Monday, December 30, 2019

Roberto del Rosario, Inventor of a Karaoke Machine

Roberto del Rosario (1919–2003) was the president of the now-defunct Trebel Music Corporation, a founding member of the Filipino amateur jazz band The Executives Band Combo, and, in 1975, the inventor of the Karaoke Sing Along System. Known as Bert, del Rosario patented more than 20 inventions during his lifetime, making him one of the most prolific of Filipino inventors. Fast Facts: Roberto del Rosario Known For: Holds the 1975 patent for the Karaoke Sing-Along SystemBorn: June 7, 1919, in Pasay City, PhilippinesParents: Teofilo del Rosario and Consolacion LegaspiDied: July 30, 2003 in Manila, PhilippinesEducation: No formal musical educationSpouse: Eloisa Vistan (d. 1979)Children: 5 Early Life Roberto del Rosario was born in Pasay City, Philippines, on June 7, 1919, the son of Teofilo del Rosario and Consolacion Legaspi. During his life, he was never forthright about his age. As a result, there are multiple reports on what year he was born, some as late as the mid-1930s. His son Ron del Rosario reported the June 1919 birthdate in a genealogical report. Roberto never received formal music education but learned to play the piano, drums, marimba, and xylophone by ear. He was a founding member of The Executive Combo Band, a well-known amateur jazz band headed by post-World War II Filipino politician Raà ºl Sevilla Manglapus and architect Francisco Bobby Maà ±osa. The band started in 1957 and played in gigs all over the world, jamming with the likes of Duke Ellington and Bill Clinton.  Roberto del Rosario married Eloisa Vistan and together they had five children; Eloisa died in 1979. In Taytay, Rizal—under the business name Trebel (Treb is Bert spelled backwards and El is for his wife)—del Rosario manufactured harpsichords and the OMB, or One-Man-Band, a piano with a built-in synthesizer, rhythm box, and bass pedals that can all be played at the same time. He also developed and patented a singalong machine using minus one technology (originally on cassette tapes) in which vocals are subtracted from extant instrumental tracks. Del Rosario is one of several people who are associated with the invention of a karaoke machine. Karaoke is a compound Japanese word from karappo meaning empty and o-kestura meaning orchestra. Sometimes translated as empty orchestra, the phrase means something closer to the orchestra is void of vocals. Music Minus One Minus one technology has its roots in classical music recording. The Music Minus One company was founded in 1950 in Westchester, New York by classical music student Irv Kratka: Their products are professional musical recordings with one track, vocal or instrumental, removed, for the purpose of allowing a musician to practice along with the professionals at home. Multi-track recording was developed in 1955, and the technology to remove one track became available to professional musicians and publishers afterward, primarily to allow them to adjust the track balance or rerecord them to get a better sound. By the 1960s, Minus one technology was used by migrant Filipino musical personnel, who used the technology at the request of their promoters and record labels, who wanted to save costs by hiring fewer musicians. In 1971, Daisuke Inoue was a keyboard and vibraphone backup player in a high-end Kobe, Japan, bar, and his abilities were in great demand at customer parties. A customer wanted him to perform at a party but he was too busy, and he recorded the backup music on tape and gave it to the customer. After that, Inoue assembled a team of an electronics specialist, a woodworker, and a furniture finisher, and together they built the first karaoke machine using 8-track tapes, complete with microphone and echo effect, called the 8-Juke. Inoue leased his 8-Juke machines to working-class bars lacking the budget to hire live, in-house musicians in the nightlife hub of Kobe. His coin-operated 8-Juke machines featured Japanese standards and popular tracks recorded by backing musicians without vocals in 1971–1972. He clearly created the first karaoke machine, but didnt he patent or profit from it—and later he denied he was an inventor at all, claiming he simply combined a car stereo, a coin box, and a small amp. The Sing Along System Roberto del Rosario invented his version of a karaoke machine between 1975 and 1977, and in his patents (UM-5269 on June 2, 1983 and UM-6237 on November 14, 1986) he described his sing-along system as a handy, multi-purpose, compact machine that incorporates an amplifier speaker, one or two tape mechanisms, an optional tuner or radio, and a microphone mixer with features to enhance ones voice, such as the echo or reverb to simulate an opera hall or a studio sound. The whole system was enclosed in one cabinet casing. The main reason we know of del Rosarios contribution is because he sued Japanese companies for patent infringement in the 1990s. In the court case, the Philippine Supreme Court decided in del Rosarios favor. He won the legal recognition and some of the money, but in the end, the Japanese manufacturers reaped most of the benefits by later innovations. Other Inventions Besides his famous Karaoke Sing Along System Roberto del Rosario has also invented: Trebel Voice Color Code (VCC)Piano tuners guidePiano keyboard stressing deviceVoice color tape Death Little has been reported about Rosarios death, which occurred, according to his son, in Manila on July 30, 2003. Sources Music Minus One. Music Dispatch, 2019.Roberto Bert del Rosario (Mr. Trebel) Facebook.The Joaquins. Bert del Rosario is Karaoke inventor! My Family and More, June 5, 2007.  Roberto L. Del Rosario, Petitioner, Vs. Court Of Appeals And Janito Corporation, Respondents [G.R. No. 115106]. Supreme Court of the Philippines, March 15, 1996.Rosario, Ron del. Roberto del Rosario, Sr. Geni, December 8, 2014.  Soliman Michelle, Anne P. National Artist for Architecture Francisco Bobby Maà ±osa, 88. Business World, February 22, 2019.Tongson, Karen. Empty Orchestra: The Karaoke Standard and Pop Celebrity. Public Culture 27.1 (75) (2015): 85-108. Print.Xun, Zhou and Francesca Tarocco. Karaoke: the Global Phenomenon. London: Reaktion Books, 2007.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Homelessness Is It Difficult For People Essay - 1191 Words

(â€Å"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little†)- Franklin D Roosevelt. Today Homelessness is becoming a huge problem in the streets of California. So why is it difficult for people to escape homelessness? Even though some people may argue that homelessness cannot be prevented, homelessness is preventable because everyone should have the right to housing, food, and the government should step in to help control the growth of homelessness in America. Firstly, why is it difficult for people to escape homelessness ? â€Å"Because of our housing shortage, rents have gone up 28% since 2000. Over the same period, renters median incomes fell 8%. The result is an untenable situation: More than 250,000 households in Los Angeles pay 90% or more of their income on rent.† maybe drug test should be administered to homeless people for a house and food to maintain balance in the system to ensure better progress. Homeless people should have the right to food and water because everyday a person living in the house gets kicked out do to the increase of house rent and then become homeless, The number of homeless families on the street would decrease rapidly if so, more homeless people would survive and be able to provide for their families and get a job if health is okay. In Fact, â€Å"The recent homeless count found that 46,874 people in Los Angeles County experience homelessness everyShow MoreRelatedHealth Issues Among The Homeless Population1450 Words   |  6 Pagesreasons behind homelessness and the society’s perception. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless an individual experiencing homelessness fall into one of the three categories such as, chronic, transitional or episodic homelessness. Medicine or treatment for homeless individuals seeking medical attention, are not as accessible compared to non-homeless individuals due to the culture and rough life style. Neglecting proper housing and health care to underprivileged people is inhumane andRead MoreThe Problem Of Homelessness And Homelessness Essay1286 Words   |  6 Pagesever-growing number of homeless persons within our society. While it has become a popular topic of discussion as to why people become homeless little discussion has occurred about the homeless reintegrating back into society. Many steps must be taken in order for a homeless person to be able to create and maintain a steady life. There must be an acknowledgment o f the barriers that led to homelessness. These barriers may be a numerous amount of things such as substance abuse, personal trauma, unhealthy relationshipsRead MoreHomelessness in Canada Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesHomelessness is a condition of people who lack regular access to adequate housing. As this condition becomes a growing problem in Canada people are forced to deal with the issues. Who are the homeless? They range from children to adults and even in some cases, families. Why are they homeless? Poverty, lack of jobs or well paying jobs, decline in Social Services, domestic violence, mental illness, and chemical dependency contribute to the majority of the homeless within our society. What effects doesRead MoreSocial Problem Homelessness1065 Words   |  5 PagesApplication Social Problem Research: Homelessness Homelessness is becoming a major social issue in the United States, with many poor families and young people ending up in the street because of several reasons. This condition is leaving many people helpless in the streets and the number keep on rising on a daily basis. Cities like Detroit and New York are among the most populous with poor families and homeless people, making it important for government and other social agencies to find urgent solutionRead MoreJeannee Castles Views On Poverty In The Glass Castle1263 Words   |  6 PagesWalls and her siblings as they experience an impoverished childhood and attempt to escape the poverty-stricken lives of their parents. In her descriptions of her life and the lives of her family members, Walls influenced my ideas about poverty, homelessness, and escaping hard lives. Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle influenced my ideas about poverty by showing me that poverty can yield positive results. Before reading The Glass Castle, I believed that all poverty was tragic and life ruining. IRead MoreUnrealistic, Unconstitutional, And Unhelpful : On Homeless Criminalization868 Words   |  4 PagesYork City’s homelessness rates have reached record-breaking heights. Reading his report, I was not surprised by the trend; the real-estate market has no regard for low-income families and individuals, and according to Wang’s report, this is especially true in New York. (Wang) The Coalition for the Homeless describes housing affordability in the city as a crisis, disproportionately affecting African-American and Latino people. Children have been hit the hardest by the rising homelessness rates. (Markee)Read MoreHomelessness : Poverty And Lack Of Permanent And Stable Housing1244 Words   |  5 PagesHomelessness is the situation where individua ls lack safe and adequate housing resulting in sleeping in the streets, their cars, and family or friends homes or in shelters. According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a homeless person is an individual who does not a have a permanent residence place, but rather has a temporary nighttime residence which is not designed for the accommodation of human beings (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, n.d.) SuchRead MoreHomelessness : A Worldwide Public Health Crisis Essay1423 Words   |  6 PagesHomelessness: A Worldwide Public Health Crisis In the United States, there were approximately 564,708 people who were homeless on a single winter night in 2015 (Housing and Urban Development, 2015). Worldwide, acquiring an accurate picture of homelessness has proven challenging due to varying definitions country to country. Furthermore, data on homelessness has also proven to be extremely sparse in many parts of the world. The last worldwide survey was attempted by the United Nations. Based onRead MoreThe Effects of Homelessness on Society Essay588 Words   |  3 PagesHomelessness Ever noticed the people outside, asking you for money on the train or in the streets? Most have a funny smell, or are barely dressed when it is freezing outside? Those people are more than likely homeless. Being homeless is the state of a person living on the streets, if they have no home. Homelessness occurs because many people cannot afford housing, do not have a job, receive low income, are mentally ill or have a drug addiction (Coalition for the Homeless). Homelessness affects societyRead MoreHomeless Population Of New South Wales1444 Words   |  6 PagesOverview â€Å"In a country as prosperous as Australia, no one should have to be homeless.† - The Road Home, 2008 Homelessness is a complex problem and not simply a lack of housing. It has numerous causes that affect different groups differently. In Australia, there are approximately 105000 people experiencing homelessness reported in the 2011 census. This equates to one in every two hundred people. The homeless population of New South Wales accounts for over one quarter of the total in Australia, at over

Friday, December 13, 2019

Survival of the Fittest Free Essays

Survival of the Fittest His sweaty palms clutch a few coins. The bus line moves forward. Ticket paid for, a quick glance to the back of the bus. We will write a custom essay sample on Survival of the Fittest or any similar topic only for you Order Now They wait, feeding off his panic and distress as he walks to his seat. Fiona Dove investigates teen bullying. Survival of the fittest has been a notion well accepted by society when applied to animals. The strong and the weak battle it out to determine who will be supreme. Does this theory apply to bully behaviour? If three-quarters of Australian households have at least one person affected by bullying are our children fighting a battle, which will determine how they conduct their lives? The Education of Queensland Child Protection Act defines bullying as â€Å"The abuse of power with the intention of causing distress to other person(s)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bullying is a poisonous weed within society. Research shows that children who bully at a young age have a higher risk of committing felonies as an adult and becoming a criminal. Indeed victims of bullying have experienced psychological damage so severe it lead to suicide. Chanelle Rae was fourth student from Western Height College in Geelong, Victoria to commit suicide in a five-month period. Chanelle was a zealous supporter of the Geelong cats. Her idol Corey Enright a cats team member was pallbearer at her funeral. However on the 17th of July in 2009 Chanelle committed suicide after a brutal cyber bullying attack. [pic] It’s natural, so what’s wrong with this Picture? With technology constantly advancing this generation has much more choice in torturous devices than 20 years ago. Mobile phones, Internet physical violence and smear campaigns are all weapons in a bully’s arsenal. With all this at a bully’s disposal victims are in a constant state of trepidation unsure as to which direction the blow will come from. Television programmes preach that only those who fit the stereotype of a â€Å"Nerd† are bullied in society; the reality is that a bully can target anyone. Insecurities, fear and jealousy are the underlying emotions that bullies deal with by intimidating and antagonizing others. As a consequence of young people being herded together for extended periods of time, the instinct to overpower and â€Å"bully† others is natural. As caregivers we should be asking ourselves whether bubble wrapping and shrouding children from the public domain mean that they have insufficiently developed social skills? Are we, ironically, making children revert back to the battle for supremacy? With one in five students having been harassed at school and at least one in three children bullied almost daily, only a fool would say that bullying in schools is a minor problem. â€Å"Bullying will always be a part of school culture,† agrees Alison Heder a school bus driver. To change the bullying culture children need to be told from a very young age that telling a trusted adult, whether it may be a school counsellor or a parent in OK and not â€Å"tattle-telling†. Rather than being sheltering children should be out learning how to behave. Instead of being thrown straight into the sharks at the age of six when school starts, the transition from home to school would be less of an ordeal for children if the basic foundations of good communication were already in place. Queensland Government Department of Education and Training, Code of School Behaviour requires that schools provide a safe and supportive learning environment. When asked about her thoughts on this in regards to the current bullying issues Alison exclaimed â€Å"It’s not the schools fault! Parents need to teach their children acceptable behaviour through example† Studies have shown that with effective communication between the school and home in most cases is able to stop the bully and help the students move forward. On the other hand when the student is too afraid to reach out for help the result can be fatal. On the 15th of February 2010 a young boy encountered a terrible fate. Elliot Fletcher, at just 12 years old was stabbed in the chest. This story was met with shock Australia wide as the reality of bullying in schools was realised. The well-established Catholic school, St. Patrick’s College, recorded 380 absences out of 1100 after the news of Elliot’s passing had spread. The reputation of all Private schools was further tarnished as several more violent attacks were reported. Parents are now questioning how the government is handling the bullying epidemic. Alison Heder concurred that the government’s current handle on the bullying situation is as ineffectual as it is inadequate. Whilst bullying may never be truly eliminated from society the aim of new bullying campaigns is to inform the victims of bullies of the various resources each school has to help them stop the bullying and move on from the traumatic experiences. Hotheaded, savage and ungovernable; dread, panic, terror; from covert and subtle to openly ridiculing. Natural or not, bullying is not something to be pushed away to the sides where it festers and thrives. The culture of society must first change if we are to eradicate this practice. Bibliography Personal Interview †¢ Heder, Alison. 1961. Working. Local School Bus Driver, interviewed 19th February 2010. Newspaper Articles †¢ Tomazin, Farrah. â€Å"3/4 of Australian Households have at least one Person who has been Bullied†, The Age, 20th March 2010. †¢ Ironside, Robyn. Vogler, Sarah. â€Å"Boy, 12, dies after being stabbed at St. Patrick’s College Shorncliffe†, The Courier Mail, 20th March 2010. †¢ Scott, Edwina. â€Å"Hundreds Gather for Suicide Teen’s Funeral†, The Courier Mail, 20th March 2010. †¢ Chilcott, Tanya. â€Å"School Bullying Shame: Three Children a Class Bullied Daily†, The Courier Mail, 20th March 2010. †¢ Ironside, Robyn. Chilcott, Tanya. â€Å"Pupils Struggle with Heartbreak after Boy Stabbed to Death in Brisbane School†, The Herald Sun, 20th March 2010. Websites †¢ Anon. 2000. Code of School Behaviour. http://education. ld. gov. au/studentservices/behaviour/bm-codebehav. html. (Accessed 20th March. 2010) †¢ Anon. 2007. Child Protection Act 1999. http://www. childsaftey. qld. gov. au/legislation/child-protection/child-protection-act-1999. html. (Accessed 20th March. 2010) †¢ Field, Evelyn. 2003. Bully Blocking. www. bullying. com. au/school-bullying/. (Accessed 21st March 2010) ———————– â€Å"Children are terrified to go to the school guidance counsellor because they are afraid that the bully will find out they’ve been tattle-telling,† tells Alison Heder How to cite Survival of the Fittest, Papers Survival of the Fittest Free Essays Survival of the Fittest To eat or to be eaten. Survival, everyone needs to survive when you are away from civilization. To survive longer there are factors like being handsome, tall, physically fit and smart. We will write a custom essay sample on Survival of the Fittest or any similar topic only for you Order Now You need food and fresh water in order to survive in the book â€Å"Lord of the Flies by William Golding. † You also need to build a fire to stay warm and to ward off predators. In this book they all come together when Ralph blew the conch. Survival is an important theme in Lord of the Flies by William Golding that the audience can explore and without it you could not write this style of book. Order is important in all civilizations, without it we would have anarchy. When you are on an island you need order. In this book the group of kids have a vote and Ralph is picked as leader not just because he has the conch but also because he is handsome. Ralph decides to give Jack power over the choir group and they’re name was â€Å"the hunters†. People who are not fit cannot fend for themselves as well as fitter people and will die off so they may not reproduce. The fittest survive. The role of survival of the fittest was best described on (pg. 8) â€Å"I can’t swim on account of my asthma†. Piggy was already going down in the food chain of the island because he wasn’t fit or handsome. You don’t just need to be tall or handsome to survive you also need to be logical about what you need like building a fire. In chapter 2 they climb up the mountain tho make a fire. Ralph shouts â€Å"Piggy got any matches? † Piggy shakes his head no, then Jack points suddenly at Piggy’s spec. We can use them as burning glasses (p40). The boys get the fire started and they started to dance around it. To keep the fire going they needed to get lots more wood. The boys lets the fire go out because they couldn’t keep up with the rate it was burning. Piggy said â€Å"we haven’t made a fire. What’s any use, we couldn’t keep a fire like that going even if we tried. Jack yells at Piggy â€Å"fat lot you tried. † But fire isn’t all you need there is food and water to. Food and water are essential. The body can only survive 3-4 days without water but can survive 4-6 weeks without food. When the boys on the island resorted to killing pigs Jack hesitated and did not kill the first pig because he was not that hungry and he had probably killed anything before. Some of the boys tried fishing, they caught some fish but it wasn’t an efficient way to catch food. They have found fresh water to drink (p33). It takes Jack a couple tries to kill the pig and every time he doesn’t kill one he makes up an excuse. Everyone needs to survive when away from civilization. As we all know order is very important in surviving because we don’t want anarchy. Fire will keep you from freezing, starving and being eaten by predators. Water and food are probably the most important thing you need to survive. Survival is the most important theme in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. How to cite Survival of the Fittest, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Applied Business Research Decision Making Methods

Question: Discuss about the Applied Business Research Decision Making Methods. Answer: Introduction: A number of relevant and effective studies have been conducted on the issuer of customer satisfaction and its effete on the profitability and productivity of an organization. As mentioned by Medjoudj et al. (2013), by reducing product or service complaints lead to greater customer loyally, which in turn leads to improved productivity by lowering the cost of making future transactions, favorable word of mouth and perhaps even a price premium. On the other hand, positive word of mouth and customer recommendations typically bring new customers to the brand (Sorescu Sorescu, 2016). Thus, as discussed by Oliver (2014), by lowing the organizational cost, collecting new customers and retaining the old ones customer satisfaction helps in increased level of profit count to an organization. As per the findings of the literature review, it can be stated that the marketers have focused on the issue of customer satisfaction at very early ages of business. As mentioned by Singh et al. (2016), pro fitability is directly concerned with customer satisfaction, as it is the way of retaining the customers and attracting new customer to the brand. Hence, by researching the case of Dick Smith, it will be possible to identify how empirically customer satisfaction induces organizational profit. Being an online retailer Dick Smith has faced issues with its profitability in 2016 (Dick Smith. com). A number of factors were identified as the cause of this financial collapse. Reduced customer satisfaction was one among them. Being an online marketer it is important for them to provide the highest level of satisfaction, as the connection with the customers is limited (Ennew et al. 2015). Hence, by investigating the issue of this company and their way of improving customer satisfaction will provide a broad idea about the selected topic. With the research questions, it will be easy to identify how the psyche of the customers can be altered in favor of a certain brand. It will be easier in generalizing the idea by researching on a singular brand. Moreover, the answers of the research questions will explore the pattern of organizational benefit can be achieved by improved customer satisfaction. As mentioned earlier, for increasing productivity and profitability, customer satisfaction is important for the organizations (Singh et al. 2016). Hence, the research question will provide an improved insight into the interrelation between customer satisfaction and increased profitability. Project implications: The research findings will be helpful for the business and research purposes. The companies, which are facing issues with customer satisfaction and consequent decreased level of profitability and productivity, will be assisted with ideas for improving the level of customer satisfaction. Moreover, the research findings will be helpful for the organizations in providing an insight into the causes of decreased level of customer satisfaction and profitability. In the case of the academic students, the research results will be helpful in providing a clear understanding of the relationship patterns between customer satisfaction, organizational productivity and increased profit count. The research findings will be available to the researchers college and the company Dick Smith. The interested parties need to obtain permission for consulting with the research paper. The research result will be helpful for the organizations for improving their profit count, reducing organizational cost and increased productivity. With the help of the research result, this group of the marketers mainly Dick Smith, will be helped in improving the organizational management and achieving the desired level of organizational profit. On the other hand, the group of students will be able to get a clear idea about the co-relation between customer satisfaction and organizational profit. Last but not the least, the group of the future researchers will also be helped by the research result, as it will be helpful for identifying the scope of further research on this particular topic as well as, for executing an extensive literature review for a certain research. Ethical approval: For the completion of this research, the approval of the Waiariki Research Committee will be obtained. Moreover, the committee provided Informed Consent guidelines of Waiariki Institute of technology will also be maintained. As the research will involve respondents, Informed Consent will be obtained. Moreover, the research result will not be disclosed to any parties not related to the research according to General Data Protection Regulation, 2016 (De Hert Papakonstantinou, 2012). All the data will be obtained by informing the respondents about the research objectives and no one not related to the topic will be engaged (zcan BalcÄÂ ±, 2016). Moreover, no data will be collected by coercing the respondents for reply and no respondents will be physically involved in the survey execution. Gantt chart: Tasks Time line Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week13 Selection of the topic Literature review Data collection Data analysis Data interpretation Presentation of the research findings Figure: Gannt chart Source: created by the author References: Medjoudj, R., Aissani, D., Haim, K. D. (2013). Power customer satisfaction and profitability analysis using multi-criteria decision making methods.International Journal of Electrical Power Energy Systems,45(1), 331-339. Oliver, R. L. (2014).Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge. Singh, H., Al-Amin, A. Q., Baroto, M. B., Jamil, R., Pazyar, M. (2016). Employee Job Satisfaction, Customer Satisfaction and Profitability in 5-Star Hotels in Kuala Lumpur.Advanced Science Letters,22(5-6), 1489-1492. Sorescu, A., Sorescu, S. M. (2016). Customer Satisfaction and Long-Term Stock Returns.Journal of Marketing,80(5), 110-115. Ennew, C. T., Binks, M. R., Chiplin, B. (2015). Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention: An Examination of Small Businesses and Their Banks in the UK. InProceedings of the 1994 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 188-192). Springer International Publishing. zcan, M., BalcÄÂ ±, Y. (2016). Academicians Views on Research and the Ethics of Publication. De Hert, P., Papakonstantinou, V. (2012). The proposed data protection Regulation replacing Directive 95/46/EC: A sound system for the protection of individuals.Computer Law Security Review,28(2), 130-142. Dick Smith. Com (2016). Dick Smith | The Best in Tech at Amazing Prices. Dicksmith Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2016, from https://www.dicksmith.com.