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Tag Archive: Powerade

Jul 27

How Sport Drinks Companies Trick Us (Plus 4 DIY Recipes)

This is a guest post by Vani Hari a.k.a Food Babe. Let’s face it – Sports drinks like Gatorade and PowerAde are some of the worst things you could possibly put in your body. They are made up of mostly chemically treated & refined sugar (as much as a typical soda), artificial colors, artificial sugars …

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Mister Knob to you…
January 3, 2018, 3:00 pm
Filed under: Press | Tags: , , , , ,

…is a fine way to deal with a heckler don’t you think?

Such was the response from Frank to someone in the Glasgow crowd for their gig at King Tuts way back in 1991. All very friendly no doubt.

Here’s Craig McLean’s review which appeared in The List magazine…

The List Magazine Issue 163 22 November 1991

December 17, 2017, 3:24 pm
Filed under: Press | Tags: , , , ,

Here’s a selection of posters and leaflets from the recent ‘All Night’ acoustic tour of the United States, where John, Frank and Paul celebrated 30 years in music.

The band have written and recorded over 100 songs to date, and each song was played during the course of the tour – some for the very first time.

Thanks Ben.

2017 Trashcan Sinatras

Happy Hour?
November 1, 2015, 1:53 pm
Filed under: Press | Tags: , , , ,

Not according to Paul Mardles from Sounds Magazine.

If his review of their performance at London’s ICA is anything to go by, he was far from happy. Maybe it was because he was missing the World Cup.

Here’s what he wrote back in July of 1990…

sounds live 070790bsounds live 070790asounds live 070790cSounds Magazine 7 July 1990

Langhorne, PA
October 20, 2014, 9:00 pm
Filed under: Press | Tags: , , , ,

Taken from the 2010 tour. I’m not sure who designed this poster – Shane, perhaps? Also, the imagery puzzles me too. Is it a representation of the four principles in the band I wonder?

Thanks Ben!

Horses Silhouette
September 21, 2014, 7:38 pm
Filed under: Press | Tags: , , , ,

Here’s a poster for the band’s gig at Dante’s, Portland Oregon – part of the the 2004 tour which included over 50 appearances in Spain, England, Scotland and North America. This tour was the band’s first in support of fourth album, ‘Weightlifting’ and it was prior to the single, ‘All The Dark Horses’ being released the following year in the US.

More thanks go to Ben ‘Tour Manager’ Marts for sending this through.

dantes poster2004

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They called Damond Peters “The Truth.”

Peters won the nickname on the basketball court, where he had a dangerous left hand and a swagger reminiscent of another “Truth,” Celtics star Paul Pierce. But to those who knew him best, the name resonated beyond basketball. He was the little brother who was convinced he was the oldest, the natural musician who could play any instrument that was put in his hands, the generous child who invited friends over for dinner when they didn’t have enough at home.

A newspaper clipping of the obituary for Damond Peters.

A newspaper clipping of the obituary for Damond Peters.

“He was also the truth in life,” said Patrina Peters, his mother.

But Damond was a young black man in New Orleans, a city where more than 100 black men are gunned down each year and hundreds more see their lives derailed by jail or prison. And so Patrina Peters worried. She worried more after Hurricane Katrina, which shuttered the strict Christian school that had been a source of stability for Damond and left him moving from school to school. She worried even more after he was arrested on drug charges at age 18, and more still when he was arrested in connection with a murder, though the district attorney didn’t pursue charges.

So even though Damond was an adult, Patrina Peters set a strict curfew and held him to it. By evening, “if he hasn’t called me, I’m blowing his phone up,” she recalled. When Damond’s number showed up on her phone shortly before 8 p.m. on May 26, 2010, she wasn’t surprised — until she picked up and the voice on the other end of the line wasn’t his.

“Miss Peters?” the voice said. “Do you know who this phone belongs to?”

The voice belonged to a detective. Police had found the phone next to a body. Did she have a son? Yes. Was he tall? Yes, 6-foot-1. Did he have any tattoos? Yes — she’d “brought hell down on him” when he came home with the first one. Could she describe them?

The body was Damond’s. He was 19 years old.

“It broke me,” Peters said. “After all of the fighting and all of the struggling and thinking I made the right decisions, to be a woman who lost her son to these streets … I still felt I failed. I still thought, ‘What else? What else could I have done?’”

Patrina Peters, whose son, Damond, was killed in 2010, keeps a photo album of him in her New Orleans home.

Patrina Peters, whose son, Damond, was killed in 2010, keeps a photo album of him in her New Orleans home.

New Orleans is asking the same question: What can the city do to save lives like Damond Peters’s? Damond was the 87th person murdered in New Orleans in 2010; 88 more would follow by the end of the year, according to the New Orleans Police Department. Most were young black men.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who took office three weeks before Damond’s death, has made reducing murder one of the centerpieces of his administration in a way that few New Orleans mayors — or big-city mayors, period — have done. In 2012, he launched “NOLA for Life,” an ambitious effort to reduce murder through a combination of data-driven policing, aggressive prosecution and a variety of programs aimed at treating the deeper problems underlying the violence: midnight basketball, summer jobs, mentoring, neighborhood restoration efforts.1

The problem that Landrieu is tackling is one that has plagued New Orleans for well over a century. Visiting the city in 1861, British journalist William Howard Russell spoke to the local sheriff, who told Russell that the city was “a perfect hell upon earth” because of its high rate of violent crime and the tendency of its residents to carry firearms. Violence has ebbed and flowed in the decades since, and murders fell steeply in the late 1990s, as they did in much of the country. But New Orleans’s murder rate has been well above the national rate for decades, and in many years, the city has held the dubious title of the country’s “murder capital.” In April, the killing of former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith — who was shot after a car crash — drew national headlines.

Low-profile murders like Damond Peters’s are far more common. Nationally, more than 6,000 young men ages 15 to 34 are killed in gun homicides each year2; two-thirds of them are black. The murder rate among young men has fallen much more slowly than violent crime overall. The figures in New Orleans are even starker: According to the New Orleans Police Department, nearly 80 percent of murder victims in 2015 were black men, most of them younger than 35.3

Most murders in New Orleans fall under what is often called street violence, a term that encompasses gang violence and drug-related killings but also a much wider universe of fights and arguments. Landrieu has worked to bring equal attention to these deaths, which he called the “shame of our city” in a speech at Tulane University shortly after Smith’s murder.

“The deadly violence is with us every day, all day,” Landrieu said. “And the media goes through the motions, which frames our thinking and discussion. A murder or shooting or armed robbery means 90 seconds at the top of the hour. … But that’s it. No broader context. No further discussion about what has become the wallpaper of American life — always in the background, but little noticed.”

Nearly all of New Orleans’s murders — 92 percent in 2014, according to FBI data — are committed with guns. Yet none of NOLA for Life’s long list of programs explicitly aims to reduce the number of guns on the city’s streets. This spring, Landrieu proposed a series of gun regulations, including banning guns from parks and prohibiting owning or selling guns without a serial number. But several of the proposals merely codify existing state law, and even some backers don’t claim they will make much difference.

Landrieu’s caution is less about ideology than political reality. Louisiana has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the country, and the Republican-controlled state legislature is highly resistant to any effort to limit gun ownership. “Louisiana is a sportsman’s state,” said Michael Harrison, the city’s chief of police. “The people love their guns.”

NOLA for Life scored some early successes. There were 150 murders in New Orleans in 2014, the fewest in more than 40 years.4 Since then, however, progress has slowed. Landrieu’s critics suggest that the effort is losing steam; the administration defends its record but acknowledges that after early progress, further gains have become more difficult.

But beneath the local political wrangling, there is a larger lesson in New Orleans’s murder reduction effort. In recent decades, cities across the country have learned how to combat gun violence through innovative law enforcement strategies. But they have made far less progress in addressing the underlying problems that lead to that violence — and in focusing those efforts on the people who need them most.

Peters has many pictures of Damond on her phone.

Peters has many pictures of Damond on her phone.

Damond Peters’s death was senseless, but it wasn’t random. Although his murder, like roughly half of those in New Orleans and a third of killings nationally, remains unsolved, it’s clear that he was targeted: He was shot multiple times and left by the side of the road. And, looking back, there were warning signs that he could become a victim of violence: the drugs, the arrests. The success of NOLA for Life — both its law enforcement and prevention strategies — hinges on identifying those warning signs while there is still time to intervene.

Gun violence has long been referred to as an “epidemic,” but researchers are increasingly taking that term literally and treating violence as a public health problem. The approach requires a shift in mindset, a focus not on catching bad guys but on stopping the spread of a disease.

One key question when trying to stop the spread of any disease is how does it pass from person to person. Popular narratives around gun violence often make it sound like a highly contagious disease similar to the flu: People grow up surrounded by a “culture of violence” and are infected by it. But research has shown that violence more closely resembles a different model: HIV. People aren’t infected by the “disease” of violence just by growing up in a high-crime neighborhood or even by witnessing violent incidents. Rather, the spread requires person-to-person contact — being the victim of violence, for example, or being drawn into a gang in which violence is not just accepted but actively taught — which creates a network of violence.

“If you don’t know the people in the network and you’re not hanging out with them and you’re not engaging in exchanges with them, then you’re probably not at very high risk,” said Tracey Meares, a Yale professor who has studied gun violence.

Some of the most important work on the spread of violence comes from Meares’s Yale colleague Andrew Papachristos, a sociologist who began studying the issue as a graduate student in Chicago in 2001. At the time, researchers were looking mostly for risk factors that predicted criminal activity such as poverty, low levels of education or an unstable family life. The problem was that such factors applied to a majority of residents in huge swaths of Chicago’s low-income neighborhoods, yet relatively few people ever shot anyone.

Papachristos instead looked at the structure of violence — how were incidents, and the people involved in them, connected? He found that a small group of people, nearly all already known to law enforcement, was responsible for an outsize share of shootings. By starting with the victim and tracing his connections through police records, he was able to describe for the first time the networks of violence in Chicago and later other cities.

The numbers are breathtaking. In Chicago, the overall rate of non-fatal shootings was about 62 per 100,000 people.5 But in the networks that Papachristos identified, rates were about 12 times as high. In city after city that Papachristos has examined, 3 percent to 7 percent of the population is responsible for 50 percent to 60 percent of the shootings.

Papachristos’s work relies on a key insight that experts have long known but was rarely discussed publicly: The victims and perpetrators of violence are largely the same people. Reducing gun violence, then, requires focusing on exactly the murders that rarely get attention — murders like Damond Peters’s.

“If you want to shift the discussion about gun violence and if you want a lower homicide rate, that means you need to save the lives of the people getting shot,” Papachristos said. “If you want to drive the rate down, you’ve got to save the lives of young men with felony convictions.”

Darren Alridge now works at the New Orleans nonprofit organization where he took GED classes. Alridge calls on counselors at the Youth Empowerment Project to recognize outstanding students in their charge.

Darren Alridge now works at the New Orleans nonprofit organization where he took GED classes. Alridge calls on counselors at the Youth Empowerment Project to recognize outstanding students in their charge.

Darren Alridge was born six months after Damond Peters and like Peters grew up in the Lower 9th Ward. He, too, had a mother determined to give her children a better life: “She was a strict mom,” Alridge recalled, “but she was strict for a reason.” His life, too, was upended by Katrina; he bounced from city to city and school to school before dropping out in his junior year of high school. And he, too, got in trouble with the law. He started dealing drugs and in 2009 was arrested at age 18 and charged with illegally carrying a gun and possession of a stolen car.

But there the two men’s stories diverge. A judge gave Alridge a choice: Spend two years behind bars or earn a GED. Alridge chose the GED.

Still, he was skeptical. He had struggled in school, especially after Katrina, and started getting into fights. But the Youth Empowerment Project, the New Orleans nonprofit organization where Alridge went for his GED, was different. “As soon as I walked in the door, it was home,” he said.

Seven years later, Alridge is still at YEP, now as a full-time staff member overseeing recreation activities in the after-school and summer programs for children as young as 5. It’s a 24/7 job — it isn’t unusual for him to get a call at 7 p.m. from a student saying, “Mr. D, I need a school shirt for tomorrow” — but Alridge is proud of his status as a role model. When he walks into the former bank that serves as YEP’s youth center, he is quickly surrounded by children eager to tell him about their days.

“This is about the happiest I’ve ever been,” Alridge said. “Not a lot of the people I grew up with are out here doing something positive.”

Alridge is in some sense a law-enforcement success story. He was arrested before he could commit a more serious offense; he was presented with serious consequences, given the chance to take a different path and provided with the tools necessary to succeed.

Alridge leads students in playground games, including a competition to see who can hula-hoop the longest.

Alridge leads students in playground games, including a competition to see who can hula-hoop the longest.

But stories like his are all too rare in New Orleans, which has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation and a police force with a history of corruption and abuse. Since 2012, the police department has been operating under federal oversight because of what the Department of Justice called “serious, systemic, wide-ranging, and deeply rooted” problems, including the excessive use of force, unconstitutional detentions and racial bias. That history contributes directly to street violence: Many black residents, in particular, would rather settle disputes themselves than dial 911.

Landrieu and Harrison, the police chief, have embraced the DOJ investigation and say they are working to reduce incarceration rates and rebuild trust — “strengthen the NOPD” is one of the five pillars of NOLA for Life. They point to falling numbers of complaints from residents and rising levels of satisfaction with the department as evidence that their approach is working.

Under NOLA for Life, the city focuses law-enforcement resources on the people most likely to become victims or perpetrators of gun violence: people like Darren Alridge and Damond Peters, the people in Papachristos’s networks. Using internal police data — records on arrests, firearm seizures, automobiles and real estate — they identified the people at highest risk and in October 2012 held the city’s first “call-in”: Authorities brought about three dozen men on the high-risk list into a courtroom. There, a collection of local and federal law enforcement officials — the police chief, the district attorney, the U.S. attorney — as well as the mayor, local pastors and other community leaders presented their audience with a choice not unlike the one the judge had given Alridge: Turn away from violence and we will help you find jobs, housing and other support. But if you shoot someone — or if any of your associates shoots someone — we will come after you with the full weight of the law.

The call-in strategy was first developed by David Kennedy, a criminologist credited with helping to lead Boston’s dramatic drop in crime in the 1990s. His approach predates Papachristos’s work in Chicago, but the philosophy behind it is much the same: Law enforcement should focus its efforts on the small group of people responsible for an outsize share of violent crime. For the strategy to work, there must be both a carrot and a stick: real opportunities for people who swear off violence, but also real consequences for those who don’t — no more pleading out to short sentences.

New Orleans held five call-ins in late 2012 and 2013, in combination with other strategies that have shown promise: mass indictments against suspected gang members; “hot-spot policing,” which deploys police to the areas with the most crime; and an approach pioneered in Chicago in which local community members known as “interrupters” try to mediate conflicts between rival groups.

The strategies seemed to work, at least at first. Murders fell from 200 in 2011, the year before NOLA for Life began, to 193 in 2012, to 150 in 2014. Total shootings, which many experts consider a better measure of street crime, also fell. A 2015 study by University of Cincinnati criminologists Nicholas Corsaro and Robin Engel attributed the declines to the call-ins, indictments and related strategies.

Murders rose in 2015, however, and although they are down so far in 2016, shootings are up slightly. New Orleans hasn’t yet achieved as dramatic a decline in murder as those experienced by Boston and some other cities.

Landrieu and his critics disagree over why progress has slowed. But Corsaro said that at some point, a leveling off was inevitable. The combination of call-ins and indictments succeeded in taking some of the city’s most violent offenders off the streets, or perhaps of convincing others to reform. But such strategies can only achieve so much.

“There is a diminishing return,” Corsaro said. “There has to be. If you’ve got a small percentage of gang members that are driving your violence and you focus on them and they go away for whatever reason … then you’re going to hit a ceiling.”

The offices of the Youth Empowerment Project in New Orleans, where Alridge runs after-school activities for kids.

The offices of the Youth Empowerment Project in New Orleans, where Alridge runs after-school activities for kids.

YEP, the organization that helped Darren Alridge turn his life around, aims to do what the criminal justice system can’t, at least not on its own: provide educational, mentoring and employment opportunities to young people who might otherwise fall victim to violence. Melissa Sawyer co-founded YEP in 2004 after six of the young men she worked with at a local juvenile-justice reform organization were killed in a nine-month period.

“We were literally going to funerals every month, every other month, burying young people,” Sawyer said. “We had done a great job getting kids out of jail, but we started to ask ourselves, ‘If we are only getting young people out of jail to have them go back to communities that are as violent as they are, what are we really doing?’”

YEP now works with more than 1,000 young people ages 7 through 24 annually, offering after-school programs for elementary school students, employment readiness training for teens, and other programs. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, staff members tied paper flowers for the upcoming prom — few of the GED students had been to prom in high school — while children played basketball in a courtyard outside.

YEP doesn’t currently receive any funding through the NOLA for Life initiative, although its adult education programs do get some money from the city. But it is exactly the kind of program that the city is hoping will help stop the spread of violence before the police ever need to get involved. GED programs like the one Alridge went through offer a second chance to people who have already gotten into trouble with the law; programs targeting younger children try to head off problems before they ever start.

David Seal, who is a professor at Tulane University’s public health school and worked with the city in the early days of NOLA for Life, described concentric circles of risk: At the center is the small group of people responsible for most of the violence. One circle wider than that are, for example, teenagers who have dropped out of school but not yet fallen into violence. One circle beyond that are middle-schoolers with truancy problems, and so on. NOLA for Life, through its many programs, is meant to work at each level.

“What you really hope is you reduce the number of people at each step,” Seal said. “Let’s break the chain early.”

The trouble is that each wider circle contains exponentially more people — most of whom would never have become violent anyway. Peter Scharf, a criminologist at Louisiana State University’s School of Public Health in New Orleans, said the problem comes down to resources: The city can’t afford to provide everyone with the kind of labor-intensive resources that YEP offers. How does it decide who to help?

“You’re going to have to treat so many people to get any kind of reduction,” Scharf said.

Alridge has tattoos honoring a cousin who was fatally shot.

Alridge has tattoos honoring a cousin who was fatally shot.

Alridge said he started dealing drugs to help his family — his mother worked three, sometimes four, jobs and still struggled to make ends meet. There weren’t many better options for someone without a high school diploma.

“There aren’t a lot of positive opportunities out here,” Alridge said. “If you don’t have an education, then you’re just out here on the streets.”

Landrieu, too, sees New Orleans’s murder problem as the result of deeper systemic issues: racism, inequality, poverty. Violence, Landrieu said in his April speech at Tulane, “doesn’t just come out of nowhere.”

“Murder and violence in all forms is the poisonous fruit that grows from the soil of injustice, racism and inequality — fertilized by guns, drugs, alcohol, broken families and disintegrated social structures,” Landrieu said.

He believes that by fixing the schools, creating jobs, reducing incarceration levels and rebuilding neighborhoods, the city can attack the deeper social conditions that allow the epidemic of violence to spread.

But many experts, both inside and outside New Orleans, are skeptical. The implications of Papachristos’s network analysis go beyond law enforcement: If only a tiny percentage of people are responsible for a large percentage of violence, then interventions must be similarly narrowly tailored.

“The gap [in risk] between the average citizen and the guys in my network are so exponential that you’re not going to shift it by affecting the rate of people whose risk is already zero,” Papachristos said.

Thomas Abt, a Harvard researcher who has studied gun violence, said politicians and policymakers too often think that by tackling one set of problems (poverty and inequality), they can address another (murder and violence). That, Abt said, is “fuzzy thinking.” Job training, educational opportunities and mentoring programs that target a broad population — low-income black youth, for example — are worthy efforts in their own right, but they aren’t necessarily effective at deterring violence.

“There’s little causal evidence that inequality, poverty, or that any one structural factor leads to violence,” Abt said. There is a connection between such “root causes” and violence, he said, but it isn’t direct.

Landrieu and his administration acknowledge that it’s hard to measure the impact of specific policies, especially ones like education that take years to bear fruit. But Charles West, who oversees NOLA for Life, said that although progress may have slowed, the trend line on murder still points in the right direction. “We’ve come a very long way,” West said.

Alridge, though, said he sees little change in his own community. He is attending graduations now, but also funerals. “To me, everything feels pretty much the same,” he said. “I’m still losing friends and family.”

Alridge said YEP gave him the tools to change his life. But the motivation came from somewhere else: his son, Darren Jr., who was born while Alridge was working toward his GED. “As a parent, we do all we can for our kids to have better lives,” he said. “But I just think that growing up out here and living out here and being through what I’ve been through, I just think there’s only so much you can do as a parent.”

And as the father of a young boy who will grow up to be a young black man, Alridge said he worries, just as Patrina Peters did.

This article is part of our project exploring the more than 33,000 annual gun deaths in America and what it would take to bring that number down. Our podcast What’s The Point is highlighting the project all week.

  1. In 2014, at Landrieu’s invitation, I spoke on a panel at a conference associated with NOLA for Life. FiveThirtyEight covered the cost of my travel, and I was not compensated for my participation.

  2. According to 2012-14 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Multiple Cause of Death database.

  3. The term “murder” in this article refers to murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, a category that excludes cases of death through negligence or justifiable homicide. The CDC’s count of homicides is broader, covering all non-accidental gun killings.

  4. Because of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans doesn’t have official statistics on murder or other crime for August through December of 2005. There were 168 murders through the end of July 2005.

  5. Papachristos said he studied non-fatal shootings in Chicago because they are far more common than fatal shootings but rarely studied.

Ben Casselman is a senior editor and the chief economics writer for FiveThirtyEight.


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Lawmakers Preparing A Disastrous Overhaul of Florida High School Athletics Ahead

| May 18, 2015

florida high school athletics bill

All fuzz if lawmakers get their way. (Frank Vest)

By Nancy Smith

Good bills — unfortunately, not all the bad ones — died in the 2015 sine die chaos. There is one survivor that somehow lives to raise its own kind of hell.

Not a high school in the state of Florida — at least, none that I can find — sees anything but disaster in proposed legislation that would overhaul the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Yet, legislators love the bill that would invite high schools to become recruiting powerhouses — that would rip apart communities, families, even high school athletes. Never mind that it’s been introduced and failed three of the last four years, this time it looks like it will slide in, piggybacking on Sen. Don Gaetz’s education appropriations bill.

By an 86-29 vote, the House overwhelmingly passed its original version of the bill, HB 7137 sponsored by Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, on April 22. But Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel’s Senate version, SB 948, died on the floor after the House adjourned April 28. Or so we thought (hoped?). Now we find it attached to SB 2508, the education budget bill, to be voted on during the special session.

It’s likely to pass this time.

“I scream about this bill every year, it’s like the cockroach in the calamity,” retired Orlando basketball coach Val Marvin told Sunshine State News. “Everything dies around it, but the detested cockroach lives. This is going to be the death of high school athletics as we know them.”

It’s true, legislators want to disarm the uppity Florida High School Athletic Association. Certainly, the organization’s officials have gone out of their way to protect their turf.

But, whatever your beef with the iron-fisted FHSAA, the private, not-for-profit regulatory authority that makes the rules for Florida’s 260,000 student athletes in 800 member schools, has been doing what it does in the midst of a pressure cooker of societal changes for 95 years.

Largely as a result, Florida’s high-school athletic programs and the opportunities for all eligible players in 32 different sports and 139-team state championships are envied the country over.

I wrote about this in 2013, when Stargel in the Senate and Larry Metz, R-Yalaha, in the House, pushed largely the same bill. I couldn’t find anybody then — not a soul — except a group called Access for Student Athletes Coalition — size undetermined — who wanted the bill passed because they were  “championing student rights.”

Look at some of the proposals in this legislation:

• Promotes school choice for athletic purposes, allowing students to attend one school while playing for another.

• Prohibits private schools and school boards from adopting more stringent rules on transfers.

• Limits ineligibility to just three criteria: GPA, falsifying information and impermissible benefits. It eliminates age, years of play, and so forth.

The Miami Herald reported that the bill would “establish that parents have the same authority over interscholastic athletics that is equal to the authority of a member school.”

If the bill is approved, the FHSAA will be replaced by a nonprofit association approved by the state Board of Education by 2017.

Coaches say athletic transfers are already a problem in Florida, and many are concerned this would create a “free-for-all.” Athletic directors at small school districts are convinced — because students have told them so — that many student-athletes would flee to participate in bigger programs.

Remember, the FHSAA is a private, not-for-profit organization. It does get some public money, by virtue of what schools pay for activities. But ask yourself, after 95 years, is there any compelling reason for government to stick its big, fat nose in?

Why do we want to destroy the FHSAA?

Here’s why: In 2011, the FHSAA ruled that five high school football players in Lakeland (Stargel’s district) were ineligible to play after they transferred from one school to another school — a school with a stronger football program. An investigation revealed three of their parents had falsified residency records to make it seem as if they lived in the school district when they didn’t. The FHSAA ruled they were ineligible to play.

The students broke the rules, they paid the consequences. Is that so wrong?

Apparently. Because a year later along came HB 1403, which Gov. Rick Scott signed into law. It loosened the FHSAA’s reins on eligibility rulings, giving more say to each of the 67 school districts in the state. It’s a move where I can find only critics, all of whom lambaste it for creating a toe-in-the-door free agency scenario.

nancy-smith-beg-to-differNow here we are in 2015. The wrecking ball is still swinging.

Student athletes’ heads are easily turned. High school athletes see how things are done on the college level, on the professional level. Many of them want to “go pro.” Their families want it for them, too.

Former NFL and University of Florida wide receiver Reidel Anthony, offensive coordinator at Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, explained it like this: “The recruiting process and free agency are hard enough on professional athletes. I’ve seen it. You don’t want it for our kids. You don’t want families sending their kids to one school in the fall for football and another in the winter for basketball and another in the spring for baseball.

“This is going to tear families and kids apart. Sometimes turn family members against each other. It’s going to be unfair to schools they leave behind and the other kids who play by the rules. It’s going to mean academics are nothing. Minimum emphasis on those.”

It seems to me we will hugely change a system that has worked for millions of student athletes over the decades. Problems have been a drop in the bucket — certainly not enough to effect such a massive change.

Try to find a high school coach who sees anything but problems ahead if this bill passes.

“I love to coach, love it, love it, love it,” Northeast High School football coach Jeremy Frioud told the Tampa Bay Times. “But if I have to go through another year of stress because of all this recruiting stuff, where I don’t sleep at night because I have worry about somebody leaving, it’s not worth it. It seems like the parents, and it is the parents, can do whatever they want. And if a bill like this passes it’s going to be even worse.”

Steve Ripley, athletic director at John Carroll, a private, Catholic high school in St. Lucie County, told Journal Media Group reporter Jon Santucci, “My concern is there’s nothing in that bill that’s educationally sound. (Student-athletes) will be lacking the high school experience, which is very important for young men and women.

“This is not helping the FHSAA or what we stand for and believe in as a body,” Ripley continued. “If it was helping the masses, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But I haven’t spoken to one person who is in favor of this bill and what’s funny is, it seems like the majority isn’t being heard.”

High school athletic directors along the Treasure Coast have a meeting Tuesday with Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart. This is the email he sent to Treasure Coast Newspapers to clarify his position:

“I am persuaded that the FHSAA needs reform,” Negron wrote in an email Friday to Treasure Coast Newspapers. “The focus should be on what is best for students and their families, and not on bureaucracy and complex regulation. There should be zero tolerance for high school recruiting. At the same time, however, parents and students should be able to choose high schools that best meet the particular needs of their individual students.

“Finally, I do not think it is fair to punish innocent students when the adults make mistakes and violate the rules.”

Negron is a powerful voice in the Senate, talking as if his mind is already made up. I hope I’m reading his email wrong. I’m hoping he will keep an open mind and understand the far-reaching effect this legislation will have. But I feel a sense of doom. None of this bodes well for the future of student athletes in Florida high schools.

nancy smith sunshine state news columnistNancy Smith is the editor of Sunshine State News. She started her career at the Daily Mirror and The Observer in London before spending 28 years at The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News as managing editor and associate editor. She was president of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors in the mid-1990s. Reach her by email here, or follow her on twitter at @NancyLBSmith.

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1 Response for “Lawmakers Preparing A Disastrous Overhaul of Florida High School Athletics Ahead”

  1. Sherry E says:

    The big money of the NFL and NBA have stolen many college “education” opportunities, and are now reaching for the childhoods of our high schoolers! When will our horrific state legislators start choosing the welfare of their constituent families over MONEY????

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Apr 02 2015

Chowder invites your pet to become the biggest loser!

black cat and brown tabby sitting

Well the dreaded contest is over, although things haven’t changed much here.  I was under the impression that when this contest was over the Chowder restrictions would end.  Not so, not so at all.  I’m still on a diet. Shocking right? Yea…I responded the same way.  I am currently in negotiations with Mom. Keep ya posted on that.

So I didn’t win the Lose to Win Challenge. But I did lose weight! And I still am.  I must admit, although I do enjoy as much excessive eating as possible, I feel pretty good.  And it shows! I’m already more playful according to Mom.  Some of Mom’s friends did really well.  Allie Cat won first place, and sisters Wednesday (Big fat) and Mischief got 2nd and 3rd!  Big Fat’s Mom says now they have to call her Big Skinny!  The dogs did well too.  Jack O’Lantern won first place (funny name right?) I’m told he’s cute as a button…. Anyway, 2nd place went to Tyson, apparently he was a little porker too.  And Boo Boo took 3rd place.  They won some great prizes…ready for this…brace yourself….free food! How fabulous is that! Hills gave 6 months, 4 months, and 2 months-worth of free food to the top three! And even better news!  Flannery’s is opening up the contest to clients!

 Starting April 1 we (I say we like I work there also, I am a cat so clearly I do not work…ever…but I do consider myself a representative, a very important cat if you will), so like I was saying, April 1st we will begin signing up pets who are looking to get in shape for the summer!  The sign up period will end in 30 days.  The contest itself will run for 2 months.  But the best part is when you purchase a bag or case of Metabolic Diet you will get one free! You will also get a free bag of treats at the first evaluation and another when you return for the free weight rechecks.  Can you imagine?? I said the phrase “free food” so many times today I think I need a snack! First place will win a 6 month supply of Metabolic diet, 2nd a 4 month supply and 3rd a 2 month supply. Not to mention the bragging rights and photo op.   That is nothing to sneeze at eh?  I’m so excited I think I’ll zoom around the house! Actually I think I will wait until around 3am for that, better time for a case of the zoomies.  In any case, I am officially inviting all my friends, cats and dogs, to come into Flannery Animal Hospital for a free weight loss evaluation.  As long as you are a current client and your adorable friend is up to date on a physical exam.  The awesome (my mom suggested that adjective) team at FAH will design a specific weight loss plan and feeding schedule for your own little pork chop.  They will go over all the details and set you up on the path to success.  I won’t lie to you, it’s not an easy road, this new age be-healthy stuff.  But it is sooooo worth the benefits.  We can avoid all kinds of obesity-related health issues! If you are not a current client we welcome you to join our family.  If your pet is not up to date on a physical come on in! Good luck everyone, may the best fatty mcgoober win!

flannery | Uncategorized

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Effective Date: January 1st, 2009

Privacy Notice Table Of Contents:

Our Commitment To Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

The Information We Collect:

This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on the Flightwise website. On some pages, you can order products and services, make requests, and register to receive materials. The types of personal information collected at these pages include (but not limited to):

  • Name
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  • Credit/Debit Card Information

On some pages, you can submit information about other people. For example, if you add a user to a group you've created. In this circumstance, the types of personal information collected are:

  • Name
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The Way We Use Information:

We use the information you provide about yourself when placing an order only to complete that order. We do not share this information with outside parties except to the extent necessary to complete that order.

We use the information you provide about someone else when enhancing the functionality of the website for yours and their benefit. We do not share this information with outside parties.

We use return email addresses to answer the email we receive. Such addresses are not used for any other purpose and are not shared with outside parties.

You can register with our website if you would like to receive make use of the various services that require some method of user identification. Information you submit on our website will not be used for this purpose unless you fill out the registration form.

We use non-identifying and aggregate information to better design our website and to share with advertisers. For example, we may tell an advertiser that X number of individuals visited a certain area on our website, or that Y number of men and Z number of women filled out our registration form, but we would not disclose anything that could be used to identify those individuals.

Finally, we never use or share the personally identifiable information provided to us online in ways unrelated to the ones described above without also providing you an opportunity to opt-out or otherwise prohibit such unrelated uses.

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To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

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How Cities Save Water

L.A.'s use of floating shade balls which block the sun over reservoirs to prevent evaporation, is just one of many inventive new methods being tapped globally to prevent shortages. Reviving Ancient Aqueducts

Over the past several years, a Peruvian utility company has revived pre-inca aqueducts to route water from the Andes Mountains into cities.

Rationing Consumption

Earlier this year, Puerto Rican authorities placed more than 150,000 residents on a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off water schedule. The saving helped slightly.

Wiring Billboards

Officials in Australia encourage conservation by showing water reservoir levels to would-be consumers in real time. Research shows the campaign helped cut consumption in half.

cynthia hirschhornwater


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Album Review: Wye Oak- Civilian

This is a review I wrote for The 405.

“This collection of songs is called Civilian because I believe everyone wants to be normal, but no one truly is.” Those are the words of Wye Oak’s lyricist, singer and guitarist Jenn Wasner. The Balitmore duo, completed by Andy Stack, are releasing there third record on City Slang on March 8th. Beginning with the sounds of a crowded and chattering room, the album develops into a atmospheric and mature work about loneliness, both the good and bad kinds, moving on and letting go. It’s a compelling album, mixing folk and shoegaze, ringing echoes of Beach House, another Baltimore duo, but manages very well to stand on its own two feet. Wasner’s voice has a relaxed subtle tone and the simple instrumentation triumphs in places, and in others shows how much a synth can bring to a simple song.

The first track ‘Two Small Deaths’ doesn’t sound like the cheeriest of openers and no its not, but it sets the theme of the album perfectly. Quite reserved and repetitive in its instrumentation, the track has a very dreamy, woozy quality. It is followed wonderfully by ‘The Alter’ begins much more stripped down with Wasner’s voice layered to create some wonderful harmonies. ‘Holy Holy’ is heavy on its guitars, loosing some of the Beach House comparisons while ‘Dogs Eyes’ is again a step away from the dreamy synths into some complex guitar rhythms.

‘Civilian’ was all over blogs at the end of last year and still stands as perhaps the highlight of the whole album. The vocal against the solo guitar line is wonderful and something which is copied at different points throughout this album but triumphs during this song. ‘Fish’ has a wonderful chorus but the rest is a little simple and repetitive. ‘Plains’, another woozy number has a great riff which is repeated throughout the song right up until the last line which creates a very nice ending to the song. ‘Hot As Day’ is very shoegazey and ‘We are Weath’ has a great build-up but its the last track ‘Doubt’ which creates the highlight of the second half of this album. Featuring only vocals and electric guitar, the vocal melody is stunning and creates a wonderful and quite different end to the album. Whereas the majority of the songs are dreamy, full of instrumentation and a little dreary in places, this last song is light and simple and shows off some wonderful songwriting skills.

Although this is not the most ground-breaking of records, there is still something wonderful about listening to this album. Her voice mixed with the dreamy guitar sounds mix so well, and the songwriting so compelling in places, this album is a stunning listen. With tours planned for the rest of the year and a slot at SXSW, Wye Oak are certainly ones to watch for 2011.

Best Tracks: Doubt, Civilian, Two Small Deaths

Rating: 4/5

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A little taste of North Africa in South West London

I celebrated my first weekend at home for the last five weeks by throwing a dinner party for some friends of ours who have recently moved to London from the emerald isle. Even better than them having merely moved to London, they are now approximately a 10 minute walk away so we are developing a very nice little congregation of amazing people in South West London.

The first culinary challenge for the evening was that the lovely Siobhan is vegetarian… I’m not anti-vegetarian, (I happen to think that Mildred’s is a fantastic restaurant and I own a copy of ‘Plenty’), I just panic when it comes to catering for them and I’m inclined towards the opinion that vegetarianism isn’t for me in any long term capacity. It did mean however, two main courses and late dessert substitution owing to a lack of vegetarian gelatine. After playing a long game of ‘you suggest things and I say no’ with James, the following menu was put together:

Mezze of Hummous, Cacik, Merguez sausages, cheese and herb Borek, and bread

Lamb Tagine or Honeyed Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine

with Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Lemon Millefeuille with Raspberries

I had originally intended to finish off my rather North African / Middle Eastern menu with a baklava cheesecake but as I said, could I find any vegetarian gelatine substitute? No, so that plan went out the window and a last minute decision in favour of millefeuille was made.

I did an Ocado shop during the week making arrangements for it to be delivered to me first thing on Saturday morning so that I would then have plenty time to take myself to the North End road market for additional fresh produce and time to take myself to a further supermarket should there be anything that was unavailable for delivery. The later proved to be unnecessary but I spent a very pleasant hour with James browsing the market stalls on the North End road and purchasing a whole gardens worth of mint, coriander, spinach and parsley and a lot of lemons all at most reasonable prices I have to say. I think that the six Merguez sausages were the biggest bargain but then again, the herbs were a close contender, as was the bowl of limes I was eyeing up. These ultimately got left behind however when I reminded myself that I already had several limes sitting in my fruit bowl and that I really didn’t need any more for the time being.

Prior to the trip to the North End road however, in approximately 2.5 hours I achieved the following: made and drank my morning cup of tea, cleared out and cleaned the fridge, emptied the dishwasher, put the shopping away, seasoned the lamb meat with the spices for 2 hours before browning, adding the remaining ingredients and putting the whole lot in the slow cooker to cook for 6 hours, made all of the component parts of the millefeuille for assembling later on that evening, and done all of the resulting washing up from the cooking that had taken place so far. I won’t lie, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself.

On returning home from the market, I whipped up the Cacik and the hummous, both of which are incredibly easy to make, made the honeyed sweet potato and the accompany sauce for the vegetarian tagine, roasted the vegetables for the tagine and made the borek. I really enjoyed making these; I found making the little pastry triangles incredibly satisfying. They would be a great thing to make with little people, a little bit messy (melted butter everywhere) but nice and simple.

The best thing was that I had plenty of time to clean the house (it really needed doing after spending the best part of the last 5 weeks away), arrange the flowers, dress myself and set the table.

I got a little bit carried away in my mind with great plans for decorating my garden in line with the food (lots of hot pink, gold, orange, cushions, lanterns and coloured glass – you get the idea), until I realised that a) it was most probably going to be raining (and yes, it certainly was), b) that to achieve the effect that I was really after it was going to cost me rather a lot of money, and c) that after the party I would have to find somewhere to store everything… So I decided that I would have to make do with the various bits and pieces that I already own.

I think that the overall table effect was very pleasing, even if it didn’t incorporate the many hundreds of ‘North African’ textiles and pottery that I wanted. I was particularly keen on the fairy lights that I wound around the underside of the table (I have a glass table) so that they shone through. This is definitely something to do another occasion because it really did look pretty. I did also manage to use some of the bowls from my collection of ‘small bowls to serve things in’ which was another bonus.

Another successful and enjoyable dinner party at mine I think. Now just to plan the next; I’m thinking “girls’ night”…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I ball of mozzarella cheese

1 packet of feta cheese

1 egg

Finely chopped mint

Finely chopped parsley

Grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

Filo pastry

1. Grate the mozzarella into a small bowl, crumble in the feta and add the egg. Beat together.

2. Finely chop the herbs and then add to the cheese mixture. Mix together and season with freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg. Put to one side.

3. Melt some butter. Cut a sheet of filo pastry into four long strips. Take the first strip, placing the rest under a damp tea towel, and brush with melted butter. Put a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the bottom corner and fold into triangles by folding the pastry over onto itself until you reach the end of the strip. Place on a lined baking try. Repeat until you have used up all of the cheese mixture.

4. When you are ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 180 and bake the borek for 30 minutes. They can be eaten hot or cold but I personally think that they are much better hot.

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Pay no attention to the people behind the curtain

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Thursday Thumbs

Thursday Thumbs is a new regular feature wherein I express my approval or disapproval concerning news of the week, happenings, or other trivia through a cute graphic, rather than with my usual long, hard-to-follow, and humorless rants and rambling. Today's edition is the inaugural one. Be nice.

thumbs upThumbs up to going back to grad school. Scott's time will get tighter, but it will be well worth it in the end.

thumbs downThumbs down to AirTran. Midwest Airlines has something special about it, and it isn't AirTran's dirty airplanes and cramped seats.

thumbs upThumbs up to Mel Gibson. Yes, he's crazy, but at least he's able to own his insanity.

thumbs downThumbs down to Michael McGee, Jr. He can't seem to own his insanity.

thumbs upThumbs up to the McIlheran Watch growing ever wider. I'm telling you, he's a tricky one.

thumbs downThumbs down to everyone who over-hyped the "spying on Di" story.

thumbs upThumbs up to a swift recovery for Tim Johnson. Our thoughts are with him and his family.

thumbs downThumbs down to everyone waiting for Johnson to die. Really, FOX, that's low even for you.

thumbs upThumbs up to Dean, for crossing enemy lines.

thumbs downThumbs down to No Child Left Behind, which seems to be falling apart all over.

thumbs downThumbs down to Peter Pochowski, who said, "he estimates 25% to 30% of local teens are carrying" cell phones. That's about 70% to 75% off from reality.

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What the ?^@! happened?

When I was growing up there was this one boy in my class at school who got hives on his neck if he ate certain foods. We all felt bad for him because he couldn’t have chocolate. Now, entire school districts have banished peanuts and peanut products from school grounds. Some have barred fish sticks and tuna melts from the lunch menu. Today, it seems everyone knows someone with a food allergy- a serious, potentially life threatening food allergy.

What the ?^@! is that about? Why are food allergies suddenly such a huge problem these days? Unfortunately, nobody is quite sure. There are a few theories about why severe food allergies are on the rise.

Hygiene theory supposes that modern infection control practices may alter our over-all immune response. Serious food allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disorders have all increased in prevalence as the industrialized world has become cleaner. Some studies have even suggested that antibiotics can change the “friendly” bacteria in our digestive tracts and lead to more allergies and sensitivities. Here is a review of studies examining hygiene theory, originally published in Clinical Experiments in Immunology. It’s a little technical, but it does support the idea.

Some have blamed the increased number of vaccines that young children are given. Without chickenpox, rubella, and pertussis to fend off, they argue, any protein that enters the body might suddenly activate the immune system. On behalf of the National Institutes of Health, however, I will tell you that there is NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT CHILDHOOD VACCINES WILL MAKE YOUR KIDS ALLERGIC TO THINGS. Vaccines are good; polio myelitis is bad.

There is also a theory related to GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) in the food supply. This post from the Institute for Responsible Technology outlines the theory.  The Genetic Literacy Project website countered this theory.  As with most GMO-related issues, there are few definitive answers and fewer truly unbiased opinions. Yes, GMOs have increased in the food supply coincidently with food allergies. No, not a single GMO crop has made it to market that carries transferred genes for a known allergen.

It has always been the case that allergies, from hay fever to anaphylaxis can develop at any time in a person’s life. When I was in my mid-twenties I developed a severe peanut allergy literally overnight. Why? It seems nobody knows, but I regularly search the literature to see what progress has been made on this topic. Until then you can learn more about food allergies from these web sites:


text:
Hazardous Weather Outlook
Issued by NWS Duluth, MN

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Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
FLUS43 KDLH 122011

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Duluth MN
311 PM CDT Mon Mar 12 2018

Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook/Northern Lake-
North Itasca-Central St. Louis-Southern Lake/North Shore-
Southern Cook/North Shore-North Cass-South Itasca-South Cass-
Crow Wing-Northern Aitkin-South Aitkin-Carlton/South St. Louis-
311 PM CDT Mon Mar 12 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast
Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

For the month of March we are actively recruiting for CoCoRaHS,
the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network. If you
would like to volunteer to become a regular reporter of rain hail
and snow, please visit https://www.cocorahs.org for more

More information may be obtained at the following web address:
http://www.weather.gov/duluth (all lower case)

USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.


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The new Amtrak station has opened daily service to the Arcadia Valley Area.

Visitors can now visit the beautiful Arcadia Valley via train on the Texas Eagle – providing daily service from Chicago, IL to San Antonio, TX.

Arcadia Valley is noted for its charming small towns, historic sites and proximity to numerous wilderness areas that attract nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. The St. Francois Mountains, considered some of the oldest in North America, offer diverse landscapes including oak-hickory upland forest, glades, savannas and bottom land forest.

North of Arcadia is Elephant Rocks State Park, where giant granite boulders litter the landscape. Visitors are drawn to an especially large boulder known as “Dumbo,” which is 27 feet tall, 25 feet long and 17 feet wide – and estimated to weigh about 680 tons.

When the temperatures soar, people head southwest of town to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, voted “one of the best swimming destinations in the mid-west”, where the East Fork of the Black River tumbles amid a rocky terrain that creates small pools, waterfalls and fast-moving chutes. To the east is Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet above sea level. In wet weather, Mina Sauk Falls – the state’s highest waterfall at 132 feet – puts on a dazzling show.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing or baggage services at the Arcadia station, which is served by two daily trains.

Using code ACD for the Arcadia station, you can get your tickets for Amtrak here:

See article below for a full description of the background on the train station of Arcadia Valley

Arcadia, MO (ACD)


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Alternative to windows colour calibration for use with flux

  • Android

    I'm asking this here since I don't know of any other place where I might get an answer.

    I have recently corrected the greenish colours of my display with windows's colour calibration tool. This works, and it looks a lot better now, but I found out that it does not work with flux. After some research I found out that flux does support icc profiles, but the ones windows creates are in a poorly documented format, and are thus not usable with flux.

    What would be an alternative to the windows colour calibration tool that does work with flux?

    I have searched for quite a while but I could not find any software that wasn't either horribly outdated or just plain didn't work.

  • @GalaxyMaster A hardware colorimeter or however that's spelled. There are several and I think the team recommends the X-rite variety.

  • Android

    Thanks for your reply, I already knew of the existence of hardware calibrators, but I always thought they were very expensive. If there is a decent but cheap one available I might look into it.

    Are there any software based calibrators that are compatible with flux?

  • @GalaxyMaster Well you may be able to find some around $70 if you can do that. You'll just have to search around, maybe you'll find a good deal.

  • You might also be able to find an expertly-calibrated profile on the internet for your monitor or laptop or whatever you have by just doing an internet search for the model name/number along with the words, "calibrated profile" or "color profile".

  • Android

    @TwoCables I have not been able to find any profile for my monitor anywhere. My monitor is a VX239. It's not a very popular monitor and I doubt there are any profiles for it available, but if you can find anything that'd be great.

    @Tungsten_smooth That would be too much, thanks for your help either way.

  • @GalaxyMaster open your monitor's settings (find the one where it lists the different modes like "game", "movie", "picture" etc. Set it to standard or "sRGB" if available, and see if that makes a difference.

    Edit: Also, you can configure a setting called "color temperature" or RGB "custom" on your monitor to take down the green and blue on the monitor to get the colors the way you want and have them stay there.

  • Android

    @Tungsten_smooth I have already set it to sRGB from the start, but it was still a bit too green (all the profiles were) and the gamma was quite a bit too low making dark colours impossible to see.

  • @GalaxyMaster I edited my post, you can probably adjust the RGB values of the monitor to take away some of the green tint.

  • Android

    Yes, that could work but unfortunately my OSD has no gamma or brightness settings. My graphics drivers do have brightness controls to allow me to see the darker colours but that completely kills my white levels.

  • Android

    I managed to solve the problem with a program called QuickGamma. It can read your current Windows colour calibration settings and export it to an icc file that f.lux can read.

  • @GalaxyMaster Woah, I'll have a look! Thanks!

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text:
Kernel migration from 3.13-rel14 to 3.10-ltsi - Reboot

I was able to successfully migrate from kernel 3.13 to 3.10 ltsi but there is problem, when I type reboot in Linux the system get stuck after shutdown and does not boot again.

In kernel it works OK. but in 3.10 ltsi not. I applied all patches from 3.13 to 3.10 and everything is working OK, but this reboot is problem (soft reset) from Linux.

Are there Any changes in rebooting between 3.13 and 3.10 ltsi kernel?

I am using NOR memory for storing images.
And using yocto environment to build kernels.

Kernel 3.13 src
SRC_URI = “git://;protocol=http;branch=socfpga-3.13-rel14.0”

Kernel 3.10 ltsi src
SRC_URI = “git://;protocol=http;branch=socfpga-3.10-ltsi”

Any ideas please where problem should be?

What dev board you’re using?

It’s custom board.
Only difference is just kernel.
And its saved on QSPI memory and after reboot qspi is reset and boot should start again from preloader.

Hi @tomyone,

I got also issue with the ‘reboot’ cmd. since I update my u-boot to a recent mainline v2017.07

Did you solve your issue ?

Hello, Sadly I was not able to find solution for this, It was Just a testing SW so we could live without SW restart :smiley:


text:
Screen Problems?

Discussion in 'iPhone' started by wingnut8, Jul 30, 2009.

  1. wingnut8 macrumors 65816

    Jun 8, 2007
    So when I first got my 3GS, a day after I had it the screen had a black strip along the left side of the screen and the screen was cut off on the other side of the phone. Today my friend texted me and said his did the same thing, but he couldn't get it to go away. I just did a reset and mine went away. He tried reseting a few times and then just left it until he got out of work. About 3 hours after it happened it just went away on its own. I told him to take a screen shot but he said it didn't show the black strip.

    Just wondered if anyone else has had this sort of problem.
  2. aprofetto macrumors 6502a

    Dec 19, 2008
    Hamilton, Ontario
    If the screenshot is not showing the black line, then it must be the hardware.

    I would call Apple.
  3. jmann macrumors 604

    Dec 8, 2007
    bump on a log in a hole in the bottom of the sea
    Have you tried to see if a restore will fix the problem?
  4. wingnut8 thread starter macrumors 65816

    Jun 8, 2007
    It ended up going away on it's own, he was going to restore but it went away before he had to. I guess he stopped at an ATT store on the way home to show them and see if they'd ever seen anything like it and the guy saw on his phone that he had battery percentage and tried to convince my friend the only way you can get that is by jailbreaking.
  5. iNoob3 macrumors member

    Jul 26, 2009
    lol the guy at ATT has no idea what he's talking about
  6. Mad Mac Maniac macrumors 601

    Mad Mac Maniac

    Oct 4, 2007
    A little bit of here and a little bit of there.
    I just received a refurbished iphone from apple last friday evening.

    It worked splendidly for about 30 hours. Then sunday afternoon the screen went crazy on me. It went completely white and had this black lines start to randomly appear and streak across the screen. I tried rebooting and finally restoring but nothing. I made a genius bar appointment for the next day for after work. But around 3pm of monday (about 24 hrs after the glitch) I noticed that it had just started working again... Oh well, at least it was only temporary... right?? so i ditched my genius bar.

    sidenote: Also while it had this white screen with black lines I tried to take a screen shot of it. Now I can see that it took a normal screenshot of what my iphone SHOULD have been displaying... back to the story.

    About 24 hours passes, and then my iphone goes white screen AGAIN! The genius bar is booked for wednesday so I make TWO appointments for thursday, one before and one after work. The screen stays screwed up (for over 30 hours) till about 11pm on wednesday evening. I used the find my iphone feature of mobileme, just for giggles (i'm using the 60 day trial), and then suddenly my iphone is working now!! I don't know if that actually fixed it or a coincidence, but who cares.

    I was still going to go to my appointments on thursday anyways and tell them what was happening... but conflicts came up which forced me to miss.

    Now I have gone a full 48 hours with no problems. I don't know if i should try to take it in and replace it, or just assume that it is fixed until I am proven otherwise... I don't want to run out of the refurbished warranty. How long do I have on that warranty with apple? 60 days?

    So I am having a similar (worse) problem. Any help?
  7. wingnut8 thread starter macrumors 65816

    Jun 8, 2007
    Mine did it the day after I got it, which was the day they came out, and I haven't had a problem since. If it happens again i'll be taking it for a replacement regardless of whether or not it goes away right away.

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Multiple projectors over DMX?

Discussion in 'Lasershow Designer QuickShow' started by AlexJ, Nov 29, 2012.

  1. AlexJ

    AlexJ Member

    Hello guys,

    I have a strange situation - a client should get 20 RGB projectors for the show but I have only three FB3-QS units. :confused: Is there any way to control all that projectors as DMX devices from QS with Enttec USB Pro? All projectors are equipped with DMX. All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

    Thank you! :)
  2. vIQleS

    vIQleS Active Member

  3. vIQleS

    vIQleS Active Member

    Or unless I'm not understanding your question - are you asking about how to set the projectors up / DMX basics?
  4. vIQleS

    vIQleS Active Member

    Oh - and for a suggestion:

    If you have Lightfactory (or something similar) try it the other way round.

    You can control QS from LF using DMX: setup your lasers as fixtures in LF, do the same for QS (,smokes, hazers etc), and then run the whole thing from LF.

    I'd use either effects runners (for "random" access) or setup a cue list (for a sequence)*. (Depending on the type of show...)

    * or a mix of both
  5. AlexJ

    AlexJ Member

    I'd rather use QS for cue triggering, no need for DMX in function.

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strange strobe flashing effect!

Discussion in 'Lasershow Designer QuickShow' started by koutsoumpis, Apr 4, 2013.

  1. koutsoumpis

    koutsoumpis Well-Known Member

    Hi every one.I am also new to this and fortunately i managed to create a laser show using the pangolin quick show designer.I am also using a reke laser projector 5000 mv and I have two questions.
    1.On my computer screen my show looks perfect but whenever i connect it on my projector i get an extreme strobe flash effect especially on text.The strange thing is that it doesn't appear on single cues but only during the show(even i am not using effects on the specific text or animations)
    2.I want to export my show and convert it to a video form.Any chance to manage that with pangolin?
  2. rodman1369

    rodman1369 Member

    Is this a reke500RGB? The reke has 10 - 15k "scanners" which is on the low end. If the picture/animation is too complicated...the laser projection will flash. You can adjust the "scan speed" on the right-hand side menus of QuickShow...under Playback - Animation Scanrate...but might overdrive your galvos and burn them out. Try simple animations to get the hang of what you can and cannot do with your laser...Also...QS uses a LOT of computer shut down other browsers or whatnot and let QS do it's thing.

    I am a relative beginner myself...will always be learning. I Just got a new rgb laser...a "Linny" as we are calling it...or LK PD3...with 20 -25k scanners...It does some pretty cool effects...can't wait to try the new scanner speed to compare with my reke 500!

    Good luck, have fun and be careful!
  3. koutsoumpis

    koutsoumpis Well-Known Member

    Thanks for replying on this.Well actually its not reke 500 but reke 5000 with 30k scanner.Do you think i still have risk to burn galvos in this case?
  4. koutsoumpis

    koutsoumpis Well-Known Member

    Thanks for replying.Well its not the reke 500 but reke 5000 with 30k scanner.In this case you thing i still have the risk to burn galvos?
  5. rodman1369

    rodman1369 Member

    My bad...didn't know they had a reke5000. With 30k you should be fine.
    30k better than what I have...
    Perhaps problem is with settings.

    I can do a great show with the QS cues on my reke and Linny and don't have 30k scanners.
    I DO run into flickerings when things get too complicated...that's why I responded.
    Some of the abstract cues I create look great onscreen...but broken when projected...It's all about experimentation.

    I find that video of my shows come out better using my phone than my too sensitive and video washed out

    Good Luck!
  6. Pangolin

    Pangolin Staff Member

    Please make sure to watch Chapter 2 of the Tutorial Videos which are built right into QuickShow. The tutorial chapters are also accessible on our YouTube channel here:

    Chapter 2 covers how to setup and adjust QuickShow to your projector, and also how to determine the true speed of your laser scanners. Many laser scanner manufacturers exaggerate the speed of their scanners, so QS will tell you what the true speed is.

    And finally, there is little chance that QS will damage your scanners. QS was crafted specifically for unsophisticated users with no knowledge of scanners, and designed to get the best performance *possible* (which is sometimes low performance) from your projector.

    Best regards,

    William Benner
  7. laservoodoo

    laservoodoo Member

    Hi koutsoumpis ,

    William Benner said good advice . scanner speed settings are important to learn . After you get the speed set on your projector settings , then go through each cue and calibrate each one to be nice and smooth or to your liking. This will help the look for every effect you do . learn to appreciate this option tho . you can use this option for some great effects . I hope this helps ya out .

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29 Feb 2012, 13:30
Xavier John (21 posts)

I love the book so far. Task D: Cart Creation, stuff gets a bit complicated.

Anyway after reading the following article about REST my understanding is, things should not be stored in sessions. In the book, we store the cart id in the session which means if the request hits another webserver in a farm, my cart will be missing.

I also think it will be nice for the book to use HTML5 syntax. For example in application.html.erb I changed the div to nav `

Home

Questions

News

Contact

<%= %>

29 Feb 2012, 15:18
Dave Thomas (366 posts)

The session is stored in the browser, and so will get passed from server to server automatically.

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text:
1. HeyCori's Avatar
    I was watching a video comparing Android L and iOS 8 because I like to peek at what the other platforms are doing. Both platforms are getting some cool new features but that's not what impressed me the most. It was how the OS itself operated. Essentially, how one navigates between the different menus and apps. It just seemed like there's always some neat little thing you can do with the UI. Even BlackBerry 10 has its own unique and fun quirks. It makes me wish Windows Phone had a few more UI quirks of its own.

    ...but then I keep watching the videos

    And everything that seemed cool and fun starts to look like a chore. iOS, despite the new tweaks, still looks boring and bland. I use iPads at work and the UI is simply lifeless. Android L looks bogged down with constant swipes. Google has really tried to fix the "kitchen sink" feel of Android but I doubt Google can ever completely eliminate it. It's a better looking UI than before but, IMO, it still looks cluttered and unpleasing.

    I think that's why I still love Windows Phone's UI so much. I can create a start screen that's highly customized to my personality and needs while also eliminating unnecessary swipes. It's quick, easy, efficient and clean. There's no guessing or trying to remember where an app/setting is at. I can let the UI handle that for me. That is still one of Windows Phones biggest strengths to me. You can make the start screen simple, you can make it crazy, you can make it boring, but you're never stuck with it.

    Unless you hate the whole tile concept, then yeah, you're kinda stuck with it.
    Laura Knotek and Guytronic like this.
    09-07-2014 11:57 PM
  2. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    I think Windows Phone's UI is a happy medium between iOS and Android.

    I really appreciate WP8.1 (especially with Dev Preview Update 1) even more during the brief time I had 8.0 back on when reverted to do the Cyan update on Thursday. WP8 was pretty boring, with the Live Tiles being about the only nice look, since backgrounds were so limited. That reminds me of iOS in a way. Even the newest iOS still has a boring and bland feel to it.

    You're right about Android. It does allow everything but the kitchen sink, but that does seem to slow things down, especially if one doesn't remember where everything is or how to open/close it.

    With the ability to use customized backgrounds, different size tiles, and Live Folders, I've gotten enough customization in WP8.1 to personalize it to my liking without making it cluttered, clunky and difficult to use.
    HeyCori and Guytronic like this.
    09-08-2014 12:33 AM
  3. Chris_Kez's Avatar
    You have to admit, though, the Settings page on Windows Phone is a little bit of a disaster. They keep adding new stuff in there, which is great, but I'm really looking forward to some kind of effort to organize and clean things up.

    I would like to see them implement a left-edge swipe for multi-tasking instead of the long-press on the back button. It would be consistent with Windows 8, and I find that feels much faster- especially if you're just jumping between two apps. Maybe just make that optional or a second way to do it. Someone else here suggested this months ago and I mocked him. But after using a DV8Pro for six months I have to say I love the edge-swipe. The HTC One W8 already incorporated a bottom swipe to access the on-screen back/start/search buttons, so why not take the next step?

    The one little thing that drives me absolutely crazy is when I can't see the full names of files in the Office app; they're in this large font that just runs off the page! Let me talk or long-press so I can see the full name.
    Laura Knotek, HeyCori and ea3dfx like this.
    09-08-2014 12:33 AM
  4. ams963's Avatar
    I couldn't agree more. WP UI is beautiful.
    HeyCori likes this.
    09-08-2014 12:33 AM
  5. Chris_Kez's Avatar
    Oh, and I have to just laugh when people complain that a random start screen is too busy. Duh. Just make the whole thing small tiles and you'll have a nice bland start screen like iOS. :p
    Laura Knotek and HeyCori like this.
    09-08-2014 12:36 AM
  6. jonnaver's Avatar
    I pretty much agree with the OP. My favorite mobile OS for UI look and feel is WP. My least liked is iOS. On android I've gotten to the point where I MUST have Aviate launcher installed because I'm too bored with the standard stock style of Android's home screens. I used to be an avid themer on android but I got burned out spending hours mucking around to make satisfactory layouts that I found functional as well as fast and visually appealing. Aviate took care of that in 5 minutes on first install. I can never go back now.
    Laura Knotek and HeyCori like this.
    09-09-2014 01:33 PM

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text:
1. birgs's Avatar
    I have thousands of notes copies from thousands different websites in my laptop using my OneNote 2013,, now i can read theme all on my windows phone offline . I just type in search button what i want to read. I love windows phone OneNote very much.
    Last edited by birgs; 02-14-2014 at 05:15 AM.
    snowmutt likes this.
    02-14-2014 05:02 AM
  2. DBDev's Avatar
    I love it too!
    snowmutt likes this.
    02-14-2014 11:50 AM
  3. snowmutt's Avatar
    This OneNote just rocks. It may be the least appreciated part of WP. I use it just a stinking ton.
    jmshub likes this.
    02-17-2014 04:25 PM
  4. o0Nighthawk0o's Avatar
    OneNote+OneDrive+Windows based device=Pure awesomeness
    02-20-2014 02:12 PM
  5. gedzum's Avatar
    OneNote is one of my most used apps. From jotting down short notes and reminders, to saving links to refer to later and have available on any device. Very handy
    02-22-2014 04:22 AM

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text:
City centre hotel, in the heart of Melbourne, doubles, twins,single,family rooms

City centre hotel, in the heart of Melbourne, doubles, twins,single,family rooms

Dernière connexion

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10 chambres
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Notre maison

We have recently bought a hotel in the city of Melbourne. We offer good quality accomadation in the heart of the city. Bright airy rooms. double, twin. single & family. Beautifully furnished, all with digital tv, & fridges. Fresh white bed linen & towles. We also have a rooftop garden. Free internet & complimentary tea & coffee. We are a family run hotel.

Options et accessibilité

En savoir plus sur nous

  1. My husband & myself, have a 7 year old child, also 3 grown up children. We have been in the accomadation industry for the past 15 years, before that having restaurants in the city. We emigrated from England many years ago & now live in Brighton. We travel to the UK each year, in the June school holidays. We have heard about exchange holidays from friends, so thought we might like to try. We are open really to all places & times that are in the Melbourne school holidays. We love to ski, swim, & long walks.

The airport bus will drop you off & pick you up from our door. Fantastic location, close to Melbourne cricket ground, tennis centre, China town, crown casino, & southbank. We are surrounded by shops, cafes, restaurants, theatre, & night clubs. We are in the paris end of the city.

Découvrez aussi


text:
Work At Home

This is a powerful, proven home based business system that will help you build a successful business working from home.

Whether you live in Malaysia, Singapore, in fact anywhere, you can make money working at home..

If you want to make money online or by working at home, the journey from Average to Fortune starts here… it’s as simple as reading through this website, understanding the system, and taking the initiative to start your journey. We can show you how to:

  • produce a regular monthly income of $500 – $1500 extra;
  • create a consistent income of $2000 – $5000 per month; and
  • build a financial wall around yourself that nothing can penetrate.

These are actual work at home results. And as you will soon discover, these results are the rule, not the exception.

There are plenty of work at home “schemes” around. But that’s not what you’re looking for, is it? So let’s get one thing clear right right now…

This is not a “Get Rich Quick” scheme, but a high tech home based business structure with fully developed websites, on-line lead generation, marketing, step-by-step support and training. This does not involve outside sales, cold calling or knocking on doors. And best of all you can work from your own home.

We respond to people that come to us. Take a closer look by contacting me on Skype and I will be glad to give you an online presentation. My Skype ID is: drkamalshah. If you don’t have Skype you can download it from HERE

To your success,

The Coach

Dr. Kamal Shah
Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, Malaysia
Skype: drkamalshah

Successful People DO Daily… What Ordinary People DO Occasionally

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Review: Fifty Shades of Grey Lubes and Body Care

This is part one of a multi-part review of the Fifty Shades of Grey product line. Obviously, all opinions here are mine and completely subjective. To judge for yourself, visit our store.

The Fifty Shades of Grey books have inspired people to explore their sexual fantasies, and it was a matter of time before a tie-in product line hit the shelves with the release of the movie.

I’m always wary of movie tie-in products, and I never expect much in terms of quality. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by the thought that went into this line. Geared for those who want to explore light bondage, the Fifty Shades product line offers items Christian and Ana used in the books along with a selection of lubricants and body-care products, making it one of the most complete lines I’ve ever seen. All the toys come with detailed instructions (including diagrams) plus creative ideas for their use.

While there are a few items I don’t think are as great at they should be, overall it’s a well-rounded product line of beginner-level, quality products.

Lubricants: Most are okay; one is extraordinary.

It’s rare that an adult toy line bothers to include lubricants, but let’s face it: lube is necessary for some things, and the fact that they include their own rounds out a pretty well-rounded product line. Ready for Anything Aqua Lubricant  is a standard water-based lubricant, and while it’s not extraordinary, it is safe to use with all toys. (Fair warning to sensitive types: it does contain glycerin and methylparaben, which can cause irritation for some women.)

The first rule of anal sex is use lube, and Fifty Shades provides a thick water-based lube to make anal play easier. Despite the name, At Ease Anal Lubricant doesn’t contain any numbing ingredients, only an aqua formula that pairs well with all anal toys. There’s nothing amazing in the ingredients list to set it above other anal lube formulas, but it is a good quality, thick lube.

Similar to the hard-to-find Liquid Silk lubricant, Silky Caress Silk Lubricant is the standout of the Fifty Shades lubricants. As a hybrid lube, it’s slicker and longer-lasting than a water-based lube, but safe to use with most toys. It’s natural feeling and incredibly smooth, and has quickly become one of my new favorites here at Frisky Business.

Body Care: Christian may not smell like this, but he should.

Many websites speculate what Christian Grey smells like. (Google “What does Christian Grey smell like?” I dare you.) According to the Fifty Shades body care line, Christian Grey’s signature scent is a combination of sandalwood, bergamot, and musk. All the body products are scented with this combination with varying degrees of intensity. For the most part, the scent is gender neutral-to-masculine and light enough that I didn’t feel like I was wearing my partner’s cologne.

The first one I smelled is the Sweet Sensation Bath Oil, a light bath oil with hints of musk and sandalwood. It smelled waxy in the bottle, and I didn’t like this one at first because I couldn’t really detect the fragrance. Once on my skin, the musk fragrance came out, but it was extremely light. Plus, it’s an oil and will leave a slippery residue on my tub. If you’re not already a fan of bath oils, this may not be the best format to try Christian’s signature scent.

A better method is the Sensual Touch Massage Oil. A blend of base oils leave the skin feeling wonderfully silky: sweet almond, safflower, jojoba, and grapeseed oils round out the ingredients list. The sandalwood, bergamot, and musk combo comes across as warm and sensual without being overly masculine. I liked the way my skin smelled and felt with this one.

No body care line is complete without some sort of lotion. Soothe Me After Spanking Cream is a tub of creamy lotion with the Fifty Shades signature scent. There’s nothing that makes this specifically an “after spanking” product – it doesn’t contain benzocaine or anything to alleviate pain – but the shea butter is a nice balm for dry skin. I’ve used this cream on my winter-dry hands with lovely results.

Clitoral stimulation gels bring blood to the skin’s surface and create a warm, tingly sensation. Come Alive Pleasure Gel for Her uses niacin, ginseng, and yohimbe to get the blood moving south. These ingredients can be less harsh for more sensitive skin types.

I have never seen a toy line offer an associated toy cleaner or latex condoms before, but this one does, making it hands-down the most complete product line I think we’ve carried here. Lavender and tea tree oil make the Cleansing Sex Toy Cleaner the best-smelling one I’ve ever tried. The tea tree oil tempers the lavender and creates a clean smell, rather than a floral one. I wasn’t able to examine The Foil Packet 12 Premium Latex Lubricated Condoms because they come in a sealed box. I presume they are standard latex condoms like Trojans or other similar brands. Still, a 12-pack for $10 is a good price.

Julia’s Top Picks:

Sensual Touch Massage Oil: Of the body care products, the fragrance carried through this one the best.

Silky Caress Silk Lubricant: I can’t say enough nice things about this lube. Silky smooth, compatible with most toys, and natural feeling.

Unlike most toy cleaners, the Cleansing Sex Toy Cleaner smells fantastic and makes after-sex toy cleanup less of a chore.

Coming soon: A review of the vibrators, Kegel balls, anal toys, and bondage devices.