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Steam Milo cupcake
Mums And Babies | Singapore Parenting & Lifestyle Blog
Singapore Parenting, Lifestyle & Food Blog. Ranked as top and most popular mom blogger in Singapore.
by Pooja
Jaleela Banu says
Healthy kids special
Preeti Alam says
Thanks for sharing the lovely recipe….I'm sure my lil picky eater will love it….
Suhasini Bhaskhar says
this is a simple recipe…thanks for sharing
Kimberly Ds says
These cupcakes look yummy! Maybe I will try them for my little one
Roja Meeran says
wow..very tempting..nice cakes
how tempting!
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--andy-- says
This combination will make every kid happy
cheers, andy
Irene Soh says
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I bet the kids would have loved it.
Cynthia Koh-Aw says
Milo cupcakes! I'm sure the kids will love love love it…… Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Claudia Lim says
Ohhh milo!!! I'm going to try make these one day! Thanks for sharing.
Mummy C
Phoebe Lau says
wow! I want to try too. even though I'm not good at baking
Phoebe Lau says
wow! I want to try too. even though I'm not good at baking
Jiahui says
Milo!!! and so simple to do! Thanks for sharing!
Angie. S says
My daughter LOVES Milo! I will try this soon. Thanks for sharing!
Danessa Foo says
Simple yet delicious… something new for me to try. Thanks Pooja!!
Lady in Waiting says
I made these and my boy loved it. Thanks for sharing
pooja says
That's good to hear.. do share your photos on our facebook page.
Mary H says
Wow!! Ok! This shall be tomorrow's breakfast for my family! Thanks for sharing!
Unknown says
The ingredients are fr how many cupcakes?
[…] is recently only that we did try steaming cupcake and we made milo cupcakes which were a big hit- steam milo cupcake recipe. I thought of trying a steamed chocolate cake without an oven which is moist and not mushy though […]


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I love how brands connect people. A brand has the ability to bring people together no matter their background, and with social media coverage becoming more prominent, global connectivity is growing as well. That level of connectivity is electric and powerful. Sitting in my first integrated strategic communication class at the University of Kentucky four years ago, I knew I wanted to be a part of that energy.
Public relations amplifies that energy and brings brands to life. Thursday night, Team MSBA travelled to the Empire State Building to visit Taylor. Yes, you read that correctly, Taylor is on the 38th floor in the Empire State Building. Walking into the seating room, Bryan Harris, COO & Managing Director for Taylor, greeted us. Mr. Harris has talked to every MSBA group since 2012, and Taylor is always one of the first stops on the MSBA Office Field Trip schedule. We could see why; Taylor is a public relations company specializing in digital content that has worked with huge consumer brands like Diageo, P&G, and Nestle Purina. Pair that high caliber client base with Mr. Harris' 30 years of experience at Taylor and you have yourself a winning combination.
"If you think about it, that's why the 25 of us are here – we wanted to learn and further our understandings, not only of our careers but of ourselves as well."
Do you remember the 2018 Super Bowl Tide ad from P&G? Taylor had a hand in its success. With the Super Bowl being the most competitive space for advertisers all year, how does a brand rise above the clutter for consumers? Create hype and engage. Taylor implemented interactive social media posts with last year's Tide ad superstar, David Harbour (a.k.a. Jim Hopper of Stranger Things). The posts alluded to another huge spot for Tide during the Super Bowl, and influencers, like Betty White, got in on the action as well. By the time the ad aired, viewers were highly anticipating its release. But Taylor knew that the biggest battle would be keeping the ad trending throughout and after the game. Mr. Harris stressed that social media impressions, engagements, and share of voice are crucial to keeping the excitement after the ad airs. The Taylor Team brought the brand to life for consumers.
So what does it take to be a PR professional? First, Mr. Harris listed the three necessary skills: have good media relations and interpersonal skills, be a strong writer, and be able to create digital content and measure its impact like with the Tide ad. Then, Mr. Harris shared the "truth", the single most important takeaway we have from our visit. "Have a curious mind," he said. "How do you carry yourself? Bring value to the table." Never stop being willing to learn and ask questions. If you think about it, that's why the 25 of us are here – we wanted to learn and further our understandings, not only of our careers but of ourselves as well. By being here in Manhattan, we have already begun to heed Mr. Harris' advice. Now, as we round out Week 1, we have to take that curiosity and run with it. Looking around at my peers, I have no doubt in this summer's potential.

subset: commoncrawl


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[Deck Arena 9]
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Legendara voastra favorita
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Prezentare RyN
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Tokens si Goblin Giant
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Awhile back I made a thread about the film million dollar baby. Great film, touching, honest, justifiable etc. Some agreed, some disagreed, some got defensive (surprise) one person told Me to watch the intouchables "that will give you a different perspective. So I seen it, and I am confused. For me personally I don't find it uplifting, as a quad, I seen the exact thing that I hate most about my life, The exact thing that makes The ending of million Dollar baby so beautiful and justifiable to me. I see a completely dependent man, that can do next to nothing (in his case absolutely nothing) on his own but call for help and wait. So he has a great inheridence He may or may not of help build, he made a friend. Anyone can make friends, is it only touching or story worthy if there is a disabled involved? No! Pretty easy to make friends when you got a private jet, especially when you're paying them. they obviously became close later, which is great, but I'm sure that was the main appeal at first. So he has a great mind, that's awesome. But he can't really implement his great mind by himself, and no amount of intelligence is going to help him if he is completely alone. The all so important brain, is going to die with the so much less important body (garbage) all because the BODY cannot function to support the almighty brain with what they both need, sounds like they are one in the same aka equals!
All in all decent but boring movie. But not this New perspective driving, uplifting tail, not at all, because unfortunately I understand the full limitation and reality of quadrepalgia now.


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The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing is more than a building. Clinton's state-of-the-art facility is a one-stop-shop for advancing the manufacturing and technology workforce in our region.
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Garth Brooks shows inadvertently force Syrian refugees from Hamilton hotels
Garth Brooks performs at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2013. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)
HAMILTON -- Country superstar Garth Brooks arrived in Hamilton on Thursday "fired up" for the first of five concerts amid news that his shows inadvertently bumped 228 Syrian refugees from the hotels they'd been living in.
Brooks was due to meet with the media on Thursday afternoon and reporters were eager to get his reaction to reports that an influx of fans in town for his concerts had ousted refugees from the hotel rooms they were being housed in since coming to Canada.
The singer cancelled that media appearance after bad weather rerouted his Hamilton flight to nearby Toronto. His representatives said there were no plans to reschedule.
A day earlier, it was revealed that refugees in the city were being bused to St. Catharines, about 55 kilometres away, because Brooks fans had snapped up many local hotel rooms when they ordered their concert tickets back in January.
City officials expect more than 80,000 visitors to descend on Hamilton over the next four days while Brooks is in town.
While he didn't speak with reporters, Brooks did tweet: "Fired up!!! Get ready Hamilton, we're bringing it!!! love, g."
Brooks rolled into Hamilton as part of a massive global comeback tour that launched in late 2014. It's the first time he's played the city in nearly 20 years.
The first show sold out within 45 minutes and promoters quickly announced four more shows, including a second performance on Saturday night.
Wesley Urban Ministries, which helps some of the government-assisted refugees get their footing in Canada, said they weren't surprised by the relocation.
"We knew about this temporary shortage well in advance," said Andrea Buttars, manager of resource development at the organization.
A spokeswoman for Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said she was confident in the plan to temporarily relocate the refugees.
"As the concert -- and by extension the hotel rooms -- were booked (in January) the decision to temporarily relocate the newcomers for the next four days, while disruptive, was made in advance," said Amanda Kinnaird in an email.
"Our partners in the Niagara Region were ready and accommodating."
Brooks is one of country's most endearing stars with hit singles like "Friends in Low Places" and "Thunder Rolls."
His wife Trisha Yearwood, whose most popular songs include "How Do I Live" and "Georgia Rain," will also take the stage to perform.


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Submit a Critic ScoreClose
Dash Nobility Late Harvest Riesling Blanc 2006
Winemaker's Notes:
Tasting Notes:This wine has floral hints of jasmine and lavender, underscored by aromas of dried fruit (apricot, plums), cassis, chocolate, vanilla. On the palate you will notice quite sweet black raspberry and black currant flavors, mixed with plum, dried apricot, and hints of cherry, chocolate, and vanilla. The explosive fruit is balanced with nice acidity, making the wine sweet but not cloyingan ideal dessert wine. Winemaking Notes:Late Harvest Zinfandel is always an adventure to ferment. The grapes arrived at the winery just over 40° Brix, and they were just what you want for Late Harvest: wrinkled, but not raisined. We crushed the grapes to a small 1,500-gallon tank. As is our tradition, we let the fermentation proceed using the native yeasts on the grapes. The fermentation went exceptionally well, and the yeast naturally finished fermentation when the alcohol had reached about 14.1 percent and the sugar level was 9 percent. The wine was aged in older French oak barrels, so as not to overpower the intensity of the zinfandel fruit. During our blending trials, we decided to stay with our tradition of bottling the wine as soon as possible to maintain its fresh fruit flavors and conserve its lovely sweet concentration and purity. The wine is unfined and received minimal handling to the bottle. Vintage Notes:Without a doubt this is one of our most popular wines, and we've increased the quantity we made in 2005 to keep up with the demand. The vintage was perfect in 2005 to make a very balanced Late Harvest zinfandel; it's one of our favorites. We let these grapes hang on the vine over a month after the rest of the grapes were picked, to concentrate flavors and sugar. Since it was such a late harvest, we finally harvested the grapes to create this black, intense essence of zinfandel in early November, just before the rains. Technical Notes: Appellation: Dry Creek ValleyVarietal:Zinfandel 100%Harvest:05 NovemberAlcohol:14.1%Brix:40RS:9%Production:586 (cases) Return to Dashe Cellars wine list
Editorial Reviews for Dash Nobility Late Harvest Riesling Blanc
Smoky and with a hint of obvious oak on the nose this has a touch of obvious alcohol as well. The black raspberry fruit if incredibly intense with a jammy edge and layers of toast, butter, and allspice/cinnamon spice that makes this smell like breakfast. Richly fruited in the mouth with that same pure, jammy black raspberry/ black berry fruit that is accented with notes of honey, vanilla, and baking spices. Big and plush with a flannelly soft feel this is engaging and made in a style that should appeal to most palates. 93pts
This has a bit of fuminess to at first and needs time to gain some focus but it reveals dark chocolate streaked, pepper laced dark berry fruit touched with sapwood and smoky, loamy earth. It's surprisingly light on the palate with more than a bit of tannin to lose but wonderfully refreshing and pure slightly spicy, briary black raspberry fruit that offers up hints of orange oil and backing spice on the backend. The finish allows the tannins to creep back up, giving this excellent follow through with the toasty, vanilla of the oak being covered with cool, wild red berry fruit until the spicy finale. Give this two years to let the tannins soften and drink it over the next five or so, or else grill up some beef and enjoy this for all it offers today. 92pts
A bit woody at first with a sweet/sour tone and some meaty almost gamy notes. There are light smoke tones with a suggestion of green herb and a touch of quinine and bitter citrus peel adding complexity to the pretty, lightly spicy, peppery fruits. Very well balanced with bright acids and nice fleshy mouthfeel that gains intensity on the back end. Lots of pure brambly fruit here with a touch of plum and nice mocha tones helping to frame the fruit. A lot of wine and very freshly fruited with real depth and a lot of nuance on the mid-palate. Finishes with strong, slightly creamy raspberry fruit. Nice length. Really nice wine. 91pts
This has a huge nose with top notes of violets over deep black plum, slight prune, and spicy hints of chocolate and vanilla with a core of savory elements that recall herbal dried black olives. Lightly sweet on entry this has plenty of acidity to keep the wine lively and lovely ripe tannins that help break up the sweetness. It's a light, fresh style of dessert wine with a balance akin to fresh fruit making it easy to drink. It's a bit simpler on the palate than on the nose but is full of briary, tobacco edge plummy and dried berry fruit that yields to a lightly sweet finish balanced by drying tannins. 91pts
Member Reviews for Dash Nobility Late Harvest Riesling BlancAdd your review
Spicy, heated nose with black pepper and ripe dark fruit. Severe, acidic, fun wine, with loads of bitter dark chocolate, blackberries, austere tannins and a wonderful long cocoa finish.
Candied prunes on the nose. Deliciously sweet with lots of sugary dark fruits, vanilla, and chocolate. Can't imagine a better dessert wine experience.
Red licorice and lundens cough drops on the nose. Nice level of acidity that's nicely balanced with dark complex earthy fruit. Mellow christmas spice finish.
Bright raspberry, violet and pinecone with almost a grape soda kind of flavor to it. But this was a refreshing note, rather than something too candylike and cloying. Balanced acidity and tannic structure. Would love this with some barbecued ribs!
Beautiful in appearance with a nice nose of fruit and spice. However, I found the taste very firm and stingy with its flavors. A little unbalanced in my opinion as the acidity and tannin were stronger and more pronounced than I like in my Zin.
Bark, butter, and bright blackberries on the nose, a punch of dust and drying tannins on the tongue. It's the second act that sells me: darker fruit, raked leaves, and warmed chocolate that goes creamy on the finish.
Restrained notes of Cassis & tar on the nose. In the mouth: most noticeable is the initial flavors of cedar, tobacco & clove. Plenty of acidity & pith give this wine a good bite followed by a finish of black pepper.
External Reviews for Dash Nobility Late Harvest Riesling Blanc
Anne and Michael Dashe, a husband and wife winemaking team, created a small winery focusing on wines from Sonoma County. Special custom-made gridded tanks are used to ferment these fruit forward wines. Great for steak or a grilled meat in general.
Food Pairings for Dash Nobility Late Harvest Riesling Blanc
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Best Wine Deals
$23.3916% offCharles Krug Zinfandel 2008
$18.7917% offSan Giuseppe Pinot Grigio Reserve Gold Label 2010


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It was a sad day at the local City Mill today. I was heading over to get some 10-2ag to rewire an outlet and get a little more juice to the compressor when the weekly ads near the door piqued my interest. Crocks 40% off! Well that's a no-brainer. Heading over to the Croc wall with fingers crossed hoping that they had the coveted Realtree Camo version in stock, a sudden sense of horror gripped me upon seeing on only ONE PAIR! Whaaaaat?
Curse You Theives!
It turns out that too many people stole them, putting them on in the store and walking out without anyone noticing. Instead of implementing some kind of extra security, City Mill had enough and decided to cut the entire product line.
Ugly As Sin, Just As Tempting
Now some of you may wonder what's the big deal with these ugly-ass shoes. Let's be clear about something: This isn't a guilty pleasure. I actually enjoy the fact that people think my footwear is ugly. You know what's ugly to me? Slave-labor sneakers priced at top dollar sold to clueless hip hop kids who shoot each other for "smudging a Puma".
Last Laugh Factor
Unlike the highly-disposable offerings from other name brand companies (and the cheap knock-offs that wreck your feet), Crocs are ugly from the start and can last indefinitely. When the treads wear out you just take a soldering iron and cut some more. If they don't fit right then wrap them in a pillow case and throw them in the dryer, put on a couple pairs of thick wool socks, and when they get hot enough to become pliable put them on and wait until they cool down.
The Down And Dirty
But the best...The BEST part of Crocs is their superiority as a mud shoe for gardening and farming applications where steel-toes and ankle protection are not required. Sometimes you gotta go out and change a busted irrigation line where the mud is thick and sticky, and unlike other shoes with less flex and more aggressive tread patterns, these things kick off mud almost as well as the Panama souls on a Jungle Boot. Spray 'em off, let 'em dry in the sun for a minute or two, and you're officially cruising with dry feet again.
Water Mileage May Vary
As for maritime applications it's kind of a toss-up. The nice thing is they float and will come off easily so you can actually swim if you fall overboard, but some of them tend to be on the slippery side once a little water is introduced in between the sole and the foot. Obviously it's better to not go overboard at all, so the traction issue is a big one. If you use them around water while rafting, exploring, and doing other stuff then be sure to fasten the back strap securely. You might be better served with a nice set of Japanese style Tabi shoes/socks that the rock-hopping Hawaii fisherman love, or the reef shoes worn by surfers on remote trips where slicing your feet on razor sharp coral might mean a very long uncomfortable ride chasing down antibiotics before the gangrene sets in.
Not Going There
I'm not even going to mention Vibrams, though. Even overweight bearded guys in chicken suits have limits when it comes to fashion.


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CJDS Points of Pride
From the words of a CJDS parent, "the feeling you get each day, when you drop off and pick up knowing that your child has the opportunity to attend school there it is truly touching. There is a special feeling knowing that your child is so loved, protected, nurtured, and not to mention educated in all facets of life. I really feel that the children there at CJDS are a step ahead in life."
• CJDS has served the Columbia community for the past twenty-six years. Currently the school serves 165 infants through fifth graders.
• CJDS is accredited by the National Association of Education for Young Children (www.naeyc.org).
• CJDS has received an AA rating, the highest offered by the state.
• CJDS is the only demonstration site for the Program for Infants and Toddlers.
• Over 95% of the students who graduate fifth grade are accepted in the gifted, talented, and advanced middle school magnet programs.
• CJDS is the only private school to have USC student teachers including USC "math buddies".
• Immersion Hebrew has first grade children fluent in reading, writing and speaking Hebrew.
• Teacher-to-student ratios are lower than state recommendations. These include 1:4 in the infants, 1:5.5 in the toddlers, 1:7 in the twos, 1:8 in the threes and fours, and 1:9 in the kindergarten class.
• The head of school holds a Doctorate in Education, the principal's each have a master's degree, teachers hold a four-year degree and seventy percent of the assistant teachers have or are working on degrees
• Inquiry-based learning featuring expert projects is a focus of our academic approach. The school follows a philosophy of constructivist learning. We believe that the goal of education is for children to construct knowledge as opposed to memorize information.
• The school's technology includes Chromebook devices for every child in the second through fifth grade, plus additional devices for other elementary classrooms.
• Warm Jewish teaching forms a positive Jewish identity, creates the beginnings of Jewish literacy, and focuses on character development.
• Excellent communication includes weekly e-newsletters from our head of school, daily sheets in our infant through two-year-old classes, and email updates in all classes.
• Your child is guided to become a mensch (an outstanding person with integrity, empathy, and kindness).


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BOLINAS, OH, BOLINAS: If the name of the small country town doesn't ring any bells, maybe a premier fine arts museum in prestigious Marin County will. It's called The Bolinas Museum. Historically, it was only accessible by unmarked roads, which is why so many visitors are surprised to discover that a museum of its caliber calls the country town, home. And the best part --it's free. And so are many of its cultural events too.
GALLERIES GALORE: The main gallery contains works that you don't necessarily need to have the "eye for art" in order to appreciate. Peter de Swart--an artist who lives in seclusion in the hills of West Marin--contributes his one-of-a-kind sculptures to the museum; many of which are fascinating from afar, but disturbing upon closer examination. While there, stop in to see the photography gallery. You might be pleasantly surprised to see a familiar scene or two.
STAY AWHILE: When searching "bolinas," we found multiple listings for Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel--snag a drink with the locals here. But if you're going to stay overnight, it is highly recommended to check into the Grand Hotel Bolinas for a more luxurious experience. And--it's a mere 44 bucks per night.


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When Creep came out two summers ago, it was one of the most original and inventive uses of a found-footage technique in years. Released just in time for Halloween, the follow-up, Creep 2, is a return to the same form.
Director Patrick Brice is uncannily comfortable wih the uncomfortable, as he proved with both the lighter The Overnight, and a recent episode of the Duplass-helmed Room 104. Where most low-budget horror dives into schlock -- if not downright camp -- Brice and co-writer Mark Duplass instead aim to unsettle.
If anything, they make fun of the cheap jump-scare. Whenever our returning murderer, now calling himself Aaron (Duplass), tries one on his latest cameraperson, Sara (Desiree Akhavan), it fails miserably. Maybe that sort of thing worked once upon a time, but the audience is made of sterner stuff now. Even if jumping out and yelling "boo" manages to startle, it's fleeting at best.
And when it comes right down to it, Aaron knows it too. He's made 39 of these movies so far, and it's starting to feel like he's just going through the motions. So, as his serial-killer's mid-life crisis looms, he decides to change it up a bit.
He places another ad online, looking for someone to "go deep" with "emotional bravery", and comes up with Sara, a videographer who's been struggling to get her passion project off the ground. She visits people who have placed personal ads on the internet, documenting their interests and curiosities, so the prospect of picking up a thousand dollars for what she's trying to do anyway seems like an obvious choice.
This time, when she shows up at the address, Aaron comes right out and tells her that he's a murderer, and promises that if she follows him around, talking and shooting video of his thoughts for the next 24 hours, he won't kill her. And then, in order to promote radical openness, he decides that they have to see each other naked.
That's just one of many points where I could see someone bailing out of this movie. But there's just something so perversely fascinating about this character, and whether anything he says is even true. How did he get started? Why does he do it? And who, exactly, is really in danger here?
Creep 2 is not constructed to scare, but to unnerve. If you're coming for a fright, you may go away confused, or even disappointed. But if the scares are beginning to bore you, something truly creepy may be right up your alley.
Rating: 4 out of 5


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From September through May, on Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm our Seniors Life Group gathers in the Fireside Room for coffee, Bible study, prayer and fellowship.
Approximately four times a year our seniors are invited to a luncheon which is always a special and enjoyable occasion. These luncheons include a mouth-watering meal, an interesting speaker or a heart-warming drama, and plenty of time to fellowship with friends. Many who attend these lunches are not regular congregation members of our church, but join us from the surrounding community. To find out when the next luncheon will be, contact the church office at 403-251-5150 or email [email protected]


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Cabinet Refacing | Cabinet Resurfacing | Kitchen Cabinet Refacing saves the time, mess and cost of installing an all new kitchen.
Our Quote is a must! Call (978)494-4973 | (603)262-1147 to schedule an appointment, or schedule your consultation online without even picking up a phone!
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When replacing kitchen cabinets, you are forced to live without cabinets for one to five weeks or more, depending on the scope of the project. This means you have to:
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Refacing your existing cabinets is the ideal choice for consumers that plan to keep the same kitchen layout, want the work completed in days not weeks, and who want to be able to use their kitchen during the remodeling process.
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- More durable than wood
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- No need to change plumbing or any wiring
- Better Warranty
- All work done by our factory trained installers


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Symantec helps NetApp with thin provisioning; and other data storage news
NetApp hooks into Symantec's Thin Reclamation API; 3PAR remodels InForm Management Console; Iron Mountain forms e-discovery consulting practice; and other data storage news.
NetApp said it is supporting Symantec Corp.'s Thin Reclamation API to help customers using thin provisioning get better storage utilization.
The API helps Symantec's Veritas Storage Foundation communicate with storage arrays about which blocks have been deleted and can be freed up and put back into the storage pool. The idea is to keep thinly provisioned volumes thin by holding off on reserving storage until it is needed. 3PAR, Compellent Technologies Inc., EMC Corp. (for Clariion), Hitachi Data Systems and IBM have previously announced support for the Thin Reclamation API.
3PAR updates management console for remote replication
3PAR upgraded its InForm Management Console that manages remote replication configuration and administration. InForm Management Console has been integrated with 3PAR Remote Copy, which provides autonomic configuration of disaster recovery by helping customers set up remote replication with InServ T-Class and InServ F-Class arrays.
Enhance Technology releases Fibre Channel SAN system
Enhance Technology Inc. released the UltraStor ES3160 FS dual-active Fibre RAID SAN enterprise storage system. The UltraStor ES3160 FS is a 3U 16-drive rackmount system; it expands to 60 TB of raw capacity with three SAS JBOD systems.
Iron Mountain offers e-discovery consulting
Iron Mountain Inc. has formed a new consulting group to help companies with records management and e-discovery. Iron Mountain Consulting will offer advice in records classification, retention and destruction policies, compliance monitoring, risk assessment, email and structured data management, as well as litigation readiness planning.
QStar gives Moonwalk a plug
QStar Technologies said it is integrating Moonwalk Inc.'s data migration software with its file archiving and management platforms.
Avere picks up $17 million from VCs
Storage appliance startup Avere Systems Inc. closed a $17 million Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to $32 million. Tenaya Capital led the round, with previous investors Menlo Ventures and Norwest Venture Partners participating. Avere's FXT Series appliances use solid-state drives and traditional hard drives to optimize performance.
Survey: Most lack formal data retention plan
According to a survey conducted by Symantec Corp., only 46% of enterprises have a formal data retention plan, although 87% say it would be valuable. The survey of 1,680 IT and legal executives in 26 countries also disclosed that 75% of backed up data consists of infinite retention or legal hold backups, and 25% of the data they back up is not needed for business.
Pliant Technology hires engineering VP
Solid-state storage system vendor Pliant Technology Inc. appointed Mark Delsman as vice president of engineering. Delsman previously held engineering management positions at Dot Hill Systems, NetApp and Adaptec.


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A systematic screen spanning the key values of pH, precipitant type / concentration, and salts for alpha type transmembrane proteins using vapour diffusion methods.
48 conditions allowing the pH range, precipitants and salts used in membrane protein crystallization to be screened with detergent containing protein drops. The reagents can be easily arranged in systematic array to facilitate the interpretation of results and the design of further optimization experiments.
Features of MemSys™:
- A systematic approach to screening for initial crystallization conditions for membrane proteins using vapour diffusion methods.
- Membrane protein solubility is pushed to the limit to provide more information than previous sparse matrix type screens.
- Includes the pH, precipitant concentration and type, and salts found to be successful.
- Primarily designed for alpha type transmembrane proteins, but has also been successfully applied to beta type outer membrane proteins.
Developed by members of the So Iwata Lab, Imperial College, London.
This product is manufactured under an exclusive licence from Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London, UK.
"Methods and Results in the crystallization of Membrane proteins" (2003) Ed. Iwata S. (International University Line)
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Down Syndrome
Occupational therapy practitioners work with the Down Syndrome population every day of the year. One in every 733 babies born in the U.S., or 400,000 Americans, has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that alters the course of development and can cause cognitive delays (National Down Syndrome Society, 2008).
Occupational therapy practitioners work with persons with Down syndrome to help them master skills for independence through self-care like feeding and dressing, fine and gross motor skills, school performance, and play and leisure activities.
Research, education, and advocacy have led to advances in therapy, which have had a huge effect on the opportunities available to individuals with Down syndrome. The life expectancy has increased dramatically in recent decades-from 25 years old in 1983 to 60 years old today-and people with Down syndrome are graduating high school, going to college, participating in social and recreational activities in their communities, making up a vibrant part of the workforce, living independently, and advocating for their rights.
Occupational therapy practitioners guide individuals with Down syndrome and their families to help them reach their potential throughout the life span. Occupational therapy intervention should begin as soon as a diagnosis of Down syndrome is established, and should continue throughout the individual's life.
During infancy, occupational therapy practitioners can help mothers whose children are having feeding problems because of weak muscles in their cheeks, tongue, and lips. During early childhood, therapy can focus on mastering motor skills for independence, focusing on low muscle tone, loose ligaments at the joints, and visual and auditory deficits (Bruni, 2001).
"A therapist can help parents place expectations that are appropriate to the ability of the child," says Asha Asher, MA, OTR/L, chairperson of AOTA's Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Section (DDSIS). "[An occupational therapy practitioner] can suggest positioning or adaptations that might help the child become more independent."
School-aged children with Down syndrome benefit from an occupational therapy practitioner's ability to address self-care skills like zipping a jacket, and fine and gross motor skills like cutting with scissors or completing multistep classroom routines to facilitate participation in school activities.
Occupational therapy practitioners can also assist in the classroom by enhancing the child's communication skills through printing, handwriting, and keyboarding. Other issues addressed are adaptations to the classroom-such as the position of desks and chairs-for optimal performance, based on the child's physical abilities (Bruni, 2001).
Adults with Down syndrome benefit from occupational therapy in finding and retaining productive work, learning independent living skills, and participating in active recreation for health maintenance.
"People with Down syndrome, like everyone else, are people first, each with their own unique gifts to contribute," says National Down Syndrome Society President John Colman. "Down syndrome awareness month provides a forum for dispelling stereotypes, educating the general public about their many abilities, and raising awareness for people with Down syndrome."
Occupational therapy can play an important role in assisting individuals with Down syndrome from diagnosis to adulthood. "Occupational therapy helps individuals with Down syndrome by creating programs to develop and utilize skills across the lifespan," says Asher. "[This enables] them to live life to its fullest."
Some material may be courtesy of AOTA.org.
Contact Us


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EthoSource offers an eclectic variety of products to meet the hospitality related needs of our customers. Having the right space for employees and visitors to relax and mingle that truly reflects your company culture and style is an important part of every work environment. With products ranging from formal dining areas to fun, innovative lounge spaces that integrate the latest technology support, EthoSource is able to create the perfect environment in any setting.
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EthoSource is able to provide furniture solutions for the following types of applications:
- Hotel Lobbies
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- Corporate Lounges
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Reality: Life In Hell
I left Los Angeles weather behind in San Francisco and was greeted with San Francisco weather in Los Angeles when the glassdog jet touched down at LAX.
Typical. It was like me, being me, to bring the poor weather with me and leave the sun behind. As a weather deity, my choices left much to be desired.
I was flying into L.A., which I like to call Hell, to sit my ass on yet another worthwhile panel at yet another Web conference to get myself into yet another set of troubles and self-inflicted problems from which I would no doubt find it hard to extract myself. My mouth, once it gets going, delivers me unto evils untold simply because I have yet to figure out how the brain and the voice are supposed to function together.
This trip, again, was foisted upon me unawares, this time by that DataDiva herself, Shauna Wright.
So Shauna, she says, she says to me, she says, she says, "Lance?" she says, she says, "Lance, can you appear at WebLA in LA, Lance?" She says, "I'm moderating a panel on something Web related and since you know all there is to know about the Web and, even more than that, you're willing to hang your ass off the cliff to get it shot off when you start poisoning the air of the conference room with your opinions about this, that and the other thing, could you fly on down there and sit on my panel and try not to spit too much when you spoon your vehemence over the audience?"
"What," asks I, "is the topic?"
"Does it," she replies, "matter?"
"As a matter of fact," says I, "it do. Because in this case, I would have to go to Los Angeles which is, and I think I speak for many a soul out there in Silenceland, hell. Hell on Earth. Hell incarnate. Hellishly hell-like in a helloidinal manner."
"No ?ish? about it, dear. Satan lives there and produces all the television we have to watch. He made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star. More than that, he pays Bob Carney twenty millions of dollars to…"
"Bob who?"
"Bill Corey!"
"Bill who?"
"That idiot who talks out of his ass!"
"George W. Bush?"
"No, not figuratively! Actually talks out of his ass!"
"Oh, Jim Carrey!"
"Yes! Dick Conroy! Satan pays Dick Conroy twenty millions of dollars…!"
"You're spitting right now, aren't you?"
"Drooling is not spitting."
"It's certainly on the path toward spitting."
"It's in the neighborhood, I?ll grant you that."
"Right around the corner, when it comes down to it."
"Nearly right there on the lawn, yes."
"It's about freelancing."
"Spitting is about freelancing?"
"No, the panel is about freelancing. Spitting is a manly form of lactation."
"Wow, that was really arbitrary!"
"Thanks. Are you drunk, by any chance?"
"It's 11 o'clock in the AM, Shauna. Of course I'm not drunk. How could I be drunk on only three bottles of Bass and a pitcher of Bloody Marys?"
"Tell you what, I?ll call back in, say, 20 minutes? Think you?ll be drunk by then?"
20 minutes and four ales later…
"Hi, Lance, it's Shauna!"
"Shauna, who?"
"How'd you like to go to Los Angeles at the end of May for no reason whatsoever?"
"Love to! Honey, do you have any limes?"
"You asking me, or is some professional with well-muscled thighs and oiled palms in the room with you under the desk?"
"What? Shauna who?"
"Great! See you in L.A.!"
And then…
Landing in L.A., I glanced out the window at the miles of tiny square buildings, hoping to God that the jet's engines would suddenly catch fire and we'd pull up, aiming for the naval yard in Long Beach and plunge our burning carcass of flying Lear Jet at the largest petroleum tank we could find and hopefully start a conflagration the likes of which have not been seen since Mrs. O?Leary's temperamental cow kicked over the lantern in Chicago. I wanted nothing more than to see the whole fucking place explode in balls of flame and boiling blood, the pits of hell opening up in Northridge to finally swallow whole this sister city to Hades and all it's silicone- and hairplug-implanted populace like a whore going down on Charlie Sheen's willy on Sunset Boulevard.
Instead, I downed the last of my Bombay Sapphire and crunched the ice into pulp until my teeth ached. How had I gotten roped into this? And yet there it was on the calendar, and there was Gerald, my Scandinavian manservant (how did he ever get his skin that clear ? what did he know about Kiehl's that I didn't, for fuck's sake?) holding my packed satchel for me as I finished my usual morning repast of three mimosas and a plate of creamed herring (which I never ate, but I loved saying to the plebes at World Domination HQ just to watch them gulp uncomfortably).
"I'm going where?"
"Los Angeles, Lance."
"I'm doing what?"
"A conference, Lance."
When had I allowed the man to behave in so informal a manner? Oh, yes. The hot tub incident. Something about an avocado, some KY Jelly and a bet. Pictures somewhere, apparently. Damn his perfect skin! "I'm getting paid how much?"
His brow arched. He did that really well. I wondered if he practiced in the mirror to perfect that combination of disdain and strained patience. He set the bag down and pulled my PalmV from his hip pocket. "Nothing about recompense, I'm afraid."
"A freebie! Me? In Los Angeles?" I snatched the Palm from his hand, dropping it to the floor in the rush. As he bent to retrieve it, visions of avocados filled my head. "That's impossible! There's no way I would agree to that!"
He was fiddling with the stylus, the dark stick a blur in his capable hand. "A miss Shauna Wright made the appointment. Three weeks ago."
"What time?"
A slim, knowing smile came to his lips. "11:22 AM. Sir."
"You don't have time."
Apparently I'd said it aloud. "What, I'm on a commercial flight?"
"No, Lance, the jet is fueled and ready." I let him start calling me Lance some time ago. The familiarity, as the clich? went, bred contempt. But the good kind of contempt, the kind you have to pay for. "But you have an appointment in Los Angeles this afternoon to meet with Adam."
"Adam Rakunas."
"Oh!" Damned amyl. "And he's…"
"In Los Angeles."
"No, I mean why am I meeting with him?"
He searched the database. "Friendly visit."
"I must be losing it."
"If you say so."
LAX, and the 'X' stands for Hell, is a sprawling technological marvel where they don't allow you to leave with your own luggage. Armed guards are posted at every 20 feet to make sure you do nothing wrong. Salivating German Shepherds line the check-in and check-out points. You are issued your gun when you exit and must fire on at least three vehicles before you hit the 405 or they charge you additional fees when you try to leave.
I got a Baretta, but that was okay. I prefer a .45, but can make do with almost anything in a pinch. I amused myself playing "Gay Or European?" in the terminal until my luggage showed up. I was certainly not about to carry it myself all the way from the jet to the curb. Who do I look like, Justin Hall?
"Where to?" asked the Indian taxi driver, aiming his Uzi at an orange salesperson (the fruit, not the color) who looked like he might come over at any moment to offer us his wares. And, no, not the good kind.
"Santa Monica."
"You're saying that way too much in this story."
Adam Rakunas would make a great bear if he lived in San Francisco. Seriously, he could walk into The Castro and be accosted by an almost unlimited number of men whose predilections follow in that particular oeuvre, a term I use incorrectly all the time but which no one ever calls me on. Not to mention the dangling participles.
I would be meeting the gaming magnate at his palatial estate (paid for entirely with rolls of quarters) overlooking the ocean and a Vons in Santa Monica, where old people go to linger on interminably as they drive cars way too large to be considered anything other that road boats, getting in your way at every opportunity and looking way too depressing as a reminder of where you?ll be someday when everyone else has died and you're left with nothing to do except drive your huge car to Vons to buy lots and lots of frozen orange juice and hassle the clerks because you think they didn't take the discount off from your coupons and your Vons Club card even though they're not stupid, just lazy, but what do you care because you have all the time in the world and the biggest set of wheels you can afford to insure, because you're afraid that everyone drives like a crazy person when actually they're just trying to avoid you as you swerve and careen into lampposts and mailboxes and children in crosswalks and what are those children doing out of school on a school day anyway? Damn it!
Rakunas had, by and large, eschewed the glamorous life of a Web Deity for the less glamorous but seemingly sexier lifestyle of the video game producer. This was alotsam more appropriate for your average USC dorm room. Plastic sharks on the kitchen windowsill; empty Byrd's Eye frozen food containers hotglued to the ceiling; Christmas tree lights used like airplane emergency exit markers; your mother's couch with the Mexican-inspired throw purchased from Pier One near the stereo equipment constructed entirely of old PacMan games; wooden nutcrackers in the shape of Rula Lenska; sets of Star Trek collector's plates; Barrel of Monkeys games-in-progress; oriental rugs with stains you don't really want to know from what; bowls of bananas turned black long since; underwear for assorted sexes, some of which you?ve never seen before and can't figure out how to wear; wide-screen flat-panel TV screens with stickers on them from the {fray} and Unamerican.com; photographs of women's body parts where you can't tell exactly what body part you're looking at, but there's always a nipple…
He greeted me with a bear hug, as would be expected.
"Adam!" I said.
"Lance!" he said.
"Adam!" I said again.
"Lance!" he responded.
"Are those black bananas?"
The Rakunas Estate sits amidst a jungle of overgrown vegetation that hides it from prying eyes. The interior is a maze of rooms and hallways leading into themselves, like a huge, real-life Doom scenario. Velvet paintings of Roman orgies sit beneath softly humming black light chandeliers. Monkeys scream from the hanging gardens, very likely in a language forgotten since Babylonian times, and handmaidens stand at the ready with large palm fronds to move the beer-soaked stagnant air through the dark manse. Adam was, as usual, wearing a pair of bright yellow surfer jams and some flip flops on his feet made from reconstituted dune buggy tires. He smelled of weed and Aqua Velva and his teeth were huge.
Or maybe I was drunk. It seems like I was drinking something in the limo, or maybe it was all that brown smog pouring in through the windows like gravy that was making my eyes sting, now. I started to cry involuntarily ? always a bad sign. "What's wrong, now," he asked testily. He knew what I was like in my dotage.
"Nothing. I'm just tired."
"It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon!"
"I'm sorry, did you have a point to make?"
He started to retort, but realized it was pointless. "How are you?" He placed his arm across my shoulder, smiling in that way of his, which is to say great big and white.
"All right. Better than Carl."
"That's not saying much."
I nodded. "Work is a bitch. They all just take and take and take. I'm being bled dry, I tell you!"
"I haven't seen anything new you?ve written in two months."
"Dry, I tell you! Bled dry!"
"Can I get you something?"
"Everything, dear boy, simply everything."
We walked across the bricked patio as the parched Los Angeles sun beat down upon us, filtered through the banana leaves and palmetto fronds. A strange-looking bird flew past me, or a Frisbee tossed by one of the nubile handmaidens perhaps, and I tripped on an empty coconut shell. Adam's beachboy bachelor pad was looking a little too made up to my eyes, as if he'd hired a Hollywood set decorator who'd raided every antiques dealer from Zuma to Point Magoo. Still, one could not argue with atmosphere, could one?
"I have some tequila from Eddie and Valerie, or maybe you'd prefer your usual?"
He knew me too well. "Please."
He grabbed the Sapphire and poured a deep one, the ice cracking like my head. "You here for the conference?"
I rolled my bloodshot eyes over at him. "What else could drag me from my hole?"
"What's the topic?"
He handed me my drink, saying, "I didn't think you did that sort of whoring."
"Everyone on the Web is a whore," I said brightly, feeling the gin rinse my gums with its pleasant juniper fizz. "Didn't Shauna mention the topic?"
Shaking his head as he headed inside, he said, "Yes, but I chose to forget it." He took a deep draught of his Tequila. "Drue's coming, too, right?"
"Think so. Not sure." I dipped my fingers into my drink, toying with the cubes. "It's not my job to keep track of everyone's schedule. That's why I have… I have… shit." My Palm was nowhere on my person. I tried to wrap my fuzzy mind around some memory of where it was. Avocados danced through my head. My sphincter constricted. I tried with all my might to dredge up some semblance of truth from deep down in the dark recesses of my memory. "Drue's giving the usual schpiel on apparition infostructure."
"Information architecture."
"Whatever. The one where she goes on and on about nutritional spice racks."
"Navigation space tracks."
"Whatever. Is this my drink? I think it's done."
Pretty Soon…
We wiled away the hours discussing Kierkergard and watching porn. But mostly porn. Los Angeles has terrific porn. I think it's the main export. That or selfish pricks with cell phones driving BMWs way too fast down residential streets. Which, to some people, is porn. Drue staggered in at 2AM with a small poodle in her backpack she kept referring to as Drexel. "Drexel," I remembered saying, "is not a name for a poodle."
"You have a better suggestion?"
She set the dog aside, sneering (the dog was sneering), and joined us as we watched more clown pornography. Honestly, it's amazing what you can find nowadays with the simplest of mistyped searches at Google.
I don't remember much of what happened from that point until I found myself in the backseat of a rented convertible on what I presumed was the following morning cruising along the 405 at the blistering pace of 15 miles per hour.
"Is this the rush hour," I asked, a non-driver and one unaccustomed to riding anywhere in a vehicle without a top where just anyone could look at you and whomever was sucking you at the moment.
No one, at the moment, was, so it was just as well.
"It's always rush hour here, dear," said a gravelly voice from the vicinity of the front passenger seat. "This is Los Angeles."
I groaned. Why did everyone have to keep reminding me of that? "What time is it?"
"In the morning?"
Shauna turned around to face me. "Yes dear. Hence, the sun."
"I was under the impression that this was what night looks like here. Isn't the daylight twice as bright and fries the skin to a crisp without SPF5000?"
"Normally yes, but some weather deity," she said, glaring at me, "seems to have ordered this gray stuff."
"Not my fault," I mumbled. I began to blink repeatedly and gaze around in unfocused confusion before a hand appeared in my face grasping a fifth of bourbon. "Should you be drinking when you're driving," I asked Drue.
"Darling," she said (before I could stop her), "this is L.A."
We eventually found the concrete monstrosity from which Shauna and I would be spewing nonsense in one large room, while Drue did her business in another. As usual, we would switch off to see each other's presentations, filling the empty seats always left in the front row for any conference presentation. If there's anything one can count on about a conference presentation, it will be that the room is either too cold or too hot, that the microphone will not work until you are commenting about the inefficiency of the conference promoters, and the front row will be completely empty until the other presenters appear so they can make faces.
We were 20 minutes late arriving, which we referred to as "fashionable" but the organizers called "breach" until I reminded them that I was being paid exactly nothing for this entire tax-deductible trip upon which (along with whispered words and phrases like "litigation" and "my lawyers make Hannibal Lechter look like a Vegan") they relented, unhanded me and allowed Shauna and I to pass more or less unmolested to the stage.
Frankly, between the thermos of Stoli and the faint but insistent buzzing of the audio system in the auditorium, I don't remember much of anything that was discussed. I know that the topic concerned the world of freelancing, but I'm not entirely sure if that meant freelance Web development or freelance prostitution… which often feel like the same thing anyway. Chances are I used the word "whore" either in reference to myself or others, but not is a disparaging way. So I used the non-disparaging "whore" as it were. There were questions and comments and then, for Chrissakes, more questions. I was left worn and battered and looking quite charming and attractive in a cheap, sullied sort of way. Shauna persevered as usual, somehow retaining her indomitable spirit in the face of unrelenting audience participation. Not a hair out of place, and with that much hair that's really saying something.
What did I say? It might have gone something like this: "Freelancing blah blah blah not for the weak blah blah time management yodda yodda accountant etc.!" There, you just spent $450. Feel better?
After a pause outside the auditorium to down a couple of those cunning little airline bottles of Jack Daniels, I followed Ms. Wright to where we imagined Drue would be speaking and, sure enough, she was.
I caught a nice nap.
Before you can say "clean up your own damned vomit!" we were on the street and looking for action. As luck would have it, whom should we encounter in the same predicament except Greg Knauss.
To be quite frank, we were scheduled to meet for lunch that day, but the schedules of the digerati are magical and constantly in flux. You might say you were going to meet on Tuesday at noon for lunch, but you would show up on Thursday at 4PM and wonder where the hell everyone was and why they were always so rude to you all the time. So when I mention that luck had a part in the meeting, I'm not exactly lying.
Whenever I meet Greg, I am reminded how beautiful I am. That's because the first phrase to leave his lips no matter whom he may meet is, "I love ya babe, you're beautiful!" Methinks he has been spending too much time reading his own press releases, but if anyone deserves to have Gone Hollywood, it would be this man.
He had a redhead on one arm and a brunette on the other. The whole family man, woe-is-me, suburban sadsack mien he'd so successfully adopted for his online persona worked as a perfect fit for his writing style, and if the world would rather read about a man's trials and tribulations dealing with supermarket check-out line, the nightmares of parking the car and how cute and unusual babies were rather than the truth, who were we to disillusion them?
"You're looking quite fetching yourself, big boy," I said, accepting those damned Eurotrash cheek busses with only mildly nauseated detachment. Not that he noticed, of course. Then he looked at Shauna, yelled, "Gorgeous! I love ya babe, you're beautiful!" and play-kissed her face as well, finally ending the round of weird and uncomfortable lip-based greetings with Drue. He introduced the two girls as Kimberlee and Cindee (I always attached double-ee's to his sex-pet concubine's names, since they always ended in ?Y? but I couldn't bring myself to think of them as much more than living, breathing, heaving Barbie dolls) and then patted them on the ass and told them to scoot along and get their nails done. They gave him twin "Oh, you!" looks and actually scooted along. Breasts do amazing things mid-scoot.
"Where shall we nosh?" I asked looking around the fairly depressing streets of whatever Los Angeles suburb we were standing in, as if one could tell the difference between one and another.
"Right this way, my fine young cannibals," he said, throwing his lean, muscular, tanned arms over the two girls? shoulders while I trudged along behind, searching my Prada bag for a stray bottle of airline Dewers.
Another funny thing about Greg, which you dear reader must be realizing about now, is that all those people he writes about that annoy him? He is all those people. So the joke is, of course, that he's laughing at you as you laugh with him about those annoying, self-satisfied, holier-than-thouers which he's making fun of as the person he isn't really at all.
We found a Mexican Restaurant (A Mexican Restaurant? In Los Angeles?!? Shocking!!!) and sat ourselves in a red vinyl booth to suck back Cadillac Margaritas and chow down bowl after faux-wood-paneled plastic bowl full of over-salted tortilla chips and something approaching ketchup (but it was curiously crunchy) while awaiting our humorously named burrito lunches—mine going by the label of "El Burrito Fantastico!"—and talked about how fabulous we all are and how un-fabulous nearly everyone else is.
Before you go judging us, please remember that you weren't there so I could be making all this up and we never actually agreed that you, whomever you are, are inferior in every way to us and have no right to even be reading the words we gift the world. Okay, Mr. and Ms. Judgmental? So just cool your jets and go suck your Diet Pepsi.
"Lance-o! Mi amigo! Que pasa?" Greg smirked a world-class smirk and winked and actually did that finger gunshot thing, but on him it worked. Which I hated. "You getting your regular daily allowance of the ol' in-out, in-out?"
"I get by," I lied. Shauna nearly choked. I blame it on the ketchup.
"What's your flavor these days, anyway? You still into the hairy apes?"
"Why is it," I asked, "that whenever I talk to you I feel like I'm in an episode of Playboy After Dark. Is Joey Heatherton sucking any part of you under the table?"
"Ha ha ha!" Greg actually laughs like that. I never thought anyone actually went 'ha ha ha' until I met him. It's sort of eerie. "You kill me! Seriously, seriously, how they hangin'?"
"Mmmwah," he said, setting his Margarita down. Sure, it wasn't a real word, but how often did we manage to use those anyway? I was distracted by the twinkling of his sky-blue eyes and the flashing of his white teeth, so I didn't exactly hear whatever it was he said next, but that was okay because my Burrito Fantastico arrived and it was time to play with my food.
Don't get me wrong, I love the guy. But try spending an hour with Dean Martin some time. Keep in mind that Dean Martin's dead.
I was urinating when my pocket started vibrating. And, no, that's not innuendo. "Hello," I said, shaking the dew from the lily. (Which is innuendo.)
"Lance?" It was Gerald. "Where are you?"
I gazed around in a Tequila-induced haze. Everything was shiny. "Las Vegas?"
"From the acoustics, I'd wager you're standing at or near a urinal in a cheap Mexican Restaurant outside Los Angeles." I narrowed my gaze and tried to stop weaving to and fro, trying to see if that was Elvis or a toilet stall. "The jet is waiting."
"Waiting for what?" I managed not to slur, but I was also trying to avoid words with S's in them.
"You, sir. I believe you're time in hell has been served." I smiled. "For this year." He really knew how to twist that knife. "Come home. A case of Shiraz-Mourvèdre arrived from Webvan…"
"Penfolds Bin 2?"
"Of course." His voice sounded like honey in my ear, even through the static and the sound of Elvis flushing.
"Warm up the Jacuzzi, Gerald. Daddy's coming."
"Please don't say that, Lance. It scares me."
And so it was time to leave Los Angeles behind. The mountains covered with beige deep-pile carpet, the endless freeways choked with the gleaming sarcophogi of the slowly rotting corpses of its populace, kept breathing only through the grace of God and three million tons of silicon breast implants and plastic pec inserts. I said goodbye to Shauna and Drue, who were staying behind to visit cemetaries and pour alcohol on the graves of their favorite suicidal movie stars, and to Greg, who told me (just for good measure) that I was beautiful, and that I should never change.
The sun came out as my jet took off. And as we rose into the brown, brown sky, I smiled. Not just because I had a glass of Sapphire in my hands properly chilled and someone was masaging my feet, but because the entire city of Los Angeles was sliding into the ocean, and I was going home
February 15, 2001
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Young Engineers on Bloomberg News
Check out Young Engineers CEO, Amir Asor, in a live interview with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg News - highlighting the exciting Young Engineers education franchise opportunity in the U.S.
e² CEO Amir Asor speaks about Edutainment
Young Engineers CEO Amir Asor speaks at GEW - Global Entrepreneurship Week - Greece 11/2012 Subject - "Edutainment methods and Entrepreneurship". Enjoy.
Because the future industry is all about STEM
Young Engineers Kenya - To develop an innovative industry in a country is not an easy task. One of the things needs to be done is to start growing your human resources, meaning investing in the children's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education now, so in the future the country should have more innovative minds, varied workplaces and more jobs.
Israel Ministry Of Foreign Affairs clip
'Using LEGO to inspire young people to develop an interest in engineering'. Young Engineers * MFA production When Amir Asor was laid up for seven months with an injury five years ago, he didn't just lie in bed. He came up with the idea for Young Engineers, a startup that in 2011 won him the Youth Business International Entrepreneur of the Year award from Britain's Youth Business International non-profit organization. As Asor describes here, Young Engineers school-based clubs give children an opportunity to use LEGO and K'NEX construction toys to grasp arithmetic principles related to machinery and software engineering. "Children participating in the Young Engineers programs achieved higher grades within the scientific subjects that are taught in schools," says Asor. "Elementary school students obtained the knowledge to succeed when it comes to tackling the more complex scientific curriculum which taught in higher educational settings." Young Engineers has branched out, with thousands of children around the world using the program in Israel, Switzerland, Singapore, Nigeria and China.
Article about Young Engineers (Deutsch)
Aricle über Young Engineers LEGO Programmen
Young Engineers Ukraine в лагере "Артек"
Дружная команда Youg Engineers Ukraine провели ряд уроков в Детском лагере "Артек". Нам очень понравилось работать с Вашими детками и мы надеемся, что в дальнейшем сотрудничество перерастет в крепкую дружбу.
e² on Franchise expo Live!
Amir Asor, e² Young Engineers Founder presents the education franchise opportunity details of Young Engineers, and why Education X Entertainment = Edutainment = e².
e² LEGO programme on Zuriplus (Deutsch)
Young Engineers LEGO programme on Zuriplus - an article from Zuriplus in German
Eduweek expo showcases various innovative forms of learning across Africa
It's going to change the way you tackle challenging subjects like Mathematics and Physics. An SABC sponsored expo, Eduweek at Gallagher Estate, in Midrand, showcases various innovative forms of learning across the continent.
Young Engineers on Fox & Friends USA
Check out Young Engineers on Fox & Friends 18.6.2014!


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No One Can Find the Phone Hidden in This Picture. Can You?
Posted on Sep 14, 2016
Is this a new, digitized form of "hide and seek" we all used to love and play so much as kids? The Internet loves these games that require a sharp eye, fast reactions, and remembering something no one else does. A phone hidden somewhere on this picture went viral.
Can you find it? To be honest, I couldn't.


text: Verdicts and Settlements In more than 70 years of practice, the attorneys at The Haynes Firm (formerly Arnold, Haynes & Sanders) have successfully obtained many substantial recoveries on behalf of clients. Please note that many of our settlements have been reached confidentially between the parties. This means that we cannot publish these results. However, lawyers at The Haynes Firm have achieved numerous multi-million dollar settlements for victims over the last decade, including settlements in excess of 4 and 5 million. A small sampling of cases our Firm has successfully prosecuted: Medical Malpractice: Failure to diagnose Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; Failure to diagnose Cauda Equina Syndrome; Failure to recognize and properly treat pediatric sepsis; Failure to properly treat stroke and heart attack/acute coronary syndrome; Failure to diagnose Breast Cancer; Failure to Diagnose Lung Cancer; Retained Objects/Sponges/Pads resulting in serious injury; failure to diagnose retinal detachment; Chiropractic Malpractice; Obstetrical Negligence causing Brain injury/damage to organs; Personal Injury: Defective Deck Repair causes injury; Drunk Drivers causing serious injuries; Defective Medical Products; Negligence towards Motorcyclists causing death/serious injuries; Dangerous conditions in a restaurant/retail environments; Serious Nursing Home abuse; Sexual abuse cases; Drag Racers causing injury/death; The following is a small sampling of verdicts and settlements our lawyers have reached: Filter by Category: - All Categories - Medical Malpractice Personal Injury Failure to Diagnose- $3,200,000.00 3,200,000 Price v. Murray, M.D., et al. (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville) Verdict awarded in case involving the failure to diagnose meningitis resulting in brain damage to an infant. Incorrectly Filled Prescription- $3,000,000.00 3,000,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement- $2,000,000.00 2,000,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement- $2,000,000.00 2,000,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement- $1,700,000.00 1,700,000 Brain Injury- $1,670,000.00 1,670,000 Burrow v. Sycamore Shoals Hospital and others (Circuit Court for Carter County at Elizabethton, Tennessee). Verdict awarded in a case involving a doctor's failure to recognize fetal distress in time to perform an emergency caesarian section and avoid brain injury to infant. 12 results found. Viewing page 1 of 2. Go to page 1 2 Next Disclaimer: Past verdicts and settlements are not necessarily indicative of what you should expect as results are dependent upon the specific facts and law associated with your particular case.


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I wrote about restaurant Malee in Delft before . But that was more than a year ago and based on my experience with them as a great Thai take away in Delft. But some time ago I had dinner inside the restaurant. I was a different experience than in most restaurants, so I decided to write about them again.
Malee rulez!
Why? Well, because the food is very good, it tastes just like in Thailand.
And because the restaurant is like a small living room. Where grandfather (I don't know if he is) picks up the phone while you are having dinner, or makes catering arrangements with a couple, just like he did when we were there.
There was a very calm and friendly young waiter, a student. He introduced the restaurant. Shook hands and was very helpful when I discovered that one of the dishes was quite spicy…
The atmosphere was very relaxed. I felt like being in someones home where everyone is welcome.
There is a set menu, we got a starter, main menu which consisted of different dishes with meat, fish of vegetarian food and a dessert, for about 19 Euro per person.
We were early so we had a table without a reservation, but if you want to eat there, call them in advance. After six you cannot just drop by and have a seat.
People from Delft know where to go concerning Thai food and now you know too!
Thai restaurant Malee / Voldersgracht 29 / +31(0)15 2120781


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Curved Chalet
Panorama, where this couple is constructing their dream chalet. With modern timber frame lines, mono pitched roof lines & large back deck, the perfect place to sit and admire the view of a thousand peaks with iconic Mount Nelson standing tall over the intimate, inviting village. There's nothing to remind you that there's a world out there. And in every direction, inspiring vistas to wonder at.


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GED Test & Certificate
Being competitive in today's workplace requires at least a high school education, and the General Education Development certificate - better known as the GED - is an equivalent certification earned by thousands of teenagers and adults each year. Earning a GED means passing a standardized test administered in locations across the country. More than 12 million Americans over the age of 15 hold GED certificates, which pave the way for those who want to enter the workforce or pursue secondary education goals at vocational schools and college campuses.
Why Earn a GED?
Earning a GED is an excellent decision for people who want to advance on their professional or academic paths. Many employers are as willing to hire someone with a GED as someone with a high school diploma, especially in jobs dependant on labor or vocational skills. In addition, many college admissions boards consider a GED certificate to be on par with standard high school credentials. The GED program was developed during World War II as a military entrance test for teenagers who hadn't finished high school. Obviously, the test has evolved over the years to reflect what students need to have learned by the time they finish the 12th grade.
A key strength of the GED program is how it opens doors for people who might otherwise be left behind for reasons beyond their control. Our education system is designed to guide students to earn diplomas during their teenage years before moving on to college or careers. However, life doesn't always follow this convenient script. For many reasons, thousands of teens are unable to finish high school along with their peers. A GED certificate can be earned at any time, allowing adults to take their GED tests whenever they're ready to do so. In addition, teens who are struggling academically or socially in high school may opt to earn GEDs early and move on.
Although GED certificates and high school diplomas reflect the same accumulation of knowledge, there are still perceived differences between the credentials. Some employers may be reluctant to hire a GED holder over others with standard diplomas, while competitive research universities may also refrain from accepting GED holders. However, earning a GED certainly opens doors both academically and professionally. People who have earned their GEDs should be competitive for most entry-level positions that don't require prior experience or college educations, and those pursuing higher education can eventually transfer into higher-tier universities.
GED Practice Tests
Preparing for the GED test is extremely important for those who plan on taking it. The GED test is a highly regulated exam that takes several hours to complete, and it can't be taken lightly. People can retake the GED test if they fail, but tests can only be taken at certain times and in specific locations. The easiest way forward is to pass on the first time.
Online GED practice tests can get people ready for their big days. These tests are structured in the same manner as actual GED tests, and they're often interactive to point out mistakes along the way. In addition to containing the subject matter of the GED tests, these online practice exams also ask questions in the same way as the real thing. Some online GED test preparation courses also include forums, online chats and other instructional materials to help people get ready. Not everyone needs to enroll in GED prep courses, but these programs are often helpful for adults who've been out of the classroom for several months or years. Free GED tests found online can also be used for practice, although verifying the validity of free online practice tests is more difficult. Paid GED preparation services are much more likely to update their test materials with more current question structures and subject matters.
If online prep courses aren't your thing, you can also consider enrolling in GED practice courses at college campuses in your area. Unlike online practice tests, in-person GED prep courses provide the benefits of classmates and instructors to improve the learning process. In these classes, you can answer practice questions while getting immediate feedback on what you could do better or differently. Many people who would struggle in online classrooms tend to do better with in-person settings.
GED Test Requirements
The GED is a time-intensive test covering the subjects of writing, natural science, math, social studies and reading. The time spent on each portion of the test varies by state. Generally, test takers have two hours for the writing portion, 90 minutes for math, 80 minutes for natural science, 70 minutes for social studies and 65 minutes for reading. Knowing how your test is administered can help you choose the GED practice course that most adequately prepares you for your exam.
Before taking the GED, check with your state's department of education to make sure you are eligible for the exam. Most states require test takers to be at least 16 years old while having proper identification, such as a driver's license or passport.
Roughly 40 percent of high school seniors fail the GED test on their first try. When retaking the test, only sections that weren't passed the first time need to be completed again. Different states may have limits on how many times people can take the test in one year, and certain states may also require testing fees for sections that must be repeated. A total of 2250 points are needed to pass the GED, and it's possible to pass each individual section without eclipsing the necessary total point requirement. If that's the case, then the test must be retaken. Low scores on test sections are thrown out, meaning people can never be harmed by taking the GED more than once.


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Upside down orange balloons make for the perfect pumpkin with a little green pipe cleaner stem. Add a spooky face with vinyl cut-outs and these balloons are almost as good as the real thing!
I freehand cut a range of spooky and silly faces from peel and stick removable vinyl for these pumpkin faces, but a black Sharpie would also do the trick!
Head to Design Improvise for the exact supplies and directions, as well as for more creative ideas.
I'm in love with this fun Halloween wreath made with ping pong balls and googly eyes. Googly eyes are one of my all-time favorite crafting supplies, especially for Halloween. Our googly eyes halloween wreath makes everybody smile, especially our kids.
To find out exactly how to make this fun decoration head to Number 2 Pencil.
What is Halloween without monsters?? Or should I say…monster candy buckets? These silly monsters are perfect as a treat bag (bucket) for any upcoming Halloween party, or something fun to give to the kids. They are incredibly simple to make and you can get so creative with each monster face. Plus they are just plain cute!
For directions and list of supplies, as well as other great ideas head to Tell Love and Party.
It's just unfortunate that Halloween decorations are so darn expensive when you can easily make a lot of them from cheap materials you probably already have at home…. hence, DIY TRASH BAG SPIDERWEBS! They really do look pretty cool in a window, especially with a few little creepy spiders crawling on them.
Head to Fast Forward for directions on how to make your own Trash Bag Spiderwebs!
Ping Pong Ball Ghost Lights – a spooky and fun Halloween project! I first discovered this DIY Halloween Decor on Craft Passion – made out of ping pong balls, gauze squares, and Mod Podge. I added my own twist to display them, though…read on to find out!
Head to Unoriginal Mom for this awesome and easy tutorial!
My inspiration for our Halloween soap idea came from a cool site which actually made soap with LEGO! I definitely thought we could make Halloween soap to leave by our sinks. Even if you don't decorate much for Halloween, this would be such a cute item to add for a little punch of Halloween decor. Plus it will encourage periodic hand washing too! Making Halloween soap is super quick and easy once you have your supplies.
Head to Little Bins for Little Hands for the instructions!
In the spirit of my love for fun and easy holiday crafts, today we're making a Halloween candy inspired chocolate truffle party garland! This started as a quick, off the cuff idea for a DIY tutorial and quickly evolved into one of my favorite Halloween party ideas of the season. Inspired by the flavors and gorgeous packaging of my favorite Seattle Chocolates truffles, this is the ultimate homage to Halloween candy, bringing together the most decadent of chocolate flavors and super cute party decor. It's really easy to make, too! You just need a whole big stash of your favorite truffle flavors, floral wire and ribbon. (Make sure to have extra truffles handy for snacking, too!)
For directions and more great ideas, head to The Sweet Occasion.
Spray paint is the best. It's an instant makeover in a can. The last couple of years, my halloween and holiday decor has been a little more on the colorless side, with lots of black and white. Orange pumpkins just won't do. But, a quick coat of Design Master's Rose Gold paint, and I've got fancy mini pumpkins.
All good parties have a favor, and these cute little Jack O' Lantern succulent planters are sure to be a hit. I added simple black paper flags with guest's names so that these favors could double as place cards as well.
For more information, directions, and other great ideas head to Oleander and Palm.
Candlelight is a fairly traditional Halloween decoration, but take it up a notch by making your candles extra spooky. You'll need multiple white candles and one red candle, and something to light the candles. Simply light the red candle and let it burn until it starts to melt and is ready to drip wax. At that point, hold the candle over your white candles and allow the red wax to drip down the side creating the illusion of blood dripping. Simple but effective.
For mode information and other great ideas, head to Live Playfully.


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Moleskine Doodles: Drawings by Kerby Rosanes
Intricate drawings consisting of whimsical lines, patterns, characters and little elements that are spontaneously combined to create each composition.
Moleskine Doodles is a project I started last year with the aim of practicing the skill of drawing spontaneously. Using Uni Pin Fine Liners and a Moleskine pocket sketchbook, this series of illustration features my doodle creatures combined with interesting animals, monsters, random characters and other subjects that interest me.See also Sagaki Keita's work.


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The cobbled Classics have become a natural testing ground and launchpad for manufacturers' latest bump-taming designs, and 2013 has been no different from the norm in this respect. We've seen bikes like Trek's Domane and Specialized's Roubaix SL4 breaking cover at these races in the past years. This year it's the turn of Cannondale with a new Synapse and Bianchi with their updated Infinito.
The eagle eyed will have noticed that it wasn't a Cannondale SuperSix Evo, the team's regular bike, that Peter Sagan rode to victory at Gent-Wevelgem. It was something else. Something new. Sagan and most of the team were riding the new bike at Ronde Van Vlaanderen too, though we spotted a few SuperSix's being used as well.
We're guessing here, using our best detective skills, that it's an update to the Synapse. It might not even be called the Synapse, it could be an entirely new model, as it carried no identifying decals. The Synapse is Cannondale'ssportive/endurance/comfort (choose your pigeon hole) bike. It's been around for a few years, and with all the recent focus on the Evo, it's high time the Synapse benefited from an update. Nothing wrong with the old one, but that's the pace of development for you. We liked it very much when we reviewed it.
What we can deduce from looking at this new model is that it's a SuperSix designed with comfort in mind. The chainstays have a flattened mid section and the seatstays are very skinny and tapered. Along with the shaped fork which has a dramatic curve to the trailing edge, these look designed to offer a small degree of flex. Unlike the SuperSix Evo's, both gear cables are routed internally, and the brake cable flows inside the top tube.
There's a new seat tube clamp, which looks to be borrowed from the Slice time trial bike. The down tube visibly tapers from hugely oversized at the head tube to a much smaller diameter tube at the bottom bracket. And if you look very closely, you can see there's a unique split seat tube at the bottom bracket, just below the front mech clamp.
What this? Juan Antonio Flecha on a new Bianchi Infinito? We reviewed the current model not so long ago, but this looks like a major overhaul of their endurance/comfort model. We expect it to borrow some of the carbon technology from the Oltre XR with a similar tapered head tube (the current Infinito doesn't have a tapered head tube) and BB30 bottom bracket. There's a lot of shaping of the chainstays, which bend inwards towards the rear wheel, and very slender seatstays which stay apart right up to the seat tube junction. There's some distinctive shaping of the head tube. The cables appear to be routed internally as well, as they are with the old model. No official word from Bianchi yet although they've invited us to a press launch this Thursday, so stay tuned for that ...
Tom Boonen and his Omega Pharma Quick Step team mates were using the regular Specialized Tarmac SL4, rather than the Roubaix SL4 that was designed for races like Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The cobbles of Flanders, while still rough, are much smoother than those found at this weekend's race and, with a large chunk of roads to race on, the Tarmac SL4 seemed to be the preferred choice. The team bikes were all very similarly built: SRAM Red groupsets, Zipp 303 wheels with FMB Paris-Roubaix 25mm tubular tyres, and Zipp bars, stem and seatposts.
Boonen was riding the stock Red chainset while some of the team, like Sylvain Chavanel, were using the Quarq power cranks.
Jurgen Roelandts rode his Ridley Fenix to a podium finish, finishing behind Cancellara and Sagan. The Fenix sits alongside the Helium SL and Noah Fast and has a completely new rear end. There's a wishbone seatstay design with slim seatstays, flatter and narrower in the middle, designed to flex in order to absorb vibrations caused by riding over rough roads. Naturally, there's a tapered head tube as befits any modern frame. There's also internally routed cables, and it's Campagnolo EPS (electronic shifting) compatible. The Lotto-Belisol were using Record EPS for this race. We still spotted a few Helium SLs, but most of the team were on the Fenix.
This bike is built up with Campagnolo Bora Ultra Two 50mm carbon tubs with Continental Competition Pro Limited ProTection tyres, Deda carbon seatpost, Zero 100 stem and Newton shallow drop handlebars. A San Marco Regale saddle completes the package.
Team Blanco opted for Giant's Defy Advanced SL instead of the TCR or Propel. Like the Roubaix and Synapse, it's a bike designed for rough roads like those of the Spring Classics. The seatstays form a very small rear triangle by joining the seat tube below the top tube and this is claimed to help the frame absorb the vibrations caused by the cobbles.
The frame has an integrated seat mast, which adds to the comfort factor, and there's a tapered head tube up front. Other changes, on the production bikes at least, are the taller head tube and longer chainstays, with a shorter top tube. Frame weight is an impressive claimed 799g.
Most of the Team Sky riders, including Luke Rowe (above), where riding the DogmaK. We profiled this bike in detail from Gent-Wevelgem, but to recap, it's the endurance/comfort version of the Dogma 65.1 Think 2 that they use the rest of the year. You can detect clear differences between the two at the rear of the frame.
Another thing to notice is how much the chain is flapping about. A lot of riders were tackling the long Oude Kwaremont in the big ring, but riders further back in the bunch were conserving energy in the small ring. Luke has also pushed his SRM unit down and presumably out of sight. Clearly the feedback from his legs was enough information, and didn't need to know how many watts he was churning out.
The seatstays are slender in profile with a slight arc, and they meet at the seat tube rather than having the wishbone layout of the Dogma 65.1. The fork is different as well. Geraint Thomas, however, chose the Dogma 65.1 Think 2.
Fabian Cancellara conquered all to win the race aboard his Trek Domane. And most of the Radioshack team were riding the same Domane. Here's the standard team colour scheme, which looks rather cool. Stijn Devolder (above) has the course information taped to the top tube for easy reference. Unlike Fabian who prefers a mechanical groupset, Devolder is running Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed groupset, but with 7800 cranks so he can use his SRM power meter. The same Bontrager Aeolus 5 wheels as Fabian too, with natty white spokes. Tyres are FMB Paris-Roubaix 25mm tubs used on all the team bikes.
This is Tyler Farrar on his R3. The Cervelo R3 may have been around for a few years now, but it's still a very good bike, and is the default choice for Team Garmin Sharp. I'm not sure about the grey colour scheme this year, personally. Mavic 50mm Cosmic Carbone tubulars for all the team with Mavic branded tubs.
Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 11-speed groupset, Rotor cranks and chainrings, Arundel steel cages, Mavic Cosmic Carbon wheels and 3T cockpit, including the new Integra stem with integrated Garmin Edge mount.
Changing gear when you're bouncing over the cobbles can be tough. This Blanco rider has fitted a set of Shimano Di2 remote shifters to the middle section of the handlebar, so he can change gear while still clasping the tops. And look at the stack of spacers under his stem - that's a high rise by professional standars. He's also gone for course notes taped to the 12cm stem. Not all pro riders go slammed and stretched.
Course profile notes taped to the stem is a popular addition for some, but not all, riders at this race. It helps to know what is coming up.
Team Blanco's Maarten Wijnants has the course notes taped to his top tube.
Here's a closer look.
BMC have the GranFondo model for rough races like this, but most of the team were riding the TeamMachine. I didn't spot one GranFondo at all. Here's Thor Hushovd, who isn't having the best of times at the moment. He's using Shimano C50 carbon tubular wheels, Shimano 7900 mechanical 10-speed groupset and a 3T cockpit. And are those Assos gloves? Yes they are. The team is sponsored by Pearl Izumi. And yes, that is a Castelli Gabba jersey. Oh, and Hincapie overshoes as well - last year's sponsor.
You spot some unusual things if you look hard enough. BMC rider Adam Blythe was wearing some very funky custom Nike shoes. Nike doesn't produce cycling shoes for the public like it used to, but the company still makes shoes for a few select riders. It looks a bit like a Bont with a large flap over the front of the shoe and a Boa dial.
Castelli gloves for this Ag2r-La Mondiale rider. Their clothing sponsor is ODLO. It's great marketing for Castelli when even riders with whom they don't have a sponsorship agreement are using their kit.
Gustav Erik Larsson has been rocking the new Giro Air Attack helmet and these odd white sunglasses this season, and standing out in the peloton. No idea if the shades are a bet or he's trying to start a new trend.
The Castelli Gabba, a short sleeve windproof/water resistant racing cut jersey was popular with non-Castelli teams at Milan-San Remo. But this is Vermarc's take on the Gabba. We've got no info about it so we're left to presume it's a work in progress. It appears to be a similar design though, with short sleeves down to the elbows, dropped tail, three pockets and, we presume, a wind-resistant fabric.
More evidence of deep-section wheels, this time Campagnolo's Bora Ultra 50mm carbon tubular on Europcar's Colnago. This rider on the Molenberg climb was using the company's M10 while most of the team were on the C59.
This is how you wear leg warmers for easier removal later in the race.
We see a lot of non-sponsored kit at races like this, as the weather and demands of the race push the riders to make personal choices. This is Zdenek Stybar wearing a pair of Assos gloves. His Omega Pharma Quick Step team aren't sponsored by Assos.
Taping of the valve holes is an old trick to stop the valve rattling in the rim.
You can see all the 2013 WorldTour bikes here.
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.


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Venue - Rowan University
IEEE SAS 2017 will be held at Rowan University. Rowan is located in Glassboro, New Jersey, which is about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia.
Room Block
SAS 2017 has a room block reserved at the Marriott Courtyard Glassboro - Rowan University. The hotel is located on the edge of Rowan University's campus, which makes it the most convenient place to stay during the conference. The room rate is $129.
Please contact Jacqueline Jules (firstname.lastname@example.com) in order to reserve your room at the conference rate.
The closest major airport is Philadelphia International Airport. A taxi ride from the airport will take about 30 minutes. There are also buses and the Amtrak available--you can find more information here or on the Philadelphia International Airport website.


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Call 911
If you think that a friend or loved one might be suicidal, you need to take action. Always take suicidal threats seriously.
Signs that a person is at risk of committing suicide include:
- Extreme hopelessness
- Withdrawal from friends and family
- Talking a lot about death or suicide
- Trying to get access to pills, firearms, or other possible means of suicide
- Reckless behavior
- Giving away belongings or saying goodbye
If you think your friend is at risk, here's what you can do.
1. Talk to Your Friend
- Ask your friend if he or she is thinking about suicide. Be direct. Contrary to what you might assume, you can't make someone suicidal by asking about it.
- Try to stay supportive and not judgmental.
- Ask your friend if he or she has a specific plan in mind. When people have settled on a specific means of committing suicide, they're at higher risk.
2. Get Help
- If you think your friend is in danger, stay with him or her if you can. Don'tleave a suicidal person alone.
- Call 911, take the person to an emergency room, or contact a crisis hotline like 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
- Get support from other friends and family members, even if your friend asks you not to. It's too serious to keep secret -- and you can't keep your friend safe all on your own.
- If your friend has been seeing a mental health professional (therapist, counselor, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist), call them and make them aware of the situation.


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We do not recommend purchasing a key system component without first auditioning it carefully, which is why we have demonstration rooms and a flexible home loan policy.
However in certain situations it can be difficult for people to get to our showroom and for those instances we can offer our mail order service.
If you would like to audition a SW1X Audio Design product(s) at home , we offer a 14 day trial period.
Following some questions about your audio system, to gauge suitability, we will ship the product(s) within the usual 2-3 week delivery period following receipt of payment in full.
You then have 14 days to evaluate them. If for some reason the item is not to your satisfaction, your money will be refunded following safe return of the unit(s).
All we ask is that the equipment is returned in the same condition in which it left the factory.
We accept payment by Check, Bank Transfer or Paypal (3% additional charge).