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World's Best Beaches October
See also Pacific beach pictures
– Anakena, Easter Island. A small beach with terrific ambience, soft sand, palm trees and six moai observing the action.
– Matira, Bora Bora, French Polynesia. One of South Pacific's best beaches.
– Yasawa Islands, Fiji, a group of islands with some fine sandy strands and lively backpacker resorts.
– One Foot Island, islet of Aitutaki Island. Cook Islands beaches pictures.
– South coast of Ofu Island, American Samoa. A dramatic landscape with few visitors.
– Lefaga and Aleipata beaches, Upolu island, Western Samoa. Not well known but two of the most attractive beaches in the Pacific.
– Ha'apai Beach, Foa island, Ha'apai islands, Tonga. Perhaps the least costly destination in the Pacific with the most welcoming locals.
– USA: Fine sands and warm waters in Hawaii.
– North Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane, for wildlife walks, quiet beaches and good surf.
– Noosa Heads, Sunshine Coast, soft sand, parks and surf.
– Fraser Island's Lake McKenzie, bathe in clear freshwater embraced by rainforest and the purest white sand.
– Whitehaven, Whitsunday Islands, oceans of powder sand and turquoise water. Considered to be Australia's best beach by some but not by Bugbog – too far out mate! Takes ages to get there, no shade, no facilities and what about the jellies? But on your own boat. . . that's another matter!
– Beaches on Northwest Coast, such as Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef, Broome, and Kimberley are also in a good time to go.
– The Canary Islands (Spain), being nearer North Africa than Spain, enjoy a climate that could be described as perpetual summer with sunshine as standard and temperatures rarely below 18C (64F), reaching upper 30Cs maximum in mid-summer; there's a grand variety of beaches on offer from action-packed city sand, to big and placid or secluded and natural. However, the waters are the Atlantic are hardly warm (18C – 22C).
Out of summertime the southern sections of islands tend to be the warmest and Fuerteventura and Lanzarote the sunniest.
– South Africa: Camps Bay, with stunning views, good surfing at one end, adequate facilities and easy access from Capetown but chilly water.
– Brazil: loaded with huge, soft white sand beaches. Rio's Copacabana is a classic wild city beach, but there are plenty more!
– Greece: OK to mid October but many services are shutting down at this time, including ferries. Beach pictures
– Turkish beaches are, like Greece, borderline cool and lonely in October. Turkey beach pictures.
– French beaches are now limited to the Côte d'Azur and Corsica, getting cooler of course, with possible rain, but the towns are still lively.
– Spain's beaches in October are mostly limited to the south coast and the island groups if swimming is required. The Balearic Islands – Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza – are cheap and cheerful while the Canary Islands are the best bet for serious sunshine.
– Italy: this might be a good time to check out the culture and beaches of Sardinia, but Italy has little else of interest.
– Egypt's Mediterranean coastal resorts of Sidi Abdel Rahman and Marsa Matruh have slightly primitive facilities but are low cost and culturally interesting, but head for Egypt's Red Sea if comfort, coral and mass-tourism is more your thing.
– Redang Island, Redang archipelago (South China Sea, near Thailand), good for scuba and snorkelling.
– India: Goa beaches. A tourist magnet but still fun. The least crowded stretches are north of the Chapora River.
– Seychelles: Anse Lazio, Praslin island, Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue Island, Ile Souris, east coast of Mahé island. Pricey but stunning islands hosting some of the world's best beaches.
– Mauritius: Less isolated, dreamy and pricey than Seychelles but superb all-inclusive holiday resorts and great environment for both romantic and family holidays.
– Oman: Muscat beaches. Over 1, 000 miles of coastline with infinite unspoilt sand, very few tourists and a tranquil, sensible Arab culture.
– Madagascar: Ile Sainte Marie. An idyllic island resort fringed by peaceful beaches.
China Beach between Da Nang and Hoi An is an endless white strand, Mui Ne is breezy and fairly undeveloped while Nha Trang is a charming little town with a fine white sandy beach.
Egypt's celebrated Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Dahab (or head north up the Sinai peninsula for less package holiday crowds) as well as Israel's rather tired Eilat have a lot of competition so prices are reasonable, sun is constant, coral is lush and lively, the sea's warm and side trips to ancient sites like Luxor are a mass-tourism must-do.
The Red Sea's air temperature is generally about 30°C in October (24°C at night) and water temperature is a warm 27°C with very low humidity and almost no chance of rain.


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Accidents Highlight Danger of Underride Accidents
An underride accident in Maryland earlier this month miraculously resulted in only a minor injury. That's news, since many underride collisions end with fatalities. In fact, 21 people have died in the last two months in such accidents. Underride crashes occur when a car slides underneath a tractor trailer in a collision. Many people involved in underride accidents are killed by decapitation or are crushed under the weight of the truck.
Studies show that there is a relatively easy solution to this problem: attaching stronger rear guards to the bumpers of all tractor trailers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Virginia says these additions could prevent dangerous override collisions. Unfortunately, though, not everyone loves the idea.
Trucking companies say the stronger guards would add weight to their already heavy trucks, causing them to remove freight from their vehicles and instead add more tractor trailers to the road. The Insurance Institute disputes these claims.
Families of loved ones lost in such crashes have taken to Capitol Hill to advocate for additional safety measures to be mandated by the government. There's no formal way to track the number of these kinds of accidents, which advocates say is a problem. Families who have lost loved ones to underride wrecks say they will take up the challenge and work tirelessly to inform both the public and the policymakers about the problem. Until real change occurs, though, the issue is likely to remain a dangerous one.
Virginia Truck Accident Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, contact our Virginia car accident personal injury and wrongful death lawyers. The Serpe Firm has helped victims and their families for over 30 years. We will handle the legal issues so that you can focus on yourself and your family during these difficult times.

subset: commoncrawl


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From the West: Radical* ideas and thoughts on civil society, the not-for-profit world and social justice activism from Perth Western Australia (Radical-going to the root or origin of something)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Australia Day hypocrisy
The Barnett Government has just wasted millions of dollars to stage "Australia's largest fireworks display" over the Perth CBD. They can find money for fireworks but not to compensate a community or hold someone accountable for a death in custody.
Two years after the death* of distinguished Aboriginal elder and community leader Mr Ward in the back of a government owned prison van, the Barnett government has still failed to compensate the family and has taken no action to hold anyone accountable for the death. The Government's response has been to delay action at every stage. The Attorney General Christian Porter has continually prevaricated and avoided action and indicated that compensation and government action is subject to "budgetary constraints". (you can read the Attorney General's letter to the WA Deaths in Custody Watch Group here. The letter took him nearly 3 months to reply)
Despite a scathing coroner's report no charges have been bought against the corporation that ran the prisoner transport system, or the officers involved. In fact the corporation involved has been rewarded with a contract extension here in WA and has been awarded a new contract to run prisoner transport in Victoria.
The WA Deaths in Watch Custody Group continues to campaign for justice for Mr Ward's family and to ensure accountability for the death. You can read more about forthcoming events and actions here. or follow what is happening on their Facebook page. Please support them
* Two years ago Mr Ward, an Aboriginal elder from Warburton in outback WA, died in the back of a prisoner transport van. At the time he was in the custody of the WA police and prisoner transport company GSL (now G4S). In the words of the Coroner, Alistair Hope, who examined Mr Ward's death, Mr Ward 'suffered a terrible death which was wholly unnecessary and avoidable'.
As a result of his horrific death, a campaign was initiated by the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee (DICWC) to demand justice for Mr Ward, and to ensure that changes are made to the corrective services system to ensure that this can never happen again.
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Labels: campaigning, direct action, political role of NGO's
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I'm really loving my artist dates this time around! And it seems like all of a sudden I'm having a lot of synchronicity in my life. Synchronicity- that principle that C.G. Jung loosely defined as a fortuitous intermeshing of events. I still like the word serendipity better but it doesn't matter. They both mean the same thing. Wikipedia says synchronicity is the experience of two or more events, that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance, that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner. When something coincidental happens that causes something else to happen.
All the synchronicity that happened to me this week is complicated and hard to explain. But let's start with the fact that I left a Scentsy catalog with someone who placed an order with me at the medical center back in August. After that, someone I had never met called me and placed an order with me in the middle of September. Then I went in for a doctor appt and this really nice young airman did my intake to my appointment. She never expressed an interest in Scentsy and I didn't bring it up although I carry my Scentsy bag with me everywhere and it's unusual for me NOT to bring it up. When the order came in and I went to deliver it to the medical clinic, it turned out it was the nice young airman who had ordered from me sight unseen. When she saw me she said, "OH, I'm so glad it is you! I'm so glad it is you! I saw your Scentsy bag when you came in for your appointment and I just kept thinking too bad I already ordered from someone because you were so nice and I would've rather have ordered from you!" Since I had never met her when she placed the order with me and then met her after the order was placed but before it came it and we liked each other I am going to say it is synchronicity that we met each other by phone before we met each other in person and did not even know it. Other people may not count that as synchronicity, I don't know.
The next episode of synchronicity is really complicated. Let me set the stage here. Domino #1 – Back in the late 90s I made a trip to Houston with a friend. I had some female issues going on and the friend's sister wanted me to see a Holistic doctor friend of hers. This doctor explained to me about the electrical meridians in our bodies and how he could tell if something was wrong with me by testing these meridians. I was quite skeptical but I believe in reflexology so I was willing to give it a shot. He tested me by handing me a metal cylinder to hold in one hand and something I held in the other hand (don't remember now) and having me stand on this metal plate. Small doses of electricity traveled through my body and supposedly told this doctor what was wrong with me. He gave me some homeopathic hormone drops and some yam cream to use. I thought it was the biggest waste of money I'd ever done! I went home and proceeded to use the drops and the cream as he had instructed me. I NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE!!! When I ran out of the drops I was quite upset that my friend had been fired from her job and dropped off the radar of my life. I didn't know her sister's name and I didn't know the doctor's name. I attempted to find a Holistic doctor in the Houston area and I couldn't find him. I tried to find one here and I couldn't. I eventually gave up and life went back to how it had been pre-Houston visit.
Domino #2 – Fast forward to 2010. I have fibromyalgia, and other various health issues. I don't react to prescriptions like other people do and even the military insurance company told me I needed a Homeopathic doctor that believed in natural remedies instead of one that wanted to throw pills at me. We looked for a Homeopathic doctor within 200 miles of where I live. We couldn't find one. The only one listed had given up his practice here and gone to Florida to treat Geriatric patients. We hit dead end after dead end. I again gave up and life went on.
Domino #3 – In early 2011 my husband picked up the book "The Field – The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe" by Lynne McTaggart out of a bargain bin somewhere. This is a very scientific book and NOT at all something I would normally read. But after hearing my husband talk about bits and pieces of it I picked it up and started reading it before bedtime. This book deals with the Zero Point Gravity Field and delves into Quantum Physics and other scientific areas I've never really had an interest in. But at the same time if this book is to be believed than scientists have been performing experiments that prove the reality of a realm that hitherto had been the domain of Eastern mystics. A book which gives scientific proof of the paranormal. (Which I've always had an interest and ability in.) Psychic activity, remote viewing, the power of prayer and homoeopathy are all discussed. The energy found in the vacuum – or the zero point field – seems to be the key to all sorts of unexplained phenomena: ESP or remote viewing, homeopathy, energy medicine, spiritual healing, and even the homing instincts of animals. Lynne McTaggart follows the life and work of disparate physicists, pioneers in the area where the paranormal meets quantum physics. Even Dr. Wayne Dyer said, "The Field is one of the most thought-provoking reads of 2001!"
Domino #4 – As most people who know me know, I am very supportive of my children and have never missed any of my daughter's roller derby matches. It just so happens that one of her team mates (and her husband!) are chiropractors here locally. They have become very good friends with my daughter and my extension friends with me.
Domino #5 – I restarted The Artist Way study and have been using my artist dates to indulge myself in ways to help me destress and take better care of myself in addition to letting my artist child play so I made an appointment with this chiropractor to see if my back being out of alignment was causing the bursitis in both hips that the regular medical doctor wants to give me steroid shots to fix but can't explain to me why I got it in the first place.
Domino #6 – While at the chiropractic appointment (which helped the bursitis TONS by the way) somehow holistic healing came up and I mentioned the machine I had been treated with in Houston all those years ago and how I'd never been able to find anyone with such a machine again. How or why it even came up I can't remember now!
Domino #7 – The chiropractor tells me that they have that machine THERE in their office! The other doctor (not her husband) owns it and mainly uses it to treat friends and family.
Domino #8 – As I'm checking out, and my chiropractic friend is checking on getting me an appointment with the other doctor, one of the ladies from the office tells me that she doesn't understand why the doctor charges so little; that most people who own that expensive equipment charge well over $1000 for a session (a session takes over an hour). But this doctor's session is actually quite cheap and I can afford it! [Pulled from the web.] Biomeridian testing measures electrical resistance at established acupuncture points along those meridians to determine if they are balanced, stressed, or weak. Even before symptoms show themselves, this helps to identify where the body is most in need of support. Healthy tissue in the body has a certain rate of conductivity. Stressed tissue has more conductivity and weakened tissue has less conductivity. [No, that is not us in the picture, I got that off the web too.] 🙂
Soooo….. with all the coincidences allowing it to happen, I make my appointment for the following day to come back and have a reading by the doctor with the Biomeridian machine. I don't think it's the exact same machine as was used on me in Houston but it is close. As the doctor checks the various electrical meridians in my body he explains as fascinated as he is by the science of it that he just can't get most people to understand that it is not quack medicine. I am refreshing to him that I have benefitted from such a machine in the past and because of my study of reflexology and various other alternative health disciplines I understand what the machine is doing. I'm even more enthralled when he finishes and the machine gives its report. Without going into my specific medical information let me say that what the machine said is the #1 thing wrong with me is something that my medical doctors have also said is wrong. In fact I have another test scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to recheck that same issue! But medical doctors are saying there is nothing that can be done for it. The #2 thing the machine says is wrong with me is another thing that has been addressed by medical doctors but after throwing pills at me they think I am better. The #3 thing the machine says is wrong with me is something I have brought up to doctors and they have dismissed out of hand. Very interesting!
Because of my reading of "The Field" I understand about different substances having a specific frequency and water molecules retaining memory even if the solution is diluted infinitely. So when the doctor puts a base solution on a metal plate and sends frequencies of specific homeopathic medicines into the base solution I understand exactly what he is doing. Do other people think this is quack medicine? Yes, I know they do. Do I think this is quack medicine? No, I don't. I will gladly take the drops he has prescribed for me and I think this will help me in ways that traditional medical doctors cannot. Is it a placebo effect? I don't believe it is because I never expected the hormone drops to help me the first time. For a placebo to work you have to actually believe the sugar pill will help you and I didn't. Actually I wish the medical doctors were not doing the test Tuesday because I'd like to give the homeopathic remedy a chance to work before my medical doctors retest. But I guess that is okay because the medical doctors say you cannot improve this issue so it will be all the more proof positive later when I actually do!
This is why I say it's like the universe stacked up the dominoes and this week I knocked them all down! It took an awful lot of "coincidences" to bring me to the point where I find myself today!


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OPTIMO: Manifestations of Optimism in Contemporary Art
Polly Apfelbaum, Martin Creed, Karen Finley, Forcefield collective, Emily Jacir, Beatriz Milhazes, Takashi Murakami, Adam Pendleton, Leo Villareal
23 April - 27 June 2004
Opening reception: 6 – 8 PM, 23 April 2004 at the Ballroom
Artists Discussions: 3:30 – 5PM, 23 April 2004 at the Marfa Theatre Building
Music Performance: Stereo Total and the Virgin Tears, 10PM 24 April
To celebrate the official opening of Ballroom Marfa, a new cultural center in Marfa, Texas, independent curator and consultant Alexander Gray and the Ballroom staff have organized the group exhibition, OPTIMO: Manifestations of Optimism in Contemporary Art.
Mirroring the vision of the Ballroom itself, a non-profit cultural space founded on the belief that art can impact the human spirit positively, OPTIMO brings together nine artists whose work celebrates life, incorporating visual pleasure, humor, interactivity, color, technology, industrial design, politics, landscape, spirituality, and popular culture. The exhibition includes site-specific installations, performance-based work, painting, video, photography, and sculpture.
The exhibition is composed of works by leading artists from around the globe. New York-based Polly Apfelbaum presents her signature fabric floor sculptures, which morph nature and culture into bold abstract forms. Martin Creed, the London-based conceptualist who was awarded the prestigious Turner Prize in 2001, exhibits his piece: Work No.200 (half the air in a given space), an interactive, room-sized installation of balloons. Karen Finley contributes Psychic Portraits, a collection of drawings produced by this performance artist during psychic readings (sessions) with Ballroom audience members (readings will be available by appointment during the opening weekend).
Providence, Rhode Island is home to the collective Forcefield, whose experimental music, performance, and fashion design come together in a series of irreverent and playful music videos. Palestinian Emily Jacir's hypnotic video installation takes a meditative gaze at the daily ritual of border crossing in Surdna. Brazilian painter Beatriz Milhazes' brightly colored, baroque abstractions balance the micro and macro with dizzying surfaces and patterns. Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami reinstalls his gigantic eyeball balloons, last seen in Rockefeller Center, having the balloons suspended above the Ballroom will be a humorous and quirky addition to the West Texas landscape. Adam Pendleton, a New York-based installation artist, takes a cue from the writer Reinaldo Arenas in an audio installation that invites written participation from the viewer. Native Texan Leo Villareal exhibits a site-specific, digital light installation that shimmers and glows, referencing the endless sunrises and sunsets of the West Texas sky.
The festivities of this opening weekend will include a performance by Stereo Total, a Berlin-based duo, followed by a DJ performance by the Virgin Tears, whose energetic opulent style will echo the essence of this exhibition.
OPTIMO brings together artists whose work celebrates the complexities and wonders of contemporary life. These works, these artists bravely envision a future with ever-expanding possibilities.
The exhibition will be expanded by an artist panel discussion on April 24 at the Marfa Theatre Building, examining the role of optimism in contemporary culture: how it impacts politics, economics, democracy, and cultural development.


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Nashville Music Attractions
Music Attractions in Nashville Tennessee
Nashville Music Attractions are plentiful, Start with booking your tickets for the Grand Ole Opry every Friday and Saturday night you will see the brightest new stars and the legends of Country Music. Brush up on your Country Music history by visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman (original home of the Opry), and the Johnny Cash Museum all in downtown Nashville. Hear upcoming stars and songwriters at the Bluebird Cafe(arrive early), Tootsies Orchard Lounge or any club on Nashville's Famous downtown strip. Enjoy!
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is one of the world's largest and most active popular music research centers and the world's largest repository of country music artifacts. In 2001 they moved into a huge facility in the heart of Nashville's Arts & Entertainment district downtown. This is a must see for all music lovers. Today the museum includes Taylor Swift Education Center, and multi-purpose event rental spaces, and a 776-seat CMA Theater for events that include some of the biggest names in Country Music history.


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Have you tried AcroYoga? Step into the unknown while being supported. AcroYoga pushes the body, mind, emotion, energy and spirit to new realms. Find yourself, so you can be the flyer, base or spotter, during facilitated sessions. From basic principles, SIMPLE connections, to fundamental flows, sessions will ask you to work as a group to build and discover the BLISS...Read More
Life can be silly! I enjoy all the health benefits from Laughing. When life starts to feel stressful I use Laughter to calm my nerves. One a month we hold a Laugh Therapy session. I love sharing techniques that help us stay in the present moment. Follow the link for Laughter Information in Flow Chart. Laughter Wellness Organization (Give yourself-the gift-of 5 mins...Read More
Our body will put itself into balance at any cost. Even if it has to take alkalinity out of joints, bones, teeth, nails or hair to decrease the acidity. Try eating 80% of these ALKALIZING FOODS VEGETABLES Garlic Asparagus Fermented Veggies Watercress Beets Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chard Chlorella Collard Greens Cucumber Eggplant...Read More
Throughout the years of working with my clients, I have been fascinated by how quickly some become aware, while others take longer to increase their awareness. Or, some stay stuck in the same pattern. So why is this? If they're not ready for something different, no matter what I teach or how I give a massage it's not going to work because the readiness...Read More
How Your Vagus Nerve rejuvenates the body The vagus nerve also known as the "wandering vagus nerve" ventures from the brain into the abdomen, touching and feed-backing information to the brain from just about every organ. The main role of the vagus nerve is its control over the parasympathetic nervous system, which is called the "rest and digest" nervous...Read More
Breath, All is well, Stretch!!! The holidays are not always full of joy and good tidings! While we all have the best intentions, often the holidays are a reminder of old emotional traumas or the memories of loved ones who are no longer around. In addition, the holidays often bring a ton more work, shopping, financial stress, entertaining, and social...Read More


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Whether you are a novice baker or have already made a fancy 3 tier layer cake, Wilton is always a great place to turn to to stock up on baking essentials. They have been creating innovative and quality baking and kitchen product since 1929!
Wilton has over the years released so many wonderful products to assist bakers with decorating their cakes. Here at Strudel we have put together a great selection of essential baking products to kick off your cake decorating hobby or new passion.
In case you've never decorated a cake before, a good place to start is with one of Wilton's comprehensive beginner's publications, like this one "Cake Decorating Beginner's Guide"
This Round Pan Set is a top choice to create the base of your tiered cake
We just love this Deluxe Decorating Tip starter kit. Not only does it include every piping tip you will need to begin and practice decorating with icing, you can easily store the tips inside the organizer. Includes 22 Tips , A standard coupler and a flower nail.
Once of Wilton's best innovative products is this Decorate Smart Deluxe Practice Board Set which includes wipe clean practice sheets for over 80 decorating technique for buttercream and royal icing!
A stable cake decorating stand will make a world of difference when you decorate even the simplest birthday cake. This value set includes also piping bags and a spatula.
You can also get this quality value for money spatula on its own. Just 4$ , and a basic necessity to get those frosting layers smooth and beautiful.
Speaking of smoothing out the final touches of your cake, in case you want a truly professional final product this Decorate Smart Icing Smoother is a must.
Before we got this brilliant product our piping bags would just be laid back on the counter making a mess. If you're decorating with several colors of frosting this handy little clever Decorate Smart Decorating Bag Holder will be a life saver!
Not technically a baking tool, but if you're serious about developing your icing skills, you will find this Decorating Tips poster so helpful as a quick reference. Don't forget to laminate it as it will get dirty easily in your kitchen.
This unique cake leveler has 8 (!) different height adjustment positions. You can use it for a simple 2 layer cake, or to delicately cut thin layers for a perfectly leveled tort cake.
This Wilton Make Your Cake Beautiful Icing Starter Set includes the spatula, icing smoother, and bag holder we discussed above. Note that the leveler is of a different kind aimed at smaller cakes. Wilton also threw in this value set White Buttercream Icing Mix and a 20-piece Cake Decorating Tip Set
This reusable Featherweight Decorating Bag is a green ecological product to use with your icing.
If you find your kitchen drawers full of icing tips, getting lost in between uses, this wonderful Wilton Decorate Smart Tool Organizer Case is a brilliant investment.
No cake decorating pantry is complete without a range of food coloring bottles. The Wilton Color Right Performance Color System is a basic set that you will keep coming back to again and again.
The next items are Strudel's favorite Wilton range. Using just one cake batter, these brilliant Easy Layers systems are a fool proof way to create perfectly accurate layer cakes. All pans fit together in the oven as well, it really is a genius system. Below you find find 8″ and mini 6″ round sets, a loaf (English cake) set and a square cake set.


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Good Night Essential Oil Roll On
Add the Good Night roll on to your bedtime routine to calm your mind and prepare your body for sleep. It's also great for helping children calm down at night!
All of our oils are therapeutic grade, and are cold-pressed or steam distilled and ready to use. Our blends have the maximum recommended concentration of 10% essential oils, and whether you are an avid oil user or just starting out, they are a high quality, convenient option.
For best results, roll on the body's pulse points, which include the sides of the neck, temples, inner elbows, wrists, and the bottoms of feet.
An essential oil blend of German chamomile, Roman chamomile, and lavender in sweet almond oil.
We donate 5% of our revenue to the Lovin' Soap Project, a nonprofit organization that provides women and girls in developing countries with access to education, economic opportunities, and equality.
For more information, visit www.lovinsoapproject.org
For more information, visit www.lovinsoapproject.org


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Rachel Pritchett has the story in the Kitsap Sun:
decease taking place at the Bremerton and Port Orchard marinas Saturday through Monday, Memorial Day. Behind her are participants in the event's murder mystery Brain Sauer, left, and Jack Edwards. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN " src="http://media.kitsapsun.com/media/img/photos/2011/05/25/420110525173405002_t160.JPG" align="right" />PORT ORCHARD — If there were ever any rivalry between the cities of Bremerton and Port Orchard, it has been put aside. Volunteers from both are working together to make the Kitsap Harbor Festival a success.
The event takes place Saturday, Sunday and Monday on both the cities' waterfronts, and includes entertainment, food, boat races, runs, pirates and car shows, all compliments of the Port of Bremerton aiming to boost tourism and promote interest in its marinas.
This year's centerpiece for Harborfest is a World War II Navy tugboat then called the Wampanoag and now called the Comanche.


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Oh To Bee Daisy Swing Dress: 16
The Oh To Bee Daisy print is fresh, feminine and fun on Lady V's Swing dress. A pale cream background hosts a bevy of beautiful flowers and wildlife, including butterflies, bees and daisies in a spectrum of sweet shades. Christenings and baby showers are great occasions for this light and lovely piece. A square neck, gathered cap sleeves and a fitted waist with a soft belt combine for a cute, '50's feel. Gathers create a full, flared hem, finishing at the knee for an instantly recognisable vintage look.
97% Cotton / 3% Elastane
Machine washable at 30 degrees (delicate wash). Do not hand wash, do not soak, do not tumble dry.
Contact us on 01284 755551
We despatch by 3pm every day except weekends and bank holidays
- UK Orders over £40 - delivery is FREE 1-3 days 1st Class Royal Mail Signed For - often arrives next day
- UK Orders below £40 - delivery charge £2.95 1-3 days1st ClassRoyal Mail Signed For - often arrives next day
- All packages require a signature upon receipt
You can contact us on 01284 755551
We love selling good quality clothes and gifts to people who will enjoy them.
If you have a problem please don't hesitate to contact us. Talk to us!
You can return any item within 14 days of delivery for a full refund. No Quibbles, No Hassle
Returned items must be unused, with tags /labels still attached and with any original packaging undamaged
Packages are your responsibility until received by us. We suggest a Signed For service and that you keep a proof of posting
Please include your original packing note/invoice, otherwise it can be difficult to allocate the item(s)
Comments on the reason for return are appreciated, they help us improve our service
If an item is faulty, we will be happy to exchange it or refund you, and refund the cost of returning it
Please provide a receipt for the shipping cost.
Please return all items to the following address:
Returns Department
Sunrise Direct Ltd.
83, St John's Street
Bury St Edmunds


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So happy to get Valdy's newest album (Raed Bteewen the Lnies)... I love his open, honest, wise voice and lyrics and am so proud to hear my little bassoon sound piping in here and there amidst the phalanx of great performing friends that he recorded with last fall. Guy sounds lovely, gliding corno weaving in and out... we're on tracks 1, 3, 5. 11 & 14, but really, it is the whole album that is true-hearted gorgeous. I LOVE YOU VALDY!!!
And I just got an inspiring press release from the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition... three former MQVC winners have placed in the five finalists in the prestigious Gillet-Fox Competition of the International Double Reed Society, bravo to Ingrid Hagan, Laura Miler and Amanda Swain (and of course, the other two finalists, Bogdan Dumitriu and Katarzyna Zdybel) And the MQVC competition got a direct mention in Musical America's special report ("Competitions: an in-depth look") in Edna Landau's article, "Choosing the Best Competition for You" (p. 22 & 23)
In other news, I am grounded this week... my body said I have to stay home for a week and pull my s*** together (as it were). So much for stomach viruses. Will go to Berkeley to edit the Vivaldi CD at the end of June, just before our shows at the Oregon Bach Festival. Yeah.


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Last night Rihanna partied in Los Angeles with her best friend Melissa Forde and creative director Ciarra Pardo. Melissa posted a few photos and videos on her Instagram account of their fun night out. The three were at Miguel's WildHeart Motel, which appears to be a sort of art installation the R&B artist has set up. He's been posting Periscope videos and live streaming from wildheartmotel.com. Rih wore some Vetements pieces. It really is her new favourite brand!Spring/Summer 2016 collection [Look 27]. The sweatshirt features Vetements' signature oversized fit, a cursive logo on the chest, a branded hood that can be twisted to create a crew-neck style, and kangaroo pockets on the front and back. The word "Polizei" is also printed in block letters on the back. The track pants have a drawstring waist, a cursive logo on the thigh and uneven hems. Both the sweatshirt ($528) and the track pants ($665) are available from Matches Fashion.
Thanks to a photo she took with a fan, we can tell that her hat is Joyrich's iconic logo cap in yellow. The sold-out cap is embroidered with a logo that parodies Hermès' iconic logo.Spring/Summer 2016 collection. These are the open-back ankle-strap pumps in white which feature a 4.3″ partial wedge heel and pointed toe. So far the white is not available to purchase online but Neiman Marcus has the gold watersnake ($2,240) and leopard ($1,690) versions of the shoe. Or you can head over to the official Tom Ford online store to pre-order any of the four colours available there.
- Vetements hooded Polizei-print sweatshirt ($528)
- Vetements cut-out cuffs track pants ($477)
images via melissa forde, rihanna infinity


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International human rights law and advocacy has been my passion for over two decades.
I'm one of those people who grew up wanting to change the world. And I'm doing it – I'm a human rights advocate and international lawyer.
I work with courageous individuals and communities, as well as non-profits, governments, United Nations agencies, and others, to improve the implementation of human rights around the world. I help bring local human rights issues to the global attention of the United Nations, and help victims get their stories heard. And I operate with a not-so-secret agenda — I use this real human rights work as a practical opportunity to teach others, helping develop the next generation of human rights advocates.
Human rights are built on the concept of human dignity. Dignity, respect, empathy, kindness, compassion, acceptance, courage, and love, are the values I try to bring to my world and share with those around me. I'm not always successful at doing this – that's why I see my life, like my profession, as a practice; every day is an opportunity to keep practicing, learning and improving.
Since I was young I've been interested in using mentoring as a way of enhancing these practices. I first set up a Big-Sister Program in my first year of high school to help pair new students with more experienced seniors, helping build acceptance and courage in our school community. Promoting and building opportunities for mentoring became something I continued doing throughout my life, finding formal and informal ways to help those more experienced to give back and reach out a helping hand to other, and to support and promote those just starting out (in their studies, their professions, in extra-curricular activities, or in moving to a new city).
Combining my two passions of human rights and mentoring led me to coaching up-and-coming leaders, change-makers, and advocates.
It is my way of combining my many years of experience in social justice advocacy with my keen interest in building community while helping others to become their best selves.
My work as an international lawyer specialising in human rights law and practice has led me to work with people from all walks of life, from presidents and other world leaders, to grassroots activists, labourers, homeless people, and almost everyone in between. This has been a privilege and an honour, and the lessons I've learned through these experiences I want to share with others who are learning how to change the world.
One of the most important lessons I have learned along the way is that in order to change the world we often need to change our worlds — in particular the way that we lead and manage our own lives and relationships. The work I've done with some of my own mentors, such as Randi Buckley (whose work on Healthy Boundaries for Kind People is life changing) and Tara Mohr (who does exceptional work on helping women learn about Playing Big) informs the work I do with clients in nurturing and developing their best selves.
The people I work with are those who unashamedly want to create a better world, for themselves and for others, a world where human rights and human dignity are respected, protected, and fulfilled.
Together, we figure out how to do this, and what information and resources are needed, whether that's on a global scale or in their own personal lives.
And we have fun while doing so!
Advocating for Human Rights
Shining A Light
Speaking Up
Connecting People & Issues
Claire Mahon is an international human rights lawyer based in Geneva, Switzerland, where she is the founder and Director of the Global Human Rights Group, a social enterprise comprising of the not-for-profit NGO the Global Human Rights Clinic (which focuses on offering experiential learning opportunities), and the not-just-for-profit boutique consulting firm, the Global Human Rights Consultants LLC. Claire also works as a coach and mentor, developing international change-makers. Previously, Claire was a senior Research Fellow and the Founder and joint Coordinator of the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, coordinating their Geneva International Fellows Program. She taught at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, and also regularly teaches at other universities around the world as a guest lecturer in various courses on international human rights law, international organisations and public international law.
She has previously worked for Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Service for Human Rights, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her work has focused on the UN human rights system and economic, social and cultural rights, particularly issues relating to monitoring human rights, including in the field. She has experience in designing and providing training on international human rights law and practice to diplomats, advocates, field officers, UN staff, and students in over 35 countries. She worked with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food from 2007-2008 and contributed to his country missions and annual reports. She also spent two years (2009-2010) working as the Special Advisor to Mrs Mary Robinson, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Ireland, in her role as Chair of the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI).
Claire has published on a variety of international human rights law topics, for academic publications and non-governmental organisations. She is the co-author of the book The Fight for the Right to Food: Lessons Learned (with Jean Ziegler, Christophe Golay and Sally-Anne Way, published by Palgrave Macmillan, February 2011), and the co-editor of Realizing the Right to Health (with Andrew Clapham, Mary Robinson, and Scott Jerbi), published by Rüffer and Rub in May 2009. She is the principle author of Fair Play for Housing Rights: Mega-Events, Olympic Games and Housing Rights (Geneva: COHRE, 2007), and she prepared the MultiStakeholder Guidelines for Mega-Events and Housing Rights (Geneva: COHRE, 2007), published in French, Spanish and Chinese, which have been referenced by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing. For several years she wrote a monthly column as 'Foreign Correspondent' on human rights issues at the UN in the Australian Human Rights Law Centre Bulletin.
Prior to moving to Geneva, Claire worked as a corporate lawyer in mergers and acquisitions, at a top Australian law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and in community law at the Peninsula Community Legal Centre, in Victoria.
Claire holds a Diplôme d'études approfondies (LLM/M.Phil equivalent) in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies; a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) from the Australian National University (ANU); a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations and Development Studies) from ANU; and is completing a PhD on the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.


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The sound of light
Tones that strengthen the consciousness and trigger positive energy.
The clearly defined pentatonic (C D E G A C) on the sun tone (tuned somewhat lower than the Western C) unites the body and mind in total harmony. The positive prevailing mood strengthens the consciousness.
Clear, almost transparent overtones increase intensively in the high range.
argento anodizzato
lunghezza complessiva 80 cm
Please enter the keyword and then press the ENTER key.


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I can list 10 good reasons why the Boston Red Sox will defeat the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series.
In no particular order:
1. Boston's Game 1 & 2 starting pitchers, Josh Beckett & Curt Schilling, are a combined 3-1 with a 1.24 ERA in six World Series starts since 2001.
2. The Red Sox have home-field advantage. During the regular season they were 51-30 at Fenway Park.
3. The Rockies were a mediocre 39-42 on the road.
4. Only one Rockies player (Willy Tavares) has World Series experience. The Red Sox have seven.
5. Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield has been left off the World Series roster.
6. The Red Sox explosive offense is averaging 7 runs per game this postseason.
7. Despite falling behind in the ALCS 3 games to 1, the Red Sox methodically dismantled the Cleveland Indians in three straight games. They have some serious momentum right now.
8. 96 regular season wins, the best in baseball.
9. Allowed a major league low 657 runs in the regular season.
10. The Rockies have not played a game in eight days.
Now let's look at the Colorado Rockies side of the ledger.
1. An inexplicable 21 wins in their last 22 games.
Rockies in six.


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Did you know that adult criminal records are public in Florida? If you've been arrested as an adult, your record can be accessed by potential colleges, landlords and employers. You don't want to live with an arrest on your record for the rest of your life.
You can get a fresh start—talk to a criminal defense attorney in West Palm Beach, Florida about expungements right away. J & J Law Firm, P.A. can help you navigate the complicated expungement process.
Record sealing places your record under highly restricted access. On the other hand, expungement deletes your record. You might be eligible for expungement if:
Call J & J Law Firm today to schedule a consultation with a criminal defense attorney in West Palm Beach, FL. We'll meet with you to discuss the specifics of your case to determine if expungement is an option.


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PARIS, October 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
"Satellite broadcasters are scaling new heights of programming quality and innovation," said Duilio Giammaria, the well-known RAI journalist and Jury Chairman of this year's Eutelsat TV Awards, the unique international event recognising the quality of thematic satellite TV channels. His comments came at the end of two days of viewing by a 10-member jury whose combined experience covers the world's most dynamic broadcasting markets.
The jury that met in Paris debated over content submitted for a Eutelsat TV Award by more than 120 channels from 19 countries, and decided on a shortlist of three channels in nine thematic categories. The winners in each category will be revealed at a gala ceremony in Venice on November 30.
Duilio added: "Considering the originality of the programming we saw, it's no surprise that satellite TV continues to be the most popular platform for multi-channel viewing. This year's entries to the Eutelsat TV Awards showed the continuing capacity of powerhouse TV markets like the UK, Russia and Italy to generate content that captured our attention. But we also saw inventive and courageous formats and programming ideas from newer digital entertainment markets, including Madagascar, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. All in all, we have been impressed by the efforts of satellite broadcasters to give viewers a great TV experience and to leverage new technologies to reach out to a broader audience."
Now that the jury has done its work, all participating channels can compete for the People's Choice Award that will be won by the channel generating the most votes from viewers. Voting opens on October 10 and will continue until November 22 via participating channel websites as well as the official website for the competition - eutelsattvawards.com - and other popular sites including broadbandtvnews.com, wotsat.com, millecanali.it and lyngsat.com.
The nominees for the EUTELSAT TV Awards 2012:
CHILDREN'S CINEMA CAROUSEL (Russia) ALE KINO+ (Poland) MINIMINI+ (Poland) KINOWELT TV (Germany) TELETOON+ (Poland) PREMIERA (Russia) CULTURE / DOCUMENTARIES FICTION / GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT PASHTO TV (Afghanistan) COMEDY CENTRAL ITALY (Italy) SPIEGEL TV WISSEN (Germany) ILIKE TV (Italy) TOP SECRET (Russia) MBC 1 HD (UAE) LIFESTYLE MUSIC KUCHNIA+ (Poland) C Music TV (UK) RAI 5 (Italy) La-minor TV (Russia) REAL TIME (Italy) Viva Polska (Poland) NEWS/INFORMATION SPORT ALARABIYA HD (UAE) EUROSPORT (France) CCTV NEWS (China) SKY SPORT (Italy) SKY TG24 (Italy) SPORT PLUS (Russia) BEST PROGRAMME Rapinfo, A-ONE HIP-HOP MUSIC CHANNEL (Russia) Shakespeare from Kabul, BBC PERSIAN (UK) Raitunes5 - altri suoni, RAI 5 (Italy)
The jury: Jerzy Barski from TV-Sat Magazine (Poland), Jacques Braun from Eurodata TV (France), Sergey Buntman from Echo of Moscow (Russia), Alessandra Comazzi from La Stampa (Italy), Paolo Dalla Chiara from Pentastudio (Italy), Ludger Lausberg from BRmedia (Germany), Giacomo Mazzone from the EBU, Fusun Nebil from Turk Internet (Turkey), Reem Nouss from Presenters Ink (UK). The jury chairman: Duilio Giammaria from Rai (Italy) and tedchnical expert Mauro Roffi from Millecanali (Italy).
About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. With capacity commercialised on 29 satellites that provide coverage across Europe, as well as the Middle East, Africa and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators. As of 30 June 2012 Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 4,250 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates high speed Internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve consumers, enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ just over 750 commercial, technical and operational professionals. This culturally diverse staff comprises employees from 30 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com
SOURCE Eutelsat Communications


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The 1990s were a magical time for video games, as classics like "Super Mario World" and "F-Zero" kept you cross-legged on the floor with your eyes glued to the screen for hours on end. In fact, you didn't have any choice but to sit on the floor, as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES) only had wired controllers!
If you still have a SNES lying around but your back can't handle the gaming posture of yore, there's good news: thanks to the Retro Receiver from Analogue, you'll be able to play your SNES games using a wide variety of wireless controllers.
Here's what it looks like:
If you can't tell, that's designed to fit into the controller port of an original SNES console, as well as any third-party hardware with the same port. It's a Bluetooth receiver that will sync with almost any controller you might have lying around these days:
- Wii U Pro Controller
- Wii Remote
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any support for Xbox 360 or Xbox One controllers. However, it does support the entire 8bitdo line of controllers. 8bitdo makes wireless controllers and arcade sticks that are almost exactly like controllers for old consoles, as well as some unique options.
That option exists if you want a more accurate experience sans wires, but if not, you may already own a controller that will work with this thing. It's also worth noting that you can use multiple receivers to play multiplayer games. So, if you want to revisit the glory days of gaming at a safe distance from your TV, you can get the Retro Receiver for SNES for $24.99.


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Sports stadiums have been named for fast food companies, office supply chains, and banks, but apparently there is one sector of the economy that is not welcome in the sports world: the private prison industry.
Florida Atlantic University announced late Monday that the GEO Group Foundation, the charitable arm of the private prison corporation, planned to withdraw its $6 million gift for what was to be called GEO Group Stadium, citing discomfort at being drawn into a debate about civil rights and privatization.
In a statement, GEO said that backing out of the deal was "in the best long-term interest of the university."
"What was originally intended as a gesture of GEO's good will to financially assist the university's athletic scholarship program has surprisingly evolved into an ongoing distraction to both of our organizations," said George Zoley, the chairman of the GEO Group, who is a graduate of Florida Atlantic.
Monday's announcement followed a series of protests and petition drives organized by the student-run Stop Owlcatraz Coalition — a reference to the college's teams, which are known as the Owls. The student group said it objected to the university's allying itself with any company that profits from incarcerating people.
"I would hope this sets a far-reaching precedent that the truth and human rights are worth more than millions of dollars, always," said Anole Halper, a graduate student and a member of the coalition.
When the deal was announced in February, university officials billed it as the largest donation in the athletic department's history, and one that would finance stadium operations and scholarships as Florida Atlantic moved into Conference USA. Instead, the naming deal became a rallying point in a national debate that had little to do with sports or stadiums.
On Monday, a coalition of dozens of groups, including an array of rights advocacy groups, delivered a letter to the university's president, Mary Jane Saunders. The letter criticized the GEO Group for what it said was a long history of abuses in its facilities and of the deaths of people in its custody, along with citations from state and federal regulators and a series of lawsuits.
Saunders, in a telephone interview Tuesday, said the university accepted the gift because of its ties to the GEO Group, which has headquarters a few miles from campus and regularly hires Florida Atlantic graduates.
"I don't think we were prepared to be pulled into a national dialogue on this," she said. "Which is sort of what happened. It escalated."
Many of the protests came from Florida Atlantic's campus. Faculty members signed a petition. The coalition staged protests, including a sit-in at the president's office.
Even the comedian Stephen Colbert joined the protests when he mocked the deal on his cable television show.
Saunders said Tuesday that Florida Atlantic already had its next plan in place. The university has hired Sunrise Sports and Entertainment, which she described as the parent company for the Florida Panthers of the N.H.L., to aid in the search for a naming rights partner.
If one cannot be found, Saunders said, the university "will happily go with Florida Atlantic University Stadium."


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Proud of my husband who has accomplished so much for someone who has only been rowing for 2 years.
Proud of my husband who has trained for months – even during the few weeks when a bug visited our house and we all just wanted to be in bed.
Proud of my husband who decided to stick to his Vegan diet. Having turned Vegan 2 years ago, he persevered the rigorous athletic training on a plant-based diet.
Here are some thoughts from my husband post his indoor rowing marathon today.
What is 42,195 meters?
It's the same distance people run for a marathon – 26 miles and 385 yards. To cover this distance on an indoor rower, it took me 2 hours 51 minutes and 36 seconds, which currently ranks me 4th in my age group and 7th overall in the world for lightweight male rowers of any age. It took me close to four months of training to prepare.
What does it feels like?
" Marathon runners talk about hitting 'the wall' at the twenty-third mile of the race. What rowers confront isn't a wall; it's a hole – an abyss of pain, which opens up in the second minute of the race. Large needles are being driven into your thigh muscles, while your forearms seem to be splitting. Then the pain becomes confused and disorganized, not like the winded-ness of the runner or the leg burn of the biker but an all-over, savage unpleasantness. " — Ashleigh Teitel, rower
What energy is expended during this row?
About 2,800 calories which are more calories than the average American eats in 24 hours.
My weight dropped by 5.6 pounds (mostly water loss).
What effort did it take?
Heart rate averaged 80% of maximum.
Wattage output average was 193.
12 new blisters, one was big enough to pop with 1 hour of rowing remaining.
Leg muscles still twitching 3 hours after completing the row.
Why do it?
To overcome a fear of failure.


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Member Favorites: 1
Akihiko MasudaAlias: Four-Eyed Prince, Akira
Race: human
Gender: male
Age: 16
Hair: blond
Eyes: green
Accessories: Wears glasses [only to school]
Akihiko is a popular kid at Sachi's high school. He was the guy that she had always had a crush on and soon than become her brother by marriage. He also works in a bar where he has his glasses off and he is known as "Akira" a very popular guy among the ladies.
Voice ActorsNo voice actors have been added to this character. Help improve our database by searching for a voice actor, and adding this character to their roles here.


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In 2007 local HIV prevention activist, Adam Reilly, and HIV specialist, Dr. Judith Feinberg, both noticed an increase in heroin use. Dr. Feinberg began seeing more cases of endocarditis in her practice at University of Cincinnati. Reilly saw the increase through his educational outreach at substance abuse centers. United in their concern for what appeared to be an alarmingly increasing trend, Reilly and Dr. Feinberg teamed up to start the legwork of building the Cincinnati Exchange Project.
Knowing that local support would be crucial to building their program, they began engaging key partners such as police officers, faith-based organizers, and other community leaders. They sought members of the community who could be potentially influential in supporting their cause and also anyone willing to listen to why a syringe exchange program (SEP) was vital to our city.
In order to build a program that specifically met the needs of the local population, they spent the next few years visiting at least seven different cities to observe their SEPs in practice. They were able to evaluate how these programs were run and what would and would not work for Cincinnati. In 2009/2010, STOP AIDS ran a local focus group with PWID's (People Who Inject Drugs) in which they able to determine what local PWID's needed so that the SEP could be developed accordingly.
In the face of the overwhelming rise of new cases of hepatitis C, legal approval was given by the Cincinnati Board of Health on February 28, 2012 to start operations for the first legal syringe exchange in Cincinnati. This was an amazing coup for CEP. But at this point another set of elections had come and gone, and local government had changed hands. This meant reeducating and reengaging a whole set of new political leaders, which understandably took time and created further delay.
Hoping to get boots on the ground more quickly, CEP went to the city of Springdale in February of 2014. Here, CEP was able to get approval to begin the SEP much more quickly. CEP went directly from the top down by getting permission from the city officials first. In this way a valuable lesson was learned; don't start from the top down. Unable to locate a community council or business association, CEP did not have as much luck gaining support from the residents of Springdale. Our fledgling program was in jeopardy. The residents of the community did not want a SEP in their city. An ugly public battle began that quickly led to CEP being forced to leave Springdale.
Immediately following the exile from Springdale, CEP was invited to by Reverend Paula Jackson from The Church of Our Savior in Mt. Auburn to set up the exchange on church property. This time, CEP was able to garner community support and approval from the church's vestry, and the exchange opened up with very little protest. The site grew rapidly and expansion of the program locations became imperative.
With the great success at the Mt. Auburn site and with the help of Reverend Paula and other Mt. Auburn residents, CEP next approached the community council of Northside and the Northside Business Association about opening an exchange site in Northside. Once again, CEP was met with only a small amount of objection, and some of the folks who originally protested the move into the neighborhood have since become wonderful and important allies.
CEP continued gathering community support and opened up a third site in the summer of 2015 in Walnut Hills. This is currently our only site with morning hours.
In February of 2016, CEP expanded beyond Cincinnati into Middletown, Ohio.
As SEPs gain more support, CEP is hoping to be able to move into other areas of the tri-state in order to reach more rural populations that may not want to travel into Cincinnati. Exciting changes are on the way!


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A very useful ready to stitch placemat, in zephir fabric, with aida band ready to cross stitch.
The placemat, 100% cotton, measures 34x44 cm width, is a product of excellent quality, can be personalized with cross stitch motifs.
Ready to Stitch Placemat - Pink
- Marca: Agofil
- Codice Prodotto: 05800040037


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I had this vision of writing a blog where I weighed in on the dairy debate: raw vs. pasteurized, skim vs. whole, and so forth. But as I reflected on the debate, I realized it was really a symptom of a much bigger problem.
When I talk to people about their health, they usually think of only their physical health. However, our overall health, or well-being, includes our mental and emotional health, too. In fact, our mental and emotional health play a role in our physical health and vice versa. They are tied together like everything else within us and around us. I find, to stay healthy and to avoid common illnesses and injuries, it is necessary to take pro-active steps to de-compress from the go-go-go of today's society. This includes unplugging from all of the electronics, and consequently the Internet.
During our everyday lives we try to make greener and more natural decisions. However, when we get thrown into events, such as birthday parties, camping trips and the summer cookouts, we unintentionally fall back into our old, unhealthy and unnatural habits. Well, my husband and I are planning our first camping trip of the year and I wanted to be certain we made some healthy and natural changes for this camping trip and all the ones to follow.
Mother's Day is another holiday with the intentions of getting consumers to buy, buy and buy some more. These types of holidays have the potential to be so much more than about money and consumption. Mother's Day should be about spending quality time with your mother, and presenting her with a a gift or experience that expresses your appreciate for all that she is and all that she has done for you. It is easy now days to lose touch with even our own mothers. You live in a different state, have a busy job, started your own family and, well, you simply have a crazy busy life.
Just this past week I had a conversation with one of my speakers presenting at our fall workshop. Our conversation started out normal enough, but it meandered onto the topic of "green versus healthy." Green and healthy are words that started off very meaningful and probably interchangeable at one point. Now they are used to sell "stuff" - they mean money in the marketing world now.
If my daughter above could talk, I know she would eagerly say "Happy Earth Day!" Okay, those may not be the first words that would come to her mind and out of her mouth. In any case we have had a wonderful Earth Day. We did some spring cleaning and we went out and treated ourselves with the first picnic of the year by beautiful Lake Michigan. It was sunny with a crisp breeze blowing gently off the lake.


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|Method and apparatus for enhanced electronic mail distribution
|Radio frequency activated charge card
|Non-contact IC card
|Fujioka et al.
|IC card and method for writing information therein
|Oscillator using microstrip line having minimized line width and length
|Nakamoto et al.
|High frequency oscillator having capacitor and microstrip line output filter
|Noncontact type IC card and system for noncontact transfer of information using the same
|Light modulating smart card
|Interrogator-responder communication system
|Tyburski et al.
|Transaction card magnetic stripe emulator
|Dielectric resonator microwave oscillator having enhanced negative resistance
|Mekata et al.
|Transaction card with magnetic stripe emulator
|Francini et al.
|Credit card with active electronics
|Electronic proximity identification and recognition system with isolated two-way coupling
|Portable electronic transaction device and system therefor
|Dielectric resonator stabilized micro-strip oscillators
|Murakami et al.
|Interrogator-responder signalling system
|Kleist et al.
|October, 1989
|April, 1990
This is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 162,759 filed Dec. 7, 1993, now abandoned.
a) an array of photovoltaic cells covering one side of the IC card, that when illuminated with radiant energy provides power to the system and automatically activates the system to transmit an RF signal;
b) an externally programmable EEPROM to store data with associated electronics to cyclically read the EEPROM and generate a serial bit stream;
c) an RF interface consisting of a FET microstrip driven DRO coupled to a match dipole antenna wherein the serial bit stream is used to vary the FET gate bias and generate an FSK modulated signal that is transmitted via the dipole antenna;
d) and, the whole system is preprogrammed with relevant ID data and encapsulated onto a plastic card.
3,090,042 01/1962 Kleist et al 343/6.5
4,575,621 03/1986 Dreifus 235/380
4,650,981 03/1987 Foletta 235/449
4,701,601 10/1987 Francini et al
4,791,283 12/1988 Burkhardt 235/438
4,912,471 03/1990 Tyburski et al
4,916,296 04/1990 Streck 235/454
4,960,983 10/1990 Takesi 235/449
5,212,373 05/1993 Fujioka et al 235/492
4,149,127 04/1979 Murakami et al
4,707,669 11/1987 Mekata et al 331/96
5,180,996 01/1993 Shiga 331/77
5,187,451 02/1993 Nakamoto et al
John W. Boyles, "The Oscillator as a Reflection Amplifier: an Intuitive Approach to Oscillator Design", MICROWAVE JOURNAL June 1986, pp. 83-98.
Philip G. Wilson, "An Easy-To-Use FET DRO Design Procedure Suited To Most CAD Programs", 1989 IEEE MTT-S Digest, pp. 1033-1036.
Guillermo Gonzalez, "Microwave Transistor Amplifiers: Analysis and Design", Prentice Hall, 1984, pp. 194-214.
The present invention relates to the use off, array of photovoltaic cells to power a passive Integrated Circuit (IC) card that has a wireless RF communication downlink with interrogation terminals.
This invention relates to the next evolution of IC cards wherein an RF downlink communication capability is incorporated into the IC card so that noncontact remote interrogation of the IC card is permitted.
The backbone of credit card communication is the magnetic stripe which is scanned by appropriate readers within remote terminals for the verification of transactions or the delivery of cash. The advantage of the magnetic stripe is that it is an entirely passive device with a non-volatile memory. The disadvantages are that it requires manual insertion into a reading device and that the amount of static information which can be stored is limited. One obvious way to limit credit card fraud is to increase the amount of personal data such as fingerprints and portraits contained within each credit card; this, however, is far beyond the capabilities of the magnetic stripe.
The requirement for increased data capability implies the need for a smart-card or integrated circuit (IC) card with its attendant memory capability. However, the Credit Card Industry has been slow to adopt IC cards due to their inherent problems. Such cards are often unreliable, due largely to the need for metallic contacts to couple the card to a card reader. The contacts are readily tarnished, have a short useful life and require a precision card reading mechanism.
A solution to this problem is proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,601 (Francini) and 4,791,283 (Burkhardt) wherein the identification data is transfered from the IC card by using magnetic stripe emulators. This prior art increases the storage capability of the credit card, but does not improve the communication of the credit card with the terminal. Other solutions involving communication via magnetic induction are proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,650,981 (Foletta) and 4,960,983 (Takesi).
Another example of an IC card transaction device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,621 (Dreifus), which uses optical coupling for communication. All these proposals require manual insertion of a IC card into a terminal, which limits their application.
IC cards have been evolving in a manner similar to telephone technology and are utilizing wireless Radio Frequency for communication rather than magnetic stripes, metallic contacts or magnetic induction. A recent example of this technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,373 (Shuzo Fujioka, et al) which defines a noncontact IC card employing an RF interface.
These approaches require a battery powered credit card which diminishes its utility. Credit cards and other identification cards need to be totally passive which is why they are so useful, whereas IC cards are usually battery powered. To solve the power problem, some passive transponders, for example, have been used in various automatic identification schemes for vehicles such as automobiles and railroad cars. These have applications for monitoring the location of freight cars and the automatic collection of toll fees for vehicular traffic on a nonintrusive basis.
The key to this technology is passive responders deriving their energy from external sources. These sources are either the motion of a conductor through a magnetic field for moving traffic or a conductor in an oscillating magnetic field for stationary traffic. Examples of this application are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,090,042 (Kleist) and 4,912,471 (Tyburski).
These approaches to energizing passive responders have serious shortcomings when applied to electronics embedded in small plastic cards as exemplified by credit cards, driver licences, identification badges and IC cards in general. The size of the conductors is constrained by the size of the plastic card which in turn limits the induced voltages and therefore the power to drive the responder. In these cases, a more directed form of energy is required for passive responders on a smart card and this can be provided by a directed beam of radiant energy onto a large array of photovoltaic cells covering the card. For nonintrusive interrogation, especially at night, infrared illumination may be used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,621 (Dreifus) uses optical coupling for both communication and energy transfer to a portable electronic transaction device to avoid mechanical contact problems. But this is performed within the confines of a terminal slot and does not permit remote interrogation. Furthermore, the portable electronic transaction device contains a battery which limits the usefulness of the disclosure since credit cards should, of necessity, be totally passive. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,296, which is conceptually similar to Dreifus' disclosure, Streck advocates the use of solar cells to provide energy, but confines his disclosure to optical(infra-red) communication which appears simpler than RF communication. However, simple on-card RF communication is possible by using Dielectric Resonant Oscillators (DRO) which are based on the instability of some transistor amplifier configurations.
An excellent introduction to this subject is Boyles' paper on the oscillator as a reflection amplifier in which the transistor has a negative resistance, sustains the reflections, and defines explicit criteria for oscillations to occur. Following this, the paper by Wilson and others gives a useful design procedure for DROs employing Field Effect Transistors (FET). However, the most important aid in the design of DROs is the authoritative work by Gonzalez on Microwave Transistor Amplifiers.
Remarkably, this is fertile field for patents as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,127 for an early dielectric resonator stabilized microstrip oscillator and U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,669 for a dielectric resonator microwave oscillator whose circuit parameters are optimized to give enhanced negative resistance. More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,966 defines a DRO having an improved output filter and U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,451 minimizes the microstrip width and length for a specific DRO.
By using a DRO based on microstrip technology and utilizing a single FET, a simple on-card RF system is defined that employs Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) to modulate the carrier and transmit the identification data. This is based on the fact that the frequency of oscillation is inversely proportional to the gate-to-source capacitance. Since this capacitance varies with the gate-to-source bias, it provides a simple mechanism for modulating the carrier. By coupling this bias to the data stream, an FSK modulation system is achieved.
With regard to terminals to support the RF interface, many electronic companies have developed systems that enable the wireless transmission of digital data from computer to computer to be performed. Specifically, these systems are for small offices to avoid wiring problems. These systems with minor modifications to the carrier frequency, signal modulation data format and the addition of a radiant energy source, can serve as the interrogation terminals and can be specifically tailored to applications such as automatic teller support, traffic monitoring, or general identification and surveillance services.
An array of photovoltaic cells is an obvious way to provide sufficient energy to power a passive device. Furthermore, directed beams of radiant energy serve as the interrogation query of the IC card, or equivalently the communication uplink. This mode of informationless uplink is possible, because once the IC card is energized the identification data can be automatically transmitted over the IC card's RF downlink without any need to turn the IC card on or off. Also, the radiant energy uplink and the RF downlink do not have to be performed within the confines of some reader apparatus. This means that remote interrogation of the IC card can be performed opening up a whole spectrum of applications for the IC card beyond banking transactions, ranging from traffic monitoring to passport control, data entry and areas of surveillance.
Accordingly, it is the general objective of the invention to provide an IC card which overcomes the limitations of the prior art.
It is an objective of this invention to provide an IC card that is capable of a multiplicity of uses including credit cards, driver licences and other identification cards such as social security cards and passports.
It is an objective of this invention to provide an IC card that is completely passive in the sense that it does not contain any internal power sources such as batteries.
It is an objective of this invention to provide an IC card with an embedded transmitter that provides RF communication with interrogation terminals.
It is an objective of this invention to provide an IC card with an embedded electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) capable of storing all required identification data and associated communication framing data.
It is an objective of this invention to provide an IC card with an array of photovoltaic cells to capture radiant energy and energize the embedded electronics in the IC card.
It is an objective of this invention to use low power RF signals transmitted by the responder so that FCC operating licences or FCC approval is avoided.
An IC card with remote interrogation capability is proposed which incorporates an RF transmitter together with an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) to store identification data and communication framing data; associated electronics to read the EEPROM and convey the data to the RF transmitter and an array of photovoltaic panels to collect radiant energy to drive the system.
Once the card is illuminated with a directed beam of radiant energy the controller continuously cycles through the EEPROM memory to read the data. This data is FSK modulated onto an RF signal and sent by the transmitter for interception by the interrogation terminal receivers for further processing. When the card is no longer illuminated with radiant energy, it assumes a dormant state.
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the IC card indicating the three essential layers of the IC card: the front plastic protective cover with embossed data and other imagery depending on the application: the interior layer showing the electronics, and the final layer showing the array of photo-voltaic cells.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the RF and digital circuitry showing the Dielectric Resonant Oscillator (DRO) coupled to a dipole antenna together with the digital integrated circuit.
FIG. 3 is a schematic of the DRO.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the digital circuit showing the EEPROM and associated electronic functions.
Referring now in greater detail to the various figures there is shown an IC card of the subject invention that is capable of remote interrogation.
The IC card is an electronic device whose components are encapsulated in a plastic body in the form of a flat card, similar to a conventional credit card. Since the card does not have to be inserted into a slot to be read, its physical dimensions do not necessarily have to conform to the standard credit card size. For passport applications, the card can be larger to include a standard passport photograph 3 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Other embossed data 4 may be included on the front face of the card and this will be determined by the various transactions and functions the card has to perform. The electronics layer 5 contains a Dielectric Resonant Oscillator circuit 7, a digital circuit 22 and a matched dipole 20. The third layer contains the photovoltaic cells 6 that power the system.
FIG. 2 shows a microstrip version of the DRO with a companion schematic shown on FIG. 3. The design illustrated was derived from a Mathcad Program using a generic FET and employing a 50 Ohm impedance microstrip. The FET 8 has a gate (G), a drain (D) and a source (S). The resonant oscillatory microstrip circuit 9 is connected to G and terminates in a DC block capacitor 10 and is grounded by a "via" 11. The gate bias is supplied as the 10 MBPS (Mega Bits Per Sec) serial bit stream generated by the Digital IC 22 to the oscillatory circuit 9 by the connection 12. Changing the gate bias changes the DRO's frequency and provides a very simple FSK modulation for the RF system. Depending on the FET characteristics, approximately a 3 to 4% shift in frequency should be achieved with this method of modulation. The drain is connected to the inductive microstrip 13 which is terminated in a DC block capacitor 14 and grounded by the via 15. At resonant frequencies the capacitor 14 acts as a bypass capacitor. The power is supplied to the drain circuit by the connection 16. The source is connected to 1/4 wavelength microstrip 17 to reinforce the oscillation and by a matching microstrip with an open-circuited stub 19 to the dipole antenna 20. The boundary of the microstrip base 21 is shown in FIG. 2 and is chosen not to inhibit the radiation of the dipole antenna.
The dipole antenna 20 is matched to 1/2 wavelength of the base frequencies which is selected to be 4.0 GigaHertz. This defines the length of the dipole antenna 20 to be 3.75 cms which lies within the boundaries of the IC card. Since the antenna is constrained to the size of the card, operating the RF system at much lower frequencies will result in reduced antenna efficiencies.
The functions of the digital circuit are shown on FIG. 4 and consist of reading the EEPROM 28 data, converting it to a serial stream for FSK modulation of the RF carrier. A 10 MHz clock is generated by a ring oscillator 24 and sent to the clock signal generator 25 which produces all the timing signals with appropriate delays for the functioning of the digital circuitry. The addresses for the EEPROM 28 are provided sequentially by a rollover counter 26 which spans the word(or byte) range of the EEPROM 28. The addresses are latched into the EEPROM by the latches 27 and the corresponding data words sent to latches 29 for retrieval by the parallel to serial interface 30. The output is a 10 MBPS stream of digital data that is sent to the FET gate circuit 9 by the connection 12. The EEPROM is programmed with data by external means through the connection interface 23, as shown on FIG. 2, and this function is performed prior to encapsulation. Once the IC card has been encapsulated the interface 23 is not accessible. The IC card should be capable of de-encapsulation without violating the electronics layer 5 or the photovoltaic cell layer 6, thus it can be reused.
The IC card driven by photovoltaic cells has limited power. For a conventionally sized credit card illuminated by solar power, the available power is slightly less than half a watt. This constrains the degree of sophistication that can be incorporated into the IC card. The sophistication therefore has to be built into the interrogation terminals which will have the power resources and processing capabilities necessary to perform them. This sophistication is required in two basic areas. The RF circuit 7 (FIG. 3) contains a Dielectric Resonator Oscillator DRO that is used to generate the high frequency signals for the FSK modulated carrier. The limited power resource dictates a crude DRO devoid of any frequency stabilization as illustrated in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the signal modulation is limited to FSK, since the power is not available to drive the additional FETs required for phase shift keying(PSK) modulation. Minor fluctuations within the two primary frequencies of the FSK modulation and frequency transients induced by the frequency switching have to be compensated for in the interrogation terminal. Similarly, the digital circuit 22 (FIG. 4) has a 10 MHz clock that is generated by an astable ring oscillator, thus avoiding a crystal, which can be constructed within an integrated circuit and minimizes the thickness of the IC card. Once again the interrogation terminal has to determine the fluctuation in bit rate to maintain lock on the data stream.
The significant identification data will be resident in the EEPROM 28 (FIG. 4). Prior to encapsulation the identification data can be programmed into the EEPROM via the contact interface 23 (FIG. 2) and this function will be performed by the issuing agency. The memory size of EEPROMs can be very large so that image data and fingerprint data can be incorporated into the identification data. In fact, a 512 k (64k×8) EEPROM is recommended, since the typical power to operate such a device in read mode is less than 100 mW (Intel 28f512). Once again the amount of identification data to be included will depend on the application.
The operational concept of the IC card is very simple. The interrogation query of the IC card is provided by an incident beam of radiant energy on the photovoltaic cells 6. This powers up the system which will continuously cycle through the EEPROM data and transmit it until the interrogation query ceases, that is the radiant source of energy is turned off. At this point the IC card assumes a dormant state. During this operation, the EEPROM data remains unaltered.
Since the interrogation query does not contain any information, the data resident in the EEPROM must be unencrypted. For applications monitoring people and traffic, this does not present a problem. Banks may employ static encryption to avoid quick access to sensitive information, but for usual ATM banking transactions involving cash, a Personal Identification Number PIN should be used to avoid fraud.
As a rule the IC card would be confined to a wallet or purse until it is retrieved for use, as is the custom for credit cards, which limits the indiscriminate transmission of data. However, for traffic monitoring, the drivers licence or equivalent card can be inserted into a fixture that is positioned at a convenient corner of a window so that it does not obscure the driver's vision, yet is visible to traffic monitors. The terminal for such applications can be handheld guns to direct the beams of radiant energy on selected traffic. To avoid interfering with the driver's ability, the radiant beam of energy can be infra-red or the IC card can be mounted at some unobtrusive place such as the rear window of the vehicle. The associated electronics and display can be packaged within the gun or resident within patrol cars or traffic stations. Since the transmitted energy is less that 20 dBm (100 mW), the energy intensity at an interrogation distance of 10 meters is -51 dBm/sq.cm. (7.96 10-6 mw/sq.cm.) so that a small dish antenna is required to capture the signal. With traffic monitoring it is possible to have a multiplicity of signals being transmitted due to activation of the IC cards by direct sunlight. In this case the signals can be separated by the beamwidth of the small dish antenna. If there is more than one vehicle in the line of sight, the space loss of the further vehicle will preclude it from being detected.
For passport control and limited personal access, the IC cards may be handheld with the photovoltaic cell array visible as personnel pass interrogation stations. The terminals will capture the identification data and correlate it with data bases for access. One of the more important aspects of this invention is the automatic digital input of data it provides in areas such as passports and driver licences where none existed before.
While there is little new about the disparate elements of the IC card, combined they form a unique system that has considerable utility and application. Basically, the specification defines the simplest RF interface possible coupled to an EEPROM that can be powered by less than half a watt and still be small enough to be embedded onto a plastic card. Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fall fairly within the scope of the following claims.


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Winter in Iceland
by admin • April 2, 2016 • - Europe / Scandinavia, Travel + Places • 0 Comments
For a someone who normally prefers the city, coming to Iceland is a rare occurrence, if not an exception. I didn't know what I was missing.
sunset in Ásborgir, South Iceland
Goðafoss, North Iceland
Akureyri, capital of North Iceland
Djúpivogur fishing village – East Iceland
Fáskruðsfjörður, East Iceland – main hub for French fishermen in late 19th century
Vatnajökull glacier
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Northern lights, Kalfafell
moss covered lava field, South Iceland
Þingvellir National Park, South Iceland
Skógafoss waterfall
Reynisfjara black sand beach, South Iceland
Many times, I felt as if I'm in a different world. I know I've barely scratched the surface with my few days' tour.
I came to Iceland hoping to see the northern lights.
What I found was incredible beauty. Many stunning views, breathtaking moments…I've run out of superlatives to describe its amazing landscape.
And I met some wonderful people along the way (ten to be exact, including our awesome tour guide – Helgi).
I couldn't have asked for more.
our tour guide: Helgi Gudmundsson (email: firstname.lastname@example.com )
What to wear in winter in Iceland


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Nobody wants to be that guy when he goes on vacation. You know, the tourist who sticks out because he's all pale and weighed down by binoculars and cameras, or, worse, breaks some kind of coolness code that keeps him — but not his girlfriend — from getting into a swanky nightclub.
But, did you know even details as subtle as the bright plaid board shorts you bought a few years back could brand you as an outsider on a California beach? Sorry, dude, but in 2013, it's all about earthy tones or subdued pastels. Oh, and if you were thinking about wearing a howling wolf T-shirt to go camping in the Rocky Mountains, pfft. Even the wildlife will be mocking you.
From the laid-back swagger popular in coastal towns to the style-savvy trendsetting mentality on the streets of New York, unwritten fashion codes help decipher who is local and who is — how do we say this gently? — a tourist dork.
Because the travel guidebook you checked out from the library probably doesn't offer fashion tips, we asked trend and style insiders from major vacation destinations to reveal what's hot — and what's not — in their cities.
The Big Apple is all about big style.
"People really make an effort here," says Julie Rath, founder of New York-based men's image consulting and personal styling firm Rath & Co. ( rathandco.com). "They're not afraid to try new trends and looks, which makes the city quite interesting visually."
And, yes, the cliché is true: The chic people of New York wear a lot of black, too.
Rath, a Princeton University graduate who studied styling and menswear at the Fashion Institute of Technology, honed her style eye during her career as a television casting director.
Bomber jackets are trending big this season, she says, offering a trimmer, more modern take on the traditional cut of a varsity jacket.
"I especially like them in sumptuous fabrics like suede and soft leather," she says.
Indigo is an "it" color this season. Rath describes it as a "next-level navy" and says it looks terrific in a linen or hopsack blazer or in the form of a chambray dress shirt.
Her style tips for nightclubs and restaurants: Crisp dark jeans and a sport coat. Extra points for a pocket square.
"For an informal setting, try a henley under your sport coat instead of the expected button-up shirt," she recommends.
Some New York City style no-nos: Fanny packs, no matter how convenient they might be; socks pulled up to your calves; socks with sandals and wearing athletic sneakers for non-athletic activities.
Rath also lends this etiquette tip to travelers: "When you're wearing a backpack, take it off when you get inside the subway. That way, it won't take swipes at anyone as you move around."
Southern California style is all about channeling a cool, laid-back look without seeming like you tried too hard. Which, actually, seems kinda hard. That's why we've called in help from Beau Flemister, managing editor of Surfing Magazine.
Flemister, who started surfing at age 8, hails from Hawaii and is now based in San Clemente, which is in between Los Angeles and San Diego on the California coast. (He's what we like to call geographically fortunate).
Tourists flocking to the Golden State start off at a bit of a disadvantage if they're without a golden glow.
"You're already going to stand out of if you're super-pale," Flemister says.
So, don't accentuate your bright white flesh with look-at-me neon and floral prints on swimwear. Really baggy swim trunks are also "out."
Trendy surf trunks this year include above-the-knee styles cut a little tighter than in the past, and iconic prints (think small giraffes or cheetahs), Flemister says.
"Ten years ago, it was all about skull prints," he says. "You saw them on everything. Then it was all about plaid shorts. Now, people are going back to more faded pastels or earth tones."
Erase all images you have of mountain men clad in lumberjack plaid.
Constance Golder, an Aspen, Colo., stylist whose client list includes People magazine, T.J. Maxx, Oakley and the Aspen Art Museum, suggests incorporating elements of city wear when you're visiting a mountain town. In other words, don't try too hard to look "outdoorsy."
"You don't have to change your keychains out for carabiners," she says. "Be yourself and incorporate mountain style into who you are."
A common style faux pas she notices in mountain towns?
"I see guys walk around in pajamas and T-shirts," Golder says. "They somehow interpret the mountains as an excuse or license to totally slack off."
But, putting together an outfit that looks good can be easy, she says.
Straight-cut jeans and polos are a winning combination in her book. She points to $45 flat-front shorts from Gap ( www.Gap.com ) that come in a variety of colors as an affordable style staple.
"And, pack an extra pair of shoes," Golder says, noting she's partial to a neutral suede shoe or colored wing tips. "You know your wife did."
She also suggests a dark wash, well-fitting denim jacket.
Oh, and, wear Spandex with discretion.
"Please don't walk around in your bike shorts," she says. "It's not a good look on anyone."


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The Wyrmwood Dice Vault features solid wood construction with a powerful magnetic closure for the ultimate way to store and carry a set of gaming dice. For our selection of dice, click here.
Black Walnut
Walnut comes in many varieties, but American black walnut is the most ubiquitous. An exceedingly popular fine furniture wood, it is light, beautiful, and works easily. Wide, flat-sawn boards can have brilliant figure and cathedrals, making excellent dining room table tops – perfect for gaming! A perennial favorite, and a truly refined classic.


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Punters have staked more than £1 MILLION on the royal baby.
Bets on the name, sex, weight and date of birth of Kate and William's first child have reached fever pitch with bookies saying it's a record for a 'non-sports' market.
Coral has reportedly taken more than £500,000 in bets on the royal arrival and William Hill has received £100,000 in bets from around the world.
One Austrian punter has bet £1,000 on the baby being a boy - and a second £5,000 on it being a girl!
Coral was forced to suspend betting on the baby's name after a flurry of wagers in central London.
The royal tot is odds on to be called Alexandra if it's a girl.
The baby is now expected to be born at the end of this week.


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Brehms Tierleben
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Fontispiece from a reprint volume of the second edition
|Fedor Flinzer
|Media type
Brehms Tierleben (English title: Brehm's Animal Life) is a scientific reference book, first published in the 1860s by Alfred Edmund Brehm (1829–1884).
Publishing history[edit]
As a freelance writer, Brehm furnished popular-scientific magazines with essays and travelogues. Because of his success in doing this, in 1860 he was commissioned to write a 10-volume zoological encyclopedia. Journeys to Abyssinia, Scandinavia and Siberia both interrupted and enriched the work. The first six volumes of the encyclopedia, published under the title Illustrirtes Thierleben, appeared from 1864 to 1869, published by the Bibliographisches Institut under Herrmann Julius Meyer. Illustrated under the direction of Robert Kretschmer (1818–1872), they met with wide approval from the educated bourgeoisie.
As of the second edition, which consisted of ten volumes published from 1876 to 1879, the work was already titled Brehms Tierleben. The work made Brehm famous around the world and its title is still a catchphrase today, even though science has gone far beyond Brehm. Perhaps the greatest change in the second edition was the addition of new illustrations by Gustav Mützel, the brothers August and Friedrich Specht and others, which Charles Darwin said were the best he had ever seen. The second edition was reprinted from 1882 to 1884, and a third edition, published from 1890 to 1893, followed. The work has been translated into various languages. Editions have continued to appear into the 20th century, especially in the form of abridged, one-volume works.
Note on the title[edit]
The title was at its time written "Brehms Thierleben" (or respectively, "Illustrirtes Thierleben"), and is in Germany usually still cited in that way. The spelling reform of 1901 did away with the exception of writing "Thier" with th, which never means the English th sound in this context. (Similarly, the adjective in the original title would now be written "illustriertes".)
Selected editions[edit]
- Illustrirtes Thierleben. Eine allgemeine Kunde des Thierreichs. By Alfred Edmund Brehm, Eduard Oskar Schmidt, and Ernst Ludwig Taschenberg. 6 vols. Hildburghausen, Bibliographisches Institut, 1864–1869.
- Brehms Tierleben. Allgemeine Kunde des Tierreichs. By Alfred Edmund Brehm, Eduard Oskar Schmidt, and Ernst Ludwig Taschenberg. 2nd, expanded, ed. 10 vols. Leipzig, Bibliographisches Institut, 1876–1879; reprinted 1882–1884.
- Brehms Tierleben. Allgemeine Kunde des Tierreichs. By Alfred Edmund Brehm, Oskar Boettger, Wilhelm Haacke, Eduard Pechuël-Loesche, W. Marshall, Eduard Oskar Schmidt, and Ernst Ludwig Taschenberg. 3rd ed. 10 vols. Leipzig, Wien, Bibliographisches Institut, 1890–1893.
Editions on line[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brehms Tierleben.
- Wikisource: Brehms Thierleben (German) Partial text of the 2nd German edition.
- Brehms Thierleben, 1. German edition digitized in the Virtual Laboratory of the Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte
- Djurens lif (Swedish) 2nd ed. of the Swedish translation of Thierleben, 4 vols. (pub. 1882–1888); from Project Runeberg [1].
- Project Gutenberg-DE page on Brehm (German) Includes text from Brehms Thierleben and Tiergeschichten.
- Page on Brehm (German) Includes text from Brehms Tierleben.