text: At Brunel University London, we're proud of our vibrant international community and we welcome students from USA. We have over 110 nationalities represented on campus, and our students from USA make a valued contribution to our multi-cultural envrionment. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2017 places Brunel 24th in the top 200 universities for international students. To find out more about what it's like to be a student at Brunel, read our International Student Guide. Accommodation at Brunel has been ranked 3rd best in London and top 20 in the UK in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2017. If you confirm your offer to study with us and apply for a room on campus by 31 August, we'll guarantee you accommodation. Current students and alumni "I chose to study at Brunel because it has an integrated course programme that will give me a great foundation for my future career. Brunel has a number of experienced professors with a really varied learning environment which will help me develop new skills and increase my cultural awareness to interact globally in business. Brunel is the perfect place to enhance my skills and give me the confidence I need to set up my own company after I graduate." — Caitlin Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Design MSc The Union of Brunel Students has over 100 student societies, including cultural, academic, nationality, campaigning, performance, faith and religion and general interest societies. Joining a society is a great way to meet people and try something new! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out more about life on campus. Back to top Entry requirements Find entry requirements by course Please select course level and subject area. Level Foundation PhD & Research Postgraduate Pre-Masters Undergraduate Subject Aerospace Engineering Anthropology Biomedical Sciences Business School Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Communication and Media Studies Computer Science Creative Writing Design Digital Media Economics and Finance Education Electronic and Computer Engineering English Environmental Sciences Film Studies Flood and Coastal Engineering Foundation Programmes Games Design Global Challenges History Journalism Law Life Sciences Mathematics Mechanical Engineering Music Occupational Therapy Physician Associate Physiotherapy Politics and International Relations Psychology Public Health and Health Promotion Social Work Sociology Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences Theatre Entry criteria are subject to review and change each academic year. Undergraduate Entry Requirement Information Official scores from all test dates can be sent to us directly from the College Board. College Board SAT scores code number: 7022 College Board ACT scores code number: 5381 Undergraduate foundation programmes with London Brunel International College If you do not meet the entry requirements for direct entry to our Bachelor's degree programme at Brunel University London, we will assess your eligibility for a relevant undergraduate pathway programme with London Brunel International College where applicable. We offer Foundation and International Year 1 programmes in: Business and Management Economics and Finance Engineering (foundation only) IT Law Pre-masters programmes with London Brunel International College If you do not meet the entry requirements for direct entry to our Master's degree programmes, we will assess your eligibility for a relevant Pre-Masters programme with the London Brunel International College where applicable. We offer Pre-Masters programmes in: Arts Business and Management Design Engineering Environmental Science (Sustainability) Business Computing/Computer Science Law English language requirements In general, our courses ask for an English level of between IELTS 6.0 and 7.0 or equivalent. Some courses will have higher requirements (and will require you to also reach minimum sub-scores), so please check your course page for the exact level. Find out more about English language requirements. If you need support with English before or during your degree programme, Brunel Language Centre offers a range of English courses to suit your level of English. Brunel Language Centre is accredited by the British Council and is ranked in the top 3 university language centres in the UK. We would also consider the following qualifications as proof of English language abilities: High School Diplmia Grade A-C or 75%+ SAT 600 in English subjects GED 600 in English subjects (with no score less than 410) AP English Grade 3 or above View our course pages for specific entry requirements Back to top Scholarships Each year, we offer over 100 scholarships to international students. Details of our scholarships are below. Click on the scholarships for information on how to apply and full terms and conditions: Brunel International Excellence Scholarships Value: Successful postgraduate applicants will receive £6,000 tuition fee waiver for year one only and successful undergraduate applicants will receive £6000 tuition fee waiver for up to three years Entry point: Available for September 2019 entry Eligible applicants: Available to International self-funded students who hold an offer of study for a full-time Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught course for September 2019 entry Deadline to apply: apply by 30 April 2019 to be considered for an early award or apply by 31 July 2019 to be considered for a later award. Registration is now open How to apply: Offer holders can register their interest for the International Excellence Scholarship here For full terms and conditions please visit this link. Undergraduate subject scholarships Postgraduate subject scholarships Chevening scholarships Commonwealth scholarships Brunel International Santander Scholarship Value: £5,000 tuition fee waiver for year 1 only Quantity: 5 available for 2017/18 Eligible applicants: Available to all American Postgraduate Taught and Research applicants Deadline to apply: the deadline to apply for this scholarship has now passed for 2017 entry Back to top Your contact at Brunel Hello! I'm Corrina Hamlet, your Brunel contact for USA. I hope you found the information on this page and the links on the right useful. If you have any questions, please email me at email@example.com. Back to top Representatives in USA Across the Pond firstname.lastname@example.com www.studyacrossthepond.com


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In this section of the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs web site you may register for our programs using a credit card.
ONLY DISCOVER, VISA, AND MASTERCARDS ARE ACCEPTED.You may register for and pay the entire amount for the pilgrimage or register for and pay the $200 deposit. There is an option of setting up a recurring monthly charge to your card for the balance of the program. So, for example, if the balance of the pilgrimage is $2000 we can arrange to have your card billed $200 for the next ten months. This feature is very flexible and may ease the task of meeting the financial requirements. You may call 414.427.0570 extension 222 for further details.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posted by Jake Mitchell
Flip Phillips's presented his research on visual perception for "The Resolution of Art and Science, lecture series" on Oct. 4.
His presentation consisted of an overview of his research, the significance of his findings and the impressive technology he uses. The research connects artistic ability to the research of science.
As an undergraduate, Phillips was an architecture student, which Phillips said "was a nice melding of art and engineering." He didn't finish architecture school and instead earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in computer graphics in 1986. "Back in the day, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator were still 10 years away. We had to make our own tools or find people to help us," Phillips said. To make interesting forms using computer graphics you also had to have some sophistication in engineering.
Also as an undergraduate, Phillips pursued brain-imaging research. He worked with psychiatrists and neuroscientists on taking pictures of the brain and putting them together in 3D. The research was performed at the same time that the first MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was developed. "I was working with science guys on engineering problems in the art school," Phillips said. He also worked seven years at Pixar Animation Studios, where he developed and used his wealth of computer knowledge. After Pixar, Phillips went on to graduate school for psychology to continue his education.
So how does art help science? "We're trying to understand how the generic human mind works. Artists are able to depict the visual world in a specific way that we can interpret. We have to take advantage of these people who are good at that and try to figure out what information they are depicting and use it to help understand the generic problem of seeing," Phillips said.
Phillips is interested in how an artist transcribes his or her visual perception to art. How do artists have different visual perceptions than non-artists? "They [artists] know how to apply visual perceptions to depicting the world; people are different at figuring these kind of things out," Phillips said.
"Painting isn't necessarily optically correct - there's a lot of cheating and slop going on. How much slop can they get away with? That depends on what your brain is doing with the information. If your brain is tolerant to slop, then the artist can get away with not depicting things correctly," Phillips said.
In other words, an artist can get away with an unrealistic depiction of an object if the viewer can still understand what he or she is looking at. People judge distance differently but not enough to make a difference in art work.
Scales, such as measurements of distances, speeds, etc., have been made so that there is a consistent and universal understanding. Without scales, there would be no mutual agreement of distance because people perceive the world differently. When people see more or less depth it is called a scaling error. Phillips said that scaling error is not completely random; when we see a painting we can distinguish what's in the background and what's not, or what's light and what's dark. Humans perceive the visual world similarly enough so that we can function as a society.
When we see a painting, "we make up the 3D visuals space, it doesn't exist" Phillips said. "You can go to the other side and see it. You're making it up and it turns out we're reasonably consistent in what we make up in terms of that depth, otherwise art wouldn't work." Our vision is consistent enough so that we basically see the same features.
To help himself and his students' research, Phillips has a 3D scanning system as well as a 3D printer. The scanner reads objects as if it were a MRI. The machine sends red horizontal and vertical lines all over the object to perceive its height, width and depth, and transcribes that to the computer.
On the computer you can manipulate the object any way that you want, testing your visual ability. The 3D printer prints objects made out of plastic and glue. Phillips uses these objects to see people's ability to remake the model out of clay, and see how close they come to the original object. Artists strive for this ability. They perceive and transcribe the visionary world as closely as possible, which is the meaning of "The Resolution of Art and Science."


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Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) is a turaco, a group of African near-passerines. It is the largest species of turaco. Generally, the great blue turaco is 70–76 cm (28–30 in) in length with a mass of 800–1,231 g (1.764–2.714 lb). In the Bandundu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the great blue turaco is actively hunted for meat and feathers. The blue and yellow tail feathers are prized for making good luck talismans. In the area of Bandundu around the city of Kikwit, it is called "Kolonvo". wikipedia.org
Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) - call


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Renovation of the radio operations wing of the AZPM broadcasting facility with the intent of upgrading and increasing production studio space. This part of the project was delivered in two phases in order to reduce disruptions to broadcast operations during construction.
Phase Three includes improvements to the Televisions Master Control Room and minor millwork improvements.
Please try viewing in landscape mode.


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Ft Pierce Probate Lawyer
10161 Centurion Parkway, N, Ste 310 Jacksonville, Florida 32256
Telephone Toll Free 866-510-9099
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Let our 30+ years experience help you achieve peace of mind.
The Florida probate lawyers and attorneys, and paralegals, at The Coleman Law Firm, PLLC, assist those who need legal representation in Florida probate and trust administration, in probate courts in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, and throughout the State of Florida.
As experienced Florida probate and trust lawyers, we know how important it is for the probate estate administration process to be completed as soon as reasonably possible, and as efficiently as possible, regardless of whether the estate is a summary administration, simply to probate a deed, or a formal administration with a probate estate that is subject to the federal estate tax. Our probate lawyers and paralegals provide our clients with timely information regarding the status and activities of your probate or trust case. We are familiar with Florida probate law, Florida trust law, probate rules, probate courts and the probate forms necessary for complying with Florida probate law.
Our probate lawyers and trust attorneys counsel our clients on each phase of the probate estate administration or the trust administration process and provide your with direction for each step that you must take. Our Florida probate and trust lawyers and attorneys, and paralegals, promptly respond to all questions that are asked, and patiently provide our clients with a complete explanation of what needs to be done to comply with Florida probate law, and why.
If you need an experienced Florida probate lawyer to assist you with a probate estate in Fort Pierce, or St. Lucie County, Florida, please call us toll free at 1-866-510-9099.
Our legal fees for assisting you in the administration of a probate estate or a trust administration will depend on the facts and circumstances of your particular case. Often we will work on a flat fee or fixed fee basis, especially for a summary administration. Other times, a probate lawyer's or trust attorney's hourly rates are appropriate. In particular, if your probate administration is for the sole purpose of a real estate probate, i.e, transferring title to real property, our probate lawyer usually will work on a fixed fee basis, so that you will know from the beginning exactly what your total cost will be for the Florida probate process.
If you need legal representation in Florida for a probate administration, trust administration, guardianship, or elder law matter please contact The Coleman Law Firm, PLLC, for your Florida probate or trust administration or elder law lawyer or attorney, by calling toll free 866-510-9099, or by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com .
The founder of The Coleman Law Firm, PLLC, is C. Randolph Coleman, a member of The Florida Bar for over 30 years. Mr. Coleman and The Coleman Law Firm, PLLC, are listed in the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, which lists only those select lawyers and law firms who have earned the A-V® Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have therefore been designated by their colleagues as pre-eminent in their field. He was a practicing certified public accountant prior to attending the University of Florida College of Law (JD, with honors 1978). He is a member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, Tax Law, and Elder Law, sections of The Florida Bar, the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys.
Mr. Coleman is a frequent lecturer and speaker on estate planning, probate and asset protection planning. He authored: Diminished Capacity and Financial Exploitation of the Elderly - The Florida Elder Law Attorney's Perspective, the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, 24th Annual Meeting Continuing Education Program. He co-authored Asset Protection Techniques in Florida, National Business Institute (2004); and authored Family Limited Partnerships in Florida (Chapter: "The Use of Family Limited Partnerships in Estate Planning"), National Business Institute (2002); Key Issues in Estate Planning and Probate in Florida (Chapter: "Protecting the Passage of Wealth"), National Business Institute (1997); Advanced Estate Planning Techniques in Florida (Chapter: "The Use of Family Limited Partnerships in Estate Planning") National Business Institute (1995).
He has served as a presenter of continuing legal education for the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association Diminished Capacity and Financial Exploitation of the Elderly - The Florida Elder Law Attorney's Perspective; The Florida Bar ("Animal Law Issues Affecting Florida Practitioners", "Trusts and Pets: Establishing Trusts for Pets Under Florida Law"), National Business Institute, and Sterling Education Seminars. He is a member of WealthCounsel, LLC, a national association of estate planning attorneys, a participating member of WealthCounsel Advisors Forum, and a member of ElderCounsel, LLC, a national association of elder law attorneys.


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Instagram's Latest Updates
One of the most important features of the new update is the editing feature. Now you can edit your messages in Instagram, and you can also edit messages on Facebook. A message will also appear where the photo is arranged in the same way. A popular update to the popular photo sharing application Instagram. Along with this update, some features that users are curious about are added to the application. There is no date yet for updates, but in the coming months these updates are expected to be distributed gradually to the user.
Photo editing:
However, in this editing mode you can not change the photo's filter or any other feature. You can edit texts, enter new hashtags, even after uploading the photo, you can enter location information in the related photo.
Discover new people:
Instagram, which previously only presented photos in the 'Explore' section, now offers it to people. This means Instagram users are more "tracked".
Faster search:
Instagram now offers call completion feature. However, faster searches are possible.
New icons:
A little touch in the new update design touches. First, changes to the navigation icon immediately below and tab designs added for new features appear.
The video calling feature will come:
Innovations for Instagram include video call and new camera effects.
Information and privacy about Twitter Ads:
In particular, we can say that the direct message part of Instagram can be at almost WhatsApp level, and that general Instagram capabilities can develop in understanding many applications.


text: Microsoft Mobile offers N3.5m support to young Nigerians As part of its efforts at empowering consumers to achieve more, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services is set to award N3.5 million to 5 Nigerians with brilliant business ideas in the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM activation campaign tagged 'From Passion to Empire', which runs from February 16, 2015 to March 31, 2015. According to the General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services, West Africa, Joseph Umunakwe, "From Passion to Empire" initiative provides us the opportunity to help young entrepreneurs test the strength of their ideas, sharpen their skills and expand their frontiers as they go through a period of intensive business coaching with the aim to ultimately, establish their businesses. "Running a start-up is challenging in any environment, so Microsoft Mobile seeks to empower entrepreneurs in Nigeria who have great business ideas. "From Passion to Empire" would not be about a cash grant only as the 5 winners will also be mentored by highly successful entrepreneurs like House of Tara's Tara Fela Durotoye, Chocolate City's Audu Maikori and Jobberman's Opeyemi Awoyemi. " Umunakwe said. Speaking further on the initiative, Olumide Balogun, Senior Marketing Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services, said "Lumia is for inspired doers who do not recognize boundaries when reaching for their goals. We know that such people abound in our country and we are happy to work with established entrepreneurs and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University to offer them the opportunity to soar." Lumia smartphones and tablets, including the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM, specifically, provide the business tools every entrepreneur needs to achieve the extra-ordinary. The Lumia 535 Dual SIM offers five great integrated Microsoft experiences, a wide-angle 5 megapixel front facing camera, and a spacious 5 inch display protected with Gorilla Glass 3 which makes it a perfect device for entrepreneurs who want to be able to do more on the go. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Related posts: Facebook Divorces Microsoft's BING! Buhari Assures Nigerians Again Madrid open to Alonso offers Windows '9' Could Go Online By September Good News For Blackberry 10 Users as Android Officially Launches 2015-02-24 The Light News Share ! tweet


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Fabianna Marie was diagnosed at the age of 27 with BRCA1 positive, invasive metastatic Breast Cancer. Enduring over 150 rounds of Chemotherapy, radiation, and a deteriorating kidney, Fabianna fights every day and has chosen to share her journey with the world in hopes of inspiring anyone facing adversity.
Fab shares her journey through her blog at fabulouslyfighting, as well as on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fab launched her first book in November of 2016. She has been a guest speaker at national cancer charity and fundraising events as well as part of a national ad campaign for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. She has been inducted into the National Association of Professional Women and is honored to be the recipient of the 2017 Woman of The Year and 2018 International Woman of the Year Award.
Fab is an award winning photographer, best selling author and writer. Fab has been featured in the viral Huffington Post Video about living with Cancer and has a vast variety of talents as she is a former model and entertainer. Along with her degree in Liberal Arts and Business Fabianna also has certifications in Raw, Vegetarian and Vegan Cuisine, and is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and aromatherapy Practitioner. Fabianna resides in the Granite State with her husband of 18 years, David, their daughter Mackenzie, age 14, and Prince the wonder Silky Terrier.


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Hey guys sooooo we did an awesome bridal show in Pineville, LA on January 11, the Winter Wonderland Bridal Expo, and it was a huge success. Here are a few pictures of our booth setup.
Some of the most popular items were the paper bouquets. Did you say paper? Why YES, yes I did. Paper bouquets are beautiful, eco-friendly and you truly have no limitations on color combination and size. In addition they are much more inexpensive than real flowers and they won't die and less inexpensive than artificial flowers. We got tons of wows and that's so cool's so I think they liked them 😉 Here are some up close pics
The other big "oooooo pretty" thing was our canvas guestbooks. These are actually "completed" ones from my own wedding. Awesome idea to really SEE who all was at your wedding, plus you will get hilarious doodles and sweet wishes. I hang ours above our bed, or it could can be done in colors to match a rooms decor or your wedding colors.
More pics and fun lovin to follow, just wanted to get you updated.
MM is also offering a sale to all of the brides that attended this show. Just email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to make an order and make sure to keep an eye on our FB page for our next giveaway!


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I love this plant. I have used it in containers every year for at
least 5 years. It looks so nice & requires very little maintenance. I would highly recommend it.
Get Local
Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products
Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products
A water garden friendly-grass that can be planted in the landscape as well
Use in water gardens, landscapes and mixed containers
Cyperus is not hardy enough to survive winters with freezing temperatures and it is not a candidate to overwinter inside. It is a very fast grower and will quickly grow to impressive size when replanted in the spring.
The plant can be planted in pots, along the waters edge of a pond, or even in a pond. The crown of the plant should never be covered in water and in fact both of these varieties can thrive in water as shallow as a few inches. The purpose is to keep the bulk of the soil or root mass wet.
The root ball can be submerged but it isn't necessary. If the plant is put into a pot I would suggest plugging the hole or holes in the bottom of the pot to keep as much water as possible in the pot
Baby Tut can also be planted in regular garden soil. It is best to keep the soil moist, but once established Baby Tut can tolerate some dry soil conditions.
Baby Tut is an evergreen or neutral grass. Where temperatures get colder than 25 degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Once the grass turns brown it can either be removed immediately or removed in the spring. It should not be expected to live through the winter and begin growing again in the spring.
In areas where winter temperatures remain above 25 degrees it should be considered a perennial and the following information should be useful.
Evergreen or neutral grasses are usually plants that look like grasses but aren't actually classified as grasses, they are generally called grass-like plants.
Divide evergreen or neutral grasses and grass-like plants in spring only.
Evergreen grasses don't ever go dormant. Dividing plants wounds them to some degree. For evergreen grasses this wounding will really affect their ability to live through the winter.
I love this plant. I have used it in containers every year for at
least 5 years. It looks so nice & requires very little maintenance. I would highly recommend it.
Great plant! Have entered mine in two flower shows and won blue ribbons in both. I use outdoors in Summer and indoors in Winter. Keep moist and trim back leaf tips if they turn brown. Otherwise, no maintenance necessary. Remember, it is a water plant so hard to overwater.
This is the first year I have grown this plant. I live in Central Illinois and it did fine as long as you keep it well watered. I planted it in a large pot and put a saucer under it to hold more water. It makes an interesting plant to add to my flower bed. I would recommend it to others and make sure that they know it needs lots of water.
I was very surprised, it survived the first frost.
This plant is awesome grown in containers. I planted King Tut in ground this year...it grew to be over 6 ft tall. If your looking for a tropical looking plant this is it.
its like the sun totally burt them , they turned yellow and are falling apart
What a beauty!
I planted it in a container with coleus. It is a delightful little plant!
|Award Year
|Plant Trial
|Top Performer
|University of Minnesota - Morris
|Top Performer
|University of Georgia
|Plant of Distinction
|University of Georgia
|Hall of Fame
|Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
|Best Annuals
|University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
|Consumer Chosen Top Performer
|Ohio State University - Columbus
|Top Performer
|University of Georgia
|Top Performer
|University of Minnesota - Morris
|Best of Show (top 1%)
|Penn State
|Gold Medal Winner
|Champaign County Illinois Master Gardener Idea Garden
Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects.
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It might seem like I fell of the face of the Earth since I was MIA for practically this whole month, but I was just really busy with school and study that I couldn't catch a break to write a post. Since all of my exams are now over (finally!), I have time to relax and catch up on writing posts - I have an exciting line up of posts planned for my lovely readers. Since I didn't post much last month, I decided I would recap all of the things that I was excited about during the month of October in an 'October Favourites' post. This also kicks off the start of a new posting schedule, where at the end of each month I will write about all that inspired me in a 'favourites' post.
This month I loved:
Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub
This lip scrub from Lush is amazing! I had never owned a lip scrub before and didn't really see a use for one, but as soon as I got this from Lush I realised what I was missing out on. Whenever my lips are dry and chapped, I just scrub onto my lips a bit of this product, apply lip balm, and voila, my lips are as soft as a baby's butt. The best thing about this product is that once you apply it, you can lick off the excess! - It tastes like bubblegum, hence the name. The lip scrub is edible due to its fresh ingredients which include castor sugar and organic jojoba oil.I absolutely love this product and can't believe I didn't stumble upon it earlier. I will definitely be repurchasing it.
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
Another great lip product is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in the colour Honey.
Balm Stains are great and versatile products that feel super light on your lips. The colour of this balm stain applies very well, does not feel heavy on your lips, and lasts all day long. I use this product alone as well as under lip gloss or lip balm (although it is very moisturising on its own), to add shine. It is a very versatile product and depending on how much you apply, can look lighter or darker - I often opt for a lighter look, so I only go over my lips with the stain lightly once. The best thing about this product is that it tastes like peppermint and is so refreshing for your lips.
Arganmidas Moroccan Argan Oil Fresh Moisturising Cream
This product will make your hair look super healthy and shiny. I purchased this product because my hair was really dry and damaged from heat use, and in conjunction with a Pantene hair masque, my hair has become noticeably shinier and healthier. I use this product every day and it makes my hair smooth to the touch. I use it on damp hair if I washed my hair in the shower, and on dry hair other days. This is a great product that can repair damaged hair and keep it looking healthy.
Viva La Juicy Perfume
I have been loving Viva La Juicy perfume from Juicy Couture this month. It smells absolutely amazing!
It is a fragrance of sparkling fruit and flowers with top notes of wild berries and mandarin, heart notes of honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine, and base notes of caramel, vanilla, sandalwood, amber, and praline.
I use this perfume everyday, and spray so much on that I have almost finished the bottle (I have never done that with any other perfume). I am a sucker for anything that smells good, and this perfume smells good.
Bethany Mota Aeropostale Collection
This has to be the most exciting news of October!
Bethany Mota aka Macbarbie07 on Youtube is set to release her own clothing line at Aeropostale and it is going to be released on the 8th of December! I am so excited for this line because I love Beth's Youtube videos and she has an amazing fashion sense. I can't wait!
Until next time,


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While some PARENTS feel they lose their ability to control their children's behavior during adolescence, research tells us the number one reason kids tell us they don't drink is because they know their parents will disapprove of their decision. Here is a great guide on how to talk to your child about this important issue.
Parent Quiz
- Do your kids know you disapprove of their choice to use substances including alcohol?
- Would they know what to do if they found themselves at a gathering where alcohol was being served?
- Would they know what to expect if they called you for help?
- Would they know what your consequences would be if you discovered they were using substances?
- Do your kids receive confusing messages regarding substance use by adults in their lives?
Intervention & Treatment
Are you worried a child may be using? Visit the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence at for a list of physical, behavioral, and psychological signs a child may be using substances.
How to Create a Productive Dialog About Addiction has a lot of very informative links addressing stigma, data and stats about addiction, changing the way we look at addiction, etc.
Start Your Recovery has information about addiction, signs of a problem, encouraging a loved one to seek treatment, and how to help a loved one live sober.
Here is a list of treatment facilities in Helena and the northwest.
For additional information on what alcoholism is and how to get help, visit this Alcohol Rehab Guide.
Guide for finding the right place after recovery.
Holistic approach to the addiction recovery process.
DEA's Community Outreach Section
Supports initiatives to reduce the demand for drugs and give assistance to community coalitions and drug prevention initiatives.
DEA's website for teens, JustThinkTwice.com provides credible information about the harmful effects of drug use. The site includes information about various drugs, including facts and fiction about drugs, the consequences of drug use, as well as topics about addiction, impaired driving, and true stories about teens that have had drug problems.
DEA's website for parents, GetSmartAboutDrugs.com provides valuable drug education information for parents, educators, and caregivers to further help identify drug use, drug paraphernalia, warning signs of drug use, and the harmful side effects of the most commonly abused drugs.
DEA's website, campusdrugprevention.gov was created to support drug abuse prevention programs on college campuses and in surrounding communities. ln addition, it serves as a useful tool for college students, parents, and others involved in campus communities.
Operation Prevention (operationprevention.com) is an initiative brought to you by the DEA and Discovery Education to educate elementary, middle, and high school students about the true impacts of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use.
Since 1982, DEA has partnered with the Elks Drug Awareness Program (elksdap.org) to address leading drug abuse issues facing communities today.
More Resources
Do you know what your kids are talking about? Learn common drug slang.
The good news is that you can influence whether or not your child uses alcohol or drugs. Taking a clear stand against substance use by talking with children early is a good place to start. This resource guide has a lot of the information you will need.
Parents play a vital role in preventing underage drinking and substance use. Information about how you can prevent underage drinking.
Let's Face It is a website for Montana parents to help start the conversation about underage drinking. Let's face it, it's difficult to start a conversation about alcohol use; the important thing is that you start.
Learn more about specific drugs being used by today's youth. Or search by substance and find information on the science behind drug abuse and addiction.
Montana's kids report some of the highest rates of prescription drug use in the nation. Learn how to protect your kids from prescription drug use.
The prevailing theory on what factors drive a young person to consume alcohol or use drugs early on is known as the problem-behavior theory (PBT). Learn why they may choose to use.
The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, provides resources to children and families.
Here is material to guide conversations with your children. Here's a teen friendly web-site that you can visit as a family! Here is a guide to talking to kids about addiction.
Information to help teens and their families by providing them with information and support on different substances, addictions, and recovery resources. Addiction Center
American Lung Association has information to help smokers quit.
Resources to Quit Smoking
Partnership for Drug Free Kids has resources to reduce teen substance abuse and support families impacted by addiction.
For information on drugged driving, prevention and prescription drug abuse visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
For drug information and prevention resources, visit the DEA's site.
Utility guide for parents about Over-the Counter drugs.
This presentation is by Dr. Bertha Madras, Professor of Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She explains exactly what marijuana does to the brain in a way the general public can understand.
https://www.drugrehab.com/guides/parents/ It provides a general overview for parents while also sharing details about talking to a child or teen about substance abuse as well as where they can find help.
Watch this hour-long program, The Sobering Consequences of Underage Drinking, to hear about the latest trends in underage drinking including the science behind the statistics, some of the serious consequences that come from underage and binge drinking, and what we can do about it.
Watch this video by Dr. Robert DuPont, Founding President of the Institute of Behavior Health, Inc. about alcohol, tobacco and marijuana being gateway drugs.
Are you up to date on Marijuana Policy? Here is all the information you need to know.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about four out of five college students drink alcohol. Though drinking has long been the most common form of substance abuse in college, the National Institute on Drug Abuse points out that the use of marijuana, prescription drugs and illicit drugs is on the rise. The good news is that students can be proactive in understanding what constitutes substance abuse, how to keep their own habits in check, and how to spot problems in themselves or others. This guide offers a wealth of resources to help students do all of those things and more.
Reading The Signs: How To Tell If Your Child Is Using Drugs.
Signs, symptoms, and what to do if you suspect someone is using.


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The BIRTHDAY Week
BITES in WHITE SATIN...
I'd been ignoring Red Ribbon's WHITE FOREST Cake
since it was launched a couple of months ago;
I thought the name of the cake sounded like an oxymoron.
But last week, as I passed by the Red Ribbon
along Bambang on my way home from Chinatown,
I'm in ♥ again!!!
Lucky Me "MAC & CHEEZ"
Just boil the noodles for 4 minutes,
then mix in the rich thick cheese sauce.
it's that easy. and nothing escudero about it!
Why I Suddenly regularly go to STARBUCKS
from November to February:
paired perfectly with a
MANGO LAPU-LAPU at TAO YUAN:
it's ugly as hell, but tastes like heaven!
Along with the Hainanese Chicken,
the Ubod and Bawang Lumpia,
the Century Egg Tarts, and
a Kilo of Swahe, this was
my Birthday Pulutan!!!
Best of All:
Scotch goes down more Smoothly
with Singaporean & Chinese Cuisine!
Name the restaurant,
I've tried the "HAINANESE";
from Whistle Stop to Makansutra
to practically all the hotel versions;
this one, quite simply, tops them all!!!
Gen. Malvar corner Mabini
(across the side entrance of Pan Pacific Hotel)
Malate, Manila
My ONE SENTENCE Movie Review of "2012":
"John Cusack outfitted the
arks with rockets and that's how
The movie's almost 3 hours long;
the last sequence should have been cut,
but at the end of the world, it doesn't matter.
and love this movie for what it is:
The Best Damn Disaster Movie Ever!!!
TIME Magazine gives the perfect description:
END of the WORLD "DISASTER PORN"!!!
"On October 6, THE PLANET BLACKED OUT
for Two Minutes and Seventeen Seconds;
the WHOLE WORLD SAW THE FUTURE..."
my new favorite TV show, as if by design,
premiering just as LOST is about to make its farewell.
This new MIND BENDER, surely by design,
stars two of my favorites from Lost: Charlie and Penny!!
BEST NEW COMEDY of 2009!!!
This new TV comedy, the best
since ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT,
stars that guy who hosts "The Soup",
along with Jon Stewart's British Correspondent,
the funniest Arab-American and African-American
comedy duo ever, a leading lady who looks like Elisabeth Shue,
and as a baby boomer who made his fortune in moist towelettes,
the comeback of the legendary CHEVY CHASE!!!
Almost all SUSPENSE movies used to be hyped just like that;
in recent years, not so much, because most of the best parts
are already shown in the trailers, so hardly any surprises in the films;
which is the reverse for THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3:
the trailers were a bit underwhelming, so I decided to skip it
despite the presence of my two favorite actors.
I should have known better. DENZEL & TRAVOLTA
can do no wrong, specially in a Non-Stop Action Movie
directed by TONY SCOTT (Top Gun, True Romance, Crimson Tide)!!!
DON'T MISS this on DVD. Or DiBiDi!!!
It really is a 100% EDGE OF YOUR SEAT THRILLER!!!
"Why AMERICAN IDOL Matters":
ALLISON IRAHETA's
with its wicked LSS-inducing hook,
and very pointed references to A-HA


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- 9 Sunrise Blvd, Tawa (5028), Wellington Region
- Business can travel to you
Blind Repair and Maintenance Specialists
Best match results for blind repair and maintenance specialists in New Zealand + 30km.
Shoestring Decor Blinds ,formed from an idea the Owner (Alan Kelly) had in 2003 to provide decor solutions at a great price "on a Shoestring" . Being at the forefront of developing trends in Interior design and window furnishings ,Alan has gained a wealth of knowledge in blind manufacturing,Installation ,fabric selection Motorisation and colour . Past employment as Commercial Manager for a blind wholesaler ,Alan has been actively involved in several large Blind projects as well as detailing ... Read more Architects and retailers on design protocol. Always the innovator,Alan has worked on many unusual projects that others have said could not be done or found too challenging. With result Shoestring Decor Blinds is often tasked with challenges as modern Architecture often presents challenging window treatment details ,meaning blinds become an after thought . Windows are becoming larger and skylights are featured more often ,making the need for sun control mandatory. Shutters are more affordable ...
Blinds vs Curtains as window furnishings
The dilemma facing Homeowners needing to furnish their windows is whether to choose curtains or blinds. There are pros and cons to curtains and blinds which you may need to weigh up before making your final decision. Curtains can provide more colour, insulation, room-darkening and privacy when drawn. Blinds provide clean lines, moderate insulation and reasonable blockout.Before deciding on curtains, please consider the following checklist to assist your decision: Is there space fo...Read more


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Check out our "What's New!" tab, under the "About" tab for upcoming events and our product of the month.
We are proud to announce that beginning on April 18th, we will start offering Nutrition Response Testing™ in our office! To learn more go to "Nutrition Response" under the Services tab.
Welcome to Calease Chiropractic Center!
Calease Chiropractic Center provides chiropractic services to patients of all ages. Dr. Alicia combines core elements of several complimentary therapies, and concentrate on helping patients reach optimal health by finding and treating the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.
Whether you suffer from recurring chronic conditions, an isolated injury, fatigue, general poor performance, ADD/ADHD, fibromyalgia, or other conditions, Calease Chiropractic Center helps patients find solutions and successfully overcome their health problems.
Calease Chiropractic Center also assists healthy patients in optimizing and improving performance and function in their everyday life, including work, sports and activities, and more.
By removing interferences, such as misaligned bones, tight connective tissue, nutritional deficiencies, poor dietary habits, imbalanced meridians, and more, Calease Chiropractic Center helps patients heal and excel the way we were meant to. Naturally.
Our office is located in Waverly, serving all local communities.
Call today to begin your journey towards functional improvement and
total body wellness!
Chiropractic Facts
•Chiropractic is the #1 Choice in Alternative Healthcare.
•85% of Americans will suffer incapacitating low back pain in their lifetime.
•40% of Americans with back pain lasting more than two weeks will go to a chiropractor.
•6.8% of the population suffers from back pain at any given time.
•Chiropractic is the second largest primary health care provider in the western world
Web MD reported on a study of research data over a 4 year period taken from nearly two million patients – 700,000 patients were on a healthcare plan that included chiropractic care compared to ONE MILLION patients on a health care plan that did NOT include chiropractic care. After following 1.7 million patients for 4 years here are the results:
• Chiropractic cut the cost of treating back pain by 28% compared to those who did not have chiropractic care.
• Back surgeries were reduced by 32% - that is 1 in every 3 people.
• One third fewer surgeries which reduced hospitalization by 41%.
• This study reported on Web MD found the satisfaction rate with chiropractic to be 95%!!!


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Mitt Romney recently unveiled the shocking secret of why I voted for Barack Obama instead of him. It was the gifts of course! You'd think a guy with his kind of dough would have ponied up something, but, it was the same old, "I'm not really into the generosity thing." And all I got from Ryan was a doctored marathon photo.
Ennyhoo, now that the cat is out of the bag, I figure I might as well come clean on what it took to get my vote. Here's the top ten "gifts" I got from Jolly Old St. Barack:
10. Staved off Financial Armegeddon. Really liked this one as I have no job at the moment.
9. Stock Market doubled since '09. BO said he didn't really give me this one, but I think he kind of did.
8. Don't have to have my rapist's baby. This was more of a coupon, and I probably won't use it myself, but I might know someone that would appreciate it.
7. Lowered my payroll taxes. You'd think Romney would have gotten me this one, but, he's more of an Applebee's gift certificate guy. Was great when I was working.
6. Gay Marriage. What can I say… misery loves company.
5. Health Insurance. Not really sure if I got what I wanted here. The specs on these things are so complicated, everything is so expensive and you never feel like it's a good deal. But at least someone has to cover me now, even if I'm self employed and might get sick.
4. Hilary Clinton. Normally, any old Secretary of State is fine with me. But after Condoleeza Rice, this is like replacing your Camry with a Lamborghini. Vrooom!
3. Joe Biden. Yeah, he seems like an idiot about half the time, but when your idiot, makes their idiot look stupid, well, life's a little sweeter, innit?
2. Non-Neanderthal Supremes. Scalia, Alito, Thomas – these guys claim to be strict constitutional interpreters – as they systematically gut the Bill of Rights. If we can't smoke weed we should at least not be subject to warrant free search and surveillance. (Yeah, I know Barack himself's on the wrong side of that one. He's not quite as liberal as people think!) Let's hope he gets to appoint a few more, hopefully to replace some of the aforementioned.
1. Didn't get me a new war in the Middle East. Which is good, cause I still have the other two I got from Bush.


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The Jewellery Magazine is a new magazine with a fresh perspective. Set-up by the luxury diamond and gemstone jewellery store: QP Jewellers, this online publication is specifically tailored to appeal to jewellery lovers and aficionados. At the same time we believe the endless wonder of this world should be palatable for all audiences, which is why we've kept a broad outlook and chosen to grapple with a wide variety of subjects.
Our avid researcher and writer, Jack, has teamed-up with seasoned graphic designer, Julian, to bring you this streamlined and intuitive website, overflowing with rich content. This is our chance to invite you into the glittering world of wearable art. We've delved deep into the pits of a range of specialist subjects, including style, science, history, design and much more. In many ways our old blog was like the keyhole that restricts your view of a beautiful subject. Now we've flung the door wide open, introducing you to the panoply of fine jewellery, whilst also exploring wearable art in a way you've never seen it before.
If you have any queries or would simply like to share your opinion please don't hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively you can follow QP Jewellers via our various social media channels, listed below.


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Governance, Risk & Compliance
|Maturing Assessments
|PCI DSS Remediation Support
|Gap Analysis to ISO & PCI DSS
|ISO/NIST/EU GDPR Standards Alignment
|360° Reviews
|Internal Audits
Many of our clients are actively seeking new ways to mature their information security and governance posture. To that end, the consulting team at ZeroDayLab encourages our clients to move along our GRC maturity curve where the processes of Governance, Risk and Compliance are improved, strengthened and made more resilient in the face of threat actors and ever-increasing compliance demands from government regulations, industry requirements and corporate reputation.
The processes that sit behind ZeroDayLab's Governance, Risk and Compliance services include:
The establishment of policies, procedures and processes that enable continuous monitoring of the security controls implemented within a business. This includes the mechanisms required to balance the powers of the management team to the primary duty of enhancing the prosperity and viability of the business.
A probability of a threat materialising and the assessment of the impact that an adverse event would have on a business. By undertaking a risk assessment, the aim is to minimise the threat and to reduce the impact of a future event.
Enabling an organisation to achieve baseline control requirements through certifications to ISO27001, PCI DSS, SSAE16 (ISAE 3402) that meet the requirements of accepted practice, legislation, prescribed rule, standard or the terms of a contract. ZeroDayLab also advises on legal and regulatory matters such as UK DPA, EU GDPR, FCA, SCC regulations.
- Capability Monitoring Assessments
- Risk Assessments
- Business Impact Assessments
- Remediation
- Threat Capability Assessment
Our consultants help to drive best practice, achieve good governance, reduce and mitigate risk and achieve compliance, in many cases driving competitive advantage in tandem.
Our Senior Consultants are available to discuss your GRC requirements in more detail. We are happy to provide client references and client case studies on request.


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Good friends, beautiful scenery, and a bit of running make for a fantastic weekend in the Methow Valley. Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of the Sunflower Relay and Iron event, and I was there to run it with a
The race went quite well for both the
After the race, the
Long story short, nearly 2 hours and another 2000 feet of climbing later, I was putting every bit of energy I could muster into grinding my way up Eric and Kelly's seemingly endless driveway. I was thoroughly whooped but psyched to have banged out some bonus mileage. The hard work was rewarded handsomely with laps up and down the driveway in the ATV. Boy, you want to talk about a good time?
The rest of the weekend was spent eating delicious food and socializing in a spectacular setting. That's good times in the Methow Valley any way you wanna' slice it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Good Times in the Valley
Good friends, beautiful scenery, and a bit of running make for a fantastic weekend in the Methow Valley. Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of the Sunflower Relay and Iron event, and I was there to run it with a
7 comments:
- padre angulo said...
Congrats! I suppose beating your own team is a semi-douche-y move as well...at least you can kind of claim you kicked your own ass.
- May 4, 2010 at 4:32 PM
I am a huge fan of yours and ultra-running.
I was wondering if it is possible to get a couple of autographed pictures of you for my sons. They would be great keepsakes to pass down to them once they are older. They are 7 and 4.
If that is at all possible please email me at:
- May 20, 2010 at 11:01 AM
- Alison Hanks, LMP said...
you coming over for james' race in june? more fun to be had...
- May 21, 2010 at 7:59 PM
- Games Online said...
Someone asked me the same question:
Wich is the best website for Games Online
There is no doubt that AllGamesOnline.Org
- August 8, 2011 at 11:46 AM
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- September 19, 2011 at 11:07 AM
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- February 27, 2012 at 7:12 PM
- college essays helper said...
Hello Brian,
I'm just wondering what "semi-douche-y" move means? ))
Thank you.
- September 11, 2015 at 7:29 AM


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Facebook Messenger wants to be your favourite app.
In a recent update, it added a new bell and an additional whistle: user can now access their Dropbox account straight from the app, and video chat now has a new 'Chat Head' function - letting you pop video chats into a smaller bubble, enabling you to use the rest of your smartphone screen for other tasks.
But this is just tip of the veritable iceberg of features Facebook is about to announce at its annual F8 developer conference.
Keen observers have spotted that, in a recent update to the current Messenger app, Facebook has dropped a big hint for its ambitions to see companies integrate 'custom service' functions into the app.
The new update now sees a category previously listed as "Business" become "Bots and Businesses" - a clear indication that chatbots will soon start arriving on Messenger, allowing users to communicate with companies via 'intelligent' robots.
These could vary from simple interactions - like booking an Uber from your current location or reserving a table at a local restaurant - to more complex communications, like arranging for a specific bunch of flowers to be delivered to someone's address.
A Live Chat function is also thought to be set to arrive as well, linking you directly to a real-life human at a company via a Messenger contact. Think of it like a customer service phone line, but all via Facebook's app.
We'll find out for sure when Facebook begins its F8 conference at 17:00 on 12 April.


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1990 Dodge 250 3/4 Ton
Click on thumbnails to see full size image.
1990 Dodge Ram 250 - 3/4 ton, 360, auto, 196,000 km, nearly new tires, runs good, needs some bodywork. Last picture is rust on passenger side of roof. Also needs a patch in the drivers floor and there is rust above the rear wheel wells.
First $1500 takes it!
Sorry, this truck has sold!
Call Allan (519)922-3321 or E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com .
Other links:
1928 Durant for sale.
Model T frame for sale.
1918 Chevrolet restoration page
Used Boxliners For Sale
Model T and Model A Parts for sale
britishcarlinks.com home


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Grand Ledge, Mich.
William Leo Jowett, age 78, formerly of Lansing and Port Huron, passed away on August 13, 2012, in the Sparrow Hospice House of Mid Michigan, Lansing. Bill was born on February 7, 1934 in Marysville. He married Jean Fuller on June 23, 1990 in Lansing. He is the son of the late Leo and Edith Jowett.
Bill graduated from Port Huron High School in 1952 and was Class President. He attended Port Huron Junior College for 2 years. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany. He graduated from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1957. He was a longtime Port Huron area Funeral Director and was the former St. Clair County Coroner, a former member of the M.F.D.A. and N.F.D.A. and 55 year funeral director licensee.
He was elected into the Michigan House of Representatives in 1965 and served there for 14 years. He was a multi-client government consultant from 1980 until retiring in 2006. Bill was a former member of the University Club, Past President of the Lansing City Club and a member of the Eagles. He enjoyed golf, hunting, fishing, dancing, traveling and Euchre.
He is survived by his loving wife, L. Jean Jowett of Grand Ledge, children; Bethany (Pat) Lietaert of Grayling, William L. Jowett, Jr. of Beulah, Alan (Terry) Jowett of Marysville, Gaylord (Stephanie) Jowett of Frankfort, Steven (Jennifer) of Lansing, step-children; Lori (Rich) Studley of Grand Ledge and Scott E. Fuller of DeWitt, twin sister; Betty (George) Pake of Rapid City, sister; Pat Flewelling of Tampa, Florida, Grandchildren; Adam, Aaron, Heather, Amy, Danielle, Nick, Andrew, Amanda, K.C., Bill, Weston, Owen, Ethan, Jessie, Rachel, Kalie and Ryan, several great grandchildren and one great great grandchild, sister-in-law; Lois Finkbeiner, special friend; Jerry Brown, along with several nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by a sister, Joyce Riske, granddaughter, Alana Jowett and brother-in-law; Richard Flewelling.
Funeral services will be: Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 11:30am in the Holihan-Atkin Funeral Home – 406 N. Bridge Street, Grand Ledge. Mary Ann Stackpoole will officiate. Burial will be in Delta Center Cemetery. Visiting hours will be Thursday, August 16, 2012 in the Jowett Funeral Home – 1634 Lapeer Ave. at 17th St. Port Huron from 2:00pm – 8:00pm and Friday, August 17, 2012 in the Holihan-Atkin Funeral Home – 406 N. Bridge Street Grand Ledge, from 2:00pm – 8:00pm, and again Saturday from 10:00am until time of service Pallbearers will be; Scott Fuller, Jerry Brown, Nick Jowett, Andrew Jowett, Rich Studley and Ryan Studley. Honorary Pallbearers will be; George Pake, Ken White, Jim Hadden, Bill Kandler and Ray Underwood.
Memorial tributes can be made to Sparrow Hospice.


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London is undoubtedly one of the best shopping capitals in the world. But with such a huge and varied choice on offer, it can be a jungle. So where do you begin?
At best, shopping can be overwhelming and even intimidating.How do you shop for things that echo your personal style, and leave you feeling confident and energised, not frustrated and exhausted?
Coming Soon….!
I am creating a series of guided shopping trips for small groups of like minded people around London and will be your style coach, tour guide and personal shopper rolled into one! firstname.lastname@example.com or more information:


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On October 16 2013, Birthrights hosted the first-ever Dignity in Childbirth Forum at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
We will be reporting on the Forum shortly, but for now, check out the press coverage:
Why are half of UK women not getting the birth they want, The Telegraph
A good birth experience is more than the baby being delivered alive, The Guardian
Davina's emotional praise for her midwife as she backs Birthrights, Best Daily
Here's Davina McCall talking about what dignity in childbirth means to her.
We are grateful to Simon Goldsworthy for taking beautiful photos.
You can download the Forum programme here: Birthrights Dignity Forum Final Programme
The Forum kickstarted our flagship campaign to promote Dignity in Childbirth. Birthrights needs your help to ensure that this campaign realises its potential to reach women, health professionals, policy makers and all those who can join with us to bring about change. Please consider making a donation to support our work.


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Moodle Installation
With a team of experts on core Moodle development and services, we extend our expertise in providing installation services. We install your Moodle site (any version) on Linux/Windows, server optimization of the instance based on user base. Having experience in installing and trouble shooting of third-party plugins for different Moodle versions.


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Development and production of mouse monoclonal antibody
BIOTEM 's expertise and know-how are internationally recognised. The efficient generation of monoclonal antibodies requires to strategically master two crucial stages:
The company masters a wide range of technologies which allows the achievement of highly challenging projects.
For each project, our team carries out the most relevant screening strategy to identify the desired hybridomas / antibodies (with reduced risks of generating false positive and false negative results).
For each project, we define together with our clients very precise specifications based on:
Definition of
Results guaranteed
by BIOTEM
Definition of the most
relevant strategy
Target typology:
- Post-translational modifications (phosphorylation, nitration, glycosylation)
- Intra or extra-cellular proteins
- Membrane proteins (GPCR, ion channels, etc.)
- Peptides
- Nucleic acids
- Cellular antigens (cells, virus, bacteria)
- Chemical compounds (haptens)
End applications:
- Functional tests...
Starting materials & project
- Material available (quantity / purity)
- Immunogenicity
- Toxicity
- Specificity / Cross reactions
- Deadline
Immunisation with peptides is a relevant strategy for the generation of antibodies directed against selected epitopes.
This approach also reduces the need for sophisticated protein preparations for immunisation.
In order to obtain full project success, all the key parameters of peptide design must be taken into account:
- Application (WB, ELISA, IP, IHC...)
- Specificity (wanted /
- Epitope prediction and analysis (different algorithms)
- Conjugation strategy
BIOTEM has tailored solutions for the production of membrane immunogens (GPCR, ion channels...).
Starting with a sequence and/or a plasmid cDNA, the target proteins can be obtained by exclusive methods in the purified form as part of proteo-liposomes and/or as soluble proteins.
- Conformational and functional proteins (quality controls, Patch Clamp, functional test...)
- Generation of antibodies against native epitopes
- Compatible with all immunisation protocols (R.A.D® protocol, subtractive...)
BIOTEM provides a highly efficient service for the custom generation of monoclonal antibodies. Different protocols can be implemented individually or in combination.
Exclusive to BIOTEM
This exclusive method allows the fast development of hybridomas in less than a month (immunisation, fusion and screening included).
The R.A.D ® protocol therefore enables us to shorten by up to 3 months the duration of complete projects (including the stages of cloning and the production/purification of antibodies).
BIOTEM masters various subtractive immunisation methods.
These techniques are particularly useful for the generation of antibodies against epitopes that are poorly immunogenic and/or sharing a high degree of homology.
The genetic immunisation is based on the in vivo production of an immunogenic protein expressed from a plasmid DNA.
This method enables us to rapidly obtain specific antibodies starting from a DNA sequence.
BIOTEM offers its expertise and know-how for the evaluation and implementation of any genetic immunisation project.
in vitro immunisation / re-stimulation
The injection of an immunising agent isn't always the most pertinent approach to develop monoclonal antibodies.
Some molecules are indeed very toxic after injection and/or not immunogenic.
In order to circumvent some of the inherent problems with in vivo immunisation, BIOTEM can propose alternative solutions based on in vitro immunisation protocols.
The development of monoclonal antibodies includes several key screening stages:
Exclusive to BIOTEM
The Cyclop Screening System is a unique technical platform coupled with a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System).
This proprietary technology ensures an optimal management of the complete monoclonal antibody project phases:
Microplate handling and fluidic transfers
Screening robustness
Unparalleled traceability of the clones
- Primary screening
of hybridomas from the fusion
(polyclonal phase)
- Confirmation
test of positive hybridomas
(polyclonal phase)
- Cloning
of hybridomas
(monoclonal cell line)
During these stages, BIOTEM implements an optimised project management:
Productions, Purifications
& Modifications
HyperFlask production, CELLine, Bioreactors, Ascites, Ion exchange chromatography , Affinity, Size exclusion, Antibody precipitation, Hydrophobic interactions, Papain, learn more...


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In our new Flower of the Week series, we'll bring you all things flower, from the cost to the season to the little details you need to ask your florist. This is your go-to guide for blooms ranging from ranunculus to rose. So take a minute to stop and smell (and read!) every "flower Friday."
Sometimes called Lenten roses (although with no relation to the rose family), these sweet and delicate blooms have long been beloved by gardeners, and they've recently starting to come into popularity in floral design. Known for their nodding blossoms that droop in the most endearing way, their lazy stature can sometimes be hard for florists to design around, but they seem to have been finding a way! Maybe you've never noticed them, but we would guess that if you started to look, you'd find them in half of your centerpiece and bouquet pins on Pinterest. One thing to note if you plan on having any pups in your wedding, though: Hellebores are poisonous, so make sure you keep them away from kids and animals.
Almost year-round, but peak seasons are January through March and June through September.
Although they're versatile because of their simplicity and size, we imagine them working best in loose garden arrangements or something with a boho vibe.
Shades of purple (some so deep, they almost look black!), white, green, and pinks. Most are variegated, with a couple of different colors, or spotted.
Price: $-$$
It depends on the variety, but these blooms are on the more affordable side.
Shelf life:
Around seven days.
See more: 32 Impossibly Pretty Rose Bouquets
Works well with:
Because they're so simple, hellebores make for very versatile flowers that mix well with many different blooms. They can be paired with roses and peonies, ranunculus or anemones (which have a similar shape), or anything that feels fresh from the garden and romantic. For a sophisticated monochromatic bouquet, pair white and green hellebores with white garden roses and lots of foliage. For a moody and dramatic centerpiece, use deep-purple hellebores mixed with burgundy peonies, dark berries, and chocolate cosmos.


text: I have traveled to quite a few cities throughout my life. On a recent trip, I had the idea for this website. I want to promote the great things that St. Louis has going on. There is a lot of focus on the negative in St. Louis, but it is a great city. For the… Continue reading Beginning Something New


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On Thursday, July 6, people of all ages are invited to partake in a FREE, Dive-In Movie Night Extravaganza, worthy of going nuts for! The event, taking place at Heritage Park Aquatic Complex located at 310 S. Racetrack Rd in Henderson, begins at 7:00pm and will include activities such as swimming, an inflatable obstacle course, water slide, human checkers, and corn hole. Additional entertainment will be provided by 106.9 The Q, Hot 97.5, the Henderson Fire Department, Peridot Sweets, Kona Ice, PB Crave and Blue Diamond Almonds. Best of all, families will enjoy a meet and greet with their favorite squirrel, Surly!
To continue with the excitement of the event, a screening of the original animated movie The Nut Job, will take place at 8:00pm inside the Aquatic Complex. Guests are welcome to swim while enjoying the film, or stay dry and utilize the poolside seating.
Don't miss out on this great event to have fun at our parks and celebrate the release of The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature coming to theaters nationwide on August 11.
Incorporated in 1953, Henderson is Nevada's second largest city with more than 302,000 residents. Henderson is a premier city, nationally recognized for its stunning parks, trails, master-planned communities, outstanding quality of life and patriotic past. Recognized as one of America's Best Places to Live (MONEY and Liveability.com), one of America's Best Cities (Business Week), one of the top six safest cities in America (Forbes, InsuranceProviders.com, Law Street Media, Movato.com), and a Bicycle Friendly Community (League of American Bicyclists), Henderson is a progressive and vibrant city committed to maintaining premier amenities and services for all who choose to live, learn, work and play in Henderson…a place to call home.
Surly Squirrel (Will Arnett) and the gang are back. We are once again in Oakton where the evil mayor has decided to bulldoze Liberty Park and build a dangerous amusement park in its place. Surly and his ragtag group of animal friends band together to save their home, defeat the mayor, and take back the park. NUT JOB 2 also features the voice talent of Katherine Heigl (The Nut Job), Jackie Chan (Kung Fu Panda 3), Peter Stormare (Penguins of Madagascar), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Isabela Moner (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life), and Maya Rudolph (The Angry Birds Movie). THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE releases in theaters nationwide on August 11.
Please Leave A Comment-
Wow! This is great especially since I live in Henderson, NV.


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I have wonderful news for all you stressed-out parents of kindergartners whose school play was canceled to focus your 5-year-olds on college and career.
Good news, as well, for you anxious 11th-graders, terrified that the Boone's Farm you drank instead of writing a five-paragraph report on The Red Badge of Courage will ruin your future forever. Fantastic news for anyone who, like a certain friend of mine named "me," choked on the SAT. And great, great news for anyone apprehensive about the Common Application and its reputation for glitchiness.
Bard College, a highly selective liberal-arts school in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, is about to enter the second year of a revolutionary college-admissions experiment: four wickedly challenging essays, 2,500 words each, reviewed by Bard faculty (who, I assume, enjoy grading papers). All four essays get a B+ or higher? You're in, period. No standardized test, no GPA, no CV inflated with disingenuous volunteer work. Last year, 41 students completed what the college is calling the Bard Entrance Exam—and 17 scored high enough to be admitted.
This coming fall, that number may be substantially larger, as the country's only true alternative application to an elite school gains publicity. I'm certainly doing my part to push it, because the idea is genius.
The ramped-up pressures of admission, especially to elite schools, are very apparent to any Gen Xer (or older) who spends time with millennial college students. There is no way, for example, that 1994-era me would nowadays be admitted to my own alma mater, Vassar College.
Today, perfection is the bare minimum: 4.0 and co-valedictorian, perfect Board scores, spotless extracurriculars, 30 hours a week of volunteering you don't enjoy, a perfectly platitudinous essay about the Challenges In Your Life That Have Made You a Better Person—and then you might make the first cut. Don't get me wrong—I love a high school goody two-shoes. But are they really the only people who deserve to go to a great college? Does an entire school full of imagination-bereft perfection not result in the sad demise of collegiate fun?
The Bard Entrance Exam aims for exactly the kind of student who, for any number of reasons, doesn't fit inside that infernal perfection cage—who is instead, as Bard's Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Admissions Mary Backlund told me, "someone who really likes learning," but perhaps "couldn't be bothered with what they saw as the 'busy work' of high school, and instead invested themselves in things not perceived as 'academic' in some places, like music or the arts—or just reading on their own." For these students, Backlund tells me, "this option is a 'twofer': They get to apply and do what they love—researching and thinking—all at the same time."
Granted, many stress-addled seniors don't research for kicks, and for them, the Common Application is a time saver—although how does a young person memorize her own Social Security number nowadays, if she's not made to write it by hand into seven different applications in a row? Granted, many universities require supplementary essays—such as Tufts' infamous prompt about #YOLO.
But the Common App, which acts as a clearinghouse for everything from a student's name and address to her GPA, extracurriculars, and recommendation dossiers, may still strike artsy or angsty students as poorly indicative of what they have to offer. Its emphasis on the usual prestige-suspects also disadvantages students with more eccentric résumés. But for almost every school in the country, there is no alternative. Except at Bard.
The genius in Bard's method is that while it might be simpler in construction than the Common Application, it is substantially more difficult. Students have 21 essays to choose from, in three subject areas: social science, history, and philosophy; arts and literature; science and mathematics. "The faculty had a lot of fun" designing the essays, Backlund says, "not to be hard, but to be engaging and open, so that the applicants had something real to chew on and show their thinking abilities." All require substantial amounts of original research (all sources are available on the portal) and close reading. Last year's questions included this one:
In his 1963 lecture on gravity (you can also see the video here), Richard Feynman mentions that the "weird" behavior of Uranus led to the discovery of a new planet.
More precisely, the fact that Uranus's movement did not fit what was predicted by the then-current understanding of planetary motion could be explained by the existence of a not-yet-observed planet—and the planet was then observed right where predicted. Suppose that observatories had looked at the indicated position and had not actually found the predicted planet.
What then? What new questions would this outcome pose for the scientific community? How could they test other explanations for the unexpected motion of Uranus?
Personally, I think any kid that manages to write 2,500 words without joking about "the unexpected motion of Uranus" deserves automatic admission—but seriously, that essay doesn't mess around.
It's a fascinating hypothetical; it takes into account astronomy, physics, and math, but also the philosophy of science and the thrill of the unknown that research confronts. Plus, a healthy dose of Feynman! I've seen this year's questions released June 2, by creating an application myself that, sheesh, no way will I finish. They are just as tough.
Skeptics have argued that these essays are just another way for privileged students to pay for "help" in their college applications. (I know at least a few unscrupulous and unemployed Ph.D.s who'd be game.) But Backlund assures me Bard has accountability measures: Every incoming freshman takes a three-week workshop in " Language and Thinking" before school officially starts.
"Everyone has to pass L+T to matriculate into the College," she explains, and at the workshop, faculty will have successful Entrance Exam applicants' essays in hand. "If, over the three weeks, it becomes obvious there is a real discrepancy" between their admissions essays and their work for L+T, "we can take appropriate action, and the student will not face 'expulsion,' as they will not have as yet 'matriculated' at the College."
There are other schools in the U.S.—many, like Bard, elite small colleges—that don't require the SAT or ACT. St. John's College (you know, that "Great Books place," where they all learn geometry in Greek or something) also requires a unique set of essays—but they still require the Common Application and view transcripts. Even my birthplace, Deep Springs College, possibly the most iconoclastic institution of higher learning ever, requires Board scores and transcripts.
But Bard seems to be the sole college of its caliber in the United States to give students the option to absolutely blow their high-school classes and still have a chance to be great in college. Since I find it preposterous to determine a young person's entire future based on her choices as a 14-year-old, I couldn't be happier that the BEE, as Backlund puts it, subverts the "the mad doggie-tail chase created by U.S. News and the Common App." (However, Backlund does not begrudge any student who wishes to use the Common App: Bard still accepts it, after all.)
But why don't more colleges offer alternatives to the traditional application—alternatives that acknowledge that many promising young people simply crash in high school because their lives are messes, or their families are falling apart, or because they just plain hate it? And why stop with essays (which, face it, are not the cup of tea of plenty of kids who might still excel in college)?
What about submitting a spectacular and original science or math project? The detailed business model of a company you invented? I wish more American colleges and universities would stop asking students to jump through a series of increasingly privilege-reifying hoops (the current admissions process favors higher-income students) and start asking for applicants to show their real potential.
So, eccentric 15-year-olds of America: Keep skipping class to paint graffiti murals on the side of the abandoned White Castle! Quit that insincere volunteer work and get the part-time job you really need! And when some authoritarian tells you you'll never get into a good college with behavior like that? You tell him you're going to Bard.


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But given the questions I get from readers and friends alike, it seems there is still some mystery surrounding the latest formats. Many users don't know just what's required to add Ultra HD to their home entertainment systems. Today I'll try to clear up a few things so you'll know whether or not to make the investment.
(Image copyright LG)
Video display technology is always surrounded by confusing jargon. Manufacturers all offer similar products so they attempt to separate themselves from the competition by using unique terms to define features. A great example of this is "LED TV". It suggests that the display has pixels made up of individual LEDs which we know is not the case. LED simply refers to the backlight. The panel is still a liquid crystal display that has changed little since first inception.
We're seeing the same phenomenon today with the words "4K" and "Ultra HD". Are they the same thing? Strictly speaking, they aren't. True 4K has a horizontal resolution of 4096 pixels. Most display manufacturers misuse the term by calling their products "4K Ultra HD" when they have a resolution of 3840×2160. This is more accurately known as "Ultra HD." The term 4K is appropriate when used to describe the Digital Cinema Initiative standard and its 4096-pixel width.
For today's purposes, we'll be talking about consumer displays, televisions and projectors, which offer a resolution of 3840×2160. And I'll be referring to that standard as Ultra HD.
My first viewing of an Ultra HD display was at the CEDIA Expo in 2012. Sony was showing a spectacular 85-inch television with a native resolution of 3840×2160 and a staggering price tag of $25,000. The native content being shown was classic demo material with lots of slow pans, bright saturated color and detailed shots of faces, flowers, cityscapes and the like.
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The first question on everyone's lips was, "will it accept a native resolution signal?" This harkens back to the first 1080p TVs which couldn't accept signals at full resolution. The answer from Sony was "yes, at a 30Hz refresh rate." This was not a limitation created by the manufacturer. 2012 was the first appearance of the HDMI 2.0 standard. It was only on paper at the time; no shipping products had the new interface.
Today it's still not a universal feature. Most Ultra HD TVs have only a single HDMI 2.0 input. The rest are still 1.4a. To accept an Ultra HD signal at 60Hz, you'll need 2.0. Otherwise you're limited to 30Hz. Is this a big deal? Well actually, no. Film content is still mastered at 24fps so even the latest Ultra HD Blu-rays should work fine over an HDMI 1.4 connection, right? Well that answer is not as clear so we'll have to dive in to the details at this point.
(Image copyright VIZIO)
Ultra HD is invading the display market much like 3D did a few years ago. The first couple of years saw only premium models selling for high prices. But now it has become a commodity. In fact I just finished up a review of an excellent VIZIO 65-inch D-series panel that sells for only $1000.
So it's a pretty good bet that before long, the only way to buy a 1080p display will be to either go small (under 40 inches) or to buy at the absolute bottom price point of a product line. You'll have it whether you want it or not.
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But those reading this article are likely to be a little more discriminating. You don't want to buy your display based on information from the sales dude at Costco. So if you're shopping for a new television and Ultra HD is at or near the top of your wishlist, there are a couple of things you should look for.
First and foremost is HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) version 2.2. This is an absolute must. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, buy a display without it. If you do, the only way to get native Ultra HD content into it will be through streaming. And that's likely to be limited to the TV's built-in interface. External devices capable of producing an Ultra HD signal will be looking for HDCP 2.2 and if they don't find it, surprise! Your content will be down-rezzed to 1080p. Yes, the panel will upscale to its native resolution. But if you're going to invest in a new TV, it should accept Ultra HD signals from any compatible source.
The nice thing about ensuring HDCP 2.2 compatibility is that it goes hand-in-hand with HDMI 2.0. This is the necessary interface for an Ultra HD signal at 60Hz. As I stated earlier, HDMI 1.4 will only support 30Hz. This is fine for film content of course, but an Ultra HD Blu-ray player will only send an Ultra HD signal to (you guessed it) a display with HDCP 2.2.
So in summary, look for HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 in your new Ultra HD TV. Anything else is obsolete already.
At this writing I have seen only one line of consumer-level projectors that support Ultra HD natively and that's the ES series from Sony. They have developed their own three-chip SXRD design with a max resolution of 4096×2160 pixels, the full DCI-P3 spec. Being a reflective imaging technology, it has the deep contrast one would expect from an LCoS variant. It won't quite produce the super-deep blacks of the latest JVC models but that company doesn't have true 4K either.
The least-expensive Sony 4K model is the VPL-VW350ES at $7999 and it includes HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 for full compatibility with current and upcoming Ultra HD Blu-ray players as well as Sony's own FMP-X10 media server which also supports Ultra HD. It should be noted that firmware updates have just been released for the VPL-VW365ES ($9999) and 665ES ($14,999) that add HDR compatibility for Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. So if you have the budget, these displays will offer the most current tech.
There are two other companies marketing home theater projectors that support Ultra HD but their imaging chips are only 1080p native. I'm talking about the Epson LS10000 laser model and JVC's line of D-ILA displays. They all use a pixel shift method to create the illusion of higher resolution without actually possessing the extra pixels. Here's how it works.
First off, both brands' projectors run at a 120Hz refresh rate. That's important because it allows each frame to be displayed twice. The image below comes from JVC. Their tech is called e-shift.
At left are the three imaging chips, red, green and blue. They pass light through the e-shift device which is a computer-controlled refractor. It can shift the image by a half-pixel diagonally. So each frame is first displayed natively, then shifted as shown by the graphic at the far right. Our eyes' persistence of vision stitches the two images together into a virtual Ultra HD image. Thanks to some fancy video processing, this method does a decent job of increasing perceived resolution; mainly by eliminating the pixel gap.
Epson's method is called 4K Enhancement and it works exactly the same way. Both companies' products accept Ultra HD signals and support HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2.
Speaking of Epson, the LS10000 is unique in another way, the inclusion of a laser light engine. Is this something that will improve image quality? I reviewed this fine projector just recently https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/video-display/projectors/epson-pro-cinema-ls10000-laser-projector-review/ and found it to have one of the most stunning images I'd seen to date. However, the lasers, in my opinion, do not make the image sharper or more detailed; not in the same way as a high-quality lens does for instance. The LS10000 looks great for a number of reasons, the main one being its high contrast. Epson is using a reflective chipset similar to the LCoS tech found in Sony and JVC projectors. The only difference is the use of a quartz substrate rather than silicon. In my opinion this is the principle reason for its fantastic image. Lasers enable a lot of great things like a long service life, accurate color, and wider gamuts; but I do not believe they are required for good image fidelity. A UHP lamp when combined with other high-end components and optics can produce a picture of equal quality.
So we've established that an Ultra HD display should, without a doubt, have HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 if you plan to make the full transition to this new format. There are really no other major considerations for TV or projector buyers to consider. All the other tenets of imaging science still apply. The best displays will have high contrast, accurate and saturated color, and high resolution. Simple. So let's talk about sources.
When Ultra HD first appeared in 2012, the only available sources were streamed. Right off the bat, the technology hobbled itself by depending on highly-compressed content. There is far more to image quality than simply increasing resolution. Obviously the bandwidth requirement is substantial for 8.2 mega-pixels. The only way to move that over the Internet is with a lot of compression. Those extra pixels don't mean much when they're asked to display nasty color banding and block artifacts.
Buyers of early Ultra HD TVs from Sony could also purchase a media server with an internal hard drive. It provided a solution in the form of downloadable content that was much closer to Blu-ray quality. Of course even with a fast Internet connection you'd have to transfer your movies in advance. When I reviewed the XBR-65X900B, I also had an FMP-X10 on hand. It took about two hours to download a 45-minute documentary on air racing. The footage looked amazing and was completely demo-worthy in every way.
Today's Ultra HD TVs almost universally include a streaming interface built right into the set. This is a great way to enjoy lots of content from Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and other providers. I've sampled some Ultra HD shows from Amazon and found them to vary in quality. Clips I watched from Bosch and Man In The High Castle looked amazing while the BBC show Orphan Black didn't fare as well. So it's pretty safe to say that streamed Ultra HD content is going to be a crapshoot for now.
So what is a videophile to do? Just as when 1080p hit the streets, the best solution always comes on a shiny disc.
We've seen announcements and previews of Ultra HD Blu-ray players for a while now but as of this writing the only component actually available for sale at the moment is Samsung's UBD-K8500 at $400. It supports HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 so it should work with a similarly-equipped display. It will upscale 1080p Blu-ray content to Ultra HD as well as playing the latest UHD discs which are also just starting to appear. It also supports HDR10 which is the HDR standard used on said discs. It isn't compatible with Dolby Vision so we'll have to wait and see if that becomes an issue.
In April Panasonic shipped its DMP-UB900 to consumers in the UK. Hopefully it will be available over here by the time you read this. It also adds HDR capability to the mix. There's no way to know where those specs will finally land so buying an HDR-capable player now may be a gamble.
Other manufacturers are only teasing products right now though I have it on good authority that Oppo will have a unit available before long. For those thinking about UHD Blu-ray I'll repeat my advice from above. Make sure it has HDCP 2.2!
Of course when one spends $400 or more on a new disc player, one hopes that there will be lots of shiny discs to go with it. Well they are coming out a little at a time just like the first 1080p Blu-rays in 2006. And surprisingly they don't sell for a huge premium. The UHD version of Deadpool is only five bucks more on Amazon than the 1080p copy.
And what of the fabled Redray player? When I went to CEDIA 2012 and 2013, all the Ultra HD demos were streamed from one of these high-end boxes. It contains a 1Tb hard drive and an Ethernet connection for downloads. Its video quality is pretty much unparalleled but there is a catch – it doesn't support HDMI 2.0. Even though well-heeled users can add one to their rack for about $1500, it won't be able to play the latest content and it won't support HDR either.
There is another issue people should be aware of before getting too excited over Ultra HD. How are the Hollywood movies we all consume actually filmed? Some of us remember when the Star Wars movies were first released on Blu-ray. Episodes I-III (1999-2005) were the first major productions shot using digital cameras. And only Episode III had elements captured at 1920×1080 resolution. While this is fine for the Blu-ray we all know and love today, how will it translate to an Ultra HD re-master?
The newest chapter, The Force Awakens, was shot on a combination of digital and film cameras then transferred to a 4K master. Yet the CGI effects were rendered in 2K and up-scaled. Will this affect image quality? I certainly didn't notice a problem when watching it in IMAX digital. So it's hard to imagine an issue when viewing the Ultra HD Blu-ray (when it's released) on a much smaller screen.
Many movies today are shot on either all-digital cameras or partially on film. Transferring the latter is pretty easy to do in either 4K or 8K resolution. But sometimes digital cameras, like the Arri Alexa are only shooting at 2.8K or 3.2K. At some point in post-production, the image may be upscaled to 4K to create a final print for film-equipped theaters or copied to a hard disk for digital presentations.
Another issue faced by film-makers is practical resolution. Even though a camera may have a 4K image sensor, the effective resolution can be as little as 70 percent of that. This is due to processing steps like a low-pass filter for example, that reduce resolution before the image is saved. According to one industry insider I spoke with, upcoming cameras with 8K sensors will be the first to deliver true 4K footage.
Of the aforementioned CGI effects, 2K is the norm for pretty much every studio today. The processing power required to create this resolution is quite high so imagine how much hardware one would need to create 4K renderings. When a system has to produce thousands of film frames individually, we're talking about potential production times in days rather than hours. The only film I'm aware of with 4K rendered effects is Disney's Tomorrowland.
For those interested in the future of Ultra HD Blu-ray, keep an eye on Sony Studios. They are the only company that currently masters everything in 4K with HDR. Ultimately it's the latter standard that will separate the best from the rest.
So many products and technologies are marketed as "future-proof." Many of you realize by now that this is untrue. You will never be able to purchase a technology that doesn't become obsolete at some point in time. That being said, there are some choices available that will stave off the need for upgrades for at least a few years.
I've already mentioned this but it bears repeating – HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2. These standards are paramount to any purchase of an Ultra HD display, source or any device you plan to install in the signal path. This would include things like sound bars, receivers and the like. It is quite possible that you'll have to replace your entire AV system to fully accommodate Ultra HD. But if you're willing to accept the compression that comes with streaming, you can enjoy a fair amount of content right now by simply purchasing an Ultra HD TV with a good user interface.
Once you move outside the display's built-in software things get a little more complicated. You can't really get the wrong Ultra HD Blu-ray player right now because there's only the single Samsung model. It's too early to tell whether or not it become a standard-bearer but since it doesn't include Dolby Vision support, it might be an early-adopter product.
If you don't want to invest in shiny discs just yet, you can get downloadable content through Sony's FMP-X10 media server. It has the necessary interface and an internal hard drive. So when you want the best possible quality, it's only a multi-hour download away.
Receivers, soundbars and processors all seem to be coming out with the correct input and HDCP support as well. Just make sure to check those specs before pulling the trigger.
Projector fans have more limited choices. Only Sony sells a consumer line of native 4K/Ultra HD models. And since they lack any sort of built-in streaming, you'll have to go with a new UHD Blu-ray player, media server or streaming box to explore their full potential.
The final question one should ask before making wholesale changes to their entertainment system is – will all this make my picture look better? After viewing countless demos of Ultra HD televisions and projectors, my answer is yes, a little. Regardless of screen size, you'll see a greater difference between standard def 480i and 1080p then you will when going from 1080p to Ultra HD. I have spent a fair amount of time watching Ultra HD televisions for reviews and though I can see the effect on a 65-inch screen, it's not something I'm immediately inspired to buy. A 1080p display with good contrast, accurate color and a sharp image will create an equal sense of immersion and suspension of disbelief.
This axiom holds true for projectors as well. While I haven't reviewed the Sony ES-series models, I've had both JVC and Epson examples in my theater that use shift technology to increase resolution. While there is a visible difference, again it's a small one. I still hold that contrast is king and if a projector came along that offered significantly more contrast than my six-year-old Anthem LTX-500, I'd buy it even if were 1080p.
Through the course of this article I've only mentioned HDR in passing. High Dynamic Range has a far-greater impact on image quality than any increase in pixel count will ever have. While Ultra HD is coming to all our homes eventually, the real focus should be on that technology. So I'll wind this up with a simple recommendation: If you need a new display right now, by all means go for Ultra HD with HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2. But if you aren't in a hurry, let's see what happens with HDR in the near-term. It's likely that every major display manufacturer will be announcing new models at CES in January 2016. That will hopefully solidify a standard for HDR that we can all bank on.
Ultra HD is here for sure and you can enjoy it right now with a decent amount of native content. But the real upgrade will come when it's combined with HDR. Now that will be an image worth investing in. The next year will likely included some exciting new products that take a significant leap in image fidelity. Ultra HD is just part of that leap. I'm truly excited to see what's coming next!


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A world leader in international student placement services
and a proud co-owner of IELTS
Poster Session
Poster Session: Why Do International Students Choose a Particular Study Destination?
Presented Wednesday, May 31 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Last year we had an amazing Poster Session, where we mapped out the decision making process for international students in the digital age. You can take a look at that poster below.
In this year's session, presenters Ayanna Brady, Client Relations Manager and Lyndell Jacka will explore a student buying behavior study that looks at the perception that international students have of the five major destination countries. They will drill down to specifics including destination and other locale-based questions.
|Ayanna Brady is constantly sharing creative ways to engage the dynamic environment of international education. Her background includes a number of global posts held such as English Language Instructor (Japan), Global Account Manager (US) and Partner Relations Manager (Canada), yet earlier in her career, Ayanna supported the implementation of large-scale computerized testing systems across five continents for government agencies, private organizations and non-profit institutions.