,760 kg = an mi/mf of 1.0008. Using the rocket equation, we find vf = ln 1.0008 × c where c = 299,792,458 m/s. vf then may be 239,930 m/s which is about 240 km/s. The nuclear fission powered photon rocket may accelerate at a maximum of perhaps 1/10,000 m/s² (0.1 mm/s²) which is 10−5g. The velocity change would be at the rate of 3,000 m/s per year of thrusting by the photon rocket.
If a photon rocket begins its journey in low earth orbit, then one year of thrusting may be required to achieve an earth escape velocity of 11.2 km/s if the vehicle is already in orbit at a velocity of 9,100 m/s. Upon escaping the Earth's gravitational field the rocket will have a heliocentric velocity of 30 km/s in interplanetary space. Eighty years of steady photonic thrusting would be then required to obtain a final velocity of 240 km/s in this hypothetical case.
It is possible to obtain even higher specific impulse; that of some other photonic propulsion devices (e.g., solar sails) is effectively infinite because no carried fuel is required. Alternatively, such devices as ion thrusters, while having a notably lower specific impulse, give a much better thrust-to-power ratio; for photons, that ratio is 1 / c {\displaystyle 1/c} , whereas for slow particles (that is, nonrelativistic; even the output from typical ion thrusters counts) the ratio is 2 / v {\displaystyle 2/v} , which is much larger (since v ≪ c {\displaystyle v\ll c} ). (This is in a sense an unfair comparison, since the photons must be created and other particles are merely accelerated, but nonetheless the impulses per carried mass and per applied energy—the practical quantities—are as given.) The photonic rocket is thus wasteful when power and not mass is at a premium, or when enough mass can be saved through the use of a weaker power source that reaction mass can be included without penalty.
A laser could be used as a photon rocket engine, and would solve the reflection/collimation problem, but lasers are absolutely less efficient at converting energy into light than blackbody radiation is—though one should also note the benefits of lasers vs blackbody source, including unidirectional controllable beam and the mass and durability of the radiation source.The limitations posed by the rocket equation can be overcome, as long as the reaction mass is not carried by the spacecraft. In the Beamed Laser Propulsion (BLP) concept, the photons are beamed from the photon source to the spacecraft as coherent light. Robert L. Forward pioneered interstellar propulsion concepts including photon propulsion and antimatter rocket propulsion. However, BLP is limited because of the extremely low thrust generation efficiency of photon reflection. One of the best ways to overcome the inherent inefficiency in producing thrust of the photon thruster by amplifying the momentum transfer of photons by recycling photons between two high reflectance mirrors.
Photon recycling multiple times over distances in a passive optical cavity, which consists of two high-reflectance mirrors only, expands laser beam diameter, thus forms a Fabry-Perrot optical resonance cavity in which any small movement of mirrors would destroy the resonance condition and null photonic thrust. Bae, however, discovered[2] that in an active optical cavity formed by two high-reflectance mirrors and a laser gain medium in between, similar to the typical laser cavity, photon recycling becomes insensitive to the movement of mirrors. Bae named[3] the laser thruster based on the photon recycling in an active optical cavity Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT). In 2015 his team demonstrated the number of photon recycling up to 1,540 over a distance of a few meters and photonic thrusts up to 3.5 mN with the use of a 500 W laser system.[4] In the laboratory demonstration, a Cubesat (0.75 kg in weight) was propelled with PLT. PLT powered by a nuclear reactor or solar power can in principle overcome "the tyranny of the rocket equation," which implies that the required onboard fuel mass exponentially increases as a function of the destination velocity for conventional thrusters, thus, if successfully developed, can expand human space endeavors beyond earth orbits.[5]
Feasible current, or near-term fission reactor designs can generate up to 2.2 kW per kilogram of reactor mass.[citation needed] Without any payload, such a reactor could drive a photon rocket at nearly 10−5 m/s² (10−6g; see g-force). This could perhaps provide interplanetary spaceflight capability from Earth orbit. Nuclear fusion reactors could also be used, perhaps providing somewhat higher power.
A design proposed in the 1950s by Eugen Sänger used positron-electron annihilation to produce gamma rays. Sänger was unable to solve the problem of how to reflect, and collimate the gamma rays created by positron-electron annihilation; however, by shielding the reactions (or other annihilations) and absorbing their energy, a similar blackbody propulsion system could be created. An antimatter-matter powered photon rocket would (disregarding the shielding) obtain the maximum c specific impulse; for this reason, an antimatter-matter annihilation powered photon rocket could potentially be used for interstellar spaceflight.
Photonic laser thruster
Photon rocket
Spacecraft propulsion
Radioisotope rocket
^ Bae, Young K. (2012). "Prospective of Photon Propulsion for Interstellar Flight". Physics Procedia. 38: 253–279. doi:10.1016/j.phpro.2012.08.026. ISSN 1875-3892.
^ Bae, Young K. (2008). "Photonic Laser Propulsion: Proof-of-Concept Demonstration". Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 45 (1): 153–155. doi:10.2514/1.32284. ISSN 0022-4650.
^ Bae, Young (2007-09-18). "Photonic Laser Propulsion (PLP): Photon Propulsion Using an Active Resonant Optical Cavity". AIAA SPACE 2007 Conference & Exposition. Reston, Virigina: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. doi:10.2514/6.2007-6131. ISBN 9781624100161.
^ Bae, Young (2016). "Demonstration of a mN-Class Photonic Laser Thruster". ResearchGate. AIAA SPACE 2007 Conference & Exposition. Reston, Virigina: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
^ Bae, Young (2016). "The photonic railway". ResearchGate. Book Chapter 4 of New Frontiers in Space Propulsion, Nova Science Publisher. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
Application of nuclear photon engines for deep-space exploration by Andrey V. Gulevich, Eugeny A. Ivanov, Oleg F. Kukharchuk, Victor Ya. Poupko, and Anatoly V. Zrodnikov. AIP Conference Proceedings
"Interstellar rendezvous missions employing fission propulsion systems," Lenard, R.X., and Lipiniski, R.J., in Proceedings of the Space Technology Applications Int'l Forum, 2000
On the conversion of infrared radiation from fission reactor-based photon engine into parallel beam, Gulevich, A. V.; Levchenko, V. E.; Loginov, N. I.; Kukharchuk, O. F.; Evtodiev, D. A.; Zrodnikov, A. V., in Proceedings of the Space Technology Applications Int'l Forum, 2002
Long-life space reactor for photon propulsion, Sawada, T.; Endo, H.; Netchaev, A., in Proceedings of the Space Technology Applications Int'l Forum, 2002


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Court seeks jail's report on Nirbhaya case convicts
Edited By Odishatv Bureau Published By IANS On Jun 4, 2019 - 6:13 PM
Pic Credit: DNA/Representational
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday asked the Tihar Jail authorities to file a status report on July 19, the next date of hearing, on the four convicts of the December 16, 2012 gang rape case.
Asking the Tihar Jail superintendent to appear in person along with report, the court sought details on various legal remedies that the four death row convicts had availed and those that were pending.
The court order came on a plea filed by parents of the December 16, 2012 rape victim, seeking to expedite their hanging in the case.
The 23-year-old paramedic student was assaulted and raped on the night of December 16, 2012 inside a moving bus in south Delhi by six men. Later she was thrown out of bus along with her male friend. She died on December 29, 2012 at a Singapore hospital where she had been shifted for advanced medical care.
The counsel for the victim's parents urged early execution of the death sentences awarded to the convicts. In the petition, they said not only was the entire nation awaiting execution of the death sentences, but the whole world was looking towards the Indian judicial system.
On May 5, 2017, the apex court upheld the death sentences awarded by a trial court and confirmed by the Delhi High Court to the four convicts — Mukesh (29), Pawan Gupta (22), Vinay Sharma (23) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31).
One of the accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly hanged himself in jail, while another, a juvenile, was released after serving a three-year term in a reform facility.


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« Knotfest.com To Stream Slipknot Headline Set From Download 2019; Friday April 10th, 6pm EDT/3pmPDT
Important COVID-19 message from 3TEETH and Artoffact Records! »
In This Moment Release "Mother" Today, Listen To New Song "As Above So Below"
IN THIS MOMENT RELEASE NEW ALBUM MOTHER, TODAY, MARCH 27
HEADLINE TOUR WITH BLACK VEIL BRIDES, DED, + RAVEN BLACK POSTPONED
In This Moment have released their seventh album Mother, today March 27 via Roadrunner/Atlantic. The album is available here.
Ahead of the album's release, the band shared the thunderous and unforgettable new song "As Above So Below." Listen here.
In This Moment were recently profiled by Billboard. Read the exclusive feature here.
The band also released "Hunting Grounds," featuring Joe Cotela of DED. The haunting track hinges on the vocal interplay and lyrical tension between ITM frontwoman Maria Brink and Cotela. Ultimately, "Hunting Grounds," which boast the ominous chorus "One of us is going down," is like a metallic game of cat and mouse. Listen here and here.
Before that, In This Moment shared their new single "The In-Between." Watch the video here.
Mother follows 2017's beloved Ritual. Excitement for this record burns at a fevered pitch, as In This Moment landed on several "Most Anticipated" lists, including Alternative Press, Loudwire, and Revolver.
In This Moment are known to spend most of their time on the road, bringing their epic and extraordinary live shows to their legion of dedicated fans. The band had to postpone its planned Spring 2020 headline tour with Black Veil Brides and DED. Stay tuned for an update regarding the rescheduled dates.
MOTHER TRACK LISTING:
"The Beginning — Interlude"
"The Red Crusade — Interlude"
"The In-Between"
"We Will Rock You" (Feat. Lzzy Hale + Taylor Momsen)
"God Is She"
"Holy Man"
"Hunting Grounds" (Feat. Joe Cotela of Ded)
"Into Dust"
March 27th, 2020 | Category: News


Q: What are the Pro's of using eggshell or satin paints?
A: They are better stain resistant, so they resist dirt pick-up & stay cleaner longer. They have better scuff & wear resistance, these are good for high traffic areas & on surfaces that are handled, washed or scrubbed frequently. They have better moisture resistance, which makes them ideal for surfaces and areas that are frequently exposed to high humidity levels. They have a smooth, bright, more lustrous finish that some people prefer.


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Author Lars Kruse
Eficode Praqma News
10 years ago, Eficode Praqma started, not in a garage, but in a posh apartment in the Copenhagen city center. Soon it became apparent that the dot-com bubble had already burst and it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.
I (Lars) have been searching through some of the memorabilia and digital traces since the first steps, so buckle up, and I'll take you on a trip down memory lane.
I was working as a self-employed consultant, I had an old friend, Michael, with whom I had a standing agreement, that some day we were going to join forces and start something together. We had made a few previous failed, half-hearted attempts, but one day he got back to me a said "It's now, I'm ready". It turned out that in the meantime, he had gone fishing (or canoeing - I think it was) with one of his current customers, Leif. And he was also ready to start up, so we would be three to begin with.
"The more the merrier" let's get started. And that was really all it took. The company was officially established on November 1st 2007 and we started out in grand style in nice 180 square meter apartment at Israels Plads in the heart of Copenhagen.
The only customers we had was the ones I could bring in from my life as self-employed - but times were good, and we would soon be flying high.
We hired a (extra) ClearCase expert - a lot of our work back then was really about ClearCase. But surely we had seen the writing on the wall. Looking back in my mailbox I can see, that 9 years ago, is the time when I find the first mention of the word "Git" in my mail conversations and it's also the year where I signed up to GitHub. We knew, that ClearCase wasn't going to survive into the future, and when we onboarded two interns, we sent them off in the direction of implementing intelligent branching strategies in Subversion.
This was also the year where we managed to pre-invoice one of our customers more than 250K DKK worth of undelivered work - which is a major contributing reason why we're still here today. The financial crisis was a reality, and the credit line we had in the bank, was not sustaining the cashflow of a startup.
Was the year when we moved our website from google sites to a self-hosted Joomla instance.
We had hired a junior Ops profile, we believed that the future of infrastructure was to be found in the realm of virtual machines, so we bought for DKK 35K worth of server equipment and installed it right there in the apartment. We spun op the whole thing on KVM - and spent 6 fruitless weeks trying to make the environment production ready, until we shut it all down and returned all the expensive machinery and got 60% of our initial investment return. We considered ourselves lucky - boy, did we burn our fingers. The technology wasn't really mature - we told ourselves - but to be honest, we're weren't exactly ripe ourselves.
This was also the year where Michael, one of the three founding partners left us again. Leif and I bought back his shares 1:1 - the financial crisis was still upon us - so the story goes.
We moved to our office in Allerød. This was truly the year of the mountainbike. And there were a lot of forest in Allerød to ride. We didn't have that much work to do actually (we blamed it on the financial crisis - not us).
We had our first paying gig on a Distributed Version Control System; Bazaar. This was the DVCS that came out of Cannonical, then masterminds behind Ubuntu - we were sure we had picked the winner in the Bzr/Hg/Git fight that was inevitable.
Is when I find the first mention of the words "Continuous Delivery" in my mail correspondence.
It's also the year where I personally started a side-gig and began importing MTB gear from China; high-end MacMahone mountainbikes and LED headlamps for night-rides in the deep woods surrounding Allerød. It was our Blair-witch-project-on-wheels.
It's the year where we released our first commercial Jenkins Plugin (which was even Hudson compliant!) the Matrix Reloaded Plugin - a nifty little thing, that would allow you to rerun a selected range of jobs in a matrix build - really useful if your matrix was a 10 by 40 matrix that would run for days, and which suffered for false negatives like network fall-outs or lack of licenses for costly analyzers at run-time.
It's also the year where we kinda saw that Bazaar wasn't gonna win the DVCS race and we finally nailed the winner as Mercurial - and we started using Mercurial internally.
…Is when I made my first tweet - on Twitter.
It's also the year where we went to the Jenkins CI Conference in Paris and presented the ClearCase UCM plugin. It was so smart that it could automatically integrate branches into the main branch based on simple naming conventions. The presentation caused quite some buzz in the Jenkins community mostly because it got some attention from Kohsuke, the Benevolent dictator of Jenkins; who tweeted: "That branchy approach in ClearCase is pretty interesting".
So it became the year where you could read (maybe for the last time in history) the words "ClearCase" and "Interesting" in the same sentence.
This was also the year where we hired our first employee in marketing - a graphical designer and where we kicked off our first success out of many in terms of events. We hosted the first Jenkins CI User Event, topped up with a partnership and a blue stamp from Cloudbees. We had a sold-out Jenkins Event (90 seats) in Copenhagen.
On the evening of the event, after everyone had left - except Leif and myself, who were still tidying up the venue - we looked at each other and agreed "This was FUN - let's do more of this". It was the birth of our inbound, community building, branding strategy.
Maybe even the evening, where the financial crisis finally ended - even for us.
Is when Adam our first employee in sales took his first ride on a Praqma-owned mountainbike.
It's when we launched our "Continuous Delivery for the Industry" tour, first in the dark inhabited areas of Jutland and later in the center of Copenhagen. We were definitely developing an edge to our company - it's about Continuous Delivery and it's about industrial companies.
These meetups were the foundation of JOSRA - the Joint Open Source Roadmap Alliance, which later became the Continuous Delivery Alliance.
It's also the year where I find the first mention of the word "DevOps" in my mail correspondence.
And the year where we put the first private repository on GitHub - turned out that Git was the DVCS winner. At least we are the ones, who have the sufficient ballast, to say that with a convincing amount of ethos - we literally tried them all!
Is when we reached out to Mike, and brought him in as the 3rd partner. We had more customers in Oslo and Norway than we could serve, and we were looking to expand. I had reached out to a person at one of our Norwegian leads. I guessed from his mail address - which contained a ext- prefix to his initials, that he was a consultant. I tried to onboard him. He was happy where he were though, but sent me off to another pair of potentials that he knew, which might be interested. They too were happy and content in their current situation, but they sent me off to another bloke, a Scott-Australian who recently returned with his family from China and who started up by himself - also babbling about "DevOps" and "Continuous-this-and-that".
Here's a glimpse of the mail dialog:
From: Lars
To:   Mike
We're a company based in Denmark. We have specialized in helping other software
development team in adopting the principles of Continuous Delivery and DevOps.
We're ten people, and it's all we do.
We're currently looking to expand our business, we have more work coming in that we can overcome with our current staff and we want to recruit more people - either as employees or potentially as office mangers/partners in new offices.
We're considering opening offices in Oslo
Let me know what you think?
The day after Mike replied:
From: Mike
To:   Lars
Thanks for getting in touch.  It looks like I meet the exact needs you have.
That was it then. This was also the first year of the "Continuous Delivery Conference" which essentially was the new and upgraded Jenkins CI User Event. We invited Mike to come and join, and meet us, and it was a wrap - Mike was onboarded - and Eficode Praqma Norway was a reality.
It was the same year that we started up in Aarhus, with another of our old-time friends, Jan.
The years to come we would actually grow at the speed of a startup - 7 years after we started.
It was also the year where I went to the last Rational Conference ever in Florida together with one of our clients, Flemming, and together we presented what was basically a recap of the Jenkins presentation from Paris, spiced up with real-life experiences. We got the last track, on the last day. The audience was like 20 (very dedicated) people.
I think it's a fair statement to make, that Flemming and I did the last ClearCase presentation in the world! - 13 years after I had my debut at presenting "Branching Strategies in ClearCase" at the Rational User Conference in Denver - for a room packed with 200+ ClearCase admins.
We opened our office in Stockholm and we hired our first employee in communication.
The "Continuous Delivery Conference" became a three-capitals-tour with touch-down in both Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.
Eficode Praqma opened a small satellite office in Copenhagen, co-located with Trifork, and praqma.com went live on Jekyll and GitHub Pages.
We still had customers who needed our help on ClearCase, but no one to deal with it, so this also became the year, where we would hire sub-contractors to deal with our customer's ClearCase maintenance.
We turned the Copenhagen satellite office into the main office, when we moved to Amager (and the Allerød office then became the satellite). It's the year of the first Continuous Delivery Academy, a free 5-day intense training for computer science students.
It's the year where we introduced the "Mr. Wolf" metaphor as part of our story telling - a reference to "The Bonnie Situation" in the movie Pulp Fiction, and also the year where we, six month later, stopped using it again. Due to the possibility that it might offense someone, we wiped out every references to it on our website - like Vincent and Jules cleaned the backseat of that `74 Chevy Nova.
This year we conducted a series of "cultural interviews" - a one-hour interview with each and every employee on the topic of who are we?.
It was also the year where I started seeing a coach.
Within the last year
We have opened offices in Odense, Gothenburg and Malmö and we have moved our Copenhagen office for the third time.
The future ahead of us
It looks like we actually have more ClearCase work coming in - and definitely more Atlassian work.
We have grown big - at least in our own conception - and we have recently reorganized our management, to accommodate the challenges of running a big company.
The future for Eficode Praqma is definitely looking bright.
The Atlassian Software in Kubernetes solution goes open source
Eficode Praqma is at KubeCon Europe 2019 for this announcement
Two Nordic DevOps heavyweights join forces - Eficode and Praqma
We will shape the future of DevOps together
Eficode Praqma has a long history of accelerating and enabling team productivity using the Atlassian stack. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our consultants Eficode Praqma has now achieved Atlassian Platinum Partner Status.
Eficode Praqma becomes Atlassian Platinum Solution Partner
Our consultants receive the stamp of approval
Eficode Praqma joins the RADON project
Unlocking the Benefits of Serverless FaaS for the European Software Industry
Building on our long history with Kubernetes, Eficode Praqma has joined the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and qualified as Scandinavia's only Kubernetes Certified Service Provider.
Eficode Praqma joins the CNCF and becomes Kubernetes Certified Service Partner
Taking Kubernetes services to the next level - another first for Scandinavia
Eficode Praqma is turning 40 - at the age of nine. Looking back it seems like it has been a relative slow start, but at this point we're moving at the speed of 2+ employees per month.
Eficode Praqma is turning a sharp corner in high speed
Git, the Open Source distributed VCS, has surely been one of the largest game changers in modern software development. But another one, maybe even bigger than git itself, is GitHub -
GitHub - Our new best friend!
Partnering up with GitHub is a dream come true
Eficode Praqma's partnership with Atlassian
A given partnership between toolsuite and consultants


Sound Healing uses sound to create balance and alignment in the physical body, the energy centres ouncalled "chakras," and/or the etheric fields. The sound may be applied by an instrument or by the human voice. Sound Healing is a vibrational therapy and can be understood as being energy medicine.
Music in Imagery: Client listens to specific music while using imagery to open their psyche to self-discovery.
Music Therapy: Therapist works with client by using music to help elicit states of behaviour modification.
Cymatic Therapy: Instruments project specific frequencies into a client's body to create physiological change.
Tapes: Audio with specifically chosen frequencies, either generically created or specially designed for an imbalance of a particular client.
The Electronic Ear: Client listens to a program of specially filtered music via headphones, designed to open the ear and the brain to greater frequencies of sound while treating imbalances such as dyslexia and emotional issues.
Toning and Overtoning: Client receives the vocally created sounds of a practitioner to balance and align imbalances on the physical, emotional or etheric.
Harmonic Resonance: Client is tested using kinesiology and receives frequencies from synthesized sounds to balance the physical body.
Bio-Acoustics: The missing frequencies of a client's voice are found and played back via synthesized sounds.
Hemi-Sync: Client listens to synthesized sounds designed to balance the hemispheres of the brain and to induce altered states of consciousness.
Mantric Chanting: Client sounds specific mantras designed to balance and align their etheric field.
Tuning Forks: Client receives specific frequencies from specially designed tuning forks for relaxation and balance.
Vibro-Acoustic beds, chairs, etc.: Client sits or lies on a specially designed bed that projects music into their body. Such devices include: the Somatron, the Betar and the Genesis.
"Overtoning" is a technique in which a Sound Healer will use their voice to scan the physical body of their client and then project vocal harmonics (overtones) into an imbalanced portion of the body (or etheric centre) that is found. A practitioner begins by making a siren-like sound, starting at the bottom of the client's feet with a very low sound and continues up the body, raising in pitch, until a very high sound is created at the client's head. An experienced practitioner of this technique can hear changes in their tone as they do this. The vocal timbre (or tone colour created by harmonics in the voice) actually changes when the sound reaches a place of imbalance. The practitioner then projects this specific harmonic into the area of the body where the imbalance was found. This may be for a few minutes or longer. When the harmonic becomes less audible or disappears and the tone becomes normalized, the sounding for that area is complete. Frequently, a practitioner will find a number of areas where sounding is needed. A practitioner may conclude the session by discussing the experience with the client.
This simple technique combines both listening and sounding. The practitioner is listening for a change in their tone, which happens when their sound interfaces with the energy field of their client. They must be extremely aware of the subtle changes in their sound in order to do this technique effectively. Overtoning can produce astounding results. Since sound can rearrange molecular structure, it's quite possible for seemingly miraculous things to occur: vertebrae align, muscles relax, chronic pains disappear, traumas and blockages are released. Clients may report feelings of being energized, ecstatic, lightheaded, or drowsy. However, it's also possible for nothing to happen at all. As with many of the healing arts, much of this may depend upon the relationship of the therapist with the client and vice versa.
Techniques such as Overtoning are particularly effective when combined with different bodywork modalities such as massage, chiropractic and therapeutic touch. A skilled practitioner can create sounds that enable their bodywork to reach new levels of effectiveness.
The use of sound as a healing modality dates back to prehistoric times, when shamans healed through chanting and drumming. In the ancient mystery schools of Egypt, Greece, India, Egypt and other centres of knowledge, the use of sound and music for healing was a highly developed sacred science. Sonic vibration was known to be the fundamental creative force in the universe.
In modern times, the Cymatic experiments of Swiss medical doctor Hans Jenny demonstrated how various substances such as plastics, liquids and sand take on different shapes depending upon the frequencies they're subjected to. These experiments showed that sound has the ability to affect and change molecular structure. Since the body is composed of over 75% water, it's easy to understand how sound can create change in the body.
Other Sound Healing pioneers who experimented with instrumentation, include: Dr. Peter Guy Manners, whose Cymatic Instrument projects specifically tabulated frequencies into the body; Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis, whose Electronic Ear uses sound to treat many learning disabilities and emotional problems; and Robert Monroe who discovered how to use sound waves to synchronize the hemispheres of the brain and cause accelerated consciousness.
The voice has been used as an instrument of healing since the earliest times. The technique of "toning," using the voice for healing, was first named and described in the book of the same name by Laurel Elizabeth Keyes. "Overtoning," the technique described earlier in this article was first named and described in HEALING SOUNDS.
The basic principle of Sound Healing is that of resonance; every object is in a state of vibration and therefore creates sound. This includes the various parts of our body, such as our organs, muscles and bones. If these parts of our body are vibrating at their normal, healthy frequency, we term this "health." If a portion of our body vibrates at a frequency not harmonious to us, we call this "disease." Sound can be used to project the correct resonant frequency into the "diseased" part of the body, returning it to its natural frequency and a state of health. This projection of sound can be done through electronic instrumentation or through the human voice.
The primary question in Sound Healing is: what are the correct resonant frequencies of the body? The answer to this has not yet been fully verified. Sound Healing scientists and researchers have determined frequencies for the various parts of the body, as well as for specific imbalances of the body. They have invented instruments that project these healing frequencies back into the body and all report success with their sounds. Yet these frequencies are all different and do not correlate with each other. There are many theories about this, but no one knows exactly why.
In terms of vibrational medicine, another major questions arises: do all people vibrate at the same frequency? The answer to this is unknown. It may be that the frequencies of different people vary. This could explain why different instruments with different frequencies all seem to have success. Different practitioners have different methods of testing to determine the proper frequencies. Some use kinesiology (muscle testing), others pendulums or radionics. There's even a system of Sound Healing that finds missing frequencies in the voice and adds them back through listening to tapes, restoring the body to a state of health. All these methods have had some success. Whether they work for everyone is another issue.
Since sound can potentially rearrange molecular structure, the possible healing applications of sound are limitless. Stories exist of terminal or incurable diseases that have been instantaneously healed through sound. However, while such miraculous experiences may occur, it's also quite possible for a client to receive no apparent benefit from Sound Healing.
When dealing with the plethora of instrumentation and sound devices currently available on the market, it's conceivable that a person receiving the sound from an instrument may not resonate with a particular frequency and could potentially have an adverse effect with sound. While this would be rare, it is possible. The least invasive approach to Sound Healing seems to be that of using the human voice.
Due to the recent rediscovery of Sound Healing, anyone with a musical instrument, an electronic gadget or the courage to project their voice at another person may call themselves Sound Healers. There are no licenses. There are in fact few programs of study in which an individual can learn about the physiological and psycho-acoustic effects of sound. It's hoped that a practitioner will have an understanding of the physical and energetic mechanisms of the body. The best way to evaluate a practitioner is simply to experience their work and see if it resonates with the individual. If a client feels better after a session, that is good. If not, don't go back for more.
"AH" is an extremely powerful sound particularly useful for generating peace and compassion—the keys to transformation of consciousness on this planet. It's also a sacred seed syllable found in most of the God and Goddess names on the planet (Tara, Buddha, Krishna, Yah, Astara), as well as many sacred words (Amen, Alleluia, Aum). Also, most mystical traditions find it to be the sound of the heart chakra. Yet, as a vowel sound, it defies denomination or description as a mantra and is acceptable by everyone.
2. Begin to tone the "AH" sound while feeling the energy of compassion and peace within. Once achieving this feeling, visualize a person with whom you have positive energy and send this energy to them while making this sound. Then visualize someone with whom you have neutral energy towards. Finally, make the "AH" sound while sending the energy of peace and compassion to someone with whom you've had some difficulty. It's this last part of the exercise that provides the greatest opportunity for spiritual growth. It's easy to send love and peace to someone you already love. Or, with the second part of the exercise, someone you don't have any real feelings towards. It can be a real challenge to send compassion to someone you don't love or may consider an enemy. Yet, herein lies the most extraordinary evolutionary activation that can occur on both a personal and planetary level. If we can learn to do this, we will great assist the ascension of the Earth.
Jonathan Goldman is a writer, musician and teacher. He is an authority on Sound Healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. Jonathan is the author of HEALING SOUNDS: THE POWER OF HARMONICS (Inner Traditions), SHIFTING FREQUENCIES (Light Technology) THE LOST CHORD (Spirit Music) and TANTRA OF SOUND (Hampton Road), co-authored with his wife Andi. You can visit him online at www.healingsounds.com.
To access a listing of Sound Healers, training seminars and resources, visit www.soundhealersassociation.org.


Molecular Nanotechnology is a technological revolution which seeks nothing less than perfectibility. Molecular manufacturing technology can be clean and self-contained. Molecular Nano manufacturing will slowly transform our connection towards matter and molecules as clear as the computer changed our relationship to information and bits. It will help accurate, inexpensive control of the structure of matter.


text:
Het Nieuw-Zeelands rugby sevensteam is een team van rugbyers dat Nieuw-Zeeland vertegenwoordigt in internationale wedstrijden.

Ze spelen geheel in het zwart.

In 2020 werd Nieuw-Zeeland olympisch kampioen.

Wereldkampioenschappen
Nieuw-Zeeland heeft aan elk wereldkampioenschap deelgenomen. In 2013 en 2018 werd de wereldtitel behaald.

 WK 2009:
 WK 2013:
 WK 2018:

Olympische Zomerspelen
Nieuw-Zeeland won zilver op het Olympische debuut van Rugby Seven.

 OS 2016:
 OS 2020:

Nationaal rugbyteam
Rugby7
Rugby in Nieuw-Zeeland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Box Mounts are an affordable alternative to custom picture framing. In this process art is permanently adhered onto the top of a shallow 'box' of styrene or Masonite, with laminate sides. The finished box has a clean, modern look and is about 1½" deep. Several different side colors are available, but most clients choose black, since it looks striking and goes with most decorating schemes.
Box Mounts are the perfect price-friendly solution for a family photo wall. Large pictures look dramatic Box Mounted. Consider it for art show or golf tournament posters, nautical charts, maps, and for movie posters to hang in home theaters. Because there's no glass, Box Mounted pieces are lightweight and glare-free depending on the chosen finish. This also makes Box Mounts especially suitable for dorm rooms and high-traffic areas.
Posters, photographs, and inexpensive reproductions are the best choices for Box Mounting since they'll be permanently glued down, and a finish will be applied to seal the surface. Original artworks, documents, family heirlooms, antiques, and other valuable pieces should be preserved with custom picture framing.
For a fresh contemporary look that's also affordable, bring your pictures to Color Wheel and have them Box Mounted!


text:
Review in 5:4 Blog for Electric Spring Performance →
Posted on March 28, 2018	by robflute
In January and March this year, I returned to Mexico to visit the Cerro Pelón Monarch butterfly reserve. Working with an interdisciplinary team of artists and scientists, including Monarch expert Dr Pablo Jaramillo, we've been exploring the reserve. This has included the installation of a streambox, designed and made by SoundCamp which broadcasts the sounds of the reserve over the internet in real-time. Already we've had good interest from Monarch Watch, and other people around the globe. The stream forms part of the the UNESCO Biosphere Soundscapes project, led by Leah Barclay.
Monika Maeckle at the Texas Butterfly Ranch has written a nice blog post about our recent trip, complete with photo documentation and a link to the live stream on the Locus Sonus Soundmap.
http://texasbutterflyranch.com/2018/02/07/symphony-of-wings-sound-of-millions-of-monarch-butterflies-available-via-live-stream/
About robflute
Rob Mackay is a composer, sound artist and performer. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Hull. Recent projects have moved towards a cross-disciplinary approach, including geology, soundscape ecology, theatre, audiovisual installation work, and human-computer interaction. His work has been performed in 18 countries (including several performances on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 1 and Radio France), and a number of his pieces have received international awards (Bourges (1997 and 2001), EAR (1999), La Muse en Circuit (2007)). He has held composer residencies at Slovak Radio (Bratislava), La Muse en Circuit (Paris), the Tyrone Guthrie Arts Centre (Ireland), Habitación del Ruido (Mexico City), and CMMAS (Morelia). He has collaborated with a number of poets, including Martin Daws (Young People's Poet Laureate for Wales, 2013 – 2015) and John Wedgwood Clarke (for the Arts Council funded Dictionary of Stone and Sea Swim with Lara Goodband). This was a natural progression from working on a number of projects based on the theme of geology, including a collaboration with percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie on the Natural England funded Ruskin Rocks project, led by a team of scientists and musicians at the University of Leeds who created two stone instruments (lithophones). He has also created a Jurassic soundscape for Scarborough's Rotunda museum which is currently installed. Rob has been a reviewer for numerous international conferences, including ICMC (International Computer Music Conference), NIME (New Instruments for Musical Expression), DHRN (Digital Humanities Research Network), and journals (Organised Sound, Cambridge University Press) and is editor for Interference, a Journal of Audio Cultures. He has played, written and produced in a number of bands including the Welsh Hip-Hop collective Tystion with whom he collaborated alongside John Cale on the film A Beautiful Mistake (Film 4), as well as recording two John Peel sessions on BBC Radio 1 and supporting PJ Harvey. The band have a chapter devoted to them in Sarah Hill's book 'Blerwytirhwng?' The Place of Welsh Pop Music (Ashgate 2007). Rob has done session work for Super Furry Animals producer Gorwel Owen, songwriter Euros Childs, and Hip-Hop producer Kista. He is currently enjoying playing in the Welsh Afro-tropical collective Drymbago, having supported Quantic and Tony Allen. More information and pieces at: www.soundcloud.com/robflute University of Hull Profile Page
View all posts by robflute →
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