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Hello my lovely friends,
Greetings from Hollywood. Hope you've been well.
I've been quite busy since my last visit to Australia in May. There's always an event going on in this town, and everyone needs some jewels to help them sparkle.
One of my dear friends and clients received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her name is Angelica Maria and she's an iconic American and Mexican
actress. It's a great honour to have a ceremony on Hollywood Blvd, having your star revealed to the media and other actors , with lots of press and paparazzi everywhere.
She wanted to shine bright, which allowed me to came up with diamond earrings, rings and a bracelet to accent her look.
What a fantastic experience to be part of, with millions of people watching.
Jetting over to Las Vegas for the Miss USA pageant where I styled some lovely ladies. They request big bling jewellery for their walk on the red carpet. We also worked with some international contestants who are preparing for the Miss Universe pageant. We need to work far in advance to create the best looks for these gorgeous women.
My New York associates needed me to come in for a big training session for Top Model Latina. The pageant takes place in the next few months and now we need to prepare the contestants so they'll have the perfect walk, hair and makeup, and the fashion and accessories that will make them stand out. I designed several new jewellery items for them that mix rose gold and white gold for a fresh feel. In fact, I've added some of these looks to my collection at TVSN, and I think you'll love them!
I'm a big fan of Broadway in NYC, as I grew up there and had the chance to attend fantastic shows. One of my favourite was the award winning hit "DREAMGIRLS" (later on the movie was made starring Beyonce)
Years ago I become friendly with the original cast and began to help style them with my fashion, handbags and jewellery for their special appearances all over the world.
I received a call that they were having the 35th reunion show in LA and they asked me to bring my Charlie Lapson jewels … what an honour to work with these fabulous entertainers. And one of the guests who I also worked with was Mary Wilson of the Supremes. Her music is legendary. Creating jewellery for them was very fulfilling and watching them sparkle on stage was a treat.
So many other fun events betweis exclusive evening as the show was being put together for her tour. She's certainly someone I'm very proud to have wear my creations.en Miami, NYC, Las Vegas, and LA, I've certainly been keeping busy.
But the top experience for me was to go to the private rehearsal for Barbra Streisand's concert. I was invited to this exclusive evening as the show was being put together for her tour. She's certainly someone I'm very proud to have wear my creations.
Now back to designing and preparing for my visit to Australia. Looking forward to sharing my new collection with you.
Big hugs
Charlie Lapson


text:
Survivify: School
You've made it through the GMATs and the laborious application process. You've chosen which school to attend, and you've quit your job -- unless you are going to B-school part-time while you continue to work, in which case OMG -- and you are possibly going to relocate to pursue your number-crunching dreams. Props to you for taking the plunge. But the real work is only just getting started.
While any graduate program will require sacrifices and a great deal of effort, B-school is its own unique animal. After all, the main goal of it is to prepare people to work as managers, so you can expect the program to in fact feel like work. There will be meetings, PowerPoint presentations, sales forecasts, marketing briefs, and lots and lots of email.
So, share some strategies here to help the next group of masochists thrive in B-school. Whether you're a poet or a quant, all tips are welcome. It'll bring back memories, and it's just the right thing to do.
Look on the bright side:
- You'll learn how to function without sleep.
- If you were terrified of public speaking before, at least you won't be afterwards.
- You will have a completely new vocabulary and a Ph.D. in buzzwords before it's all over.
- You'll become really great at PowerPoint.
- Add one
Tips from the trenches:
- Reverse Polish Notation - learn it fast. Your life (or at least your sanity) may depend on it.
- Go to the math bootcamp program. If your school doesn't have one, take some math refresher courses before B-school starts.
- Invest in a decent laptop. You'll do a lot of work in remote locations featuring coffee and free wi-fi.
- Be true to your word. Most of B-school work is done in groups, and you will need to be a trusted teammate to get through it.
- Many programs use a cohort model, whereby you stay with the same group of people throughout the first year.
- See more Add one
Survival kit contents:(replenish as often as needed)
- Read
- MBA Degree in a Box: All the Prestige for a Fraction of t...
- Business School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Bus...
- The 10-day MBA: A Step-by-step Guide to Mastering the Ski...
- Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success
- See more

subset: commoncrawl


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Alpacas (Camelids) were revered and treasured by the ancient Inca civilization. Today, alpacas still live on the Andean plateau in the mountains of South America. These beautiful animals were one of the key foundations to Inca commerce. The camelid provided food, clothing, fuel and transportation to the Incas who were accustom to a very harsh and hostile existence.
The Alpaca and Llama have been domesticated for around 6000 years. Today, approximately 99% of the world's approximate three million alpacas are found in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. The center of the alpaca textile industry is in Arequipa, Peru. Yarn and other products are made from alpaca and sold primarily in either Japan or Europe.
Alpacas were first imported into the United States in 1984. Today, there are still fewer than 200, 000 registered alpacas in all of North America. According the Alpaca Registry Inc. (ARI), Registered Alpaca Count published in the Summer of 2007 on the ARI web site there are approximately 147, 690 alpacas currently registered in North America. According to this (ARI), Registered Alpaca Count posted in 2007 the population consists of approximately 112, 778 registered Huacayas and 26, 915 registered Suris in the United States. To learn more about this data please see Our Links to review the ARI database. Obviously, this is a dynamic and growing population. The excitement and unique business opportunity the alpaca affords the North American breeder is easily appreciated.
Alpaca fiber has a cellular structure similar to hair. This valuable fiber is prized by the modern textile industry around the world. In particular, alpaca fiber is in high demand in Britain, Europe and Japan for its fineness and silky feel.
Alpaca fleece comes in 22 natural colors and sells for approximately $3.00 -$5.00 a finished oz. Annual fiber yield is about 5 to 10 lbs. per alpaca. Alpaca fiber can be easily dyed and has a feel similar to fine cashmere. This highly desirable finished product offers a lifetime of wear, insulation and shape.
The alpaca has been meticulously bred for thousands of years to yield a beautiful fleece while minimizing guard hair (the prickle component found in other fleece like wool). As a result, alpaca is lightweight and soft. People that tend to be sensitive to other natural fibers can easily wear alpaca products. It is in especially high demand to those looking for absolute perfection in an all-natural finished product.
As you investigate the wonderful world of Alpacas, you will discover many investment perspectives on the financial potential of our industry. In reality, these new business opportunities are potentially limitless. All types of exciting and rewarding enterprises are awaiting the new North American alpaca breeder. Make no mistake about it, there are very successful fulltime breeders generating six figure incomes and more in the alpaca business. Yes, we did say more! There are also breeders making little more than smiles.
Many ranches have built their business through years of dedication and have invested in a quality-breeding program. Some have made their fortunes through importation and through investment speculation with volume exchange as a goal.
It is important to note, that this is a true livestock business that incorporates some potential and inherent risk. Although the returns can be significant with hard work and dedication, it is prudent to realistically consider the risks. These risks are sometimes unavoidable and unexpected.
Investment Opportunity:
However, if you are reading this site at all, you probably have decided that alpacas are of great interest to you and your family. Perhaps alpacas can provide your future with much more than pure investment potential.
While consistent residual income may be icing on the cake, most likely you have simply fallen in love with these creatures. If you are reading this without having the pleasure of meeting an alpaca face to face, you may have your doubts. Once you meet you first alpaca, there is very little you can do to keep from being hooked. If that magic does not occur, it is perhaps recommended that you find another area of interest and potential investment.
The investor looking to make a quick return might be successful in alpacas, but may be more successful on Wall Street. Ours is a long term nurturing business providing multiple benefits and financial rewards that require some dedication and most of all:
Lifestyle Opportunities:
Another key element to the success of our industry has been its versatility. With so many different investors, the range of potential business plans is virtually unlimited. In fact, there are hundreds of different ranch profiles and business approaches that are being employed by breeders large and small
In fact, the alpaca investment is completely scalable. Investors and breeders alike can enjoy alpacas at any level of participation that is ideal. There are many levels of quality and many opportunities to enjoy the alpaca lifestyle at personalized levels of risk and investment.
Some ranches do not rely on business plans at all, but rather life style plans that take far more into consideration than simply return on investment. In fact, these profiles are just as important as the business plan in one sense, in that they ensure long-term returns of personal satisfaction. While this may sound a bit idealistic, working from this perspective can help to realistically determine if the alpaca business is right for you and your family. Sound financial analysis along with some good ole fashion honesty can help frame the lifestyle benefits that will be the key to future success.
These lifestyle plans are the real strength of the market because they represent its stability and the true value of our market. In fact, these benefits based on lifestyle rather than cash returns are often just as important to the potential investor. For those looking for more out of today's fast paced working environment through the alpaca lifestyle, the horizons are limitless.
The passion for alpacas and our market is our most stabilizing factor because the truth be told: People Love Alpacas! They will always be in demand and popular. In fact, Quality is not a gimmick in any business and always commands its price and value.
The Bottom Line:
So what's the bottom line? For those looking for a balance sheet leading down the yellow brick road, some examples exist. Please examine each example with your personal finances, investment portfolio and lifestyle in mind.
Alpacas are great to own but even more fun to raise, show, train and sell! Once you raise an alpaca that was proudly hand bred and nurtured on your ranch, the hook will be set all that much deeper. What else can we say!
Tax Benefits:
Potential Returns
(Proceeds From) can be organized into several categories:
What Could go Wrong?With all these potential sources of income, how could anything go wrong? As stated above, there are some potential risks such as illness, injury or death that do not plague an investment CD for example. These risks are limited, but do realistically exist. Therefore, it is essential that owners insure their investment utilizing the livestock insurance policies that are common in our industry. These policies can be customized to cover a variety of different potential risks. Education and research early in the evaluation process can help new buyers determine the appropriate insurance coverage to address these potential investment risks.
Unfortunately, new buyers sometimes fail to insure their most valuable asset. This approach is not to be universally encouraged and is completely avoidable. Please, don't take this risk.
Our formula is to insure our top studs and females until we have recovered our original investment through either stud service income or sales of new cria. Once we have realized this goal, we can accurately assess if removal of the insurance is appropriate. Another common method is insuring large herds at lower than market values through a deductible policy. In this situation, the cost of insurance is lower over the aggregate thus spreading the risk across your herd equally. (E.g. 5K per head). Please keep in mind that each breeder's assessment of potential risk may vary. For new buyers, these concerns are often more important as losses in the early stages of herd development may have more financial impact.
With this in mind, please realize that there are some inherent risks in the alpaca business. However, the benefits and market potential is truly unlimited. Through careful planning one can safely avoid the potential losses and enjoy the business free of the limited risks. The Alpaca market in a sense is wide open from what we observe.
How Long Will It Last?
The answer in all honesty is unknown. That is why it is important to be realistic and prudent when projecting potential future returns.
Please consider however that for the over 11 years that we have owned alpacas, the prices and market potential have remained relatively stable. In fact, the market is growing and our message of the many rewards is reaching more Americans than ever before.
For example, our ranch features alpacas of every price range and provides several levels of quality, price and value. We have consistently experienced growth in all segments of our market.
Our ranch is home to both South American Camelid breeds; the Huacaya and the Suri. Our approach is designed to offer our customers a wide selection of valuable inventory from each breed. Since the alpaca lifestyle is enjoyed from a multitude of perspectives, providing a wide selection of animals has been a proven formula for success.
Many new breeders purchase animals to simply make quality garments for family and friends and plan to enjoy the investment from a purely internal perspective. Other new breeders have purchased animals to create an exciting breeding based business. With this in mind, plan to evaluate the investment from your own personalized business/investment plan perspective. This will ensure a future that is financially realistic and personally rewarding without the misleading investment hype that can often be a part of a new investment endeavor.
With these perspectives in mind we have been able to introduce many new breeders to the business. This has been both personally and financially rewarding. The opportunity to assist investors and potential breeders from initial evaluation to investment while offering first class follow up assistance, has been an excellent family business.
Investment wise, our business results are based on conservative and realistic goals. Our business plan employs a policy to under promise and over deliver. This has led to rewarding new friendships and happy clients that are the key ingredients for future enjoyment and success in our industry. As expected, the alpacas do most of the work for you in this investment by simply being the wonderful creatures they have come to be. The rewards and lifestyle benefits of the alpaca industry are fantastic. Add the wonderful animals, fun business environment, great people; potential for residual income and the North American Alpaca tops the list of livestock investments.
In summary, according to our breed association AOBA,
"Alpacas Are The World's Finest Livestock Investment!"
"Alpacas By The Sea
Can Help You to Realize Your Dreams." **
By The Sea
P. O. Box 371628
1162 Tamarind St.
Montara, CA 94037
Fax: (650) 515-3000
For further information on Alpaca farms, alpaca husbandry and alpaca sales, write to: email@example.com


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At Kurker Paget LLC, we are committed to using our years of experience as counselors and advocates to understand each client's needs and goals, and to offer advice and guidance that is business-centered, cost-efficient and effective.
Employment Advice & Counseling
The most effective way to reduce legal exposure is to proactively address the Human Resources matters that give rise to lawsuits. We collaborate with our clients to create and implement strategies designed to prevent employer-employee litigation in the first place.
We advise employers in the areas of employment law most likely to give rise to lawsuits: hiring, firing, employee discipline, leaves of absence, compensation, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Massachusetts Wage Act, independent contractors, and non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. In addition, the firm helps its clients manage other Human Resources legal concerns, such as workplace safety, employee privacy, CORI compliance, and eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits.
Employment Claims & Litigation
Sometimes, litigation involving an employee is inevitable. We have considerable experience defending employers against claims involving discrimination, sexual and other unlawful harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, non-competition and non-solicitation infringements, breach of contract claims, wage and hour disputes, and employee-shareholder disputes. We represent clients in state and federal court, as well as before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office and other state agencies.
Internal Investigations
Eventually, every business will be faced with an employee complaint, accusation or rumor that puts an employer on notice of a potential problem, and that, in turn, requires a duty to investigate. State and federal laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Massachusetts Law chapter 151B, the Sarbanes Oxley Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and many others require employers to gather facts, make judgments about credibility, and reach and ultimate decision. Under these laws, if an employer discovers wrong-doing is discovered, it must take prompt, effective, remedial action.
We have conducted hundreds of internal investigations concerning a broad range of sensitive personnel matters, including complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, failure to promote or hire, wrongful termination, and wage violations, as well as broader human resources matters, such as concerns about company morale and leadership. We also help clients respond to internal complaints, comply with statutory requirements, protect the integrity of the work environment and position the client in the event of threatened legal action.


text:
Click here to download a copy of our Anti-Bullying Policy in a Word Document.
Click here to download a copy of the Aggressive Behavior Consequence Chart.
School Office: (563) 359-3466
School Principal: Ms. Jennifer Alongi
Email: email@example.com
Office Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM–3:30 PM
Our Lady of Lourdes Church: (563) 359-0345
Church Website: lourdescatholic.com
© &nbps; Lourdes Catholic School
1453 Mississippi Blvd
Bettendorf, IA 52722


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Basic Term Life and Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment
Administered by Minnesota Life Insurance Company
If an employee or dependent is enrolled in health coverage, they automatically have basic life insurance coverage underwritten by Minnesota Life Insurance Company, an affiliate of Securian Financial. This coverage is part of the health and life package. The state provides $20,000 of basic term life and $40,000 of basic special accident coverage for those employees who elect health coverage, earn less than $15,000 annually and are under age 65. The amount of coverage increases as the employee's salary increases, with premiums for coverage above $20,000/$40,000 deducted from the employee's paycheck. The maximum amount of coverage is $50,000 for term life and $100,000 for accidental death and dismemberment. The face amount of coverage declines at ages above 65. Eligible dependents (spouse and children) are covered for $3,000 of basic dependent term life coverage. Dependents (spouse and children) are eligible for basic special accident insurance, with the amounts of coverage based on salary and family composition.
Employees that are eligible for health coverage but are NOT currently enrolled will be provided with the basic term life and basic special accident coverage. The benefit amount will be $20,000 of Basic Term Life and $40,000 of Basic Special Accident coverage. There is no cost to the individual; however, unlike the coverage for employees enrolled in a health plan, this benefit amount WILL NOT increase as the employee's salary increases. Additionally, the face amount of coverage declines at age 65 and over.


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1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
- What is your job title?
Postdoctoral Scientist
- Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
Small/medium size biopharmaceutical company the makes therapeutic antibodies.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
4 months
- How many hours do you work a week on average?
- Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
- Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
Responsible for using Surface Plasmon Resonance (Biacore) to screen antibodies for various properties. Present findings at meetings and assist in decision making for identifying lead candidates to be filed as investigative new drugs.
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
- What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
- Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
4 weeks vacation, medical, vision, and dental insurance, 401K with 50% company matching
- Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
well compensated
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
I work closely with other all the time. I am always communicating with people in my group, as well as with directors and people from other research/pre-clinical groups. Data from many different groups in the company is compiled and used to make an educated decision about what antibodies should move forward in the testing program.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
- Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
- Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
I love how each day is different. I am always working on multiple projects and priorities are changed based on new results that come in. It was a little bit hard to get up to speed at first because of the breadth of projects that I am involved in, but overall, I love my job and wouldn't really change anything about it.
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 2 Income
- 7 Work Environment - co-workers
- 6 Work Environment - supervisors
- 3 Benefits
- 5 Hours
- 4 Level of responsibility
- 1 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 8 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
While in college or graduate school, and internship in the pharmaceutical industry might be very helpful in you future job search. Develop skills in the lab that are marketable to the pharmaceutical industry, and be a team player. It is hard to understand how important teamwork is while working in academia, so do all you can to get that type of experience and highlight that in your resume.
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Drive, organizational skills, dedication, critical thinking skills, intuitive nature, good writing/speaking skills, ability to work with a diverse team of people, flexible with changing projects on the fly.
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Obviously a Ph.D. for postdoc and beyond, but a BS if you are looking for general industry positions.
- What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Seriously consider what/where you want to be in 10-15 years. If you want to teach at a college/university level, then by all means, go for your PhD. If you want to work in the pharmaceutical industry/biotech industry, you might consider a masters instead of your PhD. You are eligible for many of the same positions if you have a few more years experience. There are many more job opportunities available for MS degrees than for PhD's. However, if you really want to move up in industry or not be stuck doing a lot of benchwork, then I'd say go for the PhD. Adding an MBA to your degree doesn't hurt either if you want to go into industry. You must learn to adapt to the various different projects you will be working on and be able to perform under intense deadlines.
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
Networking at a career/interview fair.
- What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
Did a preliminary interview at a career fair with a paper resume, then a phone interview, then face to face with a seminar at the company.
- Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
Yes, first a screening interview at the career fair where I mostly talked about my background and experience as well as the technical skills I had and why I wanted to get into the industry/company. A few days later, I had a phone interview with 2 managers, spoke about my skills and abilities again and answered some questions about my resume. A few days after that, I was invited for a face to face interview and to give a seminar. At my face to face, I met with about 7 different people who asked a little bit about my background and what I did my previous research on, but mostly learned about the company and the position I was being considered for. I gave a seminar to a bunch of people in the company, and was offered a position 2 days later. Very intense interview/application process, but very rewarding as well.
- If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
Mostly about my background and experience with SPR, and a little bit of the typical "how would you fit in here" questions about experiences with coworkers, and teamwork abilities.
- Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
- If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
4 years of college education and 5-6 years of graduate education, 6 months of academic postdoc experience. Lots of trial by fire once started this job. Some technical training seminars I was sent to, but mostly learn by doing and just trying to keep up with things until you start to settle in.
- Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes and no. I am definitely able to do my job from the experience I gained, but there was no formal orientation. I had to ask a lot of questions when I first started and learn as I went along.
- Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes, graduate school taught me a lot about research, critical thinking, and designing informative experiments. However, it was an adjustment to learn how to critically interpret the large volumes of data that I now generate in an industry lab versus the small scale experiments I performed in academia.
- If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
The intensity of the environment. You are always on a project that could be the next big drug for the company. Working with lots of other people who are incredibly smart, and the fact that no project or day is the same.
- What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
Sometimes the hours are not ideal, but are pretty normal compared to most academic postdocs. Other than that, you have a lot of responsibility and it is fulfilling (albeit sometimes nerve wracking) to know that your work is used in decisions that could result in millions of dollars of money being spent (hopefully to be made up by getting approval on a new drug at the end.)
- Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, I'd love to stay here permanently if the work environment here stays as good as it is now. If not, I feel I will have gained a lot of valuable experience here that will help me in the future.
- What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
Get better at my job, become an integral part of the company and take on more responsibility as I progress.
- Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
I highly recommend it, and no matter what some "old school" academics think about wasting your Ph.D. by going into industry, they are dead wrong! I am required to think, analyze, and design sound scientific experiments and interpretations here more than I ever had to for grad school. I use my degree and my brain every day here more than I ever could have imagined. There isn't much I would consider trading this job for.
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
Wake up at 6, get ready for the day, leave for work by 7 or 7:30.
- 8 am - 9 am
Get to work, check email, return any phone calls, plan out my day.
- 9 am - 10 am
Finish planning/updating notes and logs, start experiments that I have planned
- 10 am - 11 am
Continue experiments and analyze data from completed experiments.
- 11 am - 12 am
Work in the lab, analyze data.
- 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
Eat lunch/catch up on paperwork.
- 2 pm - 3 pm
Prepare data to be emailed out to colleagues or presented at one of our team meetings.
- 3 pm - 4 pm
Continue experiments and analyze data from completed experiments.
- 4 pm - 5 pm
Finish setting up experiments to run overnight if possible.
- 5 pm - 6 pm
Return emails, prepare for next day. Try to leave somewhere in this time (sometimes it happens, other times it doesn't!)
- 6 pm - 7 pm
Drive home.
- 7 pm - 8 pm
Get a bit to eat, pack lunch for next day, catch up on any work on my laptop if I need to.
- 8 pm - 9 pm
Try to relax a little bit, watch some TV or read
- 9 pm - 10 pm
Try to head to bed.
- 10 pm - 11 pm
Sleep (hopefully!)
- 11 pm - 12 pm


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Owning the R&E Center opens the door for continued and new environmentally friendly waste management opportunities, including managing trash as a resource. To help reach Minnesota's goal of 75% recycling by 2030, the R&E Board plans on investing in a sophisticated, new sorting mechanism at the R&E Center, called mixed-waste processing. This system allows for food waste and high-value recyclables to be sorted out of the trash received at the R&E Center. The organic waste would then be available for anaerobic digestion or composting, creating biofuels and compost. If implemented, mixed-waste processing will create new jobs at the facility.
An important next step in the future of resource management in the East Metro is the completion of a waste designation plan. Under the law the counties can direct trash to be delivered to a processing facility. The counties are preparing a designation plan to be submitted for state approval. Updates about this process can be found by visitingwww.morevaluelesstrash.com.
(Reprinted from Green Ramsey newsletter...)


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Michael Larsen's live blog of my ALM Forum talk, Your Path to Data-Driven Quality is perfect! You should check out his blog to get the scoop on the other talks from that great event. Here is his excerpt about my talk:
Now it's time for Seth Eliot and "Your Path to Data Driven Quality" and a
roadmap towards how to use the data that you are gathering to help guide you to
your ultimate destination. Seth wants to make the point that testing is
measurement, and you can't measure if you don't have data (well, you can, but it
won't really be worth much). Seth asks if we are HiPPO driven (meaning is our
strategy defined buy the "Highest Paid Person's Opinion" or were we making
decisions based on hard data. Engineering data can help a little bit (test
results, bug counts, pass fail rates). They can give us a picture, but maybe not
a complete one (in fact, not even close to a complete one). There's a lot of
stuff we are leaving on the table. Seth says that leveraging production data (or
"near production data") gives us a richer and more dynamic data set. Testers try
to be creative, but we can't come close to the wacko randomness of the real
world users that interact with our product.
First step: Determine your
questions. Use Goal Question Metrics. Start at the beginning and see what
you ultimately want to do. Don't just get data and look for answers. Your data
will taint the questions you ask if you don't ask the questions first. You may
develop a confirmation bias if you look at data that may seem to point to a
question you haven't asked. Instead, the data may give you a correlation to
something, but it may not actually tell you anything important. Starting with
the question helps to de-bias your expectations, and then it gives you guidance
as to what the data actually tells you.
Then: Design for
production-data quality. There's two types of data we can access. Active and
passive data can be used. active data could be test cases or synthetic data of a
simulated user. Passive data is using real world data and real users
interactions. Synthetic data is safer, but it's by definition incomplete.
Passive data is more complete, but there's a danger to using it (compromising
identification data, etc.). Staging the data acquisition lets us start with
synthetics data (reminds me of my "Attack on Titan" account group that I have
lovingly put together when I test Socialtext... yes, I have one. Don't judge me
😉 ), to copying my actual account and sharing on our production site (much more
rich data, but needs to be scrubbed of anything that could compromise
individuals privacy... which in turn gets us back to synthetic data of sorts,
but a richer set. Bulk up and repeat. Over time, we can go from having a small
set of sample data to a much larger and beefier data-set, with lots more
interesting data points.
Then: Select Data sources. There's a
number of ways to gather and accumulate data. We can export from user accounts,
or we can actively aggregate user data and collect those details (reminds me of
the days of NetFlow FlowCollection at Cisco). We need to be clear as to what we
are gathering and the data handling privacy that goes with it. Anonymous data is
typically safe, sensitive personally identifiable info requires protocols to
gather, most likely scrub, or not touch with a ten foot pole. Will we be using
Infrastructure data, app data. usage. account details, etc. Each area has its
unique challenges. Plan accordingly.
Then: Use the right data tools.
What are you going to use to store this data. Databases are of course
common, but for big data apps, we need something a little more robust (Hadoop is
hip in this area). where do you store a Hadoop instance? Split it up into
smaller chunks (note, splitting it makes it vulnerable, so we need to replicate
it. Wow, big data gets bigger 🙂 ).Using map reducing tools, we can crunch down
to a smaller data set for analysis purposes. I'm going to take Seth's word for
it, as Hadoop is not one of my strong suits, but I appreciated the 60 second
guided tour 🙂 ). Regardless of the data collection and storage, ultimately that
data needs to be viewed, monitored, aggregated and analyzed. The tools that do
that are wide and varied, but the goal is to drill down to the data that matters
to you, and having the ability to interpret what you are seeing.
Get answers to your questions. Ultimately, we hope that we are able to get
answers based on the real data we have gathered that will help us either support
or dispute our hypothesis (back to the scientific method; testing is asking
questions and then, based on the answers we receive, considering and proposing
more interesting questions. Does our data show us interesting points to focus
our attention? Do we know a bit more about user sentiment? Have we figured out
where our peak traffic times are? If we have asked these questions, and gathered
data that is appropriate for those questions, if we have been focused on
aggregating the appropriate data and analyzing it, we should be able to say
"yes, we have support for our hypothesis" or "no, this data refutes our
hypothesis". Of course, that leads to even more questions, which means we go
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Hmmm, Mark Tomlinson just
passed me a note with a statement that says "Computer Aided Exploratory
Testing"? Hadn't considered it quite that way, but yes, this certainly fits the
description. An intriguing prospect, and one I need to play with a bit more :).
Next stop is STPCon, I will be giving an augmented version of this presentation there.


text:
Guida's LiDAR services offer our clients an efficient solution for measuring as-built conditions.
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) has long been an industry standard for collecting accurate and dense 3D data in challenging environments. LiDAR data is an accurate and effective method for creating three-dimensional topographical aerial maps and highly accurate aerial surveys of both surface terrain elements and man-made structures.


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Not all HUD Homes are alike
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Wooden Rings along with snap lock of good quality.
Gymnastic Wall Bar made of premium quality wood as per standard size.
Made of quality seasoned wood. Made as per standard rules regulation. Available in painted as well as polished on.
Vaulting Box - Wooden made of seasoned wood with three section or five section and top with foam padding.
Spring Board / Vaulting Board made of heavy duty steel frame with quality springs and wooden board upholstery with high quality carpet for better performance. Size 1200 x 600 x 220 mm.
Gymnastic balancing board made of high quality PVC for practice.


text:
Topic 6: Independent radio services
130.The Act provides for the regulatory framework necessary to facilitate the delivery of a digital switchover of radio services to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), referred to in the Digital Britain: Final Report as a "Digital Radio Upgrade". In particular, the provisions give powers to the Secretary of State to nominate a date for digital switchover and ensure that OFCOM have sufficient powers to provide for an orderly changeover on that date, particularly powers to:
Terminate relevant analogue licences by the nominated date for digital switchover without the licence holders' consent, subject to a minimum notice period of 2 years;
Renew national and local analogue radio licences for up to a further 7 years so long as licence holders also provide content in a digital service via a multiplex(5);
Allow approved local licences to be renewed by the nomination of a national DAB service, providing that the analogue and digital services share at least 80% of their content; and
Allow for variation of the frequency or coverage area of a multiplex licence, with the aim of improving the coverage of DAB.
131.The Act reduces regulatory burdens by enabling local stations to share premises and administrative costs within an area approved by OFCOM.
Section 30: Digital switchover
132.Section 30 allows the Secretary of State to give notice to OFCOM of a date by which digital switchover must occur for services specified in the notice. In making a decision to nominate a switchover date, the Secretary of State must take account of any reports by the BBC and OFCOM about the future of analogue broadcasting.
133.The date for digital switchover is the date after which it will no longer be appropriate for the service in question to be broadcast in analogue form.
134.The Secretary of State may nominate different switchover dates for different types of radio services and may withdraw a nomination of a switchover date.
135.After a switchover date has been set, OFCOM are required to vary the licence periods of all licences for the services specified by the Secretary of State so that they end on or before that date. However, OFCOM cannot shorten the duration of a licence so that it would end less than 2 years from the date on which OFCOM give notice of the variation, unless the licence-holder consents.
136.OFCOM may not vary a licence period so that it ends after the switchover date.
Section 31: Renewal of national radio licences
137.Section 31 allows the further renewal of national analogue licences for a period of up to seven years. All of these licences have already been granted a renewal of 12 years under the powers in section 103A of the Broadcasting Act 1990 ("the 1990 Act").
138.The procedure to be adopted for licence renewals under the new section 103B of the 1990 Act is that set out in subsections (2) to (9), (11) and (12) of section 103A of that Act. However, within these subsections, the provisions which refer to a situation where a digital service is not yet on-air do not apply. This is because an applicant for a renewal under section 103B will already be providing a national digital simulcast service under the conditions of the previous renewal.
139.OFCOM must include a condition in renewed licences requiring licence holders to do all they can to provide a digital simulcast of their radio service throughout the renewal period.
140.An application for renewal must be made no later than three months before the relevant date, as defined in the existing section 103A(11) of the 1990 Act. Normally, OFCOM must determine the relevant date at least one year in advance. Section 31(3) allows OFCOM to set a relevant date of less than one year after the date of determination where they consider that the relevant date falls no more than 15 months after the day on which section 31 comes into force. However, OFCOM must determine the relevant date as soon as practicable following commencement of section 31.
Section 32: Renewal and variation of local radio licences
141.Section 32 allows OFCOM to renew a local analogue licence for a period of up to seven years, provided it has already been renewed under section 104A of the 1990 Act or is granted on or after the date on which section 32 comes into force.
142.The procedure to be adopted for licence renewals under the new section 104AA is that set out in subsections (3) to (12), (13) and (14) of section 104A of the 1990 Act.
143.Under current renewal conditions, the applicant for renewal of a local licence must nominate a local digital sound programme service and a local DAB multiplex. Sections 104AA and 104AB make provision for holders of local licences to make a "national nomination", that is, to nominate a national digital sound programme service and a national DAB multiplex. The power to make a national nomination is restricted to licences which are defined as an "approved licence". It will be for OFCOM to determine, following consultation, whether a particular licence is approved for this purpose. The consultation requirement may be satisfied by OFCOM publishing a document before section 32 comes into force.
144.A national nomination must be made in the application for renewal or before OFCOM consider the application, and it may only be made where OFCOM are satisfied that the national digital sound programme service will include at least 80% of the content included in the service provided under the approved licence.
145.Section 104AB(4) requires that, if a licence holder is to make an application under section 104AC in relation to other approved licences, such licences must be specified in the national nomination.
146.The new section 104AC relates to a situation where an approved licence which has not yet been renewed under new section 104AA is specified in a national nomination made under new section 104AB(4) in connection with the renewal of another licence. It allows OFCOM to vary the approved licence, at the request of the licence-holder, by replacing the "local digital services condition" with a "national digital services condition".
147.A local digital services condition is a condition that OFCOM are currently required to include in renewed licences as a result of section 104A(12) of the 1990 Act, and by which a licence holder is required to do all the licence holder can to ensure that a local digital sound programme service is broadcast on a local radio multiplex service. The purpose of allowing such a condition to be replaced with a national digital services condition is so that holders of approved licences that have not yet been renewed under section 104AA but that wish to provide a digital service on a national multiplex, rather than on a local multiplex, are not, as a result, in breach of their local digital services condition.
148.Before OFCOM vary a licence under this provision, they must be satisfied that the national digital sound programme service will include at least 80% of the content included in the service provided under the licence that is the subject of an application for variation.
149.An application for renewal of a licence under section 104AA must be made no later than three months before the relevant date, as defined in the existing section 104A(13)(c) of the 1990 Act. Normally, OFCOM must determine the relevant date at least one year in advance. Section 32(3) allows OFCOM to set a relevant date of less than one year after the date of determination where they consider that the relevant date falls no more than 15 months after the day on which section 32 comes into force. However, OFCOM must determine the relevant date as soon as practicable following commencement of section 32.
Section 33: Variation of licence period following renewal
150.This section adds section 105A to the 1990 Act and allows the Secretary of State to reduce the duration of a licence renewed under section 103B or 104AA. This power only applies where the Secretary of State has not nominated a digital switchover date or has withdrawn a digital switchover date without nominating a further date.
151.The Secretary of State may give notice to OFCOM of a termination date, specifying the services affected. Different termination dates may be given for different services, but the termination date cannot be before 31 December 2015.
152.OFCOM are required to reduce the duration of a renewed licence so that it ends on or before the termination date set by the Secretary of State, but OFCOM cannot give less than two years' notice of termination of the licence, unless the licence-holder consents.
153.OFCOM cannot vary the licence period under this section so that the licence expires after the termination date set by the Secretary of State.
154.The Secretary of State must consider, before 31 December 2013, whether to exercise the powers contained in section 105A.
Section 34: Content and character of local sound broadcasting services
155.This section allows OFCOM to amend the conditions of a local licence to allow local programming to be made outside of the licensed area and gives greater discretion to OFCOM to determine the appropriate level of locally-made content.
156.OFCOM may agree to a departure from the character of a service provided under a local licence if programmes will continue to be made within an area approved by them. OFCOM must consult prior to approving an area or withdrawing their approval. The consultation requirement can be satisfied by OFCOM publishing a document before section 34 comes into force.
Section 35: Radio multiplex services: frequency and licensed area
157.This section inserts section 54A into the Broadcasting Act 1996 ("the 1996 Act"). It allows OFCOM to vary a national radio multiplex licence by extending the area in which the licensed service is required to be available. It also allows OFCOM to vary the frequency, or extend or reduce the licensed area, of a local radio multiplex licence.
158.It is up to the holder of a licence to apply to OFCOM for approval of a variation. In so doing, the licence holder must submit a technical plan which indicates the proposed coverage area, the timetable and the technical means for implementing the change. OFCOM must consult on the proposal before granting the application. In the case of an application to vary a local radio multiplex licence, OFCOM may only grant approval if they consider that the variation will not unacceptably narrow the range of local DAB programmes in the area for which the local radio multiplex is provided.
Section 36: Renewal of radio multiplex licences
159.Section 36 contains a power to amend Part 2 of the 1996 Act (and, in particular, section 58) by regulations for the purpose of making further provision about the renewal of radio multiplex licences. In particular, regulations made under this power may make provision about the circumstances in which OFCOM may renew a licence, the period of such renewal, the information that OFCOM may require from an applicant, the requirements that an applicant must meet, the grounds for refusal of an application, payments to be made and further conditions that may be included in a renewed licence.
160.The power, which is exercisable until 31 December 2015, is subject to the affirmative procedure, requiring approval by both Houses of Parliament.
A multiplex consists of a number of digital services, such as radio stations, bundled together and transmitted digitally on a single frequency in a given transmission area.


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Monday, February 28, 2011
UHaul dish packing paper
The scan shows great textures that's not apparent to the eye.
B pencil.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
taking a knitting break--to sketch
The yarn ball winder.
B pencil in the journal.
Posted by Nita Van Zandt at 11:45 No comments:
Saturday, February 26, 2011
sock mania
Yarn Harlot's February 14 post of pink socks with black toes and heels, I started this variation.
Note to self--knitting on size 1 needles in black can make you crazy.
This photo does not duplicate the deep red rose of the yarn. It's the best red ever.
Note to self--knitting on size 1 needles in black can make you crazy.
This photo does not duplicate the deep red rose of the yarn. It's the best red ever.
Posted by Nita Van Zandt at 10:24 No comments:
Labels: knitting
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
idly striping
Size 3s are too big for a good sock fabric--too loose and stretchable--but this is multiple-color dk yarn I had in the stash. I'm seeing if I really want to fiddle with making my own stripes compared to using self-striping yarn.
If I knit thick socks or slippers with this yarn, I'll work on size 1s or 2s.
Labels: knitting
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
the painted variation
Just to push paint around. On gessoed cardboard.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
feet first
The blue comes from a light-struck scan, but I like it.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
another angle on the driftwood
Friday, February 18, 2011
lots to look at
Pen on 70# paper.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
This is in a sketchbook with a spiral, so the scan isn't light-tight. I kept the blue tint and whitened the background.
Labels: doodle
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
double reflections
Hard charcoal pencil (from Barnes & Noble, the gray ones) on Strathmore drawing paper.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Bakshi and hands
Pen on Strathmore drawing paper.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
cafe people
Friday, February 11, 2011
icicles blocking my view
They're growing again . . .
Thursday, February 10, 2011
rumpled pillows
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
charcoal, blended
On Strathmore drawing paper.
Posted by Nita Van Zandt at 03:00 2 comments:
Monday, February 07, 2011
William Kentridge
Anything is Possible" target="_blank"." A portion is available at that link.
And the Russian phrase he uses in his art, "I am not me, the horse is not mine" is the quintessential guilty denial. Makes me smile.
In the journal.
And the Russian phrase he uses in his art, "I am not me, the horse is not mine" is the quintessential guilty denial. Makes me smile.
In the journal.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
new journal by ecosystem
Usually I just do colorful acrylic smears and streaks, but this cover called for stamping.
Labels: journal cover, stamping
Friday, February 04, 2011
smudgy people
I loved the lineup of people and had time to draw all of them while my companions had snacks.
Pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
smudgy cars
That's Eastern Mountain Sports.
Hard charcoal pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
smudgy travel sketches
A father and daughter in the airport. The large horizontal curving thing is a pillow piled on their suitcases.
Pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.
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Click the cover to see the preview
January 2015
At least 35% off the print price!
"Meanwhile… is an exciting new addition to the UK comics world." – David Hine
At last, the series you've been waiting for! This brand new, bi-monthly comics anthology from Soaring Penguin Press features the very best of the UK comics scene, including the much-anticipated return of Strangehaven, the superb self-published series from the 1990s and noughties, returning to print after an eight-year absence to complete the final chapter.
The Bad, Bad Place by David Hine and Mark Stafford continues in the second issue of Meanwhile..., and is featured on the fabulous cover by Mark. Strangehaven by Gary Spencer Millidge continues with an all-new sixteen-page episode, and there's a new installment of Yuko Rabbit's 10 Minutes. This issue also unveils original strips by Krent Able, Jenny Robins, Krystian Garstkowiak and Euan Cook.
"Meanwhile... is well worth the lingering over, a damn fine example of how great an anthology can be, whether it's single strips or the ongoing tales, there's absolutely something for everyone." – Richard Bruton, Forbidden Planet
"You couldn't ask for a more diverse range of strips, and it's this eccentricity that gives Meanwhile... a unique place on the shelf. [It's] a tantalising prospect, one which not only looks to the past, giving an incomplete opus the finale it deserves, but to the future of independent comic talent and unconventional storytelling." – Carl Doherty, Shelf Abuse
Bleeding Cool
•Comics blog
"Oh my goodness, it's back. Both of them … [Meanwhile…] had the great and good of the London comics scene and beyond … But the new Meanwhile… has something even more special. It has the return of Strangehaven … It really is an exceptional comic."
Comic Book Resources
•Comics website
"Writer/illustrator Gary Spencer Millidge has been [self-publishing] since 1995 … Had Millidge chosen to go the work-for-hire route at companies such as Vertigo, he'd undoubtedly be a major star in the business by now. He deserves to be."
Forbidden Planet
•Comics retailer
"Yes. Strangehaven is finally coming back … I've been a huge fan of Millidge and Strangehaven since first seeing it back in '95, part of a series of really great self-published UK comics at the time. It was a spectacularly good fantasy series, a little bit Twin Peaks, a little bit Prisoner, all mashed up with a Kinks Village Green soundtrack … [And] the rest of Meanwhile looks pretty damn good as well."


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This is music I love. Here is the soundcloud description below. Enjoy!
+++ LOSSLESS DOWNLOAD!! (Apple Lossless / ALAC / m4a) +++
Ingo Vogelmann's "LIGHTWORKS" show is one of the longest standing and one of the most successful DJ mix shows since underground electronic dance music has been broadcast through the internet, since 2005.
Episodes here are from 2012 on, FREE DOWNLOADS, in the highest possible quality.
Navar – You Find (Extended Mix) [Replug]
Nicolas Rada – Tempelhof (Dmitry Molosh Remix) [Sound Avenue]
Navar – Moonstruck [Replug]
Andrea Cassino – Divine (Ejaz Ahamed Remix)
Jawjee – Sever [Pro B Tech Music]
Paolo Mojo – Kangiten [Sudbeat]
Nicolas Rada – Schiphol (Hot TuneiK Remix) [Sound Avenue]
Fell Reis – Renaissance [MYR]
Oscar Vazquez & Pablo Muniz – Walking Over The Line [Mallam]
Miraculum – Intimacy (Andrea Cassino Remix) [Soundteller Records]
Vakabular – Quarantine [Suffused Music]
Paul Angelo & Don Argento – Tribute (Alfonso Muchacho Rmx) [Superordinate Music]
Matias Carafa – Domingo [Suffused Music]
Tone Depth & Ampish – Corinth [Slideways]
Ethereal Mist – Last Goodbye [Clubsonica Records]
Paul Sawyer – Apollo [Dino Audio]
Fell Reis – Event Horizon [MYR]
Vakabular – Man Who Knows the Weather [Suffused Music]
Erich Von Kollar & Radicz – Polaris (Hot TuneiK Remix)


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diy: oversized ripped linen napkins
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16 Responses to diy: oversized ripped linen napkins
maria robledo 11.19.2012 at 1:40pm #
pretty ms sally.
DanaV 11.19.2012 at 2:04pm #
Hi Sally: I have several yards of linen sitting in my closet just waiting for the time when I can source a sewing machine to sew them into napkins. (Do I need to mention that its been sitting there for several years?) So I LOVE this solution but wonder how well the unhemmed napkins hold up in the washer. Do they continue to fray and shed threads? Do you avoid the drier?
Sally 11.19.2012 at 2:29pm #
Hi Dana, Well, I did these experiments because I too have years of linen sitting in my closet waiting to sew. I find the unhemmed napkins hold up fine in the washer (but I do recommend washing the swath of linen first, because you won't know how it will shrink until you've washed it. I do this for any
sewingfabric project where I want to be able to wash the items repeatedly — essential with slipcovers). Occasionally some threads will come loose but I just pull them off. I put the linen in a medium hot dryer and then smooth them out as they come out. Then fold them. Easy peasy.
DanaV 11.19.2012 at 6:29pm #
Thank you Sally! I'm going to do this for sure.
Many years ago my sister-in-law Kathleen taught me to press cotton & linen. I'd always thought pressing was synonymous with ironing. Not so. I take napkins from the washer and tumble them in the dryer no more than 10-12 min. Kathleen says this "relaxes" the cloth. They should still be uniformly damp. As I fold them, with my hands I press down and smooth the fabric. They dry looking as though they've been ironed! It's a small miracle every time. (I press on the top of my dryer; the smooth metal enhances that freshly ironed look.)
Sally 11.20.2012 at 11:58pm #
Wow, I had no idea. What a GREAT simple technique: literally pressing and smoothing them while their still damp. Thanks a million!
I learned from my weaving teacher to rinse anything that has been bleached in a solution of white vinegar and water. It takes away the smell, but the reason for that (and the more important reason to use the rinse) is that it stops the reaction. Bleach that isn't "stopped" will keep eating away at fibers and weaken them, even when you think it has all been rinsed away.
Nora 04.08.2013 at 10:38am #
I use the "press" method for pillowcases, too. Also fabric place mats … and flat sheets.
Margo, Thrift at Home 04.08.2013 at 12:50pm #
those are beautiful napkins. I have some of this gigantic damask napkins – still find them at secondhand stores.
I like the pressing while damp technique – I'm going to try that. I rarely use my dryer because I like to line-dry things, but I could see using it in this manner.
jill herbst 04.10.2013 at 8:51am #
I inherited over four dozen linen napkins from my grandmother. I used them while my children were growing up and now I use them with my grandchildren almost every day. They still look beautiful. And while I fold them damp during the winter, once I bring my summer linens out, my iron comes out as well, When I have a free morning I set my dining room up in a "French Laundry". I fill my spray bottle up with water and five drops of lavender oil and spray as I iron my shirts, capris, pillow cases, napkins and top sheets (after the sheets have been folded). The entire house smells like lavender. Sometimes I will take my two six year old granddaughter's fancy cotton dresses into my French laundry. It's amazing how relaxing it is. Pour a cup of tea and put on some quiet music and it becomes meditative. Thank you to your generation for continuing to live with, and enjoy cotton.
Sally Schneider 07.14.2016 at 10:33pm #
Great. It's totally washable. Just use this stuff.
Sally Schneider 07.14.2016 at 10:34pm #
You can also repurpose linen sheets, tableclothes, etc that may have a rip or permanent stain. Rip em into napkins!
Kerry Williamson 06.26.2017 at 3:18am #
Thank you so much for this little titorial. I have just purchased 26 metres (Australia) of linen cotton blend to make napkins and table runners for my daughters wedding. So hope it works out and linen cotton blend works ok. The pure linen was too expensive.
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Every Sunday, Blank Space (201 East Central Blvd) hosts an Art Market. The market is open between noon and 5pm. The Lake Eola Farmers Market is happening at the same time so I believe they hope to attract the resulting foot traffic. When I stopped in, 11 artists, most of them women, had their work on display. After inspecting all the art I finally decided to focus on the dark quirky work of Kassandra Kharis for my sketch. She had two circular tables shoved together with a deep red tablecloth draped over as a unifying backdrop. She had shadow boxes filled with found objects with blood red hearts being the unifying theme. Time pieces, springs, stilettos, money and spattered blood set the mood in these Goth images. The lost and found hearts were all punctured, broken, ripped apart and scared. The work had the intimacy of doll house miniatures with bold splashes of the grotesque.
Tracy Lulu Brown seated next to Kassandra had a landscape painting on her easel. She had a box full of painting supplies and a Jack Skelington bag. I kept hoping she would work on the canvas but she didn't. I sketched her quickly as she opened a paper bag. The walls were covered with delicate photos of flowers and intricate calligraphy. There was a constant stream of people who would stop and talk to the artists.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday Art Market
Prints are available for each sketch for $250 and many originals can be purchased for $400. White museum grade shadow box frames are $100 more. You can e-mail Thor at firstname.lastname@example.com
Posted by Thor at 1:00 AM
Labels: Artists, Blank Space, Kassandra Kharis
2 comments:
- Art By Tracy Lulu Brown said...
That would be me, Tracy Lulu Brown, seated next to my good friend Kass. I was working on jewelry that day...the following weekend I painted. :) Thank you for creating that great sketch!!
- August 22, 2011 at 11:35 PM
- Thor said...
Thanks Tracy, good to meet you.
- August 24, 2011 at 8:30 PM
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I'm pleased to say that NaNoWriMo is going really well! I'm on track to finish my 50,000 word manuscript two whole days early! I'm not a super fast writer, but I'm pleased with my avg. word count of about 1800 words right now. The story I'm writing is extremely different than what I usually write. It's turning out to be a first-person, present tense religious historical fiction piece. (O_O) I told you it was different than what I normally write. 😉
I am having great fun with this little exercise. I'm not confident enough to say that my writer's block is over, but this is the most I've written consistently in so long, that I am greatly encouraged by this practice. One thing I did differently this time was to completely go back to my pantser roots. I love sitting in front of a blank page with NO IDEA where my story will take me and just diving in. That's how Night Bells came to be and how many of my favorite stories took form. I also turned this NaNoWriMo project completely over to God. I believe that God led me to write stories in the first place and with my writer's block struggle over the last ten months, I new that my own determination and hard work simply wasn't enough to break through. Thus, I asked Him to lead me in this project. I truly feel that He is.
I have no idea where this story is going. I don't know if I'll have something publishable at the end, or if this will just be a sweet story seen only by God and myself. I'll just have to see where it goes. 🙂
How is your NaNoWriMo experience going? I hope you're having fun and enjoying your project!


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By Harry Gibbons
The bill would allow biological fathers to gain parental custody rights if they have participated in raising the child.
Attorney Carol Chodroff testified in support of the bill at today's hearing.
"All this bill does is give the opportunity to go into court. It doesn't automatically grant custody. It simply puts the biological father who never waived his rights and who has been involved in his child's life on an equal playing field with other individuals," said Chodroff.
State law currently considers a donor to be a legal parent only if they sign an agreement in advance of the child's birth.
The bill is supported by LGBT rights groups such as Equality California. They argue that the bill modernizes custody law to keep up with the changing nature of the family structure.
But opposition groups like Planned Parenthood say the bill infringes on the custody rights of women who use donated sperm.


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This last week I was talking with some teen moms about what they can do to help their babies get ready to read. I had given them the full presentation about five simple activities - talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing - that help a baby, toddler, and preschool child be ready to read by kindergarten.
One of the teen moms said her favorite memory of libraries was all the storytimes she went to when she was a child. She and her parents went to libraries all over Oakland. Her face changed as she talked about the pleasure of hearing stories with her family. It reminded me that when I was young, I spent weeks one summer listening to my librarian read C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She talked about "being transported to a different world." Being a very literal child, I was disappointed when we all stayed in the garden of the library


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Justin Phillip Reed on "Consent"
On "Consent"
Many times I've arrived at the moment of a man entering me and found there two truths: I don't want this; I'm going to have this. When I've studied these moments, a history, they reveal themselves not as single moments but a continuum of conflicts, incessantly opening, branch and bloom. What the body does. Today the rains, for instance, and the first few drops that hit dampened the soil may not have seemed like the beginning of a beating that would last hours and end in formlessness and saturation… I needed and I was located, having not yet found the language to specify my need. On the long journey toward autonomy, I thought to fuck within a miasma of uncertainty was the thing, not the kink. I thought, as a "man," "sex" with "men" is like this. It was an odyssey of false starts.
Sex with men is sometimes clichéd with authoritarianism. I was always young. There was always a fatherness about them, so I felt frequently as if I owed, should quiet myself and be thankful to have this paternal closeness, if only for a moment and with vexation. "Sharper than a serpent's tooth." And the treasonous barometer at my waist led the body in the performance of gratitude. It isn't that no one thought to tell me that I'd spend so much time in unwanted intimate conditions. No one did, but it isn't primarily that. I did want, but wanted what, precisely? I hadn't learned for myself the wide gap of that un-answer, of all that can happen between want and the end of the sentence, of the risks I would take with flesh and memory while trying to get there, and quickly. It's hard to explain this to a person whose name you probably don't know (and why would you?), and so say practically nothing, and either party assumes you both agree on the terms and objectives of the transaction.
I think I'm supposed to tell you about the beginnings of this poem. It begins in small towns of South Carolina. Of Tennessee. Towns with a lot of churches, typically. Sprawling rural landscapes that make it harder to reject someone who drives a half-hour to meet you. It begins in chat rooms, then Craigslist, then hookup apps. It pretends to begin out of another poem I wrote in which the speaker fucks a tow truck driver in the bed of someone he loves unrequitedly (which I did). But, in that case, there's no way to say how it begins. To say it begins with my father would be to say that it doesn't. To say it begins in a Black boy would be to say it begins upon him. Or it begins in white fathers of the churchful, small towns of the Southeast U.S., which is to say the poem was always going to begin. And through this poem, in a way, I begin. Having made language for this thing I lived that went elsewhere unnamed, I am not quite what I was.


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Rudolf Müller was shot down in his Heinkel bomber by enemy aircraft on April 9th 1941 during the Second World War. Rudolf Müller was the pilot; his crew members were Egon Grolig; Werner Streke and Helmut Hacke.
The plane had taken off from its base in Dinard, Northern France. Its target was an engine factory in Birmingham. However, a Boulton Paul Defiant, with a crew of Flight Lieutenant Christopher Deansley and rear gunner Sergeant Jack Scott, attacked the plane.
The Heinkel did not reach its target but crash landed into the houses at 281 and 283 Hales Lane, Smethwick, killing seven civilians. The four crew members of the Heinkel met with different fates, two were killed when the plane was attacked namely Grolig and Hacke. The other two, Müller and Streke bailed out, Müller was found in Barston Road, Quinton and Streke in Hales Lane, Smethwick.
Report from "The Birmingham Mail" dated Thursday 10, 1941
A member of a party of firewatchers on duty in the road told a reporter: 'we heard the clatter of machine gun fire and a scream as the plane came down. We threw ourselves flat on the ground in an entry and the machine crashed into the houses immediately opposite. There was only a dull explosion, but there was a blinding flash, and the wreckage of the plane and the houses was blown in all directions. I saw a member of the Home Guard run to the blazing plane and drag out a body. The airman wore an iron cross,"
Thomas Packer, a warden, described the capture of one member of the crew. "I was at the post when the airman was brought in by warden Simmons and Home Guards Chadney and Davies." He said they caught him at the Oval immediately after he landed. He had an injury to his foot and limped."
Various memories have been recorded about that fateful night and numerous reports have been archived from various sources. However, in July 2002, after research by Quinton's local historian, A N Rosser, one of the pilots, Rudolf Müller, was found and invited to return to Quinton. The reasons for the visit were two-fold, initially, in a spirit of friendship and reconciliation. However, the main one was to historically research, at first hand and in the pilot's own words, what actually happened that night.
Rudolf Müller was invited to take part in a question/answer session in a recording studio in Kingswinford. At the interview a German translator was present and below follows a transcript of Rudolf Müller's Story.
"The usual routine was, first we had a meeting when we were told out target. We were shown photographs and short films, there were special planes that just did reconnaissance, they came back with information and details that were right up to date, this information formed the basis of the meetings. Decisions were made, as to which order we would take off, so that there was some distance between the planes. The height at which we would fly and then we were shown exact targets. We used maps and instrumentation; we could spot the rivers quite well. Apparently there was a radio signal beamed out from France and one from Norway, where the two signals met was the target, called Knickenbien. The plane would follow one beam and when it crossed the other, there was a signal in the cockpit that took the form of a 'beeping' sound.
We would simply follow the beam, at night you could not see anything, the navigator couldn't look down and see where he was going. We were not allowed to use any communication, we had devices on board that back at base they could tell where we were and then they could tell us over the radio. However, once over the Channel all that was switched off and we would simply follow the beam. We would only use the radio in emergency. The English knew about the system and would try to interfere with the signal.
I was on my way to the target, when out of the blue I was shot at from underneath, I realised there was a fighter plain underneath me. The windscreen was smashed and my co-pilot, who was also the navigator, was killed. The instrumentation and the engine began to play up. I tried to get rid of the fighter plane by pushing down on it because it was underneath me because of this I lost height and was caught up in the barrage balloons.
I feel that I managed to get out alive because the seat I was in had armour plate underneath, whereas my co-pilot's seat didn't. Also my co-pilot was lying forward trying to operate the machine gun. I tried to contact all of the others via the headphones that connected us; two of my crew were dead, Werner Streke got out with me.
I told Streke to evacuate; by the time I got out it was seconds later. I was doing about 200 kilometres per hour, which would explain why I landed in Quinton and my plane some distance away. I was passing over Quinton at 0200 to 0300 hours.
I had managed to get rid of my payload, I just let it drop, I do not know where. (ANR intervened to say that a he had a phone call from someone who said they had landed in the Icknield Road area, by the canals, where it crosses the Dudley Road, near Dudley Road Hospital-Marroway Street.
The payload had to be activated electronically by buttons in the cockpit. It could be done in two ways depending on the target. If you wished to destroy a metal bridge then it would be set to go off on impact. If you wished to destroy a building then it would be set to penetrate the shell and then go off inside to get more effect.All that I knew was that my mission was an engine plant near Birmingham. I bailed out in Barston Road at the rear of no.12 (someone had stated that a pilot had landed on her fence in the garden of no. 68 which is at the rear of no. 12). I cannot recall landing on anything in particular; all I remember was that I had heavy bruising on my leg and my hands were covered in blood caused by my attempts to free myself from the cockpit. I managed to get rid of the roof but the pressure was so great from outside trying to force me back in. One of my boots got stuck under one of the pedals and I had to wriggle free from the boot. I had to concentrate on releasing the parachute because I didn't want to release it too early and get caught in the plane.
Survival was the first thought on my mind, escaping was not an option. The first people arrived within 2-3 minutes, they were more afraid of me than I was of them. As soon as the Home Guard came they disarmed me, I had inflated my air suit because I felt it would help with the landing. That was the reason why I appeared heavier than I was. The Home Guard took me to the cinema then the police came to take me to the police station in Piddock Road. I was then strip-searched by the police and was kept at the station for several hours. I was at the station with Streke but not together.
I was taken to somewhere in Birmingham and placed in cells until they decided what to do with me. Also I recall cages in a field, spaced about 10 metres apart. There was one prisoner in each so we couldn't talk to each other. We were placed separately in the cages and questioned, there were Jewish officers there only for the reason that they spoke German. If you behaved you would be placed outside in the cage, which was more pleasant than being in the cells. There was one particular person who said that I should salute every time he walked by, but I didn't think I should. I was threatened with being shot if I didn't disclose information, but I didn't think they would anyway so I remained silent. After a while there was an exchange of ill and injured soldiers.
The Red Cross was basically the police in the war and they made sure that both sides abided by the Geneva Convention, also that minimum conditions applied in the camps. Another of the jobs of the Red Cross was to identify those who were ill or wounded sufficiently to be considered for exchange. If you had lost a leg you wouldn't be much use to the 'Home Land' so you would be sent home and your war should be over. I managed to get chosen, I was in Cardiff for a short time then I went by train to Glasgow where I was put on a ship, which was lit up like a Christmas tree, in order that the u-boats could identify them. We were taken to Sweden where we were exchanged for English soldiers.
After I returned to Germany I wasn't allowed to do active service, I was used to deliver planes to strategic places. I didn't really want to deliver the last one but I had to go because the Military Police would have shot me. It was a mission to deliver a plane to Czechoslovakia. I, with a few others, decided that was enough so we walked out of the front gate, we got some civilian clothes and bicycles and biked across country. The Russians detained us a few times but they let us go because they thought we were civilians. We cycled quite deep into Germany where the Americans caught us, because I had a camera they thought I was a spy, so they locked me up for a few days. However, they couldn't get any sense out of me, so I decided to be ill again. I was transferred to a hospital and on the way I convinced the driver I was well enough to walk. I escaped but was caught by the Germans and put back into uniform".
The final question was "With the benefit of hindsight do you think that any good, or benefit, has come to the world following the Second World War?"
"I don't think that we learnt any lessons but everything was done very cleverly. The German youth were led to believe by Hitler that entry into the army was the best thing for them. When they were offered the chance of a warm environment with three square meals a day when at home they had nothing but poverty. Also so many people joined, at one time part of the SS was represented with Swedes, Danes and Lithuanians, who were all volunteers. My great love was flying, and to this day I am still a member of a flying club near to my home, the army gave me the chance to fly and that was really why I joined".
© QLHS 2004I hope that you all appreciate that this story is a significant part of Quinton's history. I apologise for the delay in bringing the transcript to you but feel that the significance at this time is relevant.
Click here to go back to the Oracle page.


text: So real you can almost feel the heat! This incredible effect is not fire, but is an illusion that LOOKS LIKE REAL FIRE. The flaming cauldron adds a dramatic effect to your attraction without heating up the fire marshall. 6 1/2 ft. tall. Includes metal stand, assembled and ready to plug in.


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- Treats
- Chews
- Toys
- Tags
- Beds & Mats
- Collars & Leashes
- For The Home
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Our Breath Busters come packaged 12 ounces in a zipper lock bag for freshness. Store these treats in a cool, dry place. Do not freeze or refrigerate and they will keep fresh for at least 18 months - if your dog doesn't devour them first!
Bone Appétit Bakery treats are made in small batches using human-grade ingredients. Designed to be easily broken, these treats can be used for training and for any size dog, including small or toy breeds. None of our products contain anything you wouldn't eat yourself – including animal by-products found in many store-bought treats. Additionally, our treats never include preservatives, hormones, artificial flavorings or coloring - your pet's healthy and safety is our number one concern!
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Meet Malinda Wilkinson, the CMO of Salesfusion, becoming Sugar Market! Learn more down below about how Malinda's perspective and love of her job has allowed her to be a great CMO, mother, and wife.
When did you start working at Salesfusion?
I have been working with the company since March 2015.
What is your life motto?
I am guided by the mantra of "trying to have it all at the same time.. finding the right work / life balance is delicate, but anyone can find a way to make the give and take work so that they can have it all.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am currently working with Managed Services at Salesfusion to help provide small to mid-sized business clients with help on how to strengthen their company's marketing campaign strategy. One of my favorite parts of the project is being able to brainstorm new ideas and share insights on how to generate pipeline.
What do you like most about working at Salesfusion?
I like the ability to collaborate with other team members and clients, which is my favorite part about working at Salesfusion.


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Earlier this week, the NLRB announced (pdf) that it had entered into a new program with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA"). The new program will likely result in the filing of more unfair labor practice charge complaints with the NLRB.
Under existing law, an employee who believes that she is being retaliated against for complaining about workplace safety issues may submit a complaint to OSHA. However, that complaint must be filed within thirty days of the alleged retaliatory conduct. According to the NLRB's memorandum announcing the new program, OSHA estimates that every year approximately 300-600 individuals who want to file a OSHA whistleblower claim learn that they have complained too late for OSHA to do anything about their complaint.
Under the NLRA, however, an employee has six months within which to file an unfair labor practice charge, considerably longer than is available under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. Because an employee's whistleblower claim under the OSH Act may, in certain cases, also have facts that would reveal a violation of the NLRA, the employee could potentially still obtain relief if the claim is filed with the correct agency. For example, an employee asserting that he was retaliated against as part of a group complaint about safety issues may have a valid claim under the NLRA.
The new program between OSHA and NLRB provides that OSHA agents will tell those employees filing untimely complaints with OSHA that they can instead file a complaint with the NLRB, which may be timely. OSHA agents will use talking points that briefly explain what the NLRA is and how the NLRB can enforce it. The NLRB has even established a separate toll-free number that OSHA agents will provide to employees making untimely whistleblower complaints. The administrative closure letter that OSHA will send to the employee will contain similar information. Significantly, in both the administrative closure letter and the talking points, OSHA will "recommend" that the employee contact the NLRB "as soon as possible" about filing an unfair labor practice charge. Moreover, both the letter and the talking points explicitly reference protected, concerted activity and that employees do not have to be in a union for the NLRA to protect them.
It is, of course, far too early to speculate on how many additional NLRB charges this new program may generate. That is a statistic we may see in next year's report of the General Counsel's meeting with the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section's Practice and Procedure Committee. In any event, the new program is a good reminder about the wide range of conduct that can be protected under the NLRA, whether or not the employer's workforce is unionized.


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When I got it to work this morning, I was greeted by an email from 23andMe's PR company, saying they have "built one of the world's largest databases of individual genetic information." Normally, I wouldn't even bat an eye at a claim like that. I'm pretty sure it is a big database of variation… but I thought I should throw down the gauntlet and give 23andMe a run for their money. (-:
The timing for it couldn't be better for me. My own database actually ran out of auto-increment IDs this week, as we surpassed 2^31 snps entered into the db and had to upgrade the key field to bigint from int. (Some variant calls have been deleted and replaced as variant callers have improved, so we actually have only 1.2 Billion variations recorded against the hg18 version of the human genome. A few hundred million more than that for hg19.) So, I thought I might have a bit of a claim to having one of the largest databases of human variation as well. Of course, comparing databases really is dependent on the metric being used, but hey, there's some academic value in trying anyhow.
In the first corner, my database stores information from 2200+ samples (cancer and non-cancer tissue), genome wide (or transcriptome wide, depending on the source of the information.), giving us a wide sampling of data, including variations unique to individuals, as well as common polymorphisms. In the other corner, 23andMe has sampled a much greater number of individuals (100,000) using a SNP chip, meaning that they're only able to sample a small amount of the variation in an individual – about 1/3rd of a single percent of the total amount of DNA in each individual.
(According to this page, they look at only 1 million possible SNPs, instead of the 3 Billion bases at which single nucleotide variations can be found – although arguments can be made about the importance of that specific fraction of a percent.)
The nature of the data being stored is pretty important, however. For many studies, the number of people sampled has a greater impact on the statistics than the number of sites studied and, since those are mainly the ones 23andMe are doing, clearly their database is more useful in that regard. In contrast, my database stores data from both cancer and non-cancer samples, which allows us to make sense of variations observed in specific types of cancers – and because cancer derived variations are less predictable (ie, not in the same 1M snps each time) than the run-of-the-mill-standard-human-variation-type snps, the same technology 23andMe used would have been entirely inappropriate for the cancer research we do.
Unfortunately, that means comparing the two databases is completely impossible – they have different purposes, different data and probably different designs. They have a database of 100k individuals, covering 1 million sites, whereas my database has 2k individuals, covering closer to 3 billion base pairs. So yeah, apples and oranges.
(In practice, however, we don't see variations at all 3 Billion base pairs, so that metric is somewhat skewed itself. The number is closer to 100 Million bp – a fraction of the genome nearly 100 times larger than what 23andMe is actually sampling.)
But, I'd still be interested in knowing the absolute number of variations they've observed… a great prize upon which we could hold this epic battle of "largest database of human variations." At best, 23andMe's database holds 10^11 variations, (1×10^6 SNPs x 1×10^5 people), if every single variant was found in every single person – a rather unlikely case. With my database currently at 1.2×10^9 variations, I think we've got some pretty even odds here.
Really, despite the joking about comparing database sizes, the real deal would be the fantastic opportunity to learn something interesting by merging the two databases, which could teach use something both about cancer and about the frequencies of variations in the human population.
Alas, that is pretty much certain to never happen. I doubt 23andMe will make their database public – and our organization never will either. Beyond the ethical issues of making that type of information public, there are pretty good reasons why this data can only be shared with collaborators – and in measured doses at that. That's another topic for another day, which I won't go into here.
For now, 23andMe and I will just have to settle for both having "one of the world's largest databases of individual genetic information." The battle royale for the title will have to wait for another day… and who knows what other behemoths are lurking in other research labs around the world.
On the other hand, the irony of a graduate student challenging 23andMe for the title of largest database of human variation really does make my day. (=
[Note: I should mention that when I say that I have a database of human variation, the database was my creation but the data belongs to the Genome Sciences Centre – and credit should be given to all of those who did the biology and bench work, performed the sequencing, ran the bioinformatics pipelines and assisted in populating the database.]


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The USA's FAA has released an Airworthiness Directive related to the recently announced issue for Kubicek burners equiped with "EGEFLEX" fuel hoses. This AD is the same as the previously mentioned EASA AD for Kubicek burners and ensures that any US type certificated balloons will comply with the required checks and corrective actions.
CASA are listing both EASA and FAA ADs on their Hot Air Balloon AD page to ensure that any European or US type certificated hot air balloons operating in Australia will comply with the required checks and corrective actions.
NOTE: Updated to reflect R1 of the AD that was modified by the FAA to remove some unnecessary documentation references.