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"Escape" was exactly what I was looking for this weekend. A temporary reprieve from the global economic crisis that has swept up my life with dizzying speed and flung it across the sky like a Class 5 tornado. Every five minutes I have another reminder of how impactful it is. Friends are losing jobs. Foreclosures abound. Parents are watching retirement savings disappear by the day. A NearbyNow dashboard is painting a retail industry meltdown like none this country has witnessed, and doing so with disturbing clarity. The only thing worse is "the model". That damn Excel spreadsheet that tells me how bad it COULD be if the perfect storm continues to build. That model has cost me hours of sleep and has me cursing the education and curiosity that made it possible. Let me be the ostrich and bury my head for safety!
Get me away from here. Get me away from this spreadsheet, the 24-hour media, and the phone that never stops ringing to deliver tales of anguish and despair. Let me shed these rags and run. Let me be swaddled safely in the arms of Mother Nature, if only for a few hours.
As always, it begins with the ritual. Watching the sun rise as I drive up Highway 1, bags packed and ready, eager to see my "trail running family" who will think of nothing but the exhilaration that lies between now and noon. I'm only two steps out of the car before I'm deep in hugs and handshakes, catching up with friends old and new. We have no time to discuss spreadsheets or Wall Street, because we have more pressing matters like mountains to climb, creeks to cross, and pictures to take. To get through this adventure, we're going to have to live in the moment. I hope my smiles are enough to convey how grateful I am just to be here and share it.
The weather couldn't have been better, and we had some fast runners out to make the most of it. I was pleased to find Will Gotthardt at the starting line and ready to give his recovered quad injury a full field test. If there's any course to do that, this is the one, with the crazy ups, downs, and uneven steps of the Dipsea and Steep Ravine trails. Course record holder Troy Howard was also here (just a month or so off of his 2nd place finish at the Los Angeles Crest 100m), as was super-Master Cliff Lentz, perennial top finisher Sean Lang, the ever-smiling Karen Hoffman, Dawn Infurna-Bean, and Jady Palko. Jady's Mom, Barbara Ash, was also going for the 50k…how cool is that to run a 50k with your Mom? All 450 runners lined up together for the 8:30am start, and Wendell, Sarah, and Aaron Doman sent us off!
We immediately pitched up the Dipsea Trail, and I paced with Troy Howard as the 12k/20k runners took off like a herd of gazelles. We were both astonished at the warm temperature and sunny skies, sharing thoughts of how spoiled we are to have this for a casual Saturday run. A classic California Fall weekend!
As we entered the trees, Troy took off while I got a few pictures. The deep green forest dared us to suck in the rich oxygen and charge the hills with all our might. It didn't take long to reach the Pantoll aid station (mile 4), where runners split off in all directions to complete their various loops. The volunteers did a great job with the hundreds of runners coming up the trail, but there was some confusion as spectators and new volunteers alike accidentally sent runners in the wrong direction. A few of us paused to make sure we had it right, then spoke with the people hollering out the wrong directions to get everyone on the same path. Two minutes well spent, I figured. I soon joined the other 30k/50k runners on the loop out to Muir Beach and could see them spread like ants across the hillside.
The ocean peeked over the mountain ridge, sending up butterfly kisses of cool, salty gusts. What a playground! I chased Ray Sanchez and Daniel Fabun down the snake trail to Hwy 1, and saw the front-runners on their way back. Sean Lang led the pack for the 50k, with Troy Howard, Cliff Lentz, Will Gotthardt, and Kendall Wu in hot pursuit. I think I was around 9th place or so, about four minutes behind. I slammed some flat Coke and refilled my two water bottles, and headed back out.
For about 15 minutes, there were runners everywhere on the out-and-back section along Hwy 1 giving high fives and cheering each other on. Then suddenly, I was alone with my steps heading back up the hill. Alone and together, separate and at once…this is such a cool sport! I caught up to a refueling Kendall Wu and Brett Rivers, and we tackled the long climb back to Pantoll.
A quick refill and a handful of Jelly Bellys later, we were dodging hikers on our way back down to the beach on the Matt Davies trail. I had never seen so many people on this trail, but everyone was very courteous so it was no trouble to make it down. I leaned forward into the hill, having faith my feet would find the right footing among the roots, rocks, and uneven steps. Somehow they always find the right way.
We entered the turnaround (mile 18), where hundreds of 12k/20k runners were spread out on the beach and sand enjoying the day. My stomach was acting funny and I was craving some real food, so I had some pumpkin pie and Sprite. The volunteers said I was in second place, about 10 minutes behind Troy, but that couldn't be right. But for one fleeting moment, it felt good to imagine it was true. ;-)
I walked a section of the first hill to let my stomach settle, but it never quite did. By the time I hit the canopy, I "unlunched" on the grass. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I've gotten pretty good at determining the right course of action post-vomit based on how I feel in the first 60 seconds afterwards. If I feel instantly better, then it probably was too much food, something not settling right, or too much liquid volume. If I don't feel instantly better, it tends to be dehydration, sun exposure, or a hangover (ha, ha). This time I wasn't feeling much better, so I power-walked and tried to get my hydration back on track.
I was soon caught be Kendall Wu and Brett Peters, both of whom are training for the North Face 50 on Dec 6th. Brett was a first-time ultra runner, but his fitness level suggests he wasn't new to endurance racing. They were both smiling away, taking turns to lead up Steep Ravine and keeping a strong pace. I did my best to keep them in sight as we approached Pantoll (mile 22) again.
Kendall led us down the yellow loop, which turned out to be much more runnable than the elevation chart suggested. He led the way with me right behind, and Brett fell back a few paces. We all power-walked the last climb, which seemed to be the toughest of the day. Our reward? Do it one more time!
Brett passed me on the second loop as I finally began to regain my senses. He was really looking good and was clearly getting his second (third?) wind. I refilled at Pantoll (mile 27) one last time, had another wedge of pumpkin pie (which stayed down nicely this time), and went chasing after Brett. When I got the clearing on the Matt Davies Trail, I could see both Kendall and Brett were well ahead of me and probably going faster. So I put on some tunes (Bob Marley Remix), smiled into the sun, and cruised in for 7th place (5:31).
Will and Sean were at the finish and caught me up. Troy Howard and Cliff Lentz had smoked the course in 4:33 and change, nearly 30 minutes better than the existing course record. Cliff won (4:31:39) with Troy right behind (4:33:42). Sean came in third (5:05), Will was forth (5:16), and Kendall Wu (5:18:55) and Brett Rivers (5:24:29) finished just ahead of me. Ilia Jimenez-Colyer won the Womens division in 5:40:53, with Rachel Rodriguez right behind her in 5:44:35 (more results here). Alexander Sebastian rocked the 30k to a new course record (2:41:35), with Holly Tate winning the Womens division (3:00:35). Ted Simpkins scored a course record in the 20k (1:38:15), with Caitlin Smith missing the Womens course record by 50 seconds on her way to a win (1:58:00). Blair Ford (1:03:02) and Jennifer Joynt (1:15:50) picked up wins in the 12k. Everyone basked in the sun, eating soup and soft serve ice cream, before heading home (or to the Sand Dollar Bar for a free beer…just show your number!). Another epic day thanks to Pacific Trail Runs and their volunteers.
I opened the sunroof and drove down Hwy 1, exhausted and renewed at the same time. My body and soul were full of mountain views, ocean expanse, friendly ferns, smiling runners and hikers, and sand- and dirt-caked sweat. Thank you, Mother Nature. I have no room left for spreadsheets this weekend.


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Pardon my dust. I am doing some code maintenance on the website to fix damage from some badly written advertiser code. There are still a…
"I do not care if I am mentioned in the history books of the future. I rather doubt I shall be reading them!" -- MIchael Rivero
Bidgear ad
Mossad Director David Barnea, the Israeli official leading indirect negotiations with Hamas, said Wednesday that one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest demands may prevent a potential ceasefire and hostage deal.
According to Haaretz, Barnea presented the security cabinet with the differences between Netanyahu and the negotiating team. He said the main problem now is Netanyahu's insistence on creating a mechanism for Israel to monitor Palestinians returning to north Gaza during a potential ceasefire.
Israel had previously agreed to allow free movement of Palestinians so they could return to the north. But Netanyahu reversed that concession and publicly called for the agreement to prohibit armed men from entering the north.
Israeli security and military officials favor a ceasefire deal, but Netanyahu has been working to sabotage an agreement as members of his coalition government are threatening to quit, which could threaten his hold on power. Israeli officials have told the media that Netanyahu was looking to make sure a deal didn't happen before he heads to Washington next week to address Congress and meet with President Biden.
While Israel's troops wage what has been widely decried as genocide on the Gaza Strip, Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a resolution opposing "the establishment of a Palestinian state" west of the Jordan River.
The measure passed Israel's legislature, the Knesset, 68-9. It was spearheaded by Knesset Member Zeev Elkin of New Hope - The United Right, who shared the key messages from the resolution on social media along with a photo of the final tally.
Turkey on Tuesday threatened to take Israel to international courts after images shared online showed Gaza's only specialised cancer hospital used as a military base.
Ankara also condemned Israel's military for repeatedly attacking the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, a facility to the south of Gaza City built and equipped by Turkey.
"The photo in the Palestinian press showing a group of Israeli soldiers in front of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza is further evidence of Israel's violation of international law and international humanitarian law," Turkey's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
The ministry stressed that the hospital was the "only centre" providing medical care for cancer patients in the enclave.
The death count for Palestinian journalists in Gaza has hit 160 as Israeli forces continue to target civilians throughout the Strip. The mass killing of reporters has shrouded the true devastation caused by the Israeli bombing campaign.
The Gaza media office reported that Palestinian journalist Mohammed Abdullah Mashmash was killed on Tuesday, the 160th reporter killed since October 7. He was the program director for a local radio station.
Mashmash was killed along with four other people at a UN-run school in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud reported, "The Israeli attack on al-Razi middle school in the heart of the camp – such a busy area – happened during a rush hour when the streets around the overcrowded school were full of people."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Beijing had stopped arms control talks with the US over continued US arms sales to Taiwan and other steps that go against China's "core interests."
The US and China held consultations on arms control back in November 2023. A reporter asked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian about comments from US officials suggesting China declined to hold another round.
"Over the past weeks and months, despite China's firm opposition and repeated protest, the US has continued to sell arms to Taiwan and done things that severely undermine China's core interests and the mutual trust between China and the US. This has seriously compromised the political atmosphere for continuing the arms control consultations," Lin said.
Germany is planning to cut its spending on military aid for Ukraine in half next year and is telling Kyiv to look elsewhere for more funding.
According to Germany's draft budget for 2025, Berlin will bring its spending on Ukraine to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion), down from 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion).
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was initially reluctant to arm Ukraine and initially resisted sending heavy weapons such as tanks, citing the risk of World War III. But he eventually agreed, and Germany has become the top supplier of weapons to Ukraine in Europe.
The more hawkish wing of the Republican party is hoping former President Donald Trump will put ultra-hawks in prominent positions in his cabinet if he's elected for a second term as a counterbalance to Sen. J.D. Vance being picked as vice president, POLITICO reported on Wednesday.
Vance being chosen by Trump has alarmed many Republicans due to his opposition to the proxy war in Ukraine. One influential GOP member of Congress told POLITICO: "I'm scared to death."
The report said Republican hawks hope to see Mike Pompeo, Trump's former CIA director and secretary of state, as the secretary of defense in a future administration. Pompeo is a staunch supporter of the Ukraine proxy war, Israel, and the US military buildup around China.
Webmaster addition: Looks like the political establishment is getting used to the idea that Trump will win in November!
Israeli attacks have killed 81 Palestinians over roughly the last 24 hours, including an attack on a United Nations-run school shelter in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to data released by the Gaza health ministry on Wednesday.
The Nuseirat strike, which killed 23 Palestinians on Tuesday, was at least the eighth Israeli attack on a school shelter in the last ten days. Six of the schools had been run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"Why do they target us when we are innocent people?" Umm Mohammed al-Hasanat, a woman who was sheltering at the Nuseirat school, askedAl Jazeera.
"We do not carry weapons but are just sitting and trying to find safety for ourselves and our children," she said.
Deloitte Consulting has won a potential five-year, $2.4 billion contract to work with the Navy and Defense Department on their efforts to modernize and expand the submarine industrial base.
Workforce development is one of several aspects Deloitte will seek to help the Navy and DOD's Innovation Capability and Modernization Office address, as part of their larger effort to address regional and broader challenges in submarine manufacturing.
Awarded on Monday, the contract has an initial one-year base period and up to four option years. The General Services Administration managed the procurement for the Navy and DOD.
Solicitation documents describe the Navy's goal as being able to "rapidly reach and sustain a programmed production rate of 1+2 submarines per year with a predominant emphasis on closing associated industrial workforce gaps."
Iran has angrily dismissed United States media reports that it has been plotting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump.
A foreign ministry spokesman on Wednesday stated that Iran rejects the "malicious" allegations that it has plotted an attack on the Republican presidential hopeful. However, Nasser Kanaani asserted that Iran aims to prosecute Trump for ordering the assassination of a senior military official in 2020.
Israel killed at least 90 people in Mawasi in several airstrikes on an area the military had designated as a "safe zone." Here a child reacts as bodies are salvaged from the site on 13 July.
Omar Ashtawy APA images
Under a scorching sun last Saturday, 14-year-old Tala Mahmoud was waiting in a food distribution line to secure a dish of lentils for her family in the displaced persons' camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
Then, chaos.
In minutes, Israeli war planes dropped a reported five 2,000 pound bombs on the area – an area the Israeli military had designated a "safe zone," and which was filled with people who had been forcibly displaced from elsewhere in Gaza.
Tala's slender body was sent into the air. Her plate of yellow lentils turned scarlet after being mixed with her blood.
Naglaa, Tala's mother, told The Electronic Intifada what she saw:
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with Iran's President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, congratulating him on his recent election victory, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The Crown Prince and Pezeshkian "praised the development of relations between the two countries at various levels, stressing the importance of continuing to enhance cooperation in various fields," SPA said.
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Canggu Experience
The Locale
Dea Villas is located on a quiet side road in Berawa close to Canggu. Dotted among the rice fields are luxury villas, local communities and an increasing number of restaurants and spas. Berawa Beach is less than a kilometre away. Only ten-minutes away are the famed restaurants, bars and boutiques of Seminyak. This rural, close-to-the-beach setting, with easy access to Seminyak, gives guests the best of both worlds and no shortage of things to do.
- Finns Recreation Club
- 1 km
- Seminyak
- 6 km
- Echo Beach
- 7.50 km
- Kuta
- 13 km
- Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS)
- 15 km
- Tanah Lot Temple
- 16 km
- Ubud
- 29 km
- Mt. Batukaru
- 36 km
Things To Do
Dea Villas' manager and supervisors will have a wealth of information about nearby places of interest and will help arrange transport and make any bookings required. Do also ask the other villa staff about the local area too. Many of them live nearby and will be able to give an interesting insight into some of the fascinating aspects of Bali life.
In the meantime, here is a taste of the many and varied activities on offer within reach of the villa.
- Explore the scenic rice-field landscape and rural villages by bicycle; a great way to get under the skin of the 'real' Bali. Stop off at a local warung (café) to sample some basic Balinese fare or cool off with a cold drink.
- The most exclusive Bali trekking tour promises breath-taking vistas and heart-warming encounters while supporting sustainable social change in the once-forgotten villages of Muntigunung. Elite Havens is a proud partner of Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise.
- Sports enthusiasts should head to Bali's prestigious Canggu Club, with its state-of-the-art gym and tennis and squash courts. Round off your workouts with some fine international dining, then stock up on gourmet goodies at the nearby Deli.
- Visit the mystical Hotel Tugu (Bali's first museum-hotel) studded with priceless Indonesian artworks and antiques; its award-winning spa offers age-old Eastern therapies. If you're planning a honeymoon, Hotel Tugu makes a wonderful first night venue. The hotel's restaurants offer authentic Chinese and Indonesian fine dining, as well as an international menu, in a variety of unique settings. At the rustic Waroeng Tugu you can taste the traditional Javanese and Balinese cuisine of bygone centuries.
- Dea Villas is not far from the famous temple at Tanah Lot (14km), although in peak season a few too many tourists may transform a sunset visit into more of a heaving photo opportunity than a moving experience. Visiting early in the morning (8-9am) provides a better idea of the power of the location and the chance to see it undisturbed apart from perhaps an offering ceremony.
- Fashionistas, trendies and shop-a-holics should hot-foot it down to Seminyak, Bali's most cosmopolitan enclave. Here, you can indulge for hours in the glut of stylish, chic boutiques. There is a wide choice of fine dining, mid range, and cheap 'n cheerful restaurants in Seminyak too: fine dining venues include Mama San, Sardine and Métis.
- Drive westwards to explore the charming Tabanan regency, revealing terraced rice fields of emerald green, volcanic mountains and black-sand beaches dotted with fishing communities. Or head north to explore the volcanic lakes near the mountain town of Bedugul, including Lake Bratan with its photogenic and stunningly positioned Pura Ulun Danu – one of Bali's most important temples.
- Explore Bali's backroads, lakes, volcanoes, forests and beaches on the back of a Harley Davidson bike with Island Biker Tours. Full day Harley tours, customised tours or shorter joy rides can all be accommodated.
- Covering 3.8 hectares of tropical parkland in Kuta, Waterbom Bali has 16 water slides (including The Climax with its 360 degree loop) to entertain the young and the young at heart. A great family day out, but go early to beat the crowds.


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15 products that will help elevate your spring cleaning
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
Each and every spring, flowers bloom, leaves reappear on trees, and an overall sense of rebirth and renewal envelops the world. And, if you're someone who likes to keep things tidy (or wish you were), you likely have spring cleaning on the agenda. After all, what better way to embrace the season than to renew your own space?
When you think of spring cleaning, changing your bedding, cleaning your toilets, or giving your bath and shower a deep clean might come to mind. While we're fans of all those things, we're here to let you in on a little secret: Spring cleaning can encompass fun tools and techniques to help organize your space, too. With that in mind, ahead you'll find things to tackle deep cleaning, as well as optimize organization. Here's hoping that by the end of this article you'll feel better prepared to make your spring cleaning dreams come true.
1. A whip-smart vacuum cleaner Credit: Amazon
It intuitively knows what type of floor or surface it's cleaning.
It's hard for a home to feel clean if the floors are covered in dirt, lint, and pet hair. Thankfully, the Dyson V11 Torque Drive vacuum is here to help. The intuitive cordless machine knows when to switch modes between vacuuming hardwood floors, tile, carpet, and the like. What's more, it comes with a streamlined press-down dispenser that makes emptying post-cleanse easier (and cleaner) than ever. And, with up to 60 minutes of run time, you don't have to worry about it conking out mid-cleanse. In testing, we found it to be super versatile and easy to use as well.
Get the Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner from Amazon for $599.99
2. A handy label maker Credit: Amazon
You can choose from a bunch of different pretty fonts.
One of the easiest ways to feel more organized is to know where everything is within your home. Because of this, an easy-to-use label maker is a must. That way, when organizing boxes for storage, spices in your pantry, or bins in your bathroom, you know exactly where your essentials are. Instead of getting a boring old-school label maker, however, we recommend checking out the Cricut Joy Machine.
The bite-sized machine (well, in comparison to their traditional Maker styles) has a near-perfect 4.8-star rating from more than 4,500 shoppers, who claim it pairs easily with your phone to create craft projects (ranging from labels to cards and banners) with a click of a finger. It's genuinely that simple. And, unlike many label makers, the Cricut Joy comes with the option to select from dozens of designs to ensure that your new organization system perfectly fits your aesthetic. Nifty, no?
Get the Cricut Joy Machine from Amazon for $152.98
3. Durable paper towels that clean like cloths Credit: Target
They're so absorbent!
When it comes to cleaning various surfaces in your home, it helps to have durable cloths to get the job done. If you're someone who enjoys using paper towels, then do yourself a favor and buy the Viva Signature Paper Towels. As one of the best paper towels we've tested, these are incredibly durable and actually feel like cloth, so they won't pill apart when cleaning even the most stubborn spills. I personally grew up with these paper towels and can't imagine buying anything else. They're that good.
Get the Viva Signature Paper Towels, 15-pack from Staples for $15.29
4. A bottle of stain and odor eliminator Credit: Amazon
Because pet stains can and will come up.
Sure, you can use this stain and odor eliminator to spruce up your spring cleaning, but you'll be so glad to have it on hand thereafter too. The cult-favorite pet spray is designed to lift stains, eliminate odors, and deter your pet from going to the bathroom in the same spot. It is, quite literally, a miracle worker, according to close to 50,000 Amazon shoppers. Plus, it was one of the only carpet stain removers we tested that could remove a stubborn chocolate stain. So, if you have a stain you've been putting off or you're looking for ways to simultaneously clean and tell your pets where not to go, don't wait, click 'Add to Cart.'
Get the Rocco & Roxie Supply Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator from Amazon for $19.97
5. A pack of sponges that can scrub through anything Credit: Amazon
They're durable and effective!
If you do, in fact, plan to get hands-on with your spring cleaning, you'll want to have a pack of Scrub Daddy sponges on hand. Not only are they effective at rinsing away dirt and grime—we dubbed them one of the best sponges of 2021—they're also downright cheerful thanks to their color assortment and cute smiley face design. What's more, you can actually run them through the wash to clean 'em, so you'll be able to prolong their shelf life.
Get the Scrub Daddy Original FlexTexture Sponge, Set of 8 from QVC for $27.30.99
6. A set of chic shoe storage boxes Credit: The Container Store
Don't let cluttered shoes take over your closet.
Turn your closet into a streamlined masterpiece with these fan-favorite drop-front shoe boxes. The stackable boxes allow you to easily see which shoes you have without requiring you to unstack the boxes to get to the pair you want. And, if you opt for the large option, you'll be able to easily store heels and booties, too. They're without a doubt one of the best things you can buy at The Container Store, if you ask us.
Get the Large Drop-Front Shoe Box Case of 6 from The Container Store for $58.49
7. A set of fold-up shelves Credit: HSN
Ensure you have enough storage without requiring extra space forever.
Last but not least, I present you with some extra storage. Different seasons sometimes call for different amounts of storage. If you're someone who needs extra space to store, say, pots and planting supplies, adding a set of these best-selling 3-tier fold-up shelves to your cart is a smart decision.
More than 2,000 HSN customers swear by them for being sturdy and easily movable. The heavy-duty shelves are available in six colors and can support up to 250 pounds per shelf. Though, if you plan to put the shelves on wheels (because that's an option), then it's downgraded to 75 pounds per shelf. That's still an impressive amount of extra storage though, if you ask me.
Get the Origami Heavy Duty 3-Tier Rack 2-pack from HSN for $124.95
8. A stylish filing cabinet Credit: Poppin
Stop stacking your mail on the counter and organize it into a dedicated folder.
If you're like me, you have a bad habit of getting your mail and dropping it on your kitchen island as soon as you get home. And, when you do this over and over again day after day, things can get a little untidy. So, what're you waiting for? It's time to invest in a filing cabinet. This three-drawer one has two storage drawers and a drawer for hanging files so that you can easily organize all your most important documents as well as any file away any you want to look through but don't have time to in the moment.
Get the Poppin White 3-Drawer Stow Locking Filing Cabinet from The Container Store for $259.99
9. A handy-dandy water bottle organizer Credit: Amazon
If you have a water bottle obsession, you'll love this little tool.
Another way we may be similar? If you, like me, have more water bottles than you could possibly ever need but also can't fathom getting rid of. Thankfully, mDesign has a solution. Amazon shoppers adore this organizing gadget for its sturdy, stackable nature and its ability to be used in a cabinet, on a shelf, or in the fridge. So, whether you're using it to organize your many Takeya, Corkcicle, and S'well bottles, or to keep your favorite soda waters organized while getting chilled, you'll be glad you added it to your spring cleaning supplies.
Get the mDesign Modern Plastic Stackable Vertical Standing Water Bottle Holder Stand from Amazon for $39.99
10. A rolling under-bed storage box Credit: The Container Store
Make the most of the space beneath your bed.
So often, folks forget that there's valuable real estate lying beneath their bed—even if you have a low platform bed like me. To make the most of it, we recommend The Container Store's Long Under Bed Box with Wheels for its robust construction and
airtight seal. Designed with a split lid that can be lifted from either side, the long, shallow (5 ½") box is perfect for storing bedding, blankets, non-seasonal clothes, and anything else you might want to store away. I, for one, own six (three under my bed and three under my guest bed) and am so glad that I do.
Get the Long Under Bed Box with Wheels from The Container Store for $27.99
11. A set of pantry organization containers Credit: Amazon
Your pantry will look like it was organized by The Home Edit.
Did you watch The Home Edit on Netflix and wish your pantry looked like one of Clea and Joanna's masterpieces? Same. The good news is, with one of our favorite food storage containers, OXO's Good Grips 8-Piece POP Container Baking Set, it can. Okay, you might need more than one set, but the top-rated assortment is a great starting point for anyone looking to streamline their pantry. Simply transfer your favorite baking supplies, snacks, pasta, and other pantry items into the clear, plastic, dishwasher-safe, air-tight containers and step back in awe of your newly refreshed pantry.
Get the OXO Good Grips 8-Piece POP Container Baking Set from Amazon for $59.95
12. A rotating beauty organizer Credit: Amazon
Declutter your vanity without having to throw out your faves.
My biggest clutter-prone space in my home is my bathroom. As a beauty writer, it's easy to let products stack up. But, even non-writers can relate to this woe. With so many new launches hitting shelves, it's easy to want to stock up on all the latest and greatest makeup and skincare. Though, if you don't have the space for it, it might cause more mental harm than good. Of course, that's only if you don't know how to organize it.
If you're working with a small space, this rotating cosmetic storage display will make you swoon. The 8-layer acrylic organizer can hold bottles, jars, and tubes of your favorite beauty goodies while making them look like a downright Pinterest-worthy collection. And, considering nearly 9,500 Amazon shoppers have given it the 5-star green light, it's safe to say you can't go wrong.
Get the 360 Degree Rotating Adjustable Cosmetic Storage Display Case from Amazon for $26.88
13. The best vacuum cleaner for the person who doesn't like to vacuum Credit: Amazon
It takes the effort out of vacuuming.
If pushing a vacuum around your home feels like the ultimate chore, then we highly suggest you invest in the iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum. No, really, we've dubbed it the best robot vacuum ever made. While undeniably expensive, the robot vacuum is able to pick up loads of dirt and empty itself once it's full. What's more, it links to your phone so you can choose which rooms of the house you want it clean and it will intuitively do so. All this is to say, you'll be able to clean your floor without lifting a finger and there's likely nothing better than that if you're adverse to cleaning.
Get the iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Robot Vacuum from Amazon for $599.99
14. A set of matching food storage containers Credit: HSN
Get rid of your mismatched Tupperware.
Over the years, it's totally normal to accumulate an array of different food storage containers. However, if your goal is to streamline your life during spring cleaning, then investing a set of matching containers will serve you well, like these glass ones from Anchor Hocking. Unlike plastic food storage containers, these glass containers are more eco-friendly and they won't absorb food stains (we've all experienced the dread of reheating tomato sauce in a plastic food container, right?).
The set comes with four sizes of containers, too, so you'll have plenty of options for all your leftover storage needs. They also boast a near-perfect 4.7-star rating from close to 500 HSN shoppers for their secure lids and tight seal.
Get the Anchor Hocking TrueSeal 24-piece Glass Food Storage Set from HSN for $34.95
15. A set of slip-proof hangers Credit: Honey Can Do
Keep your clothes from falling off your hangers once and for all.
Hoping to spend more time organizing your closet during your spring cleaning sesh? One of the easiest ways to make it look fully refreshed is to switch all of your mismatched hangers over to matching one. But, before buying a bunch of plastic matching hangers, consider these ones by Honey Can Do instead. The velvet-lined ultra-slim hangers hug onto your clothes so that garments don't randomly slip off onto the floor. And, despite their thin nature, they appear to support everything from tank top blouses to suits. So, suffice it to say, you'll be glad that each pack comes with a total of 50.
Get the Honey-Can-Do Velvet Touch Suit/Dress Hangers, Set of 50 from QVC for $52.42
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Moldova started to recognise as valid both, the veterinary certificate that follows the model provided for in its own legislation and the one used in the EU from last month.
A spokesman for the European Commission said: "This is a good step towards easier trade between both partners.
"This decision comes in the context of a process aiming to align the Moldovan requirements with the EU legislation.
"The recently signed Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova will bring closer integration of both markets."
The European Commission, the EU Delegation in Moldova and the Moldovan authorities will continue to cooperate on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) matters.
The cooperation will aim at finding practical and lasting solutions to the outstanding issues, to allow trade to further increase.
In 2013, the total EU exports to Moldova on agriculture and food products amounted to around €230 million.


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The Record of the Newspaper of Record - by Stephen LendmanDictionaries define "yellow journalism" variously as irresponsible and sensationalist reporting that distorts, exaggerates or misstates the truth. It's misinformation or agitprop disinformation masquerading as fact to boost circulation and readership or serve a larger purpose like lying for state and corporate interests. The dominant US media excel in it, producing a daily diet of fiction portrayed as real news and information in their role as our national thought-control police gatekeepers. In the lead among the print and electronic corporate-controlled media is the New York Times publishing "All The News That's Fit To Print" by its standards. Others wanting real journalism won't find it on their pages allowing only the fake kind. It's because this paper's primary mission is to be the lead instrument of state propaganda making it the closest thing we have in the country to an official ministry of information and propaganda.
Singlehandedly, the Times destroys "The Myth of the Liberal Media" that's also the title of Edward Herman's 1999 book on "the illiberal media," the market system, and what passes for democracy in America Michael Parenti calls "Democracy For the Few," in his book with that title out earlier this year in its 8th edition.
In his book, Herman writes about the "propaganda model" he and Noam Chomsky introduced and developed 11 years earlier in their landmark book titled "Manufacturing Consent." They explained how the dominant media use this technique to program the public mind to go along with whatever agenda best serves wealth and power interests. So imperial wars of aggression are portrayed as liberating ones, humanitarian intervention, and spreading democracy to nations without any. Never mind they're really for new markets, resources like oil, and cheap exploitable labor paid for with public tax dollars diverted from essential social needs.
In "The Myth of the Liberal Media," Herman explains the "propaganda model" focuses on "the inequality of wealth and power" and how those with most of it can "filter out the news to print, marginalize dissent (and assure) government and dominant private interests" control the message and get it to the public. It's done through a set of "filters" removing what's to be suppressed and "leaving only the cleansed (acceptable) residue fit to print" or broadcast electronically. Parenti's "Democracy For the Few" is democracy-US style the rest of us are stuck with.
Books have been written on how, going back decades, the New York Times betrayed the public trust serving elitist interests alone. It plays the lead and most influential media role disseminating state and corporate propaganda to the nation and world. In terms of media clout, the Times is unmatched with its prominent front page being what media critic Norman Solomon calls "the most valuable square inches of media real estate in the USA" - more accurately, anywhere.
Examples of Times duplicity are endless showing up every day on its pages. The shameless Judith Miller saga is just the latest episode of how bad they can get, but she had her predecessors, and the beat goes on since she left in disgrace. Through the years, the Times never met a US war of aggression it didn't love and support. It was never bothered by CIA's functioning as a global Mafia-style hit squad/training headquarters ousting democratically elected governments, assassinating foreign heads of state and key officials, propping up friendly dictators, funding and training secret paramilitary armies and death squads, and now snatching individuals for "extraordinary rendition" to torture-prison hellholes, some run by the agency and all taking orders from it.
CIA, as Chalmers Johnson notes, is a state within a state functioning as the president's unaccountable private army with unchecked powers and a near-limitless off-the-books secret budget we now know tops $44 billion annually. It menaces democratic rule, threatens the Republic's survival and makes any notion of a free society impossible as long as this agency exists. Not a problem at New York Times. It worked closely with CIA since the 1950s allowing some of its foreign correspondents to be Agency assets or agents. It no doubt still does.
The Times is also unbothered by social decay at home, an unprecedented wealth disparity, an administration mocking the rule of law, a de facto one party state with two wings and a president usurping "unitary executive" powers claiming the law is what he says it is making him a dictator. It practically reveres the cesspool of corrupted incestuous ties between government and business, mocking any notion of democracy of, for, or by the people. That's the state of the nation's "liberal media" headquartered in the Times building in New York.
The New York Times v. Hugo Chavez
This article focuses on one example of Times duplicity among many other prominent ones equally sinister and disturbing - its venomous agitprop targeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this writer calls the leading model democratic leader on the planet even though he's not perfect, nor is anyone else. That's why after "Islamofascist terrorists" he's practically "enemy number one" on the Times hit list and Washington's. Besides Venezuela being oil rich, Chavez is the greatest of all threats the US faces - a good example that's spreading. His governance shows how real social democracy works exposing the fake American kind.
That's intolerable to the masters of the universe and their leading media proponent, the New York Times. It always plays the lead media role keeping the world safe for wealth and power. So on June 6, it hauled out former Peruvian president and first ever indigenous Andean one in the country's history - Alejandro Toledo (2001 - 2006). His electoral campaign promised a populist vision for Peruvians, to create new jobs, address dire social needs of the country's poor, and end years of corruption and hard line rule under Alberto Fujimori, now a wanted man on charges of corruption and human rights abuses.
Toledo was little better, failing on all counts pushing the same repressive neoliberal policies he was elected to end. He was in tow with Washington's agenda of privatizations, deregulation, IMF/World Bank diktats, debt service, and overall contempt for the essential social needs of his people. He was also tainted with corruption, and during his tenure violence was used against protest demonstrators, criminal suspects in prisons were beaten and tortured, and dozens of journalists were threatened or attacked for criticizing local politicians or him.
No problem for the New York Times that published his June 6 op ed piece titled "Silence = Despotism." In it, he said "Political democracy will take root in Latin America only when it is accompanied by economic and social democracy (under) political systems....free and fair for all." As Peru's president, he thwarted efforts to do what he now says he champions. Toledo continued saying "our citizens" must be heard, and if free speech is silenced in one country, "silence could spread to other nations" pointing his hypocritical finger squarely at Hugo Chavez.
Venezuelans, he says, "are in the streets (today) confronting repressions. Courageous students raise the flags of freedom, refusing to mortgage their future by remaining silent." He quickly gets to the point citing Hugo Chavez's refusal to renew RCTV's Channel 2 VHF license saying "This is about more than one TV station. President Chavez has become a destabilizing figure throughout the hemisphere because he feels he can silence anyone with opposing thoughts (by) silencing them through repression or government decrees." He then called on other Latin American leaders to confront "authoritarianism" and "stand up for continent-wide solidarity" citing his own presidency and how "it never occurred to (him) to silence (critical) media outlets (or) nationalize them."
Toledo's tainted record as president belies his shameless pieties on the Times op ed page. He did more than try silencing critics. He stayed mute when they were attacked or when two or more of them were killed. The New York Times knows his record even though it suppressed the worst of it while he was in office. Yet it gave him prominent space to denounce Hugo Chavez's social democracy and legal right not to renew the operating license of a TV channel for its repeated illegal seditious acts. RCTV was a serial abuser of its right to use the public airwaves. It was then guilty of supporting and being complicit with efforts to foment insurrection to overthrow Venezuela's democratically elected government.
Toledo ignored this saying, as Peru's president, he was "always....respectful of opinions" differing from his own. He would "never agree with those who prefer silence instead of dissonant voices. Those....who embrace liberty and democracy must stand ready to work in solidarity with the Venezuelan people." He failed to say which ones he meant, surely not the 70% or more backing Chavez. And by failing to denounce RCTV's lawlessness, he showed he condoned it. He also forgot his successor as president, Alan Garcia, lawlessly silenced two Peruvian TV stations and three radio stations, apparently for supporting a lawful strike Garcia opposes.
The New York Times has an ugly record bashing Hugo Chavez since he was elected with a mandate to make participatory social democracy the cornerstone of his presidency. That's anathema to Washington and its chief media ally, the New York Times. Since 1999 when he took office, it hammered Chavez with accusations of opposing the US-sponsored Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA) without explaining it would sell out to big capital at the expense of his people if adopted.
Following his election in December, 1998, Times Latin American reporter Larry Roher wrote: (Latin American) presidents and party leaders are looking over their shoulders (worried about the) specter....the region's ruling elite thought they had safely interred: that of the populist demagogue, the authoritarian man on horseback known as the caudillo (strongman)."
The Times later denounced him for using petrodollars for foreign aid to neighbors, equating promoting solidarity, cooperation and respecting other nations' sovereignty with subversion and buying influence. It criticized his raising royalties and taxes on foreign investors, never explaining it was to end their longtime preferential treatment making them pay their fair share as they should. It bashed him for wanting his own people to benefit most from their own resources, not predatory oil and other foreign investors the way it was before Chavez took office. No longer, and that can't be tolerated in Washington or on the pages of the New York Times.
When state oil company PDVSA became majority shareholder with foreign investors May 1 with a minimum 60% ownership in four Orinoco River basin oil projects, the Times savaged Chavez. It condemned his "revolutionary flourish (and his) ambitious (plan to) wrest control of several major oil projects from American and European companies (with a) showdown (ahead for these) coveted energy resources...." Unmentioned was these resources belong to the Venezuelan people. The Times also accuses Chavez of allowing "politics and ideology" to drive US-Venezuelan confrontation "to limit American influence around the world, starting in Venezuela's oil fields."
It calls him "divisive, a ruinous demagogue, provocative (and) the next Fidel Castro." It savored the 2002 aborted two day coup ousting him calling it a "resignation" and that Venezuela "no longer (would be) threatened by a would-be dictator." It reported he "stepped down (and was replaced by (a) respected business leader" (Pedro Carmona - president of Fedecamaras, the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce).
Unmentioned was that Carmona was hand-picked in Washington and by Venezuelan oligarchs to do their bidding at the expense of the people. He proved his bona fides by suspending the democratically elected members of the National Assembly and crushing Bolivarian Revolutionary Constitutional reforms, quickly restored once Chavez was reinstated in office. Carmona fled to Colombia seeking political asylum from where Venezuela's Supreme Court now wants him extradited on charges of civil rebellion. Unmentioned also was that the Times had to dismiss one of its Venezuelan reporters, Francisco Toro, in January, 2003 when Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) revealed he was an anti-Chavista activist masquerading as an objective journalist.
Back to the present, the Times claims Chavez is moving to consolidate his dictatorial powers by shuttering RCTV's Channel 2 and silencing his critics. It portrays him as a Latin American strongman waging class warfare with socialist rhetoric. It asks how long Venezuelans will put up with the destruction of their democratic freedoms? It points to "evidence Mr. Chavez's definition of the enemy has been enlarged to include news media outlets....critical of his government....extending his control beyond political institutions (alone)." This marks a "shift from the early years of his presidency, when he (also) faced vitriolic criticism" from the media.
The Times speculates how brutal he'll become silencing critics and quelling protests wondering if he'll use proxies to do it. It then questions whether Chavez overstepped enough to marshall large-scale opposition to him to push him past the tipping point that will inevitably lead to his loss of credibility and power. Might this be a thinly disguished Times effort to create the reality it supports by wishing for it through the power of suggestion.
Times business columnist Roger Lowenstein is on board to make it happen. He claims, with no substantiation, Chavez "militarized the government, emasculated the country's courts, intimidated the media, eroded confidence in the economy and hollowed out Venezuela's once-democratic institutions." Turn this on its head to know the truth Lowenstein won't report - that Chavez militarized nothing. He put his underutilized military to work implementing Venezuela's Plan Bolivar 2000 constructing housing for the poor, building roads, conducting mass vaccinations, and overall serving people needs, not invading and occupying other countries and threatening to flatten other "uncooperative" ones.
Venezuela's courts function independently of the democratically elected President and National Assembly. The media is the freest and most open in the region and the world with most of it corporate owned as it is nearly everywhere. Further, business is booming enough to get the Financial Times to say bankers were having "a party," and the country never had a functioning democracy until Hugo Chavez made it flourish there.
Times Venezuelan reporter Simon Romero is little better than Lowenstein or others sending back agitprop disguised as real journalism in his Venezuelan coverage, including RCTV closure street protests. He made events on Caracas streets sound almost like a one-sided uprising of protesters against Chavez with "images of policemen with guns drawn" intimidating them. He highlighted Chavez's critics claiming "the move to allow RCTV's license to expire amounts to a stifling of dissent in the news media." He quoted Elisa Parejo, one of RCTV's first soap opera stars, saying "What we're living in Venezuela is a monstrosity. It is a dictatorship."
He quoted right wing daily newspaper El Nacional as well portraying the RCTV decision as "the end of pluralism" in the country. Gonzalo Marroquin, president of the corporate media-controlled Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), was also cited saying Chavez wants to "standardize the right to information (indicating) a very bleak outlook for the whole hemisphere." He invented corporate-cooked polling numbers showing "most Venezuelans oppose Mr. Chavez's decision not to renew RCTV's license." In fact, the opposite is true and street demonstrators for and against RCTV's shuttering proved it. Venezuelans supporting Chavez dwarfed the opposition many times over. But you won't find Romero or any other Times correspondent reporting that. If any try doing it, they'll end up doing obits as their future beat.
Back in February, Romero was at it earlier. Then, he hyped Venezuela's arms spending making it sound like Chavez threatened regional stability and was preparing to bomb or invade Miami. Romero's incendiary headline read "Venezuela Spending on Arms Soars to World's Top Ranks." It began saying "Venezuela's arms spending has climbed to more than $4 billion in the past two years, transforming the nation into Latin America's largest weapons buyer" with suggestive comparisons to Iran. The report revealed this information came from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) making that unreliable source alone reason to question its accuracy and what's behind it.
The figure quoted refers only to what Venezuela spends on arms, not its total military spending. Unmentioned was that the country's total military spending is half of Agentina's, less than one-third of Colombia's, and one-twelfth of Brazil's according to Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation figures ranking Venezuela 63rd in the world in military spending. The Center also reported Venezuela's 2004 military budget at $1.1 billion making Romero's $4 billion DIA figure phony and a spurious attempt to portray Chavez as a regional threat needing to be counteracted. At that level, he's also outspent by the Pentagon 500 to one, or lots more depending on how US military spending and homeland security readiness are calculated, including all their unreported or hidden costs.
On June 12, Venezuela Analysis.com reported, in an article by "Oil Wars," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicated Venezuela's military spending for 2006 was $1.9 billion. The report's author voiced skepticism so compared this number to Venezuela's Ministry of Defense expenditures for that year in its "Memoria y Cuenta." It's figure was $1,977,179,179 thousand Bolivars that converted to US dollars comes to $919,618,000. To that must be added another $1.09 billion the Ministry of Defense got from Venezuela's FONDEN, or development fund. Adding both numbers together, of course, shows the country's 2006 military spending at $2 billion.
Based on The Independent Institute's Senior Fellow Robert Higgs' calculation of US defense spending for FY 2006 of $934.9 billion, it still means the Pentagon outspends Venezuela's military by around 500 to one. Higgs includes the separate budgets for the Department of Defense, Energy, State, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, Treasury's Military Retirement Fund, other smaller defense-related budgets plus net interest paid attributable to past debt-financed defense outlays. Even then, he omitted off-the-books budgets and secret intelligence ones for CIA and NSA.
Back to the Times' Romero and it's clear his reporting smells the same as Iraq's WMDs and Iran's legal commercial nuclear program being threat enough to warrant sanctions and a US military response. Romero is right in step with Bush administration World Bank president neocon nominee Robert Zoellick. He took aim at Hugo Chavez from Mexico City June 16 with warnings Venezuela is "a country where economic problems are mounting, and as we're seeing on the political side it's not moving in a healthy direction."
Romero reports similar agitprop and did it May 17 in his article titled "Clash of Hope and Fear as Venezuela Seizes Land." He began saying "The squatters arrive before dawn with machetes and rifles, surround the well-ordered rows of sugar cane and threaten to kill anyone who interferes. Then they light a match to the crops and declare the land their own." He continued saying "Mr. Chavez is carrying out what may become the largest forced land redistribution in Venezuela's history, building utopian farming villages for squatters, lavishing money on new cooperatives and sending army commando units to supervise seized estates in six states."
Violence has accompanied seizures, says Romero, "with more than 160 peasants killed by hired gunmen in Venezuela (and) Eight landowners have also been killed...." Since Chavez took office, there have been peasant and other violent deaths, but most of them have been at the hands of US-Colombian government financed paramilitary death squads operating in Venezuela.
Romero stays clear of this while making his rhetoric sound like an armed insurrection is underway in Venezuela forcibly and illegally seizing land from its rightful owners. What's going on, in fact, is quite different that can only be touched on briefly to explain. Hugo Chavez first announced his "Return to the Countryside" plan under the Law on Land and Agricultural Development in November, 2001. The law set limits on landholding size; taxed unused property; aimed to redistribute unused, mainly government-owned land to peasant families and cooperatives; and expropriate uncultivated, unused land from large private owners compensating them at fair market value. So, in fact, the government seizes nothing. It buys unused land from large estates and pays for it so landless peasants can have and use it productively for the first time ever benefitting everyone equitably.
Nowhere in his article did Romero explain this although he did acknowledge prior to 2002, "an estimated 5 per cent of the population owned 80 per cent of the country's private land." By omitting what was most important to include, Romero's report distorted the truth enough to assure his readers never get it from him. Nor do they from any other Times correspondent when facts conflict with imperial interests. That's what we've come to expect from the "newspaper of record" never letting truth interfere with serving wealth and power interests that includes lying for them. Shameless reporting on Venezuela under Hugo Chavez is one of many dozens of examples of Times duplicity and disservice to its readers going back decades.
Former Times journalist John Hess denounced it his way: I "never saw a foreign intervention that the Times did not support, never saw a fare....rent....or utility increase that it did not endorse, never saw it take the side of labor in a strike or lockout, or advocate a raise for underpaid workers. And don't get me started on universal health care and Social Security. So why do people think the Times is liberal?" And why should anyone think its so-called news and information is anything more than propaganda for the imperial interests it serves?
Robert McChesney and Mark Weisbrot explained it well in their June 1 CommonDreams.org article on "Venezuela and the Media" saying: "the US media coverage (with NYT in the lead) of Venezuela's RCTV controversy (and most everything else) says more about the deficiencies of our own news media than it does about Venezuela. It demonstrates again (it's more) willing to carry water for Washington (and the corporate interests it serves) than to ascertain and report the truth of the matter." At the Times, truth is always the first casualty, but especially when the nation's at war.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at email@example.com.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Steve Lendman News and Information Hour on TheMicroEffect.com Saturdays at noon US central time.


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For five years Exoscale has been building a public cloud offering that has grown to include compute, object storage and other services that help SaaS businesses to launch and grow.
Today I'm pleased to announce an exciting next step: the cloudControl team, technology and brand are joining Exoscale to build a richer range of cloud services for SaaS operators.
Who is cloudControl?
I co-founded cloudControl eight years ago in Berlin. We were one of the pioneers of platform as a service and grew to have customers globally. During that time we also formed a strong partnership with Exoscale, as they offered the cloudControl PaaS on Exoscale infrastructure.
It became clear that we shared a common vision for how public cloud should work: we both believed that our job was to strip away complexity and provide a simple, scalable and safe service that enabled SaaS providers to focus on building their businesses.
Now we're bringing the talents and technology of the cloudControl team together with Exoscale and I'm heading up Exoscale's new Berlin office.
How will things change?
I'm really itching to tell you everything that we have planned, but for now I'll share just a few parts of what we're going to be doing.
At cloudControl we were one of the first companies to commit seriously to containers in production. Exoscale have shared that belief in containerisation and, now that we're part of Exoscale, you'll see more ways to benefit from containers in the Exoscale service.
The new Exoscale Berlin team will also be working on a range of new services that compliment Exoscale's existing infrastructure as a service offerings. In particular, they'll be aimed at helping SaaS providers to focus on running their business. Very soon you'll see the first new service to come out of the Berlin team and I'll be back here blogging about that with more details.
Our mission remains the same: simple, fast and secure cloud services protected by Swiss privacy laws.
If you want to know more, keep a look out for updates on this blog. There's also a press release, if that's your sort of thing.
I'm looking forward to seeing you at events and writing more here on the Exoscale blog.


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This cheat requires the Pro Action Replay cheat device.
Effect | Code |
Infinite Lives | 0000 4809 |
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Environmental Groups Sue for Sierra Nevada Amphibian Protection
The Fish and Wildlife Service has illegally delayed making a decision on petitions to list the Yosemite Toad and the Sierra Nevada population of the mountain yellow-legged frog.
Laura Hoehn, Earthjustice, (415) 627-6725
Jeff Miller, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 841-0812
David Bayles, Pacific Rivers Council, (541) 345-0119
On behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Rivers Council, Earthjustice filed a lawsuit today in Federal District Court against the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for stalling Endangered Species Act protection for two Sierra Nevada amphibian species. The Fish and Wildlife Service has illegally delayed making a decision on petitions to list the Yosemite Toad and the Sierra Nevada population of the mountain yellow-legged frog. Over a year ago, CBD and PRC submitted petitions documenting significant and alarming declines in the range and abundance of both species. On October 5, 2000, the Service responded with a finding that the listing of both amphibians may be warranted. Since then, however, FWS has been silent, missing its final statutory deadlines for issuing a decision. The agency was required to a make a final determination of listing status by March 2, 2001 for the mountain yellow-legged frog, and by March 6, 2001 for the Yosemite toad.
"The Fish and Wildlife Service's delay in protecting the frog and the toad under the Endangered Species Act is illegal, and potentially dangerous for these declining species," said Laura Hoehn, lead attorney for Earthjustice. "Congress built hard deadlines into the Act to protect species from this kind of agency paralysis. Inaction may lead to extinction."
"We're on the brink of losing what were once the two most common amphibians in the High Sierra," said Jeff Miller, spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity. "The Yosemite toad and mountain yellow-legged frog are rapidly disappearing from the Sierra Nevada. Both species clearly warrant immediate listing as endangered."
The mountain yellow-legged frog was historically the most abundant frog in the Sierra Nevada, distributed widely in high elevation lakes and streams from Plumas to Tulare Counties. Recent surveys have found that the species has disappeared from 70 to 90 percent of its former habitat. Remaining frog populations are widely scattered and consist of few breeding adults. What was thought to be one of the largest remaining populations, containing 2000 adult frogs as recently as 1996, has collapsed to only two frogs in a 1999 survey.
The Yosemite toad was once common in the high country of the central Sierra Nevada from Fresno to Alpine Counties. As with the frog, recent surveys reveal that the Yosemite toad has disappeared from a majority of its historic breeding sites. Declines have been especially alarming in Yosemite National Park, thought to be the species' most pristine and protected stronghold. Both species have been adversely impacted by introduced fish species, which prey on larval and juvenile frogs and toads, while their habitat has been degraded by pesticide pollution, cattle grazing, pathogens, and ozone depletion.
"The demise of amphibians is one symptom of the degradation of Sierra Nevada watersheds," said David Bayles, conservation director for PRC. "More than half of the native amphibians in Sierra Nevada watersheds are in serious decline, and in need of formal protection. These same watersheds are also the foundation of California's drinking water supply and economic life-blood. It's in our own best interest to protect these species and their habitat."
CBD's Miller agreed. "The disappearance of the frog and toad is part of a global pattern of amphibian decline. This is disturbing because the health of amphibian populations is an indicator of the health of the aquatic ecosystems and atmospheric conditions that sustain us."
Additional Resources
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.


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Scale Model Challenge 2012 coverage - part 1: the show
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 21:48
SMC 2012 was big, actually it was huge! So much to see that I am going to split this report into multiple parts (probably three).
In this first part I want to focus on the show in general. Actually I was part of the show as well :) A few months ago I asked painting friends Maartje, Gert and Pascal to join me for a day of painting at SMC and they agreed. So here's how our table looked:
More about this in another part :)
So here's a general overview of the club area:
The competition area, very big but also very full:
The prizes:
Here are some pictures from the club tables. Most of them were about military modeling, so a lot of tanks and other scale models. But also some figures here and there, although our own table was the only one focusing on 28mm fantasy.
The fascinating world of flats :)
Next to the competition area there was this amazing table with work from the Scale Model Factory club, which organised SMC:
The Massive Voodoo booth. They were special guests at the show, but I felt their location wasn't very good. They were sitting in a hall between the club and trader halls. But of course we took some time to check them out.
Maartje checking out Raffa's portfolio book:
One half of the trader hall. Again, a strong focus on scale modeling here, lot's photo-etch stuff, plinths, 1:35 scale bits, etc. There was also a positive side to this: I didn't spend that much money :)
Shapeways showing off some of their cool stuff:
Back in the club hall I was amazed by this guy who made these paper models:
Except for the strings and gun barrels, everything is paper:
Real or not? :)


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Kliph Nesteroff: You started out in a group called The Millionaires.
A month later he gave us our notice. We went up and worked Reno, did a record for Capitol Records - and we were only together for three months! We worked Reno, we worked Tahoe... we had a couple of routines that the owner said, "Look - don't do those routines in the meat of the night because all the gamblers stop. They all can hear you, they stop and they turn toward the stage." It was really an outstanding group. One night the manager came to me and said, "You're having some problems with the group." I said, "What are you talking about? I've never been with a happier bunch!""No, this is happening and that is happening."
They brought the tape in, cued it up. Jerry Goldstein watched about ten minutes of the tape and he went and got one of the writers. He made him watch it. He said, "Cue it back up." He went and got the other writers and the producer Milt Hoffman. Then they went and got Steve Allen and they watched the whole tape. They called me the next day and said, "You have to be on the show." Three days after that I became a regular on The Steve Allen Show.


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Skip to product information
Watch TAZ's dust! That spinning superstar with the short fuse and gigantic appetite! TAZ whirls across Tasmania, hunting for the lost giant seabird egg to make the world's largest omelet! TAZ gobbles up everything! Snacks like chilli peppers really burn up his enemies. The hungrier he is, the wilder he gets. Explosive TAZ blasts through 17 levels of high-energy adventure. He rides waterspouts, skids on ice and whizzes through mine shafts in a runaway cart! Villains from the Warner Bros. hit TV series join the mischief, including the Bush Rats, Francis X, Bushlad, Bull Gator and others.


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Citizens Bank recognized as Adoption-Friendly Workplace by Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
PROVIDENCE, R.I. September 14, 2016 – Recognizing Citizens Bank's commitment to helping colleagues build or add to their families through adoption, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has awarded the bank top honors as an Adoption-Friendly Workplace. Citizens ranked first among financial service companies and second among all companies recognized by the foundation. This is the ninth time that Citizens has been named to the list.
Citizens is proud to offer adoption-related assistance to both colleagues and customers. For colleagues, the company offers both financial assistance — as much as $23,400 toward eligible adoption expenses and fees — and up to one week of paid leave per adoption. For customers, Citizens provides financing solutions for families who plan to adopt children through a unique partnership with the National Adoption Foundation.
"We are pleased to be recognized once again by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption," said Susan LaMonica, chief human resources officer, Citizens Bank. "Adopting a child is an exciting but complex process. Our industry-leading adoption benefits and resources give colleagues the time necessary to bring a child into their family and assist with the high cost of adoption."
Adoption-Friendly Workplaces are determined by an analysis of financial assistance and paid leave available to families who adopt, based on surveys completed by employers. Breakout lists are available noting America's top 100 adoption-friendly employers, the top 10 by size, and the leaders in each industry.
"We're committed to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions from foster care, and commend all employers who support families – especially those that grow their families through adoption," said Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Foundation. "We are so grateful to every company that has adoption-friendly benefits in place, and we're honored to recognize them as an Adoption-Friendly Workplace."
More information about the recognition can be found at adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org. More information about the Citizens Bank/National Adoption Foundation partnership can be found on the bank's microsite.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation's oldest and largest financial institutions, with $145.2 billion in assets as of June 30, 2016. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers "bank better" with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides wealth management, mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates through its subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania as Citizens Bank, Citizens Commercial Banking and Citizens One. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.
About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 130,000 children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Created by Wendy's® founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grant making. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.
SOURCE: Citizens Financial Group, Inc.