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TRAILERS: 4 films in UAE cinemas this week
Amityville: The Awakening
The much-awaited and delayed sequel to The Amityville Horror (yes, the one that starred Ryan Reynolds and Chloë Moretz) is finally here. This time, it's former Disney darling Bella Thorne's turn to be taunted. The film also features Cameron Monaghan of Shameless, Mckenna Grace and Jennifer Jason Leigh, who takes on the key role of sn uninformed single mother, looking to provide the "best" for her kids. Piece of advice: always do research on a house before you buy it.
In cinemas from October 12
The Snowman
Michael Fassbender (X-Men, Light Between Oceans and Assassins Creed) stars in this thriller based on Jo Nesbø's novel about a serial killer who leaves snowmen next to his victims. Expect the usual spine-chilling action, an occasional twist and a seemingly all too obvious ending. Never the less, we can't wait to see what Rebecca Ferguson (Life, The Girl on the Train and Florence Foster Jenkins) and JK Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno and The Accountant) bring to the mix.
In cinemas from October 12
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
The follow-up to the ground-breaking and Oscar-winning doc on climate change doesn't have much good news, sadly.
In cinemas now
Loving Vincent
Billed as the first hand-painted movie, with 115 artists contributing the Van Gogh-like swirls and atmospheres to each of its 65,000 frames, Loving Vincent is a lovingly and meticulously assembled biography of the ground-breaking post-impressionist Dutch painter, who died in obscurity and poverty in late-19th century France. With tableaus and settings based on some of his most famous works, Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman's film is also a staggering feat of animation, with starry nights and wheat fields blending with moving, talking actors in a stylised dream-like world of the kind that Van Gogh was trying to capture. It's reminiscent of 2001's Waking Life, only with a much broader and more ambitious canvas.
In cinemas from October 12
Shortlist recommend
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Article Archive
- ► 2011 (135)
- ► 2010 (20)
My Musings, Observations, etc.
Do you have a question about the Bible? Do you have a question about some doctrine or why we do what we do? Click here to send us your question and we will try to give you an answer as soon as possible.
November 11, 2012
7:46 AM | Posted by Randy Ross | Edit Post
Where have we been for the last year? Well, busy, to say the least. A lot has happened over the last year. I have completed my Bachelor's of Theology. While working on that, I also obtained my Paramedic certification. Those two things, along with trying to work and take care of the family, have kept me extremely busy. But, things are settling down a little bit. So, let's see where the next few posts will take us.
December 31, 2011
6:10 PM | Posted by Randy Ross | Edit Post
First, salvation is by grace through faith. There is nothing we could ever do to earn our salvation.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.Knowing that salvation is not according to anything one could do, it is impossible to use this definition to label me as a legalist.
As far as a "strict adherence to the law" goes, we have a schoolmaster in the law which shows us our need for salvation. Once a person is saved, we are made free from the law. As one who is saved, I enjoy the freedom to do whatever I wish. However, knowing I am free from the law and having been saved from the fires of hell (the fire I deserved), I willingly serve my Lord and do as He wishes. How can I know what the Lord wants for me? I can look to the Word of God.
Now that we see who the legalist is not, who is the real legalist? The real legalist is the one who looks for loopholes, the one who lives his life according to the exclusions and omissions from the Word of God.
When the Word of God is so clearly against the use of alcohol, the legalist will point out that there is no clear "thou shalt not drink beer."
When the Word of God is clear about worldly associations and entertainment, the legalist will say there is no clear commandment saying, "Thou shalt not listen to (supposedly) Christian rock." The legalist will point out that the Scriptures do not specifically prohibit going to movies, wearing pants (or other immodest apparel).
The legalist would point out that the Bible does not directly say, "thou shalt not date."
The legalist would point out that the Bible does not say, "thou shalt not go lay naked on the beach nor go with those who would lay naked."
**I know, some of you are saying you don't go to the nude beach, but the Bible gives a clear definition of "naked" and that standard is met at every beach.**
The legalist would point out that there is no clear prohibition against the abuse of drugs and tobacco.
When the legalist dilutes the Word of God into any of the corrupt versions, they may even claim there is no prohibition against women or sodomite preachers.
When we look at those who would twist Scripture or take things out of context to thwart God's Word or to suit their flesh, we also see a clear example of the true pharisee. The pharisees did not know Christ, but they knew the law. I am amazed at how well today's pharisees (let's use the modern term for them: liberals) know the Word of God when it suits them, and ignore it when it does not.
The point is, I am not the legalist. I am not living by a strict set of rules. It is the the modern pharisees, the liberals who are always looking for a way to escape the will of God who are the legalists. It is these modern pharisees who twist and ignore the Word of God to suit their own flesh.
December 29, 2011
4:42 PM | Posted by Randy Ross | Edit Post
In his day, Paul dealt with an issue in the Corinthian church where people were following certain men. Some followed Apollos, some follow Paul and some follow others. Today, some follow Bob Jones, some follow Peter Ruckman, some follow John Calvin, some follow Jack Hyles and some follow others. Consider the following passage:
1Co 3:3-7 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Paul referred to these who followed men as carnal. So, following Paul's example, I refuse to be a follower of men. If we stopped there, many would label me as independent, but I am not. In fact, there is a man who I diligently try to follow. Who, do you ask, is that man? Jesus.
Am I independent? No. I am a bond-slave who has been bought with a price. I strive to do my Master's bidding and serve Him every day. Is this service laborious? Absolutely not. I am thankful for my Master's work in my life. He rescued me. I was on a broad path of destruction. There were many people on this path with me: co-workers, friends, relatives and strangers. Sadly, there are still many on this path. However, there was a day when Jesus, my Master, came along and showed me the end of this broad path. He offered me an alternative. He showed me that it was my sins which were taking me down this road. He also showed me how a debt had accumulated for my sin. Finally, through His Holy and Precious Word, He showed me that the debt had been paid. How was the debt paid? Who paid it? My master purchased my redemption with His own blood.
You may also be on this path, but the same blood which purchased me can set you free as well.
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Learning how to take tests is rarely covered in school. There are strategies that can lead to better test scores, which are more reflective of what students have learned. Join me to explore these test-taking strategies, including tips to reduce test anxiety.
Learn about additional ways to learn with me at BrainBonanza.com. Take action on something you heard that may be the SPARK for you, or those in your life, to become a more successful student!


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Sainsbury's launch Christmas toy sale EARLY: the hottest deals flying off the shelves
THE SAINSBURY'S Super Toy Sale has hit stores and it couldn't be a better offer for parents with children.
Sainsbury's toy sale has begun and there is many a bargain to be had
Christmas can be a hard time for any parent with the cost of presents - and expectations from children - always on the rise.
But one supermarket has parents in mind with its latest sale hitting shelves today.
Sainsbury's has 30 top-brand highly sought after children's toys up for grabs, with many boasting savings of half the original price.
The brand has really taken its Live Well For Less tag line to the max with this impressive in-store only sale - including Frozen dolls, Barbie and her unicorn sets and even an In The Night Garden Ninky Nonk.
These are some of the hottest deals in the Sainsbury's toy sale
There are 30 toys in the money-off sale
There are officially 66 days left until the big day when Father Christmas pops down your chimney and leaves lovely gifts.
And if a Peppa Pig playset or a Palace Pets playset is on your child's list, then you're in luck. Daddy Pig and his daughter - complete with a pumpkin carriage - will set you back just £20, down from £40.
And the Palace Pets playset will cost parents just £30 - a bargain at half the original price.
A Paw Patrol Rescue Training Centre - a must for any wannabe vet - now has a third off in store, costing parents just £19.99.
Is your child a huge fan of Elsa, Anna and the Frozen world? Well, the blonde princess 'Disney Frozen My 1st Doll Princess' is now the cost of a family roast - just £12.50.
It comes ahead of one of the busiest shopping days of the year - Black Friday.
This year Black Friday - a huge sale across the globe - falls on Friday 25th November, the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S.
In Britain, the average Black Friday spend is a whopping £137.72. That's over 90 per cent more than the average shopping spree.
Acording to a PG tips survey, 37 per cent of British shoppers said they overspent last year and 28 per cent bought items they didn't need.
Shoppers even admitted they'd been guilty of pushing in front of others in the queue, getting into an argument with a fellow shopper and even pushing and shoving someone out the way.
Maybe stocking up on toys for your youngsters at this mega Sainsbury's sale ahead of Black Friday is the way forward for savvy shoppers.


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Lunch and Learn is a great opportunity for students with busy schedules and too much to do, to learn about Judaism. Rabbi Shlomo teaches the weeks Torah portion in a "nutshell" and then the group discusses various topics from it that are relevant to modern day life. The class is informal and relaxed, everyone gets a chance to talk and ask questions. Classes are independent of each other and it's perfectly fine to attend some and not others. Enjoy a free lunch, fascinating discussion, and boost of Jewish knowledge.
Lunch and Learns happen every Tuesday from 12:15 – 1:00PM in Sarratt Student Center.
RSVP is encouraged, but not required. If you find yourself with some time, come join us.


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As predicted, Zili Misik had us all dancing in the aisles!/
We were privileged last week to spend two days playing and learning with the talented and soulful Kera Washington. Every kid in the Brett School got to sing, dance and learn rhythms with her, as did the couple dozen community members who came to her Thursday night workshop. On Friday she was joined by her extraordinary band who performed two energetic, joy-filled concerts, one at the school, one at The Barnstormers, both with participation from Brett students. More photos and video of this artist residency will be available soon. In the meantime, enormous thank yous are in order. So much help, support, and love are required to make these residencies a success. Thank you to Jim Alt, Dale Bragdon, Chris Canfield, Molly Canfield, Willa Canfield, Laura Campbell, Tom Chiappisi, Chris Clyne, Shelby Comstock, Andy Davis, John & Kathie Dyrenforth, Diana Evans, Lisa Ferguson, Ken Hawkins, Siena Kaplan, Peg Loughran, Melanie McBrian, Chris Misavage, Jamie Oakes, Potluck Singers, Annie Provenzano, Rebekah Pugh, Margaret Rieser, Belle Stafford, Sunnyfield Bakery, The Tamworth Lyceum, Allie Thompson, Kristina Troon, Kate Vachon, Sarah Wright and many more. Thank you all!
Special thank yous to Dennis Quinn and Jonno Deveneau for their hard work on sound, to The Barnstormers for the use of their lovely theater, to Kate Thompson for her splendid poster, to Duane Dale for his gorgeous photographs, shown here, and to our local sponsors, The Other Store and Tamworth Lumber, home of the Local Music page.
The Zili Misik residency was sponsored by The Other Store and Tamworth Lumber, home of the Local Music page, and is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies, with support from the K. A. Brett School, the Tamworth PTA, the Yeoman's Fund for the Arts and from media sponsors The Conway Daily Sun, 93.5 WMWV and Magic104FM.
Please help us continue to bring artist residencies for school and community to Tamworth. Support our work with a donation of any size.
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CFC maintains one of the largest inventories of firearms and tactical equipment in the United States. Our armorers specialize in deploying and maintaining firearms in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.
Our machine shop and gunsmiths can quickly adapt to unique requests for weapon systems integrations and customizations. As a full service solution to the industry, CFC supplies the weapon system, regulatory compliance, logistics and maintenance throughout the contract cycle.
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From Straßbourg to Prague to Krakow - you can find a Christmas market or Christkindlemarkt in about every town in Europe now. In the Alsace, they bring tradition, finesse and fun ~ here's why they are on my Christmas "must-do" list!
Category: France
Visiting Le Luberon, France
Le Luberon - in the Provence area of Côte d'Azur ~ absolutely stunning, lots to do and see but also an opportunity to wrap yourself in rest and relaxation. Here's our itinerary from last weekend's trip!
Images of Nancy
Taking images of Nancy seems to be one of my past-times because I wore my poor camera out and ran out of battery. I adore Nancy, not just because I have relatives and friends who bear the name but the city which inspired it. This gorgeous, artistic, cultural city is just a short drive from Stuttgart and makes for a perfect weekend getaway.
Lovely Lyon ~ a must-see city in France
Lyon, a must-see city in France has everything from history, architecture, culture, shopping, ease of transportation and good eats, its the pièce de résistance of all things French.
Provence ~ Lavender and more!
Provence is not just lavender...yes, there's that but oh, so much more! Here's a look at our adventure from last year and anticipation for our upcoming trip this July!!


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Modern Machine Quilting by Catherine Redford
When I think of quilters with serious quilting skills and talent, Catherine Redford is high on the list. I have posted in the past about Catherine, and all her amazing efforts in teaching us to become better quilters. Today I am thrilled to share her latest book, Modern Machine Quilting : Make a Perfectly Finished Quilt on Your Home Machine.
That last part of this book's title is what interests me most. I don't have a long arm machine, and I have never rented time on one (although the thought has crossed my mind!) Each and every one of my quilts has been quilted on my home machine. Catherine's book is *full* of information on tools and techniques you can use to add more visual interest to your quilts.
Modern Machine Quilting is 128 pages and broken down into 5 Chapters: Getting Started, Walking-Foot Quilting, Free-Motion Quilting, Putting it Together: A Gallery of Quilts, and Projects.
Grab a cup of coffee and relax in a comfy chair, because the first chapter is *full* of information you will want to read and absorb. Catherine goes over fabric, batting, needles, machines, quilt sandwich techniques, backing, basting techniques...even the ideal quilt room setup!
The next chapter focuses on quilting techniques you can accomplish with your walking foot.
To start with, Catherine covers everything from stitch plates to tension, where to start on your quilt to pulling up the bottom thread. There are many photo examples (I learn best with pictures so I love this!)
She shows techniques for straight lines, such as shadow quilting and matchstick quilting, as well as incorporating curves like waves, branches and spirals. She even pulls out a protractor to help with marking! (Yes, this got me excited because my 10 year old just learned how to use a protractor at school. :) )
The third chapter focuses on free-motion quilting.
Catherine starts by sharing the appropriate feet, stitch plate and tools needed to be most successful with your free motion quilting. Then she moves on to the actual designs - complete with not only written directions, but sketches and photos of the quilting. I think I counted 28 designs!
In the next chapter, Catherine shares a variety of her finished quilts where she incorporated these modern machine quilting techniques.
And finally, the book wraps up with four quilted project (1 placemat and 3 quilts) patterns. I am in love with this flying geese solids quilt.
Modern Machine Quilting is full of just so much detail and information by the very talented and experienced Catherine Redford, it is a welcome addition to my quilting resource library. I hope you will check it out!
Catherine provided me with a copy of her book for this honest review. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are used in this post.


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A HEARTBROKEN snake expert filmed himself dying on a live stream broadcast - after he let his pet black mamba bite his hand in the wake of his marital breakdown.
Arslan Valeev, 31, from St Petersburg, Russia pleaded with viewers to call his ex-wife, Ekaterina 'Katya' Pyatyzhkina, as he visibly deteriorated on camera.
Valeev - who had reportedly split with his wife after beating her - initially went off camera and a muffled "ouch" can be heard as the deadly snake bit him.
The actual snake bite and moment of death were not shown, but the blogger - a former zoo employee - allowed viewers to see the bite on his hand.
At the end of the footage, he got up from his chair and staggered off camera, possibly towards a bathroom. He died soon afterwards.
In the shocking live stream, he said: "If I die, then I die... I just will stay with you for some time. Just in case - on my mobile there is a message for Katya..."
His breathing quickens, and his eyes started rolling, before his muscles appeared to become numb.
"Pass on to Katya that I loved her very much," he said, showing his bitten finger with blood on it.
"Beautiful, isn't it? Oh, damn, how it... Bye to everyone... I can't believe it is happening to me..."
He then read out his former wife's mobile number, before adding: "I'm already dying. Farewell. I would be glad to see Katya. Damn, I'm shaking."
He and Katya were famous for running YouTube channels BobCat TV (about felines) and Exotarium (about snakes) with hundreds of thousands of followers.
Black mambas are known for their highly aggressive nature and lethal venom.
Widely considered the world's deadliest snake, they can grow up to 14ft, weighing less than four lbs.
The serpents are shy, but if threatened, they will repeatedly strike.
Black mambas are found slithering through the rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa.
Snake bite victims will usually die within 20 minutes.
Friends said on 4 August he had accused her of cheating on him.
Valeev beat her and she suffered concussion, it was reported.
He later repented and on 21 September publicly apologised to her for his behaviour, saying that their sexual relationship had ended in July.
Valeev's death comes hours after a snake lover, who died close to his pet python, was suffocated to death.
Cops initially confirmed Dan Brandon's body had suffered "serious injuries".
Black mambas are known for their highly aggressive nature and lethal venom.Widely considered the world's deadliest snake, they can grow up to 14ft, weighing less than four lbs.
The shy serpents will repeatedly strike if threatened.
Black mambas are found slithering through the rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa.


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Violet always had a thing for one of Ella's brothers, but not John, the one who twinkled for her. He was coarse in a way that reminded her of cows and manure and all the grime under his nails made him look poor and unkempt like he'd turn out drinking himself to sleep and spend his nights in the hayloft instead of tumbling with her. She'd seen enough of that with her uncles and Daddy and the way her Mama and aunts seemed to shuck corn and snap beans with spite, cursing under their breath, ain't no man any of us is married to worth a damn. Violet would have plenty of tumble. Yes, she would.
"Go off in the world, Violet. Don't get married young. Go see what's what," Aunt Janey said.
Aunt Leitha piped in, "Lord, yes, girl get out while the getting's good before you wind up pregnant and milking more than cows."
"I'm never getting married," Violet said. "I aim to finish high school. When I'm through, I'm going to California."
"Planning to be in pictures, are you, gal?"
"Well, you got that strawberry blond hair they ought to love."
"Hell, Janey—red hair turns out gray like everything else on screen."
"Well, I know what I know," Janey said.
"You talk to that brother of Ella's?"
"Which one?" Violet asked, running her fingers through her curls.
"That John has a shine for you, don't he?"
"He watches when me and Ella jump double dutch and lay out in the sun. I don't like it."
"Well, I guess you better get used to folks looking if you're going to be in pictures," Leitha said.
"You think Bette Davis is shy like that?"
"Y'all don't understand. It's only his eyes I don't like on me," Violet said. The air was sweet with corn and the wet heat of summer. Tonight, she'd catch fireflies with Ella. They'd already taken two canning jars and filled them with bits of twig and lettuce, some corn silk because surely fireflies needed a soft bed like anyone. They'd lie in Ella's twin bed while her younger sister whimpered in her crib, and watch the bugs call out for love, talking until they fell asleep.
In the morning, they unscrewed the lids to free them and found them dead. Neither of them knew what to think about that, if the insects' faded light spoke to their futures. Maybe bug death didn't mean much, but they worried. Neither spoke.
Henry, the brother Violet thought looked like Gary Cooper, saw them lay the creatures in rose petals.
"Shame," he said. "Next time you should poke some air holes in the lid."
"I didn't think about them needing air."
"Every living thing needs air, darlin'."
Ella ran off into the cornfield. The stalks shushed as she swerved back and forth and hooked left like someone was chasing after her, but Violet and the brother who looked like Gary Cooper stayed behind talking about air and light and how the world is hard to figure out. Violet watched his hands, how he folded and refolded a leaf like art. Creases in the green, living thing that ain't alive for long. He pointed at the moon at the horizon. "It'll be full by next week's cookout."
"Mama and Aunt Janey say full moons make you crazy."
"They're telling you tales, little Violet."
"I'm not little anymore."
"You are to me. You're a sprite. You know full moons are good for sprites and fairies, don't you?"
"Who's telling tales, now, Mr.?"
"Please call me Henry. You know what full moons are good for, little sprite?"
"Black magic?"
"No, girl. A full moon's the best time to plant."
"But the corn's grown."
"We got to plant for fall, too."
"Don't you get tired of dirt?" she asked, looking at his pressed trousers, greased back hair, and rolled up shirtsleeves.
"Lord, yes."
"Mama and Aunt Janey say you got drafted–that you're going to Germany to kick some Nazi ass."
"Your Mama and Aunt Janey didn't say it like that, sprite."
"Well, ain't that what you're going to do over there?"
"I suppose that's part of it."
"Are you excited to leave Cabarrus County? I can't wait to leave."
"What you don't know, little sprite…I could build skyscrapers."
"Can I write you when you go to war?"
"I'd love that, sprite. Send me only news about you and Ella. Your fairy ventures. And look out for those who try to trap you. They'll only make you lonely, put out that light you got glowing in that red hair of yours. Ella says you're going to California. Write me from California and tell me what those hills smell like cause I'll bet it's something better than manure and corn."
Ella kept running, knocking cornstalks this way and that and by the time she came back Violet was flat out in love with Henry. He stood to roll his pant legs up. He danced a little, just a brief twirl as he kicked his shoes off.
For four years, Violet carried his dance, his leaf folding, how he held his fingers pointed at the horizon, in the cocoon of her belly. She wrote him of dancing with Ella at the USO. The big bands, the brass and strings, the attention from big men and short, the time one of them got too fresh with his sister and she punched him in the stomach, how she still hoped for what she thought would be the jasmine smell of southern California, but how she hoped, more than anything, he would come home safe, come home soon, come home her Henry. She never knew he couldn't read her letters, that he'd run his fingers over the script and dream of her tall tales, of perfume, of her grown up, her hair curled down to her shoulders by now, of roundness, of home, of corn silk and the way she made him twirl once.
About the Author: Beth Gilstrap is the author of I Am Barbarella: Stories (2015) from Twelve Winters Press and No Man's Wild Laura (forthcoming 2016) from Hyacinth Girl Press. Her work has appeared in Quiddity, Ambit, The Minnesota Review, Literary Orphans, and Synaesthesia Magazine, among others. She lives in Charlotte with her husband and enough rescue pets to make life interesting.
Story Song: "Carnival" by Shovels & Rope
Photo Credit: Emily Abigail


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Wool: A Story about a Sheep Herder in Nuclear Winter
Wool by Hugh Howey is -in a word- awesome. In fact, stop reading this right now, go to your closest book store, or Audible and buy like 10 copies of the book. Don't worry, I'll wait.
I did a report about the reinvention of the publishing industry in a digital age, the emergence of indie authors and new exciting business models like Kindle Direct Publishing, and the stuff Scott Sigler was doing on his podcast. I don't remember a whole hell of a lot from the report, but I do remember talking about Hugh Howey. This was a ballsy move on my part, seeing how at the time I hadn't read Wool, and was basically going by what I had heard from others. Still, I did get an A on the report. Well, I don't know much more about Hugh Howey than I did before, but I'll tell you this:
He self published his story on Amazon Kindle Direct, people loved it, and he became a successful author. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
There's a reason why people love Wool. And that reason is: It's a freaking awesome story! It's 5 parts. Part 1 really sets the tone for the story and it only builds from there.
What stuck out for me was how Howey subtly created sympathy for the antagonist, without doing a complete 180. You don't stop hating the 'bad guy', but you understand his motives.
A few books from now I'll be writing about the sequel, Shift, followed by Dust.
I've started writing a series of vignettes, each centering around one of my 3 main characters. It takes place very late in the story so I guess now I have a goal to write up to. The 3rd part of the book was very rough in the 1st Draft, so I have a feeling there will be several iterations before I get it right.
In other news:
I started watching Gotham and I've been pleasantly surprised. I was a skeptic but the first episode really brought me around. I suggest you give it a shot, even if you're not a Batman fan.
The Gerard Way concert is a week from Sunday and I'll be getting my tickets tomorrow. One truly hasn't lived until they find themselves excited for Brit-Pop 10+ years after the fact.
And tomorrow is the wife's birthday and this big lug has a dinner to plan.


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Michael S. Myers CFP®, AIF®
Michael has over 21 years of experience helping people with their financial planning needs.Michael specializes in comprehensive financial planning, retirement income planning, estate preservation, and asset allocation analysis. Michael..
Danna Myers
Director of Client Relations
Prior to working with her husband, Danna coordinated patient care programs at UCSF in San Francisco and OHSU in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys fostering positive relationships with clients and has an extensive administrative background...
We are a close-knit family who like to spend a lot of time together. We have two children, Rohan and Sadie. Rohan participates in a variety of activities including: cross-country running, theater, chess club, science club and band....


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Material Lab is specialized in carrying out the environmental benchmarking, data collection, data analyses, data mining, technical support, and monitoring for environmental media such as drinking water, surface water, waste water, soil, sediments, sludge, ambient and indoor air, air emissions, and noise. Material Lab plays a key role in analytical testing, data acquisition, data analyses and data mining while supporting environmental consultants preparing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Environmental Statements (ESs), Feasibility Studies (FS), Remedial and Removal Actions, Site Clean Up and Monitoring.
Material Lab has supported several regional and international companies and government entities for Routine Analytical Services (RAS) and Special Analytical Services (SAS) for environmental testing with regards to environmental monitoring, environmental regulations benchmarking and compliance.


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The RCN is overseen by a steering committee. Currently the steering committee members are:
The steering committee is advised by an industry and academic advisory board. The advisory board currently includes:
This work was partially supported by a grant from the US National Science Foundation, Grant 17-45463. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Privacy policy


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Working in creative means you're one part escape artist, one part demolition man, and one part box enthusiast.
It's December 13, 2011. I'm sitting in my living room with my then-girlfriend as she reads a card I got her for our seven-year anniversary as a couple. As she reads the lines of this very long-winded card, I fiddle with a small box that I've been hiding from her for days now. She gets to the end of the card and looks up. There, in my hand, in the little box, is a diamond ring.
She says yes. What a relief! She slips the ring out of the little box and onto her finger.
It's April 16, 2013. We've spent a year and change now working on our wedding. We've been hand-making invites and wedding favors. We've been thinking about music and food. We have just about everything taken care of. I walk to the mailbox and there sits my 60-day housing notice. My property management company has sent me a letter telling me that my tiny one-bedroom apartment will be getting another rent increase...unless, of course, I want to move out. They're trying to call my bluff.
I check the little box next to "No, I will not renew my lease for one more year."
I discuss this a day later with my soon-to-be wife. She's apprehensive. We've got a lot going on and throwing in a move on top of all that will be a real mess. She says she can't deal with it at that point as she's too embroiled in "wedding work." I tell her I'll take care of everything.
It's May 29, 2013. After several lovely days in Italy on our amazing honeymoon, we come home to no new place to live. The pin my now-wife once put in this conversation has come out and we have to do something. She's worried. And so am I. And then, I say something that rings very true, even in spite of my fear.
"Honey, all I can ask of you is that you trust me. I do my best work when my back's to the wall."
It's June 19 and I'm fulfilling another deadline (that's two days past, mind you), to write a CU Water Cooler article. Tonight, I'll go home to our new townhouse—three levels, one giant bedroom (with closets out the wazoo), an upstairs den, two and a half baths—all for only $140 more per month than my teensy-tinsy one-bedroom apartment I outgrew over the last three years.
A townhouse, I should mention, that is now filled to the brim...with little boxes.
I spend a lot of my day thinking about "little boxes." No, not the Malvina Reynolds song that served as the theme song for the show Weeds...I mean literal and theoretical "little boxes."
There's the little box on your computer screen or in your hands (if you're a tablet fanatic like my wife). That browser window you're using is where I mentally spend roughly seven hours of an eight-hour day. I think up new ways to improve all the websites in my care. I create banners and buttons and email campaigns. I look at the code and make sure it all jives with what I want the user to see.
When I'm not obsessing over the browser box, I'm obsessing over my inbox. I get roughly 140 emails every day (on average) and I have to deal with them. Some quickly, some not-so-quickly, some never. I make up my mind at a glance and take action—reply/act, archive, deal-with-later, delete. Bing bang boom. And as I whip through all those emails, sorting each in its own box, I wonder—how many members do the same thing?
Boxes, boxes, boxes. The business world is obsessed with them. They tell you to "think outside the box." Others, like frequent CU Water Cooler Symposium sponsor and campaign-creators PTP New Media, want CU types to "destroy the box." Both good sentiments...depending on the box.
I guess if I had to take a definite stance on boxes, I'd fall right about where the red arrow lies on the scale below:
On the left-most side of the scale, you have box-destruction. On the right-most, you have box-obedience. In the middle, you have box-understanding. You can't really adhere to your boundaries unless you know where they are. You can't knock down the walls unless you know what they're made of...or unless you're willing to rattle a few teeth in the blast.
I tend to be on the side of "box-escape." Maybe it's not the box that has to go somewhere...maybe it's me. I don't always know whether or not I can move the box. I can move me.
Let's Get Specific
If you're lost in the metaphor, let me spell it out for you: this is all about constraints. Everything has a limit. Everything. Believe it or not, you really don't have infinite anything. You are limited in your time, your mental capacity, your energy, your will...nobody's boundless. Every atom in the universe is subject to the laws of physics. Heck, even God kept the creation of said universe to a seven-day window, and He finished under-time and under-budget (using Adam's rib to make Eve instead of whipping up a whole new person out of dust? That's good materials management. Project directors, take note.)
Those personal boundaries? Let's put them in a theoretical box. We're going to make that box out of Lego—sturdy, shiny, thought-provoking, and easy to enlarge when needed.
Then, you've got your professional boundaries. There's what you can do as an individual in an organization. There's what you can do with a team. There's what you can do with a client. Let's make that box out of oak—very sturdy, and not un-changeable, but sometimes rigid and, often, quite old.
Lastly, you've got your one major boundary—time. We all have only so much time on this earth. Nobody's promised any given amount. Every bit you get is a lucky break. This box is really more of a big, cubic balloon with a slow-leak in it—hard to see sometimes, and tough to appreciate when your focus is elsewhere. The important thing? That box is always getting smaller.
Now, you have all of your boxes. How do they stack? One on top of the other? One inside of the other? Bear in mind, those boxes are inside the time box. How do you prioritize?
For the past few years, I've been struggling with this. You can't swing a dead cat on the Internet without hitting another article about "Work-Life Balance", but I did like this Harvard Business Review article about how "balance" doesn't mean as much as "effectiveness."
Researchers Jeffrey Greenhaus and Gary Powell expand on this concept and recommend that work and personal life should be allies and that participation in multiple roles, such as parent, partner, friend, employee, can actually enhance physical and psychological well-being—especially when all of the roles are high quality and managed together.
I like the idea that the "boxes" really aren't in competition—strength in one box can mean strength in another. Look at the lessons learned from fellow Water Cooler editor Shari Storm and her book Motherhood is the New MBA. Shari drew on her experiences as a mom to improve her work skills and vice versa.
Part of striking that balance and maximizing that effectiveness? Knowing when to say when. Sometimes, a project at work needs an extra hour, or two, to be perfect. But you can't drag that out so long as to neglect what you have to do at home. The same is true of home—you can't spend your morning re-organizing your dresser and miss all your meetings. Trying to perfect the contents of both the "home" and "work" boxes will make a mess of both. Focusing too much on one and not the other will overflow one and collapse the other. And just when you think you've got one figured and the other forgotten, you notice that big, rubber box called "time" is getting a wee bit smaller.
And somewhere in a corner of that very large box, as I stand with one foot in "work" and the other in "home," a smaller, much more frightening box marked "kids" doesn't have anything in it.
Deeper into the Work Box
Ed Smylie might not be a household name, but you likely remember his work. If you've ever seen the movie Apollo 13, you'll likely remember the scene where a group of engineers worked frantically to come up with a way to filter the Carbon Dioxide and make the shuttle and the module's life support systems work together. They use everything at their disposal—a sock, some duct tape, a plastic bag—and they come up with the solution that kept the astronauts from smothering to death. Ed Smylie's the team leader that made that happen. I dub him "The Patron Saint of Box-Working"; he got the job done, in a short time frame, with the materials provided, remotely...in OUTER SPACE.
Sort of makes you feel bad about wanting a new computer every six months, doesn't it?
Let's set "home" aside for a few minutes. You're reading this at work, you're theorhetically working right now...let's focus on this box and the dozens (hundreds?) of little boxes inside of it.
For starters, there's the box called "Regulations." This box is like one of those surreal M.C. Escher drawings, just layers and layers and layers going down into infinity. There will always be another regulation to contend with, another new legal precedent you'll have to interpret and understand and apply. How do you "think outside the box" when actually stepping outside the box might cost your credit union thousands or get you fired?
Here's where it pays to be an appreciator of the box. Instead of looking for ways around the reg, the wise find ways to work within its confines. In web design and technology, the limits often bring out more creative solutions and new approaches to problems—the edges of the box aren't walls, but a frame that holds a brilliant picture.
Then, there's the box called "Technology." When I was doing Flash animations many years ago (when it still felt like Flash mattered), my mentor at the time talked about the idea of making images and sites scalable, all the way down to the size of a postage stamp.
"Why?" I asked. "When would anyone ever need to use a website on something smaller than a computer screen?"
Later that year, the iPhone 1 was announced. Somehow, my mentor had seen the future, not just of computing, but of web design.
Ethan Marcotte, one of the first and most prominent voices in responsive web design, wrote an article about the concept in 2010.
This is our way forward. Rather than tailoring disconnected designs to each of an ever-increasing number of web devices, we can treat them as facets of the same experience. We can design for an optimal viewing experience, but embed standards-based technologies into our designs to make them not only more flexible, but more adaptive to the media that renders them.
Marcotte saw fit to work the same experience into multiple views rather than several approaches that all work in different ways. Credit unions haven't taken up the charge to make the web experience the same across multiple devices and browser types. Heck, I've seen a few credit union websites that haven't been updated since...ever. Can't imagine their members are getting the most out of that experience.
And to the enterprising few that step into the world of mobile banking apps, may I first say "Bravo." You've seen the future, too, and you know that people value mobile convenience. Now, make it so that I can check my balance on the app without having to enter my login. Require that login for transactions, but not for simple glances at my balance. That's mostly what I log in for anyway.
Many Silicon Valley firms use a "mobile first" approach, according to this HBR article:
...a common philosophy these days is "mobile first": create the mobile app or mobile version of the web site before you do the "full" version. Partly this is driven by the fact that many of these start-ups' customers will be accessing the new service primarily through a mobile device, and may never look at the web site on a desktop browser. But a side benefit is that a phone's small screen forces discipline about what's really critical to communicate to the customer, and which functionality customers will really need.
Web design has always been about constraints. When you build a website, you have to work within the parameters of the coding language. Even if the site looks perfect, it has to be tested across multiple browsers and platforms. After that, it has to be tested for compliance. And, once you're all finished, you have to go back in and make changes based on whatever stupid thing Internet Explorer won't allow you to do (and, come on, CU-people—quit using IE 7 and below. Upgrade. Please. For our sake.) The funny thing about the web? There really aren't any boundaries. You can make websites that go on forever. You can make websites that have no back buttons, no menus, no images—just endless, rolling text. You can do it all. But you can't count on the user's computer to handle it all. And really, as selfish as we can be about wanting more space and more content, we can really only handle what the user's computer—and the user's desire to learn—gives us.
Outside the computer, there's your desk, your cube, your office, your branch—more boxes. Each with their own sticking points and limitations. Here's where you get to be an escape artist...and maybe a demolition expert.
Many of the internal barriers you face come from years and years of repetition. "Oh, no one would ever go for a meeting where people couldn't bring in their cell phones." "This office is just bound to stay this color forever." "No, a network upgrade's just not in the forecast."
Sometimes, these walls crumble easily. At my office, we didn't have a "recycling program"—which is to say, we didn't have bins for recycling. I lucked into getting two large cardboard boxes, roughly the size and shape of trash cans. Our office manager and I doctored them up with a few signs we printed, one that said "cans and bottles" and one that said "paper." We put trash bags inside them and voila! We're "green!"
Our office manager didn't stop there. She sourced out a recycling bin (for free) and another large trash can that she re-labeled and repurposed. Now, we send out a bag of cans every two weeks and we do a plastics-and-paper run every three. What started as two leftover boxes and a little bit of masking tape turned into a "program."
And, for some reason, everyone in our office loves the idea. Why it took as long as it did, I haven't a clue. Just that box mentality, I guess.
Sometimes, you have to fight really, really hard to knock down a wall or wriggle out of your cage. The processes and people are so ingrained in their particular mindset that you can't make headway. Can you work around it without going through it? Can you escape, if caught? The hardest part of these efforts is having the willingness to try.
Often, the most creative solutions come when constraints are placed. Our minds aren't challenged when we think we have it figured out—they're challenged when we know there's a limit we need to exceed, or work around. From Wired (written by Jonah Lehrer, which means it was probably first said by someone else...):
The larger lesson is that the brain is a neural tangle of near infinite possibility, which means that it spends a lot of time and energy choosing what not to notice. As a result, creativity is traded away for efficiency; we think in literal prose, not symbolist poetry. And this is why constraints are so important: It's not until we encounter an unexpected hindrance—a challenge we can't easily resolve—that the chains of cognition are loosened, giving us newfound access to the weird connections simmering in the unconscious.
Proof of Life After Box
I know you want to work in an environment where you're never limited by budgets or time constraints or regulations. We all want the power to do something amazing with no limits except our imaginations. But that's just not where we live and work. We have our boxes and we have to work inside of them.
Instead, let your boxes bring out the best in you. Like the applicants for Tulane University's Dean's Scholarship. They were challenged to use a small box on the application form [PDF] as part of their scholarship application. From the application:
USE THE BOX on the next page in any way you feel appropriate and accompany this with a written commentary.
"In any way you feel appropriate?" Say what you want about the box, I think the real gift is that disclaimer. What the applicant feels is "appropriate" probably says more about them than whatever they end up putting in that box.
What if you were given a creative brief in the form of a child's drawing? What if you had to represent something made in crayon and marker as a real-life, 3D object that a child could play with and hold? Wendy Tsao of Child's Own Studio tasked herself with just such a mission. Parents could submit their children's drawings and Wendy's talented fingers would bring those drawings to life. The results are incredible and the kids really love that Wendy has turned what was once just crayon and ink into something real. That's close to magic.
Jory Raphael designs logos, websites and icons. His work is simple, yet elegant. And this year, he's tasked himself with creating a new icon every single day. You can see all the icons and download them for free (free!) on his website.
Yes, you can survive inside the boxes in your life. You can grow, you can thrive, you can learn, you can create. You just have to be willing to work with them and let them work on you. It's tempting to wish for unlimited space and unlimited time. But unlimited space just means you'll get lost and unlimited time doesn't happen for anyone. The big, balloon-esque box gets a little smaller and a little tighter. Does that make you afraid? It shouldn't.
It should make you want to create something really great. Right now.
Jimmy Marks is the Creative Media Director with DigitalMailer. He's a guy that creates websites, web pages, email campaigns, graphics, video, audio, copywriting—anything. You name it, he's into it.


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Vibratory Sifter Analysis to Support Extraterrestrial Surface Systems
Cameron K. Turner
University of Washington, Seattle; NASA Glenn Space Academy 2011
Allen Wilkinson, Ph.D.
NASA Glenn Research Center
Many systems and processes that utilize granular materials depend on specific particle size distributions to operate correctly. Extraterrestrial regolith can be integrated into in-situ resource utilization processes, but first methods for efficiently sorting that regolith must be established. This study examines the effectiveness of a vibratory sifter to separate granular materials based on particle size. The sifter has two layers of sieves so that the material left between the two screens should be within a known range of sizes. In order to get material to pass through the screens both high and low frequency vibrations are used. A device known as a Vibrasonic imparts supersonic vibrations directly to the screen, while an un-balanced rotary motor imparts larger and lower frequency vibrations to the entire sifter. The system was optimized by varying the type and amount of lunar simulant that was added, how often and in what configuration the different vibrations were powered, and the magnitude of low frequency vibrations. The data gained from the testing includes accelerations caused by the vibrations, the mass of the simulant that passes, or fails to pass, through each sieve, the energy consumption of the induced vibrations, and qualitative video. The sifter will be judged on both its mass to energy efficiency, and the accuracy of the mass measurements based on standard particle distribution curves for the various simulates. During the testing, some key observations were gathered from the videos that show the behavior of the soil inside the sifter including that the Vibrasonic affects the soil near the edges of the sifter the most, and that the soil tends to collect to the side of the ejection spout. Currently, data gathered from the first round of testing is undergoing processing. Future work will be focused on determining the optimal operating conditions for the vibratory sifter based on those initial tests as well as other tests that may be deemed necessary. The vibratory sifter will then be compared to other sifting systems to determine the system best suited for extraterrestrial incorporation.
Purpose and Background
The mechanics of granular materials, such as soils, are primarily governed by the particle size distribution of the sample, which holds true for extraterrestrial regolith. The ability to efficiently and accurately determine the particle size distribution plays a key role in understanding the processes of evacuation, traction, and material flowability. Furthermore, it is often the case that a sample containing only a narrow particle size range is desired from an extraterrestrial surface comprised of a large range of particle sizes. For either of these applications, it is important to reach a full understanding of how granular sifting equipment functions in a variety of conditions, especially since surface samples will be collected using automated or robotically controlled equipment. With this understanding, equipment and instrumentation can be properly designed to gather samples and measure particle size distributions, or to control the size range used in some process like a fluidized bed reactor that can produce water and oxygen.
Research Tasks and Goals
This project, led by Dr. Allen Wilkinson, aims to gather information on the performance of vibratory sifters used to separate granular materials into categories based on particle size. The sifter, which is illustrated in Figure 1, is produced by Russell Finex, and will be tested first in a 1G environment. Future research should be oriented towards testing the equipment in reduced gravities.
Granular material is loaded into the top of the sifter, and is then sorted with wire meshes of varying sizes. Unbalanced weights on a rotary motor can be adjusted to cause variations in the horizontal and vertical vibrations. Vertical vibrations help the particles fall through the sieves, while the horizontal vibrations are most useful for dispelling larger unwanted particles out the side of the sifter. A feature known as Vibrasonic can also be used to excite the material through the screens. The free parameters of interest include:
- Amount of soil loaded into the sifter
- Time until more soil is added
- Number of times soil is loaded
- The effect of using Vibrasonic
- How the motor is weighted
- Type of granular simulant loaded
During the test it will be important to note the patterns of the granular materials in the sifter, the qualitative effect of the unbalanced motor, and the degree of blinding that occurs. Additionally, the outputs of the testing will include:
- The efficiency based on how much soil failed to be sifted correctly
- The total time required
- The total energy consumed
- The raw amount of the particle sizes of interest recovered
- Frequency and amplitude data recovered from accelerometers
Based on these outputs, the correct set of operating parameters that should be adopted for various environments will be determined. In general, the granular material should be sorted quickly, with minimal energy, and minimal waste.


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Lavender (Lavandula officinalis).
Magical Uses: Use in love spells and attraction sachets. Aid good sleep. Home blessings and cleansings.
25g approximate weight and sold in clear bags. For magical use only, not to be taken internally.
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How To Stop Counting Calories - For Good!
I hope after last week's post you're recognizing the limitations in counting calories. But, you can't just DO NOTHING. So, let's talk about what you should do instead.
Just Eat Real Food
You want to know the real secret to not counting calories from food labels? Eat food WITHOUT labels. Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, grains (think quinoa, steel cut oatmeal, rice), and healthy fats all fit the bill. Ditch packaged and processed foods - anything with more than 5 ingredients in the label.
If most of your food is packaged, start by replacing just one item a day with something natural. Ultimately, aim for 80%-90% whole foods in your diet.
Restructure Your Plate
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that growing up you were probably familiar with the food pyramid as a guide to what you should eat. No wonder everyone started counting calories - the pyramid did a poor job of helping people identify real food portions!
Did you know that in 2011 a new food icon was introduced in the US? The MyPlate icon was rolled out in early summer of 2011 (shown below) and has since been improved upon by Harvard School of Public Health with the replacement of milk with a glass of water, incorporation of more vegetables, and the inclusion of a healthy fat. The new plate icons make food portioning much more accessible by showing you what your plate should look like at every meal.
When planning a meal, use the Harvard School of Public Health graphic as a guideline. I personally advocate making half of your plate vegetables, adding a lean protein roughly the size and thickness of your palm (approximately 3 ounces for women and 4 ounces for men), incorporating a healthy grain for no more than a quarter of your plate, and adding in a small amount of healthy fat such as olive oil, nuts, or avocado.
Be Mindful
In this day and age, we're all guilty of it. Whether it's eating in front of the computer or TV or incessantly checking your phone at meal time, you're probably distracted when you eat.
Research suggests that people eat less at any given meal when they are focused on the meal in front of them (and conversely eat MORE when they are distracted). Disconnect from electronic devices, focus on chewing each bite fully, and engage your senses to notice the smell, taste, texture and color of your food.
Reflect On Your Previous Meals
A report published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that we draw on memories about the satisfaction of our most recent meal when we make decisions about what and how much to eat next.
Simply taking a moment before each meal to acknowledge what was eaten that day is enough. Alternatively, consider photo documenting each meal with a quick cell phone snap shot and glancing through your photo roll before you sit down to eat.
As you can see here, healthy eating is as much about eating real, whole foods as it is being conscious of what you're putting into your body. Consistently focusing on both these practices will ultimately lead to health gains and weight loss without ever having to counting calories again.
In the comments, tell me what practice above you struggle with and what step you're going to take towards correcting it. I'll go first – I am always distracted when I eat. I need to stop that. I know better!


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When I was in college and trying to figure out this whole "what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up?" thing, I had a vague idea of becoming an illustrator. I didn't really know what that meant or how it differed from fine art, I just knew I wanted to tell stories visually. And get paid for it. One day while browsing a bookstore I came across I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Christiana. When I saw this lavish, strange, surreal art I knew it. I want to do this. If this is illustration, sign me up. The deal with David Christiana is that he creates the kind of art that you stick your nose up against, to soak in every detail, to try and extract his process and method. I bought this book and later shared it with a friend when I went on to pursue illustration. I repeatedly jabbed my index finger against the pages, demanding my friend tell me how he thought these illustrations were rendered. He was not much help. So now, some years later, I've decided to go to the source. When I asked (pleaded) with Mr. Christiana for an interview I was astonished rendered speechless when he so eloquently agreed. I am so happy to share this with you, just as I am so happy that I've figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
Describe yourself in five words:
Water Dreams of Skipping Stone!
Now, please tell us how you got started in picture book illustration (in more than five words)...
The picture book was the first art form with which I fell in love. I've always made marks of one kind or another. Making things out of whatever was on hand (pencil and paper, pieces of wood, paint, stones and mortar). There's just something so satisfying about creating one thing out of another. It's like low-grade alchemy. Maybe not so low-grade....
If you had to describe your work in terms of your artistic influences, you would say it is...
A dance between instrument and surface, an imagined audience and myself, ongoing doodlebuggery.
Of the six fundamentals of 2D design (line, shape, volume, perspective, shading,
and color):
Which is your greatest strength?
line - everything else is just embellishment.
Which poses your greatest challenge?
Given that illustration is different than many day to day jobs, how to you manage your time and maintain a daily routine?
I seemed to be a better manager of time and maintaining a daily routine when I was younger. Or perhaps it's just that there are so many distractions today. I do still have a day job. I teach at University of Arizona and often in Orvieto Italy. What seems important is to chip away at ever bigger challenges and try to surprise myself, whether it's a colossal painting, a condensed little piece, building a wall, stewarding a small piece of earth.
What's the best piece of career advice you've been given as an illustrator?
The problem with most artists isn't that they aim to high and fail, it's that they aim too low and succeed.
What new projects have you got coming down the pike?
I have a number of unfinished book projects that inhabit my studio. I also have a body of drawings, paintings about the skin, bone and breath of a part of northeastern Arizona that I hope to complete next year as part of an Artist Residency with the Museum of Northern Arizona. There's also this rock wall that I've become somewhat obsessed by...
What book that you have completed were you most proud of and why?
The book I'm most proud of is the one I have yet to complete. Generally, I don't see any of my books as a completely satisfactory work. I do love illustrations from different books for a myriad of reasons. For example Tarabethia from POPPY'S PUPPET.


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Taxation - Individual
We provide services across all aspects of UK personal taxation. Such services extend beyond the preparation and submission of annual personal tax returns, to inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning and advice.
Remuneration planning is critical to entrepreneurs. We provide advice and solutions in minimising tax and NIC exposure across both the participators and the venture itself.
Planning for certain events will prove critical in reducing overall tax and NIC liabilities. Specifically planning for inheritance tax and capital gains tax exposure is fundamental in reducing overall exposure to HM Revenue & Customs.


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Christmas list ideas for a 14 year old girl?
Maggie Asked: Christmas list ideas for a 14 year old girl?
So i know its kind of early, but my mom started asking what i wanted, so I figured i would go ahead and get some ideas.
Let me start by saying that my family doesn't have very much money, and this is the first Christmas that my parents will be spending divorced, so i don't want to put any unnecessary strain on them, because it is their holiday too. That being said, i also need to come up with two lists, so i have some work to do (: Any help would be great!
Please don't recommend an ipod, i have one already, please nothing like a tv, or a computer. we dont have cable, and i use my moms computer 😛 thanks
I love to draw, and i love music. I am in-between being a girly girl and a tomboy, i also like to read. I love to swim and run track. I would like things to decorate my room with, but everything i have found is somewhat expensive.
i honestly have no idea this year, so any suggestions will be helpful (: thank you!
What about stencils or something. You said you like to draw.
Got a better answer? Share it below!
Let us help you, by giving you are FREE "Quick Start Reference Guide".
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Credit Cards - How does it work?
Posted by NoeL in Articles, Finance, Management, My Thoughts
Many of us are having the following apprehensions or doubts about Credit Cards.
- How does Credit Cards Work?
- What is the VISA or MasterCard logo on the Credit Cards signify?
- What is behind cash back offers?
- Is is safe to use a Credit Card?
- Are Credit Cards handy?
Ramu: I want to buy a Sony digital camera costing Rs.20,000, but I don't have any cash right now.
Shamu: Why don't you use your ICICI Bank credit card? Never heard them say? Hum Hain Na??
Ramu: I am quite skeptic about using these cards. I pay using the card, get a bill after 30 days and pay after another 20 days. This is a maximum of 50 days interest free loan. Why does any bank do it?
If I borrow Rs.20,000 on personal loan at 11%. Interest to be paid for 50 days = Rs. 20,000 * 11% * (50/365) = Rs. 301.40.
Here the bank is giving me a loan without interest when I use the credit card. Something is wrong somewhere!
Shamu: Well? Let me tell you how it works when you use your card to pay for the camera.
- You present your ICICI Bank credit card - a VISA card.
- Sony World swipes your card on a machine provided by Citibank. Lets call Citibank, "the acquirer bank" and the process of Sony World swiping the card on that machine, "requesting authorization."
- Citibank communicates with the card issuer, ICICI Bank through VISA Network to check if the card is valid and has the required credit limit.
- ICICI Bank reviews and approves / declines which is communicated back to Sony World.
- You sign a receipt called Sales Draft given by Citibank. This is the obligation on your part to pay the money to ICICI Bank. Data on this receipt can be captured electronically and transmitted.
- Sony World submits the receipt you signed to Citibank who pays Sony World the money. Sony World pays Citibank a fee called Merchant Discount. Let us say this is 6% of the sale value = 6% * 20,000 = Rs. 1200
- Citibank sends the receipt electronically to a Visa data center which in turn sends it to ICICI Bank.
- ICICI Bank transfers the money to a settlement bank which in turn transfers the funds to Citibank.
- Citibank pays ICICI Bank an Interchange Fee of 4% of the sale value =4% * 20,000 = Rs. 800
- 20 to 50 days later ICICI Bank gets the money from you and you don't pay the interest!!
- Convenience of not having to carry cash.
- Credit availability - Free of interest.
Shamu: Certainly. Some retail outlets offer you discounts if you pay by cash, don't they?
However when you don't count the money that you are spending, you tend to buy more! Cards encourage this - called impulse purchase.
If you did not have access to credit, you would not have bought the camera this month, or may be not any time soon either. By accepting cards, the merchant is actually extending you credit at the risk of the card issuer. He pays money to the banks to carry that risk.
Ramu: So ICICI Bank uses this money to pay back to us when they announce 5% cash back. They insist that the Sales draft that I sign at the retailer should also be from ICICI Bank. This means they are saving on the Interchange Fee and also pay me a part of the Merchant Discount
that they get.
Shamu: Exactly! If you have noticed, ICICI Bank gives you the cash back in the next credit card statement. They keep the "cash back" money for a maximum of 60 days before passing on a part to you. This accrues them interest too.
Say if ICICI Bank earns an interest of 6% per annum for the cash they carry? They get Rs.1000 * 6% * (60/365) = Rs. 10
That is not huge, but money nevertheless. And when you consider that almost everyone in this city shops with a credit card these days, it is a big sum.
Ramu: And that also explains why banks tie up with petrol pumps? Like ICICI Bank has tied up with HPCL and I could re-fuel there without having to pay the fuel surcharge of 2.5%. The card issuer and the acquiring bank is the same and that saves interchange fees.
Shamu: Good! You seem to have figured out how it all works!
Let me summarize:
NB:- All the numbers used to explain concepts in this article must be treated only as an example. Merchant Discounts may vary from bank to bank. Interchange Fee is regulated by VISA and MasterCard.
Project Delta
Posted by NoeL in My Activities, Websites
Hi all,
I am recently involved with the design of a new website for my school. Right now I in lookout for someone who is good in Photoshop/Fireworks and can spare sometime for me.
I need to design a beautiful template for my school site.
If anyone is interested, contact me in my email address. (You can find my email address in the right side bar.)
Euro 2008 - It's Show Time Guys!
Hi all,
Euro 2008 Group games are almost over. Only a few games left. But even these are turning out to be finals. For example, today's game between France and Italy. The team that wins is through to the Quarters and the other out of Euro 2008. A final before finals...!
All the details on Euro 2008 can be found in the widget below. I found this in the Euro 2008 Official Site, euro2008.uefa.com
Scant Pay Growth for Business Grads
Posted by NoeL in MBA
An early look at 2008 graduates finds average starting salaries leveling off for business majors
by Alison Damast
College seniors watching the economic downturn might be feeling anxious about their hiring prospects as they search job boards in coming weeks. And business majors are feeling it more acutely. A report released Apr. 16 by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) found that for business professions starting salaries have remained almost flat, and cutbacks in the financial sector are dampening optimism for the months ahead.
Overall, however, the news is a little bit better, helped by a boost in salaries offered to liberal arts and computer science majors, NACE said. For all 2007-2008 grads, starting salary offers are on average 5.3% higher than last year.
Despite the doom-and-gloom in the financial pages, the NACE report found that college seniors remain optimistic and appear to be selective about accepting job offers that have come their way. In a survey of students who had received job offers, 75% had not yet accepted the position, a figure that surprised Edwin Koc, NACE's director of strategic and foundation research. He said that strong recruiting in the fall set the tone for the year. But he cautioned that the spring may be a different story. "I would have preferred more students accept the job offers they got," he said.
Starting Salaries Barely Budge
Fueling much of the reported salary increases are offers to computer and information science graduates, who are seeing average salary increases of 13%, according to the NACE report. Seniors with majors in software design and development are the most sought-after of all college graduates, with the average starting offer coming in at $65,379. Liberal arts students, as a group, saw their average salary offers rise 12.9% to $35,378, though data in this area for individual majors "still remains limited," according to the report.
For business majors, who had enjoyed some robust starting salary increases in recent years, the data are sobering. Business students' salaries barely budged this year, a combination of a slowdown in the economy and major financial firms cutting back on their hiring classes (BusinessWeek.com, 3/20/08). For example, accounting graduates saw no change in their average salary offer of $47,429, while business administration/management starting offers inched up just 0.3% from last year, to $44,195. In 2007, by comparison, accounting grads' salaries had increased 2.7% from the previous year, and business administration/management majors had posted 7.5% starting salary increases. "Where the slowdown really hit is with the business majors," NACE's Koc said. "There is really no increase in their salaries. They're flat, dead flat, which is very unusual."
Andrea Koncz, a NACE spokesperson, also warned that the data capture early hires of the most promising students from the current senior class. In general, those students obtain higher offers than the rest of the class.
From this point on, things might be more challenging. Elise Gould, a labor economist at the Washington (D.C.)-based Economic Policy Institute, predicts that college seniors who haven't yet secured jobs will see a trickle-down effect from the economic slowdown as they conduct their searches in late spring and early summer. For example, students may not have as much leverage in negotiating their salaries and it may be harder for them to secure perks such as health benefits. "Employers are not making as many offers, so they can pick and choose who they want for their potential workforce," she said. "Those new to the labor market won't have as much bargaining power as in previous years to bid up their average wage and benefits. They'll just be happy to get a job."
Source: Business Week
'Related Posts' feature in Blogger
Are you on blogger and have always wished that blogger had the 'Related Posts' feature just like wordpress. Well if you did here is a widget at your service. I have just installed this widget and I already liked it.
Scroll down this post to see the widget at work. This widget finds related posts only as per the labels of the posts and not as per the content. But still its impressive enough for blogger.
Originally this was created by Hoctro and then modified by Jack to simplify the installation. Its very simple to install (I have tried the modified version) but still make sure you have a backup of your blog template in case anything goes wrong.
Original version:- Here
Modified Version:- Here
Life Is Series Of Choices
Posted by NoeL in Inspirational, My Thoughts
Life is as we have it.
Village labourer cracks IIT entrance
Posted by NoeL in Articles, Higher Studies, Inspirational
With hard effort and single-minded devotion, you can make possible what seems impossible.
That is what an 18-year-old has shown in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh. With not enough to eat, and no money even to burn the midnight oil, in a village with hardly nine hours daily power supply, the boy managed to secure 453rd rank in the IIT entrance exam. However, he has won only half the battle yet.
At Garikapadu village in Khammam district, the IIT entrance rank holder, Narasimha Rao, is a labour under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
With the daily wage of Rs 80, Narasimha wants to repay dues for borrowing books from a reference library. Even at work, his thoughts revolve around science.
''When I am working in the field also, I think of questions in physics. I just can't understand how these mobiles work? How the waves travel?'' says Narasimha.
Narsimha's mother Lakshmi can't tell what exam her son has passed but the labourer parents say their son has made them proud.
''My boy said he would buy me a gas stove to cook after he gets a job. I know he is grown up now. My eyes burn when we burn wood,'' says Lakshmi.
Narsimha managed to get coaching in an IIT institute in nearby Vijaywada with the financial support by some elders in this village. Now the 18-year-old has to attend counselling at IIT Madras on June 18, for which he does not even have travel expenses.
''After I am settled in life, I promise to pay back the money. I will be so thankful,'' says Narasimha.
Source : NDTV.com
How fast are your ReacTions?
Posted by NoeL in Automobiles, My Activities, Websites
The automobile driving manual says the average driver's reaction time is: .75 seconds or 1 car length for every 10 mph..
Click the link below to test your average reaction time.
Sheep Dash!
I have scored 0.178 and my friend 0.172. What about you?
Caution:- Be careful. This can be addictive!
The Pathetic Condition of Indian Media
Posted by NoeL in Indian, Media, My Thoughts
Self Appraisal
Posted by NoeL in Inspirational, My Life, My Thoughts, Personal Development
I got this one as a forward many times over. But when I got it today, I felt some kind of attraction towards it, for the first time. May be because my appraisal for 2007-08 got over very recently! I am posting the forwarded mail here for people who haven't seen it yet!
"Self Appraisal"
A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone. He climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven digits (phone numbers).
The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation:
Boy: "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?
Woman: (at the other end of the phone line): "I already have someone to cut my lawn."
Boy: "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now."
Woman: I'm very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.
Boy: (with more perseverance) : "Lady, I'll even sweepyour curb and your sidewalk, so on Sunday you willhave the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida."
Woman: No, thank you.
With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.
Store Owner: "Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job."
Boy: "No thanks,
Store Owner: But you were really pleading for one.
Boy: No Sir, I was just checking my performance at thejob I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!"
This is what we call "Self Appraisal"
Two GeMs
Posted by NoeL in Inspirational, Management, My Life, My Thoughts, Personal Development
I am just back in Nashik after a week long stay at HoMe. During my onward and return journey, I read two GeMs and was really inspired by them. They are
- The One Minute Manager written by Dr. Ken Blanchard & Dr. Spencer Johnson
- Who Moved My Cheese written by Dr. Spencer Johnson
Former is a real management GeM and the latter a Personal Development GeM. I am making summary for both the above books. In a couple of days' time, I will post them here for all you guys to read and enjoy.
NB: I suggest one and all to get a copy of the book and start reading it rather than waiting for my summary. It is worth it!
- ► 2009 (21)
- Avoid Using Mobile while Driving
- Credit Cards - How does it work?
- Project Delta
- Euro 2008 - It's Show Time Guys!
- Scant Pay Growth for Business Grads
- 'Related Posts' feature in Blogger
- Life Is Series Of Choices
- Village labourer cracks IIT entrance
- How fast are your ReacTions?
- The Pathetic Condition of Indian Media
- Self Appraisal
- Two GeMs
- ▼ June (12)
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- A Mechanical Engineer by Profession, a Software Geek by Interest, a successful Manager & renowned Logistics/SCM Professional in the making!
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I am excited to launch my new website. It's been in the works for a while but now that it's completed, I'm thrilled. I hope you enjoy exploring the new galleries, workshops and shop at www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com.
Spread the love!
And as always, thank you for your interest in my art work and workshops. If you would like to receive my quarterly eNewsletter with updates about my work, art shows, and workshops, you can subscribe by clicking on http://eepurl.com/cO3AM.


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Fuller spoke on his mental makeup, the new look defense, and Torrian Gray
Kendall Fuller's rookie season got off to a good start in 2016, making his first professional start in a Week 4 matchup vs the Cleveland Browns. His solid performance as the team's slot cornerback, seemingly alleviated the issues that was going on in the Redskins secondary at that position. The solid start as we all know by now did not… Read More


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Cubic zirconia long faceted drops are suspended on translucent French wires, which give them an appearance of floating in midair.
• Handmade in New York
• Hypoallergenic and metal free
• Lightweight and comfortable
• Earlobe friendly
• Crystals are 1½" long and ⅜" wide
• Total length is 2"
Due to handcrafted nature of this piece, all measurements are approximate.
Every item is made to order, so please allow two to three weeks for delivery.
If you need your purchase sooner, please contact us to make other arrangements.
"Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul." Gilbert Keith Chesterton
Add To Cart


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Enter your work address to calculate commute times to and from 18008 Wilke Ridge Ln.
One acre situated between Heatherwilde & Wilke Ridge Ln, adjacent to Springbrook HOA's Park. Great access to I-35, SH-45, and SH-130. Several commercial properties near the property property and new commercial offices opening soon. Great potential for retail or office commercial site. Water and electricity on property. Sewer line at street, but may be able to keep septic if keeping it as home site.
|1268022 - Lot
|Sold - 47 days (142 days total)
|1268022 - Lot
|Pending - Taking Backups - 95 days
|1268022 - Lot
Property Listed by: Keller Williams Realty
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® (alternatively, from ACTRIS) from September 18th, 2019 at 3:55pm CDT. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.


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XSplit Acquires Challonge and Player.me/
SplitmediaLabs, makers of the broadcast and live streaming software XSplit, has acquired Player.me, a new social media platform for gamers, and Challonge, a tournament management service, the prime choice for most tournaments in recent years.
This is SplitmediaLabs' $10 million investment to create a unified platform that connects the gaming community and enhancing the gaming experience with the technologies from Player.me and Challonge. This will provide even more support for tournament organizers, competitive players, and fans, to easily connect to one another.
"Both products deliver the best in class experience in their respective areas. To date we've been mainly focused on maintaining leadership and driving organic growth of XSplit, but these acquisitions will move us into the realm of providing more services for the gaming community as part of a grander vision," said Henrik Levring, CEO of SplitmediaLabs.
"There has been tremendous growth in our particular space recently, but very little coming out is truly different," continues Levring. "We're going to shake things up a bit over the next few years, by making streaming opportunities as accessible and rewarding as possible for all, from individual players and content creators to eSports entrepreneurs and publishers. We'll have more to reveal about these plans soon."
The combined entity will have a total of over 8 million registered users, 2 million unique monthly visitors and 90,000+ tournaments created each month.
This is an interesting move coming from SplitmediaLabs. How they will mesh their new acquisitions to their game plan remains to be seen, but changes is definitely coming on how gamers will use player.me and Challonge.
What's player.me? Try it yourself, it's a social media platform to grow your gaming circle, and share your created content to the world.
What's Challonge? It's the go-to tool for creating tournament brackets. Anybody can use it and it's fairly simple to implement for those planning tournaments for any game.
Challonge released a statement with the recent acquisition, as well as player.me.


text: Designing with Architectural Antiques Even if you're a visual person, it can still be difficult to envision what designing with antiques would look like, especially within a more modern setting. That's why we have created three styled vignettes to demonstrate how antiques can be incorporated in a fresh, aesthetically pleasing way. Take a look below to get inspiration for your next design! A Rustic Romantic Nook We would imagine these elements to be a part of a quintessential breakfast nook, or a small eating area off of a kitchen. The industrial base table and oak benches perfectly balance the light distressed shiplap and white french doors. While the contrast of those elements makes the space seem more rustic-industrial, the ornate French chandelier adds a softer touch, acting as a romantic focal point by introducing curvilinear lines to the space. This type of interior style is perfect for those who want to combine modern, traditional, and rustic design. A Bohemian Living Space This eclectic room mixes metals, neutrals, and natural elements to create a cozy place to relax or entertain. Purely functional pieces, such as the chrome and leather chairs, provide context for the space's purpose. On the other hand, pieces such as the rustic work bench and library ladder add to the space's aesthetic appeal while also serving as storage or display. The combination of these antiques would appeal to those who want a relaxed, yet trendy living area. A Retro Bathroom If you're obsessed with color and pattern, then maybe you should go this retro route. Every element adds flair and character as only antiques can, while still appealing to modern design trends. The clean lines of the sink beautifully balance the ornamentation of the tub and globe pendant, and the fun faucet handles add a classic touch. Browse our product page for more antiques for your space! BLOG HOME Subscribe Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Email Address Sign Up We respect your privacy. Thank you!


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Have you heard of 23 Things, the self-guided program for learning about 2.0 web technology? It was developed by Helene Blowers a couple of years ago at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and since then has been adopted across the country by public and school libraries, districts, and even entire states. It consists of a number of "things," or small exercises, that you do online to expand your knowledge of the 2.0 web and social networking, from blogs and podcasts to wikis and Twitter.
For a while now (and prodded by our Technology Editor, Kathy Ishizuka) I've realized it would be a great idea if all of us here at SLJ went through a "23 Things" like experience. After all, we are always writing about different 2.0 applications, shouldn't we experience them as well? Walk the walk, talk the talk, and all of that…So I resolved that we'd do it this summer.
Then I got to thinking: if we're going to do it, why not open it up and invite everyone to join us?
So that's what we are going to do. But Iwe're not going it alone; we've asked 2.0 guru, Dominican faculty member, and season trainer Michael Stephens to join us for the ride. Beginning Monday, July 21, Michael will author a blog here on SLJ.com that will lead us through the different exercises, offer guidance, answer questions, and even provide a little hand-holding. We're calling it "All Together Now: A 2.0 Learning Experience."
There's no need to sign up–just show up. Again, we'll begin on July 21 and wrap things up in early September.


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By Murray Whyte
Toronto Star
Edward Burtynsky's great big photographs ooze uncomfortable truth, though the artist himself, careful not to preach, once took a more ambivalent stance. But at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, where a few dozen of the 76 pictures he recently donated to the museum are now on view, an unintended synergy freights even his earliest images with the unleavened urgency they demand. Terrible beauty, Burtynsky's esthetic calling card, remains present, never fear. But these days, terror comes first.
The Burtynsky show, Witness, is surrounded by Water Works, an engaging, alarming exhibition that largely concerns itself with the accreting perils of depleting, poisoning or otherwise contaminating our most precious resource. The AGH, for its part, cries coincidence, but, seriously: To get to his pictures, you have to first walk right through it. Taken together, they send alarm bells ringing: Effect, meet cause.
Continue reading here.Read More


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Cindy Ehlers, CPDT-KA, D.N.C.C.M., CFT, CFE, CT,
Ever since Cindy was knee high to a grasshopper (4 years old), she has been helping animals. Her early career began with a kitten she begged her grandfather to rescue from the attic of an abandoned garage and later consisted of letting dogs off chains and opening gates to free them from their yards.
She started her dog training career in 1991 as a kennel tech at a small boarding kennel in Elmira (Klassic Tails Inn) and completed her grooming and dog training apprenticeship a year later. During those early years, she worked with behavior challenged dogs as a groomer and kennel tech., offered basic dog training classes and continued to work part time at the boarding kennel.
Helping People It wasn't long before she discovered she was really good at problem solving and helping people going through difficult times with their dogs. She started Simple Solutions for behavior problems classes but soon realized people needed more one on one time for their specific problems. Since 1995 she has focused her continuing education on behavioral solutions for fear, aggression, separation anxiety, bad manners and overall naughtiness.
In 1997 Cindy realized her dog could help comfort those going through a difficult time.
Helping Dogs From 2008 through July of 2012, Cindy was the Behavior & Training Coordinator for Lane County Animal Services. During her 4 years she worked extensively with Pit Bull and Pit Bull mixes. It has since been an ongoing love affair for this misunderstood breed. She has become a local expert in helping this breed and other breeds with serious problems.
Note from the trainer: " If you have a dog you are considering training to be a working dog such as a service dog, a therapy dog or crisis response dog, if you have a working dog and need help with training or public access testing, behavior assessments, and personality testing
If you would like to have therapy or crisis response dogs visit your agency, organization, healthcare facility, etc please don't hesitate to contact me
• Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) #3020257
• AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator #78029
• Member, Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), Member #1590
• Full Certification applicant International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)
• Affiliate Member- Shelter Division, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)
• Therapy Dog Instructor and Evaluator www.loveonaleash.org
• Trick Dog Instructor
• Certified K9 Crisis Instructor/Evaluator/Handler Crisis Response Canines
• Co-Founder, Canine Miracle Rescue
• Co-Founder, People and Animals Who Serve (PAAWS)
• Founder, National Crisis Response Canines
• Founder, Hope Animal Assisted Crisis Response


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Who needs a reason to start a fire, open a bottle of wine and have a braai?
Chill a bottle of the 2012 Leopard's Leap Chenin Blanc and serve it with your Grilled Snoek for an easy and informal, but beautiful combination! Try the below recipe for an interesting twist to the traditional.
Grilled Snoek (serves 6)
10 ml (2 tsp) ginger, finely grated
10 ml (2 tsp) garlic,finely chopped
30 ml (2 tbsp)apricot jam
30 ml (2 tbsp) soya sauce
1 snoek (about 1,3 kg), butterflied and cleaned
A few sprigs of fresh coriander and fresh limes to serve
Prepare a fire providing enough medium to hot coals.
Combine the ginger, garlic, apricot jam and soya sauce in a small bowl.
Brush half of the sauce over the snoek and place skin side over the coals.
Braai for about 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork.
Baste regularly with the rest of the sauce.
Serve with fresh coriander and lime wedges
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