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Mini-retreats to sneak into your day
Stress has a way of permeating people's lives. It hits in big ways, like financial and health problems, and sneaks in with the daily agitations of commuting, overcommitting and caring for family members. Even happy events bring along new responsibilities and stressors.
How to keep your cool? Go on a mini-retreat.
Nathalie Longpré, owner of Boutique & Spa signé Pevonia at the Hotel Manoir Victoria in Quebec City, believes it's important to stop and take time for yourself. "Sometimes we're so caught up in our daily activities that we run out of breath," she says. "We have to stop, clear the mind, take time and get in touch with ourselves." That's what a mini-retreat is all about.
-- By Teresa Bergen for MSN Healthy Living
Get out in nature
Stress can make you feel scattered and unable to think clearly. A University of Michigan study published in the journal Psychological Science investigated the effects of nature on people's cognitive skills. They divided 38 participants into two groups. One went on a daily 50-minute walk through the Ann Arbor Arboretum. The other group walked in traffic-filled downtown. Afterwards, the people who walked among trees tested 20 percent higher on mental acuity. Results were the same regardless of weather conditions.
If you only have a few minutes, visit your nearest city park, walk your dog or just stroll around the block and admire flowers, cats or whatever part of the natural world is available. Even a minute of contemplation can be restful. Hugo Manuel Gonzalez, a lawyer in Guayaquil, Ecuador, rests his mind by pausing every day to gaze at the Guayas River flowing past his office.
Go inward: Meditation
The ancient practice of meditation has moved decisively into the mainstream. Originally used to connect with the mystic and sacred, modern folks also use it to relax and de-stress. Meditation is simple, free and can be done anywhere.
Meditation can help increase self-awareness and focus on the present. While studies are ongoing, MayoClinic.com is cautiously optimistic about using meditation to ease asthma, binge eating, pain, cancer, substance abuse and various other conditions.
Around the world, people practice many types of meditation. It can be as simple as closing your eyes and focusing on your breath, or silently repeating an affirmation or mantra. Even a minute or two can alter your perspective on a stressful situation.
Dance to a favorite song
One of the best stress relievers is exercise. But many people who claim to dislike exercise still enjoy dancing. Phiroozeh Romer, who teaches an Indian music-based dance fitness program called Bombay Jam, feels better when she takes time to dance to Bollywood music. "When you're dancing, you don't notice you're exercising," she says. "You don't notice your heart rate because you're too busy grooving to the music and the moves and feeling like a Bollywood heroine."
Whatever makes you shake your hips — be it blues, rap, rock or classical — change your perspective by combining music and movement for a perfect mini-retreat.
Eat something really good
Long, stressful days of nonstop action often mean missing regular meals or gobbling on the go. Retreat by sitting down and savoring something you enjoy. This could be a spinach salad, an oatmeal cookie or a slice of lemon pie. Whatever it is, pay attention to the flavor, texture and the way it nourishes you.
"I love a cool glass of sparkling water with fresh lemon along with two or three pieces of organic dark chocolate," says Ava Roxanne Stritt, a retreat expert who writes the popular Spa Travel Gal blog. "Find a relaxing chair or chaise longue to truly feel indulgent."
Quick or at-home spa treatment
If you have time to sneak off to a spa, many offer express services. "People come here to have somebody take care of them," says spa owner Longpré. Computers and smart phones cannot replace the feeling of somebody's hands touching you, she says. "It's a special moment, human being to human being." For a mini-spa retreat, Longpré recommends an express facial or a 20-minute massage focusing on your back and neck.
No time to get to the spa? Stritt suggests combining two tablespoons yogurt, two tablespoons honey and two drops of lavender essential oil for a gentle and soothing homemade face mask.
Say your prayers
Religions have long traditions of spiritual retreats. People of faith understand the importance of a spiritual pause. "Taking the time to stop what you are doing in the midst of a busy day is vital to recharging our life's batteries," says Cornelia Becker Seigneur, a journalist who writes about faith and family. "The way I personally do this is through prayer."
Whether you prefer formal, memorized prayers or a more open-ended chat with the divine, many people find that praying increases their sense of connection with the world. You can sit in a quiet corner of your house or pop into a church. Becker Seigneur likes to pray about her work, family and creative pursuits while walking outside. "I am much more productive when I take the time to ask God in prayer to guide my life and work," she says.
The more ways people communicate, the more they long to ditch their devices and go off the grid. But at the same time, when confronted by technological unavailability, they may panic and not know what to do with themselves. Many folks who sign up for silent meditation retreats don't make it through the week.
So start small. Try 30 minutes of silence: no talking, no listening to music, no podcasts, no TV, no texting or other e-chatter. Don't even talk to your dog. Do the dishes with only your thoughts for company. Sit in a chair and stare into space. But whatever you do, do it silently.
If you spend your workday crunching numbers, programming or otherwise using lots of brain power, you may feel out of touch with the rest of your body. Slipping away to a yoga class can help reintegrate the body and mind. The trick is finding the right class. If you're new to yoga, go to a beginning class. Avoid advanced classes where people contort themselves into pretzel shapes, as this will only frustrate.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, yoga's meditative state calms your sympathetic nervous system and promotes rest and digestion. It improves focus, decreases stress, relieves menopause symptoms, and fosters concentration, better mood and better sleep. Once you've been to some classes, you can practice a few favorite poses at home, work or in a hotel room.


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Here's a link to a good blog post about saving money. I left a comment there if you'd like to read it. There's also a link to another good site with 101 ways to trim your budget.
Jim's Rants: With some common sense, you can save money.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Good advice from: Jim's Rants: With some common sense, you can save money.
Here's a link to a good blog post about saving money. I left a comment there if you'd like to read it. There's also a link to another good site with 101 ways to trim your budget.
Posted by Weezy at 9:27 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Make money with Affiliate Marketing - AdBrite
If you have a website or blog, you probably already know about affiliate marketing. But are you actually making money from it? Affiliate marketing programs are programs where you promote someone else's site/product/service & they pay you a small fee for your efforts. Basically they are paying you to advertise on your site.
There are many programs out there, and I'm not sure which ones are the best, but I do know from my experiences which ones I prefer to use (or not use). I've tried Google's Adsense, but didn't make much, not even a penny a day. So I dropped them and switched to AdBrite and now I make 5 to 15 cents a day, which is pretty good since I don't get a lot of traffic (averaging 50 visits/day for each of my 3 blogs) . But I just started blogging, and I'm hoping to get the numbers up to 50 cents/day & 500 visits/day in the next few months.
AdBrite is a good site that offers 3 kinds of advertising: Text, Banner, & Active Interstitial ads. Just sign up, describe your site, customize your ad, then wait & see which companies decide to advertise on your site. The great thing about AdBrite is that when someone clicks on "Your Ad Here" they get sent to a page with statistics about your site, and they can bid on your advertising space. This is good because the bidding drives up the ad price & you make more money. AdBrite also pays you for referrals. For buying or selling of ad space referred by your site, you get 50% of the profit for the 1st 3 months, 10% for the next 9 months.
There are other affiliate programs out there, and I will write about them in future posts. I will also update you on my profits from my all my affiliate marketing programs.
Posted by Weezy at 10:41 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Money Saving Tips from my Vegas Vacation
So, I have returned from "Sin City" - Las Vegas, and I have many money saving tips to share with you. Unfortunately, I didn't win any big jackpots, I actually lost money gambling. BUT, I did manage to save money on food & entertainment while I was there.
First of all, I always go to Vegas during the week because the room rates are much less expensive than the weekend, and it's also less crowded during the week. On this particular trip, I got the best deal ever - my room was 100% FREE. That's right, I said FREE. How did I get a free room in Vegas, you ask, well it's easier than you think. I sign up for Player's Club cards at the casinos I visit often. Player's club cards are cards that you use while you gamble (slots, table games, poker, or bingo - each casino has different rules & rewards) and the casino tracks your gaming and rewards you with free stuff (comps) or with cash. The free stuff can be anything from a free T-shirt, to a free buffet, to a free room at their hotel, or more. I am a member of the Harrah's Resort club which includes the following hotels: Harrah's, Rio, Flamingo, Paris, Caesar's, Bally's, & more. I got 2 nights free at the Flamingo hotel which would have normally cost around $75 per night, so I saved roughly $150 just in hotel costs.
If you don't have these deals available to you, then I would suggest checking the hotel websites directly for their best deals and any promotions they might be offering. A good time to go to Vegas is immediately before or after a holiday. Those days are usually the cheapest. I never use a travel company/agency to book my reservations. It's usually cheaper to book everything yourself directly with the airline (if you fly) or with the hotel. That way you can shop around and get the best deal that airline or hotel is offering.
Whenever I go to Vegas, I always stop at State line (the Nevada-California border) to have their Jackpot Special breakfast. I leave really early in the morning so that I get to the border around 9am (driving time approx. 4 hours). The Primm Valley and Buffalo Bill's casinos both have the Jackpot special which costs $3.75 for 3 eggs, hash browns, & toast. A good, cheap breakfast to start the day.
At the South Point Hotel & Casino, I found a good, cheap all you can eat buffet for $6.45 for breakfast and $7.45 for lunch. Dinner is a bit more, at $12.95 but I haven't tried that one, so I can't comment on the quality. The breakfast has a large variety of "breakfast foods" but it also has Chinese and Mexican foods as well. The lunch buffet is also good for the price, which includes shrimp, and Italian food, as well as Chinese, Mexican & other foods.
For the rest of my Vegas money saving tips be sure to come back & visit my blog. I will post the rest of my Vegas tips in the near future.
And to read more about my Vegas Vacation visit my other blog - Weezy's 2 Cents where I will be posting some of the best pictures from my trip.
Or click HERE to see my gallery of pictures.
Posted by Weezy at 4:15 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Vegas Vacation
I'm leaving for my Vegas Vacation tomorrow, so I won't be posting for a few days. But when I return, I'll share some of my money saving tips while visiting Las Vegas. That's right, you can vacation, gamble, drink, party like a rock star, AND save money at the same time. I'll tell you how... When I return.
Wish me luck!
Posted by Weezy at 10:20 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, July 20, 2007
Buy Generic & Save Money
You can save a lot of money by buying generic (or store brand) products instead of the name brand. Generic products are less expensive and are usually just as good as name brands. I've even heard that some generic products are the exact same product as the name brand, but without the fancy name brand label.
Here are some good examples of cheap, but good generic products. These are some examples of what I buy on a regular basis. You may or may not have the same opinions on these particular generic products, but if you haven't tried them, I would suggest trying them at least once. You never know, you may end up liking them, and switching over for good.
- Canned & frozen fruits & vegetables
- Paper products like paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper
- Plastic bags - sandwich, snack size, freezer bags
- Cereals
- Laundry detergent
- Crackers, chips, & nuts
- Soda (unless you're addicted to Coke or Pepsi products)
- Bottled water (again, unless you're addicted to your brand of water)
Here are some generic products that I believe are not always better than their name brand equivalents:
- Trash bags
- Canned soups
- Tooth paste
- Soap - hand soap or body bars
- Shampoo & Conditioners
- Antiperspirant/Deodorant
- Hand & face lotions
Please feel free to comment on your experiences with these products, or add new ones the the list.
Posted by Weezy at 9:23 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
How I Saved $5.25 for Dinner last night + I have leftovers
So I just wanted to share with you how I saved money last night when I went out for dinner. I went to a local shopping center and ate in the food court. I had a coupon for Daphne's Greek Cafe which was buy one plate, get another plate for 50% off. My plate was $7.50, and so I saved half of that, or $3.75. And I didn't order a drink, I got a cup for water, so I saved another $1.50. And I didn't eat the whole thing, so I had the rest for lunch today. $3.75 for a Gyro plate (basically 2 meals) - 1 dinner & 1 lunch at work. That's roughly $1.88 per meal - what a bargain!
Whenever I eat out I know it will be somewhat expensive, so I always try to find the best bargain for the price. That is, I try to get enough food for that meal, plus at least one other meal, but for a good price. Pasta dishes, Mexican food, and Chinese food, are usually good large meals that give me lots of leftovers. I love saving money, but I also like having something quick & easy, and ready for me to eat the next day at work.
Posted by Weezy at 11:04 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, July 16, 2007
Recycling update 7/16/07 = $2.75
So, I just recycled a bunch of my plastic bottles and got $2.75. This was about 2 weeks worth of recycling. I don't buy bottled water or sodas, but I get them from other people who do (mostly at work). Because I live in California, we get $0.05 for each small bottle & aluminum can we recycle, and $0.10 for each large bottle/can (small = less than 24 ounces, large = 24 ounces or larger). And you can also recycling other materials too (usually by weight): glass, newspaper, computer paper, aluminum, and other scrap metals. Each state is different so check your state's recycling programs. Some states pay more or less than the 5 & 10 cents California pays.
If you can collect a lot of bottles/cans from wherever you can find them, you can really make a lot of money. Like I said, I usually get them from my co-workers, but you can also find them in parks, or on the street, as people just like to throw their bottles/cans anywhere, littering up our neighborhoods.
Recycling is really a great way to help the environment by reducing trash and saving energy. It takes less energy to recycle an old bottle into a new one, than it takes to create a new bottle from scratch. Less energy wasted means less pollution/toxins that are released into the air, and thus keeping the air we breath nice and clean.
Posted by Weezy at 2:57 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: money making tip, recycle
Friday, July 13, 2007
Use your credit card to Make Money
A great way to earn extra cash or bonuses like airline miles is to get one of those reward credit cards. These cards can be very rewarding if you use them wisely. I'm not saying that you should go out there and get a bunch of credit cards and buy, buy, buy, just to make money. I am saying that if you have a credit card, and are responsible enough to pay off your bills each month, then why not be rewarded for it.
There are tons of reward cards out there, so make sure you get one that doesn't have an annual fee, or high interest rates. If you travel a lot, get a card that offers free hotel rooms, or free airfare. If you just want free stuff, there are cards that allow you to accumulate points to use towards free electronics, DVDs, sporting equipment, & more, or just get a gift card to your favorite store or restaurant and buy what you want. And then there are cards the reward you with cold hard cash. But these cards usually have low limits on the amount they payout each year.
Bankrate.com is a good site for comparing credit cards. You can search by different categories like rewards, lowest interest rates, airline miles, and no-fee cards. Also remember that with some credit card companies, you can negotiate for a lower interest rate. But you have to ask, and be persistent. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 tries to get them to give in.
I have the Citibank mastercard which gives me points that I usually use to get gift cards to Target, or one of my favorite restaurants (note: you can get gift cards for free and give them out as Christmas or Birthday gifts; your friends and family will never know).
Some of the Citibank cards even give you a bonus for signing up. Usually anywhere from $50 -$100 (they give you 6,000 - 10,000 points which you can use to get $50-100 in free stuff.)
Just remember that you really only need 2 -3 credit cards in total, and please do not max out your cards to the point that you feel like you can't recover. Know your spending limits and never spend more than you can afford to pay. I always use my credit card so that I can accumulate free stuff, but I always pay off the balance each month. This is the best way to use your credit card, so please try it!
Posted by Weezy at 11:04 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: credit card
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Money Saving & Environmental Tips
Here's a few tips that can save you money, make you money, and help the environment, all at once.
- Recycling - depending on where you live you can get $0.01 - $0.10 per plastic bottle, glass bottle, or aluminum can. Or if you go by weight you can also recycle these items and some types of scrap metals & newspaper.
- Using energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL'S) instead of the old incandescent bulbs can not only save you money on energy bills, but will also help the environment by using less electricity. Buy them in bulk (6-8 pack) at warehouse/club stores to save even more.
- Turn off lights, computers, televisions, & other electrical devices when not in use.
- Unplug any electrical devices you don't use on a regular basis. Even though they are not on, they still suck a small amount of electricity just by being plugged in.
- Unplug your cellphone charger, or any other charging device. It only takes a second to plug it in, and this will save a lot of energy over the long run.
- Set your air conditioner thermostat at a higher temperature than you usually set it at. At least 1 or 2 degrees higher will make a big difference in the amount of time your AC is running. You won't even feel the difference in temperature, but you'll probably see a difference in your electric bill (if you also do the other energy saving tips)
All these tips will definitely save you money in the long run. If you do them all, you should definitely see a difference in your electric bill. Which means money saved for you, energy saved for all of us, and the beginning of a global trend towards improving the environment for all mankind.
Posted by Weezy at 10:29 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Safe Summer Fun
Just a little reminder to have a safe summer. Be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, minimum SPF 45 for people with sensitive skin & burn easily, SPF 30 for the rest. Also, make sure to reapply often, especially if you'll be swimming. For those heavy sweaters out there (don't worry your secret is safe with me), make sure you also reapply often since sweat can wash away the sunscreen just as easily as the water you swim in.
And while I'm on the topic of sweat, make sure you rehydrate yourself by drinking plenty of fluids. You'd be surprised at how fast you lose water on a hot day. Just because you don't feel the sweat dripping down your back, it doesn't mean that you aren't sweating. Be sure to drink at least 8-10 glasses (8oz. glasses) of water per day. (That's 64-80 oz. per day). And drink more if it's hot and you think you've been sweating more than usual. Some signs of dehydration are fatigue, headaches, and dry mouth. But don't wait until you feel the signs, keep ahead of the game and drink plenty of water - start as soon as you get out of bed. I like to drink 2 glasses of water before I eat breakfast, that way I know I'll get a fresh start and avoid those nasty headaches.
And please, try to drink plain water, not those power drinks that add sugar and other junk to the water. Just pure, clear water is the best. As I like to say, "You wouldn't wash the outside of your body with any thing but clean, clear water, then why wouldn't you do the same for the inside of your body."
Posted by Weezy at 9:24 PM 0 comments Links to this post


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Anderson Silva has taken another huge step towards a complete recovery, releasing a video of himself kicking a giant ball around.
While this doesn't sound too crazy, the leg Silva is using – his left – is the same one he broke just this past December against Chris Weidman.
"The Spider" appears hell-bent on making a return to action as soon as possible. Thanks to UOL Esporte for the video.
Wanderlei Silva has returned to his video blog ways, putting out an episode as The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 debuted on UFC Fight Pass Sunday evening.
The reality series features Silva and Chael Sonnen coaching Brazilian fighters. The two long-time rivals will finally square off this May at UFC Fight Night from Brazil.
Most of the talk surrounding the season centers around an incident involving the two coaches in which they had to be separated. For "The Axe Murderer," the "brawl" only fueled his fire.
"It made me feel younger to brawl with that guy," he said. "You guys will love it. I got a feel for it and I can tell I will destroy him."
He added that the decision by the UFC to pair them up was an excellent one, saying, "it couldn't be a bigger rivalry."
As for the actual season of TUF, Silva stated "it was hard for filming. Those were 40 tough days. There was a fight every three days.
"It was hard for me because I get very emotionally invested. Training together, we became a team. They were like my sons to me."
Check out the five-minute interview in the video below:
Michael Johnson stepped in and replaced Ross Pearson for a bout with Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight Night 37 expecting to have a war to remember.
Instead, Johnson was left frustrated and disappointed – despite picking up the unanimous decision victory. And he wasn't the only one.
UFC president Dana White stated his feelings on the three-round co-main event, saying "I was excited for that fight….and it just didn't happen. There's no doubt Melvin ran the entire fight and was incredibly passive – the complete opposite of how he used to fight."
Johnson had similar thoughts during the post-fight interview.
"He was talking a lot of shit before the fight and I expected him to do something," he said. "Instead, he didn't. I did think he was a little scared of me. It was obvious he didn't want a piece of me."
Johnson (15-8) has now won three straight since a pair of back-to-back losses, including victories over Guillard, Gleison Tibau and Joe Lauzon.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones might be onto something.
After seeing Alexander Gustafsson take care of Jimi Manuwa this past Saturday, Jones feels that "The Mauler" should have to win another fight before getting his championship rematch.
For what it's worth, UFC president Dana White did confirm Gustafsson – who lost via decision to Jones last year – as the next contender. "Bones" meets Glover Teixeira next month.
But, does Jones have a point? Here's what he said on Twitter about the proposed Gustafsson-Cormier bout:
"Why not give the winner of Alexander and DC the winner of myself and Glover?? Call me what you want but I can't be the only person who thinks that makes perfect sense," Jones wrote. "I see DC congratulating Alexander and making comments about waiting his turn now. I wonder if they're afraid to fight each other?
People who don't like to think are quick to call me afraid."
Gustafsson did make a "call-out" to face Jones, and the champ responded by stating, "My hands are tired. I'm fighting Glover April 26th."


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Host Robert Hammond is fresh back from New York City and he can't wait to feature one of Broadway's newest musicals, Bring It On.
He'll also showcase a few of the contestants and coaches appearing on PBS' program Broadway Or Bust. The final episode of this three part series, And the Winner is, will air on WXXI-TV/HD Sunday, September 23rd at 8:00 p.m. Don't miss it!
All this and the Song of the Week on this week's Stage Notes.


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Blizzard To Sell Level 90 WoW Characters For $60
Re:Value (253 comments)
Note: I am a currently GW2 player and like the game. Hoping to put some context around the above's comments for people who haven't played the game.
1) The game play did majorly switch between GW1 and GW2. They reimplemented the class system, created a whole new skill system and a bunch of other things. Some of this were a disappointment to me as well, as they removed the "Monk" class and you no longer had the ability to have a Main and Secondary class for each character. Beyond that though, I found the rest of the changes to be an improvement for the most part.
2&3) At any given time, you have 10 skills on your character. The first five skills are defined by what weapon combination you are currently wielding. Every Necromancer using a staff will have the same five skills. You then have a slot for a healing skill, three slots for utility skills and one slot for an elite skill. On top of this you also have a "trait" system, which modifies your skills or gives you bonuses for certain types of actions (steal HP on crit, your AoE skills get bigger, etc). I find this is where most of the customization comes into the game, while in the original GW you simply just dumped points into various stat pools to make the associated skills stronger.
It does suck that you can't move your weapon skills to different slots. Some of the skills i use far more often than others, and it would be nice to have those as one and two all the time, instead of two and four on one set of weapons and five and four on a different set of weapons. The rest of the skills (6-0) can be put on different keyboard commands though, as most people I know make "Q" their heal skill and "E' their elite skill. Overall I think that after you play awhile, you just get used to it. I constantly shift back and forth between my two weapon configurations on multiple characters and no longer have issues, but it did take awhile to learn.
4) There are two storylines, your personal story line and the "Living World Storyline". I agree about the personal storyline. After about level 40, I became rather disinterested in it. GW2 for the past year has been pushing out bi-weekly updates that push the "Living World" story forward and this one I have enjoyed immensely.
5) This is the one that I have to disagree with, unless we have very different versions of grinding. Basically anything in this game will give you XP. Craft a new item? Explore a new location? Do a jumping puzzle? Congrats, you got XP for all of that, on top of any killing that you have to do. So leveling I never felt was a grind, as I had a choice to basically do whatever I wanted in game and I would level up for doing it.
As for equipment... everything in the game is craftable. Legendary items do take a lot of grinding to acquire, but they are meant to showcase the dedication of the player. Between Karma rewards given by the vendors when you help out a location and the ability to craft equipment, I've never had to either grind or spend real money to get equipment. I've gotten so much crafting stuff just by running around and salvaging stuff that I make stuff just to throw it into the slot machine for a chance to get a precursor item.


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Why the Decline in RIM's Service Revenue Doesn't Matter
Mohammed is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
At the end of December, Research In Motion (NASDAQ: BBRY) released its financial results for Q3 FY 2013; a dive by the company's share price shortly followed. It wasn't due to bad results; on the contrary, the results were simply amazing. The company beat estimates both on the top and bottom line. EPS came in at a 22 cent loss versus the 35 cent loss that the Street was expecting. More importantly, the company was able to increase its cash position by $600 million, ending up with $2.9 billion in cash at the end of the quarter.
So, why the plunge? Well, it was due to remarks in the company's conference call regarding its highly profitable service revenue. CEO Thorston Heins stated that RIM's service revenue may come under pressure in the coming months and that some of RIM's 80 million subscribers may generate no revenue at all. Even though details have yet to be made clear; analysts expect RIM's service revenue to decline anywhere from 30-64% over the next two years.
Service Revenue has helped RIM weather the tough times it has been going through lately; Service Revenue has also been on the upswing the past couple of years unlike RIM's hardware line of business. This quarter this highly profitable source of revenue made up 36% of RIM's Total Revenue; that is exactly the problem!
Take a look at this comparison between RIM's Revenue mix in Q3 FY 2009 vs. Q3 FY 2013:
source: RIM's Earnings Releases
As you can see back in Q3 FY 2009, a fiscal year in which RIM made $1.9 Billion or $3.35 in Earnings and whose share price was trading at much higher levels, Service Revenues were only 1/3 of what they are today.
So the question is, if service revenue has increased so much; why was RIMM so profitable back then and bleeding red ink today?
The Answer is in the charts below:
As you can see from the line graph above Average Selling Price has been steadily decreasing over the past 4 years. This makes sense; RIMM's current Blackberry line is terribly outdated compared to Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhones, devices powered by Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android, and even Nokia's (NYSE: NOK) Lumia.
The only way that RIMM can compete was on price. It had to deeply discount Blackberries in order to clear its inventory channels of and convert these devices into cash especially in emerging markets where RIM is still relatively strong and consumers there are extremely price sensitive. Many teenagers, another price sensitive group may also buy a cheap Blackberry for BBM while using another device such as an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy S3 as their main smartphone, my brother being one of them.
So while RIM's quarterly service revenue has tripled due to the rise in RIM's subscriber base from 21 million in Q3 FY2009 to 79 million in Q3 FY 2013; RIMM generated much more revenue by selling higher priced hardware back then. In fact, the number of devices shipped in the two quarters is almost identical, but the Average Selling Price back then was much higher. RIM's current gross margin ($830 million) is also less than its Service and Software Revenue ($974 million) this quarter and since that type of Revenue is almost pure profit (85% margin), RIM's device business is most likely generating negative gross margins; A big clue being that they stopped publishing cost of sales figures for the different segments in recent financial filings as they had done in the past.
However, even if RIM's Service revenue suffers from a severe decline there is still opportunity to make a serious amount of money; Smartphones are a high margin product as can be seen from the table below:
source: IHS isuppli
The support from mobile carriers will be crucial as not only carriers are instrumental in pushing smartphone sales, but most smartphones are not bought w/o contract as above; they are subsidized by the carrier and the true cost from the end user is masked. In fact it has been shown that the iPhone's market share is directly correlated to the prevalence of carrier subsidies. Tim Cook recently traveled to China to try to get the support of the world's largest carrier for the iPhone. The 700 million strong China Mobile currently does not carry the iPhone, but carries and subsidizes Nokia's new Lumia 920. Aggressive carrier promotion also helped android gain significant market share. So it may stand to reason that RIM made the changes in its Service Line of Business in order to gain more carrier support before the launch of the BB10.
Foolish Bottom Line
It all boils down to one thing, the BB10, the success of which is vital for RIM's longevity. Sure, the Service segment is currently highly profitable, but who wants to invest in a company whose highly profitable line of business cannot cover its operating expenses and is prone to shrinking. If the changes in RIM's subscriber fees help catapult the BB10 to success, then the severe decline in the share price that followed the Conference Call was unjustified
Pirlo0o owns Research In Motion. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Worship and Prayer Event for North Korea
Shoot Your Ladders: A Lesson on Judging Others (By Jessica Hong)
So as I've been in NYC for close to three months, I've come to an existential crisis. Haha, okay I only half kid. I've met many new, neat, cool folks but there is a dread in meeting new people in NYC because the conversation, without fail, always goes to…
Person A: "Where are you from?"
Me: I'm from Philly (Good conversation starter since "Fresh Prince of Belair" is often brought up. Sometimes people just start singing the song, "in West Philadelphia born and raised…" It stops there b/c they don't know the rest of the words, haha – it's okay, neither do I.)
Person A: "What do you do?"
Me: (Here is where my heart dreads the question) – I am an intern at a church.
Person A: "Oh…that's awesome!" (The last part is to cover up the initial "oh," haha).
Person A: "Part-time or full-time intern?"
Me: Part-time
Person A: "Oh." (No "that's awesome," haha)
Calvary Vision Church 3 on 3 Mission Basketball Tournament on June 9th, 2012 at Hatfield, PA
Got game?!
Come test your skills and sign up to participate in Calvary Vision Church's 3 vs 3 Mission Basketball Tournament benefiting the 2012 Honduras mission team on Saturday, June 9th, 2012. Start time will begin at 8:30AM and will end roughly around 5PM . Registration is $60 per team and open to all (4 players max). Sign-up takes place now till the day of the event.Â
Jeremy Lin has Knee Surgery – Read his Facebook Question and Answer Session with Fans
No more Jeremy Lin. No more watching of New York Knick games. I suddenly feel like I have so much time on my hands. If you haven't heard, Jeremy the Great is injured and most likely out for more than 6 or so weeks. There is some sense that he may or may not make the beginning of the NBA playoffs – if the Knicks can hold on to the final spots of the Eastern Conference.
He recently had surgery to repair his knee, yet reached out to his fans to do a Q and A. Take a look at some of the questions below and see how Jeremy Lin responds. Another reason to follow this Asian American basketball player.
Jeremy Lin and Laundry Fields both Explain their Secret Handshake
A post was created here before on Konnect Magazine on the secret handshake between Jeremy Lin and Laundry Fields. It's not a secret anymore as there have been countless articles written by others explaining the handshake.
Now, here's the explanation of their handshake explained to all of us by Jeremy Lin and Laundry Fields themselves! Pretty neat to see them explaining this pre-game ritual.


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Corn-and-Potato Seafood Chowder
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 8 cups)
More From Southern Living
Recipe Time
Cook Time:
Prep Time:
Stand: 10 Minutes
- 2 cups peeled, diced Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 lb.)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 (10-oz.) package frozen diced onion, red and green bell pepper, and celery
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound fresh crabmeat, drained
- 2 (6 1/2-oz.) cans minced clams, undrained
- 1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
- 1 (11-oz.) can yellow-and-white whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 to 2 tsp. hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish: thinly sliced green onions
- 1. Bring potatoes and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.
- 2. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in frozen vegetables and chopped yellow onion; sauté onion mixture 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.
- 3. Add crabmeat, clams, next 6 ingredients, and potatoes. Reduce heat to medium, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.
- Note: For testing purposes only, we used McKenzie's Seasoning Blend for diced onion, red and green bell pepper, and celery and Campbell's Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Soup.
My Notes
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Corn-and-Potato Seafood Chowder Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Soups/Stews
- CONVENIENCE: Make-Ahead
- CUISINE: American
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Shellfish
- OCCASION: Autumn, Winter
- PUBLICATION: Southern Living
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State Of Unholy Matrimony - When Govt Merged With Business
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday November 8, 1988
WA Red Ink was the merging of two worlds - Brian Burke's ALP mates and the new money in Perth, a small town with small town ways where deals are done face to face. Regular contact between Labor and business saw the line between the worlds begin to blur and, eventually, the only way to distinguish between Government men and businessmen was the make of their cars (Laurie Connell has a Porsche).
Now Burke's successor, Peter Dowding, says things will change. Well, the next Rothwells, whatever it might be, won't be bailed out, but severing the corporate State into two separate entities is another matter. This has not just been a marriage of convenience: Labor and big business here really love one another.
Mr Dowding's announcement yesterday of a new Commission on Accountability, under a former Chief Justice, Sir Francis Burt, was allied to a range of moves to tighten supervision of spending by Government agencies and a strengthening of the State Corporate Affairs Department. Perestroika has come to WA. But, as with its advent to the Soviet Union, there are many sceptical people who wonder if an imaginative public relations campaign on the issue really means a fundamental change of hearts and minds.
Brian Burke remembered his mates and took them with him when he climbed to power in 1983. His long-time PR man, Darcy Farrell, became his media supremo. It was Farrell who produced the first election slogan - "Brian Burke - the best new leader in Australia". Farrell eventually moved on and became a spokesman and director of Laurie Connell's Rothwells.
Burke plucked an old uni mate, Tony Lloyd, from an assistant town clerk's job and shoved him into a souped-up Premier's Department. Lloyd later worked as Burke's director of policy, assistant under-treasurer and as a commissioner of the State insurance company, responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars and not just policing the Dog Act. Lloyd was a key figure in the original rescue of Rothwells, left Government and became managing director of that ailing, and now sunk, company.
Another old uni mate of Burke's, Kevin Edwards, was taken from a union post and was eventually crowned head of the Premier's department and thrust on the boards of the State-owned insurance company and the State super board. Edwards is still in Government, but evidently has a liking for business - he was the key figure in the State insurer buying and selling a slab of BHP.
There are other names from the past of Brian Burke, since February Ambassador to Ireland, once spoken of as a future senior Labor figure for Canberra, but now a forlorn figure. Some mates have been and gone such as the former head of the State Superannuation Board, Len Brush, who was acquitted in April on charges of forgery and corruption. Burke stuck by his mate and said Brush had been "hopelessly naive and foolish", but had done nothing illegal.
Others are still sprinkled through the Government boards, authorities, commissions and sundry quangos.
But it was not just trusting and helping old friends which created the turbulence in WA. Burke and his ministers made a decision early in their time in office, five years ago, that the State's real entrepreneurial energy was generated by the new breed of businessmen personified by Alan Bond, Laurie Connell, John Roberts and Dallas Dempster.
These men were courted, flattered and encouraged. They responded in kind.
Can the two networks now be separated again? Businessmen of all kinds are spread through theGovernment quangos just as political mates have spread out into the private sector.
One problem for Peter Dowding's Cabinet is that this is a 'can do'Government. Its methods may be questioned, but not the energy of most of its senior ministers. The 'doers' here, or at least the major ones, are the very people Burke people chose to embrace.
Maybe the Government shouldn't be as close to Alan Bond, but he does own most of the Perth CBD, and much outside. He is to Perth what BHP is to Newcastle - immensely powerful and vitally important, whatever the political complexion of the local administration. Much of what Bond owns has been built by "Multiplex Jack", John Roberts, the driving boss of the big building company and a mate of the BLF.
In the wake of last October, many of Perth's smaller companies, especially those linked to high technology and innovation, have hit hard times. The Rothwells' collapse could send several to the wall. They don't really present an alternative to Big Business as an engine for growth.
The view from inside the Labor Cabinet room is that the choice for the Government is either the "four-on-the-floor" entrepreneurs, like Bond and previously Connell, or a stagnant State economy.
It's either them or trying to forge the old alliances of Sir Charles Court with the mining companies. But even in a time of higher prices for metals, some of the miners have their troubles with traditional ALP supporters, as evidenced by the disputes at Robe River and now at Mt Newman.
This is a government largely of school teachers, ambitious for the State but not wordly in the ways of business. Maybe things will change, but very likely not much. The problem for WA has always been to stop being simply a quarry and a farm.
Let's look at how Perth works: a good example is Dallas Dempster's Burswood casino "resort".
Dempster submitted grand plans of the sort Texans and Laurie Brereton would love if they were allowed to have a casino. The Government loved them. It passed special planning legislation which bypassed Perth City Council. He bought in an overseas partner, and sold shares locally.
John Roberts, of Multiplex, who has written his name across the Perth skyline, was the builder. The electrical wiring was done by the then Lord Mayor of Perth, Mick Michael. Both men were backers of Labor's John Curtin Foundation from its birth, as was Alan Bond, as was Laurie Connell, as were others of the names which pop up again and again in deals, contracts, boards, commissions.
There were cost overruns and time delays on the casino, even talk of court action against Dempster and others because the final cost was much higher than forecast in the prospectus.
The bottom line, as seen by the Government, was that the casino was quickly up and thriving, along with an accompanying giant hotel and vast convention centre, the whole lot fused in a way NSW couldn't pull off at Darling Harbour
However, a corporate affairs investigation recommended that charges be laid against Dempster and others over the cost overruns. It didn't happen. Dempster argued that prosecution would only be nitpicking which could hurt his reputation and so damage his and Laurie Connell's prospects of building a $1 billion petrochemical plant. Dempster and Connell eventually sold the project, still really only an idea, to Alan Bond and the Government for $400 million.
As a bonus, the "resort" has been allowed to grab a slice of public parkland for its new golf course.
Another example of Perth at work is the city's tallest building. Alan Bond planned it for years and owns it.
Its construction was delayed for years because the historic Palace Hotel had been a landmark on the site since the gold rushes. The hotel was classified by the National Trust and Bond was allowed to build a bigger skyscraper, provided he retained the hotel.
Today, the skyscraper soars above the gutted and revamped shell of the old hotel which will soon re-emerge as a bank. Mr Bond originally pledged to retain the hotel as it stood; what stands now is, in the words of one Perth city councillor: "A 1980s version of an historic building".
Once again, "Multiplex Jack" John Roberts did the building and Mick Michael worked on the wiring.
But these were big ticket projects. Ordinary Perth people are keen punters and many play the share market as well. They jumped into the swirling bullmarket just like the big players.
Take the invention which looked like a metal wardrobe. The blurb said you could hang your shirts in it and they would emerge fully ironed - no fuss. The invention was the main offering of a Perth "high tech" company. Its shares were snapped up, mostly by small investors. But the stores are still selling a lot of irons. Still, the day could come when there'll be one of these boxes in every Australian and American home; optimism is the fierce fertiliser of WA's growth.
Way below Alan Bond, there is an army of ambitious little entrepreneurs trying to emulate him . It's easy to laugh at some, with blond tips in their hair, moustaches, double-breasted suits, personalised number plates and body language straight out of success seminars. But there is raw energy, ambition and a slowly building pile of success stories to confuse many outsiders' views of Western Australia as a place merely of wheeler-dealers and snake oil salesmen.
The comparison inevitably is with Texas, right down to the attempts every decade to beat the boom-bust syndrome. But both keep on coming.
In October 1984 many of Perth's leading businessmen gathered to become vice-patrons of the John Curtin Foundation, a fund-raising organisation for the ALP. Most of the vice-patrons were also involved in big business with the Labor Government.
1 Dennis Cullity, a leading Catholic layman and head of Westralian Forest Industries, the country's biggest producer of particle board.
2 John Horgan, former director and chief executive of Metro Industries, with 15 companies and a turnover of $80 million a year. Now head of the Government's WA Development Corporation and Exim Corporation.
3 Alan Bond, chairman of Bond Corporation and one-time winner of America's Cup, involved in many deals with the WA Government, including redevelopment of prime city sites and joint purchase of Laurie Connell's share of Petrochemical Industries.
4 Laurie Connell, Perth's flamboyant high-flier and a Rothwells director until a week ago. Among his best-known deals with the WA Government were the$150 million guarantee made by then Premier Brian Burke 12 months ago, which saved Rothwells for a time, and the purchase, by the Government and Bond Corp, of Connell's share in share in Petrochemical Industries for $350 million, though the company had only $500,000 in hard assets.
5 Ric Stowe, one of Perth's other type of multi-millionaire. Stowe shuns publicity despite his position as head of the Griffin Group with interests in resources and trading. A long-term supplier to the State Energy Commission. Brian Burke got into trouble for accepting a free ride to Fiji in Stowe's private plane in 1985.
6 Sir James McCusker, chairman of the Town and Country Building Society which has bought huge parcels of suburban land held by the State Housing Commission.
7 Rod Evans, leading bookmaker, a Perth City councillor and also chairman of the council's town planning committee which approved controversial project like the Burswood casino and gave generous planning concessions to Perth's tallest building, half owned by Alan Bond.
8 Kevin Parry, failed defender of the America's Cup, a victim of the crash of '87 who was dumped as chairman of Parry Corporation. He was regarded as the abrasive and unsophisticated member of Perth's financial royalty. Under his leadership Parry Corporation planned a wide range of technology and resource developments.
9 Bob Hawke, Prime Minister.
10 Brian Burke, then WA Premier.
11 John Roberts, head of Multiplex Construction, which has built a big share of the recent projects in Perth's central business district. Many are Government projects. The Queen visited his Egerton Stud when she was in Perth in April.
12 Sir Ernest Lee-Steere, establishment figure and former Lord Mayor of Perth.
PERTH: It's funny what upsets Perth people. Few appear wildly angry that their Government could lose $100 million in trying to rescue a private company, but touch their beaches or the Swan River and watch out.
CASE 1: Alan Bond's Observation City hotel is a huge $70 million development, a chunk of the Gold Coast which is Perth's sole beachfront high-rise.
Way back in 1982, the Labor Opposition called for the Liberal Government to stop high-rise development at Scarborough on Perth's northern beaches. Labor was elected and Alan Bond's hotel was approved, upsetting residents and the local ALP branches.
In 1984, the then Premier, Brian Burke, said the $70 million hotel had been approved because it meant jobs: "That policy also explains the attitude of the Government towards the (Burswood) casino." Work kicked off with America's Cup fervor, and with "Multiplex Jack" John Roberts doing the construction.
Mutterings continued, and then, in 1985, unknown malcontents tried to blow up an 80-metre tall crane on the hotel site. The would-be saboteurs used gelignite, but failed to topple the crane or noticeably slow construction.
Perth reeled. A local psychologist said a rash of controversial developments such as Observation City and the casino at the same time had probably stoked ill-feeling. He said the bomber was anti-authoritiarian and had little regard for social responsibility.
Hostility was often inflamed when the impression was gained that a few big businessmen were organising the lives of smaller people.
Security was stepped up at Observation City, although the bomber was never caught, and the hotel opened with much fanfare. Alan Bond's wife Eileen did the poolside television commercials. The WA Labor Government has since fought tooth-and-nail against further beachfront high-rise.
CASE 2: Paul McCartney called it the "rottenest island in the world" (but then he preferred the Mull of Kintyre).
Still, to locals, Rottnest, or "Rotto" as it is known, is part of local lore. The island, an hour by ferry off Perth's coast, is the holiday spot for teenagers.
One of the island's original inhabitants is the quokka, a shy, wallaby-like creature, too trusting for its own good. Closing time at the "Quokka Arms"hotel has spurred many a game of "quokka soccer" in which the hapless marsupials are kicked around like balls - a reminder to easterners that this is a richer, more piquant culture than they are used to, and that dwarf-throwing is not the only quaint aspect of the Australian character.
But Rottnest also has quiet bays and family picnic spots. It, too, is a favourite haunt of the Perth's new rich. The island has produced some of the few clashes between the Porsche-BMW set and the drivers of five-year-old Fords.
It still rankles that a treasured bay was turned into a "millionaires'cove" in 1984 when boat moorings were given to a fleet of tycoons, allowed to jump a long queue of lesser mortals.
Further uproar over the "people's paradise" followed when a report to the Government suggested Rotto should follow the Gold Coast example.
The people won a reprieve. It was a sensitive issue, but luckily Premier Brian Burke was chairman of the island's controlling board. Burke appointed casino millionaire Dallas Dempster as his deputy chairman and Dempster was made chairman of the revamped board in May by Burke's successor, Peter Dowding.
Laurie Connell also likes to relax at Rottnest. He and millionaire builder"Multiplex Jack" John Roberts have been known to race their luxury launches back to the mainland. Connell once demanded a faster boat after finishing second in a two-boat race.
The friction between classes at Rottnest continues. Recently, a reef was illegally blown up near moorings for flash boats, leading to howls of outrage and charges that the rich would do anything to make it easier to go anywhere in their boats. But a police investigation has failed to find who was responsible.
There also has been muttering from some people about Laurie Connell being allowed three years' exclusive use of two historic cottages in return for spending $125,000 doing them up.
PERTH: The West Australian Government is to inquire into its investment activities - but not how it could lose $100 million or more from the fall of Rothwells Ltd.
The Government said yesterday that a five-member "Commission of Accountability", chaired by a former Chief Justice, would investigate its investment practices.
The commission, however, will not investigate past dealings by the Government, such as its $150 million guarantee in the original Rothwells rescue last year.
The Premier, Mr Peter Dowding, said yesterday there was "obviously a need to restore public confidence in the Government's investment decisions".
"If the issue is about perceptions, then WA Inc is dead. WA is alive and well," he said.
The commission will report to Mr Dowding, but it appears the report will not be made public and that it will hear evidence behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of a $15 million payment from the WA State Energy Commission to Western Collieries Ltd was still undisclosed yesterday.
Mr Dowding, who is also the WA Treasurer, said he knew a cheque from the SEC to Western Collieries had been presented to a financial institution, but he did not name which one. "It is a matter for the NCSC or the provisional liquidator," Mr Dowding said.
Rothwells had arranged to buy Western Collieries, a WA coal miner, for $132 million from CSR, but still owed $76.5 million when it went into provisional liquidation last week.
The SEC agreed to pay Western Collieries in advance, in return for cuts on the price of coal.
However, CSR said on Sunday the cheque for $15 million had been placed with an unnamed institution, without the knowledge of Western Collieries'independent directors and management.
Both the National Companies and Securities Commission and Rothwells'provisional liquidators, Ferrier Hodgson and Co, said they were also interested in the cheque's whereabouts.
A Government spokesman said it had "no problem" with the cheque because legal advice was that it had been paid to Western Collieries.
Perth-based land developer Katanning Holdings Ltd was suspended at its own request as a result of the Rothwells collapse. It follows voluntary suspensions by Beltech Corporation and Portman Mining Ltd.
The Perth Stock Exchange said Katanning's directors had asked for the suspension "in view of the company's reliance on financial support from Rothwells Ltd".
Rothwells lifted its stake in Katanning to about 32 per cent in July after it swapped shares in satisfaction of a loan from Mallina Holdings. Perth casino millionaire, Mr Dallas Dempster, is Mallina's second biggest shareholder.
Meanwhile, Mr Laurie Connell announced his resignation as head of two State Government meat industry authorities.
WA Agriculture Minister Mr Julian Grill said Mr Connell had resigned from the two Government bodies because of other commitments.
NCSC deputy chairman, Mr Charles Williams, said yesterday the commission was also taking a "very keen" interest in whether Rothwells' directors had neglected their fiduciary duties.
"Auditors certainly have a look at that, or information which may lead to conclusions about the officers of companies, and so do liquidators," the deputy chairman of the NCSC, Mr Williams, said on Perth radio.
"Where we are now is in taking a very keen interest in the conduct of the officers of the companies involved. They have some heavy responsibilities upon them ... in relation to acting honestly and for the good of the company."
Mr Connell's private company, Oakhill Pty Ltd, failed in seeking an injunction stopping Standard Chartered bank's selling off 150 million shares in goldminer Paragon Resources NL.
The WA Supreme Court rejected an application from Oakhill to restrain Standard Chartered from selling the shares.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are mostly lower on Wall Street as investors pick over another round of corporate earnings, this time from retailers including Best Buy and Home Depot.
The Dow Jones industrial average was moving between small gains and losses. It was down seven points at 15,969 as of noon Eastern time Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 was down two points at 1,789 and the Nasdaq composite was down three at 3,945.
Retailers were a key focus for investors, especially with the holiday shopping season coming up.
Best Buy slumped 9 percent after warning that competition from online retailers was going to further squeeze its profit margins.
Home Depot rose 2 percent, the most in the Dow, after reporting earnings that surpassed what investors were expecting.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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New followers, I see you!! Welcome, welcome! Apologies if I haven't said so sooner…
For sanity, please proceed to the nearest exit. Insanity stay on board, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling when low pressure occurs. Please, place over your nose AND mouth and continue to breathe normally until sanity returns…then proceed to your nearest exit…?
And then time cracked from side to side
Romeo and Juliet
Ellen: I hate this play.
Geoffrey: Yeah.
Ellen: You watch it and you feel miserable. Because you don't have that kind of passion in your life. Nobody does. It's a fantasy. It's irresponsible.
Geoffrey: Yeah….You know what I think. I think it's painfully accurate. Two idiots meet. They fall in love. They're happy. Briefly. Then all hell breaks loose. Happens all the time.
Happy Friday!
First and Last.
Wash's first line in Firefly and last line in Serenity.
Buffy: Does it ever get easy?
Giles: You mean life?
Buffy: Yeah, does it get easy?
Giles: What do you want me to say?
Buffy: Lie to me.
Giles: Yes. It's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true. The bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies and… everybody lives happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.
"Mal - you don't have to die alone."


text:
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I'll sure return to FragranceX before going out and fighting the over crowded malls.
S. England (Tempe, AZ)
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
- Great smell (29)
- Long-lasting (25)
- Draws compliments (17)
- Great value (17)
- Clean & fresh (16)
- Doesn't hold (3)
Best Uses
- Daily use (22)
- Evening (12)
- Signature fragrance (12)
- Special occasions (12)
- Anytime (9)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Classic style (18), Adventurous style (11), Natural (5), Natural style (5)
- Fragrance Type:
- Oriental/spicy (16), Floral (11), Citrus/fruity (8), Fresh/aquatic (7), Woody/earthy (6)
Most Liked Positive Review
what are you wearing!
There are very few perfumes that I can wear because so many give me a vicious migraine. I found Lucky #6 quite buy accident in a favorite store of mine ad soon was very...Read complete review
There are very few perfumes that I can wear because so many give me a vicious migraine. I found Lucky #6 quite buy accident in a favorite store of mine ad soon was very fond of it. Then that store quit selling it. I was so pleased to find I could order it from ya'll and I was so happy.The sent lingers lightly , warmly, making me feel attractive when I know I'm not.
Most Liked Negative Review
didnt like it
i just bought the small vial. tried it. for sure not for me.
i just bought the small vial. tried it. for sure not for me.
Reviewed by 43 customers
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- Clean & Fresh
- Draws Compliments
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Long-Lasting
- Not Overpowering
- Sensual
- Sexy
Best Uses
- Anytime
Comments about Liz Claiborne Lucky Number 6 Perfume:
Right after a bath, I spray it on. The smell lasts a long time!
- Fragrance Type:
- Citrus/Fruity, Floral, Oriental/Spicy
- Clean & Fresh
- Draws Compliments
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Long-Lasting
- Sensual
- Sexy
Best Uses
- Anytime
- Signature Fragrance
Comments about Liz Claiborne Lucky Number 6 Perfume:
I get compliments all thetime. I originally bought dolce&gabana light blue and got a few samples, sprayed one on each decorative pillow, and I fell in love with this one. Esp once it settles, it smells sooo good. Definitely recommend this and fragrancex to everyone I know!
- Fragrance Type:
- Herbal, Oriental/Spicy, Woody/Earthy
- Great Smell
- Long-Lasting
- Not Overpowering
- Sensual
Best Uses
- Evening Use
- Special Occasions
Comments about Liz Claiborne Lucky Number 6 Perfume:
I only bought this as a tester but from what I've smelled I really like it and will soon be purchasing a bottle. This is a great fragrance that reminds me of how my "cool & pretty" Aunt smelled like when I was young and she'd give me a hug. It smells very clean, but sophisticated too and although I haven't sprayed on enough to get compliments, I have a funny feeling that the opposite sex will pay compliments on it.
- Fragrance Type:
- Citrus/Fruity, Floral, Herbal, Oriental/Spicy
- Draws Compliments
Best Uses
- Daily Use
Comments about Lucky Number 6 Perfume:
Love it
- Fragrance Type:
- Floral, Fresh/Aquatic, Oriental/Spicy
- Clean & Fresh
- Draws Compliments
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Long-Lasting
- Not Overpowering
- Sensual
- Sexy
Best Uses
- Anytime
- Daily Use
- Signature Fragrance
Comments about Lucky Number 6 Perfume:
I tried this perfume when looking for a nice fragrance I could use in business - something that would be appealing, but not cloying or overpowering. It leaves a nice lingering scent that everyone seems to love. I am frequently asked what it is. I tend to like the soft, subtle scents that are feminine with a touch of spicy or floral undertones.
- Fragrance Type:
- Oriental/Spicy
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Rib Roast with Mustard Sauce
Yield: 12 servings.
More From Oxmoor House
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 360
- Calories from fat: 69%
- Fat: 27.4g
- Saturated fat: 8.6g
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.0g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.0g
- Protein: 26.3g
- Carbohydrate: 1.2g
- Fiber: 0.0g
- Cholesterol: 83mg
- Iron: 0.0mg
- Sodium: 189mg
- Calcium: 0.0mg
- 1 (3-pound) boneless rib roast
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried whole rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- Dash of hot sauce
- Trim fat from roast. Place roast in a shallow dish. Combine oil and next 5 ingredients, stirring well. Pour mixture over roast. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 8 to 10 hours, turning occasionally.
- Remove roast from marinade, reserving marinade. Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of roast, if desired. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 150° (medium-rare), basting roast frequently with marinade.
- Let roast stand 15 minutes; cut diagonally across grain into thin slices. Transfer sliced meat to a serving platter, and keep warm.
- Combine whipped cream, sour cream, mustard, and hot sauce in a small bowl, stirring gently. Serve mustard mixture with roast.
My Notes
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Rib Roast with Mustard Sauce Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Main Dishes
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Family
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Beef
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Diabetic, Gluten-Free
- COOKING METHOD: Bake
- PUBLICATION: Oxmoor House
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It was the most technologically advanced racing car of its day, meant to virtually fly along the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans. It looked like an airplane and it was built like an airplane. And Stirling Moss was there to fly it first.
The Jaguar D-Type expressed the new culture of the Jet Age that everyone was talking about by 1950. The era of stylized streamlining had given way to aerodynamic science, and Jaguar designer Malcolm Sayer was caught up in the new spirit of sweptback wings and supersonic speeds. When he saw Alfa Romeo's Disco Volante ("flying saucer") concept car in 1952, Sayer began work on a modified shape for the Jaguar C-Type, which had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951.
Sayer had come to Jaguar in late 1950 from Bristol Aircraft, and he brought with him the latest thinking in aerodynamics. He was familiar with wind tunnel testing, and he had also learned a unique mathematical method of computing an aerodynamic shape with individual calculations. He had his new design on the ground in the spring of 1953, but the press of business at the newly prosperous Jaguar factory left it overlooked until October 1953, when Lyons finally decided a team of the new cars should be built for Le Mans in 1954. The XKDs were completed in April 1954, and every aspect of the design represented a technological tour de force:
•Sayer had designed bodywork that not only had low aerodynamic drag, but also incorporated his thinking about directional stability and the center of aerodynamic pressure while the car was passing other cars, which represented incredible subtlety at the time.
•Beneath the bodywork lay a chassis with a central monocoque, made possible by lessons Jaguar had learned in building aircraft spars in World War II as well as the recent development of aluminum welding with argon gas.
•The traditional, Jaguar dohc 3.4-liter, six-cylinder engine now had a dry-sump oil system, reducing both aerodynamic frontal area and the car's center of gravity, and it developed 245 bhp at 5750 rpm through an all-syncromesh four-speed gearbox and a solid axle with a Salisbury-type limited-slip differential.
•Dunlop supplied both disc brakes (introduced to competition by the C-Type in 1953) and new disc-Type aluminum wheels with knock-off hubs. Dunlop also provided the first low-profile, steel-belted radial tires ever used in competition.
When the Jaguar D-Type appeared for its technical inspection at Le Mans, there was a huge crowd among the sheds at Place des Jacobins, the market area at the center of the city that is still used today for pre-race scrutineering. Just like today, there were excited whispers about the speed that this sleek, scientific new car could be expected to attain. In fact you would recognize all the elements of the race's magic, including a display area behind the pits by manufacturers in the automotive trade and a vast carnival featuring the Fat Woman of Antibes and Sydney Bechets' New Orleans Jazz Band.
There were even celebrities, in this case Porfiro Rubirosa, a Dominican playboy who occasionally drove race cars, and his companion Zsa Zsa Gabor, one of three voluptuous blonde sisters from Hungary who had recently fled the communist regime in hopes of becoming Hollywood actresses.
Yet the biggest celebrity at Le Mans in 1954 was there to drive a D-Type, as Stirling Moss had returned again with the marque that had given him his first professional break at the 1950 British Tourist Trophy. Talkative, quick-witted, charming with men and flirtatious with women, Moss was already the most famous athlete in Britain at just age 24, the prototype of the modern professional driver who would drive anything if the money were right. He was shadowed everywhere by Alfred Moss, his father, the owner of a chain of dentistry practices who had gone to dental school in America so he might drive in the Indianapolis 500 (which he did in 1924). Moss looked almost comical in his clean, white driving overalls, like the movie image of a racing driver, but he was fast, and it overcame his hyperactive personal style.
The weather at Le Mans already threatened rain when the flag dropped at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, and rain indeed would fall for seventeen of the next 24 hours. As always during the traditional Le Mans start, Moss prided himself on being the quickest to run across the road to his car parked next to the pit counter (the road was still a narrow lane in those days, which contributed to Pierre Levegh's deadly crash in the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR the following year). But Moss wasn't the first away for a change, because the grid was arranged according to engine size, and there were the Cunningham C-4Rs with their 5.4-liter Dodge hemi V8s in front of him, as well as three examples of Ferrari's latest weapon, the 375 Plus, powered by a 5.0-liter V12.
For an hour, Froilin Gonzalez led the chase in the big Ferrari, virtually a sports-car version of Enzo's 375 Formula One car from 1951, with a simple twin-tube frame, deDion rear axle, drum brakes, and a 4952cc V12 that produced 344 bhp at 6500 rpm. Moss picked off the Ferraris one by one, finally pulling his D-Type abreast of Gonzalez's Ferrari at the beginning of the road to Mulsanne, and the two cars ran side-by-side for almost four miles in one mighty blast. Moss had to use every bit of his 5600-rpm rev limit (and perhaps a bit more) to top 170 mph and make the pass.
After the Jaguars made their first pitstop for fuel, the D-Type engines began to misfire. It turned out that there was a fine, gray silt in the fuel tank that had been assigned to the Jaguar pits, and the restrictive fuel filters of the D-Types quickly clogged. By the time the problem had been rectified, both the Stirling Moss/Peter Walker and Tony Rolt/Duncan Hamilton D-Types had been delayed about thirty minutes each. Gonzalez ran remorselessly in the lead, the Argentine driver (who had recorded Ferrari's first victory in Formula One at the 1951 Grand Prix of Britain) proving as tough as his nickname in the newspapers, the "Pampas Bull."
By midnight, the rain had become torrential. Moss was charging when he suddenly had brake failure while trying to slow for the 35-mph corner following the 170-mph Mulsanne straight. He went more than a mile toward Mulsanne village while trying to stop the D-Type with the gearbox and emergency brake, narrowly missing a couple gendarmes who were smoking cigarettes in the middle of the road. Once Moss got the car back to the pits, the mechanics discovered that the booster pump for the hydraulic brake system had simply failed. They tried to coax their driver into resuming the chase once the problem had been repaired, but Moss was already spooked by previous problems during the development of the Dunlop disc brakes (usually pad knock-off), and he declined pretty quickly.
Once the clock had gone around once, it had come down to one Ferrari versus one Jaguar, and the good news was that Rolt and Hamilton were in third place. It was a desperate business. Every time the road dried, the Ferrari pulled away. But every time it rained, it fell back into the clutches of the Jaguar, and Gonzalez nearly lost the Ferrari once in a big slide going under the Dunlop bridge. Co-driver Maurice Trintignant had even more trouble with the car. At last the D-Type climbed to second place, but the Ferrari had a two-lap lead.
Finally Gonzalez pitted the 375 Plus at 2:22 p.m. for its final fuel stop, and it wouldn't restart! The exhaust valves were burned, and the soaked electrics didn't help. Ferrari put a handful of mechanics over the wall, changed the sparkplugs, and then held the throttle open once the engine fired so Gonzalez could get behind the wheel. Now Rolt was on the same lap as the Ferrari, but he had been driving for three hours already and looked exhausted. When he called at the pits with just an hour to go during a yet another torrential rain shower because he needed a visor for his helmet, team manager Lofty England impulsively decided to put Duncan Hamilton behind the wheel.
While the road was wet, Hamilton pulled ten seconds a lap out of the Ferrari's lead. He later reported that he had seen 5900 rpm on the tachometer on the Mulsanne straight, indicating he had been getting wheelspin in the rain at 170 mph. As the road dried in the final minutes, the gap between the cars stabilized. Finally the Ferrari prevailed by 1 min 45 sec after 24 hours, a distance of 2.5 miles after 2522 miles of racing.
After the race, the scale of Gonzalez's accomplishment became clearer. He had driven two-thirds of the race himself. According to speeds recorded on Mulsanne straight, the Ferrari peaked at just 160.1 mph while the fastest D-Type went 172.8 mph. When the top three cars were driven to Paris on the public roads for post-race celebrations, Gonzalez asked to try the D-Type. He reported that it felt like a touring car, with its fingertip-light steering and powerful brakes. Jaguar's team manager Lofty England took a ride in the 375 Plus and said it vibrated fiercely, and it took a huge effort on the brake pedal to get it to stop.
The Jaguar D-Type never again lost at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The factory D-Type prevailed in 1955 when Mercedes-Benz withdrew its 300SLRs following Levegh's crash. Fuel consumption regulations were introduced at Le Mans for 1956 to slow the cars, but they actually gave an advantage to the 3.4-liter Jaguar inline six-cylinder, and the privateer Ecurie Ecosse D-Type from Scotland won after the factory cars ran into trouble. Overall engine displacement was reduced to 3.0 liters at Le Mans in 1957, but again the car from Ecurie Ecosse won the race.
After the Jaguar D-Type appeared in 1954, Le Mans was never the same. The D-Type was the first prototype sports car at Le Mans, and it aroused a significant controversy about the inclusion of racing thoroughbreds in a race that formerly had been restricted to production cars. (In fact Donald Healey withdrew his team of Austin-Healey 100s in protest.) Ironically, Jaguar put the D-Type into series production, and the car flew the company's standard in all the countries around the world, notably the United States. Some 77 were built, and each is worth more than $850,000 today. Some 17 leftover D-Types were converted to XKSS street cars, the most famous of which is one formerly owned by actor Steve McQueen (though its fame might properly rest on previous ownership by James E. Peterson, the civil engineer who laid out Riverside Raceway, where his XKSS was the first car to circulate the track).
When we look back at the Jaguar D-Type today, it seems like a charming British antiquity. But in reality, the D-Type was the most scientifically conceived and executed racing car of the 1950s, far more futuristic than the Mercedes-Benz F1 cars of the time. We can see in it the makings of the racing cars that compete today at the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Jaguar XKD
Engine: Front-mounted, water-cooled, inline-six, dohc, 12 valves, Weber carburetors; Displacement: 3442cc; Power: 245 hp @ 5750 rpm; Transmission: four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive; Brakes: Front and rear discs; Steering: rack-and-pinion; Suspension, f: Independent, unequal-length A-arms, torsion bars, telescopic dampers; Suspension, r: solid axle, trailing arms, torsion bars, telescopic dampers; Weight: 1,904 lb (dry); Top speed: 170 mph.
Jaguar: the Sporting Heritage, by Paul Skilleter
Virgin Publishing, 2000
Jaguar Sports Racing Cars, by Philip Porter
Bay View Books, 1995
Jaguar Sports Racing & Works Competition Cars from 1954, by Andrew Whyte
Haynes Publishing, 2002


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The Brain: (pompously) Thank you all for attending the Annual Awards and Recognition Night. While I recognize that all of you have contributed in all your little ways, you must recall that it is through my guidance and exceptional leadership that has brought us to where we are today.
Without further ado I shall begin handing out the awards.
To The Heart: It is my greatest pleasure to award you the hardest worker award. Thank you for your non-stop dedication and effort. I would hope you would continue working for another seventy years or so, though I would request that you give enough notice when you decide to take a break.
To The Lungs: Once again, you have earned the most prudent award. Thank you for constanly filtering out the trash that comes in everyday. Even though it is a dirty job, I can entrust it to nobody else but you.
To The Hands: The two of you have worked hard this year. However, one has worked harder than the other, as it should be. I ask that both of you to keep up the good work, whether you are above the table or under it.
To The Feet: The undervalued worker award goes to you. While you are constantly below notice, I fully expect you to hit your stride soon enough.
To The Penis: It is my honour to award you the most enthusiastic worker award. I would ask though, that you would curb your enthusiasm under most circumstances. However, I would implore that you rise up to the occasion when needed.
To The Appendix: (sternly) Another year has gone by and you have done nothing. While I expect you nothing less than idleness from you, please remember that you are kept here for sentimental reasons. You shall receive the first cut should you become a real pain to keep.
The Brain: With that, the Awards Ceremony shall draw to a close. A sidenote, all those who need to keep working overtime, please do so, especially my personal aides. Farewell.
(End of Awards Ceremony)
Personal aides The Mouth, The Nose and The Eyes are in conversation.
The Mouth: Every year, Brain never fails to get on my nerves. Is he like totally mindf**king with us?
The Nose: I would say he is a superegoist. He just reeks of a gasbag through and through.
The Eyes: Yeah, he thinks he is so exceptional, but what he actually stores in his memory bank is porn anyway.


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Josh Ruxin is a Columbia University expert on public health who has spent the last few years living in Rwanda. He's an unusual mix of academic expert and mud-between-the-toes aid worker.
Josh Ruxin is a Columbia University expert on public health who has spent the last few years living in Rwanda. He's an unusual mix of academic expert and mud-between-the-toes aid worker.
I've been remiss not to have written more on developments in Congo. That was, in part, because until recently, the situation there had not really evolved much over the past year. In fact, as a friend who has been photographing Congo for a decade remarked to me: The biggest difference between Congo in 2008 and Congo in 2007 was the number of reporters; there were a handful of them there in 2007, and hundreds in 2008. It seems that the intense scrutiny that followed them has started to pay some dividends over the last couple of months.
Eastern Congo, long the heart of the bloodiest killing on planet earth since World War II, seems to be turning a corner. The most powerful rebel commander has been captured and the Rwandan military is engaged in joint operations with the Congolese military. These are both unpredicted and extraordinary events that have created — even from my perch here in Rwanda — utter confusion among journalists, UN staffers and policy wonks alike about what is really going on. Regardless of the various interpretations floating around, it appears that directionally, the events of the past few weeks augur well for regional peace and prosperity.
Recapping events, let me begin with a caveat: Anyone who says he knows what is really going on in Eastern Congo shouldn't be trusted. To the academics out there, please forgive my shorthand; I realize this is not history that can be easily condensed into a blog entry (for greater detail, see this Wikipedia entry).
Since 1994, Hutu militias, including thousands of genocidal killers from Rwanda, have roamed Eastern Congo. With its large Tutsi population, that meant that killings continued. For a time, Kabila's rebel forces and the Rwandan government went after these killers, but that effort fell apart by 1998. Then, Eastern Congo became a regional battleground until Rwanda and other nations pulled back their forces in 2003. Since then, several militias have ensured that terror and atrocities have continued.
Throughout all of these years, allegations have multiplied of mineral wealth being exploited and militias being used to gain control of natural resources. That's not new. What was new was the epidemic of rape and grotesque violence that shocked even the most war-hardened reporters. This epidemic was fueled by the lack of law and order in Eastern Congo and the abundance of autonomous militias. Since 2004, one militia, led by the Congolese Tutsi Laurent Nkunda, has professed a singular mission: to protect the Tutsi of Eastern Congo. His well-attired troops have stood apart from the rest — avoiding alcohol and smoking — and generally demonstrating discipline.
Nonetheless strong accusations have been leveled at Nkunda regarding the use of child soldiers and murderous rampages by soldiers affiliated with him. In October 2008, Nkunda nearly took the capital city of Goma in Eastern Congo but pulled back. Perhaps adding credibility to some of Nkunda's assertions that he was in part protecting people from the Congolese military, the retreating Congolese soldiers from Goma murdered their own people and pillaged the city on the way out. Read more…


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- Rawan Al-Wazzan
- Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia
This conversation is closed.
What guidelines would you give someone preparing a TEDx talk?
TED Community, I've attended a number of independently organized TEDx events and seen plenty on YouTube and was disappointed to find out that some talks presented weren't TED material. They lacked the 'idea worth spreading' element. What would you suggest to a speaker who's preparing to deliver a TEDx talk in order for them to make sure their talk is up to standards?
Closing Statement from Rawan Al-Wazzan
Don't you just love the TED Community?!
Some great feedback. Thank you Fritzie Reisner, Deborah Zotian, Kashaf Mamoon, Edward Long, Shariq Hashme, Tofig Ahmed, Abhinandan Chatterjee, Johnson Tam-Lit, Philip Kanoutos, Jenoye Cole, Lucas Avelleda, Asha de Vos, JenniferAnne McCool, Carlos Miranda Levy, Bharath Kumar Kunjibettu, Lesley Rickard, Edmond Hui, and Tosca Killoran. :)
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May 2 2012: They need to draw attention to something others have not noticed or focused on.
They need to care about the subject and think it is important.
They should not always have to be at the cutting edge of their fields. Some may never be rich or famous, but have creative ideas. Those who have not succeeded can learn from those who have failed and succeeded, both.
Sometimes it takes one person noticing something to create a breakthrough. For instance the cure for smallpox was found when Edward Jenner (1749-1823), an English doctor, learned from a milkmaid that she believed herself protected from smallpox because she had caught cowpox from a cow. The milkmaid noticed, the doctor listened and observed and the deadly smallpox was almost eliminated because of that.
The quiet person and the homely person usually make better leaders. A good looking person has a lot handed to them and life is better to them. The same with the great personality type. The quiet or homely person has had to work harder, learn more and are probably wiser.
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text: Portland's best Cuban food, with a trendy and riotously colorful atmosphere. All your regular favorites like ropa vieja are available, but leave room for dessert. Lunch is a good deal, but happy hour is even better (2pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, 10pm to midnight Friday and Saturday). Be prepared to wait for dinner.


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Radio Interview with 1013 Main Street
On December 29th, I did a radio interview on "Why Do We Say 'I'm Not Sick' When We're Really Sick" with with 1013 Main Street, a broadcast in Seoul, Korea. The program is hosted by Ahn Junghyun, and is a morning variety show with music and popular interest discussions. They sent along a copy of my segment from that [...]Keep reading »
On the Radio—Tonight!
I was invited to do a short interview on "Why Do We Say 'I'm Not Sick' When We're Really Sick" with 1013 Main Street, a broadcast in Seoul, Korea. The program is hosted by Ahn Junghyun, who was the former presenter for the Pyeongchang Olympic Bidding Committee and the main host for the B20 Seoul Summit [...]Keep reading »
Why Do We Say "I'm Not Sick" When We're Really Sick?
December 21st, 2011 | 2
It's everyone's favorite time of year: cold and flu season! I dutifully got my flu shot in October, so when my throat started to tickle a few weeks ago, I dismissed it as a passing bug. Bad idea: It turned into an epic cold that nearly shut me down. (I may have also shared this [...]Keep reading »
When Physicians Relate to Some Patients, but Not All
January 2nd, 2014 | 10
During a conversation the other day, a classmate of mine shook me out of my afternoon inertia by casually remarking that the most memorable patients he had encountered during his third year medical rotations were the ones who, by virtue of being young, educated, and English-speaking, reminded him of himself. There was nothing truly remarkable [...]Keep reading »
For Diabetics, Healthy Habits Trump Medicine
October 24th, 2013 | 1
Against the backdrop of a government shutdown precipitated by healthcare issues and the rollout of the insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act, a conference called Diabetes + Innovation 2013 took place in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. The gathering, organized by The Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, focused on prevention and [...]Keep reading »
Physicist Stephen Hawking hospitalized, "very ill"
April 20th, 2009 | 12
Stephen Hawking, the physicist who brought cosmology to the masses with the best-seller A Brief History of Time, is "very ill" and has been taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England, according to the University of Cambridge. Hawking is a professor in the university's department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics. In a statement, the [...]Keep reading »


text:
Here's a loopable track making use of distortion and dark tones for a more dystopian feel.
As always please feel free to leave a comment / rate and remember, let us know if you use our audio work in any of your productions because we'll keep making more!
Here's the information we'ed like you to use for crediting us, where you use it is entirely up to you!
Track Name: " name of track "
Composer: Marcus Dellicompagni
Website: www.RedAudioUK.com
De lo mejorrrrr
Hi! Really nice! I'll use this tune in my game!! I also will give you credits for this awesome song!
I used it for a motion graphics trailer for a comic. Credits are both in video and in link.
Sweet tune!
I might use this in my game, I will use the credits you provided if I do and let you know.
Thanks for sharing your creation!
Super cool track!
Using it as the main theme in my game:
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Updates coming soon!
It seems u'll always be another person 2nd choice no matter how u put em on the top of ur list.
Why am I always have a crush on unidentified fabulous object? Why cant I just have it with ppl around me or sumone living next door? I mean this is so useless. We'll never make it nor even know each other. And I just can get it with another. Just cant. Yo scumbag feelin,
Im just waking up from a short nap and all of a sudden feeling like a zombie instead of feeling fresh, fully rested or whatebber. And it takes fifteen to thirty minutes before I felt human.
So I googled this, thought id find a scientific reason for my question.(Good I did)
I typed 'why waking up and feeling like a zombie' in the search bar (it wont get any longer). And found this very very simple answer. Well it says good nap that reveals power takes at least 90 minutes and naps under 90 doesnt complete the sleep cycle.
Thats good cause if someone wakes me up in my middle nap I could blame them for turning me into zombie and freely eat those fawking annoying human population around me cause well yeah im a zombie.
im kinda tired to support this kind of a friend cause he drown in his sadness, literally. I've done tryin my best but he is dyin alive.
Sum ppl should really know how to locate theirselves in some conditions. And just not being stucked all day long thinking about their mistakes instead of doin sumthin to fix em.


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What we offer
Wilson Substance Abuse
Wilson is a city named after the Louis Dicken Wilson, who was the North Carolina politician and general in the U.S army. Wilson is the largest city in state. According to 2007 census, it has a population of around 105,380 residents. It is a Coastal Plain region of the state of North Carolina, and the county seat of Wilson County. The total area of this city is 23.4 square miles, out of which, 23.3 square miles is land and the rest of 0.2 square miles is water.
North Carolina is facing many issues regarding alcoholism and drug abuse. The increasing statistics of alcoholism and drug addiction in Wilson, NC is a cause of alarm for entire States intelligence.
Distributors of prohibited drugs are mainly target the young community of Wilson, NC. Reports have shown that children as young as 12 years are involved in drug abuse. These criminals are penetrating the state of North Carolina through the borders of Mexico and other southwest regions. They use private as well as commercial vehicles to import and distribute the drugs in the city of Wilson, NC.
The reports related to substance abuse in Wilson, NC, show that marijuana is quite popular among the addicts and is the most widely used illicit drug in Wilson, North Carolina. Drug abuse statistics in Wilson, NC according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 95 million Americans (including Wilson) have tried pot at least once. Among them, three out of every four illegal drug users reported using marijuana within a specified period of about 30 days.
Drug abuse in Wilson, NC demonstrates that these banned drugs are volatile in nature. They are used illegal pharmaceuticals used for non-medical purposes. Illegal drugs vary in type, texture and usage. Drugs which are creeping their way in the streets and society of Wilson include cannabis (marijuana), amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, steroids, Ecstasy and some of the inhalants.
Long-term drug abuse may result in serious physical and mental health problems in patients. Drugs may cause damage to kidney, heart and liver. They may also cause depression, loss of memory or concentration and other psychological and physical damage. Some drugs are taken through injections and many addicts are in a habit of sharing the needles. This leads to transmission of various diseases including AIDS. Some drugs are also known to increase aggression or hostility in patients.
North Carolina State is a victim of the serious problem of drug abuse because of the interstate highways and interstate infrastructure, making it easy for the illegal drug transporters importa drugs in the State. The narcotic abuse statistics in Wilson, NC is also alarming the State Health Agencies, and Police Departments. Wilson Intelligence agencies affirm that at least half of the major crimes and half of the suspects arrested for violent crimes such as assault and homicides in the state are caused by narcotics abuse. According to statistics two-thirds of people in narcotics addiction treatment were physically abused in their childhood. This child abuse is seen as the major contributing factor in high statistics of narcotics abuse in Wilson.