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I have played with the tailpiece over Christmas and I am very happy with it. It really works as aimed for. As I am waiting for new strings I also tried it on one of my treasures that is a nearly 18″ viola made in Romania. This also makes a big difference to how this instrument sounds. Sometimes I feel like standing inside a big cave playing and listening to myself as the volume has increased, the response is better, the overtones are stronger and clearer; more tonal, and it is overall more open.
This also helps me also with playing Bach as the overtones play a big role.
Then the tailpiece in addition to the new nut I made from a mammoth tooth probably brings the best out of the instrument. But the best part! My wife has given compliments as she hears the difference. She says it is like a different instrument, a level up.
Gisli Thorsteinsson, Ph.D., Professor
Department of Design and Craft
University of Iceland – School of Education
I've had my Koberling cello for the past 10 years, thinking I've tried all the best strings and adjustments I could try to maximize the projection and power of my instrument. My cello is quite piercing and bright, and no matter what different strings and adjustments and even different bows I'd try it would still sound a bit too bright and almost piercing at times. A friend of mine recommended Kenneth Kuo's carbon fiber tailpiece to me after he had that tailpiece on his cello for awhile. Since I was local I was thinking "Sure why not?". I first tried out the Gen 1 tailpiece and even after a few minutes of playing my cello, I immediately noticed a faster response to my cello and an overall more open sound. A few weeks later, Kenneth made me a Gen 2 for me to try out saying that it would've fit my cello more and he was definitely right! My cello now in addition to sounding more open and responsive, has a warmer quality, more punchy bass and is actually singing! Thanks Kenneth!
Paul Lee, cellist
After my luthier installed the Ken Kuo tailpiece on my L&C cello I was immediately struck by a dramatic increase in harmonic content over the entire range but especially for the middle strings which are no longer the step children of the A and C in the upper positions. The response has become very fast and the instrument now has a very even and rich tonal balance with a lot more subtle shadings than before we installed the Ken Kuo tailpiece. I am a retired conductor and digital audio specialist and have been playing the cello since my retirement in 2012 and I am currently studying the Bach suites. What I want today is that you don't have to be a super cellist and own a Montagnana to take advantage of this tailpiece.
Jeannot Welter
cellist, conductor, and digital audio specialist
The Tonal Tailpiece has done wonders for my cello. It took what was already a beautiful instrument and naturally amplified and clarified its voice. With the tailpiece, there is an undeniable increase in resonance, coloristic possibility, and ease of playing. I am incredibly grateful for the Tonal Tailpiece every time I touch bow to string.
Ben Fried, cellist
I have been extremely pleased with the changes in my sound after installing the tonal tailpiece. It has given my Gaetano Sgarabotto cello a warmer and more open tone. After I had the tailpiece installed, I was surprised at how much the strings vibrated. The sound, after a few days, really rounded out and has given me a larger color palette to work with. The projection really improved and I'm very happy with the appearance of the tonal tailpiece with my cello. I will continue to recommend your tailpiece to other musicians. Well done Kenneth!
Joe Goering, cellist
It's hard to know what to say that hasn't already been said but, without hyperbole, Kenneth's Tonal Tailpiece is the most extraordinary advancement in string instrument tone production I have ever experienced. It is understandable that, even with all of the praise from such a wide variety of professionals and amateurs alike, it must seem to be too good to be true. However, this marvellous piece of kit earns every single accolade – and then some!
I "retired" from my performing career quite young, so I still have a relatively modest cello. After more than 25 years with it, I thought I had figured out how to maximize the entirety of its potential. I was wrong.
The increased resonance from the tailpiece is unbelievable – not only does it produce more sound, but the quality of the sound produced is simply better. The low register is deeper and richer, whereas the upper register projection soars without becoming harsh or nasal. This newfound responsiveness has even had me rethinking various elements of my technique and playing, as I no longer need to work so hard to 'coax' the sound I am trying to produce out of my cello.
Bravo, Kenneth !!
Matthew Peters, cellist
Managing Director, ABMC
Former General Manager, English Symphony Orchestra
Former Producer, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The tailpiece is one of the most important elements of an instrument's tone production and playability. I am honored and delighted to say that TonalTailpiece is the finest and most versatile tailpiece on which I've ever played. It transformed the projection, brilliance, and flexibility of my sound, giving me more dynamic range and color to work with in my playing. I highly recommend it to anyone searching for that final ingredient in their setup!
Zlatomir Fung
2019 Tchaikovsky cello competition gold medalist
My Luther friend couldn't believe it! And I can't either!
Even though the effect on the real Guadagnini is not as efficient as on the modern violin, the modern violin was already a monster but now it is probably on the same level from sound projection as the real Guadagnini!
At least 30-50 % more sound and open brilliance is an amazing result!!!! Thank you so much! I will definitely recommend your product! And my Luther friend is thinking to order from you as well!
Thank you for such a brilliantly made invention! I am sure not just the material is what makes the nice sound but your knowledge and love to the matter!
Luka Ljubas
Violin, Vienna
I wanted all of you to know that this is truly a fantastic product. Prior to getting the tailpiece installed, I had been trying different strings (frustrating!), different rosin (rosin will not change your life, no matter how fancy), and was bow shopping (expensive!) due to lagging response time and muddy tone – especially in the lower strings. After watching Ken's interview video with Brinton Smith (Principal, Houston Symphony) I decided to try it out – after all a new tailpiece is a LOT cheaper than a new high-end bow. I am so very happy with my new Tonal Tailpiece! Once I got through the break-in period (warning, you definitely need to let it "settle" in for 3-5 days), the cello sounds marvelous. My quartet partners have all commented on how the tone of the cello is more focussed. I have also noticed that the strings speak immediately, rather than the slow response I had been experiencing prior. I am finding that I can play faster and more nimbly. Having just finished a series of 4 concerts (playing Bach Suites and duos with classical guitar) and I confirm that I will never go back to my old wood tailpiece! Yes I know Ken from Juilliard, and yes I paid full price, and yes it is worth every penny. Not a paid endorsement!
Jeanne Fox
Principal cello, Hudson Opera Theater
Former Principal Cello, Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra
The tonal changes on my Will Saunders 16,5 inch viola after fitting the tonal tailpiece were quite striking, the sound was more blooming and more even over the four strings and producing beautiful tones high up the C-string became easier. Though I miss the beautiful wood Will Saunders used on his tailpiece, I wouldn't change back to it.
Rudolf Gerber
Amateur viola player, Switzerland
My cello was made in 2018 by Seattle luthier Jason Starkie; it is o n a Grancino pattern and at my request, has a poplar back. As originally set up by Jason, my cello has a gorgeous sound with a rich, resonant bass and a sweet top end. I decided to try the Tonal Tailpiece upon recommendation from Brinton Smith and because I wanted to accelerate the maturation process of my cello as quickly as possible. After setting up my Starkie with your tailpiece I love it even more.
I get asked often by other cellists what the tailpiece does for my cello. Again, my cello was excellent "out of the workshop." However, with the Tonal Tailpiece I can report that the response is very quick. In addition, I think the range I'm able to produce is quite large. To be honest, I am not ashamed to admit that my Starkie with your tailpiece probably has more range than I am capable of producing. The cello inspires me to practice, to learn, improve and to bring as much to it as I can.
As far as how my cello sounds in the hall and not under my own ear, I have heard my cello in recordings (there is one particular one available on YouTube which is pretty good), and I've also heard feedback from audiences and Jason himself that my cello produces that rich, clear, creamy, big sound that I had hoped for. I am able to produce good punch when I want it, too!
As others have said, there are many things which affect the sound produced by a cello, and every cello is different. I have a number of bows, for example, each of which produces a slightly different sound, each of which has a different feel in my hand. I have tried a wide variety of strings on my cellos; strings also have some effect on sound and playability. Everyone who is serious about playing cello, or avid, should give the Tonal Tailpiece a trial. In doing so, the cellist may find this piece of the set up of the cello produces startling results. On my cello, once the tailpiece had settled in (tailgut stretched out, etc.) the effect was significant.
Thanks Ken!
Tan David
cellist
The tailpiece has been working absolutely wonderfully for my cello; the sound is beautifully rounded but still has plenty of power to it and the harmonics really resonate so much more! Plus, it also looks really cool and I have gotten so many compliments on it! I am very happy to be using it on my cello. It really is a fantastic tailpiece.
Santiago Canon Valencia
The tailpiece has now been through many climates, halls and even a string change. Passed all the tests ! I love it. In all the different acoustics it kept the characteristics I noticed right from the beginning – more breath to the sound. On my violin this translates into more ring, depth and ease of playing. As others noted, your tailpiece can add more positive colors to the sound than a sound post tweaking. It must be the combination of material, weight and shape, whatever, I hear and feel a major difference. ( more than just merely subtle) Thank you for the personalized tuners. Tuners can be quite different. Some fussy, as well as difficult to turn and difficult to put new strings on. As we talked about, the lever often falls off when changing a string. Not a fun thing to have happen in the middle of a concert – imagine if the lever falls to the ground and you can't find it. You're tuners are simply the best in all regards. Thanks for all the thought and work you put into these important devices. Over the last 40 years I have tried many different kinds of tailpieces and totally recommend yours. It's fabulous. My violin thanks you.
John Sherba
Violin, Kronos Quartet
After picking up my tonal tailpiece I was skeptical that it would work. But after installing it on my Jakstadt Double Bass I was amazed at the ease and flexibility with which my instrument responded just after a few days of playing. While performing in Scandinavia and abroad, my bass has had some unfortunate accidents with certain airlines. I have since had many repairs done and found myself "breaking in" the instrument after every repair. I have found that the Tonal Tailpiece has contributed to getting my instrument back into proper shape and sounding better than before. It has opened up the sound and also a world of color that was not possible on this bass earlier. The response of the lower strings has become more crispy and quick. It has made my instrument even better.
Tristan Sutton
Double Bass, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
on 1988 David Rubio
After trying out Kenneth Kuo's new carbon fiber tailpiece on my 1988 David Rubio for the past 2 months I can safely say it has increased the responsiveness of the instrument by at least 50%. I have now played it in recording sessions, chamber music and solo performances, and it feels like falling in love with the instrument all over again. I wanted to make sure that it was not just the sudden release of tension when swapping tailpieces that was giving the cello a new found but possibly short lived resonance, so I stuck with it and have found that, if anything, it has got even better over the past 8 weeks as the instrument has settled down again. I have had more positive comments than ever, particularly from studio engineers that know my sound well, ranging from high lyrical solos to heavily articulated, fast, rhythmic 'heavy metal' riffs on the lower strings. Always, the sound is full and resonant, and the quick response, even on the lower strings, is a joy. Bravo Kenneth!
Andrew Shulman
Principal Cello, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Professor of Cello, University of Southern California
Former Principal Cello, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Former Principal Cello, Philharmonia Orchestra
Former Principal Cello, Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Former Professor of Cello, Royal College of Music, London
Robert DeMaine with his 1684 Antonial Stradivarius
Ken is not only a genius-level inventor and thinker, but is truly a great cellist. We both studied at Yale around the same time with Aldo Parisot. He is definitely going to be leaving a very big mark on the 21st-century with this seemingly "unimportant" accoutrement for string instruments – the tailpiece – but it has proved time and time again that it it not only minimally improves every instrument's sound and playability (in my experience), but always makes a dramatic positive difference. And they are versatile; I opt for one that has no "weave" pattern and no fine tuners – much like a baroque set-up. They are, of course, available with or without the fine tuners which are titanium.
As a professional cello accessory 'hoarder,' owning every conceivable invention or accoutrement for the cello, like resonators, endpins and strings made out of every conceivable material, I must say that Kenneth Kuo's (Ken is a formidable cellist AND inventor) carbon fiber tailpiece is the biggest game-changer of them all – possibly the most important innovation for the cello of our century, comparable to great steel strings in the last century and the endpin in the previous one. It deserves documented historical perspective as much as Cramer and Tourte's development of the bow in the 18th century. The tonal enhancement it offers cannot possibly have a price affixed to it. This product is, in every way, truly amazing. BRAVISSIMO, Kenneth Kuo, for making my life easier and enabling me and many others to express themselves more freely on their instruments.
Robert DeMaine
Principal Cello, Los Angeles Philharmonic
International soloist, chamber musician, teacher, and presenter
on 1686 Antonial Stradivarius violin
When Julie Reed-Yeboah put it on my violin, I was immediately aware of extra projection and clarity. Roberta, who knows my playing very well, instantly heard the difference in my Strad, and was very enthusiastic, just as she felt with the carbon fiber tailpiece for her cello.
I have to admit that a few days later, I was struggling a bit with the extra edge in the sound, and for part of one day even considered switching back to the old tailpiece. Instead I had a sound-post adjustment, to fit the sound character and potential of the new set-up, and that was sufficient to convince me: I've never had doubts since then. It will be interesting to see what happens once the weather changes to a colder and drier climate.
My violin has always been changeable and I'm probably hyper-sensitive to any fluctuations in the roundness of the sound I produce. Occasionally, even recently, I've had days where I couldn't obtain exactly the sound I wanted. But the increase in power and, especially in the middle strings, of clarity, is enough to persuade me that I'd never want to give up this new dimension I've discovered.
Eugene Drucker
Emerson String Quartet
1715 Gaetano Pasta
I have tried many devices over the years promising miraculous improvements- tailpieces, bridges, endpins, strings- and have found they mostly made small differences at best. I tried Ken's tailpiece out of curiosity, expecting a similar minor change at best, but I was floored by the results. It doesn't alter the voice of the instrument, but the cello sounds like a more open, fuller, quicker-responding version of itself. People who have heard my cello for years were shocked at how much better they could suddenly hear the instrument. Audience in our hall commented on being able to suddenly hear my cello even in full orchestral tuttis. (An interesting side effect is that the difference between bows is highlighted, in a good way) It is a bigger difference than any strings, or any adjustment, bridge, strings, or soundpost I've ever tried on my instrument. It might seem expensive, but after playing it, I would pay far more just to keep it, and I just purchased a second one for my other cello. This is the real thing. Every student and colleague I know that has tried it has had a similar reaction to mine, and I'm sure that everyone is going to be using these eventually. Ken has done exactly what the old masters did- experimenting with the best available materials to find new ways to make instruments sound ever better. As a cellist, you spend your life asking 'can you hear me?' and I feel like a professional basketball player that woke one morning to find he was six inches taller!
Brinton Smith
Principal Cello, Houston Symphony, faculty Rice University, Aspen Music Festival
Mr. Kuo is a true renaissance musician. He is a fabulous cellist, very knowledgeable repair person, and all around excellent musician. Ken and I have collaborated together on many chamber music performances, and his musical abilities are of the highest caliber. Ken's fantastic abilities as a cellist give him an excellent insight into what makes a string instrument really sing. As a professional double bassist, I am acutely aware of the challenges we bassists face in our low tessitura to create a warm, articulate sound that can be heard properly by our fellow musicians in the upper strings. The Kenneth Kuo Tailpiece works fabulously on my instrument in that it amplifies and improves the inherent qualities of my instrument. This includes a very noticeable improvement in response, articulation, warmth, and resonance! I am simply in awe of the improvement in sound this tailpiece alone has done for my double bass. Bravi Tutti Ken!
Mark McCormick
Principal Bass
United Sates Coast Guard Band
Asst. Professor of Double Bass
Kenneth Kuo's Charbon Fiber Tailpiece is the ultimate game changer for any instrument. I was ready to sell the bass I treasure because it just didn't have a sound. As soon as Kenneth's tailpiece arrived I threw it on my bass and the result was immediate. I could not believe the difference. The sound I had always hoped for in that instrument went from dull, uninteresting, and lackluster, to brilliant, resonant, and projecting. Thank you Kenneth for giving my bass the voice I always knew it had.
Kurt Muroki
Professor of Music – Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University
New School Concerts Music Advisory Committee member
Faculty / Director of the Kaplan Fellowship Program – Bowdoin International Music Festival
I have a 2002 Gary Garvaglia cello that has recently been set up with a Kenneth Kuo tailpiece. If I were to bluntly describe how this tailpiece affects me instrument, I would say it takes it to "11". I couldn't be happier with the results of this carbon fiber tailpiece.
The most notable difference the tailpiece gives to my cello is a greater depth. First and foremost there is more volume, especially in my lower C string register. There is definitely better sound production gained in the middle and up high on the A, but I feel like the tailpiece has added thousands of dollars to my C String.
There is also a new glow to my sound that was not there before. I feel like the more I push the more the cello gives, no matter how \v soft or loud I play. The control that is given to soft passages is probably my favorite part of having the tailpiece, also the benefits are felt while playing Wagner – f, ff, fff.
Letter from Jesse Henkensiefken
I truly believe in this tailpiece – in fact I purchased mine blindly; I had the opportunity to play a different Garvaglia cello that had been set up with the tailpiece (both pre and post set up) and I was astounded of the difference. I knew it would do great things for my cello.
Kuo tailpieces bring an added a layer of responsiveness to an instrument that is an absolute joy to explore. As soon as I got my cello back from the luthier I knew I had made the right decision.
Thank you Kenneth Kuo!
Jesse Henkensiefken
Director of Orchestras & String Studies, Kansas Wesleyan University
Principal Cellist, Salina Symphony
2013 Garavaglia and a 1730 Emiliani cello
Recently I acquired two carbon fiber tailpieces, designed and manufactured by cellist, Kenneth Kuo, for my two cellos, one crafted by Gary Garavaglia in 2013 and the other by Francisco Emiliani, c. 1730. I use the Garavaglia for orchestral playing and the Emiliani for chamber music and solo performance. I am delighted with the results achieved by these tailpieces on both instruments and feel compelled to share my observations on their effectiveness.
On each cello I noticed that there was a "settling-in" period of several days to adjust to the far lighter weight of its Kuo tailpiece. Even during that time, each cello exhibited greater abundance of overtones, increased volume when needed, and a pronounced depth of resonance.
On my Garavaglia, without playing loudly and with very little effort, I am able to hear clearly every note I produce even during the most dense of orchestral textures.
Letter from Edward Laut
For my Emiliani, the Kuo tail piece brings forth with enhanced clarity the subtle nuances and dry sweetness inherent in the wood of this nearly 300 year old, powerful Italian cello, significantly increasing its dynamic range as well as its palate of sound possibilities.
Kuo tailpieces bring about a major increase in the responsiveness of instruments old and new and in the pleasure derived from playing them.
Edward Laut
Professor Emeritus of Violoncello, The University of Kansas
So, after having read stellar reviews of Kenneth's carbon fiber tailpieces by some truly titanic 'cellists, and after having been contacted by my old friend from my grad school days, Ken, himself, I decided to give his tailpiece a try. As per the photo, opted for what he called the "stealth" model, in all black—tuners and all—so as to match my cello's other accoutriments. (A little over 2 years ago, I purchased this truly magnificent-sounding 'cello, a W E Hill, formerly owned by Janos Starker, of which I am still in awe, so I am truly finicky about all the adjustments and materials I buy for it, be it strings, rosin, or whatever…)
I had the 'piece put on last month by the great luthier, Paul Becker, of Chicago, from whom I bought the 'cello, and also had Paul take almost 2 hours to do a sensitive sound post adjustment, so that the jaw-dropping bass on my instrument would be even more impressive. I have to also include that I was trying to decide on "the" bow to match the Hill; I wanted to go with a light Frenchie-poo, but, unlike the rare Clement Eulry bow I'd had for a year, which was heavy, I really had to work with the (Lamy) to coax the depth out of the lower end.
After my 'cello adjusted to the new 'piece, and as Paul's adjustment settled, I came to find the bass was coming forth now like melted butter (WITH the Lamy)and the whole instrument sang out more, with much more projection and an even enhanced quality of sound, actually. Again, the 'cello's sonic profile was quite impressive when I first met it, in Chicago, and so it would sound well no matter what accoutriments were on it. I will also confess that I am sure a good deal of the sonic improvement of the Hill is due to the truly 1st rate adjustment Paul gave it…
…but I am equally sure that more than just a little of what makes my 'cello now so sonorously splendid is the new tailpiece, created by my friend Kenneth Kuo.
Hence, I must add my name to the list of those who are duly impressed with this new game-changer of a tailpiece, which is just entering the string world.
May more of us come to learn of and appreciate this great work.
Bravo, Ken!
Derek Menchan
Cellist & Professor of Humanities, Polk State College
Founder, Director at Voices of the People: A Chamber Music Series
First, I want to say that Kenneth Kuo is not just the maker of this extraordinary tailpiece but he is also a wonderful cellist, Luthier, and all around great guy. He is very enthusiastic, helpful, and easy to work with. Before I continue I want to state that I am just an adult amateur cellist. I have never played professionally. I am very fortunate to have a great teacher who now also has Kenneth Kuo tailpieces on both of his cellos, an old 1730 Italian cello and a modern one. At first I received a tailpiece with fine tuners to trial. That went well and greatly improved the sound of my modern Garavaglia cello. After consulting with Ken I decided that a tailpiece without fine tuners might be the best way for me to go and that's what I ended up with along with the installation of Pegheds in order to have fine tuning capabilities. My opinion of this tailpiece is that it is a true game changer. It took my cello to a whole new level of power, resonance, responsiveness, focus, projection, and it suggests a whole new and expanded level of musical possibilities and ideas. I'm thrilled with it! Don't trial one unless you are ready to buy it. You will never go back after experiencing the sound difference. I feel as though I have upgraded my cello to a much higher quality and more expensive one. With that having been said it makes the cost of the tailpiece a bargain compared to having to buy a better cello to hope to get the same results. And if you already own a fine old cello you will still realize the full benefits from this tailpiece. The better the cello and the player the more improved sound you can expect from this carbon fiber tailpiece. I hope other cellists find this amateur assessment helpful.
Original post >
Duane Nevins
Amatuer cellist
Just installed the tailpiece – great result! Can't believe, such a difference! Sound is clear and much easier production! Fantastic work, thank you!
Suren Bagratuni
Professor of Cello and Chair of the String Area, Michigan State University
It is second week of trying Kenneth's carbon fiber tailpiece and I am so thrilled with the result.
The resonance, volume and the clarity of the cello increased dramatically and every note rings with such clarity! Definitely helped me to be more aware of my playing and also it became easier to play because I can hear all the notes when I play.
This was the best investment I've made on my cello!
Thank you very much, Kenneth Kuo for making me the carbon fiber tailpiece!
Ji-hee Kim
Cello teacher
Serious Statement to the World:
I am an average cellist playing on a rather crappy factory instrument with no special features BUT a Kenneth Kuo Carbon Fiber Tailpiece (which I am the happy owner since only 6 days – so the instrument didn't yet have the time to settle, for which it will take an estimated 8 more days).
Las night I performed (a cello and piano program of 70 minutes length) in a very nice but extremely dry concert-hall.
Much to my surprise, not only that I didn't feel unconfortable – but it was for the first time in my career (more than 20 years long now) that I could deal with the poor acoustic with a big smile.
The new revolutionary tailpiece made my instrument sound considerably more potent (not only in terms of volume, but also more amplitude, more generous and more focused sound), more expressive, more responsive – meaning easier to control even in low dynamics situations, such as: one of the pieces last night (the SOFTEST of the whole program) I was playing from BEHIND the audience – and still, the pianist on stage could hear me well (although 50 meters away) and we were perfectly in sync!!! (CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?!?)
I don't even want to know what the carbon-fiber tailpiece is doing to good instruments – because that would drive me back to frustrated 🙂
Thank you Kenneth Kuo, my playing is already getting better – because I finally have the right real time feed-back for what I am doing.
Andrei Kivu
Thank Lord that I have not one, but TWO carbon fiber violin tailpieces by Kenneth Kuo
I was speechless, searching for words to describe the sound and feel after we put my first one on my 1615 Giovanni Paolo Maggini violin. Now, in simple terms–
A. bigger volume,
B. faster response,
C. more transparent sound,
D. much more sensibility,
E. brighter
F. much better penetration..
add all those up, my maggini got about 150 years younger.
Last October at a friend's church, I could barely hear my violin during hymns when the entire congregation nearly 400 were all singing. However, with Ken's carbon fiber tailpiece, I think I was leading the entire congregation at Easter service this year..
after the second one, I have been trying it on many violins, all of them had much quicker response, a brighter and transparent yet sweater sound, and better penetration. Older and better instruments have bigger results.
Thank you, my dear friend Ken, for making me the first person to have your carbon fiber violin tailpieces.
David Chi Hong Shih
I'm somewhat famous for trying just about every modification and upgrade that is possible on my cello, just because it's there to try. I can honestly say that my cello came alive with the Kuo tailpiece. You get the feeling that the strings reach a level of vibrancy that is off the charts, and every fiber of the cello is activated. Although, I can tell these differences of feel while playing, you have the awareness that there's no end to where the sound can go. One can sense the love that goes into the making each one. It is an honor to own one of these tailpieces. Thank you!
Owner of Music Contracting and Production Company
Free-lance Cellist
Kenneth Kuo, thank you so much for this amazing product. All string players, especially cellist should give it a try.
Peng Li
Assistant Principal Cellist, North Carolina Symphony
Big kudos to Kenneth Kuo for his incredible invention of carbon fibre tailpiece! Thanks to FB I learned about his invention from Robert DeMaine's raving review and immediately order one to try out. Got the first version with two fine tuners. When I first put it on my 2003 William Whedbee cello, already noticed a big change in how the cello vibrated: immediate apparent amplified and longer lasting resonance. I was at first worried that it would have that emptiness in tone similar to a carbon fiber cello, turned out it was a completely different story. After it settled in for a couple days, the tone was warm, much more vibrant (as in 30% louder), high register brighter, low register deeper and way more resonant. The most noticeable thing for me was the obvious increase in sensitivity of the instrument, forcing me to be much more precise in vibrato, and in matching vibrato with the bow.
However I was not happy to see the rather unbalanced tension of the tailpiece. (picture 2) So I experimented with taking off all the fine tuners. All of the above enhancements were immediately increased by another 10-20%. But then my pegs weren't nice so it was very hard to tune especially the A. So I had to compromise with one fine tuner. (picture 1)
Of course Ken wouldn't let me stop there, and was so kind to ship another new tailpiece with no fine tuner holes. I may go so far to say my cello is now 1.8-2 times as loud as it has ever been, with incredible vibrancy in tone. What I like most is the increase in sophistication of tone and sensitivity, calling for precise intonation, fine control of vibrato and careful manipulation of the bow. (Basically it amplifies all the "mistakes", which is great! Because the result is so much better.) Short notes also speak a lot faster (and screams at you if your contact is not good). My recording producer thought it was a well-worth improvement and I am loving it.
Alvin Wong
Solo Cellist
Lecturer of Music (Cello) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne
To say that I am thrilled with my new carbon fiber cello tailpiece is an understatement. I have had the tailpiece on for about 3 weeks and I am still a little giddy taking the cello out of its case. My old Italian cello, though it has been cut down on the top, is long from bridge to button and wide from corner to corner, so much so that it doesn't fit in some cases, and (up until this time) has had a rather long ebony tailpiece. I never thought of the cello as muffled or lacking in projection, but compared to how it sounds now, that is exactly how it seems. The cello has retained its rich tone and balance and added a new dimension of resonance and response. The only way I can describe it is that the sound seems to leap out of the instrument! This new ringing quality of sound allows me to play very softly and feel that the sound is spinning and projecting, and also play big, with a robustness I am still surprised by. Thank you Kenneth Kuo for creating something visually beautiful and incredibly important. We are beaming!
Daniel Levitov
Coordinator of Cello and Chamber Music, Peabody Preparatory at Peabody Institute
Robert DeMaine with his Stradivarius
It is just hard to describe how much a seemingly unimportant string-holder (as the Germans called it for centuries), could impact the sound quality and playability of an instrument. My main beef with doubters and indeed closed-minded cynics is their unwillingness to try something that is a bit unusual. True, $ can be an issue, but perhaps some kinks can be worked out where there could be a "tester" sent out for a nominal fee, then returned to Mr. Kuo (the patent owner), who would be likely consider customizing one with a particular instrument in mind. I'm definitely in the "very emotionally enthusiastic camp" when it comes to innovations (just ask Brinton), but the things I have stuck with over the ages were once brand new IN MY LIFETIME, and this is one such creation that is of such importance that it merits attention and bears individual scrutiny. This is a wonderful thing. Mine is painted, has a special, engraved, brass shield (whittled from over 5 grams to less than 2 grams), attached with simple trophy-quality double-sided tape. I suppose it could be epoxied, but I may decide to remove the embellishment at some point. The Kevlar tailcord has proven itself to also be a terrific innovation, so let's take a leap of faith on the carbon-fiber tailpiece, shall we? It's fantastic. Whether on a Stradivari or a reworked Chinese factory instrument, I cannot imagine it would have a detrimental effect on the sound or ease of playability.
On the 1684 General Kyd Stradivarius
My experience has been, so far, that the instrument is much more even, has more growl in the bass (both C and even G), and is easier to play purely in tune and not over-vibrate. It's easier on the left hand. It is easier to get to the bridge without harshness, and trickier bow strokes are somehow magically easier (except for staccato – which it seems you either have it or you don't, but it's no big whoop). Spiccato/sautillé is far more important, anyway. Détaché is a breeze, and the device encourages you to stay on the string, where you should BE ANYWAY 99% of the time!
Anyway, I'm not a "paid shill" for Kenneth Kuo, but I believe in his product and I like it so much that I want to shout it from the rooftops. I don't imagine I'll be going back to my Wittner again. One caveat: I don't use the fine tuners anymore. I'm an old-school, former Wondertone Gold-Label (hand-me-downs from my sister and first teacher), and then Eudoxas, and I grew up playing raw gut A-strings, too. That was very good training, especially for the bow, as you have to "cut" the string a certain way to get it to sing and articulate correctly. So, I'm doing away with fine tuners altogether and having the strings attached to the new tailpiece by a simple, drilled, round hole that easily accommodates steel strings. So, there's no "medium" between the string and the tailpiece, minimizing any physical interruption in the vibration in the afterlength from back of bridge to point of contact with the tailpiece. Just like gut. So, if one opts for that setup, you must have well-functioning pegs which need a specific chalk, peg dope, and even soap if there is difficulty in turning them. Again, if you're less "old-school" than I, then you might opt for pegheds or those weird things that do the fine tuning up top, but what a gigantic pain in the ass to restring a cello, eh?! It worked for countless cellists for many years.
Last thing: I really like Rostanvo Strings a lot. My cello likes Spirocores and Versums, though, and I will always use them (full disclosure: I am a Thomastik-Infeld artist and intend to stay with them). I was in London giving a class at Guildhall a couple weeks ago when Stefan Popov (longtime professor there) came up to me and gave me a set of his strings and wanted to see what I thought. Well, I tried them, fell in love, and then fell out of love like I almost always do. Spirocores are my standbys. They are, in my opinion, the best string out there, and worth the money. I hope I'm not going to get in trouble with Thomastik by being honest, but I can't "NOT" try other things from time to time.
A word to the wise: do not change too many things in the paradigm — don't change too many variables at once. You'll be chasing your tail, wondering what caused the A to sound great but the C to start sounding like Chewbacca, the D to sound like Almighty God made it Himself but the G is from somewhere far south of there. You know what I mean. Go stepwise; don't screw around and change everything at once because you're excited. Like me.
Principal/Solo Cello, Los Angeles Philharmonic
on Postiglione cello
Kenneth, Sometimes when something sounds too good to be true, it really can be true. Your cello tailpiece is amazing. Thank you so much.
Original posts >
Ronald Welch
When I think about all the bows I've tried and how much of an investment I would have to make in order to sound A LITTLE cleaner and then think about how small of an investment, in comparison, I make in the Tonal Tailpiece to sound MUCH cleaner and with fuller color, it's a no-brainer. Congratulations, Kenneth Kuo!
Yuriy Юрко Leonovich
Substitute Cello, Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Cello Professor, Bob Jones University
Cello, Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Recently purchased and installed my 3rd carbon fiber tail piece by Kenneth Kuo. This one as a wedding gift for Kristopher Khang and Sami Myerson Khang. Note the custom detail Ken added at my request!!
I had the privilege of spending the day wth Kenneth Kuo at his workshop in Connecticut yesterday. He led me through the labor-intensive process of creating and assembling his innovative carbon fiber tailpieces. It was an unbelievable eye opener. The amount of detail and craft that goes in to each and every piece is hard to imagine until you see it. And the amount of variety of custom options that one might choose makes the imagination soar. Ken is an amazing inventor.
But the most important part of this experience is the tonal change in the cellos I brought to him. Completely unexpected. Beautiful and open, quick response, rich and dark. An embarrassment of riches. I would completely recommend anyone who wants an improvement in their tone to get in touch with Ken.
Peter Seidenberg


Duncan Jones Net Worth 2019 - How Much is Duncan Jones Worth?
Duncan Jones Net Worth 2019 – Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones is a British film director, producer and screenwriter. He is the son of English singer-songwriter David Bowie. He is best known for directing the science fiction film Moon, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
According To Forbes, Duncan Jones Net Worth 2019 is $20 Million. His birth inspired his father to write the song "Kooks," which is included on the 1971 album Hunky Dory. He spontaneously married photographer Rodene Ronquillo in 2012 on the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Director of the acclaimed science fiction films Moon and Source Code. He is the son of rock icon David Bowie and Bowie's first wife Mary Angela Barnett .
His directorial debut Moon, starring Sam Rockwell , won the British Independent Film Award for Best Film as well as the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award, which recognizes an outstanding debut film by a British writer, director or producer. In 2013, it was announced that he would direct the 2016 film Warcraft, based on the popular video game franchise.


Life changes. Some changes are big and significant, some are small and not-so-significant, but many more are less easily defined as "big" or "small." I find that many of the changes in my life that have affected me most significantly do so in a way that is often mysterious. I often don't see the change that is coming, both in myself and the effects that the change has on the day-to-day minutia. For me, if I don't find a way to slow down, reflect, ponder, obsess, analyze, and just think on the things that are transpiring in my life I often feel left behind in my own life, like things are happening to me rather than with me.
My tool for slowing down, for the better part of my life, has been journaling. I started my first journal when I was 6 or 7 and I've kept one, on and off, since then. I think part of my connection to journaling stems from my love of the written word. (Way back in the day, long before I contemplated having a handmade jewelry business, I wanted to be a fiction writer.) Journaling allows me to pick something apart as much or as little as I like. I often come to realizations I didn't see coming, through my writing.
The author Ann Patchett, in an interview I heard on one NPR show or another, once said that for her, if she doesn't write it down it's sort of like it didn't happen. (I'm paraphrasing here of course.) She is a renowned fiction writer, but in that comment she was referring to keeping a journal. There is a part of me that resonates with that statement. I feel more whole and more alive when I am pausing to write about and reflect on what is happening in my life.
A few years ago I went through a period where I rarely wrote in my journal. Nothing tragic was happening, in fact, lots of good stuff was happening, life just sort of swept me along and I stopped taking those pauses to write, breathe and reflect. Over the course of the last year I've found my way back to journaling, granted not as often as I once did, but I've developed a habit of sweeping all other obligations aside when I feel that urge to just sit down and write.
Besides the HUGE benefit of slowing down and reflecting that writing gives me, there is another benefit though, one that has slowly revealed itself to me over the years, and it's simply this: I can't lie to myself as readily. That's the indirect benefit that comes from my taking the time to journal. I find that I must be more honest with myself about all aspects of my life when I'm taking the time to stop and reflect. This might sound strange, but I can be the QUEEN of lying to myself. Life gets busy, I get in my "go, go, go" mode and I kind of stop really being mindful about how I'm feeling. Journaling makes me stop and see all the sparkly little facets of life.
If you like, share a little bit in the comments about what you like to do that helps you slow down and reflect. I know everyone has their own thing, and I always love to hear what others do that help them "show up" for their own life more fully and completely.


A-Level Resources for the new AQA Specification.
Glenn Smith August 14, 2014 . Posted in Miscellaneous and tagged analysis, exam results, SPAN1, SPAN3.
Glenn Smith August 17, 2013 . Posted in Teaching Idea and tagged marking, SPAN1, writing.


Congress will be on its Summer District Work Period from July 26, through September 3. That means that the gun-banners have approximately three weeks left during which to push "assault weapons" legislation if they hope to get a vote before the September 13, "sunset" date. With the gun prohibitionists working vigorously to get Congress to extend and expand this ban, over the next few weeks we must remain extremely vigilant against any attempt by the anti-gunners to reauthorize this legislation. Already, Representative Michael Castle (R-Del.), and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have introduced bills to do just that--H.R. 3831 and S. 2498, respectively. And, in a June 28, San Francisco Chronicle article about her continued attempts to renew the ban, Senator Feinstein said, "I really believe passionately in this. I`m not going to give up."
Commenting further on the ban`s renewal, Feinstein concluded, "It`s only the sheer power of the gun lobby that stands in the way." At least she`s right about that. You, our members, are the "power of the gun lobby." You, ultimately, are the ones who can "stand in the way" of "Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in!" Please be sure to contact your legislators today!
You can find contact information for your elected officials by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org, or you can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121.


TOVA test is an examination of concentration (cognitive function) for a child and adult by grading his/her reaction and accuracy towards stimulus (task relevant stimuli). This test is done for conditions such as: ADHD, Difficulties in Study, Memory Problem, Concentration Difficulty, and Uncontrollable behavior.
Brain Mapping Test is an examination that is done quantitatively by recording the brain electric frequency of a child as well as adult. After that, the examiner will analyze each type of the brain frequency (delta, theta, alpha, and beta frequency) to observe the brain ability and disability (such as: troubles in concentrating, troubles in falling asleep, sleepiness problems, uncontrollable behavior, as well as emotional, anxiety problems all the way to growth delay, drug addiction, alcohol addiction).
Sensory Profile Ability Test is a measuring tool that can determine a child's strengths and weaknesses by using the child's sensory process.
Knowing a child's strengths and weaknesses will make it easier for parents to provide their child's need accordingly. Providing the child's need accordingly will speed up and increase the child's growth and performance by combining the connection between a stimulus given and the sensory system.
IQ TEST is a test that is done to find out the intellectual capacity of a person. This test can measure up the ability of a person in solving a problem, understanding a concept, having a broad knowledge, ability to analyze a situation, ability to recognize shape and strength. This test may be given to anyone age 4 and above. Smartkid Clinic has the experience in testing kids with special needs. IQ observations will provide us with a person leading ability / interest (what the person may do best) and vice versa. This observation will help us maximize a person ability and performance.
For more information, you may contact Smartkid Clinic!


Unless you've been living under a rock, ignoring every big tech advance in the past few years, you must have heard of machine learning!
For example, the recommendations made by Netflix and Amazon, the personal assistants competing in our iOS and Androids devices, and the futuristic self-driving cars are all forms of machine learning. Basically, machine learning is empowering the current artificial intelligence revolution. But what is it exactly? And how does the travel industry use it?
Machine learning is an application of Artificial intelligence (AI) which provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience, without being explicitly programmed.
Strange right? The co occurrence of "Machine" and "learn and improve from experience" in the same sentence, as if we're talking about a human being , we kinda are, after all the goal of artificial intelligence is to mimic the human intelligence.
So, how does the machine learn after all?
This question is not yet easy to answer here, but let's start by breaking down the big problem which is machine learning to different smaller set of main sub problems, the first one is called Supervised learning, the other one is Un-Supervised learning (there are other types but we'll focus on those two to keep it simple).
Supervised machine learning, imagine you have a booking website, you'll find yourself with a huge data about travel related reviews on hotels, places to visit etc. and you want to know the general sentiment on one of the hotels that you host on your website (maybe to list the hotels with the most positive feedback at the top of your search results).
Our supervised learning models can solve such task, these algorithms will look at as much as it can see from your customer positive and negative reviews, learning in the way the patterns that make a user review positive, this pattern may be finding the word "very" and the word "good" in the same phrase means that the sentence is positive, and it learns as well the pattern that makes a user review negative.
That's why it's called supervised, because our learning algorithms look at the data in a supervised way, they already have the answer (each phrase is positive or negative) and they try and learn the pattern that generates that answer, then our learning models are ready to be set free and look at new unseen hotel reviews and predict whether these reviews are positive or negative.
Un-supervised learning, unlike the previous type of learning, this one doesn't use known outcomes to guide the learning. These algorithms can find patterns and relationships automatically in our data.
Imagine you want to send travel packages offers for your customers in a specific season maybe during the summer, but different people will react differently to the same package, unsupervised algorithms may come handy in these types of problems, where you want to cluster your customers into different customer segments and you don't have any outcomes to guide the learning, then send each customer segment the package that they will probably love.
a. Leads ranking – in Tangram CRM, you can classify new customers as hot or cold lead, in other words probability of whether the customer is gonna confirm a reservation or not.
b. Time Series Forecasting – Given historical data, we can provide predicted values to travel agencies that would forecast future revenue or total number of customers over time.
c. Recommender Systems – Recommend packages to customers, based on the information available about user, packages and user preferences.
d. Chatbots – Automated chat machines that can understand typed up words and sentences and communicate with customers to provide sales services.
If you're interested to know more about the wonders of AI, check out this previous blog out.


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Home Political Committee on High Posts approves the appointment of Chairmen to four institutions...
Committee on High Posts approves the appointment of Chairmen to four institutions and appointment of an ambassador
The Secretary General of Parliament stated that the Committee on High Posts approved the appointment of Chairmen to four institutions and appointment of an ambassador yesterday (05).
Accordingly, the Committee on High Posts approved the appointment of Mr. Kandeepan Balasubramaniam as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the State of Kuwait.
Furthermore, the appointments of Mr. Upul Dharmadasa as the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority and Mr. K. A. Wimal Rupasinghe as the Chairman of the National Paper Company Limited were also approved by the Committee on High Posts, the Secretary General said.
Moreover, the appointments of Mr. M. Mahinda Saliya as the Chairman of Pradeshiya Sanwardhana Bank and Commodore. (C.E). H. S. Balasuriya as the Chairman of Land Development Corporation was also approved at the said Committee.
Minister Hon. Vidura Wickramanayaka, and Members of Parliament Hon. (Dr.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Hon. Dharmalingam Siddarthan were present at the Committee on High Posts presided over by Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Speaker of Parliament.
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The Secretary General of Parliament informs the Election Commission that a vacancy has been created given the resignation of Hon. Mujibur Rahuman, member of...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Hotel complex on schedule to open
• Photo Gallery: 02/12: New Howard Johnson
PICO RIVERA – Joined by the developer, city officials Monday toured the construction site of a $3.5 million, 50-room hotel that officials consider a key part of redevelopment plans for Whittier Boulevard.
Opening day for the new Howard Johnson Inn and Suites is about three months away. It will offer rooms with high-speed Internet access, a community meeting room, a swimming pool and spa, and other amenities, officials said.
The project at 9515 Whittier Blvd. also will create local jobs and funnel an extra $25,000 a year in bed taxes into Pico Rivera's coffers, city Finance Director Bob Ridley said.
The hotel replaced a dilapidated mobile home park that had been an eyesore for years. Three years ago, state housing inspectors visited the former Walnut Lodge Mobile Home Park and found numerous code violations, including illegal additions to units and plumbing and electrical violations.
Acting City Manager Debbie Lopez said the hotel is among the first of a series of revitalization efforts planned for north Pico Rivera, including beautification projects, street improvements and new landscaping along Whittier Boulevard.
She said the bulk of the city's redevelopment has thus far focused on Washington Boulevard and the south side of Whittier Boulevard.
"This is a significant step forward in our vision of the redevelopment of Whittier Boulevard," Mayor Pete Ramirez said. "This is a rebirth of the Whittier Boulevard corridor as the city's downtown."
Developer Sharad Patel said the project will include a dozen executive suites that are unique to Howard Johnson hotels.
"Not all of their properties have suites in them. It's an added amenity for the new state-of-the-art buildings," he said.
araceli.esparza@sgvn.com


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Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 Receives FAA Approval
The second model of the Next-Generation 737 family, the 737-800, has earned type certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The certification formally recognizes that the 737-800 has passed all the rigorous testing requirements of both Boeing and the FAA, and is ready to enter passenger service with U.S. airlines. The certification was awarded late Friday at Renton, Wash.
"This is another proud day for Boeing and the Next-Generation 737 Program," said Jack Gucker, vice president -- 737/757 Derivatives. "FAA certification of our second model in four months is further validation of our plan for simultaneous development of the family of the 737-700/ -800/ -600/ and -900 models."
The 737-800 is capable of carrying 160 to 189 passengers and is 19 feet longer than the 737-700. It is expected to receive validation from Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) by the end of March. Launch customer Hapag-Lloyd of Germany is scheduled to take delivery of the first 737-800 shortly thereafter. Continental will be the first U.S.-based airline to take delivery of the 737-800 later this year.
More than 350 flight tests were completed before certification was awarded. Since the 737-800 began its flight test program in June 1997, the three test airplanes have completed more than 760 flights, 550 hours of ground testing and 740 hours of flight testing.
The 128-to-149 seat 737-700 is the airplane that launched the Next-Generation program when Southwest Airlines ordered 63 in November 1993. The first 737-700 was delivered to Southwest in December 1997.
The 108-to-132 seat 737-600 made its first flight in January 1998. First delivery to SAS, or Scandinavian Airlines, is planned for third quarter 1998.
The 737-900 is the largest member of the family, carrying 177 to 189 passengers. The flight-test and certification schedule for the 737-900 program is being finalized. Alaska Airlines is scheduled to take delivery of the first 737-900 in 2001.
The 737-600 and -900 will participate in separate flight-test and certification programs. When completed, the total Next-Generation 737 flight-test program will have comprised 12 airplanes, including four 737-700s, three 737-800s, three 737-600s and two 737-900s. Upon conclusion, the flight-test program will have totaled more than 4,100 in-flight test hours.
In addition to commercial airplanes, Boeing also offers a business jet derived from the 737-700. With auxiliary fuel tanks, the business jet can fly up to 6,200 nautical miles. The business jet is sold and marketed through Boeing Business Jets, a joint venture formed in 1996 between The Boeing Company and General Electric Co. The first business jet is scheduled to roll out in mid-1998, followed by certification later in the year.
The Next-Generation 737 airplane family is designed to fly higher, farther, faster and quieter than previous 737 models. Changes from earlier models include a new and larger wing, higher cruise speed, greater range and new engines with improvements in noise, fuel burn, thrust and maintenance costs. In addition, the new engines benefit the environment through lower emissions.
The Next-Generation 737 family continues to be the fastest-selling jetliner model in history. Since the program's launch, 39 customers have placed orders for 840 Next-Generation 737s.


I always look at photos of group crafters with wistfulness and a little disbelief. Where do all these people live that enjoy hand crafts? Oregon? Canada? It must be staged.
Is it because I live in the Deep South that I never meet other knitters or is it because I live in the deepest, darkest corner of the Deep South? I've mentioned my knitting history before: how I taught myself as a young mom at home with two small children on a whim, but since I haven't lost interest after ten or eleven years, I think it stuck.
But no matter how enthusiastic I am about it, or maybe because I am, it has never caught on with anyone else around me. I bought a Rowan scarf kit for a friend at the yarn store after she had seen one of my sweaters and was all excited about learning. She never did use the kit and has since dubbed the yarn store the "yawn store." Hummh.
I taught my reluctant daughter how to make fuzzy, Fun Fur garter stitch scarves when she was a preteen, and she actually made one. Of course, it was about 12 inches long, just the right size for her stuffed cat, but it was a scarf and group knitting was a happenin' at my house! But it only happened for a day, the scarf was her last, and was probably eaten by the vacuum cleaner.
Lots of people say they want to learn, and I really think they'd enjoy it, but they just can't seem to power past cast ons and garter stitch. That's probably why knitting groups are so popular, even if you move at a tortoise pace, you're still getting the fun of being out with friends, unless you live in Knitting Siberia. This is one of those things that would make living in a big metropolis preferable.
Fast forward to a few months ago when some of my daughter's friends saw a scarf I had made her and said they wanted to learn to knit. I was doubtful (did they all have stuffed cats too?) but they planned a girls night over at our house complete with food and movies, so I went out and bought size 10 aluminum straight needles and 2 skeins of Thick and Quick yarn at Wal Mart for each of them to make green and white striped garter stitch scarves. Then they all changed their plans and the skeins sat in a corner of my daughter's room until they'd collected so much dust and dog hair I feared they'd doubled in size.
But, one night recently, when they had nothing else to do, she took them to one of their homes and all four of them learned from my daughter, who asked for a quick refresher on cast-ons before walking out the door. Maybe having nothing else to do is the key to actually learning.
I may not have been able to be part of that group, but I was satisfied to know I made it happen with ready supplies and, because of my effort, the skill is spreading. I think these girls actually will make more than one saggy scarf. They like to watch movies and talk into the wee hours, so knitting fits in beautifully. A few days later one of them emailed my daughter a picture of a perfectly even, almost finished scarf. Nice.
I think the next time a friend, or even a stranger, expresses mild interest in my knitting to be polite, I may run get some cheap supplies and ambush them at their home with a scarf tutorial before they know what's happening.
Come knit with me on Ravelry.
Last september I started a knitting and crocheting group with some colleagues and friends who were very interested in learning how to knit and crochet. I taught them how to crochet first, we started with some granny squares for a pillowcover. We haven't finished a single pillowcover so far, (maybe not the best project to start with anyway) but it is so much fun to see how they pick it up and how their interest grows. One friend now brings her 8 year old daughter with her and I taught her how to knit.
severian, I love that you host a group that isn't as much goal oriented as it is socially satisfying. Maybe I should start something like that. I know from personal experience that knitting is a therapeutic and calming activity, but teaching it to others, with the benefit of group comraderie... well that would be awesome. I'm going to think about this.
Yarny Days, you are so fortunate to have learned crocheting and knitting from people so meaningful to you. I remember my mother clamping a child's sewing machine onto a table for me to use to sew doll clothes. This is a very special memory for me. Basically , any memory of my mother is special to me. I wonder if we realize how precious our involvement with our kids, or children in our lives, might be to them one day?


Hand-carved wood sperm whale by New England artist John Shaw, created in a traditional New England folk art style. Hand painted in a fashion allowing the grain of the wood to show for a rustic antique appearance. The whale is carved from 2" thick native white pine and measures 36" long x 8.75" wide from the base of the whale to the tip of the tail. The back has sawtooth hangers and is signed and branded with the name of the artist and location of creation (Plymouth, Mass). Painted with acrylic paint and sealed both front and back with spar varnish urethane for durability.


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Credit: SeaWiFS Project; NASA; Orbimage; Kinetikon Pictures | Copyright: Michael Benson
The Mediterranean Sea is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's exhibition, Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes, from May 26, 2010 - May 2, 2011.
Sahara dust blows across the Mediterranean towards Italy. Below it, smoke from forest fires in the Balkans extends in the opposite direction, across the Southern Adriatic Sea.
OrbView 2, August 22, 2000
An Erupting Prominence
Erupting into Space
Io High Above Jupiter's Storms
"Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System" on View at the National Air and Space Museum from May 26 to May 2, 2011


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Inside the last-ditch effort by Democratic women to pressure Manchin and salvage paid family and medical leave
The party's still-forming $1.75 trillion economic package jettisoned the long-time priority to win over the West Virginia moderate. But many Democrats aren't yet ready to give up the fight.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is pushing to restore paid leave benefits on the $1.75 trillion reconciliation bill. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
By Tony Romm
October 30, 2021|Updated October 30, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand long has called on Congress to provide paid family and medical leave to the millions of Americans who don't have it. So when she found out last week the plan had been dropped from her party's landmark spending bill, she began an 11th-hour campaign to try to resurrect it.
The New York Democrat targeted the chief objector to the program, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.). She hit the phones Friday and fired off a flurry of texts to her moderate-leaning colleague that continued into the weekend, saying she would be willing to "meet him in D.C. or anywhere in the country" to make the case for the benefits, she said in an interview.
Yet Manchin refused to relent, Gillibrand said, resisting her latest entreaties much as he had the many alternatives that Democrats had presented to him in recent weeks.
Still, Gillibrand remained undeterred. "It's not over until it's over," she said.
The burst of activity from Gillibrand reflected what some reluctantly have acknowledged is a last-gasp attempt to salvage one of their most popular policy promises. With the House set to vote on a sweeping spending measure as soon as Tuesday, it marked a new test as to whether Democrats, largely led by women in the House and Senate, could sway Manchin and deliver the help they long have promised to millions of Americans.
The paid-leave plan that Democrats originally envisioned would have provided 12 weeks of aid for Americans who fall ill, need to care for a sick loved one or are tending to the birth of a new child. Tens of millions of workers don't have access to some or all of these benefits now through their employers, according to federal estimates, resulting in a gap that has hit low-income families and women the hardest.
Lawmakers tucked the expansive proposal into the original $3.5 trillion economic package they unveiled earlier this year, a broader overhaul of federal health-care, education, immigration, climate and tax laws. But it soon became a casualty of the tense negotiations between Congress and the White House. It surfaced less frequently in some of President Biden's public remarks — and eventually fell out of his spending blueprint — as top aides whittled down their ambitions to win over Manchin.
Democrats, including Gillibrand, stress that the resulting $1.75 trillion deal is historic in its own right. But its omission of paid leave has left many party lawmakers spoiling for a new fight. At a news conference Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pledged to reporters that she would keep fighting "for the babies."
A day earlier, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) hammered Manchin indirectly, saying that Democrats are "not going to let one man tell all the women in this country that they can't have paid leave." And a wide array of lawmakers, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), have placed calls to Manchin directly about the issue, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.
"I do believe this is a unique moment in time," said Gillibrand, who spoke by phone late Friday, as she acknowledged that time is running out. "If I can get more time with him, I'm optimistic I can find the right form."
Manchin declined to comment.
Democrats race to finalize $1.75 trillion spending bill and hold House vote by next week
The last-minute push on paid leave arrives as congressional leaders are racing toward key votes on the president's fuller economic agenda this week. Little time remains to rethink the delicate $1.75 trillion plan that Biden forged in an attempt to unite warring centrists and liberals in his party, resolving a months-long logjam.
The unfinished bill amounts to one of the largest investments in the federal safety net in history. It aims to help parents pay for child-care programs, establish universal, free prekindergarten and extend tax credits that have allowed millions of families to collect monthly checks.
Initially, Biden also hoped to include an expansive, 12-week program for paid family and medical leave as part of the package. He first proposed it as part of the American Families Plan he unveiled in the spring, building off a commitment he made on the 2020 campaign trail to ensure millions of Americans could take time off without risk of losing their jobs or paychecks — especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
"No one should have to choose between a job and paycheck or taking care of themselves and a loved one — a parent, spouse or child," the president said in a speech to Congress this spring.
By summer, lawmakers had set out to turn those ideas into legislation, culminating in a nearly $500 billion House proposal to provide 12 weeks of leave with benefits scaled by income. An architect of that plan, Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), aimed to fund the program in the same way they hoped to cover the rest of the bill, using tax rate increases targeting wealthy Americans and profitable corporations.
"I felt pretty strong it was one of the most popular items in the package," Neal said in a recent interview
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Yet House Democrats' foray immediately encountered trouble. Manchin and Sinema each had demanded massive cuts to the overarching $3.5 trillion price tag. Even though paid-leave programs had been popular among lawmakers in the party — and some, including Sinema, had unveiled related legislation in the past — the centrist duo said the total package cost too much.
Manchin, meanwhile, privately expressed to Democratic lawmakers, White House officials and paid-leave advocates evolving concerns specifically with the proposed benefit program, according to five people familiar with his thinking, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private negotiations.
At times, the senator from West Virginia said a paid-leave program could invite fraud, likening it to those who tried to collect unemployment even when they were not eligible. In some conversations with lawmakers and advocates, he asked about work requirements, even though employment is a condition for one to take leave in the first place, some of the people said.
In other instances, Manchin raised the potential effect on small businesses, which needed workers to remain on the job. And in public and private, Manchin highlighted issues with the "solvency" of a new social benefit program, pointing to his long-documented concerns that existing federal entitlements, including Medicare, are running out of funds.
"I'm talking to everybody, but I've been very clear. To expand social programs when you have trust funds that aren't solvent, that are going insolvent — I can't explain that, it doesn't make sense to me," Manchin said last week, adding that lawmakers need to "start paying for things."
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Manchin's opposition put the White House in a bind. The paid-leave program, once a fixture in Biden's speeches, appeared to advocates to come up less frequently in his public comments starting in the summer. The change in tone troubled supporters of the program, some of whom said they were told privately by the White House for months they had nothing to fear — and should instead focus their attention toward shoring up support from Manchin.
By mid-October, though, the White House informed Democrats they had to scale back the paid-leave program, which opened the door for lawmakers to consider only a temporary, four-week benefit. The cuts left some in the party upset and advocates seething, though many accepted it as better than nothing.
Then, days later, the White House shelved the proposal entirely as part of the $1.75 trillion compromise that the president presented to Democrats during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill last week.
"It's outrageous, it's shameful," said Dawn Huckelbridge, director of Paid Leave for All, an advocacy group. "Our view is very clear: A budget deal that doesn't include paid leave fails working families, and it will not do what this package intends to do, which is build back better."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary, told reporters last week that paid leave remains "a big priority" for the president, adding of the debate: "It doesn't end here."
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The omission immediately touched off a frenetic new lobbying effort on Capitol Hill. The dissent last week even spilled out onto the Senate floor, where Murray joined other women in cornering Manchin as the news broke to press him on paid leave.
In an interview, Murray said on Saturday she and other women sought to explain to Manchin "what every woman and a lot of men in this country understand, which is when you just had a baby, [when] you have a seriously ill family member, it is an economic issue for [workers] that they be able to have that time."
Manchin in response told Democrats in that conversation he is not a "hard no," Murray said. But the situation still troubled Murray, who said she fretted that they had already made substantial cuts — and found it unacceptable to eliminate the program because "one man said he didn't want it."
Publicly, some of the new political pressure campaign came from women who knew firsthand the importance of the paid-leave program that Manchin opposed. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.), who as a staffer in the 1980s took time away from her job to recover from cancer, expressed deep concern that Congress found itself unable to provide the same aid to all Americans that they have made available to federal employees.
"Why is it good enough for us and not good enough for everyone else in the country? We're the only industrialized nation that does not offer paid family and medical leave," said DeLauro, who helped craft the House proposal, as she pledged in an interview to keep pushing for it.
Pelosi, a mother of five, echoed the need to assist parents and promised to keep fighting for it at a news conference last week. Privately, she called Manchin to push to revive the program in recent days, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the speaker's conversations. The speaker's office declined to comment on the call.
So did Sinema, a former social worker, according to another person, who said Sinema voiced her support for paid leave and discussed with Manchin potential ways to pay for it. Manchin in the past seemed receptive to a proposal that could use payroll taxes to fund leave benefits, three people said. But the idea has presented political challenges because Biden has promised not to raise taxes on Americans making under $400,000.
Sinema's office declined to comment for this story.
Gillibrand, meanwhile, ratcheted up her personal advocacy campaign.
Behind the scenes, she and Manchin have discussed a wide array of ideas — including limits on paid-leave benefits that might have provided the aid only to new parents. In a later interview, Gillibrand acknowledged the approach as imperfect, given the fact that it threatened to leave out a majority of Americans who take leave as a result of an illness experienced by themselves or a loved one. But she said it presented an option that might have opened the door for more legislating down the road.
Nevertheless, Manchin rejected the idea, Gillibrand recalled. She also presented data to him showing that 12 weeks of aid are critical for new, nursing mothers, who cannot obtain child care before that point, and stressed it would help reduce the financial strain on federal health-care programs by promoting wellness — and still, she said, Manchin didn't budge.
"He wants to [work on it] later," Gillibrand said, adding that some of the senator's objections stemmed from the vehicle by which Democrats hope to secure the new spending. "I think he has a misimpression that this can be done easily with Republican support."
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Built around 1900 and converted to homes in 1993, Potrero Square Lofts is home to 62 residences at 701 Minnesota in the Dogpatch neighborhood. Notable features in the building include its location directly across from dog-friendly Esprit Park.
Home sizes at Potrero Square Lofts begin at about 650 square feet and range up to about 1,800 square feet. Homes are available in studio/loft, one-, and two-bedroom layouts. Building amenities include secure parking, a secure entry, and landscaped interior courtyards.
1 Ecker and Esprit Park both offer conversion homes with exposed brick, steel, and timber details. 300 Ivy is a mid-size building in another hip and happening and very walkable location, Hayes Valley.


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Home/MOVIES/'Cha Cha Real Smooth' Filmmaker Cooper Raiff & Clementine Quittner Launch Production Company Small Ideas
'Cha Cha Real Smooth' Filmmaker Cooper Raiff & Clementine Quittner Launch Production Company Small Ideas
Sundance prize winner Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth) has partnered with former Black Bear Pictures development executive Clementine Quittner to launch Small Ideas—a new production company that will develop and produce indie projects across film and television.
Raiff hinted at the move, and even cited the name of his new shingle in a recent chat with Deadline, which had him discussing the viability of small, carefully crafted projects in the ever-evolving entertainment marketplace.
"I feel really confident about small things. I'm going to start a company and probably call it Small Ideas," the filmmaker said in the interview published back in June. "There's a very good, lucrative market for making small things and flipping them, and if you're okay with them being maybe like a streamer-theatrical duo, I think everyone should be really feeling great and confident about getting their stuff made that they want to make."
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Driven by a commitment to protecting the passion and intention of artists, Raiff and Quittner intend to produce projects from emerging filmmakers and creators, as well as those written and directed by Raiff. Their first effort will be an undisclosed television series which Raiff will write, direct, and produce alongside Quittner.
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During his recent chat with Deadline, Raiff may have also offered a hint as to what we can expect from his as-yet-unnamed series. "After I make this next movie [The Trashers], I know for a fact the next thing I'm going to do is make a really, really, really small TV show by myself, because I'm fortunate enough to have enough money to do that," he said. "My goal is to totally just bet on myself and flip it in the way that I did with Shithouse, and the way I did with Cha Cha."
Said Raiff today in a statement: "Clem and I are very protective of passion. We want the artists we work with to know we believe in their stories and ideas as much as they do. I know how brutal fighting for people to trust your vision can be, and I know what a difference it makes to not have to fight for it alone. Small Ideas knows just how much love and support a filmmaker needs."
"I'm super excited for Clem to run the show—she's going to be the company's engine," added the filmmaker. "She elevates everything she works on and it's a dream to be her creative and professional partner."
"Cooper is a brilliant filmmaker and my favorite collaborator," remarked Quittner in closing. "I can't wait to work together to build a home for artists we love and artists we don't yet know—people who desire to make things differently."
Raiff's most recent feature, Cha Cha Real Smooth, won the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The dramedy about a Bar Mitzvah party starter played by Raiff—also starring Dakota Johnson and more—was released to critical acclaim by Apple in June. Prior to that, the filmmaker directed the indie romance Shithouse, which claimed the SXSW Grand Jury Award in 2020. Up next for him is the crime drama The Trashers, which has Licorice Pizza's Cooper Hoffman playing AJ—the teenage son of Connecticut trash magnate and Genovese crime family associate Jimmy Galante (Stranger Things' David Harbour), who is tasked with running his minor-league hockey team. Elvis' Olivia DeJonge is also set for the pic, going into production this fall.
While at Black Bear, Quittner worked across the company's slate on such upcoming projects as Nyad, directed by Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi and starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster; The Marsh King's Daughter, directed by Neil Burger and starring Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn; and the film adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Powers' novel, Bewilderment. She has also overseen development of Exciting Times, Raiff's series adaptation of Naoise Dolan's romance novel, in which Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor is set to star.
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One of the most common causes of shoulder pain in America is bursitis. It affects millions in this country at any one point in time, and is more common than all other reasons for shoulder pain combined.
Here are some FAQs on this very common condition.
What exactly is bursitis and what is a bursa?
A bursa is a soft tissue area that overlies muscle and acts as a protective element. It allows muscles to glide smoothly and not be irritated by the tissue that overlies the area.
In the case of the shoulder, the area overlying the bursa is bone called the acromion. The bursa itself overlies the rotator cuff musculature and when healthy permits an incredible range of motion in every direction.
The term bursitis refers to inflammation of this soft tissue. It does not refer to an infection, but rather Inflammation that makes it painful when a person moves the shoulder and when soft tissue rubs up against the overlying bony area.
The additional term that is well-known for shoulder bursitis is called impingement syndrome.
What symptoms do people have with bursitis and impingement syndrome?
Typically when a bursa is inflamed, the person will have pain with range of motion of the shoulder as the tissue rubs up against the overlying bone. There may be some throbbing during periods of rest, but this should dissipate. If a person has significant pain during rest periods, further workup should be done to rule out an infection or tumor.
The term impingement syndrome essentially refers to the fact that as the shoulder is moved, the inflamed bursa gets caught underneath the bone of the shoulder called the acromion. Then, it becomes a paradox as the soft tissue that is supposed to allow the muscle to glide is now actually causing it to become painful with range of motion.
As mentioned, the most common complaint that patients have is pain with motion. Usually this includes forward flexion of the shoulder along with lifting the arm off to the outside or backwards. These are the directions that caused the soft tissue to get impinged underneath the acromion.
Are there certain people who are at a higher risk for shoulder bursitis?
The answer is absolutely. Starting in middle-age, individuals are more prone to developing shoulder bursitis. This may include those who routinely participate in overhead athletic sports, along with weekend warriors or those who garden a lot to do anything involving lifting their arms up repetitively.
An example would be an individual in her 60s who begins to garden frequently when the weather changes. This may spark up information with the surge of activity. Or this may be a male who starts to work a lot on the house and is performing a lot of overhead activity.
Additionally, a younger person who is an athlete may begin to experience shoulder bursitis and impingement syndrome due to overuse during sporting activities.
In those who participate in jobs that involve repetitive shoulder motion, shoulder bursitis may result and require treatment with a workers comp doctor.
Other than bursitis, why else might a person have shoulder pain?
Far and away, most shoulder pain emanates from bursitis. However, some of the other reasons why one develops shoulder pain which may include degenerative arthritis of the joint, a tear of the rotator cuff musculature itself, inflammation of the biceps tendon, or pain emanating from arthritis in the AC joint.
In less common circumstances, an individual may have an infection or tumor in the shoulder. These are much less common but possible. If the injury occurs on the job, an Arizona or Federal Workers Comp doctor can help elucidate the reason for shoulder pain.
Most commonly, the history and physical along with the examination performed by the Phoenix Workmans Comp doctor will be confirmatory for shoulder bursitis. It is usually fairly straightforward, however, there also may be a necessary injection of numbing medicine into the area of the bursa.
This area is called the subacromial space, and if the numbing medicine relieves pain with range of motion then it is confirmatory for the diagnosis.
X-rays may simply show arthritis or a bit of an overhang to the acromion. An MRI may show a high signal in the bursa itself, which means there is some swelling there. On the MRI, the doctor will also look for some degeneration or tearing of the rotator cuff musculature.
What treatments are available for shoulder bursitis?
Standard treatment for shoulder bursitis consists of over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications and Tylenol. In addition, physical therapy is a standard treatment and may include stretching and strengthening along with ultrasound, electrical stimulation and massage.
The patient should be given a home program as well to facilitate resolution of inflammation.
One of the main treatments that a workers compensation pain doctor can also perform is an injection of cortisone into the subacromial space. This may be performed under image or ultrasound guidance, or the injury doctor may simply be able to place the needle using landmarks.
Should conservative treatment fail, shoulder surgery may become necessary which would include an arthroscopic outpatient procedure known as a subacromial decompression.
How well does treatment for shoulder bursitis work?
Nonoperative treatment for shoulder bursitis typically works exceptionally well over 95% of the time. The treatments are often able to reduce the pain within a few days to a few weeks, and it is often a self-limiting situation.
Injections may be given every few months, and if they are not helping then excellent outcomes are achieved with the arthroscopic procedure.
Arizona Injury Medical Associates treats shoulder injuries sustained either as part of personal injury case or a work injury. Thankfully, most shoulder bursitis is possible to be treated nonsurgically with the variety of treatments available. These include medication management, physical therapy, acupuncture, injections and more.