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uPVC Windows Wakefield
For high quality, guaranteed, made-to-last uPVC windows and double glazing in Wakefield come to Coral Windows. We have more than 28 years' experience in the double glazing industry so we know what it takes to make great windows that look good and last. You can rely on us for excellent products and service, whatever kind of windows you need.
Whether you need a single uPVC window or several, and whether you want a sash, casement, Georgian, tilt and turn or a bespoke window; our experts can help. We design and manufacture all windows from our Bradford site, meaning we can give you the exact products that you need.
All our windows are made using cutting-edge technology and from the best materials, and they are certified, guaranteed and require the minimum of maintenance.
uPVC Doors Wakefield
If you need a new uPVC door, whether that's a front door, patio door, French door or something else, we can design, build and fit the ideal one. We will work with you to ensure your new door looks great in your home, whatever the style. You can select a range of options for the finish, glazing and accessories such as handles and letterboxes, meaning your door will be just as you want.
All our uPVC doors are made by our experts using only the best materials. All our double glazing is certified to be energy efficient and we use award-winning locking systems. And every door will look great for years to come with just a wipe down every now and then.
Conservatories Wakefield
We will design, manufacture and install your orangery or conservatory to make sure that it suits the style of your home and gives you the practical space you need. Wakefield homeowners use their conservatories and orangeries for all sorts of reasons – as play areas for the kids, dining rooms, offices or even home cinemas. With a Coral conservatory or orangery you too could transform your property and get more space.
Our experts can ensure that your extension looks great, requires the minimum of care over the years, and enhances your home. We will work with you to design a great-looking and long-lasting conservatory or orangery, and we will install it with the minimum of fuss.
Whatever you want some extra space for, choose a Coral orangery or conservatory for a high-quality, guaranteed extension.
If you would like to find out more about the products we offer in the Wakefield area click here to find our Wakefield showroom.
*This offer is only applicable when the installation of goods are installed within 12 weeks of the order date.
*Offer applicable to uPVC products manufactured by Coral only and where goods are installed within 12 weeks.
*Discounts apply to the geographical areas North, East, South & West Yorkshire. Out of these geographical areas, discounts may vary.
+Interest free credit is not available on conservatory, porch, roofline or roof products.
+Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
**On selected products – see February 2020 offer T&Cs for full details.


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If you've ever thought about knitting the "Central Park Hoodie" I would like to push and nudge you to do so. This pattern (so far) rocks. I love the pattern, love the yarn (Cascade 220 Heathers), and could keep on gushing about it! I finished the back at SnB last night and have started the front (left front directions, but will end up being my right front). No new photos of that though.
I made an etsy purchase yesterday because I fell in love with a design in a pattern booklet - LeahSutton's baby Gifts - look at the stork!! That is the one that won me over! There are only a few more babies arriving this year, so I don't know if I'll knit from this for them (but maybe the toothfairy pillows?) but I will be using these patterns for the next round of babies / kids. So sweet! And Leah has been wonderful to work with - not that it was a difficult transaction or anything, but she was quick to make contact with me that she would send the booklet later on in the evening and it's just nice to know that!
There's a new yarn store in the next town over - "The Yarn Basket" - Lorelai and I will go check it out today and report back on it. Wonder if there's any hiring possibility? That's in Branford. Madison is having sidewalk sales so we're also headed over there, and that includes a stop at Madison Wool, a LYS that I adore!
3 comments:
- cici said...
I agree, I started CPH and I am going to use this for my Ravelympic project. those baby gift are really cute :D
- jennsquared said...
You know when this Yarn Basket opens till Saturday? Beat me to the punch. I was planning on opening a yarn store in Branford next Spring!!!! I can't find a website for them, but when I do the search on google, your blog post showed up though :)
- Bruce said...
Can you tell me the address or phone number for the new yarn store in Branford?
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subset: commoncrawl


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Downtown Destruction Continues in San Jose
Take a trip to downtown San Jose and you'll see what we full time residents have become accustomed to: traffic jams due to construction. At this point, we're wondering if it will ever end and the answer seems to be, no. For now, anyway. Fonatur is taking their sweet time and has shown no intentions of speeding things up.
Fonatur is repaving and redesigning Boulevard Mijares, the street that leads directly to the plaza from the hotel zone. So far, the entire street has been repaved and the curbs redone. The only section remaining is the last two-block stretch from the bridge that goes to Puerto Los Cabos to the downtown plaza (which is also being torn up and redone).
Currently, the right side of the street is closed due to construction and has been for almost three months. Everything was already leveled, with utilities in place, when Tropical Storm Lidia churned through and made a mess, turning the dirt into mud. It took almost two weeks to clean everything up, and workers have now started on the street. The street is going to be made of pavers, similar to the streets of the downtown art district. The goal is to have the whole downtown area look the same. Cobblestone by cobblestone.
The sidewalks on the right side of the street are torn up as well, and trying to navigate them on foot is a disaster, as there is not always a clearly marked path free of construction debris. Planters have been ripped up, as they are being redesigned.
While all this construction is going on, downtown has seen nearly all of its tourism disappear. Many tourists are staying away because of the construction, and locals are also avoiding the area because they don't want to deal with traffic, parking, and weaving their way through tripping hazards on the sorry pathway that was left for foot traffic.
Many business owners on the construction side of the street closed their shops while sidewalks were torn up to be replaced. Fonatur asked the businesses to give them one week to tear up the sidewalk and lay foundation so they could get a decent pathway opened up for pedestrian traffic. But, although the sidewalks were torn up on time, they have yet to drive to completion. It has now been a month and the majority of the businesses remain closed, with only a handful of shops open.
The suddenness of the construction, coupled with the delays due to Lidia and Fonatur, have created a financial difficulty that many of the local businesses were not expecting. Not only do they have to keep paying rent, utilities, and other expenses, they also have to battle with the decrease in tourism and foot traffic during the day. One coffee shop, Café Dona Nena, has seen sales go down 85% due to all the construction havoc.
Fonatur originally promised to have each side of the street done within months (the right side by September and the left side by November). They missed the September goal and it's looking like they're not going to make the November deadline either. They have already gone a month over on their original projection, causing many of the affected business owners to become extremely peeved. Those that are closed for business are without income and those that are open are without customers.
Adding to their worries are the plaza remodel – which is being carried out by the state government – although the plaza seems to be in much better shape than the street. The majority of the plaza now has a cement foundation and that ugly wooden fence/tarp barrier has been removed.
New concrete stretches from the entrance from the street to past where the fountains used to be, on the north side. On the west side of the plaza, the concrete is in place until just short of the kiosk. Even though the plaza is now open to pedestrians, it's still a bit of a hassle making your way around the construction workers, which is why not all of the local businesses in the plaza have reopened.
The new foundation has been poured but the pavers have yet to be put in place. Currently, the plaza is very bare, and a lot of work has yet to be done. New planters, a new fountain, and a brand new area for our local historic figures all have yet to be started. We are still a few months out on this project, as the initial date they gave us was for December.
As a side note, we were originally told years ago that these two projects would be done by the same party. But due to a lack of funds from the state government, the street portion of the project was handed to Fonatur, a federal agency. Each party was given a set of plans for the project by IMPLAN, the city's zoning commission. The unfortunate thing is that each party has absolute authority to make changes when they want to. So really, the plans that they have are more like suggestions than blueprints.


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As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we are asking Chicago Booth alumni to refer candidates to our Executive MBA Program in Chicago, London, or Hong Kong.
Referring qualified candidates to our program is paramount to the success of the school. Your passion for Chicago Booth helps build our global brand, strengthen the alumni network, and create lasting impact in the world. Your insight is invaluable. In fact, 25 percent of the global Executive MBA class were referred by a Chicago Booth graduate or current student last year. The relationship between you and the future students of this program provides the foundation for the close-knit, collaborative community we share.
If you know individuals in your network who could benefit from the business education at Booth, please fill out the form below. An admissions director will reach out to you personally to learn more about the candidate you have in mind.
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E-mail Us Your Questions or Request Information
> E-mail us your questions by filling out the information below. A representative in your area will reply as soon as possible. You can directly contact one of our worldwide offices by choosing a link on the left.
> If you would like additional information on EFCO products' please fill out this form' and put a check next to the products of interest. You can also let us know if you're interested in receiving FORM MARKS® Magazine three times annually.
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Below you will find a collection of frequently asked questions and answers. If you have additional questions or would like to meet with a Consortium representative, please Contact Us.
An open systems interconnect designed to provide memory semantic access to data and devices via direct-attached, switched, or fabric topologies.
Yes, Gen-Z is developed by the Gen-Z Consortium, an open industry consortium incorporated and formally formed on August 18, 2016. The Gen-Z Consortium continues its work to develop the Gen-Z specifications. Refer to our Members List to see the list of current consortium members.
Gen-Z was developed to enhance existing solution architectures, and enable new solution architectures, while delivering new levels of performance (high-bandwidth, low-latency), software efficiency, power optimizations, security, and industry agility.
Customers are demanding new levels of performance, functionality, security and isolation as well as ways to unlock innovation and execution agility. After many months of investigation, the member companies determined that a new, comprehensive data access technology was required; one that could support a wide range of new storage-class memory media, new hybrid computing technologies, new memory-centric solution architectures, and a wide range of applications using a highly-efficient and performance-optimized solution stack.
Gen-Z provides the following technical benefits:
- Memory media independence: Gen-Z abstracts the memory media to enable any type and mix of DRAM and non-volatile memory (NVM) to be directly accessed by applications or through block-semantic communications.
- High-bandwidth, low-latency: Very efficient, memory-semantic protocol that simplifies hardware and software designs, reducing solution cost and complexity. Gen-Z supports a wide range of signaling rates and link widths that enable solutions to scale from tens to several hundred GB/s of bandwidth with sub-100 ns load-to-use memory latency.
- Multipath: Multipath increases aggregate component performance, enables very high signaling rates enables solution resiliency to prevent loss of data access, and enables traffic segregation to allow services and applications to be isolated from one another.
- Scalability: Scales from the simple point-to-point optimized solutions to rack-scale, switch-based topologies without sacrificing performance or solution flexibility.
- Security and isolation: Supports a combination of hardware-enforced isolation techniques and full packet authentication to prevent errant or malicious components from communicating with unauthorized components or accessing unauthorized resources, e.g., memory and storage.
- Advanced workloads and technologies: Supports hybrid and data-centric computing to deliver high-performance and power-optimized solutions.
- Mechanical compatibility: Can be incorporated into any solution using a wide range of existing mechanical form factors and cables. This enables Gen-Z to be integrated into existing platforms and solution stacks. Further, Gen-Z specifies a new scalable connector that provides significant improvements in signal integrity and density as well as supports all signaling rates from day one.
- Software Compatibility: Gen-Z supports unmodified operating systems, unmodified applications and middleware and unmodified I/O device drivers to enable Gen-Z to be integrated into existing solutions tacks and take advantage of many of Gen-Z's capabilities, and with some enhancements, software can take full advantage.
- High-speed signaling rates: Gen-Z has the immediate capability of 56 GT/s with a path to 112 GT/s and beyond. Higher-signaling rates not only increase bandwidth, but also enable solutions to significantly reduce package pin counts, e.g., a solution using 56 GT/s requires one third the number of pins and a solution using 112 GT/s requires one seventh the number of pins to deliver the equivalent bandwidth of one using 16 GT/s.
- High-efficiency protocol: Gen-Z is ~80% efficient when transferring 64-byte data payloads and ~93% efficient when transferring 256-byte data payloads in point-to-point topologies. In switch-based topologies, Gen-Z is ~70% efficient when transferring 64-byte data payloads and ~90% efficient when transferring 256-byte data payloads (regardless of topology scale). High protocol efficiency provides greater performance and reduces the power required to deliver a given bandwidth.
Gen-Z provides the following industry and customer benefits:
- Gen-Z abstracts memory media from the memory controller to enable the industry to deploy a wide range of memory media without waiting for the industry to move in lock step. This enables new media types or multiple generations of a given media type to be transparently supported in any solution. It also enables customers to independently replace and upgrade components based on their needs— e.g., processors, memory modules, NVM modules, etc.
- Gen-Z specifies a highly-efficient and flexible protocol capable of supporting a wide range of application needs. Gen-Z simplifies hardware and software designs, reducing complexity, overheads, and end-to-end latency. Simple, efficient solution stacks ease deployment and security, speed innovation, and reduce development and support costs.
- Gen-Z supports a robust hardware-enforced isolation and security framework to help protect customer solutions from cyber threats. Components and resources can be isolated to prevent unauthorized access. Data plane and control plane communications can be fully authenticated to prevent tampering and anti-replay attacks. Further, data payloads can be encrypted using industry or customer-driven algorithms and policies (encryption is performed within the source and destination components).
- Gen-Z interoperability enables the architecture to simultaneously and efficiently transport standard and customized communications between components. This enables customers and vendors to rapidly innovate and deploy new capabilities and services without waiting for the industry to move in lock-step.
Gen-Z promotes innovation in multiple ways:
- Gen-Z breaks the processor-memory interlock and enables new types of memory media to be transparently deployed at an accelerated rate.
- Gen-Z supports a wide variety of component types including processors, memory modules, FPGAs, GPUs / GPGPUs, DSPs, I/O, accelerators, NICs, custom ASICs, and many more.
- Gen-Z supports a wide range of physical layer signaling rates and types (electrical and optical). This enables hardware to optimize performance while minimizing package costs, to scale to any bandwidth and distance within an enclosure or across data center racks, and to provision multiple paths to provide aggregate performance and resiliency.
- Gen-Z is processor agnostic. Solutions can be flexibly composed of any mix of processor types and capability. Further, Gen-Z specifies a common atomic protocol to ensure interoperability between any processor and any component type.
- Gen-Z supports traditional processor-centric and new memory-centric solution architectures.
- Gen-Z can be inserted into existing processor-centric solution architectures. This immediately enables any solution to reap Gen-Z's benefits.
- Gen-Z supports new memory-centric architectures that enable any-to-any communication among all component types. Memory-centric architectures minimize data movement, reduce power consumption, reduce latency, and increase data access parallelism. Memory-centric architectures take advantage of Gen-Z multipath capabilities to increase aggregate performance and resiliency and enable new services.
All finalized Gen-Z specifications will be made publicly available to all through the Gen-Z Consortium website.
- Draft specifications will be made available to all member companies.
- Select draft specifications and technical proposals are periodically made available to the public to elicit direct feedback and input into the specifications and technologies under development. See our specifications page for the latest specifications.
- The Core Specification 1.0, covering the architecture and protocol, was published in 2018. Additional specifications covering firmware, mechanical form factors, physical layers, etc. are also available.
Gen-Z specifies a packet protocol. The protocol packets are transported across serial links that connect components. The Gen-Z protocol uses memory-semantic communications to move data between the components.
Memory-semantic communications are used to move data between memories located on different components with minimal overhead. For example, Gen-Z-attached memory can be mapped using a processor memory management unit (MMU) such that any processor load, store, or atomic operation is transparently translated into Gen-Z read, write, or atomic operation and transported to the destination memory component. Similarly, Gen-Z supports buffer put and get operations to move up to 232 bytes of data between buffers without any processor involvement.
Memory-semantic communications are extremely efficient and simple. Efficiency and simplicity are critical to delivering optimal performance and power consumption, which directly impact customer capital and operational costs.
Each component can support up to 264 bytes of addressable memory. Gen-Z can scale from as few as two components to up to 4096 components per subnet. In theory, the architecture supports up to 276 bytes of memory per subnet and up to 216 subnets.
To access data, the component and associated address ranges are advertised to the communicating components. Once advertised and mapped / configured into each communicating component's address space, the components use memory-semantic communications to directly access each other's data. Components use low-latency read and write operations to directly access up to 256 bytes of data request,and use a variety of advanced operations to move up to 232 bytes of data with minimal application or processor involvement.
Gen-Z supports point-to-point, daisy-chain, mesh, and switch-based topologies.
Gen-Z delivers maximum performance without sacrificing flexibility. This enables solutions scalability and flexibility in choice of:
- Interconnect topology and routing algorithms
- Switch design and implementation. Gen-Z supports a wide range of switch radix, buffer capacities, virtual channels, etc. from small to rack-scale solutions.
- Latency will depend upon switch radix. Small radix switches should deliver 10-30 ns latency and large radix switches should deliver 40-60 ns latency
Gen-Z components and existing solution stacks can be transparently supported by unmodified operating systems and application middleware. For example:
- A Gen-Z memory component that supports DRAM or byte-addressable storage class memory media is mapped into an unmodified operating system the same way that a DRAM DIMM component is mapped. Once mapped, the Gen-Z memory component is accessed by applications just as any other DRAM memory component is accessed.
- A Gen-Z I/O component is mapped into an unmodified operating system as a conventional PCI or PCI Express© device. Once mapped, the Gen-Z I/O component can be associated with any existing, unmodified I/O stack and accessed just as a PCI or PCI Express device is accessed. This enables a wide range of I/O device types to be supported through the Gen-Z interconnect.
- A Gen-Z block storage component is mapped into an unmodified operating system and unmodified storage stack either as a PCI NVM device (e.g., NVM Express) or through an I/O host bus adapter (e.g., SAS). Once mapped, the unmodified storage stack is used to access the Gen-Z block storage component as it would any other block storage component.
- A software-emulated NIC (eNIC) is mapped into an unmodified operating system and unmodified IP network stack to enable traditional network applications to transparently operate across a Gen-Z topology. One implementation option is to augment existing virtualized NIC (vNIC) implementations to operate across the topology as though the communication were local to the virtual machine or operating system.
- To support high-speed, low-latency communications, a Gen-Z provider library is mapped underneath the OpenFabrics' OFI Libfabric infrastructure. This enables a broad set of advanced messaging applications to operate across Gen-Z, e.g., MPI, SHMEM, Sockets, and many more.
All of the above enable Gen-Z components and existing solutions to be constructed using unmodified operating systems and application middleware. As components and solution stacks evolve to take advantage of advanced Gen-Z capabilities and topologies, software changes will be required. For example, rack-scale composable solutions will require new software to manage and coordinate shared memory pools.
Gen-Z specifies a physical layer abstraction that enables it to support multiple physical layers without impacting the higher-level functional blocks. This enables faster deployment of new physical layers and signaling rates. It also enables co-packaged solutions, discrete electrical solutions, and discrete optical solutions.
Gen-Z supports the PCI Express Physical layer. This enables processors, accelerators and I/O components that currently support PCI Express to quickly and readily integrate Gen-Z functionality. Signaling rates from 2.5 GT/s to 32 GT/s can be supported.
Gen-Z builds upon the IEEE 802.3 electrical layer specification. signaling rates from 25 GT/s to 112 GT/s PAM 4 can be supported
To reduce power consumption, complexity, and cost, Gen-Z optimizes the 802.3 electrical layer to support different loss budgets and topologies, e.g., multiple loss budgets for chip-to-chip within an enclosure and fabric-distance loss budgets to connect multiple enclosures. In low-loss solutions, up to 80% power and cost reductions can be achieved.
Gen-Z architecture supports from 1-256 lanes per link. The number of provisioned lanes will vary based on solution requirements and the choice to avoid complex skew compensation technologies. In general, at 56 GT/s and higher signaling rates, the links will be narrower. Though this might limit the maximum bandwidth per link, Gen-Z supports multiple links per component, and thus can scale bandwidth to hundreds of GB/s and beyond.
Gen-Z supports symmetric links where the number of transmit and receive lanes are equal. Gen-Z supports asymmetric links where the number of transmit and receive lanes are not equal. Asymmetric links provide numerous advantages:
- For read-intensive applications, more receive lanes can be provisioned to increase read bandwidth. For example, many applications have a 3:1 read-write ratio, i.e., they issue three read requests for each one write request. Shifting half of the transmit lanes to be receive lanes can increase read bandwidth by
- Asymmetric links enable the same physical infrastructure to deliver greater read or write bandwidth, i.e., solutions do not need to use larger connectors, cables, etc. to deliver greater bandwidth. This enables platforms to be adapted to a wider variety of application needs.
- Asymmetric links increase solution resiliency. For example, if a transmit lane fails, only transmit bandwidth is impacted. Receive bandwidth is not impacted since the number of active receive lanes does not need to be reduced to match the number of transmit lanes.
Gen-Z can scale from as few as two components to enclosure to rack scale and beyond. The architecture supports up to 4096 components per subnet and up to 64K subnets. Initial products will be focused on simple, enclosure and rack-scale solutions.
Yes. Gen-Z is designed to work with a wide range of existing, high-volume mechanical form factors and cables including u.2, PCIe CEM, etc. Gen-Z will work with the new DDIMM (Differential DIMM) mechanical form factor for high-speed memory.
Yes. Gen-Z developed a scalable connector specification.
- This scalable connector supports multiple component types and use cases, including: memory (DRAM / NVM), FPGAs, GPUs / GPGPUs, DSPs, I/Os, NICs, SSDs, etc. With sufficient volume, current estimates indicate connector cost should be similar to existing low-cost, high-volume connectors.
- The scalable connector is a high-density connector (0.6 mm pitch) that minimizes board space consumption. Connector size will vary with the number of provisioned lanes, e.g., a NVM module that delivers 10+ GB/s of read and 10+ GB/s of write bandwidth would require 4 transmit and 4 receive lanes operating at 25 GT/s. In contrast, a high-speed memory or I/O module that delivers 100+ GB/s of read and 100+ GB/s of write bandwidth would require 16 transmit and 16 write lanes operating at 56 GT/s. Though these examples illustrate symmetric links, the modules could support asymmetric links to enable greater read or write bandwidth without requiring a larger connector or moving to a higher signaling rate.
- There are three connector sizes:
- 1C provides 80W of power, management, and 8 differential pairs. Each differential pair can be used as a transmit lane or as a receive lane.
- 2C is an extension of the 1C, and provides a total of 16 differential pairs.
- 4C is an extension of the 2C, and provides a total of 32 differential pairs.
- To increase mechanical interoperability, the scalable connector is modular, i.e., any form factor can be inserted into any slot independent of the connector size, e.g., a form factor that supports 32 differential pairs can be inserted into a 1C, 2C, or 4C connector.
- The scalable connector supports vertical and right-angle insertion.
- The scalable connector enables solutions to scale from 2.5 G1T/s NRZ to 112 GT/s PAM 4 signaling.
- The scalable connector supports cable solutions (which will become increasingly important as signaling rates increase and modular solutions become more pervasive).
One of the primary goals of the Gen-Z Consortium is to create an open ecosystem and standards body where all companies can come together to quickly develop new technology. For example, in just a few months, the Gen-Z Mechanical Work Group developed the Gen-Z Scalable Connector's requirements, translated these into connector concepts, and completed a high-quality draft 0.9 specification. The Consortium also recently published its Core Specification 1.0, which is available for public download.
From its inception, the Gen-Z Consortium wanted to maximize adoption of the Gen-Z Scalable Connector across market segments and use cases. The Gen-Z Consortium published the draft 0.9 specification to the industry in the hopes that multiple industry standards bodies and organizations would reference this connector, thus ensuring that all would benefit. However, due to concerns raised by some companies that are not members of the Gen-Z Consortium, the Board of Directors concluded that in the best interests of the industry, it would support submission of portions of the draft 0.9 specification to the SNIA / SFF organization as a new SFF connector specification, and reference this new SFF connector specification in all applicable Gen-Z Consortium specifications.
Yes. Gen-Z Consortium members have determined that a new mechanical form factor is required to address evolving solution needs. The proposed attributes are:
- The mechanical form factor will be modular to enable solutions to scale in the x, y, and z axis. This will increase solution flexibility and agility while ensuring interoperability across multiple use cases.
- The mechanical form factor can support multiple Gen-Z Scalable Connectors. Each connector provides incremental power, bandwidth and connectivity. For example, a mechanical form factor could support two 4C connectors that provide a total of 160W of power, 64 differential pairs, up to 8 links, etc. Support for multiple connectors simplifies solution development and eliminates mechanical complexity not possible when using alternative technologies.
- Gen-Z architecture enables solutions to scale to 1024 W. Similar to other technologies, a portion of the power will be delivered through the scalable connector(s) and remaining power will be delivered through separate high-capacity power cable attached to the power supply.
Yes. Gen-Z can be used in discrete and co-packaged solutions. In the near-term, the industry will generally focus on discrete solutions using existing mechanical form factors and evolve to use the new mechanical form factor.
Yes. Gen-Z supports cache coherency in point-to-point, meshed, and switch-based topologies. Cache coherency can be used between processors with accelerators, accelerators with accelerators, or accelerators with memory and storage.
Yes. To improve performance and to reduce complexity, Gen-Z cache coherency enables components to selectively determine which communications are coherent and which are non-coherent. For example, communication between a processor and an accelerator could be entirely coherent while communications among a set of accelerators can be selectively coherent.
Gen-Z supports PCI and PCIe technology as follows:
- Gen-Z supports the PCIe physical layer. This enables PCIe solutions to integrate Gen-Z with minimal disruption.
- Gen-Z supports PCI and PCIe configuration space. This enables an unmodified operating system to transparently use Gen-Z I/O components.
- Gen-Z components and switches may support PCIe Compatible Ordering (PCO). This enables an unmodified device driver to be transparently used with a Gen-Z I/O component. Though PCO solutions are constrained by the PCIe architecture, e.g., a single interface and a single path between an I/O component and a host system, they can still take advantage of a subset of the Gen-Z capabilities, e.g., low-latency switching. In contrast, non-PCO solutions can take full advantage of Gen-Z's capabilities.
Yes. I/O components can take full advantage of Gen-Z capabilities:
- Low-latency switching
- Memory-speed (multiple GB/s) processor-to-device communications
- security and fine-grain hardware-enforced isolation (any-to-any communication without compromise)
- Supports many more atomics than the three supported by PCIe
- Simplified single and multi-host I/O virtualization and sharing capabilities
- Multipath – transparent aggregation, resiliency, and robust topologies
- Very high-speed electrical and optical physical layers
- New Gen-Z Scalable Connector and modular form factors
- CPU-based data movers to enable new software paradigms
- Scale-up and scale-out connectivity and performance, e.g., enables up to 8192 devices per SoC
- Simplified hot-plug management and scaling, e.g., eliminates OS rebalancing complexity that inhibits scalability
- And many more.
Yes. Gen-Z supports multiple processor architecture Atomics including x86 / ARM / Power.
- Supports multiple data sizes – 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128-bit sizes
- Supports integer and floating-point data
- Supports arithmetic and logical operations
- Supports vector atomics, e.g., up to 32 32-bit data values
Yes. Gen-Z supports multiple collective operations including broadcast, barrier, scatter, gather, reduce, map reduce, etc. Further, these collective operations can be implemented in collective accelerators incorporated into a switch topology. Collective accelerators can improve performance, reduce the number of packets exchanged between components, and reduce the probability of congestion.
Yes. The Gen-Z Core specification describes multiple techniques to optimize load-to-use latency that can be incorporated into any design. The specifcation also describes techniques to enable media controller differentiation, solution-specific customizations, optimize power management, and much more.
Gen-Z was created to simplify and unify data access at nearly any scale. At a very high level, Gen-Z provides functionality that supports more topologies, more scalability, and more use cases than what is in the market today.
- Gen-Z supports multiple topologies – co-packaged, point-to-point, mesh, switch-based, and transparent router topologies within a single enclosure or at rack scale.
- Gen-Z supports very robust, flexible, and extensible data access protocol that can access any type and number of components including: processors, memory, I/O, accelerators, storage, FPGA, DSP, etc.
- Gen-Z supports two of the highest volume physical layers – the PCI Express physical layer (up to 16 GT/s today, and 32 GT/s in 2020) and an optimized version of the 802.3 electrical (up to 56 GT/s today, and 112 GT/s in 2020). Gen-Z supports electrical and optical physical media that can be used to support co-packaged, single enclosure, or rack scale solutions.
- Gen-Z uses a highly-optimized, memory semantic protocol that inherently supports multiple use cases including: memory (DRAM and Storage Class Memory (SCM)), I/O – Gen-Z native and logical PCI device support that scales beyond the PCI Express architectural constraints, block and hybrid SCM + block storage, (non-) coherent and hybrid accelerators, Ethernet-compatible networking, low-lateency messaging, coherency, etc.
- Gen-Z supports up to 64-way memory interleaving across a set of point-to-point or switch attached memory components. Memory interleave can be explicitly managed by a memory controller or can be transparently implimented to provide additional capabilities, e.g., multi-host support, highly-resilient memory, transparent management and mechanical servicing, tiered memory, etc.
- Gen-Z supports hardware-enforced isolation and built-in security.
- Gen-Z supports nearly any routing algorithm.
- Gen-Z supports congestion management.
Yes. The Gen-Z consortium strongly believes in developing an open ecosystem where members, the broader industry, and customers can work together to deliver robust, high-quality specifications that meet solution needs. The Gen-Z Consortium will periodically publicly post draft specifications and technical concepts to elicit input from the broader industry and directly from customers.
Yes. Member companies have created a variety of open source projects that are available to the broader industry. These are available on GitHub.
The Gen-Z Consortium is comprised of leading technology companies dedicated to creating and commercializing the Gen-Z technology. The founding consortium's members include: AMD, ARM, Broadcom, Cray, Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei, IDT, Micron, Samsung, SK hynix, and Xilinx. Refer to our Members List to see the full consortium membership.
The Gen-Z Consortium mission is deliver a suite of specifications to enable Gen-Z to be integrated into any solution. The Gen-Z Consortium will establish an open ecosystem where customers and the industry can directly engage with one another in creating these specifications.
The Gen-Z Consortium is formed as a not-for-profit corporation. To join, a company executes a Membership Agreement. Twelve member companies hold Board of Director seats and provide overall governance. Board seats are voted on annually. All general member companies may participate in any Work Group to develop the Gen-Z specifications and other materials. For more information on becoming a member of the Gen-Z Consortium please get in touch with our administrative team through our Contact Form.
The Gen-Z Consortium owns the copyrights and all of its final published specifications.
The Gen-Z Consortium made its public announcement on Tuesday October 11th, 2016.
The present annual general membership fee is $10,000. Refer to our Members Page for additional membership information.
No, the technical specifications are available via the consortium web-site free of charge. The Gen-Z Consortium does not charge an end user or implementer fee.
A new industry body was created to enable customers and the industry to directly work together in an open ecosystem. This requires a new organizational structure and engagement model.
No. Solutions will continue to incorporate existing interconnects where needed.
Please see member companies for their specific product plans. The expectation is initial products could appear in the 2019-2020 time frame. Multiple member companies have demonstrated solution concepts that highlight the benefits from using Gen-Z technology.
Each technology has been created to meet specific solution needs in terms of functionality, performance, scale, etc. The Gen-Z Consortium views these new technologies as complementary, open industry standards that will enable customer choice and drive innovation.


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Hey guys!
So I did a quick R+D test with a scene and our spider subject. Good news is that I could scale the spider down a tiny size in another file, then append it into the Scene 003 test scene, did a render and yep it seems to render a bit nicely. I REALLY needed to test this because now that we are entering the animation phase it was important to see if all these ideas and plans would pull together before we got too deep in and ran into problems considering that until tonight that had not been done.
Bad news - the hair does not like being that small so it had to go and in all honesty maybe it might be a good idea to remove it altogether?? Considering that for the most part this spider object will be at such a small scale it might be more trouble than it is worth to have the hair?? I tried 5 times to get the hair to not modify but as soon as I moved the spider at all the hair will explode in length. In MY opinion it might be better to just get rid of the hair and go with what we have, of course I do want to keep the original model with hair for future reference and demo purposes. Also factor in render times and with the complexity of the scenes, the train and spider (including lighting and shaders) this hair could increase a render time per frame from an hour to a day each (??). That is still up in the air, if someone could log in and grab the files, see what they can do with it and if the result is ok then we can go from there. Literally the spider model test object is scaled 0.001 from it's original size.
However the other good news is that the linking test has been completed with the appending of the spider into the a linked scene file. I will be uploading the files into the SVN for anyone to poke around in and see what is going on, I will also be gone the rest of the week and weekend and will not be back till Monday so if anyone has questions, comments or replies - go ahead and leave them I will read them when I get back.
Also we have Anthony Rosebottom on board for animation as well! :)


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Young Amaya is auditioning for a role in a professional play. Although she longs to perform, she is about to learn how much team effort and hard work is involved.
As the reader follows her progress from a nervous hopeful at an audition through the fittings for costumes, the rehearsals, the memory work, and even stage fright, Dirk McLean introduces the many people and jobs involved in staging a play. A glossary provides descriptions of terms like casting, choreography, and blocking. Written by an author with extensive firsthand theater experience, this is a must-have resource for young children who are performers. And for those who only dream of a career on stage, it is entertaining to share Amaya's journey and to feel the thrill of a peek behind the scenes.
DIRK MCLEAN has been involved in the world of theater as an actor and playwright for most of his life. He has performed in Canada in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria. In the U.S., he's performed in Buffalo, Chicago, Indianapolis, and on Broadway. He's also worked in the West End in London, in Johannesburg, and in Trinidad & Tobago, where he was born. Dirk McLean lives in Toronto, Ontario.
FRANCE BRASSARD has been fascinated by illustration since she received a tiny picture book in a Christmas stocking when she was a small child. After studying both interior and graphic design, she became an illustrator herself in the 1990s. With several books to her credit, she lives in a small city in Quebec with her son, Luke.


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Fallout Series on sale at GoG.com
Friday, December 13, 2013 No comments
The folks over at Gog.com have the first 3 Fallout games in the series (1, 2 and tactics) on sale for free for the next 24 hours! If you have never played these classics I'd suggest picking them up now! Did I forget to mention they are FREE.
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We are your partner in navigating through the tedious process of obtaining a mortgage loan. Our mortgage loan processing team will guide you through each step, answering questions
and clarifying information.
We are your advocate to ensure you reach the finish line on time......
the mortgage loan closing and the dream of homeownership!
Saleztrax Mortgage Processing was developed with YOU, the originator, in mind!
The process of obtaining a home mortgage in today's environment can be complex for the consumer. As a third party contract processor we work closely with your clients to obtain the required documentation to reach our shared goal of loan closing. Our commitment to customer service will allow you the opportunity to share your expertise advising and assisting your clients!
Collectively our staff has over 100 years of mortgage loan processing experience. Our solid reputation and industry contacts proves to be a major benefit to our clients.
We will work closely with our origination partners and consumers to ensure the process is smooth and efficient.
We know our success depends on a successful closing experience.
Saleztrax utilizes state of the art Intelligent Process Automation working in a digital mortgage environment for maximum security and efficiency. Consumers and Originators are provided with a secure portal with password protected logins and a secure email address for the purpose of securely providing documentation that contains personal data.
After receipt of the loan application package from the originator, Saleztrax's knowledgeable staff will review documents provided for completeness and compliance with state and federal regulations. Our highly qualified staff is capable of pre-underwriting your file and determing what the lender will require to obtain the loan approval. Our goal, working with the consumer, is to submit a file for underwriting as complete as possible for a successful outcome.
Our goal throughout the transaction is to be certain that the consumer is ready to close on the contract closing date. We will work dilligently to ensure all requirements of the lender are met and closing can proceed as scheduled, stress free.
Our third party contract processing fee is $995, with the exception of FHA 203k or Renovation Loans which is $1295. Saleztrax receives payment at closing and is listed on the closing disclosure.
Saleztrax will waive the processing fee on transactions that do not close.
Each Consumer and Originatior will have a dedicated loan processor for their transaction who will maintain constant communication via email during the process. Since the requirements of documentation is so specific, it's important to communicate the details in writing.
We answer the phone when you call!
727 483 9820
1. Communication is KEY! Respond quickly to all request for documentation or information.
2. Respond to all E-Sign requests from the lender immediately to avoid delays in the process.
3. Refrain from making any changes to your current financial position.
Prior to any unavoidable change, please review with your originator and loan processor.
4. Always provide ALL Pages of any documentation requested, even if the page is blank.
5. Do not alter documents with white out or redactions.
5. Always call if you are unsure or have a question. We are here to help!
The mission of Saleztrax Mortgage Processing
is to expertly provide a positive and expedient mortgage financing experience in a secure digital environment.
11701 Belcher Rd. S, Largo, Florida 33773, United States
Monday - Friday
Closed on ALL Federal Holidays
Licensed in Florida
Licensing in other States upon request
Copyright © 2019 Saleztrax Mortgage Processing - All Rights Reserved.


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Leilani Racehorse
Leilani Was Foaled In 1970 In New Zealand
Numerous events restricted to fillies and mares, along with a seeming soft spot in the hearts of Australian punters for the lady thoroughbreds that have captured not just their imaginations, but those of the general public as well, would seem to play a major role in the special bond that seems to exist for them. leilani
One by the name of Leilani seems to exemplify this feeling to a great degree.
Even though she did not have the physical traits and good health that would have permitted her to doubtlessly win double what she did, her impressive results place her squarely in the top echelon of Australian racing history.
A product of New Zealand, Leilani was foaled in 1970 with lines that were predominantly British and Kiwi.
Her sire was a Great Britain stallion by the name of Oncidium, a racer of modest accomplishments known for producing competent stayers and 28 stakes winners in all.
Her dam was a New Zealand native named Lei, a broodmare of sufficient noteworthiness to earn 1975 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year accolades.
Lellani Only Lightly Raced
Leilani made only 20 starts in her racing career, but she won 14 of those, and placed well in the others, including a second in the 1974 Melbourne Cup, where she went off as the favourite, even though the distance was well beyond that of any of her victories.
She was formidable at distances from 1400 metres to 2400 metres, versatility no doubt honed under the skilled supervision of her trainer, Bart Cummings.
Her racing career as a three-year-old in the 1973-74 season included the 2400 m AJC Oaks and Princess handicap, a 2000 metre affair. She hit her stride as a four-year-old, winning top flight races at a pace that is doubtlessly the source of much of her fame.
She won nine major events that season, again proving her ability at 2400 m with a victory in the Caulfield Cup.
She also won a Toorak handicap, the C. F. Orr Stakes and the St. George Stakes, all three around a mile in length, more or less. She stepped up in distance to notch the LKS Mackinnon Stakes at 2000 m, the Queens Cup at 2500 m, the 2000 m Turnbull Stakes, the Australian Cup and the Queen's Plate.
Just Gets Beaten In The Melbourne Cup By Think Big
The highlight of the Spring Racing Carnival, the Melbourne Cup, saw Leilani going off as the favourite, despite having her stable mate, Think Big, as formidable competition. She had the lead with 50 metres remaining, only to have Think Big run her down in a dramatic finish in one of the more strategically run Melbourne Cups.
This remarkable season was more the sufficient for Leilani to be recognised as the Australian Horse of the Year amongst four-year-old mares.
The following season, 1975-76, as a five-year-old, injuries hampered Leilani to the extent that she jumped only six times for that campaign. She did manage to produce a second consecutive victory in the St. George Stakes.
The conclusion of her racing career found her with six Group 1 wins, along with the then all-time earnings record for a mare.
Her progeny, three total, preceded her rather untimely death in May of 1990. Although her career, as well as her life, was brief, her exploits on the turf secured her place in the history of racing.
She was and is a legitimate candidate for the Racing Hall of Fame, a contention that would brook no dispute if it were not for 50 metres of Flemington racecourse that prevented her from notching racing's Crown Jewel.


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For typical office workers, a very big percentage of their time is spent either sitting on a chair or behind a desk. An office should not make you feel bored and tired but instead inspire you to work even after long hours. Therefore, a lot of considerations are taken when deciding on office furniture as it's among the key aspects of an office appearance as well as employee's well being. Australian market research expects the furniture industry to post an annualized revenue growth of 1.3% over the five years through 2016-2017. This article will guide you on the main factors to consider when choosing furniture for your office.
Finding an office that suits your business and decorating it to your needs and taste is not cheap. It's a start up investment that needs financing. You will be required to use your finances wisely according to your budget. Thus before buying office furniture know how much it costs and also the number of chairs or tables or any other furniture you require and ensure you make fair choices without compromising on the quality. If you want to save you can check out second hand furniture which will require you to do research on which thrift shops offer slightly used furniture at fair prices.
The type of office furniture you use is highly determined by the type of business you are running. If in your office, the employees spend most of their time sitting, they will require comfortable chairs, and a desk is a must. In addition, if you want your office atmosphere to be in such a way that the employees can communicate freely, what you need is both huge tables and a few chairs or cubicles for a formal feel. Your decision goes a long way in making your office offer a conducive work environment.
Flexibility and functionality
You should know what functions you require your furniture to serve and what level of flexibility you require. For example, a chair should be comfortable and a desk should have an allowance for you to stretch your legs, and if it has drawers for storage, the better. When choosing the furniture for your office remember that furniture with multiple functionalities is always a better option. A balance between functionality and low cost is very advantageous.
Size and aesthetic value
You should purchase furniture that is proportionate to your office space as bulky ones consume a lot of space giving your employees less room to move around in. Know the size of your office and its dimensions before the purchase and remember your employees' comfort. In addition, you should get furniture that adds beauty to the appearance of your office. Find something that gives your office life and creativity, while playing with bold colours if you want an energetic atmosphere and tone down on the multiple of colours to achieve a tranquil environment.
All the above points will guide you into choosing furniture that will make your office have heaven on earth feel.


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Vegan food is having a moment in Sydney. If we're talking about the higher end of dining, there's never been a better time to go animal-products free. In 2018 we got two sharp, almost-fine-dining restaurants that just happen to be plant-based: Paperbark and Alibi. Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt, meanwhile, have begun offering vegan menus at Yellow, their lauded vegetarian restaurant.
And we still have affordable options spanning pizza, burgers, sushi, pho, gelato and pub classics. Some of our picks aren't 100 per cent vegan, but all offer a substantial selection of animal-product-free dishes.
Read more
Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Sydney


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Seychelles excellence is exemplified at Le Tropique Villa on Praslin Island. Born and raised on Praslin Island, proprietor Thérèse Morel delivers a welcoming atmosphere to visitors of her six apartments including four sea-view and two garden-view spaces. Each with private verandahs, the units are ideal for families and singles seeking spacious accommodations. All apartments offer full kitchens and quality decor and are situated among lush, green palm trees and white sand.
Peaceful early morning strolls and romantic evening star gazing are compliments of the serene private beach just steps away from every door. Guava trees offer up complimentary fruit in the garden, and two resident canines mingle with dog lovers on the premises. This inviting property is impeccably maintained, reasonably priced and conveniently located near the airport. Staff gladly assists in scheduling nearby excursions such as snorkeling and tours to neighboring islands.
Room Types:
Longitude: 55.700940000000


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North American P-51 Mustang, a picture gallery for fans of warbirds and classic aircraft featuring voice output (TextToSpeech).
It lets you set historic and contemporary color pictures of one of the most famous military aircraft, the American WW2 fighter plane North American P-51 Mustang as background images (wallpapers) on your device.
The North American Aviation (NAA) P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a specification issued directly to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed and, with an engine installed, first flew on 26 October.
The Mustang was originally designed as A-36 Invader (Apache) to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I). The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, matching or bettering that of the Luftwaffe's fighters. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series two-stage two-speed supercharged engine, and armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.
From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF's 2 TAF and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theaters, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down.
At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86 took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing, and increasingly, preserved and flown as historic warbird aircraft at airshows.
● Standalone software – no eBook reader needed
● Options menu
+ Help page
+ Settings page
– Text color
– Background color
– Text size
– Text padding
– Reset
+ Link to all iwpSoftware apps in Android Market
+ Go to bookmark
+ Set bookmark
+ Set current image as wallpaper
+ Link to image/item/description
● General features
+ Voice output (text to speech, TTS)
+ Clickable table of contents
+ English and German program language
+ Contents rotate (portrait/landscape)
+ Fullscreen images on/off by long click
This app is available as a FREE and a PRO version. The FREE edition includes ads which finance the development while the PRO edition is completely ad-free. Apart from that both versions are equal. You can first check out the FREE edition without any risk in order to to see if you like the app. If the ads annoy you or you just want to support this app's development, you can buy the PRO edition.


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Closer by Circa
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 7 April – 12 June 2016
Get up close and personal with four incredible circus performers. Witness acrobatic mastery at its most extreme. See unrivalled acrobatic moves, and the muscles it takes to perform them; gasp at effortless circus stunts, and learn how many years it takes to perfect them; marvel at graceful aerial spectacles above you, and see the rope marks graze the aerialists' skin. Internationally acclaimed, multi -award winning circus company Circa (The Return, Opusat the Barbican; Beyondat London Wonderground) wrench back the curtain with Close Up. Nothing is off limits in their most intimate show yet. Close Up has been made especially (and only!) for Udderbelly, our upside-down purple cow, and has already wowed audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Udderbelly festival Hong Kong.
Tickets from £18.00
Andy Zalzman: Political Animal
The Udderbelly.
Booking period: 19 April -21 June 2016
The show comes to Udderbelly to bring a satirical eye to a very naughty planet. It's hosted by Andy Zaltzman, 'firmly in the vanguard of British stand-up' (BBC). Past guest appearances include Frankie Boyle, Daniel Kitson, Stewart Lee, Jeremy Hardy, Chris Addison, Russell Howard and Richard Herring. Andy is known as one half of the global smash hit topical podcast The Bugle, which he hosted alongside John Oliver.
His most recent show, Satirist for Hire, plays monthly to a full house at the Soho Theatre and has been described as 'deliciously daft and occasionally Pythonesque' (Evening Standard). He also performs regularly on BBC Radio 4's The Now Show and BBC Radio 5's 7 Day Saturday.
Tickets from £20.00
Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel
The Udderbelly.
Booking period: 22 June -14 July 2016
Austentatious returns to Southbank Centre, resplendent with Regency-era adventures. In each show, the all-star cast improvise a brand new Jane Austen work before your eyes, based only on audience suggestions. Previous 'lost' masterpieces have included Sixth Sense and Sensibility, Double 0 Darcy and Mansfield Shark. Prepare to get your bonnet in a twist. (Swooning guaranteed). Austentatious are Edinburgh Fringe sell-outs 2013, 2014 and 2015, and Chortle award winners 2014. As heard on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Tickets from £20.00
Comedy Club 4 Kids
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 21 May – 16 July 2016
Kids, bring your folks to see the international circuit's best comedians, sketch acts and cabaret stars. Comedy Club 4 Kidshas stand-up from grown-up, high-quality acts like John Robins, Stu Goldsmith and Nish Kumar who perform their usual sets, just without the swearing or rude bits.' (The Independent). 'A highlight for children in recent years, giving them a taste of some of the biggest names in comedy… with the fun, rowdy feel of a real comedy club' ( The Guardian). 'The ethos is just right' (The Daily Telegraph).'Absolutely hilarious.' (The Yorkshire Times).
Tickets from £13.00
Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School
The Spiegeltent.
Booking period: 16 May – 15 August 2016
Grab your sketch book and come to Dr. Sketchy's anti-art school, where life drawing meets cabaret. Sketch glamorous models and compete in drawing contests in an atmosphere of artistic mayhem. Dr. Sketchy is for everyone, with no previous artistic ability required. So don't be shy: put pencil to paper, move it around and see what happens – you might be surprised!
Tickets from £20.00
Hotel Black Cat
The Spiegeltent
Booking period: 3 June- 26 August 2016
London's cabaret trailblazers are back with a brand new production for 2016 – a riotous explosion of cabaret, circus and live music, set in a less-than-completely-reputable Parisian hotel during the first decade of the 20th century. In-keeping with the Black Cat's trademark mood of giddy abandon, expect to meet high-kicking showgirls, jaw-dropping acrobats, madcap comic singers, live musicians and more.
Tickets from: £29.00
Foil, Arms and Hog
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 22 April – 8 July 2016
Foil, Arms & Hog return to Southbank Centre for three nights with their critically acclaimed show. Four million hits on YouTube, five exclusives on FunnyorDie.com and endorsements from Rowan Atkinson: they're one of Ireland's finest comedy prospects.
Tickets from: £20.00
Paul Zerdin – Spongefinger
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 14 April- 16 April 2016
America's Got Talent 2015 winner Paul Zerdin returns to the UK. Fresh from headlining the world-famous Planet Hollywood, he brings with him a new show and an all-star cast of his (in)famous puppets. Join Paul, cheeky pre-adolescent Sam, belligerent OAP Albert and precocious Baby for an evening of hilarious ventriloquism and high jinks.
Tickets from: £20.00
Comedy In The Dark
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 11 April – 11 July 2016
Comedy in the Dark is the most fun you can have with the lights off. At this unique comedy experience, comedians perform in total darkness. The audience's senses are heightened, and, of course, things look and sound different in the dark.
Tickets from: £16.00
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 21 April – 15 July 2016
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho makes her debut at Southbank Centre in a drag comedy musical extravaganza. She appears in the wake of two sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and London's Leicester Square Theatre. On the eve of the vote on Section 28 Maggie gets lost in Soho and accidentally becomes a cabaret superstar, but will she change her mind about the homophobic bill before it's too late? Take your seat for a camp odyssey about gay rights, the 80s and disco…
Tickets from: £20.00
Between The Sheets: An Intimate Cabaret
The Spiegeltent
Booking period: 18 June -18 September 2016
Welcome to Miss Polly Rae's boudoir. Celebrating all things 'in the bedroom' 'Between The Sheets' is a visually stunning, hilarious and risqué romp, bursting with a dynamite mix of song, dance, comedy, circus and glorious innuendo that not only encapsulates traditional burlesque but also explores the darker more erotic side of striptease.
Tickets from: £23.00
Knightmare Live
The Udderbelly
Booking period: 24 April -3 July 2016
Do you want the chance to wear the iconic helmet of justice and play the dungeon? Knightmare Live is back with a brand new concept. The game has changed. Every show is different; every room holds a new challenge. How long will you last?
Tickets from: £20.00
Morgan & West's Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show
The Spiegeltent
Booking period: 31 May – 5 June 2016
Time travelling Victorian magic duo Morgan & West unload another boxful of bafflement and impossibility. Witness a mountain of mysterious magic, a hatful of hyper-reality, and of course a truck full of tricks and tea. (Sadly there are no actual mountains or trucks on stage during the show, Mr West simply would not have them). Mixing brain bursting illusion and good old fashioned tom-foolery, Morgan & West present a show for all the family, where magic and silliness abound! Fun for ages 5 to 105!
Tickets from: £13.00
Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Dance Hall
The Spiegeltent
Booking period: 10 May – 25 September 2016
DJ Monski Mouse, brings high energy smiling to the Spielgeltent with her hit parent's and children's dance event for under 5's. Monski and her team will have heads and shoulders, knees and toes bopping along to retro dance tracks, pop favourites and funky nursery rhymes.
Tickets from: £11.00


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If you've ever wondered who manages Bryant Park, read on for all the highlights of our organization.
The Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) was founded in 1980 with a charge to reclaim Bryant Park for the people of New York City. Since then, the talent, dedication and execution of the BPC board and staff has transformed the park into the greatest public space in the world.
The ongoing mission of BPC is: to create a rich and dynamic visual, cultural and intellectual outdoor experience for New Yorkers and visitors alike; to enhance the real estate values of its neighbors by continuously improving the park; to burnish the park's status as a prime NYC tourist destination by presenting a meticulously maintained venue for free entertainment events; and to help prevent crime and disorder in the park by attracting thousands of patrons, at all hours, thus fostering a safe environment.
BPC is privately funded, and operates Bryant Park with private sector techniques and management methods. Working as agent for the City of New York, BPC provides sanitation, security services, spotless restrooms, colorful gardens, and seasonal horticultural installations for the park, and maintains a lush lawn that is open to the public.
BPC also works with civic minded corporations and park patrons to offer interesting amenities, free educational programs and free high-level entertainment for people of all ages. Careful selection and management of concessionaires ensures that park visitors have access to high quality food and merchandise.
As it strives to improve the park each year, BPC pays close attention to other models and constantly seeks innovations, whether from its own staff or from outside, always with an eye on the ultimate goal: presenting the perfect park to the public.
Read more about BPC's staff, mission and history at bryantpark.org
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Who We Are & What We Do
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- This article is currently a work in progress. As such, it may contain some editing notes in addition to information. Please be patient, it is being worked on and will be in a finished state before long!
Overview Edit
|Mender Lazarus
Mender of Ouroboros
|(483.0, 665.7, -767.7)
|Level Range
|Introduced by
|The Pilgrim
|Enemy groups
| 5th Column
Mender Lazarus is a City of Heroes and City of Villains contact located in Ouroboros at coordinates (483.0, 665.7, -767.7). He is a task force contact.
Heroes and Villains can find him twice in the following mission.
- Join Ouroboros mission from The Pilgrim (Levels 25-50), as an Hero level ally. He is labeled as a Hero, but his con level is more like a boss, more info needed.
Ally Description Edit
Mender Lazarus is a time traveler who lost his sense of continuity some time ago. He is still a brilliant scientist and historian, he just occasionally puts the "effect" before the "cause".
Introductions Edit
Contact Introduced ByEdit
Information Edit
Mender of the Ourboros
Mender Lazarus is a time traveler who lost his sense of continuity long ago. He's from the time 7740 AD and in an attempt to find the ideal temporal node to effect the greatest change, Lazarus has sacrificed some of himself. Of all the Ouroboros, he has time traveled the most, but does not doubt or regret his decision to do so. He is still a brilliant scientist and historian, even though his sense of cause and effect might be reversed.
He's often distracted by phantom visions of possibility, prone to ramble off facts that aren't yet true or events that never actually happened. Mender Lazarus is so close to the edge of his time tether, that he can practically SEE the abyss. To prevent complete insanity, Lazarus wears protective oculars of Mender Silos' design to help filter out the shadow possibilities.
Initial Contact Edit
Missing Initial Contact Dialog
Below Level Requirement Edit
This doesn't make any sense to me. My readings tell me that your Temporal Scaling isn't strong enough yet to support the mission I had planned for you. But you've already done the mission. I know. I was there.
Alright, then that means that I'm talking to a you that is not yet you, well 'my' you. Here's what you need to do. Take a look around and get to know this place. I don't know how you got here but remember it. Burn it into your mind, because at some point in your future, say when you're around level 30, I'm going to need you to come back here and help me. You have to remember that. Come back. Now good luck and watch out for that abyss behind you. There's no coming back from that.
Unfamiliar Contact Edit
Too Busy Edit
Store Edit
Task Force Edit
See Mender Lazarus Task Force.
Dialogue Edit
From The Pilgrim: Join Ouroboros
Once free: Just like old times, eh?
If refound: I hate deja vu. Occupational hazard.
Etymology Edit
Lazarus is the name of the old man who was raised from the dead by Jesus in the New Testament of the Bible, and is recounted in the book of John 11:41-44.


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The Power (and awkwardness) about being completely honest
What do you think life would be like if you were always completely honest?
Like, if you were to go up to the barista that you think is so cute and tell him or her that you have a big, fat crush on them? That is why you go to their coffee shop every Tuesday, right?
Or, would you tell the girl in your chemistry class who randomly hates you that you didn't do anything to her and you don't know why she's mad at you without letting your pride getting in the way? You don't want her to know that you care about what she thinks- that makes you look weak and scared. But it really does hurt to know that someone who doesn't even know you that well acts like they hate you and doesn't tell you why.
Would you be honest when someone asks you what your most embarrassing memory is? Or would you tell them the second or third most embarrassing memory instead?
Many of like to think that we are open and honest with other people.
But to be honest, that's a lie.
Some people disagree when I say this, but at least in Washington, most of us have quickly learned that there is more value placed on being nice than being honest. Washington is known to be a friendly state, but that doesn't mean that everyone wants to actually be your friend. In many cases, people try to practice diplomacy, or are passively aggressive at the most.
No one will straight-up tell you that they don't like you and would rather not talk to you, even if that's how they actually feel.
In most parts of the U.S., it's more important to look put together than to look like what you actually feel. I remember a couple of days ago I had a meeting for a project I'm working on but I was really upset. I had to go anyways because I was speaking at this meeting, but in the process of crying, I'd wiped all of my makeup onto my sleeve and I looked like a serial killer clown with all of my black eye-liner and mascara smeared around my eyes.
If I were truly honest, like I tell myself I am, I would have gone to the meeting like that. I would have explained that I really didn't want to be there. That I would have rather stayed home and pitied myself.
But instead, I wiped all of my makeup off, reapplied, and pretended like everything was fine for the hour-long meeting. Then I came back home and cried again before I went to bed.
I know that I sound like I've been hating on common dishonesty. But then again, is it really a problem? Would life in fact get better if we were all totally, brutally honest with each other, even to the point of discomfort? Would anybody even really be comfortable with being that honest?
I guess this is sort of a question that I'm asking out to all of you, who are reading this. Because my answer is- I don't really know.
I know I would not be comfortable telling a barista that I had a crush on them. I would also not be comfortable confronting a girl who hates me and telling her that she has doesn't have a right to because I didn't do anything to her! On the receiving end, I wouldn't be comfortable with some random person I don't know coming up to me and telling me that they only came to my workplace because they were dying to ask me out on the inside, or with someone who I don't like telling me that they didn't think I had a right not to like them. In either case, I would rather avoid confrontation and have them not talk to me.
Then again, everyone I know gets annoyed in the process of asking "what if…?" and never getting an answer. In that way, life would be a lot simpler with honesty.
What do you think?


text: If you come to the Outer Banks and cannot find a bbq restaurant I have a few questions: Were you actually in the Outer Banks? Did you not know what you were eating? How could this tragedy happen? All jokes aside bbq in North Carolina is a big deal. Many people do not always immediately […]Read More


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The call for proposals will close on 30 October 2018. Our upcoming 15th European Ecological Federation (EEF) Congress, Ecology across borders: Embedding Ecology in Sustainable Development Goals, is to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, 29th July – 2nd August 2019. This congress results from a joining organisation of EEF and Portuguese Ecological Society (SPECO). This 15th EEF Congress aims to present the most advanced achievements of ecological research and the burgeoning issues of ecologists, discussing inter-, intra- and trans-disciplinarily their impacts on the present problems societies face. Using the officially called "Major Groups" of United Nations, the conference intend to extend discussions based on ecologically relevant interfaces to tackle the sustainable development goals and help to create a more sustainable biosphere and a more equitable society.
Past EEF congresses have attracted hundreds of participants, and this year we aim to convene ~700+ active researchers eager to present and discuss their research findings with agro-ecosystem managers, nature conservation agencies, marine and coastal services, as well as different stakeholders and policy-makers,. Interested in a particular topic within the conference scope you wish to discuss/develop further? Send us a proposal for a symposium! The idea is that anyone with a keen interest in ecological research, regardless of presenting a poster or oral communication or not, can organize a symposium. Proposals addressing the conference theme, "Embedding Ecology in Sustainable Development Goals", and any interesting subject relating to Ecology are very welcome, especially if creating interdisciplinary connections with other scientific or non-scientific areas (e.g.: social development, medicine, economy, agriculture…). Please note that: Your symposium should provide a well-integrated synthesis of a given topic. Each symposium will have a total duration of 60 min. The structure of your symposium must be: Roundtable/Discussion with one major communication OR Short Presentations with discussion. We have a limited number of vacancies.
Please send your proposal (a pdf. or a word document) by e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com until 30 October 2018. Your proposal must include:
»» The title of your symposium
»» A short abstract (200 words maximum not counting the title and authors) indicating the content addressed in your symposium and main objectives
»» The chosen structure: Roundtable/Discussion with one major communication OR Short Presentations with discussion
»» List of foreseen speaker(s)
»» Title of each speaker ('s) contribution to your symposium. Even if it is not the final title, please include an indicative title for each speaker.
If you have any questions, please contact the organising team through email@example.com


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original article: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002023691
The Yomiuri Shimbun ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi — Local residents in the Okawa district of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, have decided to call for the municipal government to preserve the school building of Okawa Primary School, where 84 children, teachers and other school employees died or went missing in tsunami following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, as a remainder of the disaster.
The decision was made on Friday at a meeting of the Okawa district restoration council, comprising local residents and others. The council plans to soon submit a petition to the municipal government to turn the area into a park, leaving the school building as it is.
The council invited about 400 households in the district to a meeting held on March 8 and conducted a questionnaire survey of the 126 attendees on how to deal with the school building. Nearly half, or 57 people, responded they wanted to preserve the whole building, 37 said they wanted to dismantle it, three hoped to partially preserve the building and the rest turned in a blank survey.
"Although some people said the number of respondents was too small, we respected the result," said Mikio Otsuki, 72, chairman of the council.
People's opinions are divided on preserving the school building. While some ask for it to be preserved as "a place that conveys the terrors of tsunami," others call for it to be leveled it as "it brings up painful memories."
ONAGAWA, Miyagi Prefecture–After a four-year wait, trains are up and running the full length of the restored JR Ishinomaki Line, which was ravaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
The first train left Onagawa Station at 6:12 a.m. on March 21. The first incoming train arrived at 7:30 a.m., greeted by a throng of residents waving flags used to celebrate large catches by fishing boats.
The entire line extends 44.7 kilometers through Miyagi Prefecture, eastward from Kogota Station in Misato to Onagawa Station via Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki.
The 2.3-km stretch through the last two stations of Urashuku and Onagawa had remained unconnected after tsunami up to 20 meters high swept the tracks away.
Major facilities, including the Onagawa station building and town government office, as well as 70 percent of all households, were destroyed, and 827 people, accounting for 8 percent of the town's population, perished.
Though all services on the line were halted due to the disaster, the line's operator, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East), partially restarted operations in April 2011.
Service on the rest of the line resumed in March 2013, with the exception of the final two stops.
Urashuku and Onagawa stations were reopened to passengers after the completion of work to elevate land in the town in case of a future tsunami. The downtown area where the latter station is located was raised by as much as 15 meters in some areas.
The station's new building, which was designed to resemble the silhouette of a black-tailed gull spreading its wings, cost 850 million yen ($7 million) to build.
With service now available on the entire line, trains will be making a total of 11 runs a day.
ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture–A project to sell novel paper cranes lovingly created by a trio of women living as evacuees after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster has found its wings: thanks to the assistance of a former first lady.
The unconventional cranes are distinguished by the increased number of pleats in their wings, making them appear as if they are about to take off.
They have already found favor at high-profile events, even gracing the tables at a banquet held last December by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for Southeast Asian leaders.
High-end hotels, like the Imperial Hotel in central Tokyo, have started selling them at their shops. The Imperial Hotel sells a pair of gold and silver cranes for 500 yen ($4.80), alongside traditional gifts such as Japanese sweets. It has sold 20 sets since sales began in July.
The cranes are folded by Noriko Sato, 50, and two fellow evacuees living in temporary housing in Ishinomaki. The women painstakingly fold the paper because it, with gold and silver flake, is delicate.
In July and August, 3,500 of the origami cranes were shipped around Japan. Each woman receives 100 yen for each origami.
Sato, the group leader, said the proceeds helped her buy a kimono for her daughter in time for the coming-of-age ceremony in January.
But monetary gain is not the sole purpose.
"When you're living in temporary housing and there isn't much to do, you tend to see things negatively," said Sato, whose home was destroyed in the March 11, 2011, tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Her woes did not stop there, however. She was later diagnosed with breast cancer.
"When I fold origami, I can put life's difficulties out of mind and stay positive," she said.
Some 4,000 residents of the coastal city of Ishinomaki were swept away by the towering tsunami.
The crane-folding project is the brainchild of Sanae Ochiai, 61, a former principal of Irifune Elementary School in Yokohama.
A few weeks after the disaster, she decided to take early retirement. She loaded her van with a tent and other equipment and headed for Ishinomaki to assist with recovery efforts.
After temporary housing was built for survivors, Ochiai held a handicraft workshop at a communal site there. She hoped that it would give strength to those who had lost relatives and homes in the disaster.
However, news reports of suicides and other deaths of temporary housing occupants that went unnoticed by neighbors persisted.
Ochiai dug deep and in spring 2012 used her savings to renovate a clothing shop into a meeting place for women living in makeshift homes to chat and share their problems.
Not long after, the residents at the temporary housing facility where she was assisting received a large number of colorful unconventionally folded origami cranes. The sender was Kiyoko Fukuda, a 70-year-old resident of Tokyo's Setagaya Ward.
Ochiai had no idea that the sender was the wife of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Kiyoko had begun sending her origami birds to evacuees as presents to cheer them up after reading newspaper reports on their lives at temporary housing sites.
Kiyoko was known for waging "paper crane diplomacy" by presenting them to the wives of world leaders who visited Japan, as well as using them as ornaments at the Group of Eight Hokkaido Toyako Summit in 2008 hosted by her husband.
Kiyoko learned her technique of folding cranes through an acquaintance while her husband held office.
Ochiai brought together the women at the temporary housing site so Kiyoko could teach them how to fold the cranes.
Impressed by the finished product, Ochiai suggested that they should try to sell them. All three women jumped at the opportunity.
At first, the origami birds were a tough sell. When one of the women took them to a hotel in Ishinomaki to pitch as a gift for a celebration event hosted there, she was snubbed. "Nobody wants to spend money on cranes," a hotel official told her.
However, their fortunes took an upturn after the Imperial Hotel–where an event was held to commemorate Yasuo's mother who passed away late 2013–agreed to sell the ornaments.
Kiyoko worked hard to get orders from hotels around Japan.
The trio opened a shop this summer to sell the cranes, other handicrafts and seafood products. Their lease on the shop expires in November. But there are high hopes that sales of the origami will continue at the hotels.
It was the inspiration and eagerness of Hitomi Nakanishi, an Australia-based Japanese scholar, that led to the publication of an English-language book with recollections and photos of the experiences of 100 survivors of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in and around Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture.
Nakanishi, 37, an assistant professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Canberra, told The Japan Times last week that she wanted as many people as possible around the globe to know about the book, which she believes will help prepare them if a disaster hits their own country.
The book is an English translation of the Japanese version, which was published in 2012 by Tokyo-based publisher Junposha Co.
The same publisher released the English version on March 10 to commemorate the third anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami.
The stories in "Surviving the 2011 Tsunami: 100 Testimonies of Ishinomaki Area Survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake" first ran in the Ishinomaki Kahoku newspaper from June 2011 to March 2012 in a series titled "My March 11."
The newspaper is published daily by Sanriku Kahoku Shimpo Co., headquartered in Ishinomaki.
Nakanishi came across the Japanese book when she visited the newspaper publisher in summer 2012 during a tour of the tsunami-affected areas in Tohoku.
She was immediately struck by the astounding accounts of the tsunami that swept the coasts of Ishinomaki, Higashi Matsushima and Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture, and soon came up with the idea of publishing the book in English.
"I asked via the Internet for volunteers who would translate Japanese into English, and soon managed to gather 26 volunteers — both Japanese and Australian," she said.
Sixteen Australian volunteers — most of them English teachers that Nakanishi found with the help of the Japanese Embassy in Canberra — did the editing and proofreading.
One of the subjects in the book, 35-year-old Yukako Sasaki, vividly describes how, pregnant and with just days to go before her due date, she climbed the stairs to the third floor of her sister's house — worried all the while that her water might break and she would suddenly give birth. With her niece, she spent the night in the house while down below muddy floodwaters shattered the front door and inundated the first floor.
"After a sleepless night, the piled-up cars and the people who had most likely lost their lives were visible from the window. I could tell that something really awful had happened, but if I looked outside, my pains would appear so I waited inside the storage room to be rescued," Sasaki is quoted as saying in the book.
She gave birth to a boy six days later.
Another survivor, Masayoshi Kotono, 49, recalls: "Houses and cars being washed away by the tsunami, raging with fire, were now coming toward me. I would rather drown than be burned to death, I said to myself and jumped into the water. It was perhaps this desperate decision that determined my fate.
"No matter how hard I tried to swim, I was swept back to the hillside again and again by the force of the waves. I couldn't reach the building. Just when I felt the muscles in my arms and legs had reached their limits, I grabbed on to some rubble that just happened to come floating toward me. I was washed away several hundred meters and then managed to crawl onto a house I had landed on by chance," he said in his testimony.
Nakanishi cited two reasons for seeing her book project through.
For one thing, she believed that people around the world could use it to prepare for a possible disaster.
"One can find many tips in the book on how the Japanese prepare for a disaster in daily life on a personal level — such as which route to take and where to evacuate, how one can cooperate with the neighbors, etc.," she said.
"This is very useful for the people of the world to know — especially for people that live in areas that may be prone to natural disasters like the earthquake and tsunami. They can apply the knowledge and information from what is written in this book. It's important to let them know how important, and how much difference it will make for each person to prepare for a disaster."
Secondly, Nakanishi said, she thinks the knowledge and experience contained in the book can also be useful in the field of urban planning. For example, "even with a 5-cm water level difference, some towns were washed away, and some weren't," she said.
"In the 2011 tsunami, water came from different parts of the ocean in a complex form. I think this can be sample material to investigate further about landscape and urban planning," she added.
Mina Nishisaka, 35, a volunteer translator based in Tokyo, said that she couldn't stop crying when she translated the stories.
"The stories were so vivid that I had to stop typing many times — just thinking about the horrific experiences the survivors had to go through," she said.
"For those of us who did not actually experience the Tohoku disaster, the horrific scenes we witnessed that day (on TV and other sources) are not as vivid as they were three years ago. People tend to forget, and sometimes that is one way to move on, but this book reminds me that we must not forget the lives lost and the precious lessons we learned from this tragic disaster."
She added that giving the stories an English voice "allows these lessons to be shared all over the world."
"Keeping the voices of the tsunami survivors alive is one of the most important things we can do to save lives when and if another disaster should strike," she said.
Another volunteer translator, Motoko Kimura, 35, said that not only does the book provide a good lesson about the tsunami disaster that many can learn from, but each story also tells the reader about "the value of human lives, human dignity amidst despair, and the courage and spirit of cooperation among the victims at the time of the disaster."
"It's often difficult for Japanese information to reach the world due to the language barrier — especially such things as the truth of the March 11 disaster," she said.
"I hope that as many people as possible from abroad — including those who live in Japan, those from countries that have earthquakes, and countries that are now trying to recover from war or a disaster — to take a look at the book."
Project leader Nakanishi said that disaster prevention and reduction are being emphasized today, and that it's important "to learn from the disasters that already happened, and prepare ourselves for the future."
"In this book, there are so many photos and maps, and the words of the survivors," Nakanishi said. "I think it's a very rare piece of publication. I would like lots of libraries around the world to possess the book and use it as valuable information in the years to come."
An NHK survey shows that an increasing number of people who evacuated after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami have left the temporary housing where their families live.
NHK conducts an annual survey at a temporary housing complex in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi Prefecture. The 1,100-unit Kaisei housing complex is the largest in the affected areas.
370 people responded to the 3rd survey this year. 33.2 percent said some family members have gone to live elsewhere. That's a 40 percent increase from the survey taken 2 years ago.
38.4 percent said their families had to split up because the living space was too small. Some others cited worsening family relations and divorce.
Professor Yasuo Yamazaki of Ishinomaki Senshu University, who studies the lives of the evacuees at the Kaisei complex, says younger people are leaving temporary housing because it is inconvenient to commute to work or school.
He says it is important that municipalities and volunteer groups work together to support those elderly people who tend to get left behind.


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History has happened over a great cuppa tea. Monks have meditated, Kings and Queens have held their pinkies high, and thousands of friends have shared a slurp, a giggle and even shed a tear over a delightful cup.
Mother and daughter duo, Cindy-Lea and Taryn Stephenson have been steeping away in their little tea shop for over 8 years in downtown Maple Ridge. After what could have been a heart breaking move from the safety of a mall onto the street, the duo are stronger than ever and business is thriving like never before. Rather than walk away from a dream they put the kettle on and reinvented themselves in a heritage space on 224th street. "We believe in surrounding ourselves with positive women in our community and their support has empowered us to grow into a really unique shop" says owner Cindy-Lea Stephenson " we are so grateful to have so many cheerleaders rooting for us!"
Pop in to discover one of their 300 flavors of tea, browse the gorgeous giftware or play dress up with the season's hottest accessories.


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"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead."
-Charles Bukowski
Result: 2016 Female World Gravy Wrestling Champion
Medal: Well, not exactly…
Much like the time I ran Loch Ness marathon pulling a husky-laden sled, this was one of those ideas that seems like a good, nay – GREAT idea when filling out entry forms a couple of months before, but which seems like the dumbest idea on the planet the actual day before. Having just cycled 200km, my legs were feeling remarkably fresh (though not entirely un-weary), and my last minute volunteer to drive me down to Lancashire and back was at my door, shaking his head and laughing as I frantically stuffed items of clothing and costume into a bag and kicked them out of the door towards our chariot.
Although I had originally made plans to go down with a friend, yet again I was unceremoniously abandoned, but as I'm not one to eschew commitment, I found myself talking bikes and cycle holidays with my companion on the road all the way to our AirBnB a few miles from the event. We had food on the road, so we went for a couple of good luck pints in the evening before hitting the sack.
With a rather leisurely start time of 1pm, we had time to drive around the town and grab breakfast and a coffee before heading to the venue: The Rose n Bowl pub in Stacksteads. They had opened early for the spectators, and instantly I scouted some of the other contenders – not difficult when fancy dress is mandatory. To settle my nerves (and enjoy the unseasonably warm sunshine), I grabbed a beer once I was in my get-up.
Soon, all competitors were being ushered into a marquee by the wrestling area for a briefing. Essentially we were told to entertain, and there was definitely an element of pre-planning moves with who we were facing. We would be in for 2 minute bouts, with the winner advancing to the next round.
My first opponent was a pirate. We huddled in the marquee watching all those who were up before us, until eventually, we were introduced to the crowd. I felt absolutely ridiculous, but equally I was having the most fun. I believe the commentator called us the two smiliest competitors, and though comedy was part of it, there was some serious manhandling as well:
After the judges had voted me through, we both headed for the firemen to get the gravy hosed off. We were assured the water would be warm, but it didn't take long to realise this was a slight untruth. Despite the sunshine and warmth, I couldn't appreciate it in my damp attire, and spent much of the afternoon shivering in the marquee awaiting my next fight. Eventually the time came for me to face my second pirate, again with a bit of playing about, and a bit of actual wrestling.
Before I knew it, I was in the final – my rival being a previous Gravy Wrestling World Champion! It was at this point the competitive part of me took hold, and despite my smiles, I was pretty serious when I was throwing her down in the gravy. The two minutes flew by, and then to a cheering crowd I was chosen as the victor!
Though not necessarily the outcome I was expecting, it also didn't come as a complete surprise. My repertoire of wrestling is rather sparse, but my enthusiasm is never lacking.


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Scholarship Mom Tip #53: Beware the Myths
Don't believe the scholarship myths.
One of the myths in the scholarship world is that most college scholarships are awarded to graduating high school seniors.
Take a look at most college websites, however, and see that there are tons of scholarships for current college students, especially for students who attend that particular institution.
Also, many scholarships are open to "high school seniors or current college students." Don't ever assume a student does not qualify for a scholarship before reading the fine print and application guidelines!