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Seagrove is an ocean-to-Intracoastal gated community in Vero Beach featuring a variety of estates with waterfront views amidst lush landscaping. This exclusive area is one of the most sought-after communities in the region, for its tropical, private and luxurious feel.
Real Estate: Seagrove luxury real estate includes two communities called Seagrove East and Seagrove West. Together, these neighborhoods have a total of nearly 250 estates ranging in size, style and location. Luxury properties in Seagrove host a myriad of luxurious amenities, such as gourmet kitchens, state-of-the-art appliances, spacious master suites, resort-style swimming pools, ocean and Intracoastal views, and much more. Several estates in Seagrove are located directly along the ocean and some reside along the Intracoastal Waterway. Many of these Intracoastal properties feature a private dock for yachts and boats.
Lifestyle: Seagrove residents take advantage of their tropical seaside paradise, accessing both the ocean and Intracoastal waters just a few steps away. Additionally, this community is surrounded by natural beauty in the form of Intracoastal coves with yacht clubs and marinas, peaceful parks and open spaces, in addition to golf courses and other recreational facilities. Upscale shopping and dining in downtown Vero Beach is just a short drive away from Seagrove.
Education: Seagrove is a popular community for families largely because of its location within the Indian River School District. Nearby public schools include Beachland Elementary School, Gifford Middle School and Vero Beach High School. Nearby private schools include St. Edward's School and Tabernacle Christian School.
Water Access: Residents of Seagrove enjoy immediate access to the sparkling waters of the Atlantic and Intracoastal Waterway just steps from their estates. Many residents park their vessels at privately owned docks or at nearby Intracoastal marinas.


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Alexandra Zhang
Alexandra Zhang lives in Virginia and was born in 1999.
• Alexandra is a member of Girls on the Run and the Girl Scouts.
• Sports are important to Alexandra. She plays tennis and soccer, runs, ice skates, and does gymnastics.
• Alexandra's spare time is always very short because she is busy reading a good book, playing with friends, or watching TV.
• When she gets older, Alexandra hopes to become a professional tennis player or a world journalist someday.
"I love working with other people and am always looking forward to anything that has to do with writing or researching."

subset: commoncrawl


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Book Banning in U.S. Classrooms and Libraries
Every year concerned parents demand the removal of hundreds of "inappropriate" texts from American classrooms and libraries. Are they strangling free speech — or just trying to protect our kids?
The YouTube videos are short, but they make their point. Whoopi Goldberg spends 51 seconds reading from Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic. YA author A.S. King chose just a few pages from Catch-22. And Laini Taylor, perhaps the only National Book Award finalist with bright pink hair, completed her excerpt from Fahrenheit 451 in three minutes. These aren't simply the women's best-loved works; the uploads are part of Banned Books Week, a nationwide event—now in its 30th year—held in late September that champions free access to all literature, no matter how controversial. "I read banned books," Goldberg says on the video. "I read a lot of banned books."
According to the American Library Association (ALA), one of the event's cosponsors, some 500 titles are challenged annually, amounting to more than 10,000 cases since 1990. Often it's the most popular children's and young adult books that are targeted. The Hunger Games has dominated best-seller lists and is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, yet the trilogy by Suzanne Collins was the third most challenged work in the U.S. in 2011, criticized for being "anti-family" and "anti-ethnic," and for its offensive language and violence. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter was the most frequently banned series from 2000 to 2009 for being too focused on the occult and Satanism. "Censors never go after books unless kids already like them," notes author Judy Blume in her YouTube video. She should know—during the 1990s, five of the 100 most challenged titles were hers.
It's not just kids' books that raise objections, of course. Some of the greatest American novels have drawn fire almost from the day they appeared. Within months of its publication in 1939, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath was burned in East St. Louis, Illinois, barred from the Buffalo public library and banned in Kern County, California, where the story was set. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird didn't cause a stir until nearly 20 years after it appeared in 1960, but has since been withdrawn repeatedly from school reading lists and libraries. It even made the most-challenged list in 2011.
Who's objecting? Parents, by and large. The most common battleground is the classroom, followed by school and public libraries, and the primary objections are sexually explicit material, age-inappropriate content and offensive language. Pat Scales, former chair of the ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee, believes that such objections, however well-meaning, can be misguided. "Sometimes parents are looking to have books banned because they don't believe their children are ready to take on the emotional issues described in, say, a young adult novel—even though they may be grappling with those very issues," she says.
The ALA has also noted an increase in organized group challenges, possibly fueled by reviews like those offered by Focus on the Family, a Christian ministry whose website (focusonthefamily.org) dissects books from a religious vantage point. Its analysis of Romeo and Juliet, for example, points out that "even the earliest lines of the play, which state that [the pair] are 'star-crossed lovers,' indicate that cosmic destiny, not God, will guide the actions in this story." Candi Cushman, education analyst for the group, says, "Parents should have a role—and in fact have a right and responsibility to be involved in what their children are taught in taxpayer-funded schools, especially when it involves controversial topics. Fact is, there are detailed systems in place for addressing their concerns. We can trust the democratic process to weed out illegitimate complaints."
That's just what happened in Plano, Texas, after the parents of a 14-year-old protested what they considered obscene photos of ancient sculptures depicting male frontal nudity in the textbook Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Officials then pulled the volume, which was used by hundreds of freshmen and sophomores in the district's gifted and talented program. But students and parents fought back, launching a barrage of phone calls and e-mails as well as a social media campaign on Facebook, accusing the decision makers of censorship.
They prevailed: The district reversed its decision. "It would be ridiculous for us to learn about Greek art without ever looking at some of its most famous and significant statues," said one 15-year-old student, adding that it was equally ridiculous to remove the text "because of one parent complaint."
To avoid such skirmishes, the ALA urges schools to keep contested titles in the classroom or on library shelves until a committee reviews the works and makes a formal recommendation to the officials in charge. Scales has an idea that could preempt some disputes altogether. During her 37 years as a middle and high school librarian in Greenville, South Carolina, she asked students to write their explanations of why a book was meaningful to them and why they'd like their parents to read it too. She recalls a 14-year-old who chose Forever by Judy Blume, one of the first authors to candidly portray the sex lives of teens. Published in 1975, the novel tells the story of Katherine, who loses her virginity as a high school senior, and a friend, Artie, who is confused about his sexuality and tries to hang himself. "I would like my mother to read Forever so she can see what other kids in their teenage years feel and do," the student wrote. "I don't want her to read it and think that's what I want or intend to do. This book could point out what I am subjected to and, by refusing these things, show her that my values are worth trusting."
Online Interference
At first Jordan Green, a freshman at Camdenton High in central Missouri, didn't give it much thought. While researching a project on gay rights at the school library, she Googled the words and was surprised to see a web page pop up saying her search was blocked when she clicked on any of the results. She tried twice more, modifying her terms, but still nothing. After Jordan discussed what had happened with her father, he contacted a civil liberties attorney. The result was a first-of-its-kind lawsuit asking a school district to change its Internet screening system to eliminate bias and discrimination. "These filters are a new version of book banning," says the American Library Association's Pat Scales. "But it's different in that this is much more subtle and harder to identify."
District officials had not set out to block gay websites. Camdenton was following the Children's Internet Protection Act, a 2001 law requiring public schools to use filters to shield students from pornography and obscenity. But the district purchased software that had been programmed to group gay sites with sexuality and porn, thereby blocking access to them. Most schools, in fact, don't take an active role in choosing what should be permitted, leaving that job to the private vendors who sell the web filters. "There's a problem when schools won't allow educators to make decisions and let technocrats do it instead," says Craig Cunningham, Ph.D., associate professor of education technology at National Louis University in Chicago. "On the other hand, it's a daunting task if you want to protect kids from anything controversial."
In February a federal court ordered the school district to discontinue its filtering system "as currently configured," and it complied. Not all parents were pleased. Stacy Shore, a mother of three, admits that she didn't give it much thought back when she signed the release allowing her children to use the Internet at school. "I had vague visions of them going to sites about traditional subjects like the presidents or world geography," she says. "Maybe I'm behind the times, but I'd like it to be more like an encyclopedia in the library, not the information superhighway." For her part, Jordan went on to finish the project. "It was a nice feeling," she says. "Plus I got 100 on it."
Book bans are nothing new. In 1885, when Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published, the Concord public library in Massachusetts banished the novel from its shelves, denouncing it as "the veriest trash...more profitable for the slums than...respectable people." Below are the 10 most frequently challenged works of 2011, according to the American Library Association.
- ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r series by Lauren Myracle
- The Color of Earth series by Kim Dong Hwa
- The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
- My Mom's Having a Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy by Dori Hillestad Butler
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
- Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Where Do You Stand on Book Banning?
On 's Facebook page, we asked where you stood on the book-banning debate. The response was overwhelming—and decidedly in favor of unlimited access and an individual's right to choose.
What happened to our First Amendment rights and a parent's responsibility to monitor her own children? Parents should do their job and stop forcing the rest of us to live in their "bubbles." If you don't want your child to read something, don't buy it or check it out of the library. And if your child chooses to sneak behind your back and read it, what does that say about your relationship? STOP BANNING BOOKS. —Penny App
School libraries should remove books they consider inappropriate from their shelves. In today's society, children are exposed to way too many inappropriate things at such a young age. They need to be allowed to be sweet and innocent for as long as possible, because the time will come too quickly when they will have to be adults. —Melissa Stripling
I think it is fine to ban books in public places, where all content should be appropriate to the general public. If someone wants to read a banned book, she can buy it. —Andrea McGuinness
Banning books and labeling it "protecting our kids" is just lazy parenting. —Kathy Balch
I don't understand why parents get all crazy about the books that they believe shouldn't be in the library, but don't care about what their child watches on television, what video games he plays or what their child is doing in a public place. [People should] parent their children rather than allow—or demand—that another entity or institution do the job for them. —Heidi Lucas Decker
It is hard enough to find books that engage a child. We need to encourage reading and have an array of choices for our children. My son likes Captain Underpants [a frequently challenged book]. It's not fabulous literature, but it gets him to read. Hopefully there's life after that! —Erica Rhodes Recker
I can see how a school library might not have certain books that are "inappropriate," but books should never be banned from a public library. —Kylie Borgman
As a parent to two teens and a 5-year-old, I believe book banning is unnecessary censorship. A library should be a magical place where ANYTHING is possible. Where ALL KINDS of books can be found. Where a kid can get LOST in the stories, in the words. Parents should be on hand to explain and give context to what their kids read. The Hunger Games is no more violent than classic books written by Stephen King. I am just glad that my kids love to read. In this day and age, that is a BLESSING. —Jaime Ayala
Originally published in the September 2012 issue of Family Circle magazine.


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Twin NASA spacecraft built in Colorado crashed into the surface of the moon Monday at 3:29 p.m. MST and about 1.9 miles apart after completing a relatively brief but successful mission.
"The probes' mission objective was to obtain a gravity map of the moon in unprecedented detail," said Cavan Cuddy, Spacecraft Team system lead with Lockheed Martin in Waterton Canyon. "The mission has produced the highest resolution of any planetary body to date."
Lockheed Martin workers in Colorado designed, built and operated the two craft, named Ebb and Flow, under NASA's $500 million Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory or GRAIL program.
A key finding the probes made is that the moon's crust is not as thick as originally thought, and comparable to the earth's crust. That supports models that the moon originated out of an impact with Earth rather than being captured by it, said Mark Wieczorek, GRAIL co-investigator, in a statement.
The two craft, about the size of washing machines, traveled at a synchronized distance from each other with equipment that could measure minute fluctuations resulting when they encountered changes in the gravitational pull.
NASA launched the craft together in September 2011, and they began mapping the moon at the start of the year from an altitude of 34 miles.
By May, they had completed their initial mission with enough fuel to start a second round, which they did at the end of August at a lower altitude of 14 miles. The lower orbit required weekly adjustments to keep the craft synchronized, Cuddy said.
Eventually, the fuel ran out. Rather than have the probes crash uncontrolled at an unknown spot, the Lockheed Martin team brought them down near the Goldschmidt crater, far removed from historic areas like the Apollo landing sites.
"It is extremely rare to have an end of the mission like this," Cuddy said.
Ebb and Flow, built at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, met their demise traveling an estimated 3,760 mph on another rocky mountain slope, one near the moon's north pole.
The area where the spacecraft made impact was renamed after astronaut Sally Ride, who in 1983 became the first American woman to enter low-earth orbit. Ride died in July of pancreatic cancer.
Elementary school students in Montana won a contest to name the probes, which contained four cameras each. Students and enthusiasts could take pictures of the lunar surface as part of a public outreach program by NASA.
Cuddy said about 150,000 images of the moon were taken.
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, email@example.com or twitter.com/aldosvaldi
34 miles
The altitude at which the twin craft, built in Colorado and launched in September 2011, mapped the moon.
14 miles
The altitude the craft mapped the moon in their second round.
The miles per hour that the craft were traveling when they crashed near the moon's north pole on Monday.
The number of images taken by the four cameras mounted to each probe.


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- Contact |
Phone |
(+34) 91 542 72 51
Our Customer Service opening hours are:
Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:30 to 20:00 and Saturday: 10:00 to 13:30h
In Japanese:
Saturdays 10h-13:30h. (GMT +1) or by e-mail at email@example.com
In 2019, our store close for holidays the following days: January 2st and 6th; April 18th 19th ; May 1st, 2nd and 15th; August 15th; October 12th; November 1st and 9th; December 6th, 8th and 25th.
- Help |
- Price list |
- Order situation |
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Delivery time:
Delivery time 3 working days
Flamenca handmade bouquet of flowers. This bouquet of roses and carnations comes in pink and fuchsia, purple and white.
Measure: 22cm


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Sustainable and Liveable Cities: Toward Ecological Civilization
The report explores the current urban transformation in China from the perspective of human development and primarily considers its impacts on the people of China. It takes a sweeping look at the urban transformation of the last few decades, and its drivers, impacts and growing challenges and the opportunities brought by urbanisation in order to answer two main questions: how can we make China's cities more liveable, and how can we ensure that citizens better enjoy the potentials associated with urban growth?
Local Development (Regional/Rural)


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Renee C. Byer / Sacramento Bee
Luther Findley, 55, positions his wife Claire, 59, who suffers from ALS, with the help of a nurse's aid as she asks him to pat her back that is sore from being bedridden. He also placed a bandage on her tailbone to help with a bed sore. The quadriplegic depends on 24-hour care and wants to die in her home that was foreclosed on in March.
Luther and Claire Findley are confronting the difficult and painful realities brought on by terminal illness, and exacerbated by the economic crisis. Their plight and story was published in the Sacramento Bee on Dec. 18. Claire Findley was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in early 2007, and by the end of that year Luther Findley's once successful construction company had gone out of business. The previous year, they had refinanced their home and taken out a home equity line of credit to help pay for Claire's escalating medical costs. That was before she was diagnosed with the chronic disease and when they thought she would still get better and be able to return to work as a nursing assistant. The Sacramento Bee reports:
The Findleys lost their house to foreclosure in March because Luther, a 55-year-old contractor, hasn't worked since the end of 2007 – and because the income limits required for Claire to maintain her Medi-Cal coverage at no share of cost meant that he couldn't pursue new employment.
Their situation shows what can happen when a medical crisis meets the foreclosure crisis and the spiraling effects of the recession. As a result, they represent an especially desperate economic reality: bankrupt, facing terminal illness and, until recently, coping with the stress of possible homelessness. Read the full story.
Editor's note: Though the Findley's home was foreclosed in March, when contacted by the Sacramento Bee, Bank of America postponed their eviction until after Claire Findley's death.
Renee C. Byer / Sacramento Bee
Luther Findley, 55, tries to explain to the Bank of America via speaker phone that his wife wants to die in their house as he asks for an extension on his eviction from the house they have lived in since 1996. "My wife is a quadriplegic and I have no place to move her," he says. The voice on the other end says it doesn't look good but they will get back to him a few days later. The Findley's dual medical and financial crisis brought them to the brink of homelessness in what doctors say are Claire's final months of life. Barely able to speak Claire Findley wants to die at home. They lost the house to foreclosure in March of 2011, but Bank of America put their eviction on hold until his wife's death.
Sacramento Bee photographer Renée Byer and reporter Anita Creamer worked together on telling this story. Earlier this month, Byer had been scouting around the newsroom for a story that could illustrate the effect of the financial crisis on the middle class, when Creamer approached her about the Findley's situation. Byer immediately knew she wanted to be involved. "I'm from a middle class family. It has always been a huge storyline for me. I could easily be walking in these people's shoes." In 2009, Byer worked on documenting the broader impact of the recession in a photo essay on the "California economy crisis." Since then, she had wanted to explore the same topic, but through a more intimate story.
Renee C. Byer / Sacramento Bee
Luther Findley, 55, carries Claire's fragile body back into her bedroom after bathing her in their foreclosed home. The quadriplegic who is in constant pain wants to die at home.
The delicate story required a sensitive approach. Byer tells msnbc.com:
The first time I went, I really just sat and listened to their story. For me, it is very important to understand the intricacies of what they are going through. I didn't really want to make any photographs that day. I just wanted to see how they were feeling. How could I possibly help, instead of add more stress to their situation? What can bring awareness to this horrible situation?
Byer gained Luther's trust after going on a long walk with him and his five pomeranians and border collie the next day. The dogs provide a small source of stress relief from his dying wife, but Luther also worries about their future. Even though Claire is barely able to speak, through her expressions Byer could sense that from the beginning Claire was very open to her presence.
Renee C. Byer / Sacramento Bee
Members of Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist church are helping Luther sort through all his things since his house has been foreclosed and he will be evicted after his wife Claire who suffers from ALS dies. Here he feeds his pomeranians and his border collie. The dogs help him with his depression and he says he is worried about their future after he is evicted.
Byer has covered a range of assignments for the Sacramento Bee, but this story stands apart. She had four visits with the Findleys, and recognizes that it was very difficult to not become emotionally involved in the story.
There was a moment where Claire had tears in her eyes as she was praying for the house. It is very hard not to feel that emotionally. It is hard to keep a dry eye. It is such an emotional toll that this couple is dealing with not only this crisis, on top of that their house is being foreclosed.
Renee C. Byer / Sacramento Bee
Luther Findley gazes over at his wife Claire as he sleeps most of the night on a massage table close by. "I'm blessed because I have you, " whispered Claire to her husband. Claire learned this week that her last wish to die in her modest Fair Oaks house where she and her husband Luther have lived since 1996, will be possible. The eviction that they have been so stressed about will happen after her death.
Through Luther and Claire Findley, Byer hopes to show the severity of the financial crisis, especially when combined with the bureaucratic limitations of the system that caused it. She hopes by raising attention to situations like theirs, change will come.
I'm really grateful for this family for opening up their hearts and letting me document them. There are thousands and thousands of families that are facing this same dilemma. Hopefully something will come of this and people in the United States will realize that this is a crisis.
Visit the Sacramento Bee's photo gallery for the complete selection of images of Luther and Claire Findley taken by Renée Byer.
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This is a caricature study of John Goodman. He has great features for a caricature and I've wanted to do a study of him for some time and I decided to take a break from my normal pay jobs and do something for me and just for fun today. I hope you like it!
I'm finally back online after a nightmare of problems with my Apple iMac 27". I've had numerous problems with my computer system over the past 3 years and it all came to a head in the last few weeks. I worked with several senior advisors at Apple Corporation trying to resolve these issues. After a week down trying to fix the machine, Apple finally agreed to replace my entire system. All seems well now, so I can get back to doing what I love most. I can now also get back to work on a new project I'm fortunate enough to be a founding member of, The Nucleus Project. Check it out and let me know if you're interested in being a part of this growing online community.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day and be inspired!


text: In software engineering, Performance Testing is testing that is performed to determine how fast some aspect of a system performs under a particular workload. Performance testing can serve different purposes. It can demonstrate that the system meets performance criteria. It can compare two systems to find which performs better. Or it can measure what parts of the system or workload cause the system to perform badly.


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Floral Serenade
Floral Serenade
Original Watercolor Painting
Medium: Watercolor
Paper: 140 lb Moulin du Roy cold pressed Fine Art watercolor paper
Professional Extra Fine Artist Quality Watercolor Paints
Dimensions: 15 "x 11"
Signed original by Shawn Macpherson
Painted in a very loose, free style with soft shades of pinks that will work with instead of competing with your decor. Painting will look great in most settings including in your home, office or commercial spaces.
Giclee Fine Art Prints & Art Cards available
Contact me for more info or sizing options
Ships worldwide
This Original Watercolor will be protected with rigid backing or in a rigid cardboard tube, packaged appropriately for safe shipping.
Please note: Shipping cost is for "Regular Parcel" delivery. Please contact me for quicker shipping or other shipping requirements.


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San Francisco is considering a plan to charge drivers for the privilege of driving into and out of their city, beginning in 2015.
Tolls would be exacted during morning and afternoon rush hours, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Under consideration would be charging $6 to leave the northeast section of the city during the afternoon rush, and charging $3 to cross the city's southern border.
Congestion pricing has its benefits -- as a way to reduce traffic and encourage public transit in large cities -- but it makes very little sense in a small city like San Francisco with a relatively weak public transit system.
Particularly problematic are the possible fees for motorists coming into the city from the south. That might make sense if the BART subway extended down the peninsula, but it stops around San Francisco International Airport. The CalTRAIN commuter rail that runs down the peninsula lacks capacity and convenience. So there's no real public transit alternative for many of the people who might want to come into the city from the south. So many people would choose not to. Many employers would stay away too.
How does that help San Francisco? It doesn't. This is an example of fear of traffic overwhelming good sense -- and an example of San Francisco as a place totally apart from the rest of the California. (This post was written by an Angeleno, albeit one who presided over an international conference there earlier this year).
The good news is that sometimes reality intrudes on the city; the passage of Prop 26 last week (a very bad policy idea in most respects) may require voters to approve these new fees.


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Aug. 19, 2002
VICTORIA, B.C. - Forward Kelly Wilson scored two goals for the second match in a row and Leslie Osborne and Heather O'Reilly added their second goals of the tournament as the U.S. Under-19 Women's National Team emerged with a 4-0 victory over Australia in a marvelously combative Group C match at the 2002 FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship.
"It was an incredible game," said U.S. head coach Tracey Leone. "They were one of the toughest, most physical teams we've ever played and I was really pleased how we responded. The game had everything. The technical level was extremely high and our tactical ability had to be high to sort out their defense because they were really squeezing the game. To solve that and do it under such great emotion, to do things in a thoughtful and refined way, was a real challenge. To me, the fans got everything tonight. It was spectacular. Australia was fantastic."
With the win, the U.S. team qualified for the quarterfinals and faces Chinese Taipei on Wednesday in their final Group C match. A victory or a draw against Taipei would clinch first place in the group for the USA and ensure that the Americans would stay in Victoria for their quarterfinal on Sunday, August 25, against a third-place team from Group A or B.
The story of this match was a U.S. team that would not stop pounding away at the Australians, and a young Matilda team that would not give an inch to the more fancied Americans in a match played before a decidedly pro-Australian crowd, who cheered loudly for their team the entire game. But in the end, it was the USA's fitness, determination and experience that produced three goals in a seven-minute span at the end of the match to put the Aussies away.
In a contest filled with intensity, hard tackles, epic aerial battles and skillful play worthy of a world championship, the night chill in the air and dew on the grass helped the game run at a frenetic pace for 90 minutes.
"Whenever you are tested to your maximum, it's a great game for the present and the future," added Leone. "It was wonderful to watch."
The USA needed an early goal against the highly committed Aussies, and got one in the 14th minute on a header from Wilson. The assist came from Lori Chalupny, who struck left-footed cross into the middle from the right side. Australian goalkeeper Luisa Marzotto, who had waived at a corner kick moments earlier, came rushing off her line and made one of her few mistakes on the day, as Wilson easily beat her to the ball, heading it into the empty net from the penalty spot past the stranded goalkeeper.
After the goal, the USA attacked relentlessly and earned corner kick after corner kick, totaling 17 for the match, but the Australians refused to break, scrapping and sliding for every ball.
The U.S., which scored three goals in eight minutes at the end of the first half against England on Saturday, finally broke through in the 74th minute, duplicating the feat as the wheels came off the cart for the Matildas.
The first of the three lightning-quick strikes came from Osborne, who wore the captain's band after Lindsay Tarpley was substituted in the 62nd minute. The goal started when Wilson dug a ball out of left corner and played it back to O'Reilly, who launched a spinning cross to the far post. Osborne got a step on her defender and took the ball down with her chest as the beat the goalkeeper to the inside. With Marzotto sprawled on the ground, Osborne touched the ball into the net from three yards out.
"There's a lot of great teams and anyone is going to give anyone a good game in a world championship," said Osborne, who had scored two goals in her U-19 international career before this tournament but now has two in two games. "That's kind of scary, but it's the best part of soccer. You never know what could happen. A team could play the best game of their lives against us, but that's what we love and that's why we're here. We trained very hard for this and we're just ready for everything. It's games like these that make us better. We'll look back and be glad we had a game like this tonight."
Just five minutes after Osborne made it 2-0, Kendall Fletcher made a brave stab with her head at a bouncing ball at the top of the Aussie penalty area and paid for it dearly as Matilda hard-woman Stacey Stocco flattened her with a kick to the neck. Fletcher stayed down for minute, but walked off under her own power. As she was standing at midfield waiting to come back on, Wilson curved the ensuing free kick over the wall and into the lower left corner from 20 yards out past the diving Marzotto. It was Wilson's fourth goal of the tournament, which leads all scorers so far. Wilson had almost scored on a free kick in the 58th minute, but Marzotto made a brilliant flying save to push the ball over the goal.
Forward Angie Woznuk made her first appearance of the tournament in the match, coming on for Tarpley, and she set up the final goal in the 81st minute, lifting the ball over the Aussie defense to the streaking O'Reilly. The U.S. forward burned down left flank past a defender and then cut hard to goal before slotting ball under Marzotto from six yards out to complete the 50-yard solo run.
"We knew we had to take the game a moment on a time" said Australian head coach Mike Mulvey. "I think we did that, but then all of a sudden, bang, bang, bang. But that's what they are like. They've got quality, speed and athleticism. And I'll tell you what, we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play against them tonight."
We trained very hard for this and we're just ready for everything. It's games like these that make us better. We'll look back and be glad we had a game like this tonight.
The Australians suffered a major setback heading into their huge match against England on Wednesday, with the winner earning the second of the two guaranteed Group C berths into the quarterfinals, as captain Kate McShea was ejected in the 83rd minute after dragging down O'Reilly and earning her second yellow card of the match.
The game was a battle for 90 minutes, but the Americans kept their composure under a steady steam of hard hits from Australia and delivered a few of their own. The U.S. back line of Jill Oakes, Jessica Ballweg and Rachel Buehler were brilliant into the tackle all match and quickly defused the handful of Aussie ventures into the U.S. penalty area.
"You definitely need tough games," said O'Reilly, who now has two goals and four assists in the tournament. "At halftime, we said that this is what it's all about. This is what is going to make us good and help us be champions. We needed to come out on top and just focused on doing our thing in the second half."
Leone made just one change in the lineup from the England match, inserting Fletcher for Amy Steadman who was ruled out of the tournament after tearing her ACL in the first game. Fletcher, and the rest of the U.S. midfield and backs were warriors, holding Australia to just three shots.
U.S. goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris came up big when she needed to, coming off her line to snuff an Amber Neilson breakaway in the 50th minute, and was solid on her distribution. Australia's best chance of the first half was a blast from 30 yards out by Emma Davidson that flew just over the crossbar.
The USA piled up 20-3 shot margin and had quality chances early on as the Australians chose to play the USA's three forwards straight up with three backs, who did get help from the wide midfielders that dropped according to which side the U.S. attacked. It seemed to be an unwise tactic early on as the USA repeatedly got behind the Matilda defense on the flanks, but the U.S. forwards had trouble finding a player in the seam with the final pass as the Australians scrambled back to snuff several U.S. chances from close range.
"I'm proud the way our girls approached the game," added Mulvey. "I think we showed that given our inexperience on the world stage that we've come a long way in a short time and that with any decent preparation we'd like to think we could get a bit closer."
For the second straight match day, both games in Group C ended in identical scores, but that unlikely to happen again during the last round of group matches on Wednesday. The USA's match against Chinese Taipei will kick off at 7:15 p.m. and fans can follow all the action live on www.ussoccer.com's MatchTracker presented by Philips Electronics. England vs. Australia kicks off at 5 p.m. PT.
The USA could win the group even with a loss against Taipei, as they carry a +8 goal difference while both England and Australia are even on goal difference, meaning England or Australia would score a bushel of goals to unseat the Americans.
"There's no such thing as a walkover in a world championship" said Leone when asked about her team's focus for Chinese Taipei. "There just isn't. Soccer is such a complex game. Every team is here for a reason. We just have to continue to focus on the next task at hand, which is playing well against Chinese Taipei. These girls understand that at this level, it's absolutely critical to focus. There are 12 teams and they are all great, so if we overlook anyone, we're done. It's just not a smart thing to do. From the experience they've gained over the past two years, they know it's critical to take that one step of time. We call it a bracket of one."
In the other Group C match, England downed Chinese Taipei, 4-0, getting two goals from Katy Ward, setting up their epic Commonwealth battle with Australia. In the Group B matches in Vancouver, Brazil pulled off somewhat of a stunner, defeating European champion Germany 1-0 to qualify for the second round, while France squeaked past Mexico, 2-1.


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Archangel Michael
Scripture and Tradition
The name Michael means "like unto God" or "Who is like unto God?"
Michael first appears in the Old Testament in the book of Joshua's account of the fall of Jericho. Though Michael is not mentioned by name in the text, it is said that Joshua "looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand." When the still unaware Joshua asks which side of the fight the Archangel is on, Michael responds, "neither...but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come" (Joshua 5:13-14)1.
In the book of Daniel, Michael appears first to help the Archangel Gabriel defeat the Persians (10:13). In a later vision it is revealed to Daniel that "at that time [the end times] Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then..." (Ch. 12)1. Michael thus plays an important role as the protector of Israel and later of his chosen people, the Church.
The Church Fathers also ascribe to Michael the following events: During the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt he went before them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; the power of the great Chief Commander of God was manifest in the annihilation of the 185 thousand soldiers of the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib (4/2 Kings 19:35); also in the smiting of the impious leader Heliodorus (2 Macc. 3: 24-26); and in the protection of the Three Holy Youths: Ananias, Azarias and Misail, thrown into the fiery furnace for their refusal to worship an idol (Dan 3:22-25). Through the will of God, the Chief Commander Michael transported the Prophet Habbakuk (December 2) from Judea to Babylon, to give food to Daniel in the lions' den (Dan. 14:33-37). The Archangel Michael disputed with the devil over the body of the holy Prophet Moses (Jude 1:9).
In New Testament times, the holy Archangel Michael showed his power when he miraculously saved a young man, cast into the sea by robbers with a stone about his neck on the shores of Mt Athos. This story is found in the Athonite Paterikon, and in the Life of St Neophytus of Docheiariou (November 9).
Perhaps his most famous miracle, though, is the salvation of the church at Colossae. Here a number of pagans tried to destroy this church by diverting the flow of two rivers directly into its path. However, the Archangel appeared amongst the waters, and, carrying a cross, channeled the rivers underground so that the ground the church stood on would not be destroyed. The spring which came forth after this event is said to have special healing powers.
Michael also has been associated with healing in other cases, as well as his primary role as leader of the Church Militant. He has been said to appear to Emperor Constantine the Great (d. 337) at Constantinople, to have intervened in assorted battles, and appeared, sword in hand, over the mausoleum of Hadrian, in apparent answer to the prayers of Pope St. Gregory I the Great (r. 590-604) that a plague in Rome should cease.
Russians in particular have a special veneration to Michael, along with the Theotokos. According to OCA, "Intercession for Russian cities by the Most Holy Queen of Heaven always involved Her appearances with the Heavenly Hosts, under the leadership of the Archangel Michael. Grateful Rus acclaimed the Most Pure Mother of God and the Archangel Michael in church hymns. Many monasteries, cathedrals, court and merchant churches are dedicated to the Chief Commander Michael. In Rus there was not a city where there was not a church or chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael."
As the Chief Commander of the Heavenly hosts, Michael usually holds a sword in one hand. In the other he often carries carries a either a shield, date-tree branch, a spear, or a white banner (possibly with a scarlet cross). He is most likely to be wearing red. In many instances, Michael tramples the devil under his feet, which may be depicted as a dragon. This comes from the tradition that Michael was the main opponent of Satan in the battle for Heaven. Satan, previously called Samael, was always looking to discredit Israel, while Michael was its main protector. In the end, Satan attempted to drag Michael down in his fall from the heights, but Michael was rescued by God.
There is only one 'icon' in the Orthodox church tradition that defies the traditional structure of iconography. This is the icon of Mantamados that exists in Mytilene, Lesvos.
- Commanders of the heavenly hosts,
- we who are unworthy beseech you,
- by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
- and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you:
- "Deliver us from all harm, for you are the commanders of the powers on high!"
- Commanders of God's armies and ministers of the divine glory,
- princes of the bodiless angels and guides of mankind,
- ask for what is good for us, and for great mercy,
- supreme commanders of the Bodiless Hosts.
See Also
- Miraculous icon of Archangel Michael Panormitis on Symi island, Greece
- Miraculous icon of Archangel Michael Mantamados on Lesvos island, Greece
- 1 Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
- Archangel Michael at Wikipedia
- Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers (OCA)
- Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the other Bodiless Powers: Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel, & Barachiel (GOARCH)
- The Miracle at Colassai of Archangel Michael (GOARCH)
- The Holy Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of heaven (Prologue of Ohrid)


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Employees of Clara Maass Medical Center are committed to providing EXCEPTIONAL services and QUALITY to its community through our passion for Excellence and Perfection.
We are dedicated to meet the standards set by CLARA s Values:
C Caring, Commitment and Compassion
L Leadership and Loyalty
A Accountability
R Resourcefulness
A Autonomy
If you share this same commitment and dedication, we welcome your application.
Organize and administers individualized age specific professional care to patients within an assigned unit of the hospital in support of medical care. Provides nursing care as directed by medical staff and in accordance with the objectives, policies and procedures of the hospital and the State Nurse Practice Act. Maintains the standards of nursing care as established. Participates in patient teaching and discharge planning. Participates in unit Quality Improvement evaluation activities. Uses an understanding of the principles of growth and development to assess each patient s age specific needs and provide age specific treatment
Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. BSN preferred
Current NJ RN License
1-2 years RN experience in Maternal and Child Care Unit experience required.
BLS, NRP, PALS Certification
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Whether you want to receive notifications about your splits post-race to analyze your performance, or you want to follow your favorite athlete on race day, the IRONMAN Tracking App is your go-to source for athlete tracking. You can also view the race-week event schedule, easily connect to IRONMAN on social media, and get important notifications on race-day.
Download the app today at one of the links below.
IRONMAN Tracking App:


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Legacy Of The Ancients Package (Black)
Pathology - Legacy Of The Ancients Package
PK036Release date: 7/6/2010. Package includes: CD & T-Shirt. This item is on pre-order and will begin to ship before the listed street date. Orders should arrive right around street date. All other items placed with this product will be held until the pre-order item is ready to ship. If you'd like your other items faster please place two separate orders. All orders are shipped via USPS. International orders may take a month to arrive after being shipped. Your card will be pre-authorized and won't be charged until your order is in the final shipping process.
Pathology Legacy Of The Ancients Package comes with instant* digital download.
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A Vintage, Botanical-Inspired Wedding at the Prospect Park Boathouse in Brooklyn, New York
Alyssa Roberts (28 and a fashion designer) and Reid Comstock (28 and a philosophy PhD student) looked to unconventional blooms to create a one-of-a-kind reception in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Untamed arrangements of Venus fly traps, king proteas, spiked thistles and sweet-smelling herbs housed in glass terrariums lent botanical flair, and Victorian seed packets acted as table numbers.
Literary notes also dotted the celebration. The pair displayed personalized escort cards in a turn-of-the-century library card catalog. "Reid designed all of the cards to resemble vintage library cards with a book description that was suited to each guest," Alyssa says.
Alyssa's striking gown was made of silk tulle and French Chantilly lace. Bridesmaids stood out in patterned gowns complete with pockets, while Alyssa's friend Erik donned a blue bow tie for his role as the man of honor. To represent her "something blue," Alyssa sewed a single piece of blue ribbon onto her tulle gown, which she later swapped for a shorter sheath just before the reception.
Vintage porcelain toppers dating back to the 1920s adorned the couple's classic yellow cake. Jazz tunes from the '20s and '30s played while partygoers sipped on-theme cocktails like The Reid-ing Rainbow. When the night came to a close, guests tossed dried flower petals and shook tambourines as the newlyweds made their grand exit.


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David Guterson
David Guterson was born in 1956 in Seattle. He attended public schools in Seattle and the city's University of Washington and then taught for ten years in public high school. He has written non-fiction as well as fiction, including Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense (1992). His novel, Snow Falling on Cedars (1994), won the PEN/Faulkner Award. Most recently, he published The other (2008). In 1996 he was selected as one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists. He lives on an island in Puget Sound, Washington State, with his wife and four children.


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Monday, March 12, 2012
Creative Every Day - Follow the Birds
Follow the Birds.....
10 comments:
- karmacoy said...
Wow, I think I am getting a message! It is time to explore my desire to paint birds! Your's is the second blog I visited that involved bird paintings and it is something I have been wanting to try! Nice to browse you blog some more!
- March 12, 2012 at 11:20 PM
- Valerie said...
Love these, the middle one especially.
- March 13, 2012 at 3:28 AM
- Angie Richmond said...
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. I love drawing birds and trees!
- March 13, 2012 at 8:01 AM
- Nigel said...
These are wonderful, especially Canterbury tales.
- March 13, 2012 at 8:47 AM
- Angie Richmond said...
Thank you, Nigel!
- March 13, 2012 at 9:34 AM
- Kristen (Creative Stash) said...
I love follow the birds, pretty color combo and i think the banner he is holding makes it so sweet.
- March 13, 2012 at 12:18 PM
- pauline said...
oh Angie, i LOVE the birds!! And the backgrounds too... nice work. You're obviously on the right path with the birds. xoxo
- March 13, 2012 at 12:52 PM
- Angie Richmond said...
Thanks so much for the lovely comments Kristen and Pauline!
I think I've found my art passion :)
- March 13, 2012 at 1:34 PM
- Meghan said...
Wow! I'm impressed each time I see more of your artwork! My fav is The Canterbury Tales :)
- March 19, 2012 at 1:19 PM
- Angie Richmond said...
Thanks Meghan. I'll be posting another one tonight or tomorrow. I think it's on Twitter already. I can't remember :)
- March 19, 2012 at 1:24 PM


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Here is a little tutorial with tips for "how to draw cute chibis", step by step. The different types of chibis, hands, feet, ears and faces, I've got just what you need here.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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About Us
Founded in April 1976, Memphis magazine is celebrating its 43rd year in 2019.
Thanks to dedicated local ownership and a staff committed to journalistic excellence, Memphis has established a tradition of independence and editorial quality second to none in the Mid-South.
Over the past 40 years, Memphis has won scores of national and regional awards for editorial and design excellence, including the Society of Professional Journalists' Distinguished Public Service Award in 1984. (Memphis is the smallest-circulation magazine ever to have won this honor.) In 2007, 2008, and 2010, Memphis magazine was the Gold Medal Winner in the General Excellence category of the City and Regional Magazine Association Awards, and we were a finalist in that category in 2011.
Today, every month more than 60,000 readers look to Memphis magazine to provide them with in-depth coverage of every aspect of life in the Bluff City. Those readers represent the best and brightest in our community, the movers and shakers who help make this city — the corporate home of FedEx, the cultural capital of the Mississippi Delta, and, of course, the birthplace of rock-and-roll and the home of the blues — the very special place it is today.
To contact us:
PHONE 901.521.9000, Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm
EMAIL Email our customer service team at email@example.com.
MAIL Memphis magazine, PO Box 1738, Memphis TN 38101


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Founded in 1855 as an agricultural school, Michigan State University has risen through the years to become one of the most highly regarded 'Public Ivy' colleges in the country. Superb athletics, international humanitarian programs, and serious academics all play an important role in the experience of Michigan State's 47,000 students. What else plays a role? Its historic campus, complete with an ice arena, a state-of-the-art basketball stadium, and the unique Veterinary Research Farm.
Although freshman must live on campus, once you're a sophomore, the sky's the limit! Only 43% of undergraduates live in campus housing, so you'll be in good company if you choose to look for your own place. East Lansing, Michigan is a small town, so apartments rentals are generally quite affordable and scattered around the campus area, usually just to the north near downtown, or to the west in Lansing. Start your search with our online apartment search guide! You can also get a sense of how your average university student feels about on-campus versus off-campus living, using our convenient college life link.
Driving (assuming you have a car, or are lucky enough to have a friend with one), biking, and of course plain ol' walking are all popular methods of getting around to and from campus at Michigan State. Fortunately, the campus is big but not too bewildering, and there are a lot of amenities within walking distance from the campus, no matter what you need. If you don't have wheels, there is always the East Lansing CATA bus network! East Lansing also tends to get a lot of snow in the winter months, so buses are a lifesaver. If you want to have a night out on the town, you're out of luck until your 21 or older. After that, however, for nightlife in East Lansing and Lansing proper, you should refer to Lansing City Pulse or 'Lansing Noise' here.


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Casual Wear Gold Jewellery
Casual Wear Gold Jewellery
Elegant looking casual wear gold jewellery
Wearing jewellery is a way of expressing one's personality. People unconsciously or consciously expose their attitude and mental behavior through their dressing and jewellery they wear. It is important to know the difference between the various occasions so that they can buy casual wear gold jewellery and wear it in the right occasion.
Just think of a woman wearing a large dangling earring to an interview. Of course, nobody will say anything against it, but the interviewer will definitely reject the candidate because large earrings would have distracted him in his subconscious mind. Hence there is much significance in choosing the right sort of jewellery. Casual wear is something which the person can wear according to his or her liking without bothering about the occasion. In simpler terms, it can be explained as something that does not fall into any other category like formal, party, wedding, office and business. For the casual wear gold jewellery selection, pendant necklaces are one of the ideal ornaments.
Among the multitude of pendant necklace varieties, heart pendants are the most common types of jewellery piece that are considered as casual wear. Gold necklaces with diamond studded heart pendants are lovely and very casual to look. Another type to buy casual wear gold jewellery is animals and insects. Gold pendants, plain or studded with gemstones or diamonds shaped like butterflies, lizards, crabs, elephants, birds, fishes and turtles are great casual wear jewelries that can display love towards the animals. Some people wear them as charms.
To buy casual wear gold jewellery online, one has to select the reliable and authentic jewellery shops to get the genuine product and good shopping experience. Though it is very difficult to select among the thousands of jewellery shops online, it is a good habit to buy casual wear gold jewellery online from the top notch jewellery stores. Less popular jewellery shops, who are good and genuine, also offer beautiful collection of gold jewelries. Before buying costly items, it is a better idea to buy casual wear gold jewellery online several times for small budget and become their loyal customer.
It seems gold jewellery has lost its magic for some time back due to the arrival of fashion jewellery and platinum jewellery. Silver and platinum are the trendy way and gold jewellery became outdated and old fashioned. However, those days are over and casual wear gold jewellery has returned to rule the world.
The current trend in gold jewellery is lengthy and long. Long gold links with pearls, gems and beads in between creating a unique design is the most popularly sold items in casual wear gold jewellery online. In addition, there are the cuffs and bangles, which look chunky in style and elegant with all types of attires including casual wear.


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When you have
COPD, especially if you have chronic
bronchitis, you may sometimes have sudden attacks
where your breathing and coughing symptoms suddenly get worse and stay that
way. These attacks are called COPD exacerbations, or flare-ups.
With treatment, many people recover and return to the same level of shortness
of breath they had before the attack.
These attacks are often
life-threatening. If your symptoms suddenly get worse, and if taking your
medicine doesn't help, have someone take you to the emergency room. Call
911 if needed.
COPD attacks
often occur more frequently, last longer, and are more severe the longer you
have COPD.
The two most
common causes of a COPD attack are:1
Other causes may include
heart failure,
allergic reactions, inhaling food or stomach contents
into the lungs, and exposure to temperature changes or chemicals. In about 33
out of 100 attacks—about a third—the cause is not known.1
Here's what happens during an attack:
In a COPD
attack, your usual symptoms suddenly get worse:
Some people also have a fever, insomnia, fatigue, depression,
or confusion.
Treatment of a COPD attack depends on how bad it is. It may involve several
visits to your doctor's office or clinic. Or you may need to be treated in the
To treat COPD attacks, experts recommend:
Treatment may also include:
CitationsGlobal Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
(2010). In Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Available online:
Next Section:
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Last Revised:
November 29, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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After Your Surgery
Once your surgery is finished, you will go to either a recovery room or the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Specially trained nurses will monitor your recovery closely.
- You may have a breathing tube until you can breathe on your own
- After the tube is removed, you will be asked to cough and do deep breathing exercises; this keeps your lungs clear
- Your heart rate and rhythm will be monitored
- A catheter will be in your bladder for a period of time after surgery
- You will be encouraged to move
Leaving the Hospital
The length of time that you will be in the hospital depends on the type of procedure performed and your individual speed of recovery. Your surgeon will give you an estimate of how many days you will be in the hospital.
When You Return Home
Before you leave the hospital, you will receive instructions about what to do when you are at home. These instructions may include:
- Instructions for your follow-up appointments
- A list of your medications and instruction on how to take your medication
- When you will be able to shower and any special precautions to take
- Observing your incisions for redness, swelling, or fluid drainage
- Breathing exercises and coughing to keep your lungs clear
- Walking and lifting instructions and restrictions
- Resting when you feel tired
- Contacting your doctor if your pain is not tolerable or if you have questions


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This week I am showing you how to use windows movie maker to edit your videos!
Hi, I'm Stefania – Aka the Techy Girl! I've been building WordPress websites since they revolutionized how we create beautiful, functional, affordable websites. I started building websites back in the day when we had to hand write the code!!!! WordPress is much easier. Web design started as a hobby of mine and in 2010 I turned it into my passion and full-time business. When I work on a website, it's because I love working on websites. I teach people how to use their websites and make them beautiful and functional through my courses and online sessions. If you need help or have questions, I would love to chat!
I help people create websites that work for them! I work with entrepreneurs, coaches, and bloggers who are frustrated by technology by teaching the tech and making it easy. I believe creating a website should be easy, affordable and hassle-free. I believe your website should work for you. Every website has a purpose. I want to help you find and develop that purpose. Your website should be beautiful. It should be a reflection of your most beautiful self. Learn more about me here


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Unfortunately Tropical Storm Philippe had its way with my Freedom 32 Sunday night (and 9 other sailboats in Padanaram (South Dartmouth) Mass) and it's on its way to disposal. I'll be making a list of things I took off of her in the last 30 hours before she was taken away today and will make that available for any Freedom 32 or other owners that might be interested in the next couple of days. Not sure what further access I will have to her before she gets crushed but if there is anything you are looking for in particular let me know and I will see what I can do to get if if I don't have it already. I hate to see the mast get crushed so in case you need it or know of a good place to store one let me know and I'll talk to the salvor.
F32 (Hoyt)


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This week, just a few months after joint strike action from the NUT and the NASUWT in the North West, yet more strike action is planned, this time on an even wider scale.
The education revolution which these unions object to has already done a great deal to empower parents, giving them real choice and, through free schools, the opportunity to get involved in their local education system.
With thousands of children and parents facing yet more disruption it's high time we extended parent power a little further and give them a say on strikes.
Of course you could object to such a proposal if you thought teachers' and parents' interests stand permanently opposed, but that's far from true.
Parents want what's best for their children, and this means a high-status teaching profession where excellence is rewarded. Parents only agenda is to make sure that schools are as good as they can be, making them uniquely well placed to judge whether the disruption of strikes is in the best interests of teachers and children.
Take one of the key objections of the unions, the introduction of performance-related pay. A recent poll found 61 per cent of parents support this.
They can see that far from damaging the profession this would address the unfairness of the current system where length of service counts for substantially more than effectiveness, demoralising the exceptional but young teachers we want to keep in schools.
The truth is that industrial action is being pushed forward by the hard-left core at the heart of these enormous unions, not by teachers themselves.
Look closely at the NUT executive for instance and you'll find that more than half are linked to organisations like the Socialist Party and the Alliance for Workers' Liberty; three have previously stood as Labour Party candidates.
These are people with a political axe to grind, and they won't let a lack of support from the nine out of ten teachers they represent prevent them from doing all they can to frustrate reform and embarrass the Government.
While press releases from both unions have claimed 80 per cent support strike action this is a very partial picture.
Reflecting the sheer indifference teachers have for their unions, which many feel compelled to join in order to get insurance, turnout was low. Factoring this in just 33 per cent of members balloted by the NASUWT gave their support, at the NUT just 22 per cent did.
Not only have the unions only managed to muster a small minority in support, it's also been a year since members were balloted. Any claims that these strikes, planned for October, are democratically mandated are, to put it charitably, extremely thin.
Acting out of political loathing, with barely any democratic mandate, these unions are proving a menace to our children's education.
We must finally say enough is enough, and restrain these unions from unnecessary and harmful action.
That restraint needs to come from somewhere non-partisan, with the best interests of schools and pupils at heart, and parents fit the description perfectly.
Balloting should be done on a school-by-school basis. If a union is calling on their members from a school to strike then the parents of every pupil there should have the chance to weigh up the disruption against the claimed justifications.
If parents support action then it can go ahead.
Such a ballot would recognise that, while all decisions to strike are significant, teacher strikes can be particularly harmful, and so should only be done when necessary.
Giving parents the chance to say no would eliminate the petty politics which drives the militant elements of some teaching unions to push needless action to their members.
Strikes should only happen when they're good for schools and children; parents, not unions, are the people whose judgement we should trust on this.
*Chris Skidmore is the Conservative MP for Kingswood and member of the Education Select Committee


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As the assigned restaurant-selector of his travel group, all Suraj Samaranayake wanted to do was find the best places to chow down in San Francisco. He tried using popular review apps like Yelp, Zagat and Urbanspoon, but came up empty-handed.
So he turned to a more trusted source – his Bay Area friend.
"All his suggestions ended up being great because we share similar tastes, like similar ambiences, and I trust his opinion," says Samaranayke. "I realized that there is no app that translates these food and drink conversations that we have with our friends and decided to create Foxtrot."
And thus the beginning of Foxtrot, a new food-finding mobile app built in Seattle that is going against the grain of typical 5-star recommendation sites that Samaranayke calls "fundamentally flawed."
While Yelp and others give recommendations based on an average community rating, Foxtrot puts more emphasis on the reviewer and less on the overall "score" of a restaurant or food.
Samaranayke compares it to Quora, the question-and-answer website founded three years ago. Quora puts more value on the author rather than the quantity of responses, and Foxtrot has a similar model.
"Everyone has different tastes and likes different ambiances when they go out to eat and drink. Most apps out there try to combat against that and filter out the extremes as noise," he explains. "Foxtrot does the opposite; it embraces people's differences. We don't average out people's opinons or anything like that. We give recommendations by matching you to someone who is most similar to you, either by your social graph or by your tastes."
Foxtrot is built around "best of" lists that people create for different categories. The app compares local businesses and users can filter by friends or influentials.
The company was founded in August and has four employees, three of which are ex-Microsofties. Samaranayke says that Foxtrot plans to make money by featuring businesses in search results, but that strategy is "not part of our short–term plan."
The app is available for iPhones with an Android version in the works.


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Feminist Bookfinders
Left Bank Books St. Louis, MO
People Called Women Toledo, OH
A Room of One's Own Madison, WI
True Colors Bookstore (formerly Amazon Bookstore Coop) Minneapolis, MN
Women and Children First Chicago, IL
Big Blue Marble Philadelphia, PA
Bluestockings New York, NY
Bloodroot Bridgeport, CT
Food for Thought Amherst, MA
Sisterspace Washington, DC
Charis Atlanta, GA
Wild Iris Books Gainesville, FL
Antigone Books Tucson, AZ
BookWoman Austin, TX
West Coast
In Other Words Portland, OR
New Earth Books Kent, WA
Sisterspirit San Jose, CA
Mother Tongue Books Ontario, ON
Toronto Women's Bookstore Toronto, ON
Feminist Resources
A Jewish feminist bookstore.
Women, Ink
Specializes in books on women, gender, and development in the Global South.
Feminist Majority Foundation Store
All profits from our online store support the activism, innovative research and public education work of the Feminist Majority Foundation!
Alice James Books
A nonprofit cooperative poetry press founded in 1973.
Aunt Lute
A nonprofit, multicultural woman's press publishing since 1982.
Bella Books
A small lesbian press.
Chicory Blue Press
Founded in 1987, Chicory Blue Press now focuses on the voices of women over 60.
DLSIJ Press
Committed to publishing all women authors, regardless of political leanings, belief system, genre, or sexual orientation.
The Feminist Press
The City University of New York's Feminist Press was founded in 1970. A nonprofit institution, it is dedicated to publishing literary and educational works by and about women.
Firebrand is an award-winning feminist and lesbian publishing house committed to producing quality work in a wide variety of genres by ethnically and racially diverse authors.
Girlchild Press
Publishes work that celebrates the "triumph and defiance of girls and women" through diverse perspectives.
Kore Press
This small, activist-minded press has published works by those from marginalized groups since 1993.
Mayapple Press
Founded in 1978, Mayapple publishes contemporary literature and poetry.
Paris Press
Paris Press is a not-for-profit press publishing the work of women writers that has been neglected or misrepresented by the literary world.
The Post-Apollo Press
Has specialized in experimental writing since 1982.
RedBone Press
RedBone Press publishes work celebrating the cultures of black lesbians and gay men.
Seal Press
Seal Press has published an eclectic and readable mix of books by and for women since 1976.
Second Story Press
This Canadian press was co-founded in 1988 by four women dedicated to publishing feminist-inspired books for adults and young readers.
Spinsters Ink
Publishes novels and non-fiction works that deal with significant issues in women's lives from a feminist perspective.
University of New York Press
Publishes books on a variety of subjects and hosts a competition for the best single-authored dissertation or first book manuscript in the field of women's and gender studies.
Sumach Press
Sumach Press publishes dynamic feminist writing with a critical perspective.
Two Lives Publishing
Publishes books for LGBT families.
Volcano Press has been publishing books on domestic violence and women's health for forty years.
of American University Presses (AAUP)
This site allows users to search the holdings of a number of university presses- over 75,000 titles from more than 60 presses.
A social network and search engine for independent bookstores.
Project Gutenberg
An enormous effort to put classic books online, allowing users to view available texts by title and by author.
Voices from
the Gaps
A database of women of color authors, this site contains authors' biographical information as well as lists of works and pictures.
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
A non-profit research, education, and publishing organizationfounded in 1972.


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You're probably always super busy. But the great news is there are apps that can make your life easier. In this round of the iPhone apps of the week, we're giving you a psychic instant search tool, a video recording app, and much more.
Mixlr: Ever wanted your own radio show? You don't need a multi-million dollar deal with Sirius, because Mixlr will let you broadcast your own program and tune into those produced by other people around the world. The content is up to you—talk radio, all house all the time, or your half-assed attempt at playing the guitar. Free
Grokr: This is a clairvoyant search app that rivals instant results engine Google Now. Take all the apps you use the most—Yelp, Foursquare, CNN, Twitter, Weather, etc.—throw them in a blender, and you get one app that gives you all the useful information before you ask for it. Need a lunch place? Need traffic info. It's all here. Free
Yog: Running is better when you have a buddy. Find new running pals in any city, schedule a jogging sesh, and invite other people to join. You also get basic GPS and pace tracking, and in the end, it ranks you and your buds. A little healthy competition could help make you well, healthier. Free
Slickdeals: Is your wallet hurting this month? Turn to Slickdeals, where you can find deals on products from all around the internet, as well as deals in your neighborhood through services like Groupon and Living Social. Free
YouTube Capture: Have a moment you instantly want to share with the world? YouTube capture loads up all ready to shoot video that you can quickly upload and spread on your social networks. The best part? It won't start shooting until you've turned your phone horizontally, so no annoying vertical iPhone video. Free


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DU hockey: bagel talk with the Brookwells
When a son scores his first career goal, sometimes it creates enough emotion for a proud father to weep.
Just reading this story might create tears in your eyes.
DU sophomore Cody Brookwell scored his first goal March 14 in a 6-3 playoff-series-opening victory over Minnesota-Duluth. Brookwell, the Pioneers' biggest player at 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds, is a proud defensive-defenseman whose complete focus is protecting his own net.
And he does it well. But with every hockey player, scoring a goal is the fun part, and it had taken Brookwell far too long to get his first.
Fittingly, his big opportunity came when being released from the penalty box and accepting a breakaway pass, with a clear route to the opponent's net.
So what did he do? He looked like a true sniper, firing a hard backhander that landed top-shelf to rattle the goalie's water bottle.
So what did Kevin Brookwell, Cody's father, do after hearing about the goal in his Calgary home?
"I was jumping around the house like an idiot and didn't know what to do," Kevin said. "I, like Cody, have been waiting two years for this and I enjoyed every moment with my boy."
Kevin and Cody enjoy each other's company before every DU game. It's a ritual that every father would cherish and every son would appreciate. It's true love, father-son style.
It's the bagel talk.
"Prior to every game Cody gives me a call. It's part of his pre-game routine. We call it the "bagel call" and he goes up into the stands, home or away, and has a pre-game coffee and either a bagel or banana," Kevin said. "Sometimes we chat about nothing, sometimes we chat about the game, but he hasn't missed a call since starting with Denver. I've excused myself from some pretty important meetings to take that call and I'll never miss it."
So what do they talk about?
"We joke about the nice plaque I have for his first NCAA goal. Every call I tell him I'm taking the plaque out of his room and putting in on the coffee table for the game. Every game I ask him if he's getting me that goal so I can mount the puck on the plaque.
"Of course, every game he says he will and after every game, when he calls home, I sadly, but jokingly, tell him I'm putting the plaque back in his room. He knew how big this was for me and he was so proud to make the call (after the goal)."
Cody's teammates know about his bond with his father. They know about the pregame phone call, and that Kevin is Cody's No. 1 fan.
"He must have passed the story on to his teammates at some point, because they were telling him how happy Mr. B was going to be and that Cody should call home to make sure I wasn't lying on the floor with a stroke," Kevin said.
"No stroke . . . just a really proud mom and dad."


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Barney's Rubble
We've got opinions, and we're not afraid to use 'em.
"Think of a magazine for the used-car buyer. It would warn about dealers painting over washed-up yellow cabs and turning back odometers, and show irritated customers how to bring back that lemon. It sure wouldn't praise used-car dealers for their innovation and savvy in ripping customers off! There's a natural tension between buyer and seller. Redmond represents the customer, and the customer is always right.
"We'll tackle issues that readers and customers face, and boldly take your side. Buggy software, poor support, scheming sales, predatory pricing, bloated software, vendor squabbling, needless incompatibility and IT office politics will all get a critical look.
"Good IT books are always in trouble, and we expect plenty of flak. That just shows we're doing a good job. We're big boys. We can take it. But in every case we will be fair. It's easy to take cheap shots, but like Mike Tyson, you just look foolish and mean."
I've long argued that powerful people and companies demand scrutiny and criticism for their missteps. Microsoft, President Obama, Donald Trump -- criticism comes with their territories.
More importantly, my opinions are formed by your opinions. If you have a problem with Windows Vista or Internet Explorer, I have the same problem. If you think SQL Server and SharePoint are great, so do I.
So what do I think of Microsoft?
I'm not just a passive recipient of your opinions. Three times a week I write the Redmond Report e-Newsletter, and on average I get 10 responses per newsletter. That's 30 of you telling me what you think every week. Multiply that by 52, and that's some serious correspondence.
Unlike Donald Trump, I take criticism seriously, and will think twice every time I slam a person, place, product or company to make sure the criticism is measured and deserved. But when Redmond readers slam a person, place, product or company, I'm a more-than-willing conduit.
What do you love or hate about Microsoft? Your e-mail is always welcome at email@example.com.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.
Microsoft announced this week that the Windows operating system already has support for an encrypted Domain Name System option that promises to add greater privacy protections for Internet connections.
The next few years are going to be lively ones for the datacenter, according to research firm IDC's "Futurescape" report.
From PowerPoint to Excel, Microsoft is beefing up its support for digital inking across its Office 365 apps. Here's a snapshot of upcoming features.
Salesforce.com and Microsoft on Thursday announced a strategic partnership on cloud technology use.
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My Cruise on Silverseas' Silver Cloud -- Part Iby E. Schlenk, CruiseMates Contributor | April 30, 2008
In Part 1 of this two-part review, CruiseMates contributor E. Schlenk gives us some insight into luxury cruising on the Silver Cloud.
When our friends heard that we would spend our March, 2008, vacation on the Silver Cloud in the Persian Gulf, their first question was "Why Dubai?" and their second question was "Why Silversea?"
The first question is easy to answer. The Middle East is changing faster than any other part of the world. I am not talking about the destruction of Iraq (and our economy with it). I am talking about the construction of ultra-modern Arab emirate cities with enviable infrastructures and booming economies.
Imagine Walt Disney building a clean and modern Manhattan skyline in the middle of the desert. Add the traffic of Los Angeles, the beachfront of Miami, and the glitz of Las Vegas. Toss in the best shopping malls, the most exotic real estate developments, the tallest building, and the most expensive hotel in the world. Mix in 6 million visitors a year and you have an idea of what Dubai is like today.
And Dubai is just one of five Arab emirates (plus Iran) that we visited on our cruise. The oil in some emirates is already drying out, so they are turning to free trade, international finance, and tourism to secure their future. We wanted to see it all before it was too late -- too late for our dollar, not their dirham.
The second question "Why Silversea?" is a bit more complex. We took our first luxury cruise on the Silver Whisper two years ago. It was a short cruise in the Caribbean, and to be honest, it did not meet our expectations (my review of that cruise may be available on this web site). Perhaps it was because we expected too much or perhaps it was because a four-day cruise sandwiched between private charters was too short for the crew to do their jobs really well. In any case, we decided to give Silversea another chance, and we are glad we did. We thoroughly enjoyed our Silver Cloud cruise in the Persian Gulf.
This review is a detailed summary of our Silver Cloud experience. Keep in mind that a luxury cruise is an investment of more than $10,000 per couple once airfare, pre-cruise hotel, and sightseeing are included, even when the pre- and post-cruise arrangements are made independently in economy and tourist class. Because a cruise like this is a major investment for most of us, this review is intended to give you extensive details to help you get a feeling whether a luxury cruise might be right for you.
Because of the length of this review, I will HIGHLIGHT various topics in all caps so that you can skim down to your own areas of special interest.
This review is divided into THREE PARTS -- luxury cruises in general, our Silver Cloud cruise in particular, and independent (and inexpensive) sightseeing options in our Persian Gulf ports of call. Today's segment of the review will deal exclusively with Part I.
DISCLAIMER Please keep in mind that what follows are my personal observations. I am not in the travel business and I am not a cruise expert. If there are errors, I apologize in advance. Rely on your own reading and experience to form your own opinions, and you will end up choosing the right cruise style and cruise ship for yourself.
A GOOD BOOK In addition to cruise web sites, some of which seem to be losing speed and functionality because of their cluttered home pages and excessive advertisements, I highly recommend Douglas Ward's book Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships (2007, Berlitz). It has a wealth of information, both objective and subjective, to help you plan your next cruise.
PART 1: LUXURY CRUISING IN GENERAL Everyone has his own idea of the perfect cruise. In the end, it probably is the cruise that makes a guest feel like a VIP and yet totally at ease. White glove service and high tea may not suit someone who prefers to amble in flip-flops and a T-shirt. Zodiac excursions and watersport decks may not suit someone who prefers to foxtrot in formal wear. That is probably why there are so many luxury (and luxury adventure) cruise options.
I mention luxury and adventure cruising in the same breath because the costs may be similar even though the styles are worlds apart. An interesting development in the luxury cruise industry is that some of the traditional luxury cruise lines are adding expeditionary ships (think ice-hardened hulls and polar itineraries) to their fleets. You will be reading more about these ships as they enter service. So far, our experience with adventure cruising has been limited to chartered yachts in the Galapagos Islands, so I will not cover that option here.
DEFINING LUXURY For me, several characteristics define a luxury cruise: the high level of attentive yet unobtrusive service; superior cuisine and fine wines without surcharge; sedate and spacious cabins and public areas; unusual itineraries with uncrowded or even undiscovered ports of call; the absence of noise, announcements, and waiting lines; enrichment lectures and interesting activities, with less emphasis on entertainment and more emphasis on learning; inclusive drinks and gratuities; and (we have been happy to experience) well-educated, friendly, and unpretentious fellow passengers.
SERVICE On mainstream cruise ships the service may sometimes be attentive, but it can sometimes seem informal and too chummy. Some luxury ships have a more traditional attitude toward service. We noticed that after the first day on the Silver Cloud our stewards and servers greeted us by surname, but they did not converse further unless we wanted to engage them in conversation. They anticipated most of our needs, and they responded quickly and positively when we had any questions or special requests. On a personal note, my wife was recovering from an illness during our Silver Cloud cruise, and she truly appreciated the kindness and attentiveness of the entire staff.
Good service during meals is silent and seamless. Courses are presented and cleared without flourish, and wine glasses are changed or refilled without intrusion. The service is so smooth that it is not noticeable. Part of this is due to good training, and part is due to the high crew to passenger ratios on luxury ships. Silversea, for example, has at least two crew members for every three passengers. The smaller size of the dining rooms and public areas adds to the quality of the service. There is no background noise to interfere with conversations, and servers very skillfully handle china and flatware to avoid making noise.
SPACE Space ratios are a measure of the volume of enclosed space on a ship, expressed in tonnage per passenger. In this case tonnage is a measure of volume, not weight. Mainstream cruise lines usually have space ratios in the high 30s or low 40s. Except for the smallest (Sea Dream and Seabourn) ships in this category, luxury ships generally have space ratios in the 50s or 60s. Silversea's newer ships, the Whisper and the Shadow, have space ratios in the 70s. When cruising this difference is very noticeable.
EXOTIC ITINERARIES Small luxury ships travel the world and are able to dock at unusual ports that have not yet been overrun by oversized cruise ships. This can be a negative, however, when inexperienced local immigration authorities make life difficult, or when the cruise line's central office is less than organized regarding visa or entry requirements for their exotic ports of call. Silversea's disorganization in this regard was a disappointment, but more about that later.
PEACE AND QUIET Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of a luxury cruise is the peace and quiet in the ship's public areas. For example, there is no pool-side music (except on special occasions), and the fitness area is equipped with headphones for the DVD players and TVs at each workout station. There is no muzak and there are minimal announcements. On mainstream cruise ships I sometimes end up wearing earplugs to gain some peace and quiet. On luxury ships this is unnecessary.
ENTERTAINMENT Because luxury ships are relatively small, entertainment tends to be intimate, usually soloists rather than production numbers. Personally, I would rather listen to a top-notch soloist in a small venue than watch a chorus line of singers and dancers in an over-amplified Broadway-type theater. Luxury ships tend to include enrichment programs, usually well known speakers on a variety of topics. Fortunately, mainstream cruise lines are finally adopting similar enrichment programs, which can make days at sea more enjoyable. A bonus on a small ship is the likelihood of meeting or dining with the guest lecturers and musicians, who can be very interesting conversationalists. They were on our cruise.
FELLOW PASSENGERS Yes, some luxury cruise passengers are very rich (on our cruise one big game hunter expressed his need for a Marco Polo sheep to make his trophy collection complete, and one car enthusiast wore his Ferrari-owners logo shirt), but most passengers are simply well-off, having saved wisely during their hard-working careers. Unlike private country or social clubs, wealth and status do not seem to be an issue on these cruises � fellow passengers are friendly and unpretentious. Dinner conversations can be the highlight of each day, since passengers come from such varied backgrounds. On mainstream cruises my wife and I often request a table for two. On luxury cruises we prefer to be seated at a large table because of the very interesting conversations.
SIZE Ship size and space ratios seem to be the greatest variables among luxury vessels. These ships range from small (100-400 passengers) such as Sea Dream, Europa, Seabourn, and Silversea; medium (400-800 passengers) such as Regent Seven Seas: large (800-1200 passengers) such as Crystal; and very large such as Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (2,600 passengers).
Some travelers feel that the former Renaissance vessels currently sailing with Oceania and Azamara are medium-sized luxury ships, but others prefer to categorize them as "deluxe" rather than luxury because of the smaller size of their cabins: 216 sq. ft. standard balcony cabins, 160 sq. ft. inside cabins, and some 143 sq. ft. obstructed-view outside cabins (10 sq. ft. approximately equal one sq. meter). Some feel that the very large ships of Cunard are hybrids with more than one level of food and service, and only their "grill class" qualifies as luxurious. Oceania, Azamara, and Cunard can be excellent options, however, when lower prices compensate for differences in cabin size or level of service.
THE FUTURE Luxury cruise lines are adding new-builds to their fleets. These new ships seem to show "bracket creep" and are larger than their older sister ships, perhaps because larger ships are more profitable to operate. Personally I regret this development, since I find the intimacy and personal attention of a smaller ship among the most enjoyable aspects of luxury cruising.
Whether the current economic downturn affects the luxury cruise market remains to be seen. Affluent passengers may be relatively insulated from market cycles, and luxury cruise prices may remain steady or may even increase in spite of a faltering economy. It is too soon to tell.
One thing that is likely is that small luxury ships will "follow the money". That means more cruises in the "euro zone" where the currency is not under the same downward momentum as the US dollar. After all, what cruise line wants to book a trip in dollars only to have the value of those dollars erode during the months between contracting and cruising? Perhaps the euro will become the shipboard currency on more ships in the future. Certainly the strength of the euro and the pound sterling means that European cruisers are getting a de facto discount that Americans are not. As a result, Americans accounted for fewer than 25% of the passengers on our cruise, the first time we have been in such a small minority on any of our twenty previous cruises.
HEALTH AND SAFETY A lesser known and perhaps just theoretical advantage of small luxury ships involves health and safety. Norovirus and more serious disease outbreaks begin with an index case and spread quickly in areas where people live and eat in close quarters. It seems logical that the risk of a disease outbreak would be much lower on smaller ships with fewer passengers.
Similarly, a small ship should be easier to re-route in case of terrorism or political turmoil, and easier to evacuate in case of an accident or fire. The latter may seem far-fetched, but cruise ships have run aground, been attacked by sea pirates, experienced a major fire, and have even sunk in the last few years. Again, these considerations are theoretical and are just as dependent on the training and ability of the cruise line administration and crew as on the size of the ship. A disorganized central office or an under-trained crew can theoretically negate the small ship advantage.
COST Price is probably the major factor for most travelers when considering a luxury cruise. I have not researched prices recently, but it is my impression that true luxury cruises are priced around 600-700 US dollars per person per day (pppd) for the least expensive cabin category (an outside suite, which may not include a balcony on some cruise lines such as Silversea), although discounts to $500 pppd seem reasonably common, and discounts to $400 pppd on repositioning or less popular itineraries are sometimes available.
VALUE I rationalize that if one takes the per diem cost of a standard cabin on a mainstream cruise ship; then adds the cost of gratuities, adds the cost of wine and other drinks, and adds the cost of better quality (surcharged) dining; then doubles this amount to cover the cost of higher space ratios and higher crew to passenger ratios on luxury ships, one has a reasonable price comparison for a luxury cruise of the same itinerary. Some would argue that large (300+ sq. ft.) suites with butler service on a mainstream cruise ship are directly comparable to a small ship luxury cruise, but I have never taken (or priced) that option.
As an example, the Costa Romantica sailed from Dubai on a similar but slightly shorter itinerary than the Silver Cloud's. The price pppd for a standard outside cabin with the usual surcharges on the Romantica was about half the price pppd of our cruise, so I felt we received a reasonable value for our money on the Silver Cloud.
For those travelers not used to spending $400 to $500 plus per day on themselves, it takes a bit of effort not to think of what one could be doing with that money instead, especially if one is traveling to third world countries where donating that amount might feed someone for an entire year. I have had those thoughts in the past and have acted on them, but now that I am older, I enjoy luxury cruises guilt-free. It is a personal issue that everyone must settle for him or herself.
To read part 2 of this review, just click here!