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Part 1
- Adding Comments
- Basic input/output - Using the Console
- Creating and Using Variables
- Arithmetic Operators
- Option Strict On (VB.NET specific)
- Manipulating Strings
- Conditional Structures (If)
Part 2
- Looping Structures
- Custom and Built-in Functions
- Introducing Arrays
- Introducing Lists
Part 2 is here
I won't be discussing OOP (object-oriented programming), WinForms, WPF or any other technology. Just the fundamentals of programming! We will run our code as a Console Application. The Console is very useful to help us learn programming concepts, without the distraction of a pretty form. In reality, very few applications are built as a Console Application. (Occasionally, some system tools are.)
This tutorial can only provide an introduction to VB.NET programming. It cannot be a substitute for a full tutorial or a book. I need to foreshorten a number of topics, unfortunately, but I do provide links to relevant MSDN pages for further study.
Visual Basic Resource :MSDN
Start Visual Studio (doesn't matter which version) and start a new VB.NET Project, choose Console Application. Give it a name (I used 'Console1vb'). The IDE (integrated development environment - Visual Studio) generates code like this as your starting point:
Module Module1 Sub Main() 'I can type anything I want after an apostrophe! End Sub End Module
Adding Comments
Type the line beginning 'I can type... Do not just copy and paste the code. You need to be involved in the programming process, to make mistakes and discover how to fix them. Copying and pasting code won't help you.
I've added the line beginning with an apostrophe. As soon as we type an apostrophe we are creating a comment (our own notes) and the text will be green by default. Writing meaningful, and useful, comments is an important skill and you should get in the habit of commenting your code at an early stage.
Comments should provide additional details to help someone reading your code understand what the code is doing. (This someone might be yourself in a few weeks time!)
Initially you should write lots of comments. As you gain more experience, and hopefully write very nice, clear code, you will find that you need to provide fewer comments. But please don't fall into the habit of not commenting.
Basic input/output - Using the Console
Modify the code to the following. As we go through the tutorial you can continue to add code to the same Console Application. You'll probably want to comment out previous lines - once you've understood them - by inserting apostrophes at the beginning of each line. Alternatively, at certain points you might decide to start a new Console Application. I suggest also that you copy the code-lines into a text-file as you proceed. This way, you can start to create your own notes.
Module Module1 Sub Main() 'I can type anything a want (a comment) after an apostrophe! Console.WriteLine("Hello World!") Console.ReadKey() End Sub End Module
The traditional example! Choose the File menu, Save (or Save All if you prefer) and click the green arrow on the main toolbar to Start Debugging (I call this the 'Run' button). You can press the F5 function key if you prefer. The Console should appear with the text "Hello World!". It will remain open until you press a key on the keyboard.
Sub stands for sub-procedure. When we run a console application, VB will look for a sub-procedure named Main() and execute the code that it contains. Most of the time, however, we use the more general term procedure. Our code is also contained in a Module, but this won't be important during this tutorial.
If there are errors then the code won't run and error messages will appear in the Output Window at the bottom of the screen. Visual Studio (VS) will also take you to the first line that generated an error. Check for any spelling errors, correct them, and run the application again. As you type, VS will also underline potential errors, and provide warnings. When you see any coloured underline, or other symbols, point your mouse over this indicator and a message will often pop-up.
At an early stage you will want to read my Debugging Express tutorial. Learning to debug and step-through your code is an essential skill.
Console.ReadKey() is necessary, otherwise the console will just appear and close very quickly. .Read() or .ReadLine() will have a similar effect but I tend to go with ReadKey.
VB.NET is not case-sensitive, so it will accept console.writeline() as well but will capitalize the words for us. I tend to type in lower-case and let VS adjust this for me. I encourage you to do the same. If the word doesn't capitalize then this is a very good visual clue that you have misspelt it. Bear in mind, though, that almost every other language IS case-sensitive.
Try deleting the parentheses after .ReadKey, VS will re-insert them when you click away from the line. Sometimes, however, it doesn't insert them - but the code still works! VB.NET is very tolerant about missing parentheses. Personally, I am not fond of this feature; I would rather it gave me an error and insisted I insert them. Generally, I don't type empty parentheses () and I let VS insert them if it wants to.
Console.WriteLine() writes a complete line to the console, moving the cursor to the next line (technically, inserting a newline character). .Write() keeps the cursor on the same line. Add these additional lines (before the ReadKey() line) and run the application (F5):
Console.Write("One ") Console.Write("Two ") Console.Write("Three ")
Select these three lines. You can then comment them out in one go by pressing a button on the main toolbar ("Comment out the selected lines.") or use Ctrl-K, Ctrl-C. Ctrl-K, Ctrl-U will uncomment lines.
Creating and Using Variables
Writing to the console is good, but we also want to interact with our user, letting them type something in return. We have Console.ReadLine(). Although we can execute this statement it is pretty useless on its own. Yes, the user can type something, but this can hardly be called 'interaction'. We need some way to examine what they have typed. We need to store their text somewhere, to be able to check what this text is, and do something depending on what they have typed.
We store values in variables. A variable is a place in the computer's memory that can store a value. The value might be text, a number, a date. This is called the variable's data-type. When we create a variable we give it a name that we can later use to examine, or change, the stored value.
Give variables a meaningful name such as firstName. Use camelCase for variables: the first letter is in lowercase, subsequent words begin with a capital. Another example: fullPostAddress. We can use letters, numbers and underscores in the name but it cannot start with a number.
Add and run the following code; again, inserting it before the ReadKey() line.
'Declare a variable named 'firstName' to store some text Dim firstName As String Console.Write("What is your first name? : ") 'store what the user types into this variable firstName = Console.ReadLine() ' an assignment statement Console.WriteLine("Good morning " & firstName)
The word Dim stands for Dimension, but this isn't very helpful. I prefer to think of it as meaning Create. "Create a variable named 'firstName'". As String tells the compiler what type of value we will store in the variable. That is, the variable's data-type is String. String means text.
We store a value in a variable by setting it equal to something. That is, we assign a value to the variable using an assignment statement. In this example, we are storing whatever the user has typed in the console.
The ampersand (&) is called the concatenation operator. We use it to join pieces of text together. Always put spaces either side of the ampersand. (There is a technical reason why not doing so may cause an issue, but if you always add the spaces then you won't need to worry about this.)
Add the following lines and run the application:
Dim counter As Integer 'a whole number Dim season As String 'text Dim lastRun As DateTime Dim successful As Boolean 'True or False Dim temperature As Double 'allows decimals, e.g. 24.4 Dim lucky As Integer = 7 'declare and initialize counter = 42 season = "Summer" lastRun = DateTime.Today() successful = True temperature = 32.4
These additional lines don't produce any output, they just demonstrate some different data-types, and how we might assign them suitable values. There are many other data-types: Data Type Summary :MSDN. Our code demonstrates the ones you are, initially, most likely to use.
Far and away the most commonly used data-types are Integer and String. An Integer is a whole number (no decimals) ranging between -2,147,483,648 and 2,147,483,647 (without the commas!). A String can store "between 0 to approximately 2 billion Unicode characters", although I would never attempt to store anything like this number of characters in a single string.
The Boolean data-type is the simplest. It can only store a value of either True or False.
DateTime is actually a Structure and Today() is a property of this structure that we can use to obtain today's date. DateTime :MSDN. I won't go into details here though, as I want to keep this tutorial to a reasonable length.
The 'lucky' variable has been both declared, and initialized (given an initial value), at once. Variables that are not initialized in this way will still have a default value. For integers this is the number 0, for a string the empty string value "", for Boolean the value False.
Arithmetic Operators
Add and run the following code, which demonstrates the basic arithmetic operators.
Dim first As Integer = 100 Dim second As Integer = 24 Dim iResult As Integer Dim dResult As Double iResult = first + second Console.WriteLine("Addition: " & iResult.ToString) iResult = first - second Console.WriteLine("Subtraction: " & iResult.ToString) iResult = first * second Console.WriteLine("Multiplication: " & iResult.ToString) dResult = first / second 'notice we are using "dResult" Console.WriteLine("Division: " & dResult.ToString) iResult = first \ second Console.WriteLine("Explicit Integer division: " & iResult.ToString)
The WriteLine() method expects to write text (a string), so each time we use the ToString method to convert the numbers to text.
Although this code demonstrates some basic arithmetic you should study this MSDN page for further details. This is an important topic but a little too extensive for this short tutorial. This zetcode page is reasonable. It uses the Byte data-type in the examples, which is a small Integer ranging from 0 to 255. tutorialspoint also has a useful summary page.
From the previous MSDN linked-page:
Integer division is carried out using the \ Operator. Integer division returns the quotient, that is, the integer that represents the number of times the divisor can divide into the dividend without consideration of any remainder. Both the divisor and the dividend must be integral types (SByte, Byte, Short, UShort, Integer, UInteger, Long, and ULong) for this operator.
Option Strict On
Add and run the following two additional lines.
iResult = first / second Console.WriteLine("Implicit Integer division: " & iResult.ToString)
The result is 4, the number of times 24 can (completely) fit into 100. Now go to the very top of your code and add the statement Option Strict On before Module Module1. If you attempt to run the code now VS will produce the error:
Option Strict On disallows implicit conversions from 'Double' to 'Integer'.
Option Strict Statement
Restricts implicit data type conversions to only widening conversions, disallows late binding, and disallows implicit typing that results in an Object type.
Essentially, with Option Strict On, VB.NET will not automatically convert one data-type to another, if that other type stores a smaller range of values. Dividing two numbers results in a Double, which has a larger range than the Integer variable that we are using to store the result.
I strongly recommend that you always include Option Strict On at the top of your code. It will help you discover hard-to-find errors, it will help you understand how different data-types work, it will make you a better programmer.
You can set this On permanently from the Tools menu, Options, Projects and Solutions, VB Defaults. You can also set it per project from the Project menu, Project Properties.
There should be a little marker at the end of this line: iResult = first / second. Point your mouse over the word 'second', click on the button that appears, and VS offers to
Replace 'first / second' with 'CInt(first / second)'
Accept (click) this option and you will be able to run the code. Leave Option Strict On at the top of your code.
CInt() is a VB.NET type conversion function. There are many of these: CDbl, CStr, etc. Converting types is an important topic. Search MSDN for Convert, Parse and TryParse.
Manipulating Strings
Add and run the following code. You may still have 'firstName' declared earlier in the code; if so you can remove the first code-line.
Dim firstName As String 'you may still have this defined form earlier Dim lastName As String Dim fullName As String Console.Write("What is your first name? : ") firstName = Console.ReadLine() Console.Write("What is your last name? : ") lastName = Console.ReadLine fullName = firstName & " " & lastName Console.WriteLine("Your full name is : " & fullName) Console.WriteLine("Your first initial is : " & firstName.Substring(0, 1)) Console.WriteLine("Upper and lower case ; " & firstName.ToUpper & "," & lastName.ToLower)
We are using a number of methods of the String Class. The String Class is the largest of the built-in types, it has the most methods and properties (collectively called its members).
Manipulating strings is extremely important to understand. Understanding Substring in particular is, perhaps, the key to understanding strings. someStringVariable.Substring(2, 4) will return 4 characters starting with the THIRD character. The characters of a string (and any other collection for that matter) are counted (indexed) starting from 0, NOT from 1. The first character of a string is at position 0.
Conditional Structures
Also called Decision or Control of Flow structures.
The If Structure is.. well, essential, fundamental. It is the sine qua non of all computing. Without the ability to make decisions, to be able to produce different output for different input, computers would be no more useful than a hole-punch, or a ticket-dispenser.
Run the following code which demonstrates the syntax of the If structure. syntax (wiki): "In computer science, the syntax of a computer language is the set of rules that defines the combinations of symbols that are considered to be correctly structured document or fragment in that language."
Dim age As Integer Console.Write("How old are you? ") age = CInt(Console.ReadLine) If age < 0 Then Console.WriteLine("Why the negativity?") ElseIf age < 13 Then Console.WriteLine("Just a youngster") ElseIf age >= 13 And age <= 19 Then Console.WriteLine("A teenager") ElseIf age < 30 Then Console.WriteLine("You are considered an adult") Else Console.WriteLine("30 or older/ mature") End If
< is a Comparison Operator meaning 'less than'.
- The console always returns a String, so we use CInt() to convert this to an Integer. We shouldn't really do this though. We should first store the string in a (string) variable, then check to see if it can be converted to an integer.
- Notice that the If, and each ElseIf, line ends with the keyword Then.
- ElseIf is one word.
- There can be only one Else clause, which must be the last one, but it is optional.
- The If structure is completed with End If.
Each branch (each clause) only contains a single (Console.WriteLine) statement. However, there could be many statements. If you have too many statements within a particular branch then it is advisable to create a Sub (or Function) procedure that you can call within the branch. The decision as to what constitutes too many lines is up to you. Someone suggested that if a block of code cannot fit on-screen then it is too long. This may be a bit too strict but I like it as a rule of thumb.
Select..Case is a useful alternative to If..Then, when the different branches depend on a value. The following is an alternative to the previous example.
Dim age As Integer Console.Write("How old are you? ") age = CInt(Console.ReadLine) Select Case age Case 0 Console.WriteLine("Not yet born.") Case 18, 21 Console.WriteLine("Some consider that a special age.") Case Is < 13 Console.WriteLine("Just a kid.") Case 13 To 19 Console.WriteLine("A teenager.") Case Else Console.WriteLine("An adult - mature?") End Select
The test expression (age in this instance) must "evaluate to one of the elementary data types (Boolean, Byte, Char, Date, Double, Decimal, Integer, Long, Object, SByte, Short, Single, String, UInteger, ULong, and UShort)".
Go to Part 2
This post has been edited by andrewsw: 09 February 2018 - 08:30 AM


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Four Seasons sues NAACP for alleged unpaid bill
Houston's Four Seasons Hotel is suing the NAACP, claiming the association owes the hotel almost $100,000, apparently for a summer banquet.
The lawsuit claims that the NAACP owes the Four Seasons $99,597 for various unpaid charges from July to November for an event held at the downtown hotel, according to a petition filed in Harris County District Court on Jan. 16.
The suit alleges that the payment was due on Nov. 27 and remains unpaid after a second request for payment in December of last year. An invoice submitted as evidence shows banquet charges of $34,401 and $39,909 in room charges, among other items on the list. The hotel claims the entire bill was not paid.
A call placed to the NAACP Houston branch was not immediately returned.

subset: commoncrawl


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To celebrate, here is a whole Katz Tales story, as first posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006.
Scoop Fakes An Illness
P.S. If you happen to be a newspaper or magazine editor and you would like to see Katz Tales columns with a view to buying printing rights, please contact me at katztales AT lepak.com.
By Ellen Whyte
Forgive me if I sound a little jaded. I have been the victim of an extended cat con.
Last month, Scoop picked up a minor infection. The vet gave him an injection and some tablets, but it took old fuzzy a few days to get his appetite back.
Scoop is at that middle-aged stage of life where it isn't so easy to run off those extra bowls of biscuits. Before his illness, he was well on his way to being a rather podgy kitty. But this infection cured that. Poor Scoop lost weight rapidly.
The vet's jab started to work, but as the infection cleared up I started to feed Scoop up, adding baked chicken and other goodies to his normal ration of tinned cat food and biscuits.
After 10 days of pampering, he was putting on weight and his coat was glossy again. However, I was worried because he didn't seem to have an appetite for the cat biscuits he loved so much before his illness. He was also off his favourite tinned food.
I worried he had sore teeth, weak gums or lost his sense of smell. I tried him on cat biscuits dipped in water. No luck. Chopped up his tinned cat food carefully before presenting it. He wouldn't touch it. All he liked was baked chicken, boiled fish and imported French ham.
You will probably have grasped the point by now, but it took a while for my poor noddle to twig.
I live quite far from town, so when I go for an extended shopping trip, I take a taxi to avoid traffic jams, parking hassles etc.
Both Scoop and Au recognise the sound of my car and rush to greet me, but they don't associate the sound of a taxi with my coming home. So when I returned from town by taxi, I took Scoop completely by surprise.
He was sitting in the kitchen, cheeks bulging with cat biscuits. It was obvious he had been having a major munching session. When he saw me, his eyes opened wide with surprise. Turning his back to me, Scoop tried to swallow them surreptitiously, but the game was up.
In a flash, I realised Scoop had been playing me up for weeks: eating cat biscuits on the sly and pretending to be an invalid in order to get his paws on unlimited amounts of food usually reserved for special treats.
When I accused him of malingering, he managed a muffled mreowf but didn't look in the slightest bit guilty.
Now the little fuzz is comfortably asleep on the sofa, paws in the air, a picture of complete relaxation. Au is lying next to him, no doubt planning on running a similar rig soon.
What really bothers me is the certainty that Scoop will commandeer the piece of roast chicken I brought home with me to tempt his failing appetite for his dinner. Machiavelli must have been a cat in spirit.
Looking for a last minute Christmas present? Check out Blackmail Bride, a tale of passion and mystery set in Scotland. Price RM7.56/US$2.32. Instant delivery, no post charges. 10% goes to Friends Furry Farm, a no kill animal shelter.


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Further Exploration
Click on titles to view full-screen versions.
View photos from the event here.
Read or download the full text of Prince Zeid's Lecture here [PDF]
Read or download Prince Zeid's bio here [PDF]
Read or download Donald Ferencz's CV here [PDF]
Read Ethics Center Director Daniel Terris's reflections on Prince Zeid's remarks as featured in Brandeis Magazine here
Read another set of comments about the role of contrition after violence from Univ. of Wisconsin Political Science Professor Leigh Payne: In Search of Remorse: Confessions by Perpetrators of Past State Violence [PDF]. These were delivered during the Ethics Center's 2004 conference "Justice Across Cultures."
1st Distinguished Lecture in International Justice and Human Rights, delivered by Hassan Bubacar Jallow, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The Crime of Aggression
During his visit to Brandeis University, Prince Zeid joined Donald Ferencz for a discussion of "the Crime of Aggression." Video of excerpts from Donald Ferencz's remarks at that session are here. [click title for full-screen version]
Beyond Nuremberg: The Future of International Criminal Justice
January 30, 2013
His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom's permanent representative to the United Nations, argued in a recent speech at Brandeis that the rule of law is essential to make humanity whole following crimes committed against it, but law is not enough.
Prince Zeid's talk, "Beyond Nuremberg: The Future of International Criminal Justice," hosted by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, delved deeply into the question of how men and women seek to restore their humanity in the wake of genocide and other atrocities.
Prince Zeid's journey through the sites and the literature of the Holocaust led him to meditate on the question of how survivors – and their extended communities – can become whole again. For Zeid, that process begins with the establishment of the rule of law, and in particular with the extraordinary trials at Nuremberg that for the first time substituted due process for the cycle of revenge.
Zeid spoke of a 2012 visit to the Nuremberg courtroom where young Benjamin Ferencz and other famous prosecutors argued their cases, and of listening there to Thomas Buergenthal, a survivor who went on to become one of the great human rights lawyers and judges of our time. He also spoke of the institutional successors to Nuremberg, especially the International Criminal Court, which represents for him humankind's best hope to end impunity, to stay the hand of revenge, and to honor the memory of the victims of crimes against humanity.
Beyond the formal judicial processes, Prince Zeid addressed the problem of contrition – of why public remorse is so rare, but also of why it is so necessary if victims are to feel that justice has truly been done.
He touched on some of those rare expressions of regret, from Nazi leaders right up to a January 2013 statement of contrition by a Serbian general convicted of crimes against the people of Kosovo. Prince Zeid argued that none of our usual transitional justice mechanisms – international trials, amnesties, truth commissions, or community-based courts – successfully promotes remorse by perpetrators or healing for victims. He insisted rather that, as we undertake the long and essential process of extending the rule of law across the globe, we keep our eyes on other means to address the shortcomings of law itself.
Prince Zeid was introduced by Donald Ferencz, son of prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz and co-founder and executive director of the Planethood Foundation, which generously funded the Distinguished Lecture in International Justice and Human Rights. Ferencz is a passionate advocate of the International Criminal Court and, in particular, of the establishment of the crime of aggression as one of the Court's core crimes. He is the convener of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression.
View the Distinguished Lecture in International Justice and Human Rights in full here.
Earlier in the day Prince Zeid and Ferencz co-led a lively discussion with students from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management on the history of the crime of aggression and contemporary efforts to extend the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to cover it.


text: Paul McDevitt's mixed media paintings combine rigorous formal and photographic practices with the influence of graffiti, iconic cartoon characters, and graphic design found in old European publications. His compositions are expressive and layered, comprised of oil paint, screen printing, collage, found objects, and industrial processes such as sandblasting, often all within a single piece. He juxtaposes high art techniques with ad hoc, improvised procedures, using recognizable tropes from iconic art movements such as Modernism, De Stijl, and Surrealism alongside popular motifs drawn from cartoon characters and beer mats.


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Since I had to take a forced break- here's a snippet of what you missed in the Terry household last week.
*Miles got in about 6 billion teeth. Seriously, his whole mouth is full of pearly whites. He cried and screamed and beat his head against the dishwasher so many times I decided to take the kid to the doctor. He had a double ear infection. And secretly I was so doggone happy! Because we can cure ear infections- we can't cure a cranky temperament. He's pretty much back to his happy self now thanks to some good ol' pink bubble gum medicine.
*Noah fell out of the top bunk bed in the night a few days ago. Ironically the fall never woke him up.
*I had to give Sadie a serious lesson about boys last week. One of her best male friends decided he was going to tell everyone that he and Sadie were boyfriend and girlfriend! (I thought I had years until this crap started!) Sadie told this little rascal of a boy that he should have told her that she was his girlfriend before he told everyone else. I speeched her long and hard about how he better ask, not tell, and that she was not allowed to even think about having a boyfriend until she was at least 32.
*Miles and I took our first little road trip together so that we could spend some time with some visiting Congolese friends. It was a fantastic day! Since we were so close, we drove on to Kamron's grandparent's house so they could finally meet Miles for the first time!
* GranMary had a birthday and we got to celebrate with Mexican food (our favorite!) and then a birthday party/mother's day lunch at my Granny's house. Happy Birthday, GranMary! Here we are making her cake (from scratch- because my mom always orders Italian Cream Cake and unfortunately they don't make a mix for that!):
*We've had gorgeous weather here, so we've taken a few trips to the zoo and spent hours and hours playing outside with the neighbors.
*I hired a babysitter! For my sanity I am having her come over to keep the kids one day a week for the summer. I am so looking forward to this! Plus- I know that they get bored with just me all the time, so this will be great for everyone!
*My paypal account finally got turned back on (and they released my eBay money that they have held hostage!) after our little raffle we had to raise money for Haiti and the DRC. Since January, I have been marked as an illegal gambling operation. It took hours on the phone and hours on email trying to clear up with paypal that I am just a mom fundraising from my kitchen. They had me sweating bullets when they told me I was going to have to refund the over $5000 we raised. I kept telling them- "But I already donated that money! It is in Haiti and I am not calling them and telling them that I need it back!" Finally, I told the Paypal people that I was not opposed to hiring a lawyer to clear this up if I needed to and lo and behold, they opened up my account again! I hate Paypal- but I LOVE ebay so it would be hard for me to orchestrate a ban on Paypal. I will definitely hold a grudge against them though.
*And speaking of lawyers...I saw a commercial last week for an attorney named Kevin Crook. Really! Would anyone hire this guy? There is also a financial guy in our town with the last name of Swindler. I think I'd find a new job. Or have my name changed.
*Since I take a million pictures a day of my little nuts, here are a few from last week:
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To help Save The Artic click here.
Usinsk, Russia -- Oil from Russian drilling operations gushes from damaged pipelines directly into local rivers. Trees are left dead and black. The rivers which serve as the only source of drinking water for many in the area is heavily polluted. The local Komi people claim people their traditional way of life has been made close to impossible.
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Reset is a minimalistic responsive theme. It is retina ready and has everything you need to present your work. Unnecessary things are cut out. All of them. I've included the .less file, used in the theme. You can change the color accent, just with a touch of one variable.
Of course, if something comes up – Reset comes with awesome support, just register on our support forum.
We are currently working on the WordPress version! Follow me and find out when it's out!
Huge thanks to Zigor, Piotr and Ross for letting me use their presentational work for the demo site.
Update History
Version 1.0.3 – June 29th 2015
- prettyPhoto XSS fix
Version 1.0.2 – May 7th 2014
- fixed scroll down arrow (dark layout) on home page intro - fixed protected password single post - fixed admin shortcodes editors (WP 3.9 bug) - fixed page builder resizing option (WP 3.9 bug)
Version 1.0.1 – Feb 20th 2014
- fixed typography options display - fixed mobile header display - added google+ in shortcodes editor


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CHILMARK, Mass., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A presidential vacation, even in Massachusetts, is wrong when the U.S. economy is in crisis, GOP White House hopeful and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said.
"If I were president today, I wouldn't be looking to go spend 10 days on Martha's Vineyard," Romney told WLS-AM, Chicago's "Don Wade & Roma Show" as President Barack Obama prepared to leave Thursday for a 10-day vacation on the affluent summer colony island off Cape Cod. Obama planned to vacation at the 28-acre Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, population 843, where he has spent part of the past two summers.
Chilmark is the island's least densely populated town, and the farm the Obamas are renting goes for $50,000 a week.
Chilmark has an average household median income of $41,917 but the highest average property value of any city or town in Massachusetts.
"Now, Martha's Vineyard is in my home state of Massachusetts, so I don't want to say anything negative about people vacationing there," said Romney, 65. "But if you're the president of the United States and the nation is in crisis -- and we're in a jobs crisis right now -- then you shouldn't be out vacationing. Instead, you should be focusing on getting the economy going again."
If he were president, "the first thing I'd do is go back to my office immediately," Romney said, adding he also would "pull back members of Congress [from their vacations] and focus on getting the job done."
"Over the course of his time in Martha's Vineyard, he will be getting updates from his economic team," White House deputy press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, adding Brain Deese, deputy director of the National Economic Council, will be in Martha's Vineyard next week "to provide regular updates and briefings for the president."
"In addition, we do anticipate that the president will be touching base with the economic team back home."
White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters last week he didn't think Americans "would begrudge the notion that the president would spend some time with his family."
"There's no such thing as a presidential vacation -- the presidency travels with you," Carney said.
Obama "will be in constant communication and get regular briefings from his national security team as well as his economic team," Carney said. "And he will, of course, be fully capable if necessary of traveling back if that were required. It's not very far."
Romney is scheduled to be on the island for a fundraiser Aug. 27. But his visit isn't a vacation, Romney's office stressed. It's simply what Romney must do as a presidential hopeful, the office said.
Another Republican presidential hopeful, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said Obama "ought to cancel his vacation -- period."
Real estate magnate Donald Trump, who toyed with running for president, told Fox News Channel this Obama vacation couldn't have been timed worse.
"Here we have a country that really is going to hell in a hand basket," he said. "Let's not kid ourselves. What's happening to this country is horrible."
"Most Americans are very understanding of the need of a president to get away and to take a break and to have a vacation," Kenneth Walsh, who wrote "From Mount Vernon to Crawford: A History of the Presidents and Their Retreats," told National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."
"Where the problem comes for presidents is if they look like they're indulging themselves when the country is having hard times economically. And that's exactly where President Obama is now," he said.
CBS News reported Obama has taken 61 vacation days since taking office 31 months ago. At a similar point during his first term in office, former President George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch in Texas, and during his first 31 months as president Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch in California.
The most dramatic example of a president escaping the White House was President John Adams, one of the nation's founding fathers and the second U.S. president, Walsh said.
Adams spent a record eight months at his home in Quincy, Mass., in 1799 while "his adversaries in Washington, in Congress, almost got us into a war with France," Walsh said.
Adams returned to Washington and resolved the overseas so-called Quasi-War, despite bitter opposition from Alexander Hamilton.
But news of the resolution did not arrive back to the United States in time to help Adams win a second term as president in 1800. He lost to Thomas Jefferson.


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Obituary: Marvin Philip Orvik
Marvin Philip Orvik passed away on Dec. 16, 2012 at age 88 from a long illness in Truckee, Calif. He also was a resident of Carson City, Nev. for 24 years. He was born on Nov, 18, 1924 in San Francisco, Calif.Marvin was a loving husband and father whose family always came first. Though he wouldn't talk much about his military service, he served in the US Army in WWII in Europe with Company "A" of the 526th Armored Infantry Battalion and was a decorated soldier. He loved to travel around the American West and loved the mountains. He also liked to travel and visit family and friends. He was a master carpenter and worked in the construction industry as a foreman and superintendent for 35 years and was always making something and teaching others how to work with their hands. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He always had a song in his heart and a smile on his face.He was preceded in death by his wife Annette Louise Varni Orvik in 1998 and survivors include son Wayne Dennis Orvik (Nina) and daughters Ann Marie Orvik Broward (Steve) and Diane Orvik Johnson (Steven) and grandson Kevin Broward, and their families.Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001 http://www.alzfdn.orgArrangements are in the care of Truckee-Tahoe Mortuary & Crematory, 10126 Church Street, Truckee, CA 96161 (530) 587-4342.


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Pittsburgh mayor's Broncos' jersey used in football wager sold for $1,400 on Ebay
The Denver Broncos' jersey worn by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to make good on a wager made with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock over the result of the Jan. 8 NFL Wildcard game between the city's two teams sold for $1,400 on Ebay.
Because the Pittsburgh Steelers lost the game to the Denver Broncos, Ravenstahl had to wear the jersey and bow in the manner made famous by Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow.
He did so at Roberto Clemente Memorial Park in front of photographers and then autographed the Tim Tebow jersey and put it up for bid with proceeds to go to The Pittsburgh Promise, the college scholarship program he co-founded.
The jersey got 68 bids, with a bidder from Midland, Texas, scoring the jersey with the highest amount, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.


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Faculty Position Openings, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Korea AdvancedInstitute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
The Department of Chemicaland Biomolecular Engineering at KAIST invites applications for tenure-trackfaculty positions at all levels. Applicants are welcome in all areas of chemical and biomolecular engineering, but preferences will be given to those applicants with backgrounds and research experiences in energy, catalysis, polymer, and biotechnology. We have multiple positions available and will accept the applications until September 15, 2017for the first round of review. The review of the applications will begin immediatelyupon receipt with the aim of extending on-site interview offers by November 1,2017. However, we will receive the applications continuously thereafter and until these positions are filled, they will be open.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. in ChemicalEngineering or a closely related field by the time of appointment. Applicantsmust demonstrate strong research potential and commitment to teachingundergraduate and graduate students. Candidates with established track records in research and teaching willbe considered for a tenured position. Foreign candidates and female candidatesare particularly encouraged to apply.
KAIST offers a competitivesalary and a start-up research fund. In addition, all faculty members have jointappointments with KAIST Institutes, with expanded opportunities for interdisciplinary researchand funding. KAIST attracts nation-wide top students pursuing B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. Currently, around 400 undergraduate and 380 graduate students are enrolled in the Chemical& Biomolecular Engineering department. The normal teaching load is one course per semester.
KAIST provides facultyhousing for the first five years, free of charge for the first two years and for some minimal charge after that. KAIST is committed to increasing the number of femaleand non-Korean faculty members. Non-Korean faculty members are not required tolearn Korean, althoughsome basic Korean language skill will be helpful in everyday life.
Applicants should send thefollowing application documents to the Head of Chemical & BiomolecularEngineering (email@example.com)
application form including research and teaching plans (English Download)
curriculum vitae
transcripts from undergraduate and graduate schools (hardcopies required)
all degree certificates and copies of diplomas
three recommendation letters including one from thethesis advisor
copies of five key publications
other documents that may support the application
Review of the applicationwill begin immediately when all the required documents arrive. KAIST is anequal opportunity employer. Please visit the web site for detailed informationon available positions at KAIST.
For further information, please contact
Prof. Jae W. Lee, Head,Department Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: +82-42-350-3940
Fax: +82-42-350-3910


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Check Out the new Remax App
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Look at the latest listings, research neighborhoods and find your next home.It's all here, in the free app.
Useful information for all things real estate - brought to you by RE/MAX.
For buyers. For sellers. For fun.


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Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) is a preschool program for First Nations, Inuit and Metis children and their families living in urban centers and large northern communities.
Aboriginal Head Start centers in the Northwest Territories provide comprehensive experiences that prepare Dene, Metis and Inuit preschoolers between 3-5 years of age for their school years by meeting their spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical needs.
We believe that our Aboriginal children have distinct cultures and languages and share common beliefs, values and histories. Our Statement of Beliefs and Values about children was written to reflect our views and is incorporated with all of our northern AHS centers.
Our Program Principles help create a learning environment that is based on caring, creativity and pride following from the knowledge of our traditional community beliefs, within a holistic and safe environment.
There are eight AHS centers in the NWT: Hay River, Fort Smith, Yellowknife, Rae-Edzo (Behchoko), Paulatuk, Fort Providence, Inuvik, and Fort McPherson. Over two hundred children in the Northwest Territories attend each year.
Each center strives to revitalize Aboriginal culture and language. Our staff works hard to provide Aboriginal children with a positive sense of themselves, a desire for learning and opportunities to develop fully as successful young people. The centers are locally designed, controlled and administered by local non-profit Aboriginal organizations and involve parents and the community in the management and operation of the program.
There are six Program Components: Aboriginal Culture and Language; Education and School Readiness; Parental Involvement; Health Promotion; Nutrition; Social Support.
A vital component of the program is the teamwork required to make the program a success and the importance of encouraging parents to participate. Elders play a strong role too. They are invited to visit the center throughout the year to teach the preschoolers about traditional skills.


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Research in High Heat Flux Spray Cooling
(Sergio Escobar Vargas, R. Sharma, J. Gonzalez, D. Fabris)
A thermal ink jet (TIJ) print head is used to provide a controllable monodisperse water spray on to a hot surface. Experiments have been conducted to determine the physical mechanism of heat transfer, efficiency, and potential maximum heat flux. No maximum heat flux has been reached, current results achieved ~ 4kW/cm2, literature has reported maximum of 1-2kW/cm2. Droplet Reynolds number does not show significant effect on the heat flux efficiency. Heat losses are significant close to 70% of the heat flux at the fin base. Efficiency has a correlation to the liquid film thickness and the wetted area, thinner liquid films result in higher efficiencies i.e. d~5um → h~0.9.
Research into the Design of a Coal to Syngas Reformer.
(Matthew Brubaker, D. Fabris collaboration with M. Alyaser, Eventix)
A numerical model is used to design and that calculated flow rates, energy balances, reaction rates, and thermodynamic states for a compact parallel plate heat exchanger and reformer. The model will be used to determine design parameters. The concept uses high temperature steam and external heat input to achieve coal reformation without a separate combustion. This concept could potentially lead to cleaner and less expensive coal. "Clean coal" is a potential energy source that can greatly reduce carbon emissions over current coal technology but has been limited by cost. In 2006 coal supplied 51.6% of the US energy need.
Center for Nanostructures
(D. Fabris in collaboration with C. Yang)
As an interdisciplinary center for research and integrated education in the diverse field of nanoscale science and technology, CNS builds upon existing SCU faculty strengths and initiatives, and incorporates established partnerships in nanotechnology with NASA Ames Research Center and Hitachi High Technologies America (HHTA), as well as ongoing relationships with the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility. For more information see Center for Nanostructures.
CNS-Research into Thermal Interface Materials (TIM)
(Michael Rosshirt)
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which possess both a high aspect ratio and high thermal conductivity, hold great promise as potential high-conductivity fillers in advanced TIM. Polymeric TIM with CNT inclusions may exhibit lower thermal resistance as a result of an increase in more highly conductive percolation paths across the interface at lower filler concentrations than traditional TIM. Using an advanced ASTM D5470-06 standard steady-state TIM testing apparatus developed in-house approach we measure the thermal resistance of TIM samples at a constant heat rate while varying the externally applied pressure. Our thermal resistance measurements indicate that improved TIM performance is achieved with less viscous composites at lower CNT loadings.
CNS-Research in Submicron Temperature Measurement
(Chris Cardenas)
A quasi-steady state thermoreflectance measurement is performed to acquire the 2-D spatial temperature of a model thin film gold system undergoing Joule heating. Reproduced and repeatable thermoreflectance coefficients are obtained under narrowband LED peak illumination wavelengths used to perform the experiment at κ470nm = 2x10-4 K-1 and κ530nm = -2x10-4 K-1, respectively. By comparing a steady state continuum treated 2-D heat transport model accounting for thermal dissipation heat transfer and uniform volumetric energy generation due to Joule heating, the experiment allows for measurement thermal resistance between the gold film and the SiO2 substrate values for the model system studied. Further, by assuming 1-D conduction heat transfer to the substrate, the thermal dissipation is shown to easily convert to overall thermal resistance, ΣR. Thermal resistances are compared with existing published data that are acquired through parallel pump-probe thermoreflectance experiments and are found to be in good agreement.
Hydrodynamic Trap-and-Release Microfluidic Device for Single Cell Analysis
(Anastasia Potetina)
This work focuses on developing a microfluidic chip for single cell trapping and release. The work explores hydrodynamic trapping and other concepts, a design stage review of possible configurations, CFD modeling of these configurations to determine the variation in parameters, and a fabrication of several PDMS test chips. The experimental work is supported by the Stephen Quake lab in the Bioengineering Department at Stanford University.
Research into the Development of New Numerical Methods
(Matthew Green, D. Fabris)
This work is on the analysis of algorithms to solve partial differential equations on segmented domains (domain decomposition). The goal is develop a technique that distribute the computational load on a multiprocessor computer. This work will stem from the prior algorithm development work.


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Drew Magary writes sports commentary for Deadspin, Maxim, GQ and is the author of "The Postmortal."
I don't know about you, but the divorce between Peyton Manning and the Colts can't happen soon enough for me. We've been preparing for this breakup all season long. I feel that I am emotionally prepared to deal with this now. More important, I'm ready for Peyton to go to a new team so we can then speculate endlessly as to how he'll do on that team.
One of the contenders in this Manning derby may be the Arizona Cardinals, who just hired former Bills QB Frank Reich as their wideouts coach. Reich was Peyton's old QB coach, and so many, like ESPN's Mike Sando, are already thinking that the hire was meant as bait to lure him out West.
Hiring Reich only strengthens perceptions the Cardinals will pursue Manning if given the chance. Lots of other teams will likely have interest as well. Whatever edge Reich might offer will belong to the Cardinals.
Sports news
Chances are, that won't be the decisive edge when Peyton needs to choose between Arizona, Miami, Washington, the Jets, Seattle, and any other team that courts him. But let's say that Peyton does decide to head to the desert to play for Ken Whisenhunt. Here would be some of the perks involved:
1. Larry Fitz
Obviously, being able to throw to arguably the finest wideout in football (this side of Megatron, at least), would prove appealing to Manning, who's looking to win one more title before he rides off to Canton. And Fitzgerald would be re-energized knowing that he'd finally have a proper QB again.
2. A strong running game
You probably weren't paying attention, but Beanie Wells had a career year this season. In fact, he had his best game (three touchdowns) against the Super Bowl champion Giants. Wells has had issues with injuries throughout his career. But when healthy, he gives Manning the run support he's lacked pretty much ever since Edgerrin James left the Colts. Backup LaRod Stephens-Howling is brilliant catching balls out of the backfield, and could serve as Manning's own little Darren Sproles.
3. A weak division
Thanks to the Niners, the NFC West is no longer the laughingstock of the NFL. But this is still a division that sports three teams that are average at best and terrible at worst. Manning could take advantage of rebuilding St. Louis and maybe even steal a win in Seattle to give his team a leg up over the rest of the NFC, which will be extremely competitive next year.
4. A history of rejuvenating old QBs
Kurt Warner nearly won a title here, and head coach Ken Whisenhunt looks as if he desperately misses having a veteran QB to lead this team. Since Warner's departure, this has been a franchise set adrift, with no clear direction. Trading for Kevin Kolb, a move meant to stabilize the Cards, ended up setting them back. Manning would bring the spirit of the 2008 Cardinals back, and likely give Whisenhunt new life.
5. You cannot stop Patrick Peterson
It's nice to know that your punt returner will do all your scoring for you. Manning will appreciate having an average starting field position of the opponent's ten-yard line.
6. A fast playing surface in a controlled climate stadium.
Ask Brett Favre if this kind of thing matters when you're an aging QB. Picking Arizona over Washington could give Manning an extra two years of playing time.
Obviously, there are drawbacks to all this. The Cards have issues on defense, and their line was terrible in pass protection (only the Rams gave up more sacks). But Manning, with his quick trigger and his ability to lead a prolific offense, can help mask those two glaring deficiencies.
Would it be enough to win him a second Super Bowl title? All I know is that it's hard to resist the lure of the desert when Larry Fitzgerald in running free and looking for a playmate.


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Everyday IPA Beer Making Kit
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
With their apartment-friendly beer-making kits, Erica Shea and Stephen Valand of the Brooklyn Brew Shop make it easy to craft artisanal beer – right in your own kitchen. Showcasing the finest barley, hops, yeast and spices, your all-natural home-crafted brew will taste as great as the premium artisanal beers served at the best brew pubs.
- Step-by-step instructions guide you through every stage: the mash, the sparge, the boil, fermentation and bottling.
- Includes the specialty equipment and ingredients you'll need for home-brewing, including enough grain, hops and yeast for your first batch.
- Additional equipment and ingredients required: 6-qt. pot, fine-mesh strainer, funnel, honey and ice.
- The entire brewing process takes approximately 30 days.
- Each mix produces 1 gal. beer.
- Equipment can be reused over and over to make more additional batches of beer.
- Made in the USA.
- Dimensions & More Info
Kit includes:
- 1-gal. glass fermenting jug.
- Screw-cap stopper.
- 3-piece chambered airlock.
- Racking cane.
- 4' tubing.
- Tube clamp.
- 12" laboratory thermometer.
- Sanitizer packet.
- Ingredient mix.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
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Rated 2 out of 5 by fljen from umm, maybe try another kit? I just brewed my first batch and was wondering what happened to the thermometer which was working great. So I rinsed it, and the red thermometer stuff was all over my sink! I don't know if it is in the beer or the missing chipped glass from it either.Date published: 2017-02-18Rated 4 out of 5 by saltybones from Good Beer But... This is a really fun thing to have and although messy and time consuming it makes delicious beer. Before you brew make sure you have everything including the right size strainer and pots. Also make sure to get a box of bottles as well as the caps and the capper. It helps if two people do it together but I just finished my first brew and it is awesome!!!Date published: 2013-06-23Rated 5 out of 5 by jeffnsar from A lot of fun! We have not tasted our "brew" yet as it still has a week and a half to sit before bottling, but it was great fun and fairly easy to do, although somewhat messy and uses a lot of different pans....but hopefully it will be worth it (I don't drink but my husband has a beer once a week, so we hope it will be good!)Date published: 2012-06-29Rated 3 out of 5 by FlamingoGiraffe from High Stress, But Good Results Be advised: This kit is not a good choice if you don't already have several large pots, a strainer with very small holes, a funnel, and some way to bottle the beer. I don't think that swingtop bottles are quite as ubiquitous as the kit instructions make them out to be...I ended up using bottles from French lemonade. However, despite a large amount of sediment ending up in the beer, everyone who has tried it likes it.Date published: 2012-06-22Rated 4 out of 5 by MrsJohnston from GREAT GIFT! Beer is a little harder to make than the kit lets on, but made a great gift for my brother's 23rd birthday. Bought this and a pair of engraved glass beer mugs. Just perfect. The process of making beer takes about a month! Hoping it turns out to be as delicious as they promise! ... there is also a gorgeous glass jug included (that I plan to use for decorating after we've made the beer a few times!)Date published: 2012-04-11Rated 4 out of 5 by lissiehoya from At Least It Made Beer This kit includes almost everything that you need to make beer. One of the things that you really need that we didn't have was a fine mesh strainer, so make sure that you have one of those before you try to make the beer. Ultimately, this kit is not as easy to use as it seems. The beer that we made was... okay... drinkable, but not very good. We're definitely going to try again, but be warned that your first attempt may not turn out so well.Date published: 2012-03-25


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Canada 163 for 4 (Gunasekera 71, Bagai 64) beat Ireland 175 for 9 (Mooney 47, Chohan 3-25) by four runs (on D/L method)
Bad light ruled out what would have been an intriguing final two overs in the first one-dayer in Toronto, but Canada won't be complaining as it secured them a surprise win over Ireland, the leading Associate nation, in a rain-shortened match.
Canada needed 13 off two overs and had just lost two batsmen who had scored half-centuries, Ruvindu Gunasekera and captain Ashish Bagai, when play had to be called off due to bad light. The match had already been curtailed to a 35-over affair after rain had delayed the start by three and a half hours.
Ireland had chosen to bat and despite none of their batsmen making a half-century, they posted a competitive total. Their top scorer was John Mooney, who came in at 78 for 4 and provided some stability with a brisk 47. Their only other batsman to make it past 20 was opener Paul Stirling as Canada's disciplined bowlers, led by Lahore-born fast bowler Khurram Chohan, struck regularly.
Canada's chase got off to a poor start with both openers falling cheaply. Gunasekera, playing his first ODI in two years, and Bagai then put the home side on course for victory with a 140-run third-wicket stand, before both fell in the space of six deliveries, leaving Canada needing a run a ball for the final 16 deliveries. Zubin Surkari and Jimmy Hansra added three off four deliveries before the light was deemed too poor to continue, consigning Ireland to defeat.


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Developing domain and hosting products that people want rather than pumping out offerings for the sake of it will help Melbourne IT's (ASX: MLB) turnaround, according to CEO Martin Mercer.
Last week the company released its 2013 financial results to the ASX. For the full year 2013, the company's small to medium business (SMB) Solutions division recorded revenues of $76.3 million, a 7 per cent decline on 2012 when Melbourne IT recorded revenue of $82.2 million.
In a statement to the ASX, Mercer said that he wants to return the SMB Solutions division to growth over the next two years.
Speaking to Computerworld Australia, Mercer said that Melbourne IT needs to "re-orientate" and develop products that it is "confident there is a market for".
"We then need to promote the product and sell it properly," he said. "It's easy to say but it's amazing how many companies don't manage to get it right."
Mercer added that he is "not planning" to get rid of any existing products but making the best of what Melbourne IT has in the SMB Solutions space.
"When you put Netregistry [Group] together with Melbourne IT's existing SMB business, we have a substantial [SMB] business now." With the acquisition of Netregistry Group in February 2014, the company has 800,000 customers.
Turning to the Enterprise Services division, he wants to change this from a dedicated hosting provider to an entity where "managed services are the lead driver for growth".
During 2013, the company's Enterprise Services division recorded revenues of $24.5 million, a 6 per cent decline on 2012 when Melbourne IT posted revenue of $26.1 million.
In 2013, the company reported a total revenue of $103.4 million, down 5 per cent on 2012's revenue of $108.5 million.
EBITDA was $5.8 million, down 43 per cent on 2012's EBITDA of $10.2 million.
In August 2013, former Melbourne IT CEO Theo Hnarakis said the international head of human resources and chief legal counsel roles would be phased out as the company focuses on the domestic market. The company had previously offered IT services in the United States and Europe but decided to focus on Australia to halt a downturn in revenues.
In 2013, the company reported a 9 per cent year-on-year (YoY) revenue decrease to $51.3 million for the six months ending 30 June 2013, compared to $56.6 million for the same period in 2012.
Mercer confirmed that it is "not about to venture offshore again" any time soon.
"Our shareholders wouldn't be supportive at this stage; we need to get Netregistry and Melbourne IT integrated. We also need to establish that we can grow market share, revenue and profit in our core business within Australia.
"If we do that, our shareholders may support something offshore but that's not part of the plan at the moment," he said.
Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU, or take part in the Computerworld conversation on LinkedIn: Computerworld Australia


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The newest member of the backpack family. This unique design of the Saddlebag Backpack is sure to turn quite a few eyes in your way. Being large in size it'll accommodate your everyday carry-on items and more. While the rest of our backpack lineup could be considered unisex we designed this especially with a feminine touch to appeal to our female buyers. So if you are looking for a beautiful functional feminine backpack then look no further.
- Handmade by artisan leather-smiths in Liverpool England.
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Learn all the fine details in our technical specifications and read our complete description to get the full story.


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Glass Stars
Just as we gaze up at the stars with awe, Employee Recognition can be designed to turn attention to the most committed workers. Employees with integrity who work hard at all times and not just when they think you are watching them should be cultivated, recognized and eventually promoted. Our Glass Star Awards for Recognition help you achieve that goal.


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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on July 1 rolled out a much-awaited pilot floorplan lending program designed to help recreational vehicle, automotive and boat dealers finance their inventories. The SBA's action came after many dealers found their ability to finance floor inventories severely hampered after last fall's collapse of global credit markets. Indeed, credit – or the lack thereof – has become one of the hottest topics in the recreational vehicle sector as it has throughout global business markets. The SBA's new program allows RV, automotive and watercraft dealers to establish revolving lines of credit through 3,000 active, SBA-sanctioned banks ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, with the SBA guaranteeing 60% to 75% of the loan, depending on collateral. These floorplan loans, to be repaid within five years, are available under the SBA's 7(a) program, which typically guarantees 90% of the amount. To further explore this new program, RVBusiness Senior Editor Bob Ashley recently interviewed Grady Hedgespeth, director of the SBA's office of financial assistance.
RVB: So, how does this pilot program work? Do dealers apply directly to the SBA?
A dealer would not make an application directly to us. Most of the programs outside of disasters we guarantee are for loans that a lender would make. In that regard, this pilot is no different. A dealer would make the application to the lender and the lender would determine whether they are eligible conventionally or via SBA.
RVB: Is this a considerable departure from what the SBA ordinarily does?
This in many ways is a radical departure for us. For most of its lending history, SBA specialized in term loans with the philosophy that one of the toughest types of financing for small businesses is to get long-term fixed-rated financing. For most of our 40-some-year history of experience with loan programs, that's what we did. It was only about 10 years ago that we actually started our first revolving loan program, and dealer programs are a type of revolving loan.
That was the CAPLine program, primarily for the financing of inventory where current inventory is put up as collateral. It's different than floorplan financing because the collateral that backs the loan in a floorplan is actually the collateral you are trying to sell. In CAPLine, it's the inventory that you already have in your possession that's placed as collateral to get more inventory.
About five years ago we developed our SBA Express product that involves revolvers that allows for smaller working capital lines of credit, some of which may be revolvers. They are really for smaller dollar loans, under $150,000 to $350,000. Those two types of products were our most recent experiences with revolving lines of credit.
Importantly, because of the nature of revolving lines of credit and the risk, our maximum guarantee on those two products has only been 50%. That's important because there have been some comments on the dealer floorplan program that the guarantee range is 60% to 75% and people are comparing that to the 90% that is now part of the Recovery Act.
So, compared to our standard revolving credit line product, the guarantee that we have for the dealer floorplan is quite generous.
Generally on the revolving lines of credit, we expect the lender to take on a fair amount of the risk. We actually think that we've improved upon on our typical revolving credit line product with what we are offering for dealer floorplans. We really provide an added incentive for lenders to consider prudently adding this particular product to help dealers who are facing a transition because of the current economic climate and downturn in sales.
RVB: How many lenders do you expect to participate in this program, and is there a list of current participating lenders available?
At this point, we do not have a list. Frankly, we are still looking for which lenders will participate. With any new SBA loan program, very frequently it takes four to six weeks for lenders to decide if they are going to participate.
Floorplanning is kind of a niche marketplace. Larger banks are much more efficient at accessing the secondary market and that makes it less attractive for regional banks to be in the floorplan business.
RVB: Will both large and small banks be involved?
That's the interesting thing. I think it's going to be the latter. We've really designed this initiative to empower regional banks to have an opportunity to look at their customer base and take dealers that they've known for years — and have had credit relationships with and may have lost their primarily floorplan line from the larger national players — and step in to provide the kind of floorplan they need for their transition.
We also wanted to encourage some of the players who do floorplanning on a more limited basis to see whether they wanted to expand their floorplan line to step in to fill the void left by some of the larger regional players who have exited the business.
RVB: We assume that banks have to qualify for this program?
The basic qualification is that they have to be an SBA lender. But we created basically two categories for lenders. One is for lenders who are less experienced with floorplans, which we define as those with less than $15 million of floorplan business on their books or that have been doing floorplans for less than five years.
For these less experienced lenders, we are putting just a couple of restrictions on the program. One, they have to send all of their loans to our loan processing center in Citrus Heights, Calif. It's for their protection. We review their underwriting to make sure it meets standards that are prudent and reasonable. So when we give the OK on a loan like that, they don't have to worry that if that loan goes bad that we will second-guess their underwriting.
A second important restriction for those less experienced banks is that we are limiting them to doing floorplanning with customers that they had before the pilot program took effect July 1. We want to empower them to work with customers they know – dealership owners with whom they might have previously had a working capital or real estate or wealth management program.
RVB: What about lenders who have floorplan experience?
For lenders who have been doing floorplanning, they can entertain new floorplan loans from any customer that they want. It doesn't have to be an existing customer.
If they are a lender that has delegated lending authority from the SBA, their first loan has to come into Citrus Heights and we are going to ask for their policy on floorplan lending so that we have something to use if the loan goes bad to show that they did what they said they were going to do. But after the first loan, if they are a delegated lender, they're free to use this program to entertain as many customers as they like.
RVB: Does this mean that dealers working with smaller lenders will be at a disadvantage because their loans will have to undergo extra SBA reviews?
No, we'll get to know them pretty quickly and should be able to move their loans through our system quickly. We are going to give these loans a priority. We know the critical importance of these dealer floorplans loans. We are geared up to put it on an expedited track.
RVB: Is a small lender, a local bank, going to more than likely be an SBA lender already?
We have about 5,000 lenders out of 8,000 banks that have a Form 750 agreement with the SBA, which is the basic agreement between the banks and the SBA. Of that 5,000 or so, there are about 3,000 that are active. And because of the Recovery Act, 600 of those 3,000 have recently come back into active SBA lending.
There are a number of banks who may have done SBA loans years ago, but for one reason or another left the program who are taking a second look as a result of the incentives in the Recovery Act. We are hoping that this dealer floorplan program might be another incentive so that they will consider SBA again.
RVB: Do you have any sense of when this program will be getting underway?
No. I know we have had some active conversations going on with a couple of lenders, but they are intellectual 'what ifs.' They've got a dealer who has inquired informally and they are just asking if it's likely that they would qualify. That's a good indication for the first week of loan availability because that suggests to me that we're going to start seeing applications begin to flow very shortly.
RVB: How this is going to split out between RV, automotive dealers and boat dealers?
I have absolutely no sense about that. I know we have a lot of business among our SBA lenders within industries covered by the major dealers types. The SBA has issued $1.125 billion of credit to these industry groups. That was another indication to us that our lending partners really do have an intimate knowledge of the credit worthiness of retail dealers of these types of assets.
RVB: We should point out that the maximum loan of $2 million is not a lot for an RV dealer. That could be 10 units.
Unfortunately, that's a statutory restriction for the SBA right now.
RVB: Are you aware of the changes in the program that the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) is promoting to make this program available to more dealers?
I'm not intimately familiar with their proposals, no. I will say this: We introduced a Federal Register notice with a 30-day comment period. Our key interest here was trying to get this to the marketplace just as soon as we possibly could. We think it met a lot of needs that we had to consider, such as prudence and compatibility with our existing SBA portfolio. But like anything else, it could probably be improved with a lot different eyes looking at it. So, we will be taking comments. There are some things we can't do, such as raising the maximum limit on our maximum loans.
RVB: So, you can adjust this program as it goes forward?
Yes, we will consider adjustments. We have some constraints with the Office of Management and Budget that we have to meet. But we are open to suggestions. The other issue is that we will evaluate this pilot at the end to see whether or not it makes sense for it to be a more permanent part of the SBA portfolio.
RVB: And there's a limit, we're told, to the permissible number of loans?
There is a 10% limit on pilot programs in a fiscal year. This pilot program will straddle FY09 and FY10 so that would be 10% of the total volume in '09 and 10% of the total volume in '10. Right now we are running at about 50,000 (total) loans. I don't think the cap is going to be a problem for this program in either '09 or '10 as well.
RVB: OK, then, what does all this mean to dealers?
I would encourage dealers to have a sound business plan. That is a key to communicating with their lenders. It's also always good to start with people and institutions who know you, but that still may not guarantee that they are going to participate in floorplan lending. Interestingly, floorplans tend to be the best collateralized loans. It's usually not just the inventory backing the loans, but very often real estate and personal guarantees of the owner. So as we look at the experience of major floorplan lenders, it's the kind of thing that if you manage it well and you put in provisions that will allow lenders to do the extra servicing that is required of a floorplan, then this should be something that is an opportunity for moderate- and smaller-sized banks to step up to the plate.


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30+ Online Drawing Tools
Here are some great online drawing tools for those who like to draw and work online at the same time. Way back in 2006, online drawing tools were few and far between, especially anything with collaborative functionality for multi-user action. Back then, the choices were basically Groupboard and LiTha-Paint. But the scene is much improved, […] Continue »


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I am trying to make it say feet meters meters feet, but instead it just says feet meters then enters the data and then starts the meter to feet. There are only two columns and I am trying to have four.
I have to keep both methods and I just can't figure it out I know you can do a for loop within a for loop, but I can't get that to work either.
public static void main(String[] args) { // Assign Variables double meter = 0; double foot = 0; double x; double y; //Header for meters to foot System.out.println(" Feet Meters"); //for loop to call meter method and print out table for(x = 1; x <=10; x++) { meter = footToMeter(x); System.out.printf("%5.1f%20.3f" , x, meter); System.out.println(); } //Header for foot to meters System.out.println("Meters Feet"); //for loop to call foot method and print out table for(y = 20; y <= 65; y = y+5) { foot = meterToFoot(y); System.out.printf("%5.1f%20.3f" , y, foot); System.out.println(); } } //Converts from feet to meters public static double footToMeter(double foot) { return 0.305 * foot; } //Converts from meters to feet public static double meterToFoot(double meter) { return 3.281 * meter; } }


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At a recent visit to the Planeta winery near Noto in far southeastern Sicily, I joined a small group of journalists who were treated to a vertical tasting of the winery's famed Santa Cecilia, a 100% Nero d'Avola. Along with this rare opportunity to try this many examples at one sitting, it was fascinating to learn about the changes in this wine in its brief history.
Winemaker Alessio Planeta (Photo ©Tom Hyland) led the tasting of six wines which included the 2008, 2007 (not yet released) as well as the 2006, 2005, 2001 and 1997, the initial release of this wine. The Planeta estate was set up in Sambuca di Sicilia near Menfi on the west coast back in the mid 1980s and by the middle 1990s, the family had decided to produce a signature Nero d'Avola. The plans were to release this wine from 1995 and 1996, but Planeta decided that the quality was not what he wanted, so 1997 became the initial offering. Incidentally, this was the only wine that was not 100% Nero d'Avola, as this contains 15% Syrah.
Soon after, Planeta decided to focus on a Nero d'Avola in purezza, crafting a wine that would be suitable for long-term aging. Research showed that the best area in Sicily for the variety would be in the southeastern reaches. Planeta along with his agronomists discovered a piece of land near Noto in 1998 that they believed would be ideal for this wine and have been using fruit from this site ever since; the bottlings starting with the 2003 have been produced excusively from the Noto vineyards. An underground winery was built at this property and the wine is fermented and aged in this facility.
As for the tasting, it was interesting to note the more rustic qualities of fruit from western Sicily as compared to the wines made exclusively from Noto fruit. Now that these vineyards are older (some planted in 1974 and 1975 with the newer blocks being planted in 1998), the wine has become more deeply concentrated with more elegant tannins and the dream of a Nero d'Avola meant for long-term aging is starting to become a reality.
2008 (barrel sample)
Bright purple with a slightly closed nose of plum and marascino cherry; medium-full with soft, young tannins, very good acidity and excellent fruit persistence. 2008 was less rainy than several previous years in Sicily, which is important for Nero d'Avola as the variety suffers from rain and excessive humidity. I love the structure of this wine; combined with the rich aromatics and depth of fruit, this has the potential to be an outstanding wine. (Note: The 2008 will be the first Santa Cecilia labeled as Noto DOC.)
Bright purple with aromas of black plum and black licorice- deep fruit. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Big extract and still a bit tannic with very good balance and acidity. Notes of menthol in the finish. Give this time to round out; should be at its best in 10-12 years. Excellent
Light purple with gorgeous aromas of blackberry, marmalade and black cherry. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Lovely balance with pinpoint acidity, subtle tannins and subdued oak. Excellent fruit persistence- this should hold for 12-15 years. My favorite wine of the tasting – outstanding!
Deep ruby red-light purple with aromas of blackberry, mint, dried red flowers and a hint of nutmeg. Very good length in the finish with round tannins and very good acidity. Light herbal notes in the finish. Enjoy over the next 7-10 years. Excellent.
This is Nero d'Avola from both Noto and Menfi. Deep ruby red with aromas of dried brown herbs, dried strawberry and a hint of tobacco. Medium-full with very good concentration. Good acidity, subtle oak and still firm tannins. This has a definite rustic quality and it quite different from the younger wines. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. Very Good.
This is the first bottling of Santa Cecilia and contains 15% Syrah. Light ruby red with aromas of dried cherry and cigar. Medium-full with very good concentration. Big fruit persistence, good acidity and restrained oak with rich tannins. This wine tastes much fresher than the 2001 (this could be due to bottle variation). Excellent complexity- enjoy over the next 5-7 years. Excellent.
- Tom Hyland
Views on wines from Italy, California, Chile, Argentina and other great regions of the world from a freelance writer and photographer
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Santa Cecilia Vertical
Posted by tom hyland at 9:53 AM
Labels: alessio, nero d'avola, noto, planeta, santa cecilia, sicily
2 comments:
my absolute favorite Nero d' Avola is from tenuta la Lumia. Something about the sandstone in the soil that makes the wine really sexy.ReplyDelete
Great post, thanks
I'm not familliar with Tenuta La Lumia. Where is their estate?
The "Nero di Lupo" from COS is also quite seductive.
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Broomfield, CO - November 29, 2012
Webroot, a leader in delivering Internet security as a service, today announced a new virtual business community that focuses on the security topics that matter most to IT and security professionals. Available at community.webroot.com, the Webroot Business Community allows members to connect with industry peers and security experts to explore common interests and build new relationships. This new online networking forum gives business-focused individuals another line of defense and the information they need to help keep their business secure from rapidly evolving Internet-based threats.
Similar to the approach taken by popular professional networking sites, the Webroot Business Community is free and accessible to anyone interested in security and IT topics. Most members are responsible for many IT roles and Webroot offers them the platform to discuss issues they encounter on a daily basis, publish content and comments and share best practices.
Features of the Community:
- Security News - Stay up to date on the latest happenings in security.
- Discussions - Take advantage of the community resources, talk to fellow business professionals, and chat about enterprise topics.
- Ask the Experts - Do you want to know more about security or have a specific business question? Webroot systems engineers, developers, and support staff are available to answer your questions.
- Webroot Education - If the question has already been answered and you're looking for additional content or a video tutorial, this forum is your spot.
- Customer Reviews - A place where you can write a review or read reviews from others to learn more about how Webroot helped them.
- Feature Requests - Suggest an idea that could improve the Webroot experience.
"The Webroot Business Community is a unique group of people who understand that the old way of Internet security doesn't cut it – and now we're giving them an outlet to share more forward-thinking approaches," said Catherine Buzzitta Kaiser, senior manager of Webroot Community and Loyalty Programs. "We are excited about this latest offering to our online community. It supports our continued commitment to our concept of mutual self-protection in the same way our products enable our customers to protect one another."
Webroot will be surveying community members for their recommendations on additional community content and topics, as well as ideas for future updates to the site.


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Rocky Nook Press recently sent me a review copy of Eib Eibelshaeuser's new book, The Art of Photographic Lighting. It took me a little longer to write this review than it normally does for two reasons: I kept re-reading paragraphs that seemed particularly significant, and I found myself taking notes. Both of these slowed me down as I am usually a fast reader. I think I was expecting a book with drawings of how to arrange lights, but instead I found that it was much more involved than that. … [Read more...]
Review: The Art of Photographic Lighting By Eib Eibelshaeuser
December 6, 2011 by


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Getting Your First BITCOIN is Hard, but We are Here to Help
Crypto games is a website that offers its users to play two different popular games – Slot and Dice. There is no need to register or pay anything, you can play for free right away or to send some crypto coins and try to win more. The service promises that it is 100% fair to its users, is 100% anonymous, 100% secure and friendly. You can play the games completely free, you get 10000 Play Money to spend completely free when you start and there is no obligation whatsoever. If you really want to test your luck by using a crypto currency as a bet you can deposit Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Litecoin or DarkGold and if you win as a result of your bet can get some extra coins. Depositing coins requires just 1 confirmation in order for them to be available for use at the website, normally it takes: Dogecoin 1 minute, Litecoin 2.5 minutes, Bitcoin 10 minutes, so you can quickly be up and running. If you are interested in the house edge, Slot has house edge of 2.095% and Dice has house edge of 1% so your chances of winning are as good as it gets.
The Slot game is pretty standard with 4 segments using various fruits as well as a sign for the crypto coin that you are using, for example Play Money. You need to spin the wheel and get a combination of multiple equal fruits or at least a single Play Money or crypto coin sign to win. You select the amount of the bid and based on the resulting combination you get after spinning the wheel you either win something extra or loose your bet. The Dice game has a manual bet feature allowing you to play a single bet with the bet size and payout amount set by and the winning chance you have is automatically calculated and shown. There is also an auto bet feature available that gives you the ability to automate a number of consecutive bets using the parameters you choose thus saving you some time to do single bets manually.
Crypto Games also has a referral program to help you win for sure. Each player can create a referrer link for advertising the service giving him 25% of the house edge of EVERY bet made by everyone he refers. The best thing is that whether the referred by you players win or lose the bet, you still earn money – this goes both for extra free Play Money as well as crypto coins that are uses by the players. So if you want to always play safe, just show the service to your friends or people you know or follow you on Facebook or Twitter and just win.
– Why don't you give Crypto Games a try, it is completely free with Play Money…


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source GAIA package: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201310303060356_5675.zip Origin key: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201310303060356 imported at Fri Jan 8 18:18:09 2016
Scammers are raking in big bucks selling used vehicles they say will be delivered by an Air Force plane. And they are exploiting the good name of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service by falsely representing it as part of an AAFES program.
To reel in their victims, the scammers place ads in civilian newspapers and automobile sales magazines, AAFES officials said. The victims call a number, leave amessage stating they're interested in a certain vehicle, and receive a fraudulent invoice via email bearing the official AAFES logo.
The legitimate military exchanges do not have authority to sell vehicles in the continental U.S., nor do they deal in used cars or advertise in civilian-oriented publications.
AAFES has received calls from about a dozen people over the past few weeks who either lost money or were warned at the last minute by their banks not to wire the money, said Rick Koloski, AAFES' loss prevention vice president. In one case, a couple went to their bank, withdrew money, then went to a Wal-Mart store to wire the amount for what they thought was a 2002 Mercedes S500.
Employees at the bank and Wal-Mart warned the couple not to do it, but the couple didn't heed the advice, Koloski said. They wired $4,000 to the scammer to try to buy the car. Then the scammer emailed the couple claiming that they had to send another $4,000 "as a car warranty." They wired the second $4,000 and have lost the entire $8,000. The couple, who apparently are not affiliated with the military, later found out that the money was picked up in Bangladesh. AAFES is unaware of any military victims.
The scammers have incorporated military lingo into their pitches to gain credibility, Koloski said, even using real a service member's identity. The scammer tells the victims to Google him, and they find a picture of him on an installation's website. Security forces at one base, contacted by AAFES, tracked down a staff sergeant who said he'd gotten a mysterious phone call from someone about selling a car.
The scammers even claim the exchange is a third party overseeing the transaction.
"AAFES is not a third party in transactions," Koloski said. "And the Air Force does not fly cars around."
Koloski said the scammers do not maintain a website, and officials have not been able to locate them. They use Voice Over Internet Protocol phones with U.S. phone numbers to deceive their victims.
In many cases, the quoted prices of the vehicles are too-good-to-be-true.
The National Consumers League, which operates www.fraud.org, has these tips to avoid car-buying scams:
• Never wire money or use a bank-to-bank transfer.
• Always try to deal locally when buying an automobile.
• Don't buy a car from someone who isn't willing to meet you face-to-face.
• Never buy a car unless you see it personally and have it inspected by a professional.
Koloski said some victims who called AAFES to get more information initially refused to believe they'd been scammed.
"One guy was so convinced it was a good deal, so I told him to send an email saying he'd be in the area and would pick up the car," Koloski said. The scammers "immediately discontinued communication."
He advises anyone who thinks they may have been taken advantage of through this scam to file a complaint through the Internet Crime Complaint Center.


text: At One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning our heating repair technicians are always ready to come to your rescue when your AC system breaks down. We will inspect, diagnose and fix any AC problem you may have. Call our 24/7 emergency help line at (410) 272-3800 to schedule an appointment with one of our AC repair technicians!


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Now I know this is a bit of a long shot, but TNF has rarely failed in the past........ (and I hope this is better suited to the historical research thread than the general TNF 'melting pot')
Today I picked up a new project. From what I can work out so far I'm pretty sure it's an early Clubmans formula car, built to take a BMC 1000cc engine.
Here are a few photos:
As you can see, the engine mounts suit the A series engine, and it has the small BMC back axle (I unfortunately didn't actually get the diff shown in the photos)
The back axle modifications are quite distinctive, but in it's current state without any bodywork , and the roll hoop having been removed (along with the rear bodywork support tubes by the look of it) there isn't a lot to go on by way of identifiable features, I know.
So my first question is obviously: does anyone recognise it? I think that from what I have, it would probably only be a scrutineer who would recognise the chassis details!
Also, when did 1000cc stop being run in Clubmans? I assume it's when 1600 Ford power took over from the 1500cc class as well?
All I know about the car is that it's been in storage in the current condition since the early '90s. Prior to that it may have been in North Wales or the Cheshire area. There is a suggestion from the guy who I got it from that it may have raced in Scotland, but he wasn't too sure. Both of these locations lead me towards the Northern Clubmans championship - does anyone have the details of non 'mainstream' cars which competed in the early years? By that I mean one offs, and not Mallock, Lotus etc
It does look quite similar in construction to my old Coldwell Mink chassis, so I might try Bill Needham to see if he recognises it.
I have already picked up a 948 engine and smothe case box to start the dummy build, but I am equally keen to try and track down the cars origins if I can. It isn't going to be a quick restoration!
Any thoughts on the car or it's possible origins would be much appreciated.
Edited by Mistron, 14 April 2013 - 10:27.


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Starbucks' latest baked good is stirring up controversy, with customers accusing the coffee chain of ripping off a bakery that has been selling the product for years.
Starbucks' U.K. shops have just introduced the duffin, a doughnut-muffin hybrid reminiscent of the now-ubiquitous doughnut-croissant blend dubbed the Cronut.
But fans of the London bakery Bea's of Bloomsbury are crying foul. Bea's has been selling duffins since 2011, according to spokesperson Andre Dang.
U.S. & World
"They're one of our most popular products and sell out quickly almost every day," Dang told CNBC. "They've been in our customers' consciousness for some time, which is why so many of them tweeted us to let us know that Starbucks were also selling duffins."
Fans of the baked good took to social media in a show of support for Bea's founder, Bea Vo. More than 1,000 tweets with the hashtag #DuffinGate have been posted on Twitter in the past two days, CNBC reported.
Starbucks responded to the copycat criticism with a statement on its website.
"Since launching, we have discovered there are other Duffins out there in the UK including at Bea's of Bloomsbury, which is great news for muffin and doughnut fans across the country," the statement reads. "However we'd like to make it clear that neither Starbucks nor Rich Products has suggested to Bea's of Bloomsbury that they will attempt to stop them selling their own Duffins."


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ATLANTA, Feb. 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate and Director of African American Outreach for Priests for Life, said today that the "Black babies are an endangered species" billboard campaign byToomanyaborted.com is causing controversy because it points out hard truth.
"Abortion on demand has always been sold and 'sold' is the word as an answer to a whole host of problems, but instead of eliminating economic hardship, familial stress, or societal ills, it has only eliminated people, a disproportionate number of whom were African Americans," said Dr. King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Like the stunning video Maafa21.com, the 'black babies are an endangered species' billboards bring home the message that abortion is predicated on lies. It's time that those lies were exposed."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.