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Home > Android Phone Reviews > Samsung Galaxy Alpha (SM-G850A)
What's Hot: 4.7" size is hand and pocket friendly, attractive design with aluminum frame, fast CPU, very good camera, pleasing Super AMOLED display.
What's Not: Some specs are lower than the Samsung Galaxy S5, yet the price is similar.
Reviewed October 2, 2014 by Lisa Gade, Editor
in Chief (twitter: @lisagade)
Poor Samsung Galaxy Alpha: it's actually a lovely compact version of the Galaxy S5 but it won't get the attention it deserves in the US. Why not? It launched within a week of the iPhone 6, Samsung's gadget spamming means shoppers are weary of so many Galaxy variants and lastly it's exclusive to just one US carrier. Granted that carrier is AT&T, with an excellent network and very large customer base, but exclusives take the shine off of even very good smartphones. Overseas, you'll find greater carrier choice, and the Alpha may thus do better outside the US.
The name Alpha implies top dog status, but the Galaxy Alpha is a bit of a mixed message: it's the first Samsung Galaxy to have a metal frame around the edges (the Galaxy Note 4 will soon join it) and it's meant to be the classy model. It's also downsized and with those straight metal edges like the iPhone 5s, it's designed to compete with the 4.7" iPhone 6 that ironically uses a completely new design. The Alpha, like the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, downsizes the standard sized flagship (the Galaxy S5 in this case) without dumbing down the specs too much. Thus the Alpha has a 4.7" Super AMOLED display, the same 2.5GHz quad core Snapdragon 801, 2 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. It has a 12MP camera that takes photos and videos that are nearly indistinguishable from the 16MP GS5 and it has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Sounds lovely if you prefer a more manageable size phone and better looks than the Galaxy S5. The specs and design are certainly above the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, which is the 4.5" reduced spec version of the GS5.
So what are you giving up? The Galaxy Alpha, unlike most Samsung Android Galaxy phones, has no microSD card slot. Samsung somewhat makes up for that with double the storage from the GS5, but those of you who carry extremely large video and music libraries might not like the Alpha. The back camera resolution drops, but given the same excellent features and quality as the GS5, I'm not bothered. The display is 1280 x 720 rather than 1920 x 1080. Android phones 4.7" and under don't get 1080p displays (the LCD-equipped HTC One M7 is the exception), and honestly it's not terribly worthwhile to move up to full HD when most eyes won't see the difference. The display is that wildly saturated and contrasty Super AMOLED that Samsung fans love, but at 720p, the diamond PenTile matrix does cause a bit of haloing around text here and there. It's not easy to spot, but Android folks are obsessed with specs and have already condemned the poor Galaxy Alpha, sight unseen. We here at MobileTechReview have obviously not only seen the display in person, we've used it for a week, and I can tell you overall it's a really lovely screen. The IR blaster and AV remote control found on the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 isn't here either, nor is the GS5's water resistance. What are you left with? A pocket and smaller hand-friendly Android 4.4.4 KitKat phone with the same CPU found on the big flagships, a bright and very colorful display and a very good camera.
In the US, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha sells for the same $199 with 2 year contract as the Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6. That hurts since most folks will notice the lower spec items on the Alpha and expect a lower price tag. The full retail price is $612.99, which is a bit lower than the $650 full retail for the 16 gig GS5 and iPhone 6, but at $599 or less it would attract more buyers.
Design and Ergonomics
From the side and front angles, it's hard to not notice the similarity to the iPhone 5 and 5s: those straight anodized aluminum sides with chamfered edges bear a strong resemblance to Apple's phone. But from the full frontal or rear views, it's all Samsung. In fact, I've observed that at first glance most folks haven't noticed that the metal sides are real metal rather than some more tasteful variation of Samsung's faux trim. The elongated home button, big Samsung logo above the display and curved corners say "I'm a Galaxy" clearly. The back is still stippled plastic, made to look somewhat like leather at first glance (at least the soft touch black model, the white pearlescent and shiny bright gold backs don't look the least bit like leather). Given the usual glass front and plastic back, it would be wrong to call this Samsung's first metal body or metal chassis phone: the metal is simply the edging material. That doesn't mean it isn't an attractive phone; it's definitely the best looking Samsung phone yet.
The 4.7" size is the sweet spot for hand and pocket comfort. The past year has been a race to make phone screens bigger, and phablets are even going mainstream thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Note and now iPhone 6 Plus. But for those of you who love the size and feel of the first gen Moto X and the new iPhone 6, pickings are slim if you want a high quality smaller phone. The phone is incredibly light at 4.03 ounces (the iPhone 6 is 4.55 ounces) and slim at 0.26" (the iPhone 6 is 0.27"). It's small enough to use one-handed and doesn't require super-sized pockets.
Samsung continues to use a physical home button, and as with the Galaxy S5 that button doubles as the fingerprint scanner. We noted improvements in the Alpha over the Galaxy S5 in terms of accuracy (it works the first time 90% of the time) and it now supports swiping your thumb sideways, which is handy when unlocking the phone using one hand. Given the required swipe gesture and still not perfect accuracy, it's not as pleasant to use as Apple's Touch ID, but it's a big step in the right direction.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Samsung Galaxy S5.
The home button is flanked by capacitive multi-tasking and back buttons, and I found these harder to accidentally activate compared to the GS5. The home button is stiffer compared to the GS 5 and Note 3, and the metal side buttons are firm with a nice tactile click when actuated. The volume controls are on the left and the power button is on the right. The headphone jack is up top and the single speaker is on the bottom edge, just like the iPhone 5 and 6. The smartphone has a micro USB 2.0 port rather than the 3.0 port on the GS5 and Note 3 (I doubt many of you will care).
The wafer-thin plastic back cover is removable, which is quite a feat with a phone this slim. The back cover doesn't scream quality, but it's not bad looking either. I'm not a fan of the gold back because it looks like gold spray paint, but the slightly iridescent white isn't bad. The black is matte and soft touch, and it looks the most like leather and is the least slippery. Thanks to the straight sides, the phone isn't slippery by design, so the back material is less of a concern. Under the back cover you'll find the removable 1860 mAh battery and nano SIM card slot (this is the first Samsung Galaxy we've seen with a nano rather than micro SIM). Out of the box, the Alpha doesn't support wireless charging, but overseas there are Qi wireless charging backs for sale.
Deals and Shopping:
Samsung Galaxy Alpha Video Review
Here's the make it or break it part for many of you. Some folks won't buy anything that isn't full HD 1920 x 1080 anymore, be it a smartphone, tablet or TV. The fact is, phones this small don't get 1080p displays because the difference wouldn't be that visually apparent and higher resolutions eat into power reserves on these necessarily smaller battery phones. I don't believe Samsung ever developed a Super AMOLED display that was full HD and less than 5". At 312 PPI, just shy of the iPhone 6 Retina Display 326 PPI, I don't think many folks will find this display grainy or pixelated. In fact, it's quite sharp and as with most Super AMOLED displays, looks best when watching videos or looking at photos. It has the usual better than sRGB color gamut, deep blacks and extremely high contrast that are hallmarks of Super AMOLED. It's fairly bright too, and is visible outdoors at higher brightness or auto-brightness settings. The panel uses a diamond PenTile matrix layout, and keen-eyed folks may see some haloing around text. This is the same display technology used in the Note 3, which has a higher pixel density to reduce such artifacts. That said, text is sharp and clear, and it's not unpleasant for reading. Whites have a pinkish cast compared to better IPS panels and the Galaxy S5 that has the best Super AMOLED display we've seen on a Samsung phone.
As usual, Samsung offers a few color settings including an AMOLED photo mode that's closest to accurate in terms of colors. The active mode changes the display depending on the app used, so colors and contrast are boosted when playing movies and white backgrounds are toned down in Google Play Books.
Performance and Software
Though smaller than the flagship pack, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha runs on the same 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU with Adreno 330 graphics and 2 gigs of RAM as today's top smartphones. It thus performs the same in synthetic benchmarks, including 3D tests (we thought the lower resolution display might boost 3D graphics numbers but it doesn't). The phone feels fast and responsive, despite the added load of Samsung's TouchWiz UI and features. Some features like multi-window where you can have apps running in 2 windows, are turned off by default, likely because the screen is a bit small for that feature. You can enable it if you wish, and other Samsung staples like Smart Stay are here and were on by default our phone.
The smartphone runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat, currently the latest version of Android. It's protected by Knox, so those of you who wish to unlock the bootloader to install custom ROMs will trip the Knox counter (if you don't know what I'm even talking about, then don't worry--it's geeky stuff for those who like to do extreme tinkering). The Alpha comes with the full version of Polaris Office to create, view and edit MS Office documents, and both the Android webkit and Chrome web browsers. Our AT&T review unit is littered with the usual AT&T bloatware, which you can disable but not uninstall.
The phone has 32 gigs of internal storage with 25 gigs available for your use. That's enough for several big 3D games, HD movies and a music library. Should you wish to augment that with microSD cards, you're out of luck since there's no card slot.
Calling and Data
Samsung makes good voice phones, and the Galaxy Alpha sounded clear and natural for both incoming and outgoing voice. Not surprisingly, call quality mirrors the GS5. Data speeds are generally very good on Samsung phones too, and on AT&T's LTE network in Dallas, we saw speeds from 18 to 54 Mbps down and an average of 7.5Mbps up according to the Speedtest.net app. The phone has LTE 4G on bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17, and 29, so it's a capable world traveller and it will work on T-Mobile's LTE network if you unlock it. Despite the metal sides where the antennas live and the smaller size, reception was equal to that of our Samsung Galaxy S5.
The 12 megapixel rear camera has the same wide range of features as the Galaxy S5 including a backside illuminated sensor, HDR, panorama and fast/slow motion video recording. The ISOCELL camera uses both traditional contrast detection autofocus and phase detection autofocus (a combo that's found on some DSLRs and the Galaxy S5, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus). Samsung claims this results in very fast focus times, and the camera indeed focuses quickly. Photo detail is slightly less than on the 16MP GS5, but you won't notice unless you zoom in to 100% and look very, very carefully. Honestly a good 8MP camera takes superior photos to a mediocre 20MP camera, so megapixels aren't everything. The camera takes excellent photos in good lighting, but as with the GS5, it's slow to focus and produces noisy shots in very low light situations like dark restaurants and bars. The camera can shoot 1080p and 4k video and the camera app uses the same UI as the GS5.
The front 2.1 MP camera's quality is good and it can capture 1080p video and delivers clear video chat footage. It can't compete with the HTC One M8's 5MP front camera, but it's above average and you won't look like a cubist nightmare.
Battery Life
Smaller phones generally mean smaller batteries, though Sony did manage to fit quite a large battery in the Xperia Z3 Compact. The Galaxy Alpha has an 1860 mAh Lithium Ion battery that's removable. That competes favorably with the iPhone 6's 1810 mAh that's sealed inside, but is obviously less than the 2800 mAh Galaxy S5's battery. Fortunately, the smaller and lower resolution display help and despite the nearly one third less battery capacity, battery life is only 15% to 20% less than the Galaxy S5. That might sound like a disaster, but the Galaxy S5 is one of the longest life phones on the market that often lasts me 2 days on a charge with moderate use. The Galaxy Alpha managed 1.5 days with light to moderate use and with intentionally heavier use meant to mimic moderate use that included streaming an episode of Mad Men via Netflix, browsing the web for 50 minutes total, playing music with the screen off for an hour and playing Real Racing 3 for 30 minutes, the phone lasted from 7am to 11pm with 18% remaining. It's not the best but it's a solid 1 day phone unless you use the GPS for trips of 30 minutes or more and play 3D games for an hour or three.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is Samsung's most attractive phone to date, and more pocket friendly than most phones. The 4.7" Super AMOLED display is actually very attractive in person and performance is top notch. If you want a smaller, classier but every bit as fast alternative to the Galaxy S5 you'll give up the IR blaster and microSD card slot, but you'll get double the storage as a consolation. Will the Galaxy Alpha make a huge dent in the Galaxy S5's sales numbers? I doubt it, but it's there for those who want a smaller phone with elegant looks without resorting to the GS 5 mini's lower end specs. If that's you, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (not readily available in the US as of this writing) and the iPhone 6 are the Alpha's only competitors at the moment.
Price: $199 with 2 year contract, $612.99 full retail
Websites: www.samsung.com, wireless.att.com
Related Reviews:
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Review
Samsung Galaxy S5 Review
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Review
iPhone 6 Review
iPhone 5s Review
Moto X (2014, 2nd gen) Review
Moto X (first gen) Review
HTC One M8 Review
HTC One E8 Review
Above: the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and iPhone 6.
Display: 4.7" Super AMOLED display. Resolution:
1280 x 720. Has ambient light sensor, accelerometer and proximity sensor.
Battery: 1860 mAh Lithium
Ion Polymer rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable.
Performance: 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU. 2 gigs RAM and 32 gigs of internal storage.
Size: 5.25
x 2.58 x 0.26 inches. Weight: 4.03 ounces.
Phone: GSM quad band world phone with 3G HSPA+ and 4G LTE.
Camera: 2.1MP front camera and rear 12MP rear camera with BSI, HDR, LED flash, 1080p and 4k video recording.
Audio: Built
in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone
Networking: Integrated dual band
WiFi 802.11b/g/n/ac, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 LE.
Software: Android OS 4.4.4 KitKat with Samsung TouchWiz.
Expansion: none.
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I had plan to make a review of Sim City 2013 has soon as the launch fiasco would be over. I was lucky enough to be one of the few to play during the first launch night, with every features enable and a lot of bugs, but I still managed to get a good glimpse of what the game should be all about. Unfortunately I also replayed the game yesterday and it seems the game is still so far from being fun to play. Half of it is because of features which are not re-enabled yet and the other half comes from the incredibly small size of the maps and lack of customization.
First let me say that I'm not one of those people raging about the always on feature of sim city. While it is true that the game could be played without it, it would also create a lot of problem for the challenge and leaderboard. The always on make sure that no one will bug the game and take advantage of features to cheat their way on the top of the leaderboard. For those reasons I have no problem with that design decision, after all the leaderboard and the challenge are what makes the game for me.
Sim City is now more multiplayer than ever with the addition of a leaderboard and challenges every week. The leaderboard let you compare your city to everyone else and give you a nice idea of how well you are able to manage them and how well you are doing in different department. Competition is always something that creates a lot of interest and replayability in video games and I don't see why it wouldn't do the same for Sim City. Problem is, both the leaderboard and the challenges have been disabled and they have yet to be re-enable months after the release.
The challenges are objective set for regions and the 10% fastest region to achieve the challenge are rewarded unique achievements as token of their victory. I love the idea of weekly challenge to accomplish, to have your region be modified each week to manage the challenge and therefore it keeps you thinking of new and better way to rapidly modify your objectives. The very first challenge for my region is called the Baby Boom, which requires a region to get to 2 500 000 millions people. That number is quite easy to reach (needing only a bit less than 170 000 people in each city for a 16 city region), A played a region with 2 friends and we managed to get that many people in 3 days by creating the region from scratch. This means that it is quite the reasonable achievement for a 7 days period and the race could be interesting. Yet it has been over a month and the challenges has yet to be enabled. At this point we all stopped playing because it seems that until we can actually have either a leaderboard to worry about or until we get credited for our achievement in this challenge, we just don't want to build anything anymore as it seems pointless.
Another huge issue with the game is cheating. I mentioned earlier that I liked the idea of an always on drm because it prevented cheaters from entering the leaderboard. Yet it seems that most people I know had so many game breaking bugs that the always on drm loses is purpose completely. The very first region we created was named 0-Gate, but we had to abandon it because a city became corrupted and impossible to join anymore, also for some reason I couldn't invite some of my friends to join the region while other could join. This means that if you are unlucky you might have to restart a whole region because a single city gets corrupted. Another major problem is that inter-city exchange, especially gift of money, is extremely buggy and prone to bugs. I once sent over 40 millions simoleon to a neighboring city and even after 10 hours of play only 10 million of those 40 millions ever went through, everything else was somehow stolen by road bandits or something.
This is already annoying, but it gets worse, all those previous bug make things much harder, but they don't completely break the game, but there is one bug, that is easily repeatable and that also happens to be easily done by mistake, that completely ruins the game. If you are to send money to a neighbour and it never gets there, if for some reason your town hall get destroyed, either intentionally or by cause of meteor or giant red lizard, the next time you will reload the game you will suddenly be richer than you could have ever hoped for. One of my city was victim of the bug and suddenly it received a little over 400 millions when I logged back in (keep in mind that the maximum money that can be traded at once is 10 millions, so I imagine that 10 millions is supposed to be impressive by the producer's scale). Now suddenly I have 400 millions in a single city that I can send everywhere else in my region. It takes about 7 millions to make a city from scratch and build it into a finalize metropolis…this bug is game breaking.
Even if somehow you manage to create a whole region and it doesn't bug, making money is so easy in Sim City that it has become a non-factor. I don't have a single city in my region that has any taxes at all. The tax rate is 0 everywhere because the trading specialization is completely broken and it will make you richer than anyone should have to be. I previously said that to build a city from scratch until it is finalize cost about 7 millions. Well a not really specialized city that aims to work in the trading department can make 4 millions in less than 20 minutes of real time. Yes that does imply that in 40 minutes you would have enough money to create an entirely new city in one go because money is already a non factor. The game is simply too easy when it comes down to managing money. Just make such a money making city (it takes about 2 hours) and once it is done leave your desk for an hour, go take a walk, play a better game, go and finish your medical degree. When you come back, you'll have over 10 million simoleons accumulated and it will be more than enough to start your next city and maybe even another one after that. So guess what, in about 3 or 4 hours of gameplay you can already make money something trivial and completely useless. What a great game really when the center of it is broken to this extent.
What is more, frustrating even with this game is that there is currently no competitive challenge since the leaderboard are still closed even if much time as passed since release day. Now what is there to do in this game? Well a big nothing. After 5 days you'll have built city in every townspot of your 16 city region, you'll have completed all the research that can be researched in the university, you'll have completed all great project and you'll be left wondering what the hell to do now. The maps are so small that it doesn't matter if you want to build a village, a metropolis or a casino strip, your city will all end up looking the same in the end. The size is so limited that by the time you build your school, your police station and your garbage facility, you will realize that you need population to have those functional, that population will need jobs and place to work, so you'll want to build some commercial and industrial zone and by the time you are done doing that your city will already too far from village and never big enough to be a true metropolis. But wait ! One of the beauty of the new Sim City is that you can share commuters and service between city. So you can have your residence in one city and your industry all in another one ! Perfect isn't ? Well, perfect until you realize that now everyone in your city has to take the one exit to the next town and that the traffic jam between your city become so huge that the firetrucks can never get to your city anymore. Now suddenly the whole city is burning down and no one is here to save it because the stupid highway is jammed 24/7.
Sim City was a game with so much potential and yet it is all gone to waste because of stupid design decision. The game tried to be more multiplayer than before, and well the launch says how well that went, furthermore even ages later the competitive multiplayer aspect of the game as still yet to work. Meanwhile people are pissed because the game can't be played in single player and I don't understand why they would even want to do that. The game is so easy and quick to finish that if you remove the multiplayer aspect there is no point to buy the game in the first place. You can't make a huge region for yourself like in sim city 4 and create huge megapolis and farmland around in the huge map you created. This is a different game where the only appeal seems to be to complete the challenges and gain higher ranking in the leaderboard, everything else is so ridiculously easy that arguing that you hate the DRM because it stops you from playing single-player is laughable.
The only time this game was worth is price tag was when it came with a free game, now that this offer is over there is really no reason to buy Sim City for a while longer. They might have to take another full year before this game is playable and fun again.
ZeroGhj signing off

subset: commoncrawl


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As our inbox gets regularly flooded with examples of the right propaganda email, we look forward to dissecting them and also recognizing those that do a lot of fact checking on them. We are very interested in the facts part of them but are more fascinated with a couple of core questions.
First, where do these emails come from? The lengths of them, the similarities in structure among them and the consistency of look and feel of them suggest they come from a common source.
Second, how many people see these emails? We are continually upping our estimates, and as marketing folks, we are fascinated to consider that it is possible that millions of people are seeing these emails. Every single one.
Here's today's example:
What a coincidence! Politics in action.
Hey, isn't this something! Imagine the odds of this happening.Do you know the park in NYC that's occupied by the Wall Street protesters?
Zucotti Park.
Did you know this park is not owned by the city?
It is owned by Brookfield Properties.
Who was just hired by Brookfield Properties as an attorney?
Vice President Joe Biden's son.
Who sits on the board of Brookfield Properties?
Mayor Bloomberg's live in girlfriend.
Now, guess what company just received some of the last of the Obama Stimulus $$$$$$$.That's right, Brookfield Properties.
Isn't life great?
Hey, on a completely unrelated note, Wisconsin is shaping up to be the swing state in the 2012 presidential elections. Not Florida. Not Ohio. But Wisconsin.Now, guess who owns the company that will be tabulating the
electronic votes in Wisconsin.
The biggest contributor to Obama, George Soros.
What a coincidence!
Remember what Stalin said:"He who votes does not have power.He who counts the votes has power".
There are some things that are true here, the name of the park, the fact that the park is owned by Brookfield Properties and that Mayor Bloomberg's partner sits on the board of Brookfield Properties, but what's interesting is what is the point of bringing that up? It clearly is meant as a slam but to whom? Is it suggesting that the Occupy movement is coordinated by Bloomberg somehow? When he has been very fervently against it and was the one who cleared it out? I don't really understand that.
Joe Biden's son was not recently hired by Brookfield Properties. His law firm had a business relationship with part of the company in 2002 and 2003, but that is false. The stimulus fact is also not an accurate claim.
But again, this implies that the Occupy Movement is a movement by the Democrats when it is not and in fact, organized protests and uprisings generally hurt the incumbent.
Of course the kicker is the Soros / Obama / Voting Machine claim. This is what I call the Core "MissFact" the core piece of information that causes this email to get forwarded and sent around and printed out and waved in anger by conservatives; especially older conservatives who think of these emails as facts.
I am sure Soros contributed the maximum of $2,500 to Obama's campaign, but he does not bundle for campaigns nor solicit others. So there really is no 'biggest contributor' and if you consider bundlers, then clearly he is not.
Soros does not own any companies or invest in them that count votes. So this is clearly a factual error. Our friends at Snopes also note, that's not really a quote from Stalin, but at that point in the email, the damage is done.
If you tended to not be a suppporter of Obama, you'd read this and come to two conclusions; the Democrats are behind the Occupy movement and that Soros is counting the votes in Wisconsin.
And that's the problem.


text: I'm reading through her writings for the Catholic Worker in chronological order from January 1, 1933. I last turned my attention to her when I was a college Republican in the 1980s and I'd filed her under "crazy radical". Turns out she wasn't crazy at all. It's exciting to see her Catholic orthodoxy mix with and ferment her social radicalism.


text:
So the year has finished running its course once more. And where was he this time? In another poorly lit room with loud music but accompanied by a different group of friends. Together, they danced the night – and the year – away.
But as the night slowed down, he began to wonder what has he truly accomplished in those three hundred and sixty five days. Or has he been running in circles. Well, he did end up celebrating New Year's eve partying again. Has he simply spent a year just to end up where he started?
He racked his brain to rise above its alcohol-induced haze to come up with an achievement in the past year, any achievement. He came up flat. Perhaps it was the alcohol. But he did not drink pass his limit, so his cognitive functions should not have performed that poorly. So it was with some trepidation that he concluded, he has indeed just wasted a year doing nothing.


text:
Oklahoma State University's online master's in entrepreneurship program is being recognized as the No. 1-ranked program in the United States, according to OnlineColleges.com.
The unique methodology used to evaluate entrepreneurship programs by OnlineColleges.com is based on factors that matter to students – like graduation rates and tuition costs.
"We are delighted to see our master's degree in entrepreneurship receive this ranking," said Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School of Business. "Spears Business strives to provide a high-quality, online experience for our students and this ranking reflects our commitment to our online students. Our School of Entrepreneurship does a wonderful job of engaging students and it is great to see them recognized for their efforts."
The OnlineColleges.com review of the OSU program reads as follows:
Topping the list is Oklahoma State University's School of Entrepreneurship in Stillwater,
Oklahoma. Part of the Spears Business School, it offers an online program for a master's
in entrepreneurship (MSE). This program combines online learning with out of classroom
experiences including the Riata Business Plan Competition, the OSU Cowboy Entrepreneurship
Bootcamps, Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE), and the OSU Entrepreneurial
Mentors. OSU offers online courses as part of its undergraduate major in entrepreneurship.
There is also an online program for a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship as
well. At OSU's School of Entrepreneurship, over 160 of the nearly 1,000 students taking
undergraduate entrepreneurship courses in 2015 were taking them online. Over 60% of
master's students were online.
OSU earned the top billing in the OnlineColleges.com rankings. The university came in second out of 17 schools for its graduation rate. The school also scored fourth in prominence.
"The goals of our program are twofold. First, to teach the business startup process, whether it's in the context of a new venture or an existing firm," said Bruce Barringer, head of the OSU School of Entrepreneurship. "Second, is to instill in our students the 'entrepreneurial mindset,' which is the capacity to think and behave in an entrepreneurial manner. While some of our students start businesses, many of them use the skills we teach them in traditional careers. Almost all employers are looking for employees who can help them find new markets and develop new products. Our students consistently give us high marks for the experience they have in our online program."
The national recognition comes a few months after the OSU School of Entrepreneurship online master's degree was No. 2 in the listing of the 10 Most Affordable Online MBA Entrepreneurship Programs, as selected by EDsmart.org.
Also, the School of Entrepreneurship was recognized as one of the top schools in the nation for the fourth time since 2012 in rankings published by The Princeton Review and featured in Entrepreneur magazine. The School of Entrepreneurship is No. 23 on the list of the Top 25 Graduate Schools for Entrepreneurship Studies for 2016, placing OSU at No. 11 for public universities. The rankings are based on surveys sent to more than 2,000 schools from May to August 2015.
The OSU entrepreneurship program started in 2008 and quickly made a name for itself across the nation. The OSU School of Entrepreneurship debuted in the top 25 in the 2012 rankings and has continued to be honored for its outstanding educational opportunities.
The Best Online Colleges for Entrepreneurship can be found on the OnlineColleges.com website: http://www.onlinecolleges.com/business/entrepreneurship.html.
For more information on the OSU School of Entrepreneurship and the master's program, visit http://entrepreneurship.okstate.edu/


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In friday's Guardian there was a piece by Rick Moody about Frank Miller, 300 (2006) and what Moody considered is the strong presence of "crypto-fascism" in present Hollywood cinema. The starting point for the article was apparently Frank Miller's attack on the Occupy Wall Street-movement. Moody is supportive of that movement, and Miller's attack was provocative, not to say offensive. So Moody is legitimately upset. However, instead of just answering Miller he goes on to attack Hollywood, republicans, globalisation and comics, in a sense proclaiming that it is all fascism. Most of Moody's comments about individual films (such as 300, Gladiator and Avatar) are confusing but I will not waste time on that, instead I want to put the article in a larger frame.
The first noticeable thing about the article is that it is written as if nobody before has suggested that 300 is fascist, or that nobody has ever used the word "fascist" in connection with Hollywood action films. Moody seems to think that he has invented the wheel, although he does say "Perhaps you have thought this before.". Yes, indeed, many have thought it before, myself included. 300 and fascism was connected by many critics. Rogert Ebert in his review said "They celebrate a fascist ideal.". The Guardian's own reviewer Peter Bradshaw, in his critical review, said "Pundits might be pretty quick to invoke Leni Riefenstahl in connection with this movie" (although it took Moody five years to connect the dots). If the film was indeed "crypto-fascist" it failed at the crypto-part. And leaving 300 aside, the claim that Hollywood action films are fascist is at least 40 years old. Pauline Kael wrote in her review of Dirty Harry (1971) that "The action genre has always had a fascist potential, and it surfaces in this movie." but similar arguments have been made since the beginning of the 20th century. So Moody is part of a long tradition, even though he might not know it. In a sense, what he says about Hollywood has nothing to do with the present era or the films made today. These arguments have always been made, but the arguments are often-times weak and narrow-minded. (Many films that are to today considered masterpieces and classics have at one point or another been called fascist, be they American, Swedish (such as films by Bergman), Italian (Antonioni), Japanese (Kurosawa) and others.)
The big problem I have with the article is the irresponsible way it uses the term fascist. Among the things mentioned in the article as part of the same thing is Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarenegger, George W. Bush, Frank Miller, globalisation, comics, The Dark Knight (2008) and Spider-Man (2002). These are allegedly all example of fascism or crypto-fascism. But our personal politics are hardly ever as straightforward as Moody seems to think, and films are invariably more complex than to be able to be summed up in one word. Eastwood's politics might better be described as humanist conservatism, or potentially even liberal. Schwarzenegger's politics are also much more progressive then people seem to think, even if he did support Bush's re-election. But even if you happen to be a US republican, you are not by default a "crypto-fascist". (Of course it is entirely possible that Moody has his very own definition of what constitutes a fascist, and that everybody who does not share the same beliefs as Moody is in fact a fascist.)
As for the films, it is stretching it very far to suggest that practically all of Hollywood is "a mindless, propagandistic (or "crypto-fascist") storytelling medium to distract our citizenry." This complaint is also almost as old as the medium itself, but not even in small-sized dictatorships have it been possible to have such a control over the film medium. In any event, what does it mean for a film to be fascist? Are they films with a fascist message, if so what is a fascist message? Are they films using fascist aesthetics, if so what is that, and is it not possible to use fascist aesthetics without having a fascist message? Or do they just have fascist characters, and if so, are they treated critically or celebratory? Which character is the one the filmmakers identifies with? Is the hero a hero or an anti-hero? Which scene in the film is the key scene in terms of any political message? There are many such questions that must be asked, and they might not even be answerable after multiple viewings. It is naive, possibly romantic, to think that a film always has one, clearly defined and indisputable message.
So Moody comes across as ill-informed and confusing. This includes his condemnation of all comics as "made expressly to engage the attentions of pre- and post-pubescent boys. At least comic books themselves are so politically dim-witted, so pie-in-the-sky idealistic as to be hard to take seriously". This is just plain wrong, and it is also safe to assume that many members of Occupy Wall Street and other Occupy movements read comics, and love them and are even inspired by them (as can be seen in the popular usage of masks and symbols from Alan Moore's V for Vendetta). Many of the occupy-ers do also in all likelihood like the films Moody is condemning, which would suggest that if they are crypto-fascist the propaganda does not work on the audience, or that the Occupy movement is in fact crypto-fascist too, or possibly that the films are actually not crypto-fascist. Either way Moody's alarm seems unwarranted.
But the biggest problem is that if we call Eastwood or Schwarzenegger fascists, even though they clearly are not, what shall we call those that are really fascists? We live in a time with rising ultra right-wing parties and ideas. Racial intolerance and xenophobia seems to be spreading. Neo-nazi cells are discovered in Germany. Anti-immigrants and anti-Muslim parties are winning elections. But with this lazy and irresponsible use of loaded terms such as fascism the words become meaningless and useless when actual fascism is involved. If Eastwood is a fascist, then what was Mussolini? What shall we call Anders Behring Breivik? If anybody is a fascist, regardless of their actual beliefs and actions, then nobody is a fascist.
It is a sign of how impoverished the intellectual and political debate is when Obama is said to be a communist or a nazi, when Sarkozy is called a neoliberal and anything to the right of you is fascism. I believe such lazy thinking, such an a-historical approach, is a bigger threat to democracy than Hollywood action films.


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Beer Garden Time
One of life's simple pleasures is the humble beer garden and we are often at our happiest whilst outside enjoying a drink or two with our nearest and dearest - who knows the sun may even make an appearance!
Make the beer garden the place to be this Summer and pop along to get involved in our Very British Summer festival. The beer garden will be the backdrop for lots of Summer entertainment including live music, garden parties, beer festival and games for everyone.
Pull Up A Chair
Enjoy the best summer food and save yourself the washing up and head to the beer garden and enjoy a very British spread. Our Very British Summer festival food is best enjoyed with friends, outside!
Raise A Glass
Grab yourself a prime spot and watch the world go past whilst enjoying a delicious summer drink.
The bar is fully stocked and we've got plenty of new drinks for you to try, we're sure you'll find your new favourite summer tipple!


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Russ, Mike, and Neil are here to bring you another show with talking points, tips, tricks and questions answered.
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- Sean O'Brien asks if we can make a video on how to get the sounds in the song Flight from MonterCat
- Jim Burke asks if we could make a video about the harmony section of iZotope's Nectar 2.We have already done it
- Andres Gonzalez wanted to share an explanation of overtones and harmonics on SoundCloud
- Chris Bach wanted to let the community know that Garritan are doing a sale on their orchestra products until Sept 30th and although they aren't AAX they do work in Pro Tools 11 using PatchWork.
- Brenton Craig wants to know what the guitar settings on Xpand2 in our video "How To Transform Your Delay Effects In Pro Tools For Free"
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- Kyle Whittaker is having problems with MIDI notes hanging on but can't track down what is causing it.
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- Basil Fearrington is having problems with Pro Tools 8.0.5 with Windows 7. Check out our Support Tools page and the Avid 8.0.5 Installer download link
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- Andres Gonzalez would like to know the difference between 24 bit and 32 bit floating point in terms of A to D & D to A converters. Xiph.org videos
- Glenn Skinner asks for recommendations to replace a Mackie Big Knob.


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Black Bullet is a series that struggles with its own identity. What begins as a realistic disaster story with a hint of near future sci-fi quickly turns into a monster of the week formula, but with the obvious twist of a "chosen one" that hates the way the world is and will be the one to stop it! If that weren't enough though the second half of the episode is more in line with a harem comedy or even a *brocon. The premise is that an epidemic has swept Japan and once someone is infected they turn into a giant insect of some kind. There's actually some science used to explain how the insects are able to move around in giant size, but it's really not needed since I doubt people being hunted down or killed by them stop to think, "how is it still able to jump when the weight of its own body would surely crush it!?!" As a member of the audience I didn't think about it either until they explained it.
Our main character is an orphaned boy by the name of Satomi Rentaro. He's the handler/chosen one that will defeat them all and is paired with Aihara Enju who is one of the Cursed Children. The insects are known as Gastrea and apparently some pregnant women were infected via their saliva and created half-human, half-Gastrea children know as… the Cursed Children. Cursed because they're not really human and have the crazy Gastrea strength; what's worse is that they're only girls, which puts in place the well-worn formula of basically any show that's done something similar (another of which I'm reviewing as well). The kids are used to fight the Gastrea and their handlers are given special bullets… black bullets. The bullets supposedly harm the Gastrea, but as we see Rentaro unloads an entire clip in a bug's brain and it shakes it off.
The voice acting is fine, the animation is fine, the fact that there is an adult male Cursed one running around infecting people is fine, but really that's it. The problem with Black Bullet is that everything is so familiar that nothing other than those three elements stand out and even that last one is nothing new.
Young girl in love with older boy and overplaying their relationship: pick an anime. A small and struggling agency of some kind that can't get paid because the main character forgets or gets too wrapped up in the major plot line? Too many stories to count. A rare item in which the series gets its name from, but has as much use to the overall world as a knife cutting water; yeah I could name a few. The lists of comparisons go on and on and the real problem is that Black Bullet isn't half as good as the other anime's you'll think of while watching it. If you're going to be familiar then you better also be better or great in comparison.
Score: 2/5
Director: Masayuki Kojima Creator: Shiden Kanzaki Studio: Kinema Citrus/Orange Animation Studio
*Brocon = A romance in which a sister loves her brother, but the feelings are (usually) not reciprocated. It's also used in case of a sister like character loving someone she equates as a brother.


text: What? You thought I'd be writting about Margaret Thatcher? This is how I will always remember Annette Funicello. The Mickey Mouse Club was already a nostalgic remnant of a long distant past when I became acquainted with it through reruns on the local afternoon kiddie show in the mid 1970s. Truth be told, I was immune to some of her more obvious charms, but I always liked her, and I enjoyed living vicariously through her whenever cute boys like Tim Considine went gaga over her on Mickey Mouse Club serials like Spin and Marty and Annette. Later, she was in all those beach party movies with Frankie Avalon, which were a gas, man, but she was not really the main attraction as far as I was concerned. She was a woman of limited talent, but whether she was pushing peanut butter in TV commercials, or turning up on talk shows, she always seemed like sweetheart, which even more that her famous bosum, must have been the key to her success.


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When clinical expertise and AmaZing! Customer Service collide; GREAT THINGS HAPPEN! Great things like patients who are happier, healthier and more loyal than ever.
The AmaZing! Customer Service Course for Individuals includes the tools you need to create an AmaZing! atmosphere in YOUR clinic.
When you and your team use AmaZing! Customer Service, you will discover:
- Highly engaged employees who are empowered to provide an AmaZing! experience for each and every patient
- Patients who have a positive experience are more likely to follow treatment plans and feel better, faster
- Patients who get better faster are happier, healthier, and more likely to refer friends and family to your practice
- Physicians, who are thrilled with the response from their happy and healthy patients, engage more with your practice and increase their referrals
If you are in need of a disability-related accommodation, please contact email@example.com. We will process requests for reasonable accommodation and will provide reasonable accommodations where appropriate, in a prompt and efficient manner. For more information please see the Accommodation Procedures for Disabled Participants page.
Developed by Larry Benz, DPT, OCS, MAPP, MBA, the AmaZing! Customer Service Suite has been tested for more than 20 years in private practice settings.
Dr. Benz states, "Results are astounding. AmaZing! Customer Service yields patients who are loyal beyond reason, increasing the bottom line by slashing marketing expenses and boosting referrals."


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Being a parent can be one of life's most joyful and rewarding experiences, but there are times in everyone's life when the demands and hassles of daily living cause stress. The additional stress of caring for children can, at times, make parents feel angry, anxious, or just plain "stressed out". These tensions are a normal, inevitable part of family life, and parents need to learn ways to cope so that they don't feel overwhelmed by them.
As parents, we have to learn our jobs as we go along. Although we love our children, we soon realize that love isn't all that's needed. We need patience and creativity too, and sometimes, these qualities seem to be in short supply. Learning how to be a parent will probably continue until all your children are grown up. Because each child is unique, what worked with Joe will not necessarily work with Sally, and what worked for Sally probably will not help you cope with George.
Caring for small children is tiring. On bad days, we can feel trapped by the constant responsibility. Caring for older children is less physically draining but more worrisome because they spend much more time outside the home.
If there are young children in the family, there may not be enough time for parents to find time to spend together just enjoying each other's company. Single parents have difficulty finding time and energy to have a social life. Parents with full-time jobs have difficulty finding family play-time. Calendars tend to become over-scheduled. We all need time for ourselves, to concentrate on hobbies or interests, or just to relax.
Need some suggestions on how to cope with a difficult child?
Recognize the symptoms of stress
Do you need more help?
If you are considering getting some additional support or information to help you cope with the stress of parenting, there are many different resources available, including books and video tapes on stress management, parenting courses and workshops, professional counselling and self-help groups.
Have a realistic attitude
Most parents have high expectations of how things should be -we all want a perfect family and we all worry about how our children will turn out. It is important to remember there are no perfect children and no perfect parents. All children misbehave some times. Parents can make mistakes.
You may worry about whether your children will be successful. Remember – they are each individuals. Accept them for who they are. Children who are loved, encouraged and allowed to grow up at their own pace will develop good self-esteem and confidence.
It is helpful to step back and take a long-range point of view. Have confidence that things will turn out well. Children can go through difficult stages. What is stressful today may resolve itself in a short time.
How to recognize the symptoms of stress
Stress becomes a problem when you feel overwhelmed by the things that happen to you. You may feel "stressed out" when it seems there is too much to deal with all at once, and you are not sure how to cope.
Stress can manifest itself in physical symptoms. You can feel tired, get headaches, stomach upsets or backaches, clench your jaw or grind your teeth, develop skin rashes, have recurring colds or flu, have muscle spasms or nervous twitches, or have problems sleeping.
Mental signs of stress include feeling pressured, having difficulty concentrating, being forgetful and having trouble making decisions.
Emotional signs include feeling angry, frustrated, tense, anxious, or more aggressive than usual.
How can you cope?
Coping with the stress of parenting starts with understanding what makes you feel stressed, learning to recognize the symptoms of too much stress, and learning new ways of coping with life's problems.
You may not always be able to tell exactly what is causing your emotional tension, but it is important to remind yourself that it is not your children's fault.
We all have reactions to life's events which are based on our own personal histories. For the most part, we never completely understand the deep-down causes of all our feelings.
What we must realize is that our feelings of stress come from inside ourselves and that we can learn to keep our stress reactions under control. Here are some tips which can help:
- Make time for self-care. Reserve time each week for your own activities.
- Take care of your health with a good diet and regular exercise.
- Avoid fatigue. Go to bed earlier and take short naps when you can.
- Take a break
- Talk to someone. Sharing your worries is a great stress reducer!
- Learn some ways of unwinding to manage the tension. Simple daily stretching exercises help relieve muscle tension. Vigorous walking, aerobics or sports are excellent ways for some people to unwind and work off tension; others find deep-breathing exercises are a fast, easy and effective way to control physical and mental tension.
- Practice time management.
The information on this page is courtesy of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)


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More Articles from Weight Loss Information:
Gastric Bypass Surgery - What Are The Risks?
Although all of the risks involved in gastric bypass surgery aren't fully known, there are many that are. These include possible infection, clotting of the blood, and the development of gallstones, a bleeding ulcer and even pneumonia.
Ive Been Dieting for Five Minutes - Am I Thin Yet?
When Instant Results Take TimeYesterday I decided to "get back in shape," and today I'm already checking in the mirror to see if there's a difference. Sound familiar? Everything else is instantly obtainable from microwave dinners to pay-on-demand TV, so why should weight loss take so long?Before microwave ovens people had to decide in the morning what to make for dinner because it took all day to thaw the meat.
Weight Loss Tips: Get Free and Effective Weight Loss Tips!
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for water in an Ocean. But trust me, looking for good Diet Program is like finding a pearl in the ocean.
Burn Fat Not Sugar!
You are going to be pleasantly surprised! Most people think that in order to lose weight you have to do strenuous exercise, continuously, and lots of it! Well, Guess what? NOT TRUE!I know you are thinking? That's crazy! It doesn't make any sense! I thought the same thing, when I first heard this. But it all comes down to understanding how your body works.
Overweight - Answering Your Critics
There are those that walk amongst us who have followed all the advice, diligently dieted and exercised with genuine effort for long periods of time, yet still fail to lose their excess weight. Even more heartbreaking for those of us who genuinely struggle with obesity are the accusations of sloth and laziness from those thin people who eat junk all day long and show no physical sign of their own gluttony.
The Fastest Way To Your After Photo
You've seen them a hundred times: "Before" and "After" pictures. Are you ready to be the one in the photos? Don't wait until you lose more weight.
Weight Loss - Make a Significant and Lasting Lifestyle Change
Losing weight can make a significant and life altering change in how we live our everyday life. After losing weight many people experience better sleep patterns, increased energy levels, improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Gastric Bypass Patients at Risk for Stomach Blockage: How to Avoid This
In a gastric bypass the connection between he stomach pouch and the small intestine is called the gastrojejunal anastomosis. It is roughly the diameter of a ladies little finger.
The RESULTS Diet!
Glucagon and Aging - Breakfast How Not To Start The Day Part III
A question from one of our readers:Dr. Mericle,With respect to burning "fat" energy in the mornings before eating, what if you are not a long distance runner? The average person is not, particularly someone who is overweight.
The Miraculous Claims of the Zone Diet
One way of recognizing a fad diet is said to be the promise of multiple miraculous effects upon health. And Zone diet promises a lot.
Whats Really Behind the Milk Diet?
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify, or verify the so-called Milk Diet. There are a number of resources available both online and offline which can help you and your physician decide which of the several diet plans or personalized weight loss programs is right for you.
New Hope for Attaining--and Maintaining--A Healthy Body Weight
The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is increasing very rapidly. "Overweight" is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) from 25.
No Fuss Weight-Loss
To lose weight and keep it off you need an easy to follow no fuss plan. You need a plan that is simple and sensible.
Low Carb Diet - The Way To Weight Loss?
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Weight Loss Setbacks and the All or Nothing Attitude
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How to Burn Pure Fat and Lose Weight More Quickly
If you're trying lose weight, maintain your weight, or sculpt your body, than you're probably trying to discover how to burn pure fat. You want to know what you can do to make your body burn fat faster and more efficiently.
Can You Still Buy Ephedra?
With millions of people aiming for successful weight loss, many are still interested in diet pills and want to buy ephedra. Perhaps you are wondering.
Weight Loss vs. Body Fat - Mirrors and Clothes dont Lie!
With the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity in our country, we fitness experts must education you on how to slow them down or give you some form of prevention guidelines.First, what does it mean to be obese? Obese means that at least thirty percent of your weight is made up of fat.
20 Ways to Lose Weight
20 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT1. Take it one step at a timeStart by paying attention to what you eat.
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Featured News
Fed Chair: "We Remain In Extraordinary Times."
Speaking in Boston on Tuesday, Mr. Powell depicted a throwback to economic conditions seen only briefly in post-War U.S. history, and fresh data released Thursday and Friday reinforced Mr. Powell's "remarkably positive outlook."
In the 88% of the U.S. economy outside of the manufacturing sector, purchasing activity soared in September, climbing to the highest level since inception of the index in January 2008. According to Thursday's report from the Institute for Supply Management, the forward-looking new orders component of the index slowed slightly from August but remained very strong.
Meanwhile, the Labor Department said on Friday that unemployment, from its record low in August, ticked lower in September — as low as it's been since 1969.
This article was written by a professional financial journalist for Advisor Products and is not intended as legal or investment advice.
© 2019. All Rights Reserved.


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6 Books to Get You Hugging (0-2)
Cuddle up with your little one and enjoy these great books about hugs
Hugging really is the best, isn't it? It can brighten up a difficult day, make a "hello" that bit more personal and offer you the best support when you really need it. And this isn't just true for you - it's especially true for your children. Hugging helps children to develop their social skills as well as allowing them to form bonds with those around them, and there really is nothing like a hug from a big sister, dad or grandma when you've fallen down in the garden and grazed your knee.
Experts suggest that children should be hugged several times every day, so here are 6 books about hugging that will make your child want to cuddle with you even more than usual.


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In home improvement, kitchen extension is very popular as it creates extra space and also it enhances value to home and family members. Creating own kitchen extension or extending the family home Oxfordshire every family members can use their own innovative ideas as per need in the creation of space. There are many things which must be taken into consideration while planning for extension. Separate dining and other utility rooms must be structured and designed properly as per need. The most important role is played by kitchen extensions which provide better options for cooking and also best for relaxing, entertaining guests and dining. So one must plan extension what we want to achieve.
There are various types of kitchen extensions as per need as follows:
*Single storey extension: The great way of adding more space to kitchen is single storey extensions. It has only one floor and it won't affect second floor. The extra workspace or bigger areas of appliances are useful and beneficial.
*Rear kitchen extensions: This type of extension extends from the back of the house and is very famous for no side return alternate. It provides larger kitchen areas. In it there are three roof options like:
*mono-pitched roof
*centre- pitched roof
*flat roof
*Wrap- round extensions: It has a side return extension.
*Conservatory extension: These types of extensions are very popular in those houses where there is lack of natural light. It also gives the wonderful look to the house and they are comparatively more cheaper than other type of extensions.The cost varies as per extensions done or planned.
Extension or extending the family home occurs due to various reasons like growing children and their books, study materials, toys, number of family members and as per their requirements and need. The extension depends on future plans, costs involved, emotions attached with the house and the area where we live in, what kind of structure is required etc.The kitchen extensions are really good as it improves home and adds value and respect for family members. Now there is a preference for open plan while in 80s and 90s the trend was to create as many rooms as possible where people or family members wanted separate utility and dining rooms.
Now buyers having young families want kitchen space to be the heart of home and it adds value to relations and strong bonding when all family members eat together. Many people prefer in combining kitchen with reception room which also looks attractive and ideal solution for many families. The lack of walls brings family members more closer and gives relaxing mood and is very effective. Kitchen is a right way to bring everyone closer and nearer and family members are really much attached and strong bonding develops between family members. Thus the extension done for better future plans and innovative ideas of family members as per their need and requirement is always the best ideal solution for everyone as it co-ordinates with everyone understandings.


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Portland: Mississippi Historic District target area economic development strategy (2002)
Portland (Or.)
E.D. Hovee & Company
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Portland (Or.)
E.D. Hovee & Company
The purpose of this economic development strategy is to provide an analysis of key economic development opportunities within the target area that could have the most significant impact on area revitalization and assist in identification of potential target area economic goals/strategies. [From the document]
- Sub-area plans [330]
- Portland, Oregon Planning Documents [496]
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We know what it is to thrive in a covenant marriage. We also know what it is to be in a marriage disaster! We have determined that we are going to do all we can to help couples discover heaven on earth and hope for the future. Many couples want to protect themselves from that roaring lion who seeks to devour them. Other couples want to move from surviving to thriving. Still others are on the edge of catastrophe, just about to divorce. Some will never divorce, but believe that they will never live in joy.
Who would benefit from marriage coaching? Couples who:
- Have a great marriage and want to use their marriage to bring hope into the lives of others.
- Have a good marriage and want to move it to the next level.
- Are married but wonder – "is this all there is" or "maybe I married the wrong person" or "I deserve more than this."
- Are married, but do not see it as more than a relationship of being roommates, sharing a house, bills, and maybe kids.
- Are married but are far from thriving; feelings are very cold and disconnected.
- Are married but feel they only have two options – settling to stay married but miserable or getting a divorce. They don't know there is a 3rd option!
- Are considering marriage and need some spiritual direction.
- Are separated or divorced but would consider reconciliation.
For couples from the Oklahoma City area, we offer couple-to-couple coaching and consulting for married couples. We also offer premarital coaching and consulting for pre-married couples in the Oklahoma City area. For highly motivated couples outside of the Oklahoma City area, we offer couple-to-couple coaching via conference call.
You don't have to be a believer to benefit from aMAYzing Impact Coaching. We won't beat you up with a Bible. We will encourage you to live according to your values. We will support you as you reach for your marriage goals. We will recommend powerful principles that will be great for your relationship. We learned them from Jesus and they will impact your relationship for good – whether or not you profess to follow him. We care about your marriage regardless of your faith.
Learn the differences between coaching, consulting, and therapy.
Contact us to set up a free initial coaching/consulting session for marriage enrichment.


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Hong Kong, 18 September 2014 – The award-winning Mandarin Oriental, Boston and Chef Daniel Boulud are delighted to announce the opening of Bar Boulud, Boston. The French-inspired bistro and wine bar is Chef Boulud's first restaurant in Boston, and second partnership with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. The restaurant follows the successful format of Bar Boulud, New York, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and Chef Daniel Boulud's first UK restaurant, Bar Boulud, London, located at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park, both of which have achieved significant acclaim. This approachable restaurant concept is known for its traditional French bistro fare, seasonal New England inspired dishes, signature charcuterie with recipes by renowned Parisian charcutier Gilles Verot, and an impressive wine cellar showcasing Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, well-suited for leisurely dining, business meetings or special occasions.
Chef Aaron Chambers, most recently Executive Chef at Boulud Sud in New York City, leads the daily culinary operations of Bar Boulud, Boston as Chef de Cuisine with a menu that includes an impressive selection of traditional terrines and pâtés, such as: Pâté Grand Mère, chicken liver, pork, cognac and Pâté Grand-Père, foie gras, pork and truffle, along with an assortment of signature sausages such as: Boudin Blanc, white pork sausage with truffled mashed potatoes and apple and Boudin Noir, blood sausage with mashed potatoes, apple and caramelized onions.
A selection of grilled beef burgers adds an American touch to the menu with: 'The Frenchie,' topped with pork belly confit, arugula, Dijon, tomato compote and Morbier cheese on brioche bun and 'The Piggie,' topped with barbecued pulled pork, jalapeño mayonnaise, and a red cabbage slaw. Additional menu highlights include: the classic Coq au Vin, with red wine-braised Amish chicken, bacon lardons, pearl onions, tender baby carrots and trumpet royale mushrooms; Handmade Chitarra Pasta, laced with local Wellfleet clams, bottarga, fennel and chili garlic; New England Sole Meunière, served with cauliflower, marcona almonds, capers, brown butter and fresh parsley; and a hearty Croque Monsieur, served on house-made brioche, layered with melted Gruyère cheese and house-made ham.
Chef Chambers joined Boulud in 2009. Originally from Yorkshire, England, he has over 15 years culinary experience in top kitchens all along the East Coast including: Indebleu Restaurant and Café du Parc in Washington D.C. and Café Boulud and Boulud Sud in New York City. Prior to working in the U.S., Chambers cooked in the kitchens of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, the two Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux property in Oxford, England, and Al Mahara in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, rated among Restaurant Magazine's "World's 50 Best."
Curated by Sommelier Joe Camper, the wine cellar at Bar Boulud, Boston features an extensive list dedicated to the great wines of Burgundy and the Rhône Valley – Chef Boulud's favorite wine making regions that neighbour his native city of Lyon, France. Within the cellar, guests can find rare gems alongside approachable 'vin du pays'. Beyond France, the wine list travels to new world regions such as the United States, Austria, Germany and beyond, offering unique varietals that pair beautifully with food. Camper, a Champagne enthusiast, is also please to present an extensive selection of crémants – sparkling wines – that complement the New England seafood inspired menu. Camper began his wine career in Boston at Barbara Lynch Gruppo's Menton, and was most recently Sommelier at Boulud's Midtown NYC bistro, db Bistro Moderne.
Bar Boulud, Boston also features a seasonal selection of curated craft beers and innovative hand-crafted cocktails. Highlights from the cocktail menu include: Cranberry Royale, a blend of Champagne and cranberry vodka, served "up" with a cranberry compote ice orb; 8th & Orchard, a twist on the classic Boston cocktail, the Ward 8, which blends rye whiskey with a splash of house-made grenadine and apple cider, served over crushed ice; and the Boylston Flip, with ZU Bison Grass Vodka, fresh pear juice, cinnamon, fig, egg white and a Kübler Absinthe rinse. The cocktail list highlights a variety of 'Boulud Classic Cocktails' from his restaurants around the world.
Adam D. Tihany of Tihany Design has designed Bar Boulud, Boston, and has brought the space to life with a vibrant interior and several signature features, including a seven-seat marble-clad charcuterie counter and a distinctive glass enclosed wine cellar. A glass étagère serves as the focal point for a 17-seat backlit, zinc top bar. Vintage oak, leather and stone form the backdrop for whimsical wine-centric artwork, channel tufted banquette, and a 10-seat communal table. Sliding glass doors facing Boylston Street open to the restaurant's intimate 55-seat bar and lounge space.
Guests are able to enter the space from Boylston Street or through the lobby of Mandarin Oriental, Boston. Positioned at the entrance, guests are greeted by a host station flanked by feature walls made of French wine crates. In the centre of the 68-seat main dining room, a row of rich burgundy leather booths run parallel to the restaurant's vaulted wood ceiling, a dramatic design reminiscent of wine barrels. Moving further into the restaurant, guests can enjoy a 22-seat private dining room, which can be separated by a contemporary sliding barn door.
From September 16, Bar Boulud, Boston will be open daily, serving breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., lunch Monday to Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday brunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dining at the bar will also be available throughout the day. Breakfast here will be served Monday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and lunch Monday to Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m. A daily bar menu will also be available from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., a late night menu from 11 p.m. to midnight and Sunday brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Chef Daniel Boulud is considered one of America's leading culinary authorities. Boulud's culinary accolades include James Beard Foundation awards for "Outstanding Restaurateur" and "Outstanding Chef of the Year," "Outstanding Service," and "Best Chef in NYC," among others. He has been named "Chef of the Year" by the Culinary Institute of America, "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the French government, and "Master Chef" by Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. Boulud owns and operates restaurants in New York City, Miami, Palm Beach, Las Vegas, Toronto, Montreal, London and Singapore.
An intimate, luxurious hotel, Mandarin Oriental, Boston combines classic New England elegance with refined Oriental touches to create one of the most distinctive hospitality experiences in the region. Awarded both Forbes Five-Stars and AAA Five-Diamonds, Mandarin Oriental, Boston features 148 guestrooms and suites over 14 floors, delighting its guests with the finest facilities and service, innovative dining experiences and an unparalleled holistic Five-Star awarded spa. A short, 15-minute drive to Logan International Airport, Mandarin Oriental, Boston connects guests to the city's finest shopping, cultural venues and business institutions from its prime location in the heart of the chic Back Bay on Boylston Street.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Having grown from a well-respected Asian hotel company into a global brand, the Group now operates, or has under development, 45 hotels representing close to 11,000 rooms in 25 countries, with 20 hotels in Asia, ten in The Americas and 15 in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. In addition, the Group operates or has under development, 13 Residences at Mandarin Oriental connected to its properties.
Visit Destination MO (http://www.mandarinoriental.com/destination-mo/), the online version of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's bespoke publication, MO. News about our award-winning hotels, the best dining experiences, spa treatments, travel retreats and interviews with the Group's celebrity fans is now just a click away. Further information is also available on our Social Media channels.
This post is written by Sarah Coulsey. She is a Wife, and Mother of two boys living in New England. This post may contain affiliate links.


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When is an all-inclusive…not all-inclusive?
When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Keep that in mind when looking at the amazing "all-inclusive" deals that are listed on many websites, such as Expedia or Orbitz. What these large websites don't tell you are the resort fees, reservation problems with dining, activity fees, etc. And the resorts which don't have these problems are much more expensive, although well worth the extra money.
First of all, you need a travel agent. It just is not a good idea to gamble away your vacation fund with Expedia. You never know what hidden fees, bad service or unclean hotel may be waiting for you. But more on the why's of using a travel agent are here: http://tinyurl.com/3t34qcd
All-Inclusive Resorts
Always check for hidden fees. Whether that may be a resort fee, a security deposit required at check-in, or a fee to make meal reservations (which you ALWAYS want to do as soon as possible when visiting an all-inclusive). Also check to see what activities are included in the price, if any. Normal budget all-inclusives will have non-motorized activities included, such as bicycles, kayaks, snorkel gear, beach chairs and umbrellas. Some good all-inclusives include even motorized activities, such as jet-skis.
I am a cruising fanatic, having cruised all of the most popular cruise lines and some of the lesser-known brands. It saddens me when people say that cruising is a rip-off, as almost all "hidden" fees are avoidable. If you don't want to eat at a specialty restaurant, there is certainly more than enough food at the included restaurants. If you just want to explore the ports of call on your own, then you don't need to take a shore excursion. Don't like the photos they take of you, don't purchase them! But if you do want to spend a little extra money, all of these things are available on cruises. Cruising really is the ultimate way to vacation as an all-inclusive. No transportation is necessary if you live near a port (such as I do). And if you aren't lucky enough to live near a port, all cruise lines offer assistance with booking flights and transportation to/from the airport. See my review of the Oasis and Allure of the Seas here for more info on what a wonderful vacation cruising can be: http://tinyurl.com/3ll9cf9
The gist of the matter here is this: don't expect to pay nothing and get a fantastic vacation. Expect to find a good VALUE.
Contact me to help you personally navigate the world of all-inclusive vacationing: firstname.lastname@example.com
Posted on May 9, 2011, in All-Inclusive, Cruising and tagged All-inclusive resort, Cruise line, Expedia, MS Allure of the Seas, Orbitz, Resort, Travel, Travel agency. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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Groznjan-Grisignana is a little town in north-west part of Istria, about 15km away from the sea, with rich history, tradition and cultural heritage,…
Groznjan is still one of several similar colorful towns inside of the Istrian peninsula. It is located at the top of the hill above the beautifull valley of the river "Mirna",as well as Motovun, Hum, Opatrlj …
"The city of Artists" is a synonym and a second name for Groznjan.
The story of "The city of Artists" begun in 1965 when it started up the restoration project abandoned town Groznjan.
In fact, Groznjan shared the fate with some other similar towns and is completely abandoned and dilapidated. The streets were covered with weeds and old house completely dilapidated … Groznjan turned into horror and ghost town and its middle century look and character only strengthened that impression.
That fateful year 1965 on the invitation of the government, in Groznjan came artists from all countries of the former common state as well as from countries around the world. In the houses, they received from govenment for a lifetime usage, they opened its galleries, studios, organized the Art Colony, held concerts,… This was and still is way of living "The city of Artists" even Groznjan is experiencing its new prosperity today.
Published on: 15.05.2010


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"Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it the target, the more you are going to miss it." ~ Viktor E. Frankl*
Look at that little dachshund! He was trotting along the beach, sniffing at this and poking at that, when the thought crossed his mind that he wasn't accomplishing all that much. "Now", he thought, "what can I do to be a success as a dog?" Then he noticed something a little further down the beach. Another dog was running full tilt toward a big log and, lo and behold, he leapt over it with ease.
"Wow!" said dachshund said to himself. "That dog is succcessful. He can leap tall logs in a single bound. If I do that, I'll be a success too." And that is how the quick, brown dog leapt over the humungous log...
No, of course that isn't what happened! Rewind, rewind, rewind....back to the Victor Frankl quote. Frankl learned from the hard circumstances of his own life that success is like happiness - if you grasp for it, it eludes you. We tend to believe that, if only we can impress others or do as well or better than them, then we will be successful. Or we imagine that we haven't truly made it in life unless we are popular, wealthy, famous or have realized all of the goals that we've mapped out for ourselves. We expect that we'll finally "be someone" if we can achieve (fill in the blank), but Frankl implies that real success is something altogether different:
"For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself."
My first encounter with Viktor Frankl was in a high school English class, when we worked our way through his fascinating book, Man's Search For Meaning. He described his experiences as a prisoner in a Nazi labour camp during World War Two. As a psychiatrist, Frankl noted the differences between men who lost hope and faded away and those who retained a strong spirit of survival. Those who made it through the horrific experience tended to be those who looked ahead - to a time of future fulfillment and happiness. They kept thoughts of loved ones in the forefront of their minds and looked outside of their own misery toward other people, other causes. In short, they had a sense of purpose and a connection to something greater than themselves. Quite often, this arose out of their belief in and commitment to God.
Let's get back to our wee dachshund on the beach. I can't say whether or not he is aware of God, nor can I speculate on what kinds of relationships he has with other dogs. It's probably safe to assume that he didn't decide to take that leap because he thought it was good for his canine image or to beef up his resume. I'm fairly certain that the only reason a dog would jump a log that big is that some inner motivation compelled him. Maybe he did it for the sheer physical joy of it or because he saw a fascinating object up ahead that inspired him so much he just had to get to it. Perhaps his owner whistled and, because he loves that owner with all his doggy heart, he wanted to get to her as quickly as possible. He didn't count the cost or plan for success - he just did what his heart told him to.
How does this translate into our lives as human beings? What do most of us mean when we say, "I succeeded"? The standard dictionary definition of success is: a favourable or desired outcome. Depending on one's outlook, that could mean almost anything. Some of us set goals and reach them, while others do not. The funny thing about we human beings is that, once we reach our objectives, the sense of satisfaction fades quickly and we need to set a new goal.
"Success is full of promise till one gets it, and then it seems like a nest from which the bird has flown." ~ Henry Ward Beecher
As I mentioned earlier, Frankl says that this is because true success is based on something deeper than achieving goals. It is an issue of conscience.
"I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run - in the long-run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it."
Our conscience is the seat of our moral compass, where a deeply-held understanding of right and wrong, good and evil, sacred and profane resides. The more mundane, physical type of compass aligns with the magnetic forces of the earth in such a way that no matter where you are standing, anywhere around the globe, the little needle will always, without exception, point toward the North Pole. In other words, the North Pole is the point of reference that helps us to find our way to where we need to be. Similarly, a "moral compass" is what helps us to know how to live rightly. Most of us have one, either out in the open or hidden away inside, in the unconscious mind. There is always some belief, some ideal, some understanding of reality that serves as the "true north" for each person.
For me, true north is Christ. I see myself and my life in relation to who he is and what he teaches and I believe that his Spirit lives in me. His Spirit aligns my conscience to the mind and heart of my Creator and I have discovered that the only thing that satisfies me deeply is to live for God. Jesus knew this and tried to communicate it to the people around him. To one huge crowd of people who came to hear him teach, he said:
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he [God] will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:33)
According to Jesus, success comes to us as we align ourselves to the purposes of Someone greater than ourselves. Our Creator loves us dearly and knows exactly what we need. He knows because he is the one who made us.
"For we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10)
You are a masterpiece and so am I. God knew us and planned successful lives for us long ago, before we were born. He wove his plan into our DNA, our personalities and the longings of our souls. In Christ, we become our true selves.
When I think about that, the picture of the little dog who jumped over the log comes to mind. That hunk of wood is at least as tall as him, but he doesn't worry about that. In his heart, he knows that he's a jumper and nothing else matters. In a similar way, God has planted something good in your heart and in mine. Do we have the courage to go for it, whatever the challenges along the way? I'll take a leap of faith if you will.
*All Viktor Frankl quotations come from the book, Man's Search For Meaning
Photo credits
The dachshund-http://www.flickr.com/photos/soggydan/3880219904/


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Beef Tenderloin
Whole tenderloin makes 8-12 servings: half makes 4-6 servings.
Nothing could be simpler yet more elegant than a juicy, rare fillet of beef, but eh roast must be cooked to perfection. here is a foolproof method if you use a meat thermometer.
1 whole or half beef tenderloin
1 clove of garlic
salad oil or bacon fat
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Remove fat and connective tissue from meat. Rub meat all over with cut garlic clove and then with oil or bacon fat. Place on rack in open roasting pan; tuck narrow end under to make the roast evenly thick. Insert meat thermometer into center of thickest part of meat. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 140 degrees (rare). The half tenderloin will require 45-50 minutes baking time


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Because, hey, let's create a convenient excuse for the poop jokes. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
I'm not gonna lie, one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Japan is because I wanted to try a bidet. It's like a magical invention that nobody wants to talk about because of the, uh, dirty work it does. But I was curious. What did it feel like? Did it get everything? And was there really a camera in it like on that episode of the Simpsons?
And then Vanessa and I stayed at a hotel in Seoul that had one. I tried, and wasn't so impressed. It just couldn't do the job as well as toilet paper, if you catch my drift.
But after a couple weeks in Japan, I've gotten a lot better at bidet form. There's a button you can push which warms up the seat, which I assume is quite nice on a cold winter's morn. I like the water warm, but not too warm. And I like that you can adjust the pressure depending on the amount of… residue left behind and the tenderness of your… parts.
Geez. Restraint is hard. I deserve a Nobel Prize. HEY. If Obama gets one, so should I.
Now? I'm sold on them. It takes a little longer because there's drying time involved, but that's a minor setback. It takes just a little shuffling to hit all the right spots. You're not going to run out of toilet paper halfway through, and there's zero chance of embarrassing clogs afterwards.
So naturally, I'm looking to buy a bidet for when I get back to Canada and get my own house.
But does it pay for itself in the long run? Let's take a look.
Crunchin' numbers, yo
First of all, we have to figure out how much toilet paper the average person uses, before we can even think about figuring out whether it's worth it to buy a bidet. Luckily, I've been keeping detailed notes on a notepad next to my throne since 2003. FINALLY, TRACKING BOWEL MOVEMENTS IS ABOUT TO PAY OFF.
Just kidding. Eww, all caps Nelson. Eww.
I did what anyone else would do. I hit the Google machine. Luckily for us, toilet paper folks have been tracking this stuff for a while, because apparently it's not gross when you sell toilet paper.
(Aside: imagine being that guy and talking about what you do at a party. "Well, John, I track to see how much toilet paper people use to wipe… Hey! Where are you going?")
Anyway, they figured it out. And the verdict? The average American spends about $50 per year keeping their ass clean. Well, mostly clean for some of you. That's 49,000 sheets per year. Another study put it like this — the average person uses 57 sheets of toilet paper per day. Which is about half of what the original guy says.
Maybe we should ask someone else. Luckily, Trent Hamm has some thoughts.
So if the average person spends $50 per year to keep their butt from stinking up the joint, then figuring out whether or not to buy a bidet is a fairly easy calculation. If you can buy a bidet for a reasonable price, the return is certainly there.
So I went on Amazon, thinking there'd be one or two there.
Turns out there are about 60. And that's just on Amazon.ca. Apparently the Japanese manufacturers have been busy trying to market to North America.
If you want to go cheap, there's The Pure Clean Bidet Attachment, which retails for a whole $37.71 (plus free shipping). It's an attachment you install on the side of your toilet that uses water pressure to operate. There's no electrical components, which means no heated water and no warm toilet seat in the winter. Oh, the sacrifices we have to make for money. 20/25 people have given it a 5-star ranking.
We don't want the cheap way to buy a bidet, dammit. We want quality! Our asses deserve it!
For a mere $290, you can get the Swash 300 Bidet , which is a pretty clever name if you ask me. It has all the bells and whistles, like the heated seat, separate settings for washing girl parts too, and apparently it cleans itself. It also comes with a remote, and looks pretty damn cool. The reviews say it isn't great if you're a large person, but other than that people tend to like it.
There's more too. You can buy a bidet that costs almost $1,000. I assume that's the kind Kim Jong Il has, because of all the cheese he eats. Also because he's a dictator. If I was a dictator, you better believe I'd have the fancy bidet.
So back to it. Is it worth it to buy a bidet?
From a numbers standpoint, it's a slam dunk to buy the cheap ones for $50-$100. You'll get your money's worth in a year or two, and there's no fancy parts to break down. They should last a while. And if not? There are plenty of different brands to try.
Where it gets more tricky is the fancier ones. You're looking at about a five year payoff for one of those. Normal toilet seats will last a lot longer than that, but a bidet has fancy working parts. I'm not sure about that one, at least from an investment perspective.
It's time to enter the 21st century. Get yourself a smartphone, a flat screen TV, and go ahead and buy a bidet. Your ass deserves it, champ.


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During our free time, we had an option to go on a Catamaran Tour with Island Routes. They are the tour provider for Sandals and Beaches resorts. We were encouraged to take this tour so that we, as agents, could let our clients know what kind of tour operators they were so we could properly advise them. So, I thought long and hard....Catamaran or the pool or the beach....Catamaran won out! I'm a boat loving person, so it was an easy decision! Even with that stormy sky overhead! We were assured that where we were heading the skies would be beautiful! No worries!
Off we went. The staff was a lot of fun, as were the Sandals reps! On the way out to Iguana Island there was rum punch, and of course water and soda...music playing and it was great to relax and take in the sites of Turks & Caicos from the ocean!
We anchored and while this trip we didn't snorkel, on other tours they bring out the snorkel gear. For us, there was a volleyball net set up, you could walk the beach, swim in the ocean and there was this really cool area across the island with a lot of tide pools - which by then my phone battery was dead and I had left my other camera on the catamaran! But here's what I do have pictures of!
And look at that blue sky! They were right, no storm clouds here!
After probably about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, we were back on board and sailing back to Beaches. On the way back they had fruit, cheeses and other snacks along with the bar set up.
Here is a look at Beaches as we are almost back
It was a great time, one that I'm glad that I decided to do! I'd recommend Island Routes to anyone for a tour operator! Next, time for some quick souvenir shopping before the Sesame Street Parade and then dinner!


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The Edelweiss Club Room for Meetings or Private Dinner Parties
The Edelweiss Lodge and Spa is an ideal location for small meetings and retreats in winter or summer. It is also frequently used for private dinner parties or family reunions.
The Edelweiss' Club Room measures 20' x 25' and tables and chairs can easily be arranged for theater seating (approx. 30 people), U-formation (approx. 24 people), or individual tables to best suit the groups' needs.
The Club Room offer an integrated sounds system, wireless and ethernet internet, as well as complete audio-visual facilities.
Any food and beverage needs for meetings or retreats can be accommodated in house through the Blonde Bear Tavern and/or the Café Naranaja with service in the Club Room or the neighboring property dining room.
Please contact the property's general manager (575-737-6900 ext. 6990) for inquiries about meetings or to reserve the Club Room for a meeting or private dinner at the Edelweiss.


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Long-term readers may remember that way back in 2011, Christopher Eccleston told us that he left Doctor Who, because of the "bullying " during the production.
Over the years, he's expanded on this. But recently during an interview with 774 ABC Melbourne, he expressed regret in not staying on for another series.
He said:
"It was kind of tragic for me, that I didn't play him for longer. He's a beautiful character and I have a great deal of professional pride and had I done a second season, there would have been a marked improvement in my performance. I was learning new skills, in terms of playing light comedy. I was not known for light comedy and again, production did not allow for that. It's very important that on a first series you make an informed and intelligent choice, even if it means breaking the budget, about getting the first director who is going to set the tone for the season, how the actors relate and that did not happen. Disaster.
But, the show has survived. Thank god. Capaldi and Matt and David are just brilliant and, I Know how brilliant they are. Because I've been inside it. I know how difficult it is."
You can hear the full interview down below.