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When you have a summer vacation that stretches for months at the end of every school year, having an account with savings is a total blessing! Most people save for a rainy day, but whether you are aiming to have savings for a wedding, long and lazy summer activities to keep the kids busy, or for those emergencies in the home, you still need to know how to save your cash. A lot of people fall at the first hurdle of savings, especially those on a budget, but all you need to have is a goal and it will all fall into place. It takes some willpower, but when you have something to aim for it makes saving a lot easier!
When you are looking for clever ways to save your cash, you need to start by sitting to do the math. No one likes to talk or think too deeply about finances, whether it's to do with managing your debt or saving your small change. The thing is, if you don't think about the cash that you currently have, then you cannot possibly create more opportunities with your disposable income. The best thing you can do for your disposable income is portion a percentage out of it and commit it to a savings account every month. If you're the sort of person who cannot help but dip your hand in the cookie jar, then it's probably better to have a savings account that you can lock down and keep safe until your goal is met.
Building an emergency fund is something that every able person should concentrate on doing, especially if there are children in the family. You could use your emergency fund to replace a kitchen appliance, to pay for a vacation or even to replace a boiler that breaks if you own your home. For some, it's an absolute necessity to have at least six months of expenses squirreled away, just in case of a job loss. It isn't possible for others, but at least a month of expenses put by can really make a difference. It may sound extreme, but this is a particularly clever way to ensure you are secure when the worst happens. So, how can you get a handle on your savings so that you have the funds there when you need it? We've put together some awesome tips for you to get you started on your rainy-day fund!
- Be Realistic. You need to be able to get a spreadsheet together like the examples here so you can start keeping track of your income. On initial calculation, you may find that your disposable income feels higher than you are used to, but that's because you probably haven't been tracking the little things that come out – a coffee here, a shirt there. They all add up! It's time to be very realistic over what goes in and out of your bank. Track for a month or two so you can get a good idea of your expenses.
- Split Save. We've mentioned savings for a vacation as well as savings for a new appliance or boiler. Having two separate savings accounts is a smart idea; one for emergency funds and one for fun savings. If you keep your emergency savings somewhere that is too accessible, you'll be too tempted to dip into it. Keep your fun savings to hand but your emergency money in a locked account where you can pay in and not take out until you hit that goal.
- Make Saving Fun. Saving up doesn't appeal to a lot of people as they want to spend their cash, not save it. But if you have a goal such as paying off debt and you want to get a small loan to condense this, you could use your savings to pay that loan off a lot quicker. This not only builds your credit and your trust rating with lenders, but it will mean you can give yourself a target to hit. Being motivated can help you make saving fun, so get into competition with yourself for the thrill!
- Be Creative. One of the ways people save is to do it in small pieces. There's no use committing to a few hundred dollars a month if you can't actually save that up. If you make it unattainable you'll fall behind quickly and give up! So, whether you choose to sell the things you don't need like old furniture, large item courier companies can help you with that. Plus, you can always get a or you open a garage sale once a month, you need to get creative. At the end of each day, move your surplus money in your bank account to your savings – round up or down to the nearest ten dollars and save those few. You'll be so shocked how quickly that builds!
- Automate! One trick to saving quickly is to set up a monthly payment the day your wages go into your bank account. This way, you never miss the money as you didn't see it in the first place as it moves into your savings – kind of like taxes! If you can do that, you'll see your savings quickly build.
- Don't Stop. This sounds like an obvious one, but never stop saving. If your disposable income goes down in any way, just change the amount you save. Once you stop saving your money, it's very easy to just spend the cash and can help you fall into bad habits.
Once you achieve a savings goal, you can easily maintain it as long as you aren't tempted to access it! Keeping your eye on the prize and ensure that you don't give up on it – you could be saving for anything in your life and as long as you have an income, you can manage to keep going. You will be able to set yourself up for a less stressful life by establishing an emergency line of money for those moments when things fall apart. Your finances may feel stretched at times, but there will always be a savings account waiting to cushion you and there will always be a way to book that vacation!


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Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
E&S Environmental Chemistry, Inc., based in Corvallis, Oregon, has been conducting water quality research, watershed analyses, and environmental assessments nationwide since 1988.We specialize in geospatial, chemical, biological, and hydrological investigations that involve water quality, forests, air quality, and land use.
Be the first OregonLive.com user to add photos or videos of E & S Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Research
E & S Environmental Chemistry can be found at Nw Fillmore Ave 2161. The following is offered: Waste Consulting. The entry is present with us since Sep 7, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 12, 2013. In Corvallis there are 11 other Waste Consulting. An overview can be found here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cats & Dogs, received a nice writeup from Bloggerhythms a few weeks back. He has also teamed up with another singer-songwriter, Sabrina Schneppat, and together they just issued One Home......One Heart. Much of this CD has the same personality as Lincoln's work that features just his voice and acoustic guitar. However, the band they use on most tracks adds fullness to the duo's music, giving it some color missing from his solo disc.
Schneppat, who wrote four of the eleven songs, has a really nice voice that blends well with Lincoln's. Her partner, a multi-instrumentalist who wrote everything else, includes four holdovers from Cats & Dogs: its title track, the title track from this CD, "Fall or Fly," and "Little White Lies."
Lincoln conjured up another tribute to his parents. "Call Your Mom" is a perfect companion piece to "My Father's Son" from his solo album. Schneppat takes the lead on Lincoln's "Help Wanted." She uses economic terms and the working world to describe her need for a lover. The song opens with the line "There's been a big recession in my emotional economy" and the song takes off from there. "Fall or Fly" is hook laden enough for radio and "Mine All Mine" is a girl's tribute to a '58 Cadillac that she's just "gotta have." The latter is as close as these sessions got to rock 'n roll territory.
Writers frequently overuse the word "intimate" in their reviews but it easily applies here. As the CD liner notes say, "In an effort to capture the authenticity and natural quality that we love so much, the core of this album...... was recorded nose to nose, LIVE in the studio."
My goal isn't to compare the two CDs but I find that task inevitable. If you are looking for something sightly edgier you may prefer Lincoln on his own. If you want the softening that often comes from a female perspective you may prefer Sabrina & Craig together. Either way you can't go wrong.


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Thank You
Thank you to everyone who joined us on this coding adventure. Although this journey has come to an end, we are well underway planning the next amazing Game State Program. Register below to receive information on future Game State programs and other great offers from Lenovo.Register Here
Shop Here
For PCs, tablets and accessories to meet all your coding and gaming needs.


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College of Education & Human Services
WIU Home > COEHS > Es > Organizations Affiliations > ABBES
Bilingual/Bicultural Education
Related Links
Qualified bilingual/ESL teachers are in high demand throughout the state and nation. The Department of Educational Studies offers an undergraduate major in Bilingual/Bicultural Education (Spanish language). Students completing the program also complete all requirements to qualify for elementary certification. Students will be granted approval for ESL through the Illinois State Board of Education.
In addition, the department offers three masters of science graduate degrees—Masters of Science in Education in Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies; Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and the Masters of Science in College Student Personnel.
Students majoring in the bilingual program may apply for state scholarships and for tuition and stipend awards through federal and state grant funds when available.
Central advising for bilingual/elementary majors is maintained in Horrabin Hall 91. Secondary majors should consult with the secondary education adviser in Horrabin Hall 91 as well. For further information, contact Dr. Carla Paciotto, program coordinator, in the Department of Educational Studies.


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|weightloss clinic
|8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
|weightloss clinic provided by a qualified dietician with a review by a GP. helping and educating people with lifestyle and dietry changes.
|Clive Bishop Medical Centre
|9:00 AM to 4:45 PM
|CBMC open for appointments with GP's from 9.00am to 4.45pm Monday to Friday. Bulk Billed. Closed on Public Holidays.
|Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS)
|9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
|The early pregnancy assessment service (EPAS) is an outpatient clinic offering medical care and emotional support for women experience symptoms of early pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic disease.
Women are able to self refer to this clinic which is offered on all weekday mornings by a midwife. The midwife will arrange ultrasounds, pathology, a management plan in consultation with the visiting obstetrician, counselling, follow up, referrals to other services if required, contraception and pre-conception counselling.
Women who are bleeding heavily, have severe pain, feel dizzy or have collapsed require emergency treatment through the Emergency Department. These women can still have follow up care once they are stable through EPAS.
|Credentialed Mental Health Nurse
|9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
|Credentialed Mental Health Nurse consulting every Tuesday.
EPC referral required via a GP Management Plan.
Contact the Clive Bishop Medical Centre on 08 8080 3780 to arrange an appointment.
|Physiotherapy Knee Class
|9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
|Physiotherapy Knee class held every Tuesday and Friday 9am to 10am for patients who have had a knee replacement or operation. . Drs Referral is required for physio assessment prior to entering the class.
|Physiotherapy - Hydro
|9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Physio – Hydro
Class held Tuesday and Thursday mornings for patients who may benefit from physio in the aquatic environment.
|RFDS clinics TIBOOBURRA HS AND MOOMBA S.A.
|10:00 AM to 2:45 PM
|RFDS Primary Health Clinics - Tibooburra HS 10.00am to 2.45pm and Moomba HS 10.00am to 12.00pm. Call Tibooburra HS on 08 8091 3302, Moomba HS call 08 8678 4414
|RFDS clinic at Innamincka Station
|10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
|RFDS primary health clinics at Innamincka Station (10.00am to 12.00 noon) Innamincka Clinic co-ordinator Jodie Keogh phone - 08 8675 9903
|GP Super Clinic Exercise Group
|11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
|Exercise Group with Exercise Physiologist with Doctor advice provided.
|Medical Physician Clinic Dr Haque
|11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
|Dr Haque consults from the Outpatient department every Tuesday consulting from 11am - 2pm
A referral is required to make an appointment for the clinic.
|Physiotherapy Falls Prevention Class
|11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
|For patients who have a history of falls or are at risk of falling to build strength and improve balance.
Tuesday and Friday 11-12 at Physiotherapy department
|FIT & STRONG Strength Training Program @ Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club, Dareton
|11:15 AM to 12:15 PM
|FIT & STRONG Strength Training Program supports the Chronic Disease Strategy, and was commenced with support provided by a Veterans Community Grant from the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club, Dareton. Strength training can help reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases. Exercise has been shown to increase the strength of your muscles, maintain the integrity of your bones, and improve your balance, coordination and moiblity. It is open to all community members with the initial target group being men and women aged 50 plus.
WHEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:15am-12:15pm
WHERE: Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club, Matong Street, Dareton
All participants are required to attend a pre-exericse health screening and appraisal. You may also be required to obtain clearance from your General Practitioner. Contact Dareton Primary Health on 03 5021 7200 to arrange an appointment for your assessment.
|IMMUNISATION CLINIC @ Dareton Primary Health 44-46 Tapio Street, Dareton
|1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
The NSW Immunisation Schedule recommends that children are immunised at the following ages:
• Birth
• 6 weeks
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 12 months
• 18 months
• 4 years
The Save the Date to Vaccinate app
Why you should download the handy 'Save the Date to Vaccinate' app:
• It's free and easy to use
• To create a personalised schedule for each child
• It sends you reminders to set appointments
• It provides immunisation information at your fingertips
• It offers free lullabies/soothing sounds.
To download the app, visit www.immunisation.health.nsw.gov.au/
|Medical Registra Clinic
|1:00 PM to 1:00 PM
|A Medical Registra's clinic is held every Tuesday from 1pm - 3pm
|Balranald Tai Chi Classes
|2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
|Tai Chi classes are held weekly on Tuesdays at 2pm. Tai Chi consists of fluid gentle movements that are relaxed and slow in tempo. Breathing is deepened and slowed, aiding visual and mental concentration. It improves flexibility, muscle strength and balance. For more information please contact Primary Health on 03 5071 9800.
|SKIRTS: AQUA FITNESS PROGRAM @ Dareton Swimming Pool, Matong Street, Dareton
|2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
|'SKIRTS' is a water-based exercise program. It is a health promotion program that is targeting clients who have disengaged from physical activity. The name "Skirts" is derived from 'wearing a skirt over your shorts or swimmers' to cover up in public swimming places. Benefits include: increase in physical activity; supportive group setting; improve self-confidence.
Aqua Fitness classes are held weekly on Tuesday afternoons during summer months from November-March 2:30-3:30pm at Dareton Swimming Pool. Forecast temperature must be at least 30°C.
COST: Free. Participants are to pay their own entrance fee into Dareton Swimming Pool.
EQUIPMENT TO BRING: Foam Float, foam aqua dumbbells; water bottle; hat; towel; sunscreen


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SFC Membership is open to all companies involved in any way in the home furnishings industry. Benefits abound!
Companies qualify for SFC membership by completing our Best Practices Agreement, including the Commitment Pledge and Eco-Action Plans describing what your company is doing to reduce energy consumption, to better manage your supply chain, and in outreach and education on the cause. It takes about 20 minutes to complete the process. Click here for a look at the application.
Dues cover a 12-month period and are modest, based on the size of the business.
|Sales or Institutional Budget
|under $500,000
|$500,000 - $1 million
|$5 million - $25 million
|$25 million - $50 million
|$50 million - $150 million
|$150 million +
Qualifying Member: Open to all companies with a verifiable intent to improve their sustainability. This membership is for retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, marketers, etc.
Aplicación Estándar: Para empresas involucradas en la industria de muebles como fabricantes, mayoristas, minoristas, etc. que tienen un compromiso verificable a la implementación de practicas mejores para la sostenibilidad.
For companies implementing best practices at an exemplary level, we are happy to provide further recognition. SFC recognizes Exemplary Manufacturers and Exemplary Retailers at Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. Once a company qualifies as a member, they can fulfill our Exemplary Manufacturer Requirements or Exemplary Retailer Requirements. The system for recognizing Exemplary companies was established and is maintained by the SFC Standards Committee. Companies are evaluated on an individual basis.
Exemplary Manufacturer Requirements for demonstrating specific levels of proven performance based on mandatory requirements and a chart of credit points covering practices in operations, in product, and in outreach.
Exemplary Retailer Requirements for demonstrating specific levels of proven performance based on mandatory requirements and a chart of credit points covering practices in operations, in product, and in outreach.
Designers earn recognition by completing our GREENleaders class and becoming GREEN Accredited Professionals.
Contributing Partner: Open to all companies that want to contribute to the difference SFC makes - media, retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, marketers, etc.
Aplicación Estándar para Diseñadoras: Para empresas de diseño con un compromiso verificable a practicas mejores para la sostenibilidad.


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Ever wondered what allows Scott Stevens to jib stuff you never imagined jibbable or Bode Merrill to double cork into powder? Maybe it was what their mom fed them for breakfast as a kid, maybe it is natural talent, or it could just be the gear they are riding. That is why SNOWBOARDER Magazine is catching up with some of the top pros to see what's in their arsenal of product for this video series we like to call, "Shred to Toe".
Here is the second episode with Bode Merrill.
Previous Episodes:
Laura Hadar
Want what is in Bode's kit? Head over to The House to buy your gear.


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The Process
You're interested in commercializing your discovery, but aren't sure what to expect or where to start. KUCTC is available to talk you through the steps. In the meantime, here's a general overview to get you going with the planning process.
Once you've decided to go for it, generally the first step is to legally form a company. There are several different business structures, each with its pros and cons.
Sole Proprietorship: A sole proprietorship is the most basic type of business to establish. You alone own the company and are responsible for its assets and liabilities.
Limited Liability Company (LLC): An LLC is designed to provide the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a partnership.
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP): A partnership in which all partners (depending on the jurisdiction) have limited liabilities, one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence.
Non-profit 501(c): A tax-exempt nonprofit organization in the United States.
C-corporation: Refers to any corporation that is taxed separately from its owners.
S-corporation: An S corporation is similar to a C corporation but the corporation's income or losses are divided among and passed through to its shareholders. They must then report the income or loss on their individual income tax returns.
A great idea needs people to make it successful. You don't have to hire full-time staff, which most startups can't afford, but you will need help. Identify key team members – ideally whose skills and experience complement yours – and the roles they will play in moving your discovery along.
These people can be any of the following:
- Employees
- Directors
- Scientific advisers
- Research collaborators
- Consultants
- Business partners
Faculty considering commercialization often ask, "Would I have to leave my job at KU?" The answer is no. Although both KU and another company can't simultaneously employ you, you can have a non-employee role at the company as a collaborative researcher, board director, shareholder, and/or consultant. Some faculty even take a sabbatical to dedicate themselves to the start-up for a few months while it gets off the ground.
You have a company and people, now you need something to sell – likely one of your discoveries made in your role at KU. So the next step will be to get a license from KU that gives your company the rights to commercialize the intellectual property (IP) around that discovery.
What is the company's ultimate destination and how will it get there? These are the questions you will answer in a business plan. The value of a business plan isn't so much in its mere existence as it is in the process of writing it. Expect a well-written business plan to take weeks or months to complete.
The process will involve researching the market, articulating the value proposition of the product, interviewing prospective customers and partners, talking to thought leaders in the field, putting together budgets and timelines, and identifying the main risks along with strategies for mitigating those risks.
You can find free business plan templates at www.SBA.gov and www.SCORE.org.
You will need to submit your commercialization strategy to KUCTC. The NewVenture Creation business strategy slide deck template (MS Powerpoint) can be downloaded to help simplify this step.
You have a vehicle (the company), traveling companions (the people), a purpose (the ideas), and a roadmap (the business plan) – you're ready for your road trip!
Oh wait, now you need to put some gas in the tank. As they say, money makes the world go around and start-ups are no exception.
Funding: Passion Doesn't Keep the Lights On
It has been said that investors invest in people, not ideas. While that's true, the second part of the sentence is often forgotten. Investors invest in people…with plans.
Whether you're looking for angel investors, venture capital, or traditional loans, we can show you how to present your business plan – capital requirements, cash flow projections and market potential.
Seasoned investors aren't gamblers; they like to back companies with a plan. We can work with you to help present your business in the best possible light.
Traditionally this has meant using personal funds, credit cards and contributions from friends and family. While this route can help an entrepreneur retain his or her equity, often these funds run out as businesses are undercapitalized.
Angel Investors
These early investors are often not just a great source of funding, but also of mentorship as they tend to have deep expertise in certain areas. It's a benefit to both the investor and entrepreneur when this 'smart money' is involved.
Venture Capital
When a new venture needs more than a couple of million dollars, venture capitalists are often the best source. While VC firms generally require considerable equity, their expertise and deep pockets can bring the necessary momentum for many companies to make it to the next level.
Funds are available from either government (federal or state) grants and/or foundations. Government entities want jobs and foundations eagerly invest in ventures whose outcomes can positively impact their missions.
You'll know you're well on your way to your destination when your company is landing customers, getting regulatory approvals, obtaining partnerships with major industry players, and/or focusing less on research & development and more on sales & marketing.
Although KUCTC can't guarantee your success, we can give you the best possible shot at it.


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- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Last Wednesday, an exhibition game between the Vandalia Sr. Legion squad and Hosick's Motors, a team made up of employees and other former players, was played at Vandalia Mutual Field.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Leader Union, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
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A Walk In The Woods: The World's Funniest Travel Writer Takes a Hike
|Bill Bryson
|Bryson Ser.
|Bill Bryson
|Bryson Ser.
Now a major film starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson: the funniest travel writer in the world takes a hike.
Bill Bryson's bestselling travel books include The Lost Continent, Neither Here Nor There and Notes from a Small Island, which in a national poll was voted the book that best represents Britain. His acclaimed book on the history of science, A Short History of Nearly Everything, won the Royal Society's Aventis Prize as well as the Descartes Prize, the European Union's highest literary award. Bryson has written books on language, on Shakespeare, and on his own childhood in the hilarious memoir The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. His last critically lauded bestsellers were on history - At Home: a Short History of Private Life, and One Summer: America 1927. Another travel book, A Walk in the Woods, has now become a major film starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson. Bryson's new book is The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island. Bill Bryson was born in the American Mid-West, and is now living back in the UK. A former Chancellor of Durham University, he was President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England for five years, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society.


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Deff Creepers (Forest Goblin Spider Rider Archers)These arachnid aberrations make for powerful, terrifying mounts, bringing eight-legged death to their cowering foes.
The giant spider breed grows large enough to serve as mounts for Forest Goblins, who capture and hand-rear these scuttling nightmares. There are many sub-types of giant spider, such as Tilean Greybacks, Drakwald Mancatchers, and the Scarlet Deathheads of the Great Forest, to name just a few. All are poisonous and have steely, pincer-like mandibles that can punch through platemail to deliver a toxic bite. While not as fast as wolves or horses, these spiders can move at speed through the most dense patches of woods. Forest Goblin Spider Riders have become masters at stalking their prey, nimbly guiding their multi-legged beasts to scuttle across the treetop canopy to get into the ideal position before pouncing. Spider Rider mobs are known to ambush Empire patrols, eradicate Beastmen herds and even attack large monsters that encroach into their territory.
Unit NameDeff Creepers (Forest Goblin Spider Rider Archers)
Main Unit Keywh_dlc06_grn_cav_deff_creepers_0
Land Unit Keywh_dlc06_grn_cav_deff_creepers_0
Naval Unit Keywh_main_shp_transport
Land Unit GroupMissile Cavalry
Naval Unit GroupMissile Cavalry
CasteMissile Cavalry
ClassMissile Cavalry
Custom Battle Cost650
Recruitment Cost650
Upkeep Cost162
├ Missile Weaponwh_main_grn_goblin_bow_poison_spider_rider
├ Projectilewh_grn_goblin_arrow_poison_spider_mounted
├ Missile Damage9
├ Missile Ap Damage2
└ Base Reload Time8
Shots Per Minute10.7
Melee Attack19
├ Melee Weaponwh_main_grn_goblin_sword_poison_spider_rider
├ Melee Damage Base20
├ Melee Damage Ap6
├ Armour PiercingNo
├ Bonus vs Cavalry0
├ Bonus vs Elephants0
└ Bonus vs Infantry0
Charge Bonus14
├ Base Defence31
├ Shieldnone
└ Shield Defence0
├ Armourwh2_main_bone_45
├ Armour Defence45
└ Shield Armour0
├ Man Entitywh_main_grn_inf_goblin_cav_blood
├ Man Speed33
├ Man Health8
├ Bonus Hit Points73
├ Mountwh_dlc06_grn_mnt_giant_spider_creeper
├ Mount Entitywh_main_monster_spider_giant_blood
├ Mount Speed78
└ Mount Health8
Leadership (Base Morale)54
- Regeneration
There are beings and creatures that can mend bone and knit flesh at an incredible rate. A mighty boon, but one stunted by fire.
- {{tr:guerrilla_deployment}}
- Hide (forest)
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
- Strider
Speed and combat penalties caused by terrain are ignored by this unit.
- Fire Whilst Moving
This unit can fire while on the move.
- Stalk
This unit can move hidden in any terrain.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Stalk
This unit can move hidden in any terrain.
- Regeneration
flaming attacks will cause more damage to units with Regeneration.
- Poison Attacks
The poisonous attacks of this unit weaken the target's speed and damage.
|Recuitment Requirement
|Maximum Number
|Faction Availability
|Mortal Empires


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Kiera Knightley is one of the famous faces covering fash mag Interview's new Fall issue and she appears in her shoot with drenched hair, further affirming the trend for wet look locks.
Fittingly, as the weather's turned wetter, the fashion world seems to be embracing the rain woman look since it was awash on the Autumn/Winter 2014 catwalks of Marni and Julien Macdonald.
Kiera, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, is making as much of a statement with her hair as she is with her clothing and in one shot she's completely topless.
Her soaked strands are an extreme take on the trend - totally dishevelled and flat – without any body unlike Kylie Jenner's interpretation for V magazine.
But a wearable way to do this hairstyle is with sleek dual texture – wet with gloss at the top and sides, while more matte at the bottom.
It fits perfectly with the trend for handsome hair this Autumn, so steal your fella's strong-hold gel now.


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Flyers agree with college free agent Kyle FlanaganNHL.com @NHLdotcom
The Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday agreed to terms with college free agent Kyle Flanagan on a one-year entry-level contract.
He will join Philadelphia's AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, on an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the 2012-13 season.
The 24-year-old scored 15 goals and had 32 assists in 35 games during his just-completed senior season at St. Lawrence University. During his four seasons with the Saints, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound center scored 46 goals and added 101 assists for 147 points in 134 games while serving as captain during his junior and senior seasons.
Flanagan was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player this season.
Prior to his career at St. Lawrence, Flanagan played two seasons for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the United States Hockey League, for whom he had 29 goals and 64 assists for 93 points in 117 games.


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.COM.SC domain name registration in Seychelles
Get Seychelles domain names registered with EuropeID
Domain search
Site search
.COM.SC regulations synopsis:
No restrictions.
Registration charge: EUR 0.00
Annual domain charge: EUR 275.00
DNS Service/Web forwarding is included, at no additional cost.
FAQ for domain names in .COM.SC and Seychelles
Is local company in Seychelles required?
No, it is not necessary to have a local company in Seychelles in order to get a .COM.SC domain name registered.
Is it necessary to have a local administrative contact in Seychelles?
No, it is not necessary to have a local administrative contact in Seychelles to register a .COM.SC domain name.
Are trademarks applicable in Seychelles?
Unfortunately, access to .COM.SC domains is not facilitated with either a trademark application or registration in Seychelles or anywhere else.
Is Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) offered?
Registration of .COM.SC IDN domain names with non-ASCII characters is not possible.
Are generic domains available for .COM.SC domains?
Some restrictions apply to the type of domain names available in Seychelles. Please contact us beforehand if you are seeking to apply for a generic type .COM.SC domain.
How long does it take to register a .COM.SC domain name?
30 day/s
Usually, it does not take longer than 30 days to register a .COM.SC domain in Seychelles. We will submit the application as soon as possible. However, we cannot offer guarantees as we have no impact on the speed of the Seychelles domain authority once the domain application has been submitted.
What is the minimum number of characters a .COM.SC domain name can consist of?
Applications for .COM.SC domain names with less than 3 characters cannot be accepted.
What is the maximum number of characters a .COM.SC domain name can consist of?
Applications for .COM.SC domain names with more than 63 characters cannot be accepted.
Is it possible to register more than one Seychelles domain name?
YES, unlimited
It is possible for one applicant to register an unlimited number of Seychelles .COM.SC domain names.
Are there other TLDs related to Seychelles available?
How to transfer domain names to EuropeID?
Required info:
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Education and Preservation of Nature in Bolivia
Our working area
The children of our projects live in blinding poverty. No schools are available for them. Their parents are environmental refugees from the Bolivian highlands (4000 meter altitude and higher). They were farmers in the dry and cold climate of the mountains. They harvested too few crops to feed their families. They became impoverished migrants in their own country. With their whole family, they moved to the Bolivian fertile lowland at the edge of the Amazon rainforest. There they slash and burn huge areas of the rainforest in order to gain fertile farmland. But they do not know a lot about tropical agriculture. After a short while the farmland is eroded and the soil fertility is lessened due to heavy rainfalls and strong winds in the dry season. Cultivation of land and even cattle farming are not reasonable on that degraded soil. Eventually these farmers move deeper into the rainforest and the cycle of doom starts again: slash and burn, ruthless exploitation of the soil's fertility and destruction of biodiversity, erosion and aridity. They keep on living in the same poverty as with which they arrived to their new homes: undernourishment, no running water, no electricity, no roads, no medical care, no schools or training. ¾ of the Bolivian rainforest is already irreparably destroyed. The ones who will suffer the most are the children. Eventually they will inherit deserted land useless for agriculture.
The Children
Impoverished children suffer in silence. Born into poverty to parents struggling to survive on the exploitation of nature, these poor children live without access to appropriate education. Their future looks disastrous. The lack of knowledge , education and experience of the adults is transferred to the children. Kindergarten and schools do not exist. They live in small wooden huts without electricity or running water.
Leaving the children alone means they will continue the degradation of land, the irreparable destruction of nature and its biodiversity, and consequently the will live in further poverty.
Our Project
Effective development begins with the children of the poorest. Poverty and destruction of nature are interdependent and have the same root: deficient knowledge and little education among the farmers. We are supporting children and teenagers of the farmers to send them to schools in the nearest villages. For the first time in their life they get a chance at an education. Later, according to suitability, we are sending them to secondary or vocational schools with a focus on agriculture and forestry. Training and learning will guide them to their future lives as productive, self-reliant farmers. The acquisition of appropriate knowledge will enable them to search and use the resources that lie within their community to carry out their own development projects, overcoming the cycle of doom of destruction of nature and poverty.
We have extensive experience with our projects. For more than a decade, our organization, A W.I.S.H Bolivia supports the struggle for the preservation of the rainforest and fosters the professional training of agro-foresters. The objectives of our various projects are: to establish preschools and primary schools for the children, agricultural and silvicultural training for the youths, ad hoc counseling for the adults, information and training gardens for the community.
Child sponsorship
It is not difficult to help a child. Our child sponsorship is the easiest way. You will get your "own child" for whom you will open the path to a primary school, and/or subsequently a secondary or professional school in agroforestry. Your help is transparent, effective and you always know where and for what your money goes. You will experience the joys of helping an impoverished child.
Sponsorship provides resources for a child. It is a long-term commitment of a ten to 15 year span of educational support for "your" particular child. All activities are done in collaboration with the leaders of the child's community. You will also get much in return: You personally get to connect with a child and his or her community. You will be able to monitor the progress your support makes. We shall send you regular progress reports, and in addition, the child may send you letters and photographs. You can see how your donation changes lives, how you can make a lasting difference and help ease the pain of poverty and the destruction of the environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sponsors care for a child?
One-to-one relationship: our programs are designed to work one to one. Your child will have only one sponsor: You! Your name will be paired with the name of your child. It will strengthen a lasting bond between you and your sponsored child.
How much does it cost to sponsor a child?
We ask for a minimum donation of Euro 35 (US$ 40.) a month for new sponsors. Many donors give Euro 40 (US$ 45.) a month.
If the expenses for schooling rise, we will inform the donors. Nevertheless, existing donors may continue paying their existing rate unless the financial gap becomes too great.
Where does the money go?
100% of the sponsorship money received will benefit your child. We are subject to stringent accounting and financial reporting procedures. Sponsorship funds are combined to support our educational activities for the children. The amount we use for each specific child is based on the funds received from sponsors and the approved administrative expenses. Additional financial gifts (birthday, successful school qualification/graduation) will be used exclusively for your specific child.
Can you write to children you sponsor?
The children always like getting letters from you. If necessary, we will help you with translations. However, we do not monitor your correspondence with a child and we do not urge a child to reply to every letter. We want your child to feel that what he or she is getting from you is unconditional.
Can you visit the children you sponsor?
Yes. Please contact our office when you know your travel dates. We will help you to arrange a visit with your sponsored child.
Your child will be happy to have you visit. Such a visit gives you the opportunity to see how your sponsorship is shaping the future of a needy child.
Can you choose a specific child for sponsorship?
We do not send out detailed profiles of our children to potential sponsors to choose from. You can tell us your preferences for your sponsorship, (boy, girl, approximate age,) and we shall seek to correlate your wishes.
What religion will my sponsored child be?
We completely respect the local religions and cultures of the region. We do not try to influence or change any religion of our children.
Are there any changes in the program when the sponsored child is getting older?
Yes, when a child has completed a certain grade in school, we will confer with you. Usually when a child becomes about 12 years old, they are prepared to attend a vocational school, for instance in forestry or agriculture. The needs of teenage children are different than the needs of younger children. Together with you we will work for individualized support for each specific child.
How can I get involved and make change possible?
After completing your sponsorship, you will receive information about your new sponsored child. We will send or mail you the child's photo, and a short description of his or her life including an overview of the child's area and the conditions in which he or she lives, his or her postal address, and a specifically tailored support program for your child in order that you can see how your donation will be used. You will receive a handwritten welcome letter from your sponsored child or a family member. About every six months you will receive a letter from your child and an annual photo. You are always informed about the changes and growth of your child. A W.I.S.H. Bolivia will also send you an annual progress report about the development of your child.
Cornerstones of our project policy:
- All our projects are focused on the struggle against poverty and destruction of nature
- Education is the key to our projects. School attendance is mandatory for all children in our programs
- The support is unconditional for the children or any other beneficiary
- We completely respect the religion and culture in our project area. No change is aimed for..
- Our work area is the buffer zone of the Bolivian rainforest.
- A good relationship between the donor and the sponsored child is important
- All conflicts are resolved through conciliation


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This is a regular feature which attempts to combine my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebrities. Today, our jersey-clad celebrities represent two teams who had great runs but exited the playoffs last weekend.
You either love or hate Tim Tebow. The same can be said for wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster donned Tebow's jersey for a segment on ESPN. I really like the look of this card, especially with Tebow on the screen in the background. Unfortunately for Tebow and the Broncos, the magical ride ended with a loss to the juggernaut Patriots (just like Hogan's first title run ended with a loss to a Giant juggernaut named Andre). Hogan thus becomes a two sport Celebrity Jersey Card star.
The Houston Texans battled injuries all year (including two quarterbacks), but they almost made it to the AFC championship. Representing the Texans is Brooke Adams, model and pro wrestler. Adams was born in St. Louis (MO), but spent most of her youth in Houston. Recently, Adams (as Miss Tessmacher) held the TNA women's tag titles with Lisa Marie Varon (aka Tara), a favorite of Johngy's Beat. Adams is sporting the #23 of running back Arian Foster. Who wouldn't want to tackle her?


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Brief description
The site includes the remains of three brick, walled and moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra located in vast irrigated landscapes in the dry zone of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River basin. They reflect the Pyu Kingdoms that flourished for over 1,000 years between 200 BC and AD 900. Remains include excavated palace citadels, burial grounds and manufacture sites, as well as monumental brick Buddhist stupas, partly standing walls and water management features – some still in use – that underpinned the organized intensive agriculture.
Unesco WHS list ref: 1444
I have never visited this site.
From my collection
I don't have any cards to represent this site yet.
Cards to swap
No spare cards available from this site.


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Circle lens is a special cosmetic contact lens used to make your eyes appear a little bit large than their actual size. The main difference between these type of lens and normal color lens is that while normal color lens are tinted only at the areas that covers only iris, circle lenses are manufactured with extra tint in the area even outside the iris. Usually this outer ring is transparent for usual color lenses. Although they are not very popular in North America, nowadays many most teens and many adults have started this trend. They are mostly purchasing them online.
They come in different colors and effects depending on ones tastes and preferences. These lenses have been in the market since 2004 and they have become quite popular in Asian countries including Japan, china, Taiwan and South Korea. They are produced in Korea under the guidelines and approval of the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA).
Any risks associated with these lenses?
In Asian countries, these lenses are being bought in stores even without any prescription. Their legality in different countries varies with the countries local laws. In countries like United States, non-corrective lenses are classified as medical devices by FDA (food and drug administration). Here, concerns are being raised about those who buy these lenses without first consulting with their optometrists. This could result to buying lenses that are not the right size. However, tinted lens lovers are sufficiently advised about possible reduction in the optical quality of their eyes. When properly prescribed and correctly used, they are safe. That is why doctor's prescription is always advised.
Wearing the best circle lens for your eyes offers to be more than just contact lens. It can redefine the scenes of beauty make up of your eye. As if that were not enough, it can talk about yourself.


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WeWork is a co-working office space that began as a professional-cultural trend among startups and young entrepreneurs that no longer wanted to work at coffee shops, but couldn't afford office space of their own. WeWork expanded to non tech-related jobs, and even to large organizations. They're creating a community in different countries to enable small and big businesses to work whenever and wherever they want, with an automatic community around them.
This new model of work requires physical spaces designed to foster entrepreneurship, collaboration and overall, just getting things done. Today, massive corporations allow employees to alternate between the company's HQ and co-working spaces in order to get exposure to an innovation-friendly ecosystem. Such level of flexibility and autonomy inspire individuals in new ways, and encourage them to go above and beyond, which drives productivity. WeWork is on a mission to create environments where success is measured by personal fulfillment.
The Shift in Workplaces
Patrick Morselli, Head of Global Expansion at WeWork, and Leo Ryan of Ogilvy UK, went on the stage at Social Media Week London for a fireside chat about how big and small companies can create collaborative work environments that allow creative work to flourish.
Leo and Patrick spoke about the shifts in the way entrepreneurs would like to work nowadays; shifting from the traditional corporate cubicle model to an anytime, anywhere plug-and-play experience. From the fireside chat it emerged that WeWork is not only a workplace, but also a community of entrepreneurs working together towards one common goal; growing their businesses and networking.
Patrick said "50% of members formed partnerships with another members" as a result of the networking opportunities organized by WeWork, along with the way the offices are designed in the US, UK, Netherlands and Israel. All offices at WeWork have glass walls where people can see each other, but of course everyone's privacy is respected and protected.
Developing Community for Companies Big and Small
The management team at WeWork organizes events for their members to help them network. For example, they organized a dinner with fashion influencers in London exclusively for members. If one is a member of WeWork in New York, and he or she is in London for a few days, they can use WeWork facilities with no additional charges.
All members have access to a mobile app where they can communicate with each other. For example, if one company is looking for a freelancer, or members can share opportunities and events in different cities. This is how WeWork is helping to sustain a healthy community; through promoting a truly collaborative and inclusion culture.
Secret Ingredients for all Businesses
Patrick believes the secrete lies behind the glass walls where no one feels alone; everyone feels they are "part of the space". WeWork designed every floor with a communal area for people to stumble upon each other. This is a new way to wok and the way to create the future businesses. Patrick finished by saying WeWork is expanding fast and they will be in Berlin and Mexico very soon.


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Here are some excerpts from the piece:
"The sheer amount of packaging we deal with every day is staggering. According to the U.S.-based Dogwood Alliance, 25 per cent of the 2.4 million hectares of trees cut down every year in the southeastern United States ends up wrapping and boxing consumer goods."
"The computer age, which was supposed to diminish our need for paper, has only made things worse."
"The little plastic cartridges for inkjet printers, for instance, are notoriously over-packaged, contained in complicated boxes, attached to cardboard or plastic trays, wrapped in sticky plastic and accompanied by a series of instruction pamphlets and promotional paperwork."
The problem, says the editorial "is compounded if you happened to order that inkjet cartridge from an online retailer; chances are it was shipped in a cardboard box five or six times larger than the already voluminous box encasing the little plastic cartridge, and then further protected by crumpled paper, bubblewrap or styrofoam peanuts."
"Responsible, environmentally-conscious consumers can only do so much to keep all these boxes, containers, trays and whatnot from filling landfills."
For Metro Vancouver and environs like nearly every city is facing a waste management problem. There is rising in adjacent to an environmentally-sensitive area of Burns Bog a landfill that is beginning to look (and smell) like the first stages of New York City's infamous and now-closed "temporary" Fresh Kills dump on Staten Island. Barges, railcars and trucks leave this scenic part of "Beautiful British Columbia" to be disposed of elsewhere. Incineration is being debated as an option in a region where thanks to traffic from urban sprawl plus the pollutants from ships, trucks and trains along with that from factories air quality is becoming problematic.
The editorial quite correctly recommends "manufacturers and retailers to do their part and reduce the amount of packaging material they use. Most of it we can do without."
What is needed to make that happen is leadership from the largest manufacturers and retailers e.g. BestBuy, Dell, HP, Staples, WalMart, for this bulk and waste costs them money too. Perhaps a LEED for packaging?
The other option is VAT or GST for waste i.e. disposal fees added to the prices. The more it costs to clean, destroy, recycle or transport or to clean up from the processing i.e. air and water pollution, solid waste disposal, the higher the costs. This is fair; why should these expenses, including resulting increased healthcare costs from tending to those who become ill from the effects be foisted onto taxpayers?
Either method--while the former is more preferable the latter will likely be the case knowing human nature--the net results will be developing greener packaging or a switch to virtual alternatives: cloud computing, doing away with printing and online-only reading.
A Canwest New Service article printed last Friday in The Province revealed, citing new Statistics Canada figures, that "wealthy Canadians were the worst polluting drivers in 2007. While the rich, defined as having annual incomes of $100,000+ were responsible for spewing out the most air pollution per person, at 5,737 kilograms or 12,621 lbs in 2007.
"'People in this income group were more likely to own vehicles that use more fuel, such as trucks and SUVs,'" the article cites the report.
Along with that StatsCan reported an increase of new 466,472 vehicles on the road in 2007 compared with 2006, with more than half the additional fleet made up of (you guessed it) SUVs, trucks and vans.
Disturbingly if not surprisingly the same report said that individual vehicle pollution was up by one-third in 2007 compared to 15 years or so earlier. So much for fuel effiencies...
And if you add that up to additional driving, road wear-and-tear and resulting maintenance costs which also lead to higher pollution, it appears that any green gains in automotive technology--like the building of roads to alleviate traffic congestion--are eventually wiped out by the users.
One example that I hope doesn't go this way is increased recycling in car construction. The same issue of the paper reports in a story "Working toward the Earth-friendly car" that more manufacturers want to use additional recyclable components, besides the long-recycled aluminum, copper, iron and steel that are the stuff of junkyards, shredders, dirty old railroad gondola cars and melt shops.
"Typically, the plastics being used by manufacturers have been reinforced with materials such as glass, carbon or polyethylene fibres combined with petroleum-based resins," says the story. "Now, however, researchers are finding those materials can be replaced with bioplastics and fibres derived from plants without sacrificing critical requirements such as strength and durability. And, with oil prices continuing to rise, these green alternatives are cost effective, too."
The article pointed to a European study which "predicts that by 2020, bio-based plastics could replace up to 90 per cent of the total amount of petroleum-derived plastics consumed globally in 2007.
"The auto industry consumes an average of about 135 kilograms (297 lbs) of plastic in every car it builds, so it's no surprise automakers are looking down this road with enthusiasm, especially with the current push to make components either recyclable or biodegradable."
The piece cites Deborah Mielewski, technical leader of plastics research in Ford Motor Company's materials research and advanced engineering department, says the dream is to see those 135 kg of petroleum-based plastics "replaced by what we can grow. It just makes sense."
Ford is already using natural fiber-based plastic in its Ford Flex crossover. This reportedly industry-first production-line application uses plastic reinforced with environmentally friendly wheat straw to create the Flex's third-row interior storage bins. Using the wheat straw as a bio-filler, this application alone, says the Province story " is reducing petroleum usage by more than 9,000 kg (19,800 lbs) per year and cutting CO2 emissions by more than 13,600 kg (29,920 lbs.) annually. It also has better dimensional integrity than non-reinforced plastic and weighs up to 10 per cent less than plastic reinforced with talc or glass.
The story adds that applications already under consideration by the Ford team include centre console bins and trays, interior air register and door trim panel components and armrest liners.
One would hope that these materials would make fully electric vehicles more viable with the wealthy being the early and fashion-leading adopters, thereby creating the market for more affordable and practical mass market versions to sell to the hoi polloi.
Then again, if the experience of SUVs and trucks are any indication--and I've written about automotive metals in the 1990s when these vehicles started to become popular people movers in the 'burbs'--the savings will go into bulkier, feature-loaded craft that take up more road space and leaving us in the same choking mess or probably worse than we're now in...
NetSuite cites a recent impact study by Greenspace that demonstrated that the average NetSuite customer reduces its electricity bill by $10,000 per year after switching from an on premise system. In aggregate, the NetSuite platform saved NetSuite customers more than $61 million in energy bills in 2008, eliminating the output of nearly 423,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Rich in his blog has announced there is an official cash for phone system clunkers web page which will have links to important references such as ITEXPO West (Sept.1-3 in Los Angeles) "which is the global gathering place for all things IP communications" and "is the equivalent of an automotive supermarket (yes, communications in this case) where you can meet with all the vendors who save you money by replacing your old equipment. In many cases they can replace the "clunker" with something which is hosted meaning zero CAPEX costs.
Rich mentioned Grandstream's Cash for PSTN clunker program that they implemented with MegaPath. MegaPath is running a promo in which they will offer a $250 dollar credit for VARS or End users who purchase Grandstream's PBX.
Hosted and IP solutions also make telework more feasible both functionally and costwise, which means fewer air-killing/land-eating/energy-draining commute trips. Fewer and shorter trips results in a longer vehicle lifespan and less need for vehicles. Isn't that assurredly a better way than the current automotive program to reduce environmental damage from cars, trucks, and vans?
Rich pointed out another key benefit from this program: increased ability to save money on conference calls with this new technology. That means you do not have to make as many business trips, thereby avoiding car, plane, bus, and train emissions, and cutting down on the demand for greenspace destroying and must-be-maintained infrastructure that also results in more air, land, and water waste.
"In the auto industry you get a "cash for clunkers" offer once in a lifetime," says Rich. "In the telecom space we do it every day."
See you at ITEXPO West!
Yet that is what Lexmark, in a remarkable display of corporate responsibility has done in via research and advice, reported on TMCnet.
Among its suggestions are:
* Use two-sided printing to save paper
* Use software like the Lexmark Toolbar to print only the Web pages you need
* Share printers in the home or office through wireless networking technology
* Look for the longest available printer warranty to extend its life cycle
* Improve printer efficiency by switching the device off after use
* Print in draft mode to reduce the amount of ink used
* Use Lexmark high-yield cartridges for a higher yield of ink or toner, resulting in fewer cartridges to manufacture and recycle
* Recycle your printed pages and use paper with recycled content
I do have one complaint with Lexmark and that is over its inkjet cartridges. I own an X2650 multifunction printer--a low-cost unit that is adequate for my needs--but the cartridges can't be commercially refilled such as by Island Inket franchisees and others, and refillable alternatives are next to impossible to find.
Yes, Lexmark does have a free cartridge recycling service and one can get replacements with this at a lower price, but that doesn't help me and other users who are running out of ink, can't wait for the lousy mail service, and who want to lower our TCO. The last time my ink ran out I had to go to the local WalMart ASAP (where I had bought the printer) and pay full price.
Now I'm using an alternative strategy: sharing my wife's HP OfficeJet J6480, which is a more complex machine for what I need to do but which does have refillable cartridges.
That leads to another and serious issue: home inkjet printers have become so cheap that it is often less expensive to replace them--thereby creating more toxic e-waste--than in buying new cartridges.
Come on, Lexmark, you're almost there. Let your customers re-use rather than recycle the cartridges.
The latest such move is Recycle My Cell, a new Web-based nationwide initiative launched by Canada's wireless industry that lets users find out where and how to properly dispose of their cell phones and other wireless devices - regardless of carrier, brand, or condition.
The free program in the country that brought us the BlackBerry incorporates numerous existing cell phone recycling initiatives is being organized by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) in conjunction with cell phone service providers, handset manufacturers, and recycling companies.
Recycle My Cell can be adopted by provinces and municipalities as part of their initiatives to manage e-waste. Nova Scotia, on Canada's east coast, is the first province to have done so.
Canadian retailers are already on board with cellphone recycling. BestBuy in Canada, through a partnership with Greentec, allows consumers to recycle their unwanted wireless devices, along with MP3 players, batteries, ink cartridges, and CDs by visiting a Best Buy store and dropping their items into their recycling stations. Best Buy doesn't accept computers (desktop and laptops), TVs, DVD players, and speakers.
The CWTA, the province of Nova Scotia, and retailers like Best Buy deserve praise for their actions to curb harmful e-waste through their recycling programs. Yet shouldn't the wireless and other electronic equipment manufacturers do their share to address this issue at the source by:
--Using less harmful substances
--Making products repairable and easily remodeled i.e. taking a page from the automotive industry and change the casings to reflect fashion shifts rather than the guts
The wireless carriers, telcos, and ISPs are in a position to insist on such standards. Make these goods right or we won't buy, sell, or support them. With the economic downturn manufacturers will have little choice but to go along.
The hard truth is that bandwidth and services i.e. 3G, 4G, data, video, IP over wireless, and web services like mobile CRM matter more to consumers than the boxes they are carried on.
The same goes for computers. As Microsoft demonstrated over 20 years ago by 'becoming the dog' in its relationship with IBM, it's not about the hardware, it's about the software and what it can do that matters. And with more software going on the web i.e. hosted/SaaS rather than in boxes, the less often nasty stuff there needs to be in those compartments, which means ultimately less e-waste and pollution.
Dumb computing is also for telecommuting workers, especially home agents. It lessens the cost, complex, and security issues with supporting them. There are now commercial thin client boxes like the eeePC by Asus that needs only an Ethernet connection
What your ROI is for switching from smart to dumb will depend on total costs, installation or equipment rebuild, and energy, IT savings, and monetized security benefits. There is not only direct energy savings from the hardware but also from reduced cooling demand: PCs produce heat, and it is ventilation and cooling rather than heating that draws the most power.
The 'green' benefits are fewer greenhouse gas emissions and/or other environmental consequences such as e.g. land for hydro dams and generating stations, and for unsightly transmission and distribution equipment.
The actual environmental savings will depend on where your energy supplier gets their electricity. Solar and wind are the cleanest followed by hydro, biofuels, and natural gas, though hydro has its environmental consequences i.e. destruction of open, oxygen-generating space for reservoirs.
Oil-fired generators, especially those that get their supplies from tar sands whose production process is an ecological nightmare, and coal, especially that extracted by blowing up mountaintops, are down the list. They are especially reliant on scrubbers to remove sulfur dioxide, but in doing so produce CO2.
For the eco-conscious are companies that sell green power to businesses and consumers. One example is Bullfrog Power. http://www.bullfrogpower.com
Thin-client computing may also lead to less e-waste because the units are smaller, with less toxic substances used in their construction (see the past post on this topic) and may less last longer because their principal obsolescence-prone component is the software.
That 'small-is-beautiful' approach may make smart PCs the equivalent of SUVs. And that, according to the New York Times makes the PC vendors worried; they, like the automakers, rely on the big profits from the hulking but inefficient models.
Will big "smart" PCs join the SUVs and the other dinosaurs? --BBR


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I am going to start including more travel posts on my blog! Traveling is my absolute passion and I love discussing my adventures with others. This might end up being super long, but I will be more concise in the future. Please excuse the blurry photos! Please let me know your feedback!
Last August, I decided to visit a friend who works in Washington D.C. Like many people who work in D.C., she actually lives in Virginia and commutes to work each day via the subway because the cost of living in D.C. proper is way too expensive. As such, when I visit my friends, I typically don't get to do all of the touristy things in D.C. because we end up hanging around on the outskirts of town in Maryland and Virgina. This time, I made it a point to schedule my time well so that I could do some sightseeing. Here is how I spent three action packed days in D.C. and my must do's (and must don'ts!)
Day 1
I headed to D.C. at noon on a Friday. On the East Coast, the easiest and cheapest mode of travel to get to the major metropolitan areas (D.C., New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philly) is to take the Bolt Bus or the Mega Bus. The Mega Bus offers a better schedule, but their Wi-Fi is spotty, their buses are always late, and their bathroom facilities are atrocious. I have had much better experiences with Bolt Bus. The other upside to Bolt Bus is that they have a loyalty program and after 8 rides, I believe, you can earn a free trip. I do not recommend driving to D.C. because the traffic is a mess, and you will have difficulty finding parking when you get to D.C. proper. If you are flying to D.C., no need to rent a car because you can take the Metro (the subway) anywhere you want to go. With that said, the D.C. Metro is not the cleanest and is in desperate need of an update, so bring some hand sanitizer!
The bus ride from Philly to D.C. is around 3.5 hours if you factor in traffic. The Bus Drops you off at Union Station, which is D.C.'s main train terminal. There is plenty of food and shopping inside, so if you have some time to kill, I highly recommend walking around in there. My friend, coincidentally also named Sylvia (spelled differently, though), lol, came to pick me up at the train station.
Our first stop was Georgetown. Georgetown is famous for being one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in D.C., for being the home of Georgetown University, and for "Georgetown Cupcakes" (I'll come back to this Later). We spent some time just milling around, enjoying the sights and sounds, but we quickly became hungry. As we were walking around, I looked to my right and there was a NANDOS! If you know me, you know that I absolutely fell in love with Nando's during my travels to London. Their chicken and peri peri sauce is out of this world. However, we don't really have Nando's in the U.S. except for D.C. and I think a couple other East Coast locations. I grabbed my friend and we went inside. I opted for a salad and some french fries and some chicken as well. I consider myself a pesceterian, but once the craving hit me for some of that peri peri sauce, I caved in and had to have some chicken. It was divine.
After eating, I was mentioning to my friend that I had never seen the White House. We were only a few blocks away, so we were able to go stand outside the gates at night and see it illuminated from all angles. I honestly wasn't that impressed but I did have a reality check while I was standing there. I will talk about this on the next Mindful Monday!
My friend lives in Arlington, Virgina, which is only a few miles from D.C. We opted to walk to her apartment so that we could burn off some of the Nando's lol. It was late at night and D.C. was sparkling in the moonlight. It was a perfect end to my first day in D.C.
Day 2
We woke up kind of late, and much to our dismay, it was pouring rain outside. It was also super hot, so it was not the best day to do our National Mall sightseeing. We had to re-calculate our whole plans. We decided to spend our day sightseeing indoors. We got brunch at a place in Alexandria, Virgina. I can't remember the name of it, but that is for the better because the food was not good. I would not recommend it. After eating, we headed to D.C. via the Metro because it was too rainy to walk like we did the day before. Our first stop was the Natural Museum of Natural History. My friend and I are big nerds, so we really enjoyed making our way through all of the science exhibits.
Unfortunately, all of D.C. had decided to take refuge from the rain there as well, so it was super busy. Like many museums in D.C., it featured free admission, but it asked for a donation. I donated one dollar, lol. It took us about 3 hours to make it through the entire museum. One of the exhibits was an earthquake recorder. It tracked all of the earthquakes in the world live and displayed them on a map. My friend and I joked to each other, wouldn't it be cool if a major earthquake appeared on the map while we were standing here? We learned a few hours later that there had been a major earthquake in Northern California. Crazy, right?
I couldn't stand being around the throngs of screaming children at the museum for much longer, so we ventured out into the rain and went back to Georgetown. We were hungry, so our first stop was a Mediterranean restaurant called Moby Dick's. The food was cheap and filling. I got a falafel platter and my friend got a falafel dish as well. We split some hummus and pita. I recommend it! Next, I wanted to go to Georgetown Cupcake and get a cupcake. My friend talked me out of it. Number one, the line to enter stretched for blocks. Number two, she said that the cupcakes are tiny and expensive. As a compromise, she let me take a picture of the awning to at least say that I had been to Georgetown Cupcake, lol, but she took me around the block to another cupcake place called Baked and Wired. Although it also had a line, the line moved quickly and there was plenty of seating inside. I am glad that my friend talked me out of going to Georgetown Cupcake because not only were the cupcakes cheaper at Baked and Wired, they were almost 2.5 times the size! I had to eat my cupcake with a fork and knife because it was so big, but it was also delicious! After stuffing ourselves with cupcakes, we strolled along the main shopping street in Georgetown and stopped by Forever 21, Anthropologie and H&M. It started raining even more heavily, so we decided to head back to Arlington and get dinner and watch a movie. It would be a close call, but we would need to squeeze all of our sightseeing into my final day.
Day 3
When I woke up that Sunday, I was delighted to see that the sun was shining and the sky was the most gorgeous shade of blue. Our sightseeing plans would finally become a reality! We got ready and headed out. We didn't want to waste money on another brunch place that might end up to be mediocre, so we decided to just grab bagels. We sat in the sunshine and ate our quick breakfast, and then headed to the Metro. We rode into D.C. and we went straight to the National Mall. I can't remember the order in which we made our way around the Mall, but it was breathtakingly beautiful. The last time I had been to the Mall was in 2009 for the inauguration of President Obama, but it was 10 degrees outside and everything was frozen. This was my first time seeing D.C. in full bloom. We went to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial.
My favorite by far was the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial. I get chills even thinking about it. It is so beautifully done and the walls of the memorial are etched with his quotes. If you only get to see two memorials, you must head to the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. These two were my favorites. Take your time at the memorials and read the inscriptions and take it all in. D.C. is a really special place and I am so glad that I finally got to see it.
After our day of viewing the National Mall. We sat down on a park bench near the Washington Monument and did some people watching (and by people watching I mean watched some very handsome men play soccer!) People were outside flying kites, wind surfing, and eating picnics. I only had a couple of hours before I had to head back to Philly, so we decided to get a late lunch.
We headed to Busboy's and Poets. It is a bookstore, restaurant, and community space that regularly holds events, talks, and social justice related events. The owner even ran for Mayor of D.C. last year! I had actually met him earlier in the year when I visited D.C. for work. I loved the food so much that I wanted to come back and try it again. I got a yummy veggie panini and my friend got a sandwich. I absolutely loved the food and the service here so if you are ever in D.C., make it a point to eat here!
After all of the sights, sounds, and hustle of D.C., I was ready to head back to Philly. We went back to Union Station and I boarded my bus and vowed to return to D.C. again. There is so much more to see and do, and I'm excited to head back there this June!
Do's: Baked and Wired cupcakes, Walk, Take Advantage of Free Admission to Museums, Busboy's and Poets, the Dr. MLK Memorial, Bring walking shoes, a hat, and an umbrella!
Don'ts: Rent a car, Georgetown Cupcake, Touch anything in the D.C. Metro (yuck), Talking Loudly at the Memorials (it is considered disrespectful)
Comment Below: What are your favorite things to do in D.C.? Where should I eat when I visit next time?


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Thursday, 19 May 2011
In the bedroom
9 comments:
You created a wonderful scenes,everything looks so luxurious! The painting of "My lady of Shallot" makes me speechless in excitement !JeannetteReplyDelete
Dominique, Your visions are stunning! I love how you have set the vanity up with all of the wonderful accessories! Your house is amazing! The painting looks fantastic!!ReplyDelete
¡Que casa tan lujosa y que elementos tan elegantes que ha escogido para decorarla!. Envidiable. Un saludo, EvaReplyDelete
Very beautiful scene! The painting is just wow, exquisite! Love the house you're building!ReplyDelete
Hello, congratulations for a wonderful work you do.ReplyDelete
I love too art deco, art nouveau and borroque style.
Fantastic pictures...and the miniatures are sooo wonderful!!!ReplyDelete
Can I ask you were you purchased the tray...it looks like silver?
I'm just back from vacations, you had to wait for my answer ! It looks like silver... but it's not. If I remember well, I bought it in Belgium, a shop in Brussel named "La courte échelle".ReplyDelete
You have a great imagination Dominic to be able to pull something this elegant. Never have I seen such art in miniature stuff. :)ReplyDelete
- DollhouseJunction.com
Wonderful Art Nouveau items!ReplyDelete


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Saturday, June 25, 2016
From the clipping files: 1975 Seasons Greetings photo of the historic John Muir Home in Martinez, California
This photo of the historic John Muir Home in Martinez, California was probably taken in 1975 but processed to look like an antique photo.
DISCLAIMER: The sharing of the above vintage advertising is for educational and referential purposes only. Copyrights are most likely still held by the original publisher/agency. Use of these images for reproduction and/or derivative works for resale may be illegal and an infringement of the original publisher/agency's copyrights. So, in other words, don't make things with this image. It's illegal; it's wrong; and it could cost you a truckload of money when you get sued.
Posted by Cindy Garber Iverson at 4:28 PM
Labels: 1970s, clipping files
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One answer, in modern times, is simple: the current spate of political plays have been reactive against the Bush administrative. When theater critiques society, it is critiquing power, and all the political power for the last eight years has been in the hands of the conservatives. The fact that the Bush administration has used their power as a bludgeon has certainly increased the desire (and the need) to fight it.
But even during the Clinton years political plays were not right wing. To a great extent, in New York, they were simply not; few plays bothered to address that administration. And even then, if a critique came, it was much more likely to come from the left of Clinton than from the right.
Of course, as I have been reflecting recently, choosing theater as a career is almost an act of insanity, and not the sort of insanity typical among right-wingers. It involves choosing to put more time and energy than most highly paid lawyers spend into a job that has few monetary rewards. The best theater is created by people who have, in some actively way, chosen not to earn the money they are fully capable of earning in favor of doing art.
This is a mindset that is definitely to the left of not just McCain, but of Obama, who recently stated:
"If I were watching Fox News, I wouldn't vote for me, right? Because the way I'm portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal. Who wants somebody like that?"There must be something off when I look at that statement and say, I would want someone like that. I really would. Perhaps arrogance isn't the most positive characteristic, but if that's what it takes to openly admit the other horrors: reading The New York Times, sipping a latte, failing to own a gun, or being a liberal (and really, do I care what sort of car you drive or whether you are "effete," usually a code word for either cultured or gay), I'll take arrogance every time.
But really, aside from the fact no one here in New York can afford a car, doesn't that describe half the Artistic Directors I know? And how did Joe the Plumber become the person we should all want to be, while a liberal who reads The New York Times became someone even the Democratic candidate calls a "freak"?
But that is all part of a disdain for intellectuals that has become a standard part of political discourse here in America. And theater is an arena for intellectuals. Yes, it is also a place for emotions, and for beauty, but it is one of the few places where people are asked to think out loud in front of you so you can consider what they have to say. Theater like no other art form is about debate, and by that I don't mean televised debates meant to convince the public that you have the right demeanor and are capable of looking into the camera and sounding forceful, but actual debates of actual ideas.
Of course, neither candidate has said anything about arts funding during those televised debates, and I suspect any question about the issue would be met with surprise, and, at best, halting platitudes. However, there has been a web site that has tracked their positions, ArtsVote2008.
Frankly, I was surprised to see that either of them had public platforms on the matter. But Obama's is surprisingly detailed. Of course, I do know that Isaac Butler over at Parabasis has mentioned that he was helping create an arts policy for Obama, so I did know some work was being done.
McCain just put out his first statement of any kind on the issue, a brief memo endorsing education. I'm all for arts education, but it would be nice to believe those kids, once educated, had something to do with their learning that actually paid money.
But none of this is surprising either. Would Republicans be more apt to support the arts if theater were more conservative in bent? Perhaps, though public funding might still be seen as a sort of socialism.
However, of all the things that Obama did not want to be seen as, perhaps the one thing I am with him on is the "politically correct" issue. Of course, political correctism has been defined many ways by many people. One thing that theater does, and does well, is create an empathy for The Other, whomever that other is. And sometimes the attempt to understand other cultures alone can bring accusations of political correctism. But that is not how I would define it.
The truly negative connotation in political correctism is the adaptation of beliefs not because they have been examined but because they are held by those around you. By that definition, hatred of the cultural elite is a sort of political correctism of the right. But there are plenty of points of view we, the effete, latte-drinking theater community, tend to have, that are not often critically examined. And if we are devoted to understand The Other, doesn't that extend to those whose political views are different from our own. Maybe we might not wish to be Joe the Plumber, but it is important to understand where he's something from, or where Sarah Palin is coming from, or McCain, or even Bush.
We cannot change who we are. I would not want to. But if the power is going to be moving to the left in this country, as I suspect (and hope) it will be, it will be our duty to not stop our critical thinking, and to be ready to examine political issues from multiple perspectives. Perhaps that will not create a political play from the right, still. But at the least it will create far more interesting political plays from the left.
That's it for now. I'm off to buy a Venti and read the latest from Ben Brantley.


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The Russian show laser light market is very special and it seems to be influenced by many cheap products of questionable quality in the low end range. It seems that many companies have not yet recognized that quality products in the medium to high end product range, that are Made in Germany or Switzerland (Western-Europe!) can be even more competitive in pricing and of course in quality.
Our goal was to showcase our quality products there as well as to find more partners in Russia. The exhibition was very interesting, but also showed some specialties of the market. I'm quite confident that Laserworld can increase their business in Russia.
The exhibition in Moscow was the first common exhibition of the Laserworld Group with HB-Laser as member. A Russian colleague from the HB-Laser team supported the Laserworld staff on site in Moscow.


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Music becomes part of your soul after a while. Right when you connect certain songs or albums or even melodies to profound events in your life is how you know. Or even to stupid times when you goofed around with someone you love. I don't have to point out that R.E.M. is this band, this music that makes me feel familiar to myself when nothing else can.
You should listen.
I almost didn't want to mention R.E.M. in this little rave because it makes me
instantly vulnerable
and also quite jealous that you could be listening, experiencing, absorbing my music, my soul...


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Related Information for Base 13 Base 13 is a band based in Clarkston, MI. Originally starting out with just Nick Lowe and Nate Keck as an acoustic project, then they incorporated the talents of Jeff Miller and Rob Elliott for a short while, releasing 2 songs. Due to personal affects, sadly, these talents were lost. Soon after two awesome guys named Steve Gonzales and Jordan Mosher joined. They have written some great tunes and are hoping to release an EP in the summer!.. read more


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To the River's Edge
A little history behind the unknown elevator in the Town of Kansas bridge
Kansas City wants people to enjoy the Missouri River. Really. But downtown, there's not all that much riverfront property available to enjoy except at Berkley Riverfront Park. So in order to make it easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to get there, Kansas City in 2002 authorized construction of the Town of Kansas Bridge at the foot of Main St., effectively making that street the only one in town that actually reaches the river. The 635-foot-long bridge, designed by BNIM, spans the Union Pacific railroad tracks and ends at a cantilevered deck overlooking the water.
But probably unknown to many, the bridge offers a three-story elevator to the ground and bike path below, large enough to accommodate several people and their bikes, so they can continue pedaling over to Berkley Park, fulfilling the city's pledge in 2002 to connect it with Main Street.
The next time you're at the City Market, take the short stroll over to the Town of Kansas Bridge, walk on out and: "Ding!" Going down! Now you can keep on going to the river's edge. Or just explore the remaining concrete slab floors of the old wharf building that burned in 1993.
As they say at BNIM, "The rustic beauty of the bridge links Kansas City to its past, present and future."
As we say at Kansas City Spaces, "Let's get going!"


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Today's issue of Nature includes a report on some investigations into accounting for grant money being conducted by the National Science Foundation. Initial audits at the University of Pennsylvania and Cal Tech have uncovered lax accounting when it comes to research time, leading the NSF to turn its attention towards another five schools. This comes on the heels of several similar investigations by the NIH, which found discrepancies in how researchers accounted for their time on various projects. Nature only glances across the root of the problems briefly, but I'll use this as an opportunity to elaborate.
The fundamental problem is the tension between the need of granting agencies for some degree of accountability in terms of where their money goes and the realities of scientific research, with its long hours and rapid progress. The article in question mentions this in the first paragraph, stating, "monitoring how researchers spend their time is itself almost a science. Today's active researcher, who teaches, consults, and works far beyond a 40-hour week, can be a hard animal to track." But it never really returns to this issue, despite its centrality to the investigations.
To the funding agencies, tracking the activities of researchers is essential to ensuring their money is spent as intended. They need to know whether their grants are funding people working on relevant projects, whether those people are performing the intended work, etc. This accountability affects more than simply salaries, however, as the institutions that house funded researchers receive money for providing the grant recipients with a building, electricity, janitorial support, and more. To get some degree of accountability, most funding agencies have settled on a figure called "percent effort," which is a rough measure of how much time a researcher will devote to a given task. Multiply that by the person's salary, and you have their cost in terms of that project.
But, as the article notes, it's essentially impossible to define a 100 percent figure to start with. If we took a 40-hour work week as 100 percent, most researchers would be exceeding full effort even if teaching and consulting hours were excluded. Setting full effort above 40 hours, however, sets a dangerous precedent of assuming researchers should have a limited time for anything other than the science they're getting paid for.
The situation gets increasingly absurd when the granting process as a whole is considered. In most cases, there's at least a year between generating concepts for a grant and the actual money arriving. During that time, a number of things can happen that can change the relevance of the work proposed in the grant. These may include any combination of things like unexpected results, the appearance of publications from competing groups, and the arrival of other grant money for parts of the project. Once the work begins, researchers will need the freedom to follow the results into unexpected territory, regardless of what was originally proposed in the grant application. Funding agencies also complicate matters by cutting the money requested in the grant without telling the grant recipient which work to drop.
The net result is that funding agencies are often not funding the work that's actually going on in the lab at the time. Realistically, they wouldn't want it any other way, or they'd find themselves funding repetitive or irrelevant experiments. But, to maintain some semblance of accountability, they force researchers to constantly rejuggle their percent effort figures (and the universities and institutions to update their billing for overhead accordingly). Get it wrong in one direction, and you underfund your own salary, but nobody else will complain. Get it wrong in the other, and you're potentially guilty of research fraud. Despite the effort and complexity involved, it's not clear whether this system actually helps prevent intentional fraud.
The combination of a time lag between funding and research and the need for researchers to follow up on promising results leads me to question whether there's any way of maintaining a high level of accountability without forcing the researchers to spend an undue amount of time updating their plans and time spent. But granting bodies clearly have a right to continue to demand some level of accountability. For better or worse, the current system is a compromise between these two needs. Unfortunately, the large disconnect between accounting rules and the reality of research leaves the system open to charges of deception and fraud that could call the validity of the whole research endeavor into question. The scientific community would do well to ensure that the public is aware of the system's limitations, or an opportunistic journalist or politician could exploit the disconnect to discredit science.
Nature, 2007. DOI: 10.1038/449512a


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