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False Alarms
This story appears in the January 1999 issue of HomeOfficeMag.com. Subscribe »
When your brother-in-law sends you a dire warning about a new computer virus circulating on the Internet, he's doing you a favor, right? Wrong.
Believe it or not, many of the friendly warnings about viruses that threaten to bring our computers to their knees can wreak nearly as much havoc as the viruses themselves.
So-called "virus hoaxes" are just that: impostors, mere rumors of nonexistent computer viruses. Circulated over the Internet in the same way real viruses are, virus hoaxes are really just messages designed to strike fear into the hearts of computer users everywhere. And as is the case with true viruses, the people who create them are merely out to stir up mischief.
According to the Computer Incident Advisory Capability, the U.S. Department of Energy's response team, virus hoaxes and their first cousins, e-mail chain letters, "cost millions of dollars annually in time spent by countless people diverted from productive work, resources devoted to virus detection and defense, and bandwidth utilized that floods the Internet with useless and harmful e-mail."
David Schairer, vice president and chief systems architect at Concentric Network Corp., an ISP in Cupertino, California, says virus hoaxes have done more damage in time wasted and overall angst than the real viruses out there.
How do you identify a virus hoax? Telltale signs include a warning that your hard drive will be destroyed if you download something from the Internet, and an exhortation to "send this message to all your friends."
To learn more about virus hoaxes, check out the following Web sites:
*Charles Hymes' Don't Spread That Hoax, http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/hoax.html
*Computer Incident Advisory Capability, http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac
*Computer Virus Myths, http://kumite.com/myths
*Police Notebook of Virus Hoaxes, http://www.ou.edu/oupd/vhoac.htm
To protect yourself against real viruses, purchase and load a good software utility such as Norton AntiVirus. (For more information on Norton AntiVirus, see "Hot Disks) Finally, if you suspect a message sent to you is really a virus hoax, don't pass it on. Just hit the Delete button--and tell your brother-in-law to hit his, too.
Bronwyn Fryer writes about technology for Newsweek, C/NET and other publications from her office in Santa Cruz, California.
I'll Take You There
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Alexa is stuffed full of helpful tools. For instance, if you run across a page in which you see the message "file not found," Alexa can show you a previous version of the page. There's even a link to an online dictionary, and a thesaurus, too.
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First, go to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office Web site at http://www.uspto.gov, and run a search on the name to see if it's already in use. A number of trademark search services can also find out for you.
Once you choose an unclaimed domain name, you must register it and use it properly. Essentially, that means using the name as a trademark--and using your site to provide free services or information that helps others. Offering information about your area of expertise, articles, links to other sites or helpful hints signifies you're providing services to the public, and thus your use of the domain name is protectable, explains Arcuri.
Arcuri offers other rules for protecting your domain name. He recommends using it as an adjective rather than as a noun. For instance, if your company is Xyz Products, use the phrase "Xyz products" in all company correspondence--not "the products of Xyz." Also, unless your domain name specifically uses a lower case initial letter, always capitalize its initial letter--you can even use all capital letters. In addition, always use your domain name consistently and exactly as registered--and don't use the domain name in plural form. For example, you can say, "Buy two Xyz products and get one free," but you should not say, "Buy two Xyzs and get one free." Finally, make sure you always use a trademark symbol ((TM)) with your name.
Post Haste
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been working on a plan to deliver electronic postage (called indicium) over the Internet, and it looks like the technology is close at hand.
The latest news: Last August, the USPS gave the nod to a California company called StampMaster (http://www.stampmaster.com) to begin test-marketing a new Net-postage delivery service. The company is currently testing a software product that will print bar-coded postage stamps right at your desk, for a fraction of the cost of a postage meter.
To use the software, which StampMaster will offer for free from its Web site, you select the amount of postage needed and hit the Print button; the software then communicates with StampMaster's server. The server, which keeps track of how much money is on your USPS account, approves the purchase and sends a bar-coded indicium back to your computer. Then, presto: The indicium is automatically printed on your envelope.
StampMaster is "hoping for a national launch at the end of March," says company co-founder Jim McDermott. "We think it's going to be big."
Contact Source
StampMaster, email@example.com


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Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Lohengrin, Royal Opera, 27 April 2009
Lohengrin – Johan Botha
Elsa – Edith Haller
Ortrud – Petra Lang
Telramund – Gerd Grochowski
King Henry the Fowler – Kwangchul Youn
Herald – Boaz Daniel
First Noble – Haoyin Xue
Second Noble – Ji-Min Park
Third Noble – Kostas Smoriginas
Fourth Noble – Vuyani Mlinde
Pages – Anne Osborne, Deborah Peake Jones, Amanda Floyd, Kate McCarney
Elijah Moshinsky (director)
Andrew Sinclair (associate director)
John Napier (designs)
William Hobbs (fight director)
Oliver Fenwick (lighting)
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera Chorus (chorus director: Renato Balsadonna)
Semyon Bychkov (conductor)
The good news is that, musically, this proved a strong Lohengrin. Semyon Bychkov, who has recently recorded the work – a rarity indeed in these straitened times – elicited some of the best playing I have heard from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Perhaps most remarkable were the sweet-toned strings, their presence immediately signalled in a luminescent first-act Prelude; so sweet, indeed, did they sound that one could have believed oneself in Vienna. Each section, however, provided aural delight, the woodwind delectable and the brass warm-toned, never brash. Bychkov's shaping of the work's three acts was very fine; there was certainly none of the stopping and starting that have so disfigured a number of recent Wagner performances at Covent Garden. My only real criticism was a very small number of occasions, most notably at the end of the first act, when the tone was lightened in conjunction with a greater metrical rigidity. Claudio Abbado showed a good number of years ago that one can present a somewhat Italianate Lohengrin without cheapening Wagner in a Verdian direction. These were minor blemishes, however, upon a generally excellent account.
Johan Botha was a successful Lohengrin, at least in vocal terms. Apart from a few instances when he seemed to be tiring, during the second act, his tone was well projected and his line well moulded. It is only really by comparison with Klaus Florian Vogt's truly stellar performance in Berlin earlier this month that one might register any vocal disappointment. The other reservation one might entertain is his stage presence. Far be it from me to suggest that one should prefer singers on accounts of their looks, or even their figure, but in physical stature, Botha is something of a throwback – and a half? – to an earlier age, with acting skills to match. A charismatic hero he is not. Edith Haller displayed considerable virtues – as well as slightly but fatally flawed virtue – as Elsa. Her occasional veering towards a slightly more Italianate form of expression might conceivably have bothered some but her attention to melodic concerns was far from out of place here. Haller has a beautiful voice but is clearly also an intelligent singer. Petra Lang proved an estimable Ortrud. If she could not banish memories of Waltraud Meier in this production six years ago, that would have been to ask the impossible. Lang may not quite possess Meier's extraordinary stage presence but she performed her role very well, with commendable attention both to detail and to the longer line. If Ortrud did not make as strong an impression as she might have done until later on, that was largely a matter of being hamstrung by so inert a production. Gerd Grochowski was due to assume the role of Telramund later on in the run but Falk Struckmann's tracheitis ensured an earlier Royal Opera debut for Grochowski. It was a pity not to be able to hear Struckmann who, time and again, has shown himself to be a fine Wagnerian (although only once at Covent Garden, as Amfortas). Grochowski confirmed the impression I had in the Berlin performance previously mentioned: he sings musically but can sometimes be a little overpowered by the orchestra. A certain degree of weakness might be considered in character but Friedrich needs at some level also to be a credible alternative leader. Kwangchul Youn had also appeared in Berlin, as King Henry. His performance here was more mixed; indeed, his surprising insecurity in the later stages of the first act made me wonder whether he was ill, although no announcement was made. Choral singing was of a predictably high standard, if without quite the edge of Eberhard Friedrich's State Opera Chorus for the Unter den Linden house.
So, mostly good news concerning the musical performance. There remains to be considered, I am afraid, Elijah Moshinsky's production. It is not only in the light of Stefan Herheim's magnificent achievement in Berlin that Moshinsky's effort pales; I had sought in vain to discern any dramatic insight when the production was last mounted in 2003. 'Traditionalists' might, I suppose, like this lifeless pageant, in which absurd Christian and pagan totems are wheeled on and off, a risible combat scene makes one wonder about – but finally decide against – comedy having being intended, and the direction of the chorus is more or less limited to walking on and off and having each member cross himself. (With respect to the chorus, Herheim's virtuosity had been almost incredible.) However, even the notoriously unadventurous Covent Garden audience was distinctly lukewarm in its appreciation of the director when he appeared on stage. Most productions, I admit, would look tired, were they revived after more than thirty years, but I cannot imagine that this had anything to offer even in 1977.
The 'idea' is clear enough, that of a clash between paganism and Christianity. This is undeniably present in the text but in itself does not get anywhere near to the heart of Wagner's dramatic concerns. It is rather as if someone were to claim that Tosca is 'about' the French Revolutionary Wars. One might, of course, make something rather interesting out of a clash of belief systems, especially given the undeniably nationalistic aspects of Lohengrin – more prominent than in any other of Wagner's dramas – but there does not seem to have been made even the slightest attempt to address any issues with contemporary resonance, or indeed to explore any issues at all. I do not mean to imply that the work must be updated, or even pulled unduly in our direction; however, remnants of paganism in tenth-century Germany are not in and of themselves, I suspect, of particular interest to many audiences today. Nor were they to Wagner. Lohengrin is not an historical drama; it is a myth with aspects of historical drama attached, somewhat uncomfortably so. This Lohengrin, by contrast, appeared almost as if it were a parody of Meyerbeer. If only it had been, it might just have been a little more interesting. Let us hope that, the next time Wagner's Romantic opera returns to the Royal Opera House, it is in a new production. The wildest excesses of Regietheater, even Calixto Bieito at his most puerile, would be preferable to this. A somewhat odd hint of the latter – not really, I know – came at the end with the return of Gottfried and a prolonged, distinctly sexual embrace between him and Elsa. I really did not know what to make of that at all, despite the references in the programme to Freud and taboo; it seemed to come from nowhere, whereas one could have predicted it only too readily with Bieito and his ilk. The totems must also, I assume, have pointed to Freudian influence, but I did not feel this reflected or explored in the action; again, I can only wish that I had.
One final matter: many of the programme essays were of a very high standard. John Deathridge and James Treadwell are always very much worth reading on Wagner. Likewise Patrick Carnegy on production history, although I thought him perhaps a little too diplomatic in his reference to Moshinsky. But if Wagner himself is to be given space – and it seems to me an excellent idea that this should be so – can it please be in a new translation? To present him even in an adaptation from William Ashton Ellis will make the composer, especially to those less versed in his prose works, seem like a raving lunatic. Ellis is often surprisingly accurate but his style is so bizarre that it is best restricted to those who know the German already.
17 comments:
I think you are inconsiderate of me and my production.But few facts.The revival is of a production 32 years old.We had 4 chorus sessions for a 4 hour opera.Berlin had eight weeks.The principals turned up in frequently flying in and out and thenfalling with flu.The Productions was performed by a young athletic cast and delved into the ideas of Freud's Totem and Taboo...the text examined and performed humanistically without a bombastic approach to the music.Cuts in the score which Wagner himself sanctioned were added to the production adding a strain to any conceptual line and reducing reheasal time.30 minutes.A lighting designer was not permitted.How can you compare the possibility of staging anything coherent against a German opera house given full resources and time.
Ritual,taboo,incest and the emotions of ambivalence were powerfully felt.Did you see it? Elijah Moshinsky
- 28 April, 2009 12:46
- Mark Berry said...
Dear Mr Moshinsky,
First, I should like to thank you for commenting. It is rather difficult for me to know what to say. I wish that I had felt otherwise, since it genuinely gives me no pleasure to write in what might well be considered to be excessively negative fashion. I do not think I was inconsiderate, although I might justly be accused of hostility. By that, I mean that I considered what I said before writing and then again before publishing. One apology I must offer, however, is that, through my technical incompetence, I initially missed out the little section in which I referred to Freud and taboo. I fear that it will be of little comfort, since I honestly cannot say that I saw this to be truly expressed in the production. On the other hand, whatever I might have said concerning the longevity of your production, it must clearly be thought by the Royal Opera House to have considerable virtues, or it would not still find itself staged.
What you say about the 'facts' is naturally of interest. Illness never helps and I sympathise, both with you and the cast. I also sympathise with respect to rehearsal time. However, this is the Royal Opera, not a small touring company; nor is it the case that the Royal Opera operates a Vienna-style repertory system. Covent Garden really ought to be able to offer something more satisfactory. If it cannot, it should register protests concerning the appalling level of subsidy rather than appearing supine in the face of state philistinism. There will always, I suppose, be an element of compromise when it comes to theatre. Wagner, however much he railed against prevailing considerations, had to compromise too. Nevertheless, I do wonder, if the conditions were so unsatisfactory as to prevent full realisation of your ideas, whether you too might have protested.
Mark Berry
- 28 April, 2009 13:44
I think the reality has not sunk in.There was no rehearsal time.There is no management structure to protest you.I agree the revival was weak but I did not decide to revive it and made strong protestations about the problems I saw.I do take offense in your assumption that the original was an uninterpreted production.And do not presume about my ignorance on intellectual history.I gained my Ph.D under Isaiah Berlin on the very subject of German Romanticism.A thirty year old revival has to be seen as that.Thirty years old and given throw on conditionss with a bizarre cast and no leeway.
I am not defending the undefendable but why assume something about me and the original which you have actually not put in the proper context of the history wagner staging.Human reality,social context,the myth behind the myth was a a new and complex approach athe time when the German stge was enthralled by the bland symbolism of Wieland's staginbs.
The judgement of this production is just your view and I do not aim to make a point one way or the other.But you do not have to assume that I am a bogus regiiesseur and that I had any possibilty to even pull my own ideas together.You should be aware that the opera house is not this wise and sophisticated institution.It is without money and its infra structure is seriously breaking down when it comes to revivals.I never wanted this production revived but tried my best to create a coherent event for the music to be heard....Elijah Moshinsky
- 28 April, 2009 14:50
Have you studied Totem and taboo?It will take a long discussion.But basically a taboo is aprohibited action,for performing which a strong inclination exists already in the subconscious.A taboo is enforced in early societies on the forbidden.What can the dangerous attribute be..it is the wish to trangress the taboo.The essential taboo in wstern society.Elsa is a accused of brother murder.When first spoken to by Lohengrin she is obviously...though the text ambivalent and formal.He has to repeat the interdiction.
The the objects on stage are totems and signals of a non gothic atavistic society.The king cannot come in touch with contamination....strange.He has to be protected by a holy circle of purity.H speaks through a third party the herald.
Taboo is contagious and once one has transgressed an interdiction of taboo is imposed on the contaminated party.
That is the shame felt by Teleramund.Not just a court judgement..the herald enforces this taboo by his cexpulsion.The nature of the religion portrayed is not Christianity against Paganism but Fetishism against myth.It is all there just listen to the text and make sense of it.The ensemble when Elsa has to reassure Lohengrin about her freedom of doubt is about ambivalence...no state of mind is settled...it is all there in the action and the text.But you have to unpick the Wagnerian riddle not some self conscious lecturer producer.Why did Gottfried kiss Elsa sexuallY? It is all there.You just couldn't see it because you have a Germanic idea of interpratitive theatre.I believe the characters should act out of free will not to demonstrate a theory.Germans are no good on free will.
Do not not preume..listen to the words,their ambivalence..it was all there in the vocal shading....Elijah
- 28 April, 2009 15:22
- Wagneropera.net said...
Elijah: "A thirty year old revival has to be seen as that." Can productions made more than 30 years ago be anything else than a museum piece? You can't expect people to find such a production good or interesting music theatre after so many years. What was interesting in 1977 may not be so now. I think MB's criticism hits ROH just as much as you. Kinder, schafft neues. The problems during the rehearsals may indicate that revivals of so old productions should not happen.
- 28 April, 2009 15:55
I agree totally....I have wanted them to scrap it for years...but I think you still do not nderstand the systemic failure inside the house.Resources are taken from all revivals and put int the new.The reult practically will always be weak.The public should know this.I also objected to the assumption that I iahd always created an empty show.
- 28 April, 2009 17:28
I think that Mark is ungenerous both to the singers and the production. I liked it very much, as did Rupert Christiansen and Edward Seckerson, with so far only Barry Millington expressing dislike, in a characteristically petty little piece in which he spent 6 paragraphs trashing the production and then dismissed the singers with phrases such as 'decently taken.' It truly, truly amazes me that the Royal Opera House provides TWO £205 seats for such miserable writing - anyone brought in off the street could do better.
- 28 April, 2009 17:59
Elijah, you should not be too troubled by what Mark wrote. I was with many people who had never seen the production before, and they thought it was wonderful. I saw it in 1977 and 2003, and it has not paled on me, despite your own concerns about lack of time and resources.
You should definitely take a look at the review which will soon appear on 'Opera Critic' - the writer there is just as much an expert on singing and production as any other critic, and you will certainly be happy with what she wrote.
- 28 April, 2009 18:04
Just a correction to my last, I meant of course 'Opera Today' not 'Opera Critic' which is a site which collates reviews.
- 28 April, 2009 18:07
- Mark Berry said...
'Germans are no good on free will.' I am sure there is a whole thesis to be written there; indeed, I suspect there are several. One might say that the dialectic between freedom and determinism is characteristic of all German intellectual history since Kant and of course Wagner talks a fascinating place in this history. There does, however, seem to me a very strong fatalism (determinism?) running throughout Wagner's oeuvre, which helps to explain why Wotan's rejection of Erda (Fate) in 'Siegfried' is of such momentous import, the peripeteia of the 'Ring', and why the mystery of grace is needed to propel the 'action' of 'Parsifal'.
I think that Elijah Moshinsky makes some very interesting points. (Before saying anything else, I should like to reassure him and anyone else that I have neither stated nor implied any ignorance on his part; my remarks were clearly confined to what we saw on stage.)
I suspect that he is right to portray me as having a Germanic view of things; perhaps this is not so eccentric a starting-point when we are dealing with Richard Wagner, but never mind. I should hope that I can at least remain open to other approaches and I think that a cursory glance at other reviews I have written might suggest that I am. This is not to say that I do not get things wrong or that my impressions should not be questioned. But what Mr Moshinsky says here was not always suggested - at least to me - by what we saw on stage.
I have indeed read the Freud work to which he refers, though quite some time ago and I could not claim in any sense to be an expert or even especially informed upon such matters. What I might ask is whether such a standpoint really does justice to so multi-faceted a work as 'Lohengrin'. One might retort that no single production or performance can do so - and I suspect that that is right. Herheim came pretty close though. What I missed, even when reading what is said about how a better prepared version of the production would have looked, was a sense of the political. I do not see this is an optional extra in this work but others might disagree.
We clearly differ when it comes to Wieland Wagner too - which might be seen slightly to contradict what I have just said, but exceptions are never a bad thing. Granted, I have only been able to learn of Wieland's work at second-hand, but I think there is considerably more to him than 'bland symbolism'. Attic theatre, albeit in an extremely idealised and idealist variety, surely stands behind almost every aspect of Wagner's theatrical vision and one might say a see something of a consonance here in his grandson's productions. The depoliticisation, insofar as this is what it is, creates its own problems, I admit. Joachim Herz, Patrice Chéreau, et al., were clearly needed.
Clearly there have been differences between director and cast if he can describe the latter as 'bizarre'. That seems to me a rather harsher criticism than any I have voiced. I thought that my appraisal of the singers was generally rather positive, although one writer thinks me ungenerous.
I am sorry that I cannot refer to the other contributors by name or even soubriquet: things becomes a little difficult when everyone remains 'anonymous'. For that reason, might I encourage writers to give a name, if only a false one. We all know what happens when Elsa becomes too curious about Lohengrin's...
- 28 April, 2009 23:47
This discusion is getting interesting.Tommorrow shsl we discuss the young Hegelians and their creation of historicism and the other romantics who sought a dark force in constant movement behind the material worldwhich wagner virtually picked up as the basis of his never ending irresolution of harmony.My points on intermezzo are a repition of what I have made here.I want you to know that it is not intellectual inability which makes staging these revivals impossible but a profound inability to have any sensible rehearsal conditions with a cast that has been chosen carefully for exposition of the drama.
Unless you are aware of this lack you will misunderstand why productions are misdirected.I do not question at all your assessment of the performance at all.
I want the critic to be aware of the need to have a proper set up to direct in can a regie emerge.
When you talk about the political dimension in Lohengrin I had not even begun to add that to the freudian drama in the inner world.
Do the characters behave from free will,choice,reason or are they in a web of conflicting impulses who act out of necessity.The German philosophical tradition naturally turns against the humane and enlightened position ofthe materialist philosophers towards the truth that man cannot act reasonably or rationally.The romantics were anti enlightment.If you consider this to be a viable truth you will not see the moral denials of wagner for what they are.And when we talk about politics in Wagner are we talking about the exercise of power and the invention of the racial myth?We certainly do not find the humanistic patria of verdi...Elijah
- 29 April, 2009 00:53
Seems to be a lot of pretentious talk here.
It's a romantic fairy story by the way.
I love the music but never seen the opera live so I'm looking forward to Sunday.
As far as I can see googling the reviews are much more good than bad.
Who cares if the production is 30 years old, the opera is 150 years old than doesn't make it dated.
- 29 April, 2009 19:57
I'm shocked by seeing the director post here and apparently on other site such negative comments about the enterprise. of course we have no proof that it really is Elijah Moshinsky posting.
If it is he sounds almost bitter, and even against one of the singers. Is it wise to do this in public.
As I haven't ever seen the 1977 production it doesn't matter a jot to me that it is old, and I'm sure most ordinary punters feel the same, and in fact the reaction seems generally favourable.
I'm a little uneasy about a huge Lohengrin ... but if he sings well. My favourite is Peter Hofmann (can see on youtube, along with Paul Frey, and Domingo ... the latter I'm not so keen on).
Anyway cheer up Elijah and good luck to you and rest in the remaining performances.
Owen (as in message above)
- 30 April, 2009 10:00
In 1977 I was a member of the SWET(Society of West End Theatres) Awards, Opera Panel;we gave Lohengrin the award for Production of the Year in Opera. Bernard Haitinck was in the pit with Rene Kollo and Anna Tomowa-Sintow as the goodies and Donald McIntyre and Eva Randova the baddies. Other nominations were La fancuilla del West (ROH), Luisa Miller (ROH) and The Seven Deadly Sins (ENO). For its day this new production was innovative and most effective. I attended this revival on 11 May and was as affected as I was on its first night. I was also present on 8 April 1963 at the first performance of Josef Gielen's new production conducted by Otto Klemperer with Sandor Konja and Regine Crespin (goodies) and John Shaw and Rita Gorr (baddies). JC.
- 12 May, 2009 11:54
I,amongst others,have worked with Mr.Moshinsky.
His comments about the conditions at the Royal Opera are not new. When he created his original productions he used the same arguments.He always complained about the management,the rehearsal schedule,the singers,the conductor and,at least,one of the creative team which he had personally assembled.
However,that Mr.Moshinsky could spell.
Or,at least,we thought he could.
- 14 May, 2009 18:29
On 28 April 2009 at 13.44 Mr.Moshinsky said:
"I gained my Ph.D under Isaiah Berlin on the very subject of German Romanticism."
From the Guardian 16 November 1977:
"...he came to Oxford in 1970 to prepare a doctoral thesis (still not completed) on the political thought of Alexander Herzen from 1855 to 1870.Herzen was editor of the first Russian emigre newspaper and Moshinsky,who speaks Russian,was supervised by Sir Isaiah Berlin."
- 15 May, 2009 06:21
I knew Elijah quite well recentlty as were both studying for post graduate qualification in medicine.The one thing we kew about him was that he was computer hopeless.Wrote his work by had and didn't know how to open attachments.I can'ts imagine him spending time on a blog.
Doesn,t feel right.
He is way at the moment next time I see him I will ask.
Ienjoyed the production and found it quite imaginative and paradoxical that explained wagner clearly to me
- 24 May, 2009 08:36

subset: commoncrawl


text: Cyclepedia, a new book on bicycle design, demonstrates how these people-powered machines can be as beautiful to behold as they are innovative, the technological marvels of their time. The author, Viennese bike enthusiast and collector Michael Embacher, spotlights 100 bicycles from the last century—from the 1925 Vialle Vélastic, with its then-revolutionary spring-mounted leather seat, to the ingenious 2009 Brompton Titanium S2L-X, which when folded is not much bigger than a wheel. Cyclepedia, $35; chroniclebooks.com.


text:
DailyDirt: Connecting With Animals
from the urls-we-dig-up deptTechnology has largely helped make our lives better. Sure, there are a few cases where technology has caused some major problems, but it's not easy putting the genie back in the bottle. Mark Zuckerberg might want to keep pushing the internet to more and more people, but there are some folks out there who want to go even further. Why limit ourselves to sharing technology with other humans? Let's give some technology to other animals. Here are just a few examples of people giving animals some technological help.
- Peter Gabriel, Vint Cerf and a bunch of other folks want to create an "interspecies internet" to help animals communicate with people (as well as other animals). If you can imagine the rage some animals might exude after a few pop-up ads, you'll probably think this is a bad idea. [url]
- People have volunteered to create all kinds of prosthetic devices for injured animals -- such as an artificial fin for a dolphin, plastic legs for elephants that have stepped on landmines, and a 3D printed beak for a bald eagle. Elsewhere, a turtle injured by a lawnmower was fitted with wheels under her shell to help with her mobility, and Denver-based OrthoPets made artificial paws for the first dog to have four prosthetic limbs. [url]
- An artificial neural connection has helped to restore the function of a monkey's partially paralyzed hand. This research could help some injured people, too, and create an alternative artificial nerve system to route around damaged nerves. [url]
Filed Under: animals, artificial neural connection, communication, interspecies internet, peter gabriel, prosthetics, vint cerf


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Planetfreight needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 99 designs submitted by 39 freelance designers.
We found a new name, now we need a new logo! We are a transportation brokerage company which is changing our name from Paper Valley Logistics, Inc to Planet Freight Inc.
Planet Freight
Desired Color Scheme:
We are open
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Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
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See our current website at papervalleylogistics.com for more about us, although we are looking for something different.
There is a group of us that will be evaluating designs but I will monitor the comments and provide direction on a daily basis. We are new to this website and are very excited about the creative things we have seen.  Â
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach Gulf Front
Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach Gulf Front
The Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico, featuring 206 guest rooms all with a view. We offer guest rooms with a view of the Santa Rosa Sound or rooms with a private balcony with captivating views overlooking the sugar-white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. Amenities are endless; we have thought of everything to ensure that your stay is relaxing and memorable.
We are proud to offer the best lazy river pool on the beach with cascading waterfalls, poolside fire pits, two hot tubs, Riptides Sports Grill & beachfront Tiki Bar, unique gulf view, fitness center, and family suites. We offer daily dive inn evening movies, pirates, mermaids, and supervised kids' activities during spring and summer seasons ending mid-August. Pirates and mermaids weekends only through Labor Day.
Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach Gulf Front
14 Via De Luna Drive
Pensacola Beach, Florida
United States
Check In: 4PM
Check Out: 11AM
Check In Age: 21
Distance from Airport
Pensacola Regional Airport 15 MI/ 24.14 KM
Get Directions
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
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Your room is guaranteed.
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We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
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Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 12 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
*View Term & Conditions for Details.
On-site Kids' Activities.
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, South America
|19 and under
|12 years old and younger
|Greater China
|Under the age of 18 years
|under the age of 12
|Under the age of 18 years
|under the age of 13
|Asia, Middle East, Africa and rest of the world
|Kids 12 and under stay for free when they share the guest room with an adult family member.
|Kids 12 and under eat for free when they choose meals from the Kids Eat Free menu.
Internet Access
- Free High-Speed Internet in all Rooms
- Wireless Internet service is free for all IHG® Rewards Club members
- Wireless Internet service is free for IHG® Rewards Club Elite members
Shuttle/ Parking
- Complimentary Self Parking Available
- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 11
- Total Number of Rooms: 206
- Number of Suites: 4
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 206
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 11
- Limited Connecting Rooms Available
- Limited Kids Suites Available
We want to make sure that our hotels meet all of your needs. This page provides information about the accessibility of this hotel's common areas as well as other accessibility features at this hotel.
To find more details about the accessibility features of individual guest rooms, enter your travel dates into the Book this Hotel module and select "View Rates" to proceed to the Rooms and Rates page.
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Business Center
- Pool
- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 4
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Rooms
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self-Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Portable Bathtub Seats
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
Provided by Hotel
Pet Policy
- Pets Not Allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- Only documented service animals will be allowed on property.
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Diners Club
- Carte Blanche
- Discover
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Book Early & Save up to 15% in Fall
Dbl Bridge Run-Call us 4 Best Deal
FreeAdmission Naval Aviation Museum
KidSuites with PlayStation, indoor pool, indoor game room.


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Creede, Telluride share Governor's Arts Award
A former mining town and a reliable festival destination came out on top in the Governor's Arts Award competition, Gov. Bill Ritter announced on Feb. 26. Colorado cities Creede and Telluride may have a fraction of the population of other Front Range behemoths, but they're models for what other Colorado cities can do when it comes to supporting the arts.
The Colorado Council on the Arts chose the cities from a pool of 13 others. It typically honors a single city, but the review panel felt strongly that both cities showed "exemplary commitment" to the arts as a way to enhance cultural and economic vitality — including Creede's popular Repertory Theatre and Telluride's funding of local artists and youth art programs.
Read more…


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Whether you're a small to mid-size company, a multi-national corporation, a start-up business or an individual tax payer, GoodAccountants.com will match you with the right accountants that are right for you. Our nationwide registry includes thousands of the most qualified public accountants, certified public accountants, accounting firms and audit firms. Our expert business consultants will assist you with finding the right accountant that's perfect for your business or personal needs for absolutely free.


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Conn. World War II vet gets medal 70 years later
Associated Press
LEDYARD -- A World War II veteran received a Purple Heart medal on Friday, more than 70 years after he was wounded in the South Pacific.
The medal was presented to 89-year-old Frank Bennett at his Ledyard home by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
Bennett was serving aboard the USS Little when it was attacked by Japanese forces at Guadalcanal on Sept. 5, 1942. He suffered shrapnel wounds and burns and was stranded in the water for 11 hours before being rescued.
He was treated on a ship bound for Pearl Harbor, but he told New London's The Day newspaper he didn't receive the Purple Heart earlier because he wasn't treated at a hospital in Hawaii. Instead, he was sent to San Diego and then home to Philadelphia to recover.
He told the newspaper his family encouraged him to ask for the medal.
"My wife said, 'How come you never got it?' and my three sons and grandchildren said, 'You should have it,'" Bennett said. "That is when the letter writing started."
After Bennett's injury, he returned to duty after a month of rest and served in the Navy until his retirement in 1960.
"I feel very honored and surprised because this is something I didn't expect to get," Bennett told The Day. "But apparently they looked through my records and found out it was well deserved. The senator said I deserved it a long time ago. I'm very proud."


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The following archived Huntington Ingalls Industries materials contain information believed to be accurate when produced and posted but that may have been superseded by subsequent events and the passage of time. These materials are available as archives, but Huntington Ingalls Industries cautions that these are not reviewed or updated, and disclaims any intent or undertaking to do so.
By viewing these archived materials, you acknowledge that you understand this cautionary statement.


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Bathroom Mural Ideas
A bathroom is a really fun place to decorate. It is a room separate from everything else -a place to sit and have some peace and quiet. It is a place where you can get away and have some privacy for a few short moments (especially if you have 3 little ones like me, but more often than not - they follow me in the bathroom. LOL)
The bathroom is one room in the home that you can really get creative with and not worry about it coordinating with adjoining rooms. Even if your color scheme in the rest of your home is more neutral and and toned down - in a bathroom, you can let your hair down and use use some color for heaven sake! There is no better way to add life to bathroom walls than a beautiful hand painted wall mural. The themes are pretty much endless.
I have done some research on the internet (one of my favorite things to do) and I found so many great bathroom mural ideas. You are going to love these!
This first one, I think is soooo creative and something I have never seen before - A Circus themed bathroom! How cool is that? This one was done by Rene of Rene Gebhart Designs.
And we have all seen the tropical themed bathroom. This mural was painted by Robin Cambria.
How about this gorgeous Tuscan Style mural over the tub? If i had that in my bathroom, I don't think I would ever leave! This one was done by Bill Briggs of Briggs Art Studio out of Tennessee.
Here is another archway / column mural overlooking the water. I love how realistic this scene looks! Mural by www.rickartinteriormurals.com
How about a fun under the sea scene painted above the tile? I love the bright oranges & yellows in the fish. They just pop against the blue. It was done by The Art of Christina Carstens.
I have a thing for HUGE flowers. First of all, the rust / red color is a great base color for these beautiful big flowers. The artist did an amazing job! www.artexpressionsltd.com
This one is quite original. It has an art deco feel, but also a bit whimsical. Love the colors in this bathroom - brown, gold, and sea foam green as the accent color (within the mural). www.dandishman.com
Well, that is all I have for now. The list goes on, but I have a 6 month old who is quite hungry. Until next time!.......
BTW, I also have a couple other sites that you might be interested in checking out.
Painter Mommy (my Mommy fun site)
Nursery Murals and More (my Nursery Murals fun site)
Surfaces with Paint - (my NY Painting Biz)


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Archive for October 2012
What's new in Cordova iOS 2.2.0
1. Set Xcode 4.5 minimum (iOS 6 SDK, iOS 4.3 deployment target, no armv6)
Submission to the Apple App Store requires the latest SDK, which is iOS 6. The iOS 6 SDK only comes with Xcode 4.5. Xcode 4.5 drops support for armv6, thus the minimum deployment target supported is iOS 4.3. This means that support for the iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch 2nd Generation is dropped.
2. Fixed iOS 6 and iPhone 5 issues
- iOS 6 Contacts permissions support – this was the only API issue for iOS 6 that did not make it into 2.1.0
- Capture API – for capturing audio, a new microphone image has been added for the iPhone 5 dimensions, and the Capture API view controllers support the new iOS 6 orientation delegate methods
- Added iPhone 5 sized Splash Screen
- Added new iOS 6 orientation delegate methods, and fixed orientation bug: http://issues.cordova.io/1465
- iOS 6 LocalStorage changes (backup flag), see issue http://issues.cordova.io/1561 and new Cordova.plist setting change to allow for iCloud, local or no backup.
3. FileTransfer API changes
- Added support for the onprogress event to get progress events for a FileTransfer operation
- Added the abort function to cancel a FileTransfer operation
See the API doc.
4. Cordova.plist new properties, and changed a property
- Added the iOS 6 property SuppressesIncrementalRendering – set to YES (defaults to NO) to wait until all new view content has been received before it is rendered.
- Changed the property BackupWebStorage (string, defaults to 'cloud') – valid values are 'none', 'cloud' and 'local'. Set to 'cloud' to allow the web storage data to be backed up to iCloud, and set to 'local' to only allow local backups (iTunes sync). Set to 'none' to not allow any backups of web storage. The previous boolean property is deprecated and mapped to 'cloud' (true) and 'none' (false).
See the Project Settings doc.
5. Graduated the Globalization plugin to core
This plugin was previously in the phonegap-plugins repo (BB WebWorks 5, iOS, Android). The globalization object obtains information and performs operations specific to the user's locale and timezone.
See the API doc.
6. bin/create script changes
In 2.2.0 by default, the CordovaLib sub-project is copied into your project folder. Previously the CordovaLib sub-project was linked in to your project as a shared project. To still use a shared CordovaLib, add "–shared" as the first parameter to bin/create. This is useful for committers to just point to the CordovaLib from their git repo.
7. uncrustify hook for committers
Uncrustify is a utility that beautifies your code — essentially it enforces certain code formatting conventions. Right now it is only added to the iOS repo as a trial. See the issue: http://issues.cordova.io/625
In the root of your iOS repo, using the command line:
cd .git
rm -r hooks
ln -s ../hooks .
Otherwise, you should run the bin/uncrustify.sh command manually before checking in code on iOS.
8. onReset() override for plugins
Add a onReset() method to your plugin — this is called on top-level navigation or refresh, so that plugins can know to cancel any long-running requests and reinitialize themselves. This is for the situation where your WebView has been refreshed, and any operations and callbacks for plugins are invalid.
9. iOS JavaScript-Obj-C bridge improvements
- no longer broken for non file:// pages
- No longer shows failed requests in the remote web inspector
- 15% speed improvement in benchmarks
10. Splashscreen API
The Splashscreen API is now formally documented for iOS and Android.
View the Release Notes for other changes.


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Yanks Fall to BoSox Under the Lights, Bartolo Fans Five
Ramiro Pena's grounder in the bottom of the ninth with two outs looked as if it had a one-way ticket to center field. If it had gotten through the infield hole, it would have tied the Yankees' exhibition with the Red Sox tonight at five. Oscar Tejada made a great play to rob Pena of a game-tying single, ending the tune-up game and giving Boston 5-3 win over New York.
Tejada not only made the game-ending play on defense, but he helped out on offense, padding Boston's 2-1 lead. In the top of the seventh he clubbed a two-run triple to give the Red Sox a 4-1 edge. They had scored earlier in the frame on an RBI single by Juan Carlos Linares, breaking a 1-1 tie.
The big night continued for Tejada in the ninth when he singled to score Linares, making it a 5-1 ballgame. Daniel Nava drove Tejada in to score in the sixth inning, accounting for Boston's first run in the game.
Robinson Cano recorded his first hit of the spring in the bottom of the sixth, an RBI double which plated Pena. Before Pena made the final out, the Yanks tried to stage another comeback by scoring two runs. Jordan Parraz singled to score Austin Krum and Gustavo Molina drew a bases-loaded walk which plated Kyle Higashioka.
Bartolo Colon started for the Yankees and although he did not face most of the regulars, he put up a strong showing. The tubby right hander tossed three innings and scattered two hits while not allowing a run. He walked no batters and fanned five BoSox.
On the other side Clay Buchholz made the start for the Red Sox and also showcased good stuff. The 26 year-old righty pitched three innings and allowed only one hit. He walked two and struck out two.
Tonight the Yankees and Red Sox met for the first time in 2011 and there will be a lot more where that came from. The rivals will meet again on Monday March 14 in another exhibition and will of course face off 18 times during the regular season. Not to mention they have a good chance to square off in the postseason.
Things to Look Out For & Notes
· The Yankee starters are proving their worth. They have only allowed one run in the first 15 innings they have pitched this spring, and have registered 13 consecutive scoreless innings. So far they are probably making it difficult for Joe Girardi, since they have all been producing.
· Russell Martin caught behind the plate tonight for the first time. After the game he told the YES Network that he feels good and felt comfortable catching. At the plate tonight he struggled, though; he was 0-for-3 and left three men on base.
· In some bad new for the Yanks, Francisco Cervelli will be out of action for at least a month. The details of his injury became apparent and he has a broken foot. He worked hard in the off-season, slimmed down, and looked good through the first few games. But then he fouled a ball off his foot on Wednesday vs. the Astros, and now he can't play for awhile. Tough break for such a great guy.
· Now that Cervelli is out of action, the chances that Jesus Montero makes the team are high. Contrary to what I originally assumed, Jorge Posada will not be catching at all this season, at least from the looks of things. That being said, this is Montero's chance to impress and maybe make the team.
· Robinson Cano has been pressing to begin the spring, but finally broke out with an RBI double tonight. Good to see the real Cano finally come out to play.
· Alex Rodriguez was 2-for-3 tonight with a double, and he now has four doubles for the spring. His double tonight, on any other night or in any other ballpark, would have been a home run. The wind down there in Florida keeps pushing the ball back and he is just missing home runs. Wait until he gets back to New York. He won't be missing many homers at Yankee Stadium.
· I cannot believe I am even saying this, but Bartolo Colon is actually pitching very well to this point. When the Yankees signed him the headline in the New York Post read, "Cheap Colon." Right now, that Colon smells pretty good. He does need to lose weight, however. He looks out of shape and that can eventually catch up to an athlete.
· Yesterday I wrote about Mark Prior and what he has been through in his career. He impressed me tonight: one inning, no runs, no hits, one walk, two Ks. I am really pulling for him and I would like to see him make a solid comeback.
· Manuel Banuelos pitched tonight and once again put up a strong showing. He worked two innings and gave up no runs on one hit. He walked a batter and struck out three. The 19 year-old lefty will probably not make the team coming out of Spring Training, but he is unquestionably turning a lot of heads and raising eyebrows. He topped out at 96 on the speed gun tonight and looks way ahead of his age.
· I made a small comparison in my head tonight: before 2007 began the Yankees had three promising prospects – Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. Here we are just before 2011 and we have Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Andrew Brackman.
· Lefty specialist Pedro Feliciano pitched tonight, giving up an earned run on two hits. No walks and no strikeouts, but he did better than the other lefty reliever Boone Logan, who took the loss tonight. Feliciano might pitch more this season than Logan. When he was with the Mets, they gave him the nickname "Perpetual Pedro," being that they used him almost every day to get the big left-handed hitters out.
· The Red Sox left most of their stars at home. Only Buchholz, Jed Lowrie, Jason Varitek and Josh Reddick made the trip to Tampa. Reddick had a great diving catch in left field to rob Cano of extra bases in the bottom of the second. I'm pretty sure Carl Crawford has that spot locked up, but Reddick could state a claim to be Boston's fourth outfielder.
· Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner, and Curtis Granderson did not play.
· Actor Richard Gere threw out the honorary first pitch tonight. According to what they say, he is a big Yankee fan. I always liked that guy…
· The Yankees will face the Washington Nationals tomorrow and the Houston Astros Sunday. The next televised game is on Monday against the Phillies and A.J. Burnett will start that game.
· So far the Yanks' Grapefruit League record is 2-4-1.


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It's not just NFL players who have to stay in shape during the offseason. Their coaches are also looking for ways to stay active.
Most NFL coaches, however, probably will not go to as extreme lengths to stay fit as John Harbaugh. Fresh off a victory over his brother's San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, Harbaugh recently completed a Tough Mudder race in Gerrardstown, W.Va.
If you're unfamiliar with these military-inspired obstacle course events, they are normally 10-to-12 miles and include everything from carrying logs to crawling through mud. Invented by a Harvard Business School student, these races have become extremely popular in the past few years.
The course Harbaugh completed was designed by British Special Forces. The 50-year-old Harbaugh, who is know for his intense workouts, wore a shirt that said "Sack Lunch" on the front and "I will" on the back.
The Baltimore Sun reported that Harbaugh did the event with members of the Ravens front office, including senior vice president of public and community relations Kevin Byrne.
Harbaugh looks winded in the video below, but jumping into piles of mud and crawling under barbed wire will do that to you.
So, Jim Harbaugh, how are you going to top that?


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The road journey from Lukut to Alor setar is pleasant and relaxing when traveling by bus. Total distance between Lukut and Alor setar is <distance>. However, the travel timing varies from one bus operator to another. On any given day, the travel time depends majorly on traffic and climatic conditions. Nonetheless, continuous availability of bus services between Lukut and Alor setar reduces uncertainty and creates convenience for the commuters. All the buses are well maintained and driven by experienced drivers.
Easy online bus booking methods and secure payment options on redBus.my enable travellers to book Lukut to Alor setar bus tickets. Avail great redBus offers on bus reservation. Simply book tickets online and travel in comfort.
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text: Seattle Children's Hospital is both a community hospital for greater Seattle and the pediatric referral center for the Northwest providing excellent pediatric care to meet the medical, surgical and developmental needs of children in the WWAMI region. Serving as the main clinical training site for pediatric residents, this 250-bed hospital is conveniently located one and one-half miles from the University of Washington campus in an attractive, residential neighborhood of Seattle. The staff consists of University faculty and Seattle Children's full-time physicians, as well as private practicing physicians from the Seattle area.


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"Then He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.'" Mark 16:15
"But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!" Romans 10:14-15
SCBI's Evangelism Ministry helps to provide churches with pieces of training and resources to reach people with the Gospel.
LIFE: God's Simple Plan


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Events for April 17, 2019 › Seniors
Events Search and Views Navigation
1:00 pm
Proctor cribbage
$2 drop-in. 1pm-3:30 reoccurring every Wednesday Located out in Proctor at the Proctor-Harrop Seniors hall. All ages welcome, coffee and tea provided. For more information call 250-229-5741Find out more »
7:00 pm
Glacier Harmonies Women's Chorus
Practices every Wednesday @ 7 pm 611 Fifth Street Newcomers Welcome! Contact Jude 250 825-0027Find out more »


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A South Side man has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a man in late May in the West Pullman neighborhood, police said.
Roman Forman, 25, of the 4800 block of South Evans Avenue in the Bronzeville neighborhood, has been charged with first-degree murder in the May 29 shooting death of Freddie Walton, 27, in the 12200 block of South Halsted Avenue on the Far South Side, police said.
Forman, who was arrested Friday, was odered held with no bail in bond court Sunday.
According to Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Michael Sullivan, Walton was walking into a store about 1 p.m. when a vehicle containing two individuals pulled up and someone started shooting. Walton was struck in the neck and shoulders, Sullivan said, and later died at Roseland Hospital.
email@example.com | Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking


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They've also only won 2 of their last 11 playoff games overall.Rumsfeld wrote: Canucks have scored 16 goals in their last 14 playoff games and haven't won at home since game 5 against Boston. Jesus Christ.
Like AV always says, you need excellent goal-tending to win in this league. For the Canucks, that means we can't win unless our goalie gets a shutout.
AV doesn't coach the goalies, it's Melanson's fault the team is in this downward spiral.
AV also doesn't coach special teams which have stunk for the past year and a half, so it's also Bowness's and Brown's fault.
AV is not in charge of player acquisitions, so add Gillis to the list too.
AV didn't hire Gillis, so throw while we're at it, why not blame Aquilini too.
Basically blame the entire organization, but AV.


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Beginning this blog with a posting about the end of our 2008 kale harvest is as good a place to start as any! We have a garden in southeast Michigan where I last harvested kale in mid-December during a short thaw between snowfalls during this very cold and snowy winter (see above photo). I am passionate about kale and its many varieties, the beauty of each variety's differently shaped leaves, its ease of growing and hearty, unique, delicious taste, the wide array of uses, the long time it stays fresh in your refrigerator, and last but not least, it's true star power in terms of many essential nutrients and health-promoting molecules.
Unlike store-bought fresh spinach, which seems to get slimy in the refrigerator within just days of purchase, kale seems to last for weeks and weeks. I harvested a huge bag of kale during a brief lull in our cold snowy winter last month in December, which I have been using over the last month. This is a photo of the last of that harvest. You can see how crisp and green (or red) and fresh the many shapes and sizes of the leaves look. It has been in my refrigerator in a plastic bag for almost four weeks. Being harvested well after a good frost (in fact being harvested after being covered with snow and even ice), the taste of this kale is almost sweet, certainly "kale-tasting" but without any harsh and strong flavors that so often cause people to simply prefer their kale as decoration on their plate.
Recipe: Potato-Kale Soup
Feel free to make any additions like adding onions, celery, or any other vegetables, even dried beans to this classic delicious soup.
Where kale is more than decoration on my plate!
Diana Dyer, MS, RD


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valentine's day printable word scramble
Valentine's Day is a special Holiday you can celebrate in your Sunday School classroom visit americangreetings. Children can learn that Jesus loves them no matter what, and that we are com to download valentine s day cards with your kids today! how adorable! thank you for the printable. It is free printable time! I make a Valentine's Day cootie catcher that is sure to put a smile on your child's face i love the graphics/colors! i can't wait to play with my 2 year old! i'm sure he'll be eating the candy off before he. What? You don't know what a cootie catcher is? Hello 30Days readers! I m so excited to be sharing this adorable Valentine s Day banner! If you follow my blog at all, you know how much I love to make printable banners! Valentine's Day is fun to celebrate at any age, and these free Valentine's Day Printables will make it even better! There are so many sweet and creative this free printable valentine s banner is the perfect way to add a little love just about anywhere! it s perfection for all of the glitter-phobes out there. Printable templates for Valentine s Day cards suitable for preschool, kindergarten and grade school children you get. Printable Valentine Coupons by Adrianne Lake free printable for an easy diy valentine s day card using straws from the dollar store. It s Valentine s Day, and what better gift to give your sweetheart (or someone special to you) than these free printable cheap, easy valentine card idea. Entertain the kids this Valentine s Day with this sweet Valentine s Day I Spy Printable printable valentine s day stickers, valentine printables and love printables. It comes with an answer sheet and answer key too! Colorful Valentine s Day Cards with healthy messages for kids! We have different mini valentine s day cards for your child to choose from - 4 on each printable page if you like the stickers click the print button and you re all set. Free printable valentine games for kids that are perfect for preschool and kindergarten free printable coupons to give as gifts for your sweetheart, family, friends or kids! includes an optional heart backer these make my day! i love fun packaging and i love valentine's day! thank you so, so much for sharing! have a great day! they've been pinned! say happy valentine s day in a personal way with printable valentine s day cards from blue mountain. Dice games are a fun way to teach many early math skills! Valentine s Day is a great holiday for fun and educational activities create & print a card that as unique as the ones you love. Kids of all ages enjoy the excitement and suspense involved with giving and receiving valentines printable valentine s day greeting cards including vintage cards, cute animals with hearts and other traditional greetings to express your love. An early learning printables pack for children that contains games and activities focused on the theme of Valentine s Day Find printable word search games for kids fun interactive printable valentines day coloring pages for kids to color online. Interactive elementary Valentine s Day word finds and searches valentine s day coloring page readers. Great way to teach vocabulary words associated with these great mouse practice for toddlers, preschool. Valentine's day is just around the corner! Put a little extra love in your decor with these printable 8×10 art prints in 5 sweet mix-and-matchable freebie designs free, printable valentine s day coloring pages are fun for kids! pictures, crafts, hearts, cards and cupid valentines coloring pages, sheets and pictures. Personalize and print free classroom Valentine s Day cards from home Visit americangreetings


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Chapman BMW on Camelback
830 E. Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85014
Vehicle Summary
Ext. Color
Black Sapphire Metallic
Int. Color
17 City / 26 Highway
AWD 2dr Convertible
4.4L Twin Turbo V8 523hp
8-Speed Steptronic Automatic
Stock #
vehicle packages and accessories
Driving Assistance Package - Includes Active Driving Assistant or Driving Assistance Professional Package, parking assistant plus, active blind spot detection, frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and surround view rear camera.
Glass Controls
Bowers and Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System - Includes 1400-watt Bowers and Wilkins surround sound system w/ 12 speakers including 2 subwoofers.
Apple CarPlay ready
Auxiliary audio input: Bluetooth
Auxiliary audio input: iPod/iPhone
Auxiliary audio input: jack
Auxiliary audio input: USB
Hard drive: 20GB
Infotainment screen size: 10.25 in.
Premium brand: harman/kardon
Radio data system
Radio: AM/FM
Radio: HD radio
Radio: voice operated
Satellite radio: SiriusXM
Speed sensitive volume control
Subwoofer: 2
Surround sound: 5.1
Total speakers: 10
Watts: 464
performance and engineering
4WD type: on demand
Auto start/stop
Axle ratio: 3.40
Battery: maintenance-free
Center differential: mechanical
Drive mode selector
Hill holder control
Locking differential: rear
Stability control
Suspension: 4-Wheel steering
Suspension: Active suspension
Suspension: Driver adjustable suspension: ride control
Suspension: Front shock type: twin-tube gas
Suspension: Front spring type: coil
Suspension: Front stabilizer bar
Suspension: Front struts
Suspension: Front suspension classification: independent
Suspension: Front suspension type: double wishbone
Suspension: Rear shock type: twin-tube gas
Suspension: Rear spring type: coil
Suspension: Rear stabilizer bar
Suspension: Rear suspension classification: independent
Suspension: Rear suspension type: multi-link
Suspension: Suspension control: electronic
Traction control
Convertible rear window: glass
Convertible roof wind blocker
Convertible roof: power
Convertible roof: remote operation
Convertible roof: soft top
Daytime running lights: LED
Door handle color: body-color
Exhaust tip color: chrome
Exhaust: dual tip
Exterior entry lights: puddle lamps
Front bumper color: body-color
Grille color: black with chrome accents
Headlights: auto delay off
Headlights: LED
Mirror color: black
Rear bumper color: body-color
Run flat tires
Taillights: adaptive
Taillights: LED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Tire type: performance
Wheels: alloy
Window trim: black
Air filtration: active charcoal
Cargo area floor mat
Cargo area floor mat: carpet
Customizable instrument cluster
Dash trim: leather
Digital odometer
Door trim: leather
Driver information system
Driver seat power adjustments: 20
Driver seat power adjustments: 4-way power lumbar
Driver seat power adjustments: height
Driver seat power adjustments: reclining
Driver seat: heated
External temperature display
Floor mat material: carpet
Front air conditioning zones: dual
Front air conditioning: automatic climate control
Front headrests: 2
Front headrests: integrated
Front seat type: sport bucket
Gauge: tachometer
Head-up display
Instrument cluster screen size: 12.3 in.
Interior accents: leather
Passenger seat power adjustments: 20
Passenger seat power adjustments: 4-way power lumbar
Passenger seat power adjustments: height
Passenger seat power adjustments: reclining
Passenger seat: heated
Rear headrests: 2
Rear headrests: integrated
Rear seat folding: split
Rear seat type: bucket
Rear vents: second row
Steering wheel trim: leather
Upholstery: premium leather
Airbag deactivation: occupant sensing passenger
Autonomous braking
Blind spot safety: sensor/alert
Body side reinforcements: side impact door beams
Brakes: ABS: 4-wheel
Brakes: Brake drying
Brakes: Braking assist
Brakes: Cornering brake control
Brakes: Electronic brakeforce distribution
Brakes: Electronic parking brake
Brakes: Emergency braking preparation
Brakes: Front brake type: ventilated disc
Brakes: Painted brake calipers
Brakes: Power brakes
Brakes: Rear brake type: ventilated disc
Brakes: Regenerative braking system
Camera system: surround view
Child seat anchors: LATCH system
Driver attention alert system
Emergency interior trunk release
Energy absorbing steering column
Front airbags: dual
Impact sensor: alert system
Impact sensor: battery disconnect
Impact sensor: door unlock
Impact sensor: fuel cut-off
Impact sensor: post-collision safety system
Knee airbags: dual front
Lane deviation sensors
Parking sensors: front
Parking sensors: rear
Pre-collision warning system: audible warning
Pre-collision warning system: visual warning
Rearview monitor: in dash
Rollover protection system
Side airbags: front
Side airbags: head protection chambers
2-stage unlocking doors
Active parking system: fully automated
Ambient lighting
Anti-theft system: alarm with remote
Anti-theft system: audio security system
Anti-theft system: engine immobilizer
Cargo area light
Courtesy lights: console
Courtesy lights: door
Cruise control
Cupholders: 2
Driver assistance app: roadside assistance
Electronic messaging assistance: voice operated
Front wipers: rain sensing
Front wipers: speed sensitive
Front wipers: variable intermittent
Memorized settings: 2 driver
Memorized settings: audio system
Memorized settings: climate control
Memorized settings: driver seat
Memorized settings: passenger seat
Memorized settings: side mirrors
Memorized settings: steering wheel
Multi-function remote: illuminated entry
Multi-function remote: panic alarm
Multi-function remote: proximity entry system
Multi-function remote: trunk release
Navigation app: Traffic Data
Navigation system: hard drive
Navigation system: voice operated
One-touch windows: 2
Phone: hands free
Power activated trunk/hatch: open and close
Power activated trunk/hatch: sensor-activated
Power door locks: auto-locking
Power outlet(s): 12V front
Power steering: variable/speed-proportional
Power windows: lockout button
Power windows: safety reverse
Push-button start
Real time traffic
Rearview mirror: auto-dimming
Retained accessory power
Rolling code security: remote
Satellite communications: BMW Assist
Side mirror adjustments: power
Side mirror adjustments: power folding
Side mirror adjustments: reverse gear tilt
Side mirrors: auto-dimming
Side mirrors: heated
Side mirrors: integrated turn signals
Smart device app function: horn/light operation
Smart device app function: lock operation
Smart device app function: maintenance status
Smart device app function: vehicle location
Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise control
Steering wheel mounted controls: multi-function
Steering wheel mounted controls: navigation
Steering wheel mounted controls: paddle shifter
Steering wheel mounted controls: phone
Steering wheel mounted controls: voice control
Steering wheel: power tilt and telescopic
Universal remote transmitter: Homelink - garage door opener
Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Wifi: hotspot
Window defogger: rear
Wireless charging station: front
Wireless data link: Bluetooth


text:
This week was packed with news stories and events that have implications for health care, research, funding, and science writing. Tuesday sparked two major discussions on Twitter. The first was regarding the speech given by Jonah Lehrer (former journalist at The New Yorker and science writer) at a media learning seminar for which he was paid $20,000 by the Knight Foundation. As explained by Scientific American, this speech was expected to be a sincere apology and explanation of his actions after being caught plagiarizing and fabricating quotes in his writing both at The New Yorker and in his books. Instead, the disgraced journalist proceeded to explain his actions in terms such as, "For some cognitive biases, being smart, having a high IQ, can make you more vulnerable to them." Understandably, science writers took umbrage and started the hashtag #worth20K to highlight science writing and journalistic efforts worthy of being paid $20,000.
Scientists routinely give talks on original research at unis, schools & public events. Sometimes they get dinner. Sometimes not. #worth20k?
— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) February 14, 2013
Excellent piece by @erinpodolak on why so many journalists were furious yesterday, and the one good thing: #worth20k sciencedecoded.blogspot.com/2013/02/were-a… — Ben Lillie (@BenLillie) February 13, 2013
This brought up questions of professional ethics, and another hashtag that comes up when science and health collide #bioethics.
Twitter could be used to geo-track and determine the influence of various environmental factors on health bit.ly/12Gxk1O #bioethics
— Taub Health Sci Lib (@MLibraryHealthy) February 12, 2013
The great #obesity politics piece written by @helenwalls @stacymcarter. Follow both! #bioethics #publichealth #law newsatjama.jama.com/2013/02/14/jam…
— Ross D. Silverman (@phlu) February 14, 2013
Don't Shoot the Messenger — Keeping Our Eye on the Real Meaning of the eLife-PubMed Central Scandal wp.me/pcvbl-7V0
— Scholarly Kitchen (@scholarlykitchn) February 12, 2013
The second major news event of Tuesday was the State of the Union (SOTU) Address. The importance of funding science and research initiatives was highlighted in the President's speech and Twitter took a closer look at those issues. These tweets came from a variety of tags including #SOTU and #science.
Investing in Science, Reaping Rewards on.wsj.com/UwBGC3Excellent article on the human AND economic rewards of health care research.
— John Risner (@jwrisner) September 7, 2012
For reasons that Medical Research should be isolated from the sequester see: forbes.com/sites/matthewh… and washingtonpost.com/local/dumb-bud… — Bert Gold (@BertGold4) February 14, 2013
GEN | News Highlights:Obama Finds Support for Research Spending Plea genengnews.com/gen-news-highl… via @genbio #biotech #science — Karen Sharma (@sharma1) February 13, 2013
Join the crowd. Supporting science through crowdfunding. n.pr/UilXcU #science #crowdfunding by @joepalca — Malcolm M. Campbell (@m_m_campbell) February 14, 2013
Part of the conversation around SOTU focused on the Affordable Care Act and peeking out were some health and technology issues that showed up in #HealthIT.
New eJournal Looks to Synthesize Data from Clinical Research Projects is.gd/XzfZI3 #healthIT, — HITECH Answers (@HITECHAnswers) February 14, 2013
Social networks improve research, help patients with regimen adherence ow.ly/1Sd4fW #HealthIT #hcsm
— Michael Crosnick (@MichaelCrosnick) February 13, 2013
Use social media to advocate for primary care [VIDEO] http://youtu.be/oshS6kKsAaQ #hcsm — Kevin Pho, M.D. (@kevinmd) February 19, 2011
On the topic of health and technology, is this weekend's #TEDxManhattan. TEDx are independently organized Technology, Education, and Design conferences based on the same format as the original TED conferences. The topic for this particular conference is "Changing the Way We Eat." TEDxManhattan will be streamed via the internet, and live tweeted via the #TEDxManhattan and #TEDxMan hashtags.
3 days until #TEDxMan! Who are you most excited to hear? Tune in online on 2/16 from 10:30-5:30 EST: bit.ly/WJEFYg
— TEDxManhattan (@TEDxManhattan) February 13, 2013
Culinary Mindfulness: Something You Won't Hear About At #TEDxManhattan – Forbes onforb.es/Vf0tze — Todd Essig (@ToddEssig) February 14, 2013
And if you want to chat about sustainable foods a little closer to home:
RT @mlibraryhealthy: Come this Friday to the Sustainable Food Careers Symposium from 9-4 in Rm 1040 in Dana Bldg .. fb.me/1SOyXoBIZ
— Taub Health Sci Lib (@MLibraryHealthy) February 14, 2013


text:
Matt Dempsey email@example.com (202) 224-9797
Katie Brown firstname.lastname@example.com (202) 224-2160
Oklahoman Editorial: Highway Bill "Worth Cheering"
Al Cardenas, American Conservative Union Op Ed: Conservatives should break transportation bill gridlock
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Rep James Lankford (R-OK-5) both members of the transportation conference, hailed Congressional bipartisan approval of the highway conference report as an enormous win for Oklahoma and the nation. The conference report passed today is based largely on the Inhofe-Boxer highway bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP 21), which contains important reforms from companion legislation that was passed in the House. The highway conference report passed overwhelmingly in the House today by a vote of 373-52, and in the Senate it passed by a vote of 74 – 19 with one member voting present.
Inhofe: "Today Congress came together with overwhelming bipartisan support to pass a responsible highway bill that provides significant conservative reforms, creates jobs and will help generate economic growth. Pure and simple, this bill is a victory for Oklahoma. I appreciate my friend Representative Lankford, who helped move this legislation through the House, and Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Gary Ridley, who partnered with us every step of the way as we worked to ensure Oklahoma and the nation has a responsible bill that will help create jobs and improve our economy. I look forward having this bill signed into law as soon as possible."
Lankford: "The Highway Bill passed by the Congress today is a true, conservative victory. Senator Inhofe and I have worked tirelessly to craft a responsible transportation policy with a focus on lifting the burden of red tape on our state. The final product will provide much needed stability to transportation infrastructure across our nation. We were able to create a long-term solution, which will shorten construction permitting schedules, reduce costs, and increase state flexibility. It was essential to give primary transportation decision authority to Oklahoma leadership, rather than keeping the control in Washington, D.C. The 27-month reauthorization will last through two fiscal years and give solid ground on which to construct the next responsible transportation policy."
Important provisions in the highway conference report:
- Reduces the number of programs by 2/3
- Eliminates or consolidates programs that are duplicative or don't serve the national transportation goal
- Streamlines the lengthy and often duplicative environmental review process from an average of 15 years down to 7 years
Highway Bill a Victory for Farmers
Inhofe and Lankford further welcomed inclusion of a key provision Inhofe and Lankford have sponsored, along with Rep. Dan Boren (R-OK-2), H.R. 2414, the Farmers' Freedom Act of 2011 – a bi-partisan measure that exempts farm trucks from the burdensome commercial vehicle regulations have made it extremely difficult for farmers to cross state lines while transporting crops. The Farmers' Freedom Act fixes the problem by supplying farm trucks with a limited commercial vehicle exemption from these federal regulations when they travel within 150 air-miles of their farm. Senator Inhofe and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have been working to pass companion legislation since 2009 in the Senate. With the inclusion of this bill's language in the highway conference report, Senator Inhofe and Representative Lankford were successful in their efforts.
Inhofe: "The inclusion of the Farmers' Freedom Act in the highway bill is a victory for farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma and across the nation. Now, farmers will no longer be forced to comply with burdensome and unnecessary commercial vehicle regulations while transporting their crops from the farm to the marketplace, within a 150 air-miles range. As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, one of my top priorities is to do everything I can to alleviate the immense regulatory burden the Obama administration is putting on our agricultural community. I am very pleased that today we were able to make progress. I would like to thank Representative Lankford for his hard work and the conferees for their cooperation in achieving this great victory for famers."
Lankford: "Initially I offered the Farmers' Freedom Act as a stand-alone bill in the House, and after working with the Committee, it was included as part of the many reforms of the Committee-passed bill. We worked diligently to remove this burdensome restriction on farmers across our nation, so they could move freely. These hardworking citizens deserve the right to conduct their business in a fair and efficient manner."Boren: "The Farmer's Freedom Act has been a priority on my agenda for many Congresses. I am grateful to Representative Lankford for his leadership and persistence in passing this important measure. Senator Inhofe has done a fantastic job of ensuring we do not over regulate those that provide nutrition to our families. I am pleased that our farmers and ranchers will be better able to transport their products across the country to provide us with an abundant marketplace."
Oklahoman Agricultural Community
Mike Spradling President of Oklahoma Farm Bureau (OFB) welcomed the inclusion of the provision in the conference report saying, "Oklahoma Farm Bureau appreciates the hard work of Senator Inhofe, Representative Lankford, and Representative Boren to protect farmers and ranchers in this transportation bill. They are true advocates for Oklahoma's agricultural producers." Terry
Detrick, President of the American Farmers and Ranchers, also welcomed the provision saying, "American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) is extremely pleased that Congress is taking this crucial step towards protecting the ability of our members to haul their crops and livestock to market. We are especially grateful to our Oklahoma Congressional delegation, led by Sen. Inhofe, Rep. Lankford and Rep. Boren for their tireless work on this issue. They have been pursuing relief for farmers and ranchers faced with complicated and burdensome transportation regulations for many years and we sincerely thank them for their efforts."


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Search Reviews
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Equinox
6 Passengers have reviewed this ship
Very good
Top 5 most helpful reviews
Rating summary
6 reviews sorted by:
- 9 Helpful votes
- 1 Cruise review
- 3 Cruises
"Celebrity are always excellent"
My wife and I did back to back on the Celebrity Equinox. It s a superb vessel and the Celebrity service is always first class. We were a little dissapointment in the Caribbean island ports, very touristy with so many Americans on cheap cruises, not surprising as this their backyard. I had been looking forward to this part of the cruise as I worked in a shipping company in London in the sixties and I worked with many of these islands. However the luxury of the ship made up for this. Second part of the back to back was down the coast of Central America and we had a great time. We loved the Spanish influence when we went ashore, the people at every port were friendly, helpful and fun to speak with. We found we could lose ourself in the small streets, visiting cafes and small shops. Loved our trip out to the canal from Colon, it is amazing to see the organisation in getting so many huge ships so smoothly. Definitely makes me want to do a Panama Canal transit on a near future cruise. We have cruised with Princess and Cunard but have to say that Celebrity is our favourite. The quality of everything on board is first class so if you are not addicted to small ships I would highly recommend this company to anyone seeking a great experience.Read more
- Cruise Name: Celebrity Equinox
- Destination: Caribbean
- Sailed: December 2014
- 7 Helpful votes
- 1 Cruise review
- 3 Cruises
"Love cruising!"
My wife and I have cruised over the last few years quite regularly and intend to do quite a lot more! We love the atmosphere being on the water, relaxing, meeting new people and most of all the shows you entertain us with. I highly recommend anyone wanting a holiday to try because guaranteed they too will be hooked on cruising just like us! We have been on a few different cruise liners and cannot fault a bad one yet! Our last cruise over to the south islands was the best as we had 25 of our wonderful family members join us in a "family holiday" a well deserved one too I might add..!!!!! We went on Carnival Spirit in April 2014 that was great. The holiday before was out of Fort Lauderdale in America, now that was along side 7 others of our family members. That is my favourite cruise liner so far! I'm looking to see if we can out do the Celebrity Equinox.. I doubt it, it's a really beautiful ship! I have a short cruise booked this week to Port Arthur only a 5 day cruise this time but will still be amazing and really looking forward to it. I LOVE CRUISING and will continue to get friends and family to cruise with me. Thank you for your free book I look forward to reading it and booking another.Read more
- Cruise Name: Celebrity Equinox
- Destination: Mexico
- Sailed: March 2013
- 4 Helpful votes
- 1 Cruise review
- 0 Cruises
"heaven on the open sea"
I booked this cruise for my husband and myself for his birthday. We embarked in ft Lauderdale what a fabulous port there were 4 ships in the terminal all waiting for their passengers to board. Boarding was at 12 noon we went exploring the ship found the buffet amongst 1200 other passengers we had a bite to eat then they announced our cabins were ready. Our cabin was great we had an inside cabin 7148. The Equinox was wonderful, so magnificent. Dinner in the main dining room was great 3 courses and we could have as many double portions as we wished. Our first port of call was Georgetown grand cayman where we were tendered ashore. we had heard of a place called hell so we caught a local bus at the cost of $2.00 what an unusual place then we caught a bus back to 7 mile beach looked around the shops near the cruise terminal then caught the tender back to the ship. the food on the buffet was plentiful and very tasty. couldn't complain at the variety. we purchased a drinks package which as very handy.our days at sea were spent by the pool which was very relaxing my husband loved the casino I particularly loved the shops a very good selection of goods reasonably priced. Cozumel Mexico was a favourite of mine we went on the underwater submarine really enjoyed that and of course the shopping afterwards. when we were in Costa Rica we went to a sloth sanctuary very highly recommended we met Rosie the sloth she is 25 years old and lives in an egg chair all day .the staff on the equinox were fantastic especially Augustus our waiter in the main dining room also the waiter who served us coffee in the buffet his catchphrase was Happy coffee. we didn't want to leave the ship at the end of our cruise and loved it so much that we have only been home for a couple of months that we are planning our next cruiseRead more
- Cruise Name: Celebrity Equinox
- Destination: Caribbean
- Sailed: February 2015
- 3 Helpful votes
- 1 Cruise review
- 2 Cruises
"First Cruise "
This being our first cruise was a pleasure being on board the celebrity equinox we found the cabin 9143 to be quite spacious clean and adequate. We were very impressed with the quality and the various types of food available 24/7. The staff were very friendly and cooperative regarding any requests we may have had whilst on board. Our cabin was situatied towards the front of the ship but we found out that the cabins in the middle felt less movement then the front and the back. After speaking to other travelers celebrity seems to be the choice for cruising as the ratings above indicates. When it comes to day trips I would recommend 4 hour trips as it can take a toll on the body. Choose carefully on your day excursion as many of them are difficult areas to negotiate if handicapped ( walking) issues. All in all we regard celebrity a great cruise ship company to go with even though this is only our first time cruising.Read more
- Cruise Name: Celebrity Equinox
- Destination: Mediterranean
- Sailed: October 2015
- 0 Helpful votes
- 0 Cruise reviews
- 0 Cruises
"Is that an elephant on our bed?"
Is that an elephant on our bed? My husband and I have recently returned from our second cruise with Celebrity.  The first in the Baltic and the most recent one around the Eastern end of the Med.  Our ship this time was the beautiful and enormous fairly new Equinox which carries around 2800 passengers and around half as many crew members.  We were overawed by the sheer size of the ship with its central Atrium and glass fronted lifts and the huge and wonderful theatre.  It was hard to remember that this was all floating on the sea.  The ship functioned seamlessly.  Our stateroom was well appointed and larger than on the Century and we also had sliding doors onto a balcony which offered a quiet place to sit if required.  The room was always cleaned and beds remade whenever we returned to it.  Our steward seemed to instincively know when we had left our cabin and was always cheerful and helpful.  I was thrilled to return to our cabin on the two Formal Nights to find the clean towels magically turned into an elephant and later a dog.  All the crew were efficient,  courteous and friendly which is important and probably quite hard to keep up constantly, with so many demanding passengers.  Most of the passengers are American with a good skattering from the rest of the world.  The only time the ship seemed full of people was on the two sea days when we had to search for a sun bed, but we were always able to find one eventually.  The crew cleaned the ship constantly, including the pubqlic toilettes which were always spotless. We enjoyed the varied and delicious meals in the Silhouette Dinning room each evening where the staff were eager to ensure everything was to our liking.  The entertainment was excellent and we loved the musical shows from the  entertainment staff who worked hard to produce fun and different themes.  There were plenty of other distractions arranged throughout each day and a variety of musical items in the evenings, including an hilarious and brilliant series of shows from the concert pianist Brookes Aehron. We wondered how 2800 passengers would be tendered off the ship while anchored at two Greek Islands, however we need not have worried, as again the whole process was smooth and efficently conducted with no queues and no fuss.  The destinations that we visited were breathtaking being full of ancient ruins from more than 2000 years ago.  The most impressive being Ephesus in Turkey but the Acropolis in Athens was also a highlight.  On both of these occasions we took the trips organised by Celebrity and were very pleased with the guides and the itineries.  Santorini sitting on top of an old volcano with donkeys plodding the winding path up and down, was certainly an unusual sight.  Is Santorini where the ancient myth of Atlantis originated? Celebrity certainly pampers their passengers and the itineraries are well thought out.  We can thoroughly recommend cruising with them.Read more
- Cruise Name: Celebrity Equinox
- Destination: Greek Isles
- Sailed: July 2011


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I am a constant worrier – always have been, and likely always will be. It's a natural side of my perfectionist, compulsive to do list-maker personality. I can easily get into a narrow, future-oriented mindset that prevents me from enjoying life happening right now. Sounds familiar to you? Hm, I thought so. Sadly, this is how most people in our overachiever Western society live.
When my thoughts begin to spiral down into this dark hole of "have to's" and "should do's", I know I need to take a step back and be grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life.
I've talked before about how I have always had trouble making friends. I was always the nerd, the kid on the front row in class, the girl sitting by herself at lunch break. These days, when I list the people I consider my friends, to my utter surprise, I find I have more friends than I can count on both hands. I never thought I would be so lucky. I never thought so many people could like me. Could like me that much that they would want to keep in touch despite living 419 miles, or even 700 miles away from me. Could like me enough to want to hang out with me every Tuesday night to watch Brave, share a vegan meal with despite being avid meat-eaters, and eat my S'mores Sweet Potato Brownies.
I truly, truly am the luckiest girl in the world.
Inspired by S'mores Brownies in Jamie magazine.
Note: To prepare the mashed roasted sweet potato you will need 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC. Half the sweet potatoes lengthways, drizzle their orange flesh with a tiny bit of oil, and pop into the oven on a baking tray for about 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool for a few minutes. Peel off their skins (and nibble them if you like; they'll be caramelised and delicious). Mash the flesh with a fork.
And on another note: You totally can't taste the sweet potato. But man, it makes these brownies good. Ooey gooey good.
Makes 9 brownies
220g (1 cup) mashed roasted sweet potato*
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
20g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, the darker the better
40g (1/4 cup tightly packed) soft brown sugar
250ml (1 cup) recently boiled water
125ml (1/2 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil
1/2 tsp vanilla paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
approx. 50g (1.75 oz) vegan marshmallows, vanilla flavour
Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC if it isn't already. Line a small 21cm (8.5 inches) baking tin (pan) with baking parchment. (I used a round tin, but you could use a square one, too, in which case try to go for something roughly the same size.)
Pour the hot water over the soft brown sugar, stir to dissolve. Combine with the oil, vanilla and sweet potato.
In a large mixing bowl lightly combine the dry cocoa powder and self-raising flour with a fork. Fold in the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined to prevent over-mixing the batter.
Pour the batter into the lined cake tin, scraping ever last morsel from the bowl. Bake for 20 minutes. Cook on a wire rack.
Switch the oven setting to grill, but keep the temperature at 200ºC. Cover the top of your brownies, still in their tin, with the marshmallows. If you have extras, tuck 'em in where they'll fit. The more, the better.
Pop the tin under the grill for 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on your brownies all the while. Remove from the oven and also immediately afterwards from the tin. Slice the cake while the marshmallows are still hot.
These brownies are best enjoyed warm from the oven with a cup of cocoa and good friends to share.
Tell me one thing that has surprised you for the better in your life?