text:
Monday, 10 October 2011
Products I'm loving right now...
1) THE SANCTUARY YOUTH REVOLUTION - I have particularly been enjoying the skin renewal glycolic peel mask which I use 1-2 times a week. It gives me just the boost I need when my skin is feeling and looking incredibly dull. I can't really go for a facial so I'm trying to take care of my skin at home. It's a 30 day programme that also has a serum and I have used it on and off for about 3 weeks and am enjoying the results. I will do a full review if further miraculous results occur.
I just LOVE masks that you can peel off your face!
2) YSL TOUCHE ECLAT - Perfect for illuminating under the eyes to brighten them and make them look more awake! I honestly can't be without this, I usually apply on top of my concealer for more of a bright eyed look.
3) MAC STROBE CREAM - I haven't been wearing hardly any makeup as I don't have time, the strobe cream adds a pretty glow to my face and makes it look more healthy and not as traumatised. :)
4) CLARISONIC - I mainly use this at night but am really relying on it at the moment as it boosts my dull complexion and is keeping it clear!
5) BEAUTE GIRLINA LIP CREME - On the odd occasion that I have worn makeup I have always opted for 'Girlina' a pretty pink shade, it's moisturising and adds the perfect amount of colour to my face and just brightens it up, I'm almost out of it - boohoo!
6) BURT'S BEES 'MAMA BEE' BELLY BUTTER - I have been applying this all over my body concentrating more so on my belly, my belly has shrunk almost back to my pre-pregnancy size and I couldn't be happier. Breastfeeding really has helped, I haven't done anything extra to speed things up. The linea nigra is fading and I haven't had any stretchmarks on it, some people say you get them when you shrink back down but that hasn't been the case for me, maybe this cream has helped?! However I used Neals Yard 'Mothers balm' during my pregnancy and that is a miracle oil I tell you! I love this cream a whole bunch more as it's natural and 'Esra' doesn't seem to mind it even when smothered on my breasts whilst breastfeeding.
7) BURT'S BEES 'MAMA BEE' LEG & FOOT CREAM - OH MY GOD, this is THE best foot cream EVER! It tingles when you put it on and it just relaxes you, it's unbelievable the difference it makes. The day after I had given birth my feet were swollen and looked like a giant, as soon as I rubbed this on it.. it felt like heaven! Hubby has also tried it and completely agrees with me!! :)
A huge thank you to Tali for gifting me the 'Mama Bee' products along with pressies she got for Esra, I have also been using quite a few Burt's Bees baby products and am in love with them also!
8) LAURA ASHLEY 'PINK PETALS' EU DE PARFUM -This is such a light fresh floral scent that has been perfect for everyday, it smells like fresh delicate flowers and I can't stop sniffing myself! :) Fragrance notes include water fruits, rose, frangipani, muguet, musk, sandalwood and olibanum. This is exactly what I would expect from a Laura Asley scent, the bottle is beautiful as is the delicate designs on the box it comes in.
What products are YOU loving right now? Also, I need a good awakening eye cream that basically de puffs and gets rid of dark circles, does such a thing even exist? I know all eye creams "claim" to but which one REALLY does?! I have a few favourite eye creams but need something MORE, my eyes look terrible!
Disclaimer: The Laura Ashley perfume & Youth Revolution kit was sent for consideration for review, I wasn't paid for this post and I'm not affiliated with them. Honest opinion as always.
43 comments:
- frecklie said...
Does the clarisonic really work? Do you recommend it? Im really interested in getting it, but at £120 I want to be 100% sure!
Also I am in the same dilemma with eye creams - I have tried Colbert M.D Nourish Eye cream, The Body Shop Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel and Dr Hauschka Regenerating Eye Cream - all great! Nothing amazing though - need to find something amazing!!
George | frecklie.blogspot.com
- 10 October 2011 at 17:43
- Jennifer. said...
The Beaute Girlina Lip Creme looks really good. Does it wear off gracefully or does it leave you with those all to unsightly clumps at the side of your mouth? xx
- 10 October 2011 at 17:44
- cbsg5861 said...
I'd love to try this Laura Ashley perfume! The "Mama bee" products are not only for new mothers, right? Ahaha they look adorable!
I'm currently loving: Painterly paintpot, the new blueish shimmer cubes from the Body Shop, Apivita face masks and hot chocolate on rainy days! xx
- 10 October 2011 at 17:51
- Muhsine said...
@Frecklie - It does but you don't HAVE to have it, a normal face brush does the same thing (almost) try that first and see if you benefit from it. xx
@Jennifer lol it wears off gracefully yes! No clumps! I actually really like the look of it when it starts to wear off, but it lasts a long time before it does. xx
@cbsg5861 Errr dunno :D Oh hot chocolate sounds so good right now! xx
- 10 October 2011 at 18:06
- Zoe said...
Great post!
I really want to try the mac strobe cream, been eyeing it for a while now!
- 10 October 2011 at 18:08
- Glitterish Allsorts said...
I love the baby bee range too! I used to bathe my son in the buttermilk bath soak but unfortunately they discontinued it (I think the fragrance in it irritated some sensitive babies!)
I wish I had bought the Belly Butter when I was pregnant because body shop body butter didn't quite cut it on my stretch marks! Oh well :)
Have you tried the mama mio range? They have some wonderful products and most are paraben free x
- 10 October 2011 at 18:14
- Kerrymarie said...
Great products! I would suggests the origins ginzing eyecream, i havent tried it but everyone raves about it and apparently it does its job xx
- 10 October 2011 at 18:55
- Essjay23x said...
The Santuary mask sounds good. I have found the orange Santuary products a little too harsh for my skin in the past but I recently used the skin brightening mask products and they were brilliant. I swear that they seemed to transform my skin overnight.
- 10 October 2011 at 19:01
- Houda said...
OOOH the lip creme looks nice I have been lusting over the collection 2000 moisture puff lip cremme but a part of me fels like I shoud wait for my MAC ever hip to finish :( xx glad ur managing to pamper ur self a little esra needs a glammy mummy!
- 10 October 2011 at 19:30
- PinkGlitter said...
I want to try clarisonic and that lipstick is pretty. Lately, I'm in love with the Anastasia brow kit. The stencils are hard to use but I love the results!
- 10 October 2011 at 20:47
- Saℓoua said...
I wish you the best lovely muhsine.
May Allah bless you and your little family inshallah.
Mashallah about esra and her father & mother.
You'll keep it up. I believe it ;)
Wish, that the luck will be always there for you.
Sal <3
- 10 October 2011 at 21:38
- benish said...
Beauti Girlina lip creme is so creamy and the color is gorgeous but i cant buy it. unfortunately it is not available in my country.
- 10 October 2011 at 21:44
- Nazia @ MascaraMagic! said...
The Beaute looks amazing on you - makes your lips look damn near perfect! I want!
- 10 October 2011 at 22:10
- Broodon said...
Nice blog! Thanks!
- 10 October 2011 at 22:12
Maşallah Esra'ya, allah korusun. Çok güzel çıkmış bi de:) Annesi kadar güzel olsun ilerde!!
- 10 October 2011 at 23:04
- Style Souk said...
I've been tempted to buy the Clarisonic, but it's very (very, very!) expensive.
Do you think it would be too harsh for dry skin?
Love to little Esra... :0)
Sarah x
- 10 October 2011 at 23:30
- Sarii said...
Hey, hope you, Esra and your hubby are well.
I love to use Soap and Glory 'You Won't Believe Your Eyes' Eyes Brightening Moisture Serum. I have re-purchased it three times so far. I find that it does really brighten, de-puff and soothe my eye area. Especially when I'm awake all night working on my assignments!
Although due the change in weather I have recently changed my eye cream to Boots Oil of Evening Primrose Oil Eye Cream which is amazing for dryness around the eye area.
Hope that helps :)
Peace and love,
- 11 October 2011 at 00:08
- Sara said...
I need to try out skincare items, as I have never owned any :/ Boo! This mask looks like good option and the lip creme is gorgeoussss!
- 11 October 2011 at 00:54
- fantastic said...
I will say this..you are WAY ahead of the game on getting back into the swing of things ;) xx
- 11 October 2011 at 10:06
- Sian @ Quite Frankly said...
That lip creme looks lovely!
Liz Earle Eyebright is lovely and refreshing - worth a try? x x
- 11 October 2011 at 10:39
- sophie rosalind said...
I think I have mentioned StyleNest to you before on one of your previous posts, (and I hope you don't think I'm pushing it just because you are a new mama!) but we would all love you to take a look at it :) we feature mummy bloggers so I want to stay in touch with them as much as possible. We also have an article on tired eye remedies, if you'd like to take a look :) http://www.stylenest.co.uk/beauty/best-of-beauty/remedies-for-tired-eyes/#7566
- 11 October 2011 at 11:21
- dunia kecil indi said...
nice review, i want to tray all of them :) i use garnier eye cream, btw. it works for me <3
- 11 October 2011 at 13:41
- farah said...
Great post muhsine!Im currently on my 31st week, due in early december, following religiously your blog hehe! As for the Burt's bee belly butter, have u been applying recetly or combining wt your regular mama balm by neals yard?
Im using MamaMio tummy rub, till now I have no report on stretch mark touchwood but, I ain't sure y some are saying that some will get after their delivery once the stomach had shrunk :S
- 11 October 2011 at 17:23
- RizMasta said...
i have had the same problem... and i started using collagen eye masks which are absolutely wonderful (i get them from the wholesaler, try ebay if you don't know where to get them from)
I also use a very good eye cream, so far the only one that works
beauticians use this brand, i swear by it! Please try it, if ou don't know where to get it from i can give you a web address. Please try it, it's worth every penny.
- 11 October 2011 at 20:12
- farah said...
Hi muhsine!Is Bugaboo easy to be folded and kept into the car trunk? Initially we thought of getting Stokke, but they said its not that practical for metro to undo etc, and it fills up the whole car trunk.
- 12 October 2011 at 10:01
- Broodon said...
As I have already mentioned, very nice products. But I'd like to recommend you Organic Surge skincare line, here is a very interesting competition http://blog.broodon.com/competitions
- 12 October 2011 at 17:34
- Emily said...
The Mama Bee foot cream sounds divine - my feet need a treat!
- 12 October 2011 at 22:10
- Tina said...
I truly loved this post - it seems like you got everything covered and with some fabulous products while you're at it!
You truly make me wish I could try everything asap!!!
Beauty talk aside, hope that you're doing well and that you've adjusted quickly to that little one entering your lives...! ;)
- 12 October 2011 at 23:29
i love sanctuary products they smell sooooooo nice.
- 13 October 2011 at 13:15
can you visit my blog please?
- 13 October 2011 at 15:49
- Fash Boulevard said...
loving the MAC strobe cream. thanks for sharing, love. be sure to stop by and see my picks for Fash Fave and Fash fail. You won't believe which blonde beauty fell to the bottom. xo
Adventures of a southern girl turned LA stylist.
- 14 October 2011 at 07:42
- FashionFreak/Mihaela said...
Great post. I really like your blog.^^
my blog♥mfashionfreak
Please follow me if you're not already so I could make a GIVEAWAY. I'd love to get more followers! I'll follow you back.
- 14 October 2011 at 20:25
- Monday Receptionist said...
Burts Bees are the BEST - if you've not tried it, give the lemon oil a go instead of baby oil, I love it for my little boy, divine! The buttermilk moisturiser is gorgeous too... actually, everything I've ever tried from them has been!x
- 15 October 2011 at 23:21
- Muhsine said...
Thank you so much for your comments and recommendations :) I haven't been doing anything extra to lose the weight off my tummy, breastfeeding is doing that all by itself, I only wish I was well enough to do some situps! :)
@Glitterish Allsorts - I mainly used Neals Yard 'Mothers balm' whilst pregnant, you def need an oil when pregnant a crean just isnt enough in my opinion.
@Style Souk - Not really, but I would recommend a normal face brush before investing in the clarisonic, the body shop do a mini one, try that and see if you like the results. x
@Farah no I have only been using the belly balm after giving birth, I only used the neals yard mothers balm on my belly during pregnancy which prevented stretchmarks for me personally. x
- 16 October 2011 at 21:28
- Yildiz said...
I will give it a try if they have it on body shop Turkey ; ♥JAPON STYLE
- 18 October 2011 at 18:26
- Jenn A. said...
MAC Strobe cream is great, especially this time a year when skin can start looking dry and dull with the weather change. It's nice to add a little bit of luminosity!
- 20 October 2011 at 23:15
- MissGoodayle said...
Definatly going to try the face mask!
Congrats on your beautiful baby girl.
- 31 October 2011 at 19:06
- MissGoodayle said...
Definatly going to try the face mask!
Congrats on your beautiful baby girl.
- 31 October 2011 at 19:06
- stefani said...
this is a remarkable make-up, I and itself love such uses.
purchase ultram
tramadol no prescription
- 8 November 2011 at 10:26
- A + D said...
Hey. My sister and I love your blog. BTW you're gorgeous and so is your baby!
- 9 November 2011 at 19:05
- Yolandaas said...
wow that lipgloss looks great! :)
- 14 November 2011 at 22:42
- smiling_bunny said...
Has anybody else tried the latest celebrity trend of using Holy Land products? I found some articles about them online and they have a shop in Bristol (where I'm from) :)
or check out
to find out about their shop :)
- 18 November 2011 at 14:24
- rebelle said...
hi, is the glycolic peel safe for pregnant women? i've read mixed reviews about doing glycolic peels when you're expecting so i've been steering clear from it, but now i'm experiencing pregnancy acne so i'm considering about it now.. thank you for this post, defo gonna try some of the products! :)
- 28 January 2012 at 15:34

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lol: Preggo Crackhead Caught Stealing & Gets Pissed!
"I work Loss Prevention at a store and caught this lady steal few times" - @d_lac
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
firmware 1024 fixed the same issue with my plasma
Thanks for looking into it.
I've contacted Live Chat on Samsung's support site two times about a problem I am experiencing with my Samsung UN55ES6500 and am so far quite disatisifed with the responses I am getting from their technical support.
Here's the issue, and I've described to them in great detail what the issue was already:
Whenever I connect a device to the TV via HDMI (1, 2 or 3), regardless of if it's connected directly or via my receiver, if the device is set to output to 1080P, which the TV will read 60P in the top-left corner, I get this strange image jumping. I'll get little black and kind of green streaks that go across the screen. The devices that I am connecting to the TV are a PS3 and PC, both support full 1080P and both have worked flawlessly since getting the TV in July 2012. It seems a week or so after applying the October 2012 update, I am now having this issue. I've tried new and different HDMI cables, I've reset the picture settings and the entire TV to default settings, but with my devices set to 1080P I still get the screen defects. Now, if I manually set these devices to output to 1080i instead, there is no image artifacts on the screen.
The only thing I've gotten out of Live Chat have been to reset picture settings. The second person I spoke with recommended I could schedule a service request. I informed them that I didn't really want to have someone come out to fix the issue because I don't personally believe it's a physical defect. Not if I can make it disappear by modifying settings; especially seeing that it seems that it was a software update that threw it out of whack. I asked them if there was a possibility of having someone remote into the TV, if they could possibly see the things that I'm seeing, and they stated again that I would have to set a service request (whereas the first person I spoke with said that she could provide that service if it was necessary).
Follow up note. I've already updated to the latest firmware, made available November 1st, and that was a bust; it hasn't remedied the issue. I know the devices are fine, they work fine with the same settings on other TVs I have in the house; just not this one.
Again, since I have a workaround in place by setting my devices to 1080i instead of 1080p, I'd prefer not to go through the hassle of scheduling on-site service. Instead, I'd rather have someone actually 'Listen' to what I'm saying, and even attempt to escalate the potential problem up the chain to the engineers that develop the firmware updates. Not sure if these forums are still monitored by the HDTech guy, but if you are still there, any input you might have on this situation? It would be greatly appreciated.
Any others out there with the UN55ES6500 experiencing any strange artifacting since updating to the newer firmwares?


text:
Veterans Education Program
2018 Veterans Education Program Cohort students with Dr. Daniel Bernard
Transitional Education and Career Services for Returning Veterans of California's Central Valley
Established in 2012, the Veterans Education Program provides opportunity and access to resources at Fresno State and connects veterans to support organizations in the Central Valley. We facilitate a sense of belonging for veterans on campus by providing a lounge, study area, dedicated smart classroom, and academic skill sets requisite for successful careers.
Our lounge and classroom space is available to current Fresno State student veterans or that are currently service connected. We also welcome veterans in the community interested in finding out more about Fresno State or services available to veterans in the Central Valley.
This semester, we will offer several workshops to Fresno State student, faculty, community veterans and their families. Please navigate the Workshops link to find out more.


text:
Polysciences' sulfate microspheres are monodisperse polystyrene particles that offer a higher level of surface sulfate groups than our standard polystyrene microspheres. These microspheres are packaged as 2.5% aqueous suspensions.
Nominal Reference Value:
2.00µm particles packaged as 2.5% aqueous suspension.
5.69 x 109 beads/mL
- Hazards:
- Harmless-use normal precautions
- Handling:
- Exercise normal care
- Storage:
- Store at 4 degrees celsius;Do not permit to freeze


text:
The vote for the European Tree of the Year 2013 is now open on www.treeoftheyear.org. Trees from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are running for the award. Which tree in Europe will be the winner this year?
Unlike other contests, the age, beauty and height of the tree are not the most important features in the European Tree of the Year award. What matters most is the story that trees hold and their link with community leaving around them.
The stories of the finalists express the strength of the bonds between trees and people. "These trees, many of them hundreds of years old, have witnessed important historical in their community. They are tightly bound to a group of people, sometimes even the whole village." says the coordinator of the contest Hana Rambousková of the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation.
A mulberry and two walnut trees growing in the Bulgarian village of Glushnik guard old secrets of the rebels from the Bulgarian Ottoman Liberation period. The legend has it that King Oak growing near the Charleville Estate in Tullamore, Ireland, is connected with the owners of the estate, the Hutton-Bury family. Once when the tree was struck by a lightning, one of the members of the family died only a few weeks later.
Children play under the treetop of the plane tree in the Polish village of Kozy; it serves as a place for dates as well as cultural and social events. Komjatice plane tree is said to be one of the biggest trees in Slovakia, a frequent motive for painters. A life-size picture of a part of the tree, drawn by local children, decorates the local school.
"When people establish a relationship to the trees in their neighbourhood, they realize that they need to take care of them or will risk losing them," explains Hana Rambousková "This is the essence of the contest".
The aim of the European Tree of the Year contest is to increase awareness of European trees and the historical and natural heritage which they represent.
The voting will end on 28 February and the contest organizer, Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation, will reveal the results on 1 March. The award ceremony will take place in Brussels in June.
The contest is organized under the patronage of Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment with the financial support of the State Environmental Fund, Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic and Tetra Pak. The contest is supported by IUCN and the European Landowners' Organization (ELO).
More information about the European Tree of the Year contest: www.treeoftheyear.org.
Hana Rambousková, European Tree of the Year coordinator, [email protected], 00420 515 903 131, 00420 775 856 359
Photos of the finalists trees to download:


text:
Around Moab, Sara Melnicoff is known as the woman who volunteers her time picking up recycling and who started a movement to help house most of the homeless people who were living near Mill Creek and other areas in town. But before Melnicoff co-founded the non-profit organization Moab Solutions with her partner, David Morgan, she worked in the state and federal public defender's offices in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
From 1989 to 1991, Melnicoff was a legal secretary in the State of Maryland Office of the Public Defender, where she typed and filed legal motions for as many as 70 to 80 open cases for each public defender to whom she was assigned. It was a very different life and a daily work environment that required the now casual Melnicoff to dress in business suits, including nylons and high heels, and mingle with high-powered and sometimes well-known attorneys.
"I just needed a job," Melnicoff said. "And I always liked working in the non-profit sphere and something that seemed to have a deeper meaning for me… I worked for three felony division attorneys. They defended people who had no means."
Melnicoff performed work on a wide variety of cases that ranged from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to first-degree murder trials. The most disturbing legal document she ever held in her hands, she said, was a motion filed by the Maryland State Attorney's Office seeking the death penalty against a defendant represented by state public defenders.
"It just gave me the creeps," Melnicoff said, adding that many of the cases involving life and death were very sobering to work on.
After two years in the state office, Melnicoff moved to the first-ever Federal Office of the Public Defender in Washington D.C. There, she worked directly for the federal public defender, A.J. Kramer, who still holds that position today.
"I really admire him a lot. They did a lot to change the disparity in D.C. for [drug] penalties," Melnicoff said of Kramer. "That office was really different. It was really well funded, and they could really fight."
Her three years working for the federal agency were stressful, Melnicoff said. Most of the federal public defender's clients were underdogs who lacked the financial means to pay for their defense. She recalled watching Kramer work 60 or more hours each week fighting for his clients' rights and to get a "fair shake" for those without money. But, she said, the environment was dynamic and provided her with some interesting experiences.
"I filed one thing in the [U.S.] Supreme Court once, and that was a trip. I had four lawyers behind me as I was typing the motion," Melnicoff said. "Going to file something at the Supreme Court is like stepping back in time… with white gloves and tea cups with gold rims."
Although the work was rewarding, Melnicoff said she also realized that many people in the office worked constantly, under extremely demanding conditions. Some turned to alcohol or drugs to manage the stress, she said.
"It was almost inhuman. So I decided I would retire and put everything in my car and drive around," Melnicoff said. "I ended up in Durango, [Colo.]."
In Durango, Melnicoff tried her hand at working in the real estate business. She lived in Durango for five years before finding her way to Moab, Melnicoff said.
Melnicoff continued working in real estate when she moved to Moab in 2000 but eventually found that office work was not a good fit for her anymore. In 2002, she decided to spend her time volunteering in the local community.
"I worked with the Friends of the [Grand County] Library for four years, and that is when I really learned about the power of getting people together to do something for the common good," Melnicoff said. "You can have all different people with different backgrounds and belief systems working toward something together."
During the next few years, Melnicoff and Morgan began an effort to clean up garbage dumped along Mill Creek. Picking up trash and recycling discarded by others helped Melnicoff find a reconnection with nature and the earth, she said.
Moab Solutions, a nonprofit organization that aims to "reduce and eliminate the waste of materials and human potential while nurturing the well-being of the natural world," was founded in 2004 by Morgan and Melnicoff. The group has since grown into a sizeable cleanup effort that includes many volunteers and also provides work for the homeless in Moab as a way to help them become more self-sufficient and more connected with their environment, Melnicoff said.
For her volunteer efforts across Grand County, Melnicoff received the prestigious Silver Bowl Award in 2011 from the Utah Lt. Governor's office. She continues her work to secure housing and treatment for the homeless in the Moab area. She said her jobs at the public defender offices all those years ago have helped prepare her for the work she is doing now.
"Seeing the dedicated lawyers who really cared made me realize you can really do something that could bring meaning to life, and I saw the creativity they could bring to help their clients," Melnicoff said. "It was a reality check of not being in a bubble and realizing there is a lot of pain and suffering and crime in the world. For a lot of people, that is invisible."
The Times-Independent's "Second Lives" series celebrates the often little-known transformations that make so many of our local citizens unique and interesting. Have a friend or relative who has a compelling story of reinvention or redirection? Submit a name for our "Second Lives" column to [email protected] or by calling 435-259-7525.
ByBy Charli Engelhorn
staff writer


text:
Do a Double Take With This Spring Favorite (Flowering Quince)
The colorful, double camellia-like blooms of Chaenomeles burst open in early spring and will occasionally repeat bloom during the summer. The Double Take™ series of Chaenomeles from Proven Winners® ColorChoice® are thornless and generally do not produce fruit. Chaenomeles grows well in sun to part shade reaching 3' to 4' in height and are drought tolerant.
Flowering Quince has a mounding habit and since blooms appear on old wood (last seasons growth) prune your shrub after the flowering season has ended and proir to August. Chaenomeles presents a stunning specimen in the garden or landscape and display amazing color in hedge plantings.
Double Take® Orange Storm
Starting at: $17.99
Double Take® Pink Storm
Starting at: $17.99
Double Take® Scarlet Storm
Starting at: $17.99


text:
How do you develop a nation's motorsports culture? Let a bunch of promising drivers race each other in Radical SR3s. How do you promote such a backwater series? Let a bunch of old F1 drivers race with them — for a total assload of cash.
In an effort to help India become a more serious player in auto racing, Bengaluru- based Machdar Motorsports has established the i1 Super Series. Nine teams intended to represent nine cities will compete in five races.
The three-driver teams will each feature one promising Indian talent, one Indian driver with significant credentials, and one internationally-known driver. Familiar names that have signed on for the series include Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jacques Villeneuve, Jean Alesi, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Mika Salo.
The chance to gain exposure and credibility is reason enough for the eighteen Indian drivers to be involved. The motivation for the more experienced hands? Probably the $2 million check for the series champ.
The i1 race car is a standard Radical SR3: 1500cc 260hp Suzuki engine, six-speed sequential gearbox, about 1250 lbs. The SR3 may not be the kind of hypertech screamer that Frentzen and Villeneuve piloted in their F1 days, but it's still a serious track weapon and a viable stepping stone towards more prominent drives for the aspirants.
The first race is January 22nd. Motorcycle and hot-hatch race series are also in the works. Retired racers with time on their hands should contact their agents.


text:
Last updated: May 18, 2018
GARD Article for Health-Care Professionals' Newsletters
GARD Article for Health-Care Professionals' Newsletters
The following article is designed for use in newsletters aimed at health-care professionals. It describes the free services offered by the NIH's Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. Newsletter editors are free to edit the article to meet their publication's particular needs.
NIH's Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center Offers New, Web-based Search Feature
To help health-care professionals meet the challenge of providing patients and their families with timely and reliable information, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched a searchable, updated webite for its Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center. The free site is located at: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov.
Accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the centerpiece of the updated GARD Web site is a search feature that enables users to quickly locate disease-specific information and resources. New features include a pull-down menu of disorders and links to GARD specialists' answers to previous questions about the disorder.
Funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), GARD has responded to more than 22,000 inquiries on 6,000 rare and genetic diseases since it was established in February 2002. The requests include many inquiries from physicians, nurses and other health-care professionals, as well as from patients and patients' families who were directed to the site by health-care professionals.
If users cannot find what they need using the GARD Web search feature, they can contact GARD's information specialists by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com. They can also call GARD's toll-free telephone: (888) 205-2311 or the international access number: (301) 252-4925. The phone lines are answered from noon to 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. Requests can also be sent to GARD by fax, (301) 252-4911; TTY, (888) 205-3223; or mail, P.O. Box 8126, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126.
On average, people requesting information by e-mail or phone receive a response from GARD within 12 business days. However, depending on the nature of the inquiry, the turnaround time for inquiries from health-care professionals often is much faster. For example, an urgent request may receive a response within 24 hours or even immediately.
Statistics are far from the only measure of GARD's success. Health-care professionals who have taken advantage of the services offered by the center have responded enthusiastically. In the words of one physician: "This is stunningly helpful. Really a superb service."
In fact, feedback from health-care professionals plays a critical role in GARD's ongoing effort to fine tune the services that it provides. For example, based on comments from some of its initial users, GARD now offers responses that go into greater detail on how to find and use information resources than when the center first opened. "I am very impressed with the services provided by this organization," one health-care professional comments, "The information that was sent was very helpful and allows me to thoroughly research this topic."
Information specialists provide people who contact GARD with current, accurate and authoritative information drawn from public domain sources, such as reliable Web sites, brochures, medical literature, lay articles and support organizations.
While patients and their families often contact GARD seeking direct referrals to health-care professionals or asking for treatment or medical management suggestions, it is important to emphasize that GARD does not directly provide this type of information. Instead, GARD information specialists point patients to resources that might offer treatment information, e.g. journal articles or clinical trial information sites. GARD also does not provide genetic counseling or offer diagnostic testing. The center, however, will steer the inquirer to appropriate sources of information about such services.
GARD views itself as working in partnership with the health-care community, always strongly recommending that patients seek the advice of their own health-care providers about any questions regarding their medical care. That collaborative approach has drawn praise from one nurse who turned to GARD for answers: "What I like best is how generous you are in your links to other organizations, which I think communicates concern for the person. As a nurse, I also like the advice encouraging people to consult a professional."
The center also strives to connect individuals with a support system whenever possible, as evidenced by the remarks of a physician who recently sought information from GARD: "The information you have provided not only would benefit me and my colleagues, but also would benefit the child and the parents and would help the parents to register with the [disease registry]."
In addition to furnishing health-care professionals with accurate, up-to-date information on genetic and rare diseases, GARD can serve as a timesaving tool to help them reinforce or expand upon genetic and rare disease information that they may have already provided to patients.
Consider the experience of just one of the many parents who have taken advantage of GARD's round-the-clock resources. "This is an awesome site. I really enjoyed reading the articles. Being informed more about my daughter's condition may help us to understand what has happened to her at such a young age," the parent says. "I am surely going to let my family know everything I have learned here."


text: Craig Tierney wrote: >I talked to a guy at SC2002 from Quadrics and he said >that list pricing on a Quadrics network was about $3500 >per node when you are in the 100s of nodes and up. >The price includes the cards, cables, switches, >etc. This doesn't include any sort of discount that you >might get. Myrinet is about $2000 for an equivelent >network at list price. Dolphin/SCI falls around $2245 list >per node (if the system is > 144 nodes and you have to get >the 3d card). I guess I should jump in here to give the Quadrics perspective... I have spent 2 weeks in the USA doing some benchmarking on clusters of McKinleys under Linux and I get home find lots of e-mails talking about the Quadrics stuff, but no e-mails were from people either at Quadrics or from a customer site. I have only been with Quadrics for six months or so, and (fortunately) it is not me but the marketing people that decide the pricing scheme. Quadrics have sold most systems to date as part of Compaq's Alphaserver SC range. However we also do sell via other vendors, particularly as linux clusters. Our model though is not to sell direct to end-users but via systems integrators. £3500 per node is maybe about right - pricing would always include all cards, cables, switches and software. The cost is admittedly high, after all as well as having the fastest line-speed, the Quadrics interconnect sends all data as virtual addresses (the NIC has its own MMU and TLB). That way any process can read and write the memory of any other node without any CPU overhead. The cost also tries to cover the high R+D; with volume sales the price may end up significantly lower. Any discussion on costing would be better taken up with our marketing types - but I am happy to share my knowledge on performance issues. :-) Yours, Daniel. -------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Dan Kidger, Quadrics Ltd. daniel.kidger at quadrics.com One Bridewell St., Bristol, BS1 2AA, UK 0117 915 5505 ----------------------- www.quadrics.com --------------------


text:
She Keeps Me Warm Giclee Canvas
She Keeps Me Warm Giclee Canvas
from 175.00
Our giclees are finished with a UV protective coating, have black sides that are 1.5" deep and come with hardware and are ready to hang. Locally made in Asheville NC.
Signed on the back by Heather Shirin
Free Shipping on Giclee Canvas Reproductions!
Add To Cart


text: On Fri, 11 Feb 2005, David Mathog wrote: > In designing a computer room two key factors are: > > 1. Power in (electricity) > 2. Power out (A/C) > > The second term really has two parts: > > A. the amount of air moved > B. the reduction in temperature of that air across the A/C unit > > The latter part is specified in tons. The A/C guys I've spoken > with recently utilize some more or less standard relationship > between cubic feet per minute (cfm) and A/C tons for the units they > maintain. These run off the campus cold water supply, so > it makes sense that heat out is proportional to flow across, assuming > that the cold water has a very large heat capacity. > > However, in terms of cooling the units themselves, the amount of > air flow through the racks is also important. That flow is > also in cfm. Ideally cfm through the racks would be equal to cfm > through the A/C, ie, all air goes once through the racks and then > directly through the A/C. Even more ideally cfm through _each_ rack > could be modulated somehow, since some racks move much more > air than others and putting a low flow rack next to a high flow rack > might drive the air the wrong way through the low flow unit. > > How does one calculate an optimal cfm through a rack? > > For a specific example with round numbers, let's say it's a > 25U rack, dissipates 10kW, and has a single 50 cfm per minute output > fan per 1U node. (Ie, all air out must go through that path.) > > There seem to be a bunch of variables that are hard to deal with. > For instance, adding the exhaust fans would be 50*25 = 1250 cfm. > Is that all there is to it? But that type of fan only runs at > the stated flow rate if the pressures are exactly as specified. > Without incredibly careful balancing of the pressure across the > rack it won't generally run at 50 cfm. > > Is cfm the key unit here or should one think in terms of pressure > at various points in the room? I can't answer all your questions here, but you've pointed out a lot of the problems. You have to arrange for the blower to deliver chilled air to the right places in the room, and you ALSO have to arrange for a warm air return that picks up the warmed air (after it has passed through the systems and cooled them) and returns it to be cooled and cycled again. The overall airflow is determined by those two things -- cool air being delivered at an overpressure, warm air being returned at an underpressure, and the intermediate pressure gradient (interacting with intervening obstacles such as the racks full of equipment) determining the flow pattern. That flow pattern needs to avoid things like "hot spots" that are isolated from the overall cooling flow, especially hot spots that ultimately feed rack intake, and flow that feeds the warmed exhaust from one or more units back into the cool air intake of others. Ultimately, this is a nonlinear problem with turbulence and other factors and hence difficult to make pronouncements on without knowing the geometry of your rack layout and other stuff. One reason that raised floor designs are popular is that it makes establishing a clean circulation pattern a bit simpler -- feed cold air from the botton right into the rack intakess, vent the warmed air from their outflow directly into a warm air return. The cooling air mixes minimally with ambient room air and is relatively easy to balance. In a simpler overhead cold air delivery, warm air return system you'll need to be able to balance the cold air delivery at several points in the room, perhaps blowing it down directly into the front (intake) faces of opposing racks, while letting the warm air get pulled along the ceiling to one or more major return vents. That way you can get a delivered cold-air-down, in-through-rack, out-from-rack, warm-air-up, warm-air-along-ceiling and returned sort of pattern established that is consistent and balancable among the delivery registers throughout the room. rgb -- Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu


text:
photograph by Jennifer Hess
There is something about an old-fashioned
That kindles a cardiac glow;
It is soothing and soft and impassioned
As a lyric by Swinburne or Poe.
There is something about an old-fashioned
When dusk has enveloped the sky,
And it may be the ice,
Or the pineapple slice*,
But I strongly suspect it's the rye†.
–From "A Drink with Something in It," by Ogden Nash
*Dear God, no.
†Dear God, yes.


text:
Architectural Studies at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) is a pre-professional degree that offers in-depth training within the varied and ever-expanding field of architecture. Students select a concentration in their second or third year that fits their particular interests and future career goals. Students who choose Architectural Design Technology study business and specialized software as applied to the construction of buildings and sites. Historic Preservation students focus on the rehabilitation, documentation and adaptive reuse of structures and urban areas. Each concentration gives students a competitive edge with highly desirable skills and the versatility to become leaders in these rapidly growing professions.
Jefferson's interdisciplinary learning environment provides the technical knowledge and professional expertise to discover viable, marketable solutions to today's industry obstacles. With small studio sizes, an engaged faculty of practicing professionals, and projects provided by our community partners, students receive focused attention and grapple with real-world challenges. Our scenic campus and collaborative learning structure creates a support network among Architectural Studies students, plus easy access to Center City means internship and employment opportunities. Graduates have a strong foundation to pursue advanced degrees in a number of fields, such as Architecture, Historic Preservation, Construction Management, Sustainable Design, Geodesign, Urban Planning, Environmental Art, or Real Estate Development. Graduates who maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher can choose to earn a M.S. in Geodesign, Construction Management or Sustainable Design at Jefferson with just one additional year of study.
To request more information fill out our form.
Or reach out to us by calling 215-951-2800 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
IoT/M2MIWG/TLP Charter Draft
This charter was developed in accordance with the Eclipse Development Process and outlines the mission, scope, organization, and development process for the Eclipse M2M Top-Level Project. This document extends the Eclipse Standard Top-Level Charter v1.1, and includes the required content and overrides which follow. It is anticipated that as the standard charter is updated, this charter will incorporate the changes and make adjustments as seen fit by the PMC, and with approval from the EMO and board of directors.
The Eclipse M2M Top-Level Project is an open source collaborative software development project dedicated to providing extensible, standards-based protocol, runtimes and tools for M2M and the Internet of Things.
- Descriptive name: xxx
- Nickname: xxx
The mission of the project is to provide:
- Protocols implementations that can easily be consumed by third-party
- Runtimes that abstract the complexity of direct hardware and communication stack manipulation
- Tools that xxx
This document describes the composition and organization of the project, roles and responsibilities of the participants, and development process for the project.
The scope of Eclipse M2M is as follows:
- Implementation of standard communication protocols applicable to M2M communications due to their nature (bandwidth efficiency, security, ...)
- Investigation and research related to future protocols
- Implementation of services needed for operating fleets of things (application management, device management, ...)
- Tooling for supporting the development and the operation of such fleets
The project will initially be structured into the following sub-projects, xxx
- Paho: xxx
- Ponte: xxx
- Incubator - New development in areas that are relevant to the other sub-projects.
The project will initially be structured into the following sub-projects, xxx
- Mihini
- Ponte (?)
- x
Incubator Projects
The Incubator will focus on new developments that are relevant to the other Eclipse M2M sub-projects, which because of their nature would not be appropriate for direct inclusion in the effected sub-project. This could be because the work is still experimental, will have a longer timeline than can be contained within a single release, has dependencies on external IP that has not yet cleared the Eclipse Foundation IP process, or is simply potentially too destabilizing in nature.
Out of scope
- x
- x


text:
Auto Trade-In Program No Easy Sell
By Shailagh Murray
Congress isn't sold on the "Cash for Clunkers" idea just yet.
House and Senate Democrats have encountered early obstacles in meeting President Obama's call for a new incentive to encourage people to trade in aging automobiles for new, more fuel-efficient models. Lawmakers aren't sure they can fund the potentially blockbuster program, for one, and also are running into potential international trade concerns.
The incentive idea has been circulating for weeks but got a major boost this morning when Obama endorsed it as a way to reduce pollution while bolstering ailing U.S. automakers General Motors and Chrysler. House and Senate leadership aides said White House officials want to redirect funds from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill to pay for a trade-in program that would take effect immediately.
"Such fleet modernization programs, which provide a generous credit to consumers who turn in old, less fuel efficient cars and purchase cleaner cars have been successful in boosting auto sales in a number of European countries," Obama said in his White House speech.
Backers include Democratic representatives from Ohio and Michigan, who pressed for the president's support during a Sunday night conference call with administration officials. Participants in the call said several lawmakers became distraught when they learned Obama would force both carmakers to meet strict restructuring standards before receiving further government aid.
"The Midwestern lawmakers were really upset and pleaded with the administration to address the demand side," said one Democratic official who was briefed about the call.
One proposal on the table, sponsored by Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) and supported by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would provide vouchers valued at $3,000 to $5,000 for individuals to trade in high-polluting cars that are at least eight years old, for new cars with a fuel efficiency rating of at least 27 miles per gallon the highway, or 24 miles per gallon for new trucks. U.S. auto sales have declined by over 40 percent in the past year, slowing production and creating a vast backlog of new inventory.
A similar program in Germany saw new car sales increase by 21 percent in February, Sutton noted.
But funding the vouchers is proving a major challenge. Democratic aides said Congress would have to reprogram funds from the stimulus bill, ensuring a battle with proponents of whatever measures are targeted for cuts.
Also, Sutton's bill -- which appears to be the White House favorite, at least for the moment -- would apply only to new cars that were assembled in the U.S. That caveat may violate World Trade Agreement rules, said Democratic aides, who noted that Germany made a similar discovery while creating its incentive program. And yet, if the Sutton legislation is expanded to include all vehicles, many lawmakers would likely balk at subsidizing foreign automakers.
Finally, car industry officials and United Auto Workers representatives have raised concerns with lawmakers that Congress will set fuel efficiency levels too high, exempting larger cars and sports utility vehicles that are creating much of the supply glut. But setting the levels too low would minimize the incentive's environmental benefits.
"Obviously, there will be renewed interest in this proposal with the president's endorsement today, but it is too early to assess the viability of legislation in this area," said a senior Senate Democratic leadership aide.
Posted at 6:27 PM ET on Mar 30, 2009
| Category:
Share This: Technorati | Tag in Del.icio.us | Digg This
Previous: Obama Signs Major Land Conservation Law | Next: At House Democratic Meeting, Obama Rallies His Allies
Get This Widget >>
Please email us to report offensive comments.
I love the idea of being able to trade for a more fuel efficient car, and given an incentive to do so. But alas, most will choose the flash and dash, bigger is better, and we will never get down the road to independence of foreign oil.
Also, I would like to choose which car company I would purchase from. We have four HONDA INSIGHTS (2 dr.) I would love to trade two in on the new (4 dr.) INSIGHT II coming out in April. A Win Win situation.
Posted by: nos4nus | April 1, 2009 12:21 AM
Personally, I love the idea. I drive a '91 chevrolet caprice and would love a large trade-in to a new car, but my question would be since I had a bankruptcy, would I be able to get finance.
Most people who drive older cars do so for a reason.
Posted by: Kaybeth34 | March 31, 2009 12:25 PM
The trade-in subsidy is a great idea -- that's where the money should have gone in the first place. BUT...
As someone who's been waiting for Obama to fulfill his promise of hope, and restoration of civil liberties in post- Bush-Cheney America, I'm concerned that his administration's handling of the GM president's ouster plays into the "socialist thug" narrative cultivated by his political enemies.
Surely this matter could have been handled more deftly. If Team Obama wanted Rick Wagoner to go away, it could have kept the blood off of Obama's hands. Instead, Wagoner came off looking like he was on the receiving end of a hit job by Uncle Sam Incorporated, with Boss Barack as the triggerman.
Whoever advised Obama on this particular M.O. needs to take a long ride in a crowded back seat.
Wolf interviewed Seymour Hersh on "The Situation Room" today about his claim that former VP Dick Cheney ran an "executive assassination ring" (Sy says he said "wing") out of the White House.
Hersh stuck by the story, reaffirming the substance of his claim -- but he pedaled back on his language, saying perhaps he shouldn't have used the phrase "executive assassination wing." (Sure sounded like "ring" on the tape...)
He also indicated to Blitzer that he was talking about foreign operations.
BUT -- Wolf NEVER asked Hersh about the truly explosive part of his remarks during that recent seminar in Minneapolis...
...that the CIA and the military have been involved in what Hersh described in Minneapolis as "DOMESTIC" operations against American citizens -- and he had added that such operations are still going on.
The audio is available at:
Why did neither Blitzer nor Hersh elaborate on the domestic angle? Was this omission purposeful?
Will Hersh elaborate in another forum, perhaps in the New Yorker magazine? I am curious, because his reference to domestic ops could have something to do with what is reported in this article:
OR (if link is corrupted):
Posted by: scrivener50 | March 31, 2009 12:01 AM
parkerfl1: He's trying to save the auto industry, isn't that what you want him to do? or should he do nothing and get accused of letting them fail?
Posted by: JRM2 | March 30, 2009 8:17 PM
Too bad because Germany is doing it and they are selling new vehicles like hot-cakes.
Posted by: JRM2 | March 30, 2009 8:00 PM
Trade-in's and guaranteed warranties? Is Obama running the country or a car dealership?
Posted by: parkerfl1 | March 30, 2009 7:58 PM
God! How DO some of these Cretinous Morons in Congress manage to keep getting voted in?
Are their Constituents really THAT Dumb?
Autos are short lived, and Economics will defeat Gas Guzzlers all by itself!
What is NEEDED, is a MASSIVE movement to remove dilapidated and dangerous Housing!
What we have, is a Glut of Houses! The ability of Slum-Lords to rent out spaces in Rat-Infested Hell-Holes, and Children to be exposed to Health Hazards in Ghettos and Run-Down Shanties-Or, Colonias!;
SHOULD be the Action Government steps up to Stop!
IF, they actually had a CLUE! :-/
Posted by: SAINT---The | March 30, 2009 6:48 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.


text:
Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
On one of Israel's largest websites Ynet a yellow banner with large letters appeared on Saturday proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. "The Messiah is in Israel. This will be the last government of Israel." A click on the banner leads directly to the website 871. Here, the religious creators of the site warn about the end of the world. "The next leader will be the Messiah Ben David. The situation in the country is getting worse and the government will become more incapable. Only the Messiah can save Israel during the war of Gog and Magog. In the near future the world will witness terrible disasters, like earthquakes and tsunamis. Cities in Europe and the United States will disappear in the sea. The world's financial system will collapse and God will destroy the Mammon (Yiddish slang for "money"). Anti-Semitism in the world will get worse, just like on the eve of World War II. For every inch of land that the government abandons the people of Israel will be punished for, because this is a rebellion against God. Solely because the two-state solution was discussed in Israel we must pay a high price. This land was promised to the people of Israel for eternity and who negotiates about the God-given land will not experience the redemption." The ones behind the website, who regularly publish warning signals in the Israel network, are unknown. The majority of Israel's society does not take such websites seriously, but still they appear on Israel's largest Internet portals, such as Ynet. p>
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
For Information & Reservations:
E-Mail: email@example.com
Israel Today
Free to Your Inbox


text:
Quaker Real Medleys Pairs Oats Chunks Of Fruit
The Quaker Oats Co., a division of PepsiCo, introduces Quaker Real Medleys, pairing Quaker Oats with real chunks of fruit or crunchy nuts for the ultimate oatmeal experience.
Varieties include Apple Walnut, Summer Berry, Peach Almond and Cherry Pistachio. Every serving of Real Medleys offers more than one serving of whole grains, a good source of fiber (3-8g total fat per serving) and are portable and portion-controlled in a handy cup. Just add hot water or microwave with water for a satisfying meal, ready to enjoy in minutes or to take on the go.
"Today, women are busier than ever before, and in the morning time crunch, a nourishing breakfast is either skipped or sacrificed for food that's convenient but maybe not as desirable," says Andrew Sutherland, senior director of marketing, Quaker Foods & Snacks North America. "New Quaker Real Medleys are perfect for women who want to start their mornings with a wholesome and delicious oatmeal breakfast that adds a little extra flavor and fun in a convenient, portable cup."
Suggested retail price per cup is $1.79.


text:
Alert 2007-54
Subject: Counterfeit Personal Money Orders
Date: August 29, 2007
Description: The Canandaigua National Bank and Trust
Counterfeit Personal Money Orders of Canandaigua National Bank and Trust, Canandaigua, NY
To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel; and All Examining Personnel
The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit personal money orders issued in the bank's name and using a correct routing number of 022303659 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.
The counterfeit items may be identified by the following: the money orders are of unknown color, contain the bank's name and logo in the upper-left portion of the instrument, and include the words "PERSONAL MONEY ORDER" in the top-center area. The logo colors are inverted, as the letters of the logo are black in color, while the oblong enclosure is white. The counterfeit items also contain a black square surrounding the logo.
Items presented to date have been made payable in the amount of $1980.00 and contain an authorized signature of Thomas W. Casey. Due to possible variations of appearance of the counterfeit items and scams, it is suggested that officials of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust be contacted to verify authenticity of the bank's official items, if received from an unknown or questionable source.
Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit items may contain the letterhead of "LOBMAX SHOPPER PLC, 421 Hubert Ave, Suite 305, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Tel: 1-519-991-0693, Fax: 1-800-894-5975." The letter informs the recipient that he or she has been selected to participate in a paid consumer research program. It is explained that the enclosed money order is to be used to purchase merchandise at various nationally known merchants as well as to transfer money using a nationally known wire service. The funds to be spent at each location are broken down with a specific dollar amount, with the shoppers being allotted a portion as payment for their mystery shopper service. Recipients are instructed to contact the accounts manager for details.
For additional information and guidance or to verify the authenticity of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust's official items, please contact Kathleen A. Housel, Fraud Prevention Specialist, by mail at 72 South Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424, by telephone at (585) 393-6050, by fax at (585) 394-4001, or via e-mail at [firstname.lastname@example.com].
Consumers who receive a counterfeit item and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:
Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to:
E-mail: email@example.com
For additional information on this and other types of financial fraud, please visit OCC's anti-fraud resource at: https://www.occ.gov/topics/consumer-protection/fraud-resources/index-fraud-resources.html.


text:
Cognitive Flow: The Psychology of Great Game Design
March 22, 2012 Page 1 of 3
[Microsoft Studios user experience researcher Sean Baron takes a look into the often discussed, but rarely concisely defined, concept of Flow, and offers a succinct definition and suggestions for implementing conditions to help players get into the zone.]
You sit down, ready to get in a few minutes of gaming. Hours pass and you suddenly become aware that you're making ridiculous faces and moving like a contortionist while trying to reach that new high score. You ask yourself: Where did the time go? When did I sprain my ankle?
Maybe you didn't sprain your ankle, but if you consider yourself a gamer, you've probably ended up in similar situations. They happen because you've reached a critical level of engagement with whatever game you're playing.
More often than not, these types of gaming sessions occur when you're playing a great game. If game developers were able to characterize and add design considerations that facilitate these engaged states they'd create more enjoyable and better selling games.
Luckily, these heightened levels of engagement have been studied by psychologists. They even have a name for it: Cognitive Flow. In what follows, I will introduce Flow and the four characteristics of tasks that promote it. For each characteristic, I will provide some basic psychological perspectives and relevant recommendations for game developers.
In the 1970s a psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi experimentally evaluated Flow. He found that a person's skill and the difficulty of a task interact to result in different cognitive and emotional states. When skill is too low and the task too hard, people become anxious. Alternatively, if the task is too easy and skill too high, people become bored. However, when skill and difficulty are roughly proportional, people enter Flow states (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Flow, boredom, and anxiety as they relate to task difficulty and user skill level. Adapted from Csikszentmihalyi, 1990.
While in these states, people experience:
- Extreme focus on a task.
- A sense of active control.
- Merging of action and awareness.
- Loss of self-awareness.
- Distortion of the experience of time.
- The experience of the task being the only necessary justification for continuing it.
Csikszentmihalyi also outlined four characteristics found in tasks that drive an equilibrium between skill and difficulty, thus increasing the probability of Flow states. Specifically, these are tasks that:
- Have concrete goals with manageable rules.
- Demand actions to achieve goals that fit within the person's capabilities.
- Have clear and timely feedback on performance and goal accomplishment.
- Diminish extraneous distraction, thus facilitating concentration.
It is these four task characteristics that game developers should consider if they want to increase the likelihood of causing Flow states in gamers playing their games. I will now go into more detail about each characteristic.
Page 1 of 3


text:
When you travel on a City street, walk on the sidewalks, travel through the airport, dispose of garbage and enjoy the shade of a City-owned tree, you are benefiting from the diverse range of services that the Public Works Department provides. These are some of the most basic and critical services in our lives, yet many of us take them for granted.
The Public Works Department strives to operate, preserve, and enhance the City's physical infrastructure and transportation systems. The Department provides a variety of community services including the repair, rehabilitation and general upkeep of City streets, trees, sidewalks, and CIty structures. We also provide emergency support services throughout the City.
333 W. Ocean BlvdLong Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 570-6383


text:
ADDISON COUNTY — Last year's sugaring season was the shortest in recent memory. But this year, sugarmakers around Addison County say the season is at least getting off to a sweet start.
"I'm off to the best start I ever had," said Mike Christian, of Village Sugarworks in Orwell. "I've been sugaring for the better part of 40 years, 10 years on my own, and this is the best I've ever seen."


text:
AARP Travel Center Verified Reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotel98-room inn between Boston Aquarium and Faneuil Hall
Popular property highlights
Converted warehouse
Located between the financial district and waterfront across from the lively Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the eight-story granite hotel was built as a warehouse in 1858 and converted to a hotel in 1997.
Many dining options
This convenient location means that dozens of dining spots, including those at the Quincy Market food hall, lie within a two-block radius of the Harborside Inn Of Boston.
City or atrium views
Each of the 98 guestrooms at the Harborside Inn of Boston faces the sky-lit atrium or city. Rooms feature nautical decor with custom made teak furnishings, flat-panel TVs, and CD/DVD players.
Languages Spoken
Harborside Inn Of Boston
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
This Boston hotel offers a prime location across the street from Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, one of the city's top attractions. The waterfront is one block away.
Two lobby computers are available for guest use, and complimentary wireless Internet access is offered throughout the inn.
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Express check-in
- Library
- Bar/lounge
- Luggage storage
- Elevator/lift
- 24-hour front desk
- Business center
- Express check-out
- Year Built 1858
- Total number of rooms - 98
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Number of floors - 8
- Free WiFi
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Smoke-free property
- Multilingual staff
- Free newspapers in lobby
Family Friendly Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Languages Spoken
Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- DVD player
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free weekday newspaper
- Air conditioning
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Number of bathrooms -
- Partially open bathroom
- Daily housekeeping
Where to Eat
The Harborside Inn of Boston does not have its own restaurant, but there are numerous dining options within the surrounding area.
Nearby restaurants:
Union Oyster House
Mama Maria
Cheers - Faneuil Hall
Legal Sea Foods
Sel de la Terre
KingFish Hall
Nearby Things to Do
Visitors and locals sail, kayak, and row on the Charles River one mile from the hotel, and joggers run through parks on the river's banks.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Sailing nearby
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Optional extras
- Nearby parking fee: USD 30 per 24 hours
Hotel Name
- Boston Harborside
- Boston Harborside Inn
- Harborside Boston
- Harborside Inn
- Harborside Inn Boston
- Inn Boston
- Harborside Hotel Boston


text:
A band of miscreant puppets and six comedian puppeteers took to the stage at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on New Year's Eve, largely not knowing what the evening of improv puppetry had in store.
"Stuffed and Unstrung," Henson Alternative's foul-mouthed adult puppet show, succeeded in taking Orange County audiences behind the scenes of the Henson puppetry world, but an uninspiring audience at the Barclay put a damper on the evening's improvised humor.
"Stuffed and Unstrung" is your customary night at the improv — give or take 80 Jim Henson Co. puppets, each marvelously handcrafted and intricately detailed. And in true improv fashion, the setup was relaxed, casual and minimalistic, creating an unplugged performance.
That said, such a bare-bones production must rely on content to carry the show. Henson Alternative put everything on the line by handing over content control to the audience. Within these types of productions, audience suggestions for sketches can either make or break a show, sometimes regardless of the talent.
In the end, a performer is only as good as the material they are given. In this case, the improvisational sketches were sufficient but could have been funnier. However, this primarily resulted from lackluster audience suggestions. The humor was bizarre, not sophisticated or elegant. The concept of a talking puppet in some morphed Henson creature form is absurd to begin with. Add some alcohol to the mix, and the more you drink, the funnier it gets.
However, the night was not without its comedic highlights. An audience participation sketch involving a randomly selected married couple, Brandy and Brian, added an interesting twist to the evening's comedy when the two said that they trained monkeys as service animals.
In the sketch, two Henson puppeteers attempted to re-create the couple's first date at a fundraiser for the helper monkeys. As Brandy and Brian watched the recap, they let the puppeteers know how they were doing by hitting a bell for correct information and a buzzer for an inaccurate representation.
Overall, the audience volunteer pieces proved to be the most entertaining and full-proof sketches of the evening.
In addition to several song improvs, which included impressive off-the-cuff background vocals and harmony, a rap tune was added.
Host Patrick Bristow asked the audience for a name of a beloved children's' story, prompting a frat boy in the back of the auditorium to suggest a fictitious title: "Paris Hilton Goes to the Mall."
Ace comedian Victor Yerrid fearlessly took on the challenge, unleashing gut-busting rhymes that roasted the hotel chain heiress.
Other memorable sketches featured the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, puppets that appeared at the Grammys last year with recording artist Cee Lo; and a brand new original motto for Orange County concocted in ESPN cheer-squad style — "Bring Your Trophy Wives."
Aside from the improv, some scripted elements like vintage skits, pre-recorded video, and musical numbers were included in the production. A slice of history was uncovered in vintage works like Frank Oz's "Java" (1965) and Jane and Jim Henson's "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face" (1956). Both pieces had not been seen by live audiences in decades.
The content of the evening's "Stuffed and Unstrung" performance
grew dirtier as the evening progressed. But, the overall vibe of the audience was rather PG-13, almost childish. The mood reminded me of a young boy discovering his first curse word and then gradually trying to progress to worse things.
So, as the audience began to push the limits, the comedians were tasteful and careful about how far they pushed the envelope. Then again, this element of criticism depends on the audience, which really gauges the show through their suggestions.
What impressed me most about the production was how it was two shows in one.
Traditional walls were stripped down to reveal the puppeteer underneath the elevated camera lens; Meanwhile, two large, hi-resolution screens displayed the final product in a televised form. As a result, every seat in the house was a great seat. Also, the audience could watch either format simultaneously, which provided insight into puppetry techniques and what went on behind that wall.
Only in this format can eyes be opened to the arduous nature of puppetry, an art form that carries a childish stigma, and therefore an assumption of simplicity.
In reality, the truth lies far beyond the public's general assumptions. Beneath the camera elevated six feet above the stage lay a realm of mayhem: puppeteers stumbling over one another and tangled within a sea of arms as they tried to manipulate the puppets within the specified camera frame.
Puppeteering is challenging work. Try holding seven pounds over head for extended periods of time while improvising and moving the puppet's body and mouth in sync to those just-thought-of phrases! Then, add the uncertainty of improvisation.
The versatile performers made it look so easy.
At times, they played outside of their gender, age, and species. Victor Yerid, Drew Massey and Allan Trautman really took improv to the next level by simultaneously attaching a personality and corresponding voice to a variety of puppets.
Since most of the show was unscripted, not only did the comedians have to improvise, but so did all of the other production elements like the music, lighting and sound.
"Stuffed and Unstrung" allowed audiences to both rediscover puppetry, at times a lost art, through the thrill of improvisation, pop culture, and adult humor, as well take a peek behind the scenes of the art and craft of puppetry.
HEATHER YOUMANS reviews arts events for the Daily Pilot.


text:
Moderator: Cartographers
Ruben Cassar wrote:The mountains are looking a bit weird oak.
oaktown wrote:I think what I may end up doing is flipping the regions so that instead of having North and South Amazons I have Upper and Lower Amazons. This actually makes more sense geographically, and it means Upper is four territories (RIo Mad, Alto, Barra, Branca) with two borders, just as it is now, and lower is an easier to hold six territories with three borders.
dittoeevee8888 wrote:I dislike the mountains as well. They kind of look odd compared to the rest of the colours on the map. As well, they don't look like mountains to me. On the topic of mountains, I don't like how it kind of continues downward near Puelches while the actual game territory kind of cuts off before the mountians end.
I can't read the text under "brasil sudeste", as well.
by ZeakCytho on Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:30 am
The mountains look more like ropes than mountains
I feel like the sea color could use a hint of blue. Don't make it fully blue colored, but just add a tiny bit. Also, I'd move the latitude/longitude line layer under the South America continent layer but over the ocean, so you can see them over the ocean but they don't distract from the actual playable map.
qwert wrote:Any way,do you have in plan to put Army circle on map?
yeti_c wrote:Where's the image for number 3?
oaktown wrote:Option 3: I never take these poll seriously and always choose the smart-ass answer. 0, No votes
natty_dread wrote:I was wrong
Users browsing this forum: No registered users


text:
You are here
Is Your Business Moving? 6 Tips for Attracting Customers To Your New Location
Is Your Business Moving? 6 Tips for Attracting Customers To Your New Location
Businesses move for all sorts of reasons. Existing rents may be too high; neighboring anchor tenants may have left; or perhaps you just need a bigger premise for your growing business!
But how can you ensure your existing customers move with you and how can you go about attracting new customers to your new location? Here are six tips:
1. Communicate Pre-Move and Post-Move
First, be sure to use every available touch point to communicate with existing customers about your impending move—and well in advance. Utilize e-mail lists, your website, direct mail, flyers, blog, social media, advertising, press releases, in-store signage—the works. Be sure to include directions, information about what else is going on in that neighborhood and, if your move is for positive reasons, be bold and share those details. For example, if you are expanding, include a message that thanks your customers for their patronage and stresses your commitment to providing top notch service.
If you haven't been keeping a record of your customer emails and mailing addresses, use the news media and other avenues (see below) to spread the word about your move.
Don't forget to leave flyers with your neighbors after you've moved and request that they display them in their windows or at the point of sale.
2. Update Your Online Listings
Search engines are increasingly locally-centric in their search results. For example, if you enter "Italian restaurant" into a Google search, it will automatically display local businesses in your area first. So update (or create if you don't have them) your online listings, whether they are on Google+ Local, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Facebook, Trip Advisor or others. And, of course, don't forget to update your own website "Contact Us", "About Us" or "Find Us" page.
3. Use Location-Based Services to Attract Passersby
Don't forget to take advantage of mobile technology. Promoting your small business to passersby using mobile apps that target consumers in the vicinity of your business isn't that difficult. Groupon, Living Social, FourSquare and ThinkNear, among others, let you post information about your latest offers and limited-time deals to consumers within a certain distance of your business. You can also schedule deals to get delivered during key hours—for example, if you're looking to boost foot traffic during off-peak times.
4. Give Existing Customers an Incentive to Visit You at Your New Location
Your customers are your livelihood, treat them that way. Offer them incentives to stop by your new location. Make sure the offer is time-bound so they have a reason to check out your new digs soon!
5. Host an Event to Attract New and Existing Customers
Give customers a reason to fall in love with your store—not just for its products, but as a place to get together. Retail stores, bars, restaurants and other food service businesses, in particular, can benefit from hosting events. These can be educational in nature (bring in a guest speaker from a vendor or supplier if you don't have much to say yourself) or appreciation events (offer a sneak preview of your new location to your top customers). Events can also be tied to themes (date night or wine night) or holidays.
6. Don't Forget Customers That May Not Have Checked You Out for a While
Your new location might be more convenient to some of your older customers. So consider running a campaign that targets not only your active customer base, but those who may not have purchased from you in a while. Special offers or other incentives specifically targeted at that group and paired with a, "we'd love to see you again," message may just do the trick.
For more tips about attracting customers to your new business location read: 7 Ways to Increase Foot Traffic to your Small Business.
Useful Resources
- SBA SizeUp Tool – Want to know how your business stacks up against the competition? Where your potential competitors are located? Where the best places are to advertise your business? Use SBA's SizeUp tool to help you crunch millions of data points and get customizable reports and statistics about your business and its competition. Just enter your industry, city, state and other details. SizeUp then runs various reports and provides maps and data related to your competition, suppliers and customers. It also highlights potential advertising opportunities.
Related Articles
- How to Choose the Best Location for Your Business
- The Legal Steps Involved in Moving Your Business to a New State – FAQs Answered
About the Author:
Caron Beesley


text:
Winster Inc., a collaborative social games site that catered to Baby Boomers and seniors, has announced it will shut down on May 31.
The 8-year-old San Mateo company, which said in November the average age of its 3 million registered players was 50, said in a letter posted Tuesday that it no longer had the resources to continue.
"But all good things must come to an end eventually, and Winster is no exception," said the letter from co-founder Michelle Kaplan under the name of her company persona, Winnie Winster. "We simply can't continue to operate the web site in its current form. The resources and effort required to run the servers, distribute prizes, and support our staff are just too much to bear."
Winster called itself the "Club Penguin for older adults," referring to Disney's kid-centric online games site. Winster games include "Slot Social," "Poker Pals" and "Spell Squad." Players could help each other earn points redeemable for prizes.
Kaplan co-founded the company with her husband, CEO Jerry Kaplan, a serial entrepreneur who previously founded online auction site Onsale.com and pen computing company Go Corp. He was also the CEO of Egghead.com.
Many players posted comments on the company's Facebook page saying they will miss the friendships they made on Winster.
A company spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the announcement.


text:
Orioles outfielder Adam Jones donates $20,000 to Negro Leagues Museum
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones has made a $20,000 donation to Kansas City's Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Jones held a news conference Saturday to announce his support for the museum. His donation will provide free admission to the museum for children from Operation Breakthrough, which aids those in poverty.
"I want the opportunity to be able to further this great game of baseball that has helped me and countless friends of all races," Jones said. "Whatever happened in Boston was very unfortunate. But I think that it can start a conversation in terms of people need to help police people. Situations like that should not occur."
Earlier this month, Jones said he was taunted with racial slurs at Fenway Park during Baltimore's game against the Boston Red Sox.
Jones said with social media and technology, people are able to see things almost instantly, and he noted that racial division in the nation has made some people more brash.
"People are unafraid to show ugliness and hate right now," Jones said. "I personally don't understand it."


text:
Lifting Galois Representations, and a Conjecture of Fontaine and Mazur
Mumford has constructed $4$-dimensional abelian varieties with trivial endomorphism ring, but whose Mumford--Tate group is much smaller than the full symplectic group. We consider such an abelian variety, defined over a number field $F$, and study the associated $p$-adic Galois representation. For $F$ sufficiently large, this representation can be lifted to $\mathbf{G}_m(\mathbf{Q}_p)\times\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbf{Q}_p)^3$. Such liftings can be used to construct Galois representations which are geometric in the sense of a conjecture of Fontaine and Mazur. The conjecture in question predicts that these representations should come from algebraic geometry. We confirm the conjecture for the representations constructed here.
2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 11G10, 11F80, 14K15
Keywords and Phrases: geometric Galois representation, Fontaine--Mazur conjecture, motives
Full text: dvi.gz 52 k, dvi 142 k, ps.gz 255 k, pdf 285 k.
Home Page of DOCUMENTA MATHEMATICA


text:
The Ferrari Book
The official Ferrari book features a collection of the most beautiful images found on the Ferrari calendars over the last 30 years. The preface by Piero Ferrari makes it even more valuable.
The handsome publication dedicated to the Ferrari Legend contains around 250 color images. These photographs were taken by Günther Raupp for the official Ferrari calendar, a true cult item for enthusiasts around the world. The book is also available in an exclusive collector's edition comprised of copies numbered from 01 to 99 and autographed by Günther Raupp. While supplies last.
- Logo
- Composition: 100% Paper
We offer both Standard and Express shipping: choose the service that best meets your needs at checkout.
We provide an easy return service: just ship your items back to us with a shipping service of your choice within 30 days of delivery.


text:
Mitchell's City Hall Likely to Get Historic Title
MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) - Mitchell's city hall building appears destined for inclusion on the National Register for Historic Places despite the objections of city leaders.
The Daily Republic reports that the South Dakota State Historical Society State Review Board voted last week to make the building eligible.
State historic preservation specialist Liz Almlie will prepare and file a report to the National Park Service office responsible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mitchell City Council opposes the designation and voted 6-1 on Nov. 19 to ask the society not include the building. Members are concerned that the designation may limit the city's ability to remodel, or possibly demolish, the building.
State Historical Society director Jay Vogt says the national office almost always follows the recommendations of state offices.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


text:
LEED Professionals
Top questions
- How is project experience assessed within the LEED AP exam?
- How do I register for the exam?
- Where can I take the exam?
- How much does it cost to take the LEED Green Associate exam?
- Can I retake the exam if I fail?
- Do I get a break between the first part and second part of the LEED AP exam?
- What if I pass only one part of the LEED AP exam?
- If I pass the first part (the LEED Green Associate exam) but not the second (the specialty exam), can I call myself a LEED Green Associate?
- Can my exam score be reviewed?
- What happens if my exam application expires?
- Can I see the questions that I missed?
- Is LEED addenda included in the LEED professional exams?
Can't find what you're looking for?Ask a question
Have a question or comment?
(within U.S.)
(outside U.S.)
M-F 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM EST
U.S. Green Building Council
P.O. Box 404296
Atlanta, GA 30384-4296
2101 L Street, NW
Suite 500
Washington DC 20037


text:
Professional Photographer/Tennis Blogger Craig Doyle joins Phil to review the 2012 Men's and Ladies Finals, the apparent demise of Super Saturday and share their lists as to who they believe are the top ten female tennis players of all-time. You might me surprised at who they each selected.
To listen to the program from the site please click the link…Continue
Added by Phil Naessens Tennis Academy on September 15, 2012 at 6:44am — No Comments
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
Oz ISP, an Australian Internet Service Provider. Providing Broadband ADSL, Broadband ADSL2 & Wireless Broadband plan that suit your speed, budget and downloading needs.
We wish you a very and please visit us again!!! Thanks.
|The Social Traffic
Please feel free to comment or ask any question regarding Website Value Calculator (Website Worth) or SEO Tips


text:
Today, OECD launched the Your better Life Index, a project on which I had been involved for months.
The short
I'm happy with the launch, the traffic has been really good, and there was some great coverage.
The three main lessons are:
- Just because data is presented in an interactive way doesn't make it interesting. The project is interesting because the design was well-suited to the project. That design may not have worked in other contexts, and other tools may not have worked in this one.
- The critical skill here was design. There are many able developers, but the added value of this project was the ability of the team to invent a form which is unique, excellent and well-suited for the project.
- Getting a external specialists to develop the visualization was the critical decision. Not only did we save time and money, but the quality of the outcome is incomparable. What we ended up with was far beyond the reach of what we could have done ourselves.
The less short
Before going any further, I remind my kind readers that while OECD pays my bills, views are my own.
Early history of the project
OECD had been working on measuring progress for years and researching alternative ways to measure economy. In 2008-2009 it got involved in the Stiglitz-Fitoussi-Sen commission which came up with concrete recommendations on new indicators to develop. It was then that our communication managers started lobbying for a marketable OECD indicator, like the UN's Human Development Index or the Corruption Perception Index from Transparency International.
The idea was to come up with some kind of Progress Index, which we could communicate once a year or something. Problem – this was exactly against the recommendations of the commission, which warned against an absolute, top-down ranking of countries.
Eventually, we came up with an idea. A ranking, yes, but not one definitive list established by experts. Rather, it would be a user's index, where said user would get their own index, tailored to their preferences.
Still, the idea of publishing such an index encountered some resistance, some countries did not like the idea of being ranked… But at some point in 2010 those reserves were overcome and the idea was generally accepted.
Our initial mission
It was then that my bosses asked a colleague and I to start working on what such a tool could look like, and we started working based on the data we had at hand. I'll skip on the details of that but we first came up with something in Excel which was a big aggregation of many indicators. It was far from perfect (and further still from the final result) but it got the internal conversation going.
Meanwhile, our statistician colleagues were working on new models to represent inequality, and started collecting data for a book on a similar project, which will come out later this year ("How is Life?"). It made sense to join forces, we would use their data and their models, but will develop an interactive tool while they write their book, each project supporting the other one.
From prototypes to outsourcing
It wasn't clear then how the tool would be designed. Part of our job was to look at many similar attempts online. We also cobbled some interactive prototypes, I made one in processing, my colleague in flash. Those models were quite close to what we had seen, really. My model was very textbook stuff, one single screen, linked bar charts. Quite basic too.
I was convinced that in order to be marketable, our tool needed to be visually innovative. Different, yes, but not against the basic rules of infovis! No 3D glossy pie or that kind of stuff. Unique, but in a good way. There was also some pressure to use the existing infovis tools used by OECD. We have one, for instance, which we had introduced for subnational statistics and which was really good for that, and which we have used since then in other contexts, with mixed success. My opinion was that using that tool as is on this project would bury it.
That's my 1st lesson here. I'll take a few steps back here.
In 2005, the world of public statistics was shaken by the introduction of gapminder. The way that tool presented statistics, and the huge success of the original TED talk – which attracted tens of millions of viewers – prompted all statistical offices to consider using data visualization, or rather in our words to produce "dynamic charts", as if the mere fact that gapminder was interactive was the essence of its success. The bulk of such initiatives was neither interesting nor successful. While interactivity opens new possibilities, it is a means and certainly not than an end in itself. Parenthese closed.
At this stage, the logical conclusion was that we needed to have a new tool developed from scratch, specifically suited for the project. Nothing less would give it the resonance that we intended. My colleague lobbied our bosses, who took it to their bosses, and all the way to the Secretary-General of OECD. This went surprisingly well, and soon enough we were granted with a generous envelope and tasked with finding the right talent to build the tool.
Selecting talent
So our job shifted from creating a tool and campaigning for the project to writing specifications that could be understood by external developers. We had to "unwrite" our internal notes describing our prototypes and rewrite them in a more abstract way, trying to describe functionality rather than how we thought we could implement it (i.e. "the user can select a country" rather than "and when they click on a country, the middle pane changes to bla bla bla".)
Being a governmental organization we also had to go through a formal call for tenders process, where we'd have a minimum number of bidders and an explicit decision process that could justify our choices.
This process was both very difficult and very interesting. Difficult because we had many very qualified applicants and not only could we only choose one, but that choice had to be justified, vetted by our bosses, which would take time. And it was rewarding because all took a different approach to the project and to the selection process. What heavily influenced the decision process was (nod to the 2nd lesson I outlined) whether the developers showed potential to create something visually unique. We found that many people were able to answer functionally to what we had asked. But the outcome probably wouldn't match the unspoken part of our specifications. We needed people who could take the project beyond technical considerations, and imbue it with the creative spirit that would make it appealing to the widest audience.
Working with a developer
When we officially started to work with the selected developer – a joint effort by Moritz Stefaner and RauReif, some time had passed since we had introduced the project to them. When Moritz started presenting some visual research (which by the way has very little to do with the final site) I was really surprised by how much this was different what we had been working on. And that's my 3rd lesson here.
We had become unable to start again from a blank sheet of paper and to re-imagine the project from scratch. We were too conditioned by the other projects we had seen and our past prototypes that we lacked that mental agility. Now that's a predicament that just can't affect an external team. Besides, even if we had the degree of mastery of our developers in flash or visual design (and we don't), we still had our normal jobs to do, meetings to attend and all kind of office contingencies, and we just couldn't be that productive. Even if we had equivalent talent inhouse, it would still had been more effective to outsource it.
What I found most interesting in our developers approach is that it underplayed the accuracy of the data. The scores of each country were not shown, nor the components of that score. That level of detail was initially hidden, which produced a nice, simple initial view. But added complexity could be revealed by selecting information, following links etc. At any time, the information load would remain manageable.
Two things happened in a second phase. On one hand, Moritz had that brilliant idea of a flower. I instantly loved it, so did the colleagues who worked with me since the start of the project. But it was a very hard sale to our management who would have liked something more traditional. Yet that flower form was exactly what we were after: visually unique, a nice match with the theme of the project, aesthetically pleasing, an interesting construction, many possibilities of variation… Looking back, it's still not clear how we managed to impose that idea that almost every manager hated. The most surprising is that one month after everybody had accepted that as an evidence.
On the other, the written part of the web site, which was initially an afterthought of the project, really gained in momentum and importance, both in terms of contents and design. Eventually the web site would become half of the project. What's interesting is that the project can cater to all kinds of depths of attention: it takes 10 seconds to create an index, 1 minute to play with various hypotheses and share the results on social networks, but one could spend 10 more minute reading the page of a country or of a topic, and several hours by checking the reference texts linked from these pages…
Closing thoughts
Fast forward to the launch. I just saw a note from Moritz that says that we got 60k unique visitors and 150k views. That's about 12 hours after the site was launched (and, to be honest, it has been down during a couple of these 12 hours, but things are fine now)!! those numbers are very promising.
When we started on that project we had an ambition for OECD. But beyond that, I hoped to convince our organization and others of the interest of developing high-quality dataviz projects to support their messages. So I am really looking forward to see similar projects that this one might inspire.