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Tubular Manifold Build.

I looked online and spoke to a few place I hoped might have a ready cut exhaust Manifold flange in 10 or 12mm Mild steel. They are worth buying off the shelf for the effort involved. Nobody had one, so I thought I may as well make one instead.

Luckily I had some 12mm plate from a left over project years ago !

Started using a stock Cast item as a template and a piece of 12mm steel plate.

Mark roughly

Having scribed the centres of the holes, they are then centre-punched.

After drilling 2 opposite holes and bolting the manifold to the flange, I could drill the remaining holes in exactly the right place.

Cut the manifold on a band-saw to end up with just the flange. Bolt back onto the plate and drill some big holes….

Put new flange onto scrap head and realise something is wrong.

Put cast flange on head.

Look closely and realise the original holes don`t line up with the cylinder head !! The centre 2 holes align well enough, the 2 outer ones are too low. It`s not a case of the stud holes being in the wrong place, without any studs, it`s impossible to position the flange to align all 4 Holes with the head !!

I can only assume every cast ABF manifold is like this. Unless you cut the runners off, you`d never know

Yes, it`s blindingly obvious now, but I should have checked that BEFORE drilling the holes

Start again.

Measure hole centres with calipers.

Transfer to plate

Centre punch

Then check again with a ruler. (Measure twice, cut once applies. It should have done the first time too…..)

Double check.

That`s better

Now that`s done, I need to trim it a bit.

Drilled holes for `internal corners`

First grind.

Finished. I`ve purposefully left it `chunkier` than a stock one. Once the manifold is welded I`ll cut some expansion `slots` in between the cylinders and at the stud holes and trim a bit of material off if I think it warrants it. However, I want to keep it as robust as possible to minimise warping when welding. It will be bolted to the scrap head and welded in stages, so I`m hoping it`ll be OK.

I need a 4-1 Merge collector to transition from the 4 runners to the Turbo inlet.

Start by cutting 1 1/2″ SCH40 CS into 4 lengths.

Make a jig to hold the tube at 15degrees and also to be able to rotate it 93degrees between cuts.

First cut, Left on the slowest setting on the bandsaw with plenty of lubricant, took around 20minutes per cut.

Looking sharp !

Lets do another.

Put the 2 pieces together. Can hardly see the join

Tack together after cleaning up the metal ready for welding.

Once all 4 pieces were cut and tacked, I could weld it together.

 pretty warm…

Filling in the middle was a pain without an extended reach welding torch.

Wire brush the weld clean.

Tidy the inside of the collector with a flapper wheel to remove any sharp edges. I`m very pleased with how well it fitted together

The `outlet` will need cutting to line up with the Turbo flange, I don`t have the Turbo or the Flange yet, so I left them longer than necessary so I can cut them down to fit.

My biggest error was not chamfering the ends of the pipes. I can still get in to do that now, but it would have been easier if I`d done that BEFORE welding it together.

Once I start building the manifold, one of the trickiest bits will be welding the elbows to the ends of the collector, there isn`t a great deal of room to get the torch inbetween the runners. I did practice with a bit of scrap pipe and it is possible, just a bit of a faff.

I`d like to pretend there was no adjustment necessary, but I had to modify the joints slightly with a grinder and flapper wheel to get the 4 to sit together, nothing major but they didn`t fit together perfectly without any tweaking

I tried to find a supplier of the manifold to Turbo flange, but had no luck at all. Made one from some 12mm plate, turned down to 10mm, leaving a 2mm `ridge` in the middle. This sits into the turbo housing, giving a much better seal as there is no horizontal path for the exhaust gases to go

To say I hadn`t used a lathe since I was an apprentice, I think it turned out ok…

I don`t have a photo of the flange as I was cutting it out, but you can see it in later photos.

I now spent a lot of time trying the Turbo in varying positions and clocking the inlet housing to try different outlet routes. Some positions caused issues with the actuator linkage

Once I was happy, I double checked clearances. I also allowed enough room incase I `upgrade` to a larger Turbo in future. The exhaust flange would need to be changed, but that`s not a big job. I`m keeping my future options open

Some tube welded to the head flange and the turbo flange allowed a position to be set

Now came the tricky bit ! It`s not as simple as just welding a few bends, you need to not only look at the route of the runner you are working on, but also where the others will go and try to keep the run as smooth as possible.

Tacks should be in positions easy to access later, I didn`t do that initially, but Gurds reminded me and I tweaked it .

Runner 2, from Cylinder 4. As the Turbo position worked better when offset, they aren`t equal length.

At this point, I wasn`t sure why I didn`t like it. Took me quite a while, but then I realised it`s the straight piece of pipe. If all the runners were made up of bends, it looks much `nicer`. Once I add a straight, even if it`s short, it didn`t look as good. Obviously, once in place, you`ll never see this, the aesthetics are only important at this stage.

Runner 3, a short straight needed under runner 2. At this point, I really wished I had 4 hands. Holding 2 pieces of tube and then trying to put the welding helmet down and tacking was `challenging`. Even using gaffer tape to help hold it.

I checked each band so the nuts could be removed with the manifold in position.

Now it was all tacked, the manifold was refitted to the engine to check all clearances were still good and something unexpected hadn`t happened. Gearbox clearance was good, as was engine mount, steering rack and bulkhead

At this point, I welded all the joints I could see, apart from the runner to flanges. By welding as much as possible now, it meant once the runners were removed and the inaccessible parts welded, distortion would be kept to a minimum.

This shows clearly the weld up to the closest runner

Now, the tacks were ground off and the runners removed one at a time. Exposing the `unwelded` part of the joints

Then they were welded

Once the runner was fully welded, it was refitted to the manifold and the next one removed and welded. Final welding was only done once access was checked to weld the collector to the runner. I ensured the last runner to be refitted was the easiest to weld. Quite a bit of `splatter`, but the welds are airtight and with good penetration.

Amps were turned up to weld the runner to the head and turbo flange. The flanges were both bolted down securely to minimise any distortions.

IF I was going to get this ceramic coated, I`d have ground the welds smooth. I did try it one a test piece and it looked much nicer, but I decided I`d rather leave the welds intact. It might not look quite as nice, but once wrapped, that doesn`t matter and if I happened to have a poor weld, grinding may just cause a tiny leak that I wouldn`t have had by leaving it alone.

I suppose what I`m trying to say is yes, I know some of the welds aren`t pretty…

The turbo flange was welded to the collector once the collector was trimmed to fit.

I ran a weld around the inside of the flange.

Then ported it to give a smooth flow.

Three of the runners lined up spot on with the head flange

Once didn`t

Ported it smooth

Anyway, here is the finished article.

Back to the car.

Fit the manifold

Add Turbo

Fit outlet hose and check clearance.

For V1, I`m very pleased. Yeah, it`s weighty, but it`s certainly secure. In time I may make a Version #2, but it`ll be the same format, just with S/S pipe / bends and TIG welded. I strongly suspect this will never happen, but you never know…

Before fitting, this was flushed through with some petrol to remove any loose debris, then left for a few days to ensure it had evaporated.

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8 Benefits of a Clean Home to Your Health That You Don’t Know

There are a lot of things outside of our control that can affect our overall health. The outside world can be impartial when it comes to how it affects us and our health.

This is why, at the very least, you should keep your home clean. After all, this is an environment that you have relatively more control over.

If you’re unsure as to why you should keep your house clean, keep in mind that one of the biggest benefits you get from it is an improvement with your health. In fact, here are eight health benefits that you can reap if you keep a clean home:

Lowers Your Stress and Fatigue

There are already a lot of things in your life that are causing you stress. Some of which you don’t have control over. And you wouldn’t want a cluttered home to add to your stress.

In fact, if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with stress and fatigue, then consider looking into the cleanliness of your home.

If you have a clean environment to come back to, then it will be a big help for you to relieve your stress and relax.

Stress is also a factor that will lower your chances of conceiving. Therefore, if you’re trying to get pregnant then avoid stressful circumstances.

You’ll Get a Better Night’s Sleep

How would you feel having to sleep in a cluttered and messy room, crumbs all over your bed, stink emanating from your room itself? This can happen to you if you continue to develop bad habits at home.

If you tend not to have a restful sleep, then your home environment might be influencing it. It would make you feel comfortable and sleep better in a place that’s cozy, neat, and tidy.

Prevents Infestations

You should avoid having tendencies of leaving food out in the open if you don’t plan on consuming it. This can cause critters of all shapes and sizes to come looking for the food that is around your home and thus, creating an infestation for you to deal with.

Even if you aren’t leaving food out in the open, you might not have a clean home, which is still something that attracts these creatures.

At Cleaning Exec Deep Cleaning Services NYC, we always believe that cleaning your home is much easier and more cost-effective than stopping an infestation. So it’s better to get things clean instead.

Boosts Creativity

There are a lot of people who, when they think of an artist, they think that they’re messy. Some would even assume that the mess is part of the creative process.

Actually, though, a cluttered space can hinder a person from being their full creative self since they become distracted and out of focus in terms of their visual senses.

If you really want to boost your creativity, then start with a blank canvas as with any artist. Make sure that your workspace is clear, and you are then free to be more creative.

Improves Physical Health

Another obvious reason as to how a clean home affects your overall health is by improving your physical health.

In a dirty environment, your body’s immune system can be compromised from all the germs and bacteria inside your home. Cleaning your home and occasionally putting in anti-bacterial cleaning solutions can help create an environment that’s good for your physical health.

Of course, you should only use your anti-bacterial cleaning solutions occasionally as it can also strip away the good bacteria that can be beneficial for your gut health.

Reduces Allergy and Asthma Attacks

If you have a history of asthma or allergic to dust, then having a clean home will benefit you.

Keeping a dirty home means that dust would accumulate and can trigger your allergies or asthma attacks.

Thus, if you’re someone who has either of these issues, it’s better for you to keep things clean so that you don’t have to suffer from allergy and asthma attacks.

You’ll be More Active

If you’re not a very active person, then you should know that cleaning your home is actually quite a physical endeavor. Therefore, it can also help you become more active if you keep your home clean on the regular.

Of course, it can’t replace a full-blown workout, but you can still get your body moving if you’re someone who lives a sedentary lifestyle.

You Become Happier

The simple act of cleaning your home as well as living in a clean and well-maintained environment doesn’t only affect your physical health. It also helps you improve your mental health.

The state of your home can sometimes be a reflection of your state of mind. So if you feel like your life is a little cluttered, then you can become happier by starting things off with a clean home and creating an environment that isn’t stressful for you.

All of these items above list down how exactly a clean home makes you a healthier person ‒ things that you might not have been aware of. Hopefully, you’ve been more informed now, and thus, you will make a concerted effort to keep your home clean from now on.

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Thanks for making 2019 our best year yet!

2019 was a banner year for us here at Pirate!

Thanks to all the radio stations, DJs, and programmers and of course the artists, labels, and managers, and all of our friends for supping us in 2019.

We had 6 #1 albums at NACC which you can revisit below. Collectively they were #1 on the NACC charts for 18 total weeks this year!

Revisit our posts about each of our #1 albums here:
Jeff Tweedy
Mavis Staples
The Black Keys

We’ll be back in January with new adds and another year of great artists for you to check out. In the meantime check out all current downloads HERE.

Your friends @ Pirate!


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Graceland: 25th Anniversary Edition

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  • Legacy
  • Legacy

Best new reissue

The 25th anniversary reissue of Paul Simon's Graceland shows how the album gave a human face to the perception of South Africa during apartheid by synthesizing geographically disparate musical strains that turned out to be remarkably complementary.

As I prepared to review the 25th Anniversary Edition of Paul Simon's Graceland, I thought a lot about what the album means to me. It's a more complicated question than it seems. This is an album that's sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and was vigorously protested in certain quarters on its release. It has sat at the center of arguments about cultural exchange, cultural imperialism, and whether Simon was right to skirt the United Nations' cultural boycott of South Africa in order to record with black musicians from that country-- arguments that remain part of the record's story even as the tragedy of apartheid fades further from the headlines.

As unignorable as the context of the record is, there's no doubt in my mind that its songs transcend the context as listening experiences. These songs are astute and exciting, spit-shined with the gloss of production that bears a lot of hallmarks of the era but somehow has refused to age. Taken as a whole, the album offers tremendous insight into how we live in our world and how that changes as we get older.

The stories Simon tells on Graceland wouldn't have been told without the collaboration of the mostly South African musicians he worked with on the record. Their music sparked Simon's imagination after the commercial disappointment of 1983's Hearts and Bones, and the jam sessions he recorded with them in South Africa gave rise to all but a few of these songs. Simon learned to write differently by homing in on the ways guitarist Chikapa "Ray" Phiri varied his playing from verse to verse, and by grounding his vocal melodies on the basslines of Bagithi Khumalo. Khumalo's playing has such fluency and personality that, at least on the five songs he's a part of, this is nearly as much his record as anyone else's. On the brief disc of outtakes included in this set, there's a version of "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" that's stripped down to just vocals and bass, and his line so completely frames the song (rhythmically, harmonically, and melodically) that the other elements of the album version's arrangement are barely missed.

So we get songs where the groove came first, and the lyrics long after. Simon considered writing political songs about apartheid but quickly concluded that he wasn't very good at it and owed it to the other musicians involved to stick to his strengths. Still, the album's opening song, "The Boy in the Bubble", is a thriller that ties together threads of technological progress, medicine, terrorism, surveillance, pop music, inequality, and superstition with little more than a series of sentence fragments, all tossed off in the same deadpan delivery. The song sets a monumental stage on which the small dramas and comedies of the other songs can play out, and it also establishes the record's unsettled tone-- out of all these songs, only "That Was Your Mother" is sung from a settled place, and even that one is a reminiscence about itinerant life.

To have Simon's songs mingling with mbaqanga, township jive, shangaan music, zydeco and chicano rock, all played by their real practitioners, complemented the themes of dislocation, misplaced identity, and the meeting of worlds. "You Can Call Me Al" traces Simon's own arc on his trip to South Africa, beginning in confusion and ending in ecstatic realization-- he goes from"far away, in my well-lit home" to, "He sees angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity/ He says 'amen' and 'hallelujah.'"

Graceland was the first many of Simon's fans had heard of South Africa's black music. When I saw that this set included a two-hour documentary on the album, I wondered whether it would shy away from the issue of Simon's violation of the cultural boycott on South Africa, but to its credit, it doesn't. In fact, director Joe Berlinger uses a one-on-one conversation between Simon and Dali Tambo, the founder of Artists Against Apartheid and a one-time vocal critic of Simon, as a framing device for his story.

But more than Simon's single-minded devotion to his art and Tambo's ideological politics, the experience surrounding this album is best conveyed by the musicians who made it. They were violating the boycott, too, just by participating in a dialogue with non-South African musicians, and there's a moment where Ray Phiri describes a meeting he was called to in London with African National Congress officials while touring to support the album that speaks volumes. The ANC officials told Phiri that he was violating the boycott and had to go home, and his response was that he was already a victim of apartheid, and to force him to go home would make him a victim twice. In the end, Simon's assertion that Graceland helped put an emotional, human face on black South Africans for millions of people around the world doesn't seem off the mark. This set also comes with a DVD of the concert Simon and these musicians played with South African exiles Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1987, and the joy visible on stage and in the audience certainly speaks to that.

It's easy to overstate what Graceland was. It wasn't the first world-music album, as some critics claim. But it was unique in its total, and totally natural, synthesis of musical strains that turned out to be not nearly as different from each other as its listeners might have expected, and the result resonated strongly around the world and across generations.

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Episode 2: Dating Sims as Virtual Performance with Dillon Yruegas

Show Notes

Dillon Yruegas (he/him/él) is a queer, trans, Latinx and Coahuiltecan theatremaker. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dillon has participated firsthand in conversations about the future of theatre in a post-pandemic world– and has a lot of feelings about all-digital art forms, which have actually been around for a LONG time. We also chat about dating sims–particularly Dream Daddy and Hatoful Boyfriend–and how he uses them to create experimental performances where queer and trans folks can be silly, have fun, and hang.

Other topics covered include: How does being a trans gamer change your relationship with video games?, interactive art, white cis het identity, hot takes on first-person shooters, toxic masculinity, getting into gaming as an adult, competition culture, dating birds, and unapologetic queerness.

About Dillon

Originally from the Austin area, Dillon now resides in Boston, where he works to produce and devise performances on a national scale. Through his artistry as an actor, director, and writer, Dillon strives to give a voice to those whose history has gone unnoticed, unseen, or has been eradicated by colonialism and white supremacy.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dillonyruegas/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dillonyruegas


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PJ Media

UVA's Defense of Michael Mann: Back Off, He's a Scientist!

The University of Virginia has filed a petition to set aside civil investigative demands (CIDs) issued to it by the Commonwealth’s attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli.

CIDs are akin to grand jury subpoenas. Cuccinelli’s inquiry was prompted by public disclosure — via the ClimateGate leaks — of the highly questionable academic practices of former UVA assistant professor Michael Mann. The disclosure of Mann’s activities involved the apparent leaking of emails, computer code, and annotations to the code, all of which were subject to and being pursued under the United Kingdom’s Freedom of Information Act.

Arguing against the request that they produce records related to Mann’s use of taxpayer-funded grant money, UVA reeled off a litany of rationales — mostly general and repetitive — regarding why they do not need to comply.

UVA’s reason #8 — out of nine, its placement inherently recognizing its weakness — headlines the opening rhetoric of its petition and is being used by the school as a public relations hook:

Enforcing the CIDs will interfere with recognized First Amendment principles and important public policies protecting the academic freedom of institutions of higher learning from government intrusion into research and scientific inquiry.

You know, like Stanford University was immune from inquiry into misusing taxpayer funds earmarked for scientific research during the most notorious pre-ClimateGate academic scandal. Oddly, Time magazine’s coverage at the time was not concerned about “academic freedom” being imperiled: “Scandal in the Laboratories: Inquiries at Stanford turn a harsh light on how university research is funded.”

Gasp! “Inquiries”?

Stanford was no more exempt from laws, oversight, or conditions on how it spends taxpayer funds than are Mann or UVA. As a result, Stanford president and current Mann defender Donald Kennedy soon found himself out the door.

UVA’s current tack is simply to hope for public — and possibly judicial — sympathy to result from the escalating pressure campaign from what I call Big Science. Big Science is outraged that its constituents should be subject to laws applied to the little people and is desperate to expansively rewrite the concept of “academic freedom” as license to be free from compliance with those laws.

While Mann’s defenders were quick to unholster Hollywood-style shrieks of “McCarthyism,” the more appropriate analogy seems to be Tinseltown’s current victimization/canonization of Roman Polanski. He’s an artist! These laws you speak of, well, they exist, and surely have some merit, just … didn’t you see Chinatown?

The “I’m a scientist!” defense is the academy at its most cartoonish.

Doubling down on this unseemliness, the UVA then invokes Thomas Jefferson(!) while making the argument that laws are for others, and not preferred, protected classes of people. In its petition, UVA cites a 1950s Supreme Court opinion — Sweezy v. New Hampshire — for the following dicta:

To impose any strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our Nation. … Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate …

No, the ellipses do not suppress  “… and to commit fraud, or otherwise disregard the laws of the land.” And no fancy Latin canon of construction — noscitur a sociis, ejusdem generis, in pari materia … take your pick, they all fail — informs a conclusion that the UVA argument is what the Sweezy Court intended.

But what of the two prongs of that risible “any strait jacket” business the school hangs its hat upon? Of two plausible readings of this, the less plausible is that “any” indicates the Supreme Court deemed academics, of “any” sort no less, to be beyond prosecution — so long as the perpetrator claims a research purpose (and with nothing less than the fate of the nation at risk were things otherwise! Sigh.)

Alternately, the university begs the question: where do standards applied to the rest of us end and a “strait jacket” begin? Or, where does protection of intellectual discourse — not actually at issue here, despite UVA hand-waving to the contrary — end and selective immunity from the laws of the land begin? These are now questions for the Virginia courts.

Sweezy is an Eisenhower-era opinion, written shortly before Ike’s farewell address. The address is famous for warning of a “military-industrial complex,” but also for warning:

Be alert to the equal and opposite danger [“opposite” of stifling academic freedom] that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

Sadly, this has come to pass, with the University of Virginia among its most zealous defenders.

UVA’s invocation of the wholly inapplicable Sweezy illustrates the barrenness of its legal cupboard, and no distraction will change that the precedent it cites is wholly irrelevant to Mr. Cuccinelli’s inquiry into possible civil fraud. The university expends great effort to make the issue other than what it plainly is.

“Academic freedom” has of course never meant selective sanctioning of unlawful behavior. And the attorney general is not, as the university claims to the court, “engag[ing] in scientific debate.” That the university cannot or will not see this only further makes the case that it is not capable of self-investigation.

Which raises a final point. In its petition, UVA proves far too much. For example, it references two other inquiries into aspects of ClimateGate. Where, pray tell, was the outrage by Big Science or academia over these two?

The answer is that the pretense of self-policing by the University of East Anglia and by Mann’s current home, Penn State, were both exercises in wagon-circling. When they were announced, Big Science remained mum because this was transparently so, as evidenced by their stacking panels with sympathetic parties highly unlikely to conclude otherwise than they did.

About these, UVA rather disingenuously claims “the subsequent investigations have not found any fraudulent conduct.” Of course they didn’t — neither inquired into fraud! Instead, both narrowly tailored their reviews to less treacherous waters.

By this mischaracterization to the court, UVA stretches the truth while doing its credibility no good. Which nicely summarizes the entire Mann affair.


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These days we don’t really talk much about idols, at least not in the literal sense. We talk about American Idol and teen idols and that sort of thing, but the idols that represent serious sin go unmentioned.

Throughout the Bible, we see the evidence of the damage that idol worship does. After the Exodus, when Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the impatient Israelites made a golden calf to worship. For the people of Israel, it was just downhill from there, as idol worship and the unfaithfulness toward God that such worship represented led to a world of trouble for them, including the exile to Babylon.

In the New Testament book of Acts, Jesus’ apostles encountered idol worshipers when they went about spreading the Good News of the Messiah. These worshipers of other gods — and even some of the craftsmen who made the physical idols — stirred up all sorts of strife for the followers of the one true God.

So what relevance does idol worship have for us today? These days, the idols that Jews and Christians follow aren’t graven images per se, but followers of God do allow certain ideas, preferences, and opinions to become idols that get in the way of their relationship with Him. Many of these idols come with the best of intentions, yet they impede the ability to truly follow God.

In the following pages, through an inter-faith dialogue with one of my favorite colleagues here at PJ Lifestyle, Susan L.M. Goldberg, we’re going to look at five idols that God’s followers allow to get in the way of their relationship with Him. Hopefully naming these idols will get some Christians and Jews to think about how they may affect their own relationship with God.

5. Symbols

Let’s face it – symbols carry with them a stunning amount of power. Throughout history human beings have relied on symbols for many reasons. Symbolism is powerful among God’s followers as well, but we must take care not to allow the symbol to become an idol in and of itself.

Arguably, the most recognizable and prevalent symbol in Christianity is the cross. It’s easy to understand why – the cross represents the pivotal act in the narrative of the Bible: Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. (Though I’ve often thought: why don’t we celebrate the empty tomb more? Without the resurrection, the crucifixion is an empty act.)

The cross can turn into an idol when believers equate it with the One who should be worshiped. We see it on jewelry, tattoos, and clothing, and some people believe no church is complete without one in every space. Interestingly enough, the cross was not a symbol for the early church, who instead used the ichthus: the fish symbol we see attached to the backs of cars these days.

In Judaism, one doesn’t find quite the same sort of symbolism. I asked Susan  to explain how certain symbols in Judaism can come close to idol worship:

The most you could argue are the importance placed in the type of usage of religious items, like kippahs and prayer shawls. The Orthodox won’t let women use them for Rabbinic reasons, and that’s a source of great division in the ranks.

The image of Jesus Himself can become an idol as well. Different people have their own inaccurate depictions of Jesus: black Jesus, white Jesus – I’ve even seen a painting of Jesus that looks way too much like Kenny Loggins! But the truth is, in his time on earth, Jesus was Middle Eastern, so he looked like many of the Jewish people we see in Israel today. Of course, the depiction of Jesus in Revelation 1 is much different from anything we’ve ever imagined:

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

The bottom line: we believers need to be careful not to turn the symbols of our faith into objects of worship.

4. Tradition

Christians and Jews alike build their faith around traditions. The idea of worshiping the God of the Bible is a tradition itself that dates back thousands of years. As wonderful and well-intentioned as our traditions are, we can transform them into idols when we hold on to them too tightly.

I think the motto of the American Church ought to be, “But we’ve always done it that way!” Christians have a nasty habit of turning traditions into idols – thus leading to a resistance to change and adapt to new technology, styles of worship, and even the interior design of their churches. I can tell you horror stories of churches that have split over carpet choices and paint colors. As my friend Brandon Daniel, one of the youth pastors at my church, says, “You try being the one who decided to take out the pew that someone’s Great Aunt Mabel paid for years ago!”

A sculpture depicting a minyan,

A sculpture depicting a minyan,

Susan  says that in Judaism, “the short story is tradition developed and managed by the Cult of the Rabbis.”

The Orthodox Rabbis, much like the Pope, made the decision along the way that they would not only be God’s gatekeepers, but their word would be equal to His. As a result, you have a people burdened with guilt and fear who can’t see or believe that God wants an individual, personal relationship with them.

[The tradition of] community is even an idol in the Jewish world. You need 10 men for God to hear your prayers (a minyan).  You know why? Because Jews are convinced that out of 10 guys, at least one will be praying in earnest…and he’ll be the atonement for everyone else.

So as wonderful as some traditions may be, believers can find themselves caught up in them rather than in the God the traditions honor.

3. Legalism

Another idol that trips up many believers is legalism. My best simplistic definition of legalism is an unhealthy emphasis on following the letter of the law. Obedience to God is important, and following His commands is crucial – but we should remember that our salvation is God’s gift and is not the result of our works or our goodness (Ephesians 2:8).

Jesus railed against the Pharisees and Torah teachers who emphasized obedience to every letter of the law above all else and even added regulations to the law. In Luke 11, He called them out:

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.”

Susan explained to me how legalism pervades Judaism:

But the big thing is and has always been a weird obsession with the law, the sense that you can somehow be perfected through your practice.

And she gave an illustration of how rabbis’ interpretation of the Torah – putting “a ‘fence’ around the law,” to use one rabbi’s genius phrasing – can sometimes become an added legalistic burden:

A benign example can be found in those who don’t drink coffee during Passover. Coffee is a bean, and in the 14th century, French Rabbis didn’t think folks were smart enough to tell the difference between beans and grains that would rise, like rice …so they banned coffee to be on the safe side. Not kidding. There is nothing yeasty about coffee, but that’s why certain folks don’t drink it during Passover – because of the guilt-induced paranoia of medieval rabbis.

The Lord speaks through the prophet Hosea, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). Too many of God’s people choose to emphasize following the law at the expense of the relationship with Him that goes along with that obedience. That’s a shame.

2. Style of Worship

One of the most divisive arguments within the modern American church concerns style of worship. Proponents of contemporary worship and those who argue a more traditional approach stake their claims and hold fast to their arguments with little to no middle ground – or common ground, for that matter.

Obviously there’s nothing in the Bible stating that worship with a hymnal is the only proper way, nor are there any scriptural guidelines concerning guitar tones or lighting or which projection software to use. What we do see in both the Old and New Testaments is the exhortation to sing and make music in praise of God using all kinds of instruments. But what’s the best way? Is one way right and the other wrong?

Too many fans of contemporary worship music choose to ignore the legacy of the hymns of the past. They claim that hymns are boring while playing the most timely songs of the moment.

At the other end of the spectrum, traditionalists insist that only hymns will do, with piano and organ and possibly a brass section or small orchestra at larger, more affluent congregations. The timelessness of hymns renders nearly all contemporary worship songs worthless in their eyes. Some denominations eliminate instruments from their worship services altogether, based on their interpretation of scripture.

Unfortunately, far too many Christians let these differences of opinion get in the way of unity – and of following God. Jesus said His followers would worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). If Christians would choose to be less territorial about the style of worship they like best, it’s possible they just might worship the way God intended.

1. Politics

Some of the biggest divisions arise when God’s followers inject politics into the message of God’s Word. People of all political stripes engage in such behavior – from Christian anarchists to Christian socialists — and the politicization of God’s message is equally insidious no matter who does it.

A few years ago, I wrote about how many of the leading lights on the Left co-opt the Bible to get their message across – often twisting or obscuring the true meaning of the scriptures. On a number of occasions Al Gore has attempted to use certain verses for environmental ends, often giving them the opposite meaning. Jim Wallis, one of the most recognizable Christian leaders on the Left, once attempted to use a passage from Isaiah describing God’s future “new heaven and new earth” to argue that the Bible supports a high minimum wage. And some of the biggest frustrations arise when believers assign collective applications to scriptures meant for individual and personal use.

Conservative Christians don’t have the most sterling of reputations either. Many Christians on the right come across as dour, humorless, and out of touch with the world around them. And many of them use the Bible to advocate what they stand against, often speaking from a position of moral superiority, rather than taking the positive message of freedom found in true Christianity out into the world. I’ve often said that if conservative Christians talked more about what they were for than what they were against, Christianity would be much more attractive to people.

The temptation to politicize God’s message comes through in Judaism as well. As Susan told me,

The Left’s answer to Orthodoxyism is social justice. Their embrace of socialism/social justice movement is as much of an idol as Orthodox love of Talmud.

Again, a perverse reading of the Torah motivates “social justice” that winds up condemning individual freedom in favor of corporate salvation.

The paradoxical message of freedom through obedience that we find in the Bible operates outside of human understanding, which means it transcends politics as well. If only God’s followers would understand that and leave politics out of His Word!

Are there any other idols that you see Christians and Jews allowing to get in the way of truly following Him?


text:
United States and HEC Pakistan Celebrate International Women’s Day

March 8, 2021
Contact: Brittney Stewart
Phone: 021 3527 5000

Karachi – The United States Mission to Pakistan and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) celebrated International Women’s Day with female scholarship recipients of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Merit and Needs based Scholarship Program (MNBSP).

USAID Director for Sindh and Balochistan James Parys and HEC Executive Director Dr. Shaista Sohail commended the success of MNBSP in creating higher education opportunities for disadvantaged students.

“No society can develop successfully without providing equitable opportunities, resources, and life prospects for males and females alike so they can shape their lives and contribute to their families and communities,” Mr. Parys said. “We are proud to partner with HEC on the Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program to successfully narrow the education gap.”

Dr. Shaista Sohail recognized USAID for launching a distinct scholarship program to assist talented students and increase the pipeline to higher education.

Alumni from Sukkur-IBA, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, IBA Karachi, MUET Jamshoro were also present and shared their experiences. They thanked USAID for setting them, and so many students like them, on the road to a successful future.

USAID has supported scholarships for meritorious but financially disadvantaged students since 2004 through the MNBSP to assist the HEC’s efforts to provide equitable access to higher education at Pakistani universities. Through the Malala Scholarship Act in 2013, 50 per cent quota was reserved for talented women. This expansion included an increase to 3500 scholarships. The disciplines include agriculture, engineering, medicine, and social sciences at 30 public and private sector partner institutions across Pakistan.

For more information about USAID programs please visit: www.usaid.gov/Pakistan.


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
./databases/p5-DBIx-Class, Extensible and flexible object <-> relational mapper

[ CVSweb ] [ Homepage ] [ RSS ] [ Required by ] [ Add to tracker ]

Branch: CURRENT, Version: 0.082842nb1, Package name: p5-DBIx-Class-0.082842nb1, Maintainer: pkgsrc-users

This is an SQL to OO mapper, inspired by the Class::DBI framework, and
meant to support compability with it, while restructuring the internals
and making it possible to support some new features like self-joins,
distinct, group bys and more.

This project is still at an early stage, so the maintainers don't make
any absolute promise that full backwards-compatibility will be
supported; however, if we can without compromising the improvements
we're trying to make, we will, and any non-compatible changes will merit
a full justification on the mailing list and a CPAN developer release
for people to test against.

Required to run:
[databases/p5-DBI] [databases/p5-SQL-Abstract] [lang/perl5] [devel/p5-Class-Inspector] [devel/p5-Path-Class] [databases/p5-SQL-Abstract-Limit] [devel/p5-Class-Accessor-Grouped] [devel/p5-MRO-Compat] [devel/p5-Module-Find] [devel/p5-Config-Any] [devel/p5-Data-Page] [devel/p5-Scope-Guard] [devel/p5-Class-C3-Componentised] [devel/p5-Class-Method-Modifiers] [devel/p5-namespace-clean] [devel/p5-Sub-Name] [devel/p5-Data-Compare] [devel/p5-Hash-Merge] [devel/p5-Devel-GlobalDestruction] [devel/p5-Context-Preserve] [devel/p5-Try-Tiny] [devel/p5-Data-Dumper-Concise] [devel/p5-Moo]

Required to build:
[databases/p5-DBD-SQLite] [databases/p5-Class-DBI] [devel/p5-Test-Exception] [devel/p5-Test-Deep] [devel/p5-Test-Warn] [databases/p5-SQL-Translator] [devel/p5-Package-Stash] [pkgtools/cwrappers]

Master sites: (Expand)

SHA1: 454f2a498cd1ca5eee1cef55a3dfaa3b3ef17a42
RMD160: 7fb95fd196e098add608cba11f38b1a12a884da8
Filesize: 858.767 KB

Version history: (Expand)

CVS history: (Expand)

   2021-05-24 21:56:06 by Thomas Klausner | Files touched by this commit (3575)
Log message:
*: recursive bump for perl 5.34
   2020-09-06 23:27:04 by Thomas Klausner | Files touched by this commit (2) | Package updated
Log message:
p5-DBIx-Class: update to 0.082842.

0.082842 2020-06-16 20:10 (UTC)
    * New Features
        - An on_connect rebase_sqlmaker call allowing experimentation with
          non-core SQL generators on a per-$schema-instance basis
        - Automatically detect and use multi-column IN on recent versions of
          libsqlite: ... WHERE ( foo, bar ) IN ( SELECT foo, bar FROM ... )

    * Fixes
        - Fix silent failure to retrieve a primary key (RT#80283) or worse:
          returning an incorrect value (RT#115381) in case a rdbms-side autoinc
          column is declared as PK with the is_auto_increment attribute unset
        - Fix overly-aggressive condition unrolling, corrupting custom ops with
          array arguments (RT#132390)
        - Fix docs on how to properly use Moo(se) in ResultSet's, and fix a
          corner case of ->count not functioning properly when the old recipe
          was being used (GH#105)
        - Fix incorrect ::Storage->_ping() behavior under Sybase (RT#114214)
        - Work around breakage in Hash::Merge by soft-requiring Clone as part
          of the replicated subsystem (RT#124321)

    * Misc
        - DBIC_TRACE_PROFILE=... now uses a ::Storage::Statistics subclass
          DBIx::Class::Storage::Debug::PrettyTrace which properly ships as a
          part of this distrinbution
        - Switch out SQL::Abstract dependency with a slower moving dist
        - Remove Data::Page dependency by inlining its entirety into the core
          DBIx::Class::ResultSet::Pager (RT#130686)
   2020-08-31 20:13:29 by Thomas Klausner | Files touched by this commit (3631) | Package updated
Log message:
*: bump PKGREVISION for perl-5.32.
   2019-11-02 16:38:12 by Roland Illig | Files touched by this commit (115)
Log message:
databases: align variable assignments

pkglint -Wall -F --only aligned -r

No manual corrections.
   2019-08-11 15:25:21 by Thomas Klausner | Files touched by this commit (3557) | Package updated
Log message:
Bump PKGREVISIONs for perl 5.30.0
   2019-06-30 22:17:50 by Nia Alarie | Files touched by this commit (1816) | Package updated
Log message:
Update packages using a search.cpan.org HOMEPAGE to metacpan.org.

The former now redirects to the latter.

This covers the most simple cases where http://search.cpan.org/dist/name
can be changed to https://metacpan.org/release/name.

Reviewed by hand to hopefully make sure no unwanted changes sneak in.
   2018-08-22 11:48:07 by Thomas Klausner | Files touched by this commit (3558)
Log message:
Recursive bump for perl5-5.28.0
   2018-02-25 17:34:23 by Thomas Klausner | Files touched by this commit (3) | Package updated
Log message:
p5-DBIx-Class: update to 0.082841.

0.082841 2018-01-29 08:10 (UTC)
    * Test-suite fixup changes only - no reason to upgrade, wait for 0.082850

    * Misc
        - Unblock DBD::SQLite (RT#118395)
        - Fix missing ORDER BY leading to failures of t/prefetch/grouped.t
          under upcoming libsqlite (RT#117271)
        - Temporarily disable a non-critical portion of test failing on
          upcoming libsqlite, proper fix coming in 0.082850 (RT#119845)
        - Add test workaround for ( largely irrelevant ) RT#120129
        - Add temporary test-workaround for a devrel of DBD::SQLite
          RT#124227 / https://twitter.com/dbix_class/status/9 … 3751527424
        - Add workaround for one of the most damaging "improvements" made
          during the modern-perl-era (RT#120827)
        - Fix malformed README file encoding (RT#122028)


text:
• On Oct 8, 2018
    Brittany from OH Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    My fiancé & I recently ate at 9 dragons restaurant & really loved the iced chai tea. We are getting married soon & I would love to surprise him with a glass on our honeymoon. Can you please help me find the brand or purchase directly.

    Hi Brittany and welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! When you visit the Walt Disney World Resort, it’s the close attention to detail that makes each visit so special. I’m happy to help you with your question!

    Nine Dragons Restaurant
    is a great contemporary Chinese Restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of styles of Chinese cooking. From Cantonese to Mongolian, you’ll enjoy your delicious meal at this ornate restaurant at Epcot’s World Showcase. The Nine Dragons fried rice is my favorite!

    I spoke to a helpful Cast Member at the China Pavilion who gave me the information you’re looking for! Tea Forte-Bombay Chai Tea is the only kind of chai tea the restaurant brews, and they serve it hot or iced. A quick Google search will lead you right to a link to purchase this tea for your fiancee's special surprise.

    Brittany, during your visit I hope you were able to see the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats perform. If you didn’t, you totally should next time! This professional group performs five days a week in the China pavilion courtyard. Their balancing acts are amazing and they’re the perfect complement to this already authentic experience!

    Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I hope your soon to be hubby enjoys his very thoughtful surprise. If you have any other questions, feel free to stop back to see us anytime. Helping you with all those magical little details is something we all love to do!

thumbnail image for Veronica

Meet the Panelist: Veronica, Florida

Hello from South Florida!  My name is Veronica.  I'm a wife and mother to two amazing girls.  I'm a bilingual journalist turned stay-at-home mom.  My first visit to the Walt Disney World Resort was at the ripe age of two and I've had the pleasure of visiting every year since!  Now as an adult, I plan my family's fun and memorable vacations.  As a planDisney Panelist, I look forward to helping you craft your magical experience!  Learn More About Veronica

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text:
Mom and daughter on Expedition Everest
  • On Jul 7, 2013
    Lawren Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Hi! We really love the shipwreck water play area at CB. Do any of the other moderate resorts have a water play area comparable to that one? Also, do any of the other moderate resorts have a zero-entry pool as well? Thanks!!

    Hi Lawren!

    The children's aquatic play area at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is really in a league all of it's own as far as the Moderate Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World go! It's quite a fun place to spend some time cooling off and splashing around!

    Although Disney's Fort Wilderness comes close with a children's aquatic play area with zero entry access in the play area itself, no other moderate resort has an extensive play area and zero entry pool like that of Caribbean Beach.

    Should you happen to consider switching to a Value level resort, Disney's Art of Animation has a fantastic children's water play area and zero entry pool. The 'Big Blue' pool area is themed after Finding Nemo and features zero entry as well as a children's 'sprayground' water play area.

    Up at the Deluxe Resort level, your best options for a fantastic, children's splash area combined with zero-entry pool options are at Disney's Animal Kingdom - Kidani Village and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with its Alice in Wonderland themed water play area complete with tipping 'hat' and mini water slide.

    I hope this information is helpful to you as you plan your next visit Lawren. If you have additional questions, please feel free to write me back. I'd love to hear from you again!

    Wishing you a simply Magical time during your next visit!

thumbnail image for Kirsten

Meet the Panelist: Kirsten, Ontario

I'm a Canadian stay at home mom with 2 great kids. I've loved Walt Disney World since my own first trip at age 7. Now, my husband and I enjoy creating Disney vacation experiences with our children as often as possible. Each new visit is unique and Magical! Learn More About Kirsten

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text: If you have a poor credit score but want to borrow money, trying to get a traditional bank loan can be quite difficult. Then lendshop.co.uk is the one-touch option for you. LendShop is the best payday loan UK company that gives payday loans for poor credit UK. For help, go to lendshop.co.uk.


text:
1998 CREW Chiropractic Panama Mission Video

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

In 1998 CREW (Chiropractors Restoring Energy Worldwide) traveled to Panama for a 2nd Mission Trip. Upon returning home to Los Angeles I began putting together video footage I had captured to promote future mission trips. Video was hosted on Planet Chiropractic as there was no YouTube or any other video sharing site in the 1990’s.

Jamas Sigafoose Panama 1998

Last week I posted news of the 2020 Chiropractic Mission to Panama and I told Lina I would search for videos from the nineteen nineties trips. Last night I located the video I have posted here.

No guarantee it will play on your device as I have not changed the codecs to current standards. It’s playing on my PC and S10+ Samsung phone.

The video features chiropractors from the US and Canada. Most of the footage was created in Panama City. If you have audio you’ll hear the voice of Dr. James Sigafoose saying “when you start adjusting, when you get caught up in this thing…”

Little did I know I’d be “caught up in this thing” for nearly 25 years now.

I wish you peace and love, Michael.


text:
Trip Planner:   Europe  /  Denmark  /  Jutland  /  North Jutland  /  Skagen  /  Skagens Museum

Skagens Museum, Skagen

#1 of 121 in Museums in North Jutland
Must see · Art Museum · Specialty Museum
Skagens Museum exhibits naturalistic and plein air paintings by the late 19th-century members of the colony of Skagen painters. The main museum was founded by local businessmen and by the painters themselves in 1908. In addition to the main museum, you can visit the preserved homes of some of the artists, Anchers Hus and Drachmanns Hus. Both of these houses look exactly as if the artists are still living there. Combined, the three venues house more than 9,000 works of art. See the favorite subjects of Skagen artists, such as fishermen at work, fishermen's cottages, landscapes, and views into the artists' social life. Taste a homemade cake at the cafe in the garden house, which for a while served as artists' residence. Plan to visit Skagens Museum during your Skagen vacation using our convenient Skagen day trip planning app.
Create an itinerary including Skagens Museum
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  • «An Angel’sKiss» is an exhibition worth seeing, especially in these times during the pandemic. «Sick girls in Nordic art» is the subtitle. Edvard Munch’s works are representative, fantastic and well.....  more »
  • A must see experience with multiple items to watch - from the original Skagen painters to more themed exhibition. The light at the top of Denmark is remarkable - and very exposed through the...  more »
  • Well organized, German and English translations of the painting/artist information. Beautiful collection. I especially liked how the works were separated into two main sections to emphasize the contrast. Also enjoyed seeing the pre-paintings created by the artist before the final piece.
  • What a lovely collection, and so well displayed with coloured walls. I also very much appreciated the cardboard guides in English and German, which allowed us great insights. Very well written.
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text:
European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) have been used in formal gardens and parks for centuries, mainly for their symmetrical habit, delicate texture and soil adaptability. The species will grow 40′ high and wide making a beautiful stand alone tree for along commercial buildings and residential properties. But the narrow growing cultivars seen here, are popular for their fastigiate habit – great for where you don’t have the room needed for wide spreading shade trees or where overhead wires are a concern. They’re fast growers and take well to pruning and shearing, which makes them extremely useful for screening, hedging and pleaching for a more formal look. The leaves turn yellow-orange in fall and the branching silhouette is pretty throughout the winter. Hardy to zone 4 – they can even be used in containers!
  • Frans Fontaine’ – 40′ high x 20′ wide, columnar habit (even when fully grown), 4-4.5″ seen here on the left
  • ‘Fastigiata’ – 30-40′ x 20-30′, Narrow outline, very symmetrical, low branching, becomes oval at maturity,not seen here
  • ‘Pinocchio’ – 20′ x 5′ (10 year size) New for us this year, strong upright branching, seen in center
Plant in full sun to partial shade in average, well-drained soil. Adding M-roots at planting will get them off to a quick start.

Comments are closed.


text:
Plant Care Guide Calathea

Difficulty Level: Modest

What is the Calathea plant?

Native to Brazil and other regions with tropical environments, the Calathea family of plants lives up to its reputation of being both sturdy and mesmerizing once grown. These plants are mainly characterized by their foliage, which often presents bold, striped patterns of deep green and white. Among the Calathea, some of the most popular include the Zebra Plant, the Peacock Plant and the Prayer Plant.

The Prayer Plant is a perfect example of the unique makeup this plant family offers. At night, its leaves will curl upward and the plant will begin to close itself off. Then, in the morning, it opens itself up once more, allowing for its leaves to reach out and absorb as much light as possible. Calathea plants can be difficult to care for on occasion, but as long as you can maintain some of their basic care requirements, you will get to witness the growth of an incredible plant!

Light CareLight Care

Bright, indirect light is ideal for most Calathea plants, as this effectively simulates the light conditions that they might experience in the wild. Placing yours near, but not in, windowsills and other sources of natural light is perfect, but avoid allowing it to sit too close. Bright, direct light can cause a number of complications, ranging from faded coloring to serious damage that limits the plant’s ability to grow.

On the other hand, make sure that your Calathea plant is not placed too far from a source of bright, indirect light. These include the more shaded areas of your home that sit far from any windows or sunroofs. Too little light could also cause the plant to sport faded colors and experience stunted growth.

Water CareWater Care

Water your Calathea plant once every 7 - 10 days, and plan on adjusting it depending on how the plant reacts to a given schedule. These tropical plants love water, so you should only allow the first inch of soil to dry before tending to it once more. When possible, use filtered or distilled water instead of the tap you might use for another houseplant. Tap water contains certain minerals that could damage the Calathea.

To determine the water level of your soil, simply place a water meter approximately 1 inch into the soil. This will provide you with all the information that you need, and if you do not own a water meter, you can simply use your finger. Place it at the same depth as you would the meter and consider whether or not the soil feels adequately dried.

Food GuideFood Guide

Calathea Plants can grow well in any well-draining potting soil, so you do not need to worry much about this step. Simply find a peaty mixture that retains water while not allowing it to pool and cause root complications. Most soils will offer exactly this, so find one that you think would be best and put it to the test.

Fertilize your Calathea plant once every 3 weeks during the growing months of the spring and summer. A Half-diluted liquid houseplant fertilizer works perfectly well, but you can also try out a diluted seaweed fertilizer. Make sure not to fertilize too frequently, as this can cause the plant’s foliage to burn.

Staff Holy Grail Pro-Tip:

While Calathea love water and require it more frequently than other houseplants, they’re more susceptible to overwatering. Be careful that you’re not causing its soil to develop pools of water. One of the best ways to determine how much water is currently in your soil is by checking the first inch of soil with your finger. Also, placing your plant in bright, indirect light will assist you by allowing the plant to dry out properly!

- Emin

@Plantquility on Instagram


text:
Finding the right boat in the sea of automated plant CAD

You find yourself at the end of the dock ready to take on the challenge of the sea, but which boat best suits you? A canoe, a yacht, a cruise liner? Okay, maybe we’re not really jumping into boats, but the vastness of software available can feel a bit like an ocean, and finding the right one for the right price can be a daunting task. Today we’ll be diving into some of the top 3D plant development software, and seeing how they implement automation to save time, and money, in your workflow.

The newest CAD tool to enter the industry. PlantStream can auto-route 1,000 pipes in under 60 seconds, which saves piping engineers time more than ever. The algorithm is not just seeking the shortest routes, but utilizes information from hundreds of interviews with expert piping engineers to follow the industry’s best practices. PlantStream also uses a unique feature called Block Pattern, which is a preset template of equipment and parametrically-editable peripheral pipings. Block Pattern basically bridges the gap of “the last mile problem” of automatic pipe routing and achieves high quality piping results while keeping any manual operation as minimal as possible.

AspenTech — OptiRouter:

AspenTech recently acquired Optiplant, branching the product into two tools, OptiLayout and OptiRouter, with the latter focusing on the automation of pipe routing. OptiRouter’s strength lies in its ability to be flexible, and work alongside competitive CAD tools rather than being a separate toolset on its own. OptiRouter acts more as a plugin to existing programs such as Hexagon’s Smart3D or Aveva’s E3D, fleshing out their pipe auto routing and report generation.

Aveva E3D

Aveva’s E3D is one of the largest manual CAD tools in the industry for a while, and it’s not hard to see why. While setting industry standards in CAD tools, E3D continues to innovate and add to their toolset. Their auto pipe routing feature is available to experiment with for existing and new license holders at no additional charge. Alongside the automation tool, E3D also offers laser scan support giving users the ability to scan existing structures into their 3D designs. Which can be included by the rules used for automation when routing out the pipes, making repiping relatively painless.

Autodesk Plant3D

Being one of the most well established CAD companies in the world, Autodesk continues to expand their CAD library with Plant3D. By being so well established Autodesk is able to lower their licensing fees further than most of their competitors, making it the most accessible to new engineers. Plant3D has also implemented its own take on pipe automation, to help connect equipment as effortlessly as possible. Guided by “Piping Grips” users are able to quickly iterate on the pipe’s auto routing to best match their design needs.

Bentley PlantWise

Bentley has iterated on the fundamentals of plant design to provide a smooth experience for end users with their product, PlantWise. By incorporating automation into their toolset, PlantWise is able to rapidly create, design, and spec, allowing users to run through multiple “What if’’ scenarios during their planning phases. With the ability to convert 3D models to layout drawings, users are given a chance to visualize and share various scenarios, allowing decision makers to choose which layout would be the best for the project. Keeping it simple to basic cost estimates throughout the design iteration and feedback process.

All these products have so much to offer. But there’s only so much that can be fit into a single article. Hopefully these high level reviews have brought to light new paths for your workflow. If you’re interested in learning more on how PlantStream is working towards streamlining your workflow, you can follow us here: or subscribe to our newsletter here:

With that, we wish you smooth sailing in your ventures in the ocean of CAD tools.


text:
Explore Plans Try Pro free

Q: What is the best way to connect my existing API to IFTTT?

If you already have an existing API and don’t want to modify it, we recommend a “shim” server that sits between IFTTT and your API and acts as a translator between both APIs.

Q: How much traffic should my API expect to see?

It’s entirely dependent on how popular your service is. Polling interval will be variable if not using the Realtime API. This means that interval between each call is not guaranteed and you should always be ready for increases and decreases in traffic.

Q: Why does IFTTT use a polling architecture?

Take an Applet in the form of “IF Door Opened, THEN Add Row to Spreadsheet”.

If IFTTT or your API experienced a period of downtime, any events during that period could be missed and not logged to the spreadsheet. With a polling architecture, IFTTT can pick up where it left off by requesting a list of recent events that it might have missed.

To ensure a great Applet experience for your users, triggers are required to use the Realtime API if a user would expect its Applets to run in realtime.

Q: How often will IFTTT poll my server?

IFTTT polling for each Applet varies based on the past several times that Applet has run. This period can increase or decrease without notice and should never be considered guaranteed. If you want IFTTT to fetch new data from your service as it becomes available, you're encouraged to use the Realtime API.

Q: How often will IFTTT poll my user information endpoint?

IFTTT makes requests to the user information endpoint about once every seven days to verify that the user’s access token is still valid. If issues are detected with the access token, IFTTT will poll more frequently. If the issues continue after fifteen checks across a span of two weeks, that user's Applets will be disabled.

Q: Can you explain how triggers work with regards to my API?

A trigger’s response can be thought of as a timeline of events.

A trigger endpoint should return (by default) up to the 50 most recent events, regardless of whether or not we have seen them before. The number of returned items can be overriden by us by specifying a limit parameter in the request. Please do not limit the number of events returned except as specified by the limit parameter in the request. Events should remain on the timeline indefinitely and should not expire, although they may roll off the bottom of the list once the timeline exceeds 50 items.

You define the fields for this query (called trigger fields). Users supply values for these trigger fields when they create an Applet. At regular intervals, we contact your API and query you as if to ask, “which events have recently occurred for these trigger field values?” You return us an ordered list of recent events, and we’ll act upon any new events we see.

The logic of how you determine which events to return for a given query to your API is entirely up to you— IFTTT will simply look at your results and trigger an Applet if it sees anything it hasn’t seen before.

Q: My service fails the returns at least three items endpoint test. Why does IFTTT require three items?

We require three items during the testing phase to make sure your API behaves like a timeline of events, not a state engine.

This requirement might seem strange when you think of your integration with IFTTT as something that is entirely realtime in nature, like “IF Button Pressed, THEN Turn On Lights”— what good would come from anything but the current state of the button?

But what about the Applet “IF Button Pressed, THEN Log to Spreadsheet”? In this case it would be important to store and return multiple event items because there is no guarantee that we’ll call your API (even with the Realtime API) at the moment the event occurs.

By keeping and returning a list of events, IFTTT users are more assured they won’t miss a thing.

Q: When I return multiple events in my trigger endpoint, how does IFTTT know which ones are new?

When you implement your trigger endpoint you send us a meta.id value with a unique ID for each event. IFTTT will keep track of which IDs it has seen in the past and only trigger for new IDs it hasn’t seen before.

Q: Is it possible for my API to know when an Applet is created or deleted?

Not quite, but it is possible to get extremely close by taking advantage of our trigger identity functionality. With every trigger request to your API we will include an identifier that uniquely identifies the contents of a trigger in an Applet. If it’s the first time you’ve seen this trigger identity, you can assume a user has created a new Applet with the given field values.

If a user deletes or disables an Applet and no other Applet shares the same trigger and field values, we will notify your API that the given trigger identity is no longer in use.

It’s important to note that a trigger identity doesn’t necessarily represent a single Applet (although it can), but rather represents every Applet that shares the same trigger and field values.

Q: Are identical actions possible when using multiple actions?

When creating an Applet, it's not currently possible to add multiple instances of the same action. Each action must be unique.

Realtime API

Q: How does your realtime API work? How do I tell IFTTT what to trigger?

You call our Realtime API with one or more user IDs or trigger identities and we’ll immediately poll your API for all relevant trigger events. If you provide a user id, we’ll poll for all of that user’s triggers; if you provide a trigger identity, we’ll only poll for the triggers that share that identity.

Q: Do I have to use OAuth2? I have an alternate strategy I’d like to use.

Currently OAuth2 is the only authentication mechanism we support. In the future we may support other methods, but there are currently no firm plans in place.

Q: Why does my API fail the ‘Ensure older refresh token does not expire immediately’ test?

The process of making the refresh token network request, waiting for the response and writing it to our database is inherently non-atomic.

To illustrate a scenario where this could be a problem: you receive our request, expire the token at that moment, but the token never makes it back to us. We now have a situation where the refresh token is invalid.

Because IFTTT users expect Applets to run in the background, it is difficult to notify them and ask to re-authenticate. By requiring that refresh tokens don’t expire immediately we allow ourselves a small window to re-request a new token if for some reason it doesn’t make it to our database.

Reviews and Publishing

Q: What’s the review process with IFTTT?

IFTTT does an internal review process before a service can be pushed into production. This process can take anywhere from one to two weeks depending on when we receive your submission and how much feedback we have.

Q: My service has been approved — how do I publish?

Once your service has been approved, we'll send you an email asking you to fill out the prelaunch marketing form. In this form we'll ask for the date in which you'd like the service to be published on IFTTT. Before your service is published, we'll do a final review to make sure that the service's endpoint and authentication tests are passing, and that you have at least twelve published Applets available for users to add.

Q: What happens if I need to make changes to my service after it is published?

Some minor updates can be made directly in the platform. For example, you can update your service description at any time.

To make more substantial changes (ex. new queries, triggers, or actions), clone your service, make any necessary changes, and then submit that service for review.

Keep in mind that your production service should avoid major modifications during this process and that any potential breaking changes should be made to a separate development or staging service first.

Q: I've cloned my service to make some changes, I can see "staging" added on my service name and slug, should I remove this?

There is no need to remove staging from your service's name or slug. This will not be included in the migration once it is reviewed and completed. We will keep your production service name and slug intact.

Q: What happens if I change my OAuth configuration? Would the users be alerted?

After the service has been migrated and you've made changes to your authentication, users who have not yet authenticated with the new OAuth configuration will go offline. Affected users will get automated e-mail and push notification to re-authenticate the service.

IFTTT Platform Plans

Q: What plans are available and what are the main differences between them?

IFTTT offers one free and three paid plans that provide tools to developers and businesses. Each plan unlocks additional features that provide greater flexibility, sophistication, exposure to the ecosystem, and insights than the previous.

The Free plan provides access to core IFTTT Platform developer tools so you can get started building services without an upfront commercial commitment. When you’re ready to publish your work and make it available to others, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the paid plans.

With the Developer plan, you may publish x1 branded service for the world to use. A service is an extension of your product’s API and can include triggers, actions, and queries for users, developers, and companies to interact with.

The main difference between the Developer plan and the Team and Enterprise plans is their ability to build, publish, and embed simple Applets or powerful connections directly into a mobile app, email, and website. The Developer plan does not allow you to publish Applets or embed connections using IFTTT SDKs.

The Enterprise plan is designed for companies with multiple products, enterprise service requirements, or in-depth data analysis and business insights for marketing teams.

Q: I’m on the Free plan. Why should I upgrade to the Developer plan?

IFTTT offers a Free plan for casual developers to create services and personal Applets, but you cannot publish them for users to discover and consume. Upgrade to the Developer plan or higher if you would like to publish your service on IFTTT.

Q: What are the limitations of the Developer plan?

The Developer plan does not allow you to publish Applets, connections, or embed IFTTT-powered features into your own applications, websites, or emails using IFTTT SDKs. The Developer plan also has limited analytical insights and customer support services.

Upgrade to the Team or Enterprise plans if you would like the ability to publish your service and embed branded connections for your customers to use.

Q: What happens if I downgrade or cancel my account?

Depending on which plan you downgrade to, your services and Applets may become inaccessible to your customers. We’ll work with you to help you plan accordingly. If you cancel your subscription entirely, your services and Applets will be archived and no longer available for anyone to consume.

Q: How do I know which plan is best for me?

Please review the comparison chart to help determine which plan you should subscribe to. Or you may reach out to speak with us directly about your needs, your products, where your customers engage, and we’ll help determine the best fit for you.


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The Blackest Eyes - TheBlackest Eyes EPISODE 48, 9th June 2020
The Lodge (2019)
00:00:00 00:59:41

The Lodge (2019)

Philip, Danny, and Scott discuss the 2019 horror film "The Lodge."

Topics addressed include:

Theme of suicide and Christian cults, the message of sin and repentance, the predictability of the film, and much more.


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Pitti 95 – Streetstyle

We went to Pitti Uomo 95 to get inspired by exhibitors and visitors alike, and boy did we get inspired. This is a small selection of the streetstyle photos we took during the fair.  A wider selection can be seen in the next issue of Plaza Uomo. All photos by […]

Journal, Uncategorized

Club Vintage

Tobias Skogquist, the creative director of Plaza Uomo favorites Shirtonomy, is launching a new concept in Stockholm that is the very essence of sustainability. A select few of Sweden’s best dressed men will be selling clothes, shoes and accessories from their personal wardrobes. In other words, premium clothing with fantastic […]

The Shoe Artist

Occasionally, reality throws you a curveball. You have a perfect plan that you’ve decided to follow to the letter. Then, something makes everything go a completely different way. This happened to me with Norman Vilalta. I was on a holiday in Barcelona with my fiancée and had decided to write […]

City Guides, Tailoring

The city of romance is a veritable treasure trove for the connoisseur of classic menswear   Aubercy Established by Emile Aubercy in 1956, who set up shop in Rue Vivienne due toc its proximity to the Bourse – shrewd businessman that he was, he realised stockbrokers needed something equally elegant […]

The Duffle Coat

As is true for so many other staples in the classically-inclined man’s wardrobe, the duffel (or duffle, depending on who you ask) coat has military roots. Supposedly, the coat originally got its name from a Belgian town with the same name, that for centuries has been the production site for […]


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PLG Journal

PLG Journal: Issue 22 – July 2015

PLG Journal Issue 22: July 2015

Members: login to access current and past issues of the Business Development & Licensing Journal.

In this issue...

Repositioning Deals - Contingency Planning for Possible UK EU Breakaway

Helen Cline, Legal Director, Life Sciences Group, Pinsent Masons LLP

Withdrawal from the European Union is possible and the UK Government has committed to holding an in/out vote by the end of 2017 at the latest. With this in mind, now is a good time to assess potential risks in existing and future agreements and future-proof deals against the contingency of a UK exit from the European Union (EU). This would be a novel situation and the consequences of an EU exit would only be known after a lengthy period of renegotiation to determine the UK’s future relationship with the EU. The ongoing debate about the UK’s future in Europe needs to take due account of the views of the sector and its shared vision of the UK’s place in or outside the EU

Pharma and Biotech Valuations: Divergent Perspectives

Anthony Walker, Simon Turner & Rob Johnson, Alacrita LLP

Over at least the past decade, risk-adjusted net present value (rNPV) has emerged as the de facto standard for valuing pharmaceutical R&D projects.1,2 These valuations are used for several purposes including prioritising projects within a portfolio, making investment decisions, valuing a licensing transaction and valuing intellectual property in a sale setting. Controversies remain, not least the choice of discount rate to apply, but the methodology remains very widely used, at least in big pharma and those biotech companies that have not lost faith in rNPV. This paper briefly documents an alternative risk-profiled MC rNPV valuation (rpNPV), and highlights a material divergence between the perspective of a biotech company (with a single or small number of projects) and big pharma (with a broad portfolio).

Continuing Strength of IPO Market Throws Up Interesting Trends

EP Vantage Staff

There is no denying the last 18-24 months have seen an unprecedented uptick in the number of companies rushing to the take advantage of the wide open initial public offering (IPO) window. Between the beginning of 2013 and the first quarter of 2015, 144 companies have come to the market, as new issues have been enthusiastically embraced at a level not seen since the genomics bubble of 2000.

How Pharma Underestimates the Sales of its Top Products

John Ansell, Senior Partner, TranScrip Partners

Pharma companies are good at identifying the products that will become big successes at the time they launch them. But they wildly underestimate how successful these products will become. It is not that companies have failed to identify them as future successes. It is just the sheer scale of the success that they fail to fathom.

Deal Watch

Sharon Finch, Medius Associates

Almost half way through the year and May has seen a slightly top-heavy Deal Watch Table with two corporate acquisitions with headline values of over US$8bn. However, this month saw the smallest number of corporate acquisitions in the year to date, when compared with the previous months in 2015. The aggregate value of the top 20 deals was also down from the previous month where we reported the high value AbbVie/Pharmacyclics acquisition at $21bn.


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How do you treat a spinal cord injury?

Spinal cord injuries are very serious and require a lot of attention and care. If you were in an auto accident that was serious enough to cause a spinal cord injury than it is likely that you were taken to the hospital by paramedics. Doctors will need to reduce the swelling and in extreme cases may need to do surgery to remove fragments of bone that broke off during the accident.