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This thread's discussion is locked. If it doesn't give you the information you need, head to its forum board for active discussions or to start a new discussion.
I would like to know why Telus has decided to drop the current Optik TV Smart Remote app to adopt their new and most confusing Optik TV GO or whatever its called.
With the new app you will no longer be able to:
1) use your phone as a Remote,
2) change channels on your various boxes from your phone using the guide, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION I CAN THINK OF FOR YOUR SERVICE. THIS FUNCTION ALLOWS ME OR FAMILY MEMBER TO CHECK THE GUIDE AND CHANGE CHANNELS WITHOUT HAVING TO USE THE ON-SCREEN GUIDE.
3) use the guide to jump to future dates or days
4) easily record and change record settings using the guide.
5) manage your recordings on your PVR.
My assumption is that the old app was powered by i.TV and Telus thought they could do a better job and not have to pay for i.TV rights to use. Well you didn't do a good job and actually succeeded in making a great app worse.
The new app is extremely confusing and I consider myself to be a bit of a tech nerd. Multiple clicks required to drill into functions of the app, confusing record and show listings when using the guide.
For all those who wish to see the old app remain functional chime in here.
Came here and registered to say just what you said. The smart remote app is a REMOTE CONTROL. The optik tv app is not.
I also registered just to record my displeasure at this "replacement" of one of the best things about Optik TV.
The new app should not be called Optik TV because it has nothing whatsoever to do with our televisions.
The ability to scroll quickly through the guide to find a program and then to switch the TV to that channel is beautiful.
My showing people the Remote App has caused several of my friends and neighbours to switch from Shaw to Optik and now you are dropping it.
Even if I wanted to watch TV on my phone, which I have difficulty imagining, this new app doesn't fit on a phone. Everything is way to big to scroll through and browse. Did the designer make it fit on his laptop?
I am really angry about this and I'm pretty sure you don't care.
Cliff in Sherwood Park
I agree completely. I especially miss the loss of the Search Optik TV function in the Guide.
With the Smart Remote app it was relatively easy to search for a show and set a recording. I didn't have to know the time or channel. How to do this in the new app? I tried searching and the results were dismal.
This is a total step backwards.
I agree. Whenever I search all I get is PVR or VOD content. I totally didn't clue in that the guide content wasn't showing as the show I was searching for didn't air often.
Telus has made a mistake by not including all the "remote control" features of the old app in the new one. The only thing they left in there is the ability to set up a program to be recorded by the PVR. What I need is remote control of the PVR from distant rooms in my house. Watching TV on my iPad is not going to be very useful to me.
Here is how I use the old Telus Optik app:
I have 3 TVs in my house in 3 different rooms, all TVs are connected to one Telus PVR (my only Optik device) located in the family room. All TVs show the same video from the PVR box. Each TV is connected by a different video wiring method, living room TV is a new Sony 55" connected by HDMI and in a home theatre type setup with AVR and 5.1 speakers etc, family room has a smaller low-end 1080P TV connected by component video, kitchen TV is composite video, and I might eventually hook up a 4th TV in a bedroom by the house coax wiring (VHF channel 3 or 4). In the distant rooms I control the channel selection and PVR playback using the old Telus Optik app on an iPad, the old app works quite well as a remote control, although it has some minor problems.
The ability to play TV programs on my iPad with the new app is interesting but I will probably do that very infrequently.
If Telus does not want to put the full "virtual remote control" functions in the new app, I have a suggestion. Why not release a smaller app that is simply an emulation of the standard plastic infrared remote control? All customers know how to use the standard remote control, so that would make things easy for them. The GUI would simply show a picture of an Optik remote and the user would just press the virtual buttons. No need for the app to have a lot of information to display as the TV screen shows all that stuff, just like with the actual plastic remote control.
Here is a secondary issue. It needs to be pointed out that Telus has taken an annoying and crass approach in both the previous Optik app and the new one. The apps are obviously designed to get people to buy pay-per-view movies and programs. Telus should be less money-grabbing and instead concentrate on improving the customer experience of the Optik system.
This app works great for using optik tv. Who is the freakin idiot at Telus who has decided to close the app. Give customers something that is useful then take it away. Bunch of jerks. Time to switch back to shaw I guess.
@rkd2999 wrote:
I agree completely. I especially miss the loss of the Search Optik TV function in the Guide.
With the Smart Remote app it was relatively easy to search for a show and set a recording. I didn't have to know the time or channel. How to do this in the new app? I tried searching and the results were dismal.
This is a total step backwards.
I didn't know they were replacing it with anything. On my IPAD it says only that it is "retiring" in June. Would be great if TELUS publicized the replacement. Disappointing to hear it will be missing many of the features. Definitely would prefer the old app to remain.
@Alister wrote:
The ability to be able to easily access the PVR functionality remotely, view the guide to set recordings etc is a key functionality of a PVR. Why you'd remove this is beyond me.
Surely this can be added into the existing app?
The current Optik app includes a guide from which you can set recordings on the PVR. Same as the old one. The feature people are concerned about in this discussion was the Smart Remote functionality which was the ability to control some features on the set top boxes like a physical remote control could.
We are not using our phones to emulate the remote Nighthawk.
We are scrolling quickly and efficiently through the guide to something we want to watch and then switching to that channel with a simple tap.
Scrolling through the guide with the "new" app is incredibly frustrating due to the size of the icons and when I find what I want I can't switch to it unless I want to watch it on my phone.
Why would our old app be removed when so many consider it important?
This discussion is specifically regarding the remote features on the old app. Not the guide. If you have specific concerns that are not related to the remote control feature on the old app specifically, it would be best to start a new discussion on the forums here to have those specific concerns addressed.
Go back and read the first post here.
Yes our concern is that the new app won't control our TV/Optik box
But we are not trying to use our phones "as" remotes (instead of the Optik remote)
We are complaining that the new app does not control our Optik box.
I think I just ran across the reason the "new app" is so awful to use on our phones and tablets.
It's really a browser app meant for your laptop/desktop.
You can go to : https://watchoptik.telus.com
Log in to your Optik TV account and you will see the "New App" fitting nicely on a monitor.
So I assume this thing was designed on someone's laptop and then just squashed to try to fit it on our phones.
That would explain why the new "Optik Not-TV" app is so unbelievably clunky and over-sized on a mobile device.
Why the ability to tap on a show and have my Telus box switch to that show is being dropped I cannot imagine.
That is the single biggest advantage Telus has over Shaw in my opinion.
Totally agree that the new app is horrible to use. It's designed for watching On Demand on your mobile device - not remotely controlling your PVR. I love the old/existing app. If I forgot to set my PVR for something I could easily do it while on the go from my iPhone. Please can we have the same programming grid layout in the new app? I can easily jump to any day/time and channel to hit record. The new grid layout barely lets you see one hour's worth of programming per screen.
I tried to put my concerns into a review of the new "Optik TV" app in the App Store, but the review cannot be submitted, the App Store (on my iPad Air) gets hung when I press the Send button. Anyone else tried to write a review?
Just perused the app that we are now being directed to as the one I have used is flagging that it will no longer be supported as of June 26. The old app worked really well, the new app is horrible, I thought I was a bit of a techy but this surely does not apply to being able to use the newer app, intuitive does not apply here at all. Please keep the old app running; the guide function, scrolling ahead into the future and setting PVR recordings from off site are all really great. The new app, dare I say again; horrible.
My Optik TV boxes are not in the same room as my TV's, and in one case on a different floor of my house. I rely on the Smart Remote app to control my Optik TV boxes. They are discontinuing the app later in June 2018 and their new Optik TV app does not have the Smart Remote feature enabled. I spoke to Telus Technical Support and they provided me with this information. Without the Smart Remote app, I cannot control my boxes, making the Optik system completely useless. I will have to cancel my Optik TV service and talk to another provider.
Not sure why Telus would cancel the Smart Remote app BEFORE they have the features enabled in their new app.
The existing Smart Remote app is poor, but I have been tolerating it for the last 3+ years as I have no other choice. It needs to be refreshed and I was looking forward to hopefully a better upgrade in the new app, but now Telus is just cancelling it without replacing it.

subset: commoncrawl


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So, still caught up in the battle of its life over health care reform, the Obama administration has been hit with what it perceives as a "great" idea -- using First Lady Michelle Obama as its "secret weapon" to help sway minds:
"What she's doing is putting a personal and human face on the issue ... there's nothing more crucial," said Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn. "Everybody gets sick, and everybody has someone in the family that gets sick."
"I think if you can humanize it and personalize it, it suddenly brings it home to people -- especially those who are screaming and yelling about the government taking over," Quinn said.
On Friday, the first lady, a former hospital administrator, spoke about the issue to a crowd at the White House, highlighting her own family's experience with health care.
In one touching moment, Obama recalled when daughter Sasha exhibited signs of potentially deadly meningitis when she was 4 months old.
"We didn't know what, but he [the doctor] told us she could have meningitis, so we were terrified. He said get to the emergency room right away," she said. "Fortunately, things worked out."
"But it is that moment in our lives that flashes through my head every time we engage in this health insurance conversation. It's that moment in my life, because I think about what on earth would we have done if we had not had insurance."
Great idea? How about a really, really, really bad, no-good, awful idea!?!?!?
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
I guess we should forgive the Obamas. After all, there is no precedent for a first lady getting involved in health care reform, right?
How ironic that this administration, which has been trying so hard to do exactly what the opposite of what the Clinton administration did during the 1993-94 health care battle that it finds itself about ready to repeat perhaps its biggest blunder:
That would be turning the expressly non-political office of First Lady into a clearly propagandizing extra arm of the administration's policy shop.
True, Michelle Obama making a few comments here and there about what it was like when her daughters were sick isn't on the same scale as Hillary Rodham Clinton running behind-closed-door meetings with 100-some health-care analysts and experts. But stepping away from the ceremonial aspects of the Office of the First Lady carries major risks. This is especially true when she's not championing a relatively non-controversial topic such as keeping kids off drugs (a la Nancy Reagan). One could hardly get more controversial than the contentious health-care debate.
The major risk here is that by making Michelle a political agent, it invites political attacks from the opposition. Right now, the first lady is rightly off-limits from political attacks. But, as the '90s showed, a first lady can sustain major damage once she plunges into a battle over policy.
We've seen this movie before, President Obama. It doesn't end well. Don't bother giving your wife a supporting role. Trust me. She'll end up thanking you (unless she's interested in running for Senate herself someday).
New York writer Robert A. George blogs at Ragged Thots. Follow him on Twitter.


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1970 Super Bee - Front Inner Fender Replacement
Installing a factory part the way the factory never planned
It's a common problem that many have already had to or will have to deal with-rust. Let's face it, short of finding a car stored in a climate-controlled garage, any Mopar project we try to undertake is going to have some rust somewhere. But it's usually just a simple matter of contacting the appropriate restoration supply house and getting the parts needed. What if the afflicted area doesn't have a replacement piece of metal available? Let's take, for instance, the driver-side inner front fender of our '70 Super Bee. The battery tray mounting area had a fairly large rusted area brought about by many years of battery acid slowly eating away at it, and no replacement is available. We can either weld a piece in where the rust is apparent, or find either a nice panel at a swap meet that has been removed from a donor car or hope to find a N.O.S. panel at the same swap meet.
Luckily for us, a N.O.S. panel came with the deal when we bought the car, so now all we needed to do was to remove the old one and weld the new one in place. Sounds simple, right? Depending on your mechanical/body repair skills, you might consider it an easy task. Let's say you have found a good, used inner fender at the swap meet, and you bought it. You now have an idea of what it takes to remove the one already on your car. Each of the little holes drilled around the edge of the panel is not a bunch of holes that some dimwit just decided to place on the panel. Nope, those holes are where the welds used to be that held the panel to the car. You will need to do the same thing to the panel currently on your car. to find the locations of all those holes, simply look for the dimples around the edges.
From the factory, the inner fender is welded to the body structure by "pinch welding." an easy description of that process is to picture two long metal fingers, one is touching the inside of the panel; the other is touching the structure outside of the panel. An electrical current is now sent through the "fingers," and the two areas directly under the finger tips are fused together-instant bondage. When it comes time to drill the welds, here is where the first of your specialty tools comes into play. You will need a spot-weld cutter. A spot-weld cutter will cut the area that has been welded, and makes the panel come loose from the structure without drilling through the structure itself. After you get all the welds drilled, all you need to do is clean up the structure with a grinder, and you're ready to place the new panel in the car.
Since we are not a large body shop that just happens to have a pinch welder handy, we'll have to attach our panel with a "plug-weld" system. A plug weld is nothing more than a hole filled in by welding. It may take a little work to make a plug weld look like a pinch weld, but what else are we to do? Remember, we had a N.O.S. panel to install that didn't have any holes already drilled in it from removal. So, first we needed to make all the required holes in the new panel so we could weld it to the structure. Another thing to keep in mind is, you simply cannot weld the inner fender on without taking some measurements. The inner fender attaches to the cowl and the radiator support, and the distance must be measured to ensure proper fender, hood, bumper, grill, and other parts all align during final assembly. Take the time to measure the distances from a flat point on the cowl (we used the body seam) and the radiator support. We also took a lot of measurements from different locations, just to give us more than one reference point, and we recommend you do the same.
Now that you have the panel resting in its new location and all your measurements taken, use a couple sets of locking pliers to hold it in place. If you are undertaking this job, we will assume you either have a mig welder of your own or have been able to borrow a buddy's. Either way, without it, you can't continue. That's the second specialty tool you'll need.
Now it's time to weld, and the best advice we can give you is to take your time. With the panel in place, begin welding at the center of the hole and work your way to the outside of the circle. Try to keep the weld build-up to a minimum to alleviate the need for a lot of grinding later. If you take your time, you can make the welded spots look relatively close to what a pinch weld looks like. And the subsequent painting will hide your devious secret.


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Uintah Basin agencies prepare to share data
SALT LAKE CITY – May 10, 2007 – Seven public safety agencies in Utah's Uintah Basin area are preparing to share data and build interoperability using high-tech solutions from Spillman Technologies, a leading public safety software provider headquartered in Salt Lake City.
With Vernal Police Department Chief Gary Jensen driving the project, the Uintah Basin Communications Governing Board purchased the Spillman system using a generous grant from the Permanent Community Impact Board. The new software system will connect regional agencies including the Uintah, Daggett, and Duchesne county sheriff's offices; the Vernal, Naples, and Roosevelt police departments; and the Uintah Basin Consolidated Communications Center.
I have used the Spillman product while working with the Davis County Sheriff's Office before I became the chief of police in Vernal," said Jensen. I was impressed with the versatility and user-friendly nature of the product and felt that it could really benefit our tri-county area."
The Spillman software will allow participating agencies to access vital information stored in local, state, and national databases in real time. For example, agencies will be able to quickly search for information such as drivers' licenses, warrants, stolen vehicles, missing persons, and criminal histories.
The major benefit that we are excited about is the information sharing available to all of the agencies that we are dispatching for," said Laconna Davis, supervisor at the Uintah Basin Consolidated Communications Center.
Davis said that dispatchers are looking forward to using Spillman's Geobase feature, a Geographical Information System (GIS) that creates an integrated database of geo-referenced points to accurately map and pinpoint locations.
Our counties have made this a priority with the new Spillman purchase," said Davis. This will alleviate a lot of stress and decision making when we have the mapping side for the dispatchers."
Spillman's Mobile Communications and Computer-Aided Dispatch products will also provide interoperability between local Utah Highway Patrol officers and the Uintah Basin agencies. Each agency will be linked with all other public safety agencies in Utah using Spillman through the InSight product, Spillman's multi-jurisdictional data sharing tool.
I think the greatest asset that we will gain from Spillman is the interoperability, agency to agency, as the county sheriff agencies and three city police agencies come together to share data," said Jensen. I am very excited to be moving toward a consolidated effort by all law enforcement agencies within the Uintah Basin. Coming together for the success of all is huge and unprecedented in our area."
According to Jensen, the software project may present some new geographical challenges because of the extensive area involved. But he is more than optimistic about the outcome.
With any multi-jurisdictional effort there will also be hurdles as we attempt to set up and implement the system," said Jensen. As I am certain our success will dictate, we will be much more effective law enforcement practitioners and move from a largely reactive enforcement stance to a proactive stance."
The Uintah Basin public safety agencies join 93 other public safety agencies in Utah using Spillman. The agencies went live with the new system on April 2.
We are excited to partner with the Uintah Basin tri-county agencies in building a truly interoperable system that will benefit the entire region," said Joe Lunt, vice president of sales and marketing for Spillman Technologies. We look forward to meeting their data sharing needs with our integrated, high-tech solutions."
Spillman Technologies provides a full range of software solutions for public safety agencies, including Computer-Aided Dispatch, Records Management, Mobile Communications, Corrections Management, Fire/EMS Management, Resource Management, and Data Sharing. The software is installed at nearly 700 agencies nationwide.


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These are all the News & Announcements posted on Monday, 8 October, 2012.
Logan Library Logo Contest
Your Logan Library needs a new logo, and as a non-profit, community focused and patron based service, we would like your help to design it!
Our logo contest is underway but there is still plenty of time to submit your design. All entries must be submitted by midnight on November 15, 2012. Check out our Logo Contest Page for more information and be sure to read the Contest Rules. All entries should be submitted here.
We are excited to see your design - good luck!
Posted By Logan Library at 10:06 AM in Category:Events
Link directly to this article.
The Latest News!
Oct 16, 2018
» Community Book Discussion Oct 10, 2018
» The Dead Awaken Oct 5, 2018
» Library Closed Columbus Day


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MySoti allows you to upload your original artwork and make it available to the world to purchase as incredible products such as T-Shirts, Canvas prints and Posters.
You need a PayPal account if you want to be paid for your sales
We pay our commisions using PayPal because it's the easiest, quickest and most consistent way of getting money to you. PayPal registration is free, and all you need is an email address in order to use it.
Every time one of your MySoti products is purchased, we automatically take note of the commission/mark-up that you've earned from that sale here on the website.
e.g. If you have a shirt that has a base price [the MySoti price] of $10.00 and you've added a mark-up of 10% to that shirt, then as soon as it has made a sale you will see your earnings - in this case $1.00 - displayed within your 'My Details' page.
We work on exactly the same principal with other currencies as we do with your own. So if a shirt has a base price of £10.00 (British Pounds) and your mark-up is 10% then you would earn £1.00 for that sale.
Again this will be shown under the 'Sales' tab of your 'My Details' page.
We make payments to your PayPal accounts within the first week of every month (depending on national and bank holidays etc).
These consist of three seperate transactions (assuming you've made sales in all three currencies); one for each currency that we handle - USD (US Dollars), GBP (Great British Pounds) and EUR (Euros).
We actually pay you for the previous month's sales from the 21st of the month before last to the 20th of the last month.
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MySoti is a place where designers can upload original artwork and turn it into awesome, real-life products for sale that we print and ship out to customers worldwide!


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Many people were disappointed when they discovered that the iPad 2 wouldn't feature a retina display – the kind of high-resolution display that makes the screen on the iPhone 4 so attractive. Now, Samsung has unveiled a brand new 10.1-inch display that supports a maximum of 2560×1600 pixel resolution that could be ripe for next generation tablets, including the inevitable iPad 3.
Samsung's new display is more of a tech demo than anything else at this stage. While it looks impressive, it's not quite ready for broad production. It does, however, prove that high pixel density and high-resolution tablet displays are possible without unreasonable power requirements coming along in the process. Samsung may choose to use the new display in its own tablets before manufacturing displays for other companies, but we may not have to wait very long before we see them on the markets.
Its unlikely that Apple will want to use this specific Samsung model for the iPad 3. Aside from the fact that Samsung's prototype is the wrong size for the iPad's form factor (the iPad uses a 9.7-inch display,) Samsung's PenTile technology for its displays differs significantly from the IPS displays that Apple prefers for its devices. However other tablet manufacturers, including Samsung, Motorola, and Acer have no such reservations when it comes to their own tablets.
The prototype may pave the way for future tablets that have high-resolution displays with reasonable battery lives. Samsung's PenTile displays reportedly require 40% less power than standard LCD displays, and keep their brightness even when viewed in direct sunlight.
The new display will be at the SID Display Week 2011 trade show next week in Los Angeles. Samsung isn't saying when or where we'll see the new displays in production, but its unlikely that they'll sit on such potentially profitable technology for very long.
Read more at BusinessWire via TUAW and ExtremeTech


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Synerion by the numbers
Amazing Features & Simple Interface
Synerion's mobile app allows for employees to request time off, check schedules and more anywhere anytime.
…We reviewed several potential vendor solutions and Synerion stood out as the clear choice. The application was intuitive and easy for us to adapt to and capable of customizing to manage our complex requirements. Clearly Synerion has proven to be a worthy business partner.
Aside from the great system functionality, the implementation phase was very smooth, and the on-going customer support is awesome.
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Bringing the universe to the street: FETTU
20 May 2010
From Earth to the Universe has just published an article on Journal of Science Communication: Bringing the universe to the street. A preliminary look at informal learning implications for a large-scale non-traditional science outreach project
Abstract: "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) is a collection of astronomical images that showcase some of the most popular, current views of our Universe. The images, representing the wide variety of astronomical objects known to exist, have so far been exhibited in about 500 locations throughout the world as part of the International Year of Astronomy. In the United States, over 40 FETTU exhibits have occurred in 25 states in such locations as libraries, airports, nature centers, parks and college campuses. Based on preliminary evaluations currently underway, this project – a large-scale, worldwide astronomy outreach in non-traditional locations – has unique opportunities and implications for informal science learning. We present some early findings from the observational section of the exhibit's formal evaluation in five selected locations in the U.S. and U.K., including emphasis on inter-organizational networking, visitor attention and participant make-up as well as generative aspects of the exhibit.
More information: http://jcom.sissa.it/archive/09/02/Jcom0902(2010)A01/
Search IYA2009 Updates
National Nodes: 148
Organisational Nodes: 40
Organisational Associates:33
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Special Task Groups: 11
Special Projects:16
Official Products:8
Media Partners:22


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Music Greats Support CUCS's Worthy Cause
As highlighted in the event's film presentation "Rebuilding Lives Together†CUCS has been hands on in it's approach to helping the less fortunate in our society in their struggle to regain hope and dignity in their lives.
[Entertainment: Music]
Philanthropy and music embraced in a celebration of good-will at an event hosted by The Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), recently.
The musical benefit themed "Band Together" was at the Lefrak Theatre, American Museum of Natural History -- proceeds will assist CUCS in it's goal of curbing the homelessness crisis that is now at record levels in New York City.
As highlighted in the event's film presentation "Rebuilding Lives Together" CUCS has been hands on in it's approach to helping the less fortunate in our society in their struggle to regain hope and dignity in their lives. The testimonials by beneficiaries of CUCS's programs spoke volumes to the invaluable role of the organization.
Host for the evening, CBS 2 News anchor Maurice Dubois, introduced the audience to the Seamus Blake Quartet, the first of the two bands chosen for the occasion.
With many accolades under his belt as a saxophonist/composer, Mr. Blake and his trio treated the audience to a sample of his compositions which included "Jupiter Rising" featuring the very accomplished and spirited Dave Kikosi on piano. Invoking the evening's theme and much to the audience's delight, the quartet which also included bassist Danton Boller and drummer Donald Edwards "banded" with soprano saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and vocalist Norah Jones on her song "Northern Lights."
Following Mr. Blake- in somewhat of an interlude - was an appearance by special guest Norah Jones. Playing on acoustic piano, her voice crystal-clear and sultry, this multiple Grammy Award winner reminded as to why amidst the din that is now popular music she still reigns with crossover appeal.
Included in her repertoire was the playful love-ballad to her dog, which left one to muse as to whether any canine has ever been so honored; and to crave just a bit more of her short yet remarkable performance.
Ravi Coltrane Quartet appeared last on the program and continued to grace the evening with excellence renditions. Like Norah, the daughter of legendary Indian composer/ sitarist Ravi Sankar, the young Coltrane is proof of the genetic advantage that underlies the mastery of talent. The son of the prolific jazz saxophonist/ composer John Coltrane, Ravi shows that as a chip of the old block he is destined to continue this legacy.
With quartet members Drew Gress on bass, Luis Perdomo on piano and EJ Strickland on drums the Coltrane ensemble treated the audience to a impressive session which included a tribute to his son entitled "One Wheeler For Will."
The evening's finale consisted of a collaboration in which Seamus Blake and Dave Kikosi on soprano sax together with the Coltrane quartet succeeding in 'bringing down the house' on this very special evening. The wonderful event was held on June 2nd.
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I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
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From the Cheap Seats: Helton GS? Cargo goes yard to tie it up? What's more?
From the Cheap Seats will feature occasional posts from the viewpoint of Rockies fans, in the Rock Pile, around town and all around. Interested in being a fan blogger? Email email@example.com with the subject line "Rockies blogger."
How about a $60 gift card for being one of those fans on the jumbo screen playing a mid-inning game?
I got to be one of the lucky fans — do you ever wonder how they pick them? — to appear on camera to play a board game of no import but with a nice payday. They tell me it was called "Blinko" (officially it's Baseball Bonanza) or some-such and I chose a letter from the team name for a baseball to drop into a slot with a dollar amount.
Nice. I'm horribly unlucky, or at least not lucky enough to be chosen for a free anything. That's why it was fun to have the Rockies rep show up at my seat — Sec. 128, row 28 — and ask if I wanted to play. Sure!
Unlucky reared its head when I "won" the minimum amount: $60 in a gift card rather than the maximum $750. Oh well. Free money.
The best part of my first game of the new season at Coors Field was that I had already decided beforehand to buy a new Rockies cap. Mine had shrunken enough over the years and was so misshaped that I needed to replace it. Great timing.
Now, the game. What a fun time, despite the disappointment of a loss and the embarrassment of Moyer's awful outing. He's really trying and I could see that, but he was getting thumped. I even left a day of beard growth as a sign of support to the 49-year-old starter — I'm two months older than he — in what I will call my "Moyer." Just enough grey to show age, but not too much that you look "old." I encourage every male fan of that age to do so with each of his starts.
When Todd Helton stepped out of the dugout to pinch hit, I looked down to Peyton Manning sitting in Sec. 130, Row 1 — no kidding (!) — to see if he saw his ole bud. He did. Pointed at him and nudged his new receiver, Eric Decker, who seemed more into his phone than the game.
I looked at my wife — and she will verify this — and I said, "If he goes yard, this place is gonna go absolutely freakin' nuts."
So be it. It was a blast. The second pinch-hit grand slam I'd seen at Coors. The other was Jamey Carroll on Aug. 11, 2007, vs. the Cubs.
Then my favorite player, Carlos Gonzalez — about whom I've been much criticized for opining of the similarity between him and the great Joe DiMaggio — goes yard to tie it up in extra innings in what was a great day for himself. Yeah, yeah. Criticize all you want. Cargo's the first player jersey I've bought since I had Bobby Murcer as a kid in The Bronx. That's 40 years ago.
It was a great first game of the year for me — I had to opt out of Game 2 — and the Rox looked good. A few pieces here and there I'm not at all thrilled about, but overall, a nice-looking lineup.
PS (May2): I won't even mention (much) Cargo's homer last night in a losing effort. Gorgeous poke to right. Lovely stuff.


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major macro economic indicators
|2018 (e)
|2019 (f)
|GDP growth (%)
|Inflation (yearly average, %)
|Budget balance (% GDP)
|Current account balance (% GDP)
|Public debt * (% GDP)
(e): Estimate. (f): Forecast. *Debt guaranteed by the State included.
- Geostrategic position at the entrance to the Red Sea; supported from the international community
- Emergence as a regional hub for trading, logistics and military
- Substantial FDI inflows
- Ongoing efforts to modernise infrastructure
- High risk of over-indebtedness
- Increasingly dependent on Ethiopia and China
- Large informal economy: endemic poverty and unemployment
- Dry climate
- Difficult business climate
Risk assessment
Investments support non-inclusive growth
In 2019, growth will likely be strong, continuing to be driven by many new investments (25% of GDP), most of which will be foreign, as well as by the effects of previous government investments aimed at making the country the main logistics hub in the region, thanks to its strategic geographical location. The biggest initiative is the Chinese-financed Djibouti Free Trade Zone, inaugurated in 2018 and set to become the largest in Africa. With more than 20 companies (mainly from China) planning to set up bases, growth should be boosted from 2019 onwards, with more than 12,000 jobs created in the near term and over 300,000 further out. However, the pace of investment growth could soften due to investor concerns, particularly over the government's unilateral decision to terminate DP World's management of the new container terminal at the Port of Doraleh, and nationalise the company's shares (one third) pending a financial arrangement. The Chinese government, which is the country's largest investor, voiced its official concerns after President Guelleh said that China might lose its monopoly over management of the free trade zone, which could threaten Chinese investments, including those intended for the construction of two cargo airports. However, these developments are not expected to hinder the expansion of port activity, which has been strengthened by the new Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway line, which came into service in 2018. Djibouti is currently Ethiopia's only access to the sea, and the strategic partnership between the two allows 90% of Ethiopian exports to pass through the country. The remaining investments will be aimed at developing salt production, fisheries, renewable energies, and tourism, and will be largely provided by the private sector. As the state is already heavily indebted, public investment could decline. For this reason, 2019 could see a widening of the gap separating the modern portion of the economy – which is focused on services (the tertiary sector represents 77% of GDP), particularly transport, logistics and construction, which benefit from trade – and the archaic informal portion (60% of companies, mainly individual and service firms). The population is largely dependent on the latter, reflecting the fact that growth remains non-inclusive. However, people should benefit from the job creation resulting from investment. The unemployment rate of almost 50% is therefore expected to decline, which, combined with moderate inflation (the Djibouti franc is pegged to the US dollar), will stimulate private consumption, which accounts for almost 60% of GDP.
Risk of over-indebtedness despite fiscal efforts
Fiscal consolidation efforts are expected to continue in 2019. The financing of infrastructure projects in recent years has had a big impact on the public accounts and, given the high risk of over-indebtedness, reducing the deficit is a priority. While investment spending is expected to decline, the increase in current expenditure will decelerate. The benefits of previous investments, along with improved collection of tax revenues, should make it possible to increase the government's revenues, but not by enough to get the budget back into balance. The large current account deficit is expected to shrink in 2019. Exports of goods and especially services will continue to grow, while imports (mainly of capital goods) are set to slow, since the largest investments have now been completed. The structural trade deficit (25% of GDP) is therefore expected to improve. Conversely, the increase in income paid abroad, resulting from investments, will reduce the income surplus generated by the presence of foreign military bases. Massive inward FDI in 2019, which will finance the current account deficit, will play a part in transforming the country into a regional logistics centre. Public debt, including non-concessional debt from EximBank China, will remain at an excessively high level, and debt service (11% of revenues in 2017) will weigh heavily on the public accounts.
Developments in international relations with uncertain consequences
President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999 and was re-elected in 2016, confirmed his hold on the local political scene when his party won the February 2018 legislative elections, taking 57 seats out of 65. The opposition – some of whose members boycotted the election, claiming it to be non-transparent and rigged – appears to be marginalised. Despite Djibouti's desire to transform itself, the business environment remains poor (99th in the Doing Business ranking). Governance remains mediocre, particularly in terms of corruption, where the country ranks 148th according to the World Bank. These two indicators, combined with the country's high debt, will worry Chinese investors and could make for cooler trade and diplomatic relations with China, Djibouti's main creditor. Relations with China, which peaked in 2017 with the establishment of a Chinese military base, could suffer from new port competition, from Somalia or Eritrea for example, on this strategic trade route. The resumption of diplomatic relations between Eritrea and the other countries of the Horn of Africa could, paradoxically, have a negative impact on Djibouti's prospects if Ethiopia were to negotiate agreements to free itself from its trade dependence on Djibouti.
Last update: February 2019


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Home › Classroom Resources › Calendar Activities
Calendar Activities See All Calendar Activities
Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students. View by day, by week, or by month.
November 1, 2019
November is National American Indian Heritage Month.
Students explore Native American heritage through the study of pourquoi tales, write their own original pourquoi tales, and use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press to publish them.
Grades 3 – 12
Celebrate National Family Literacy Day!
Parents, grandparents, and other family members are invited to the classroom for a family-school reading day.
Grades K – 12
Types of Calendar Activities
Authors & Texts
Birthdays, publication dates, and more
Historical Figures & Events
Notable people and happenings in history
Holidays & School Celebrations
Special days and how to observe them
Literacy-Related Events
Celebrations that promote and encourage literacy


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On Friday, I sat in on the session "Strengthening Your Business in a Weak Economy," led by Amanda Harris, vice president of fitness and wellness at ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers. She offered suggestions, mostly for personal training, about strategies to help clubs thrive during a tough economy.
Did you know that more millionaires were made per capita during the Great Depression than at a any other time in the history of the country? Harris pointed out this fact to show that even during tough times, there is opportunity—you just have to be positive and seek out those opportunities.
About 20 percent of your members have a very negative mindset about the economy. Another 60 percent of your members are concerned but are trying to muddle through. Both groups, however, are worried about what they might lose. The remaining 20 percent are positive and see opportunity in tough times. You need to have the same mindset as this last group, and you need to understand the mindset of the other 80 percent of your members so you know how to reassure them.
In the past, you told people what belonging to your club would add to their lives. However, now their focus is on not losing things, so you have to tell them what belonging to your club will help them keep –their health. During stressful times, health problems can arise, but exercise, as we all know, can help alleviate the stress and keep people healthy. You should be stressing this to people—that they can't afford to have their health turn sour, so they need to ensure they spend a little money and time now to avoid major problems later.
It's also more important now than ever to meet your customers' needs, so they see the value of their memberships. That also means not selling people something that they do not need. You should refer your clients to other professionals when necessary rather than trying to take on something in which you do not have the expertise. You should reassess frequently with the client to ensure that you are providing value.
Harris pointed out some ways that personal trainers can increase their value without decreasing their price (she does not recommend cutting your price because it devalues what you offer). She suggests offering half-hour sessions, buddy sessions, small group training and large group programming (such as boot camps).


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Faith Connections and the Mississauga Parishes invite young adults (18-39 years) to join us for Scripture Sound Bytes
Are you interested in discovering how the Sunday Readings relate to your life?
Want a chance to slow down and explore your faith?
Join us for prayer, reflection and social time!
Tuesday evenings, 7:30pm to 9:30pm at St. Christopher's Parish, 1171 Clarkson Rd N, Mississauga (Monsignor Hickey Lounge, Parish Hall)
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Q: I top off my pond for evaporation, so why do I need to do water changes?
Joan – Bethesda, MD
A: Topping off your pond with fresh water isn't quite the same thing as a water change. Think of it like the oil in your car: You may "top it off" when the lubricant gets low, but to keep your motor humming, you need to do a complete oil change every 3,000 miles or so to remove the dirty oil that's full of sludge and combustion by-products.
It's the same idea with the water in your pond.
Adding water every week or so to replenish any lost from evaporation is certainly important—but it does nothing to remove the sludge, or algae-feeding nutrients, in your pond. As the water evaporates, the gunk stays behind and concentrates. Your filter does a good job removing the pollutants, but unfortunately it's not always enough.
So why do water changes?
- Remove the buildup of nutrients, like nitrates and phosphates
- Promote fish health, as their well-being is directly related to your water quality
- Reduce algae blooms
To keep buildup under control, we recommend you change 10 percent of your water every week, or 20 percent of your water every two weeks. Many pond owners use a spare pump and hose to draw out the dirty water and send it down the drain. If you have a pressure filter, using its back flush feature is the perfect way to make the water change.
If your tap water has chlorine or other heavy metals, don't forget to make it safe with Pond Logic® Water Conditioner. It removes chlorine, destroys chloramines and detoxifies heavy metals. One ounce treats 500 gallons.
In addition, make sure you add some beneficial bacteria to the mix, like Pond Logic® Nature's Defense® or LiquidClear™, because when you change the water, some good stuff goes out with the bad! Both products contain microorganisms that instantly activate once they hit the water, multiplying every 20 to 40 minutes as they digest organics in your pond.
Make water changes a regular part of your pond-maintenance routine.
Pond Talk: What water-change routine has worked well in your water garden or koi pond?
Filed under: Algae Control, Season-Long Control, Water Gardens & Features, Water Quality Issues | Tagged: Excess Nutrients, nitrates, phosphates, water change |


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Peter Jackson gives fans a first look at next 'Hobbit'
- The first look at the new %27Hobbit%27 was part of a live online event
- New characters revealed in %27The Desolation of Smaug%27
- Among the %27new%27 faces%3A Orlando Bloom as Legolas from %27The Lord of the Rings%27
Enthusiastic and barefoot, director Peter Jackson gave a little masterclass in Middle-earth filmmaking and showed fans their first look at The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in a live online event Sunday.
With actor Jed Brophy, who plays the dwarf Nori, Jackson gave a tour of key spots in his New Zealand post-production studio and introduced footage from the follow-up to The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey to those who bought the Blu-ray and DVD this past week.
Although the first trailer is still being prepped for this summer, Jackson showcased a sequence featuring the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) searching tombs for a missing mystical blade, and several scenes of actors working with a green screen were showcased during the hour-long live event.
With live-streaming cameras, he also dropped by the motion-capture room where Manu Bennett was working on a scene playing the chief orc Azog, looking "more friendly than he is in the movie," Jackson said.
Jackson and his team gave glimpses of many of the characters making their first appearance in The Desolation of Smaug, which continues the journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Gandalf as they help the group of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) to steal back their treasure and home from the evil dragon Smaug. Their mission continues into the final movie of Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, next year's There and Back Again.
Lee Pace's elvish king Thrandall was seen in a cameo in An Unexpected Journey but plays a large role in the new Hobbit film, which also sees the return of Thrandall's son Legolas from the Lord of the Rings movies — and the actor playing him, Orlando Bloom.
"He's much more relaxed and a really fun guy," Jackson said of Bloom, "whereas Legolas is more uptight, shall we say."
The director promised that fans will see more of Middle-earth than ever before, including the world of men. Laketown is such a place, which is ruled by the greedy and corrupt political figure The Master, played by Stephen Fry.
Luke Evans' Bard the Bowman is in Desolation of Smaug as well, plus the elvish bodyguard Tauriel, an all-new character played by Evangeline Lilly created just for Jackson's Hobbit movies who never appeared in the original J.R.R. Tolkien source material. "She's not an elf guard to be messed with," the director said.
Jackson showed concept art for a few of the new locales, including the "heart of darkness" of Mirkwood, a sick and diseased forest, and Thrandall's woodland realm. "We wanted to make it seem very defensive and impregnable," with a bridge and raging river at its entrance, Jackson said. "Inside, we tried to make a cavernous realm look elvish, in that it looks grand and cathedral."
During the live event, Jackson answered video and Twitter questions from fans as well as from Hobbit cast members Evans, Pace, Bloom, Lilly and Fry, Lord of the Rings stars Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, and even Middle-earth aficionado Stephen Colbert, who rattled off a very nerdy question about elves. In turn, Jackson revealed that he stole a guest mug when he appeared on the comedian's Colbert Report.
He also admitted that, while he does wear shoes while filming, Jackson prefers to go barefoot these days as he's editing The Desolation of Smaug for its Dec. 13 release date. "I can put my feet up on the table and it's wonderful."
One aspect that Jackson didn't show was the massive Smaug, the dragon performed via motion capture by Benedict Cumberbatch whose eye was teasingly glimpsed at the end of An Unexpected Journey. Some idea of the beast was seen on computers in Jackson's previsualization department, though, and he teased that he sees Smaug as "a T. Rex with wings."
Jackson offered fans a look at how he edits a scene on a 103-inch TV for a sense of how it will look on a big cinema screen — "It's not just an indulgence," he said. He also showed off many of the movie posters throughout the rooms and corridors of his studio, including a host of James Bond films, the World War II movie The Dam Busters ("Someone should remake it," he said with a wink) and One Million Years B.C. in his editing station.
"The dinosaurs were cool and Raquel Welch was cool," Jackson said. "When you're a teenage boy, that's a very good poster to have on the wall."


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Regional Plan Update enters high gear
The plan for how the Lake Tahoe Basin will look in the next 20 years is contained in thousands of pages released by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency last month.
And several public meetings next week on the lengthy environmental documents for the Regional Plan Update and Regional Transportation Plan are designed to provide some insight into what is proposed for the future of the lake.
The priorities of the Regional Plan Update are to improve the environment by supporting redevelopment and investing in restoration projects, increasing alternative transportation and moving more permitting to local governments to return the TRPA to a more regional role, according to a Thursday statement from the agency.
"How do we restore Lake Tahoe and create more walkable, bikeable communities?" Joanne Marchetta, TRPA's Executive Director asked in the statement. "Answering this question is a key focus of the Regional Plan Update and Regional Transportation Plan. We are currently in the comment period for the environmental impact statements and we hope you will let your voices be heard."
The Regional Plan Update's environmental document contains five alternatives with increasing levels of allowable development. The third alternative has attracted the most support so far and is the closest to the recommendations made by a TRPA committee created to look at the long-delayed Regional Plan Update.
Several groups have voiced concerns about the plan as proposed.
Representatives from the California attorney general's office have questioned the legality of the draft and said they are worried it could weaken coverage requirements in the existing regional plan.
Area environmental groups have also objected to the proposed plan.
In a letter this month, The Friends of the West Shore, North Tahoe Preservation Alliance, North Tahoe Citizen Action Alliance and Friends of Lake Tahoe criticized the agency for the plan which could "open the door to large-scale development."
"They promise to restore the clarity of the Lake, and reinvigorate the local economy by building 'sustainable communities' while boosting property and sales-tax revenues," according to the letter. "It sounds great but is simply not true."
The TRPA will hold open houses on the Regional Plan Update in Stateline and Incline Village next week. The Incline Village meeting will take place May 21 from 5-8 p.m. at The Chateau, 955 Fairway Blvd. The Stateline open house will take place May 22 from 5-8 p.m. at TRPA Board Rooms at 128 Market St.
The agency's Governing Board will also take public comment on the regional plan at a two-day meeting next week. The meeting will start Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the North Tahoe Events Center located at 8318 North Lake Blvd., Kings Beach, and continue at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at TRPA Board Rooms in Stateline.
The bulk of the meetings will be used to take public comment on the plans. The comment period on the environmental documents ends June 28.


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Minister questions forest conversion claims
12 Nov 19 - The Government denies large areas of productive farmland are being converted to forestry as the country tries to offset its greenhouse gas emissions.
Farmers and foresters are taking to the streets
14 Oct 19 - Tensions between farmers and foresters over land acquisitions are about to be played out on the streets of Wellington.
NZ bankrolls Scottish search for clean green sheep
4 Oct 19 - New Zealand is putting money and science behind Scottish research into farming climate-friendly sheep.
ROBO-CROP: Five roles robots will play in future of farming
2 Oct 19 - With the complex data collecting devices of todays world, agriculture is in the midst of a high-tech revolution- particularly in the area of precision farming.
Why environment has place in red-meat debate
1 Oct 19 - Recommendations that people should keep eating red meat fail to take environmental damage into account posing a long-term threat to human health, says one of New Zealands leading medical researchers.
Farmers fret over green demands, says bank
26 Sep 19 - Fonterras economic woes are not the only thing worrying farmers theyre also becoming increasingly anxious about the Governments plans to make them clean up their environmental performance and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Food supplies under threat as phosphate supply runs short
9 Sep 19 - The world faces an imminent crisis in the supply of phosphate, a critical fertiliser that underpins the worlds food supply, scientists have warned.
FARMING FUTURE: When a fence is not a fence
5 Sep 19 - Virtual fencing is a new technology that could help cattle farmers to deal with the changing climate by allowing a system of land sharing that delivers sustainability and productivity.
HEMP HURRAH: Bigger than oil, says backer
23 Aug 19 - The low-carbon future is hemp, says a company dedicated to making the once-banned product the backbone of the New Zealand economy.
Pioneer pushes farming for soil-carbon credits
21 Aug 19 - Farming for soil-carbon credits offers landowners in New Zealand and other OECD agricultural countries a vast potential to make money, says a global carbon markets pioneer.
SOIL STUDY: What's going on beneath our feet?
20 Aug 19 - Scientists have completed one of the first studies of the impact of drought and warmer temperatures on living organisms below the ground.
Changing climate now farmers' biggest worry
12 Aug 19 - Climate change is now the single greatest issue on farmers minds, according to the latest Farm Confidence Survey.
Food growers fear loss of land to dairying
26 Jul 19 - The Governments drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions could see horticultural land taken over by a dairy industry being squeezed by expanding forestry, MPs have been told.
Farmers back 2030 methane cuts - but not 2050
25 Jul 19 - Dairy farmers are backing the Governments plan to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent by 2030, telling MPs it is achievable.
Pigs in the shade: This radical farming system banks on trees
16 Jul 19 - A farm in Portugal is showing how the ancient art of silvopasture combining livestock with productive trees might offer some real answers to the climate crisis.
Think bioenergy for woodlots, farmers told
15 Jul 19 - Farmers facing falling log exports and prices for timber from woodlots are being urged to consider a new market bioenergy.
Farmers table offer for cutting methane
4 Jul 19 - Farmers say they are prepared to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent by 2050 well short of the target the Government intends imposing.
Nervous farmers eye methane cut obligations
1 Jul 19 - The prospect of having to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent over the next decade is depressing otherwise optimistic farmers.
Nats vow to fight farm emissions moves
17 Jun 19 - The National Party says it will continue to oppose bringing agricultural emissions into the Emissions Trading Scheme.
More in the Agriculture Archive
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NZ winery commits to reducing its carbon emissions by 80 per cent
23 Jan 20 - MEDIA RELEASE - YEALAND WINE GROUP: Yealands Wine Group has today announced its...
Wind energy crucial to EU's carbon neutrality
23 Jan 20 - MEDIA RELEASE GLOBALDATA: The European Union, whose 28 members collectively...
Mercury Quarterly Operational Update - 3 months to Dec 31, 2019
23 Jan 20 - MEDIA RELEASE MERCURY: Mercury maintained a prudent approach to risk management...
Vegetarianism in schools is entirely appropriate
21 Jan 20 - MEDIA RELEASE NZ VEGETARIAN SOCIETY: The NZ Vegetarian Society has responded to...
Westpac NZ and Contact Energy agree first sustainability-linked loan
16 Jan 20 - MEDIA RELEASE WESTPAC NZ & CONTACT ENERGY: Westpac NZ and Contact Energy have...
European cement industry strives for carbon-neutrality by 2050
16 Jan 20 - MEDIA RELEASE CEMBUREAU: CEMBUREAU, the Association of the European cement...
Air NZ wins sustainable business award
25 Oct 19 - Air New Zealand has been recognised at the New Zealand Tourism Awards for its...
YHA celebrates carbon footprint reduction
23 Oct 19 - YHA New Zealand has reconfirmed its carboNZero certification by celebrating a...
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Hotel app pockets revenue by putting concierge service in your pocket
A mobile hotel app takes customer service to a new level, but not without constant tweaking and heavy-duty promotion, says IT innovator Eric Chao.
What would a luxury hotel be without a concierge service that caters discreetly to every guest? That's just what the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills was thinking when it launched a mobile hotel app that offers round-the-clock service at the touch of an icon, IT manager Eric Chao said.
Looking for a late-night snack, an extra bottle of shampoo, the car brought around? At the SLS Hotel, there's no need to pick up the room phone, fiddle for the right button or, heaven forbid, talk to somebody. "With the hotel app, none of that is required. You can get all that done within minutes, if not seconds, from anywhere you are, on your smartphone or from your computer," Chao said.
Customer service, Chao said, is all about efficiency, gratification, convenience. Managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., SLS Hotel is part of the Luxury Collection Hotel brand owned by Los Angeles, Calif.-based SBE Entertainment Group LLC. The last thing a luxury hotel wants its guests to feel during their stay is that they're working, he said. "A lot of people don't want to have to talk to somebody."
So, why not cater to the nonverbal? Debuting in 2008 following a $230 million renovation of the former Le Meridien Beverly Hills, the 297-room SLS Hotel is all about delicate sensibilities. The $100 million décor was dreamed up by French modern designer Philippe Starck. The food is the work of celebrity chef José Andrés, pioneer of the concept of small plates and 2011 recipient of the James Beard Foundation's top award.
Free mobile app a boon to hotel's bottom line
GoSLSHotel, the hotel's free mobile app, serves another purpose besides convenience, of course. "A key to a good IT project -- to any business project -- is how it will drive the business and generate more revenue," Chao said.
The first week after the app launched in 2010, it generated 30 service requests (spa, dining reservations, housekeeping and so forth), 15 room-service orders, and 2,500 "guest touches." Two years and many tweaks later, GoSLSHotel apparently is considered such a competitive advantage that the hotel refused to allow Chao or Runtriz, the app developer, to talk numbers.
But make no mistake; the app's numbers are followed assiduously. Initially designed as a front-end guest service tool, it does some heavy lifting on the back end too -- tracking all guest touches, purchases and requests, and turning them into reports that help the hotel learn about guest preferences and trends.
"The app gathers a lot of data," Chao said. "The key is to predict what guests want."
Take the example of the GoSLSHotel-using guest who always orders Dom Pérignon for the room on arrival. "After five days, maybe you send a bottle of Dom to the room before they even get there," Chao said. Customers who frequent the hotel's 5,000-square-foot Ciel Spa might get a discount on their next relaxation massage. The hotel recently promoted free Internet to guests who were willing to "like" SLS Hotel on its Facebook page. "Those are things that are tweakable and beneficial to the business," Chao said.
But the the app's ROI is just as much about the "intangibles" as it is about the money, Chao insists; convenience generates good feelings. In addition, GoSLSHotel's feedback icon lets guests register complaints in real time and have them addressed during their stay. That's a huge plus for the business. "Because once people are gone, and telling everybody how bad it was, it's too late," he said.
Tips for developing and sustaining a customer-facing mobile app
"There are plenty of challenges" facing CIOs who are involved in developing mobile apps for customers, Chao said. He offers this advice:
- If you don't develop the app in-house, it's important to find a partner with the "right chemistry" who knows your business. Runtriz, the developer of GoSLSHotel, specializes in mobile apps for the hospitality industry.
- Learn from the power of Google's homepage, and keep the app simple in design and intuitive to use. "If it is too busy, people get frustrated and leave. IT has to cater to everybody, not just the tech-savvy," Chao said. Also, don't make the app too big, or it will take too long to download and respond to requests.
- App security is critical, so keep it updated. Communicating an app's security features to customers is also important, so they will feel comfortable using the app. Guests using GoSLSHotel sign in with their room number and name, and are not required to swipe their credit card for any purchase, thus easing the fear factor.
- Promote the app to customers. There's a direct correlation between how much an app is promoted and how much it is used. When the hotel slacked off promoting GoSLSHotel, the number of downloads went down dramatically, Chao said. "People use it because you tell them to."
- Promote the app to the staff. The app works only if requests are serviced promptly. "Nobody likes to wait."
The GoSLSHotel app has a built-in timer. When the send button is pressed for an in-room dining order, for example, the order immediately shows up on a kitchen computer, where orders are timed by different colored flags, Chao said. Asked if he has thought about tweaking the app to let customers track the progress of their food request online, like a Domino's order, he said that hotel food servers follow strict guidelines for prompt delivery. "We're very efficient. And we're not going to tweak the app to say, 'Your shampoo is entering the elevator,' although we probably could."
Let us know what you think about the story; email Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer.
The SearchCIO.com CIO Innovators profile series highlights how CIOs use technology to meet both IT and business leadership objectives. To suggest a leader for a future CIO Innovator profile, email email@example.com.


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Perhaps you've heard: Baseball is an unfair game.
I learned that as a kid, having read it somewhere in the collected works of noted philosopher Roderick Edwin Kanehl, known once upon the Polo Grounds as Hot Rod. Baseball, Prof. Kanehl explained, "is a lot like life. The line drives are caught, the squibbles go for base hits."
Zack Wheeler was eight outs away from a no-hitter, instant elevation to Mets Valhalla and a pretty awesome mic drop in his presumably friendly rivalry with fellow phenom Matt Harvey. You'd think I'd know better after 44 years of Mets fandom, not to mention perusing The Teachings of Chairman Rod, but on my couch I was ready and very eager to see what No-Hitter No. 2 would feel like. And why not? Wheeler was so astonishingly dominant, and the Marlins are so bad, that the question had shifted from "can everything go right?" to "will anything go wrong?"
This wasn't fan overconfidence, either. Man, was Wheeler ever a treat to watch — there's his leaping motion, the way he drags his foot down the mound like he's chasing the baseball towards the batter, and that darting slider, and most of all that diving, running fastball. You can see hitters gather themselves with a touch of resignation when Wheeler starts pouring those in — he has so much natural movement that he can just put the ball on the plate and watch it do its work. He's already very impressive, and you can see him getting steadily better since his recall. It won't be a perfectly smooth ascent — it never is — but if you're not salivating at the thought of Wheeler a year from now, have an ENT check your glands. Because barring the usual pitcher you-never-knows, he's going to be really good.
Hell, he's already really good.
But then Ed Lucas singled — you had to figure it would be the 31-year-old rookie, because it always is — and that was that. It was nice to have it be a disappointment and not another invitation to ponder the universe's grudge against Mets pitchers — thank you, Johan — but then a minute later Donovan Solano had singled and Jake Marisnick (who the hell are these guys?) had singled and not only was there no no-hitter, but the game was tied. Wheeler, to his considerable credit, got himself together and coaxed a double-play grounder out of Jeff Mathis, but five minutes had turned the game from the stuff of dreams to your run-of-the-mill Mets mess.
Never mind our great pitching — why the hell can't any of these guys hit?
Wheeler departed and the Mets got down to Metsing. Marlon Byrd — the savior nobody saw coming — tripled, but a leadoff triple for the Mets is like a two-out single for anybody else. Marlon stayed rooted to his base while Ike Davis struck out and John Buck grounded out and Omar Quintanilla struck out, leaving Chad Qualls literally tumbling off the mound in excitement, and a familiar spot of discomfort in my stomach tried to blossom into a baseball ulcer. Because if you wanted another extra-inning affair against the Marlins in Lorialand, well, that made one of us.
So of course the Mets won tidily in 10 — just enough free baseball to settle things. Bobby Parnell didn't look like himself, with poor location and a fastball missing some zip, but he got bailed out on nifty plays by Daniel Murphy and Wright. You know how it feels when you watch your closer walk off a loser on a flurry of bloops and a swinging bunt? (Not that that's ever happened at Soilmaster.) Well, this was the opposite — gloves flung out like cestas, coming up with balls and turning them into outs.
Like Hot Rod said, it's an unfair game.


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Vogue Paris Original - 1023 | A Vintage Christian Dior Mohair Coat!1:45 AM
126 comments
Beautiful! Thank you for the detail explanation too. I appreciated learning about the hair canvas technique. Love your style and photographs.ReplyDelete
If you hear someone running up behind you, its probably me stealing this coat! Thank you for sharing all the details. I learned some new things. Very very inspiring, Erica!,ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5:03 AM
At the beginning of the post, I thought it was a nice transition weather coat that was held closed with a belt, but all that beautiful tailoring--it would keep someone cozy here in Vermont, I thing. I love the top stitching, it looks great.ReplyDelete
Once again superErica to the rescue! My gorgeous cobalt mohair will no longer be languishing in the stash. Just gorgeous.ReplyDelete
What a perfect union of pattern and fabric! Love all the construction photos.ReplyDelete
Ok Erica.... you are amazing! this coat is beautiful!!! You make it look so easy!!!!ReplyDelete
You need to have your own teaching tutorial videos!
And i would have never thought to spray paint the belt. But i'm gonna copy that idea for sure!!
This coat is totally swoon worthy.ReplyDelete
My jaw is on the floor. This is stunning! You are so talented and I love love love that you made a coat from a vintage Dior pattern. Well done! XO, JillReplyDelete
OMG, Erica! This coat is divine!!! Really Lady, you rocked this one. Kuddos to you for waiting on the right fabric for the pattern.ReplyDelete
Very nice job. How tall are you????ReplyDelete
Thanks for the spray paint idea! It does get frustrating when you have a color in mind and can't find what you are looking for. . . hope it wear well for you!ReplyDelete
I have been waiting for this post and it was well worth the wait!! Thank you so much for the lovely detailed photos of the construction. This coat is absolutely stunning, inside and out. Congratulations!ReplyDelete
Now that you've made this pattern, is it going to stay in your stash or will you send it back out into the world?
Absolutely gorgeous Erica!! I was waiting for this post after the sneak preview on Instagram! I am inspired to tackle a coat next year as a friend just gifted me with a beautiful purple wool blend fabric!! Thanks for all the details!!ReplyDelete
If the spray paint doesn't work, try shoe or fabric paint. Either one should work on leather.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous coat!ReplyDelete
I am in awe. FABULOUS! as always.ReplyDelete
Erica I normally like everything you make but this is my all time favourite. You look gorgeous in it! It is lovely to see all those beautiful sewing techniques used to create this stunning coat.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1:54 PM
Your coat is beautiful but what I really appreciated was you talking/ showing some of the inside workings! Beautiful work.ReplyDelete
Absolutely stunning!ReplyDelete
The fabric is very much like the inspiration pattern. Great looking coat! I like the fabric a lot. I am not much on fuzzy but this is a nice and expensive looking fuzzy. Great job as usual.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous7:58 PM
wow, i am completely in love with this coat! you have such amazing style!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous coat and beautifully styled!ReplyDelete
This coat is gorgeous! I have been reading your blog for YEARS and never once commented, but I had to because this coat is ERRTHANG! I want this coat pattern in my size for Christmas! Even for the tailoring lessons alone! The finishing and interlining is heavenly as well!ReplyDelete
Absolutely gorgeous, Erica! I'm passing along your comments about the instructions to our instruction-writing team. —MegReplyDelete
Awesome coat.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous coat and thanks for taking the time to put together such a detailed blog post.ReplyDelete
You have ot done yourself again, Erica. Love the color, fabric, and style of this coat. Perfect.ReplyDelete
You are an amazing sewist and tailor. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed this process type post and it's photos and details. More, please!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous coat and it is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen you wear, and there have been plenty!
OMG! is all I can say. This is SO Gorgeous!!! I just love your work...What a wnderful post you shared here. You will have that coat forever! I'm so glad I stopped by today.ReplyDelete
You own a Dior, you own a Dior!!! It looks amaaazing, great job! Thanks for showing the details, I'm learning so it's really helpful! Enjoy it!ReplyDelete
Once again, gorgeous! As always you're such an inspiration. SusanReplyDelete
- Anonymous9:16 PM
You look great in this coat! It's a beautiful coat.ReplyDelete
When I saw the picture, I had a flashback and smiled from ear to ear. I knew the pattern instantly because it was the first coat I made back in 1977. My coat was camel colored mohair/wool blend which I with interlined with muslin and lined with Sunback lining. The coat felt like it weighed a ton and I sweated through the fiercest New York City winters! My all time favorite coat.
I am sure your coat will continue to be a favorite as well.
Oh my gosh it's absolutely beautiful! I just need to say thank you to you, for all the detail on your garments that you post-you've taught me more about couture sewing than any amount of reading about it ever could. I'm a visual learner, and pattern drawings rarely convey what you so concisely describe and accurately photograph. You are entirely responsible for the improvements in my sewing the last couple of years, so the thanks are absolutely heartfelt! Merry Christmas and the very best of new years to you and yours!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:38 AM
Beautiful coat. Your attention to detail on the tailoring is wonderful.ReplyDelete
I've heard of bagging the lining, and it sounds wonderful, but I have no idea where to start. Do you have a tutorial you can suggest... or post one yourself perhaps? Thank you in advance.
Wow! I can't stop drooling over your coat! You amaze me continuously!ReplyDelete
This is stunning on you! You did a beautiful job on the tailoring. I have this same pattern and have also been waiting for the perfect fuzzy fabric. Is this fabric scratchy at all?ReplyDelete
You have definitely outdone yourself with this one. STUNNING job! As always, thanks for the details! Is your linking silk or poly crepe back satin? It looks awesome and as I'm searching for a good choice, your advice would be much appreciated. :-)ReplyDelete
Just catching up on my blog backlog and it seems almost too late to comment now, but I can't let this pass. Your coat looks amazing, just like the original. I've never worked with a true vintage pattern either so found your comments interesting, seems like there is a gap in the market there, and I understand better now why they are so collectible.ReplyDelete
I'm new to your blog and this coat is fabulous! I'm also just returning to sewing....since highschool .... a very long time ago. You have inspired me to move forward. One quick question in regards to your vintage patterns. Do you cut or trace the originals? Also do you store them in any special way? Any info greatly appreciated.ReplyDelete
I know I am late but, every since I read this post I have wanted this pattern. I finally found it and I am so excited! I cant wait to give this one a try. It looks so fab on you. Love the new website too!ReplyDelete
I know I am late but, every since I read this post I have wanted this pattern. I finally found it and I am so excited! I cant wait to give this one a try. It looks so fab on you. Love the new website too!ReplyDelete


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Friday, January 17, 2020
Need a speaker for your organization's meeting or event? National University of Health Sciences can provide an intern or clinical faculty member to speak to your corporation, school or group on timely and interesting health topics, such as:
If there is a particular health topic not listed above that your group is interested in, just let us know. Our speakers are fully degreed in their field of specialty, or are chiropractic or naturopathic medical degree students serving as interns in our health care clinics.
For more information, or to book an National University speaker, please call the NUHS Communications Department at 630-889-6529. Please have date, time, location and a description of the nature of your event available. Three or more weeks advance notice is appreciated.


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DOVER -- Launching a yoga studio – any business for that matter – in the midst of the worst economic downturns in generations is one thing. But opening your shala mid-recession in a region boasting one of the nation's highest yoga-studios-per-capita?
Talk about high risk.
But three years after cutting ribbon on Dover's Green Lotus Yoga Studio, owner Lona Kovacs isn't looking back. To the contrary, Kovacs says the decision to make good on long-held dream was the product of a confidence honed in large part through her own yoga practice.
"I just knew it was the right time to open an Ashtanga studio, and Dover seemed like a great fit," recalls Kovacs. "Dover has a very unique cross section of old and young, experienced practitioners and people who are newer to the tradition, which makes for great class dynamics."
The studio will celebrate its Three Year Anniversary with a two-day celebration featuring free yoga classes, workshops, film showings, art installation, and a potluck dinner the weekend of November 3rd.
All classes – conducted in the tradition of Ashtanga, a centuries old style of yoga emphasizing a synchronicity between the breathe and a progressive series of postures – are open to the public, and will include an introduction to Mysore, a variant of Ashtanga focusing on self practice.
Kovacs says she hopes the weekend's festivities will help draw in a new crop of students, while helping showcase her studio's uniquely New England space.
"We really do have a beautiful space, one that can accommodate so many people," says Kovacs about the studio, located at the Central Avenue turnaround in downtown Dover. "The more people we can bring in, the more workshops, events, and training opportunities we can create."
According to Kovacs, that includes offering more workshops and seminars addressing the philosophy and ethics of yoga, health, diet, the use of herbs, as well as meditation sessions, already being conducted every month by her husband, Suddhayu, an ordained Buddhist and teacher for over 20 years.
While open to the public, Kovacs says Sunday's meditation session will be offered for a nominal fee.
The Anniversary weekend will also give Kovacs a chance to tout her studio's ever-growing commitment to green business practices. Since opening the studio, Kovacs – who lives on a Kittery, Maine organic vegetable farm and CSA managed by Suddhayu – has done all of her interior painting using low or no-VOC options.
All paper products, including her marketing materials, are either post-consumer recycled or biodegradable; the cleaning products are produced by eco stalwart Seventh Generation; and all waste materials are either recycled or composted.
Even the yoga mats themselves are made with an all-natural rubber and contain nothing in the way of synthetic PVCs.
Last April, Green Lotus became members of Green Alliance, the Portsmouth-based organization that certifies and promotes sustainability-minded businesses throughout the region.
None of which is particularly surprising, given the studio's appropriately evocative name.
"It's been an emphasis every since we opened, and the hope is that it only becomes more of an emphasis going forward," exclaims Kovacs. "I think people can have a better practice when they know they're surrounding environment is a healthy one."
Learn more about Green Lotus at www.greenlotusyoganh.com
For more info on Green Alliance, visit www.greenalliance.biz
Green Lotus Yoga celebrates survival with open house weekend Nov. 3
DOVER -- Launching a yoga studio – any business for that matter – in the midst of the worst economic downturns in generations is one thing. But opening your shala mid-recession in a region boasting one of the nation's highest yoga-studios-per-capita?


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Casa Navarro State Historic Site
The site, is the restored home of Tejano patriot José Antonio Navarro. Today, visitors tour Navarro's adobe home furnished with period antiques, read copies of his writing and discuss questions of history with informed park interpreters.
The site was acquired by donation from the San Antonio Conservation Society in 1975, after having been in operation since July of 1964. The original house complex was the residence of Texas hero José Antonio Navarro (1795-1871). Consisting of three limestone, caliche block, and adobe structures, it was built about 1848. The Casa Navarro is the only historic site in San Antonio dedicated to the interpretation of the Mexican history and heritage of Texas, as seen through the life of Navarro, a prominent San Antonio merchant, rancher and statesman.
José Antonio Navarro served as a member of the Texas legislatures under Mexico, Republic of Texas, and the State of Texas. Representing San Antonio Tejanos, he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. Navarro was the first Tejano to write about the history of Texas. He was an influential political figure during the momentous fifty-five years when the destiny of Texas was forged, from 1810 to 1865. Navarro is best known as the strongest defender of the rights of his people.
Important data
Casa Navarro is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The site is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
More attractions
O'Brien Riverwalk Boutique Hotel
116 Navarro Street - San Antonio, Texas 78205
Reservations (800) 257-6058 - (210) 527-1111 fax (210) 527 1112
Email: email@example.com


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John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe was CityLab's Bay Area bureau chief, covering climate change and the science of cities.
So Newark Mayor Cory Booker saved a woman from a burning house last night. That means he can now add "firefighter" to his résumé, right below police officer, football player, councilman, Rhodes scholar, suicide preventer, snow shoveler, poet <pause for breath>, mediator, salsa dancer, and "America's sexiest mayor." And some other stuff, too.
Really, is anybody surprised that Booker dove into a flaming home, against the advice of his security team, and suffered burns to his hand while pulling a woman out of her bed? It just seems to fit the whole mythology of Cory Booker, Super-Mayor. (Try searching Twitter for #CoryBookerStories to see how he's morphed into Chuck Norris since this morning.) With that in mind, can you pick the true Booker facts below from the ones we just made up?
Cory Booker is so invested in his city that he gains weight if everything's not running smoothly.
True! As he told Menswear: "I was so stressed, with massive layoffs and terrible police negotiations, I gained 50 pounds. Even my relaxed jeans weren't fitting me."
Cory Booker was offered a top job in the Obama administration, and a chance to run for Senate. He turned both down.
True! Soon after the 2008 election, Obama approached Booker about leading the White House's Office of Urban Affairs (a job that eventually went to the ill-fated Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion). But so far, he's stayed off of the national political stage, though The Daily Beast went so far as to call him an inspiration for Obama in 2010.
Cory Booker dates supermodels, exclusively.
Well, he did go out with supermodel Veronica Webb. And the Guardian reported that he's followed on his daily rounds by posses of "cleavage-thrusting women who weren't even from Newark."
Cory Booker will do BOTH your 2011 state and federal taxes.
Probably not, but he has been sharing a link to a good New Jersey tax service.
Cory Booker will shovel and salt your driveway if you ask him to.
Absolutely true. During the 2011 snowstorm, the man used Twitter to communicate with constituents who needed shoveling out. As he reassured one concerned family member: "Don't worry bout ur dad. Just talked 2 him and I'll get 2 his Driveway by noon."
Cory Booker served as the inspiration for the hunky but emotionally distant rancher, "Cory Booker," in the erotic fiction "Cory's Salvation."
There is no indication that Shara Azod's steamy potboiler was based on the Newark mayor. But we wouldn't be surprised if some Cory Booker fanfic is floating around, somewhere.
Even when Booker isn't personally doing the rescuing, he still manages to fight crime in the city – in March 2010, Newark went homicide-free for the first time in 40 years.
True. This March, Newark saw its first murder-free month since 1966.
Cory Booker shaved his head to help increase the earth's albedo and counteract global warming.
False. He goes bald to mimic his idol, Vin Diesel. (OK, that's false, too.)
Cory Booker once chased down a robber who was armed with scissors.
Oh yeah, in 2006. First, he took off his jacket. Then he helped pursue the miscreant with guards who took him down. Reports have it that he was shouting, "Not in our city anymore! These days are over!"
Cory Booker saved a man from jumping off of a building.
True, though he did it before he ran for mayor, while working at a crisis-counseling hotline in East Palo Alto. "I remember having this profound conversation on the side of the ledge about why he shouldn't jump, and it was almost like a gift to me," he later told U.S. News and World Report.
Cory Booker occupied Wall Street.
False. While Occupy Newark protesters did receive "a personal delivery of doughnuts and coffee" from Booker back in November, like so many sympathetic mayors across the country, he eventually felt he had to order his police chief to evict them.
Cory Booker was so disappointed by the play of the New Jersey Devils that he laced up a pair of skates and played the game himself, without a helmet.
False. Booker's high-profile feud with Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek over rent and parking revenues at the Prudential Center did prompt the mayor to pen a piece of slam poetry on the subject, but he has never taken to the ice to play out any of the revenge fantasies in which we like to imagine he's since indulged.
Cory Booker was named America's "Sexiest Mayor," but all he wants to do is cuddle.
Another truth, at least according to an interview in Oprah's magazine: "I definitely want a partner, somebody to talk to at the end of the day.... Forget the sex — just having someone spend the night is a great thing."
Cory Booker invented Instagram.
False. The mayor was by all means an early adopter of the image-sharing and filtering app-based social network, but if he'd actually invented the thing, he'd be so rich now that he'd surely have already launched a self-funded campaign for governor of New Jersey.
Cory Booker likes to flash his Tec-9s and AK-47s on Facebook.
Yes he does, but the assault weapons are only ones that his cops seized.
Cory Booker loves animals so much he keeps a strictly vegetarian diet.
True. Someone once told Booker he should try being a vegetarian. His response: "I've been a vegetarian since 1992."
Cory Booker loves his body so much that he doesn't drink alcohol.
True. He once tweeted that he's "never had a drink" in his life. Hmpf, some Super Mayor.
Cory Booker is so unselfish that for his birthday he raised $50,000 to help abused animals.
Partial Truth. For Booker's birthday, on April 27th, he is trying to raise $50,000 for "Patrick's Place" – a new animal shelter in Newark. He's already raised $16,000 toward his goal.
Cory Booker once had his Twitter accout hacked by a teenage girl, who wrote this tweet: "Yes, b courageous & follow your heart, just make sure u take ur head with u on the journey. The right 1s will always appeal 2 both."
Undetermined. The mayor is given to tweeting these type of inspirational quotes.
Even in college, Booker was a catch: He played tight end on Stanford University's football team.
True! According to the college's alumni magazine, Booker played "varsity football by day and [worked] as a peer counselor at The Bridge by night." He was even senior class president, though he swears he had no political aspirations at the time.
Cory Booker stars in a TV show that's a cross between 'The West Wing' and 'The Wire.'
That's the assessment of critics, who seem to love the Sundance Channel documentary, "Brick City." Here's the network's summary: "Against great odds, Newark's citizens and its Mayor, Cory A. Booker, fight to raise the city out of nearly a half century of violence, poverty and corruption."
Cory Booker attracted a $100 million investment in Newark's public schools.
Well, Mark Zuckerberg cited him and Gov. Chris Christie as reasons why he gave the huge stock donation to the city. Zuckerberg said they were "great leaders" and had the "right market that's ready for change."
Booker doesn't succumb to peer pressure, even when it would be politically expedient. Unlike basically every other politician, the mayor did not celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden.
True! In the hours after bin Laden's death, Booker took to Facebook to call for peace rather than jingoistic chest-thumping. He wrote Bin Laden "is dead. It was necessary and just. But I won't rejoice."
Cory Booker's fans include Steven Spielberg, Chris Rock, Bon Jovi, Rachel Maddow, Ashton Kutcher and Barbra Streisand.
True! Booker met Maddow in college; he and Kutcher volunteered at a service event together. His star power has attracted top-voltage stars to the city. (See: Mark Zuckerburg.) Gayle Smith (Oprah's BFF) calls Booker "her favorite mayor." There's also this gloriously profane Tumblr page devoted to his awesomeness.
Cory Booker once raced all over Newark trying to figure out ingenious puzzles that a terrorist with a huge bomb phoned in to them.
That was actually the plot to Die Hard: With a Vengeance.
Top image: Newark Mayor Cory Booker speaks to the media outside a burned house in Newark, New Jersey.
Amanda Erickson, Tyler Falk, and Sommer Mathis contributed to this story.
An Apartment List report reveals the cities apartment-hunters are targeting for their next move—and shows that tales of a California exodus may be overstated.
As the city's real estate market heats up, neighborhood groups say that cash investors use building code violations to encourage homeowners to sell.
The automaker-turned-mobility-company announced last week it wants to build a living, breathing urban laboratory from the ground up in Japan.
Peer-to-peer sharing services that let owners rent out their vehicles are a focus of concern from traditional car rental companies, who see disruption ahead.
Vulnerable communities are bracing for an undercount in 2020. It's a familiar story that traces back to the Articles of Confederation.