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Marin Software Officially IPOs: Stock Up 20%
Marin Software, one of the leading search and social marketing platform providers, has officially IPO'ed this morning at The New York Stock Exchange.
The IPO looked to be a hit, with their stock price currently up over 20%. The IPO price was $14.00 per share with 7,500,000 shares. The high went to $19.95 per share, and it is currently at $16.90 per share. The ticker Marin Software is listed under is NYSE:MRIN.
Marin Software said:
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. are acting as lead book-running managers for the offering. UBS Securities LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated are acting as book-running managers, and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is acting as co-manager.
Marin filed their IPO about a month ago.
The picture above is of Marin Software's Founder and CEO Chris Lien rings the Opening Bell to celebrate their IPO at the New York Stock Exchange.
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At Capital Clinic, we believe in excellence. Often cosmetic operations are difficult to organise, laden with hidden costs or comes with little or no aftercare. We know our patients need a superior level of service from the start to finish but at a price that's affordable. That is why we organise everything, right from the first consultation, all the way through to your own aftercare programme. Everything is custom made to your own personal needs and with truly no hidden costs at our Hair Loss Bathgate Clinic.
Why Choose Capital Clinic?
With , over 20 years expertise, our specialist team of surgeons can offer you the finest natural-looking results. We consider that hair transplantation is an art form and our surgeons go into each operation with this in mind. Our patients are amazed at the level of hair density reached by our surgeons.
Hair Transplant Consultation
The first step on your own journey getting in touch via our online enquiry form or is giving us a call. We will then organise a consultation for you at a comfortable time within our Hair Transplant Bathgate Clinic. We pride ourselves on being insightful, fair and straightforward. We don't believe in charging for consultations as we need our patients to be able to make an educated decision without any financial obligation.
During your Hair Transplant Bathgate consultation, one of our advisers will provide you with all the information that you need and design a specific procedure tailored around your own individual needs. During your consultation, our staff will be able to advise on what method of treatment is for you. Please remember that not everyone is eligible candidate for a hair transplant.
Hair Transplant Procedure
Our specialist team will put you at ease from the very start. Before your procedure, the surgeon gives you a detailed breakdown of how long they expect the surgery to carry out. So we generally advise patients to make arrangements to bring in a favourite box set or something similar prior to the operation this may be several hours. Our surgeon will fully describe the dos and don'ts as soon as your hair transplant is through. Your transplanted hair normally takes between 3 months to begin developing.
We've viewed our patients transformation following a Hair Replacement procedure, not merely in physical appearance but in confidence and general well being.
Types Of Treatment – FUE & FUT
At Capital Clinic, we provide the two most popular and effective methods of hair transplant – FUE & FUT. It must be mentioned that FUT and FUE are not competing types of hair transplantation, but truly complimentary methods. Throughout your consultation, we'll assess which procedure you're most suited for and what's going to produce the best, most natural- .
FUE Treatment
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a more complex way of getting donor hair for transplant. Rather than removing a strip of hair-bearing skin from the donor area as with FUT, the hair is individually removed utilising a distinctive punch tool varying in diameter from 0.06 – 0.09mm. This technique leaves no scar tissue and does make healing quicker.
Hair is then meticulously put back into the balding area in a naturally occurring gradient to give the most natural look. Due to the constitutional temperament of the grafts being extracted, it does take more time to perform than FUT.
Both operations are performed using state-of-the-art microscopes and under local anaesthetic to minimise post-operation recovery.
We suggest you take 3 days off following your operation to permit time for the grafts to settle, although both procedures are minimally invasive.
FUT Treatment
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is an older technique, including taking a strip of hair-bearing skin from the donor area, usually in the rear of the head. Specialist technicians are then tasked with dissecting the strip, being careful not to damage the strongest and most dense hair roots.
Our highly skilled surgeons ensure the donor area is sutured to leave a thin scar, which a hairdresser would struggle to detect. Our surgeon will carefully reconstruct your new hairline giving you a look that's natural and dense once this has been carried out. It ought to be noted that regardless of what method you chose, the outcome will look the same, as the grafts are planted the exact same manner. It's simply the extraction technique that is different.
Contact Capital Clinic
Contact the hair transplant Bathgate clinic today — on 0141 404 1895 for a FREE consultation.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you want to improve the living or working environment in your home or business, you should consider installing air conditioning. Although usually associated with keeping cool during hot weather,did you know that it also keeps the air fresh and clean all year round, improving the comfort and wellbeing for everyone? Call ACRS on 01386 556607 for more information on the benefits of installing air conditioning in your premises.
Show businesses near Pershore


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Winter Recital (2015)
Saling Lahi (2014)Saling Lahi is our 2014 presentation of Philippine culture and dance. The show features the children of LIKHA School of Dance. Saling Lahi is about the importance of passing on our culture and folk arts to young people so that our identity and spirit can live on through the generations. Available on Paypal.
Saludo (2012)
Saludo marks the 20th anniversary of LIKHA. Saludo is our expression of thanks to ancestors, parents and mentors for keeping the flame alive, instilling Filipino culture through ritual, music and dance. Ultimately Saludo is about joy, celebration and remembrance. Performed August 2012 in San Francisco, California. The two and half hour DVD contains all of our gala night performance plus all solos from the second night performance. Widescreen DVD. Available on Paypal.
Filmed live in San Francisco, RITWAL is a ritual of Philippine dance featuring dances of the Subanen, Kalinga, Talaandig, Bagobo and Tagbanua peoples. Includes dances from Spanish-era Philippines and dances of Mindanao performed by the children of LIKHA School of Dance. Performed in San Francisco, Calif. in October 2010 at the Cowell Theatre in Fort Mason Center. Widescreen DVD. Available on Paypal and Createspace.
Asia On Stage (2009)
Live in San Francisco, groups representing Tibet, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines converge for a celebration of dance, music and culture. Filmed live at the Herbst Theatre in September 2009, Asia On Stage brings together a rare collaboration to celebrate unity through beautiful costumes, sounds, and dances. Features Chaksam-pa, Sawadee Thai Dance Group, Wings of 100 Viet Dance Company, Nritta Katha School of Kathak, Gadung Kasturi, Apsara Royal of San Jose, LIKHA and international guest artist Luminawa Cultural Group of Lubuagan Kalinga in the Philippines. Widescreen DVD.


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Paul Walker
PAUL WALKER To Dad, Happy 60th birthday! We are up in heaven together, partying with the Angels. Love you millions, Your loving daughter, Jade xxx
Published in the Bucks Free Press on
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Mrs Tina Walkersays...I Love and miss you both, Jade and Paul Walker, I so wish you were both here with me, Time doesn't heal the pain, and I would Love to be able to cuddle you both, I hope that where ever you are that you are both looking after each other and are also with Grandpa ( Edwin ) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
email@example.com...Another Christmas nearly here, another Christmas without you. I miss you so much Paul. It still breaks my heart too have to live without you by my side. If tears were a river our house would of been flooded a million times over It hasn't got any easier. I would give anything too hear your voice or too see you again. I love and miss you more than you will ever know. Sleep tight sweetheart, God Bless. Until we meet again. From your ever Loving Wife..... Tina xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I miss you so much Paul, xxxxTina
Still heart broken. Tina xxxxxxxxxx
Love you so much Paul, AML, TINA XXX
Missing my Wonderful Husband xxxxxxx
I Love you Paul, Your loving wife T
Thank You
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Our retreats
Unplug! 2-days
Stay with us
Gift Certificates
Gifts for you
Directions to the Secret Garden
Malaga to Secret Garden
Here follows the directions to the Secret Garden Retreat from Malaga - Estepona - Genalguacil
Take the A7, a freeway with direction Algeciras, to Estepona. ( If you take the AP7 you will pay TOL for the road).
Take the exit: Estepona - Palacio y Congresos
At Round-About at the bottom of exit go left…..towards Estepona / Centro Urbana (= Centre)
Immediately there is another roundabout and take the second exit towards Estepona Centre - street name: Av. del litoral
Keep following this street, crossing 3 roundabouts….straight.
Then at 4th roundabout keep following the road towards the right, upwards = Av. Andalucia
After about 7 streets on the right….Turn right on Av. de Los Reales. This is the road to Genalguacil , the MA 557 (8301)
(If you see the Mercadona, a supermarket on the right then you have gone too far.)
The MA 557 / 8301 takes you all the way up the mountain.
On top of the mountain you come to a stop sign and split. You can drive to Genalguacil in 2 ways:
To the right it says Jubrique and Genalguacil…..If you take this road you will drive over Jubrique. This way is about 15 minutes longer, but all asphalt. The other way, straight over, is shorter yet has 3,5 of dirt track road...which is quite good, but still it is a track. It is up to you.
1. Over Jubrique.....drive through the village in direction Genalguacil/Algatocin. At an intersection 5 minutes after Jubrique turn left following the sign to Genalguacil. You are on the MA537. The after KM pole 2km, then 750 meters more, to the right you see a street called "Camino Los Limones". It has a road sign, 8T with a red border and a big sign from the Junta Andalusia. The road is partly gated with a cow grid on the floor. This is the road to take...
2. Go straight over and go down the mountain towards Genalguacil, the MA537. Follow this road all the way down, cross a little arroyo... and up again…soon you will see Genalguacil on the left side. Once you see Genalguacil the road will become a dirt road for about 3.5 km's. Keep going. This road will take you all the way into the village Genalguacil. Go straight through the village. The road forks at one point….keep going straight…do not go down hill. This road will take you all the way through the village. Once you are through the village keep going. You are now on the road from Genalguacil to Jubrique/Algatocin. The MA537.
Follow the road down to KM pole 3km. Then after the next corner, about 250m you will see a road to the left (look carefully as it is a 360 degrees turn!) ; it is partly gated and has a cow grid in the road. It also has a road sign, 8T with a red border and a big sign from the Junta Andalusia.. see picture below...this is the road to take...
This is the road to take…you swing into this road with about a 360 degree turn.
Go down this road. Soon this road becomes a dirt track.
Take the first right, right by the electricity boxes (before driving through a second gate)
Now follow the track all the way down to the river. You will see the sign "Seralgenal" This is our FInca….Welcome...you are almost there....you can unhook the chain and drive through.
Keep going…..all the way down.
The track is in good condition, just drive slowly and enjoy the views.
We are the last FInca at the bottom of the track.
Gaucin or Ronda to The Secret Garden
From Gaucín drive towards Algatocin/Ronda
From Ronda drive towards Algatocin/Algeciras
Turn left at Algatocin if you come from Ronda....Turn right if from Gaucin. There is a sign saying: Jubrique / Genalguacil
Drive through the village and keep following the road to the camping St. Juan.
After about a km, there is a t-junction where you can go to Jubrique or Genalguacil. Turn right, kind of straight over, to Genalguacil.
Then after about 2.7Km, Turn off to the right. (Between pole that says 2Km and 3Km)" This is known as "Camino de Los limones" This street is a country side road and is partly gated at the entrance with a wild roster. See picture above.
Cross through the gate.
Drive down approximately 0.5Km. The road will become a dirt track. Turn right at the first right track, at the electrical meters, before passing through another gate.
Follow the road down…drive slowly…it is a good track.
Turn left at the gate at the name "Seralgenal". This is our Finca. You can unhook the chain and let yourself in.
Follow the road for approximately 1KM all the way down to the Finca. It has many curves…take them all the way down to the end.
Welcome to the Secret Garden!
Conducir hacia Algatocin
Gire a la izquierda en Algatocín, hacia Jubrique / Genalguacil.
Después de ocho (8) kilómetros, girar a la derecha en la intersección de Genalguacil.
A 2,7 kilometros, gire a la derecha. Esto se conoce como, Carril de Los Limones
Conducir bajando durante aproximadamente 0,5 kilometros girar a la derecha y seguir por la carretera hacia abajo 0,5 kilometros
Gire a la derecha en los contadores eléctricos. en la parte inferior de la carretera
girar a la izquierda en la cancela con el nombre de "Seralgenal"
Continúe la carretera hacia abajo durante aproximadamente 1 km hasta la finca el carril tiene unos 15 curvas cuesta abajo. La casa se encuentra al final del carril
Secrets need to be shared


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HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
If you have been told by your diabetes health professional that you are at high risk of diabetes foot damage, this information will help you to avoid any further complications with your feet. If you have diabetes and don't know whether you have high-, medium-, or low-risk feet, ask your health professional.
Some of the foot problems that can come with diabetes happen because the nerves and blood vessels supplying your feet are damaged. This can affect the feeling in your feet (peripheral neuropathy) and the circulation in your feet (peripheral arterial disease or ischaemia).
These changes can be very gradual and you may not notice them. This is why it's important to have your feet screened (checked) by a podiatrist every year. You can then agree on a treatment plan that suits your needs.
In some circumstances you may qualify for publicly funded care from a podiatrist (you won't have to pay). Your GP or diabetes nurse can assess whether you qualify.
There are many risk factors for developing foot ulcers. Your podiatrist will let you know which of the following risk factors you have.
Diabetes affects your feet because higher blood sugar damages your nerves and blood vessels.
Longer nerves are more likely to be damaged by high glucose levels, and the nerves to your feet have the longest way to travel from your spine. The arteries in your legs are also prone to become narrow, which restricts blood flow to your feet.
The first sign your nerves and blood vessels are being damaged is usually pins and needles, burning, or numbness in your toes. This is why it's important to have good control of your blood sugar level. Controlling your cholesterol and blood pressure is also important for your feet.
If you smoke, it's really important to stop. Smoking affects your circulation and can lead to amputation.
As your feet are at high risk, you will need to take extra care of them. You will need regular treatment by a podiatrist.
If you follow the advice and information on this page it will help you to take care of your feet between visits to your podiatrist. Hopefully this will help to reduce problems in the future.
You should check your feet every day for any blisters, breaks in the skin, pain or any signs of infection such as swelling, heat or redness. If you can't do this yourself, ask your partner or carer to help you.
You should wash your feet every day in warm water and with a mild soap. Rinse your feet thoroughly and dry them carefully, especially between the toes. Don't soak your feet as this may damage your skin. Because of your diabetes, you may not be able to feel hot or cold very well. You should test the temperature of the water with your elbow, or ask someone else to test the temperature for you.
If your skin is dry, apply a moisturising cream every day, avoiding the areas between your toes.
Don't cut your toenails unless your podiatrist advises you to.
You should change your socks, stockings or tights every day. They should not have bulky seams and the tops should not be elasticised.
If you walk barefoot you risk injuring your feet by stubbing your toes and standing on sharp objects that can damage your skin.
Check the bottom of your shoes before you put them on to make sure that nothing sharp such as a pin, nail or glass has pierced the outer sole. Also run your hand inside each shoe to check that no small objects such as small stones have fallen in.
Badly fitting shoes are a common cause of irritation or damage to feet. The podiatrist who assessed your feet may give you advice about the shoes you already own or about buying new shoes. They may suggest that you are measured for special shoes to get on prescription from the orthotic service.
If you have been supplied with shoes, they will have been made to a prescription. You should follow the instructions your podiatrist or orthotist (the person who makes the shoes) gives you. These should be the only shoes you wear. Shoes will normally be prescribed with insoles. These are an important part of your shoes and you should only remove them if your orthotist or podiatrist advises you to. Whoever provided your shoes will carry out all repairs or alterations to make sure that they will match your prescription.
If you check your feet and discover any breaks in the skin, minor cuts or blisters, cover the area with a sterile dressing. Do not burst blisters. Contact your podiatry service or GP immediately. If these people aren't available and there is no sign of healing after one day, go to your local after-hours GP clinic.
Don't try to remove hard skin or corns yourself. Your podiatrist will provide treatment and advice where necessary.
Don't use over-the-counter corn remedies. They are not recommended for anyone with diabetes as they can damage your skin and cause ulcers.
If your feet are cold, wear socks. Never sit with your feet in front of the fire or heater to warm them up. Always remove hot water bottles or heating pads from your bed before getting in.
If you have had an ulcer before, or an amputation, you are at high risk of developing more ulcers. If you look after your feet carefully, with the help of a podiatrist, you will reduce the risk of more problems.
If you discover any problems with your feet, contact your podiatry service or GP immediately. If they are not available, go to your nearest after-hours GP clinic. Remember, any delay in getting advice or treatment when you have a problem can lead to serious problems.
Written by Podiatrist Special Interest Group.Endorsed by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2016.
Review key: HIDIF-84656


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The first Annual Uniquely Bakersfield Walk/Run is a fundraiser benefitting the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault that focuses on all that is unique about the Bakersfield Community in a fun, family friendly venue. Come join us for a morning of fun family entertainment…Bakersfield Style! We will have fun for all ages, including a Stay and Play area for the little tots. We have added a free Tot Run led by Baby Cal from the Bakersfield Condors and Torch from the Bakersfield Blaze.
This is going to be a great event for everyone in your family!
Preregistration postmarked or received by September 6th 2013.
Late registration is Friday, September 20th at Sole 2 Soul Sports in the Marketplace.


text: Seal Now Under Investigation for Sexual Battery 01/16/2018 After speaking out on the supposed 'hypocrisy' of the #MeToo movement and criticizing the likes of Oprah and Stacey Dash, Seal is now under investigation of sexual battery stemming from accusations made by actress Tracey Birdsall. According to Birdsall, Seal forcibly groped her breasts and attempted to kiss her multiple times when she visited the singer's home in the fall of 2016. Seal is now denying that these allegations are true. Whatever the case may be, this old proverb seems fitting:


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Vera Wang Will Skip NYFW Fall 2017 To Receive Legion of Honor
Although 2016 is not over yet, we already have exciting news for the upcoming fashion season. It has been confirmed that Vera Wang will skip her New York Fashion Week fall 2017 runway show, to receive the prestigious Legion of Honor in Paris, in February 2017.
"This is definitely one of the major highlights of my life, my fashion life,' Wang said. "This, and the lifetime achievement award from the CFDA,' Vera Wang told WWD, revealing also the main motif behind her highly awaited fall 2017 collection that is, needless to say, Paris.
"It will be a bit of an ode to Paris,' Wang continued. "The biggest issue: Do I let the geography be the focus of the collection, do I base it on Paris, the history, or do I let it be my own imagination 'Äö√Ñ√∂'àö√ë'àö√Ü my next collection but with a French accent? Those things are influencing me on that choice of director and art director. ['Äö√Ñ√∂'àö√묨'àÇ] Probably, I would call myself the art director. Because it is really my story.'
Although not scheduled to be presented during NWFW in February, Vera Wang's fall 2017 proposals are going to be unveiled exclusively online, in a very unique, one-of-a-kind formula, namely a short video. The show releases on February 28th and, as far as we know, Wang extremely enjoyed the idea, meaning we may even get more runway show videos in the future.
With the NYFW schedules being so busy and frenetic (it features more than 300 runway shows), and short fashion movies being all the rage now (just think Burberry's experience!), we do get why Vera Wang opted to celebrate both her fall 2017 collection and Legion of Honor achievement in a more 'intimate' way.
"Part of the frustrating thing for me in New York, the calendar is so full now that it's insane to try to get models and hair and makeup. It's a battle royale for everybody " stylists, model agencies " everybody is just crammed in. The other part that has troubled me 'Äö√Ñ√∂'àö√ë'àö√Ü not anything against the CFDA, because I have supported it " but there aren't that many locations available. That's a limitation when you're trying to express a point of view, or you have a certain kind of girl in your brain, or guy in your brain,' Wang told Vogue UK.
As for the prestigious award " Chevalier of France's National Order of the Legion of Honor, Vera Wang will be awarded by longtime friend and France's ambassador to the United States, Gérard Araud during a luncheon, the place and time of which are yet to be set. What we do know is that the presentation's date coincides with the opening runway shows in Paris.
As of now, Vera Wang's fall 2017 runway show is not the only one that is skipping NWFW. Such news comes, in fact, a few days after Hugo Boss' cancellation from the NYFW schedule due to "strategic steps to orient its creation, marketing and communication activities more pointedly towards menswear".
Photo courtesy of @verawanggang


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Cases from the field
More case studies from the field related to land use and acquisitions will be available in the upcoming months. Please check back soon. The templates that can be used in data gathering are downloadable in English and in Lao.
Below some examples of cases that have been documented by using the above template:
1) Champasak – Coffee Plantation in Paksong
2) Phongsaly – Rubber contract farming
3) Sayaboury – Lignite in Hongsa. Additional background reading (not documented by LIWG): Impacts on environment and livelihoods, Call for journalist investigation
5) Vientiane – Don Chan Island
In-depth case studies documented by other organisations:
i) Assessment of the Environmental and Social Impacts created by the VLRC Industrial Rubber Plantation, Bachiang, Champasack. Prepared by ESL and AFD (2007)
ii) Report on Economic, Social and Environmental Costs and Benefits of Investments, Savannakhet Province. Prepared by IUCN, NERI, MPI and PEI
iii) Assessment of Economic, Social and Environmental Costs and Benefits of Dak Lak Rubber Plantations: Case Study in Saravan Province. Prepared by IUCN and NERI
iv) Assessment of Economic, Social and Environmental Costs and Benefits of Mitr Lao Sugar Plantation and Factory: Case Study in Savannakhet Province. Prepared by IUCN and NERI
v) Land Concessions, Land Tenure, and Livelihood Change: Plantation Development in Attapeu Province, Southern Laos. Prepared by Miles Kenney-Lazar, Fulbright, NUoL (2010)
vi) Field Report "Impacts on Regional Land Use from Investment in Banana Contract Farming by Chinese Companies" (2015). Read this report in English.
By Satomi Higashi
Organization: Mekong Watch


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Exactly five years to the day, heavy snow fell in Worksop and surrounding areas, causing major disruption.
More than 100 drivers were stranded on the A57 between Worksop and Anston, as motorists were forced to abandon their cars and take shelter at South Anston Village Hall.
Mountain recue teams were at the scene, as schools were shut, bus services were cancelled and people were told not come to hospital unless it was 'urgent'.
Click to watch the video.


text: Welcome to Adog.co, your source for independent pet supply brands that offer high quality and a unique selection. Every pet is an individual, and not everybody wants their animals to have the same boring stuff that's available at the local big-box pet store. That's why we offer some of the most interesting, fun, and affordable pet accessories online. Find leashes, bedding, food bowls, toys, grooming supplies, and more in our online dog shop. We have everything you need to keep your pet safe, healthy, clean, comfortable, and happy! Adog.co also stocks a selection supplies for your feline friends, because we know there are plenty of you cat lovers out there as well. Shop our selection of pet accessories online, and we're sure you'll find something you and your furry friend will love!


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First Up - Some Results
In the last post I looked at running the J1 simulator on various platforms from the humble 16MHz Arduino to the red-hot STM32G746 - running at 216MHz. Here are the results of those tests in J1 instructions per second - or JIPS as I call them.
Arduino 16MHz ATmega328 67,000 JIPS
ZPUino 96MHz Soft CPU 152,000 JIPS
STM32F103 72MHz ARM Cortex M3 404,000 JIPS
STM32F407 168MHz ARM Cortex M4 3,000,000+ JIPS *
STM32F746 216MHz ARM Cortex M7 9,000,000+ JIPS *
* The last 2 results are based on level 00 Compiler Optimisation. With more aggressive optimisation, the '746 was returning 27 million JIPS.
So now that we have a means of simulating the processor at about 1/20th of full speed, the time has come to decide exactly how we are going to port a useful high level language onto this processor model.
James Bowman has done excellent work porting Forth onto his J1 soft core, but I am not quite ready to plunge into Forth - for me it's about the journey of exploration in reaching a high level language implementation - under my own steam.
A small revelation
At this point it is interesting to note - that if the 27 Million JIPS is indeed correct - then the 216MHz Cortex M7 core is executing about 8 instructions for every emulated J1 instruction - in this particular (non demanding) test program. So it would probably to be fair to say that most modern ARM processors (M7 and above) would probably achieve a similar decimation ratio whilst simulating the J1.
If this is the case, then a 1GHz ARM could simulate a 100MHz J1 - or put the other way, then a 100MHz J1 would have a similar overall performance to a 1GHz ARM - that was executing some sort of stack based Virtual Machine bytecode language - i.e. Java.
As a lot of applications are written in Java (eg Arduino IDE), then the overhead of running a virtual stack machine on a register based cpu slows it down by a factor of 10. If however the Java bytecode were translated into an intermediate form (possibly J1 Forth) it would likely run appreciably faster.
The point I am making is that with access to making one's own customised soft core stack cpu that has been tailored to Java bytecode, running on a FPGAs could make Java run a lot faster on less powerful hardware machines. Some ARM ICs already have this ability to directly run Java bytecode - known as Jazelle. This is how some games are written, in order to run faster on small platforms - such as mobile phones.
Running the J1 Simulator on ZPUino.
The ZPUino has shown itself to be a convenient and useful 32 bit processor, implemented on FPGA hardware. As the ZPUino is Arduino code compatible, and runs my simulations about twice the speed of an Arduino, plus the fact that it allows easy use of the Adafruit GFX graphics library, which permits 800 x 600 VGA text and graphics to be displayed on a flat screen monitor.
Whilst not a particularly fast processor, ZPUino does allow easy and unrestricted access to the graphics library - such that it is easy to create a series of animated display screens for displaying high level output, using what is effectively and Arduino sketch. This technique is particularly flexible, and allows you to creatively interact with the particular problem - rather than get bogged down in someone else's system calls and drivers.
I took the very short J1 test program as used in the simulations - a simple loop consisting of 7 instructions, and used the ZPUino to run this test program as an animated simulator - which graphically showed the contents of memory - as a hex dump, plus the main J1 registers, the stack and the instructions as they were stepped through. Repeated re-drawing of the hex dump memory display slowed the execution right down to about 1 instruction per second - about 100 millionth of real J1 execution speed.
The Missing Assembler
What was missing from this exercise was the ability to easily write J1 test programs in J1 machine code - and this rather hampered progress. So it is for this reason that the first application of the SIMPL text interpreter will be at the core of the J1 cross assembler.
Whilst the J1 is intended to run Forth, and has the tools to support it, my Forth skills are not great, and anyway I'm trying to challenge myself to learning C to a reasonable standard. So a coding project written in C, that taxes my language and thinking skills is a good way to learn, and achieve something useful.
The interpreter can take a set of mnemonics, tailored for the J1 processor and by the process of direct substitution, create the series of 16 bit instructions that can then be run on the J1 virtual machine. I really want this to be an interactive process working in a Forth-like manner - so that small snippets or blocks of J1 assembly language can be assembled and tested individually as an iterative process.
It's many years since I wrote any code in assembler - and that was Z80 which had a reasonable mix of registers to play with.
Writing in a minimal instruction set language, is going to be interesting.
In order to gen up on the processes involved within a typical assembler - I returned to "NAND to Tetris" Chapter 6. There is a good description of what is needed there. I then wnt on to refresh myself on the contents of Chapter 7 - "Virtual Machine I - Stack Arithmetic" and Chapter 8 "Virtual Machine II - Program Flow". Having re-read these chapters, in the fresh light of a new day, I believe that my musings about the J1 cpu - are not only very relevant - but completely on track with the content and approach outlined in "NAND to Tetris".
More on this in a later post.


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Plan W3929
- Rivendell
Small and affordable ski chalet, scandinavian style house plan, 3 bedrooms, open floor plans, screened porch
Let us start in a large size foyer including a walk-in coat closet as any of this house type should have. Further, here we are in the activity area which is entirely open with abundant windows, which gives us the feeling of sharing our home with exterior nature. Then, a central lunch island in the kitchen is an essential element to the communion with nature and it allows the cooks to view the surroundings and not turning their back to it.
On second level, we appreciate a large master suite with a view on the panoramic side of the house, two secondary bedrooms and a chalet type bathroom, enhanced with a roof window to ensure natural lighting.
2nd level: Master bedroom with large walk-in closet, two secondary bedrooms, bathroom.
Illustrations and photos may differ slightly from the plan that you will receive. They may include modifications to conform with new building codes, suit homeowners' preferences or site requirements.
sterling 8 October 2014
estimated cost to build in nova scotia can. min.-max. built on slab
Customer service 8 October 2014
Good day and thank you for your interest in this plan.
Although we do no actual construction, the ballpark estimate to build this home in Quebec (Canada) starts at around $205,000. for the standard plan with a full, unfinished basement (8' high ceilings) but if you require a slab foundation, there will be an additional charge of $245. for the change and we do not have details about the building cost with this optional foundation.
This estimate is based on professional grade materials and includes ceramic in the foyer, the kitchen and the bathrooms with hardwood flooring throughout the common areas and carpet in the bedrooms.
The kitchen cabinetry is wood grain melamine and this construction estimate is for a turn key project and was updated in January 2014.
The cost of the land and its excavation, taxes and hook-ups to municipal or other services is not included in the calculation and it is highly recommended to consult local contractors and materials suppliers to get a better idea of the actual cost to build in your area.
I hope that this provides some helpful information and I invite you to contact me if you have any other questions or comments
Heather 6 August 2014
Can this plan be modified to have a walkout basement the same as 3929-V1?
Customer service 6 August 2014
Yes, please see the response below
Heather 6 August 2014
I like this floor plan (3929), but prefer the walkout basement in 3929-V1. I'm assuming the plans for 3929 can be provided with the walkout basement option?
Customer service 6 August 2014
Good day and thank you for taking the time to write.
This plan could be ordered with an optional walk-out basement for an additional $245. if this type of foundation better meets your needs.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or comments.
ahmad 9 November 2010
i'd like to to be updated for the newest design of houses
Customer service 10 November 2010
Dear Ahmad,
Thank you for your interest in Drummond House Plans.
Follow this link to register to receive updates on the newest plans: http://www.drummondhouseplans.com/new-house-plans-latest-trends.html#registerToNotification
Please contact me again if you need further information.
Best Regards,
Doreen, Customer Service Department


text:
Palo's current business plan calls for a continued focused evaluation of its' current areas of activity while aggressively looking for new areas in the U.S. where it can utilize its knowledge and expertise to develop potential unconventional shale plays and shallow oil plays to ultimately create value for the company and its partners. Palo's strategy is to drill and develop resource plays in areas of known production and blanket deposits, thereby reducing geological risk. In addition to evaluating potential in-fill locations on lands we currently hold under lease, Palo is also actively evaluating potential prospects brought to us from outside sources. Our most current and active projects include the following:
Bushwhacker Heavy Oil Project
Vernon Co., Missouri
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Royalty Acquisitions
Investing in America's Energy Production
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Permian Basin Wolfcamp Development
Permian Basin, West Texas
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text:
Did you know that Dr. Seuss apparently invented the word nerd in 1950, and that it was popularized by The Fonz on Happy Days in the 1970s? David Brooks revealed that in his New York Times column last week, which is otherwise an entertaining but largely fact-free celebration of the ascendency of the geek.
What Brooks wrote—that nerds and geeks have some cachet of cool now that a lot of them make lots of money—is nothing new, but he did summarize his point in a couple of interesting phrases relating nerdism to U.S. politics, which have caught on around the blogosphere:
George Bush plays an interesting role in the tale of nerd ascent. With his professed disdain for intellectual things, he's energized and alienated the entire geek cohort...
On the other hand:
Barack Obama has become the Prince Caspian of the iPhone hordes.
I have no idea what the second one even means.
Labels: geekery, news, newyork
I never thought I'd be so glad to hear fart noises.
Last week, I finished a round of chemotherapy (which started in October) and started a break of a few weeks during which I won't need to be at the Cancer Agency much, and won't be pumping my body full of poisons for a change. But cancer treatment has been fond of serving me curve balls: a post-surgical blockage, antibiotic-induced unconctrolled low blood sugar, a blood clot, and near zombie-like collapse from dehydration.
One week into my break, I landed myself in hospital again very early this morning. It wasn't a car accident or a bar fight or anything—rather, I went to bed at 11:30 last night with a bit of a tummy ache.
Which got worse, and worse, and worse, until I felt like there was a big gurgling gas bubble sitting sideways in my small intestine under my navel. The pain was enough that I didn't sleep at all, and by a little before 3:00 a.m. I had to wake my wife to call the Cancer Agency doctor line and ask what to do. They recommended heading down to Burnaby General Hospital Emergency, and forwarded my treatment history to BGH accordingly.
Here's the yucky part of the explanation, so be warned. I've mentioned before that I have a (hopefully temporary) ileostomy bag from my surgery last summer. That's like a colostomy bag, but connected to a different part of the intestine. In essence, last summer my surgeon snipped my intestines where the small one (the ileum) meets the large one (the colon), just to the right of my bellybutton, so that my colon could heal from the removal of my tumours.
The end of my ileum now pokes out a hole in my belly into the open air. (No, I won't show you any photos, but I will say that it is a reddish-pink little nub.) To catch the poop that would normally flow out the usual way through my colon, I regularly stick on a small, plastic, remora-like ileostomy bag, which I can empty every few hours, and which I change every few days. Most people who don't know it's there would never notice the bag under my shirt during the day, or might think I have some sort of geek gadget on my belt beneath the shirt hem.
The problem as we drove down to the Emergency ward at the ungodly hour of 3:30 a.m. (after waking up my parents and having them come over to keep an eye on the kids) was that my ileostomy bag was empty, which is not normal for me at that hour. I suspected, as I writhed around a bit in the passenger seat and cursed the slow-changing traffic light, that I had another obstruction in my intestine, which was preventing the food I ate yesterday from going anywhere.
As you'd expect, that doesn't feel too great. Fortunately, for once we found the BGH Emergency waiting room completely empty, and only had to wait about 15 minutes before I got a bed. The doctors and nurses gave me a couple of morphine injections, took blood tests and X-rayed my chest and abdomen, and let me lie down to rest.
I was able to get some sleep after the painkiller kicked in, and eventually the emergency physician let me know that there was nothing alarming on the scans (and no obvious large blockage), that my blood tests were within range for someone just off chemotherapy, and that nevertheless my small intestine seemed to be pushing food waste through more slowly than normal.
The treatment? Go home, stay on a soft and fluidy diet, and wait for the natural passage of whatever minor obstruction was causing my nasty gas pains. So we did that, arriving back just before the kids went to school, and I've slept most of the day as the pain and bloating have very, very slowly abated. I've been able to empty out the bag a couple of times, and just in the past half hour or so, my ileostomy has been making what I would normally consider annoying involuntary farting sounds.
Except now, for once, they're a relief. Thanks, intestines, for working once more. And thanks to my wife and family for shepherding me through this, again.
Labels: cancer, chemotherapy, family, fatigue, hospital, ileostomy, pain
Photography has been one of my hobbies since I first borrowed my dad's Pentax SLR in the 1970s. I bought my first Nikon in high school, worked on the school annual and student papers, went to a summer photo camp, and so on.
But I've never ventured into some of the more specialized areas of photography. In particular, I'm interested in macrophotography and HDR (high dynamic range) imaging. Macro (extreme close-up) pictures require specific equipment, such as a dedicated macro lens, close-up lens accessories, lens tubes, bellows, or lens-reversing hardware—so I haven't tried it yet.
HDR, on the other hand, works by simply taking different exposures of the same scene and combining them with tone mapping software such as Photomatix. After trying some varying exposures in Burnaby's Central Park yesterday with my Nikon D50, I downloaded a Photomatix demo demo today and got the following result:
My picture doesn't have the bizarro look of some extreme HDR frames, but it does have a colourful, painting-like pop that most regular photos don't, as well as lots of shadow and highlight detail. I like it.
Labels: geekery, hdr, nikon, photography
To misquote a recent Head & Shoulders shampoo ad, dudes don't usually talk about their hips, but today I will.
I haven't been very physically active since I got my cancer diagnosis nearly a year and a half ago. Before that, I regularly bicycled to work, about 12 km each way, and when I took rapid transit I'd often walk an extra stop or two past the closest one to get some exercise. Now that I'm back up to fighting weight (having regained the 25 kg—55+ pounds—I lost before and after my surgery last year), I'm making some efforts again in that direction.
But holy cow, am I inflexible. I've never been a yogi master, nor have I ever in my life been able to touch my toes. Still, yesterday when I took my bicycle out (the first time in months) for some errands and a ride through Burnaby's Central Park, I nearly fell over in our driveway, because my minimally-mobile hips almost prevented me from lifting my leg high enough to get on the damn bike.
Things improved some once I got rolling, and some of my stiffness was probably due to my Italian-sandal–induced wipeout a couple of days ago, but I also noticed that I really had to gear down the mountain bike while pedaling up even the slightest hill, and my speed on the flats was far from what it used to be.
I felt great when I got home, despite a bit of soreness, so I plan to ride some more in the next little while, particularly since I'm having a break from chemotherapy for the next few weeks. Some stretching would also probably be in order.
Labels: bicycle, chemotherapy, exercise, park, surgery, vancouver
Without my wife, it's unlikely I would dress well. The evidence is clear from what I looked like before we met. However, I've always liked shopping, and used to enjoy going to the mall with my mom as much as 30 years ago. I just wasn't fond of buying clothes.
That's no longer true, and for the past couple of days I've spent some of my free time refreshing my wardrobe for the summer, with new shirts, sandals, and trousers.
I also got the chance to do a couple of other things. One was to purge out some older stuff in my clothes cupboards. The other was to go downtown and check out the new Apple Store.
Yeah, it is pretty much the same as other Apple Stores I've been to, with much the same selection of products as other Apple resellers in town, just more slickly presented. However, if you're looking for a variety of FireWire external hard disks (rather than USB 2.0 versions), the Apple Store has more types than most.
Labels: apple, clothing, family, geekery, shopping
I've developed a habit recently (which my wife pointed out to me) of checking the labels on clothing and other products to see if I can find anything not made in China. That's especially difficult with men's casual shirts, and shoes of any kind. Even venerable British bootmaker Doc Martens moved its production to China more than five years ago. (My three pairs of Docs are from the '90s, and were assembled in the U.K., while my Blundstone boots are from Tasmania.) Sadly, nearly all of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics goods I've seen for sale are made in China too, not Canada.
There are a few reasons for my label-reading effort. One is that I'm not fond of the People's Republic's internal and external politics, with respect to Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Tibet, Tiananmen Square, the death penalty, Sudanese oil, policy reactions to disease outbreaks, Taiwan, North Korea, and so on. I prefer acting on that economically, rather than with symbolic gestures such as urging Canada to boycott the Beijing Olympics.
Second is a combination of experiences I've had with poorly-made inexpensive Chinese goods, and concern about various quality problems that have posed health hazards—from contaminated pet food to tainted children's toys to poisonous food products coming out of the country.
Finally, I'm giving a small bit of pushback to the economic behemoth of Chinese manufacturing. I'd like to give other countries at least a fighting chance of getting my dollar. So, of some of our recent purchases, our vacuum cleaner was made in Mexico, my newest camera lens is from Thailand, my guitars are from South Korea and Japan and Canada (!), my video camera and other electronics came from Japan and Taiwan, the two pairs of sandals I bought today are from Thailand and Italy, and—following in the bare-calfed footsteps of my doppelgänger Darren Barefoot—my new summer man capris were sewn in Bangladesh. (Of course, the Bangladeshi government is no great shakes either.)
Still, it's tricky to avoid Chinese-made goods altogether. Nor is it necessarily desirable. Try finding a reasonably-priced small appliance or a spendy Apple MacBook or iPod made elsewhere, for instance. (In 1993, I was delighted to find that my Macintosh Centris 660AV had been made in Ireland.) Years ago, my friend Tara tried to avoid buying Chinese-made anything, and it was difficult. That was before the massive expansion of manufacturing and exports there in the past decade or so—now such an attempt would be nearly impossible.
I don't think that Chinese workers deserve jobs any less than anyone else. Victims of the recent Sichuan earthquake deserve as much help as those of the Burmese monsoon or the 2004 tsunami too. But it's also worth at least looking to see where your purchases are made, and maybe considering whether something created in another part of the world might be better worth your money.
Alas, those comfy Italian-made sandals turn out to be extremely slippery on the bottom, and I nearly hurt myself badly this evening when they caused me to slip and fall down the hardwood stairs in our front hall. Just because something is made outside China doesn't make it automatically better either.
Labels: china, money, politics, shopping
My older daughter is 10 years old, and like many kids, she's a picky eater. She's never liked most fruits and vegetables—not the flavour so much as the texture. She finds bananas actively repulsive, and won't go anywhere near a salad.
However, for some reason she's developed a taste for broccoli, of all things. Last night before bed, she was hungry after a long day at Playland with her friend. She asked for broccoli as a bedtime snack. With her special cheese sauce, which she made herself based on a recipe from her grandmother.
I had some too. It was yummy.
I didn't go when the Apple Store Pacific Centre opened today in Vancouver, but John Biehler did, along with a gaggle of other Vancouver webby types. As expected, it was pretty busy:
It's nice to have a location here in Vancouver, finally, but since all the mall Apple Stores look pretty much the same...
....then if you've been to some of the others (I've been to three of them near Seattle, and one in Hawaii), I don't know how much will be new about this one.
Labels: apple, geekery, shopping, vancouver
I was 11 years old when Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered in 1981. Loved it, including the famous melting face scene near the end. I don't think I had seen Alien yet, but I had a photo book of the movie and knew it nearly by heart, including the infamous chest-burster. In short, to me the gross stuff in those movies, and others, was cool, and didn't freak me out too much.
I also liked watching those '70s-era boogie-man shows like In Search Of, and I still recall waking up late at night during a sleepover in the basement at my friend Sean's house to watch a Ray Harryhausen stop-motion monster wreak havoc on TV. It scared me, and I liked it.
That doesn't seem to be the case for my daughters, aged 8 and 10. They asked me to tell them when to hide their eyes during scary parts of Raiders on DVD the other day, so neither of them actually saw the melting face, or a few other things. Based on that, we skipped Temple of Doom entirely. Tonight we watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which has even fewer freaky bits than Raiders, but the rapid aging and decomposition of the Donovan character when he drinks from the wrong Holy Grail was also more than they wanted to see. Our youngest hid her eyes, while our oldest didn't, but had trouble getting to sleep.
On the other hand, two and a half years ago our oldest was okay with King Kong, especially after a day or two to process it. But I still don't know whether we should take them to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I'm sure their friend Clive will love it as I did (he's 9, and watches action movies all the time), while after two Indy movies at home our daughters might not even want to go.
Fiction has always been a way for children to face scary things, and learn to live with them. That's what most fairy tales are about. So I don't want to shelter our girls too much. We're not going to force them to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but if after a bit of time they want to go, I'm not sure—should we take them or not?
Labels: archaeology, family, fear, film, memories, movie
Chemo day today, so I'm in bed as usual, with Iron Chef America coming up in an hour. Some links:
Labels: apple, biology, geekery, linksofinterest, movie, olpc, vancouver
I used to teach courses about Microsoft Word. Stuff like this (via John Gruber) is what made me stop.
Labels: apple, macosx, microsoft, publicspeaking, software
I was driving back from the Vancouver suburb of Maple Ridge with the kids today, and my older daughter was playing Mario Kart DS in the back seat.
It was a strange cognitive experience, because we were barreling down the Mary Hill Bypass with Mario Kart music playing. My younger daughter said she was glad we weren't getting hit by red shells, and I was pleased to be able to resist bumping into other cars or going off wacky jumps.
Labels: driving, family, geekery, music, videogames
Back in 1986, a group of kids from my all-boys' private school (St. George's School in Vancouver) and a couple of affiliated girls' schools (Crofton House and York House) took a Spring Break "art tour" trip to Italy, with whirlwind visits to Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Turin, and so on.
I have photos in an album somewhere, but Anne Pewsey Richards, who was also on the trip, has done much better. She posted a bunch of pictures to Facebook, and gave me permission to repost them at Flickr. If you thought my glasses were big the year before in my geekiest photo, check them out here with the accompanying sunglass clip-ons:
Anne's group shot also includes some prime '80s hair and fashions. (I'm on the far right, squinting—shoulda worn the clip-ons.)
Finally, you can see that I was a camera nerd, with the Nikon, big zoom lens, and obnoxious camera strap, even then (again, I'm far right—guess I had the contact lenses on there):
I'm sure there was no way at all that local Italians could tell that we were tourists. There are several people in her photos (Anne included—but she noted that she's lived in England since the early '90s) whom I have not seen even once in the intervening 22 years.
I also haven't been back to Europe since this trip.
Labels: europe, friends, memories, photography, retro, school, travel
I've just come from sitting in the yard, reading, for more than an hour, with the kids passing around a volleyball and swinging on the swings. This long Victoria Day holiday weekend, Vancouver is having an early heat-wave blast of summer, with temperatures reaching 30° C here in the suburbs, so we're taking advantage of it. It certainly feels—if only temporarily—like a full summer day, since the sun set around 8 p.m., the same time it will in July.
When the wind is westerly, as it is today, airplanes coming in from the Pacific to Vancouver Airport fly a slow U shape, east across the city, turning south, and then coming in to land flying westward over Richmond to the south. This evening, several massive 747s went almost directly over our house in Burnaby, as they often do, high enough not to be disturbing but low enough that we can read their tail insignia, then watch them bank slightly and make their wide turns over the suburbs further east.
Jumbo jets, like all aircraft, continue to astound me, and it's a pity so many of us spend most of our time complaining when we talk about air travel. Journeys that used to take weeks or months now take hours. They have changed the world, and I get to watch them begin and end in the sky over my house every day.
Labels: airport, travel, vancouver, weather
I took in my old broken MacBook power adapter yesterday, and unfortunately Apple requires that the dealer keep it while they wait for the replacement. That means I temporarily have no way to charge my laptop, so I have to ration its time for when I really need it.
So I find myself spending much less time randomly surfing around. Instead, I've been following up my recent finishing of Walter Isaacson's Einstein with James Gleick's Genius, a biography of perhaps the 20th century's second-greatest physicist, Richard Feynman. Plus I finally got my Griffin iMate USB-ADB adapter and hooked up one of my Apple Extended Keyboard IIs, as well as the accompanying Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II.
I'd forgotten that even the old ADB Mouse II, despite its physical mouse ball instead of a modern LED or laser, feels very nice too. The shape of the mouse feels better in my hand than Apple's new Mighty Mouse and most third-party mice, the plastic is solid, and the single-button mouse click is great. While I miss the right-click and scroll ball, I may even keep using the old ADB mouse. I'll certainly keep going with the great old keyboard.
Labels: apple, books, geekery, repairs, usb
It's been nearly a year since anything went wrong with my MacBook laptop, but overall, it hasn't been a paragon of reliability. The battery, motherboard, fan, DVD drive, and hard disk have all (!) needed service. Now there's this:
UPDATE: It looks like AppleCare will replace the adapter for me, no charge. I'm taking the old one in to a local Apple dealer today.
Right from when it was announced in 2006, I thought the MagSafe power connector, which pops out if you trip over the cord rather than dragging your laptop to the ground, was a smart idea. But the sharp angles and minimal strain relief of the design also seemed fragile to me, and I appear to have been right. I know several people whose MagSafe adapters have failed exactly as mine is: the cord wears through right next to the computer end of the connector.
Conversely, my wife's round iBook connector continues to work just great, even though it is a year older, and it's rare to hear of those adapters failing in a similar way at all. The new MagSafe design for the MacBook Air seems like it might be sturdier, but I don't think the actual power brick is rated for enough voltage for my bigger MacBook.
The pity is, because Apple has patented the MagSafe design and has not licensed it to other manufacturers, you can't buy yourself a third-party MagSafe-compatible power adapter with a better connector. So whether AppleCare warranty covers it or not, I'll end up with a similar flawed design, which may fail on me again in a year or two.
Labels: apple, design, macbook, repairs
Labels: davinci, linksofinterest, photography
"Situation Terminal" (via Philip Greenspun) laments the generally lousy state of modern airport design. Author Paul Goldberger writes that:
Airports are essentially machines for processing people, airplanes, automobiles, cargo, and luggage—all of which move in different ways, and which need to be connected at certain points and separated by rigid security at others.
The problem, he notes, is that in most current facilities are:
....an efficient layout for airport operations, as long as you don't consider passenger pleasure to be a part of airport operations.
I don't have a lot of experience with airports around the world—I've never been to the new terminals in China and Europe that Goldberger profiles as rare successful airport architecture—but I think Vancouver's YVR does a surprisingly decent job of it.
While many Vancouverites continue to complain about the "Airport Improvement Fee," instituted in the early '90s when the Canadian government leased the facility to the Vancouver Airport Authority, the money from that fee has transformed what was a small, drab, concrete slab during my childhood into a much larger, more interesting, well-lit, and beautiful space.
One thing I do find puzzling at YVR: most of the huge collection of Northwest Coast native art is well displayed, but it's in the international arrivals area. That's the one part of the facility where people are moving as fast as they can to get off their planes, through Customs, and out—where they'll spend little to no time looking at the artwork. There's a lot less of that stuff in the departure areas, which is where passengers are sometimes waiting around for hours, and where they might find some use looking at the art. Weird.
There are a lot of moms in my life—most importantly my wife, of course, who's the mother of our two daughters. There are also my own mom, my mother-in-law, my aunt, my cousin, many of our friends, and, most recently, my long-time pal and one-time roommate Tara, who had a daughter in February.
I think when your kids are young, they really don't fundamentally understand the concept of sleeping in at all. Pretty much any child past infancy treats sleep as an enemy. It's a measure of still being a kid, like aiming for puddles instead of avoiding them. Mother's Day is probably the prime example.
I remember bringing my mom breakfast way too early on Mother's Day Sundays when I was old enough to cook, in the late '70s. It never occurred to me that she might rather sleep than eat the delicious food that I spent so much time messing up (but not cleaning up) the kitchen over. No. Idea. At. All.
Today, my own kids were already awake at 8:30 when I carefully tiptoed out of the bedroom and closed the door, letting my wife sleep while I went to the bathroom and got ready to start the day. By the time I'd come back upstairs, our bedroom door was open and their mom, with a tired smile, had eaten some eggs prepared by our older daughter, who makes a pretty decent omelette. After some Mother's Day morning greetings from our younger girl, my wife was, blessedly, able to go back to sleep, and the girls went back to playing The Sims.
So, here's a toast to all of you moms who got woken up too early today for a kid-prepared breakfast. I hope it was tasty.
I've persuaded the kids to bring the Mother's Day gift to their grandmother, my mom, closer to lunchtime.
Labels: family, food, holiday, memories
Via Kottke, here is a gallery of UPI photos of a thunderstorm meeting the volcanic plume from the Chaitén volcano in Chile this week. Check out picture #11:
Whoa, as Keanu would say. I never knew the Spanish term for thunderstorm before, but it's pretty nifty: tormenta eléctrica.
Labels: americas, disaster, environment, news, photography, science
Spring weather is coming, and with my new shaved head I'll have to remember to wear a hat and sunscreen—especially because chemotherapy side effects also mean I should avoid prolonged sun exposure.
More positively, my family has been looking at accommodations on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast for a weekend getaway, possibly sometime in June. We're the sort who avoid camping, and much prefer places with restaurants and perhaps a pool. There are a few such places up the coast from here, including Rockwater, Pender Harbour Resort (beware, flashy Flashness), the Sunshine Coast Resort, and the West Coast Wilderness Lodge (not really that much wilderness).
Does anyone have experience and recommendations for fun family places to stay between Gibsons and Egmont for a couple of nights?
Labels: cancer, chemotherapy, family, holiday, oceans, travel
In a recent CBC podcast, writer Malcolm Gladwell noted that "those of you who are familiar with my writing will know that this practice of talking about X by discussing Y is my only rhetorical move." His recent excellent article in The New Yorker, about scientists who independently discovered or invented things at the same time (via Angela Gunn), is a prime example.
The article is about 7000 words long. Here is Gladwell's thesis statement:
This phenomenon of simultaneous discovery—what science historians call "multiples"—turns out to be extremely common.
You don't get to read that until more than 3500 words have passed: if you skip the title of the piece ("In the Air: Who Says Big Ideas Are Rare?"), Gladwell doesn't tell you what his essay is about until it's more than half over. It's nevertheless fascinating, but even (or perhaps especially) if you have read the title, you might be like me. As you read the first half, you may very well keep thinking, "Yeah, Malcolm, so what's your point?"
His main one is that many inventions and scientific discoveries happen because the time is right. Many people are working on certain types of ideas (the mathematics of changing systems, the relationships of fossil organisms after discovering that the earth is very old, the next step of electrical communications after the telegraph), so it's very likely that someone—maybe several someones—will come up with a key new concept based on those ideas (calculus, evolution by natural selection, the telephone).
I just finished reading Walter Isaacson's wonderful 2007 biography of Albert Einstein, the first published after the release of many of Einstein's private letters and writings. Einstein was so remarkable that his last name has become a noun, a synonym for genius around the world.
Yet of course he didn't generate his world-changing ideas out of the ether (nor, since he disproved the existence of the ether, out of a vacuum). Einstein's synthesis of the ideas of Planck and Mach and Maxwell and others with the experimental results of Faraday, Curie, Michelson and Morley, and still others would have happened eventually. But it might have taken a few decades, and probably a number of eminent scientists, to reveal that atoms actually existed, that light is a wave-particle duality, that gravity can be thought of as the warping of space-time, and the dozens of other ideas that Einstein figured out largely on his own during feverish bursts of creativity in between 1905 and 1917.
Gladwell doesn't talk about Einstein at all, but he also doesn't diminish genius in his article. Rather, he reframes it: someone like Einstein (or Newton, or Kelvin) is brilliant enough to make a wide range of discoveries. To get a similar range of insights or inventions, you'd need a brainstorming session, or a committee, or an "invention session" of smart, but not genius-level, people. And they might not come up with genius-level ideas all at once.
In other words, in science and technology, a genius can do the work of a big group of regular people. And so geniuses often contribute to "multiples," but also do more. Newton and Leibniz both invented calculus, but Leibniz didn't come up with anything like Newton's discoveries in optics or gravity.
Gladwell also has a third point, one that helps distinguish science from art. Namely, that a scientific genius and an artistic genius are different things, even though we use the same word:
You can't pool the talents of a dozen Salieris and get Mozart's Requiem. You can't put together a committee of really talented art students and get Matisse's "La Danse." A work of artistic genius is singular.
That makes intuitive sense—there is a difference between creating something and discovering something. Einstein himself was profoundly uncomfortable with quantum theory and wave mechanics, even though he established that field of study. He spent the last half of his life fighting against their probabilistic implications. Yet quantum theory was still there, whether Einstein was involved or not.
Conversely, let's take another example that Gladwell doesn't use. Sure, without the Beatles there would still have been some kind of rock and roll after Elvis, and maybe even psychedelia in the '60s. But there wouldn't have been Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, nor maybe any record quite like it. (I doubt the Rolling Stones would have made Their Satanic Majesties Request, for instance.)
Similarly, the work of Watson, Crick, and Franklin in discovering DNA was part of a feverish mid-century effort throughout biology to determine what genes might be made of. Somebody was going to find the double helix. But nobody made paintings exactly like Picasso, or sang just like Ella. Without them, maybe no one ever would.
We are social creatures, so the twining influences and effects of our creativity can be hard to tease out. That's part of what's so cool about them.
Labels: einstein, geekery, history, malcolmgladwell, music, newyork, science, writing
Ethan Gutmann at Ars Technica writes about the remarkable properties of rose petals when water drops land on them. Not only are rose petals superhydrophobic, like many plant leaves (water drops ball up on the surface), but unlike those leaves, those cool water drops also stick to the surface rather than rolling off.
What makes that happen is the microscopic structure of the surface of the leaf. The petal surface is covered in tiny bumps, and the surfaces of those bumps are covered in even smaller, tiny tiny folds. But those tiny tiny folds are far enough apart that water at the bottom of a drop can get into them and stick to the surface; on most leaves, the folds are closer together, so the water can't stick and slides off.
Here's the research paper.
More than 15 years ago, the house I was renting with a couple of roommates was burglarized. The thieves stole the usual kinds of things—CDs and other stuff that's easy to fence—and included among that was my Nikon FG SLR and lenses. I had insurance, which replaced that camera with the early-'90s equivalent, the F-601.
The new camera came with a pretty decent Nikon lens, a 35–70 mm zoom. But a few months after I got the camera, the zoom ring on the lens became loose and didn't work properly. I sent it in for warranty repair, and then used the lens through two additional cameras (another F601 I bought after the original got dropped, and my current D50) until last spring.
That's when the zoom ring started misbehaving again, and I replaced it with a new Nikon lens, an 18–135 mm zoom that has worked very well for me, and is usually the kit lens for the higher-end D80 SLR. Until the past few days, when the zoom intermittently stopped autofocusing properly. The barrel of the lens also started to feel a bit loose. So I've sent it, like its predecessor, off to Nikon for repair.
I supposed there's a reason the lower-cost lenses aren't as robust as their professional siblings, but it's not like I abuse them. And that old lens did work great for me for a decade and a half after its initial repair. I still have it downstairs, in fact. Maybe if I can get it to behave I can use it while the other one is in the shop—but there's really no need. I have three other lenses that seem to be working just fine.
Labels: geekery, nikon, photography, repairs
I met with my oncologist, Dr. Kennecke, today. When I go to see him, I try to moderate my expectations. Pragmatically, I plan on the metastatic tumours in my lungs maybe having grown a little bit, or maybe shrunk a little bit, or maybe stayed stable. I don't go there thinking they will have miraculously disappeared, or that they will have grown dramatically.
And fortunately, that's pretty much where I am. Last week's CT scan showed that the largest of my four lung mets has grown slightly, but is still less than a centimetre across. A second one might also be a little bigger than before. The others seem like they're stable. So my chemo isn't eliminating them, but it appears to be keeping them somewhat at bay.
In the short term, I'm pleased with the other plans Dr. K and I worked out today. I have two more chemo treatments planned this month, the 15th and 16th of this round, which started back in October. Then, finally, I get to take a bit of a break through June, and with luck I might begin a clinical trial of a new artificial monoclonal antibody (more advanced than the Avastin I'm taking now), which may be able to enhance the action of the other chemotherapy agents, perhaps in July.
Having a few weeks off from chemo side effects will be nice. Maybe we'll take a weekend trip to Victoria or something. As nice things go, I'll take what I can get.
Labels: cancer, chemotherapy, holiday, travel, victoria
It's difficult for me to understand what it's like for my family and friends as I go through cancer treatment. As I've written before, in some ways it's easier for me than for them, because at any time I know how I feel, and at least tell myself that I have a decent sense of how I'm doing. That's not always clear to those close to me, and I know they worry.
I think I have a better understanding of it this week, because my wife had elective surgery a few days ago. She was in hospital overnight (which the doctors had expected and planned for, but which we didn't know about in advance), and has been recovering here at home. Since I'm not on chemotherapy this week, I'm in reasonably good shape and have been able to keep the house running fairly well.
But I wish there was more I could do to alleviate her pain and other discomfort. I also have little sense, from hour to hour, how she's feeling. I feel a bit useless. And this is relatively short term—she's been taking care of me, and doing a great job of it, as I've been through surgeries, chemo, radiation, drastic weight loss, and much more for well over a year.
This is that "in sickness and in health" part they talk about when you get married. I'm glad we can be there for each other.
Labels: family, hospital, pain, surgery
Tomorrow, for the second time this year, I'll be giving a speech at a memorial service. This time it's for my mom's oldest friend Sonia, who died last November. She would have turned 70 in January.
I had no trouble at all putting together a eulogy for my friend Martin in January, but this time around it's a bit more difficult. My relationship with Sonia was different—she was my mother's friend, after all, so every time I saw her it was related to something they were doing together—but also lifelong. By the time I was born in 1969, they had been friends for well over 20 years.
Sonia's three best friends (my mom included) compiled some information and stories for me to work with, and I have some ideas on how to turn them into a speech, but I feel already like there will be too much left out. It's hard to distill 60 years of friendship into five or six minutes, maybe one minute for each decade. And the group at the memorial will be much smaller than Martin's, maybe 50 or 60 people instead of several hundred. I actually find it easier to speak in front of large groups than small.
Anyway, I'll find the key things to talk about, plus some extras I know myself, and I think it will go just fine. I hope I can do Sonia and her friends justice.
I feel a little guilty about one thing: I'm sort of glad to make speeches like this. That's because each memorial I attend means I've made it long enough not to have my own.
Labels: death, family, friends
The Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn, Germany, bills itself as the world's largest computer museum. James Harton at Flickr has some photos of key elements of the collection, which include old typewriters and an Enigma machine.
Labels: apple, encryption, geekery, retro, travel
This book about home chemistry experiments looks pretty darn cool. (Via PZ Myers.)


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Of those 187 men, around 50 would never return.
Exactly one hundred years later, the Goldfields First Troops Memorial March group staged a moving reenactment on a beautifully clear morning. 187 local men and women marched down Wilson Street to the tune of a pipe band, with a police escort in front and behind, while locals (and visitors like me) cheered them on.
I've been to a few centenary events so far, but none have brought the times to life quite so effectively as this one. Most of the marchers were not in costume, but that only emphasised the fact that the same men one hundred years ago were also ordinary members of the community, leaving behind their homes and families.
Once the marchers were standing to attention outside the train station, the names of the fifty who were killed were read out. As each name was called, the person representing them stepped out of the group and lined up. And when the last name was read, they marched away, off through the station gates. Their absence made an immediate, noticeable difference, and the subsequent playing of the Last Post, the minute's silence, and the singing of Auld Lang Syne was as sad as it must have been jubilant back then.
All in all, the whole reenactment was beautifully done, and very effective. I was only in Kalgoorlie by chance on the day, and I'm so glad I got to go along. I've studied a few of the first 187, and seeing this gave their experience so much more dimension. A bravo to all involved.


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There has never been a better time to give to Saint John Catholic School. Our mission has always individuality, generosity, and respect for mankind. We know that our students must live and prosper in this world and so we offer a sound challenging academic program.
The generosity of alumni, parents, and friends is important in advancing Saint John's mission. Your gift today is an investment in our school and our students and is crucial to sustaining our school, as tuition alone does not cover the costs of educating our students. We rely on fund raising and donations to balance the budget and enhance the curriculum.
The Angel Fund is used to help all families who desire a Catholic education for their child. Angel Fund monies are need based and are used to assist with tuition only.
Donations of over $250 will be recognized through a plaque in our school.
To make a donation to our Angel Fund, please contact Mrs. Pollick at firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling 814.355.7859.


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How To Avoid The Pharma Hack
Like all things in security - there are no guarantees. If you want to be entirely sure your website never gets hacked then build your website, take it offline, put it on a computer in your bedroom that is never connected to the internet, and never turn that computer on. That will be very secure - but will totally defeat the purpose of having a website, namely to have a publicly accessible presence.
There are more reasonable steps that you can take though:
- To minimise the chances of a successful hack
- To speed up recovery if you do succumb at some point
The most important thing you can do, and we can't stress this enough, is to keep your website up-to-date. Not the articles and the images, but the underlying Content Management System that helps you build your website and that provides all the nice interactive elements. That's the part that gets exploited. You *must* keep the Content management System that powers your site up-to-date, whether that is Joomla, Wordpress, Drupal or any other system.
Likewise, and in many respects more critical, are the myriad third party add-ons within your site. A CMS like Joomla or Drupal is tested by many knowledgeable people before it is released. The add-ons you or your developer installed to give you a nice calendar, an image gallery, a forum or whatever else are somewhat less tested, are typically built by hobbyist programmers and contain more bugs. WYSIWYG editors and file upload functionality offer another vector through which many sites are compromised. You must monitor the extensions your site relies on and keep them up to date. If you can't do this then pay someone who can.
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Does Time and Attendance do Access control
Does Time and Attendance software can do Access control with guard map view and alarm monitoring?
Harmony from Synel MLL Payway LTF. Is one of the leading Time and Attendance software with many other modules for example the guard and Access Control module.
Harmony with guard application allow the guard reading an on-line information on access control events displayed with reach graphically over floor maps. All events supported by Harmony including event alerts from doors, alarm sensors detectors, sensors, pushbuttons etc. are channeled here.
Event data consists of area from which the event was received, relevant door/device, date, time etc.
When an event is received, an event row will be created and displayed on the bottom of the screen.


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The Trek Emondo is the lightest production bike available to buy presently. At 4.5 kilograms it is well under the UCI weight limit of 6.8 kilograms.
At its 16000 dollar price, it makes me start to wonder is the weight loss worth it. It is only about 4 kilograms lighter than your average 2000 dollar road bike.
Add two water bottles along with some food, gels, spare tubes and a pump and the weight is already getting quite close to a less expensive 2000 dollar bike.
Most people could easily lose 4 kilograms of weight from our bodies if not more unless of course you are as slim as Contador out Froome.
This raises the question whether it is worth spending an extra 14000 dollars to lose 4 kilograms of weight.
For the majority of people I would advise them to lose weight from their body initially.


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Titan Storage Woking provides modern, clean and secure storage solutions. With easily accessible, 24/7 controlled storage, we are just two minutes from the centre of Woking. Our secure facilities start from as little as £5.10 per week and our friendly onsite team are waiting to help you find a storage solution to meet your needs.
Woking storage features
- 24hr CCTV
- Secure 24hr access control
- Flexible office space
- Packaging supplies
- Parking
- Loading bay
- Pallet trucks
- Trollies
- Customer lift
Woking store details
Orchard Business Park
Forsyth Road
Telephone: 01483 917390
Email: email@example.com
Woking storage opening hours
Titan Storage Woking customers can access their storage within the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Reception opening hours
Mon-Fri: 9:00-17:30
Saturday: 9:00-15:00
Sunday: Closed
Bank Holidays: Closed
Secure self-storage near you
You can use our Woking branch to store a wide range of items, for as long as you like. Whether you need somewhere to keep your winter wardrobe safe, or a place to store your furniture whilst you redecorate, we can provide you with a suitable solution. There's no contract with us: simply give us two weeks notice before you wish to move out.
Whatever you choose to store with us, you can be sure it's safe and secure, thanks to our round-the-clock state-of-the-art security system. Our units are monitored by our 24hr CCTV system and secured with a unique padlock. Further, entry to storage floors is only possible via a key coded lift. Your possessions couldn't be safer.
You can access your unit whenever you require – simply gain entry using your key code.
About the local Woking store
You'll find us at the Orchard Business Park, which is just a five-minute drive from Woking town centre. Once you've moved your possessions into one of our units, why not explore what the town has to offer? You could stop for a bite to eat or indulge in some retail therapy at the close by excellent Peacocks shopping centre. If you've brought your little ones along with you, they'll love Laser Quest or bowling at The Big Apple – a great reward for waiting ever-so patiently.
Areas nearby
- Byfleet
- Chertsey
- Chobham
- Guildford
- Bisley
- Knaphill
- Mayford
- Pyrford
- Brookwood
- Lightwater
- Ottershaw
- Windlesham
Business storage Woking
Run a small business from home and need some additional space? Don't have anywhere to store your seasonal stock? Want a safe and secure place to archive important files near you? Look no further than our local Woking store. We have units of varying size to suit your requirements and if you ever need a larger or smaller space, just let us know – we're happy to accommodate!
How to reach us
Our storage facility is near Woking town centre, should you get lost please call a member of our team for directions.
From the A3: take the A245 in West Byfleet and follow it for ten minutes until you reach Forsyth Road.
From the M3: exit the M3 via the A322. Follow the road until you reach the second roundabout, then take the first exit onto the A319. After 2.1 miles, you'll reach another roundabout; take the second exit onto the A3046. Continue on the A road, which eventually changes into the A245. At the following roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Monument Road and turn left onto Albert Drive – keep going until you reach the business park.
From the M25: take exit 11 from the M25 and continue on the A317 in Addlestone. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto the A320. Follow the A road until you reach Albert Drive/Forsyth Road.


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Equality! It's not just for the French any more
on October 29, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Posted In: Politics
Found on Alas, a blog: Dennis Prager says, "Americans Hate Equality."
Equality, which is the primary value of the left, is a European value, not an American value.
Because equality is a French value, or anti-American, or something. And the Founding Fathers never said anything about equality. Except when they did. Or something.
I think I need to look at puppies now.


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InterracialMatch.com - the best interracial dating site!
Business & Entrepreneurship
Ways to Attract People at Trade Show Exhibits
Written by: Akua Hinds
November 2, 2015
Did you know that many successful businesses became prosperous because of their participation at trade show events? If you are a business owner, the same fate could happen for you and your business. Entrepreneurs and small-business owners often use public events such as tradeshows to promote their services to the public because trade shows generate foot traffic and opportunities to connect with potential customers face to face. Purchasing a booth or table at a trade show exhibit need not be expensive, depending upon the show that you are involved in. However, you should do anything possible to make your participation at a trade show pay off for your business.
You will never get a second chance to make a first impression. The image that you project at your trade show booth or table will impact whether or not consumers choose to do business with you. If you want to attract people to your table, you and your table need to look well put together. Bold and appealing signage will inspire people to visit your table and learn about what your business offers. Whenever possible, create signage using your business' official colours. Pictures are very helpful for selling products. Display photographs, brochures and any visual marketing material at your booth so that customers can see what your business offers. For example, if the service you are marketing is a weight loss system, display before and after pictures of someone who has lost weight from utilizing your services.
Imagery is a great way to draw people towards your trade show table but you need to find a way to keep them there. Make eye contact with people who are walking towards your booth or table. Smile at them and ask them how they are enjoying the event. When patrons at trade shows ask what you do, explain your business in more detail to them. If you are able to, work with at least one or two other people at the trade show to help generate traffic towards your display. One of the people on your team could walk around and encourage patrons to visit your booth while you remain at the table to greet people when they arrive. Your promotional partner can inform customers about any draw prizes and incentives that you are offering.
Customers love receiving free gifts and would likely participate in a free draw prize that your business offers. Your business will benefit from offering a draw prize as well because the contact information patrons disclose on their draw ballots can be used by you to inform patrons about future promotions and events that your business will be offering. Before the actual trade show takes place, tell everyone you know about it and encourage them to attend the show. Contact your local community newspaper and ask them to do a feature story on your presence at the trade show and your business. Using social media websites like Facebook and Twitter to notify people that you will be offering a free draw prize if they attend the trade show could inspire people to attend the event.
Whether you are a novice in your business or an experienced professional, participating in a trade show can give your business the exposure that it needs. In the current economy, consumers want to have confidence in the companies they choose to do business with. Trade shows provide great opportunities for you as a business person to interact with consumers and educate them about how your business can help their lives. If you enjoy participating in these types of events, but you find the cost of participating in trade shows in your community to be too expensive, consider hosting your own trade show and invite other business owners to be vendors at your show for a modest fee. Your trade show appearance can provide chances for you to meet people who could become your future loyal customers and supporters. Participating at a trade show could be a very successful way to market your business and to establish your brand.
Akua Hinds works as a journalist, actress, owner of 3 dating sites www.InterracialDesires.net, www.RichSinglesDate.net, www.ChristianPartner.co , music performer & instructor, and independent Passion Parties business owner at www.AkuaHinds.YourPassionConsultant.com selling passion products. Please visit www.AkuaHinds.com for more information.
MillionaireMatch.com - the best dating site for sexy, successful singles!
Shop at Pure Romance by Akua Hinds for the best products for your passions.


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This oven mitt features diner-themed fabric from the Today's Special fabric collection by Quilting Treasures. The 100% cotton fabric repeats neon sign messages: Diner. Open 24 Hours. Today's Special. The retro lettering in shades of blue, orange and hot pink is in contrast to the black background fabric.
A perfect gift for anyone who has felt like a short order cook on hectic days! This would also be a great teacher gift, hostess gift, housewarming gift, wedding shower gift -- OR a gift for your favorite foodie!
There's a great old-fashioned diner in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that my kids love to visit when we are all "home" for the holidays.


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By Rick Reeno
Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, is very annoyed with some of the recently published comments from Top Rank's CEO, Bob Arum, regarding his willingness to make a super-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
During an interview with USA Today, Arum said his company was ready and willing to make a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown, and he was waiting for someone on behalf of Mayweather to call his office.
"We've announced we're willing to make anything happen. Now somebody has got to contact us so we can sit down and explore how it can happen. Isn't that the way normal people deal? You can't wave a wand. I've said unequivocally, we're ready to sit down and see if a deal can be reached," Arum said.
In the opinion of Schaefer, Arum is using Mayweather's name for promotional purposes and has no intention of making the fight. Schaefer further indicates that if Arum was legitimately serious about making a deal, he would be the individual to pick up his phone - instead of "waiting to receive a call from the A-side."
Mayweather has made it clear to Golden Boy, according to Schaefer, that he doesn't have any intention of dealing with Arum or anyone else at Top Rank.
"What does Arum think that he's the godfather of boxing? Who the hell does he think he is? People have to come and call him and kiss his ring or kiss his ass. That's not going to happen. It's f***ing unheard of. And the same day you are reading on USA Today, that's he's willing to make a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. The same day, not a day later or a week later...but the same day - he announces that Pacquiao is going to fight on April 12th at the MGM against one of three names. All of these media members are being fooled by this idiot. They actually think he wants to put together a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
"He's using Mayweather's name to drum up publicity of Pacquiao. When it is convenient for him, he uses Mayweather's name. Mayweather is pretty clear, as clear as it can be. He is not going to be dealing with Arum or Todd [duBoef] or anyone else over there. He doesn't need them. If you want Mayweather-Pacquiao, then okay. Make Pacquiao available and Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions will take care of everything."
"If you add up Pacquiao's last three pay-per-view numbers, I bet you Mayweather did more in one night [against Canelo] than Pacquiao did in three or maybe four fights. It's a fact. This is not like it was before. If Arum wants to step aside and let the fight happen - then great. We can do that. He's done that to us in the past where we had to step aside, because we wanted to do a fight and he had the A-side. Now it's the other way around. Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are happy to do the fight."
Schaefer, along with Mayweather Promotions, are willing to offer Top Rank a replica of the exact terms that Arum presented to Golden Boy in order to make a fight between Nonito Donaire and Abner Mares.
They will pay Top Rank an agreed upon fee for the services of Pacquioao, and Top Rank's banner will be present on all of the promotional items - but Golden Boy and Mayweather's company will handle the entire promotion of the event.
"We are not looking to cut Arum out, this is not about not paying Bob. He can have his Top Rank logo on the banner, no problem. He can have a few seats, no problem. It's nothing to do with disrespecting, but if he thinks he's the driving force here - what f***ing arrogance does the guy have?," Schaefer said.
"We are using his blueprint. The same thing he said with Donaire, that Donaire was such a bigger star than Mares. Okay, you know what, we will use your own blueprint. And there is no disputing, no question that Mayweather is the number one star in the sport. Mayweather is the highest paid athlete in the world. And with his TMT brand - he makes more money from the TMT brand than Pacquiao makes fighting. I've seen the numbers. TMT is one of the hottest apparel brands in the urban market today."
"We have been working with Floyd since 2007. We broke records together and broke our own records. We are all friends, our kids are friends, and we are like one big family. Arum can call whoever he wants to call, but it's not going to happen with him involved. He's irrelevant in the equation. Pacquiao is not the A-side, Mayweather is the A-side."
Pacquiao returned to the ring last month and won a twelve round unanimous decision over Brandon Rios in Macau, China. Arum told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that the pay-per-view buyrate was between 500,000 to 550,000. Schaefer, however, told BoxingScene that he was told by sources in the pay-per-view industry that Pacquiao-Rios generated between 300,000 and 350,000.
"That whole China experience....I bet you that Pacquiao will never again fight in China. You know why? Because it was a flop. Arum is not gong to say it was a flop, but it was a flop. Look how quickly he changed his tune [about Pacquiao not fighting in America due to taxes]. The event was barely over and he was already announcing Pacquiao's next fight for the United States. It must not have been such a great experience," Schaefer said.
Schaefer says the low buyrate, for Pacquiao-Rios, is a reflection of the many fans who complained about the lackluster undercard.
"He talks about the production, how Top Rank's production is so great and better than HBO's production or anybody else. What is he talking about? Does he think people are going to watch the show because of the great lights? He should be better off on spending money on making the fights better. People wants to spend their money to watch good fights, not better lighting," Schaefer said.
"I haven't met anyone who said 'oh, you have to watch the pay-per-view because Top Rank's lighting, it's f***ing unbelievable." He should let HBO do the production, they do a perfectly fine job. And then he can spend the money he can save on making better fights. That's what I would do."
Outside of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Arum told USA Today that boxing's growth has stalled in the United States, and because of that situation Top Rank has ventured overseas to explore markets in other countries.
"[America is] a good market, but it's certainly not growing. Boxing in the U.S. is largely dependent on two premium networks (HBO and Showtime). And as the (aging) audience for boxing begins to die out and is not replaced by the younger generation, which looks elsewhere for its sports, how long is the support from the premium networks going to last?," Arum said.
Schaefer was very offended by the comments. The Golden CEO disagrees with Arum's opinion. He believes the boxing market in America is getting bigger - noting the high attendance figures over the last year for numerous events in the United States and the high television ratings on HBO and Showtime.
"He says that boxing is pretty much become irrelevant in the United States and that's why he's going to China, Russia, the Ukraine and so on. It's funny how all of these fighters from Ukraine, and the Russian ones too, are all fighting in the United States. Let them fight over there if it's such a land of opportunity. The land of opportunity is still is, and always will be, in the United States," Schaefer said.
"I believe in the United States. I believe in boxing in the United States and obviously I'm not the only one. Look at some of those great ratings that Showtime did this year, three of their highest ratings in their history have been this year. Look at the great ratings HBO is doing, over 1.3 million for the fight last weekend. This is hardly a dying sport in America."
"My focus will always be on America, and I'm proud to have come here as an immigrant to become an American citizen. I believe in Americana, I believe in boxing in America and I will not rest until boxing is once again the greatest sport in the country. When you see these ratings, it's very encouraging when you see premium networks like Showtime and HBO, on a regular basis, having ratings in excess of a million homes. That is not a dying sport."


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Gosselin win Global Award 2015
07 October, 2015
Gosselin has this week been further recognised for exceptional corporate relocation services, winning the 'commitment to excellence silver award' at the Cartus global network conference held in Boston, Massachusetts.
The award recognises Gosselin for delivering consistently high levels of moving services for employees relocating on behalf of their corporation. And the award is the tenth time in less than six years that Gosselin has been recognised for corporate moving services.
Speaking about the latest honour, Gosselin's Managing Director Nick Kerr said:
"We are extremely proud and delighted to once again be recognised as one of the world's most consistent international moving providers. The entire team deserve credit for providing a 1st class service to our corporate customers."
Gosselin is a world leading provider of quality, cost-effective corporate relocation services. With headquarters in London and Paris, and a worldwide office network, Gosselin serves corporations all over the globe.