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A spin-off game of the long running Dragon Quest RPG series and the popular Dynasty Warriors games, Dragon Quest Heroes 2 seems like it should have a high barrier to entry. However, as a person with only basic knowledge of both of those series and very little hands-on experience, I can report that Dragon Quest Heroes 2 can be thoroughly enjoyed without ever having touched any of the prior source material. In fact, it just might be a great starting place for people interested in the Dragon Quest series.
When World's Collide:
The game begins with Lazarel and Teresa, two knights in training when invading forces drag them out of the academy and into war. Along the way, they'll come across other popular characters from the Dragon Quest series that have been sucked into their world mysteriously by dark forces. While the war rages on, the mystery behind the evil begins to reveal itself and our heroes are left wondering who they can trust.
While the story does not shy away from the cliches and tropes of so many RPG games before it, it is made so much better by the incredible voice acting. Every character has a unique and distinct voice that offers plenty of emotion and personality. Throughout my thirty hour play through, I found myself becoming attached to many of the characters and excited to see the interaction between them. All the cutscenes look gorgeous and there are plenty of them to advance the story at a brisk pace and keep the player engaged. Every character is introduced as if you are meeting them for the first time which gives plenty of explanation to those unfamiliar with any of the source material. Never once did I feel out of the loop when an important event happened or when a new character was introduced. Which is high praise considering this is a sequel to a spin-off game based on a series with eleven installments.
War On A Grand Scale:
Anyone who has played a Dynasty Warriors game should know by now what to expect from studio Omega Force's high octane hack and slash series. And in many ways, Dragon Quest Heroes 2 is more of the same. You will be thrown into arenas full of disposable enemies as you unleash a flurry of stylish and over the top attacks with one of the four characters in your party. Early levels of the game will have you feeling like a master warrior as you over power hordes of enemies with a single blow. Don't let that fool you as later levels become extremely difficult and are impossible to win without some careful planning and resource management.
There are also a variety of mission styles to keep the gameplay from getting stale. As some missions will have you guarding a target on the battlefield, others will have you completing multiple boss fights in a row or searching for the exit in puzzle-filled labyrinths. And while none of these missions change the game's play style drastically, the hack and slash combat feels incredibly satisfying and makes for a great pick-up and play experience.
A few levels towards the middle of the campaign really blew me away as I was not only tasked with keeping the king safe on a massive battlefield called The Great Divide, I also had to manage hordes of armies approaching on multiple fronts. It was chaotic and exhilarating and during the thirty plus minute battle it felt like a real war, albeit a war with cute brightly colored monsters, but a war none the less.
Where Dragon Quest Heroes 2 really takes a miss step is in its self-proclaimed open world. It is lifeless and filled with enemies that could care less if you are there are not. It merely serves as a way to get from one mission to the next. What's even worse is that the game often forces you to wander the open world in between missions for monotonous fetch quests that serve no real point. This brings the exciting fast paced combat to a grinding halt, which is a total contrast to what makes the game so great.
Playing With Strangers:
The multiplayer for this game is equally great and disappointing. Inviting others into your game to help you take on that one mission you can't quite master is extremely helpful. And for those who feel uncomfortable using a headset to communicate the game offers tons of great emotes and phrases in its communication board to let everyone in your party know exactly where they're needed or how to tackle the task at hand.
The unfortunate part is there is no local co-op, so playing with your friends requires multiple consoles and multiple copies of the game. This is nothing new as many modern games do not feature local co-op, but this game would have extremely benefited from giving your friend a controller and taking on that giant boss together. Especially given it's easy to pick up and play game style.
Multiplayer does offer more than just co-oping the campaign, as you can venture into optional online dungeons as well as trade equipment and items with other players online. There is no shortage of things to do in Dragon Quest Heroes 2 and with the right group of friends the game could easily warrant a hefty amount of play time.
In The Eyes Of The Beholder:
The three-dimensional, anime inspired art style might not be for everyone, but there is no denying that the game looks fantastic. Akira Toriyama's classic Dragon Quest art really comes to life in this game, without losing any of the fun bright and colorful wonder that has always been present throughout the series. The game's look and feel remains faithful to the source material and goes way beyond just being a re-skinned Dynasty Warriors game. The game also runs very smoothly and despite having sometimes hundreds of enemies fighting on the screen at one time I never once experienced any slow down or frame rate issues.
A Good Place To Start:
Dragon Quest Heroes 2 doesn't offer anything incredibly new in regards to story or gameplay. However, the simple and addictive combat combined with the great characters and voice acting make for a game that is easy to recommend for anyone looking to begin their journey in the Dragon Quest games. While the lack of local co-op and the boring fetch quests leave some definite room for improvement, you sure could do a lot worse than Dragon Quest Heroes 2. So if you are looking for a good filler game to hold you over until the next big release or just something mindlessly fun then Dragon Quest Heroes 2 is a game worth checking out.
This game was provided to us by Square Enix for the purpose of this review.


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here some new linocut i did those days. Actually 2 are lino & one is PVC-plastic. Those 3 are made after a quick sketch done on linoplate, then i just move out as it is. The one on PVC, as it's glossy plastic, was mostly made after erased drawing, I wasn't sure of result
Friday, May 03, 2013
Posted by alkbazz at 5/03/2013 10:27:00 AM
4 comments:
- Human Mollusk said...
Those are some fantastic cuts, Romuald - I especially like the first one with the changing line thickness and density. The intricate linework in the center is delicious!
- May 6, 2013 at 2:19 PM
- alkbazz said...
Thank you Fufu =) I let this first one undone for maybe one year, as the drawing was almost erased & i was expecting to cut it as it was... finally i did & i like the result, i'll make more this way in the future
the third in this post is done after the first one
- May 7, 2013 at 4:24 AM
- Gaspard said...
- May 7, 2013 at 12:13 PM
- Marek Danielewski said...
Good Work!!!
- May 10, 2013 at 8:06 AM
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subset: commoncrawl


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http://www.w3.org/ns/sparql# was added to contain all SPARQL functions. If I remember correctly, the agreement was that all the functions we have defined in SPARQL1.1 (incl. the old ones from SPARQL1.0) have a URI in this namespace, even if they have equivalents in XPath or RIF). Axel -- Dr. Axel Polleres Siemens AG Österreich Corporate Technology Central Eastern Europe Research & Technologies CT T CEE Tel.: +43 (0) 51707-36983 Mobile: +43 (0) 664 88550859 Fax: +43 (0) 51707-56682 mailto:email@example.com > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Gearon [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] > Sent: Thursday, 28 June 2012 10:13 PM > To: SPARQL Working Group > Subject: namespaces > > Hi all, > > In the work I'm doing we're looking at mapping External > functions into their SPARQL equivalents. That's OK for XPath > and RIF built-ins (where equivalent functions exist), but > there are a few functions that only occur in SPARQL. In this > case we want to use namespaces like sfn:. > > The Query document mentions the sfn: namespace in 1.2.1, > though it's not referenced again. It also points to the list at: > http://www.w3.org/2009/sparql/wiki/SPARQL_Namespaces > > This list includes functions from SPARQL 1.0. From memory, > nothing was formally approved for 1.0, though there is the page at: > > http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-rdf-dawg/2006AprJun > /att-0138/sparql-function-uri.html > > So I'm wondering if there has been any acceptance of these > old 1.0 URIs, and what may have happened with the new > functions in 1.1. We're also concerned about not knowing the > case to use for the fragment portion of URIs (since the case > varies throughout the SPARQL query document, yet URIs are > case sensitive). > > I remember there being some discussion around URIs a while > back, but I don't recall anything coming of it beyond what > I've mentioned. I also note that the page corresponding to > the location specified by the sfn: > namespace has only a single function in it (bound), and there > is a note in the Query document saying it ought to be > populated. If it does get populated, then having a link to > that page from the query document would be useful as well (it > seems archaic to have to copy/paste to follow a link). > > Have I missed what transpired wrt to namespaces, or did the > discussion stall? If it's stalled, then I'm loathe to > introduce new work, but I do need to refer to the SPARQL > functions, and I don't want to be minting my own URIs to do it. > > Regards, > Paul Gearon > Revelytix, Inc > >Received on Monday, 2 July 2012 07:32:06 UTC
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A follow-up to the influential 2012 booklet series Critical Making, Disobedient Electronics: Protest is a new zine by Vancouver-based theorist and educator Garnet Hertz that uses dissent as a lens to survey electronics-based projects and practices. An editorial mandate forged the day the world woke up with a 'Donald Trump, was elected?' hangover, Hertz introduces the 60-page book as a demonstration of how electronics can be used to foreground pressing social issues including "the wage gap, homophobia, racism, surveillance and privacy, human rights, economic disparity, and climate change." Drawing on material submitted to an open call, the zine collates two-page submissions from approximately two dozen designers from North America, Europe, and Asia.
↑ Sartorial protest (Jen Liu & Camille Baumann-Jaeger), kinetic firearm sculptures (Scott Kiddall), a clock that signals the gender pay gap (Jaime Carreiro of PARTY), and a morning-after pill drone delivery service (Women on Waves & collaborators) – Disobedient Electronics's provocations come in all shapes and sizes
True to DIY- zine form, Disobedient Electronics is a pastiche of approaches and aesthetics – some document works that already exist, others sketch out ideas for projects – it's fluid. Making a bellowing opening statement, the first featured project is Abortion Drones, an (ongoing) action by the Women on Waves reproductive rights activists that uses drones to deliver morning-after pills to women in countries where abortion is illegal. Elsewhere Pedro G.C. Olivera and Xuedi Chen share an emergency personal router and blackbox device from their Backslash line of activist accessories, Annina Rüst is sharp in framing her A Piece of the Pie Chart robotic pie(chart) assembly line (that demarcates the gender gap in technical fields), Julian Oliver's Transparency Grenade is ready to be tossed into some shady board meeting; each of the participating artists and researchers communicates their project (and practice) quite differently, and the range of voices is both refreshing and illuminating.
Working through the zine with a fine-tooth comb reveals some curiosities. A few of the contributions by American artists are, well, decidedly American and focus on the ubiquity of firearms and military casualties. The latter cause is taken up in Improvised Empathic Device (I.E.D.) by Matt Kenyon and Doug Easterly, it's a wearable that drew blood every time an American serviceman's death in Iraq was announced; 'support our troops' and all, but the documentation reads as if the project is indifferent to the imperialism that led to those deaths in the first place. Digging around online I was quite relieved to find Keynon also conceived a companion piece to memorialize the hundred thousand plus civilian casualties, but it's kind of hard to take I.E.D. seriously (outside America) in a social-justice-meets-electronics compendium without that information. There are other regional issues to speak of, Naomi Wu coyly made Blinkini to protest the complete lack of women makers at Shenzen Maker Faire 2016, but that appears to be the only project that speaks to/of Asia, really – which feels like a missed opportunity given the importance of that continent for global consumer electronics manufacturing.
↑ All hail RoboticGraffitiWriter: it took twenty years but the world finally caught up with the Institute for Applied Autonomy
Those asterisks aside, this collection of works is clearly trying to 'put up a flag' for others to organize around – it is presumably up to the reader to respond to issues close to their heart and resist through design; ideally this zine will inspire dozens of studios within media art and interaction design programs worldwide. Beyond promoting a more polemical approach to electronics the craft in Disobedient Electronics is commendable, many of these works are exhibition-worthy in their execution (projects like Ebru Kurbak and Irene Posch's Knitted Radio would be right at home here on CAN). This is noteworthy given the 'look, I made a shoddy thing' boosterism that is prominent in the maker community – Hertz continues to rally against, problematize, and provide alternatives to that populist mindset. Disobedient Electronics is fast, cheap, out of control, and ephemeral – just like the medium it focuses on. It's also scarce, sadly only 300 copies were printed and they are all distributed, hopefully PDFs will become available in the future in order to grow the audience (and impact). Six years ago Paola Antonelli and the MoMA said "talk to me", now Hertz and collaborators smartly respond "think before you speak, and make sure you have something to say when you do."


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A session on session beer. Help brew a collaboration between Mike "Tasty" McDole, Nick Impellitteri from the Yeast Bay, and Cleophus Quealy Beer Company at the brewery in San Leandro.
We will walk through the pale ale recipe, geek out on yeast, a presentation on session beers, answer any questions, and then you'll help with the brew. You'll also get a special invite to the release party in March at the Cleophus Quealy tasting room.
From 12 - 5 Kenny's Heart and Soul will be serving up amazing food to go with all the new beers that just got released.
Don't forget about our discounts for AHA & homebrew club members.


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"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (working title "Been and Gone and Done It") is a song by Swedish band ABBA. It was recorded and released in 1979 with "The King Has Lost His Crown" as the B-side. It appears on ABBA's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 album, as well as their best-selling album, Gold: Greatest Hits.
The single version of this song, which was released in its full length of 4:48 everywhere else in the world, was released in the United States and Canada in an edited format, being just 3:36 in length. This was done by removing the first half of the opening instrumental, the first four of the eight bars of the instrumental bridge between the second and final chorus, and fading the song out early. It is believed the edit was done by Atlantic, ABBA's North American record label, and not Polar, hence the reason why it was available only in the USA and Canada.
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I realize that I wrote – precisely 35 entries ago – about what I charmingly labeled at the time "un-procrastinating." For a fleeting moment or two, I was a worried that this week's change was going to be too similar. Then I decided it wasn't. Mostly because I'm running out of ideas here.
You may have heard of a little something called "the holidays" and how they're coming up. I love me some holidays. I could say it's not about the gifts, although I enjoy that part very much. Very, very much. However, I also have some Christmas-y chip in me that goes a little googly at the trees on Main Street lit up with fairy lights. Or the glow of Christmas trees or Hanukah candles in stranger's windows as I drive around at night. I love browsing craft sites for hours to see what people are making and baking. Everything feels possible and hopeful to me this time of year.
I won't go so far as to say it makes me feel a little magical, but let's consider it unsaid. (ßirony!)
What does all this rambling have to do with this week's change? Well, I shall tell you, to reward you for your infinite patience. This year, I have determined not to have a stressful holiday season. And nothing stresses me out more than all the last-minute planning and scrambling. Nothing is less Christmas-y than yelling at my husband because it's clearly HIS fault I forgot something.
Thus, this year I determined to get ahead of the game. Was it possible that I could get it all done – the meal planning, the gift shopping, the errand-running – during the first week of December? You, my treasured reader, will be delighted to know that I did it! I won! I won!
First up, the gifts. I thank the baby Jesus for inventing online shopping. I don't mind at all checking items off my list if I don't have to leave the house and deal with people and packed, stinky malls. I decided at some point that it's worth paying any shipping price in the world to stay sane. Imagine if it were that easy to stay sane in the other areas of my life: just pay shipping!
Organization – which is not in my natural wheelhouse – was the key here. To that end, I made a spreadsheet. Yeah, you heard that right. Because nothing is more Christmas-y than a spreadsheet. I made a list of all the people I wanted to buy for. I tracked each person, gift ideas, budget, whether or not I'd purchased the items and the budget. I even made a little field at the bottom that would calculate my total expenditures as I went. Then I erased that little field because, damn, that was a lot of money.
I should mention here that while some people find the gift-giving excruciating and feel it takes away from the true meaning of Christmas, I love, love, love buying or making presents for other people. Maybe it's because I'm a people-pleaser, and I'll be sure to see what my therapist thinks about that. But for the month of December, I like to pretend it's because I'm thoughtful and generous. I get a great thrill feeling like I know someone well enough to come up with something perfect that they'll love. And if that fails, thank God for the Amazon gift list and gift cards. (Huge progress in recent years has allowed me to let go and buy perfunctory gifts for those who are hard-to-buy for and not feel guilty about it.)
By December 6, I had every gift person accounted for and orders on the way. Go, me!
I can't take all the credit for this, though. It helps – in terms of logistics and moral support – to have a partner in crime. Someone who is there for me, who will discuss strategy for hours on end, brainstorm endlessly. Someone who has my back, who likes to plan ahead of time and get things sorted, as the Brits say. Wait. What? My husband? HA HA HA HA HA. No, silly goose. My sister.
I have the distinct advantage of having a sister who worked in retail for something like 100 years. Since the holiday season was non-stop craziness for her and back-to-back shifts, she had no choice but to knock most of her holiday shopping and planning out before the holidays kicked in. She has this down to a science, so while every single male in our family is going, "We have until Christmas Eve to do our shopping," Jane and I were on the phone before December blinked its bright eyes, plotting and planning.
We planned Christmas eve lunch and I drove out to lovely Ackroyd's Scottish bakery in Redford to procure the traditional Scottish pies, then bung 'em in the freezer. Done! We discussed my sister's annual Christmas eve party for friends and neighbors and what I could contribute, deciding (wisely) on leek and potato soup given that I have about 80 pounds of potatoes from our fall harvest farm share. Done! The biggest discussion was left for Christmas dinner, but we knocked that out in about twenty minutes and I have a list of exactly what I'm responsible for and what I need to buy to make it. Done! I'm also responsible for the traditional British Christmas crackers we have every year. Done!
Oh, people, you should see the lists I have! A person has never been so organized for the holidays. Oddly, instead of feeling weighed down by it all, I felt exhilarated. Maybe it's because sometimes I feel there's very little in my life that I can control, and all of this was completely manageable. But I also enjoy feeling like a person who is organized, efficient, a veritable machine of responsibility and forethought. It's like playing dress-up. I wouldn't want to do it all the time, but it sure as hell felt good for a week.
Yes, there are a few things left on my Holiday To Do list, but the terrific part is that they're the things I truly enjoy: writing Christmas cards, which I may or may not make myself (I know, I'm crazy like that – but when I sit down to write them, with a cup of tea and a roaring fire, it reminds me of all the good people in my life, near and far). Wrapping presents (which, again, like a crazy person, I love, love, love to do). Christmas baking and cookie-decorating. Maybe even a little crafting now that I feel I have the time.
That's the payoff, friends. This business of being ahead of the game leaves me feel free to do the stuff I love to do – to feel as though putting up my dinky disco tree is a treat and not a chore. It gives me the room to clear my mind and focus on that feeling in my tummy – the warm, wiggly feeling of entering a season that can (and should) be about slowing down, enjoying the pretty bits and spending time celebrating friends and family.


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Okay, show of hands.
Do your eyes perk when you see a new diet promising an easy route to weight loss?
But how much have you spent on diet books over the past five years?
How many diets have you tried only to give up after two days?
You begin each diet with rock-solid resolve. This diet will be different. This time you'll lose weight. And keep it off.
But when you're at a bar, you can't resist the yummy cocktails. When you're at your best friend's birthday party, you fall for a gooey chocolate chip cookie. And before you know it, you've completely lost your resolve.
I feel your pain because I've been there too.
Knowing what and how much I should eat didn't stop me from piling my plate with more green curry and having chocolate brownies way too often. I knew I shouldn't , yet I continued to eat and later beat myself up for having no self-control.
Failure to stick to a diet has nothing to do with a lack of willpower, though.
Diets don't work. Trust me. I've tried them all.
I've learned that shifting my mindset made sticking to a healthy path much easier than forcing myself to diet.
It's not always easy — just look at the multi-billion-dollar diet industry that promises pills and weight loss powders. Worthwhile change requires action, not iron-clad willpower.
Let's demystify what happens when we try to lose weight. Why do we sabotage ourselves? What's the secret to making long-lasting changes?
1. Meet your inner elephant
Aren't our minds mysterious, complex, and baffling? Science is only touching the tip of the iceberg of neuroscience and how our brains drive our behaviors.
Buddhist philosophy represents our logical mind with an elephant rider, while the elephant represents our unconscious, emotional mind.
The rider represents the thinking, planning, and executing parts of our brain. The elephant embodies our emotions and gut instincts.
Your elephant lives in the moment and doesn't care about the long term. Without a trained rider, your elephant happily eats cookies and abandons any logical plans for a diet.
Who would win in a battle of wills between an elephant and a human?
That's why you must learn how to work with rather than against your elephant.
2. Learn how to move your elephant
To stick to a healthy diet, you must cajole your elephant into acting on long-term plans and desires. Often, your elephant must forego immediate pleasure for future gains. This is difficult because your elephant is tremendously strong.
Why are those gooey chocolate chip cookies almost impossible to resist? Your rider knows what to do, but it can't force a two-ton elephant against its wishes.
Are you doomed to be a slave to your desires? Only if you never learn to guide your elephant toward your end goal.
How can you get there? First you must dig down to your deepest wishes.
3. Uncover your deepest motivations
Be brutally honest with yourself. What motivates you to eat healthier or lose weight?
Uncover your deepest desires by digging deeper. Will losing weight make you look better? Do you want to have more energy to move easier? Do you want to avoid taking drugs for high blood sugar, cholesterol, or blood pressure? Do you want to live longer to enjoy more time with your loved ones?
Generally, your elephant eats for pleasure, but if she understands why she should eat well, she'll comply.
My father died suddenly of heart disease at age sixty-four. I wish deeply that he was alive to meet my husband and son. I don't want my son to have the same thoughts someday, so I choose foods that boost my immunity and keep me disease-free.
When I think about the long-term — living a long life with my family — junk food holds no power.
What is your motivation? Take a few minutes to uncover your deepest desires.
4. Stop trying to out-muscle your elephant
Our self-control is exhaustible. When you set too many new rules for yourself, your elephant rebels and runs away. Instead of deciding that you'll never eat all your favorite foods ever again, start small.
Throw out the diet-label thinking — paleo, vegan, low-carb — and focus on small changes.
Start with one bite-sized change. Eat oatmeal with berries for breakfast. Or carry a pre-washed bag of greens, and add a salad to your lunch. Resist trying more until your first change is a habit.
5. Encourage your elephant's good habits
The human brain is wired to look for the negative. We focus on the things we do wrong, and we ignore what we do right. Our biological instinct guides our senses and emotions to look for what could be dangerous to our survival.
As we evolved, we've kept this bad-seeking prejudice. It can be easy to ignore the things that you do right when eating healthier.
Rather than focusing on what you do wrong, ask yourself what eating habits work and how you can do more of those?
We all have bright spots, and you can find one.
Don't force yourself into things you hate. If you detest cooked greens but like salads, start by adding a salad to your lunch. I love hummus, so I cook chick peas and eat it often. What are your bright spots?
6. Talk to your elephant in a silky-sweet voice
Imagine trying to move an elephant by yelling and hitting.
Violence is ugly. Unkind words toward yourself are a form of self-abuse. I learned to stop saying, "I have no willpower. I'm a failure."
Simply by saying kind words to myself, I felt better, less stressed, and happier about my situation. I focused on my long-term reasons for eating well, and I felt more energetic and vibrant as I ate better.
When your rider accepts your elephant and gives love rather than hate, they can unite and work together.
And remember, if you miss a day of exercise or indulge a little bit, be kind to your elephant. We should never condemn ourselves. Just get back to your routine without regrets.
7. Hone your elephant riding skills
A skilled rider leads without engaging in a battle of wills. Because she knows she can't win that battle without the cooperation of the elephant.
Imagine trekking in Nepal. Your elephant spies a mango tree dripping with hundreds of juicy mangoes, but the tree is in the wrong direction — the opposite way of your evening camp. You must distract your elephant before she spies the mango tree.
Don't put irresistible temptations in your path. If you love sweets, bypass that part of the grocery, and resist stopping at the new bakery. Reward yourself after you've taken the right path. Buy chocolate in individual packets. Take one and walk away from the kitchen. Shift your focus once you've had your chocolate.
The Big Secret To Getting Your Elephant To Cooperate
Imagine you have an auto-pilot button for your change. Your elephant simply follows, without any direction from your rider. Eating a healthy breakfast becomes as easy as brushing your teeth and taking a shower. What's the secret?
Repeat. Repeat. And repeat.
Use a simple trigger to prompt your elephant. If you want to eat a healthy breakfast, put your oatmeal ingredients in a jar in the fridge. In the morning, grab your oatmeal and go. I've eaten oatmeal with berries, flax and cinnamon for years.
I don't think about what to buy or prepare for breakfast any longer. It's like brushing my teeth and requires no willpower. Take a moment to think about your trigger — will you prep a breakfast or buy pre-washed greens for your salad? Set up your trigger.
The truth about long-lasting change
You have the power to tame your elephant. You can become skinnier, fitter, and healthier. And it doesn't have to feel like a battle of wills to get there.
Understand what motivates you, and you will learn how to guide your subconscious mind.
Treat yourself with kindness and encouragement rather than harsh judgements.
Celebrate each small step toward a healthier you.
The next time you feel like devouring a tempting chocolate brownie, you'll remember that it's you, the rider, who's in control.


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It all starts with the consultation. Whether you would like to get a detailed estimate for your renovation project, or receive specific in-person design advice, we begin every project with a consultation.
Travel time to your site and an in-person meeting up to 1.5 hours
Documentation of your project needs and priorities
Discussion and/or identification of your style
Answer any specific questions you may have
Recommendations on materials or furnishings
Layout recommendations
Color consultation
Online shopping for retail furniture or accessories
Recommendation on how to begin or prioritize your projects
Recommendation of local trades ( if applicable)
A detailed service and fee proposal for your project (if applicable)
All consultations must be within 20 miles of Long Beach, CA (additional fees may apply)
To help make the consultation as effective as possible, please fill our our design questionnaire.


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This 6 double bedroomed property is perfectly positioned in the popular area of Hyde Park - Close enough to the city centre for a cheap uber home after a... Read More
Hyde Park is a popular student area with plenty of amenities right on your door step. Various supermarkets and grocery stores, including a 24 hour Sainsbury's, are in walking distance to accommodate your culinary needs. But for those much needed post night out snacks or hang over cures, there is an array of takeaways to choose from.
Hyde Park is also home to the Hyde Park Picture House, and popular gig venues Brudenell Social Club and the Royal Park Cellars.
This property is within walking distance to both The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett Headingley and City Campuses. If you don't fancy the walk there are great transport links with various bus routes into the City Centre, and Burley Park railway station 5 minutes away for those house days out around Yorkshire.


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Hip replacement surgery may result in blood clots in leg veins, infection, hip joint fracture and a difference in the lengths of the legs, according to Mayo Clinic. In rare cases, hip replacement surgery may cause gradual hip joint loosening, which eventually leads to hip pain.
Hip replacement surgery may result in the formation of blood clots in the veins of the legs, explains Mayo Clinic. This complication is even worse when a clot moves from the blood vessel to important body organs such as the brain and the heart. To ensure that the surgery does not render the patient vulnerable to this complication, the patient may take blood-thinning prescription drugs following the surgery. Infections in people who have had hip replacement surgery mostly attack either an incision the surgeon makes during the surgery or the deep-lying tissue located adjacent to the replacement hip. Although such infections are treatable by use of antibiotics, surgical replacement of the prosthesis may be necessary in the treatment of serious infections.
Hip replacement surgery may cause a complication in which one leg is longer than the other; although this happens rarely due to precautions that surgeons take, explains Mayo Clinic. Additionally, hip muscle weakness may also cause a difference in leg lengths. Fractures in the hip joint resulting from hip replacement surgery may be large or small. While the smaller ones may heal without treatment, fractures that are large in size may necessitate treatment using pins, wires or bone grafts.


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Brexit: May to initiate process by March-end
London, Oct 2: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday said she will formally begin the Brexit process in "the first quarter of 2017".
May's announcement on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty -- which begins the formal negotiation process -- means that Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) by the summer of 2019, BBC reported.
She also promised a bill to remove the European Communities Act 1972 from the statute book.
She said this would make Britain an "independent, sovereign nation" and that the repeal of the 1972 Act will not take effect until the country leaves the EU under Article 50.
It will be contained in a "Great Repeal Bill", promised in the next Queen's Speech, which will also enshrine all existing EU law into British law, the BBC added.
This will allow the government to seek to keep, amend or cancel any legislation once Brexit has been completed. The repeal bill will also end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain.
May, who had previously only said she would not trigger it in 2016, will be making a speech on Brexit later to the Conservative Party conference, which is getting underway in Birmingham.


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KYOTO, Japan, Dec. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the previous announcement on June 20, 2012 captioned "Nidec to Acquire Shares in Jiangsu Kaiyu Auto Appliance in China," Nidec Corporation (NYSE:NJ) (the "Company") today announced that it completed the acquisition of shares representing a 51% ownership interest in Nidec Jiangsu Kaiyu Auto Electric (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (renamed from "Jiangsu Kaiyu Auto Appliance Co., Ltd." on July 30, 2012) ("Nidec Kaiyu"), privately issued to the Company in a capital increase transaction ("Transaction"). 1. Information on Nidec Kaiyu
(1) Company Name: Nidec Jiangsu Kaiyu Auto Electric (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (2) Headquarters: Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China (3) Representative: Kenji Sawamura, Chairman of the Board of Directors (4) Principal Businesses: Development, manufacturing and sale of brush motors for EPS systems and automotive fans (5) Total Equity: 16.33 million yuan (following the Transaction) (6) Establishment: September 2012 (approval for establishment of foreign-invested enterprise in the PRC) (7) Shareholders / Ownership: Nidec Corporation: 51% Jiangsu Luokai Mechanical and Electrical Manufacturing Group Co., Ltd.: 24.99% Caohai Wang (General Manager): 15.68% Other management members: 8.33% (8) Principal Place of Business: China (Changzhou, Wuhan and Chongqing) (9) Employees: 331 (10) Sales in Previous Fiscal Year: 94 million yuan (unaudited pro forma consolidated sales for the year ended December 31, 2011) (11) Directors: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Representative: Kenji Sawamura Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors: Xing Tang Director and General Manager: Chaohai Wang Director and Deputy General Manager: Niho Hirai Director: Kazuya Hayafune Director: Teruyuki Kai Director: Gaofeng Qiu
2. Future Operation Policy and Investment PlanThe Company has sought to expand its automotive motor business as one of its pillar businesses not only through organic growth but also by actively pursuing opportunities to acquire companies in the industry. Nidec Kaiyu sells its products to Chinese automobile manufacturers and has strong presence in the Chinese market, which is expected to expand and grow, as a manufacturer of brush motors for electric power steering ("EPS") systems. Through the Transaction, the Company seeks to acquire technologies for brush motors for EPS systems, which the Company currently does not possess, and business opportunities in the Chinese automobile market, new entry into which has been difficult. In addition, the Company and Nidec Kaiyu will aim to expand sales of brush motors for EPS systems to non-Chinese automobile manufacturers and to emerging economies outside China by mutually taking advantage of each other's research and development capabilities, manufacturing facilities and sales channels. 3. Effect on Financial Performance for the Current Fiscal Year The impact of the Transaction on the Company's consolidated financial performance for the current fiscal year is expected to be insignificant. The Nidec Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1734 Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the intent, belief, strategy, plans or expectations of the Company or other parties. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the anticipated benefits of the planned transaction not being realized, shifts in technology or user preferences for particular technologies, and changes in business environments. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
CONTACT: Masahiro Nagayasu General Manager Investor Relations +81-75-935-6140 email@example.com


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In my new vein of saying yes to more things and putting myself out there socially, I tried something a bit new this weekend: a run and brunch with Fat Run London. Set up this year by runners and outdoor enthusiasts Matt & George, it's a self-styled pop-up running club that combines my favourite things- running, food and good company. I'd signed up several weeks ago with running buddy Clo who shares my passion for…well, brunch.
Things had been a bit rough the past week as I actually got made redundant (boo)! Part of me was considering cancelling last minute in the name of being on a budget and freeing up some time to work on my job hunt. But in reality, I would probably have slept in and mooched around the house- and I'd been looking forward to this for so long!
Clo and I met at The Old Dairy Café in Fitzrovia, where we were warmly greeted and given big cups of coffee- a good start in my books. There was a good dose of mulling around saying hi to people, before we headed out for some running-specific mobility drills, including lunges (I do love a good lunge) and hip openers. Co-founder George is a certified running coach, so I knew I was in good hands, despite the fact I never warm up before a run.
And then we hit the road! The route took us up to Regent's Park, around the leafy, traily outside perimeter, and then up to Primrose Hill. Whilst everyone was encouraged to take the hill at their own level and pace, I of course attempted to power up it. It was predictably horrific but the view from the top more than compensated for the hard work!
It was all downhill from there (literally) as we headed back to the café for a well-earned brunch. I have to say Clo and I picked up the pace, knowing there was coffee and food waiting for us. Once the whole group was back we did some stretches to cool down, including some moves I'd never thought of before. And then for the main event, brunch!
The food was absolutely divine, and Clo and I were right at the front of the queue! From memory, some of the dishes on offer were:
- Wild rice with haloumi
- Skin-on roast potatoes with chorizo and roasted veg
- Kale and cous cous salad
- Roasted chicken with veggies
- Butternut squash soup
- And of course, unlimited coffee.
I was so impressed with the gorgeous food, which was wholesome and full of gorgeous yummy goodness- just what we needed on a cold Sunday morning! Clo and I stuck around for second helpings, along with numerous cups of coffee and tea, chatting all things training-related. Everyone was so friendly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the event. It set me up for a really positive Sunday on a day when I'd probably have stayed in bed all day watching TV!
What's your favourite way to spend a Sunday?
Lots of love,


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- Self priming on most surfaces. Please note: Chromamax bases are not self priming
- Water based
- The Dulux Promise. Guaranteed for as long as you are living in your house.*
- UV Protection
- Dulux MaxiFlex™ Stretch Technology
- Available in White, Deep, Ultra Deep, Extra Bright, Blue, Black, Brunswick Green, Mission Brown, Indian Red, Slate, Terracotta, True Red, Bold Yellow and Orange bases
- Available in 1L, 2L, 4L, 10L, 15L
- 2 hour recoat and easy clean up
- High performance colour durability
- Helps resist mould, dirt and stains
- Apply by brush, roller or spray
- The benefit of MaxiFlex™ Stretch Technology is that it allows the coating to expand and contract with the substrate beneath.
Product code: 603
DULUX WEATHERSHIELD Gloss is an exterior paint which is self priming on most surfaces. Dulux MaxiFlex™ Stretch Technology gives a tough, flexible finish for long life protection from the extremes of weather. THE DULUX PROMISE Guaranteed for as long as you are living in your house. We guarantee, as long as Weathershield is applied in accordance with the instructions for use, Weathershield will not PEEL, FLAKE or BLISTER for as long as you are living in your house. We should know, we have been testing Weathershield in Australian Conditions for over 40 years. We believe in the quality of Weathershield so strongly, that if it doesn't deliver, we will replace the product free of charge. It's the Dulux Promise. ,*This guarantee does not cover paint failure caused by any breakdown of coatings applied previously, where Weathershield is applied over coatings not specified by Dulux or in the event of substrate failure. To claim you must be living in the house you have painted with Weathershield.
Surface preparation
All surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned and free of all dirt, dust, grease, loose or flaking paint. Efflorescence or mould on masonry or concrete surfaces must be treated. Occasionally an apparently sound old paint will lose adhesion when recoated, particularly if the new paint is darker in colour. To avoid this, check the adhesion of the old paint by cutting an X through a clean area of the film with a sharp knife, press cellulose tape firmly across the cut and rip it off. If the old paint comes off with the tape it should be removed before repainting.
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- For galvanised iron within 1 km of the sea (or other salty areas), prime with Dulux Precision All Metal Primer
DULUX WEATHERSHIELD Gloss provides an exterior gloss finish on masonry, bricks, concrete, render, fibro cement, exterior timber, Zincalume®, galvanised iron and correctly primed steel and wrought iron. Dulux guarantees that Weathershield will not blister, flake or peel for 10 years, provided it is applied on properly prepared surfaces as per label directions. This guarantee does not cover paint failure caused by any breakdown of coatings applied previously. If Dulux Weathershield does not perform as specified above, Dulux will provide free of charge paint to rectify the affected areas.
Health Safety
- Clean Up
- Clean all equipment with water
- Warranty Information
- *Refer to product label for full conditions. This guarantee does not limit and may not necessarily exceed your rights under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.


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Now in its fourth year, our annual Freelancing in America study (PDF) shows what many freelancers know intuitively: The freelance workforce is growing rapidly and adapting quickly in a fast-changing economy.
In fact, freelancers are growing so fast as a share of the overall workforce that we're projecting independent workers will be a majority of the U.S. workforce in just a decade. America's 57.3 million freelancers contribute $1.4 trillion to the economy, an increase of almost 30% from the previous year.
Freelancers are navigating this new economy by adapting, learning, and re-tooling. The entire workforce is being transformed by automation and artificial intelligence, but freelancers are more aware of these changes and are much more likely to have taken steps to proactively update their skills.
Policy makers have not been as quick to adapt. Freelancers want a voice, and a large majority of freelancers would be willing to cross party lines if a candidate supported their interests.
Freelancers, like all workers, are experiencing challenges with debt, saving, and accessing affordable benefits. But freelancers are uniquely challenged by income predictability. They are looking for choice and portability when it comes to benefits -- and they don't want it to be tied to a single employer.
But more and more people are opting in to the freedom and independence of the freelance life. As the stability of working for a traditional 9-5 employer has started to wane, freelancers are embracing a new way of working - and they see more stability in having diverse income streams.
The world of work is changing, and freelancers are at the heart of our new economy. As the workforce experiences challenges like never before, it's up to use to envision and build a new support system to make sure independent workers are able to thrive.
Read the report here (PDF) and here is a press release with our partners at Upwork. You can also see the full results deck here.


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The advent of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Barcode technology has created benefits for logistic industry. These technologies allow users to trace their product items across the supply chain and it will make their supply chains become effective, efficient and reduce errors. As a company which always aims to fulfill the customers' need, Winmate proudly presented E430T 4.3" Industrial PDA with Barcode or RFID technology to support the retailer, warehouse, or logistic industry.
Rugged, elegant, and high performance industrial PDA, Winmate proudly presents 4.3-inches that can run Android 2.3 or Windows CE 6.0. Measuring 3.2 x 5.2 inches, weighing just over eight ounces, Winmate's E430T Industrial PDA is light and has a large display. As stated earlier, Winmate E430T is rugged; it can handle 5-ft drops to concrete without additional protection; it carries IP66 sealing which means it is completely seal to dust and sprays of water from all directions. Pocket-size, anti-slip skin, rugged design and equipped with 1D/2D Barcode or RFID reader makes the E430T the best partner for the logistic industry.
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Saturday, June 30, 2012
In The Eye Of The Storm
Last night our area experienced a storm that knocked out power in over a million homes, caused supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants to close, weddings to be cancelled and many people to experience sleepless nights while temperatures hovered in the 100's.
We are lucky and still have our electric and internet. But we were caught in the tempest while giving the Lab her before bed walk. We were at the other end of the block from our house when it began.
In a matter of seconds the air went from humid and still to 90 miles an hour with branches breaking off above our heads, flying gravel filling our eyes and GG screaming "get down" at me. We would crouch beside a car, wait for a break in the wind and move forward until another gust of wind came at us. We did this for about 10 minutes, mostly with our eyes closed, slipping in the pounding rain with lightening breaking above us in an almost purple sky. It was a very long 10 minutes.
Unusually we had locked the door after ourselves and it seemed an eternity waiting for GG to turn the key in the lock.
Once inside we burst into gales of laughter, hugged the dog and dried ourselves off.
Talk about feeling powerless.
Tomorrow we leave town and and a very messy yard with tilted plants, a fig tree listing and an unmowed lawn. We have a broken patio table and leaf debris flung madly about. I debated taking tomorrow to clean it up. Then I got a grip. Remember last year? We had a earthquake and a hurricane while we were on holiday. Better to live for today.
It will all be waiting for us when we return.
I think it's high time for a vacation!
Carpe diem.
xo jane
P/S. Meg over at Pigtown Design has an excellent post on the storm.
Posted by flwrjane at Saturday, June 30, 2012 21 comments Links to this post
Labels: pre holiday storm 2012 June
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Nordstroms....
First, a big thank you to all who participated in June's flowers in the house. Whether you brought your garden into your house or your camera into your garden, each and every post was picture and word perfect.
When I get to look at picture after picture of hydrangeas and true garden roses, lisianthus and raspberries, orlaya grandiflower, my new favorite flower,( thank you Denise), bits of shrubbery and handfuls of herbs I am one happy woman. And it couldn't have happened on a better day.....
Because while running errands on Monday with my tall, exuberant friend Anne we suffered a bit of an accident. She tripped, started to slip and threw all her weight and her 5'10" onto me. Me with the just healing ankle. Me with the now freshly tweaked ankle. I stumbled , I flailed, I staggered and somehow I held us both up. Too bad no one got a video of that moment. It must have been the funniest game of Twister ever seen in a mall.
I railed against fate, I complained unceasingly to GG how unfair it was, I talked loudly to myself about how unfair it was and then I got over it. GG said it was an accident.
The brace is back. Apparently I will zumba no more. At least not till after vacation. But it was just a tweak not a sprain and it was an accident. Right? See why I needed those flowers?
3 more days of work and we're off. Off to Cape Cod.
Our annual 4th of July party is cancelled. We're going on holiday.
Your plans?
xo jane
Posted by flwrjane at Wednesday, June 27, 2012 14 comments Links to this post
Monday, June 25, 2012
Flowers In The Garden House: June 2012
First ice a latte. Then wander about the garden with a knife and a Lab. Cut a flower here, an herb there. Actually stop to smell the roses. Bring armful of flowers and dog into kitchen and make a mess filling vases and bottles. Bronze fennel alert: inhale deeply.
Fill favorite white vase with echinacea, cottage yarrow, fennel, painted fern, and tradescantia zebrina.
Pose in window.
Fill bottle with stem of red floribunda rose and bit of coleus.
Place in east window. Put on sunglasses.
And then take all the rest, the hydrangea nigra, the hosta blossom, the swedish ivy, scabiosa and one shasta daisy, more of the yarrow and the last of the fennel and make a little posy.
Oh and don't forget to add a bit of origanum rotundifolium Kent Beauty.
Then refresh your coffee, wake your sleeping partner and let your day begin.
As the day progresses you may find said partner has harvested her garlic and hung a large bouquet of it on the mud room wall.
Then refresh your coffee, wake your sleeping partner and let your day begin.
As the day progresses you may find said partner has harvested her garlic and hung a large bouquet of it on the mud room wall.
Suddenly transporting you to Greece.
And it all started with a walk in the garden.
What you got?
Posted by flwrjane at Monday, June 25, 2012 26 comments Links to this post
Labels: Flowers In The House June 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The Accidental Tourist
It's Saturday morning and the heat wave has broken, I have just finished the first 600 odd pages of The Game Of Thrones ( a genre I don't usually dabble in but hey it's summer) and today is my last day of work for the week.
Let me throw out a thought here: Monday, June Flowers In The House?
If you're new to us here are the rules:.........ok no rules , here's a link to see how it looks.
If you've got it in your garden pick it and flaunt it.
If not, go to your farmers market or indy flower shop and buy a few stems of summer, put them in a vase and invite us over.
We'll visit you, maybe grab something cold to drink and perhaps sign your guest book. You'll do the same. You'll travel the States. You'll get to go abroad for the summer.
You in? Good. See you Monday!
xo Jane
Let me throw out a thought here: Monday, June Flowers In The House?
If you're new to us here are the rules:.........ok no rules , here's a link to see how it looks.
If you've got it in your garden pick it and flaunt it.
If not, go to your farmers market or indy flower shop and buy a few stems of summer, put them in a vase and invite us over.
We'll visit you, maybe grab something cold to drink and perhaps sign your guest book. You'll do the same. You'll travel the States. You'll get to go abroad for the summer.
You in? Good. See you Monday!
xo Jane
Posted by flwrjane at Saturday, June 23, 2012 9 comments Links to this post
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The Little Garden That Could
Let's raise a glass of ice cold lemonade to the fan that's fanning over my left shoulder and the airconditioners GG carried down our rickety attic stairs last night.
It's come in like a lion, summer that is, and we're waiting for the sun to drop below the leylands before we water. We just checked the temperature, it's 95 at 7:30 PM. Ahhhh, summer.
This morning I was up with the birds and out with the mosquitoes ( the biggest bites are just before dawn) and took a few pictures of the New Bed ( remember?) that is filling in nicely with a variety of crops from our compost.
There are 3 tomatoes and a few vines, what do you think, squash, cucumber? There's also a volunteer euphorbia, martini we believe and a couple of sage plants.
The beds may run rampant with a variety of who knows what but that GG runs a tight border patrol.:)
We're replanting the bed under the back stairs former home of the giant pussy willow.
With every fern we move along comes a lily of the valley here and a piece of sweet woodruff there.
Well done on the self planting. Now this garden just needs to learn how to weed itself and we'll have it all going on. Inside.
Sun's down, I'm off.
How's your summer growing?
Posted by flwrjane at Thursday, June 21, 2012 13 comments Links to this post
Labels: New beds in back yard.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Reflections On What Was And What Could Have Been
We have two teens helping out at the shop this spring/summer. One is home from her first year in college, the other has just graduated from high school.
Both are confident in manner, self respecting and motivated with wicked work ethics.
Both seem to have close relationships with their fathers.
Is there any connection? I don't know but I suspect there might be.
My father, whose nickname was Frosty, was as alpha a male as you could wish to meet.
My mother gracefully accepted beta status, I fought him every step of the way.
In retrospect I admit to being a big PITA ( pain in the ass, more flower shop speak).
In retrospect I bet he would too. I now recognize his flaws as mine.
I wish we could do it again from a different perspective. Less struggle, more acceptance.
But I did take away a love of gardening, a love of the absurd and the ability to throw a party.
And I also learned to give to others, both time and money when possible, be there for your friends and that when it's time to put the drink down, put it down. Just walk away.
So today I'll both miss him and honor him by doing what he taught me to do best. Yard work. Off to the garden.
xo Jane
Posted by flwrjane at Sunday, June 17, 2012 29 comments Links to this post
Labels: Fathers Day 2012, Frosty
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Pot(s) Is Smoking
Oblivious to my snarky post ( thanks I needed that) and irritating work moments the garden is doing it's June thing. And doing it beautifully.
We had a choleus love moment in May and the crazy colors and patterns have returned the favour.
We also have a big crush on the Swedish Ivy spilling out of the Mandevilla vine .
This is also known as Plectranthus, but not to us. We just call it Swedish ivy.
Oh don't let me forget to get to the heart of the matter in the June garden.
Undeterred by the gypsy moths nibbling at its leaves grows some nights dinner.
Our first cauliflower.
Can you imagine how good this is going to taste?
Work? What's that?
Posted by flwrjane at Thursday, June 14, 2012 14 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
In The Year 2525
That was the week that was. I wanted to implement a new way to answer the phone at work. "You have reached Blah-Blah Florist where it's always a full moon."
This is the time of year customers decide to freshen up their old dried and or silk arrangements. As soon as we see someone teetering into the store carrying a black plastic trash bag we know we're in trouble.
One customer was in such a hurry to come in she just threw on a pair of unlined white lace shorts but apparently forgot to add any underwear.??? She had the black plastic bag in hand though.
Proms are getting a bit more complicated. Taking a corsage order in like a mini wedding appointment with fabric swatches, pintrest pages, texting seniors and anxious mothers. Last prom today. Whew.
And somewhere in the madness there was a customer who went psycho on me insisting on me hobbling on down to a hotel in DC to redo arrangements that looked exactly like the sample. I believe the phrase 'jacked up" was used. More flies with honey people, more flies.
Of course "jacked up" is now in constant use at the design table.
GG had her own set of crazy at the plastic surgery clinic but that deserves a blog all its own.
I'm off to start a new work week momentito. Hoping to hear a few more please and thank yous.
Good God I have officially become my mother. That's jacked up!
xo Jane
Quick update: Have just returned home from work and today followed the cray cray path set last week. We were informed by two different girls that "Prom is stressful" and one returned her boutonniere citing "change of plans". Um, okay. Maybe gonna go catch a movie instead?
Posted by flwrjane at Tuesday, June 12, 2012 25 comments Links to this post
Labels: Prom madness 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
A Full Strawberry Moon
Come the dog days of summer, what I would like to remember is this: the 4th of June, 2012 was a beautiful day.
The bedroom curtains billowed in the breeze, weeding was almost a pleasure surrounded by the scents of lavender and rosemary as I was in the vegetable garden. The dog chased bees, the cat slept under the boxwood and there was a partial eclipse of the moon.
A day to remember
Posted by flwrjane at Monday, June 04, 2012 23 comments Links to this post
Labels: Full moon June 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
And On The 7th Day.....
Ankle wrapped, hair uncombed, iced latte in hand. I'm outta here. The garden waits.
The sun's shining, the birds chirping and my neighbor is already running her lawnmower at 8:00am.
The cat and dog are hard at work weeding and watering.
Over planted? Don't be silly.
Such an over used word in our garden.
Hope your Sunday is a beautiful and humidity free as ours.
Posted by flwrjane at Sunday, June 03, 2012 12 comments Links to this post
Labels: June Garden, Pokey and nika at work.
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Risk drivers and outlook
Unlike other BRIC countries, India's short-term economic outlook is upbeat under a favourable economic context (e.g. sharp fall in oil prices), improved investor confidence and a reformist federal government elected last year. It is reflected by a low political risk rating (2/7), supported by comfortable liquidity, and a classification at a moderate level (B) for commercial risk thanks to strong GDP growth forecasts – towards 7.5% – and favourable financial conditions.
Yet, the medium to long-term horizon looks more risky as India is faced with structural impediments to growth, poor public finances and risks of higher inflation when oil prices rebound. Another weakness lies in the vulnerability to capital flight in a context of US monetary tightening so that the rupee might experience renewed depreciation pressures and make repayments on rising – but still overall manageable – corporate external debt costlier. A successful reform agenda and infrastructure development are of crucial importance to ensure India's macroeconomic stability and raise its long-term growth. Backed by a strong mandate, a strengthened balance of payments, decreased inflation from lower commodity prices that allows cuts in subsidies and monetary easing, PM Modi has room for manoeuvre to boost economic activity as highlighted by announced fiscal reforms and plans to increase public development spending. Moreover, much-needed investments should be supported by political stability and confidence. However, the task is complex given local resistance to change and delicate equilibrium within India's heterogeneous society. That's why the implementation of reforms will remain India's biggest challenge. All this justifies that India be rated in a more moderate medium- to long-term political risk category (3/7).
Facts & figures
- Huge growth potential (demographic dividend, high savings and investment rates)
- Broad-based economy
- Strong services industry
- Sustainable external debt
- Frequent communal and socioeconomic tensions
- National policies hindered by the federal system
- Difficult business environment (infrastructure bottlenecks, red tape…)
- Poor public finances
Main export products
- Software services (12.7% of current account receipts), private transfers (11.9%), petroleum products (11.5%), agricultural products (7.8%), chemicals (7.6%), gems & jewelry (7.5%), textile (5.8%)
Income group
- Lower middle income
Per capita Income
Head of State
- Pranab Mukherjee
Prime Minister
- Narendra Modi (BJP)
Description of electoral system
- Presidential: 5-year term, next elections in 2017
- Legislative: 5-year term, next elections in 2019
Country risk assessment
A new government, a wind of change
The tide has turned after three long years of political crisis. The future looks more promising again, especially since the clear outcome of the May 2014 parliamentary elections. The landslide victory of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), the opposition party (within the National Democratic Alliance), and of its candidate Narendra Modi has indeed delivered a strong Prime Minister mandate. The BJP's majority in the lower house without coalition constraint grants more room to launch reforms and re-boost confidence in the world's biggest democracy. Its main rival party, the Congress party, which was knocked out at a historic low last May, faces an existential crisis and might need a profound transformation, possibly challenging the Gandhi dynasty, if it wants to regain Indians' confidence. As a result, Mr Modi's rule is likely to be overall politically stable.
Still, the situation within the Indian federal system is not entirely satisfactory as the BJP is in a minority in the upper house which will certainly hinder the legislative process for some reforms (e.g. land acquisition) and make deals with regional parties necessary. BJP's crushing defeat by AAP (the "common man's party") in Delhi's February elections, the BJP's first defeat since it came to power, could have an impact on the government's reformist agenda. It could, among other things, force the BJP to soften a few reforms, thereby highlighting the potential for other parties to benefit from the vacuum left by a Congress in disarray and to win popularity. Now, BJP's recent electoral victories in a few major states bode well for progressive enhancement of federal power after the state elections that are scheduled in the next two years.
While in power, Mr Modi will have to show management skills and leadership. His supporters hope he will be able to replicate his long and successful experience as Chief Minister of Gujarat State where growth was robust, infrastructure much developed and red tape cut. This is a huge challenge given India's higher political and economical complexity and diversity as a nation. The "Modi-mania" that surrounded his election must allow the government to take bold measures and also highlights the size of the expectations, notably concerning economic activity and public governance. Prime Minister Modi is a controversial figure – autocratic, nationalist and worryingly promoting Hindu supremacy. His attitude risks exacerbating tensions with the large Muslim community sooner or later (not in the short term). This risk could be mitigated as he has no choice but to maintain domestic cohesion in order to achieve his economic programme. Beside ethnic tensions, the enduring conflict with Maoist rebel groups is likely to persist in north-east and east states as Mr Modi seems to have no intention to deal with them and rather favours a confrontational approach.
Meanwhile, in foreign affairs, it came with no surprise that, after a few years of détente, peace talks with neighbour Pakistan were rapidly suspended. This evolution was expected, considering India's nationalist Hindu PM and the Pakistani military strengthening its position over a weakened civilian government. Violent attacks have increased in Kashmir and presage a more strained bilateral relation in the coming years. Relations with superpower rival China are cordial and constructive, and serve as a political and economic counterweight to the western world, but they remain delicate as well due to regional competition – fostering India's strengthened geopolitical strategy in the Indian ocean sphere – and conflicts around some Himalayan borders, thereby favouring closer ties with the US.
A pro-growth and reformist agenda in an improved environment
Mr Modi's liberalism and campaign based on pro-growth and reformist pledges have had a positive impact on the business climate. Economic momentum has improved markedly since general elections and should continue to do so to allow India to overtake a slowing China as the world's fastest-growing large economy by the end of this year. After having bottomed out in 2012 at 4.5%, the economy has grown at an estimated 7.2% in 2014-15 and is forecast to reach 7.5% in the coming fiscal year1.
1These figures take into account India's Central Statistical Office's recent methodological changes which have led to revised data. Still, given the gap with previous official data, this update is taken cautiously, namely more like a statistical event rather than a mirror of a recent and significant improvement of India's real economy.
The Indian economy benefits from a more favourable (external and domestic) economic environment. With a large fuel bill (35% of import of goods), India is among the world's most important beneficiaries from the collapse of oil prices, while also benefiting from a recovering US and EU demand. Mr Modi was lucky with this perfect timing right after his election as this collapse supports growth and facilitates unpopular measures such as the cut in fuel subsidies (cf. infra). Combined with decreased gold imports – which resulted from restrictions that have been lifted at the end of last year – while the export sector was growing modestly, the current account deficit has shrunk considerably from 4.7% of GDP in 2012-13 to less than 2%. The deficit is expected to remain in those areas in future and to be easily financed by FDI, which are projected to rise substantially under Modi's rule and expected relaxed caps on foreign investment in several sectors. One of the positive consequences is that the downward trend in foreign exchange reserves has reversed and should keep the import cover above a comfortable 6 months in the future.
Inflation and depreciation pressures could loom again
Despite a strengthened balance of payments, India is not immune to global capital fluctuations, particularly with the upcoming US monetary tightening. As a matter of fact, the Fed tapering announcement in spring 2013 led to large capital outflows and a related sharp decline of the rupee (-23% from May to August) to a record-low against the USD. However, that happened in a context of continued political paralysis. Since then, the domestic context has completely changed: PM Modi has a strong mandate, confidence has returned, economic forecasts have improved and as a result, the rupee has recovered somewhat (+6%) despite a strengthening USD. Therefore, although renewed bouts of volatility are likely, depreciation pressures should be of lower magnitude.
As a result of lower commodity prices, inflation has quickly decreased to an eight-year low of 5%. To strengthen price stability and maintain consumer prices at lower levels, the government has legally awarded the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to inflation targeting (set at 4% in the medium term, with a fluctuation band of 2%). Now, the RBI is easing its monetary policy by cutting interest rates – lastly to 7.5% – to support consumption and investments which are constrained by penalising high interest rates. A rebound in oil prices in the medium term and higher food prices in case of a bad monsoon are two main downside risks to the inflation outlook. Therefore, New Delhi has to tackle structurally high inflation partly caused by ineffective storage and distribution of food (i.e. the dominant component in the price index).
"Make in India" and improving the business environment amid higher financial fragility
During his rule, Mr Modi pledges to promote the "Make in India" policy. Beside a strong domestic demand, which largely drives economic growth through a big internal market and rising middle class, India's manufacturing industry has long paled in comparison with China. The goal is thus for India to become a manufacturing hub (e.g. defence, automotive, telecom) and boost job creation – less than 10% of the total workforce is employed in manufacturing – in a country where services (e.g. IT and call centres) remain the strongest performers. A lower rupee is positive for exports and can make the sector more attractive to investors, but labour costs are relatively higher than in several other Asian competitors. All in all, the government will have to give a high priority to making the business environmentally friendlier, a top condition for long-term projects, as business is hindered by heavy bureaucracy, frequent power shortages, infrastructure bottlenecks and rigid labour regulations.
In the meantime, financial fragility is deepening. The banking sector, though considered solid, keeps slowly deteriorating with a continued rise of the bad loan ratio (from 2.4% in 2010-11 to 4% last year) especially among dominating public banks (owning ¾ of bank assets), and of corporate debt (estimated around 45-55% of GDP). The latter upward trend is particularly significant among the larger number of financially weak companies.
Moreover, like emerging market peers, Indian companies have been borrowing more and more externally at lower interest rates on the international capital market, which increases their vulnerability to a strong USD, an upcoming increase in US interest rates and unfinished rupee depreciation in future. That being said, India's total private external debt and debt service ratios remain low in absolute terms and compared to peers in other emerging markets. Besides, weakened public banks and rising (domestic and external) corporate debt, which is much exposed to the infrastructure sector, negatively hit the domestic loan demand by keeping bank credit growth at a low 10% and thus could hamper future private investments and economic growth.
A fiscal policy balanced between consolidation and economic support
The recently presented 2015 budget, the new government's first full budget, goes in the right direction as it aims to boost growth while keeping fiscal consolidation on track, albeit at a reduced pace. The government plans to increase public expenditures in infrastructure, particularly transports and power generation, two chronic hindrances to economic activity. The fiscal reform programme provides for a major rationalisation of subsidies (already started at the end of former PM Singh's mandate) and for the fiscal system with several taxes to be scrapped and replaced by a single national goods and services tax. Last October, eased by a strong decline in oil prices, the government decided to abandon diesel subsidies and make domestic prices market-based. Fuel, food and fertiliser subsidies accounted for about 2.2% of GDP last fiscal year but are to be brought down to 1.6% by the fiscal year 2016-17, and partly replaced by direct cash transfers to poor people. Besides, a gradual decrease of the corporate tax from 30% to 25% has been announced.
Those measures will help to drive economic growth but will slow down the budget adjustment. Hence, the general government budget deficit and the public debt ratio will remain on a progressive but slow downward trend from an expected 6.8% and 62.6% of GDP, respectively, in 2015-16. Successive governments have committed to curtailing public debt, which was above 85% of GDP ten years ago, but interest charges still represent 25% of budget revenues. Further and continued effort is thus needed in the medium term to create fiscal space and make more room for economic stimulus together with the monetary policy. Meanwhile, debt sustainability risks are mitigated by the fact that public debt is primarily domestic and the total external debt ratio (including private debt) is expected to stay under 25% of GDP thanks to strong economic performances.
Local resistance is a major obstacle to Modi's reformist agenda and investments
Although investor sentiment is bullish since the victory of reform-minded Modi, concrete achievements have been limited so far. PM Modi has seemingly chosen a gradual over a fast-track strategy given the extent of challenges and political obstacles to implementing long-awaited reforms. The land acquisition bill is one of the touchiest laws that the government wants to revise and is symbolic of the challenges India faces to accelerate development and to support the "Make in India" policy. Reaching the latter goal will require simplifying the law that remains restrictive and makes land access difficult for economic purposes. The issue is controversial in a country where the majority of the people are very poor, live in rural areas and fear for their economic subsistence. Given farmers' protests and the opposition's majority at the upper house, the BJP might have to wait until 2016 upper house elections to see it passed. In fact, to the exception of the recently and eventually approved amended insurance bill that raises the foreign investment ceiling from 26% to 49% in Indian companies, Mr Modi's other reform plans (e.g. labour, fiscal…) also face strong opposition which could decide him to bypass the normal parliamentary process by calling joint sessions until 2016. BJP's heavy defeat in Delhi elections could indeed favour a more cautious attitude. Meanwhile, failing to pass new laws would send a bad signal to investors of the risk of persisting political hindrance and structural hurdle to business and infrastructure development. In the coming years, better fulfilling India's economic potential could partly depend on Mr Modi's determined reform stance which is currently seen as a mitigating factor of the country's downside risks.
Analyst: Raphaël Cecchi, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Author Webpage
Be sure to stop by my author page from time to time
In the meantime, while you're here, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee or a cuppa tea, have a piece of pie and always feel free to speak your mind, and your heart, here at Meanderings and Muses.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
"Oh, Kaye!" Day
First Sunday of the month - Yay!
And I get to play at Jungle Red wearing my "Oh, Kaye!" hat
Today I'm talking about football, the Super Bowl, the Carolina Panthers.
and other stuff.
I hope you'll drop by -
Posted by Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Muses at 12:40 AM
Labels: Jungle Red Writers, Oh Kaye, Super Bowl, The Carolina Panthers
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Pulmonary Center for Excellence Program
The Pulmonary Center for Excellence is a collaborative effort between our resident pulmonologist and his team of respiratory therapists designed to provide pulmonary services for all Stonebrook patients who have respiratory diagnoses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, and congestive heart failure (CHF).
Enrolled Stonebrook patients benefit from the following:
- On-site treatment from respiratory therapists and rounding pulmonologist
- Immediate availability of respiratory-support equipment
- Nursing staff training to respond to respiratory conditions
- Family and caregiver training on respiratory issues and early warning signs
- Patient education to help set them up for success after their discharge to a lower level of care
The pulmonary program strives to achieve reduced patient admissions to hospital and accelerated patient stability for maximum benefit from physical/occupational therapy sessions. We love seeing our patients benefit from these improved outcomes!


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Winner list of Veet Celebration of Beauty Awards 2013 held at Expo Center Karachi on 24th August 2013. The first ever fashion show to have beauty awards in Pakistan. An Event by Veet In association with ARY MUSIK.
Beauty Of The Year ——> Humaima Malik
Miss Elegance ——> Mahnoor Baloch
Most Beautiful Smile ——> Syra Yousuf
Most Beautiful Skin ——> Ayyan
Best Posture ——> Nadia Ali
Miss Photogenic ——> Aamina Sheikh
Most Promising Model Of The Year ——> Saima Azhar
Miss Catwalk ——> Amna Ilyas
Sana Sarfaraz Wins Promising Model of The Year Award


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Relationships BishopJune2014
When we loved as Jesus loved, there is room for the outsider
Sermon on the occasion of the Rev. Gail Greenwell's installation as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral
Relationships DreisbachJune2014
Talking to millennials
This generation demands transparency, authenticity and relevance. Yet even though these qualities seem to be elusive to Madison Avenue, isn't this what the church has always aspired to be?
Relationships CommunicationsAwardsJune2014
Recognizing excellence in communication
The diocesan communications department was awarded six Polly Bond Awards for excellence in church communications at the 2014 Episcopal Communicators conference held in April in Chicago
Formation OrdinationJune2014
Bishop ordains deacons, priests
A long journey of discernment, study and prayer led five individuals to joyful celebrations with family and friends at Christ Church Cathedral on
Relationships EpiscopaliansConnectedJune2014
Relationships SimeonAnnaMay2014
Society of St. Simeon and St. Anna inducts ten
The Affirmative Aging Commission of the Diocese of Southern Ohio celebrated the induction of ten new members into the Society of St. Simeon and St. Anna with
Formation FormationGraduationMay2014
Formation programs wrap up year with graduation
A ceremony honoring graduates of two diocesan Ministry Formation programs was held at Christ Chapel at the Procter Center on May 17. Group mentors
Bishop MarriageEqualityMay2014
Bishop supports marriage equality case
Bishop Breidenthal files amici curiae brief in support of Ohio marriage equality case
Formation FloralHouseJune2014
Intentional community program moves into new season
Floral House welcomes Aaron Wright as new community facilitator
Congregations ConnectedJune2014
Formation RefreshYourSoulJune2014
Refresh Your Soul
Conference inspires belief in God, heaven and healing
Formation YouthJune2014
Youth news
Formation SummerComplineJune2014
Summer Compline
Calvary Episcopal Church in Cincinnati is keeping the Flash Compline movement alive this summer!
Formation PrayerBookJune2014
Classic resource gets new life
Forward Movement offers new revision to Saint Augustine's Prayer Book
Mission NavajolandJune2014
Return to Navojoland
Cathedral group returns to Navajoland after long absence
Mission DOKJune2014
The Daughters of the King
The best kept secret of the diocese (but not for long!)
Mission ElHogarJune2014
A visit from El Hogar
Director shares news with supporters and friends
Mission MissionCornerJune2014
Mission Corner
Micro-enterprise and the Diocese of Southern Ohio
Procter NewsJune2014
Procter news
News for Procter Center
Convention PreviewJune2014
140th Convention Preview
Look for the link at the top of this page


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Visa Wizard
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Immigration Lawyer
Parminder graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a degree in Law. She joined IAS as an Immigration Caseworker in 2017. She has made several appearances on television and radio shows to offer immigration advice and updates.
Parminder thrives on assisting clients to the best of her ability with due diligence and care.
She has also made several appearances on television shows, and also provided advice on legal matters and updates on radio shows. Aswell as this, she assisted asylum seekers through the Manuel Bravo Project and arranged several events during Refugee Week.
Parminder has over six years experience in Immigration Law & Practice. She has dealt with a varied caseload consisting of all types of applications before the Home Office including Family applications under Appendix FM, Asylum, Human Rights and Family Reunion.
She has also worked with unaccompanied minors via Social Services and assisted those fleeing domestic violence in their applications to the Home Office.
Degree in Law, University of Central Lancashire
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An intensive workshop with Master Conductor Jon Washburn and Canada's premiere choral ensemble, the Vancouver Chamber Choir
Feb 6-11, 2017, Vancouver, BC
Entry deadline: November 22, 2016
The Vancouver Chamber Choir's 37th Annual National Conductors' Symposium is an opportunity to take part in master-classes as a conductor or observer. Learn choral techniques, conducting gesture, score interpretation and more. Each conductor will conduct before an audience, as part of the Choir's regular concert season.
For more information, please email email@example.com or visit the Symposium Web Page


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During 2014 we tried to give you a quick round up of some of the best branded content released each month. So as we head into 2015 its perhaps only fitting we give you a quick recap of some of the best branded content for the year as a whole - well, at least the ones we enjoyed the most!
GE: "Enhance Your Lighting"
When we look back on content marketing in 2014, there's a good chance the first thing that pops into our head will be Jeff Goldblum in '70s loungewear, shilling for light bulbs.
In September, GE hired comedy duo Tim & Eric to produce a masterpiece starring Goldblum as he pitches the incredible value of the long-lasting Link lightbulb. The clip has nearly 2 million views on YouTube, and is one of the rare pieces of content marketing with serious rewatch value.
But this one might top them all. Come for the lightbulbs, stay for a half-naked Jeff Goldblum playing a grand piano.
Purina: "Dear Kitten" Series
Purina's robust content team creates hundreds of content per day, but the most impressive pieces are undoubtedly from the hilarious "Dear Kitten" series, created in partnership with BuzzFeed. I'm pretty sure every brand publisher on earth wishes that they had the liberty to just say, "Screw it," and have their content strategy focus on cats. Considering the current state of the Internet, it's almost an unfair advantage.
But when you have that kind of advantage, you've got to milk it for all its worth, and Purina has done that with the six-video series, which has been viewed nearly 40 million times on YouTube so far this year.
Net-a-Porter: Porter
What can content marketing do? Well, it can give us a photo essay on Martha Stewart as shot by Terry Richardson in a glossy magazine that's distributed in over 40 countries. I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good thing, but it's significant nonetheless.
Yes, luxury retailer Net-a-Porter's Porter magazine is one of the most ambitious pieces of content marketing we've seen in some time. It launched in February with supermodel Gisele Bündchen on the cover and spreads featuring Angela Ahrendts and Uma Thurman. However, from an editorial standpoint, the masthead may be even more impressive: Lucy Yeomans, former editor of Harper's Bazaar UK, serves as Porter's editor-in-chief.
So when we talk about brands truly taking up the challenge of becoming media companies, we're talking about companies like Net-a-Porter. After all, Porter's digital counterpart, The Edit, reaches over 6 million visitors each month.
Lego: The LEGO Movie
New rule: If your content marketing makes over $450 million, you get an automatic spot on the "Best Branded Content of the Year" roundup.
Make no mistake: The LEGO Movie was a savvy piece of branded content. Although LEGO put out a manifesto declaring, "We are not making a commercial for the toys," the brand was an integral part of the filmmaking process, reports Fast Company, and exerted extensive approval over the content.
The result was arguably the most successful piece of branded content of all time, or, as director Phil Lord described it, "a soulful cash grab."
Honda: "The Other Side"
When we came across Honda's "The Other Side" video, it was sent it to me with a simple note: "This is the coolest shit I've ever seen in my whole damn life."
He wasn't being hyperbolic.
Created by Wieden+Kennedy London, "The Other Side" is a "double-sided story" on YouTube—when you hold down the "R" key, the film flips between two parallel storylines about a dad living a double life on Halloween.
It's masterfully crafted and completely trippy. What's even more amazing is how strongly it connects back to the product, with the story's two sides cleverly tying back to the Civic and its sporty counterpart, the Civic Type R. Go to Honda's YouTube page and watch it right now.
Microsoft: Microsoft Stories
Microsoft isn't exactly known as an edgy, innovative brand, but its content marketing certainly is. It's quite possible no company is better at telling stories about the unique projects its own employees are taking on, from fighting cyber criminals to an industrial hub of experimental design that's straight out of a sci-fi movie.
This year, though, Microsoft has been covering its own fascinating work with a deft touch. The design of Microsoft Stories is sleek and splendid; the homepage features big, vibrant images; and the article pages echo Medium's design, with some "Snow Fall" thrown in for tasteful measure. Expect a lot of other tech companies to copy this approach in 2015.
Electrolux: "The Next Black"
The single best piece of content marketing about fashion in 2014 didn't come from a fashion brand. Instead, it came from an appliance company.
Unexpectedly, Electrolux—a company that primarily manufactures household appliances like washing machines—made a stunning 46-minute documentary about the future of fashion that focuses on technological innovations like wearable technology, eco-friendly materials, and even clothing grown from living organisms.
"The washing machine industry isn't exactly sexy, so they decided to focus on the clothes that people put into their machines rather than the machines themselves,"explained Philip Marthinsen, head of business and strategy at digital agency House of Radon, which helped create the film.
Original list compiled by Joe Lazauskas at Contently.


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The belief amongst the real estate community is that the traditional spring surge in activity has only momentarily been delayed this year on account of the election. The hope is that now we have the election behind us the market will kick into gear. In my opinion there is no statistical evidence to support the view that the election has caused any dampening of the property market, not this election at any rate, there was certainly evidence in past elections.
However, irrespective of the election's impact, the reality is that the market will see a flurry of activity in the next couple of months leading up to Christmas. The fact is Spring is the most active time of year for property listings. Analysing the data for the past 7 years shows that the Spring months of September / October / November sees over 10% more properties come onto the market than would be the case for the proportion of the year made up by a 3 month period. At the same time as listings rise 10% above normal sale only rise by 3% compared to normal.
This vital insight which is presented in the chart below highlights some interesting facts about buyer and seller behaviour over the key seasons of the year.
From a buyer perspective the best time of the year is Spring as the proportional level of new listings is much higher than the proportional increase in sales as there is generally a better selection of properties on the market and less competitive pressure.
For sellers the best season is the Winter when new listings are over 10% lower than normal but sales only decline by around 4%. Equally the Autumn period is relatively good as the rate of sales increase compared to normal is higher than the rate of listings increase. It is the most active time of the year for the industry.
The Summer period is challenging for both buyers and sellers, relative sales levels are well below what would be for a normal 3 month period but listings are quite closely aligned with a similar level of drop off.
It certainly pays to think before making the decision of when to sell and when to buy. Naturally the decision of when you want to move house is more often influenced by external factors which means you don't have a choice but if you do, then choose wisely.


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9 years ago
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Fermi Shines II
Fermi also confirms the rise in the positron spectrum up to $200$ GeV. This would make stringers happy if there was good evidence for WIMPs, but alas there is not.
Labels: astrophysics, blogging
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Get the Fermi iPhone App (if you have such a gadget).ReplyDelete
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Asheville, there's no place quite like it. There's a buzz to the city that enlivens and kind of makes you feel like you're always on vacation. It's filled with vegan dive spots, a delicious chocolate lounge that's open late, so many amazing breakfast places, and a huge art scene. I love it there. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until I went back.
I went swimming with old friends, did a lot of porch lounging, and spent some solo time in the botanical gardens that were once my favorite retreat spot.
And as for this past week, I've started early, early morning bread classes. It's nice to be back working with dough, but I forgot what it's like to begin going to sleep before the sun has set, and waking up when it's still dark outside. Anyway, I'll get used to it. In this class we're developing our own bread recip, so, I've had all sorts of fun experimenting with creating my very own natural sourdough starters for the final product!