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The Mississippi River
Standing on the Bluff in Natchez, high above the Mississippi River, you can look to the right and imagine its mouth 1,300 miles to the north, or look to the left and envision those currents continuing another 250 miles to the south, where they empty into the Gulf of Mexico at the gateway to the rest of the world.
The story of the Mississippi River is one that starts long before recorded history and continues today, and anyone who's lived along the Mississippi will tell you: the river becomes a part of who you are, a part of your story.
The Reason Natchez Exists
The Mississippi River runs through every chapter of Natchez history and is the reason Natchez was founded: in a time before railroads, the Mississippi was the great highway of North America. The French who established Fort Rosalie in what is today Natchez understood that if they controlled access to the river, they would control the land along it, as well.
Without rail or highways, Natchez became married to the Mississippi River in a way few other cities have been. Because the city marked the southern end of the Natchez Trace — the 440-mile "road" from Natchez to Nashville — it was a prime stop for trappers, farmers and others seeking to sell their goods or load them onto riverboats for shipment to other ports. The first saw mill on the Mississippi was in Natchez, and in the 1830s, ocean-sailing vessels sailed the long, upriver journey to her inland port.
Building Wealth in Natchez
Of course, the Mississippi was already the lifeblood of the city's economy. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the river brought supplies from the North and allowed Natchez to grow rapidly and accommodate planters creating vast cotton plantations throughout the area.
The need to move that cotton efficiently led to a rapid increase in steamboat traffic after 1812. At a dollar a bale, a steamboat could earn $16,000 – $17,000 a week transporting cotton. It was a small fortune in a 5-month cotton season (to say nothing of what the planters made in sales!), but the local paper marked the historic arrival of the first steamboat with a nod to another treasure: for the first time, locals would have access to fresh oysters brought up from the Gulf Coast!
With that wealth (and those oysters) came risk. Early steamboats were made of wood. They sank from punctured hulls, and travelers like Mark Twain paid top dollar to avoid rooms above their explosion-prone boilers. The Mississippi River took a thousand boats and thousands of lives between 1816 and 1860. One explosion near Memphis took more lives than the sinking of the Titanic.
Today it's common to find the remnants of those long lost boats, sometimes in the mud of "cut banks" where the river sheers away land opposite a sandbar, sometimes five or more miles inland.
Music & the Mississippi: From the Blues to Jenny Lind
Of course, the Mississippi River helped build another kind of wealth, as well — one that enriches the entire world: the cultural treasures of blues, jazz, ragtime, folk, country bluegrass and the music of America's heartland.
Bands performed on many of the steamboats that carried passengers both northbound and southbound, and whether playing on the river or not, musicians made the Mississippi their musical highway, carrying constantly evolving styles and techniques from port to port.
But the Mississippi didn't just feed the roots of American music, it helped spread opera and classical music, as well, most notably as part of the touring route of the legendary "Swedish Nightingale" Jenny Lind.
In 1850, P.T. Barnum hyped the famous European singer to superstar status before bringing her to tour the United States — so much so that the first ticket to her first American concert sold at auction for an unprecedented $225, what would be more than $6,000 today!
After performing in New Orleans, Jenny Lind made her way up the Mississippi River in 1851. In Natchez, the toast of New York who sold out one concert hall after another performed in a small church. The next day, the Natchez Courier reported, "She opened her concert with 'I Know that My Redeemer Liveth,' and the audience wept from sheer rapture."
Natchez: A City on a Shifting State Line
Like the musical genres it helped create, the Mississippi River has always been and remains today a living thing, changing its course sometimes in just a day or two, and it still continually shifts today.
As a result, the state line between Mississippi and Louisiana — defined by the river's thalweg, the deepest continuous channel between its banks — is likewise always changing. In fact, recent disputes over rights to oil and land that technically shifts from state to state with the ever-moving river have gone as high as the U.S. Supreme Court.
In every other way, however, the Mississippi River is a constant, and the people of Natchez who grew up on her banks speak of a respect and love for Old Man River that has been with them all their lives.


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Welcome to this weeks edition of Five Things That Made Me Smile This Week. (click here to see part one and part two)
1. A stack of new books to read
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors,
and the most patient of teachers."
Charles William Eliot
I do so love a good story, especially a new one that pulls me right in. When I moved to Australia I had to leave behind 90% of my library and it absolutely gutted me. It's been so lovely to rebuild it again through library sales and a funny little bin that sits outside a nearby petrol station where books are available on donation basis. I've started a new tradition of beginning each morning with a cup of tea, a good book, and my journal. It does wonders for getting my day off to a fantastic start.
2. Heaps of duck eggs
Through the winter our chooks, ducks and geese cease laying. But once Spring arrives, they lay like mad! Each day I'm collecting bowls full of eggs and using every egg-centric recipe I can think of. (If you have a favorite egg-y recipe you're willing to share, please do!!) I'm especially excited about the duck eggs because they have such big yolks and are very rich and lovely in baking.
3. A pretty little plate
Bear and I like to have "a little something" with our evening cuppas, and when I found this plate at a thrift store this week, I knew she'd be perfect for holding small delectable morsels. It's such a cheery plate and makes me happy.
4. Cornflowers and hollyhocks
I was very sad this week to discover that a mystery animal had eaten every one of my cucumber and bean plants. Humbug. But my spirits were restored when my hollyhocks and cornflowers erupted in gorgeous blossoms. They are so beautiful and colorful and cheer my heart every single day.
5. Homemade ice cream
Queensland seems to have skipped Spring completely and launched headfirst into a piping hot summer so I've been guzzling iced herbal teas and making batch after batch of dairy-free, sugar-free ice creams. My favorite recipe right now is Strawberry Mint. I use good quality coconut milk (check the label to make sure it's actually coconut milk and not thickener with a bit of coconut milk thrown in for fun), ripe strawberries, real maple syrup, mint leaves, and mint extract and it is scrumptious. It freezes really hard so make sure to take it out about 10-15 minutes before you're ready to serve. It's so lovely to dig into a big bowl of strawberry mint ice cream while sitting on a shady, wind-swept veranda.
What things are making you smile this week? 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


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Plant methane emissions complicate global warming thinking
A study in the Tibetan plateau has shown that plants emit methane in the natural environment, shedding new light on their role in global warming.
A 2006 study in Germany suggested that although plants absorb carbon dioxide, they emit large amounts of methane, another greenhouse gas.
A team led by Zhao Xinquan, director of the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Xining, China, conducted field trials on two grass types and one shrub.
They found that the grasses emit methane while the shrub absorbs it. Both were influenced by seasonal variations, with the grass emitting methane most in summer and the shrubs absorbing most in winter.
Zhao's team estimate that the Tibetan Plateau meadows emit about 130,000 tonnes of methane every year.
However, Zhao says it is premature to speculate on the role of plant methane in global climate change, with further research needed to understand the basic biology of the process.


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How to Make the Most Comfortable Bed
"I like old things and figuring out how to make them work," says Pat King. "Then everyone pitches in." "Everyone" means her husband, Ike, four children, their spouses, three stepchildren, and eight grandchildren, all of whom live within 10 minutes of the couple in New Berlin, Ill. When Pat, a talented seamstress and resourceful do-it-yourselfer, and Ike, a farmer, purchased this century-old two-bedroom farmhouse four years ago, everyone in the family came over on weekends to help with the remodeling and refurbishing. Last year, two sons added a master bedroom and bath. Meanwhile, Pat never stops sewing, painting, restoring, and caring for a home that is truly a labor of love.
In the living room, Pat experimented with a golden oak wood stain on the rough stucco walls to give them the look of old plaster.
A Bittersweet Home


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Ahmadinejad and King Abdullah Talk War and Peace
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got some face time for the first time with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Saturday. The Mideast leaders discussed how to curb sectarian violence in the region, the Iraq war and Iran's developing nuclear program, among other weighty topics.
Al Jazeera:
The leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to fight the spread of sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shias in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Saudi's King Abdullah and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also discussed the war in Iraq in their first ever face-to-face meeting on Saturday.


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A full-size replica of the Tabernacle of Moses, an Old Testament-era house of worship, is on display at a private home in the La Cresta area of Murrieta.
Free guided and self-guided tours of the tabernacle, which was built according to the specifications described in the biblical book of Exodus, will be available from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
The address is 19435 Avenida Presa, Murrieta.
The project is sponsored by the Huntington Beach and Murrieta stakes of the Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Donald W. Parry, professor of Hebrew bible at Brigham Young University, and Andrew Ehat, a scholar and church historian, will be present each evening sharing presentations and leading tours.
Contact the writer: 951-368-9698 or email@example.com


text: We are leaving tomorrow for the lake with some friends. difficult child 2 and I are only staying the week-end because he has play practice and work. difficult child 1 is staying with them the WHOLE WEEK!! I can't wait. I (and difficult child 2) really need the break from him ....... and he needs the activity with people that are not his "friends".


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Through Sept. 15, shoppers at Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast stores will be asked to round up their purchases to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Contributions from Goodwill Easterseal's Round Up program usually go to support the missions of Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast, but this special Round Up collection will be sent to the Goodwills in the affected areas to help with operations and mission services. Many turn to Goodwill in time of need, and we want to ensure that our Goodwill family members affected by Harvey will have the resources they need to support their communities in the coming days and weeks.
Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast will be collecting and sending monetary contributions to help with relief efforts. Monetary contributions are more beneficial than donations of material goods, which are difficult to deliver to the affected areas. Contributions can be made at any of the 13 retail stores operated by Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast or by clicking the DONATE button on the right of this page. PLEASE type "For Harvey Relief" in the Comment box.


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Yesterday morning I was investigating this cool tool, BoxOver. It's a JavaScript routine for making the most wonderful popup boxes that appear over the contents of your web page.
In what was to become a classic "snooze and you lose" scenario I planned to return later that day to get the code.
Yeah! right. Like the planets were all in some sort of weird cosmic alignment on that one. By nightfall, the site was gone. Seems like the owner probably didn't pay their domain name registration and it expired – the very day I was planning to download their utility. So, the site is gone and because you could only download the tool from that site, I now can't have it.
I'm off to check the registration expiry dates on all my sites, this one, http-design, my namesake, helenbradley.com and my ecommerce site backgroundartz.com. It's a salutary lesson on the importance of making sure you pay your registration fees on time or there are squatters out there who will move in within seconds of the time expiring – there's no late fee payable, when you're over time, you're out.
If anyone knows where BoxOut can be downloaded from, I'd love to hear from you!
In the meantime – check your domain name expiry dates. Mark your calendars and pay up well in advance or the next person who loses years of good will could be you.
<rant ends>
UPDATE: BoxOver is back! Well, sort of.. read on..
Actually, on reflection, I think BoxOver never really left. You see, it comes and goes… it's there one time you visit and not the next. So, first off, snaffle a copy while you can… it's the neatest utility around – if it's there when you visit the site, grab it and don't think twice!
I think the site probably has a daily download limit and when it exceeds this it closes down and you get a funky portal view which is useless. The solution is to get up really early (or, my preference, stay up really late!) and snag it when a new day begins and the site is up.
Anyway, short answer is – it's there, you just have to be lucky and if you miss it once, try again later.


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The Falconry Experience
Falconry includes free-flight demonstrations, a simulated hunt demonstration, and an opportunity for these majestic birds of prey to land on your hand! The program is run by Master Falconer Jack Hubley.
Fun & Educational
April: Saturday & Sunday, & Friday, April 14
Closed Easter Sunday, April 16
May: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Daily May 29-September 4
No Falconry Program on Tuesdays.
September 9-December 31, Saturday & Sunday & Friday, November 24
Spring, Summer & Fall Falconry:
*Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork
Hawk Walk and Winter Falconry
By appointment only. Please contact Jack Hubley for dates and details at 717-575-0948


text: You all have been so helpful and supportive. Not knowing any of you (yet) I feel awkward in replying but then when I don't I feel like I've neglected you in some way. I hope you don't think I'm a jerk, I'm just scared of saying the wrong thing. I worked as a medic for years and behavioral emergencies were a part of my job but you know, this is NOTHING like what I was trained to work with. They don't teach you how to work with your own. You can't be taught the anguish and heartache. And when you throw in the fact that they're still just a kid - well - I'm having a really hard time. I'm here a LOT. Lurking and reading. My heart breaks for each and every one of you. I too wish none of us had to be here, but like everyone else says, I'm glad we have a place to go. Thanks again for helping me and my family.


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There are no products listed under this category.
We recognize the power of expression and the human desire to be inspired. These characteristics are found in both our employees and our customers. Maison XXIV has become our channel of sharing what excites us and what we find impactful. At Maison XXIV, we truly, madly, deeply care about design. We relish in the beauty of a lovingly curated interior, and the discovery of gorgeous gifts to delight those dear to us. We feel that surroundings created with joy and meaning bring harmony, balance and happiness to our everyday lives, and strive to showcase products that will achieve this philosophy. Designing a home that expresses our unique sense of self shouldn't be a luxury, but a necessity.
At Maison XXIV, we want more than to make your house a home. We're here to help you create an inspired, original haven - as treasured and distinct as you.
There are no products listed under this category.


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Wikimedia Ukraine
Wikimedia Ukraine is a regional chapter of Wikimedia Foundation in Ukraine. The Chapter was created on May 31, 2009. On this day the First Annual Meeting was held and the Board was elected.
On July 3, 2009 WMF approved Wikimedia Ukraine as its regional chapter.
On July 13, 2009 Wikimedia Ukraine got certificate about registration of organization from Ministry of Justice.
For details see wikipedia:uk:Вікімедіа Україна.
The Board, elected by AGM on December, 27, 2015:
- Yury Bulka
- Ilya Korniiko (chair)
- Pavlo Lakiichuk (secretary)
- Pavlo Sokhan
- Nataliia Tymkiv (treasurer)
- Oleh Yatsozhynskyi
- Olena Zakharian
Web Site
- ua.wikimedia.org (interwiki prefix :wmua:)
Contact information


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Negotiations over Iran's nuclear program have wrapped up in Baghdad. There was no agreement, but one wasn't expected and both sides agreed that talks will continue. The broad outlines of a deal are fairly well known and include: Iran coming completely clean about its nuclear activities; the cessation of enrichment to 20 per cent and the removal from Iran of its stockpile of such material; the safeguarding within Iran of its uranium enriched to lower levels; stringent safeguards on all Iranian nuclear activity; and, in return, the removal of the sanctions on Iran, both those in place and those pending.
Another key question is the timelines. For the Iranians, the desired outcome is a speedy removal of the sanctions in return for as little in the way of concessions on their nuclear program as possible beyond vague promises of future action. For the international community, the desired outcome is speedy and certain action on Iran's part, followed by the phased removal of the sanctions as Iran's promises are seen to be kept.
Expect some hard negotiations over the interplay of these objectives and timelines, and not just between Iran and its partners, but also among the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany) and with Israel. We are, then, talking about a process whereby a series of reciprocal concessions and gestures will be made on these various issues over time. Thus, there is a need to keep in mind some overriding principles that should guide how we assess the discussions.
First, Iran has the right to a peaceful nuclear program (including enrichment), but the international community has the right to insist that the program actually be peaceful, transparent and verified. This is often forgotten on the U.S. and Israeli side by those who insist that the negotiations should strip Iran of all nuclear capacity and, on the Iranian side, by those who insist that Iran has unlimited nuclear rights.
Second, this is about the nuclear issue only. Sanctions legislation in the U.S. Congress has gone beyond the nuclear problem to insist that Iran undertake profound domestic political changes before the sanctions are lifted. This position makes a nuclear deal impossible. If the Iranian regime has to give up its hold on power, there will be no deal. Broader goals concerning reform in Iran can still be pursued, but the international community cannot mix up the need for a resolution of the nuclear file with longer-term goals concerning democratization and human rights in that country. This is the approach the West took with respect to arms control with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Third, all life contains some element of risk. Let's admit it from the outset: There can be no perfect verification provisions. Some scope for small-scale cheating will remain. The first key to dealing with this is to create a verification regime that makes the likelihood of detection sufficiently great that Iran thinks twice before risking it. The second key is to make sure that even if small-scale cheating does happen, it cannot get anywhere near giving Iran a usable weapons option before it is detected. This is the verification standard against which a deal should be judged, not some abstract notion of perfection. Those who will oppose the deal will argue for perfection, but don't be fooled; they will be using this argument as an excuse to trash a deal they oppose anyway.
Fourth, given Iran's disgusting rhetoric, the Israelis have a right to be worried and to have their concerns taken into account. But they don't have a veto. The Israelis have insisted that this problem is one that faces the entire international community. Fine, but that means the international community's standards of an acceptable deal take precedence. If the Israelis don't like the deal that emerges (if one does), they have the option of taking unilateral action – and facing all of the consequences that will entail in terms of U.S., Iranian and other international reactions. But they cannot insist that the international community take this problem up and then argue that only Israel's desired outcome is acceptable. Whatever deal is reached, the Israeli right wing will howl that it's not good enough, and will expect a handsome payout in terms of additional military aid ("to ensure Israel's security") and other considerations – but they do not have a veto. Interestingly, some signs have begun to emerge from Israel of possible flexibility, including a recent statement by Defence Minister Ehud Barak that some low-grade enrichment activity in Iran may be acceptable to Israel under strict safeguards.
These talks are only just beginning. But at least they have begun.
Peter Jones is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.Report Typo/Error
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Urban areas are expected to continue their rapid growth in the twenty-first century. Globally, cities are major sources of greenhouse gases emissions and their high population densities make them potential focal points of vulnerability to global environmental change. Moreover, their reach, in terms of flows of materials and resources, extends far outside their borders. Evidently, it is no longer tenable to consider urban systems to be static artefacts constructed in a stable environment, nor continue to divorce them from the global context that influences many of the climatic and socio-economic changes within cities. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the future climatic and socio-economic conditions poses significant challenges for planners. A framework is proposed for analysing urban systems with evidence-based tools over extended time scales. This forms the basis of a manifesto for future challenges and research directions for this critical subject area, which ultimately will help engineers and urban planners to better understand the areas for which they are responsible and to develop adaptation strategies that can tackle the challenges posed by long-term global change and lead to more sustainable cities.
1. Cities on the front line
Urbanization is one of the most powerful and visible anthropogenic forces on Earth. The twentieth century has seen humans migrate from being rural to urban species. Cities occupy less than 3% of the Earth's land surface (Balk et al. 2005) but house over 50% of the world's population, a figure that was only 14% in 1900 (Douglas 1994) and is estimated to be 60% by 2030 (UN 2004a). The rate of growth in developing countries is still faster (UN 2004b).
Cities are remarkable in that they are manifestations of coupled cultural and technological systems but also potential hot spots of climate vulnerability due to the high concentration of people and infrastructure. These are real and urgent problems: the European heat wave of 2003 resulted in 35 000 deaths primarily in urban areas (Fink et al. 2004), and floods in Europe in 2002, 2005 and 2006 have led to the loss of hundreds of lives and cost billions of pounds, while annual damages associated with these and other climatological events are rising (Mileti 1999).
However, the influence of urbanization extends far beyond the palpable terraforming that occurs within urban boundaries. Resources consumed by city dwellers result in land-use changes and resource movements between other rural and urban areas that extend far beyond the physical or political urban boundaries. Urban activities release greenhouse gases (GHGs) that drive global climate change directly (e.g. petrol-based transport) and indirectly (e.g. electricity use and consumption of industrial and agricultural products). As much as 80% of global GHG emissions are estimated to be attributable to urban areas (MunichRe 2004).
Conversely, cities therefore represent concentrated opportunities for adaptation to climate impacts and mitigation of GHG emissions. However, this involves complex interactions of citizens, governmental/non-governmental organizations and businesses. This complexity can inhibit the development of integrated strategies (which may involve transportation demand management, land-use planning and construction of new civil infrastructure) whose combined effect is more beneficial than the achievements of any single agency or organization acting unilaterally.
While the role of policy-makers and scientists in addressing these challenges is not underestimated, it is engineers who will be at the forefront of delivering adaptation technologies and strategies. Nowhere is this more relevant than in cities where they have a pivotal role to play in contributing to the urgent challenge of reducing GHG emissions and adapting our built environment and infrastructure systems to be resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Following this introduction, this paper provides an overview of the challenges posed to cities by climate change, before considering the difficulties of designing adaptation strategies for cities under uncertain future conditions. A framework is proposed for addressing urban-scale analysis of climate impacts which forms the basis of a manifesto for future challenges and research directions.
2. Climate change and cities
Globally, climate change is expected to lead to an increase in mean sea level and changes in frequency, intensity and spatial patterns of temperature, precipitation and other meteorological phenomena, such as wind and cloud cover (IPCC 2007a). The type of impacts, their directionality and magnitude will differ for each city, but some key impacts are identified (DoH 2001; Nicholls 2002; Sanders & Phillipson 2003; Dawson et al. 2006; Wilby & Perry 2006; IPCC 2007b).
Sea-level rise will increase the risk of storm-surge flooding and rates of coastal erosion thereby threatening beaches, coastal settlements and wetlands. Raised sea levels can also lead to saline intrusion into freshwater aquifers and impeded drainage of extreme flows in urban drainage systems and rivers.
Flood risk will be altered by changes in precipitation patterns. For the majority of cities, the number of intense precipitation events is expected to increase and place additional strain on fluvial and urban flood systems, leading to increased disruption for businesses and inhabitants.
Buildings and infrastructure are likely to experience increased damage from more frequent and intense windstorms and other extreme weather. Groundwater movement and changes to temperature and precipitation patterns are likely to lead to increased incidence of damage from subsidence, heave and landslides. Transport networks are likely to experience increased disruption from more frequent extreme weather events, while temperature rises will reduce passenger comfort and increase damage to infrastructure (e.g. buckled rails) but reduce cold-related disruption. Solar and wind energy systems may benefit from increased solar radiation and windiness, but increased temperature runs the risk of the energy distribution network overheating. Increased temperature, coupled with water shortages (for cooling), and increased demand for air conditioning could strain energy generation in heatwaves.
Droughts are expected to increase in frequency over many areas, with implications for water resources in terms of both quality (and concomitant implications for health and aquatic ecosystems) and availability for human consumption, industry and neighbouring agricultural areas.
Health effects are likely to see reduced cold-related deaths, but more heat-stress deaths. Higher UV exposure (from reduced cloud cover) will lead to increased incidences of cataracts and skin cancer, while higher temperatures and more still days encourage photochemical smog and ozone. Warming and reduced water quality have potential to facilitate migration and establishment of vector and water-borne diseases in new regions and increase incidences of food poisoning. More frequent extreme weather is likely to increase incidences of weather-related injury and loss of life.
Business and the urban economy are likely to be affected by lifestyle changes of city inhabitants and tourists (e.g. warmer climate may lead to more outside activity). Consumer demand and behaviour may change, affecting industries that may also need to alter their operating procedures (e.g. warmer winters provide better conditions for construction). The insurance industry will experience increased exposure to weather-related risks.
Biodiversity and urban ecology will be influenced by changes in the temperature and precipitation regime, resulting in exotic species (including pathogens and pests) establishing themselves in new areas. Furthermore, the phenology (e.g. flowering period, migration patterns) of plants and animals will change. Sea-level rise will squeeze intertidal habitats and salt marshes.
Resources outside the urban boundary will be increasingly stressed by water shortages, wildfire, wind damage to crops and increased ocean temperature changing fish stock abundance. Waste management has implications in terms of GHG emissions generated (e.g. from landfills, processing and transportation), energy generation and more generally in the context of sustainability and resource use. Many of these are likely to be affected by climate change.
Many impacts can be further aggravated through systemic interactions with the built environment and socio-economic pressures (e.g. warmer weather placing further demand on personal and agricultural water resources). Likewise, the interconnectivity of infrastructure systems can lead to cascading failures when subjected to extreme weather events, for example inundation of water treatment works or power stations can cause disruption disproportionate to the extent of the flood.
(a) Systemic climate–city interactions
Urban areas interact with local climatic conditions, frequently amplifying their impacts. It has been recognized for many years that urban areas generate heat islands (Howard 1818). These are caused by the storage of solar energy in the urban fabric during the day and release of this energy into the atmosphere at night: the process of urbanization replaces the cooling effect of vegetated surfaces by imperviously engineered surfaces with different thermal properties (Oke 1982). Furthermore, anthropogenic sources (e.g. central heating systems, air conditioning, transport, industrial processes) emit heat directly into the urban area, while buildings and infrastructure increase surface roughness that can reduce wind speeds, convective heat loss and evapotranspiration.
Warm, still days reduce air quality because high temperatures and ultraviolet light stimulate the production of photochemical smog, ozone and other compounds from traffic and industrial emissions and plants (Kovats et al. 1999; DoH 2001).
High-density cities use significantly less energy per capita on private transport (Newman & Kenworthy 1999), but generate more intense urban heat islands and aggravate other issues, such as flooding and subsidence. Furthermore, densification of cities can lead to a loss in quality of life for many residents (Heath 2001).
At different scales, different components of the urban system become important: building materials have different thermal properties and subsequent implications for the heat island and roofs can influence airflow locally while the configuration of buildings and infrastructure within the wider urban area has implications for other impacts, such as wind and heat fluxes (Blankenstein & Kuttler 2004), flood risk (Dawson & Hall 2006) and (waste) water management (Buxton 2006).
(b) Vulnerability
A high concentration of population and buildings does not necessarily imply significant climate impacts as vulnerability is also a function of social, economic and political processes (Adger & Vincent 2005; Allenby & Fink 2005). This includes factors such as the cities' economy, population demography, institutional stability and corruption, global interconnectivity, dependence on natural resources and public infrastructure. Measures to reduce vulnerability might include the diversification of ecological and economic systems and building inclusive governance structures—essentially taking a portfolio approach to minimizing risks across society in the broadest sense.
(c) The urban footprint
The majority of settlements are not isolated and interact strongly with neighbouring areas, and increasingly the rest of the world. This interaction occurs through a complex network of flows of energy, transport, materials, food, waste and water. Factors such as increasing global population or increased demand for resources to accommodate lifestyle changes have changed, and will continue to change, these flows (Pugh 1996). For example, demand for meat in Mexico City in the mid-twentieth century led to deforestation to provide cattle grazing areas 400 km away (Barkin & Zavala 1978). In addition, raw materials, design, production and selling of manufactured goods increasingly occur in multiple locations, leading to increased transportation emissions and displacement of industrial emissions from the end-user of the product. And efforts to reduce GHG emissions have seen food crops replaced by more profitable biofuels in agricultural areas (Cassman 2007). Many of these flows, particularly those related to agriculture, are susceptible to climate impacts, such as land degradation, salinization of aquifers, soil erosion and changed crop yields (although yields could be increased in many areas). Industries (including energy generation) are also vulnerable to water shortages and other climate hazards.
3. Adaptation to global change
(a) Adaptation versus mitigation
Responses to climate change in cities are aimed at reducing net GHG emissions (mitigation), and at the impact of climate change through adjustments to social, natural or built systems (adaptation). Benefits of mitigation in terms of climate impacts reduction tend to be experienced globally over longer time scales (although local improvements in air quality are observed in shorter time scales). Adaptation tends to provide regional and local reductions to climate impacts while also reducing vulnerability to natural variability in weather (figure 1).
Adaptation and mitigation can be implemented at a wide range of scales. Households may mitigate through installation of energy-efficient devices or adapt through floodproofing, while nationally carbon taxes and building codes seek to achieve similar effects on a larger scale. Other actors such as the insurance and finance industries can influence planning policy by exacting higher insurance premiums or withdrawing financial support altogether where risks are considered too high. Arguably, it is at the scale of cities and regions where mitigation efforts have been most effective in terms of implementing practical strategies and lobbying governments for legislation (Kousky & Schneider 2003).
Adaptation is not a new activity, humans have always been adapting to their environment, often unintentionally. If poorly managed, or not considered at a broad scale and with a view to long-term consequences, climate change can induce energy-intensive maladaptations, such as air conditioning, pumped drainage or desalination. These energy-intensive adaptations can undermine efforts aimed at mitigating GHG emissions. Moreover, failure to consider a range of possible impacts over extended time scales can lead to undesirable 'lock-in' to specific adaptation options (Brewer & Stern 2005). For example, construction of flood defence infrastructure can lead to intensive flood plain development that subsequently ties flood plain managers to further flood defence infrastructure (Kates 1971) as alternatives such as managed retreat become prohibitively expensive.
Many of the adaptation technologies, and methods used to appraise their effectiveness, have evolved from the management of extreme events. However, there are important distinctions between adapting to climate change and managing extreme events. The climate is now very different from the conditions under which most cities were founded and is changing at a previously unanticipated rate. Development and planning has previously assumed a stationary climate, a position which is no longer tenable. Furthermore, climate change transcends multiple disciplines and persists over long time scales—existing tools are not always well suited to this type of analysis. However, our improved scientific understanding, modelling and monitoring capabilities now provide the opportunity for developing evidence-based tools to support the planning and implementation of adaptation strategies.
(b) Adaptation under uncertain future conditions
Uncertainty analysis involves the systematic identification and quantification of the sources of uncertainty and their potential implications in order to understand how predictions of interest to a decision-maker may vary under plausible variations in the assumptions made in an analysis. The size and influence of cities are in continual flux, driven by climate change and many other factors (Turchin 2003). This adds further difficulties to appraising adaptation options as they are inevitably subjected to both climatic and socio-economic uncertainties.
Probabilistic analysis has long been established in engineering decision-making. The climate science community is moving in the direction of probabilistic scenarios to quantify future uncertainties (usually conditional on a particular GHG emissions trajectory). Although Hall et al. (2007) warn against reducing climate variables to single distributions in instances that clearly misrepresent scientific disagreement, they also propose the use of imprecise probability distributions that avoid decision-makers identifying apparently optimal adaptation decisions through naive idealization of the uncertainties. Sensitivity analysis (Saltelli et al. 2000) extends traditional probabilistic analysis by apportioning the contribution that model input variables, acting independently or in combination, make to the uncertainty in output quantities of interest. Sensitivity analysis therefore provides a rational justification for investment in data collection or further studies.
Methods for dealing with socio-economic scenarios vary more widely and tend to be more discursive. Effective urban management requires combined use of climate change and socio-economic scenarios. Inevitably, it is not possible to predict all future effects of an adaptation strategy (Collingridge 1980), but a robust system will perform reasonably well even in situations which depart considerably from expectations. One quantitative theory of robustness is info-gap analysis (Ben-Haim 2001), which can be used to identify how the performance of different adaptation strategies deviates as conditions depart increasingly from expectations. However, there may be a trade-off between efficiency under assumed conditions and robustness.
Once decision-makers have taken reasonable measures to understand the implications of key uncertainties, and reduce them where it is feasible to do so, they should be able to proceed with making choices that are as far as possible robust to uncertainties. Exploring the variable space (and its subsequent impact on decisions) as broadly as possible provides an alternative to—or can be used to complement—conventional cost–benefit analyses (Lempert et al. 2003) for ranking alternative adaptation strategies and a basis for constructing robust portfolios of climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
(c) Design of adaptation strategies
Evans et al. (2004) identified 86 adaptation options in flood risk management alone; consideration of all possible adaptation options is impractical in this brief paper. However, it is possible to identify some generic modes of adaptation, which include engineering infrastructure (e.g. reservoir construction), increasing the resilience of natural systems (e.g. restoration of salt marshes), reducing impacts in the built environment (e.g. land-use planning, building codes), reducing vulnerability (e.g. education programmes, governance), risk transference (e.g. insurance), monitoring (e.g. remote sensing) and emergency management (e.g. warning systems, evacuation planning). Desirable features of an adaptation strategy therefore include the following.
Taking a broad definition of the urban system. Adaptation may have an impact on any part of the urban environment, and adaptation strategies should be considered in the context of the physical processes, human-built infrastructure, economic, social and environmental systems that are impacted on, and/or influence climate change processes. Opportunities for adaptation should not be constrained to the geographical or administrative boundary of the city. For example, upstream catchment storage can reduce the probability of flooding within the city boundaries.
Continuous management. The urban system is dynamic. As such, urban policy-makers need to engage in a constant 'dialogue' with the system, collecting information about its behaviour and, in parallel, responding to this monitoring by taking appropriate intervention actions. Designing for specific 'events' should be replaced by consideration of the performance of the urban system over a full range of behaviours, future outcomes and management strategies. To enhance the robustness of an adaptation strategy, it is necessary to ensure that any negative effects are detected as early as possible and the adaptation strategy remains controllable. This requires regular monitoring, reducing the costs of negative impacts and the response time to correcting them, avoiding lock-in through use of flexible responses and employing a diverse range of options.
Tiered analysis and iterative planning and decision-making. Adaptation to climate change within cities cascades from high-level policy decisions (e.g. planning policy), based on coarse broad-scale analyses, to individual designs and projects, which require more detailed analysis. High-level policy and plans provide the framework and common understanding within which more detailed actions are implemented. Adaptation should be timed to coincide with natural planning points where it is possible (e.g. scheduled refurbishing or new developments) to minimize costs.
Developing portfolios of options. A portfolio approach seeking to manage multiple climate impacts across the urban system, by combining adaptation options from the range of modes identified previously, will be most effective. Wherever feasible win–win (i.e. benefits across multiple sectors) or no-regret approaches should be sought, although there will frequently be tensions and competing objectives. Development of integrated portfolios requires coordinating the activities of more than one organization and multiple stakeholders.
The political and administrative contexts. Managing climate change impacts at a city scale will remain an abstract concept unless placed within the current policy and administrative contexts. This involves using existing policy instruments and actively identifying opportunities to influence policy change. It may involve reacting opportunistically to policy, administrative or regulatory reviews and changes that are initiated for non-climate-related reasons.
4. Towards integrated urban analysis
Clearly, on the scale of cities it is meaningful to think about climate impacts, adaptation, mitigation and sustainability in the same quantified assessment framework. Moreover, cities can hardly be divorced from their regional and global contexts. Analysing urban systems with evidence-based assessment tools can help cities escape from the vicious circle of increasing climate impacts and emissions. Evidently, an integrated assessment of urban areas (figure 2) should involve:
quantitative evaluation of a wide range of climate impacts, GHG emissions and other resource flows;
framing city scenarios and impacts analyses within the context of global climate and socio-economic change;
analysis over the extended temporal and spatial scales that are relevant to urban policy-makers addressing the challenges posed by climate change;
capturing the interactions and feedbacks between economy, land use, climate impacts, GHG emissions, resource flows and broader issues of sustainability;
analysis of both adaptation and mitigation options that can be implemented at a range of scales (e.g. from buildings through to national planning policy);
facilitating the construction of multi-sector portfolios of management options and testing their robustness under a wide range of possible future outcomes; and
use of appropriate visualization and stakeholder participation methods to ensure effective communication of information between policy-makers, scientists and members of the public.
Realization of the facility envisioned in figure 2 is not a small task. There has been substantial research in many of the areas considered previously, but significantly less from an integrated perspective. Some key challenges are now considered.
Climate impacts analysis in urban areas will require the development of weather generators of increased resolution in space and time, capturing both variability and spatial correlation between different types of weather for analysis of multiple climate impacts. This is naturally extended to analyse cascading failure of infrastructure (and other) components in the urban system. Notably, this analysis should consider implications of changes to the energy supply system such as increased deployment of decentralized and renewable energies, in the context of its robustness and reliability under changing climatic conditions. Remotely sensed data should be used to facilitate automation of model parametrization (e.g. identification of roads and embankments). Furthermore, some impacts may require the development of new modelling paradigms. For example, modelling of urban drainage and air quality at a broad scale involves computationally expensive simulation of interactions between flow and local features. If these types of models are to be included in risk and uncertainty analyses at an urban scale other than for testing a limited set of simulations, development of emulators (see Mayer et al. 2000), statistical methods or alternative modelling approaches may be necessary. An important consideration, in these cases, is whether urban-scale modelling provides benefits in proportion to the limitations imposed by the additional computational expense.
Improved understanding of urban function and dynamics, particularly the multifunctional aspects and relationship with external regions and drivers, will require better understanding of how global and national drivers (e.g. economic, social, technological, climatic change) influence urban change and vice versa. Wider interactions and feedbacks that deserve further consideration include: (i) interactions within the urban area between land use, travel patterns, public and private transport infrastructure and employment and population demography, (ii) the impacts of natural and man-made hazards, climate changes and feedbacks from adaptation and mitigation strategies, and (iii) the interaction between urban areas and changes outside their borders.
Analysis of sustainability requires identification and monitoring of appropriate metrics. These should incorporate, among others, measures such as social justice, environmental issues, liveability and robustness. This should build on existing work on analysing the urban footprint (see BFF 2002) to improve accounting of embedded energy in materials and resources that have been manufactured and processed outside the urban boundary and to better understand the relationship between waste handling, recycling, processing, landfill processes and emissions. It is important not to focus on a single metric (e.g. CO2 emissions) as this may lead to unforeseen increases in other environmental impacts.
Integrating technologies are required to assist in the coupling of databases and models. Currently, this requires the 'patching' together of models in a bespoke manner which is a barrier to a longer term aim of more routine integrated urban assessment. Not least among the challenges are the software issues of integration and the commercial issues associated with modularity and standardization. Furthermore, it is necessary to design integrated modelling frameworks that are useful for constructing sets of simulations and outputs for uncertainty analysis. To address the range of scales at which urban systems are managed and that physical processes manifest themselves demands a tiered and nested approach to modelling which integrates a range of low- through high-complexity models operating at a range of spatial and temporal scales.
Decision-support and visualization. Effective decision-making relies upon the engagement of stakeholders, of which there are many in urban areas. New tools for visualization are providing a common platform for communication and negotiation. For example, a virtual reality 'decision-theatre' is being pioneered in Phoenix (USA) to support stakeholder engagement and evidence-based decision-making (DCDC 2006). Research is needed in order to develop appropriate tools to support long-term decision-making for a range of stakeholders that also communicate climate impacts, uncertainties, sustainability measures and the wider interactions of a city. These tools and methods must be able to assimilate large quantities of evidence from a wide range of sources.
A long-term urban research programme. A multitude of organizations collect vast amounts of data at varying frequencies and resolutions for a diverse set of economic, social, physical and environmental attributes of urban systems. Data quality is improving as remote sensing and other monitoring techniques are becoming more accurate and densely deployed. Ecological research in the USA has benefited from structured, place-based research programmes (Grimm et al. 2000). A similar programme focusing on climate and socio-economic change in the urban context could provide an unparalleled data repository and resource for urban research.
5. Conclusions
Cities are major drivers of both global climate change and hot spots of potential impacts to climate-related hazards. It is no longer tenable to consider urban systems to be static artefacts constructed in a stable environment. The environment within which urban systems are constructed is changing for a variety of reasons, including long-term climate and socio-economic changes. Management of cities therefore becomes a process of dynamic control under conditions of uncertainty, and to paraphrase Charles Darwin: it is not the strongest of the cities that will survive, but rather the ones most responsive to change.
Cities can most effectively respond to climate change while meeting their sustainability objectives, through integrated analysis of social, economic and environmental factors to support the assembly of portfolios of adaptation measures—a framework for which has been proposed here. These portfolios will include conventional engineering approaches as well as other measures such as planning and financial instruments. Despite significant advances in both integrated assessment tools and climate impacts analysis, challenges remain before this can become routine. However, development of this new capacity for integrated assessment of cities over an extended time scale will help city planners and decision-makers develop and implement better plans and strategies to adapt to global changes in urban areas. This will lead to more sustainable and efficient cities.
R.D. is funded by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Cities Programme.
One contribution of 20 to a Triennial Issue 'Chemistry and engineering'.
- © 2007 The Royal Society


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At Greenport Harbor, Long Island New York on Monday morning 15 September 2014, the operator of a 37 foot high speed boat, referred to as a cigarette boat, with six on board lost control of the boat at full throttle. All six men were ejected. None were wearing life jackets.
The boat began to circle "like a missile on the water" per rescuers. The boat was wildly circling at about 20 miles per hour in the Circle of Death.
Patrick O'Halloran, off duty Coast Guard, took a boat out to the men bobbing in the water. His family members helped pull them in using a fishing net.
Garret Moore of SeaTow rode out to the accident with Bill Barker, also of SeaTow. They talked about trying to throw a line in the water to snag the propeller and slow the boat. When they arrived at the spinning vessel, one of its engines had stopped. They discussed the possibility of Garret jumping into the boat and decided to try that approach. Garret Moore was successful and brought the circling boat under control.
Of the six men on the cigarette boat, one injured some ribs, and all six had symptoms of hypothermia. They were treated and released at the scene.
No charges were filed in the accident. Read More→


text: 1 Battlefield 3 Hardcore October 26, 2011 by Shotty729 Really simple question... does Battlefield 3 have a hardcore mode for multiplayer? Read more > Retrieved from "http://battlefield.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Shotty729" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected.


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Yesterday I Interviewed Dallas Hartwig (one half of the Whole30 duo) – buy their book here!
During the interview, Dallas told me about the concept of The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz.
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don't take anything personally.
3. Don't make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.
Pretty good advice, don't you think?
P.S. Dallas also mentioned this old polish proverb: Not my circus, not my monkeys! LOVE THIS and here's an explanation of its meaning if you don't immediately get it!


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Download Program in PDF - Cannes 2015
REVIEW: 12th ESCD Annual Meeting – Cannes 2015
The Meeting in Cannes it was a great success! Scientific as well as for the participants. We have had Delegates from 39 different Countries of Europe all over the world! Also a large delegation from China. Thank you to all the Country Chairpersons that, working so hard, did a fantastic job!


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The key to upleveling your Airbnb profit, freedom and success? Your turnover assistant! I'll show you how to find, hire, train, manage and keep yours.
6 Easy Ways to Authentically Market Your Airbnb on Instagram
Today, I've got a special treat for you. Short Term Stays blogger and social media manager Snezana Krdzic wrote a guest post for The Abundant Host on how to market your Airbnb from an Instagram account.
This is actually the very first guest post I've accepted for The Abundant Host; I normally don't accept them on the reg, but I thought the timing of this particular pitch was too perfect, because… LOOK!
I finally got on the Instagram wagon!
Follow me on Instagram for listing design tips, welcome kit ideas, personal styling tips (often from my very own listing!) and more visual goodies.
And read on for some simple, unique ways to market your listing on Instagram. Of course, I'll be adding in my own two (or three, or fifteen…) cents as they come. Take it away, Short Term Stays!
Hello, fellow Abundant Hosts! We've seen plenty of Instagram profiles trying to market their Airbnb, but often these profiles all start to look the same. You can see what kind of rooms their unit has to offer, but once they are done uploading photos of their home design and space, the marketing and engagement seems to stop there.
We see no reason why you should let this happen to your Airbnb Instagram page! In fact, if you really want to corner this market, learn to be more than just a one-trick pony and take advantage of one of the most prosperous social media platforms.
Instagram marketing works for almost any niche, and it can have powerful benefits for your rental home, room or apartment. We use our Instagram to market our services and help hosts improve their service, develop their business and stay on the right path—and that's the path of hospitality.
Now, there are several things you as an Airbnb owner can do to showcase your Airbnb, engage others in following you and motivate them to keep checking your Instagram for more exciting content.
1. Give Your Followers a Virtual Tour
Let's start from the very beginning. You have to focus on uploading high-quality photos of your rooms. You don't need a professional photographer to do this. If you really aren't good with a camera, watch a few Youtube tutorials on how to achieve the best angle when taking photos of your home, and try experimenting on your own.
Sure, they can see your unit on the Airbnb website, but not everyone is scouring listings 24/7. So, don't be shy and start taking photos. Make sure you don't miss any of the rooms you have. If you upload shots of your entire Airbnb and leave out the bathroom or the kitchen, guests might think you have something to hide. Show them that you don't and have all of your cards out in the open!
The Abundant Host Pro Tip from Amy: As I recommend in my Top 5 Most Common Host Mistakes, guests want to experience your place as if they're about to check in—so, they need to see enough space for themselves to fit into it. This is a classic trademark of home design. Go the extra mile and put out the welcome materials for your future guest—the beautifully folded towels they'll arrive to, the array of maps and locally made chocolate bar they'll be gifted with, etc. Imagine your guest having the point of view of the photographer—what will they be greeted with? Show them.
You've probably put in a lot of effort to Airbnb your home. Whether it was messing around with the interior or décor, we're pretty sure you've given your best to make the place look like a vacation paradise.
As guests usually get swept off their feet with the little details, make sure to include a couple of photos of all of the amenities you have to offer. Have you been experimenting with the way you store your toiletries? Do you have a gorgeous view from the balcony? Installed a new audio system or have a few DVD's prepared their relaxation time? Take a pic and show off your skills and amenities!
2. Look Beyond Your Listing
Okay, so you've shown them what your place looks like. Now, take the showcase outside! It's time to show your potential guests where you are located. Take a photo of your neighborhood, street, the outside of your unit. If you're located near famous, local restaurants and bars worth visiting, get their permission to post their photo on your profile.
This has two advantages:
- You're showing your guests that you care about giving them a truly local experience. You're being a tentative host, not just thinking about your unit, but thinking about their complete stay.
- You're luring guests in by showing them what else they'll be able to experience if they choose to stay with you.
3. Show Them Who You Really Are
By this, we don't mean every single detail about you, but the essence of your being. Guests don't just want to see the ambience. They want to see the owner, too—especially your character—and you need to find a way to portray this on your Instagram.
For example, if you want your guests to know that you are a laid-back host, you love joking around and will make sure that they laugh through their stay at your Airbnb. Find a way to portray this character trait through humorous, original, unique posts.
If you're not going to be present at the time of your guest's arrival, take a photo of your wacky, quirky art or photographs hanging on the wall of your Airbnb, and let your future guests know that a smile is waiting for them as soon as they walk in through the door.
The Abundant Host Pro Tip from Amy: This is so important, and the secret to attracting your ideal guests. Express your personality (and even quirks) in your Instagram photographs. Make sure to include a little paragraph caption about how much you adore your patio and gardening on it in the summer. If you're an architect and have tons of architecture books, mention that. Someone similar will find this to make the difference between choosing a "blank canvas" place and your nurtured, personality-driven space. We attract the people we want to be around by representing who we are. I make my listing a little Goddess sanctuary. I have sage, incense, candles, flowing things, spiritual art, etc. No frat boy is going to want to stay there. None ever has.
4. Get the Message Where It Matters
Have a set of hashtags that you always use with each picture, and since we're talking about marketing your Airbnb, the list will probably include relevant hashtags such as #airbnb, #vacationrental or #rentalproperty. Create a selection of 5 to 10 relevant hashtags for your industry and don't forget to include them (as well as your own hashtag!).
The Abundant Host Pro Tip from Amy: Your hashtag can be the same as your three little words that you use to describe your listing every time, which can help people find you. Also, something I do is save my favorite hashtags to an Evernote file (get a free month of Premium with that link), which I absolutely love and use all the time, to make it easier to quickly copy and paste them in. Also, Airbnb features listings on their own Instagram page, which has 870,000 followers at the time of this writing, so you definitely want to tag them and see what hashtags they've been using lately.
5. What Are Your Rates?
Social media users like to be rewarded by a business they follow online. It's like a little compensation for their loyalty to our brand.
Try to update your guests on your seasonal rates. As the seasons go by, let them know what the average pricing is, and when it usually changes. If you have a chance and a few empty spots left in your calendar before a special event, and you still don't have any booking inquiries, use Instagram to notify your guests about your availability. It can't hurt!
The Abundant Host Pro Tip from Amy: This was a great one, I had honestly never thought of this. I can see this being especially useful if you've planned a trip away for a weekend and don't have any bookings for the home you live in. Discount that shhh!
6. Share Your Guest Experiences
From a guest's perspective, it's a completely different experience looking at a page full of design and décor and a page that has a human touch.
Don't by shy—ask your guests to take a selfie with you, or take a picture of a special welcome note you wrote for them. If your guests went the extra mile and left you a thank-you note, get their permission to post it to Instagram. This shows the crowd that you're really in the business and that your Instagram account is not just pictures of a house.
Every brand needs to have a personal touch to it, and with Airbnb, it's no different. The more you share your past experiences with your guests, the more trustworthy you'll seem. And trust is everything in this industry.
Overall, the best way for your Airbnb to leverage Instagram is by being genuine, versatile, informational and creative. Be yourself, and don't try to imitate others and their success, because you have your own story to tell.
Hopefully, we convinced you to join us on Instagram and tell your Airbnb story! Try out our tips and tailor them to suit your character, property, needs and target audience.
Let us know in the comments down below if you liked this—and if you found this helpful, please share it up (maybe even on Instagram)!
Thanks for reading! Have a question that wasn't answered here? If you'd like more specific help, I'd love to work one-on-one with you. Or, if you want to work collaboratively in a group with fellow motivated hosts, find out if the next Abundant Hosting Mastermind group is open. I also wrote a book, Cleaning Up, where I give you the nuts and bolts (and so much more) of finding your perfect turnover assistant, thereby upleveling your profit and success on Airbnb. Have a beautiful day!


text: In the DT today there is an article basically saying Cronulla suck without Gallen and Carney. It got me thinking, which 2 players from other teams would create the most problems if they werent playing. (To keep it interesting, choose 1 forward and 1 back) Also, when you think of this in regards to Manly this is where our depth really shows. I don't believe there is any major hole in our line up that can't be plugged up, temporarily at least.


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Crisp and golden, these delicious chicken patties are a huge hit with kids – and I have yet to meet a grownup who doesn't like them! They make great use of leftover chicken breast.
These chicken patties are extra yummy when served with a dip such as mustard, mayonnaise, or sour cream mixed with a little hot sauce.
Chicken Patties
Prep and Cool time
Cook time
Total time
Recipe type: Entree, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo
Yield: 8 patties
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (1 lb. raw weight)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Place the chicken, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne in your food processor's bowl. Process into a uniform mixture.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Drop the mixture into the hot oil, measuring ¼ measuring cup per patty and fitting 4 patties into the skillet. Gently flatten to ½-inch thick with the back of a spoon.
- Cook the patties until crisp and golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and cook the remaining patties. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving size: 2 patties; Calories: 279; Fat: 17g; Saturated fat: 3g; Carbohydrates: 0g; Sugar: 0g; Sodium: 387mg; Fiber: 0g; Protein: 29g


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|Professional Automotive Repair Technical Discussions for November 14, 2013
International Automotive Technicians' Network (iATN) - Members Only
|(Also Available: All, Asian, Chrysler, European, Ford, GM.)
|Vehicle Owners: If you are seeking an automotive repair professional to service your vehicle, visit the iATN Repair Shop Finder.
Open Help Requests for Asian
|Help Request
|2005 Acura TL 3.2L Mechanical VIN: 19UUA65585
Motor is out, we are swapping the clutch over and the flywheel (dual mass) has a 1/2" of slop back and forth from the top section to the lower section, is this normal? I would say not. We were planning to replace the clutch but I think I'm going to need a flyw...
|2005 Acura MDX Touring 3.5L starting vehicle VIN: 2HNYD18875
The vehicle is experincing an extended cranking. The extended cranking is most likely to occur after the vehicle is warmed up and has been sitting for about an hour or two - example when the customer goes into church when they leave the vehicle experinces a ve...
|2005 Isuzu NPR 5.2L No Start
This NPR is a crank no start. It does not have codes that fail this ignition. It does have history codes 299 (turbo underboost) and 562 (system voltage low). We did a turbo on it a few months back so the turbo code might be related to that. Alldata E-mailed me...
|1999 Lexus ES300 3.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: JT8BF28G5X
Car came in with p0420 code . Replaced rear bank ( y-pipe type ) converter (by way of advice from Toyota tech). Car came back with P0420 code. Car has 3 converters and only one downstream o2 sensor. will this car ever set a p0430 bank 2 converter code. I am gu... Trouble codes: P0420
|2008 Nissan Rogue SL 2.5L No Start, Surge, Cuts out, Stall, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: JN8AS58V78
Vehicle came back with a poor run complaint. had misfire codes for all 4 cylinders as well as a P0300 random misfire code. Upon test drive vehicle ran fine, hot or cold we drove for approx. 25 miles. 4 days later vehicle was towed in with a no start complaint.... Trouble codes: P0300 (Random cylinder misfire)
|2003 Toyota Prius 1.5L battery, fuse VIN: JT2BK18U73
Error codes P3000 and C1259 now. Vehicle died while customer was driving. He reported smelling electrical burning before failure. Towed in, shift indicator flashing, no communicaton with engine, HV systems, found blown AM2 15A fuse, System drawing 18-21 amps w...
|2005 Toyota Sienna CE 3.3L abs lamp VIN: 5TDZA23C15
got to codes c1223 and c1246 . tried to clear and they come back on .codes are for master cyl pressure switch and abs control malfunction..looked at the values for pressure sensor values seem to change when brake is applied ..any help in the right direction wo...
|2005 Toyota Matrix 1.8L Poor Idle Quality VIN: 2T1LR30E25
After replacing awd trans (engine also had to come out), engine idle was rough. This is a factory rebuilt from rmp. After readapting trans with scanner, shifted and drove fine. Now low idle is poor, no correct readings on o2 sensors, computer will not go into ...
Fixes & Summaries for Asian
|2002 Subaru Outback 2.5L Clutch VIN: 4S3BH66542
replaced clutch for 3rd time, factory disc, cover, and flywheel. all hydraulics new. removed slave from system and started car in 1st. gear with same results. what am I missing? help!


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Renderings of HTC Pyramid show "Hot" handset
We could see the HTC Pyramid get a release in Europe before it makes the trek Stateside. To that end, the device did show up in Vodafone's inventory system as we told you last month.
Combining the sleek, sexy look of the renderings along with the hot specs results in one Pyramid scheme that you won't mind investing in!
source: IntoMobile
24 Comments
1. stevo1 (Posts: 1; Member since: 15 Mar 2011)
This is something that T-Mobile desperately needs. Something like this will definitely get a whole lot of customers there way. if you build it they will come. In my opinion, the sooner they bring this the better. i know that they are planning to have the LG 2x/ G2x but they dont need to waste a whole lot of time in bringing this one along. This is their opportunity to show everyone. i'm up for a full upgrade april 9 so i hope they would have it available then.
18. Lucas777 (Posts: 2137; Member since: 06 Jan 2011)
well basically the g2 and mytouch 4gwere just as great as this when they came out... so idk i think tmobile is a bust... whether u like it or not they need a really big name brand device cough iphone cough to bring people to tmobile... cause really, people dont go to tmobile first when they r phone shopping...
2. tbomb92 (Posts: 5; Member since: 09 Jul 2010)
stevo... im thinking that since it was just announced that it will be a little after april 9 till it comes out
3. T-mobile TOM (unregistered)
I work for tmo right now as a sales rep but am trying to get a job with bank of america, i wonder if i will ever make any money off this phone....... I can tell you the release is going to be bananas!!!!
12. msa1988 (Posts: 418; Member since: 30 Mar 2010)
What was the point of stating that you want to get a job with Bank of America?
4. Whateverman (Posts: 3291; Member since: 17 May 2009)
Not a bad lookin phone.
5. Tony (unregistered)
There's also reports saying that i will run 3.0, but I'm sadly holding my breath on that one.
21. tmoman (unregistered)
3.0 is desgined for ONLY tablets
6. Arman (unregistered)
when does the htc pyramid come to germany
7. RayT (unregistered)
T-Mobile needs to market the SHIT out of this phone so they can try to get back all the customers they lost and, hopefully, more.
8. snowgator (Posts: 3609; Member since: 19 Jan 2011)
How does T-Mobile keep getting these really fantastic phones? Looks like a serious piece of hardware.
By the way, HTC does know a pyramid has THREE sides, right? Someone in the development office must have miscounted....
9. giantgnome (Posts: 67; Member since: 11 Feb 2011)
Actually a pyramid has at least FOUR sides, and a pentagonal pyramid will have SIX sides which is the same number of sides a rectangular box will have, like the HTC pyramid for example. Granted their shapes will be nothing a like but if we're going to talk about the # of sides...
11. snowgator (Posts: 3609; Member since: 19 Jan 2011)
Higher math. My bad. It's the fact I am the result of a Florida public education. :-D
13. msa1988 (Posts: 418; Member since: 30 Mar 2010)
People like you are the reason America is in the crapper...
20. Mario (unregistered)
Actually a Pentagonal pyramid has FIVE sides. A hexagonal pyramid has SIX.
24. giantgnome (Posts: 67; Member since: 11 Feb 2011)
If you're not including the base then yes it has one less side, but if you are including the base then a pentagonal pyramid has SIX sides (or faces if you will). I believe a rectangular object like the HTC will have all sides counted as well?
22. tmoman (unregistered)
the reason its called the pyramid is cause its gonna be 3D!
17. dooj (unregistered)
no, you were right, a pyramid can have 3 sides. giantgnome is just a troll. to the other comments... flush.
19. corps1089 (Posts: 492; Member since: 20 Jan 2010)
Regardless, it is impossible for a pyramid to have only 3 sides: it must have a bottom and therefore a minimum of 4 sides [or be a 2D object].
10. osanilevich (Posts: 286; Member since: 29 Sep 2009)
Wow. Tmobile is finally bringing in a phone worth hyping. With respect to the G2 and the never ending mytouch line, Tmobile will never get a big piece of the smartphone market unless they get a superpowered machine like ATT's Atrix, Verizons Droid lineup or Sprints Evo. Now that they have the phone they were looking for, perhaps they'll have something more to talk about other than fake 4G
14. rick (unregistered)
Why no kickstand???????????
15. Thump3rDX17 (Posts: 2160; Member since: 10 May 2010)
well, well, well, what's cookin' good lookin'? o:
16. luis_lopez_351 (Posts: 951; Member since: 18 Nov 2010)
the only dislike is the capacitive buttons :( but every thing else WOW!!!
23. omgggg (unregistered)


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Home gardening statistics infographic
6.6 years ago Uncategorized
I came across this interesting infographic showing pretty cool information about the home gardener I thought I would share. I couple of interesting items were the average garden size and the economics of U.S. food gardens.
UPDATE: Some resources to see how profitable your garden can be: most profitable fruits and most profitable vegetables.
Removing pests from your garden using animal traps
6.6 years ago guest post, pests
Unfortunately, at one time or another, most homeowners will encounter the need to defend their turf from some four-legged nuisance. Animals wreak havoc in yards and gardens, feasting on vegetables, seedlings, flowers, bulbs and trees. Some animals even burrow and create tunnels, effectively destroying the roots of plants. One of the best ways to get rid of an unwanted animal is a live animal trap. In this article, learn how to use live animal traps, including how to choose the right trap, bait it, and find its most effective location.
Animal Traps
Live animal traps are designed to capture the animal alive and are typically composed of an open mesh, rust-resistant steel frame. The mesh opening will vary in size depending on the animal being trapped. Smaller cages have smaller mesh doors for trapping smaller animals while larger cages have larger mesh doors for trapping larger animals. The most effective traps will have smaller openings to prevent the animal from escaping with stolen bait.
Food bait is used to lure the animal into the cage. Upon entering the cage, the animal activates a trigger, causing the door(s) to shut. There are a variety of different traps. Single entry traps are only open at one end and are designed for safe, secure catch-and-release while 2-door models allow the animal to enter from either direction. There are also collapsible models that are easy to transport and take less space to store when not in use.
Animal Trapping: How To Get Started
First, determine what animal is causing the damage in your yard. This will help you choose what size animal trap you need, in addition to the proper bait. The following is a general guide for each trap size: consult the manufacturer for the precise size needed according to the trap's specific dimensions. An x-small trap is ideal for mice, chipmunks, voles and rats. A small animal trap will catch squirrels and rabbits. To trap opossums and skunks, use a medium trap. Large traps are used for capturing raccoons, armadillos, muskrats, groundhogs, cats and larger opossums. An x-large animal trap works for raccoons, groundhogs, opossums, armadillos and dogs.
Choosing The Right Bait For The Animal Trap
Choosing the right bait for the animal you are targeting is essential to a successful trapping experience. Here are a few bait suggestions for the most popular unwanted creatures.
- Squirrel Bait: cereal, nuts, grains, sunflower seeds, apples, peanut butter, popcorn
- Rabbit Bait: carrots, brussel sprouts, lettuce, apples
- Raccoon Bait: fish, watermelon, honey-covered vegetables, corn, fatty meat, marshmallows
- Cat Bait: fish, meats, sardines, tuna, chicken
- Armadillo Bait: worms, maggots, sardines
- Skunk Bait: chicken entrails, canned fish, beetles, bacon, cat food
- Vole Bait: peanut butter and molasses on whole wheat bread
- Chipmunk Bait: sunflower seeds, peanut butter, prune pits, cereal, popcorn
- Mice Bait: cheese, nuts, peanut butter, gum drops
- Groundhog Bait: string beans, lettuce, peas, cantaloupe, strawberries
Choosing The Ideal Animal Trap
When choosing your trap, there are a few things to keep in mind. Select an animal trap that is easy to set and release. The best traps allow you to set and release with one hand, making it less complicated to use. If the animal is being released, these types of animal traps provide the user with more safety and protection. With a full hand guard and a galvanized steel barrier separating the user from the animal, an easy set trap allows the user to stand behind the trap while single-handedly releasing the animal back into the wild.
Look for a trap that is sturdy and rust-resistant, as these traps will last through many years of trapping in all types of weather and climate conditions, offering better value for your investment. Spring-loaded doors with sensitive triggers are another important feature when choosing an animal trap. These traps ensure a quick, secure capture, preventing undesirable catches. Finally, keep in mind animal traps with smooth internal edges can protect trapped animals from injuries.
Capturing Animals with Animal Traps
Test all new traps prior to use to ensure they are working and you have set them properly according to the directions. An easy set animal trap is practically infallible and the ideal solution to virtually any animal problem. First decide the placement of the trap, which is crucial to performance. Place the trap away from human traffic and pets. Locate places where animals congregate or travel along paths and place animal traps along these routes in dark, shaded areas. Since animals often stay close to water, traps placed near water sources are also more successful.
After the spot has been selected, camouflage the trap with leaves, branches and dirt to give it a conditioned look. Choose the proper bait, spreading the bait around the trap and leading into the trap. Then activate the trap. A brand new trap may need a few nights to be effective, so be patient. If trapping is unsuccessful, move the trap location and/or change the bait.
Remember to check traps often. Trapped animals should not be left exposed to heat and cold. In addition, wild animals can become increasingly stressed out when left in traps too long, potentially injuring themselves.
When an animal is caught, place a towel over the trap to calm and shield the animal during transport. Contact your local state game commission to determine the lawful method of releasing a captured wild animal. If releasing the animal with an easy set animal trap, simply stand behind the trap and single-handedly release the animal. After every use, the animal trap needs to be washed and disinfected with a bleach solution and thoroughly rinsed with water.
Guest Post By: Havahart®
Growing carrot patterns with DIY seed planting sheets
6.6 years ago carrot, outdoor seed starting, seed planting sheets
My daughter likes to plant seeds but when working with smaller seeds it can be difficult to plant these seeds especially the farther the location is from edge of the garden bed. I have been thinking about solving this problem with a seed strip which can be made using burlap, newspaper, toilet paper, or any sort of paper for that matter. Next you simply stick the seeds to the paper at the appropriate spacing, let them dry and roll out as far as you want to plant. This allows you to get your seeds ready in the comfort of your favorite chair to prepare your seeds and not hunched over your garden with an aching back.
I a simple seed planting strip would have done well for what I was planning but I decided to go with the creation of my own carrot seed planting strip template that allows you to grow in the pattern of the vegetable you are growing. Completely not necessary I know but it kept my daughter occupied working on the "craft" indoors this morning.
Step 1: Get you materials. Start by downloading and printing a carrot seed planting strip template. In the picture below I printed out two copies and glued them together for a few extra carrots. Next you need some glue, a great option is to mix a little flour and water together to the consistency of toothpaste, but I wanted to keep the mess to a minimum and used good ole school glue stick.
Step 2: Glue on the seeds. Take a small dab of your glue and put a drop on each circle on the template. Drop a 1-2 seeds on each glued circle and allow to dry. Once dry I give the paper a quick shake to find any seeds that did not stick and reapply if needed.
Step 3: Plant your seeds. Make a flat surface with your trowel moving a small layer of soil from your garden bed. Lay down your paper carefully on the soil.
Finally over your paper with a small layer of soil that you removed previously.
Step 4: Water Thoroughly. You need to hydrate the seed to begin germinating but you also want to start breaking down the paper and glue to not inhibit those young roots from penetrating the paper.
This was a fun project to do with my daughter, but also considering this is a good way to get some prep work done ahead of time to make the take of planting (here in WA is many times in the rain) a much quicker task. This can be great for crops you grow multiple times per season. You can get your seeds out once, make your seed planting sheets with the appropriate planting dates and bring them out to the garden as needed.


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RKC v Roda JC Live Stream
RKC Waalwijk host Roda JC on Saturday and both sides are desperate for points, watch a free live Dutch Eredivisie football stream of RKC v Roda JC from 17:45 on October 19th.
Online bookmaker Bet365 provide a live streaming service which enables you to watch live football matches on your Laptop, Tablet or Smartphone. Click to find out how you can watch a free live Dutch Eredivisie football stream of RKC v Roda JC.
RKC Waalwijk were close to ending their losing streak at Philips Stadion in their last match, but PSV Eindhoven scored late to snatch a 2-1 win. The loss was RKC's fifth in a row and they are now one point off bottom place in the Dutch Eredivisie and looking ripe to oppose on current form. Manager Erwin Koeman is in his second spell at the club and has his work cut out to turn things around with defensive frailties the obvious problem. RKC have conceded at least two goals per game since their opening day 0-0 draw away at Twente and Koeman must find a way to plug the gaps or relegation will become a very realistic prospect.
Roda JC played out a bore-draw with PEC Zwolle in their most recent Eredivisie match and have slipped down to thirteenth place in the table. The result was their third consecutive draw and extended their winless streak to five matches as The Miners continue to struggle for form. Manager Ruud Brood will be targeting maximum points from this tricky away tie before Roda JC face PSV Eindhoven next week and will be looking for more cutting edge from his players in front of goal.
There are more Dutch Eredivisie football streams as well as matches from other countries and competitions available in the freebets.com live streaming sports schedule.
Roda JC were 3-1 winners in the most recent Eredivisie meeting between these sides, but RKC took 3 points with a 1-0 victory when they last played at Mandemakers Stadion and will be hoping for a repeat on Saturday.
Bet365 Match Odds:
21/20 Waalwijk
23/10 Roda JC
13/5 Draw
Related Link:
Register with Bet365 and watch live football streams on your Laptop, Tablet or Smartphone.


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BOC's Macklem Admits He's Got His Eye on the Top Job
By Nirmala Menon
Tiff Macklem openly acknowledged Tuesday that he wants to be governor of the Bank of Canada.
Mr. Macklem, who as senior deputy governor is second in command to outgoing Governor Mark Carney, is the odds-on favorite to get the governor's position, but had never publicly said he wants it.
Mr. Carney prevented Mr. Macklem from saying whether he wanted the job at a press conference in Ottawa last week. But today, when the two appeared before Canadian lawmakers to testify on monetary policy, Mr. Macklem couldn't evade a direct question from Peggy Nash, the finance critic from the opposition New Democratic Party.
After thanking Mr. Carney—-who is leaving to become governor of the Bank of England in July—Ms. Nash turned to Mr. Macklem and said: "If asked, will you serve? Are you interested in the job?"
"Yes, if asked, I will serve," Mr. Macklem replied, though he didn't bite when Ms. Nash invited him to describe the challenges of following in Mr. Carney's footsteps, saying it wasn't appropriate to ask "interview questions" when there is a process underway to appoint the new governor.


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Watching Brandy work a room in "Put It Down" is pretty hot. The R&B singer has always had a firework for a voice, and she earned a killer single to put it to use.
As I noted in my review of the track before, I don't have much use for Chris Brown on the single — not just because I think his name taints the appeal of a Brandy comeback — but because his overtly processed voice has no place in a track with an emphasis put on a minimal beat and big vocal performance.
And thankfully, he's not in the vid too much.
This is Hype Williams' second video premiere in the last 24 hours, and this one hits much harder than the nauseating "I Wish You Would"/"Cold" from Kanye West, DJ Khaled and friends. This is big splashes of bold colors — Williams' specialty — and some fresh moves from Brandy and her merry band of street dancers. Brown, meanwhile, dons his favorite pair of painters overalls and pretends to flirt with Brandy. Their chemistry is like that of a cat to a vacuum cleaner.
"Put It Down" — which, I repeat, is a damn fine song — is off of Brandy's forthcoming set "Two Eleven," due via RCA on Oct. 2. It will also feature guest spots from Frank Ocean, Sean Garrett and Drake.


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- Overview
- Location & Map
- Highlights & Reviews
- Amenities
- World's Best Awards
Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments
Chic luxury hotel in the heart of Mayfair, with a spa, award-winning Afternoon Tea, and Michelin-starred chef restaurant. Short stroll from the West End theaters, upscale boutiques, and Buckingham Palace.
Overlooking Green Park, The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences offers a fashionable retreat close to Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and the restaurants and boutiques in the upscale Mayfair neighborhood. The 156-room property was originally built in 1850 as a private residence that became a high society Gentleman's Club during the Victorian era, and was transformed into a five-star hotel decades later. Today, the hotel offers the Galvin at The Athenaeum restaurant by Michelin-starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin, an elegant Afternoon Tea, REN Spa, and the Living Wall - a vertical garden that goes from the street level to the 10th floor Penthouse. Guest rooms and residences offer stylish, London-inspired furnishings with unique pieces of art, regal crown molding, and contemporary furniture. There are Hypnos beds, Bose docking stations, Nespresso coffee makers, and large flat-screen TVs. The hotel's Galvin at The Athenaeum is a new restaurant by Michelin-starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin, featuring British classics prepared with homegrown produce and independent farmers across the UK. There's also an award-winning Afternoon Tea with freshly-created menus, and private dining options. The BAR has a famous whisky collection, signature cocktails and a discrete entrance on Down Street, with elegant bespoke interiors. Guests have access to the property's gym and spa facilities, which include cardio machines and strength training equipment. There's also hot tubs, sauna, steam room, and a relaxation area within the recently renovated REN Spa.
Location & Map
- Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments
- 116 Piccadilly
- Mayfair
- London, W1J 7BJ
- United Kingdom
Location Summary
Superbly located opposite Green Park, this classy London hotel is 500 meters from Hyde Park, and one kilometer from Piccadilly Circus and sophisticated Knightsbridge.
Directions to Hotel
Direction To The Property From West: Take M4 Motorway From London Heathrow Airport, then A4 past Harrods through Hyde Park Corner underpass. On Exiting, the hotel is immediately on the left.
Highlights & Reviews
Guest Review Highlights
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
The TrustScore is the standard for reputation, summarizing verified reviews and comments from various sources.Learn more »
64% (605)
20% (189)
14% (132)
2% (19)
- - Banquets & Meetings
- Business Center
- Meeting Space
- Disabled Access
- Fine Dining On Site
- Fine Dining Nearby
- Fitness Center
- High Speed Internet
- Child Programs
- Pets Allowed
- Spa Facility
- - Dining
- Golfing
- Horseback Riding
- Jogging Running
- Shopping
- Theatre & Museums
World's Best Awards
Making sure that your children are well taken care of is critical while traveling as a family. We've researched the best luxury hotels in London, United Kingdom and recommend the following as the best...
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, and one of the Royal Parks of London; the park is divided in two by the Serpentine Lake. One of its most famous spots is Speakers' Corner - an...
When traveling as a couple, you deserve the finest service and attention to ensure that your trip is enchanting, passionate and romantic. We've researched the best luxury hotels in London, and recommend...
The "Top 15" hotels guests made reservations for during 2005 with Five Star Alliance, the luxury hotel experts.
Presenting Five Star Alliance's "Top 50" hotels for 2006 - the world's most popular luxury hotels based on reservations and feedback from Five Star Alliance customers.
With over 1250 hotels included...
Presenting Five Star Alliance's "Top 50" hotels for 2007 - the world's most popular luxury hotels based on reservations and feedback from Five Star Alliance customers.
With over 1800 hotels included...


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Re: [snbwickerpark] Who's coming tonight?
Expand Messages
- So sorry I missed you at SNB tonight. This Brian's busy season at work and he's been putting in really long days. In fact, he's still not home yet.Hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying motherhood. Don't blink, Simon will be 2 before you know it. ;) Hope I (and maybe even Rachel) can meet him soon.
From: anne_e_howard <anne_e_howard@...>
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Sent: Tue, September 28, 2010 3:26:25 PM
Subject: [snbwickerpark] Who's coming tonight?
I'm going to try to make it and may bring the baby if there are people who would like to meet him. Will wait until next week, though, if everyone's going to Guild or something.
Your message has been successfully submitted and would be delivered to recipients shortly.


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iGrill makes grilling easier for the Blind (and also the sighted) Cook
With Memorial Day a couple of weeks away, summer is lurking right around the corner. I can't believe how quickly time flies. It felt like just yesterday, I was ringing in 2014 with my grad school friends, and just the other week, I was in diapers.
Okay, but really. I have a theory as to why time seems to pass by quicker as we get older. One year when you're, say, four years old, is 25% of your life. But one year when you're 35 years old is 0.02857142857143% of your total life. So by percentage, time becomes a smaller fraction of your entire lifetime, making it appear to happen quicker. I know I'm not the first person to think of this. Nor am I a metaphysicist. So let's just get back to what I am an expert in: cooking and blindness.
I've always had a penchant for grilling. It started the year after I began learning how to cook. It was the summer before my last year in college, and I lived in an apartment complex with a pool. Naturally, in between hours of internships and summer classes, the only things to do during the day (when you were a broke college kid who wanted to avoid temptation by staying away from the mall) were to tan at the pool and, thereby, eat at the pool. Friends would pitch in a couple of bucks, and I'd go to the grocery store, pick up some steaks on sale and corn on the cob, and throw everything on the grill by the poolside.
My first few times grilling, I ended up with blackened steaks (and not blackened on purpose either). Years later, I would learn the importance of a meat thermometer when grilling and roasting meats. And then when I lost my vision, I wondered how I would ever grill steak or chicken legs to perfection when I could no longer see the thermometer.
Then I learned about the iGrill, a device that utilizes Bluetooth technology to give you temperature feedback on your iPhone or iPad. The beauty of this is because Apple products come with VoiceOver, a built-in screen reader, so now I can learn the temperature of my ribeye with just the swipe of a thumb on my iPhone.
Even better, the iGrill is a universal product in that it's useful for the grill chef with sight. Picture your Memorial Day barbecue: you invite neighbors, best buds, and the tolerable half of your family over to christen the grill for 2014. It's hot (as it always is in Houston at the end of May), so your guests leave you all by your lonesome self outside to man the grill while they sit on your couch, soaking up the expensive A/C, sipping on your ice cold beer. And then if that weren't enough, your spouse gives you grief for "abandoning the party and being anti-social."
With the iGrill, you no longer have the excuse of "Someone's gotta make sure the meat don't burn." Hook up the iGrill outside, slip your iPhone into your pocket, and now you're free to mingle inside and bogart those special edition craft beers your buds were starting to dig into.
The iGrill was even featured on an episode of my cooking show in Canada, "Four Senses." The theme of the episode was (you guessed it) grilling, and I demonstrated how the iGrill makes it possible for the Blind Cook to grill a slab of meat to perfection without sight.
So just in time for Memorial Day and the numerous barbecues you're bound to host this summer, I present to you the innovative iGrill. Do you have an iGrill, or have you used one before? What do you think? If not, how would you tell if a meat or vegetable is done on the grill if, say, you were vision impaired?


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[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Bibliography InformationHitchcock, Roswell D. "Entry for 'Hushathite'". "An Interpreting Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names".
(inhabitant of Hushah ), The, the designation of two of the heroes of Davids guard.
hu'-shath-it, (chushathi, "a dweller in Hushah"?):
The patronymic given in two forms, but probably of the same man, Sibbeccai, one of David's thirty heroes (2 Samuel 21:18; 1 Chronicles 11:29; 20:4; 27:11), or Mebunnai as named in the parallel passage (2 Samuel 23:27).
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography Information