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Perth is one of the largest cities in Australia. Much of the city, which the writer Bill Bryson named as being the most isolated city on earth, is located on the Swan Coastal Plain. There is so much to see that car hire in Perth is great for those wanting to explore the metropolis, as well as the fascinating countryside that surrounds it. The area was inhabited by the Whadjuk Noongar people for 4, years before European settlers arrived, and there's plenty of history to discover by hiring a car in Perth and checking out the country.
Perth is known as the capital of Western Australia, and so the retail facilities are top notch. Murray Street and Hay Street are the best places to go for those hiring a car in Perth. There are pedestrian only links to other shopping areas and also to the railway station. Science lovers should consider renting a car in Perth in order to go to the Scitech Discovery Centre, a huge interactive science museum, where you can get hands on and discover fascinating facts. The centre also puts on live science demos, and is linked to the Horizon Planetarium, which is just next door.
Perth is located in some of the most amazing landscapes in Australia. If you drive out of Perth, a couple of hours down the road are the Pinnacles, huge columns of limestone that protrude up from the desert. The Pinnacles look like they belong on the moon, and the sands around them are richly coloured. There are tours available that organise sand boarding on the dunes in the desert. Funnily, the sand gives way to the fishing village of Cervantes, where you can have a spot of lunch. Also close to Perth is the 2,700 million year old Wave Rock, which is incredible both because of its age, and because of its formation.
Opening hours: Mo-Fr 0630-0230, Sa-Su 0700-0230
Address: Airport Dom/Int Terminal
Phone: 08 94794788
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 0700-1800, Fri 0700-1830 Sat 0800-1300 Sun 0800-1300
Address: 475 Murray Street
Phone: 08-93217777
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700 Sat 0800-1200 Sun Closed
Address: 377 Canning Highway
Phone: 08-9319-1222
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1730, Sat 0700-1700, Sun 0700-1200
Address: 130 Welshpool Rd
Phone: 08-94511244
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700 Sat 0800-1200 Sun Closed
Address: 10-12 McDonald St
Phone: 08-9242-2994
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 0800-1800
Address: 215 Great Eastern Highway
Phone: 0429 495 673
The British Collection brings a touch of class to your journey. Relax in a comfortable Land Rover while travelling cross-country, or enjoy the freedom of cruising through the city streets in an ultimately British Jaguar.
Available at Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, London Heathrow Airport, London Marble Arch and Manchester Airport. Book now.
Please note that from 15 Nov to 15 Apr many cities are required by law to restrict the circulation to only vehicles equipped with snow chains or winter tyres. For a summary of the orders, please visit www.poliziadistato.it. To comply with the regulations, in specific locations subject to this requirement, vehicles are equipped with snow chains - the price is included in the rental charges through the cost of "Winterization Fee". At pick-up if you decide to bring your own snow chains or do not intend on driving on the roads subject to this requirement, you may decline the equipment by signing the appropriate release form. This change will be reflected in the rental charges. For more information on the fees, please click here. In all other regions, we recommend that you check before renting if your journey includes one of the roads subject to this requirement and therefore request the snow chains, if necessary.


text:
Quick Cash for Test Strips
Call (800) 979-8220Directions
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Sell your diabetic test strips to someone you can trust. We are the original "quick cash for test strips." We have been serving diabetics nationwide for 6 years. Check out our website for more information.
Service Area
Jackson County, MO

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Clamp holder/reciever
>> The clamp holder/receiver is used to attach the Skipper XS unit and/or tape end to angular surfaces such as door frames, work surfaces and racking. Simply position the clamp in place and turn the screw to tighten.
The clamp holder/receiver can be positioned either horizontally or vertically depending on the desired application.
Width: 140mm / 5.5" Depth: 103mm / 4.1"
Height: 223mm / 8.8" Weight: 205g / 7.2oz


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St. Petersburg Clearwater Airport Parking (PIE)
Find the best place to park and the cheapest parking rates
What Can You Save with AirportParkingReservations.com?
Save Money
Save up to 70% off on our site compared to the cost of on-airport parking.
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Booking a reservation is quick & simple!
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Guarantee your parking spot by booking in advance. Can't make it? Cancellations are free.
Today's Most Popular PIE Parking Lots
Quality Inn & Suites St. Petersburg - Clearwater Airport
|Parking Reservations - Today's Key Info for PIE
|Number of Lots:
|4 Parking Lots
|Best Rated:
|Quality Inn & Suites St. Petersburg - Clearwater Airport
|Most Booked:
|Quality Inn & Suites St. Petersburg - Clearwater Airport
|Closest to Airport:
|Quality Inn & Suites St. Petersburg - Clearwater Airport
Park Sleep Fly Hotels Near PIE Airport With Parking Packages
Red Roof Inn Clearwater Airport
The Red Roof Inn Clearwater Airport offers the traveler a comfortable hotel stay with plenty of amenities and is located just a short shuttle ride away from St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport. Hotel amenities offered include complimentary hotel parking and shuttle transportation to and from the airport, 24-hour business center, outdoor pool, laundry facilities, free continental breakfast, conference space and WiFi all throughout the hotel. All of the rooms at the hotel offer a flat-screen TV with cable channels, room service (limited hours), free local and long distance calls, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board and WiFi. Dining options nearby include Panera Bread, Chick-Fil-A, Little Greek Fresh Grill, Big Storm Brewing Co., Bascom's Chop House and Cracker Barrell. Make a reservation with the Red Roof Inn Clearwater Airport today for a great hotel experience.
Quality Inn & Suites St. Petersburg - Clearwater Airport
The Quality Inn & Suites hotel in Clearwater, FL is located close to Saint petersburg/Clearwater Airport, within short driving distance to Tropicana Field and Clearwater Marine Aquarium. This Clearwater, Florida hotel is only 9 miles away from beaches and within walking distance to a variety of shops and restaurants. Guests of the Quality Inn & Suites will enjoy relaxing in the outdoor pool and hot tub. Free hot breakfast is served daily. Business travelers will appreciate access to a computer with Internet and copy and fax services, as well as free wireless high-speed Internet in all rooms. All guest rooms offer cable television, a coffee maker, desk, refrigerator, microwave, hair dryer, alarm clock, iron and ironing board. Some rooms feature a sofa sleeper. This is a pet-friendly hotel, where four-legged friends are allowed to stay for a small fee. Its perfect location and easy access to area attractions make the Quality Inn & Suites a great place for business and leisure travelers in the Clearwater, FL area. See for yourself by booking a reservation today.
Other PIE Parking Lots
St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE) Airport Parking Reservations
We are pleased to offer St. Petersburg Airport parking options including long term, valet and covered parking.
We work with hundreds of parking lot operators servicing more than 85 major airports in the US and Canada. We continue to regularly add new parking lots and airports to our inventory and we foresee offering even more PIE Airport parking options soon.
Our online parking reservation system is safe, secure and easy to use. Millions of guaranteed airport parking spaces have been reserved in the last decade on this site.
When planning your trip, figuring out where to park your car might be the last thing on the to-do list. At AirportParkingReservations.com, we are here to make finding a place to leave your car the easiest thing on your to-do list. With more than 300,000 reviews you can read through, you can be sure you are getting great service and a great price. We work with more than 85 airports in Canada and the U.S., helping travelers find the right parking solution for their travel needs. From valet to curbside pickup, daily rates to weekly parking, you can count on us to help you find a guaranteed spot at a guaranteed great rate.
In business since 2000, we've been helping to make airport parking a seamless and easy process, it's our our number one goal. Check out our website for more information or to reserve your spot today. You can also download our new app for even more convenience. Make a reservation on your phone and simply show the receipt when you arrive.
St. Pete–Clearwater (PIE) Airport Guide
Address: 14700 Terminal Blvd #221, Clearwater, FL 33762
Advantages of PIE Airport
Many people who purchase economy seats enjoy the low cost of tickets that are available through the different airlines that fly out of St. Pete–Clearwater Airport. It's considered to be a great alternative to flying into TPA - Tampa International to avoid paying a higher price when traveling by air. The airport is smaller in size, making it easier to navigate the facilities and walk to different terminals. This allows passengers to avoid the chaos that can come with flying at a larger airport. Many people can also visit the airport to enjoy watching the air shows that are hosted on the grounds for live entertainment that is appropriate for all ages. TSA lines are efficient at PIE Airport with short lines, which makes it possible to get to your gate quickly without long delays.
Disadvantages of PIE Airport
The ticket counters can be slow at St. Pete–Clearwater Airport and can make it difficult to be on time for a flight. It can also take a significant amount of time to retrieve your luggage in the baggage claim area with waits of up to an hour.
During the summer months, the air conditioning does not run well and can cause the interior of the building to become warm and uncomfortable. The airport also has a limited amount of seating that's available, making it difficult to rest without standing while waiting to board the plane.
The food selection is extremely limited with the number of eateries that are available. The food options are not always fresh and the restaurants are known for having inconvenient operating hours.
Although many of the airlines that fly through PIE Airport sell tickets at a low cost, there are often hidden fees that many passengers do not realize they'll need to pay for when they think they're getting a great deal to fly.
Fun Activities at PIE Airport
Public art is on display throughout PIE Airport and can be viewed by those who want to stay busy while waiting to depart. View the works of Mary Klein, Kelly Taaffe Noto, Greg Jones, and Duncan McClellan throughout the facilities with various pieces that are on display. Visit the airport gift shop to purchase souvenirs and duty-free items at a discount.
You can also look for travel items or souvenirs to take home by stopping by Stellar Gift Shop.
Best Establishments at PIE Airport
Sam Adams Grille is one of the top-rated restaurants at PIE Airport and features spectacular views of Tampa Bay and of the airport, which makes it easy to unwind before a long flight. American cuisine is served throughout the day with seafood, steaks, and sandwiches common staples on the menu.
A full-service pub is also available through the grill on the second floor of the airport for a great place to unwind and order a drink. Those who want to order a fresh cup of coffee or a light salad can visit Shell Key Café with different food options that are easy to take on the go.
Information About PIE Airport
St. Pete–Clearwater Airport offers free wi-fi to guests who want to use their tablet, smartphone, or computer to access the Internet or catch up on emails.
A Visitor Information Center is available to offer travelers information on popular activities to enjoy while visiting Pinellas County with beaches and attractions that are available throughout the year.
Multiple ATMs are available to those who need to withdraw cash before boarding a flight.
Complimentary wheelchairs are offered to passengers who need assistance getting from the curbside to the gate.
Have an opinion on the above or advice for fellow PIE travelers? Tell us on our Facebook page!


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We all know the swine flu jokes...
- "When will there be a mass outbreak of human/avian swine flu? When pigs fly."
- "I think I have the swine flu. I'm coming out in rashers."
- "The only known cure for Swine Flu has been found to be the liberal application of oinkment."
- "Apparently my mate's got Swine Flu, I think he's just telling porkies, though."
- "How do you know you've got swine flu? The thermometer tells you you're bacon."
- "Did you hear that Mexico has become a world power? When it sneezes, the whole world gets the flu."
- "Two buddies are talking and one guy tells the other: "I'm worried my brother's got Swine Flu!" "Why dude?" the other guy asks. "I haven't seen him since late Saturday night when he went home with a pig.""
- "I have the poor mans version of swine flu… Spam flu"
- "I rang the Swine Flu Hotline but all I got was crackling."
- "Why did the pig jump off the tall building? Because he read in the news that Swine Flu!"
- "How can you tell if your wife might be getting swine flu? She starts hogging the bedsheets."
- "Apparently they are worried about a spamdemic of swine flu!!! They think it started as a snoutbreak".
- "I need to get tested for swine flu. I've not been to Mexico, but God knows I've slept with some pigs in my time."
- "I'm getting tired of all this swine flu news. It's just all a big boar."
- "If you develop swine flu, make sure you comply with lockdown or the government will send over the pigs."
- "If you have symptoms of swine flu, then immediately call a hambulance, and go to the hogspital for treatment. Smokers please note it is a non-smoking facility, so you won't be able to have a snout. This could be a false alarm, in which case you can trotter off home, but if the symptoms return, you may need to go to your local farmacy for some oinkment."
But this one takes the cake!!
Afghanistan's only pig quarantined in flu fear
Reuters, Tue May 5, 2009 3:32pm EDT. By Golnar Motevalli.
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's only known pig has been locked in a room, away from visitors to Kabul zoo where it normally grazes beside deer and goats, because people are worried it could infect them with the virus popularly known as swine flu.
The pig is a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan, where pork and pig products are illegal because they are considered irreligious, and has been in quarantine since Sunday after visitors expressed alarm it could spread the new flu strain.
"For now the pig is under quarantine, we built it a room because of swine influenza," Aziz Gul Saqib, director of Kabul Zoo, told Reuters. "We've done this because people are worried about getting the flu."
Worldwide, more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization, which also says 26 people have so far died from the strain. All but one of the deaths were in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.
There are no pig farms in Afghanistan and no direct civilian flights between Kabul and Mexico.
"We understand that, but most people don't have enough knowledge. When they see the pig in the cage they get worried and think that they could get ill," Saqib said.
The pig was a gift to the zoo from China, which itself quarantined some 70 Mexicans, 26 Canadians and four Americans in the past week, but later released them.
Some visitors were not concerned about the fate of the pig and said locking it away was probably for the best.
"Influenza is quite contagious and if it passes between people and animals then there's no need for the pig to be here," zoo visitor Farzana said.
Shabby and rundown, Kabul Zoo is a far cry from zoos in the developed world, but has nevertheless come a long way since it suffered on the front line of Afghanistan's 1992-4 civil war.
Mujahideen fighters then ate the deer and rabbits and shot dead the zoo's sole elephant. Shells shattered the aquarium.
One fighter climbed into the lion enclosure but was immediately killed by Marjan, the zoo's most famous inhabitant. The man's brother returned the next day and lobbed a hand grenade at the lion leaving him toothless and blind.
The zoo now holds two lions who replaced Marjan who died of old age in 2002 as well as endangered local leopards. In all, it houses 42 species of birds and mammals and 36 types of fish and attracts up to 10,000 visitors on weekends.
(Reporting by Golnar Motevalli; Editing by Jon Hemming)


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Global Water Infrastructure Repair Market
WiseGuyRerports.com Presents "Global Water Infrastructure Repair Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025" New Document to its Studies Database. The Report Contain 106 Pages With Detailed Analysis.
This report studies the global Water Infrastructure Repair market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Water Infrastructure Repair market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.
This report focuses on the global top players, covered
Aries Industries Inc.
Atlantis Plumbing
Black & Veatch
Lanzo Trenchless Technologies
Leaks Ireland
Link-Pipe Inc.
Steve Vick International Ltd.
Trelleborg Pipe Seals Lelystad B.V.
Mini-Cam Ltd.
Miya Arison Group
Brandenburger Liner Gmbh & Co. Kg
Contech Engineered Solutions Llc
Lmk Technologies Inc.
Michels Corp.
Craftsman Pipe Lining Inc.
Cues Pipe Inc.
Dalco Services Inc.
Get sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3132651-global-water-infrastructure-repair-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025
Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers
United States
Southeast Asia
Market segment by Type, the product can be split into
Spot Repair
Market segment by Application, Water Infrastructure Repair can be split into
Public Facility
Residentail Building
The study objectives of this report are:
To study and forecast the market size of Water Infrastructure Repair in global market.
To analyze the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for top players.
To define, describe and forecast the market by type, end use and region.
To analyze and compare the market status and forecast between China and major regions, namely, United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Rest of World.
To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.
To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.
To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.
To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market
To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market
To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.
In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Water Infrastructure Repair are as follows:
History Year: 2013-2017
Base Year: 2017
Estimated Year: 2018
Forecast Year 2018 to 2025
For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.
Key Stakeholders
Water Infrastructure Repair Manufacturers
Water Infrastructure Repair Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers
Water Infrastructure Repair Subcomponent Manufacturers
Industry Association
Downstream Vendors
Available Customizations
With the given market data, QYResearch offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:
Regional and country-level analysis of the Water Infrastructure Repair market, by end-use.
Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.
Complete Report Details @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3132651-global-water-infrastructure-repair-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025
Table of Contents -Major Key Points
Global Water Infrastructure Repair Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025
1 Industry Overview of Water Infrastructure Repair
1.1 Water Infrastructure Repair Market Overview
1.1.1 Water Infrastructure Repair Product Scope
1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook
1.2 Global Water Infrastructure Repair Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)
1.2.1 United States
1.2.2 Europe
1.2.3 China
1.2.4 Japan
1.2.5 Southeast Asia
1.2.6 India
1.3 Water Infrastructure Repair Market by Type
1.3.1 Assessment
1.3.2 Spot Repair
1.3.3 Rehabilitaion
1.3.4 Replacement
1.3.5 Others
1.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Market by End Users/Application
1.4.1 Public Facility
1.4.2 Industrial
1.4.3 Residentail Building
1.4.4 Others
2 Global Water Infrastructure Repair Competition Analysis by Players
2.1 Water Infrastructure Repair Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)
2.2 Competitive Status and Trend
2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate
2.2.2 Product/Service Differences
2.2.3 New Entrants
2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future
3 Company (Top Players) Profiles
3.1 Aries Industries Inc.
3.1.1 Company Profile
3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.1.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.2 Atlantis Plumbing
3.2.1 Company Profile
3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.2.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.3 Black & Veatch
3.3.1 Company Profile
3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.3.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.4 Lanzo Trenchless Technologies
3.4.1 Company Profile
3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.4.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.5 Leaks Ireland
3.5.1 Company Profile
3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.5.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.6 Link-Pipe Inc.
3.6.1 Company Profile
3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.6.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.7 Steve Vick International Ltd.
3.7.1 Company Profile
3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.7.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
3.8 Trelleborg Pipe Seals Lelystad B.V.
3.8.1 Company Profile
3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview
3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions
3.8.4 Water Infrastructure Repair Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)
Media Contact
Company Name: Wiseguyreports.com
Contact Person: Norah Trent
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 646 845 9349, +44 208 133 9349
City: Pune
State: Maharashtra
Country: India
Website: www.wiseguyreports.com


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KITCHENER, ONT. — Google Inc. is expanding its Canadian footprint and putting down deeper roots in the heart of the country's technology capital.
On the same day the Mountain View, California-based technology company officially cut the ribbon on its new office in Kitchener, Ont., the search engine giant announced a new funding partnership with the University of Waterloo.
As part of a new research award, Google plans to donate as much as $900,000 to the University of Waterloo over the next three years for research into "context-aware mobile social networking."
For Google, the Kitchener outpost near the University of Waterloo is not only the company's Canadian research and development headquarters, but also one of the company's most important recruiting outposts in the quest to acquire the top talent coming from one of Canada's top universities.
The University of Waterloo — along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh — has become one of the company's top recruitment centres, with Google competing against companies like Research In Motion Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. for the top engineering grads and startups.
"We have enormous respect for RIM and their products, we work with them frequently," Steve Woods, the site director and head of engineering for Google Waterloo said at the grand opening of the office on Wednesday.
"But absolutely, there is room in this community for many different ways of innovating. That's why we're here, not just because of RIM, but I think they're another example of a company that's done wonderful things. There's more than enough talent to go around and coming in constantly, so I think having an environment like this is exciting for everybody."
Google's interest in the Canada's technology capital and the thriving technology industry in Southern Ontario has grown steadily since the company opened the first Google Waterloo office in 2005.
Google's previous office in Waterloo was located in the University of Waterloo's Research and Technology park, near the headquarters of RIM.
Google's new 34,000-square-foot office is located in the Waterloo's sister city of Kitchener, inside the same building that houses the offices of local community technology organization Communitech.
Engineers at Google's Waterloo campus works on elements of the company's social, commerce, mobile and advertising businesses, as well as the company's Chrome OS operating system and Chrome Web browser technologies.
With the site's focus on Google's mobile products, it is expected that Google's new Kitchener office will increasingly become one of the company's most important outposts, as Google places greater focus on mobile computing.
"It's hard to imagine in less than three years that there will be anything but mobile computing," Mr. Woods said.
In addition to the work on Chrome and mobile, elements of the company's failed social service Buzz were created in Waterloo.
Over the past year, Google has acquired a quartet of Canadian technology startups from the region, spending an estimated US$100-million. Google's acquisition spree began with the purchase of Bump Technologies Inc. in May of 2010 and was followed by the purchase of mobile gaming firm SocialDeck last August and mobile payments company Zetawire in December.
Last month, the company acquired Toronto's PushLife, makers of a popular smartphone application that allows users to organize media files on their mobile device.
The teams from both SocialDeck and PushLife have been integrated into the engineering corps at Google Waterloo, which now stands at more than 100 employees.
Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr said Google's presence in the city "sends a strong signal to the rest of our community, to the country and the world about what this community has to offer."
Mr. Zehr said Google's presence in downtown Kitchener in the same building as the Communitech organization is part of a larger reclamation of the city's downtown area, which was once and industrial hub.
"You are part of not only an evolution, but in this particular case, a revolution about how this particular community is changing," Mr. Zehr said.


text:
Viral Threats to Humankind: Antivirals and Lessons Learned from Interferons
Date: 12/11/2017; 56 minutes
Before we learned to make antimicrobial medicines and vaccines, before we had disinfectants and chemotherapies, we had interferons to thank for protection from viral infections. UC Santa Barbara Distinguished Professor Charles Samuel, an internationally recognized pioneer and leader in the study of interferons, explores why they remain a critical and significant field of research, especially in an age of powerful and constantly evolving viruses that spread rapidly.
Recorded on 10/05/2017. (#33097)
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February 17, 2012 -
John Heald
It's Friday February 17 and its time to pay tribute to something that has slowly disappeared from the Promenade Decks and dining rooms of the Carnival fleet. No, not the sodding shrimp cocktail ……….the gentleman's tuxedo. My first remembrance of the tuxedo or dinner jacket as it's known in the land of spotted dick and Simon Cowell was when I hired one from a store called Moss Bros. It was for a posh party and my mate Alan and I thought it would be "cool" to wear a tuxedo. Turns out it wasn't and we were the only two people wearing such attire and to the other party goers we didn't look cool at all. We looked like total and utter plonkers and we might as well have stood there wearing baggy underpants…… because the girls ignored us. We ended up drowning our sorrows with cheap wine and the next day I returned my hired tuxedo to the store explaining to the man on the returns desk that it was covered in vomit when I rented it.
Some years later when I was a younger cruise director I would wear the tuxedo with pride. I would wear a black one on the first then "formal" night and then a white one on the second formal night and many, many male guests would do the same. Such was the popularity of the tuxedo that we, of course, started to rent them from the formalities shops and male guests would rent them in abundance. Far more male guests would bring their own, whether hired or owned wearing one was a sign of the times, rather like the huge real estate we gave to cigar smoking in the Destiny-, Conquest- and Splendor-class cigar bars.
But times change and the tuxedo has become an endangered species, replaced by regular business suits. This past elegant night on the Carnival Magic, Calvyn and I set out to see how many we could count. He walked round the dining rooms while I covered the captain's celebration on Promenade deck, both sittings. Now obviously we didn't see everyone but out of the many hundreds of guests we did see, it will maybe surprise you that the total number of guests wearing a tuxedo was………..11. Yep just 11.Now you may think that this is specific to the Carnival Magic in Galveston but I assure you it's not as it was the same when we sailed out of Europe as well. Yep, the tuxedo is slowly becoming the betamax of the fashion world.
Many of you know my feelings on dress code and I really don't want to drag this up again so that H82Seaugo and her mates can get their John Heald voodoo dolls out and stick some pins in my bottom, but times they are a changing. Back in those days, you couldn't go anywhere without going home first to get changed. I remember the day when restaurants would turn you away if you weren't wearing a tie. Gentlemen were required to wear jackets. Look, I know that this is a point of contention for many people but overall I think we have a dress code that is exactly what it should be………..relaxed. Telling guests what to wear is like insisting that all the vegetablists eat a huge steak. If you are a host at a party you are throwing at your house, then it is your duty to make sure that your guests have as nice a time as possible. That means letting them wear and do and eat whatever takes their fancy and during your much needed vacation I think it is absurd to tell our guests what they must wear. Some won't agree, I'm sure.
So unless you're George Clooney at the Oscars it appears the tuxedo is out and most of our guests have stopped wearing them on elegant night. And from what I have seen this week the new trend is for guests who do dress elegantly to change after dinner and photos back into casual clothes. The tuxedo looked good but with cummerbunds, cufflinks and a real bow tie to fasten and to position under the triangle collar it was easier to build a nuclear power station then to put one on. I recognise that some people like getting dressed up. I have no problem with this. But I can say from being with Carnival for 26 years that things have changed, they really have and the tuxedo has for the most part been replaced with the business suit and tie.
You know, when I used to go to what were then called discos, you had to wear a suit or you wouldn't be allowed in. But not anymore. Now you can wear what you like. And judging by what some of the ladies were wearing in the Vibe Dance club last night, it seems …………………. you don't have to wear much of anything at all.
Let's crack on, shall we?
Maureen asked:
I just love the new link tab on the Carnival Facebook page. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the life and times of the cruise directors. I was looking for the Cruise Director Jamie, that we had on the Carnival Sensation Oct 9-13, 2011, but didn't see her picture or bio listed there. She was fabulous! And we enjoyed her as cruise director. We hope to have her as cruise director on another cruise in the future.
John says:
Hello Maureen
Thanks for those kind words. Jaime is as of tomorrow on Carnival Legend and will eventually head to the Carnival Liberty as CD. I saw her yesterday in Freeport and she looks great and is definitely an asset to Carnival. Thanks again for the kind words and I hope all is well with you.
Best wishes.
Jennifer Reiss asked:
Your blog today contained a letter from someone who was on the same cruise as me on the Carnival Fantasy. She wrote how disturbed she was that during a night of entertainment Carnival decided to allow three passengers to sing religious songs on stage. I agree, it is disgusting and in this day and age I am shocked that Carnival allows this to happen. Please explain why on a fun cruise ship as Carnival proclaims to be is this allowed. Religious songs must be banned as you have a multi-cultural multi or no faith audience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John says:
Hello Jennifer Reiss
I am sorry for the long delay in my reply to your question but I really am so far behind in my blog questions. The talent show is a feature on some ships and we allow guests to entertain their fellow guests. There are guidelines which include no comedians or songs with bad language etc but respectfully, do you honestly expect us to ban religious songs? I mean, what's next? I do hope despite this that you had a great cruise and thanks for taking the time to write.
Best wishes.
Terri Jo Kesar asked:
Carnival needs to enforce its rules on dress code because on our relocation cruise on Carnival Paradise was marred by many passengers dressing in jeans and T-shirts at dinner including formal night and our dining room experience was spoiled by the crew allowing this to happen. Another sign of Carnival's slipping standards. My DH and I are VIP platinum guests and this was cruise number 17.
John says:
Terri Jo
I know many guests still like to dress up because that chance doesn't come around much for many and it's great that we give you the choice but comments like this one genuinely baffle me. Why would you worry about what someone else is wearing while you're eating dinner? I am sorry Terri Jo, I do hope you had a great cruise through the canal and truly value you as a Carnival guest but honestly, I don't get it.
Best wishes.
Martha Beaudry asked:
I just returned from a cruise aboard the Carnival Triumph (11/12 – 11/17). I loved our cruise director, Tex. At first, I thought he was a little annoying but he really grew on me and I looked forward to his daily announcements. The dance he made up of the different movements (wash the dog, shopping, mow the lawn and the sprinkler etc.) was absolutely hilarious. I also, want to recognize Cassie as well. She was a lot of fun.
John says:
Hello Martha Beaudry
Well that's two in today's Q&A for the cruise directors and that's great news indeed. I shall make sure Tex and Cassie see how much you enjoyed them and thanks again for taking the time to write.
Best wishes.
Gold Member (4) asked:
I am NOT complaining at any type I'm just suggesting! I've been on four Carnival cruises, and on each one there has been a lack of chicken wings! That's it! Love Carnival, everything is great: food, entertainment, trivia's, and youth programs! Thanks for reading.
John says:
Hello Gold Member (4)
If only other questions were as simple to answer as this. I will pass your comments to the beards and I should mention that we now serve complimentary chicken wings at the EA Sports Bar on the Carnival Liberty and will on other ships as they get their 2.0 upgrades. Thanks for your loyalty and hope we see you again very soon.
Best wishes.
Paul Bracali asked:
Brand Ambassador.
I've been reading your blog for the last few months and am fascinated by how a company like Carnival Cruise Lines allows you to get away with such a blog as this. You do seem to have the ear of the higher ups so I wanted you know that in my opinion Carnival wants to keep growing and enticing its customer base to return to Carnival then it must hire better workers. The experience that my family and I had on the Carnival Splendor was one of lack of English from the officers in white uniforms to the cabin boy who when asked for something would smile and nod and then not bring or do what he was asked. You must realize that if the workers don't understand the customers' requests then how can you offer good customer service? Answer is that you cannot. I spoke with many on that cruise and each one agreed that the language barrier made this cruise a forgettable one at best and a massive annoyance and disappointment at worst. I suggest that as the ambassador you act on this now.
John says:
Hello Paul Bracali
Thanks for taking the time to write and I do hope you had a great cruise despite your concerns. I am though going to have to say that I disagree with you because our crew all have to pass an English exam before being placed in guest service positions and while it may not be their first language and although they may speak with a heavy accent, they understand your requests and are able to provide brilliant customer service. I am therefore so shocked to see this comment. You may have spoken to those on that cruise who you say agreed with you but respectfully I will say that your comment is a rare one. I will though pass this to the ship's senior management as you requested and I hope you will return to Carnival again where I promise we will give you the best value for money cruise vacation in the industry.
Best wishes.
Angela Henkel asked:
I have been on six Carnival cruises and it seems that the more that I am on, the worse location I get in the dining room. I look forward to every aspect of the cruise including dining and this is becoming very disappointing. I was told during my sixth cruise that if I am unhappy with my location, I can speak to the maitre´ d, which I did and all I accomplished was upsetting her and she made it very clear to me. While this was my sixth cruise (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) it was my father's first and I was anxious for him to have a good time and be able to see the waiters sing and dance and want to cruise again. She moved us, it was still a terrible location and we could not see anything. So, why is it that as I cruise more am I getting worse locations in the dining room?
John says:
Hello Angela Henkel
Thanks for writing to me and I should point out that table assignment is not based at all on the number of cruises someone has done. In truth it's based on demographics, groups and other factors but not who has cruised the most. I think the maitre d's thoughts are that there is no such thing as a "bad table" and regardless of where you are seated that you will receive good food and brilliant service. I am guessing that you wish to be based at the centre of the dining room which a few guests do feel are the best tables and if that's the case let me know next time you cruise and I will do my best to assist you. Thanks for your loyalty and hope we see you again very soon.
Best wishes
Dean asked:
This may get a little long, but I wanted to make sure and call out everything and everyone on the Carnival Freedom that made our cruise the best yet. We sailed on 11/19, and are dealing with our first full day back home (including some serious withdrawal). Before I started forgetting things, I wanted to write up some feedback.
First, the eight-day western Caribbean is a perfect itinerary. The perfect mix of sea days and ports to keep a busy family relaxed. The only thing we wished is that it had an extra day to stop by Cozumel again on the way home between the two sea days for some extra beach time.
Next, on to the staff. I've never understood some forum comments I've seen people make in the past where they'd indicate a cruise director either made or ruined their cruise. In my opinion, I'm the only one who can make my cruise good or bad, since it is after all, my cruise. After being on the Carnival Freedom last week, I now get what they're saying (in a good way). Brad was simply outstanding and definitely made our time on the ship better. I couldn't tell you the name of any CD we've had on past ships (various lines), but I have no doubt we'll remember Brad. The guy has the perfect personality for this job, and is absolutely hilarious (or "almost a comedian" as some lady at the Q&A put it, which she meant as a compliment). Carnival should do whatever they can to keep him, and as you can tell, we can't say enough good stuff about him.
Frankly, his entertainment staff is great, too. We played trivia several times, and Chelsea was awesome. She was always smiling, and incredibly friendly. In case she sees this, we'd like to give her a shout out from the Crusin' Cats. We had a blast coming back from wwaaayyy behind to win super trivia on the last day!
Moving on, our wait staff in the Posh dining room, headed by Ashwin, was excellent. He's a very personable guy, and did a great job, even with some of the others at our table disappearing on him. We wish him a safe and relaxing trip home when he gets off the ship in a few days.
Great DR + great table next to the aft windows + great staff = excellent dining experience. Not sure how we pulled that outstanding table location, but we loved it. I'd also like to add that our visit to the steak house was excellent. The filet was perfect (far better than the filet served in the DR :-)), and Polina was very friendly and handled some changes to our steakhouse reservations before we sailed very quickly. Hope she enjoys her time off.
Overall, Carnival has come a long way since we last sailed with them in 2004, and as mentioned, this turned in to our best cruise to date. A very big thank you to everyone on the ship for a wonderful vacation!
PS – To the dancer who did the Austin Powers themed dance class, it was awesome, but you should add a flash mob element to it. After you teach the class the dance, send them up nonchalantly to Lido and Panorama to surround the pool, and once everyone is up there fire up the music and start dancing. It'd be awesome!
John says:
Hello Dean
What an absolutely fantastic review and I am so glad you mentioned Brad who is everything you said he is. The Carnival Freedom is top of the fleet in ratings as per the guest review cards and your review sums up exactly why. I have sent your words of praise to the ship and the beards and I hope we will see you again soon. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
Best wishes.
Lori De Granger asked:
John –
You mentioned that Carnival has no religious services on board their boats so how can you state you are a family cruise line. I was researching the possibilities of doing a cruise and read your blog and when I saw that you had no services I was horrified and bitterly disappointed. It's back to Branson, Missouri, for us.
John says:
Hello Lorri De Granger
That's two very different comments today about religion. Every now and then I have to simply say that cruising isn't for everyone and if religious services during the cruise is a deciding factor whether you book with Carnival then this is one of those occasions. I wish you and your family a wonderful vacation wherever you spend it and if you think there is anything I can do for you please let me know.
Best wishes.
Frank Perez asked:
I have read various comments about past guest parties, but after nine sailings on Carnival, I have never been invited to one. How come?
John says:
Hello Frank Perez
I am flabbergasted by this. I really am You should have received written invitations in your stateroom since cruise number two. I sincerely apologise and will look into this right now for you and someone will be in touch.
Best wishes.
Simon Haviland asked:
Hi John,
My wife and I need a table for two because of my wife's speech impediment which she is very embarrassed about. We are on Dream Marc 3, 2012 in cabin 8292.
Simon and Martha Haviland
John says:
Hello Simon Haviland
I will certainly ask the maitre d to assist you with this and I wish you both a wonderful cruise.
Best wishes
Keith Wilkins asked:
Just wondering if you will be the cruise director on the inaugural cruise of the Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We were on the inaugural of the Carnival Magic out of Galveston and were a little disappointed that you were not the CD on that trip, although we were happy to see you out and about on the ship. We had a great time on the cruise, especially the Trivia/Canada trivia with Calvin. I think the wife (Trina) would be his groupie if we weren't in the 29+++++++ age group. So I guess her question would be, is Calvin going to be on the Carnival Breeze for the inaugural out of Miami. And by the way, thank you for the strawberries you sent us for our anniversary. It was like seed faith for an evangelist; Trina had to have them every day for the rest of the cruise. Whatever keeps mama happy is a good thing.
Thanks again, Cheers
John says:
Hello Keith Wilkins
Brilliant post because that describes Calvyn so much, He is funny and so talented and we will be hosting shows together when we see you on the Carnival Breeze. Please let me know if there is anything you need before you cruise and see you both soon.
Best wishes.
And that's all for today, many thanks for all the questions and comments.
And as promised I will continue with my recap of the ports that the Carnival Legend will visit on her Baltic cruises and today we talk about the jewel in the Baltic itinerary which is of course St. Petersburg — the one in Russia, not Florida.
The excursions we will offer in 2013 will be simply the best and remember to pass through Russian immigration you must have booked a private excursion and have proof of this with you or, as most guests do book an excursion onboard. You will not be able to get past the men with frying pan hats on and who have the sense of humour of a dead slug if you don't. You cannot just go ashore on your own, it's not allowed. The end.
Priority will be given to guests on a Carnival purchased excursion who will leave the ship first in this port. Just an FYI for now. Basically, St. Petersburg is the best port of call, by a long way. There is no city like it and the Carnival Legend will be your time machine. We will take you back to the days of the tsars and tsarinas and WWII when, under its old name of Leningrad, the city was under siege for two years and over a million people died………..mostly from starvation.
Then the remnants of the days of Lenin, Stalin and the one with the funny oil patch on his head will be up close and personal as the last throws of communism will be there for all to see. This comes as you drive through the suburbs past the old cars and faceless grey buildings where some people still have to queue for a loaf of bread. You see, Russia is often a land of the haves and the have nots, although there seem to be quite a few haves these days. You can see them everywhere stepping out of their big Mercedes and Rolls Royce Phantoms under the watchful eyes of ex-KGB bodyguards with no necks and who have tattoos of a bloody axe on their forehead and who talk mysteriously into their arms. The amount of cash washing around Russia these days is astronomical, inconceivable even. On the all day tours lunch and dinner is included and the restaurants we visited when I was there with Carnival Splendor in St. Petersburg are quite gaudy, with more camp and flash than Richard Simmons' shorts and designed by top Russian architect Joseph Farcusov.
The ship organized tours of seven or more hours will feature lunch in restaurants oozing with gold ornaments and massive sterling silver cutlery. You will be welcomed with a glass of vodka which you should drink in one shot……..not doing so is considered rude. Then and still before any food is served, you are given a glass of Russian champagne. Your guide will make a toast and again she will explain that Russian tradition states that you must drink this glass again …..….in one long gulp.
So you have had a shot of vodka and a huge glass of champagne all in five minutes. The reason they do this is because the food is crap. Of course, I am joking. The food was surprisingly excellent.
So, what tour should you take? What should you see? Well, the most popular excursion on the Carnival Splendor will also be offered in 2012 on the Carnival Legend. It's called the Grand Tour and it certainly lives up to its name. I remember that 1,000 people took this excursion each and every time we sailed into the port. This is the best of everything and over the two days you will visit most of the major sites. This still allows time in the evening to take in an evening concert at Catherine Palace with dinner in Pushkin or our most popular tour …… sitting in the national theatre watching the very thin women and men with pieces of fruit shoved down the front of their tights….or to give them their proper name……The St. Petersburg National Ballet Company perform……Swan Lake…it's truly incomparable.
However you mix your tours you must see the top five which are:
THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM – The Hermitage used to be the palace of the tsars and now it contains possibly the greatest collection of paintings, jewelry, statues and rare items from all over the world. Everywhere you turn there are moments of "wow" and "Oh my goodness look at that!" There are even stronger emotions when you enter the Throne Room from where the tsars ruled Russia. There are paintings by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet and in the Gold Room, a collection of precious stone objects that are quite simply indescribable. They say that if you were to stop and look at every artifact in the Hermitage for just three minutes…….it would take you a year to see everything.
And, of course, you must see Catherine's Palace, the fountains and palace at Peterhof, and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Then at night we have excursions to the folkloric shows, a private dinner and performance at Catherine Palace and, of course, a chance to see Swan Lake performed by the Russian Ballet Company………..amazing.
All of the above is what makes St. Petersburg a must on your bucket list. St. Petersburg is a living version of a Tom Clancy novel and I absolutely loved it. The city is as intense as putting Ben-Gay on your thingy and the grayness is everywhere, even the stray dogs that nibble on the left over grey food……. are grey. I was talking with Ken here on Carnival Magic and we both said that St. Petersburg is a place anyone who visits …..will never forget.
OK, let's jump back into the Delorean and go back in time to 2008 when a much fatter me made this video.
So as you saw yesterday Carnival Destiny is doing a trans-Atlantic crossing that ends in Europe. What happens after that will be announced in the weeks ahead. The trans-Atlantic crossing is exciting news for those who wanted new and varied ports of call, that's for sure.
In two days time I will be cruise director and providing the swamp fever I have at the moment doesn't kill me then I will be ready to get out on stage and share with you the stories of life onboard. Stories like this one from today's incident report.
NAME: Mrs.…….
Guest called the GSD and stated that she was upset because she had been sitting at the same slot machine in the casino for 40 minutes and did not win. She left to go to the bathroom and came back and another guest was playing and won $450. Mrs. _________ says she left her drink at the side of the machine to reserve it and that the win should be hers. Casino manager contacted guest. Nothing further.
I don't know about you but I do feel sorry for the guest as that was one very expensive pee.
OK, that's me done for today as I am not feeling well and blogging with a cold is as difficult as translating the words "personal hygiene" into French.
I will be on Facebook over the weekend and then reporting from the CD chair here on the blog on Monday when I will also be reunited with my stateroom steward Ketut who for some weird reason has asked for a transfer to another ship. I wonder why?
Your friend,


text:
In The Chair With Adam Garland
With a career spanding 20 years working with brands such as Dior, Chanel and Cartier, we were keen to chat with Adam Garland to find out the inspirations behind his success.
So Adam, tell us about your Career?
This year I will celebrate 20 years in the industry, over half my life dedicated to a career and lifestyle I wouldn't be without. Always ambitious, I started my journey at 14 years old and quite quickly went form washing purple rinses at my local village salon in North Somerset, to training with Vidal Sassoon in central London. By 19 I had a strong column of loyal clients. Even whilst being at one of the leading salons in the world I still had a relatively small understanding of the session world. I was always styling and creating looks on my friends and family, often sending them out like runway creations, raising many an eyebrow with my catch phrase to them ," its of the runway". I knew I wanted more but hadn't yet found the guidance or direction. Taking a small break from the salon world saw me pursue my passion as a professional show jumper, a sport I had been involved in from a very early age. A total shock to my senses, especially the smell! I was always the one asked to braid the whole yard before we went off to competitions, I now refer to it as my braiding boot camp. After a successful time in the equestrian world I could not deny myself from hair any longer, I craved an outlet for creativity. Just to keep simple I decided to re locate and found myself as the Creative Director for Toni & Guy Philippines, one of the most humbling life experiences I could of ever dreamt of. A hub of inspiration and creative people, so detached from what I knew and so fresh and interesting. Leaving the Philippines I then went on to be the Art Director in Toni & Guy Rotterdam , Netherlands. A totally different experience, one of the most artistic cities I have been to with a huge variety in creative outlets, nothing was too much or impossible. Here I began to shoot shoot shoot, working full days in the salon, then meeting new photographers and shooting most evenings well into the early hours. My first big break was to fly to L.A and style wigs for Cher's 'Dressed to Kill' tour which kicked of in 2014. That was it, time to get back to London and make it happen. I'm very grateful to have assisted and absorbed skills from so many of the best artists in the world including Sam McKnight and Rudi Lewis who are two of my biggest inspirations. After a full on 3 years assisting I'm very happy to have recently been signed to London agency Eighteen Management and I'm very excited to grow with the full support of Claire Metcalfe and her team.
Hair by Adam Garland for Dior in Layalina Magazine
How would you describe your style?
This is a tricky one, I would have told you I want to do everything and I still do. But if you were to define my current style I would say I'm enjoying the high end commercial/editorial work, Vogue, Elle, Harpers etc whilst working for brands like Dior, Chanel, Cartier.
I love classic, minimal, timeless hair with subtle, interesting twists. Effortless and beauty remain my key words of the moment. The power of the '10% difference'. To me this can make a great image transform into something beyond every ones expectations. I love finding that small detail which can send everyone into overdrive on set.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the minute I have some exciting shoots awaiting print as well as more in the creative planning stages. What I love about my work is that at any moment I can be asked to get involved with new creative talent which opens my mind to new ideas and concepts. Yesterday I shot a beautiful story with a team from Paris all based on the French expressionism artist, Bernard Buffet, an artist up until that point I had not been aware of. Its exciting to jump into research and create mood boards, then bring together a collaboration of ideas.
What trends are you expecting to see across the upcoming months?
What I love currently is we are consistently expressing ourselves in a much more experimental and fearless way, for me there are no set trends or 'must do" styles.
Look back at the late 1990's early 2000 and I guess more homes had a pair hair straighteners than they did internet routers. It was the era of straight straight and more straight hair.
I loved Sam McKnights take on corn rows for the AW17 Balmain show with 3 or 4 braids through the top, slick back sides all leading into a low pony tail. Hair accessories are in abundance and with so many options available they can really compliment almost any look.
Have no fear, experiment and play.
Why do you love working with Cloud Nine tools?
Since I started working with Cloud Nine tools and sprays I have noticed dramatic improvements to the quality of my work, the condition of the hair and the speed at which I can achieve results.
The Original Iron has multiple heat settings allowing me to adjust the temperature according to my client/models hair type, they are also super quick to heat up.
Another go to for me is the Magical Quick Dry Potion, a favourite with all my clients/models. Lightweight yet affective there are so many advantages to using this product. Firstly I can protect the hair from damage with its built in conditioners whilst still being lightweight and leaving the hair workable. I'm passionate about hair condition and preventing unnecessary damage with heat appliances, theres no excuse for cutting corners and not looking after your client/model. From damp to dry the spray dramatically reduces drying time whilst it locks in extra nourishment.
I love working with Cloud Nine, the brand has a very 'cool' element and they are always on point with whats current in the fashion world, which ultimately filters down the the high street and consumer.
Cloud Nine can often be seen back stage at fashion weeks and the whole team really get involved, exposing themselves to the very current needs of not only the consumer market but also the professionals at the top of the session world.
For all hair related enquiries you can connect with Adam via
[email protected]
Instagram @adam_hairstylist
Twitter @adamgarland1983
[email protected]
A selection of Adams work to date


text:
The proof is obvious if you just think about it for two seconds. If Sanders and his supporters are actually economic determinists, then any sincere normative dialogue with them has to begin by debunking economic determinism. Otherwise, you're just talking past them, and blaming them for behavior that they obviously understand as dictated by external economic forces.
If the concern trolls actually believed their critique, the debate over Sanders would be a completely philosophical debate about human agency. They would be laying out causal chains for human behavior that aren't conditioned by the material economy, which ultimately turns on invoking some fairly ambitious ontology. This isn't some impossible or even unreasonable task; most people are intellectually disposed to reject determinism of any sort, and there are all kinds of well-known, venerable arguments for free will that they could easily rely on. But this is necessarily how the conversation would need to go.
Of course, no one bothers with that conversation, because no one actually believes in economic determinism, nor seriously suspects it of anyone else. Sanders and his supporters obviously accept a significant role for things like political conviction, intellectual persuasion, and human agency; their critics know this about them perfectly well, which is why the critique invariably skips over the ontological questions and fixates on normative issues. Concern trolls who bring morality and politics into critiques of economic determinism are either being dishonest or simply have not thought through their position enough to make an internally consistent argument.
I get that this is an absurd argument to have to make, but it's the argument that insane allegations about economic determinism deserve.
I get that this is an absurd argument to have to make, but it's the argument that insane allegations about economic determinism deserve.


text:
Police crackdown on distracted drivers
More than 80 people are being prosecuted after a police operation to crack down on drivers distracted behind the wheel.
Hampshire and Thames Valley officers patrolled motorways in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire.
Of the 88 people being prosecuted, 55 were caught using their mobile phones during the five-day operation.
A hired Scania lorry cab was used to allow officers to spot offences by other commercial vehicle drivers.
'Very disappointing'
Sgt Paul Diamond, who led the operation, which finished on Friday, said: "This issue was raised as a problem to us by concerned lorry drivers who often witnessed offences that the police couldn't see from ground level.
"This is the second time we've hired the Scania cab. It has proved itself invaluable. We know for sure that we were able to detect at least 28 offences from the high-up vantage point that the cab gives us, that we could not have spotted from ground level."
The operation, by the newly formed Joint Operations Unit Roads Policing Unit, was carried out along the M27 and M3, M4, M40 and M25.
Sgt Diamond said: "The number of people using their phones is still very disappointing. If you are caught using your mobile phone whilst driving you will face a £60 fine and three points on your licence."


text:
With strong sales background from the Hospitality Industry, I shifted to the recruitment industry because for me, being of "genuine service" should go beyond temporary comfort and luxury.
It's about being able to create not only a positive impact for an organization's success, but more importantly, to enrich someone's life by helping them find an organization where they can perfectly fit, work, learn and grow.
With this, together with personal and career growth in mind, I joined Finest People as I find myself aligned with the team's goals and core values.
"Being part of a team which inclusively brings people together while valuing diversity and individuality amplifies my determination to help others in achieving their own career goals, too. Meeting and connecting with people and being of help to them while at it is my way of living a life with purpose and fulfillment."


text:
This beautiful arcade cabinet by Pinel & Pinel looks like what an arcade cabinet would have looked like in the 60s if such things had existed at the time. I want one. Now.
Housing an emulator that comes loaded with 60 classic arcade titles such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders, it sports a 1080p LCD screen, a bumping sound system for all those bleeps and bloops and an iPod/iPhone dock for piping in your own tunes.
No word on price, unfortunately, but it's probably expensive. But come on, look at this thing! It's totally worth any price.
Copyright DVICE - DVICE


text:
Purpose Software provides a comprehensive range of professional services to enable customers to effectively integrate our integrated data solutions into their operations.
Our consultants are specialists with extensive experience of working with the managed services and print reseller industry. We work closely in partnership with customers to ensure that systems are configured to meet business requirements from day one and optimised to deliver sustained benefits as business needs evolve. With extensive in-house technical expertise, Purpose Software can address any technical challenges encountered during installations.
Purpose Software has a long track record of successful implementations of integrated data solutions. We use established project management methodologies to ensure that deployments are successfully delivered to meet time, budget and quality requirements.
Purpose Software provides the following professional services:


text:
Becoming Human Part 1
Season 36 Episode 13 | 51m 27s
Part 1, "First Steps," examines the factors that caused us to split from the other great apes. The program explores the fossil of "Selam," also known as "Lucy's Child." Paleoanthropologist Zeray Alemseged spent five years carefully excavating the sandstone-embedded fossil. NOVA's cameras are there to capture the unveiling of the face, spine, and shoulder blades of this 3.3 million-year-old fossil.
Aired: 11/02/09
Expired: 12/31/15Video has closed captioning.
Buy Now:
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Episode Links
National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Draper. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS viewers. Additional funding is provided by the NOVA Science Trust.


text:
III Brazilian Workshop on Social Network Analysis and Mining (BraSNAM 2014)
July 30 and 31, 2014. Brasilia, DF, Brazil
This year, the III Brazilian Workshop on Social Network Analysis and Mining (BraSNAM 2014) will be held in conjunction with CSBC, providing a valuable opportunity for multidisciplinary groups to meet and engage in rich discussions about topics related to social network analysis. CSBC is the official event of the Brazilian Computing Society (SBC) and in its 34th edition, the conference will be held in the city of Brasilia, in the capital Brazil, on July 30-31, 2013.
The study of social networks originated in social, educational and business communities, starting to have a theoretical support in 40's. Currently, the increasing of the use of Web and social medium fosters interaction among people, data dissemination and information sharing. With this growing of available data – provided by people and their interaction, as also provided by logs and web servers - we have the opportunity of evaluate and develop techniques for social network analysis, identification and mining of social networks. This has led to a rising prominence of social network analyses in academia, politics, security, business, marketing, science and other fields.
The BraSNAM 2014 will provide an interdisciplinary venue that will bring together practitioners and researchers from social network analysis and its related fields to promote collaborations and exchange of ideas and practices.
· Social networks visualization
· Flow and diffusion of information
· Community evolution
· Extraction and treatment of social data
· Mining techniques
· Influence detection
· Trust and expertise identification
· Linking prediction and simulation
· Social information applied to recommender systems
· Social information and retrieval systems
· Contextualized analysis of social and information networks
· Modeling of user behavior
· Mobile and smart multimedia sensors
· Monitoring social networks
· Privacy in social networks
· Detection of spam, misinformation and malicious activities
· Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
· Cases and application to real life situations: Medicine, Science, Education, Marketing, Team Formation, Decision Making, Management and others.
**Selected papers will be published in special issues of a journal (to be announced soon) **
· Full and Short Paper Submission: April 7, 2014 (hard headline)
· Notification: May 22, 2014
· Final Version: June 13, 2014
· Conference: July 30-31, 2014
The workshop will accept submissions of technical papers (full papers) and extended abstracts (position papers) written in Portuguese or English, not exceeding 12 and 6 pages, respectively. Submissions should follow the template of the Brazilian Computing Society (SBC). The templates for submission are available in http://www.sbc.org.br/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=195&task=view.download&catid=32&cid=38
All the (full and position) papers will be judged according to following criteria: adequacy to workshop scope, relevance, technical quality, clarity, originality and evaluation of results. The evaluation of results is desired, but is not a precondition for submission. All technical articles will be presented orally.
Full papers will be presented in the oral sessions of BraSNAM 2013. The accepted abstracts will also be published in workshop's proceedings and will be presented as posters.
All papers will go through a double blind review process, with at least three reviewers. ****Therefore, author names and contact information must be omitted from all submissions****. Authors must identify the topic(s) being addressed in the paper to assist the program committee in the review process. Selected papers will be published in special issues of a journal.
Each manuscript must be submitted electronically, as a PDF file, via the JEMS submission site: https://submissoes.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=1805
Daniel Figueiredo (UFRJ)
Jano Moreira de Souza (UFRJ)
Jonice Oliveira (UFRJ)
Juliana Valério (UFRJ)
Mirella Moro (UFMG)
Mitre Dourado (UFRJ)
Renata Galante (UFRGS)
Roberto Imbuzeiro Oliveira (IMPA)
Fabrício Benevenuto (UFMG)
Li Weigang (UnB)
Adriano Veloso, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Adriano César Pereira, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Alexandre Duarte, Universidade Federal da Paraíba
Alisson Brito, Universidade Federal da Paraiba
Ana Bazzan, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Ana Paula Appel, IBM Research - Brazil
Ana Paula Couto da Silva, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Anderson Ferreira, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto
André Santanchè, Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Carla Delgado, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Daniel Figueiredo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Daniel Menasche, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Fabricio Benevenuto, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Gisele Pappa, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Hernane Pereira, Centro Integrado de Manufatura e Tecnologia, CIMATEC/SENAI
Humberto Marques, Universidade Católica de Minas
Jairo Souza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
Hongjun Zhang, PLA University of Science and Technology
I-Hsien Ting, National University of Kaohsiung
Jussara Almeida, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Jonice Oliveira, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Juliana Valério, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Leandro Wives, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Li Weigang, University de Brasilia
Luciana Zaina, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Campus Sorocaba
Luciano Digiampietri, University de Sao Paulo
Luis Lamb, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Luiz Henrique Merschmann, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto
Marco Cristo, Universidade Federal do Amazonas
Mariano Pimentel, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Mirella Moro, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Pedro Olmo Vaz de Melo, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Raquel de Melo-Minardi, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Raquel Recuero, Universidade Católica de Pelotas
Renata Galante, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Ricardo Prudêncio, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Sean Siqueira, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Sergio Manuel Serra da Cruz, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro
Silvio Cazella, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Vinícius Pereira de Sá, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Wagner Meira Jr., Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Zhisheng Huang, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam


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Not sure who was the most excited, me or my best buddy, upon my arrival at his apartment at school!!!! I ran straight to his bedroom and jumped on his bed. Here you see me resting on best buddy's bed with my favorite bone. Being awake since 6:30, not only did I miss my usual hours of sleep till noon, I was exhausted from standing up during the ride. Need I say just how much I enjoyed sleeping on his bed for hours? Later some of his friends came over and we hung out in the den....it was beyond awesome. Both of us were in "dog heaven"!!!! Mom and dad didn't stay, they had some ballgame to go to or something.
The plan was for me to stay with mom and dad at the Residence Inn but I wanted to sleepover with best buddy and he wanted me to also. Mom and dad picked me up in the morning before he had class and it was back to the crate and another ride. This time I decided to get a little rest because it had been an exhausting, though wonderful trip.
Hope all my four-legged good buddies out there get to have a sleepover sometime with someone you love! Big woof to Snuffles, Annie, Luna, Emma, Snickers, Dizzy, Friday, Lilah, Penney and Tonka!


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PR Outreach: Learning from Chipotle's CrisisIn our recent report on the U.S. fast food industry, we look into top trends, key influencers, and viral conversations. At no time are conversations taking place in the news and on social more important than during a crisis, like the one Chipotle experienced this past year. Here's what we learned about connecting your critical pitches with the right media contacts.
Introduce the Issue
A crisis isn't the only high-stakes situation in which your pitch simply has to hit the mark. Are you launching a new product? Did you bring aboard a high-profile executive? If a journalist opens an email with a compelling subject, but the first line reads like an infomercial, how likely is it that she'll keep reading? Know your audience and educate them on why you chose them for your outreach.
Educate, Don't Sell
Educate journalists and let them do the selling to the public. Get them excited about what you have to share so they end up spreading the word for you. Got data to support your story? Follow up with the right contacts (read on to learn how analytics can fine-tune your follow up). Be sure to specify if any info is exclusive, and if so, what blackout dates you can offer. Give them some time to write the story and put it out there. A few days is usually fine. And always give them the best contact to reach. Identify the person at your organization who can best handle questions on methodologies, loop that person into the email, and welcome the journalist to reach out directly. Minimize the email tennis.
Know Your Journalist
Make the interaction personal by reading a recent piece of theirs, something related to your own pitch. Did they cover food-borne illness last month and you're pitching them about new CDC regulations? Great, let them know you've read their work and aren't just going through a rolodex to see who will reply back to you.
Use Keywords for Smarter Pitches
Don't rely on beats! This is the outdated method of looking up writers; you want to be one step ahead of everyone. Beats are traditionally listed in the bio, but if they're good at their job and always busy, updating this information is the last thing on their mind. Also, Kelly the journalist could have been assigned a "Finance" beat when she started, but quickly moved on, and the only coverage she's written under this beat could be over a year old. If you know the journalist or the exact topic, use a keyword search.
Say you want to pitch to someone who referenced Chipotle last month in her article. Run a keyword search for "Chipotle" to discover which journalists are mentioning the brand. Set the date range to look within the past 30 days. See the journalists in the content stream below?
Those are your new best friends. Click on Relevant Articles to see their works that reference your keyword. Start researching their work and build those relationships with your first email.
Know Your Subject Matter Experts
Annual events might be assigned to the same writer every year. So if you search for "annual restaurant trade show" and see the same group of writers, there's a high chance they'll cover the event again. These writers might be more in tune to the restaurant space than someone who wrote one relevant article in the past six months.
Hot Story Seeks Journo
Maybe you have a preference for a publication but don't know the best person to reach. That's what an editor's job is: assigning a topic or story to the journalist. Load up your media database and pitch to the editor of the publication.
And if you're lucky enough to find the right journalist covering your subject, check her Twitter bio or a recent article for her preferred mode of contact. See how one woman reached out to Arianna Huffington and the lessons she learned in getting noticed.
Mail Servers: The Gatekeepers
Mail servers have gotten over-zealous in detecting spam. If your message looks like spam, it might not reach your journalist. Even using a free email provider, like Gmail, is more likely to flag the spam filter than a verified domain (read more under "Campaign Metadata" in MailChimp's excellent article). And we all remember what spam emails look like: catchy subject lines and file attachments from unknown senders. You're starting off as an unknown sender, so avoid looking like a spammer. Put your story in the message body. Don't send it as a PDF attachment. And either offer to send supplementary information or, better yet, provide a link to it.
Pitch by Media Type
Are you pitching to TV or radio? You'll want to look for assignment editors, producers, or news directors. What if you're pitching to print media? Focus on and assignment editors, managing editors, editors-in-chiefs, and bureau chiefs. Your choice will also depend on the outlet's size. For example, you might want to look for bureau chiefs for the Washington Post.
Improve Your Follow Up with Analytics
If you do send an email to multiple contacts, you can use an email analytics tool like the one recently introduced to our Influencers media database. This will show you who is reading your mail and who hasn't yet opened it. Learn to troubleshoot your pitches with open-rate stats, and you won't get discouraged the next time you see a chart like this:
Scenario: Outbreak Crisis
You head Chipotle's PR team. A new outbreak was documented on the West Coast. You need to get in front of the issue before media speculation becomes a toxic stew that freaks out first the investors and then the day traders. Armed with the details of this outbreak—as much as you can publicly disclose—you fire up your media contacts database to look up journalists by a keyword search for your brand. You notice that "Chipotle" brought up three journalists who referenced your brand in the last 30 days.
Note: if you've curated your own list of media contacts, import them into the Influencers database and our team of media researchers will keep their contact information updated.
Import your curated contacts and we'll keep their contact information updated.
You compose a new message from within the Meltwater Influencers database—to take advantage of our engagement analytics—and start typing the name of the mailing list in the Recipients line.
Note: we offer a Send Preview so you know what the message looks like on the receiver's end. Use your own email as the test recipient.
You remember not to add attachments, because you don't want your message to get rejected by the writers' spam filters.
Later that day and for the next couple, you look at your analytics report to see who opened your message. You follow up accordingly and start to build a relationship with the most receptive contacts. And finally, you remember that, throughout a major brand crisis, cultivating and maintaining media relationships is key to turning around brand perception. To see how long it took for Chipotle's brand perception to bounce back from its outbreak crisis, check out the Chipotle Crisis section of our fast food industry report.
- Send targeted, personal pitches, avoid a "firehose approach."
- Use keyword searching to find your journalists. Pay attention to the time frame to make sure you're seeing the freshest content. Remember that some journalists cover a recurring event like industry trade shows.
- Read one of their latest pieces on the topic you searched for. Familiarize yourself with their writing.
- If you don't know the best journalist to cover your story, use our handy media pitch guide:
- TV/Radio: assignment Editor, producers, news directors
- Print: managing editor, editors in chief, bureau chiefs, assignment editors.
- This could depend on outlet size, e.g. look for bureau chiefs for the Washington Post.
- Avoid flagging spam filters.
- Don't send attachments. Instead, copy and paste your story into the message body. A PDF might flag a spam filter.
- If possible, use an email address with a private domain, not one from a free email service provider (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.).
- Use message analytics to follow up accordingly.
Be sure to check out our latest webinar: Don't Let Your Brand Be Crisis. We show you how to spot trends and steer the conversation with PR and social media strategies for crafting an effective response.


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A recent survey by Experian, a global information services company, showed that 34% of future homebuyers think their credit score could hurt their chance of owning a home.
What's more, 45% even delayed purchasing a home in order to better work on improving their credit score.
"Your credit profile is one of the factors that can have a substantial impact on securing a home loan because it is used by lenders as an indicator of your financial health," said Rod Griffin, Experian director of public education. "Consumers planning to purchase a home should check their credit scores and reports to see where they stand. From there they can develop a financial plan so they are in the best place to try to secure the loan they desire."
Although they may be delaying the purchase of their home, many of these future homebuyers are taking an active role in improving their credit score.
Nearly 70% of the respondents stated they are paying their bills on time and 60% are paying off debt. Another 28% if future homebuyers are also keeping balances low on credit cards and 15% are protecting their credit information from identity theft and fraud.
"It is important to take steps early in the home-buying process to allow time to make changes and have those changes be reflected on your credit score," Griffin said.
Of those looking to delay the purchase of their home, about 20% reported they were likely to either opt out of the loan process or delay purchasing a home for another five to 10 years. Also, about 45% of respondents said they were delaying to secure better interest rates.
The survey also found that 35% of future buyers said they don't know what steps to take to qualify for a greater loan amount. Nearly a third of respondents said they would buy a more expensive home if they had better credit and a larger loan amount.


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Poultry shield is a cleaner, sanitiser and odour neutraliser, designed for cleaning chicken housing and equipment. Its powerful detergent action dissolves dirt and grease, allowing for easier cleaning and also washing away mites and insects habitat. Poultry shield can be used on any type of poultry house and is also safe to use with birds present. Drinkers are potentially major sources of infection, particularly when sited in outdoor runs. Regular cleaning and disinfection greatly reduces the chance of spreading infection and biofilms. To make 1 litre of poultry shield solution, add 100ml poultry shield concentrate to 900ml clean water. If you are introducing new birds to a previously used coop/building we recommend the following steps to ensure that your chickens have the best start, we also recommend using this procedure as part of your regular cleaning regime, ensuring the best welfare standards for your birds: 1. Remove any old bedding and removable equipment. 2. Spray the interior of your hen house with poultry shield solution (a garden hand pump sprayer is ideal for this so you can give the hard to reach places a good soak); including all your nest boxes, perches and any other fittings. Pay particular attention to the roof joints and underneath your nest boxes and perches and then leave for an hour to thoroughly soak. Please note that if you have a felt roof, ensure that the edges are completely stuck down, as this is a great habitat for red mite, poultry shield will not be able to clean between the felt and roof, as it simply cannot reach. If the felt has come away, the best advice would be to replace the roof with onduline sheeting. 3. Following the hour's soak, wash/brush clean your hen house, ensuring you wash away any debris. 4. All the equipment which had been removed before cleaning your hen house should be given a good wash with poultry shield; this will ensure everything has been cleaned and sanitised. for ease if you have a large bucket, you could fill this with poultry shield solution and leave to soak whilst you are cleaning the house. then give them a brush and a rinse before putting back into your clean house. Poultry shield does not contain poisons. It can be used in organic production - check with your association for further details. We also supply bio link poultry shield in 5 litre containers.
Product code: 3219A
Delivery cost is calculated according to weight and your delivery address in order to give you the best value for money.
We endeavour to deliver within 7 working days (excluding weekends and Bank Holidays). Deliveries may take longer for for made to order items and during busy periods. Our carriers deliver Mon-Fri (excluding Bank holidays) from 07:00 to 21:00 hours. A signature may be required by the driver or postman, if you are not going to be at home you can leave instructions at the checkout stage for the package to be left in a secure place or with a designated neighbour.


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- "Despite his piracy, it is difficult to truly hate Rus, who as least operates with some style. His is smug, overconfident and roguish. He is a pirate more for the sport of it than the material gain, and his bloodless record is a point in his favor."
- ―General Airen Cracken
Beyla Rus was a "gentleman pirate" who operated a CR90 corvette, along with approximately sixty other beings, who made up the vessel's crew. A Human male from Tibro, he and his ship were active during the Galactic Civil War.
Beyla Rus was born on the planet Tibro in 24 BBY. A pirate, Rus and his crew terrorized the space lanes for several years. Styling himself as a "gentleman pirate," his crew was never known to kill anyone and used stun weapons. Rus preferred his victims alive to spread tales of his exploits. During the Galactic Civil War, Rus was careful not to anger either the Alliance to Restore the Republic or Galactic Empire, preferring to target merchant vessels. However, with the rise of the New Republic, Rus took to raiding their cargo ships. How he obtained information on his targets was unknown, although Rus claimed to be able to small a trap a parsec away. Rus was charged with theft, piracy, and destruction of New Republic property. The New Republic posted a reward of 15,000 credits for his capture.[1]
Personality and traitsEdit
Beyla Rus was a Human male who was 1.5 meters tall. Although a pirate, Rus styled himself as a "gentleman pirate" who never killed anyone. He was smug, overconfident, and carried himself with a roguish air. Rus' reputation was the most important thing to him, and he reasoned that it was the only thing a pirate had after the loot had been spent. He was an intimidating and persuasive individual, and a competent commander. Rus was known to be a gambler.[1]
Skills and abilitiesEdit
Beyla Rus was skilled in the use of personal and vehicle-mounted blasters, and trained in both unarmed and melee combat. He was knowledgeable about languages and planetary systems, and had underworld contacts. Rus was capable of flying capital ships and navigating them through hyperspace, and effectively using their weaponry. He could also repair the ships and their armament. He was also adept at applying first aid.[1]
Rus was armed with a blaster pistol and vibroblade, and carried a comlink. He commanded a CR90 corvette crewed by around sixty pirates.[1]
Behind the scenesEdit
Beyla Rus was profiled in Wanted by Cracken, a sourcebook for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game published by West End Games in 1993.
- "Makin' It Happen"—Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters (Mentioned only)


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Mobility News Weekly - Week of November 7, 2011
by Kevin Benedict
November 10, 2011
The Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to enterprise mobility that I run across each week. I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends.
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Mobility Charts Weekly
Swedish telecom giant Ericsson believes that mobile data traffic will increase ten-fold by 2016.
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American Express Co., the biggest credit-card issuer by purchases, plans to invest $100 million in technology companies as it develops its digital-payments system, Serve.
Read Original Content
According to a newly released Nielsen report on the U.S. smartphone market, Apple is still the top manufacturer with a 28 percent share. As far as operating systems are concerned, Android is the leader with 43 percent of the smartphone market in third quarter 2011.
Read Original Content
ClickSoftware is an SAP mobility partner and the leading provider of automated workforce management and optimization solutions for every size of service business. This newsletter is sponsored in part by ClickSoftware -
ComScore's September MobiLens survey of over 30,000 mobile phone users found that Android was being used on close to 45 percent of the 87.4 million smartphones in the United States, up from 40.2 percent in June.
Read Original Content
SAP and Sybase, Inc., an SAP company, has unveiled the next wave of mobile apps designed for a wide range of industries and mobile worke rs, from executives to knowledge and task workers.
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Apple has only four percent of the total phone market, but captures 52 percent of its profits according to Canaccord Genuity analysts T. Michael Walkley and Matthew Ramsay.
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Samsung has become the new leader in the worldwide smartphone market, with total smartphone shipments surpassing 20 million units for the first time ever in the company's history.
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According to research company comScore, Microsoft's smartphone platforms -- primarily Windows Phone but also older Windows Mobile -- had 5.6 percent of smartphone subscribers, down from 5.8 percent for the three months ended in June.
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Worldwide smart phone sales surged 42.6 percent in the third quarter compared with the same quarter last year, with 118.1 million devices shipped from manufacturers. International Data Corp., an industry research firm, said that while the industry grew at a healthy clip, third-quarter shipments missed IDC's forecast of a 49.1 percent growth rate.
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Smartphones are the fastest-growing handset category across Latin America, with smartphone sales equaling 31 million smartphone units sold and $6 billion in revenue, according to a new report from Pyramid Research.
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Glu Mobile estimates the global smartphone gaming market will be worth $2 billion in 2012.
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Research In Motion remains mired in fifth place among global smartphone sellers as the BlackBerry maker lost a five percent market share in the third quarter due to its older product lineup, research firm IDC said Thursday.
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China is now the world's second largest mobile application market after charting a huge increase in app store usage this year, according to new data published by Flurrry.
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According to reports, Nokia has suffered a loss of over $85 billion since 2007 when Apple launched its first iPhone.
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Yahoo Inc. unveiled a long-awaited application for reading news on mobile devices. This is the latest move by the Internet pioneer to stay relevant amid challenges that have led the company to shop itself.
Read Original Content
Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict
Mobile Expert Video Series: SAP's Dr. Ahmed El Adl
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Mobile Expert Video Series: Sybase's Willie Jow
Mobile Expert Video Series: SAP's Ingo Piroth
Enterprise Mobility and Joe on the Plane
Mobile Expert Video Series: Forrester's Christain Kane
Mobile Expert Video Series: Baseplan's Nigel Hammond
Mobile Expert Video Series: Powercor's David Weedon
Mobile Expert Video Series: Futurist Craig Rispin


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Happy Monday friends!
I'm finally getting around to sharing Asher's FabKids outfit from March! For those of you who aren't familiar with FabKids, they are a subscription clothing company for kids that comes out with new outfits each month to choose from! Here are my 3 favorite things about FabKids right now:
2. I love that FabKids offers the same outfits in sizes 2-12 so I can find matching things for my boys! Am I the only mom who loves this? For example this "Mr. Cool" shirt is one of Roman's favorites that we got for him back in September and now Asher has it as well! In other stores, Roman is in the boys section and Asher is still in toddler boys so I can't find matching things for them.
3. I love that FabKids comes out with new items each month but that they still recycle some of their old styles. Now that we've been working with FabKids for almost a year (Eek!) my boys are getting bigger and I'm excited to reorder a few of my favorites in the next size up!
Right now FabKids is offering 20% your first purchase plus free shipping so be sure to check them out!
Mr Cool Graphic Tee: c/o FabKids
Plaid Bermuda Shorts: c/o FabKids
Shoes: Old Navy
( Oh, and the socks were Asher's idea... )
*FabKids provides clothing for my children in exchange for my work as a Brand Ambassador. Thanks so much for supporting my blog and providing my family with these opportunities; I truly appreciate it!*


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TRENTON — The head of the Democrat-controlled panel that can approve or reject Republican Gov. Chris Christie's nominees said today that he won't hold a confirmation hearing if the governor taps Lee Solomon as a Supreme Court justice without also nominating a Democrat to fill the depleted court's other vacancy.
The conditions by Senate Judiciary Committee Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) drew the ire of the panel's ranking Republican and sets the stage for yet another battle over judicial nominees.
The Star-Ledger reported Monday that Christie plans to nominate Solomon, a Superior Court judge and former federal and state prosecutor, to the state's highest court. The nomination of Solomon, a Republican, is expected to be announced shortly, according to people familiar with the process who declined to discuss the matter publicly.
Scutari said today that a Solomon nomination would be considered if Christie makes two picks to the seven-member court — and "as long as one's a Democrat ... as long as the need for partisan balance is recognized and continued."
"We're not going to consider these things in a vacuum," Scutari said. "We're going to look at the court as a whole."
The judiciary committee has twice turned down Christie nominees this year as Scutari and other Democrats said they want to maintain the political balance on the court, now comprised of two Democrats, two Republicans and an independent.
Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak, whose office has not confirmed Solomon will be the pick, declined comment.
But Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-Somerset), a member of the judiciary committee, said he was "disturbed" by Scutari's demand.
Download our free NJ.com mobile and tablet apps to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports and entertainment.
"Nick doesn't have the right to dictate who's on the Supreme Court," Bateman said. "The governor has the right to nominate the individual who he thinks is best qualified. For Nick to take that attitude, it's not his prerogative. It's the governor's."
Bateman said the court has long had four Democrats and it's Christie's opportunity to tip the balance in favor of Republicans. "It's four Democrats and two Republicans. How is that fair?" he said. "It's more Trenton nonsense."
Democrats contend the court's independent, Jaynee LaVecchia, is a Republican because she served the administrations of GOP governors.
Christie nominated two justices on Jan. 23, fulfilling Democrats' demands for minorities with First Assistant Attorney General Phillip Kwon, who would have the first Asian-American justice; and Chatham Mayor Bruce Harris, an African-American who would have been the first openly gay justice.
Democrats turned down Kwon, citing questions about his family finances and the balance on the court, and then Harris, saying he didn't have enough courtroom experience. Christie said the actions were motivated by politics. The court has had least one vacancy since May 2010 when Christie, who had vowed to remake it, did not reappoint Justice John Wallace, a Democrat. The move touched off a protest by Democrats and the legal community.
• Gov. Christie set to nominate former federal, state prosecutor to N.J. Supreme Court
• Senate committee rejects Supreme Court nominee Harris
• What price is N.J.'s judiciary system paying for Gov. Christie's battle with Senate Dems?