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At low-water at Albion Sands, near Marloes Beach on the southern tip of St Bride's Bay, a head-high piece of metal stand like a statue in the golden sand of this small and secluded bay.
Other lower pieces of wreckage protrude from the beach, for this was the spot where the packet paddle steamer after which the beach was named came to a sticky end.
The paddle steamer Albion was the pride of the Cork to Bristol Service, famed for her speedy passages across the Irish Sea. Passengers enjoyed a fine programme of entertainment from a resident band on the swift voyage, the vessel having broken all previous records for speed. In 1833, two years after she was launched, it was boasted that she had completed the 700 mile double Waterford - Bristol - Cork - Bristol sailing in 70 hours. But her reputation for speed must have gone to her Master's head, for in April 1837, in his quest for further records, he took a short cut through the notoriously treacherous Jack Sound, between Skomer Island and the mainland. And, like other vessels before and since, he came to grief when the vessel struck a submerged rock and she was run on to the sands which ever since have borne her name.
Happily, the Spring weather was relatively calm and her fifty passengers and crew, together with five horses and 180 pigs were saved. After most of her moveable equipment had been salvaged, she was left to break up on the beach and has remained there, buried in the sand, for the last 176 years. Two long iron shafts are her only memorial, apart, of course, from the name of the Sands.
In October 1881 another paddle ship, a wooden vessel named The Lass of Gowrie foundered nearby on Marloes Sands. In October 1938 the 500-ton steamship Lonsdale fell victim to the sound, and nIne years earlier a ship called the Molesey struck. And in February 1967, the Dutch coaster Lucy came to grief when her stern struck the Blackstone Rock in the Sound and stuck fast. She was carrying a cargo of calcium carbide, which it was feared would cause a gigantic explosion when wet. The Master and crew took to the liferaft and were rescued together with the ship's mascot, a collie dog, and when the tide rose, the ship floated off into St Bride's Bay in a snow storm, where she evidently sank without a murmur.
To those victims of these treacherous waters can be added the Holme Line steamer Thomas Vaughan in 1882, The sailing vessel Mayflower with a cargo of salt during the 18th century, the Llanelli-built two-masted trading schooner Alice Williams in February 1928, and the Bristol Packet steamer Queen in September 1843. There is an interesting story about the Alice Williams, which was bought for £5 by the naturalist, Ronald Lockley, then living on Skokholm Island, who salvaged her cargo of coal and other useful items. Her figurehead welcomes visitors ashore to this day.


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subset: commoncrawl


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"It's wrong because it can't be! You know there's no money to keep you at school, and Reebok Runtone if you can't stay at school how are you ever going to be anything better than Reebok a manual worker? Your accent, your clothes and your hands show that you labor for a living. But it's no disgrace to have calluses on your hands. As Daddy says, when a man's hands are callused you know he's honest." Frank shrugged and said no more. The dishes were all put away; Fee got out her sewing basket and sat down in Paddy's chair by the fire, while Frank went back to the doll.
"Poor little Meggie!" he said suddenly.
"Today, when those wretched chaps were pulling her dolly about, she just stood there crying as if her whole world had fallen to bits." He looked down at the doll, which was wearing its hair again. "Agnes! Where on earth did she get a name like that?" "She must have heard me talking about Agnes Fortescue-Smythe, I suppose." "When I gave her the doll back ZigTech she looked Reebok ZigTech into its head and nearly died of fright. Something scared her about its eyes; I don't know what." "Meggie's always seeing things that aren't there."
"It's a pity there isn't enough money to keep the little children at school. They're so clever."
"Oh, Frank! If wishes were horses beggars might ride," his mother said wearily. She passed her hand across Reebok EasyTone her eyes, trembling a little, and stuck her darning needle deep into a ball Reebok Shoes of grey wool. "I can't do any more. I'm too tried to see Reebok Pumps straight."
"Go to bed, Mum. I'll blow out the lamps."
"As soon as I've stoked Reebok Sneakers the fire."


text: The F word #WTF!?#engagement#identity Updated Oct 12 2015 (Posted Apr 4 2011) Megan Finley Horowitz meggyfin Photo by docksidepress, used by CC license. I'm putting this out there because I believe I can't be the ONLY ONE to have felt this way. Okay, here's the deal: I hate the word "fiance." My partner Aaron and I were engaged for a year and we never got used to saying it. It just felt funny on my tongue and weird coming out of my mouth. Another one of those "this feels too fancy for me" things. (I swear, I must have some sort of insane anti-"fancy shit" complex. Is there a name for that? Okay, I'm getting off topic, rein it in Megs.) It got to the point where I started to dread when I would have to introduce Aaron to someone new. There was always that moment where I thought that I'd be okay saying "my fiance" — I'd just grin and bear it, no big deal, people do it all the time, what the fuck was wrong with me — but when it came to that moment I'd just freeze. Then this kind of thing would happen all the time… John: Hey Megs, have you met Wendy? Me: No, I haven't. Hi Wendy, it's nice to meet you. Wendy: Hi Megan, nice to meet you too. Me: Wendy, this is my… (pause for inner conflict) …boyfriend, Aaron. John: Wow, you're still fighting that word, aren't you? Me: Yup. I just couldn't bring myself to use the "F word." And it caused some confusion too, like, there were whisperings about whether or not we were still planning on getting married because Aaron and I just flat out refused to switch from saying boyfriend and girlfriend to saying fiance. Aaron was the same way. From the moment we were engaged we talked about not wanting to use the word "fiance," but what are we to do!? There's no other term for it that didn't give us the wiggens; betrothed, intended, future spouse? Nope. Uh-uh. Too formal. But the fact remains that he's more than a "boyfriend" but he's not a "husband" yet. To anyone who is freely and happily using that term — good on ya mate for that! I think people should be happy to, both, be and have a fiance. For the longest time I couldn't wait to be affianced. But once I was, I just couldn't bring myself to ACTUALLY use the word. I'm telling ya, sometimes I hate myself. 😉 Related Post My Nigerian engagement ceremony bridentity crisis I'm generally of the belief that your wedding is not always about you, but it should reflect you: your beliefs, your values, and your community.... Read more So, here are some of the terms we finally came up with to use instead of "fiance." Feel free to use them as your own… "Marrying girlfriend" or "marrying boyfriend." "My future partner in crime," sometimes shorted to just "partner." "The one I caught" "The guy/girl who's making an honest girl/guy out of me" "The one who would have me, despite all the glaring flaws." "That guy/girl that I'm gonna marry." "Matrimonial candidate" "Spousal Unit" as suggested by a reader Or, my favorite, introduce your partner in a french accent as in "Zees ees mah fee-yon-say." Does anyone else feel the same way about the "F word?" If so, what terms do you use instead? Megan Finley Horowitz When Megan's not writing, traveling, and sleeping, she's eating like the fate of the world depends on it. (You're welcome, world!) You can snoop into her personal life over on her website The Dash and Dine! @meggyfin @thedashanddine @meggyfin PREVIOUS Brilliant blues and some red details, too NEXT Save the Date bookmarks do more than just help you save the date! Show/Hide comments [ 437 ] I always call Adam my Fee-Onz-Say, in a very thick accent lol it changes from day to day. I hate the F word…. I can't say it with out laughing hysterically and turning beet red so it's better if I just make a joke. Reply i can't wait to call the love of my life fiance!;so cute and formal. It is just so FINAL. Much more than a boyfriend, but not quite a spouse. Reply My 'fiance' and I ended up going with the terms "pre-spouse" and "husband/wife-in-training". Mostly we use the second, as it is us. We feel we are in training. We continually learn new things about each other, and all of the trials and tribulations of planning the wedding and this extended engagement is just training for the new battles we'll be facing TOGETHER as lifepartners. 🙂 Reply I totally love being able to refer to my sweetheart as my fiance. It gives me a silly thrill every time I tell Siri "call my fiance" in order to auto-dial my sweetheart. I don't at all see it as some "fancy french word" even though it clearly started as French because there's no other English word for it, and it's been part of the English vernacular for a couple hundred years now. But its meaning goes way beyond that for me: As a queer baby-boomer, I spent most of my life never imagining that I'd be able to have a real legal spouse any time in my lifetime, so to refer to my sweetheart as my fiance is something that is powerful and important to me. So for me, "Fiance" is an enormous privilege that I gladly and whole-heartedly celebrate finally having. Reply Before he officially proposed, while we were shopping for a ring and then waiting for it to be made, I hated calling him my boyfriend. I thought that sounded juvenile. He was somewhere between boyfriend and fiance. So I combined the two words and started calling him my boy-ance. People loved it! When he finally did propose I just kept the moniker because I also hate fiance. Now that we are married, I miss his old nickname. Husband is boring. 🙂 Reply I just had to add this. I have the 'f-word' problem too, but at least we're not like this: Reply I am definitely the minority here, but here's why I LOVE "fiancé." I am a femme bisexual engaged to a butch genderqueer. As our relationship progressed we avoided "girlfriend" like the plague, as we grew more and more committed to each other. If I said things like "person I am seeing" "person I am dating" they seemed far too clinical, and many affectionate terms were far too gendered. We began using "girlfriend" (me for her) or "ladyfriend" (her for me) a few months before we became engaged, although it never really rolled off my tongue, it was something people understood (read: we are not friends or roommates.) Fiancé works for us- it isn't gendered and it is equal. He can say it to him. She can say it to her. She can say it to him. He can say it to her. Ze can say it to whoever they want. They can say it to each other. We both use it, often, and love it! We live in Louisiana, which doesn't have marriage equality, yet. We are looking forward to its inevitable arrival. When people ask where we're getting married, we are getting married here. (We'll go to New York to "do paperwork" if we must). And I must admit, I do love the coming out moments I have every day: Me: blah blah blah my fiancé. Customer/store clerk/friend who hasn't heard yet: oh you're engaged! What's his name?/ when did he propose? / blah blah blah he blah? Me: oh, she blah blah blah. I do enjoy that. Thus far all reactions have been positive and loving or neutral. I love fiancé. It's exactly what we are right now. We're discussing options for parenting names, post-marriage terms, etc. Anyone have any great ones that work for gender non conforming couples? Reply Hate it! I hated it the first time I was engaged and I hate it more now. .as my Anthony says 'what is this? what are we French now?" lol relationships don't need labels. we are what we are. . together. that's it I just call him my Anthony most of the time Reply I can't say I get this. My boyfriend and I aren't quite engaged yet (pre-engaged), but I'm already itching for a word that's less flippant than 'boyfriend.' I look forward to calling him my fiance. Maybe I'll feel different once we turn that corner, but from my standpoint now, I like the sound of it. Reply I love this article. I feel weird calling my blondie my financee. It feels kinda like my fantasies all coming true (I have wanted to get married for the longest time. Blondie on the other hand, took his time settling into the concept) and putting us in a box at the same time. It feels too 'one size fits all' to me and I dont really like introducing him as my financee to other people. So I dont. Before he proposed, I was just as commited to him as I am now and I called him my blondie then so I do the same thing now. I introduce him as my blondie. He has always called me his wench (we're sailors and he likes to be a pirate and I like to be difficult and outspoken!) and so he still introduces me as his wench. And we will likely still introduce each other in this way once we're married! Weird thing is, I love him calling me his financee when we're by ourselves and theres no one but me to hear it. *shrugs* No idea why! Reply YESSS!! I blame it on the fact that I used to take French growing up and I am inclined to pronounce French words all French-like which makes me sound like a douchbag. For reals. I love this site. I love that I'm not the only one! Reply Huh. This one never occurred to me. I'm glad people have alternatives, but I LOVE saying fiance. I think it rolls off the tongue more than boyfriend, and since I am totally embracing wedding talk it's an excuse for someone to ask questions and for me to blab on and on. 🙂 Reply I hate being called "girlfriend"…it actually kind of pisses me off when people say "your boyfriend". I feel like that does not indicate the level of commitment we have for one another. When I think of the terms "girlfriend and boyfriend" I think of people who are committed, but are just dating. And believe me, there's nothing wrong with that. However, this relationship more is than just dating. We are family. If I could call him my husband now, I would. I know he's still not comfortable with the whole "fiancee" label for me (he would rather call me "wife"), because he probably feels a lot like the other people on this thread about the word. It just seems weird to me when I see people who have been together for 5, 10, 20 years still calling someone their girlfriend/boyfriend. There has to be a better word for a life-partner to whom you are not married to yet, or might not ever marry that indicates family-hood and a life-time commitment. Reply I've recently started calling my partner "my statistically significant other" or "my significant figure". ….this is only funny if you're a math or stats dork. But trust me, it is fucking HILARIOUS. Reply I have a hard time saying it, I giggle every time which is of course exactly what a mature, engaged woman of the 21st Century should do. He very confidently introduces me as his finacee all the time. I think he likes it, I feel like he's been introducing me to every person we pass lately and I get such a kick out of it. Every time, I grin stupidly and get all squishy on the inside. After 5 years together, 3.5 of cohabitation, you would think I'd be a bit more chill about this whole thing but nope! Reply I struggle with f-word, mostly because I don't like labels in general and we are choosing not to use the labels husband/wife. It is partly political, because there are many out there who are being denied this right to marry. Why should I go around inadvertently flaunting our marriage to our gay friends! He is and has been my partner for years and some legal document isn't going to change any status we have for each other, it is only making it possible for us to move to a different country together. That said, I have never cringed when someone introduced me to their fiancee, I find it adorable and loving and instantly, you know the couple are dedicated to each other. Reply I feel like I would just say something like "This is my person. There are many like him/her, but this one is mine." =) Reply We use Pre-Wife and Pre-Husband. Either that or Emergency Contact Person. Reply Just got engaged a few weeks ago and we are completely struggling with the the whole fiancé thing. We've been boyfriend/girlfriend for over ten years and seems weird to toss a new label on our relationship… I'm going to start referring to him as my betrothed. Reply We use "larval husband" and "larval wife". Hehe 🙂 Reply For a while I called my guy "fusband," as in "future husband." Then I stopped because he didn't care for it, but sometimes now I overhear him refer to himself as my fusband 😉 Reply I worked for an airline and we could register a person to travel with us, so I would always introduce my boo as my registered companion. We also eloped, so I never said the F word. It really is a corny word. Reply My 'fiance' aka 'partner' but preferably Man-Beastie and I equally dislike fiance because… well… it sounds overly elaborate to us, when referring to each other. I love being introduced to other people's Significant Others when they use 'this is my fiance' and / or 'this is my partner'. But for us, and our relationship, it isn't right. We were very serious from the start and, being older (though not at all mature!), boyfriend/girlfriend under-states what we mean to each other. Partner, however, sounds like we run a business together. I toyed with beloved and betrothed, which were cute but not quite us. I dislike other half, because it implies I'm half a person without him (which I feel inside, but I'm no less valid when he isn't around… I just miss him!). So he's the Man-Beastie, I'm the Lady-Beastie, we are collectively The Beasties. It's daft, light-hearted, and very us. Though it doesn't really express how serious we are about our mutual commitment to our life as a team. I'm very much looking forward to being officially the Wife-Beastie and to him being the Hubbicus. We both, by the way, rather liked Matrimonal Canidate and Spousal Unit. Matrimonal Candidate is right, and non 'poncy' but does what it says on the tin, and Spousal Unit works well given I call my folks the Parental Units, and self-refer as Daughter Unit #1 (being the first-born, not that I'm more important!). Reply me and mine also have a weird time saying 'fiance'. not because we dislike it, we've just been dating for so long and referring to each other as bf/gf that its weird to say something else. and its almost feels like digging for compliments or congratulations from people who aren't aware of our engagement but I feel like its lying or something calling him my bf when he's not technically that anymore. Reply It's like you're speaking my thoughts!! I can't STAND the word fiance!! I don't really know why, my friends used to pull me up when I referred to him as my boyfriend, after we got engaged. It just feels a bit…pretentious. He's my partner, so that's what I call him 🙂 He refers to me as his wife despite the fact we haven't actually got married yet, for us, the wedding is making official what we already are – partners for life. e doesn't see a need to give me another title for a little while. Reply I'm a teacher and work at a school where adult-kid interaction is very important. Teachers have conversations with the kids all the time. I felt weird talking to students about my "boyfriend" because it felt too juvenile. Hence, the term "house-husband-in-training" was born. Now that we're engaged, I'm sticking with it. Reply I don't really use it because I'm just not in the habit. People are always mistaking us for husband and wife already and we have been using the term partner for a long time since boyfriend/girlfriend sounds awfully trite when you live together and have lived through major calamities together (cancer, chemo, radiation, fertility preservation etc…) but now that we are engaged I think I'll start calling him my "fancy", because it sounds close enough to the F word to be a play on it and I do fancy him quite a bit! Reply My husband-to-be calls me his "Pre-Wife"- he says it's because he can't spell fiance. I didn't like it at first but now it's come to mean a lot to us both. After being engaged a year now though, he seems to get aggrivated with the "pre" part sometimes. Reply Come on guys, y'all are acting like "betrothed" and "Snuggles" aren't even options. Reply I don't like boyfriend, I am no longer at school! I actually don't mind fiancé, but he tends to call me his missus, or the boss 🙂 and I call him my fella, or hubby to be, but usually its other half, and this feels right, because its true. I'm looking forward to calling him my husband though Reply I've been engaged for 6 years and rarely call my guy my fiance, his my significant other or my partner, or even more simply mine! Fiance just sounds so up tight , so old money to me. Reply YES, I feel weird every time I say it! Glad someone else feels the way I do! I'm pretty sure FH doesn't have the same inner-turmoil as me. He always corrects me when I say boyfriend. Reply We're in transition, both of us seriously planning our wedding, without being engaged. Boy/girlfriend feels childish, but being non-official leaves limited terms. We tend to keep it light, with terms like my "keeper, minder, chief mischief maker, back rubber extraordinaire, queen blanket theif". If people want to really be obnoxiously pressing, I tell them that he's my tomorrow. It's the most true thing I can think of and it also is sappy enough that most people get awkward and wander off. 🙂 Reply I on the other hand, adore the word "fiance". Granted I've only gotten to use it for about a week, but I've been dating my guy for more than 6 years. We have grown from awkward teenagers into adults together, we lost our virginity to one another, I was there when his dad died, we flew out of our parents nests and made a new one together– so much life stuff that "boyfriend" just doesn't cut it. It sounds like we are still in high school or I just picked him up at a bar. "Future husband" also works for me. And partner. But fiance is a special word to me that better embodies how serious we are about each other and I am so excited to use it. Reply SO flippin' glad to read this post and so many of the comments who agree!!!! Spousal Unit is pretty hilarious….I think I might just try out each option out loud and see which doesn't feel like my tongue gets stuck on itself. I think, for me, at the end of the day any and all of the words makes me feel like I'm showing off or something. Like, "oooOOOooo! Look at me!!! Someone loves me enough to put a ring on it…OooOOooO! Watch me with my fancy words!" *does fancy dance* Reply We don't use the "F" word either. We tend to say, partner, significant other, or just jump right to the wife/husband even though we are not "legal" yet. We have been together about 8 years now (we can't say for sure, because its our time together, not the date of that time, that we care about) so we even occasionally say that say something along the like of "We are Goldie and Kurt – ing it" in reference to Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have been together a very long time and still have not yet married. Reply I'm partial to "forever buddy." Reply I have the hardest time with the word fiance, as well. In fact, well into our relationship he was "the b-word" and now I regularly refer to my guy as my "F-Word." That's even how I have him listed in my phone! Reply My friend works in politics, so she's been using Husband-elect! 🙂 Reply Even worse than the word fiance is the word "hubby." I am dreading the day someone refers to my husband as hubby. Reply Agreed! It feels strange to say. We started pronouncing it "feyonce" like Beyonce as a joke. Turns out that's an actually thing (google away for t-shirts, etc). Most of the time we just shorten it to "my fee", "future hubby" or one of the other random nicknames we have for each other Reply My problem with the word fiance (or fiancee) is that it sounds so pretentious. I have known same girls who are like "He's mt fiaaaaanceeeeeee," as if it means something MORE than just being in a serious relationship, or that they're just bragging that THEY got engaged. My future in-laws call me his more-than-girlfriend, because they know that that word really f*cking bothers me. Reply I like variations on the word, domestic. He's my domesticator and we are domesticating in a domesticative domestication. It doesn't carry the non-committal or immature stigma of boy/girlfriend and also sounds a bit naughty, which both of us (shamelessly) are. I love to domesticate with him in front of visitors and sometimes we'll domesticate together when visiting others! ;D Reply Before we were engaged, I couldn't wait to use the word "fiance" because "boyfriend" started to feel really juvenile after a few years, and didn't represent our level of commitment (we were together nearly 6 years before getting engaged). But now that I am "fianceed", I still find myself using "boyfriend" more often than not. It's all in my head, I realize, but I feel like I/our engagement won't be taken seriously because I'm young (and not THAT young, mid-20s, but I look younger) and live across the country from my person, so most of the people I talk to in person have never met him. I really like the word "fiance", but can't usually say it with enough confidence to own it. I've always had icky feelings about the word "husband", too. Hopefully, I'll get more used to "fiance" (and then "husband") as we get more serious about planning both our wedding and our future lives together. Again, I realize this is more for the sake of other people than myself, but I feel that if I can offer concrete evidence that we're serious (he has a full-time job now! she moved to the same state as him!), then others will take me/us seriously, and I'll gain the "right" to use the terms that have rightfully been ours for nearly a year now. Reply our friend jokingly referred to me as my fiance's "pre-wife" one day when we were drinking and it kind of stuck as a joke. I refer to my fiance as my "pre-husband" a lot. And one day he called me his "post-girlfriend". Reply My other half has always been "man friend". He began that way (we were 26 and 27, respectively, when we met almost 7 years ago!), and I've continued to use that term throughout our engagement- and interestingly, so have all my friends and family. Not a single person I care about refers to him as my fiance. Of course, we are also oft referred to as "Chips (him) and Guac (me)" or "Cheese and Crackers", so you probably don't want to follow our lead 🙂 Reply Lol–I have never liked that word either! It doesn't really fit me, or us, at all. I use it anyway, for lack of a better word, when I think about it or I can make myself say it without feeling totally stupid (which is rare). Often, I forget and end up saying "boyfriend." I don't think anyone really cares, nor do I, so I don't get too hung up on it. The word husband has always seemed weird to me too–it reminds me of husbandry. I mean–that's the word I'll probably use, but it will probably take a while for saying it to come naturally. No–it will not be replaced with "hubby"–I pretty much despise that word. Reply From the opposite end of the spectrum, I love being able to use the word Fiance because it is the most gender neutral term to use when talking to wedding vendors about our queer wedding. If I can just say fiance, then we can avoid the awkward interaction where I have to come out to complete strangers before I can sign a contract or book their services. Gay marriage is legal in our state, so that shouldn't even be a factor. I don't need to come out to every person I meet, the important ones know and that's all that matters. For the LGBT couples, being able to use fiance is that common ground, where some of the uncomfortable interactions are made easier. We are using Hersband and Wife after we get married as my fiance is gender queer and would die if she was called wife. Reply I've never minded it, when I got engaged I quite enjoyed using the word! However there is a guy at work who hates the word (oddly enough he's french..) and it has led to many confusing conversations about planning a wedding with his girlfriend lol. I think I'd use the one "better half" if I didn't use the word fiance. I've always loved it when people said "my better half" so old school romantic. Reply Thank you! I was beginning to feel like a freak for just not likin the word, I love my boyfriend, I love that we are engaged and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him, but I HATE that word it just feels wierd. Reply Read more comments ‹ 1 … 4 5 6 Join the conversation Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign me up for your offbeat awesomeness newsletter! No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy. Biz owners & wedding bloggers Please just use your real name in your comment, not your business name or blog title. Our comments are not the place to pimp your website. If you want to promote your stuff on Offbeat Bride, join us as an advertiser instead.


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Los Altos, California
The Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, located on 38 wooded acres in the majestic hills above Los Altos, Calif., has offered prayerful solitude and inspiring vistas to those seeking spiritual rejuvenation since 1925. With colorful gardens and rustic trails, the Center's outdoor tranquility is matched only by the serenity of its indoor chapels and meeting spaces, ideal for contemplation and prayer.
With the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola as a blueprint for spiritual progress, guests experience a closeness with God that enhances all aspects of life. They are guided on retreat by the Jesuit priests and lay partners who comprise the Center's team of talented retreat directors.
The Center offers an extensive variety of weekend and private retreats, longer summer offerings (the entire Exercises in a 36-day program and a series of three 8-day retreats), other individually directed retreats, spiritual direction, days of prayer and training programs in giving the Spiritual Exercises.
Freshly-prepared meals are appropriate to the season and served buffet-style in the Center's hilltop dining room with sweeping panoramic views of Santa Clara Valley. Center facilities are open to a wide range of guest groups, including those from high schools, colleges, parishes, ecumenical and interreligious organizations and select nonprofit organizations.


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Vendors strive to identify and meet the needs of ECs:
There is a head-spinning amount of software options for electrical contractors today ranging from estimating to automating to integration of all facets of a very large business; somewhere in the midst of the many options, contractors need to look hard at their operations, locate the snags and find out what software system or suite of systems can offer the best solution for the best possible price.
Software vendors are finding that computer usage by electrical contractors has gone from limited to considerably sophisticated. For many contractors, it is a matter of improving on an existing system.
From a software perspective, construction is an unusual business in that no two projects are the same.
"There are so many factors with each one that make it unique, the owner, other subcontractors, materials, location, timing," said Brad Mathews, vice president of marketing, Dexter + Chaney. Despite the variables, contractors both in the office and on the work site are seeking ways to provide consistency. They have found software can do that, to a point.
"Most contractors today say, 'Our payroll works. We can create billing, change orders'," Mathews said. "But how well are they working together?"
Often they aren't. Change orders are a good example. When a change order occurs, those who most need to know—such as the contracting firm owner—may not be aware of it. Software that brings together operations personnel with the financial group and provides management visibility is an asset to any contractor.
Making the tools make sense
Still, barriers exist for contractors who aren't ready for a fully integrated software system. The attitude, vendors say, is "We've always done it this way." Inertia prevails. The problem is not necessarily with the software. Rather, it is with the vendors' ability to train contractors and make the software tools they are using comprehensible.
Software vendors should try to understand what keeps electrical contractors up at night. Most contractors spend their sleepless hours thinking about cash flow, said Sage Timberline's Courtney M. Stearns, specialty industry sales manager, Sage Software, Construction and Real Estate division.
In most cases relating to their cash flow, contractors use spreadsheets, documents and accounting systems, which they re-enter when necessary for cost-tracking and billing. Mathews calls these Band-Aids, none of which alone will resolve the contractor's problems.
"You can create a great process for one part. They can have lots of spreadsheets, but that's not a database. It's a single-user tool. They provide wonderful pieces of software but are not coming up with a real solution," Mathews said.
Every change order or unique event in a project can upset the system, fail to get translated from one department to another or just get lost somewhere.
"A typical contractor will miss a certain percent of what could be billed," Sage's Stearns said. After all, a typical contractor could have a hundred projects or more in a year and each job has the potential for dozens of change orders.
"They have to figure out what they might want to change. The change order plans go back and forth. And, by the time the dust settles, typically the costs are not allocated correctly," he said. "It might not be billed correctly. It might be billed late, or it might miss critical elements."
This is a problem contractors have traditionally either accepted or attempted to resolve by throwing more personnel at the problem while never quite staunching the cash loss. While they use Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and an estimating system, generally they just aren't connected in a way to resolve problems such as those described here.
"For a lot of contractors, I think the sentiment is that, at the end of the year, they're still making money," Stearns said. However, they may not realize that they are leaving potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars behind each year.
"Most contractors we've worked with haven't spent time looking at the depth of that. We have to train our own salespeople to interview them and be able to quantify the critical business issues the contractors are facing," Stearns said. "It's hard for contractors to get their head around losses like that. They have to move on to the next job, they've got RFIs in the inbox," he said.
A good software vendor understands the electrical contracting business and does more than sell an attractive package. They must be able to talk about the critical issues contractors face, provide personnel training that is necessary and follow up consulting.
Software vendors have been working hard to improve their product offerings and make them easier to use. Some systems allow different members of a contracting firm to access a unique database relevant to what they do, sparing them the data they don't need. Even if the system is integrated, the employee only sees the functions that matter to him on his desktop. Dexter + Chaney and Sage offer dashboard solutions that allow a set of data to be available to a specific desktop.
From a project-management perspective, the employee can define what is important to him and ensure he has access to that data.
"We're talking about a very complex tool that is presented in a way that is meaningful," Stearns said.
So if someone on the job site finds an item does not arrive when he needs it, he can determine where it is and when it's coming. This is more efficient than calling the vendor repeatedly, receiving two orders of the same equipment and having one of which go into the warehouse without being part of the inventory list.
Integrated software solutions could streamline labor management issues. Mismanagement of crews can cost $500 to $1,000 per hour and can lead to many thousands of dollars.
Office invoice approval can be done through Internet access. It can keep invoices, of which there might be thousands, up to the minute while allowing the staff to review the cost estimate on a project and view any changes.
And some others
While some contractors use software specific to ECs, not all find that distinction necessary. Quest Solutions, which provides general construction industry software, is releasing a new version of its digitized takeoff and estimating software. The new solution uses a standard query language (SQL) database, which replaces the Borland database engine used in earlier versions.
SQL, originally intended for mainframe databases, can handle large volumes of data better than other platforms. SQL is a widely-used database language that also has strictly enforced technical standards. Because of these standards, two systems based on SQL databases are more likely to be able to easily share data between them, which is a distinct advantage for anybody trying to integrate an accounting system with estimating software. Also, SQL databases keep all records in one place, which makes data easier to protect and manage.
Contractors choose
Cochran Inc., electric design and construction, Seattle, is a full-service company providing electrical design, construction and service, voice and data structured cabling systems, and security systems. Cochran takes on projects ranging from one-hour service calls to complex, multiphased design/build projects. It has provided some of the most complex and varied projects in the Pacific Northwest.
Being such a large contractor makes software an integral part of Cochran's business.
"It's the Information Age. It's all about getting as much information as you can, as fast as you can," said Larry Couch, Cochran vice president of operations. "Good software provides the ability to react quickly and take appropriate action as required."
The software systems Cochran uses are providing the company with what they need without the integration that many vendors are recommending, Couch said.
Couch said the software with the greatest impact for Cochran had been tracking project costs, progress and productivity.
Clearly, software is here to make business more productive and profitable. EC
Editor's note: This story is not all-inclusive. Contractors should be advised to do their own research into software that would work with their individual companies needs.
SWEDBERG is a freelance writer based in western Washington. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Robert Stephens is my husbands great grandfather. He is buried in UNION DALE CEMETERY PITTSBURGH PA
Robert was just found this year. Chuck said that his dad always went and decorated the graves of "two Civil War soldiers" buried in Union Dale.
I asked Chuck's Aunt Edna and she told me that one of them was Robert and the other was Robert's son James. James did not fight in the Civil War.
Robert was born in 1845 and emigrated with his parents Charles and Hannah c.1854. There are two different arrival times I have found.
Robert married his wife Olive Bauser in 1891. On the 1900 census he had listed that he was a widower. I have been searching for Olive and Roberts marriage license and information on the first marriage but this remains elusive.
Olive was 25 years younger than Robert and my theory is that Olives parents did not approve of the marriage because of the age difference and they eloped. I would love to find the records on their marriage.


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Learning the Language: Student Spends Summer in Ecuador Teaching English
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—Tara Perpignan, a College of Education senior studying special education, spent part of her summer in a Penn State English as a Second Language (ESL) immersion program. Perpignan spent about six weeks in Ecuador where she taught English as a part of a mini-school program. Perpignan also earned her ESL specialist certificate as a part of this experience.
"I took a teaching-ESL course in the fall of 2012, and became more curious about teaching these exceptional students," said Perpignan. "After receiving an email about the ESL specialist certification program, I knew it was for me."
Students in the program participated in a home-stay experience and hands-on classroom teaching, which, according to Perpignan, was everything she wanted in a study-abroad experience.
Perpignan said it was thrilling to see her students start to grasp the language, practice it with each other outside of class and even watch English television shows.
"Although my time in Ecuador was short, my students grew at an exponential rate," said Perpignan. "On the first day of my teaching experience, my classroom of 12 students, whose ages ranged from 8 to 10 years old, was buzzing with the sounds of the Spanish language. But after a few weeks all I heard was English, which was a really proud moment as an ESL teacher."
Perpignan went to Ecuador not knowing any Spanish, but she said all of the experiences that took her out of her comfort zone were important because they will help her better relate to her future ESL students.
"I can tell them that I have lived in another country and went not knowing the language," said Perpignan. "I can tell them that I have gone to the grocery store and bought tomato paste instead of toothpaste, which happened and was horrible. I can tell them that I understand the emotions that they feel. But most importantly, I can tell them that it will pass, and language acquisition will occur at the right time."
Perpignan said that getting her ESL specialist certification was appealing because of the number of English language learners in special education.
"I wanted to be as knowledgeable as possible in order to provide proper instruction for both types of learners," said Perpignan. "Now that I have gained a knowledgeable background about teaching ESL, I can use that experience when I teach."
As she approaches graduation, Perpignan said she is currently looking for jobs in special education and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She will also return to Ecuador this summer to participate in a program called Camp English.
"My experiences in Ecuador have truly changed my life and molded me into the person and, most importantly, the teacher that I am today," said Perpignan.
--by Kevin Sliman (October 2013)


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"The State of Georgia's murder of our people is never surprising. But it cannot diminish the good works of our brother Troy Davis who on August 19, 1989 stood up against racist Savannah Police regime terrorist Mark MacPhail and demanded justice," NBFSN General Cedishon Angelou is quoted as saying in a statement released across the network concerning his execution . "The State's execution of this innocent and righteous man only bares witness to the continued legacy of racial terrorism & injustice ours have always faced from it. But the white people of Georgia are of their fathers – the devil. The works of their fathers they will do."
"So called officer Mark Macphail was a piece of shit. Let us never forget that his family and supporters are generational race criminals and reparations offenders who have always supported white terrorism against people of color. Fuck Mark McPhail. Praise Troy Davis."
Davis was murdered by the State Wednesday night for what Savannah Black Foot Soldiers say was a justified self defense protest against White Police Terror (WPT). "By his very presence MacPhail engaged in a campaign of racial terrorism when he encountered our people at and around the area of the bus station. His execution brought relief to many."
"Our brother Troy Davis died a martyr and a hero in our people's historic struggle for justice against white terrorism. Racist Savannah police regime terrorist Mark MacPhail died in the way of his racially terroristic fathers. Fuck Mark MacPhail."
Angelou declined to say whether he agrees with Soldiers across the State of Georgia who say the MacPhail family deserve to be spit at when seen in public.


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Enabling free data access through ADAreleased over 4 years ago
As of October 2015, ADA data is now available free of charge to all users. Any user can now request access to ADA data and it will be made available at no cost. Note that access to data is however subject to the data access and approval provisions of the data being requested. Please feel free to contact us at email@example.com if you have any queries regarding this change.2016/02/17


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Happy Sunday dear Lily Of The Valley friends !!! I hope your weekend is going great.
I got some play time in yesterday and just had to show you another one of these adorable Christmas Cuties from Lily Of The Valley 's new release.
Here I have Christmas Snooze. Oh he looks like he got his belly full lol
I have colored this little fellow with my copics and the sentiment is also from Lily Of The Valley from the Christmas Circular Sentiments. I tell you that your never out of sentiments when you have the sentiments from Lily Of The Valley always the perfect on there.
Papers from BoBunny
The Christmas Tree is a die from Marianne Designs and the beautiful poinsettia is from Wild Orchid Crafts.
Thanks for stopping bye today and sending you Big Hugs ((((((((((())))))))))))))))


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- This event has passed.
Open Heart Kitchen
January 16, 2019 @ 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 2:00 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, repeating indefinitely
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Open Heart Kitchen provides free meals to the local hungry, both lunch and dinner. Much of the produce comes from Asbury's organic garden, Fertile GroundWorks. Volunteers are always needed to help serve all the hungry, in a variety of ways. Contact the church office at 925.447.1950 if you're interested in helping out.


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You bought a Mac! Let me be the first to tell you, your day is about to get much, MUCH easier.
But before we get there, there's a bit of light house keeping. Yeah, yeah, yeah - that's all fine and good, but when do you get to play with your new machine?
Mac's are great - they are powerful, streamlined and easy as heck to use - but your files? They're still on a PC and like it or not, you just spent 20+ years using Windows, so there are some adjustments to make.
Before you can show off your slick new Macbook Air or brag about how much faster your machine boots up or how you can find a file in, like, three seconds, you need to make the transition.
That's what we're about to do. The accessories. The Apps. The file transfer. In the pages that follow, you'll learn all the stuff that matters, none of the stuff that doesn't and be ready to flash that shiny new Apple logo at your local coffee shop with pride.
This book is unofficial and not endorsed by Apple.


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The Westin Richmond is conveniently located on Broad Street just off of Interstate 64 at Reynolds Crossing. Find all the personal touches you need to retreat from the rigors of travel and emerge revitalized and renewed.
Our seven-story, contemporary, full service, state-of-the-art hotel is centrally located to the many local attractions and landmarks that Richmond has to offer. Business travelers will enjoy our hotel's proximity to numerous local corporations in the surrounding area such as Reynolds Development, Alcoa, Philip Morris, and Genworth Financial just to name a few.
We strive to create a restorative atmosphere by anticipating your needs and tending to them intuitively. Our 250 superbly comfortable guest rooms feature many wonderful amenities, which will replenish your body and elevate your senses.
The Westin Richmond offers something for everyone, whether you want to work, relax, or explore.


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I have wanked to this so many times Thanks guys
28.05.2019, ecopgcc
What is so special about gay porn here. Well, here on Special Gay Porn we have an amazing number of fresh, fine twinks and bears, studs with big cocks and hot temper, whom you never see on any other xxx site. Unquestionable quality of our porn movies is the new word in boy on boy action. You will be amazed and aroused by the unprecedented temptation of our scenes, from the hot start to the raunchy finals. Gay anal fucking, group sex, fisting and cumshots - we have a plenty of delights for you! Movement in blue


text: A highly adjustable non-trem Strat inspired bridge that doesn't require through body stringing or string grommets. Low-friction roller saddles adjust for intonation and height, and for string spacings from 2" to 2-3/16" (50.80mm to 55.56mm). A cam screw locks the saddles to the grooved baseplate. The strings mount at the rear of the bridge. Screws included. The saddles and the 2-13/16" x 1-15/16" (71.44mm x 49.21mm) baseplate are brass. A removable 1/8" (3.00mm) spacer is included for raising the baseplate height if needed. Use a .050" allen wrench to adjust the saddle heights from 3/8" to 17/32" (9.53mm to 13.49mm) from the guitar body (E string positions). Positioning the bridgeFind bridge placement for any scale with our free online tool fret position calculator. CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.


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WASHINGTON, DC — Although the United States military met its fiscal year 2009 recruiting goals, 27 percent of young people in the United States are too overweight to join the armed services, a recently released report found. And nearly 15,000 potential recruits who take the military's physical fitness entrance exam fail each year because they are too heavy.
Increased spending on recruitment bonuses helped the military meet its recruiting goals, but report authors cautioned against relying on a continued economic downturn to staff the military.
"During economic downturns, higher numbers of well-qualified candidates seek to enlist, and the military can temporarily rely less on waivers for those with academic deficits or criminal records," the report stated. "But a weak economy is no formula for a strong military. Once the economy begins to grow again, the challenge of finding enough high-quality recruits will return."
The report, titled "Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve," was released by Mission: Readiness, a nonprofit organization of 89 senior retired military leaders aimed at increasing youth education in America.
"Unfortunately, the number of young Americans who have high school degrees, are in good physical shape and are without criminal records is declining," retired Gen. Henry "Hugh" Shelton, U.S. Army, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement. "To keep our country strong and safe, we need to ensure all young Americans get the right start in life. We need more investments in high-quality early education."
Some 75 percent of Americans aged 17 to 24 are unfit to join the military when other reasons are included, such as inadequate education and criminal history, Curtis Gilroy, the Pentagon's accessions policy director, testified in March. Mission: Readiness encouraged Congress to pass legislation funding early childhood development programs.


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Below you will find a list of JCK Las Vegas show alerts.
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Check out this interesting article by John Lopez from si.com. I think he came up with this 26-27-60 rule himself – impressively thought out I have to say. The general idea is that QBs who have a 26 or higher on the Wonderlic, 27 college starts or more and a completion percentage of at least 60%, will succeed in the NFL. His examples of successful QBs who have met those numbers are compelling: Manning, Matt Ryan, Brees, Romo, Schaub, Rivers. (Check out Ryan Fitzpatrick's Wonderlic score of 48…wow.) At the same time his list of those who did not have all 3 of these qualifiers was also compelling: Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, Tim Couch, David Carr, JaMarcus Russell (among others). A few notable exceptions are Brett Favre (22 on Wonderlic) and Donovan McNabb (14 on Wonderlic) – and he doesn't mention him, but our own Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers I believe falls short in the games started category – he started 22 games in college as far as I can tell. I believe he had a 35 on the Wonderlic and his completion percentage was 63.8%. So, technically, like Favre and McNabb, Rodgers would actually belong in Lopez's loser category.
Not a perfect theory, but still not bad.


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But, I do have some fabulous green cards to share with you today! I decided I needed to get a couple St. Patty's Day cards done to share with you today! The first one uses Kazan's Sketch 48 from 2 Sketches 4 U this week. And I used the sewing machine again...two days in a row!
But, I do have some fabulous green cards to share with you today! I decided I needed to get a couple St. Patty's Day cards done to share with you today! The first one uses Kazan's Sketch 48 from 2 Sketches 4 U this week. And I used the sewing machine again...two days in a row!
27 comments
Wow Lea... these are great!!ReplyDelete
Aww... Alex is so so cute.. I have a wee bit of a crush on him ;)ReplyDelete
Love the cards! Do you have like massive stocks of doodlebug jewels??? hehe
Amazing cards, but I really like the second one, and the reference to rainbows. You and rainbows = amazing work.ReplyDelete
Stunning green cards today! That's such a fun rub-on, its so great to find treasures in your stash!ReplyDelete
Awwww...these cards are awesome and perfect for today! :)ReplyDelete
These are great! I especially love the first card.ReplyDelete
I can't belive I forgot to watch Ellen today. Thanks for putting that up. :)
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you Lea! Perfect cards to celebrate the day! I love the lucky always-the colored rub-on is really cool! I like your use of the rainbow rhinestones. Fun fun fun!ReplyDelete
Those cards are beautiful!ReplyDelete
Nice! Love that vintage image on the first one, what a great look!ReplyDelete
These are sweet, love the vintage one! They also fit the Cupcake Craft challenge - green!ReplyDelete
These are very cute!! :)ReplyDelete
I love these cards...you rocked everything green:)ReplyDelete
Beautiful cards, green is not my color too !!!ReplyDelete
Cute, cute, cute, Lea!!! Great job with your sewing machine. It's addictive if you ask me! ;o) Gosh, I love that polka dot ribbon!!!ReplyDelete
I saw Alex on Ellen, too. What a sweet kid!!! Talk about your life changing in an instant! ♥♥ Kay
So glad I'm not the only one lacking green. Actually my closet really lacks basically anything with color! I love both cards, and it's too bad Lil' Davis isn't still in business I liked several of their products!ReplyDelete
Fun!! I love these cards :)ReplyDelete
- kelly crippenMarch 18, 2010 at 9:39 AM
I love your cards and thoughts. Where did you get all your artistic talent my little girl!ReplyDelete
Love Mom
love your take on Kazan's sketch! great st. paddy's day colours!ReplyDelete
Such a lovely cards! Especialy the 'lucky' one because green is my color!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the comment on my card! I lve the card you made for the challenge!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous cards!ReplyDelete
love your cards! love the vintage image on the first!ReplyDelete
These are just gorgeous Lea! Beautiful image and stitching on the first, and you know how I love some rainbow bling!ReplyDelete
(-: Heidi
Beautiful cards. TFSReplyDelete
Lovely work dear.ReplyDelete
your card is beautiful Lea - I adore the vintage image. I also did not wear green on St. Patties day - not my color either I guess but the girls were dressed in green from head to toe AND they were with me 24/7 - does that count for me having green? :)ReplyDelete
how fun are these! adorable!ReplyDelete


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My podcast for July 16, 2015. Markets, misguided ideology, MMT trumps
My podcast for July 24, 2015. Joe Firestone. Matt Franko.
My podcast for July 16, 2015. Markets, misguided ideology, MMT trumps
My podcast for July 8, 2015. It's been a while, so here you go.
Podcast for May 22: Jon Reznick and Hedgeclippers.
Podcast for April 13: My phone conversation with Paul Craig Roberts.
Podcast for April 9: My interview with Gary Carmell, author of The Philosophical Investor.
Podcast for March 23. My interview with Ellen Brown, author of Web of Debt and Public Bank Solution.
Podcast for March 23. $720 TRILLION. Inflation. Paul Tudor Jones.
Podcast for March 17. Politics. Stock stall. Outlook.
My interview with Joe Firestone.
Here's my podcast for March 10. Stocks down hard. More debt ceiling. Great forex calls.
Here's my podcast for March 9. McConnell, debt ceiling, stocks, economy.
Here's my podcast for March 3. DHS funding. Euro. Police militarization. Fiscal.
Podcast 2/25/15: Some info on my upcoming, "Understanding the Daily Treasury Statement" course.
Here's my podcast for today, Jan 15, 2015.
I get into the SNB, Russia, crude and all the rest of a wild day.
Today's podcast.
Some topics: Market decline, bond yields, Bill Gross (again), euro, oil. Enjoy.
Here's my first podcast for 2015. Enjoy.
Stephanie Kelton, Bernie Sanders, NYPD insubordination, Forex, disgraced Representative Michael Grimm and more.
My interview with Justin Santopietro. Great conversation. We cover politics, economics and the strength and failings of MMT. Justin is a contributor here and specializes in political commentary.
Dec 16. Interview with Justin Santopietro.
The theft of our freedom, liberty, wealth and futures by the elites has become brazen to the point where they are not even trying to hide, in the least bit, what they are stealing from us.
Podcast for Dec 15.
In this podcast I talk about the government's funding bill that rips off workers and gives new, free money to Wall Street banks to play with. And I talk about Russia and the crazy policies that Putin and the central bank are employing, which are only hurting the economy and further enabling Western sanctions.
Podcast for Dec 12.
Today I talk about a possible government shutdown. How any Continuing Resolution does not solve the debt ceiling issue and why that's the "doomsday" scenario. Also, why you can only get this info here on this blog. Not the mainstream media, not CNBC, not the WSJ, not Fox Business, NOWHERE but here, folks.
Thurs Dec 11
Conversation with our very own, Roger Erickson.
Dec 10 Podcast with Roger Erickson.
Low level Madoff aide gets jail time. Criminal Wall Street bankers, NOT. More Debt Doomsday stupidity. What happens when the robots make everything?
Tuesday, Dec 9.
Matt Franko is my buddy and a contributor to this blog. The guy is a smart, thoughtful, considerate, articulate and a really good dude. Listen to my interview with him.
My podcast for Monday, Dec 8. Interview with Matt Franko, contributor to this blog.
An economics, investment, trading and policy blog with a focus on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). We seek the truth, avoid the mainstream and are virulently anti-neoliberalism.
3 comments:
- MRW said...
Where are Matt Franko's articles about Treasury's Daily statements?
- December 26, 2014 at 1:36 PM
- Matt Franko said...
I'll go back and make sure as many as I can find are all Labeled "DTS" over the next few days....
Havent been doing a good job with the Labeling on these posts... I'll try to remember to put "DTS" in the Label field from now on...
Stand by... rsp,
- December 31, 2014 at 2:53 PM
Mike I can't find your podcasts on my TV itunes. What is your channel name?
- March 26, 2015 at 1:29 PM
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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Insight: How US retailers are building up their online muscle
MARTINSBURG, West Virginia (Reuters) - The brave new world for U.S. retailers can be found in small cities like Martinsburg, West Virginia.
That's where department store chain Macy's Inc recently opened a facility the size of 43 football fields - big enough to stock 1 million pairs of shoes - just to fulfill orders made online.
Continue Reading Below
The $150 million building, its third one dedicated primarily to supporting macys.com, has already been handling 60,000 orders on a busy day this holiday season. Macy's expects that figure to triple in two years.
"The customer is increasingly voting that she wants to shop both ways," said RB Harrison, Macy's executive vice president in charge of integrating e-commerce and store operations.
From Macy's to Home Depot Inc and Best Buy Co Inc, retail executives are racing to speed up order delivery and improve inventory management, which if done well, can help profit margins.
Many chains are also hiring staff, or even buying firms in Silicon Valley, to get the edge in technology.
"Today, tomorrow and going forward, you are comparing the experience in our store to the experience of sitting in your living room, in the comfort of your home, ordering something on your laptop, your smart phone or your iPad," Home Depot Chief Executive Frank Blake told Reuters.
"Your willingness to put up with rude associates, dirty stores and out of stocks is just going to go down and down and down. Our bar on performance in our stores is going to go up and up and up," he said.
To be sure, online sales to date account for just 7 percent of retail sales, according to Forrester Research. But the firm expects online sales growth to rise 45 percent to $327 billion and account for 9 percent of overall sales by 2016.
Retailers are realizing they must respond to that kind of growth.
"When I was meeting with brick-and-mortar retailers 24 months ago they weren't thinking about online," said Carlo Bronzini Vender, a senior partner at New York-based investment bank Sonenshine Partners who helped advise Drugstore.com when it was bought by Walgreen Co in 2011. "Now people are being more proactive about it."
Even if some retailers like Macy's are less exposed to the threat from e-commerce's 800-pound gorilla Amazon.com Inc than a company like electronics chain Best Buy Inc, they are all under enormous pressure to offer faster delivery times, better service and an array of products.
Already armed with 40 e-commerce fulfillment facilities, Amazon is set to open another 7 centers next year.
And by next year, Amazon could offer cost-efficient same-day shipping to every customer in the 10 largest U.S. cities, according to RBC Capital Markets.
This year, Saks Inc, Dillard's Inc and Kohl's Corp are among retailers that opened the biggest online fulfillment centers they have ever had.
And those without much of an online presence are moving quickly to get one. For example, T.J. Maxx parent TJX Cos Inc, which sells designer clothing and home goods at discounted prices, said on Friday it bought off-price Internet retailer Sierra Trading Post for about $200 million.
Most national retailers have largely stopped opening new stores as same-store sales growth has slowed compared to online.
But the stores can be a major weapon for companies like Macy's and Home Depot as they fight Amazon.
Since this summer, 292 of Macy's 800 stores have been doing double-duty as mini-fulfillment centers that assemble, pack and ship online orders, up from 23 stores a year ago. It plans to add this function to 200 more stores next year.
Nordstrom Inc has been doing this for years, giving it a big lead over other department stores.
At Macy's, already 10 percent of orders placed online have been dispatched through stores this holiday season.
"It's a natural extension for us because of our ability to leverage the 800 stores' inventory," said Harrison of Macy's. He noted that the cost for equipping a store for e-commerce is relatively small, requiring a small space in the docking area for tables, scales, and room to pack boxes.
Saks is testing "ship-from-store" and expects to roll it out next fall. Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Kohl's are also testing it.
"Fulfilling online orders from the store is the most important thing that will change physical retailers over the next five years," said Matt Nemer, an e-commerce analyst at Wells Fargo.
The strategy is aimed squarely at boosting profit margins.
Saks CEO Stephen Sadove envisions a scenario in which a pair of shoes sitting unsold at his Saks Fifth Avenue flagship could be used to fill an online order and sold at full price, instead of ending up being sold at a discount, hurting profit.
Macy's computers have complex algorithms that scour companywide inventory, factor in distance and shipping costs to come up with an optimal way to assemble and ship an order.
Despite higher shipping costs, Macy's shipments are often split between locations if a computer determines that the benefit to margins from selling an item that a store doesn't need or has too much of outweighs the extra expenses.
Stores are also serving as pick-up spots for online orders, and many retailers are finding this a boon. Wal-Mart says customers spend about $60 in a store when they pick up items ordered online.
In November, Best Buy decided to assign additional employees to deal with in-store pick-ups since 40 percent of bestbuy.com orders are now picked up.
Even Amazon sees the benefits of a physical presence. Staples Inc said last month it will install "Amazon Lockers" at its stores, allowing customers to have packages sent to Staples stores to avoid delivery hassles.
The biggest reason many retailers are only now offering 'ship-from store' and in-store pick-up is that the traditionally managed store and e-commerce inventory had been handled separately.
That is changing rapidly. Saks is spending about $40 million this year to update its computer systems in part to integrate databases. Industry experts say Nordstrom's e-commerce lead over department store rivals stems in large part to technology investments it made years ago.
But there are risks.
Computer systems and staff have to be ready or else retailers can face disaster, said Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. The use of stores is pointless if, for example, an inventory system gives the stockroom person collecting an order incorrect information about where a coat is located, leading to wasted time.
There is also a big risk of an item in store being "shopworn," or unsuitable to be sold.
"It's smart to fulfill from stores if you can figure out a way to get your operations right," Mulpuru said, noting the potential for human error is another concern. Such problems are limited at fulfillment centers because the systems are highly automated.
Executives agree. Harrison said stores are not meant to replace fulfillment centers, with their much greater breadth and quantity of products, but are there to supplement them.
"It's always going to be more efficient to ship from a fulfillment center," Saks' Sadove told Reuters. "You're never going to be perfect in 'ship-from-store'."
To support its e-commerce strategy, retailers are aggressively hiring in Silicon Valley. Nordstrom took on more than 400 new employees with software engineering and website development experience, including Kirk Beardsley, an e-commerce executive from Microsoft Corp who had been a director of business development at Amazon for over seven years.
Retailers hope to take this even further by analyzing online data. Macy's executive Harrison said data collected this holiday season will help prepare for the next steps in its online push.
Last year, Wal-Mart acquired California-based start-up Kosmix, which developed technology to filter data from social media networks. As a result, Wal-Mart's San Bruno, California-based e-commerce offices now house more than 1,000 staff.
Getting hold of the technology to back up these efforts is driving acquisitions. They are frequently small ones, driven by retailers' attempts to master the online sales process, rather than immediately boost sales.
Home Depot, which bought tech start-up Redbeacon earlier this year, is looking to acquire or partner with more companies in the Valley, according to CEO Blake.
Redbeacon, founded by a trio of Google Inc veterans, matches homeowners with the best contractors for jobs such as cleaning and home repair. That kind of innovation will send shock waves through the sector, Blake said.
"I think there is going to be as much change over the next 10 years in retail as in the last 50 years. So if you're prioritizing where you put your best people, your best resources and all the rest, for us it's on inter-connective retail," said Blake.
(Additional reporting by Jessica Wohl, Olivia Oran, Sarah McBride, Alistair Barr, Brad Dorfman; Writing by Edward Tobin; Editing by Martin Howell and Jeffrey Benkoe)


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Operating temperature
The permissible operating temperature is mainly limited by the seals (table 1), the oil level gauge and the lubricant. For temperature limits of SKF bearings and lubricants, refer to the relevant product information. The permissible operating temperature for the oil level gauge is 110 °C (230 °F).
The housing material does not have any additional temperature limits, except for very low temperature applications where impact strength could be a factor.
The housing paint is heat resistant up to 80 °C (175 °F) material temperature or 100 °C (210 °F) ambient temperature.
When temperatures outside the permissible range are expected, contact the SKF application engineering service.


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Microsoft's Xbox 360 console contains illegally used technology, Lucent alleged last week - and filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the software giant to back up its claim. It is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
The complaint, filed with the US District Court in San Diego on 28 March, alleges the Xbox 360's MPEG 2 decoder uses techniques outlined in patent number 5,227,878, which is owned by Lucent and details an system for "adaptive coding and decoding of frames and fields of video". Microsoft, said Lucent's suit, does not have permission to use this technology.
Lucent said it had notified Microsoft of the alleged infringement, but the console company did not suspend sales of the Xbox 360 or, presumably, offer to license the technology for a royalty acceptable to Lucent.
Lucent sued Microsoft in 2003 for infringement of the same patent, but the software giant was able to persuade the judge to throw out the case because of a typo in the patent's wording. Lucent has since edited the text, and is now having another go at prosecuting Microsoft. ®


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What oil should I put in my Smart Fortwo or Roadster engine?
How do i reset the service light?
This applies to ALL models of smart...
1) Turn ignition on
2) Within 4 seconds select the "service� indicator in the Speedo display by pressing the instrument cluster button twice
(Fortwo 450 - located outer left of cluster. Fortwo 451 - located front bottom left hand corner of cluster. Roadster - located on the outer top of the cluster).
3) Turn ignition off within 10 seconds of selecting the display, the �service� indicator will remain in the display.
4) Now press and hold the instrument cluster button down again, and whilst the button is down, turn ignition back on but continue to hold the button down for a further 10 seconds.
5) Service light will flash/re-appear and then clear.
What is the recommended oil for the Smart gearbox?
The gearbox on the Fortwo and Roadster uses hydraulic fluid, to a specification known as ATD11. Typical products are: Castrol ATD (Dexron) II or III, Fuchs Titan ATF 3000, Shell Dexron 11. Do not use ATF type F, as this is a different product.
What should my tyre pressures be?
All of the standard Smart Fortwo and Roadsters should be inflated to 2.0 bar in Summer when the tyre is cold. The Brabus versions depend on the tyre size:
175/50R17 � 1.8 bar.
225/35R17, 205/45R16 and 175/55R17 � 2.3 bar.
175/55R17, 195/50R17 � 2.0 bar.
Where do I top up my power steering fluid?
The power assisted steering on the Smart Fortwo does not use fluid, so you do not need to top it up!
Where is the battery?
In the Fortwo the battery lives beneath the passenger foot well. Lift the carpet, and carefully remove the large foam section that lies beneath. You might even find that the towing eye and the emergency tyre inflation kit is still in place in the top of the foam section!
How long will my engine last?
It is our experience the 599cc Smart engine can sometimes fail at 50,000 to 60,000 miles. The most common problems at this mileage are: Burnt out exhaust valves, worn oil rings, cracked exhaust manifold. If valve or exhaust manifold faults are detected and dealt with early, the problem is not terminal for the engine. The 699cc engine seems to be more reliable.


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I don't know what is going on with the processing/jpeg conversion but you are getting some strong posterisation in the model images. Unless its my iPad screen?
I call this rig my "GigaSig". The Sigma DP3M mounted on a GigaPan Epic 100 robotic panorama head. Easy setup and works very well. Sample pano below was stitched from 12 frames using AutoPano Pro 3 (highly recommended).
This is very impressive. I thought Gigapan was useful only with their software and was intended for a large number of stitched images. You're using it with 12 shots....is this just gear overkill or does it serve a useful purpose for the less than 20 shot stitch?
Would the Epic base model be enough with a Sigma DP-M?Can the buffer keep up with your Epic's shooting speed?You shoot RAW b.t.w.? At full res? How well does your software take care of blending issues at the edges of the frames? I have this slight problem with panos shot with a DP2M using a rotating head on my tripod.thanks!
I'm not sure if the basic Epic is OK for the DPxM. I asked which model to purchase and was told Epic 100 for the Sigma DPxMs. The Epic 100 will also work with my Leica M9. There is a timing setting that needs to be adjusted for the camera processing speed (extremely slow with the DPxMs). I had mine set initially for 12 seconds but had some overrun problems but now at 16 seconds per frame I haven't run into any problems yet. Yes, I shoot raw at full res. I haven't seen any blending issues with AutoPano Pro.
Hi, Looks to be an excellent compliment to the Merrill's, to get extreme high resolution plus the pixel sharpness of the Merrill's should be able to reproduce very large prints.I am in the middle of researching which pano system to purchase RRS or Nodal Ninja in order to do stitching, panos to print very high resolution files and I bumped into your post, your panos looks impressively sharp.An automated system might be an overkill for 2-4 stitched images but the Epic 100 is cheaper than RRS or NN.Can you elaborate more on your workflow/setup.Thank youAbe
Hi Abe,I don't think that I would need anything more than a tripod for only 3-4 shots, but if you want to make very large prints at high resolution then the gigapan might be worth looking at. Set-up is easy and if you are only using one camera with the epic 100 then it is a one time thing for set-up/calibration. Instructions are here. When I start a new pano just mount the epic 100 on a sturdy tripod and level the device with camera mounted on the unit. Check camera alignment when attaching. Turn on camera, set fixed ISO, WB, exposure, and focus. If you are using a very slow shutter speed you could also set the 2 sec selftimer for shutter release. If you do make sure that your preset processing time in the epic 100 is adjusted to account for this. Turn on the epic 100, and when "New Panorama" appears on screen press OK, go through the checklist that pops up, using the directional arrow buttons direct the camera to the scene area that you want as the upper left corner of your pano (using LCD live view), next do the same for lower right corner, you will see info on pano dimensions and number of shots, press OK and let the epic 100 do its' thing. After a shoot I just dump the sd card files to a folder on my computer, batch them through SPP with preset WB, color mode, etc. and output 16 bit tifs to another folder. Open AutoPano Pro, point it to the output folder, it will find and organize all of your pano files (can be for just one or several panos), present previews for each pano, and then you have the option to either edit or render the panos for your desired output. Quick, easy, and good quality.Have fun,Carl
An automated system might be an overkill for 2-4 stitched images but the Epic 100 is cheaper than RRS or NN.
Thank you CarlHow do you mount the Epic 100 on the tripod? Does it have a plate? I have a RRS Ballhead with a gitso tripod, also can you mount the camera vertical?Thanks againAbe
I also use a RRS bullhead and just attach a small flat RRS camera plate to the epic for mounting. No you cannot mount vertically and no need to do that. The epic shoots multi rows and columns to cover your pano area.
Thank you What small flat RRS plates are compatible with the Merrill's?
Hey this is pretty interesting for a pano newbie. RRS user(s): why is it faster and easier to do a large panorama with RRS freehand rotation equipment vs EPIC or a Nodal Ninja - Fanotec rotator with detents? (eg, a deluxe RD16, with 16 angle interval detent options 3.75% to 120% available without having to swap out detent rings)Currently I am attempting single-row pano with manual rotation of the ball head base (yes, rotator would be handier, but I am not sinking money into it until I learn the software - Hugin - and manage to produce OK single row panos of some local scenery).Epic/Epic100 looks pretty simple, but may be heavier than other options. I note that RRS has a replacement bracket with central Arca-Swiss-like clamp for GigaPan products, allowing more precise No Parallax Point placement.


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Brick walls in our ancestry can come in many forms, but they usually boil down to the inability to extend a lineage. Often, a thorough search of extant records can help break down this barrier. Sometimes, however, the solution can be much less arduous. Such is the case with Ethel Lee (Penland) Ritchie.
Ethel was born 6 November 1881 in North Carolina, and died 17 April 1901, probably in the Valley area of Rabun County, near her burial place at Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Rabun Gap.1 She was enumerated in the 1900 US census with her husband, T. J. Ritchie, and their son, Tom.2 Because of her birthdate, it was therefore highly unlikely that she could be found in a previous census with her family.
A search of marriage records in Rabun County yielded no marriage for this couple. From Tom's death certificate, I knew his mother's maiden name was Penland. She was born in North Carolina, possibly right across the state line in Macon County. I decided to check my copy of Macon County, North Carolina Marriages 1829 – 1939 by James E. Wooley, and found this: "Ritchie, J. T. 27 to Ethel P. Penland 17 1-18-1899 T. F. Glenn, M. G."3
Many researchers, including myself, might have gone straight from this verification of Ethel's maiden name to other records, such as census and probate records, in order to search for possible parental candidates. It just so happens, however, that I had recently reviewed a section on marriages in North Carolina in North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History, and so I recalled this snippet, which I flipped back to for clarification:
…The names of the parents of the bride and groom began to be given [on marriage bonds] about 1867…4
On my next trip to Franklin, I visited the Register of Deeds office at the courthouse to search for the original marriage license. These have now been digitized and are searchable, which made the correct records fairly easy to find. And, indeed, the marriage license did name parents for both groom and bride, respectively, J. M. and Elizabeth E. Ritchie, and Erastus and Flora Penland. Additionally, the license indicated that Ethel's father was deceased and that her mother was living. As I suspected, Ethel had been born in Macon County, and her mother resided there at the time of the marriage.5 I can now use this information to locate Ethel's parents in census and other records.
One of the biggest hurdles a genealogist faces is when a 19th or 20th century ancestor was not enumerated on the federal census with their parents. There are work-arounds, as this post shows, and they often are as simple as knowing the laws regulating available records sets.
* * * * *
1. See Bill and Elaine English's online cemetery transcription for this cemetery: Wesley Chapel Cemetery Inscriptions, Rabun County, GA
2. Thomas J. Ritchie household, 1900 US census, population schedule, Rabun County, Georgia, Tennessee Valley, ED 118, SD 9, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159; Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2004; NARA micropublication T623, roll 218.
3. James E. Wooley, Macon County, North Carolina Marriages 1829 – 1939 (Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, Inc., 1984), 114.
4. Raymond A. Winslow, Jr., "Marriage, Divorce, and Vital Records", North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History, 2nd edition, Helen F. M. Leary, editor (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Genealogical Society, 1996), 158.
5. The license contained other useful information such as the birth place and ages of the bride and groom, the names and residences of witnesses, and the name and affiliation of the person who performed the ceremony. Because Ethel was under the legal age, her mother gave consent for the marriage. Marriage license 2822 (digitized), T. J. Ritchie and Ethel E. Penland, Register of Deeds, Macon County, North Carolina.


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When you can't think of the right words to thank your customers, just hand them this item as a token of appreciation! This Thanks word shaped stress reliever is bound to motivate and inspire recipients. Measuring 5 1/4" x 1 1/4" x 1", this handy giveaway is ideal for sports teams, volunteers, employees, graduation classes, fundraisers and organizations. These unique "word" stress relievers are great for conveying a lasting positive message!
Pricing & Options
Customize your product based on the available color options and decorating methods. If you need more information, simply add this product to the Wish List and we will get back to you with answers.


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In the wake of Ted Kennedy's sad passing, some particularly interesting factoids are emerging about the senator's final days. Namely, that along with quality time spent with his family and friends, he also chose to spend his final days watching every single episode of 24 on DVD. A sound decision -- albeit perhaps an odd one (considering all the political assassinations that occur on the show) -- since 24 is one of the most consistently entertaining (minus a bum season or two) and compelling series of the past decade, if not ever. If I knew I didn't have much time left, Jack Bauer would probably take my mind off of it. Which got us thinking about the shows we'd recommend that the average person with a terminal illness watch if they haven't already before they pass away -- and the shows they should most definitely not their waste precious hours on.
Do Watch:
The West Wing
Brilliant, delightful, optimistic melodrama with very high highs ("Two Cathedrals") and lows ("The Stackhouse Filibuster") that are still better than most shows' best episodes. I actually watched this once while loopy on pain meds after a wisdom teeth extraction and it was like ten times the rollercoaster of emotions it normally is. It was honestly one of the greatest viewing experiences of my entire life.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I can't think of a more enjoyable form of escapism than Buffy, and though its final season is looked down upon, the series was wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion that wouldn't leave a person disappointed on their death bed.
Freaks & Geeks
There weren't a lot of episodes, but you're not going to find more quality in such a scant quantity than Freaks & Geeks. Besides, Sam Weird needs you, and you can't leave this world not knowing that punkers don't call themselves punkers. You'd get your ass kicked in the after life.
The Office (UK)
Another short one at only 14 episodes, the original Office series wrapped up perfectly and is one of best things ever created for the television medium. If you're looking for a sitcom to watch before you go, this is the one to make your mission.
If your prognosis leaves you alive until next May's guaranteed-to-be-mind-blowing series conclusion, this crazy ride of a show will get your pulse (and mind) racing one last time.
Don't Watch:
Sex and the City
Besides its constant vapidity, everything that was mindlessly enjoyable about this series vanished in its later seasons. Yes, it is difficult to prevent people on any long-running show from becoming parodies of themselves, but this is the shining textbook example of how not to write enduring characters.
Battlestar Galactica
A beautifully genius show... until the end, which wasn't just disappointing, it was absurd. And I don't know if anyone's ever mentioned this before, but it's also slightly bleak. You might want to watch something happier in your state.
If you don't have a lot of time left, don't let the decent first season hook you into suffering the following two. Even you have too much to live for.
The Sopranos
Critically acclaimed, well-acted, thrilling (when it wasn't boring, let's be honest) and groundbreaking television, its open-to-interpretation letdown of an ending will just frustrate you. It's just not worth it if you can only see one more series.
Grey's Anatomy
Another example of a show that started out well and just went from good to bad to worse to nearly unwatchable over the course of five seasons. It could very well come back with a vengeance next month and ultimately wrap up well whenever it ultimately ends... but let's just say we wouldn't prescribe it on DVD to the person without time to spare.
For more from Television Without Pity:


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Last year's BronyCon — a convention held primarily for male fans (though female fans are invited, too) of the children's cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic — was held in a small selection of New York City meeting rooms and attracted just over 100 people. And how'd that go this year? Over costumed 4,000 fans, affectionately dubbed "Bronies," from across the country showed up at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey to celebrate the show that many attendees claim taught them the value of tolerance, friendship and understanding.
The show's creator Lauren Faust was in attendance and was able to comment on the Brony phenomenon, saying that while she never intended for the cartoon to be aimed at young men (she wanted to create something for little girls that their mothers could possibly enjoy, as well), she feels the reception is a step forward:
"We live in a society where saying that something is for girls is the equivalent to saying that something is stupid, or saying that something isn't worthwhile. I think that's awful and I think that kind of attitude needs to be changed ... And these men are doing it. ... They're proud that they're forward-thinking and modern enough to look past this misogynistic attitude."
And what about the creepy factor?
"There are a lot of people who when they first hear about men watching a show for little girls, they're taken to a creepy place," [Faust] said. "They think there's something wrong with that, something devious about it. I think that's unfortunate.
"I don't think you have to have bad intentions to like little girls or to like the things that they like," Faust said. "And it's upsetting to me that people jump to those conclusions. I think it's unfair to men and I think it's unfair to girls and women."
Oddly enough (at least from my weird little internet bubble), Bronies have, overall, managed to escape the judgment that typically comes with being a man borderline obsessed with something created for children. Rather than judged as potential perverts or as, you know, pedophiles, they're seen as the sparkly scamps of the web — known for making mashups and waxing poetic about being kind to one another (their mantra is "I'm gonna' love and tolerate the shit outta you")— almost like the cartoon ponies that they, as Bronies, so admire.
BronyCon Summer 2012: My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic fans gather for convention [AP]


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Low-Price Gifts for High-Tech Lovers
By Family Features
(Family Features) If you're overwhelmed by shopping for technology items for the gadget lovers on your holiday list, rest assured that you can still find fun, unique high-tech gifts that won't break the bank.
"Phones, tablets and cameras are nice but pretty standard," said personal technology expert and Yahoo Tech founder David Pogue. "Online, you can find a plethora of smaller, fun, offbeat gadgets and gizmos that can help you give the tech geek on your list a gift to remember."
With the holiday shopping season wrapping up soon, you can make your purchasing easier with resources such as Yahoo Tech (www.yahoo.com/tech), which makes holiday gifting easier with detailed trends and product reviews, as well as suggestions for gifts that fit the needs of everyone on your list.
Before you jump online to start shopping, take a look at Pogue's list of favorite affordable and fun gift ideas for the season:
- Kinivo Speaker: This speaker boasts surprisingly good audio quality and a self-contained cable. The top pops up to expand the cavity for better bass.
- Prank Packs: Packages for fake products – you put the person's real gift inside, which they open after a good laugh.
- Thin Optics Phone Case: Forget squinting to read the screen; this slim phone case comes with backup reading glasses to make viewing your phone easier than ever.
- Parrot Rolling Spider Drone: This inexpensive drone will provide hours of fun flying indoors. It even does tricks, walking up walls and across ceilings.
- SanDisk Cruzer Fit 64gb: Instantly expand a laptop's hard drive with this tiny little nub that fits easily into your laptop's USB jack.
- Quirky+GE Internet-Controllable Pivot Power Strip: A flexible power strip lets you plug in devices, then control them across the Internet with your phone.
- Harmony Hub: Your home entertainment system has never been easier to control than with this gadget that controls your entire system (TV, sound system, Blu-ray player, TiVo, etc.) from your phone. No programming is needed, you just tell it which components you own, and it does the rest.
To find these and more affordable holiday gift ideas, visit www.yahoo.com/tech, and follow David on Twitter @pogue.


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This ultra-sexy F052 one piece outfit from Noir Handmade features long sleeves, a two way zip and a high neck. It is made from exceptionally figure-hugging wet look material. One things for sure: this incredibly erotic outfit is sure to get a reaction from your partner!
Made from soft, supple and stretchy material, this outfit adapts to fit your body and accentuates your feminine curves. It provides a high-class, elegant way to bring out your naughty side.
Made from wet look material, this outfit has an adjustable collar and features a double-ended zip that goes from the crotch to the middle of the back. This means you can have all kinds of sexy fun without needing to take it off.
The Overall Wetlook F502 outfit from Noir Handmade is a real fetish classic!
Material: 80% polyester, 20% spandex
Size: XXL
For reasons of hygiene, no return or exchange is possible once the product has been unsealed.
There is no review in English yet.


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Elizabeth Preatner, Ph.D., M.D.,
Prenatal Geneticist and Embryologist at the GenoChoice Institute
Thank you for considering GenoChoice to plan the
future well-being of you and your family. My name
is Dr. Elizabeth Preatner, a prenatal geneticist and
embryologist here at GenoChoice. Using our state-of-the-art
technologies, you can quite possibly ensure that your
child's life may be free of such diseases as cancer,
Alzheimer's, and heart disease -- as well as conditions
like obesity, aggression, and dyslexia.
Our probes and DNA amplifiers can identify these
negative genes and eliminate them in your child...
all at the pre-embryonic stage!
And you can even specifically choose genes that
may determine favorable characteristics in your child.
With the special help of GenoChoice©, you can
truly offer your progeny "the best of nature... before
you nurture!"
© 2005 All rights reserved.
GenoChoice |
RYT Hospital


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I know Bastille Day is still a few months away, but between Peugeot's badass Dakar racer and the clandestinely amazing Citroën museum, French cars have been on my mind a lot lately. More than they usually are, at any rate.
I'm a huge fan of French cars, particularly older ones. Old-school Renaults, Peugeots and Citroëns have this combination of bizarro styling, advanced technology, and racing heritage that manages to check all my Jalop-boxes. The fact that they're relatively hard to come by in the U.S. these days makes them even more special.
Also, some of them are just plain weird. Weird cars are the best.
That's our question of the day: What's the weirdest French car ever made?
I'm not sure this qualifies as THE weirdest, but the Citroën SM is one of my personal favorites and it's definitely weird as hell by mainstream American standards. It was a spaceship-looking "high-performance" front-wheel drive coupe with a Maserati engine and a bigger price tag than a Porsche 911. The SM also packed innovative steering and suspension systems. Oh, and they took it rallying too, because of course they did. I must own one someday.
Still, there's way weirder ones than the SM. Your turn. What's the strangest car the French ever produced? There's so many to choose from!