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LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Young women in Britain are paid less and harassed more at work than men, with most reporting that their job negatively affects their mental health, a survey found on Thursday.
Almost one in five young women surveyed in England and Wales said they were paid less than male colleagues at a similar level, according to the charity Young Women's Trust, despite government efforts to close the gender pay gap.
Nearly one in four young women also said they had been sexually harassed at work, but only one-third of these reported it to bosses or human resources. Many said they did not know how or feared losing their job.
"Sadly, even a hundred years after the first women gaining the power to vote, it's still a rich man's world," said the trust's chief executive Carole Easton.
"Young women's treatment at work, pay and wellbeing are trailing far behind those of young men."
Although Britain outlawed sex discrimination in the 1970s, women are under-represented in senior positions and gender pay inequality remains a persistent problem.
Men on average earn 18.4 percent more than women, according to government data published last year after legislation forcing companies with more than 250 workers - covering almost half of Britain's workforce - to publish their average pay gap.
Women were also more likely to be offered zero-hours contracts and their average debts have increased over the last year, found the survey of more than 4,000 people aged 18 to 30.
Four in ten women said it was a "real struggle" to make their money last to the end of the month, compared to three in ten men in the same age group.
Worries over work were affecting women's quality of life, with more than 50 percent saying their job had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to about 40 percent of men.
Women had little hope of swift change, with only half believing gender discrimination in Britain will be a thing of the past by the time they are 40.
"Harassment, discrimination, anxiety and debt are facts of life for far too many young women today," Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, Britain's leading women's rights charity, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"We need to end the misogyny and harassment they experience and give them fair pay at work by ending pay and maternity discrimination."
Reporting by Sonia Elks; Editing by Katy Migiro; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, resilience and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories.


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Bitcoin value sinks largely after feds shut down the illegal online drugs market on Wednesday. Bitcoin value drops down over 20% in just 3 hours yesterday.
The value of first digital currency, bitcoin, experiences a major down fall yesterday. Bitcoin value goes down after the news that federal agencies have shut down the Silk Road. We have already told you that FBI arrested the alleged mastermind on Tuesday that was running online black market of Silk Road to buy and sell the illegal drugs. Feds have also seized the Tor website of Silk Road.
A bitcoins trading website, Mt.Gox. reports that bitcoin value was $140 On Tuesday. This value fell to $129 on Wednesday. Bitcoin currency was traded as low as $110, according to Reuters.
Digital Citizens Alliance's security expert, Garth Bruen, said, "They're going to be pouring all over his records, getting subpoenas for every piece of data and account he has ever used and trying to figure out who all these different dealers are. People are jumping ship."
The use of bitcoins digital currency lowers the fraud risk and increased privacy. But the critics said that it can be used easily for drug transactions, money-laundering and other illegal activities. Like in this Silk Road case. That is the reason due to which bitcoin value drops after Silk Road shut down.

subset: commoncrawl


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Personal Injury
Personal Injury cases are usually based on a theory of negligence. Negligence involves the theory that someone failed to use reasonable care in a situation which resulted in the injury. Theses cases are highly individualized as the liability questions can be many and varied. Further, the damages issues can be unique.
If you have been injured in an automobile accident you will likely get several unsolicited mailings from attorneys who specialize almost exclusively in these cases. I do not solicit cases in this manner, however I do represent persons in Personal Injury cases.
Many of the attorneys who send letters after accidents have volume practices. I believe it is best to give each case individualized attention. It is fairly standard that fees in these cases are 1/3 of the recovery. This is also my standard fee agreement.
I would be happy to discuss the issues with you. Please call to make an appointment.


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Studio Family Portrait Photography Ideas/
Studio Family Portrait Photography Ideas
When you book a photo session in a studio you have many options to create a memory that you will enjoy forever, because a family photograph captures the spirit of your family. It is a keepsake that will remind you of the thought that you put into creating that moment. Finding the right setting, the appropriate outfits and the best photographer.
There are so many portrait ideas to choose from and to showcase that your family is one of a kind. It can be an outdoor session celebrating a season, a place or an occasion. Or it can be a choreographed indoor shoot designed for you. Either way, the ones who make it unique and memorable are the people in the photo, your family.
Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Holiday photos.
Christmas is the favorite time to gather the family and have a keepsake and gift for family that lives far away.
Thanksgiving a reminder of getting together to give thanks.
Easter, a classic with the Easter bunny and a new Sunday bonnet.
Hanukah, lighting the menorah together.
Photos with newborns to introduce a new member of the family. It is always a treat to let other siblings hold the baby.
Multiple background photos, this is a great idea to compliment different outfits and poses.
Styling, so that you have the best look including fashion and accessories. This attention to detail by a professional stylist will make the difference with special accessories and have everybody in the family looking and feeling great.
Posed photos, It is a good idea to see some shots and see what you want. Pinterest is great place to find ideas. It is also a good way to have the rest of the family participate and make for an interactive photo shoot.
Natural interactive photos are also nice and contribute to putting everybody at ease. It is a nice way to start a shoot and sometimes the best photos are when you are caught off guard.
Being a team, if your family is a fan of sport or a special team wearing the uniform is a fun way to show your affiliation and support.
Recreating moments or old photographs that have a special meaning for you and you and your family.
Bold family portraits that leave the conventional and showcase an inspiration or fantasy.
A portrait within a portrait. It is amazing the results you get with a frame as a prop.
A composite family portrait. A portrait and within another portrait.
Photos with props highlight your favorite sport, movie or activity.
Levitation, float into surrealism and set your family on the light side of gravity,
Each picture is a work of art. Every time you look at your photo, memories of that special moment will flood to you and lift your spirits. Some people always carry these with mementos with them as a reminder of their loved ones and the special bond they share.
Remember to shop for the best photographer and be sure that you are in zinc with whomever you choose. True beauty comes from being comfortable and happy.
Award winning, Celebrity photographers Stephanie & Val Westover, are one of the most well‐known family portrait photographers in Orange County California and Salt Lake City, providing Over-The-Top Fun Photo Sessions, Spectacular Photos, along with Epic memories of your family.
Looking for more information on Family Photography?
Check out our Family Portrait Photography Page.


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Access map
See on the map how to reach Aigai.
How to reach us
Vergina is located 8 km southeast of the city of Veroia. There is a frequent public transport connection between Vergina and Veroia. Veroia is frequently and regularly connected to Thessaloniki by road and rail, and also directly connected to Athens.
The Royal Tombs Museum and the surrounding space are easily accessible for people with disabilities.
Museum Shop
A shop on site sells selected original copies of Greek antiquities, archaeological publications and souvenirs.
A café is open during the site working hours.
1 January: closed
25 March: closed
Good Friday: 12:00 - 17:00
Holy Saturday: 08:30 - 16:00
Easter Sunday: closed
1 May: closed
Christmas, 25 December, 26 December: closed
Free admission days
6 March – Melina Mercouri Day
18 April – International Monuments Day
18 May – International Museums Day
On the last weekend of September (European Cultural Heritage Days)
28 October (National Holiday)
Every first Sunday from 1 November to 31 March
Visitors entitled to free or reduced-fee admission
Visitors entitled to reduced-fee admission
Parents accompanying children on educational visits of Elementary Schools.
European Union citizens aged over 65, by showing their ID card or passport
Students of Higher Education Institutes outside the European Union
Visitors entitled to free admission
Journalists by showing their press ID
Free Admission Card holders
Members of the ICOM - ICOMOS
Youths of up to 18 years of age by showing documents to prove their age
Elementary, Middle or High school level teachers or University professors escorting students (Group admission cards granted by the Ministry of Culture)
Members of Societies and Associations of Friends of Museums and Archaeological Sites in Greece by showing a certified membership card
Tour guides by showing the Ministry of Development card
Official guests of the Greek State, after approval of the Antiquities and Cultural Heritage General Director
Parents of families with at least three children, for life, with the foreseen documents
Persons accompanying blind or disabled visitors
Antiquities and fine art restorers granted with a special permission by the Ministry of Culture
Archaeological Receipts Fund (TAPA) employees, by showing their service ID card
Ministry of Culture employees, by showing their service ID card
University and Technological Educational Institutes students or students of equivalent schools of EU Member-States, by showing their student ID
Greek citizens who have active unemployment card
Persons entitled to Free Admission Cards issued for three years with renewal option
The members of the Central Councils and Local Councils of the Ministry of Culture and Sports
The members of the Board and the Directors of the Entity and private entities supervised by the Ministry of Culture
Elementary, Middle or High school level teachers or University professors both active and pensioners.
Graduates Archaeological and Historical Departments of Philosophy Faculties and Schools of Architecture
Graduates of museum studies from domestic Higher Education or equivalent schools from member-states of the E.U. as well as holders of Post Graduate and Doctoral titles in the field of museum studies
The Directors and members of the Foreign Archaeological Schools in Greece Maintainers of antiquities and works of art, Fine Arts Graduates -domestic or equivalent schools from member-states of the E.U. -
as well as holders of Post Graduate and Doctoral titles in the field of maintainance of antiquities and works of art
Retired employees of the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Resources Fund Receipts (TAP)
The contract employees of the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Resources Fund Receipts (TAP)


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Dream Fossil is a trip. The collected stories of Satoshi Kon have little in common other than their creator and the fact that they're all snippets and facets, daydreams of life. As he honed his artistic and storytelling craft, Kon's topics ranged from baseball to robots to historical Japan. Are they all amazing? Nope. To borrow a metaphor from the book, there are some strikes and some home runs—but that doesn't really matter. Kon, rather than his varied subjects, is the focus of this anthology.
Before Satoshi Kon helmed any of his hit anime projects—Paprika, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers,Perfect Blue and more—he was a mangaka. Not only did he write and illustrate his own doujinshi and serialized stories, but he also worked on Akira with Katsuhiro Otomo. He collaborated with Mamoru Oshii on Seraphim 26661336 Wings and crafted his very own OPUS. It's no exaggeration to say that Satoshi Kon was a master storyteller. Sadly, he died in 2010 at the young age of 46, and we—his fans—are left to mine his existing material and mourn the loss of whatever beautiful, insightful stories he didn't have time to tell.
Read the rest on Women Write About Comics!


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The Shred Stixx Quad Set was designed for the serious wakesurfer. RTM Honeycomb and carbon fiber construction provides an exceptionally light fin with precise flex for loading and unloading energy. Combined with the foils, outline and cants effortless speed in and out of turns, and easy release for rotational surfing are what you get. With over 20 years of experience designing fins, we are proud to bring you the first true wake surf fin system. Replace your stock fins and free the difference. Designed with purpose.
Height: 4.40 in
Height: 2.0 in
Height: 3.5 in


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Spotted: Sinful Colors in KMART Australia!
Hi guys, just a quick post to let you guys know that K-Mart in Australia is now selling Sinful Colors nail polish! It was in quite a large display near the cosmetics section at my K-Mart (sorry no photo as they were setting it up at the time). These polishes are selling for four dollars each which is reasonable. They also had a huge range of colours! Including some of the favourites like Nail Junkie & Hottie


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How To Get Your Foundation's Website Right (And Wrong)/
Until last year, I was the executive director of a high-tech NGO that I founded just over a decade ago. During my time as a non-profit exec, I spent an enormous amount of time on the websites of foundations and institutional grantmakers, looking for clues that would help me work out whether or not to make a pitch. However, unlike most people scrutinizing those sites, I was looking at them through the eyes of someone who was both a fundraiser and a digital professional, schooled in all the ways that websites can succeed and fail.
Now that I have moved on from my role, I no longer have the conflicts of interest preventing me from passing comment on what I saw. So for the benefit of funders everywhere, and ultimately for their grantees, here are some top tips on how to run a successful foundation or grantmaker website.
1. Either a large "How to Apply" or "We Don't Accept Applications'' notification should be a central feature on your homepage. This is because a huge proportion of the visitors to your site have come to find out if they might apply to get money off of you, and many may not be familiar with funder-speak. If it isn't instantly obvious whether or not you fund particular kinds of work, you'll receive email and telephone correspondence that you could have avoided with the right homepage messaging. Given that this is the No. 1 need of most visitors to such sites, it is fascinating how few major foundation homepages position these items prominently and "above the fold," visible when the page loads. Special credit is due to U.K. funder UnLtd, as the first words at the top of its homepage are "Looking for Support."
2. The second-most important feature to get right on your site is a grants list or database of projects that you have funded. Potential grantees need this data to interpret the tea leaves of your "About Us" section—nothing really communicates the wants and desires of a grantmaker like a list of awarded grants, their size, duration and purpose. Without making this data quick and easy to find, a grantmaker is more or less guaranteeing a low quality of applications and off-target approaches than they otherwise might receive. Kudos, here, to the Hewlett Foundation which has a big "Grants Database" button clearly visible on its homepage.
The first two items on this list are so much more important than anything else that I actually hesitate to make further recommendations. However, there are other features that, while less important, will contribute funder effectiveness.
3. Publish a clear statement of your mission, objectives, program budgets, and—if possible—deliverables. Many (but not all) funders do a good job of publishing their mission and goals. However, very few even attempt to make transparent the success criteria that they have set themselves and their staff internally. If you have a program that has a grantmaking budget of X, with the goal of achieving Z, you should be as transparent about this as you can be, because it will prevent applicants from having to guess what program officers want or how much money they have to work with. I fully acknowledge that this might be a shock to some of your colleagues, but the reason to do it is actually self-interest, not altruism. If I know your entire year's program budget is $1 million budget I'm not going to send you a $1 million application. And if I know if you've already committed all the funds in your grantmaking budget for the year, I probably won't bother you at all.
4. Publish a clear list of things that you won't fund. Some foundations already do an excellent job, here, so I'd encourage you to consider making your own version of the list published by Esmee Fairbairn, or its fun little interactive quiz.
5. Publish copies of your annual report, if you have one. These are great for understanding how a funder has changed over time, where its money generally goes, and what its priorities are now. However, if at all possible, don't publish your annual report only in PDF format. Those are nearly impossible to read on smartphones, and massively decrease the chance that this time-consuming document will be read by many people. Instead, publish your annual reports as mobile-responsive HTML pages. I'm afraid I cannot actually find any foundations that currently do this, but this example from Mailchimp provides a good example of design for reading on phones.
6. Publish evaluations of individual projects you have funded, or entire programs you have been running. The rarest commodity in the social impact world, even rarer than money itself, is frank, high-quality information about interventions that are working, or not working. The value of such knowledge is immense for NGOs and other funders, and yet there is normally little to go around. If you've got any such evaluations floating around internally, you should really push them. You might be surprised, but in 2016, you're considerable more likely to get credit for honestly reporting failures than you gain from "managing your reputation" by burying the bad news. Here's a great example of clear, concise honesty and learning from the Indigo Trust.
7. Publish a stream of news announcements about every new grant you can talk about in public and why you have chosen to make that grant. In human rights funding, this is not always possible. But such announcements not only sense as useful signals to other funders, they allow potential applicants to understand what areas you are supporting right now, rather than in the past. When you explain why you made these grants, do so in plain English, as Good Ventures does through the Open Philanthropy Project.
There are also some things you can omit from your website, saving time and money along the way:
8. Don't go overboard with too much photography symbolising the kinds of people you aim to support. A few pictures is OK, but too many makes your site lose its focus as a useful information tool, and can echo slightly of old colonial explorers collecting natives to bring back home.
9. Don't publish project wrap-ups and conclusions without information about what didn't work in the project. Reporting what didn't work is valuable data for other people. And you should also include this information because you actually want people to read your stories—otherwise they're just a waste of everyone's time and money. Stories written from an uncritical perspective are just boring. Don't be boring.
10. Use web traffic data to deterimine whether your think pieces, reports, news and analysis comprise good value for money. People really do want to know what Bill and Melinda Gates are thinking, and their letters are well written, challenging and engaging—this fact will clearly show in their web visitor data. But much writing on foundation sites doesn't excite the public and probably doesn't merit the money paid to author it. Web analytics provide answers regarding whether you should be publishing think pieces at all, or whether you'd be better off donating to actual news organizations, think tanks, and academics.
Nothing I have said here represents an exclusive, Earth-shattering insight about the nature of technological innovation. All I've done is apply the discipline of modern user-centered web design (a discipline I definitely did not invent) to a special group of websites—those run by philanthropists and grantmaking organizations. Ultimately, all of the points above come down to carefully listening to users, empathising with them, and changing your website to focus on what your users need. I hope that this piece stimulates some internal conversations about why funders operate websites, and how they can be better used to align with those organisation's goals, and the goals of the people they seek to support.
Tom Steinberg was the founder and director of the international social enterprise mySociety. He is now a consultant and writer on tech and social impact issues. See his previous post for IP:
How Can Funders Know Who to Trust When It Comes to Tech Advice?


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So this is a first~ My younger brother has written his first ever book review. I think he's a far better writer than I am so I hope you enjoy reading this one.
Title: 8-Bit Christmas
Author: Kevin Jakubowski
Publication date: November 1, 2013
Publisher: DB Press Press
Series: N/A
Acquisition: Netgalley
It's 1980-something and all nine-year-old Jake Doyle wants for Christmas is a Nintendo Entertainment System. No Jose Conseco rookie card, no GI Joe hovercraft, no Teddy friggin' Ruxpin–just Nintendo. But when a hyperactive Shih Tzu is accidentally crushed to death by a forty-two-inch television set and every parent in town blames Nintendo, it's up to Jake to take matters into his own hands. The result is a Christmas quest of Super Mario Bros. proportions, filled with flaming wreaths, speeding minivans, lost retainers, fake Santas, hot teachers, snotty sisters, "Super Bowl Shuffles" and one very naked Cabbage Patch Kid. Told from a nostalgic adult perspective, 8-Bit Christmas is a hilarious and heartfelt look back at the kid pop culture of the 1980s.


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FRANCHISE NAME: Ventura County Fusion
HEADQUARTERS: 701 East Santa Clara Street, Suite 21
Ventura, California 93001
United States of America
(805) 830-8026 Main
(805) 277-9743 Fax
LEAGUE AFFILIATION:Premier Development League, an official operation of Tampa, Florida-based United Soccer Leagues (USL).
CONFERENCE: Western Conference, organized into three divisions and comprised of 19 teams from throughout California, Oregon, Utah, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado and British Columbia, Canada.
DIVISION: Southwest Division, featuring a total of six teams, all of which are located in California.
Based in Ventura, California, the Ventura County Fusion is a world-class, championship-caliber soccer franchise and participant in the Western Conference's Southwest Division of the Premier Development League (PDL), an official operation of United Soccer Leagues (USL). Now in its eighth year of operation, the team recently concluded yet another banner season in 2014, winning the Southwest Division title, reaching the 2nd Round of the US Open Cup, and defeating Scotland's famed Rangers FC (Glasgow, Scotland).
The Fusion's roster annually consists of members of the U.S.'s Under 20 National Team, players from well-respected NCAA Division I university programs, and highly touted youth internationals from throughout the world. In addition to PDL play, the Fusion has competed in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup each of the last five seasons, and in various exhibitions against some of the world's best professional squads, including Manchester City, Everton FC, Burnley FC, Portsmouth FC, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion of the English Premier League, and a dozen Major League Soccer (MLS) franchises including the Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders & DC United.. The Fusion is one of the few PDL organizations to offer a broad range of soccer instructional programs, including camps, schools, free clinics, and a youth club academy, specifically designed for players of different experience levels.
2014 Southwest Division Champions
Fusion qualifies for 7th consecutive US Open Cup in 2015
2012 Southwest Division Champions
Reached 3rd Round of the US Open Cup in 2012 & 2015
Undefeated in 2011 PDL play
2010 Southwest Division Champions
2009 PDL Champions
Reigning Champions
STRATEGIC POSITIONING: A FUSION of community and soccer.
TAG LINE: Feel the pride! Feel the passion! Feel the FUSION!
The Ventura County Fusion brand represents the fusion of a highly-talented local and international roster of experienced players with a diverse community of supportive soccer enthusiasts to create a successful world-class, championship-caliber soccer franchise.
OFFICIAL TEAM COLORS: Royal blue and orange.
HOME STADIUM: Ventura College Sportsplex
Ventura College
4667 Telegraph Road
Ventura, California 93001
Every year, the Ventura County Fusion faces some of the world's most talented and renowned professional teams in widely-anticipated exhibition games. Since 2006, the Fusion has played exhibition matches against:
Major League Soccer
Chicago Fire.
Chivas USA.
Colorado Rapids.
Columbus Crew.
D.C. United.
Los Angeles Galaxy.
Montreal Impact.
Portland Timbers.
Real Salt Lake.
San Jose Earthquakes.
Seattle Sounders.
Vancouver Whitecaps.
National Teams
United States U-18.
United States U-20.
Mexico U-17.
Mexico U-20.
New Zealand U-20.
Canada MNT (2013 Gold Cup)
New Zealand (2013 World Cup Qualifer Camp)
China U17 Women's Youth National Team (2014 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Camp)
English Premier League
Burnley FC.
Everton FC.
Manchester City.
Portsmouth FC.
Swansea City.
West Bromwich Albion.
Alashkert FC (Armenia)
Rangers FC (Glasgow, Scotland)
Hammarby (Sweden).
Club Atlético Independiente (Argentina).
Oita Trinita (Japan).
Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico).
Club Tijuana (Mexico)
Pachuca U20 (Mexico)
Ventura County Fusion fans, sponsors, and journalists can follow the team on these social media platforms:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VCFusion
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/VCFusion
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/VCFusion
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/VCFusion
The Ventura County Fusion maintains an extensive list of corporate marketing partners which provide the team with wide-ranging financial support and other important consideration:
Title Sponsor: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach.
Presenting Sponsors:
Adidas - Official apparel and equipment provider of the Fusion.
CAPS TV 6 Ventura – Televises Fusion home matches
City of Ventura, Economic Development department.
Downtown Business Organization (DVO) - promotes local businesses in Ventura.
FASTSIGNS® of Ventura - A sign and graphic solutions provider to companies of all sizes across all industries.
Limoneira – Limoneira is a leading agribusiness with prime agricultural land and operations, real estate and water rights throughout California.
Peck Chiropractic Sports Medicine - A Ventura-based chiropractic and sports medicine clinic, Dr. Peck also serves as the Team Chiropractor
Pizza Man Dan's – One of the area's top Pizza restaurants, Pizza Man Dan's is a partial concessions operator for all home matches.
Quick Printing Plus, a full service print solutions company.
Sports Authority, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in Ventura.
The United States Army. Army Strong.
Ventura Orthopedic Group, a long-standing physician group practice with a rich history of providing exceptional patient care.
Xtreme Soccer, an Oxnard based seller and marketer of soccer essentials.


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Steph Jeavons left the Ace Cafe in London, UK in March 2014 on her Honda CRF 250L. And 4 years later, on a cold and snow-patched day in March 2018, she completed her trip when she arrived back at the Ace Cafe. Due to health challenges and more, what was supposed to be a three year journey ended up being four.
Riding Motorcycles for Slower Travel | Tight Turning Made Easier
It's commonly said that you need to slow down to see more while travelling, well how about speeding up to see more? After riding through Africa on her bicycle Helen Lloyd returned years later on a Yamaha XT225 and she says that motorcycle travel changed the way she experienced the same country. And on Rider Skills, we discuss a couple of methods that will help you turn your motorcycle around in a tight spot.
Time is of the Essence: The Things That Really Matter
Ginamarie Austin tells an inspiring story, reminding us of the things that really matter in life. Her motorcycle adventure in the United States turned out to be something altogether different than what she thought it would be.
Graham Field & The Couple Who Rode to the North Cape
Not just any honeymoon would do for Jan & Silke, who met through their motorcycle riding adventures. Who wants to lay on the beach in the hot sun when you can ride in -35°C in a snowstorm, on two old Suzuki bikes, to the North Cape in Norway?
Good Things Come in Small Packages: Small Adventure Motorcycles | Into Iraq with Graham Field
Recently, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW and Suzuki have unveiled their new small adventure bikes. In a bid to entice women, younger and smaller riders, the manufacturers are offering motorcycles that are lighter and with a smaller price tag.
Thirty Years of Two Stroke Travel - Catherine Germillac
Catherine Germillac, has been riding the same motorcycle for going on 30 years, a small 2-stroke Yamaha DTMX 125. As a young woman, setting out on a solo motorcycle wasn't a common thing to do in the late 1980's. But being inspired by Ted Simon's Jupiter's Travels, she fell in love with the idea of motorcycling, travel and adventure, purchased her beloved motorcycle, that she calls Desiree, took some lessons and then started riding.
4: Mondo Enduro - First Moto Adventure Film? Maybe..
Austin talks about his round the world trip which culminated in the film, Mondo Enduro. He also discusses his philosophy behind using only small displacement bikes on his trips, what worked and what didn't work for him and his motley crew on this well documented adventure.


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FRAMINGHAM (09/23/2003) - Online vendor IAC/InterActiveCorp continues on a buying spree, announcing Monday the acquisition of travel Web site Hotwire.com after buying up a host of other sites earlier this year, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com and Ticketmaster.com. New York-based IAC is buying Hotwire.com, a discount travel Web site that first went live in late 2000, for US$665 million in cash plus the assumption of about $20 million in options and warrants.
San Francisco-based Hotwire.com will remain a separate subsidiary after the deal closes in the fourth quarter of the year.
Spokesmen for IAC and Hotwire could not be reached for comment early Tuesday.
IAC also announced the formation of a single travel division, IAC Travel, comprising the company's travel businesses, including Expedia.com, Expedia Corporate Travel, Classic Custom Vacations, Newtrade Technologies, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Travelnow.com and Expedia's international brands. All the businesses will maintain their individual names within the new division.
Lorraine Sileo, a travel analyst at PhoCus Wright Inc. in Sherman, Connecticut, said the Hotwire acquisition brings together the final piece that was missing from the IAC travel portfolio.
Travel customers can already book their rooms and travel directly through retail vendor Web sites, or they can get lower, negotiated prices through Web sites such as Expedia and Hotels.com, Sileo said. But by buying Hotwire, IAC now has its corporate arms wrapped around an "opaque" Web site that offers steeper travel discounts but doesn't let buyers know what hotel they have or what airline they're flying until the purchase is completed. Opaque online sales help travel suppliers sell their excess inventory, while preventing the public devaluation of hotel rooms and other travel products.
"That completes the triangle" for IAC, Sileo said. "They've been looking around for acquisitions and they've been on the acquisition trail."
The work now will be for IAC to make all of its travel holdings work together, she said. Hotels.com, Expedia and Hotwire all use different IT platforms, from extranets and faxes for Hotels.com to the Pegasus reservation system for Hotwire.com. "How it all comes together will be interesting," Sileo said.
Hotwire was founded by Texas Pacific Group and several airlines: American Airlines Inc., America West Airlines, Continental Airlines Inc., Northwest Airlines Inc., United Air Lines Inc. and US Airways Group Inc.
"There is a tremendous potential for growth online, including opaque and price-sensitive travel segments," Erik Blachford, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of IAC Travel, said in a statement. "As the fastest growing opaque travel Web site, Hotwire is a compelling addition to the IAC Travel portfolio."
IAC has been busy all year expanding its business portfolio.
In May, it acquired online lending exchange LendingTree Inc., while in April it bought Hotels.com and online personals Web site Udate.com. In March, IAC acquired Expedia, while in January it acquired online entertainment and sports ticket company Ticketmaster.com.
IAC, formerly known as USA Interactive, is led by Chairman and CEO Barry Diller.


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Now you see, jazz and action music is all good, but for a score to be really good, you need to have class. You always need something traditional and orchestral (in a subtle way if not all-out every time). There needs to be something heavy just to fill up the giant space of a movie filling up an entire screen. There needs to be character and a sense of epic larger-than-life sound.
That's what I set to achieve when I started to work on what I called 'Moonlight Nocturne I'. It was an entire track on the piano with an orchestral undertone. It was supposed to provide the background for the scene where the protagonist and his love interest are under the moon gazing up at the stars.
Things were a little romantic. Nothing expresses romantic better than the classical 'Nocturne'. A song about the night. There was a sense of longing and everlasting love in that song. Something that personally moved me a lot. You need depth in music. There needs to be weight. A sense of something dragging you, when you're watching an intense movie and I believe that was the driving force in this part of the score.
Another track with classical influences in the score was of an intense, ambient nature with the piano being played extremely low, in fact so low there was a certain ring that accompanied it after it went through some customised processing, which even though being purely accidental at first seemed to fit the mood quite perfectly. Otherwise the track didn't have much of anything else except an ambience that reminded me of the claustrophobic feeling one experiences inside an elevator and uncannily reminded me of 'The Shining'.
Time to go on a Stanley Kubrick marathon again. Woooo.


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Pomegranates mixed with pears and citrus have a place among the best of jars. Pomegranates add a touch of sophistication and these look so real. Sarabella Tuscan Jars are preserving visual art in a simple presentation. A fancy food gathering of culinary masters would be a great place to display the Tuscan Jars.
Size: 10" wide x 12" tall.Weight: 13.6 lbs.Braiding: GoldTop fabric: Beige burlap
Art Décor #137


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Allow me a moment to state the abundantly obvious: General Idea, the three-man collective founded in 1969 by AA Bronson, Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal, is the most significant, famous and influential art beast, single or otherwise, to emerge from Toronto, if not Canada, in the last half of the 20th century.
For those who care to argue (seriously?), I have one suggestion: Go to the Art Gallery of Ontario. On Saturday, the museum opened "General Idea: Haute Culture," a 25-year retrospective of the group's prodigious output.
It takes up two floors of the gallery's shiny, Frank Gehry-made tower, and for those of us who wondered if the gallery's content would ever match its celebrity architectural skin, we now have our answer.
"Haute Culture" is sprawling and comprehensive at the same time as it is tightly focused and smartly arranged. The exhibition is replete with discrete experiences — several of the rooms here could easily be smart, pointed exhibitions unto themselves — that fold into the greater whole.
Great is one way to describe it, in range, in quality and in sheer volume: At the AGO, "Haute Culture" presents more than 300 works, spanning every media imaginable, all of it orbiting General Idea's central trope of fictive realities in their manipulated, uproariously funny context of a burgeoning media machine.
The show is the product of several years' work by Parisian curator Frédéric Bonnet, who staged it earlier this year at Paris's Museum of Modern Art. The fact that the AGO owns a significant chunk of the work in "Haute Culture" made a second stop in Toronto a no-brainer.
We've had warm-ups in recent years, most recently at York University, when former AGO curator Philip Monk re-created the 1984 Miss General Idea Pavilion show in 2009, but this is GI's true homecoming, although only one member, AA Bronson, has lived to see it. Partz and Zontal both died in 1994 of AIDS.
The legend of General Idea looms large over Toronto art history — a fact its members no doubt enjoyed, given their strategic myth-building — but for most of us, it's been little more than that. The last time a major survey of General Idea graced its hometown was 1985, at the AGO, and they had nearly a solid decade of art-making left as a group, including its arguably most famous works, centred on the AIDS crisis.
"Haute Culture" brings it all home, so to speak, with dozens of works not seen in decades, if ever, and if ever here. Bonnet has arranged the show thematically, rather than by timeline. It's both an effective format by which to absorb GI's oeuvre and one that snaps perfectly in line with the group's strategy itself. Playing with timelines was integral to General Idea's constructed realities, and the resulting confusions helped embody their critique of a burgeoning, disorienting mass-media world.
Their AIDS logo, a later work appropriated from Robert Indiana's shopworn "LOVE" sculpture from the '60s, became the General Idea brand. It runs throughout the exhibition as a pervasive meme. In keeping with GI's priorities of simultaneously paralleling and debasing advertising strategies, the image elides time and space as it replicates and infects the show itself — as the group intended, much like a virus.
Each of Bonnet's five themes merit intense analysis. I can't do that here. What I can do, in some small way, is address the remarkable coherence and prescience that General Idea grasped from its earliest days right on through to the end. Coming together in 1969, the group was engaged in conceptual performance that had become de rigueur of the day. A 1969 work, "Mirror Sequence," had them infiltrate the AGO with mirrors, circling the baroque, marble-floored Walker Court with mirrors as a cheeky debasement of institutional power.)
In their Gerrard St. studio, they were building fake displays in the vacant storefront. Playful as it was, it seeded an early interest in consumer culture, advertising and the growing power a nascent mass media complex wielded in creating consensus, and more than that, fame.
There's a lovely confluence with local celebrations of Marshall McLuhan's 100th birthday this year. General Idea emerged as the famed media soothsayer, who was working just a few blocks north of their Gerrard Street studio, at U of T, was gaining international prominence. Like McLuhan, the group identified a worrisome prioritization of image and style over substance early on.
They targeted the vapid priorities of media culture with wildly stylized parody, using the media's own tools to do it. FILE megazine, as they called it, became their media voice. They described their intentions in the 1975 "Glamour" issue thusly: "We wanted to be famous, glamorous, and rich. That is to say we wanted to be artists, and we knew that if we were famous and glamorous we could say we were artists and we would be." And then, tellingly: "We never felt we had to produce great art to be great artists. We knew great art did not bring glamour and fame."
Miss General Idea, the group's fictional muse, became its bridge between conceptual performance and its prescient media critique, a link between past and future, both real and imagined. In 1971, the group held the second Miss General Idea Pageant at the AGO, a gloriously camp extravaganza and a send-up of the emerging superficial priorities of glamour and style in the wake of the '60s counter-culture.
The group sold the performance to the AGO with the pitch that it would be good for their women's committee; that the museum swallowed it whole no doubt added to their subversive glee at achieving it. But Miss General Idea became much more for the group. In "Haute Culture," the viewing of everything their initial muse wrought is a personal highlight.
That idea of fictive realities? The group conceived for Miss General Idea a Pavilion — really, a hall of culture to serve both as a future-world antidote to the fustiness of museums, and a monument to their own cultural significance — to be completed for the 1984 pageant. Alas, it was incinerated — arson or accident, no one's sure — in 1977.
Exactly: The Pavilion never existed, but that didn't stop General Idea from excavating its fictional ruins, uncovering artifacts that became symbols of their own terribly significant oeuvre. In a room at the AGO, a charred wall of tiles bearing poodle insignia — the artists' symbol for themselves, in all its camp glamour and populist connotations of luxury — is pieced together, as if by archaeologists. Blackened fragments — poodles again — sit under glass in vitrines; faded wall-hangings of poodles in suggestive poses ape the presentation of antiquities in just the sort of museums General Idea sought to mock.
The idea is obvious enough: For who is it to assign significance, value or cultural import? General Idea made their own answer, cleverly plied: Themselves. Using the tools of mass media from the very beginning, they wrote their own fictive history, using images to distort and parody reality, always placing themselves at the centre.
They came to occupy that centre in a very real way, working in New York in the mid-'80s and becoming the generational artistic voice for the AIDS crisis. The revelation at this show is in seeing, for real, what I already knew: "The current reality wasn't sufficient for us, or we didn't feel like we belonged," Bronson said in a recent interview with Uovo magazine in Berlin. "So we had to create our own world."
Until the new year, the AGO is thoroughly that world, the largest, fullest version of it ever seen. Come inside.
"General Idea: Haute Culture" is at the AGO to Jan. 1.


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Join Gordon Luckett for an in-depth discussion in this video Options, part of Learning Autodesk Vault.
- [Voiceover] Global options are used to customize…your experience in the Vault client.…How files react when you double click,…or what is shown in the check in dialogue,…are available options you can configure.…Let's look at the options now,…in the Vault client.…Under Tools, click Options.…One of the first things you see…are the Use large status icons.…That's what you see next to the folders and files.…For example, in the background,…you can see Name has a document…and Folders have a folder symbol.…That could be shown larger or smaller,…depending on the options.…
One of my favorite check boxes here in the Options…is the Show working folder locations.…Let's check that, and click okay.…If I click on My Project,…you can see exactly where my project…would be when I check something out.…For example, the default location…for My Project is…C/Users/Gordon Luckett/Documents/Vault/My Project…If I drill down into, say, Notes,…you can see that when I check anything out…from the Notes folder it will go to C/Users…and so on, down to the Notes folder.…
This course concentrates on the administrative side of Vault Basic. Gordon Luckett shows how to install a Vault server on a central Windows Server, and install the Vault Basic client on a computer with AutoCAD. The server and client are used to track how AutoCAD DWG and other non-CAD files are added, searched, and checked in and out of Vault. Gordon also covers autoloading files to Vault, and backing up and restoring the system. The final chapter covers the premium features in Vault Professional, such as categories, rules, and revisions.
- Installing the Vault server and client
- Organizing files and folders with Vault Basic
- Adding files
- Searching files
- Setting up client administration settings
- Connecting to Vault from AutoCAD
- Checking files in and out
- Autoloading files
- Backing up and restoring Vault
- Working with Vault Professional


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Opal Ring/
Often compared to volcanoes, galaxies, and fireworks, Opals have a rich history due to their striking color pattern. Regarded to be the luckiest of gemstones because it can portray all colors, in Ancient Rome, this gem symbolized love and hope and was named "opalus," synonymous with "precious stone." Arabic legend says the stone descended to Earth from a foreign galaxy in a flurry of lightning and storm. When wearing this ring on your finger, you can't help but marvel at the unique, kaleidoscopic patterns and if you look close enough, you can even see a glimmer of the legendary faraway galaxies. This ring has a 10 Ct Opal center stone that is set in 18 Karat Yellow Gold and Organic Silver. The band is accented with Sapphires to compliment the whimsical center stone. Measurements: Length: 1.25in Width: 0.75in Size: 6.5* *This ring can be sized anywhere between a size 4.5 and a size 8.5


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Our apartment is a mess. Papers that need filing, boxes that need filling, and accumulated possessions that demand a response – "Will you throw me away?" they ask, while I ask them, "How did you get here?"
For the past three weeks, I've been on Craigslist like an addict, searching for the perfect apartment. Not out of want, but out of need, all the while battling the loss of a dream about how our first year of marriage was going to be.
The place we love, with the dishwasher, the wood floors, the radiant light, the extra room for family, is no longer affordable – and after a good deal of angst, I am at peace with that. Because life doesn't offer you an endless lease or guaranteed contract of comfort and happiness. Rent increases, delinquent landlords, unwanted critters, traffic noise and crazy neighbours are all part of the process of making a home for yourself in this wide world, and my husband and I are finding out that such a home is very different from our early, dreamy assumptions.
We just put down our damage deposit on a little apartment, sans dishwasher, sans closet space, but most importantly, sans the expense of our current place. Close to work, close to fresh fruits and vegetables, close to flowers and fresh air – it's going to be an adventure. We'll be setting aside the comfortable dream of stable incomes, room for family, extra wine glasses and spacious, graciously appointed rooms for a bohemian nest with wall-to-wall books and no elbow room, but plenty of coziness.
While the possibilities of our new place can be painted as rosy, the preparation for moving on has been all thorns.
How did we manage to own all that we do? When I met my husband, I was working towards owning only enough to fit into a few duffle bags so that I could go anywhere, without baggage. I love shedding things – throwing them away, giving them up, tossing out the misfits. My husband, on the other hand, holds tightly to everything – whether it's notes from elementary school, or ancient tax forms. He's the string to my kite, the fixed star to my wandering ways.
So you can imagine that moving is not an easy process. While I toss things out with extravagance, he finds ways and reasons to save them. Moving into a smaller apartment makes our joint packing even more difficult, as I envision a small pathway between the towers of stuff, while he thinks optimistically of extra shelving.
But we've been working on it – giving in to one another, kicking aside our differences. We've been finding things long forgotten – notes and pictures, past outfits, stories we loved, letters. Seeing more of each other's lives through the scribblings and certificates and scraps we wanted to hold onto for remembering.
While my husband has been bravely learning to appreciate the gifts of a paper shredder, I've been trashing some old ideas and thoughts that have kept me from moving on, and fully into married life. I think I'm still at the 'sorting out' stage – so bear with me here, as I simply share, and hope that as these things emerge from closets and boxes of the heart to see the light, that they will eventually be put in their proper places.
BOX #1 – The battle for control
I hate to admit this, but letting someone else into your life means letting that great cloud of their memories, their past, their possessions and their junk into your life also. We've all seen the common cliche – the husband who has the room in the basement where he can hang his posters and keep that "ugly" old armchair, while the rest of the house looks like a magazine.
I definitely have that tendency to organize in a brutally selfish way that alienates those I love while trying to impress those I don't know very well. For example, (and I am still apologetic about this) my sister and I shared a room for many years. During that time, I was the self-appointed interior decorator, and in one infamous incident, asked her to throw away all of her stuffed animals and kitsch that didn't match my new colour scheme. (Sorry, my dear sweet sister).
The love of order came back to haunt me when I helped my husband move his things from his bachelor pad to our apartment last year. We fought over silverware, and instead of compromising, I left him with a lasting impression that given the chance, I would gladly and ruthlessly throw away all of his stuff that I deemed 'junk.' That unfortunate impression came to the surface last week during our packing, when I realised that in my zeal to purge our household, I was in fact implying that I didn't really accept him.
Marriage is hard enough to adjust to – two lives mixing as one and all that complicated jazz – but given the high, rough seas that have threatened our happiness so far (loss of his job, far from his family, a new way of interacting with someone who doesn't share the complete love of all of his past-times), it was a painful message to hear.
To me, things have always just been things – except maybe for a few special dresses and beloved books – but an observation at work gave me some insight into the damage I was inflicting on my man in my eagerness for order and control.
The most devestating thing you can do to a person who has lost their home, their reputation, and in some cases, their sanity, is take away their possessions. Many people choose to sleep outside instead of in shelters, given the choice of leaving their shopping cart on the street for the birds and thieves. Their whole world is in that shopping cart. It's all they have left to control. When evictions take place for the sake of renovation, many people simply go over the edge while the news crews look on in pity at the small rooms and bare cupboards. Those small rooms house special talismans of lives lost, precious scraps of memory, that often end up in the dumpster as the police come along to clear the area.
So, I am trying to let go. I will never have a perfectly ordered household. Just wait until the kids arrive. And what might seem like junk to me maybe the only way my husband has to remember a part of his life that he would otherwise forget.
Mind you, we're good for each other – him to ruffle my feathers while I help him shed his winter coat. (How's that for a mixed metaphor? It must be that I haven't written in awhile and haven't gotten all the literary cheesiness out of my system).
BOX #2 – Instant gratification
Another musty closet idea that has held sway for too long? The entitlement to 'nice things.' In letting go of our apartment, I wrestled with a host of assumptions about how my life was going to turn out. Growing up poor, with enterprising and imaginative parents, was a valuable education, but also instilled a secret fear in me that I would end up the same way. Therefore, I have tried my damndest to be successful, to avoid the tragic scene of my husband coming home to tell me he'd lost his job, to run away from the reality that I might have to sacrifice my dreamy plans of sitting at home, writing books, while someone else works at a job they don't like to pay the bills. I'm embarrassed to admit that – but it's true.
So when we married, my husband had a lucrative job with full benefits, and we began to build a life to match. We bought lots of toys, and didn't save anything. I would shop for groceries as if I was feeding ten instead of two, adding every whim to my shopping cart without discretion. "We can afford it" was our general mantra – and when the crunch came, I wasn't ready for it.
You'd think that a self-respecting East Vancouver girl who grew up without any perks, but lots of love, would have some skill in thrift, but I laid all that aside in pursuit of an expensive apartment, a full wardrobe, and a lavish entertaining menu. After years of school and scrimping, I felt somewhat liberated. I didn't have to worry anymore about our bank account. I fell fully into extravagance, and loved every minute of it.
So now – when things are pressing in on us, when my dear man is working temporary construction and coming home exhausted while I continue toiling instead of writing. Moving has forced me to look into my closet, and I don't like what I see.
I spend time thinking about my grandmothers and my parents these days. And my dear departed friend Lucy, who once told me I'd have to marry a millionaire because of my extravagant ways. (Extravagance defined as using too many tissues, or buying a new pair of shoes simply because I loved them, not because I needed them).
Likely, the lives of my grandmothers and mentors were not romantic when they were young, living through war, depression, personal heartache and lack of food in the cupboards, but I envy their habits and their sensibilities.
Learning to be patient, and satisfied with less, is my new challenge, born out of necessity. I don't know who told us that we had the right to buy what we wanted, when we wanted it, but it's not true. Neither is the belief that stuff accumulated can satisfy you. In fact, all the stuff we have now has become a burden, not a blessing. My closet full of dresses doesn't cure my insecurity – in fact, it mostly complicates the issue, as I have too many choices to consider in the midst of my internal image angst.
And don't get me started on the seduction of the new – we'd be in a lot better position as a planet if we didn't want everything to be new, and weren't too lazy to restore the old and the durable. My dad is especially good at that, both with people, whom he treats with love and respect, no matter their state of togetherness, as well as with things. He's an expert scavenger, finding treasure in unexpected places, and the free section of the Buy & Sell. He's also great at transforming things: one year we went up to an abandoned ski hill where the locals sled and play. My dad constructed a sled out of old wood, twine and orange plastic fencing that he'd gathered from the area, and we had a wonderful time. He's a rescuer in the best sense of the word.
My mother loves pickled pig's feet – because my grandmother ordered groceries once a year, and those came on a boat. There were no returns or refunds. One year, a barrel of pig's feet arrived as a mistake order. Suffice to say, they made do, and even though I will never likely enjoy such a delicacy, I intend on making do, and making it a joy as well as a great story to tell my kids.
Moving on from domestic dreams fuelled by an industry of selfishness and love of convienience and order may not be easy, but I'm ready to throw it all out. It's just a pile of junk that won't fit into our new apartment, or my heart. I suspect that there'll be more room then, for some of my lover's favourite things, and more space for compassion and surrender. Now that's the kind of place I want to live in.


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Welcome to Bluestone Lane
photos by Daniel Gabrielson
"it's the way in which we serve our coffee which makes it uniquely Australian." - Aaron Cook, Bluestone Lane Collective
On summer afternoons in New York City, a gal can find herself strolling through the village, stopping only for quaint boutiques and even more charming coffee shops. Enter, Bluestone Lane Collective, the café that recently stole my heart, not only for its delicious take on Australian coffee, but for the décor that will most likely inspire my next apartment.
I sat down with general manager, Aaron Cook, to talk Australian coffee and sip on some of the best espresso the area has to offer.
Name, Location, Occupation
Aaron Cook; 55 Greenwich Avenue; General Manager, Bluestone Lane Collective Café
Tell us the story behind Bluestone Lane
The whole idea was based on the lack of premium coffee in New York, and we thought there was a niche in the market. Four years ago it was desolate. In the time that I've come back, the movement has gone more to the "ma and pa's" as Americans call it—a more premium boutique style of as opposed to the chains. Obviously the chains have a big presence but there's been a massive uptake in the smaller quality-driven stores.
How does the customer experience differ from other locations?
This is full table service, and our other stores are more get and go. The experience at the other two stores—you're immersed in darker wood, old vintage Australian memorabilia from sporting teams, maps—it's basically a distraction from everyday life. You walk out of your office and into the coffee store and you're just emerged in something different. You'll experience great customer service from our predominately Australian servers, who are more than happy to tell you about a flat white, which is a fairly new concept over here.
[Editor's note: the most popular drink at Bluestone Lane may be a flat white, but the most popular question is "what is a flat white?" Cook explains "it's a double shot of espresso with a textured milk. You texture it in a way that it's kind of a velvety, silky texture as opposed to say a latte, which is more foamy—and we use less milk than a latte."]
Our take on coffee is obviously very reflective of what you'd get in Australia. Even things like, our cappuccinos come with a chocolate dusting in Australia. No one does that here. Again, so simple, but it's a point of difference. When people say "well how if your coffee different?" It's not. We use beans that are grown in Colombia, Ethiopia, where everyone gets there beans from, but it's the way in which we serve our coffee which makes it uniquely Australian.
What inspired the décor at the 55 Greenwich location?
We brought in an Australian designer. We pitched the concept to her that we want this location to be really inviting, engaging, relaxing. The other stores are more reflective of what you'd get in Melbourne. There's alleyways, blue stones—that's where the name is from—and it's kind of a darker aesthetic.
This [location], we wanted people to relax and feel more bright—more beachy. That's why you've got the plants, that greenery. The cushions—it's more what you'd expect at a beach shack. We still want the premium experience but for you to feel homely, in a sense.
[Editor's note: Here's an "insider" tip: If you head into Bluestone Lane's Greenwich location, be sure to explore beyond the main room. There's a back patio and a quaint seating room just waiting to be discovered.]
What is the best part of owning a coffee shop?
The interaction with people. That's a pretty cool lifestyle, from my perspective anyway.
What is your coffee order?
I've been changing it up a bit recently. I used to go with a piccolo—which is like a cortado. After that it was a flat white. But I've moved on from that. Recently I've been drinking just espresso, because that's where you get the nuances and delicacies from the roast. It's sometimes good to strip it all back. Go back to the espresso and see how the coffee is performing.
[Psst! One last tip, and trust me, it's a good one. Bluestone Lane does an "Australian Iced Latte," ie, a traditional American iced latte WITH ice cream. Intrigued yet?]
As told to Ellie Eckert on July 21st, 2014.


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Doris BaumanGold
Doris Bauman Gold founded Biblio Press to offer Jewish women a better sense of their history and to create a venue for authors of new feminist rituals and prayers. Gold earned an MA in English from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1955 and worked various jobs, ranging from teaching English and astronomy to volunteering for various Jewish and feminist organizations. From 1963–1972 she edited Young Judean Magazine for the Hadassah Youth Commission and from 1976–1982 she served on the advisory board for Lilith magazine. In 1970 she published, "Jewish Women's Groups: Separate—But Equal?," followed by 1971's "Women and Volunteerism." Her scholarship led to a position from 1973–1976 as the National Organization for Women's spokesperson on women and volunteer service and to her founding of Biblio Press in 1979. The press published important works like Miriam's Well: Rituals for Jewish Women Around the Year and Written Out of History: Our Jewish Foremothers. Gold's own work includes Opposition to Volunteerism: An Annotated Bibliography and Honey in the Lion: Collected Poems, both published in 1979, and a collection she coedited with Lisa Stein in 1993, From the Wise Women of Israel: Folklore & Memoirs.
More on Doris Bauman Gold
How to cite this page
Jewish Women's Archive. "Doris Bauman Gold ." (Viewed on September 20, 2019) <https://qa.jwa.org/people/gold-doris>.
Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women.


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LONDON -- Diageo (LSE:DGE) (NYSE:DEO) has eased investors' concerns that recently tightened rules on "gifting" in China will significantly affect its performance in the East.
Chief operating officer Ivan Menezes put fears to bed that the distiller's sales would suffer from a restriction on "inter-governmental luxury banqueting" that banned high-level military officials from indulging in alcohol during official visits. Speaking at the Consumer Analyst Group of Europe on Monday, Diageo COO Menezes stated:
Our business in China is not that dependent on the classic institutional sales and classic gifting, which is where the downturn is happening right now. While our Shui Jing Fang baijiu business is an ultra-premium business, it's less dependent on institutional sales than the big Chinese players. So we've taken less of an impact there. ... We were not that heavily reliant (on gifting) to begin with, and we're just at the starting stages of building the business in China."
The stricter regulation, which was introduced near the end of 2012, caused local competitors' share prices to fall -- including those of Kweichow Moutai, the distiller of popular Chinese beverage baijiu -- as the result of the tighter controls started to become apparent. Diageo, though, has continued its strong performance from the beginning of the year, with the shares having smashed through the 2,000 pence mark to sit at 2,020 pence at the time of writing.
If you're looking for another company that should soar in price, we've pinpointed our favorite growth share and produced a special report in which we evaluate its finances, risks, and growth prospects going forward. Simply click here to get your copy delivered to your inbox immediately -- completely free.


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Both VigRX Plus and Vimax are popular 'male enhancement' products designed to provide better erections and increase sex drive. There are similarities between the two products but there are differences as well. This is our VigRX Plus vs Vimax comparison.
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Both VigRX Plus and Vimax have specific natural and herbal ingredients that make up their respective 'formulas.' Vimax ingredients include Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Powder, Ginseng, Cayenne Pepper, Saw Palmetto 45% Fatty Acids, and Oat Straw Extract 10:1 (Avena Sativa) and Rice Flour. VigRX Plus ingredients include Epimedium Leaf Extract, Damiana, Gingko Leaf, Asian Red Ginseng, Saw Palmetto Berry, Muira Pauma Bark Extract and Catuba Bark Extract .
VigRX Plus works essentially by its ingredients releasing blood flow to the penis. Some of the VigRX Plus ingredients also act as natural aphrodisiacs to increase libido. It is hard to say how Vimax works exactly as their website doesn't explain this, but we would presume it works in a similar way.
Evidence and results
This is probably the most important thing to consider when comparing these types of products. There are so many products out there in this industry making lots of claims. It is important to really investigate what the evidence is, if there have been robust research studies, and if there are any medical endorsements.
VigRX Plus was tested in 2010 by the research company Vedic Lifesciences. The trial was a triple-blind study which ran for 84 days with 75 test subjects. The results of the study showed a significant improvement in erection quality as well as sex drive. You can read more about the study specifically in our article about VigRX Plus results. VigRX Plus is endorsed by Dr. Steven Lamm MD, who appears in various articles and videos about VigRX Plus.
Vimax doesn't seem to have conducted any serious studies about the effects of Vimax. In their doctor's recommendation on their website, he does refer to testing Vimax "with voluntary patients in a clinical trial over an 8 months period." There is no specific information on the methodology and the specific results of the study. On their website they do refer to having a Health Canada Pharmaceutical Establishment Licence (EL) and following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). However these are more about manufacturing and quality control standards than the effectiveness of the product. Vimax is endorsed by Dr Mario Dumitrascu MD, who happens to be the Managing Director of the Vimax Group, so we don't feel that is a credible independent endorsement.
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Side effects
Both products are made of natural ingredients and do not cause any negative side effects.
Price and offer
In terms of price, for a six months supply VigRX Plus costs $384.99 and Vimax costs $234.95.
Both VigRX Plus and Vimax have full money back guarantees up to 60 days approximately.
VigRX Plus vs Vimax – Summary
VigRX Plus seems to be the stronger product, partially because it seems to have a wider variety of ingredients but mainly because it has much more evidence and research to support its claims. For Vimax there is no detail about their '8 month trial' and in any case this was conducted by the MD of the company which would certainly not make it a credible study.
Vimax's main advantage over VigRX Plus is the price as it is significantly cheaper.
For us, the price is secondary to the safety and effectiveness of the product and for this reason we would recommend VigRX Plus over Vimax.


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Executive Director
M.A. Counseling Psychology – Gonzaga University
B.A. Secondary Education – Eastern Washington University
B.A. History – Stetson University
Licensed Mental Health Therapist
Started at New Heights in 2004
Aside from Tracey's extensive educational background, which includes an MA in Counseling Psychology and experience in the fields of adolescent development, attachment theory, and resiliency, Tucker is certified as a Licensed Community Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and has worked as a child and family mental health therapist in both community mental health and private practice settings. Tracey has personally distinguished herself as a leader with a business acumen, as she is not only a graduate of the 2008 Leadership Seacoast Class, but was named one of New Hampshire's Top Forty under 40 Professionals in 2007. During her tenure, Tracey has transitioned New Heights to a 501(c)3 in 2010, as well as merged with New Outlook in Exeter in 2013. Her proudest moments, however, are the lasting relationships she's made with the youth of the Seacoast, and seeing the positive and powerful impact New Heights has made on their lives.
[email protected]
(603) 422.8235 ext.103
Assistant Director
Started at New Heights in 2008
At New Heights, Meghan oversees all aspects of New Heights programming including supervision of full-time staff, part-time summer staff, and college interns. She has worked with children throughout her career and works to bring the best of education pedagogy and project-based learning to New Heights programs. "I think that all youth can achieve at great levels, they just need to believe in themselves, and have adults who also believe, support, nurture, and respect them…that's what I'm here for!"
[email protected]
(603) 422.8235 ext.110
Adventure Coordinator
Started at New Heights in 1994
Sally's special brand of facilitation occurs in wilderness settings in the mountains, deserts, and oceans. Sally's journeys range in length from a few hours to ten days; where she encourages participants to push past their perceived limits as they travel across the country, rock climb, surf, ski, canoe, kayak, and physically experience the world we live in. On expeditions, Sally places an emphasis on leadership development, peer instruction, self-reliance, and taking responsibility, which leads to developing personal freedom, understanding environmental ethics, and creating a burgeoning empathy for humans everywhere. Sally's passions for experiential work runs deep; "It's a true privilege to introduce students to the wilderness of the backcountry and ocean, and watch them fall in love with these wild places. As they do, they naturally become caretakers of our world and the people and places in it."
[email protected]
(603) 422.8235 ext. 109
STEAM Program Coordinator
Started at New Heights in 2005
Wayne heads up a variety of STEM-related programming including introductions to computer programming, non-electronic board game design, Minecraft, robotics, and 3D printing/fabrication. Wayne also coaches multiple award-winning FIRST LEGO League robotics, Destination Imagination, and FIRST Robotics competition teams with New Heights. In high school, he started the Sages of RPG (Role-Playing Gaming Group) at New Heights as a volunteer over 13 years ago and established it as a business in 2005. He is a strong believer in teaching students how technology is a tool which can supplement their everyday lives. Wayne is actively involved locally as a card game designer, Port City Makerspace member, Dover NH Maker & Food Fest Committee member, and presenter on afterschool intentional gaming / STEM practices at conferences and international conventions. Outside of work, you can find him playing games at the local game store, working on his latest project at the makerspace, enjoying local food out with his wife, hanging around with his daughter Alice, or running around busting ghosts as a Ghostbuster.
[email protected]
(603) 422.8235 ext. 108
Started at New Heights in 2018
After spending a few years working in special education, Laura joined the New Heights team at the beginning of 2018. With a background in secondary English education, she is very passionate about reading and writing, but above all else she is dedicated to building relationships with kids of all ages and using those relationships to guide her teaching and mentoring practices. She is aware that every child is different, and that meeting kids where they are is extremely important in allowing them to reach their full potential. Laura randomly came across New Heights while exploring different options for local youth programs, and even though there were no positions available at that time, she took a leap of faith and sent an email about getting involved. A few weeks later, she was notified about a job opening up, and the rest is history! Laura spends most of her time putting the "A" in STEAM by running programs such as Destination Imagination, cooking, photography, and more.
[email protected]
(603) 422.8235 ext. 106


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Canterbury Junior Cricket Association
The Canterbury Cricket Association or, CJCA for short, oversees the development of young players.
Many of Canterbury's (and New Zealand's) best cricketers have been through the junior ranks under the watchful eye of the CJCA. The CJCA also assists coaches with resources for their clubs to develop the skill sets of their young players.
To find out more about the CJCA and how they help young people learn about the game, click the website here >> www.cjca.org.nz


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About 13 years ago i heard of Art of Living and Sri Sri (as he is reverently addressed) while i was still at Bangalore. There was the initial skepticism but soon it turned into reverence and admiration. I got to see him and also hear him in the 'Science and Spirituality' meeting in IISc, Bangalore. But i never really got to see and meet him at one to one distance as i did here in Seoul. I even asked him a question after his lecture. Also got to do the half sAshTAng namaskar to him.
It was only his second visit to Seoul. I am indeed fortunate. The meeting was arranged on two days in YMCA, Gangnam. Nearly 200 people turned up. On the first day Sri Sri started with meditation and then gave a short lecture. Before starting meditation he made us do simple exercises like straightening the brows, nose and cheek. He says they are stress relievers. And indeed i felt very fresh after 2-3 minutes of that exercise. He never announced that it was meditation (just close your eyes and let go) but i soon found myself in a state where the number of thoughts were either zero or one. For a moment i even dozed. And then he said take a deep breath and say OM. This was done 3 times. A little while later he said "now slowly open your eyes". It was 23 minutes since we had started meditation. Its the first time in years that i experienced this state of mind. There was something nice about it. However, i must admit that when we started chanting OM the mind was disturbed and i opened my eyes. Nevertheless…i felt fresh and happy. He then gave the lecture followed by questions. I asked how i could make myself focus on one thing without the interference of other thoughts. He said something that was a non-answer. My friend asked how he could deal with negative feelings. To which he said "just embrace them". Not satisfactory but what else can anyone answer. Thats the age old question. If pressed he would most likely say practice Sudarshan Kriya and you will benefit immensely. But we were still in awe of him and the meditation that we had just experienced.
The second day was the basic course which lasted 3 hours. He came an hour late. He took us through the simple exercise routine but this time in some more detail. And then the meditation (for 26 minutes). However, this day my mind was adamant and it was not any different from when i practice on my own. My guess is that the exercise was a bit too much for me. Even before he arrived we had done some exercises. He left soon after-he was scheduled to be in Japan and then in Israel!
Art of Living is yet to really take off in Seoul. Infact an year ago i had to do serious google-search for art of living in Seoul. I found a webpage and a center. With some difficulty i located it. It was the home of Sylvain (a french gentleman) who asked me in and we had a chat. He also offered me Tea! (a courtesy so common in India but rare in Korea-its more than 2 years for me here). But now i learn that they have an office. The name card of the person who is the contact for the center says,
Hyeon Ju Oh, #205, 547-7, Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Gu,Seoul. www.artofliving.or.kr
Tags: art of living, meditation, spirituality, Sri Sri Ravisankar, Sri Sri Ravishankar


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|Gloria Petyarre
|Bush Medicine Dreaming
|Acrylic on canvas
|200 X 104cm
Gloria Petyarre was born c.1945 at Atnangkere Soakage, Utopia. Gloria Petyarre has been one of the most consistently well-known Aboriginal artists of the last 20 years. In 1995 she won the Wynn Prize for a landscape painting at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with a sophisticated abstract-style 10-panelled work titled leaves blowing in the wind. .
A leading member of the Utopia batik group in the 1980s, Gloria Petyarre travelled to Ireland, England, France, Thailand and India representing the Utopia women with the exhibition that showed these works in 1990 Utopia - A Picture Story, the Holmes a Court Collection.
Gloria Petyarre is one of the most widely exhibited Utopian Aboriginal artists whose works have been shown in hundreds of galleries around Australia and internationally.
This painting depicts the leaves of a special plant that are used for medical purposes. Women go to different places around her country, Utopia, to collect such leaves. Once selected the leaves are boiled to extract resin and kangaroo fat is mixed through, creating a paste that can be stored in the bush for extended periods. The medicine is used to heal cuts, bites, burns, rashes and also acts as an insect repellent.
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All this week on my blog: Canon 5D Mark III photographs from my Light workshop in Alaska with Hal "Bull" Schmitt aboard the Northern Song. Scroll down for previous posts about our Alaska workshop.
Tip #1: All the shots in this series of post were hand-held. All the shots were cropped . . . and still look great, even when enlarged, thanks to the image quality of the camera's sensor. (Those who know me know that I am a nut about cropping.) Cropping is key.
Tip #2: As you'll notice, the entire scenes are in focus in all these images. To achieve that goal: use a wide-angle lens, set a small aperture, and focus 1/3 into the scene.
Gear for these images:
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 24-105mm IS lens
Tiffen Polarizing filter.
Click here to see all my gear.
All these black-and-white images were created in Nik Silver Efex Pro. For a discount on all Nik plug-ins, click here.
Tip #3: Why black and white? Well, when you remove the color from a scene, you remove some of the reality. When you remove some of the reality, your pictures can become creative and artistic. I talk about stuff like this in my seminars.
Tip #4: Speaking of cropping, that's the subject of today's post. I crop, first, for three reasons:
1) to draw more attention to the main subject by cropping out the boring stuff in a frame;
2) to prevent dark and light areas around the main subject from affecting my digital darkroom exposure and color decisions of the main subject;
3) I can't always get the best composition in camera. Composition, after all, is the strongest way of seeing.
Tip #5: You'll notice that all of these photographs have a foreground element. A foreground element adds a sense of depth to a two-dimensional photograph.
I have found in my on-line portfolio reviews that many, many shots can be improved with a bit o' cropping.
Hal and I hope to see you in Alaska aboard the Norther Song, whose master and commander is Captain Dennis Rogers. The best of the best.
Explore the light,


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I Tried It: Beer, (Veggie) Bacon, & Blue Cheese Potato Salad
I will write my next I Tried It about trying not to write about beer and cheese for a week, I promise.
This week, however, I am telling you all about the beer, bacon, and blue cheese potato salad recipe I made courtesy of The Beeroness. If you're not familiar with The Beeroness, please take a break for a moment to visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter while you're there.
I'll wait. I'll think about how good my potato salad was while you're gone.
One thing I've learned how to do as a vegetarian* who likes to cook but is also picky about some standard vegetarian ingredients (portabella mushrooms, red peppers, squash, and zucchini are all on my "no thanks" list) is to take familiar recipes and make them vegetarian. Sometimes, when the meat is the focus of the dish, I deconstruct the elements of the meat's preparation to see which of those elements I can incorporate into my cooking. I've learned that one of the most recognizable elements of meats are the spices used in their preparation. For example, when I'm looking for an Italian sausage flavor in my meat substitute, such as tofu, I can create a spice blend to approximate the flavors.
Oftentimes, making a recipe that calls for meat simply means I leave the meat out of the dish or use tofu or another meat substitute. For this recipe, I substituted veggie bacon from Morningstar Farms. I've used veggie bacon before as a substitute in dishes, particularly when the bacon imparts its flavor but is only one component of the dish.
You can get the entire Beeroness recipe here, but the main ingredients are (duh) bacon, red potatoes, blue cheese, and beer, specifically IPA. Since I had just gotten my Chicago beer supply restocked (and because I wanted an excuse to open it), I used Space Station Middle Finger from Three Floyds. And yes, I know, I know - Space Station Middle Finger is technically a Pale Ale, but c'mon.
Because undercooked potatoes are one of my biggest gross outs and because I like to be needlessly meticulous about things, I used my handy vegetable dicer to make sure all my potatoes were the same size. The recipe calls for the potatoes to be tossed in the bacon fat before roasting, but veggie bacon doesn't have the same kind of fat that bacon does, so I tossed the potatoes in high quality olive oil instead.
Since I was a kid, I have always loved blue cheese dressing. Not to toot my own horn, but I also make one of the best homemade blue cheese dressings, which gets consumed in my house at a record speed, particularly since my husband introduced me to the upstate New York practice of dipping pizza crust in blue cheese dressing. Because I had just hosted my beer and cheese pairing a few days before, I had some leftover blue cheese that I crumbled up. For my spices, I had a roasted or smoked version of almost every spice for which the recipe called, so I used those instead of regular spices.
Potato salad is a dish that I haven't enjoyed until very recently and I had never had warm potato salad before. I think it's a mayonnaise thing, because in the past couple of years I have started LOVING potato salad, coleslaw, and deviled eggs, all of which I never liked before. That being said, this recipe has no mayonnaise in it, but rather has sour cream. As a side note, I started using nonfat plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream a couple of years ago and think it's a really good substitute for sour cream...until I have sour cream and then I'm like, "Why did I ever think there was a substitute for this creamy deliciousness?!?"
Anyway, I roasted the potatoes a little longer than the recipe called for because of the whole undercooked potatoes phobia. After they were browned to my liking, I crumbled up the veggie bacon (which I microwaved) and the blue cheese and mixed everything together.
The end result was fantastic. The blue cheese was really the star of the dish for me because it was so pungent and creamy. The bacon and spices added a nice smokiness to the entire dish. Everyone proclaimed that it was delicious, so much so that we divided up what little bit remained and it was all eaten by the next day.
Making a vegetarian version of this warm potato salad was a success and a relatively easy one. Sometimes I've gone to a lot of trouble and hassle to make a vegetarian version of a dish that turned out not to be worth it. However, the only way to know for sure is through trial and error. Don't be afraid to try making a dish vegetarian, whether it be by leaving the meat out, substituting the meat, or adding spices or textures that the meat component lends to the dish.
*Standard Questions Every Vegetarian Gets Asked By Everyone: I've been a vegetarian since I was 12-years-old. I'm sure I had a noble, 12-year-old reason for doing so. No, I don't eat fish. Yes, I eat cheese. Yes, I eat eggs but not usually by themselves because I don't care for the taste. No, I'm not a vegan. Yes, my husband eats meat. No, I don't cook it for him, but only because I don't know how to cook meat well and he does, not because I judge him for eating meat. No, it doesn't bother me when people eat meat in front of me. Also, I don't need to hear how you could probably be a vegetarian because you "don't really eat that much meat" – it's a personal choice and I don't care whether you eat meat or not.


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Buildings Going Green, On Top At Least
"The urban roofscape is a little like hell-a lifeless place of bituminous surfaces, violent temperature contrasts, bitter winds, and an antipathy to water."
"Living roofs aren't new. They were common among sod houses on the American prairie, and roofs of turf can still be found on log houses and sheds in northern Europe. But in recent decades, architects, builders, and city planners all across the planet have begun turning to green roofs not for their beauty-almost an afterthought-but for their practicality, their ability to mitigate the environmental extremes common on conventional roofs."
"To stand on a green roof in Vancouver-or Chicago or Stuttgart or Singapore or Tokyo-is to glimpse how different the roofscapes of our cities might look and to wonder, Why haven't we always built this way?"
"...There is beginning to be a critical mass of green roofs around the world, each one an experiment in itself."


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Our Services
Our Services
Exclusive Care Services provides professional and affordable nursing care for the elderly, ill, injured and physically restricted. We offer professional nursing staff for clients that require both medical and non-medical assistance in their homes. Our service is geared towards helping our clients manage their health issues, so they can achieve good health, well-being, and the best quality of life possible.
We are often contacted by clients under hospital and facility care to provide our services to them while in health care institutions/hospitals. Our services often continue in the home after the client is released from the hospital. Patients are being discharged earlier than ever before, as the typical hospitalization stays have decreased over the years. We understand that the transition home can be stressful, and filled with fear and anxiety. We can assist you with the transition home and ensure that there is a continuance of care.
It is often difficult to cope with the capricious changes in life. While some changes are manageable, there are always those that even the most resilient family unit is unable to cope with, especially those changes in health that are precipitated by age, illness, or injury. We are here to assist you during this very difficult time.
We recognize that in many cases, specialized home health care, whether it is for four hours or on an extended basis, is often a better choice for those needing assistance. It is an alternative when institutional care is not practical, economical or appropriate.
The warm, familiar, and comfortable surroundings of home can be very beneficial as one recovers or manages an illness. It promotes our health and well-being with the feeling of control, independence, reduced stress, and heightened self-esteem that seldom can be matched elsewhere.
Whether you're in need of medical or non-medical services, or both, Exclusive Care Services will provide you with the most comprehensive care for your needs. Our staff of professionals possess the knowledge and expertise required to ensure you receive the highest quality of care from the comfort and convenience of your own home.
"Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow." - Plato


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Wikipedia says "Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus' birth on earth at Christmas."
Many churches formally celebrate the Advent season with centuries-old liturgical rituals. We here in our Southern Baptist church family do things a bit more low-key. You'll hear Christmas sermons and programs. You'll see decorations: the nativity scenes, the Chrismon trees with Christ-centered ornaments, the poinsettias and other arrangements.
However, outside of the church building, the Real Reason for the Season is drowned out by things that steal our attention. Things, that in the light of eternity, won't be counted for Christ.
I decided to make a personal Advent list this year because I didn't want to lose sight of Jesus in the midst of busyness. I want HIM to be centermost in my thoughts and attitude.
1) FOCUS ON THE WORD – Below is a list of Bible readings I am working through, each day, to remind me of Jesus and His purpose.
2) FOCUS ON THE MUSIC - Try to listen to just carols this year, leave off Santa and Frosty. I have a Pandora station set up for "Christmas Carols" that I plan to use all through December.
3) FOCUS ON MONETARY GIVING – There are thousands of causes and organizations that ask for funds this time of year. Try looking within your local church, first of all, to pray through the ones to which God would want you to contribute. Al and I are giving to several of these mission needs. The amount of money given doesn't have to be a monumental–it just needs to be an amount you and Lord agree on.
4) FOCUS ON SERVICE GIVING – Ah, here's the counterpart to the one above! Not only should money be given, but physical service should be donated too! Our Ridgecrest Toy Drive is next week and through it we get to share Jesus, the Greatest Gift of All. It makes my year! So this year, STEP OUT IN FAITH–believe and live out II Timothy 1:7! God will bless you for it!
5) FOCUS ON SYMBOLISM – Pick out one Christmas symbol and reflect on how it portrays Jesus, whenever you encounter it. Thank God for this reminder of Jesus. This year I've chosen the wreath. Here's what I've pondered: A wreath is a circle, showing God AND Jesus are infinite. . . without beginning or end. . . He is the Great I AM. . . the Alpha and Omega. . . He is Evergreen and cannot die but lives FOREVER! HALLELUJAH! Jesus Lives!
Will YOU join me and make your own Advent list? It might look very different from mine, but try committing to see Christ in every aspect of Christmas this year!
Praying abundant blessings for all you and yours! May HE be glorified!
Lookin' up,


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Since 2000, important developments have occurred regarding energy efficiency and sustainability in contemporary buildings in Turkey. Initially, energy efficiency had become an issue attracting the attention of private sector. This issue is now being considered by the government; thus, new laws and regulations have entered into force in order to decrease energy consumption and to promote heat isolation, especially at the existing buildings. In 2008, the Regulation on the Energy Performance at the Buildings and Energy Efficiency Law entered into force. In accordance with this law and the regulation, for current buildings, obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) by 2017 is compulsory. For the new buildings, this procedure has been compulsory since January 1, 2011.
EPC is a document indicating and classifying the energy consumption of the building. The consumed energy is aimed to be classified and a database on the energy performance of the buildings is being formed with the assistance of this application. When a building stock constructed before 2000, in Turkey, is examined, the consumed energy is seen to be 2 times greater than the upper limit stated in the regulation only from the valid construction standards. In order to correct this situation and form a sample for the building stocks to be constructed, the government has started to implement a project of 100 public buildings. This project includes the energy surveys and issue of EPC's of 100 public buildings (such as Constitutional Court, Court of Accounts, state schools and hospitals) in Ankara by the TR Ministry of Environment and Urbanism. After determining the energy classification of these buildings, the schedule will be prepared to increase this level and further investigations will be reported.
It is the first time in Turkey that the state is carrying out such a large scale project on energy efficiency. After this project, which can be considered as a start, it is thought that the community will be more conscious and careful about energy efficiency and green architecture in new building stocks.
What kind of projects are carried out by the government in your country to increase public awareness about energy efficiency?
Credits: Images and data linked to source.


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Life Center
Provides meals to Life Center in Upper Darby on 2nd Thursday of odd numbered months.
Contact: Mary McKee (610) 789-6206; Ev Tarpey (610) 789-4187
eMail: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Hospice Program is a group that provides casseroles for St. John's Hospice in Philadelphia. Casseroles are collected in O'Brien Hall before the weekend Masses that precede the 1st Tuesday of the month.
Contact: Mary McKee
Phone: (610) 789-6206
Food Pantry
The St. Bernadette Food Pantry runs yearlong to help serve the local needy. We accept perishable and non-perishable food items.
St. Bernadette Parish runs three (3) large food drives each year.
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Easter
These campaigns supply enough goods for those holiday recipients and also serve to stock the pantry shelves. At those times of the year, students in the parish in grades 6, 7 and 8, participate in stocking the shelves and other duties. Holiday deliveries are also put together by the Service Team.
We always look for help with stocking the cupboard, deliveries, home visits and sometimes people to mentor.
We occasionally take in furniture and large household items to meet an immediate need.
Our goal is to serve the personal and spiritual needs of individuals and families.
Contact: Amy Sandman Phone: (610)789-7676 ext. 213