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Daily Archives: August 3, 2017
Ascension Athletics for Aug. 3, 2017 – The Advocate
Posted: August 3, 2017 at 10:30 am
Football is back
Man, its hot probably way too hot to even think about football. But like it or not, the time is now. I remember those hot August days in shorts and helmets, hitting the practice field back at East Ascension in my sophomore year.
Well, thats what its going to be like for the young men who hit the practice field for the Ascension Christian Lions starting Aug. 2. Its two times a day as they get in physical shape and prepare to build stamina for those Friday nights that will be here before you know it.
The football program is still considered pretty young as the fledgling team took to the field back in 2009 and struggled just like any beginning team might be expected. The fact is, Ascension Christian is still a small private school and that limits the pool of prospective players to choose from.
Until a few years ago, most players had to play on both sides of the ball, which demands much more physical stamina. That took its toll on the Lions team but not their determination to be a competitive football team in time. In their first four years of existence, the gritty Lions had four 0-fers under their belts and an 0-26 record.
In 2013, took the reins as head coach for the Ascension Christian Lions with one goal in mind.
I wanted our kids to be able to play football in high school. We hadnt won a game in four years and we were struggling with numbers as a small school. Basically, we were just trying to keep the program alive, Puryear said.
Well, in his first year the team struggled to what most would consider a dismal year with a 2-7 record.
I feel like we developed more with each game and established that we could play football. We were in a tough district. So we accomplished a couple of things. We put the program in the right direction and we won or first game in team history, Puryear said.
In 2014, the team went 3-7 with one more win that the previous year. In 2015, the Lions surprised everybody and even themselves with a 6-4 season record. That set pretty high expectations, especially from the fans, to do even better the next season, but could they produce?
For the 2016 season, Puryear and his Lions were looking for a team motto that would define the path forward for this program that would stick.
I picked up a book by Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelley that talked a lot about culture of a program that stuck with me. So our motto became Culture Beats Scheme, the coach said. Because of our low numbers, some of these kids are playing football for the first time, our lack of size and speed; we took on the culture of strong work ethics. We really had to learn to do the little things well.
That strong work ethic paid off in spades as the Lions went 8-2 on the season on the arm and running ability of senior quarterback Peyton Ballinger.
The guy threw for over 2,700 yards and our receivers, especially Ian Carter, caught the ball extremely well, Puryear said. The number of breakout players we had exceeded my expectations. Most of our senior class had been with me since the start of my career as freshmen. It all came together for a memorable season.
The very thing that created the opportunity for the successful season will be the big thing Ascension Christian will have to overcome in the 2017 season.
Were going to have to replace about 4,000 yards of offense this year. Losing Peyton Ballinger and Ian Carter, who led the state in receiving, along with our running backs leaves a big hole. The backbone of our defense is gone as well. Nick Schexnayder on the defensive line and Dylan Capiel in our linebacking corps gave opposing offenses fits, Puryear said.
Because the team has developed the work ethic of the culture beats scheme attitude, Puryear is confident that the Lions will be very competitive in 2017.
We have two quarterbacks working for the offense. One is Zack Diez and the other is Erik Varnado. Zack has played quarterback before in his seventh through ninth grade and Erik is just a good athlete who helped our team last year as a ninth-grader, he said.
Diez is a freshman, and Varnado is a sophomore. Their abilities are somewhat unknown.
Tyler Cambre is a junior who will play both ways as a slot receiver on offense and strong safety on defense. Another sophomore who will help at the running back position is Byron Hansley. Two bright spots on the defense helping the Lions defense at the linebacking position will be seniors Landon Ortego and Brennan Tramonte. One tough break for the Lions will be the loss of 6-foot-2-inch, 318-pound Eric Sims at the right offensive tackle. Sims tore up his knee playing soccer and will be out for his senior year.
The Ascension Christian Lions will have a tough time exceeding their 8-2 record from last year but the program has developed into something that will last for a long time. Good luck, Lions!
The summer heat has kicked in on all burners. So has the fishing in our great state known as the Sportsmans Paradise. Its a title that has been earned over the years as one would be hard pressed to find a better place to fish in terms of numbers and opportunities.
The Atchafalaya Basin is on the fall, which means the Spillway is getting red hot, as well as the Lake Verret area. Early morning is always good for some top-water action in terms of poppers and hollow body frogs. As the day goes on, the action usually picks up fishing plastic baits. June bug has been the choice of color.
Bayou Black and the marsh has been on the map as the best place for the last month but things have slowed down a little as the water has fallen. Its still very good with top water baits early but the action heats up on the points as the day goes on.
A big-time congrats goes out to two of Gonzales own professional anglers as Greg Hackney finished in ninth place way up north on Lake Champlain at a recent tournament. The Hack Attack steadily improved his weight each of the three days as he brought limits of 17 pounds, 18 pounds, 11 ounces and 19 pounds, 3 ounces to the scales for a total of 54 pounds, 14 ounces and earned a check for $12,000.
Gerald Spohrer stayed really consistent with his weights of 17 pounds, 13 ounces, 17 pounds, 2 ounces and 16 pounds, 4 ounces for a finishing weight of 51 pounds, 3 ounces and a 28th place finish. His earnings for the trek up north were $10,000.
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The Musk/Zuckerberg Dustup Represents a Growing Schism in AI – Motherboard
Posted: at 10:30 am
Frank White is the author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution. He is working on a book about artificial intelligence.
Recently, two tech heavyweights stepped into the social media ring and threw a couple of haymakers at one another. The topic: artificial intelligence (AI) and whether it is a boon to humanity or an existential threat.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has been warning of the dangers posed by AI for some time and called for its regulation at a conference of state governors in July. In the past, he has likened AI to "summoning the demon," and he founded an organization called OpenAI to mitigate the risks posed by artificial intelligence.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took a moment while sitting in his backyard and roasting some meat to broadcast a Facebook Live message expressing his support for artificial intelligence, suggesting that those urging caution were "irresponsible."
Musk then tweeted that Zuckerberg's understanding of AI was "limited."
The Musk/Zuckerberg tiff points to something far more important than a disagreement between two young billionaires. There are two distinct perspectives on AI emerging, represented by Musk and Zuckerberg, but the discussion is by no means limited to them.
This debate has been brewing under the surface for some time, but has not received the attention it deserves. AI is making rapid strides and its advent raises a number of significant public policy questions, such as whether developments in this field should be evaluated in regard to their impact on society, and perhaps regulated. It will doubtless have a tremendous impact on the workplace, for example. Let's examine the underlying issues and how we might address them.
Perhaps the easiest way to sort out this debate is to consider, broadly, the positive and negative scenarios for AI in terms of its impact on humankind.
The AI pessimists and optimists seem locked into their worldviews, with little overlap between their projected futures
The negative scenario, which has been personified by Musk, goes something like this: What we have today is specialized AI, which can accomplish specific tasks as well as, if not better than, humans. This is not a matter of concern in and of itself. However, some believe it will likely lead to artificial general intelligence (AGI) that is not only equal to human intelligence but also able to master any discipline, from picking stocks to diagnosing diseases. This is uncharted territory, but the concern is that AGI will almost inevitably lead to Superintelligence, a system that will outperform humans in every domain and perhaps even have its own goals, over which we will have no control.
At that point, known as the Singularity, we will no longer be the most intelligent species on the planet and no longer masters of our own fate.
In the scariest visions of the post-Singularity future, the hypothesized Superintelligence may decide that humans are a threat and wipe us out. More hopeful, but still disturbing views, such as that of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, suggest that we humans will eventually become the "pets" of robots.
The positive scenario, recently associated with Zuckerberg, goes in a different direction: It emphasizes more strongly that specialized AI is already benefiting humanity, and we can expect more of the same. For example, AIs are being applied to diagnosing diseases and they are often doing a better job than human doctors. Why, ask the optimists, do we care who does the work, if it benefits patients? Then we have mainstream applications of AI assistants like Siri and Alexa, which (or who?) are helping people manage their lives and learn more about the world just by asking.
Read More: Google's DeepMind Is Teaching AI How to Think Like a Human
Optimistic observers believe that AGI will be difficult to achieveit won't happen overnightand we can build in plenty of safeguards before it emerges. Others suggest that AGI and anything beyond it is a myth.
If we can achieve AGI, the optimistic view is that we will build on previous successes and deploy technologies like driverless cars, which will save thousands of human lives every year. As for the Singularity and Superintelligence, advocates of the positive scenario see these developments as more an article of faith than a scientific reality. And again, we have plenty of time to prepare for these eventualities.
The AI pessimists and optimists may seem locked into their own worldviews, with little apparent overlap between their projected futures. This leaves us with tweetstorms and Facebook Live jabs rather than a collaborative effort to manage a powerful technology.
However, there is one topic on which both sides tend to agree: AI is already having, and will continue to have, tremendous impact on jobs.
Speaking recently at a Harvard Business School event, Andrew Ng, the cofounder of Coursera and former chief scientist at Baidu, said that based on his experience as an "AI insider," he did not "see a clear path for AI to surpass human-level intelligence."
On the other hand, he asserted that job displacement was a huge problem, and "the one that I wish we could focus on, rather than be distracted by these science fiction-ish, dystopian elements."
Ng seems to confirm the optimistic view that Superintelligence is unlikely, and therefore the thrust of his comments center on the future of work and whether we are adequately prepared. Looking at just one sector of the economy, transport, it isn't hard to see that he has a point. If driverless cars and trucks do become the norm, thousands if not millions of people who drive for a living will be out of work. What will they do?
As the Musk/Zuckerberg argument unfolds, let's hope it sheds light on a significant challenge that has gone unnoticed for far too long. Forging a public policy response represents an opportunity for the optimists and pessimists to collaborate rather than debate.
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Luxembourg set to become Europe’s commercial space exploration hub with new Space Law – Resource World Magazine (press release) (subscription)
Posted: at 10:30 am
Filling the void: Luxembourg leads the way in Europe by regulating the ownership of space resources
The law of 20 July 2017 on the exploration and use of space resources (the Space Law), as adopted by the Luxembourg Parliament on 13 July 2017 and effective from 1 August 2017, creates a licensing and supervisory regime in Luxembourg addressing the ownership of resources acquired in space. Similar to the US Commercial Space Launch and Competitiveness Act, the Space Law provides that commercial companies operating within its regulatory framework may legally appropriate resources acquired in space from celestial bodies known as Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Notably, the Space Law does not apply to satellite communications, orbital positions or the use of frequency bands.
Luxembourg is the first European country to adopt legislation regulating the ownership of resources acquired in space by commercial companies, providing legal certainty for commercial projects in the space sector. The Outer Space Treaty (OST) dating back to 1967, signed by 107 countries including Luxembourg, established principles for the peaceful and free exploration of space by nation states. However, OST does not address the ownership by private organisations of the resources harvested from NEOs by, for example, asteroid mining, including metals, minerals, and gases.
Legal certainty and clear guidelines: the Space Law
The Space Law sets out a number of requirements for a commercial company seeking to rely on Luxembourgs regulatory framework in order to appropriate space resources (the Operator). The main ones are listed below:
Luxembourgs larger investment in space exploration and asteroid mining
The Space Law is not a solitary act, but part of a larger strategy by the Luxembourg government to establish the Grand Duchy as Europes space exploration and research hub. A member of the European Space Agency since 2005, Luxembourg recognises the lucrative potential of the untapped resources of space and has launched the national SpaceResources.lu initiative aimed at creating the ideal legal, regulatory and business landscape for a flourishing space exploration economy in Luxembourg.
In a push to diversify Luxembourgs investment funds and banking dominated economy and establish Luxembourg as the European centre of the asteroid mining business, the government has committed 200 million euros to SpaceResources.lu to help fund companies set up space exploration related companies. The funding, as well as Luxembourgs offer to help companies obtain private financing, are designed to entice start-ups and established space mining companies to open their European headquarters in Luxembourg. A number of such companies have already either set up in Luxembourg or partnered with the Luxembourg government to finance their endeavours.
Next Steps
The Luxembourg government states that it is committed to engaging the governments of other countries to establish a global legal framework within the context of the U.N. for the exploration and commercial utilization of resources from NEOs.
Co-operation with European institutions is already taking place, with the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy and the European Investment Bank signing an Advisory Service Agreement to secure advice and guidance of the European Investment Advisory Hub on enhancing access to financing for projects in the context of SpaceResources.lu.
In November, Luxembourg will host the first European edition of an international conference dedicated to space, NewSpace Europe.
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Human space exploration, what are the holdbacks? – CosmicNovo.com (Science and Technology)
Posted: at 10:30 am
Space. The final frontier
Star Trek sure knew how to make people dream about interstellar space travel, and although we may still be lightyears away from travelling to the far corners of our galaxy, NASA and SpaceX have recently announced their plans for several manned missions to Mars, reviving many aspirations for further space travel. But how far can we travel, and will the first boots to land on planet far, far away be those of a human or a robot?
Those answers might be easier to answer than some may expect. Up until today, the only missions to a foreign planet have been by automated space-crafts delivering rovers and other unmanned missions to the surface of Mars. Other craft have been used to gather data about the moons of Jupiter and Saturn as well as the planets themselves. It only makes sense that AI be the first to establish itself on another planet where we are unsure as to the extent of its hospitality potential for a manned mission, much less a space colony.
But at our current capacity, can a manned mission survive a trip to these destinations?
No, it cannot. With current technology it would be hard to send out a crew for such a long period of time. Mars is a feasible target but we must be careful to not bite off more than we can chew; after all space travel is still a very dangerous endeavour, one that will need some refining as we aim to discover more about our universe. The major issue isnt just the amount of time that astronauts will be exposed to, but the amount of resources needed for such a trip and the lack of current spacecraft capable of such long journeys.
Mars proximity is the biggest advantage as far as testing out new technology, and could set the baseline for future manned missions, but until scientists are able to ensure maximum safety and survivability for these modern-day space explorers, manned missions past Mars might not happening until the next century. After all, science fiction has introduced a great deal of technology that could help with such voyages, but most are made up or currently unfeasible such as sleeping pods, hyperspace drives and quality of living in general.
Dont give up hope though! It makes sense for human exploration to extend to the stars, but it just might take a while before we are able to make daring trips to foreign planets.
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Human space exploration, what are the holdbacks? - CosmicNovo.com (Science and Technology)
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UDRI partners with nanotech company – Dayton Business Journal
Posted: at 10:29 am
Dayton Business Journal | UDRI partners with nanotech company Dayton Business Journal The University of Dayton Research Institute is partnering with a Massachusetts-based nanotechnology company looking to produce a new kind of composite. The school announced a partnership with Cambridge, Mass.-based N12 Technologies Inc., ... |
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Spicy nanotech weaponry delivers payload at target: Study – NutraIngredients.com
Posted: at 10:29 am
By Will ChuWill Chu , 02-Aug-20172017-08-02T00:00:00Z Last updated on 02-Aug-2017 at 17:16 GMT2017-08-02T17:16:17Z
Nanoparticles show promise in delivering beneficial compounds to the body as a study details the successful administration of the spice curcumin to a target site with minimal toxic side effects.
The study demonstrates that the extracts shortcomings as a therapeutic are overcome by nanotechnology implementation that delivers the spice extracts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to a target.
"Unique approaches with nanoparticle delivery systems hold promise for treatment, said Dr Tamarah Westmoreland, senior author of the study and paediatric surgeon at Nemours Children's Health System in Florida.
We are hopeful that in the future, nanoparticles can be utilized to personalize care to patients and reduce the late effects of therapy.
Curcumins properties mirror those of other botanicals, exhibiting low solubility in water and poor bioavailability and stability, especially at pH values at 6.0 or below.
Researchers have persevered with curcumin, a component of the common spice turmeric, as a wealth of studies in the past have pointed towards a substantial anti-cancer ability without cytotoxic effects.
The team from the University of Central Florida began by packing cerium oxide nanoparticles with curcumin and coating them with dextran that extend their stay within the hosts circulation system.
These nanoparticles were then test in cell lines of a tumour cell, known as MYCN-amplified, as well as non-amplified tumour cell.
The nanoparticles were found to induce substantial cell death in tumour cells (up to a 2-fold and a 1.6-fold decrease in cell viability for MYCN-upregulated and normal expressing cell lines, respectively).
Equally encouraging was production of minor toxic traces in healthy cells with no toxicity recorded at 100 M.
The use of nanoparticles is a relatively recent cost-effective vehicle approach for the treatment of disease, in particular, the use of cerium oxide nanoparticle (CNPs) with cytoprotective/toxic character.
Nanoparticles, such as CNPs, have the advantage of superior linkage with various small molecules to assist with their delivery to diseased cells.
Additionally, a previous study has also identified treatment with curcumin-complexed nanoceria can induce a further decrease in disease cell viability when compared to dextran-coated CNPs.
The major sticking point in nanotechnologys use in therapeutic activity centres on the potential risks such nanoscopic material may have on the host.
Certain nanoparticles have shown negative effects on tissues including inflammation and oxidative stress.
Other materials only show toxicity at the nanoscale. One experiment demonstrated that single-walled carbon nanotubes inhibited human embryo kidney cell growth and negatively impact on cell growth and cell turnover.
In 2001, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its guidance on risk assessment concerning potential risks arising from applications of nanoscience and nanotechnologies to food and feed.
The agency concluded that engineered nanomaterial (ENM) was a field under fast development, characterised by several uncertainties related to the identification, characterisation and detection of ENM.
Source:Nanoscale Published online ahead of print: DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02770b Nanoparticle delivery of curcumin induces cellular hypoxia and ROS-mediated apoptosis via modulation of Bcl-2/Bax in human neuroblastoma. Authors: Irina Kalashnikova, Joseph Mazar, Craig Neal, Amy Rosado, Soumen Das, Tamarah Westmoreland and Sudipta Seal
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Gonzo Nieto, Drug Policy, Medical and Psychological Effects – The Good Men Project (blog)
Posted: at 10:29 am
Embed from Getty Images
I interview friends, colleagues, and experts, on harm reduction and its implications in Canadian society, from the theory to the practice, to the practical. I am a Member-at-Large for Outreach for Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy and writer for Karmik, Fresh Start Recovery Centre, and the Marijuana Party of Canada. Here I interview Gonzo Nieto, part 1.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How did you become interested in being involved in drug policy in Canada?
Gonzo Nieto:My interest with drug policy began with my own use, which started with cannabis as a teen. A lot of my peers were using drugs, both in high school and university. That all began to get me interested in the phenomenon of drug use in general.
What really caught my interest was psychedelics, after I had my first experience with psilocybin mushrooms. I began to educate myself pretty extensively about psychedelics. I would spend hours listening to lectures and talks by various people, reading books, and browsing forums and seeing what was there in terms of other peoples experiences.
This got the ball rolling as I began to discover how large and diverse the field of drug policy is, and I fell further and further down the rabbit hole.
Jacobsen: With respect to personal use, how much knowledge did you have beforehand about medical and psychological effects?
Nieto:Not very much, I didnt come into drug use in a very informed way. It was youthful curiosity and blissful ignorance that led me to try cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms. These experiences stoked my curiosity, and then I got to educating myself more. When I started smoking pot, I didnt know much other than that my friends were using it.
When some of my peers were using psychedelics in high school, I mostly recall hearing myths and lies about psychedelics. I remember hearing kids at school say that magic mushrooms make your brain bleed, and thats why you hallucinate. Silly stuff like that. I remember others saying it was a fun trip, describing psychedelics like the next level up from pot, which I came to learn is not the case theyre completely different.
But like most people, I wasnt very well educated about drugs prior to encountering and trying them. I didnt have good drug education at my school, at least good by my standards what we got was police officers come to our school to scare us about the scourge of drugs.
Jacobsen: How did you get involved with Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy?
Nieto:After I graduated university, my partner motivated me to start writing a column on drugs using the knowledge I had amassed during the previous five years of my undergrad. I began writing a column in the student newspaper, which I calledTurning Inward.
The column went really well. Pretty much every time I published an article, it became one of the most read articles in the student newspaper for that week. I continued writing articles regularly for about seven months.
One of the articles that I wrote was calledMDMA: A Guide to Harm Reduction. I wrote it because several friends that previous week had asked me questions about MDMA that, to me, were fairly basic because of what I had been learning and reading about. I realized this sort of stuff wasnt common knowledge for most of my peers.
CSSDP shared my article on Twitter. I contacted CSSDP to thank them for sharing it and to ask how I could get involved. They responded that I should try to attend their conference coming up in Toronto. At the conference, they were electing new members to the organizations board, so I decided to put my name in the hat.
Jacobsen: What do you consider the core principle of CSSDP?
Nieto:Primarily, I would say the core value is the idea that drug use should not be treated as a criminal justice issue, but rather as an issue of public health and social cohesion.
Jacobsen: Two philosophies compete with regards to how to deal with issues like youth drug use, the zero tolerance approach, and the harm reduction model. Which do you prefer, and why?
Nieto:I stand by the harm reduction model, without question. In the debates around drug use, these two models are sometimes presented as though they are equally valid in some sense, but I think theres a strong case to be made that the punitive approach is in denial of reality.
That perspective is based on the assumption that some set of actions could be taken which would result in total abstinence across the board. Thats just not true, as demonstrated by the decades that precede us.
Drug use appears to be a core component of the human species. To say that human drug use dates back tens of thousands of years is probably a conservative estimate. Any recorded history of humans shows humans using drugs. Its not a new phenomenon. What is relatively new is outlawing and punishing drug use, and theres an argument to be made that the punishments in place for drug crimes cause far more damage to the individual and society than the use of drugs does in the first place.
The harm reduction model recognizes that, no matter how refined the attempts at prevention may be, some people will still choose to use drugs, and there needs to be education and services in place that help reduce the preventable harms associated with that drug use.Harm reduction meets people where they are rather than telling them what they should or should not do. It says, If you do use, heres some information and services to ensure your safety and to help minimize preventable harms.
Harm reduction meets people where they are rather than telling them what they should or should not do. It says, If you do use, heres some information and services to ensure your safety and to help minimize preventable harms.
Original publication on http://www.cssdp.org.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Scott Douglas Jacobsen founded In-Sight Publishing and In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. He works as an Associate Editor and Contributor for Conatus News, Editor and Contributor to The Good Men Project, a Board Member, Executive International Committee (International Research and Project Management) Member, and as the Chair of Social Media for the Almas Jiwani Foundation, Executive Administrator and Writer for Trusted Clothes, and Councillor in the Athabasca University Students Union. He contributes to the Basic Income Earth Network, The Beam, Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Check Your Head, Conatus News, Humanist Voices, The Voice Magazine, and Trusted Clothes. If you want to contact Scott: [emailprotected]; website: http://www.in-sightjournal.com; Twitter: https://twitter.com/InSight_Journal.
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In My Memory: Is Trance Tiesto Gone for Good? (Opinion) – Dance Music Northwest
Posted: at 10:26 am
Since last year, trance has seen a resurgence that has been years in the making. Sales and artist bookings are up, dedicated trance festivals are growing bigger, and new sub-genre sounds, like Psy Trance, are emerging. Helping lead the charge are trance legends who have returned to the genre after branching off to make more mainstream, progressive sounds- names like Sander van Doorn, W&W, Ferry Corstens Gouryella and Arty. Noticeably absent from this movement back to trance: probably one, if not, the best trance artists of all-time: Tiesto.
Before he became the house music playing, big room pumping, Grammy award-winning superstar he is today, Tijs Michiel Verwest, of the Netherlands, operated in the shadows as DJ Tiesto. Starting his career in the early 90s, Tiesto helped define the trance genre with his uplifting and progressive sounds, in addition to the creation of record labels like Black Hole Recordings and In Trance We Trust. Joining him in his early projects include fellow Dutchmen Ferry Corsten, who, along with Tiesto, created Gouryella, and Armin van Buuren, who Tiesto helped take Armins sound into the mainstream (look how well that has turned out!).
Tiestos debut solo studio album, In My Memory, released in 2001, saw this legend score some of his biggest career hits. Does Flight 643 and Lethal Industry ring a bell?
As trance in its entirety continued to grow, both of these tracks stood the test of time, having been remixed by plenty and featured in sets galore- even to this day. Who could forget when the legendary Markus Schulz dropped 643 at Bliss; Transcendence, here in Seattle, a few months ago?!
In My Memory took Tiestos career to new heights. He began to do global tours, including his USA debut in 2003, and lengthy solo sets- a concept that was new at the time. The idea of one DJ playing alone in front of a crowd of thousands? His groundbreaking Tiesto in Concert solo shows, in 2003, helped pave the way for DJs who aspire to do concerts in massive venues; He showed it could be done.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent the views of Dance Music Northwest or its leadership.
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In My Memory: Is Trance Tiesto Gone for Good? (Opinion) - Dance Music Northwest
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Howie Lee is the cyberpunk-obsessed club producer concerned we’re trapped in the Matrix – FACT
Posted: at 10:25 am
FACT Rated is our series digging into the sounds and stories of the most vital breaking artists around right now. This week, Claire Lobenfeld talks to Beijing-born club innovator Howie Lee about 3D design, GarageBands Chinese instruments library and the possibility that were all just living in a simulation.
IN SHORT NAME: Howie Lee FROM: Beijing, China MUST-HEAR: Homeless EP (2017, Do Hits) FOR FANS OF: Aphex Twin, M.I.A., James Ferraro
Howie Lee thinks we might be living in the Matrix. Speaking from his home in Taipei, Taiwan, the Beijing-born club producer is waxing on the possibility that weve all just been imagined by someone else, either human or artificial. I dont know what to believe and I dont know what is to value in this world anymore, he says. Im always very anxious about whats going to happen in the short future. I believe in the Matrix and I believe we might already be in it.
Listening to his thrilling recent EP Homeless, one can hear the digital dread he describes, but its substance isnt all future-fearing flourishes. When he speaks to FACT in June, he says hes been digging a lot of old folk music from the Western border of China sounds from Xinjiang, Tibet and Yunnan that meld Buddhist histories with Muslim traditions from Chinas neighbors. This global influence from both the physical and digital worlds is imprinted all over the EP, which was named after the placelessness of the music.
Created with software like the granular synthesizer iPad app iDensity and popular entry-level DAW GarageBand most people delete it, but GarageBand has Chinese drum kit and erhu thats really awesome as well as live instruments, the six-song collection is slaughtering club music made for our nearly-dystopian present. And if you cant grasp the technicolor collage that its sounds invoke, Lees music videos deftly illustrate the world he is trying to sort out.
Im scared about real life, but the virtual life is more scary to me when I play music, I feel safe.
His visual identity is inspired by his wife, renowned designer Veeeky. Im inspired by a lot of cyberpunk things and I always think were already living in a dream and living in a sort of AI-controlled dream, Lee says. You have your own space, but you never really have space. Everything is in front of you like: BUY ME, CLICK ME. He uses Cinema 4D and other 3D drafting tools to make his videos and other pieces of art. For a half decade, Lee has been incorporating these elements into his live show with Veeeky crafting the visual accompaniments to his music and another friend supplying a self-made game engine to the video art.
Lee is part of Do Hits, a label that originated in 2011 as a party at Beijing punk hangout School Bar before becoming fully-realized after moving to underground dance club Dada. But like Do Hits, Lees origins are also in punk. I was in cheesy pop-punk like Green Day, Lee says, looking back at his time as an audio engineering student a Communication University of China. There were just a lot of show opportunities, but I had no idea why I was doing until I said, OK, fuck this, this is boring, its not creative, these are cheesy pop songs.' His roommate at the time taught him how to use Traktor and the two started DJing at bars together. But it was after university that dance music truly became his passion.
When Justice came out and I was like, OK, this is new music. Its not punk, but its not the trance music that I used to listen to. It just grabbed my mind and I said, I wanna do something like this. And like Justice, Lees brand of dance music is all about pushing the conversation forward. Throughout Homeless, there are multiple threads to latch onto in each track that transport its listener across varying musical landscapes. Hes created a kaleidoscopic world in order to grapple with what he sees as an easily manipulated reality. Im scared about real life, but the virtual life is more scary to me, he says. There is no way to get rid of the internet and its not necessary to, either. Its more about self-control and not losing your awareness of yourself. When I play music, I feel safe.
Claire Lobenfeld is on Twitter.
Read next: Icelands Bjarki makes 10 tracks a day and has Nina Kraviz on speed dial
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Howie Lee is the cyberpunk-obsessed club producer concerned we're trapped in the Matrix - FACT
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MercuryGate Announces Addition of Rockfarm to its Logistics Integrator Program; Innovative Offering Empowers … – Business Wire (press release)
Posted: at 10:25 am
CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MercuryGate International, Inc., a leader in Transportation Management System (TMS) Solutions, announced today that Rockfarm Supply Chain Services is now an approved provider through the companys Logistics Integrator Program. This recently launched partner program combines the demonstrated power of MercuryGates TMS technology with the proven design, delivery and execution best practice capabilities of select, pre-approved logistics services providers (LSPs).
Rockfarms leadership in the logistics services provider (LSP) sector and in-depth knowledge of MercuryGates solutions make them an ideal partner to help our customers maximize the value from their TMS investment, said Monica Wooden, CEO and Co-Founder of MercuryGate International, Inc.
We are pleased to add Rockfarm Supply Chain Services to our Logistics Integrator Program, an offering designed to deliver more choices to companies searching for TMS solutions, said John Carey, VP WW Channels.
MercuryGate created the Logistics Integrator Program to address a specific market need, serving companies with an interest in TMS that may have limited resources to devote to design, implementation or operation of new systems. With a MercuryGate Logistics Integrator, customers can be confident they will maximize their return on investment and deliver bottom line results in the shortest timeframe.
For Rockfarm, MercuryGate is our operating system and the starting point for us to deliver our services to the marketplace, said Brad Stewart, President of Rockfarm. The Logistics Integrator Program with MercuryGate is a natural extension of our business allowing us to engage shippers as a technology and managed services provider versus a 3PL, greatly increasing our market opportunities.
About MercuryGate International
MercuryGate provides powerful transportation management solutions proven to be a competitive advantage for todays most successful shippers, 3PLs, freight forwarders, and brokers. MercuryGates solutions are unique in their native support of all modes of transportation on a single platform including Parcel, LTL, Truckload, Air, Ocean, Rail and Intermodal. Through the continued release of innovative, results-driven technology and a commitment to making customers successful, MercuryGate delivers exceptional value for TMS users through improved productivity and operational efficiency. MercuryGate offers business intelligence to improve transportation processes, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce costs. Find out why MercuryGate has set the industry standard for the most adaptable, comprehensive, transportation solutions suite in the industry atwww.mercurygate.com.
About Rockfarm
Delivering efficiency to supply chains, Rockfarm supports the growth of manufacturers and distributors by supplying integrated supply chain services. Since its inception in 2008, Rockfarm has maintained its commitment to technology and service innovation. Focused on generating client value, Rockfarm provides supply chain solutions to Fortune 500 and midsize shippers within industries such as Food, Hospitality, Building Products, Automotive, Paper, Plastics, Electronics and Chemical. For more information about Rockfarm, visit http://www.rockfarm.com.
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