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The owner of an Ingoldmells takeaways has been found guilty of food hygiene offences following an inspection by Food Safety Officers from East Lindsey District Council.
Appearing at Lincoln Magistrates' Court yesterday, Monday, September 19, Mohammed Ejaz , the proprietor of Oceana takeaway in Ingoldmells, pleaded guilty to seven food safety offences including failure to keep the premise and equipment clean and failure to control food safety hazards.
The Magistrate imposed a fine of £1,750 and required Mr jaz to pay £4,676 in cost, plus a victim surcharge of £25.
Upon visiting the premises, Food Safety Officers found dirty surfaces and equipment, rusty pizza trays and microwave; and badly scored chopping boards. Those handling food were not wearing protective clothing and documented food safety procedures were not available.
The District Council's Environmental Health Manager, Mike Harrison, said: "Poor food hygiene is unacceptable and the Council will take action against any food business that falls short of the required food hygiene standards.
"In this case the owner of Oceana takeaway in Ingoldmells was failing in his duty to ensure the food preparation area was clean, with equipment, floors, walls and work surfaces throughout the premises dirty."


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Created after World War II, the Black Russian Terrier is one of the newest breeds in the world. Bred to be a powerful guard dog, this breed has a sharp sense of smell and double coat to protect him from harsh climates. Highly intelligent, the Black Russian Terrier is used by the Russian military. This easily trained breed needs moderate exercise, and his ruffled double coat requires extensive grooming.
The Red Star military kennel in Moscow developed the Black Russian Terrier to be part of the Soviet Union's national security force. Seventeen breeds were used to create the Black Russian Terrier including the Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler, Airedale Terrier, and Newfoundland.
Whether it's basic obedience, flying disc or running, it's easy to unlock your dog's hidden potential with our free Purina Pro Plan P5 training app, available for IOS and Android.

subset: commoncrawl


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More posts tagged:
dailydavid / WebLinks
- I love that Snoop Dogg recorded an ode to Sookie Stackhouse.
- If you want to really know what the difference is between Apple and every other technology company, read what Daring Fireball said about FaceTime. Just remember that most of us — including me, and I've been a computer programmer for almost twenty years — are "normal" people.
- Snooki Saved My Marriage: "[E]very combination of two good things does not equal a peanut butter and chocolate moment."
- The Vatican has officially endorsed The Blues Brothers and said it should be recommended viewing for Catholics everywhere.
- A Field Guide to WiFi Users at Starbucks
- How I Lost My 1K Status on United is a great story.
- Who doesn't love other people's cats?
- "… [E]mployees who volunteered felt more connected to their companies and were more likely to work harder on tasks, … spoke positively about their employer in public and were less likely to daydream, cyber loaf or take extra time off work."
- It is no surprise at all that Jeff Demps is number one on Heisman Pundit's Ten Fastest College Football Players for 2010.
- The Big 12 somehow managed to stay alive.
- EDSBS compares sports leagues to religions, and makes sense.
- Did USC get railroaded?


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Donate to CRAMBA-IMBA
Recent Posts
Monthly Archives: October 2013
July 2013 Chapter Meeting
The July 2013 CRAMBA Chapter meeting minutes have been uploaded and can be found here: CRAMBA Chapter Meeting Minutes 7:9:2013
Posted in Chapter Meetings, Chapter News, Meeting minutes Comments Off on July 2013 Chapter Meeting
STIHL Tools Repurchased!
Thanks to the generosity of our members and donors CRAMBA-IMBA has replaced all of our power tools that were stolen in July! With $2265 in cash donations (and a backpack blower valued at $259.99) we were able to outright purchase … Continue reading
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The Cliches of Children's Hospital Advertising, and How to Avoid Them.
When it comes to cranking out generic, cliche-ridden advertising, children's hospitals are unfortunately one of the biggest offenders. Not quite on the level of mattress stores, but close. Most efforts fall into one of two camps: blatant chest-beating or cloying, emotional manipulation.
And it's not hard to understand why. No parent wants to think about their child being sick. And when the stakes are as high as they often are in children's medicine, taking risks to stand out from the clutter is much harder than it is in, say, travel or retail advertising. What's more, most of these organizations are run by medical professionals, not marketers. They are rational decision makers, and probably assume their audiences are as well. But as the healthcare industry continues to evolve and become more and more customer-centric, hospital advertising should evolve too. Here are a few ways to avoid these common cliches.
Skip the kid's stuff. Crayon-drawn logos and cutesy kid voiceovers are much too prevalent. It's almost as if people forget that the audience for a children's hospital is not children, it's their parents and the pediatricians who refer them. So why do many leading institutions adopt childish logos, color schemes, music, etc? Probably because it makes things seem less serious. But if you really think about the audience, a look and feel that is approachable yet instills confidence is much more appropriate. The kid stuff can come alive within the hospital walls, not in the outward-facing messaging.
Don't tug too hard on the heartstrings. Nothing makes a viewer's eyes well up faster than a sick or vulnerable child. But this particular tactic can come off as extremely manipulative, especially in channels that are aimed at wider audiences. Save the scarier imagery for digital channels where audiences have already identified themselves as needing specialty care. Hospitals already face the challenge that no one likes to think they will ever need one. Reminding them of the worst-case scenario only exacerbates that problem.
Reframe "expertise" on your own terms. Every hospital has expert doctors. Every hospital has really good expert doctors. Every hospital has really good expert doctors that are highly ranked and know how to bend down and talk to your kid at eye level. This is not news, it is table stakes. So the challenge is to present expertise in a way that feels relevant to parents and authentic to your particular institution, without all the bragging and chest-beating that most people have learned to tune out. In all of our work for Children's National, we're very careful to avoid sounding overly self-congratulatory, and to always present both parents and doctors as equal partners in the quest to keep their kids healthy.
Put a new spin on testimonials. Positive outcomes are obviously what everybody wants. But again, they are not a differentiator for any particular hospital or system. And it's much harder than it seems to produce really honest, compelling before-and-after testimonials with children. They tend to sound forced, or blend together into a sea of sameness. Make sure any stories you tell have great storylines with a few truly interesting twists. In the newest spot in our "Grow Up Stronger" campaign for Children's National Health System, we used real patient stories, culled from the past 70 years. But we presented them in reverse chronological order, from oldest to youngest. Seeing the progression play out draws the viewer in, avoids feeling overly cute or manipulative, and reinforces Children's National's legacy of helping kids and families in the DC area. They represent a living, breathing version of what it truly means to Grow Up Stronger.
What other hospital ad cliches should be avoided like the plague? Tell us in the comments.


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To ensure environmental sustainability, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, led by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), jointly launched the National Environment & Water (NEW) Scholarship in late July 2008.
The NEW Scholarship is an open public scholarship (overseas/local) with a focus on the environment and water sector. NEW Scholars can join either NEA or PUB. There are also opportunities for both undergraduates and fresh graduates to pursue Mid-Term and Masters Scholarship.
If you have any enquiries, please submit via the Online Feedback Form


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Last week I had the chance to visit the campus of one of the great public universities in the country – the University of California at Berkeley. It was my first trip to the city and the campus and was a memorable one. Not only does Berkeley's hilltop location provide an excellent view of the North Bay and the city of San Francisco and its towering bridges, but the campus was beautiful and brought me back to my college years, although I attended a much smaller university. What I will remember most, however, is a prominent display near the student union and the bookstore. It was entitled "How I Feel About Berkeley." The display was a long wall of beautiful black and white photos featuring the faces of current Berkeley students – the classes of 2010 to 2013. Although the photos were black and white, it truly was a rainbow of color and diversity. Each student had his or her name displayed and a chance to provide a caption at the bottom of the photo. Besides English, there were comments in a multitude of languages. But these students were not from abroad. The Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Hebrew, Portuguese, Hindi, Thai, Hmong, and other languages that these students understood and proudly displayed came from their homes. In California. You could see it in their faces; these were not foreign students. As I gazed at the faces staring back at me, each commenting on what the university meant to them or how it changed their lives, I had the distinct impression that they (including their contemporaries in all shapes and colors at the top universities in the country) are the future. These kids, not much younger than I am, were what the country must depend on and who will ultimately change the world as we know it. I was holding my daughter at the time and as we were beckoned to leave the display by my departing party, I turned to her, all of two and a half years, and whispered, "Say goodbye to the future of your country."
Filed under: Thoughts | 1 Comment »


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Data Vault with ODE
Data Vault is a Data Warehousing methodology. Learn more about it here. ODE is a config-driven engine for building and managing Data Vaults.
At the moment ODE only works with MS SQL Server. Refer here for the latest ODE installation.
Modelling a Data Vault with ODE
Refer our approach for ODE Data Vault structure. This article describes ODE DV objects naming convention you can follow.
Configuring with ODE
Make sure you are running the latest version of ODE. This article helps if you have ODE installed, but you don't know its version. If your version is ODE v2, some of the following articles are irrelevant to you. Either upgrade to the latest version or use ODE v2 scripts.
Refer a quick start to build your first Data Vault ensemble based on Adventure Works table in a few minutes.
Ready to start with the real data? Use this article to configure a Hub and Satellite. Then use this article to configure a Link.
Managing the Data Vault with ODE
Once Data Vault is configured, build physical tables.
ODE engine allows scheduling the data loads and releasing configuration to another environment.
Query builder could help with selecting the data from Data Vault.
Once your Data Vault is up and running, use this article to monitor data loads and troubleshoot exceptions.
Other Cool Features
Use Metrics Vault to audit and capture all the pretty data about your Data Vaults.
Any two Data Vault objects could be reconciled against each other, just let ODE know how to match fields from both sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got stuck? Maybe one of the following articles could help.
ODE Config Structure
ODE Config Entity Relationship Diagram
Should Business Keys be Stored as Concatenated Keys or Separate Fields in the Hub?
How To Implement a Link in ODE?
How To Implement Same-As or Hierarchical Link
Where do you Store Point in Time for Information for a Link
Why do Queries, used to load Links often use DISTINCT?
How To Create Calculated Fields
How Does ODE Deal with Start / End Dating of Satellites
Should the Business Keys be retained on the Satellite?
What are Tombstone Rows and why does ODE have them?
Why do we use specify a Unique Row Key on Satellite Tables?
Why do we Record the Source of each Row in a Satellite?
Why do we Capture all Column Detail in the Configuration Database?
Delta load
How To Do an Incremental Release
Business rules
Physical tables
How to Create Missing Vault Objects


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The inevitable is upon me. Romance week has arrived. Ugghh.
I've been mulling since Joy on what I could possibly say. Because believe me, Victoria's secret shall remain just that.
Perhaps the gods may be shining upon me as I am without connection to the world in this moment and possibly for the next week – no internet, no landlines, and sporadic weak cell service. Never has happened. A month's worth of rain falling in 36 hours swelled rivers around us into floods never seen before. We are beyond grateful for being dry at home even with intercommunication wiped out.
Our main link to the world is the satellite TV signal that still manages to find its way through the rain. As I watch the news for updates, a man who refused to evacuate is interviewed. Gerry explains how his turned around troubled past made him decide to stay.
He awoke this morning to the sun shining, his house still standing and reaffirmed the lesson his life is demonstrating – "I'm alive … a new beginning, it just reminds me that there's always another day."
I did a double take. "New beginning?"
This has been the only insight I've received during the many weeks of romantic mullings.
New beginnings.
I think that's the lure of romance, a chance to capture newness all over again. Full possibility ahead. You get to dream about where the unknown might lead and feel the thrill of what if! There's a heightened sense of connection and just being you.
Just. Being. You. – the most natural thing in the world that can be so difficult to do.
There's no other feeling in the world quite like being seen for who we truly are and not what others may perceive us to be. No pretenses and no expectations.
Just you.
Loved for being yourself and loving being yourself – the makings of a blissful life indeed.
Living Bliss is a jump-in-with-both-feet look at where Life bumps into the everyday – whether at work, play or times in between. Bliss knows no separation in the end. From a deeper dive into the ordinary pops forward the extraordinary life we search for – and has been there waiting for us to be.
Not quite a crazy cat lady – yet? – Lorraine's insatiable curiosity of life leads her to explore, question and push beyond the box. A self-professed "left-brained creative big picture idea" type, she has an intuitive knack for seeing possibility everywhere and in everyone, and is a moth-to-flame for being part of turning possibility into reality. More of Lorraine's musings can be found on her blog.


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Job Description
Tangent International are seeking an experienced Programmer to work on a Major 6 month project for a leading Global Pharmaceutical organisation based in Greater London.
The role will involveworking in the biometrics and Information Sciences division which which will involve programming aspects of clinical development
Strong experience of Programming within the Pharmaceutical Industry is essential. As is knowledge of Database set up, report publishing requirements and knowledge of CDSIC standards.
In addition to the above working with programming languages such as S-PLUS, XML etc would also be key
If you have the above experience and you are interested in this exciting opportunity please send a copy of your current cv to me urgently!


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I don't know when – or if – the high water will disable the Army Corps of Engineers' electronic Stillwater river gage, but it looks like we'll have another method of observing the river levels:
Yes, that's a giant ruler. The third red line from the top is 694 feet above sea level, just below the record 1965 crest of 694.1 feet. (It's easier to see if you click on the photo for an enlargement.)
Here's another view, giving you some perspective on how much higher the water would need to rise to beat the record… and enable me to win the "guess the crest" contest.
That would be a little more than eight feet higher than the level when I took these photos.
Other views from the weekend:
A KSTP-TV satellite truck and minivan behind the Water Street Inn
South Lowell Park:
The Lowell Park gazebo:
The north riverfront parking lot, with concrete jersey barriers in place and ready to form the base of a temporary levee. While the city waits for the river to either flood or recede for the season, some of downtown's largest parking lots are empty, used for neither cars nor a levee:
The orange fence in the foreground is the closest the public can get to the waterfront.


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Monday, September 19, 2016
There's a hall with golden Buddhas and they're really majestic. You're not supposed to take pictures inside this hall, so I took pictures from outside the door, am I still guilty?
There's also a hall where you can do calligraphy and it really looks interesting, but we didn't do it because it will take like 1 hour. I actually really wanted to do it but we did have other places to go that day. So we just walked around the compound and I really like the whole spacious and clean feel to it.
The Guan Yin statue at the back is really tall and I wonder how they made that. There's actually a water offering that you can do, but we didn't know how to do that, so we didn't do it :( By the way, I'm not sure why there's a black spot at this picture of mine. My camera must be quite dirty :(
I know that there's a smaller van bus coming into the monastery at 11:30 AM. We were early so stupid me decided to wait somewhere else instead of the waiting area because it was hot. We went down at 11:15 and found out that there's not enough space for all 4 of us. It struck me that there's one difficulty of travelling with many people. If I had been alone, I would have made it into the bus. So we made the walk down the main road, but we always could not get into the small van buses that passed by because there's not enough seats for all of us. We ended up taking a taxi again just as we did that morning to the nearest MTR station, Tai Po Market. It seemed to me it's never difficult to get a taxi in Hong Kong, they seem to always be available. So anyways, we then made another long way to Po Lin Monastery to see the big Buddha. When we reached there, we were pretty tired but we made it up the stairs to see the Big Buddha up close. We're quite high up and it's misty in the area.
I've been there before in my first visit to Hong Kong with Dewi, but we didn't explore all the areas. This time I wanted to explore more. I know that there's a Wisdom Path and I wanted to do that. What I didn't know was that it would be quite far. My family was behind me and though I had tried to walk slower than my usual self, for some reason I was always faster. I couldn't really explain what we're walking to see, but I just walked even though I knew maybe it would be too tiring for them. After some time, I just walked on without even bothering to look back if they're still following. I thought if they're tired, they could just stop and wait where they are. Turned out they didn't stop and really walked all the way to where the woods with carvings of what I could only explain to my mom like bible verses for Buddhism are are located.
I was actually pretty proud that they made it. After that we went to the Monastery. Mom was actually not keen because she thought we're running out of time, but I'm glad we did. The monastery is pretty cool. It even had a hall of ten thousand Buddhas where it's all golden inside. In fact all of the Buddhas we've seen on this trip seemed to be golden. Again like in Tsz Shan, the monastery here follows the same layout in their compound. I guess it's because there are rules and it's universal all over the world. For example, usually there are 2 guards on the left and right of the first entrance and I remember seeing this also in Japan. Below is a picture of 2 of the heavenly kings. There are 4 of them, 2 at each side.
After this we continued on to the leg of the trip that I really didn't enjoy and really didn't want to do. We were going to The Peak. I really didn't want to do this, but my mom thought that Madame Tussauds would be interesting for my cousin, so off we went. The reason why I didn't want to go because I still remember of the long queue me and Dewi had to endure the last time. This time around was the same. We managed to cut a bit of the queue waiting for the tram because we bought 2 packages that included Madame Tussauds, but still the queue was very long. We had to wait for like the 3rd tram to come before we could get in. I think the whole operation was very bad actually. They just stuffed people into the boarding area without counting how many people could fill the tram. Then when the doors were opened, people were pushing and jostling to get into the tram :( When we were in the tram, I heard a lady speaking loudly, I think she's unhappy with the other tourists who pushed her mother or someone who's quite old that I think she got hurt. What should be a nice experience for them turned really bad :(
When we're done, it was a really really long queue to get on the tram back. I was really tired and annoyed but somehow I survived the 1 hour plus queue. Seriously I think The Peak and its tram is overrated. I wonder if there's a timing where it is not crowded and things can be more civilized, but overall I think the effort to visit it doesn't equal the satisfaction. My mom often tells me that I'm somewhat selfish, well she just likes to criticize me on everything, she'll be on everyone else's team before she be on mine. Anyways, I'll be putting this as an example of me doing something that I didn't want to do, but do it anyway for others. If it's left to me I would have just gone to see the mid-autumn lanterns outside the Hong Kong Space Museum. The grand one is actually at Victoria Park, but strangely this is only held for a few days starting the evening we left, so I wouldn't have been able to go. Very strange, things like this in Singapore will be held for 1 month at least for the tourists.
There were not many people there as I have read people writing about this place, which is quite a shame because it's a really nice place and it's free. I guess its location which is not really in the center of the city may make people feel lazy to go to it. We found our way to Chi Lin Nunnery easy enough. Very lucky because I started to wonder if I missed a sign or something which I am prone to do. Recently I read that it's built in 1934 so it's quite old compared to Nan Lian Garden who's 10 years old this year. However Chi Lin Nunnery is so well maintained that it doesn't look old at all. Again the layout of the compound is the same as the monasteries we visited the day before. The Buddha statues here are also golden. Its courtyards are really nice, they looked bright white under the hot sun and they're dotted with the greeneries of a lot of bonsai-styled plants.
After this we went to see my aunt and uncle again to say goodbye and had yum cha. First my aunt brought us to a Chinese shop and market nearby because my cousin wanted to buy some things. It was quite interesting seeing the market where actual Hong Kongers go. It was also interesting going to the yum cha place. I don't know if the one we went to is popular but there were many people. This is like what I have seen on TV. A place where I'm not sure I can handle going on my own because the menu doesn't come in English and I think many of the staffs don't speak English either. My aunt ordered way too many things. Some are common like what I have seen in Singapore. Others were quite unique. I like the whole experience. After that we went to the airport.
:) eKa @ 4:46:00 PM • 0 comments
Saturday, September 17, 2016
I think the most interesting thing about the whole thing is that all around are just buildings where actual people live. I don't know if I can handle that. Living near a tourist attraction where there are so many tourists all the time, where it's always crowded and noisy. Below is a picture of the buildings by the side of St. Paul's Ruins. I spotted some people sitting around a table. You could see it too in this picture, second balcony from the top. Immediately I knew they must be playing something and funnily in the midst of all the tourists' noise, I faintly heard the sound of tiles being moved around and I guessed it right, they must be playing Mahjong.
So anyway, I was eager to leave all these crowds and made my way north where the crowd were lesser and there were more buildings where the locals live and truly this fascinated me most about my time there. I am truly curious how the local Macanese live. What the inside of their houses look like and how they really think about the so many tourists around. Eventually I reached Camões Garden where I think I was the only tourist there. There were many locals just enjoying their Saturday evening. I was trying to take picture of the nice tile and this boy and his ball came into shot. Then he looked at me and I took another picture of him and showed it to him and he smiled :)
Deeper into the garden there's more greenery, less people. The only ones were just locals hanging out or exercising. I walked round the garden a bit. Reached a point quite high to see the view of the buildings below. It's really nice in that garden away from all the tourists' noise. When I made my way back from the garden, again I found it horrible having to go through so many people around St. Paul's Ruins and Senado Square. All the while I was thinking how I hate people. I spent some time in my hotel room before heading out at around 08:30 PM to see the fireworks. The best place to see it is in Macau Tower. I followed the direction from google map to go there. Passed Nam Van Lake where there were many people milling around and I took some pictures of the buildings and casinos across it.
So following the map I had, I reached this small grassy field near the tower where there were already many people waiting. I still had time to make it to the tower, but I wasn't sure if I should because I couldn't see a direct path to it so I decided to just stand there and watch. Macao Fireworks Festival runs over several Saturdays. In each Saturday there are 2 teams performing, at 09:00 PM and 09:40 PM. Each Saturday there's a different theme for the teams. The theme for the Saturday I was there was Tribute to Bond. It was a weird experience watching it there because it's like watching fireworks without context. Maybe because I wasn't near enough the tower, I couldn't hear any accompanying music. I also don't know if there's any music. Anyways who need context right, just ask the Indonesians in my neighborhood in Jakarta who like to set off fireworks without any apparent reason. Another curious thing is I wonder how this is judged. Is it by choreography and how do you exactly choreograph some fireworks to fit a theme like Tribute to Bond or is it by the actual design of the fireworks, how the colours and explosions are formed and the duration they last after explosion? Side note: I would be so interested to learn how to make fireworks. So yeah the whole thing was rather weird, but the fireworks were awesome and it's amusing hearing the kids and adults say wow whenever there's big colourful explosion in the sky.
The whole thing lasted 15 minutes or so. Again without music and all, we didn't know if it's actually done. So after some time not seeing anything, everyone assumed it's done. For the second performance, I decided to go to another recommended place which is by Sai Van Lake. This is because there's some time until the next one and the area would bring me nearer to my hotel. Along the lake, you have this nice view of the tower and bridge.
The area around the lake was very dark and there were already so many people there with their cameras and tripods. I thought the vantage point was not as good with the fireworks being blocked by some building and this perhaps contributed to why I thought the first performance was much better. It was again weird watching the whole thing there without context. People wasn't sure if it was really done too so we just waited a bit until there's really no more fireworks.
I took another shower when I got back to my hotel. I really struggled with the humidity in Macao. I sweated a lot. The next day, the day which should have some rain according to the weather forecast turned to be a really hot and humid day without even a drizzle. This is good news, but I almost passed out from walking in the hot humid weather. It was just brutal. I don't know if something was wrong with me, but I was just sweating a lot. So anyways, breakfast was egg tarts and milk tea from the famous Cafe e Nata Margaret's. This was one of the famous egg tarts sellers in Macao. There was a queue and already there were people not queuing properly and this annoyed me so :( Inside the auntie wasn't very friendly. Gosh, seriously I found many of the service people in Macao and Hong Kong are not that nice :( So anyway the egg tarts were warm, freshly baked, and the egg filling was definitely soft and custard like but the auntie really annoyed me. There wasn't enough place to sit so I walked and ate and that got me quite lost for my first destination, A-Ma Temple. It's all because I ended up not really paying attention to the map I had. As I didn't want to walk aimlessly, I stopped for a while by Nam Van Lake where apparently there's a dragon boat race. No wonder I saw some people carrying paddles the day before and the boats at the lake the night before.
I sat by the lake awhile taking pictures while figuring out the direction I should go. I managed to get into the correct direction with the correct milestone like Lilau Square and finally I arrived at A-Ma temple. It's quite an interesting temple on rocks. Wanted to pray but I didn't understand how to buy the joss sticks and all and I wasn't keen on trying to ask and getting things lost in translation. So I just went up and explored the temple.
After I was done, I found the very recommended A Lorcha restaurant. It was near opening time and there's not many people waiting outside so I thought I could get a seat easily. How wrong I was. By opening time, so many people with reservations came and then the seats were filling fast. Many of the waitress are Philippines and one of them took down my name and told some of us to wait. By the way, there are many Philippines in Macao which I think shouldn't be surprising because there are many of them everywhere. In a way I think it's very resourceful of them to always be able to find work all over the world. Anyway here waiting outside A Lorcha, I suddenly felt like I was going to pass out. I don't know if it's the heat, low sugar, or dehydration. I started to get worried I would collapsed. I haven't started seeing black spots, but I really didn't know if I could last. Again it was time to pray please please God help me. After some time, the waitress came and asked if I was okay about sharing a table with another person. I just needed to eat and sit down so I was okay with that. In a romantic movie, the guy would be handsome and sparks would fly, but this was not a movie and we didn't speak. I quickly had some coke in hoping the sugar would help me and I also ate some of the bread slowly. I ate very slowly because I was also feeling rather nauseated. I ordered the African chicken which had tones of deliciousness, but I thought it might be better if it's spicier. It was half a chicken which I finished and I was in the middle of finishing my fries and thinking if I should eat dessert. However in the end I didn't and I also didn't finish my fries because the nausea was real that I thought I might vomit if I overate. I was feeling better after lunch, but not 100% that I sat on the bench under the tree in front of A-Ma Temple finishing my coke and waiting until I was sure I would be okay. After some time, I thought I could go on. So I continued on. The next stop was Mandarin's House in which I got lost a bit. Stupid me, I walked further than I should have gone because I didn't see the sign. Mandarin's House is very interesting. It's quite a big compound and it's pretty nice. There were not many tourists there but darn the day was really hot.
I also stopped at other points like churches and stuff and eventually I ended up at Senado Square again. Went up to St. Paul's ruins again because I was feeling better. This time I could go down to the Crypt which I couldn't do the day before. After I was done, I went inside a bit to Mount Fortress garden but I thought under my condition, I shouldn't waste energy going all the way up. I think I also stopped at some other places as I made my way back to the hotel. I also stopped at a few Pastelaria Koi Kei and tried many of their samples. They are like everywhere sometime just across from each other or separated by 1-2 shops. Their sample sizes are big. I wonder how good their business is to afford all these. I bought some snack and walked back to my hotel to drop them. Lied down a bit, then I made my way for the next in the plan. Outside my hotel, there's a shuttle to Studio City and City of Dreams, so I took that. My plan was actually to go to City of Dreams, but I ended up at Studio City first. It was weird because the doors were covered up that it blocked the outside view. I entered my first ever casino here. It's not very crowded. Many of the staff looked rather jaded sitting at empty tables. It's quite nice though. I think it smelled nice and no one was smoking. Even the food courts were rather empty. So I wondered how they're sustaining their business. I didn't stay long and next I took another shuttle to City of Dreams.
It was already dark when I left. I took the shuttle from the Venetian to the Ferry Terminal and the plan was to take a shuttle from there to Wynn Macau, the last thing on my list that day. The plan was to watch the fountain show. When I arrived it just ended :( So I went inside to see the Dragon or Tree show thingy. I waited some time and it was the Dragon. It was very short and not very meaningful. A dragon with lotus flower emerged from the ground below, made a turn, and went back down. The only nice thing was perhaps the zodiac animals on the ceiling, those were cool.
After that, I went outside again and waited for the fountain show. It was really good. Not very long though and it's using Johann Strauss II's The Blue Danube as the accompanying music. Seriously this song is like default fountain song, don't you think?
Then I made my way back. I was thinking it's 2 days in a row now I was out in the night. Whenever I'm travelling alone, I tried my best to be back in my hotel by sun down. Of course there were times when I was out after it's dark and I've been fine but one can't help wondering if my luck would run out like I was that day. Luckily I made it alright and didn't get lost. Thank God again. I really cannot do any of this without Him.
:) eKa @ 4:40:00 PM • 0 comments
tweets.Tweets by @ekabuntoro


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The dementia road looms large and signs are not always where you'd like them to be. How do you find out what to expect, how to prepare and what to do now that you're living with dementia?
The benefit of support group is face-to-face time with others living a similar life. But dementing illnesses are not all alike and while there are similarities, sometimes support groups can be overwhelming. It is important to remember to "take what works and leave the rest." Support groups try to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of individuals, though some support groups are tailored to a particular stage of dementia. You are sure to find someone who has been where you are and though support groups are fleeting islands in the sea of confusion that is dementia, they can be life savers. The best support groups have succinct handouts, lending libraries and occasional classes to meet the needs of the group outside of support group times. Because support group members are leading sometimes daunting lives, it is unrealistic to exchange phone numbers or arrange additional meetings, but there are rare exceptions and many a long-lasting friendship have sprung from support groups. For your first meeting, plan a short introduction no more than two minutes and have one or two key questions. As you fit into the personality of the group, you will have time to ask and learn more.
People newly diagnosed, or suspecting they have a dementing illness sometimes arrive at online chat. They are timid, sometimes angry, often times uncertain. Regular members offer a listening ear and support them on their road to diagnosis, sharing their own varied experiences and helping newcomers towards holistic help. In the relative safety of the Internet and the virtual safety of other people with dementia, people are not judged or belittled. They are heard; sometimes for the first time. Chat room members have a wealth of experience and resources at hand. Links to reliable and helpful sites can be included in chat. While chat is best for those with good computer skills, people with early symptoms and no computer skills can still learn how to navigate the internet. No personal information is exchanged in chat other than name (of your choosing), diagnosis, sometimes age, and very occasionally e-mail. No phone numbers or addresses should ever be asked for. I have found several chats on the Internet; the Fischer Center chat for those with dementia is my favorite. They also have a room for Alzheimer's caregivers and a teen chat. Each is staffed by volunteers at posted hours. There are about three chats per day for caregivers and PDS, one per week for teens.
Whether you find your information through your local Alzheimer's Association, other support groups or online, remember that the information is constantly updated and news from as recently as a year ago can be outdated. We are surviving longer.


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When Margaret "Maggie" Tobin was born in 1867 in the little town of Hannibal, Missouri, she surely had no idea that 45 years later she would enter history as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" who was one of the survivors of the epic Titanic disaster. Over 105 years later, her Denver home is still open to visitors and a great spot to pay visit to.
Descending from a rather poor Irish Catholic immigrant background, Margaret always had a strong vision about how her future life should be. And so she relocated at the age of 18 to Leadville in Colorado where she began working for a famous local department store.
While dreaming of getting married to a wealthy man, she finally ended up falling in love with the, at that time, rather not wealthy but well-educated James Joseph Brown, aka J.J. Brown.
After finding gold in a mine of the Mining company that J.J. had worked for in 1893, the couple and their two children became rich overnight and their lives changed completely. The Denver mansion which can still be toured today was obtained back in 1897 at a price of $30,000. That was a huge fortune at that time.
Despite her sudden wealth, Margaret had always had a strong connection to her social background and was socially very, very engaged in her community. She soon became a well-known American socialite and philanthropist and a respected advocate for women´s rights.
The Brown couple had strong morals, so even after they decided to separate after their 23 years of marriage, they continued to live under one roof and stay befriended ever after.
It was actually bad fate that Margaret Brown joined Titanic on her fatal maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912. She had been traveling through Europe and Northern Africa for quite some time when she received the news that her eldest grandchild was seriously ill.
She instantly booked the next possible passage to the United States which happened to be aboard the luxury liner. Her daughter Helen was supposed to come along, decided to stay last-minute in Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne University.
Brown joined Titanic in Cherbourg, France as a first class passenger on April 10, 1912, four nights before the tragic accident. It was actually her who tried to convince the crew and passengers inside her life boat No. 6 to return to the sinking site and to try to save as many people from the ice-cold waters as possible.
In the end, her quarrel with the crew member remained unsolved and so it was only a little over 700 survivors that were rescued hours later on the open Atlantic. Her place in history was sealed though.
After the Titanic disaster, Margaret returned to Denver where her lifetime partner J.J. Brown died in 1922. Until her death in 1932, Maggie Brown spend her life fighting for the rights of workers and women, education and literacy of children as well as commemoration of the bravery and chivalry displayed by the crew and passengers of the Titanic.
Funnily, the nickname Molly Brown has never been in use by any friends or family members at the time she was alive. It was created by the press after the news of her self-confidence towards the Quartermaster of her lifeboat after Titanic had sunk.
Having been very familiar with lots of the stories about Titanic and her passengers from childhood on, walking through her actual house created quite a shiver. It was just like paying visit upon invitation and it felt like she could come around a corner at any time. It was like time stood still inside the house. A must for every Titanic fan and those who appreciate someone swimming against the stream!
The Molly Brown House
1340 Pennsylvania St, Denver, CO 80203, USA


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All the Dr Who Clothing, Bags and Stuff you ever Dreamt OfCredit: amazon
I just bet that if you are reading this you are at least aware of the TV phenomenon that is Dr Who. No? Well here is a bit of history for you. The BBC in England first aired Dr Who in 1963 in a continuous series right the way through till 1985. With the exception of a single telemovie, it took a break till beginning again in 2005. It has gone on to be a worldwide sensation with fans, and fan clubs, the world over.
And as fans will be fans, they collect Dr Who memorabilia. Today I will show you a most sought after Dr Who collectible as well as a range of just some of the Dr Who products available out there.
Introducing the 10th Dr Who Sonic Screwdriver.
The 10th Dr Who Sonic Screwdriver
This amazing gadget is used by the good Dr Who in many and varied ways, but he mainly finds use for it as a lock picking gadget. Since first appearing in an episode it has
grown to become of of the series icons; right up there with the Tardis and of course those pesky Darleks. And now you can buy a replica yourself!
Let's look at some of its features:
- A cool cast metallic casing
- One end with a purple UV light
- The other with a regular pen nib
- Also at the other end, a UV ink pen nib to write secret plans, only visible under - you guessed it, UV light
- This Sonic Screwdriver is exactly the same size as the one Doctor Who uses on TV
At a cost of just over $20, what a perfect gift for a "Whovian", (a Dr Who fan - didn't ya know?), or for yourself if you happen to be one of the millions of keen Whovians out there!
With 10's of thousands sold around the world, there are certainly some happy Whovians:
"I purchased the Sonic Screwdriver as a Christmas gift for my 7 year old daughter. It was a huge hit! She was more excited about it than any of her other gifts"
"I bought this toy for a friend who I introduced to Dr. Who and is now obsessed. She absolutely flipped out when she opened the bag and saw this toy!"
Ok, Sonic screwdriver firmly in hand, lets have a look at some more Dr Who merchandise out there. Well, where to start! There is in fact so much stuff, that it is simply impossible to list them all here. Never mind it is easy to find A Cool Selection of Dr Who Stuff, including:
Credit: wikkicommons
And let me assure you - a WHOLE lot more!
Ok you Whovians, or friends of Whovians, get going with the Dr Who Sonic Screwdriver and all manner of cool Dr Who stuff!


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The Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 was featured in the May 2013 issue of Maxim as a shaving solution for nicks and cuts.
Skin Care Blog
How do I stop slicing and dicing my face when I shave?
- May 12, 2013
- diane
- Press releases
Copyright © 2020 TuroSkin. This website runs on Shopify.


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by TMS Media Relations | Jun 06, 2014
FORT WORTH, Texas (June 6, 2014) - Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Ryan Briscoe and Charlie Kimball put the cherry on top of Thursday evening's "Chefs in the Fast Lane presented by the City of Roanoke: The Unique Dining Capital of Texas" by highlighting the charity fundraiser with a spirited dessert decorating contest at the Lone Star Condominiums at Texas Motor Speedway.
The competition was all about speed as each driver was given a plain cupcake to decorate with a tube of icing and a target bulls-eye made of fondant, followed by the task of assembling a candy goody bag and culminating with successfully dipping a piece of fruit in a chocolate fountain.
Kanaan completed all three tasks in less than a minute as the 2013 Indy 500 winner earned the second wreath of his career, this one being a candy one provided by Hey Sugar Candy Store of Roanoke.
"As drivers we are all very competitive obviously, and I saw my three teammates start eyeing the Target cupcakes before they dropped the green flag, so I knew this was going to be a serious competition," joked Kanaan. "It was a fun event and anytime you can go home with a wreath you know you did well!"
The drivers, through a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing and Target, also took part in a Q&A session and were part of an evening of food and entertainment that raised $22,760 for Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter. Team sponsor Target also donated six $100 gift cards to the raffle in their support of the event.
More than 100 attendees visited some of the premier condominiums in Lone Star Tower and sampled food from some of the top eateries in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex including Dee Lincoln Steak and Burger Bar, Levy Restaurants, The Classic Café, The Fort Worth Club and FnG Eats.
Dee Lincoln Steak and Burger Bar won the food competition as voted on by the attendees and chef Marcos Rodriguez was presented with the annual trophy, which will be displayed in their restaurant for the next year.
The fundraiser was held in conjunction with Saturday night's Verizon IndyCar Series Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tickets are available for the Firestone 600 (7:30 p.m. CT start) by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.


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We've been busy painting, building our garden, and playing at the ranch this weekend. And its hot. This drink is so damn good and refreshing and gives me a bit of a boost, kind of like coffee, but really, raw cacao is its own thing. I've been drinking some variation of this treat for years, it is both dessert and mid-day, after lunch snack and incredibly simple. I've recently started using coconut milk in all kinds of treats, including the obvious-curries-but also in smoothies, ice cream base, key lime pies, and in this drink it acts as both float and main ingredient. Also, the drink itself is not overly sweet. I blend everything together really well first, and then just barely blend the dates in so you get little chewy bites of date sweetness. Avocado is a great addition to this drink!
Raw Cacao Smoothie with Coconut Milk Float
1 banana
1/4 cup raw cacao
1/2 can coconut milk + a few tablespoons for the float (full fat & organic)
4 big handfuls of ice cubes
1/2 can coconut water
2 dates
Add the banana, raw cacao, coconut milk, ice cubes and coconut water to your blender and blend at high speed until consistent. Add more ice/coconut milk/coconut water depending on desired thickness.It should be a bit thick & icy, taste quite rich and a tad sweet.
Adjust to your liking, and then add the two pitted dates. Blend just for a few seconds, so the dates don't become liquified, but get broken down into little tasty bites. Serve in a glass cup and pour a few spoonfuls of coconut milk on top, so that it starts running down into the drink. Enjoy with or without a spoon.


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Greyscalegorilla Podcast: Episode 12: Q&A
Follow Us: iTunes | Android | RSS
Show Notes
How to Get Creative: Stop Trying
Subscribe to the Greyscalegorilla Podcast
That's crazy, im not digging the negativity. Good response man.
If it wasn't for greyscale i would have learned or taken motion graphics up as a serious hobby and pursuit of a career in that field. Thank you.
awesome man! Same here!
thanks 4 all your work…i think is easier make negative comments tham do the kind of work you do for all us…i started in 3d animation with your help…make negative coments is an option that all we have to respect..(just for tolerance)…but is not the best option…BUILT NOT DESTROY
SIGRAPH in Vancouver Canada?
can't imagine why would someone be negative on your blog. Maybe people should learn something with you and be less ceptical.
great podcast! Keep up the good blog.
Dude, you're like a hero to me! Just by saying things like that it's possible to grab your hobbies and make them into a carreer.. It just gives me the energy to actually act upon my dreams. Great job keep it up!
Hi Nick:
Your blog is one of the best I have found on the web. I started to learn Cinema around February so as to ace my Product Design Module. You are able to explain processes very well. Basically as I said, the site is top quality with top tutorials. Couldn't ask for more to be honest..
Keep up the great work man.
I really dig your view on comments/critique, it's really not helping to say mean/agressiv stuff just for the sake of it.
But i must say i like the fact that some people start to criticize more heavily than before. I think i never seen one negative comment or real critique before you launched the city kit.
It kinda felt like fine art school where nobody ever tell you what you do is shit (or boring, deja-vu, whatever). In that way, i like some negative/critique in the comments, we even saw people posting video that were not copy pasta of your tut in the "Intro to Hair in Cinema 4D" comments.
And that's really great, we see people helping each other in the comments or telling other people what they think of their render, etc…
This is the way a community work, by helping each other, even if it's mean telling someone that what he did wasn't that great for x or y reasons.
It's a lot less boring that 150 posts of fan boy telling how great the gorilla is and posting copy pasta of his work.
Nice podcast anyway!
I like to see other peoples work.
Thats what we are here for, to learn and get inspiration.
Hey Monkeyboy =)
First of all, I love your site and your tutorials. Im brand new to Cinema 4D, so watching your tuts really help alot, even the more advanced is easy to follow, and I learn alot from each and everyone of them, so thank you for that =)
I have a question and didnt know where to ask, so here goes… – I want to model, starting from scratch, so making very basic stuff like tables etc. Im modelling furniture from my own place, and I really wanted to make them the right dimensions. The problem is, as you probably already know, doing so will result in very small objects inside of C4D. Whats the best way around this? Is it possible to scale up the measurements in some way, so i can still work in cm, but the cm is just bigger inside the program? Cause i tried changing the units, and its either way too small, or way too big. Hope you can help me.
Oh, if you know a great supported forum where newbies as myself can ask these silly questions, i'd love to know. Finding good websites can be hard, specially when you dont exactly know what youre looking for when youre new to the program 🙂
Thanks in advance
For the forums you can try c4dcafe, mograph.net or creative cows!
U can use a camera and make a close up of the furniture! (The camara is on the light menu… if u dont find some bottom look en windows-layout -command manager… and search for it: type camera). Sorry if im not clear… i dont have cinema on this computer… :S
u can switch on and off the camera. hope its helpfull.
mograph.net is not for people new to mograph at all.
the creative cow forums have a poorly implemented 90s style messageboard.
c4dcafe is very awesome though.
A GSG forum would become a hugely successful community and would help fill the gaps of other design related forums.
Please implement a forum Nick. Long comment postings are not a great way to interact for GSG readers to interact.
people should appreciate your effort for all your great tutorials
First 15 minutes were really interesting, I like your personal approach and opinions.
well about negativity, you're right nick. you said you are liberal about comments and normally don't delete comments. i did a comment in the hair tutorial that was maybe a bit ironic or sarcastic or whatever. actually it never appeared and i thought by myself ….uhm!?
someone said this is a site full of professionals and i just lol'd about it, don't you get the irony? i mean this site is aimed mainly for beginners to advanced users, of course some pro's pop up now and then. i felt a bit aggrieved to see myself censored. cmon where's the fun….
Great blog..great Q&A session. I'm really impressed with your inspiring approach to education. We see lots of tut stuff that shows the technical aspects of an element in C4D. But the examples used are about as uninspiring as they can possibly get. Your approach gives great technical but also the visual inspiration to try some really cool looking stuff. And the 'Hey! I can do this!" comes through when you're done trying the tutorials. You're right on the money with the way you do your tuts. (you can lose the self doubt). Dont change a thing…and btw, your wave and your nose scratching is what makes you you. Be yourself..everyone else is already taken. G
i love your podcasts but i always sleep in to long and miss them XD
As in any human group, you will have nice people and dumb people. I guess its your right to moderate comments that are offensive or have nothing to add to the mix. The good thing is that one of the greatest asets this blog has, beside Nick´s creative intuition and formative energy, is a great user base that like to share and promote good vibe. Lets just ignore dumb/hateful comments as the noise they are.
ok but who decides what is dumb/hateful. sometimes people who doesn't speak native english are misunderstood. other culture, sense of humor and so on. I've seen it in many forums. imho ignorance leads to indifference and i think that shouldn't be the goal.
I think its a binary desision: If the comment is hateful, it doesnt contribute to the discussion at hand or makes fun by being offensive, it will stand out for deletion. I just say not to make a big thing of dumb people´s coments, as some of them might become trolls.
yeah i know what you mean, but even if someone did a hateful or stupid comment it's imho wrong to call him just dumb. shouldn't we try to understand each other? maybe the "hater" just had a bad day or whatever. people act weird from time to time. it's not kind to punish them with despite.
i work in school and have a little experience with haters and offensive kids. and if you ignore them, it won't get better.
the same counts for mature people, imho.
my 2 cent
2 things-
1-In school, you are face to face, and dealing with people is easier when you can talk straight to them and not hiding behind a computer.
2- if you are having a bad day, what the hell are you doing taking it out on someone elses blog? Go get a latte and chill out. You are right, everyone has bad days. The difference is the people who know how to handle themselves when this happens and those who don't.
I don't take it out on others (face to face or on the computer) when I have a crappy day.
It never helps to respond to trolls on blogs.
Hey..guess I'm not done yet. Your technical on the podcasts and on the tutorials..great. Well, ok, super fantastic platinum level times three. We've all seen tuts where the guy is barely understandable (not necc because of accent, but usually due to very poor miking, looking away from the mike during speaking, getting up to take a washroom break without stoping the tut (yes, I've seen that done, and not for the sake of humor), etc). Other guys do their tuts looking as though they just got up and havent brushed their teeth yet. That attitude of 'Here I am doing you a favor by creating another tut"..anyway…
YOUR stuff is a model of technical excellence, enthusiastic personality, educational value, coherent discussion, positive philosophy, good humor and great pacing with an end result that is visually stunning and doable successfully by your viewers.
NO, this is not your Dad trying out blog commenting..your work is benchmark level terrific.
Love having a beer and listening to this. Thanks again Nick!
I thought the comments were pretty nasty and over the top. People were being really harsh on you, I think people need to realise how helpful you are to the community and people wanting to learn, I mean you give away tutorials for free and then people hate on you for selling something they don't deem worth it. If you don't like it; dont buy it.
Thanks for another great (soul-searching) podcast! I gotta say I was nice to know that other people question their paths. Thanks for the conviction!
That's America for you, always complaining about free or helpful things. Folks like that will never get too far in life.
WOW Nick!! Great podcast… you said so many great things that I wanted to address, I don't know where to start (re-tweeted and FB'd).
First, from my personal experiences, there is no place for negativity in a creative environment. Especially when so many truly talented people have enough trouble with their own creative road blocks. Once the negative is out there, it can't be taken back and that negativity does nothing but contribute to the self doubt all creative persons deal with. In my book, self doubt is the insidious little creativity killer and I can't imagine why any artist in any venue would want to be a part of that.
DON"T DOUBT GORILLA!! I know that nature of comment is impossible to ignore, but never doubt that what you are doing with the site and blog is noble and worth while. You share where most do not and give of yourself when you don't have to. You teach and inspire and the good karma will rain down on you for this regardless of others opinions.
I say good for you!!
All your advice on the blog questions was great and I couldn't agree more.
Finally, in response to the exhausted off day question (I have plenty of those in the television industry). On my off or super tired days when I still have to get something accomplished, I do archiving. I go back over old project files on my backup drives or go into my overloaded current project folders and clean and organize to externals or DVDs. This is great for staying organized, it gets you a refresher with projects you may have forgotten about and its a low energy activity. Great way to stay productive and give your gray matter a break.
Huge thanks Nick!!! Keep up the great work!!
I need your podcast and tutorials as motivation and fuel to get better at my own pace, my own time and on my own dime. I support you, brother. Keep it going and if you ever question your impact, just remember me. Yep! This guy here who will lose out on what you are doing to grow the design community.
Keep up the great work.
Thank you. Honestly, thank you for saying it out about self doubt and why you do what you do. From time to time, I keep thinking of doing what I love and not be able to get a living out of it, or even worse like going hungry for days because I don't have a job to buy food for myself… All these Fear, you know, fear…
Thank you Nick for everything you do. Working in Cinema is a hobby for me and if I never found your site I would no a ton less than I do now. Keep up the excellent and quality work.
Thanks man,
Hey Nick,
Are you okay?
I just saw Transformers 3-3D.
Did your neighborhood survive the battle?
What was it like living in the middle of a war zone?
What's that you say?
It was only a movie? You mean, all that damage was CG?
Whew! I was worried there for a moment.
Hi Nick,
I've been following your blog for quite a while now but this is the first time that I comment.
Your blog and tutorials are really great!
They have been much help for me in mastering Cinema4D.
It's nice to see how you struggle with the same technical stuff I do.
Your blog (or should I say you?) is (are) very inspiring to me trying always new things and experimenting with new stuff.
Your ambition to always grow and get better than most is also inspiring (wich was a very interesting lecture!). Nourish the seed of creativity, remember (wich was a very good reference!)?
Everything begins with good taste. Some people have to learn, others just know.
I think it's the same with the negativity on the blogs.
(It's one of the reasons why I stopped reading online comments.)
Your "openknowledge" approach is amazing. It reminds me of Joshua Davis who uses the same approach with Flash.
So, keep doing what you're doing, I'm a big fan!
Best regards from Belgium,
GSG or BUST
"youtube idiot comments" that was so dead on Nick.
Respect! Great post!
Nice job addressing the issue with distasteful bloggers on your forum. Not only does it upset everyone but it's a turn off for someone who is not involved trying to read through it.
Thanks also for talking about self doubt. Very good topics!
Maybe I missed it.. but did you say what say what day and time your live podcast is? I have questions too. Thanks!
So pumped that you're going to be in Vancouver! Hopefully I'll get a chance to head down to SIGGRAPH and say hi!
I've been a long time lurker. I grasp what you say about tightening the community to a more respectful vibe.
I started animating / designing when I was 13 and opened my business at 15. Since I had started pretty young I had to do about 6 to 9 months of courses before getting into the good stuff so I decided to self teach myself.
People who do what you do is one the major reasons why I've gotten to where I am today, so I have a lot of respect for that. I remember trying to get into C4D around 18 and there was almost nothing out there, and when GSG came along it opened the flood gates, so thanks for bringing to a ho… nutha… levo.
I am a firm believer of the law of attraction, and a positive mental attitude is the most important factor in achieving success. Hopefully your message comes across and will help the GSG community develop the way you had intended.
GSG and VCP, my favorite learning sites. God Bless both of you.
all this negativity sucks
Hi Nick,
I love your blog, one thing I am disappointed in finding with c4d is the lack of modeling tutorials. I am a member of cineversity and I am finding very little modeling tutorials!
Is there a place you could suggest to look or have more tutorials in the future dealing with modeling?
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Hi Nick, I never posted on your blog but I'm a true fan of your work. Your tutorials but also your podcasts are very insightful and full of sensible advice that helps me keep up faith in my dreams of becoming a designer after 7 years of duty in Marketing (yep…).
I could hear a bit of frustration and even sadness in your latest podcast so I simply wanted to cheer you up and let you know that some people in this community do praise your contribution. Thanks for everything!
Just listened to your Q&A, and it really spoke to me directly.
I think what you, and others similar to you, provide the creative community is wonderful. For those of us who work in this field, and those hobbyists or trying to get into the field, have an unheard of amount of information and teaching available…and for FREE. Even for us who are familiar with the programs there is still a lot to learn. As you have mentioned, there are a million different ways to achieve similar outcomes just in the C4D for example. Myself, I enjoy seeing how others achieve those results, learn new or different angles of approach on projects.
The internet is an amazing resource, and tool (social and otherwise), but like anything else there are downsides. The worst of which, in my opinion, is what I call "digital courage". Through anonymity people say things on the internet that they would never say sitting at a table for a creative meeting, nitpicking every small detail. We're are all familiar with the process, and should know that while being behind the camera / in post / etc. has it's own very unique set of challenges, being in front of the camera – presenting information or entertainment – is no different. If someone's delivery bothers you… don't watch. It's free, it's informative, even entertaining, but the ket thing to remember is it's FREE. What people need to keep in mind is that these tutorials (as far as I know) are not scripted. Yes, there are talking points, steps to take, or an outline of sorts, but you or I try to flow through those without a hiccup, fill dead time while kindly showing each step, and keep the audience engaged. If you think you can do better, PLEASE do, and I'll be the first one to check your site frequently to watch and learn.
For those that think because they've purchased a Light Kit, or texture pack, or any plugin and think that inside that download is a paying gig… I WISH it worked that way. The add-on are just tools to streamline the creative process, save you time, and let you concentrate on the big picture of the overall project.
It is a competitive market out there, and you have to not only put forth the effort, you have to deliver. That's why sites, and plugins like these are so valuable to all of us. You sharpen your skills, find ways to be as efficient as possible with your time, and create the best possible deliverable to your client.
I dig what you're doing, I do my best to support your efforts, and I always stay tuned for what's next from my favorite primate!
Of course that's just my opinion… I could be wrong!
P.S. Heck yeah, I borrowed that! Guess I'm trying to "rip off" everybody too 🙂
Keep up the great work. I truly enjoy the podcast and the tutorials. I actually used one of them when I was in a jam last fall. It's the first time I ever blatantly copied a tutorial in a project. I never had a good way of making 'infinite' white in C4D and I openly admit to stealing your technique. Some of the other ones are nice because it's nice to see how other people do things compared to how I would approach them. Always picking up little tips and tricks here and there.
Hey Nick,
Just wanted to let you know that you are doing a good job with your tutorials and talks. I will admit that I am not big into leaving comments or being in the chat rooms but I DO listen and learn a lot from the stuff on your site and after hearing you talk about all the hate comments just wanted to show some love. Keep it up!
I just had the chance to listen to this episode of your podcast. Are you kidding me about reading losers and haters comments???
Listen, since we, at the Best of the Bay have been using your lighting kit, textures, and using your tutorials and tips and tricks for productivity, we have been doing better work. I personally have been getting better clients at home with my side projects who pay me more, and hire me for my creativity. So, I just wanted to thank you for being out there, and really help people who want to be really super turbo great designers. As you can see from the comments you are making a difference. You are an idol for many of us nerds. Thank you Nick.
Nicolas Nami
Loving it


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Expressive aphasia as the manifestation of hyperglycemic crisis in type 2 diabetes
Article information
To the Editor,
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus, and it is relatively common in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. A variety of neurological deficits may occur in patients with HHS, including changes in mental status such as drowsiness, lethargy, delirium, or coma. Seizures, sensory deficits, and visual disturbances also sometimes occur in patients with HHS. However, aphasia, as a neurological deficit, is not commonly associated with hyperglycemia. We report the case of man who presented with symptoms of motor aphasia including inability to speak fluently, concurrent with marked hyperglycemia.
A middle-aged man presented with motor-dominant aphasia lasting for 5 days, as well as a history of headache for the past month. He had type 2 diabetes that was previously well-controlled with antidiabetic medications, and he also had hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and stage 4 chronic kidney disease. There was no history of strokes, seizures, or trauma. The patient relocated to China for work as an engineer 2 months prior to hospital admission and had recently experienced a common cold. He had been missing meals and not taking his antidiabetic medications since arriving in China because he disliked Chinese food, except fruit. His height and weight were 167 cm and 63 kg, respectively. However, after recurrent nausea and vomiting for several weeks, the patient had lost 10 kg of body weight. At the time of his first visit to a hospital in China, his blood glucose level was more than 400 mg/dL (22.2 mmol/L).
The patient presented at Emergency Department of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital upon his return to Korea, exhibiting difficulty finding the correct words to express himself, frequent pauses in speech production, and normal comprehension of spoken language. However, he mistook written Chinese characters for Korean phonetic symbols. Additionally, the patient experienced intermittent headache with a sensation of squeezing that lasted for 2 to 3 hours each day. Headaches were located in the left temporal area.
The patient was dehydrated, but alert and oriented at the time of physical examination. Verbal fluency and repetition were impaired, but comprehension of spoken language, reading, writing, and naming skills were intact. Other focal neurologic signs such as motor weakness, sensory abnormalities, or involuntary movements were absent.
The patient's blood pressure was 170/99 mmHg and body temperature was normal. Laboratory data indicated a blood glucose level of 471 mg/dL (26.2 mmol/L) and serum osmolality of 312 mOsmol/L. Glycated hemoglobin was 15.8% (149.2 mmol/mol), and venous blood gases indicated a serum pH of 7.388. Serum ketone was 1+, and urine ketone was 1+. Other electrolyte abnormalities included sodium 128 mEq/L, potassium 4.1 mEq/L, chloride 93 mEq/L, bicarbonate 26.8 mEq/L, and urea 42 mEq/L. Serum creatinine was 2.94 mg/dL.
Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion-weighted images and magnetic resonance angiography, was performed in order to exclude structural lesions such as acute stroke or malignancy (Fig. 1). Electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrated slow background activity and intermittent irregular delta slow activities in the whole hemisphere. Diffuse cerebral dysfunction was suspected, and the patient experienced metabolic encephalopathy. No evidence of epileptiform discharge was observed (Fig. 2).
Intensive intravenous insulin therapy was administered at an initial dose of 0.15 U/kg/hr, which was decreased to 0.1 U/kg/hr until the blood glucose level had fallen to 250 mg/dL. Massive fluid replacement was performed using isotonic saline to relieve dehydration. Verbal fluency was slightly impaired at this point in treatment, but it gradually recovered and repetition abilities normalized after 2 days in the hospital. The headaches also improved after glycemic control was achieved. The patient's blood glucose level was between 110 and 250 mg/dL after 6 days in the hospital. He could speak fluently after his hyperglycemia was treated and was discharged from the hospital after 11 days. Electrolyte imbalances improved when the patient was discharged, and serum creatinine decreased to a baseline level. Aphasia did not re-occur during the 18-month follow-up period.
A wide range of neurological abnormalities occur with HHS, including lethargy, confusion, delirium, or coma. Hemiparesis and chorea have also been observed in patients with HHS, and localized sensory or motor weakness may occur. In the present case, motor symptoms presented as diabetic striatopathy, which is a rare involuntary movement disorder that occurs when serum osmolality reaches 320 to 330 mOsmol/L, and which may recover after normalization of fluid deficits. The hypothesized mechanism for chorea in HHS is depletion of gamma-aminobutyric acid via an anaerobic pathway [1].
Aphasia sometimes occurs in cerebrovascular, epileptic, neurodegenerative, or traumatic conditions. The most common cause of aphasia is cerebrovascular disease, and aphasia is reported in 20% to 40% of patients with stroke [2]. Additionally, seizures may occur in approximately 25% of patients with HHS [2]. Table 1 presents several case reports of aphasic status epilepticus with hyperglycemia.
Aphasia is classified by the location of the brain lesion and the resulting symptoms. Broca's aphasia is characterized by loss of the ability to speak, but with relatively well-preserved comprehension. The anterior region of the brain, including the inferior frontal gyrus in the dominant hemisphere, is associated with expressive aphasia [3]. Patients with Wernicke's aphasia speak meaningless words fluently, but they do not have deficits in understanding language. Wernicke's aphasia usually results from a lesion in the posterior area of the superior temporal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere [3]. In global aphasia, both repetition and comprehension are severely impaired, and the common sites of damage are in the brain areas surrounding the middle cerebral artery [3]. In the case of our patient, auditory comprehension was intact but he could not speak well, including demonstrating decreased repetition ability. This manifestation is similar to transcortical motor aphasia resulting from lesions in the left frontal cortices and Broca's area. Hyperglycemia produces a global decrease in cerebral perfusion, resulting from impairment of cerebral autoregulation [1]. Therefore, a possible mechanism for expressive aphasia is an ischemic injury of the cerebrum under hyperglycemic conditions.
The pathogenesis of hyperglycemia-related aphasia is unclear. Glucose-induced reactive oxygen species lead to lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and DNA damage, thereby producing nuclear factor-κ B-mediated vascular inflammation [4]. Hyperglycemia is also associated with reduced cerebral perfusion, which is mediated through decreased nitric oxide production in patients with diabetes. In a previous experimental study, high blood sugar levels may have aggravated blood-brain barrier injury after ischemia, thereby facilitating bradykinin-mediated brain edema in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage [5]. In addition to reducing serum glucose levels, insulin has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [4]. Furthermore, intracellular shrinkage results from osmotic diuresis and water migration during HHS. Vascular injuries may therefore be aggravated by increased blood viscosity under hyperglycemic conditions.
Treatment of HHS consists of correcting the fluid deficits and electrolyte imbalances, as well as reducing serum glucose and plasma osmolality. In our patient's case, motor aphasia and headache improved dramatically within 2 days following hydration and glycemic control, and there were no residual neurological deficits. We did not prescribe any anti-epileptic medications, which is in contrast to previously described cases (Table 1), because our patient's MRI and EEG reports were normal.
Given that recovery from headaches occurred rapidly after glycemic control was achieved, headaches may be an early symptom of hyperglycemia. Early diagnosis and management of precipitating factors are also important strategies for treating HHS. If glycemic control had been delayed, it is possible that the patient's aphasia would not have recovered without sequelae.
In summary, this is the report of a Korean patient who experienced HHS and aphasia without seizure or other neurologic abnormalities. The patient's HHS-induced expressive aphasia was fully resolved, and he fully recovered without a need for anti-epileptic drugs after glycemic control was achieved. We recommend that diabetic patients with abrupt aphasia should have their blood sugar levels examined to confirm the diagnosis, and appropriate management should then be determined.
No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.


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Filmmaker Max Shores is a thirty-year veteran of TV and documentary film production. His work has been featured on Alabama Public Television, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and PBS stations nationwide.
Shores is a Winfield, Alabama native and a graduate of the University of Alabama. He is a product of the University's College of Communication and Information Sciences and has been training students in media production both in the field and as adjunct faculty in the Journalism & Creative Media Department since receiving a Masters degree in 1984.
Through his research for The Amazing Story of Kudzu, Shores is considered one of the world's leading scholars on the kudzu vine. He traced the 1540 route of Spanish conquistador Hernando Desoto across the southeastern U.S. for In Search of De Soto's Trail and documented the history of what was once called the "wickedest city in America" in Up from the Ashes: the Phenix City Story. In The Chief: Calvin McGhee and the Forgotten Creeks he told the sad, yet triumphant story of a Native American group left behind in Alabama when others were forcibly removed to Oklahoma in the 1830s.
His work has been featured at film festivals and special screenings around the world and has received several festival awards. His documentaries are featured in the online Encyclopedia of Alabama and selections from his work have been exhibited in the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California and the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
He currently produces Bookmark with Don Noble which airs Sundays at 11:00 a.m. on Alabama Public Television.
Curriculum Vitae
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Hello Hello!
Stay-cation central over here…..
Ahh, Grouse Mountain (aka The Peak of Vancouver), in my own backyard. I was due for another visit to one of my favourite places. So Mike and I spent a day exploring some of the amazing activities Grouse Mountain has to offer. Normally I hike up Grouse, but being 5 months pregnant and a little wobbly, we took the SkyRide up!
Breathtaking views as always.
Our first stop was visiting the resident orphan Bears (Coola and Grinder), Gosh it seems like they'd be hot will all that fur, but they take lots of dips in the water to cool off.
The bears and I have more in common than you'd think……….
Hee hee.
Next up was the Lumber Jack show. I haven't seen this show in a long time and boy has it improved. The performers were outstanding, and their athletic ability is unreal! Lumber Jack should be an official sport in the 2012 London Games!
I wish my son was born already so he could have been watching, lol…. We'll just have to go back:)
Then the hubby got to go Zip lining. I have never been zip lining, but wow, it looks like fun. Mike had a blast! He filmed it- so make sure you watch the video we have attached too!
Time for a chair ride up to the Eye Of The Wind…. A Wind Mill actually generates tons of energy (we're taking enough for over 400 homes for 1 year!) AND you can go up to the top in an elevator and see panoramic views. SO COOL!
Now, to be honest I thought, Hmm, I could take or leave the Birds In Motion Show- BUT WOW- I actually learnt a lot AND the show was really impressive. These Birds of Prey were basically trained like a dog (ok, they didn't sit or roll over) But they weren't leashed and they would fly from perch to perch on command (for a food reward) Good birdies!!!
And then we went on a Heli-tour. First time in my life on a helicopter. What an experience!
If I had to pick a few words to describe our day at Grouse they would be:
Here is some video on Grouse Mountain that we captured:
Summer in Vancouver isn't complete without a trip to Grouse Mountain! Where is your favorite "stay-cation" spot?