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The new technologies in the field have brought to the attention of the producers increasingly important movements. One of these was to revolutionize the characteristics of a surveillance camera and to introduce functions that make it possible to differentiate according to certain situations or moments of the day.
One of the most important features of a video surveillance camera is currently the OSD (on screen display) menu that can be activated with the minijoystick on the camera cable as a rule to optimize camera capabilities. This menu allows you to "tune" the camera's features to get the best picture quality. The on-screen display function has the function to adjust the camera's functionality via the OSD menu and is one of the most important and exciting features on the video surveillance market. Practically, via OSD, the generated signal will be adapted to the location and location of the on-site security and surveillance equipment. Which really represents a giant plus for any user. Another important feature that has emerged relatively recently but is of utmost importance is the WDR or Wide Dynamic Range technology, with a balanced role for any video image provided by the device that incorporates this feature. Wide Dynamic Range helps provide a much clearer and more balanced picture regardless of whether the video surveillance device is used inside or outside the target location. The role of WDR has become vital to modern security technology, and users are looking for this feature on virtually any video device. DWDR, is another wonder technology that makes the images much clearer. The image is transmitted by the surveillance camera through frames. 2 consecutive frames are combined by a process called "interlace." Practically DWDR technology combines 2 images – one under-exposed and one overexposed in a high-quality image.
Best cctv installation and maintenance in London.
We also remember Digital Noise Reduction or DNR as it is known to surveillance camera users who also have a role or are of major importance. DNR has a well-established role in the high-tech landscape of the products that incorporate it. More specifically, through DNR, the camera eliminates the noise from the background of an image, thus delivering clear, distinct and distorted images to consumers. As a rule, surveillance cameras use 2D or even 3D filters to reduce background noise, a detail that increases the functionality and especially the efficiency of a quality video surveillance device. Experts believe that this feature can often make a difference between a decent performance room and a high or high performance room. In the case of CCTV surveillance, DNR technology becomes even more important and it is already a necessity of our day.
There is also an interesting feature in the modern landscape. This is BLC or Back Light Compensation, a feature that automatically allows the video surveillance camera to adjust the exposure to the surface of the image. Because the camera sensor does not have the properties of a human eye, it encounters difficulties in reproducing different lighting areas, such as the influence of sunlight. At that time Back Light Compensation comes into play, which helps the subject to be displayed clearly and unintentionally.
The last two functions that we will remember and which are undoubtedly important for current market products are the AWB and AGC functions. They can be common to many modern devices and we'll find out where they can help. AWB or Auto White Balance is an extremely important feature for any video surveillance camera. With this feature, the camera automatically adjusts the white color and reproduces it correctly. The rest of the colors will be displayed afterwards without any problem once the white is reproduced correctly. This function comes into play because cameras can not distinguish things just as the human eye does not have the ability to adapt to different color temperatures. AGC is an abbreviation for Automatic Gain Control, a feature that allows you to record very clear images under completely different lighting conditions. In situations where lens iris can not be controlled, this feature can also help enormously in the surveillance camera. In fact, the AGC function amplifies the video signal, increasing and optimizing the brightness of the image.
We've put together 8 features of great importance in video surveillance, features that help any surprise camera regardless of its type, and functions that multiply the value of such a device. When purchasing surveillance cameras, look for these features to be found between specifications. Of course, you will not find all of them in cheap surveillance cameras, but a valuable room that costs a few million lei must have a large part of these features incorporated to ease your mission and raise your level of technological performance Which you target.


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Here is a copy of our latest infographic on water heater safety maintenance tips for the home. Without checking these items on the water heater on a regular basis, ones water heater will not work to full potential, will cost more money to run, and can potentially be a health and safety...Read More
While lots of people are out shopping the Friday morning after Thanksgiving day we are busy assisting too many individuals with clogged up drains and toilets. It is generally garbage disposals that most people have the hardest time with throughout the holiday period with all the additional cooking that gets done so the disposal works extra hard. Things to be...Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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Warby Parker revolutionized how young, savvy consumers purchase eyeglasses. Now a Chicago startup hopes to transform the way they get eye exams.
Aaron Dallek and Steven Lee, founders of Opternative Inc., say they are developing the first online exam to deliver an accurate, valid prescription. The idea leaves a lot of onlookers scratching their heads, but investors are enthusiastic: The company just landed $1 million in seed funding led by Chicago Ventures and New York-based Tribeca Venture Partners.
"If they can pull this off, it's definitely one of the more innovative and disruptive ideas I've seen come out of Chicago — and not just Chicago — in a long time," says Stuart Larkins, Chicago Ventures co-founder and partner. "This is one of those ideas you get excited about."
Mr. Dallek, 30, a serial entrepreneur who created his first company at age 14, partnered with Mr. Lee, 35, an optometrist who began designing the Opternative tool in 2009, two years after graduating from optometry school. "I realized there had to be a better way," Mr. Lee says.
What makes their remote testing possible is a proprietary algorithm that they say produces the same results as an in-office refractory exam, where a patient looks through a machine containing lenses of varying strengths and reads from an eye chart.
The process works like this: A user calibrates the test to the size of his or her computer screen using a credit card and then steps back from the computer (Opternative asks for your shoe size and has you measure paces accordingly). The system begins projecting images the founders say are a significant improvement over the old-school "What's better, one or two?" machine in the doctor's office. The test-taker answers Opternative's questions by using his or her smartphone as a remote control.
The exam takes five to 10 minutes. The customer also must provide his or her medical history. The test results then are sent to an eye doctor in Opternative's network for verification, and a signed prescription is emailed to the user within 24 hours. The cost, say Messrs. Dallek and Lee, will be about $35 — or 75 percent less than a trip to LensCrafters.
The company is beta-testing its service with about 1,000 users. Down the line, Mr. Dallek says, Opternative wants to partner with universities to conduct double-blind studies to compare Opternative's accuracy to traditional refractory exams.
The establishment is skeptical. The American Optometric Association warns on its website that "anyone claiming to perform an eye exam without physically examining a patient is offering insufficient, ambiguous information and is contributing to a patient believing — incorrectly — that his or her eye health needs have been met."
Opternative's backers suggest conventional practitioners are just scared. "This is one more way that technology is taking a hatchet to old analog processes," says Brian Hirsch, co-founder and managing partner of Tribeca Venture Partners.


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Therma-Tru Pulse Doors Asks: How Colorful are You?
How colorful are you? Can you envision the heartbeat of your home the front entry door painted in Harvest Gold, Quixotic Plum or Forward Fuschia? If your home design includes a Pulse™ modern-style door, then these are only some of the color options that would easily lend themselves to your home's entryway.
Introduced by Therma-Tru in early 2013, Pulse entry doors cater to homeowners seeking to celebrate their own special sense of style. The contemporary door styles reflect four aesthetic feelings that many homeowners wish to capture in their home entry areas: Eclectically Chic, Mid-Century Modern, Retrospective and Distinctively Modern.
"The design of Pulse doors carries a timeframe range of 1945 up through the early 1980s, making it ideal for accenting with color," says Kate Smith, chief color maven and president of Sensational Color. "The clean lines, crisp angles and glass configurations in these doors serve as a design element for the home. By painting the doors in unique colors to match the home style, people can really make the Pulse door a statement on their home."
Pulsing Color for Doors
For a retro home design borrowed from the 1960s, Smith recommends pop-out colors such as Avocado, Sweet Orange, Sycamore Tan and Harvest Gold. "Inspired by nature with a Madmen vibe, these colors help define a home's entrance," says Smith. "Their color appeal is timeless, just as is the style of the Pulse doors." Other, more subdued color options from the 1950s and 1960s include pastel choices such as Powder Blue, Warming Peach, Peace Yellow and Pink Shadow. "These colors are as streamlined and space-aged as Jane Jetson, yet as comforting as June Cleaver," says Smith. "The quieter colorful tones work wonderfully with softer, more muted home exterior colors of beige, tan and white." For homes with a more contemporary and modern flair, Smith recommends front doors painted with an unexpected accent color, such as Lakeshore blue, Hep Green or Daring orange. "These gutsy color choices work well with clean lines and simple shapes against the restrained neutral tones of contemporary homes," says Smith.
From Smith's perspective, a sleek door design like Pulse can be just as effective on a New America-style home as on a contemporary home. "The color for a streamlined door on a New American home could be an updated take on classic colors with Forward Fuschia replacing Barn Red," says Smith. "Another great option would be using the color Secret Garden as an updated alternative to a more traditional Forest Green. Updated colors like these complement today's American architecture while keeping the welcoming attention on the home's front door." Smith, who recently authored the free ebook, "FRESH Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior" recommends working from the "top down" when adding color to the home. "Start with your roof color, then work down to the siding, windows, door and trim colors for your home," says Smith. "Everything should combine in an eye-pleasing palette that allows the exterior colors of the home to flow naturally, creating curb appeal and lasting value."
A free copy of Smith's ebook featuring color guidance for Ranch, Colonial, Bungalow, Victorian, Spanish Mission, European and New American style homes is available at the Therma-Tru website. Available in oak-grained fiberglass, smooth (paintable) fiberglass and steel, Pulse doors come in both 6'8″ and 8'0″ heights. Therma-Tru offers the Pulse door line in four different styles — Ari, Solei, Echo and Linea. The doors all have four Privacy Glass options (Chord, Chinchilla, Rainglass and Granite) along with Clear Low-E and Internal Blinds. The Linea style is available with these same glass insert options plus decorative glass options of Blackstone®, Crystalline™, Sedona, Salinas®, Element, Maple Park®, Avonlea®, Saratoga™, Texas Star, Arden® and Crystal Diamonds™.
About Therma-Tru
Therma-Tru is the nation's leading manufacturer and most preferred brand of entryway doors. Founded in 1962, Therma-Tru pioneered the fiberglass entry door industry, and today offers a complete portfolio of entry and patio door system solutions, including decorative glass doorlites, sidelites and transoms, and door components. The company also offers low-maintenance Fypon urethane and PVC products. Headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, Therma-Tru is part of Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. (NYSE: FBHS). For more information, visit http://www.thermatru.com, http://www.fypon.com or call (800) 537-8827.


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Mike Dooley went from a company drop-out with no mission to a man with a giant mission. And his company Totally Unique Thoughts or TUT helps people go for their dreams. Here's his story...
Mike Dooley didn't know what he was going to do.
He quit his job at Price Waterhouse. He left the company, his security, and his home. He went to Orlando and sat there, lost and confused, waiting for direction. None came.
Meanwhile, his brother was making some money from royalties on a few t-shirts he had designed.
So Mike, his brother, and later their mother, went into the t-shirt business, calling their business TUT, for Totally Unique T-shirts.
Everyone from Disney to Macy's bought and sold them. Within ten years they sold more than one million shirts. Life was good.
But as the market began to change, and major buyers began to make their own t-shirts, the family decided to stop business.
The artistic brother began a career as an actor and comic.
The enterprising mother, who had already written two books, began a full-time career as a writer.
Mike decided to buy out the family business, which by that time had come to be known as "Totally Unique Thoughts", and run it himself.
The most popular t-shirts had always been the ones with inspiring or spiritual sayings, so Mike decided to offer a Monday Morning Motivator by
e-mail to TUT's loyal list of followers.
The Monday memos were usually poems.
His list was originally just several dozen people, those who had signed a guest book in their stores, but his band of followers at the time the stores closed was up to 1,000 names.
Instead of writing to these people with an opening that said, "Dear loyal t-shirt customer...," Mike decided on a more unique approach.
He created an the TUT Adventurers Club and Mike's Monday Morning Memos caught on.
People loved the inspiring weekly poetry and his subscriber base grew to 3,000 names.
In 2001, Mike decided to take the biggest leap of faith of all and recorded an Audio Package called 'Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams.' This was a turning point for Mike's online business.
While he's never asked for a single testimonial for his tapes, he has at this point collected an overwhelming amount of them, here are a few.
My spirit soars as I listen... so happy to have "you" in my life.
I was blown away! I squealed with delight!
I'm listening to the tapes repeatedly... EXCELLENT material, endless new perspectives, spin offs...your words have set me in motion!
While Mike has added a daily e-memo to his weekly ones, he has never advertised, done any publicity, or implemented any marketing.
His tape sales come from word-of-mouth sharing. His database is currently 5,000 hot names, and growing. He plans to consider using pay-for-click services to build his database.
Next he'll focus on his affiliate program, which he just added to his site.
In short, Mike went from a company dropout with no mission to a man with a giant mission.
And he uses the Internet as his primary vehicle to help people go for their dreams.
His main marketing tool is his "Enlightenment-by-E-mail" daily and weekly inspiring messages, which continue to be free.
What's his advice for building a successful business and making your own TUT, Totally Unique Thoughts, come true?
"As clearly as possible define the end result of what you want in emotional terms," he advises. "Get into that emotion now, even before you start working for the dream or even quitting your job. Having the end result firmly in mind now will help you weather any setbacks that may occur later."
"And don't worry about how you will get to that end result," he adds. "There are a million ways to achieve success or wealth, or whatever you want. Don't tie the hands of the universe by thinking it has to come in one certain way. The universe has 'Infinite Possibilities' at its beck and call. Trust it."
The Universe is ALIVE in the unseen, and active in all of your affairs. Learn how to use it.
Check out the TUT Web Site and sign up for the "Enlightenment-by-E-mail" daily and weekly inspiring messages, which continue to be free.
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Kura Kai Ora is co-designing with children to develop nutrition messages responsive to Māori and Pacific worldviews
One of Counties Manukau Health's most serious public health challenges is obesity in childhood. Almost 40% of kids between four and 12 years of age who are overweight and obese in New Zealand live in the Counties Manukau area; 47% of them are Māori and 56% are Pacific.
"Obesity affects the health, educational outcomes and quality of life of our children. If we don't take action early, they are more likely to stay obese as adults and to develop diabetes, heart disease and cancer," says Mana Taurite programme manager Tracey Popham.
The Mana Taurite – Equity in Health campaign is working closely with health professionals and our community across a range of interventions to improve the wellbeing of Māori and Pacific children in Otara by focussing on healthy weight so that they can live longer, healthier lives.
Healthy weight, healthy kids – Currently five project groups – Healthy Mums and Babies 4 Life, Kidz First ED Screening, Kura Kai Ora, Prepare Together and Weigh While We Wait – are testing and implementing interventions in our communities to improve:
- the number of women with a healthy weight gain in pregnancy
- children's physical activity
- children's healthy eating
The Healthy Mums and Babies 4 Life project team is testing ways of educating pregnant women about weight gain so that it becomes easier for them to make healthier food and lifestyle choices. "We want women to have access to tailored information that makes sense to them. Better information will lead to better choices," says community health worker Mele Fakaosilea.
"We have received very positive feedback. Most women are making changes in their lifestyle. One mum, who drank one litre of fizzy drink daily, only drinks them occasionally now," celebrates Mrs Fakaosilea. "It is also great to see that they are starting to fight back myths that still persist, such as 'eat whatever you want' and 'eat for two'."
Similarly, Kura Kai Ora is co-designing meaningful nutrition messages with children; messages that are responsive to Māori and Pacific worldviews. "Māori children connect with food differently. It is not only about fuelling the body. They think about the big picture, how it is connected with whenua (land), the gods and different parts of the environment. The messages are empowering, positive, interconnected, prescriptive," says project lead Alicia Berghan.
Prepare Together is building a pathway for 150 women with diabetes to receive advice and education to help them prepare for pregnancy. "We want to reduce the risk of perinatal complications to improve outcomes for mums and babies," says project lead Lesley Maclennan.
Mana Taurite – Equity in Health campaign
Aligned with CM Health's strategic plan, the purpose of Mana Taurite – Equity in Health is to innovate and identify what works to reduce health inequities for the community of Counties Manukau by December 2020 by:
- reducing the disparity for childhood obesity or healthy weight for children from Māori and Pacific communities in Otara – Counties Manukau (Healthy Kids workstream);
- reducing the disparity for identified health outcomes for Māori and Pacific patients and whānau in participating services in Counties Manukau (Healthy Services workstream);
- increasing the number of Māori and Pacific staff across our workforce and potential workforce to reflect the Counties Manukau community (Healthy Systems workstream).
Go to the Mana Taurite – Equity in Health webpage to find out more about the campaign.


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There are certain relationship milestones that are HUGE. Your first date. Your first kiss. The first time you met his friends. The first time you met his family. The first time you stayed over at his place. The first Valentines day you spent with them. Your first anniversary. There are so many relationships, some of which are more exciting that scary, others that are more scary than exciting. The thing that links each of them, though, is timing. There is a time when things feel right, and that includes one of the biggest relationship steps of all: moving in together.
It is a massive decision filled with nerves and excitement and wonder and adoration and panic and second-guessing and more excitement. So, to help you know if the time is right or whether it is too early to be calling those local moving services, we have come up with some of the signs that suggest you're ready to rock and roll.
You Spend Most Nights At Theirs
If you are already spending most of your nights together, whether at his place or yours, then you are already getting a good idea of what it is like to live together. You'll know the little nuances each other has, the little routines, the things you like and dislike and where to compromise, and that means it could well be time to stop running home every three days to get new clothes and just shack up together.
Your Honeymoon Phase Is Over
That honeymoon phase is one of the best times in any couple's life. That time where you can't get enough of each other, and you stare into each other's eyes believing one another are nothing short of perfect. Moving in during this time is ill-advised. You are just to swept up in young love to make a well-informed decision. Everyone is different, but this phase usually lasts between seven to twelve months. When the honeymoon phase is over, reality starts to settle in, and you can think with your brain and not your love hormones and rose-tinted sunnies, and that's when you will know whether it is time or not.
You Talk About Yourselves Long-Term
Don't jump the gun and move in together before you have started to talk about the future, together, as a loved-up couple. Moving in together and entwining your lives that much more is a big old step and so it is important you know each other's future plans and hopes and dreams first, just to make sure they align. If you are going to live under one roof then you want to be on the same page moving forward. If you've been doing this and discussing these things then, yup, it could be time to do the deed.
You Don't Feel Any Pressure
When you feel pressured to do anything, tiny little alarm bells start ringing in your head and your heart. This is especially true in a relationship. Being pressured to do anything can make you second-guess everything you ever thought about the person you like. Pressured to have a kiss, to go on a date, to get married, to have a baby and, yup, move in. Pressure is not good. It's just not the way you should be starting your life under one roof. You should be moving in because you want to and because you feel excited too. It is as simple as that.
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September 18 – October 23, 2004
Reception for the artist: Saturday, September 18th from 5–8pm.
Western Project is proud to present the first west coast exhibition by New York artist, Tom Sanford. The show is comprised of two recent paintings, and photographs of the artist as Tupac Shakur, from Sanford's project, Thug4Life, an investigation of fandom, celebrity, idolatry and art.
In his paintings Sanford uses a Renaissance style, remixed and shaken - replacing traditional religious iconography with Tupac Shakur and other gansta rap artists to create a kind of neo musical/religious narrative. The rise and fall of Shakur is depicted in a Christ framework, grounded in history and retold as myth. The paintings are colorful Pop sensations, direct and assertive, mirroring the operatic life of Shakur.
While his paintings 'document' events, Sanford's photographs are pure fantasy – images of himself as Tupac, worked out, inked and strong. It is the performance aspect of the images which resonate deeply, and for some, uncomfortably – the white suburban kid posing as an urban black legend. But the hyperbolic fine line Sanford walks in these photos point to a desire for communion and authenticity in our culture - the possibility of community based on shared truths of music. It is perhaps through imitation – 'to act as though' – the artist searches for answers, or finds ecstatic knowledge.
Sanford has exhibited widely in New York and Tokyo.


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Nicole Teng is a Taiwanese artist and owner of Brut Cake, an innovative lifestyle brand of creative furniture, housewares, and textiles made of local handmade materials. Nicole has been donned The Creative Upcycler, collecting and selling items that others deem trash and turning them into one-of-a-kind creations.
I am Nicole Teng. My Chinese name is Teng Nai Hsuan. This November, I turn 40, although in my mind I do not have this sense of aging. It is not about me trying to stay young; I just simply never notice time passing.
I collect abandoned old furniture. In my culture, we believe that the spirit of the past lives in old objects. People buy IKEA furniture and throw away their old art-deco furniture. When I see those abandoned objects, I see the spirits. My idea was to reveal them to the rest of the world through creativity. I use old Chinese hand-woven fabric to make images with patchwork, then reupholster the re-claimed chairs. The materials I use are all representations of their time periods. Through this process, I extend the life of these abandoned materials. My desire has always been to do something positive for this world, to capture a sample of time and preserve its spirit in my own way. This is my way of doing that.
I am a second child. I was born and grew up in Kaohsiung. It is a very normal industrial city in Taiwan. I have two sisters and one younger brother. I am a so-called "typical second child": the especially naughty one vying for attention, often feeling ignored by parents. This also incidentally leads to seeking recognition from friends, career, and so on.
I am never satisfied with what I have done. I am always hungry. I always want more. It can be a hard way to live, but it's taught me humility and driven me to continuously better myself.
My father worked in another city and only came home on weekends, so my mother assumed the role of disciplinarian of their four children. To us, Dad was the fun one and Mom was the harsh one. You could say she was your typical Tiger Mom. Academics were top priority, and we had to be at the top of our class. If not, we were punished. My mother had a saying: "There is always a sky beyond this one." Meaning: You may think this time you are good enough, but there is always someone better. I was always seeking her approval. It was rare for my mother to give me compliments or kisses, but when she did, they were treasured — even to this day.
Ever since I can remember, I have been the "ugly" child in the family. I was skinny, short, sickly, and very much a tomboy. I have a cousin who is only one month younger than me but who was always taller, more fair-skinned, and prettier. On top of that, she was an excellent pianist from an early age. My mother often compared me to her. Often she said, "You must work harder to make up for your shortness and your dullness." In her mind, she was "helping" me to be better.
Growing up, we never received the toys or the beautiful stationary we wanted. Not because my parents didn't want to give things to us, but because they were not able to. But I never noticed we were living in poverty. I filled life with my imagination. If I wanted toys, I made them myself. No one taught me. I used old calendars to build houses. LED games? No problem. I created my own versions and pretended my way through the rest. I even made my little cousin a dress from a shipping bag! I was always making something out of nothing.
In high school movies, there is always a cheerleader and her followers. In my movie, I was not the cheerleader. I was the class clown standing next to the cheerleader. I never felt bad assuming my role. In fact, I was an excellent clown. I knew how to make other people laugh and this made me an irreplaceable member of the group. I was not pretty, so I found other ways to shine.
Why do I have to try so hard to stand out, to be recognized? The true question is, do I need recognition from myself? And do I get it?
My motivation sounds childish, but my willingness to work extra hard to get recognition came from my "ugly duckling" spirit. This is a gift that has helped me to overcome so many challenges. Even now, when I face hard times during my career, I remind myself of my ugly duckling spirit.
I fell in love with an artist once, but he didn't love me back. I know the golden rule is that if you work harder, you will get what you want. But in love, this golden rule does not hold true.
Although I graduated in Communications with a focus in Advertising, I've wanted to be a painter since I was three years old. It was the way I expressed myself. No matter how hard the day was, at night, painting was my way out.
After years in Advertising, I quit my career and got a job as a gallery manager and curator, starting from ground zero. The gallery was located in a true local neighborhood, of which I had a 360-degree view. I could often see whole families of three generations living in a tiny, single room apartment. Even though the space was small, it was set for full-functionality. It was very normal to see men take showers outside, neighbors play ma jiang and cards in the lanes, and children do homework on the street. There was no privacy; the whole world was an aquarium open for everyone to see. The place was full of life energy. Those local residents were all creators; they created their comfortable life with very few resources. I learned a lot from this aerial view.
The real challenge to an artist is how to use limited resources to create the new. It is how to "think out of box" to show the power of what an original creative idea can do.
The voice that says "You are never good enough" still lives within me. I am constantly evaluating my personal achievements, even though I have surpassed my own goals. I may sound lost, but I assure you I am not. I may not know the end, but I am very aware of my beginning, and it humbles me, guides me. I accept that I will always be in the middle of my journey. I know the future is full of surprises, but time and spirit will guide my way. There is no such thing as failure, as long as we keep moving on.
What is Brut Cake? "Brut" is a reference to the nineteenth-century art movement labeled in France as "Art Brut." The title means "raw art," "original art," or "rough art." Creations from this movement were all very strong, original, rough, and imperfect — but with a genuine heart. "Cake" represents the sweetness to be found in daily life. I guess, I am Brut Cake.
The trace of a man's past will always be there. Every lesson and learning in life, no matter how small it is, will shape and build upon the way we are. I am still that little girl building houses with old calendar paper. I am still trying to get attention for the things I do. And that's not such a bad thing.
Website brutcake.com


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by Erica Simek Sloniker
It's always been a dream of mine to live in a neighborhood around Manito Park in Spokane, Washington. With its meandering, tree-lined streets of towering oaks and craftsman and Victorian homes, it's a pedestrian's strolling residential dreamscape. I usually imagine it's a late summer evening. The air is cool and I've just made a stop at the Rockwood Bakery for a foamy latte and decadent chocolate croissant. As I wander through the neighborhood a bit more, I say hello and wave at my neighbors, who have made their way to their rocking chairs atop their garden porches.
We want to know: Where do you see Nature Nearby? Share your stories and images below for the chance to be featured on a future blog post!
Ok, ok. A girl can dream!
Yet, the best part about wondering through these charming neighborhoods is that they all lead to Manito Park. A park that can be enjoyed by one and all, and easily accessible to Spokane residents. Established in 1904, and designed by the legendary Olmsted brothers - designers of Central Park - Manito Park is known for its horticulture displays. It features 20 acres of world-class botanical gardens which include rose, lilac, Japanese, and perennial gardens. A greenhouse near the center of the park, The Gaiser Conservatory, contains tropical, subtropical, and temperate plant specimens from around the world. Wonderfully, the conservatory – as is the rest of the park - is open to the public, free of charge, throughout the year.
A mix of trails across all 95 acres of the park, leads you through the elegant landscape as though all you ever needed to do in the world was stroll and admire nature in all its glory. Manito Park contains such delights that any sorrow from not possessing a residence nearby (hmmm), or simply having a bad day, quickly fades. And, isn't that often the case while getting outside in nature?
I once read a quote from the famed naturalist John Muir that said, "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."
In my state of contemplation, I pull up to Mirror Pond and watch my reflection wavy in the blustery breeze. I'm reminded of Spokane's motto, "Near Nature, Near Perfect".
You can find both nature and perfection in Manito Park.


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After a long wait, Dexter finally found a forever family.
For three years and seven months, Dexter was forced to call the Valley Animal Center his home. Through no fault of his own, the pit bull mix spent the majority of his life in and out of the shelter, continuously being let down by humans he was meant to trust. He was the longest canine resident to ever stay at the shelter, and with each passing day, his chances of being adopted dwindled.
But then his life changed forever. It was raining on January 7 when a family walked into the shelter looking for a new furry family member. Dexter's personality and heart-wrenching story quickly caught their attention. After introductions were made, they spent time at the shelter getting to know each other. It didn't take long for the chronically homeless pooch to fall in love, and the family loved him right back.
With a unanimous decision, it was agreed that Dexter would finally be going home. With a goofy grin and ferociously wagging tail, Dexter left the shelter for what everyone hopes to be the last time.
After watching Dexter go through four years' worth of disappointment, shelter staff members were ecstatic for the sweet pup they had grown to love. The video they posted to Facebook shows the newly appointed family dog being escorted into a new life. Dexter spent nearly four years in a shelter, but he'll now enjoy being the only pet in a home with a large backyard complete with swimming pool.
Valley Animal Center is the largest no-kill animal shelter in Fresno, CA, and they work hard every day to find homes for animals like Dexter. Last year they adopted out nearly 900 animals, but they didn't do it alone. They rely on volunteers, sponsors, and supporters to help them achieve their goals. Learn how you can help by visiting them online.
WATCH NOW: Yardbar Adoption Event with Wag in Austin, TX


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Stuck wondering what you should do during this upcoming Fall Break weekend? Do you need some thrill in your life? Are you looking for something exciting to do with your friends without breaking the bank? Well then get ready, because Charlotte Motor Speedway has a deal for you.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is set to return home to North Carolina for Sunday's Bank of America 500, the kickoff race in the second round of NASCAR's 2017 Playoffs. Twelve drivers are left with a shot at the 2017 MENCS championship, and this weekend's race stands as one of the most crucial of the season. In addition, Sunday's event is also one of the most-anticipated races in quite sometime for the speedway, and thousands of racing fans are ready to enjoy it.
In an effort to try and get a larger college demographic out to the track, Charlotte Motor Speedway announced a ticket package for college students around the Charlotte area. With a valid student ID, a 'Speedway College Party' ticket will allow students access to the Turn 4 Sun Deck for Sunday's race. The Sun Deck provides fans with one of the most unique experiences in racing. It's an open-air terrace area with a DJ, lawn games, up-close views of the racing and a bar for those 21 and older. Free parking is included with the 'Speedway College Party' package, accompanied by an exclusive free area in the parking lot where college students are encouraged to come partake in the pre-race college tailgate party.
Sound like fun? Well wait, there's more.
Sunday's race will mark the final start at Charlotte for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. He announced earlier this season that he'd retire at the end of 2017, meaning Sunday's race is the last chance for many racing fans to see him compete in person. To help send him off in style, Charlotte Motor Speedway helped put together a 'Salute to Junior Nation' concert, which is scheduled for Saturday night. Country music stars Brad Paisley and Tim Dugger are set to perform at the concert, which is set to start at 7PM at zMAX Dragway. The concert is free to all Sunday ticket holders, including those with the 'Speedway College Party' package.
College students with a valid student ID can take part in all of these things, as well as the normal activities that go on during a NASCAR raceday, including the FanZone and Monster Energy activation areas, for only $29.
So for just less than the price of six Cookout trays, college students can revamp their Fall Break weekend from one of potential boredom into one full of unforgettable life-long memories. Tailgating, a Brad Paisley concert, racing, friends, and much more all for just less than $30.
If you would like more information or are interested in the 'Speedway College Party' deal, visit online at http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets/college/ or on the phone by calling 1-800-455-FANS.


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Nine years ago, Grace turned 6 years old and was anxiously awaiting her first day of school. In the Philippines, where she lived, Grace had just become old enough to be eligible for kindergarten. This was the big day she'd been waiting for.
But the kindergarten she would attend was miles away. She and 32 other children in Pulong Visaya, Philippines, would have to make a dangerous trek alongside busy roads to get there.
There was no doubt that it was too treacherous a journey for 6 year olds to make alone. So one afternoon, with the help of an Outreach Philippines staff member, the parents in Pulong Visaya met underneath the local mango trees to talk about alternative options for education.
The solution they decided on, overwhelmingly, was to build a school within Pulong Visaya for the local children. So they did just that. And today, the school has been in operation for 8 years.
Now, Grace is 15 years old and in 9th grade. Looking back, she says she couldn't have pursued secondary education without that kindergarten.
After struggling for a few years, the kindergarten now not only meets the basic criteria for an operational school in the Philippines, it also includes a feeding program and school supplies for the children.
"Education is important," said Grace. "I need an education because I want to become a teacher, and I can't do that without studying. I don't want to be dependent on my parents forever; I want to help them. And when I become a teacher, I'll help other children, too."


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Santa Claus and His Works
Artist: Thomas Nast
From the New York Times, "On December 25, 1866, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about Santa Claus and Christmas," by Robert C. Kennedy (2001) -- This multi-framed illustration of "Santa Claus and His Works" was artist Thomas Nast's first major depiction of Santa Claus in Harper's Weekly (appearing in the postdated December 29, 1866 issue). Although other artists of the period sketched Santa Claus, Nast stands apart from the rest for his role in creating and popularizing the modern image of the Christmas figure. He contributed 33 Christmas drawings to Harper's Weekly from 1863 through 1886, and Santa is seen or referenced in all but one. Nast's full-page illustration of Santa Claus in 1881 quickly attained status akin to an official portrait, and is still widely reproduced today. Before Nast, different regions, ethnic groups, and artists in the United States presented Santa Claus in various ways. A sketch in Harper's Weekly from 1858 shows a beardless Santa whose sleigh is pulled by a turkey. Nast was instrumental in standardizing and nationalizing the image of a jolly, kind, and portly Santa in a red, fur-trimmed suit delivering toys from his North Pole workshop. This was accomplished through his work in the pages of Harper's Weekly, his contributions to other publications, and by Christmas-card merchants in the 1870s and 1880s who relied heavily upon his portraiture.
In the featured "Santa and His Works," Nast adapts characteristics from his German heritage (he was born in Bavaria) and from Clement Clark Moore's famous 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas"), but the artist adds other aspects developed from his own creative mind and talented pen. The effect is to unveil much of the mystery behind Santa Claus by presenting a more complete account of his life, mission, and home. Instead of depicting him merely delivering gifts, the entire process of his work is detailed from the preparation to the execution to the recovery. The centerpiece is what children hope for: Santa stuffing stockings hung on the fireplace, as toys lie on the floor. He is plump, white-bearded, red-nosed, dressed all in fur, carries the sack of a peddler (evoking earlier lore of Santa as a peddler), and is still the short elf of Moore's poetic version (here, Santa needs a chair to reach the mantle).
Along the sides, Nast adds parallel circular insets. To fulfill Santa's traditional task of rewarding nice children and punishing naughty children, Santa uses a telescope to locate good children (upper-left), and records the behavior of children in an enormous account book (upper-right). On the center-left, he is seen in his workshop carefully crafting toys by hand (as opposed to the increasing reliance on factory production in America). On the center-right, he is taking a well-deserved post-Christmas rest in a rocking chair placed before a fireplace, as he holds a meerschaum pipe popular among Germans, Dutch, and their American descendents. On the lower-left, the diminutive Santa uses a ladder to decorate the Christmas tree (another German tradition), and on the lower-right, sews doll clothing by hand (rather than using a sewing machine). Three years later, in 1869, "Santa and His Works" was included in a new publication of Moore's poem illustrated by Nast. At that time, Santa's suit was changed to the red color for which it has thereafter been associated.
The origin of Santa's home at the North Pole is uncertain, but in "Santa and His Works" Nast may have been the first illustrator to so identify the locale. (An 1857 illustration in Harper's Weekly shows Santa preparing to leave a snowy but unnamed homeland.) In the late 1840s and the 1850s a series of expeditions to the Arctic captured public attention, and the area began to be discussed as the home of the elusive Santa Claus. Year-round the North Pole had the snow that was becoming associated in the popular image with Christmas (the American publishers of magazines, books, and cards carrying Christmas illustrations were headquartered in the snowy Northeast). Furthermore, the North Pole's geographic isolation permitted the jolly old elf to work without interruption, and the region's independence from all nations allowed Santa to be a symbol of universal good will. The reference to the North Pole in the featured cartoon is on the curving border in the upper-right and reads "Santa Claussville, N. P." The linkage of symbol and place was obviously common enough by 1866 that Nast realized he could simply abbreviate "North Pole."
While setting the national standard, Nast's own depiction of Santa Claus changed over the years. He began his almost-annual contribution of Christmas illustrations when he joined the staff of Harper's Weekly in 1862 during the Civil War. His first Santa (in the postdated January 3, 1863 issue) is a small elf distributing Christmas presents to Union soldiers in camp. Santa dangles by the neck a comical jumping jack identified in accompanying text as Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president. There was no doubt in Nast's illustration whose side Santa favors in the war. Besides the military context, the cartoon is set off from later ones in that the gift giving is for adults, not children (except for the drummer boys). The other two Christmas illustrations of Nast's published during the Civil War emphasize family scenes, with Santa relegated to the background.
From 1866-1871, Nast continued to elaborate upon the image of Santa Claus portrayed in "Santa and His Works." As in the featured cartoon, he also emphasized during this period Santa's disciplinary role in judging whether the behavior of children during the past year warranted Christmas rewards or punishment. In an 1870 cartoon, Santa surprises two naughty children by jumping out as a jack-in-the-box clutching a switch for spanking. In 1871, Santa sits at his desk reading letter from parents chronicling their children's good and bad acts, with the "letters from naughty children's parents" far outnumbering the "letters from good children's parents." It is probably not coincidental that Nast was at that time the father of several young children (the eldest, Julia, was 9 years old in 1871). Whatever the reason, the cartoons helped revive the idea of Santa as reinforcing parental discipline, a notion that had waned since the publication of Moore's poem in which Santa brought a "happy Christmas to all."
Through the rest of the 1870s, Nast's Santa Claus was no longer the disciplinarian, but, instead, played a cat-and-mouse game with children in which he tried not to be seen and they tried to catch him in the act of delivering presents. Again, the illustrations likely reflected the situation in Nast's home, where he loved to wrap presents and celebrate the season, but at a time when his children had become old enough to try to find the gifts and nab the gift-giver. In "Santa Waiting for Children to Get to Sleep" (1874), Santa is forced to delay on a rooftop because children in the house below are still awake. A related poem blames the late-night hours of the family on the use of gas lighting in homes.
As Nast's own children entered and left their teen years, knowing that Santa was really their father, the artist's illustrations finally showed direct communication and interaction between Santa Claus and the pictured children. In a postdated January 1879 issue, a girl drops a letter to Santa in a mailbox (the first time the artist depicted a letter from a child to Santa), and in December 1884, Santa and a girl are able to speak with each other by using a relatively new invention, the telephone. In the January 1879 issue, another Nast cartoon portrays Santa Claus in the midst of a group of gleeful children who he embraces affectionately. Santa is now recognized as part of the family, whose shared love is the greatest gift. Nast's Santa makes his last appearance in Harper's Weekly the next year when the jolly old (man-size) elf offers himself as a present. Nast's last two Christmas illustrations in Harper's Weekly appeared in December 1886, when he resigned from the newspaper, but his impact on the popular image of Santa Claus continued and remains potent to this day. (source: New York Times)
Thomas Nast exhibit from Will Hughes on Vimeo.


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Burdock Kinpira
Not quite the traditional flavoring here:
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Balsamic Vinegar
Sesame oil
Zhen Jiang Vinegar
Heat oil in a pan. Add the julienned or slivered burdock and carrots and broccoli stems. Sauté a bit, then add just enough of the flavoring ingredients to suit your taste, plus quarter cup water. Cover and cook till liquid is completely absorbed and the burdock root is tender enough.
I like a adding Balsamic vinegar for mildly sweet flavor and caramelization.
Serve warm or chilled, garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions.
Labels: burdock, fusion, japanese, kinpira, vegetarian


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Your next temp-job is 3-5 clicks away.Find Gig-Work & Hourly Jobs on 312 Gig-Platforms.
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The GigSmash BlogYour ultimate source of tips and tricks for nailing your gig work and life.
Being creative is a blessing, but finding paid work in your field can be tough. Many creative types are turning their skills to gig work to help pay the bills and to get their talent appreciated.
With the IT & Tech industries having been at the forefront of the gig economy for years, there are loads of well-established platforms designed to tap into the wide pool of skills available globally in this area.
Long gone are the days when you needed to pop up a hand-written message down on the local community board if you wanted to find a buyer interested in what you're offering.


text: ...mass=forceXacceleration...at least it's named something like that. I'm not looking for a Falling Fred or a Boost; I'm looking for a high score chasing game that captures some of the speed and character of Aaahhh. Not a bullet hell game though. If you've played it, you'll understand, it has a lot of character. And if you haven't played it, then make it the next game you buy!


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www4321,You wrote, thanks---what are some other good preferred stocks?There are tons. Look them up on QuantumOnline.com.I hold a dozen or more issues. My favorites for a taxable account is BML-Q (Merrill / Bank of America) and IGK (ING, NV). These both have no maturity date, are not callable until 2013, are currently under par and are currently yielding about 9.75% pre-tax. Both also pay a qualified dividend so assuming a 15% tax rate for qualified dividends, the effective after-tax yield is a whopping 8.28%.However these are both bank issues, are both suspend-able and are both rated as sub-prime investments so be very careful. Actually IGK is issued by the Netherlands ING parent, which is primarily an international insurance firm; but it also has banking operations around the world and is currently being backed / subsidized by the Netherland government while it works to de-leverage and divest itself of non-core operations.Also, does the price of the preferred vary with the price of the common?It can. It depends on the way it is structured. Convertable preferreds can be converted to common shares under certain conditions, this causes them to trade a lot like common shares. Terms of the preferred can often put a kind of cap or floor on the preferred's share price depending on how the preferred is structured.Also, the price of a preferred can fall with a company's share price just because the debt appears to be more risky too because of the odds of default have increased. But this is true of most debt issued by the corporation. How far or fast you might expect it to fall depends on the seniority of the security interest backing the preferred and what kind of assets might be available should the company actually get liquidated.Finally, any other somewhat safe income investments for someone retired?If you're retired and need to keep most of your assets safe, you should be careful about buying too many preferred stocks for your portfolio. Sometimes they carry no more risk than a company's senior bond issues; but usually that's not true. So if you buy individual issues, you have to be picky and careful if you can't afford the loss of your investment. In those cases you should stick to small purchases, spread it out thinly and/or buy an ETF that does it for you. Alternately I suppose you could concentrate on only a few A-rated issues. That might still give you a decent yield; but it probably won't out-perform a junk bond ETF like JNK or HYG which at least theoretically achieves some measure of safety through diversification.So you want somewhat safe? There aren't many preferreds that meet that criteria. If you want safe, you probably ought to buy a basket of CEFs, ETFs (or mutual funds) and leave it at that...Oh, that does remind me of one thing. Have you considered muni funds? Or buying individual munis? Those are often a bit safer than buying preferreds. The problem with munis is liquidity. Most munis are traded in large blocks [5-10 (and sometimes 100) $1,000 bonds minimum]. That makes it hard to diversify. But munis are often tax-free, which can really make up for their low yields if you have enough other taxable income. If your marginal tax bracket is low, then investigating them is probably a waste of time.- Joel
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Western Sydney will house more people in the future, thanks to upcoming land releases in the area.
For anyone taking out a construction home loan in the New South Wales capital, this may come as good news.
More development in the west
Sydney's west has become a popular area for residential property development.
In the year to March 31, NSW experienced strong population growth, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. With an increase of 114,500 residents, it's clear the boost in numbers may present some housing challenges if supply can't keep up.
As of the end of March, the entire nation's population was 23.4 million.
Land releases in Sydney may help alleviate demand for housing in the popular capital city.
New homes and facilities
There will be space for 11,000 new homes in Western Sydney, thanks to the recently announced land releases.
But that's not all that's in store.
"Land releases at Leppington and around the future Cudgegong Road Station will unlock 11,000 new houses, along with the shops, cafes, parks, road upgrades and schools that will help make them homes," explained Minister for Planning Pru Goward on November 10.
Anyone taking out a home loan or investing in real estate will no doubt be concerned with the nearby facilities, and it seems the west is striving forward to offer residents the best of the best.
For instance, the North West and South West rail links help homeowners and tenants who need to commute during the weekday.
In the Cudgegong Road precinct area alone there will be up to 4,000 new houses, according to Member for Riverstone Kevin Connolly.
It's thought the development will boost job opportunities, making it a potentially good investment location or place to settle down in. With low interest rates, taking out a home loan in upcoming months could be a favourable option.
"With 16,000 square metres of retail space for new shops, restaurants and cafes and other services, the Cudgegong Road precinct will generate more local jobs," Mr Connolly said.
Image credit: woodleywonderworks
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One of the biggest names in country music, Terri Clark is at the North Peace Cultural Centre Nov. 5, presented by Fort City Chrysler!
The show is now SOLD-OUT, but we have a chance for you to win tickets thanks to Lonestar Nightlife, Fort St. John's Premier Nightclub. Not only could you win tickets, but you could go backstage and meet Terri Clark
Instead of keeping them for ourselves, we're giving 'em away…to YOU! Be listening for your cue to call in and play Terri Clark Karaoke. If you're the lucky caller through and correctly finish the lyric of a Terri Clark song, we'll enter you to win!
First place is a limo ride from Luxx Limousines, dinner for two at Roustabouts, two front row tickets AND a meet and greet! Second place wins dinner, two tickets to the show and you'll also go backstage and meet Terri. Third place, will receive two tickets to the show.
The grand prize draw is November 3.
Terri Clark Karaoke – Sponsored by Lonestar Nightlife – Fort St. John's Premier Nightclub and Moose FM.


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You know that new commercial about the Volkswagen van commercial with Brooke Shields? You know where she states to not have a baby just for German engineering?
I am thinking I need to make a commercial. But my commercial will have a new approach. It will be why you SHOULD have kids. Main reason? Your ego.
That's right. Your ego. I have decided that since I have given birth that my once larger than life ego has become so large I am shocked I can make it in the door.
Now I am sure some of you are scratching your heads thinking, "Um no actually my ego is down since after I had a baby I got this freak show of a body."
I understand that. My body, I admit, will never look the same. BUT if like me you gained a
gazillion few more pounds than you planned when you were pregnant since you took it as your one chance to order not one, but TWO large value meals at McDonalds and no one would look at you like you were a big fat pig hungry but PREGNANT, (not that I ever did this) Ahem, moving on.
Anyways if you DID gain a bunch of weight than you lost it like I did that right there is your first ego boost.
"Oh my! YOU had a baby? I never would have guessed you are SO thin."
Of course if you didn't lose the weight no worries there are other ego boosts to having a kid.
Case in point, the other day I was getting ready for work and Bean came around the corner. "Mommy you are SO pretty. Just like a princess."
Yes I know I hugged him so hard and then slipped a 20 in his back pocket so he'll know to keep those compliments coming.
What? Your kid never says you're a princess? Hmmmm well how about this one.
I was cooking chili the other day and Bean came up and said, "What are you making?" I told him chili and he looked unimpressed.
Later when we were eating the chili Bean said, "Mommy you make the BEST chili ever. I love it!"
Ah yes. And I love the compliments.
Not a cooker you say? Well then this is my last shot to help you out.
Over the weekend Bean and I went shopping at a local outlet. There were people everywhere (um slow economy? Not at the outlet apparently) and I kept thinking that I was surrounded by morons.
Well this guy almost hit me but I managed to avoid him.
Bean piped up from the back, "Mommy! That man is a BAD driver. I am so glad you are a good driver."
Ah yes apparently he has forgotten my little speeding incident from a few weeks ago.
What can I say? The kid remembers what he wants too.
So there you have it. Having a kid is the greatest ego booster ever. Even better than dare I say a new pair of shoes. After all the shoes can make you feel good but the kid tells you that you look good.
So I wonder who I can have in my commercial. Maybe Kate from the Jon & Kate show?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Kids = Large Ego
You know that new commercial about the Volkswagen van commercial with Brooke Shields? You know where she states to not have a baby just for German engineering?
Posted by Marmarbug at 2:25 PM 14 comments
Thursday, October 16, 2008
No stork lies here
So, I think Bean is going to be a doctor some day. Or a very confused kid. I'm not sure yet. I'll have to see if I am paying for med school or psychologist.
Are you confused yet? Let me explain.
Bean loves to watch Discovery Health. My mom said it isn't a good idea for him to watch it but I figure it's educational. Blood does not seem to faze that kid. Well unless it's his blood. That's different.
Bean is actually quite interested in the baby shows. You know Birth Story? Well I should have known that all of this would lead to the question. You know THE QUESTION.
"Mommy where do babies come from?" Bean asked.
"Ummmm well they are made by God (thankfully he asked this AFTER we started going to church.). I replied
"How does God make them Mommy?" Bean asked.
"He just...does." Oh man this is TOUGH!
"How do they get in your tummy?"he asked again
"Ummm…God puts them there." I stammered.
"Why?"he asked
"Because when God makes them they are VERY small and need to grow." I answered.
"Oh but why does the Mommy get them?"Bean wondered.
"Because our belly stretches." I replied.
Bean puffs out his belly.
"Mine does too Mommy." Bean said.
"Well a Mommy's can stretch REALLY big." I answered.
"Oh, was I in YOUR belly Mommy?" Bean asked.
"Yes baby you were a long time ago." I said, kind of sadly.
"Yes I was in there, I remember."
"You do?"
"Mmmmhmmm, can I go back in there Mommy?"
"Uh no, you won't fit."
Then I turned on Max and Ruby. This subject had to change!!!
Men spend 9 months trying to get out and the rest of their lives trying to get back in. Next time this comes up - it is all Bud.
Posted by Marmarbug at 3:26 PM 15 comments
Monday, October 13, 2008
Are you there God? It's me Bean.
Well after deciding we no longer wanted to be considered heathens the hubs and I decided to start taking Bean to church.
Part of the reasoning was not only to not be classified as heathens but the reasoning also stemmed from a conversation that Bean and I had a few weeks prior to our first visit to church.
It was a cloudy, rainy day
(Sounds like a bad novel start)
Bean: Momma, I want to go outside and play on my 4-wheeler.
Me: Bean, sweetie, maybe today isn't a good day for that.
Bean: Why?
Me: Well it is raining outside.
Bean: Oh. Why is it raining outside?
Me: Well honey I guess God decided we need rain today.
Bean: I hate God.
Me: BEAN! Don't ever say that. That is terrible.
Bean: Well I do.
So this is turn led me to realize that Bean just did not know who God was. We were never die-hard Christians going to church with him so to Bean, God was just some guy that decided to make it rain when he wanted to ride his 4-wheeler.
The nerve.
So before my child started to sound like the Anti-Christ off to church we went.
I had little hope for Bean since he would have to sit still for an hour. Unless Max and Ruby is on T.V. then the child will sit there with his eyeballs firmly fixed to the screen. (This is a WONDERFUL thing when Mommy is getting ready for work)
So we get to church.
Bean is wide-eyed looking around the worship area. We sit in our pew and Bean is still wide-eyed.
I begin to wonder if his eyes will get stuck in that position.
Then the pastor comes to the pulpit (we are Baptist – just so you know!), and begins the welcome and announcements. Then we sing.
Bean looks perplexed and then hears the word "holy" in the song and proceeds to sing that word over and over again.
Hey singing is singing.
Then we have prayer. Bean looks around at everyone's head bent over and asks "Mommy what are you doing?"
I gently told him "shhhh". Ever notice that in those quiet moments that your child's "whisper" seems SO noisy???
Anyways, we then had offering and the money plate was passed. Bean looked impressed at the dollars inside. Thankfully he didn't try to swipe one.
Then we had the sermon.
Bean shifted around in his seat quite a bit but for the most part he was VERY good throughout the service.
Bud and I were shocked.
Later, on the way home he said, "Mommy, I love God."
"Well that is great to hear." I told him.
"Mommy did you know that God is so cute, and he wears pants and shoes like Daddy."
"Mmmmm." I replied.
"Mommy did you know that God is right there (he pointed to our back deck) sitting on the table?"
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes, he is right there and he loves me."
Makes you wonder if that study that children can see things adults can't is true or not.
Posted by Marmarbug at 2:07 PM 25 comments
Friday, October 10, 2008
That's my stapler...
Wow. I have truly been SLACKING lately.
I have been slacking for several reasons.
1. Moving. Can we just say moving sucks? I mean really. You would think I had it a bit easier since we were going back to our old house but um, no. Of course adding to the wack job of a move, other contributing factors have made it not a simple task. Read on for clarification.
2. New job. Yeah. So I was so worried about not getting a job. Well I got one and am pretty happy that I did considering the sad state of the economy. Can I just say I am GLAD I am not a: realtor, stockbroker, banker, politician right now??????? (er, sorry if that applies to anyone)
But I am back with the company I was with down south and so far things are good. Except for the fact that I am in a cubicle again. Yeah.
Do you know I have not been in a cube for over 4 years? It sucks. No privacy whatsoever. So don't fart, burp, take too many personal phone calls or pick your nose since you never know who could pop their little head around the corner.
However being in a cube reminds me so much of Office Space. Haha! Or of being a gopher or prairie dog.
3. Bud is out of town.
You single moms, wives of military men or wives of men who just travel A LOT? I applaud you. I honest too God do. Bud has been gone for three weeks. I am just not used to doing things alone. And of course it leads me to realize that yes, Bud must do something around here since I am so friggin tired. I am not sure if this pleases me or not yet. I'll get back to you.
But I am going to start making my rounds again. I hope to "see" some of you again soon. And I am working on a pretty cute Bean post. So hopefully this will be the last update post. I admit they are kinda dry.
Posted by Marmarbug at 1:07 PM 9 comments


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This Week's ChessVideos Show: Viewer Questions
Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 2:22PM
Topics include the anti-Benko/Benoni with 3.e3, material imbalances, the psychology of blunders, the isolated d-pawn and rook endings. There's something for everyone, at least if "everyone" is limited to the sort of crowd likely to watch chess videos. And since this chess video is free (free registration required) and will be available on-demand for the next month or so, "everyone" should be happy.


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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Top 10 Economics Papers of 2011
Here is one person's take on the best economics papers of 2011, you'll find a familiar name in the #2 spot...
Posted by Matt E. Ryan at 11:41 AM
Labels: Interesting People, Papers, Rankings
1 comment:
- Gasser Mitchell said...
consequently beautiful! adore the actual dark blue as well as white-colored, your lamps and the plants! Winner over a cozy place!
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I think it was Michael Johnston who said something to the effect that the easier a camera is to use in the field, the harder it will be to print from its negatives and the more bother a camera is at the exposure stage, the fewer problems you'll encounter in the darkroom. The implication is that 35mm will be trickier under the enlarger than 5x4. All I would say is that I'm glad the photograph that's the subject of this post was not a 35mm neg…
The Ilford HP5 negative doesn't look too bad but this shot suffered from two things: an overall lack of contrast and flare from the windows and their reflection in the puddle. The low value areas - and there are a lot of them - are flatter than a mill pond in a depression. If you look at the frame around the windows and that buttress-like thing emerging from the middle of them you'll see the daylight spilling over.
I took this photograph around 15 years ago on the same make of 5x4 camera I have now - a Speed Graphic. It had a 135mm Optar lens, a Tessar design not a million miles away from the 127mm Ektar I have for my present 5x4 camera. Both of these lenses flare quite badly - not something you'd expect from a four-element lens in good condition. My Ektar has a scratched-up front element, though, and I'm guessing the Optar was in a similar condition although I can't remember for sure as I sold the camera not long after.
The problems I faced were getting some contrast in the shadows without them blocking up and burning in the flared areas to make the window frames and other woodwork in that region similar in tone to the rest of the negative and, at the same time, bringing out some detail in the glass. I'm in the process of using up some Ilford Multigrade IV RC as I try to regain some old printing skills before moving onto something fibre-based and considerably more expensive. I kicked off with a wee test strip (left) - bottom to top - at grade 3 to make sure I was in the ball park.
It showed that a harder grade was needed and, given the way the shadows turned detail-less very quickly, that the exposure would have to be accurate to get a solid black but still retain some texture.
With that in mind, I did a test strip with narrower increments from right to left using a full sheet to get a better idea of how things stood. That's it below and it shows the low contrast and the flare quite well. I then dialled in grade 4 and made another test strip from bottom to top (two below) on a full sheet.
Using the information gathered so far, I decided to give the print a 17 second exposure with an extra three-quarters of a stop burn-in of the window and reflection at the same grade to put a bit of contrast into these areas to help minimise the flare. The window and reflection would then get three-quarters of a stop extra at grade 0 (an educated guess) to bring out some detail in the glass area. Then I had a last minute change of mind and went with 15 seconds for the main exposure.
That's the result below. It's quite a nice print in that it captures the dinginess of the scene, shows detail in most of the shadowed areas and still retains detail throughout most of the glass. Had I given the negative a bit more exposure, maybe a stop, it would have been easier to get some texture in the shadows but, overall, I'm happy with the outcome. Depth of field is quite limited with no real sharpness apparent until the bench beneath the window but the reflection in the foreground, being effectively the same distance away as the window, is sharp which adds a bit of interest. This was the first 5x4 negative I'd exposed and I wasn't aware at that time just how shallow depth of field is with large format but maybe it's better the way it worked out rather than being sharp front to back.
The transport office no longer exists, having been demolished. I used to pass it a couple of times a week but it was hidden from the road in an old quarry. One day, I parked the car and decided to have a nosey around the quarry to see if there was anything to photograph. This old office looked like it had been mouldering away for years and the photograph shows it just as I found it apart from the top of the tyre which I poured a little water onto for a nice highlight. :)
I might yet use a little Farmer's Reducer to bring out the "SLOW" lettering and the Champion spark plug poster hanging on the shelves to the left. Twenty years ago, it seemed there was no shortage of old industrial sites which offered photo opportunities like this but the last two decades have seen most of them demolished or cleared away.
The door on the extreme left opened onto a small office and I shot my second 5x4 neg in there. Unfortunately, it's quite under-exposed and looks as if it will be a right bugger to print. There are some quite big shadows with very little information there that would need grade 5 to reveal anything at all beyond solid black. It has the same problems as this shot but writ larger. I'll make it the subject of a future post as it might make a nice print.
So that was my wee struggle with this 5x4 shot. Although this wasn't the easiest negative to print - far from the hardest either, obviously, - it is at least fine-grained, sharp in those areas which should be sharp and shows nice tonality. I have to agree with Mike that it's a much more enjoyable experience making a print from a 5x4 neg. Fortunately, I've found using the Speed Graphic pretty straightforward as well so it's a win-win from where I'm standing!


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WHAT A GREAT 1st week of skiing/riding at Whiteface Mountain on Sunday Jan 21st!! THAT SAID, our next trip to Whiteface will be on Sunday, January 28th. For all participants riding the bus, please be at WCS at 8am. The bus will be leaving shortly after and returning at 4pm to the school. Also, please check our Google Calendar and WYC Facebook Page for any and all updates.
The 2018 program will run by Board Members, Kristen Crothers and Jeff Schwoebel. Further information please contact Kristen on 901.338.2362 or Jeff on 518.962.8567.
Westport Central School will provide the Bus transportation, leaving the School at 8am, returning at 5pm. on the Sundays the Program runs. The specific dates will be posted after sign-ups.


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What is Information?
Raymond D. Maxwell
The Catholic University of America – School of Library and Information Science
What Is Information?
This essay attempts to answer the question, "What is information?" Beginning with historical antecedents, I will arrive at an approximation of a definition using various ranges of thought as described in assigned readings and class discussions. Following a brief analysis of information's superstructure and substrate of current ideas about information, I will offer a short concluding statement.
Historic Antecedents
Case (2002) cites an early mention of information by Chaucer between 1372 and 1386. Perhaps an even earlier allusion to information may be found in Plato's Timaeus, where he wrote about the Muses transmitting knowledge about harmony directly to the soul of man:
"And harmony, which has motions akin to the revolutions of the Soul within us, was given by the Muses to him who makes intelligent use of the Muses, not as an aid to irrational pleasure, as is now supposed, but as an auxiliary to the inner revolution of the Soul, when it has lost its harmony, to assist in restoring it to order and concord with itself." (Plato, Great Books, 1952, p. 455).
It is possible the allusion was an early attempt to define/describe "information."
Synthesizing all the readings, a series of "ranges" of thought repeated themselves. I struggled to restrict these "ranges" to the following: narrow vs. broad definitions; static vs. dynamic definitions; structured vs. less-structured definitions.
Case takes a decidedly broad, if not vague definition of information. Case (2002) cited from Bateson as a definition for information, "any difference that makes a difference to a conscious, human mind." (Bateson, 1972, p.453) Surveying the literature, he expands the definition to include from Miller "any stimuli we recognize in our environment." (Miller, 1968)
Rubin takes a much narrower view, describing information as "an aggregation, organization or classification of data….that has been assigned meaning," later suggesting that that meaning "must be previously unknown to the recipient." Case (2002) also made the distinction between the narrow restrictions requiring that information be useful, intentional, and true, and broader definitions that were perhaps more inclusive. By definition, narrower definitions also tend to be more structured ones, while broader definitions tend to be less so.
I found Bates repetition of the doctor/actor analogy (Bates, 1999), where the actor has better acting skills and so "represents" a doctor on film or on the stage better than would someone who was actually a doctor, fell a bit flat, and for me, resulted in a rather static description of the distinction between the content of information and the form, organization, and structure of information. Much more dynamic and satisfying for me was Case's description of information-as-process, information-as-knowledge, and information-as-thing (as cited in Buckland, 1991).
My definition for information in the 21st century would err on the broad side. Though "document" and "information" are not synonymous, I would be more inclined to define information using some of the "document" constructs, i.e., elements of the Briet manifesto (Buckland. 1997). Information, like documents, should have materiality, intentionality, and phenomenological position. I would omit the need for information to be processed. I see that inclusion as less than necessary, although I understand it from the perspective of colonialism, the prevalent political construct of the time of the manifesto. The 21st century should have a more post-modern aspect in that regard.
Superstructure and Substrate of Information
Rubin's Chapter 7 provided a comprehensive overview of information science, in the process building a superstructure to house a robust understanding of the various components and properties of information (Rubin 2010). He cited and amplified the following three big questions (Bates, 1999) addressed by information science: the physical question; the social question; and the design question. His section on emerging fields in information science demonstrated the evolution of information to its present (and potential future) state as the new lubricant of the world economic engine, as well as its essential role in such diverse fields as competitive intelligence and national security.
Bates (1999) description of the below-the-waterline features of information science, aspects not so readily apparent to the uninitiated, provided a panoramic view of methods, values, and most importantly, the steps of the mental transformation we all must make as we embark on a new, exciting, cross-cutting, multi-disciplinary career path.
Rubin's (2010) analysis of internet usage and the role that usage could possibly play in the massive proliferation of new information drove me to the internet for more recent statistics. I discovered that the world regions with the highest internet usage growth rates over the past twelve years (2000-2012) (Africa (3607%), Middle East (2640%), and Latin America (1311%)) actually have relatively low rates of penetration (% of population actually using the internet). Africa is woefully low at 7.0% penetration. Latin America and the Middle East both remain well under the 50% penetration level (Internet World Stats, 2013). It is ironic that the regions with the greatest growth rates still have the furthest to go in terms of net new internet usage. It is a safe bet to assume that these regions also have the lowest levels of access to information and, consequently, the lowest levels of overall economic development. This bodes well for information professionals interested in contributing to these regions in the future


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Woodland tops LaMoille
Kyle Voytko poured in 34 points, including hitting clutch free throws in the fourth quarter to lead Woodland to a 64-53 victory over LaMoille Tuesday at WHS.
Voytko buried four 3-pointers in the first quarter in helping give the Warriors a 17-15 lead after one period. He started a free throw charge in the second quarter by making 5 of 6 from the charity stripe as WHS took a 33-29 lead by the break.
It was a 48-39 game entering the final frame, but LaMoille stayed close until the Warriors — Voytko in specific — made their free throws. WHS made 12 tosses in the final eight minutes. Voytko was 8-for-8.
Collin Hjerpe contributed 13 points to the Woodland cause and Chandler Hillenbrenner scored 9. Nate Carby and Tyler Jenkins chipped in 4 points apiece.


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The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics & Technology is a state school for highly-capable students in Years 7 to 12. The campus is located in the inner city suburb of leafy Toowong, in Brisbane, Australia. At QASMT we focus on an international curriculum to help students reach their full potential. This is achieved through our rigorous academic programme, the holistic education of every student and the outstanding commitment of our staff.
SMT is part of the Building Future Schools program
The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology is proud to be part of the Building Future Schools (BFS) program. As part of the approach to inner-city schooling, the Building Future Schools program is enhancing school infrastructure, building and strengthening strategic partnerships and developing and refining long-term master plans to support state schools as part of Brisbane's changing landscape. As part of the program, we introduced Year 7 to our school in 2019.
Read more about the Building Future Schools Fund and the QASMT project development.
Community information session on school expansion
Thank you to members of our community for attending the information session on 6 September. We value your input and appreciate your time.
If you would like further information or wish to discuss the project further, please email the project team at: firstname.lastname@example.com
Protecting our environment
At QASMT, we value and protect our environment. You can read about the many projects we have implemented to protect our environment here and on our News page
View a copy of our Prospectus 2019 here
School Annual Report
Education Queensland Reporting: View QASMT 2018 School Annual Report.


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Upcoming California Wine Events
Good morning, wine lovers! At Vintage Cellars, we know you love wine, and we're pretty sure you love California, too (we sure do!). There are dozens of fantastic wine events in California–in fact, you could probably go to a different California wine event every day for the rest of the summer if you really wanted to. Unfortunately, if you're anything like us, you simply don't have the time for a wine event per day. But we're here to help. Here's a list of some upcoming California wine events you might want to visit.
- Magic & Wine: Really! On August 5 in Malibu, you can hit a wine tasting followed by a David Minkin magic performance. This unusual wine event only has a few tickets left, but other dates are available.
- Make a Wish: Drink wine for a good cause. On August 12 in Ventura, you can taste from a list of 100+ wines and bid in a silent auction, all to benefit the Make A Wish foundation.
- Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival: From August 9-12, the LA Food & Wine festival will be dishing out fabulous food and wonderful wines. Wolfgang Puck is already sold out, but there's lots of other options available including Asian themed and caviar events. Check out the lineup–this is about 15 wine events in one!
- San Diego Wine Classic: Right here in San Diego, this one's a bit further off but that just gives you time to plan! November 14-18 in San Diego, it's billed as being the largest Southern California wine event. There's a detailed calendar on the website, and it looks like there's something for everyone.
- Cabernet: If you're into Cabernets, this one might be for you. It's a pre-release tasting of two 96 point Cabs: the 2009 Robert Craig Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons. August 29 in Carlsbad.
- 5 Course Dinner Tasting: Also on the 29th, Groth Vineyards is having a 5 course dinner and wine tasting in the Normal Heights area of San Diego. Also heavy on Cabernets!
- Foxen Winemaker Dinner: August 12 in San Diego, Wine Vault & Bistro is hosting a tasting dinner. The food and wine menu are both available and it sounds like a truly delicious evening.
If you're looking for a great wine event in southern California, these are all great picks. There's also an extensive calendar of SoCal wine events (as well as other regions) at this website.
Have you been to a recent wine event in California, or know of a San Diego event we missed that's a must-drink? Tell us about it in the comments!


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The forgotten tragedy
from old blog with changes
Lviv, Galitzia, Poland 20th Sivan 5449 (1689)
Counting down the hours to the end of the fast I try to fall asleep but sleep won't come.
The sound of the door jolts me awake and I my Zeidie shuffle into the room on one leg and a stick settling into his favorite chair at the window.
The late afternoon sun was casting long shadows through the bare room, his sad eyes staring into the distance..taking in the familiar steppes, rolling hills and tattered village.
Those eyes that have been witness to the greatest tragedy that has befallen us since the destruction of Jerusalem 1500 years ago.
The destruction of the glorious communities of Poland, Galitzia, Volhynia, Ukraine and Lithuania.
By invitation of Casimir The Great the Jews prospered here for 300 years. We enjoyed unparalleled freedom and peace. Our Rabbis organized a broad pseudo-government that enjoyed almost complete autonomy. The Council of the Four Lands made sure everyone was taken care of, settled all court cases and was led by the greatest leaders of their time including the Taz and the Shach.
All this came to a shattering and devastating end in 1648-1649.
In the year 1648 Ukranian Cossacks organized a militia under the rabid anti-semite Bogdan Chmelniecki. They came sweeping in from the Eastern Steppes like a sudden thunderstorm in midday. The attacks against the Jews began almost immediately and thus 2 years of hell began.
The massacres began on the 20th of Sivan 1648 when the Cossach hordes entered Nemirov and slaughtered the entire community Including the Gadol Hador R' Yechiel of Nemirov.
The community had been hiding in the fortress under Polish protection. When the Poles fled the Cossacks used the abandoned Polish banners to trick the Jews into opening the gates.
These years have been come to be known as Tach v'Tat.
The Cossacks were fierce warriors and were expert horse riders. They came thundering in to town after town on their swift and powerful horses, swords drawn and overwhelmed the defenseless Jews. The drunken shouts, terrified screams of child murdered, girls violated and houses burned still echoing in our ears.
After 2 years the incomprehensible numbers stare us in the face.
Well over 100,000 men women and children killed.
Entire villages wiped out.
Entire regions reduced to poverty and starvation.
How does one bury ones entire family?
How does one pick up the pieces?
Sure during the crusades we'd suffered a few hundred here..a few hundred there.
During other troublesome times..there have been massacres.
But never on this scale...
in 1650 the remnants of the Council held a meeting and decided to revive the 20th of Sivan as a day of fasting and prayer already mentioned by Rabbeinu Tam in reference to a massacre that happened on that day during the times of the Crusades.
Every year on the 20th of Sivan Jews will gather and say special selichos composed for the occasion and fast. This goes without saying.
40 years have passed since 1649 and the last survivors are passing on swiftly..on to a better place to rejoin the 100,000 that await them.
Who will bear witness to what happened?
Will future generations remember?
Remember our tragedy?
Thank you for listening to my tale...
In 2011 I can re-visit that debate of so long ago. I can hear the Rabbis discussing whether or not to institute a day of fasting and davening.
Once the memories fade of these troubling times, will anyone stop and remember?
Will anyone still fast? Are we wasting our time.
I'm sure other Rabbis replied, but how can we ever forget such a traumatic event?
Will anyone 300 years from now pause and think about the Holocaust?
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Another UKIP candidate has shown her interest in Stephen Phillips' Sleaford and North Hykeham seat - Victoria Ayling says UKIP needs another 'strong voice of Brexit in the House of Commons' but says it's not all about that single issue.
She joins two Lincolnshire County Councillors, Richard Davies and Robin Hunter-Clarke and UKIP leadership hopeful Suzanne Evans have all declared their interest in the Sleaford and North Hykeham seat after MP Stephen Phillips resigned yesterday (Friday).
Ms Ayling, who is Lincolnshire County Councillor for Spilsby Fen, told The Standard: "We need to add to the strong voice of Brexit in the House of Commons and a UKIP MP will be a good way of going it."
She added: "I live locally and it should be someone local who understands the needs of the residents and the locality, who will bring Lincolnshire to West Minster and won't see the constituency as the bottom rung of a ladder for a greasy pole.
She said the constituency, and Lincolnshire in general, had 'had a dreadful settlement from the Government', calling it unfair and saying it did not take into account the rural issues and lack of infrastructure.
She said she believed that she did not want the county to be 'shortchanged',
She said a UKIP MP would also 'shake up the Conservative Government if they lost a seat in a party stronghold to a party like UKIP'.
"It's time we had another UKIP MP and challenged the Government properly and in Lincolnshire there's no better time to do this" she said, adding: "This is more than just about Brexit."
Conservative Lincolnshire County Councillor for Grantham with Portfolio for Highways, Transport and ICT Richard Davies confirmed he had told the local party that he wished to be considered for the seat.
He told The Standard: "I live in the constituency and have for most of my life. I'm very passionate about Lincolnshire and South Lincolnshire in particular. I think the area has a set of problems that need to be addressed by somebody local who's a got a strong connection to the area."
Since announcing his intentions Mr Davies has recieved a number of tweets in support.
He said: "I think one of the really touching things is there are people on there [Twitter] who I don't agree with, but what's been refreshing is those same people are turning to me saying go for it.
"It's really quite good when people are prepared to look beyond single issues and look at bigger issues."
He noted a number of highways concerns he would look to address if he was elected as MP, along with other issues such as the effect of the recent changes to Grantham A&E.
Robin Hunter-Clarke last night tweeted: 'To stand or not to stand in the Sleaford & North Hykeham by-election!? #UKIP,' later adding
When asked by The Standard today (Saturday), he said: "I am currently seriously considering it. My team and I achieved the second best General Election result for UKIP in the neighbouring seat of Boston and Skegness."
Mr Hunter-Clarke is currently UKIP councillor for Skegness South, but also works as the Chief of Staff to the UKIP Group in the Welsh Assembly, working with Neil Hamilton.
He was previously Vote Leave campaign's UKIP Coordinator for the EU Referendum, and ran for the Boston and Skegness constituency seat in May last year where he received 14,645 (33.8 per cent) votes.
He also recently ran in a by-election to be a county councillor representing Gibbonsdown, Wales, for the Vale of Glamorgan Council on November 3 where he came fifth, having recieved 54 of the 846 votes cast.
Fellow party member and UKIP party leadership hopeful Suzanne Evans has also said she 'would love to fight this seat for UKIP'.
Mrs Evans admitted she hadn't had prior experience of the constituency, however, she vowed that if elected she would move and 'live in the area, work hard in the area, it would be my only job',
When asked about her candidacy for leadership of the party, she said: "There's no problem in doing both. There are several MPs in the Houses of Parliament who are leaders of parties as well."
She said she had worked all over the country throughout her life and said she could get to know an area quickly and become an active member of the community.
She added: "This will be quite a high profile by-election. I think I have got all the right skills to stand and represent the party there."
Referring to the decision by High Court judges on Thursday that MPs must vote to enact Article 50 Mrs Evans told The Standard: "The majority of people voted to leave the EU, that's clearly being frustrated now."
She accused the Conservative government of not following through on the EU Referendum.
Stephen Phillips yesterday announced that he is standing down as the MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham with immediate effect as a result of "irreconcilable policy differences with the current Government".
Stephen said: "It has been a great honour to serve the people of Sleaford and North Hykeham for the last six years, but it has become clear to me over the last few months that my growing and very significant policy differences with the current Government mean that I am unable properly to represent the people who elected me.
"This decision has been a difficult one and I hope that everyone will respect the fact that I have tried to act in the best interests of all of my constituents."
Following his decision, Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill said: "The sudden resignation of Stephen Phillips as MP for Sleaford & North Hykeham has come as a great surprise.
"He is certainly well respected and has great ability.
"However, as he appears to be at odds with the vast majority of the Conservative Party on the Brexit issue in particular, one can understand why he felt compelled to go.
"It is unfortunate when an elected politician resigns mid-term without an obvious need but it does at least give the constituency electorate an opportunity to choose someone new in the light of the huge changes since May 2015."
North Kesteven District Council has confirmed it is making plans for a Parliamentary by-election to be held following the resignation of Mr Phillips.
Mr Phillips was elected to serve the Sleaford and North Hykeham constituency in 2010 and retained the seat for the Conservative Party in 2015.
The council said that once a date for the by-election has been set, full details will be publicised.


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