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Suggested Questions for Discussion
An Interview with Charlie Lovett
An Introduction to The Bookman's Tale, by Charlie Lovett
"What about the most valuable relic in the history of English Literature—would that be worth killing for?" (p. 255).
Peter Byerly is still reeling from the loss of his beloved wife, Amanda. She passed away just nine months earlier and the young antiquarian bookseller doesn't think anything could heighten his grief. Then, he happens upon a watercolor portrait inserted between the pages of an eighteenth-century study on Shakespeare forgeries. Peter is stunned. "This painting, so much older than Amanda or her mother or her grandmother, could not possibly portray her. But it did" (p. 3).
Amanda was buried in North Carolina, where she and Peter had met and spent most of their married life. So how is her image in an old book in an English bookshop? The portrait itself is "almost imperceptibly signed with the initials B. B." (p. 3), but yields no other clues. Impulsively, Peter slips it into one of his purchases, determined to learn the identity of both artist and subject.
Peter was a habitual loner when he met Amanda during his sophomore year of college. They fell in love, and Peter knew joy for the first time in his life. Immediately after her funeral, he fled to England in order to avoid the intrusive solicitude of friends and family. The bookshop excursion was "the beginning of his attempt to … discover that the world of books still existed" (p. 8). Yet, the pile of tattered volumes he'd bought to restore and resell cannot distract him from the portrait and the woman whose presence he still feels.
When Amanda's reference library on her beloved Victorian art proves no help with the portrait, Peter calls upon a local artist and watercolor expert for advice. It's a bold act for a man with a "pathological dread of the unfamiliar" (p. 39), but the lure of the mystery is too great.
Further emboldened by his newfound obsession, Peter travels to London, where he meets Liz Sutcliffe. Liz—a forthright editor of art history books—plans to publish a monograph that will reveal the identity of the anonymous Victorian painter, but its secretive author will only divulge that "B. B. was involved in some sort of scandal" (p. 70). As they tentatively agree to pool their knowledge, Peter and Liz realize that someone will stop at nothing—even murder— to prevent the monograph's publication.
Nearly four hundred years earlier, a charming but unscrupulous bookseller named Bartholomew Harbottle hatched a plan to transform an ordinary first edition of an obscure book called Pandosto into something infinitely more valuable. If Peter succeeds in his quest to unmask B. B., what he finds will link him to both Harbottle and the Holy Grail of English literature: definitive proof that William Shakespeare of Stratford was the true author of Shakespeare's plays.
Charlie Lovett's novel, The Bookman's Tale, masterfully interweaves art history and literary history with a haunting tale of romance and deception. Alternating between Shakespeare's time, the Victorian Era, and the present day, Lovett offers both a heartwarming chronicle of a shattered widower's return to the world of the living and a salute to the magical power of books.


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Partial Goodwill Method
In the partial goodwill method, goodwill is calculated as the difference between the purchase consideration paid and the acquirer's share of the fair value of the net identifiable assets. In partial goodwill method, only the acquirer's share of the goodwill is recognized. Goodwill under full goodwill method exceeds goodwill under partial goodwill method by the non-controlling interest share of the goodwill.
Partial goodwill method is not allowed under US GAAP but it is allowed as an option under IFRS (besides the full goodwill method).
Goodwill under partial goodwill method differs from goodwill under full goodwill method only in situations in which investment by the acquirer is less than 100%.
Let's follow the same example that we discussed in full goodwill method.
Company A acquired 75% shareholding in Company B for $20 million. Book value of net identifiable assets of Company B is $14 million. The fair value of Company B's asset is the same as their book value except accounts receivables which are impaired by $1 million. Book value of assets is $54 million while book value of liabilities is $40 million.
The purchase consideration is the cash paid to acquire 75% ownership and it equals $20 million.
Fair value of net identifiable assets is $13 million ($54 million book value minus $1 million on account if impairment in accounts receivable minus liabilities of $40 million). The acquirer's share of the net identifiable assets equals 75% of $13 million which equals $9.75 million. Goodwill is hence $20 million minus $9.75 which equals $10.25 million.
Company A will pass the following journal entry to record the business combination.
|Non-Controlling Interest
Non-controlling interest is calculated as 25% of fair value of net identifiable assets. It equals $3.25 ($13 million multiplied by 0.25). It can also be arrived at the balancing figure: (goodwill under full goodwill method + assets acquired − liabilities assumed − cash paid).
Total goodwill under full goodwill method was $13.67 and non-controlling interest was $6.67 million. The difference is non-controlling interest in case of partial goodwill is only because in partial goodwill method the non-controlling interest share of goodwill is not recorded which equals $3.42 million (0.25 of ($26.67 minus $13 million)).
by Obaidullah Jan, ACA, CFA and last modified on

subset: commoncrawl


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A woman was injured when a large chunk of ice fell from a three-decker in Worcester, Massachusetts, and struck her in the back, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Jodi Shea, 45, was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center.
Shea was reportedly walking toward her son's first-floor apartment when this happened on Wednesday morning.
The latest news from around the state
A similarly scary incident involving falling ice occurred on Thursday when a large chunk of ice fell off a roof and landed on an occupied car on Villagewood Drive in Burlington, Massachusetts. One person was injured.
Fire Department responded to a Villagewood residence for a large piece of ice that fell onto an occupied car pic.twitter.com/0YoqnWI96B — Burlington Fire Dept (@BurlingtonMAFD) March 5, 2015


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Once abundant throughout Asia, numbers of wild Tigers Panthera tigris declined dramatically during the last century-from around 100,000 individuals to an estimated 3,200 today.
The loss was caused by a combination of habitat loss and degradation, human encroachment, and excessive poaching, both of key prey species and of Tigers themselves for the illegal trade in Tiger parts.
Only six out of nine Tiger sub-species still exist: Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), Indochinese Tiger (P. t. corbetti), Malayan Tiger (P. t. jacksoni), Sumatran Tiger (P. t. sumatrae), Siberian Tiger (P. t. altaica) and South China Tiger (P. t. amoyensis).
The Sumatran and South China Tigers are listed as "Critically Endangered" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, although the latter is possibly already extinct in the wild. The remaining subspecies are all "Endangered."
The three extinct sub-species are: Balinese Tiger (P. t. balica), extinct 1937; Caspian Tiger (P. t. virgata), extinct 1950s; and Javan Tiger (P. t. sondaica), extinct 1979.
Wild Tigers nowadays occur in 13 countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Viet Nam.
More than half of the world's wild Tigers occur in India (mid-value 1,706 at the last Indian Tiger census in 2011).
Around 70% of wild Tigers live in just 42 small, fragmented and often isolated landscapes.
Tigers are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which means all international trade in Tigers, including their parts and derivatives, for commercial purposes is prohibited.
Use of Tiger parts
Tigers are symbolic of power, strength, courage and luck and their parts believed by many to have powerful medicinal properties.
Tiger parts have been used in traditional Asian medicine for over 1,500 years to treat a wide variety of ailments including: rheumatism, leprosy, cataracts, toothache, various skin diseases, muscle aches and malaria.
There remains a strong cultural confidence in their efficacy despite a lack of scientific evidence confirming their medicinal value.
Tiger skins are used as trophies and garments, their bones are used in traditional Asian medicine and in tonics and folk remedies, their meat is also eaten and their teeth are sold as curios.
Demand centred in Asia
Tiger poaching is often carried out by professionals, with demand is driven by middle-class and wealthy consumers, mostly in Asia.
Tiger parts are illegally sold in Tiger range countries of East and South-east Asia, sometimes openly, such as in Indonesia and Myanmar, as well as in countries including the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the USA.
Reduced to skin and bones
A TRAFFIC report, "Reduced to skin and bones: An analysis of Tiger seizures from 11 Tiger range countries" was published in November 2010.
It analyses data on Tiger seizures from 11 of the 13 Tiger range countries over a 10 year period, from January 2000-30 April 2010.
These data have been adapted and included in the Tiger tracker.
Note: Not all Tiger seizures that took place between 2000 and 2010 are represented here. Only those from Tiger range countries are included. Seizures are incomplete for some of these countries, and no data were recorded from Cambodia or Bhutan.
TRAFFIC is updating the seizures included in the Tiger tracker and will begin compiling data on seizures outside the Tiger range countries.
Sources of information
The data were compiled from various sources, including: the Governments of India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Myanmar; WWF Nepal and WWF-US; TRAFFIC offices in India, China, the Russian Far East and South-east Asia; MYCAT Malaysia; WCS Indonesia Programme and open sources such as the Internet and other media.
Analysis of seizure data
For each seizure, estimates were made of the minimum and maximum number of Tigers involved.
Total estimated Tigers seized, and percentage of total Tigers seized by each country, January 2000-April 2010
|% of seizures
|Min. # Tigers
|Max. #Tigers
|Viet Nam
|Lao PDR
481 seizures were recorded between January 2000 and April 2010, representing between 1,069 and 1,220 individual Tigers killed for their parts and derivatives.
The majority of seizures took place in India (276, some 57.4% of all seizures), China (40; 8.3%), Nepal (39; 8.1%), Indonesia (36; 7.5%), and Viet Nam (28; 5.8%).
The numbers of seizures do not necessarily reflect the levels of trade.
Low numbers of seizures could indicate low levels of illegal trade or poor enforcement. Myanmar reported only one seizure over the 10 years, yet frequent market surveys by TRAFFIC indicate that Myanmar is a major trade hub for Tiger trade passing from South and Southeast Asia through Myanmar to China.
A TRAFFIC film, 'Closing a Deadly Gateway', gives a shocking insight into the Tiger trade in Myanmar.
The high number of seizures in India reflects the country's relatively large remaining wild Tiger population (mid-value 1706 at the last census in 2011).
Tiger parts in trade
Parts seized were most commonly skins (480), bones and skeletons (total weight 1253.53 kg), dead whole Tigers (197) and claws (1313).
Skins dominated in India and Nepal and were relatively frequent in China, Russia and Indonesia.
Bones and skeletons were frequent in seizures in China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Russia and Nepal.
Claws are most often found in India and Malaysia.
Many seizures in Viet Nam and Thailand were of whole dead Tigers; these are also relatively frequent in China, Russia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Tiger items present (percentage) in seizures per country, 2000-2010
Tiger trade routes
Plotted seizures highlight the Tiger trade hot spots.
Most seizures are concentrated in and around Tiger Conservation Landscapes, especially in India, but also in Sumatra, a major source for Tigers in trade.
Key trade hubs include the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kathmandu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bangkok and border towns such as Ruili in Yunnan Province, China.
The concentrations of seizures at e.g. the Myanmar-China and India-Nepal borders illustrate the need for enforcement at country borders. Cross-border wilderness areas with low enforcement levels are frequently used by traffickers.
Seizures in China were scattered, which could indicate a widespread market for Tiger parts and derivatives.
The seizures confirm existing knowledge of various international Tiger trade routes:
- India to China via Nepal through Bihar, a State in eastern India bordering Nepal, and Birganj, the border town in southern Nepal closest to Kathmandu;
- India to Myanmar via Moreh in Manipur;
- Malaysia to Thailand via the Thai border town of Sungai Golok;
- Myanmar to China through the Sino-Myanmar border and Ruili, a town on the south-west border of China in south-western Yunnan Province (Dehong Prefecture); and
- Russian Far East to China via Ussuriysk, Region of Primorsky.
However, no seizures were reported from well-known wildlife markets in Myanmar, such as Mong La on the Myanmar-China border or Tachilek on the Myanmar-Thailand border, nor from Betong, the border town between Thailand and Malaysia, which is a known smuggling hub for Tiger and other wildlife from Malaysia's forests.
Sea, air, rail, road and post are all used to transport Tiger and other illegal wildlife goods.
Areas with a history of conflict and insurgency, such as in parts of Myanmar bordering China and in India bordering Nepal, also greatly facilitate illegal trade.
Broad, S. and Damania, R. (2009). Competing demands: Understanding and addressing the socioeconomic forces that work for and against tiger conservation. A background paper from the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop. Global Tiger Initiative. http://cites.org/common/cop/15/inf/E15i-46.pdf.
Banks, D. and Newman, J. (2004). The Tiger Skin Trail. Environmental Investigation Agency, UK.
Cameron, A., Banks, D. and Gosling, J. (2009). Saving the wild tiger: Enforcement, tiger trade and free market folly. An EIA discussion document. Environmental Investigation Agency, UK.
Dinerstein, E., Loucks, C., Wikramamamayake, E., Ginsberg, J., Sanderson, E., Seidensticker, J., Forrest, J., Bryja, G., Heydlauff, A., Klenzendorf, S., Leimgruber, P., Mills, J., O'Brien, T., Shrestha, M., Simons, R., Songer, M. (2007). The fate of wild Tigers. BioScience 57(6): 508–514.
IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2010.1. http://www.iucnredlist.org.
Mills, J. and Jackson, P. (1994). Killed for a Cure: a Review of the Worldwide Trade in Tiger Bone. A TRAFFIC Network Report. TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, UK.
Ng, J. and Nemora (2007). Tiger Trade Revisited in Sumatra, Indonesia. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Nowell, K. (2000). Far From a Cure: The Tiger Trade Revisited. TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, UK.
Nowell, K. and Xu, L. (2007). Taming the Tiger Trade: China's Markets for Wild and Captive Tiger Products since the 1993 Domestic Trade Ban. TRAFFIC East Asia, Hong Kong, China.
Oswell, A H. (2010). The Big Cat Trade in Myanmar and Thailand. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
Shepherd, C. R. and Magnus, N. (2004). Nowhere to Hide: The Trade in Sumatran Tiger. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Shepherd, C. R. and Nijman, V. (2008). The Wild Cat Trade in Myanmar. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
TRAFFIC (2008). What's Driving the Wildlife Trade? A Review of Expert Opinion on Economic and Social Drivers of the Wildlife Trade and Trade Control Efforts in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam. East Asia and Pacific Region Sustainable Development Discussion Papers. East Asia and Pacific Region Sustainable Development Department, World Bank, Washington DC, USA.
UNODC (2010). The Globalization of Crime: A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna
Verheij, P.M., Foley, K.E. and Engel, K. (2010). Reduced to Skin and Bones. An Analysis of Tiger Seizures from 11 Tiger Range Countries (2000-2010). TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, UK.
Walston, J., Karanth, K.U. and Stokes, E.J. (2010). Avoiding the Unthinkable: What Will it Cost to Prevent Tigers Becoming Extinct in the Wild? Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA.
www.globaltiger.org (Global Tiger Forum)
Follow us on Facebook:
TRAFFIC: www.facebook.com/trafficnetwork
WWF: www.facebook.com/WWF
And Twitter:
TRAFFIC: @TRAFFIC_WLTrade
TRAFFIC's work on Tiger trade
TRAFFIC, working closely with WWF in the Tigers Alive Initiative, is scaling up efforts to eliminate trafficking in Tiger parts and derivatives. The goal is to ensure that by 2022, this illegal trade is at negligible levels and no longer a threat to wild Tiger populations.
Eliminating the illegal Tiger trade must be tackled through a combination of interventions aimed at different target groups and stakeholders. These interventions are focused on:
- Trade research: Gathering information on illegal trade that links poaching of Tigers to the trade chain that supplies end-use markets, and using this information to help target interventions by government agencies.
- Law enforcement support: Working with enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the judiciary, through staff training, capacity building etc., to ensure effective, intelligence-led law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing.
- Advocacy: Influencing policy makers to bring about strong policies and legislation protecting the Tiger, and the allocation of adequate resources to allow for effective implementation.
Contact Pauline Verheij, WWF and TRAFFIC Tiger Trade Lead email@example.com
WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative
In response to the crisis the Tiger is facing, WWF has launched the Tigers Alive Initiative, a global programme to stem the tiger's decline. The Tigers Alive Initiative works with partners, governments and civil society to realize its overarching goal to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022. This strategy has three main objectives:
- Protect tigers, their prey and habitat: aiming to ensure that by 2022, the 12 WWF priority tiger landscapes are effectively managed through better enforcement, sound monitoring and adequate financing
- Eliminate the illegal tiger trade: aiming to significantly reduce trafficking of Tiger parts and derivatives to negligible levels by 2022, so that this trade no longer threatens the survival of wild Tiger populations
- Increase political will, commitment and funding: aiming to secure and maintain strong political and institutional support for wild Tiger conservation from now until 2022 and beyond.
For more information on the Tigers Alive Initiative, contact firstname.lastname@example.com or visit http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/tigers/
Wildlife Trade Tracker, LEMIS Tracker and Tiger Tracker are the initiative of TRAFFIC North America (Regional Director Crawford Allan firstname.lastname@example.com) and an independent consultant, Daniel Brizuela (http://www.antares-productions.com/). Thanks go to Jill Hepp for early project management.
Locations with:
please use the link below


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Sweet Tasco Auto Color Houston Tx%%excellent-auto-color-houston.jpg%%
Certified Pre-owned Dealership Fincher's Texas Best Auto & Truck Sales sells and services vehicles in the greater Houston area. . Transmission: 10-Speed Automatic, Mileage: 5,318 miles, Exterior Color: Onyx Black, Interior Color: Jet Black. Reviews on Car Paint Job in Houston, TX - JJ Auto Body, Master Auto Body & Upholstery, Uptown Automotive, Brookston Body Shop, A-1 Paint Body Shop, . Reviews on Auto Body Shop in Houston, TX - JJ Auto Body, Brookston Body . Ted's Auto Collision Paint & Body in Houston, TX, specializes in collision and . Results 1 - 25 of 76 - Texas Perfect Auto has 33 used cars for sale that are reported . Mileage: 114,747 milesBody Type: SUVColor: WhiteEngine: 6 Cyl 3.6 L. Research, browse, save, and share from 32103 vehicles in Houston, TX. . Ext. Color: White; Int. Color: Brown; Transmission: Automatic; Drivetrain: 2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. Good Deal. HOT CAR. Joe Myers Mazda Kia. (832) 460- . Cho's Auto Body Shop is a local auto body shop business in Houston, Texas. . We provide fast, effective, excellent, automobile repair services at affordable prices. . Our technicians use cutting-edge techniques, top quality paint and authentic . Tasco Auto Color Classifieds acts as a recruiting service connecting clients and job . and Frame training preferred, good clean and organized way of working. For many drivers, choosing a car color is a matter of taste, but for some car shoppers, it can be all about . Used cars in Houston, TX on carmax.com. Search new and used cars, research vehicle models, and compare cars, all online at carmax.com.


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New York to Moscow
International shopping and shippment agent service allowing internet users to aggregate purchases through web sites and optimize shipment and delivery costs. The system allows internet users to register their profile on the web site, keep track on purchases, aggregate individual purchases into parcels and ship as individual package and as the result optimize delivery costs.
Backend of the solution provides the ability for company personnel and administrators to keep track on warehouse, manage individual shopping packages and parcels, perform billing operations.
Project Information
Ruby, JS, SASS, HAML, Ruby on Rails, jQuery
Team size:3 people


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Every blogger wishes to connect with superstars, but few know how to do it. The desperate blogger goes about connecting with pros the wrong way; no, you cannot impress a successful blogger by desperately pitching your guest post, or be begging them to accept your guest post. To receive the immense benefits of becoming friends with an influential blogger, you must woo these folks in the prosper fashion.
If you want more traffic than you can ever dream of you must think through your relationship building strategy to impress these folks. You can connect with a superstar blogger by following these 5 simple tips.
How to Connect with Successful Influential bloggers?
Comment – First point of connection
Comment like crazy to meet more bloggers and expand your presence online. If you are quick to connect with many bloggers you eventually start to meet superstars of the blogging world. This is not some magical, mystical secret, how to meet top shelf bloggers. Simply post comments on many relevant blogs each day. Make each comment valuable. Drive-by's like "Hi how are you great post!", are not going to impress people. Use 1 to 2 full paragraphs to make your point. These type of comments solidified my rep in the blogosphere. I no longer leave such lengthy comments only because I have too many guest posts, articles and post for my blogs to write.
Share Posts Aggressively
I am known for sharing posts like mad, both my own and posts by others. If you want to succeed in catching a popular blogger's attention you better promote the stuffing out of yourself and your buddies. By promoting you, folks see you believe in yourself. By promoting other people you grow your readership quickly because many of the people you promote return the kind act and promote you in return. This is a big reason why I have over 24,000 followers on twitter. I retweeted people aggressively for many years before I saw these sizable numbers. Whatever you want, give it away. Do you want traffic? Help people to get traffic, and you will find yourself meeting more superstar bloggers as your influence and reach grows.
Guest Post like Mad
I write 1 guest post daily. I used to write 3 guest posts daily. Writing guest posts helps you strengthen relationships with superstar bloggers. Like I mentioned earlier, I met Amal by guest posting on his blog after leaving a few comments on his website. This relationship blossomed because I took the time to write a guest post. I have submitted guest posts to many authority blogs because I know the power in creating value for a large, targeted audience. It would probably take me a long time to grow my business through my blog alone but when I decided to guest post, well, things happened quickly. I met more people than I could have imagined because I was exposed to hundreds of thousands to even millions of readers when you count how many guest posts I have written for some seriously big audiences.
- How to craft guest blogging campaign for maximum exposure
- How to become a popular blogger by guest blogging
Become a Superstar Blogger Yourself
OK, this one is difficult for many struggling or inexperienced bloggers to grasp. To meet a superstar, you need to become a superstar yourself. This means doing superstar type stuff. My superstar resume:
- I have written up to 24 blog posts in 1 day.
- I have created over 1000 youtube videos – yes, they shut down my account – in only a few years.
- I estimate that I have written over 100 guest posts.
- I have easily created over 3000 posts on my blogs. Probably closer to 4000 posts.
- I have achieved all of this within 3 years.
Superstars are driven. Superstars push themselves and never rely on other people to make them a superstar. Sure, you might receive a nice break, such as an endorsement from a star, but if you really want to catch people's attention blog like crazy, network like crazy, meet more people and you will become a star in your niche, quickly. Looking for more tips? Here are 5 more effective ways to connect with professional bloggers. How do you connect with superstar bloggers? What tips can you add to this list?
Subscribe on YouTube


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- Eager handling
- Versatile electric roof
- More spacious than previous model
- Excellent economy, particularly three-cylinder models
- Interior quality
- Poor ride quality
- Wind noise at motorway speed
- Hood hinders visibility when stowed
- Small boot
- Rivals are cheaper
New price range:
£18,475 – £31,315
Used price range:
£14,962 – £25,650
Test drive with MINI
or request a brochure
This is the new MINI Convertible, the third soft-top model built by parent company BMW since 2004. The previous second-generation sold over 29,000 units in total, and MINI would like to continue that trend with this replacement. It goes on sale in March, with prices starting from £18,475. The MINI Convertible competes against the Fiat 500C, Citroen DS3 Cabrio and – in sportier guises – the Mazda MX-5.
It's pricier than those rivals – except very high-spec MX-5s – but the MINI manages to blend agile handling, good performance and fuel efficiency, premium quality and personalisation options. It's also unique in offering a fully retracting, electrically operated fabric roof.
The roof opens and closes in 18 seconds at up to 18mph and folds a little fussily behind the small rear seats. The first 40cm of the roof can also be retracted while the roof rails are in place, in effect creating a large sunroof. This can be done at any speed.
Larger than before
As with the hatchback, the MINI Convertible has grown in size over the outgoing model. All models are 98mm longer, 44mm wider and 1mm taller than their predecessor. The wheelbase is 28mm longer too.
The larger dimensions outside do translate to a more practical interior. The front seats have a wider range of adjustment while rear passengers benefit from easier access, head- and legroom, and longer seat surfaces. Don't be fooled though, the MINI is still called a MINI for a reason and those sat in the back won't want to be there for long periods of time.
Choose any model, as long it's a Cooper
Three models are available from launch: Cooper, Cooper D and Cooper S, all available with a choice of six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic gearboxes.
Standard equipment on all models includes Bluetooth, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, keyless start, plus an infotainment screen. Its retro image is reinforced by the fact that neither Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are available, which seems a bit of an oversight.
Still, a range of lively and efficient engines add character and lively handling is a trademark of the brand we're pleased to report lives on.
Read on for the full Parkers MINI Convertible review to find out what's like in depth.


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The Interior Design Brief
Sue wanted a scheme for her dining room that wouldn't date and wasn't too bland. She liked colour and wanted to use a few patterns in the room together with a strong colour. They have a big family and use the room for lots of socialising so it needed to work for lots of people being in the room as well.
What did we do?
Sue and Jim hadn't updated their dining room for a while and were looking for a big transformation – which we helped them achieve.
The colour scheme we designed was warm and inviting. Taking a strong red colour as a border to the curtains and pelmets, it ensured the red flowers from the curtain's pattern were really set off well and gave a hit of colour as you walked in to the room. We then used a washable velvet fabric to reupholster the chairs and chaise longue – perfect for adding depth and warmth to the room but still being practical for cleaning mess from sticky fingers!
We took the room from these before photos, to the fantastic room you see above!
One of the major transformations was the fireplace and chimney. We removed the old 60's style fireplace and surround and the gas bar fire and replaced it with a stunning marble fire surround and arched gas fire. The traditional feel of the fire suited the antique furniture and style of the house perfectly, adding in some traditional features to the room.
Using a mix of wallpaper and paint sections adds real interest to the walls. The stripes around the bottom bring multi tones in to the room, and the chimney and back wall is set apart using a subtle red floral wallpaper to add another hint of colour to the dining room. Painting the ceiling in a lighter tone to the walls helps to add warmth to the scheme and painting the ceiling one colour actually enhances the detail of the plaster-work, rather than picking it out in a different colour. Simple but very effective.
To really create a central point to the room, we had a bespoke chandelier made that hangs over the dining table and creates a beautiful tiered lighting effect – just perfect for long evening dinner parties!


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The 10X Rule Review | Rating 6/10
"If you want ten times the results you have to put in ten times the work." Grant's rhetoric in The 10X Rule will give one that extra boost when they need it. The single message of this book is to increase your output through more time and effort. This is a double-edged sword do not listen to this book, then work all night and disrupt your sleep schedule. One section that I enjoyed stated that when you generate enough output, you will start creating your own luck. I have heard this in many places it was delightful to get some context. Grant talks about why you should not take a day off, again this depends on the individual and the context. If you are doing something that they love than putting in sixteen years like Bill Gates will be a walk in the park. On the other hand, if you are working on necessary evils, then you will burn out. Remember to set your schedule, and take a break when you earned it, but when you take a break realize what else you should doing.


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19 Jan Planning A Trip – When In Rome
Planning a trip is somehow similar to planning an event. For instance, transportation needs to be arranged and accommodations need to be booked. See Envy venue rental orange county. Nonetheless, when it comes to preparing for an event or a trip, one common question asked is "What should I wear?"
Rome – a city in the middle of Italy that's full of activity. It's the center of art history and is one of the most recognized destinations of tourist in Europe. Since Italy is renowned as the capital of food and culture as well as for historical landmarks, packing for Rome necessitates bringing along items that are comfortable and stylish at the same time. When travelling, women tend to pack so much clothing that there's not enough room for essential items. To avoid over packing, here are some clothing essentials you need when traveling to Rome.
Clothing Essentials When Traveling To Rome
The usual dress code in Rome is trendy, but practical. The utmost effective method to pack for a visit to Rome is by simply taking along outfits that fit within a specific color pattern. A good idea to avoid over packing is to pack clothing with a neutral color like black, gray, pale blue, and cream, which you could mix and match.
Dark jeans or denims are a reliable basic piece of clothing to have in your luggage. In Italy, you could wear them for when roaming around arts center or museums or for a night out. You can dress up or dress down jeans depending on the event.
Rome is filled with cobblestone paths and alleyways that are winding. Go easy on your feet, bring along with you walking shoes like sneakers, sandals, or flats that are quite comfortable. Since most pathways are paved with cobblestone, you certainly cannot walk well in high heels and stilettos.
Rome In Spring And Summer
During spring and summer time, Rome can get extremely hot. What better way to beat the heat during the day is by dressing in a casual sundress. Sundresses are likewise great for strolling walking around the ancient ruins, and capering around the best locations for happy hour. A sunhat is also a must. Whether you're attempting to boost your European style or simply want some additional protection from the sun, bringing a sunhat is certainly not a bad idea and would absolutely be quite useful during the hot summer days.
Since Rome tend get warm to hot during summer, its transport systems, museums, and restaurants are air conditioned well. This means that you definitely need to have with you a cardigan on day trips. A light scarf is also a must-have. It's a versatile travel item that can be used anytime of the day. Moreover, numerous cathedrals in Italy necessitate that you conceal your knees and shoulders, so short shirts and skirts are a no no. Other than that, Italians usually be inclined to dress more conservatively.


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It has taken a week to make the locker above the bed and who can remember the number of times the locker face has been carried backwards and forwards to the boat to check measurements. I'm sure we have worn a groove in the ground between the workshop and Waiouru! Pity no mileage reward points are earned!
Richard checking the face and porthole tube are square and level.
All the locker components were finished and assembled today. Richard and James then took the completed locker to Waiouru and fitted it.
They have gone to considerable lengths in an effort to ensure all the fixing is concealed inside the locker.
At our request there is no internal divider between the two lockers. We think this will give us some storage capacity for any long object. The doors are on gas struts which hold them in the open position whilst also providing a "soft close" feature.
I'm going to fit two bedside lights on the underside of the locker. Richard routered a set of grooves in the inside of the locker to conceal them.
Darren has been busy masking the last of the exterior and then filling in the small blemishes with filler before starting to sand the starboard side.
Jan and I applied two thick coats of primer immediately after Waiouru had been grit blasted. Today Darren said the surface quality after sanding was so good it was likely he wouldn't have to apply a third coat of primer. Instead he will probably go straight to the first undercoat.
Meanwhile Nick has been continuing with the wiring in the engine compartment. We had a discussion regarding the number of cables that would directly connect to the terminals on the domestic battery bank. We want to minimize the total number and ensure as many as practicable connect to the boat side of the main isolation switch. Nick and I agreed the number of cables not connected through the isolation switch would be three. These being the feed from the alternator, the solar panel cables and the monitoring cables to the Smartgauge. The solar panel cables will have their own "inline" 20A fuse.
Nick has run the cables from the domestic battery bank to the combi charger/inverter. He has also run the alternator cables and cabling to the Smartbank. The new cable hole through the rear bulkhead is already starting to fill.
Inverter cables from the engine bay. The small flat white cable is the data cable to the Smartgauge on the instrument panel.
90mm cable to the inverter on the right. The other cable is an offcut from the charging circuit wiring.
Nick and I also discussed the remaining wiring needing installation in the rear of the boat. This includes the bilge pump, switches, lights, fuel gauges, etc. Actually there is a considerable amount of wiring yet to be installed.
After everyone had left for the day I settled down with a paintbrush to apply the first coat of varnish to the new locker. <no rest for the wicked!>
Jan has made a final decision regarding the external colours. The main colour will be grey. There will be an off-white coachline on the sides and the interior of the panel will be graphite. The handrails, recessed panels at the rear and boatman's beam will be red. She has apparently told Darren it can be his choice as to how he uses those colours to paint the bow, cratch, cockpit and stern.


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Creating access to athletics for all kids, affording them the opportunity to learn translatable life skills and values through the healthy and enjoyable vehicle of sports.
Our Impact
Basketball Camps
Learn from the some New England's best players and coaches at our Basketball Camps.
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Opportunities for youth to advance their interests and skills as athletes and people.
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Learn what it takes to excel as a leader throughout different stages of life.
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Gifts made to the With Us Foundation help fund life-changing youth programs through skill development and leadership training.
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Dog Licensing
All dogs in Shasta County are required to be properly licensed and vaccinated against rabies after the age of four months.
For your convenience, dog licenses may be purchased in the following locations. Rabies vaccines are also available at these locations:
Haven Humane Society, 7449 Eastside Road, Redding, (530) 225-4057.
Dana Park Veterinary Hospital, 1405 Bradford Way, Redding, (530) 221-6733.
Care Animal Hospital, 20 Hilltop Drive, Redding, (530) 244-2287
Fall River Veterinary Hospital, 43578 Highway 299, Fall River Mills, (530) 336-5528
Burney Veterinary Hospital, 20357 Pine Street, Burney, (530) 335-3646
Click here to fill out a license request form and get pricing information. One form will accommodate licensing up to three dogs. Dog owners 60 years and older qualify for the senior discount. You may also print and mail the form to Haven Humane Society at PO Box 992202, Redding CA 96099-2202. Make checks payable to Haven Humane Society and include a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate. A license will be mailed to you once processed.
Get a good deal at one of our Licensing Clinics. Rabies vaccines are offered for $8 when purchasing a license. If your dog's rabies vaccination has not expired, please bring the certificate to obtain another license. Microchips are $20 at licensing clinics.
2019 Licensing Clinic Dates
February 12 - 2:00-4:00, Haven Humane Society Clinic, 7449 A Eastside Road, Redding
March 19 - 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Cottonwood Fire Hall, Downtown Cottonwood
April 9 - 2:00-4:00 p.m., Lakehead Lions Club, Lakewood
May 4 - 1:00-5:00 p.m., Haven Humane Society, 7449 Eastside Rd, Redding
June 4 - 9:30-11:30 a.m., Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress St, Redding, Back Lawn
June 25 - 1:00-4:00 p.m., at Burney Sub Station, 20509 Shasta Street, Burney
July 16 - 5:30-6:30 p.m., Happy Valley Elementary School, 17480 Palm Ave, Anderson
August 27 - 6:00-7:00 p.m., Millville Veterinary Clinic, 123653 Millville Way
November 12 - 2:00-4:00 p.m. Haven Humane Society Clinic, 7449 A Eastside Road, Redding


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Shuriken of Arc Lightning (3.5e Equipment)
From D&D Wiki
|18,900 gp
|Body Slot:
|Caster Level:
|Strong; (DC 19) enchantment
|Swift (verbal)
|.25 lb. each
19,000 GP (for pair of 2)
These 2 pristine shuriken are inlaid with exquisite designs of gold and ivory lightning bolts on their surfaces. They function as normal adamantine +1 shuriken, except as follows...
3 times per day, a powerful lightning bolt can travel between the two shuriken. Upon saying a command word, lightning in the form of "Arc of Lightning" (3.5 spell compendium) jumps between the two shuriken. Anyone in the path of the lightning or possessing one of the two shuriken is subject to electrical damage. A creature successfully hit with one of the shuriken is stuck with the weapon lodged in its body and that creature gets no reflex save from the lightning. A dc 10 escape artist check is needed to dislodged a shuriken (at DM's discretion, some creatures may not be able to grasp it). The two shuriken can lodge into to any surface when thrown because of their adamantine material. They can even be stuck into other adamantine surfaces like armor. The spell does not function if the shuriken are more than 70 feet apart or if there is no line of site between them. They also do not form a bolt if the distance between them is shorter than 5 feet. The Arc of Lightning is that of a 8th lvl caster, but only does 3d6, 18dc reflex save, (ref 1/2), no spell resistance, conjuration magic.
Upon being thrown, these shuriken are not damaged as normal ammunition and retain all of their magical and material qualities. It can be found with a search check based on the current environment.
If 3 or more of these magical shuriken ever come within 10 feet of each other they all go off with a bright flash of sparks (dealing no damage) and lose all magical qualities, essentially they are destroyed. But they remain +1 adamantine shuriken.
If a player holds any of these shuriken in a lightning storm without shelter they are in grave danger. All natural (non magical) bolts of lightning within a 1/2 mile radius have a 10% chance of connecting with a shuriken of arc lightning. Reflex saves are not applicable to dodge the natural bolt while holding the lightning shuriken. Any type of indoor enclosure (house, cave, etc) prevents natural lightning from connecting with the lightning shuriken.
prerequisites to create: CL 10, craft wondrous item, chain lightning spell known. 8,000 GP base price for enchantment, + 3,000 GP for adamantine weapon.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Equipment → Magical Weapons


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Green Tomato Garlic Chutney
October 24, 2011
While green tomatoes are available in abundance its the time to pickle and chutney.This recipe is quick to make but keeps for only three weeks in the fridge so don't make a vast amount.
Photo Courtesy: Emma Jane Hogbin
250 gms green tomatoes
6 gms salt
50 ml vinegar ( use toddy vinegar if possible)
10 gms red Bedgi or Kashmiri chillies, ground
1 tbsp ground garlic
2 tbsp fresh ginger,grated
10 gms salt
250 gms sugar
Wash and chop the green tomatoes removing the eyes. Marinate the chopped tomatoes in 6 gms of salt for 12 hours.Saute the tomatoes in vinegar till tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and keep cooking over low heat till they mix well and become mushy.When it gels it is ready. This will take at least 15- 20 minutes.
Keep in a clean sterilized jar in the fridge and use within 2-3 weeks.


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Latest insights from our experts
Posted 1 May 2015
FTT Decision- Can a local authority amend your park rules?
Recently the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) were asked to consider whether the local authority had any power to amend the park rules for a residential park in England.
The facts of the case were as follows. A residential park owner followed the consultation procedure contained within the Mobile Homes (Site Rules) (England) Regulations 2014 to implement a set of park rules. Upon depositing the park rules with the local authority discussions were entered into regarding the validity of one of the rules. The local authority deemed one of the rules to be unenforceable and asked the park owner to amend it. When the park owner refused to do so the local authority amended the park rule itself before publishing the amended rules online.
The Tribunal examined the legislation regarding residential park rules and ruled that the local authority has no power to amend residential park rules. The Tribunal further provided that the local authority were obliged to publish the park rules in the form they were deposited.
If you have any questions regarding the Mobile Homes (Site Rules) (England) Regulations 2014 or if you are interested in subscribing to our Parklaw service contact the Parks team by telephone on 01392 207020 or email email@example.com
Want to know more?
Request a call back or ask us a question using our quick-contact form.
Alternatively you can call us on 01392 207020.


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Future Watch: Geosimulation
One essential problem that has pestered architects, engineers, and city planners is studying how crowds of people interact with their surroundings. If a riot starts in a crowd, ideally the design of the environment will contribute to quelling it. But, of course, you can't test designs by gathering a crowd and asking them to start rioting
That's where geosimulation comes in. Arizona State University geographer Paul Torrens has developed a computational model to assist public safety and health officials in managing crowds. His geosimulations feature 3D environments in which animated people behave in various ways. A riot model shows people running, jumping around, and destroying property. Torrens hopes his software will help plan safer city centers. You can view images and video of the technology at www.geosimulation.org.


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How to Beware The Ides of March
In term for March 15, 2013, the illustrious travel site Matador Network published Sean Malin's latest piece, "How to Beware The Ides of March." The humor essay touches on the intense relationship to the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., but also includes some anachronisms and goofy quotes. Sean also discusses his relationship to the 2011 film The Ides of March, directed by George Clooney and starring Clooney, Ryan Gosling, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. For pop-culture junkies, Clooney lovers, world travelers, and joke-tellers, this piece is more in line with your interests. Cinephiles, perhaps stand back from this one, and let the humor wash over you!


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Provides technical forensic support for federated, internal, and global external customers. Conducts exploitation processes on a variety of media including hard drives, thumb drives, and memory cards. Conducts imaging and data extraction processes on a variety of media including hard drives, thumb drives, and memory cards. Creates detailed notes on processes undertaken and develops intelligence-based reporting. Provides testing and evaluation of emerging trends in digital forensics software and hardware and assists the customer in developing new and innovative forensic processes and procedures. Conducts peer reviews of other examiners' reporting and serves as a mentor for less experienced examiners.
Required Skills:
Must have 8-10 years of experience in the following:
- Subject matter expert in the field of digital media exploitation or forensics
- Understanding of hardware configurations and comfort with disassembling and reassembling computers and periphery devices
- Understanding of hard drive architecture and connection types
- Understanding of computer file systems
- In-depth experience with file system forensics
- In-depth experience with registry analysis
- In-depth experience with Internet history analysis
- Understanding of steganography and encryption detection and analysis
- Understanding of managing complex large data set analysis
- In-depth experience with timeline analysis
- Experience with forensic media imaging
- In-depth experience with email analysis
- In-depth experience with signature and hash analysis
- Experience with forensics tools such as EnCase, Forensic Toolkit, iLook, etc.
- Strong documentation and written communication skills with technical report writing experience
- Industry standard certification(s) such as: CFCE, EnCE, ACE, GIAC, DoD
Preferred Skills:
- Advanced troubleshooting skills
- Hard drive and/or cellular phone repair skills
- Forensic tool and script development
- Metadata extraction and analysis
- Network and intrusion analysis
- Mobile/Cellular device analysis
- Forensic video analysis
- Digital forensic instructor
- Software development
- Database analysis/development
- Reverse engineering
- Application analysis
- Malware analysis
- Network forensics
- Intrusion analysis
- Intelligence analysis
- Social networking analysis
- Law enforcement investigation
- Finished intelligence report writing
Qualifications and Education Requirements
Must have an active TS SCI to be considered. Qualified candidate will have 8-10 years of experience in Computer Forensics and Intrusion Analysis.


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Totally trying this out! Hope its diet-friendly:) Thank you for sharing!
Irena Nováková, Shop It With Me ��
You're welcome. Definitely diet friendly! :)Delete
They look so yum! I know what Ill be doing this weekend!
Kate x
Those cookies look really good. I want to make those.
These cookies look really good and fluffy.
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
These sound delicious! I love how sugar free snacks can still taste sweet :) xxReplyDelete
I just need this to relax this weekend. It looks so good, thanks for sharing dear.
Bernie, xx
The Style Fanatic
I didn't think anything sugarfree would look this delicious and the recipe looks easy enough to follow, I can't wait to try it.
Yummy, these look good. I love that it is sugar free
Thanks a lot :D
yummmy, yummmy :D I need to try. Looks so tasty and delicious :D
Instagram ∫ Facebook Official Page ∫ Miguel Gouveia / Blog Pieces Of Me :D
Great post, I like it :)
new post
This looks so yummy! I am feeling hungry now :)
Beautiful post!
Beauty and Fashion Freaks
delicious food
Always with good ideas for cooking... they look delicious...
Xoxo from Portugal
Thanks for the recipe. Looks so tasty.ReplyDelete
You had me at sugar free! These look great! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.comReplyDelete
Dear Rosanna, this is for me, thanks a lot, as you share here not only oat cookies that I really love but even they are sugar-free! I see I must trust this time my baking skills :) Happy new week!
With love from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
Thanks Rena, you too :)Delete
I LOVE that this only has 2 tbsp of honey in it! I try to make everything we bake as sugar free as possible. Once you take out added sugar, you realize how overly sweet everything we eat it! These look like the perfect snack with a hot cup of tea. Thank you so much for sharing another delicious treat we can add to our healthy arsenal!
Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com
You're welcome! :)Delete
Yum, these look great, and I bet they are just as tasty without the sugar :)
Hope that you are having a nice start to your week and you had a good weekend! We had a quiet one here.
Away From The Blue Blog
Thanks, you too :)Delete
I have not but I totally should! These look great and sound very healthy!
Pam xo/ Pam Scalfi♥
These look amazing! I love adding oat to baked goods. They do make you feel so healthy ;)
xx www.qustomquinns.com/blog
These cookies look delicious. Thansk for the recipe.
Nina's Style Blog
I'm trying to cut out the sugar now so this looks great! Have a great start to your week.
Gemma x
Thanks, you too! xDelete
Your Post Is Very Wonderful,i Really Like it,it's So useful info,thank you so much dear for Sharing..


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Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 1 of 1 items :
- Brazil x
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How Might a Disorderly Resolution of Global Imbalances Affect Global Wealth? »
Source: How Might a Disorderly Resolution of Global Imbalances Affect Global Wealth?
Volume/Issue: 2006/170
Series: IMF Working Papers
Author(s): Francis Warnock
Publisher: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
Publication Date: 01 July 2006
Keywords: U.S. asset holdings, global asset portfolios, disorderly currency adjustments, global current account imbalances, cpis, bonds, bond, bond markets, financial markets, International Lending and Debt Problems
Partly reflecting structural advantages such a liquidity and strong investor protection, foreigners have built up extremely large positions in U.S. (as well as other dollar-denominated) financial assets. This paper...


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At AbuIssa Holding, we value and fully practice our CSR strategy in all corporate activities. Earlier in March, we took part in Alice Middle East Programming Competition for middle and high school students at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q).
Alice Middle East is an educational software program that teaches students the fundamental programming concepts as they produce animated movies and simple videos. Originally developed at Carnegie Mellon's main campus in the US, Alice was adapted locally by researchers at CMU-Q, with the support of a National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) grant from QNRF. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Alice Middle East is now part of the curriculum at Qatar's government schools that teach information communication technology. This year, a team from Al Arqam Academy was awarded first place during the competition.
The competition was sponsored by Abu Issa Holding, a strategic partner of CMU-Q. The Chairman and CEO, Ashraf Abu Issa, observed that many of the Alice projects were directly linked to Qatar: "Many of these student-led projects show us how young people view Qatar. It is very encouraging to see many young minds envisioning a technological and advanced future for Qatar."
The competition was the culmination of weeks of preparation by the teams, who created animations divided into categories including: education, social good, the environment, tourism and video games. The teams were judged based on their programming skills, creativity, oral presentations and teamwork.


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Here is a spicy, hot, firey side dish from the state of Tamil Nadu, India for all our spicy-food loving readers….Enjoy!!!!
Baby eggplant/ brinjals 4 nos, cut to quarters
Onion 2 med, chopped to small pieces
Garlic pods (optional) 5 nos
Tamarind pulp ½ cup
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Mustard 1 tsp
Coconut paste/powdered pottukadalai (dahlia) (optional) 1 TBSP
Turmeric powder 1 ½ tsp
Coriander powder 1 TBSP
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tsp + more for frying
Sugar 1 tsp
Tomato 1 big, sliced
To grind
Urud dal/Bengal gram 2 TBSP
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Cumin seeds ½ TBSP
Dry red chillies 4 nos
Black pepper (whole) ½ tsp
Chana dal ½ tsp
Dry roast the mixture and grind it to fine mixture by adding little water as needed.
Heat oil for frying in a deep pan. When hot enough, fry the brinjal & garlic pods till the skin starts to turn brown. Drain onto a paper towel and set aside.
Heat 2 tsp oil in another pan and splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and whole red chillies. Add onions and sauté till they are translucent. Now add salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder, sauté everything until raw smell goes off from the powders. Throw in the tomatoes and mix well to combine. Close with a lid and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy and forms a paste. Add the tamarind juice, ground mixture and the fried brinjal and garlic. Mix well, check for salt and add sugar and coconut paste. Cook for another 3 more minutes and switch off the stove. Serve with piping hot rice and pappad..


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Here is a Cartoon Ghost character in 5 different colours.
They can be used for many different things like your website, blog or adding a great theme to your business website or anything you can think of.
The Cartoon Ghost characters are available in AI, EPS and PSD formats. I recommend any changes to be made using either the AI or EPS files
Each Cartoon Ghost character is also available in JPEG and PNG format as I have premade them for you.
I hope you enjoy using my Cartoon Ghost characters, please feel free to leave any comments or contact me if you have any questions or problems with the files.
Please don't forget to rate.
Cheer guys


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KMSHA provides a very dynamic
and far-reaching opportunity to promote your farm or business,
whether it be breeding, training, sales, or other equine related
professional services.
We cover a wide range of media,
including our national magazine, website, and other national
advertising campaigns with some of the top equine publications.
Below are just a few of the
opportunities that you can take advantage of with KMSHA.
If you are
interested in becoming a sponsor, contact
Click on each to find out more
Download Sponsorship
Packages Below:
Contact |
Trademark Statement |
Home Page |
Site Map
©1999-2015 Kentucky Mountain
Saddle Horse Association. All rights reserved.
Website design and maintenance.


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Need help? Call us on +44 (0)20 7613 3444 or email
Impact of emotions in the workplace. Part A
Emotions play an important role in the workplace. They affect our daily life, our reactions to certain situations and our interactions with other coworkers.
They play a role in team success, but also in stressful situations and conflict.
In the latter cases, emotions give rise to power struggles and may even lead to crises.
In managing emotions and conflict, you can obtain better individual and group performance.
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will know how to:
- Use the power of emotions in your relationships and tame your own emotions.
Module Program
- Understanding the importance of emotions in the workplace.
- Identifying the interaction between emotions, conflict and trust.
Key Advantages
Explore emotions and their impact on personal and collective effectiveness and in conflict management. This initial comprehensive overview allows you to decipher your own emotions and learn to recognize them.
Target Audiences
Anyone who wants to develop high-quality human relationships within the workplace.
This is one of two learning modules on this topic. On completion it its recommended that you progress to Part B.


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***Some people had expressed interest in knowing about a St. Louis Meetup group. There is one for St. Charles and one for St. Louis, but they both post to the same Stammtisch group. Feel free to join them!
Vice President Amy Randals will move into the office of President as Ashley Martin transitions into the role of Immediate Past President. Gudrun Sherman moves up the line from Secretary to Vice-President, leaving the office of Secretary open. We received a nomination for Teresa Springer to be the next Secretary. Below, you will see a short biography about Teresa. Please place your vote for secretary below.
Fall Instructor's Day was September 12, 2015
The September 12, 2015 meeting of the MO-AATG was held in conjunction with the Fall Instructors' Day featuring two workshops by Anja Schmitt from the Goethe Institut in Chicago for German teachers in Missouri and Illinois - "Schreiben im Deutschunterricht" and "Nachhaltigkeit – Deutsch und MINT." Thanks to the initiative and organizational expertise of Larry Marsh from the German Culture Center, all of the day's activities took place in the Conference Room of the Social Science/Business Building #331 at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, MO from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm. The MO-AATG business meeting was held from 11:30 am -12:30 pm. -Gudrun Sherman, Secretary
***Meeting minutes available on the minutes page.http://www.moaatg.com/meeting-minutes.html
***Files from workshop below.
Auf Wiedersehen Eva!
Our outgoing chapter president, Dr. Eva-Maria Russo of Washington University St. Louis, has truly been the epitome of a professional role-model during her 2 year tenure at the reigns of the Missouri AATG. Eva has been an inspirational leader, who not only exudes commitment to her profession, but also inspires others, students and instructors alike, to want to be the very best that they can be at their craft. She has done this herself by providing various professional development days for German instructors in Missouri and also by offering help and encouragement with any new projects and ideas that members may have. Your ebullient leadership, forward thinking and vivacious momentum will surely be missed by one and all. We will certainly do our best to follow the example you have set for us. Thank you for all that you have done and what you will surely continue to do for the German teaching community. -CM
Our new Chapter Secretary:
We are pleased to announce Gudrun E. Sherman of St. Louis Community College as our new chapter secretary. Gudrun teaches German at both St. Louis Community College and Jefferson College and she currently serves on the AATG Community College counsel.
Sincere thanks to Gudrun for her dedication and service to our chapter. -CM
Sincere thanks to Gudrun for her dedication and service to our chapter. -CM
You can view Michael Miller's presentation by clicking on the arrows below, or click here to go to an online version if you are having trouble viewing the images below.
Michael shared this hilarious clip from I Love Lucy to humorously demonstrate the importance of being able to communicate. There are Portuguese subtitles to boot!
TPRS Dynamo Michael Miller in Missouri for a Special Speaking Engagement.
Holding true to the old adage regarding April, there were a few showers on morning of Saturday, the 27th, but that didin't matter to those in attendance at the most recent Saturday professional development opportunity co- sponsored by MOAATG and the UMSL GCC, which was presented on the campus of Washington University, for Michael Miller was there to bring a ray of sunshine to brighten their day. Many dedicated foreign language instructors from the St. Louis area gave up their personal time to hear Michael speak about the TPRS instructional method that has brought huge success to the German program at the Cheyanne Mountain Junior High where he teaches. Michael says that he was a good teacher to start with, but once he started using TPRS, which stands for Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling, there was no holding him, or his students back. So much success was met in fact, that Michael's classroom was the only middle schoole named a German Center of Excellence by the American Association of Teachers of German in 2013. Michael's presentation was counted as informative and entertaining by those in attendance.
For more information about Michael Miller, visit his website by clicking here.
For more information about Michael Miller, visit his website by clicking here.


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Maybe Ralph was special in finding Prague and NetBeans to be a great place to work? For those considering joining the NetBeans Team too, let's get a second opinion from Theofanis.
Hi Theofanis, so what's life like in Prague?
Before moving here, we asked our friends about their impressions while traveling to Prague. Everyone was excited about pretty much everything concerning the city. After six months here we still share their feelings. Every day we discover something new about our new hometown. Prague is beyond beautiful. People are great and always trying to help. Renting a flat close to the city center gave us the chance to live in a relatively relaxed and calm neighborhood, while having all the famous attractions on our door step.
And what's it like to be one of the engineers on the NetBeans Team?
When I started in the NetBeans Team, I was working on the Java Editor team but moved to the Core team after a couple of months. The shift was seamless. Everybody is so helpful. My managers are giving me enough space to move and evolve through my work, while my colleagues are among the best software engineers in the world.
Right now, I'm working on the Options window and on testing support. One of my first tasks was to reorganize the Options window in the IDE. In NetBeans IDE 7.2, you'll find that I've put all Java related options into a newly created Java category:
And now I'm working on improving the testing infrastructure.
What's your experience been in moving to Prague? And do you have advice for others considering the same thing?
Just do it! Do not let the process of moving to a different country scare you. You will get to work for one of the best IT companies and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Sounds to me like a win/win situation!
Great to hear, Theofanis! And to everyone out there, the NetBeans Team is hiring, so you could be having a drink with Theofanis, Ralph, and the rest of the NetBeans Team, and sooner than you might think, by applying to be a NetBeans software engineer here.


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Man, this video took a ton out of me to get out. Would have been up yesterday, but the process to get everything to work was absolutely nuts, and that's not counting the noise complaint, the numerous glitches, and the upload process that kept failing. Thankfully, it works, and I sincerely hope it's everything you could have wanted.
And as we settle into the doldrums of summer, my schedule lightens significantly. I still want to talk about Open Mike Eagle - late, but still relevant - and Sadistik, but coming up soon is that new album from Rise Against, on which I will be joining as a special guest, so stay tuned for that!


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Green Footprints UK Limited source and distribute sustainable products within the cleaning and washroom sector. These products assist companies to reduce either their environmental impact or carbon footprint, whilst at the same time having no detriment to current levels of perception or effectiveness.
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A mini-guide to public sector innovation in Switzerland
Opinion: The country is known for private sector innovation — but the state is lagging behind
This opinion piece was written by Maximilian Stern, co-founder of Foraus, the think tank on Swiss foreign policy, and vice president of Staatslabor, a non-profit helping the public sector in Switzerland to build up its innovation capacity. It also appears in our government innovation newsfeed.
Switzerland is famous for many things, not least for its capacity to innovate. This year, the country was once again ranked first on the Global Innovation Index. Unfortunately, this applies mainly to the private sector and universities. The state, on the other hand, has just discovered the catchphrase "digitisation" and can hardly be regarded as innovative. So, what needs to change in government in the Alpine republic? Here's a guide — in seven steps.
• Want to write for us? Take a look at Apolitical's guide for contributors
1. More innovation know-how, less "eGovernment"
Today, it is the preachers of "digitisation" who have the power to control the innovation agenda in Switzerland's public sector. Not entirely altruistically, they sell software and hardware to public administrations, costing millions of Swiss francs and repeatedly causing scandals because something doesn't work properly — or at all. The reality that innovation does not just mean "digitisation" and that "eGovernment" does not solve all problems can only be credibly defended by the administration if it itself understands more about innovation than it does today. Learning about public sector innovation is key.
2. New methods, old ideas: citizen-centred design
Public administration consists of institutions that facilitate and enable citizens to live together. First and foremost, these institutions are created for citizens and are intended to solve their problems. There are now new methods — such as citizen-centred design — for a critical approach that is actually fairly straightforward: involving those affected in order to understand their problems and develop solutions for them. This approach should be the beginning of all public sector activities.
3. New analytical methods, new data sources
Involving citizens means not only asking their opinions, but also finding out how they act in real life. How do citizens behave in specific situations? What do they have trouble with? What makes their lives easier? Expert studies have been doing this for a long time, and the great advantage of our time is that it is now much easier to obtain information about citizens' behaviour. The tools have become so much cheaper, faster and simpler. Instead of teams of scientists, it can now be the administration itself who observes and analyses: What concerns do people call the hotline for? Does a specific form work? What business is done at the counter?
4. Sharing information for better cooperation
The tasks that the public sector assumes today can no longer neatly be assigned to individual departments. Instead, they demand intelligent interaction. Especially in Switzerland, where, thanks to federalism and a permanent grand coalition running the country, it is particularly difficult to share data within the administration. Parochial thinking is, in fact, further strengthened by eGovernment solutions with very rigid specifications. It leads to false assumptions, higher costs and dissatisfied employees.
5. Actively creating transparency
Sensitive information, like personal or security-related data, shouldn't be made public. The principle of transparency doesn't contradict that. Instead, the principle's argument is that if there is no privacy or public security reason, the general public has a right not just to access information and data — but to be informed actively. This corresponds to increased demands of citizens for transparency, but also to our ever growing capabilities today. It is no longer enough to refer to documents in archives and databases; what is needed is accessible and easily understandable information. Whether this really requires a video, an interactive map or an interface should be decided as needed (see step 2).
6. Participation, despite or because of semi-direct democracy
In contrast to other countries, the concept of "participation" does not quite do justice to the Swiss political system. Thanks to semi-direct democracy, fairly regular votes are not "citizen polls", and do not simply amount to "inclusion" or "participation". The understanding of democracy here is that power emanates from the people, while parliament and the executive are effectively implementing agencies. Without an acknowledgment of these particularities, "citizen participation" is bound to meet strong opposition — particularly at local and regional levels. In Switzerland, participation can only mean that it is the citizens who decide at the end of the day. This should not mean that citizens should not be supported in formulating proposals, discussing them and forging compromises before they do so.
It is not necessarily desirable that parliament becomes a "co-working space"
7. Culture change is the result of experimentation
Much would be easier if the public sector had a different culture. Drastic cultural change is often called for: instead of civil servants working-to-rule, dynamic intrapreneurs should take over. A note of warning. Firstly, it is not necessarily desirable that every public sector employee turns into an "innovation evangelist" or that parliament becomes a "co-working space". And secondly, culture change will not happen overnight. New working methods, new organisational structures, or other new approaches need to be tested in repeated experiments by individual employees or teams that dare to go ahead and try something new. Culture change is the result of a lot of work — and best done without too much innovation slang. — Maximilian Stern
(Picture credit: Flickr/Marco Markovich)


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channel-e oh channel-efara | 9/26/2005 | 3:41 pm
i am a strong advocate for online banking. let's just attribute that to my extreme dislike to having to queue and wait needlessly.
with all the banks that i do business with (be it savings, current, credit card or loans), i make a point to get hold of the online banking account – when it seems worthwhile.
previously my loan accounts were with maybank and bankislam. which is ok considering i hv online banking with both banks.
have yet transfered my loans to bumiputra commerce and rhb (both of which i hv dormant savings accounts – due hving my salary credited into those by my previous employers). where previously i had no need for online banking, i do now.
rhb was a breeze. got my account up and running in no time.
bcbb on the other hand.. is a totally different ballgame altogether.
lemme count the many ways i love .. ehh the many times i've tried to register thee..
21 times.. at least!!
you would think .. after managing to register @ all the major local banks (and one international bank) for online banking accounts, i would be able to register another one without a hitch. but channel-e is quite a stubborn system ..
apparently when they migrated some details on their customers, bcbb managed to either leave out or erroneously transfer my i/c details. which was the root cause for my apparent inability to register the effin account. and of course the customer service officer assured me they will rectify in 5 working days (which by my calculations should be by early this month)
which of course when i tried on the final week of september – is still givin' me grief. and yet again i called customer service and insisted they check whether my details hv been updated, surprise! surprise!.. it's still like that.
and the customer service officer promised again that they will communicate to the relevant dept (whichever that one is) to rectify the issue. and another 3 working days is required for this to be done.
oh well.. queuing seems to be the only option then!
i guess that's why bcbb klcc decided to open 7 days a week up to 6 pm.. prolly more and more people are unable to conduct online banking.


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on Sunday15th January 2017, and two of them achieved brand new personal bests for the distance.
First home was Rob Hancox, who finished 92nd in 81m05s, which was a new personal best,
and he was also fourth in his Over 50 Veteran Men's category.
Paul Brown finished 139th in 83m55s, and was ninth in the Over 50 Men's section.
A new personal best was also achieved by Over 40 Veteran Man Paul Banks,
when he finished 172nd in 85m31s, and he was 27th in his category.


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Happy World Optometry Day
For more than 20 years, BCVI's has been conducting free eye testing and low cost, high quality glasses for people with vision problems.
Prevention of avoidable blindness is our mission and refractive errors are easily identified and corrected with our excellent team of Optometrists and Ophthalmic Assistants!
Visit BCVI today to keep an eye on your vision!


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We find our clients the best properties at the best prices. Depending on your investment criteria, we will source the most appropriate property and ensure you pay a below market price. The purchase process is designed to be simple and transparent so there are no surprises.
We market your property to our extensive tenant pool. We carefully screen prospective tenants to minimize vacancies, maintenance expenses and placement costs over the life of your investment. In excess of 90% of our properties are rented before purchase is complete; we also provide a rental guarantee for new investors.
We manage your property proactively through frequent inspections, which ensure that your asset is well maintained and produces consistent income. We handle all tenant related issues so you don't have to.
Above all, our aim to help our clients achieve their investment goals and maximize their returns.


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Apr 10, 2015 - Criminal Code Amendment Survey for Class A & B Licensees
On December 16, 2014 amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada came into force allowing certain charitable organizations licensed by a province or territory to operate lottery schemes on or through a computer if and as permitted by the province or territory.
The amendment allows the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) to establish a licensing scheme that permits charities to sell tickets on-line through the internet, use a computer to generate a winning ticket number, and/or distribute prizes through the internet.
GPEB is examining how the change may be implemented in British Columbia. GPEB's objective is to develop a policy, procedure and standards framework to govern computerized raffles that ensures the continued integrity of gaming in the Province.
GPEB is soliciting input from licensees through a short on-line survey, which has been emailed to all organizations that had a Class A or Class B raffle license in 2014. If your organization holds or has held a Class A or B license to operate a raffle in BC, but did not receive the emailed survey, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com. Additionally, if you have any questions about the survey, please contact the same email address.


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Best Things to do in Nicaragua with Kids
Nicaragua is an up and coming destination that is ideal for nature-loving active families. There are beautiful beaches, mountains and even volcanoes. Here are some of the best things to do in Nicaragua with kids.
Hike Masaya, an Active Volcano
Nicaragua is one of the only places in the world where you can hike up and see an active volcano. Masaya Volcano National Park near Managua has erupted several times in the past, and today visitors can explore the two volcanoes and five craters. It's one of the only places to see bubbling lava and the constant white smoke. While at the park, you can visit a museum for more information and also hike up the volcano and from crater to crater. This is a unique adventure and a great thing to do in Nicaragua with kids!
Surfing in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is known for its amazing surf conditions which are helped by the Lago de Nicaragua effect that creates offshore winds on the west coast for most of the year. As a result there are over 300 days a year of offshore winds and consistent swells for surfers of all abilities. This makes it a great place for experienced surfers and also a place where beginners can take lessons and try out surfing. If you don't have a surfer in your family, you can still catch some waves on a boogie board!
Sand Dune Boogie Boarding
We had never heard of this before, but it is exactly what it sounds like. We were guided to an appropriate sand dune where we climbed to the top and rode down on boogie boards just like we were on sleds. Of course, just like sledding, the hardest part is climbing up the hill, but the ride down makes it all worth it!
Monkey Scouting
Nicaragua is known for a large monkey population, and we saw monkeys lounging in tree tops every day during our trip. We saw howler monkeys the most, but Nicaragua is also home to spider monkeys and white-faced monkeys. They did not approach us at all, but we had fun watching them in their habitat.
Horseback Riding
There are plenty of places to go horseback riding, but something about riding a horse in the morning on the beach with mountains in the background made for a particularly memorable experience in Nicaragua. Enjoying nature on a trail or beach ride is one of the best things to do in Nicaragua with kids.
Where to Stay in Nicaragua
If you visit Nicaragua, a convenient place to stay in the capital of Managua is Hilton Princess Managua. The hotel is close to the major international airport and provides a home base for the other activities within Nicaragua.
With its beaches, volcanoes, wildlife and natural views, Nicaragua is becoming a popular destination for families, and after visiting we can see why. For a memorable family trip, keep in mind some of these ideas of the best things to do in Nicaragua with kids.
You may also enjoy:
- 12 Memorable Experiences in Havana, Cuba
- 7 Memorable Experiences in Bogotá, Colombia
- Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica – Guanacaste Area
- Read about all of our family vacations to Puerto Rico
Hilton Mom Voyage writers receive free night certificates to use at Hilton Hotels & Resorts worldwide. To learn more, visit our About Us page.
Susan is an enthusiastic traveler and mom to a 11 year-old boy and eight year-old girl. Originally from North Carolina, Susan is a Southerner at heart, although…


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Director Desiree Akhavan's The Miseducation of Cameron Post might be the film of the season
"I was talking to an editor about writing prose. I was trying to figure out my life basically," says Desiree Akhavan, when I ask her how she first stumbled across a copy of Emily Danforth's The Miseducation of Cameron Post. Danforth's novel tells the story of Cameron, a young Montana girl who's raised by a religious aunt after both her parents die in a tragic car accident. Akhavan's adaptation of the book focuses largely on the second half of Cameron's story – the time she spends at 'God's Promise', a gay conversion therapy camp, after being caught having sex with a close female friend in the backseat of her date's car at the school prom. "This was the first thing I'd read that felt really honest about the experience of being a teen and coming of age. It also happened to be queer and female-driven but that wasn't the only thing about it that made it really special to me."
Coerced into signing herself into God's Promise at her guardian's direction – a place she now cannot leave without the approval of the centre's spiritual leaders – Cameron is enrolled in a relentless programme of menial tasks, prayers, 'blessercize' aerobics classes and karaoke nights. It's not too dissimilar from a typical US summer camp – only this camp has mandatory group therapy sessions, one-on-one spiritual counselling and subconscious 'icebergs' on which residents must note down all the traumas that have led to their 'same-sex perversion'.
Before starting work on the film, Akhavan rigorously researched the techniques used in gay conversion centres, wanting in particular to get into the minds of people who run these centres, "most of whom are ex-gays themselves, or identify as ex-gays". She wanted to understand "the way religious leaders talk to teens and the fear that they instill about every instinct or every sexual impulse they might have". Was it challenging work? To wade deep into the detail of these evangelical practices, particularly as a queer filmmaker? Akhavan recalls the story of queer rights activist Mathew Shurka who, at the age of 16, was prevented from speaking with his mother and sister for three years despite living under the same roof as them (to prevent further 'feminising' influences) and was instructed to take viagra and sleep with women in an attempt to correct his 'gender confusion'. "It's shitty subject matter," she acknowledges, but she was also conscious not to flatten any of the film's religious figures into two-dimensional, black-and-white villains. "I wanted to make a film which depicted abuse as I knew it," one where people can do harm "even with the best of intentions." The way Cameron's sexuality is constantly undermined, the way her sense of self is completely destabilised by those seeking to 'fix' her can be hard to watch, but the perpetrators too have their own demons. "Who wants to see the villains and the victims in these black-and-white stories of evil? As a filmmaker I have a responsibility to live in the nuance of people's behaviour," Akhavan says.
Midway through shooting, the unthinkable happened. Despite numerous polls and predictions to the contrary, Donald Trump and his hard-line evangelical running mate, Mike Pence, won the 58th presidential election. "I think the film became shockingly relevant midway through the shoot and none of us were anticipating that," she says. With Trump headed to the White House, the mood on set darkened considerably. "Everybody was in shock, it felt post-apocalyptic," she continues, but it also gave the film a renewed sense of urgency. "Our motivation to tell this story in particular was heightened and everyone was grateful to be together." That mission, the drive to tell a queer story, thoughtfully and with authenticity, is what makes The Miseducation of Cameron Post one of the most compelling queer films of the year. Working with Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane and Forrest Goodluck, Akhavan has expertly produced a coming-of-age portrait that's meaningful, moving, funny and tragic all at once. It's no wonder the film clinched the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance festival.
It's an undeniably queer film, but Miseducation also has a broad appeal – it's about gay conversion therapy, but it's also about something felt universally by teenagers who are on the cusp of adulthood. Something about themselves isn't quite right, something's broken, something needs correcting or improving in some way. It's about a group of friends who drift together from a shared feeling of otherness. Arriving at God's Promise, Cameron finally meets kids who are just like her. "She meets other queer kids for the first time in her life," Akhavan says. "That's true for most kids in gay conversion therapy. In a lot of ways, it's a really positive thing to solidify her connection to other gay kids."
With Miseducation releasing in cinemas this week, and a forthcoming Channel 4 series The Bisexual due for release later this year, I ask Akhavan what drives her to tell such intimate, queer stories. "I never see them on screen, and I think that representation matters. Queer female stories are so rare and so mishandled by men that at this moment, I'd like to see more women being put in a position of authority to tell their own sexual stories."
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is in cinemas nationwide from September 7, 2018.


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Modern Reminders to Take Your RA Meds
A few new tools may be just the trick to help you remember to take your rheumatoid arthritis medications and keep you on track.
If you've tried pillboxes, checklists and calendars and still have the occasional head-slapping moment, here's some good news: A few new tools may be just the trick to help you remember to take your rheumatoid arthritis (RA) medications and keep you on track.
Have a smart phone?
Download an app. Lots of apps let you track the meds you take regularly—the iPillsBox app doesn't cost a dime! Or, for $4, you can download MedsLog, an app that lets you set an alarm to remind you to take your medicine, including Rx and over-the-counter pills, creams and ointments; plus, there's no limit to how many drugs you can add! It tracks when to take your next dose, stats such as blood pressure and blood sugar readings and lets you email data to yourself or your doctor.
Can't remember when you took your last dose?
Try a cap that'll remind you. For about $3.50, you can swap a prescription bottle cap with the Rx Timer Cap. A digital built-in timer resets when you open the bottle, so you know exactly when you took your last dose and when the next one is due.
On-the-go all the time?
Get organized with alarms. A range of alarms are available to help you remember your medications, even while you're out and about. Many come with multiple compartments, making it easy to keep them organized when you bring them from home to work and to school. And some can even be worn like beepers or wristwatches.


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Grand slam chasing Mickelson wants Oakmont 'over the edge'
Phil Mickelson heads into this week's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club hoping that the daunting par-70 layout plays as difficult as possible in his pursuit of a career grand slam of the four majors.
The American left-hander, a perennial fan favourite, has been a runner-up in his national championship a record six times without ever winning but feels he can only benefit from his 25 previous U.S. Open starts if the course goes "over the edge".
Should Mickelson go on to triumph at Oakmont this week, he would become at 46 the oldest U.S. Open champion and just the sixth player to complete a grand slam of all four major professional crowns.
"After 25 years, you have to really know how to play this style of golf," Mickelson told a packed news conference on Wednesday before setting off for a practice round at Oakmont. "It's not like going out and playing at any other golf course.
"This is a whole different style of golf, something that over the years I've become very effective at playing. Because of that, I would love to see it cross the line the way U.S. Opens often do, and become a little bit over the edge.
"I feel like I've learned how to play that style of golf, and this golf course, specifically ... I feel like I've developed a game plan now coming in that will allow me to shoot the lowest score. But you still have to execute."
Mickelson, a five-times major winner, said that a first U.S. Open success would cap off what is already a Hall of Fame career but he is wary of allowing desired results to affect his performance during the week.
"This is the tournament I want to win the most to complete the four majors, there's no question," said the American left-hander. "But I have to put that out of my head and try to execute and be patient, not think about results.
"You start thinking about results, you'll never play your best golf ... but there's no question that starting this year and every year here forward until I ultimately win this tournament, it will be my biggest thought, my biggest focus.
"I view those players that have won the four majors totally different than I view all the others."
Victory at Oakmont on Sunday would allow Mickelson to bury memories of his multiple near-misses at the U.S. Open and put his name alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods on the career grand slam list.
Mickelson's preparations for the year's second major have been a little unusual this week as he flew back to California on Monday night to attend his daughter Sophia's eighth-grade graduation in San Diego on Tuesday.
"I think it's a very important thing in a person's life that I was fortunate enough to be able to be at," said Mickelson. "It's just important for me to be there for that stuff."
Mickelson was asked how stressful the last couple of months had been for him before he was named as a "relief defendant" last month in a civil lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The golfer was not accused of wrongdoing but had received ill-gotten gains as a result of others' illegal acts and he agreed to pay back $1.03 million, including profit and interest, to resolve claims from his role in the scheme.
"I feel like I'm playing stress-free and much better golf. That might have something to do with it. I don't know. But I'm excited that it's behind me," said Mickelson.


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Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know?
Butterflies all having fun, you know what I mean.
Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean,
And this whole world is a new world,
And a bold world,
For me.
-Nina Simone, Feelin' Good


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The Hollows is an authentic lakefront community in Northwest Austin resting on the North Shore of Lake Travis, spanning over 1400 acres of Austin Hill Country and offering new luxury estate-style homes and Hill Country inspired Cottages. With countless resort-style amenities, and miles of golf cart and hiking trails connecting the community, The Hollows is the perfect place to call home.
The Only Lakefront Master Planned Community in Northwest Austin.
The Hollows is located on the North Shore of Lake Travis within minutes of the hottest destinations on Lake Travis. With the fun of Devil's Hollow and the convenience of Austin, The Hollows has everything you'll want for lakeside living.
Settled between the scenic Hill Country and North Austin, The Hollows provides the perfect Lakeside escape within minutes of shopping, restaurants, entertainment and major employers. At The Hollows on the North Shore of Lake Travis, you'll always have better views, better lake, and a better lifestyle.
For quality lakeside living, The Hollows has you covered.
Whether you're looking to enjoy a relaxing day on the water, test your skills behind a boat, or kick back in a kayak, head over to The Hollows. With the deepest water marina on Lake Travis and an award winning Beach Club with full poolside service, and six miles of scenic shoreline, The Hollows was made to live it up lakeside.
Take a tour and see what it feels like to live on Lake Travis.