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Brian Fallon: "I don't want to be a lead player. I just want to be the best rhythm section ever"
By Rob Laing (Total Guitar) 31 May 2018
We talk putting down the pick, stripping back the rig and leaving comfort zones
(Image credit: Olly Curtis/Future)
It's fortuitous timing to meet Brian Fallon. Through Gaslight Anthem, The Horrible Crowes and now his second solo album Sleepwalkers he's again proved that his willingness to learn from others and question his own approach as a rhythm player and songwriter makes him an inspiring musician to speak to.
"When you're picking up other styles, you're constantly learning," he tells us.
Read more: Vox AC30S1 Combo
"I learn tons of John Frusciante's licks from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm never going to play like the Chili Peppers but I might use that if I've got a dub beat or reggae thing mixed with a soul thing. You can use those pockets, and I think it's very wise to learn to play rhythmically because that's really the thing that everyone is missing now.
"I would get bummed out when I would go and see people play acoustic and at festivals and it would be this onslaught of guitars. I was like, 'You're not separating anything.' It's essentially like a stream of chords. And when you've got your Marshall turned up to eight... the rhythm guitar could not even be there."
It's not long before we see for ourselves how Brian's realisations are changing what and how he plays with live band The Howling Weather. And it's clearly taking him to a good place at the show in Bristol tonight; chatting playfully with the crowd, using a stripped-down rig, playing fingerstyle and even performing Gaslight's modern classic The '59 Sound on piano. There's plenty to catch up on...
Have you consciously moved towards playing more fingerstyle?
I don't want to be a lead player, I don't want to shred and play fast licks. I just want to be the best rhythm section ever
"Yes, and that took effort. I was playing with a pick for a long time, and then there were things that I couldn't get out of it. I'll strum sometimes and I'll use a pick, if the whole song is strumming I'll use a pick. But I find as I get older and learn more about the guitar, I really veer away from strumming. I use little half-chords and suspension licks and things like that.
"It comes from the need to accompany myself, because I was playing acoustic sets and it's such a drag when you're playing an hour-and-a-half show and just strumming all the time. It's a real drain on the audience - they're hearing the same frequency over and over again, the same pattern. Then I would go and see other people play and they would have these little fingerstyle things. And I thought, 'I wonder if I could change it up like that?' Then I carried it over to the electric.
"The more rhythm you add in your songs, the less you need to play. So I started looking into all the people that were doing that kind of thing, like Mark Knopfler and other fingerstyle guitar players. But I was also looking at players that use picks and adapting that style for fingers. I've got to the point where I can do it well. I played a bunch of songs on the record without a pick."
For a lot of players that initial transition from pick to fingers can be quite daunting and uncomfortable...
"I practise all the time. There's never a point when I'm not practising. It's not something where you can just jump in the driver's seat and be like, 'Tonight I'm going to play with my fingers,' because your fingers will be bleeding and you won't sound good. You'll hit a chord and it'll just sound like 'splat'. You have to really manipulate it.
"And no-one ever notices; I wonder if anyone does - it might only be for me but I put a lot of effort into it. I don't want to be a lead player, I don't want to shred and play fast licks. I just want to be the best rhythm section ever."
Leaving the comfort zone
That's something that is noticeable on the album - rhythmically you're trying new things. Were you consciously taking yourself away from comfort zones and habits?
"Big time, because I think I've done everything I can do the way I've done it for so many years. I had to find something else. And I was so into soul music and R'n'B stuff, I had to add it in, you know? Figure out how to blend it with the punk rock and rock 'n' roll I grew up on.
"I know there's another way to do it. Mark Knopfler was a good guide to me - watching his career. When I first started fingerpicking, the first thing I learned was Don't Think Twice It's Alright from Bob Dylan. So I learned that the way that the record is. Because it's mega fast, Travis-style. But it's not incredibly difficult if you slow it down to 30bpm.
"I isolated: my thumb does the three low notes and then my first finger does the third string, my middle finger does the second and my ring finger does the first string. Then my pinky (you're not supposed to) but I brace it on the guitar. You're not supposed to do that with proper fingerstyle but that's too hard. Knopfler does it with three fingers. You just have to slow everything down. If you can learn it slow, the muscle memory will kick in and you can use it fast. That's how you can do Don't Think Twice.
I thought 'What do I do to play fingerstyle on the electric?' And really the main guy is Knopfler. He's the best at it
"So I thought, 'Okay, I've got this on acoustic, what do I do on the electric?' And really the main guy is Knopfler. He's the best at it. He can do those heavy riffs in Money For Nothing but he's got this really cool, pedal steel-style in Sultans Of Swing and So Far Away. He's playing pedal steel licks and it's great.
"And that spoke to me: 'What if I mixed that with what I do?' You're playing guitar like an organ now. Now you're covering both bases. So I picked up Romeo And Juliet on the resonator and that pattern. That was hard because it's got sweeps and stuff in it. But you just isolate everything. Slow slow slow."
Do rhythms come into the process early with writing now?
"I'll start with it and once I get a rhythm down I'll start playing along on the guitar but really, really spare. Maybe just a couple of stabs to get a melody. Then I'll play on the piano or the organ and the rhythm will dictate the pace of the vocal and that will dictate the pace of the melody. I definitely don't sit down with a guitar and strum. That happens almost never. It used to happen but not any more because I know it too well. It's like too much of an old friend.
"On the last record, I wrote a lot on the piano, almost all of it. A lot of it on the piano and a lot of it in my head. A couple of things, but not much came from the guitar. I know the guitar really well so it's tough for me to find new places to go. I have to sort of trick myself. I was never a fan of open tunings, because some people will do that and fumble around. But that's not my jam."
The piano man
You started to play piano last year and you're playing keys onstage for a few songs now - what prompted you to do that?
"I've just always wanted to learn the piano and I've seen Bruce [Springsteen] do it solo and I think some of those versions of his songs are the most beautiful versions in the world. I'm a giant Tom Waits fan and a giant Tori Amos fan, too. I was 37 and I thought, 'Man I've got to learn how to play this thing.' And I struggled, I still struggle. I'm big time struggling.
I don't want people to think 'It's just that he's got more talent than me'. I don't have more talent than you, I'm just working
"I'm playing it every night and I'm hitting bad notes but I'm doing it and I'm letting people see me hit bad notes because I don't want them to think it's just that he's got more talent than me. I don't have more talent than you, I'm just working.
"The only thing that might separate me from someone else is that I might be able to focus longer and practise harder. I definitely don't have the most talent. Kids can do it and I hope that it encourages kids: 'Well, that guy's fumbling around, why can't I do it?'"
Does it affect your perception when you return to the guitar?
"It does make it easier to know where the notes are. My bass player [Nick Salisbury] is insane, the way he plays is so good, and the drummer [Dave Hildago Jr], too. And they're like, 'Put the minor third down on the seven' and I'd be like, 'What?' Now I know.
"They said something to me the other day; 'Can you flatten the third?' And I would have had no idea what they were talking about if I hadn't played piano. The third, the middle finger - put the flat on the third, I've got it. Or drop the third; that's a big AC/DC trick. Play the chord but drop the third. That's why the chord is so punchy, so it helps big time."
Gaslight moved so fast after The '59 Sound came out 10 years ago and there seemed to be pressure on the band. Are you able to reflect and take in things a bit more now?
"Definitely. It's much more satisfying this time, just to be able to travel and do this thing. Before it was so fast and there was so much pressure - sometimes self-inflicted pressure, that I didn't enjoy any of it. I didn't see it. But now I've sort of gotten licence from people to do what I'm going to do. As long as I stick within my thing... if I released a grime record I don't know if people would like that!
"They give me a lot of freedom. They're like, 'You want to do a dubby kind of song like Elvis Costello? Cool.' At the same time I can do a folk or soul or punk song. I've got this freedom and I feel lucky to have it because that comes from the people, and I'm able to be free. I feel free.
As a band, you do have to do the thing. When you go to see the Foo Fighters at Wembley they better be playing... No jamming; 'Yo check out this raga tune'
"In the band with all the pressure that came with it and as big as the band is, you're not as free because you do have to please everyone who comes to the shows. You do have to do the thing. When you go to see the Foo Fighters at Wembley they better be playing. There's no experimenting. No jamming; 'Yo check out this raga tune.' People would be fuming, because as a band, you've got to go and do the show.
"I was so cool with it when I was younger and I was so in because I was burning with excitement; if you're excited, I'm excited. Bang! Go! And I wanted to do it. Now I just want to do this thing. I want [the audience] to be happy but let me take you on this little trip now.
"It's not just about slamming home the excitement: 'Let me strip this down on the piano, let me play this with a little beat to it, I think I've learned something. Follow me along, let me see if you'll come with me.' So far it's been working. But it's a different thing."
The '18 Sound
Brian guides us through his light but very carefully chosen rig
Keeley Memphis Sun
"I don't use effects much, just once in a while. Every delay pedal will do slapback but I thought it was cool that it was specifically for it. It was just easier to get all those sounds in one little box."
Catalinbread Belle Epoch Tape Echo
"The tap tempo is difficult from night to night because we're particular about the rhythms so we set it. And what I do, like for the timed delay in Come Wander With Me or something like that, it has to be the same every time. So I'll set it to the record and then I pull the knobs off. So wherever the knobs are when it's right, I'll pull all the knobs off and then set them all at noon. That way it never changes, there's no questions. Because I don't like to be fiddling - I've got enough work to do up there!"
JHS Double Barrel
"It's a light overdrive. The left side is their Morning Glory, so I guess you could compare to like a Klon but it doesn't have that midrange thing like the Klon has and I find if you just put it on a little bit, it can sort of act like a compressor or a really light overdrive. Sometimes you can't even hear it - the overdrive I mean, you can hear the pedal. It's mega-transparent. Everyone says, 'This or that pedal is transparent'... but this is transparent.
"The other side is their take on the Tube Screamer. I only use that for one song. Even a Tube Screamer with the gain all the way down is too much gain. But sometimes I need to stack it, because otherwise if I'm playing a single-note riff it just sounds thin. JHS put a blend knob in so you can blend your clean signal. So I have the drive all the way off and volume and tone at noon."
JHS Pulp 'N' Peel Compressor
"If you play as clean as I do sometimes you need that compressor to hold everything together, especially if you're fingerpicking real fast. It's based on the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer that Mark Knopfler used on Sultans Of Swing. That's exactly the type of compression I'm going for.
"I don't squeeze it too hard. In the studio [Dire Straits] were using Fairchilds and all this other stuff like 1176s, and it's tough to replicate. The Pulp 'N' Peel is cool because it does the compression thing, again it has a blend knob, but it also has a little switch on it that adds a little dirt to it - it's what an 1176 will do."
JMI 15T
"I have two JMIs and then I have a bunch of Voxs. But do you know the funny thing? I only have one AC30, the rest of them are all Twin AC15s. Because I run mine less than halfway up, it's not loud. But it's clean and they're bright.
"They work really well with Gibsons. It does everything for me in the way I play clean. The Vox compresses really nice but it doesn't get muddy. It's got a nice overdrive that cuts but it's not too bright. A Fender one takes my head off. But with a Vox the bass and the treble knob are interactive so the more you turn them up, the less midrange you get. So it's all midrange when they're off. Then as you turn the bass and the treble up you get less midrange."
2018 Gibson ES-335 Anchor Stud Vos
"They did a limited run when they took the stoptail out and put the anchor studs in. For me, a 335 feels like I'm playing an acoustic and when I'm playing it onstage, even though it's electric I get that feeling of being at home and writing.
(Image credit: Danny Clinch)
Brian Fallon talks Painkillers, The Gaslight Anthem and converting to ES-335s
"If you put on a Les Paul, a Telecaster or even a Junior you want to rip. But you lose that connection of the songwriter thing. And for me having to put my arm around it and hold it, the same way you do with an acoustic - you're cradling it. It sort of hugs you back in the chest. I love that I can feel the vibration in the guitar and it does something different - you don't get it from another guitar.
"I have this weird trick where I'm using the AC30 but I use 335s with it with Luther Lee humbucker-size P-90s in them. If one thing is really bright, the other thing has to be really dark. So it's bright amp, dark guitar, bright and snappy pickup. And I find that position and the way I set the amp, allows me to fingerpick and it doesn't lose anything without the compressor.
"I think the Bigsby changes the tone of the guitar. If it's off the 355 it has this weird midrange thing. The Bigsby clamping on there definitely does something. It's not massive but I think the fingerpicking would go wacky if I took that off.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: PHP socket server, check if client is alive I have a php server listening for 1 c# client.
When a connection is established, it is kept alive until client sends the command "quit" which kills the PHP server.
But when the c# client disconnects without the "quit" command (ie : clicking the close (x) button in the windows form) the server just keep listening, and can't receive any other connection from that client.
Is there a way to check from the server side (PHP) if connection is still alive with client?
My php server code is based on example1 of: http://php.net/manual/en/sockets.examples.php
If someone is interested in reproducing the bug/error behavior, paste code from example1 : http://php.net/manual/en/sockets.examples.php, connect by telnet from a remote client in lan, unplug client wire... php server will hang around forever, no new connection is accepted.

A: In your loop, you need to check the return value of socket_read(). If it returns FALSE, then there was a read error (which can be caused by the remote host closing the connection). The example code in the link you provided covers this case.
If you need to gracefully handle certain error states, you can always check the socket error code using socket_last_error() -- this note decribes the possible codes.
Edit:

When using putty for telnet, if i close with X button, connecion is closed properly in PHP, but if i unplug the ethernet wire of the putty machine, PHP server just hangs around.

The reason that the connection is closed when killing PuTTY is that PuTTY closes its open connection(s) when exiting. This causes socket_read() to return with an error code (I believe ECONNRESET). If you pull the network cable, it doesn't have a chance to do that.
Depending on how your network is configured, the TCP connection should eventually fail. You can attempt to control the timeout by setting SO_RCVTIMEO with socket_set_option(), but this doesn't always work on all platforms (I'm looking at you, WinSock).
Alternatively, you can roll your own polling loop using socket_select() with a reasonable timeout. If none of the connected sockets have data to send after your timeout, then kill the server.

A: The following code will show the state of connection.
  $address='example.com';
    $port = '9065';
    if (isset($port) && ($socket=socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, SOL_TCP))
     && (socket_connect($socket, $address, $port)))  {
    $text="Connection successful on IP $address, port $port";
    socket_close($socket);
    }
    else  {
    $text='Unable to connect<pre>'.socket_strerror(socket_last_error()).'</pre>';
    }
    echo $text;

A: I did this by checking if the socket_select() $read array includes the connection in question but socket_read() data is empty (twice).
It seems that socket_select() adds disconnected clients to the $read array and socket_read() gives an empty string '' when trying to read the disconnected client's data.

A: As Michael Dodd says, using socket_select() can have all sockets that have received data plus those they have closed. Also you can have all those that their buffer can accept data for transmission, and / or those that have raised some exception. Do have this info, a (separate) copy of sockets array must be placed in 2nd and / 3d parameter of function.
(if not needed, this function must have $null as a variable equal to null, not just null)
The following example shows how to read data and test sockets if they are still open. I am using this code for sockets that have been created by socket_accept() on a listening socket, and it is working without problems. Instead of using socket_recv, socket_read can be used.
//all sockets created have been inserted to an array $socketArray
//get a copy of the sockets array
$tempArray = $socketArray;
//this command will remove from $tempArray all sockets that have no data and are alive, with a timeout of 0 sec, 100 msec
socket_select($tempArray, $null, $null, 0, 100);
if (count($tempArray)) {
    //if we have some sockets in the array
    foreach($tempArray as $socket) {
        //read some data
        $count = socket_recv($socket, $socketData, 1024, 0);
        if ($count) {
            //your code to do what you want with $socketData
        } else {
            //find socket position in initial socket array
            $index = array_search($socket, $socketArray);
            //if found, remove it from array and close the socket
            if ($index !== false) {
                array_splice($socketArray, $index, 1);
                socket_close($socket);
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
mkdir build
cd build

cmake .. \
      -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$PREFIX \
      -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$PREFIX \
      -DBOOST_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS=on \
      -DCMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=""

cmake --build . --config Release --target install

# Reference link:
# https://github.com/conda/conda-recipes/blob/master/boost/build.sh

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in comments carried by the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate says that "to ease the tense atmosphere that existed in border areas, Ethiopian Defense Forces will return to various camps to recover and obtain additional training. The same will be done on the Eritrean side."
Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki marked the Ethiopian new year on Tuesday by opening two border posts while emotional people embraced after the long separation.
The once-bitter rivals in recent weeks have restored diplomatic and other ties after Abiy announced that Ethiopia would fully embrace a peace deal that ended a 1998-2000 border war.


"Do you think about a workshop after it's over, or..."
"...or are you able to let it go?".
I was reminded of the usefulness of not assuming you know what someone else is going to say.
And I realised I'd filled the pause with my own self-criticism: because I'm intellectually committed to action/reflection, and thinking about a workshop after it's over is a powerful reflection stage.
But sometimes I'm just too tired to concentrate on reflecting 'properly'. And I might beat myself up about all the scintilating learning I'm missing by not journalling or even blogging as much as I might.
Instead, my mind wanders or I retreat into the self-indulgence of a journey home where I can read the paper, mess up the Kakuro or stare out of the window.
But this particular journey home has been longer than expected, and I've got my second wind. So I will 'reflect properly', drawing on what we talked about and thought about on the way to the station.
One of the things my assessors said after my CPF earlier this year was that I was working too hard. The group should be doing the work, I need to get out of their way. Perhaps I can take the same advice about reflection on my facilitation: let my mind do the work and get out of its way.
The drive to the station was quite long, so I did let my mind wander, sparked by my client's question. We had one of those leisurely conversations which are interspersed with gentle silences. And our conversation touched on spaces, client comfort and workshop plans.
My mind wandered to what we had done to own the space. This workshop was the third in a series of three and all the venues we used had their challenges. Two of the three lacked good smooth walls to stick flips on and write on. Today's was crowded and we had to prop up boards on tables and stacked chairs to be able to see the flips.
In every venue, we quickly assessed the room, decided which furniture to move around or move out of the room altogether, and worked out where we would display the flips we needed for various metaplanning-type exercises and for participants to be able to see the running record.
Over the years, I have had to learn about the importance of layout, gain the confidence to take responsibility for making spaces as good as they can be for the conversation we want to have, pick up some tips and tricks for improvising the space and equipment needed, and get more decisive about making changes rapidly. That experience has paid off today.
Over-identifying with the client: whose comfort?
I have been more conscious recently of my own tendency to over-identify with my client, when facilitating stakeholder workshops. I feel uncomfortable when I think the client team may be feeling uncomfortable. I feel relieved when I think they may be feeling relieved.
I'm confident that this is not having a significant effect on my facilitation, but I'm conscious that this is a danger and that I need to check my inner motivation when choosing to intervene (or not) in situations where I believe that I know what my client would like to hear. Holding the space in periods of discomfort, doubt, uncertainty, conflict, anger, disappointment - this is one of the special gifts which a facilitator can bring to a group, and I'd like to strengthen my ability to do this with ease, without being overly concerned about the client's level of comfort.
As it happens, today I was impressed with how well the client team responded to some of the things stakeholders said, which were probably hard for them to hear. Defensiveness was mostly absent. When the team thanked people for sharing their experiences, perspectives, frustrations and aspirations, I think they meant it.
If I had, even unconsciously, sheilded the client from this difficult conversation, then I might have avoided some temporary discomfort (largely my own?) but I would have prevented some important truth-telling and mutual understanding from emerging. And the elephants in the room would have remained hidden in plain view.
In two of the three workshops, we radically redesigned the agenda part way through the day. A wise facilitator once said to me that any fool can design a workshop, it's being able to redesign on the hoof that is the mark of greatness. I wouldn't claim to greatness, but my redesigns were good calls!
Today's was helped enormously by the intervention during lunch of a process-savvy participant who observed that what the organising team wanted to talk about was not what the participants wanted to talk about. We negotiated a 'deal' to split the afternoon's work so that some time was spent on the more pedestrian but urgent client concerns (and the group threw themselves into this) but a larger chunk of time was allocated to some open space. This was agreed by the rest of the group.
As my client and I discussed this on the way to the station, I was reminded of some insights about planning.
At this AMED event last Friday, we talked in passing about Eisenhower's claim that "plans are useless but planning is indispensible."
A few days before, at an ODiN workshop organised by Chris Rodgers, someone talked about their frustration at hearing people use 'opportunistic' as a way of disparaging those charities which apply for funding without a nailed down strategic plan.
an understanding of the expertise and resources (e.g. time, space, numbers of different kinds of people, access to information) available for the conversation.
being alert to 'what's trying to happen here' and getting out of its way.
If you have those things - as a result of doing some planning (having a conversation about planning) - then a strategy is able to emerge if you get out of its way.
Update: This today (1st October 2011) from Dave Pollard would call this resilience planning, rather than strategic planning. An interesting post.
What I didn't follow up on was the confession which may have been present in my client's question: does she find herself unable to let go after a workshop, dwelling on what might have been in a way which doesn't help her learn but perhaps keeps her in that unconfident phase of believing that she hasn't done well enough?
I don't know. That conversation may have been equally rich. The coach in me would have gone down that route, but the coach in me was taking some time out.
But by not trying too hard, and offering my own meandering observations, I reflected properly on what I'd learnt from the day.


Topic: Keeping propane tanks warm!
Re: Keeping propane tanks warm!
RV water heater + an additional high temperature cutout / thermostat.
just don't lose your ticket/s and vehicle pass.
I recall several camps have this issue, both before and after the event.
if you bring water in jugs, 5 gallon bottles, or totes; pour grey water back into the empties. If you are using water to cook or rinse dishes, re-use it for washing, rinsing feet, etc. Then declare it waste and pour it back into the bottles and take them home for disposal.
Topic: Can I remove a post from "your posts"?
Re: Can I remove a post from "your posts"?
Will that be available in hardcover or paperback?
Topic: Can I have a laser art project permitted by the org to be on playa?
Re: Can I have a laser art project permitted by the org to be on playa?
nilasnake wrote: skrillex is going to do a fundraiser for the generator's space whale. i guess i'm going to listen to edm.
oh , the torture of ears and soul. What would your elders say?
Something else to consider is looking at the MOOP map from last year. The map is essentially the placement map from last year with colors added to show how clean they were. This should give some idea about where you may want to look for a spot.
Topic: Limits of rope lights?
Re: Limits of rope lights?
how much balloon are we talking about? One weather balloon? Hindenburg sized?


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text:
Taxi regulation plans "could put public safety at risk"
Councillors are lobbying the government over proposed changes to taxi licensing regulations which they fear could put the safety of members of the public at risk.
Wolverhampton City Council has written to Oliver Letwin MP, Minister for Government Policy and the Sponsoring Minister for the Deregulation Bill - Private Hire Vehicles Sub Contracting, highlighting concerns about the prospect of drivers and vehicles from other parts of the country completing journeys booked through Wolverhampton based operators.
The council's licensing team say the proposed changes would make it impossible to ensure drivers or their vehicles meet required standards.
Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for City Services, said: "The council has serious reservations about the prospect of taxi journeys booked through local operators being completed by drivers and vehicles licensed in another area.
"We will have no enforcement powers regarding the conduct and behaviour of these drivers when they complete such jobs - and if passengers have a complaint there will be confusion about who they could complain to and what action, if any, could be taken by either of the licensing authorities involved.
"The existing licensing framework gives councils control over the standard of drivers and their vehicles. For example, we require all our drivers to complete a safeguarding awareness course and know their way around the city, so for example they know how to get to the hospital if their passenger falls ill.
"The proposals will effectively negate all localised licensing requirements for private hire drivers and vehicles and act as a disincentive to licensing authorities to maintain high standards.
"Additionally in the absence of any electronic national database it will be almost impossible to validate the authenticity of vehicle licences from other areas and while this could be achieved retrospectively, in some cases it may be too late."
He said the Local Government Association has expressed similar concerns, and added: "While we accept that the existing licensing framework requires reform, we have grave concerns regarding public safety and our ability to effectively enforce the private hire licensing regime should the sub contracting of private hire fares clause in the Bill be agreed."
He called on the Government to carry out a more comprehensive review of the licensing framework, keeping public safety at the forefront.
released: Thursday 15 January, 2015
Released: Thursday 15th January, 2015


If you are looking for a new mattress, then you will be amazed at how many choices there actually are in stores today. The thing about mattresses is that you actually have to pick one wisely, and not just go for the first one you see or the cheapest one you see. Because of this, it is always a wise idea to go for the high quality mattresses that are available to you. A high quality mattress can actually provide you with many, many great benefits. If you are interested to know what these benefits are, then this article is for you. Here, you will learn about the top 3 benefits that high quality mattresses are sure to offer you. So these now are the greatest benefits that you will receive from high quality mattresses.
Durability is the first great benefit that you will receive if you buy a high quality mattress. There is no one that will want to buy a mattress that will easily get destroyed when it undergoes the slightest pressure. Everyone will want a new mattress that will last many years without a single tear or wear. Because high quality mattresses are so durable, you can really expect it to last for many years without experiencing any kind of damage or tear. So this is benefit number one that you will receive from high quality mattresses.
Comfort is another of the greatest benefits that you will receive from high quality mattresses. You have to make sure that the mattress you buy brings you great comfort when sitting or lying down. You can be sure that sleep will not be very welcoming if you sleep in a mattress that is not comfortable for you. The great comfort that high quality mattresses produce will have you falling asleep in no time when you lie down for the night. So this is the second great benefit that high quality mattresses can provide for you.
Yet another thing, high quality mattresses will offer you great affordability. When you think about high quality mattresses, you might worry that it will be too expensive for you. There is no more middleman when you go directly to a high quality mattress manufacturer, thus making the prices much more affordable for you and anyone else. So you should never think that high quality mattresses are too expensive for you because we can assure you that getting it from the manufacturer is going to produce very cheap prices for you. So this is the last but definitely not the least benefit that high quality mattresses can provide for you and anyone else that is looking for a great new mattress to buy for their bed.


text:
Microsoft panel explores the policy implications of intelligent systems
Posted by Jeff Meisner
Editor, Microsoft on the Issues
On May 16, Microsoft convened a panel of academic researchers working at the confluence of the technology, humanity and policy aspects of intelligent systems at the Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center in Washington, D.C. The intergenerational conversation brought together professors and their students to explore the implications of the deployment of new intelligent systems in businesses and society and the legal and policy challenges that they present.
From autonomous vehicles to rescue robots to home appliances, intelligent systems are becoming more commonplace in our society. These systems gather data from their environment and increasingly, without human interaction, automatically act on that information, enabling benefits such as faster responses in crisis situations, more efficient resource management and safer performance of difficult tasks. While the full impact and capabilities of intelligent systems are constantly being realized, it is essential to begin conversations between policymakers, ethicists and researchers to explore the legal and policy implications.
Throughout the event, four researchers highlighted the importance of these interdisciplinary conversations and provided short presentations on the work they are doing in the field. Researchers included: Meg Leta Ambrose, assistant professor, Communication, Culture and Technology, Georgetown University; Ryan Calo, assistant professor, University of Washington School of Law and faculty director, Technology Policy Lab, University of Washington; Margot Kaminski, research scholar in law, executive director of the Information Society Project and lecturer in law, Yale Law School; and Daniel Siciliano, professor of the practice of law and associate dean for executive education and special programs, Stanford Law School. Microsoft's Elizabeth Grossman, director of civic projects in the Technology and Civic Engagement group, provided welcoming remarks and Microsoft's Carolyn Nguyen, director in the Technology Policy Group, moderated the discussion.
After the event, we caught up with each of the researchers to further discuss the issues from the panel.
Meg Ambrose of Georgetown University explored the effects of the increasing use of robotics in all areas of society:
Ryan Calo of the University of Washington highlighted the importance of discussing the legal and policy implications of intelligent systems now:
The key takeaway from the event for Margot Kaminski of Yale Law School was the importance of interdisciplinary conversations among policymakers and researchers to discuss the issues:
Daniel Siciliano emphasized that our ability to understand intelligent systems will become critical in the next five to 10 years:
From the legal and policy aspects of intelligent systems to privacy and security, Technology | Academics | Policy (TAP) is a Microsoft-sponsored forum for academics leading the dialogue on the impact of technological innovation. Learn more about the academic research promoted by TAP by visiting: https://www.techpolicy.com/


text:
The Bookshop at Queenscliff
Book Vouchers
Book Porter
Curious Voyages - A Collection of Astoundingly True Tales by Andrew Murray (Illustrator)
Over thousands of yearsthe world was wide with wind-powered boats, one of man's mostbeautiful constructions, andsailors had to strugglein theage-old game of Man vsSea. This collection of tales isnot a history of sail, it's avoyage through centuries of curious sailing adventures.
Slow Travel - A Movement by Penny Watson
It can be challenging to travel in the modern world without falling for the temptations of fast planes, cheap airlines, last-minute tickets, quick-fix travel apps and overzealous tour operators. To actually take a back seat, and allow yourself time to embrace the ebb and flow of travel, requires a more thoughtful and philosophical way of journeying. Slow Travel is a beautifully designed and practical compendium of places, activities, tours and experiences that will inspire you to get on the road in your own time and on your own terms. This book explores slow travel as a physical or philosophical endeavor, taking readers off the beaten track and through nature, and unveils journeys that will nurture talent and ignite the inner-self. You could decide to cruise slow-mo down Egypt's Nile on a 19th-century steam ship, visit ancient dzongs and temples in Bhutan or learn the art of sourdough baking in Venice. There are features on the world's best wellness escapes, digital-detox destinations and 'slo-tels' (hotels where long minimum stays and remote locations ensure full immersion). Along with compelling information, interviews and imagery, you'll find a how-to guide of helpful tips, from planning for slow travel to what music to listen to in the slow zone. In this fast-paced world, it's worth adjusting your vacation time to a pace we can all strive to keep up with. ...Show more
The Other Paris: An Illustrated Journey Through a City's Poor and Bohemian Past by Luc Sante
Paris, the City of Light. We think of it as the city of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, of white facades, discreet traffic and well-mannered exchanges. But there was another Paris, hidden from view and virtually extinct today - the Paris of the working and criminal classes that shaped the city over the past two centuries. In the voices of Balzac and Hugo, assorted boulevardiers, barflies, rabble-rousers and tramps, Sante takes the reader on a vivid journey through the seamy underside of Paris: the improvised accommodations of the original bohemians; the flea markets, the rubbish tips, and the hovels. Featuring over 300 illustrations The Other Paris is a lively tour of labour conditions, prostitution, drinking, crime, and popular entertainment, of the reporters, realiste singers, pamphleteers, serial novelists, and poets who chronicled their evolution. It upends the story of the French capital, reclaiming the city from the bon vivants and the speculators, and lighting a candle to the works and days of the forgotten poor. ...Show more
The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris by Edmund White
Category: Travel | Series: Writer and the City
A flaneur is a stroller, a loiterer, someone who ambles through city streets in search of adventure and fulfillment. Edmund White, who lived in Paris for sixteen years, wanders through the streets and avenues and along the quays, into parts of Paris virtually unknown to visitors and indeed to many Paris ians. In the hands of the learned White, a walk through Paris is both a tour of its lush, sometimes prurient history, and an evocation of the city's spirit.The Flaneur leads us to bookshops and boutiques, monuments and palaces, giving us a glimpse the inner human drama. Along the way we learn everything from the latest debates among French lawmakers to the juicy details of Colette's life. ...Show more
A Curious Traveler's Guide to Paris by Eleanor Aldridge; Anon
In the last few years, Paris has undergone a huge transformation. It's fostered one of the coolest creative scenes in Europe, some of the continent's best nightlife, and a "bistronomy" movement that has influenced dining around the globe. Yet while millennial travelers pour into the city, travel guides continue to focus on a staid checklist approach to Paris's big attractions. There's currently no book on the market aimed at younger (perhaps more budget-conscious) American visitors that truly captures the city's revived energy--until this one.A Curious Traveler's Guide to Paris will direct readers to the best paintings in the Centre Pompidou and tell them how to beat the lines at the Orangerie. It will guide them to quirky, little-known museums and secret squares. It will tell them how to find the city's coolest speakeasies, best neo- bistros, and most unusual boutiques. Informative yet opinionated, it is an insider's guide to Paris without pretension. ...Show more
Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World by Lonely Planet
Category: Travel | Series: Lonely Planet Ser.
This large, inspirational hardcover showcases 101 of the world's most magnificent sights and tells readers - on a range of budgets - how to see them. Iconic landmarks range from the famous and familiar to more obscure and off-the-beaten-track, including Antarctica, Victoria Falls, the Amazon Rainforest, Easter Island, the Great Wall of China, CERN and Banff National Park, Canada. ...Show more
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2020 by Lonely Planet
It's back: our agenda-setting compilation of the hottest destinations in the world. Our staff, authors and online community have travelled to every corner of the world and we've distilled their adventures down to the most outstanding, underrated and overlooked places - and tell readers why to go in 2020 .* We rank the top 10 countries, regions, cities and best-value places* Practical itineraries and unmissable experiences for every destination* Inspires travellers to leave the ordinary and the crowds behind ...Show more
A Beginner's Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations by Pico Iyer
From the acclaimed author of The Art of Stillness--one of our most engaging and discerning travel writers--a unique, indispensable guide to the enigma of contemporary Japan. After thirty-two years in Japan, Pico Iyer can use everything from anime to Oscar Wilde to show how his adopted home is both haunt ingly familiar and the strangest place on earth. "Arguably the world's greatest living travel writer" (Outside). He draws on readings, reflections, and conversations with Japanese friends to illuminate an unknown place for newcomers, and to give longtime residents a look at their home through fresh eyes. A Beginner's Guide to Japan is a playful and profound guidebook full of surprising, brief, incisive glimpses into Japanese culture. Iyer's adventures and observations as he travels from a meditation-hall to a love-hotel, from West Point to Kyoto Station, make for a constantly surprising series of provocations guaranteed to pique the interest and curiosity of those who don't know Japan, and to remind those who do of the wide range of fascinations the country and culture contain. ...Show more
Atlas Obscura 2nd Edition by Joshua Foer; Ella Morton; Dylan Thuras
Category: Travel | Series: Atlas Obscura Ser.
Inspiring equal parts wonder and wanderlust, Atlas Obscura celebrates over 700 of the strangest and most curious places in the world. The second edition, revised and updated with 20% new material, reveals more hidden wonders. Among them: The Glowing Termite Mounds of Emas Brazil, The secretive FBI Spy H ouse in Washington DC, the spooky Pirate Cemetery in Madagascar, and in Whitehorse, Canada, the The World's Largest Weathervane. Created by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras (the founders of Atlas Obscura) and Ella Morton, Atlas Obscura revels in the weird, the unexpected, the overlooked, the hidden and the mysterious. Every page expands our sense of how strange and marvellous the world really is. And with its compelling descriptions, hundreds of photographs, surprising charts, maps for every region of the world, it is a book to enter anywhere, and will be as appealing to the armchair traveler as the die-hard adventurer. ...Show more
Walking to Jerusalem: Blisters, Hope and Other Facts on the Ground by Justin Butcher
'What's so impressive about Justin Butcher's book is the interweaving of his personal face-to-face experiences in Israel and Palestine against the backdrop of the social and political realities there. This book displays an empathy that is unusual in discussions of that tangled and tragic situation - the kind of empathy that will be essential in arriving at any decent solution to it.' BRIAN ENO 2017 marked three important anniversaries for the Palestinian people: 100 years since the Balfour Declaration; 50 years since the Six-day War; and ten years since the Blockade of Gaza. As an act of penance, solidarity and hope, actor and musician Justin Butcher - along with ten other companions for the full route, plus another hundred joining him for various stretches along the way - walked from London to Jerusalem. This book is the record of his journey: a combination of walking journal, travel writing and pilgrim stories. It's less of a travel guide to walking across Europe and more an exploration of the many strands radiating from the Holy Land and its narrative, weaving paths across place and history, through the lives of Justin's fellow-walkers - and, of course, his own life. Between the route itinerary and the themes of Balfour and Christian Zionism, Weizmann and cordite, colonialism, Jerusalem Syndrome and Desert spirituality, Justin charts a chronicle of serendipity: happenstances hilarious, infuriating and occasionally numinous - or, as pilgrims might say, encounters with the Divine. 'This is a gripping and intelligent book that everybody should read.' PATRICK COCKBURN, Middle East correspondent, The Independent ...Show more
On The Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Road Trip by Paul Theroux
Nogales is a border town caught between Mexico and the United States of America. A forty-foot steel fence runs through its centre, separating the prosperous US side from the impoverished Mexican side. It is a fascinating site of tension, now more than ever, as the town fills with hopeful border crossers and the deportees who have been caught and brought back. And it is here that Paul Theroux will begin his journey into the culturally rich but troubled heart of modern Mexico. Mexico is a country that has captured literary imaginations from D. H. Lawrence and Graham Greene to Aldous Huxley. Now Paul Theroux, master of travel writing, immerses himself, attending local language and culinary schools, driving through the country, getting under its skin. ...Show more
Epic Runs of the World by Lonely Planet Publications Staff
The next title in our Epic series celebrates the fastest growing activity in the world: recreational running. We cover the greatest routes, from fun and scenic short runs, to trails and must-do marathons that go beyond New York and London to include Kyoto, the Great Wall of China and Australia's Blue Mo untains ultra. ...Show more
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text:
HyperDic: king_of_great_britain
English > 1 sense of the expression King of Great Britain:
person King of Great Britain, King of England the sovereign ruler of England
English > King of Great Britain: 1 sense > noun 1, person
The sovereign ruler of England.
King of England
Canute, Cnut, Knut, Canute the Great king of Denmark and Norway who forced Edmund II to divide England with him
Charles, Charles I, Charles Stuart son of James I who was King of England and Scotland and Ireland
Charles, Charles II King of England and Scotland and Ireland during the Restoration (1630-1685)
Edgar The younger brother of Edwy who became king of Northumbria when it renounced Edwy
Edward, Edward I King of England from 1272 to 1307
Edward, Edward II King of England from 1307 to 1327 and son of Edward I
Edward, Edward III son of Edward II and King of England from 1327-1377
Edward, Edward IV King of England from 1461 to 1470 and from 1471 to 1483
Edward, Edward V King of England who was crowned at the age of 13 on the death of his father Edward IV but was immediately confined to the Tower of London where he and his younger brother were murdered (1470-1483)
Edward, Edward VI King of England and Ireland from 1547 to 1553
Edward, Edward VII, Albert Edward King of England from 1901 to 1910
Edward, Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor King of England and Ireland in 1936
Edward the Confessor, Saint Edward the Confessor, St. Edward the Confessor son of Ethelred the Unready
Edward the Martyr, Saint Edward the Martyr, St. Edward the Martyr King of England who was a son of Edgar
Edwy, Eadwig King of England who was renounced by Northumbria in favor of his brother Edgar (died in 959)
George, George I Elector of Hanover and the first Hanoverian King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1714 to 1727 (1660-1727)
George, George II King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover from 1727 to 1760 (1683-1760)
George, George III King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820
George, George IV King of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 1820 to 1830
George, George V King of Great Britain and Ireland and emperor of India from 1910 to 1936
George, George VI King of Great Britain and Ireland and emperor of India from 1936 to 1947
Harold I, King Harold I, Harold Harefoot, Harefoot illegitimate son of Canute who seized the throne of England in 1037 (died in 1040)
Harold II, King Harold II King of England who succeeded Edward the Confessor in 1066 and was the last of the Anglo-Saxon monarchs
Henry I, Henry Beauclerc King of England from 1100 to 1135
Henry II First Plantagenet King of England
Henry III son of King John and king of England from 1216 to 1272
Henry IV, Bolingbroke, Henry Bolingbroke The first Lancastrian king of England from 1399 to 1413
Henry V son of Henry IV and King of England from 1413 to 1422
Henry VI son of Henry V who as an infant succeeded his father and was King of England from 1422 to 1461
Henry VII, Henry Tudor First Tudor king of England from 1485 to 1509
Henry VIII son of Henry VII and King of England from 1509 to 1547
James, James I, King James, King James I The first Stuart to be king of England and Ireland from 1603 to 1625 and king of Scotland from 1567 to 1625
James, James II The last Stuart to be king of England and Ireland and Scotland
John, King John, John Lackland youngest son of Henry II
Richard I, Richard Coeur de Lion, Richard the Lionheart, Richard the Lion-Hearted son of Henry II and King of England from 1189 to 1199
Richard II King of England from 1377 to 1399
Richard III King of England from 1483 to 1485
William I, William the Conqueror duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England and became the first Norman to be King of England
William II, William Rufus The second son of William the Conqueror who succeeded him as King of England (1056-1100)
William III, William of Orange King of England and Scotland and Ireland
William IV, Sailor King King of England and Ireland
king, male monarch, Rex A male sovereign
Rey de Gran Bretaña, Rey de Inglaterra


In Praise of Virtue – Life. Love. Music. Faith.
GALATIANS 5 – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Today as we come to worship we recognize Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and the values they promote.
The Boy Scout Law says a Scout is: Trustworthy / Loyal / Helpful / Friendly / Courteous / Kind / Obedient / Cheerful / Thrifty / Brave / Clean / Reverent.
The Boy Scout Motto is: BE PREPARED.
Robert Baden-Powell (founder of the Boy Scouts) explains that BE PREPARED means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY.
We applaud the virtues that are promoted by the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.
Buddhists and Muslims and Jews and Christians and even Atheists promote some of the same virtues.
The first century Pali Canon of Buddhism lists 10 virtues: Generosity, Proper conduct, Renunciation, Transcendental wisdom, Diligence, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination, Loving-kindness and Serenity.
And in his "Manifesto for Atheists," British atheist Alain de Botton has suggested "Ten Virtues for the Modern Age": Resilience, Empathy, Patience, Sacrifice, Politeness, Humor, Self-Awareness, Forgiveness, Hope, Confidence.
Jews and Christians follow the Ten Commandments, which were read at the start of today's message.
And Christians believe that the fruits of the Spirit (identified by St. Paul and also read at the start of the message) are virtues God wants to plant in each of us so we can achieve the potential for which we were created.
Some would say that, since all religions promote similar values, there must be little difference between them. Perhaps (they say) there are many roads that lead to God.
Traditional Christians (and I am one of those) respectfully disagree. We would say that the religions of the world represent the human longing for God, humans reaching out for God as best they can.
We would say that Judaism and Christianity represent God reaching down to humanity, reaching down to rescue and redeem us.
And, as traditional Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan. What began with Adam and Noah and Abraham and Moses was brought to its full realization in Jesus Christ.
The reason almost all religions promote similar virtues is because all of us were created in the image of God. Even though God's image in us has been broken because of sin, we still all see the value and importance of honesty / and patience / and fair play / and other virtues.
So, first, most of the world's religions promote virtues that are remarkably similar. As Christians, we believe this indicates our common origin as persons created in God's image.
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we read about Joseph, son of Jacob. His brothers hated him and ultimately sold him as a slave into Egypt. Joseph became a slave in the house of Potiphar.
In Genesis chapter 39 Joseph was tempted to do evil. His master's wife tried hard to entice him into sexual compromise. He strongly resisted her advances.
Many today would call Joseph a "Goody-Two-Shoes" because he resisted evil. Today (as often in the past) we live is a culture where many scoff at the righteous and call them "sissies" or (in Canada where I come from) "Dudley Do-Rights" for resisting temptations of the flesh and spirit.
Why not "live a little"? Why not "sow some wild oats"? Why not "try it, you'll like it"?
This morning I want to stand against the idea that "real men" cannot be virtuous men. I want to stand against the notion that being a virtuous man is somehow sissified or weak or watered down.
Today I want to stand against the widespread notion that "Real Men" must be dabblers in unrighteous behavior. It is a lie of the evil one that goodness must be boring. It is a foul lie that there is more pleasure in unrighteousness than in goodness.
Men, our sons and grandsons need mentors in virtuous living. They need to see men who are truth-tellers. They need to see men who transparent about challenges and short-comings in their own lives, men who don't hide behind the mask of machoism.
So, secondly, We should seek to live by virtuous lives, lives of integrity and godly character. And we should teach these values to our children.
None of us is faultless within ourselves. We think and say and do things that reveal our inner brokenness, our self-centeredness.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, dying in OUR place for OUR sins, God offers us eternal life as a free gift.
We cannot earn it by our good deeds or shining virtues. We cannot earn it by self-sacrifice, or pouring out our lives for others.
But we can accept eternal life as a free gift from God through His Son Jesus.
The cross has made, The cross has made you flawless.
There's an equation that some of you have heard me use before. This equation helps us understand how God's free gift works.
So I urge you this morning: Put your trust in Jesus Christ. Receive God's free gift of salvation through the cross. Allow God to build the character of Jesus into your life,more and more.
Allow the Holy Spirit of God to work in YOU, to build these virtues into YOUR life, for HIS glory.


The positive identification of SmartWater marked clothing has aided the prosecution of three men who have been jailed for a total of 19 years after a G4S courier was held up outside a Blockbuster Video store in Surrey.
Nicholas Leacock (35), of Egmont Street, New Cross, and Marvin Samuels (28), of Woodside Green, South Norwood, robbed security guard, Ian Strachan, before jumping into a getaway car and fleeing the scene at high speed. The pair drove to an address in Croydon where they paid accomplice, Paul Tucker (36), of Headley Drive, New Addington, £100 to open the stolen cash box with an angle grinder.
A tracking device in the cash box led police straight to the gang, where they found £370 in cash, industrial cutting equipment and clothing all marked with purple dye containing a SmartWater forensic signature. The SmartWater system activated when the gang forced open the cash box.
Under police interview Leacock and Samuels made no comment, but their clothing was seized and sent to SmartWater's forensic laboratories where scientists positively identified traces of purple dye laced with SmartWater and linked it with the stolen cash box. This evidence was upheld in court and used to help link the pair with the robbery.
Leacock and Samuels were jailed for nine years each after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery. Tucker, who had entered a not guilty plea to money laundering, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to one year in prison.
Detective Sergeant Penny Goodale, who led the investigation, said: "I welcome the lengthy sentences for this group of dangerous professional criminals. This was a planned and organised robbery where the offenders were quite prepared to threaten the cash delivery driver and put other members of the public at risk to get what they wanted."
SmartWater's forensic technology is deployed tactically by police forces and other organisations in a variety of scenarios throughout the UK. The use of SmartWater evidence has resulted in more than 1,000 successful prosecutions where it has been introduced in court proceedings.
Chief executive of SmartWater Technology Ltd, Phil Cleary, said: "When independent academic research was carried out, convicted criminals themselves told the researchers that they considered SmartWater "bad for business". That message obviously hadn't reached these individuals like it has many others, but their case is a clear warning to thieves and robbers that if they try to take SmartWater-marked property they are at serious risk of going to prison."
Picture shows: (Left to right) Nicholas Leacock, Marvin Samuels and Paul Tucker.


Money does not necessarily buy a good meal. I've just returned from Paris, where, with the intensity of Sherlock Holmes, I scrutinized and ate the food in bistros, brasseries, small family restaurants and two- and three-star theaters of food.
I had two memorable meals during the week: one at the three-star restaurant Taillevent and the other a simple butter-sugar cre^pe from a tiny stall on the Rue Cler called Sarrasin Emporter. The dinner at Taillevent, where I ate the classic French dish pot-au-feu made with several meats and vegetables and a dessert of custard-filled cre^pes, was very expensive. The cre^pe from the stall was $1.50. Good is good.
Cre^pes are to French children what cookies are to American children. They appease the spirit and appetite and charm young and old alike.
French cre^pes--or pancakes--are often made with different flours. The sweet pancakes are made entirely with white flour, and fillings range from the simplest butter-sugar filling to applesauce, berries, creams and custards. Savory-filled pancakes, sometimes called black cre^pes, are filled with meat, cheese, shellfish or cooked vegetables and made with white and dark buckwheat flour.
I have tested half a dozen cre^pe recipes; this one--for white, or sweet, cre^pes--is the best and easiest. If you want to make the savory cre^pe, substitute one-half cup buckwheat flour for one-half cup of the all-purpose flour and omit the sugar and vanilla.
The custard filling takes 5 to 10 minutes to measure and make, but you'll no doubt spend time scrubbing the pot you make it in. I have never made it--despite brisk stirring during cooking--without some custard sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you want it more or less sweet, start with less sugar and add what you want. You can also fold whipped cream into the custard to make it richer.
If you use a whisk or eggbeater instead of electric mixer to mix the batter, strain it before using. This batter doesn't improve by sitting and letting the gluten relax, so begin cooking the cre^pes as soon as the batter is mixed.
Stir flour, sugar and salt with fork or whisk in large bowl until well mixed.
Whisk eggs in separate bowl until well-blended and 1 color. Add milk to eggs and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add egg-milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat with electric mixer until batter is smooth.
Bring milk just to boil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and yolk vigorously by hand or with electric mixer in mixing bowl. Slowly add sugar, beating after each addition, until well mixed. Add flour and salt and beat until well blended.
As soon as milk boils, begin beating egg mixture, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, and pour milk over egg mixture. Beat briskly 1 to 2 seconds to blend in milk. Spoon custard back into saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, continuously scraping bottom and sides of pan, until flour is cooked and blended into egg mixture, 1 to 2 minutes.
Spoon 2 tablespoons to 1/3 cup custard down middle of each cre^pe and roll or fold in half. Serve warm or at room temperature.
228 calories; 226 mg sodium; 153 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.06 gram fiber.


text:
WON THE POOLS
Inside Lotto millionaire's extraordinary mansion – and he's even had his winning National Lottery numbers tiled in the pool
It's soared in price since being bought in 1998 and is now on the market for £1.1million, but comes with all the luxury features that one would expect from a Lotto winner
Ellie Cambridge
Updated: 4 Mar 2018, 16:06
TAKE a look inside a Lotto winner's incredible sprawling mansion - which even has his winning numbers tiled into the pool.
Roy Gibney bought the Barnoldby-le Beck, Lincs, property for £375,000 after winning £7.4million in 1998.
Roy Gibney in the pool in his mansion which has his winning numbers tiled on the floorCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
It's soared in price since then and is now on the market for £1.125million, but comes with all the luxury features that one would expect from a Lotto winner.
The millionaire's mansion has six bedrooms is part of a leisure complex which has a steam room, hot tub and gym.
Gibney, a keen snooker fan, has a games room in the house which also has a bar and a mini cinema set up.
The property, dubbed The Brambles, is within about 17.6 acres of land and boasts an all-weather tennis court and fishing lake.
The sprawling home has a conservatory and six bedroomsCredit: Fine and Country
The stunning pool complex has its own changing area and toiletsCredit: Fine and Country
Keen snooker fan Gibney installed a games room into his mansionCredit: Fine and Country
It has a fishing lake within the large groundsCredit: Fine and Country
It has two reception rooms, two dining rooms, a sitting room, kitchen, games room, three bathrooms and six bedrooms.
The master bedroom is spectacular in a triangle design with a balcony to survey the vast house and grounds.
But the pool is the showstopper - not only with a reminder of what led Gibney to own the property - it has its own changing and toilet areas and a conservatory to enjoy after a swim.
The gardens have an enormous lake which can be enjoyed as part of a private walk among the grounds.
Gibney told the Mirror: "When I won I enjoyed all the luxuries you would expect of a lottery winner - even featuring my winning lottery numbers on the bottom of my 50' swimming pool which I built at my Grimsby home.
EuroMillions winner Adrian Bayford saves cancelled rock concert by hosting Cambridge Rock Festival in the back garden of his sprawling mansion
He bought the house not long after winning the millions and then spent more money doing it upCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
It has a number of reception rooms to entertain inCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
A large dining room can accommodate the vast numbers of people that can fit in the houseCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
A large chess board and pieces took pride of place on the terrace in the million pound mansionCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
"Nowadays I don't indulge myself quite as much as I used to but still enjoy the carefree life winning has given me. I spilt my time between my villa in Cyprus and Britain.
"I also feel it was important to give back and have supported many charities - whether it's running charity fishing days or dressing up as Father Christmas for the local hospital."
His previous house had just two bedrooms but he had been living there for ten years, and said he still feels fond of it.
He was a sheet metal worker when he won, and he set up his own business with a pal following the win.
The father-of-three is a keen horseracing fan and bought three race horses but has since sold them on.
He now lives in Scotland with his partner and youngest son.
Earlier this year we reported on Britain's thriftiest lotto winner who is still living in his tiny family home – 20 years after he landed a £12.3m jackpot.
David Ashcroft, 51, has also continued to work at his tiny furniture restorer firm round the corner from his house despite being a multi-millionaire.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


Add Richard Sherman to the list of players who do not like the NFL's new helmet rule.
In a series of tweets Sunday, the 49ers cornerback expressed his frustration. He called the new policy, which was put into place this offseason in an effort to protect players, "idiotic" and said the NFL "will be flag football soon."
Sherman started his rant by responding to a tweet posted by Brett Tessler, an NFL agent representing 49ers' Raheem Mostert. Sherman's teammate was penalized for a tackle made in Saturday's preseason game and Tessler questioned an unnecessary roughness call against his client for leading with the head.
"To all those ppl including those who made the rule. I want a video of YOU running full speed and being lead by anything but your head while also attempting to bring down a moving target," Sherman wrote Sunday. "You will soon realize it's impossible."
Sherman added in a separate tweet there's no way to adjust how players tackle and said the policy should be "dismissed immediately."
There is no "make adjustment" to the way you tackle. Even in a perfect form tackle the body is led by the head. The rule is idiotic And should be dismissed immediately. When you watch rugby players tackle they are still lead by their head. Will be flag football soon.
"There is no 'make adjustment' to the way you tackle," Sherman continued on Twitter. "Even in a perfect form tackle the body is led by the head. The rule is idiotic And should be dismissed immediately. When you watch rugby players tackle they are still lead by their head. Will be flag football soon."
NFL owners in May approved the new rule, which states, "It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent."
The new policy applies to all players on the field at all times, and contact does not have to be to an opponent's head or neck area. Lowering the head and initiating contact to an opponent's torso, hips or lower body can also result in a penalty (loss of 15 yards). A player also can be ejected from the game.


"The big surprises of the album are the piano version of Ambermoon, performed by Matthias Steinwachs himself, as well as Mike Clarkes Theatre of War, a less well known representative of Amiga's sound paradise. The soundtrack of Death Mask belongs to the last-mentioned category [and is] one of the most diversified and best tracks on this sampler."
"Rather melodic but at the same time more dramatic, Death Mask powers forth. "
"Merregnon 2 completely knocked me out of my chair! When you throw this CD in, and crank the volume, you get 76 minutes of the coolest music, thanks to the cooperation of different composers which gave every title its own style, while keeping an over-all consistancy. Hollywood phenoms such as Danny Elfman and James Horner could not have done it any better. Everybody who liked the soundtracks of Lord of the Rings or Princess Mononoke will love Merregnon 2. Compared to Merregnon 2, most well-known movie soundtracks are like the sound of a wooden spoon against a hollow bowl!"
"Coming along epic bombastic and very symphonic. Sounding like an epos to one of the big movies, like Troja and Gladiator [...] The luxurious booklet is simply beautiful and expensivly designed. ('Merregnon 2's') music sounds like soundtracks must sound"
"You simply have to listen to this CD and enjoy - the music is awesome, and meanwhile you can read the booklet, day-dream or use the texts as an inspiration to enhance own role playing games with atmosphere"
"The result ('Merregnon 2') is simply breath-taking. [...] I recommend everyone to buy this album who has just a bit of interest in game soundtracks"
"We get completely developed music titles with different emotional effects, while keeping the music on a scale between Richard Wagner and Sergio Leone [...] ('Merregnon 2') again delivers a classic core, which, given the background of the composers and the project leaders, could have rivaled any fantasy video game"
"A complex world of living sounds where the music sometimes is elfish tender and melodious, or burly brute like a deplyoment of an Orc - army [...] Game music of Hollywood quality"
"Volume 2 has taken all the qualities of its predecessor and improved upon them. Merregnon 2 brings together breath-taking compositions of the best from the video game and demo scene, with flawless technical quality, a gorgeous fantasy story and top notch illustrations"
"Markus Holler's track Mountains of Sorrow has that Asian-traditional-music feel, but its authentic flute and vocal performances make it rather peaceful and moving.
"The music perfectly fits to the game..."


The Captains are joined by a very special passenger Sarah. What happens on this episode has never happened before on CP! We review Mr & Mrs Smith the 2007 failed TV pilot. Come join the flight and see if the Captains can get this plane down without crashing.


in less then three days 19 fresh from school architecture students managed to build their first building; a dome made out of 140 garbage containers. Dirk Overduin and Cesare Peeren from 2012Architects coordinated this workshop. Because the students followed the form of the 'kliko' this workshop led to a fast succes. Without any extra construction the dome was just stacked up to a height of 3 to 4 meters. Strong enough to withstand the first autumn storm and people climbing up..


Neighbourhood Support Rotorua assists the Rotorua Police to record keyholder details and email contact details for businesses in Rotorua. The information is available to the Police to identify keyholders if after hours and to send via Neighbourhood Support Rotorua messages to the business community as required using the E-Crime Alert system.
Police or Neighbourhood Support Rotorua will send a warning of potential crimes/criminals, requests for information to businesses by email through Neighbourhood Support's E-Crime Alert.
What Business Group Types are there?


Featuring a seasonal outdoor swimming pool and free WiFi, Villa Olivares offers accommodation in Corbetta. Fitted with a terrace, the units offer air conditioning and feature a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with free toiletries. A balcony with garden views is offered in all units. Guests can also relax in the shared lounge area. Milan is 25 km from the bed and breakfast. The nearest airport is Milan Malpensa Airport, 31 km from Villa Olivares.
Please inform Villa Olivares in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation.


text:
Military Administration
June 2019: Higher Pay for Reservists
Thread starter The Bread Guy
This from the DND info-machine (also attached if link doesn't work for you)...
As promised in Canada's defence policy Strong, Secure, Engaged, Reserve Force pay is being restructured to align with Regular Force pay where the demands of service are similar.
The new methodology for the Reserve Force applies the same base pay the Regular Force receives, plus the elements of the Military Factor that apply to reservists.
The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced the change today at the 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in Laval, Quebec.
The restructuring of pay is part of an overall vision outlined in our defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, which also includes increasing the Reserve Force by 1,500 members and further integrating reservists into operations. The Reserve Force is crucial to the success of our Canadian Armed Forces. Reservists come from all walks of life, and include students, civil servants, labourers, business people, academics, and former members of the Regular Force.
Reservists will receive more money in this new system in order to more fairly compensate them for their important service. Previously, Reserve Force pay was a simple 85 percent calculation of the total Regular Force pay. Regular Force pay is composed of two parts: base pay and Military Factor. The Military Factor is a percentage added to the base salaries of Canadian Armed Forces members that compensates them for additional requirements that don't affect most public servants.
The Military Factor is calculated using three military and two additional elements. The military considerations are: personal limitation and liability, separation, and posting turbulence. The two additional elements are overtime and acting for supervisors without an increase in pay.
The Military Factor elements that apply to reservists under the new system are: personal limitation and liability, overtime, and acting for supervisors.
Reservists cannot be posted to a different geographic location or be sent away from their families on an operation or exercise without their personal consent. This is different from Regular Force members, who are expected to move or deploy when directed, often frequently and on short notice; therefore separation and posting turbulence are not applied as part of the Military Factor
The change of calculation from 85 percent to a base pay plus Military Factor approach will result in an increase of 7.8 percent. For example, the pay rate for a first year corporal will increase from $140 to $153 a day. Basic pay for a lieutenant "A" will increase from $147.62 to $161.18 a day.
Reservists on Class A and Class B periods of service are paid on a daily rate, based on their rank and time in that rank. Reservists on Class C periods of service, such as those who deploy on operations, receive the same pay as Regular Force members, which is calculated at a monthly rate.
More @ link -- pay rates page for NCM's here & for officers here, but they don't look updated to include this announced change yet (last updates April & early June, respectively).
ReservePayAnnouncement14jun2019.pdf
I applaud this move, and it is recognizing the integration and work that already exists in the PRes/RegF world.
In the same vein, I await the day that the Pte-Cpl promotion times between the Reg Force and Reserves is fixed as well. I think the right answer is move them all to 3 years, rather than keep the 2 & 4 year marks for the PRes & RegF respectively. Only the CAF would say that a more trained and experienced person should have to wait longer to get promoted.
Good point. In practice the different theoretical time-in-rank requirements are patched over by the very common use of accelerated promotion to Cpl in the RegF, which is not available to reservists. But there's no obvious reason to have differing policies on either point.
Kilted
So two questions.
1. Is this effective immediately?
2. Is it retroactive?
Effective 01 April 2019.
Swing-Pro
As a former Reservist and having deployed several times, I was glad to hear this news; not in the sense of helping equalizing the pay, though more so that this will help reservists financially afford being able to parade, attend training and deploy.
From a financial perspective, the pay I received didn't cover my family and living expenses even on Class B & C contracts. Parading on Class A time, I often had to choose between giving up work with my employer to make significantly less money.
You don't join the army to get rich. I hope this change helps support members so they can remain active.
I didn't have a concern making less than Regular Force members, as a Reservist I never had to pay for accommodations or a single meal aside from reimbursement in the 10 years I served.
Halifax Tar
This is good news for the reserves.
Now how about working some retention benefits for the reg force ?
Halifax Tar said:
This is exactly the right attitude for this and how it should be approached.
Wing Operations has lots of reservists. This is a good plan since they take a lot of the shift work.
MilEME09
I welcome our base pay becoming equal, that said thats our base pay. On average as a Class A person I'll get my day/half day plus pay in lieu of leave, and maybe CLDA for the odd EX. Over all I would theorize a ref force member still makes more especially posted to a field unit, factor in benefits and its still a better deal. Not saying our system is perfect, oh heavens it is very far from perfect but there are other factors to keep in mind over just the base pay rate.
From a NavRes POV...this hits the sweet spot.
Whenever I was on class B for a PRES organisation I was tasked out over the summer every summer. When I was on Class B with a reg force organisation I never was tasked for anything but my actual job. And to be honest I went to cool places with my reg force class B. Not so much with my reserve class B.
Over my class class B time with regular force orgs none of the reg force guys ever deployed last minute for anything. Those that did deploy did so because they themselves sought it out, no one forced them.
We reservists also got strange looks when they found out we paraded once a week and a weekend or two a month on ex. They couldn't figure out why we still did that. I got tired of explaining it.
Pay Raise 2021 - effects on pension, SISIP, ELB
Milhouser911
Serving the Nation's Interests: Creating an Integrated and Agile Canadian Reserve Force
A couple questions about interpreting and applying the CFTDTI for Reservists
devsnrnco
CountDC
Civilianizing the Military Justice System: Throwing out the baby with the bathwater or not?