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Game of Thrones
Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for thousands of years.
Genre: Action & Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Director: David Benioff , D.B. Weiss
Duration: 57 min
Quality: HD
Release: 2011
IMDb: 9.5
Season 1 - Game of Thrones
"Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, is dead. King Robert Baratheon plans to ask his oldest friend, Eddard Stark, to take Jon's place. Across the sea, Viserys Targaryen plans to wed his sister to a nomadic warlord in exchange for an army."
"While Bran recovers from his fall, Ned takes only his daughters to Kings Landing. Jon Snow goes with his uncle Benjen to The Wall. Tyrion joins them."
"Lord Stark and his daughters arrive at King's Landing to discover the intrigues of the king's realm."
"Eddard investigates Jon Arryn's murder. Jon befriends Samwell Tarly, a coward who has come to join the Night's Watch."
"Catelyn has captured Tyrion and plans to bring him to her sister, Lysa Arryn, at The Vale, to be tried for his, supposed, crimes against Bran. Robert plans to have Daenerys killed, but Eddard refuses to be a part of it and quits."
"While recovering from his battle with Jamie, Eddard is forced to run the kingdom while Robert goes hunting. Tyrion demands a trial by combat for his freedom. Viserys is losing his patience with Drogo."
"Robert has been injured while hunting and is dying. Jon and the others finally take their vows to the Night's Watch. A man, sent by Robert, is captured for trying to poison Daenerys. Furious, Drogo vows to attack the Seven Kingdoms."
"Eddard and his men are betrayed and captured by the Lannisters. When word reaches Robb, he plans to go to war to rescue them. The White Walkers attack The Wall. Tyrion returns to his father with some new friends."
"Robb goes to war against the Lannisters. Jon finds himself struggling on deciding if his place is with Robb or the Night's Watch. Drogo has fallen ill from a fresh battle wound. Daenerys is desperate to save him."
"With Ned dead, Robb vows to get revenge on the Lannisters. Jon must officially decide if his place is with Robb or the Night's Watch. Daenerys says her final goodbye to Drogo."
Season 2 - Game of Thrones
"As Robb Stark and his northern army continue the war against the Lannisters, Tyrion arrives in King\u2019s Landing to counsel Joffrey and temper the young king\u2019s excesses. On the island of Dragonstone, Stannis Baratheon plots an invasion to claim his late brother\u2019s throne, allying himself with the fiery Melisandre, a strange priestess of a stranger god. Across the sea, Daenerys, her three young dragons, and the khalasar trek through the Red Waste in search of allies, or water. In the North, Bran presides over a threadbare Winterfell, while beyond the Wall, Jon Snow and the Night\u2019s Watch must shelter with a devious wildling."
"In the wake of a bloody purge in the capital, Tyrion chastens Cersei for alienating the king\u2019s subjects. On the road north, Arya shares a secret with Gendry, a Night\u2019s Watch recruit. With supplies dwindling, one of Dany\u2019s scouts returns with news of their position. After nine years as a Stark ward, Theon Greyjoy reunites with his father Balon, who wants to restore the ancient Kingdom of the Iron Islands. Davos enlists Salladhor Saan, a pirate, to join forces with Stannis and Melisandre for a naval invasion of King\u2019s Landing."
"At the Red Keep, Tyrion plots three alliances through the promise of marriage. Catelyn arrives in the Stormlands to forge an alliance of her own, but King Renly, his new wife Margaery, and her brother Loras Tyrell have other plans. At Winterfell, Luwin tries to decipher Bran\u2019s dreams."
"Joffrey punishes Sansa for Robb\u2019s victories, and Tyrion scrambles to temper the king\u2019s cruelty. Catelyn entreats Stannis and Renly to unite against the Lannisters. Dany and her khalasar arrive at the prosperous city of Qarth. Tyrion coerces a relative into being his eyes and ears. Arya and Gendry are taken to Harrenhal, where their lives are in the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane. Stannis orders Davos to smuggle Melisandre into a secret cove."
"The Baratheon rivalry ends, driving Catelyn to flee and Littlefinger to act. At King\u2019s Landing, Tyrion\u2019s source alerts him to Joffrey\u2019s defense plan - and a mysterious secret weapon. Theon sails to the Stony Shore to prove he\u2019s worthy to be called Ironborn. At Harrenhal, Arya receives a promise from Jaqen H\u2019ghar, one of the prisoners she saved from the Gold Cloaks. The Night\u2019s Watch arrive at the Fist of the First Men, an ancient ringfort where they hope to stem the wildings' advance."
"Theon completes his master stroke. In King's Landing, the Lannisters send Myrcella off to be married. Arya comes face to face with a surprise visitor. Dany vows to take what is hers. Robb and Catelyn receive crucial news. Qhorin gives Jon a chance to prove himself."
"Jamie meets a distant relative. Daenerys receives an invitation to the House of the Undying. Theon leads a search party. Jon loses his way in the wilderness. Cersei counsels Sansa."
"Theon receives a visitor. Arya asks her third and last death from Jaqen. While Stannis' army is reaching its destination, Davos is offered a reward. Betrayal befalls Robb."
"Tyrion and the Lannisters fight for their lives as Stannis\u2019 fleet assaults King\u2019s Landing."
"Tyrion awakens to a changed situation. King Joffrey doles out rewards to his subjects. As Theon stirs his men to action, Luwin offers some final advice. Brienne silences Jaime. Arya receives a gift from Jaqen. Dany goes to a strange place. Jon proves himself to Qhorin."
Season 3 - Game of Thrones
"Jon meets the King-Beyond-the-Wall while his Night Watch Brothers flee south. In King's Landing, Tyrion wants a reward, Margaery shows her charitable nature, Cersei arranges a dinner party, and Littlefinger offers to help Sansa. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys starts her journey west."
"Sansa says too much. Shae asks Tyrion for a favor. Jaime finds a way to pass the time, while Arya encounters the Brotherhood Without Banners."
"Tyrion shoulders new responsibilities. Jon is taken to the Fist of the First Men. Daenerys meets with the slavers. Jaime strikes a deal with his captors."
"Trouble brews among the Night's Watch at Craster's. Margaery takes Joffrey out of his comfort zone. Arya meets the leader of the Brotherhood. Varys plots revenge on an old foe. Theon mournfully recalls his missteps. Daenerys deftly orchestrates her exit from Astapor."
"The Hound is judged by the gods. Jaime is judged by men. Jon proves himself. Robb is betrayed. Tyrion learns the cost of weddings."
"Tywin plans strategic unions for the Lannisters. Melisandre pays a visit to the Riverlands. Robb weighs a compromise to repair his alliance with House Frey. Roose Bolton decides what to do with Jaime Lannister. Jon, Ygritte, and the Wildlings face a daunting climb."
"Daenerys exchanges gifts with a slave lord outside of Yunkai. As Sansa frets about her prospects, Shae chafes at Tyrion\u2019s new situation. Tywin counsels the king, and Melisandre reveals a secret to Gendry. Brienne faces a formidable foe in Harrenhal."
"King\u2019s Landing hosts a wedding, and Tyrion and Sansa spend the night together. Daenerys meets the Titan\u2019s Bastard. Davos demands proof from Melisandre. Sam and Gilly meet an older gentleman."
"Robb presents himself to Walder Frey, and Edmure meets his bride. Jon faces his harshest test yet. Bran discovers a new gift. Daario and Jorah debate how to take Yunkai. House Frey joins with House Tully."
"Joffrey challenges Tywin. Bran tells a ghost story. In Dragonstone, mercy comes from strange quarters. Daenerys waits to see if she is a conqueror or a liberator."
Season 4 - Game of Thrones
"Tyrion welcomes a guest to King\u2019s Landing. At Castle Black, Jon Snow finds himself unwelcome. Dany is pointed to Meereen, the mother of all slave cities. Arya runs into an old friend."
"Tyrion lends Jaime a hand. Joffrey and Margaery host a breakfast. At Dragonstone, Stannis loses patience with Davos. Ramsay finds a purpose for his pet. North of the Wall, Bran sees where they must go."
"Tyrion ponders his options. Tywin extends an olive branch. Sam realizes Castle Black isn\u2019t safe, and Jon proposes a bold plan. The Hound teaches Arya the way things are. Dany chooses her champion."
"Dany balances justice and mercy. Jaime tasks Brienne with his honor. Jon secures volunteers while Bran, Jojen, Meera and Hodor stumble on shelter."
"Cersei and Tywin plan the Crown's next move; Dany discusses future plans; Jon Snow begins a new mission."
"Stannis and Davos set sail; Dany meets with supplicants; Tyrion faces down his father. "
"Tyrion gains an unlikely ally; Daario asks Dany to allow him to do what he does best; Jon's warnings about the vulnerability of the Wall are ignored; Brienne follows a new lead. "
"Unexpected visitors arrive in Mole's Town. Littlefinger's motives are questioned. Ramsay tries to prove himself to his father. Tyrion's fate is decided."
"Jon Snow and the Night's Watch face a big challenge."
"Circumstances change after an unexpected arrival from north of the Wall. Dany must face harsh realities. Bran learns more about his destiny. Tyrion sees the truth about his situation."
Season 5 - Game of Thrones
"Cersei and Jaime adjust to a world without Tywin. Varys reveals a conspiracy to Tyrion. Dany faces a new threat to her rule. Jon is caught between two kings."
"Arya arrives in Braavos. Podrick and Brienne run into trouble on the road. Cersei fears for her daughter's safety in Dorne as Ellaria Sand seeks revenge for Oberyn's death. Stannis tempts Jon. An adviser tempts Daenerys."
"In Braavos, Arya sees the Many-Faced God. In King's Landing, Queen Margaery enjoys her new husband. Tyrion and Varys walk the Long Bridge of Volantis."
"The Faith Militant grow increasingly aggressive. Jaime and Bronn head south. Ellaria and the Sand Snakes vow vengeance."
"Dany makes a difficult decision in Meereen. Jon recruits the help of an unexpected ally. Brienne searches for Sansa. Theon remains under Ramsay's control."
"Arya trains. Jorah and Tyrion run into slavers. Trystane and Myrcella make plans. Jaime and Bronn reach their destination. The Sand Snakes attack."
"Jon prepares for conflict. Sansa tries to talk to Theon. Brienne waits for a sign. Stannis remains stubborn. Jaime attempts to reconnect with family."
"Arya makes progress in her training. Sansa confronts an old friend. Cersei struggles. Jon travels."
"Stannis confronts a troubling decision. Jon returns to The Wall. Mace visits the Iron Bank. Arya encounters someone from her past. Dany reluctantly oversees a traditional celebration of athleticism."
"Stannis marches. Dany is surrounded by strangers. Cersei seeks forgiveness. Jon is challenged."
Season 6 - Game of Thrones
"The fate of Jon Snow is revealed. Daenerys meets a strong man. Cersei sees her daughter once again."
"Bran trains with the Three-Eyed Raven. In King\u2019s Landing, Jaime advises Tommen. Tyrion demands good news, but has to make his own. At Castle Black, the Night\u2019s Watch stands behind Thorne. Ramsay Bolton proposes a plan, and Balon Greyjoy entertains other proposals."
"Daenerys meets her future. Bran meets the past. Tommen confronts the High Sparrow. Arya trains to be No One. Varys finds an answer. Ramsay gets a gift."
"Tyrion strikes a deal. Jorah and Daario undertake a difficult task. Jaime and Cersei try to improve their situation."
"Tyrion seeks a strange ally. Bran learns a great deal. Brienne goes on a mission. Arya is given a chance to prove herself."
"An old foe comes back into the picture. Gilly meets Sam\u2019s family. Arya faces a difficult choice. Jaime faces off against the High Sparrow."
"The High Sparrow eyes another target. Jaime confronts a hero. Arya makes a plan. The North is reminded."
"While Jaime weighs his options, Cersei answers a request. Tyrion's plans bear fruit. Arya faces a new test."
"As the Starks prepare to fight, Davos loses something dear. Ramsay plays a game. Daenerys faces a choice."
"Tyrion counsels Daenerys on the upcoming campaign. Jon and Sansa discuss their future. Trials begin in King's Landing."
"No description"
Season 7 - Game of Thrones
"No description"
"Jon organizes the defense of the North. Cersei tries to even the odds. Daenerys comes home."
"Daenerys receives an unexpected visitor. Jon faces a revolt. Tyrion plans the conquest of Westeros."
"Daenerys holds court. Tyrion backchannels. Cersei returns a gift. Jaime learns from his mistakes."
"Daenerys fights back. Jaime faces an unexpected situation. Arya comes home."
"Tyrion tries to find a way to make Daenerys listen to reason while Jon plans a dangerous new mission."
"Jon and his team go beyond the wall to capture a wight. Daenerys has to make a tough decision."
"A meeting is held in King's Landing. Problems arise in the North."
"No description"
"No description"
Season 8 - Game of Thrones
"No description"
"Arriving at Winterfell, Jon and Daenerys struggle to unite a divided North. Jon Snow gets some big news."
"The battle at Winterfell is approaching. Jaime is confronted with the consequences of the past. A tense interaction between Sansa and Daenerys follows."
"The Night King and his army have arrived at Winterfell and the great battle begins. Arya looks to prove her worth as a fighter."
"In the wake of a costly victory, Jon and Daenerys look to the south as Tyrion eyes a compromise that could save countless lives."
"Daenerys brings her forces to King's Landing."
"In the aftermath of the devastating attack on King's Landing, Daenerys must face the survivors."
"No description"


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Accommodation in Hälsingland Gästrikland - 2 matches
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Hedesunda (Forest area)
Hedesunda (Forest area) Map
Camping | Elected "Loveliest Charm Camping" in all of Europe by the Dutch Tourist organization ANWB! (January 2020) Beautifully located next to Dalälvens beach with docks and sandy beach. Here you can swim and fish, go canoeing or just relax. Bikes, boat... Read more
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Camping | Camp Kungsgården is a campsite located one mile west of Sandviken and it is open all year round. Read more
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Cavaliere D'Arpino
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- Movement / Style:
- Mannerism
Cavaliere D'Arpino, original name Giuseppe Cesari, (born c. 1568, Arpino, Kingdom of Naples [Italy]—died July 3, 1640, Rome), Italian painter of the post-Renaissance school known as Mannerism who helped to spread that school abroad.
The painter began his career as a workshop assistant for the decoration of the Vatican Loggia, directed by Niccolo Circignani. The artists he encountered during this experience (Circignani himself, Cristoforo Roncalli, and Giovanni Battista Ricci) had a great influence in his work. In 1589–91 Arpino executed extensive decorations in the Certosa of San Martino, Naples, where, as at Rome, he was assisted by his brother Bernadino. He was greatly in demand in Rome as a fresco painter, having impressed Pope Clement VIII with his facility of execution. But his frescoes in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, begun in 1596, were never finished. Perhaps his best work is the four incidents from the life of St. John the Baptist in the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome. During his long career, he also created the designs for the mosaics of the cupola of St. Peter's; the frescoes of the Cappella Paolina of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore; and the fine murals in the Olgiati chapel in the Church of Santa Prassede. Although of wide reputation, Arpino did not compare in originality to contemporaries such as Caravaggio, the Carracci, or even some of his own students.


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When Taco Bell launched Doritos Locos Tacos in 2012, it quickly became the company's most successful product launch ever, selling more than 350 million in less than a year. While Taco Bell lovers couldn't get enough of the Doritos Nacho Cheese taco shell combined with the company's classic crunchy taco ingredients, it wasn't long before fans turned to social media and asked "when is Doritos Cool Ranch coming?"
On March 7, 2013, Doritos Cool Ranch fans won't have to wait any longer. Taco Bell announces it will launch another soon-to-be blockbuster Doritos flavor to the Doritos Locos Tacos line-up: Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos. The announcement was made directly to Taco Bell's most ardent fans across social and digital media channels, and via a six-second Vine video announcement, the first-ever product announcement made by Taco Bell using the Vine platform.
"There has been enormous interest in the new Cool Ranch flavor of Doritos Locos Tacos and people are wondering why it took so long," says Greg Creed, chief executive officer, Taco Bell Corp. "Originally we had planned to launch the Cool Ranch flavor in the same year as the introduction of Doritos Locos Tacos. However, the demand for Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos was so strong that we worked closely with our partner Frito-Lay to increase our capacity and meet the needs of both Doritos Cool Ranch and Nacho Cheese fans."
Taco Bell plans to support the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos launch with its largest marketing campaign in history, topping the launch of the original Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos. Specific details of the marketing campaign will be released in the coming weeks. To gain consumer feedback and ensure the taco shell delivered on the same Cool Ranch taste and crunch consumers expect from Doritos, Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos were tested in select restaurants in Toledo, Ohio for more than six months.
News and information presented in this release has not been corroborated by WTWH Media LLC.


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St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865)
The legacy of Madeleine Sophie Barat can be found in the more than 100 schools operated by her Society of the Sacred Heart, institutions known for the quality of the education made available to the young.
Sophie herself received an extensive education, thanks to her brother, Louis, 11 years older and her godfather at Baptism. Himself a seminarian, he decided that his younger sister would likewise learn Latin, Greek, history, physics and mathematicsalways without interruption and with a minimum of companionship. By age 15, she had received a thorough exposure to the Bible, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church and theology. Despite the oppressive regime Louis imposed, young Sophie thrived and developed a genuine love of learning.
Meanwhile, this was the time of the French Revolution and of the suppression of Christian schools. The education of the young, particularly young girls, was in a troubled state. At the same time, Sophie, who had concluded that she was called to the religious life, was persuaded to begin her life as a nun and as a teacher. She founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, which would focus on schools for the poor as well as boarding schools for young women of means; today, co-ed Sacred Heart schools can be found as well as schools exclusively for boys.
In 1826, her Society of the Sacred Heart received formal papal approval. By then she had served as superior at a number of convents. In 1865, she was stricken with paralysis; she died that year on the feast of the Ascension.
Madeleine Sophie Barat was canonized in 1925.
St. Theophilus of Corte (1676-1740)
St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 107?)
Mary, Mother of God
St. Athanasius (295?-373)
St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
St. Louise de Marillac (d. 1660)
St. Leo the Great (d. 461)
St. Anthony of Egypt (251-356)
St. Callistus I (d. 223?)
Blessed Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)


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A new year means new people. Say hello to Jessica Coen!
You may remember Jessica from her tenure as the editor of Gawker from 2004 to 2006, where she honed her inter-nerd skills and pissed off many a NYC media personality. Perhaps you also know her from her time at Vanity Fair, or, more likely, New York magazine, where she has served as the online managing editor of the site's many blogs since 2007.
Anyway, we're thrilled to announce she's coming back into the Gawker Media fold, where, as Executive Editor of Jezebel, she will help create content for this blog's many hundreds of thousands - and growing - of readers and help us tackle the decade to come. She'll be starting in early March, when the wounds of her 30th birthday are still fresh and weeping, so we'll do a proper introduction then, but for now, we're so tickled she said "yes" to our repeated offers that we just had to share.


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When Aaron Levie co-founded Box in 2004, he envisioned how businesses would benefit from cloud storage and file sharing -- improved data access and collaboration -- and, since few vendors grasped this, Box cashed in when this technology got popular years later.
However, this market is now wholly commoditized. There's a merciless price war and many vendors, including Google and Microsoft, now compete with Box, so pitching a plain vanilla offering no longer cuts it.
Levie and his lieutenants have been preparing for this moment for years, and last week their strategy to extend Box into document, content and business process management became clearer and more concrete. What's not clear is whether the scrappy vendor will be able to survive this transformation and carry on being a thorn in the side of its bigger rivals.
"It's been a great rising tide that has lifted them for sure [in enterprise cloud storage and file sharing], and given them tons of visibility, but it's time to recognize that if you're going to remain in a market where low margins are going down to zero, then you don't have any future opportunity," said Rob Koplowitz, a Forrester Research analyst.
In other words, Box can't just be a secure repository of data that is easy and convenient to access via a Web browser and mobile apps. If its customers are using Box to store data from their ERP or CRM systems, designs for a new product, animation footage for a film, or patient information from a hospital, Box wants to offer features that help those employees better use, analyze, visualize, share and collaborate with that information.
"Box has to move well beyond file sync and share and collaboration to differentiate itself at this point," said Paul Hughes, an IDC analyst.
At BoxWorks, the company announced improvements to its service in areas including security, governance, regulatory compliance, content creation, mobility and third-party software integration. Two announcements in particular stood out as emblematic of this goal to differentiate itself.
One is a new workflow engine that will automate the routing of documents and files, as well as the actions that people need to take on them.
Box Workflow, due next year, will let IT administrators set up rules that will trigger actions for specific types of files, documents, folders and data stored in Box. For example, they'll be able to configure rules for contract approvals that will steer the documents involved through a set of predetermined steps and actions, like requesting sign-off reviews from some managers and signatures from other employees.
By tapping machine-learning algorithms, Box Workflow will also generate recommendations for other content that may be relevant for a user to check out, as well as auto-classify new documents that the system finds similar in format to others, like invoices. Box Workflow will also have open APIs so that it can be integrated with third-party software and systems, thus following a long tradition at Box to make its software extensible and easy to integrate.
Then there was the launch of Box for Industries, a program to tailor and tune the company's products for specific vertical industries. Box will target a dozen verticals, but will start with retail, health care, and media and entertainment. Box for Industries will combine Box technologies, third-party, industry-specific applications and implementation services from Box and partners, including Accenture.
"Box is one of only a few companies in this space with a dedicated vertical strategy, and that's a very good thing," Hughes said. However, the vertical industries undertaking is daunting. Each vertical sector has a long list of particular business needs, IT challenges, security concerns and regulatory requirements, so Box will probably need to seek out partnerships to complement offer comprehensive expertise, he said.
As Box broadens its horizons and builds out its capabilities to manage business processes, content and documents, it will have to balance that push with one of the keys to its success so far: its software's ease of use.
"That won't really be clear until [its] customers and Box understand how far they can push the next set of capabilities before needing to add more to them," said Maureen Fleming, an IDC analyst, via email. "They've done a pretty good job of layering in sophistication while maintaining ease of use. Box is unlikely to pursue a path that would change this dynamic."
While Box embarks on this evolution, it is also dealing with questions about its finances, which CIOs pay attention to when deciding whether to do business with a vendor, especially a small one, that will handle critical processes and data.
In March, the company announced its intention to launch an IPO, but it hasn't pulled the trigger yet. The perceived delay has led financial analysts and tech industry observers to question whether the company isn't as confident as it once was about its prospects as a public company. Levie has said in response that Box never had a specific date in mind, and that it will go public when the time is right.
The IPO registration papers Box submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also raised red flags in the eyes of some, especially the company's blunt acknowledgement that profitability isn't on the horizon, that its sales and marketing costs have been very high so far with respect to its revenue and that only 7 percent of its about 25 million end users pay for the service.
Still, the Los Altos, California company, which has about 1,000 employees, enjoys strong support from its backers. It raised $150 million this summer, on top of the more than $300 million investors had previously pumped into its coffers. And it has big name customers, like GE, which is rolling out Box to its 300,000 employees globally, and DreamWorks Animation, whose globetrotting CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg made a stop at BoxWorks, where he bantered on stage with Levie, and, in between jokes, unequivocally endorsed the product.
Koplowitz believes that strategy the company has outlined and is acting upon "is absolutely the right one, and they have the right team to execute on it."
"If they do it well, they're in a great position for a long time," he said.
But a key question is whether enough customers will take the plunge along with Box, as it puts in place what it considers a next-generation content management platform in the cloud for enterprise collaboration.
"Will this market open up enough and let Box lock in long-term relationships with customers willing to pay the right price for what Box is building, so it can cover the investment it has made in sales and marketing to acquire these customers?" Koplowitz said. "The clock is ticking."
Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.


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LONDON – Jan. 22, 2014 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a contract by Dubai Airports for the delivery of the Analytics module of its Airport Realtime Collaboration (ARC) suite to Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS).
Northrop Grumman's Airport Systems group in the U.K. provides ARC, a software solution that delivers accurate and timely information aiding airport stakeholders to work together more effectively.
ARC is a scalable solution covering both terminal and airfield operations. It enhances passenger flow movements, optimises resource allocation and improves predictability and efficiency by supporting Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM).
The ARC Analytics module is a flexible analysis and reporting tool which allows users to perform historical analysis and also presents an accurate and clear picture of real-time airport performance.
"The ARC solution will be our primary tool for the measurement and determination of operational performance," said Mark Green, Head of Strategy and ATM Development at Serco DANS. "Dubai International handled more than 57.6 million passengers in 2012, and is growing at more than 15 percent year on year. We need the very latest systems in place to help us manage that growth and remain efficient. By giving both historical and live views of key metrics such as on-time performance, throughput and efficiency, ARC brings a step-change in our ability to see how well the airport is working."
"We are delighted to be able to work with Dubai Air Navigation Services and Serco on this exciting opportunity," said Charles Houseago, managing director of Northrop Grumman's Airport Systems group. "The ability to have real-time data at your fingertips gives managers and analysts a new way of looking at airport operations, with detailed reports able to cover anything from the last two years to the last half-hour."
Northrop Grumman's Airport Systems group provides the global airport market with products and services to raise efficiency, reduce costs, increase revenues and improve the customer journey.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernisation to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
CONTACT: Ken Beedle +44 (0) 207 747 1910 office +44 (0) 7787 174092 mobile email@example.com


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- Publishers
- Fantagraphics
- series: Hwy 115
Comic book series : Hwy 115
Hwy 115
A road movie featuring two detectives, René and Agatha, on the tracks of Robert Illot, a.k.a. "The Heimlich Killer," a serial killer whose modus operandi is to suffocate his victim with various objects (including chickens and lightbulbs) along the highways and byways of France. As they get closer and closer to catching up with him, seeking out and interrogating men and women from his past life at the insane asylum, he always stays one step ahead and the row of corpses grows longer and longer... In this lengthy original graphic novel by Matthias Lehmann (his first, released to great acclaim in his native France earlier this year), dreams and flashbacks converge with the ongoing narrative, done in Lehmann's hypnotically intense and insanely labor-intensive woodcut style to form a dark and disquieting vision of humanity.
2007 Eisner Award nominee: Best U.S. Edition of International Material
"An impeccably constructed graphic novel... Lehmann's first full-length comic is also a technical and esthetic tour de force. Conceived down to the smallest detail, every panel was created on scratchboard. Thus Lehmann allows the blackness of the events to leap out from the depths of his drawing." – Livres Hebdo
"All the basic elements of David Lynch's film work can be seen in Hwy. 115, without ever sliding into plagiarism... It's not difficult to interpret thte gesture of scratching through a thick layer of black to allow the light to shine out as an allegory for psychoanalysis and, by extension, for the detective story... Lehmann displays in this book an honesty that has long been missing from Lynch's predigested cinema." – Chronic'art


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How Obama can end Congo conflict
By Vava Tampa*,
Now that President Obama has taken a public stand on the warlords and militia gangs tyrannizing DR Congo, there is a sense that the next chapter in the human tragedy that has been raging there over the past decade and half is about to be written — or so we can hope.
In the DRC — Africa's largest sub-Saharan country — invasions, proxy wars and humanitarian crises have senselessly shut down millions of lives, displaced millions more from their homes and left countless women and young girls brutally raped with the world barely raising an eyebrow.
The latest murderous attempt by the M23 militia gang to besiege Goma, the strategic regional capital of Congo's eastern province of North Kivu, seems to have backfired.
The United Nations says Rwanda has helped to create and militarily supported M23. Although Rwandan President Paul Kagame denies backing M23, the accusation has taken off some of the international gloss he had long enjoyed in the West, and precipitated cuts and suspension of aid money that goes directly to the Kagame regime by the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Britain and the European Union.
The United States, which gives no money directly to the Rwandan government, suspended its military aid. In a baffling expression of a refinement of the U.S. position, President Obama made a rare telephone call to Kagame to emphasize "the importance of permanently ending all support to armed groups in the DRC." That set a firm red line on the situation in that region, the first one by President Obama since becoming president in 2008.
This was certainly right and good. Kagame is no fool; the diplomatic but emphatic content of that telephone call, monitored by White House's National Security staff and published thereafter for public consumption, speaks volumes. He clearly understood the implicit threat. But it was not good enough.
Left unsaid is that withholding aid money that goes directly to the Kagame regime has not changed many realities on the ground — a painful reminder of the limits of what previous half-hearted, ambivalent international attempts to halt the crisis in that country had achieved.
However, the situation is not hopeless. President Obama can help to halt the wars engulfing the Congo. It is both economically and politically affordable.
Here is my suggestion — a three-point road map, if you like, for President Obama, should he chose to put the weight of the United States squarely on the side of the Congolese and engage much more robustly to help end the world's bloodiest war and human tragedy.
1. Changes in Kinshasa
If we are to be blunt with ourselves, Congo's major problem today, the chief reason that country remains on its knees, is its president Joseph Kabila. Paul Kagame is just a symptom, at least in theory.
The crisis of leadership in the capital Kinshasa, the disastrous blend of lack of political legitimacy and moral authority, mixed with poor governance and vision deficiency, then compounded with dilapidated state institutions, has become the common denominator to the ills and wrongs that continues to overwhelm the Congo.
In other words, peace will never be secured in Congo if the moribund status quo is still strutting around Kinshasa.
Obama's minimum objective in regard to ending the wars and human tragedy engulfing the Congo should be to push for changes in Kinshasa. He must make this one of the "10 Commandments" of the Obama Doctrine.
Circumstances demand it to re-energize Congo's chance of success, and to enable the renaissance of a "New Africa." And given the effects of Congo's mounting death toll and the speed at which HIV/AIDS is spreading because of the use of rape as a weapon of war, the sooner the better.
2. Keep Kagame in the naughty corner
The wars and human tragedy engulfing the Congo have many fathers and many layers. Rwanda, and to some extent Uganda — run by Africa's two dearest autocratic but staunchly pro-American regimes — are, as they have been many times in the past, despite their denials, continuing to provide support to warlords and militia gangs terrorizing the Congolese people.
This is not an apocryphal claim, it's an open secret in Kinshasa, Kampala and Kigali as much as it is in Washington or White Hall, and as real as Charles Taylor's role in Sierra Leone or Iran's support to Hezbollah.
Indeed, reporters across Congo and across the region would testify to this. Kigali has been, one can safely argue, the sole shareholder in the M23 militia gang, and its elder sisters CNDP and RCD-Goma.
It cannot wash its hands in Pontius Pilate fashion of either the ICC-wanted M23 warlord Bosco Ntaganda, also known as The Terminator, or Laurent Nkunda, who is wanted by the Congolese government for war crimes and is under house arrest in Kigali.
If President Obama is remotely serious about saving lives in Congo, then fracturing Rwanda's ability to directly or indirectly harbor warlords, support militia gangs, militarize or ethnicize the wars in Congo for control of Congo's easily appropriable but highly valuable natural resources, is critical — however politically disgruntling it may be to some in the State Department.
It would reduce the scale, scope and intensity of the killing, raping and uprooting of the Congolese, it would crush Kinshasa's ability to use external support to warlords and militia gangs as an alibi for a lack of progress and, above all, decrease the growing unease of the Congolese towards Rwanda over the crimes of FDLR and the role played by their government in Congo.
The continued existence in Congo of FDLR, a Rwandan militia gang made up largely of Hutus — whose leadership took part in the 1994 genocide of Tutsi — remains one of the most persistent and serious threats to stability in Congo, and the region.
Addressing this crisis is of significant importance from both a political and humanitarian viewpoint.
Though there are no definitive statistics on the exact numbers of FDLR fighters, the good news is that experts tell us that the vast majority of its rank and file are in their 20s and early 30s, which means they were too young to have taken part in the genocide in 1994.
The United States, together with the U.N., the EU and African Union, should appoint a special envoy for the African Great Lakes region to midwife a conducive political arrangement in Kigali that could see them returning home — and see their leaders and fundraisers in Europe arrested.
*Source CNN.Vava Tampa is the founder of Save the Congo, a London-based campaign to tackle "the impunity, insecurity, institutional failure and the international trade of minerals funding the wars in Democratic Republic of the Congo." Follow Vava Tampa on twitter: @VavaTampa


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The Voodoo range of superbly styled brass darts feature unique black knurled barrels, which are designed to give optimum grip and control. The Speedline shafts are teamed with Marathon Gold flights to create perfection in-flight.
Barrel & Tip Specifications:
What's Included (5):
Warranty (4): Lifetime on barrel breakage only, return to manufacturer. Does not include tip breakage.


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Aquaponics is essentially the combination of Aquaculture and Hydroponics. Both aquaculture and hydroponics have some down sides, hydroponics requires expensive nutrients to feed the plants, and also requires periodic flushing of the systems which can lead to waste disposal issues. Re-circulating aquaculture needs to have excess nutrients removed from the system, normally this means that a percentage of the water is removed, generally on a daily basis.
This nutrient rich water then needs to be disposed of and replaced with clean fresh water. While re-circulating aquaculture and hydroponics are both very efficient methods of producing fish and vegetables, when we look at combining the two, these negative aspects are turned into positives. The positive aspects of both aquaculture and hydroponics are retained and the negative aspects no longer exist. Aquaponics can be as simple or as complex as you'd like to make it, the simple system pictured above is made from one IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container). The top was cut off and turned upside down to become a growbed for the plants. Water is pumped up from the fish tank into the growbed. The water trickles down through the media, past the roots of the plants before draining back into the fish tank.
The plants extract the water and nutrients they need to grow, cleaning the water for the fish. There are bacteria that live on the surface of the growbed media. These bacteria convert ammonia wastes from the fish into nitrates that can be used by the plants. The conversion of ammonia into nitrates is often termed "the nitrogen cycle". This will be dealt with in more detail elsewhere on this website.
Growbeds filled with a media such as gravel or expanded clay pebbles are a common method of growing plants in an aquaponic system, but there are many different methods that can be used. In fact any method of hydroponic growing can be adapted to aquaponics. Plants can be grown in floating foam rafts that sit on the water surface. Vegetables can also be grown using NFT (Nutrient Film Technique), or through various other methods using a "run to waste" style of growing. This is done by removing a percentage of the fish water each day and watering vegetables planted in different media such as coir peat, vermiculite, perlite etc.
Many different species of fish can be grown in an aquaponic system, and your species selection will depend on a number of factors including your local government regulations. Quite high stocking densities of fish can be grown in an aquaponic system, and because of the recirculating nature of the systems very little water is used. Research has shown that an aquaponic system uses about 1/10th of the water used to grow vegetables in the ground. An aquaponic system can be incredibly productive. I've produced 50kg of fish, and hundreds of kilograms of vegetables within 6 months in an area about the size of your average carport, 8m x 4m.
This is a system that requires no bending, no weeding, no fertilizers, and only uses about the same power it takes to run a couple of light globes.


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The 2021 SAS virtual Speed Networking Event offers registrants of the 2021 conference the opportunity to have informal 30-minute one on one virtual meetings with leaders in the field of affective science. During these meetings, mentees have the opportunity to introduce themselves to their mentor and ask research and career related questions.
If you would like to participate as either a mentor or mentee, you must sign up during conference registration by April 1st 2021 and provide up to 10 keywords that describe your interests. The SAS Speed Networking Committee will then match mentors and mentees on the basis of these keywords using the neuromatch algorithm. Participants will be informed with match information, including contact details by April 7th 2021. Mentees and mentors can then self-arrange a private 30-minute meeting before, during, or after the conference via any video conferencing platform (e.g., Gather.Town, Zoom, Skype, etc). Meeting spaces will be provided in Gather.Town during the conference.
The Methods Event offers an opportunity to focus on the "how" in a structured small-group setting. Discussion leaders will draw on their expertise to introduce and summarize selected methodologies, and then will facilitate dialogue within the small group. Topics range from tools used in the laboratory to those used in the field. They will include well-established methods and experimental innovations. The Methods Event is meant to help you to expand, refine, or rethink your methodological toolkit, whatever your career stage.
Discussion leaders will include: Alexandra Crosswell (University of California, San Francisco), Derek Isaacowitz (Northeastern University), Tamlin Conner (University of Otago, New Zealand), Tiffany Ho (Stanford University), Christian Waugh (Wake Forest University), Nicole Giuliani (University of Oregon), Heather Urry (Tufts University), Samira Shaikh (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Catherine Norris (Swarthmore College), Zakia Hammal (Carnegie Mellon University).
We will demonstrate how to measure and analyze Heart Rate Variability and Skin Conductance Responses using Biopac's ECG and EDA modules and associated analysis software.
The Speed Networking Event will provide attendees the opportunity to interact with several leaders in the field of affective science, briefly and in an informal setting. Each networking event attendee will get to meet one-on-one with several of these mentors. This meeting will give mentees an opportunity to introduce themselves and ask the mentor questions related to their research, career advice, or any other burning questions they have. Each of these meetings will last around five minutes, after which mentees will rotate to meet with another host.
Hosts will include: Daniel Foti (Purdue University), Elaine Fox (University of Oxford), Barbara Fredrickson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), James Gross (Stanford University), Lasana Harris (University College London), Kristin Lagattuta (University of California, Davis), Dacher Keltner (University of California, Berkeley), Hedy Kober (Yale University), Ann Kring (University of California, Berkeley), Robert Levenson (University of California, Berkeley), Kristen Lindquist (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Terry Maroney (Vanderbilt University), Iris Mauss (University of California, Berkeley), Kateri McRae (University of Denver), Wendy Berry Mendes (University of California, San Francisco), Joseph Mikels (DePaul University), Paula Niedenthal (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Matt Nock (Harvard University), Sarah Pressman (University of California, Irvine), Leah Somerville (Harvard University), Virginia Sturm (University of California, San Francisco), and Maya Tamir (Hebrew University of Jerusalem).
The Emotion Regulation Pre-Conference will feature emotion regulation research from various disciplines and topics, consider emotion regulation from different perspectives, and share exciting new findings and methods. It will feature a range of formats from short talks to panel discussions to breakout groups. All presentations will be invited. Our goal is to have fun, build connections among those interested in emotion regulation (faculty, post-docs, students), and share ideas about new directions in emotion regulation research. This year's program includes a methods spotlight on the use EMA (ecological momentary assessment) in emotion regulation research.
The Seventh Annual SAS Positive Emotions Pre-Conference will feature state-of-the-science research on positive emotions. The Positive Emotions Pre-Conference is designed to bring researchers together from a variety of fields to advance the science of positive emotions using a data-centric approach. We encourage thinking, discussing, and integrating across disciplines, and feature speakers who range across research lab traditions to promote diversity in positive-emotion research. This year's pre-conference will feature talks showcasing the latest findings in the field and ample opportunities for collaborative discussions and for attendees to connect with one another. Highlights include an interactive panel on big data in positive affective science, featuring speakers from both academia and industry, and a series of invited talks focusing on new and unpublished work. The preconference also features submitted flash talks and posters, and offers prizes for the best flash talk and posters presented by trainees.
This preconference will highlight recent advances in research on the interplay between culture and emotion, featuring two themes: "Culture and Emotion Perception" (focusing on research investigating cultural influences on emotion perception) and "Cultural Fit of Emotions" (focusing on implications of emotions that fit (or do not fit) in their cultural contexts). The preconference will include two thematic sessions with invited speakers, a data blitz session, a poster session, and a keynote address by Batja Mesquita. Invited speakers include Rachael Jack, Maria Gendron, Taka Masuda, and Ursula Hess for Culture and Emotion Perception session, and Jeanne Tsai, Jose Soto, Yukiko Uchida, and Will Tsai for Cultural Fit of Emotions session. Abstract submissions for data blitz and poster presentations will be solicited (deadline January 15, 2019)


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Category Main Page
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STEPHANIE ZONIS focuses on good foods and the people who produce them.
March 2006
Updated July 2008
This is Part 3 of a three-part article on melting cheeses. Click on the black links below to read the other parts.
I usually select a company of the month, one that produces fine-quality cheese. But this month, I've selected a cheese. It is gruyère, the Swiss raw cow's milk masterpiece that takes its name from a village in the canton of Fribourg. Gruyère is a firm yet pliable cheese in the semi-hard family. The natural rind gives way to an interior "paste" as it's called, that is a creamy yellow with a dense texture and very small holes, or "eyes." The beautifully complex flavor is often described as fruity, toasty, nutty, or even beefy, but this is a relatively strongly-flavored cheese. Although gruyère makes a terrific table cheese, it also holds up beautifully to heat, and is one of the classic cheeses for fondue (did you know that each canton in Switzerland has its own traditional fondue variation?). Gruyère is manufactured in mammoth wheels, sometimes weighing in at 80 pounds each!
If you don't want to serve gruyère in a fondue, serve it with fruit, such as red apples, grapes, or pears, or perhaps with a good whole grain bread (it also makes for a magnificent grilled cheese sandwich). For alcoholic pairings, think about Alsatian wines (red or white) or a good Burgundy. Where can you buy fine gruyère? Murray's Cheese (MurraysCheese.com), Ideal Cheese (IdealCheese.com), and Zingerman's (Zingermans.com) are three reliable sources.
See our Cheese Glossary for more information about gruyere, Swiss cheees raw milk cheese, semi-hard cheese and cheese in general.
Gruyère Cheeses For The Table, Fondue & More
Go To Part 1: Overview & How To Melt Cheese
Go To Article Index Above
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.


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We're now so used to soft samplers being presented as vast pre-loaded ROMplers that it's all too easy to forget about the bad old days of hardware samplers, when you'd be lucky if yours came with just a few floppy disks of ready-to-go sounds.
Back then, it was entirely expected that you'd be willing to go to the effort of manually recording your own sounds before editing them on a tiny LCD display.
Crucially, and entirely unlike today's samplers, the sounds that came out of those old-school units were often significantly different to the ones that went in. The bass was grittier and the top-end was less well-represented. There was hiss, there was analogue degradation from the circuitry, and everything was generally distorted, though often in a pleasingly organic way.
Until now, there hasn't really been a reliable way of emulating this combined effect, but now we have Morgana the debut VST/AU instrument from 112dB.
The idea is simple: deliver a soft sampler that recreates the aged analogue and primitive digital circuitry of the late '70s and '80s to form a musically expressive instrument for both studio and live use, but with a much handier editing interface and full automation control, and none of the memory constraints of yesteryear.
First impressions are that it's mission accomplished for 112dB. The simplicity of Morgana's front panel is hugely appreciated; unlike many of the hardware samplers we grew up with (or soft synths we've subsequently embraced) this one really does feel like a nice, ergonomic analogue synth.
Taken as a piece of virtual hardware, the controls are well laid out (and enable fine control when holding down Shift), making it incredibly easy to edit patches or individual samples.
The help menus that open automatically when you hover a parameter long enough give you handy tips about the extra range and routing parameters that lie behind the scenes. However, an optional routing matrix would be a welcome addition at some point.
As for the sample patch architecture, it's all pretty standard stuff. You put samples in, tell the sampler which notes to place them on, set their start, end and loop points, tune them, and that's about it. You can also create a patch with distinct upper- and lower-level multitimbral patches, which you can then blend into one über-patch.
Sounds, editing and patches
Absolutely the best thing about Morgana, though, is its sound. 112dB have gone to great lengths to replicate not just the low-quality chips used in yesteryear's gear, but even the idiosyncrasies of the internal wiring. So, for example, circuit crosstalk is modelled at the preamp stage.
This rather nifty section is applied in real time, and can be bypassed or applied to any sample individually and non-destructively, so you can always opt to change the quality or character later in the game.
Likewise, the Sample Rate control enables the user to determine just how lo-fi they want things to sound, and the Analog knob (found in the Setup panel) offers a sliding scale of effects, taking the sound from solid and consistent to characteristic of all-out wavering circuitry.
It's not all nostalgia-fuelled perfection, though. One thing nobody really misses about old samplers is the cumbersome editing process that most vintage units saddled you with, and as streamlined as Morgana might be compared to those boxes, the confines of the hardware-aping interface make it feel a little cramped compared to most modern soft samplers.
Compatibility with the main popular sampler formats is absent, which is a disappointment, as this would have enabled users to load up existing patches in formats like Kontakt and EXS, but with a slightly grittier sound.
Meanwhile, the supplied patches are a bit of a letdown. While we'd be the first to encourage making your own samples, it is nice to have some tasty sounds at your fingertips, particularly when you're in the throes of creativity Morgana does support REX files, though, featuring a Slice button to map them across keyzones.
Finally, although there are a number of automatable controls, not everything is quite as accessible as we'd like. In version 2, we hope to see just about everything controllable by automation, though the first priority in any update should be the facility to manipulate the sample start, end and loop points.
Morgana imbues samples with a sonic character that will be unlike anything else in your mix, helping them to stand out. Perhaps you could achieve something similar using a bit-crushing plug-in, but nothing else quite emulates the lo-fi effect that old circuitry had in precisely the same way.
Using Morgana immediately brings back happy memories of sampling 'back in the day' in much the same way as the first really decent modelling soft synths - such as GForce's Oddity - recalled the notoriously flaky analogue circuitry that initially powered most vintage synthesisers.
Morgana might not be the last word in sampling technology - it's not intended to be - but it's certainly a very valuable and desirable homage to the best that old-school sampling had to offer.


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Welcome to.......
Gooney Creek Campground
7122 Stonewall Jackson Highway
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
Family Camping
on the banks of Gooney Creek in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley!
Campground since 1967
5 miles South of Front Royal.....
4 miles past the Skyline Drive entrance.....
3 miles past Skyline Caverns.....
Across the street from The Shenandoah River...
From DC metro area ....
66 west to exit 13 Linden
Turn left off Ramp
Turn right at Light
thru Front Royal and turn left as it dead ends
look for signs of camping 2
turning left at bottom of the hill
before the Gooney Creek bridge...
Nearby rentals of
Canoes and Tubes....
Front Royal Canoe Company
Downriver Canoe Company
Hiking - Fishing - Swimming
Camp with your tent and your family on the banks of the Creek
Rates per Night (plus tax)
$20.00 - Basic site = 2 campers - 1 vehicle - 1 tent
$25.00 - Water and Electric site
$28.00 - Full Hook up = water, electric and sewer hook-up
$5.00 - Additional Vehicle to site
$5.00 - Additional Adults
$2.00 - Children under the age of 12
$3.00 - Youth (12-18 years of age)
$3.00 - Day visitors to your site
$5.00 - Day/Picnic - per person
Group Rates available for our group site.
If you have a wedding or large reunion, you may rent the entire campground if adequate notice is given.
Reservations for large groups suggested
Remember, if you make a reservation ....
It stands Rain or Shine
There is a 4 day cancellation policy.
(So keep up with the weather channel)
Visa/MasterCard or prepaid by check/Money order when making a reservation.
A Gorgeous
Swimming hole
to fish and lie in the sun on the rocks.
Bring your camera and your cooler!
It is not advisable for children to swim without adult supervision.
We want everyone to stay safe.
Water and Electric site area Site 18 ....Last site on the road Site 16's view - Water & electric
Hiking along the banks or in the creek is a good time.
Taking a nap can make anybody a Happy Camper!
Please observe the 5 miles per hour speed limit.
Yes, we have Hot Showers - Clean Restrooms....... and even....... Flush toilets!
(There are two outhouses if you don't feel like strolling to the wash house.)
Pets are Welcomed.......
Leashed - Scooping and Sound Control....Please!
Quiet Time is from 11pm thru 8 am
The Golden Rule applies!
We want everybody to have a comfortable camping experience!
Thank you,
Happy Camping!
Open April 1st thru October 31st
You are Visitor #


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Home » About Marg Properties
About Marg Properties
MARG ProperTies, the residential arm of MARG Group, is a leading name in the real estate space providing value enriched homes and building everlasting relationships. Having already sold more than 2.5 million sq ft of residential space, and had many successful projects launched in the last one year, we are reputed home builders in Chennai who offers a wide range of homes like Affordable Homes, Integrated Townships, Urban Smart and Ultra Luxury homes and is poised to build 20,000 homes.
We at MARG ProperTies build homes designed by renowned architects with zero dead space, assured quality, fine aesthetics and greenery, all at a price that is easy on the pocket. In everything from design and choice to long-term value and lifestyle, a MARG ProperTies home is pure joy.
Flats in Chennai has remained illusive for most of the urban middle class. Our projects focus on providing affordable home to make their dream come true. As builders in Chennai, we build trust with our customers and add value to the relationship by providing Facility Management Services.
Our latest projects include
- Vishwasakthi
- Savithanjali
- Brindavan


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Silver Wynn Ear Cuff
925 silver
Free shipping with min. spend $75.00
Safe for sensitive skin. Free from nickel, cadmium & lead
30 days hassle free returns
Complete the look:
Get this gift wrapped.LEARN MORE
Gift Wrapping
Gift Wrap - $3.00
Get your item gift-ready! A set of gift wrap will include:
- One gift box in a satin dumpling bag
- Suede pouches for every piece of jewellery
- 1 – 2 items will fit one gift box
- Personalised gift message (optional)
Gift Message
Add a personalised gift message of up to 250 characters; one per gift box. Simply include your message in the 'Order Notes' box before checking out. The gift message will be typewritten and added to your package.
*Please note that we do not include receipts with any order. All receipts are sent via email only. Should you require more gift boxes, please add another Gift Wrap to your order.
How to add gift wrapping
- Go to your cart.
- Find Gift Wrapping option at the bottom of your cart.
- Complete all the steps to add gift wrapping.
Materials: Rhodium-plated recycled 925 silver, e-coating
- Small
- Dimensions: 13.3m x 13.3mm x 5.7mm
- Inner width: 9mm
- Opening width: 3.75mm
- Medium
- Dimensions: 15.3m x 15.3mm x 5.7mm
- Inner width: 11.4mm
- Opening width: 3.75mm
This ear cuff is slightly adjustable.
Sister to our Wynn Huggies, the Wynn Ear Cuff allows you to dress your ears up without the commitment of a piercing. Stack it with your favourite hoop earrings and you're good to go!
How to wear: Slide the ear cuff on over the thinnest part of your cartilage and adjust to a position to your liking and comfort. Gently pull on the cuff to ensure that it's secure and you're good to go!
Please note: sold as ONE piece only. All images used are for illustrative purposes. Products are photographed to the best of our abilities.
Ear cuffs seen on models may appear larger or smaller when in comparison to each individual's earlobes. Please refer to the measurements provided for accurate sizes of the earrings.
Sale items are not eligible for returns, exchanges, cancellations and repairs. Further terms and conditions apply.
• Clean jewellery with mild, unscented soap and water to remove sweat and grime
• Avoid acidic solutions and harsh chemicals like perfume
• Store jewellery in a cool, dry place
This system may take some time to update its availability when an item is sold at the stores. Thank you for your kind understanding. As we do not currently allow reservations, we are not able to guarantee that the product you would like to purchase would be available at our store although the above information has listed it to be 'Selling Fast'.


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U.S. U-14 Boys' National Team head coach Tony Lepore calls 37 players for second camp of 2013-14 cycle
CHICAGO – U.S. Under-14 Boys' National Team head coach Tony Lepore named a 37-player roster for a week-long training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., from Feb. 1-9.
Throughout the week, the players will train twice a day in the morning and evening either side of an afternoon break to focus on their academics. The group will play a pair of friendly matches against local club sides on Feb. 5, as well as scrimmage a U.S. Residency Program team on Feb. 8.
Twenty-three players who attended the team's initial training camp of the cycle last September return for this camp alongside 14 players receiving their first call-up to a Youth National Team camp.
Thirty players on the roster are registered with U.S. Soccer Development Academies, with nine players representing seven different MLS teams' Academies including: Carlos Anguiano Dias and John Hilton (Chivas USA), Pablo Arias and Timothy Weah (New York Red Bulls), Wilber Cabrera (Colorado Rapids), Jacob Muchnick (LA Galaxy), Amos Shapiro-Thompson (New England Revolution), Chandler Vaughn (D.C. United) and Sean Zawadzki (Crew Soccer Academy).
Hilton is one of only three 2001-born players on the roster in addition to Matteo Ritaccio and Travian Sousa, who is attending his first U-14 camp. Arias, Shapiro-Thompson and Zawadzki also are all receiving their first call-up to a U-14 camp.
Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Alexander Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.), Chandler Cree (CASL RailHawks Academy; Cary, N.C.), Quantrell Jones (Baltimore Celtics; Baltimore, Md.), Hunter Pinho (PDA; Cranford, N.J.)
DEFENDERS (12): Charlie Asensio (Georgia United; Rosewell, Ga.), Coby Atkinson (Boca United; Sunrise, Fla.), Zico Bailey (Las Vegas Heat; Las Vegas, Nev.), Connor Hester (Braddock Road; Middleburg, Va.), John Hilton (Chivas USA; Long Beach, Calif.), Jaylin Lindsey (Charlotte SA; Charlotte, N.C.), Rayshaun McGann (Boca United; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), Dorian Morrison (FC Golden State; Chino Hills, Calif.), Ian Murphy (FC Golden State; Redlands, Calif.), Carlo Ritaccio (BW Gottschee; Westbury, N.Y.), Tyler Shaver (NYSC; Riverside, Conn.), Chandler Vaughn (D.C. United; Woodbridge, Va.)
MIDFIELDERS (12): George Acosta (Weston FC; Miami, Fla.), Carlos Anguiano Dias (Chivas USA; Los Angeles, Calif.), Pablo Arias (New York Red Bulls; Ledgewood, N.J.), Jake Arteaga (LAFA; Glendora, Calif.), Andrew Carleton (United Futbol Academy; Powder Springs, Ga.), Jon Paul Fernandez (BSC; Stamford, Conn.), Seth Kuhn (PA Classics; Wyomissing, Pa.), Jacob Muchnick (LA Galaxy; Newport Beach, Calif.), Matteo Ritaccio (BW Gottschee; Westbury, N.Y.), Amos Shapiro-Thompson (New England Revolution; Worthington, Mass.), Sean Zawadzki (Crew Soccer Academy; Olmsted Falls, Ohio), Jesus Sahagun (Weston FC; Miami, Fla.)
FORWARDS (9): Wilmer Cabrera (Colorado Rapids; Aurora, Colo.), Jalen James (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas), Niccolo Lemoine (Ballistic USC; Pleasanton, Calif.), Ricky Mendez (Marin FC Alliance; San Rafael, Calif.), Joshua Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; O'Fallon, Mo.), Travian Sousa (Ballistic USC; Lanthrow, Calif.), Arturo Vasquez (LAFA; Mira Loma, Calif.), Timothy Weah (New York Red Bulls; Rosedale, N.Y.), Tristan Weber (United FC; San Clemente, Calif.)


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Here in the South, the weather has definitely taken a turn toward the sweltering. There have been some unseasonably warm days already, with highs in the 90s, and the temptation to flick the switch on that A/C unit to "on" is very strong. Before using the air conditioner, consider this: Home cooling accounts for 5 percent of the energy we consume in the U.S. each year. That's about 140 million tons of CO2 emissions annually!
Here are some ways to fight that urge by keeping your house cooler naturally.
1. Keep the shades drawn during the day. When sunlight streams through the windows, it creates a miniature greenhouse effect in your home.
2. Reflect the heat. If you do want to open the windows, consider investing in some reflective window film to help keep the heat outside where you want it to be.
3. Let the cool evening air in. If temperatures are on the chilly side after the sun goes down, crack a few windows open to let a breeze come through and cool the house. Just be sure to close them before the temperature starts to rise again!
4. Insulate! You want to keep cool air inside, so grab that caulk gun and seal off anywhere that air might be escaping. A handy draft dodger can help seal up those tricky leaks at the bottoms of doors and windows.
5. Get rid of incandescent lights. Not only do those suckers use more energy, they generate a lot more heat than CFL or LED light bulbs.
6. Make sure your ceiling fans are running counter clockwise. Most modern fans will have a little switch on the side to reverse their direction. You want the fan to go clockwise in winter to push warm air down and reverse it in the summer to circulate cool air.
7. Drink icy beverages. This one seems like a no-brainer, but it still bears mentioning. What better way to beat the heat than to cool your body from the inside out?
8. Dress appropriately. Loose-fitting, light clothing goes a long way toward keeping you cool. It's time to bust out those organic cotton shorts and tank tops!
9. Grab a towel. A towel soaked in cold water is a great way to cool down. Apply it to your neck, wrists, and forehead for some relief during the hottest part of the day.
10. Avoid the stove and oven. Both of these will add unnecessary heat to the house. Instead, fire up that outdoor grill or whip up a salad or sandwich. Your rice cooker, slow cooker, and pressure cooker are other alternatives to heating up the house with the stove or oven.
11. Try a buckwheat pillow. If the heat is preventing you from sleeping, switching to a buckwheat pillow can make a big difference, since buckwheat doesn't hold on to your body heat like conventional pillows do.
12. Learn from your pets. How does your cat cope with the hottest part of the day? She snoozes! If you can squeeze in an afternoon nap, go for it.
13. Chill out. Turn on your table fan and stick a frozen bottle of water in front of it to get some cold air circulating.
14. Plant a tree. If you can, plant trees on the side of your house that gets the most sun. The extra shade will protect your home from the sun's rays.
Do you have any favorite ways to keep your finger off of the thermostat? Share your tips in the comments!


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Great post by Rick Ungar over on The Policy Page. Still, I'm left wondering. It's an election year and given the stakes, I think we'll look back on 2012 as the year of the great Healthcare Reform debate – Part 2. What we have today is really just the beginning of a long and winding investment in Healthcare Reform - Part 1. I think the question remains - have we tamed the cost beast with real legislation – or is it just legislation around the edges? Here's why I'm wondering.
- National Healthcare Expenditure – or NHE. Total agreement with Rick that costs are "out-of-control" because our NHE is really $3 trillion – this year. Actually, NHE for 2012 is probably closer to $2.7 trillion but there's this nagging bookkeeping accrual of about $300 billion where we (narrowly) avoided those darn pesky SGR cuts to Medicare. It's come to be known affectionately as "doc fix" – and we've kicked that can down the road for 9 consecutive years. Maybe we'll just write it off – and maybe we should – but it's actually on the books so we can't just ignore it – can we? That puts the real NHE at about $3 trillion for 2012 (+ about 4% for each year forward – as far as the eye can see). As one economist said – we don't have a debt problem in this country – we have a healthcare problem.
- Accountable Care Organizations - or ACO's. The current math is that ACO's (a key aspect of Obamacare) will accrue "just under $1 billion in savings" over the next three years. Our NHE is $3 trillion – per year. That $333 million per year savings is a fairly insignificant 0.01%. Savings aside, the CBO just announced the results of a 20 year study that negates much of the entire ACO and "bundling payment" premise. From a FierceHealthcare article referencing CBO's own blog post yesterday - "After two decades of trying to shift toward rewarding quality care, disease management and care coordination demonstrations and value-based payment demonstrations have not reduced Medicare spending. The report found that on average, the 34 disease management and care coordination programs designed to improve the quality of care for chronically ill Medicare patients barely affected hospital admissions. For almost every program, spending stayed the same or, after considering the fees paid to participating organizations, it rose." Whoopsy.
- Treatment Disparities. I'm in total agreement that these do exist, and I do agree that Obamacare is designed to address this issue, but I don't believe they will reduce our NHE – and certainly not by any significant amount. On the contrary, any impact on NHE in this category is likely to be negative – not positive. I think it's a reasonably safe assumption that any adjustments for "treatment disparities" are likely to mean more healthcare spending and benefits for the disparaged and not automatically a reduction in spending for the privileged.
- Insurance Rebates. Yes, Obamacare took the payers out to the woodshed. Medical Loss Ratios (or basically what the insurance companies pay out for actual healthcare services) will be mandated – but is this really going to dent our NHE? Here's an Insurance Industry (AHIP) chart from 2009 (pre-Obamacare) that shows the breakout of spending relative to payers and other healthcare expenses (inpatient, outpatient, Physician Services and drugs) :
- Value Based Purchasing. Again, from that just released CBO study over 20 years: "After two decades of trying to shift toward rewarding quality care, disease management and care coordination and value-based payment ... have not reduced Medicare spending."
- Hospital Readmissions. Tons of cycles being expended on this category too. No question that hospitals (and entrepreneurs) will be heavily focused on this "low hanging fruit" – it's already started in earnest. But how much is it relative to that $3 trillion? Here's the longer, more detailed definition of the clause:"The Program will begin in FY 2013 and will apply to payments for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2012. For FY 2013, the Secretary [HHS] shall select measures that cover at least the following five specific conditions or procedures: (1) acute myocardial infarction (AMI); (2) heart failure; (3) pneumonia; (4) surgeries; and (5) health care-associated infections. Beginning in FY 2014 and thereafter, the measures selected must include efficiency measures, including measures of Medicare spending per beneficiary. Such measures must be adjusted for factors such as age, sex, race, severity of illness, and other factors that the Secretary determines appropriate." Now, I forget the legal term for those big swinging barn doors at the end of that last sentence - but they look pretty wide open to me. Those "adjusted" factors are known in the industry as "avoidable" (hospital induced) versus unavoidable (patient induced) readmissions. The basic calculation then for payment on readmits is unavoidable (patient induced) OR more than 30 days after discharge. That's a fairly sizable distinction in terms of potential savings. I contend that it's a relatively small fraction of that original 30%. Why? Because hospital readmits for each of the above conditions are reasonably unavoidable with patients that:
* Are Older
* Are not always able to take care of themselves
* Will most likely have one or several other diseases
* Have trouble with memory, sight and mobility
* Are often aloneSo - Value Based Purchasing (by CBO's own estimate) and hospital readmissions (a small fraction of the 30%) will not likely have a big impact on $3 trillion. Not saying we shouldn't do these things as better healthcare practices - but making a big dent in $3 trillion? I'm just not seeing it.
- Electronic Health Records (EHR's). Here's another one guaranteed to deliver a huge financial windfall, right? In fact, the net effect of EHR implementation in 2012 – and likely through 2015 is more simply to begin the accounting side of care quality (not billing – that's long been the purview of Practice Management software – already in fairly wide distribution). As long as clinical records are paper-based – we can't apply analytics at scale for establishing quality metrics – across a nation. Moving to EHR's will allow analytics on an unprecedented scale – and for that – I'm a huge fan/supporter. In the short term (like the next 3-5 years) we're really just starting to make that technology investment. In the short term, the loss of productivity to small practices (where a large % of healthcare is delivered) as they move from paper to electronic is a really big hit. Really. Big. Hit. This isn't a simple case of moving from paper and pen to word processing. These electronic systems affect the entire provider-patient workflow. Ask any doctor or practice that has implemented an EHR system. The first year costs relative to lost productivity eclipse the software/hardware costs by a really wide margin. Secondly, the cost savings everyone highlights (duplication of lab tests and related procedures) is absolutely a worthwhile goal of moving to EHR's, but that can only happen when the health records are mobile and interoperable. Is there any precedent for this on a National Scale - in 5, 10, 20 years? At this very first stage of implementation (and through 2015) these EHR's are not necessarily connected or automatically part of any larger network (local, regional or national). No real gains here - for several (if not many) years. Do we need to do this. Yes. Are we hitting NHE yet? Not so much.
When you sum all this - our current healthcare system at a glance looks like this:
So, while I am in fact rooting for all of these efforts to succeed wildly, I'm just not seeing how they can deliver the really massive savings – you know – like ever. In hindsight, it's easy to see why. Obamacare is the sausage we got through the legislative grinder – but its legislation around the edges. It's not the real legislation. It's Legislation Crudités. As I've argued before, we have two major weapons in our battle of the healthcare bulge. Legislation and innovation – and we need a 1,000 cc's of both – mainlined to the heart of some really big, systemic problems - STAT! We have not fundamentally changed the really big elephant in the room. Here is that elephant:
- $3 trillion per year + 4% growth each year – as far as the eye can see. The Real NHE.
- A healthcare payment system that's reversed - high rewards to expensive procedures and specialties - not primary or preventative care
- Just bundling the payment (vs. individual transactions) may feel good but it doesn't reverse the focus (from expensive specialty care to preventative primary care)
- A Food industry that's backwards. Focused on speed and low cost - not health
- Schools gave up the Pepsi/Coke machine fight - cash strapped schools just added the revenue to their budgets
- Salad ingredients plus prep is way more expensive than any "value" meal at a fast food chain
- Primary Care Physician shortage - now, ongoing and no end in sight
- Sure retail clinics, Nurse Practitioners and others will pick up slack - but is that really the best healthcare choice - or by necessity?
- Adding about 30M newly insured to the healthcare system
- Aging population - about 10,000 people turn 65 - every day (for the next 15-20 years)
- Smoking - still the leading cause of preventable death AND - wait for it - still at 20%. I'm out of breath just reading that one.
This week, Phoenix played host to the iHT2 Health IT Summit & CMIO Forum. One of the panels was aptly titled "A Comprehensive Look at Healthcare Delivery Reform: From Accountable Care to Patient-Centered Medical Home and Beyond." At the end, I asked the four panelists this question. "Will Obamacare have a significant impact on NHE, the current payment system or the primary care physician shortage?" The one vendor (non-MD) hesitated – because he was pretty confident in technologies innate ability to tame this beastie. The three MD's didn't blink or hesitate. The straw poll was 3 no's and 1 vote of "vendorspeak." It just didn't instill a whole lot of confidence in the room.
So yes, I'm thrilled we've finally started actual implementation of Obamacare (call it Healthcare Reform - Part 1), but this is no time for a parade in the parking lot. We need to double down on both legislation AND innovation. Given the pending Supreme Court decision and the full election in November I really want to get to the Healthcare Reform Debate – Part 2. I think it deserves our collective and immediate attention.


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***A quick announcement before we talk about this week's theme...IT'S VOTING TIME! That's right. One more month of cooking with Giada...then we bring a guy into the kitchen. Who do you want to spend the next 6 months with? Rick Bayless...Bobby Flay...or Jamie Oliver. Those are your choices. I've got to say, I'm looking forward to spending time with whichever guy wins the vote...I enjoy them all! Check out the sidebar and place your vote. The poll will stay open for 2 weeks. Then we'll have 2 more weeks to gather books, recipes, websites in preparation for the winner!***
How 'bout you? Have you got the fever? Well, head into the kitchen with Giada and make something that represents SPRING to you! Be it the ingredients, the memories, the anticipation, Spring Break, you name it...what's your interpretation?
Make and post your Spring Fever! post by Sunday, February 6th. Don't forget to link your post of the week's with Mr. Linky below, so we can all enjoy your fabulous creation! Remember to leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.
Not sure what a permalink is? Check out our Welcome post.
If you missed the Potluck theme last week, be sure to head on over and see all of the delicious dishes everyone brought! Don't forget, we're cooking through the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis right now...so if you've linked up, be sure that you've used/adapted one of her recipes for your post!
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GIBSIDE, UK – The Brits are breeding Geep!
Half sheep, half goat. Yup. That is what farmer Ian Bramley thought when he discovered his ewe had just given birth to a hybrid.
While it sounds bizarre, the genetic fluke is officially known as a "geep".
"One of the boys told me the lamb had arrived," Mr. Bramley said.
"It was dark, and I went into the paddock looking for her mother and she had this little black and white bundle.
"We don't get black and white lambs, and as soon as I felt it I knew it didn't have wool, it had hair.
"I said its father must be a goat."
Proving to be more than just the black sheep of the family, the geep, named Oreo, was born to a sheep but is a genetic throwback from its father – a ram with goat genes.
Oreo and her mother, Floss, are among a menagerie of animals on loan to FallyFarm, a pre-school and long day care centre in Gibside, England, from nearby farms.
The ram's owner said he had been told it had goat genes "somewhere along its line" – sheep have 54 chromosomes, goats 60 – but in the genetic lottery Oreo came out fairly evenly split.
Oreo runs like a goat and has a goat's face and feet but a sheep's build.
What makes Oreo more remarkable is the embryo of a sheep-goat pairing generally dies in utero or is stillborn.
Fallyfoot supervisor Cindy Wilton said Oreo's remarkable birth took everyone by surprise.
"We jumped online to research it and discovered, while it is rare it can happen," she said.
"We had another sheep who had a lamb but Oreo was six weeks later and we learned goats' gestation is typically about six weeks longer than sheep."
Since this happened – five months ago – British geneticists have figured out how to breed geep and they are… "furiously breeding as many geep as possible."
"Brits have always led the way when it comes to goat and sheep and now… we want to rule the world when it comes to geep."
At least they have something…


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Thursday: Alien Occupation
Since I missed a Monday post with a movie clip I think I'll whip out a golden oldie for today's post.
This movie — especially this particular scene — still gets to me 37 years after it was first released. The 'chestburster' as scene is commonly known is the culmination of a body horror trope in Ridley Scott's science fiction epic, Alien. The horror arises from knowing something happened to the spacecraft Nostromo's executive officer Kane when a 'facehugger' leapt from a pod in an alien ship, eating through his space helmet, leaving him unresponsive as long as the facehugger remained attached to his face. There is a brief sense of relief once the facehugger detaches and Kane returns to consciousness and normal daily functions. But something isn't right as the subtle extra scrutiny of the science officer Ash foreshadows at the beginning of this scene.
Director Ridley Scott employed a different variant of body horror in his second contribution to the Alien franchise, this time by way of a xenomorph implanted in her mimicking pregnancy in scientist Shaw. She is sterile, and she knows whatever this is growing inside her must be removed and destroyed or it will kill both her and the remaining crew. The clip shared here and others available in YouTube actually don't convey the complete body horror — immediately before Shaw enters this AI-operated surgical pod she is thwarted by the pod's programming for a default male patient. In spite of her mounting panic and growing pain she must flail at the program to enter alternative commands which will remove the thing growing inside her.
I suspect the clips available in YouTube were uploaded by men, or they would understand how integral to Shaw's body horror is the inability to simply and quickly tell this surgical pod GET THIS FUCKING THING OUT OF ME RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.
I don't know if any man (by which I mean cis-man) can really understand this horror. Oh sure, men can realistically find themselves host to things like tapeworms and ticks and other creatures which they can have removed. But the horror of frustration, being occupied by something that isn't right, not normal, shouldn't continue, putting its host at mortal risk — and not being able to simply demand it should be removed, or expect resources to avoid its implantation and occupation in one's self? No. Cis-men do not know this terror.
Now imagine the dull background terror of young women in this country who must listen to white straight male legislators demand ridiculous and offensive hurdles before they will consider funding birth control to prevent sexual transmission of Zika, or fund abortions of Zika-infected fetuses which put their mothers at risk of maternal mortality while the fetuses may not be viable or result in deformed infants who'll live short painful lives. Imagine the horror experienced by 84 pregnant women in Florida alone who've tested positive for Zika and are now being monitored, who don't know the long-term outcomes for themselves or their infants should their fetuses be affected by the virus.
Body horror, daily, due to occupation not only by infectious agents alien to a woman's body, but occupation by patriarchy.
I expect to get pooh-poohed by men in comments to which I preemptively say fuck off. I've had a conversation this week about Zika risks with my 20-something daughter; she turned down an invitation this past week to vacation with friends in Miami. It's a realistic problem for her should she accidentally get pregnant before/during/immediately following her trip there.
We also talked about one of her college-age friend's experiences with Guillain–Barré syndrome. It's taken that young woman nearly three years to recover and resume normal function. She didn't acquire the syndrome from Zika, but Guillain–Barré's a risk with Zika infections. There's too little research yet about the magnitude of the risk — this vacation is not worth the gamble.
But imagine those who live there and can't take adequate precautions against exposure for economic reasons — imagine the low-level dread. Imagine, too, the employment decisions people are beginning to make should job offers pop up in areas with local Zika transmission.
What's it going to take to get through to legislators — their own experience of body horror? Movies depicting body horror don't seem to be enough.
Put these two stories together — the next question is, "Who at VW ordered the emissions cheat device from Bosch before 2008?"
- Bosch asked Volkswagen for indemnification in 2008 (Bloomberg)
- Volkswagen and Bosch met shortly after ICCT revealed discovery of emissions cheat device in 2014 (WSJ)
Pretty strong incentives for Volkswagen to destroy email evidence. I wonder what Bosch did with their emails?
Self-driving electric cars are incredibly close to full commercialization based on these two stories:
- Michigan's state senate bill seeks approval of driverless cars (ReadWrite) — Bill would change state's code to permit "the motor vehicle to be operated without any control or monitoring by a human operator." Hope a final version ensures human intervention as necessary by brakes and/or steering wheel. I wonder which manufacturer or association helped write this code revision?
- California now committed to dramatic changes in greenhouse gas emissions (Los Angeles Times) — State had already been on target to achieve serious reductions in emissions by 2020; the new law enacts an even steeper reduction by 2030 in order to slow climate change effects and improve air quality.
I don't know if I'm ready to see these on the road in Michigan. Hope the closed test track manufacturers are using here will offer realistic snow/sleet/ice experience; if self-driving cars can't navigate that, I don't want to be near them. And if Michigan legislators are ready to sign off on self-driving cars, I hope like hell the NHTSAA is way ahead of them — especially since emissions reductions laws like California's are banking heavily on self-driving electric cars.
- Google's parent Alphabet-ting on burritos from the sky (Bloomberg) — No. No. NO. Not chocolate, not doughnuts, not wine or beer, but Alphabet subsidiary Project Wing is testing drone delivery of Chipotle burritos to Virginia Tech students? Ugh. This has fail all over it. Watch out anyhow, pizza delivery persons, your jobs could be on the bubble if hot burritos by drone succeed.
- API company Apigee to join Google's fold (Fortune) — This is part of a big business model shift at Google. My guess is this acquisition was driven by antitrust suits, slowing Google account growth, and fallout from Oracle's suit against Google over Java APIs. Application programming interfaces (APIs) are discrete programming subroutines which, in a manner of speaking, act like glue between different programs, allowing programmers to obtain resources from one system for use in a different function without requiring the programmer to have more than passing understanding of the resource. An API producer would allow Google's other systems to access or be used by non-Google systems.
- Google to facilitate storage of Drive content at cloud service Box (PC World) — Here's where an API is necessary: a Google Drive user selects Box instead of Drive for storage, and the API routes the Drive documents to Box instead of Drive. Next: imagine other Google services, like YouTube-created/edited videos or Google Photo-edited images, allowing storage or use by other businesses outside of Google.
Longread: Digitalization and its panopticonic effect on society
Columbia's Edward Mendelson, Lionel Trilling Professor in Humanities and a contributor at PC Magazine, takes a non-technical look at the effect our ever-on, ever-observing, ever-connected technology has on us.
Catch you later!


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Hahahahahaha Justin Vacula explains why what Michael Shermer said about atheism as a guy thing was totally reasonable and ok and fine. He explains it in a comment on Jacques Rousseau's post accusing me of misrepresenting Shermer, hyperbole, and failure to read charitably.
Unfortunatly, the principle of charity is not something Ophelia (and her commenters) are considering. As you note, the most charitable interpretation of Shermer's observation — a statement of what he sees — is that men are quite active. Atheism is a 'guy thing,' I would say, like needlepoint is a 'girl thing.' This isn't to say men are being excluded from the 'needlepoint community' or that some inherent gender 'thing' makes men not attracted to needlepoint…and it is not to say that women aren't rational thinkers or whatever spin was put on Shermer's comment.
Isn't that great? Needlepoint is a girl thing, atheism is a guy thing. Nothing sexist about that! Nothing to see here folks, go on home, take your needlepoint with you.
As a semi-hardcore World of Warcraft player, I note, through my voice interactions with people in the game, that it is a 'guy thing' in the sense that it's mostly a game that, for whatever reason, attracts a male population. This does not mean designers or the playerbase is sexist or whatever, but is just how it is. Considering that, there are many women in my guild including one of the main tanks I raid with – a fantastic player.
Apparently Vacula is completely unaware of the many reports of vicious sexism in gaming, and just can't imagine why WoW attracts a male population. Just one of those quirky things – guys like World of Warcraft, women don't like being told "tits or GTFO" – isn't life mysterious and fascinating.
One of the reasons – only one – what Shermer said was so wrongheaded is the fact that it treats the current situation as something that just happened, randomly, somehow, probably because guys do guy things and women do women things. The reality is that the current situation happened partly because women kept being ignored. Women didn't get invited to speak at conferences, women didn't get talked to or about, women didn't get listened to. That situation is improving now, but it's just clueless to look around vaguely and say "hmm, not many women around," and conclude that that's because "it's a guy thing."
And another thing. "It's a guy thing" is usually not really purely descriptive. By the same token, "boys don't wear pink" is (at this time, in the culture I'm familiar with) also not purely descriptive. It's normative disguised as descriptive. It's gender policing put into passive-aggressive descriptive terms. So no, we're not being hyperbolic or uncharitable to object when men say "[A desirable activity or job] is a guy thing" as if they were just saying it's raining. If the game is rigged so that women are discouraged from playing it, then calling it a guy thing is not purely descriptive.