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The Protection Under Our Noses
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women ages 30-50 and the second leading cause for women of all ages. It is also somewhat preventable. Along with exercise and eating healthy, breastfeeding is a risk-lowering behavior that everyone should be supporting. Yet, too many breast cancer organizations talk about the importance of diet, exercise, and removing toxins from our environment, but leave breastfeeding and human milk out of the conversation, or marginalize it.
At Best for Babes, we are devoted to putting the Protection Under Our Noses front-and-center in our fight for wellness and health so that we can maximize our ability to put this breast-snatching disease and other devastating epidemics, back to "normal" occurrence levels. We are putting the glam, the funding and the focus, into PREVENTION, PROTECTION and THRIVING — with human milk and breastfeeding at the forefront. Given breastfeeding's risk-lowering effect on so many diseases, including breast cancer, it's simply stunning that breastfeeding and human milk –the undisputed foundation of human health — is not already the most well-endowed Cause of all!
So what are the facts about the breastfeeding/breast cancer connection?
- Breastfeeding is one of two "lifestyle factors" that is associated with "convincing decreased risk" of breast cancer for all women (family history or not) — exercise is the other.(1)
- Breastfeeding is associated with up to a 28% decrease in risk of developing breast cancer at any age (pre- or post-menopausal) for women without a family history of the disease, who breastfed for 12 months or longer. (2)
- For women with a family history of breast cancer, breastfeeding is associated with 59% reduced risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer –that's more than half! (3)
- For every 12 months of breastfeeding, a woman can lower her breast cancer risk by 4.3% This is cumulative, so that a mother who has two children and breastfeeds each for 2 years can realize a 17.2% reduction! (4) Some scientists speculate that this is one reason why, in developed countries with lower rates and duration of breastfeeding (like the U.S.), we also see higher rates of breast cancer.
- Four Breasts for the Price of Two: Your baby girl's risk of developing breast cancer in her lifetime is lowered by 26%-31% if she is breastfed! (5)
- Babies are born "hot" with estrogen from their mother (i.e, enlarged genitals) and breastfeeding may have a "cooling" effect that facilitates normal breast-bud development in infancy, reduces the exposure to excessive hormones early in life, and "may have long-term health benefits for hormone-dependent diseases." Growing evidence suggests that not breastfeeding or using soy-based formulas explains why baby girls have an increased risk of hormone-fueled (hormone-positive) breast cancer later in life. (6)
- Breastfeeding's associated protection against being obese and overweight — major risk factors in adult diseases — buys your baby girl or boy extra protection against developing certain cancers as an adult. (7)
Excerpted from our plea to Breast Cancer Orgs: Please Include the Protection Under Our Noses.
Our goals for raising awareness of breastfeeding's critical role in lowering breast cancer risk:
Using our non-judgmental, positive, evidence-based approach, we're creating a space and a place for breastfeeding in the public's awareness of breast cancer. Let's provide breast cancer organizations with encouraging language that empowers and gently educates their members and followers: a simple message such as:
"Along with a healthy diet, a toxin-free environment and regular exercise, breastfeeding can reduce your and your baby daughter's risk of breast cancer. If you are planning on starting a family or are currently expecting, the (name of breast cancer) organization strongly recommends that you get the facts about how to get off to a good start with breastfeeding, and arm yourself with the resources to overcome any challenges and beat any booby traps™. The longer you breastfeed, the better for you and your baby, but any breastfeeding is better than none! In the abscence of breastfeeding, pumped or donated human milk is the next best substitute. "
Let's also make sure that breast cancer organizations have resources for breastfeeding beyond breast cancer –– a significant study was just released giving the OK on this one. Let's make sure they provide resources and information for expecting and new moms who have mastectomies and can't breastfeed- like Jamie Thomas — to make safe donor milk available and how to nurture skin-to-skin and supplement at the breast/chest. We started a fund just for this purpose. www.bestforbabes.org/miracle-milk-fund.
Let's recognize and reward those organizations that share our vision and are truly investing in PREVENTION, groups like the Breast Cancer Fund , whose mission is to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer– YEAH! We're creating the first-ever alliance of breast cancer organizations who partner with us and working with them to cross-promote and fundraise for our common ground.
Best for Babes Breast Cancer Organization Alliance–coming soon!
It's time to include more true prevention in the breast cancer conversation so that we don't take one more step closer toward normalizing the "Protection That Used to Be Under Our Noses."
What you can do to help us take our Cause to the Next Level:
Make a donation to support the Mother of All Causes – $5, $10, $20 any amount enables our tiny nonprofit to continue to do the groundbreaking work we do. Click here to donate;
Send a link to this page to your local or national breast cancer organization(s) and ask that they include a simple message, like the one above, in their printed and online materials on "How to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk". Send us an email containing the name of the organization and their contact info once you have done so so that in exchange, Best for Babes will recognize and list them on our Breast Cancer Alliance & Resources page as being a trusted resource for breast cancer prevention.
Join or Support Team Best for Babes this month: donate to Team BFB at the Marine Corps Marathon — we are the first breastfeeding charity team to officially partner with a major marathon!, to Team Operation Lactation Freedom and their Special Dad Forces –a military team on a mission to let freedom ring at a race in Georgia, or to Team Divas Run for Breastfeeding — led by a pediatrician! Or start your own Team!
Shop our Store!
1. World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective Washington DC: AICR 2007 http://www.dietandcancerreport.com
2. http://archive.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htmf
3. Stuebe, Alison M., Willet, Walter C., et. al. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009; 169(15):1364-1371. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/15/1364
4. Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Lancet. 2002 Jul 20; 360: 187-95 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133652
5. Freudenheim J.L., et al. Exposure to breastmilk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer. Epidemiology. 1994 May; 5(3): 324-31.
6. Zung A, et al. Breast development in the first 2 years of life: an association with soy-based infant formulas. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2008 Feb;46(2):191-5; Setchell KD, et al. Isoflavone content of infant formulas and the metabolic fate of these phytoestrogens in early life. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Dec;68(6 Suppl):1453S-1461S.
7. World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective Washington DC: AICR 2007 http://www.dietandcancerreport.com


text:
Nadia Paul 10/18/2011 7:33:00 PMCongrats on your beautiful finalist Nanette! #1416447
Renee N. Miller 10/18/2011 9:57:54 PMNadia, thank you so very much. This is a "first" finalist for me. #9745382
Marijana Fajgl 10/19/2011 10:46:27 AMFantastic capture of this beauty, Nanette! Big congratulations! #9747653
Renee N. Miller 10/19/2011 12:47:56 PMThank you, Marijana. I appreciate the kind words.
Debbie Bray 10/19/2011 5:38:17 PMCongratulations, Nanette!! #9748995
Rona L. Schwarz 10/19/2011 9:34:41 PMTerrific capture of your (?) cat, Nanette! Very unique angle - she is lovely with gorgeous eyes. Very similar to my blue burmese. CONGRATULATIONS on a superb FINALIST and Good luck in the next round! #9749413
Merna L. Nobile 10/22/2011 2:42:23 PMMay your heart catch the joy of the moment and soar!
Renee N. Miller 10/29/2011 8:50:53 PMThanks Debbie, Rona & Merna. I appreciate the kind words of encouragement. #9771417
Exif: F Number: 3.2, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/250 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 800, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 51.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Uploaded on 9/30/2011 2:32:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi (450D) Digital SLR Camera
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Renee N. Miller. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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< Roe v. Wade Anniversary
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) - One person has been killed and one
Jan 23, 2012 18:38
Category: General News
Category: General News
Kennewick Mobile Home Fire
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) - One person has been killed and one
seriously burned in a mobile home fire at Kennewick where two more
people have not yet been accounted for.
Benton County Coroner John Hansens says a body was visible in
the home.
KONA reports firefighters are still going through the debris.
A man who broke a window to escape was taken to Kennewick
General Hospital with burns.
The home was fully engulfed in flames about 3:30 a.m. Monday
when firefighters arrived at Columbia Mobile Village.


text:
Graphic designer for Magento 2 theme
Budget €750-1500 EUR
We are looking for a graphic designer for this Magento 2 theme:
[url removed, login to view]
We need a custom design for this theme which is responsive and compatible with desktop and mobile devices.
Here is what we need:
1.) Logo (Brand)
2.) Template on basis of Porto: styling of the colors, icons, buttons. (Please note that the layout is the template. We do not need a design for the layout, of course we are open minded for interface changes which benefit the user experience)
3.) Main banner/header homepage (3x). We need some awesome graphic designs for these 3 banners that will impress the customers.
4.) Banners (4 standard web banner formats: 468 x 60, 728 x 90, 336 x 280, 300 x 250)
5.) A visual of the packaging of the products we sell in the style of the website. (x1)
We would like to see your portfolio, recent works and experiences. Especially your graphic designs you have done on websites. Also provide us with the estimated time frame when you can deliver the requested materials.
More details will be given upon interview.


text:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When men's soccer senior Garrett Pettis decided to ink his name in the Lipscomb record books, he did it in style.
Entering a mid-October home contest against North Florida just four goals shy of tying the LU career record of 32 goals, Pettis decided to blister the Ospreys and post four tallies in the first 30 minutes of action. Those four strikes also put Pettis' name in the record ledger as he tied former Bison Scott Mason for most goals in a game.
The Elizabethtown , Pa., native went on to Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week honors as well as being named to the Soccer America National Team of the Week. Pettis would also claim the Lipscomb career record outright later in the season with a strike against Mercer for his 33rd career goal.
The first-team All-Atlantic Sun selection capped off his career as a Bison by signing a professional contract to play for the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer League (USL).
Continue to check back each week on Lipscombsports.com as the countdown continues.


text:
Member Login
About IEA SHC
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The Power of Solar
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Status in Member Countries
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Current Projects (Tasks)
Task 62 - Solar Energy in Industrial Water & Wastewater Management
Task 61 - Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting
Task 60 - Application of PVT Collectors and New Solutions in HVAC Systems
Task 59 - Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy
Task 58 - Material and Component Development for Thermal Energy Storage
Task 56 - Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting
Task 55 - Towards the Integration of Large SHC Systems into District Heating and Cooling (DHC) Network
Projects by Topic
Projects by Task Number
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Task 57 - Solar Standards and Certification
Task 54 - Price Reduction of Solar Thermal Systems
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Country Highlight: Portugal - Sun & Innovation Drive Change
December 2018 - PDF 1.44MB
By: Maria João Carvalho, João Farinha Mendes
Publisher: IEA SHC
Portugal has one of the highest solar energy resources in Europe, but the solar thermal market in Portugal is not in line with this fact as can be seen in the most recent publication of the IEA SHC's Solar Heat Worldwide (see Figure 2). Portugal's cumulated installed capacity is lower than in other European countries with much lower solar resources.
Interview with Daniel Mugnier: New Generation Solar Cooling & Heating Systems
December 2018 - PDF 1.06MB
Publisher: IEA SHC Task 53
The IEA SHC Programme concluded its work on New Generation Solar Cooling & Heating Systems (Task 53) earlier this year and is now finalizing the last reports. To learn first-hand on how the Task supported the market development of the next generation of solar driven cooling and heating systems, we asked Daniel Mugnier, the Task Operating Agent, to share some of his thoughts on this 3-year project.
Heat Decarbonization - What Role can Solar Thermal Play?
December 2017 - PDF 0.09MB
Heat accounts for more than half of global final energy consumption. However, heat production remains heavily fossil-fuel based and is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions, accounting for 39% of total annual energy-related emissions globally. To achieve the ambitious targets of the Paris climate change agreement, heat decarbonization is a must. But what role can solar thermal play?
Canadian Solar Community Hits 100% Solar Heating
December 2016 - PDF 0.3MB
Editor: Pamela Murphy
The Drake Landing Solar Community in Okotoks, Alberta hit a new solar performance milestone record – 100% solar space heating for the 2015-2016 heating season. This is the first community in the world to accomplish this feat. The community of 52 energy efficient homes is heated by a solar district heating system combined with a borehole seasonal heat storage designed to store abundant solar energy underground during the sunny summer months and recover this heat for space heating during the cold winter months.
Slovakia Joins IEA SHC!
December 2016 - PDF 0.06MB
Editor: Pamela Murphy
IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme welcomes Slovakia as the first country from Eastern Europe to join the Programme. Participation by the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency (SIEA) in the IEA SHC builds on collaboration by Slovakia in the Programme's lighting retrofit work.
Solar Thermal in Qatar Today and Tomorrow
December 2016 - PDF 0.24MB
Editor: Pamela Murphy
In recent years, the population of Qatar has grown at an increased rate than was previously seen and so has carbon emissions. As the population has grown at a faster rate than previously seen and demand for resources that will result in further increases in the rate of carbon emissions. Considering the wider impacts of carbon emissions on our climate, it is vital to reduce these emissions using effective renewable solutions.
IEA SHC Publishes 2016 Edition of its Seminal Report – Solar Heat Worldwide
June 2016 - PDF 0.17MB
By: Pam Murphy
June 2016. The International Energy Agency, Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) released the 2016 edition of its report on the global status of the solar thermal heating and cooling market. As the 2014 solar thermal market felt the impact of slowing markets in China and Europe, the largest world markets, growth was seen in two important areas – large-scale solar thermal systems and solar heat in industrial processes. And, solar heating and cooling still remains by far the solar technology with the largest total capacity (435 GWth) compared to PV (227 GWth) and solar thermal power (5 GWth).
IEA SHC Solar Award – Brau Union Austria wins for putting the sun in beer
June 2016 - PDF 0.21MB
The Green Brewery Göss wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SHC SOLAR AWARD. Brewery Göss has taken the path-breaking decision to use renewable energy for all its processes and now runs a 100% renewable energy production process. The Master Brewer, Mr. Andreas Werner, received the award on behalf of the brewery at Gleisdorf SOLAR 2016 in Gleisdorf, Austria.
2016 Solar Thermal Trends
May 2016 - PDF 0.18MB
By: Pam Murphy
With 2016 underway, it's important to stop for a moment and think about where solar thermal is headed in the short-term and how current work can support or be adjusted to keep pace with technological advances. Several SHC Task Operating Agents have weighed in on trends in their areas of expertise.
International Solar Energy Society Joins IEA SHC
May 2016 - PDF 0.13MB
By: Pam Murphy
The IEA SHC Programme welcomes the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) as its newest Sponsor member. This development offers expanded opportunities for ISES members to participate in technical activities under the IEA SHC, and places ISES at the IEA SHC table as a member of its Executive Committee.
ISES Joins IEA SHC!
May 2016 - PDF 0.52MB
By: Pam Murphy
The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme welcomes the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) as its newest Sponsor member. This development offers expanded opportunities for ISES members to participate in technical activities under the IEA SHC, and places ISES at the IEA SHC table as a member of its Executive Committee.
A Fundamental Look At Supply Side Energy Reserves For The Planet
November 2015 - PDF 0.15MB
By: Richard Perez, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, University at Albany, Statue University of New York and Marc Perez, MGH-Energy
Publisher: IEA SHC
This is an update of the April 2009 Solar Update article. The objective of the 2009 article was to put in perspective the potential of often-cited nuclear and renewable alternatives to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emitting fossil energy sources. Its main conclusion was that although a mix of alternatives, including hydropower, biomass/biofuels, geothermal, ocean thermal energy conversion, waves, tides, wind and solar, appeared like a sound approach to bringing about the desired economically and environmentally sustainable energy future (akin to putting future energy eggs in different baskets), a review of their potential clearly showed that the solar resource dwarfed all other renewables (and fossil/nuclear alike) by orders of magnitude. And therefore, the desired economically and environmentally sustainable energy mix of the future should be essentially solar-based.
Country Highlight: Spain - A Sunny Paradise Truncated by a Financial Crisis: The Building Code Experience
November 2015 - PDF 0.24MB
By: Ricardo Enríquez Miranda, Ph.D., CIEMAT
Publisher: IEA SHC
In the recent past decades, Spain has pioneered two solar revolutions: mandatory inclusion of solar thermal in new and refurbished buildings and solar thermal electricity. The 2008 financial crisis deeply impact the industry and the future recovery and development will depend strongly on these and other adopted policies.
Solar Thermal = Savings of Over 118 Million Tons of CO2 Annually
Solar Heat Worldwide
November 2015 - PDF 0.15MB
Publisher: IEA SHC
The IEA SHC Programme's Solar Heat Worldwide is the most comprehensive publication on the global solar heating and cooling market. This year's report includes data from 60 countries, or 95% of the solar thermal market and can be downloaded for free.
Country Highlight: Netherlands High Energy in a Low Country
May 2015 - PDF 0.16MB
By: Lex Bosselaar
Within the next 20 years the supply of fossil fuels, mainly oil and gas, will not be sufficient to provide for the world's economies. Anticipating this shortage, the Dutch government policy focuses on a completely sustainable energy supply system by 2050. Renewable heat and heat storage will be key issues to achieve this goal.
Turkey: Solar Era Is Just Beginning
May 2015 - PDF 0.55MB
By: Dr. Bulent Yesilata
In parallel with its population and GDP growth, Turkey has been experiencing rapid demand growth in all segments of the energy sector for decades. Turkey is developing an integrated energy policy aimed at securing a reliable supply of energy, as well as achieving a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable future. Turkey also intends to promote employment and economic growth through its energy development. Solar energy plays a major role in Turkey's renewable energy roadmap due to the fact that is geographically located the "solar band" region.
Net-Zero Energy Buildings – New Addition to SHC Book Series
April 2015 - PDF 0.14MB
By: Pamela Murphy
New addition to SHC book series published by Wiley. This book aids designers in optimally using simulation tools for net-zero energy building design. It presents advanced modeling techniques as well as in-depth case studies. The IEA SHC Programme is publishing a book series covering a diverse array of solar heating and cooling topics. Modeling, Design, and Optimatization of Net-Zero Energy Buildings is the second book in this series.
New ISO Partnership Promotes Solar Energy Standards
April 2015 - PDF 0.14MB
By: Pamela Murphy
The International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) has formalized relationship with ISO TC 180 Solar Energy. This liaison creates a clear path for IEA SHC results to be implemented in ISO standards. "Measuring the solar resources available for solar applications is an important goal of this partnership," says Ms. Erandi Chandrasekare, Secretary of ISO TC180 "As well as improving the performance of solar heating and cooling systems by standardizing the measurements of performance, reliability and durability."
Turkey & UK join the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme
February 2015 - PDF 0.16MB
GÜNDER, the Turkish Section of the International Solar Energy Society, on behalf of the Government of Turkey, and DECC, the UK's Department of Energy & Climate Change, on behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom, officially joined the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC).
Global Standards - Solar Heating and Cooling ISO TC180 Solar Energy
Presentation at SHC 2014
October 2014 - PDF 0.95MB
By: Ken Guthrie
Presentation at SHC 2014
SHC Overview at SHC 2014 in Beijing
October 2014 - PDF 0.51MB
By: Ken Guthrie
Presentation at SHC 2014
Country Status Reports Summary
November 2013 - PDF 0.06MB
By: Uwe Trenkner
This report of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) summarises the findings of the country status reports published on www.iea-shc.org/country-status-reports.
Technology Roadmap: Solar Heating and Cooling
July 2012 - PDF 3.32MB
Publisher: IEA
Solar heating and cooling (SHC) can provide low-carbon emission energy from solar resources that are widespread throughout the world. SHC describes a wide range of technologies, from mature domestic hot water heaters to those just entering the demonstration phase, such as solar thermally driven cooling. This roadmap envisages development and deployment of solar heating and cooling by 2050 to produce 16.5 EJ (4 583 TWhth; 394 Mtoe) solar heating annually, more than 16% of total final energy use for low temperature heat, and 1.5 EJ solar cooling, nearly 17% of total energy use for cooling by that time.
The Potential of Solar Thermal Technologies in a Sustainable Energy Future
Results from 32 Years of International R&D Cooperation
February 2010 - PDF 3.94MB
By: Gerhard Faninger
By collaborating with others, the IEA SHC Programme is working to increase awareness of solar thermal energy's potential to contribute significantly to the future supply of energy worldwide. This report supports the awareness to create a Future Sustainable Energy System, based on R&D results from more than 30 years of international co-operation in the IEA Solar Heating Programme.
Highlights of 2007
This report highlights the recent accomplishments of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme.
The Time for Solar is Now
IEA-SHC Brochure
This document is a full color brochure about the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme
Solar Energy Activities in IEA Countries 2005
Learn what your country and others are doing in the area of solar from the status of government policies, funding levels, R&D, technology advances, and commercial development. This latest edition begins with an overview of national activities and key trends followed by individual country reports with detailed information on national solar activities.
Solar Energy Activities in IEA Countries 2002
December 2002
Editor: Pamela Murphy, Executive Secretary, IEA SHC
The eighth edition of this SHC document reports on the latest status of solar building technologies, funding levels, research, technology advances and commercial developments in 14 IEA countries.
Solar Thermal Collector Market In IEA Member Countries 1999-2000
December 2002 - PDF 0.91MB
By: Werner Weiss and Gerhard Faninger
This report analyzes solar thermal collector data compiled by the SHC Programme.
The Power of Solar: Integrating Solar Energy Into Today's Buildings
Formed in 1974 as an autonomous body within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Energy Agency (IEA) carries out a program of energy cooperation, including joint research and development of new and improved energy technologies.
Application Guide for Daylight Responsive Control Systems
February 2001 - PDF 0.33MB
25th Anniversary of The Establishment of The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Agreement
The power point presentation was prepared on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Establishment of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Agreement.
Chairman's Report: Highlights of 2000
January 2000 - DOC 0.05MB
By: Mr. Lex Bosselaar, Executive Committee Chairman
Solar Energy Activities in IEA Countries 1999
November 1999
Editor: S. Blum, International Planning Associates, Inc.
This updated edition outlines the national solar building technology activities in the member countries of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme since 1997. The country reports provide insights into the status of government policies, funding levels, research emphasis, technology advances, and commercial development.
Customer satisfaction: A focus for research & practice
September 1999 - PDF 0.13MB
By: Hans Westling Promandat AB
Report for the CIB 99 Joint Triennial Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden
Solar Energy Activities in IEA Countries 1993
November 1993 - PDF 0.49MB
Editor: S. Blum, International Planning Associates, Inc.
This brochure provides a glimpse of some of the activities and This report outlines the national solar building technology activities in the member countries of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. The country reports provide insights into the status of government policies, funding levels, research emphasis, technology advances, and commercial development.
Working Together for a Solar Future
July 1991
Editor: S. Blum, International Planning Associates, Inc.
This brochure provides a glimpse of some of the activities and accomplishments of the long-term international collaboration of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme to create the solar buildings of the future.
Interview with Jan Erik Nielsen: Solar Standards and Certification
Publisher: IEA SHC Task 57
The IEA SHC Programme will wrap up its work on Solar Standards and Certification (Task 57) this month. To learn first-hand of this Task's impact on standards and certification of solar thermal systems, we asked Jan Erik Nielsen, the Task Operating Agent, to share some of his thoughts on this 3-year project.
Solar Collectors and their Fields of Application
Publisher: http://www.zreu.de/


text:
Notice to Members 04-54
Operative Date of Short Sale ACT Reporting Requirements for OTCBB and Other Non-NASDAQ OTC Equity Securities
NASD is delaying the operative date of IM-6130 (Trade Reporting of Short Sales) for Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) and other non-NASDAQ over-the-counter (OTC) equity securities until September 24, 2004. IM-6130 was filed for immediate effectiveness with the SEC in May 2004 with an operative date of July 26, 2004.1 New IM-6130 clarifies that, as currently required by Rule 6130 (Trade Report Input), a "short sale" or "short sale exempt" indicator, as applicable, is required in all short sale transactions reported to the Automated Confirmation Transaction Service (ACT), including (1) NASDAQ National Market (NNM) securities; (2) NASDAQ SmallCap Market (SmallCap) securities; (3) other OTC transactions in exchange-listed securities; (4) OTCBB securities; and (5) other non-NASDAQ OTC equity securities. NASD understands that some members and their vendors need to make significant technological changes to their systems for OTCBB and other non-NASDAQ OTC equity securities to comply with these requirements; therefore, in consultation with SEC staff, NASD is extending the operative date for OTCBB and other non-NASDAQ OTC equity securities to provide members with additional time to make such changes.
Questions regarding this Notice to Members may be directed to Jeffrey S. Davis, Office of General Counsel, NASDAQ, at (202) 912-3035; the Legal Section, Market Regulation, NASD, at (240) 386-5126; or Office of General Counsel, Regulatory Policy and Oversight, NASD, at (202) 728-8071.


text:
At midnight on Tuesday, something great happened. Something BRILLIANT. Yahoo! Finance launched 15 new pages across Europe to some great user feedback. But it wasn't just the pages that we should be rightly proud of –- it's the united Global Yahoo! Finance team behind it; the upgraded processes and infrastructure behind the design.
Engineers, programme and product managers in eight Yahoo! offices and four time zones worked as One Yahoo! to make the vision of a Global Finance Team a reality. Until six months ago, the vast majority had never worked together or even met – but this hasn't stopped us working as a team and delivering a great product.
Together, we've upgraded the technology behind the scenes and linked together the EU and US infrastructure systems. We've successfully piloted brand new Global Finance QA processes and run joint EU/US maintenance sprints.
We now work in a 24 hour cycle. The US programmers assign everyone their tasks. The US engineers code, the QA team in Grenoble tests the code whilst the EU engineering carry on their work, the product mangers and production team prioritise the bugs, update specs and do translations in time for the evening call. And then we start all over again.
This means we get great products to market quickly and we're better supported than ever.
And the pages we launched? Well – the quotes pages now have automatically streaming share prices to keep our users up to date and some pages have been given a fresh look designed to make it easier to digest the financial information. In the current climate it's never been so crucial to know what's going on. Here are some links:
• New share price summary page
• Multiquote page
• Portfolios – if you've got a Yahoo! login create portfolio on the site
So what did our users think of the new pages? Here are just a few of the emails:
Jena: "The new look & design is what I have been waiting for. This is fabulous, 5***** quality. Keep it up."
Adam Buchannan: "New portfolio page is brilliant, especially the streaming data."
And this is just the start. We're working together on the news article pages for launch in the US this month and new charts and search functionality for the EU in November. And there's sooo much more to come! Finance IS exciting – and it's never looked so good.
Well done the Global Finance Team!


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State Farm Insurance Agent View Licenses
At Exit 11, Between Publix @ Snowhill and Ooltewah HS. One exit north of the Volkswagen Plant.Map & Directions Contact Us
Mon-Fri 9:00am to 5:00pm
Customer Service / Claims
24/7 @ 899-4159
Auto, Home, Business, Property, Life, Health
Banking, Annuities
Auto, Home, Business, Property, Life, Health
Banking, Annuities
Mon-Fri 9:00am to 5:00pm
Customer Service / Claims
24/7 @ 899-4159
6101 Mountain View Road
Ooltewah, TN 37363-8897
As a business owner, planning for fire protection, prevention, and risk assessment can help reduce your chance of fire and smoke damage. Here are tips to help. Read more
Car manufacturers have rolled out many new car safety features in the last few years. Learn more about adaptive headlights, blind spot detection and more. Read more
What you need to know to develop a future-friendly financial plan of attack can be found in this course. Tomorrow arrives fast. You ready? Read more
State Farm Bank, F.S.B., Bloomington, Illinois ("Bank"), is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. NMLS ID 139716. The other products offered by affiliate companies of State Farm Bank are not FDIC insured, not a State Farm Bank obligation or guaranteed by State Farm Bank, and may be subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal invested. The Bank encourages any interested individual(s) to submit an application for any product(s) offered by the Bank. We also encourage you to obtain information regarding the Bank's underwriting standards for each type of credit or service offered by visiting statefarm.com or by contacting the Bank at 877-SF4-BANK (877-734-2265). Callers who are hearing or speech impaired should dial 711 or use a preferred Telecommunications Relay Service. To apply for a Bank product, you may also see your participating State Farm agent.
Life Insurance and annuities are issued by State Farm Life Insurance Company. (Not Licensed in MA, NY, and WI) State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (Licensed in New York and Wisconsin) Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois.
Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Contact State Farm VP Management Corp., (1-800-447-4930) for a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this and other information. Read it carefully. AP2014/12/2170
State Farm VP Management Corp. is a separate entity from those State Farm entities which provide banking and insurance products. Investing involves risk, including potential for loss.
Neither State Farm nor its agents provide tax or legal advice. Please consult a tax or legal advisor for advice regarding your personal circumstances.


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Apple has just released two new TV commercials for the iPhone 5 5 called Turkey and Orchestra. As you might imagine, Turkey focuses on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, and starts off with... a turkey and all the fixings! Apple then shows the Photo app, and swiping between photos of a family in the midst of Thanksgiving celebrations.
Photo Stream is also highlighted, and the easy way it lets you share photos with specific family and friends, who can then enjoy and comment on them on their own iOS devices.
Oh, and there's pie.
"Mmm. Pie."
Orchestra shows off the noise-cancelling mic on the iPhone 5. According to Apple, even if a full symphony orchestra in a White Room right out of Angel is playing nearby, thanks to that mic you'll have a better than normal chance at still hearing your call, without having to ask the conductor to pipe it down.
These are both classic Apple iPhone commercials, showing off specific features and doing it in a slightly whimsical manner. Not disruptive by any means, but not as awkward as the genius commercials or as reality defying as the Siri commercials from earlier in the air.
What do you think of them?


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Apr 262012
The Haberdashery collective are proud to announce that their latest game:
Automaton Assembly
Will be open for all to play at:
The Tomorrow's World Today Expo
A steampunk extravaganza on the:
6th May 2012
Prepare to bid against the clock to win the best parts bequeathed by a mad but brilliant scientist before assembling them into an awesome automaton to go head to head against your rivals in a series of challenging challenges.
Then go an marvel at the many other wonders of the expo including:
Professor Elemental
Dr Geof and the Tea Museam
Interactive Storytelling
Steampunk Marketplace
A Victorian cocktail bar
And hats! Lots of fabulous hats!
Tickets and more information at:


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Wednesday, July 25, 2007
We met Whisper!!
Some of you might remember Whisper, the Thanksgiving miracle turkey that we adopted back in the Fall. Well, we finally got to meet her at Farm Sanctuary this week! (Look how she's grown up, awww.)
Words can not express my love of this little bird and all of her companions that live here. So I'll just let pictures do most of the talking!
My favorite picture of Whisper and me. The turkeys love being rubbed under their wings. I really dig the blissed out expression on her face!
The turkeys were so playful and friendly on this day! You haven't lived until you've touched a turkey's wattle (the red fleshy skin under their neck). I was shocked at how incredibly soft it was- softer than a baby's finger!
This turkey is preening the way a male turkey would. The male turkey is kept separate from the female turkeys, and some of the female turkeys in turn take on male behaviors such as this.
And now, some animals other than turkeys that we got to meet and play with!
If you ever have the chance to visit a farm sanctuary, you should do it. There is something so profoundly peaceful about hanging out with calm, contented farm animals living a happy life. As vegans, we too often associate farm animals with the suffering that the majority of them go through, so it's nice to be able to see what is possible, in a better world.
Oh, and if you visit Farm Sanctuary, you better come visit me in Syracuse!
Last but not least, a vegan ice cream cone from Great Escape ice cream shop in Watkins Glen. This was the only vegan flavor left the day we went (black raspberry), but I didn't mind- it was super creamy and delicious.
To read about our last visit to Farm Sanctuary, click here.
P.S. A special thanks to Dan at Farm Sanctuary, who led us on a leisurely tour and made sure to know which one Whisper was, even though we showed up too late for regular tour hours!
32 comments:
- Jamie said...
Is it just me or is that pig smiling?
- July 25, 2007 1:12 PM
- bazu said...
I know! We had just finished giving the pig the rubbing of a lifetime, and he just sank back into the hay with this ecstatic look on his face. I'd be smiling too if 3 pairs of hands had just massaged me! =)
- July 25, 2007 1:19 PM
- Nicole said...
What sweet animals! It sounds like a fantastic day :-)
I know the Great Escape! I had no idea that they had vegan ice cream... I'll have to check it out the next time I go to Elmira (my grandpa lives there).
- July 25, 2007 2:36 PM
- Celine said...
so lovely! I want to go there. now.
- July 25, 2007 3:25 PM
- Neva Vegan said...
Such beautiful guys! Whisper is a star.
I've never been there, I really hope I'll make it all the way up there someday.
- July 25, 2007 4:02 PM
- Kati said...
Awesome pictures - I can't wait to visit Farm Sanctuary. And vegan ice cream...from an ice cream shop...in upstate NY?? I'm so impressed and it looks delightful!
- July 25, 2007 5:39 PM
- laura jesser said...
Ohh, how special!!! All those animals are so beautiful... Whisper included!
- July 25, 2007 5:52 PM
- Theresa said...
What gorgeous photos. So great that you get to live so close to Farm Sanctuary!
- July 25, 2007 7:20 PM
- Bridget said...
Oh Whisper is so beautiful! All of them are. But the pigs, they hold a special place in my heart. And I am so appreciative of Farm Santuary. I want to make it up there before the summer ends.
- July 25, 2007 8:45 PM
- urban vegan said...
How timely of you to post this...did you see the HUGE article in today's NY Times food section?
I wonder if your Whisper and my Macadamia are friends....I want to go to FS one day and meet my adopted babies, Macadamia the Turkey and Agnes the Hen.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: you are adorable, Bazu.
- July 25, 2007 9:06 PM
i absolutely love the smiling pig !!
- July 25, 2007 9:23 PM
- aTxVegn said...
What wonderful sweet pictures of all the animals! I've got to see right now if there's a farm sanctuary anywhere near me.
- July 25, 2007 10:35 PM
- SusanV said...
Oh, that smiling pig! I think I'm in love!
- July 25, 2007 11:01 PM
- KathyF said...
I was just wondering if any NY bloggers I knew had been there, after reading the NYT article today.
Did you happen to see Kathy, my adopted turkey?
I like the turkey photos, but I have to say, the cow photos are the best!
- July 26, 2007 6:09 AM
- Crystal & Ryan - Café Cyan said...
Yay - you look like you had so much fun there and the animals really seemed to like the attention. Cute!
- July 26, 2007 11:32 AM
- vko said...
Oh Bazu- you and Whisper are the cutest!
I love all these happy animals- I need to get up there soon and when I do, will definitely let you know since you have the "in" at the farm, heh heh.
I heart all their little animal faces in this post!
- July 26, 2007 1:04 PM
- Selina said...
Awwww! That is the sweetest thing ever! I am so glad you got to go & that you had fun!
- July 26, 2007 1:10 PM
- KathyF said...
Bazu, stop me if I've told you this--but when I adopted the turkey, they sent an email that said that my order would be shipped soon. I was like...huh? And when I told my teenaged daughter I'd adopted a turkey, her eyes got big and she said "Does Dad know?" She thought the turkey was actually going to come here. Then I sort of wished it could!
- July 26, 2007 1:56 PM
- bazu said...
Kathy, that is hilarious! When we told our family members we had adopted a turkey, a lot of them thought it was like adopting a pet- as in, we are bringing her home with us! Ha ha- not only would the city not allow that, but the cats would probably not know how... to behave if we brought a turkey home!!
- July 26, 2007 2:23 PM
Your animal pictures are great! I bet that if people were to see pictures like yours up in the grocery store, they would think twice about what they were going to eat that night. How do you adopt an animal/turkey? I'd love to do something like that and save an animal from someone's dinner table. Thanks for a great blog, I always enjoy reading!
- July 26, 2007 6:34 PM
- bazu said...
Thank you so much for your comment, Anonymous! I really do think that some people would be shocked to see that the animals we eat are so social and intelligent and cute- just like their pet dogs or cats.
To find out more about Farm Sanctuary's animal adoption program, click here: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/adopt/sponsor.htm
There are lots of animal rescue organizations, but this is how I adopted Whisper, and it's a good place to start!
- July 26, 2007 7:01 PM
- KleoPatra said...
Bazu, i love this post!!! So wonderful in all ways. You are shining in the photos with the animals. They look so happy with you... obviously they know not to be in fear around you, that it is safe for them, that they are loved by you...
i just can't get over the great photos! So awesome!! The ice "cream" is great, too. But i keep lookin' at the live kids... made my day, you did! THANKS!
i really want to visit Farm Sanctuary and Best Friends Animal Society SO bad... worse than ever now!!
- July 26, 2007 9:45 PM
I love the photo of you and Whisper. You both look radiant and happy. Did you meet Sunflower, my turkey?
It is my goal to get up to the sanctuary this fall. I don't know for sure if it will happen but if it does a visit with you and Daiku is definitely a priority!
- July 26, 2007 9:51 PM
- textual bulldog said...
bazu bazu bazuuu, i loved this post! look at that gorgeous smiling pig (i love pigs)! look at you and your whisper! i would love to go there so much. gorgeous.
- July 26, 2007 10:51 PM
- Vegan_Noodle said...
Oh what an awesome post!! That is so cool that you got to meet your adopted turkey Whisper. How cute you two are together. I would love to visit a farm sanctuary, need to make some time for that soon.
Thanks for sharing!!
- July 27, 2007 9:50 AM
- Emilie said...
Still can't believe we missed each other! It's so funny looking at your beautiful pictures and knowing that I basically took the same ones maybe just even hours from you taking yours!
Next time, right?
- July 27, 2007 5:40 PM
- Melody Polakow said...
I have been wanting to take a trip to the Sanctuary for a while now... so when I do.. I will definitely hope to hook up with you!
The animals here literally brought tears to my eyes... and you look so happy and beautiful with them...
I loved your massive zuke in the last post... those big ass dudes beg to be stuffed.. and yours looks to die for!
- July 27, 2007 6:41 PM
- The Vegan Zombie Tofu said...
visiting farm sanctuary was one of the best experiences I had when I was in US.. I'm glad I did that..
anyways how r u doing??
- July 27, 2007 6:59 PM
- meesh said...
Some day I am going to make it up to the Farm Sanctuary near Sacramento, CA. I am, I am, I am! :)
It looks like you had a wonderful day with all the critters. I love the happy cow pics. Those great big brown eyes just do me in. SO do the little goats...and the pigs...and..the chickens...and...awww geeze. They're all precious. Thanks for taking such terrific pictures and sharing them with us.
- July 27, 2007 7:56 PM
- Tofu Mom (AKA Tofu-n-Sprouts) said...
Awwww.... just awwww.....
Love the pictures! You look happy and the animals look happy that you're there to see them! HOW SWEET!
- July 28, 2007 12:40 AM
- dreamy said...
I didn't knew turkeys can have blue head and neck :O The sheep looks so funny! Like he/she was shock or something hahaha...
And the piggy is so sweet when he/she is sleeping :) It must have been a lot of fun to be able to interact with the animals!
- July 28, 2007 8:06 AM
- Veg*Triathlete said...
You and the animals just look so full of peace and love and goodness--free from fear, the way things should be. Thanks for sharing your visit with us!
- July 28, 2007 9:43 AM


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Cedar Point
Cedar Point Amusement Park [2] is a 364-acre amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio on one of the North Coast Beaches overlooking Lake Erie. It is often billed as the "Worlds Largest Amusement Park", and draws visitors from throughout Ohio and surrounding states. It was voted the best amusement park in the world in 2008 by Amusement Today[3] for the eleventh year in a row
Cedar Point is one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks, having begun in the year 1870 as a beach resort on the shore of Lake Erie. Today it covers 364 acres and is home to some of the tallest, fastest rides in the world including Top Thrill Dragster and Millenium Force which are considered by many to be the best feeling in the world (make sure you keep your hands up throughout the entire ride). All up it contains more than 75 rides. Without doubt Cedar Point is the best amusement park in the world. It is a MUST for any serious thrillseeker out there with the second largest number of roller coasters ever found in a single amusement park (17 altogether with the opening of Maverick in 2007 and second to Six Flags Magic Mountain with 18). Although its primary attraction is the assortment of coasters, the park has rides and other attractions, including kiddie rides, water rides, a traditional arcade, award-winning musical shows, and a PEANUTS-themed ice skating show, etc. The park also offers access to the lovely beach on Lake Erie -- something which has been attracting visitors since its inception.
Two separate attractions are part of Cedar Point but not included in the general admission. Soak City is an outdoor water park; Castaway Bay is an elaborate indoor waterpark. Challenge Park features four attractions: 'Ripcord,' 'Skyscraper,' 'Challenge Racing' go kart tracks, and 'Challenge Golf', a fantasy miniature golf course.
One can easily spend a full day at the main Cedar Point by itself. If you plan to take in all the attractions, you should buy the 2-day "ride and slide" pass and to spread your enjoyment of Soak City and Cedar Point over two days.
Get in
Address and Phone
The park is located on a peninsula into Lake Erie at:
By Car
Sandusky is between Cleveland and Toledo.
Once you get to Sandusky, just follow the signs to the Cedar Point Causeway; the causeway is a toll road. Cedar Point can also be accessed via the Chausse, a single lane road along the entire peninsula which connects to Cleveland Road a few miles east of Sandusky.
By Private Boat
Cedar Point has two large Marinas on Lake Erie. The Cedar Point Marina allows daily slip rentals for $25 per day; it and the Castaway Bay marina also have seasonal docking arrangements.
By Train
Not the usual way to go to Cedar Point, but Amtrak serves the city of Sandusky with daily service from points east and west.
Admission and Discounts
Cedar Point's 2010 Admission prices are as follows:
Discount Admission
In addition to the discounts for seniors, combined days, children and military mentioned above, other discounts are available to Cedar Point. [4]
Get around
Because its size is constrained by surrounding Lake Erie and its own parking lots, Cedar Point is pretty tightly packed, so you can get around pretty easily on foot throughout the park. In addition, two of the more tranquil rides offer a means to get around the park itself.
Roller coasters, rides, water park, Challenge Park, Lake Erie. The Cedar Point blog has confirmed that no new rides are coming for the 2009 season, but there will be a few in-park improvements on the way as well as a peek at the new Cedar Fair corporate HQ. Some of the updates will include some new signs that are sure to impress around the park, including an LED screen going in at the causeway. A new ride sign for Magnum XL-200 will go up to promote the fact that this will be the ride's 20th anniversary. The old fountain near Raptor on the midway will also be removed to make way for a new interactive water sprayground area.
Roller Coasters
Thrill Rides
Children's Areas
Planet Snoopy - New for 2008
Camp Snoopy
Kiddy Kingdom
4x4 Dune Buggies
Hot Rods
Krazy Kars
Old Timers
Police Cars
Roto Whip
Sir Rub-A-Dub's Tubs
Sky Fighter
Gemini Midway
Bumper Boats
Frog Hopper
Rock Spin & Turn
Space Age
Challenge Park (Pay/Ride Area; Seperatly Gated)
The park has many food concessions operated by the park, including stands selling walking-around snacks and restaurants where you can sit and rest a short while. All are very fast-food oriented, with limited menus, and prices geared for a semi-captive market of visitors unwilling to endure the time-consuming hassle of driving back to the city just to get a meal. However, there are also several restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the park and fairly convenient to get to with a free park re-entry stamp... but these are also on the pricey side, for the same reason.
Beer and wine coolers are sold at various restaurants in the park, with a policy of one drink per valid U.S. driver's license or state photo ID (to prevent friends buying for their under-21 friends). The out-of-park restaurants generally have full bars and typical alcohol-sales requirements.
The city of Sandusky itself has numerous hotels and motels catering to Cedar Point visitors.
Cedar Point hires over 4000 seasonal employees from all across the US and beyond every year; about 2500 live at Cedar Point itself in employee housing. Actors and musicians in particular can find gainful work in their field (entertainment-related jobs are offered via auditions). While the wages aren't great, the park offers its workers a choice of subsidized dormitory accommodation and meals, and many opportunities for extra hours, so it is possible to save quite a bit of money over the course of the summer. With so many young people working there, as well as perks like free access to the park and other special events, Cedar Point can be a fun way to work over the summer.
Get out


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"I couldn't have coached without TeamSnap. I'm usually terribly disorganized. It controlled the chaos."
- Chris Harrison.
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Schedule and coordinate upcoming events including practices and games. Team members can sync the team schedule with Outlook, iCal, or Google Calendar.
Players input whether they can make games/practices on the web or their phone so you can plan accordingly. Never be left wondering again
TeamSnap's rugby team management app and software tools save a ton of time with organization and communication. 12,000,000 managers, coaches, parents and players gain a competitive edge using TeamSnap. Shouldn't you?
TeamSnap helps you spend less time organizing your team and more time coaching, cheering and winning! Paid plans start at just $9.99 a month, and we even start you off with a 21-day trial!
Easily communicate last-minute schedule changes, sync calendars, collect fees, check player availability, assign drink duties and much more.
TeamSnap gives you the resources you need to make the most of every season, including a podcast and blog to keep you in-the-know on everything youth sports. With TeamSnap, you can do it all!
There are two ways to coach a team: The easy way and the hard way.
Have you heard about TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues? The easiest way to save time with rugby club or league management. Chat with us to learn more!


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Build it Yourself Linux Super-Workstation Part 2
Power, Motherboard Challenges
In part one of this series we looked at the basic building blocks needed to put together your very own high-end Linux workstation. This time we'll finish out the actual hardware assembly and take a first look at some of the options from a software perspective.
figure 2
Making choices based purely on cost can sometimes lead to even higher costs in the long run. This is especially true when it comes to the right power supply. Choosing a cheap option might work for a low-end machine but could make for real problems when building a system loaded with power hungry devices.
One of the things we didn't talk about in the first article is power. The Thermaltake case we're using does not come with a power supply, so that's something we should have mentioned. On the other hand, it gives us the opportunity to look at power supply options in a little more detail this time around. Power supplies are not the most talked about (or written about) part of a computer by any stretch of the imagination. They can make a big difference in how your system performs and how long it lasts.
Most off-the-shelf consumer desktop computers come with a fairly wimpy power supply. It really won't matter unless you start adding lots of things like additional hard drives, high-end graphics cards or an upgraded CPU requiring more power. Building your own machine from parts is an entirely different story. Not only do you have power available (measured in Watts) to consider, there are also numbers and types of connectors for you to think about. If you plan on loading up your new tower with lots of disk drives, then you'll want a power supply with lots of disk drive power plugs.
Do a Google search on "PC power supply," and you'll quickly find a wide range of products both in cost and capacity. It's at this point that you want to decide on saving a few bucks versus investing in a solid and versatile power supply. If you choose the latter, you won't go wrong with Thermaltake. For this review they provide a Toughpower XT 650W supply that is a DIYer's dream. It has a completely modular design allowing you to choose only the connectors you need. It also happens to complement their tower cases quite nicely as well.
Motherboard Challenges
If there's one part of the whole build-it-yourself process that frightens most people away it has to be the motherboard and CPU installation step. We were not immune to a few challenges along the way. Our first motherboard came with a stuck power button that we couldn't seem to get around. After fighting with it for several days the good folks at AMD decided to provide a second board for us to use along with an older CPU chip.
Using the latest and greatest AMD quad-core CPU chip presented a bit of a challenge with the BIOS on the MSI motherboard we had in that the original bios didn't support the latest AM3 chip. So, you can't flash the BIOS without an older CPU and hence the reason they sent one along. With the new motherboard and the old CPU in hand we were able to get everything up and running in fairly short order.
The only hitch in the BIOS flashing process was the need for a Windows-based PC to create a bootable USB disk with the new firmware. Fortunately for us, we had one available and managed to create the USB firmware updated disk with no issues. MSI also has an on-line option for updating your BIOS, but this assumes you have a working machine on which you want to perform the update. Once we were able to update the BIOS we then swapped out the old CPU for the hot new one, and everything worked great.
- Skip Ahead
- 1. Power, Motherboard Challenges
- 2. Power, Motherboard Challenges


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Music Theatre of Connecticut Opens ANCESTRAL VOICES Tonight
"Ancestral Voices" is set in playwright A.R. Gurney's hometown of Buffalo, New York in the 1940s. It is a bittersweet story, perceived through the eyes of young Eddie, whose family is turned inside out when his grandmother unexpectedly divorces his grandfather in order to marry his grandfather's best friend. Simultaneously, the outside world is undergoing temporal changes and we follow the family through the ensuing decades of war and social upheaval. As with Gurney's popular play "Love Letters," "Ancestral Voices" was written to be performed informally, with actors reading from scripts. "I wrote it about my maternal grandparents, probably because at that time I had become a grandparent myself," says playwright A.R. Gurney. "In the process, I was influenced by specific events and details from my own family, but by the time I finished the play, it contained as many differences as similarities. If I were younger, or had a cousin in Hollywood, I might have originally aimed this story for the screen. Yet when I write, I seem to do better if I have in mind the image of live actors performing in front of responsive audiences. Besides, the theatre, which is an ancient and, in some ways, an outmoded medium, seems to be the best medium for presenting the ancient and outmoded customs which were once so much a part of my life."
The cast of "Ancestral Voices" includes three Connecticut professionals. Marty Bongfeldt of Danbury was last seen at MTC MainStage's critically-acclaimed production of "Cabaret." She co-starred with Van Johnson in "Anything Goes", played Tiger Lily opposite Cathy Rigby in "Peter Pan", and is a long time member of the Theatre Artists Workshop. John Flaherty of Norwalk is making his MTC MainStage debut. Flaherty's credits include "Othello" at The Shakespeare Theatre Company, "A Christmas Carol" at Ford's Theatre and "The Philadelphia Story" at Hartford Stage. Other New York credits include productions at Rattlestick Theatre, The Kraine Theatre and Expanded Arts. Jo Anne Parady of Southport has appeared off-Broadway, in commercials and day time television, and played Emilia in "Othello" at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. She was recently seen in "Momoirs: The Umbilical Cord Stops Here," a play that she co-wrote, at the the Zipper Theatre in NYC, and is also a long-time member of The Theatre Artists Workshop. New Yorker John Little recently appeared Off-Broadway in "The Christmas Rose" at Carnegie Hall with Jane Seymour, last season's "Poetic License" and "The Butterfly". Regional credits include "Henry IV" and "Oliver Twist" at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and numerous productions at Yale Rep, Syracuse Stage, Pioneer Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse and Goodspeed Musicals. Little recently played Bishop Norman on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire." Broadway veteran Michael McGurk appeared the original cast of "The Wedding Singer" and the original revival cast of "The Music Man." Other credits include Off-Broadway's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," the first national tour of "Dr. Dolittle," in numerous regional productions at Pittsburgh CLO, Sacramento Music Circus, Goodspeed Opera House, Barrington Stage, and has twice performed on The Tony Awards.


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Cardinal Scholars needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 47 designs submitted by 12 freelance designers.
Cardinal Scholars
We're a tutoring service that matches elementary, middle and high school students with tutors from Stanford. We have a strong focus on pairing students with tutors they can look up to. The rough version of our website is viewable at: http://cardinalscholars.com/
Our website will primarily target wealthy and involved moms (and dads) in the Silicon Valley.
We need a banner for our site (http://cardinalscholars.com/). We'd like it to contain one large image with space to overlay our name, two buttons and contact info. Our company name should be across the top, with some space left for buttons on the right. On the right side of the banner, we'd like to have two large buttons and our contact information. The button in the top right should say 'Book a Tutor'. The button immediately below it should say 'Browse Tutors'. Below these, we'd like to list our phone number and email address. The phone number is (650) 200-0071 and the email address will be email@example.com
The current color scheme of our site is cardinal, tan and black.


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Oklahoma Food Company Recalling Over 8,000 Pounds Of Chicken
AdvancePierre Food has placed a recall order on 873 cases of their Platinum Label Down Home Style Chicken Breast Fritters.
The reason for the recall is because of potential milk and soy allergen agents that were not properly labeled from their Enid, Oklahoma branch.
The product will have a production date of March 14 and March 21. The affected items will contain Lot Codes 5440730403 and 5440800403 as well as UPC code 36541 with Department of Agriculture establishment number 'P-2260Y.'
According to a statement by AdvancePierre Foods Senior Vice President of Quality Bill Theis, they have not received any consumer complaints or injuries related to the recalled products at this time.
KFOR reports that the states that will contain the recalled product are Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Virginia.


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Police Department
"End of School" Traffic Enforcement Project
With the end of the school year approaching, the Lincoln (NE) Police Department will be conducting its annual "End of School" traffic enforcement project. This project, funded by a grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, will allow for increased enforcement efforts each day, at and around the elementary schools in Lincoln for the purpose of traffic and pedestrian safety.
Officers will be assigned to watch for all traffic violations, including motorists speeding through school zones, vehicles driving past school bus warning devices (flashing lights with stop arms) and non-compliance with seat belt laws. There will be strict enforcement of the "25 MPH" flashing yellow school zones. Fines over $600 could be levied for speeding violations through a school zone during the times of operation.
This project will be conducted from March 31 - April 4, 2014 and again from May 5 - May 8, 2014. Drivers are reminded to be aware of the flashing yellow lights and obey speed limits around elementary schools.


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Stor-Age: Steven Horton, Gavin Lucas, Stephen Lucas
Providing people with access to their stuff in a clean and secure space is good business.
Gavin Lucas was 24 and completing his accounting articles when he and his dad Les Lucas decided to start a self-storage business in Cape Town. "In between working for KPMG and studying for my board exams, I would wake up at 5:30am, have planning meetings with my dad at 6:15am, and then head off to work.
I would duck out of the office during the day to have meetings with council officials, lawyers, bankers and our professional team. At night, I would start working on the business again. When I let a few of my colleagues know that we had been planning a 7 500m2 property development and that we had already made the bank's required pre-sales and obtained planning consent, they didn't believe me."
Learn to differentiate
Stor-Age provides short-term space for domestic and commercial customers on a flexible lease basis. Lucas says the business sets itself apart from other self-storage companies through the quality of its convenient locations, its purpose-built storage centres, and the best service offering in the industry.
"Our staff are trained to sell space and to give customers a positive experience. Storing goods is usually something people do because of a life changing event like death, divorce, moving or renovating, or because their business has a need. We ensure that they have a light, bright, clean and secure space," Lucas says.
Dedication is key
Lucas's commitment has been rewarded. Stor-Age is growing fast in South Africa and the world. After starting the business with a loan of R1 million in 2006, the company has a property portfolio of more than R750 million, which is expected to grow to R1 billion within the next year. Having started with four stores, Lucas aims to have 20 in operation by the end of 2013.
Know what matters
He says he has learnt a few key things. "Being able to communicate clearly is critically important. You must be able to set out clearly what the business is aiming to achieve and communicate it to the entire organisation at all levels. This becomes a challenge as the business grows."
He says success is not all about money. "To be truly successful, you need to be able to motivate staff to become passionate about what the business is doing. The market will reward this handsomely. I also believe in employing people who are smarter and have more experience than me in specific areas. This can unlock tremendous value. In this country there are large numbers of people who have retired early. Many of them would love to sink their teeth into SMEs. They've certainly proved to be a great addition to our team."
Vital stats
Company: Stor-Age
Players: Steven Horton, Gavin Lucas, Stephen Lucas
Est: 2006
Contact: 0861 181 818,
25 Of The Most Successful Business Ideas In South Africa
Find out who's making waves in numerous industries and how they managed to differentiate themselves in local and international industries.
"Disruption is all about risk-taking, trusting your intuition, and rejecting the way things are supposed to be. Disruption goes way beyond advertising, it forces you to think about where you want your brand to go and how to get there," says Richard Branson.
South Africa has its fair share of innovative and disruptive businesses taking both local and international industries by storm. From cutting edge space technology to reimagined logistics, and innovative business models, here are 25 of the most successful business ideas in South Africa:
- I Am Emerge Provides An App For Township Spaza Bulk Purchasing
- Tuluntulu Offers High Quality Video Streaming On Low Data Speeds
- SSG Consulting Developed KEY360: A Cloud-Based And Web-Enabled Platform For Managing Large-Scale Construction Projects
- Pargo Solving Last-Mile Distribution Challenges
- HouseME Is A Digital Real Estate Platform
- Olympic Paints Has Developed A Built-In Paint Tray Causing An Unexpected Industry Shift
- Passion4Performance Developed A Recognition of Prior Learning Assessment Concept
- NewSpace Systems Delivers High Quality Components At Lower Costs
- My Online Presence Creates End-To-End Solutions For Online Brand Presence
- Skynamo Offering Insights To Sales Teams In The Field
- RecruitMyMom Creating A Platform For Job-Seeking Moms
- GAAP Provides A Hardware And Software Point-Of Sale And Enterprise Solution For The Hospitality Industry
- HeroTel Bringing Wi-Fi To Low Income Communities
- Saryx Engineering Offers Digitised Compliance and Safety For Companies
- BrightBlack Is An Energy Providing Innovative Solar Energy Solutions
- Howler Is An Event Technology Platform
- execMobile's PocketWifi Keeps Business Travellers Connected
- Rhino Africa Provides Online Touring Assistance
- Snapplify Is Offering Students Access To Textbooks
- GoMetro A Commuter-Driven Mobile App
- Domestly Connecting Cleaning Professionals and Homeowners
- NMRQL Using AI To Deliver Consistent Returns
- Colony Live Connecting Users Across Multiple Platforms
- codeX Is Growing The Work Experience Of Coders In Africa
- This Is Me – Disrupting By Offering A Unique Business Model
Colin Timmis Says 'Position Yourself For Success By Starting With The Numbers'
People pay first who they feel pressure from, so people will pay you when they feel pressure from you.
Entrepreneur Colin Timmis founded South Africa's first cloud accounting practice in 2011, Real Time Accounting. Then, a few years after being appointed as South Africa's first Xero partner Colin became Xero Country Manager South Africa. Xero is the emerging global leader of online accounting software that connects small businesses to their advisors and other services.
Related: Pat Pillai On How He's Helped Over 5000 Entrepreneurs Using 3 Key Steps
Company Posts
Two 20 Year Olds Reshape Entrepreneur Landscape With New Social Investment Platform
The Merge vision is to become the 'go to', digital meeting place for entrepreneurs and investors, and to truly make a difference in the world.
Vital Stats
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mergeconnect/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mergeconnect/
- Website: http://www.mergeconnect.co/
- Email: email@example.com
- Number: 072 458 2182
It's no secret that finding the right investor for your venture is a challenge that most entrepreneurs face. The current process of finding investment is one that is outdated, and limits entrepreneurs due to a lack of time, and network that is needed to find the right investor. But, this doesn't have to be the case in today's digital society, says Zander Matthee and Brandon Bate, co-founders of Merge.
"By making the Internet the middleman, we are able to connect with each other much simpler and faster than before" was Zander's response. "We have taken advantage of this, and have created a digital meeting place for entrepreneurs and investors" added Brandon.
Merge is a social platform that connects entrepreneurs and investors. It aims to simplify, refine and accelerate the process of finding investment for entrepreneurs, and the process of finding investment opportunities for investors. From idea to developed, the platform allows entrepreneurs to present a brief outline of their venture to a network of all investor types. While doing this, entrepreneurs are able to browse through, and connect with investor profiles that suit their requirements.
Related: 8 Codes Of Success That Helped Priven Reddy of Kagiso Interactive Media Achieve A Networth Of Over R4 Billion
From Private Investors to Venture Capital, and everything in between, Merge allows all investor types to join. Investors have the opportunity to personalise their feed to suit their investment preferences, and will be able to connect with innovative businesses – that are looking for investment – at their fingertips. Only once there is a mutual interest in each other, are users able to enter a secure private chat where they can discuss further and share documents under the protection of a digital NDA.
The two boys became good friends during their time in high school at St Stithians Boys College. However, it was only in their last year, 2016, that they decided to pursue their dreams and create the platform. They didn't know how to code, so rather ironically, they needed some form of investment to get the platform off the ground.
"We knew we had a mountain to climb, but we believed in our vision and that we were really trying to make a difference, and if we could get others to see that, they would be onboard." said Zander.
Related: Lessons From The Rich And Famous: Manage Your Money Like Oprah To Avoid Going Into Debt Like Nicholas Cage
Chris Peters is one of these individuals that bought into their vision, and became Merge's first investor. As a successful entrepreneur and part time investor , Chris saw how much value the platform could bring to all entrepreneurs and investors alike. His marketing and strategic background gave him insight into how Merge could play a vital role in a lucrative space, Brand involvement.
"Entrepreneurship and SME development are two key factors that drive economic growth in developing countries like South Africa. That is why brands are currently getting involved, and looking to support entrepreneurs through various means. We have built a platform that allows these brands to successfully market, and execute on the programmes they have created to assist entrepreneurs." said Chris
Merge was created to assist all entrepreneurs and investors in finding exactly what they are looking for, regardless of age, race, sex, financial position or social status. That is why anybody can sign-up as an entrepreneur. As long as you are determined and willing to work for your dreams. For too long has the investor space been seen as an "elite club for the select few", and Merge is here to change that. Whether you've gotten your bonus at the end of the year and looking for new investment opportunities, or are an active investor, you can sign-up. Whether you're currently working, or a retired industry leader, you can join as a mentor.
Their vision is to become the 'go to', digital meeting place for entrepreneurs and investors, and to truly make a difference in the world.
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Thanks for Mel's ever-traveling husband, we'll be staying in the Marriott on the Mag Mile for... fah-ree!
We've also secured tickets to a show at Second City, the comedy club where many of the greats have gotten their start.
Yummy food. Good wine. Lots of hanging around the hotel relaxing and talking and just enjoying being together again.
I can't wait!
But you know that I couldn't truly relax unless I knew my fam here at home is well-taken care of. I prepared an information packet for Scott. Poor angel is left to pick up the chaotic insanity that the weekend became after I booked my plane ticket.
Here's what he's got to juggle...
- No school for the kiddos on Friday
- Girl Scout cookie pick up
- Emma has a GS overnight on Saturday
- Emma also has her first swim meet on Sunday, so he has to pick her up early from camping and get her to the meet
- GS cookie distribution to the troop
To a mom, yeah, well... it's all under control. But to dad who isn't in charge of Family Coordination, the list can seem a little overwhelming.
So Scott's info packet contains Google directions to everywhere he needs to go, all appropriate Girl Scout paperwork, a packing list for Emma, a spreadsheet with cookie distribution for each Girl Scout, phone numbers, dates, times, swim meet information and of course, directions to get to the swim meet.
It's taken me the better part of a week to coordinate it all for him. And I don't mind a bit.
After all, he is my Hero. Yup, Hero with a capital H.
I'll be back Monday eve, so I'll post photos and stories (the non-x rated ones hee hee) on Tuesday. Enjoy your weekends!


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Handy Apps needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 45 designs submitted by 13 freelance designers.
EasyMoney by Handy Apps
EasyMoney is the #1 Personal Finance Manager application for the Android smartphone. It combines a checkbook register, a bills reminder, a budget planner with an expense tracker all into one powerful finance application.
EasyMoney also comes with 30-day free trial and the full version sells for 9.95 usd.
Android and iPhone users who wants to manage their finances quickly and easily via their smartphones. Currently, EasyMoney is available on Android Market only but we will be launching for the iPhone soon.
This project is to design 4 mobile banner ads (300x50) that will be viewed on Android smartphones & iPhones
The mobile banner ads promote EasyMoney, a paid app for managing personal finance for Android smartphones
The 4 mobile ads are to be displayed in another app called 'TipNSplit' which is a tip calculator app
The ads should entice TipNSplit users to click on it and download EasyMoney
The 4 ads should vary in visuals since they will be rotated
Each of the 4 ad deliver message about the 4 major benefits of using EasyMoney. They are:
Manage your finances on the go!
Download EasyMoney now!
Budget planning made easy with EasyMoney!
Download now!
No more late payment fees!
Get bill reminders with EasyMoney.
Download now!
Track expenses quickly & easily with EasyMoney!
Download now!
Designer can modify the text if they wish, we are open to ideas
For more info on EasyMoney, please visit the following urls:
Attached is an image of TipNSplit tip calculator showing the position of the current generic Admob banner that we will be replacing with the newly designed banners.


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Food & Wine Experience of Blue Sky Fest offers best of both, and music, too
It's a blue sky day.
In Mammoth that means mountains in clear relief against a cobalt sky, lakes and rivers that sparkle and rush.
And it's Saturday: Day 2 of the Blue Sky Fest, spread out around and adjacent to the grounds of Cerro Coso College.
The newest facet of this festival is the Blue Sky Experience – a cooking competition; seminars on wine and food pairings, complete with demonstrations; 20 wineries pouring exquisite tastings; and a live auction – all wrapped up in music by City Folk, Strunz and Farah, Vance Gilbert and the Tito Puente, Jr. Orchestra.
An experience it will be, according to the chefs and wineries who will bring their best recipes and vintages to the Blue Sky Food & Wine Experience.
Outdoor cooking competition
Saturday afternoon at 4:30 wine tasting begins around the perimeter of the Blue Sky Tent.
Then at 5 o'clock, five chefs will begin cooking up tasty menus in a cooking competition. Visitors will be able to vote for their favorites in a People's Choice award.
Gary Johnson will bring his Santa Maria BBQ extravaganza. "Santa Maria is a unique style of BBQ," Johnson said.
Instead of cooking low and slow in a smoke chamber, this is cooking over a hot fire of red oak, using a grate that is raised and lowered according to the heat desired.
Johnson's Santa Maria Tri-Tip BBQ will be accompanied by pinquito beans, a small bean grown only in the Santa Maria Valley.
While he believes the meat should taste great on its own, he will provide some sauces for those who want to dress their BBQ: probably a mustard based, a ketchup/vinegar based and his own Southwest Cowboy sauce.
In the world of BBQ competitions, the team is critical. Johnson, also known as Lowbelly BBQ, will utilize his seasoned pit man Tyler Goforth, and Richard Price of Sacramento, a chili cook off expert who will contribute to the depth and flavor of the pinquito beans.
Over at his cooking station, Mammoth local chef Dan Molnar will whip up some Baja fish tacos, grilled corn salsa and cabbage slaw. "A little lime, a little heat, the crunch of the slaw..."
Known as "Powder Dan" for his love of powder skiing, and as a private caterer whose cuisine is approachable and straightforward, Molnar dreams of teaching the culinary arts. "I love teaching people about food."
Skiing and catering: a perfect pairing.
"It's about the experience, engaging the senses," said Richard Haake, a chef who will team up with chef David Katz to prepare paella.
He's got a paella pan that is four feet in diameter; it will make enough for 150 people.
When we spoke by phone, Haake was doing the math on his ingredients. For one pan of paella he needs 12 pounds of rice (It's all about the rice, he says.)
The ingredients are coming from Spain and Katz is making chorizo sausage in Napa to be used, along with pork, seafood and chicken.
Food and wine seminars
For those who like to drink wine with their food, but might not know how to go about choosing one to go with the other, Friday and Saturday are for you.
In the Edison Theatre (Friday from 1-5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) chefs and wineries will enlighten fans into the magic of food and wine pairings, and offer their unique tips and secrets.
"It's all about education that taps into what people enjoy...passion for wine, passion for food...together a way of presenting it when you get to taste the wine and the food working together," said Richard Haake.
"It's sensory. You're not just sitting there watching, but experts are putting it in front of you."
Haake calls on his past experience as executive chef of the Robert Mondavi Winery. Haake said the Mondavis brought together wine, food and music back in 1976. And it just keeps getting better.
It's a balancing act, he said, in complementing flavors or contrasting them. For instance, pairing rich, fatty food with a light, acidic wine.
Haake likes to make analogies. Think of squeezing lemon over your food, he suggests. Sauvignon Blanc acts like a lemon.
Haake is doing two seminars: one with Spanish wine expert Chris Collins. They will pair five different wines with five different Spanish tapas (including salt cod crostini, slow roasted duck breast with a cherry orange sauce, and bogadillo – a panini type sandwich of serrano ham and Manchego cheese).
The other seminar is titled California Vintage.
As consulting chef for one of the first California dedicated wine bars in Hong Kong, Haake will talk about California wines that are leading the charge into China, where there's a curiosity about California food and wine. He'll use wines from Peachy Canyon, which are featured in Hong Kong, and California traditional fare like cioppino, BBQ, garlic fries (a nod to Gilroy garlic capital) and tacos.
Yvonne Tally will also make two presentations, using the same menu.
Author of "Your Fit Gourmet," Tally cooks within the season – "something raw with every meal, healthy and fast," she said.
"The big thing for me is I love to eat, I love really good food. Healthy food isn't grass and tree bark."
Tally found her way to healthy food via France. As someone who put butter on her croissants when she first arrived to study cooking, she returned to the states to find that her mother had to change her entire diet because of having her gall bladder removed.
Change of pace. Now, she says, in place of saturated fats, she uses a lot of olive oil, braising, roasting and pureeing to bring out flavors; "It's about bringing out the essence of natural food," she said.
Tally will prepare an avocado, cucumber and blueberry salad with an orange splash; smoked paprika grilled salmon with a reduction spice glaze, which will be served with a red quinoa, Shiitake pancake.
Appropriately enough, Tally's food will be paired with wines from Talley Vineyards.
Tally looks forward to that extra dimension of pairing wine with food. "All local foods and California wines in a beautiful location, Mammoth."
To be experienced
This is not all there is; it's just the food and wine portion. All 20 participating wineries are listed on the Blue Sky Fest website. You'll also find out about the raffles, the live and silent auctions, the music and the adventures at www.BlueSkyFest.com.


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The first day was all about the history and pedigree of the Chevy small block. Today, we experienced how the small block is being used nowadays and a firsthand account of cruising on Woodward. We started the day at the birthplace of ZO6, ZR1, and Grandsport Corvette motors. Then, we cruised Woodward in the Chevy parade and ended the day by sampling applications of the small block in both Chevy cars and others.
The GM Performance Center is where traditional craftsmanship and modern attention to detail meet to create some of the highest performing motors on the planet. Here, every 430hp Grand Sport motor, 505hp Z06 motor and 638hp ZR1 motor take shape. Each motor is built completely by hand and signed by the technician that builds it.
To ensure correct specifications, advanced torque wrenches are used to give the builder a guide when each individual fastener is bolted to the motor. In fact, each bolt's torque is registered in a massive database for each engine to ensure quality even after the engine leaves the factory. No other facilities offer this level of attention to detail, not even many of Mercedes' AMG engines.
Not only is every motor built by hand, but if you partake in the Build Your Own program, the hands that build your Z06, ZRI or Grandsport motor could be your own. For $5800, you can visit the performance center, and with the help of a qualified GM engine builder, build your own motor. At the end of the process, your own name will appear on your engine's build plate.
After the Performance center, we partook in the Centennial GM Cruise. There were multiple examples of both GM's heritage and future presented here. Everything from vintage Camaro's, a Corvair, the new ZL1, and 50 Chevy Volts whose owners drove from all over the country to attend.
Cruising Woodward in this formation is an experience in and of itself. For starters, it's one of the few times you can have police lights in your mirror and not be terrified. And then there's just the visceral experience of it all, especially in a new SS Chevy Camaro Convertible. You don't go fast, but are just surrounded by thousands of examples of rolling Americana. The smells, sounds and environment all harken back to a time period that we are still waiting to return to.
The Camaro convertible is a perfect car for such a trip, because it's a car of theater. In normal day-to-day traffic it has low visibility and is too relaxed, but in an event like this, or any day where you really want to enjoy the drive at any speed, and the Camaro shines. The styling stands out from miles away, especially in the Big Bird Yellow my car came in (there's no other color to get a convertible in). The engine, burbling with anticipation and ready to launch at any moment, rumbles in the background. Plus, the best part of the convertible is that it solves the visibility issues of the coupe, with the top down of course. I could think of no other car to take to an event like this.
We finished the day with a celebration of cars with small blocks of any kind. Present were resto-mods, a rat rod, a modified Camaro, and even a Miata. The best part was that the owners were gracious enough to take us for a ride. I was able to ride along in a modified new Camaro with parts you can buy at a Chevy dealership today, and still keep your warranty. The differences from my stock one were astounding. The attitude is just ramped up with a new exhaust and intake. In addition, the heritage body parts connected the car to its past, but with a modern twist. If you're interested in these parts, check out the Synergy packages on the Camaro configurator on GM's site for the wheels and body parts. The performance parts can be had on Chevy's site as well as GM Performance Part's site.
Throughout the day we were able to experience the performance and tradition of the small block and Woodward in a way that numbers could never do. To see thousands of people lined up to catch a glimpse of these old cars is truly amazing. It was also to see the dedication and tradition that goes into the best Corvette motors and how the small block can end up in many other packages. The best part was that Day Two was just the beginning; today will be the full Monty with most of the cars making an appearance. Bullz-Eye will also be exploring some traditional Detroit landmarks in the SS Camaro. Make sure to check back tomorrow for our Woodward finale piece.
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Here's Why The EU Is Crazy Not To Insist On Full Transparency During TAFTA/TTIP
from the information-asymmetry dept
One of the most recent Snowden stories has garnered relatively little attention, perhaps because it appeared (in English) on the Danish site Information.dk:
At the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, the world's nations were supposed to reach an agreement that would protect future generations against catastrophic climate change. But not everyone was playing by the rules. A leaked document now reveals that the US employed the NSA, its signals intelligence agency, to intercept information about other countries' views on the climate negotiations before and during the summit. According to observers, the spying may have contributed to the Americans getting their way in the negotiations
As the report on Information.dk explains, the US was able to use inside knowledge of the negotiating positions of other countries to strengthen its bargaining position. Indeed, it didn't bother bargaining at all, since it learned that there was a "final" proposal being held in reserve to reach an agreement that would give it pretty much what it wanted. It knew that it only had to wait.
It's a great story, and well-worth reading, but here I want to concentrate on its implications for another major agreement, currently being negotiated: TAFTA/TTIP. On the one side is the US, on the other, the 28 nations that go to make up the European Union. Because they have differing views on the TAFTA/TTIP negotiations, it's necessary to pass around many documents conveying information about the current negotiations, and seek to obtain some kind of consensus on future EU proposals and flexibilities.
In the wake of Snowden's revelations, security will doubtless be much better than during the Copenhagen Summit, when supposedly secret messages were sent using unencrypted emails. But it only needs one weak link in the European Union's security chain -- somebody who forgets to encrypt his or her message, or who leaves it on a system that has been compromised -- and the NSA will be able to access that information, and pass it on to the US negotiators, just as it did in Copenhagen.
The key point is that there is a profound information asymmetry in the TAFTA/TTIP talks. Although the spy agencies of the EU countries will doubtless be trying their best to obtain confidential information about US negotiating tactics, it will be much harder than it is for the US to do the same about EU positions. That's because the NSA is far larger, and far more expert than the EU agencies. GCHQ is probably the nearest in terms of capabilities, but is so closely allied with the NSA in other areas that it probably won't be trying too hard so as not to annoy its paymaster.
This more or less guarantees that the US will know everything about the EU's negotiating plans during TAFTA/TTIP, while the EU will remain in the dark about the US intentions. That not only undercuts the European Commission's argument that releasing documents is not possible because they must remain secret during the negotiations -- they won't be -- it also gives the EU a huge incentive to insist on full transparency for the talks. That way, the EU negotiators would be able to see at least some US documents that currently are hidden from them, whereas the US would gain little that it didn't already know through more dubious means.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and +glynmoody on Google+
Filed Under: eu, nsa, secrecy, surveillance, tafta, trade negotiations, transparency, ttip


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Lincoln Mayor Don Wesely today released a study on downtown parking, which recommends the construction of two new parking garages one at 9th and "Q" streets and another on the eastern edge of downtown. The study was conducted by Kirkham Michael Consultants in conjunction with the Downtown Lincoln Association, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the State of Nebraska Department of Administrative Services and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Public Building Commission.
"We are very fortunate that Lincoln's downtown is thriving, and our parking needs have increased," said Wesely. "Because this study brought together all the major groups impacted by the parking situation, I am confident these recommendations will lead us in the right direction."
Kirkham Michael worked with a committee chaired by Tom Wright of Wright's Jewelers, which included representatives of downtown businesses and major employers. The study examined the future parking needs downtown by identifying existing inventory, the existing deficiencies, projected growth and possible parking solutions. The new report updates a 1993 downtown parking study. Since then, 2,422 spaces have been added to the downtown parking inventory for a total of 22,423 spaces.
Other recommendations of the study include:
A copy of the study is available on request.
Media Release


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U.S. to begin easing sanctions on Iran
Mon, 20 Jan 2014 16:12:09 GMT —
DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) â?? The White House says the U.S. will begin easing economic sanctions on Iran after Tehran began shutting down its most sensitive nuclear work Monday.
Iran's move was part of a landmark deal struck with world powers to ease concerns over its nuclear program and provide for the partial removal of economic sanctions that have crippled the country's economy.
White House spokesman Jay Carney adds in a statement that Washington will continue to aggressively enforce sanctions that will remain in effect.
The United Nations nuclear agency has confirmed that higher-level uranium enrichment at a facility in central Iran has been stopped.
The European Union also has announced that it is suspending some sanctions following the Tehran's implementation of its commitment.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.