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Pre-arranging your Choices
Many people choose pre-arrangement in order to help their families and avoid questions and confusion later on. Pre-arrangement is not a preoccupation with death; it is a personal tool for preparation.
The first step toward pre-arranging is to get together with your loved ones. Offer your thoughts and then listen carefully. Give their ideas special attention. Since your funeral will most directly affect your family, it is essential to include their suggestions in your plans (and also to make sure they're aware of your final choices).
Next, arrange a conference with your funeral director and family members. Use this opportunity to ask as many questions as necessary, and to discuss the choices that will help to create a tribute that is appropriate and meaningful for you.
If you choose to pre-pay, ask for a specific list of those items that are included as well as those that are not. There are several options available for funding the pre-arrangement, and they may vary somewhat in each state or province. Talk to your funeral director about funding the pre-arranged funeral service. He or she will be able to give you helpful information and thoughtful guidance.
Check to see if the funeral home puts the money in a trust or escrow upon pre-payment. An affirmative answer is usually a sign that the funeral home is a reputable provider of pre-planning services. You also may check to see if the payment agreement can be made now with money delivered later. In some areas, consumers are allowed to make the funeral home a beneficiary of life insurance meant to cover this particular service.
Your funeral director has the proper forms needed for making pre-arrangements. He or she will likely keep a copy of these forms on file, but you should ask for copies as well. Keep them with your valuable papers, review them periodically, and update them as necessary. Get everything in writing and in detail. Like many contracts, details can become unclear over time if only a general agreement is made. This step may help your family to avoid difficulties in the future.
For further information or to begin making pre-arrangements, you may wish to contact your local Selected Independent Funeral Home by using our Member Locator.


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According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 20.8 million people in the United States are affected by diabetes. This amounts to around seven percent of the population, which is a fairly large percentage. Many of those with diabetes likely have no health insurance
Jubilee Health Community and NoMoreClipboard PHR are working together to help uninsured manage diabetes, according to a recent press release. The objectives of this include:
- Explore the use of a PHR by rural, uninsured patients with diabetes
- Improve patient health outcomes by providing patients with a PHR to share and track daily glucose readings
- Improve diabetes care management by sharing health information between a clinician and patients using a PHR.
28 diabetes patients of Jubilee Health Community were given a smartphone-enabled version of the NoMoreClipboard PHR about a year ago to assist them in managing their diabetes. Immediate feedback was given when glucose values were entered, and lab results were input within about 72 hours.
These patients and their use of the PHR were monitored over the course of a year, and that findings were interesting. Here are some of the stats that were listed in the press release:
- 37.5 percent of the patients remained actively engaged and regularly entered blood glucose readings via NoMoreClipboard
- Of those 37.5 percent of patients, 28.6 had improved A1C levels and reported feeling better
- Those that did not actively use the PHR, 21.4 percent had no improvement or increased A1C levels
- Of those that did not stay engaged, one of the patients whose A1C level increased suffered an MI.
Diabetes is linked to a host of other health problems, which include adult blindness, kidney failure, non-traumatic amputations, and heart disease and strokes. Obviously, there is a great need for some additional help for these patients, and this PHR seems like it could really do a lot of good. The sample size might not be the greatest to glean the most accurate results on the effectiveness of the PHR, but it does give some insight to indicate it would be worth trying. I think it's great that some of those who used the PHR regularly did see improvement.
Jeff Donnell, president of NoMoreClipboard, offered some commentary concerning the value of electronic patient engagement:
This project reinforces the value of electronic patient engagement in helping underserved patients manage chronic conditions. Providers are often skeptical that populations including seniors and safety net patients will be able to cross the digital divide and use a PHR. Our experience with rural and urban underinsured patients make it clear that these individuals are looking for tools to help them take a more active role, and they will use those tools when they provide benefit.
In general, I feel like when people are accountable and regularly track information concerning their health (whether it be for diabetes, trying to lose weight, etc.) there will be an increase in their health and well-being. The problem is, it can be very hard to stay on track with systems like this –which is evidenced by the fact that over 60 percent of the people didn't remain active at the end of the trial period. It raises the question, what can be done to convince people to keep track of their health on things like the NoMoreClipboard PHR?


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Oxford University Art History Podcasts
Oxford University's Open Spires project aims to make recordings of lectures and other events at the university available to a global audience. A wide range of subjects are covered, but most interesting for Courtauld Students are the range of history of art lectures that are available.
The podcast index includes 13 art history lectures covering a diverse range of subjects from Michaelangelo to Modernism and Chinese visual culture. Those with a particular interest in Surrealism are particularly well served by the eight lectures by Dawn Ades.
Contemporary practice is also covered by the inclusion of video and sound recordings of graduates from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art discussing their final year work. Architecture is covered in a lecture by Norman Foster which is followed by a symposium on the subject of the Future of Cities.
The collection is growing and it is worthwhile investigating other subject areas to find material relevant to art history. The philosophy lectures include one on aesthetics and philosophy of art, and if you need a crash course in general philosophy, the 41 lectures included here are a good place to start. The podcast index also includes recordings of papers relating to the study of Soviet states, which include discussions of visual art, film, theatre and music.
The podcasts are released using Creative Commons licenses. Many of them have Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licenses meaning they can be 'reused and redistributed globally provided that it is used in a non-commercial way and the reuse is attributed to the person/people who made the recording. If a person derives a new work from the recording, the new work may be distributed provided it is released under the same license.' (http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/openspires.html).
Image: Edd Morgan, 2008. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wzpr/2418778449/
Lloyd Roderick
Graduate Trainee Library Assistant.


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As requested by Pfhorrest. I will send a zip with some maps and pictures.
Instead of forcing you people into making an example. I will get you an example instead.
Pfhorrest wrote:The last I remember it sounded like Atque itself was crashing on you just trying to split open the stock Infinity map, so there's probably not anything you're doing wrong, and sending you an example package wouldn't help because it would still just crash.
I don't know why Atque is crashing on you and you'd probably need someone with more programming knowledge like Treellama to help sort that out. My guess would be some kind of incompatibility with something on your system. Maybe check the readme for Atque and see if it mentions any specific dependencies, and make sure you have everything it says it needs? I just don't know beyond that, sorry.
Screamernail wrote:No it doesn't crash when I split, it's when I merge sometimes. Mostly it will say it was successful but it would either show error 1 or or crash ingame.
Pfhorrest wrote:Okay so you can successfully split open the Infinity map file? Because that is what we'd send you as an example of how to structure a merge folder.
Can you then re-merge the split Infinity map folder, without making any changes to it?
If not, then the problem is still with Atque, since that should work.
If so, then the problem is with the structure of your merge folder somehow, and we'd have to see it in order to troubleshoot further. Maybe you could zip it up and post it in a thread for people to examine.
Screamernail wrote:I will get you an example instead.
patrick wrote:Screamernail wrote:So something IS wrong with Atque
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Rory Paul says UAVs (or drones as some might call them) have tremendous potential for farmers and service providers. But that potential is being constrained by privacy and regulatory issues, including the lack of firm policy from the FAA about their use. Paul talked about the current situation for drones in this interview at the On-Farm Network's annual conference in Ames, Iowa.
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I've seen countless attempts to tackle the problem of tangled headphone cables, but this approach—which uses thicker less-flexible sections to make them easier to bundle—looks like it has a lot of potential.
Instead of sticking your headphones in your pocket all mashed up into a ball that's destined to become one large knot, the segments on this set stack together like an accordion. It not only serves to keep them neat and easy to unravel later, but it also makes bundling and securing your headphones' cord a cinch. Sadly, it's still just a proposed Quirky product that's waiting for enough support to become a reality. So if you like the idea, I'd suggest heading over there and letting them know. [Quirky]


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Having run out of scripts to throw at Zach Galifiankis since his breakout role in "The Hangover," some boob in Hollywood is trying to get him to reprise Don Knotts' role as a henpecked husband whose wish comes true when he is turned into a fish. Did we mention he helps the Navy turn back a submarine attack by the Nazis?
The trailer (below) for the original version of "The Incredible Mr. Limpett" promises viewers that it's "sure to be the most incredibly delightful movie about a man who turns into a fish that you'll see this year," as well as four ("count 'em!") new songs, "Super Doodle Dandy," (enjoy!) " I Wish I Were a Fish," "Be Careful How You Wish" and "Deep Rapture."
U.S. & World
Both Jim Carrey and Robin Williams have at one time or another been attached to this project, which should be enough of a red flag for a guy as talented as Galifianakis. Though Johnny Depp has been on board in the past as well, so...
Let's hope Galifianakis finds some better way to spend his time. He can be seen next month in "Dinner for Schmucks," alongside Steve Carell and Paul Rudd.


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Wash. Times' Kuhner: "Mr. Obama Is An Anti-Christian, Anti-Religious Bigot"
In his February 10 Washington Times column, titled "End of the Constitution: Obamacare birth-control mandate would defeat the First Amendment," Jeffrey Kuhner called President Obama "an anti-Christian, anti-religious bigot" whose "goal is to purge Christianity from civil society, to marginalize religion from the public square." Kuhner's attack is in response to the president's announcement that he would require most employers to cover contraceptives for women. President Obama later announced an accommodation in which insurance companies would directly offer contraception coverage to employers who have religious objection to such coverage.
From the Times:
Is America sliding toward autocratic rule? This is the essential question of Barack Obama's presidency. Mr. Obama vowed to "fundamentally transform" the United States. Despite his incompetence and economic failure, the president is making good on his central promise: the destruction of our constitutional republic. He is trying - piece by painful piece - to reverse the legacy of the Founding Fathers.
His greatest assault, however, is on religious freedom. Fortunately, his latest effort sparked a rebellion. Mr. Obama had declared war not just on the Catholic Church, but on the First Amendment. The administration ordered almost all religious organizations to provide health insurance coverage that includes free birth control and sterilization procedures - even the morning-after pill, which can induce abortions. Otherwise, under Obamacare, Catholic hospitals, charities and universities would face major fines totaling millions of dollars. The choice was clear: Catholic institutions must either abandon their fundamental tenets or go bankrupt. The contraceptive mandate denied the conscience rights of the church. It was state-sanctioned coercion of private entities to act against their explicit religious beliefs. This is why it triggered such furor among Catholics and non-Catholics alike. If such basic liberties could be trampled on, then nothing - and no one - is safe from big government's crushing grip. Fortunately, a three-week outcry forced him to back off.
Like many on the radical left, Mr. Obama is an anti-Christian, anti-religious bigot. His goal is to purge Christianity from civil society, to marginalize religion from the public square. He essentially told the church that Washington, not the Vatican, will dictate how it must run its affairs and administer its social services. He demanded that Catholics sacrifice their beliefs on the altar of secular liberalism. The state - with him at its helm - is the new pagan church. Women's "reproductive health care" trumps Catholic positions on birth control and abortion. The fact that most health insurers already cover contraception and that it is widely available and accessible to women - just go to your local Walgreens - means nothing to feminists or the powerful abortion lobby. The real aim is to smash the Catholic Church as a bulwark against the sexual revolution, reducing it to a quisling of the liberal regime.
Catholic leaders rightly stood up. The Church understood it was under siege. That may not be over. Mr. Obama could win a second term. Hence, Obamacare - along with its contraceptive mandate - might not be repealed and may even expand. If so, he will have succeeded in giving birth to his Frankenstein monster: a post-constitutional, post-American soft tyranny.


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The Clinton campaign put out a 6 minute video detailing Trump's alleged Russian ties a month before the election. Interesting to revisit in light of recent reports. pic.twitter.com/Xje4lvo3Op
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 12, 2019
January 12, 2019
Russia first. We were warned but "her emails".
Filed under: Asshole / Jerk, Bigotry, Criminal, Economics, Fascism, Greed, Harm, News, Political, Questions, Reason — Scottie @ 17:39
10 Comments »
It's amazing how so many can accurately pinpoint his connections … and yet so many refuse to see and/or acknowledge what is, essentially, in the history books.
Yes, it was all there for all of us to see. Yet he spoke what a segment of the population wanted to hear. They wanted to hear an important person say the horrible things they thought and felt they couldn't say. Remember tRump lost the popular vote by about 3 million people. So a minority of hateful people got a president who thought and felt as they do, and the rest of us, the majority, have to deal with the fall out from it. I would like to think 2018 was just the beginning. Hugs
And we wondered, didn't we, how Hitler rose to power in Germany in the 1930s. History does, indeed, repeat itself.
Comment by jilldennison — January 12, 2019 @ 21:59
What a shameful nation we have become, that we have allowed this to happen. What a travesty. I hang my head in shame and take no pride in this nation as it stands today. Hugs.
Comment by jilldennison — January 12, 2019 @ 22:06
I agree. sad to think that I served two tours in the military and was proud to do so, and this is what we have become. We fought this crap in the past, yet for 40 years this is what the republican leaders have pushed for. Hugs
It's rather like anything … it takes years to build something, and a very short time to destroy it. Rather like spending all day cleaning the house, then turning a 2-year-old loose in it for 15 minutes. Sigh. Hugs.
Comment by jilldennison — January 13, 2019 @ 15:15
Those of us who live in NY & know about the mob knew about this EONS ago. But try telling that to the idiots who live in the rest of the country. They. Would. Not. Listen. They believed that trump was really the boss dude on "the apprentice". A persona, not a real person. So here we are.
Comment by silverapplequeen — January 13, 2019 @ 05:13
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Grespania BELLVER beige 45x45cm Tile
Grespania BELLVER beige 45x45cm Tile
The Grespania Bellver tile has the appearance of a natural flagstone with a riven textured finish. Available in 3 subtle colours this porcelain tile can be used in domestic and commercial projects. Very similar in pattern to Unikom Starker Dordogne tile, or Edimax Materia Forte, but with a sharper image, and lower price!
There may be a 2 week lead time on this product.
Tile & Stone Online will always offer Grespania tile at the very best online prices. For more information on this Grespania tile, call today on 01539 741155!!!!
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It's official: Bluffton High will play Friday in its third consecutive state football semifinal.
The ninth-seeded Bobcats (12-1) will visit No. 5 Northwestern (11-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Rock Hill.
Goose Creek, which beat Bluffton 35-25 last week and was disqualified Monday for using an ineligible player, has ended its fight to be reinstated. Principal Jimmy Huskey said at a Tuesday press conference the school has exhausted all of its legal options and appeals to the South Carolina High School League.
That means Bluffton moves on in the Class AAAA Division II playoffs. The Bobcats reached the Class AAA semifinals in 2010 and were state runners-up last season.
Friday's winner will play South Pointe or Greenwood in the state title game Dec. 1 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. South Pointe defeated Bluffton 42-27 in last season's Class AAA final and handed Northwestern a 28-25 loss in September.


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News and Announcements
Cacophony Accepting Submissions
Writing Forums is set to launch 'Cacophony' in November - an online magazine that will feature contemporary fiction and poetry that is 'challenging, invigorating, thought-provoking and vital'. Submissions are open to everyone, WF members and non-members alike. For further details, please check out the Cacophony website.
Writing Forums Revamp
Changes to the layout of WF continue afoot. The Prose Workshop, only open to WF members, has now been split into 'Fiction Workshop' and 'Non-Fiction Workshop' - with a seperate sub-section for speculative fiction. So, if your spaceship is crewed by zombies and under attack from dragons, you know where to head.
Fundraising Update
A message from Senior Administrator Gumby:
'Our fundraising is going well and we've come close to hitting our goal each month, even surpassing it a few times! A big thank you to all who have given donations and to those who have subscribed to FoWF, you are very much appreciated! We couldn't do this without you.'
'Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.'
Wrote the wonderful American author Kent Nerburn - most surely, a blossomer.
WF Challenges
Literary Maneuvers is a monthly fiction challenge.
Entrants have until the 16th to post a story using the given prompt -
this month 'Woman From The Void' and/or 'The Last Day On Earth'.
The winner is decided by a panel of volunteer judges, with marks and feedback given on the basic elements of fiction.
August Challenge is a monthly poetry challenge.
Entrants have until the 15th to post a poem using the given prompt -
this month 'Camping Out'.
The winner is decided by a poll open to all members - if you enter, you must vote.
The PiP Challenge is a unique monthly challenge based on poetical improvement.
After posting their poems, entrants receive feedback and revise their work accordingly, or not. A poll open to all members decides the most improved poem.
For further details on these challenges, please follow the links.
'The Summer looks out from her brazen tower,
Through the flashing bars of July.'
Mused the English poet Francis Thompson - I'm sure I've been in those bars myself.
Challenge Winners and Runners-up
Literary Maneuvers 'Dead Boys Don't Cry'
First - godofwine with 'Suspicious Activity'
Second - ned with 'The Committed'
Third - ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord with 'Angels Don't Cry'
July Poetry Challenge 'Washing Bones'
Joint First - Chesters Daughter with 'The Woodworkers' Daughter'
and toddm with 'Face the waves'
The PiP Challenge
First - TuesdayEve with 'Aries Rules'
Published WF Members
TuesdayEve with her poem 'Good Afternoon' published in the 2018 Summer Muses Gallery. Available on Amazon this summer.
The WF Author Interview features self-proclaimed 'crass pulp-fiction writer' Ralph Rotten. On the eve of the publication of his new book 'Calizona 3.5'.
Around the Forums
The 'Publishing' forum is a mine of information for those writers thinking of taking the next step. With advice on the dos and don'ts, the wheres and where nots. You can relate your own experiences of the industry, or simply join in with the discussions.
The Emporium is a showcase for works published by WF veterans, staff and Friends of WF - which are then further promoted through WF's social media platforms.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........
Lots to get on with this month - have a lovely August.
Check us out on-
Writing Forums on Twitter
Flashes of Brilliance on Facebook
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And your support would be most welcome as a Friend of WF, thank you.


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"Right now we're a little confused," Guillen chuckled Saturday morning. "We're very confused. The six-man rotation puts a lot of load on Crain. If Pena goes out there and does what he should do, I don't mind staying in a six-man rotation. We even talk about leaving it like that, but my worry is how much Crain will work. He's the only right-hander we have with (Sergio) Santos. I use Santos as a closer, there is a very big gap out there to cover. Hopefully Pena comes on and does a better job."
"I wish Pena could be used when we're winning to help Crain, and we'd be fine. Everybody else is pretty young. We're still talking about it every day. Every day we change our mind. (Pitching coach) Don Cooper comes up with good ideas. To make the right decision, right now in my mind, I don't think what I have is the right decision. We have to wait and play around with it. You see this kid (Phil) Humber throw, and (John) Danks, and it's kind of hard. We will work it out. But right now I'm between."
"A lot of people in Chicago thought how crazy you are you were down by one and you brought in Pena," Guillen said. "I don't have anybody else. I used Crain the night before and it's not fair for him to be out there every day to take care of somebody else's job. I'm not going to do it. I don't care what people say.
"I'm not going to make somebody suffer with somebody else not doing what they're supposed to do. I'm not going to do it."
Guillen said there have been no talks about possibly trading a starter.
"No, we don't even talk about trade, no way," he said. "The last thing we talk about is trade. We try to figure out how we're going to play this and how we're going to be a better ballclub. Right now we don't have a close decision. We're still talking to [general manager] Kenny [Williams] and Coop. We have ideas. The only thing is if Pena throws the ball better, then we're set. We're fine."


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The state fiscal year runs from July 1 to the following June 30 and is numbered for the calendar year in which it ends. The State of Iowa operates on a modified accrual basis which provides that encumbrances on June 30 must be paid within 60 days after year end. The Legislature may enact exceptions to this statute and usually do so for capital items which may run for several years.
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Back in April, I promised to write a report following the community dialogues on Sharing Public Spaces, in the context of the now-suspended-and-soon-to-expire Sidewalk Obstructions ordinance. The Report is much broader, assessing a range of needs, problems, and solutions identified in the Sharing Public Spaces process. The Report is here.
It's long, because the problems and solutions are complex. Please comment on the page with the Report, or directly to me here.


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The Descartes' Mobile WEBFLEET integration improves operational efficiencies through real-time data exchange. Instantly send and update orders and job details and keep track of your vehicles with real-time reports on working hours and driving time.
Keep the enterprise up-to-date on actual status, companies can be more responsive to the fluid nature of business.
- Monitor vehicles in the field for advanced plan vs. actual
- Dynamically adjust routes based on actual performance and order changes
- Allow drivers to capture and transmit events such as arrivals, departures and delays
- Shipment status updates and system alerts are automatically triggered when designated routes are not followed
- Minimize distance driven
Descartes is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Our software-as-a-service solutions route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes in the world's largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community.


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Sunday, June 20, 2010
Tonnato, the versatile tuna mayonnaise
Vitello tonnato is a popular summer-time dish in Italy, originating in the 19th century Piedmont. Cold thin slices of cooked veal are topped with a creamy tuna and anchovy dressing. I love the classic version a lot, but the tuna mayonnaise is much more versatile. It's been a frequent visitor in our kitchen this spring, and I've given below the recipe I've come to love. I especially like it on top of crisp crostini slices, but it's also a good dressing for some left-over boiled eggs.
What's your favourite tonnato recipe and dish?
Crostini with tuna mayonnaise, garnished with caperberries (Suupisted tuunikalamajoneesiga):
Vitello tonnato aka cold veal slices with tuna mayonnaise (Vasikalihalõigud tuunikalamajoneesiga). That's the classic way of serving tonnato:
Uova tonnata or boiled eggs with tuna mayonnaise, garnished with some capers and lemon zest (Munad tuunikalamajoneesiga):
Tonnato aka Italian tuna mayonnaise
Serves 4
Note that I make my tonnato from scratch and not cheating by simply mixing mayonnaise with canned tuna :)
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 anchovy fillets in oiled
juice of half or whole lemon
10 salted capers, rinsed and drained
1 shallot, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
150-200 ml mild olive oil
200 g good-quality tuna chunks in oil
Place egg yolks, capers, anchovy fillets, juice of half a lemon, chopped shallot and some black pepper into the bowl of a hand-held blender. Blend until you've got a thick paste of uniform consistency.
Add oil in a thin stream, still blending the mixture.
Finally add the tuna chunks and blitz a little bit more.
Taste for seasoning - add more pepper, lemon juice or perhaps salt.
6 comments:
- thepassionatecook said...
now that's really interesting... i love a good vitello tonnato (and had an appalling version of it here at carluccios, so need to make my own from now on)... i would never have thought of pairing it with egg, but i can so see (and taste ;-) that work - that will be on this list for the next easter brunch (not that i am making a lit for that already, i have other lists to compile at the moment ;-))
- 11:35 am, June 21, 2010
- ~~louise~~ said...
I've often had the desire to make home made Vitello tonnato. I've experienced some excellent examples in a few restaurants and some dreadful ones I'm afraid. My family is from Naples and Sicily. If memory serves me correctly, I think my paternal grandmother may have compiled this dish in my youth. (I don't think I liked it as a kid:) Is that possible?
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. The tuna mayo is intriguing in its own right. I'll be saving this for sure.
Pille, I know we just "met", but I would like to invite you to play the Picnic Game over at my blog. Here's the link if you would like to join us. Hope to "see" you there:)
- 4:13 pm, June 21, 2010
- Magdalena said...
I believe I like the most the classical version. I could have it with eggs, too. Or even with baby potatoes in summertime.
- 12:11 am, June 25, 2010
- Pille said...
Johanna - the sauce is pretty versatile indeed!
Louise - so sorry I didn't make it to the Picnic game this time - loved the idea, though!!!
Magdalena - vitello tonnato is excellent, but do give other uses a go!
- 4:52 pm, July 01, 2010
- ~~louise~~ said...
Hi Pille,
Maybe next year:) If you get a chance, I posted the round-up. Simply amazing!
I'm off to check out your grilled chicken!
- 5:00 pm, July 01, 2010
I use this sauce for many recipes, mainly roasted pork chops, roasted chicken and even on bread, served on parties.
I use commercial mayonnaise and add a couple egg yolks and cappari.
My mother and aunt are Sicilian, and taught me the recipe, but I changed it around to fit Greek cuissine.
- 12:56 pm, July 06, 2010


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Police chiefs push for tougher background checks on gun buyers
Some gun owners feel law is fine as is
Police chiefs from across the state met with U.S. Senate candidates in Madison Tuesday to call for tougher background checks for gun buyers.
The chiefs are pushing for federal laws that would require background checks for private gun sales.
Currently, only people who buy guns from federally licensed dealers must pass the checks.
Fox Point's police chief said background checks could have helped in the investigations into two officer-involved shootings in recent years.
The initiative is a partnership between the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association and a national anti-gun violence group
The proposed background check law is all the buzz for some gun owners.
Hundreds of them were gathered in Waukesha Tuesday for a national competition.
As WISN 12 News' Hillary Mintz reports, some said the law should be left as is.
Ken Cerney has been selling and shooting firearms for 30 years, and because he's federally licensed, he's required to do background checks.
"I basically profile my purchasers," Cerney said.
Currently, there's no federal law for private sales.
It didn't take long for word to spread to Cerney and dozens of other shooters at the Waukesha Gun Club's state shoot that a new push for tougher background checks is in the works.
"The legitimate gun owner will continue to follow the rules and regulations no matter how many are placed upon them because that's what we do. We're honest citizens. The bad guys will not follow any of these rules," Cerney said.
Gun owners told 12 News they have no problem with background checks from licensed dealers but private sales might be going too far.
Brad Patterson, who is president of the Wisconsin Trap Shooters Association, said he's bought and sold guns privately, even to family, and said with a background check, guns can still be misused.
"It's no different than going to a bar and having a beer. (If) you don't use the alcohol properly, you're going to have an issue or worse. A firearm is the same way,' Patterson said.
Waukesha Gun Club President Pat Gerbensky sees the push for new laws as a waste of time and money.
"A law like this would affect millions of people for the benefit of very, very few, and I don't think it will end what happens today. The violent people are the violent people," Gergensky said.
He said it's an effort that has good intentions, but may not have a shot at becoming law.
In the first six months of the year, Milwaukee police said 36 people were killed in the city.
They said most of the homicides involved guns.


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Shuttle Reference Manual
The Shuttle Reference Manual, most recently revised in 1988, is an indepth technical guide to space shuttle equipment and operations. It was accurate in 1988 and while most of the information provided here from the manual is still accurate today, some facts may be outdated.
Orbiter Manufacturing and Assembly
Orbiter structures were manufactured at various companies under contract to Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, Calif.
Operational Improvements and Modifications
Many of the changes and upgrades in the space shuttle systems and components were under way before the 51-L accident as part of NASA's continual improvement and upgrade program. However, NASA has taken advantage of the space shuttle program downtime since the accident to accelerate the testing and integration of these improvements and upgrades as well as fixes required as a result of the accident.
Space Shuttle Coordinate System
The space shuttle coordinate reference system is a means of locating specific points on the shuttle.
Orbiter Passive Control System
A passive thermal control system helps maintain the temperature of the orbiter spacecraft, systems and components within their temperature limits.
Orbiter Purge, Vent and Drain System
The purge, vent and drain system on the orbiter is designed to prevent accumulation of hazardous gasses and vent compartments.
Orbiter Flight Crew Escape Systems
Curator: Kim
Dismukes | Responsible NASA Official: John Ira Petty | Updated: 04/07/2002


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Phil Lenahan spent the early years of his career working for one of the largest international accounting firms in the world and a highly regarded Fortune 300 company.
Phil left the commercial marketplace when the opportunity arose to use his skills more directly on behalf of his Catholic faith. He is the Treasurer at Catholic Answers and the founder and President of Veritas Financial Ministries, which is dedicated to helping people better understand and manage their financial resources in ways consistent with Catholic teaching.
Phil hosts Life and Money, a weekly radio show airing on many Catholic radio stations and is a featured financial columnist in The National Catholic Register and Our Sunday Visitor newspapers. He is the author of 7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free, and Generation Next: A Catholic Guide to Financial Freedom for Young Adults.
Phil and his wife, Chelsey, have seven children and live in Temecula, California.


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Top London Venues For Your Wedding
London is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 8 million people. It is a leading global city of culture, fashion, finance, politics and trade and remains one of the most visited city by international tourists in the world. The city contains many famous landmarks and getting around is easy. The famous London Underground, also known as the Tube, is one of the most extensive subway networks in the world.
What to see in London on your next visit? Here are our top recommendations:
- Tower of London. Now home to the British Crown Jewels, the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It served as a prison from 1100 to the mid twentieth century. This has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower", meaning imprisoned. Famous prisoners include Sir Thomas More, King Henry VI, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (wives of King Henry VIII) and Rudolph Hess. Today the Tower of London is one of the most popular London tourist attractions.
- Big Ben Tower Clock. The 150-year-old Big Ben Clock Tower is one of the top tourist attractions in London. The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock tower itself, but to the 13 ton bell housed within the tower and takes its name from the man who first ordered the bell, Sir Benjamin Hall. The present-day Big Ben bell was constructed in 1858 after a first bell of 16 tons cracked irreparably two years prior. The clock has become a popular attraction and has appeared in many films. In the movie Mars Attacks! for example the Big Ben is destroyed by a UFO attack.
- The London Eye.ituated on the banks of the River Thames, the London Eye is an enormous, 135-meter high observation wheel carrying 32 exterior glass-walled capsules. It offers fantastic views over central London. The wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers as the rotation rate is slow enough to allow passengers to walk on and off the moving capsules at ground level. It is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually.
- British Museum. Established in 1753, the British Museum in London is a museum of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. Objects include the Rosetta Stone, the key to the deciphering of hieroglyphs, and the largest collection of mummies outside of Egypt.
London, and in fact Britain in general, may not have a great reputation for being full of friendly, welcoming people, but actually, the city is the wonder that it is because of the great diversity of fascinating people that live there. Everywhere you look you'll see people doing incredible things, whether it's building businesses or performing circus acts in the street. Everyone has a story to tell, and on a visit to London it's worth talking to as many people as possible to hear some of the amazing stories, as well as creating one of your very own.


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Prince Paul (Paul Huston) is a legend in the world of hip hop who was originally part of the early 80s rap outfit Stetsasonic and later went on to create the iconic sounds of early De La Soul albums, the Gravediggaz project (with RZA), Handsome Boy Modeling School (with Dan the Automator), as well as a series of solo albums. As a collaborative guru for music production, Paul has worked with great musicians from almost every genre including Alec Empire, Linkin Park, Faith No More's Mike Patton, Living Colour's Vernon Reid, and Parliament keyboardist Bernie Worrell (to name just a few). Prince Paul's calling card on almost all his productions is an intelligent (yet sometimes silly) sense of humor that sits right behind the boom-bap beats that have made his music so popular.
Paul's most recent collaborator is none other than his son, DJ Pforreal, a young performer who has obviously inherited his father's sense of humor as well as a knack for beat creation and lyrical delivery. Their initial project together, Negroes on Ice, is a comedy / music album that blends music and storytelling into a "hilarious, head-nodding listening experience." In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Prince Paul explains that much of the album comes from stories that his son would tell him when he was a child. "He would come up with these outrageous things that I knew (weren't) true, but I couldn't get mad at him because they were just so dumb. And I knew he was lying, but he would just go on and on about it to where it would start to become entertaining." When asked about the format of combining music and comedy together, Paul explained further. "If you've ever watched Adult Swim, it's very bizarre and antic and makes you scratch your head, like, 'What is this silly thing?' But this is actually put into a story."


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TSA Pre-Check program launches at Milwaukee's Mitchell airport
Travelers flying out of Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport now have a faster way to get through security.
The Transportation Safety Administration has launched its Pre-Check program in Milwaukee.
TSA officials said the program allows frequent travelers to become pre-qualified and bypass a portion of security, allowing all TSA lines to move quicker.
VIDEO: Airport security checks will soon get easier for some
Susan Murray was randomly selected Tuesday to participate in the program.
"It's much nicer," she said. "It's a much nicer way to travel."
Benefits include not having to remove your coat or shoes when going through security.
"When I go through O'Hare, the lines are always backed up," said Tom DeRidder. "If you could just get through pre-check and walk up, that would eliminate all kinds of problems."
The program launched at 40 airports earlier this fall and soft-launched at Mitchell airport last week.
TSA Pre-Check on available on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America.
Airlines can either choose customers to participate in the program, or frequent fliers can register and pay for a five-year Pre-Check membership.


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Commander, action is required of you. To take your next step towards the closed BETA program, we need some additional information. Please click on the link below to complete a brief survey and provide some information about your computers specifications.
This information is vital for BETA access; only those participating in the BETA survey will be able to participate in the closed BETA program. This data will only be used by the Transformers team and will not be shared with any third parties.
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Stop the Insecticon invasion of Earth inside TRANSFORMERS: Legends! It's up you and your team to hunt for the Insecticons and defeat them before they destroy life as we know it. Harvest of the Insecticons is a limited time special event inside TRANSFORMERS: Legends. Play it now!
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Transformers Universe website launches
Leading independent games studio Jagex today announced the launch of its all new Transformers Universe website in preparation for the next stage of the free-to-play MMO's release.
As well as featuring an entire redesign, the addition of forums and a news feed for all things Transformers Universe, the website will be the new and improved hub for the game's BETA when it goes live in early 2013.
Tim Hodges, Transformers Universe Brand Director commented "We are delighted to be entering the next phase of our launch plans for Transformers Universe and we hope that players enjoy using this new hub for all the latest Transformer Universe news and information. We're getting closer to unleashing Transformers Universe into browsers so stay tuned for more information and be sure to visit the site and sign up for BETA today"
The new website and BETA registration can be found here:- http://www.TransformersUniverse.com
About Transformers Universe:
Transformers Universe is an action packed massively multiplayer war game that puts you at the heart of the biggest battle in-gaming Autobots vs. Decepticons. With dozens of Transformers' warriors to choose from, only the smartest and most adept commander will be able to steer their team to victory.
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The time has come, friends and family. You have been selected from hundreds and thousands of applicants based on a combination upon your computer specifications and feedback, for access to the first wave of closed BETA sessions - prepare for war!
This first session will focus on an initial slice of combat features only. A core selection of 4 Transformer warriors per faction will be available to compete with on a team death-match map. More features and content will be added over successive BETAs.
The beta will open on:
12th December 2012 @ 18.00 - 20.00 EST
Log in to TransformersUniverse.com ahead of the session and accept the non-disclosure agreement (NDA), a required part of BETA entry. This is a simple legal document designed to ensure the game remains top-secret in this testing and research phase.
The second session is on:
16th December 2012 @ 14.00 - 16.00 EST
To battle in the closed BETA log in to TransformersUniverse.com from 18:00 onwards on the 12th December. The first time you load the game it may take a little while. Ahead of the closed BETA launch you can check out the Game Guide to familiarize yourself with the controls and mechanics, and please make sure you have the latest copies of Java, DirectX and VSRuntime installed.
Thanks for your commitment commander - we await your report from the front lines.
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Rather than use a traditional MMOG-style tabbed-targeting control system, which involves the player manually selecting targets, Universe adopts a more action game approach, locking onto the nearest enemy in the middle third of the screen. The aim is to keep the game fluid, while affording control over what you're hitting, with aiming reticles and subtle zoom-ins creating what Horton calls a "Top Gun-ny vibe". Feedback on firing itself is satisfyingly meaty and powerful, while a weapon-specific power bar lends an active element to combat. Some ranged weapons require time to acquire a lock; some have cooldowns; others, like Vanquish's hammer, charge up and only deal top damage when the bar's maxed out.
We move on to a contested area, Cooper switching to a smaller bot, which transforms into a red sports car. Situated under a huge dam is an Energon field, ripe for the mining. The aim for both the Decepticons and Autobots is to drop Energon probes into the ground and then remain within 10 metres of them to absorb the Energon they extract. The closer you are to them, the faster they deal it out, so the game's about keeping position as both teams race to collect 1,000 units first. Complicating matters is the fact that the process can wake Terrorcons, which attack both sides, and that greedy players can simply keep the Energon they earn for themselves.
It's a fast-paced brawl with a clear objective, one that earns the winning team the opening of a new portal for a short period that leads to the next battleground, a broken, burning city. As such, as each faction wins battlegrounds, they get to move on to the next in a progression that's managed by two storylines, one for the Decepticons and one for the Autobots. It's another product of Horton's background with GTA: "We can't do this game without telling a story," he says. But it's not simply the result of a mandate from Hasbro's legacy with expressing Transformers through narrative-driven cartoons and film, and nor is it Horton falling back to home comforts. "Obviously, all the stuff I did with Sam and Dan Houser was about that, but what we're aspiring to make is a suite of different battlefields that we need to give context to. I'm not knocking a Quake level, but we don't know why they're there. I think story's very important for that."
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Burn wrote:So, game play is basic, as you would expect for a mobile/tablet game.
When you join up you choose your faction. This seems pointless though as you can build both Autobot and Decepticon teams and participate in Autobot and Decepticon missions.
You have two ways to earn XP. Missions (which uses Energon) and Battles (which uses Energon Battle Cubes). Once you've used all your energon and battle cubes up you have to wait for it to replenish.
In missions you have a job to do, but it's basically press the scan button. This can result in either finding character cards, or you have to deflect attacks by Swoop or Ramjet (depending on your faction). You may also come across a Cache which gives you the chance to win rare cards. As the mission progresses you may also battle a boss whose weapon you can win. You earn XP points and Credits.
In Battles you fight other players. Well not so much fight, you line your cards up, winner is determined by stats. You earn XP and Battle Points
Cards you collect can be used for either trans-scanning your characters (you need to find both a matching robot mode and alt mode to trans-scan them together so they can transform), alternatively you can use them to upgrade existing characters (at the cost of credits) or sell for credits. Same goes for weapons.
There's the Space Bridge which you can use to request more troops (cards). There's a variety of ways to use the space bridge. Game credits (dish out the money), Battle Points, Ally Points, Bronze Warrior Medal (you get these when you level up) and Bronze Weapons Medal (not sure where you get these)
Friends playing? Add them as Allies. So far the only advantage I see is to "cheer" them and earn Ally Points for the Space Bridge.
It's a simple game, very beautiful artwork. Looks great on a 7 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. My only complaint? You have to have an active internet connection.
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High Moon is very proud that we took home the gold for Best Sound Design with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron in the 2012 XPlay Best of 2012 Awards. Let's all give a Grimlock ROAR for that!
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TRANSFORMERS: Legends is coming soon! Can you guess who this character is? One hint: it's a Decepticon! Find out more at: http://www.transformers-legends.com/
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American families across the country are breathing a major sigh of relief. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as "Obamacare") is constitutional and that Congress was within its power to mandate that Americans buy health insurance or be subject to a financial penalty.
Now, there are all sorts of legal aspects to this case that will be parsed in the coming days — especially the part in which the law was ruled constitutional not under the Commerce Clause, as had been argued, but as a part of Congress' taxing authority — but this is amazing news for families who have been cut off from insurance because of pre-existing conditions, lifetime limits on insurance coverage and who couldn't come up with out-of-pocket payments for preventative services, like mammograms, that some policies wouldn't cover.
This is also good news for the Obama campaign and Democrats around the country. Republicans now will have a hard time claiming at rallies that the President's administration overreached on trying to fix the health care problems in this country. The GOP was counting on what they thought would be a reliable 5-4 conservative majority to blast the President's plan to help all Americans afford health insurance and medical care. Republicans were just waiting for the cudgel to be handed to them, so they could launch their summertime efforts of bashing the President, hoping that would win them votes for Mitt Romney.
Looks like they need a Plan B (no, not that Plan B!) for attacking the President. Their attempts for blame him for rising gas prices as a campaign tactic are in the tank (so to speak!) now that prices are dropping, now the main part of their plan of attack for the rest of the election season is gone. I know they've got other issues they're going to use, but the Republican party had pretty much put all their eggs in this basket as the one specific thing they could attack on.
According to news reports, Republicans who were in the courtroom as the justices read their opinions had their jaws drop and their eyes rolled back in their heads. They did NOT expect this. They expected another Bush v. Gore — another instance when the high court showed its political leanings rather than its judicial analysis.
Republicans lost today and the Democrats, and Americans, won.
I have a feeling that Chief Justice Roberts won't be getting any summer barbeque invitations anytime soon from the Romney campaign or the GOP attack machine!


text: I have seen the future of politics, brethren, and it is a bunch of bloviating faggots muttering racist epithets under their breath at their unsatisfying office jobs, before scurrying off to Twitter to totally trigger those shitlib sjws with their top kek shitlord pepe memes. This will push the Overton window right and the norms will get redpilled to the (((Dumbocrat))) debauchery. There will be an uprising, and when the last evil liberal news anchor is lynched with the payots of the last carnivorous Jew, we will finally have a white utopia where spergy men can get Hitler Youth haircuts and LARP at being saracens or muay thai captains of industry until their hearts are content, and the sexually adventurous virgin 9/10 thin blondes with big titties and wide hips who bang like shithouse doors in the wind and cook like six Gordon Ramseys will be impressed, rather than sniggering and falling into the arms of Demetrious or Le'Marquess like they do just now. #signalboost #pizzagate #iassureyouitsrelaxedmuscle


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Another Day, Another RIM Sale Rumor
Here comes another rumor about Research In Motion — this time, selling off its struggling handset unit to any variety of possible buyers for all or part of the famed BlackBerry, including Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft. The latest version comes from the Sunday Times, which said that such a consideration is part of an overall strategic review by the beleaguered Canadian company that will be concluded in July. Before that, though, expect financial news — likely bad — this week, when RIM announces its first-quarter earnings.


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Western blot analysis of extracts from CHO cells, transfected with non-targeted (-) or SignalSilence® Akt siRNA I (+) siRNA, using Akt Antibody #9272 and p42 MAP Kinase (Erk2) Antibody #9108. The Akt antibody confirms silencing of protein expression while the p42 MAP Kinase (Erk2) antibody was used to control for loading and specificity of Akt siRNA (A). Phospho-GSK-3β (Ser9) Antibody #9336 was used to confirm downstream pathway inhibition (B).
Western blot analysis of extracts from HeLa cells, transfected with 100 nM SignalSilence® Control siRNA (Fluorescein Conjugate) #6201 (-) or SignalSilence® Akt siRNA I (+), using Akt Antibody #9272 and p42 MAP Kinase (Erk2) Antibody #9108. Akt antibody confirms silencing of Akt expression, while the p42 MAP kinase (Erk2) antibody is used to control for loading and specificity of Akt siRNA.
Product Information
CST recommends transfection with 100 nM Akt siRNA I 48 to 72 hours prior to cell lysis. For transfection procedure, follow protocol provided by the transfection reagent manufacturer. Please fell free to contact CST with any questions on use.
Each vial contains the equivalent of 100 transfections, which corresponds to a final siRNA concentration of 100 nM per transfection in a 24-well plate with a total volume of 300 μl per well.
SignalSilence® siRNA is supplied in RNAse-free water. Aliquot and store at -20ºC.
SignalSilence® Akt siRNA I from Cell Signaling Technology (CST) allows the researcher to specifically inhibit Akt expression using RNA interference, a method whereby gene expression can be selectively silenced through the delivery of double stranded RNA molecules into the cell. All SignalSilence® siRNA products from CST are rigorously tested in-house and have been shown to reduce target protein expression by western analysis.
Oligonucleotide synthesis is monitored base by base through trityl analysis to ensure appropriate coupling efficiency. The oligo is subsequently purified by affinity-solid phase extraction. The annealed RNA duplex is further analyzed by mass spectrometry to verify the exact composition of the duplex. Each lot is compared to the previous lot by mass spectrometry to ensure maximum lot-to-lot consistency.
Akt, also referred to as PKB or Rac, plays a critical role in controlling survival and apoptosis (1-3). This protein kinase is activated by insulin and various growth and survival factors to function in a wortmannin-sensitive pathway involving PI3 kinase (2,3). Akt is activated by phospholipid binding and activation loop phosphorylation at Thr308 by PDK1 (4) and by phosphorylation within the carboxy terminus at Ser473. The previously elusive PDK2 responsible for phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 has been identified as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in a rapamycin-insensitive complex with rictor and Sin1 (5,6). Akt promotes cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis through phosphorylation and inactivation of several targets, including Bad (7), forkhead transcription factors (8), c-Raf (9), and caspase-9. PTEN phosphatase is a major negative regulator of the PI3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway (10). LY294002 is a specific PI3 kinase inhibitor (11). Another essential Akt function is the regulation of glycogen synthesis through phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3α and β (12,13). Akt may also play a role in insulin stimulation of glucose transport (12). In addition to its role in survival and glycogen synthesis, Akt is involved in cell cycle regulation by preventing GSK-3β-mediated phosphorylation and degradation of cyclin D1 (14) and by negatively regulating the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p27 Kip1 (15) and p21 Waf1/Cip1 (16). Akt also plays a critical role in cell growth by directly phosphorylating mTOR in a rapamycin-sensitive complex containing raptor (17). More importantly, Akt phosphorylates and inactivates tuberin (TSC2), an inhibitor of mTOR within the mTOR-raptor complex (18,19).
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been used to specifically silence Akt in CHO cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes (20).
Explore pathways + proteins related to this product.
|Product #
|300 µl (3 nmol)
|$ 270


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Darren Aronofsky is talking to Paramount about directing a George Washington film called The General. Rumor has it the movie will be somewhat reminiscent of Unforgiven, whatever that means. Maybe it'll focus on his coming out of retirement to assume the presidency.
Several years ago I wondered whether George Washington would make a suitable protagonist for a biopic. His life story offers plenty of excitement and drama, but how can you get audiences to sympathize with such an austere figure?


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Bears Hang On To Beat Jets, 27-19
Jay Cutler threw two touchdown passes to Martellus Bennett, and the Chicago Bears held on to beat the New York Jets, 27-19, on Monday night in northern New Jersey. The Jets had an opportunity to tie the game by scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion on their final possession, but the Chicago defense held them without points inside the red zone with less 1:04 to play.
Nick Folk kicked four field goals on the game for New York (1-2), which could not cross the goal line on its final drive. Jets' quarterback Geno Smith threw for 316 yards and a score, but his last pass of the game was caught out of the back of the end zone by receiver Jeremy Kerley. Chicago (2-1) took over on downs and ran out the clock to secure the win.
The Bears led 17-13 at halftime after capitalizing on Jets' mistakes early in the messy game. Chicago's Ryan Mundy scored the first points of the contest on a 45-yard interception return on the second play from scrimmage. The pick-six was one of three New York turnovers.
The Bears' Alshon Jeffery led all receivers with eight catches for 105 yards. The Jets' defense sacked Cutler four times and limited Chicago to 257 yards of offense, including just 60 yards rushing, but the Bears did enough to get the victory.


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Zach Galifianakis makes sure to keep everyone on their toes.
After speculating whether or not the Hangover star was engaged to girlfriend Quinn Lundberg, reports started to claim the duo went off and tied the knot under the radar over the weekend.
The mystery of Zach Galifianakis' engagement
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
According to VancityBuzz.com, Galifianakis and Lundberg shared their vows during a private ceremony somewhere in the Furry Creek-Squamish area in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Rumored guest Sarah Silverman tweeted a few days ago, "To those who feel they deserve more rights than others, I say: 'Let Them eat cock' #MarriageEquality."
But she wasn't the only one. Patton Oswalt, another reported guest (and maybe the ceremony's DJ, considering his Twitter bio), tweeted over the weekend, "Holy Oliver Reed, I am DRUNK."
Of course, Galifianakis' Hangover buddies Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms were also said to have been present--they wouldn't exactly be the three best friends that anyone could have if they didn't go, right?
Galifianakis's rep could not be reached for comment.


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"A flexible bioreactor system for constructing in vitro tissue and organ models.", Biotechnol Bioeng, vol. 108, pp. 2129–2140, 2011.,
"Finite element modelling and design of a concentration gradient generating bioreactor: Application to biological pattern formation and toxicology", Toxicology in vitro, vol. 24, pp. 1828–1837, 2010 [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20580814,
"Functional and Pharmacological testing of endothelial cells cultured in dynamic conditions", in Proceedings of: XIV Edizione del Congresso della Fisiologia Clinica-CNR, 2005, pp. 82-96.,


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Should toys get a gender-neutral makeover?
Two months ago, Jorge Meija, of Martinez, spotted the perfect bicycle for his 4-year-old son, Julian, at a garage sale. It was gently used with sturdy wheels and a clean chain. It was also pink.
There was a time when Meija, an immigrant from a "traditional home where men went to work and women cooked and cleaned" would've left the bike behind because of its color.
But the $5 price spoke to him, as did the message it would send to Julian, who plays with his kitchen set with the same enthusiasm he brings to his trucks.
"I want my kids to understand gender without discriminating or thinking it is the only thing that defines them," Meija says. "Dad cooks, and mom rode dirt bikes as a girl. Why should it matter?"
It is a common debate among parents and child development experts. Should gender be stripped from the $22 billion toy industry, or is a wave of new toys deliberately designed with gender in mind -- like GoldieBlox, a construction kit pegged to girls, or an Easy-Bake Oven for boys -- the answer to equal opportunity play? Perhaps a little bit of both.
Preferences for gendered toys begin in preschool, says Susan Linn, a psychology professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. While there are inherent differences in how the genders play and what toys they prefer, Linn says the environment in which kids play -- and what they are exposed to -- can encourage other skills.
"Boys are born with stronger connections in the area of the brain where visual spatial abilities are centered, and girls have stronger connections in areas where language and fine-motor skills are centered," she says. But preschool also is the time when their brains are most open to influence on the abilities and roles that traditionally go with their gender.
"That's why it's important to provide children with opportunities for a diversity of play experience, why girls should have access to blocks and other toys associated with boys, and why boys should have cuddly toys and dolls," she says. "They may still choose the gendered toys, but it's important to provide them with other options."
Ultimately, Linn says, the best toys are the ones that lie there until the child brings them to life -- gender-neutral items such as books, puzzles and clay.
Suzanne Chasalow, of Vallejo, found that to be true with her twin 10-year-olds, Shira and Ilan.
Access for both children to educational toys, such as books and art supplies," she says. "I thought a lot about buying neutral colors and supporting their natural curiosity about everything."
When Shira got stuffed animals, her brother was offered the same. Although she played with her "stuffies" more, Ilan would join in order to interact. "I don't think he would have been interested in many of the toys he ended up playing with if he didn't have a sister," Chasalow says.
They also gave Shira trains, cars and Legos, expanding her repertoire with toys she possibly wouldn't have had without a brother, Chasalow says. When they were 7, the twins went to a Lego pre-engineering camp, and Shira was the only girl there.
"She didn't mind," Chasalow says, "but she did notice." It will be a while before Jen Bloch's 8-month-old daughter can play with Legos, but the Richmond woman is so determined to expose her daughter to toys stereotypically associated with boys that she pre-ordered GoldieBlox, a toy that features a female engineer who solves problems by building machines. It is aimed at girls 6 and older.
The toy, designed by Stanford University engineering graduate Debbie Sterling, hits store shelves in April and has created buzz among parents and educators eager to see if GoldieBlox helps develop girls' spatial skills and interest in science, technology, engineering and math -- S.T.E.M. in academia.
"My hope is that she'll at least have an edge when it comes to those subjects," Bloch says.
Sterling, who is based in Oakland, hopes GoldieBlox is a social game changer.
"We're seeing a big shift in what people expect and demand for their daughters," says Sterling, who added a narrative component to GoldieBlox to appeal to girls' love of storytelling. In her debut, Goldie builds a spinning machine with a pegboard, wheel and crank to help her dog, Nacho, chase his tail. "Everything in our world is built by engineers, but 89 percent of them are male. It is critical that we include the perspective of women. What I'm trying to show girls and their parents is that engineers are creative and innovative. And female."
But, as many parents know, the princess culture often takes firm hold of girls by age 6.
It is something that concerns Lizette Dolan, the mother of a 5-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy. She works as an equity educator at Athenian School in Danville and consults at other schools on how best to serve diverse populations. She often consults on issues of gender.
"My kids are growing up with a critical framework of everything," Dolan says of Lilli and Lucas. Since toys usually targeted to girls tend to be more gendered, she was particularly focused on creating a gender-neutral environment for Lilli.
As a baby, Lilli's nursery was green, red and gray. Sometimes, she would buy Lilli the blue version of a shirt or blanket, just to switch it up. And most of her toys were Lucas' hand-me-downs.
Then, when she was about 3 ½, despite her mother's efforts, Lilli discovered Disney.
The last year and a half has been a battle," Dolan says. "All she wants are sparkles, Barbie and princesses. When I try to get her interested in puzzles and her brother's solar system toys, she says, 'Mom, this is who I am!' "
Her response is honest. "Just know you can be anything you want," she tells Lilli. "I love you."
gender-bender toys:
Easy-Bake Oven for boys: After a 13-year-old New Jersey girl presented Hasbro with 40,000 signatures from parents and celebrity chefs urging the toy company to come out with an Easy-Bake Oven for boys, Hasbro responded with prototypes in blue, black and silver. They should debut by summer and will include boys in the commercials and packaging. www.hasbro.com.
GoldieBlox for girls: Designed to stimulate an interest in engineering among girls 6 and older, GoldieBlox is a storybook and construction kit that teaches girls to solve problems and help people by building machines. Oakland-based founder Debbie Sterling hopes to develop Goldie into a brand. The debut includes a storybook, figurines and supplies to build a belt drive. www.goldieblox.com.


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Quilt has received strong critical notices and much louder buzz, in part thanks to their album "Held in Splendor" which released in January.
The Red Sox may be floundering, but there's been an exceptional hot streak lately from Boston-area indie rockers breaking out nationally. Include in that list psychedelic folk-rockers Quilt, who have one of the better albums of 2014 with "Held in Splendor" and a live show that gets better and deeper every tour.
"We've played about 85 shows since January," said guitarist and singer Anna Fox Rochinski, rattling off a list of highlights that includes a show in Hamburg, Germany, under a train platform that concluded with 20 minutes of "loose and gnarly" improvisation, and days and nights spent everywhere from the desert in Texas to clubs in Moscow.
It hasn't all been roses – Quilt's tour van was totaled following a crash in March – but on top of it all, Rochinski said, the band's "made about one million new friends." Their next local show is Friday, an opening slot for Dean Wareham at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, and they're slated to return in the fall after a European tour – no doubt to ever-bigger crowds.
Rochinski, who hails from Brookline, is the daughter of jazz guitarist and longtime Berklee College of Music professor Steve Rochinski. She started playing guitar in her early teens and became involved with the scene around Jamaica Plain's Whitehaus Family Record, the label and a community of artists and musicians that over the past decade became known for DIY shows ranging from poetry slams to highly experimental music.
It was through that scene she met guitarist/singer Shane Butler, launching Quilt in 2008 when they both attended Boston's School of the Museum of Fine Arts and started playing shows together, filling out as a trio with drummer Taylor McVay. Drummer John Andrews, originally from Pennsylvania, replaced McVay in 2011, and last year came bassist and Vermont native Keven Lareau, solidifying the current Quilt lineup.
Over the past few years, Quilt has been several times to the influential South by Southwest music festival and toured with indie buzz acts like The Fresh & Onlys. But the past 12 months especially have brought strong critical notices and much louder buzz, in part thanks to the mesmerizing "Held in Splendor," which released on Mexican Summer in January.
"I think the album is a lot more pruned and crafted than the last record, (2011's "Quilt")," Rochinski said. "The parts where we get loose feel a lot more mature. The folk songs are really strong because we let ourselves bring in finished songs that didn't need much more work, but the songs are a true collaboration between all of us."
"Held in Splendor" had an extra boost from producer Jarvis Taveniere, a member of Brooklyn folk-rockers Woods.
"He challenged us to play harder and be weirder while still remaining polished and professional," Rochinski said. "I think we're continuously learning about that balance, it's like an eternal project."
Quilt and Woods are both bands that have been tagged "psychedelic" thanks to the dreamier corners of their respective sounds. Rochinski notes how promiscuously that term is used these days, especially among descriptions of indie rockers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
"I suppose we have little choice but to readily embrace it as a term that's come into being on its own," she said. "Which is to say, maybe we can work with it, mold it, rather than adhere blindly to the rules and regulations set by the past."
Genre fusion being what it is right now, the use of the term isn't surprising given how loosely it's defined.
"You have to be a real weirdo to keep things interesting right now," Rochinski said. "There is so much boring music. I guess 'psychedelia' is beginning to creep into a lot of different realism and spread out like a root system, alongside the mashing of genres that happening right now. I mean, Kid Rock is a country artist now. Sampling is more mainstream than ever. Beyonce is covering Alanis Morrissette. When country and hip-hop cross paths – which they are – you know something's up. To me, that's truly psychedelic."


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For Michael Shuman it was the equivalent of an earthquake. Seeking cheaper labor in Canada, Toronto-based Branscan Corp. threw 1,400 people out of work by closing two paper mills in Millinocket, Maine, in 2002. The unemployment rate in this region of central Maine skyrocketed to Depression era levels of nearly 40 percent.
Mr. Shuman, an economist and job developer, was called in for damage control. Aided by an $8 million federal grant, he and his colleagues at Maine's Training and Development Corp. were able to help most of the laid-off workers get back on their feet. But the experience convinced Shuman to do what any sensible person might do after such a calamity: Build something that's earthquake-resistant.
To him, that involves locally owned businesses.
For the past five years, Shuman has been barnstorming across the United States, preaching the gospel of economic "localism." It's an appeal to community values as well as economic self-interest, a call to support locally owned businesses that don't outsource, don't pack up their businesses and leave on a moment's notice, and who recycle their customers' dollars back into the community.
Shuman describes his effort as "a political campaign that never ends." He speaks mostly in small rural communities, often desolate landscapes with shuttered mills and boarded-up storefronts. His campaign has put him in the epicenter of a debate about what's best for the economic health of a community: Locally owned businesses or large, multinational chain stores.
Shuman views struggling communities as untapped resources: vacant land available for new businesses or existing local businesses that want to expand, the numbers of unemployed people who can be hired by local businesses or who might start their own businesses.
"For years, economic developers have looked for new wealth from outside their communities and overlooked the huge opportunities in their own backyard," he says. "The localization movement encourages communities to take stock of these untapped resources. That's especially important as today's economic downturn increases the pressure on every town and city to do more with less."
He points to the Mount Shasta region of northern California, where a timber faller with a bad back started a successful boat repair business, and to Vermont, where two enterprising young mothers started a business weaving recycled fabric and old clothes into new ones.
Rachel Hooper, one of the owners of Burlington's Bobbin Sew Bar, went to hear Shuman speak before starting her business. "It was really inspiring to hear him talk about how small business owners can play an important and positive role in their communities," she says.
Shuman likes to cite a 2003 study by Civic Economics, a consulting and research firm. It examined what happened to every $100 spent at a chain bookstore and at a locally owned one in Austin, Texas. At the chain, only $13 went back into the local economy. At the local bookstore, it was $45.
Big box chains have raised their profile by spending big dollars. To compete, locally owned businesses are banding together for what one organizer calls "grass-roots guerrilla marketing." These low-budget efforts include posters touting the "Top 10 reasons to buy local" and bumper stickers that say "Buy local or bye-bye local." Discount coupon books featuring local businesses help bring new customers through the door, as do catalogs that list locally owned businesses.
In 2006, New Mexico's Los Alamos National Bank began issuing local "community care" debit cards good only at participating local businesses. Cardholder purchases rack up "community points" good toward additional purchases at local businesses; a portion of their purchases goes to a nonprofit of their choice. The idea has proven popular: One out of every 10 Santa Fe residents uses the cards, according to bank officials.
These and other promotions are being spread around the country through the Business Alliance For Local Living Economies. Founded seven years ago by Philadelphia restaurant owner Judy Wicks and Laury Hammel, a Boston health-club owner, BALLE has grown to include some 60 small business networks in the US and Canada. Shuman was involved in BALLE's formative stages, providing the organization with its intellectual underpinnings. In the next few months, he'll be joining BALLE to work full-time on economic development and public policy initiatives.
The organization is still experimenting with what works for small businesses. "We're a young movement," says Mr. Hammel, noting that it's only been five years since BALLE launched its first "buy local" campaigns.
These grass-roots efforts are a good start, Shuman feels, but he also thinks it's necessary to change "fundamentally misguided" government policies that favor nonlocal businesses. By Shuman's estimate, some $113 billion in tax dollars is spent each year to lure companies into a community, only to have many of them take the money and run in a few years. Why not put the money instead, he says, into building business networks like BALLE and into technical assistance for local entrepreneurs who are much more likely to stay around?
Shuman's "small business is beautiful" campaign has few detractors. After all, the small grocer who knows his customers' names, the hardware store owner who can find just the right widget for you, are icons of retail Americana.
But traditional economic thinking embraces the value of big business, the notion that large concentrations of capital and labor are necessary if consumers want inexpensive cars, refrigerators, and computers.
Large "exporting" businesses, with their broad geographical base of customers, bring in untapped consumer dollars to a local economy, notes Tim Bartik, a senior economist and job development researcher at the Upjohn Institute in Michigan, a nonprofit think tank founded by the pharmaceutical giant. And they often pay higher wages.
But Mr. Bartik is quick to admit that local and state governments don't always spend tax revenues wisely, don't always do the homework necessary to determine if a big, out-of-state corporation will actually pay higher wages, hire local residents, or buy from local suppliers. Too often, he says, these companies are lured for their headline-grabbing, "ribbon-cutting" luster, when the same tax dollars might be better spent training budding entrepreneurs at a small business development center.
It's here that Shuman and mainstream economists find common ground. Shuman, for his part, agrees that "export" businesses add to the economic health of a community, but argues that locally owned businesses can bring in export dollars just as well as the big guys, whether it's from sales of maple syrup or financial services.
The effort to revive local economies is occurring for the most part outside the media spotlight, in Shuman's countless trips to struggling communities, in the growing number of small-business associations sprouting up around the country.
It's a slow process. But Shuman, a born salesman, is optimistic about the movement's future: "In the current economic downturn, Americans are beginning to understand that their future prosperity lies in the community businesses down the street that employ their neighbors, pay the taxes, and promote local relationships and trust."


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Hi guys. Can any of you musically-gifted forum regulars please take a stab at 'At My Post' from Todd Zilla?
I absolutely adore this song, and I've never seen a tab for it. I think it's one of their most overlooked songs.
I can't even tell if there's much guitar in it, the verses are mini explosions of noise and synth blips, with the chorus slowing down to a crawl (gotta love those lyrics on the chorus!). I'd imagine most of it is keyboard, which is why chords would be ideal.
Thanks guys!


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Spas in the New York area: 3 picks, 3 prices ranges
Would you pay anything for a weekend of healthy relaxation? Or does the very idea of shelling out big bucks for a quinoa salad and a hot stone massage destroy your peace of mind? Forget about the relative merits of a seaweed wrap and a mud bath. These are the deep questions you must consider before you begin a search for your ideal spa hotel.
Whatever you are willing to spend for restorative treatments and a feeling of serenity, there is a nearby spa for you. Here are three standout destinations -- at three price levels -- for reviving mind, body and spirit.
Intimate and down-to-earth
COPPERHOOD RETREAT AND SPA 70-39 State Rte. 28, Shandaken, N.Y.; 845-688-2460, copperhood.com
Copperhood is a down-to-earth destination spa in the Catskills and only a two-hour drive from New York City. This intimate resort prides itself on dealing with guests one-on-one to come up with the perfect combination of diet and exercise they can continue on their own after checkout.
Rooms with DVD players and complimentary Wi-Fi face the resort's front lawn or the picturesque Esopus Creek and surrounding mountains. The hotel's two-bedroom suites with a shared living room are fun for gals-only getaways (when booking, ask about special group discounts if you are traveling with a bunch of friends).
Much of the fresh and light food you will eat comes right from Copperhood's own garden. In addition to the regular spa menu (with vegetarian and vegan options), there are supervised raw foods and juice-fasting programs. Indoor fitness classes include the usual suspects (yoga, Pilates) and activities you may have always wanted to try (African dancing, fencing). Guests are encouraged to enjoy the beautiful surroundings with plenty of year-round outdoor fitness offerings, including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, daylong hikes, fly-fishing and biking. When it's time for some pampering, you can choose from a large menu of a la carte spa treatments, including nine types of massage and five kinds of body wraps.
A 50-minute Swedish massage will cost you $100. The resort's two-night "Respite" package is $875, including all meals and fitness classes; use of all facilities, including a nicely equipped wet room with hydrotherapy tub and Vichy shower; and daily guided walks and hikes. Owner Elizabeth Iwinski works hard to cultivate relationships with previous guests, offering ongoing advice and support and a 10 percent discount for return visits.
Value near the vines
MIRBEAU INN & SPA 851 W. Genesee St., Skaneateles, N.Y.; 877-647-2328, mirbeau.com
Four hours from the city in picturesque Skaneateles, the Mirbeau Inn & Spa consists of six buildings clustered around landscaped ponds and gardens patterned after Monet's gardens at Giverny. Designed to feel like a wine country estate, its cuisine and many of its treatments reflect its location in the heart of the Finger Lakes wine region.
You get a lot of luxury for the money at this beautiful resort. Rooms are cozy, with fireplaces and notably large bathrooms equipped with soaking tubs, tiled walk-in showers and plush robes. Wear your robe down to breakfast (allowed but not required) before heading to the 14,000-square-foot spa building, where you are urged to arrive at least an hour before any scheduled treatments to take advantage of the large Jacuzzi, heated foot pool, herbal-infused steam room, dry sauna and exercise studio with a range of classes, all at no extra charge. The spa menu includes "vinotherapie" treatments developed by French skin-care specialists at Caudalie, including the Vinoperfect Facial and the Crushed Cabernet Body Scrub.
Eat a light lunch at the Aqua Terrace, the spa's outdoor heated water lounge. For dinner, The Wine Bar offers a variety of small plates to match its impressive selection of both local and imported wines by the glass. Try a themed flight, such as "whites we can't pronounce," poured from a state-of-the-art WineStation dispenser. The more formal French Steakhouse serves seasonal French comfort food.
Mirbeau's 50-minute "Essentials" massage is $130. The Weekend Spa package, including two breakfasts, one dinner at the restaurant and one spa treatment, is $1,165 a person, double occupancy. If you can find time to visit during the week, prices decrease significantly.
Healthy living in posh style
MAYFLOWER INN AND SPA 118 Woodbury Rd., Route 47, Washington, Conn.; 860-868-9466, mayflowerinn.com
This 58-acre Relais & Chateau property consists of 30 lavishly appointed guest rooms in four buildings on a magnificent country estate. If you are looking for an austere cell in which to practice self-denial, look elsewhere. At the Mayflower, you will search for inner peace knowing that at the end of the day you'll be retiring to a sleeping chamber with an antique Oriental rug, four-poster feather-top bed and marble bath with Limoges fittings.
While many hotel spas offer day passes, the Mayflower's spa facilities are never open to the public. This means the Spa House, a 20,000-square-foot "relaxation resource," is reserved for hotel guests alone. Beyond common lounging areas with plump upholstered furniture, you will find an indoor pool, a mosaic domed whirlpool tub, exercise studios, treatment rooms, a salon and a shop that sells high-end knitwear from Brunello Cucinelli, as well as the Mayflower Inn's signature spa products. Outside are a yoga garden and a classical labyrinth constructed of granite and green grass paths, designed for meditative walks. A personal adviser will be assigned to help you choose from a variety of facials, massages, soaks and scrubs. There are plentiful group fitness and yoga classes, but also the opportunity to take private yoga, Pilates, archery, kayaking and fly-fishing lessons.
When it comes to food, you can be as virtuous or indulgent as you'd like. Whether you choose to start the day with warm barley cereal with almond milk or Mayflower eggs Benedict, know the ingredients are likely organic, artisanal and locally sourced. Dinner in the restaurant is a multicourse affair, paired with fine wines by the sommelier, if you'd like. The more casual Tap Room offers seasonal and local pub food.
The 60-minute Mayflower Massage is priced at $175. For the ultimate spa break, book the Above and Beyond Experience (available only on weekdays), which will get you unlimited spa treatments and classes, all meals, spa adviser services and workout clothes for your stay; three nights from $4,000.


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CRC wrote:(Dating myself now...)Not when I played the game. Remember?
Or something like that...anything larger than a CA was a real pain to track!
Yeah, I'm talking 3rdR/Sky Marshal 2 timeframe (SM2 is a revamp of Imperial SF) Have to post a ship setup later. Even worse, with Galactic/Ultra/Solar Starfire, you can get more hull spaces with later generations of the same hull (SD-i (5th) generation hull is bigger than a MT-a (1st) generation hull)


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I met one half of the Yas-ming duo, Yasmin Dilekkaya, at this years New Designers at London's Design Business centre. I was exploring the One Year On exhibition, curated by Jethro Macey, when in passing their collection stopped me in my tracks – a display full of the weird and wonderful was just my cup of tea.
Yasmin Dilekkaya and Ming Wai Sung both studied at the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester and have been working together since they graduated last year. They've created a collection of ceramic mugs, plates, bowls and chop stick holders with the heads and bottoms of animals – how fun! The head and bottom of the animals are made in separate moulds and then carefully attached to the plate, mug or bowl.
If Yas-Ming make you squeal with joy and you want to fill up the cupboard with a heard of animal friends, then you can head down to Magma in Covent Garden or YSC@HOME in Yorkshire.


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Todd Rundgren
By request
Todd Rundgren considered 1966 the beginning of his professional musical career, largely because the Nazz formed around that time. As a celebration, he recorded Faithful. Presumably, Faithful celebrates the past and the future by juxtaposing a side of original pop material with a side of covers. Actually, "covers" isn't accurate -- the six oldies that comprise the entirety of side one are re-creations, with Rundgren "faithfully" replicating the sound and feel of the Yardbirds ("Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"), Bob Dylan ("Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine"), Jimi Hendrix ("If Six Was Nine"), the Beach Boys ("Good Vibrations") and the Beatles "("Rain," "Strawberry Fields Forever"). All of this is entertaining, to a certain extent, especially since it's remarkable how close Rundgren comes to duplicating the very feel of the originals. Still, it's hard to see it as much more than a flamboyant throwaway, especially when compared with the glorious second side. For the first time since Something/Anything?, Rundgren allows himself to write and -- more importantly -- record straight-ahead pop songs. Certainly, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd and Initiation had their share of great songs, but they weren't delivered as pop songs; they were telegraphed as art. Here, Rundgren delivers pop and rock songs with ease, letting the melodies glide to the forefront. There are embellishments, of course, but the end result is a lushness that's apparent even on the hard rockers. If Rundgren had made all of Faithful originals, it would have been a pure pop masterpiece. As it stands, it's essential for the faithful -- not only for hardcore Toddheads, but for devoted pop fans as well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
1 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
2 Good Vibrations
3 Rain
4 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
5 If Six Was Nine
6 Strawberry Fields Forever
7 Black and White
8 Love of the Common Man
9 When I Pray
10 Cliché
11 Verb "To Love"
12 Boogies (Hamburger Hell