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Helen Clark: Signing Ceremony of Statement of Intent between the Government of Qatar and UNDPDec 6, 2012
Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator
Remarks at Signing Ceremony of Statement of Intent between the Government of Qatar and UNDP
COP 18 Expo Centre
5:30 pm, Thursday 6 December 2012
My thanks go to the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) of the State of Qatar for arranging this signing ceremony, and in particular to His Excellency Dr. Saleh Al-Nabit. As Secretary General of the GSDP, Dr. Al-Nabit has done much to deepen co-operation between the State of Qatar and UNDP, and deliver on Qatar's own development plan.
Qatar has made tremendous advances in human development in recent decades. The country's natural resources and the government's development policies have served it well, driving economic growth and helping place the country among world leaders in several measures of economic development, including income per capita.
These economic gains have been accompanied by strong advances in broader dimensions of human development, such as education and health. The country is currently ranked number 37 globally on the Human Development Index, up from number 51 in the year 2000.
UNDP has been proud to partner with Qatar in its development progress, working closely with the General Secretariat for Development Planning to provide technical co-operation, specifically in the areas of policy and strategic planning, data analysis and dissemination, and environmental sustainability.
Within the scope of this co-operation we have also supported the Government of Qatar in the preparation of three National Human Development Reports – in 2006, 2009, and 2011, focusing respectively on human development in general, on sustainable development, and on youth.
I am told that these three reports have been useful tools in the Government's overall effort to promote sustainable human development, and I hope they will also contribute to meeting the objectives laid out in the Qatar National Vision 2030 launched in late 2008, and the National Development Strategy 2011-2016 launched last year. Both of these frameworks reflect Qatar's resolve to sustain and expand development gains now and in the future, and UNDP stands ready to support these efforts.
UNDP is pleased to be associated with the publication being launched today: Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations: Progress, Challenges and Responses for Sustainable Development.
At the national level, the report comments on challenges Qatar faces in achieving sustainable development, and highlights efforts underway to strengthen progress in many economic, social, and environmental areas.
The environment is a particular area of focus. The report makes it clear that Qatar's rapid economic expansion and population growth have intensified strains on the country's natural resources and ecosystems. It highlights the key role which effective policy and regulation can play in ensuring the best use of scarce resources.
National governments play an important role in providing a healthy enabling environment for sustainable development. To be successful, these efforts also require active participation by the private sector, and broad public awareness of sustainability issues. There are positive developments in these areas. In 2004, only nine companies in Qatar had adopted environmental management standards. By 2010 that number had risen to 87. Across the country efforts are underway to mainstream environmental content in school curricula, and to increase public awareness of the importance of sustainability.
I also wish to commend Qatar's substantial support for development co-operation and its championing of South-South co-operation.
In its role as a host of significant international meetings, Qatar is also helping to promote development and other co-operation globally. These efforts, from the launch of the WTO Doha Round in 2001 to agreement on the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development, at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus in 2008, have helped place the needs of developing countries at center-stage.
Over the last two weeks, negotiators have been meeting here in Doha for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP 18. I hope this meeting will help bring the world closer to a new global agreement on tackling climate change.
I am also pleased that UNDP has been able to partner with Qatar, including through joint work in support of rule of law and anti-corruption efforts in the Arab States region. I have just come from delivering a lecture at Qatar University on the rule of law.
Let me close by noting that while the ongoing co-operation between UNDP and the General Secretariat for Development Planning is strong, there is scope to extend it.
Qatar's determination to achieve its development objectives at home is impressive, and its efforts to ensure that people in other countries too are able to enjoy progress are commendable.
I am pleased to sign this Statement of Intent, which reaffirms UNDP's partnership with Qatar, and which I hope will form the basis for discussions in the near future on a number of options for enhanced collaboration.


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The Sundance Film Festival may be one of the coldest fests around, but it's also one of the hottest in terms of star power.
Just check out the lineup for the 2013 festival that was announced Wednesday. Sundance, with its 113 feature-length dramas and documentaries, is chock-full of A-list celebs.
The newly married Jessica Biel will make her way to Utah (the fest kicks off Jan. 17 in Park City) for "Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes," a dramatic thriller about a woman who becomes obsessed with her neighbor.
U.S. & World
Find out what movie has Jared Leto shaving off his eyebrows
"Ain't Them Bodies Saints" is a tale about an outlaw who escapes from prison to reunite with his wife and daughter, and stars "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's" Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck.
And then there's Daniel Radcliffe playing gay Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in "Kill Your Darlings," a drama about a 1944 murder in NYC that brought Ginsberg together with Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.
Some of our favorite stars of television are also well represented.
Have you been reading our Oscar-Buzz Cheat Sheets?
Kristen Bell stars in "The Lifeguard," a film about a young woman who finds herself in a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager when she moves back to her childhood home in Connecticut.
"Austenland" features Keri Russell as single woman obsessed with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice" who takes a trip to an English resort.
"Glee" hottie Jonathan Groff stars in the movie adaptation of David Sedaris' short story "C.O.G."
Oscar race alert: "Moonrise Kingdom" takes top honors at Gotham Awards
Some of other faves who have films set to play at Sundance include Octavia Spencer, Jane Lynch, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Lake Bell and Juno Temple, among many others.
"Filmmakers are telling raw, powerful stories that are sure to create new energy in audiences and communities across the globe in the months to come," Sundance director John Cooper said in a statement.
We cannot wait.
See all your favorite stars in our Movie Premiere Pandemonium photo gallery

subset: commoncrawl


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Car Theft Goes Wrong: Tweaker Gets Messed Up By Teens & 1 Girl In Arizona For Trying To Steal A Car Radio!
"We came out of the store from buying some food, and we see some random guy's feet hanging out the car so this is what happened" - Trip
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The Canadian academic, Henry Mintzberg who had trained as a mechanical engineer, wrote his PhD thesis at the MIT Sloan School of Management analysing the actual work habits and time management of chief executive officers (CEOs). In 1973, Mintzberg's thesis on the nature of managerial work was adopted as a study and published for a wider audience.
Mintzberg's empirical research involved observing and analysing the activities of the CEOs of five private and semi-public organisations. Previous management behaviour studies had concentrated on team and subordinate behaviour or organisational structure rather than on the day-to-day reality of managerial behaviour.
To describe the work life of a CEO, Mintzberg first identified six characteristics of the job:
Mintzberg then identified ten separate roles in managerial work, each role defined as an organised collection of behaviours belonging to an identifiable function or position. He separated these roles into three subcategories: interpersonal contact (1, 2, 3), information processing (4, 5, 6) and decision making (7-10).
Mintzberg next analysed individual manager's use and mix of the ten roles according to the six work related characteristics. He identified four clusters of independent variables: external, function related, individual and situational. He concluded that eight role combinations were 'natural' configurations of the job:
Mintzberg's study on the 'nature of managerial work' exposed many managerial myths requiring change such as replacing the aura of reflective strategists carefully planning their firm's next move with one of fallible humans who are continuously interrupted. Indeed, half of the managerial activities studied lasted less than nine minutes. Mintzberg also found that although individual capabilities influence the implementation of a role, it is the organisation that determines the need for a particular role, addressing the common belief that it predominantly a manager's skill set that determines success. Effective managers develop protocols for action given their job description and personal preference, and match these with the situation at hand.
The reality of management is that 'the pressures of the job drive the manager to take on too much work, encourage interruption, respond to every stimulus, seek the tangible and avoid the abstract, make decisions in small increments'. Mintzberg's key contribution was to highlight the importance of understanding CEOs' time management and tasks in order to be able to improve their work and develop their skills appropriately.
The most valued theoretical contribution was Mintzberg's role typology. Its validity was demonstrated in consecutive studies and thus created a common language. His contingency model linking management types to roles was less valuable.
Mintzberg's aim was to observe unbiased managerial behaviour and analyse it through empirical research. Before his research, the normative frameworks produced by Fayol's 'administrative management'and Gulick's POSDCORB were dominant. Mintzberg's role typology 'debunked' these normative systems.
Mintzberg does not assume ex-ante what an (in)effective or (non)successful manager entails. He also neglects the relationship between managerial behaviour and organisational effectiveness.
Furthermore, he takes a 'neutral' position on the managerial role omitting influences such as ownership and power. Identified contingency factors explain differences in the make-up of managerial work.
The empirical study is based on five organisations in action. The small sample size means that the results should not be applied to all industry, organisations or management positions.
In his 1973 study, Mintzberg declared that the manager's position is always the starting point in organisational analysis. He also argued that managerial roles are sequential - a manager first makes interpersonal contact through his formal status which in turn allows information processing and leads to decision making. Mintzberg later rejected this relationship based on new empirical data.


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- Overview
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In addition to being 31% smaller and lighter than any other form factors in its class, the CK75 mobile computer is optimized for warehouse and distribution environments with premium, industrial-grade materials for the perfect balance of ruggedness and duty cycle, along with features that enable flexibility and agility, even in the most extreme conditions. Extend the use of the CK75 mobile computer into cold storage and freezer environments with the heater-equipped Cold Storage CK75 Mobile Computer.
When workload demands shift unexpectedly, the CK75 mobile computer gives workers the flexibility to quickly transition to tasks that require near or far scanning, speech, voice and image capture, without wasting time reorienting themselves on unfamiliar devices. Because the CK75 mobile computer supports Honeywell headsets and voice software, customers have the option of traditional or voice-enabled workflows. With a dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WLAN radio, the CK75 mobile computer delivers rock-solid performance and consistently fast response times, even in areas with low signal levels or intermittent connections.
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Additional Information
Spec Sheet Additional Product Specifications
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Memory Card Supported : microSD
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Screen Mode : VGA
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Display Screen Type : LCD
Touchscreen Information
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Wireless LAN : Yes
Wireless LAN Standard : IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
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Camera : Yes
Operating System : Android 6.0 Marshmallow
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Environmentally Friendly : Yes
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Manufacturer Part Number CK75AA6MC00A6400 Manufacturer Honeywell Standard Memory 2 GB Flash Memory 16 GB Screen Resolution 480 x 640 Product Type Handheld Terminal Connectivity IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n Image Sensor Imager Operating System Android 6.0 Marshmallow


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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table, in both official languages, proposals to correct anomalies, contradictions or errors identified in the Statutes of Canada and to make other minor and non-controversial amendments, as well as to repeal certain legislation that no longer applies.
House of Commons Hansard #150 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was aboriginal.


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Women's Round Face Watch with Crystalline Accents
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Clutter Busters
This story appears in the September 2004 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
The organization industry, it seems, is more relevant today than ever before. Just take a look around: Closets are bursting with stored clothes. Offices are overflowing in rivers of paper. Living rooms and kitchens everywhere have been swallowed up by clutter.
In fact, the demand for managing the piles of stuff people accumulate in their daily lives is growing--and businesses have sprouted to meet every possible need. Some entrepreneurs become professional organizers; others manufacture organizing products.
According to Barry Izsak, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) board of directors, membership has doubled over the past two years--of both professional organizer members and associate members (like organization product manufacturers). "Public awareness is increasing," says Izsak. "We're becoming more visible."
Certainly, the glut of home-improvement and home-makeover shows has helped raise the industry's profile. Shows like Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and TLC's Clean Sweep dedicate hours each week to improving people's living spaces and eliminating clutter. Organization is all the rage, and we've found a range of entrepreneurs getting in on the action--one entrepreneur sells organization and space-saving supplies at his chain of stores; another shares her professional organizing expertise with her big-city clients. We even found one company launched by entrepreneurs who designed a whole document-organizing system. So rest your feet on that pile of magazines on your coffee table, and settle in--it's time for some serious organizing lessons.
Contain the Excitement
With a retail background under his belt, Abner Wright III decided to parlay his interest in organizing into a serious business in 1991. Says Wright, 46, "Everyone likes to get organized. Some are always organized; some get organized every few minutes, some once a week or once a year." Because he felt that organization was an ongoing struggle for people, Wright saw an opportunity to offer products that would help consumers get their things in order.
He researched the product offerings in his area and realized that, although some people sold a few basic organization and storage pieces here and there, there really wasn't any one-stop shop in his Winston-Salem, North Carolina, area that customers could go to for all their organizing needs. He opened his first Space Savers store, selling, in his words, "things that don't go out of style." Stocking everything from closet organizers to kitchen storage supplies, Wright says there's a constant demand for these types of products. If someone comes in to buy a closet organizer one month, and it serves his or her needs, Wright says that person will often come in later to shop for the garage, the home office, the living room and so on. "They're always looking for the final answer," he explains.
Still, since customers are always looking for that definitive organizing product, Wright confesses it was difficult at first to decide what products to carry. "Trying to pick out items that everyone likes was a big challenge," he says. "But that's always a challenge in retailing." To combat the hit-and-miss nature of buying, Wright listened closely to input from all sides--family, friends, customers, employees--to see what products sold well and were requested by consumers.
Once he got underway, Wright really started getting a feel for what types of organization products customers wanted, and within one year, he opened another Space Savers location in his area. The rapid growth continued, says Wright, as he opened three more locations in six years. Though it was challenging to train a new staff for each store while adapting the store to the local flavor of that particular area, Wright says it's the customer service that sets his company apart. His employees, for instance, know to give customers advice and ideas on organization projects--they don't just point to the "office storage" aisle.
With the success of his retail stores, Wright decided in 2002 to branch out into e-commerce to harness the trend toward online buying and expand his organization niche nationwide. Wright expects Space Savers to gross 2004 sales well into the seven figures.
Big-City Expertise
It was both an interest in and a knack for organizing that inspired Lisa Zaslow to forgo the daily grind of an office job to start her professional organizing business. Officially founding Gotham Organizers in 2000, this New York City dweller had a background in HR and consulting. While on vacation at a friend's home in 1999, she went looking for a napkin in one of the cabinets. "It was just a mess, with candles, Christmas ornaments, Easter things, soup tureens . . . and I rooted around and finally found a napkin. I looked around and said, I have to organize this," recalls Zaslow, 40. "As I was [organizing a cabinet] on this beautiful, sunny day, a hundred yards from the beach, I realized maybe this was the work that I was meant to do."
The more Zaslow learned about organizing, the more she liked it. She got in touch with her local NAPO chapter to learn more about the business side of it and started organizing for friends and family free of charge just to grow her skills. "I knew I liked organizing when it was my agenda, but I really wasn't sure if I would like it when it was [for] somebody else," she notes.
This is an important distinction to make in the startup phase of any organization business. According to Izsak, "There's a big difference between organizing for yourself and your family, and organizing for everyone else. Many people are not [conscious of that]." Because professional organizing is such a customized business, it's important for entrepreneurs to really find that right solution for each customer. Though Izsak notes that the proliferation of home makeover shows has certainly raised the profile of professional organizers, "They [also] perpetuate the notion that organizers come in, clean up, and [that] everything is OK." On the contrary, he says, professional organizers must work closely with clients to help them achieve their own ways of organizing.
Though it's not as personal as a therapy session, Izsak has observed the sentimentality that people often have about their things. "We're dealing with hoarders," he says. "They have psychological issues that are impairing their ability to make a decision." That explains all the boxes in the corner--people hang onto things because they can't decide what to keep and what to let go of. A professional organizer needs a keen eye for detail and a good ear for listening to his or her client's specific needs.
Zaslow's HR skills certainly helped her tune into her clients' needs. "There's often a lot of shame [about being disorganized]," she says. "But once they let you into their home, they're really grateful to talk about it to someone who's not judgmental." A unique challenge of this business is getting people who are perpetually disorganized to keep appointments with her, so Zaslow confirms and reconfirms with clients before each meeting.
She was doing HR consulting and organizing on the side until 2002, when she decided to go full time with the organizing. Her profile grew rapidly after an appearance on HGTV's Mission: Organization. After hearing in her local NAPO meeting that producers were looking for organizers, she submitted a few proposals. She was chosen, and the half-hour show profiled how she organized the home of one of her clients--a young, single guy in the city. After that, Zaslow positioned herself as the go-to organization expert for local media and has gained massive exposure that way.
Zaslow, like many professional organizers, charges by the hour-- although the amount varies per job. Izsak agrees that fees vary widely, depending on an organizer's level of experience as well as the nature of the job, although he points out that many charge between $50 and $200 per hour.
Even with her company growing and 2004 sales projected to hit $100,000, Zaslow still finds time to teach professional organizing to other aspiring entrepreneurs at an adult-education organization, The Learning Annex, in her area. It's her passion, after all. "[There's] an immediate sense of results," she says. "It's a dramatic change both visually and in your life."
Getting Your Ducks in a Row
The organization industry is full of opportunities, according to Barry Izsak, National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) board president. But he cautions that even though organization is on everybody's lips, it takes more than just a keen interest in it to become a successful entrepreneur. You'll have to perfect both your business and your organizing prowess to become a professional organizer. He notes that one way to train for the industry and learn about its ins and outs is to work for a larger professional organizing firm.
Residential organizing continues to be a hot area, says Izsak, but organizers can specialize in myriad organization areas like collections/memorabilia, photographs, garages and moves/ relocations. You might even specialize in targeted groups like seniors or students. You can also contract out your services to be the on-call organizer for local offices.
Like any business, do your research to find out how much people are charging in your area for similar organization services, and check out your local NAPO or International Association of Professional Organizers (IAPO) chapter. And if you do decide to start part time on evenings and weekends, realize that means you won't be able to target the office market. Izsak suggests trying to phase into working weekdays (like adding Mondays and Fridays to your schedule) until you can go full time. Just don't neglect staying organized yourself-especially when your schedule gets busy. Calculate the amount of time you'll spend with clients, and factor in travel time. Set aside enough hours to accomplish your own back-office tasks, like phone calls and bookkeeping, so you can be both an instructor and an example to your clients.
Binding It Up
Visual change is what it was all about for the founders of Russell + Hazel, an office supply manufacturer in Minneapolis. The founders envisioned organizational office and school supplies that would be both functional and fashionable. In fact, the goal of Chris Plantan, 44, and her co-founders--Barbara Giangrossi, 46; Cynthia Knox, 41; Darin Opperman, 44; and Kobe Suvongse, 44--was to get away from boring, manila-tinged organizational office supplies and move toward modern colors and styles.
Plantan, partner of Russell + Hazel, got the original idea while working as an architect. It was important in such a visually driven field to have an interesting and stylish binder, so she used to make her own. Seeing the potential, Plantan recruited her friends and acquaintances to help her build the business and secure funding. The quintet launched in 2002, bringing to the table combined backgrounds in architecture, retail merchandising and graphic design.
Plantan notes that a main difficulty Russell + Hazel faced was finding a manufacturer for their specialty products. "[Manufacturers] were so [set] on making commodity products and making [them] cheaper," she says. "We said, 'No, we want a nicely designed product--we don't care if it costs more.'" The company also focused on doing a smaller run of the items, to get them out into the marketplace faster, and did a sort of real-life focus group: They sent out 50 test kits composed of their newly designed products to young professionals in Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, and asked for their feedback.
Once they got the thumbs up from testers, Russell + Hazel's founders focused on getting the products into smaller boutique stores first. And because the products are meant to be fashionable, they also marketed them in the gift category. "A lot of our first customers were gift shops and smaller stationery stores," recalls Plantan. "We [even] had museum shops calling us."
With sales poised to hit about $1 million in 2004, the Russell + Hazel brand can be found in retailers like The Container Store and Urban Outfitters, and the company plans to expand its product line even further to help people organize both their work and home offices with style. "Being a young, fresh firm, we want to stay small and nimble. That way, we can stay a little bit ahead of the trend as far as design and colors," says Plantan. "It's been a lot of fun, finding out that these products that help you organize are really personal accessories, and people are buying them like they would footwear or handbags."
Whether you choose to guide others into organizing or to design and sell the products that will help them get organized, it's a field that's poised for growth, according to Izsak. "People are going to continue to struggle with this issue [of personal organization], and this need will continue to grow," he says. "I don't see the demands on people's time becoming fewer. [Organizing professionals] are here to stay--this is not a fad."
Listing compiled by Maria Anton


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A First-Rate Backup Plan (5/5/2012)
After our April 28th game at Camden Yards, our next game was supposed to be the first of the Fifth Annual Cook Grandfather-Father-Son Baseball Roadtrip on May 12th. The weekend of Cinco de Mayo, we were supposed to head south to Colleen's sister's house for our nephew's first communion. The plan was for me to leave work early on Friday, May 4 so we could drive south. But plans changed. I had to work later than expected. As it stood, we would have arrived at our destination late. So Colleen decided to go to her sister's house alone while I stayed home and tended to the boys.
So…hmm…home all weekend with my boys…hmm…what should we do?
Actually, it took me less time to figure out the plan than it took you to read that last sentence: we would go see the Mets and Diamondbacks at Citi Field!
I bought some tickets on Stub Hub and we headed out for Queens, NY at around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, 2012. On our drive, our plans changed again. Instead of our usual practice of parking on the upper east side and then riding the subway to the park, while Kellan mostly slept and Tim played *fun with meat* with a beef stick…
…we ended up driving all the way to Citi Field. It cost…I think…$16.50 to drive across those two bridges on our way, but the freeway dropped us off right behind the scoreboard in CF of Citi Field.
After driving around the stadium the wrong way and then circling back, we parked in the general parking lot and BOOM…
…we had made it to Citi Field!
FYI, I do not normal dress Kellan in the morning. So I did not realize at the time that I had put him in a teeny-tiny Ichiro shirt. But, hey, it made him look like a big muscly stud.
We had about 45 minutes until the gates open for non-season ticket holders. Our plan was to take a ride on the 7-train for kicks. But we ended up having a lot of fun at the stadium and never hopped the train.
We started out with some pictures at the Shea Stadium homerun apple:
Tim has been working on catching pop flies lately so it was cool to get a picture of him catching one in front of the Big Apple. It was fun, but not everyone appreciated our good time. You can't tell from that last picture, but the flower beds in which the homerun apple sits is elevated a couple feet off of the ground. The path that runs across the front of the apple runs to the edge of the elevated flower beds so people can hop up and get a picture. At the end of the path running to the left (on the "Home" side of the apple), a very large and odd lady was sitting on the edge of the flower beds. She was apparently upset that Kellan wandered into the flowers (I got him out of them within about five seconds) and that Tim was playing with a (dangerous) ball *near* other people. She didn't really confront me, but she started muttering loudly so I could hear her displeasure. I didn't think we were doing anything wrong, but I took her hint, and we left.
There were hardly any cars in the parking lot right in front of the Jackie Robinson rotunda so I decided we should go play catch in the parking lot. But on our walk over there, I noticed something awesome: a nice strip of grass along the edge of the parking lot.
So we took our gloves and baseballs over there…
…and had a heap of fun playing around.
Kellan mainly just ran around jumping and laughing. Tim and I played catch. And for extra kicks, we played catch for a while over a forked tree:
Tim and I were hooping and hollering when Tim finally caught a pop fly through the tree, which was really difficult because the ball would get lost in the branches as it went through the tree. It was a lot of fun. But then the unthinkable happened!
Tim tossed the ball over the tree to me…
…and it never came down!
Tim somehow threw the ball just perfectly that it landed in the little nook in the tree and stayed there. I pulled another ball (not a real baseball) out of my backpack and tried to knock the first ball out of the tree. I hit the first ball several times, but it never fell down. And, eventually, neither did the second ball!
We lost TWO BASEBALLS in that tree!
Tim was not happy. It caused him a lot of pain walking away from that tree without being able to bring his baseballs. Those were baseballs we play with a lot in the backyard. So it is sad to have lost them.
As we walked away from the tree, I said to Tim, "Hey, you should think of this as a good thing. I mean, how many people can say their baseball is stuck in the tree outside Citi Field?" "Probably about a thousand," was Tim's response. But I think he overshot it just a bit. I'm pretty sure our baseballs are the only baseballs stuck in that tree!
With no baseballs left, we decided to hop in line for the last 15 minutes before the gates opened:
Tim and Kellan played around that tree a bunch, and then Kellan ran up to the front of the line so I followed him while Tim held our place in line. Kellan and I ended up having 5-6 races down the strip of concrete strip, much to the delight of the people in the line. Several fans ahead of us in line gave Kellan compliments on his Ichiro t-shirt.
Once inside the stadium, we had to stop and get a picture with this pig before heading off to BP:
While putting this blog entry together, Tim had me make his shirt into a Mets t-shirt.
We decided to switch things up at this game. Every time we've been to Citi Field in the past, we've headed to LF for BP. But the Mets are using 50th Anniversary commemorative baseballs this season and they warm up down the RF line. So that's where we headed. Tim had bounced back from the balls-lost-in-the-tree fiasco and was excited for a fun day at the ballpark:
When we reached the field, the Mets pitchers were finished throwing and a bunch of them were running from the foul line to CF and then…
…walking back to the foul line. That is Bobby Parnell on the far right end. He kept smiling and waving at Tim and Kellan each time the pitchers returned to the foul line. He seemed like a really nice and friendly dude.
Once the pitchers finished running, they all dispersed but one stayed right in the RF corner. It was our buddy from several weeks prior, Tim Byrdak.
The first time someone hit a ball down the RF line to Byrdak, I called out, "Hey, Tim!"
Byrdak turned and tossed Tim a big underhand lob:
That ball actually fell a tiny bit short, tipped off the very end of Tim's glove and rolled back toward Byrdak. He tossed it again from about half way out on the green tarp and Tim caught it. Just then, another ball was hit down the line to Byrdak.
Kellan was standing on the ground next to me and Tim. Byrdak looked at Kellan and asked, "Do you want one too?" Then he turned back to Tim and said he would have to catch Kellan's ball too.
As all of this happened, Byrdak kept getting closer and closer and we were chatting a little bit. You know, a funny thing happened a couple weeks back after our first game of the season when Byrdak tossed a ball to Tim. I wrote it up on our blog and, the very next day, I got an email from Tim Byrdak's agent (Mike Mosa who represents "Only Baseball Players") mentioning that he read the blog and thought it was great. He offered to send us some autographed Tim Byrdak cards, and they arrived in the mail about a week later. I told Byrdak how all of this had happened. He thought that was pretty cool.
I asked Byrdak if he would sign a ball for Tim. Tim made sure it was the ball Byrdak had tossed up for him, not the ball for Kellan. In retrospect, I should have asked him to sign both balls because he ended up giving Tim just about the coolest autograph of all time:
Once he was finished signing the ball, he tossed it back up to Tim and then he tossed the pen, which bounced out of Tim's glove. Afterwards, Tim gushed about how he "caught three baseballs and almost caught a pen" from Tim Byrdak. It was pretty funny.
Super, huge, ridiculous thank yous to Tim Byrdak!
The day was off to a fabulous start. And it was just gonna keep being awesome.
We hadn't planned to try to see Byrdak at this game, we just got extremely lucky. But we did have one major plan. The Mets were going to be playing the Arizona Diamondbacks and beloved former-Mariner Willie "Ballgame" Bloomquist. Tim has loved Willie for awhile now, although he didn't realize until recently that he is no longer a Mariner, and hasn't been for a long time.
Anyway, my dad gave Tim a Willie Bloomquist card last year that he has always had in a single card holder. Tim decided he wanted to try to get Bloomquist to sign the card at this game. If it worked, it would be the first time Tim had ever gotten a card signed by a player.
After parting ways with Tim Byrdak, we walked around CF and all the way over toward the 3B dugout, or as close as we could get to it without our tickets. A bunch of Diamondbacks were out playing catch, but Bloomquist was nowhere in sight.
We were stationed in the second row right behind a handicapped seating area that was not accessible to fans unless you had tickets in that area. The handicapped seating area was right on the field level. Right in front of us on the other side of the handicapped seating area, Lyle Overbay and John McDonald were playing three-way catch with Paul Goldschmidt. When finished, Goldschmidt walked over to Overbay. McDonald had already walked off. And when Overbay left, Goldschmidt…
…tossed us their warm up baseball and then headed toward the dugout.
Thanks, Paul!
Very soon after this, we spotted Willie Bloomquist in the 3B dugout. I was intentionally wearing my Bloomquist Mariners t-shirt. I called out a loud and low "WWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLIE!" When Bloomquist looked our way, I turned around and gave him a double-thumb "check out my shirt" point toward the back of my shirt. He signaled his approval with a big fist pump.
A few minutes later, Bloomquist walked out toward 3B to warm up. I called out to him again. When he looked over, I asked him if he would sign Tim's card after he finished his warm ups. He immediately turned and proceeded to walk directly toward us.
As he approached, the usher in charge of keeping the riff-raff out of the handicapped seating area turned to me and asked, "Is this Willie coming over to see you?" When I responded in the affirmative, she said, "Okay, you guys can all come down here" and she unchained the special area for me, Tim and Kellan.
On his way over, Willie stopped and picked up a baseball. He then signed the baseball and Tim's card for Tim. We chatted a little. He asked if we were from Seattle and I explained I had lived there for 20+ years and we're huge Mariners fans. He asked where I lived in the Seattle area. I complimented him on his number switch from "16" as a Mariner to "18" as a Diamondback. I wear "18" myself in softball and did in my former life as a baseball player. He confessed, "I never liked 16!"
And then we all posed for a picture taken by the usher:
Check out how Willie is actually in the seating area with us, not out of on the field.
It was all incredibly awesome!
Then, after chatting with us, signing for us, giving Tim a baseball, and posing for a picture, Willie headed back out to warm up in LF. As he left, a thunderous chorus of "WILLIE! WILLIE! WILLIE!" rained down from about 20 people who had gathered around to watch us chat with Willie. But Willie was gone. He came to see us and only us. How cool is that!?
Thank you, Willie Ballgame!
Now Tim likes Willie even more than before! And he was officially rooting for the D-backs to win this game.
Immediately after Willie left, we all headed up to the concourse. I was so excited that I left my back pack down in the second row and we had a comeback for it several minutes later when we finally realized it was missing.
Next, it was time to sit down and check out one of Tim's new prizes: the Tom Seaver bobblehead that they gave to the first 20 or 30 thousand fans. Tim loves bobbleheads and he was very excited about this one:
Tim decided we should sit in the last row of section 136 (although, it might have been 137). This was our view:
Kellan drank some water and ate some snacks, and then spit some snacks into our water (foul!), while Tim surveyed his bobblehead.
After Tim had his fill of looking at his bobblehead and they both had their fill (for the time being) of snacks, the three of us headed down to the first row above the new LF party deck so I could check it out. This is what it looks like:
I assume we'll never set foot down there.
We hung out there for a while and watched BP. Brad Ziegler was right in front of us:
At one point, Kellan and Ziegler looked eyes and Kellan gave him a big "Hi, Mister Baseball Player" wave. Ziegler cracked a big smile and waved back at Kellan enthusiastically. When that happened, I was 95% certain that the next ball Ziegler fielded would end up in Kellan's hands…and it did. Someone hit a ball to his right. Ziegler went over and fielded it, and then walked towards us and tossed it to me. Kellan grabbed it and held it tight like it was his new favorite toy. And Tim and I yelled out a big,
"Thank you!" to Mr. Ziegler.
And then, like Kaiser Soze, *poof* we disappeared.
We were off to the very steep and awkward RF bleachers. This was our view:
We hung out there for a while and watched former Reading Phillies pitcher and former heckler at one of my beer league softball games, Mike Zagursky, shag balls with a couple teammates.
While in RF, we checked out the new fence lines at Citi Field. Here is the crazy new set up in RCF:
When BP wrapped up, we headed out to the kids play area in CF. They have some batting cages, a whiffle ball field, and some video game stations. Tim switched things up from past games at Citi Field, instead of heading to the whiffle ball field, he tried out the video game station. It was one of those new baseball games they're always advertising…maybe the one with the Justin Verlander commercials. Kellan tried to get into the action with Tim. But Kellan also did some running around in circles, which eventually resulted in him falling face first on the pavement. And that sent us to the first aid station for a skinned-knee clean up and bandage:
After the first aid room, we headed to the upper-deck, grabbed some food and headed to our seats in section 420:
We had a great view of the action while the boys chowed down on dogs and fries:
The Diamondbacks (with Tim cheering them on loudly) sent Patrick Corbin to the mound…
…and he sat the Mets (including David Wright) down in order in the first.
The Mets sent their ace, Johan Santana, to the mound:
And while he would eventually earn the win, he lost the battle against Ryan Roberts in the top of the second inning:
That made the score 1-0 Diamondbacks. Tim was happy!
We were having a nice time watching the game and eating out tasty food. After he finished eating, Tim decided he was jealous of his little brother for getting to sit on dad's lap. So he jump on my right leg. I had to get a picture as I played the role of easy chair for both boys at once:
Hey, you can't beat a day at the ballpark with two son's snuggling up on you lap.
Over Easter weekend, Tim and I, my brother-in-law Kevin and nephew Gill watched the movie "The Big Year." If you haven't seen it, go check out The Big Year. It's a very nice (and extremely positive) tale of a group of bird watchers who are in a contest to see who can spot the most birds during the calendar year.
We've always been into watching birds in our back yard, but we were never "birders" until we watched The Big Year. Now, we are officially sub-amateur birders. Every once in a while Tim spots a bird and tells me, "remember, we're birders!" and instructs me to take a picture. So, that's a long backstory for very little payoff – in the second or third inning, Tim spotted…
…a pigeon! This little guy was watching the game from the top of the stadium behind home plate.
After watching The Big Year, my father-in-law and brother-in-law told me we should do a "Big Year" in MLB ballparks. Okay, here we go. We're now at 1 species!
Around the third inning, we decided to go for a walk. We ended up walking down toward the LF foul corner, and then we decided to walk down the switch-back walk way, all the way down to ground level.
As we started on our way down, I took this shot of the parking lot:
It was our first time parking here, so I figured I should capture it. We were parking in the single row of cars between the two red arrows (in fact, I can see our car!). As the big "X" shows, Shea Stadium used to sit right out there. The Mets practically built Citi Field right on top of Shea Stadium.
I still very much prefer Shea over Citi Field.
Tim loves switch-back ramps! After getting his picture with the Citi Field sign on the outside of the stadium…
…Tim ran and bounced down the ramp like an out of control airplane.
We stopped off on the second level…I think it has some silly name like Excelsior Level…and stopped into the Acela Club. I bought our tickets on stub hub for two reasons: (1) they were the cheapest tickets I found online and (2) they said they came with access to the Acela Club, the Ceasar Club and the Promenade Club. Unfortunately, if the tickets normal do have that type of access, any tickets that are run through stub hub come out lacking the special designations that normally allow you access to these clubs. Anyway, we stopped in and I showed our tickets to the lady and asked if we had access. She said our tickets didn't say we had access, but she said they never turn people down who want to come in and see the Acela Club. So we strolled through.
Here is the bar area:
My pictures of the dining area on the same level as the bar turned out all blurry. But here is the view of the field looking down over several levels of dining tables:
This is a sit down restaurant. Looks pretty cool, but not of interest to us, excepts as a new spot to walk through and check out what it looks like.
We continued on our way down the switch-back ramp. I love spots like this where you get a little glimpse of the field:
You know what happens when Tim does something (anything)? Kellan wants to do it too. As we continued on our walk down, down, down, Kellan tried to do his own running airplane:
At the bottom of the ramp (we went ALL THE WAY down, below field level), we rode an elevator back up to the field level. And then we walked over to the SRO area behind the seats and got a glimpse of the action:
It was still 1-0 Diamondbacks as the Mets batted.
We decided to head back out to the play area. On the way, I got a shot of the new party deck from the opposite angle of our earlier picture:
Those big circles behind the party deck used to be on the old outfield wall. The Mets apparently need all the help they can get to hit homeruns.
Despite the bloody knee, Kellan was not discouraged. He ran around like crazy, with no spills this time…
…and Tim played more video game baseball. In that picture, he is celebrating a homerun.
After leaving the video game area, we grabbed some ice cream helmets (check out the Mets awesome commemorative ice cream hemlets!), and headed to the picnic tables behind the bullpens.
This bullpen picnic area provides a terrible view of the game. But it cool to check out from time-to-time because you can watch the relievers warm up…
…and from time to time someone will toss you a baseball.
And guess what? This was one of those times. Kellan was chattin' up two bullpen attendant guys and they loved him. I had no clue it was happening, but one of them headed into the Mets bullpen and came back with something special for Kellan:
Yowzers! That's one beautiful baseball. I'm not sure how our day could be any better – playing catch outside the stadium, Byrdak, Bloomquist, fun times goofing around the stadium, and now a Mets 50th Anniversary commemorative baseball! This was officially my favorite of the handful of games we have attended at Citi Field.
I should mention that the Mets scored four runs while we were hanging out behind the bullpen. It was the bottom of the fourth inning. Mike Nickeas hit a 2-RBI single off of Corbin. And then Josh Collmenter, who we watched warm up in the bullpen, came in and gave up a 2-RBI single to Andres Torres.
That made the score 4-1 Mets.
The Diamondbacks would get two back on a 2-RBI double by Paul Goldschmidt in the top of the fifth. That made it 4-3 Mets. Unfortunately for Tim and the Dbacks, that was all the scoring for the day. Johan Santana earned the win for the Mets.
Next, we headed to the Mets Hall of Fame. We'd been there before (well, Kellan hadn't). But they had something in there that was pretty cool, and I'm pretty sure it was new — a display of 50 years of Mets team programs:
We actually went to the Mets Hall of Fame because I wanted to get a picture of the boys with the Jackie Robinson "42." Of course, Tim didn't feel like do a normal pose. So he flopped all around the 42 and Kellan tried his best to emulate his big brother. This was my favorite of the handful of pictures I got:
Lounging with 42!
My boys are goofy.
Anyway, we decided to head up to the Pepsi Porch.
In the top of the seventh, Santana got Justin Upton (who we were hoping would hit a big fly) to ground out weakly:
We just hung out in a handicapped seating area behind the seats. The boys alternated between watching the action…
…and just dancing around like the silly boys they are.
It was getting late in the game, and I had designs on trying to a post-game Citi Field umpires ball, which is very difficult because they check tickets at all times, even with 2-outs and 2 strikes on the last batter in the bottom of the ninth.
On our way to the umpires tunnel area, we walked around the upper deck and go this silly picture behind section 420 (where we sat for all of 2-3 innings):
We watched the last inning and a half from the SRO area behind the section above the umpires' tunnel. It was a one run game and it got interest in the top of the ninth. When Lyle Overbay reached first with one out, the Diamondbacks brought in Willie Bloomquist to pinch run…
…and he quickly swiped second.
Way to go, Willie!
But that was all see wrote. The Dbacks couldn't tie it up and they lost 4-3.
The second the game ended, we high tailed it down the stairs against the current of people flooding the exits. But we managed to get through and reach the umpires' tunnel before Jerry Layne entered the tunnel. Layne ended up giving out three baseballs directly into little kids' gloves, and then he just randomly tossed 3-4 more. And luckily, we snagged one of them.
Although it was unintentional, thanks, Jerry!
Then we headed over to the dugout, and Diamondbacks bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock tossed us a baseball on his way in from the bullpen.
Thanks, Glenn!
After the game, we got a picture by the end of the visitors' dugout:
This game was official getting ridiculous! We had 8 baseballs including two commemoratives, plus interactions and autographs with Byrdak and Bloomquist. It was crazy.
And it wasn't quite done yet.
On our way out of the seat area, we walked behind the dugout and this guy…
…gave Kellan another baseball!
Thanks, guy!
Aye, aye, aye…this was our second biggest baseball total ever (tying Tim's fourth MLB anniversary last September):
It was nice having the car right outside the stadium. But I think this will be our last time driving to Citi Field. It is more fun to ride the 7-train out from Manhattan. Plus, it took forever to get out of the city on the roads from Queens. The game ended around 7:30 and we got home around 11:20.
But a long and slow drive can't change our mood: this was a great day. Tons of fun!
Hooray for baseball!
2012 C&S Fan Stats
|4/3 Games (Tim/Kellan)
|7/4 Teams – Tim – Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, Nationals, Diamondbacks; Kellan – Marlins, Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Mets, Diamondbacks
|4 Ice Cream Helmet(s) – Phillies 1, Orioles 1, Mets 2
|23 Baseballs – Marlins 4, Mets 8, Nationals 1, Phillies 1, Umpires 3, Orioles 1, Athletics 1, Diamondbacks 4
|3 Commemorative Baseball(s) – Marlins Park, Mets 50th Anniversary 2
|4/3 Stadiums – Tim – Citizens Bank Park, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field; Kellan – Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field
|2/1 Player Photos – Tim – Ricky Bones, Willie Bloomquist; Kellan – Willie Bloomquist
|2 Batting Gloves – Ronnie Deck
|3 Autographs – Willie Bloomquist 2, Tim Byrdak


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Melt-Compounded Thermoplastic Nanocomposites: Processing, Structure and Properties
Tutkimustuotos ›
|Tampere University of Technology
|ISBN (elektroninen)
|ISBN (painettu)
|Julkaistu - 25 helmikuuta 2011
|G5 Artikkeliväitöskirja
|Tampere University of Technology. Publication
|Tampere University of Technology
|ISSN (painettu)
Thermoplastic nanocomposites are very intriguing materials, since they have enormous possibilities in various applications, for instance, in automotive and packaging industries. If the full potential of nanofillers can be harnessed, it is possible to obtain marked benefits such as lighter-weight structures with equal or improved mechanical performance, better barrier properties, improved thermal and fire resistance, easier processability and better surface appearance. However, establishing a fine and uniform dispersion and strong adhesion is often challenging in thermoplastic polymer matrices. The aim of this study was to analyze the dispersion and performance of three nanofillers (clay, calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide) in melt compounded thermoplastic nanocomposites. Various melt compounding techniques, filler surface modifications and coupling agents were applied and their effects on the nanocomposite structure and properties were examined. In nanoclay-filled composites, it was shown that both the processing history and the coupling agent characteristics have significant effects on the nanocomposite structure and properties. The most balanced overall performance was achieved through masterbatch dilution where the two most critical parameters, dispersion and adhesion, were best combined. The mechanical property enhancements were more pronounced with the use of the in-house-made masterbatches in comparison to their commercial counterparts. As comes to the effects of the coupling agent selection, the molecular weight of the coupling agent seemed to have a strong influence on the obtained intercalation and exfoliation level, whereas its maleic anhydride content seemed to be more crucial in terms of mechanical property enhancements. However, after the two-phase mixing process the use of the coupling agent having lower functionality led to high mechanical performance as well. In case of CaCO3-filled nanocomposites, it was shown that the success of the surface modification process played a crucial role in terms of filler dispersion and property enhancements. Even though similar properties were achieved with commercial unmodified CaCO3 together with a coupling agent or neat stearic acid-modified CaCO3, the behaviour of the surface-modified pilot grade was considerably divergent resulting in very soft and tough behaviour. The TiO2-based nanocomposites were prepared either by direct melt compounding or by first coating the polymer particles with TiO2 through atomic layer deposition (ALD) followed by subsequent melt compounding. The morphological structure of the nanocomposites differed markedly depending on their processing history. The ALD-created materials produced a stronger effect on mechanical properties leading to, for instance, a higher Young's modulus. On the other hand, they induced a sharp transition from ductile to brittle behaviour.
Tilastokeskuksen tieteenalat
Latausten tilastot
Ei tietoja saatavilla


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Faculty Directory
Mr. Charles Begley
Adjunct Professor of Latin and Greek
- Email:
- email@example.com
- Phone:
- 716.286.8212
Professor Begley joined the department in 2003. He earned his BA in Latin at SUNY Albany and his MS in Education from Canisius. He has also done further study in the areas of archaeology and literature at the American Academy in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Currently he teaches Latin and Greek. Although emersed in the Classics, Professor Begley is continually making connections between the ancient world and the modern world for his students.


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Top 10 List
Top Ten New Arrivals for October!
J L Chave Mon Coeur Cotes du Rhone 2011
This is a blend of Grenache and Syrah from purchased fruit that has wonderful texture, layers of fruit, and character. While it has plenty of weight, the true success of this wine is all the flavor that bubbles just under the surface.
Domaine Le Fay d'Homme Muscadet 2011
The Fay d'Homme is a pure expression of the Gneiss soil. The acidity is present but not aggressive, with expression of white fruits, citrus and blossoms. The wine is immediately very well balanced and enjoyable right after bottling.
Aquitania Cabernet 2011
This delicious Cabernet has some SERIOUS firepower behind it. It has an elegant Macul nose that combines fresh red fruit, cassis, dried herbs, and red pepper. The palate is complete with smooth tannins and loads of red fruit.
Hecht & Bannier Languedoc Blanc 2012
A blend of Piquepoul and Roussanne, the 2012 Languedoc Blanc is a fresh, vibrant white. The Piquepoul Blanc brings this crunchy and vivid character and the Roussanne's citrus fruits and white flowers produce this striking wine with lovely aromatics and a full silky mouth-feel.
Billard Hautes Cotes de Beaune 2012
The 2012 is a layered with fresh cherries and red berries with touches of dried herbs and spice. The weight sits nicely on the palate and finishes with a nice wave of acidity. Bravo Billard. Bravo...
La Liquiere Faugeres Les Amandiers 2012
Les Amandiers is made from young vines resulting in fresh berry aromas : red currant, strawberry, black currant. A pleasant and tender wine, offering great aromatic freshness.
Banshee Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2012
Charming aromatically, this Chardonnay immediately hints toward Asian pear and apple flavors with an underlying cut of lemon framed by hints of Tahitian vanilla from fine grained French oak. It offers hints of more tropical flavors without ever fully realizing them and finishes with ample verve.
Barco de Piedra 2011
"It exhibits notes of flowers, licorice, new saddle leather, black currants and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, complex and on a fast maturity curve, it should be consumed over the next 2-3 years." 91 Points, the Wine Advocate, #202 Aug 2012
Ludovicus 2011
Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, smoky minerals and white pepper, plus a suggestion of dried rose. Silky on entry, then firmer in the middle, with flavors of red and black fruits and floral pastille. The floral quality repeats on the lively, subtly powerful finish.
Rickshaw Cabernet 2011
Dark plum, coffee grounds, and cassis. This base is buttressed by a few mountain sources that provide a streak of red fruit, verve, and structure.


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I have a GPS system on my phone that not only knows exactly how to get me anywhere I need to go, it also knows where I am at any given time even when I don't have the slightest idea. Her soothing British voice is always there to guide me when I'm lost and it […]
Americans love to celebrate stuff. Heck that's why we have holidays every month of the year; we need an excuse to celebrate. The celebration is the experience by the way, rarely are we actually celebrating what the holiday is for. You don't believe me?
We have a holiday called Arbor Day that apparently is a celebration of trees. I don't know what trees have to do with arbor especially since I don't know what an arbor is? They have cards for Arbor day which is funny to me since they have to kill a tree in order to get the word out that we need to save trees! Nothing funnier than irony huh?
Then again I suppose if someone proposed a holiday called "Tree Day" everyone would have laughed and then you'd be promptly tarred and feathered.
Nevertheless Arbor Day is a holiday but do you know anyone personally who celebrates trees? Sure maybe some hippie throwback as well as some fringe eco-freaks that believe creation is equal in value to humans but I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about real people.
My point is that somewhere in time some American was itching to have a celebration and asked for "any celebration ideas", and some cider impaired fellow American without enough government sanctioned free time paused a moment and then blurted out " what about trees? They grow AND have leaves!"…Perfect, light up the bar-b-cue"!
Most holidays are designed to celebrate together as family, which is a nice sentiment but in reality some holidays do seem to be more designed for specific genders.
Which brings us to the 4th of July. Of all the holidays during the year, none are more male than the 4th.
It started out celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which meant a bunch of guys were about to get into a big old fight and we dare you to stop us.
Only men signed the declaration because 1) we wanted to protect our women and children and 2) guys like guns and fights.
Over time the significance of that "historic document signing" celebration took a back seat to a different celebration that comes from the biological fact that in the very DNA composition of the male, lodged deeply in the very core of everything that makes men, well, men is the incontrovertible truth that if you really want men to celebrate something….make sure it comes with explosives.
The 4th of July is the day that even the police turn their heads as men on every block of the nation get to blow things up! Living in Tennessee that means mortars exploding 500 feet in the air, roman candles shooting fireballs at each other and every possible form of firecracker.
I feel sorry for men in states that are too wussie to allow fireworks. California for example where I moved from have "fireworks" but they amount to "snakes" which "thrill you" with the excitement of ashes, and sparklers which are great for kids………..which is my point. The 4th was supposed to represent a courageous but dangerous time in America.
Let me make this perfectly clear, if you have a device that needs to be lit and yet doesn't have the potential to blow your hand clean off at the wrist…IT'S NOT A FIREWORK!! It's a glorified match!!
Guys know this intuitively which is why when boys get sparklers to play with it takes less than 2 minutes before they are tossing them towards the yard trying to make them stick in the ground while dad fetches the hose for the inevitable sparkler on the neighbors roof scenario that keeps the 4th festive.
I am proud of my nation and the men and women who built it and I wish all of you a great 4th of July. Hope to see you in the emergency room!


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Any day you want to harvest a few stripers from up there I will pay gas, row, or whatever to help out.
May they rest in peace, on my grill!
Any day you want to harvest a few stripers from up there I will pay gas, row, or whatever to help out.
May they rest in peace, on my grill!
I am a great admirer of spectator sports, especially on television; it keeps the riffraff off the trout streams.
I fish as much as I can, work hard at it, both me and my fishing pal. We're as serious about it as most. We have fished here, out west and in between. We fish with serious fisher persons who are serious about the sport. We regularly fish the most technical tail waters in this area and we catch fish.
I fish the Clinch, love to fish it early spring, have had great days, with strong fish, not quantities but quality. We have found that when the water is skinny is fishing is tough. We only see hatches for about 4 weeks. We don't regularly catch the quantities the above posts and my first thought is to call b.s.
I will admit it, I maybe average at best when it comes to fly fishing but I don't read many reports of regular catches of 20-25 fish. If you can produce these catches, I'd be grateful to carry the net and learn. I ain't too proud, I'll carry your net.
I don't think I would call b.s. There are those on here that grew up fishing that stream. There are those that spent many years rowing that stream for pay. They may know a little bit more about it than others. There are areas on that river where 20-25 is very common. There are other high traffic areas where it is rare.
However, I definitely would not call B.S.
Knowing a couple of these guys, I know of their fishing prowess.
Shoot, I have even had a good number of 20+ fish days on the Grinch, and there are plenty of better fisherman than me on here.
I keep a log of every fishing trip I have been on since 2007. Last year I fished it 15 times with the best day being 24 fish landed on May 7th (3:45 to 6:30) using #16 BHPT's at the start of the sulfur hatch. Best fish was 17" and the smallest was 9". My worst day was a 4 fish outing on March 26th. I keep these records as reference from year to year to help me better prepare for when and where to go as well as the fly selection I should be prepared for.
Unfortunately, this year the best day I have had on my beloved tailwater was an 8 fish outing on June 3rd. However, I have only fished it 5 times since January. And for the record my worst day was a 2 fish outing on January 22nd in which I spent the day dunking my rod in the water trying to eliminate the ice from the guides.
That being said, I am very reluctant to call B.S. on here because I know there are some phenomenal fishermen who frequent here. For that matter I have seen people posting 75+ fish days in the Smokies, and I thought that was a bunch of junk as well. Until I fished with a couple of these guys and they were catching 10 fish to my one. It is all a matter of how developed a person is at that particular type of fishing and your confidence level.
Just watching an accomplished fisherman is a great way to learn, and I think that everybody should try to observe any time you are on the river and see somebody else having more success than you are. I try to observe without approaching every time I get a chance. Some people can be put off when you approach, and if I want to quiz them on the day I just wait until I see them exiting the river.
I did not throw these stats up here in an effort to inflate my ego or gain respect. I basically stated them in an attempt to show that even an average fisherman like myself can catch good numbers on any river when they invest the time and patience in learning it's behavior throughout the year. Fishing it during the good times and bad, not just when a little yellow bug is hatching. Which I find probably 75% of the people who fish the Clinch do.
Last edited by ChemEAngler; 09-07-2011 at 08:42 PM.
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You poor thing.......
The kid in this picture is now 23 and married. I started fishing the Clinch before he and probably you were born. Yes I know every hole, slot, run, and which rock to stand on in the public access areas. yes, I fish long color neutral leaders and downstream alot as not to overline a fish and spook them. Yes, I can outwade most folks because I am 6'6". yes, I have never fished a Clinch River midge (Ron Whaley's fly) or Zebra midge or any other popular fly that every fish and his brother sees, and yes I have relations with landowners that allows me private access, but I still love above the weir from time to time. Oh and yes, a bad day is less than 10 fish, and a good day, you would just call "double BS", so there is no sense in fussing over fish counts. I wish I could find my old Orvis fish book were I too kept detailed records of counts, flows, depths of indicators where fish were caught, but you would call triple BS on that. IF you don't like the public stuff, save up your pennies for a driftboat like I did, but now I use a FishCat from time to time to get to Peach Orchard shoals. Try walking up to Lwellyn Island and start fishing there. Three great shoals, and beyond. We used to call that area the shark tank. Put in the time before you condemn those that have.
Eat your heart out, and oh yeah, don't bet against Waterwolf, or Seagull either.
PS...anybody can catch a fish out west, (well except me on Silver Creek, I still can't figure out that place) or the airlines would go broke in the summer time taking newbies to the hallowed rivers.
Last edited by Flat Fly n; 09-07-2011 at 10:49 PM.
I am a great admirer of spectator sports, especially on television; it keeps the riffraff off the trout streams.
-Shawn MadisonEvery human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will, & creative imagination.
FB https://www.facebook.com/ClinchRiverTN
YTB http://www.youtube.com/user/MadisonBoats?feature=mhee________________________
These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.
Ahhh, times they have changed. Many of us cut our teeth on a time when the Clinch river had distinguished gentlemen such as Ronnie Joe Whaley and other mentors like Eddie George. They were fine men that wanted to pass along their knowledge to young idiots such as myself and others. These were men that didn't seek any kind on acknowledgement or thanks for their knowledge. They just knew it was time to let someone else know what they knew. They were dang sure not people that disclosed their knowledge on the internet, they just took young anglers with a passion for the sport under their wings. I was the lucky receipient of lots of their knowledge. Yeah we all still have tough days on the Clinch, it doles pleasure one day and punishment the next. However I know many of the guys cloaked behind "internet names" and they all know that the river can provide some phenomenal days of angling. I feel sure the at the Waterwolf and whatever Phil called himself after John Poore's boat are telling you the truth. Young Travis aka crap I can't even remember his internet name is, said it pretty darn well, be careful about calling B.S., there could be a world you aren't even aware of out there. Watch some old farts catching fish and politely ask what they are doing as they leave the river. It served me well many years ago, and will continue to as I learn into the future. I sure hope I'll be asking someone many years younger than me what the heck they are catching all those fish on...
20-25 fish per day on the Clinch is not b.s. --- I fish with and know several people who do that routinely. I, on the other hand, just appreciate catching a few and having a good time!
I think I caught a bunch of fish on the Clinch one day and I'm not especially good.
I miss Ron Whaley. The man fished a 7wt rod and could cast across the Clinch with it, all the while with a 7x tippett and a cigar hanging from his mouth.
First person to ever show me a bead head PTN when they came out.
PS...I still have John Poore's boat...didn't change the name....and that's about the only thing I haven't change except the motor! HA....it runs like a scalded dog!
here's a pic of some low and slow, and gin clear water fishing...
might take note of the 17 1/2 foot leader. Oh yeah, I don't use a silly loop to loop connector, cause when you do catch a really big fish those don't go thru the guides well and break off your fish.
Another recent photo. Fishing a sculpin imitation. pS.....I showed this fly and more of the ones I tie at Troutfest for anybody that stopped by. Sink tip line, might want to try that instead of calling BS to those of us that have figured out SOME of the techniques...I'm still looking for a 8-10# brown. I know where a big bow over 24-26" hangs out, but he is smarter than me, for now.
Last edited by Flat Fly n; 09-07-2011 at 11:12 PM.
I am a great admirer of spectator sports, especially on television; it keeps the riffraff off the trout streams.


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Chris Brown Spotted Out With Ex-Girlfriend Karrueche Tran
Chris Brown gets around, doesn't he?
Days after he was seen in public with Rihanna, the singer was spotted with his ex, Karrueche Tran. How does he keep his social life straight?
Yesterday, Oct. 22. Breezy and Tran, who is a model, made a pit stop at a gas station. But before the reconciliation rumors and Rihanna hater comments start pouring in, relax. The former couple left Breezy's crib in separate vehicles, merely stopping at the same gas station.
AceShowbiz reports that they also reportedly went to a studio of some sort.
A friend of the superstar was quick to dismiss rumors that he and Tran are rekindling the flame that was extinguished by his friendship with RiRi. "Hell no, they're not together," the Brown source said about the 'Turn Up the Music' singer and Tran. It was merely a friendly meet up so Tran could remove her belongings from Brown's pad.
The source continued, "He with Rihanna and ain't creeping with K.T. She needed a favor and he did it for her, plus she needed to be escorted around his house to get the rest of her s--- out his place. Ain't no funny business between them. He just helped her out one time with something and she needed to get her s---. No big deal."
So Breezy was being a nice guy... which is not a normal or common characterization for him.
A friend of Tran concurred, saying, "All Karrueche is doing is moving her stuff and tying up some loose ends with Chris. That's all there is to it." The Tran insider did admit that "Chris has a part of her, yes, but she's strong enough to move past him and I know she wants to."
That source continued, "Chris wasn't around this weekend to let her get her things, so she did so today. It does hurt her a bit to see him and I'm sure no matter what anyone says there are still feelings on both their parts. But anyway, he's a dog and hopefully this is her last time around his a--."
There is one thing that seems to be consistent when it comes to Breezy and that is that he can't live a drama-free life.
Another source told E! that Brown and Tran remain close and that they've had to spend time together as of late for a photo shoot, saying that their professional relationship is good despite the dissolution of the personal one.
Do you think this is much ado about nada? Something tells us RiRi has nothing to worry about.
Watch the Chris Brown 'Turn Up the Music'


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text: Our sunny destinations are the perfect palette for adding colour to your everyday life. So get your brushes ready.Let's start with some blues. Like that classic turquoise colour of the Caribbean waters you dive into in St. Maarten and Puerto Rico. The indigo of the mystical Blue Mountains you climb in Jamaica. Or the cyan of cenotes where you can cool off in heart of the Mexican jungle.Take a look


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August 14th
Past Event
Historic Asolo Theater
Pre-screening discussion with Ringling Staff on the science of art authentication begins at 6:00 pm in The Historic Asolo Theater. Film begins at 6:30. Pick up your movie ticket and tour guide at the Admissions counter beginning at 5:00 pm.
Who The #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?
Documentary Feature, Picturehouse; Directed by Harry Moses, Rated PG-13; 74 minutes; 2007
She paid five bucks for it. Now she's asking fifty million. A 73 year-old truck driver picks up a painting in a thrift shop that is later recognized as a possible work by Jackson Pollock and the way art is authenticated is changed forever. Rated PG-13; 74 minutes; 2007


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Cleveland State University Cleveland-marshall College of Law
The curriculum at Cleveland-Marshall provides students a breadth and depth of legal study beginning with the traditional foundational courses (Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Writing, Property and Torts) and expanding in upper level courses to classes in Constitutional Law, Tax, Intellectual Property, Alternative Dispute Resolution, International Law, Corporations, just to name a few, as well as Clinics in Employment, Environmental, Fair Housing and Urban Development law, and externships in state and federal courts and government and public interest offices. See Course Descriptions. In addition to the first year core courses, students must take six required upper level courses, beyond that, students may take courses as they choose based on a number of factors including personal interest and subjects tested on the Bar Exam. The list of Courses by Practice Area is intended to help students think about courses of study they may wish to pursue. Students do not major in a course of study but some choose to focus on a particular area in one of our Concentrations or the by completing the requirements for the Certificate in Health Law. Others decide to pursue one of our dual degrees that combine a J.D. with a Masters degree from the Colleges of Urban Affairs, Business or Science. Students may also take up to two graduate level courses (8 credit hours total) in other colleges at C.S.U. See Interdisciplinary Courses.


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Nebraska Find-A-Lawyer
A service provided by the Nebraska State Bar Association
FIND-A-LAWYER - Search Results
Return to Homepage
Results found for attorneys with a practice area of Family Law-Emancipation of Minor
Family Law-Emancipation of Minor
Counties Served
Michael Pistillo
Douglas, Sarpy, Washington, Saunders
Tracy Hightower-Henne
Douglas, Sarpy, Washington
Kathleen Schmidt
Douglas, Sarpy, Washington
Karine Sokpoh
Douglas, Sarpy, Lancaster
Elizabeth Borchers
Douglas, Sarpy, Washington
Michael Wilson
Douglas, Sarpy, Lancaster, Washington, Cass
Jodie McGill
Douglas, Sarpy, Washington
Scott Hahn
Douglas, Sarpy, Cass
NSBA FIND-A-LAWYER service is a directory provided by the Nebraska State Bar Association to assist its members and the public in locating an attorney. All lawyers listed in FIND-A- LAWYER are licensed to practice law in Nebraska. The Nebraska State Bar Association does not recommend or endorse the services of any lawyer listed in FIND-A-LAWYER nor does the omission of other lawyers from this directory imply a negative assessment or evaluation of an unlisted lawyer. Information on the FIND-A-LAWYER is not legal advice. Information about lawyers listed on this Web site is provided by the lawyers and law firms listed. The Nebraska State Bar Association does not review, investigate, or evaluate the accuracy or completeness of the information or the qualifications or competency of the lawyers listed. The Nebraska State Bar Association, its members, and employees disclaim responsibility or liability that arises from reliance upon the information contained in the NSBA FIND-A-LAWYER directory. Neither the Nebraska State Bar Association nor any agency of the Nebraska State Bar has certified any lawyer listed in the FIND-A-LAWYER director as a specialist or expert.


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Beşiktaş played 11 match in 33 days and players were tired before Adana Demirspor match.
In their last four match, Beşiktaş players were looking very tired even they won in Turkish Super League matches.
Beşiktaş had started Turkish Cup with an away win in front of Sarıyerspor in Turkish Cup with 4 goals.
Then, they lost to Rizespor with an unfair penalty decision by referee. Again in this match, the same referee didn't show the penalty by burning decision for Beşiktaş before stoppage times were begun.
Gökhan Töre has scored a classy goal to Adana Demirspor which was the only goal of the match for Beşiktaş side.
Evetually Beşiktaş lost Turkish Cup match, 2-1.


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Teens are generally not too concerned with or think much about their health, preferring instead to believe they will always enjoy good health. Parents, on the other hand, know all too well the importance of taking preventive health measures during the teenage years, especially when it comes to protecting a teenager's eyes.
By helping your teen understand the importance of protecting their eye health and helping him or her develop healthy habits while young, your teen can be well on his or her way to protecting healthy vision throughout adulthood.
Explore the following pages for specific information related to your teen's healthy vision.
- Eye Care & Protection
- Eye Problems & Conditions
- Buying Glasses
- Choosing Glasses & Sunglasses
- Latest Technology


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"The Church seeks to enable every person to live out the universal call to holiness. Persons with a homosexual inclination ought to receive every aid and encouragement to embrace this call personally and fully. This will unavoidably involve much struggle and self-mastery, for following Jesus always means following the way of the Cross.... The Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance are essential sources of consolation and aid on this path."
- USCCB, Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination (2006), p. 13
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
- Matthew 11:28-30
Some of the many resources available on this issue are listed below. You may also use the Buscar / Search feature to find other material. Please contact us, using the link on the far upper right corner of this page, if you need further information.
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I went to the Romantic Times conference in May and one of the hot topics was Wattpad. If you're not familiar, it's a place where you can post any kind of writing you want, from short stories to full, serialized novels, and readers can comment in-line on the things they like or don't as well as on the work in general.
It's a hot topic because A. Some writers have hit it big there and ended up with book deals or a huge self published following, and B. Established authors are using it as a forum to draw in readers by posting things like back list titles, pre-quels and between the books novellas. I've also had a marketing guru tell me that she considers this kind of platform an excellent place to beta-test your work (for self published writers, not those under contract) to see what's connecting with readers and what isn't.
I've paged through several books there and find that the comments are overwhelmingly either positive or at least constructive, and have yet to stumble over any trolls. The readers seem to be excited about offering feedback and having input. The level of interaction is up to the author. Some go as far as posting a section then asking readers what should happen next (many of the writers are posting as they go, rather than writing the whole book first.)
I talked this over with my agent and, considering the lag between my first book and the next--projected as a June-July of next year release--we agreed I might be able to utilize Wattpad and some of the sheaves of short stories and novellas I have stacked in drawers to build and keep an audience during the gap. However...
At the RT Wattpad session, an agent stood up and challenged the presenters, asking what they are doing to protect the authors' work, as one of her clients had a book pirated from the site and published digitally and is now fighting to prove it was hers to begin with. The question I have and I suspect many of your blog readers might echo is, assuming I have weighed the pros and cons and decided this is a suitable platform for a particular story, can I establish proof of ownership by copyrighting the story first, or is that even going to help in a piracy case? Are there any cons to copyrighting, beyond the time and hassle, for someone who is posting a novel they hope will go viral and get them an offer?
This is a really good question, and given I'd just read an article by someone who had her work removed from sale because of a fraudulent copyright violation notice, and had to struggle to prove it was hers to begin with, quite timely.
When you post anything in a public forum like Wattpad you're taking a risk. The only questions are how big a risk, and what's at stake. Those are questions only you can answer.
Most readers search for books by author name. If I go looking for Felix Buttonweezer books, and six hundred people have stolen and republished his book "Carkooning For Fun and Profit" I'll never know, because I'm searching only for books by Felix Buttonweezer.
There's a risk associated with any kind of on-line publication of your work. I'm given to understand however that most of the scallywags who are stealing books and republishing them as free downloads have something other than making book sales on their mind. That is, the "free download" is the open cellar door to your otherwise locked up house while you're on vacation. They are introducing viruses onto the computers of the people who download the "free books."
What you really want to check are the terms of service at Wattpad. I believe they take a chunk of your earnings if something you publish there goes on to be picked up and published elsewhere. That's something you don't want to find out about the hard way.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State men's and women's tennis fell 6-1 to Graceland University on Friday.
Both of TSU's men's and women's team only consisted of four players. Each team played two doubles matches and four singles matches.
The lone win for the men came at #1 Singles where Daniel Bernal defeated Rodolfo Sanchez in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. Bernal teamed with Branden McClain in #1 Doubles putting up a good fight before dropping the 8-5 decision to Juan Jose Mateus and Raul Mendez.
On the women's side, Kryston Mason notched her first victory of the season, a 6-0, 6-4 win over Heidi Meyer.
The men travel to Tennessee Tech on Saturday before joining the women when they return to the court on Sunday when they take on OVC foe Jacksonville State on the road.
Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube


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Civil unrest in Bangalore, India, has led to the closure of a call centre used by UK-based LLU ISP Be.
A 24-hour government-imposed curfew kicked in yesterday evening at 5.30pm (UK time) leaving Be's broadband punters without any cover.
In an email to customers yesterday evening the firm explained: "As you are aware, the majority of our Be agents in our call centre are based in India.
"We have just been informed that there is a 24 hour government enforced curfew in Bangalore due to local civil unrest and, as a result, we are unable to handle any calls or tickets from there as of 5.30pm today. Unfortunately this unrest has affected not only our main call centre, but also our back-up sites.
A spokesman for the ISP told El Reg that Be has drafted in a small team of contractors from the UK to provide emergency back-up.
As for Be's outsourced call centre staff in Bangalore, they "will return to work as soon as it's safe to go back", he said. ®


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Brother and I went to an advanced screening of The Lego Movie this weekend, and really enjoyed it. (We tried to ignore the fact we were the only unaccompanied adults there. Maybe we should go for an evening showing next time). It was half an animated kids' adventure and half a zany comedy that does a far better job spoofing various pop culture franchises than any spoof movie has since Galaxy Quest. Considering it features Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, it's probably also the closest we'll get to a Justice League movie any time soon.
The reason I'm blogging it is that one of the central characters is named after a Roman architect and engineer, Vitruvius. Vitruvius is the author of De Architectura, the only surviving Roman text on architecture, which includes chapters on temples, houses, wall paintings, aqueducts and how to defend against siege engines, among other things. For me, the most interesting parts are those on how to site and lay out a town (there were a lot of planned towns in ancient Rome, it must have been a whole Empire of Milton Keyneses - gah!) and most importantly of all, material on cement and concrete, one of the Romans' greatest technical achievements (I used to work for RMC and my Dad is a freelance specialist in cementitious solutions, so I get weirdly excited about cement and concrete sometimes).
I love that Morgan Freeman's character in the film was named after Vitruvius. The character is the textbook wise old mentor (he's mistaken for Gandalf at one point) and leader of the Master Builders, the Legos who don't need to follow the instructions, but design and build their own creations, so naming him after the famous architect was a lovely touch. The name works perfectly whether or not you know its origin as well, since Latinised names are so often used for wizards or wise old characters anyway. Some of the main characters in the film are transposed from other franchises, most notably Batman, but I like that Vitruvius wasn't Gandalf or Dumbledore or Merlin, but was his own character (he's clearly named after Vitruvius rather than being supposed to be Vitruvius, I think). It fits with the theme of the story, about breaking the mold and doing your own thing (though having said that, I did appreciate the section where it was pointed out that sometimes, in some circumstances, it is actually important to follow the instructions and work together!).
As I said, I really enjoyed the film as a comedy. I was a bit worried that younger children wouldn't get the satire of some of the in-jokes. The satire isn't especially deep or subtle (President Business is the bad guy) and the pop culture references were mostly to reasonably child-friendly things, at least for an older child - there were no Game of Thrones references or anything like that, and only one potentially rude joke (and that might just have been my dirty mind at work). Older children should get almost as much of it as an adult, though they may have a less emotional reaction to the appearances of the Lego Pirate Ship or the 1980s Lego Spaceman.
But I was worried younger children would be lost - worries that I suspect were unfounded. As we left the cinema, a small child behind us was gleefully singing the song 'Everything is Awesome!' over and over and over again - so I think the bright colours, lively action and horribly ear-wormy tune are enough to keep younger children happy as well. I'd thoroughly recommend this for anyone, especially if, like us, you're all Serioused out on Oscar-bait movies about slavery or AIDS or the stock market and want to relax for an hour or two.
More movie reviews


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Needing help on what a script must state to extract the date and time from an incoming or downloaded email. I was thinking stripping line 1 of the email address and that would leave only the time stamp left, but felt there was a better way. Any suggestions or example of what the script must state?
Edit Eric: Moved to PocoScript


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want to play today
Views: 136
Replies to This Discussion
Yes, I am available today. What time you would like to play and what is your level?
Mika, are you familiar with tennisteacher.com and modern tennis methodology?
Best regards and wishes,
Hi Mika, not sure if you're still up for some more tennis, but would you like to hit tomorrow (Sunday)? My friends and I (3.0-4.5 levels) play casual mixed doubles at Westmont College in Montecito on Sundays. It'd be great if you can join and hit a few with us!
hey sorry but im playing with some girl tomorrow at UCSB, thats the only courts i play at sorry
but if you can play at ucsb someday let me know!
Sure, no worries. How does your schedule look like?
i mostly play in the evenings around 6-8 or 7-9 at UCSB courts mostly singles too i can probably hit on monday but im not sure yet. Thanks for the interest btw!
Hi Eric, I played today with Mika and she is very good. I recommend to try hitting with her.
We could play singles with you at Montecito some weekend. Just let me know.
Hi Drago, long time no hit! Hope all is well. Sure, I'm always up for hitting a few with you guys! :-)
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Every now and then, I come across a house that makes me feel content, even just from looking at photographs of it. This open plan loft in Belgium is one of those rare finds… relaxed, personal, fresh and bathed in natural light. I just can't imagine ever feeling miserable if I came home to an apartment like this one.
Bart Haverkamp and Pieter Croes are the lucky pair who get to live in this airy oasis – they're garden architects and the lush greenery and skylights in their loft create a real greenhouse vibe. I'm not known for my love of houseplants, but even I'll admit this open plan space would lose much of its magic without them.
{all Bart Kiggen for Coffeeklatch}
As much as I'm trying to fight it, I'm clinging onto ways to keep nature inside as summer draws to an end. This little oasis is the perfect inspiration – there's more to see at the always-inspiring Coffeeklatch.