M-BASE
M-Base (short for "macro-basic array of structured extemporization") is a concept of how to create modern music which reached its peak in the mid-to-late-80s and early 90s. It was also a word used to reference a collective of musicians, poets and dancers in this same time period who were associated with the movement. M-Base is often seen as a kind of jazz, but, strictly speaking, this is not entirely accurate, and the participants do not view M-Base in this manner.
M-Base is built on the innovations of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and especially the free funk of Ornette Coleman's electric bands, along with many other spontaneous composers. It is also influenced by the rhythmic innovations of many of the groups led by singer James Brown, as well as having direct roots in West African Music and West African cultural and philosophical ideas. One of its most noticeable musical traits is the innovative use of overlapping rhythmic cycles of various lengths inside of which the participants improvise, giving the music an unpredictable form. Other characteristics are curvilinear melodic elements, non-standard harmonic structures coupled with a mastery of improvisation based on these forms, resulting in a decidedly non-western cultural and philosophical bent.
Some of the main exponents of this concept in the 1980s – 1990s were saxophonist Steve Coleman (whose present style is an extension of these ideas), saxophonist Greg Osby, trombonist Robin Eubanks, saxophonist Gary Thomas, pianist Tim Murphy, and singer Cassandra Wilson, who are all still active in music performing and recording. Their more recent performances, especially Coleman’s, still demonstrate a debt to M-Base. Additionally, many newer musicians in the spontaneous composition arena – along with various artists in other areas utilizing spontaneous creation in poetry, dance, and popular forms like Hip-Hop – are also heavily influenced by the M-Base conception.
WOOT
Woot.com is an online store and community that focuses on selling cool stuff cheap. It started as an employee-store slash market-testing type of place for an electronics distributor, but it's taken on a life of its own. We anticipate profitability by 2043 – by then we should be retired; someone smarter might take over and jack up the prices. Until then, we're still the lovable scamps we've always been. But don't take our word for it: see what the online community has to say at this Wikipedia article.
OODA Loop
This diagram is also known as the decision cycle, the Boyd cycle, or the OODA cycle. It has become an important concept in business and military strategy. According to John Boyd, decision making occurs in a cycle of observe-orient-decide-act. An entity (either an individual or an organization) that can process this cycle quickly can get inside the opponent's decision cycle and gain a military or business advantage.
John Boyd originally developed this diagram to explain to new fighter pilots how to direct their own energies to defeat their enemies and find survival for themselves. Boyd emphasised that "the loop" is actually a set of interacting loops that are to be kept in continuous operation during combat. He also indicated that the phase of the battle has an important bearing on the ideal allocation of one's individual energies. Consider a fighter pilot being scrambled to shoot down an invading aircraft
Nyala
Nyala (Daju: "the place of chatting or a theatre") is the capital of South Darfur state in the western part of the Sudan.
It was the headquarter of the Daju empire which was established around Jebel Um-Kurdós, where according to an account of sultan Daju Kassi Furok or Kassifrogé who mounted the Antelope from Darfur then perished in Dar Sila took place, until the fall of the Daju rule at the end of the fifteenth century.
When Great Britain conquered the Sudan, the British Commander in Chief met Sultan Adam Suleiman in 1932 seeking his advice for his knowledge of the best places in terms of availability of water sources and land topography in order to establish the British Administration Headquarter in Darfur. Sultan Adam Suleiman has chosen Nyala city for such purpose. However, many sites of ancient antiquities, pottery, engraved pictures of battles, horses, animals and hunting are still awaiting for further scientific archaeological works at Jebel Daju (see also UNESCO General History of Africa, & Arckell, A.J. History of Darfur 1200-1700 A.D. SNR). The most important archaeological sites undiscovered yet are Nari, Kedingnyir, Dobo, Simiat Hills, Jebel Keima, Kalokitting, Jebel Wara & Jebel Marra itself.
During the ongoing Darfur conflict, thousands of internally displaced persons have gathered near the city in the hopes of protection.
