text:
Bri is an amazing wellness coach. For the past 90 days she has been helping me understand my potential and self worth. Along with setting and understanding how to achieve success in goals whether it be long term or short term. With her help and guidance I was able to reach all of my set goals!
Along with goal setting she gives you the tools that you need to help with daily stressors. Ranging from breathing techniques such as the 5,5,7 (I'm still using this daily) and anchors. We usually know what already helps us but she assits in bringing them to the forefront.
All in all, I would HIGHLY recommended Brianna if you are looking for a wellness coach! She has and amazing spirit and energy and will always keep it real. Thank you Bri for all the amazing work.
Peace and blessing,
Torri M
A Path That Met Opportunity
My name is Evangelist Carolyn W. G. Barnett a.k.a. "Pastor Carolyn." I am also a retired coach. Let me tell you; yes, I am also the mother of Brianna Guyton of Yoga Bay, LLC. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and experiencing heart failure has been a whirlwind, and a true "faith walk" in hope. Wow, I'm still walking!
Facing health challenges can be overwhelming, both emotionally and physically painful, and lonely. Nevertheless, my process was greeted with an opportunity when my daughter, Brianna of Yoga Bay, asked me to be a part of her coaching practicum for 90 days. Not understanding what I was in for; however, my desire to support my daughter in her endeavor as a "Life Coach," coupled with my desire to lose 15lbs, and to continue to feel better, I got on board.
Even in moments of vulnerability, I was encouraged to include new foods. I was reminded to take my time to chew and enjoy my food which translated for me to slow down, to enjoy my life; do something a little mischievous but not too dangerous that's that "critter brain." Be in the moment and breathe, breathe, breathe "5, 5, 7." As a spiritual leader, often our focus is on others, but through this "Life Coaching" experience with Yoga Bay, I was encouraged to acknowledge the many small things I had accomplished. These small accomplishments known as "hinges" that inched my way to more desired habits that brought about my consistent weight loss over the 90 day period. Consequently, of course, I loss the additional 15lbs, I am feeling healthier, and I am very optimistic about what my future holds for me. Already, Yoga Bay, LLC is a "Life Coach" of coaches!
Carolyn W. G. Barnett
Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
Nemiah's Vision
Hi Bri,
Today I just wanted to let you know how very much I enjoy my time in your classes.
You are a very talented and caring instructor. You are constantly "keyed in" on each of your participants and their individual needs/limitations.
I appreciate you and look forward to my time in your classes.
*Testimonial from Community classes held at Kemeny Recreational
Brianna Guyton's Level Up Health Coaching program is 3 months that you are dedicating to holistic improvement of your mental, physical, and emotional health. Bri lights up any room she walks into and her energy and enthusiasm is contagious. She taught me about my health, she helped me devise specific steps to improve my wellbeing, and then she got me excited to take those steps. Over the course of my 3 months with this lovely woman, I was able to stop being afraid of food and start appreciating it for its true purpose - to give me energy. I lost 5 lbs and was excited to go do more than the typical treadmill morning run. I started kickboxing and rock-climbing and dancing on a weekly basis, despite feeling that I had no time. Bri will help you understand your priorities and true desires - then, she will help you do what it takes to achieve your core goals. She starts you on a journey that will take up the rest of your life, and she does an incredible job doing it.
Julia Ketelhut


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Welcome to the Louisiana Legislature Log's coverage of the 2012 Regular Session, with the listing of the good, bad, and ugly prefiled bills. Starting next week, updates will come on these on a weekly basis, as well as selective coverage of committee and floor action on them.
THE GOOD: HB 9 by Rep. Tony Ligi would require forfeiture of pension benefits to an employee who committed a felony associated with job performance but would retain it for their surviving family (related bills: HB 10, HB 42, HB 43); HB 13 by Rep. Kirk Talbot would halt the loophole allowing grandfathered part-time employees (including state legislators) from getting service credit for full-time retirement after this year (related bill: HB 21); HB 14 by Talbot would prevent most state retirees from drawing a pension and being re-employed or drawing additional benefits; HB 44 by Rep. Patrick Connick transfers the Crescent City Connection police to the state; HB 46 by Rep. Kevin Pearson would allow the Legislature's web site to be used as its official journal for notification of retirement legislation (related bill: SB 21); HB 53 by Pearson would raise the retirement age at full pension for many state employees under the age of 55 to 67 (related bill: SB 51); HB 55 by Pearson would extend the computation of pension from a three-year to five-year average for many state employees (related bills: SB 7, SB 47); HB 56 by Pearson would increase by three percent the employee contribution rate for many state employees into their retirement plans related bill: SB 9, SB 52); HB 60 would merge the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana and the Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (related bill: SB 46, SB 56); HB 61 by Pearson would create a cash balance system for many new state hires (related bills: SB 17, SB 26, SB 53); HB 87 by Rep. Neil Abramson would create a committee to study recommendation of a constitutional convention and set procedures for one if authorized; HB 88 by Rep. Bob Hensgens would prohibit any deduction made by the state on behalf of another organization to be used for politicking; HB 89 by Ligi would make public hearings regarding collective bargaining matters by legislative bodies; HB 95 by Rep. Cameron Henry prohibits cash benefits paid by the state under means-tested social welfare entitlement programs to be withdrawn in cash and prohibits the use of such benefits in liquor stores, gaming establishments, and sexually oriented businesses (related bills: HB 340; HB 525); HB 128 by Hensgens would require secret ballot elections for union organizing elections; HB 148 by Rep. Jim Morris encourages deadbeat candidates to pay up on municipal violations before they can qualify for offices; HB 209 by Rep. Franklin Foil would reduce by one the longest hours open in the nation at polling locations; HB 270 by Jim Morris would make legislators and officials put in writing requests made with agencies for a specific expenditure of public funds; HB 275 by Rep. John Schroder would allow university systems to increase tuition and existing fees without legislative approval (related bill: HB 299); HB 292 by Rep. Steve Pugh would bypass recalcitrant school boards in giving citizens of all districts the chance to vote in term limits on board members; HB 297 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh would reduce the corporate income tax; HB 307 by Rep. Frank Hoffman would prevent smoking near entrances and exits of many buildings (related bill: HB 378); HB 314 by Rep. Johnny Bertholet would get rid of useless boards and commissions; HB 379 by Rep. Joe Harrison would change a loophole allowing detained juveniles to count towards benefits receipt by families in public housing; HB 380 by Rep. Sheldon Mack would prevent drug abusers from drawing certain cash welfare benefits; HB 390 by Rep. Simone Champagne would place term limits on state elected single executive offices; HB 392 by Jim Morris would not force the state to spend money by earning from the Budget Stabilization Fund; HB 395 by Rep. Thomas Carmody would prevent management boards from circumventing spending plans made by the Board of Regents (related bills: HB 396, HB 727); HB 549 by Rep. Brett Geymann would limit state expenditure growth to six percent annually (related bill: HB 550); HB 553 by Geymann would place better priorities on state spending (related bill: HB 554); HB 632 by Rep. Steve Carter would remove existing tenure eligibility for teachers hired after July 1; HB 677 by Rep. Alfred Williams would give local governments greater salary flexibility; HB 707 by Schroder would strengthen educational accountability; HB 711 by Pugh would require candidates for office file all paperwork regarding previous campaigns; HB 850 by Rep. Henry Burns allows for the privatization of existing prisons (related bill: SB 465); HB 851 by Rep. Dee Richard would prohibit nursing home owners or administrators from assisting residents in voting (related bill: SB 137); HB 877 by Richard would eliminate the dated and unnecessary provisions for voting for displaced individuals; HB 927 by Harrison would at least start consolidating higher education governance boards; HB 933 by Carter brings accountability and coordination to preschool (similar bill: SB 581); HB 942 by Rep. Tim Burns would create improved appellate provisions and enforcement for ethics laws (related bills: HB 950: SB 392; SB 414; SB 432); HB 974 by Carter would create a more coherent and efficient personnel system in public schools; HB 976 by Carter would allow private school tuition to be paid up to a certain level by the state for students suffering in fair-to-substandard public schools (similar bill: SB 597); SB 85 by Sen. Danny Martiny would limit uses and uses of funds from traffic cameras (related bills; HB 773; HB 871; HB 873; HB 968; SB 102; SB 174; SB 424); SB 125 by Sen. Barrow Peacock would gradually reduce income tax rates (related bill: SB 302); SB 129 by Sen. Dan Claitor would require legislators to report information about scholarships empowered to be awarded by them; SB 217 by Sen. A.G. Crowe would clarify nondiscrimination statutes; SB 227 by Sen. Fred Mills would create a more efficient money-follows-the-person system for indigent/disabled health care; SB 269 by Peacock would limit the ability of local jurisdictions to raise funds by passing through taxes as franchise taxes (related bill: SB 273); SB 565 by Sen. Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb would make artistic sales of prisoners awaiting execution of a capital sentence go to victim reparations; SB 590 by Pres. John Alario would increase fiscal flexibility by striking a number of unnecessary separate dedicated funds from law; SB 593 by Alario would extend protection of life; SB 603 by Sen. Conrad Appel would restrict counterproductive personnel actions by school board.
THE BAD: HB 68 by Seabaugh would expand needlessly the number of deputies for the low-demand job of constables in Caddo Parish; HB 100 by Rep. John Bel Edwards would encourage legislative micromanaging of establishing teacher evaluation standards; HB 127 by Rep. Herbert Dixon would throw the baby out with the bathwater in allowing personnel actions against employees by employers unrelated to the business merely because the employee smokes; HB 130 by Rep. Pat Smith needlessly restricts qualifications to serve on the Board of Pardons with its different function than the Board of Parole; HB 165 by Dixon would reduce the ability of the executive branch to coordinate in the area of education policy; HB 187 by Rep. Truck Gisclair would expand the definition of lobbying and government regulation thereof to have it apply to people trying to persuade the public; HB 196 by Rep. Bryan Adams that would raise the nation's highest homestead exemption even further; HB 212 by Richard that would restrict too much post-legislative employment in the executive branch (related bills: HB 244; SB 132); HB 327 by Richard would reduce indiscriminately the amount of state contracts let; HB 328 by Richard would reduce indiscriminately the number of state employees; HB 337 by Richard would obscure the politics involved in redistricting at the state level; HB 351 by Rep. Roy Burrell would place needless restrictions on private schools; HB 358 by Rep. Karen St. Germain would encourage indiscriminate government spending by indexing certain taxes; HB 483 by Rep. Jeff Arnold would give a needless salary increase to judges; HB 525 by Rep. Regina Barrow would force secondary educational institutions to provide students as free servitude; HB 546 by Geymann would inhibit reform of dedicated expenditures and needlessly complicate the budget process (related bills: HB 547, HB 548, HB 551, HB 552); HB 573 by Rep. Barbara Norton would introduce the discredited concept of comparable worth into employment law (related bills: SB 189; SB 568; SB 577); HB 603 by Dixon would increase the chances of electoral fraud; HB 691 by Rep. Helena Moreno would needlessly duplicate existing state employee law (related bill: SB 100); HB 717 by Rep. Jeff Thompson would dedicate money to a bowl game; HB 780 by Harrison would anti-competitively require signal carriers to carry all local television stations; HB 811 by Norton would degrade the idea of citizen, part-time elected officials by mandating employers give them leave for meetings; HB 820 by Smith would mandate sex education in the schools over objections of local districts; HB 834 by Norton would degrade school accountability efforts by dropping testing requirements (related bill: HB 901); HB 848 by Rep. Marcus Hunter would allow those whose families don't pay taxes to support higher education to get similar tuition rates as those who do; HB 943 by Rep. Ray Garafalo would make an exception to the journal of record requirement when it should be abolished; HB 953 by state Rep. Walter Leger would stop the cost-effective merger of the civil and criminal courts in Orleans Parish; HB 962 by Rep. Robert Johnson would prohibit cost-savings measures relative to prisons without legislative approval; HB 963 by Johnson would prohibit cost-savings measures relative to provision of health benefits to state employees without legislative approval; HB 964 by Rep. Jim Fannin would make the overbuilt and maldistributed system of higher education worse by merging Louisiana State University Shreveport into Louisiana Tech (related bill: SB 527); SB 23 by Sen. Elbert Guillory would increase the unfunded accrued liability by handing out pension increases too generously (related bill: SB 25); SB 41 by Guillory would increase the unfunded accrued liability by creating a minimum payment in addition to existing pension payments; SB 106 by Sen. Rick Gallot would give free space to legislators at state maintenance costs; SB 131 by Sen. Eric LaFleur would delay needlessly strengthened evaluation measures of teachers; SB 285 by Sen. Robert Adley creates yet another special fund for a special local interest; SB 328 by Sen. Sharon Broome would allow for a waste of legislative resources in having an estimate about poverty reputedly related to a bill; SB 374 by Sen. Karen Peterson would eliminate a requirement to encourage comprehensive and accurate science teaching; SB 411 by Sen. Jack Donahue would tempt lax fiscal policy by making it easier not to refill the Budget Stabilization Fund (related bill: SB 415); SB 445 by Peterson would eliminate cost-effective means for delivery of education by charter schools; SB 537 by Peterson would restrict unduly use of savings in health care delivery; SB 552 by Peterson would create unnecessary reporting requirements; SB 584 by Peterson rather than supplementing would replace the current clear and concise school accountability reporting system with a more complicated and less clear regime; SB 609 by Sen. Edwin Murray would halt the consolidation of the criminal and civil courts in Orleans Parish.
THE UGLY: HB 23 by Seabaugh would have the state buy a car for the Caddo Parish Juvenile Court; why can't the court come up with the estimated $7,600, and why do state taxpayers have to foot the bill; HB 256 by Rep. Andy Anders increases to as much as $200 a day payment to members of a hospital board in a rural parish; why potentially pay so lavishly for a part-time job; HB 428 by Rep. Ledricka Thierry would permit a survey of minority-owned businesses by the Department of Insurance; why is this trivia intended to clutter state law; HB 597 by Rep. Gregory Miller would give a driving allowance to a clerk of court; why is this necessary; SB 39 by Alario would allow a new levee district to join a state retirement program; the state has been paring these back and this would just encourage crating more of them;SB 247 by Sen. Gerald Long would create yet another technical/community college; SB 324 by Sen. Jonathan Perry would give a driving allowance to a clerk of court; why is this necessary; SB 405 by Sherri Buffington would codify a specific new local fire department official into state law; why is this necessary.

subset: commoncrawl


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can't decide what to do
Hey, I'm really looking for an advice that can help me out. Well, I'm 17 and he is 18. We were together for a year and i had to leave to my country, so he asks me to continue our relationship, i didnt really know what to say so at the end i agreed and told myself why not ? whats the harm? But the harm and effect is massive on me and on him as the time passed by. I kind of broke up with him after half an year doing it. He also moved to UK. I heard form his friend that he is going to Beijing to see his parents during the summer holidays. There was a thing in my head popped out why dont i go to beijing too as we first met there. Pretending that i didnt know he was gonna be there. We saw each other and the feeling came back and he tells me that i could stay in his house until i go back. So i moved in and stayed with him for 5 days. Over the nights we talked about everything and he cries telling me that he couldnt get over me and he still loves me i loved him too but i have a huge ego and tried to hide it for some days and slowly letting it out. THEN again he tells me to do the long distance relationship, without even considering i said ok again. We were doing so fine for about 2 months and then i told him i might go to USA for college.He was shocked and kind of pissed because i was supposed to go to UK at the end of the year for university.We gradually stopped talking and one day he tells me let's just be friends and if we are really meant to be we will meet somehow. I just collapsed when i heard it even though i knew eventually this was gonna happen. Since then we talk here and there and he still tells me that he loves me and told me that he is also going to USA and will find me there. And also convincing me not to date anyone until we meet. Well surprisingly its going by his plans and im still single we flirt over the phone and i even told him i love him still.But its like whenever i try to move on or decide to he just pops out out of nowhere and texts me. So its really hard should i just believe in us and be as we are now texting occasionally or just put everything behind and move on ? Thank you =) P>S since the second break up none of us dated anyone we are still single or did anything physical.But before the 1st break up i cheated on him a lot and he knows it but he forgave me.
Thanks for writing.
I think you need some time on your own to figure out who you are and what you want. It sounds like this guy is making all the decisions, and kind of stringing you along. If you give yourself some space from this guy, and allow yourself to date some other people, you might find that you like someone better than him. You might find that someone treats you better than he treats you. You might find that you don't need a guy in your life, that you're just fine on your own!
There's no rush, right? Travel, go to school, do what you need to do and set your own goals based on what you want to do.
Things will fall into place. Anything can happen as time goes on, but you can't base your life on what someone else wants or expects from you. You make decisions for yourself.
Hope that helps!


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For over forty years, California Catering has been the benchmark for excellence in banqueting in Rome and Italy.
The high quality of the service, the love and care in the selection of the ingredients, the competence of the kitchen and floor staff as well as the wide choice of accessories and materials that make our style stand out, have allowed California Catering to establish itself as one of the most prestigious companies in the sector, proud of serving leading companies such as Bulgari, Hermes, Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Mercedes and many other prestigious corporate customers.
Research, passion and attention to detail have determined the success of our company during its long history; a result that has given us over the years the pleasure and honour of organising private parties and receptions for illustrious personalities from the world of politics, industry, sports and entertainment who have acknowledged the certainty of exclusivity and the accurate refinement of the detail of California Catering.
The love for challenge and creativity combined with experience, style, education and the structural capacity to implement the concepts and ideas proposed by our customers, are reflected in the management of every small or big event and allow us to propose tailor-made solutions for any kind of occasion.
Every kind of event: from gala dinners to team building, we guarantee it will be a success.
From food to set-ups, from time schedule management to the obsessive care of aesthetics.
Your private events, large or small, will remain indelible in the memory of your guests.


text:
Give the gift of a great education
Educational opportunities are limited in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while in Canada we have an embarrassment of riches—some of the best secondary and post-secondary schools are here, all teaching to world-class, globally recognized curricula. The Anderson Family Foundation has sponsored three students who are currently studying in Canada: one is completing her high school education, one is learning to fly commercial planes, and another is enrolled in a culinary arts program, on her way to becoming a chef. We'd like to bring more. There is some preference given to young people looking to gain skills and experience in industries that are key in the islands: tourism, transportation, hospitality, and the trades. That said, education should be about dreaming, too, so we're keen to further a young person's growth in that regard as well. We believe that all education can have a positive effect, not only for those actively engaged within it at any specific moment. For more information, contact us for details and opportunities. Tax receipts are provided for all donations made in Canada or the United States.
" … it is an honour to be a part of your plan/dream/vision. While it may be next to impossible to measure the true impact that an independent school education will have on these young people, I am confident that the world will be better because of it."
—Theresa Butler-Porter, Lakefield College School Foundation
The KIBO Project
Basic literacy and numeracy are important, though to thrive in secondary and post-secondary academic environments, students need more than that. They need to have experience with collaboration, and to be able to engage with others across the various curricular areas. That's why STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) or its latest iteration, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) instruction is so important. Schools in North America have the resources to offer that kind of instruction, including labs, digital resources, and creative design facilities. (A great example is the one recently launched at Bishop Strachan School in Toronto.) Schools in SVG don't. While we can't conceivably bring full-blown design facilities to the islands, there are resources that we can deliver that will help kids gain the same kinds of experiences and build the same kinds of skills. One that we like very much is KIBO Robotics. It was first developed in 2007 at Tufts University, in partnership with the National Science Foundation. The goal was to build a developmentally appropriate, portable robotics lab for young children in Pre-K through Grade 2. It's been piloted in Canada to great effect at Ridley College, where we visited to see it in action. Bringing KIBO to Bequia is an opportunity to raise the level of instruction, and to get kids working together, at an early age, excited at the prospect, and gaining a foundation in those core STEM skills: collaboration, creative thinking, logical thinking, and coding. A basic classroom set includes 5 KIBO kits and related instructional material, including workbooks, assessment rubrics, and classroom displays, at a cost of $2500. So, there's a lot of bang for the buck. Contact us to learn more about how you can help us build this and other STEM programs in the islands.
The Bequia Chromebook program
Chromebooks are a relatively efficient and cost-effective way to deliver learning resources to island schools. Dell has extended a discount, realizing a cost of $280CDN per device. A gift to fund one or more Chromebooks will have an enormous impact on the school's ability to teach the basics, effectively creating a levelled, curriculum driven library where there wasn't one before. They also allow students access to a full suite of online tools, with age-appropriate online safeguards. For them, that's huge.
To provide Chromebooks to schools in the Caribbean, contact us for details. Tax receipts are provided for all donations made in Canada or the United States.


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Sunday, December 23, 2007
Rather Happy
[ZOMBiE CyGiG] ranted at 10:09 AM --- Post#1148078762700703405
Been rather happy these few days. Dunno why also. Perhaps cos
- 4NTM ending lor!
- Christmas and New Year coming, festive season
- Feb 19 got relative gathering, sure got uber nice food
- Workplace politics seemed to settled down for now
- My windpipe infection and in grown toe nail is getting better
- Nice DS games recently (Phoenix Wright 3, Geometry Wars, COD4, Zelda, Warhammer 40K, Dementium The Ward)
- Rainy weather! No sun! yea!
- Some counseling from friends
- Bonded certain grp of ppl in wksp due to recent politics
- New Gunz Claymor Clan member: Wei Long!
I read this book, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. It had been years since i read any story book. This book was recommended by Lam in Bugis Kino.
Nice book, nice in a way the narrator shared certain similar character traits like me. He tends to be highly analytical, everything is logic first, without considering other human relation factors. He dun like crowds, he dun like to talk to strangers. He uses diagrams to aid in his explanation. He uses simple english to convey and break down complicated situations. He likes to use lists and tables. Hmmm, i tend to be liddat at times. After reading, as usual, i went to the net and check out some xtra info. Actually the narrator suffers from Asperger syndrome. I tot..wow.. at last im better than him ba, maybe im suffering from Asperger syndrome, who knows?
I was surprised at a point of the book, where Christopher (the narrator), described how he remember things. He says his mind is like a DVD, where there are SEARCH, FORWARD, REWIND, PLAY and PAUSE functions. He can virtually command his brain to search from a particular scene in his memory and play back to review. He can pause and he can tell the details in that frozen moment. Unlike tape, he can do a random seek on a DVD, meaning to say he need not bother about other un-related memories when "rewinding".
The way i tot human brain work is similar to his concept. Perhaps my brain is like Windows or Mac or Linux or another other OS. From what u see and hear and interact (the input signals like those from keyboard or mouse or webcam) everyday, u form libraries in your brain. From each event that happened, the analysis and details will be extracted and stored in this database. And when a similar incident happen your brain will search this database for the most relevant record and from there the brain will take reference on how to react. This is what ppl call Experience. The more record in the database, the more complete and comprehend the database will be. The more experience u got and u will know how to react fast and accurately.
And as time passes, you will be able to upgrade your OS by yourself. By editing certain behavior of yourself or changing certain variables. U may even adopt different thinking algorithm or change the way u analysis what u see and hear.
In real time, You can toggle on and off certain functions. Like u can lower your vigilance when you are at home cos you know you are safe. When u are in a place u dun like, u can disable environment analysis so u dun care whats happening around you, whereas when u out for a photog trip u must enable it so u can take nice shots by interpreting the environment and looking for nice spots to shoot.
Anyway i gtg now for lunch. Do read the book! I willing to lend anyone if u ask from me. Bye.
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Geoff Ryan
Geoff Ryan is a Major in The Salvation Army, continuing a family tradition that goes back four generations. Following a year-long assignment in the First Nations village of Gitwinksihlkw in Northern British Columbia, Geoff and his wife Sandra were appointed as members of a six-person team sent to reopen the work of The Salvation Army in the Soviet Union following a 70 year absence. Three years of service as a church leader in St. Petersburg was followed by six years in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. Geoff's final two years in Europe was spent as The Salvation Army's Regional Officer for Southern Russia, a position that included oversight of operations in nine cities and relief efforts in the war-torn Republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya.
Returning to Canada in the summer of 2000, Geoff accepted responsibility for The Salvation Army operations in Regent Park, an inner-city neighbourhood in Toronto's downtown eastside. Regent Park is home to the oldest and largest housing project in Canada. Since the opening of 614 Regent Park in the spring of 2001, this faith community has become a model for other inner city missions around the world. The 614 network presently includes over 20 active faith communities in under-resourced urban neighbourhoods in six countries.
Geoff has spoken at numerous international events for the Salvation Army and other events and conferences across Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Africa and Europe.
Geoff's training and background is in graphic design and journalism. He has written extensively for various publications, published five books of essays and edited a book of academic papers. He is the coordinator of the 614 network (www.614network.com), co-founder and publisher of theRubicon, an online journal of thought and opinion (www.therubicon.org) and the convener and event leader of the bi-annual Urban Forum (www.theurbanforum.com).
Geoff is President of the Kiwanis Club of Toronto and works part-time at The Salvation Army's national office in Toronto as a field-based consultant for urban ministries.
In addition to playing in a men's indoor soccer league, Geoff drinks way too much coffee, is fascinated with politics, has two tattoos, is a magazineaholic and enjoys hanging out with his three children.


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The FAA issued a Safety Alert for Operators calling attention to the possibility that a pilot of an Embraer Legacy, EMB-135 or -145 might inadvertently change VHF radio frequencies or place the ATC transponder into standby mode during flight.
During an investigation the FAA discovered that crewmembers who had the simple habit of placing their shoe on the footrest just below the instrument panel could inadvertently put the ATC transponder into standby mode, or change radio frequencies without the crew's awareness. Further, they found that pilots might not notice the corresponding indication on the Pilot Flight Display due to the white colored letters, which are not as noticeable as differently colored caution or warning indications. (FAA)


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Watch Lady Gaga's New Years Eve Performance
Only in Times Square, and only on New Years Eve could Lady Gaga dress like an oddball and fit in perfectly. Mother Monster headlined a night of New Years Eve performances with typical fanfare, knocking out "Heavy Metal Lover" and "Marry The Night" on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Watch Gaga emerge from her black sequined octopus costume to reveal that she's singing with her head inside a giant ball. 3… 2… 1…
Lady Gaga, "Marry The Night" / "Born This Way"
Lady Gaga, "Heavy Metal Lover"
After her performance, Gaga slipped into a white Versace costume (with matching eye mask) and joined New York mayor Michael Bloomberg to trigger the annual dropping of the ball.
Whose performance rocked your New Years Eve? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.


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Another perspective that hits the nail on the head,
(Still in the Grave a/o October 2008)
A Repeat & Update
The following article was originally released for publication in August of 2002 by John S. Lyons, President of J. Lyons Fund Management, Inc., an investment advisory firm founded in 1985 to use active management principles to manage retirement money for clients.
John Lyons shared his investment views on a business program on WCIU-TV in Chicago for 20 years as well as in other national and local publications. He is a charter member and current member of the board of directors of NAAIM (National Association of Active Investment Managers)., a professional group of registered investment advisers managing assets for clients using dynamic asset allocation, market timing, sector rotation and other active strategies. Collectively, its members manage an estimated $14 billion in assets.
Schooled in all areas of investment during his career, Mr. Lyons has served on boards of directors of both public and private companies. Additionally, he has been active in international real estate investing. He is a graduate of Duke University. J Lyons Fund Management's offices are located at 310 Forsythia Dr., Deerfield, IL 60015. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Buy and hold, buy and hope, buy and fold. As much as it is inevitably destined to fail, "buying and holding" has been the "road most traveled". Investors have been hoodwinked by the Wall Street establishment into believing that one must be completely misguided not to employ buy and hold.
Despite the fact that buy and hold would have worked well over the entire period from 1982 through February 2000, very few investors ever experience success with it. That is the essence of the problem with this investment technique. It makes sense in the classroom but has little chance of aiding the vast majority of investors in practice.
Yet, buy and hold investing is espoused by mainstream Wall Street, and as a result, by the financial press and the grass roots financial planning community. It is one of those beliefs whose mythical success is unchallenged simply due to its popularity and ease of use, not because of its objectively proven efficacy.
Update: One has only to ask themselves now in October of 2008 as on many other dates in history the following. "Whether the market comes back in the next few years or not, wouldn't I feel better if I weren't sitting here with a portfolio down as much as 40%?" I don't care if you're 20 or 70 years old, ask the same question. It seems to be popular Wall Street wisdom that younger people don't mind getting beaten up in the market as much as older people. I don't think so. They just may be not as frantic .
Why the popularity…
The reasons for its popularity (buy-and-hold) are basically two-fold. First of all, it best serves the bottom line of Wall Street brokerage firms and mutual fund companies. These firms have but one overriding objective and that is to "gather assets" and then to have those assets be the source of income generation which will obviously impact their bottom lines. Despite the fact that this goal by itself is noble enough, the problem enters when it becomes incompatible with good investment advice such as "go to cash and do nothing". To give a client such advice would risk stopping the income stream as well as losing the client altogether.
Secondly, buy and hold is popular because it really doesn't take any investing acumen to employ it. That is basically why most individual investors adopt it as their own strategy.
Additionally, the thousands of financial planners in this country who take a year or a two year long course to get their credentials for the most part have no experience in managing investments. When they decide that managing money would be a good revenue source along side their financial planning, "buy and hold" is not only the most obvious choice, it is the only choice they might be capable of even attempting. While one may learn much about the intricacies of estate planning and taxation from correspondence courses or in a classroom, I maintain that to come to grips with investment markets, literally years of experience are required.
Update: While financial planners might be excused for not having the tools to try to protect investors, Wall Street can not be. Most firms have market analysts and technical analysts and have had them for decades. I imagine these analysts cringe when their firm's message to investors is to just passively run headlong into the regularly occurring bear markets- and then not having the stomach to open their monthly statements for a few years. No, the state of investment tools is beyond not being able to protect clients. There is more to it than that. Needless to say, we don't have to discuss here how important it is to retain investor's assets in order to make year end bonuses on Wall Street ?
The debate…
The argument over market timing versus buy and hold- investing rages constantly. My intent is not to urge investors to attempt market timing themselves without the extensive experience and time commitment needed to develop a sound, unemotional system. Without such preparation, the chances of success in such an endeavor is very low. Rather, it is meant to inspire them to carefully consider the advice they are receiving - that the only way to invest is to buy and hold - and to take the time to carefully consider other investment counsel. Those who say market timing can't be done usually fall into one of three categories or a combination of them: those who never tried to do it; those who tried and failed and those who have a vested interest that prevents them from being objective about it. It would seem obvious at this stage of the market's decline that buying and holding is a failure, however, its proponents continue to march into the jaws of investment destruction with proud suicidal tenacity.
Update: The term "market timing" predates the bastardizing of that process by Eliot Spitzer, the now disgraced ex-governor and former Attorney General of the State of NY. He used it incorrectly to label trading foreign mutual funds the prices of which weren't current with the closing prices of the stocks within (a perfectly legal endeavor, by the way). The correct definition of "market timing" is determining when the market risk is too excessive to warrant investing or low enough to accommodate investing. We should know as we were among the pioneers in developing that process back in the early-mid 70's.
During this past bull market, investors really shunned the stock market until at least 1992. Even by 1992, they only started sticking their toes in the water. This chart clearly shows one reason why buying and holding doesn't work - the investing public puts the least amount into the equity market at lows – see 1982, and the most at highs – see 2000.
Moreover, in January and February of 2000, at the exact top of the market as measured by the major weighted averages, investors put an amazing, record $94.5 billion into equity funds. That buying frenzy total compared to $18 billion in the same two months one year earlier. Such a manifestation of emotional investing is certainly an example of what drives investors.
Similarly, investors that bought heavily – and they did - at the top of the great bull markets ending
in 1968 (as can also be seen on this chart) and in 1929 would have had to weather a decade or more of declining years, backing and filling years and recovery years just to get back to even. Such patience to "hold" for that period of time is rarely encountered in the real, non-academic world, I'm afraid.
Now, the same challenge awaits those involved in the buying frenzy that culminated in the months of January and February of 2000. It is pure foolishness to expect or to counsel investors to endure that experience. Those who suggest that buying and holding is the way to investment success would do well to take a stroll through the real world. While that technique may have a chance for success with the comatose investor, it does not have a chance for the vast majority of investors who happen to have the misfortune of being affected by human nature.
In fact, these instincts that elicit buying high and then holding constitute a foolproof formula for disaster. Unfortunately, these ubiquitous, psychological aspects of investing that manifest themselves as fear and greed entirely escape proponents, academic and otherwise, of buy and hold investing. Not addressing such reality subverts any chance of success for unwitting investors.
Investors who do hold from one bull market to the next own yesterday's heroes One of the ancillary benefits of market timing is that it allows one to periodically "refresh" ones portfolio. An examination of any bull market will reveal that its best performing companies, as well as its largest companies in terms of both assets and market capitalization, will not be the same leaders in the next. In other words, the hypothetical buy and holder will end up holding a portfolio of stocks that represent yesterday's heroes rather than today's. An examination of the past once again reveals that.the Polaroids and Xeroxes of the bull market that ended so badly in 1973-74 never did regain their luster and in fact many have flirted with financial ruin.
Update: Examine the shooting stars of the high flying Nasdaq tech market now that we have perspective regarding that period of the 90's. Many of them have completely disappeared and even the performance of the super heroes like Microsoft, Intel, JDS Uniphase were investment shadows of their former selves during the 2003-2007 bull run. I suspect that the Apples, Googles, Research in Motions etc that have been recent crop of heroes may never attain such attractiveness again.
Buy and hold does not address the most important principal of investing – at least the most important principal according to Warren Buffett, myself and many other investment professionals who have experienced the investment management process – and that is not to lose money.
Studies have shown that approximately 70-75% of the risk in a stock or a mutual fund can be labeled market risk. Only 25-30% is non-market risk. What that says is that far and away the greatest reason for a stock to move up or down is the direction of the overall market. That fact coupled with the absolutely pathetic job done by Wall Street analysts in getting investors out of stocks prior to devastating declines makes assigning a high priority to timing a no-brainer as the source of investment assistance.
Be fully aware that not only will security analysts provide little help in the all-important task of determining when to sell, but, quite obviously, corporate officials will not admit to problems within their own firms until it is too late. Although there may be a brief effort to reform both Wall Street and corporate insiders from their failings in light of the travesties of recent years, to expect those changes to be long lived is the height of wishful thinking.
In seeking an investment adviser, the first question that an investor should ask a potential advisor is "how will you protect my portfolio from significant losses?". If the answer is indefinite and can not be backed up by clear evidence of success for some period of time historically, the investor should, without hesitation, go on to the next candidate.
Update: None needed.
In summary…
When examined with objective scrutiny, market timing, if practiced well, is a superior technique to buying and holding. First and foremost, its goal is to protect a stock market participant from incurring injurious losses that buy and holders are inevitably going to suffer because no such protection is even attempted. Almost equally as important, by reducing or eliminating exposure to declining markets, the necessity is eliminated for an investor to have to make decisions while under the pressure produced by having incurred substantial losses and still facing more.
Investors, as well as most advisers, typically have no benchmarks to guide them as to the amount of risk present in the market. As a consequence, they always perceive too much risk at times they should be buying and not enough risk when they should be selling, and I would underscore the latter. Throughout the ages, with any investment vehicle, be it tulips or real estate or stocks,
investors have always have had the most difficulty in determining when to sell. Perhaps the most important goal of market timing is to gain such guidance. So unless the laws of human nature are repealed, finding timing advice to accompany one's investment moves should be an investor's highest priority. It will seem counter to the crowd to do so, but being successful in investing requires a contrarian's mindset. As with other endeavors in life, if you find the road that you've chosen to take, the one that is most traveled, it might be well to rethink the route on which you find yourself.
Final Update: After 40 years as a professional investment assistance provider of one form or another - and that includes 20 years discussing the subject with viewers of my business TV program in Chicago - I have concluded that there is one dominant problem with investors attaining good investment results. Yes, there are a lot of advisors of one type or another that do a poor job and yes, investment markets, including the real estate market, contrary to recent opinion, are worthy adversaries. However, the most prominent reason for poor investment performance is that people don't put any real effort into finding help. The problem may especially appear daunting to those who know nothing about investing but doing nothing is not an alternative. Common sense and recognizing that investing is not a "get-rich in a hurry" endeavor is what's needed for starters.
Copyright 2012. Permission to copy granted when attribution is included.
Study Points to More Dependable Returns from Active Management
Summary: The risk of selling and moving out of the stock market often focuses on missing good days and hurting overall returns. However, investors have an equal chance of missing a bad day and increasing returns. Since the best days often follow the worst days, back to back, it is statistically more likely that if an investor missed one he will miss the other. This updated study looks at the outcome of missing both the best and worst days.
Prescott, AZ - Moving into 2012, stock market averages are just coming off of a challenging year for investors, including those that actively trade their holdings.
Concerned investors looking for a better way will see articles and commentary telling them to stay fully invested and not to try to "time" the market. After all, runs the most common theme . . . What if you miss some of those very good days because you are out of the market?
The 2012 update to an ongoing study by Hepburn Capital Management, LLC confirms that missing the best days of the market really doesn't matter, if investors also miss the bad days.
The S&P 500 stock index averaged 6.81% annual return for the 25 years ending December 31, 2011, the HCM study shows.
If you happen to be the unluckiest investor on earth, and you miss just the 10 strongest days over that 25-year period, your return would have dropped to 3.67%. Move out of the market and miss the 20 best days and you end up with only 1.65% gains, and miss the 40 best days over 25 years and your average gain drops to a negative 1.62% per year, explained Will Hepburn, president of Hepburn Capital Management. "Clearly it doesn't pay to be unlucky."
The luckiest person around might miss the 10 worst days in the market, instead, and boost their average returns to 10.89%. If you are on a roll and miss only the 20 worst days your returns jump to 13.55%, and if you are lottery-winning kind of lucky and your streak has you out of the market for the 40 worst days in 25 years your returns will soar to 17.74% annually, Hepburn explained.
But how likely to actually happen is either of these scenarios? Not very. Statistically, missing only the best or worst days of the market is virtually impossible. History shows that the best days tend to closely follow the worst days. Sometimes they occur back to back. So if an investor misses one, chances are he will miss the other, as well.
"What happens to an investor's returns if one were to sit out for both the worst days and the best days?" asks Hepburn. "Remarkably, average annual returns actually increase and become more consistent at the same time. Our study shows that if one were to miss both the 10 worst and 10 best days the resulting average returns are 7.78%. Miss both the 20 worst and best, and annual returns become 8.14% and dodging the 40 worst and best days creates returns of 8.52%."
S&P 500 – 25 Years Ending Dec. 31, 2011– Average Annual Return 6.81%
Miss the Best
Miss the Worst
Miss Both Best and Worst
10 days
20 days
40 days
Source: Hepburn Capital Management 2012 Study
The earnings difference gained by missing the 40 best and worst days produces an annual rate of return, 8.52% compared to the buy and hold return of 6.81% , an increase of 1.71% which may not sound like much until you consider that this is an earnings increase of over 25% - from active management of the investment.
The reason that missing both best and worst days both increases one's returns and dramatically reduces volatility is that the worst days in the stock market tend to be much worse than the good days are good. Throw in the math of gains and losses and the case for risk management becomes clear.
If you lose 10% you must have an 11% gain to break even. A 50% loss requires a 100% gain to return to breakeven making it much more important to avoid a large loss than make a gain of the same amount.
Although past performance does not assure future results, the Hepburn Capital study illustrates the point that investments actively managed for risk reduction may provide added potential benefits compared to a passive buy-and-hold approach, including more consistent returns and lower principal fluctuations.
Hepburn also points out that it's also much easier to deliberately miss the worst days of the market, because they rarely occur in isolation, but rather follow steadily deteriorating market values.
"Before you make up your mind whether or not it makes sense to actively manage your assets, you have to look at both sides of the argument. And you have to realize that no trading system is going to be perfect. But the good news is you don't have to be. Simply reduce losses and you don't need eye-popping gains to exceed a buy-and-hold position. That's what the buy-and-hold argument conveniently overlooks."
Will Hepburn is a private investment manager who specializes in active investment strategies. He is President of Hepburn Capital Management, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor, and a Director of NAAIM, the National Association of Active Investment Managers (www.NAAIM.org) He may be reached by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com, by calling (800) 778-4610, by writing to 2069 Willow Creek Road in Prescott, AZ 86301, or by visiting our web site at www.HepburnCapital.com
The returns provided above are historical and shown for purely illustrative purposes. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index and individuals cannot invest directly in the index. No consideration is made of costs that would have been incurred to actively manage a portfolio of S&P 500 stocks. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.


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The Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), during which time the Mongols dominated China, was one of great distress for the Chinese. For the first time in their history, the entire country was under foreign control. With the abolishment of civil-service examinations, the traditional government career of the scholar-gentry class was eradicated. The literati retreated to their homes and supported themselves through painting. The Yuan dynasty thus represents a break in the continuity of Chinese landscape painting. A time of nostalgic return to the past, it also saw the emergence of new directions in the function of painting, which became not just representational but a means of self-expression.
Zhu Derun was a distinguished man of letters and one of the finest painters of the Yuan dynasty. Zhu's conservative style of rendering rocks and trees is drawn from the early landscape masters of the tenth century. Starting at the right, the composition begins with a thatched house in a clearing among mountains and trees; inside a man sits reading, the head of a woman visible through a right-side window. Continuing left, a path leads across a bridge to a village in the middle ground and then to distant mountains, which recede into the mist. A traveler approaching the bridge, accompanied by his servant, is returning to his home. In keeping with the innovative character of Yuan-period works, Zhu has skillfully combined two Northern Song (960–1127) modes of landscape painting. The sharp, spiky depiction of the gnarled trees follows the manner of the tenth-century masters Li Cheng and Guo Xi, while the soft, round forms of the rocks spotted with rich, black dots of vegetation are painted in the manner of two other tenth-century masters, Dong Yuan and Ju Ran. The theme of the scholar-official returning home to withdraw from the troubles of the world is common in Yuan painting, a reaction to the traumatic mood of the period.


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Microsoft's latest piece of hardware, the Surface tablet running Windows RT, has been placed on the surgery bed and was given a full dissection by the fellows over at iFixit. While they were able to tear it apart completely, it wasn't an easy feat, and they came across some obstacles along the way.
The whole process begins with removing the rugged kickstand from the tablet, which is actually held in place by torx screws. Of course, there are a whopping 17 torx screws that hold the entire device together, but once those are out, you'll be able to carefully take off the rear panel, which is only attached to the rest of device by a small ribbon cable.
The battery is glued onto the rear panel, but it's easier to remove than the iPad. Plus, all of the small components like the speakers, connectors, and ports come out fairly easily. However, some components, like the camera, couldn't be removed until the motherboard was taken out. The top of motherboard obviously is home to the main circuitry like the CPU, graphics, and flash memory, but the bottom consists of the smaller features, like the WiFi antenna, the ambient light sensor, and a couple of microphones. Everything that deals with the touchscreen display is on a completely separate "daughterboard."
Removing the display takes some work. It requires a heat gun, some guitar picks, and "plenty of patience." Just like the iPad, the LCD and the glass are fused together and strongly adhered to the casing, making it a rough repair if the display breaks down. Overall, iFixit gave it a 4 out of 10 for repairability, which isn't great, but it's certainly not as bad as the third-gen iPad's 2 out of 10 score.
Story Timeline
Microsoft Surface gets complete teardown is written by SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


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Από τους New York Times:
Mr. Simons, who earned an undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley, worked as a code breaker for the United States Defense Department in the 1960s and is widely considered one of the most successful hedge fund managers in the world. His investing strategies are based on sophisticated mathematical models developed by his staff. Forbes magazine ranked him as the 214th wealthiest person in the world last year, and said he had a net worth of $4 billion. He earned $1.7 billion in 2006.
Το αφιερώνω σε όλους τους «αδιόριστους μαθηματικούς» που ονειρεύονται μιά θεσούλα στο ελληνικό δημόσιο :)


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Night shift responded to the obviously drunk guy walking home from the bar at 5:26 in the morning. He was at least drunk enough to call the police on himself while hallucinating.
Upon arrival, they found a very sober male walking eastbound on Center Ridge near Maddock Rd. from the actual Amtrak train station in Elyria, not the bar. Oh, and he was being followed by a pig.
Yes, a pig.
Ptlm. Kuduzovic managed to wrangle (I think this is the correct word to use) said pig into his cruiser and he is currently secured in our pig pens…..er, dog kennels. Whatever.
You'd have thought we would have learned our lesson after the kangaroo incident.
Is this real life?
Also, we will mention the irony of the pig in a police car now so that anyone that thinks they're funny is actually unoriginal and trying too hard.
Have a great day.
UPDATE 8:23am: THE PIG HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ITS OWNER.


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Since we returned from Uganda a week and a half ago, it has been go-go-go, non stop editing. The journalism media lab has become our second home- I even took a power nap on the couch in the girls bathroom yesterday.
This is my first real exposure to film editing, and three things that I can say for certain is that making a movie is…
-very complicated
-very time consuming
-very, very fun and rewarding.
The process is basically one giant puzzle. You need to look at all the pieces of film and figure out how they are going to fit together. Since we had 14 people all running around Uganda with cameras, we ended up with a lot of film (we're talking close to 130 hours of it…) Our final version of the documentary will most likely be around half an hour long, so it is quite the challenge to pick out the most important and compelling clips and pieces that will help us tell the story.
Although it is an incredibly technical process, and it's true that mere fractions of a second can make all the difference, I have been surprised to discover how much of the editing process is intuitive. Sometimes, you just know what clips you need and how to arrange them, and the sequences seem to almost create themselves.
Ever since Tim first showed us the principles of editing, I have not been able to look at any video the same way. Movies, commercials, T.V. shows, Youtube videos- it is now impossible for me to watch these without noticing the editing behind it. I have become convinced that the editors of movies are the true movie stars. And what's the best mark of a good editor? That their hours of cutting, arranging, and re-arranging fit together so seamlessly that the viewer doesn't even notice the changes.
For instance, in this trailer for the next Harry Potter movie, there are close to 100 different clips of video (I counted 89, but some of them were too fast for me to even notice.) In addition to that, they are compiled in a way to go in time with the music and create drama, suspense, and most of all, anticipation. Now that is magical.
I'm also starting to realize that there are few things as satisfying as watching the final video project come together- the fruits of our labor. Although we have only seen rough cuts of the film, and Tim and Peter havn't come in and fixed all the super technical aspects yet, it really feels like a movie! This footage of the sights and sounds of Africa are no longer trapped inside a camera or computer; they are part of a documentary, ready to be shared with the world.


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The ad promoting tourism to the US seemed innocuous enough, but Family Research Council president Tony Perkins warns that the advertising campaign is being used to "highlight same-sex attractions." The Discover America ad highlights diversity in the US, including a song by Rosanne Cash and images of an interracial couple, two Muslim women in a city and people celebrating the Hindu festival Holi. But Perkins is peeved by its attempt "to celebrate homosexuality" by featuring a man with his arm around his partner on a bus for almost two seconds.
Perkins claimed that the ad depicts "a country of radical values and backwards priorities" for including "so much cultural baggage":
A new batch of U.S. travel ads should send some leaders packing–permanently. Hello, I'm Tony Perkins with the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. In 236 years, America's never had an international tourism ad. So when Congress passed the Travel Promotion Act, people thought it'd be a great chance to highlight American attractions. What they didn't know is that it would highlight same-sex attractions. That's right. The commercial invites people to America-not to see the Grand Canyon, but to celebrate homosexuality. In one scene, a gay man is sleeping on his partner's shoulder in a trolley. The actors said they were specifically recruited to add a "homosexual presence" to the commercial. According to Brand USA, the ads were supposed to "open up some minds as to what America really is"-which, based on this commercial, is a country of radical values and backwards priorities. I suppose this is part of the President's push to "rebrand" America. It's just too bad he used a travel ad to feature so much cultural baggage.


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Although in the Extremely Rare series, this 18-year-old sherry-finished malt is one of Glenmorangie's core bottlings. At 43%, this is a full-bodied, oily whisky with intense aromas in the fruit and spice sector. The sherry is modestly present.
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Powax is a Creative HTML5 one page template best suitable for creative agencies, studios, digital design agencies or other similar business. Powax will help you to make any website like creative startups, professional photographer, portfolio agency or other business very easily as it has been coded in Bootstrap and CSS3.
- HTML5 & CSS3 Validated
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- Detailed documentation
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Note: All images are licensed to their respective owners so these are used for demonstration purpose and not included in the download.


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Beijing 2007
apartment block near the new US Embassy in Beijing - 2006 Beijing 2007
Hou Ha is a man made lake, NW of the Forbidden City—the largest of three consecutive lakes lined with willow trees and surrounded by a rambling maze of hutongs, shops, and cafes. All the bars were not there in 2002 when these photos were taken, as they are to-day (2009).
.http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/places-of-a-lifetime/beijing-walking-tour-1.html Beijing 2007


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It comes as no great surprise that I heard absolutely nothing from home affairs yesterday.
My father in law will harass them again today.
We went to a parents evening at my son's school last night. It was just a general welcome / info session for new grade 1 parents.
The head teacher gave a fairly long and thought provoking (I hope) speech about our children's education, and apparent lack of interest / apathy that parents seem to have these days with regards to raising their children. She didn't pull any punches, which I think is great, because it seems these days that people try so hard not to offend, that nothing useful ever gets said, and it's the human race that ends up suffering for it.


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Atlanta, GA | Posted: September 4, 2018
Melissa Moore
Georgia Tech Campus Services
Summary Sentence:
Kristaps Berzinch is a Campus Services Student Employee Spotlight for Spring Semester 2018
Full Summary:
Kristaps Berzinch is a Wreck Techs team member who has gone to extraordinary lengths to provide excellent customer service. For this service and much more, he was awarded the Campus Services Student Employee Spotlight for Spring Semester 2018.
Kristaps Berzinch is a Wreck Techs team member who has gone to extraordinary lengths to provide excellent customer service. For this service and much more, he was awarded the Campus Services Student Employee Spotlight for Spring Semester 2018.
"Kristaps is the exact model employee we are always looking to hire," said Daniel Zealy, IT Support Professional Sr for Campus Services Information Technology Group.
"He is a natural leader with a strong passion for helping students and also has a wide field of technology expertise."
Many Georgia Tech students, especially residential students, are familiar with the Wreck Techs. This group of mostly student employees provide free Housing technology support for all sorts of equipment, including televisions, telephones, computers and other devices as well as Internet support.
Daniel has more to say about Kristaps:
"Kristaps has been a part of the Wreck Techs team for two years and was quickly promoted to our leadership team after only one year. He is currently our expert on wireless internet and network troubleshooting making him the go-to employee for any unique internet problems within Housing. He also plays a large role in a variety of areas including hiring, training, and other projects for the Wreck Techs.
"Kristaps is not only extremely knowledgeable when it comes to technology support, he is also a pleasure to work with. He is very passionate about providing top-level support to our residents as well as streamlining our processes. The most extraordinary aspect of Kristaps is that no matter the time of day or night, he is always checking in to make sure our employees have what they need and that the residential network is performing as it should. He will consistently go out of his way without being asked to make sure we are providing the support our program strives for. Whenever a project or issue arises, we can always count on him to lead our team to success without hesitation.
We asked Kristaps to familiarize us with what makes him a Georgia Tech student and Wreck Techs member. He told us:
Position at Campus Services Department
Year in School
How long have you worked in this position?
What are your duties in this position?
What do you like best about working in this position?
How has this position helped you?
What have you learned working here?
The Georgia Tech campus network is a complicated system, and learning to troubleshoot even the small corner we're responsible for has been a unique experience.
The leads also do a lot of the legwork for hiring new employees, so we get to see a lot of job applications and a lot of resumes. Being on the other side of the hiring process really shows you what to do and what not to do.
Favorite Book?
Favorite Restaurant/Food?
Favorite Spot on Campus?
Favorite Quotes?
What do you like to do on the weekends?
Who is your favorite professor and why?
What is your favorite class and why?
Tell us about some organizations you're involved with on campus.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
What would people be surprised to know about you?
Favorite TV show?
What will you miss most about Tech after graduation?
What are your plans after graduation?
Is there anything else we should know about you?
Thanks, Kristaps, for all you do and have done for Georgia Tech. We appreciate it and are happy you have received the Campus Services Student Employee Spotlight!


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What Does an Anointing Oil Recipe Contain?
One recipe for anointing oil combines ingredients referenced in Exodus of the Bible and includes quantities of olive oil, sugar, salt, allspice seeds, cloves and cinnamon sticks. An optional mixture combines frankincense, myrrh and pine oils of balsam. A citrus-based spiritually uplifting anointing oil is made from combining the oils of lemon, lime, sweet orange, dark myrrh and frankincense.
Another anointing oil recipe that induces a sense of cheerfulness is made from essential oils including sweet orange, sweet basil, cedar, lavender, lemon, cyprus, marjoram and rosemary. Some anointing oils are used as a massage oil. A homemade recipe for a soothing massage oil combines ingredients such as eucalyptus, frankincense, lemongrass, Siberian fir, either olive or almond oil and fragrant Ylang Ylang. This formula is rubbed on sore or aching muscles for relief. A fragrantly robust anointing oil called "More Than Conquerors" blends together the essential oils of coriander, galbanum, cinnamon bark, Rose of Sharon, cedar, honey absolute and frankincense.
Carrier oils are an important ingredient in anointing oil recipes. Popular carrier oils include olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil. Oil balm base is an alternative carrier oil. It is unscented and ideal for using with scented essential oils. Oil balm base contains a mixture of carrier oils and beeswax.


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A science article reports the latest estimate of the age of the Universe as 13.7 billion years, "give or take a few hundred thousand years." Now that's a long time. In addition, this news has now penetrated the Jello Curtain, as I'm quoting this AP story from the SL Trib. The story summarizes cosmic inflation and pre-inflationary quantum fluctuations as a key to the present lumpiness of the Universe as we know it. Not only are stars clumped into galaxies, but galaxies come in clusters or sheets too — a fact that was particularly hard to explain at one time. As summed up by a Columbia physicist quoted in the article, "Galaxies are nothing but quantum mechanics writ large across the sky.''
The extraordinarily ancient origin of the Universe isn't just some theory dreamed up by theoretical physicists. It rests on observation and analysis of the cosmic backround radiation that comes from all directions of the sky. And to tie this in to one of the B'nacle's perennially popular topics, a very old universe is a key requirement for a viable theory of evolution. One of the many 19th-century criticisms of incremental evolution as proposed by Darwin was that the Earth simply wasn't old enough. For example, the redoubtable Lord Kelvin, using a thermodynamic model, estimated the age of the Earth to be 100 million years old. Old, but not old enough. By contrast, present estimates put the age of the Earth at about 4.5 billion years, 45 times longer than proposed by Kelvin and plenty of time for evolution to work its gradual magic.
Now I know there are a few conservative Mormons out there (you know who you are) who view modern cosmology and biology as just a form of sophisticated heresy. I don't know quite what to say to these folks — preaching science doesn't seem to have any effect. Maybe preaching Mormon scripture is a better approach. D&C 88 is a good place to start:
[H]e hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons. And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth. ... The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory .... (D&C 88:42-45, punctuation modified)
This divine endorsement of a universe governed by natural law concludes, "[A]ny man who hath seen any or the least of these hath seen God moving in his majesty and power" (D&C 88:47). Later, Mormons are counseled to "teach ye diligently ... of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth" (D&C 88:78-79). That's a pretty friendly perspective on astronomy, biology, and geology, disciplines at the foundation of the whole scientific view of man and the Universe. There are no Galileos in the Mormon closet. BYU even has a working planetarium on the top floor of its science building.
Now there are some who think the scientific view of the universe excludes God and leads necessarily to despair and existential angst. I suppose it happens, but I dispute the "necessarily" part. People lose hope or spiral into depression for all kinds of reasons. Again, LDS scripture gives a blueprint for grafting Christian hope onto a natural universe: "Worlds without number have I created [says God], and I also created them for mine own purpose," which is later defined as "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:33, 39). Even more upbeat (from the cosmological perspective) is the following LDS scripture, a truly amazing passage considering it was made almost a century before Edwin Hubble figured out the Universe is not limited to the stars grouped together in our own galaxy, but is composed of what came to be recognized as millions upon millions of these "island universes."
The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man. But they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come, and there is no end to my works, neither to my words. (Moses 1:37-38, punctuation modified)
I'm not one to try and match details of scientific theory to details of scriptural accounts, but the scope of the age and extent of the Universe as depicted in the quoted passage does capture the sense of the age and incomprehensible vastness of the Universe as observed and expounded by modern science.


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The library provides a high quality of service to its customers because of your support in the form of gifts and donations. There are multiple ways of donating to the library.
To donate online to the Fort Smith Public Library click here. Please visit the following pages to see options for donating to the Friends of the Library or Endowment Trust.
Materials For The Collections
The library gladly accepts books and other materials, or donations for the purchase of materials, so that the public has access to items the library might not otherwise be able to purchase.
Gift books or other materials need to meet the same criteria as other additions to the collection and are integrated into the regular library collection for use by all library users. Donated materials that do not meet the needs of the library will be sold at the Friends of the Library book sales. Proceeds from the sales are used to buy new materials or equipment for the library.
Tax Deduction & Credits
Donations accepted by the library, the Friends of the Library, or the Endowment Trust are tax deductible. While the library cannot determine the value of your donated materials, there are several helpful sources to check values of donated materials.
Honor with Books
Donations may be given in memory or recognition of someone you wish to honor. This is a lasting gift to the community. Library staff will work with you in selecting materials that are both relevant to the person being honored and appropriate to the collection. Books will be marked with a special bookplate acknowledging the donation. A card of thanks will be sent to the donor and cards of acknowledgement will be sent to family members or other appropriate groups or individuals. Click here to access the Honor With Books form.
How it works:
- When you visit smile.amazon.com and select the charitable organization of your choice, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to that organization.
- Bookmark AmazonSmile and support the library every time you shop.


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We hope you like the redesign of our blog. Yes, in some ways it looks a lot like the old design. The header is the same. The books run down the sides. The blog posts run down the middle.
But, wait, the "tabs" are different, aren't they? Instead of a long list of random features, we now have six topics you can click on. We hope these will help people find out about us and our books more easily.
We also made our book links smaller, those that run down the left and right sides of the blog, but you can still read a short description and go straight to Smashwords or Amazon. Besides that, we added the tab, "Books by Genre" which will take you to pages sorting our books into types and giving you more information about each title. Another new tab is called "reviews", and you can go there to see what people are saying about the books, rather than just hearing what we have to say about them.
The tab that might be the most confusing is "COA". That is our abbreviation for the Conflict of the Ages project. Click there and you'll see our "magnum opus", our attempt to create homeschool curriculum covering "the world and all that's in it". This is an ongoing project. It began with Antidisestablishmentarianism, which was supposed to be just an introduction, and has two modules finished so far. Number three, "They Deliberately Forgot: The Flood and the Ice Age", is in the review process, and updates will be made there as time goes on.
If you're less interested in the books and more interested in the blog itself, the list of all the blog posts is also still up there in the header. If you'd like to search for a post or a topic, we have added two new ways to do that. One is the "search the site" function on the left above the Smashwords book links. Type in "I hate religion" and you'll get the post about Jefferson Bethke and his viral video. Type in secular humanism and … well … You'll get a lot of posts, since that's the main topic we talk about.
On the right side, above the Amazon links, you'll see "Categories". Here you can see how we've organized the posts in the blog based on the main subject a post was about. You can use this just to see what we wrote about in one of those categories, or to search for a post that you "kinda remember what it was about", but can't quite find it.
Please let us know what you think about these new features. We are anxious to help people find what they're looking for and to make your visit to our blog a more pleasant and profitable time. We can't guarantee you'll like everything we say, but we do hope we've made it easier to make your way around.


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What protocols can PT ISIM freeView Sensor analyze?
The DPI module included in PT ISIM freeView Sensor can analyze and generate decoded events for the following protocols: IEC 61850 MMS, Siemens S7 (STEP7), IEC 60870-5-104, Modbus TCP, Profinet DCP, CIP (EtherNet/IP), Spabus, OPC DA, FTP, Telnet, DHCP, ARP, TFTP, DNS, ICMP, HTTP, SNMP. Besides, use of the following protocols is detected: BITCOIN, BITTORRENT, DNP3, IMAP, IRC, JSON/RPC, LLMNR, MOXACMD, NBNS, NFS, NTP, POP3, RADMIN, RDP, RFB, RTSP, SIP, SMB, SMTP, SOCKS5, SSH, TLS, ZABBIX. Other unknown protocols are registered as connections over TCP or UDP.
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KaosCombinatorics is a .NET library that provides classes for generating combinations, k-combinations, multicombinations, k-multicombinations, permutations, k-permutations, and products that are ordered and ranked. These sequences of integers may be used to permute (rearrange) other lists of... More information
- 26,177 total downloads
- last updated 4/14/2017
- Latest version: 5.0.0
KaosCollections is a .NET library that provides generic collection classes for storing elements that are both sorted and indexed. Two of these classes emulate Microsoft's SortedDictionary and SortedSet while delivering superior performance and greatly enhanced capability. Also included are sorted... More information
- 7,467 total downloads
- last updated 2/16/2018
- Latest version: 4.1.0


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As mentioned in the previous article, there are advantages and disadvantages to pitching your small business: on one hand, this is not a one-time, 12 minute presentation that is soon over; a small business owner must be prepared at all times to present because your potential clients are typically locals like
As mentioned in the previous article, there are advantages and disadvantages to pitching your small business: on one hand, this is not a one-time, 12 minute presentation that is soon over; a small business owner must be prepared at all times to present because your potential clients are typically locals like yourself, and that proximity means that you will likely see them in the neighborhood. On the other hand, having access to your prospective customers locally is a major convenience. Let's look at some other important aspects of small-business pitching.
If you are not a "people person," then I doubt there is much I can say to help you in this area, but being a reflection of your small business is critical, nevertheless. Living and working in a community means that you, as a person, will be inextricably tied to your business – you are a reflection of it, and it of you. In a community, many people will know who you are and so you should remember that you are always representing your business, whether you are working or not. Be open and interactive with the community as much as you can, because that is where business connections are made for small business owners.
Know Your Potential Client
Another advantage to pitching your small business locally is that you have the opportunity to learn a great deal about potential clients. Does Bob across the street drive a Prius or a Corvette? Does he dress formally or casually? Does he prefer rock-climbing over television? There are many observations one can make that can lead to figuring out what someone's values, priorities, and goals are, which can inform how to approach them with a business offer down the road.
Save the Hard Sell
Sales pressure is a last resort move, an act of desperation. If someone on the street is selling trinkets, it is likely they only have a few seconds to pitch their wares and will probably never see that person again – this leads to a hard sell approach. As a small business owner in a community, however, sales pressure is the last thing you want to do. People do not like being pressured and you are likely to alienate people you will probably see again. This is not a reputation that one wants to establish, and since you can usually afford to make your pitch over time, there is no hurry. Curry favor with potential clients, and when the time is right, perhaps mention that you can offer them a special deal if they are interested.
Spreading Your Brand
Also mentioned in the previous article was the importance of promoting your small business brand. Printed materials with one's small business logo on them are particularly influential in your surrounding community because of the proximity to the actual business. Cross-promotion is a valuable tool in the corporate world, and it can be equally important for a small business brand, particularly when you are dealing with other small businesses: All things being equal, if you have a stack of brochures, flyers, or business cards for another small business on your customer counter, and they do the same for you, both small businesses have effectively doubled their exposure. In this way, your small business community becomes less like many separate entities and more like a cross-promotional pool of businesses that rely on and support each other for the greater good of all.
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Contact PEFY.net printing business of Vancouver, Washington to
discuss how we can help your small business with ours!
PEFY.net is proud to call the beautiful Pacific Northwest our home, and our advanced environmentally-friendly practices reflect that. From soy-based inks to the latest in toner technology that leaves almost no eco-footprint, green is not just a color to us – it is a commitment.
Related Reading:
Just in the Neighborhood: Small Business Presentations (Part 1 of 2)


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Crack vs Cocaine: What's The Difference Between Crack & Cocaine?
Cocaine is an often abused drug, derived from the coca plant, and it's found in both powder and rock forms. While the powdered form of cocaine is simply referred to as cocaine or coke, the rock form is often referred to as crack or crack cocaine.
Crack vs Cocaine
Cocaine is a hydrochloride salt in its powdered form, while crack cocaine is derived from powdered cocaine by combining it with water and another substance, usually baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). After cocaine and baking soda are combined, the mixture is boiled, and a solid forms. Once it's cooled and broken into smaller pieces, these pieces are sold as crack.
The name crack derives from the crackling sound that is produced when the drug is heated and then smoked, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Research. Since crack is so highly concentrated, it is extremely addictive. While not common, it's possible for a person to become addicted to crack after just one use.
Cocaine and crack certainly differ in appearance. Cocaine is generally found in white powder form, and crack is found in a rock form that is generally white, cream, tan, or light brown. Crack and cocaine also differ in the manner in which they are used. Cocaine is typically snorted, and crack is typically smoked.
Another difference between crack and cocaine relates to the high produced. The intensity and duration of the high largely relate to how the drug is taken, per the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Generally, when cocaine is injected or smoked, the drug takes effect more quickly, resulting in a more intense but shorter high. When cocaine is snorted, it takes longer to feel its effects but the resulting high lasts longer.
According to a clinical pharmacist, cocaine and crack produce very different effects in the body, largely related to how they are usually administered. When cocaine is snorted, its effects occur in about 1-5 minutes; they peak within 20-30 minutes; and they dissipate within 1-2 hours. The effects of crack take hold in under a minute, peak in 3-5 minutes, and last 30-60 minutes. If cocaine is injected, however, the effects begin, peak, and last for about as long as crack. While injection is not the most common method of cocaine consumption, it is used by some people.
According to the National Study on Drug Use and Health, in 2008, there were 1.9 million cocaine users, of which 359,000 used crack.
Effects and Risks of Crack vs. Cocaine Use
The effects of crack can be variable due to the uncertainty of the purity of the cocaine used to manufacture it. This only adds to the seriousness and unpredictability of smoking crack. The effects of crack use are similar to cocaine use although often more intense. They include:
- Euphoria
- Heightened alertness
- Dilated pupils
- Decreased appetite
- Increased heart rate
- Intense cravings
Smoking crack causes these effects to take hold more quickly and intensely than cocaine because crack is absorbed through the membranes of the lungs, entering the bloodstream and the brain within 10-15 seconds. As such, the risk of overdosing is extremely high, leading to convulsions, coma, and death. Symptoms of crack overdose are rapid heart rate and hyperventilation.
Long-term effects of crack use include mood changes, irritability, restlessness, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.
It is easy to develop a crack or cocaine abuse problem because the drug in both forms is highly addictive. As such, issues with withdrawal often arise. Symptoms of withdrawal include:
- Agitation
- Intense cravings
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Extreme fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Suicidal thoughts
Who Uses Crack, and Who Uses Cocaine?
A 1/8 ounce of cocaine (3.5 grams), or 8-ball, may cost between $120-150, while a 1/10th gram of crack, or a rock, may cost between $10-25. Cocaine is expensive to buy on the streets. Crack was developed as a cheaper alternative to cocaine, making it more easily affordable to users. As a less expensive alternative, it became more accessible to those in the lower socioeconomic demographic. These people had less disposable income available to spend on drugs, but they were seeking options to get high. This brought crack use to low-income and minority communities. By the 1980s, there was an epidemic of crack use in these communities.
As a result, there is a public perception that cocaine is associated with more affluent drug users, whereas crack use is associated with those in lower income brackets and minorities. Despite this widespread belief, information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that in 1991, the majority of crack users were Caucasian.
Generally, those who want a more intense, faster, cheaper high are attracted to crack. Some people begin with cocaine use and then transition to crack use when the habit of cocaine use is too expensive to maintain.
Historical, Legal, and Criminal Disparity
Before 1986, federal laws treated crack and cocaine the same. News coverage during that time reported a crack epidemic, according to Newsweek, stating that crack was "the most addictive drug known to man." The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 enacted a five-year minimum sentence for a first offense of possession of at least 5 grams of crack. The same law also required possession of at least 500 grams of cocaine to reach the same five-year minimum sentence. This began the so-called "ratio sentencing;" it took 100 times the amount of cocaine as crack to earn a mandatory minimum five-year sentence.
Passage of this act immediately resulted in the prosecution of many African American males who were caught with as little as 5 grams of crack. Since these men often resided in low-income neighborhoods, crack was more readily available due to its ease of production and low price.
African Americans became the criminal targets of the crack epidemic. Most defendants in crack trials were African American while those in powdered cocaine trials tended to be Caucasian or Hispanic. In 2002, African Americans represented more than 80 percent of those charged with crack offenses.
This created racial and social disparity in the legal process that endured until the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which eliminated the five-year mandatory minimum sentence and increased the amount of crack necessary to result in the minimum sentence.
The Act also changed the crack-to-powder-cocaine ratio regarding the amount required to impose an equal sentence from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1. While the disparity in sentencing is still great at 18:1, it is significantly reduced.
The average prison terms for crack was 115 months, while the average prison sentence for cocaine was 87 months.
Cost of Cocaine Addiction
Find Crack & Cocaine Addiction Treatment Near Me
Resources Used
- http://www.drugpolicy.org/drug-facts/cocaine-and-crack-facts
- http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-are-long-term-effects-cocaine-use
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000793.htm
- https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/08/03/data-show-racial-disparity-in-crack-sentencing
- http://www.ussc.gov/report-cocaine-and-federal-sentencing-policy-1
- https://www.aclu.org/node/17576