text:
8 User Reviews of Shadow Cruise Ship
Several years ago I sailed on Silversea Cruises' SILVER CLOUD in the Mediterranean. I greatly enjoyed the experience but haven't found the time to return as quickly as I had hoped, until now.
My partner and I chose the SILVER SHADOW for a 9-night cruise beginning in Barbados on October 17, 2007 and ending in Ft. Lauderdale. We also spent two nights at Sandy Lane in Barbados prior to the cruise. For those that prefer to "cut to the chase" so to speak, I'll tell you upfront that Silversea lived up to all our expectations and even exceeded them. The reports I have read on various message boards about declining standards were not evident on my sailing. In fact I think some aspects of the cruise were upgraded upon reflection of my previous Silversea experience.
Pre-Cruise Special mention must be made of Silversea's pre-cruise documentation. They say first impressions are lasting impressions in this is certainly the case with Silversea. I don't think any Cruise Line or Tour Company has a better presentation. Your documents arrive in a silver box, and inside is a lovely black document holder embossed with the Silversealogo. The documents have the personal touch and the ticket is actually printed on Silversea letterhead rather than typical ticket stock. Also included is a leave at home itinerary, pre printed baggage tags, two Silversea permanent luggage tags, shore excursion booklet, question and answer book, a suite preference form, and a gift order form. It's this early indication of attention to detail that continued throughout the cruise and sets Silversea apart from other lines. [ http://public.fotki.com/eroller/silver-shadow---oct/silver-shadow---cor/img2624.html ]
Sandy Lane "Simply to die for." We flew from Atlanta to Barbados on American and the flight was average. Nothing to write home about but we (and our luggage) arrived safely and in tact. That alone is a good flight in my book. Once we cleared customs our private car (BMW 7-series) and driver were there to greet us. Round trip transfers are provided by Sandy Lane if you book through the American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts Program (Platinum and Centurion Card holders). It's a fairly long drive from the airport to Sandy Lane. I would say it took about 40 minutes and although we were tired, we quickly forgot about our fatigue once we pulled through the gates of Sandy Lane. "Stunning" is really the best word to describe the property. Flowers, fountains, a fresh fragrance, birds chirping, and the ocean lapping truly put us into sensory overload. A very warm welcome from the accommodating staff (kudos to Sandra, Sophia, and Walwen) immediately put us at ease. Ice-cold menthol towels were presented along with a delicious concoxion of fresh island juices. We were escorted to our suite in the Orchard Wing where the check-in formalities were conducted and an orientation of the suite was given. You might wonder why we would need an orientation, so please have a look at the pictures (see pictures link at the end of the review) and you will see why. The suite had soothing décor, traditional in style but high-tech at the same time. There were three flat-panel TV's where you could program music, watch TV, play DVD's, access hotel services, or surf the net (free of charge). In addition there were several control panels throughout the suite that controlled curtains, music, lights, air conditioning, fans, door locks, etc. Even the "do not disturb" sign was an electronic light controlled from the panel. In addition we enjoyed the high-tech espresso maker.
Our suite included a bedroom, walk in closet, marble bath, second half bath, dining area, parlor, and entry hall. In addition the patio was massive and also included it's own dining area and seating area. Please see the pictures, as words really can't describe this gorgeous room. [ http://public.fotki.com/eroller/silver-shadow---oct/sandy-lane---barbados/ ] We were only steps from the beach, which was an added plus.
That night we enjoyed the Manager's Cocktail reception in the main patio area and then a delicious tasting menu dinner at L'Acadou, the fine dining establishment. It was delicious and very expensive! While we dined we enjoyed entertainment from native Barbados dancers along with island music. The other backdrop was a beautiful starlit beach and a calm surf adding to the ambiance.
Sandy Lane offers an amazing spa, massive pool with waterfalls and swim up bar, country club with three golf courses, childcare center, and a beautiful beach. The entire nature of the resort is one of relaxation, indulgence, sport, and quiet reflection.
Notes and highlights include: amazing beach service and wonderful padded chairs; incredible spa; three championship golf courses with beautiful clubhouse; GPS navigation system in every golf cart; majority of British guests; wild monkeys roaming the property; stunning beach and pools; warm, friendly service from the heart.
I'm pretty much a ship fanatic and usually can't wait to get to the ship. Staying at Sandy Lane was the exception. I really didn't want to leave. It was simply that fantastic. We were given hugs from the staff as we left and another private car took us to the SILVER SHADOW, about a 20-minute drive away along the coast.
Boarding Silver Shadow Boarding the SILVER SHADOW was impressive as ever. A group of about ten staff were pierside in white gloves to welcome you onboard. Once up the gangplank, Fernando the Cruise Director from Portugal was present to personally greet you. Champagne was offered and check-in formalities were conducted in the showlounge. Mission quickly accomplished, we were escorted to our suite, cabin 618, slightly forward on Deck 6 and what Silversea labels a Veranda Suite.
Suite 618 Renee, our cabin Stewardess from New Zealand quickly arrived and introduced herself. She pointed out all the features of the suite and made sure we knew how to contact her for anything we desired. She also asked what type of pillows we prefer, and how we would like the bar stocked. Amenities in the suite included binoculars; umbrella; sewing and shoe shine kit; extra blanket; slippers; robes; safe; clock; cosmetic mirror; stocked refrigerator; ice; glasses; and wonderful Bvlgari bath products. Of course a bottle of champagne awaited us along with the daily program (the Silversea Chronicles) and personalized stationary / welcome letters.
Service provided by Renee was exemplary and the cabin was kept spotless. Everything was like new and in perfect working order. This cabin was very quiet and we rarely heard noise from outside the cabin.
Special mention must be made of room service. It is truly exquisite. There is an extensive room service menu, but if there is something else you desire just ask and the staff will do their best to accommodate you. The breakfast menu is quite extensive and I enjoyed delicious blueberry pancakes most mornings. Lunch and dinner are also superb, and you are free to order off the dining room menu (included in the daily Silversea Chronicles) during normal lunch and dinner times. Room service is not just dropped off, but prepared on a special table that fits over the coffee table in your suite. Frette linens and fine china / silverware accompany the delicious cuisine. At dinner, you have the option of having your courses served course by course if you desire. The room service alone is reason enough to sail on Silversea!
The Ship SILVER SHADOW is typical of the Silversea fleet. Modern, clean, impeccably maintained, understated, comfortable, and well designed. I slightly prefer the SILVER SHADOW over the SILVER CLOUD for a few reasons. The gym and spa are larger, as is the pool deck. Also, the outdoor decks are more expansive and the cabin bathrooms are larger. SHADOW also had a newer feeling to her, which makes sense as she is a newer vessel. The differences are small enough that I would not hesitate to sail on the smaller Silversea vessels again if the opportunity arises.
Food and Service I felt both were impeccable. I never had a bad meal and the service received everywhere onboard was outstanding. The staff learned your name very quickly and called you by name whenever they had the opportunity.
The Restaurant was available for all three main meals, as was La Terrazza, which is the more casual venue. Breakfast and lunch in La Terrazza were buffet style although there was also a small menu at each table with daily selections. Plenty of staff are on hand to carry your plate and provide beverages. A lovely outdoor area with teak furniture is available at La Terrazza as well. For dinner, La Terrazza becomes a specialty restaurant, which I greatly enjoyed. I didn't feel the food and service were any better than The Restaurant, but it was a nice change of atmosphere. Reservations are required. The Restaurant had a four-piece band and dancing on certain evenings along with candlelit tables all adding to the ambiance. Many people danced between courses.
Le Champagne is an extra tariff restaurant and one of the few things you pay additional for on Silversea. I never tried it so I can't comment. It never seemed too busy but then again nothing seems too busy on Silversea. There is simply no waiting and no lines anywhere.
Finally there is the Poolside Grill. Beautiful teak tables and chairs are located in shaded areas poolside, and there is a special menu. Here they have burgers, hot dogs, fresh fish, chicken, salads, and wonderful deserts. Unlike poolside grills on most ships, this one is all waiter service. Everything is brought to you and made to order. If you want something off the menu, just ask. I really enjoyed the Poolside Grill, as I tend to spend a lot of time by the pool.
Something Silversea is well known for is an evening barbeque poolside. This is not a typical barbeque but truly a first class affair with dancing, entertainment, waiter service, real china, and linen covered tables. I greatly enjoyed this on SILVER CLOUD and was looking forward to it on the SHADOW as well. Unfortunately after the crew spent hours preparing, it had to be canceled due to showers. A disappointment for the passengers, but I felt more sorry for the crew who worked so hard to provide a truly memorable experience.
Entertainment Entertainment is very low key on Silversea. There are no art auctions, photographers, bingo, pool games (besides water volleyball) Vegas shows, or revenue producing announcements. Instead there are enrichment lectures and demonstrations during the day, with a small show (usually a vocalist or musician) at night along with dancing and music. Don't be fooled though, evenings can be lively on Silversea with dancing and conversation going into the wee hours. One set of lectures I enjoyed on this sailing were provided by the Cruise Director Fernando. It turns out he is a bit of a ship nut like I am. Just like I did as a child, he collected brochures, deck plans, and visited any ship possible while growing up in Lisbon. He is quite knowledgeable about ships and put on an entertaining lecture all with his own slides.
Fellow Passengers In keeping tradition with my last Silversea Cruise, our fellow passengers were a diverse group. There were only three children onboard, with a nice mix of ages for the adults. I think something like 27 nationalities were represented among the passengers, which speaks volumes considering the ship had just under 300 passengers onboard. I think the majority of passengers were from the UK, with the US close behind. What I love about Silversea passengers is how well traveled they are. Most love to talk about travel and they have lots of interesting stories and antidotes to share. Many seem to know each other from past Silversea Cruises. It really felt like a big family and everyone seemed to get along famously. With only 300 passengers onboard, you always ran into a familiar face, which is a pleasant change from the mega-ships.
Weather The weather was simply marvelous from start to finish. We had short rain showers in St. Barts (between the sun and stars) and the rest of the time it was glorious sunshine. Our final morning pulling into Ft. Lauderdale we were met with overcast skies and rain, but at that point who cares?
Seas were calm and usually it was difficult to tell the ship was moving. There was a slight rocking on a few nights, just enough to lull you to sleep.
Ports Barbados; St Lucia; Guadeloupe; Antigua; St Bart's; St Kitts; Virgin Gorda; Prickly Pear.
I'm not going to write too much about the ports. We had been to most before and we really went on this cruise for the ship experience more than the ports. Barbados and St Barts were my favorites, and I would certainly return to either. I wasn't too thrilled with St Lucia or Guadeloupe. In fact Guadeloupe should have been skipped all together as far as I was concerned.
In St. Bart's we went to the lovely Guanahani Hotel and enjoyed an afternoon of sun on the beach. We were able to use all the facilities of the hotel and enjoyed a wonderful lunch poolside. The Guanahani is a first class resort, but personally I much preferred Sandy Lane on Barbados. The SILVER SHADOW actually arrived in St. Bart's at 11pm the night prior to our schedule arrival. We simply anchored off the island and spent the night in the shadow of the island. It was kind of magical with the ship being so quiet (no engines) and the shoreline being so close.
Silversea provided a lovely private beach barbeque on Prickly Pear Island. This island is next to the exclusive Necker Island owned by Richard Branson. Literally everything was brought ashore from the ship via tender and the crew did an amazing job. The only thing local was the music, which was great. Cocktails, champagne, beer, etc. were all included just as they are onboard ship. A special treat were the waiters who waded out into the ocean to serve guests champagne and beer (or anything else you wanted) from special floating trays. It was truly a sight to behold and I quite enjoyed the experience, decadent as it was! I think the waiters enjoyed it as much as the passengers. I know Seabourn Cruise Line had done this for years, and now it appears Silversea is getting into the act as well.
Disembarkation All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately this Silversea cruise was no exception. Debarkation was smooth and civilized. There are no announcements before 8am and I was even able to enjoy my blueberry pancakes via room service the last morning. We said our goodbyes and we were off the ship by 9am. The staff was lined up to say goodbye as you exit the ship and available to carry your hand luggage if you so desire. We took a cab to Miami where we caught an uneventful American flight back to Atlanta.
Final Thoughts I hope from this review you are able to determine how much I enjoyed this vacation. I truly feel Silversea is better than ever, as they continue to provide a first class cruising experience. The combination of newer small ships, larger cabins, balconies, spotless vessels, delicious cuisine, attention to detail, interesting itineraries, and excellent personal service truly places Silversea at the forefront of the luxury cruise industry. I did not witness any penny pinching or a decline in service as some have indicated on various message boards. In fact I felt many things were even better and more luxurious than my past Silversea cruise about six years ago. Some people just can't be pleased and seem to look for anything to nit pick at. I have sailed on over 60 cruises on many different cruise lines and I can tell you it would be difficult to surpass my experience on the SILVER SHADOW.
Just below is a link to pictures and my email address if you have any questions. I hope you enjoyed the review and pictures.
Pictures Link:
Note: The pictures are divided into several different folders (ports, cabin, ship, etc.).
Any questions?
Please contact me at: [email protected]
My wife and I boarded the Silver Shadow October 13th in Miami for an eight day cruise to Barbados, just as Ron (see his review) and his shipmates were heading home. At exactly 3 PM (unless you paid an extra $100 per person or have sailed for 250 days on Silversea) the passengers were herded aboard and offered a glass of Prosecco while waiting to have security pictures taken.
This was our 20th cruise together, but our first on Silversea, and I had high expectations. Our Veranda cabin ("suite" in luxury cruise parlance) on Deck 6 met these expectations. I feel odd waxing eloquent about a bathroom and closet, but hey, they were the best we've had at sea. There was a chilled bottle of champagne waiting, and our stewardess arrived to be sure we had what we wanted in our in-room refrigerator—a good start.
Perhaps the Prosecco for champagne substitution on boarding should have been a clue, but it was downhill from there. Dinner in the Restaurant was memorable only for courses that were mediocre (Caesar salad) or forgotten (coffee and dessert). The best food we had on board was theelegant hors d'oeurvres served in the Bar before dinner (some on bent spoons and forks—very clever). When we were seated at La Terrazza for breakfast the next day, a waiter came up and told us "buffet." We learned from watching more experienced passengers that eggs, other than the scrambled variety on the buffet, can be ordered.
For a "nominal" (by Silversea's standards) fee of $300 a couple, it is possible to have dinner in the small Le Champagne restaurant. This was the only menu where I saw escargot during the cruise. We passed. Two evening meals at La Terrazza (Italian regional cuisine changing every two days, by reservation only) were excellent.
After two or three days we began to hear of other passengers getting ill, and five days into the cruise my wife was up all night vomiting—very likely a Norovirus. This was never acknowledged by the staff, and no attempts (other than asking passengers to disinfect their hands on reboarding) were made to control the outbreak. The CDC site lists two prior episodes on the Silver Shadow, and I am curious to see if this one is reported.
Wine and liquor flow freely, although the bartender trying to serve guests at the sail away looked like the proverbial one-armed paperhanger. There weren't enough deck chairs for everyone on the days at sea, and the bartender wasn't the only server who seemed overwhelmed by the crowd. The team trivia contests were clever (Do you know whose grave is visited most often in the United States?), the library is well stocked, and individual crew members were attentive and pleasant, but Silversea is far from "the Ritz at sea."
My wife and I went on a 7 day cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Started in San Francisco and went to Monterrey, Catalina Island, Long Beach, San Diego and Ensenada Mexico then back to San Fran. If you want luxery and pampering, this is a great cruise line. If you're after action and alot to do, I'de look elsewhere. It was perfect for what we wanted. We usually travel with our teenagers but this was about us. We're 46 and felt young as there were no kids and ave. age was probably 50-60. The ship was beautiful and very nicely done.
We stayed in a Silver Suite. We've stayed in several suites on many different cruise lines, but this was the best. The service was great. Anytime we asked for anything-we got it in a timely fashion. The food was great and was so nice not to have any time constraints. After all was said and done with all the drinks, wine, no tipping, etc include I felt it was a good value for what you get. You pay more up front, but it wasn't all that much morethan lesser cruise lines when the final bill came in. The ship, service, etc made it worth it.
We had signed up for our first cruise ever, Ft Lauderdale to Barbados, on the Silver Shadow months ago and had no idea what to expect. In an effort to learn as much as possible we did a lot of reading and surfing the net that is where we read John and Ron's recent reviews of the Silver Shadow. "Down hill from there" and "no Ritz on the sea" gave us some mild apprehension prior to departure and certainly had our antenna up for the negatives they reported.
While we were first timers on the sea (not counting a Greek Isles cruise back in college) we are not unfamiliar with luxury or first class service which I am happy to report the Silver Shadow met or exceeded. We met numerous other passengers who have sailed every luxury line out there and some who had as many as 500 days of voyages under their belts. They were all unanimous in their praise of the food, staff and quality of the Silversea's ships. Maybe, to their credit, Silversea Lines reads the reviews but none of John or Ron's problems reared their head onour 9-day cruise through The Caribbean. Both embarking and disembarking were very easy. We took the advice of embarking one hour after the prescribed time and walked right into our first of many glasses of champagne and caviar. It was up hill from there!
While we had two excellent meals in La Terrazza (the Italian flare) restaurant we found the most enjoyable meal experiences in the main dinning room for lunch and dinner. I would highly recommend breakfast in La Terrazza. As the ship usually moors stern end towards town you are sitting on the 9th deck looking into some exotic port. I ordered Eggs Benedict every morning and loved them. I would agree whole heatedly that more information on the islands (pots of call) for non-tour participants would help. The tour desk was putting out 8X10 copies of the island map on one side and the main town on the other. But it would have been nice to know that renting scooters on St. Kitts was not for the faint of heart and conversely everyone should rent and enjoy a scooter on Isle de Saint.
I came to realize that much of this adventure was a live and learn experience. That would explain why some of the seasoned vets would take up a position by the pool while many of us ran around islands and counted the minutes until we could return to our oasis, The Silver Shadow. We never had trouble finding deck loungers and always received drinks before the DT's set in. The one price covers all should become the norm as it makes for a wonderful cruise experience. Put your wallet in the in-room safe and forget it. No tipping and getting nickel and dimmed every time you turn around. A business associate recently cruised on another line. He was presented with a welcome drink and several minutes later a bill to sign. I could go on for pages but suffice it to say all 8 in our group had a fabulous experience and can't wait to go again and that trip will be with Silversea. I would very respectfully suggest that if Ron and John had a less than satisfactory experience they should team up and lease their own private yacht because I don't see how cruising could get any better.Ward
My wife and I sailed on the Silver Shadow December 3-12 from Fort Lauderdale to Bridgetown, Barbados. We are both in our early 50s and are experienced world travelers. We have cruised on many different lines, all in the luxury class.
This was our first cruise with Silversea. Our overall impression was that the Silver Shadow is the ultimate in sophistication -- a cruise ship for every other luxury vessel to try to equal.
Negative aspects and experiences: There were none.
We arrived in Miami a day before departure, because of personal experience with consistent luggage problems at the Miami airport. Warning: If you are going through Miami and you need your luggage to be with you, always arrive a day early.
Boarding Embarkation went perfectly. We arrived half way through the embarkation hours and walked straight onto the ship after they took our passports and took a quick photo of us. Total embarkation time was less than two minutes -- there was no waiting, delays or lines. We came by early and dropped off our luggage, then went to a fabulous Italian restaurant and had a leisurely lunch before arriving for boarding.When we stepped onto the ship, the staff gave us each a glass of Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Champagne, and for nine days it never stopped flowing.
Disembarkation was also fast and efficient. We had a leisurely breakfast in the Terrace Cafe as we did every day. We had settled our accounts and picked up our passports the day before disembarkation, and were off the ship in less than one minute.
Positive aspects The Silver Shadow provided an expert to give a detailed talk about every port we visited, early in the morning as we were arriving. Our expert had been an Associated Press reporter all over the world for 30 years and then a CIA analyst for another 20 years. He was very knowledgeable about each port and knew the complete history of each island.
The Silver Shadow also provided a walking map of the dock area and a map of the town at every stop, as well as a local tourist guide at each port who was at the information desk every morning. Every port was in the middle of the largest town on each island, so we did not need ground transportation to see the local sights.
Food The food was a gourmand's feast. We have not had better food on any other ship. My wife and I are professional food and wine people; we both trained at a professional chef's college, as did others in our group. Normally we are not too impressed with food anywhere, but that changed with the Silver Shadow. It was incredible. The sauces were rich and the flavors were intense. Some dishes were a little low sodium but the seasonings were powerful. (Many people get salt confused with flavor and seasoning.)
All food service was first-class and unobtrusive. Water, bread, wine, butter and utensils all appeared and disappeared like magic. There were never any interruptions from when our orders were taken until the dessert menu was presented.
At breakfast in the Terrace Cafe, the wait staff always offered to prepare any special breakfast we wanted, like eggs Benedict, French toast or any kind of omelet. Many mornings we were offered any of these special meals two, three or even four times. Most mornings we just enjoyed cruising through the cafe's bountiful breakfast buffet. It was fabulous!
The service personnel were excellent. The maitre d's in The Restaurant were outstanding. There were eight of us, and every night we invited another couple as our guests -- so every night we were a party of 10. We never had any problems with seating or service. Our wine steward was especially good. She memorized what every person liked and brought us appropriate selections at every meal.
We really liked not being nickeled-and-dimed to death for every drink. My wife and I figured that our bar bill for the nine days would have run to several thousand dollars on any other ship.
The ship had a special dining room called Le Champagne, where one could pay an extra $150 for world class wines specially selected by the ship's master sommelier with each course. You could drink as much of these very expensive wines as you wanted. Our four friends who dined in Le Champagne claimed that they drank more than $4,000 worth of wine at each dinner. That would be more than $1,000 worth of wine for each person, for a surcharge of only $150 -- not a bad deal. Next time, we will be in Le Champagne for several meals ourselves.
Staterooms Our stateroom was the best we have seen on any vessel; we had the smallest cabin on the ship, but it was huge. The bathroom was easily large enough for two people. It had two sinks and plenty of shelving space for our toiletries. There was a nice-sized shower and a bathtub. The large walk-in closet had a safe along with drawers, hanging racks and a tie rack sufficient for our four suitcases of clothes. The bed was excellent. Set up for a meal or wine-tasting was excellent. There was plenty of room for everything.
The Silver Shadow, much larger than many other luxury ships, was very stable and barely rocked. The stabilizers worked great and there was never any lateral rocking. The ship did move up and down like every ship does.
Some other reviewers have mentioned that there was a smell of raw sewage at varying times and places. We experienced none of this.
Overall The Silver Shadow is truly a "best of class" ship. The ship was huge for the number of passengers. We never saw a crowd anywhere at any time. The entire staff is among the best, from all over the world. I cannot speak of how the Silver Shadow has been in the past, but as of December 2006, our impression is that it is the ultimate in sophistication.
My wife and I sailed on the Silverseas Shadow on September 26 to October 13, 2006 from Los Angeles California through the Panama Canal to Miami, Florida. We are 68 years young and experienced world travelers. We have also cruised on a number of different cruise lines tending heavily toward the luxury class.
This was our first cruise with Silverseas. Our overall impression of the Shadow is that it is a smallish pleasant cruise ship. It is definitely not a luxury class ship when compared to Crystal, Seabourn, and Regent Seven Seas.
Poor or minor negative aspects: Embarkation starts exactly when stated in the information packet. At the LA pier this resulted in the majority of passengers whose flights arrived early to sit in a large room and wait. Most cruise lines at a minimum set up an orderly process to embark based on a first come first to embark. Silverseas passed out group boarding colored cards that results in a "European ski lift line" approach to boarding when your color is called. Silversea did not serve any refreshments. To avoid this poor initial impression it is better to arrive at leastone hour after the start of boarding.
My wife was bothered by the smoking in the bars and other public areas. Since the public areas are small it only takes a couple smokers to permeate the area.
The Shadow, being small, constantly rocks and this could be a problem for passengers subject to motion sickness. However, we considered this a positive aspect as it rocked us to sleep (for naps) and at night.
The Shadow, also mentioned by other reviewers, still suffers from the smell of raw sewage at varying times and places. Our suite bathroom had a very pronounced raw sewage smell. I found the smell could be eliminated by closing all bathroom drains. The same smell occurred once near the main elevators.
Major negatives that occurred on our cruise: Disembarkation was a nightmare. The Shadow tries to disembark the same way of all other cruises. They distribute colored tags based on your need to disembark early or later. For our cruise the written instructions were not only poor they were wrong. Whoever, wrote the instructions did not seem to realize there would be US and non-US citizens on board. The first step required guests to retrieve their passports from "The Bar". The next step was to watch the crew members run around telling non-US citizens to go one place and the US citizens to wait for disembarkation announcements. Disembarkation was to start at 8:30 AM but I overheard one of the immigration officers call his office and say the Shadow had not prepared any agricultural papers, "They don't even know what they are." Disembarkation started at 9:45 AM. I suspect that many passengers missed their Miami flights as we saw heavy rush hour traffic going to the Miami airport while we raced to the Ft. Lauderdale airport to just make our 12:05 PM flight.
The Shadow provides no port talks or useful information for guests who are not taking one of the shore excursions. All other cruises that we have been on provided detailed port talks, a walking map of the dock area and town, and a free or minor cost to ride a shuttle bus to and from the town if it is located any distance from the dock. The Shadow did provide a shuttle from Puerto Caldera to Puntarenas but for all other ports they just said, "There are taxis at the end of the pier."
At all dining venues it was possible to order items not on the menu. It appeared almost like a game to have new cruisers guess what to order. One simple example was the breakfast menu in "The Restaurant" was very limited. After several days of ordering from the limited menu I finally asked the wait staff "Is it possible to get Eggs Benedict?" She answered, "But of course." To this day I wonder what else they could make for breakfast and other meals. We also observed other diners for lunch and dinner having selections not on either menu. The evening meals in "The Restaurant" are hit or miss. "Fresh Whole Main Lobster with Drawn Butter" consisted of lobster meat removed from the shell and arranged on the plate. It consisted of two pieces of claw meat each the size of a small thumb nail and a meat piece smaller than an average size prawn. The beef selections were for the most part very good to excellent. Fish on average were the poorest selections. Since the majority of guests were somewhat older than us I believe the chef avoided richer sauces and/or seasoning.
At each meal there is an initial place setting for each seat location. After you order the wait staff removes and replaces silver and glasses for each course of the meal. The wait staff also selects a bread piece based on your request, tells you about the wine, asks each diner if they want water, or more water, or more wine, or more ketchup, or more syrup, or more etc. This works OK during breakfast and lunch in "The Restaurant" where there are few guests. For dinner this is pandemonium for the waiters and guests. We found it mostly impossible to have a conversation at our table as the wait staff must keep interrupting to maintain their schedule.
Many positive aspects However, there are many positive aspects of a Shadow cruise. Our standard suite was the best we have seen of all luxury cruise lines. The bath room is easily large enough for two people to use as it has double sinks and sufficient shelving space for all toiletries. The nice sized shower has a tempered glass door so there is no shower curtain trying to perform questionable acts on you as you shower. The walk-in closet has a regular mirrored door that opens into the closet not out into the room or sliding doors. The closet drawers, hanging racks, tie rack, and safe were sufficient for all of our three suit cases of clothes. The suite does not contain all those little drawers to stuff some clothes into as they are not needed. Best bed we have ever slept in compared to other cruise lines and many hotels. There is excellent service and set up to have a meal in your suite.
The service personnel are excellent. The maitre d' in "The Restaurant" is outstanding. He easily fulfilled our dining seating requests as well as our last minute request to get us into "The Terrace Cafe". One evening they ran out of "The Perfect Martini" glasses in the Panorama lounge and the waitress apologized as she brought the drink in regular martini glass. A few minutes later the bartender came over and explained why they were out of the glasses and also apologized.
We really appreciate cruise lines, like Silverseas, that includes everything in the initial price. It is nice not having to pull your card out and sign for drinks or take part in the very distasteful task of putting money in envelopes and passing them out at the end of the cruise.
Another great highlight was meeting and talking with so many interesting people. We did notice that the guests were very well mannered, friendly, and dressed appropriately for each meal. There were only a few women who took their shoes off and put their feet on the seat in front at the evening shows.
Itinerary: Vancouver, Ketchikan, Haines, Wrangell, Sitka, Metlakatla, Vancouver
If you're one for nature and scenery, then Alaska is for you. The sight of the Sawyer Glacier up close, the snow-capped mountains, the whales, the bears, the bald eagles are truly spectacular. SilverSea even provides binoculars in each suite. I cruised through the tranquility of the Misty Fjords. But I must say that as spectacularly beautiful as Alaska is, for me nine days of this was a bit repetitive.
Our cabin was Vista (439), a mid-ship, no-balcony cabin. We thought we wouldn't get much use of a balcony on an Alaskan cruise. For our particular trip I think I was right. However, the cruise that sailed the week before ours encountered temperatures in the mid- to high 80s with blazing sun. On our cruise, the temperature maxed out at about 72, and that was rare. The cabin was spacious and comfortable. The bathroom had dual sinks, a separate bath and shower. The Bulgari amenities were nice and were replaced twice during the cruise. There was a walk-in closet with a safe, which worked intermittently. The refrigerator was well stocked, and I was asked what twospirits I'd like brought to us. Oddly enough, when the spirits were brought to the stateroom, one had been opened already. It was returned and replaced after a lengthy conversation with room service. They apparently didn't understand why I might not want an already opened bottle.
There really wasn't a bad meal to be had aboard the Silver Shadow: The food ranged from very good to outstanding. The cuisine in the ship's main dining room, The Restaurant, was superbly prepared. On most of our previous cruises, I would elect to order something off the menu, but the food was so good on the Silver Shadow that I didn't choose this option.
The ship offers two alternate dining venues: La Champagne and The Terrace Café. Both require reservations, but there is no supplemental charge to dine in either restaurant. However, no wines in La Champagne are complimentary; they must be purchased from the premium wine list. La Champagne offers a menu with few choices -- not quite a set menu, but given that it's a very small room the options are limited. The menu changes every two or three days in La Champagne. The ambiance was that of an intimate restaurant. The food was very, very good. The Terrace Café is adjacent to La Champagne but is a much larger room. This venue offers different themes each night. I went for the Mediterranean evening. Here you can choose between the complimentary wines and the premium wine list. Again, the food was deliciously prepared.
There seemed to be a dichotomy in service aboard the Silver Shadow. Certainly the service throughout the ship was impeccable and efficient; yet it was strangely impersonal. Service wasn't overly friendly. I think only one staff member ever asked our names, or what we liked/disliked. That one staff member was the Cruise Consultant, and he needed the info to book our next SilverSea cruise. This was a marked difference from Seabourn, Radisson or even Queens Grill on Cunard.
This was very poor. We were given key cards on the pier, then were told to board the ship. Once we were in the lobby there was no guidance or assistance. There were crowds of people at both the reception desk and the shore excursion desk but I didn't know why. We couldn't believe that we had to make our own way to the stateroom -- on other high-end lines you're escorted -- so I asked a staff member. Only then did we learn that we needed to go to the reception desk or shore excursion desk to have our photograph taken for security. Embarkation really seemed disorganized.
This was similarly disorganized. People were given color-coded tags that indicated when and in what order they would disembark the ship. For example, passengers with earlier flights would disembark prior to people with later flights. When it came time to disembark, the order in which the colors were paged was wrong, which had many people concerned. The later-flight people disembarked before the passengers with earlier flights.
The Ship
The décor of the Silver Shadow is very attractive, very light, and not at all glitzy. She's an easy, comfortable vessel to get around, with all staterooms forward and most public rooms aft. The Observation Lounge, which overlooks the bow, was packed while we cruised the Misty Fjords and the Sawyer Glacier. This lounge is really for relaxing. It offers coffee and tea, but isn't really a bar setting. The more social locations on the ship were the Panorama Lounge and The Bar. It was in these lounges that people congregate for cocktails and conversation. One caveat for you ship lovers: If you're looking for a nautical experience, you won't find it on this ship. The Silver Shadow is more like a floating Ritz-Carlton than a seafaring vessel.
Shore Excursions
We didn't opt for any of the ship's offerings, so I can't comment on that. We arranged our own excursions and enjoyed them quite a bit. These included two floatplane adventures (Ketchikan and Sitka) and a two-hour ground tour of Sitka.
The ship had three entertainers on board -- a singer, a magician/comedian, and a banjo player. I only saw a snippet of the comedian/magician. He was fine. Other passengers commented on how good the singer was.
Why I took this cruise: I had business in Portland and saw a good deal on this cruise that was leaving just two days later from nearby Vancouver, so we booked and sailed.
Overall impressions
We will be back on SilverSea in November for a South America cruise. I enjoyed this cruise and the SilverSea experience. I personally would give Seabourn the edge on service but SilverSea's ships are more modern.
Previous cruises: QE2 - transatlantic '95 QE2 - transatlantic '01 QM2 - maiden voyage Seabourn Sun - Capetown - Las Palmas Seabourn Spirit - Southeast Asia Radisson Mariner - Baltics Radisson Voyager - Bermuda..no, wait..we ended up in Canada!
My daughter and I cruised on the Silver Shadow from Barcelona to Lisbon in September. From embarkation to debarkation it was an experience of excellence! We arrived early at the pier and were welcomed aboard even though we hadn't opted for the 'early embarkation' extra. We were greeted by servers with trays of champagne and escorted to the Panorama lounge for a brief wait before being escorted to our lovely cabin. The staterooms have been repeatedly reviewed, so I will not duplicate that effort, but I have to comment on the lovely soft linens, down pillows and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in onboard a cruise ship!
The main restaurant had very good food and an outstanding maitre d' and wait staff. When we requested a certain type of wine, our server searched it down and had it available each night of the cruise. The maitre d' was very sensitive to two women traveling together and provided us with excellent dining companions as well as a table for two when we requested it. He even arranged a dinner with the Chief Engineer. Lunch in this dining room is thebest-kept secret on board! Most people have lunch at the Terrace, which is buffet service, but the Restaurant has few guests, which leads to remarkable service and really outstanding food.
Room service was incredibly prompt and the food was always hot! We challenged the staff each day with requests not on the menu, and every request from eggs benedict to certain fruit compotes was met with aplomb and accuracy.
Shore excursions were truly exemplary. Lunch at one shore call was really a treat: We were met back at the ship by servers on the pier holding trays of rum punches with the tiny umbrellas, trays of snacks, and of course cool, damp towels! After walking onboard, we were greeted by a three-piece musical group and more canapes. Now THAT's class!
When the ship called at Casablanca, my daughter took the 12-hour excursion to Marrakesh. I opted to stay on board. When she returned she said the bus trip wasn't long at all, as they had frequent stops and a fabulous lunch. Other guests hired private guides or took the train; one even chartered a plane to Marrakesh! The next day we toured Casablanca and the Blue Mosque with a wonderful guide who provided a wealth of information about Muslim beliefs and customs. All excursions had very comfortable motor coaches with knowledgeable guides and frequent stops. In Spain, we visited Grenada and the Alhambra and stopped to smell the lovely olive trees along the way. We went to a sherry winery, sampled the wine and had a very enjoyable time. In Jerez, we saw a wonderful performance by the Andalusian horses in a very new, clean (and air-conditioned) arena.
Debarkation was so easy and seamless, but we really did not want to leave our lovely stateroom. To be sure, Silversea will be our choice in the future for cruising.


text:
...how to join a multi-player game (either on a server, or for a LAN game)
Using Hamachi and the Minecraft_Server.exe
There are two different ways to connect to multiplayer games and play with your friends. One way is to use a program called Hamachi. This allows people that are not in the same house to join in. For example, Linda could join my server. This is the better option though if you would like to create a LAN game for people in your own household or close by. Please visit How to Make a Minecraft Server With Hamachi for step by step instructions.
Note: Since the release of version 1.7.2, the GUI on the Minecraft_Server.exe appears blank. That does not mean that the world is not working the way it should be though. Mojang is currently working on a fix for this.
If the people who are trying to connect to your server using Hamachi are getting connection errors, on their computer, have them go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall > Allow a program through Windows Firewall. Click the Change settings button at the top. Scroll down the list to Java Platform SE binary. Make sure the box under Public is ticked. Click OK.
Here are my son Ethan and I connected to my Hamachi server and just starting out in our new world.
Using a hosted Minecraft server.
Here at NSC, we use a website called MC Pro Hosting who offers various Minecraft server hosting plans. They give us many different options to customize the server to our liking. We have been using the same multiplayer world for quite some time now and have had a blast chatting with each other, building, mining, fighting mobs and more! The world is so huge and there are endless possibilities. We are always finding new areas and fun things to do!
*NOTE:* The NS server is specifically for members of these forums and their family members. Our Minecraft server is and will always be family-friendly. If you would like to join our server, please send Linda or Carrie a PM.
To connect to a multiplayer world, launch the game and go to Multiplayer. Click the Add server button in the lower right corner. Under Server Name, type in what you would like for it to be called (for example: NS Server). In the Server Address box, type in the server IP and port number. For example, you would type in the following:
Click the Done button. You should now see it in the Play Multiplayer list. Click on NS Server, then click the Join Server button and you're in!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Show what can be done with anthropology and photography in the 2011 AAA Photo Contest. The contest is now open and accepting entries through August 15, 2011. Voting by AAA members for the top photos will open in mid-September. Guidelines are:
Participants must be current AAA members
Each participant may submit up to 2 photos
Each photo will include a title and brief caption that emphasizes its relationship to anthropology
Each photo must be from 2009 or later. Previously submitted photos do not qualify.
Each photo must be high resolution so it can be printed for display at the annual meeting and in AN
Participants are welcome to adjust their photos for brightness, color, contrast, removal of scratches and the like. Photos may not be adjusted in a way that affects their authenticity.
Participants will select 1 of 4 categories for each photo: People, Place, Practice, Process
Submissions will be accepted only through the online form
After the photo contest closes on August 15, AN staff will review the photos to ensure that each photo meets the technical requirements, including a clear relationship to anthropology. All qualifying photos will be uploaded to AAA's new voting system and open for voting in mid-September. Any AAA member will be able to vote for their top photos in each of the 4 categories. The top photos in each category will be on display at the Annual Meeting and published in Anthropology News.
Questions? Email Amy or Mark at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Hernandez Truck Repair offers 24 hour road service to makesure that you're taken care of no matter what kind of condition your semi-truck is in. We can repair and service trucks, trailers, diesel engines, RV motor homes and more. Our facility is equipped with all the tools necessary to get http://intim.news/members/hedge0cymbal/activity/20680/


text:
Orion is a modern responsive parallax Wordpress One Page Template, perfect to promote your portfolio. With a responsive design it is easily usable with any device (desktop, tablet, mobile phone…).
- Fully Responsive
- Scroll Parallax
- Single Page
- PSD Included
- Modern Design
- Sticky Navigation
- Ajax Contact Form
- Cross-browser Compatible
- Filterable Portfolio
- jQuery Enhanced
CreditsTo see all contributors and credits for images and scripts used please click here: Orion Wordpress Credits
All Updates
v1.3 – 3.10.2013
Also you should take into account that Team section has no pagination anymore, now all teammembers are shown at the same time now. If you have more than 3 members the following ones will be placed below the first ones.
v1.2 – 23.8.2013
Fixed ie9 bugs that was causing team and projects images to not be shown.
Fixed responsive bugs for parallax images, now the text is properly centred and images change theyr size.
Now a text is shown when you send the contact form informing if it was properly delivered or there are any error.
Now View project button is not showm if there is no link related.
Fixed a bug that removed the text in the form when you clicked on it.
Improved the team section, now you can add any number of members and arrows work properly.
v1.1 – 11.6.2013 // Contact, portfolio and others bugs solved
v1.0 – 10.5.2013 // Release


text:
Wherevent lets you visualise Facebook events on a Google Map. Connect to Wherevent with your Facebook account and you can browse your upcoming events and discover who is attending directly from a handy Google Map
Using the map it is possible to see what events are going on in your area and who will be going. It is possible to search the application by date and location. It is also possible to see how many people are attending the event and how many of them are male and how many are female.


text:
PICC lines (peripherally inserted central catheters) are used to give someone chemotherapy treatment or other medicines.
A PICC line is a long, thin, flexible tube known as a catheter. It's put into one of the large veins of the arm, above the bend of the elbow. It's then threaded into the vein until the tip sits in a large vein just above the heart.
The line is usually sealed with a special cap or bung. This can be attached to a drip or syringe containing your medication. There may be a clamp to keep the line closed when it's not being used.
Sometimes, it divides into 2 or 3 lines. This allows you to have different treatments at the same time.


text:
Traverse I
Traverse I
24 x 24 Roll Leaf Foil Original Art Work on Aluminum
Piece is float mounted ready to hang for display
Foil is Reflective in Nature, Color May vary from photo based on your monitor settings
Piece can also be traditionally framed. Framing options available upon request
Ships free in the continental USA
** Sizing in situation is approximate scale. Please check measurements of the work in relationship to your planned location.


text:
It's a shame this is coming out now, and not in 2008, when the Wii actually needed it. Still, for what must surely be one of the last big "serious" games for the console, it looks like a great way to sign off.
Xenoblade Chronicles', from Monolith, has been out in Japan since last year. While an American version will hopefully be out later this year, Europeans will be able to get their hands on it in September.
[via Go Nintendo]


text:
Ten Ways to Have More Fun at Golf
Golf is supposed to be a fun game, but often it's more frustrating than anything else. Mistakes lead to frustration, but you can easily avoid common golf errors. Here are ten tips to keep you from suffering cataclysms that occur on golf courses all over the world:
Take some golf lessons. If you really want to have fun playing this game, start off with a few lessons to get you on the right track. It's amazing what you can do with a clear concept of how to make a golf swing.
Use a club that can get you to the hole. Amateurs often come up short with their approach shots to the green. For whatever reason, they choose a club that can get their shot only to the front of the green even if they hit the most solid shot of their lives. You can play smarter than they do: Take a club that you can swing at 80 percent and still get to the hole. Conserve your energy; you have a long life ahead of you!
If you can putt the ball, do it. Don't always use a lofted club (a wedge or other iron designed to hit the ball high) around the greens. Use a less-lofted club that gets the ball rolling as soon as possible whenever you can.
Keep your head fairly steady. Your head should move a little during the swing, especially with the longer clubs. But try not to move it too much. Moving your head too much leads to all sorts of serious swing flaws. Have someone watch you — or film you — to see how much you move your head.
Be kind to the course. In fairways, replace your divot or fill it in with divot mix, the mixture of sand and grass seed you find in plastic jugs attached to golf carts. On the green, use a divot-repair tool to fix the mark your ball made when it landed. (Left untended, a ball mark can take two or three weeks to heal, while one that's fixed can be good as new in three or four days.)
Bet only what you can afford to lose. You can lose friends by betting for more money than you have. Never bet what you can't afford to lose.
Keep the ball low in the wind. When the wind starts to kick up, you need to adapt. Play the ball back in your stance, put your hands ahead of the ball, and keep them ahead of the ball at impact. Keep the ball as low as you can, and you manage your game much more efficiently. You probably won't lose as many golf balls, either.
Don't give lessons to your spouse. Giving golf lessons to your spouse should be a federal offense. Don't try it! Doing so can only lead to disaster. Invest some money in lessons from a pro instead. Get your spouse good instruction and reap the benefit: peace of mind.
Always tee it up at the tee boxes. Whenever it's legal (in the teeing area), tee the ball up. This game is more fun when the ball is in the air.
Keep your wits about you. If all else fails, if you lose your last golf ball, you can keep your sense of humor and survive. This game is hard enough without blaming yourself for everything.


text:
Prepay on the PAY ONLINE page or make reservations on REQUEST A DATE page
Open Art Sessions Is a great way to relax and relieve stress by picking up a brush after work, school or just to get out with friends and family. It's General Admission no minimum needed. Kids 5 and older are welcome to paint as well with an option to freestyle. We will have 2 hour sessions, while listening to soft jazz. We recommend for all tickets to be purchased in advance to assure a spot. Walk-ins are welcome at lease 30 minutes before session time, but we can't guarantee a spot. We will choose the painting for open session days & nights, so please follow up with our upcoming open sessions on Instagram, website, Twitter & Facebook weekly. No hot food will be allowed, only small snacks and Bring your own Beverage of choice (BYOB). We provide Ice & Cups.


text:
CAIRO -- Egypt's military gave the ousted president his first contact with the outside world since removing him from office, allowing Europe's top diplomat Tuesday to meet with Mohammed Morsi in his secret detention. She emerged from her two-hour talks with him urging all sides to move on toward a peaceful transition. Despite the military's gesture, two days of efforts by the EU's Catherine Ashton to find a solution to Egypt's crisis hit a brick wall. Some voices in the military-backed government, including Vice President Mohammed ElBaradei, have arisen hoping to avert a security crackdown on Morsi's supporters, but neither side has budged in their positions, which leave no visible room for compromise. Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and his Islamist allies say the only solution is for Egypt's first freely elected president to be restored to office, and they have vowed to continue their street rallies until that happens. Tuesday evening, they held new marches in Cairo outside the military intelligence offices, and in other cities around the country. The military and interim government, in turn, have rejected releasing Morsi or other detained Brotherhood leaders, a step the Europeans have called for and that Islamists have said could improve the atmosphere. Instead, they appear determined to prosecute detained Brotherhood members for crimes purportedly committed during Morsi's presidency and for violence after his fall. Looming over the deadlock is the possibility of security forces acting to clear the main pro-Morsi sit-in in Cairo, where a crowd of his supporters have been camped out for nearly a month -- a move that would almost certainly bring bloodshed. Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, was invited by several parties in the standoff, including ElBaradei, in what appeared to be a last ditch attempt to use her good offices with the Brotherhood to find a way to avert a showdown. The invite came after at least 80 protesters, mostly Morsi supporters, were killed Saturday in clashes with security forces in one of the worst single crackdowns on a protest in Egypt's nearly three years of turbulence. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke by phone with the head of Egypt's military, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, on Tuesday to "urge restraint by Egyptian security forces in dealing with ongoing protests," the Defense Department said. Secretary of State John Kerry also spoke to Ashton by phone and backed her call for an "inclusive political process." Ashton gave the first outsider's look on the situation of Morsi, who remains at the center of the standoff. Morsi has been held incommunicado in unknown locations by the military since he was ousted on July 3. Ashton said she was able to see the facilities where Morsi is being held, but she does not know his location. Local media said she flew to see him in a military helicopter, and EU officials said she was not blindfolded. Ashton said Morsi was well and was keeping up with the latest developments in the country through television and newspapers. "So we were able to talk about the situation, and we were able to talk about the need to move forward." She refused to divulge any of their conversations' details. She underlined that "I am not here to ask people to do things," but to try to find common ground. She sounded a sober tone about Egypt's divisions. "My message to everyone is the same: This great nation needs to go forward peacefully," she told reporters. "And the challenge really is to find the way in which you can bring people together and go forward, bearing in mind the starting points are far apart. This is what leadership is about." Security officials and pro-military media have increasingly depicted the Islamists' protests as a threat to public safety, saying protesters are stocking weapons, blocking roads and threatening army and police installations. That has hiked calls among security agencies and in pro-military media for the rallies to be cleared. Morsi's supporters insist their protests are peaceful. Standing next to Ashton at the press conference, ElBaradei sounded a note against a crackdown, appealing broadly for an end to violence. "The political solution must have priority. We hope that there is a political solution, before there is a security solution," he said. Still, he made clear that disbanding the pro-Morsi protests was necessary, saying that if "terrorizing people and threatening their lives" continues, "there will be violence and there will victims. This is the last thing we wish to see as Egyptians." He also appeared to rule out releasing Morsi, saying that he is under criminal investigation. But he added that while "Morsi failed," the Muslim Brotherhood "very much continues to be part of the political process and we would like them to be part of the political process." Authorities originally said they were holding Morsi for his own safety, but last week prosecutors announced he was under investigation into allegations he conspired with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to break him and other Brotherhood members out of prison during the 2011 uprising against autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Leading Brotherhood member Essam el-Erian said Ashton's meeting with Morsi was "a positive step." But he said it had no impact on the crisis. "As time passes, more people will jump off this coup ship," he said defiantly. Seif Abdel-Fattah, a former adviser to Morsi , said Ashton's visit and ElBaradei's comments were part of a "public relations campaign to beautify the coup." He said it is the military that calls the shots on how to deal with the crisis. Abdel-Fattah and other Morsi allies have offered political initiatives to resolve the crisis -- but all involve returning Morsi to office at least briefly, which for the rival camp is out of the question. Abdel-Fattah's proposal would have Morsi resume the presidency to appoint a prime minister agreed on by all sides to lead a transition to new elections. Reflecting the continued tension, el-Erian said Monday that by getting involved in politics, the armed forces has lost "its legal immunity," suggesting protests will continue outside military installations. On his Facebook page, the military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali quickly warned against such protests, accusing el-Erian of "incitement." Abdullah el-Sinawi, a commentator familiar with the military thinking, said the interim leadership was clearly seeking Ashton's help to convince the Brotherhood to disband the protests, and minimize their losses. "The authorities are in a big dilemma. They ... are under a lot of pressure from inside to rein in the use of violence, and international pressure to show self-restraint," he said. "But the Brotherhood in the streets is a challenge, threatening the authority itself if it doesn't move." What is the nature of the next steps remains unclear. Security officials said they will pursue legal means to disband the sit-ins, while others are calling for trying those inciting violence and targeting the group's finances. Ziad Bahaa-Eldin, the interim deputy prime minister, posted on his Facebook that those like him who criticized the Brotherhood for exclusionist, repressive politics and ignoring of the law must also speak against such practices now. "That is why we should avoid falling in the trap of repeating those actions and behaviors regardless of the extent of provocation and escalation that the protesters are practicing in" the sit-ins. Those who support the new road map should put "this energy toward positive goals that seek democracy, reconciliation and justice." Bahy Eddin Hassan, a leading human rights activist, said statements from within the administration indicate differing positions on how to deal with the crisis, and said the ball is now in the moderates within the pro-Morsi camp. "Otherwise extremism will win on both sides," Hassan, whose group had called for the dismissal of the interior minister in the wake of the weekend violence.
Most Popular
- Accelerate ABA set to open next month in Halfmoon
- Saratoga Springs Police Department names new school resource officer
- Saratoga Springs Police advisory: Shot fired at Putnam Place
- Greenfield Center woman charged with DWI, resisting arrest
- 17 Shenendehowa student-athletes make their college commitments official
- Snapshot: Sensory Six opens new studio In Saratoga Springs
- Ballston Spa man killed in fatal crash involving motor vehicle and train
- Saratoga Springs Police Department report: Nov. 10, 2019
- Saratoga Fair Trade Market Expo to return to Saratoga Springs City Center
- Clifton Park man charged for indecent texts with minor


text:
Girls Outerwear
When the temperature starts to drop, turn up the heat with the latest girls' coats from Hot Topic. There is no reason to go into the winter without the right winter coat for you. Our jackets help you make a sleek statement outside. Stay warm inside when you slip on a girls vest. Withstand bad weather in a stylish windbreaker for girls. Hot Topic's outerwear will keep you warm and fashionable this winter.


text:
Feeling under the weather and/or stressed? The use of ear candles encourages relaxation, which as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help living well with various ailments. The combination of warm smoke, aromatherapy, and ambient sound relaxes the body and allows for natural healing.
Harmony's Ear Candles are hollow candles that have been used by many generations when one needs to relax to encourage a healthy wellbeing. They are handcrafted in rural Georgia, USA by single mothers, people with disabilities, and retirees.
The safety of our customers is our #1 priority; therefore, we use only the highest-grade materials available on the market. These include:
- Certified Organic Cotton Cloth: Harmony's Ear Candles has teamed up with Appachi Cotton to create the ONLY certified organic cotton ear candle free of chemicals and dyes. appachicotton.com
- Food Grade Wax and/or Beeswax: Harmony's Ear Candles are all created with the highest quality wax available. All our candles are handcrafted with Food Grade Wax, which is used on produce and in cosmetics, and/or Locally Acquired Beeswax. This ensures a much cleaner burn and no drips.
- USA Patented Vortex Safety Tip: Harmony's Ear Candles has created a safety tip that not only promotes relaxation by giving you peace of mind but it also creates a stronger vortex that increases the candle's efficiency.
- Burnline Safety Label: Harmony's Ear Candles all include a burn line safety label that lets the customer know when the candle has burned to the perfect point. Safe and very easy to use!
- Double-wrapped: Harmony's Ear Candles are handcrafted and double-wrapped for safety and longer burn times.
Harmony's Famous Extra Small Handcrafted, Organic Ear Candles are 10" long and approximately 3/8" in diameter. They are made with certified ORGANIC cotton cloth and locally acquired beeswax..


text:
Oklahoma City Thunder manager of team operations Wilson Taylor called on his teammates Russell Westbrook, Nick Collison, and Kevin Durant to lead his now-fiancé Felicia Hudak on an epic scavenger hunt that ended in a romantic proposal of marriage.
In her words:
It started off as a normal Sunday morning. Wilson had arranged a massage for me because, as he said, "I'd had a long week." I didn't think much about it because I am fortunate enough to have a caring, sweet man.
After the massage I was handed a card. The card said that I had two hours to get ready and that my next clue would be waiting for me outside of the house. Around 2:30 p.m. a stretch limousine was waiting outside to pick me up. The driver handed me my next clue that stated I needed a fresh manicure. I found my mother waiting at the salon. I chose a beautiful red polish and when we finished my mom handed me my next clue.
This clue said I should, "go to the place where I met my future wife and the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." That place is Saturn Grill, where three years before, Wilson followed me to my car just to meet me and give me his card (sounds creepy, we know, we laugh about it all the time). We got to the restaurant, which is normally closed on Sundays, and found it open just for me. The owner told me that my next clue is hidden near the table where we first saw each other. I found it taped under the table.
It told me to meet one of Wilson's closest friends at a place where he goes every single day. "I hope you've been working on your free throws," the note stated. In a panic, I told the driver to head to the Oklahoma City Thunder practice facility. Russell Westbrook was waiting for me. He told me that in order to receive my next clue I would have to make two free throws. I managed to do it within five tries and was on to my next adventure.
I was instructed to go to the place where we had our first date, Empire Slice House. There I would find one of his close friends, Nick Collison, another Thunder player. We talked about the incredible adventure I had been on and the amazing times we had together as a group. We had a slice of pizza and I was given my last clue, which was harder to figure out because it was a spot that we'd never been together. It was the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Museum.
When I arrived, the Thunder's Kevin Durant was standing outside. He escorted me around the corner where I saw the love of my life and best friend standing there with all of our friends, family, and most of the Thunder team. After giving me my last card, Wilson asked me to be with him for the rest of his life. After a slight scream of excitement I said, "yes!"
We'd like to give a HUGE shout out to Ben at Blue Nile for helping Wilson find the perfect ring! Still speechless.
(The above has been edited for length.)


text:
Each of us has within ourselves the ability to fight cancer by harnessing the power of two potent anti-cancer weapons: prevention and early detection through cancer screenings. Research has shown that the risk of developing many types of cancer can be significantly reduced by making healthy lifestyle changes that include eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding risky behaviors such as smoking and alcohol use, as well as following vaccination recommendations. Regular cancer screenings can detect cancers in their earlier stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful.
The World Cancer Research Fund estimates that about one third of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are related to lifestyle factors that include poor nutrition, physical inactivity, smoking, excess alcohol consumption, and being overweight. You can reduce your risk of cancer and help prevent it in the first place by eating a balanced diet with an emphasis on plant-based foods, being physically active, avoiding tobacco products, limiting alcohol use, and maintaining a healthy weight. Healthy lifestyles have also been shown to improve the survival rates of people already diagnosed with some cancers, such as colorectal, breast, and some gynecological cancers.
Many of the most common cancers today, such as cancers of the skin, colon, cervix, and breast, can be detected in their earlier, more curable stages through the use of screening tests. For some men, after a discussion about their risk for prostate cancer with their health care provider, prostate cancer screening may be the right decision. Annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) has been shown to reduce lung cancer deaths in individuals at high risk for lung cancer by 20%, as opposed to chest x-ray screening.
Cancer prevention also includes immunizations that provide protection from certain viral infections. Since its approval in the U.S. ten years ago, the HPV vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective against the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease. Persistent infection by high risk HPV strains is the cause of cervical, anal and other genital cancers, as well as an increased number of head and neck cancers.
NewYork-Presbyterian is committed to combatting cancer through prevention and early detection. The Hospital's Cancer Prevention Program combines the expertise of two premier academic medical institutions, the National Cancer Institute-designated Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NYP/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Ronald P. Stanton Clinical Cancer Program and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. The program provides a full range of cancer screening, education and prevention services at its comprehensive Cancer Centers located in the New York metropolitan area and at its Westchester and Hudson Valley Hospitals: NYP Lawrence in Bronxville and NYP Hudson Valley in Cortlandt Manor. These services include:
- Mammography and other imaging tests to screen for breast cancer
- Multiple options for colorectal cancer screening, including colonoscopy, virtual CT colonography and stool testing
- Prostate cancer awareness and education, with discussion about whether to be tested
- Skin exams to detect melanoma and other skin cancers
- Low-dose CT scanning for lung cancer screening
- Cervical cancer screening
- Genetic counseling and testing
- HPV (human papillomavirus) testing and vaccination
Cancer prevention and screening services are available at all NewYork-Presbyterian comprehensive cancer centers. To find the location most convenient for you, please visit nyp.org/cancerlocations.
NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the largest and most comprehensive hospitals in the nation, ranked New York's No. 1 hospital for the 16th consecutive year, and No. 6 in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report. Affiliated with two academic medical colleges – Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NewYork-Presbyterian brings together internationally recognized researchers and clinicians to develop and implement the latest approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NYP/Columbia University Irving Medical Center is one of only three NCI designated comprehensive cancer centers in New York State. NewYork-Presbyterian provides comprehensive cancer care at all of our locations across the New York Metro area including Westchester County and the Hudson Valley. Learn more at nyp.org/cancer.


text:
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, drop-in support group for anyone with hurts, habits or hang-ups that are keeping them from a full relationship with God.
The purpose of Celebrate Recovery at Pathways Church is to fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives through the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes, and Christ-centered 12 steps. The experience allows us to be changed. We open the door by sharing our experiences, victories, and hopes with one another. In addition, we become willing to accept God's grace in solving our life problems.
By using the Christ-centered steps and applying their biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. The freedom creates peace, serenity, joy, and most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others.
Meetings are held every Thursday evening from 6:30-8:30PM, with fellowship and refreshments following.
For more information contact:
- Jane Shackleton – 920.740.3957
- Jeff Shackleton – 920.841.8432


text:
Air Ride's Project Supernova Pushes The Limit Of Styling Ingenuity With A Set Of Custom Fender Vents. We Show You How To Make Your Own.
It's difficult to fathom these days, but there was a time when car guys did indeed call the shots in Detroit. For irrefutable evidence, look no further than the '68-72 Nova. A quintessential sleeper, the Nova was basically Chevy's compact ho-hum granny mobile stuffed with one of the baddest motors GM had to offer that year, the 396 big-block. Think Chevy Cobalt LS with a factory LS3 option, converted to rear-wheel drive, and you get the idea. As dementedly functional and entertaining as the car's unassuming styling was during sordid stoplight engagements, the Nova looked so understated that it still appealed to the dentures-and-oxygen-tank crowd. While it was certainly a fine-looking automobile, a '69 RS/SS Camaro or '67 Corvette coupe it wasn't. To make matters worse, street racers quickly pulled a Scooter Libby on the Nova's true identity. The end result was a car that still looked like a sleeper, but no longer enjoyed the benefits of a sleeper.
Well aware that the car's cover was blown long ago, Air Ride saw no need to prolong the sleeper motif when designing its '70 Nova, which will be given away at next year's Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus. To amp up its aesthetics, Air Ride infused the Nova with a vibe that's part vintage Trans Am racer, and part Pro Touring. One of the most prominent and unique visual elements are the heat extractors grafted into the fenders. "The Nova originally had a cosmetic vent installed in the fender from the factory, and we were just trying to modernize it," explains Bret Voelkel of Air Ride. "Real road race cars use vents like this for engine bay exhaust and brake ducting. Many of the newer European cars have some type of fender vent as well."
The position of the factory vent in relation to the fender and wheelwell means that Air Ride's modernized unit is strictly a cosmetic piece. However, when something looks this good and is so tastefully executed, it's hard to care. Nonetheless, depending on the vehicle, Air Ride's design can easily be adapted to functionally move air through the engine bay or wheelwell and simultaneously win a bunch of style points. If you're game or know a fabricator who is, here's a step-by-step outline of how they went together.


text:
Roto-Rooter plumbers in Bergen County provide full service plumbing and drain cleaning, including maintenance and repairs. Roto-Rooter's Bergen County plumbers offer residential and commercial plumbing services that customers depend on for all of their local plumbing needs.
Trusted and recommended since 1935, Roto-Rooter is the premier provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in Bergen County, NJ.
Your call will be answered by a trained customer service representative who will handle your request quickly and schedule service at your convenience.
Operated as an Independent Franchise
All available services, hours of operations, pricing structure, and guarantees may vary by location.
Homeowners everywhere have relied on Roto-Rooter since 1935 for honest, professional advice on all types of plumbing and drain cleaning services. Large jobs or small, we do it all:
Counties: Bergen, Passaic
Have a Plumbing Question?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions section to find answers to our top plumbing questions.
License# 10693


text:
Or Login using BecomeGorgeous
Please fill the form below and follow the further instructions.
You are about to receive a email from us please make sure to check your spam or junk folder and add our email [email protected] to your contact list.
Thank you!
With the holiday season just around the corner, it's time to go glam with attention-grabbing, gorgeous wavy hairstyles! Glossy, bouncy waves are a head-turning option if you want to add a burst of elegance and sophistication to your party look. Whether you choose the sharper shape or the effortless yet groomed one, with middle or side parting, glamorous waves are beautiful and luxurious. The best thing about waves is that you can look absolutely amazing with the minimum amount of effort and using just a few styling tools. All you nee... Read More


text:
Welcome to the second installment of our new video instructional series "How To Play Morley Field". We will post a new video for each hole once a week for 19 weeks. This series will include tips from our local Team Innova sponsored pro and 11 Time Morley Field Course Champion Micah Dorius. These 3-4 minute videos are focused on the novice to intermediate level players looking to improve their game with insights on how to play each hole position and deal with its unique features. We hope you will enjoy this series and walks away each week with new insight to improve your game. We are glad to hear your comments and welcome any ideas for more instructional Disc Golf videos.
[wpvideo EsfnHt7s]


text:
At a crucial point in the film Tanda Putera, ethnic Chinese youths urinate on a pole flying the flag of a Malaysian state, setting off events that push the country into a deadly race riot that still haunts the national consciousness four decades later.
The publicly funded movie, which opened recently in Malaysia after a long delay, is stirring up racial sentiment at a sensitive time over its depiction of the ethnic Chinese minority as the aggressors in the violent events of May 13, 1969.
The bumiputera system of preferential treatment for ethnic Malays, who make up two-thirds of the population, was born out of the riots and continues to be the No. 1 complaint among the country's ethnic Chinese.
The film, released as Malaysia marked its 56th year of independence and as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak prepares for a possible leadership battle within his party next month, plays on deep-seated fears at a time when Chinese disloyalty has been blamed for the government's depleted majority in May's election.
The predominantly ethnic Chinese state of Penang has advised cinemas not to screen Tanda Putera on the grounds that it crosses a line by using public funds to promote hate.
"Because the film is sponsored by the government, the film is effectively the official version of the riots," Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.
Creative license should not be used to spread lies that may cause racial disharmony, he added.
That is a charge Shuhaimi Baba, the film's director, denies.
"Historical facts carry many backstories written by different sources on the same subjects," she said. "Filmmakers use creative license to put them together in a story or else they become documentaries."
The movie — whose Malay title means "Mark of a Prince" — was held back before the election in May for fear of alienating ethnic Chinese. Their votes went to the opposition, anyway, sharply cutting the government's winning margin.
Hardliners in Najib's United Malay National Organization party equated the disaffection of ethnic Chinese with betrayal and the intemperate mood has simmered. Najib's Cabinet has only two ethnic Chinese ministers, both in minor posts.
Official versions of the 1969 riots are scant on detail.
About 200 people are said to have been killed in the clashes in and around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after opposition parties supported by the ethnic Chinese community made inroads in a general election three days earlier.
Shuhaimi's film builds the picture of the looming disaster in a series of heavy-handed scenes, portraying the Chinese mainly as shadowy figures who bring mayhem. In contrast, the Malays show restraint and dignity, even as events spin out of control.
Tanda Putera makes much of the role played by then-deputy prime minster Abdul Razak Hussein, the father of the current prime minister, in securing peace in the face of personal tragedy.
Shown as strong, self-effacing and principled, Razak has no discernible fault in the film. He hides his terminal leukemia, finally succumbing to it in scenes at a London clinic.
The film flays foreign correspondents for biased reporting on the riots and gives a nod to the theory that mainly ethnic Chinese communist elements had a hand in the trouble.
Better known for horror movies, Shuhaimi said the question of too much or too little creative license did not apply in a feature film like Tanda Putera.


text:
JL Audio has tackled the challenges of automotive amplifier design with the same commitment to engineering and innovative thinking that we apply to our speaker designs.For us, it isn't enough to repackage circuits and technologies that have been around for decades... our customers expect more.
The affordable JX lineup offers rock-solid performance with well-proven Class D and Linear amplifier technologies, while the cutting-edge HD and XD amplifiers finally deliver on the promise of full-range switching amplifiers, combining outstanding efficiency, small size and amazing sonic qualities. The legendary Slash-Series that started it all is also available and features our unique R.I.P.S. power supply and patented output technologies.
Whichever JL Audio amplifier you choose, you are getting a serious product designed to make great audio in your vehicle.
Our flagship amplifiers feature Single-Cycle Control switching technology and R.I.P.S. power supplies to deliver top-flight audio performance.
Simplify: Reference-grade amplifiers with integrated DSP
Slash v3
The Slash v3's feature an all-black look that is pure, sexy evil, with significant changes under the hood as well.
The amazingly small XDv2 amplifiers are huge in audio performance, thanks to our advanced NexD™ switching technologies.
Sleek and powerful, RD amplifiers deliver outstanding amplifier performance and versatility at an unprecedented value.
JX Amplifiers apply our no-nonsense, pure performance philosophy to a high-value package.
Compact, powerful and versatile, MX amplifiers are designed to deliver outstanding audio from the smallest of spaces.
Amplifier Accessories
In this section, you will find amplifier accessories like our Remote Level Control and amplifier Stack Kits for current and legacy model JL Audio Amplifiers.


text:
Page 1
|Save page Remove page
|1 of 142
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large (1000x1000 max)
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
This page
Running head: PSYCHOSEXUAL ADJUSTMENT AFTER CERVICAL CANCER i Psychosexual Adjustment among Low-Income Latinas with Cervical Cancer By Lina Mercedes D'Orazio A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PSYCHOLOGY) December 2013 Copyright 2013 Lina M. D'Orazio
Object Description
|Psychosexual adjustment among low-income Latinas with cervical cancer
|D'Orazio, Lina Mercedes
|Author email
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|College of Letters, Arts And Sciences
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Date approved
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Meyerowitz, Beth E.
|Advisor (committee member)
Huey, Stanley J., Jr.
John, Richard S.
Aranda, Maria P.
|Research on the psychosocial experiences of Latina cervical cancer patients remains limited, despite the fact that Latinas continue to have the highest incidence rates of cervical cancer. An understudied area of adjustment for Latinas with cervical cancer is sexual functioning after treatment. In this study, interviews were conducted with 100 Latina cervical cancer patients in an urban county hospital in order to describe their sexual functioning and related psychosocial experiences, to identify cancer-related (physical symptoms and body image concerns) and contextual predictors (life burden) of sexual functioning, and to examine hypothesized mediators and moderators of the relations between sexual functioning and emotional states, specifically depression and affect. Problems with sexual functioning were prevalent (84% of sexually active (n=56) women met criteria for sexual dysfunction) and reported levels of dissatisfaction with sexual functioning were high. Aspects of the cancer experience (body image concerns) and of the context of patients' lives (life burden) accounted for significant variance in sexual functioning in regression analyses. Sexual functioning was negatively associated with depression and negative affect, and positively associated with positive affect. Relations between sexual functioning and depression and negative affect were mediated by patients' intrusive thoughts about sexual dysfunction and avoidant coping strategies used to manage these intrusive thoughts. Sociosexual attitudes, hypothesized to distinguish patients at risk for sex-specific intrusive thoughts, failed to moderate the relation between sexual functioning and sex-specific intrusive thoughts. Partial Least Squares path modeling was used to test the conceptual model, which adequately fit the data. The findings from this study suggest that sexual functioning, predicted by cancer-related and contextual factors, is a relevant area of adjustment for this sample, and is associated with emotional states through patients' sex-specific intrusive thoughts and coping strategies used to manage them. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
|sexual functioning; culture; Latinas; cervical cancer; coping; sexual attitudes
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
|Publisher (of the digital version)
|University of Southern California. Libraries
|Electronically uploaded by the author
|Legacy record ID
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|D'Orazio, Lina Mercedes
|Physical access
|The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.
|Repository name
|University of Southern California Digital Library
|Repository address
|USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA
|Repository email
|Archival file
|Page 1
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Repository email
|Full text
|Running head: PSYCHOSEXUAL ADJUSTMENT AFTER CERVICAL CANCER i Psychosexual Adjustment among Low-Income Latinas with Cervical Cancer By Lina Mercedes D'Orazio A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PSYCHOLOGY) December 2013 Copyright 2013 Lina M. D'Orazio


text:
Cruise Holidays of Upland
(800) 873-6033
Group Cruises - Escape with your best friends, spend quality time as a family, or hold an unforgettable meeting or conference!
Singles Cruises - We work with SinglesCruise, specialists with customized vacations just for single travelers.
Subscribe to Email Promotions
If you would like to receive special cruise promotions by email, please click here to sign up!
Who plans your vacation really does make a difference. When you choose Cruise Holidays, you'll feel your vacation is the only one we're working on because for you, it's the only one that matters. We get it...let us show you what it means to work with experts. Learn More>>
Advanced Search
Our Hosted Cruise Collection
Book Your Land Tours Online!
Book Your Shore Excursions Online!
Passport & Visas
Check In For Your Cruise
Independently Owned and Operated
Cruise Holidays of Upland
440 N Mountain Ave - 108
Upland, California 91786


text:
Empress Hotel
The Empress Hotel first opened its doors in 1873 and thanks to a love and focus on live music, has not changed drastically over the years and, has earned its iconic status with an eclectic mix of regulars. The formal dining room is exactly that: a formal dining room with original wallpaper and light fixtures, Victorian era furniture, a large open fire place and is notably void of any plasma screens. As with all traditional pubs, The Empress Hotel offers a traditional pub menu with steak, fish & chips, chicken parma, shephards pie and a burger on offer. On a cold, wet, winter's night, we took a step back in time, grabbed a couch near the fireplace and ordered the beef burger with Gourmet Angus beef, caramelised onion, mixed leaves, beetroot, cheese, tomato, cucumber and tomato relish.


text:
A startup plans to demonstrate next month a new digital modulation scheme that promises to dramatically boost bandwidth, capacity, and range, with less power and less distortion, on both wireless and wired networks.
MagnaCom, a privately held company based in Israel, now has more than 70 global patent applications, and 15 issued patents in the U.S., for what it calls and has trademarked Wave Modulation (or WAM), which is designed to replace the long-dominant quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) used in almost every wired or wireless product today on cellular, microwave radio, Wi-Fi, satellite and cable TV, and optical fiber networks. The company revealed today that it plans to demonstrate WAM at the Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 7-10, in Las Vegas.
The vendor, which has released few specifics about WAM, promises extravagant benefits: up to 10 decibels of additional gain compared to the most advanced QAM schemes today; up to 50 percent less power; up to 400 percent more distance; up to 50 percent spectrum savings. WAM tolerates noise or interference better, has lower costs, is 100 percent backward compatible with existing QAM-based systems; and can simply be swapped in for QAM technology without additional changes to other components, the company says.
+ Also on NetworkWorld: 802.11ac 'gigabit Wi-Fi' starts to show potential, limits +
Modulation is a way of conveying data by changing some aspect of a carrier signal (sometimes called a carrier wave). A very imperfect analogy is covering a lamp with your hand to change the light beam into a series of long and short pulses, conveying information based on Morse code.
QAM, which is both an analog and a digital modulation scheme, "conveys two analog message signals, or two digital bit streams, by changing the amplitudes of two carrier waves," as the Wikipedia entry explains. It's used in Wi-Fi, microwave backhaul, optical fiber systems, digital cable television and many other communications systems. Without going into the technical details, you can make QAM more efficient or denser. For example, nearly all Wi-Fi radios today use 64-QAM. But 802.11ac radios can use 256-QAM. In practical terms, that change boosts the data rate by about 33 percent.
But there are tradeoffs. The denser the QAM scheme, the more vulnerable it is to electronic "noise." And amplifying a denser QAM signal requires bigger, more powerful amplifiers: when they run at higher power, which is another drawback, they also introduce more distortion.
MagnaCom claims that WAM modulation delivers vastly greater performance and efficiencies than current QAM technology, while minimizing if not eliminating the drawbacks. But so far, it's not saying how WAM actually does that.
"It could be a breakthrough, but the company has not revealed all that's needed to assure the world of that," says Will Straus, president of Forward Concepts, a market research firm that focuses on digital signal processing, cell phone chips, wireless communications and related markets. "Even if the technology proves in, it will take many years to displace QAM that's already in all digital communications. That's why only bounded applications -- where WAM can be [installed] at both ends - will be the initial market."
"There are some huge claims here," says Earl Lum, founder of EJL Wireless, a market research firm that focuses on microwave backhaul, cellular base station, and related markets. "They're not going into exactly how they're doing this, so it's really tough to say that this technology is really working."
Lum, who originally worked as an RF design engineer before switching to wireless industry equities research on Wall Street, elaborated on two of those claims: WAM's greater distance and its improved spectral efficiency.
"Usually as you go higher in modulation, the distance shrinks: it's inversely proportional," he explains. "So the 400 percent increase in distance is significant. If they can compensate and still get high spectral efficiency and keep the distance long, that's what everyone is trying to have."
The spectrum savings of up to 50 percent is important, too. "You might be able to double the amount of channels compared to what you have now," Lum says. "If you can cram more channels into that same spectrum, you don't have to buy more [spectrum] licenses. That's significant in terms of how many bits-per-hertz you can realize. But, again, they haven't specified how they do this."
According to MagnaCom, WAM uses some kind of spectral compression to improve spectral efficiency. WAM can simply be substituted for existing QAM technology in any product design. Some of WAM's features should result in simpler transmitter designs that are less expensive and use less power.
For the CES demonstration next month, MagnaCom has partnered with Altera Corp., which provides custom field programmable gate arrays, ASICs and other custom logic solutions.
John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for Network World.Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnwcoxnwwEmail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.


text:
Product 27/30
EFT Master, Peter Graham, explores perspectives on the use and applications of EFT. His extensive background working with couples and individuals have helped to develop a particularly insightful and supportive therapeutic method. Peter's introspective and informative lecture, along with his endearing and highly effective tapping demonstration offer new angles in using EFT, while still clearly maintaining the best of the classic EFT protocol. This presentation has much to offer and serves as a helpful resource to all interested in EFT.
Watch a video excerpt of this DVD:
You can SAVE on this DVD by subscribing to the DVD of the Month Club! (This DVD is part of the DVD of the Month Club Series)
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 08 April, 2009.


text:
El Catz
It is in a small town in Haute-Savoie in France, two passionates of electronic music, dubstep, met. Their attraction for totally different styles of electronic music pushed them to create a particular style in September 2012, in which they invite you to travel between electro, dubstep, glitch and complextro. One year after the creation of the EL Catz, soundtracks such as "somewhere in a dark corridor" and "Stream" are used by youtube channels. And other sounds are already used by Youtube channels such as "Mister jday" in the clip analyzes. But later "Ajna" as the main theme of the show Youtube "culture tube" with the release of their first album "Star Catz" in November 2014. Currently, EL Catz working on their next album as well as tracks for new expanding youtube channel seasons.
Press Start
El CatzLength : 4:58
Moon and catz
El CatzLength :