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|1) Lightboard v2. Will be matrix-driven and hopefully a lot more stable/cleaner/better than v1!
I'm using a LoL-board for the light matrix (this is only debug info) as it's almost perfect in size, and saves me a ton of soldering. I've also decided to put in a few fuses on the board to hopefully prevent things from burning up in the case of a short.
No error checking has been done yet. And I'll have to confirm the diode placements, but it's looking a lot cleaner than the old version. I'll use ten different wire colors as well, so I should be able to debug light problems quite easily in the future.


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RACINE, WI – Humminbird® announces the introduction of a new compact solid state radar module, complete with CHIRP pulse compression technology for outstanding radar imaging at short and long ranges. The new CHIRP Radar offers exceptional target separation technology to display approaching weather, boats, rocks, buoys and landmarks with impressive resolution.
CHIRP Pulse Compression uses multiple radar pulses for increased target separation and detection, identifying targets with improved resolution over traditional magnetron radars, and optimized interference rejection. This translates to better situational awareness in low-visibility conditions. Track weather, vessels, obstacles, and monitor birds with amazing definition.
"Humminbird is excited to bring anglers and boaters the next generation of radar technology," says Humminbird Brand Manager, Ray Schaffart. "Our new CHIRP Radar allows for improved navigation, and gives anglers an upper hand for monitoring birds and floating obstacles, often the sentinels of sought-after gamefish."
Boaters will discover that Humminbird CHIRP Radar offers a compact footprint, installs easily and boots quickly for immediate use. It can also be paired with compatible Humminbird equipment to serve as a great navigational and safety addition.
Antenna Dimension: 21" Enclosed Dome
Antenna Type: Patch Array
Peak Power Output: 20W
Transmit Frequency: 9354 to 9446 MHz
Beamwidth (nominal): 4.9° Horizontal, 20° Vertical
Input Voltage: 12 or 24 Vdc (Min: 10.8V; Max 31.2V)
Networking: Ethernet
Power Consumption: Transmit mode 17W; standby mode 7W
Max. Range Scale: 1/16 to 24 nautical miles
Duplexer: Circulator
Pulse Widths (3 dB): 40 ns to 14.7 µs
CHIRP lengths: 400 ns to 20 µs
CHIRP Bandwidth: Up to 32 MHz
IF Bandwidth: 26 MHz
Noise: Less than 4 dB
Polarization: Horizontal
Waterproofing: IPX6
Weight: 5.6 kg (12.3 lb)
Compatibility: All networking HELIX models and ONIX
For more information visit humminbird.com, contact Humminbird, 678 Humminbird Lane, Eufaula, AL 36027, or call 800-633-1468.
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Let me start off by telling you that I am a huge Peanut's fan boy. I watched all the television episodes, read all the comics, and I even make an effort to re-watch all the holiday special episodes on ABC. However when I saw Snoopy Flying Ace sitting in the Xbox Live Marketplace; I had a tiny negative feeling sitting inside of me, because I thought it was a game for children. This is the last time I judge a game by its cover, because this game is certainly not a game for children.
Snoopy Flying Ace is game published by Microsoft Game Studios, and developed by the people behind the Crimson Skies. You can definitely that is developed by them, because this game is pretty much Crimson Skies: The Peanut's Edition(with no blood). The game is primarily made for multiplayer, but there is a single player mode thrown in there, but that is mainly a tutorial for the multiplayer.
The multiplayer in this game is really fun, and addicting. The modes aren't really going to blow you away, because it is just the standard modes for a online multiplayer. For example, Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and interesting mode called "Pigskin"(Football mode). I have been playing a lot of Deathmatch, because hardly anyone uses their headset. The game seems does have same balance issues online, because a lot of the weapons in the game seem a little over powered, but that might be because I suck.
Overall I believe that Snoopy Flying Ace is totally worth the 800 Microsoft, and I recommend that you buy this game to help get you through the Summer.
Score: 4/5
Xbox 360 Live 1600 Points [Online Game Code]
Xbox 360 Live 1600 Points [Online Game Code]


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A5 Fine Art Photographic print signed By Rachel Bananas
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I thought coaching was only for mentally healthy people. Isn't ADHD a mental health disorder?
Yes and no. It is important to note that ADHD, while still designated a mental health disorder, is now known to be a genetically related, neurologically based brain difference (which, to provide some perspective, also describes left-handedness— another genetically related, neurologically based brain difference). That being said, psychological and physiological challenges such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders often co-occur with ADHD. Coaches are not medical professionals and do not work with their clients on mental health issues (unless, or course, the coach is also a licensed therapist or MD). A coach, however, can and often does refer clients to competent doctors and therapists to help the client address their psychological and physiological health needs. For coaching to be effective, clients must have addressed or be addressing these issues and be ready, willing, and able to participate in the coaching process.
How does coaching differ from therapy?
Traditionally, therapy focused on the past, on emotional healing, and on resolving deficits and weaknesses to help restore a person to functioning. In contrast, Life Coaching is a forward looking process for people who are already functioning well. In Life Coaching, the relationship between the coach and client is collaborative and egalitarian, and the focus of the collaboration is on constructing solutions, improving performance, attaining goals, and maximizing the client's personal and professional potential.
How does ADHD Coaching differ from Life Coaching?
The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines Life Coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." In the ICF model, coaching is a process and coaches do not educate or share information with their clients. ADHD Coaching differs from Life Coaching in that it focuses both on the process of helping clients identify and achieve their goals, and on the pragmatic issues of doing so while living with ADHD. Additionally, since understanding ADHD is crucial to learning to live well with it, ADHD Coaches may share information regarding ADHD and related topics and information regarding tools, resources, and referrals as needed or requested by the client.
How is coaching delivered?
There are many options for who you can work with and how you may receive coaching support. You may choose to work with a coach regardless of their location. Coaching sessions may be provided in-person, by telephone or online through a secured virtual meeting platform. Many coaches also offer e-mail and texting support between sessions. The terms for conducting sessions, length and duration of sessions, and opportunities for check-in and support between sessions will vary amongst coaches.
How long does ADHD Coaching take?
Depending on your goal(s), a 3-month contract is usually the minimum amount of time for coaching goals to be realized. This time frame can be divided up into weekly sessions, biweekly sessions or a combination. Your coach will work with you in a manner that best fits your schedule. For sustained growth and long term change or for more complex goals, six to twelve month commitments are typical.
How do I know if ADHD coaching will work for me?
You will want to be able to trust and connect with your coach, and feel understood when you talk. The best way to determine that level of rapport is to talk to a coach. Many coaches offer a free consultation call where you can do just that. Explain what goals you would like to reach in coaching, what you would like to change, and what your expectations are. The coach will tell you if ADHD coaching can realistically meet your expectations. Use our Find A Coach Directory to aide in your search.
What kind of training does an ADHD Coach have?
A Professional ADHD Coach must have at least 60 hours of specific Life Coach training from an International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited or compliant program plus at least 35 hours of specific ADHD Coach training from a recognized source.
What kind of certification does an ADHD Coach have?
ADHD Coaching, as with all Life Coaching, is self-regulated. Certification is therefore encouraged but not legally required. The Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC) offers the only independent ADHD Coaching Specialty Certification in the world. Many ADHD Coaches hold certifications from recognized Life Coach certifying bodies such and the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) as well.
How can I convince my spouse (parent, child, etc.) to get ADHD coaching?
There are many reasons why people will not seek help. For the most part, they are embarrassed. They may see coaching as just another thing they will fail at – the fear of the unknown. Another reason could be that the person is depressed and will need medical help before coaching will work. Sometimes a family doctor or other professional can approach this subject easier than a spouse or parent.
For adults, provide them with literature on ADHD coaching. Ask them to read about coaching on our website. Browse the bookstore on our website of the many books written by experts on ADHD and coaching. It may help for them to read the profiles of the coaches in our Find-a-coach database and have a discussion with them on their approach to helping adults with ADHD. But give the person with ADHD space and time to think about ADHD coaching for themselves. They will be more successful if they are ready for coaching.
Children do not have the lifetime of disappointments that afflicts so many adults. Children need to know that you, the parent, have done your best to help. They need to know that there are trained people called coaches. Explain to them that coaches work with them to correct those things that have given them great difficulty. Give them your love and support as they go through this wonderful journey of exploring what will help them improve and succeed.


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A better way to develop person-centered dining options
Thirty-five percent of residents leave at least a fourth of their meals uneaten. No matter how carefully you plan meals for optimal nutrition, residents can't benefit if they don't want to eat it.
That's especially important given that Baby Boomers have higher expectations for their parents care — and their own. Staying competitive means delivering exceptional, person-centered dining options and health-conscious offerings. Our professional dietitians conduct clinical assessments, identify diet therapies and plan menus that deliver nutritional needs and delight palates.
MenuCare Systems
Our MenuCare Systems provide nutritious, cost-conscious menus that residents will want to eat, all built around your facility-specific menu preferences. We provide four-week menu cycles with therapeutic diet spreadsheets to meet residents' specific nutritional needs
Hard Copy Menus
You'll receive a complete set of standardized recipes with HACCP specifications — scaled to your facility census — and a nutritional analysis of regular diet menus to ensure that you meet state and federal guidelines. We also include food cost estimates based on average price schedules supplied by 3 major food distributors: Sysco, US Foods, and Gordon Food Service.
These are cloud based menus licensed from SNO, Simplified Nutrition Online. You can access our cloud-based menu system to download a broad variety of menus for many healthcare settings and customize menus and recipes to meet your needs at any time. Instantly print tray cards, track resident food preferences and weight, reduce food waste and overproduction since SNO recipes automatically calculate quantities based on your exact resident census, specific diets, and ingredient lists.


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Friday, June 21, 2013
Moths Can Also Be Beautiful
This watercolor is to celebrate the first day of the summer. Inspired by.
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Take a hint from these guys who know how to put fashion and cool hand in hand.
This guy kicks off his look with cool chucks, a denim shirt, straight legged dark jeans and a plain white tee. the dark stunnas add the poetic-esque touch.
This look is over all absolutely perfect. the velvet millitary touched blazer creates a preppy but indie feel to the look. black dress shirt, and khaki trousers. !
Its all happening on daily dose of rae.


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Scholarships are available for the 2018 Birankai North America Summer Camp for qualified Instructors and Students. Follow the three steps, below, to apply for a scholarship.
The deadline for Scholarship Applications is April 20th, 2018.
- Click to read the Summer Camp Scholarship Letter
- Click to read the Mandatory Summer Camp Scholarship Application Check List
- Click to complete and submit the online Scholarship Registration Form
Scholarship Info
Housing & Meals
Housing: We will be staying in Trimble Hall.
Trimble Hall consists of single rooms in a suite setting. There are 4-, 5- or 6-person suites, each with shared bathrooms, living and dining areas and a kitchenette.
Laundry: There are two laundry rooms per floor in Trimble Hall. There is no charge to use. We will have laundry pods available for purchase in the camp store, or bring your own detergent from home.
Clothing/Bedding: Average temperatures in Tacoma in summer range from the mid-50s to the mid-70s Fahrenheit. Please bring appropriate clothes. Residents will receive a linen packet that includes bath towels, hand towels, two sheets, one pillow, and two (thin!) blankets. If you feel you will need more than that for your comfort, please pack extras!
Meals: The University of Puget Sound is known for its healthy, sustainably-sourced, and delicious meals. The cafeteria is located in the Wheelock Center, which also hosts another cafe and a pizza place. If you wish to prepare some meals in your suite, dorm kitchens may have a limited number of pots, pans, utensils and dishes.
What to Bring
Weapons: Bring a Jyo, Bokken, and Tanto. Please make sure they are marked with your name
Zafu: If you plan on joining us for zazen in the morning, know that zafu availability is limited. If you can bring your own zafu, please do.
Water Bottle: Save the planet! Bring your own reusable water bottle!
Hat and Sunscreen: Weapons classes are often outside in the sun.
Bathing Suit: If you find time to use the pool!
BNA Passport: Mark your attendance at another great year of camp!
The summer camp raffle benefits the BNA Scholarship fund. Your ticket purchases and prize donations directly go to this cause. The raffle is held at the farewell party, is very entertaining, plus the prizes are incredible--you could win anything from original artwork to fully-paid 2019 Summer Camp!
Tickets may be purchased at the Camp Store during camp, or before camp with pre-purchase by filling out and sending in this form.
Prize donations are welcome and needed! Bring (or send with a friend) your prize donation to the camp store to be put out on display. Fill in this donation form so we know what your prize is and who it is from.
Stay tuned to the raffle Facebook page to view this year's prizes. Thank you for your support and good luck!
T-shirts and Camp Store
Pre-Order your camp T-shirt. Choose the size and color you want. Very limited extra stock will be on hand at camp.
T-shirts will be available for pick up/payment ($18 with your pre-order) or onsite purchase if available, in the camp store throughout the week. Please view the 2018 T-shirt designs below, and place your pre-order here before June 24th.
The Camp Store will be located inside Trimble Hall.
There is a fitness center, swimming pool, and rock climbing wall available for our use during camp. Access during summer break is limited to weekdays only, with restricted hours. Click here for more info. Please note a special waiver must be signed and turned in to the Conferences desk to receive a pass for these facilities.
Fitness Facilities
Medical Form
If you have any pre-existing medical or allergy concerns, please print and complete this Medical Form and bring to the registration desk at camp.
Campus Policies
The University of Puget Sound has a strict Alcohol and Drug policy. Please be sure to read the policy.
Summer Camp depends on the efforts of many volunteers. No offer to help is too small. Visit our on-line sign-up tool and find a way to help out! A Volunteer Coordinator at camp will also be able to steer you towards a way you can contribute. Thank you in advance!


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Pfizer Animal Health this week announced they will be acquiring Catapult Genetics, an Australian company focused on development and marketing of livestock DNA tests and gene markers, and Louisiana-based Bovigen that markets Catapult's technology in the U.S. and has started developing independent genetic markers.
"Pfizer Animal Health sees real long-term value to livestock producers from our strategic move into genetic marker technology," says Nigel Evans, director of business innovation for Pfizer. "The move expands Pfizer's already strong commitment to promoting livestock health and the provision of safe, high-quality food throughout the world."
Product and brand names such as Genestar and Suretrack are among those marketed by Catapult and Bovigen. Evans says with this move Pfizer will be in a position to offer more complete solutions to livestock producers worldwide.
"Genetic markers and genetic information alongside our current vaccines and medicine will allow us to provide broader solutions," Evans says. "That will in turn enhance livestock producer business success and indeed add value to the entire production chain."
Pfizer will now have access from the best genetic research and development from around the world including Australia and New Zealand, the United States and Europe. According to Evans they intend to make major R and D investments that will result in the development of new products and services.
"As we look to the future we see that genetic tests may one day allow producers to better predict such important things as disease resistance and immune response in individual animals," Evans says. "This information will help veterinarians and producers to actually provide improved healthcare through better targeting medicines to livestock that need it the most."
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of March, and Evans says that it will be very much business as usual for a time while Pfizer evaluates several aspects such as marketing and advertising. Pfizer will be maintaining all the existing R and D contracts that Catapult and Bovigen have entered into and will be extending that R and D both with current providers and new providers.
DNA testing is still an emerging technology and the company has been excited by the uptake in DNA users in the cattle industry. According to Calvin Gunter, director of corporate development for Bovigen, it's difficult to get a good number on something like this that is an emerging technology but he thinks somewhere around 10% North American cattle producers use DNA technology. And Pfizer will be the major player in that field.
"In terms of market share, again another number that's very hard to estimate," Evans says. "But our best guest would probably be in North America somewhere well north of 80% of the market share."


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The Children's Corner series is an entertaining introduction to classical music masterpieces, led by the malicious and friendly Pino di Pianopoli, a funny character who is happy to torment his pianists friends Anthony and Joseph Paratore. The biggest classical music works are recounted in a lively and exciting way.
In each episode, Pino tells the stories behind the music and how it came to be. Your kids will love this mischievous character that explains their classics including The Nutcracker, The Carnival of the Animals , or Mother Goose. Children of all age will get a kick out of Pino's wit and wisdom!


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Steve Morse has been one of the most influential guitar players in music history. He has been a member of the Dixie Dregs, Kansas as well as Deep Purple for over almost twenty years. He even has his own band, the Steve Morse band. Morse is known for his unique picking, note choice, fast runs and tone. When listening to a collaboration of guitar players one can always pick him out of the crowd. If you don't believe us just listen to him on the 'Guitar Battle' album.
The Definitive Steve Morse DVD features two exciting programs: The Essential Steve Morse features Steve covering and analyzing the components that make up his unique style. These include sound, equipment, picking, muting, scale concepts, soloing ideas, connecting positions, and monster technique. Also included is a section on how Steve learns difficult parts quickly and efficiently. The Complete Styles of Steve Morse features Steve using excerpts from his tunes, as well as original examples to illustrate the various styles he combines to achieve his unique sound. Steve explains his country, Celtic, and classical roots in depth, covering chicken pickin', double-stop playing, bluegrass and fiddle runs, banjo rolls, voice leading, and more.
If you like this lesson, please click here to purchase it. By purchasing this DVD you will get more then you see here. Let's support Steve Morse as an artist that took his time to bring quality education for guitar players.


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Happy Wednesday!!!
It has felt so good to be crafting and posting on here a little more than usual I am hoping to keep it up!!
I have been having so much fun just creating for myself!! Although I have had a few projects that had to get done I have had an amazing time doing them!!!
I love when I have paper and stamps that just fit together so perfectly and that is pretty much how this card came together!! I love this sweet stamp by Newton's Nook so cute this one is called Newton's Birthday Bash!!! I did some more paper piecing I know it's been my go to alot lately but I just love doing it and the look of it. The paper is from prima called free spirit beautiful paper with some fun patterns!!
That's it for me today have a great day!!!


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Found a funny t-shirt in the store today called bathroom blogger ! The idea is not bad at all !! :p
Bathroom Blogger Funny T-Shirt by JaZilla
Use Zazzle's shirt designer
Another interesting t-shirt i found was bookface!
Bookface Shirt by glenndesigns
Design your shirt at zazzle
Clicking those links or pictures above you can check those t-shirts from different views and modify them as you like !


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Condor: the smart solution for airport slot coordination
The growing demand from airlines for airport capacity poses an authentic challenge to airport managers. Hence, smart solutions enabling current airport infrastructures to render maximum performance have taken a leading role.
One of the principal processes guaranteeing the operative efficiency of an airport is slot management and coordination. Landing and take-off time frames are the key factors determining entry and exit airport traffic, so their management is strategic. Coordinating, optimizing, detecting dysfunctions, applying the corrective measures necessary to resolve problems, planning efficiently based on the varying needs of winter and summer seasons… these are essential to an airport.
Ikusi is one of the few companies worldwide availing of a specific product for slot management tailored to airports as well as the authorities charged with coordinating airport networks – a solution based on IATA standards, both in terms of the World Slot Guidelines and the Standard Schedules Information Manual (Chapter 6).
The efficient slot management that Condor provides improves the use of airport capacity, enabling one and the same infrastructure to attract new operations; it liberates capacity for the distribution of the demand for operations based on airline records and needs, promotes competition among the airlines to comply with the slots assigned, and facilitates better management of the air traffic burden through close collaboration in data sharing between the airport and air navigation authorities.
To achieve this, Condor enables seasonal slot planning, slot compliance monitoring, swift identification of restricting resources, and automated management of ad-hoc changes requested by the airlines, providing airlines a cost-free registered-access portal to the display of flight plans, verification of runway capacity availability, on-line coordination, and compliance progress verification in high season.
Over 60 million passengers have already traveled on planes with slots coordinated by Condor. This solution operates in the international airports of Cuba, at the International Airport of Mexico City and at that of Rio Galeão in Brazil, an airport that Condor has helped turn into one of the most punctual in Latin America.


text: 20,000lbs.Part #: 2760 Hitch InformationDescription*Industry Standard Rail -Better than the "other guys" mounting kits -UMK fits more trucks without ordering extra kits -UMK and Custom Brackets facilitate installation over truck axle -Less drilling/quicker installs with Custom Mounting Kits Kit includes Custom Mounting Brackets, Base Rails, & Hardware. DocumentsDownloads: 2760 ISR Ford Install.pdf Related Products ISR Series SuperGlide 16K Part #: 2700 16,000lbs. View More ISR Series SuperGlide 18K Part #: 2900 18,000lbs. View More ISR Series Super 5th 16K Part #: 1900 16,000lbs. View More ISR Series Super 5th 20K Part #: 2100 20,000lbs. View More ISR Series Super 5th 24K Part #: 2200 24,000lbs. View More ISR Series SuperGlide 24K Part #: 2300 24,000lbs. View More


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Read What Our Members are Saying. . .
When I hired a Chamber intern, I hired a young professional, who had been trained (by the Chamber) in the parts of my business in which I needed the most support - client contact and business building! My new employee has confidently and eagerly stepped up to take over my client intake process. She also helps me grow my business by attending Chamber events when I am unable to attend them myself. Her experience with the Chamber made her a natural fit for the support I needed.
My affiliation with the chamber has been a wonderful experience and has presented many valuable opportunities.
Business After Hours are always a great time. There is always a great turn out and fun networking games at every event. Its a perfect time to meet some new people and strengthen some established relationships.
By being an ambassador with the chamber it has allowed me to network with numerous people and business owners. We have aquired many new opportunities to do kettlecorn events for business parties or celebrations, which lead to more referrals from those. Thanks Dawn for all your help! We could have never got this kind of exposure without the chamber!
I enjoy being a member of the Chamber Board because it has given me the opportunity to build new friendships and business relationships.
Egyptian Workspace Partners joined the Troy Chamber two years ago, and in our opinion it is the best Chamber out of the four Chambers we belong to.
A month ago we took the Chamber up on one of their many resources they have available called the Cookie Run. On the cookie run the Executive Director of the Chamber Dawn let us pick 10 Chamber Businesses that we were having a hard time getting into. Dawn went with us as we visited 10 companies, and we secured 3 appointments for future business. To me this was an assume way to meet these customers, and get into their businesses.
Once a month the Troy, Maryville, Marine & St. Jacob Chamber has a meeting called Fueling Up. I would encourage your company to go to their website at www.troymaryvillecoc.com or call their office at 618-667-8769, and ask when the next fueling up meeting is so you can find out all the resources this Chamber has to offer.
I have worked with a handful of area chambers. The Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce was by far the most welcoming and fun. The staff is dedicated, the members are involved and after 5 years, I still look forward to attending events. Dawn and Kim go to extremes to take care of members and help them make the most of their membership.
In 2011 I looked into furthering my personal and professional relationships with the Troy community and I felt very confident and comfortable in becoming a member of this Chamber. The connections I've made has been extremely important to my Company's growth. Sure, the business side is important, but I've also gained a great network of business associates that has become priceless!
It's a pleasure to be a member of such a proactive Chamber of Commerce with professionals who truly care about the community and each and every member! The Troy Chamber of Commerce simply "gets it" when it comes to making a successful Chamber!
The Chamber's job postings page is the first place I go when I am recruiting for a position in the office. We have gotten a lot of qualified applications from posting our open positions on that page.
As a new member I feel right at home. Within the first few months I felt as if I have been apart of the Chambers for years. All the members are welcoming and are truly interested in you. If you are newer to networking this is the Chamber for you!
Dawn, I can't thank you enough for the cookie run! We had a blast together! It was wonderful as a new chamber member to meet so many current chamber members. They loved the cute cookies from Honeydip bakery. I was able to make some great connections and some of them may become clients. The in person introduction was invaluable, I'm sure I could have walked in cold and not been able to have the warm interactions we had. Thank you again for spending so much time with me. I am very appreciative!
The Best Chamber around. I cannot say enough about the support our business has received from the Chamber. We attended the Fueling Up to learn about our benefits. We took advantage of the Meet and Treat, being driven by Dawn in the Chamber Mobile. We could not have met as many of the businesses we have come in contact with through this venture. Through all of the Networking events we are afforded the opportunity to visit with several businesses and acquire new friends. Thanks Dawn and all of the staff for your continued assistance.


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After lying idle for two years, Sky Park Residence, a multi-purpose complex with residential, commercial, and office units for lease on Hanoi's Ton That Thuyet Street, changed owners earlier this year, from Licogi 16 to the Thanh Hoa Construction Company. Initially planned to be completed late this year, the project was postponed last year due to Licogi 16's financial difficulties. Insiders told VET that Thanh Hoa Construction intends to maintain the existing layout of the project, building on elements Licogi managed to finish. Sky Park Residence will cover an area of almost 7,000 sq m and feature two buildings: the first of 25 storeys with office space for lease and the other of 35 storeys with residential units for sale. The two buildings will share a common three-storey underground parking lot and the first five-storeys, which will be a commercial centre with retail space for lease. Thanh Hoa Construction, a new name in the Hanoi property market who has until now has only worked on projects in its native Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam's north, plans to invest VND1,650 billion ($77.8 million) to complete the project.
Sky Park Residence is not the only project to stir a degree of interest in Hanoi's property market in recent times. The ION Complex, at the coveted location of 36 Pham Hung Street, was acquired from the Hai Phat Company by the FLC Group in June, while the four-star hotel Mercure Hanoi at 9 Cat Linh was another of Thanh Hoa Construction's purchases. According to Mr Nguyen Hong Son, Head of Feasibility Studies and Valuation at Savills Vietnam, the positive signals in the economy in general and the real estate market in particular make this an ideal time for real estate mergers and acquisitions. After a long period of market slowdown and with many developers looking to hand over projects they are unable to complete, the price of many large projects has fallen to more reasonable and attractive levels.
Combined with lower interest rates, which have made loans more affordable, developers with strong financial resources can now more easily purchase projects that used to be significantly more expensive. Furthermore, as Mr Pham Xuan Can, Chairman of the Board at Sohovietnam, the facilitator and consultant behind many mergers, told VET, the increasingly favourable signals in pricing, finance, and cash flow are giving buyers more confidence in choosing to purchase residential units.
According to Mr Marc Townsend, Managing Director of CBRE Vietnam, the number of residential unit sales transactions in the second quarter of this year, both in Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City, has increased steadily, from approximately 1,600 in the first quarter to over 2,400 in the second. Real demand, especially in Hanoi, outstrips supply in the sector. With 3.1 million people currently working in Hanoi and about 10 per cent needing housing, the demand of these 300,000 far exceeds the 10,000 or even fewer apartments now available. Along with relatively stable office rental rates and the entrance of many new retail brands such as Robins, Starbucks, and Lotte Mart into both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, developers are finding it increasingly profitable to invest in multi-purpose complexes such as FLC Complex and Sky Park Residence.
Reasons for the rise in M&As come not only from the external environment but also from the internal conditions of both the previous and new developers. According to Mr Can, sellers such as the Hai Phat Company and Licogi 16 were developing many projects at the same time and therefore had to sell off their valuable projects in order to raise the necessary capital to finish others. Buyers and new developers, such as the FLC Group and Thanh Hoa Construction, have capital at hand and with banks more eager to lend and interest rates so low, borrowing more money if needed would present no problem at all. Increased liquidity and strong financial resources make it possible for developers to purchase and continue projects. Mr Can also notes that it is easier for new developers to continue these projects as they do not have to deal with any time-consuming paperwork or complications in land clearance and compensation, which have already been addressed.
With favourable conditions and adequate finances, the new owners are virtually guaranteed of success. One of only a few challenges would be that they must connect with existing partners and buyers to renew any dwindling interest in the projects and restore faith. Competition from similar complexes nearby also need be taken into consideration. One source told VET that the FLC Group is planning to pitch the starting price for residential units at FLC Complex 36 Pham Hung at VND23 million (nearly $1,100) per sq m; considerably lower than that at the nearby Indochina Plaza Hanoi (VND48 million ($2,264) per sq m) and the Eurowindow Multicomplex (VND33 million ($1,556) per sq m). Such differences in price will no doubt attract many potential buyers, especially young families looking to buy their first home, but at the same time may also raise questions about construction quality.
Similarly, Sky Park Residence will face competition from Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower in terms of price and special offerings, and it is important that it differentiates itself from this strong competitor in order to succeed.
Ms Nguyen Huong Giang, Senior Research Manager at Savills Vietnam, observes that the developing infrastructure in the western part of Hanoi (Cau Giay, Nam Tu Liem districts and elsewhere) and the relocation of government offices to these areas from the CBD will result in a vibrant local market in both office and residential. Competition will be strong, with the completion of Lotte Centre Hanoi on Lieu Giai Street and its 278 office units, but this will also drive down rental prices, which is an advantage for buyers and will further increase interest. And with Vietnam's upcoming participation in the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, demand for upscale office and residential units from foreign buyers will only grow. Recent research by Savills Vietnam shows that residential and office prices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are among the lowest in the region, compared to Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore. So if an international corporation is looking to open new offices in the region, Vietnam's lower prices will be a major advantage, according to Mr Troy Griffiths, Deputy Managing Director of Savills Vietnam.
Experts are of the opinion that the M&A trend is one of many good signs for the market. "This is a process of selection and elimination," said Mr Can. "Companies without adequate financial resources or experience and capacity will have to leave the market, handing their projects over to other developers with the ability to complete them." These new developers, with their strong resources and experience, will be able to ensure that the project is finished on time and does not have financial issues. In terms of social effects, the projects will also be more carefully completed and create many opportunities during completion, in construction, materials, and design, and will make use of existing resources such as machinery. All of these factors will to contribute to greater liquidity in the market as a whole.


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When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
posted in: Family | 4
Kelly Suellentrop
Kelly is a children's author and freelance writer, wildly popular among her family and friends. Before that, her claims to fame were being born the same day Elvis died and being a member of a four-time state championship high school basketball team...as the stats manager.Find her work at KellySuellentrop.com
Latest posts by Kelly Suellentrop (see all)
- The Female Normal: A Million "Harmless" Messages - October 8, 2018
- Not Hiring: Outdated, Unmarketable, Unhirable 41 Year Olds - September 9, 2018
- To Return or Not To Return - December 1, 2017
Last month, I lost my maternal grandmother, less than three months after losing my paternal grandfather. Where once there were four, and then three, there is quite suddenly now only one: my paternal grandmother. I count myself so very lucky … Continued


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A Fresh Start For Business
Chalk one up for the new guy.
The 44th President is fighting more hot blazes than the whole state of California during peak fire fighting season. From bank rescue packages and auto-maker bailouts to challenges on the Korean Peninsula, the priority list is long and patience amongst his electorate is not a bottomless well.
Against that backdrop, Barack Obama visited the Middle East for the first time since taking the oath of office. He wisely laid down the foundation for the visit by welcoming leaders from Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority to the White House before leaving for the Middle East.
The tone was serious but collaborative: In Cairo, the President said he brought the "goodwill of the American people," with warm gestures in Arabic. The message: the Middle East is a priority for his administration and will not be left to the sunset of his Presidency -- a mistake repeated by his two immediate predecessors, Bush and Clinton.
A year ago I was sitting in the audience of the World Economic Forum meeting in Sharm el Sheikh with a Middle Eastern colleague taking in the speech of George W. Bush. Participants remained in awe of the trappings of the White House entourage and respectful of the office itself, but they leaned back in their seats after absorbing the tenor of the address. At the peak of daily bombings in Iraq and unrest in the Palestinian Territories, it was seen as a lesson in democracy that rang hollow.
The U.S. economic downturn was just beginning to take hold when President Bush visited Egypt but the region was in the sweet spot of economic expansion. After five years of economic reforms (encouraged by the U.S. I might add), regional leaders were enjoying average growth of six percent, $100 oil and growing surpluses. They were not expecting a tutorial on political reforms.
We are witnessing an unusual by-product of that approach. Support is high for the 44th President, but the bar has been set incredibly low. The unusual mix offers an opportunity to surprise people on the upside -- and Obama knows it. As he outlined to the people of Egypt and the rest of the Middle East, the countries will make a "sustained effort to listen to each other and learn from each other."
President Obama admitted it is early days in the conversation. Don't expect miracles but don't expect inaction. Early in my career in Washington, they used to say on Capitol Hill "politics is business." Business cannot prosper without the right political conditions and politicians cannot survive without the support of the business community.
The business community in the region is yearning for a peace dividend. A unified Arab front at peace with Israel could focus attention on rebuilding the Palestinian territories. Money has been pledged, but political risk has held back disbursement of funds. Arab leaders could re-direct energies spent on Israel to addressing the most pressing issue of their time, creating at least 100 million jobs in the next 10 years for the next generation.
President Obama said the region should not be fearful of globalization: "There is no contradiction between development and tradition." He singled out the progress of both Malaysia and Dubai as examples of modern Islamic economies which have embraced the 21st century.
While it is certain that meetings in Riyadh included in-depth discussions about the recent recovery in oil prices and sustaining ample supplies during the early stages of economic recovery, the U.S. President encouraged the region to look beyond energy, noting that "education and innovation will be the currency of the future."
This is where the President sees a role for American businessmen and educators -- as agents of change to support entrepreneurs, to encourage student exchanges and to build goodwill at the same time.
While the president spent ample time on the region's long history and the cultural roots of Islam, he elected to leave the audience of three thousand students and dignitaries with a simple phrase in an effort to put recent history behind us, "if we are bound to the past, we cannot move forward."
Perhaps the fresh start really is underway.
Labels: barack obama, egypt, middle east, Palestinian reconstruction
ABOUT THIS BLOGJohn Defterios' blog accompanies the weekly business program, Marketplace Middle East (MME) that is dedicated to the latest financial news from the Middle East. As MME anchor, John Defterios talks to the people in the know, finding out their opinions on the big business moves in the region, he provides his views via this weekly blog. We hope you will join the discussion around the issues raised.
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3.I especially like this skirt. The pleats radiate out of the darts. For most of us, the drape would need to be a bit wider as this skirt is a little difficult to sit in without most of your leg, or other things ;), showing.
4.This skirt has the large drape in the front and back. Talk about great movement when you walk!
I have been asked a number of times what to do with a very large print. I thought that this skirt was a great use of a very large print.
5. This is a 6-gore skirt with side panel pockets. Notice how the pockets stand away from the skirt. Believe it or not, this is a very slimming look.
Such a pretty drape.
I included this skirt as I loved how the print was used. It's from Isabel Marant and is a cool, $1,360.00! The waistband is elasticized.
This skirt is a bit of a throw back to the 70's, but I found it rather fun. Maybe it's the lacing that I liked so much.
An interesting way to break up a pattern. Grosgrain ribbon would work well for this.
A lovely take on Mondarin art.
What a fun skirt this would be to wear! A simple way to duplicate this would be to buy your fabric and then buy yarn to match. My creative juices are flowing!!! Stay tuned as this might get done sooner than later. The skirt is nothing more than a 1/4 circular skirt with a hip yoke. You can see how to draft a 1/4 circular skirt HERE.
You may remember that I drafted out this skirt last year.
A number of you actually made up the skirt and did a fabulous job. You can find the tutorial and all the lovely makes HERE.
Happy Monday Everyone!!!


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Lands and Facility Trust Fund is used to fund stewardship projects on Agency land. These project range from mowing to planting trees to repairing historic CCC era structures.
Last year LFTF funded:
- Repairs to the roof of the Okemo Fire Tower
- State Lands Surveys
- Coolidge state Park enhancements
- Natural Community Inventories
More information about LFTF funded projects can be found in the Annual Reports.


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Pajero For Sale
2.8TD Auto SWB Blue over Silver 1996 Mileage 143,161 km Must sell as a whole, not breaking. Engine is in excellent condition, good wheels and tyres, transmission. Brand new section 3 and 4 of exhaust only 2 days old, but I think section 4 is a bent. Many good parts, was running perfectly before [Read more...]


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A year ago Mass Effect 3 was released on March 6th in North America and on March 9th in Europe. For such a high profile launch perhaps disappointment was inevitable yet the scale of the backlash could never have been pre-determined.
By and large BioWare's release and the concluding part of Commander Shepard's story is commendable even if rarely reached the heights established by Mass Effect 2 and further moved away from the series RPG roots. Of course, the biggest controversy which the game generated concerned its ending, and it was around this element of the game that the reaction by players was most overwhelming.
Much has been said of the much maligned conclusion to the tale and while it will be never be possible to tell with any great accuracy whether those who disliked the ending were a significant majority or impressively vocal minority their determination, if nothing else, should not be quickly dismissed.
Nor should they be considered 'entitled'. They are not the first consumers to petition the creators of a project to change it, nor will be the last. One of the earliest examples of this came about over a century ago when fans of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes demanded he bring the famous detective back - Doyle duly complied.
While BioWare's attempts to appease fans are admirable, there was no need for the studio to produce the (free) Extended Cut which addressed some of the plot holes and other issues that had been raised. And there certainly wasn't any need for Citadel, the greatest DLC BioWare have ever produced (in my opinion). Granted, $15 for a love letter to fans may seem disingenuous, yet it truly worth the money for a heartfelt sendoff to Commander Shepard and his/her squad.
Not everyone can be pleased and not everyone has been. Perhaps BioWare have lost some fans permanently over what are seen as the relative disappointments of Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. This would be a lasting shame, the studio's titles are still better than a great many games and it remains to be seen if these fans carry through with their threat of boycotting the company.
There are those who continue to work towards making a 'better' ending to title, of course, as with the ending itself their success or failure will be a matter of opinion and whether, after a year, there are enough people to care.
Koobismo, the creator of the Marauder Shields series of comics will see the series to a close and in so doing create what may be the ending Commander Shepard deserved all along, a subjective matter of course.
Others will seek to make their own mark on the Mass Effect universe and the fate of the first human spectre.
One fan, Gerry Pugliese, has been working for almost a year on Mass Effect 3: Vindication, a project which has bloomed into a 500 page response to what some see as the game's pitfalls complete with the title's official soundtrack - something not many composers or studios would agree to - as well as professional voice talent in the form of Lora Cain (Trudy and Red Lucy from Fallout: New Vegas).
This type of dedication and passion should never be disavowed and illustrates just what BioWare's games can do - the interest and the love they can invoke in those who play them.
Mass Effect 3 served to progress the series with a multiplayer mode that never felt tacked-on and has been consistently supported by free DLC and bi-weekly challenges. It concluded many tropes of the Mass Effect series admirably (curing - or not - the krogan genophage is one particular highlight) even if the game did sometimes wander into that lamentable videogame belief that emotion = sadness (the fates of Mordin and Thane spring to mind).
Some fans will never be appeased but if they can look back on the series BioWare created and fond memories of it than perhaps it wasn't all in vain. Personally, I have much to thank the franchise for.
One of the pieces I submitted when applying to write for Levithyn concerned Mass Effect 3's ending (it was never actually published) while my dislike of the conclusion - significantly lessened by time, the Extended Cut and the absurdly excellent Citadel - and was the second piece I had ever written on the subject of videogames - the uproar also brought me into contact with many I now consider friends.
The point is that games can bring people together, even when it's a togetherness borne out of anger. The Mass Effect trilogy, and not just the conclusion of Commander Shepard's story, did this in a way few games can. That will always be something to be thankful for.
Commander Shepard won't be in the next Mass Effect but I for one will happily delve back into that wonderful world BioWare crafted.


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More than 600,000 people have switched their current account in the last 6 months, an increase of 14% on the same period last year. This figure initially seems pretty impressive however with 46 million current account customers in the UK it's still low in relative terms.
That said the introduction of the new faster switching service has helped improve awareness and movement in the market, bringing the switching time down to just 7 days.
How does all this help savers?! Current accounts have become the new way to save, offering market leading rates on limited individual savings balances that if managed sensibly could allow savers to save a hefty lump sum by using a number of providers and accounts. These pseudo savings accounts offer up to 5% gross/AER – although there are strict terms and conditions that must be met in order to earn these rates, it's not completely straightforward but can be with it to achieve, in most cases, more than double the interest you can get on a standard savings account.
The rates are head and shoulders above most savings rates albeit perhaps not without some organisation and planning.
For those happy to do so you could improve the interest you're receiving, better still, you don't need to join the 600,000 people on the move by switching your current account….unless you want too of course.
If you are looking at opening a high interest current account to take advantage of the excellent rates they are paying, the Nationwide FlexDirect is still the best rate. It pays 4.89% gross/5% AER on £2,500. *
If you have considerably more to deposit the Santander 123 account pays 2.96% gross/3% AER on total balances between £3,000 and £20,000.
Full details of all the best high interest paying current accounts can be found here.
*The Nationwide account includes a bonus of 3.89% for 12 months. To ensure you are aware of rate changes to these and your other accounts you can use our free market leading Rate Tracker© service.


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Remittance from Africa to Developed countries
As may be anticipated that remittance to Africa will reduce, likewise the remittance from Africa to developed world will too reduce. The creater part of remittance from Africa is mainly in the form of college fees, college up-keep for students as well as the national imports both from the private sector and Governments. Parents now will look in-ward in terms of sending their children abroad, thus universities in Africa are due to benefit, depending who is well positioned and known for quality education. A study on the intra- Africa remittance is neccessary to determine the above thinking. Africa universities are more cheaper than those in developed world in terms of accomodation, transport etc.


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|Please click to enlarge.
|Marc Alexa
"Computer Graphics is a dynamic and ever-changing field in many ways," says Marc Alexa, SIGGRAPH 2013 Technical Papers Chair from Technische Universität Berlin. "The range of ground-breaking papers presented at SIGGRAPH is getting broader every year, now also encompassing 3D printing, and fabricating realistic materials as well as generating ever more realistic images of complex phenomena."
SIGGRAPH accepted 115 technical papers (out of 480 submissions) to showcase this year representing an acceptance rate of 24 percent (one percent higher than 2012). The selected papers were chosen by a distinguished committee of academia and industry experts.
This year's Technical Papers program also includes conference presentations for 37 papers published this year in the journal ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG).
Highlights From the SIGGRAPH 2013 Technical Papers Program:
OpenFab: A Programmable Pipeline for Multi-Material Fabrication
Authors: Kiril Vidimce, Szu-Po Wang, Jonathan Ragan-Kelley and Wojciech Matusik, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
|Please click to enlarge.
Opacity Optimization for 3D Line Fields
Authors: Tobias Günther, Christian Roessl, and Holger Theisel, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
|Please click to enlarge.
AIREAL: Interactive Tactile Experiences in Free Air
Authors: Rajinder Sodhi, University of Illinois; Ivan Poupyrev, Matthew Glisson, Ali Israr, Disney Research, The Walt Disney Company
|Please click to enlarge.
Bi-Scale Appearance Fabrication
Authors: Yanxiang Lan, Tsinghua University; Yue Dong, Microsoft Research Asia; Fabio Pellacini, Sapienza Universita' Di Roma, Dartmouth College; Xin Tong, Microsoft Research Asia
|Please click to enlarge.
Map-Based Exploration of Intrinsic Shape Differences and Variability
Authors: Raif Rustamov, Stanford University; Maks Ovsjanikov, École Polytechnique; Omri Azencot, Mirela Ben-Chen, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology; Frederic Chazal, INRIA Saclay - Île-de-France; and Leonidas Guibas, Stanford University
|Please click to enlarge.
Highly Adaptive Liquid Simulations on Tetrahedral Meshes
Authors: Ryoichi Ando, Kyushu University; Nils Thuerey, ScanlineVFX GmbH; and Chris Wojtan, Institute of Science and Technology Austria
|Please click to enlarge.
Editor's Note: Preview all the amazing SIGGRAPH 2013 Technical Papers here.


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The BBC have made a documentary about relationships on SL. It's well worth watching, if you can get hold of it (if you're in the UK you'll be able to catch it on the iPlayer for another three days, if not start trawling torrent sites such as UKNova). The glimpse of life it gives you of the far side of your SL connection is sobering.
Evidence that the mainstream media is starting to feel the presence of the virtual world moving in around it...?


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Shared website hosting with bluehost review company. Find low priced cheap hosting online.
The Storms of Life
Category: Radio Broadcasts - Words of Grace Created on 18 September 2017
Hurricanes. Raging forest fires. Earthquakes. Wars and rumors of wars. This world seems to be ablaze with turmoil and suffering! But regardless of the major events which headline newspapers, each of us walk through storms of our own from time to time. In this broadcast, Pastor Winslett examines the causes of suffering and shares some scriptural advise for finding and anchor in the midst of the storm.
Radio broadcast for September 17, 2017


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Bon Espirit Consultants
- Founded Bon Espirit Consultants, an HR Consulting organization.
- Engage with clients in diagnosing, defining, and implementing interventions in OD and change management.
- Produce self-paced e-learning courses for MOOC platforms (Courses on HR, Leadership, Governance and Ethics)
- Work with MBA students to get them 'industry-ready'.


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Spirit of Adventureoffered by supplier M18732 (read about supplier)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 11 day(s)
Group Size: 1 - 20 people
Destination(s): New Zealand
Specialty Categories: Cultural Journey Multi-activity
Season: January - February
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 2875 New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2875 New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Day 1, Saturday: Welcome to Christchurch, where your next journey begins. Let us know your flight details and we will meet and greet you at the airport. Transport you to your accommodation, where you will have time to rest awhile before you meet with your fellow travelers and tour guides. We share afternoon refreshments and become acquainted. Your accommodation provider will be advised on booking. NB: Accommodation, travel and full breakfast is inclusive daily to tour package.
Day 2, Sunday: Your tour begins with a Church service at the Cathedral or an alternate church of choice. You will then have time to discover the city center. Beginning with Christchurch Cathedral and discover the city which has been built around this magnificent icon. From here you will hop on a restored tram which runs a circuit taking in all the most interesting high spots of Christchurch city. See the Chalice, the Botanical gardens, the Museum, the Art Gallery, the Arts Center, Christ College and many more icons of the garden city. You may hop off and on the tram at your leisure. Late this afternoon you may wish to take in the Antarctic center or weather permitting take a drive to Lyttleton Harbour and back over the Port Hills to Sumner Beach. NB: Tram ride is inclusive to your tour costs.
Day 3, Monday: Today we leave Christchurch city and head inland to Mount Cook-Aoraki. New Zealand's tallest mountain situated in amongst the Southern Alps. En route we stop at a farming community village; we navigate Burkes Pass and arrive at Lake TeKapo. An exquisite blue lake, with the Southern Alps as its back drop, hopefully with some snow still on its peaks. We visit the Church of the Good Shepherd and hear the story of a famous sheep dog. From here we drive up to Mt John observatory and enjoy the grandeur of this area. Next is Lake Pukaki, a real jewel before we arrive at Mt Cook. If time permits, and weather allows, you can spend time on a short walk on one of the base tracks.
Day 4, Tuesday: We leave the Mt Cook area and travel back to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Stopping in at Oamaru. A sleepy little town steeped in early 19th century street escapes and an eco tourism facility for the little blue penguin. These wee penguins come ashore every night to rest, but unfortunately are way out at sea during the daylight hours. We continue down the coast to Dunedin. Our Edinburgh of the South.
As you guessed this city is very Scottish. We stop to check out the Moeraki Boulders on the way. These distinctly round (spherical) boulders appear to fall out of the earth and are disappearing into the sea. They are a mystery to most scientists and geologists. There are several Maori legends which surround these mysterious balls of rock. We arrive in Dunedin in time to drive out to the Tairoa Heads. Wildlife is here in abundance. We will check out the Albatross Colony, and then you may wish to discover the sea lion, the fur seal and the yellow eyed penguin in their natural environment or alternatively stop off at Larnach Castle. This is the Otago Peninsula – the call of the wild. This evening you are free to wander the city, try your hand at ten pin bowling or get a little R & R. Maybe you would like to experience a Piping Hot Haggis Ceremony.
Day 5, Wednesday: This morning we leave Dunedin, but you may wish to take a tour of the inner city and check out some of the very famous and beautifully magnificent churches all within walking distance of the Octagon. Most cities have a square, but Dunedin has an Octagon. We have St Pauls Anglican, St Josephs Cathedral, First Presbyterian Church and Knox Presbyterian. These are all fine examples of historic Dunedin architecture, along with Olveston House. We now head across the island, through fertile farmland, into the Fiordland National Park. This is a World Heritage Area. Governed by a world council as to what NZ can and cannot do. This protects this region against exploitation. We arrive in Te Anau. The rest of the day/evening is free. You may wish to take a cruise across Lake Te Anau to the Glow worm Caves. This takes about 2.5hrs return. Cruises depart 5.45pm & 8.15pm. Cost is $56.00 p/p. Please remember the further south we travel the more daylight hours we experience. The evenings are very drawn out in these areas.
Day 6, Thursday: This morning we drive to Milford. The scenery is unforgettable, even if it happens to be raining. You will pass through golden tussock pastures, beech forests, tranquil crystal clear lakes and rivers, climbing up through the mountains and mist, through the Homer tunnel and into the gateway to Milford Sound. There will be plenty of photo stops en route, along with being fully narrated. At Milford you will board a large and comfortable cruising vessel and you will cruise the Milford Sounds taking in the awesomeness of Mitre Peak, Bowen Falls, Cheddau Valley and the natural animal life. Cruise time is 2.5hrs with a full commentary on board. This evening you are back in Te Anau.
Day 7, Friday: Queenstown here we come. First stop is Kingston, home of New Zealands famous vintage steam train the Kingston Flyer. The flyers history spans over 125 years. Next stop is Arrowtown. A thriving community in the Gold rush era, and today, beautifully restored to that same ambience. Arrowtown is at is absolute best in Autumn. The streets are paved with a carpet of golden leaves. This afternoon we stop off at the Shotover Jet where you may endure the thrills of the best jet boat ride ever. Finally you get to see Queenstown. A thriving tourist destination nestled in underneath the Remarkable ranges and on the shores of beautiful Lake Wakatipu. The rest of the day is yours free to choose your entertainment, attractions, and or relaxation.
Day 8, Saturday: This is a free day to indulge in all types of adventure activities:
- Cruising on the Earnslaw, coffee cruises, BBQ lunchtime cruise or formal dinner cruise. Indulge and enjoy Lake Wakatipu.
- Ride the Skyline Gondola & Luge around the track
- Go Shopping
- Enjoy a Beauty Spa Treatment
- Golf
- Take a Wine & Garden Trail, Lord of the Rings Trilogy Trail
- Bungy Jumping
- HeliRafting
- Canyoning
- Parasailing
- Paragliding
- Enjoy the beauty and pleasure of a walk.
The list goes on. I can personally recommend them all, but I must confess I have no desire to attempt a bungy jump. Please advise if you wish to participate in any of these activities and I will arrange and pre-book these for you.
Day 9, Sunday: Today we have an early start. We have a long drive, through the lakes district and to the rain forest on the West Coast. We follow the coast until we reach glacier country. This afternoon we discover the Franz Josef and the Fox Glaciers. Two of the world's most accessible glaciers, the Franz Josef and the Fox Glacier, create their grinding pathways on the West Coast of the South Island. Huge, ancient ice rivers creak and creep their way all the way to the rain forests and visitors can step on to the ice just minutes from the towns that take the glacier's names.
Walk to the terminal face, land on the snow via a sightseeing plane or helicopter or simply gaze at their cold, blue white wonders. For the not so fit or keen, you can walk around Lake Matheison – approx 1.5 hour leisurely, easy walk, and enjoy the perfect reflection of New Zealands highest peak – Mt Cook, or simply take a well earned rest from yesterday. My recommendation is take a heli flight over both these glaciers and land on Fox. This truly is an awesome experience for all ages. And for those who enjoy a challenge, try the indoor ice climbing wall.
Day 10, Monday: This morning we depart Fox and travel north. We will spend some time in Hokitika and experience a Jade factory tour. Jade (Pomamu) is found on the riverbeds all around this wonderful remote area. Once cut and polished this stone makes wonderful jewellery. Further on we put you onto the world famous Tranzalpine train journey over Arthur's pass back to Christchurch. We meet you at the railway station at 6.05pm. You are now back where we begun this journey. This evening we will all share a farewell dinner.
Day 11, Tuesday: Today you bid farewell to your newly made friends and traveling companions. Depart Christchurch for your next destination. We will transfer you to the airport. Please note Christchurch is an International Airport.
Note: All our tours are subject to change should the weather or unforeseen circumstances occur.
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
- $2875.00 NZ Per Person (Share Twin)
- $605.00 extra for Single Room.
Click here to email this vacation offer to a friend.
Joined InfoHub: Oct 2008
We are a wholly New Zealand owned and operated venture offering fully escorted tours. Our objective is to ensure that our guests are exposed to the maximum of New Zealand's scenic splendor and unique culture as is possible in the allotted time frame. Our emphasis is on hospitality, comfort and value. M18732 is...


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Not all celebrities sound like they'd make great companions. From bad-mouthing other celebs to firing their managers, some A-listers can be just plain mean. However, we found a few celebs that might actually be fun enough to be around that you'd want to shack up with them while you're living the single life. Here are our top 3 picks for the most desirable celebrity roommates:
Andy Samberg
Living with Andy, you'd never be in a bad mood. With all of the writing he's done with The Lonely Island and his ability to stay composed on Saturday Night Live, you'd be in a great place. And Andy can be super chill when he wants to be, so things wouldn't get too crazy. Another great thing about living with Andy is that he's 33 and single. He's probably past the crazy 20-something party phase (though he still likes to have fun), so you wouldn't have to worry about picking up hundreds of red plastic cups every Sunday morning. You'd be able to host classier get-togethers like wine parties and more formal gatherings, which is way more fun anyway.
Lindsay Lohan
OK, this may sound a bit odd, but living with Lindsay would be awesome. First of all, she doesn't have that ankle bracelet on anymore, so she probably wouldn't be home that often. When she is home just hanging out or throwing a party, she would definitely want you around, considering her friend count seems to be in the single digits these days. And ladies, living with Lindsay means that you'd also get invites to some swanky Hollywood parties and potentially meet your dream man.
The only con would be that you'd never be able to borrow any of her clothes. Never mind that her proportions are unreal; you'd never want to wear her stuff in public in fear she'd stolen it and you'd get caught. Of course, you're just the innocent roommate that didn't know any better. Being faced with the moral dilemma of either ratting out your high-status roommate to the cops or becoming her partner in crime, at least you'd known that you'd be able to take her in a fight.
Wilmer Valderrama
He may not be very well known, but guys, hear this one out. Wilmer's one of those secretly awesome men hiding out in Hollywood. He's not always putting himself out there, but when he does, it's for something worthwhile (admit it: you still watch That 70's Show reruns).
Wilmer likes to keep it classy. He hasn't been involved in any crazy scandals, so you'd be respected for choosing him as a roommate. You'd still have the opportunity to attend some Hollywood shindigs, but they'd probably be more low key. And somehow, just like his character on That 70's Show, Wilmer always has pretty ladies around, so guys, you definitely wouldn't be lacking in that department either.


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A recent post titled "Why the 'Internet of things' is a ticking bomb" has me deeply concerned.
One of the fastest growing segments of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) is mobile and home-use medical devices. Glucose meters and insulin pumps have been around for many years, and are being joined by baby or elder monitoring systems, other diagnostic testing devices (e.g. for urinalysis), blood pressure devices, home defibrillators, TENS devices, oximeters, rehabilitation devices, and even the much-heralded "tricorder."
No one can deny that outfitting electronic devices to communicate with the caregiver or healthcare provider brings huge benefits. Diabetic patients' glucose levels can be observed much better, elder patients' activity and vital signs can be checked without constant (costly) trips to a clinic, and parents can keep watch over the baby without staying in the same room all night. Plenty of resources provide information about design of these devices, from the FDA, to the semiconductor manufacturers, to independent design research groups. Environment of use, user interface design for lay users, electrical and mechanical safety - a host of issues are considered in these resources.
A crucial concern seems to get short shrift, however: security. As the Internet of Things blog post points out, the more we accept devices with remote connections in our daily lives, the more opportunities we hand the hackers to spy on us, study our behavior, steal our private information, and possibly injure or kill us. I've spoken numerous times about the dangers of a glucose meter built into a mobile phone: all it takes is a hacker bent for revenge on a known diabetic, and a Bluetooth virus which modifies glucose results sent to the doctor's office would be circulating wildly. In fact, the potential for hacker attack actually prompted former vice president Dick Cheney to have the wireless programming feature of his implanted cardioverter-defibrillator disabled (NY Times, ArsTechnica).
In a comment on LinkedIn about the IoT blog post, John Peter Sabini commented: "Switches, routers and even VM's are targets of black hat research. If Cisco, a company with great engineers and processes can have their switches and routers compromised then just imagine a smaller company with 10 - 50 people who sell products for IoT and who think security is a non-profitable challenge. Major companies that supply the infrastructure grid are rightfully shy about IoT to the point where they are considering not 'stirring things up' by avoiding any mention of breaches to the public when possible. It opens up the least secure link into their infrastructure."
Really, folks? Security is a "non-profitable challenge"?
What if it were your wife, your child, or your parent that the hacker killed?
When I forwarded the blog post today, one colleague of mine responded "It's interesting how many 'thing'-vendors that have spent their life behind someone else's firewall leave security as an afterthought when they go mobile." Another colleague commented, quite rightly, "There is a solution but only by moving forward. No retreat back to stashing cash in a mattress, or any other individual-based solution will work."
That said, what do we do to bring more attention to designing for security? Is it regulation? How about independent certification? What part will public attention play?
What do you think?
Computerized Health Systems - Can We Push Down the Risk and Maximize the Reward?
We have met the enemy, and he is us!
All too often, when government, technology, and safety intersect, the Pogo line from our Vietnam-era past comes back to haunt us.
No time like the present. In light of the Federal incentives to adopt electronic health records systems and the "meaningful use" criteria, I've been wondering how soon we would start seeing adverse event issues. Look no farther.
The Boston Globe published a fascinating and chilling account of these on July 20 ("Hazards tied to medical records rush - Subsidies given for computerizing, but no reporting required when errors cause harm").
Several observations occur to me.
Mind you, I understand that there's plenty of blame to go around. Systems are badly designed with little thought about UX (user experience); implementation has created a number of strange hybrids with confusing overlaps; and the inability of different healthcare departments to communicate with each other (an issue regardless of the electronic medical records mess) all contribute to the tenuous safety environment.
I happen to believe that the cup is half full, not half empty. These systems CAN improve care, enhance patient safety, and lower healthcare costs. How many more deaths and near misses will it take, however, before we get there?
Together with Nancy Van Schooenderwoert, I'll be attending the AAMI course on Technical Information Report 45 (Guidance on the use of AGILE practices in the development of medical device software) Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Have you ever considered the improvements you can make in your software development process by adopting an Agile approach? Take a look at the white paper that Nancy and I put together, Q&A - Adopting Agile for Medical Device Development.
Earlier this year, Myshkin Ingawale announced at the TED talks that his company, Biosense Technologies, had developed and released a convenient iPhone-based reading application for dip-and-read urine sticks. (Pocket diagnostics: uChek smartphone app launched)
The application certainly looks extremely convenient: purchase the commercially-available urinalysis strips and the uChek kit, dip the strip in a cup of your urine, insert the strip into a slot in the kit's reference card, place it in the "Cuboid" box, and photograph it with your iPhone. The app takes the analysis from there. An obvious innovation in this era of more and more personalized medicine!
There's an issue, however. In March, regulatory legal expert Brad Thompson wrote a piece for MD&DI Online (Wanted: FDA App Enforcement) asking whether this system is in fact a medical device and subject to FDA clearance. In a separate piece, Thompson went on to make the case (Brad Thompson: Three reasons FDA's enforcement helps mobile health) that clearer, more consistent FDA action on mobile applications which clearly class as medical devices will actually help spur growth in this area.
Since those pieces were published, the FDA has indeed contacted Biosense Technologies with an "It has come to our attention" letter (FDA Letter to Biosense Technologies), noting that the application qualifies as a medical device, that clearance to market in the U.S. is therefore required, and that the FDA cannot find any clearance number for this application on file. The agency letter also notes that:
though the ... urinalysis dipsticks ... are cleared, they are only cleared when interpreted by direct visual reading ... any company intending to promote their device for use in analyzing, reading, and/or interpreting these dipsticks need to obtain clearance for the entire urinalysis test system (i.e., the strip reader and the test strips, as used together).
The company claims that the device is registered with the FDA as a class I medical device, and several online articles I've checked echo this comment. I find the claim odd; one registers a manufacturing facility, which in absolutely no way obtains FDA's permission to sell the product! This and a number of other issues were further discussed in MD&DI editor Heather Thompson's piece (UChek's Response to an FDA Letter: An Unfolding Saga) on May 31.
In another setting, I've been involved in an exchange of comments over whether the FDA can, in fact, do anything about the uChek app. Biosense Technologies has merely posted the app on Apple's App store, and the urine strips come from another company - the only element they would need to ship to U.S. customers is the kit with the cuboid and the reference card. That, indeed, may be the only leverage the agency has in this situation.
The bigger issue, in my mind, is whether mobile app developers with a cool idea need to follow the same rules as everyone else. What sort of software validation has Biosense Technologies carried out on the application? Have they conducted any kind of usability testing to determine how average individuals might be able to misuse the system and obtain incorrect results? Do they even have any kind of quality system?
Certainly, Biosense has published performance data for their system - but their entire study consisted of (a) reading a series of positive and negative controls, and (b) comparing their system against a commercial urine-dipstick reading system on serial dilutions of a control urine. This is certainly a good start - but when I worked in clinical diagnostics, those studies were only the opening rounds of much more extensive analytical evaluations. Where, for example, is their multi-patient correlation data?
Mind you, the FDA itself is still working through the kinks in this topic. In a remotely-delivered talk at the Wireless Convergence Summit 2013, as reported by MD&DI (FDA's Regulation of Mobile Medical Apps Will Probably Confuse You) FDA's Bakul Patel noted that the agency will "regulate smartly" in the mobile app field. General-purpose apps such as electronic textbooks will not be of interest, while "... apps that are used as an accessory to an already regulated medical device, [or] apps that transform a mobile device into a regulated medical device" will be subject to scrutiny. He also noted that app distributors - the Apple app store or the Google Play Store - will not be subject to FDA regulation, even though they are clearly serving as distributors for a medical device.
Lots of questions remain, as the MD&DI article points out. "How will FDA regulate mobile apps sold overseas? What if an app doesn't meet approvals, but is distributed anyway? Will Class I, II, III be applied to apps?" I'll add my own question here: what happens if a field action or recall of such an app is necessary? We'll have to wait until later this year for some word from the FDA, when their updated guidance on mobile apps is published.
What do you think? Can the FDA do anything about apps developed overseas and posted on one or both of the app stores? Should it pursue the companies that develop these apps if they walk, talk, and quack like medical devices? In a clearly global economy were bitstreams flow rapidly across borders, is there some more rational way to assure reliability and safety of these apps?
Healthcare IT just published a report on a panel discussion at the Design Automation Conference, where a panel of university researchers pointed out the woeful state of security in medical devices. Read the report here.
I have two mutually contradictory reactions.
(1) "Yeah, yeah. Big surprise." It hardly seems newsworthy that our high-tech devices are lacking in security, in or out of the medical device world. Everywhere we look, software-driven gadgets are passing data around willy-nilly, making life oh so conveinent both for us who own the data, and for the thieves and snoops who have other purposes in mind. We expose our bank accounts and our health information first, then only later get upset and try to close the wide-open barn door once someone has stolen the horse.
(2) "OMG, how can we still be in this state?" Medical device innovators have always had a two-part command - the green and white beacon guiding us to our landing - "Whatever you design, make it work and make it SAFE." In terms of system and software design for security, how is it that we've forgotten or ignored that edict?
Yes, many devices currently in use were designed some time ago.
Yes, for devices on a network such as in a hospital, the IT administrator shares part of the security task.
Yes, the level of hacking sophistication has risen dramatically of late.
Still, can we honestly say that we couldn't foresee potential threats to devices which communicate data in some way? For years, I have described my favorite example - imagine a glucose meter built into (or attached to) a cell phone, which can then transmit data for Mr D (diabetic) to the physician's office for trending. All we need is a hacker, looking to cause trouble for Mr D, who releases a Bluetooth virus which alters the glucose readings to appear to have a massive spike. The erroneous insulin dose could be fatal.
Please, please, please. Medical device cybersecurity is part of design safety. Hazard assessment tools such as fault tree analysis and FMEA are well-established, and security threats don't require much imagination any more. I realize that evaluating cyberhazards isn't nearly as glamorous and sparkly as new technology - but it's one of the many things that bite us sooner or later when we neglect it in our designs!
Brian Shoemaker
As the Principal Investigator at ShoeBar Associates, Brian focuses on software application and development for companies in the FDA regulated area, including medical devices and diagnostics, biotechnology and pharmaceutical,
August 2014


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Sat. Dec. 16th – Gutter Bar – BKLYN – w/ Mr. Payday
A great Sat. night of power pop and a little shoegaze with
Scott Janovitz (from Boston)
"…echoes '70s rock and pop: John Lennon, Big Star, the Raspberries, Harry Nilsson, Mott the Hoople and, in particular, Marc Bolan."
Jake & Elizabeth
"Folk horror meets shoegaze…like the Jesus & Mary Chain or the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club writing a concept album based on the Stephen King/Peter Straub collaboration The Talisman."
Tenterhooks + Satanic Mechanics MAR. 8 – 8pm from Lenny Zenith on Vimeo.
JUST ANNOUNCED!! – Tenterhooks return to Hank's Saloon Oct. 22nd w/ The Robin Electric & Slang King Noisy, indie, power-pop goodness.
As part of Don Piper's songwriters' series, James & Lenny will do a Lower-Fi duet at HiFi Bar on Sep. 14th with the fabulous Benjamin Cartel! More details to come…
Great show coming up at Arlene's Grocery Tue. July 21st – 8:30 pm – with our friends Bubble and Dave Hartell's amazing Bowie tribute Super Creeps!
Our first appearance at The HiFi Bar (yes, the old Brownies!) Fri. – May 8th – 8pm – Just us. One set. Happy Hour 4-8!! We get to stretch out and play for a whole hour instead of a shorty! – 169 Ave. A
Tenterhooks triumphant return to Hanks! – April 9th 9pm – Our debut at Hank's was a thrill ride for us and the audience, come see us there again with our friends Servant Girl and The Violence! – 46 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY
EP Release Party!! Tue. March 24th – 7pm – The Rock Shop Brooklyn w/ The
Wharton Tiers Ensemble, Martin Bisi and Secret Numbers join Tenterhooks to celebrate their debut EP (Meanwhile, In Another Part of Town). An early evening rock extravaganza with stalwarts of the NYC underground scene. Tickets $7 in advance – $10 at the door.
Feb. 26th – 11pm – Waystation (unplugged) – 683 Washington Avenue – Prospect Heights (the only bar in New York with a Tardis)


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AUSTIN — After muddling through a $27 billion budget shortfall two years ago, Texas has money again. And even though lawmakers haven't fully undone the cuts they made last session to schools and programs for the needy, a herd of special interests is clamoring for tax cuts.
Cable companies, telecom companies, broadband providers, small businesses, high-tech businesses, wind farms, capital-intensive plants and refineries, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, businesses with research and development budgets — all have hired lobbyists to push for new tax cuts and to try to preserve those in danger of lapsing.
Their timing is good: Gov. Rick Perry is demanding tax cuts as well; and none of the bills in the works would grant relief to small guys such as homeowners and consumers.
As the session winds down, though, they confront a new reality: If a $2 billion revolving loan fund for water projects is in jeopardy, tax cuts are in trouble, too.
The SWIFT, or water fund, is perhaps Perry's and other GOP leaders' highest priority funding item.
But action has been stymied by an unlikely coalition: House Democrats, who are unhappy about education funding in the budget; and tea party-backed House Republicans, who don't want to take the $2 billion from the rainy day fund. Some question the need to help local water agencies borrow and build.
Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has made it clear he doesn't care how the water effort is funded, whether from rainy-day dollars or general-purpose state revenue, commonly called GR around the capital.
Late Friday, Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, the House's chief tax writer, warned: "If water's out of GR, there's probably not room for any tax cuts because you're going to eat $2 billion out of GR. These things all compete."
So, the business lobby could end up mobilizing to bring the rainy day fund into play — and not without a wry smile from Straus.
For a year, business booster groups have been saying Texas needs more water to keep the "Texas miracle" going. Don't be surprised if bidness now turns up the volume.
Follow Robert T. Garrett on Twitter at @RobertTGarrett.


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Maybe you remember this, but we covered a Fathers.com Super Bowl contest dangerously close to the submission/nomination deadline. You do remember? Awesome!
So, the contest came and went, as did the Super Bowl. The National Center for Fathering (Fathers.com) recapped the epic win by Jimmy Oliveira and his daughter Gina Marie.
That's it…ain't no punchline, Fathers.com did a recap. It's the middle of the night, you think I'm going to recap a recap?
So, congrats to the winners, Jimmy and Gina Marie!


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If there is one traditional dish in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is it. Literally translated as "lime soup", this is more of a spicy chicken with tomato soup. Contrary to the name, limes are not the major ingredient in this savory and standard soup. It is basically a chicken or turkey vegetable soup flavored with limes and made nicely hot with a touch of habanero peppers. A wonderfully different soup which can be served with dinner or by itself.
The unique bittersweet limes of the Yucatan, variously referred to as "lima agria," are hard to find in Chicago, but you can usually get them at Hispanic food markets. It is a kissing cousin to the Key Lime of Florida, but since even that is often hard to come by, I've made it with regular old Persian limes.
I first had this soup at a little restaurant (more like a glorified kitchen) in the back streets of Cozumel in the late 80s. We befriended the owner and, after several return trips to Mexico, I asked him if I could talk to his chef about their preparation. This recipe is a combination of that recipe, my own experimentation and some tidbits I picked up in some old Mexican cookbooks.
This seems like a lot of work, but it's worth it.
8 to 12 servings (depending on your appetite!)
Place the wings and carcasses in four quarts of cold water. If they are not covered, add water to cover. Season with the salt, more or less depending on your personal taste, and boil. Remove the scum as it forms on the surface of the broth.
Three ways to prepare the spices (garlic, peppercorns, allspice, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin seeds). If you are using dried oregano no need to roast or toast.
1. Toast lightly in a toaster oven or regular oven, taking care not to burn them. Toast the garlic with the spices. It is done when the garlic is a light to medium golden color.
2. Roast them in a cast iron skillet. You will know they are done when the cumin seeds begin to pop and a delicious aroma is wafting off them. Take care not to burn or over-roast.
3. I own a spice roaster. Basically a mesh basket which I can hold over an open flame and shake to roast the spices.
Grind the spices, without the garlic, until you have a medium powder. You can use a spice grinder, I prefer a mortar and pestle. If you are using dried mint you should add it to this spice bag as well. Put into a 4" square of doubled cheesecloth and tie off with the bag ties or string.
At any time, add the onions, garlic, spice bag, lime and mint to your broth. Reduce over a low heat to about 10 cups. This should take about one hour.
When done, strain the entire mixture through a sieve or cheesecloth. Discard the bones, spice bag & vegetables. Cool and skim grease from surface. You now have salpimentado broth! This can be kept and served as a broth or used for the second half of our menu...
Roast the tomatoes in the oven at about 400 degrees. When the skin begins to split and the tomato smokes a bit, pull away the skin. Remove the seeds with the aid of a teaspoon, fry the tomato into a puree and season with salt and pepper.
Peel and section the limes.
Toast the habanero and guero / chilaca chilies in the oven until the skin is a medium brown. The best habaneros are orange, they are riper.
Boil the turkey or chicken breasts in the broth with the lime sections, the guero/chilaca chili, tomato puree, cilantro and epasote. Dried ingredients are okay to use, just reduce the amounts accordingly. Fresh epazote is almost impossible to buy in the US.
When the meat is cooked, remove from the broth and allow to cool. Reduce the heat on the other ingredients and allow to simmer.
While this is boiling, cut the tortillas into strips and either fry in a bit of oil to make them crispy or bake in the oven.
When the meat is cool to your touch shred into small strips and add back to the broth. Bring back to a boil.
Add the tortilla strips to the soup just prior to serving.
Instead of starting the broth from scratch you can use regular old chicken or turkey stock.
Be careful when handling habanero chiles! They are the hottest in the world and the oil from them can burn your skin. Wear protective gloves, or make certain to wash your hands well before doing anything else!
Serve this with plenty of hearty beer. Superior, Modelo or Bohemia is recommended.
This recipe was provided by Jim J from Chicago