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[EDEN] A new Country in EDEN (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Greek Ministry of Health
Amidst the war and ongoing dissatisfaction over the Admin's changes to the MPP system, it is always nice to report news that is nothing but good. "What is this news?" you may ask. Be patient and let me tell you!
Switzerland is now a member of EDEN!
Recently, former US president Gaius Julius published an article in which he highlighted the many improvements that the Swiss have been making to their country since it emerged from Theocrat control. Switzerland has been improving its military, stabilizing its economy, and working closely with many EDEN nations. They are struggling with many challenges but through their hard work have been making noticeable headway in solving them and though they may be small, this war has shown us that size is not everything. What they lack in quantity they make up for in quality. After numerous instances of cooperation with them, including their participating in the defense of Croatia a short while ago, it is clear that they are intelligent, friendly, and committed people. These qualities make them an invaluable member of our brotherhood of countries.
Switzerland is a shining example to other small nations. Though they tried neutrality, the have stood up to PEACE's bullying tactics and taken a stand against injustice. They have decided not to sit by while other countries are oppressed and conquered out of greed. The Swiss posses strength of character and deserve a good deal of respect for that.
As full members of EDEN, Switzerland will now participate with such activities as EDEN votes, military operations, and numerous other discussions. The contract has been signed and they are now a part of our brotherhood. We are absolutely delighted to have them, and encourage everyone to give our new brothers a warm EDEN welcome.
However, with Switzerland joining us though there is one problem. Our flag must be changed. So i present to you the new and improved flag of the EDEN alliance:
Shiny isnt it?
For more insight into Switzerland's decision to join us, we turn to two influential members of Swiss society. Eleriel, the 2-term president of Switzerland and Domiboss, a former Swiss president and their current MoD.
Scorpius: Eleriel, can you describe for us the events that led up to Switzerland joining EDEN?
Eleriel: I've never really liked PEACE, but as we had to talk with the Hungarians, and neutrality was the best option, I thought what the hell, lets see what they're like. So I've been in a lot of talks with Hungary and though they have made significant efforts, those efforts were never done for nothing. There was always a hidden agenda. And that was mostly gold. And on the other hand, we have had very friendly relations with several EDEN countries, and actual help without asking for anything in return. Couple that to the fact that currently PEACE doesn't actually listen to its smaller members and the choice wasn't that hard to make.
Scorpius: Thanks. Now that switzerland is with EDEN what do you see in its future?
Eleriel: Well, our future is very uncertain. I do hope that with our joining EDEN, at the very least we can evolve in a community that cares for its members. Other than that, we will try to participate as much as we can, and hope things go in the right direction. I would like to say though that i hope this will not compromise our relations with countries that have so far been supportive.
Scorpius: Domiboss, as Swiss MoD what are your thoughts on joining EDEN?
DomiBoss: Well, joining EDEN is essential for Switzerland, because Swiss was always in their history cooperating with the actual members of EDEN and we had two chooses: PEACE or EDEN? Of course we don't want one more country to be a PEACE puppet so the choice was easy. It's a pleasure to cooperate with the our brothers, and, they are just awesome, and the friendships that you create inside EDEN are just something very cool. We are brotherhood. That's why we win.
Scorpius: What do you think is next for Switzerland now that it is in EDEN?
DomiBoss: Develop the economy, try a mini baby boom...we need to make Switzerland better and better, and I believe that EDEN will help in this like they done in another countries.
Thank you Eleriel and Domiboss for your time. Again, we would like to congratulate Switzerland on joining us and give them a warm welcome to our brotherhood. They are a great people and we look forward to many more months of cooperation and teamwork.
Long Live Switzerland!
Long Live EDEN!
Scorpius, EDEN Media Director


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Customizing your UI in WoW is a challenge in itself. There's virtually thousands of addons you can use with a variety of different purposes from combat, to analysis, to economics, or general silliness!
- MayronUI: Used during Mists of Pandaria. (Read my review).
- RealUI: Used during Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm.
- LeilaUI: Will use in the future.
General Addons
- RSA: Announces in chat when abilities are used and when they fade. Perfect for chaining cooldowns.
- Decursive: Helps you become efficient with your dispels.
- Vuhdo: Raid frames. Used these during Wrath and Cataclysm.
- Ovale Spell Priority: I use this on my DPS alts as training wheels to learn when certain spells or abilities should be used.
- oRA3: Must-have for raid leaders. Lets you mass-invite, auto-promote, and auto-invite players (via keyword). There's way more stuff, but that's what I mainly use it for.
- GTFO: Increases your own survivability by making noises when you're standing in bad.
Class specific addons
- HaloPro: Used to show optimum range for Halo and Cascade.
- PoM Tracker: See who your Prayer of Mending spell landed on.
- Ingela's Rapture: Tracks the internal cooldown of Rapture.

subset: commoncrawl


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Anchor Wood Sign
Regular price
The purchase of this listing is for one wooden sign with the following specifications:
Measurements: 9 x 21
Real wood is expertly cut, sanded, stained, and hand painted before being finished with a saw tooth hanger on the back.
The back of your wooden sign is left unfinished and due to the handmade nature of these products, there will be slight variations in the wood grain, texture, paint, spacing, and coloring of your sign.
The making of your sign will begin when your order is complete. Please allow 5-7 business days for the creation and shipping of your wood sign.
If you would like to chat about this wood sign, please send me a message, located at the bottom left hand corner of your screen.


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by Lou Mancinelli
In 2010 he contracted a number of serious illnesses. After missing work for a period, his employer of 24 years terminated his position.
When he recovered the following year, Bruce Hoffman, who started as director of the Gravers Lane Gallery, 8405 Germantown Ave., launched FiberPhiladelphia 2012 last May. The festival celebrated and promoted the exploration of textile arts on an international level.
"I called every favor I've had in 25 years to make it happen," said Hoffman. He created the festival along with executive director Amy Orr and a group of friends and raised $100,000 in order to make it a reality. Mayor Nutter declared March Fiber Month in Philadelphia, and 61 venues exhibited works from across the globe.
Now a few months shy of his one-year-mark as director, Hoffman has been working to grow the Gravers Lane Gallery with the know-how of a man who served for 24 years as director of the prestigious Snyderman-Works Galleries in Old City. He's also lectured at numerous museums and universities.
"I'm of the old school where I believe a gallery's mission is to support a community, to support artists, to educate … without a preconceived notion of elitism," said Hoffman.
His vision as director is one rooted in community outreach. Last fall Gravers Lane Gallery launched its Sorcerer's Stone exhibit that featured artists who work with stones, metals and experimental materials to coincide with the Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill.
During February, the gallery will exhibit photographs of the Stained Glass Project: Windows That Open Doors, to celebrate Black History Month. The project takes at-risk youths from Germantown High School and provides them the opportunity to make stained glass windows from donated scraps of glass.
"Hopefully, by doing this people might give them some support because they need funding," says Hoffman.
The windows created by students have been installed at sites in Kenya and New Orleans. A reception at the gallery will feature student talks and dinner, Monday Feb. 4, 4 to 6 p.m. The students will discuss their work at 5 p.m.
"Life has its patterns, and sometimes you have to take the long road to get where you should be," said Hoffman about his path — overcoming illnesses, founding FiberPhiladelphia and beginning at Gravers Lane.
Hoffman chanced upon the gallery position online after work associated with FiberPhiladelphia quieted. When he met with owner Ken Goldenberg and discussed the opportunity, he was hired on the spot.
Hoffman is in the process of meeting with last year's staff to decide if there will be another FiberPhiladelphia. The group has encountered difficulty in their success. Because they were able to raise so much money through their own efforts for the original festival, groups like The Pew Charitable Trusts may have overlooked their applications for grants, believing Hoffman and crew capable of raising the money a second time.
Both Hoffman and Goldenberg envisioned the gallery as able to function in a commercially viable way in addition to serving as something of a community space. They are in the process of rebranding the gallery now through means like the stained glass exhibition. They also plan to schedule exhibits around events like the Chestnut Hill Book Festival.
There are also plans to expand the gallery at 8405 Germantown Ave. into 8403 Germantown Ave. Work is expected to begin this winter on the space that will serve as additional exhibition room.
Hoffman, 49, a long-time Center City resident, was raised in Northeast Philadelphia and graduated from Washington High School in 1981. He studied painting at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. After graduating in 1985, he started his career at Synderman's in Old City. There he created The Fiber Biennial in 1998.
Hoffman developed his interests in and became attracted and connected to the decorative arts as his career evolved. "There's something about the visceral quality of textiles," he said. "It's an endless encyclopedia of visual language."
As gallery director, his taste leads the show, but the market can also decide what is exhibited. "Art is a commodity," said Hoffman. His role is "to keep it interesting, keep it exciting, keep it fresh, keep it acceptable."
More information at 215-247-1603 or www.graverslanegallery.com. "Stained Glass Project: Windows That Open Doors" will run Feb. 1 – 24, with a reception Monday, Feb. 4, 4 to 6 p.m. For more information about the Stained Glass Project, visit its Facebook page or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Northside Bariatric Surgery Center is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in Bariatric surgery.
Specializing in Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery.
Bariatric Surgery Center - Atlanta.
Bariatrics: prevention, control, and treatment of obesity
Single Incision Lap Band and Realize Band
Dr. Paul Macik performs SINGLE INCISION LAP BAND and REALIZE BAND weight-loss surgery.
Gastric Sleeve
Dr. Macik has more experience in performing the GASTRIC SLEEVE than any other doctor in metro Atlanta.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Dr. Macik has performed over 1,200 laparoscopic ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASSES.
No Program Fee
Our office does not charge a "Program Fee".
Insurance Plans
We proudly accept all major insurance plans including: all BCBS products (including HMO and POS); all Aetna products (including HMO and POS); all Cigna products ; and all United products.
We proudly offer financing through Care Credit.
Northside Bariatric Surgery Center, PC
We provide counseling, surgical care, and post-operative management for obese people-- Bariatric surgery.
If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more or a BMI of 35 or more with obesity-related illnesses (Type II Diabetes, Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea, High Blood Pressure, etc.), Bariatric surgery may be an option for you. See form below to calculate your BMI.
Dr. Macik has been performing operations laparoscopically since 1991. Dr. Macik performs approximately 99% of his Bariatric cases laparoscopically. This greatly benefits you, as the patient, by greatly decreasing your pain associated with surgery and by significantly shortening your recovery period.
We recognize that follow-up is essential for success in Bariatric surgery. We provide and encourage life-long follow-up after your weight loss operation. We want you to be our patient for life!
We hope to be your Bariatric surgery provider. Please read on and/or contact us for more information.
Enter your height and weight in the form below to calculate your BMI.


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Fees for Brockport's Antarctica Study Abroad Program
Budget Sheet for the Winter 2019/20 Program:
$ 12,355.40 (Estimated Undergraduate Cost - 6 Credits)
$ 12,555.40 (Estimated Graduate Cost - 6 Credits)
*** Important - students will be fully liable for the cost of this program if they withdraw after April 19, 2019.
The cost (and items included in the cost) as listed on the website are subject to change and should be considered estimates. Final budget sheets will be mailed to the student prior to departure and usually upon acceptance.
Students will receive 6 upper-division credits in the subject of Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment upon completion of this course. We encourage students from all majors to apply, as we take an interdisciplinary perspective to examine contemporary issues in Antarctica.
Course description:
Antarctica has been described as the "coldest, windiest, driest, highest, quietest, most remote, and least understood continent on earth". It is also one of the most fascinating to the human imagination. This study abroad course explores the Antarctica and adjacent sub-Antarctic region (such as Tierra del Fuego and the Southern Ocean), including its history, geology, climate, and marine and terrestrial biology. Special attention is given to contemporary legal, psychological, and anthropological aspects of human activity in the region, conservation of ecosystems, and sustainable use of natural resources.
Students must attend mandatory weekly online lectures during the Fall semester (delivered by faculty at OSU and the Antarctic Research Center in Christchurch, New Zealand), prepare a field study essay in their area of primary interest, and then participate in a 2-week field study in Antarctica and Tierra del Fuego during winter break.
Course itinerary:
Click the link for an itinerary for the program: Sample Itinerary - 2012 - Antarctica .pdf
Course Syllabus: 2016 SUNY-VT Antarctica Syllabus.docx
"I was able to get up close and personal with penguins, whales, seals and a vast array of birds. I spent a night sleeping in a hole on a glacier. I did a polar plunge in an active caldera. I got to experience ten days at sea abroad a Russian research vessel. I hiked in one of the most beautiful national parks in South America. In addition to visiting Antarctica, I was able to spend time in Ushaia and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. I got to experience "last chance" tourism in Ushuaia, which is a port city at the southernmost part of South America where many expedition cruises to Antarctica set out from. I also learned a lot about myself from being on a ship for ten days without any other outside human contact."
-Kari Stoelting
Winter 2019/20: December 18th, 2019 - January 1, 2020 (*plus the mandatory webcast lectures during Fall 2019 semester)
The College at Brockport | Office of International Education
350 New Campus Drive | Brockport, NY 14420
firstname.lastname@example.com | P:(585)395-2119 | F:(585)395-3218


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Tagged: America's Largest Antique & Collectible Shows
Consumer Shows – A Fresh View at an Old Topic
Most US cities have elected to have the CVB organization control the long term event bookings at municipal or state owned convention centers. The CVBs dutifully pursue events which naturally bring in the most out of town visitors. In doing so they "hold" time and space for the best prospects and discourage active pursuit of less desirable ones. Convention center sales teams are generally free to pursue events that don't require long term reservations of dates and space. In this model however, little long term security on space and dates can be offered to events that cannot demonstrate high numbers of out of town attendees. Trade shows which may fall into this category and regard your city as a strong market draw will look for alternatives. It is likewise for consumer shows, which simply won't rotate to your city or will choose a less prominent venue. Know that trade and consumer shows normally count on for four things before making venue commitments; date reliability, space reliability, financial predictability and theme protection.
The Javits Center Experience with Consumer Shows
I believe the Javits experience from 1995 to 2008 is instructive and relevant to other cities with CVBs and large convention center management teams. In my time at the Javits Center the sales and marketing arrangement was not as described above. Javits controlled its own bookings. Our board policy and directive was and probably still is to create a sales model that hosted events which brought in out of town attendees. However, there were understood conditions to this directive which, while not formally disclosed and publicized, were fundamental business tenets:
- The Javits Center received no subsidy to help pay annual expenses. Revenues had to meet or exceed expenses and we always achieved that goal. Javits management and Board of Directors never acknowledged or endorsed the now fashionable concept that convention centers are not designed and built to make money.
- Management recognized that high occupancy was key to building revenue base and understood that it was near impossible to achieve 50% occupancy without having annual recurring events. Consumer shows represented about 10% of Javits occupancy annually. Javits occupancy from 1997 through 2008 always exceeded 65%. In 3 of those years Javits exceeded 70%.
- The Javits sales and marketing approach viewed certain economic sectors as natural fits for the city. These events were recurring and would pay the license fees and expensive labor and service costs because it was in their best interests to stage their event in New York City. The NYC/CVB would argue that booking a large professional association meeting may bring 10,000 hotel room nights whereas a fashion, luxury goods or pharmaceutical trade show would only yield half of that.
- Javits had a different point of view than the above. Javits regarded the recurring shows (trade, association conventions and consumer shows alike) as annuities, something we could count on for a consistent measure of hotel room nights and revenue. Javits management lacked confidence that different large association bookings could be repeated year to year and we had certainty we were correct. The probabilities were simply too low. Also, the association RFPs which we did collaborate on with the CVB were all based on price. After 9/11 many of the license fees of competitors were often negotiated down to zero and many still are. It was in Javits best interest not to compete on that basis. For associations which had a genuine interest in New York City, especially during months of soft demand or where retained clients had flexibility, both NYC/CVB and Javits management usually worked out a suitable deal without an RFP process.
- The relationship between the NYC/CVB and Javits was always cordial and professional despite differences of opinion. Occasionally certain dialog would raise tensions and it normally occurred surrounding the NY International Automobile Show, the largest consumer show at Javits. Public officials or hotel management would publically suggest that NYC/CVB control of long term bookings would be a better method of conducting business and bring in more out of town visitors. They'd naturally point to the Auto Show which took 17 days out of the event schedule during a prime convention month. For Javits the Auto Show represented 4-5% of annual occupancy and 12-17% of annual revenue – the thing spoke for itself.
For years it was my belief that CVBs marketing and sales efforts were more aspirational than realistic. I believe now that the Great Recession has had a real sobering effect on convention center management and CVBs alike; there is not enough demand for professional meetings and tradeshows to fill the growing exhibit and meeting space supply and, rising operating deficits and subsidies are coming under greater scrutiny by board members, politicians and the media. These matters and other trends have caused more interest in consumer shows.
A Look at 2nd and 3rd Tier Cities and Convention/Exposition Centers
Any professional tension between CVBs and convention center sales teams all but disappears in second and third tier cities, where the annual event schedule is heavily populated with consumer shows. Indeed in the sample we took some convention centers had more than 50% of their major events as consumer shows. These events are relatively easy to setup and move out, ideal business for weekends. Regrettably the preferred week day business of professional association meetings, business conferences and trade shows are hard to obtain in the face of so much competition. Consumer shows therefore have become the core business by circumstance rather than design. They are material contributors to occupancy rather than occasional "filler" business – an extra source of revenue. Below are the types of consumer shows and monthly distribution for 2nd and 5rd tier cities from our sample:
For smaller cities, many of the consumer shows are owned and run by small operators. The events tend to be highly programmed and formulaic and for some events there is a tendency for the event to become stale. Some consumer show managers have recognized this and now include celebrity appearances and expert demonstrations as part of their event program; Home and Garden events have celebrities from HGTV and Food & Wine events have celebrities from The Food Network doing live cooking demonstrations. There are these and other notable exceptions where a consumer event can attain a stature capable of attracting out of town attendees and achieving an impressive level of popularity. Six years ago these shows were described by Tradeshow Week writer Lisa Plummer as "passion events". In the article she explained, "Representing various segments of the hobby and interest marketplace, these events boast enthusiastic fans so devoted to their pastimes they're willing to spend discretionary income, no matter how limited, to attend." Clearly these events don't just happen. They are the product of well funded, creative show organizers who know the right formula to draw exhibitors and attendees. They typically follow an important rule of thumb; the more focused the event and the more committed the consumer, then the more resilient and successful the event. Their interest is more easily maintained than attendees at broad-based events, which, by contrast, can suffer sharply during an economic slowdown. The two examples are below are illustrative of this type of consumer shows taking place in smaller market areas:
- The Iowa Deer Classic – Held each year in Des Moines at the HyVee Hall & Vets Auditorium, it's characterized as a "deer hunter's heaven". The 25 year old exposition brings in around 300 exhibitors – some of them are from places remote from Iowa; Africa, New Zealand, Canada and all over the US. Products from all over the world accompany the exhibits too. It's the ideal event to popularize new brands. More than 25,000 enthusiasts attend from Iowa and all the neighboring states. The event has contests, demonstrations and educational sessions by well known experts and live entertainment. Ticket prices are very reasonable. The owner's passion (Iowa Show Productions, Inc.) is well directed and evident in the success of the event. Des Moines has a population of just over 200,000.
- America's Largest Antique & Collectible Shows – The owners, Palmer/Wirfs & Associates, hold six events each year in Portland OR (pop. 620,000), Puyallup (pop.39,000; nearby Tacoma pop. 200,000) and Clark County WA (pop. 450,000). Recognizing that antique collecting has is an expensive pursuit, the events are designed so that, as owner Chris Palmer explains, "Attendees can arrive with limited dollars and leave with treasures. There's a direct connection between what you see on the show floor and most people's lives,…. people recognize things as being part of their childhood or their grandmother's childhood. If a hobby is a valued part of one's lifestyle, most people will prioritize their spending to pursue that passion, and likewise, attend an event that celebrates that interest." Their two largest shows have over 1,000 exhibit booths and draw 16,000 attendees each. The owner's were insightful enough to recognize a consumer niche and exploited it.
A Look at Top Tier Cities and Convention Centers
In my mind the one consumer show that stands out as the winning model for its size, attendance, public support, cultural value and fun and amusement is The Paris International Agricultural Show (Salon International de l'Agriculture). The show is 9 days long and the last show had 691,038 visitors and 1,050 exhibitors. Each year it's held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles starting at the end of February extending into March, just as Spring is about to arrive. The show is part festival, exhibition, consumer market and cultural celebration, and no doubt quite profitable for the event owners and managers and the Paris Expo.
There are some US consumer shows which are comparable and have worldwide stature too:
- North American International Automobile Show – Cobo Hall – Detroit – 815,575 attendees
- Miami International Boat Show – Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin – 96,000 attendees
- The Philadelphia Flower Show – Pennsylvania Convention Center –Philadelphia – 250,000 attendees
- Art Basel – Miami Beach Convention Center – 70,000 attendees
And relatively new:
- Gen Con – Indiana Convention Center – 197,695 attendees
- Comic Con International –San Diego Convention Center – 130,000+ attendees
- New York Comic Con – Javits Center – 167,000 attendees
Consumer show operators could only obtain these attendee numbers in cities with population exceeding 1 million. They also take into account the number of potential attendees within a 3 or 4 hour drive time. Success for these events is also measured in terms of out of town attendees who stay at hotels. The 2015 Comic Con International Show had 59,228 hotel room nights and an overall economic impact of $135, 900,000 to the city. This makes consumer shows with the size and stature of those in the list above competitive with major association meetings. Important to note also is that the consumer shows are normally recurring in the same city and venue.
The percentage of consumer shows to total major events at large convention center in top tier cities is between 15- 20%.
Beyond Passion Events – The Emergence and Power of the "Cons" and Pop Culture Shows
No doubt some of you read the Wall Street Journal article "The Rise of the Cons" March 3rd 2016 by Ellen Gamerman. If not, it's worth reading. An excerpt from her article appears below:
The industry of the 'con'—short for convention—offers what the Internet does not: face-to-face experiences, custom swag, exclusive sneak peeks and the bragging rights that come with traveling to the spinning center of a pop-culture universe for one intense weekend. The con business also is fueled by what the Internet does best, as organizers use social media to draw crowds and mine data to predict what audiences will want next.
The beating heart of the empire is the comic con, which has morphed steadily from scattered niche events for comic-book lovers to broad pop-culture fests embracing every entertainment genre. In an effort to capitalize on recent growth, international event-planning firms have been buying up mom-and-pop cons, starting new events and diving into unexplored markets. ShowClix, a platform for live-event organizers, tallied 519 major pop-culture fan gatherings in the U.S. last year, up from 469 in 2014. The 50 new events entering the marketplace in 2015 are more than double the number of debuts in 2009.
In 2006, Comic Con was already a hit in San Diego when Reed Expositions approached the Javits Center about obtaining dates and space for a comic book event. October dates were valuable to us so the prospect of a Comic Book show held only a passing interest. Greg Topalian who was with Reed at the time was persuasive and I elected to fly in to San Diego for a look. And that's all it took was a look and a quick walk through. Javits booked NY Comic Con. The quirky off-beat show that worked well in San Diego would certainly prosper in New York. The event has been at the Javits Center since and grown each year, now 167,000 attendees. For the Javits Center and no doubt any other large convention centers hosting a major Comic Con type event, the revenue opportunities are substantial. The show floor is populated with exhibitors such as major movie studios, television networks, recognizable publishing companies, automobile manufacturers, and software and telecommunications companies. Many have island booths and all build sophisticated exhibits with high value electric and telecommunications services. Add to that, F&B concessions and restaurant revenue and you have a top revenue producing event.
Despite the success of these shows, some experts see an over- heated followed by burn-out market coming with the Comic Con and Anime brands over saturated. If the Showclix event directory is correct, the trend points towards over 600 such events by 2017. Naturally some experts point out that serious fans already call the shows too generic, commercialized and overcrowded. The business writer Rob Salkowitz predicted that, "If the hard-core fans go, so will the exhibitors who cater to them," he said. "Then what's left? Cons just become another consumer event."
The "Cons" phenomenon is not exclusively tied to comic books. The Wall Street Journal article discussed cat shows or cons, beer cons, fitness cons, quilt cons and others. Cons represents is a differentiating experience in a public setting; an opportunity for hobbyists and enthusiasts to gather and interact in a unique quirky environment which above all is fun. The creators of these events have not stumbled upon the latent demand for these shows just by intuition. There is a science behind it. The leading corporate event company Jack Morton Worldwide produced a whitepaper in 2015 entitled "What people will want from brands in 2015". The paper is based in part on what neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists describe when an event attendee's full range of senses are stimulated – the more memorable the meeting experience will be for them, because more parts of their brains are activated. Creators of Cons well recognize that attendees don't just want to look or hear; they want to interact and stimulate their senses of touch, smell and taste when they visit a destination. The good Cons fulfill that need.
Another Con worthy of mention is Gen Con. In 1967 Gen Con began as a competition of war game enthusiasts in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The event derived from its location, the name Gen Con is a shortened version of the original name "Geneva Convention". Gen Con's roots grew from historical war gaming popular in the 1960s. Over time it expanded to support all categories of hobby games and family entertainment. Game categories include traditional and collectible card games, board games, role-playing games, live action role-playing games, miniature war games, computer and electronic games, and hybrid games. The show is geared to an "all age" format; and with so many individual events, the show caters to youth as well as those young at heart. In 2003, Gen Con moved the U.S. event to Indianapolis, Indiana. The relocation was a resounding success. Below is a graph showing Gen Cons annual attendance history. In 2015 attendance was 197,695; this is explosive growth. The graph is instructive because it depicts the power of Cons and what can be achieved. I can imagine a graph of similar nature for San Diego and New York's Comic Con.
Q. E. D. – A Review of Consumer Show Value
- Consumer shows contribute to convention center occupancy and revenue in a material way and, because they recur year to year, do so consistently. For 2nd and 3rd tier city convention centers consumer shows are essential for financial health.
- Consumer Shows improve weekend occupancy which is historically low in most large urban convention centers
- Although there is security sticking with consumer shows that keep with the enduring themes such as cars, home and garden, crafts, collectibles/hobbies, etc., some creative show managers have taken these themes and provided more edgy focused programming, concentrating more on the consumer demographic and consumer desires. They have stepped things up a notch or two and have demonstrated that the reliable show themes do not have to be so ordinary. Researching properly and finding the better show managers who produce consumer events that have the passion element to them will produce a higher quality event. These exceptions are known to achieve a stature capable of producing more revenue, attracting out of town attendees and attaining an impressive level of popularity among local residents.
- There is another genre of events which has acquired the label of "Cons". Their ability to attract huge attendance consistently while also exceeding event revenue and out of town visitor goals is noteworthy and remarkable. Creators of these events find hip or cutting edge trends and artfully exploit social media. They seek out venues in cities and regions which have the right mix of population density and a demographic quality which Greg Topalian, President of Left Field Media, described as a level of "geekiness". Others have called the phenomenon "niche fandom". For these "Cons" the attendance numbers and the rate of growth for these shows has not diminished.
- For convention center management and sales teams where the CVB controls long term bookings and as a matter of policy avoids and discourages consumer shows – take the time and re-educate the CVB on the changing nature and value of consumer shows
- Don't just settle for the consumer show line up you have. Research the current show themes that now play at your convention centers and see what others are doing. Creative things are happening to old themes.
- Once a good prospect appears, insist on some date flexibility before closing. You don't want to turn away association and convention business nor lose a consumer show because of fixed dates.
- Don't get too cozy with consumer show managers and be mindful if others (board members, politicians, etc.) are. The NY Boat Show issue which occurred in 2013 is a good lesson learned. Fortunately that issue was settled with a reasonable compromise but not without controversy
- Study and stay abreast of what's happening in the "Con" world. Talk with them, they are very approachable.
Learn More About How Statistics Can Shape Your Marketing Plans
Download our two White Papers (now offered at no charge):
In the Pursuit of National Medical/Health Science Events – A Primer Focused on Convention Centers
Booking National Religious Events – A Primer for Convention Centers on How Event Location Decisions Are Made


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What real benefit does having a larger rotor give to braking performance?
Additionally is my assumption correct that you callipers don't actually change in size, just the rotor and the adapter need to be be changed?
And for the bonus point while I'm here, what benefit does moving to a 4 pot system give over a standard (2 piston) calliper?


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Chris Brown Mama Drama -- His Friends Made Him a Thug
Chris Brown Mama Drama His Friends Made Him a Thug
Chris Brown's mom thinks his friends are a bunch of disrespectful scumbags who got him hooked on drugs and turned him into a thug … this according to sources close to the Brown family.
The mommy issues clearly go deeper than just chucking rocks at her car … apparently Breezy and his mom have been having issues off and on for a long time … mostly due to his out-of-control friends.
According to sources close to Chris … his mom believes his crew only hangs around for the money and fame … and she thinks they got him addicted to weed.
We're told the pot smoking got so bad … Chris was regularly stoned around his own mother … and she got fed up with his disrespectful behavior.
All these longstanding issues boiled over when she visited him in rehab and urged him to stay in treatment … and we all know how that turned out.
Sounds like someone needs a serious spanking.
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Judge Patricia Wald, Presiding
Judge Lal Chand Vohrah
Judge Rafael Nieto-Navia
Judge Fausto Pocar
Judge Liu Daqun
Mr. Hans Holthuis
Order of:
16 March 2001
Counsel for the Prosecutor:
Mr. Upawansa Yapa
Counsel for the Defence:
Mr. Ranko Radovic, Mr. Tomislav Pasaric for Zoran Kuprekic
THE APPEALS CHAMBER of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 ("the International Tribunal");
BEING SEISED OF the "Motion of the Counsels of Zoran and Mirjan Kuprekic Considering the Request for the Extension of the Time-Limit", filed on 9 March 2001 ("the Motion for Extension of Time");
NOTING the "Decision on the Motions of Appellants Vlatko Kuprekic, Drago Josipovic, Zoran Kuprekic and Mirjan Kuprekic to Admit Additional Evidence" issued confidentially by the Appeals Chamber on 26 February 2001 ("the Decision of 26 February 2001") which ordered, inter alia, that a video-recording of an oath-taking ceremony be provisionally admitted into evidence, subject to Zoran and Mirjan Kuprekic providing further information identifying which portions of the video recording purport to show Zoran Kuprekic within 14 days of the Decision of 26 February 2001 (the further information), and that oral argument on the admissibility of other items of proposed additional evidence be heard at an oral hearing ("the oral hearing");
NOTING that the Motion for Extension of Time requests an extension of time for counsel to file the further information for the reasons that counsel for Zoran and Mirjan Kuprekic lack the means to extract a photographic image from the video-recording and that special equipment located in Zagreb or with the technical department of the International Tribunal is required to carry out this operation;
NOTING that the Motion for Extension of Time requests that the time-limit be extended "in order to do the required task in Zagreb, within 15 days" or until the date of the oral hearing;
CONSIDERING that the time-limit for the provision of the further information expired on 12 March 2001 but that the Motion for Extension of Time was filed prior to the expiry of the time-limit;
NOTING that Rule 127 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence ("the Rules") provides that, inter alia, the Appeals Chamber may exercise the power to enlarge or reduce any time prescribed by or under the Rules on good cause being shown by motion;
NOTING the "Prosecutions Response to the Defence Motion Requesting an Extension of the Time-limit" filed on 13 March 2001 in which the Prosecution does not object in principle to the granting of an extension of time;
NOTING the "Scheduling Order" issued by the pre-appeal Judge, Judge Patricia Wald, on 14 March 2001 which ordered that the oral hearing shall take place at 10 am on Friday 30 March 2001;
CONSIDERING that for the reasons given in support of the Motion for Extension of Time good cause has been shown;
CONSIDERING FURTHER that Zoran and Mirjan Kuprekic should be permitted more time to file the further information;
HEREBY GRANTS the Motion for Extension of Time and ORDERS that Zoran and Mirjan Kuprekic file the further information on or before 4 April 2001.
Done in both English and French, the English text being authoritative.
Patricia Wald
Presiding Judge
Done this 16th day of March 2001,
At The Hague,
The Netherlands.
[Seal of the Tribunal]


text:
After he receives word in the opening of "Americano," that his mother has died, Mathieu Demy's boyish features flatten, like someone sandblasted by life. His character, Martin, travels from France to Los Angeles to arrange his mother's affairs, which means confronting his long estrangement from her.
The film's first half has a lovely feel for how bizarre California must seem to foreigners, and there's a piercing sense of the stop-and-start ways that people deal with grief. Demy, making his debut as a director, is the son of French filmmakers Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy, and that legacy is woven into "Americano."
Demy uses footage of Varda and himself from her 1981 movie "Documenteur" to show the memories colliding in Martin's brain. There's also a brilliantly high-strung Geraldine Chaplin — another child of a movie genius — playing the mother's friend. Chaplin's limbs flap around like the frayed ends of a very skinny rope, her every remark pushing well-meaning tactlessness to new heights.
Propelled by nostalgia and jealousy, Martin decides to find a Mexican woman who maintained a long relationship with his mother while he could not. When Martin finds Lola (Salma Hayek) in Tijuana, she's become a stripper/prostitute, and "Americano" detours into a much more conventional affair.
Lola evidently pays tribute to the title role of Jacques Demy's 1961 debut. But while Hayek isn't bad, Lola is a stock character, and very little that transpires after her arrival recovers the interest so beautifully constructed in the beginning.


text:
KOMP Knock Out Knockout Mouse Mice
Please select vectors from this list.
If you need help with selection from multiple projects, please click on the gene symbol.
Both links provide external links to production centers with detailed information on the vectors including maps and sequences.
For additional inquiries on vectors and vector distribution, please email firstname.lastname@example.com
The KOMP Repository Collection is located at the MMRRC at the University of California, Davis and Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute. Question? Comments? For Mice, Cells, and germplasm please contact us at email@example.com, US 1-888-KOMP-MICE or International +1-530-752-KOMP, or for vectors firstname.lastname@example.com or +1-510-450-7917.


text:
Champagne Jelly Recipe
You don't need to use the fancy French stuff for this recipe—any decent, drinkable sparkling wine will work. Your jelly might look a bit loose at the end of the cooking time, but don't fret. Your jars may need to sit overnight to set properly.
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com
Read more: Preserved: Champagne Jelly
- Yield:Makes 5 cups, or 5 half-pint jars
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:1 hour
- Rated:
- 4 cups sugar
- One (750 ml) bottle Champagne or other sparkling wine
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon unsalted butter
- One (1.75 ounce) package regular powdered fruit pectin
Measure the sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
Combine the wine and lemon juice in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Sprinkle the pectin evenly over the Champagne and whisk to combine. Stir in the butter. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and whisk to break up any clumps. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.
Remove the pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the jelly with a cold metal spoon. Ladle the hot jelly into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
This Recipe Appears InPreserved: Champagne Jelly
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
(written from a Production point of view)
Exploring the final frontier is one thing. Making a home there is another…
Wagon Train to the Stars is a Pocket TOS novel – #89 in the numbered series, and the first book in the Star Trek: New Earth series – written by Diane Carey. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in June 2000.
Summary Edit
- From the back cover
- After saving Earth from the threat of V'Ger, James T. Kirk is called again to the final frontier. His new mission: to lead a valiant group of settlers to a distant world, to defend the struggling colony from alien threats, and to explore the diverse mysteries and dangers of a strange new Earth!
- Far from the Federation, a newly discovered M-class world has been eyed as a potential home by a group of hardy and determined colonists. Starfleet can spare only one starship to escort the would-be settlers on their perilous voyage, but that ship is none other than the legendary Starship Enterprise, commanded by the most well-known captain in the quadrant. Now Kirk finds himself responsible for the lives of 60,000 men, women, and children – a task that grows all the more difficult when the expedition is caught in the middle of an ancient feud between two dangerous alien races!
- Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.
Background information Edit
- According to various sources, when Gene Roddenberry was deciding what to call what came to be known as Star Trek, "Wagon Train to the Stars" was one of the names he toyed with.
- This novel contained Chapter Eleven of the serialized novel Starfleet: Year One.
- A promotional copy of the novel was given away free with Star Trek Monthly issue 67.
Characters Edit
- James T. Kirk
- Rear admiral.
- Montgomery Scott
- Commander of Starfleet engineers, assigned to the tender vessel Colunga.
- Pavel Chekov
- Lieutenant.
Other Edit
- Ray Austin
- Starfleet captain of USS Beowulf.
- Branch
- Captain of Lakota.
- See Branch for similarly named characters.
- Burch
- Captain of Northwest Passage.
- Battersey
- Captain of Yukon.
- Anton (Tony) Desalle
- Starfleet captain of USS Republic.
- Mitch Dogan
- Captain lost with the Kensington Taylor.
- Geglio
- Captain of Comanche
- Gillespie
- Privateer captain of Royal York.
- See Gillespie for similarly named characters.
- Harvey
- Captain of Promontory Point.
- Katt
- Captain of Sacajawea.
- Michael Kilvennan
- Privateer captain of Hunter's Moon.
- Maitland
- Captain of Lewis and Clark.
- Daniel Merkling
- Starfleet captain of USS Impeller.
- Nickle
- Captain of Hampton Roads.
- Rampion
- Captain of Mandrake Anachronae.
- Sheppard
- Privateer captain of Zevada.
- Sunn
- Privateer captain of Rattlesnake.
- Trautner
- Captain of Oregon Trail.
- Vellyngaith
- Battlelord commanding the All Kauld battlebarge Tonclin.
References Edit
- Belle Terre
- Planet.
- USS Beowulf
- Starfleet combat support tender of Captain Ray Austin, seriously damaged in action.
- Named for Beowulf.
- Colunga (ECC-989)
- Graymark Eng.-owned "mule roundhouse", HQ of Commander Scott.
- Comanche
- UFP-owned Conestoga-class colony ship of Captain Geglio.
- USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
- Federation starship commanded by Starfleet Rear Admiral James T. Kirk.
- Graymark Engineering
- Company which operated the "muleship" Colunga.
- Hampton Roads
- Privately-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Nickle.
- Hatteras
- lightship.
- Hunter's Moon
- Enforcement privateer ship of Captain Michael Kilvennan.
- USS Impeller
- Starfleet cutter of Captain Daniel Merkling.
- Kensington Taylor
- Survey ship of Captain Mitch Dogan which was destroyed.
- Lakota
- Corporately-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Branch.
- Named for the same Native Americans as the USS Lakota.
- Lewis and Clark
- Privately-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Maitland.
- Mandrake Anachronae
- Privately-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Rampion.
- mule vessel
- The mules were heavy-engined vessels designed to carry the barges of the fleet.
- Northwest Passage
- UFP-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Burch.
- Oregon Trail
- UFP-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Trautner.
- Promontory Point
- UFP-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Harvey.
- Rattlesnake
- Enforcement privateer ship of Captain Sunn.
- USS Republic
- Starfleet cutter of Captain Tony Desalle.
- Royal York
- Enforcement privateer ship of Captain Gillespie.
- Sacajawea
- Corporately-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Katt.
- Yukon
- UFP-owned Conestoga colony ship of Captain Battersey.
- Tonclin
- All Kauld battlebarge of Battlelord Vellyngaith.
- Zavada
- Enforcement privateer ship of Captain Sheppard.
- Polynesian
- UFP-owned Conestoga tender of Captain Dan Marks.
- Mable Stevens
- Privately-owned VIP transport of Captain Ned Chalker.
- American Rover
- Privately-owned pathfinder ship of Captain Brook Smith and Colonel John Glass.
- Twilight Sentinel (SCCM-99)
- Privately-owned coroner ship of Captain Nelson.
- Brother's Keeper (SCCM-778)
- Mercy ship of Captain Skaerbeck.
- Pandora's Box
- Privately-owned industrial transport of Captain Felix Blaine.
- CP Crystobel
- Privately-owned pilot ship of Captain Helen Webb.
- Webb One through Webb Nine
- Factory drones autopiloted by Crystobel.
- Macedon
- Corporately-owned towing vessel of Captain Walters.
- Iroquois
- Corporately-owned industrial transport of Captain Israel.
- Red Barn
- Corporately-owned cattle ship of Captain Kej.
- Quincy B. Hobbs
- Privately-owned dairy cattle ship of Captain Sempati.
- Normandy
- Privately-owned botanical farm ship of Captain Maxmillian.
- Uncle Jake's Pocket
- Privately-owned hotel vessel of Captain Durant.
- Norfolk Rebel
- Privately-owned tugantine of Captain Briggs.
- Kaleonahe
- Privately-owned mining ship of Captain Folster.
- Foggy Dew
- Privately-owned dairy barge of Captain Meko.
- Heidi
- Privately-owned ranch barge of Captain Dvorak.
- Annie B
- Ranch Barge – private – Forsmark.
- Charger
- Privately-owned equine stable vessel of Captain Brown.
- Black Swan
- Privately-owned garden ship of Captain Gaines.
- Olympian
- UFP-owned organ lab of Captain Gue.
External link Edit
- Wagon Train to the Stars at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
|Previous novel:
|Next novel:
|#88: Across the Universe
| Pocket TOS
Numbered novels
|#90: Belle Terre
|First novel in series
|Star Trek: New Earth
Community content is available under CC-BY-NC unless otherwise noted.


text:
In the last few of months the landscape of Major League Baseball's managerial dead pool has changed. As recently as a few months ago people were wondering if Mike Scioscia was done, as his high-priced Los Angeles Angels languished around .500.
Then like the other Los Angeles team did last year, the Angels have caught fire and are on the verge of catching the Oakland A's in the competitive American League West.
Even with Scioscia seemingly safe, there are still a lot of skippers in varying degrees of danger as baseball fast approaches its stretch run. Here is my ranking of 12 managers who may feel the seat starting to get warm, and one who may be the first casualty of 2014 as soon as this week.


text:
CHICAGO, May 29 (UPI) -- Maya Angelou's many friends and admirers paid tribute to the late poet and activist when news of her death broke Wednesday.
Oprah Winfrey, who has often described Angelou as one of her biggest heroes, remembered her close friend and mentor as a "rainbow in my clouds."
"I've been blessed to have Maya Angelou as my mentor, mother/sister, and friend since my twenties," Winfrey said in a statement. "She was there for me always, guiding me through some of the most important years of my life. The world knows her as a poet but at the heart of her, she was a teacher. 'When you learn, teach. When you get, give,' is one of my best lessons from her."
"What stands out to me most about Maya Angelou is not what she has done or written or spoken, it's how she lived her life. She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace. I loved her and I know she loved me. I will profoundly miss her. She will always be the rainbow in my clouds," Winfrey said.
Winfrey, who first met Angelou in the 1970s, once called her "one of the greatest influences of my entire life."
"She is like a mother to me, a sister to me, a friend to me," Winfrey said in a 2011 video explanation of her relationship with her childhood hero.


text:
Rotten Fruit: Why 'Picking Low-Hanging Fruit' Hurts Efficiency And How To Fix The Problem
- Nov 25, 2012 12:25 am GMT
- 753 views
Sometimes a failure can arrive disguised as a success. For example, DDT. The A-bomb. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The Industrial Revolution (if it ends up destroying civilization with runaway climate change). Highly profitable energy efficiency.
Wait—energy efficiency? Isn't that what's going to help save humanity?
Well, yes. Efficiency is one of the key climate solutions, according to virtually anyone thinking about the problem. Joe Romm, of the blog "Climate Progress," points out that it's cheap, easily and rapidly deployable, abundant, and therefore arguably the biggest carbon-free resource we have. Studies confirming this abound, whether from Mckinsey or PricewaterhouseCoopers.
So how can energy efficiency, especially the really profitable kind, be a failure dressed as success?
Here's how: Successful energy efficiency programs almost always mean "picking the low-hanging fruit" or "cream skimming." This means implementing the most cost-effective retrofits—upgrades that offer the largest and quickest return on investment (ROI). This sort of action is praised as "win-win" by consultants. You save tons of energy and money, and do good for the environment. What's not to like?
The problem is that even though "picking the low-hanging fruit" implies there's more work to be done (now get the higher stuff!), nobody ever gets the ladder. Progress typically stops with the out-of-the-park home run project that was almost too good to be true, like a lighting retrofit. The result is that only the highest ROI projects comprise the entirety of an organization's or household's energy efficiency program, achieving, say, 5 or 10 percent of the total available carbon footprint reductions (if you're lucky) and leaving the rest on the table.
While climate scientists tell us we need to cut CO2 emissions 80 percent globally by 2050 if we hope to stabilize warming, our energy efficiency efforts typically stop at a fraction of their full potential. The result: While property owners save money, help reduce emissions and get great PR helping to "save the planet," collectively we fail in the ultimate goal of stopping or abating climate change. This state of affairs remains true even though many leaders know that runaway warming will hurt their business or community, or could eventually render them unviable.
This cream skimming problem has been documented by The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's 2009 Survey of Corporate Energy Efficiency Strategies, which showed an average corporate energy savings target of 20 percent: "Simple payback criteria were mostly three years or less, though two were as high as five years." Even at five years, that's the definition of cream skimming.
Cream skimming isn't all bad. I've argued that purely cream-skimming projects can sometimes help grease the skids for future, bigger energy efficiency work by educating how incredibly profitable efficiency can be. After a few successes, managers might as well happily move forward with deeper (and typically lower return and longer tenor) investments.
But my experience suggests that while that may happen sometimes, the mainstream reality is less rosy. In fact, picking the low-hanging fruit, while cutting emissions and creating great PR, actually hurts deeper sustainability and prevents firms, governments and households from undertaking more comprehensive efficiency.
Why it Can Be Harmful
Pretend you're a corporation that has undertaken company-wide lighting retrofits. You saved hundreds of thousands of dollars on your investment with 100 percent payback, meaning energy savings from the retrofit paid back your capital investment in one year. You received great PR for it in business journals—your CEO even appeared on the local news—and your company became perceived as a sustainability leader. And so you moved on to do more.
And the next project was, let's say, a boiler retrofit. It's very expensive and very large, requiring huge upfront capital. It doesn't meet the ROI thresholds established by the company for energy efficiency retrofits—it would receive a 6 percent ROI after taxes, or a 16-year payback—even though it saves huge amounts of money over the expected lifetime of the boiler and more than pays for itself in that timeframe. Still, other projects—a new production line, for example—have more competitive ROI and trump the retrofit. With some repair work and duct tape, you can coax the old boilers along for a few more years, maybe a decade. My friend, you just ran into the one-two punch that knocks out many efficiency projects: competing opportunities that are often more lucrative combined with a fixed amount of available capital. In this case, that means the boiler retrofit gets cut year after year.
Here's the essential problem: By doing the lucrative lighting retrofit on its own, you missed the opportunity to bundle it with other, lower return efficiency projects that are less attractive, and therefore, have prevented those projects from ever happening. The only way to make those lesser projects appealing is to blend them with big winners to achieve an acceptable combined ROI—say 18 percent. Doing this enables you to capture much more untapped savings over time; it lets you hedge against future energy price volatility, run more efficiently and achieve the crucial scale that, if replicated widely, could solve climate change.
But because of your success picking the low-hanging fruit, you can't make additional progress—your success induced failure. How do we get beyond that?
There are two directly related problems:
1) The Definition of ROI. What are we actually counting when we measure returns? Current analysis typically counts cost savings from reduced energy use. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. There are myriad other benefits, some that are harder to measure and monetize, but real nonetheless.
2) ROI requirements. Return on investment "hurdle rates" or "thresholds" required for efficiency projects are often too high to allow for even mid-range efficiency improvements, let alone deep efficiency.
Both need to be fixed to enable deeper efficiency solutions. And the following are ways to help fix ROI problems.
Bundling starts with a target and works backwards. Some businesses embark on efficiency by undertaking energy-saving projects. That sounds blindingly obvious, but that approach ensures cream skimming and shallow retrofits. Instead, managers should first understand their energy universe and then establish goals. They can determine what mix of projects they need to get there at the very end of the process.
Even companies that have carbon reduction goals and know their energy universe—where they use the most energy, what it costs, how they get it—often start with the easy projects just because they're easier. A better approach is to say, "We want to achieve energy reductions of 30 percent. Now let's work backwards to see how to get there, compiling all the projects we need." It will quickly become apparent that goals can't be achieved by pursuing the low-hanging fruit. The projects will then be understood as a portfolio, even if they don't happen at the same time. This bundling of low and high ROI projects is how Energy Service Companies, or ESCOs, approach efficiency. ESCOs implement energy efficiency programs as a third party, covering capital cost (or steering the client to a bank) and taking payment out of savings. This is a neat way to get efficiency by not having to do anything or put up capital, and to keep the work off your balance sheets.
Revisit ROI Thresholds or Use Alternatives that Address Threshold Concerns
In reality, most corporate ROI "hurdle rates" for energy efficiency projects are set way too high. In some businesses, these thresholds for acceptable projects are as high as 50 percent or more—meaning two-year payback. But in the post-recession economy, even returns of 6 percent (16-year payback) should be acceptable. Actually, they should be rip-your-wallet-off-your-pants-attractive these days because they are guaranteed after tax returns. Even though those returns are low, most buildings last decades and the investments will pay for themselves many times during the life of the structure.
Lowering ROI thresholds bundles efficiency project ROI over time to create a long-term acceptable return—even if component retrofits don't meet the highest standards. So, for example, you implement the really lucrative 70 percent ROI lighting retrofit, but as policy you also green-light anything with a 6 percent or better ROI. You've tacitly acknowledged that your whole system ROI on retrofits will come out somewhere in between. It doesn't matter if the projects happen together because those lesser projects will still happen since you've dropped your thresholds.
Accurately Assess ROI
Many analysts don't accurately calculate ROI in the real world. They include ideas like "net present value," "internal rate of return" and "opportunity cost of money," but ignore many (equally obscure but just as real) factors that ought to be in ROI calculations such as worker retention and attraction, health benefits, asset improvements, morale and PR. To illustrate: If the New York Times covers your hotel boiler retrofit, does the ROI go up? It should. Some of these benefits can be harder to capture and monetize, and work needs to be done to do make that happen, such as creating standard methodologies for calculating inclusive ROI.
There are also more tangible aspects of retrofit ROI that often don't get included in financial analysis. For example:
- Old equipment has a maintenance cost, including spare parts, staff labor and service visits. In addition to the energy cost savings from retrofits, there are maintenance cost savings.
- Lots of equipment is changed at end of life, regardless of energy efficiency. What often happens is that an engineer will say: "Inefficient boiler X will pay for itself in 10 years in savings over the existing model. More efficient boiler Y will pay for itself in 15 years. We'll take the less efficient cheaper model." But ROI calculations on these projects should only consider the delta between the cost to replace equipment (which would be spent anyway) and cost to replace with more efficient equipment.
- More efficient equipment is often smaller, less noisy and takes up less space. There may be instances where a conversion can result in captured space that can be used for a different purpose. For example, at the Snowmass Club in Colorado, by using a ground source heat pump system in a new building instead of a conventional boiler, Aspen Skiing Company was able to add one more employee unit over what had been designed. This served business goals of housing employees onsite and also provided cash flow from the rental unit.
- Fuel types present risk and opportunity. Some interventions are energy-type specific and, as a result, offer hidden benefits or risks. Lighting, for example, is about electricity; boilers typically use oil or gas. An equipment retrofit might also require or offer the opportunity for fuel switching, which could deliver another type of cost savings. For example, if the technology takes you from coal to gas, and gas is cheaper in your region, then you have savings beyond the efficiency improvements of the equipment. If the equipment lasts twenty years, you're also avoiding likely regulation that will increase the cost of coal-fired energy. Certain energy types (like natural gas) are more volatile than others, resulting in different hedging risks and opportunities. These all play into sensible ROI calculations. Many CFOs will willingly accept a higher price today for reduced volatility and/or a long-term fixed rate.
- Systems benefits increase ROI. Some interventions are mutually reinforcing (e.g. if I replace boilers, I save 30 percent of my energy, but these boilers are meant to work with certain controls. I can increase my efficiency if I do them together). This is almost a universal tenet, and it's called a "systems" approach. So, for example, better insulation lets you reduce the size and capital cost of your heating system. More efficient lighting and better windows cut the quantity and cost of air conditioning required. This point further reinforces the idea that cream skimming leaves a lot on the table.
- Ancillary benefits abound. Lighting retrofits usually pay out on their own. But they offer a host of other real benefits that don't always make the ROI calculation either: reduced labor, as bulbs last longer. Reduced cost of new bulb purchases. Reduced disposal costs. Reduced air conditioning costs. And, in one hotel garage we know of, reduced accidents because the area was too dimly lit for valets who occasionally scraped against support beams.
Change Incentive Programs
How do we create the conditions to go beyond cream skimming in society as a whole? How do we increase project ROI itself? One way is to change how utilities create incentives for savings.
The funny thing about many utility rebate programs is that they incentivize retrofits, such as lighting, that are so lucrative that any business or homeowner in their right mind would do them anyway. Perhaps the incentives do help by making customers aware of opportunities, but that can be done with education, not rebates. Rebates, instead, should be used as incentives for energy efficiency measures that would not occur without the rebates—for example, anything with an ROI below 15 percent. These measures are the "deep efficiency" we've been talking about, which get us to the scale needed to solve climate change. They include retrofits of pumps, motors, drives, boilers, furnaces, insulation and windows.
Put in Your Eight Cents: Influence Policy
Changing rebate programs to change the return on investment of energy efficiency projects requires something unexpected from corporations and individuals: policy advocacy. You'll have to lobby your utility or government to help you out. At a national level, we'll never solve the cream skimming problem until energy costs more in America. If we want deep efficiency, we need a carbon tax, which acts like a rebate program but on a national scale.
Here's how and why. I live in Colorado with two small children. I come home every day to a sink full of dishes. To hire someone to do those dishes, perhaps an hour of work, would cost me $15 on the free market. Instead, though, I will load the dishwasher, and in an hour, I'll have clean dishes for a total cost of eight cents. But that's insane: It doesn't remotely scale with the market value of the work done, and the eight cents doesn't account for the fact that the electricity used to do the dishes comes in large part from coal, which increases my children's risk of asthma and other diseases, loads their blood with toxic mercury and crushes their chance of future prosperity by warming the planet. Eight cents.
The extreme fix to this problem is to tax carbon to the point that energy price reflects its true cost (and value) to society. But while that would be nice some day, even if the price of energy goes up just a little, it will strengthen the market signal and drive more change. Another story further illustrates the problem of cheap energy. Touring an industrial plant in Minnesota, I asked the facilities manager why he hadn't retrofitted the lights. "Do you know what I pay per kilowatt-hour for electricity?" the manager asked. "Four cents." So all the projects I can barely get through in Colorado at eight cents are twice as hard in the land of ten thousand lakes.
Who would have thought that a corporate energy manager's job (or a mom's or dad's) is also to change energy policy, and perhaps even lobby for a carbon tax? But it is.
Creative Financial Solutions
Some good news is that problems like cream skimming and ROI thresholds aren't simply being admired. There has been a lot of effort to overcome barriers to deep climate solutions such these and others. While there is no silver bullet, and all solutions come with their own baggage, two are worth mentioning: MESA and PACE.
Managed Energy Services Agreements (MESAs) or just Energy Services Agreements (ESAs) are one way to approach energy efficiency that provide upfront capital and off-balance sheet accounting. Use your house as an example—today, you pay your energy bills, do efficiency projects and get your payback. A MESA program turns all that over to a third party, which manages energy procurement and efficiency. The third party charges for energy like a utility. It then installs more efficiency equipment in your house, which is maintained and operated by the third party. Last, the third party uses some or all of the costs savings from its retrofits to finance those improvements and earn a profit. Businesses can move the cost of efficiency retrofits off their balance sheets because what was once a capital expense (a new furnace) becomes an operational expense (your energy contract).
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs allow local governments to offer sustainable energy project loans to property owners. One of the big problems with home energy retrofits—particularly high-cost projects like window replacements or solar panel installation—is that they cost a lot up front. Many people don't have thousands of dollars sitting around, and they're reluctant to take on the debt. Another problem is that many homeowners don't plan to own their houses long enough for investments like solar panels or new windows to pay for themselves, so they don't pull the trigger. What's unique about PACE is that the loan is tied to the property, not the homeowners mortgage, and repayment happens through property taxes. In short, project debt stays with the house, even after a homeowner moves. Often, a PACE annual payment will be exactly offset by the energy saving or energy generating project it funds.
A New Reality
Kevin Anderson, from the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research at the University of Manchester, and many others have argued that society is at risk of missing the opportunity to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius (2 C), the threshold widely seen to be the difference between adaptation and disaster. A 4 C rise in global temperature would threaten civilization. He writes: "There is a widespread view that a 4 C future is incompatible with an organized global community, is likely to go beyond 'adaptation,' is devastating to the majority of ecosystems and has a high probability of not being stable. (Meaning 4 C would be an interim temperature on the way to a much higher equilibrium.)"In short, we live in a new world, one in which the best efficiency efforts of the past are not good enough by, roughly, an order of magnitude. Clearly, the challenge is enormous. But from a purely financial standpoint, the benefits are substantial. And if you add ethics to the mix, the rewards of rapid and aggressive action become infinite.
by Auden Schendler
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Manchester City have no desire to revive their interest in Wayne Rooney despite the uncertainty over his future at Manchester United, with the player's reputed £300,000-a-week salary pricing them out of the market.
City came close to signing the forward in October 2010 when Rooney agitated for a move away from Old Trafford, claiming the club lacked ambition.
But despite the wealth at City, they are not prepared to match the salary which, with add-ons, is believed to be around £300,000 a week. Since the collapse of the proposed deal more than two years ago, Uefa's financial fair play regulations have been introduced and, with City's intent to adhere to these, they would have to free up a sizeable chunk of their player wage bill to be able to offer Rooney similar terms.
City, along with a handful of other clubs, have been alerted to Rooney's possible availability following Sir Alex Ferguson's decision not to select the player in his starting XI for the Champions League game against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, United's biggest match of the season.
Instead the manager preferred Ryan Giggs, who is 12 years older than the 27-year-old Rooney, for the wide-right berth in which the England international operated during last month's 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Bernabéu. Ferguson might also have fielded Rooney behind the lone striker, Robin van Persie, which is his regular position for the club, but chose Danny Welbeck there.
Where Rooney could move to beyond City is limited due to his pay demands and the small number of elite clubs he would wish to play for.
Real Madrid and Barcelona may question his quality to perform at the very highest level, and he appears a different kind of player to that which Pep Guardiola, the former Barcelona coach who takes over at Bayern Munich in the summer, usually favours. As Milan, Juventus and Internazionale would struggle to finance any deal, this leaves Paris Saint-Germain, who have the requisite monies and are searching for a forward to complement Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Michael Owen, who played with Rooney for three seasons at United before leaving in the summer, told TalkSport: "Sometimes when you're at the level he is at you don't have many options. If you're a mediocre player you have 20 teams in England and aboard that you can move to. If Wayne Rooney moves, where does he go to? Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Man City, Chelsea and PSG: there's only half a dozen teams. PSG is probably the best shout."
Owen believes Rooney being left out against Real was a severe blow. "A couple of years ago, if Wayne wasn't the first-choice striker, he [Ferguson] would have played him in left midfield or in behind the striker. For him not to start is a real kick in the teeth. Obviously Wayne has got to get his head down now and start recapturing his best form.
"He'll either get his head down, try and improve and force his way back into the team, or he'll think: 'The manager has not picked me for the biggest game, he obviously doesn't fancy me.' And it might be the end of the story."
During Rooney's near departure three years ago he questioned United's ambition and the "continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world".
Ferguson was not impressed that Rooney had voiced these fears publicly. Yet Owen denied ever seeing any differences between them. "When I was at Manchester United their relationship was very good, they talked, shared jokes and there were no problems whatsoever," he said. "I'd be surprised if it was something of that nature [a falling-out] but the decision to leave him out isn't going to help if it is that."
United's exit at the last-16 stage still secures them £34m from Uefa but if they had reached the final in May that would have risen to £56m.


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A Friday evening in early September and Belfast is basking in an Indian summer. Into a balmy sky flies a spinning rugby ball, followed hungrily by 30 sets of eyes on the pitch and a few tens of thousands off it
Ravenhill, Ulster Rugby's modest but adored home is rocking. Rugby season is back – and people couldn't be happier. Peter Irwin of Ulster Rugby's Fanzine sets the scene for a night at Ravenhill:
"The Ravenhill atmosphere isn't exclusive to Friday nights, but that's when it's best savoured. Of course, when Ulster goes over the line, the crowd just goes wild. It's goosebump stuff for the whole 80 minutes."
Stick around, though: Ravenhill is certainly not Ireland's only revered rugby home.
Ulster is just one of the island's four big name provincial sides who strut forward high in the ranks of the major European Rugby Union championships. On the opposite end of the island, that up and under Rubgy Union high kick that gives full-backs of both hemispheres knocking knees?
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It's called the Garryowen, and the term originated in the town of the same name in County Limerick. The red shirts of those who ascend to the ranks of Munster defend Thomond Park with the pride of a pack of lions.
Just up the coastline, green and black shirts of Connacht bring a sense of the wild west to proceedings at the Galway Sportsground. While usually the west is coveted ground of the GAA, Connacht's inclusion in the Heineken Cup blue riband competition has introduced the sport to a much larger audience in its native province, so is now a massive force to be reckoned with.
Finally, the fourth provincial side resides in the Republic of Ireland's capital city of Dublin: the blues of Leinster are no stranger to massive European success and have kept the Heineken Cup in their trophy cabinet for an amazing two successive years.
Literally around the corner from Leinster's Donnybrook HQ sits the Aviva Stadium. Within its voluptuous curves and transparent panels lies the battlefield for the Irish Rugby Team. International heroes like Brian O'Driscoll, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble and Paul O'Connell call this hallowed turf home.
For many of the rugby fraternity, the season reaches its climax with the Six Nations. In the chilly first days of February Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France and Italy begin two months of thrilling sporting theatre.
For super-fan Shane Timmons, Dublin's Aviva stadium is the ultimate stage:
"On a Six Nations match day, the Aviva has this intense atmosphere. Since the refurbishment, the layout allows the crowd to enjoy a closer view from their seats to catch every bone-crunching hit.
"It's Ireland's Colosseum, where the 30-man game of war is let loose on the public! The buzz in the city afterwards is almost as good as the game. Any rivalry is left on the pitch and the craic [fun] in the pubs is mighty. It's my favourite time of year to be in Dublin."
thrill of the game and the nightlife to match; who said you can't have your cake and eat it?
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With 'Obamacare,' Walmart Shifts Employee Health Costs to Taxpayers
New Walmart employees who work less than 30 hours per week will no longer be eligible for the company's health insurance program. Walmart joins other companies considering reducing benefits or work hours in light of the new health care changes known as "Obamacare."
The new policy will go into effect in January and may also impact current workers who work less than 30 hours per week, according to documents obtained by The Huffington Post.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare, expanded the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, a government run health insurance program for the poor. Under the new requirements, beginning in 2014 anyone with income under 133 percent of the federal poverty line will be eligible for Medicaid.
Average starting wages at Walmart fall between $6.30 to $10 per hour, according to PayScale.com and glassdoor.com. This would make many employees eligible for Medicaid under the new requirements.
Under the ACA, companies will be required to provide full-time workers with health insurance or pay a fine. Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster, has also announced that it will experiment with hiring more part-time workers to avoid paying the fine.
"Walmart is effectively shifting the costs of paying for its employees onto the federal government with this new plan, which is one of the problems with the way the law is structured," Ken Jacobs, chairman of the Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, told The Huffington Post.
When the new law was debated in 2009, Walmart announced its support for the changes. Critics warned at the time that Walmart's support for the law was a case of crony capitalism, or rent-seeking. The large company would be able to bear the costs of the new law better than its competitors, thus driving those smaller competitors out of business, the argument went.
"Wal-Mart, the nation's largest employer, can afford the costs imposed by an employer mandate. Smaller competitors are likely to find it harder -- and they're not too happy about Wal-Mart's announcement," Peter Suderman wrote for Reason.com, a libertarian publication, in June 2009.
Walmart has been under scrutiny for its labor practices for many years. It began offering health insurance to its employees in response to those critics. More recently, there were protests in front of Walmart stores on Black Friday due to complaints over employees being required to work on Thanksgiving day.


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The Special Session "Heritage and development: diversity as an alternative" will take place on the 18th of December 2009 in Marrakesh within the framework of Africities V, the local African communities Summit (16-20 December.) This Session is organised by the World Heritage Centre, with the encouragement of the France-UNESCO Convention, and in collaboration with the Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF).
After the introduction of the theme of urban heritage during the pan-African Summit for local governments in 2003 (Yaoundé) and its development with its area of influence in 2006 (Nairobi), the World Heritage Centre now touches upon the issue of the diversity of development models with a heritage basis, that can be established by local decision-makers.
This session is linked to the general theme of the Summit (the response of local African governments to the global crisis) and calls for a reflection on the fundamental role of culture in the elaboration of new development strategies, and invites decision-makers on a national and local level to take on board cultural issues in order to formulate development projects better suited to the specificity of their territories, and to develop the various forms of international cooperation.
Two round tables are planned:
- The first: "Can cultural diversity and social cohesion inspire new development models?" will deal with issues of democratic governance and urban pluralism (the role of the mayor as a mediator), sustainable land planning that takes cultural practices into account, economic solutions that are an alternative to the dominant model (cultural industries, family economy...)
- The second: "Cultural heritage and local development - from Yaoundé (2003) to Marrakech (2009): commitments and outlook" will provide a review of the World Heritage Centre's efforts in this direction and of the progress of the integration of the heritage question in the agendas of local African governments. We will also deal with threats and issues that are still on the agenda.
For more information, please see the introductory paper and programme.


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Someone came to me for help with a task. THat someone takes part in a very basic C course, and this is only their 1st day. The task left me clueless, anyways...
Note that the required language is not c++, but c; however, i hope someone can help me out anyways...
Here`s the text:
you`re then supposed to convert the numbers to integers and do some calculations.YOu have to expect the following input:
an arbitrary amount of lines, each line consists of 5 int32 numbers. The full input will be terminated by an EOF.
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 0
i would know how to parse a single line of 5 numbers via scanf(). That`s easy, and that`s exactly what they did in class.
But how do i go about splitting the lines? What about the EOF?
Even if could hack something together, by using errno or something, it would be way beyond what they are doing atm.
the input is received via user input, ie stdin.
is there any easy way i missed?


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My nesting instinct has kicked into high gear. For the last couple months I've been squirreling away home-cooked food in the freezer and pantry, preparing for the long-distance sprint of the early weeks of parenthood when–I've been warned–we'll live our lives in foggy 45 minute increments between feedings and diaper changes, lucky if we get a chance to shower or feed ourselves.
In my quest for foods that are comforting, nourishing, and most importantly can be eaten with one hand, I've found myself on a bit of a muffin bender. In lots of ways muffins are the perfect food. I've been tinkering with the recipe to sneak in a little whole wheat flour, cut back a bit on the sugar, and generally come up with something that I don't feel (too) guilty about eating for breakfast every day. And now that I've got the basic recipe perfected–not too sweet, moist and cakey in the middle, crusty on the outside, golden brown on top–I'm having fun improvising with the flavors. Blackberry-lavender, mango-ginger, blueberry-almond…the possibilities are endless.
Muffins are also the perfect thing to make early in the morning while the sun comes up. As my belly expands and the discomforts of pregnancy make it harder to sleep, I've been catching quite a few sunrises these days. (And I suspect there will be more sunrises to enjoy in my future, as the days of sleeping in are surely numbered.) Our kitchen faces east, and for some reason, it just feels right to be making muffins as I watch the marsh outside our windows change colors in the first light of day.
When I sit down with my coffee in those early morning hours, waiting for the muffins to puff up in the oven and to fill the house with their promising smell, I contemplate what the future holds. And not just the near-term future I mentioned above of exhausted days and sleepless nights. But the good stuff. The stuff that makes it all worth while. I wonder what he'll be like. That little person growing inside me. What will it feel like to hold him in my arms? What will his personality be? Will he be serious, or funny, contemplative, fastidious? Will he look like his dad? What little quirks will he have? Will he someday stand on a stool next to me at the kitchen counter and crack the eggs and lick the muffin batter off the spoon? Which kind of muffins will be his favorite?
Delicious thoughts of anticipation as I wait patiently for those muffins in the oven…
The Ultimate Muffin Base (and a few of my favorite variations below)
Adapted a bit from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook. Makes a dozen medium-sized muffins.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground spices (see variations)
1 cup plain yogurt (I used full fat versions, Greek or European style. If you try with low-fat, let me know how it works)
1/2 cup milk (I used 1% because that's what we have in our fridge. If you use low-fat yogurt, you might need whole milk)
citrus zest, juice and/or grated ginger (see variations)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened slightly
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
vanilla or other extract (see variations)
fresh fruit, dried fruit, and/or nuts (see variations)
extra sugar, spices and nuts for topping (see variations)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and generously grease muffin tins with butter. Mix first five dry ingredients (plus spices, if using) in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix yogurt, milk (and zest/juice, if using) in small bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment, if you have a standing mixer), beat in a large bowl until fluffy: butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and extract, if using. Turn mixer speed to low and mix in yogurt mixture and dry ingredients, alternating to fold in about 1/3 of each at a time, mixing gently until just blended. Turn off mixer and add fruit/nuts, gently folding in by hand.
Scoop muffin batter into greased muffin tins. (An ice cream scoop with a spring handle works wonders for keeping your portions even and minimizing drips.) Sprinkle the tops of muffins with sugar, spices, nuts (see variations.) Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to rest in muffin tin for 3-4 minutes, but not too long–the texture will be better if they don't steam in their tins for more than a few minutes. As soon as the tops of the muffins are cool enough to handle, run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin and gently pry them out and place on a cooling rack to cool.
Enjoy at least one while still warm (that's a must!). For any that you don't eat the same day you bake them, wrap in plastic and freeze. To re-heat, wrap muffins in tin foil, leaving the tops slightly exposed and heat in 325 degree oven ~15 min, or until warm in the center.
Variation #1: Mango Ginger Muffins
Follow recipe above, with these variations:
Add to dry ingredients: 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Add to yogurt mixture: 1 teaspoon zest and a tablespoon or two of juice from an orange, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Add to batter after eggs: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fold into batter by hand: 1 1/2-2 cups fresh diced mango (from about 2 medium-sized mangoes)
Mix in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of muffins before baking:2-3 tablespoons sugar (I like to use turbinado or raw sugar), 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Variation #2: Blackberry Lavender Muffins
Follow recipe above, with these variations:
Add to dry ingredients: 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Add to yogurt mixture: 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For butter/sugar mixture: use 1 cup of white sugar (omit brown sugar)
Add to batter after eggs: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lavender extract
Fold into batter by hand: 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries (one basket), cut into half
Sprinkle a little sugar on top of muffins before baking (I like to use turbinado or raw sugar)
Variation #3: Blueberry Almond Muffins
Follow recipe above, with these variations:
For dry ingredients: Use 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup ground almond meal (I bought mine at Trader Joe's, but you can also just grind whole almonds in the food processor.)
Add to batter after eggs: 1 Tablespoon almond extract
Fold into batter by hand: 1 1/2-2 cups fresh blueberries
Mix in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of muffins before baking:2-3 tablespoons sugar (I like to use turbinado or raw sugar), 1/4 cup sliced almonds (break them up a little with your fingers) and a couple of dashes of ground cinnamon
Variation #4: Cranberry-Apricot-Orange-Pecan Muffins
Follow recipe above, with these variations:
Mix in a small bowl and set aside: 2/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped, 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped, 2 teaspoons orange zest, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Add to dry ingredients: 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, dash or two of freshly ground nutmeg
Fold into batter by hand: Cranberry apricot mixture, 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Mix in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of muffins before baking:2-3 tablespoons sugar (I like to use turbinado or raw sugar), 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans


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Choosing the Right Law School / Re: Do not listen to what people say about T-3 and T-4 schools on this site« on: May 07, 2010, 05:59:36 AM »
I go to a T-25 and when we have visiting professors here they are terrible compared to the quality of education you get from the actual profs. The subject matter may be the same, but that doesn't mean you learn it as well. That's one difference.
I had a visiting professor from Yale that was absolute *&^%, so that's just plain anecdotal evidence that at the very best is worthless.
Not to mention, law is not complicated, you should be perfectly capable of learning what consideration is even if your professor is a homeless guy spending half the class masturbating at his desk.