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So, here it is! Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders! And in it, my design for the On-the-Strap Camera Case!
I was SO excited to get this book in my hands, and thrilled to see the excellent job Rebecca Yaker and Pat Hoskins did translating my copious notes, illustrations and photos into lucid instructions.
This is the first sewing pattern I've ever designed and published.
And here I have to credit my mom for instilling in me from a very early age the conviction that I can truly make anything I want to out of nothing. Kudos, Mother!
On-the-Strap What?
So what the heck is an on-the-strap camera case? If you're like me, you hate carrying STUFF around. I don't do umbrellas or lunch bags, or the kind of big and boxy camera bags you see photographers lugging around. I'm also reluctant to throw my digital SLR into my purse bare — it's likely to get scratched by my car keys or get a little too friendly with a leaky bottle of hand cream.
I wanted a camera case that would provide a soft layer of protection for my little Canon Rebel, but that wouldn't add bulk. Also, when I took my camera out of the case, I didn't want to have to find a safe spot to set the case down while I was taking pictures.
Introducing the one, the only, the wunderbar On-the-Strap Camera Case!
The clam-shell design fits over your camera easily, the Velcro tabs make it easy to open the case, slipping it along the length of your camera strap, and voila! Camera's in your hands, ready for action!
The fleece case hangs (light-as-a-feather) on the strap as you snap pictures, and when you're done, you simply slide the case back over camera body and press the Velcro to keep it all closed up and cozy!
Oh, and did I mention, there's a nifty little pocket inside to store your lens cap? So you don't have to worry about putting that down somewhere and walking away!
How Will You Make It?
I'm so excited to see the variations that are bound to pop up across the blogosphere as people start using this book. The sample case I made for the book featured freehand quilting and some pretty button embellishments, but I can imagine crafters making my pattern their own:
- A monster case with felt eyeballs and teeth around the clam shell?
- A pretty floral case with fleece tassels?
- A brown suede case with fringing?
I've been using my own on-the-strap case for about two years now. It really does protect my camera when it's slung over my shoulder or gently stowed in my purse. And the fleece becomes softer with wear and conforms even more closely to the shape of the camera and lens.
You'll note that the book includes sizing for an average DSLR camera and variable lens. It also shows you how to measure for a custom-sized bag if your lens is shorter or longer than most.
I'm sure I'll be posting again about Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders as it becomes more popular over the months. Rebecca and Patricia's first book was amazing but I have to say, the projects and variety in this second edition are mind blowing! I can't wait to get stuck in sewing!
I will be sewing along with Africankelli's Fabric-by-Fabric Sew Along this year. As much as working and having a 6-month old baby will allow!
Want to read about some of the other projects in the book? Here is a list of links to recent blog posts on the new Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders:
- Becka's Project Journal
- Patch Work Duck Designs
- Nifty Kids Stuff
- Becka's Project Journal
- Nom Nom Nom
- Quaint and Quirky
- ikatbag
- Two Brown Birds
- Sharon Sews
- LBG Studios
- Carolina Fair Designs
- Under Construction
- Little Blue Cottage
- Jenna Lou Loves You
- Spincushion
- One Inch World
- Sew Sew Etc.
- While Tangerine Dreams
- Studio Cherie
- AfricanKelli
- Fiberosity
- Zuhause
- Craft & Cackle


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Recall Details
Mercedes Benz is recalling 2010 C-Class, model 204; E-Class, model 212; and 2010–2011 E-Class Coupe/Cabriolet, model 207 vehicles due to a loss of power steering fluid that could result in power steering system failure. Owners may not have sufficient control of the vehicle in areas like parking lots, thus increasing the chance of a crash. Dealers will check and re-torque the connection fitting, free of charge.

subset: commoncrawl


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Navy and White
Added Nov 1, 2011
by sallieOh
Galveston, Texas...
I made this top and pants to fill the need for some classic (yet special) pieces in my wardrobe that can be worn again and again.
The pants are the Clovers from Colette Patterns which I redrafted a bit to give them a front fly and button/tab closure, side pockets and back welt pockets. I used a dark, medium weight denim with lycra from Mood.
The top is Rachel Comey for Vogue Patterns (V1247) which I made out of ivory silk crepe de chine. The bottom of this shirt is all pieced together on the bias. I usually find working on the bias to be a bit tricky, so I handled these pieces extra gently and let them hang overnight.
I'm really happy with both of these pieces and am excited to mix and match them with my wardrobe!
for more pictures and thoughts, please visit my blog: http://www.sallieoh.blogspot.com
Material Notes
pants: 2 yards of medium weight stretch denim, jeans 5" zipper, cotton canvas for pockets, tab hook and eye, button, topstitching thread
shirt: 1 3/4 yards silk crepe de chine, thread
6 Comments Sign in to add a post
Nov 3, 2011, 04.48 PMby sallieOh
thanks everybody!
Nov 3, 2011, 03.55 AMby turtlegirl00
fabulous outfit!!! i love it! excellent job!
Nov 1, 2011, 10.20 PMby urbandon
What a great look. Love the top- so modern.
Nov 1, 2011, 05.56 AMby schnui
Very stylish and very classic. You look great.
Nov 1, 2011, 03.28 AMby madebymeg
nice! how did you like sewing the clover pattern?
1 Reply
Nov 1, 2011, 12.54 PMby sallieOh
the clovers were nice to sew – the pattern as is is really straightforward. i think its worth it though to take the time to get the fit you want, which makes them a bit more of a project!
Nov 1, 2011, 03.27 AMby smallone
that top so simple so elegant….off to look for that pattern :)
Add to Favorites 30 people added it


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Many species of snakes use constriction—the act of applying pressure via loops of their trunk—to subdue and kill their prey. Constriction is costly and snakes must therefore constrict their prey just long enough to ensure death. However, it remains unknown how snakes determine when their prey is dead. Here, we demonstrate that boas (Boa constrictor) have the remarkable ability to detect a heartbeat in their prey and, based on this signal, modify the pressure and duration of constriction accordingly. We monitored pressure generated by snakes as they struck and constricted warm cadaveric rats instrumented with a simulated heart. Snakes responded to the beating heart by constricting longer and with greater total pressure than when constricting rats with no heartbeat. When the heart was stopped midway through the constriction, snakes abandoned constriction shortly after the heartbeat ceased. Furthermore, snakes naive to live prey also responded to the simulated heart, suggesting that this behaviour is at least partly innate. These results are an example of how snakes integrate physiological cues from their prey to modulate a complex and ancient behavioural pattern.
1. Introduction
Snakes are widely known for their ability to subdue and swallow enormous prey whole. As limbless, elongate predators, snakes have evolved efficient methods to restrain and kill their prey, including constriction. Relative to advanced snakes (Caenophidia [1]), most basal alethinophidians (as per Scanlon & Lee [1]) show less variation in constriction behaviour, and employ similar coil application behaviour regardless of prey type [2]. The shared kinematics among early snake lineages led researchers to propose constriction as a key innovation in their impressive radiation [3].
Boas (Boa constrictor) are non-venomous members of the early alethinophidian group Booidea [1] that use constriction to subdue a wide range of prey animals, including lizards, birds and mammals. Constriction in boas is initiated during the strike. The momentum of the strike is maintained after contact and as the snakes' head continues over the top of the prey, the snake's body twists and two or more loops are applied to the prey. This results in the snake's ventral and lateral sides in contact with the prey's thorax forming a ventral–lateral coil [4].
Constriction is an energetically costly and potentially dangerous activity. The act of striking and constricting prey exposes snakes to retaliatory attacks from the prey and other predators [5]. In boas, constriction demands a nearly sevenfold increase in aerobic metabolism above basal levels [6] and the duration of a constriction event can be extensive (9–16 min [4,6]). Thus, it would be greatly advantageous for constricting snakes to accurately and precisely determine when prey are incapacitated and no longer capable of retaliation or escape.
Here, we test whether snakes modulate the pressure and duration of constriction based on the presence or absence of a heartbeat in their prey. We developed a method of isolating a rat's heartbeat as a potential cue, by implanting a simulated heart in a dead rat that replicated the size, rate and stroke volume of an actual rodent heart. We tested how constriction effort (defined as duration (time from strike to when pressure dropped below 3% of the maximum) and total pressure (integral of pressure versus time) of constriction) varied as snakes constricted rats with (i) a simulated heartbeat throughout constriction, (ii) a simulated heartbeat for the first half of constriction and then shut off, and (iii) no heartbeat.
2. Material and methods
We used 16 wild-caught boas (Boa constrictor) and F1 offspring from Belize, CA that varied in size from 98 to 149 cm snout-to-vent length (table 1). Snakes were maintained on a diet of dead chicks and rats and housed in a facility maintained at 28 ± 2°C. Snakes were a minimum of 14 days post-fed prior to testing. Pre-killed frozen rats (20 ± 1% of snake mass) were warmed and maintained at 38°C using a thermostatic heating blanket. Using cadaveric rats eliminated the possibility of muscular struggling and/or ventilation as confounding stimuli. Constriction pressure was measured by implanting two water-filled bulbs (cuffs on 3 or 4 mm I.D. endotracheal tubes) into the rat's thoracic and abdominal cavities hydraulically connected to pressure transducers (Gould-Statham P.T.J. 4771) via polyethylene tubing. To create our simulated heart, a water-filled bulb was conjoined with the thoracic (pressure sensing) bulb and implanted together into the rat's thoracic cavity adjacent to the rat's actual heart—placement was confirmed via ultrasonography in early trials (see electronic supplementary material, figure S1). The simulated heart bulb was hydraulically connected to a piston pump (Rodent Ventilator-Harvard Model 68 set to 195 cycles min–1 and a volume of 2.5 ml, resulting in a displacement volume of 0.85 ml that approximated actual rat stroke volume 1.3–2.0 ml [7]) via polyethylene tubing. Transducers were connected to a Biopac A/D recording system (recording frequency—200 Hz). A two-point calibration (0, 100 mmHg) was performed using a U-tube mercury manometer and transducers were tested for drift prior to all tests.
After a pilot study, we determined that boas constricted rats with a simulated heartbeat for an average of 20 min. Thus, we measured snake response to three treatments: a heartbeat throughout constriction, a heart beating for the first 10 min (half our pilot study average) and then shut off, and no heartbeat. To test the influence of experience on this behaviour, we tested both wild-caught (experienced, n = 9) and captive-born (naive, n = 7) snakes, the latter having never been exposed to live prey.
Data were analysed using mixed linear models in SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Numbers of coil adjustments were treated as discrete variables in the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS where the response distribution was Poisson. We ran two MIXED procedures to analyse constriction effort: (i) duration and (ii) total pressure (integral of pressure versus time). For all procedures, heart treatment was a fixed effect and individual was a random effect to account for repeated measurements on individual snakes. We examined the influence of body mass, gender and origin (wild-caught versus captive-born) by testing these as fixed effects, and examined all possible interactions. After a significant effect was identified, we tested for differences within effects using the LSMEANS statement with a Tukey–Kramer adjustment for multiple comparisons. We found no effect of gender or body mass on our dependent variables so these were removed from future models. We analysed a total of 70 measures (after removing two data points with Cook's distance values (D) exceeding 4/n [8] we achieved an n = 68) from 16 individuals and report means ± 1 s.e.m. as our measure of central tendency. Alpha was set at 0.05 for all tests.
3. Results
Snakes responded to the beating of the simulated heart by periodically adjusting (i.e. tightening) their coils (figure 1a,c; see electronic supplementary material, video S1). Coil adjustments were abundant when snakes constricted rats with a simulated heartbeat (4.7 ± 0.9), but were virtually absent when snakes constricted rats without a heartbeat (0.9 ± 0.2; F = 26.90, d.f. = 2, p < 0.0001, n = 68; figure 1).
Boas constricted rats with a simulated heartbeat for nearly twice as long (22.3 ± 2.2 versus 12.2 ± 2.1 min; F = 8.52, d.f. = 2, p = 0.0007, n = 68) and more than twice the total pressure (99 670 ± 11 121 versus 38 874 ± 10 798 s × mmHg) as when they constricted rats without the heart beating (F = 9.59, d.f. = 2, p = 0.0003, n = 68; figure 2). Peak pressures were higher when Boas constricted rats with a simulated heartbeat (189 ± 13 mmHg) as when they constricted rats without the heart beating (140 ± 14 mmHg). Snakes constricting rats where the heartbeat was discontinued after 10 min exhibited constriction times (17.5 ± 2.5 min) and pressures (70 378 ± 12 580 s × mmHg) midway between our continuous and no heart treatments (figure 2).
Compared with captive-born snakes, wild-caught snakes constricted rats for longer (mean of 7.2 ± 2.6 min longer; F = 9.17, d.f. = 1, p = 0.004, n = 68) and with greater total pressure (F = 5.69, d.f. = 1, p = 0.021, n = 68). Captive-born snakes constricted rats with a simulated heart with greater total effort (duration and total pressure) relative to when they constricted rats without the heart beating (origin × heart interaction for duration: F = 0.81, d.f. = 2, p = 0.450, n = 68; for total pressure: F = 0.96, d.f. = 2, p = 0.391, n = 68).
4. Discussion
Our results are the first to demonstrate that snakes use the heartbeat in their prey as a cue to modulate constriction effort and to decide when to release their prey. In response to a simulated heartbeat, snakes frequently adjusted their coils and applied periodic bursts of pressure but did not show this response while constricting rats without a heartbeat. Even snakes naive to live prey responded to the simulated heartbeat. Naive snakes also constricted rats from all three treatments with less overall effort relative to experienced snakes. Thus, our findings suggest that the ability to respond to a heartbeat is innate, whereas the magnitude of the response is guided by experience. We suggest that the capacity to improve performance through learning enable snakes to become efficient predators of variable and unpredictable prey animals.
Our measures of constriction pressure exceed those recorded for smaller non-boid species [9], but are within the range of those for similar-sized species, including other boas [10]. The average time boas constricted rats without a heartbeat (12.2 ± 2.1 min) was similar to previous work with boas [4,6]. However, the average time that boas constricted rats with a simulated heartbeat (22.3 ± 2.2 min) exceeded previous records and, to our knowledge, is longer than any previous observation of a snake constricting a mammalian prey item—live or dead.
These findings are interesting, but seem to conflict with what we know about the physiology of endothermic prey animals. Birds and mammals, with their high metabolic rates and concomitant demand for oxygen, are quite vulnerable to constriction. This enables snakes to dispatch them within minutes [11]. Why then might snakes have evolved such an acute ability to detect prey cardiovascular function? We speculate that the ability to detect a heartbeat in prey coevolved with constriction early in the snake radiation in order to precisely identify when physiological death had occurred in ectothermic prey [12] that exhibit low vascular pressures and a remarkable resistance to hypoxia [13]. For instance, iguanas (Iguana iguana) can remain submerged in water for up to 4.5 h [14] at least partially mediated by extreme bradycardia (slowing their heart rate to one beat every 5 min), and a variety of lizards, snakes and crocodilians can survive anoxia for up to 1.5 h [15]. Therefore, it may have been necessary for early snakes preying on large ectotherms to confirm prey death via cardiovascular failure rather than the cessation of muscular or ventilatory movement. Alternatively, this acute tactile sensitivity could have been associated with the evolution of limbless locomotion, well before constriction behaviour evolved. Efficient locomotion in terrestrial snakes depends on a complicated coordination of weight redistribution across multiple points along the ventral surface [16]. High tactile acuity associated with locomotion could have later benefited constriction once this behaviour evolved. Either way, the apparent ability to detect a heartbeat in at least two advanced snake species [9] suggests this ability is not restricted to basal alethinophidians. Modulating constriction effort in response to the prey's heartbeat may characterize many extant snakes, and could explain how constriction became a behavioural key innovation in the snake radiation beginning in the Late Cretaceous [2,12].
All experiments were approved by the Dickinson College IACUC (Institutional Animal Care Committee), protocol no.: FA08ASR05.
We thank R. W. Clark, B. R. Moon, R. N. Reed and M. P. Roberts for their encouragement and critical discussions during this project, K. Kleinman, P. McNeal, P. Patek and K. Wood for assistance with data collection, and A. K. Travisano and three anonymous reviewers for comments that improved the manuscript. Animal care and technical support were provided by K. Landis and M. Potthoff. Funding was provided by Dickinson College R&D.
- Received November 10, 2011.
- Accepted December 19, 2011.
- This Journal is © 2012 The Royal Society


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NM police open fire on man with knife during standoff
The man gestured and yelled: "I'm going to hunt you down and kill you. That's my personal promise."
By Rick Nathanson
Albuquerque Journal
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A CNM student who witnessed an illegal camper's stalemate with police officers Sunday afternoon in the Sandia foothills said the officers had the man surrounded, their guns trained on him and that the man dropped motionless after "what sounded like three to four shots with live fire."
The man, who has not been identified by police, died at University of New Mexico Hospital on Monday morning.
Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, who was named to that position last month, said Sunday the man had been armed with knives and threatened the officers. He said nonlethal force was used and that a shot was fired by an officer.
But on Monday, police remained mute on any more details except to release the fact that the man died Monday morning and that "use of force in this incident involved APD personnel," not State Police.
Police said they are waiting for the medical investigator to release his name. A police spokeswoman said the department would release more information at a news conference sometime this week.
Jon Pilgrim, 22, told the Journal he was at his parents' home, located close to the Copper trail head, for a family barbecue when he watched the stalemate unfold through binoculars. This provided him with "an unobscured and very close" uphill perspective. He estimated his parents' home is about 270 yards from the shooting.
Pilgrim said he arrived at his parents' home about 5 p.m. and they told him the stalemate had been going on for about an hour. Looking through his parents' binoculars, he said he observed "a cop dressed in SWAT gear about 30-35 yards above the man." The officer, armed with an assault-type rifle with a scope, was taking cover behind a boulder and was in the company of another officer who had what appeared to be a shotgun.
Another officer was positioned about 30 yards below and to the west of the man. That officer, also taking cover behind a boulder, was armed with "some sort of rifle with a scope."
Three other police officers were taking cover "southwest, down a side trail only 10 to 15 yards from the camper," Pilgrim said. Two of them had shotguns and the third officer was with a dog.
Pilgrim said the man looked to be in his early 30s and had long hair covered with a bandana. The extent of the possessions with him appeared to be two bags and a satchel with a shoulder strap.
Police were called to the area after a call about a "suspicious person" about 4 p.m.
Neighbors had said the man had been camping in the area, which is off limits to overnight camping.
When officers arrived, the man threatened the officers with a knife, and they backed off to wait for a Crisis Intervention Team and a supervisor.
"I couldn't tell if he was drunk or on drugs," Pilgrim said of the man. "He looked pissed off and scared, and he was waving his arms around and holding something shiny that could have been a knife. I felt sorry for the guy."
Eden said Sunday that the man requested State Police, and State Police officers did arrive. Eden said the man continued to issue threats.
A neighbor's cellphone video obtained by KRQE showed the man gesturing and yelling: "I'm going to hunt you down and kill you. That's my personal promise."
Sometime between 6:30 and 7 p.m., Pilgrim said he saw "a flash of light" at the man's feet followed by a cloud of white smoke and a loud explosion. "I assume it was from a flashbang grenade," Pilgrim said. "It was pretty loud. Louder than a gunshot, maybe as loud as one of those big fireworks that explode in the air."
The police dog was then let loose to approach the man, who was "clearly stunned" but who nevertheless "stretched out his right arm," causing the dog to back off. "The officers then started moving toward him, yelling at him to get down on the ground, but the guy didn't seem very responsive."
That's when Pilgrim said he heard three to four shots ring out and saw wisps of dirt rise from a boulder behind the man.
Pilgrim, a former Navy missile technician, said he is "not unfamiliar with firearms." The shots he heard sounded like "live fire" from some sort of rifle, "but definitely not a shotgun," and not the sound made by rubber bullets or a bean bag round, he said.
The man then slumped to the ground, "and it looked like the dog was attacking him for like 15 seconds until they pulled the dog off," Pilgrim said. "At that point he wasn't moving at all."
The police officers en masse clustered around the motionless man, paramedics showed up with a stretcher mounted to a single wheel, "and then it was too dark, and I couldn't see anything more."
The incident was the first officer-related shooting since Eden took over as chief.
APD failed to respond to any questions Monday, including whether the man died from a gunshot wound, whether he was an immediate threat to anyone, whether he appeared to be inebriated or mentally ill or whether he indeed had some kind of "liaison" relationship with the State Police, as he claimed at one point. APD did not release the names of any officers who fired shots.
State Police referred all questions to APD.
Copyright 2014 the Albuquerque Journal


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MMI Alum Profile: Eric Swensson
MMI improves manager, sales team
Caught Up and Getting Ahead
Erik Swensson of Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Zinpro Performance Minerals is on the road at least three days a week, covering ground from Texas to Maine, to help his six salespeople grow their business.
Business is indeed growing, and as the year draws to a close Swensson is not only reflecting on great sales figures, but on a year of dramatic improvements in him and consequently the entire East Region sales team, to which he credits his Minnesota Management Institute (MMI) education.
"I've only been a manager for three years, and the other two regional managers have advanced management educations, one went to the Carlson Minnesota Executive Program and the other has an MBA, so I sometimes felt a tad behind," says Swensson, eastern region sales manager for Zinpro, the leading manufacturer of livestock dietary mineral products.
"Going to MMI definitely helped increase my confidence and it helped my sales force because they saw that I was committed to improving."
Since completing the MMI program in Spring 2011, Swensson has been successfully applying his newfound knowledge with a focus on improving his company's strategy as well as his management approach.
Moving forward, strategically
"I didn't have a lot of strategy expertise, and with our company growing I knew that I needed to be able to see the big picture," he says. "I liked the way the MMI instructor approached it: strategy has to constantly be reexamined, it has to be relevant and implemented well. You can't just go through the steps that worked before; you always have to ask what we could do better."
Inspired by the program's strategy session, Swensson took it upon himself to coordinate quarterly meetings with his regional manager peers where all they discuss is Zinpro's challenges and how to strategically overcome them.
"That's been unbelievable for me," he says of the meetings. "What MMI taught me was when you get in a room and talk about things it's amazing what can come out of those conversations. From these meetings we've been able to think of new ideas and move forward with them because we're all on the same page with where we want to go."
Renewed management style
Prior to MMI he admits that he was following his predecessor's management model because that's what he thought his sales team wanted. That has all changed now. Taking cues from the program, Swensson created a more effective improvement process and adopted a management style that he's found to be enlightening and empowering for all involved.
"I really liked the 360 performance review process taught in MMI. Previously, my reviews had been pretty generic. Doing the 360 with my employees was a totally different angle than I've taken before," says Swensson.
"It's not only a review of the employee, but it asks things like, how should I keep on enhancing my leadership effectiveness? I never thought about asking my sales team about my performance. And they had great suggestions, some of which I hadn't thought about. They've seen the changes and my agenda is in a totally different direction than what we've done in the past."
To better guide his sales team, Swensson started coaching rather than outright giving direction. The approach has given his team more freedom to guide themselves.
"That was initially a struggle for me early in this position. I had never coached nor had I been coached, and the impression I had of coaching was, if you're lost at what you're doing, get some coaching," Swensson says. "But what I loved about what I learned in MMI was that coaching is more of letting people just talk about an idea or issue, not telling them what to do, and letting them make the decision. That's a lot more fun. It's much more positive and my sales teams are very receptive to that."
To this day, Swensson keeps his MMI materials by his side for quick reference and is always looking for opportunities to incorporate new techniques he learned from the program. "It's been a gradual approach, but what I have done this year has resulted in positive changes for me, my company, and my sales team," he says. "Like I said, before MMI I always felt a little behind, but this year I got caught up."
To learn more about MMI, visit the Minnesota Management Institute website.


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This is part of a larger series on Kiva's strategic initiatives and innovative loan products, which are designed to expand opportunities for more borrowers. Kiva has partnered with Kenya's Strathmore University to fund loans for tuition and laptops -- helping to narrow the higher education gap discussed in detail in this blog post.
All countries -- industrialized and developing alike -- are facing the same challenge: How to target funding to maximize growth?
One accepted development model has been to invest in individuals to promote economic growth and reduce poverty. The argument is that skills and knowledge expand institutional capacity, increase economic activity, improve living standards and decrease inequality.
While this rationale has encouraged USAID and the World Bank, among other international donors, to fund education programs in developing countries, almost all of this money has been funneled into primary and secondary education -- leaving universities to compete for scarce resources. As a result, public and private universities are often unable to offer spots to even highly-qualified applicants.
In developing countries, a large number of universities are public and free. Unsurprisingly, these schools often face severe funding challenges. In Sierra Leone, for example, the lack of funding meant that students at Fourah Bay College -- part of the University of Sierra Leone -- were unable to take exams and graduate because the school had run out of paper.
But underfunding is only part of the problem. Institution rigidity makes it difficult for schools to adapt curricula to changing market circumstances. Even students that graduate from public universities have difficulty finding jobs. In the Philippines, for instance, the incompatibility between education and the job market led to the unemployment of 600,000 university graduates in 2011.
Can private universities fill the education gap?
For a while, private universities -- like Kiva partner Strathmore University -- and charter schools have been trying to fill the gaps in public education systems around the world. So much so, in fact, that a third of all universities in Africa are currently privately-funded. Some of them have been able to establish themselves as viable alternatives to public schools, while other have offered lower-quality education at a higher price.
Even with more universities, demand continues to outstrip supply. In 2008, there were about 4 million students enrolled in universities in Africa, while there were 40 to 80 million secondary school graduates that same year. This leaves a large number of qualified young people without access to higher education.
Even if there were enough spots open, low-income students still have difficulty paying the costs associated with advanced education, like room and board, books, and transportation. A few microfinance institutions have attempted to address this problem by offering student loans where government subsidies fall short.
Kiva has supported a number of these partners with its traditional loan model. Nevertheless, it seems that there is tremendous room for impact in targeting more vulnerable groups for broader access to higher education. To this end, Kiva is looking to partner with organizations, like Strathmore University, that have developed new and innovative ways to give underserved students the support they need to worry less about costs and more about grades.
Stay tuned for a more focused look at funding challenges in our next blog on higher education.
Ian Matthews is an intern on Kiva's Strategic Initiatives team, looking for new partners and loan products to extend opportunities and access to even more people around the world. Ian has an MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has previously done fieldwork in Honduras. Send him your feedback on this blog series at firstname.lastname@example.com.
photo courtesy of JJ Casas.


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Friday, February 24, 2012
Fairy Tale Friday - Puss in Boots, part 1 of 4
Fairy Tale Friday is back with a beautifully illustrated Puss in Boots from McLaughlin Bros., copyright 1897. I've reduced the oversized pamphlet-style book to a more manageable 5x6 inches for printing.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Free Vintage Clip Art - Woodland Frame with Animals and Children
Here is a darling page from the Boys and Girls Bookshelf, copyright 1912, with a black and white frame of woodland creatures and happy children. I've included the original page, and the page as a png file (transparent background) without text in black and white, green, blue, brown, and pink.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Free Vintage Clip Art - A Bunch of Daffodils
Here is a lovely bouquet of daffodils, or narcissus, from a Victorian post card. These friendly flowers have white petals and apricot cups, a charming variant of the traditional yellow.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Free Vintage Clip Art - Victorian Butterfly Die Cuts
Oh, so pretty for spring and summer! These antique Victorian die cut butterflies are slightly tattered, and may be missing an antennae here and there, but with a little creative crafting they'll be as good as new. I'll be posting more of these lovelies in the future.
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The Death and Rebirth of Mono
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Novell Mono is officially dead. All of the developers have been let go and the new owner, Attachmate, has not expressed any interest in maintaining the project. But in true open source fashion, a new fork is rising up. Led by Mono's founder Miguel de Icaza, a new company named Xamarin has been founded.
Like Novel Mono before it, Xamarin's focus is on commercial .NET offerings for iOS and Android. They will of course continue to contribute to the open source Mono runtimes, which forms the technological base for their commercial ventures. They are also exploring the possibility of offering Moonlight in the mobile and Mac app stores.
Xamarin does not have access to the non-open source components of MonoTouch and Mono for Android. While it is a possibility, "they do not seem in a position to move at the speed that we need". Miguel goes on to say the he and the original Mono team expect to be able to release the first preview of their iPhone product in three months and Android in four.
Legal Concerns for Xamarin
Miguel has also stated that their new products would be source-compatible with existing MonoTouch/Mono for Android code. This brings on the specter of legal action by Attachmate. While there has always been the thought that Mono could be sued by Microsoft, such as lawsuit would require Microsoft convincing a court that it was "just kidding" and the CLR/C# patent covenants are non-binding. Between their obligations to the ECMA standards body and the legal principal of equitable estoppel, the chance of this happening is slim to none.
Attachmate is a completely different story. Even if they aren't supporting it, they do own a product that is in direct competition with Xamarin's future offerings. Without some sort of legal arrangement between Attachmate and Xamarin, the latter would face the daunting prospect of proving that their new development doesn't use any the technology that the old one did. Considering that this is really just a wrapper around the native API, it would be hard to prove you had a clean-room implementation even for a team that wasn't intimately familiar with Attachmate's code.
As a result of this, as well as the general uncertainty of any new product, some developers on the mono-android mailing list are stating that they are moving back to Java development for now. Others are holding out as the cost of porting the applications to Java and maintaining two codebases is infeasible for them.
The idea of a company dedicated to just Mono-based offerings isn't entirely new. According to Miguel they were trying to convince Novell to create a spin-off company for the last year. While that never panned out, it probably explains who they were able to line up a combination of "angel funding" and engineering contracts to keep the new company afloat long enough to develop their commercial offerings.
That said, Xamarin is looking for even more funding to do things such as:
- Tutorials for our various developer stacks
- API documentation for the various Mono-specific APIs
- Dedicated Customer Support Software
- Upgrade our Bug system
- Training
- Consulting and Support
- and Marketing: we have a best of breed developer platform, and we need the world to know. Our previous marketing budget is what the ancient Olmec culture referred to as Zero.
Legal Concerns for Attachmate
Turning back to Attachmate, there a lot of unanswered questions about how they will unwind their involvement with Mono. As we discussed last week, Novell's Mono products came with support contracts that presumably need to be honored. And this isn't just for existing contracts; it currently looks like Novell is continuing to sell one-year support contracts for both MonoTouch and Mono for Android despite not having any developer resources for those products. If this situation isn't remedied quickly it could easily lead to allegations of fraud.
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Great News
Richard Clayton
Good news
Dan Tines
It's real interesting how Mono has a found a niche on the client.
Jonathan Allen
Current Novell owns the trademarks for Mono.
Since Mono is licensed under LGPL, which prevents static linking, Xamarin will need to license it in order to do the AOT compilation needed for iPhone/iPad.
Re: Clarifications
Stefan Wenig
The LGPL does not prevent static linking at all. It only requires that the linked product enables you to replace the LGPL-covered libraries with your own. Usually this means shipping your app's object files. I assume they'll find a similar solution for AOT-compiled CLI apps.


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In need of a mini pick me up? Come hither for 5 days of mini pick me up giveaways. Join in!
Today is a pick me up for the face! Avene is a lovely brand for people with normal and sensitive skin types – it really works without causing any irritation.
Today I have their tolerance cream for you to win:
They say:
Tolerance Extreme is the cosmetic industry's first 100% sterile skin care line formulated without preservatives or fragrance to offer complete tolerance and safety for all allergy-prone skin types.
Wanna win?
Method 1.
Answer the following question:
How sensitive are you a scale of 1 – 10? And why?
I'm pretty sensitive, I'd say I am a 8 with a fiery streak! Roar!
Method 2.
Follow me on Twitter and retweet (RT) the following message:
"RT @cosmetic_candy: Follow & RT to win Avene Thermale Cream. Info: http://tinyurl.com/5tt6fg2″
*Note: if you change the tweet, it will not count as an entry.
Good Luck!
Winners will be ed shortly after the competition ends (in 10 days). If the winner doesn't reply within 2 days the prize will go to the next person.
Depending on weight your prize will be sent recorded or standard post. I always get a receipt. I do not have endless samples to send out to you if your prize is 'lost' but I would suggest that you check with your depot to locate it's whereabouts. Repeat: I will not send a prize out to you 5 times, do not take the piss.
Prizes are usually sent out within 5 days of a competition end but please allow up to 28 days. I do actually have a job and a life beyond going to the post office. Sort of.
Love you all lots, enter and have fun!


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I was devastated, this thing just kept getting crazier. I felt so out of control. heck, I WAS out of control before this happened. spinning out, trying
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So I was involved in an operatic production at my Alma mater and became intimate with a student at said university. She was vibrant and positive, talented
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Once again, we picked the brains of American singles for our 2nd annual "Single in America" study. Our freshly painted portrait of the unmarried life continues to expose how the scripts have been flipped when it comes to sex, love and relationships. Plus, this year we included some pretty frisky revelations based on people's political viewpoints… including which parties' constituents are more "satisfied." But you are going to have to sit tight and wait for these juicy revelations.
Our eye-opening findings won't be made public until Thursday, Feb 2nd. In the meantime, find out how a handful of folks in Austin, Texas and one of the web's top relationship writers, Natasha Burton (below) responded to four of the "love" questions that appeared in our "Single in America" study.
Natasha Burton is the Relationships Editor at Glo.com and coauthor of The Little Black Book of Big Red Flags: Relationship Warning Signs You Totally Spotted… But Chose to Ignore.
Match.com: In your opinion, which of these is the biggest deal-breaker in a relationship: Disheveled or unclean appearance, laziness, or neediness?
Natasha Burton: Laziness!
Match.com: Why is that?
Natasha: This is a hard question! It was a toss-up for me between laziness and neediness, but laziness ultimately won because lazy partners are often also needy (and they tend to be a bit disheveled!). Laziness connotes a lack of ambition as well as a lack of commitment and intention for life itself — which, for me, can be very unattractive. Your long-term partner should ideally have a zest for life and the drive to continue to be curious and excited, especially as you get older and have children. Someone with a lackadaisical approach might end up boring you or be unwilling to have new adventures with you, which can make you feel stuck.
Match.com: I might agree that laziness is definitely not an attractive trait. Next question: Do you think ladies should propose marriage?
Natasha: Honestly, I'm old-fashioned, so I would say no. From interviewing experts on the topic, I think that by saving up to buy a ring, a man shows that he's committed and both willing and able to provide for you and his future family. The ring is a symbol of that, and I believe that it's important for women — no matter how successful they are personally — to marry someone who can provide for them (or at least wants to).
Match.com: Makes sense. So do you believe in love at first sight?
Natasha: Yes!
Match.com: Why do you believe in love at first sight?
Natasha: I believe that you can tell right off the bat whether or not you're going to have a connection with a person you meet. Whether it's love or friendship, our intuition signals when we encounter someone special. I think we just have to get better at listening to it.
Match.com: I can pretty much guess how you will respond to the next question, but here we go: Would you rather have a happy relationship, or your dream career?
Natasha: A happy relationship.
Match.com: Can you share why?
Natasha: Well, I'm spoiled because I currently have both. But honestly, I would rather have a happy relationship if I all of a sudden had to choose one or the other. It sounds cliché, but it's true: Having success in life means little if you don't have someone with whom to share it.
Match.com: Spoken like a true romantic.
Do you agree or disagree with Natasha? Leave your comments below, and don't forget to check back here on Feb 2nd to see how American singles voted on the exact same questions… and more!


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Tag Archives: nuclear blast
The Illusion of Icing The Kicker
Posted on September 9, 2016 by John Tole
It is Friday and I am typing this on a Logitech wireless because Captain Fatass here spilled his iced coffee on his Surface keyboard. When do you blog? its almost 6am here in the Simulation and we just finished a … Continue reading →


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Ray J Goes Off & Walks Out On Cocktail For Blowin Up His Spot At The Reunion! "Im Not F*cking With You Bitch" + Gets Lovey Dubby With Jaguar (While Mz. Berry Waits Backstage)
Ray J's reunion
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The e-Reader App Showdown
With several apps to choose from and each with their own e-Bookstores with similar prices, how does one differentiate? What do each have to offer? In this roundup/review series we take a look at the four main reading apps available on the iPad and highlight some of the pros and cons of each. In this part 1, we will take a look at the purchasing experience. In part 2 we will look at the reading experience.
To prepare for this post, we read at least one book using each app. While using each app extensively we noticed that they have many things in common, like prices, the ability to sample, and tap to the next page, but they do differ in some other significant ways. Two of the critical ways in which the apps differ is in how you purchase a book and in the reading experience itself. In this post we will discuss the difference in the purchasing experience, stay tuned next week for a post on the reading experience.
Sadly, the only apps with high marks for the least intrusive purchasing systems are Apple iBooks and Borders eBooks. iBooks and eBooks are the only apps in which purchasing is seamless and is all able to be done in app, without pushing you to Safari. These apps are the only one in which the book begins downloading immediately after the purchase while you continue shopping. This functionality has been built into iBooks since day one, but Borders added this in a recent update. Prior to the update Borders pushed purchases into Safari just like B&N and Kindle. iBooks has a slight advantage to Borders in that it also makes buying a samples book easy, as it picks up exactly where you left off in the sample.
For the other apps, purchasing pushes you to Safari and forces you to re-open the app once the purchase is complete. This is annoying to say the least especially when you are trying to load up with titles in one sitting.
B&N makes getting the book after the app purchase fairly easy as they automatically sync once you re-open the app. The Kindle app will also do this as long as you remember to set the book to go to your iPad during the purchase. We hope that they will improve this with an app update.
What app do you use to read on your iPad?
(Image: Flickr user Svet Ivantchev under license from Creative Commons.)


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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) NASCAR might take a closer look at how it approves sponsors after the National Rifle Association became the title sponsor of this weekend's Sprint Cup race at Texas during a national debate over gun rights.
NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said NASCAR has no official position on gun rights.
"Our fans, racing teams and industry partners come from all walks of life and thus have varying points of views and opinions," Higdon said Friday. "As a sport, we are in the business of bringing people together for entertainment, not political debate."
Sponsorships are agreements directly between track and sponsor, but NASCAR reserves the right to approve or scuttle them.
"The NRA's sponsorship of the event at Texas Motor Speedway fit within existing parameters that NASCAR affords tracks in securing partnerships," Higdon said. "However, this situation has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions."
Sprint Cup points leader and five-time champion Jimmie Johnson said it is "clearly a sensitive subject." He said drivers are in Texas to do their job and put on a great race.
"The title sponsorship of an event is well outside of the driver's focus or anything we have to do with," Johnson said. "I do recognize that it is a very touchy topic right now."
The NRA 500 on Saturday night comes as the U.S. Senate weighs legislation intended to reduce gun violence in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last December. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., recently called on the Fox network to not broadcast the race and questioned the Victory Lane tradition at Texas, where the winner gets a cowboy hat and can fire six-shooters loaded with blanks into the air.
The NRA also sponsored a second-tier Nationwide race last September at Atlanta, which like Texas Motor Speedway, is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc.


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What do auto lights have to do with HOME ENERGY. Please re-frame from sales that dont pertain to the industry....
Welcome to Home Energy Pros! Feel free to join the conversation in the Forum and Groups. And share your energy efficiency photos, videos and upcoming events. If you're blogging about home performance, this is the place for you!
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- Spanish Grand Prix
Red Bull 'not quick enough' - Webber
- Race:
- Spanish Grand Prix
- Drivers:
- Mark Webber
- Teams:
- Red Bull
Mark Webber says his Red Bull was "not quick enough" to get higher than the fifth place he secured at the Spanish Grand Prix.
With Sebastian Vettel only fourth and 38 seconds behind race winner Fernando Alonso, neither Red Bull managed to get on the podium on a day it was comfortably beaten by both Ferrari and Lotus. Webber was nine seconds off his team-mate and said he wasn't able to get anything more out of the RB9 in Barcelona.
"I think it's pretty much the maximum I could get to be honest," Webber said. "We were not quick enough to challenge too much further up the road. Ultimately if you're not quite quick enough you're not going to come up with a magic strategy to get yourself out of that sort of pace situation.
"I think people deserved the results they got today. We couldn't have got much more out of it. It was a big recovery after the first lap, I had a very shocking start with the clutch again - I don't know what's going on but we need to work on that - I had to risk quite a lot on the first lap to get back in position. After that I was happy with my drive; got back there but always a little bit on the back foot in terms of strategy and ultimately we got the result we deserved. The guys did a good job in the pit stops and that's all we could get from it, so fifth was the maximum."
With the Monaco Grand Prix next on the calendar - a race Webber won last year - he said Red Bull would need to be more competitive in qualifying due to the difficulty overtaking on the street circuit,
"I enjoy driving at Monaco but we need to have a strong car in qualifying there. You don't want the Mercedes on the front row because even though they were not that quick in the race today and went backwards obviously Monaco is a different story."


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Leonardo DiCaprio & Girlfriend Toni Garrn Grab Lunch with His Mom Irmelin During Cannes!
Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend Toni Garrn grab lunch together at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc on Friday (May 23) in Cap d'Antibes, France.
The 39-year-old actor and the 21-year-old supermodel was joined on the lunch by his mother Irmelin.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Leonardo DiCaprio
Earlier in the week, Leo and Toni attended the amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS Gala during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where he auctioned off a trip to space with him.
15+ pictures inside of Leonardo DiCaprio and Toni Garrn meet up with his mom for lunch…


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There will be two wine festivals this April in South Walton � the 27th annual Sandestin Wine Festival and the new South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival.
Irreconcilable differences will bode well for wine lovers in South Walton and from out of town.
There will be two wine festivals this April in South Walton � the 27th annual Sandestin Wine Festival and the new South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival.
Citing a need to expand, Chan Cox, a founder of the Sandestin Wine Festival, separated from Sandestin and will partner with Keith Howard of The Howard Group, as well as the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation to bring the inaugural five-day wine, food and entertainment extravaganza to Grand Boulevard.
�It�s the first year in a sense,� said Chan Cox, owner of Chan�s Wine World. �It�s basically the same event that I�ve been doing for 26 years, I�m just moving it from Baytowne Wharf to Grand Boulevard. I�m taking the distributors with me.�
A grant in the amount of $35,000 was pulled from the Sandestin event and reallocated to the new festival, a decision put forth by the TDC advisory board and Dawn Moliterno and approved at the Tuesday Board of County Commissioners meeting.
The grant, as one of Visit South Walton�s Signature Events grants, was designated in April to be used by Sandestin for the 27th annual event, which is often called the premier wine festival of the Southeast.
Signature events are outlined as events of more than three days for which the TDC expends more than $10,000 in grant funds.
�Both of those parties � collaborated in the previous years, going back 27 years,� said the TDC�s Jon Ervin. �This year, those two parties divorced.�
A Signature endowment
When the TDC caught on to the fact that its two-partner grantee would be split, the TDC Advisory Board called for new grant applications from the heads of both festivals.
The TDC was advised that because one of the components of the original partnership had left, it was necessary to revisit the grant. The panel reviewed each summary thoroughly and awarded points based on six criteria ranging from quality and uniqueness to commitment to the expansion of the shoulder season.
It all came down to numbers in the case of the grant money distribution to either festival.
�The scores were very good,� said Ervin. �Grand Boulevard scored slightly better.�
The advisory board brought this item to the table at its regularly scheduled meeting this past Tuesday morning for public comment. The board told those gathered that they were faced with either upholding the results of the scorecards or giving it to neither party. The TDC decided to stick with numbers and align themselves with the new festival.
Sandestin officials were not thrilled to lose the grant, but they appeared content that the money will be used next door.
�You need to give the money to somebody, and if it�s not us, it�s fine,� said Claude Comtois, executive director of The Village of Baytowne Wharf neighborhood association. �The $35,000 is important but if we don�t have it, we are still going to have an event.�
A growing popularity
Twenty-six years ago, Chan Cox partnered with Keith Howard, then with the Sandestin Market Shops, to bring a wine festival to South Walton. In its first 19 years, the festival took place at the Market Shops.
With wine, food, and merriment, it was no wonder the popular event outgrew its original location.
So, seven years ago, the festival was moved into Baytowne, which was then seen as a larger and downright charming setting to hold a wine festival.
But, Cox says he is ready to grow it further to meet the demand of festival-goers.
�We had more interest than we had space,� he said of last year�s festival.
He added that the new venue of Grand Boulevard will provide the space necessary to bring in more wine enthusiasts, as well as draw in passersby.
�It just has a wonderful facility with 2,500 parking spaces. It�s right on the highway and has great visibility. It�s logistically a much bigger, nicer space,� Cox said.
Last year, the Sandestin Wine Festival sold 3,100 tickets, 2,700 of which were in presales. Due to restrictions of space, the venue could not accommodate every wine enthusiast who wanted to attend.
�We had to turn people away,� said Comtois.
Not enough room at the Inn
One of Sandestin�s looming limitations was the business conference lodging schedule. A multi-year contract for a business conference had been booked concurrent with the traditional Wine Festival weekend during John Russell�s time as the Senior Vice President of Operations for Sandestin. Since then Russell has taken the post of executive director of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.
�The conference business at Sandestin is always going to be a cap on the business,� said Russell, who said the conferences are important money generators for the resort. �Is (the wine festival) ever going to reach South Beach numbers? Who knows. But it would never reach those numbers in the Village.�
The conference-goers were set to descend on the resort the fourth weekend of April, the traditional weekend of the Sandestin Wine Festival. So, Sandestin decided that for the festival to have enough space, it would need to be moved to the third weekend in April.
This did not sit well with Cox.
� �I would love to have always the same weekend,� � Comtois recalled Cox saying. Comtois added, �I agree with him. But the festival finds its way to grow every year.�
Upon learning there may be a potential problem, Tom Becnel assigned Kitty Whitney, a board member for the Baytowne association and executive director of Sandestin Real Estate, to the task of rearranging the weekend schedule to find room to accommodate everyone�s needs. Within a few days, she returned to Cox with news that the festival could have its weekend and that it could expand to the Baytowne Marina.
But the decision had already been made and two events were set, one on the third weekend at Baytowne and one on the fourth at Grand Boulevard.
�We�re splitting the baby,� Whitney said.
A tale of two festivals
In the split, Cox took with him the wine distributors. Sandestin kept its venue and corps of staff. And though things will be different, both parties seem positive going forward.
�They�ve added some components, we�ve added some components,� said Whitney. �We�re going to make two cool events.�
Though in years past the distributors donated their wine to Sandestin, this year they will donate more than 2,400 bottles to the 2013 South Walton Beaches festival. Sandestin says this won�t deter them.
Formerly, Sandestin donated lodging to celebrity vintners and the Linkside Conference Center to be used for the auction, as well as food at cost and a portion of the festival proceeds to DCWAF, which was held concurrent with, but not in connection to, the festival. This was a package, according to Whitney, that if sold would amount to around $140,000. So, part of that money will be used to buy wine outright from the distributors.
�It is $38,000 to buy that wine,� said Whitney. �We�re going to buy that wine � and keep moving.�
The Sandestin Wine Festival will remain at Baytowne, but will add a spirits, in the form of vodka, and caviar tasting at the marina. They will also employ the skills of local young adult culinary students and add a component to aid military families. They also plan to continue to donate a portion of the profits to local charities, though the beneficiaries have yet to be set.
The Sandestin Wine Festival will be held at Baytowne April 18-20. Tickets are available for sale now at SandestinWineFestival.com.
For the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, the most notable change from years past, according to Cox, will be the incorporation of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.
�One hundred percent of the proceeds from the festival are going to the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation,� said Cox, a key founding member of the DCWAF.
A 500-plus seat, air-conditioned tent will be erected on Grand Boulevard�s green space to accommodate the auction dinner.
�We�ll be a much more integral part, which will benefit us,� said Russell. �It�s huge for us.�
The South Walton Beaches Wine and Food festival will be held April 24-28.
Tickets will be available soon.
�There are three things this event�s about one, charity; two, community; and three, industry � It�s all about a way of life,� said Cox.


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Alibi Picks
Cold Lampin' With Camp Lo
New Year's Eve • Camp Lo
The '90s hip-hop reunion tour is in full effect. The next act coming to a venue near you is Bronx hip-hop duo Camp Lo. Sister (407 Central NW) welcomes Sonny Cheeba (Salahadeen Wilds) and Geechi Suede (Saladine Wallace) for a New Year's Eve fête. Celebrate old memories and make new ones as Camp Lo perform their 1997 album, Uptown Saturday Night. Honestly, the only song I remembered was its top hit, "Luchini AKA This Is It," but it holds up surprisingly well in almost-2013. Local hip-hop crew Zoology, Nick Furious and DJ Wae Funky add to the festivity. Sister • Mon Dec 31 • 8 pm • $18 • 21+ • View on Alibi calendar


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The Crestview Public Library will host this year�s Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative Staff Training Day on May 10. All member libraries will close that day.
The Crestview Public Library will host this year�s Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative Staff Training Day on May 10. All member libraries will close that day.
"Some new technologies are used in the way customers use our services; for example, downloading e-books onto smart phones,� said Vicky Stever, cooperative coordinator and Crestview resident. �Other technology changes are behind the scenes and affect the library workplace. It's so important to come together to learn and be refreshed so we can provide the cheerful, competent service that people need."
A 1991 Florida Administrative Code revision allowed existing municipal libraries to remain autonomous while agreeing to share resources. Charter membership began Oct. 1, 1997, with three public libraries � Crestview, Mary Esther and Niceville � on board, and expanded in October 1999 when the Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Valparaiso libraries joined the cooperative.
The cooperative�s member libraries have made strides in service to area residents, increasing technology to member libraries with computer support, a new automation system and an online catalog. Okaloosa residents may search all member libraries� collections as well as pick up and drop off items at any member library.
More than 60 percent of our patrons live outside Crestview city limits. Prior to the cooperative�s formation, those residents paid an annual membership fee. Now, any Okaloosa County resident can receive a free initial library card that works at all six libraries.
"The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More" by Bruce Feiler
Bestselling author Bruce Feiler tackles family matters in his latest book, which includes research from Silicon Valley and the Green Berets to Warren Buffet's guide for setting an allowance and the Harvard handbook for resolving conflict. The result is a fun, original look at the smartest ways to teach kids values, calm chaos at home, and draw families closer.
Prepare to have your assumptions challenged. For example, when children were asked, "If you were granted one wish about your parents, what would it be?" most parents predicted their kids would say spending more time with them. Actually, kids wished that their parents were less tired and less stressed.
LAWN CARE IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA: 10:30 a.m. May 7, with Larry Williams. Best management practices to make growing a Florida lawn less frustrating.
FRIENDS OF THE CRESTVIEW LIBRARY MEETING: 10:30 a.m. May 16. Guest speaker: Superintendent of Schools Mary Beth Jackson. Coffee and cookies.
INVESTMENTS 101: 6-7 p.m. Mondays through May 20. Taught by financial adviser Joe Faulk. Classes: Take Stock in the Market, IRAs: Retirement Can Be Less Taxing, A Smart Start to Mutual Funds, Focus on Fixed Income, Tax-Free Investing and Retirement by Design. Call 682-4432 for details.
SIGN LANGUAGE FOR BEGINNERS: 6-7 p.m. Mondays, June 3 to Aug. 26.Ages middle school through adult. Details: Janet LaRoche, 689-2591 or 603-0718.
STARGAZING: 6:30-8 p.m. third Tuesdays, Crestview Public Library. Tom Haugh, with the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association, facilitates. See www.nwfastro.org for details.
ZUMBA CLASSES: 9 a.m. Fridays, Crestview Public Library. Details: 682-4432 or 685-4547.
BEGINNING COMPUTER SKILLS TRAININGFOR SENIORS: Call 682-4432 to schedule one-hour appointments at Crestview Public Library. Library card required.
Sandra Dreaden is the Crestview Public Library's reference librarian.


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- Adult Adventure
- Some Body Parts
- Tools and Tapers
- Accessories
- Straight Barbells
- Curved Barbells
- Replacement Parts
- 14k Gold Only
- Captive Bead Rings
- Earlets & Tunnels
- Segment & Seamless Rings
- Ear Plugs
- Hide Your Piercing
- Genuine Diamond Jewelry
- Organics
- Spirals & Claws
- Charms
- Circular Barbells
- Fixed Bead Rings
- Screwball Rings
The 14k Gold Small Flower Fixed Ring is a unique jewelry piece suitable for many different piercing types. It has a special flower decoration that is about ¼" in diameter. If you want to have a larger flower for you piece, we can accommodate that.
The flower is permanently attached to the ring so you don't have to worry about it falling off.
The ring itself is made of 14k nickel-free gold. You may choose between Yellow gold and White gold for your piece.
Also, you may choose a specific center gem color as well as the flower petal gem color to make any combination you like. This is a great way to customize your piece to the fullest.
This ring is suitable for many different piercing types so it's available in both vertical and horizontal variants.
Customer Reviews
- Beautiful. .Excellent product Review by Cheryl
Purchased this ring in 16g 5/16 for my Daith. Beautiful quality and dainty looking. Love it!
(Posted on 4/27/14)
- Untitled Review by Guest
great, vry happy with the product
(Posted on 2/29/12)
- Untitled Review by Guest
Love, Love, Love this ring! Absolutely beautiful! I\'m always a little aprehensive to order anything online, but after reviewing the website, I decided to give it a try. The team was very helpful in answering my questions & even made a modification in the gem stone color after I placed the order. I received tracking emails while the order was being processed & the ring arrived much earlier than I expected. I will definitely order again in the future!
(Posted on 2/29/12)


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blueplanet 50.0 TL3 RPonly
Phase shifter.
There is an increasing demand for large-scale PV systems to support grid management, and compensating reactive power – both during the day and especially at night – is one of these measures. For this purpose, KACO new energy has developed a pure reactive power inverter, the blueplanet 50.0 TL3 RPonly.


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Definition from Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary
1) An organized work stoppage by employees, intended to pressure the employer to meet the employees' demands (for example, for higher pay, better benefits, or safer working conditions). 2) For the judge to order that all or part of a party's pleading be removed or disregarded, typically after a motion by the opposing party. 3) For the judge to order evidence deleted from the court record and instruct the jury to disregard it. Typically, this order is made regarding testimony by a witness in court.


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COOKHAM residents came together at the village's War Memorial on Monday afternoon to hear stories about the local men who lost their lives in WW1.
The event was organised by the Stanley Spencer Gallery, where Spencer's painting 'Unveiling of Cookham War Memorial' is currently on show.
Spencer, acknowledged as one of the greatest British painters of the 20th century, was one of five brothers who all fought in the war and his brother Sydney, who died in the last weeks of the war, is commemorated there.
Extracts from Sydney's letters home from the front – which totalled around 40 in five months' service - were read by Jim Rosenthal, who swapped his role as TV sports presenter for one of military historian for the day.
Sydney wrote home to his sister Florence - whose birthday was on August 4th – about the event which led to him being awarded the Military Cross, which remarkably began on August 4, 1918.
Ann Danks, archivist at the Stanley Spencer Gallery, said: "Finding out more about Sydney Spencer has been really fascinating. He is the only soldier named on the Cookham Village War Memorial to have been awarded the Military Cross.
"His letters whilst on active service in France are held at the Berkshire Record Office and give a very personal insight into his character and the nature of the First World War on an everyday level."


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I grew up watching my mother 'passionately' cutting bella/jaggery and kobbari/coconut in front of 'eeligemane' (a knife tucked to a wooden plank). This is a job which needs utmost patience. Hours would go by while you wait for these bella and kobbari to become crisp in sun in the month of December! Jan first week would go by making sakkare acchu/sugar figurines. Closer to the day we packed the ellu bella mixture with sakkare acchu and neatly packed it in a box. Keeping this box away from ants was another task!
On the day of Sankranti we eagerly waited for the exchanged ellu bella to taste them. We carefully opened each packet so that the sugar figurines are intact and beemed with smile if we got any special design. The whole month every one in school had sakkare achu in their pencil box.
Now, things have got so mechanical..I wonder if we still have the same spirit to celebrate the festival? hmm.. I have to cut coconut, jaggery coz I don't live in India! so the festive spirit is forced down? (Laughs) either ways I love it!
I am a follower of the 'Bhargavasarma' , a blog written with utmost passion for Astrology and related subjects. The blog wonderfully describes the signifance of "Uttarayana Parvakala"/ Makarasankramana. I would like to re-quote few things for the benefit of the readers of this blog :
What is to be done on this day?
Generally during any Parvakala one has to take sacred bath, perform prayer, Japa, penace, and give Charity/Dana (donation). Those who have lost their parents should also give Tharpana to their forefathers. This day one should desist from sensual pleasures, should not apply oil to the body/head, and should take only vegetarian food.
Shat thila karma: It is said that on this day one should use Thil (Sesame) seeds in six ways viz…Thila Snana, Thila Deepa, Thila Homa, Thila tarpana, Thila Dana and Thila Bhakshana. Worshipping Lord SriMann Narayana and Lord Sun is highly meritorious during this time. Parayana of Vishnu Sahasranama sthothram, Aaditya Hridayam, Purusha Sooktham, Sri Rama Raksha Sthothram and Gayathri Japa, are useful prayers suggested at this time.
Thila Dana: Donating Thil seeds on this day with dakshina is considered as very sacred and meritorious
Vasthra Dana: As per Masa dharma being Pushya Masa donating clothes to a Brahmin is sacred and meritorious.
Kushmanda Dana: Donating of Pumpkin on this day is also meritorious.
Uttarayana (2011) - Schedule
As per the Almanac followed in South India, Uttarayana Punya-Parvakala (Makara Sankramana) transit of Sun into Makara Raasi (Capricorn) is taking place this year on Friday,14th of January 2011 at 23.40 hrs (11.40 pm) and hence, performing of rites relating to the punya-parvakala will be held on Saturday, 15.01.2011 starting from Sunrise up to 11.40 am. For Sunrise time, city specific please check the local calendars."
Don't forget to pray and feast on Sankranti. Between related sankranti posts on Taste of Mysore can be found here :
1. Ellu Bella
2. Ellu Bella Burfi
3. Sakkare Achu
4. Khara Pongal and Sihi Pongal
5. Uddinahittu Gojju for Pongal
6. Godhi Rave Pongal (for diabetics)
7. Rava Pongal (coming up soon)
SriLakshmi Anand, a reader of this blog wants to share the way she recycles her containers to distribute ellu bella. Take a look at the picture and rest is quick to understand. Simple yet so impressive! Thank you SriLakshmi for sharing your creative side with us.
Readers/Bloggers, if you have any preparation posts or celebration posts related to Sankranti, please post your link in the comment section. I would love to know how you celebrate/celebrated Sankranti.


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Alton H. Blackington Photograph Collection
A native of Rockland, Maine, Alton H. "Blackie" Blackington (1893-1963) was a writer, photojournalist, and radio personality associated with New England "lore and legend." After returning from naval service in the First World War, Blackington joined the staff of the Boston Herald, covering a range of current events, but becoming well known for his human interest features on New England people and customs. He was successful enough by the mid-1920s to establish his own photo service, and although his work remained centered on New England and was based in Boston, he photographed and handled images from across the country. Capitalizing on the trove of New England stories he accumulated as a photojournalist, Blackington became a popular lecturer and from 1933-1953, a radio and later television host on the NBC network, Yankee Yarns, which yielded the books Yankee Yarns (1954) and More Yankee Yarns (1956).
This collection of glass plate negatives was purchased by Robb Sagendorf of Yankee Publishing around the time of Blackington's death. Reflecting Blackington's photojournalistic interests, the collection covers a terrain stretching from news of public officials and civic events to local personalities, but the heart of the collection is the dozens of images of typically eccentric New England characters and human interest stories. Most of the images were taken by Blackington on 4×5″ dry plate negatives, however many of the later images are made on flexible acetate stock and the collection includes several images by other (unidentified) photographers distributed by the Blackington News Service.
- Subjects
- Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933--Photographs
- Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937--Photographs
- Maine--Social life and customs--Photographs
- Massachusetts--Social life and customs--Photographs
- New England--Social life and customs--Photographs
- New Hampshire--Social life and customs--Photographs
- Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945--Photographs
- Sacco-Vanzetti Trial, Dedham, Mass., 1921--Photographs
- Types of material
- Photographs


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Brenda Verduin had lived with back pain for more than 30 years. By the age of 30, she was already seeing specialists to determine what could be causing her pain. It wasn't until she came to the Spine Center at Newton-Wellesley Hospital where she received the proper diagnosis and successful back surgery that helped her return to a pain-free life. After reading Brenda's story, learn more about spine surgery at the Spine Center and contact us to arrange a consultation with one of our spine specialists.
"For years I lived with periods of terrible, debilitating pain," says Brenda. "There were times when I had to spend a few days in bed after I did a lot of walking or even after I carried light shopping bags. This posed quite a problem since I was living in New York City at the time."
Throughout the years, Brenda has tried many treatments to alleviate her back pain, but none brought complete relief. "I just figured that I would have to live with this pain for the rest of my life," says Brenda. "But then last New Year's Eve I reached for the soap and my back went out. It was the worst pain I have ever had. I was in agony and it just kept getting worse."
By February, Brenda was experiencing numbness in her left foot and was having difficulty walking more than 20 to 30 feet.
"One of my neighbors had undergone spine surgery and recommended I look into it," says Brenda. "I never thought of surgery as an option, but I knew there was no way I could continue living my life like this. I have always enjoyed being active and I felt like my life was over."
Brenda scheduled an appointment with Louis Jenis, MD, a spine surgeon at Newton-Wellesley Hospital's Spine Center.
"When I met with Brenda, she presented with about 18 months of low back and leg pain while walking or standing. The only relief she had was to sit down," says Dr. Jenis. "Using advanced imaging technology to confirm what we already suspected, we diagnosed Brenda with spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is not a life or limb-threatening problem, but a quality of life problem. She is retired and just could not do the things she wanted to do."
Spinal stenosis causes extreme nerve pain due to a narrowing of the spine and can also affect the sciatic nerve that runs down the back of the leg. Standing can decrease the space for the nerve roots and obstruct the flow of blood around the nerve, which can cause irritation and pain. Some of the symptoms associated with spinal stenosis include pain, tingling, numbness and weakness, which can spread to the buttocks and legs.
To help Brenda get relief from her pain, Dr. Jenis recommended surgery that would relieve the pressure on her spine. "Her degree of stenosis was severe and she had developed a slippage of the bones called spondylolisthesis," says Dr. Jenis. "We recommended a laminectomy and because of the slippage, a fusion. The fusion is done by taking synthetic bone materials and transplanting them into the spine and holding them there with titanium screws and rods."
A laminectomy is a surgical procedure performed to alleviate pain caused by the pressure on the nerves. During the procedure, a small portion of the bone is removed to give the nerve root more space and an opportunity to heal.
"We find a laminectomy is effective for decreasing pain and improving function for patients like Brenda with spinal stenosis," says Dr. Jenis. "Patients usually spend about one to three days in the Hospital. Each patient's ability to return to normal activity is determined by his or her pre-operative condition and age."
Brenda decided to undergo the surgery in order to return to her favorite activities. For her, this procedure proved to be life changing.
"When I met with Dr. Jenis, I told him that I was willing to do whatever he recommended to help my pain," says Brenda. "I really felt like surgery was the answer. He thought it would greatly improve my condition. I knew I wasn't getting any younger and it was worth having the surgery while I still was healthy enough to have a complete recovery. I was ready to get my life back!"
Brenda had her surgery on May 20 and spent three days at Newton-Wellesley. "Everyone was amazing and answered all of my questions," says Brenda. "The staff helped me manage my pain and made sure I was comfortable during my recovery process. Dr. Jenis' staff who assisted him in the surgery stopped by to see me to make sure I was comfortable and all was going well."
After her procedure, Brenda spent a week in a rehabilitation facility to help regain her strength and range of motion.
"Dr. Jenis said the main thing he wanted me to do was walk… so I did. I started walking three miles a day. Before I even had breakfast I would walk a mile. I was determined to have a quick recovery and return to the activities I was most looking forward to taking part in again."
Nine days after her surgery Brenda was back home taking walks outdoors, taking part in activities around the house and going shopping. "My back pain and the numbness were gone right away. Ten days after my surgery, I climbed a split rail fence to clean out my birdhouse!" says Brenda. "I feel like I'm 20…I haven't had one ounce of pain. I would recommend this procedure to anyone. My life had been curtailed and I was not able to live it to its fullest. Life is too short to not enjoy it."
Since her surgery, Brenda has been able to return to her everyday activities and her favorites pastimes. "I am able to be active, travel and enjoy life with my husband. I feel blessed to live in a time in history that has the technology to make me whole again and able to live and enjoy life!"
For more information about physicians or services at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, please contact CareFinder at 1-866-NWH-DOCS (694-3627) or visit www.nwh.org/spine.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital


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Style # 208000
Amp your activewear collection with our new BE-FIT BEBE SPORT collection in this bebe jacket, featuring cool stitching and glossy logo at back. Constructed from a moisture-wicking, soft and breathable lightweight blend of nylon and spandex. Dries 8 times faster than cotton.
- 77% nylon, 23% spandex
- Center back to hem: 22" (56 cm)
- Machine wash
- Made in USA with imported materials
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Logo Funnel Jacket - BEBE SPORT is rated out of 5 by 3.
Rated 5 out of 5 by bebesen from Loved it! I bought the entire outfit. And im in love with it. So COMFY. =)
Date published: 2013-04-26
Rated 5 out of 5 by ErykhaCD from Awesome Jacket! This jacket is very comfortable and sexy. It's fits snugly and hugs my body in all the right places. The material is very soft and I love the way it feels on my body. It is lightweight and has pockets. I am 5 ft, 6 in, 135 lbs and bought a medium.
Date published: 2013-04-06
Rated 5 out of 5 by 2cute from sexy! This is a really cute/sexy jacket on. I normally wear a s and bought a s in this one. I am 5'7 and 132 lbs. I would say this is one occasion where I could have done a M too depending on how tight or relaxed of a fit you want. My s fits about as snug as it looks on the model (though i think she's probably an xs). The blue is gorgeous, very vibrant and I love the thick nylon material. The shiny silver zipper also adds a glam look. I feel like it's too cute to workout in haha! I purchased the matching pants to wear it with but will likely wear it with jeans over a cami for a casual,sporty, day look.
Date published: 2013-03-12


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Scan Hazardous Area - PVC 400 x 600mm
Barcode: 5015397141019
Product Code: SCA4107
£15.29(£12.74 exVAT)
The Scan Hazardous Area - PVC 400 x 600mm from Scan.
This Scan Saftey sign is made from 1mm thick, durable PVC. It's aggressive waster-based adhesive enables the sign to easily stick on to and remain on any wall. It is printed using UV resistant inks, which resist fading. It is easy to read with clear instruction and illustration.
Complies with BS5499 design criteria and helps limit company liability, should an accident occur.
The SCA4107 saftey sign has the following specifications:
Size: 400 x 600mm
Message: 'Hazardous area'.
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If you have technical questions regarding this product please fill in this Enquiry form.
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Monique Lhuillier Trunk Show
Monique Lhuillier burned up the red carpet at this year's Emmy Awards with fabulous frocks. She carried over that momentum at the New York International Bridal Fashion Week. Brides-to-be will get an opportunity to get their hands on the designer's latest bridal fashions from her namesake collection and "Blush" collection at a three-day trunk show at Betsy Robinson Bridal Collection. Dresses, which will be priced specially for the event, start at $2,600. Attend Monique Lhuilliers trunk show Nov. 2-4 at Betsy Robinson Bridal Collection, 1848 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. Appointments are encouraged. Call 410-484-4600 or go to robinsonbridal.com.
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The autumn winds have brought down the lurid, neon-green, curiously wrinkled fruits of the Osage orange...
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Solanaceae Beds
Solanaceae is a family of around 3000 species, and includes some popular bedding plants, some of our most important food crops, but also includes a number of extremely toxic species. Floral characteristics include five petals and, often, a distinct coned 'nose' made up of the protruding style surrounded by the five anthers.
Petunias and lots of ornamental, sweetly-scented tobacco (
) dominate the display, along with the more unusual
. We also grow some of the important vegetable crops in the family such as tomatoes and chillis.
Deadly Nightshade (
Atropa belladonna
) and Thorn Apple (
Datura stramonium
) represent the more toxic Solanaceae members, some of which have long been used in low doses as medicine.
Henbane has is used as a sedative painkiller in homeopathic remedies but is so poisonous that ancient wisdom warned:
'If it be used in either sallet [salad] or pottage [stew], then doth It bring frenzie, and whoso useth more than four leaves shall be in danger to sleepe without waking.'
Given the fine line between an edible or poisonous family member, it is strongly advised that you enjoy the colourful display without touching the plants. Certainly do not be tempted to harvest any fruit or berry to augment your summer picnic!
Nicotiana tabacum
The long slender trumpets of Nicotiana sylvestris
Atropa belladonna, deadly nightshade
Systematic Beds
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Just Ducky—What do you get when you cross a Patricia Madrid rally, disgruntled demonstrators, a sore foot and a woman in a duck costume?
The top story for the 10 o'clock news, apparently.
I don't have a favorite local news station, so I fit into the "watcher with a five-second attention span demographic." Yes, I'm the reason for the adage, "If it bleeds, it leads" (as much as I hate it). Imagine my intrigue, then, when the talking head on the TV screen told me a rally for Patricia Madrid turned violent. I'm thinking, punches flying, hair pulling, blood in the streets, must stay tuned to see what happened!
Cut to the report of the rally, a private event held in a public building. The few Wilson supporters who showed up, one in a duck costume symbolizing Madrid "ducking out" of another debate, were put off when they were not allowed in the building. No biggie—it was a private rally. They can stay outside and protest all they want, it's their right, and not big news. So where's the violent rally I stopped flipping channels to see? The woman in the duck suit—all sobs as she talked to the camera—had her foot stepped on by a Madrid supporter "on purpose."
I have no idea whether the ducked-out woman's foot was maliciously stepped on or not. Sure, she said it was, but the alleged foot stomper wasn't questioned and no other witness came forth to verify her claim. It left me—the viewer/
During election season, television and print news are awash with coverage about candidates' views, missteps, victories and character flaws. It's our job to delve deep into the issues facing the voters. Of course we should cover the Madrid rally gone awry—but run it as a top story due to an "aggressive attack against a peaceful demonstrator"? Don't think so.
We, the media, have to make sure we report real news, and don't just act as another soap box for the politically outspoken. It's our job to look into the facts behind the accusations, not just pour more dirt into the mud pit.


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Last Tuesday, Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter bolstered his backline when he brought back veteran defender Josh Williams and signed Costa Rican International Waylon Francis. "[Francis] is going to add to the offensive side of the game, there's no question," said Berhalter. "He has the conditioning to get up and down the field, so we're going to rely on that. TheCrew.com's Cody Sharrett examines how Francis' speed will fit into the Black & Gold's plans in 2014 as the club looks to increase offensive production from the backline.
As MLS award season rolls on this week, Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri was recently named the 2013 MLS Newcomer of the Year. Valeri's award marks the third consecutive year that an Argentine has won top newcomer honors joining 2011 winner Mauro Rosales of the Seattle Sounders and the Black & Gold's own Federico Higuain who took home the award at the conclusion of the 2012 season. Paul Kennedy of Soccer America has more on Valeri's impressive first MLS campaign in 2013.
While much has been made about the two contrasting brands of soccer that will be on display this Saturday, veteran referee Hilario Grajeda will be tasked with manning the middle when Real Salt Lake takes on Sporting Kansas City for the 2013 MLS Cup. Grajeda, in his ninth year as an official in Major League Soccer, has come a long way from his days as an emergency room nurse in Dayton, Ohio. Grajeda recently sat down with MLSsoccer.com columnist Jeff Bradley for a Q&A where he opened up on his expectations leading up to Saturday's MLS Cup and why he was 'honored' to be chosen to officiate on the league's largest stage.


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For a Tea-Rific Teacher {Gift Idea}
6 months ago
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM
Labels: Christmas, Cookie Exchange, Sewing
super cute apron! I would be a guest at your cookie exchange!!!
I'll bring cookies!!
Love the Balloon Festival too! Being on the Garland/Murphy line we can see them sometimes.


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With the onset of Solvency II on the horizon, Insurers across Europe are facing a significant challenge to comply with new reporting requirements.
As part of Pillar III, Insurers will have to develop a reporting framework and complementary systems that cannot only deliver efficient, accurate and auditable QRT reporting, but can also be easily integrated into a firm's existing IT infrastructure. To help Insurers in this regard, BearingPoint has developed ABACUS/Solvency II software, a fully compliant report consolidation, validation and submission engine that is specifically designed to meet the evolving reporting requirements of regulatory supervisors.
On May 10th at 2pm GMT, we will be hosting a free Webinar to demonstrate the full capabilities and benefits of our ABACUS/Solvency II solution – showing how it can address the challenges of Pillar III compliance, including:
Reduced Solvency II implementation cost
Synergies and economies of scale
Flexible, easy-to-use design and robust IT platform
Support from a highly-capable support infrastructure and readily-available Europe-wide network of experienced consultants
Should you have any further questions don't hesitate to get in touch with us.


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An important step has been taken today for Kiteboarding being part of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016. The ISAF events committee confirmed on their mid-year meeting in St. Petersburg, that Kiteboarding will be evaluated alongside windsurfing for both men and women, with a decision to be taken in November 2012. With a full-on battle between the dinghies and the keelboat lobby, the boards issue was only a secondary area of interest for the delegated from all over the world.
The event committees decision needs to be confirmed tomorrow by the ISAF council, and a format commission will then go on to answer the question of how kiteboarding and/or windsurfing could look like - either in individual events or in a combined new event format. The options would be:
kiteboarding men and kiteboarding women
windsurfing men and windsurfing women
windsurfing men and kiteboarding women
kiteboarding men and windsurfing women
a team event of one kiteboarder and one windsurfer from each country for two gender separated nations medal
At the same time, the equipment for both kiteboarding and windsurfing will be evaluated.
Looks like another 1 1/2 interesting years ahead of us !


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The Fort Dodge Family Credit Union has partnered with the Iowa Association of Business and Industry Foundation (ABIF) to send one of its high-school members, Allix Kirchhoff, to Business Horizons 2012 in Pella. Allix, a sophomore, competed with other high school Fort Dodge Family Credit Union members for the honor. "I'm interested in a career in business," said Allix. "My future plan is to have a career that provides service to people. I hope Business Horizons will help me to realize my goal."
Business Horizons is a prestigious statewide summer high school program with a focus on entrepreneurship and leadership. The 2012 program will be held July 15-19 on Central College's campus in Pella. In addition to attending Business Horizons and gaining a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to run a successful business, obtaining valuable leadership skills, and gaining an appreciation of the amazing opportunities to succeed in Iowa, Allix, has the opportunity to earn college credit and will graduate from the program with a guaranteed $12,000 scholarship to Central College (should she decide to attend and is accepted to Central). The scholarship is renewable for 4 years!
"Fort Dodge Family Credit Union was thrilled to offer this opportunity to our members," said manager, Julie Pingel. "These students are our upcoming business owners, managers and workforce and our communities and it's important that we prepare our youth to lead the state into the future. Allix is an outstanding young woman and we are excited to hear about her experiences at Business Horizons!"
For 28 years Business Horizons has been providing a week long entrepreneurial learning experience for select Iowa high students. Nearly 3000 graduates of the program have gone on to do great things at their schools and businesses.
For information about Business Horizons, and how your credit union can get involved as a sponsor or as volunteers, visit www.businesshorizonsiowa.com. Additional details can also be obtained by contacting Sarah Roth at email@example.com or 515-235-0570.