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I've learned many things since my single days. Some are things that I regret doing and wish that I had done differently, and some are things that I regret not doing in the first place.
It's this second group that leaves your body aching with the painful regret of missed opportunities, of what could have been.
If I could go back and do one thing differently, it would be that I would have chosen consciously to always do what I love doing. You see, when you love what you are doing, you are loving life.
Love Your Life
You know what I'm talking about – think about a time when you were doing something that you were totally engrossed in, and time just sort of came to a standstill.
You're so in the zone that you don't even realize that hours have gone by, or that you haven't eaten anything and you're extremely hungry, but you don't want to stop doing what you're doing.
That's what I'm talking about.
That's when you're loving what you're doing, and loving your life.
You see, when you love what you're doing, you really, truly begin to love your life, and that's when things just start to click. The more you love your life, the more you begin to be love, and to exude love.
You begin to be more joyful and loving of others. All of this in turn brings more and more love into your life; it has a sort of snowball effect.
When you love what you do every day, it's so much easier to find love and attract love – in fact, it just happens.
So why don't we just do this? Why are so many of us not only not loving our lives, but we're just getting through them, trudging tirelessly through our days, thinking things will be better tomorrow?
Well, there are many reasons, probably as many reasons as there are people. But there's a common theme among them:We're not living our own lives.
We're not living our lives for ourselves. Instead, we're doing what we think we should be doing. What others, our parents, our teachers, our school counselors, our friends, the media (mostly the media!) have told us we should be doing.
We choose a school, a job, a career path, because it's considered by others to be prestigious. We choose who we date because of what the media tells us is beautiful, what our parents tell us is respectable, what our friends tell us is glamorous.
It just goes on and on.
We live our lives constantly concerned about what others will think of us.
Are we wearing the right clothes, are we going to the right places, are we doing the right things? And we're so afraid to try anything different, because what if we fail? What will everyone think then?
I know this first hand, being brought up with the mantra that it's selfish to put yourself first. That it's always better to be in the shadows, where it's safer. To avoid putting yourself out there, in the forefront, because, after all, if you fail, everyone will notice.
It turns out, just like most of us, that's exactly how I was living my life.
Because even though I consciously knew I could be whatever I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do, the reality was I didn't truly believe any of it. Even though I had traveled far away from my childhood home, alone, to pursue my dreams, I still didn't get it at the level that you need to in order to truly believe in yourself and actually make your dreams into your own personal reality.
Because I didn't really believe I deserved that reality.
I didn't really get that it's our very own birthright to live our lives to their fullest potential.
And if that means living life out loud, in the spotlight, in the forefront for everyone to see us try something and fail, that's OK, because the point is that it's about doing what we're passionate about.
And the truth is, if you're doing what you're passionate about, what you love doing, you can't fail.
Sure, you may have some stumbles along the way that look like failure, but if you're truly passionate about it, truly love what you're doing, you'll keep adjusting, based on those stumbles, and keep on trying. You'll find you keep getting better and better with each and every failure. And you'll be loving your life the entire time.
That's the true measure of success.


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Cloud is Cloud, right?
We don't think so. You'll have heard it before, but it doesn't make it any less true. private cloud solutions are fast becoming the norm for business applications of all types. While there are clear advantages in terms of reduced capital expenditure and reduced asset management commitments, it also poses new challenges for IT in terms of maintaining security, connectivity and data backup.
You might think that whatever provider you choose, you'll end up in the same server farm with the same levels of service. Well we don't operate like that. We manage our own virtual data centre, meaning we have total control of the content, security and performance of our Cloud solutions. Our innovative SMART-Cloud solutions enable you to host applications within your own core network or on our machines. Link-Connect's team will manage every aspect of your virtual office environment from hosted exchange to remote desktop applications.
Solutions include:
With Microsoft in the Cloud, widely used applications such as Exchange and the Office Suite of programs can be managed cost-effectively and efficiently in the Cloud. With virtual servers, the days of the company-wide email outage are a thing of the past. Also, running apps from the Cloud can improve accessibility for mobile workers and remote offices, and minimise the upheaval caused by rolling out traditional updates.
We differ from our competitors by operating wholly-owned virtual data centres. This gives us absolute visibility and control of your virtual environment, which means you can rest assured that it is fully secure, backed-up and managed.
Disaster Recovery and Back-up
One of the major benefits of moving to the Cloud is the added protection it can give your business when things go wrong. Link-Connect's Cloud recovery and back-up solutions enable you to not only protect your data, but also your core applications. Unlike traditional physical backups this means that you can fully restore your business to a given point in time.
We work with companies in sectors as diverse as Construction, Healthcare, Automotive, Retail and Manufacturing. But most importantly, we know that every company has unique requirements so, no matter what your company does, we'll be delivering the right solution for you.
Below are a few of the companies we help:

subset: commoncrawl


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I often rely on the kindness of other developers to write helpful articles on the use of various APIs or frameworks. You know, Google something like "AVAudioSession ducking not working". Most often, you come to a series of Stack Overflow posts, which is great, but the holy grail of Google searching for a very specific problem is a blog post that addresses it directly.
And so, while trying to figure out an issue with the iOS audio API, I came across several unanswered Stackoverflow posts and a few blog posts that didn't quite address the issue I was having. I was on my own. I did figure out the issue and now I'm sharing my solution with others in case some poor soul ends up in the same spot.
The Problem
In iOS, your app has some requirement to play voice prompts over background audio. So, iTunes is playing music and your app needs to call out certain stages of a workout. You need the background audio to "duck" to a lower volume while your app's audio plays a voice for a few seconds, then the background audio should "duck" back up to it's previous level.
It turns out that Apple provides this capability and sure enough, it's an option on the AVAudioSession called .DuckOthers. What Apple doesn't say much about is how to use it. I quickly learned that in order to duck your background audio while your app's audio is playing, the only way to un-duck the audio is to set your AVAudioSession to the inactive state immediately after your audio is done playing, otherwise your background audio will stay ducked at that lower level once your app's audio is done.
Okay, so I wrote two helper methods in my app to handle activating and deactivating the AVAudioSession before and after my AVAudioPlayer plays the sounds. That code looked like this (this code is C# because I'm using Xamarin, but you can translate this to Swift or Objective-C pretty easily):
private void ActivateAudioSession()
var session = AVAudioSession.SharedInstance();
private void DeactivateAudioSession()
var session = AVAudioSession.SharedInstance();
This looked like a good solution and it seemed to work. But there's a catch.
The Other Problem
So my two methods above worked great at first. Before creating my AVAudioPlayer and playing my sound file, I would call ActivateAudioSession and on the player's complete event, I would call DeactivateAudioSession. But once I tested this, I found that every call to DeactivateAudioSession would case the UI on my app to stutter and drop frames. It was really strange. Then I realized that for whatever reason, setting the AVAudioSession.SetActive(false) takes .5 seconds. That may not sound like much, but when your app is a timer and the UI is blocked for .5 seconds, it causes all kinds of mahem.
So the problem is that the deactivating an AVAudioSession while background music is playing, will block your UI for .5 seconds. The remedy to this is to call AVAudioSession.SetActive(false) on a separate thread so you don't block the UI thread. My modified DeactivateAudioSession look like this:
private void DeactivateAudioSession()
new System.Threading.Thread(new System.Threading.ThreadStart(() =>
var session = AVAudioSession.SharedInstance();
Using Objective-C or Swift, you would just create a new NSThread (I think) instead of the System.Threading.Thread in C#. Once I deactivated the AVAudioSession on a separate thread, my UI remained responsive and no longer dropped frames. All was right with the world.
I hope this helps someone desperately Google searching for an answer to this problem.


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The balloon, filled with helium gas and carrying a load of paper planes, took 2.6 hours to rise to 37,339 metres (that's at the edge of space!), where it burst and took only 40 minutes to fall back to earth. It landed in a forest just south east of Berlin, where our team had to use a very long pole to retrieve the payload from the top of a tree. The hand-crafted paper planes with their precious cargo of Samsung SD memory cards were released at around 36,3500 metres and could land anywhere! If anyone finds a plane and memory card, they can contact us at www.projectspaceplanes.com/ask and we will try to put them in touch with the person who uploaded their piece of data onto that memory card. We've already tested the few cards that got tangled in the net and therefore weren't released, and they all work perfectly! For all of the up to date information, check out this blog: www.projectspaceplanes.com.
Product: Samsung SD memory cards Title: 'The Proof' Media:Viral/Internet Agency:The Viral Factory Creative:The Viral Factory Production Company: The Viral Factory Director: The Viral Factory Seeding & digital media planning: The Viral Factory


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This week we made Easter treats to celebrate spring. We made sticky birds' nests. They were very messy but very fun to make!
As always we had a lot of fun making this new treat!
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Cookies! Yummmy!
This week we had some extra raisins laying around. So we thought we would make some "healthy" cookies with a little oatmeal! It was really fun! We learned how to use a hand mixer and measure! But it just wasn't doing a good job, so we switched to our hands!
We all ate some delicious cookies and learned a few new words!
We all ate some delicious cookies and learned a few new words!
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Book Review of
Tiger, by Laurann Dohner
by Laurann Dohner
Release Date: April 10, 2012
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Book Length: Novel
Buy it at:
4.5♥s Excellent/Highly Recommended
Erotic Romance
Zandy Gordon is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She gets caught up in a barroom brawl and ends up at the bottom of a dog-pile of humans, unable to breath. Tiger, a genetically altered New Species male, is head of security at New Species Reservation. He and his men are called in by the local police to break up the fight. He literally saves Zandy's life.
When Zandy comes around, she thinks she's died and is going to hell in the arms of a gorgeous fallen angel. Tiger is that fallen angel. She decides that she's going to go out right, and is going to have her fallen angel. Tiger doesn't put up much resistance to her seduction, but they are interrupted. Zandy finally realizes she almost molested a New Species, and is mortified.
Weeks later, Zandy needs a job and is hired by Reservation. She hasn't been able to forget her irresistible fallen angel, but would be embarrassed to see him. Who does she run into but Tiger? He hasn't been able to forget her, either. It's not long before they are finishing what they started after the brawl. Tiger, an avowed bachelor throughout the series, is resistant to the the idea of taking a mate. Zandy, twice divorced, doesn't want to be involved in another relationship. They are drawn to each other, however.
When Justice and Jessie (from Justice) announce their mating/marriage, Zandy becomes a target for New Species hate groups. Both Zandy and Tiger end up fighting for their survival.
Tiger is one of the original characters of the New Species series, and a popular one among fans. I have been looking forward to his story for some time now and couldn't wait to read his book as soon as it came out. I wasn't disappointed. Tiger makes a strong, sexy, action-hero who can save my life any day, thank you very much! Zandy is a realistic heroine who makes some mistakes that get her into trouble.
The book starts out with lots of hot sex. Lots of it. In fact, I was beginning to wonder when the plot was going to start when the story finally kicked into high gear. From there on out it was one heckuva ride.
I was glad to see that Justice and Jessie finally announced their mating/marriage. I can see now why Dohner had them delay it--she was waiting to cover it in Tiger's book.
Dohner's books always play with my emotions. This one was no different. I cried at the black moment and loved that she could make me feel that way. But don't worry, the book is very satisfying. I recommend Tiger, along with the entire New Species series.
Have you read Tiger? What did you think?
Happy reading!


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Can't confirm whether this was used by Peyton Manning, but for a diehard Colts fan, this product is No. 1. Or at least for going No. 1.
This item will come with a letter of authenticity signed by Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts.
Don't worry. He signed it with a pen.


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In it to win it?
Why are you an OT?
Not even sure where I first heard the phrase, "In it to win it," but I do know that being an occupational therapist inspires me. It inspires me in a way such that I am not just "in it" but am "in it to win it", to truly embrace the value, positive impact and challenges it brings. What about you?
It's not everyday (at least not for me), that we get to really reflect on and consider the emotions that being in our profession stir in us. Why do you practice occupational therapy? Why, after perhaps years, are you still an occupational therapist?
Truly, I am curious. After all, it's one thing to DO our job, but its another to answer a calling or practice a profession.
So you might wonder what my thoughts are...Why do I feel inspired as an occupational therapist?
- Because it gives me freedom to be creative every day.
- Because every day is truly different.
- Because relationships get to be built, discovered, and deepened on a daily basis in often intimate ways.
- Because I get to hear often fascinating (or at least interesting) stories of human life on a daily basis.
- Because people return to or start anew lives of meaning due in part to interactions I have had with them.
- Because the profession and its dynamics/system challenges me to be a better person every day.
- Because the scheduling is flexible.
- Because the possibility of positively impacting the life of another is at least a moderately high possibility.
Earning a degree and passing a test (in order to be an occupational therapist) are part of the equation, but what is it about occupational therapy that really juices you up? Why do you practice occupational therapy? Why, after perhaps years, are you still an occupational therapist?


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Going to the doctor can be an anxiety filled experience for just about anyone. A patient may be experiencing symptoms, but not know the cause. When this happens, imaginations can run wild and individuals can think that they have one of the worst medical conditions. Yet, even if this is the case, experienced medical professionals should be able to adequately treat an individual, many times leading to an improved or completely remedied condition.
Inadequate staffing can lead to nursing home neglect
Utilizing the services provided by a nursing home seem straightforward. An elderly loved one is registered to reside there, and he or she is given the nutrition, supervision and medical care needed to keep him or her healthy and safe. Yet, behind the scenes, there are many regulations in effect in order to ensure these nursing homes are safe. These regulations address a number of issues, including employee training requirements and safe food preparation.
Attorneys understand how to address evidentiary issues
Drunk drivers abound in the Chicago area, whether we like to think about it or not. At any given moment, day or night, a drunk driver can take an individual by surprise and cause a drunk driving accident leading to serious injuries. If you have been hurt in this type of accident, then you know the amount of pain and suffering and the extent of financial damage that can be caused. In the aftermath of such a wreck, you may find yourself wondering how best to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who injured you.
Chain of custody in a drunk driving personal injury lawsuit
Sometimes the worlds of criminal and civil law coincide. One area where this may occur is when a victim has filed a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit in Illinois against a drunk driver. The defendant may have faced criminal charges for the incident, but the result of that case does not necessarily have an effect on the outcome of the civil lawsuit. However, the victim may try to use evidentiary tactics in an attempt to establish that the defendant was negligent, his or her negligence caused the accident in question and that accident resulted in the victim's damages.


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Guest Book
im a lover of isha yoga!
i like to join in this project green hands.
im doing my B.Tech in BIOTECHNOLOGY in k.s.rangasamy college of technology,tiruchengode,namakkal,tamilnadu,india.
my green words are"to live and let live we should plant more trees!!!"
Friday, 28 March 2008 12:50
Project Green is an important one now in this world.
To save this earth from GlobalWarming, and create a greeny earth, and to save the human beings all must be RAISE YOUR GREEN HANDS for this ProjectGreen.
Saturday, 15 March 2008 07:50
What a beautiful website! The information is so easy to access. The news updates are a wonderful feature. Everything is layout so well. And the design is really appealing. Green thumb up!
Wednesday, 12 March 2008 08:56
Bala: Beautiful site
Its a beautiful site.. I like it very much
Sunday, 11 May 2008 06:05


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"I want to be in control of my future. Is now a good time to start a business?"
The answer is yes if you are ready to roll up your sleeves and get busy! Good things come to those that wait; great things come to those that work hard and create small business success.
A vast scope of businesses got their start at Trenval including service, retail, agriculture, manufacturing and hospitality businesses. Examples of businesses helped include:
Do you need working capital to offset initial marketing and advertising expense? Are you acquiring fixed assets? Renting a retail location? Financing opening inventory? Having a business plan written? Require tools of the trade? Vehicle upgrades?
Ask us about Start Up Financing. We can help launch your dream.
For Loan Applications, Business Plan Outline and other helpful documents for starting your business, click here.


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Today's post is dedicated to those who want to dress well for work. I have included a great collection of men's smart casual and business looks for office work. The following Polyvore combination includes awesome styles, which feature semi-casual office attire, starting from bright tops to slim cut suits and pants. Most of the companies have gone casual, but it doesn't meant you have to wear shapeless pants, oversize tops and basic outerwear. I want you to have a look at these stunning separates, which include slim cut suits, printed polos, chinos, trousers. All these clothes are comfortable for work and cocktail parties. Here below is a great navigation of workday style looks, which for sure will inspire you to look smart-casual during working hours.
Speaking of 'business-casual' looks, then it's okay to try on wearing jeans with dress tops and tailored blazers. Here we see various options to try on this season. I personally like pairing washed jeans with classic dress shoes and pale blue shirt.
Another great combination includes a plaid polo styled with navy slim-fit trousers, black leather booties, black Wayfarers and sharp leather wallet.
The black polo in red rose print can look awesome with black cuffed jeans, low men's booties in black leather and some basic accessories. That's what I call modern and bold look.
The burgundy polo can be teamed with the same low booties, dark burgundy chinos, leather black shoes.
Double-breasted suit jacket will totally make you different if you will team it with a pale blue dress button-down, beige chinos, classic footwear and vintage sunglasses.
The slim fit black jeans look awesome paired with pale blue shirt with cuffed sleeves and black running shoes.
If it's warm outside, then I personally advice you to go for the following look, which consists of a striped, sporty polo, fuchsia plastic aviator framed sunglasses, trucker hat, cargo shorts in white and lace-up slip-ons.
Here we see a hipster inspired look, which consists of a plaid shirt in white and blue, one buttoned blazer, mustard chinos and yellow bow tie. You can finish this preppy look with a cool brown belt and the same colored lace-up slip-ons.
How about smart-casual three-piece suit, which consists of a light green shirt, grey waistcoat, two-buttoned suit jacket, tailored pants, polka dot tie and high top sneakers.
The black button-down looks awesome styled with pleated light grey trousers. To finish the look you can try on salmon orange tie, matte leather belt and lace-up formal footwear.
Here we see a sweet hipster inspired smart-casual outfit, which includes a tailored, pleated trousers, shawl neck, buttoned cardigan with patch pockets in dark green.
If you like wearing formal wear, then here we see an awesome outfit, which consists of a dark navy pantsuit, shiny black leather shoes and navy tie.
For an everyday wear you can try in the following essentials, which include semi-formal chinos, green, suede shoes striped red and white button-down, pale green pullover and field military green jacket.


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Ossett Caravan Windows - Double Glazing For Caravans
Ossett Caravan Windows is now based on the East Coast of Yorkshire, however still offers it's services nationwide.
Ossett is ran by Darren Turfrey who has been double glazing static caravans for over 10 years, plus spent many years manufacturing /developing windows and doors for static caravans.
His experience has lead to Ossett also supplying and fitting plastic caravan shutters and also floor insulation, as well as offering repairs to double glazed windows and doors.
Please feel free to contact us for a quote. Please state make and model of caravan and location.
Below are a few of the projects we have been involved in lately
We upgraded a sites hire fleet in Whitby, North Yorkshire with UPVC double glazing, in the Rosewood
Brown. We also replaced several broken down glass units in the remaining hire fleet doors.
Below - On the same site we also replaced three more full caravans with UPVC slim line double glazing and doors, plus we also fitted floor insulation to two of them.
Below - We then replaced two existing customers doors, one
for a stable door and one to gain a cat flap.
Below - Upgraded this customers hire fleet the cheaper way. This customer got them all double glazed and central heated, (we arranged the central heating), so they could hire out to a higher spec.
Below - This customer had the full package - double glazing, floor insulations, new shutters and we also arranged the new fire retardent UPVC decking.
Below - These friends all on the same site just got there bedroom windows changed, hopefully they will notice the
difference and decide to have the rest done.
All images on this website are copyright and may not be used in anyway without prior written permission.
© 2011 Ossett Caravan Windows. All Rights Reserved
Designed And Maintained By LM Lakeland Design
Member Of The National Caravan Council Limited. Membership No SKI-01-01


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UCLA Baseball Falls to No. 3 Arizona State, 4-0
May 22, 2009
Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
TEMPE, Ariz. - Freshman right-hander Gerrit Cole (4-8) registered nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings to lead the UCLA baseball team in a 4-0 loss at No. 3 Arizona State on Friday evening at Packard Stadium. Each team was limited to just four hits in the Pac-10 contest.
Arizona State right-hander Mike Leake (14-1) earned the victory, scattering four hits in a complete game, 12-strikeout shutout for the host Sun Devils (43-11, 20-5 Pac-10). Arizona State received a solo home run from third baseman Jared McDonald and a two-run homer from right fielder Matt Newman.
Cole absorbed the loss, allowing two runs and two hits and walking four batters in 6.1 innings.
Third baseman Gino Aielli went 1-for-4 with one double for UCLA (26-28, 14-11 Pac-10). Center fielder Blair Dunlap reached on a bunt single and right fielder Justin Uribe went 1-for-2 with one single and one hit-by-pitch. First baseman Cody Decker extended his hitting streak to a career-best and UCLA season-high 13 games.
The Sun Devils got on the board with McDonald's solo homer to right field in the fifth inning. Arizona State doubled its margin in the sixth inning, assuming a 2-0 cushion. With runners on the corners and nobody out, first baseman Riccio Torrez grounded out to third base, allowing catcher Carlos Ramirez to score.
Newman's two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning pushed Arizona State's advantage to 4-0.
UCLA and No. 3 Arizona State resume their three-game Pac-10 series on Saturday. Game time at ASU's Packard Stadium is 6:30 p.m. The Bruins and Sun Devils will close their regular season schedule with Sunday's game, slated for 1 p.m.
Game Notes: Cody Decker extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games - Decker becomes the first Bruin to hit safely in 13 consecutive games in one season since 2005, when Chris Jensen recorded an 18-game hitting streak...Gino Aielli recorded the Bruins' first hit of the game, belting a one-out double to the right-field fence in the top of the fourth inning...Gerrit Cole broke the school record for most strikeouts in one season by a freshman pitcher, pushing his season total to 104 (previous high was 98 strikeouts by Gavin Brooks in 2007).
TOMORROW | 6:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Oregon
Pac-12 PlaylistTOMORROW | 9:00pm PTLive
Fri 5/24 | 6:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Arizona


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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
A Studio Tour (Part 2)
3 comments:
- Sharon said...
Hi Gina, I follow you blog and love your art!!
I really like your art studio. I have a simular set up. But you have inspired me to change it around some Thank you for sharing.
God Bless!
- June 29, 2013 at 11:53 AM
- di from di-did-it said...
Wow - love your creative space! You've done a wonderful job arranging items to meet your needs. I've started an organizing business and one of my target markets is artists/crafters. Thanks for sharing your space with us -- you've given me several ideas :)
- July 17, 2013 at 11:03 AM
- Kimmie Miranda said...
Your artwork is breathtaking! I found your blog through your backround youtube video and it was exactly what I was looking for.. a demonstration on wet on wet wash background using bright colors. What really caught my eye here is the type of art you paint and how you utilize color. I just began painting a few months ago and I've spent countless hours sifting through videos struggling to find the kind of artist that paints things that I would buy and enjoy, for inspiration and guidance. Your use of color is so inspiring as well as the things you like and choose to paint. I only wish you did more tutorials. I think you did a wonderful job with your art space and your friends is right.. it isn't just eye candy.. it IS craft porn!! I laughed so hard.. that is hilarious!! lol Here is hoping you decide to do a few more tutorial videos but until then.. keep inspiring others and not just with your art, but your ocd inspired studio!! That kind of ocd is a talent =) Happy painting! ~KD
- November 23, 2013 at 6:16 AM


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Support for older people
We support older people - and people with memory loss of any age - to continue to live independently and safely in their own homes. Together with our partners, we're able to offer a wide range of high quality housing support services throughout North Somerset.
Watch the video below and hear from Sonia about how we helped her.
Our support workers can help you to:
- Make informed choices about your housing situation
- Settle successfully into a new home - for example arranging removals, finding furniture and essential household items, setting up utility accounts
- Develop skills so you can manage safely in your home
- Claim the welfare benefits that you are entitled to
- Access aids and adaptations for your home
- Access health and social services, and other specialist agencies
- Deal with financial problems such as rent arrears or other debt
- Find advice and help on accessing volunteering, educations and training opportunities
The service is funded by North Somerset Council. You don't have to live in one of our homes to be able to access our support services.


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Boris Valentijn Schmid
Academic Interests
The evolutionary and ecological dynamics of human diseases, particularly those with a wildlife reservoir. Tools of the trade are statistical methods and simulation modelling. Data comes from surveillance work and various proxies, including historic records of human outbreaks. Currently working on Yersinia pestis, which is the canonical example of a wildlife disease that sporadically erupted into grave pandemics in humans.
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0452-623X
6-DIMENSIONS: www.dimensions.ai
TWITTER: twitter.com/BorisVSchmid
on the topic of plague:
- Katharine R. Dean, Fabienne Krauer, Lars Walløe, Ole Christian Lingjærde, Barbara Bramanti, Nils Chr Stenseth, and Boris V. Schmid. "Human ectoparasites and the spread of plague in Europe during the Second Pandemic." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018): 201715640. (pdf)
- Boris V. Schmid, Ulf Büntgen, W. Ryan Easterday, Christian Ginzler, Lars Walløe, Barbara Bramanti, and Nils Chr. Stenseth. "Climate-driven introduction of the Black Death and successive plague reintroductions into Europe." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2015). (pdf)
- Xu, Lei, Boris V. Schmid, Jun Liu, Xiaoyan Si, Nils Chr Stenseth, and Zhibin Zhang. "The trophic responses of two different rodent–vector–plague systems to climate change." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1800 (2015). (pdf) (supp)
- Xu Lei, Leif Chr Stige, Kyrre Linné Kausrud, Tamara Ben Ari, Shuchun Wang, Xiye Fang, Boris V. Schmid, Qiyong Liu, Nils Chr Stenseth, and Zhibin Zhang. "Wet climate and transportation routes accelerate spread of human plague." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281, no. 1780 (2014): 20133159. (pdf) (supp)
- Schmid, B. V., M. Jesse, L. I. Wilschut, H. Viljugrein, and J. A. P. Heesterbeek. "Local persistence and extinction of plague in a metapopulation of great gerbil burrows, Kazakhstan." Epidemics 4, no. 4 (2012): 211-218. (pdf)
Previous work that is hard to get access to:
- Schmid, B. V., C. Kęsmir, R. J. de Boer, C. Kesmir, and R. J. de Boer. 2010. "Quantifying How MHC Polymorphism Prevents Pathogens from Adapting to the Antigen Presentation Pathway." Epidemics 2 (3): 99–108. (for colleagues: request full-text copy for personal use).
This work is also available as Chapter 4 (page 51 onwards) in my thesis "Limits of viral adaptation to the antigen presentation pathway" (pdf)


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Pacific Northwest Love – Part 2
On the second half of our US trip we had to scratch our "wilderness itch" and the Pacific Northwest was the perfect place for it. We were seeking that "Robinson Crusoe feeling," but instead of a lonely island in the Pacific we felt the call of the mountains. Camping at Crater Lake National Park was a nice warm up, but there were still too many people around and we were longing for a more remote, multi-day backpacking and photography experience.
Pacific Northwest Love – Part 1
Over the summer break Matt and I decided to visit the USA and spend some quality time in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. A road trip seemed the perfect way to combine family visits (Matt is from Seattle), and also explore some wilderness while camping, hiking and (of course) taking pictures.
Advanced Photography Study – Gallery Event
We had a terrific celebration of this year's Advanced Photography Study at the Hallenstadion in Zurich last week! Each of our nine students came so far with their photography goals, and they were very excited to share their "war stories" and display their prints. They were even more proud to show off their stunning custom photography portfolios, which made quite an impression on visitors to the event.
Motorcycles, Ice Axes and Location Portraits
If our blog seems quiet it's because our Advanced Study group has been keeping us quite busy lately! We've had some really interesting practice shoots and sadly I'm way behind on blogging about those fun experiences.
Flash for Wildlife Photography?
Most people don't think of flash as something to use in wildlife photography situations. In fact, many photographers loathe the idea of using flash altogether. However, on our recent trip to Costa Rica, we found ourselves using the flash almost every day and we got some pretty good results with it. Especially in strongly backlight conditions – flash can really make the difference.


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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) - Jessie Patterson was at work when she heard the news.
"It was just a real shock," said Patterson.
Her friend, Christina Renee Brazier, was riding her motorcycle on Memorial Parkway, last Monday when police say she lost control, hit an inside barrier and a light post near the Golf Road overpass.
Brazier, or "Kirby" to those close to her, was one month shy of her twenty-fourth birthday.
"She had this innocence about her that made you want to protect her and make sure nothing ever happened to her," said Patterson.
She quickly learned that Brazier's family didn't have the money for a funeral, so she set up this website to help cover the costs.
"I thought, we'll give that a try and see if we could give her the sendoff that she deserved," said Patterson.
In about 28 hours the site raised more than $5,000.
"It was very touching how quickly people that didn't even know her, didn't know me, got the message and gave," said Patterson.
Brazier will be laid to rest Tuesday in her hometown of Andalusia. The funeral service will be held at Keahey Funeral Homes at 2:00pm.
Patterson hopes her tragedy will remind others to start seeing motorcyclists.
"It just reiterates even more how important it is to look around you and notice people and take care on the road," said Patterson.
If you would like to donate, click here.
Patterson said she is unsure of what the exact amount needed for the funeral is, but any money beyond what is needed will likely be donated to a charity in Brazier's name.


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Bean Leaf Beetle Pod Feeding - (Christian Krupke and John Obermeyer)
• Later maturing soybeans may attract bean leaf beetle.
• Pod damage may result in reduced yield and/or poor seed quality.
• Green pods are more attractive than yellow ones.
• Two approaches for management thresholds are given below.
Soybeans, especially late-planted or late-maturing beans, should be monitored for bean leaf beetle feeding damage to pods. Pest managers have been noting bean leaf beetle feeding on foliage and are concerned about pods, especially with current prices. Bean leaf beetles scar the surface of pods, but only occasionally feed through the pod to the developing beans. During pod maturation, this scar may crack leaving an entry hole for plant pathogens that may cause discolored, moldy, shriveled, or diseased beans.
Bean leaf beetle and pod scarring
Pest managers would like to be able to predict whether economic damage will occur based on the numbers of beetles that are present and the stage of pod development (i.e., green, yellow, yellow-brown, or brown pods). Because the beetles are so mobile, there isn't a correlation from leaf feeding to pod damage – one does not always lead to another. Part of the problem is that beetles may leave a senescing field for a neighboring one that is still green. The timing of harvest in relation to frosts also plays a role, although less so this year with early planting and harvest forecasts. Once the pods turn yellow to yellow-brown, they become less attractive and less susceptible to damage. Control is normally not warranted from this point on (see the following table).
Randomly select 2 plants in each of 5 areas of the field (minimum, more is better) and count the number of pods per plant and the number that show damage (10 total plants). Calculate the percentage of damaged pods per plant for the field as a whole. Note if the pods are green, beginning to turn yellow, or are yellow/brown.
At the same time, determine the number of beetles per sweep using an insect sweep net. Take 5 sets of 20 sweeps in the field. Determine the number of bean leaf beetles per sweep. Additionally, note whether beetles are still actively feeding while surveying the field.
Use the following table to determine when an insecticide treatment may be necessary. There are many compounds registered that will provide effective control of bean leaf beetle, but always remember to keep the pre-harvest interval in mind, many of these were listed in last week's Pest&Crop. The original values of this table have been modified to reflect today's higher commodity prices. These new, adjusted values are NOT time-tested, but certainly should be in the ballpark.
Plant with severe bean leaf beetle feeding damage
Erin Hodgson, Extension Entomologist at Iowa State University developed a dynamic calculator (Excel spreadsheet) which can be customized with commodity price and cost of treatment. It is based on beetles/sweep or row of foot. This too extrapolates from threshold data developed many years ago. You can download the calculator here: <http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2011/0815hodgson.htm>.
|Revised: Bean Leaf Beetle Pod Feeding Threshold
|Pod Injury Level
|No. of Beetle Per Sweep In 30 Inch (7.5 Inch) Row Spacing
|Less Than 2 (1)
|2(1) To 4 (2)
|More Than 4 (2)
|0 to 4%
|Discontinue sampling
|Sample again in 5 days
|Control (preventive) if pods still green
|4 to 6%
|Sample again in 5 days
|Control if pods are still green
|Control if pods are green to yellow
|Over 6%
|Control if pods are still green and beetles are present
|Control unless pods are completely dry
|Control unless pods are completely dry
Corn Earworm Moth Flight Quite Impressive – (Christian Krupke and John Obermeyer)
Corn earworm moth numbers have surged in black light and pheromone traps throughout the state. These moths will lay their eggs on numerous crops, with later planted field, sweet or seed corn being particularly vulnerable at this time. Tomato and pepper growers should also be aware of the potential for earworm (also called tomato fruitworm) damage, especially if these crops are surrounded by cornfields that are drying down that are no longer attractive for egg laying. We've had producers inquire about all the worms being found in their yellow-dent corn ear tips. Interesting, by calendar date, these damaged fields were planted around the "normal" time of year…this year they are exceptionally green (i.e., a trap crop) compared to surrounding fields.
Corn earworm moth on fresh side silks
Click here for the Blacklight Trap Catch Report
Short Husks & Exposed Ears – (Bob Nielsen) -
Periods of severe stress can do all sorts of strange things to crops. One oddity that has been reported by a number of folks this year is often described as "ears outgrowing their husks." The phenomenon is the result of stunted husk leaf development combined with fairly normal ear (cob) elongation.
The primary symptom is that the ears elongate beyond the end of the stunted husk leaves, resulting in exposed kernels that are subject to insects, birds, and weathering effects. Kernels damaged by these factors are subject to fungal infection and the development of ear molds. If high percentages of ears are thus affected, then overall grain quality can be compromised to the point that grain buyers may discount or "dock" their prices accordingly.
The development of stunted husk leaves and exposed ears seems to be related to combination of severe stress before or during pollination that is then relieved in the initial weeks following pollination. The most common combination of conditions that results in this oddity is severe heat and drought stress that is then relieved by cooler temperatures and rainfall.
Ears outgrowing husk leaves
Ears outgrowing husk leaves
Ears outgrowing husk leavesThe stunting of the husk leaves is akin to that which can occur in the whole plant when subjected to lengthy periods of heat and drought stress. The potential for husk leaf expansion and elongation seems to be permanently restricted while the ear (cob) is able to continue elongation upon relief of the stress.
Damaged kernels on exposed end of ear
Ears outgrowing husk leaves
VIDEO: Estimating Soybean Yields - Simplified - (Shaun Casteel and John Obermeyer) -
Estimating soybean yields may be more critical this year than in the recent past. Late season rains have allowed many fields to turn a corner with pod retention, pod development, and now, seed fill. Drought-stressed fields tend to be short this season, but the yield potential could be close to normal. For instance, I estimated yield of 20 bu/ac in a field of 20 inch
tall soybeans, but 10 miles down the road 24-inch tall soybeans were heavily podded with an estimate of 40 bu/ac. This simplified approach to estimating soybean yields allows you the flexibility of scouting multiple areas quickly while observing any late season stressors such as bean leaf beetle feeding on pods. The video describes the simplified approach to estimating soybean yields and additional information can be found at: <http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/soybean/News/2012/2012_0814SOYSimplifiedYieldEstimates.pdf>. Please note that estimating soybean yield can begin after R5 (beginning seed, ~35 days away from R7) and the accuracy will improve as you scout fields that are into R6 (full seed, ~20 days from R7).
Harvesting and Storing the 2012 Corn Crop – (Matt Roberts and Richard Stroshine, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Dept.)
The extreme drought conditions that plagued much of Indiana during the 2012 growing season will create some unique challenges for producers as they harvest of this year's corn crop. As with any year, proper harvesting, drying, cleaning, and aeration techniques are important. However, when harvesting and storing drought stressed corn these often routine tasks require more attention. In addition some areas of the state are finding fields with Aspergillus ear rot (which can produce Aflatoxin) and that means that additional care must be given to the crop that is going into storage.
Combine Settings
Producers will need to closely manage their combine settings in order to prevent excessive damage to kernels. In dry harvest conditions, kernels will be more prone to crack and break which can increase the amount of fine material in the stored corn unless fines are removed. It will be important to carefully adjust everything from deck plate gap, to rotor/cylinder speed, and concave clearance so as to minimize the percentage of broken kernels. Since stalk integrity has also been compromised this year, there may be lodging of the stalks or pieces of stalk may break off during harvesting. Combine operators will need to adjust their cleaning fan speed and sieve openings to remove as much of this additional fine and foreign material as possible.
Although it is likely that most corn harvested in Indiana this year will be at lower than usual moistures when it is harvested, it is still very important that the corn be dried to 15% moisture or lower. At moistures below 15% the likelihood of fungal growth is greatly reduced. Growers experiencing Aspergillus ear rot, should dry their corn to moistures 0.5% to 1.0% below normal, and definitely below 15% moisture to reduce the chances that the mold will continue to grow once the corn is placed in storage.
Removing Fine Material
It is better to clean the grain and remove the fine material before drying to improve airflow during drying, but corn can also be cleaned after drying but prior to being placing in storage.. Fine material and broken kernels and pieces of cob can promote fungal and insect growth. They also interfere with aeration and cooling of the grain mass. Levels of Aspergillus will usually be higher in the fine material. Kernels infected with Aspergillus are often weakened and therefore are more susceptible to breakage during handling and combine harvesting.
Removing fines by screening the grain prior to placement in storage would be ideal. However, if screening is not possible or if there is still some fine material remaining in the corn when it is placed in the bin, then the storage bin should be cored. Even if a good grain spreader is use to fill the bin, fine material tends to accumulate in the center or "core" of the bin. Coring a bin involves removing small amounts of grain while the structure is being filled or removing one large load (e.g., a semi) after the structure is completely filled.
After the bin has been filled and cored, the top of the grain mass should be leveled to ensure good aeration. Air finds the path of least resistance so in order to evenly aerate the corn it should be at the same depth throughout. Aeration is a key step in maintaining good grain quality throughout the entire storage period. Once corn is placed in a bin it should be cooled to 55°F or below as soon as possible. When the grain temperature is below 55°F the chances for fungal growth and insect activity are greatly diminished. Depending on the size of the structure, the ambient temperatures and the fan capacity, it may take only a few days or several weeks to completely cool the grain mass to 55°F. As autumn and then winter arrive and ambient temperatures continue to drop, the corn should be cooled by means of one or two additional aeration cycles. Although Purdue generally does not recommend freezing of the grain, farmers who carefully manage the grain conditioning process have done so to kill adult insects and better preserve the quality of the corn. Moisture can condense when warmer moist air comes into contact with the frozen corn and the condensed moisture must be removed by aeration to prevent mold growth. The longer grain is kept uniformly cool into the following spring and summer months the less risk there is for fungal and insect development.


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Armchair mayor: Photo radar will save lives in Ottawa
This fall, citizens of Ottawa elect a new city council. To foster debate during the campaign, we've asked people for ONE idea that would make the city a better place – without necessarily breaking the bank. Today, safety advocate Emile Therien brings us up to speed on his proposal.
The biggest improvement our city could make would be introducing photo radar.
I and many other safety advocates were disappointed in 1995 when the Ontario government rescinded its photo-radar program. Between mid-August and December 1994, before the program was cancelled, one safety research report found that photo radar was having a dramatic impact on speeding in Ontario. The Ministry of Transportation report says the proportion of drivers speeding dropped by as much as 42 per cent, depending on the location. There was also a big change among high-speed drivers. For example, at one research site, there was a 71-per-cent reduction in drivers driving faster than 150 km/h. In the month prior to photo radar, there were 997 vehicles driving more than 150 km/h at the four-lane test site. This dropped to 287 in the last month covered by the report.
So when can we have it in our city? Bill 65 (the Safer School Zones Act, 2017) added powers for municipalities under the Highway Traffic Act related to the implementation of photo radar, but these amendments and associated regulations aren't yet in effect. In the meantime, this city is involved in a working group on joint procurement and a processing centre for what's called the "automated speed enforcement initiative."
So let's bring in photo radar as soon as the logistics allow it. Think what a few well-placed cameras would do on, say, Baseline Road, or Innis Road from St. Laurent Blvd out to Orléans. Or myriad other city "speedways."
To back my argument, consider Ottawa's red-light cameras. The city has analyzed the collision data at right-light camera locations in three-, five- and 10-year timeframes. In all timeframes, there was a significant reduction in injuries after red-light cameras were installed. For the three-year timeframe, for instance, overall collisions resulting in injuries have been reduced 23 per cent. In real numbers, that's 92 fewer injury collisions.
Read more Armchair Mayor columns
Highly visible signs indicating the presence of photo radar will deter drivers from speeding. Research shows that if people believe they will be apprehended, they are less likely to offend. In a cash-strapped economy, electronic enforcement has another benefit: It enables police to improve traffic enforcement without increasing overall costs, though it must not be seen as a "cash machine." The city must ensure that the administration of justice is never tied to revenue generation.
In April 2001, the British Columbia Court of Appeal ruled that the province's photo radar law was constitutional. The decision was in line with other court decisions which have upheld the legality of various traffic safety countermeasures aimed at reducing dangerous driving. For example, courts have upheld the legality of sobriety checks.
Without question, there is no substitute for strong police visibility in problem areas, and there is no substitute for a strong commitment to continuing public education. But police can't be everywhere – and besides, there are people who can't be persuaded to change their aggressive driving habits. Think about how dangerous it is for police to chase speeders on busy highways and in school zones. The risk involved in catching offenders is often unacceptable, both for the officers and the public.
Many of those opposed to electronic enforcement, including some politicians, say they are concerned about privacy issues raised by both photo radar and red-light cameras. But speeding drivers have no right whatsoever to pose a threat to the people of Ottawa. Public health, safety and injury prevention are the issues at hand. Public safety and traffic safety must always trump politics.
Public health and safety advocate Emile Therien is past president of the Canada Safety Council. He thanks the following for their assistance: Mayor Jim Watson; City of Ottawa Clerk and Solicitor, Rick O¹Connor and his staff; and Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau.


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Drinking Game
Take a Drink: whenever the 100 year old man takes a drink
Take a Drink: whenever the 100 year old man bumbles into good luck
Do a Shot: when someone dies because of misfortune
Do a Shot: when the 100 year old man meets a famous historical person.
Community Review
Movie Review
By: Oberst Von Berauscht (Two Beers) –
Rather than attend his fairly boring 100th Birthday Party in the old folk's home, Allan Karlsson (Robert Gustafsson) opens the window to his room, steps out, and takes the first bus out of town. Through a series of mishaps, he winds up with a suitcase full of money and in the middle of nowhere. Along the way he tells the story of his life, which saw him fighting in the Spanish Civil War as a demolitions expert, working on the Manhattan Project, taking part in Cold War espionage, and generally traveling the world. As Allan's journey continues, he make friends with a middle-aged recluse, a directionless university student, an elephant, and others, while earning the increasing ire of the motorcycle gang he inadvertently stole from.
A Toast
Actor Robert Gustafsson is seen as one of the funniest people in Sweden, and with The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared he has his coming out party with the rest of the world. This sensitive, quirky, decades-spanning movie has been quite accurately compared to Forrest Gump in the way its simple-philosophied character seemingly single-handedly changed history at every turn in his life, all without really knowing what he was doing. What elevates this beyond Gump is the fact that this is played more for comedy and less for bald sentimentalism. Allan Karlsson has the most basic motivations for his actions, almost solely driven by his interest in making things blow up.
Things blowing up are a beautiful thing…
The film's sense of humor is very farcical, with most of the comedy coming from the errors of bad people, and the uncanny good luck of the main character Allan. Director/Writer Felix Herngren ensures the pace of the film moves along, seamlessly transitioning between the flashback story and the one taking place in the present, with each flashback having a purpose to move along the larger story. The editing of the film deserves much credit for its expert timing. The audience never quite is able to guess the big twists before they happen.
Special bonus points to casting Alan Ford as the British crime boss. Ford is the kind of actor who seems born to play dirty-mouthed bastards, and as "Pim", he portrays just the right amount of menace. He also had a great role in the Norwegian series Lilyhammer recently; perhaps Scandinavian cinema loves a good old British accent?
Alan Ford: badass through the ages
Beer Two
The only real flaw to this movie is that you never really get a sense that the main character is in any danger. Because of that, there isn't much dramatic tension in moments that are supposed to be suspenseful. Allan Karlsson's incredible luck is established far too early. Fortunately, the humor of the characters and the good-natured rousing fun of the story is more than enough to sustain the film, if perhaps it doesn't elevate it as highly as it aspires.
One of the strongest comedies I've seen in recent memory. This, along with What We Do in the Shadows, are in a dead heat in my book for the best 2015 comedy release.


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1. Vegetarian Samosay
Crispy dough wafer stuffed with potatoes, Green Peas, Herbs & Spices.
2. Chicken Malai Tikka
Soft morsels of chicken bathed in cheese & cream marinade, redolent of cardamom and green coriander, tanned to perfection.
3. Dilli Ke Pakoday
A delicious traditional Indian starter, dipped in delicate lentil flour, and fried golden brown.
4. Lahori Paneer Pakoda
Deep fried home made cottage cheese coated with semolina & spices. Best to taste with mint chutney.
5. Aloo Tikki
Griddle fried potato patty.
6. Lamb Boti Kabab
Weight watchers delight! Fresh from the tandoori oven. Tender roasted boneless lamb cubes in a sizzling plate - tickling combination of herbs & spices.
7. Prawns Tandoori
Delicious traditional western Indian starter. Jumbo prawns marinated & baked in tandoor to perfection.
8. Chatpati Papadi
Crispy dough wafers with potatoes, chick peas, chillies, yogurt, tamarind chutney & topped with chaat masala.
9. Amritsari Fish
Named after the city where it originated. Carom flavoured deep fried fish.
10. Punjabi Mix
A platter of our selected appetizers perfect to share.
1. Daal Makhani
A mixture of lentils & kidney beans cooked with butter as the name suggests. Laced with cream.
2. Daal Tadka
Yellow lentils tempered with tomatoes, herbs, and spices
3. Channa Pindi
Well prepared chick-peas topped with tomatoes & onions. Recommended with bhatura (in bread section).
4. Mattar Paneer
Homemade paneer & peas in rich creamy thick curry.
5. Palak Paneer
Fresh spinach & paneer makes the dish healthier as well tastier.
6. Aloo Gobhi Ki Nazaket
Famous combination of potatoes & fresh cauliflower cooked with herbs & spices.
7. Baigun Ka Bharta
Succulent roasted eggplant sauteed with fresh chopped onions & tomatoes.
8. Bhindi Bhaji / Alu
Tender baby okra sauteed with a choice of onions or potatoes in tomatoe sauce, herbs & spices.
9. Mushroom Do Piyaza
Fresh mushrooms cooked with juicy onions & tomato gravy.
10. Kadhai Paneer
Homemade paneer cooked in a thick delicious curry cooked with sauteed onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
1. Curry
An onion & tomato base flavoured gravy with herbs & spices.
2. Saagwalla
The addition of fresh spinach and cream makes the dish healthier as well as tastier.
3. Kadhai
Thick delicious chopped gravy cooked with sauteed sorted onions, bell peppers & tomatoes.
4. Roganjosh
A spicy thin curry cooked with cracked whole spices.
5. Chettinand
A special coconut base gravy with hint of black pepper & tamarind.
6. Vindaloo
South Indian curry with a touch of tamarind & topped with shredded coconut.
7. Zalfrezy
Special tangy thick sauce with onions, bell peppers & tomatoes.
8. Bhuna
Meat cooked in our thick gravy with onions & roasted tomatoes.
9. Masala
Creamy thick sauce cooked with herbs & spices.
10. Lababdaar
A mughlai style dish made with onion & tomato creamy sauce.
1. Basmati Rice
Steamed Indian basmati rice.
2. Saffron Rice
Saffron-flavoured Indian basmati rice.
3. Jeera Rice
Cumin-flavoured Basmati rice.
4. Coconut Basmati Rice
Coconut-flavoured Indian basmati rice.
5. Vegetable Pulao
Basmati rice simmered with mixed vegetables in mace, saffron, spices, & hint of fresh mint leaves.
6. Dum Chicken Biryani
Basmati rice simmered with chicken in mace, herbs, spices, & hint of fresh mint leaves.
7. Zafrani Goat Biryani
Basmati rice simmered with goat in mace, herbs, spices, & hint of fresh mint leaves.
8. Hydrabad Lamb Biryani
Basmati rice simmered with lamb in mace, herbs, spices, & hint of fresh mint leaves.
1. Piyaaj Walla Naan
Onion stuffed naan (Indian Onion Cake).
2. Tandoori Roti
Whole wheat ovenwood bread baked in tandoor.
3. Tawe Ki Chapati
Grilled unleavened wheat bread.
4. Naan
Leavened bread in our clay oven.
5. Garlic Naan
Leavened bread in our clay oven.
6. Lucchedar Naan
Layered white flour bread filled with butter.
7. Alu Walla Naan
Potato stuffed naan.
8. Paneer Walla Naan
Naan stuffed with freshly grated homemade paneer.
9. Warqi Paratha
Whole wheat multi layered bread baked in a tandoor.
10. Tandoori Alu Pratha
Potato stuffed whole wheat bread with hint of spices & herbs.
11. Poori
Special Sovory fried whole wheat bread.
12. Bhatura
Special deep fried leavened bread.
13. Chicken Walla Naan
Naan stuffed with fine chopped chicken, spices, hearbs & baked in tanoor.
14. Coconut Naan
Naan filled with coconut glazed with honey.
15. Cinnamon Naan
Naan glazed with cinnamon & icing sugar.
16. Pura
A special preparation for gluten free bread made with chickpeas flour.
1. Raita
Complement your meal with our fire extingusher a cool mixture of yogurt, grated cucumber, and carrots.
2. Dahi
Pure homemade yogurt made in kitchen
3. Salad
Fresh garden vegetable Indian Style
4. Chutney
Homemade Mint, Mango & Tamarind .
5. Achaar (Pickles)
Mixed pickles & preserved lime.
6. Mirchi Curry
Hot curry sauce to spice up your meal.
1. Tamaatar Shorba
Coriander flavored tomato soup tempered with herbs & spices.
2. Daal ka Shorba
Yellow lentil soup with herbs & spices.
1. Tandoori Chicken
An all time favourite. Traditional marinated whole chicken, baked in the tandoor.
2. Burrah Peshawari
All time favorite! A special marinated tender boned lamb chops baked to perfection in tandoori glaze.
3. Multani Paneer Tikka
Tender cubes of cottage cheese marinated in cream, gram flour, special spices & cooked in tandoor to perfection.
4. Cripy Veggies
Fresh rainbow vegetables toasted in a ginger, garlic Indo-Chinese sauce.
5. Chicken Tikka Nawabi
Chicken breast marinated in cream cheese with a hint of cardamom & grilled on low flame to perfection .
6. Beef Ke Tikhay Seekh
Minced beef seekh, flavoured with royal cumin & mace, roasted in our tandoor.
7. Maharaja Lamb
Tandoori glazed boneless lamb served to perfection.
8. Fish Kabab
Delicious sea basa fish marinated with mild Indian spices, baked in our tandoor.
9. Tandoori Mix Grill
New Asian Village's combination of meat kababs in one place on hot sizzling platter.
10. Seafood Ka Khazana
Our combination of jumbo prawns, crab, scallops, mussels, squid & sea basa fish sauteed with herbs & spices.
1. Apna Navratan Korma
New Asian Village's highly recommended. A Vegetarians dream! Rainbow vegetables & homemade paneer cooked in a thick a creamy sauce.
2. Shahi Paneer Takatak
Authentic homemade paneer cooked in our fragrant thick butter sauce with light herbs and spices.
3. Mughlai Malai Kofta
Soft and crispy dumplings in special creamy mughlai gravy.
4. Dum Alu Bharwan
Roasted stuffed potatoes baked in the clay oven & smoothened in a fragrant gravy.
5. Asli Butter Chicken
New Asain Village's highly recommended! Tandoori grilled chicken in an ambrosial tomato gravy cooked in the classical way, with oodles of butter and cream.
6. Chicken Tikka Masala
England's famous dish! Chicken breast tikka cooked in the thick creamy gravy flavoured with herbs & spices.
7. Jhilmil Chili Chicken
Boneless chicken stir fried with onions, bell peppers, and spiced in a tangy tomato sauce.
8. Prawn Butter Masala
Our Royal Treat! Jumbo prawns cooked in a butter sauce.
9. Mughlai Beef Korma
Lean beef cooked in a special sauce with aromatic ground spices topped with a touch of plain homemade yogurt.
10. Andhra Fish Curry
Basa fish tossed in a mustard, onion, tomato curry with a hint of curry leaves & spices.


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Press Release
EMC Reports Second-Quarter 2014 Financial Results
Story Highlights
- Record Q2 revenue of $5.9 billion, up 5% year over year
- Q2 GAAP EPS of $0.28 and Q2 non-GAAP EPS of $0.43
- Accelerates 2014 share buyback plan from $2 billion to $3 billion
- Increases full-year GAAP and non-GAAP EPS outlook by $0.01 each
- Double-digit Q2 revenue growth from VMware (up 17%) and Pivotal (up 29%) year over year
EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) today reported second-quarter 2014 financial results, including record second-quarter revenue of $5.9 billion, an increase of 5% year over year. GAAP net income attributable to EMC was $589 million and GAAP earnings per weighted average diluted share was $0.28. Non-GAAP1 net income attributable to EMC was $882 million and non-GAAP1 earnings per weighted average diluted share was $0.43.
EMC generated $1.3 billion in operating cash flow and $930 million in free cash flow2 in the second quarter – up 2% and 10% year over year, respectively. EMC ended the quarter with $14.6 billion in cash and investments. The company repurchased approximately $600 million worth of its common stock in the second quarter and returned approximately $200 million to shareholders via a quarterly dividend.
In addition, EMC's Board of Directors has approved an acceleration of EMC's share buyback plan for 2014 from $2 billion to $3 billion. Including the accelerated buyback and EMC's increased dividend (announced in the first quarter of 2014), EMC expects to return more than $7 billion to shareholders over the course of 2013 and 2014.
Joe Tucci, EMC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our industry and customers are in the midst of a massively disruptive and transformational shift, and the pace of change is accelerating. EMC detected it early on, put the right strategy in place and is executing well. New customers are coming to EMC for the first time, and existing customers are investing more heavily, because of our expanded capabilities across EMC Information Infrastructure, VMware and Pivotal. As a result, we have no doubt that EMC and our customers and shareholders will emerge among the primary beneficiaries of this transformation."
David Goulden, CEO of EMC Information Infrastructure and EMC's Chief Financial Officer, said, "EMC performance in Q2 was solid and on track, with good performance from each of our major business units. We are at the threshold of expansive opportunity and remain confident about the rest of the year, as evidenced by the accelerated buyback program. Our market leadership, healthy partner ecosystem and cutting-edge technologies all support a strategy that deeply resonates with customers."
Second-Quarter Highlights
- EMC Information Infrastructure business revenue was up 1% year over year. Excluding the High-end Storage business3, Information Storage revenue grew 7% year over year – which is faster than the industry growth rate. Emerging Storage4 revenue grew 52% year over year, based on demand for technologies such as the EMC XtremIO all-flash storage array, EMC ViPR software-defined storage and EMC Isilon scale-out storage. EMC has established clear leadership in the all-flash array market with XtremIO, surpassing a $300 million annualized demand run rate5 in its second full quarter of availability. ViPR adoption continues with the number of customers doubling in the second quarter compared to the first quarter of 2014. Data Domain had another strong quarter and the Data Protection Suite achieved very strong double-digit revenue growth both sequentially and year over year. RSA Information Security revenue grew 6% year over year, with Security Analytics and Archer each up over 20% in the second quarter. VCE had another strong quarter as demand for VCE Vblock systems once again showed very strong year over year growth.
- Pivotal grew revenue 29% year over year. The proliferation of Cloud Foundry as the industry's standard for open-source PaaS continues to flourish. Attendance at the second annual Cloud Foundry Summit held in the second quarter more than doubled.
- VMware continues to see growth with revenue up 17% year over year. VMware remains focused on delivering virtualization technologies to propel its three strategic initiatives including Software-Defined Data Centers, hybrid cloud and end-user computing.
Global Highlights
EMC's consolidated second-quarter revenue from the United States was up 3% year over year at $3.1 billion, representing 52% of consolidated second-quarter revenue. Revenue from EMC's business operations outside of the United States increased 7% year over year to $2.8 billion representing 48% of consolidated second-quarter revenue. Within this, revenue from EMC's Europe, Middle East and Africa region grew 12% year over year and revenue from EMC's Latin America region grew 14% year over year. Revenue from the BRIC+13 markets grew 5% year over year.
Business Outlook
The following statements are based on current expectations. These statements are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. These statements do not give effect to the potential impact of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures or business combinations that may be announced or closed after the date hereof. These statements supersede all prior statements made by EMC regarding 2014 financial results.
All dollar amounts and percentages set forth below should be considered to be approximations.
- Consolidated revenues are expected to be $24.575 billion for 2014.
- Consolidated GAAP operating income is expected to range from 16.3% - 16.8% of revenues for 2014 and consolidated non-GAAP6 operating income is expected to range from 24.0% - 24.5% of revenues for 2014.
- Consolidated GAAP earnings per weighted average diluted share are expected to be $1.30 for 2014 and consolidated non-GAAP6 earnings per weighted average diluted share are expected to be $1.91 for 2014.
- The consolidated GAAP income tax rate is expected to be 23.0% for 2014 and the consolidated non-GAAP6 income tax rate is expected to be 23.5% for 2014. This assumes that the U.S. research and development tax credit is extended during 2014.
- Consolidated net cash provided by operating activities is expected to be $7.2 billion for 2014 and free cash flow2 is expected to be $5.8 billion for 2014.
- The weighted average outstanding diluted shares are expected to be 2.05 billion for 2014.
- EMC expects to repurchase an aggregate of $3.0 billion of the company's common stock in 2014.
- The second-quarter 2014 webcast will be available for replay on the EMC Investor Relations website at http://www.emc.com/ir
- EMC financial results are also available on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website
- Visit http://ir.vmware.com for more detail on VMware's second-quarter 2014 financial results
- Download the EMC Investor Relations App here
- Visit EMC Pulse for breaking product and technology news from EMC
- Visit EMC Reflections for executive insight on business and IT trends
- Connect with EMC via @EMCCorp, LinkedIn and Facebook
About EMC
EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.
Press Contacts
Katryn McGaughey
1 Items excluded from the non-GAAP results for the second quarters of 2014 and 2013 are amounts relating to stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization, restructuring charges, acquisition and other related charges, the amortization of VMware's capitalized software from prior periods, a net gain on the disposition of certain lines of business and other, a gain on previously held interests in strategic investments, an impairment of strategic investment and a VMware litigation charge. A benefit of the U.S. research and development ("R&D") tax credit for the second quarter of 2014 is included in the non-GAAP results for the second quarter of 2014 as if the credit had been extended. See attached schedules for GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations.
2 Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure which is defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less additions to property, plant and equipment and capitalized software development costs. See attached schedules for a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow for the three and six months ended June 30 , 2014 and 2013.
3 EMC's High-end Storage business includes product and maintenance revenues from EMC Symmetrix.
4 EMC's Emerging Storage business primarily includes product and maintenance revenues from EMC Isilon, EMC Atmos, EMC VPLEX, EMC ViPR, EMC ScaleIO, EMC Elastic Cloud Storage Appliance, EMC RecoverPoint, Data Computing Appliance, ASD Suites and EMC vFlash and EMC XtremIO families.
5 Demand run rate is an annualized calculation of orders received in the applicable period by EMC for the sale of XtremIO products and related services.
6 Items excluded from the non-GAAP business outlook for 2014 are amounts relating to stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization, restructuring charges, acquisition and other related charges and other one-time items. The benefit of the R&D tax credit is included in the GAAP and non-GAAP business outlook for 2014. See attached schedules for GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations.
EMC, Archer, Atmos, Data Domain, Data Protection Suite, Elastic Cloud Storage, EMC RecoverPoint, Isilon, ScaleIO, Symmetrix, Vblock, ViPR, VPLEX and XtremIO are registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (iii) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (iv) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (v) component and product quality and availability; (vi) fluctuations in VMware, Inc.'s operating results and risks associated with trading of VMware stock; (vii) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (viii) risks associated with managing the growth of our business, including risks associated with acquisitions and investments and the challenges and costs of integration, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; (ix) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (x) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (xi) fluctuating currency exchange rates; (xii) threats and other disruptions to our secure data centers or networks; (xiii) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (xiv) war or acts of terrorism; and (xv) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EMC disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release, the accompanying schedules and the additional content that is available on EMC's website contain non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures, which are used as measures of EMC's performance or liquidity, should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, measures of EMC's financial performance or liquidity prepared in accordance with GAAP. EMC's non-GAAP financial measures may be defined differently from time to time and may be defined differently than similar terms used by other companies, and accordingly, care should be exercised in understanding how EMC defines its non-GAAP financial measures in this release.
Where specified in the accompanying schedules for various periods entitled "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP," (a) certain items noted on each such specific schedule (including, where noted, amounts relating to stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization, restructuring charges, acquisition and other related charges, the amortization of VMware's capitalized software from prior periods, a net gain on the disposition of certain lines of business and other, a gain on previously held interests in strategic investments, an impairment of strategic investment and a VMware litigation charge are excluded from the non-GAAP financial measures and (b) the benefit of the R&D tax credit for 2014 is included in the non-GAAP financial measures for the second quarter of 2014.
EMC's management uses the non-GAAP financial measures in the accompanying schedules to gain an understanding of EMC's comparative operating performance (when comparing such results with previous periods or forecasts) and future prospects and includes the benefit of the R&D tax credit in, and excludes the above-listed items from, its internal financial statements for purposes of its internal budgets and each reporting segment's financial goals. These non-GAAP financial measures are used by EMC's management in their financial and operating decision-making because management believes they reflect EMC's ongoing business in a manner that allows meaningful period-to-period comparisons. EMC's management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others (a) in understanding and evaluating EMC's current operating performance and future prospects in the same manner as management does, if they so choose, and (b) in comparing in a consistent manner the Company's current financial results with the Company's past financial results.
This release also includes disclosures regarding free cash flow which is a non-GAAP financial measure. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less additions to property, plant and equipment and capitalized software development costs. EMC uses free cash flow, among other measures, to evaluate the ability of its operations to generate cash that is available for purposes other than capital expenditures and capitalized software development costs. Management believes that information regarding free cash flow provides investors with an important perspective on the cash available to make strategic acquisitions and investments, repurchase shares, pay dividends, service debt and fund ongoing operations. As free cash flow is not a measure of liquidity calculated in accordance with GAAP, free cash flow should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the analysis provided in the statement of cash flows.
All of the foregoing non-GAAP financial measures have limitations. Specifically, the non-GAAP financial measures that exclude the items noted above do not include all items of income and expense that affect EMC's operations. Further, these non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, may not be comparable to non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies and do not reflect any benefit that such items may confer on EMC. Management compensates for these limitations by also considering EMC's financial results as determined in accordance with GAAP.
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With just weeks to go before the Sochi Games, American snowboarder Chloe Kim has consistently outscored her American teammates and Olympians Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler and Elena Hight.
"I think I would be really nervous and pressured. I am glad I am not old enough, almost," Kim told The New York Times.
Athletes had to be 15 by December 31, 2013 to qualify for the Olympics which begin February 7.
"She's a special one," American freestyle and snowboard coach Mike Jankowski told the newspaper. "I've never seen anyone like her."
Kim now trains at Mammoth Mountain in California. She was born in Long Beach but nows lives in the Los Angeles suburb of La Palma.
Her parents are not disappointed she can't go to Sochi.
"If they don't have an age limit maybe the parents would push their kids too soon," said her father Kim Jong-Jin, who emigrated to the US from South Korea.
Chloe Kim is instead looking forward to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea when she will be just 17 and where her South Korean heritage would make her one of the most watched and sought after athletes of those games.
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It is going to cost owner Stan Kroenke $550 million to move the Rams to Los Angeles, but he has already made back a lot more than that, based on the increased value of the franchise alone.
In a story for the Washington Post, Michael Ozanian of Forbes said the value of the Rams "doubles" now that they are in Los Angeles, which would put their current value at approximately $2.9 billion.
In Forbes' most-recent valuations of NFL teams, the Rams ranked 28th out of the 32 NFL teams with a valuation of $1.45 billion. This was up from $930 million in 2014 when the team ranked dead last.
A $2.9 billion valuation for the Rams jives with our estimate in early 2015 that placed the value of an NFL franchise in Los Angeles at $2.5-3.5 billion. The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable NFL team, worth $4.0 billion, according to Forbes.
The $1.45 billion increase for the Rams more than makes up for the $550 million price tag for the move, in the form of the relocation fee the team must pay the other owners.
Ozanian points out that part of the increase was already built into the 2015 valuation.
"That valuation incorporated the fact they were portable," Ozanian told the Washington Post. "We didn't know they were going to Los Angeles specifically but we knew they were portable. That value assumed they had the ability to leave."
This means that the value of the Rams will actually nearly triple from their move to the Los Angeles, from something closer to the $930 million valuation in 2014 to approximately $3 billion.