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24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — January 8, 2013: Markets Open Lower, Stay Down all Day (AA, BHI, EMC, RTN, GNW, CELG, MON, RPM, APOL, STZ, GBX, HELE, SCHN, FIO, SCTY)
U.S. equity markets opened lower this morning and remained down throughout the day. The likely reason for the downturn is lowered expectations for corporate earnings which will get off the blocks after markets close today with results for Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA). In Europe, eurozone unemployment came in about as expected at 11.8% (more coverage here) and Greece's four largest banks are said to be considering asking for more recapitalization funds. In Asia, markets closed mostly lower in sympathy with yesterday's weak performance on U.S. markets. China reported that its iron ore inventory rose to 74.7 million metric tons in the first week of January, the first rise in stockpiles in nearly three months. This afternoon's report on consumer credit showed that consumer borrowing rose by $16.1 billion in November, mostly on a jump in student loan and auto loan borrowing.
The U.S. dollar index rose 0.11% today, now at 80.347. The GSCI commodity index is up 0.3% at 648.69, with commodities prices mixed today. WTI crude oil closed essentially unchanged today, at $93.15 a barrel. Brent crude trades up fractionally at $112.08 a barrel. Natural gas is down 1.3% today at about $3.22 per million BTUs. Gold settled up 1% today at $1,662.20 an ounce.
The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down more than 55 points to 13,328.92 (-0.41%), the NASDAQ fell about 7 points (-0.23%) to 3,091.81, and the S&P 500 fell -0.32% or nearly 5 points to 1,457.17.
There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades of note today, including Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE: BHI) cut to 'neutral' at Sterne Agee (more coverage here); EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) cut to 'market perform' at William Blair; Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) cut to 'neutral' at J.P. Morgan; Genworth Financial Inc. (NYSE: GNW) cut to 'underperform' at Credit Suisse; and Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) raised to 'overweight' at Piper Jaffray, raised to 'outperform' at RBC, and reiterated as 'buy' with a price target of $95 at Argus.
Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in some price moves today, including these as of the last half hour of trading: Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON) is up 2.4% at $98.26 after posting a new 52-week high of $99.99 earlier today (more coverage here) and RPM International Inc. (NYSE: RPM) is down 1.4% at $30.14.
After markets close today and before they open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear from Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA), Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL), Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ), Greenbrier Companies Inc. (NYSE: GBX), and Helen of Troy Ltd. (NASDAQ: HELE).
Some standouts from today include the following stocks:
Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: SCHN) is down 8.3% at $29.26. The steel maker posted a quarterly loss this morning, mainly as a result of weak U.S. economic growth.
Fusion-io Inc. (NYSE: FIO) is down 10.1% at $19.06. The data storage platform company got a ratings downgrade from 'market perform' to 'neutral', which sent investors heading for the exits.
SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) is down 8.5% at $14.62, after posting a new post-IPO high of $16.94 earlier today. The solar panel installation firm had no news today, so the downward move is likely the result of some profit taking.
Stay tuned for Wednesday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):
7:00 a.m. – Mortgage Bankers Association purchase applications
10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report
1:00 p.m. – 10-year note auction
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: AA, APOL, BHI, CELG, EMC, FIO, GBX, GNW, HELE, MON, RPM, RTN, SCHN, SCTY, STZ


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Daily Sports Macy Short Sleeve Polo Shirt - Dahlia Pink
- Brand
- Daily Sports
- 283/101-894
- fbt:
- related products
With a stylish piqué top, you have almost endless possibilities to create your own unique style. Our Macy Polo Shirt is a golf top made of a quick dry fabric that is both breathable and moisture-wicking. The short sleeve polo has a front zip with a rhinestone pull and side seams for a feminine fit.
- Short Sleeve
- Self-collar
- Technical stretch
- Zip placket
- Side seams for feminine fit
- Straight hem
- Quick dry
- Regular fit
Fabric: 100% Recycled Polyester. Diamond Structure Knit.
Quick Dry Fabric: This garment feels dry, cool and comfortable while wearing. It is produced of high tech breathable material for active outdoor wear and has an excellent ventilation and rapid moisture absorption. The fabric dries quickly, has perfect color fastness, has no fading from sunshine and is easy care.
Care: Machine wash, cold water. Line or hang dry.

subset: commoncrawl


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UltraScoot II CNC Tool Cart for HSK 125 A
Built identical to the UltraScoot (just not as wide), the UltraScoot II is constructed of 12 gauge cold rolled steel. The chassis is fully MIG welded so all you have to do is bolt on the casters and you're in business.
• UltraScoot II comes with 2 shelves. Additional shelves may be ordered separately.
• HSK125A Toolholders – Capacity 48
• Casters, 2 swivel and 2 rigid load rated at a whopping 4,800 pounds.
• Strong tubular handle makes it easy to push or pull.
• Durable gold vein shelves with textured black chassis.
• Side shelf for a Huot toolholder vise or a Universal Dispenser – Click on link


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Aboard the Fhloston Paradise luxury liner, we are treated to a quick view of the ship's wheel. The helmsman stands before the wheel, in the middle of a ceiling-mounted translucent yellow cylinder that drops just below shoulder level. This surface acts as heads-up display that is visible only from the inside.
The content of the display is a 3-D, featureless, blue graticule with an overlay featuring target brackets, various numeric data strangely labeled with various numbers of "m"s and "n"s, and a green, faint outline of a railing, as if the helmsman was looking out from a Lawnmower Man interpretation of an Age of Sail wheelbridge. At the top of the display are three yellow-outline rectangles with no content. In the center-top of his view is a compass readout, with a rolling counter display that appears to show bearing.
In practice, the Captain calmly gives an order to a barker, who confirms with a, "Yes, sir" before walking to the edge of the cylinder and shouting the same order, "HELM ONE OH EIGHT!" To confirm that he heard the message, the helmsman repeats the order back and turns the wheel. The helmsman wears a headset that amplifies his spoken confirmation back to everyone on the bridge.
Sometimes a Human is the Best Interface
The Captain doesn't want to shout or wear a headset. He's a gentleman. But if the helmsman is going to be trapped in the yellow cone of silence, there must be an intermediary to convey the commands and ensure that they're carried out. Even if technology could solve it better, I have the sense that navies are places where traditions are carried on for the sake of tradition, so the human aspect of this interaction doesn't bother me too much. It does add a layer of intermediation where data can go wrong, but the barker and the helmsman each repeat the command loudly, so the Captain can hear and error-check that way.
Long live the HUD
On the plus side, showing the graticule grants a sense of speed and (kind-of) bearing that would be much more difficult to do on the surface on all-water planet like Fhloston Paradise. So that's nice.
But that information would be even more useful if it was backed up by some other contextual information like the clouds, the position of the sun, or, say, anything else on the surface of the planet toward which they might be barreling. A simple highly-transparent live feed of a camera from somewhere would have been more useful.
And of course I can't let the silly nonsense data on the edges just go. Shipmen love their sea-salted jargon, but they also love effectiveness, and there is no sense to labeling one variable "nm" and the next "nmn," much less a whole screen of them. They would be difficult to distinguish at the very least. Certainly there's no use to having two variables labeled just "m" with no other contextualizers. Even if it was better labeled, presenting this information as an undifferentiated wall of data isn't helpful. Better would be to turn some of these into differentiable graphics that help the helmsman see the information and not have to read it. In any case, the arbitrary blinking on and off of data just needs to stop. It's a pointless distraction unless there is some monitoring data that is trending poorly and needs attention.
Sometimes an AI is the Best (Secret) Interface
Finally, if you obsess over editing details (and you are reading this blog…) you'll note that the bearing indicator at the top begins to change before the helmsman moves the wheel. It even moves before the helmsman repeats the order. It even begins before the the barker shouts the orders. (Reminiscent of the chem department flub from Cabin I covered earlier.) It looks like the HUD designers wanted movement and mistimed it before the events in the scene.
But we don't have to leave it there. We've already noted that seamen love standing on tradition. What if this whole interface was vestigial? If the ship has a low-level AI that listens to the captain, it wouldn't need to wait for any of the subsequent human processes: the barker, the helmsman repeat, or the wheel turning. Each of these acts to confirm the command, but the ship can go from the first order when it has a high degree of confidence. This would also excuse the nmnmmnonsense we see on the HUD. The display might have degraded to displaying noise, but no one needs to fix it because the ship runs just fine without it.
Thinking that the Fhloston Paradise might have been a bioship only makes its destruction from a
Zorg Mangalore Zorg bomb only makes its destruction much more tragic, but also more heroic as it died saving the people it had been programmed to serve all along.


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Use this guide to replace your Nano's front panel assembly. A new front panel assembly will provide a new front glass panel, digitizer, and LCD. The LCD is non-separable from the digitizer.
What you need
Use a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the adhesive securing the perimeter of the front panel assembly to the outer case.
While the front panel is still warm, use the edge of an opening tool to pry it from the headphone jack side of the front panel assembly out of the Nano.
Continue prying the perimeter of the front panel assembly out of the outer casing, being careful not to damage the display data cable held under its left edge.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Cancel: I did not complete this guide.
119 other people completed this guide.
10 Comments
Don't forget to include in your repair the adhesive to hold the new screen on. It does not come with the new display. I as unable to find it at iFixit's site but was able to get it here for $10 incl p&p: http://www.badgizmorepair.com/product/ip...
By the time I paid for the screen, opening tool and glue it turned out to be more economical and less hassle to take it to the Apple store (albeit less satisfying than doing it yourself). I suggest you forego the opening tool if you have a good flat blade jewelers screwdriver. A fine temporary fix for not having the correct screen glue is a piece of packing tape. It leaves the iPod open to the elements though, so I highly recommend the correct glue in order to avoid water leaking in around the edge of the screen.
You will also need a very small jewellers or electronics screwdriver for the two screws. I just managed it with an oversized flathead driver.
i had bought these part and succeeded in repair my drown ipod using these guides (luckily only the lcd that didnt work). and it work nicely. thanks
Thanks for the guide. Very useful and easy to follow.
Had some issues with getting the screen off initially, but that was due to the glass along the headphone jack side being cracked into several small little shards (hence the reason for following the guide ;)
Used a replacement screen (incl. toolkit and replacement precut adhesive) that I purchased from ebay for around US$10 (free shipping).


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Even before Dirk Nowitzki lifted a championship trophy on Sunday night, he was being held up as a new man. Nowitzki had reinvented himself, we were told. He'd finally "shed" the Euro-soft label plastered to him throughout his career and, to much adulation, morphed into the sort of rugged warrior that wins titles. The tale of an individual transforming himself to wrestle destiny into submission satisfies a special American yearning. In this case, it's obscuring an even more fundamentally American story.
One can only chuckle as the same journalists who once called Nowitzki a wimp now chide us for not respecting him sufficiently. Two years ago, Michael Wilbon, who was of the opinion that Nowitzki had the constitution of a field mouse, said the German was "soft" for sitting out national team duty in the European Championships on Mark Cuban's orders. "This is the problem with the Dallas Mavericks," Wilbon said. "If your player, if your best player is so weak that he lets the owner tell him what to do, you have no great player." Now Wilbon writes that we must "collectively eat a huge plate of crow for judging Dirk wrongly."
Great. For column purposes, Wilbon and others have turned Nowitzki into a symbol of redemption, a newfound tough who once, as Bill Simmons remembers it in his monstrous basketball tome, "refused to limp around with an injured knee in the [2003] Conference Finals." That's only partly true. Yes, Nowitzki was worried about further injuring himself, but Don Nelson (and medical wisdom) refused to let him play. When Cuban insisted, Nelson put his foot down. The disagreement between the two men led to the unraveling of their relationship. Eight years later, we find Nowitzki roaring at Jason Terry and battling through a torn finger ligament and a 101-degree fever on his way to a title, the arc from soft to hard complete, at least in the prefabricated narrative.
A few weeks ago, Basketball Reference compared Nowitzki's career stats to those of Larry Bird, that paragon of clutch play against whom the German has always inevitably been measured (tall, BLOND, long-range shooter). The numbers are close. Nowitzki is the better scorer thanks to his otherworldly offensive efficiency. Bird was a better offensive rebounder and defender. He got more assists, too, but Bird never had Jerry Stackhouse receiving his passes.
Over his 13 seasons, Nowitzki has been about as reliable and lethal a scorer as the league has ever seen. He's put up 20-plus points a game for more than a decade and taken shallow teams into the playoffs, occasionally far, for the last 11 years. This is not a man who's undergone enormous transformation as a player.
If the external data don't support the storyline, something internal must be involved. Thus the explanation that, until three days ago, Nowitzki was too soft to win a title. Bird, by contrast, was coiled steel, an infamous trash talker who once throttled Dr. J. after scoring 42 points and rubbing it in Erving's face. When Bill Laimbeer clubbed Bird on the chin in Game 2 of the 1985 Eastern Conference semifinals, Bird went and rattled off 31 points. In Game 3, he fought Laimbeer. Nowitzki is not cut from a similar cloth.
Instead of everyone casting about for ways to explain Nowitzki's transformation now that he has a ring, we should celebrate the fact that he hasn't transformed at all. In being exactly who he's always been, he defies the silly notion in American sports that an athlete has to don armor, psychic or otherwise, to win a title. Nowitzki has never been the guy who screams into the upper decks like a maniac after each and-one. He's never tried to be. He's one of the best low-post scorers in the NBA, but you'd never know it because he doesn't play with his back to the basket like other seven-footers. Instead of dunking opponents through the rim, he's mastered a step-back shimmy to get off a soft jumper that nobody can defend and that often leads to a free throw that almost always goes in. Softly. Nowitzki doesn't charge into battle. He fades away. And he wins because of it, not despite it.
This style of competition is what got Nowitzki plastered with all those labels in the first place. That and his failures in the fourth quarter of key playoff games. In Game 6 of the finals on Sunday, however, he struggled from the opening tip, missing enough open looks that it kicked up a breeze in AmericanAirlines Arena. In the third quarter, Nowitzki was 4-19. This was where the tough guy starts forcing his way to the rim, bangs bodies, makes something happen. Miami cut the Dallas lead to three with Nowitzki on the bench. "I'm Dirk Nowitzki, I'm checking myself in right now," Jeff Van Gundy said on the broadcast. "I'm not waitin'. This is my chance. I could play the rest of the way."
Jeff Van Gundy is not Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki stayed on the bench. He'd come off when Rick Carlisle called him in. If Dallas had lost the game and the series, the same critics who dogged Nowitzki for years would have again laced into him for listening to his coach and being unassertive. When Nowitzki did check back in—his teammates having extended the lead without him—he took and missed a pair of three-pointers: 4 for 21. Then he made a 16-footer. He made five of his last six shots. He won. Then he ran quickly out of the spotlight and into the locker room.
Nobody quite figured out what Nowitzki sprinting off for. Did he shed a tear in private? Take a quick trip to the toilet? Had he assumed it was time to drink some champagne and forgotten about the obligatory on-court TV ceremony? The inscrutable foreigner failed to read the cue cards.
Or did he refuse to read them? Nowitzki has always been more renegade than people give him credit for. He doesn't have an agent or a business manager. He doesn't care about endorsements or personal branding, our latest tawdry generational birthright. He mocked the Gatorade bottles product-placed in front of the players on press-conference tables and forcibly swept them out of his way at the Finals. The only noticeable thing Nowitzki has cared about on his long journey to a championship is rejecting the idiotic demand that he be someone he's not.
One of the seminal points in his career was one of his most vulnerable. After the 2006-07 season, at a time when he was considered a choke artist and a failure, when John Hollinger had put him on his all-decline team, Nowitzki went walkabout. He roamed Australia for over a month reflecting on his basketball career, on himself, on life. He "slept in youth hostels ... dozed on the beach reading German novels ... let his hair and beard grow long ... drifted out at sea for days ... slept in a car for a week." He engaged, in other words, in the type of numinous self-reflection that Americans might deem "soft," unless they are therapists or have read some Buddhist literature. And he emerged the better for it.
From "Crocodile Nowitzki," a 2007 story by Jesse Hyde in the Dallas Observer:
Dirk Nowitzki was lost. And he was starting to stink.
He had come this far, deep into the Australian Outback, and now that it was dark, he didn't know where he was. Not exactly, anyway. He'd ended up on a patch of wind-swept dirt, surrounded by sagebrush and stiff yellow grass, a place to park the Jeep and build a campfire.
The closest town of any significance was Alice Springs, or the Alice, as the locals called it. It was once a telegraph station so remote it had to be stocked by camel train. Aborigines could still be seen at times on its outskirts, wading shirtless in the muddy Todd River. But that was 250 miles away. Other than the wind, which blew softly through camp, the night was silent.
Nowitzki sat in front of the fire, strumming his guitar and sipping his whiskey straight from the bottle. He had stopped shaving days ago and didn't know when he would bathe next. He had been in Australia for a week and a half, even though it was May, and by all accounts he should have been somewhere else. He should've been on a basketball court, leading the Dallas Mavericks deep into the NBA Playoffs. He should've been winning a championship. But for the second year in a row, the season had ended in disappointment. Once again people were questioning his mental toughness.
He had but one traveling companion on this trip, his mentor Holger Geschwinder, a mostly bald 62-year-old German with puffy bags under his eyes and a big Roman nose that looked like it had been broken in a fistfight, or several fistfights over the years. In the light of the fire, his features looked sharp, as if his head had been cut from granite.
Nowitzki had come to Australia because he didn't want to be recognized. He didn't want to be reminded of his failures, of the places he should have been.
In his haste to leave Dallas, he had failed to consider one thing-it was winter in Australia, meaning darkness would fall early each night of his trip. At the present moment, sitting in front of the fire, there was nothing to do but sit and think, or talk to Geschwinder.
"Why me?" Nowitzki wondered, gazing into the glowing embers. "Why is this happening to me?"
He had just a few weeks to find the answer.
Nowitzki did find his answer. When he got back to Dallas, he was zen. He'd reached a place where he no longer feared failure. Life would come to him. He could be soft and he could win. He'd realized that, regardless of what he did, he wouldn't be in control in the end. His mentality was the opposite of the American superstar. The ability to tame fate is the most adamantine and American of fallacies, especially in sports, where it is held that the sheer will of an individual can prevail over anything at the last, even in a team game. (Try persuading Dwyane Wade of this now.) We demand our stars work harder, be more valiant, tougher, more cutthroat, less sensitive, more solipsistic, less socialistic, develop a killer instinct, dominate, crush, destroy, show no weakness, dispense with humor unless using it to mock, have unwavering confidence in personal greatness, ignore doubt, reject fear, embrace hero status. But this is not courageous. This is stupid. Courageous is what Nowitzki did. He stayed true to himself, the soft seven-footer who uses his height to get away from defenders, not get over them.
No other player of Nowitzki's size has made such a successful career as a finesse shooter. That nobody ordered the giant German to get into the paint and stay there is one of the greatest individual success stories in the history of player development. Kevin Garnett, a 6-foot-5-inch shooting guard trapped in a seven-foot body, had to lie about his height so he could get away with playing on the perimeter. But there's nothing tender about Garnett. He's always been a ferocious, howling presence, especially on defense, earning the right to take jumpers by leading the league in rebounds.
No, when it comes to that necessary yielding quality, Nowitzki has them all beat. Without question, his is the greatest triumph of softness in NBA history. And in the end, isn't that the really successful American story? You know, the one about how the immigrant assimilates and changes us for the better, not the other way around.


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Jesus is behind all I do as a photographer. I feel the Lord reveals Himself to me through His nature and feel this is a gift that allows me to see the raw beauty of creation through His eyes. He even allowed me to photograph two miracles at once. Go to my "About Judy" page to view this unique photograph.
My favorite subject to photograph is bears, but I also love to photograph all wildlife, flowers, and birds—especially hummingbirds:) I also created the Hummingbird Trail at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.
I've given talks about hummingbirds, a talk about black bears, and various other presentations.
I live near Knoxville, Tennessee, and love photographing Tennessee's wildlife and landscapes.
Small Mammals - Chipmunks | Rabbits | Raccoons
I love photographing small creatures such as chipmunks and rabbits.Read More


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From $2009 without flightsPayments as low as $88
Why go?
This is the Ireland you've always imagined: pub-lined streets, lush emerald countryside, historic castles and cathedrals, and more lakes and lochs than you can count. So whether you're Irish to your core or only on March 17, there's plenty of good craic to go around.
Picture yourself
Sipping a freshly-brewed pint at the Guinness Brewhouse
Kissing the Blarney Stone to score the gift of gab
Connecting with nature throughout the Ring of Kerry
Pub crawling along Quay Street in Galway
Searching for puffins high atop the Cliffs of Moher
What you'll get
Round-trip flights & airport transfers (or book 'em yourself)
7 nights in handpicked accommodations
7 breakfasts and 3 dinners
Expert Tour Director
24/7 support from our travel gurus
Insider city tours with local guide
Guinness Storehouse tour and free pint
Guided tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral
Stop at the world-famous Cliffs of Moher
- Day 1: Overnight Flight
Find your seat, pick a movie, and then try to get a wee bit of shuteye. The majesty and raw beauty of Ireland awaits.
- Day 2: Arrive in Dublin + Welcome Dinner
Welcome to Dublin, the capital of Ireland! Once you arrive and drop your bags off at the accommodation, take a stroll to St. Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, and Temple bar, where pub culture, literary history, and all-around charm await.
In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local cuisine and drinks with fellow travelers at an authentic local spot. Afterwards, you're free to take the party elsewhere!
Today's highlights:
- Land at the airport and meet a waiting EF representative.
- Transfer to your hotel to check in and check out your room.
- Get familiar with the area around your hotel with an introductory walk with your Tour Director.
- Day 3: Sightseeing in Dublin
Today, see the best Dublin has to offer with a local guide on a tour of the city. Afterwards, enjoy a free afternoon in this bayside Irish capital.
Today's highlights:
- Enter St. Patrick's Cathedral, the 800-year-old church named after the famous saint.
- Visit the Guinness Storehouse for a crash course in the history of Ireland's signature beer. Then, let it all soak in high above Dublin with pints at Gravity Bar.
- Explore Trinity College, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious universities, and see the storied library that inspired Hogwarts' own.
- Sample Dublin's natural beauty and urban escape at Phoenix Park—the largest park in Europe.
Free time suggestions
Book of Kells: Stick around Trinity College after your tour for a chance to see the Book of Kells—a pristine 1,200-year old illustrated collection of biblical stories—up-close.
Jameson Distillery: Sick of stout? Switch things up in favor of the strong stuff with a guided tour and whiskey tasting at the Jameson Distillery Bow St.
- Day 4: Explore Kilkenny
Continue by bus to Kilkenny a small city full of Irish charm, medieval architecture, and the most iconic ale in the country. Get ready to eat, drink, drink again, and be very merry.
Today's highlights:
- Watch the emerald hills roll along as you head from city to countryside.
- Arrive in Kilkenny and check in to your accommodation.
- Walk "The Medieval Mile," featuring 14th-century castles, inns, and towers.
- Raise a glass of Smithwick's, Ireland's best red ale that has been brewed since 1710.
Free time suggestions
Kilkenny Design Centre: Buy yourself something nice at the Kilkenny Design Centre. Here you can find handcrafted, artisanal gifts from all over the country. It's like Etsy, but you can touch stuff before you buy.
Bridie's General Store: From the outside, Bridie's General Store looks like an old-fashioned store to buy groceries or souvenirs. And it is. But continue to the back and find a full service pub (indoor and outdoor seating). Talk about a winning combination.
Kilkenny Castle: We promised you medieval architecture, and Kilkenny Castle delivered. Originally built in 1195, the castle has had a full makeover, and is open to the public for guided tours of its stunning interior and gardens.
- Day 5: Travel to County Kerry via Blarney Castle
Shamrock shake things up as you leave Kilkenny behind for the quintessential Irish countryside of County Kerry's rolling hills, tranquil lakes, and plenty of sheep. On the way, stop at the famed Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone.
Today's highlights:
- Board your private bus from Kilkenny to County Kerry, taking in the pristine Irish countryside along the way.
- Stretch your legs—and your lips—at Blarney Castle. Legend has it that those who smooch the namesake stone are bestowed with that iconic Irish charm: the gift of gab.
- Continue on to County Kerry and enjoy an authentic, included local dinner.
Free time suggestions
County Kerry Pubs: County Kerry is known for its raucous pub scene. Locals and visitors alike drink and sing with the bar band well into the wee hours of morning.
Irish Cuisine: The Irish know comfort food. Try the shepherd's pie, corned beef & cabbage, or Guinness beef stew.
- Day 6: Explore the Ring of Kerry
Clear your camera roll and prepare to become Instagram famous as you traverse the must-see Ring of Kerry, stopping at each amazing panoramic vista, castle, or ocean view.
Today's highlights:
- Encounter magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Lakes of Killarney, Macgillycuddy's Reeks, and more.
- Pick your jaw off the floor after a day of unreal views, and head back to County Kerry for some nighttime free time.
Free time suggestions
Irish Whiskey Experience: The Irish Whiskey Experience in Killarney is the perfect masterclass for aficionados and new-comers alike. Buy a ticket and sign up for a class of your choice—from taste-testings to cheese plate pairings.
Killarney National Park: Need more outdoors time? Take visit to the wondrous expanse of Killarney National Park. Where else can you find mountains, castles, woodlands, and waterfalls all in one place?
- Day 7: Travel to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher
You're off to Galway, a city famous for live music, street performers, and art shows. On the way, stop at the Cliffs of Moher for breathtaking views of the coastline.
Today's highlights:
- Gawk at the Cliffs of Moher—limestone walls of rock that dominate the coast for five miles and rise to staggering heights of 700 feet
- Arrive in beautiful Galway and take it all in on a walk along the banks of the River Corrib, gaze at the picture perfect Galway Bay, then get stoked for a night out in a new town.
Free time suggestions
Quay Street: Quay Street is a pub-crawler's heaven. Pick a starting point, have a pint, and see where it takes you.
Buskers: Busking, or street performing, is basically Galway's favorite pastime. Catch the best fiddle player you've ever seen on one corner, and a blazing banjoist on the next.
- Day 8: Free Day in Galway or Optional Aran Islands Excursion
Raise your glass, here's to one more rowdy day in the British Isles! We know you'll make it count. Before heading out for the day, take a moment to reflect on all the Guinness, rolling meadows, hearty food, and craic you've had. Ready? Go make some memories!
Free time suggestions
Eyre Square: The end of the rainbow in Galway leads to Eyre Square—a bustling center of shops, cafes, and art, though no known pot of gold sightings—yet.
Irish Coffee: Vodka Red Bull's Irish cousin packs a caffeinated punch of coffee, whiskey, and Bailey's. Please enjoy responsibly.
Farewell Dinner
Share some last laughs and revisit the best moments of the trip at this included farewell dinner with the group.
Afternoon on the Aran Islands (extra cost)
Take a ferry ride to the Aran Islands, where old traditions and iconic Irish countryside are hanging on strong. Don't miss Dún Aengus, a 2,000-year-old fort with walls that go right to the edge of a cliff high above the sea.
Why wait? Save money by booking this optional excursion before your trip departs.
- Day 9: Fly Home
Slán libh, a cháirde!
Translation: Goodbye, friends. Before you head to the airport, make sure to take one more group photo and grab that final drink. But this isn't goodbye because you can always get the gang back together for another trip soon. Or if you're feeling adventurous, we have a couple ways to keep your vacation going.
1. Double the fun
A lot of our trips line up back to back! Give us a call—we can help you add another and save big while you're at it.
2. Go ahead or stay behind
Extending your trip is easy! During checkout, you'll have the option to fly to (or from) the gateway of your choice for an additional fee. We'll adjust your flights accordingly, but you'll be responsible to take care of your transportation, hotels, and other logistics outside of tour.
Note: Depending on your desired gateways, additional fees may apply.
Traveling with us helps the EF community plant trees, at no extra cost to you.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Based on 119 authentic traveler reviews
Awesome trip!!Lacey, traveled Sep. 2023
It was an awesome trip I met some great people and our tour guide was so funny by the end of the trip we all called her mom! Thanks to this trip I will be going back to Ireland soon!
Just do itttttRaquel, traveled Aug. 2023
I don't even know where to begin with this one! I knew I would have a good time in Ireland with the friends I was traveling with but I didn't realize that I would also be making so many great connections with individuals around the US (and Canadaaaaa)!! If you're lucky enough to have Diarmuid as your TD and Shaun as your driver, be prepared for some belly ... See more
Great for beginner TravelersAnonymous, traveled Aug. 2023
This was my first experience with traveling abroad and it did not disappoint!! Absolutely cannot recommend EF enough!
Better than I expectedYamin, traveled Aug. 2023
I worry a little for my future EF trips because after this one I'm left with high expectations! Our group was super outgoing and friendly which made it easy to bond with everyone. Our driver Sean is literally the best surprise from this trip. I'm forever equating Stacy's mom to Ireland now 😂. Diarmuid is such a lovely person in addition to being an awesome ... See more


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Film Review - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
March 24, 2011
It was merely a year ago when the world was introduced to the cinematic incarnation of author Jeff Kinney's saga of adolescent woe. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was only a moderate hit in the spring of 2010, but it was cheap, crude, and ripe for expansion. Enter "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," the hastily assembled follow-up, which does away with what little passed for legitimate charm the first time around. Of course, fans won't likely mind, which is exactly what the producers are hoping for.
Now entering the seventh grade, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is eager to ditch his past unpopularity, looking to woo class newcomer Holly (Peyton R. List) without causing himself any great embarrassment. Killing any and all opportune moments is brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick), an unshowered rapscallion who can't stand Greg. Finding the increasing hostility between the two unbearable, Greg's mother Susan (a scene-stealing Rachael Harris) orders the pair to get along, trusting time spent alone together might help cool the tension. Bonding over parties, mischief, and the hilarity of fake vomit, Greg and Rodrick grow to enjoy each other's company, a development that stuns the family and Greg's best pal, Rowley (Robert Capron).
With the 2010 picture registering as barely tolerable, it's a grand disappointment to find the sequel disregarding much of what made the first movie succeed. Dealing with pubescent kids in a highly cartoon atmosphere, "Wimpy Kid" director Thor Freudenthal nailed a few perfectly weird moment of pre-teen behavior, gifting the picture an unexpected personality -- a variety of kooky developments that pulled the film away from eye-rolling runs of gross-out jokes and formulaic domestic business.
"Rodrick Rules" doesn't submit the same monkey business, with director David Bowers (an animation vet) apparently overwhelmed by the filmmaking challenge. There's no rolling progression to the sequel, a painful realization that's introduced immediately in a labored prologue that finds Greg navigating the challenges of a roller rink to make a positive impression on Holly. The opener offers no spark, with lethargic comic timing and a lame sense of slapstick staging. Granted, Bowers appears to have been presented with a lower budget and weaker source material, but there's little gas in the creative tank. From the first few moments, it's apparent "Rodrick Rules" just doesn't know how to summon high-flying fun.
Where "Wimpy Kid" detailed a hellish junior high existence, "Rodrick Rules" sticks closer to home, covering the antagonistic relationship between Greg and his big brother, who also harbors dreams of becoming a rock star drummer with his band Loded Diper. The film emphasizes the psychopathic torment to a shrill degree, leaving me to wonder why Greg doesn't simply beat his fiendish brother to death with a pillowcase filled with soda cans. Rodrick is such a repellent character, such an untrustworthy jerk (Bostick brutally overplays every scene), it's impossible to buy into the premise that, golly gee, aren't all big bros like this? They're not, and the harder Bowers pushes to make Rodrick some type of guyliner-wearing everyteen, the harder it becomes to swallow the bruised candyland family portrait the sequel is painting.
Those rascals! Just don't leave the knife drawer unlocked when the bigger one is around. He's a little unbalanced.
The other problem "Rodrick Rules" faces is an incomplete adaptation. Story beats are scattered all over the place as Bowers looks to retain Greg's widescreen world, welcoming old friends such a Fregley (Grayson Russell) and braided terror Patty (Laine MacNeil) back into the mix. There's a strange bit with Chirag (Karan Brar) that has Greg encouraging the entire school to ignore him for reasons not fully understood, requiring the petite Indian boy to cross-dress as a way to break the spell. There's also an aborted subplot with Loded Diper guitarist Bill (Fran Kranz), a spaced metalhead who, I think, is around to keep the parental units wary of Rodrick's music dreams. Superfans of Kinney's writing will undoubtedly understand motivations upon first sight of the subplots, but those new to sequel situations might find themselves utterly baffled by a few turns of this compromised story.
Oh, how I miss the simplicity of the cheese touch.


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Welcome to the April 5, 2018 edition of BCHL Today, a (near) daily look at what's going on around the league and the junior A world.
With their backs to the wall, the Trail Smoke Eaters saved their season Wednesday night, taking down the Wenatchee Wild by a 5-2 count at the Cominco Arena.
While Kale Howarth and Ross Armour continued to be disturbingly silent, the Smokies depth finally stepped up. Andre Ghantous had two goals and an assist and Carter Jones had three helpers. Levi Glasman, Ryan Murphy and Seth Barton also scored for Trail in a forgettable outing for Wenatchee goaltender Austin Park. The Wild outshot the Smoke Eaters 40-24 and deserved a better fate, but Park had a bad night and Trail netminder Adam Marcoux was outstanding.
Park's 19 saves on 24 shots was good for a dismal .792 save percentage, lowering his overall playoff SP to .895.
Marcoux stopped 38 of 40 for a save percentage of .950, with August (Baron) Von Ungern and Zak Galambos the two Wenatchee shooters to beat him. His team is down 3-1 in the series, but Marcoux hasn't been the biggest issue for Trail. He's faced a high volume of shots (32.4 per game) and fared reasonably well against the most stacked offensive team in the BCHL.
When the Smoke Eaters inevitably lose this series, it will be because their big guns were shut down by the Wild. Updating the numbers for Howarth and Armour, through game four Howarth has just one assist while Armour has two helpers.
Of course, Howarth and Armour do a lot of damage on the power play, and that is a big-picture issue in this series. Trail had just two PP chances Wednesday night and they've had just six power plays in four games. It could be that Wenatchee is playing the cleanest hockey in the history of hockey. More likely, the postseason standard of officiating is contributing to Trail's demise, and that's not likely to change as the series shifts back to Wenatchee.
The path to victory for the Smoke Eaters is now ridiculously narrow.They have to win three straight games, including two at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee where the Wild have yet to lose in seven playoff outings.
Odds are very, very good that this series ends tomorrow (Friday) night.
West Kelowna Warriors grad Adam Plant has turned pro.
Plant's NCAA career came to a close March 25 as his University of Denver Pioneers lost 5-1 to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Div-I Midwest Regional Final. Five days later the defenceman made his American Hockey League debut for the Laval Rocket in a 3-2 loss to the Binghamton Devils. He was back in the lineup the next night for a 6-3 loss to the Hershey Bears and put four shots on goal last night in a 3-2 loss to the Rochester Americans.
Plant spent parts of three seasons (2011-14) in the BCHL, posting 14 goals and 75 points in 115 regular season and playoff games. The 22 year old Penticton native spent four seasons at the University of Denver (2014-18).
Here's a fun video of Plant during his first year with West K.
The Nanaimo Clippers have a new Director of Scouting.
The team has announced the hiring of John Stuart, who brings 17 years of experience in minor, junior B, junior A and major junior hockey.
My biggest takeaway from the Nanaimo press release is that the Clippers will have the best softball squad in the BCHL.
|John Stuart (right) coaching with Softball Canada. SOFTBALL CANADA PHOTO
Here are a few bullet points from Stuart's resume.
– Head coach Team Canada Men's Softball 2014 to current.
– Assistant Coach Team Canada Men's Softball 2010 – 2014
– 2015 World Champions.
– 2015 Pan Am Games Champions
– 2012 Pan American Champions
– 2015 Petro Canada Coach of Year
– 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation Coach Of Year
Sticking with the Clippers, former Nanaimo superstar Sheldon Rempal signed a National Hockey League contract with the Los Angeles Kings last Friday. Rempal put his name on a two year entry-level pact, leaving Clarkson University after just two seasons.
They were good seasons. As a freshman in 2016-17, the Calgary native had 11 goals and 23 points in 39 games. This season he led the Golden Knights with 23 goals and 46 points in 39 games, numbers that had him on the radar of several NHL teams.
Rempel spent three seasons (2013-16) in Nanaimo and posted video-game numbers in his final BCHL campaign when he posted 59 goals and 110 points in 56 outings.
Rempel is expected to travel with Los Angeles for the remainder of the NHL season, but he will likely end up apprenticing with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
As we get closer to the end of the Fred Page Cup playoffs, it's time to starting checking in on the other Canadian junior A leagues.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs are down to a final three.
The Spruce Grove Saints are through to the final after sweeping the Whitecourt Wolverines in the North division series. The Brooks Bandits and Okotoks Oilers are tired 2-2 in the South division series, with game five going tomorrow in Okotoks.
Having a peek at the regular season standings reminds me just how top-heavy the AJHL is.
Only seven of the league's 16 teams posted records above .500, led by the Oilers, who had 52 wins in 60 regular season games. The Saints (47-10-3) and Bandits (45-14-1) are solid squads but there's a whole lot of mediocre in that league.
Also mediocre? The name of the championship trophy. Sponsorship has invaded every area of hockey, and AJHL players vie for the coveted Inter Pipeline Cup.
We get it. Alberta loves its petroleum products, but that is just really disappointing.
I'll be the first to say the Fred Page Cup isn't a super dynamic name, but at least it pays tribute to a guy who was super important to the growth of junior A hockey in Canada. The AJHL trophy pays tribute to a Calgary-based company that is, according to interpipeline.com, a major petroleum transportation, storage and natural gas liquids processing business.
But they do have a very solid corporate video, so there's that.
As the season winds down, BCHL Today will now shift to a weekly schedule, appearing Wednesdays through the championship series and on into the offseason.
Eric Welsh is the sports editor at the Chilliwack Progress and has been covering junior A hockey in B.C. and Alberta since 2003.
Email email@example.com


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Ensure Repeatable Dimensional Measurement Functionality in your Vision System
Dimensional measuring tools can give your machine vision system real flexibility in many applications on your production line. Most gauging tools can perform very well in a controlled environment with no extraneous factors to affect the application.
But none of us works in a controlled environment. So how can you be sure your gauging tools are going to deliver accurate, repeatable dimensional measurements consistently on your production line?
When choosing a vision system, you need to make sure you are getting a full suite of gauging tools which will allow you to choose the right one to fit the requirements of your measurement application without having to write custom scripts or functions.
To ensure accurate measurements, your vision system should be able to correct lens distortion that can affect measurements, especially in the outer areas of the image. Image pre-processing tools allow you to optimize and manipulate images prior to inspecting the object. Also, distinct calibration tools for area and line scan cameras extremely accurately correct lens distortions and camera displacements such as rotation and tilt.


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Skoltech's Space Center is happy to invite you to a special lecture, as part of Prof. Rupert Gerzer's course on "Human Spaceflight".
The speaker, ESA's Director General Johann-Dietrich Woerner, will give a Skype lecture on Friday, April 8th at 9:00. In his lecture, he will explain his proposal to start a global initiative to build a "Space Village" on the Moon, and other ESA plans for Human Spaceflight after the termination of the International Space Station.
Anybody who's interested can participate, but please be there on time, as the lecture will start at 9:00 sharp.
About the speaker:
Johann-Dietrich 'Jan' Woerner became the ESA Director General on 1 July 2015.
Previously, from March 2007 to June 2015, he served as Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Jan Woerner was born in Kassel, Germany, in 1954. He studied civil engineering at the Technical University (TU) Berlin and TU Darmstadt, from where he graduated in 1985. In 1982, as part of his studies, he spent one year in Japan, investigating earthquake safety of nuclear power plants. Until 1990, Mr Woerner worked for consulting civil engineers Koenig und Heunisch.
In 1990 he returned to TU Darmstadt, where he was appointed as a professor of Civil Engineering and took over as Head of the Test and Research Institute. Before being elected as President of TU Darmstadt in 1995, he held the position of Dean of the newly established Civil Engineering Faculty. Jan Woerner headed the university from 1995 to 2007 and succeeded in making it the first autonomous university of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Jan Woerner has been awarded numerous prizes and positions, such as the Prize of the Organisation of Friends of Technical University Darmstadt for 'outstanding scientific performance'. He was also appointed to the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and to the Convention for Technical Sciences (acatech) and is a representative of the Technical Sciences Section of the Leopoldina, the national academy of sciences of Germany.
Jan Woerner has received honorary doctorates from New York State University at Buffalo (USA), technical universities of Bucharest (Romania) and Mongolia, the Saint Petersburg University for Economics and Finance (Russia) and École Centrale de Lyon (France). He has received the Federal Cross of Merit (Officer's cross, 1st class) of the Federal Republic of Germany for his continuous efforts regarding the next generation of scientists and Germany as a location for Science, Technology and Engineering. He has furthermore been awarded the honours of Knight of the French Légion d'Honneur.
Jan Woerner was Vice President of the Helmholtz Association and also a member of various national and international supervisory bodies, advisory councils and committees. He was a member of the administrative boards of École Centrale Paris, École Centrale de Lyon, TU Berlin, the Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, the Arts and Music University in Frankfurt and has been a member of a number of supervisory boards including Carl Schenck AG, Röhm GmbH, TÜV Rheinland AG and Bilfinger SE.
Furthermore, he was appointed to the energy expert group of the German Government.
Before joining ESA as Director General, Jan Woerner was head of the German delegation to ESA from 2007 to 2015 and served as Chairman of the ESA Council from 2012 to 2014.


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The standard 52-card pack is used.
The goal of each player is to win the pot, which contains all the bets that the players have made in any one deal. A player makes a bet in hopes that they have the best hand, or to give the impression that they do. In most Poker versions, the top combination of five cards is the best hand.
Five cards are dealt to each player plus another hand of five cards face down on the table.
Cards are turned up one at a time, and there is a round of betting each time a card is exposed. The middle card of the five cards dealt face down on the table, is wild. Each player selects a hand of five cards from among the cards in their own hand and the five on the table.
Five of a Kind - This is the highest possible hand and can occur only where at least one card is wild, such as a joker. Examples of five of a kind would be four 10s and a wild card or two queens and three wild cards.
Straight Flush - This is the highest possible hand when only the standard pack is used, and there are no wild cards. A straight flush consists of five cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of hearts.
Four of a Kind - This is the next highest hand. An example is four aces or four 3s.
Full House - This colorful hand is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as three 8s and two 4s.
Flush - Five cards all of the same suit, but not all in sequence, is a flush. An example is Q, 10, 7, 6, and 2 of clubs.
Straight - Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit is a straight. An example is 9♥, 8♣, 7♠, 6♦, 5♥.
Three of a Kind - This combination contains three cards of the same rank, and the other two cards each of a different rank, such as three jacks, a seven, and a four.
Two Pairs - This hand contains a pair of one rank and another pair of a different rank, plus any fifth card of a different rank, such as Q, Q, 7, 7, 4.
One Pair - This frequent combination contains just one pair with the other three cards being of different rank. An example is 10, 10, K, 4, 3.
No Pair - This very common hand contains "nothing." None of the five cards pair up, nor are all five cards of the same suit or consecutive in rank. When more than one player has no pair, the hands are rated by the highest card each hand contains, so that an ace-high hand beats a king-high hand, and so on.


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The Second Self, Twentieth Anniversary Edition: Computers and the Human Spirit
A new edition of the classic primer in the psychology of computation, with a new introduction, a new epilogue, and extensive notes added to the original text.
In The Second Self, Sherry Turkle looks at the computer not as a "tool," but as part of our social and psychological lives; she looks beyond how we use computer games and spreadsheets to explore how the computer affects our awareness of ourselves, of one another, and of our relationship with the world. "Technology," she writes, "catalyzes changes not only in what we do but in how we think." First published in 1984, The Second Self is still essential reading as a primer in the psychology of computation. This twentieth anniversary edition allows us to reconsider two decades of computer culture—to (re)experience what was and is most novel in our new media culture and to view our own contemporary relationship with technology with fresh eyes. Turkle frames this classic work with a new introduction, a new epilogue, and extensive notes added to the original text.
Turkle talks to children, college students, engineers, AI scientists, hackers, and personal computer owners—people confronting machines that seem to think and at the same time suggest a new way for us to think—about human thought, emotion, memory, and understanding. Her interviews reveal that we experience computers as being on the border between inanimate and animate, as both an extension of the self and part of the external world. Their special place betwixt and between traditional categories is part of what makes them compelling and evocative. (In the introduction to this edition, Turkle quotes a PDA user as saying, "When my Palm crashed, it was like a death. I thought I had lost my mind.") Why we think of the workings of a machine in psychological terms—how this happens, and what it means for all of us—is the ever more timely subject of The Second Self.
About the Author
Sherry Turkle is Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT and Founder and Director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. A psychoanalytically trained sociologist and psychologist, she is the author of The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit (Twentieth Anniversary Edition, MIT Press), Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet, and Psychoanalytic Politics: Jacques Lacan and Freud's French Revolution. She is the editor of Evocative Objects: Things We Think With, Falling for Science: Objects in Mind, and The Inner History of Devices, all three published by the MIT Press.
Praise for The Second Self, Twentieth Anniversary Edition: Computers and the Human Spirit
A brilliant and challenging discussion presented with extraordinary clarity.—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times—


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In a nutshell, the problem looks like this picture:
In short, gigantic latency, very slow read speed (I assume that is caused by the same thing). After a very very painful few minutes, everything seems to go back to normal.
What the heck is going on that can cause that?
Note: Note the fact that 100% activity happens at a wide range of speeds.


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Thursday, September 10, 2009
Basil Limeade Slushies
There's a note at the beginning of the recipe stating that by adding rum these would make great cocktails. So, of course, especially after my unfortunate morning, I made them into rum cocktails. Ice, water, lime juice, basil leaves, sugar, and rum were blended. That mixture was poured into glasses and was topped with sparkling water.
I actually used a bit less sugar than suggested which made our slushies nice and tart. The basil and lime together was a delicious combination that mixed very well with rum. I was certain this would be a concoction that only I would enjoy, but Kurt actually gave it a big thumbs-up. Regardless of how your day is going, these slushies would be a nice part of it, and I'm sure they'd be just as good even if you left out the rum.
Posted by lisa is cooking at Thursday, September 10, 2009
29 comments:
Oh these sound amazing, I wonder how they would go with vodka...ReplyDelete
You are my hero!ReplyDelete
Mmm. That sounds great!ReplyDelete
how frothy and completely delightful! lime has become a favorite flavor of mine, and this is yet another fine way to enjoy it!ReplyDelete
Fabulous! What delightful flavors!ReplyDelete
Beautiful, a must make for St. Pats.ReplyDelete
There is a great lounge in San Fran that makes these cocktails in the non-slushy form. They're so refreshing!ReplyDelete
This looks wonderfully refreshing!ReplyDelete
YUM! I LOVE lime so much that I put it in just about every cocktail that I drink. I also love basil, but can't imagine it in a cocktail. I'm going to have to try this slushie!ReplyDelete
I have about three past issue of F&W that are in a stack waiting to be read!
What a beautiful combination of flavours and I love the cool green hue :)ReplyDelete
Amazing, great flavor. Love the color.ReplyDelete
I have a girls night coming up, these might be just right.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 10, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Amazing flavors and gorgeous color! Very nice!ReplyDelete
These are some grown-up slushies that one definitely cannot get at a 7-Eleven. I love the vivid green color. And I bet they go down ever so smoothly.ReplyDelete
Atta Girl! When life throws you a few curves... get creative with rum. I knew I liked you, LOL!ReplyDelete
I'm basically a klutz, so I have many days like that & have learned to roll with the punches, so to speak.
That was an especially good issue of F & W but I want someone to show me how to make all the dishes...
The slushies look absolutely devine.ReplyDelete
So vibrant, so refreshing, and so delicious looking!ReplyDelete
How fabulous are these?ReplyDelete
And how great is a bit of rum after a seriously hard day? :)
I've been loving basil in sweeter applications (made mojitos with basil and orange not long ago), and this looks like another winner. What a great color!!
this looks great and refreshing! discoved your site via noobcook..good thing we did!ReplyDelete
OH! this is just the best flavor I have come across during all these summer months! what a refreshing drink, & what an easy thing to do. we make the limeade all the time at home, & I have so much basil growing. Thanks Lisa, this is a keeper.! I am sure my hubby will add some alcohol to this:-)ReplyDelete
Refreshing drink, it must beReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 11, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Slushies/slushes...it looks so fresh with its beautiful and bright green colour! sorry about those suffed tomaotes..they sounded good too...another time?ReplyDelete
Love your photography!
wow!! soo refreshing!! ive never tried this before!1 sound delish!ReplyDelete
these sound so refreshing - I need to get in on this basil beverage craze.ReplyDelete
I have not thought Basil can be used in a drink but why not ? I feel thirty now already.ReplyDelete
Perfect for the summer! I've never had basil in slushy before and now I am curious about it. Too bad about the tomatoes and goat cheese stuffing, but these things happen. Something similar happened to me recently too, it's no fun!ReplyDelete
What a nice and refreshing combination of limeade. Bookmarked :)ReplyDelete
I'll take one with rum please :) What a refreshing and tasty drink!ReplyDelete
Looks like you have one sitting on that cute little scarf napkin for me :)ReplyDelete


text: cannabisnews.com: How To Keep Edible Marijuana Away from Kids function share_this(num) { tit=encodeURIComponent('How To Keep Edible Marijuana Away from Kids'); url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/27/thread27953.shtml'); site = new Array(5); site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit; site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit; window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500'); return false; } How To Keep Edible Marijuana Away from Kids Posted by CN Staff on March 18, 2014 at 15:51:24 PT By Amanda Paulson, Staff Writer Source: Christian Science Monitor Boulder, Colo. -- A new Colorado law, signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) Monday, closes a loophole in the state's marijuana laws, extending the same packaging requirements to medical marijuana products that already exist for recreational ones. Under the new law, edible marijuana products sold to medical marijuana patients must be in opaque, child-proof packaging. The law also allows marijuana businesses to confiscate fake IDs from minors, just as liquor stores do, and requires that marijuana grown in a home with minors must be enclosed and locked. Advocates of the law, which included the marijuana industry, say it is an important clarification that will help keep legal marijuana from getting into the hands of minors. "Keeping marijuana out of the hands of kids should be a priority for all of us," said Governor Hickenlooper, before signing the bill.But there is still disagreement about whether the regulations go far enough. In particular, the popular niche of marijuana "edibles" – candy, cookies, gummy bears, lollipops – has been controversial, since skeptics say it can be too easy for someone to confuse the products with their non-pot-infused counterparts, or to ingest higher quantities of THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, than they intend. There have also been concerns about the accuracy of testing and labeling, particularly when it comes to the potency of such products.The new packaging requirements "are a step in the right direction," says Rachel O'Bryan, an attorney and member of Smart Colorado, a group pushing for tighter regulation. "But the underlying product in the packaging can still be confused with real food. The second you take it out of that packaging, you don't know if the product is a gummy bear or a" marijuana-infused product.Ms. O'Bryan cites the incident in a Westminster, Colo., middle school last week in which a student brought marijuana candies to school and shared them with friends, some of whom said they didn't know the candy contained marijuana. In another incident, reported in Steamboat Springs last week, an 18-year-old man cleaning a condo apparently ate a candy bar left behind by the renters without realizing it was infused with marijuana. He went to the hospital and was treated for an overdose.In the middle school incident, at least 15 students were involved, according to police and three have been arrested. Several more are facing suspensions. But O'Bryan says that she would prefer to see punishment of the adults – who presumably purchased the candy and made it accessible – than the students."We would like to see both messaging to Colorado parents, as well as strict enforcement of laws that when an adult gives marijuana to a child they are going to be held accountable," she says.Her group would also like to see tighter regulations on the amount of marijuana concentrates that can be sold. Buying an ounce of pure THC, as is currently allowed, says O'Bryan, can be the equivalent of roughly 2,800 servings and yet could fit into a shampoo bottle. "That's concerning to us when the No. 1 [federal] priority is keeping it out of hands of minors."Such concerns have some validity, says Michael Elliott, executive director of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, but in most cases he doesn't think new laws are necessary. The packaging law was an appropriate way to close a loophole, Mr. Elliott says, but the Department of Revenue can look into limits on concentrates and can set rules."We have a very good process in place, and the Department of Revenue is doing a tremendous job in a very difficult environment," says Elliott.Concerns have been raised, too, about the accuracy of testing and the ability of labs to handle the state's needs. Starting May 1, all edibles that are sold from a recreational pot business must have been tested for potency. And by Oct. 1, all marijuana products will need to be tested both for potency and contaminants.The Denver Post has raised questions about the accuracy of some of the testing. And Elliott says there are concerns about whether there will be enough labs to meet the demand. Currently there are three licensed facilities, and three more on the way."It's a huge testing burden," says Elliott.Since recreational sales became legal in Colorado on Jan. 1, the state has been under tremendous scrutiny. But while there have been some anecdotal incidents of increased emergency room visits and minors accessing pot, there isn't much data.Elliott says that the lack of incidents should be viewed as a success."All the public safety nightmares people said were going to happen, none of them materialized," Elliott says, noting that both traffic fatalities and teen marijuana use both went down in the past few years. Unlike the black-market system through which marijuana is readily available in the rest of the world, he adds, "we now have a system of accountability and transparency."The biggest safety concern that Elliott and marijuana industry members still have, he says, is that marijuana businesses, no matter how big, can't use banks. They are forced to deal almost exclusively in cash – a situation that could make them attractive targets for criminals.Critics of legalization say it's far too soon to count Colorado as a success.Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), a national group that opposes legalization, has started a new website, legalizationviolations.org, that tracks some kinds of incidents in Colorado and Washington State, which has also legalized recreational marijuana. Recent posts speak of Colorado pot crossing into Nebraska and Wyoming and teenagers using vaporizers – a sort of e-cigarette – to discreetly smoke pot in class, since there's no smell or smoke."Any steps to reduce access to kids and make it less likely kids will use marijuana is laudable, but I think will ultimately be unsuccessful in the framework of legalization," says Kevin Sabet, the cofounder of Project SAM and director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida. "Because legalization by definition is the commercialization of marijuana and companies only make money off heavy users, they have to target young people as part of a successful business model."Source: Christian Science Monitor (US)Author: Amanda Paulson, Staff WriterPublished: March 18, 2014Copyright: 2014 The Christian Science Publishing SocietyContact: letters csmonitor.comWebsite: http://www.csmonitor.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/VTHa9G8lCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Oleg the Tumor on March 20, 2014 at 08:59:07 PT: How about BIG LABELS? I just hate to see a waste of good pot. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment


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real life
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When Betsy Nelson decided to go vegan three years ago, she only missed one thing – cheese.
Sure, the grocery stores sell vegan cheeses. They come in slices or shreds and look like processed dairy-based cheeses, but the similarities tend to end there.
"A lot of people say to me, 'I would go vegan, but I can't give up cheese,'" said Nelson, 31, who lives on Munjoy Hill in Portland. "That was the thing I missed, too."
To satisfy her taste for cheese, Nelson began making small-batch, artisanal cheeses from fermented nut milks. Her soft cheeses can be served on bread or crackers and pair well with fruit and wine. They are totally dairy free.
"I primarily use cashews, and I've done some with almonds and macadamia nuts," Nelson said. "Recently I've been experimenting with sunflower seeds."
Nelson begins by creating a fermentation starter using sprouted grains of Maine-grown hard winter wheat and water. She then adds this soup of beneficial bacteria (known as rejuvelac in the fermentation world) to homemade nut milk, and the bacteria cause the milk to separate into curds and whey. By spooning out the curds, Nelson forms her dairy-free cheeses.
She began making these fermented nut cheeses for herself, but soon friends and family raved about her creations and encouraged her to explore whether or not there was a market for a raw, vegan cheese in Maine.
In recent years, vegan restaurants and small startups from Brooklyn to Los Angeles have begun selling fermented vegan cheeses to local customers. One of the larger companies is Kite Hill, whose fermented nut cheeses can be found side-by-side artisanal dairy cheeses in the cheese section of many Whole Foods stores in California.
Encouraged by the positive reviews from friends, Nelson has decided to find out if Mainers are ready for artisanal vegan cheese.
In September, Nelson hosted a taste test at the Portland Farmers Market in Monument Square, where she solicited feedback on her dairy-free cheeses. Her spread included three vegan cheeses. Two of them – one that was similar to goat cheese and one that was similar to brie – were Nelson's creations, and the third was a store-bought cheese she used as a sort of control.
"People were really excited," Nelson said of the taste test results. "Some people had tried vegan cheese before and some had not. Of course, the vegans were really excited. But I did get a lot of omnivores who said it tasted really good."
Some of the taste testers said the texture was a little off in the goat cheese, and Nelson used that feedback to tweak the recipe. She intends to hold more taste tests before launching her products.
"People kept telling me that if you have a vegan in your life and you're having a party you have the vegetable platter and hummus and nothing else (that's vegan)," Nelson said. "This cheese would fill that void."
Her working title for the cheese line is Culture.
More recently, a group of MBA students at Boston College's Carroll School of Management selected Nelson's vegan cheese company idea and will use the concept to develop a comprehensive business plan for her. Part of an annual event at Boston College, the program pairs teams of second year MBA students with local entrepreneurs.
Gregory Stoller, a lecturer at the business school, has run the program for the past 10 years. He finds entrepreneurs to present their business ideas to the students, who then bid to be part of the team working on one of the ideas. This year there were 35 presentations and 18 were selected by the students for their projects.
Stoller said a former student referred Nelson to him.
"What I liked about her idea is that it's just so unique compared to the sorts of food ideas I see coming to the program," Stoller said.
The students obviously agreed.
"Betsy not only did great in her presentation, but she also brought samples of her cheese for the students to taste," Stoller said. "And it actually tasted really good."
At the end of the semester, the student teams present their plans to a panel of business and legal experts and winners are chosen.
But Nelson's isn't worried if her team doesn't produce the winning plan. For her, the ability to get a well-researched plan crafted with input from Boston College business professors and law students is a windfall.
"It's really exciting because I don't know how to write a business plan," said Nelson, whose professional experience is in the worlds of food and wellness. "The reward is the great base of knowledge these students and their professors are bringing to the table."
She's been meeting with the students and providing them with her vision, but they're doing all the heavy lifting – including taking some of her products to conduct their own taste tests.
Nelson is currently enrolled at Southern Maine Community College with plans to eventually transfer to the University of Southern Maine to study holistic wellness. To pay the bills, Nelson holds two part-time jobs: prepping food for the Bite into Maine food truck and manning the front desk at the Body Architect health club in Portland.
By next summer, Nelson wants to begin distributing her cheeses in the Portland area, with hopes of eventually distributing her product throughout the northeast.
"I want to start with two strong products and then have a full line of artisanal cheese," Nelson said.
Her initial products would be the brie- and goat-style cheeses she has been testing with friends and family and at the farmers market. But to get her products to market by next summer, Nelson needs to check off a number of items on her to-do list.
This includes having her cheeses analyzed for safety, shelf life and nutritional content at the University of Maine's food testing lab.
"The product is small batch and it's a fermented so it needs to be monitored in the same way as if you're brewing beer or wine," Nelson said.
She's also searching for a licensed commercial kitchen and needs to think about packaging. Of course the biggest item on her list is coming up with the necessary start-up cash. She's thinking of applying for small business loans and launching a Kickstarter campaign to tap into the robust crowdsource funding market.
Nelson sees this venture as a way to bring together her interests in food and wellness.
"I think food is a great way to deal with all kinds of health issues," Nelson said. "And there's nothing I enjoy more than being in the kitchen and cooking."
Avery Yale Kamila is a freelance writer who lives in Portland, where she hopes to one day purchase a locally made fermented nut cheese. She can be reached at:
Twitter: AveryYaleKamila
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Ethnic studies were first brought to Superintendent Tom Horne's attention in April 2006 when civil rights activist Dolores Huerta said "Republicans hate Latinos" while speaking at an assembly at a Tucson high school.
After the incident, Horne said he was asked to ban controversial speakers. Instead, he made sure the students would hear both sides of the issue.
Horne took his deputy superintendent, Margaret Garcia Dugan, back to the same high school to have the students hear from a Republican Hispanic who grew up in an immigrant, Spanish-speaking home.
During Dugan's speech, Raza Studies students stood up, put their backs to the speaker and held their fists in the air, Horne said. After the principal requested that they be respectful and listen, the students walked out of the assembly.
"These students did not learn to be rude at home," Horne said. "Their parents taught them to be polite. They learned that rudeness from their Raza Studies teachers."
In an effort to ban courses in public schools promoting hatred of another race or the overthrow of the U.S. government, the House Education Committee passed H2281 after an 8-0 vote on Feb. 15.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Steve Montenegro, a Litchfield Park Republican, who had the issue of classes being designed for students of a specific ethnicity brought to his attention by members of his district and Horne, he said.
There is evidence of ethnic programs being taught in classrooms that relate to separatism and race division, plus one school district has admitted to allowing these courses, Montenegro said.
"It promotes an atmosphere or a mentality of 'us versus them,' a minority verses a white culture, and in my opinion, personally, it's wrong," he said. "It's victimology. It's teaching certain students to be victims because of their race, because of their gender or because of their ethnicity."
As a Hispanic born in El Salvador, Montenegro said he noticed situations going through college that encouraged students to have a "fight-back mentality."
"Something needs to be done," Montenegro said. "A year and a half ago I was looking at this and committing myself to do what I can to make things right, to stop this kind of racial divide in public instruction."
After Montenegro spoke, Horne provided several examples as to why they felt the bill was necessary. It also became clear that this issue was focused primarily on the Tucson Unified School District.
Horne said that after the incident in 2006, he requested to view the course materials for the Raza Studies program. The primary textbook was "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed," by Paulo Freire, a well-known Brazilians communist, and includes Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Che Guevara as sources, he said.
"What they're doing is extremely dysfunctional to these students because to succeed as an adult, you have to be able to deal with disagreement in a civil way, and if you're taught by radical teachers to get in peoples' faces and be destructive, that is a prescription for an unsuccessful adulthood," Horne said.
Speaking against the bill, University of Arizona student Tanya Lozano, of the Social Justice Education Project that works with the Mexican-American/Raza Studies Department in the Tucson Unified School District, said it was the third time a bill had been proposed that would get rid of the department.
"(These bills) are dehumanizing to our community," Lozano said. "Not once has anyone come into our classrooms to see what we're actually teaching, what we're actually learning. If you were to go to our classes, you would see that we promote nothing but love and respect, and we are all-inclusive to all cultures, races and ethnicities."
Lozano was a student herself in the Raza Studies program. She said she is a better person because of what she learned in those classes.
"This bill talks about promoting only western American culture and values, but America wasn't created with one culture and one set of values in mind," she said. "To take away these classes, you are denying students the right to learn what makes their country so beautiful and unique."
The bill would prohibit public schools from offering courses that are designed primarily for a specific ethnic group, which raised questions among lawmakers.
Democratic Reps. David Schapira and Nancy Young Wright asked Horne during the hearing if this would include women's, African-American or Jewish studies, especially at the collegiate level.
"If we want to talk about the university level, we probably should do it in a different context," Horne said. "This deals with high school, but there is a lot to criticize in the university race-based programs as well."
Schapira said that he and Horne share a religion, Judaism, and he specifically asked Horne whether he would ban the Jewish Studies program at Arizona State University.
"If it were race oriented, I probably would," Horne said.
Horne said all students are required to study different cultures, and he is not suggesting that they shouldn't.
"What I'm objecting to, as racism, is dividing kids by their races and then teaching each group just about their own culture and not about other cultures," he said.


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Oscars and Annies
The Annies are the Oscars of the animation industry, presented by ASIFA-Hollywood each year. {The award ceremony will take place tonight at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, by the way.) Just as Hollywood studios give out screeners and place ads in the trades to sway Academy voters their way, the studios will do the same for the Annies. Disney has set up a webpage for all the 16 nominations that THE INCREDIBLES received this year, complete with short clips as well as still frame galleries. It's a great layout as well. I highly recommend checking out the "storyboarding- feature" nominations as I find storyboards to be so fascinating in and of themselves. Go HERE to check it out.
Good luck to all the nominations!
11 comments:
That short "Guard Dog" looks really WilD! Gary Larsen drollery. I wonder if it'd get picked up by Spike or Comedy Central so I can check it out.ReplyDelete
Note that the Disney videos require installation of QuickTime. Won't run on anything else.
you get paid by the click for that plug?ReplyDelete
Absolutely not. I get no compensation for this blog. Setting it up was free on Blogger.com, and I have an account with Comcast for my image hosting, but I do not generate any money from The Ward-O-Matic. I just like to mention things that interest me.ReplyDelete
super cool! thanks for the links Ward.ReplyDelete
You totally rock dude! Great stuff! Be sure to check out my blog as it totally rocks too. Cool!ReplyDelete
Careful now....you're leaning a little too far into self-promotion there in your comment. Please let the link to your profile be the only link needed, okay? This goes for everyone out there, by the way. No posting comments just to promote your sites, please! Thanks.ReplyDelete
Hey thanks man!!!ReplyDelete
I'll go and check it out! Glad to see you're back on tha block!
Hey, just checked out both links...ReplyDelete
I think my fav oscar nominated animated film based on the clips is BIRTHDAY BOY. It just looks so beautiful. The INCREDIBLES stuff is awesome too.
Thanks. The storyboarding was an excellent feature.ReplyDelete
talk about sweeeet. I like the story. again. sweeeetReplyDelete
Are you going to post the winners? I'm sure everyone here would be interested. Thanks in advance!ReplyDelete


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Honda Named "Brand of the Year" in the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Equity Study
Honda has been recognized as the "Brand of the Year" in the "Full Line Automotive" category according to the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study. Honda received the highest numerical Equity Score among full line automotive brands included in the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study1. Harris Poll EquiTrend is an annual brand health assessment from Harris Interactive that surveys thousands of U.S. consumers online about their brand perceptions, measuring key touchstones including familiarity, quality and purchase consideration.
"This study offers strong evidence that the Honda brand continues to be well-regarded by American consumers," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of National Marketing Operations for American Honda. "The combination of strong brand equity and a fresh line-up of new models that resonate with customers will drive strong growth for us this year."
Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda/
On Google+
1The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study was based on opinions of 38,529 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over surveyed online between January 31 and February 20, 2012. Your opinion may differ. "Highest Ranked" and "Brand of the Year" were determined by a pure ranking of a sample of full line automotive brands.
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Microsoft rolls out first new logo in 25 years
Microsoft Corp. unveiled its first new logo in 25 years on Thursday as it looks to unify its branding ahead of a clutch of new product releases this year.
The world's largest software company is introducing a dash of color in its first logo redesign since 1987, using a new multi-colored square next to a plain rendering of its name, replacing its well-worn italic style logo.
Microsoft is rolling out its new Windows 8 operating system along with new Office and phone software this autumn, and is hoping the new logo unifies customers' experience of the company, much like rival Apple Inc's distinctive logo has for its consumers.
"It's been 25 years since we've updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change," said Jeff Hansen, general manager of Microsoft's brand strategy, in a blog on Microsoft's website. "This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning."
The new design, which resembles the existing logo for Windows, its most important product, is already in use on Microsoft's website and is being unveiled at its latest store opening in Boston on Thursday.


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A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Cobble Hill resident Janelle Guyatt with expenses, as she faces her fourth surgery in January since surviving a knife attack in May of 2016 in Chemainus.
Colin John is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Derek Descoteau and the attempted murder of Guyatt in that attack. The trial has been put over until at least March pending a psychiatric assessment of John.
Guyatt, 18, has already endured three surgeries in Vancouver since the attack in the last two and a half years. She will be off work at Island Hairdressing in Duncan for six to eight months after her next surgery because the nerve damage she suffered to her left side was so severe.
Kristina Tkachuk of Qualicum Beach, wife of Derek's uncle Darrell Descoteau, wanted to initiate something for Guyatt who's shown incredible bravery and hasn't asked anyone for help.
"I have just recently met Janelle through this entire ordeal," said Tkachuk.
A conversation with Guyatt's mom about the upcoming surgery prompted Tkachuk to get the GoFundMe campaign started.
"I asked how is Janelle being compensated for this, well, she's not," Tkachuk said.
The goal is to raise $10,000.
"She's just a sweetheart of a person," noted Tkachuk. "She's worked through this and she's got a hairdressing license through this."
Guyatt didn't want it to seem like she was receiving a handout.
"It endears me more to her that's her attitude," Tkachuk indicated.
There are so many costs Guyatt has endured, she pointed out, right down to her cell phone.
"Janelle had just purchased a cell phone a month or two before this incident occurred," Tkachuk pointed out.
The cell phone was taken as police evidence and her plan elapsed after two years so she had to purchase a new one.
"The less burden she has in life, the more successful she will be to get over this," reasoned Tkachuk. "To experience a tragedy like this can easily change the course of your life."
Tkachuk has become somewhat of an extended family ambassador.
"I've attended every day in court," she said. "I took notes throughout everything of the whole trial."
Anyone who'd like to help Guyatt can go to www.gofundme.com and do a search on Janelle Guyatt's name for the page.