text:
Home > Resources > Articles > Manufacturers Leverage Selling Online
EDITOR`S CHOICE | 1796 views | November 23, 2020, 12:00 AM
Manufacturers Leverage Selling Online
Out of necessity manufacturers are learning to leverage online selling. Digital selling channels recover losses from in-person sales methodologies creating a new channel to serve online customers.
Hosea Chang (pictured left) , COO of clothing brand Hayden Los Angeles, emphasized, "The most important thing is to make sure that your website is technically equipped to handle the influx of customers that comes with shopping events like Black Friday. Too many websites crash at the first sign of trouble, and that ruins customer experience and your chance for profit. Many retailers of physical products continue to be affected during the pandemic when office work went remote. When it comes to manufacturing, warehousing, packing and delivery, those processes cannot be stopped or done remotely."
This is particularly challenging for smaller B2B eCommerce businesses where teams are stretched thin. Adding the necessity for social distancing negatively impacts delivery times and the customer experience.
Yoav Kutner (pictured left), the Founder and CEO of Oro, Inc. and makers of OroCommerce shared, "Connected business systems such as B2B eCommerce platforms must be tightly integrated with a CRM to empower a new generation of direct salespeople. They use technology to become more efficient, to increase sales, and to help their companies grow even faster. These systems reduce routine tasks such as data entry, pulling and updating pricing lists. This allows humans to focus on what humans do better than machines namely building relationships with customers."
VIVIPINS, a B2B supplier of customizable office stationery goods for companies around the world moved to a fully remote work environment and it went better than expected. Robin Brown (pictured left), CEO of VIVIPINS noted, "We use procurement automation platforms, chat apps, video call apps, and resource sharing platforms. This makes managing manufacturing, supply chains, and communication with suppliers easy. We use online RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs to communicate with our suppliers, coupled with Google Drive and Dropbox for document management. These tools have made in-person, collaborative activities such as product design and order fulfillment less challenging and more productive."
Manufacturers embarking on a digital transformation journey
Kutner noted companies like the aforementioned examples require flexibility and interconnectivity of systems. System integration, according to Kutner is the most powerful and important issue for manufacturers embarking on a digital transformation journey. A recent Digital Commerce study by Gartner said by 2022, a typical digital commerce customer experience will be created from over thirty integrated applications. Manufacturers investing in building flexible IT systems will grow and scale at a much faster pace.
NuLeaf Naturals sells CBD and hemp products to retailers as well as direct to customers (D2C). The pandemic presented a unique challenge; moving the whole team to operate remotely while demand for product soared.
Ian Kelly (pictured left) , VP Operations of NuLeaf Natural shared, "While much of our operations and communications with farmers, manufacturers, and testing facilities are via phone and email, delays on their end due to COVID19 restrictions forced us to really play a guessing game, trying to predict demand in order to have inventory ready in advance." NuLeaf Naturals has since moved back to the office. With smaller teams and social distancing, the reliance on videoconferencing and remote chat is now a part of life.
B2B manufacturers need to be strategic and flexible
Kutner acknowledged, "In the COVID era, B2B businesses need to be strategic and flexible and never lose customer focus. To be successful, when switching to remote work and online sales, manufacturers need to take a strategic triage approach and set goals that consider staying power, vulnerabilities, and resources. Rather than trying to figure everything from scratch and reinvent the wheel, using a comprehensive solution will reduce risks and get a business to market faster and with less risk."
Technologies and collaboration tools are the glue that holds remote teams together
Technologies and collaboration tools are the glue that holds remote teams together. To market, sell, and offer customers the best experience, organizations need a single source of truth offered by CRM and eCommerce solutions. A powerful B2B eCommerce software for distributors, manufacturers, wholesalers, and suppliers is required. Like the real-world examples above, B2B businesses mandate an unmatched selling experience, supporting complex workflows and business models such as B2B2C, D2C, and B2B marketplaces. Remote teams are empowered by eliminating data silos and providing everyone greater visibility into the B2B buyer experience. With out-of-the-box features, companies are able to increase speed to market. An integrated CRM serves as an excellent tool for distributed teams since team members have immediate access to a comprehensive view of customers.
Thomas R. Cutler is the President and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based,
TR Cutler, Inc., celebrating its 22nd year. Cutler is the founder of the Manufacturing Media Consortium including more than 8000 journalists, editors, and economists writing about trends in manufacturing, industry, material handling, and process improvement. Cutler authors more than 1000 feature articles annually regarding the manufacturing sector. More than 4700 industry leaders follow Cutler on Twitter daily at
@ThomasRCutler. Contact Cutler at trcutler@trcutlerinc.com.
Oro, Inc.
Oro, Inc. was launched in 2012 by former Magento co-founders Yoav Kutner, Chief Executive Officer; Dima Soroka, Chief Technology Officer; and Roy Rubin, director of Oro's advisory board (and former CEO of Magento). The senior management team also includes Motti Danino, Chief Operations Officer; Michael Bessolov, VP of Engineering; and Andrew Gerasimov, VP of Client Services.
Achieving Interoperability in an Industry 4.0 Factory
Article | February 11, 2020
As a part of the Industry 4.0 movement, factory engineers are increasingly adopting some form of industrial Ethernet to interconnect the machines and other equipment implementing their production processes. Ethernet has been around in multiple forms for over 40 years. Most of it serves the IT community by interconnecting PCs and other equipment to a company LAN. Because of its flexibility, Ethernet has been adapted to many industrial uses.
The Impact of Coronavirus on Electronic Manufacturing
Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is considered a crucial hub in the middle of China, a place of high importance for the production of automobiles, electronics, optics, and fiber optics. Wuhan and surrounding cities in the Hubei province are currently on a government-imposed quarantine at a scale the world has never seen before, some Chinese officials have referred to the situation as warlike.
Digitalizing Your Manufacturing Ecosystem
Making digitalization work for you requires an understanding of your manufacturing ecosystem. Standards - such as ISA-95 - only guide you on a journey to more deeply comprehend the workings of your unique process for manufacturing your products. A batch manufacturing ecosystem often includes campaign management. Campaign management is not mentioned in ISA-95, which only speaks generally of order processing.
4 Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends on Tap for 2020
It's the food and beverage industry's job to appeal to consumer tastes by keeping tabs on what's hot and what's not. In the 1990s, for instance, fat free or reduced fat was all the rage, evidenced by the variety of products with such descriptions featured in bold typeface on cartons, cardboard and boxes. Fast forward to today, thanks in part to advancements in nutrition science, fat is back and is recommended in low-carb diets such as Atkins and Keto.
Aerobotix Announces Distribution Agreement for Leading Hypersonic Missile Coating
Aerobotix | March 10, 2022
Minteq International Authorizes Aerobotix With FIREX™ Distribution for DOD Programs   HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 7, 2022 – At a time when the Pentagon is urging America's largest defense manufacturers to accelerate hypersonic weapon production, a small, privately held business in the defense and space industry center of Huntsville, Alabama, is quietly taking big steps to support the call for help. Aerobotix, an AS9100 certified FANUC robotics integrator and metrology company, today officially announced an agreement with Minteq International, Inc. to distribute Minteq's industry altering FIREX™ RX-2390 Thermal Protection System (TPS) coating for hypersonic flight hardware. Aerobotix will work directly with Minteq's Pennsylvania-based Pyrogenics Group, the global technological leader in high-temperature coatings for military and aerospace applications. Minteq engaged Aerobotix because of the company's expertise in robotically spraying parts and test panels within extremely tight tolerances for uniformity and thickness of coverage. Aerobotix also has significant prior experience with major primes using the FIREX™ product.   "Our desire was to assist our customers and the U.S. Government in fielding hypersonic missiles and aircraft as quickly as possible," said Kent Pfeifer, Aerobotix's process development manager. "By making the commitment to keep fresh FIREX™ RX-2390 on our shelves, we can immediately assist the major programs by robotically spraying accurate panels and even prototype parts for flight tests. We've been robotically spraying, scanning and sanding shrouds and rockets already, and now – with coating on our shelves – we cut critical weeks in delivery time."    Aerobotix, and the scientists at Minteq, worked together to develop a FIREX™ RX-2390 recipe and a unique robotic paint dispensing system that is optimized for automation and heavy production. The FIREX™ formulations combine modified epoxy binders with thermally active materials that form cooling gases when exposed to temperatures in excess of 350°F. Application of TPS coatings requires precision thicknesses control, even distribution of solids, and strong layer-bonding for optimal performance. Minteq notes that Aerobotix's customized robotic application process provides all this, plus the ability to automatically spray-taper the paint thickness in various areas of the part, which can reduce weight, manufacturing time and cost.   "Aerobotix is spraying our product so much better than could ever be done by hand," said Mark Breloff, Minteq technical sales manager. "The robot is mixing the coating perfectly, just in time, and applying it so accurately – we are seeing improved performance across the board." "Aerobotix can scan the part to get the as-built shape, spray to near-net and then use the robot to sand down to the optimal shape and thickness," Breloff added. "Lab results are off the charts with this approach, which, most importantly, allows Minteq to show our customers what RX-2390 is really capable of."   The new agreement with Minteq is a significant enhancement to Aerobotix's new Fully Automated Hypersonic Coating Production System. Designated a "Center of Excellence," the system includes "never been done before" adaptations of high MRL technologies. The facility provides a broad selection of services for preparing and painting hypersonic structures, including automated structured light scanning/projection, automated masking tape application, automated FIREX ™ spraying, automated non-contact Terahertz measurement, automated force controlled sanding and adaptive robotic machining of coatings.   About Aerobotix  Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, Aerobotix is an innovative leader in advanced metrology and robotic solutions for the aerospace and defense industries. The company specializes in the creation of cutting-edge automated robotic and measuring solutions for high-value, high-precision components, aircraft, and vehicles. Aerobotix has more than 130 robotic systems installed in the U.S. and abroad, providing exceptional results and savings for our clients.
FutureStitch Receives Award for Environment-Friendly Building Techniques and Materials in Manufacturing
FutureStitch | October 28, 2020
FutureStitch, Inc. an Orange County-based material and innovation organization, declared its revolutionary manufacturing facility recently received the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum accreditation – the USGBC's most elevated LEED assignment and the most noteworthy score among sock and knitwear manufacturers on the planet. As an innovator in roundabout sewing innovation and material advancement, FutureStitch is a manufacturing and permitting accomplice focused on individuals and networks that help make their elite items, and now they have gotten the most elevated accreditation for making a solid, safe and naturally neighborly workplace. "Since our founding, FutureStitch has had an equal focus on producing high-quality products and raising global manufacturing standards," said FutureStitch Co-Founder and CEO, Taylor Shupe. "Addressing society's most pressing issues – such as combatting climate change and providing meaningful employment with living wages – should be a primary goal for all manufacturing companies. Our Platinum LEED certification demonstrates that it is possible for any manufacturer to move beyond aspiration and take action to create a workplace that both engages employees and reduces its impact on the environment. We have set a new global standard for textile manufacturing, and we will continue to pioneer innovative, socially and environmentally responsible approaches as we look to build our first U.S.-based factory." FutureStitch is the first U.S.-based manufacturer in China to receive the LEED Platinum certification, which recognizes FutureStitch's achievement in operating a healthier, more energy and resource-efficient building. The facility's low environmental impact features include: Low Impact Construction: The factory was built using a fraction of the concrete typically used to build manufacturing facilities, and, instead, is constructed with recycled, ultra-durable metals like aluminum alloys and steel. Low Power Usage: 500,000 kilowatts (kWh) of power is saved annually through the use of efficient lighting, on-site solar heating, and maximized access to natural lighting, reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by 498.5 tons. Geothermal HVAC: A geothermal air conditioning system pumps cooled groundwater through the building, reducing energy costs and eliminating the need to use any ozone-depleting substances. Air Quality: Fresh air is circulated throughout the factory, including the production workshops, to reduce carbon dioxide and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and maintain high air quality. Low Water Usage: State-of-the-art chemical injection systems alleviate need for waste water. Products are finished using a dry-cleaning method instead of wet processes. Green Transportation: More than 90% of employees commute through green travel. FutureStitch's 300,000-square-foot office in China's Zhejiang Province opened in October 2018. Through a mix of elite specialists, progressed programming and industry-driving apparatus, the activity conveys speed-to-showcase and serious evaluating for its clients. Planned by incredibly famous designer Zhang Lei, FutureStitch's best in class office is SA8000 consistent – the world's driving social exhibition accreditation program zeroed in on specialist prosperity – and incorporates a library, ball court, rec center, and 4,000-square-foot craftsmanship display, mirroring FutureStitch's promise to giving its representatives a spot to live, learn, play, work out, and unwind.
LandingLens to Help Manufacturers Build and Deploy Visual Inspection Systems Using AI
Landing AI | October 22, 2020
As organizations manufacture goods, human inspectors survey them for abandons. Think about a scratch on cell phone glass or a shortcoming in crude steel that could have an effect downstream when it gets transformed into something different. Landing AI, the organization began by previous Google and Baidu AI master Andrew Ng, needs to utilize AI innovation to recognize these imperfections, and today the organization dispatched another visual investigation stage called LandingLens. "We're announcing LandingLens, which is an end-to-end visual inspection platform to help manufacturers build and deploy visual inspection systems [using AI]," Ng told TechCrunch. He says the company's goal is to bring AI to manufacturing companies, but he couldn't simply repackage what he had learned at Google and Baidu, partly because it involved a different set of consumer use cases, and partly because there is just much less data to work with in a manufacturing setting. Adding to the level of trouble here, each setting is novel, and there is no standard playbook you can fundamentally apply over every vertical. This implied Landing AI needed to concoct an overall toolbox that each organization could use for the extraordinary necessities of their manufacturing process. Ng says to place this trend-setting innovation under the control of these clients and apply AI to visual investigation, his organization has made a visual interface where organizations can work through a characterized cycle to train models to see every client's assessment needs. The manner in which it works is you take pictures of what a decent completed item resembles, and what a damaged item could resemble. It's not as simple as it would sound, since human specialists can differ over what comprises a deformity. The producer makes what's known as an imperfection book, where the examiner specialists cooperate to figure out what that deformity resembles through an image, and resolve contradictions when they occur. This is done through the LandingLens interface. Whenever investigators have settled upon a lot of marks, they can start emphasizing on a model in the Model Iteration Module, where the organization can train and run models to get to a condition of settled upon progress where the AI is getting the imperfections consistently. As clients run these tests, the product creates a report on the condition of the model, and clients can refine the models varying dependent on the data in the report. Ng says that his company is trying to bring in sophisticated software to help solve a big problem for manufacturing customers. "The bottleneck [for them] is building the deep learning algorithm, really the machine learning software. They can take the picture and render judgment as to whether this part is okay, or whether it is defective, and that's what our platform helps with," he said. He thinks this technology could ultimately help recast how goods are manufactured in the future. "I think deep learning is poised to transform how inspection is done, which is really the key step. Inspection is really the last line of defense against quality defects in manufacturing. So I'm excited to release this platform to help manufacturers do inspections more accurately," he said.
2023 ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND SUPPLY CHAIN CONFERENCE
Sustainable Manufacturing Summit
ASEAN Electronics & Semiconductor Manufacturing Summit 2023


text:
The Weight of Things
A lost tale of domestic nightmares
This rediscovered modernist classic tells the story of a young woman who, while still traumatized by the Second World War, struggles to resign herself to domesticity and motherhood. Slowly consumed by a weight of circumstances beyond her control, Berta endures the deep hypocrisies and the abiding cruelty of everyday life, behind which bloody tragedy threatens to break free.
The Weight of Things was Fritz's debut novel and the first of her books to be translated into English. It won her tremendous acclaim and was awarded the Robert Walser Prize in 1978. Fritz subsequently embarked on a brilliant and ambitious literary project called The Fortress, which earned her cult status, comparisons to James Joyce, and admirers including Elfriede Jelinek and W. G. Sebald. In her lyrical debut, she reveals herself as a brilliant and masterful satirist, whose work is philosophically minded yet raging with anger and wit.
Designer: Erik Carter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Are you a newly engaged couple looking for wedding inspiration? Or perhaps you're part of the bridal party helping the lucky bride and groom plan their big day? Whatever your reason may be, you should stop by the Crème de la Crème Grand Wedding Showcase this Sunday at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver. This unique luxury wedding event returns for its eighth year with a showcase titled "Le Rêve" (The Dream). In other words, think dreamy table settings, floral arrangements, bridal dresses and accessories, cakes, and the ultimate highlight: a fashion show featuring top designers like Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, and Jenny Packham.
Interested in going? I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky Solo Lisa reader. Simply leave a comment on this post by Thursday November 1st, 12pm PST. Entrants must be from the Lower Mainland. Comments must have some means of contact (email, blog, or Twitter). One winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!
UPDATE: The winner of the giveaway is Julie Switzer, who just got engaged last week. Congratulations on both fronts, Julie! You'll be receiving an email shortly. To everyone else, thanks for entering!
This looks to be by far the best wedding show of the year to be at!!! Love to go!
I need to go to this ultimate wedding show.
My fiancé and I have yet to attend a wedding show together! I think it would be better for him to see everything in person rather than in magazines (you know how men can be haha).
I looooooove everything about creme de la creme, and I love looking at their pictures on facebook and instagram. This would be a glamourous adventure to be in the event on sunday! I want to go!!!!
Sorry forgot my name, I'm Cherry. I just cannot wait for sunday to come!!
I recently got engaged and would love to go to this event!
I would love to go to this show! I just got engaged last week, and really have no idea where to start planning - this would be a great start in the adventure.


The challenging issue of social inequality is addressed by Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, in their article "Some Principles of Stratification" and other works, in the positive context, as they claim that social stratification is the function of any social system and is an indispensable condition for its development. Regarding social stratification as inherent to any social structure, the authors of the article point out that "different positions carry different degrees of prestige" in society, which predisposes the "universal presence of stratification", in both competitive and non-competitive systems (Davis and Moore 242).
It is in the best interests of all the members of society to have the most valuable positions to be filled by persons having the best qualifications, which creates the basis of the unequal distribution of rewards. In this manner, the distribution of rewards becomes an important mechanism reflecting the demands of society and the social order, which is in "a continuous process of metabolism" (Davis and Moore 242). There can be only a limited number of individuals capable of filling in the most important positions and people who undergo training to acquire the necessary skills make certain sacrifices to achieve competences and qualifications. Melvin M. Tumin argues that "the assumption that there must be something both inevitable and positively functional" about social stratification is false (Tumin 387). Neither society nor experts have reliable ways of defining which positions are more important. In fact, such positions may be different in various societies and at different stages of their development.
The thesis that only a limited number of individuals have talents sufficient to be trained for filling in important positions originates, according to Tumin, from the existing structural stratification system, which provides a limited access to adequate studying and training. The argument concerning personal sacrifices looks ambiguous considering unequal opportunities in access to training and expenses on education, in terms of their share in the family income, not to mention the aspects of prestige and moral rewards. Therefore, social inequality cannot be understood as inherent to the social order.
Davis, Kingsley, and Moore, Wilbert E. "Some Principles of Stratification." American Sociological Review 10.2 (1945): 242-259. Print.


text:
Uwe Altrock (* 1965 in Memmingen) ist ein deutscher Stadtplaner. Er ist Herausgeber der Zeitschrift "Planungsrundschau" und Mitherausgeber des "Jahrbuchs Stadterneuerung".

Leben
Altrock studierte zwischen 1984 und 1991 Mathematik und Stadt- und Regionalplanung an der TU Berlin. Nach Stationen als Mitarbeiter in Planungsbüros und einem Städtebaureferendariat (Große Staatsprüfung 1994) kam er als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an die TU Berlin zurück. Dort promovierte er 2001 mit einer Arbeit zum Thema "Büroflächenpolitik in Berlin 1981–1999 – Akteure, Ziele, Entscheidungen".

2002 ging er als Vertretungsprofessor für Quartiersentwicklung an die TU Hamburg-Harburg. Es folgte eine Juniorprofessur für Urban Structures an der BTU Cottbus. Seit 2006 ist er Professor für Stadtumbau und Stadterneuerung an der Universität Kassel und besetzt ab April 2016 das Amt des Dekans am Fachbereich 06 Architektur, Stadtplanung, Landschaftsplanung.

Forschungsschwerpunkte
Jüngere Forschungsarbeiten beschäftigen sich mit Einzelthemen der Stadterneuerung und des Stadtumbaus wie Stadtidentität und Rekonstruktion, dem Governance-Ansatz in der lokalen Politikforschung oder auch der Evaluation und Weiterentwicklung der Städtebauförderung. Internationale Forschungsaufträge befassen sich u. a. mit dem Wiederaufbau New Orleans und mit der megaurbanen Region des Perlflussdeltas in der Volksrepublik China.

Weblinks

 Homepage von Uwe Altrock an der Universität Kassel

Stadtplaner (Hessen)
Hochschullehrer (Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus)
Hochschullehrer (Universität Kassel)
Deutscher
Geboren 1965
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Lotus represents Purity, Compassion and Love. Our Lotus Candle Holders can be used as single accent pieces or in a variety of multiples. See all of our beautiful colors to arrange an amazing display.You will love the romantic glow of color when used in your romance area.


text:
Cantù je město v Itálii s  obyvateli. Nachází se v Lombardii 12 km jižně od města Como. Patří k historickému regionu Brianza a v místním dialektu se nazývá Cantuu.

Název města je odvozen od původních obyvatel z kmene Canturigi. K Římské republice je připojil konzul Marcus Claudius Marcellus. Ve středověku bylo Cantù součástí Lombardské ligy, pak je ovládli Sforzové. V městské části Galliano se nachází bazilika svatého Vincence s baptisteriem, založená v roce 1007. Městské divadlo Teatro San Teodoro bylo otevřeno v roce 1921. Centrum města se rozkládá okolo Garibaldiho náměstí, dominují mu hrad Castello di Pietrasanta a proboštský kostel svatého Pavla s vysokou zvonicí.

Cantù je tradičním střediskem nábytkářského průmyslu a roku 1882 zde byla zřízena umělecká škola. Ve městě se nachází muzeum nábytkářství. Proslulá je také místní krajka Pizzo di Cantù.

Ve městě sídlí basketbalový klub Pallacanestro Cantù, který je dvojnásobným vítězem Euroligy. Cantù bylo etapovým městem závodu Giro d'Italia v letech 2002, 2003 a 2007.

Narodil se zde kardinál Giovanni Saldarini.

Reference

Externí odkazy

Obce v provincii Como
Města v Lombardii


with edge but no substance.
and sand to smooth perfection.
and your beauty that veils a great violence.
oblivion as I have. You may not sit beside me.
Love your voice. Dazzling stuff.
I mean your writing voice, although your physical one's fine too!


Linx believes that sustainability should permeate the organization in the economic, social and environmental dimensions, from a responsible management, focused on long-lasting results for the company and the society. Our sustainability strategy is anchored in strategic points, as the generation of value for the company and its stakeholders, support to education, the efficient use of natural resources, and the management of solid waste.
This commitment can be represented by the actions taken and partnerships carried out by Linx.
Linx, in partnership with the Movimento Arredondar, was the first platform to offer its clients a technological solution that is changing the culture of donation in Brazil. Systems Linx POS, Linx Microvix and Linx Degust have already enabled final consumers to round the cents of their purchases for a qualified donation: the rounding value is at most R$ 1. The system is only deployed when the companies that use the technology solutions from Linx adhere formally to the Movimento Arredondar.
The movement follows all customers' implementation of Linx on several fronts: tax development, legal, training and communication of the points of sale. In addition, it selects and monitors the social organizations that receive donations – and reports on its website in real time, ensuring transparency. Social organizations are aligned to the 8 Millennium Development Goals of the UN (United Nations). Every operation of the Movimento Arredondar is audited by PWC since 2012.
Linx and Junior Achievement have signed a partnership toward the reform and modernization of the Mini-Company Program, creating a new version, the Mini-Company by Linx. Considered the "flagship" of the organization, the Mini-Company program provides 2nd-year high school students with economics and business experience in the operation of a student company. From now on, the project, which will be applied in public schools around the country, will feature a digital management tool and a virtual community for current students and ex-Alumni. The Mini-Company program by Linx will be applied in 17 classes and will benefit approximately 400 young people from São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, Pernambuco and Minas Gerais between 2015 and 2016. Junior Achievement will guide the public school students of technical high school and will prioritize the exchange of ideas between them for the development of technological solutions.
In partnership with the Instituto Ayrton Senna, Linx supports the education of children and youth in Recife and metropolitan region. The project supports the implementation of the Policy of School Learning in Recife and surroundings, through literacy-targeted educational solutions ("Se Liga") and accelerated learning of Elementary School students ("Acelera"). Combating illiteracy and the distortion between the age of the student and the grade he/she attends, the educational solutions of the Instituto Ayrton Senna give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and acquire the skills needed to follow their trajectory and recover the lost years. Through these educational solutions, aimed at the correction of school flow, the Board of Education of Recife aims to help about 2,218 public school students in 2015.
Since 2010, Linx supports Warm Clothing Campaign, of the Social Solidarity Fund of the State of São Paulo, collecting clothes and blankets for the poor population in the State of São Paulo, charities, homes, communities, prisons, hospitals, hostels and daycares.
For the União Brasileiro-Israelita do Bem-Estar Social (Unibes), from São Paulo, the company provides, since 2006, the management systems for the traditional donation bazaars at various points of the capital city. Unibes benefits from the donation of LinxERP licensing software, support and maintenance, and training hours for volunteers of the entity. Linx support contributed to organize and give transparency to internal processes and, with that, enhance the sales and inventory control and do the commercial management, taking the actions to a new level. The institution serves more than 14 thousand people, including families, children and the elderly, with a variety of projects related to social assistance, education, health and culture.
In the cultural area, it promoted the sponsorship of the book "Vitrinas: História, arte e consumo em São Paulo", by specialist author Sylvia Demetresco. It tells the history and evolution of intrinsic activity to glassmaking, which consists of retail creation and decoration of shops showcases for various retail activities. The book was sent as a Holliday gift to customers of the company.
Also in the cultural area, Linx supported the exhibition São Paulo: a new look at the story that offers a city tour through the history of retail trade and its influence on the urban transformations of the 19th century. The exhibition was held at the Sé station of São Paulo Metro for forty-five days, interacting with more than 11,700 people by means of monitors and interactive presentations.
In the environmental area, in actions for the conscious use of natural resources, the company has invested in the program of Selective Collection of Waste, the EcoLinx. The system was deployed in units of Bauru, Belo Horizonte, Joinville, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Uberlândia and Blumenau. With the selective collection program, the company gives appropriate destination to recyclable waste and contributes to the increase of income for trash pickers.


text:
By Zack@Lulu / November 25, 2019 December 11, 2019
You might be surprised to learn that some of the most visually impressive and well-researched books on Lulu include games — role-playing games and adventure games, if you want to be precise. These projects can take years to create and involve entire teams of people, including writers, editors, designers and test players.
Even if you have no interest in throwing down die and filling out a character sheet, the works are still a fascinating artistic enterprise. While many view role-playing games (RPGs) as part of a niche (though resurgent) market, there are some universal truths that we can all learn from talking to the masterminds behind these books.
The Next Generation of Role-Playing Game
So, today, we have the honor of presenting to you Lulu's very first super panel on the frontier of independent role-playing and adventure games. We asked a group of our bestselling French- and English-language RPG creators a few questions about their experience self-publishing and got a glimpse into the world of these content juggernauts. If you're a self-published author of any genre, I highly recommend hearing what they have to say about design, marketing and producing a quality self-published book.
Featured authors: Brian St. Claire-King, Cédric Chaillol, Anthony "Yno" Combrexelle, Manuel Bedouet, Jeff Dee, Talzhemir, Batro Games, Elwin Charpentier, and Kobayashi.
What are the advantages of self-publishing your RPG?
What is the first step to creating an innovative and engaging RPG?
Tools Of The Trade: How Do You Make A Role-Playing Game?
What is it like working with your team?
How long does it usually take for you to publish A Book?
How self-market Your Role-Playing Game?
What advice would you give a young author looking to get started?
So, let's start off with the essential question: why self-publish your role-playing game?
For some authors, it was a question of retaining the rights to their material:
Jeff Dee: Having been through a six-year court battle to get the rights back to V&V (Villains & Vigilantes), retaining the rights is pretty important.
For others, it was the democratization of publishing resources that pulled them in:
Cédric Chaillol and Elwin Charpentier: For a start-up or single author, self-publishing with print-on-demand is the best way to disseminate your work without taking on the financial risk. RPG players have a particular attachment to the physical object, to the touch and shape of the work. Classical print options imply the purchase of bulk quantities in order to lower the price to a reasonable per unit cost. Lulu gives us the opportunity to offer something to the reader besides a PDF and evaluate our audience's reaction.
Kobayashi added that in addition to the reduced financial investment, self-publishing offered "greater flexibility than traditional publishing."
Flex on Those Formats
Kobayashi touches on an element that is directly linked to print on-demand's cost efficiency: greater creative liberty. When you don't have to worry about whether or not an idea is going to put you in the hole financially, you're free to think about other things, like how you're going to break the mold with your next role-playing game:
Talzhemir: Not only do I have the choice of topic, I also choose the scope of a project. The gaming industry may be focusing on eighty-dollar books; I can make something that's eighteen. I also have the power to decide how long to work on it. The Kurt Hills Atlas was two years in the making. Most companies would have limited it to one, with half the final page count.
Manuel Bedouet expounded upon this idea:
"It's tough for me to compare, having worked infrequently with established publishers. In general, the format of my games is rather short, far below what would generally be considered for print by a classic publisher. I'm not sure my work would be of interest to them. When I started publishing, the idea never really crossed my mind."
More Money, More formats
When the financial component is stripped away, authors innovate and experiment with their content in ways that, otherwise, they might never have been able to do:
Combrexelle: Self-publishing allows you to offer alternative formats (take your book's page count for example: 50-page A5 booklets would be impossible to sell in the traditional circuit) and more experimental content, all at a price authors want or think is fair for their content. For the niche market that includes role-playing games, it allows an author that's able to write a product on their own to profit more than in the classic circuit for a lower price, all of this on the basis of a monthly payment starting from the effective release date.
And there's the time investment. As Combrexelle goes on to explain:
"For authors in general, the wait is reduced or nonexistent: there's an immediacy–a small increment of time elapses between when the book is finished and its publication."
Brian St. Claire-King: There aren't many RPG publishers big enough to hire staff writers, and those that are big enough usually have their own cadre of writers and few openings. For someone who wants to break into the industry, I think self-publishing is the best chance they have to succeed.
If we look at the most innovative and most lauded RPGs that have come out in the last few decades, they were all self-published.
A Better Bottom Line For A Better Book
James Tornade: The main advantage to self-publishing is a better bottom line for the author and their product. At last, the author is paid properly for his/her work. Whatever we lose in notoriety and visibility, we get back with direct remuneration; remuneration that isn't cut by a distributer or a boutique. If I'd gone the traditional publishing route, I never would've been able to pay rent with my games, because the market for RPGs is too small in France.
And when independent authors get creative, who wins? The reader.
Dee and Talzhemir: There's an opportunity here. Across America, we've lost a large number of brick-and-mortar stores. It's left people that much hungrier for written material. They might not be looking for 'War and Peace' but they're willing to spend the time to read RPG material, for the pay-off of using it in a game.
When considering the monetary investment that self-published authors must contend with, Cédric Chaillol, Elwin Charpentier, and Kobayashi all agreed: Lulu offers authors an opportunity to publish their work with minimum financial risk involved.
Meet RPG author Jeff Dee
Web Site | Facebook | Lulu
Jeff's first RPG play experiences were Empire of the Petal Throne and Dungeons & Dragons. He went to work for TSR, as an artist, at the age of 18. By then, he had already written and published his own RPG (Villains & Vigilantes) with Jack Herman. He enjoys the aesthetic and mathematical challenge of design.
Genre Bending in Role-Playing Games: From Cyberpunk to Stonepunk
"Cyberpunk was a reaction to the observation that, as time goes on, old science fiction books reflect the current age's probable future less and less. Considering how the future could be so different from what people a mere ten years ago had envisioned got writers to thinking about how the past also could have gone differently. So, Steampunk is about an alternative Victorian age.
In most RPGs, the technology and the society are more 'established'. The Stonepunk idea is that a GM can start their world out with technology limited to what it was according to archaeologists, but then it can then develop beyond that. Rules are given so that, with a GM's approval, the characters of the players can invent things.
There can be a tribe that lives in tight symbiosis with mammoths, like the Mahouts of India. If they can find bamboo, maybe they can invent the bamboo crossbow. In general, Cavemaster is most likely to be run as a "period piece" sort of game. But, if the GM chooses, they can let things go "off the rails", and that's Stonepunk."
A good place to start when creating an RPG is figuring out what exactly you're playing at:
Batro Games: The first thing is to determine what we're playing and who we're playing as. Then, I make a detailed outline of the book, the summary, in order to have a global vision of what I'm going to write and where I'm going to stick information.
Next, you need to determine if your potential audience is big or not. This determination will help you plan your budget for the mockup, the price for your book, and the budget for illustrations. And you'll get an idea for whether you're about to dump a bunch of energy into a project for potentially low sales and little returns. RPGs are niche, and on Lulu, only the most well-known can get over 200 sales within a few months. But, of course, there are some really low-key games that have a huge impact on the mainstream due to their ideas and innovative concepts. And, in this way, these games are recycled by others and turned into a better product.
Creativity is one thing. Marketing? That's something else…
Meet RPG author Batro Games
Facebook | Lulu
Essential Element To A Good Role-Playing Game: What Is It And How Do You Get It?
I would say it's clarity of the premise: what are we playing? What is the setting? How long are we playing this game for? What are we playing with? You have to have all the practical tools, the relevant tips for setting the scene… then, of course, you have to test it. And retest it. So much eludes us when we're writing it out, and it's absolutely necessary to see how your game works in reality with real players that you don't know. And then, obviously, there's creativity!
Batro Games: Then there's the actual writing, the rewriting after testing, all of which takes an enormous amount of time. There's the illustration step, the mockup… in general, it's a team of 3 to 4 people who work on an RPG: authors, illustrators, designers—the most talented (or lucky) wear multiple hats.
Creating a book—it's a demanding and long process. Creating an RPG, well, that's setting the bar even higher. They're super complex in reality, but it's a passion!
At the end of the day, writing is work.
"The creation process is pretty simple," Said Kobayashi, "It boils down to sit in front of a screen and write regularly."
Meet Kobayashi
Check out this selection of her titles on Lulu:
It might sound glib, but if you pick up a copy of Writer's Digest, half the advice you read points you in that direction. But before you sit down and write, you need a direction. Here's Kobayshi again:
"I have the tendency to create universes and games that I don't see in existing works (or at least, not with the same approach that I would like)."
Of course, RPGs have a more visual component to them than your average novel. Brian St. Claire-King walked us through what it means to create a setting your readers will want to explore:
Meet RPG Author Brian St. Claire-King
Facebook | Web Site | Lulu
Brian St. Claire-King is the founder, creative director, and primary author for the role-playing game company Vajra Enterprises. Brian was born in Canada, grew up in California, and currently lives near Portland, Oregon. Brian has been a gamer since he was a kid and always loved writing. He has a degree in psychology and his hobbies include photography and urban exploration. Brian's passion for urban exploration comes through in his work, as evidenced by his reflection on what makes a good setting:
"I think it's to come up with a setting, perhaps a historical one or perhaps a fictional one, that hasn't been seen before in gaming. It should be a setting that has a lot of inherent conflict, and where people from all segments of the society have a chance to change their world. Most of all, it should be a setting that you as the author would like to explore. You'd like to walk around the setting, peek into its hidden spaces, and meet the people who live there. A good setting will make you want to write the game and will make people want to read it."
Eye On The Prize: Staying True To Your Vision
Throughout the creation process, whether you're writing a memoir, a novel, or a role-playing game, you're going to receive a lot of input from your editors and, in the case of RPGs, test-players. Manuel Bedouet enlightens us on his process for staying true to his original vision for a game:
Bedouet: The game is an interactive material, and, therefore, malleable. The implication of this being that between the original idea and the final draft, there are important testing phases.
But, in the beginning, there's an idea. For example, I want to tell a story about this subject from that angle. Or maybe I want to play off of some material element. Perhaps there's an emotion I want to elicit–In fact, it might just be a cluster of ideas. And if we're lucky, if everything falls into place, then we start to see the roadmap that'll take this cluster of ideas and lead us to the final destination.
Next […] comes testing, adjusting, shaving off the extra bits, and repairing the broken ones. At this point, the most important thing is not to lose sight of your initial drive, because you're going to receive a lot of outside suggestions. Keep your roadmap in mind and strike a balance between the trio: keep what's good, toss out the bad and add what works better.
Finally, we'll address the question of layout. Here, it's important to find the best way to make your content readable and appealing to the eye.
For Talzhemir, creating an RPG means first putting yourself in the players' shoes. For her, that's the only way to get handle on the implications your rules and writing will have on the players once they're in the thick of it:
Meet RPG Author Talzhemir
Talzhemir's first play experience was running D&D in fifth grade. She ran James Bond, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, and others. "I love tabletop gaming as a way to connect with my friends, and, as a creative outlet."
The role of the Game Master in an RPG: Meanie vs. Genie
"I think 'innovation' is a touch overrated. I would try for 'engaging' first. To achieve that, you need to thoroughly understand the role of the referee. A 'Game Master' actually has two different jobs–and, as it turns out, they're diametrically opposed.
The first I call the 'Genie': they grant their player's wishes, in-game. Want to be beautiful, strong, agile, capable of magical spells, even super powered? Want to face danger, achieve wealth and success? The Genie grants these 'wishes' of their players.
The second job I call the 'Meanie'. Without challenges, without the possibility of failure, injury, etc., there would be no drama, no excitement. The Meanie gives the story meaning. In every play session, the GM balances these two roles. (The initials are G and M; it's easy to remember.)
So, I think the first step is considering what roles you and/or players want to be in, and what exciting conflicts might come out of that. Put that into words. You might get a paragraph of back cover text for your effort. If you can't make it sound exciting, if you can't sell yourself on it, reconsider that premise, try to improve it."
So, our authors have obliged us with the broad strokes account of how they do what they do. In other words, they've shown us the house and we can see the view from the front-yard. Now, what did they use to build the thing?
Our self-published authors are using everything from free programs like Libre Office and Google Docs to Adobe InDesign. It all boils down to using the right tool for the job:
Chaillol & Charpentier: Our books are laid out in InDesign. All the graphic elements are done in Photoshop and Illustrator.
Easy. Next.
Kobayashi: It varies between works, ranging from InDesign to Libreoffice.
Great. It makes sense that different projects are going require different tools, but let's see if we can't get a little more specific:
Batro Games: Adobe InDesign, Antidote, Word and GoogleDocs. I work a lot with shared tools and co-authors.
Talzhemir & Dee: Scanned artwork goes through Photoshop; things like logos come out of Illustrator. Drafts of text are made with Google Docs. The cover image was made in Paint Shop Pro, and the final product was put together in Word.
St. Claire-King: I use Adobe InDesign. There was a bit of a learning curve when I first started using it, because I'd never used a professional page layout program before. However, I stuck it out and now it does everything I want it to and I couldn't imagine using anything else. I also use Photoshop to make sure that photos and illustrations will look their best on the screen and in print.
Combrexelle: I use Word as my word processor (which perfectly manages the heading styles and keeps track of corrections), Antidote and some trusted editors for the spell-checking and phraseology, and Adobe InDesign for the layout and graphic elements as well as Photoshop for the visuals (photo editing or illustration via a tablet). Aside from images sourced from photo banks, I take all my books from A to Z.
Bedouet: When I'm drafting out the book, I work with a traditional word processor. All the written work and revision is done through this medium. This is also the moment when I organize the structure of my games, which can shift a lot after the playtests. An RPG book should, I think, have a pedagogic dimension. It's important to explain things in the proper order in order to be as clear and easy-to-read as possible.
Meet RPG Author James Tornade
A role-playing game is a book unlike any others: it's a community-based game. And for me, the essential element of a good community-based game is the rules, its "game design." They have to be clear when read, intuitive when playing, and they have to serve the described universe, highlighting the subtleties of a world with examples.
In my latest game, F.A.C.E.S, I tried to write the rules clearly, without bogging down the text with a style that would impede understanding, and I put examples for every rule. We should be able to read the function of the game without any doubts or grey areas: everything must be clear, clean and precise.
Writer of Rules: How Rules Build The World
Tornade: Once again I think in terms of game-design. A little like a mechanic: I ask myself, "For this universe, this ambiance, which set of rules will work best? Do I need simple, universally accessible rules, or richer, more complete rules designed for an audience of "gamers"? After that, I start sketching it all out in notebooks, throwing dice, calculating the probabilities… It's a labor of love, I promise you.
For example, in DEEPSYX, which is a horseback dungeon exploration game and a cross between role-playing and board gaming, I really wanted the game to be quick to understand, and something that even kids could engage with. But I also needed the rules to be fun, so that players can have a good time fighting monsters and, on occasion, find themselves pitted against unexpected outcomes. That took a few months, but I'm super happy with the result.
For RPG authors, the creation process is a collaborative effort:
Chaillol: In our case, we're a team but each project has a primary author who brings the idea forward, creates the first draft and serves as a sort of guardian for the work. We went from independent productions to projects that open up to the rest of the team: discussions, contributions, criticisms, editing, etc. Nevertheless, the project lead has the final say in order to preserve his or her original intention. It's collective, but not a true democracy.
Charpentier: The perspective of the team is invaluable as far as stress-testing our proposals and seeing what works—or not—in a natural way. We each have our specialties and a mutual confidence that allows us to give feedback to one another regarding the projects. This exchange, it seems, is an indispensable asset for motivating the team. It brings in an essential competitive element. I feel like working alone like this would be almost impossible in the long run.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Collaborators and RPGs
Bedouet: In general, I have three types of collaborators:
Testers: they're there from the beginning. They're incredibly important to the operation, the first ones to interact with the content, and the ones that will shake out the broken pieces so you can finally end with a functional game. They're also the people with the biggest influence over the game's development, because they were there from the beginning, and their suggestions can have an enormous impact even when the prototype is barely operational.
Editors: in a manner of speaking, they're also testers. But they're testing the book. They're hunting down spelling errors, troublesome syntax, and anything that just doesn't make sense. If the testers are controlling for the game's intention, the editors are controlling for the its implementation.
Illustrators: I've worked with many people. At this point, it's about finding an artistic identity and vision that matches what you, the creator of the game, already has in your head. It's also about making concessions (on both sides).
Dynamic Duo: Jeff Dee & Talzhemir
Dee and Talzhemir: Jeff is more the 'mechanics' person, and Talz is more the 'setting' person, but those two dynamically interrelate. We can work together smoothly because we respect who has the final say in a particular area.
And how did the two of them start working together?
Dee and Talzhemir: It was something of a lark. We had seen "Dinky Dungeons" and it was cute but we wanted something more actually playable. So, we created "T.W.E.R.P.S.", which was printed on two sheets of paper, and we cut and stapled and folded each copy ourselves, by hand. It wasn't the plan, but we ended up learning desktop printing in miniature form.
These books are pretty awesome in terms of the scope of their project, the many individual pieces that have to come together and the level of collaboration that is required. We wanted to know some of the nitty-gritty details as far as the actual mise en œuvre of these projects went.
Meet RPG Author Anthony "Yno" Combrexelle
Graphic designer and, in his free time, a self-published role-playing game author. He got into RPGs in middle school, after reading about them in a video game magazine. He joined a club in his town, tried out a variety of games, and started making his own.
Shaky cameras and lucky rolls: the spooky sources of inspiration behind Channel Fear
In general, any work that opens up the imagination inspires me. Books… but also films, comics, video games and even music. For Channel Fear, specifically, being the fantastical horror film fan that I am, I always wanted to come up with a game that captured the essence of works like The Blair Witch Project, REC and documentaries and shows on the supernatural. I "formulated" this idea with a group of reporters researching mysteries and tasked with bringing back images and information. It was a concept that I wanted to make as simply and comprehensibly as possible to facilitate RPG groups ability to pick it up and play.
It turns out, for most of the panel, a straight answer was hard to come by:
Bedouet: It varies.
Combrexelle: It fluctuates a lot.
Kobayashi: Depends on the project. Writing takes around 2-3 weeks but everything else (finding images or an illustrator, laying out the book) can take anywhere from a couple days to a few weeks.
A couple days to a few weeks? Seems like an incredibly fast turnaround for such a complex piece. But it just depends author to author. Batro Games gave us the estimate:
"On average, it takes a little less than a year."
And Bedouet drew attention to the fact that, oftentimes, it's not the writing, but the revision and testing that becomes a huge time-suck.
Chaillol and Charpentier gave estimates on the later end of the spectrum.
Every self-published author needs a good editor (please). But self-published role-playing game authors have to go one step further: finding test players.
Tornade: You have to test your game. And if you can find them, test your game with honest people who will tell you what works and what doesn't. That goes hand in hand with the hardest thing for an author to do: try not to get your ego tied up in your creation, and accept criticism. If you have multiple people telling you, "I don't really get this," "This doesn't make a lot of sense," or "Isn't that a bit complicated?" you're likely going to need to revisit your copy.
So, a few years go by, or maybe just a few months, but at long last you've published your RPG. Now what?
When it comes to self-marketing, there are times when nothing beats getting out there in-person and meeting your prospective audience:
Talzhemir & Dee: Our primary publicity is through conventions. Texas comes first. We show up in person from Dallas to Houston to San Antonio. We have an advantage in that Jeff is an old name from the AD&D days, so he gets to be a guest. A little publicity comes to us through social media. We benefit from positive word-of-mouth in online communities such as Facebook Groups. There's no money for advertising, though.
Meet RPG Author Manuel Bedouet
Web Site | Lulu
An RPG author with a heart for adventure. He's been inspired from animated series like Gravity Falls, and comics such as Lumber Janes.
A Different Breed of Adventure Gaming: What Sets You Apart From The Rest?
It's a difficult question. I do think that I have a few characteristics that set me apart:
Games that don't put physical violence at the center of the story, going so far as to not include it at all.
Procedural narrative approaches that allow for the simple creation of universes and original adventures.
Lots of leeway as far as creative license for gamers going through the campaign.
When it comes to selling your RPG, just having a web site won't cut it
Chaillol: Networking is vital and just having a website isn't enough. You need to search out specialized media groups online, solicit subscribers, and contact the magazines stocked in kiosques. You can also get the word out through Facebook, via group and associations, but be sure that your posts are concise and informative. You'll do more harm than good polluting pages with useless publications. I also think you ought to share, show off, release some of your work as free, downloadable content to show others what you're about.
Kobayashi: Start by participating in a role-playing community (forum, Discord, Facebook etc.) with which you're going to share something besides just promotional material. You should cultivate a potential audience before publishing your work.
St. Claire-King: I'm sure I could be doing better. I do banner ads on websites, press releases on sites such as rpg.net, get free copies of my books into the hands of online reviewers, and promote new books on the Vajra Enterprises Facebook page.
Knowing your audience is key when marketing your self-published book. This will inform not only your creation process, but where you market and how you market after publication.
St. Claire-King: From talking on social media to people who have bought my games, it seems they're mostly adult gamers, some college-aged and some older, who have played a lot of the "classic" role playing games, the same ones I grew up with, and now are looking for something new and different. For them, I make games that aren't just updated versions of those classic games, but that provide new and unique settings and experiences.
Chaillol: It all depends on the work. Kémi is a book for beginners an includes a pedagogic element. We know some players might find certain mechanics simplistic, but the sense of what you're doing is clear from the beginning. In this case, we were targeting novice players, both young and old, associations, and people looking for an introduction into role-playing games as well as Egyptophiles and non-gamers.
Meet RPG Author Elwin Charpentier
"There's definitely a question of profiling—the audience most likely to latch on to Etherne are those interested by antiquity, low-fantasy, and, I hope, those fascinated by the worlds created by the old Casus Belli: Laelith, Goferfinker, Paorn, Alarian… For a long time, they were my inspiration, and there's a little bit of those games in all the games I've worked on. My readers are, a priori, readers over forty or more, but downloads and feedback show a wider scope than that. We've noticed a surprising number of readers from Brittany, for example! Perhaps because the question surrounding the Celtic force them to cast an eye back to antiquity for answers. We count in part on easy access vis a vis free samples to facilitate the recognition of our works."
Tornade: [My target audience is] role-playing gamers. And most of the time, they're veteran players–"black belts" of Role-Playing Gaming. They're an extremely demanding and picky audience, who aren't going to do you any favors when it comes to spelling mistakes and grammar, or if there's anything incoherent about your universe, or if your rules don't hold up. But they're also an audience that makes me rise to the occasion (they inspire me to correct my errors and create add-ons to my games). And they're loyal. If they like one of your games, chances are they'll have a look at the next one you put out. In short, they're the kind of people who know what they like and I have zero desire to disappoint.
In closing, we wanted our panel to give our audience a little advice. So, we asked them:
Bedouet: Create all the games. Don't wait until they're perfect before you put them out there.
Careful though: I'm not saying to rush your work. Make quality games that are faithful to your intention and follow through with the promises you make to your readers.
But know that you're going to make mistakes. You'll regret some things about your games, sometimes right after you've published them. That's normal. That's how we learn to be better.
Chaillol: Read up on what's already out there, pay attention to the rules, especially when they're simple ones
Never forget that a game is an encounter between a character and the world, and that many mechanics and superfluous descriptions can be eliminated
Always consider whether or not a rule addresses an issue or particularity of the game's universe
Before you begin your redaction, start with an outline that should be in itself self-sufficient for playing the game.
Make it short. Because no matter what, the campaign will be a long one.
Meet RPG Author Cédric Chaillol
Where does it all begin?
Mental images, game mechanics, their challenges, the tension, the desire to emulate the feel of a book or a film that you adored, everything that sparks your imagination, the reader, the actor, the tactician in us… the beginning might be super general or abstract. What's important is that you take this impressionistic vision and convert it into some kind of structured content, where the context and the system come together in a useable fashion. It's a long and spanning process that requires a rigor in its execution extending beyond simple artistic inspiration. It's a bit of an idealistic quest.
Charpentier: Know how to take your time and look back over your work. So often we wind up rushing to the finish line when we near the end up the first draft, and that's the moment when we stop spotting the errors, the mistakes. Stop yourself. Step away, catch your breath, and let the dust settle for a bit. Then come back to your work, and try and keep up that mental space. Pick your critics wisely, but as soon as you've entrusted them with your work, know how to take their criticisms constructively and appreciate them.
It's all part of the art…
Roll for Stamina: Keep the Momentum Going!
Kobayashi: Be consistent, reach out to people likely to be interested by your ideas, and, above all, have fun!
Combrexelle: Put the pedal to the metal, always put your art before the job, and only put out your best: the kind work that will allow you to take criticism because you know you put your all into it.
More pragmatically: set goals (short term, or even a series of subobjectives) and, above all, always set deadlines to keep you honest. Doesn't matter if you miss them, as long as you keep them in mind and they motivate you to achieve your goals. It's vital to have the sense (and satisfaction) of progress on a project. Great Works always end up being more complicated than they first seem.
Batro: Be upfront about the game we're playing with your game. Read up on everything that's out there on the subject you're writing about and be prepared to do some real research. Try out a bunch of different games, with or without DMs or dice. Keep up with what other people are producing—the thing about role-playing games is there's already a million out there. If you want to stand out, you're going to have to work for it and find your original angle.
Merci and thank you to the members of our Lulu 2019 Super Panel on Independent Role-Playing Games.
Zack@Lulu
Zachary works as a Customer Support Agent for Lulu. In his free time, he loves writing for his personal blog and playing the piano.
1 thought on "Role-Playing Games: The Frontier of Independent RPGs"
Pingback: Research – Zachary D. Turner


text:
Sibinia primita är en skalbaggsart som först beskrevs av Herbst 1795.  Sibinia primita ingår i släktet Sibinia, och familjen vivlar. Arten är reproducerande i Sverige.

Bildgalleri

Källor

Externa länkar

Vivlar
primita


This week, SuperValu and Schnuck Markets announced plans for a large scale sale of retail stores; the former has agreed to sell 19 of its 36 Shop 'n Save locations to the latter. As part of the acquisition, Schnucks has agreed to allow SuperValu to serve as the primary supplier for nine of its existing stores located across northern Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
"Since announcing plans to pursue the sale of our Shop 'n Save banner earlier this Spring, the team has worked diligently and successfully to put this agreement together," said Mark Gross, SuperValu's President and CEO.
The 19 stores involved in the deal—many in the St. Louis, MO-area—will be closed in order to prepare for their Schnucks-owned debut. The sale comes on the heels of SuperValu's recent announcement—that it would be acquired by United Natural Foods (UNFI) in a deal valued at $2.9 billion.
A complete list of stores, pharmacies, and fuel centers to be sold to Schnucks under this agreement can be found here.
After this acquisition, 17 Shop 'n Save stores will remain, however, SuperValu noted that if an additional buyer or buyers cannot be found "in the near term," the stores will be closed later this year. SuperValu's St. Louis Distribution Center is also expected to close later this year, as it predominantly serves Shop 'n Save stores.
Deli Market News will keep you up to date with more as SuperValu transforms its business and integrates with UNFI.
SuperValuSchnuck MarketsUnited Natural Foods, Inc.


Cazal 2503 is a Full Rim frame for Women, which is made of Plastic.
The Cazal 2503 Eyeglasses feature the following logo: Cazal logo on temple.
Cazal 2503 Eyeglasses come with a cleaning cloth and protective carrying case.


Created to commemorate the birthplace of the United Parcel Service (UPS), Waterfall Garden Park is a private pocket park tucked away in an assuming corner of Main and Second Street. Designed by Sasaki, Dawson and DeMay—Masao Kinoshita of the Sasaki office served as the primary designer—Waterfall Garden Park may be small (it measures 60 by 80 feet), but the space imparts a strong, lasting impression.
A modern interpretation of a Japanese garden, the central feature of the park is the dramatic 22-foot high waterfall constructed of natural granite borders. Five thousand gallons of continuously filtered and recirculated water per minute cascade down the falls, a water feature channeling the precedent designs of Hideo Sasaki's Greenacre Park as well as Zion & Breen's Paley Park in New York City. The waterfall runs year-round and is a safe and quiet haven for lunch goers; since the park is privately managed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a security guard is present during the park's open hours, after which, the park is securely gated off by an iron fence.
There are two primary elevations within the park: an L-shaped upper terrace slightly raised above the surrounding street and a lower rectangular terrace directly adjacent to the central waterfall. Both terraces feature small movable chairs and tables with seasonal plants providing a soft contrast to the texture of the architectural granite, brick and steel. A stream runs the perimeter of the park, effectively surrounding visitors with the presence and sound of water.
An unexpected, but beautiful and compact garden in the historic district of Seattle, Waterfall Garden Park is the ultimate urban oasis. As many Seattle locals can attest, Pioneer Square and the surrounding area looks fairly rundown and dirty, however, step inside the garden gates and this park feels like a lush, secret garden. The roar of the waterfall drowns out urban noise, evergreen foliage obscures the streetscape, and this meticulously maintained space has a tranquil and calming effect.
I love this post the pictures are amazing I would love to view this garden! Seattle may be my next holiday destination!
A fantastic show of how wonderfully nature can be our inspiration for public places. I am sure that these parks inspire people as they set out to create there home gardens. Thank you Lucy!


text:
What Are Country ETFs?
Global Market Basics
Global Investments
International Stock
International Investing Getting Started
The easy way to invest in foreign countries
••• Getty Images/Thomas Northcut
By Justin Kuepper
Exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") have become a popular way for investors to easily build exposure to specific asset classes. With their low costs, tax efficiency, and equity-like features, investors have poured more than $1.7 trillion into over 1,500 ETFs trading in the U.S. alone. The same simplicity has also made ETFs an attractive option for international investors looking for exposure to specific countries.
In this article, we'll take a look at why so-called Country ETFs are a great option for international diversification and some important considerations for investors.
International investing was a complicated endeavor in the past, with foreign brokerage accounts and international tax law. Since the 2000s, many investors have been using either American Depository Receipts ("ADRs") or international ETFs in order to gain exposure to international markets without having to purchase any foreign securities subject to foreign regulations.
American Depository Receipts are a great way to buy stock in an individual foreign company without having to buy foreign stocks directly, but they tend to have relatively low liquidity compared to other U.S. stocks and maintaining a portfolio can be difficult and time-consuming. Investors looking for exposure to a specific country might instead want to consider so-called Country ETFs.
Country ETFs 101
Country ETFs provide exposure to a specific foreign country, such as China or Germany. By holding a basket of foreign stocks representative of that country's economy, these ETFs provide U.S. investors with an easy way to gain exposure to the country with buying foreign stocks. Country ETFs – at least for popular countries – tend to be highly liquid as well, which reduces liquidity risks for investors.
Some examples of Country ETFs include:
MSCI Canada Index Fund (EWC)
MSCI Germany Index Fund (EWG)
MSCI Malaysia Index Fund (EWM)
iShares, the largest ETF issuer in the world, has over 50 different Country ETFs providing exposure to nearly every corner of the world. In addition to iShares, there are hundreds of other ETF issuers including many that provide their own Country ETFs to investors, including Global X, Market Vectors, Barclays, SPDR, Wisdom Tree, Vanguard, and others.
Investors should carefully explore their options before investing in a specific country ETF because there may be several different options at various expense ratios or levels of liquidity. In some cases, it might make sense to invest with a less popular option that provides a better value.
Researching Country ETFs
Country ETFs provide easy exposure to specific countries around the world, but investors should carefully read the ETF's prospectus to fully understand the risks and other important considerations. Often times, these prospectuses can be found on the issuer's website or by contacting the issuer directly to receive them via e-mail or regular mail to review before buying the ETF.
The most important considerations when researching these ETFs are:
Sector Exposure – Is the ETF over-exposed to a specific industry? If so, how does that mesh with the rest of your portfolio?
Company Exposure – Is the ETF over-exposed to an individual company? If so, should you just purchase the ADR instead of the ETF?
Expense Ratio – How much does the ETF charge to manage assets? Are the fees too high to justify given the potential returns?
The answer to many of these questions depends largely on the individual investor's portfolio. For example, over-exposure to a specific industry may not be a problem if that industry is under-represented in the rest of their portfolio. Investors should carefully evaluate these criteria before buying Country ETFs in order to avoid any problems with diversification or performance.
International investing has become a lot easier with the advent of Country ETFs, which provide easy exposure to a basket of securities representative of a country's economy.
International investors should carefully consider sector exposure, company exposure, and expense ratios by examining a Country ETF's prospectus before committing any capital.
The Best Ways to Invest in Foreign Markets With ETFs and ADRs
The Best Ways to Invest in Newly Industrialized Countries
Should You Invest in Southeast Asia?
Pros and Cones of Norway's Heavily Oil and Gas Centered Economy
Learn If Investing in the Middle East Makes Sense for Your Portfolio
How to Invest in Thailand
European ETFs: The Easiest Way to Invest in Europe
Translating Investments Into Parisian Profits
Using International ETFs and Short Selling to Profit From a Decline
What is MSCI EAFE?
How to Invest in Foreign Markets with ETFs
A Guide to Investing in Taiwan
How to Safely Invest in the UK Economy, from ETFS to ADRs to the LSE
A Guide to Investing in Mexico
Do You Know All of the Major World Stock Market Indexes?
Important Considerations Investors Should Know About International IPOs


Being injured in an auto accident can be an overwhelming experience. People often suffer the impact not only physically but there are monetary and emotional consequences as well. Under the law, people have the right to recover for what is called compensable damages. It is common knowledge that insurance companies use a formula to determine the amount of compensation paid in an injury claim. The formula doesn't actually determine the exact amount of compensation someone should receive, however it is a tool that insurance adjusters use to begin the process of valuing the worth of a claim. The final determination regarding compensation is made after several other factors are considered.
Although it is fairly simple to calculate the financial damages due to a car accident in terms of money spent or lost wages, there is no precise method of determining the dollar amount of compensation for pain and suffering as well as missed experiences and lost opportunities. This is where the formula comes into play. When negotiations are initiated on a car accident claim, the insurance adjuster simply adds up the total medical expenses related to the injury. Then, in order to determine the value of compensation for pain and suffering, permanent disability, and emotional damages, the adjuster will multiply the amount of medical damages by one-and-a-half to three times for minor injuries and up to five or more times for severe injuries that are particularly debilitating or long-lasting.
The type of injury suffered.
The length of medical treatment.
The medical evidence of your injury.
The recovery period from your injuries.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident it is imperative to seek the counsel of a qualified and experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney to protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve.


text:
October 26, 2010 / 6:42 PM / 9 years ago
UPDATE 1-Canada deal for Boeing helicopters unfair-watchdog
* Sole-source C$4.9 billion deal broke government rules
* Finding has implications for C$9 billion jet purchase
* Government says its handling of the case was correct
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Canada's decision in 2006 to award a sole-source C$4.9 billion (C$4.8 billion) helicopter contract to U.S. company Boeing Co BA.L broke government procurement rules, the country's auditor-general said on Tuesday.
Auditor-General Sheila Fraser said the sole-source deal for 15 Chinook medium- to heavy-lift helicopters would only have been valid had Canada bought off-the-shelf aircraft. In fact, she said, the Defence Department had intended from the start to ask Boeing to make major modifications.
The decision to avoid a competitive tender "did not comply with the letter or intent of the applicable regulations and policies and, consequently, the contract award process was not fair, open and transparent," Fraser wrote in a report.
The formal contract with Boeing was not signed until 2009. The delays pushed back the planned delivery date of the first Chinook from 2008 to 2010 and then to 2013.
Opposition parties gearing up for an election expected next year will use the report to attack the governing Conservatives, who only have a minority of seats in the House of Commons.
Fraser's findings are particularly timely, since the government has just announced plans to award a C$9 billion sole-source tender to Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) for fourth-generation F-35 fighter jets.
"We expect to see a very rigorous justification for this choice of supplier," she told a news conference when asked about the F-35, saying her team would investigate the deal.
In an unusual move, the federal ministry in charge of contracts disagreed with the audit. Public Works and Government Services said competing firms had had enough time to make submissions once they learned of the sole-source plan.
In fact, AgustaWestland — a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA SIFI.MI — did express interest after Ottawa announced it was planning a sole-source contract. Officials ruled out the firm, using criteria which Boeing had not been asked to meet.
Officials at National Defence told government spending chiefs in 2006 that the Chinook was the only helicopter that could meet Canada's needs. This meant Public Works was entitled to award a contract without holding an open tender.
"It is evident that from the beginning, National Defence did not intend to procure an off-the-shelf Chinook but rather a modified one that included ... extended-range fuel tanks, an upgraded electrical system and aircraft survivability equipment," said Fraser's report.
The modifications increased the cost of each aircraft by 70 percent from the first quote Boeing gave Canada in 2006.
Fraser said the government should have announced in 2009 it was planning a second sole-source contract based on the final specifications and modifications worked out with Boeing.
"While this may not have affected the outcome, it would have enhanced fairness, openness and transparency," she said.
Fraser also criticized the government for how it had handled the long-running saga of finding a replacement for the aging Sea King maritime helicopter fleet.
AgustaWestland initially won a contract to replace the Sea Kings in 1993 but the then Liberal government scrapped the deal. In 2004, it awarded a C$5 billion contract for 28 choppers to Sikorsky, a unit of United Technologies (UTX.N).
Sikorsky now wants more time to deliver the first of the helicopters, in part because of major modifications requested by Canada. The first one is now not due to be delivered until June 2012, compared with the initial undertaking of late 2008.
Canada wanted so many changes it had in effect "entered into an agreement with Sikorsky to develop a new helicopter", Fraser said, criticizing Defence Department officials for underestimating the difficulties involved.
$1=$1.02 Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Peter Galloway


I have it in cycle on two of my servers, and not everyone can play it to its full.. You need to gather speed from in-air kicks and speed curving to gain the advantage in CTF.
The large wooden horns in centre can be activated (like a door) to slowly lower and disappear into floor.
There are destructable objects such as the side wall horns and the ammo/weapons tent at the very top of the map.
I will upload some more new maps soon..
I saw this map added to the cmm repository, would you like me to run it on the CMM server for a while, so people can see it?
Looks nice, only had a quick run around though.
Yes please johnny, and thanks for those links pickles.
Map is named incorrectly, pk3 is named horny_lg but bsp is horny_LG.bsp, you should fix this and re-upload.
lolol.. Hi nemnemnem, you like the name?
I am close to finishing this map.
I have also created a smaller version that is regular gravity friendly.
make a good show !
Do you guys still map for urt?? Or is it more of a social group these days?
It is a social group, but i think there is still mapping going on. I keep poking at projects myself, but it goes slow.
Your map is very particular, what gametype are you expecting on it ? Low Grav CTF, thats it ?


text:
FMQB:
Posted by fmquarterback on February 12, 2016
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Cam Newton, carolina panthers, Denver Broncos, gary kubiak, peyton manning, ron rivera, san francisco, super bowl 50, ted ginn, Von Miller. 1 Comment
Photo Credit: thecomeback.com
Super Bowl 50:
It was a sloppy game. Both teams combined for 6 total turnovers, 12 sacks, 15 Punts, 16 "three and outs," 5 FG attempts, and barely 300 yards passing combined. But that style of play was exactly what Denver wanted.
To start, the pageantry surrounding Super Bowl 50 was awesome. In fact, it was kind of the highlight of the game. Bringing back every surviving Super Bowl MVP to be recognized was an awesome idea. It gave me chills to see them listing off Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Kurt Warner, etc. I'm such a football nut that I started guessing each one (correctly) from 1980 on. I did find it amusing that Tom Brady got extravagantly booed, granted that was mostly the Denver crowd. But nonetheless that was very cool. I don't normally talk about the "extracurricular activities," but Lady Gaga shocked the world. One of the better Anthems I remember seeing, hands down. The Blue Angel flyover was also cool, they were low, close, and fast. Not like the helicopters they've been doing recently. And then, the game started.
Denver's first drive gave every Bronco fan hope. They went 64 yards in 10 plays, and surprisingly most of it was passing the ball. They ended up having to settle for a field goal, but they proved they could move the ball on Carolina, and sometimes getting those first points breaks the ice. But surprisingly this drive accounted for 1/3 of the Broncos total yards, and would be the first and last time their offense looked like a cohesive unit.
Turning Point:
After a couple punts, Carolina had the ball deep in their territory. On 1st Down, Newton hit Cotchery for about 20 yards. He bobbled the ball, rolled, and came up with it. They called it incomplete on the field, but Rivera challenged it. My personal opinion was that it was a catch. Sure he bobbled it, but the only time it hit the ground he had full control of the ball. I think the issue came up when he rolled over and the ball moved to his other hand. In my opinion, you still call it a catch, but the challenge wasn't successful, keeping Newton backed up into his own endzone. Two plays later, the Broncos got to him for the first time in the game, causing a fumble which was recovered in the endzone. Ted Ginn was wide open on the play as well at about the 50, easily could have been a TD for Carolina. Instead it was a quick 10-0 lead, the defense already showing their prowess scoring 7 points in 6 plays.
Carolina would bounce back however, having a nice 73 yard drive to start the 2nd quarter. The last play was a beautiful leaping jump by Jonathan Stewart. He got some serious air, at one point his body was horizontal and still above the helmets of Bronco defenders! After a couple more 3 and outs, Carolina punted to Norwood, who never called a fair catch but caught the ball in the middle of 4 Panther defenders. He pinballed out of it and ran 61 yards (the longest punt return in Super Bowl history) to set up an easy FG for Denver. The Broncos would take a 13-7 lead into halftime.
Speaking of halftime, we were all dreading the fact that Coldplay was picked for the entertainment, and they somehow were worse than that. Coldplay is the music your typical 40 year old hipster listens to while doing yoga. There's zero energy to it. Their lead singer was bouncing up and down even faster than the beat of their songs. I thought Beyonce was going to save the day, but she came out singing an anti-cop song. Bruno Mars was the only highlight, and he should have been the headliner for the entire thing. And then their tribute to the prior Super Bowl acts was too short but also dumb because only the home audience could see it. The NFL really fumbled what should have been an epic performance. Why not bring back 15 acts to sing 60 second versions of their songs.
Carolina's woes continued in the 2nd half. They opened with a 10 play drive but missed the FG. After giving up another 3 points to Denver, Newton threw an interception down at the 28 yard line. Ward proceeded to fumble the ball in what was the scariest play of the day, but the Broncos recovered, keeping the lead at 16-7. The rest of the 3rd and 4th quarter were pretty blah, with only 2 Field Goals until the garbage time TD. The next possessions after the pick were Punt, Punt, Fumble, Field Goal, Punt, Punt, Punt, Fumble, game sealing TD with 3:08 left in the game.
You could argue that Carolina outplayed them. They had more yards (315 to 194), 1st downs (21 to 11), and had the ball for 32:47. But the difference was defense and turnovers. Newton was sacked 6 times, twice for fumbles. Both fumbles led to both Broncos TD's of the day. Carolina was also plagued by overthrown passes and dropped passes. Newton also threw an interception, and running back Mike Tolbert fumbled twice (and lost one). The turf also seemed to plague both teams in the 1st quarter until most players changed their cleats. The entire game (if you were rooting for the Broncos), it felt like you were holding your breath, watching the clock more than the scoreboard. Just hoping the defense would hold but not believing it could. Instead it was sack after sack, turnover after turnover, and it won Denver the game. Manning managed the game, instead of willing his team to victory like he's done his entire career. He went 1-14 on 3rd down, a stat that should lose you the game 99% of the time.
Questionable Call:
In a goofy play in the 2nd quarter, Manning was sacked, but got up and underhanded the ball to the RB who let it dribble by. The refs called it an incomplete pass, but Ron Rivera decided to use his 2nd challenge of the game with 11 minutes left in the 4th quarter. All to uphold a -7 yard play. I didn't understand the challenge, it wasn't a big enough play and he was out of challenges for the remaining 41 minutes of the game.
What could have been:
I think the Panthers are lucky they didn't come into the game at 18-0. The undefeated season would have been the talk of the town, and people still talk about the Patriots loss to the Giants 9 years ago.
#1 Defenses are now 10-2 in Super Bowls since the merger. Pretty impressive, means 25% of the time a #1 Defense makes the Super Bowl
The Broncos Defense dominated Roethlisberger (16 points), Brady (18 points), and Newton (10 points). These teams were 1, 3, and 4 in scoring, yet combined for 1 pass TD. Keep in mind that in non-Manning Super Bowls, Roethlisberger and Brady have made 8 of the last 9 Super Bowls; this is who the defense locked down.
Newton had 10 overthrows, which is tied for the most in a Super Bowl
Peyton Manning is the oldest QB to start (and win) a Super Bowl
Manning entered the game tied with Brett Favre for 199 career wins. The Super Bowl broke that tie to give Manning 200
The Broncos had more turnovers than 3rd down conversions, had only 130 yards after their opening drive (which was only a FG), and only 2 drives that lasted longer than 5 plays. They won the game by 14 points…
Broncos had the fewest total yards of a winning Super Bowl team (194)
Manning's QBR was 9.9
Peyton Manning was the first QB to win a Super Bowl for 2 different teams
No NFL MVP has won the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner in 1999. This includes 2 for Tom Brady and 5 for Peyton during this timeframe.
In the 4 seasons prior to Manning, the Broncos went 28-36. With Manning they went 50-14 with 2 Super Bowl victories.
The Panthers didn't trail for the first 124 minutes of the postseason. They trailed for 56 minutes of the Super Bowl.
For a team that dominiated the run game, Cam Newton led the team in rushing with 45 yards.
"I'm gonna drink a lot of beer tonight, Von Miller's buying" Peyton Manning
Swan Song:
As a non-bronco fan, Sunday was the ideal outcome of the game. The world was how it was supposed to be, with one of the best QB's of all time going out with a win. The only disappointment, was he should have announced with the Lombardi trophy in his hand, that he was retiring. It would have made the moment all that special. Manning is the all time leader in TD's thrown, games won, yards thrown, and has been to 4 Super Bowls. Congrats Peyton, I'm glad you got one more chance to be a Champion.
Photo Credit: Fox
My prediction was Broncos 24, Panthers 20.
Manning's final pass of the game (and likely his career) was fitting. A toss into the endzone for a successful 2pt conversion
← FMQB: Super Bowl 50
FMQB: A Look Back and Prediction Analysis →
One comment on "FMQB:"
Pingback: FMQB: | tigani16


text:
Home Free Home
The hard work has its reward in "Home Free", a competition where the participants try to gain a dream house for theirselves of its hero.
The FOX channel remake the classic "Home Sweet Home"; in the Home Free contest what is said at the end is..."Home Free Home!" therefore the generous prize is its dream house. The contractor Mike Holmes and the ex-American football player, Tim Tebow, feature this competition where houses are refurbished to improve them. In Cosentino Group, we have contributed to make the participants happy by giving our materials, the Dekton and Silestone surfaces.
The programme has two seasons and, while in the first one the prize was a houses for the participants, in the second one, the house was for its personal hero. This vibrant energy show is an example that always working hard, has its reward and that, Dekton and Silestone, are perfect to build your ideal house.
Nothing is comparable with the aesthetics and technical properties of our surfaces that permit everyone to create unique spaces and design for your home.
Silestone Stories


Gormley has got together with Indian-American astrophysicist Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan from Yale University, together with the technical whizzes from the London digital art lab Acute Art. They have collaborated to produce an immersive, interactive VR experience entitled Lunatick that offers what Natarajan describes as "a collision of reality and imagination". Natarajan is a leading expert on dark matter and black holes and considers the project as a means for her to "share the magic and majesty of the universe in a more intimate experiential way".
The 12-minute feature begins, on donning the VR headset, on the white beach of a beautiful south-sea island, deserted save for a few crabs scuttling through the sand. It's the only simulated part of the experience and is based on islands such as Kiritimati and Kiribati in the Indian Ocean that are destined to become the first casualties of global warming due to rising sea levels.
Using your head to alter your direction and a button on a handset to stop or go, you can wander through the vegetation, even submerge yourself in the water, before you are thrust upwards through the earth's stratosphere and into space. From here, everything is rendered as accurately as possible using data collected by NASA. All the constellations you see are real and in the right place. You see the sun, the moon and, most poignantly the familiar Earth-rise view of our own blue planet.
Your body has become its own spaceship. Antony Gormley's sculptures have long investigated the relationship of the human body to space. His works, most famously the Angel of the North in Gateshead and Another Place on Crosby Beach, have confronted fundamental questions of where man/woman stands in relation to nature and the cosmos.
After hovering in space for a while, you land on the moon. Once again the topography has been rendered as accurately as possible. You feel the weightlessness by being able to bounce up and down in the near-zero gravity. It is by virtue of the moon's lack of atmosphere that it has been bombarded by asteroids and sculpted by cosmic forces to pockmark its surface with craters, the average diameter of which is 80kms. The highest mountain on the moon is some 2kms higher than our Mount Everest.
It's fun bounding along amid the craters, sometimes descending into them, at other times trying to navigate your way past them. You feel the sense of isolation evoked through the contrast of the barren rocks and craters and the view of a colourful Earth hovering in the distance. It's a desolate environment, yet at the same time leading to a sense of awe.
After a few minutes, you feel yourself being sucked up out of the moon's orbit and further into outer space where you pause to survey the vast panoply of shimmering galaxies and vast star clusters around you. It was the only time at which I felt a hint of vertigo. Lunatick ends in a white-out as you approach the heart of our solar system – the sun.
As a VR experience, Lunatick has none of the gimmicky 'wow' factors that I've seen in other VR works. This is partly because it's a serious subject based on real data as opposed to fantasy but also because it is limited in its resolution by the data given by the lunar orbiter when mapping the moon. The bandwith to do the project in higher definition given its scale is simply not there at the moment.
If the project is to progress, the collaborators agree that it won't be a question of trying Mars, Jupiter or Saturn next but instead using new developments in what is, after all, a still nascent technology, to improve on what they have achieved so far.
What I did get from Lunatick was a sense of perspective and a reference point for our place in the cosmos. Up there in the firmament, surrounded by stars and planets that defy the imagination in terms of their number and magnitude, I got a sense of our insignificance in the great scheme of things. Yet, within our own planet, we are highly significant by the way we have developed the means not so much to destroy the Earth but to take away its propensity to sustain life.
Antony Gormley put it well when he described the moon as "the ghost of what we could become". And, for me, Lunatick hit that message home above all else.
The images are courtesy of Acute Art.


text:
North Carolina State University. College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences -- Faculty
Filters: North Carolina State University -- HistoryNorth Carolina State University -- HistoryNorth Carolina State University -- HistoryNorth Carolina State University -- History1830-18391950-1959North Carolina State University -- HistoryNorth Carolina State University. College of Physical and Mathematical SciencesNorth Carolina State University. College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences -- Faculty
North Carolina State University, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Committees Records, 1937-2013
Size: 4.75 linear feet (6 archival boxes, 1 archival half box, 1 carton) Collection ID: UA 135.004
The records of the North Carolina State University College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Committees include correspondence, memoranda, reports, and minutes of various departmental committee meetings. Materials range in date from 1947 to 1987. The College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS) was established at North ... More
The records of the North Carolina State University College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Committees include correspondence, memoranda, reports, and minutes of various departmental committee meetings. Materials range in date from 1947 to 1987. The College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS) was established at North Carolina State University in 1960 as the School of Physical Science and Applied Mathematics. In 1977, the unit was renamed the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, becoming "College of" in 1987. In 2013 the College of Physical and Mathematical was superceded by the College of Sciences. Less