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Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Laureate
Singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen is The Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Laureate.
"I want to thank The Glenn Gould Foundation for their kindness. It is a great honour, sweetened by my love of the work of Glenn Gould, and our collective appreciation of his invigorating and enduring presence in the world of Music and Imagination," stated Cohen.
For four decades, Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, relentlessly examining the central issues in human experience, and reporting with passion, insight and wisdom. His body of work is a reflection of the zeitgeist of the late 20th century and beyond. His songs are works of great poetic depth and profound emotional force, and set new standards for quality, range and seriousness in pop music. Artists and music-lovers alike are drawn to the dignity, ambition and sheer power of his songs.
An accomplished literary figure before he began recording music in the late 1960s, his collections of poetry, including Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956) and Flowers for Hitler, and his novels including The Favourite Game (1963) and Beautiful Losers (1966), had already brought him considerable recognition. His dual careers in music and literature have continued feeding each other over the decades – his songs revealing a literary richness rare in the world of popular music, and his poetry and prose informed by an intense musicality. Collectively, Cohen has published 12 books including Book of Longing (2006), a collection of prose, poetry and drawings which was the first book of poetry to reach the top of Canada's bestsellers' lists, and which formed the basis of a memorable musical and theatre collaboration with composer Philip Glass which premiered at Toronto's Luminato festival.
Leonard Cohen is one of the most covered artists alive today, influencing generations of songwriters, and his music has earned the accolades of other artists in tribute albums in France, Norway, Canada, Spain, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and the United States. "Hallelujah", one of Cohen's best-known and best-loved songs has been covered by over 150 artists including Willie Nelson and Bono. Numerous documentaries, awards, and tribute albums acknowledge the far-reaching contribution Cohen has made to music. He continues to refine and deepen his art, and as a musician he is constantly exploring new territory.
Listen to Leonard Cohen's acceptance speech at the Gala Concert
Leonard Cohen selected The Children of System Toronto as the recipient of the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize. Read more...
Robert Harris on Glenn Gould and Leonard Cohen. This article appeared in the Gala Concert programme.
The Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Video
Narrated by Stephen Fry for The Glenn Gould Foundation. Copyright 2012.
The Children of Sistema Toronto sing Hallelujah
Video Presentation featured at the Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert.
Video by Donald Gislason and Bowen Staines.
The Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Jury
The Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Jury convened March 31 - April 1, 2011 in Toronto to select the Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Laureate, Leonard Cohen. Jurors also participated in other celebratory events with the public and the Foundation's Council of Fellows members.
The Prize Committee devoted much care and consideration to selecting a panel of outstanding artists who bring a broad and multi-disciplinary range of perspectives to their deliberations. The the combined wisdom and experience of these remarkable world citizens ensured that the tradition of The Glenn Gould Prize is not only honoured, but also extended to the next level.
Dadawa (China)
In 1995, Zhu Zheqin fused the Tibetan word for moon (Dawa) with surrealist-Dadaism (Dada) to create a new name, "Dadawa" as her international moniker. Her influence as well as the warm reception of Dadawa's music by World Music fans is evidence of her artistic ideal come true: music without borders.
Known in the west as Dadawa and as Zhu Zheqin to hundreds of millions of Chinese fans, she has been called Asia's Enya for her soaring voice, as Asia's Bjork for her cutting edge artistry and Asia's Ry Cooder for her exploration of world musical culture. As a singer and producer, she is the first contemporary Chinese diva to achieve worldwide stardom. She is a native of Changsha, Hunan and has travelled China and the world extensively as both a musician and adventurer. She is considered to be the pioneer "indie" artist in China, having independently produced her music, videos and films for over a decade.
Dadawa holds record breaking musical achievements beginning with the worldwide success of her album Sister Drum and her recent award winning, Seven Days. She is also seen by hundreds of millions of viewers as host of the acclaimed Chinese documentary TV series, "Passenger of Africa."
As a music scholar, Dadawa has delved into the origins of Buddhist chants and was recently a visiting scholar at the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Coloumbia.
Whether performing at Carnegie Hall with The Chieftains or in her native China with Jesse Cook, Dadawa is an artist who crosses boundaries, both artistic and geographic. In 2007, Tom.com the major Chinese language web portal hailed her as, "The Most Influential Woman in Chinese Music." In 2010, Dadawa was awarded the Chinese Culture Promoter Award and became the UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador in 2009.
Atom Egoyan (Canada)
O.C., B.A., D.Litt. (hon.), L.L.D. (hon.). R.C.A.
With fourteen feature films and related projects, Atom Egoyan has won numerous awards including five prizes at the Cannes Film Festival (including the Grand Prix, International Critics Awards and Ecumenical Jury Prizes), two Academy Award® nominations, eight Genie Awards, prizes from the National Board of Review and an award for Best International Adaptation at The Frankfurt Book Fair. In 2010, he had a full retrospective of his films at the Filmoteca Espagnol in Madrid, following similar events in previous years at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and The Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Egoyan won the 2010 Douglas Sirk Award from the Hamburg Film Festival, joining other career honours from festivals and events in Tokyo, Jerusalem, Reykjavik, Las Palmas, Hong Kong, Cairo and The Panorama of European Cinema in Athens.
Egoyan has been President of the Jury in Cannes (Cinéfondation and Shorts), Berlin (Main Competition) and Venice (First Feature), as well as a jury member at several other festivals, including Sundance and Toronto.
Egoyan's art projects have been presented around the world including The Venice Biennale and Artangel in London. His acclaimed production of Wagner's Die Walkurie won a Dora Award for Outstanding Opera Production, and his adaptation of Samuel Beckett's Eh Joe was presented by The Gate Theatre in Dublin, where it won The Irish Times/ESB Award for Best Direction before transferring to London's West End and The Lincoln Center Festival in New York.
Atom Egoyan's installation, 8 ½ Screens, was commissioned by The Toronto International Film Festival for the opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox in September, 2010.
Egoyan will direct the North American premiere of Martin Crimp's Cruel and Tender for the Canadian Stage theatre company in early 2012.
Stephen Fry (United Kingdom)
Stephen Fry was born in 1957 and educated at an unfeasibly large number of educational establishments, most of which rapidly tired of him. At Cambridge University however, he met and worked with, among others, Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie, a life long friend and comedy partner. Fry's first play Latin! received a Scotsman fringe first award and has subsequently been performed around the country. The Footlights revue he wrote and performed with Thompson, Laurie and Tony Slattery won the first ever Perrier Award and was televised by the BBC. There followed Alfresco, a comedy series for Granada (along with Laurie, Thompson, Ben Elton and Robbie Coltrane) three series of Blackadder with Rowan Atkinson (and Hugh Laurie again), four series of A Bit of Fry and Laurie with Hugh Laurie (both for the BBC) and also with Hugh, four series of Jeeves and Wooster for Granada TV and WGBH Boston.
He hosts the BBC quiz show QI (5 series), has completed two series of Absolute Power with John Bird for the BBC and appeared in numerous single dramas for television, including Tom Brown's Schoolboys and most recently the series Kingdom for ITV. He has also presented the documentaries The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, HIV and Me and The Machine That Made Us all for the BBC. Stephen's documentary series, Stephen Fry in America, a journey through all 50 American states, aired in the UK in 2008 and was shown in the US on PBS stations in November 2009. The accompanying Harper Collins book, Stephen Fry in America, was recently released in the US. His latest documentary series, Last Chance to See, was filmed in remote parts of the world and revisits endangered species that Douglas Adams first reported on 15 years ago.
As a stage actor he performed in Alan Bennett's Forty Years On, Michael Frayn's Look, Look, Simon Gray's The Common Pursuit and Cell Mates (a run cut inexplicably short). He won a Drama Circle award and a Tony Nomination for his work on the revived musical Me and My Girl which ran for years and years on Broadway and in the West End.
His numerous film appearances have included award-winning performances in Peter's Friends, Wilde, Gosford Park, V for Vendetta and most recently Eichmann. He wrote and directed Bright Young Things in 2003.
He has written four best-selling novels, an autobiographical series starting with Moab is My Washpot, and more recently, The Fry Chronicles, a book on poetry form, The Ode Less Travelled, and is well-known among a younger generation as the reader of the audiobook versions of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. In 2010 Wagner and Me, an award winning feature length documentary aired, which premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival, Stephen explores his passion for the music of Wagner and questions whether he can salvage the music he loves from its associations with anti- semitism and Hitler.
These days Stephen has finished filming the part of Mycroft in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes 2 with Robert Downy Jr. and Jude Law, and has just completed a major new series for the BBC about language and communication called Planet Word.
Gary Graffman (United States)
Gary Graffman has been a major figure in the music world since his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of eighteen. For the next three decades he toured almost constantly, playing the most demanding works in the piano literature. His numerous recordings with the orchestras of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland and Chicago under such conductors as Bernstein, Ormandy, Szell and Mehta include concertos by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Brahms, Chopin and Beethoven; they are still regarded as touchtones.
In 1979, however, an injury to his right hand limited Mr. Graffman's concertizing to the small body of music written for the left hand alone, and he joined the faculty of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. In 1986—exactly fifty years after entering Curtis as a seven-year-old student, Mr. Graffman was appointed director of that renowned all-scholarship conservatory, also serving as its president from 1995 to 2006. Now retired from administrative duties, Mr. Graffman remains on the Curtis faculty while continuing his active concert career as a one-handed pianist.
In addition to major left-hand concertos by Ravel, Prokofiev, Britten, Strauss and Korngold, Mr. Graffman's current repertoire includes six new concertos and one chamber music work commissioned for him as well as complete recitals for the left hand alone.
Phoebe Greenberg (Canada)
Phoebe Greenberg's career, both as an artist and a business professional, has been dedicated to culture. Her roots are in the theatre: she is a graduate from L'école internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq. After many years abroad, she returned to Montreal in 1990 to found Diving Horse Creations, a theatre company dedicated to the theatre of the bouffon and theatre of the absurd. Dealing essentially with the social dimension of human relations, the company produced plays by Eugene Ionesco, Michel de Ghelderode, and Daniil Harms.
In the fall of 2007, DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art opened its doors in Montreal with an exhibition by the British artist Marc Quinn. Phoebe devotes much of her time to bringing some of the most compelling art of our time to DHC/ART, including the work of Sophie Calle, Nancy Davenport, Michal Rovner, Jenny Holzer, Christian Marclay and David Altmejd. Her company PHI, a spin-off from the original theatre company, has become a laboratory for cultural research in the fields of music, film, new media, and architecture, and employs thirty artists and thinkers. Phoebe is founder and director of both DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art and PHI Group.
Next Floor, a short film conceptualized and produced by Phoebe Greenberg and directed by Denis Villeneuve, has been screened in over 150 festivals worldwide. Phoebe will be bringing her bold aesthetic and visual artistry to the forefront again as Producer of the short film Hope (estimated 2011 release), and Executive Producer of Kivalina, a documentary exploring the effects of global warming (estimated release in 2011).
Phoebe is also Associate Producer on Denis Villeneuve's 2011 Academy Award® nominated feature film Incendies, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Her next bold artistic venture is the creation of the PHI Centre, a new multidisciplinary arts centre that will be located in Old Montreal (due to open its doors in 2011).
Elaine Overholt (Canada)
Elaine Overholt has established herself as one of North America's most respected and treasured singers, voice coaches and vocal producers. Her diverse musical training in classical piano, classical voice, gospel, theatre, and rock music led her to a deep understanding of all styles of singing.
An extensive performing career has allowed her the opportunity to work with titans of music; Ray Charles, Tina Turner, opera star Richard Margison, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray and Chubby Checker amongst them. Ms. Overholt has performed as a soloist on world stages, major network television, albums, films, thousands of jingles and has recorded two albums with a number three single on Billboard.
Elaine's gift for teaching is well known in Hollywood and Broadway, having coached stars such as John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer for 'Hairspray' the movie as well as music directing its star Nikki Blonksy in concert performances throughout North America. She was also thrilled to coach Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Queen Latifah for the Oscar-winning 'Chicago'. Her teaching Ellen Degeneres to sing in a live segment on her hit talk show 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' has created a huge YouTube phenomenon. As a Broadway coach Elaine trained the singers in the lead roles of Broadway hits 'Hairspray', 'The Producers' and 'Mamma Mia'. Also, record labels such as Universal, Capitol/EMI, Sony/BMG and Virgin send their recording artists to Ms. Overholt where they learn to protect their voices and develop stamina and style.
Elaine Overholt's passionate ambition to understand the human voice led Richard Gere to write that she is "... a patient, passionate and truly inspired teacher..." and John Travolta to say "...Elaine helped give my voice new life..." Whether it is onstage, in the studio or on the road, Elaine drives her students to connect with the unique and powerful voice that is in every one of us - our 'Big Voice'.
In fact, Elaine is the host of a compelling new TV series entitled "BIG VOICE". The show inspirationally connects Elaine to a group of closet singers ready to discover the true potential of their vocal abilities, culminating in a spectacular finale where they live their dream on stage.
Costa Pilavachi (United Kingdom/Greece/Canada)
Costa Pilavachi started his career in music managing the classical department of a downtown Ottawa record store while still at university.
In 1975 he moved to Toronto and in 1976 joined David Haber Artists Management, then Canada's leading performing arts management. From 1979-1981 he ran Canada's premiere recital and chamber music series at Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Pilavachi then returned to Ottawa to assume the directorship of the Music Department of the National Arts Centre, managing the resident orchestra, the summer international opera festival and various concert and educational series until 1985.
This led to a four year stint as Artistic Administrator of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival under Music Director Seiji Ozawa. In 1989 he was recruited by the Dutch-based multinational PolyGram and served as Vice-President, Artists and Repertoire of the Philips Classics label and moved to Amsterdam. In 1997 he became the label's President.
Two years later PolyGram changed hands and became the Universal Music Group. Pilavachi was transferred to London where he merged the Philips label with the storied British label Decca and became President of the combined entity, now called Decca Music Group. As head of these two labels, Pilavachi had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest artists of our time, including Alfred Brendel, Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Jessye Norman, Mitsuko Uchida,Valery Gergiev, Luciano Pavarotti, Renee Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and many more. Among the many artists he signed to these labels are Gergiev, tenors Juan Diego Florez and Joseph Calleja, violinist Janine Jansen, pianist Nelson Freire and the phenomenally successful "crossover" tenor Andrea Bocelli.
In 2006 Pilavachi left Universal and became President of EMI's classical division during an especially turbulent time for this renowned British firm. He left in 2009 and in 2010 returned to Universal in a newly-created corporate role as Senior Vice-President Classical Artist and Repertoire, overseeing the artistic direction of the Deutsche Grammophon and Decca labels worldwide.
Pilavachi is also adviser to Seiji Ozawa and his Japan-based Saito Kinen Festival.
Paul Hoffert CM, Prize Chair (Canada)
Paul Hoffert is Chair of the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Fine Arts Professor at York University, and Chair of the Guild of Canadian Film Composers. He is former President of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Faculty Fellow at Harvard University Law School, and Chair of the Ontario Arts Council.
By the time he was twenty-six, Mr. Hoffert was an established jazz recording artist, television performer, off-Broadway musical author, film composer, and had studied mathematics and physics at the University of Toronto. That year (1969) he co-founded Lighthouse, a rock band with horns and strings that sold millions of records, toured the world and earned three Juno Awards as Canada's # 1 pop band (1971-1973). He was inducted into the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Hoffert has parallel achievements in science and technology. He was a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada in the early 1970s. In 1992, he founded CulTech Research Centre at York University, where he developed advanced new media such as video telephones and networked distribution of CD-ROMs. From 1994 to 1999, he directed Intercom Ontario, a $100 million trial of the world's first broadband-connected community that landed him on the cover of the Financial Post and in the Wall Street Journal
He has authored best-selling books: "The New Client", "All Together Now", and "The Bagel Effect" and a recent textbook on composing music for videogames.
In 2001, Hoffert received the Pixel award as the new media industry's "Visionary of the Year" and in 2005 he received the Order of Canada.


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Binding sites for LIN28 protein found in thousands of human genes
By Debra Kain
05 September 2012
A study led by researchers at the UC San Diego Stem Cell Research program and funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) looks at an important RNA binding protein called LIN28, which is implicated in pluripotency and reprogramming as well as in cancer and other diseases.
According to the researchers, their study – published in the September 6 online issue of Molecular Cell – will change how scientists view this protein and its impact on human disease.
Studying embryonic stem cells and somatic cells stably expressing LIN28, the researchers defined discrete binding sites of LIN28 in 25 per cent of human transcripts. In addition, splicing-sensitive microarrays demonstrated that LIN28 expression causes widespread downstream alternative splicing changes –variations in gene products that can result in cancer or other diseases.
''Surprisingly, we discovered that LIN28 not only binds to the non-coding microRNAs, but can also bind directly to thousands of messenger RNAs,'' said first author Melissa Wilbert, a doctoral student in the UC San Diego Biomedical Sciences graduate program.
Messenger RNA or mRNA, are RNA molecules that encode a chemical "blueprint" for the synthesis of a protein. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short snippets of RNA that are crucial regulators of cell growth, differentiation, and death. While they don't encode for proteins, miRNAs are important for regulating protein production in the cell by repressing or ''turning off'' genes.
''The LIN28 protein is linked to growth and development and is important very early in human development,'' said principal investigator Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, of the department of cellular and molecular medicine, the stem cell research program and the Institute for Genomic Medicine at UC San Diego. ''It is usually turned off in adult tissue, but can be reactivated, for instance, in certain cancers or metabolic disorders, such as obesity.''


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Subscribe To Ray Donovan Trailer Shows Liev Schrieber Fixing People's Messes Updates
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Ray Donovan is the kind of man who deals with people who have woken up in bed with a dead body. The trailer above reveals that in the first thirty seconds. "This is Ray." He's a professional fixer in a town that needs lots of fixing, apparently. And he can solve any problem… except his own. As the trailer reveals, things only seem to be getting more complicated in Ray's life, as his father is getting out of prison and it doesn't look like these two guys get along so well.
Created by Ann Biderman, Ray Donovan stars Liev Schreiber as a "fixer" living in Los Angeles with his family and trying to juggle his own personal drama with the various catastrophes of his desperate clients. As the trailer indicates, that can include a guy who wakes up next to a dead woman, or a guy who wants to find out if his woman is cheating on him. Jon Voight plays Ray's father Mickey, who gets out of prison early and returns to Ray's life. Also among the cast are Paula Malcomson, Eddie Marsan, Katherine Moennig, and it looks like we'll be seeing Elliott Gould as a recurring character.
Ray Donovan is set to debut along with the eighth (and possibly final) season of Dexter on June 30.


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Buying Guide
Wood Chipper Shredder machines help conserve time and money for property owners with trees, branches and leaves. If you are shopping for a Wood Chipper, following are some of the specifications you should pay attention to so you can determine the appropriate type and size for your needs.
- Do you need a commercial grade Wood Chipper Shredder for large jobs and lots of use? If so, be sure you find a Wood Chipper Shredder model that specificies "Commercial" or "Professional".
- Will you use your Wood Chipper at the same location always? If you anticipate servicing two or more properties consider a trailer chipper.
- Is your property large and will you need to move your wood chipper to different locations on the property? If so, consider a gas wood chipper with wheels that is small enough to move easily, or get a towable chipper that can tow behind a four-wheeler or riding lawnmower.
- If your property is large and you have a tractor, then consider one of the PTO Chippers.
- The quality of design is important for performance and longevity. Patriot, for example, provides a heavy-duty tri-plated rotor.
- How large of branches do you need to chip? Wood Chippers specifications include branch diameter.
- Do you intend to create mulch from leaves and small branches? If so, verify the machine has a hopper with a shredder for that purpose.
- Do you need your wood chipper to shoot the wood chips into the back of your pickup or into a bag? If so, some wood chippers have tall adjustable shoots. You can get leaf bags that attach to many wood chipper shredder models to collect mulch.
- What type of warranty do you require? Residential warranties are often longer than commercial use.
- Where will you store your Wood Chipper Shredder? Some Wood Chipper Shredder brands and models come with covers to preserve them from the outdoor elements. If your Wood Chipper Shredder will be stored indoors, be sure to check the footprint size before you order to ensure it fits your intended storage space.
- Electric versus Gas – An Electric Wood Chipper has the advantage of convenience of no gas or oil, and it is easy to flip the switch on and off. A gas Wood Chipper Shredder can be more easily moved to father corners of the property than an Electric Wood Chipper.
Check out the 7 Best Chipper Shredders on the market right now:
#1. Patriot Products CSV-3100B 10 HP Gas-Powered Wood Chipper/Leaf Shredder
- If you're in the market for serious lawn equipment for homeowners and professionals alike, you've come to the right place
- The CSV-3100B Wood Chipper Leaf Shredder is the perfect machine for large property owners
- This chipper features the Briggs & Stratton Vanguard Commercial Power engine
- This quiet and smooth engine allows this unit to quickly make mulch out of thick 3 inch diameter branches
- Leaves and vegetative material can be dropped in the hopper for shredding
- There are no belts or pulleys to replace with Patriot's patented direct drive system
- All the power goes directly into chipping and shredding
- Your Patriot will consistently make coin size chips without the need to change messy screens and covers
- The large wheels make it easy to move the CSV-3100B around your yard
- An outboard bearing insures that you will have many years of smooth trouble free chipping
- The Briggs & Stratton engine features an overhead valve design for cooler, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient operation
- The premium super lo-tone muffler reduces noise and the low oil run sensor reduces the chance of engine damage
- The CSV-3100B features the newly designed Briggs & Stratton Vanguard Commercial Power engine
Pros: big plus that it is American made, this chipper is far more versatile, powerful and makes short work of brush, having the blades clutch in automatically is a great feature, it is self feeding and will pull the limbs you are chipping right out of your hand, easily processing bananas and all the other fruits you commonly use, does a great job shredding tree leaves which we have a lot of, great craftsmanship, great for fertilizing the garden, easy to clean and maintain …
Cons: no issues with the operation …
=> Patriot-Products-CSV-3100B-10-HP-Briggs&Stratton-Gas-Powered-Wood-Chipper/Leaf-Shredder
#2. DEK 15 HP 420cc Commercial Duty Chipper Shredder
- This powerful chipper shredder with a 15 hip (420cc) commercial duty engine features a 2-way feed including oversized funnel for leaves, an ATV or lawn and garden trailer hitch and a chip collection bag
- Self feeds and chips up to 3 in. x 4 in. dia. branches, turning yard waste into useful 1/4 in. mulch
- This chipper is belt driven and equipped with a centrifugal clutch to protect the engine
- Transforms 12 bags of yard waste into 1 bag of chips
- Ideal for landscapers, large lot owners, rental and yard clean up
- This environmentally responsible product keeps yard waste out of landfills
Pros: a good machine for the price, electric start, runs very well, self-feed is really a plus, it will chew up most things, this machine does a great job of chipping branches, best one for limbs up to 3-4 inches, wide shoot allows for items up to 3″x4″ width, it really makes short work of the tree limbs …
Cons: recommend you buy lots of extra blades for chipping hard woods, it is a bit of a work out feeding brush into this machine …
=> DEK-15-HP-420cc-Commercial-Duty-Chipper-Shredder
#3. Earthquake 14267 Chipper Shredder with 212cc 4-Cycle Viper Engine
- The Earthquake 14267 chipper shredder is the first-ever with the high-performance Viper Engine
- Designed with patented dual triangular hammers, this chipper shredder offers maximum power at the point of impact
- The heavy-duty knives and hammers are combined with a metal cone, providing extra durability that has become synonymous with Earthquake products
- Turn yard waste into the perfect mulch with the powerful Earthquake 14267 chipper/shredder
Pros: machine pretty much starts on the first pull every time and has been very reliable, does a wonderful job at making limbs into mulch, turned a brush pile into mulch for my roses in no time, branches up to 3 inches have a separate chute, easily chewed up everything that fit in the feed hole, it's sturdy and makes quick work of a yard full of your fall leaves and branches, soft or hard wood …
Cons: checking or adding oil is a little awkward, the bag is too small …
=> Earthquake-14267-Chipper-Shredder-with-212cc-4-Cycle-Viper-Engine
#4. Eco-Shredder ES1600 14 amp Electric Chipper / Shredder / Mulcher
- The Eco-Shredder is the easy way to help clean up the yard after trimming the bushes and raking the leaves
- No gasoline engines to try to start
- The Eco-Shredder is the way to help clean up your yard
- The top hopper accepts twigs, small branches and other leaves and debris
- The side chute accepts branches up to 1-3/8″ in diameter
- It can even save time and money by allowing you to make your own mulch
Pros: the price is reasonable for home use, this is probably a good thing from a safety standpoint, quiet operation and no noisy gas engine, very stable and effective, convenient to store , shredded material is perfect fodder to be tilled into a vegetable garden, does a satisfactory job on small tree limps and branches, good value for small backyard jobs …
Cons: only issue you had is with the electric cord …
=> Eco-Shredder-ES1600-14-amp-Electric-Chipper/Shredder/Mulcher
#5. LawnMaster FD1501 Electric Chipper Shredder
- Turn unwanted yard waste into nutrient-rich mulch with this electric chipper shredder
- Powerful 15-amp motor and large 1-1/2-inch cutting diameter produces mulch at a ratio of 10:1. 8-inch wheels make this unit easily mobile
- Included collection bag lets you transport your mulch from the machine itself
- Push stick helps fit branches and leaves into the shredder, and "peace of mind" overload protector ensures you don't overload the machine
- This electric chipper shredder provides a green, clean and efficient alternative to gas-powered shredders
- The chipper shredder is designed to chip and shred branch's up to an 1 ½" wide which is the opening of the unit
- Although it will shred leaves, the primary job is to chip branches
- Not intended for bamboo
Pros: fantastic non-commercial chipper, for the price it is excellent, this electric chipper cuts cleaner and more dependably, much quieter and easier to use, easily chips limbs up to an inch and a half, chipped all the branches within the operating range, small footprint, small so it doesn't take up much room in the shed, easy to clear when it clogs as it did when processing wet debris, recommend this unit to the home owner that has smaller trees and yard waste …
Cons: it does just make small twigs a little smaller. …
=> LawnMaster-FD1501-Electric-Chipper-Shredder
#6. GreenWorks 24052 15 Amp Corded Shredder/Chipper
- The GreenWorks products that you purchase have a ZERO carbon footprint
- Their entire product line will never release an ounce of carbon emission into the air
- 4 Year Warranty – Double The Industry Standard
- GreenWorks high quality products are manufactured to last
- They'll provide all the power you need without polluting the air or forcing you to keep hauling your gas can to the nearest station (especially in the middle of a mow)
- No more tune-ups or maintenance
- No more emissions
- It's time to move beyond clumsy, harmful gas-powered mowers
- It's time for GreenWorks to be your lawn tools for life
Pros: nice machine, it is surprisingly cheap, light and easy to move around, for light chipping and shredding, works great for the small branches, best at sticks, did a great job with up to 1 1/4 size branches and saplings, the large limbs make good fire wood the supplied pusher to be quite helpful …
Cons: the catcher bag is small and the chips do not flow to the back, the drier the trimmings are when you feed them in the better it goes …
=> GreenWorks-24052-15-Amp-Corded-Shredder/Chipper
#7. Sun Joe Chipper Joe CJ601E 14-Amp Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder
- Quickly turn your yard debris into nutrient-rich garden mulch and do your part to reduce, reuse and recycle with the Sun Joe Chipper Joe electric chipper/shredder
- Powered by a robust 14-amp motor, the CJ601E electric wood chipper and shredder generates speeds of up to 4,300 revolutions per minute, making quick work out of the brush, leaves and branches overcrowding your lawn
- Designed for light-duty jobs, this wood chipper effectively chips and shreds wooden sticks and limbs up to 1.5-inches thick, reducing your yard waste up to 1/16th its original size
- The minimized wood chips resulting from Chipper Joe's efforts are perfect for use as garden mulch around your trees and flower beds
- Easy to assemble and virtually maintenance free, the Chipper Joe electric chipper and shredder is ready to go when you are
- Just plug it in and instantly start chipping!
- Unlike gas-powered tools, the electric-powered Chipper Joe means you don't have to deal with smoke, fumes, unpredictable starters and costly tune-ups
- The CJ601E also features a safety stop that automatically engages when the hopper is opened
- The Chipper Joe electric wood chipper/shredder is ETL-approved and backed by a full two-year warranty
Pros: great little chipper shredder, perfect for a yard where you are going to have a lot of tree limbs falling down, nice and affordable, its light enough to move from tree to tree, this chipper does a nice job of chipping the woody stuff and breaking smaller stems into pieces, paddle is great to push things through safely, perfect for someone not want to spend a lot of money …
Cons: it's not meant for large tree limbs, the space below where the chips collect is small …
=> Sun-Joe-Chipper-Joe-CJ601E-14-Amp-Electric-Wood-Chipper/Shredder


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Dark Pink Rose Backdrop for Photography - Newborn or Wedding Photo Back Drop - Item 1560
It's as if you will be able to smell fresh cut roses when you use this dark pink rose backdrop for your amateur or professional photography shoots. It's a fantastic choice to be used as a jewelry backdrop or teenager girl photo backdrop.
Vinyl Backdrops
Our vinyl material is of the highest quality used in the backdrop market. We use only the best quality laminated vinyl banner material that provides extremely high print quality mixed with incredible durability. The super-smooth surface renders high resolution print images with crisp lines and vibrant colors that pop. Vinyl is tear proof, water proof and can be used outdoors. Vinyl backdrops can double as floordrops with no worries of scuffing or tearing.
Poly Paper Backdrops
Poly paper is a lightweight synthetic material that is both water and tear-resistant. While not as heavy as our vinyl backdrops, poly paper can be used many times without incurring damage. Poly paper offers incredible print quality with sharp lines and vibrant colors. This material is not recommended to be used as a floordrop.
Canvas Backdrops
Canvas backdrops are printed on the same material used for canvas art prints. Our canvas is a poly/cotton blend that is specially formulated for high print quality and long term print durability. The slight texture of our canvas backdrops lend to a warm, luxurious feel.


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Utilities Board (City Council) has revamped policy established after Westside sewage backup in 2004
In 2004, after a highly publicized wastewater backup that dumped raw sewage into five homes in a block of West Bijou Street, Colorado Springs City Council -
acting as the Utilities Board - voted in a new policy that made it easier for citizens to get reimbursed in such cases.
The plan for Colorado Springs Utilities became as follows: Property owners would be OK if they could prove they'd had their service lines cleaned within the past two years.
In 2007, without as much ballyhoo - although the information is posted on the Utilities website and has appeared multiple times in newsletters mailed out with the bills - the City Council/Utilities Board changed the 2004 policy. Under the 2007 plan, which remains in effect today, customers are held responsible for the service line between their homes and the city wastewater main in the street.
What this means - as stated on the website, csu.org - is that customers filing a claim against the city for backups into their homes no longer have to prove they've cleaned their service line, as before (although frequent cleanings are recommended). In addition, in cases where blockage in a city main results in sewage backing up into a home, Utilities agrees to pay the cost (up to $50,000) - as long as its investigation shows that a problem in the customer's service line didn't cause the problem.
Utilities will not pay when a backup is "caused by a catastrophic event" or by "the negligent or intentional act of the customer seeking reimbursement," the website states.
Also in 2007, Utilities ended its wastewater backup insurance program. "We sent a letter to all customers that had insurance with us at that time, letting them know we were discontinuing the insurance program," Dave Grossman of Springs Utilities explained. "In the letter, we provided a list of insurance companies that offered similar insurance at that time."
Asked about the monetary effect of the change, Grossman said that since 2007, "we have paid fewer claims, but have paid more per claim due to this policy. In the past we would have more aggressively negotiated a compromise and paid less on the claim."
A comparison can be seen in the following statistics on claims provided from Colorado Springs Utilities records for the years 2006 to 2009:
Westside Pioneer article


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Cathedral Parkway–110th Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
Cathedral Parkway–110 Street
|New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Downtown platform
|Station statistics
|West 110th Street (Cathedral Parkway) & Broadway
New York, NY 10025
|Morningside Heights
|40°48′14″N 73°58′01″W / 40.804°N 73.967°WCoordinates: 40°48′14″N 73°58′01″W / 40.804°N 73.967°W
|IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
|1 (all times)
|Transit connections
|NYCT Bus: M4, M60 SBS, M104
|2 side platforms
|3 (2 in regular service)
|Other information
|October 27, 1904[1]
|Station code
|Wireless service
|Passengers (2017)
|3,947,489[4] 5.1%
|131 out of 425
|Station succession
|Next north
|116th Street–Columbia University: 1
|Next south
|103rd Street: 1
110th Street--Cathedral Parkway Subway Station (IRT)
|New York City Subway System MPS
|NRHP reference #
|Added to NRHP
|September 17, 2004
Cathedral Parkway–110th Street is a local station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 110th Street (Cathedral Parkway) and Broadway in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, it is served by the 1 train at all times.
Operation of the first subway began on October 27, 1904, with the opening of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the West Side Branch including the 110th Street station.[6][7]
In 1948, platforms on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line from 103rd Street to 238th Street were lengthened to 514 feet to allow full ten-car express trains to platform. Previously the stations could only platform six car local trains. The platform extensions were opened in stages. On April 6, 1948, the stations from 103rd Street to Dyckman Street had their platform extensions opened, with the exception of the 125th Street, which had its extension opened on June 11, 1948.[8][9]
In 2002, it was announced that 110th Street would be one of ten subway stations citywide, as well as one of five on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, to receive renovations.[10]
Station layout[edit]
|Street level
Platform level
|Side platform, doors will open on the right
|Northbound local
|← toward Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street (116th Street)
|Peak-direction express
|→ No regular service
|Southbound local
|toward South Ferry (103rd Street) →
|Side platform, doors will open on the right
This station has two side platforms and three tracks, the center one being an unused express track.[7][11][12] The southbound local track is technically known as BB1 and the northbound one is BB4; the BB designation is used for chaining purposes along the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line from 96th Street to 242nd Street. Although it cannot be accessed at Cathedral Parkway–110th Street, the center track is designated as M. It is important to note that these designations are rarely, if ever, used in ordinary conversation. According to this chaining, the station is approximately 0.74 mi (1.19 km) from 96th Street.
This is the closest station to the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.
Each platform has separate fare controls, and there are no crossovers or crossunders allowing free transfers between directions. The only entrance to the southbound platform is at the north-west corner of 110th Street and Broadway; there are entrances to the northbound platform from both the north-eastern and south-eastern corners of 110th Street and Broadway. There is a newsstand on the southbound platform.[13]
Image gallery[edit]
- ^ New York Times, Our Subway Open: 150,000 Try It, October 28, 1904
- ^ "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
- ^ "NYC Subway Wireless – Active Stations". Transit Wireless Wifi. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2012–2017". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ James Blaine Walker, Fifty Years of Rapid Transit, 1864-1917, published 1918, pp. 162-191
- ^ a b "New York City subway opens - Oct 27, 1904". history.com. 1904-10-27. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
- ^ Report for the three and one-half years ending June 30, 1949. New York City Board of Transportation. 1949.
- ^ "More Long Platforms – Five Subway Stations on IRT to Accommodate 10-Car Trains". The New York Times. 1948-07-10. p. 8. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
- ^ "RENOVATION IS SET FOR 10 SUBWAY STATIONS". NY Daily News. June 11, 2002. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
- ^ James Blaine Walker, Fifty Years of Rapid Transit, 1864-1917, published 1918, pp. 162-191
- ^ 110th Street/Cathedral Parkway NYCSubway Retrieved 2009-06-24
- ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Morningside Heights" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cathedral Parkway – 110th Street (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line).
- nycsubway.org – IRT West Side Line: 110th Street
- Station Reporter – 1 Train
- Forgotten NY – Original 28 - NYC's First 28 Subway Stations
- 110th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
- Platforms from Google Maps Street View
- IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line stations
- Broadway (Manhattan)
- Railway and subway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan
- New York City Subway stations in Manhattan
- Railway stations opened in 1904
- Morningside Heights, Manhattan
- 1904 establishments in New York (state)
- New York City Subway stations located underground


text:
Dr. Joan Wyzkoski Weiss
Professor Mathematics
o: Bannow Science Center Rm GR-1
- Sigma Xi, Science Resreach Honor Society, 2005.
- Pi Mu Epsilon Chapter Advisor and Permanent Faculty Correspondent, 1986--.
- Pi Mu Epsilon CT Gamma Chapter, Fairfield University - Charter Member, 1986.
- The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, 1978.
- Pi Mu Epsilon, Mathematics Honorary, PA Epsilon Chapter, 1971.
- 2008 Editorial Excellence Award. "Mathematics and Computer Education."
- Excellence in Teaching Award for 1975, University of Delaware, 1975.
- "Actuarial Education". Research Grant, Fairfield University. 2005.
- "Applying Absorbing Markov Chains to Baseball". Fairfield University Summer Research Grant. 2004.
- "Cost Effective Uses of Technology in Mathematics and Economics". Davis Educational Foundation. 1999.
- "Parallel Computing" attended a two-week "Parallel Computing for Undergraduate Faculty". Colgate University. 1998.
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research Summer Faculty Research Fellowship. Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM. 1987.
- Navy/American Society for Engineering Education Summer faculty Research Fellowship. David Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center, Bethesda, MD. 1985.
- NASA/American Society for Engineering Education Summer Research Fellowship. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX. 1983 and 1984.


text:
Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed near a 10-year high on Tuesday as optimism over the U.S. tax bill boosted global investor sentiment, while stronger commodities prices supported a rally in materials stocks.
Wall Street hit record closing highs on Monday as the tax bill moved closer to passage with Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins saying on Monday she would vote for the tax overhaul.
All 10 sector indexes rose, with the S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO rising 0.5 percent or 32.9 points to 6,071.8 at the close of trade. The benchmark added 0.7 percent on Monday.
Materials stocks led the gains on the benchmark as they benefited from a rally in iron ore futures.
Heavyweight BHP rose 0.8 percent to its highest since Nov. 9 and accounted for most of the gains on the benchmark, while its peer Rio Tinto Ltd climbed 1.3 percent to a more than one month closing high.
Financials followed closely, with the sector index adding 0.4 percent.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd and Commonwealth Bank of Australia gained 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.
Orocobre Ltd climbed 5.2 percent to a record closing high and was among the top percentage gainers on the benchmark. The lithium explorer said on Monday it expects pricing for first half of 2018 to be about 25 percent higher than prices received in second half of 2017.
In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.7 percent, or 57.05 points, to finish the session at a record closing high of 8,401.2.
Healthcare and consumer stocks drove the gains, with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd rising 1.6 percent to a record high, while a2 Milk Company Ltd climbed 2.3 percent.
(Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes) Keywords: AUSTRALIA STOCKS/ CLOSE


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- 01:43:16
Odd Man Out 46: O.M.O. A.M.A.!Odd Man Out add
You asked, we answered! OMO (Odd Man Out) does an AMA [Ask Me (Us) Anything] and nothing's off the table!
- 00:51:36
Boss MonsterOdd Man Out add
"What About this?" is a community building podcast that shares life experiences. We try to explore the primary value of new things to further enrich our lives and greater our understanding of one another in the community. Join Vinton, Josh and Robbie while we explore the world of retro gaming in a new board game […]
Manglende episoder?
- 01:57:14
Alan and Frisbee Golf + OMO Season 1 Wrap Up!Odd Man Out add
It's the last Odd Man Out of the season! The gang spends the day outside in the sun in an unofficial inauguration of summertime as Alan teaches Liz and Sarah to play Frisbee Golf. Listen along as they discuss the game and then do a quick recap of Season one of OMO, revisiting each episode […]
- 00:38:04
Snow WhiteOdd Man Out add
Thirteen Princesses enter, one Princess leaves! Liz and Sarah team up to determine, once and for all, which of the Disney Princesses is the best of the bunch! This week we see if Snow White has what it takes to be the best. Follow us on Twitter! @CommonRoomCast #DPDM Find us on Facebook! Support us on […]
- 00:55:21
Liz and Anne of Green GablesOdd Man Out add
Is your life a perfect graveyard of buried hopes? Are you in the depths of despair? Fear not, kindred spirit, Anne of Green Gables is here to charm your blues away. This miniseries is Liz's Buffy, and the OMO Gang is ready to explore just what makes Anne such a remarkable heroine, and possibly the […]
- 01:22:37
Sarah and Where The Wild Things AreOdd Man Out add
Happy Wednesday Oddwonks! The time has come once again for our semi-regular "Odd Man In" series! This week features our podcast heroes discussing the 2009 film Where The Wild Things Are, the Spike Jonze-directed adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book of the same name. This installment proves to be no ordinary OMO episode as Sarah, […]
- 01:11:21
OMO Reviews – Star Wars: The Force AwakensOdd Man Out add
Sickness has struck the Stevens household, resulting in a temporary closure of the Common Room Radio studio. But fear not, loyal Oddwonk! This week we are releasing our January Patreon Exclusive for all to hear: an extended discussion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. May the Fourth Be With You! This particular episode was recorded under […]
- 01:38:37
Podcasting – Gotta Love It!Odd Man Out add
This week's very special episode of Odd Man Out goes meta. For our monthly Gotta Love It special, Sarah, Alan, and Liz are joined by podcast producer extraordinaire Randy Mitchell (a.k.a. the guy who recorded and edited virtually every episode of OMO you've heard) for a wide-ranging discussion including what they love about podcasting, how much […]
- 01:18:34
Liz and Spirited AwayOdd Man Out add
You guys know about Japanimation, right? Alan and Sarah take Liz on the most bizarre animated journey yet with Hayao Miyazaki Spirited Away. Liz's biggest question: Why? Why the pigs? Why with the spirits? Why the bathhouse? Why is any of this happening and why is it so delightful? Follow us on Twitter! @CommonRoomCast Find us […]
- 01:40:19
Alan and CookingOdd Man Out add
In this epic installment of Odd Man Out, Mr. Alan Beck plunges himself headfirst into the realm of the culinary arts. One may be dubious that Alan has gotten this far in life without so much as browning some hamburger meat, but trust us it's true! This sad state of affairs shall not persist, however. Tune […]
- 01:15:13
Sarah and A Healthy LifestyleOdd Man Out add
Bread makes you FAT? Turns out that having idols like Wanda Maximoff, Daisy Johnson, and Wonder Woman has inspired our Sarah to kick it in to high gear and start…running? Sarah? Join the gang as we talk staying hydrated, craving garbage, exercise, and self image in an episode that just about killed us all with […]
- 01:01:34
Firefly – Gotta Love It!Odd Man Out add
If it's Wednesday, you know the OMO crew is gonna talk about Joss Whedon! Join us this week to reminisce about Whedon's ill-fated television classic Firefly and the film follow-up Serenity. Also included: a discussion of childhood phone etiquette, a final Good Dinosaur reference, and a very important announcement about a possible upcoming project from Common Room […]
- 01:04:54
Alan and PenelopeOdd Man Out add
The Oddwonks got to chatting on Twitter last week and one thing lead to another when whaaaaaat? Alan hasn't seen Penelope? Looks like he's the Odd Man Out! Special thanks to everyone who joined in Monday's live tweet of this urban fairy tale starring Christina Ricci and James #itstheeverything McAvoy. Let's see if Alan feels […]
- 01:03:09
Liz and Pixar's The Good DinosaurOdd Man Out add
Sometimes, one of us can become the Odd Man Out in just a weekend! That's what happened when Sarah made Alan watch The Good Dinosaur. Then we forced Liz to sit through a cartoon about dinosaurs and feelings and howling. Will the beautiful animation be enough to sway Liz? How much does Sarah actually know […]
- 01:00:11
Roll 4 Topic Episode 1Odd Man Out add
Today is a very special occasion! We're dropping the Roll for Topic episode right here on the OMO feed. This is a show where Alan and his buddies Joe and Randy (not editor Randy, a different Randy) determine what subjects they'll talk about by rolling some dice and letting fate decide! While we're getting the […]
- 01:18:07
Sarah and The GooniesOdd Man Out add
What would a 90's childhood be like without The Goonies? Ask Sarah, who somehow missed out on Mikey and his gang of adventurers. The OMO gang recounts the classic from Chunk's Truffle Shuffle to One Eyed Willie's rich stuff in this nostalgia filled episode! Become a Patronus by joining Common Room Radio on Patreon! — […]
- 01:39:34
Alan and Marvel's Agent CarterOdd Man Out add
Did you know that the OMO crowd loves the Marvel Cinematic Universe? This week continues Odd Man Out's exploration of the various Marvel live action properties. Liz and Sarah introduce Alan to their favorite Marvel heroine, Agent Peggy Carter. Will Alan fall in love with the ABC series as the girls have? Tune in to […]
- 01:05:40
Parks and Recreation – Gotta Love It!Odd Man Out add
The OMO Gang can barely contain their glee when they get together to discuss the quirky comedy Parks and Rec. This show is such a favorite amongst the crew that it is quoted on a near daily basis and even gave us the OMO favorite game, "New Band Name I Call It!" Hear why Sarah […]
- 01:16:35
Liz and Tabletop RPGsOdd Man Out add
This week, Odd Man Out Liz sat down with a cast of Role Playing Game veterans for a game of Marvel Heroic. Alan and this week's guest Josh Unruh (also the session's esteemed game master) share their experiences and thoughts about role playing games and storytelling, but if you haven't participated in a RPG before, […]
- 01:15:25
Sarah and Downton AbbeyOdd Man Out add
Port and cigars and crystal decanters, satin and pearls and SO MUCH TEA. Put your pinky up with the OMO gang as they talk the history, fashion, and story of Downton Abbey, and of course, cast themselves as their favorite characters. Who is Upstairs and who is decidedly down? Will Sarah find the show anything […]
- Vis mere


text:
|If you see this sign...follow the arrows and pop in!
|Photos taken during the launch party.
|By the front door of the shop there are pictures of all of the sellers holding some of there work...you cant see mine, its in front the chap in the yellow shirt.
|Thats me in the pink blouse.
|This gent brought a Mini Weirdy Beardy.
There are lots more pictures of the shop over on the facebook page.
That's all for now.
I'll hopefully be back soon.


text:
Categories of sheepmeat are determined by a combination of sex and animal age. Dentition is used to identify the age of an animal.
- Lamb – female or castrate/entire male with no permanent incisors (approximately 0-12months age)
- Young lamb – female or male with no permanent molars in upper jaw (0-5 months)
- Hogget or yearling mutton – castrate male with no secondary sexual characteristics and female with 1-2 permanent incisors (approximately 10-18 months age)
- Mutton – female or castrate male with 1-8 permanent incisors (>10months old)
- Ram – entire male with 1-8 permanent incisors (>10months old)
The eating quality of these different categories varies. Differences between lamb, hogget and mutton eating quality is usually due to the toughening of connective tissue, adverse flavours accumulating in fat as a result of age and the darkening of meat colour with age. MLA's Sheepmeat Eating Quality Guidelines provide more details on how age affects eating quality.


text:
This beach print, which inspired the design of the shared bathroom, arrived in the mail yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect for a print this large, and it is better than I hoped for. It was taken last summer when we vacationed in Florida. I should mention that we are not traditional beach people. This was our first family beach experience, unless you count the two times Natalie played in the chilly ocean outside of San Francisco when she was two. She doesn't count that, and neither do the other two, since they were not yet born. The kids loved Florida, naturally, so we will do the sunny-ocean-sand-castle experience again, but probably not this particular neck of the woods. It lacked charm and felt very much like a plastic family vacation destination. But we made some great memories that week!
With Snapfish, and an offer of 70% off, I paid a silly $11.99 for a 20x30 print. I did receive a warning that choosing to print this large might result in a blurry image. I ignored the warning and forged ahead, figuring it was worth the risk for that price. And what I love about this picture is the layers of color and a sweet family moment happening in the middle of all the color. I'm not looking for a crisp image up-close. It was worth the risk, and it turned out just fine.
I front-loaded this post with pretty pictures because the rest won't be pretty. This is real life. One of my girls is that brand of creative and intelligent that manifests as hopelessly messy, bordering on hoarder. I love her to bits, no matter what. The process of decluttering and deep cleaning her bathroom inspired her to tackle the rest of her bedroom and closet; a totally unplanned bonus of this project.
We now have shelves above the toilet, all painted and already full of a mess of bathroom stuff waiting to be organized. Rather than buying new wood for the shelves, we disassembled an old DIY project that was no longer is use, and cut the boards to the right size. I used the same gray Annie Sloan paint from the cabinets.
I pulled some decor out of storage to see if anything would work. Jasper is always there to bounce ideas off and he has exquisite eclectic sensibilities.


text:
Today was a rather a dreary old day (after lots of days of sunshine), so it felt rather odd to be sewing a sun hat and a sweatshirt with sunny pops of yellow!
I've just realised while writing this, but this blog post is an unintentional advertisement for the Miss Matatabi Fabric Store. Both the Grey and yellow (REVERSIBLE) sweater knit (the same as what I used on Isabelle's top earlier this week – just in a different colourway) and the floral fabric used in the lining of the brim (see photo below) are from a remnant pack I recently bought from Miss Matatabi … Annnd the outer of the hat is some lovely Nani Iro fabric I previously bought from there.
The pattern I used for the sweatshirt is (once again) the Streetsmart Sweatshirt Collection by Little Kiwis Closet, in size 2 and the hat is a vintage pattern I snagged from an op shop a while back.
Too see the rest of my KCW makings this time around see here.
Jenny x


text:
Letter from the Editor: Made with Love in SIngapore/
People often ask me how I feel about living in Singapore or why I love it so much? On the eve of its 49th birthday, I feel it's timely to try and answer these questions in writing.
Since the day I first landed in Singapore with my husband 10 years ago, I fell in love with the city. We landed from Paris at 7am on a Sunday and had a list that we had drawn up in the plane of all the things we needed to do to get settled into our new city. It was a list we estimated would take us about 2-3 weeks to complete. Landing so early in the morning on a Sunday, we fully expected to wait a few hours for our agent to get the keys to our flat. Instead, we had a message waiting from her telling us that she would be waiting for us in front of the flat. Nice.
Once we had unpacked and showered, we ventured out to see if we could get a jump start on those errands - life in Paris had given us low expectations for a Sunday, but a single Sunday in Singapore was enough to tick off every item on the list. Well, except for the setting up of our internet line! Having grown up and lived in many great cities around the world including London, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo, my husband and I have never experienced anything close to such efficiency and user-friendliness. And that was only the beginning of our love story with Singapore...
With more time, I discovered more about this Lion City: how Singapore is a city where differences are celebrated and not derided; where, as a woman, you can pretty much walk anywhere at any time of the day or night without fear; where it is a place you can experience a myriad of different cultures through food for just a few dollars; and enjoy a peaceful life and business environment designed in a way that allows you to focus on the bigger things. This is what I call luxury, and a rare luxury at that. One that few other places in the world (if any) can compete with.
So, yes. Singapore is a small place but only if you want to look at it that way. Because I have discovered that the island nation is huge in possibilities, diversity and heart for those who are ready to open their eyes to it.
10 years down the road, my family and I are proud PRs and I am still madly in love with this country I now call my own. More so ever since I've ventured into building my own business. I have an amazing Singaporean team helping to shape the future of THE FIFTH COLLECTION - individuals that have impressed me with their strong character, deep loyalty and genuine kindness. Through good times and bad, they have made me feel even more part of Singapore than I already did. To them, I am not a foreigner, and to me they are Singapore's heart, its future and my family. I hope I can one day give back to Singapore as much as it has given to me and my family.
So, happy 49th, Singapore! And thank you for being the home for my family and THE FIFTH COLLECTION. And, in honour of your birthday, I've put together a pinterest board to try and capture my feeling of pride. I am only sorry that I won't be seeing the parade this year. But next year, for your big 5-0, be ready Singapore because we are going to celebrate with you in style!


text:
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key dates students should know?
All important dates can be found in the academic calendar located on the web site at bvu.edu/academics/calendar or the events calendar at events.bvu.edu. Reminders of important dates can also be found on BVU News: bvu.edu/bvunews. Important academic dates to be aware of are the final date to drop/add, final date to change grading system, mid-term and other breaks, finals schedules and the last days of the semester.
What does this mean to you?
There are so many things going on here at BVU and it is up to you to make sure you know about it. Use all of your resources to find out what is going on. The BVU website is a great place to go, but professors, staff, your RA and others on campus can give you the scoop as well.
What tips can you give me that will help me succeed in college?
- Go to class. It may seem simple, but class attendance is the number one reason students fail to succeed in their classes.
- Be prepared in class. Do your work, read the class material, participate in class discussions and take the time to study and know the material.
- Get your books. Some students have tried to get by without getting their textbooks and many of them have found it to be very difficult to do well in the course without the right material.
- Get help when you need it; don't wait. Buena Vista University has many resources to help students succeed including professors that are willing to help students outside of class. Make sure you take advantage of these resources right away. The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) is a great resource students need to become familiar with right away because getting help through the CAE can make the difference between doing okay and doing great.
What does this mean to you?
These things may some easy and may make you say, "duh", but you would be surprised how many students who should know these things don't do them. And when they don't do them it can lead to real problems. The bottom line is you are here to be a student. Make sure you are taking all the right steps to put your studies at the top of your priorities!
What if I am really sick or have an emergency where I need to miss class?
You need to make every attempt to go to class, but if an emergency does come up you need to notify your professor right away. If it is a health concern, it is advised that you meet with Health Services on campus. They can help you get the right care you need and can also notify your professors of the emergency. If it is a personal or family emergency, you should contact Student Services and your professors.
What does this mean to you?
Professors will be a lot more understanding of your predicament if you have proof of your illness or emergency from Health Services or Student Services. You may not believe this, but some students have actually made up excuses about why they were not in class- crazy, huh? So you can't blame the professor for being a little cynical at times. If you really are sick or have an emergency, it shouldn't be any sweat to get proof anyway.
What happens if I stop going to class?
Attending class is one of the most important things you can do to become engaged and be successful in your classes. Although attendance policies are determined by each instructor, it is important to make attending all of your classes all the time a high priority. In many cases, faculty will notify administration if a student stops attending a class altogether. The student will likely be contacted by someone to figure out what is going on and what needs to be done to improve the situation. If a student makes no effort to go to a class at all the University can administratively withdraw a student from that class. If a student is withdrawn from a class and goes below full-time status (12 credit hours), he/she will be removed from the residence halls, lose financial aid or no longer be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics.
What does this mean to you?
Going to class is the most important thing you can do to be a successful student. You pay a lot of money per class so when you do not go you end up throwing away a good deal of money so attending class is both a smart academic and financial decision.
Who do I go to if I have questions or concerns about:
- Financial hardship situations? Office of Financial Assistance, Business Office or Office of Student Success
- Computer not working? 2FIX Help Desk
- Emergency Loans? Business Office
- Homesick? Campus Counselor
- Roommate Trouble? Resident Advisor (RA), Resident Director (RD) or Director of Residence Life & Housing
- Help with classes? Professor or Center for Academic Excellence (CAE)
What does this mean to you?
One thing you need to know about BVU is that we are a place with lots of people who care and want to help. You need to make the first move to ask for that help, but once you do we are going to do everything we can to be there for you. Get to know all of the resources here and take advantage of them!
How do I know how I am doing in my classes?
The best way to know how you are doing is to talk regularly with your professors.
Many professors also post grades on the ANGEL system. You can also view your mid-term grades through Campus Connect.
What does this mean to you?
Don't assume how you are doing- ask or look it up. If you don't feel like you are doing well- go to your professor. Taking the time to meet with them lets them know you care. Once you show you care about your success, you can believe they are going to give you that extra help you will need to turn things around… but don't wait until it is too late; seek out your professors early and often.
What is the official form of communication on campus?
The University has identified email as the official form of communication on campus. It is an expectation on this campus that students will use email to communicate with faculty, staff and other students in an effective, appropriate and timely manner.
What does this mean to you?
You may not love email, but if you do not check your BV email account regularly, you could miss out on some important information. Faculty, staff, and administration use email regularly to communicate with students so make sure you get in a habit of checking your BV account everyday… and responding!
How do I find out what's going on around campus?
Information on activities, events and important reminders can be accessed through BVUNews, which is sent electronically twice per week (Mondays and Thursdays) through campus email and can be accessed on the homepage of the BVU web site. You can also find out what is going on by accessing the campus calendar and keeping your eyes out for posters that are displayed all over campus.
What does this mean to you?
I didn't know about that is never a good excuse on this campus because the information is always at your fingertips. Do not rely on your professors, fellow students or others on campus to get you the information. Go and find it for yourself!
What is interim? What options do I have? Do I need to participate?
Interim is the 3 week period in January where students have the option of taking a class on campus, participating in an internship or going on a University-sponsored trip. Students need to sign up early for the trips and the trips do have an additional cost associated with them. First-year students are required to participate in January interim, but it is optional after that. However, there is no additional charge for being enrolled in the Interim term, other than costs associated with trips and internships, so it is a good idea to take advantage of this time to take a class you may never have done before, travel somewhere warm or get real-world experience. Students must be enrolled in interim in order to reside in University housing during interim.
What does this mean to you?
Free classes, great opportunities, real life experience.
Where do I go to get information about internships?
Internships are an important step on your way to preparing yourself for success in your chosen career. Although you must be a junior standing to take an internship for credit, you should start searching for internships as early as your freshmen and sophomore years. The Office of Career Services and your professors can be great resources to assist you in finding the right internship for you. For more information, check out the career services internship web site at: www.bvu.edu/bv/career_services/internships/
What does this mean to you?
A quality internship experience could be the difference between you or the other guy landing that first big job. Start thinking about that ultimate internship and go for it! You will be glad you did!
How do I find out how many ACES events I still need?
The Academic & Culture Events Series (ACES) is an important component in a well-rounded education from BVU. There are numerous ACES events offered each semester and students are required to attend eight per semester (2 Signature events, 4 Scholarly events, 1 Student Life event, and 1 Event of choice. You can find out how many ACES events you still need to attend by going to the ACES web site: www.bvu.edu/aces
What does this mean to you?
World class performers and great speakers come to campus and you get to go for free and get college credit for it. Your friends will be jealous when they hear what you got to see right here at BV.
What is the MAP-Works survey? How can it help me?
The MAP-Works (Making Achievement Possible) survey is a survey that students will complete four times during the year (3 weeks and 10 weeks into each semester). The results of the survey will be used by faculty and staff to help students identify and address areas of strength and need concerning academic preparation, social integration, and financial management. Having this information will allow us all to work together to make sure students are on the path to success.
What does this mean to you?
MAP-Works provides you and your advisor with awesome information in an interactive format. You get to see how your answers stack up with other college students and other BVU students and you can come up with strategies to help you get all you can out of your college experience.
Commuter Students
How do I get involved on campus when I don't live on campus?
It is important that you get involved in campus life even if you are not living on campus. The university provides free lunches to commuters once per month and uses this time to notify you of important things you need to know about campus. The Underground, located in the basement of Smith Hall, is a great place for commuter students to gather in between classes, study and hang out. The University also welcomes commuters to get involved in campus organizations, attend campus events and take advantage of all of the resources that the University has to offer.
What does this mean to you?
It is sometimes tougher to get involved on campus when you don't live here. BVU wants to make sure you feel like part of the BVU Community so come to the events, take advantage of the resources and participate in all that BVU has to offer.


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Gifts are our greatest contribution to the happiness of our loved ones. It is a sweet gesture towards your dear one to show your compassion and care for them and to make them feel special anyway. Gifts are usually exchanged on special occasions like Valentine's Day, Birthday, and Anniversary or Christmas however, some people like to make gifts delivery on random occasions just to fulfill the desires of their loved one or to delight them.
There are plenty of reasons to send gifts to your loved ones for which you need to have some extra bucks to make it to your recipient's expectations. It is not easy to take out extra cash from your tight budget for any sudden occasion. Hence the thought of sending gifts by post through online gifts delivery services is a viable option to keep your budget intact. Gift shopping online is as easy as you can think because you can simply search for budget friendly gifts that fall within your range and choose the best one to be delivered to the recipient without any hassle.
Here we bring you 10 most budget friendly gifts that can be personalized with the name or message to your loved one and make a lasting impression.
Personalized Candles
Sending these fragrant candles with a personalized message on it makes it a beautiful keepsake. Although it seems a usual gift but it is very simple and sweet gift especially with your sweet message on it. It costs just under £10.
Personalized Chocolate Bar
If you want to go with chocolates, go in a special way. Chocolates are very frequent gift item however this chocolate bar with a stylish personalized wrapper would be a great gift for your loved one. It also comes under £10.
Personalized Slippers
This is a very different and kind of funny gift you can give someone special to bring a smile on his face. It can have his name personalized on it and it just costs under £10.
Personalized Key ring
This stylish steel keyring is another way to remind your man about your love. Send this elegant key ring as a gift in just £10.
Personalized Mugs
It is another thoughtful gift you can give to a dear one whom you do not want to disappoint. This special mug can become their favorite if you personalize it with a heartwarming message and their name on it. It costs from £10 to £15 depending on style and design.
Personalized Manicure Kit
It would be an amazing gift for any woman whom you wish to inspire and to show how much you know their needs. It comes very cheap with just £14.
Personalized Calendar
It is a unique way to remind someone everyday about you. The calendar is personalized with recipient's name on each page and your personal message on front page. It costs £15 only.
Personalized Secret Garden Porcelain Bucket
It would the most enticing gift for someone who loves gardening or wants to stay close to nature. It can be personalized with your beautiful message and costs just £16.
Personalized Wallet
Any man can be impressed by this wallet personalized with his name or you can put his favorite team's name under the football. It costs £19.
Personalized Cufflinks
These stylish gold plated cufflinks would certainly rejoice your recipient personalized with his initials. It costs just £20.


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As wake-up calls go, this one was hard to beat. Thérèse Dion was asleep in her room at the five-star Hotel Le Bristol in Paris, where she had gone to film episodes of the cooking show she hosts on Canadian TV, when the phone rang at 7 a.m. on Jan. 25. On the line, more than 4,500 miles away at Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee, Fla., the youngest of her 14 children, pop diva Celine Dion, was 18 hours into labor and literally seconds from giving birth. "I heard the baby's first cry live on the telephone," says an elated Thérèse, 73, who spoke to her daughter only briefly. "Celine told me, 'The baby is in good health, but the mother, she is tired.'"
As well she might have been. After years of publicly wishing for a child—and enduring an intensive round of in vitro fertilization treatments to conceive—Dion, 32, and her husband-manager, René Angélil, 59, finally welcomed 6-lb. 8-oz. René-Charles three weeks before his Valentine's Day due date.
"Everybody was just crying tears of joy," says Dion's obstetrician Dr. Ronald Ackerman, 48, who assisted in the cesarean section delivery performed by his partner Dr. Steven Pliskow, 37. "Nurses, doctors, experienced people—there was not a dry eye in the room." Least of all those of the proud parents (who declined to release pictures of the newborn). "This was their dream," says record producer David Foster, a longtime friend. "It's bigger than any hit record, bigger than anything for them."
Dion had been relaxing at the couple's 10-bedroom mansion in nearby Jupiter when contractions began on Wednesday afternoon. After consulting Ackerman, the singer and her husband packed their black Mercedes 500 and drove to the hospital 40 minutes away. But the baby for whom they had waited so long wasn't ready to take the stage just yet. At one point Ackerman and Pliskow tried to induce the birth chemically, to no avail. "They gave it every chance to be a vaginal delivery," says maternity nurse Helene Schilian, who cared for Dion during her three-day hospital stay. "But at some point the baby just seemed to say, 'I'm tired, let me out.'" By 1 a.m. Thursday (up to 24 hours of labor is not unusual for a first-time birth), the doctors became concerned that the umbilical cord was in a position to damage the child and performed a cesarean section.
Throughout the birth Dion was "focused and calm," says Ackerman. "This is a lady with extreme focus and fortitude," adds Pliskow. After Angélil helped cut the cord, René-Charles was placed in his tearful mother's arms before being washed and wrapped in a hospital-issue blue-and-pink-striped blanket, topped with a knitted cap. Then Angélil and Dion's sister Linda, 41, who had also attended the birth, began the task of spreading the news. "The baby of the family had a baby!" sister Liette, 50, who lives in Montreal, exclaimed when she heard of the birth. "We were that much more excited because she so wanted to have a baby and the way she became pregnant was a miracle in itself."
The next morning Dion made some phone calls of her own ("I had a boy!" she announced to Manhattan fertility specialist Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, who had administered her IVF treatment back in May) and made a careful inventory of her new baby's features. "He has René's little feet, René's toes and the little ears of René," she told her mother over the phone. "He has my chin, though, and my hair color." Over the next couple of days the songstress never left her birthing suite, a green-and-peach-hued room with a bathroom, dining table and two foldout beds that Angélil and Linda occupied at night. Dion cooed softly to the baby in French ("Mon amour") and approached her mothering with the singular determination that earned her five Grammys and more than 100 million worldwide album sales in her singing career. "She took to nursing the baby like she'd had 12 others," says Schilian. "She handled that baby like a pro."
For his part, "René was very attentive," Schilian adds. "He was up for every feeding during the night, making sure the baby got fed every three hours. He changed diapers." Whenever he did step out, the new father couldn't conceal his joy. After munching on a chili hot dog at the nearby Chicago Style Grille on Thursday, Angélil returned the next day with a signed photograph of his wife for the deli's owner Scott Verdung. At breakfast on Saturday at a local diner he tipped waitress Erla Simon, 18, $20 on a $20 check—"The biggest tip I ever got!" she says. And staff at the nearby Babies R Us were struck with Angéli's happiness when he stopped by that same day for a bottle sterilizer, a nursing pillow and a baby car seat, which store clerk Mike Maldonado helped him install in his Mercedes. "You could tell he was a little nervous," says Maldonado, "a little anxious about making sure it was done right."
Maybe so. But when it comes to raising children, both Dion and Angélil have had plenty of practice. Dion dotes on her 32 nephews and nieces—for whom she bankrolls annual Christmas toy shopping free-for-alls—as well as the children of friends. "Even when a baby is crying or upset, as soon as she takes them in her arms they become quiet and happy," says her pal and Canadian press agent Francine Chaloult. "She knows how to hold a baby, cradle a baby, feed a baby, handle a baby." So does Angélil, who had his share of diaper duty while raising his three other children—Patrick, 33, Jean-Pierre, 26, and Anne-Marie, 23—from two prior marriages. "If you want to know what kind of a parent René is, look at those children," says David Foster. "They're polite, nice, successful."
Their father had been divorced for three years when he and Dion, whose career he had nurtured since she was just 12, revealed their love to each other in 1988. Four years would pass before they admitted their relationship to the world. But there was nothing secretive about their 1994 wedding, a lavish affair with 500 guests at Montreal's Notre Dame Basilica. (Five years later the pair renewed their vows in an equally opulent Arab-themed ceremony, complete with live camels and belly dancers, in Las Vegas.) From the start, having children was a priority. "I never thought that my life would fall apart if I didn't have a child," Dion wrote in her book My Story, My Dream, published last October. "But even so, I was waiting for it, looking for it and making it part of my plans."
What the couple hadn't planned on was the need for artificial conception. In the spring of 1999 Angélil was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on a lymph gland in his neck. Concerned about the potential side effects of the chemotherapy and radiation he would require, the couple froze some of his sperm for future use. Tests before freezing found that Angélil's sperm count was already too low for standard IVF treatments to be successful. So Dr. Ackerman suggested a procedure known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection—using a single, isolated sperm cell to fertilize an egg, which is then placed in the uterus. For a time the couple focused their energy on Angélil's cancer treatment; they had already announced that beginning in 2000 Dion would take at least a year off from performing to "chill out and a discover new things," as she put it—including starting a family.
Then, last February, the couple met with fertility specialist Rosenwaks. Four months later, after undergoing a battery of drug treatments and invasive, sometimes painful procedures, Dion received the happy news. "Congratulations, lovers," Rosenwaks told them over the phone from Manhattan while Ackerman was by their side at their home. "You're pregnant, Celine."
Earlier that day the couple had learned that after some 38 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Angélil's cancer had been cured. Overjoyed and eager to preempt tabloid reports, they shared the news of Dion's pregnancy with her fans the very next morning: "There's no hiding happiness," they said in a statement. "We can't keep something so big, so wonderful a secret just for us."
Despite René-Charles's extraordinary history, Dion enjoyed "a very normal pregnancy," says obstetrician Pliskow. She followed a balanced diet, took prenatal vitamins, did water exercises, attended Spanish classes and read up on pregnancy and motherhood. "I'm basically now just a slob on the sofa," she told David Foster over the phone one day. "That's my life." Still, she was as much the perfectionist in pregnancy as she was in her performing career. "She went above what she needed to do," says her hairstylist Sheila Stott. "If the doctor said, you need rest, she'd go to bed for three days."
Which, if you're Celine Dion, is a long time away from the mall. On doctors orders, she-of-the-thousand-shoes stopped playing golf (she has an 11 handicap) and singing, but no one said anything about her other passion: shopping. At the upmarket stores near her Florida home, Dion stocked up on baby linens in white with gold trim at the Purple Turtle and visited Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Charles David and Valentino, where sales assistants were impressed by the slim 5'7″ star's maternity chic: clingy dresses (she gained just 25 lbs. during her pregnancy) with high heels and oversize sunglasses. At the Palm Beach outlet of the French baby-boutique chain Bonpoint-where infant sweaters sell for about $50—Dion "bought the entire autumn-winter 2000 collection and a few pieces from the spring-summer 2001," reports store spokesman Vincent Debear. "In all, about 200 pieces."
Celine and René, who divide their time between Florida and Canada, have already decorated the Florida nursery in white and blue, with a French provincial bassinet, a Burberry baby carriage (worth $4,250) and a wardrobe stocked with everything from blue-and-white onesies to baby golf shoes. But there was even more baby booty to be had at a surprise shower thrown by René's daughter Anne-Marie and close friend Mia Dumont at Donald Trump's Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago on Jan. 3. The 90 guests—including many members of Dion's family, whom Angélil had flown in for the event—all hid in a darkened room and when Celine entered yelled, "Surprise!" "Celine doesn't really like surprises, but she was very happy," says her friend Coco Lacroix. Later the couple opened gifts—including a handmade teddy bear from Thérèse, stuffed with heat beads, which had her daughter in tears. "This baby," says Lacroix, "is the most lucky child in the world."
Indeed, the media in Dion's home province of Quebec has already dubbed René-Charles "Le Petit Prince." And there's little doubt he'll be treated as such when Dion takes him home to be doted upon by grandmama Thérèse and grandpapa Adhémar, 77, a former butcher, and the infant's 13 aunts and uncles. The trip, which she hopes to make in June, may turn out to be more restful than she imagines. "She won't be seeing much of her little boy," notes sister Liette. "Everyone will want to hold him!" Before then Thérèse plans to spend time in Florida helping her daughter; sister Linda has already been chosen to be the baby's godmother. As for the future, only one thing is certain: Dion is in no hurry to resume her career. "I suspect that by 2002 she'll be back to work in some form," says Foster. "But that first year with her child is extremely important to her."
Friends also suspect that René-Charles won't stay an only child for long. Doctors say there is no reason the star couldn't become pregnant again. And conveniently, a second embryo, frozen during her IVF procedure, lies stored at Rosenwaks's Manhattan fertility clinic. "I will go get it," Dion said an interview in December with Canada's French-language TVA television station. "That's for sure." Maybe in the near future: As she left Palms West Hospital on Jan. 27, 2001 Dion bade a fond farewell to the staff of the maternity wing, then added breezily, "See you next year!"
Céline Dion, now expecting her second child, is "very excited," says her doctor, Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, who performed the in vitro fertilization procedure that made the 41-year-old singer's pregnancy possible. When he called her earlier this week to say the pregnancy test was positive, "You could hear her chuckling," he says. "She was very happy. So was René. They are both very thankful."
Rosenwaks, director of the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine at New York-Presbyerian Hospital/Weill Cornell Center Medical Center, implanted a embryo that had been kept frozen in liquid nitrogen for the past eight years. "She is very, very early in her pregnancy," says her doc.
Dion had her embryos frozen when she went through IVF while trying to conceive her first child, René-Charles, who was born in 2001. When she completed her performance run in Las Vegas in 2007, she consulted Rosenwaks about trying again. "She came back to have the embryos transferred back because she wanted to have another baby," he says.
According to the fertility specialist, freezing an embryo for eight years is not necessarily a problem. "There have been embryos that have been [frozen] for more than 10 years, and even more than 15 years, that have successfully thawed and resulted in a pregnancy," says Rosenwaks.
Meanwhile, the doctor says, "She is feeling well. So far, so good. I look forward to hearing the fetal heartbeat. René and Céline are both looking forward to a pregnancy that is a healthy one." He adds, "There is no question she is ecstatic."


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A couple of weeks ago, I tried the latest prototype from Oculus, the virtual-reality company Facebook bought for $2 billion earlier this year.
Here's a picture of what it looks like when you're wearing it. The man wearing the device is my boss, Henry Blodget:
It's very hard to describe what it's like to use Oculus.
You put the headset on (over your glasses, if, like me, you need t0), stick a pair of earbuds in your ears, and suddenly it feels as if you are in another place.
For example, you might find yourself standing against a rail at the top of a very tall building in a rainy city at night. Look over the rail below you, and cars are moving on the streets. You can walk around the platform, and the world changes relative to you just as it does in real life. If you are afraid of heights, your palms will start to sweat and you will become as uncomfortable as you would be in real life.
This happened to a colleague of mine. He was standing in the middle of a conference room with the Oculus headset on. As soon as Oculus put him atop that virtual tower, he shrank with fright and began to back way from the virtual rail.
Here's a picture of Henry moving in close to a virtual object, hands up so he doesn't bump into it:
Brandon Iribe, the CEO of Oculus, says the difference between the prototype I tried and earlier versions is that this one finally gives the user a real sense of "presence" in whichever virtual world you enter.
It really does feel like that.
When I was wearing the Oculus headset, I kept thinking about a 1995 movie from producer James Cameron called "Strange Days." It features a technology people can use to "jack in" or "wire-trip." They put a bunch of wires on their heads, and suddenly it feels as if they are in someone else's body, someplace else.
Here's a trailer for that movie:
Oculus almost feels as if you are "jacking in." It's not totally there because you can't see your hands, the worlds are animated and not entirely photo-realistic, and you have no sense of touch.
Iribe says Oculus is working on two of those problems already. It's going to put sensors on people's hands and fingers to get them into the virtual experience. On Thursday, Oculus announced it had bought a startup that would help this development.
Iribe also said people were working on cameras that would record enough of reality to reproduce it in virtual reality.
Trying the prototype, called Crescent Bay, gave me such a remarkable feeling that minutes after pulling the headset off I tweeted, "Just tried the newest version of Oculus. It's going to change everything."
What I meant was that, in the next decade or so, Oculus, or a similar product from another company, is going to change the following elements of human life.
Starting with the obvious stuff, and moving more abstract, Oculus will change:
Gaming. Plenty of immersive video games already exist in which you can move around entire cities and interact with hundreds of characters. The "Assassin's Creed" and "Grand Theft Auto" series are best known for this. Right now, you have to consume these worlds through a flat screen. The leap into virtual reality is a short one.
Commerce. There's already an Oculus program in which you can view your avatar in the mirror. Imagine dressing that avatar in clothes to see how they look before buying them. Or, instead of looking at pictures of a car's interior online, actually getting into it to see if you like the trim you've selected.
Education. You can already take classes at Harvard online. Sitting at a virtual desk instead of watching a video on a monitor will be nice. But education will change more radically than that. Imagine being able to travel with a Harvard professor inside the human body to see how cancer cells grow in the bloodstream.
Sports. The first way Oculus will change watching sports is in the creation of cameras that can take in 360-degree views and be placed courtside at NBA games. You'll be able to put on an Oculus headset, pay a fee, and watch LeBron James from what feels like just feet away. Rumor has it, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is already geeked about that possibility. Eventually, it's easy to imagine that Oculus cameras will become as wearable as GoPros. Then you'll be able to watch games from the referees' perspective — or LeBron's.
Narrative. The way we tell stories has never stopped evolving. First there were oral traditions. Then epic poems. Then novels. Then film. Then video games. Next, you'll put on Oculus headsets. Sometimes, the narratives will be first-person stories, and it will feel as if you are seeing the world through a character's eyes. Other times, you'll float through worlds omnipresent, knowing characters' thoughts. Whole industries will form around people who figure out how best to tell stories in the medium.
Sex. Oculus porn is going to be far more immersive than the static images people used to look at in magazines or even videos on the internet. Not everyone is going to be comfortable with how immersive.
Aging. In the real world, knees give out and you can't play tennis or basketball anymore. Imagine playing ball at 90. Also: How long can a human body live if all it needs to do is take input from VR? Could humans live for hundreds of years?
Sense of self. Sometime in the not-too-distant future, you will be able to put on a headset, a pair of gloves, and a body suit and feel as if you are a different person in a different place. Do that enough — substitute your five senses for virtual input enough times — and you may begin to shed aspects of your identity you once thought fixed: race, gender, age, nationality. On the bright side, people may become more empathetic and less tribal. On the negative side, people may abandon their flesh selves, leaving behind loved ones.


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The movie tells the story of former Off Road Truck driver Rick Radden, who takes on a young car thief looking for a second chance. But as their worlds collide, they must struggle to forge a successful alliance.
Genre: Sport
Actors: Kevin Dillon, DeRon Horton, Christina Moore,
Director: Alex Ranarivelo
Country: United States
Duration: 90 min
Quality: HD
Year: 2018
IMDb: 6.2


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Denied without a written opinion. No big surprise.
Most decisions of the Court of Special Appeals are not reported, as Maryland Rule 8-605.1 requires the Court to report only those opinions that are of substantial interest. Reported appellate opinions are posted on the day they are filed.
Copies of unreported opinions can be obtained from the clerk's office where the unreported opinion was filed. To request a copy, write the Clerk of the Court in the Court of Appeals or the Court of Special Appeals, citing the parties, docket/term, date filed and include a check for $10.00 for each copy, made payable to the Clerk of the Court.