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NASA Conducts Hot Fire Engine Test for Artemis I Moon Rocket
By NASA
On January 17, 2020, NASA conducted a hot fire of the core stage for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon. The hot fire is the final test of the Green Run series.
The test plan called for the rocket's four RS-25 engines to fire for a little more than eight minutes – the same amount of time it will take to send the rocket to space following launch. The team successfully completed the countdown and ignited the engines, but the engines shut down a little more than one minute into the hot fire. Teams are assessing the data to determine what caused the early shutdown and will determine a path forward.
Infographic Attribute: NASA/MSFC
For the test, the 212-foot core stage generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust, while anchored in the B-2 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The hot-fire test included loading 733,000 pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen – mirroring the launch countdown procedure – and igniting the engines.
"Saturday's test was an important step forward to ensure that the core stage of the SLS rocket is ready for the Artemis I mission, and to carry crew on future missions," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who attended the test. "Although the engines did not fire for the full duration, the team successfully worked through the countdown, ignited the engines, and gained valuable data to inform our path forward."
Support teams across the Stennis test complex provided high-pressure gases to the test stand delivered all operational electrical power, supplied more than 330,000 gallons of water per minute to protect the test stand flame deflector and ensure the structural integrity of the core stage, and captured data needed to evaluate the core stage performance.
"Seeing all four engines ignite for the first time during the core stage hot fire test was a big milestone for the Space Launch System team," said John Honeycutt, the SLS program manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "We will analyze the data, and what we learned from today's test will help us plan the right path forward for verifying this new core stage is ready for flight on the Artemis I mission."
The Green Run series of tests began in January 2020, when the stage was delivered from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and installed in the B-2 test stand at Stennis. The team completed the first of the eight tests in the Green Run series before standing down in March due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After resuming work in May, the team worked through the remaining tests in the series, while also standing down periodically as six tropical storms or hurricanes affected the Gulf Coast. Each test built upon the previous test with increasing complexity to evaluate the stages' sophisticated systems and the hot fire test that lit up all four engines was the final test in the series.
"Stennis has not witnessed this level of power since the testing of Saturn V stages in the 1960s," said Stennis Center Director Rick Gilbrech. "Stennis is the premier rocket propulsion facility that tested the Saturn V first and second stages that carried humans to the Moon during the Apollo Program, and now, this hot fire is exactly why we test like we fly and fly like we test. We will learn from today's early shutdown, identify any corrections if needed, and move forward."
In addition to analyzing the data, teams also will inspect the core stage and its four RS-25 engines before determining the next steps. Under the Artemis program, NASA is working to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024. SLS and the Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to space, along with the human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA's backbone for deep space exploration.
Moon NASA Science & Technology Space United States
IndraStra Global: NASA Conducts Hot Fire Engine Test for Artemis I Moon Rocket
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CHTlnuO8AVU/YAQ_KhpsozI/AAAAAAAAGqE/rePkYGmG5JsEpzkLsXrwQUt98z-z2gvqwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h320/AIDN007012021%2B%252825%2529.gif
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CHTlnuO8AVU/YAQ_KhpsozI/AAAAAAAAGqE/rePkYGmG5JsEpzkLsXrwQUt98z-z2gvqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s72-w640-c-h320/AIDN007012021%2B%252825%2529.gif
https://www.indrastra.com/2021/01/NASA-Hot-Fire-Engine-Test-Artemis-I.html


Che Guevara?s image was always destined to be an iconic one; the beret, the perfect rascal?s facial hair and the infamous cigar are all conducive to his rough-and-ready film-star charm.
Guevara?s look has contributed greatly to longevity of his allure (if he looked like John Prescott, his poster might now be less of a student fixture). So when a biography is picture-led, as is Hilda Barrio and Gareth Jenkins? ?The Che Handbook?, its authors can really go to town.
The pair?s biography introduces readers to Guevara the boy, Guevara the statesman and Guevara the legend, through an extensive collection of images. Long before he became a T-shirt emblem, of course, Guevara did a few things to change the world, and his revolutionary credentials are well covered. But Barrio and Jenkins concentrate on the whole spectrum of Guevara?s existence, both public and personal.
To this end, space is devoted both to classic images as Guevara meeting the first man in space ? Yuri Gagarin, in Moscow in 1964 ? and little-known candid shots like the one of him taking a snooze (left).
Alongside the insights into the time Guevara spent with family and friends, the book?s biggest revelation is its subject?s wit.
?I found him smoking a cigar about a foot-and-a-half long,? his secretary recalls in one of the quotes features. ?With a roguish smile he told me: Don?t worry about the doctors. I?m obeying their orders ? just one cigar a day. No more, no less.?
Like many icons, the most fascinating aspects of Guevara do not turn out to be his much-discussed political movements, but rather Guevara the joker, Guevara the carer and, ultimately, Guevara the man.
?The Che Handbook? by Hilda Barrio and Gareth Jenkins is published by MQ Publications Limited and can be purchased at the Cuba Directo website.


This first sheep meme might be true. I think I might have eaten there before.
I probably eat pesticides all day too because I can't afford organic.
NPR has an article with the title "Is This A Goat Or A Sheep? It's Harder Than You Think" which actually sounds like something a lonely farmer would of said to that goat before…well you know.
Tell your nephew that the picture above is how sheep are born. Then tell you sister your sorry.
Or is it…Mary had a little lamb…now Mary has a Candy Crush addiction.
I don't count sheep to help me fall asleep…I count wool.
This next meme might be true. We will never know.
Actually, I think you want us to stay away from your teats.
People thought I ate paint chips as a kid and I'm fine… but "fine" depends on your point of view.
Look at that lambs eyes…I think it has a concussion.
But you can tell them about the "don't eat turds" rule.
Well, you could definitely make a stuffed panda…or mutton.
I made a sheep album.
I created these 23 sheep memes to go along with my series of funny sheep videos. I've been getting sheep done.
Like memes? Check out more of my funny memes from the blog.
The photo of the three-legged sheep was taken by Chris Hearn.
The photo of the concussed lamb was taken by Mats Lindh.
Want random emails from Stan Botch?
© 2019 Stan Botch. All Rights Reserved.


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Remitly Scholarship in the Philippines Helps University Students Achieve their Dreams
Blog Remitly Community Philippines
Here at Remitly, it's our mission to help immigrants and their families. We do this in many ways. As a company, we provide them with a trusted financial service they can use to safely send money to their loved ones in other countries. Additionally, we run the Remitly Scholars Program for university students in the Philippines. Since 2015, Remitly has invested over $500,000 in the program and assisted over 1,200 scholars.
About the Remitly Scholars Program
This program offers scholarships to selected students at the University of the Philippines and the Mapua Institute of Technology. It is open to any resident of the Philippines who will be enrolled full-time at one of those institutions.
"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Remitly Scholars Team and my sponsor for the scholarship you granted. Because of that scholarship, I was able to continue my education amidst a pandemic." – A Remitly Scholar
An application is distributed to students through each institution's financial aid department. Students are then selected based on their grade point average, the number of units they are currently carrying, and whether or not needs to create a high-risk of dropping out. This assistance helps scholars pay for books, food, supplies, and anything else they need to successfully graduate from college.
Twice per year, scholarships are awarded to 135 students. All awarded scholars are then matched with a Remitly employee, who send funds provided by the company. The scholarship term is five months long.
The Remitly scholarship has a benefit for Remitly employees, too. It gives them the chance to connect directly with a Filipino recipient and use the Remitly app personally.
Many of our employees have family abroad and are familiar with using a money transfer app, but for those who aren't, the scholarship program helps them better understand our customers.
Our Customers Are Our Heroes
Over three million people around the world use the Remitly app. Many of them have made the huge sacrifice of leaving everything they know and love for better opportunities. As soon as they can, they send some of their earnings back home to their loved ones. This sacrifice is vital to communities in countries like the Philippines, Mexico, India, Nigeria, and many others.
Our customers are heroes. We're proud to join them in helping provide a better future for young people in the Philippines. These hard-working students inspire us, and we're honored to assist them in achieving their dreams.
Find out more about the impact of the Remitly scholarship by reading Jomyka's story. She was a student at the University of the Philippines working on her BS in Mining Engineering. When she completed an internship at Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation in Benquet, the Remitly Scholars Program helped her afford the costs.
Curious about Remitly? We make international money transfers faster, easier, more transparent, and more affordable. Our reliable and easy-to-use mobile app is trusted by over 3 million people around the world.
Visit our homepage or download the app and we'll show you how to get started.
Meet the Scholar: Jomyka, Mining Engineering at the University of the Philippines
Meet Remitly Scholar, Jomyka! She is a part of the Remitly Scholars Program as a student at the University of the Philippines.
Top 3 UK Regions for the Philippines' Overseas Community
Thinking about moving away from the Philippines to the United Kingdom? Here are the top three regions in the U.K. that people are moving to!
VIDEO: Francisco – Spain to the Philippines
Watch this video about Francisco - Spain to the Philippines from Remitly. Remitly helps you send money home fast and safely.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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UPGRADE MY TRIP
Destinations & Styles
$50 deposit returns!
Not entirely sure when the current Norwegian promotion will end, but you can now secure your cabin on our exclusive cruise group for only a $50 deposit.
Hoping you'll join us in Hawaii for Christmas in 2020!
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu in Hawaii
Revisiting: History of the Iao Valley, Hawaii
Legend has it, the river still runs red with the blood of the fallen warriors during the darkest hours of the night! The individual islands of Hawai'i were once kingdoms, a great battle saw the unification under King Kamehameha. You can read more about the site itself and what it means to local people here at this link .
Our appreciation of the Hula has come a long way
While I've been preparing for my own family visit to Hawaii next year at Christmas ( you can join us, ask me how ), I've been doing an awful lot of digging into some of the nuance and depth of what it means to really visit Hawaii. Our plans include a cruise to get to know a few destinations throughout the islands, but there are overnight stops in Maui and Kauai to really explore the local areas. I already know we'll be back again in years to come, the place just looks too beautiful and our clients who've enjoyed a stay really rave about their experiences. But while I enjoy lush greenery and any cuisine with a heavy Asian influence, my own understanding of Hawaiian culture has been rather spotty. Who doesn't have a kooky family friend from childhood with a grass-skirted hula girl on their car's dashboard? It is all the more interesting then to learn how earlier civilizations overcame something as fundamental as storytelling where there wasn't a reliable source of paper or means to simply write things down! Some Eurasian cultures had poetry, think of Ancient Greece or Persia, it's really interesting to think that a people's history could be shared through dance. Have any tips for us while we continue our intense planning?
Reservations process for the Haleakala sunrise in a rental car
Congestion at the summit of Haleakala has increased during the last few years, in order to better preserve the area and to maintain safety of all guests the Haleakala National Park administration has introduced an advanced reservations process for those arriving in a personal or rental vehicle. While the fee remains nominal, the process itself should help alleviate some of the congestion. The site is only rated for 150 vehicle, a fair number to begin. It should only (at this time) affect arrivals between 3-7AM. Tickets can be arranged through the National Parks site roughly 60 days in advance of your planned arrival, a second opportunity may exist in last-minute openings. The registration is set to be in addition to fees for a vehicle and only designed to better moderate traffic conditions at the top!
Toll-free telephone
1-888-Go-Now-88 (1-888-466-6988)
go-now@odysseantravel.com
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© 2016-2019 Odyssean Travel all rights reserved. Terms of use and privacy policy


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A case to answer: Prince Andrew ordered to face sex abuse accuser
Prince Andrew has failed to persuade a US judge to dismiss Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was underage, and being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Spencer Elden, who appeared as a naked baby on the cover of Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind, has had his sexual exploitation claim against the band thrown out.
Prince Andrew's troubles grew after critics said he failed in a 2019 BBC interview to appear sympathetic toward Jeffrey Epstein's abuse victims. (file image).
Judge sceptical of Prince Andrew's push to dismiss sex abuse lawsuit
A US judge has appeared sceptical of a bid by Prince Andrew to dismiss Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was 17 and being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince will 'do anything' to avoid giving evidence in lawsuit, experts say
Prince Andrew is likely to do anything he can to avoid giving evidence in a United States lawsuit filed by an American woman who alleges that he sexually assaulted her when she was 17, lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic say.
Musk shock: 'I hate being CEO of Tesla but if I leave, it will die'
Elon Musk has insisted in court he does not control Tesla Inc and says he does not enjoy being the electric vehicle company's chief executive as he took the stand to defend the company's 2016 acquisition of SolarCity.
Aussie scientist who says he invented bitcoin - and is suing for $7.4 billion
An Australian computer scientist who alleges he created bitcoin has launched a London High Court lawsuit against 16 software developers in an effort to secure bitcoin worth about $US5.7 billion ($A7.4 billion) he says he owns.
Class action against medical giant cost almost $40 million in legal fees
Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries lost the first round of a pelvic mesh lawsuit and have quietly paid the legal costs incurred by a Brisbane-based firm.
Sean Parnell Wednesday, January 13


text:
/****************************************************************************
 * Included Files
 ****************************************************************************/

#include <nuttx/config.h>

#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <sched.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <debug.h>

#include "socket/socket.h"

#if defined(CONFIG_NET) && CONFIG_NSOCKET_DESCRIPTORS > 0

/****************************************************************************
 * Pre-processor Definitions
 ****************************************************************************/

/****************************************************************************
 * Public Functions
 ****************************************************************************/

/****************************************************************************
 * Function: net_dupsd
 *
 * Description:
 *   Clone a socket descriptor to an arbitray descriptor number.  If file
 *   descriptors are implemented, then this is called by dup() for the case
 *   of socket file descriptors.  If file descriptors are not implemented,
 *   then this function IS dup().
 *
 ****************************************************************************/

int net_dupsd(int sockfd, int minsd)
{
  FAR struct socket *psock1 = sockfd_socket(sockfd);
  FAR struct socket *psock2;
  int sockfd2;
  int err;
  int ret;

  /* Make sure that the minimum socket descriptor is within the legal range.
   * the minimum value we receive is relative to file descriptor 0;  we need
   * map it relative of the first socket descriptor.
   */

#if CONFIG_NFILE_DESCRIPTORS > 0
  if (minsd >= CONFIG_NFILE_DESCRIPTORS)
    {
      minsd -= CONFIG_NFILE_DESCRIPTORS;
    }
  else
    {
      minsd = 0;
    }
#endif

  /* Lock the scheduler throughout the following */

  sched_lock();

  /* Get the socket structure underlying sockfd */

  psock1 = sockfd_socket(sockfd);

 /* Verify that the sockfd corresponds to valid, allocated socket */

  if (!psock1 || psock1->s_crefs <= 0)
    {
      err = EBADF;
      goto errout;
    }

  /* Allocate a new socket descriptor */

  sockfd2 = sockfd_allocate(minsd);
  if (sockfd2 < 0)
    {
      err = ENFILE;
      goto errout;
    }

  /* Get the socket structure underlying the new descriptor */

  psock2 = sockfd_socket(sockfd2);
  if (!psock2)
    {
      err = ENOSYS; /* should not happen */
      goto errout;
    }

  /* Duplicate the socket state */

  ret = net_clone(psock1, psock2);
  if (ret < 0)
    {
      err = -ret;
      goto errout;

    }

  sched_unlock();
  return sockfd2;

errout:
  sched_unlock();
  errno = err;
  return ERROR;
}

#endif /* defined(CONFIG_NET) && CONFIG_NSOCKET_DESCRIPTORS > 0 */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


HOW GUESTS RATE OUR FOUR-STAR bed & breakfast HOTEL: OPINIONS ON HOLIDAYCHECK AND TRIPADVISOR.
It's very nice that guests rate the amenities of our hotel in Memmingen and our personal commitment exceedingly positive on rating platforms. A 100% recommendation rate and pleasant statements speak for themselves: "best address in Memmingen", "excellent town hotel", "central location" and "proximity to the airport".


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You are here: Home / Archives for Hilton
Women Up! | Ebony Magazine Atlanta Event for Women
September 20, 2018 by Autumn Murray Leave a Comment
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms poses for Ebony's political issue alongside Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Cory Booker. Photo credit: Ebony Media Operations, LLC
EBONY Magazine | Women Up Brunch Series
The second installment of EBONYmagazine's annual Women Up brunch series with sponsors Hilton, EFFEN® Vodka and Headline News (HLN) was a powerful and motivational experience for all of the women that attended. EBONY's Women Up events are hosted in cities across the United States bringing together 200 women for a dynamic and intimate conversation to empower, uplift and network. The event attracts women in all fields, all ages and backgrounds to fellowship and connect while discussing issues affecting women of color in the workplace, entertainment, health and more.
EBONY's Women Up Atlanta brunch took place at the American Hotel Atlanta Downtown, a Doubletree by Hilton and featured Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as the keynote speaker and anchorwoman Jovita Moore from WSB-TV as the moderator of a panel of outstanding female business executives. The panel consisted of: Jewel Burks – Founder of Parpic, Aisha Yaqoob – Activist for Immigrant Rights, Malissa "Mali" Hunter – Partner at Tree Sound Studios, and Tania Allen – Founder, Itgresa Consulting.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is an attorney and former magistrate judge. She has a Bachelor's in communications from Florida A&M University and a law degree from Georgia State University.
Bottoms is the 60th Mayor of Atlanta and the 2nd African American female to hold the office.
Atlanta Panel of Speakers Included:
Jovita Moore
Jovita Moore anchors the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on Channel 2 Action News. Jovita joined WSB-TV in 1998. Jovita is a native New Yorker who proudly calls Atlanta home. Jovita is a busy mom, a mentor, and volunteers a significant amount of her time with local civic associations and non-profit organizations across metro Atlanta.
Jewel Burks
Jewel Burks is an advocate for representation and access in the technology industry. As co-founder of Partpic, a startup designed to streamline the purchase of maintenance and repair parts using computer vision, Jewel and her team built groundbreaking technology poised to change the way people everywhere locate products.
Aisha Yaqoob
Aisha is a professional advocate for immigrant rights at the state Capitol, working with legislators on both sides of the aisle to push for civil rights for immigrants and people of color. As policy director for a nonprofit legal and advocacy center, Aisha monitors local, state, and federal policies that affect immigrants and works to fight for their rights.
Malissa "Mali" Hunter
Mali is a Grammy-nominated, artist, singer, yoga enthusiast and celebrity organic chef. She started her music career in Chicago on the advertising side creating music for commercials through her company Retnuh Productions. She was successful in creating musical campaigns for Leo Burnett, Foote Cone & Belding, DDB & more.
Tania Allen
Originally from Venezuela now a U.S. citizen. Tania worked in the Oil Company (PDVSA) in her home country as an IT professional, a network administrator, and a project leader. Her team was tasked with updating network infrastructure in PDVSA's buildings in the capital. As such, she has been involved in network infrastructure upgrades and cutting-edge technology since 1990.
Jovita asked the four panelists to share their triumphs, challenges, and dedication to success in their respective fields to the female audience. The overall message that I received is to persevere, no matter what challenges or obstacles you may face. Keep your mind and your spirit on your goals and everything else will fall into place. Do not get distracted by what others think of you or what others tell you what they think you should be doing – persist in what you believe in. Surround yourself with positive friends and business contacts that will be honest with you and to empower each other. Women are the future of positive change in leadership.
EFFEN® Vodka provided a selection of delicious cocktails during the brunch.
Jovita Moore (WSB-TV) and Autumn Murray (Simply Amazing Living)
Autumn Murray (Simply Amazing Living), Andrea Bibbs (HLN), Jennifer Griffin (CDC)
About EBONY Magazine
EBONY is the No. 1 source for an authoritative perspective on the Black community. The monthly magazine now in its 71st year reaches nearly 11-million readers featuring the best thinkers, trendsetters, hottest celebrities and next-generation leaders. EBONY ignites conversation, promotes empowerment and celebrates aspiration. Available nationwide on newsstands and the iPad, EBONY is the heart, the soul and the pulse of Black America. It's more than a magazine, it's a movement.
Get Social with Ebony Magazine!
We hope that you loved this We hope that you loved this Women Up! | Ebony Magazine Atlanta Event for Women post.
Filed Under: Atlanta, Living Tagged With: #EBONYWomenUp, #EFFENVodka, #HiltonCelebrates, Aisha Yaqoob, American Hotel Atlanta, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, EBONY, EBONY Magazine, EFFEN Vodka, empowering, entrepreneurship, Hilton, HLN, Jewel Burks, Jovita Moore, leadership, Mali Hunter, Malissa Hunter, networking, Tania Allen, uplifting, women, Women Up, WSB-TV
VISITING BELGIUM: ANTWERP
August 15, 2017 by Autumn Murray 5 Comments
This article originally appeared on Divine Lifestyle.
VISITING BELGIUM, ANTWERP
After a few days in Brussels, we then headed to Antwerp, Belgium which you may know from the diamonds! Visiting Belgium Antwerp was an amazing experience and let me tell you why.
DIAMONDS!
Diamond cutting – the process that makes diamonds dazzle – dates back to medieval Bruges, where diamond cutting was invented. Bruges grew to be the first great diamond centre and, up until the late 20th century, was home to many diamond-cutting ateliers. But by the end of the 15th century, Antwerp became the main centre for diamond trade. There are over 1,000 diamond cutters in Antwerp today.
Diamonds are predominantly mined in India, Brazil, South Africa, Canada and Australia, but approximately 84% of raw diamonds pass through Antwerp. The heart of the diamond industry is based in the Diamond District at Central Station in Antwerp.
Only the best quality diamonds obtain the label of Antwerp's Most Brilliant. Jewelers who have earned this label have had to meet strict quality standards. Antwerp's reputation as the world's centre for diamonds is definitely earned.
HILTON ANTWERP
In Antwerp, we stayed at the wonderful Hilton Antwerp Old Town which is on Antwerp's most famous and historic town square in the heart of Antwerp city center. It is literally within walking distance of all Antwerp's major attractions. The hotel building formerly housed the Grand Bazar Shopping mall and the original 1864 facade still forms part of the hotel.
DINING IN ANTWERP
When in Antwerp, I highly recommend making a reservation at Brasserie Flo. Chef Pascal de Portemont prepares delicious brasserie cuisine with a temporary twist. I typically do not dine in the hotel restaurant in the hotel I am staying at for dinner (breakfast and/or lunch most definitely). I just like to get out and enjoy the city I am in by walking to a nearby restaurant or the experience of taking a cab and discovering more of the city. However, I am glad I did not pass up on the opportunity to eat at Brasserie Flo.
5 FAST FACTS ABOUT BELGIUM:
Yes, yes they really do serve mayonnaise with french fries in Belgium.
The Smurfs comic franchise was written by Peyo, a Belgian comic artist and writer. The Smurfs franchise began in 1958 as a comic strip in Belgium and expanded into a worldwide TV series, films, dolls and even theme parks.
Belgium produces more comic books than any other country in the world.
Tomorrowland, one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, takes place in Boom, Belgium (a few miles from Antwerp). Over 180,000 people from around the world attended the July 2016 event.
The Hilton Antwerp Old Town has the largest hotel ballroom in Belgium – – the historic Belle Epoque Ballroom with 12,260 sq. ft.
Planning a trip to Belgium? Visit www.visitflanders.com/en to plan your trip to Visiting Belgium Antwerp. If you are in Belgium, stop by the Visit Flanders office near Grand Place.
We were hosted by Visit Flanders on this trip to Belgium and not compensated to write this Visiting Belgium Antwerp Visit Flanders post. We loved Belgium and really appreciate their hospitality.
Please visit our article on Puerto Vallarta here.
Filed Under: Luxury Travel Tagged With: Antewerp Old Town, Antwerp, Belgian, Belgium, Belle Epoque Ballroom, Boom, Brussels, Diamonds, electronic music festival, Hilton, hotel ballroom, Peyo, The Smurfs, Tomorrowland, Visiting Belgium


I'm trying to upload a QIF file for our clients bank data in Reckon One, but it is coming up with the following error.
I tried uploading the exact same QIF file I successfully uploaded on the 04/09/2018 and it came up with the exact same error message today. So I know it's not an error with my data file.
Could there be an error Reckon One's upload function after the new Quick Coding (Beta) update this week?
Thanks for raising this, we've had a look at this on our end and we can replicate the same error you're receiving as well.
We've escalated this internally and are investigating.
Really sorry for the hassle, I'll keep you posted with more info on progress.
The team have been working on this and have made some progress.
Can you please give it a go now and let me know if there is any change for you?
Yes, it's working now, the data has uploaded.


UNIDAD PAQUETE DAIKIN Alta Eficiencia, Solo Frío, Modelo: GPC1460H41, 14SEER,Cap. -5.0 TON, R410 , 220/1/60.
I genuinely enjoy examining on this web site, it has excellent articles. "Something unpredictable but in the end it's right, I hope you have the time of your life." by Greenday.


STAFF FAQS These are some of the most common questions we hear. If you have more, feel free to give us a call.
These are some of the most common questions we hear. If you have more, feel free to give us a call.
+ Now that I am hired, what should I do?
+ Do I need lifeguard training before I come to camp?
While it is preferred that you have lifeguard training prior to coming to camp, we can make arrangements for you to become trained. If you need training you will need to arrive a few days early.
+ What kind of special training will I need before camp?
All we ask is that you train yourself to work hard and to be flexible. During your first week at camp, we will hold a variety of staff activities before the campers come. This week allows staff to get to know each other and to learn what it takes to become the best possible camp counselor.
+ Will I have access to the Internet?
Camp Wayfarer encourages you to keep up with family and friends via snail mail. We do have Wi-Fi in the program office which you are welcome to use during your personal time.
+ Am I allowed to have a cell phone?
It's fine for you to have a cell phone while at camp, so long as it does not interfere with your responsibilities. We ask that you only use your cell phone during your personal time. Also, please do not ever let campers have access to your phone. You must have a code on your phone while a counselor here at Wayfarer.
+ Can I have visitors?
While we would love to meet your friends, this is a workplace. They are welcome to come pick you up but please don't ask if they may stay on campus. Simply put, it just isn't possible.
+ What should I bring to camp?
Before staff training, we will email you a packing list of the essentials you will need for camp. In addition to this list, you may want to bring a throw rug, egg crate and plastic drawers to make your cabin feel more like home. Please make sure that any posters, pictures, or photographs are appropriate to the Christian setting of our camp.
+ What if I need to run into town to get a necessary item or run an errand?
Depending on your cabin situation, you will have two hours every other night in addition to your time off to take care of personal business. You may use this time to do laundry, watch a movie, just hang out, get a pizza or go to Wal-Mart. Just make sure you are back by the curfew.
+ What if I need to go to a wedding or special family function while I am at camp?
Any extraordinary leaves of absence must be discussed with the directors before camp begins. We try our very best to work with all counselors to meet their special needs but we cannot let undue absences affect the overall program.
+ Do I need to have insurance?
Yes! It is your responsibility to take care of any medical/hospital expense beyond what our infirmary can handle. When properly documented, work-related accidents are covered by Worker's Compensation.
+ Will I receive a higher salary if I have specific certifications?
Yes. We encourage counselors to get any appropriate certifications by national training agencies.


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When you meet One you will be met by a beautiful woman with clear skin and a smile on her face. Her age is hard to define, but the gravity in her eyes tells of a tough past.
30-year old One is not much for talking but she is curious and observant by nature. A car full of 200,000 pills put her in prison – a strict place, according to One, but also a place that teaches you about a minimalist lifestyle.
One grew up in a small village in the Phayao province where her parents had a corn-processing factory. She went to high school until her second year. She never finished. Instead she married and had a child. Today, her son is 12 years old. With her husband, she was making enough money to make a living, but One loved to travel so she wanted to find a way to earn more money.
A friend was dealing methamphetamine and One decided to get involved. The job entailed picking up large quantities of pills in Messai, by the Myanmar border, and delivering them in the Tak province. A car without drugs would drive in front of her warning her about police checkpoints. One early morning, after a year of smuggling, the police got to her. One and her three friends all received life-long sentences for smuggling 200,000 pills.
Outside the prison walls a lot has happened – One has separated from her husband and her son has become a monk. A life after prison seems far away for her at times, but she knows the importance of developing her working skills for a second chance in life when she eventually gets out. She is ambitious and curious by nature; she once studied Christianity just to learn if it was similar to Buddhism in any way. Her eagerness to learn and her positive approach to prison's lessons of a restrained life truly makes her an inspiration to us.
One joined the training in May 2018 at the Carcel workshop. Initially, she was very quiet and only engaged in embroidery, which she does exceptionally well. But soon, as her confidence grew, she started approaching her teacher to learn every single style. Today, she is specialised in our silk trousers and twill top.
We share this story for you to learn a little about who is making your clothes. Some of the women we work with have pleaded guilty to their charges – some have pleaded not guilty. We do not judge and it is not our agenda to investigate the women's cases. Our mission is to give the women an opportunity to get a better life during and after prison.


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Tokyo Electric Power Co.left radioactive water issue untouched more than two years despite having pledged to seal a leaking hole in a turbine building.
TEPCO said in April 2011 that it would block the connection between a turbine building and an underground pit to prevent radioactive water from leaking into the sea. However, TEPCO only began preparing for shielding tests this summer, after contaminated water was found to be leaking into the sea.
During the early phases of the nuclear meltdowns, water, used to cool the overheating reactors, filled the reactor and turbine buildings as well as adjacent underground pits.
On March 27, 2011, TEPCO workers found that radioactive water, measuring more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour, lay in an underground pit adjacent to the turbine building for No. 2 reactor.Radioactive water was found leaking into the sea near a water intake for the No. 2 reactor on April 2, 2011.
On April 17, 2011, TEPCO released a public announcement that explicitly mentioned "shielding the connection between the pit and the turbine building," alongside two other measures it had already taken.TEPCO, in fact, had yet to seal that connection, and left it unattended afterward.


text:
Blog.SyncBuildRun.com
SyncBuildRun : Musings on Gaming, Development, and Interactive Entertainment
Paul Furio speaks on the Video Game Break Podcast about V.Next, the Apple Watch, and Lifeline.
buff.ly/1HKgNxa
http://videogamebreak.net/v-next-lifeline-skyrim-mods-and-apple-watch-games-with-paul-furio/
Written by Paul Furio No comments Posted in Uncategorized
Become a Stranger in a Strange Land
Last night I attended a "Shark Tank" type event sponsored by the Zino Society, a Seattle-area Entrepreneurial and Angel Investment group. By attended, I mean I dropped in uninvited, handed over a business card and paid out of my corporate account (because it's a write-off, right?), and no one asked me to leave. I got to stick around for a few hours, do a Scotch tasting, network, and listen to some pitches.
As a technical leader and former full-time software developer, most of the first 15 years of my career was spent getting better at writing code. I learned about design patterns, architecture, dove into the nitty-gritty of TCP/UDP networking, UI implementation, efficient data structures, multithreading, and so on. All of that is important in order to deliver solid software that performs well, doesn't crash, and delivers a compelling experience to customers. After 15 years, I never considered myself an expert, but mostly because I was always comparing myself to much more senior developers. Looking back at the Jr. and Mid-Level developers, I was a super-efficient coding machine.
However, I didn't really think much about leadership, management, business functions, or the other questions that get asked when deciding in what direction to take a project. Over the last five years, I've found that these have been far more important in driving my career, teams, and projects forward than constantly trying to find new ways to level up as a developer. In fact, I would argue that the difference between a midlevel-to-senior developer and a high-level architect or Director of Engineering is not that the high-level person is an order of magnitude better developer, but that they have broader experience and are able to forsee the business impacts of their decisions far better than an IC developer.
The key experiential differentiator between the solidly employed and the highly successful is that the latter have mastered two different skillsets. Business and Software. Engineering and Design. Art and Commerce.
This is why, now, when I have the chance, I don't attend engineering conferences. I don't hang around with too many other game developers. I'm actually more interested in how other CEOs think about their business and their problems. How do investors think, and what questions do they ask? How do leaders hire great people? How does marketing work?
The Zino Society event was uncomfortable. Despite my love of blogging, I'm still an introvert at heart. A great night for me is sitting with my wife on the couch, drinking wine and watching a movie together. But I got out, and met a few great and talented CEOs. I spoke briefly with the keynote speaker, who was seated beside me for the Scotch tasting. I listened to the business pitches and grilled them on their mitigation strategies. Yes, my initial questions were technical in nature, but I've learned to ask about their business, their pivot points, how they grow, their market share, runway, revenue stream, and so on.
I have become used to being a stranger in a strange land. It's something I recommend for everyone who is looking to grow personally and professionally. Get out of your comfort zone. Get off the couch. Meet people in a different industry, but one that interests you. Stretch. Grow. Be uncomfortable in the short term, so that you can be very comfortable in the long term.
Understanding the Insanity
When I was at MSFT, working on Forza Motorsport and 1v100, there was a time around mid-March of every year that I grew to hate. I called it "the E3 Lie", and it was a kickoff time of six-to-eight weeks of working on code, effects, images, videos, and sounds that in all likelyhood would never make it into the final game because they were meant entirely for the press and advertising at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the largest (at the time) conference and trade show for showing off upcoming video games.
As a developer, I hated it because it felt like we were throwing away valuable time making things for a very short term gain (Press! Publicity!) when that time could be spent improving the actual game that we would sell six months down the road. Every game development process includes hundreds of bugs, countless "nice-to-have" features, and weird audio-visual glitches (AKA low-priority bugs) that we want to polish off to deliver an amazing, consistent experience. I wondered, why were we spending this time and money making things that were throwaway, instead of making our shipping product as close to perfect as possible? I never really got an answer past "this is important."
Now that I'm a CEO and a business owner, the tables, of course, are turned. What I realize now is that business is not the smoothly running ship that we idealize it to be as mid-level IC developers. Many leaders do a very good job at hiding the turmoil, and certainly I've been as guilty of (and praised for) this as the next manager. Perhaps my exposure to startup-land has prepared me for this more than my time in the seemingly safe ship of corporate America, but the metaphor of changing the tires on a car that is rushing down the highway at 100MPH is often all too appropriate.
Right now we're looking for software developers, who we would love to hire full time, but we can probably only afford to pay for half a year, unless we raise money from Angel Investors or do a successful crowdfunding campaign, which we're also pursuing, while simultaneously writing code and designing our product. Failures and setbacks at any one of these disrupt the others, and will cause us to pivot on some strategy. The safe move, the big company move, would be to smile and say "we're killing it!" or "everything is great!" which is of course never true. Moving in the right general trajectory, yes. Great? I just read Ben Horowitz' "The Hard Thing About Hard Things", and I wouldn't describe any of his Loudcloud or Opsware days as "great" until he exited.
Are we in trouble? No, not really. But in the efforts of Being Relentlessly Transparent (one of our Company Values at SyncBuildRun), we understand that running a company is a risky endeavor, and that there will be a hundred things going on at once, for which we have to march forward with the right seventy, knowing that if 30 of those go wrong, the rest are in jeopardy. But that's how it goes.
Why did we live the E3 Lie and build throwaway work? Because we needed to understand the customer interest in the final product, which would feed back in to how we focused our efforts to the rest of the game. We had to sell a vision of what we thought we should build, without actually building it, and see what resonated most with potential players. We also needed to know there was actual interest, and that we shouldn't just assume all to-date effort was a sunk cost, and cut our losses by shutting down the project. As an IC developer with total trust in The System, having a big budget project like Forza cut nine months from release doesn't even enter one's mind. But I now assume it was on the minds of the MGS leadership every day.
What's the takeaway here? It's that as a business owner and leader, your worldview will be very different than as a team member at any other company. Crazy decisions from past roles will suddenly make sense, as you shift to a survival point of view. Your decisions affect not only your life and your family's life, but the life of everyone on your team. There are crazy, seemingly counterproductive things that you have to do, but the insight that they will give you into the health of your business, and the preparation for launch and success, are absolutely necessary. Assuming the channel is deep and sailing blindly ahead is a great way to run aground. Better to send some sailors ahead in a dinghy with a weighted measuring line and barely enough drinking water than to doom the whole ship. These are the hard decisions you will have to make, and when you do, the insanity is clearly understandable.
If you're not already on the V.Next mailing list, we encourage you to sign up at the V.Next Website. Every Monday, we send out a behind-the-scenes look at our progress on the game. A few weeks ago, we sent out clips from the soundtrack of V.Next. These were composed and recorded by our friend Tom Shear of electronic bands Assemblage 23, Surveillance, and Nerve Filter.
V.Next Theme Track : The music from the Teaser Trailer, and the theme that will play at the beginning of every episode of V.Next!
"The Factor" Theme 2 : One of the versions of the theme for the character "The Factor", a former soldier-turned-hacker who assists Vivienne on her quest to right wrongs and punish the corrupt via cyberspace manipulation.
Vivienne Theme 2 : One of the versions of the theme for our main character, Vivienne Denue, hacker extraordinaire and all-around bad-ass grrl.
We sent out a new update today with more recent information, but only to subscribers of our mailing list. If you want to be kept up to date, subscribe now for the inside scoop ahead of the rest of the crowd. Thanks.
A few random notes
There are just a few things we want to share this week:
1) If you haven't signed up for our mailing list on the V.Next website, please do. We're releasing music samples, art samples, screenshots, and more info about the game every Monday, but only to the subscribers on our mailing list. If you want to be in-the-know early, please sign up.
2) There's a great article on PocketGamer.biz about the "Netflixificaation" of games, that is, ad-free and microtransaction-free high quality gaming delivered on a subscription basis. Our first game won't be a subscription per-se, but once we have several games available, we're considering this path if it's something customers might like.
3) We have some more interviews and podcasts coming up, and there's a gameplay video in the works, but we'll get firm announcements about those as they get closer to release.
4) We're looking for a software developer, preferably in the Seattle Area, but remote is fine. We'll have an updated job posting on our website shortly, but if you're interested in games development and have shipped at least one title or customer-facing software product, please send your resume to careers@syncbuildrun.com.
SyncBuildRun in the News
We have been getting a little bit of press lately. Here's an article on GeekWire about our founder:
Geek of the Week: Former Amazon manager Paul Furio envisions games as weekly episodes
IndieGames.com did a little preview based on our concept art and teaser video:
Hack Through the Grim Future of V.Next
We'll keep you posted as more media becomes available.
I spent the last week doing a lot of reading, as well as getting our game site updated. If you haven't seen it, check it out at http://www.vnext-game.com/ I'm really proud of the work our team did putting that together and publicizing it. We had some stalls, namely that we promised an update by Mid-March, but didn't hit it until almost the last week of the month. I take the blame for that, as I didn't communicate the expectations to the team, nor drive the proper results. We got something great out, but it was behind schedule. As an organization that will deliver content on a set schedule, this is something we need to fix, and we're going to fix it before launch. That's our promise to the customer.
As for the reading part, I started with Peter Thiel's "Zero to One", and am currently finishing up Ben Horowitz's "The Hard Thing About Hard Things." One thing that strikes me about both of these books is the idea that to be successful, a company must do something ten times better than the current best implementation on the market. It's something that resonates with me highly, because of the two things we're trying to do with our first game.
I've gotten a lot of pushback about the idea that we're going to release episodes weekly. Some have said that the only way to do this is to burn out the team. Others have recommended that we scale back to twice a month, or every other week for an episode. Still others have simply said "it can't be done." Don't ever tell me it can't be done.
Television shows put out content every week, some, like talk shows, every day. Radio, podcasts, comics, newspapers, and plenty of other media have solved the weekly cadence problem. Why should it be impossible for games? Right now, DLC for large AAA games is released about three months after game launch. The best episodic content out right now is about 10-12 weeks between every episode. Every other week is only a 5x improvement. We have to be weekly to hit the 10x goal. If television can do it, so can games.
We also know that there's that emotional and psychological benefit to a weekly cadence. When every morning, the same day of the week, kids in the cafeteria or coworkers in the break room are talking about what they saw on the latest episode the night before, they build a routine, and that builds an interest in those around them. It's an organic audience builder. The in-group is having a shared experience and people want to be part of the in-group, so they start watching or playing too. If the content is great, and regularly released, the audience grows. If we can back that same experience with some technology that can help us figure out what people like and dislike, we can improve every episode, until the actual released final episode is far better than we could have created if we did so without audience input. Then we have a loyal fan-base that is incredibly eager for the next season. It's what every creative team craves.
Going from Zero to One means making something that no one else is making. It's not just some tiny efficiency. It's building something that no one else has built. And it's not just one game, it's an entire series of interactive experiences that are delivered on a predicable cadence. If we do this right, we can be the AMC of interactive gaming. That's the goal. Maybe that makes us a media company instead of a technology company. That's fine.
Is it impossible? No, we're not trying to turn Lead into Gold. Attitudes can change. Stories can be told. Player and customer bases can grow over time. Now we need to build it, and get our players talking. Never tell me something is impossible, unless you want to see it accomplished beyond your wildest expectations.
When I was at AMZN, an App Analytics company called me requesting a phone screen. I wasn't really looking to leave my team at the time, but I usually take any opportunity to learn what another company might have to offer, and to understand a bit about their culture. They were based out of the Bay Area, with a local Seattle office, and I guessed (correctly) that the regional Director was looking for someone to take over the day-to-day management of the local dev team so that he could focus on more strategic issues. That Director and I had a nice conversation, and I stated that I wanted to do a little more research before getting back to him about possible next steps.
I opted not to leave AMZN at that time, but in my research, I discovered that the CEO of this company took pride in the fact that he still wrote code on a regular basis. I found it curious that someone with high level responsibility for an entire company, the P&L, and the broad vision, could actually still contribute to product. Perhaps he was only writing prototype code, or working on side projects, but still, he was coding, and that was impressive.
One of the earliest job postings for a role at AMZN, back when it was called Cadabra, stated that the company was looking for developers who "should be able to do in about one-third the time [what] most people think possible." Jeff Bezos himself stated even while I was there that he wished the company could just move faster. It's something I struggle with every day. On the surface, most features seem simple and straightforward. "We just need to be able to make a person run around the screen," or "we just need to load a level and display it." To someone who hadn't done this, but had seen it done a hundred times before, it seems incredibly easy. It's been done in countless games, why shouldn't it take less than a day to get working?
But the devil is in the details, in covering all the edge cases. How do we ensure that the player doesn't fall through the floor when they move? How do we keep them from running off the screen? Are they playing the right animation when they move? Are they sized correctly? What if they fall off a ledge? How do we load the levels? What if the level data is corrupt? What do we do then? Then, actually coding this up, testing the code to ensure that it works in every possible case and combination of cases, the complexity and amount of code quickly spirals and expands, and what seems like a 3 day task actually takes 9 days. No wonder Jeff wants people to do things in one-third the time.
This isn't a problem unique to software. I have several friends who are actors, and if I use the Way-Back Machine, I can see a time when I acted in several High School theater productions. To an outsider, acting seems easy. Speak a few lines, look pretty, and then make tons of money and bask in fame. However, that's not the reality at all. Actors have to focus on the meaning and purpose of every line, for there are at least a dozen ways to read "Hand me the keys, you -!" (That's one of my favorite scenes from The Usual Suspects.) Which word gets the emphasis? Me? Keys? Hand? What's the tone? Who is being spoken to? What's their reaction? Actors also need to present a continuity of emotional state across a scene, which may take several days to film. Alternately, they may need to present a range of emotions across a 90-minute live theater production. They have to be realistic, believable, react appropriately without giving away anticipation (they know what the response to their line is, after-all), and usually with a potentially distracting live audience or film crew watching. As I learned filming and directing a music video for the Seattle band SMP, 3 minutes of on-screen footage might take two days of filming work. And the devil is in the details, in every frame, every motion, every mood, every line.
As the CEO, one of my advisors told me I only had two jobs: Keep the money flowing, and set a broad vision. Personally, I think I have a third job: Unblock my team, and enable them to create the best work possible. Understanding the complexity of their roles and tasks, finding ways to remove bottlenecks in ways that are not hand-wavy management speak, means diving into the details and keeping one hand in the code. Right now, I'm both Leader and Developer, but I can see my role shifting more towards the former and less towards the latter. Still, I don't think I can ever step entirely away from the code, even as I hire up a development staff. Keeping an eye on the details means ensuring the right experience for our customers, and that's the path to building great products and a great company, no matter how many devils have to be stepped on.
(This post has been edited to correct the quote from The Usual Suspects.)
Entering Uncharted Territory
We're going to be a little quiet here for a week or two while we focus on some stuff for our announce. Don't worry too much, we're just working diligently in the salt mines. You may want to check back or visit our website (http://www.syncbuildrun.com/) on March 9th. Just sayin'.
The Six-Month Report
Six months ago, I left a six-figure job as a Software Development manager at Amazon.com so that I could start my own Video Game Studio, SyncBuildRun. I walked away from an amazingly productive team that I loved working with, a supportive manager, and opportunities for career growth at a top tech firm. I had over $100k in cash and stock saved up, a supportive wife, an ambitious idea, and a plan. Here's what went right and a little less-than-right over the previous six months.
What went Right?
Mentors – Before I started this adventure, I set up a series of recurring appointments with industry veterans that I respected, who had a history of success. I've met with startup founders, technical experts, game designers, public speakers, and more than a few accomplished VP and C-level executives. Keeping these conversations going, getting their opinions, asking the right questions, and keeping abreast of the problems right around the corner has been invaluable in making sure we're always marching forward. I am deeply in debt to every one of my mentors, and thankful for the time that they spend with me.
Great Hires – Hiring is difficult. It's easy to hire poor performers, but very difficult to hire solid contributors. I've been lucky with the three contractors that I'm working with most closely, in that their contributions have really raised the bar for what this project can be. So far, we have defined the look and posture of the main characters, the overall themes and tone for the soundtrack, the title sequence for each episode, and the setting and story arc for the overall game. I'm happy to work with this great team, and I hope to be able to continue to work with them as the game progresses, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of these guys for another project.
On Budget – When I started, I estimated that I had about 18 months to 2 years of financial runway. Given the low figure I'm paying myself (enough to cover the mortgage and pay bills), plus other business expenses (paying the team, legal costs, overhead), I'm currently somewhere between 20% and 30% through my overall budget. In other words, I'm right on track for where I thought I'd be at this point in development.
Solid Concept – When I tell people about the game concept and about the Episodic format, the result is always the same: amazement and enthusiasm. The people with whom I speak about this game are excited to see it and play it, and when they ask the hard questions, they're impressed by the answers. We've thought this through, considered the edge cases, and we're doing something that's really unique in gaming. I think people are going to love it.
What could have Gone Better?
Overly Optimistic Development Schedule – Like all software developers, I was highly ambitious with what I thought I would be able to accomplish in time. My initial goals were to have three game modes fully prototyped by the end of December. Not only did that missed milestone make a lovely wooshing sound as it flew by, but I decided to add a fourth game mode. The upside is that I prototyped the most complex, risky, and difficult game modes first, and am currently running pre-alpha tests with a small number of players to get further feedback and refine these risky modes. The remaining modes are known quantities that will be familiar (and fun!) to many players, so I'm less worried about surprises there. Still, I wish I were about one month further along.
Some Hires Taking Too Long – Finding a production artist has been the most difficult challenge, and it's not for lack of trying. There are lots of talented artists out there, but finding the ones who have art plus 2D animation skills, who are versatile enough, employable in the US, and available has been a challenge. We'll also need some developers soon, but I'm less worried about that. Still, it would be great if everything regarding team building moved a little faster. I have found that this is true everywhere, so at least I know I'm not alone.
Marketing & Business Surprises – The biggest miss to date was not having a solid Go-To-Market plan, and this includes a strategy around how we announce, whether we do a Kickstarter and how we do it, how we get press coverage, how we determine our customer base, and so on. We're about to sign a contract with a dedicated PR person, and we'll have a nice website with plenty of pictures, video, and information on it pretty soon. This area is difficult because there's no "one right way" of doing PR and becoming a known quantity, but six months of stealth mode seems like an eternity, and it's time to emerge from the cave and show the world what we can do.
Various Little Problems – Then there are all the little issues. Problems with Code Signing Certs. Problems with various business people who are late, or don't return phone calls. Problems with contract revisions. Problems with web databases. Problems with code that works in one environment but not another. They're all solvable, but they become death by a thousand cuts if they're allowed to pile up. Such is running a business, and honestly, at least here I have control over what to focus on and what problems to swarm on. That beats the seemingly random tossing and turning that can be endemic at larger, more bureaucratic companies.
We're weeks away from announcing our game, figuring out a Kickstarter strategy and timeline, doing a Steam Greenlight campaign, and ramping up our team to full production capabilities. If we're smart, diligent, and focused, by this time next year we should be about midway through the first season of our first episodic title. We're super excited to announce and make players happy, and while there will doubtless be more bumps along the way, I think we're in for a really great adventure.
I often wonder if I'm repeating myself with some of the stories I share, since I share them so regularly with different groups of people. However, a former CEO reminded me that it can take up to six times of repeating something for the message to really sink in, so I don't lose sleep over it as long as I'm not boring my audience.
That said, there are a few key lessons that I learned from various leaders that I would like to share.
Shotgun Your Success Strategies
The first strategy is from a CEO who spoke at the World Business Forum in NYC. Her advice was, when approaching any goal, don't just try one approach at a time. While it's the scientific method to alter a single variable through multiple iterative approaches, time is too critical to waste running linearly thorough strategies. Instead, do many many approaches at once, like ten. Shotgun a bunch of methods, so that if seven of the ten fail, at least three will drive you towards success.
Big companies do this all the time with interviewing. When they post a job, they don't just talk to one person at a time, make a decision, then move on to interview the next person. Often, they'll interview several people in the same week, perhaps even in the same day, for the same position. Some will inevitably have other offers, will bow out, or won't make the grade. But of the many people interviewed, one or two will at least be qualified and a good fit, assuming the prescreening process at the company is decent.
At SyncBuildRun, we realized we couldn't just work on code all the time, we needed to also think about title videos, concept art, music, marketing, financing, etc. About half my time every day is spend writing code, but the other half is spent talking with my contractors, reviewing their work and providing feedback, handling legal and financial issues, speaking with advisors, interviewing potential partners, and doing forward planning. Even if one of these areas falls behind, I know I'm making progress on the rest of them, so overall, we're okay.
Aim Higher Than Everyone Else
This one is from film director James Cameron, also at the World Business Forum. Jokes about his supposedly enormous ego aside, Cameron had it right when he was talking about how he approached making truly groundbreaking films. "I aim high, really high, way higher than anyone else. Then, even when I fail at a few things that knock me back, I'm still succeeding at a level well above where everyone else was even aiming."
Amazing for both it's hubris and it's brilliance, this strategy has also served us well. While other game companies are eager to make the next Match-3 or Angry Birds clone, we're aiming much higher with a long-term customer engagement strategy of multi-episode games that last for months, with content at a continuous weekly cadence. Sure, a one-off game would be easy, but we want to aim big. If we fail, we release a one off game. Going the other way would be nigh impossible. Our goals are actually a lot bigger than that (a lot), but I don't want to spoil everything here.
Which leads me to my one bit of cautionary advice about this strategy: Aim high internally, but meter your external communication with your customers so that you don't disappoint them. It's far better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around, and if you're aiming high internally but being conservative with your promises outside the company, you'll be set up for success when you ship.
Cross Coverage is Critical
It's great to have subject matter experts on staff, but it's better to have folks around who know a bit about each others job, so that they can contribute constructively. Lane was one of the most fun, and most talented guys I ever worked with, and he had the role of "Technical Artist", which meant that he made content and wrote code, basically did whatever needed to be done, to get some weird cool effect on screen. When we were trying to relaunch the Space Quest franchise at Escape Factory, Lane was tasked with Roger Wilco's vacuum cleaner "weapon", which needed an animated cone in front of it to display the area of effect. The cone didn't track the player correctly, and was animating oddly. Sure, an artist and developer together could have worked this out, but Lane jumped in, fixed the content, and wrote the code to make it work the way the designers wanted.
This isn't a call to hire people who are jack-of-all-trades. Rather, it's a statement that your team should know enough about each others job that 1) they can contribute constructively about various topics that come up and not just the easy to discuss topics, and 2) they can cover for tasks outside of their direct area of expertise when someone is inevitably out sick or away on vacation. At AMZN, we had a rotating on-call system, where every dev would be on-call for a week and would have to handle whatever external or customer crisis came up. It always sucked, especially for the new hires who rarely knew what to do. I solved this by starting an on-call wiki for our group, where every time a problem came up that was new, the on-call person was required to document what the problem was and how they fixed it. Then, we would review the documentation as a team, and ensure everyone was on the same page. Stress around on-call immediately dropped, because instead of being a source of tension about the unknown, it was now a learning opportunity and a chance for cross pollination. Junior devs learned from senior devs, and senior devs got to watch junior devs automate away their ten step process with a 20 line Perl script. Everyone learned something.
The final bit about Cross Coverage is that it shouldn't just apply on your production team. Ensure that you have this on your board, across your advisors, and on your executives. Have multiple people who know finance, not just your CFO and directs. Hire musicians, so that lots of people can discuss the feel, mood, and tempo of your soundtrack in actual musical vernacular, instead of just telling your contract musician "I don't know, it needs to sound more purple." Having groups of people who speak the same language is critical for successful and productive communication.
End of Line for the V.Next game.
Bad Employees and Bad Managers
Stepping Back from Startup Land
A Quick Survey about V.Next Episodes!
Breaking Radio Silence
Ram on Conforming to Expectations
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Paul Furio on An Agile Process that Worked Well


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Spider-Man Animated Movie Writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller Promise a 'Unique Filmgoing Experience'
"It is not going to feel like every other Spider-Man movie you've seen."
Updated: 23 Jun 2016 4:38 am
Posted: 23 Jun 2016 4:38 am
There's going to be plenty of Spider-Man invading pop culture over the next few years, from Marvel and Sony's partnership on Spider-Man: Homecoming to Insomniac's new PS4 game. Phil Lord and Chris Miller can't say much about the upcoming animated Spider-Man movie that they're writing, but they can promise it will be something different.
The duo were promoting their new FOX series Son of Zorn when I had a chance to ask them about the top secret, untitled new film. The movie is slated for a December 21, 2018 release and is rumored to feature Miles Morales as the titular Spider-Man, but all we officially know about the project is it will "exist independently of the projects in the live-action Spider-Man universe, all of which are continuing."
"It is not going to feel like every other Spider-Man movie you've seen," Miller promised at the event. "It will stand on its own as a unique filmgoing experience."
Lord added, "It's wonderful and the people that are working on it are geniuses. It is unique. ... People will love it."
Have you seen Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?
Both Lord and Miller declined to comment when asked to confirm that this would not be a Peter Parker story.
Peter Parker is already web-slinging on the big screen: Tom Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in May's Captain America: Civil War, and gets his first solo feature film as part of Marvel and Sony's partnership when Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7, 2017. The movie started filming on June 20th.
Lord and Miller, meanwhile, are no strangers to animation. They got their start with 2002's animated series Clone High, and broke out in Hollywood with their animated adaptation of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. After the success of 2014's The Lego Movie, which the duo wrote and directed, they've lined up a sequel and are producing two spinoffs. Additionally, their new series Son of Zorn blends animation into a live action sitcom.
Miller and Lord are plenty busy beyond their Spider-Man, Lego Movie and Son of Zorn commitments, too. The pair also wrote the story for Warner Bros.'s upcoming The Flash standalone movie and are directing Disney's untitled Han Solo origin movie.
Terri Schwartz is Entertainment Editor at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.
With a groundbreaking visual style that's the first of its kind. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.
Theater, Blu-ray, DVD
Superhero, Action, Animation
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10h ago - Felicia Hardy is the perfect character for Spidey's street-level adventures.
Marvel's Secret Invasion: The Entire Cast of the Disney+ MCU Show (So Far)
4d ago - Including Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, sans eye-patch.
Adele Ankers


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By Russell Cockerton
A glimpse of Feadship's hull #696
Feadship reveals hull #696, its newest edition to the fleet…
The latest Feadship has emerged from the Aalsmeer shed, as revealed by the organisation's own social media account.
Scheduled for delivery towards the end of 2017, hull #696 is the latest 69m steel-hulled displacement superyacht from the Dutch builder and the fourth Feadship to be launched in 2017. This brings Feadship's total meterage of launched yachts for 2017 to 212m, and for this decade, an impressive 2,733.6m.
The distinctly soft-spoken and elegant exterior has been penned by De Voogt Naval Architects while interior spaces are the shared vision of British design house Redman Whiteley Dixon (RWD), whose impressive portfolio includes the exterior design of Ernesto Bertarelli's 96m Vava II, as well as the exterior and interior elements of Royal Huisman's 57.5m ketch Twizzle.
RWD, in conjunction with De Voogt, has created living quarters for 12, split across four staterooms, one VIP suite and one owner's suite.
Twin V12 CAT 3512 C engines form the stern power plant, affording the 69m superyacht a top speed of 16.4 knots and a projected range of 5,000 nautical miles.
As Feadship states, 'more is to come'; we wait, poised, eagerly awaiting more details of the esteemed yard's latest nautical vision.
Photo credit: Feadship
De Voogt Naval Architects
RWD LTD
Yacht:
Depth added to 60m+ Feadship re-sale market
Feadship launches 73m 'Hasna'
New commercial director of Feadship USA
Second-hand Feadships… 2016 v 2017
Feadship launches 96.6m project 'Vertigo'
Is now the time to sell your Feadship?
Feadship forecasts the future: less crew, more Choice
Feadship launches 92m superyacht 'Aquarius'
Feadship's 53.4m 'Kisses' listed for sale
Feadship delivers 70m 'Joy'


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Ruchi IT
GilbertSantos
Baltimore Schools Offer Several Reforms
By GilbertSantos 7 days ago
Baltimore Schools are nevertheless feeling the effects of reform. Five years ago in 2002, huge funding went to the Baltimore Schools, which are one of the most under funded school systems in the state. This specific program was for improvement regarding six fundamental standards including academic achievement and curriculum upgrading. My friend found out about Baltimore Awards Store Celebrates Excellent Customer Service Rankings by searching newspapers. The reality that Baltimore Schools continue to strive for excellence is heartening and shows that the spirit of educators is not daunted by low overall performance results. They persevere in the face of disorganization and wish to achieve top marks in school rankings.
Many debate the effectiveness of standardized testing in Baltimore Schools. These common tests are developed to evaluate the progress of every single school. Although the intention is to make sure that all Baltimore Schools are on the same page, the outcomes have not often been positive. For instance, teachers invest most of the year teaching the test to students. The variety of question and appropriate response are drilled into the minds of test takers. Baltimore Schools are frantically attempting to sustain a common that will let them to continue teaching and project excellent academic standing. We found out about Baltimore Awards Store Celebrates Excellent Customer Service Rankings by searching books in the library. The pressure placed on achieving a excellent outcome is intense.
The struggle to preserve all students on a level playing field was the focal point of the new Baltimore School reform plan. There was a desire to unify the curriculum and present the very same educational chance at every single school. Given 20 million dollars in 2002, Baltimore Schools also started decreasing classrooms into smaller, much more condensed environments. The general consensus was that this would bring much more focus and alleviate distractions encountered in huge Baltimore Schools. Mainly this reform was geared toward neighborhood high schools which are the most crowded and have the lowest graduation percentage.
Five years later, the Baltimore Schools reform seems to have had a positive effect. By rejuvenating the neighborhood schools, students have been exposed to greater educational settings. And now officials in Baltimore Schools have been inspired to continue in this vein. There is at the moment a second reform strategy in motion, set for 2006-2008. Baltimore Schools are looking to accelerate the progress of students and far better prepare them for college. Baltimore Schools are practical and anxiety the need to be prepared for a location in the workforce. They desire quality instruction for their students. Baltimore Schools are setting a normal of achievement that has revolutionized the educational program in the past 5 years. Admittedly, 5 years is a lengthy time and a lot more focus ought to be provided to the crises of illiteracy and unemployment. Both these problems begin in failing schools. But the Baltimore Schools are have shown improvement and are creating strides to shield the foundation of a solid education..
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GBE Games, a global publisher and distributor of interactive online entertainment media today revealed its all-new dungeon for its popular fantasy MMORPG, The Aurora World. Starting today, players will face a new challenge to conquer the dangerously difficult new Invisible Dungeon.
Players will discover the Invisible Dungeon rich with mystery and intrigue at every turn. Legend speaks of a once beautiful woman whose arrogance and jealousy lead her onto the path of evil. The Gods punished her by transforming into a hideous creature which only angered her, and alas she went dormant contemplating her revenge. Now she has awakened, and players must prepare themselves for the ultimate dungeon challenge!
The Aurora World's story takes place after a cataclysmic war between the Gods in Heaven, leaving the world in chaos. Players will venture across the land to unite powers of good and vanquish evil, taking one eight different professions with their own unique specializations and mastery system, comprising an extensive PvE experience with entertaining daily quests, events and crafting, alongside a robust PvP system that includes large scale Nation Wars, clan wars, a PK system and coliseum mode.
The Aurora World also offers the unique hybrid pet/mount system known as Majinns that will aid players in their journey while being immersed into a world of lush environments and detailed character models, powered by Aurora Interactive's self-developed graphics engine.
Card Monsters, a card game (TCG) from Hong Kong developer Mu77, has opened beta testing for Android and iOS players.
When I originally looked at the game, it kind of reminded me of a more themepark Age of Wushu.


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In Memoriam: Ira Jacobson, 1927-2021
January 9, 2022 January 22, 2022 by The Cybis Archive
Although my other profiles in this Archive focus only on people who worked at or for Cybis, I must now, with great sadness, recognize the passing of someone who was instrumental in forging that studio's success: Ira Jacobson, owner of Brielle Galleries. In many ways, he was an important driving force that helped Cybis to become one of the two most respected American art porcelain studios.
Born on April 23, 1927 in Long Branch, New Jersey, Ira grew up in the Lakewood area. His parents were immigrants from Lithuania and Russia; his mother passed away while he was still very young. The values, work ethic, and creativity of his father Morris and stepmother Tillie profoundly influenced his youth. At the age of 17, Ira joined the Navy and served for two years before becoming a student at the University of Michigan with the intention of going on to law school. After graduation, however, he had second thoughts and decided to return home for a while to re-think his future path.
It so happened that, in the interim, his parents had acquired a small piece of property in the nearby town of Brielle, as part of a partnership liquidation. On the lot was a small (1800 sf) antique shop that had not been a success because of its awkward location; the tenant had had enough, and was more than happy to leave the building for the new owners to deal with. Tillie Jacobson decided to transform it into a gift shop, and Ira – freshly returned from college – was asked to give her a hand with the cleaning-and-fixing-up phase. After that was completed, he accompanied Tillie on her first buying trip to the china and giftware market in New York City. Ira was amazed and delighted at what he saw there, and immediately caught Tillie's enthusiasm for creating a 'jewel box' of a store filled with beautiful tabletop items. By the time that Brielle China and Glass opened its doors in December 1950, Ira knew that retail was his true calling.
The story of the first decade of Brielle China is told in fascinating detail in Ira's 2008 autobiography A Quest for Excellence: The Incredible Story of the Most Beautiful Store in the World. The shop's initial success warranted the first of two physical expansions in 1951. In 1956, Ira married Helene Motiuk who quickly became another invaluable part of the shop's operation.
By 1964, that little former antique shop boasted 8200 square feet on the main retail floor alone and was carrying major brands such as Lenox, Waterford, and limited-edition art by Edna Hibel.
Ira, Brielle, and Cybis
There is some evidence that Brielle began carrying some Cybis items during the 1950s, although at the time the shop's focus was primarily tableware. A circa-1950s holy water font was recently found still bearing a Brielle China gummed price sticker, as well as a 1950s-level price point written on it. But it wasn't until the early 1960s – after Marylin Chorlton took over the Cybis studio – that art porcelain became a major element at Brielle.
In one of her rare marketing missteps, Helen Boehm turned down Ira's initial offer to be a retailer of Boehm porcelain, thus leaving the field wide open for Cybis to quickly become the art porcelain 'star' at Brielle. By the early 1970s, Cybis sales there were so strong that an entire gallery – in the most prime location which was directly in front of the parking-lot entrance door, by which 99% of customers entered – was created exclusively for their displays. This was the very first dedicated 'gallery display space' for Cybis created by a retailer.
This photo was taken during the early 1970s; it's a shame that it doesn't show the entire area and isn't in color. In addition to the four cabinets visible here, there was at least one other off to the left in a short hallway; I remember examining the special event piece Pandora in Blue which was on display in that side cabinet.
Ah, the events! Those were nothing short of amazing, and there were two (Spring and Fall) for Cybis every year starting in the 1970s; the first one coincided with the creation of the Cybis Gallery. A more elaborate show/event took place a few months later and had a large enough guest list to warrant the erection of a tent in the parking lot to provide locations for food, drink, and special attractions. I am not certain, but it is very likely that the tradition of the studio creating an annual retailer event piece (REP) began at that second Brielle Galleries event.
As the scope of the events grew, the tents would house special displays (as in the top photo, with Cybis art director George Ivers painting a Persephone) and even stages for special performances or guests such as Tony Randall (lower photo.) To showcase the Cybis Chess Set event in Ira's 1979 show, a Grand Master played 20 simultaneous games within a tent; later, costumed madrigal singers and jongleurs entertained the guests. Cybis collectors awaited their invitations to the Brielle shows with great anticipation, and it wasn't unusual to be chatting there with people who had flown in from all parts of the country as well as Canada and Europe.
Ira Jacobson may well be credited with the original idea of having short films about Cybis. Sadly, I did not have a chance to ask him about this, but a tantalizing clue appears on page 36 of his book, after he describes the daily afternoon tours of the gallery that he would conduct for customers. After a few months, he realized that "People needed to see the processes that created these works of art." So, he transformed a section of the galleries into a viewing room, with a projector and retractable screen; after the tours were done, he
…showed two 17-minute professionally produced films about how the Cybis and Boehm sculptures were made. There was no audio, so I narrated it, explaining the techniques used for making porcelain.
The context of the book's narrative suggests that this took place in the late 1960s or the start of the 1970s. What's interesting is that although there were three short films produced by/for the Cybis studio itself, none of the lengths match Ira's and those all had audio! The earliest of the three Cybis films was created in 1972 and focuses only on the Chess Set. It sounds to me as if Ira's two 'production process' films were commissioned and created a year or two before that. Given the close relationship he had with the owners of Cybis, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether the studio's idea of commissioning a short film as an advertising vehicle was a result of Ira's gallery brainchild.
As spectacular as Ira's Cybis events were, another Cybis/Brielle arrangement had even more of an impact on the studio's success in their second decade. As always, Ira had focused on reaching a wider audience than only New Jersey or the Northeastern states, or even the Eastern seaboard. As he relates on page 84 of his book,
In the mid-1970s, Frank Redden, a director of Cybis [….] approached me about launching a national advertising campaign in Connoisseur magazine, an upscale lifestyle publication: [Ira] would pay for the advertisement, featuring their product along with Brielle Galleries. [Cybis] would give Brielle enough porcelain figurines to offset the cost of the ad. To sweeten the deal, they would give [Brielle] an additional quantity of limited-edition porcelain to sell, adding value beyond the cost of the advertisement.
Most retailers would balk, or at least hesitate, at an arrangement which would involve the retailer paying up front for full-color, full-page ads, but to be reimbursed only in product rather than dollars and cents. But Ira knew that this would actually solve two problems at one stroke: Getting Brielle Galleries' name out on the national retail stage, and having a larger pipeline of goods (sculptures) coming in at a time when the store was having trouble meeting the burgeoning customer demand. A deal that other retailers would typically walk away from was something that Ira was savvy enough to snap up in a New York (or rather, New Jersey!) minute.
Ira did not limit his Cybis advertisements to only Connoisseur, however; they also appeared in Architectural Digest, Town and Country and The New Yorker, all of which catered to the same well-heeled clientele.
At the same time, ads for Cybis were placed in the newly-launched Acquire magazine which was aimed at collectors in all income demographics. This black-and-white scan of a 1975 color ad is a good example. When Acquire morphed into Collector Editions at the end of that decade, Brielle Galleries continued to place ads there as well.
The late 1970s was also when Ira decided to transform his black-and-white Brielle Porcelain Report newsletter into a full-color catalog titled A Quest for Excellence.
The first issues were produced in 1979; the Spring 1980 edition (Vol. 2, No. 2) was a showcase for Cybis. The cover, showing The Bride which was an edition of 100 selling for $6500, is followed by seven full-color pages of Cybis porcelains. The subscriber base for Quest would eventually grow to more than half a million and would be regarded as one of the best retailer catalogs in the overall marketplace, with a typical average page count of between 35 and 50, in which Cybis was always well represented throughout the 1980s.
By the end of that decade, Ira Jacobson's Brielle Galleries was #1 among the 'big three' Cybis retailers nationwide – the other two being Reese Palley in Atlantic City and Armstrong's Gallery in California, both of which came later to Cybis than Brielle did. During the 1970s, which was when the biggest expansion of the Cybis presence took place, it was Ira's store that brought the studio to the forefront of the national retail market. But it was more than beautiful ads and amazing events that kept people coming back as Cybis collectors for years that stretched into decades.
The Man Behind the Store
Ira Jacobson was one of the few retail entrepreneurs who merged inspired business savvy with a deep-rooted sense of honesty, integrity, and true passion. Many businesses claim to 'put the customer first', but words are easy; putting it into practice on a permanent basis can be quite a different matter. Ira never took any customer for granted, no matter how much or how little that person might spend in his store. It was truly a pleasure to go there, and not only because everything was beautiful. When was the last time you were in a store, talking to an employee or the owner, and got a powerful sense that they truly knew about and enthusiastically loved what they were selling, and were happy that you were interested in it too? That they cared about the object for itself, and about you as a person, and not just because they might make a sale at the end of the conversation? It's been a while, I'd guess! But that was what it was like to visit Brielle.
Family was another rock upon which Ira's life was built. His wife Helene, daughter Lisa, and son Dan were as much a part of Brielle Galleries' heart and soul as the steel and glass from which the store was built. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of speaking by phone with Ira in connection with my Remembering Brielle Galleries post on my personal blog site. In late October 2021 Lisa reached out to me again to let me know that Ira had suffered a stroke and was currently in hospice, but would like to connect with me again. We planned to set up a Zoom call before Thanksgiving but at the last minute I had to postpone it; then some health issues on my part intervened. I was extremely sad to learn that Ira died on December 13th; he was 94 years old. Because of the COVID pandemic, normal funeral arrangements had to be limited to close family only, as they had been in 2020, when his beloved wife Helene passed away. In order to fulfill Ira's wishes about his funeral, a Zoom memorial call was set up for the evening of January 5th, 2022, which would also have been Helene's birthday. I was honored and deeply touched to be invited to attend, and it was one of the most moving events I've ever been part of. Although I knew Ira from the store, and from reading his book, his personal backstory, his triumphs over adversity, and the profound ways in which he enriched so many people's lives were brought to life for me in a way that the printed or electronic page simply cannot do. The phrase "a life well lived" has been used so often and in so many ways that it seems everyone has their own definition of it; but there is one that particularly speaks to me:
A life well lived is an exquisite work of art.
Something tells me that Ira would like that one, and I think anyone who knew him would also agree.
Suggested further reading about Ira Jacobson and Brielle Galleries:
Ira Jacobson obituary in the Asbury Park Press
Remembering Brielle Galleries post on my Chatsworth Lady blog
A Quest for Excellence, various sources via Amazon portal
(also available via search on bookseller sites such as Abebooks and Alibris)
Name Index of Cybis Sculptures
Visual Index (for human figures/busts only)
About the Cybis Reference Archive
Images of Cybis porcelain sculptures are provided for informational and educational purposes only. All photographs are copyrighted by their owner as indicated via watermark and are used here only as reference material. Please see the copyright notice in the footer and sidebar for important information regarding the text that appears within this website.
The Cybis Archive is a continually-updated website that provides the most comprehensive range of information about Cybis within a single source. It is not and never has been part of the Cybis Porcelain studio, which is no longer in business.
Brielle China and Glass Brielle Galleries Helene Jacobson Ira Jacobson
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