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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug 05, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2010.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2010, Activision Blizzard's GAAP net revenues were $967 million, and its non-GAAP net revenues were $683 million. For the quarter ended June 30, 2010, Activision Blizzard's GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.17, and the company's non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.06. The company reports results on both a GAAP and a non-GAAP basis. Please refer to the tables at the back of this press release for a reconciliation of the company's GAAP and non-GAAP results.
Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, stated, "Our quarterly results were fueled by continued strong consumer response to Activision Publishing's Call of Duty® franchise and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft®. For the first and second quarters, we outperformed our earnings per share outlook, and we grew our operating margin year over year for the six month period, driven by our focused effort to increase digital revenues. There are clearly more opportunities than ever before to create great games and we are at the forefront of doing so."
"Looking to the balance of the year, we expect to release the best slate in our company's history. Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ is off to a strong start worldwide with midnight openings on July 27, 2010 at 3,100 GameStop stores in the U.S. and 8,000 retailers around the world. We are, of course, enthusiastic about Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm™, which began a closed beta test on June 30," Kotick added.
Kotick continued, "Call of Duty: Black Ops™ is shaping up to be one of the best games Activision Publishing has ever created, the marketing programs are the biggest in the company's history and to date, pre-orders of the game exceed the pre-orders for Modern Warfare 2 at this time last year. This fall, our lineup includes Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero®: Warriors of Rock™, DJ Hero 2™, Tony Hawk®: SHRED™, Spider-Man™: Shattered Dimensions, GoldenEye 007™ and Bakugan®, all of which look to be very promising as well. We have never been better positioned for the holiday season than we are today with such a strong slate of games and the best team in our industry to bring them to market."
Business Highlights
For the first six months of the calendar year, in the U.S. and Europe, Call of Duty was the #1 third-party franchise and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the #1 first-person action game, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk. Additionally, for the six month period, Activision Publishing was the #2 U.S. third-party console and handheld publisher, according to The NPD Group.
Other highlights are as follows:
- During the quarter, in the U.S., Call of Duty was the #3 franchise overall and the #1 first-person action franchise, according to The NPD Group.
- According to The NPD Group, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the #1 first-person action title overall in the U.S. for the quarter.
- Blizzard Entertainment estimates that StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty sold through more than 1 million units in its first 24 hours, making it the best-selling PC game of 2010, and 1.5 million units in its first 48 hours, setting a record for fastest-selling strategy game of all time.
- During the quarter, according to The NPD Group, Activision Blizzard had four top-10 U.S. PC games - Activision Publishing's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King ®, World of Warcraft Battle Chest® and Diablo® Battle Chest®.
- During the quarter, life-to-date sales of map packs for the Call of Duty franchise surpassed 20 million units.
- During the quarter, sales from digital online channels grew more than 20% year over year.
- During the quarter, Activision Publishing released four games -- Shrek Forever After™, Blur™, Singularity™ and Transformers™: War for Cybertron -- as well as two Call of Duty map packs -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® 2 Stimulus Package for the PLAYSTATION®3 and PC and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Pack for the Xbox® 360.
- On February 10, 2010, Activision Blizzard announced that its Board of Directors had authorized a stock repurchase program under which the company can purchase up to $1 billion of the company's common stock. As of June 30, 2010, Activision Blizzard had purchased $334 million of its common stock, or approximately 31 million shares.
- On April 2, 2010, Activision Blizzard paid a cash dividend of $0.15 per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 22, 2010.
On July 13, Activision Blizzard announced that marketing and advertising industry veteran Eric Hirshberg has been named Chief Executive Officer of Activision Publishing, effective September 7, 2010. In this role, Mr. Hirshberg will oversee Activision Publishing's operational management including its studio, product development functions and consumer marketing activities. He will report to Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard.
Company Outlook
In the third quarter, Blizzard Entertainment released StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, and Activision Publishing expects to release Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system from Sony and the Wii home video game system from Nintendo; and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system from Sony, the Wii home video game system from Nintendo, and the Nintendo DS.
Additionally, Activision Publishing has moved the anticipated release date for its upcoming open-world action title, True Crime®: Hong Kong, from 2010 to 2011 in order to give the development team more time to deliver the high-quality entertainment experience they envision for the game.
Activision Blizzard's outlook is based on assumptions about sell through rates for its products and the launch timing, success and pricing of its new slate of products which are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including declines in the overall demand for video games and in the demand for the company's products, the dependence in the interactive software industry and by the company on an increasingly limited number of popular franchises for a disproportionately high percentage of revenues and profits, the company's ability to predict shifts in consumer preferences among genres, such as music and casual games, and competition. Current macroeconomic conditions and market conditions within the video game industry increase those risks and uncertainties.
The company's outlook is also subject to other risks and uncertainties including litigation and associated costs, fluctuations in foreign exchange and tax rates, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers and risks relating to the ongoing ability of Blizzard Entertainment's licensee, NetEase.com, Inc., to operate World of Warcraft in China on a paying basis without interruption. As a result of these and other factors, actual results may deviate materially from the outlook presented below.
Despite Activision Publishing moving the release of True Crime: Hong Kong into 2011, Activision Blizzard is reaffirming its calendar year 2010 outlook due to an increase in its expectations for the Call of Duty brand in the fourth quarter. For the calendar year, the company still expects GAAP net revenues of $4.2 billion and GAAP earnings per diluted share of $0.49, and on a non-GAAP basis, the company still expects net revenues of $4.4 billion and $0.72 earnings per diluted share as provided on May 6, 2010.
For the third quarter of calendar year 2010, Activision Blizzard expects GAAP net revenues of $600 million, and to break even on GAAP earnings per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, the company expects net revenues of $725 million and $0.08 earnings per diluted share for the third quarter.
Conference Call
Today at 4:30 p.m. EDT, Activision Blizzard's management will host a conference call and Webcast to discuss the company's results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 and management's outlook for the remainder of the calendar year.
The company welcomes all members of the financial and media communities and other interested parties to visit the "Investor Relations" area of www.activisionblizzard.com to listen to the conference call via live Webcast or to listen to the call live by dialing into 888-389-5986 in the U.S. with passcode 1545851.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Activision Blizzard provides net revenues, net income (loss), earnings (loss) per share and operating margin data and guidance both including (in accordance with GAAP) and excluding (non-GAAP): the impact of the change in deferred net revenues and related cost of sales with respect to certain of the company's online-enabled games; expenses related to share-based payments; Activision Blizzard's non-core exit operations (which are the operating results of products and operations of the historical Vivendi Games, Inc. businesses that the company has exited or substantially wound down); costs related to the business combination between Activision, Inc. and Vivendi Games, Inc. (including transaction costs, integration costs, and restructuring activities); the amortization of intangibles and impairment of intangible assets; and the associated tax benefits.
Management believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with additional useful information to measure Activision Blizzard's financial and operating performance because they facilitate comparison of operating performance between periods and help investors to better understand the operating results of Activision Blizzard. Internally, management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the company's operating results, as well as in planning and forecasting.
Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Activision Blizzard recognizes that there are limitations associated with the use of these non-GAAP financial measures.
Activision Blizzard's non-GAAP financial measures are not based on a comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, and the terms non-GAAP net revenues, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per share, and non-GAAP operating margin do not have a standardized meaning. Therefore, other companies may use the same or similarly named measures, but exclude different items, which may not provide investors a comparable view of Activision Blizzard's performance in relation to other companies.
Management compensates for the limitations resulting from the exclusion of these items by considering the impact of the items separately and by considering Activision Blizzard's GAAP as well as non-GAAP results and outlook and, in this release, by presenting the most comparable GAAP measures directly ahead of non-GAAP measures, and by providing a reconciliation that indicates and describes the adjustments made.
About Activision Blizzard
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard, Inc. is a worldwide online, PC, console, handheld and mobile game publisher with leading positions across every major category of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry.
Activision Blizzard maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea and China. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Blizzard's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements under the heading "Company Outlook," are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Activision Blizzard generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Blizzard's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Blizzard's titles, increasing concentration of titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment and market conditions within the video game industry, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, any further difficulties related to World of Warcraft in China, Activision Blizzard's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Blizzard's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality "hit" titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and Activision Blizzard assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.


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This picture was taken in San Francisco Coffee located at Bangsar South, Sphere. Apparently, this new neighbourhood shopping mall is quite nice with open glass concept. I will try to post more pictures as soon as I get my laptop sorted out.
San Francisco Coffee @ Bangsar South19 11 2009
Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Bangsar South, Coffee, Portrait, San Francisco, Sphere
Categories : Hanging Out

subset: commoncrawl


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When: 6:30pm Monday April 6th, 2009
Where: CBS Interactive – 235 2nd Street San Francisco, CA
RSVP: How FriendFeed uses MySQL to store schema-less data
Join the SF MySQL Meetup for our April meetup where Bret Taylor from FriendFeed talks about how they store their data in a "schema-less" system on top of MySQL. FriendFeed stores over 250 million entries and a bunch of other data, from comments and "likes" to friend lists.
As the database has grown, they have tried to iteratively deal with the scaling issues that come with rapid growth. They did the typical things, like using read slaves and memcache to increase read throughput and sharding our database to improve write throughput. However, as FriendFeed grew, scaling their existing features to accommodate more traffic turned out to be much less of an issue than adding new features.
In particular, making schema changes or adding indexes to a database with more than 10 – 20 million rows completely locks the database for hours at a time. After some deliberation, FriendFeed decided to implement a "schema-less" storage system on top of MySQL rather than use a completely new storage system. This talk attempts to describe the high-level details of the system.
More about the event after the break
Posted under Events, Internet, mysql, Technology, Tips & Tricks, Web Development
This post was written by Michael Tougeron on March 28, 2009


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Opening this weekend is Julian Farino's The Oranges. The film is about two families who are best friends and neighbors- until one of the daughters (Leighton Meester) begins an affair with her father's best friend (Hugh Laurie), and the comical and emotional aftermath of that affair. The all-star cast includes Catherine Keener as Laurie's wife who finds a new purpose in life, Allison Janney and Oliver Platt as Nina's bewildered parents and Alia Shawkat as Laurie's daughter- and Nina's former best friend turned arch rival. It also stars Adam Brody and up-and-comer Sam Rosen.
At the recent New York City press junket, I was able to speak to Alia Shawkat and Adam Brody about their breakfast preferences, the film itself, their characters, working with an ever-present screenwriting team, and the other projects that they have been and will be working on. Hit the jump to watch.
Finally, click here to watch my video interview with Hugh Laurie and Catherine Keener.
Adam Brody and Alia Shawkat
- What kind of cereal do they like (they're always eating it in the movie)
- What made them want to be part of the film
- What was it like working for a director and screenwriting team that were always there for you
- Will part of you always be Seth Cohen (The O.C.)
- What is it like being back filming Arrested Development and playing Maeby Fünke again
- What's next for them


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Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer and Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings to lead the streaking Philadelphia Phillies to their seventh straight win, 3-1 over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
The Phillies continued their late push for an NL wild-card spot with a three-game sweep of the Marlins. Up next for the Phillies, four games in Houston against the NL-worst Astros.
Philadelphia came in four games out of a playoff spot in the always-changing wild card standings. The Phillies (72-71) are on a season-high winning streak and have won 15 of 19 to move over .500 for the first time since they were 28-27 on June 3.
Rollins hit a two-run homer off Josh Johnson (8-12) in the seventh for a 3-1 lead.
Phillippe Aumont worked a scoreless eighth and Jonathan Papelbon completed the four-hitter with his 34th save. Papelbon fanned Gorkys Hernandez with two runners on to end it.
The five-time defending NL East champion Phillies have made an amazing run since they seemed out of contention at 37-51 on July 13. Fueled by a rotation that has found its groove, and unexpected contributions from role players, the Phillies have become one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Their 15-4 record since Aug. 23 is the best in the National League and they are 21-8 in their last 29 home games.
Johnson did his best to shut down the Phillies early, taking a no-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the sixth.
Rollins led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on John Mayberry Jr.'s two-out single to center.
With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley slumping, the Phillies have relied on clutch hits from unheralded players like Mayberry during this recent streak. Mayberry beat Colorado on Sunday with the winning single in the ninth inning.
But it's the stars like Rollins who still need to shine during the stretch drive.
Lee (5-7) seemed headed toward a tough luck no-decision until the offense came through with timely hits in the seventh.
Pinch hitting for Lee, Pete Orr hit a two-out single. Rollins followed with his 19th homer, a two-run shot to right, that sent the late-afternoon crowd into a frenzy and gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead.
Lee struck out the side in the fourth inning and fanned Hernandez to open the fifth. He tossed four-hit ball and struck out six in seven innings to earn only his second home victory of the season.
Lee has regained his Cy Young form after making 13 starts to open the season without a win. He also had a stint on the disabled list and even had a 10-inning scoreless outing wasted against San Francisco when the Giants won 1-0 in the 11th.
"He looks like he's enjoying pitching again," manager Charlie Manuel said before Wednesday's game.
Lee allowed only an unearned run in the sixth after two straight Marlins batters reached on errors.
Rollins, who leads all NL shortstops in fielding percentage, booted Donovan Solo's grounder. Jose Reyes hit a one-hopper that Lee snagged wide of the mound, whirled around and threw wide to second for an error. Carlos Lee followed two batters later with an RBI single to right for the 1-0 lead.
That's the kind of sloppy play that might have done in the Phillies before the All-Star break.
Not this month.
Lee, Rollins Lead Surging Phils Over Marlins
Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer and Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings to lead the streaking Philadelphia Phillies to their seventh straight win.
Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer and Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings to lead the streaking Philadelphia Phillies to their seventh straight win, 3-1 over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.


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Anutha fine masterpiece by the picasso of sigs K-Train
"Like a midget at a urinal, I knew I had to be on my toes." - Lt. Frank Drevin
I wonder what they whill cry about this time? I didn't even see anything that could have went the other way than it was called.
What a game, we had an awesome time, our seats were the best, I will post pics later. This was the loudest crowd Ive seen since the Pats AFC game a few years ago. At one point, probably after that long 3rd quarter drive, they played that song/video that starts out in slow motion in black and white and then went to color and full speed, all showing great hits. The crowd went nuts and got real loud. It lasted until the end of the game and led directly to a motion penalty on Seattle.
We sat in our seats after the game abd watched everyone exit. We also watched the ground crew..that was interesting. We had been told they sod after every game, not the entire field, just certain places that have been dug up. They have this machine that puts the sod back, really kewl. The field looks beautiful. Oh also, Steely is a thing of the past, he is not on the field at all. We were told he got booed so badly (the 1st home game) and kept getting in the way, that now he is inside only. Then someone from the event staff kicked us out. Now I can say I have been kicked out of the best place in the world.
Peace & Yours in Black 'N Gold,
Many thanks to BR7 (Ron) for the sig and matching avatar
I was impressed with the noise in the stadium. It was loud!!!! It was a great game and I was glad to see the fans getting into it!
sig made by K Train....Thank you!
He also commented on how quiet the fans get for the offense here. From a quarterback, and he was not a bad one, that is a pretty heavy compliment!
"Like a midget at a urinal, I knew I had to be on my toes." - Lt. Frank Drevin
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Let the Duquesne Whistle Blow
July 21, 2012
Picture on a blog of a picture on a shelf.
Dad's on the right.
The tracklist for Tempest, Bob Dylan's upcoming album, was released on Tuesday:
1. Duquesne Whistle
2. Soon After Midnight
3. Narrow Way
4. Long and Wasted Years
5. Pay in Blood
6. Scarlet Town
7. Early Roman Kings
8. Tin Angel
9. Tempest
10. Roll on John
In response, the armies of Dylan analysts went on red alert. The Expecting Rain discussion about the (as-yet-unheard) album suffered 500-posts in the first day. With little to go on but song titles, I'll mostly keep my powder dry for now.
Still ... I have to note the first track, "Duquesne Whistle," because my father was born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, in 1925, according to his birth certificate. My next earliest addresses for him are a couple miles up the Monongehela, in Clairton (where The Deer Hunter was set).
For me, the title of the song is great news. For one thing, it confirms that Bob Dylan is indeed sending me — and not you — subliminal messages through his song lyrics. What a relief! I was beginning to think I was just imagining things.
More importantly, Bob has thrown Duquesne to the Dylanologists like meat to ravening wolves. Over the years, the song will provide an ongoing opportunity to know more about my dad's native town and the history of this particular corner of America.
My father was the first child of immigrant workers, starting a family in a steel mill town full of other immigrant workers. His own father had just arrived two years before from Austria — aboard the SS President Fillmore, believe it or not.
The other families on my dad's particular street had just arrived from Mexico, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hungary, and Lithuania, according to the 1930 census. Dad was an anchor baby, if you prefer.
Some time in the late 1930's — that is, in the depths of the Depression — the family moved to Milwaukee, where dad met mom at a bowling alley. She was a farm girl from just outside Port Washington, where Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded for Paramount.
It was a good move, I think, since the shock of the Depression seems to have been less sharp in Wisconsin. Mom reports being largely unaware of it on the farm — they weren't rich, but then, they never had been. Prohibition made a much bigger impact on her, because it brought a still into the house.
Dylan's "Duquesne Whistle" will help illuminate my dad's side of the story. That seems natural, since music was the main reason I got into family history at all.
I had focused obsessively on "Americana" or "roots music" for 15 years before I tried to do any original research on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. Its "Moonshiner's Dance" entry was the obvious place to start, as it was recorded right here in Minnesota.
But I soon understood it as the exception that proves the Anthology's rules — the only really Northern recording on the Anthology, for example, and the only cut making the sounds of recent immigration.
We are so satisfied by our dreams of a musical South that Duquesne and St. Paul (and even Hibbing) are a kind of terra incognita in America's musical imagination — so much so that my own geneaology has emerged as a critical source of information. Let the Duquesne whistle blow.
I've long postponed my Duquesne research for when I can visit it and Clairton myself — maybe when I finally attend the Harry Smith Festival in Millheim, PA. But now, I might not have to see the place at all — Bob Dylan and the internet may have just rendered my personal voyage of self discover entirely pointless! Hallelujah!
Of course, the song may not even turn out to be about Duquesne, PA. It may refer, for example, to the Pennsylvania Railroad train route the Duquesne that used to run from Manhattan's Penn Station to Harrisburg. Or maybe it refers to the CSI Miami character, Calleigh Duquesne. Bob likes the ladies, I think.
But I'm not concerned. A Dylan song not being about something doesn't mean that this something won't provide plenty of fodder for research and analysis.
PS: Note that Earl Hines was also from Duquesne, PA. There's a great chapter in William Howland Kenney's book, Jazz on the River, that deals with the musical environment/cultural history of Pittsburgh and its environs.


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A Day of New Beginnings
January 20th was a big day for new beginnings. The United States inaugurated a new president who has made history. And, Lexington Medical Center welcomed eight babies into the world.
WLTX, the CBS affiliate TV station in Columbia, visited one of our Inauguration Day babies and her mom. Check out the story by reporter Jennifer Tomazic below.


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4 hours ago
June 30, 2012
Baby Shower.
Today is the perfect day for a baby shower!! Big day for my friend...
Looking forward to all the Awwww's :)
Image via Pinterest
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Saturday, June 30, 2012 0 comments
June 29, 2012
The Cheese Course
I met up with a friend for a lunch date the other day. We decided to meet at The Cheese Course, a super cute little specialty shop in town, where you can sit at a communal farmhouse table, but also individual tables... You can choose to sit outside, where is is nicely shaded and beautifully landscaped with large planters filled with bougainvillea, or sit inside where it is air conditioned, and also very fragrant :) ... part of the charm if you ask me!
I got there a little early, planning to have a quiet moment with a Latte, taking it all in! I had planned to take a few images of the shop to share with you, I hope you enjoy :)
The sheer abundance of cheese is mind boggling, this is just the Blue Cheese selection!!!
There is something for everyone! Complete with a wonderful wine selection and lots of accessories for you to create your own cheese table. Notice the cool Tolix chairs in the background, this little shop definitely has a European Flair. Not only is the shop full of Artisan Cheeses, but there are also many books on the subject, and the food they serve is fresh and wonderful - assuming you are into the whole cheese thing :)
I have always been a fan of mood boards, and this one with it's Cheese / Artisan / Organic Living theme is always worth a look as it is always evolving. (Sorry for the poor image quality, the board is in a high traffic area, and I was trying not to be in anyones way...)
Enjoy your lunch today,
Images NHH for the Northern Light Blog (If you borrow, please link back)
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Friday, June 29, 2012 2 comments
Labels: Artisan Cheese, Bougainvillea, Farmhouse Table, Lunch, The Cheese Course
June 27, 2012
Amazing Hands!
Ok, so how often do we come across handcrafted "anything" these days??
Not that often, right?
Well, I came across these hand crafted, sleek, modern & meticulously made ceramics by Lawrence McRae, and I am soooooo wanting a piece!! Look at that lacework, and the yummy colors...
Not only is the Large Peony Vase something that I would actually use, but the Nairobi Blue looks amazing! I am envisioning this piece in a casual summerhouse setting, filled to the brim with fresh white blooms & lots of greenery. Perhaps on a wide plank, rustic dining table....
WOW, right? Yes, I know, I went a little overboard with the size of this bowl, but I just absolutely adore the color and the texture in the glaze, and figured you would appreciate it as well, was I right?? Every piece in the collection is hand done, every circle hand carved by the amazing hands of Lawrence McRae...
As an Interior Designer I am always (it seems) on the hunt for a beautiful lamp, something that it not mass-produced, and has a bit of character. In the McRae collection there are nine lamps to choose from, and many super pretty colors, I just happen to have chosen what would look amazing in my house ;) !!
Many of you may very well know the talented Jill Rosenwald? Well, as it turns out, she is Lawrence's wife (there is a LOT of press on her and her designs out there). Personally I am drawn to these pieces, finding the simplicity and delicate, yet graphic designs interesting & sculptural. I can truly appreciate the hand crafted look and the time it takes to make these pieces.
If you want a closer look - and I am telling you that you DO :) - check out the Lawrence McRae website here.
Go ahead, drool a little, or start a wish list!
All images via Lawrence McRae Website
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Wednesday, June 27, 2012 3 comments
June 25, 2012
A little sprinkle goes a long way...
Went off on a search for a particular lamp image on Pinterest today, and as it just so happened, I got totally sidetracked!
How festive is this cake????
(LOVE the little gold stars!)
May these little sprinkles brighten your week :)
All images via Pinterest
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Monday, June 25, 2012 6 comments
June 24, 2012
Sunday Flowers
One of the things I love the most is shopping...
I know, I know it's a bit shallow, but hear me out. Please!
Now, I do not necessarily buy anything when I am out shopping, nor am I one of those people that come back 117 times to visit with what ever it is they plan to buy, before they actually buy...
I just LOVE to browse, window-shop, call it whatever you want. I truly enjoy scouting out the perfect lamp for a client, finding the perfect pillows for a sofa and so on. Sometimes it takes forever to find exactly what I am looking for, other times it is right there in front of me, and voila, no need to look any further! You know the feeling?
This week I was looking for a console table, kind of natural, not too deep, and with the perfect base. Found it! On sale! Thank you very much :)
However, since this is a Sunday Flowers post, I am sharing a shop photo I took at a local interior design shop, BUT the flowers and the foliage are all faux (ssshhhhhh, don't tell), but it looks great don't you think?
Image NHH for the Northern Light Blog (if you borrow, please link back)
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Sunday, June 24, 2012 4 comments
Labels: Green, Orchid, Sunday Flowers, Wood
June 23, 2012
Dinner with Friends
This past week I was treated to a wonderful dinner with friends. One person made an appetizer, one a salad, one the entree and yet an other friend made the dessert. All in my honor (!) and we had a lovely evening, just us girls...
Today I received the new Veranda in the mail and dove right in. I just love the quiet time with a new glossy mag and a hot cup of tea!
My favorite feature is The Great Escape.... wow, is all I can say! The photography is wonderful, the interiors by Kathryn M. Ireland are so cool, the gardens of La Castellane in the south of France are amazing, and so is the food!! Check out this post to see more images from Summers in France.
This feature brought me right back to the other evening, the casual atmosphere amongst friends... We always say we "need to do this more often", these images inspire me to do just that! I will pick a date and invite everyone to my house for a super casual and yummy dinner...
Not much cooking, just wonderful wine, easy to prep finger foods, fresh flowers and good company! You should do the same :)
Make it about the evening, not so much about impressing everyone. Mix and match your serving pieces, ask everyone to bring something easy and just enjoy.
What do you say? Any casual entertaining tips? Any "must have" food selections?
If you would like a little Table Top inspiration, check out this Northern Light Blog board on Pinterest.
All images by Mikkel Vang for Veranda Magazine
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Saturday, June 23, 2012 2 comments
Labels: Entertaining, Hydrangea, Kathryn M. Ireland, La Castellane, Lavender, Mikkel Vang, Veranda
June 21, 2012
Watercolor love!
Today I met Dallas Shaw! Well, actually, not exactly "met" in person, but you know what I mean...
It's been a little while since I introduced you to The Everygirl here, and the site just keeps getting better and better. So much inspiration, so many go-getters and fashionable people to be introduced to and learn from :)
this original piece mine!
For those of you who are not familiar with Dallas, she is a 32 year old Fashion Illustrator with a super talent for capturing exactly what is going on in the fashion world, and translating that to the prettiest watercolor illustrations. She has amassed an impressive client list, ranging from Chanel to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, from Kate Spade to Jack Rogers, the list goes on...
here to check out her site, after seeing these images...
If you want to see more of Dallas' work, she pins some of her work to this Pinterest board, which I am already following :) But quite frankly, this girl has a TON of style, so check out the rest of her boards while you are there!
All Watercolors by Dallas Shaw, photographs via The Everygirl
It's been a little while since I introduced you to The Everygirl here, and the site just keeps getting better and better. So much inspiration, so many go-getters and fashionable people to be introduced to and learn from :)
this original piece mine!
here to check out her site, after seeing these images...
All Watercolors by Dallas Shaw, photographs via The Everygirl
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Thursday, June 21, 2012 5 comments
Labels: Black / White, Dallas Shaw, The Everygirl, Watercolor
June 19, 2012
Mirror, Mirror on the wall...
A few months back I was introduced to Tobi Tobin via Lonny Magazine. I was not immediately familiar with who she was (designer w/ fab shop in LA), nor was I familiar with her style....
It took me about half a second worth of looking at the above image, to fall in love with her style!! These images are all from her private digs in Malibu, California.
What this space lacks in size it makes up for in charm, style, location and plain old chic-ness!
Tobi has designed her home around the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, keeping this Cape Cod style house beachy, light and airy. Skillfully working her magic with mirrors, light is bounced around the space and so is the view. Every room in the home boasts several mirrors...
An avid collector of antique furniture, the home has several old tables, chairs and dressers. Some have been slip covered, others left as the are... Keeping the color pallet strict, playing up texture and the view, new and old work beautifully together.
The master bedroom not only has a fantastic view - imagine waking up in this bed, surrounded by a wonderful breeze off of the ocean - but the serenity of the white space has to be amazing. Toby tells Lonny that her personal retreat leaves her recharged after the weekend, and I can see why!
My problem would be that I wouldn't want to leave :)
Natural texture is everywhere in this house; sea grass rugs and runners, straw hats and baskets, wood frame twin beds (scored at auction for a mere $250 for the set), mirrors and old frames with peeling paint, and a french inspired market basket on wheels...
Notice that while the wall color comes across as white, it's actually soft grey (probably something close to Decorators White, which has a grey tint). This guest room has a little of everything, and proves that it is ok to mix and match, high & low priced items, as well as old & new.... Old twin beds, old bedside table and mirror, new lamp, new bed linens.
Fresh flowers go without saying!!
In the kitchen, a small nook has been carved out of the corner, making breakfast an amazing experience. Quite frankly, I probably would spend a LOT of time in here, it looks so cozy :) Again, notice the restrained color pallet and the natural finishes. The two chairs were found at a flea market, cushions were reupholstered and the gilded frames were stripped, voila!
Now this is a bit unorthodox in my book, but non the less... Mirrors above the stove... I don't know, what do you think? One part of me is finding this silly, as I am thinking about the dust and cooking grease (read... impossible to keep this gleaming), and an other part of me says why not?? If you have the mirrors (or other collection) should you not display where ever you want to? Enjoy their beauty and deal with the hassle when it presents itself??
Hmmmmm...... something to ponder for the day :)
In this case the mirrors work with the rest of the house.
Yep, here is another example of what I have been saying in a few other posts... bring out your everyday items, display them in a beautiful manner and enjoy the simple things. I just love how this little tray brings a little texture to the kitchen shelf, and it's the oldest trick in the book, keeping items contained and grouped without chaos. Notice how Toby has incorporated not only mirrors in a very clever way into her house, but throughout the home are many sea shells, starfish and other sea creatures mixed in, adding to the relaxed feeling of the home... I am a fan, no doubt about it!
Do any of you know where to find a good set of black, bamboo handle, silver ware?? I have seen the classic natural bamboo pieces around, love how that looks, but the black ones really look chic, would LOVE to get my hands on them.
SO... mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the... coolest... of them all?
All images by Patrick Cline for Lonny Magazine
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Tuesday, June 19, 2012 10 comments
Labels: Black / White, California Dreaming, Lonny, Mirror, Texture, Tobi Tobin, White
June 17, 2012
Sunday Flowers
Just a quick note today, trying to keep up the Sunday Flowers post "schedule" :)
By the way, do you like this little series??
I am so loving how this fresh, green, foliage looks, it just proves that if you don't have flowers in your garden to cut from, or if buying a few stems is not in the budget, that you can still have a beautiful bouquet!! Get out there with the shears, there is still lots to pick from, I am sure!
Here in Florida, I once in a while cut a palm leaf and put it in a tall clear glass vase, I find that it brings great color and "coolness" to my space... I like the vase to be as simple and discreet as possible, similar to the bottle above. Adding a little something to your vignette - i.e. the green glass bottle - just finishes the layered look, but in my opinion does not subtract, nor distract from "the star".
Image via Northern Light on Pinterest
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Sunday, June 17, 2012 1 comments
Labels: Flowers, Glass, Green, Sunday Flowers, Vase
June 15, 2012
(Friday) Morning Java
So yes, I have been going a little country lately, I know :) I hope you don't mind?
As we "speak" this ironstone pitcher is filled with yellow and orange roses, but they are on their last day, so no picture today, however, this pretty image will have to do as you enjoy your Morning Java.
Again, I am encouraging you to style up your everyday cups and plates, adding fresh flowers and leaving out your fresh fruit, not only for visual, but for easy access :) Wouldn't it be wonderful to start your day in a spot like this? Little bit of melon, an english muffin, beautiful fresh eggs (I'm thinking Martha Stewart would be proud of this bowl of soft hued farm eggs :) ) and the piece de resistance... French Press coffee maker!
- I have a confession to make. For our wedding we were given a French Press coffee maker, and every time I try to use it, the coffee is either too strong or not strong enough... really frustrating!! Do any of you have any tips for me??
Image via Pinterest
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Friday, June 15, 2012 3 comments
Labels: Coffee, Ironstone, Kitchen, Morning Java, White
June 12, 2012
Loving the texture!!
While I am not entirely sure Suzani's are still "it", I for one have never stopped loving them!! You?
This little image speaks to me in so many ways today... As you know, I am all about the white interior and would never say no to a white slipcovered "anything"! :)
The stone fireplace grounds the space beautifully, and the warmth of the wood in the asian inspired chest keeps things casual, it's as if you almost don't see the big tv on the wall...
Oh, yeah, and the Suzani it's amazing, don't you think??
Get your throw here, these are the best :)
Image via Green Street Blog on Pinterest
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Tuesday, June 12, 2012 4 comments
Labels: Suzani, Table Tonic, Textile, Texture Snapshot, White
June 11, 2012
Sunday Flowers (On Monday)
Beside my sofa I have a white painted tray table, it holds a beautifully carved teak lamp
(one of my first purchases for our home, and while our style has evolved, I still can not give it up...)
but otherwise the display changes weekly.
This week a wonderful book (by Pottery Barn, no longer available) is on display, and a single rose
from this weeks bouquet... I love to match up an interesting book with my weekly flowers,
a trick picked up from my mother (hi P!).
In my travels I have picked up this pretty little bud vase in glass, it comes in so handy when a bloom has broken off a stem, or if it's a single flower. Anyone out there who "matches" their flowers, books & / or decor??
I have friends that like to tease me, that I am the only one who would take the time to do something like this, however... I find that it's the little touches that make me happy (!) and why not make your home beautiful?
Hope you have a wonderful start to your week :)
Images NHH for the Northern Light Blog
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Monday, June 11, 2012 4 comments
Labels: Books, Flowers, Orange, Pottery Barn, Roses
June 10, 2012
New on the Virtual Newsstand...
I have just had a wonderful (long) quiet moment, pouring over the newly released Lonny Magazine June / July 2012 issue. This is such an awesome issue all around!! Fantastic Summer Getaways, Hamptons Entertaining style and a Westhampton Hideaway I would love to hide out in!!! :)
While the interior design features in this issue are right up my alley, I particularly liked the Expert Advice from Elizabeth Blitzer. Things are changing in a big way in my personal life, so this struck a cord with me...
Vingette photographed by Patrick Cline via Lonny
While the interior design features in this issue are right up my alley, I particularly liked the Expert Advice from Elizabeth Blitzer. Things are changing in a big way in my personal life, so this struck a cord with me...
Vingette photographed by Patrick Cline via Lonny
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Sunday, June 10, 2012 1 comments
Labels: Candle, Front Page News, Lonny, Peonies
June 6, 2012
Icelandic Beauty!!
So, this is the image that stopped me in my tracks today. Of course I immediately recognized the famous Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen, but what really grabbed my attention were all the artifacts in the bookshelf!
I mean, look at this image, it's hard not to stare for a little while, right??
I did a little research, and found out that the home belong to Interior Architect Rut Karadottir, who has earned her "stripes" in Rome, Italy. She has returned to her roots and now call Reykjavik, Iceland home, where she also has her design business.
I am totally fascinated, and have studied these images throughly... I am drawn to the cool, white Scandinavian interior, but love all the warm touches of wood, woven baskets, pottery, candles, antlers, wool throws you name it, this interior has it all! Oh, and the design classics are there too :) Rut knows her stuff, no doubt about that!!
Through out the home, there are coffee table books stacked high for easy enjoyment and inspiration. Small universes of collected treasures, beautiful stones picked up on long walks and lots of candles. A wonderful "mix (of) modern design... ethnic finds."
Truthfully, to me, this is one of the most interesting homes I have seen photographed in a long while!
I am forever changing the display in my own bookcase, drawing inspiration from books, flowers & the beach, but also objects... You? Any favorite decor object??
All images by Trine Thorsen, Interiors by Rut Karadottir, found via est mag.
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Wednesday, June 06, 2012 3 comments
Labels: Black / White, Este Magazine, Iceland, Natural, Rut Karadottir
June 3, 2012
Sunday Flowers
Picking up where I left off yesterday...
A bouquet of flowers made up by the prettiest shades of purples, ranging from burgundy to lavender to white. I am all about picking the right vase or container for the style of flower, as well as the arrangement itself.
You can find vessels anywhere and everywhere... flea markets, home decor shops (of cause), floral shops (duh). But also at the big box stores, look for containers that are unusual, or super simple. I once picked up a dozen (seemed like a good number at the time) matte, white, ceramic toothbrush "cups" at a dollar each from the clearance rack. Nothing fancy, round at the bottom, square at the top and they come in handy when setting the table for a party!! Do you have a favorite vase?
Hope this arrangement brighten your day!!
Image via... ?
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Sunday, June 03, 2012 5 comments
Labels: Flowers, Purple, Sunday Flowers
June 2, 2012
Adoring this home!
If you didn't get the news yet... a brand new Adore Magazine is out, and BETTER than ever!! Chock full of super beautiful homes, and lots of shopping so you, too, can get in on all the beautiful accessories and artwork. This particular home is my favorite (in this issue of Adore) as it has such happy pops of color, eclectic collection of furniture, all the while keeping it light and beachy.
In my daily work it's not often I comes across a client who is this daring, willing to commit to purple.... But I, for one, totally love how this beach house is white, light and cheerful!! What do you say? Now, I know you will all be falling in love with the Hawaiian Hula Girl vintage poster, so I have sourced it for you (here)... you are welcome ;) An other home in this issue belong to Mariska Meijers, who I was lucky to meet at an event in Miami a while back. She also has this really great purple chair in her living room.... Do I spy a trend?
Happy June!!
Posted by Natasha @ Northern Light Design at Saturday, June 02, 2012 3 comments
Labels: Adore Home, Poster, Purple, Vintage
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Welcome to Sportsball, where I spend the NFL season trying to figure out how to play Madden and win. It only works sometimes. Catch up on the fun here. Read on to find out why the lead image is a vintage 'NSYNC group shot. Maybe.
For those of you have been following this adventure of mine from the beginning and read faithfully (I like to tell myself that there are people like that out there, even if it isn't true. Makes me feel valued and stuff.), you may remembered that last week was my team's BYE week, which meant there was no game scheduled. I had said that I would do something different instead to compensate.
Unfortunately, I was on the go much of the time I usually set aside for Sportsball, and wasn't able to get a column done. I did, however, do something a bit different during the BYE week. Let me tell you about it:
So, Madden 12 has a "NFL Superstar" mode, which is that year's version of a career mode: you get to create a player from the ground up (or import one from NCAA Football, which is kind of cool) and enter him in the draft and play through his career. So I decided I'd give this mode a go in my BYE week.
Ladies and gentleman, meet my rookie Quarterback, Milli Vanilli:
In case you're curious, it's been a week and it still makes me chuckle.
Anyway, as you can see, but probably don't know, I do everything I can to make Vanilli look like me. This is not easy, because Madden is severely limited in it's choices for face types, only really allowing you to pick between seven different kinds of ugly and then maybe some face paint or tape. It doesn't really matter anyway, since the game isn't ever gonna show your guy without his helmet.
I am, however, able to make him resemble me in other ways. Look closely, and you'll see that Milli Vanilli is super skinny and not jacked at all. He also has awkwardly big feet, which is a trait I don't actually have, but, like the name Milli Vanilli, simply amuses me. This guy really shouldn't be in the NFL.
It may sound like I'm being purely facetious here, but this actually highlights a sort of game design quandary of sorts that I can't ever seem to make up my mind about. It has to do with an avatar's cosmetic appearance as related to their performance. Bear with me for a moment here:
I like RPGs. In most games in the genre, not only is your character's performance determined by their experience level and the points you pour into different attributes over time (a feature that Madden and other sports titles have since adopted), your gear plays a big part in it too. Maybe a certain armor set is fireproof, or a weapon exists only to damage a certain type of enemy. As a result, an engrossed RPG player like myself can often lose quite a bit of time stopping to compare sets of pants like the person in front of you in a checkout line with a sandwich bag full of coupons, trying to figure out which one will offer the bigger stat benefit.
I personally don't mind this—it's all part of the fun of playing an RPG. But sometimes I do mind, especially when particularly beneficial bit of gear just looks inexcusably ridiculous. Usually this involves hats. Observe:
I don't care if that thing gives me +25 health and lets me walk on water, I'm not wearing it. I'm a guy out to save the world from demon hordes and can generate more electricity from my bare hands than most New Jersey municipalities. I need to have at least a little bit of self-respect.
There are games that take this into account, and do one of two things: Either they include gear that modifies your stats without actually changing your appearance, or they make gear entirely cosmetic, with no stat benefits whatsoever. I tend to not like either of these choices, since I'm someone who likes everything that I do in a game to have some sort of measurable impact on how the game plays out, but I suppose I understand the latter option more. I've never been big on customization for its own sake, but I do find value in it.
Madden made me think about all this while creating future superstar QB Milli Vanilli. Other than having a skill point system that, like most of Madden, makes zero sense, you can trick out your character with all manner of gear. You can also do this with your team in Franchise mode, as you'll see when I was trying to decide whether or not Adrian Peterson looked better with short sleeves:
Or if the the sleeveless look was more becoming on his figure:
Now, ultimately, sleeves and sweatbands probably don't matter much (although I could imagine a game where they helped/hindered performance based on weather conditions), but I feel like other things you can choose, like pads, do. They're essentially armor, and come with the same tradeoff: increased protection comes at the cost of decreased mobility. But in Madden, it's purely cosmetic, like eyeliner, you use it to make your players arms pop.
None of this is, ultimately, a bad thing. In fact, I'm almost positive there are very good reasons why the game has this particular system of customization set up (was it ever different?). It does absolutely nothing to detract from my experience. I just wonder if having it would make it all the more engrossing.
As for the actual Superstar mode itself, I quite like it so far. You play one position, the coach calls out your plays and you follow them (or not) and you only play when your Superstar is on the field. It also gives me a really good venue for practicing my QB skills for Franchise mode, which still require a bit of a warmup every week.
The main drawback, though, is that every other player on your team is controlled by the AI, and the AI sucks, man. Your receivers are droids and the defenders are Jedi. Run plays, which were a safety net for me in Franchise mode, became pretty much the only way to gain yards in Superstar mode. Milli Vanilli's prospects are not good. With his terrible pass completion rate and an 0-3 preseason record thus far, I'm not sure the Baltimore Ravens would want to keep him. Cross your fingers, folks. Maybe things will get better for the chap.
Back in Franchise land for Week 8 of the regular season, my 4-2 Bengals were up against the 2-4 Seahawks, and damn, their stadium is cool.
I'm able to snap into a quick groove early on, relieved after having played Superstar mode to have control of my whole squad again. I blow through the game, reaching the fourth quarter leading 17-0. Unfortunately, I get a little sloppy and the Seahawks get a little better (they really benefitted from a sideline catch that went under review and came out in their favor) and they manage to score once for a final score of 17-7.
I think I'm starting to get the hang of this.


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How to Qualify for Licensure
For initial educator licensure in Wisconsin, all candidates must:
- Earn a baccalaureate degree.
- Complete an approved program of teacher education.
- Pass the Praxis® tests for their certification area.
- Complete the educator license application forms and pay the appropriate application fees.
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Educator Licensing for complete information on license requirements and the educator application process.
Important Information
ETS discontinued paper-delivered testing; however, Praxis tests will continue to be available in a paper-delivered format as required for ADA accommodations. All scores for previously administered paper-delivered tests are reportable for 10 years from the date the test was taken.
Who Must Take the Tests?
Praxis® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core)
All students planning to enroll in their initial professional education (licensure) program in Wisconsin colleges, universities or alternative programs are required to pass the Praxis® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) test(s) in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Completion of the Core tests is required for admission to all professional education programs. The tests are usually taken during the first or second year of undergraduate work, depending on the institution of higher education's policies.
Educators applying for licenses in Wisconsin who have completed professional education programs after August 31, 1992, at colleges and universities located in other states are required to submit passing scores on the Core tests to the Department of Public Instruction or an equivalent basic skills tests required by their professional education programs or states.
Praxis® Subject Assessments
In Wisconsin, students who have completed their professional education after August 31, 2004, must take the appropriate Praxis® Subject Assessments for each area of certification they seek, as specified by the state for their license area(s).
All state-approved professional education programs in Wisconsin require student assessments of content knowledge (in most license fields) that are determined by passing scores on the Praxis Subject Assessments as set by the state superintendent. This includes programs offered at colleges and universities, as well as alternative training, experimental and innovative programs. Each Wisconsin professional education program establishes its own policy for when tests must be completed within its program sequence. It is important to note that no candidate may waive the requirement to take the Praxis Subject Assessments for his or her license area. This includes all scenarios of program completion.
Out-of-State Candidates
Educators who complete state-approved professional education programs in other states will need to document that they have passed the required tests for licensure in the state where the approved program is located.
Educators who completed a program after August 31, 2004, and whose state required a different test than Wisconsin does, must take and pass the Praxis Subject Assessments required in Wisconsin in their licensure area(s) to obtain an Initial Educator or Professional Educator license in Wisconsin.
Testing Requirements for Educators Adding a Second License Based on a Content Test
As of December 2010, Wisconsin educators who hold a valid Professional Educator license in social studies, science, English language arts and mathematics/computer science are eligible to add on licensure in a related area based on passing a content test approved by the State Superintendent.
To apply for a license in this pathway, a Professional Educator must hold a valid Wisconsin Professional Educator License (License Type: 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 40, 41, 42 or 43), Master Educator License (License Type: 50, 51 or 52) or Life License (License Type: 08) in the related subject area (see below).
- Related Area: English Language Arts
- Related Area: Math
- Related Area: Science
- Related Area: Social Studies
See also:
- About the Praxis Tests
- The Praxis® Tests Information Bulletin
- Prepare for a Test
- Register for a Test
- Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs
Promotional Links
Ready to take a Praxis® Test?
Praxis Test Centers and Dates
See test centers, dates and deadlines for Praxis tests.
Explore Praxis Test Preparation
Prepare for your test with interactive practice tests and study companions.


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We definitely want to take a moment and congratulate Madame June Ambrose on making the 25 Most Powerful Stylists in Hollywood lists for the Hollywood Reporter. June is responsible for MANY iconic looks and style expressions by some of our favorite urban celebrities such as Diddy, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross and many more.
Although she is listed as number 23 on the list, we know that in OUR culture, she is one of the THE top stylists. We salute you Madame Ambrose for making life and entertainment THAT more beautiful.


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Atlas of French Guiana
|Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the World
The Wikimedia Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons.
Discussion • Update the atlas • Index of the Atlas • Atlas in categories • Other atlases on line
General maps
|Map of French Guiana
|Topographic map of French Guiana
|Map of French Guiana
History maps
This section holds a short summary of the history of the area of present-day French Guiana, illustrated with maps, including historical maps of former countries and empires that included present-day French Guiana.
|Present-day French Guiana is originally inhabited by Arawaks and Galibi Indians. In 1626 a first French settlement in the region is founded and in 1634 the city of Cayenne is established. Shortly the area is under Dutch control, but since the Breda Treaty of 1667 French Guiana becomes a French colony in 1674. It is temporarely ruled by Portugal/Brazil between 1909 and 1817. In 1946 French Guiana becomes a French overseas département and is ruled as part of mainland France.
Old maps
This section holds copies of original general maps more than 70 years old.
|18th century map of Venezuela and the Guyanas
Notes and references
General remarks:


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Pre-registration is underway for a popular event with a focus on marine recreational fishing trends and rules.
Pre-registration is underway for a popular event with a focus on marine recreational fishing trends and rules.
The 2013 N.C. Marine Recreational Fishing Forum, organized by North Carolina Sea Grant, will be held on Feb. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at North Carolina State University�s McKimmon Center in Raleigh.
The free event is designed for recreational anglers, fisheries scientists, resource managers, elected and appointed officials, and others with an interest in the latest happenings in North Carolina marine recreational fishing.
Speakers will include Brad Gentner, president of Gentner Consulting Group and a former economist for the National Marine Fisheries Service, who will discuss the economics of marine recreational fishing. Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, will hold an hour-long "Ask-a-Director" session.
Those unable to attend will be able to view the forum live � and ask questions � online. The link will be posted at ncseagrant.org/recfishforum.
Lunch is provided for attendees, so pre-registration is required by 5 p.m. Feb. 8. Go to surveymonkey.com/s/recfishforum_reg.


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Dell this week extended its data center networking portfolio with a new top-of-rack switch and plans to extend OpenFlow support for software-defined networking across its product line.
The new switch is the Dell S4820T, which is designed to help users migrate from Gigabit Ethernet server-to-switch connectivity to 10G Ethernet. It also features 40G Ethernet uplinks for 10G aggregation and connectivity to higher-end aggregation and core switches.
[BACKGROUND: Dell takes deeper dive into networking, buys Force10]
The S4820T sports 48 1/10G 10GBase-T copper ports and four 40G uplinks that can also be configured as 10G uplinks. The switch is being lab tested by 10GBase-T network interface card and converged network adapter vendors Broadcom, Emulex, Intel and QLogic for, in some cases, its ability to interoperate using the Data Center Bridging standard for converged LAN/SAN carriage.
The S4820T, which is available now at about $35,000, also supports VMware and Citrix hypervisors, Dell says. It will also eventually support OpenFlow for software-defined networking.
Dell said OpenFlow 1.0 is available now in its FTOS 9.1 operating system software for its Z9000 and S4810 data center switches. The software allows those Dell switches to be managed by OpenFlow-compliant controllers, like those from partner Big Switch Networks, and by multiple controllers at the same time.
Dell supports a hybrid approach to SDNs, in which the OpenFlow controller will interact with the control plane of Dell switches to enable customers to simultaneously deploy traditional Layer 2/3 forwarding with OpenFlow. This allows network operators to integrate OpenFlow into existing networks and segregate SDN for specific flows while the remaining traffic is handled as before - a technique referred to as network slicing.
The hybrid approach is similar to that endorsed by Brocade.
More Dell switches will attain OpenFlow capabilities as FTOS 9.1 and later versions are added to those switches. Dell officials say FTOS will jump right to OpenFlow 1.3, the most recent version of the SDN protocol, from 1.0.
Meanwhile, Dell says its MXL/IOA blade switching system, which was introduced at Interop Spring 2012, is one of the fastest growing product lines in its portfolio. Dell says it has shipped over 3,000 units to more than 700 customers in about two quarters. Customers are using the system for east/west traffic optimization with direct 40G connectivity from a Dell PowerEdge 1000e blade server rack to the core fabric, Dell officials say.
Jim Duffy has been covering technology for over 25 years, 21 at Network World. He also writes The Cisco Connection blog and can be reached on Twitter @Jim_Duffy.
Read more about lan and wan in Network World's LAN & WAN section.
This story, "Dell Strengthens Data Center Line with Openflow Support, High-End Ethernet Switch" was originally published by Network World.
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Pop Music, Culture and Identity
Edited by
Steve Clark, University of Tokyo, Japan
Tristanne Connolly, St. Jerome's University, Canada
Jason Whittaker, University College Falmouth, UK
Pop music lasts. A form all too often assumed to be transient, commercial and mass-cultural has proved itself durable, tenacious and continually evolving. As such, it has become a crucial component in defining various forms of identity (individual and collective) as influenced by nation, class, gender and historical period.
Pop Music, Culture and Identity investigates how this enhanced status shapes the iconography of celebrity, provides an ever-expanding archive for generational memory and accelerates the impact of new technologies on performing, packaging and global marketing. The series gives particular emphasis to interdisciplinary approaches that go beyond musicology and seeks to validate the informed testimony of the fan alongside academic methodologies.


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Skip to Content
August 29, 2012
CONTACT: Laura Mansfield, (425)-352-5406, firstname.lastname@example.com
Bothell, Wash. – David Allen, Ph.D., is the new director of the Nursing and Health Studies Program at the University of Washington Bothell.
Allen takes the helm as the Nursing and Health Studies Program expands its mission to include a focus on global and public health. Next fall, the program will introduce a new bachelor of arts degree in health studies.
Before joining UW Bothell, Allen was the chair of the gender, women & sexuality studies department at the University of Washington, where he focused on the relationship between health care and political oppression.
"David has a distinguished career as a scholar, teacher, and administrator," says Dr. Susan Jeffords, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW Bothell. "He has earned the admiration of his colleagues across the University of Washington Seattle campus for his commitments to student learning, faculty development, interdisciplinary scholarship, and an inclusive model of leadership."
Allen holds undergraduate degrees in both English and nursing. He began his academic career studying theatre, but transitioned to the study of nursing. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from the University of Wisconsin, with a specialty in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.
He will begin employment at UW Bothell September 1, 2012.
About UW Bothell: The University of Washington Bothell provides an internationally and nationally-ranked university experience that inspires innovation and creativity. With more than 30 degrees, options, certificates and concentrations, its curriculum emphasizes close student-faculty interaction, interaction and critical thinking. UW Bothell builds regional partnerships, inspires change, creates knowledge, shares discoveries and prepares students for leadership in the state of Washington and beyond. For more information, visit www.uwb.edu.


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The DuPont Co. will cut about 1,500 jobs and take other steps to increase competitiveness after weak demand for a key industrial pigment and uncertainty in the solar panel market led to a sharp drop in third-quarter earnings.
The chemical company, which operates facilities in LaPlace, Burnside and Plaquemine, reported net income of $10 million, or a penny per share, compared with $452 million, or 48 cents per share, for the same period last year. Excluding one-time items, DuPont earned 44 cents per share, compared with 69 cents per share for last year's third quarter. Revenue from continuing operations totaled about $7.4 billion, down 9 percent from $8.1 billion.
The results fell short of analysts' estimate of 46 cents per share, according to FactSet. DuPont shares were down nearly 9 percent in afternoon trading amid a broad market decline.
CEO Ellen Kullman attributed the disappointing results to weaker-than-expected demand for titanium dioxide — a whitening pigment used in products ranging from paint and plastics to toothpaste — and overcapacity and uncertainty in the market for photovoltaic solar energy products.
"I view that as two very specific issues," Kullman said. She noted that volumes were up by 3 percent year-over-year, excluding the business units that produce titanium dioxide and solar materials.
Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said that while third-quarter results were disappointing, DuPont continues to shift its focus to higher growth, higher margin businesses such as agriculture and nutrition and biotechnology.
"I think it's more broad economic issues than a company-specific issue," he said. "Overall, it was a rough quarter, but I think they are taking the necessary steps to move long-term into some of those faster growing businesses that will help them in the future," Windau added.
In the meantime, DuPont is working on a restructuring plan that Kullman said will deliver pretax cost savings of about $450 million. It includes eliminating some $230 million in residual costs related to the divestiture of its performance coatings unit and finding $220 million in savings in response to weak macroeconomic conditions.
Kullman said the restructuring includes eliminating about 1,500 positions globally over the next 12 to 18 months. The cuts involve streamlining headquarters and corporate staffs that supported the performance coatings unit, which produces automotive and industrial paints. It's being sold for $4.9 billion to The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm.
Beginning with the third quarter, DuPont classified the performance coatings business as discontinued operations and excluded it from continuing operations results on a retroactive basis. The company reported a loss from continuing operations of $40 million, or 5 cents a share for the quarter, compared to a gain of $376 million, or 39 cents per share, in the prior year. Excluding one-time items, third-quarter earnings from continuing operations totaled $302 million, or 32 cents per share, down from $579 million, or 60 cents per share, last year.
DuPont said it remains on track to achieve its full-year 2012 productivity targets for both fixed costs and working capital. It expects 2012 earnings from continuing operations, excluding significant items, to range from $3.25 to $3.30 per share, compared to prior-year earnings of $3.55 per share on a comparable basis.
For the quarter volumes were down in all regions, except Latin America, led by a 10 percent decline in the Asia-Pacific region. Volume declines and currency effects led to sales declines worldwide, with sales dropping 15 percent in Asia-Pacific and the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Sales in the electronics and communications business, which includes solar products, were down 28 percent, with volume declining 20 percent. Kullman said trade sanctions in the solar panel market, including U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels and an antidumping investigation of Chinese manufacturers by European regulators, have created uncertainty among suppliers and customers.
The performance chemicals unit, which posted record titanium dioxide volumes in last year's third quarter, saw an 18 percent decline in volume and 19 percent drop in sales.
DuPont's agriculture and health and nutrition businesses remained among the company's bright spots, posting sales gains of 4 percent each.
DuPont shares fell $4.37, or 8.8 percent, to $45.39.
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This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. How could you not love this battered old Toyota?
I'll admit it, I have a soft spot for Coronas of this era because a $50 '69 Corona sedan was my very first car. And, since we saw a Nice Price Or Crack Pipe Corona just yesterday, I'm inspired to share these photos today. With a tippy suspension apparently copied from the '62 Ford Falcon and a clattery-yet-unkillable pushrod 3R engine, the early Corona didn't really foreshadow much about the slick Toyotas to come.
I spotted this racy-looking beater parked outside a party I attended in the Oakland Hills a few weeks back; these days, I find myself around Alfa Romeo obsessos on a regular basis (24 Hours Of LeMons HQ is crawling with 'em), and of course it turned out that this fine vintage Japanese machine is owned by a guy who drives it when the Giulietta isn't working.


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Green Roofs are Growing
Standards from ASTM International Committee E60 on Sustainability guide work on vegetative green roofs.
Walking south along Michigan Ave. from the Chicago River, a first-time visitor might take in the green vistas of Millenium Park sprawling eastward toward the great lake with no hint that the park itself is a green roof. It covers two garages and a commuter rail line, occupying close to 100 square meters in Chicago's East Loop district and taking in a great lawn, a garden of native Illinois plans, a music pavilion and water features. It's one of the largest vegetative green roofs in the world.
Around the globe, vegetative green roofs are sprouting. The Expo Zaragoza Empresarial Business Park in Spain, built for a 2008 sustainability exposition, features more than 43,000 square meters planted with grasses, perennials and aromatic plants. Building rooftops in the Village on False Creek in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a LEED1 Platinum neighborhood, are carpeted with sedum. At the Frankfurt International Airport in Germany, landscaped areas blanket several buildings and total some 80,000 square meters.
Vegetative green roof designs fall into two general categories: those with sedums or drought-tolerant plants for extensive vegetative green roofs and complete landscape gardens for intensive vegetative green roofs. In either approach, the final product increases energy efficiency, reduces stormwater runoff and urban heat island effects, and provides habitat for birds and insects, and even leisure space — as with Millenium Park — for people. No matter the type of roof, the system comprises plants, growing media and layers for waterproofing, drainage and water retention. And that's where ASTM International standards come in.
E60 and VGR Standards
ASTM International members began to develop vegetative green roof standards in the early 2000s in Subcommittee E06.71 on Sustainability (now reorganized as Committee E60 on Sustainability) with the creation of the green roof task group.
"There was a strong market need for substantive guidance. Also, there was a pretty good range of VGR technologies," says Dru Meadows, principal at theGreenTeam Inc., Tulsa, Okla., and E60 chairman. "It was a classic example of market need for performance standards and an excellent example of ASTM bringing together stakeholders to develop consensus documents."
Meadows says that the responsible task group looked to work on a comprehensive document, a "granddaddy" standard that would address the breadth of vegetative green roof considerations. The proposed guide, WK25385, Guide for Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems, now being balloted, has facilitated the task group's work on related standards that have been approved.
Completed standards include:
- E2396, Test Method for Saturated Water Permeability of Granular Drainage Media [Falling-Head Method] for Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems, to compare one type of media to another;
- E2397, Practice for Determination of Dead Loads and Live Loads Associated with Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems, to help assess the building for such considerations as structural design given the weight of the system without and with rain or irrigation;
- E2398, Test Method for Water Capture and Media Retention of Geocomposite Drain Layers for Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems, to help assess one system's performance relative to another as well as assess irrigation requirements for system designs;
- E2399, Test Method for Maximum Media Density for Dead Load Analysis of Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems, which provides an objective measure of media density for estimating structural loads;
- E2400, Guide for Selection, Installation and Maintenance of Plants for Green Roof Systems, includes recommendations regarding choosing, planting and irrigating plants grown on vegetative roofs; and most recently,
- E2788, Specification for Use of Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate (ESCS) as a Mineral Component in the Growing Media and the Drainage Layer for Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems, details quality and gradation requirements.
These standards, according to Meadows, have helped bring down early adopter costs and are referenced in the Whole Building Design Guide from the National Institute of Building Sciences. A vegetative green roof still often costs at least two times that of another commercial roof, and up to four times as much if paths or paved areas are added or if shrubs and trees are part of the plan, adding materials, installation and maintenance to the project. But, according to Michael Gibbons, chairman of the vegetative green roof task group and owner/president of Architectural Systems Inc., Dallas, Texas, the cost for a simple vegetative green roof might be recouped in energy savings in five years or fewer.
The Grandaddy Standard
The granddaddy standard, WK25385, when approved, will fill the need of the practitioner wanting a complete approach to a vegetative green roof, or to answer the question as Gibbons puts it, "If I say I want a green roof, what's next?" WK25385 identifies the terminology, principles and concepts of a vegetative green roof consistent with E2432, Guide for General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Building, an E60 standard that covers concepts and building characteristics for general sustainability purposes.
Once WK25385 is published as a standard — it has recently been balloted by Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings and Construction — green architects and others will find information about both intensive and extensive roof systems: plants, media, wind scour resistance, soil reinforcement, separation or filter layers, drain layers, irrigation, water retention layers, insulation, waterproofing/roofing membranes, protection layers and root penetration barriers.
Gibbons says that the draft standard is something of a checklist, but its sections provide discussion, for example, about such project parameters as maintenance, performance and longevity. Sections about planting media detail the different requirements for intensive systems and extensive systems as well as functional properties of the media, including nutrients, density and depth, organic matter and more.
More to Come
The vegetative green roof task group has more standards development activities planned. Currently under way is a proposed standard on selecting waterproofing membranes for green roofs, which will list characteristics, materials and suggested performance requirements. The group will also be looking at possible vegetative green roof standards that address irrigation, fire, wind scour and roofs with steep slopes.
Where there are vegetative green roofs, right below the surface there may be an ASTM International standard.
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Kevan George finally exhaled Tuesday night in the somber Crew locker room following their unexpected Lamar Hunt US Open Cup defeat to the Dayton Dutch Lions.
It wasn't necessarily because he was relieved the match was over, but more of a chance to reflect on the trajectory of his first professional season, one that over the previous 10 days saw him go from a player not even on the travel squad for a recent West Coast trip to one starting a pair of matches.
The Trinidad and Tobago native, who grew up in Georgia before attending the University of Central Florida, was in Columbus watching the Crew play at San Jose on May 19 when midfielder Milovan Mirosevic suffered an injury that ruled him out of upcoming games.
George was summoned to meet the team in Seattle and got in one practice with the squad the day prior to the match on May 23.
In that game, defensive midfielder Danny O'Rourke sprained his ankle just before the half and just like that, George made his MLS debut, helping the Crew to a win 2-0 for their first victory over Seattle in seven tries.
"He was perfect," right back Sebastián Miranda said. "For me, he played a very good game."
Coach Robert Warzycha was impressed enough that he started George three days later against Chicago.
"He is a young player but he played like an old pro," Warzycha said. "He wasn't nervous at all."
George said he didn't have time to get butterflies at Seattle because everything happened so fast. It was a different story in the hours leading to the Chicago game.
"It was nerve-wracking," he said. "I knew the plan going in and had time to think about it."
The Crew won again and George faced another quick turnaround, being named to the starting lineup against Dayton three days after the 2-1 win.
"I'm feeling better because the coaches have confidence in me," he said. "I'm taking baby steps."
Defender and fellow countryman Julius James is not surprised by George's success.
"He's played for the [Trinidad] U-23s," James said. "He has experience. Many people don't know much about him but he's a really good player. He's a hard tackler. He's a humble guy and he listens. He has all the attributes. He stepped into the situation and was really composed. He's still a young kid, a rookie, but he played like a grown man."


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Tagged: carribean world series
The U didn't invent swagger, Latins did
The winterball season has begun and is under way. With Mexico and Venezuela opening earlier last week, and the Dominican this past weekend, the Latin swag is out in full effect. Batters taking their time to get to the batters box to hear their latest walk-out song which is a usually catchy reggaeton beat and pitchers taking the ever so long walk from the bullpens. Batters are itching at the bit to have the token home-run so that they can stare at it as if they are shocked and in awe that they hit it. Act like you been there before. I have to say that because I'm a pitcher. Of course the pitchers add their flare too by pumping up the crowd on a strikeout in any situation. It may be a blow out game where we are boat racing a team, but for the pitcher his moment to shine is to end an inning on a strikeout. And of course the crowd gets into it and screams out "Ponche" (strikeout). Bullpen pitchers also add to the festivities. They may walk all the way from the bullpen or do some ridiculous John Rocker esqe sprint. With all of that there is also a lot of praising the big man above and flaunting the biggest chains and earrings. One would think we are filming a Puff Daddy video that day at the ballpark. All in all it is a part of the culture and the players feed off the fans excitement and play the game the right way.
I'm sure you have heard the saying its not how you look its how you play. Well that saying can go different ways in winterball. Of course winning is the key priority down here because it is such a short season and no one wants to lose. But once the uniforms are handed out in the locker room you would think we were running a seamstress and altering school. Players find anyway to alter their pants to fit big or over the shoes. Jerseys are traded for guys who want their lucky number. Money can be involved or chores for a jersey number. A player may have to bring in another guys bats for a month or get him food.
We opened up the season at home this week against the Cardinales. Showing up to the field on opening day down here is something special. Fans cars have flags and chalk written all over them rooting us on. Tigres Campeon, is the overall chant throughout the city. The fresh smell of arepas, pepitos, and ball park food surrounds the atmosphere. Everyone is decked out in team apparel. Local street vendors sell Tigres jerseys, hats, and anything else you can think of. Tickets for opening day sold out in 2 minutes. Our stadium holds 19,000 people.
The worst part of winterball is batting practice. Instead of having 3 groups for 45 minutes like we do in the United States, we have 5 groups which seem to last an eternity. It seems like everyone takes their cuts, and then someones entourage shows up and takes some hacks. We are out their forever, but its a part of the game and our position players need it to get loose and ready. I'm just complaining because I haven't been used to doing the bucket for shagging and like most winterball countries balls are like black gold and we don't have many, so refilling the throwers bucket can get very exhausting.
We ended the opening day game off in a sensational fashion. Hector Gimenez hit a walk off homer with a 3-2 count in the bottom of the 9th. Our stadium erupted. Fans threw their cups up in the air, and mists of soda and beer rained on everyone. Currently we are 3-2 and the team is over in Maragarita. I did not make the trip because I'm not throwing in that series. The team left today out of Valencia in a chartered flight. They will be back late Wednesday night. I'm back on the hill Friday against the Tiburones in Caracas.
Here is some video footage of the pre-game music class that goes on in the locker room. Click Here!
The foreign players on our team are
Lastings Milledge OF
Deunte Heath P
Darin Downs P
Zach Segovia P
Joe Benson OF
Vinnie Rotino 3b/C
Sergio Perez P
Rich Rundles P
This is the field at Magallanes in Valencia prior to my start this past Sunday.
Please be sure to follow me on Twitter for more updates pics and videos. Click here Thanks for the support. Please ask questions and comments so I can add them in my next blog.


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Classic sponge sandwich
Nutrition and extra info
- Sponge only
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal568
- fat34g
- saturates20g
- carbs62g
- sugars43g
- fibre1g
- protein7g
- salt0.94g
- 200g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Baking powderbay-king pow-dah
Baking powder is a raising agent that is commonly used in cake-making. It is made from an alkali…
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
- 2 tbsp milk
One of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a 'complete' food…
For the filling
- 142ml double cream
- 50g golden caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 100g strawberry conserve
- icing sugar, for dusting
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and base-line 2 x 20cm non-stick round sandwich tins with baking parchment, then lightly grease the parchment. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then tip in all the other sponge ingredients. Using an electric whisk, beat everything together until smooth. Divide the mix between the cake tins, then bake for 20-25 mins until cooked and golden. When cool enough to handle, remove the cakes from the tins, then leave to cool completely on a rack.
To make the filling, whip the cream with the caster sugar and vanilla until it holds its shape. Build the cake by spreading one sponge with jam and the other with cream. Sandwich the whole thing together, then dust with icing sugar.
Recipe Tip
Is it done?Ovens will vary, so to ensure that your cake is cooked all the way through, test your sponge before removing it from the oven. A cooked sponge will have shrunk away from the sides of the tin and the centre will feel springy. Once this has happened, do the skewer test. Insert a skewer in the centre of the sponge – if the cake is cooked, it will come out clean. If there is any cake mix on the skewer, give the cake a few minutes more, then test again.


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Real horse hoof section – Outlet Plastinate: Fascinating insights into the anatomy for an incredible price. Real anatomical slice.
Find detailed information about plastination outlet offers in the blog articles.
Thickness of the plastinates is appr. 0,2 – 0,5 cm. Check the cm-ruler in the picture to estimate the complete size of the plastinate.
The sheet plastinate has a signature "vHorst" or "Dr. v. Horst" engraved. Acrylic stands which might be visible in the images are not included in the offer.
For more information about plastination and real anatomical specimens contact me by e-Mail or phone. You can also find more information about plastination and anatomical preparation in the Blog or at www.plastinate.com
Dr. Christoph von Horst