text:
Life is Short
"The span of our life is seventy years,
Perhaps in strength even eighty;
Yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
For they pass away quickly and we are gone (Ps. 90:12)
"O God, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered: Make us, we pray, deeply aware of the shortness and uncertainty of human life…BCP, p.504)."
Life is short. We are reminded of this when someone dies before their time. My wife and I have a good friend named Roger who died a week ago at age 61. He retired two years ago and was just getting into the groove of his new life when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After a year of heroic fighting and various surgeries and therapies, the end came quickly. His death hit us hard, not only because he was a good friend, but because he was just two years older than we are.
Death has a way of reorienting us. One of my first reactions to his death was to think about what I want to do before I die. Such a reaction is not necessarily a bad thing. But if it leads us to live our lives in fear, frenetically trying to do everything on our bucket list before it is too late, I think we will be sorely disappointed. Who wants to live driven by fear? However, if it leads us to be intentional about how we live rather than drifting along with the prevailing winds, then we are on the right road. For example, if we are afraid to leave a job we don't like, confronting "the shortness and uncertainty of human life" may move us to action. Oscar Wilde once said, "I don't want to earn a living, I want to live." At the end of the day we may indeed have to stay in our less than satisfying job, but there is no excuse for not exploring alternatives.
Awareness of the shortness and uncertainty of life draws our attention to our relationships. It is so easy to put off the next visit to our parents, siblings, or a best friend because there will always be next year. Who knows? We may be aware that we are not spending enough time with our families, but keep telling ourselves that we will eventually re-order our priorities. The fact of the matter is that there are no guarantees that we will always have more time to make those changes.
Finally, awareness of our mortality turns our attention to God: "Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to another (90:1)." The antidote to living in fear of death is knowing that God is with us. This is one of the reasons it is important to go to funerals and visit people at the time of death, and not shield ourselves from death. Avoiding the reality of death only increases our anxiety. Awareness of the shortness and uncertainty of our lives opens us to placing our trust in the enduring reliability of God. As St. Paul put it: we discover that nothing, not even death, can ever separate from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom 8: 38—39).
Life is short. Let us live fully the days God gives us and place our trust in a power stronger than death.


text:
Board of Trustees
Shauna Woods, President
Shauna Woods is President of the Pace Woods Foundation. She is also Trustee Emeritus and past Chair of the Board of both the Seattle Repertory Theatre and Hedgebrook, a women's writing retreat on Whidby Island, where she currently serves as Treasurer. She is a former Washington State Arts Commissioner and also served on the Arts Fund Allocation Committee, a non-profit organization that provides operating funds for over 60 arts organizations in King County, WA. She is the past Chair and Treasurer of the Center for Women & Democracy and has participated in women's leadership and political training sessions in Mexico and the United States and in the Center's leadership delegations to Cuba, Sweden and the Baltics, South Africa, Chile, Morocco and Vietnam.
Shauna's professional background is in international business and finance and has worked for Citibank in New York and Brazil as Vice-President of Corporate Banking, focusing on multinational corporations and project loans. She has spent 11 years living outside the United States, in Tunisia, Brazil and Mexico. She also worked as Vice President for Programs for the World Affairs Council in Seattle. She holds various degrees, including a Master's in Science and Education from Northwestern University, an MBA in International Business and BA in French Literature from the George Washington University.
Lisa Woods Kilbourne Briggs, Vice President
Lisa Woods Kilbourne Briggs is a retired Airline Transport Pilot and entrepreneur. Upon receiving her pilot's certificate in 1970 she went on to become a Flight Instructor for Flight Safety International in Vero Beach Florida. She became an international delivery pilot (known in the industry as a "ferry pilot") in 1979, delivering factory new aircraft to destinations all over the world including Europe, Africa, the South Pacific, Asia and the Middle East. She accomplished many firsts for women in that industry and still holds the class AA Turboprop speed record from Gander Newfoundland to Shannon Ireland. She delivered everything from single engine piston aircraft to jets.
In 1993 Lisa formed Great Circle Aviation, Inc. a full service aircraft charter company in Dunkirk, New York. Starting with one turboprop aircraft the company grew to a fleet of seven jets and two turboprops based in many cities in New York and Ohio. Lisa served as Chief Pilot, Check Airman and finally President and Director of Operations. During her tenure Great Circle Aviation received the coveted ARG/US Platinum Safety rating. This is the highest safety rating and is only awarded for those companies that have an impeccable safety record and have passed an on site audit identical to the Department of Defense inspections.
Lisa sold the company in 2006, and became Chief Pilot for Demco, a Buffalo based company, flying as Captain on a Learjet 55.
Lisa still lives in Dunkirk, NY and has a summer residence on Madeline Island in La Pointe, WI.
Anyone who has seen the aircraft hanging in the Lincoln Municipal Airport will understand where her interest in aviation may have started as her grandfather, F. Pace Woods' company manufactured the Arrow Sport.
Ward F. Hoppe, Secretary
Ward F. (Fred) Hoppe is a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, and is a member at The Hoppe Law Firm, LLC. He concentrates his practice in the area of real estate agency, transactions and development.
Mr. Hoppe owns and manages Hoppe Homes, LP, and, as a builder and developer of affordable and low income tax credit housing, is a Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP).
Mr. Hoppe is also President of Hoppe, Inc., a real estate ownership, operation and development company. Mr. Hoppe has participated in all facets of the development of low income housing tax credit projects: application, syndication, construction, operation and management. He currently has an interest in ten such projects. The projects are both single and multi-family.
He is a member of the Central Nebraska Home Builders Association, the Home Builders Association of Lincoln, the Nebraska State Home Builders Association. He is past President of both the Home Builders Association of Lincoln and Nebraska State Home Builders Association. Mr. Hoppe is active in the National Home Builders Association as a life director from Central Nebraska and for 2005 and 2006 as a National Vice President serving area 11 (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma). He has been a Multi-Family Trustee, on the Budget Committee, Chairman of the Association Planning Committee, Chairman of the Commercial Builders Council and Vice-Chairman of the Task Force for the Future and vice chairman of the Legal Action Committee.
Mr. Hoppe is a founding and current director of Nebraska Housing Resource, a non-profit corporation which develops affordable lots and opportunities for low-income persons to obtain affordable housing. NHR cooperates with the City of Lincoln and Nebraska Department of Economic development to provide program financing for affordable home ownership.
Mr. Hoppe graduated from Denison University in 1971 with a B.A. in English. He graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1973 with a Juris Doctor. He is admitted to practice in Nebraska and before the United States District Court of Nebraska. Before entering into the private law practice in Lincoln, he was a captain in the United States Air Force.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The quality and value of science do not rest solely on the efforts of researchers who ask important questions and develop novel ways to answer them but also on the efforts of individuals who ensure that the questions are indeed important, the paths to the answers are rigorous, and the message is clear and balanced. At present, the tool most commonly used to judge scientific research is the process known as "peer review." Peer reviewers play a key role in contributing to the quality, the value, and even the reputation of science. Yet, many individuals come up with a variety of reasons for not participating in this valuable service to the scientific community. Here I present 7 reasons I have heard for not being a peer reviewer—and why these reasons are wrong.
Reason 1: I Have Too Little Experience to Be a Good Reviewer
Do not be fooled by the idea that only experts can provide good reviews. According to a senior editor at Nature (1), postdoctoral fellows are the best reviewers because "they are at the top of their game, well versed in the literature and politically naïve enough to tell the truth." Additionally, assistant professors have been shown to produce higher-quality reviews than full professors (2), and a 2010 study (3) found that, for one specialty journal, peer-review decisions by graduate students were as stringent as the decisions by faculty peer reviewers. Experience may be a good teacher, but desire and attitude (which are not age dependent) can make up for experience. Therefore, the excuse of too little experience is a weak one.
There are 3 ways to get your foot in the door. The first way is to establish a track record of publishing well-written papers that are cited by others. When editors seek potential peer reviewers, they often look at the articles cited in the submitted paper. If your work is among the list of cited articles, the chances of your being asked to review a manuscript increase. Editors also regularly use databases such as PubMed and the Thomson Reuters (ISI) Web of Knowledge to identify peer reviewers. If your publications are identified by searches of these databases, then you may be asked to serve as a reviewer. Indexing services rely on key words and terms to sort and identify publications, so remember to give careful consideration to the key words and terms you use in your own publications (4, 5).
The second way is to introduce yourself to editors when you see them at conferences, or send them a note indicating your interest in serving the journal. List any publications you have so that the editor can see the specific area of focus of your research and any experience you have in scientific writing. A third way is to volunteer to co-review a submitted manuscript with a colleague, advisor, or senior faculty member. In most cases these individuals are happy to have your involvement. You can bring a potentially fresh viewpoint, can help in literature searches comparing the submitted work to previous studies, can help translate criticisms into constructive comments, and can even balance any potential reviewer bias that could arise. If you do act as a co-reviewer, be sure that the editor is informed and verifies that a co-review is acceptable.
Regardless of how you receive your first invitation to act as a peer reviewer, the key is to do a timely and helpful review. Respond quickly when asked to review a manuscript and meet the requested turnaround time for the return of the review. The reputation of a journal relies in part on offering a timely response to authors after manuscript submission. Tardy reviewers are often not asked to review a second time.
Reason 2: I Am Not Good at Criticizing Other People's Work
The thought behind this statement may actually make you a better reviewer than someone who sees the job of a peer reviewer as the expert who is obligated to criticize (be critical of) a scientific study. Peer reviewers are supposed to provide comments and suggestions—not criticisms—that are constructive rather than destructive. L. Henry Edmunds, editor of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, has stated (6) that the most important insight a reviewer can provide is to educate authors on ways that a study could be or could have been improved so that authors can make a current or future manuscript better. He calls these constructive suggestions "the gift from Anonymous," referring to the contributions that an individual unknown to the author can make.
In fact, a critical review is a process in which both the strengths and weaknesses of a submitted paper are considered. It is a process whereby one considers the value of the work in relation to what is already known about a topic, whether the question being asked is valid, whether the methods used to answer the question are complete and robust, and whether the answer adds to existing knowledge. As a peer reviewer you provide feedback and a recommendation, but not the final decision. The final decision rests with the editor, who one hopes uses the feedback from 2 or more reviewers as well as his/her judgment and experience. Also remember that a peer reviewer provides advice to the journal as well as to the author.
Reason 3: I Need to Understand the Entire Study to Serve as a Peer Reviewer
Although you should accept assignments to review papers only in your area of expertise, it is not always necessary that you be an expert in every aspect of the study. Some studies involve multiple types of experimental protocols, analytical techniques, and statistical analyses. Editors recognize that some studies require 2 to 3 peer reviewers with different areas of expertise. A clinician may be selected to review patient treatment, whereas a reviewer in basic science may be selected to evaluate the methods in a study. In some cases, the expertise of a statistician may be sought. Therefore, it is not critical that you be an expert in every aspect of a submitted study.
Regardless of your breadth of expertise, several good practices should be followed when reviewing a paper. First, it is helpful (and fair) to the editor and authors for you to perform a preliminary read of the manuscript soon after accepting the assignment. That way, if you find that you have too little expertise in the topic or study design, you can quickly let the editor know that you have read the submission and discovered that you are not the most appropriate person to do the peer review. The editor can then assign a new individual without undue delay. A good editor will not be upset with you, especially if the editor knows you have read the paper and were honest in assessing your ability to do a proper review. Your honesty will be remembered.
Second, you should provide comments only for those aspects of the submitted manuscript for which you have some knowledge. Like you, editors cannot be experts in all aspects of science, and if you comment (especially negatively) on some aspect of the study, the editor may give the comment more credence than it deserves. Third, let the editor know of aspects of the study that you cannot properly evaluate. This information will help the editor recognize that input from an additional peer reviewer may be warranted.
Reason 4: If I Do Not Recommend Rejection, I Will Be Obligated to See One or More Revisions
I call this reason the "gift that keeps on giving" excuse. Even if you recommend rejection, the editor and the other reviewer(s) may see merit in the study that you did not, and the authors will be asked to revise and resubmit their work. In such a case, you will be asked to reevaluate the work in light of the changes the authors have made after taking into account your previous comments. So, taking the easy route by recommending rejection does not always work.
Yes, the recommendation from a peer reviewer is one component in helping an editor decide whether a submitted manuscript is worthy of (or ready for) publication. More importantly, however, as a peer reviewer you should consider resubmissions as an opportunity, not an obligation, to see how the authors responded to your comments and how your input might have improved the manuscript.
Reason 5: Peer Review Benefits Only Authors
Senior researchers reach a point at which they feel that they rarely learn anything from doing a peer review. Many individuals feel that the recognition/reward system is flawed, because the effort required for a peer review appears to outweigh the benefits. In reality, being a peer reviewer benefits everyone, including you as the reviewer (7,–,9). Peer review:
Lets you see the newest and potentially highest-impact research.
Helps you become a better scientist by learning from the types of mistakes that authors make.
Lets you learn from the comments made by the other reviewers of the same study, if the journal grants you access to them.
Helps you become a better writer by seeing how others have formulated a question, presented their message, organized their data and results, created tables and figures, and discussed the strengths and limitations of a study.
Helps you learn how to respond to reviewer comments.
Provides insight into how editors and authors think.
May be a positive contributor in an individual's evaluation for promotion and tenure.
Is an avenue to appointment to editorial boards of journals.
Reason 6: I Will Likely Miss Something, and a Poor Study Will Get Published
Join the club. Contact your colleagues, and ask if any of them were ever taught how to evaluate and comment on a scientific paper. The closest learning experience that many of us had was a journal club, where we saw the final product after one or more rounds of review and editing. We did not know what the reviewers saw as issues with the original submission, i.e., what actually took place during the review process. What we did learn from journal clubs was that even after peer review and publication, we were sometimes able to find aspects of the study that could have been improved, limitations that could have been discussed, better ways to have addressed the question, and so on.
So you will miss something from time to time, but keep in mind that you have the other reviewers, the editor, and the publisher on your peer-review team. Editors select reviewers knowing that it takes more than one individual (and more than one set of eyes) to cover all the bases. You generally get the opportunity to see revisions of a paper and thus have the opportunity to change or reinforce your earlier recommendation about acceptance. Journals such as Clinical Chemistry have deputy editors who also look at every paper recommended for acceptance and identify problems that reviewers may have missed. A good production editor will also look for inconsistencies, lack of clarity, misidentified figures, and other items. The bottom line is that you alone are not responsible for the outcome of a submitted paper.
Reason 7: I Know the Authors
You are sometimes going to know the authors because they are likely to be in the same area of interest as you are. That does not mean that you cannot (or should not) do the review. Even if you feel uncomfortable, in some cases you are the best person to do the review. If you can do a fair, thorough evaluation of the work, then do so. On the other hand, if you have coauthored prior papers with the authors of the submitted manuscript, are going to write up a similar study, or have a bias against the authors, you have a conflict of interest and must excuse yourself as a reviewer.
Regarding conflict of interest, you, as an individual who is familiar with the authors' submitted work, may be in the best position to identify conflicts of interest the authors have that should be pointed out to the editor. So, even if you feel uncomfortable performing the peer review, you may still be in a position to help the editor, journal, and scientific community by highlighting the authors' potential conflict of interest. The editor can then take the proper action or independently verify that an important conflict of interest exists.
Final Thoughts
Peer review serves an important role in scientific publication. You can come up with any number of excuses to avoid being a peer reviewer. So why should you be a peer reviewer? Because it is better to give and receive.
Author Contributions: All authors confirmed they have contributed to the intellectual content of this paper and have met the following 3 requirements: (a) significant contributions to the conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; (b) drafting or revising the article for intellectual content; and (c) final approval of the published article.
Authors' Disclosures or Potential Conflicts of Interest: Upon manuscript submission, all authors completed the Disclosures of Potential Conflict of Interest form. Potential conflicts of interest:
Employment or Leadership: T.A. Annesley, Clinical Chemistry, AACC.
Consultant or Advisory Role: None declared.
Stock Ownership: None declared.
Honoraria: None declared.
Research Funding: None declared.
Expert Testimony: None declared.
- Received for publication January 12, 2012.
- Accepted for publication January 19, 2012.
- © 2012 The American Association for Clinical Chemistry


text:
by Nancy Campbell
Nancy Campbell delivers a message of peace and hope from God when He anoints your home with His presence.
Order your copy of "Home Sweet Home" today and start basking in the anointing of a home in peace.
Your copy is available right now for Only $7.99 (plus shipping).
Order your Teaching CD today. Listen to it, and examine the contents for a full 30 days. If after examining the Teaching CD you feel that this material is defective, call us and tell us you'd like to receive a replacement Teaching CD.
We'll ship you a new Teaching CD right away.
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund minus shipping costs. You are responsible for shipping costs related to sending the returned items back to Above Rubies.
We'll pay the return shipping costs IF the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
You can reach us Toll free in the US at 877-729-9861. If you live outside of the US please use 931-729-9861.
Office Hours are from 9am - 4pm, Monday - Friday, Central Standard Time
This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!


text:
Available in our inventory for Quick Ship. Our Quick Ship wall bed collection features brand new items in our U.S. warehouses available for delivery in 2-4 weeks. Please inquire about our selection of Quick Ship closet and shelving solutions which integrate seamlessly with this product.
This item will ship from our West Coast warehouse. It is available for delivery throughout North America, however delivery locations outside of our West Coast delivery zone will incur additional lead time and shipping costs.
Scroll down for additional configurations or browse all Quick Ship Ulisse Dining options.
Average lead time: 2-4 Weeks
The Ulisse Dining is a queen-size wall bed featuring an integrated dining table that can seat up to five people. This sophisticated space-saving Murphy bed offers a modern solution to the time-tested issue of space in the home — allowing you to create a multifunctional living space without sacrificing comfort or style.
For nighttime use, simply open the unit and lower it over the table to reveal a queen-size bed. The Ulisse Dining table is expertly designed to remain level as it pivots downward to set horizontally beneath the bed.
The Ulisse Dining can be installed in virtually any space to provide an effortless transformation from bedroom to office, den or dining room.
See all current configurations
We are committed to bringing unprecedented style and functionality to your home, wherever you are. Our design team is happy to work with you remotely, where you can expect the same level of attention and detail, and a customer-focused experience.
Call Us Anytime 212-753-2039
Email a Design Expert firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Oana Inel
|Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, IBM Amsterdam
|Semantic Web; Digital Humanities; Human Interpretation - Crowdsourcing
|Oana is a PhD student in the Computer Science department at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Previously, she received her M.Sc. diploma at the same department. Her research focuses on gathering semantic interpretations across data types and domains and contextualizing the information by means of events with the help of automated tools and crowdsourcing. In Clariah, Oana is working on the DIVE+ tool and the integration of the crowdsourcing module - the CrowdTruth framework.


text:
Grizzly RUV Merits "Best New Product or Service of the Year - Industrial Products & Services"
(Kitchener, ON, Canada - August 14, 2013) Clearpath Robotics announced today that it was named the winner of the Gold Stevie® Award for "Best New Product or Service of the Year - Industrial Products & Services" in the 10th Annual International Business Awards. Clearpath's new product to be recognized for the Gold Stevie is their most recent robotic platform, Grizzly Robotic Utility Vehicle (RUV).
International Business Awards (IBAs) are one of the world's top premier business award programs. The Stevie Awards, nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word "crowned," were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working people worldwide.
More than 3,300 nominations from organizations in over 50 nations and territories were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others. The Stevie Award winners were selected by more than 250 executives worldwide who participated in the judging process this year.
"The 2013 International Business Awards are noteworthy for featuring the best collection of entries we have ever received," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. "The judges have been unanimous in their comments about the quality of achievements, and the expertise with which they were portrayed, in the nominations we received this year. We extend our most heartfelt congratulations to all of this year's Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners."
Clearpath Robotics introduced Grizzly RUV in March 2013. The autonomous vehicle is engineered to handle harsh, dangerous environments. With four high-torque motors, rugged 26" all-terrain tires, class-leading ground clearance, a solid steel chassis, 48V at 400Ah of power, and a base weight of 1450lbs, it is ideal for industrial applications, particularly in agriculture, mining and defense.
"We are honored to be recognized by the International Business Awards and congratulate all of the nominees and fellow honorees for their achievements", said Matt Rendall, CEO of Clearpath Robotics. "Grizzly Robotic Utility Vehicle is the first of its kind in the industry and the team here at Clearpath is beyond excited for their acknowledged accomplishment - Grizzly would not have come to fruition without the dedicated, awesome team of engineers that stand behind it."
Details about The International Business Awards and the list of Stevie Award winners are available at http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/408_2219_24132.cfm. The awards will be presented to winners at a gala awards banquet at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain on 14 October 2013.
About Clearpath Robotics
Clearpath Robotics, a global leader in unmanned vehicle robotics for research and development, is dedicated to automating the world's dullest, dirtiest, and deadliest jobs. The Company serves leading researchers in over 30 countries worldwide in academic, corporate and military environments. Recognizing the value of future innovation, Clearpath Robotics established PartnerBot, a grant program to support university robotics research teams, internationally. Clearpath Robotics provides robust solutions that are engineered for performance, designed for customization, and built for open source. Visit Clearpath Robotics at www.clearpathrobotics.com, follow us on Twitter @clearpathrobots or like us on Facebook.
About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in five programs: The International Business Awards, The American Business Awards, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.
Featured Product
DENSO Small Assembly Robots
DENSO is the world's largest manufacturer - and user - of small assembly robots, employing over 17,000 of its robots in its own facilities. Over 77,000 additional DENSO robots are used by other companies worldwide. The compact, high-speed robots are used in traditional manufacturing sectors, as well as in advanced-technology applications in the medical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Learn more about DENSO Robotics


text:
This is a year of firsts at Wimbledon: the first eleven-hour match, the first time Federer has caused us to worry; and the first time poetry and prose have really shone alongside the players. First the Guardian's live blog of Isner vs. Mahut, written by Xan Brooks, reached soul-stirring heights. It should be bound and sold, or at least included in any (or every, there are sure to be many) book published about the event. The zombie trope worked well and was very funny (particularly the bits about Isner's arms and legs falling off and the lady who needed a lobotomy after the sixth hour), but I liked the sublime passages, too:
I'm wondering if maybe an angel will come and set them free. Is this too much to ask? Just one slender angel, with white wings and a wise smile, to tell them that's it's all right, they have suffered enough and that they are now being recalled. The angel could hug them and kiss their brows and invite them to lay their rackets gently on the grass. And then they could all ascend to heaven together. John Isner, Nicolas Mahut and the kind angel that saved them.
Xan Brooks, perhaps you wondered why you'd gotten stuck on the live-blog beat when you're clearly such a talented writer of creative non-fiction, but I say (to continue your Biblical allusions), who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
The second bit of wonderful writing comes from the pen of the first Championship Poet at Wimbledon, Matt Harvey. He wrote a poem which begins:
Bounce bounce bounce bounce
thwackety wackety zingety ping
hittety backety pingety zang
wack, thwok, thwack, pok.
Harvey told the BBC: "Thwok! is my generic tennis poem....I inflicted it on some people on Henman Hill this morning. I picked them especially because they had two bottles of bubbly already open. I told them I was included in the ticket price."
You must listen to him read it in full on the BBC site. You can hear the laughs of said inebriated tennis fans in the background. It's almost like being there.


text:
There's nothing more satisfying that capturing a photo you've wanted to get for a long time. For me, it was freezing a ball tack sharp between the pitcher and the batter with both out of focus. On Thursday I shot the Blaine vs Lynden Christian varsity boys baseball game for The Bellingham Herald. There was not a lot of action on the field, so I concentrated on the pitchers.
Blazing Glory!! Sunsets in Bellingham, Wash.
The past few weeks have offered some blazing and glorious sunsets here in Bellingham, Wash. One of the things I like to shoot during sunsets are something different than what everyone else shoots: the sunset. It's nice to get something better. During one particular evening, the sight of the setting Sun was too much to bear. I just had to shoot it.
Bellingham Waterfront
Women's March on Bellingham, Wash.
In support of the Woman's March on Washington, over 7,500 people participated in the Women's March on Bellingham, Wash. Counts were unclear as the Bellingham police said the crowd is the largest they have ever seen for any kind of march, protest, or demonstration.
The National Anthem
Tips to Photograph a Full Moon and Mountain Alpenglow
Ever wonder how some photographers can balance the light of a rising Moon with the Sun lighting the mountains? How they get that "perfectly" exposed Moon with a beautiful color on the mountain peaks? It's really not that hard.
Waiting on the Moon
My "Best" Photos of 2016
From sweeping landscapes to portraits to news, these are my "best" photos from 2016. A night shooting the Perseids at Artist Point, documenting the Presidential Election, a surprise engagement, a rare snowstorm, and vigil for the Pulse Nightclub shooting victims topped my favorites.
After a rough edit, these are the 18 I've picked as my favorites. To see my rough edit, visit my gallery Year in Photos: My Favorites.


text:
I must be making up for lost time these days for not eating my brussel sprouts as a kid. They got such a bad rep and all they were trying to do was provide us with heaps of folic acid, Vitamin C and K + beta-carotene. My only introduction to them before I began experimenting with them myself, involved eating them basically plain, just lightly steamed. Which even now doesn't sound all that appetizing. As with most vegetables, it's all about what you do with them. We all know a vegetable hater or two I am sure, but with a little creativity and some serious flavour, I think anyone can be converted.
I remember back when I was first teaching myself how to cook after I began eating a vegan diet in a very "meat-and-potatoes" kind of family. I would search for the perfect recipe, review it like 100 times, begin cooking, and check back in every step to make sure I was doing it just right. SO stressful. As time has progressed and my confidence in the kitchen has grown, I now rarely use a recipe. I look at the recipes of others for inspiration or ideas for flavour combinations but I have a really hard time playing by someone else's rules step by step. Recipes are an amazing place to start but it wasn't until I freed myself from the stress of recipes (or should I say stress-ipes) that I truly started to fall in love with creating food. Cooking is now my greatest form of creative expression and I never feel more in the flow than when I am creating something out of nothing in my kitchen. I encourage you to take every recipe you encounter as only a guide, and play around. Trust yourself enough to try new things. Add a little of something extra, swap this out for that.. Cultivate a sense of empowerment in your kitchen, because while recipes work, nobody knows your tastes better than you.
This recipe has such Autumn flavours to it, and is one you may want to put aside for the upcoming holiday season (even thought it is WAY too early to be talking about that). I really like using a thinly sliced or shaved consistency of the sprouts instead of their typical whole or halved version. While bacon is a common pairing with brussel sprouts, I found the walnuts added a similar crunch and flavour profile, while the dressing adds a bit of zest. Plus avocado. Enough said.
Warm Brussel Sprout + Avocado Salad
2 cups brussel sprouts, whole
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp walnuts, crumbled
1/2 avocado, diced
1 tsp coconut oil
Apple Cider Tahini Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp water
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
1. Thinly slice the brussel sprouts lengthwise or use a mandolin so they have a shaved texture.
2. Combine all ingredients of dressing into a blender and whiz up until smooth.
3. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add the brussel sprouts. Stir and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then add in the sliced red onion, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
4. Stir in the diced avocado in the pan. I like to mix it in to heat it up slightly, but if you prefer cold avocado, then allow the salad to cool and mix in after.
5. Toss with a desired amount of dressing.
6. Feast away.
Try out the recipe and let me know what you think! Comment in the section below or post a photo and tag @manifeastnutrition <3 Bon manifeast my friends!


text:
Chart a course for business success.
Consumers are engaging, more than ever, with brands that directly reflect their values and lifestyles.
Retailers, in response, are turning to emerging brands to drive category growth. The result is an unprecedented opportunity for innovative consumer product manufactures to grow distribution, stand out in the marketplace and win with key retailers and shoppers. The Inmar Center for Brand Excellence was established to help emerging brands fully leverage this opportunity and take a more strategic approach to their growth.
The Center helps brands:
- Define their core shoppers and understand their purchase behavior.
- Understand the key drivers in their category and identify opportunities for growth.
- Pursue strategic expansion targeting current and potential retail partners.
- Establish sustainable best practices for trade and consumer promotions.
- Plan, execute, measure and refine promotion activity by retailer.
At the Inmar Center for Brand Excellence we know, first-hand, the intricate challenges that brands face in all phases of growth. With deep experience in manufacturing, expansive category insights and access to the solutions offered through the Inmar Promotion Network, we are uniquely positioned to help brands chart a course for business success.
Ready to get started?
If you'd like to know more about working with the Center for Brand Excellence, contact us using one of the methods below and we'll be in touch.
Call (866) 440-6917 or email: email@example.com


text:
Homer vs My Mum
In one respect, Homer is rather like my mum. He likes to wander off from the point, and give me information I don't need, about characters I'll never see, which doesn't enhance my understanding of his story. Such as –
Then he killed Alkathoös, dear son of the god-ordained King Aisyëtes. He was the son-in-law to Anchises, married to the eldest of his daughters, Hippogameia. She was loved with all their hearts by her father and honoured mother in their house, since she surpassed all girls of her age in handcraft and sense – and so it was the best man in the broad land of Troy that married her.
I get it, Homer, Alkathoös was a bit special. But, since I don't remember reading about him before, and now he's dead, won't be featuring later, I don't need to know this stuff.
My mum's way of doing things –
Mum : You know Mary's husband?
Me : No.
Mum : Sure you do, the dentist with the frizzy hair.
Me : Not ringing any bells.
Mum : He's the one who put dog mess through his neighbour's door after they let their labrador go in his front garden. Him and Mary always went on holiday to Jersey, until he had his hip replacement.
Me : Sorry, I don't know these people.
Mum : Well, he's dead. Heart attack. Dropped like a stone in the post office.
Me : Oh.
Although, in another area, my mum and Homer could not be any more different. She's not good with anything personal, anatomical, or gruesome. She always plays down injuries to make them easier to deal with.
Homer would say –
Diomedes lunged with his sword, and struck his neck in the middle, cutting through both tendons – he was beginning to speak as his head dropped in the dust.
My mum would say – 'A mishap with is neck, paracetamol might not be enough'.
Then Idomeneus hit Oinomaos in mid-belly, and broke through his corselet's front piece, and the bronze let his bowels gush out.
'Very sore trouble with his downstairs.'
He fell with a crash, the spear fixed in his heart, and the heart's jerking made the spear quiver right to the butt.
'Ooh, mercy me! Might need to get a doctor to have a look at that.'
Menelaos struck him on the forehead above the base of the nose – the bone cracked, and his eyes dropped bloody into the dust.


text:
911 Information
911 can save your life and you can help save lives too!
When To Call 911
Call 9-1-1 to:
stop a crime
report a fire
save a life
in any EMERGENCY situation whenever police, fire or ambulance assistance is required immediately
If you are unsure, call 9-1-1 and the communicator will make the final determination
Do NOT Call 9-1-1 to:
report a hydro outage
check weather or highway conditions
obtain government information
for directory assistance
for information about school closings, road conditions, directions, etc.
Use these numbers instead:
1-888-310-1122 - O.P.P. 24 hr toll-free
1-800-222-TIPS (8477) - Crimestoppers
1-800-268-4686 - MTO Road Info.
4-1-1 - Directory Assistance
1-888-310-1133 - O.P.P., TDD/TTY telephone for the deaf
Your 911 call will be answered...
"911, Do you require Police, Fire or Ambulance"
When you reply with one of the above you will be instantly transferred to the agency you requested.
When you call 911 to report an emergency, the Communicator will ask you these basic questions:
"Where is this happening?"
"When did this happen?"
"What is happening now? why?"
"Who is involved?"
"Did you see any weapons or any mention of weapons?"


text:
Delivery time according to your choice of logistics.
Item Fitment:
For Mitsubishi Outlander ex 2013-2016
Item Description :
Condition:100% Brand new
Material: Made Of high quality Stainless Steel
inculde: 4pcs only
Made in an ISO 9001 facility to ensure High quality.
Easy installation,3M tape is at the back.
Note: please use the heat gun to warm up the adhesive tape before installingto make the item stick tightly


text:
Equity Savings Funds are a relatively new mutual fund product category. These are equity oriented hybrid funds similar to balanced funds, but the risk profile of these funds are more moderate (lower risk) compared to balanced funds. Balanced Funds allocate at least 65% of their assets in equity and the balance in fixed income. The asset allocation of balanced funds ensures equity taxation (tax free long term capital gains) for this category of mutual funds. For investors who want a more moderate risk profile (lower equity allocation), debt oriented hybrid funds offer investment solutions, but they are not able to enjoy the benefits of equity taxation. In his first budget, Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, made changes to taxation of debt fund schemes, which widened the tax advantage that equity funds enjoyed over debt funds. Equity Savings Funds are seen as a tax efficient investment solution in response to the debt fund tax changes announced by the Government two years back.
What is an Equity Savings Fund?
As discussed earlier, Equity Savings Funds are hybrid equity oriented funds. The risk profiles of these funds are more moderate than balanced funds, but like Balanced Funds, Equity Savings Funds enjoy equity taxation. How is fund manager able to lower the risk, yet enjoy equity taxation? They lower the risk, not by allocating more to debt, but through hedging, while keeping the overall equity allocation at 65%+. The underlying portfolio of an equity savings fund has three components:-
- Un-hedged Equity
- Hedged Equity
- Debt
The combined un-hedged and hedged equity portions total to minimum 65%, which allow these funds to enjoy equity taxation. The un-hedged equity component is exposed to equity market risk. The debt component is exposed to interest rate risk and credit risk. But the fund manager can greatly reduce these two risks, by employing suitable fixed income strategies. The hedged equity component is virtually risk free.
The un-hedged equity portion will give equity returns, the debt portion will give fixed income returns, but some readers may wonder, can the hedged equity portion give any return? If hedged equity portion does not give any return, is the investor losing out on returns, despite the tax advantage? The answer is no. In a perfect market a completely hedged equity portfolio will not give any return, but there are inefficiencies in the market which gives rise to arbitrage opportunities (the opportunity to generate risk free profit by exploiting market inefficiencies). In an Equity Savings Fund, the hedged equity portion generates arbitrage profits for the investors. As such, Equity Savings Funds are good tax efficient investment option for investors with moderate risk appetites and can provide solutions to a number of medium to long term investment objectives.
ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund
ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund is an equity savings fund from ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund stable. The fund was launched in December 2014 and has
र 665 Crores of Assets Under Management. The expense ratio of the fund is 1.38% only. For redemption of units in excess of 10% of the investment within 365 days, ICICI Prudential will charge an exit load of 1%.
Shalya Shah, Chintan Haria, Manish Banthia and Sankaran Naren are the fund managers of this scheme. In addition to growth option, the fund also has monthly, quarterly and half-yearly dividend option. The chart below shows the NAV movement of the scheme since inception.
Source: Advisorkhoj Research
Rolling Returns
The chart below shows the 1 year rolling returns of ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund versus the Balanced Fund category since the inception of the fund nearly two years back.
Source: Advisorkhoj Rolling Returns Calculator
You can see that, ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund was able to consistently outperform balanced fund category in terms of one year rolling returns over the past 2 years. In the past two years, market conditions were very difficult with the Nifty falling more than 20%, between March 2015 and March 2016. The outperformance of ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund in these difficult conditions shows why this fund is suitable for investors with low volatility for appetite.
Investors should, however, note that, once the bull market regains momentum, ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund cannot be expected to outperform the more aggressive balanced funds, since the risk / return characteristics of this mutual fund scheme, as explained earlier, is fundamentally different from the typical balanced funds.
Investment Strategy and Outlook
- ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund seeks to maintain gross equity exposure in the range of 65% to 75%. This will ensure equity taxation
- The gross equity to debt allocation ratios will depend on ICICI Prudential's proprietary Price to Book model. If the price to book ratio is attractive, the fund will increase the gross equity exposure to the higher end of the 65% to 75%, and reduce it to the lower end of the range, if price to book is high
- Though the equity portfolio of ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund is currently large cap oriented, the stated fund investment strategy does not have any market cap bias. ICICI Prudential as a fund house, has been advocating a large cap based approach for the last few quarters and, therefore, the market cap mix of ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund is consistent with the fund house view
- ICICI Prudential, as a fund house, and especially, their CIO, Sankaran Naren, are advocates of the value investment approach. Historical data from developed markets, like the US, have shown that value investment style gave superior returns in the long term
- The un-hedged (net) equity exposure of the fund will range from 20 to 40%. The balance equity exposure will be hedged.
- The fund managers will exploit arbitrage opportunities in the market. You can get a sense of arbitrage returns by looking up the returns of our Top performing Arbitrage Funds.
- Based on our experience, the arbitrage returns have a positive correlation with volatility. The market has been quite volatile over the past 2 years and we expect volatility to persist due to variety of geopolitical and global macro-economic factors.
- As far as the debt portion of the ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund is concerned, the fund manager's will try to actively manage duration. This means that, the debt portion of the fund will be exposed to some interest rate risk. In the current economic environment, we believe that, interest rate risk, if carefully managed, can give good returns to the investor. The recent step announced by the Prime Minister regarding the demonetization of some high value currency notes, will in the medium term, may result in lower interest rates, which in turn will benefit duration fund investors.
- The credit quality of the debt portfolio is high and therefore, credit risk very limited.
SIP Returns
The chart below shows the returns of monthly
र 5,000 SIP in ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund.
Source: Advisorkhoj Research
Observe the steady growth in the investment value (almost a straight line), despite the vicissitudes of the market during this period. A cumulative investment of
र 1.2 Lakhs in ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund would have grown to र 1.33 Lakhs in two years, an XIRR of almost 11%.
In a few days ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund will complete two years. Though two years is a very short time to judge the performance of a fund, from what we have seen so far, the fund has a lot of promise. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has in its product portfolio some of the top performing schemes across a variety of categories. Investors who have moderate risk appetites can invest in this fund for a variety of medium to long term objectives. Investors should consult with their financial advisors, if ICICI Prudential Equity Income Fund is suitable for their financial planning requirements.
Mutual Fund Investments are subject to market risk, read all scheme related documents carefully.


text:
Status Report
From: NASA HQ
Posted: Friday, November 16, 2012
Synopsis - Nov 16, 2012
General Information
Solicitation Number: SOLE-SOURCE-TELEDYNE-WFIRST
Posted Date: Nov 16, 2012
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Nov 16, 2012
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Dec 03, 2012
Current Response Date: Dec 03, 2012
Classification Code: A -- Research and Development
NAICS Code: 334413
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.S, Greenbelt, MD 20771
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement for additional H4RG-10 Sensor Chip Assemblies (SCAs) for the Wide-Field Infrared Survey (WFIRST) project.
The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is the highest ranked recommendation for a large space mission in the New Worlds, New Horizons (NWNH) in Astronomy and Astrophysics 2010 Decadal Survey. The most pressing scientific questions in astrophysics today require a very wide-field survey in order to be answered, and existing telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) or the Keck Telescope cannot make these kinds of observations due to their optical designs and narrow fields of view. The absence of atmospheric distortion and absorption, the darkness of space, and the opportunity for continuous observations enable space-based surveys to go deeper, with more precision and accuracy, than can ever be possible from the ground. WFIRST will be the most sensitive infrared space telescope designed for precision wide-field survey work, and will produce the most powerful and informative astronomical data set for probing the nature of dark energy, cataloguing the variety of exoplanet systems, and mapping the distribution of matter across cosmic time. The NWNH science goals for WFIRST are quite broad - tiered infrared sky surveys of unprecedented scope and depth; a census of cold (as opposed to hot) exoplanets using microlensing; measurements of the history of cosmic acceleration using 3 distinct but interlocking methods; a galactic plane survey and a general observation/archival research program. These very different science goals were brought together by the recent advances in infrared detector technology that makes it possible to launch a wide field instrument system that has a large number of diffraction limited effective pixels in a the focal plane.
Recently, WFIRST completed a two year Design Reference Mission (DRM) activity with a Science Definition Team (SDT). The results presented NASA with two viable mission concepts (DRM 1 and 2). The DRMs were built upon detector testing results obtained from the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM) Engineering Development Unit (EDU) Detector Module Subassembly, which was acquired under a previous competitively awarded contract (NASA Contract NNG10FD62C) with Teledyne Scientific and Imaging, LLC (TS&I).
NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole-source Request for Proposal (RFP) to TS&I for twelve (12) additional H4RG-10 SCAs for the WFIRST Project. TS&I will provide the materials and labor to deliver the additional H4RG-10 SCAs to be used for testing in the GSFC Detector Characterization Laboratory (DCL), and incorporated into the WFIRST EDU Focal Plane Assembly (FPA). The period of performance is approximately 36 months for delivery.
TS&I is uniquely qualified for this contract not only because of their extensive experience and expertise but also due to the existing hardware (including H4RG-10 SCAs) and infrastructure currently in use by the WFIRST project, and the data already developed from that hardware and infrastructure. Further, they are the only organization currently qualified to perform the manufacture of the H4RG-10s that enable a WFIRST mission that meets the following requirements which flow from the NWNH goals listed above:
1. TS&I is the only known provider of the H4RG-10 detector module subassemblies needed for the WFIRST mission. Based on the responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Contract NNG10FD62C, other viable vendors do not exist to provide detector assembly that meets the mission requirements as defined by the decadal survey.
a. WFIRST Exoplanet science requirements require a large Field of View (FOV) and high angular resolution for an effective space-based microlensing survey. Hundreds of millions of main sequence source stars with a sampling of 15 minutes or less is required. Also, resolving the motions of the planet host stars of the Galactic bulge require fine sampling that only H4RG-10 arrays can enable a FOV that is large enough to produce the statistical sampling needed.
b. WFIRST Dark Energy science requirements require wide-field observation that is more efficiently conducted with H4RG-10 detectors. Dark energy techniques of supernovae type 1a (SNe), galaxy clustering including baryon acoustic oscillations (GC BAO) and redshift space distortions, and weak lensing (WL) will be performed by the WFIRST mission. H4RG-10 detector arrays increase the pixel count and maximize the field of view while simultaneously keeping the pixel sampling at a level needed for the required precision WL measurements.
c. The WFIRST requirement of providing a deep map of the sky at near-infrared wavelengths in both the Galactic plane and in extragalactic fields. H4RG-10s enable these large area surveys improving both the FOV and PSF sampling in each image taken.
d. The WFIRST requirement for the General Observer (GO) Program requires a minimum of ten percent of the primary mission to be dedicated for observations other than those listed above. H4RG-10s enable a wider range of observations, providing better morphological information and larger field coverage.
e. The mission requirements for the WFIRST mission are designed to be met through the coordination of the results of each of these separate areas of inquiry to create an overall product. Only the H4RG-10 SCA can meet all of these functions with a single type of sensor array.
2. On August 20, 2012, the GSFC 2011 Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) solicitation proposal was selected, which specifically named TS&I as the provider for the H4RG-10 SCAs. TS&I has developed the H4RG-10 design, processes, and testing that is the basis of the award along with the existing data by which subsequent testing will conducted. Changing the detector hardware at this point will moot the testing data already collected.
Statutory authority for this sole source procurement is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)--Only One Responsible Source. However, organizations who believe they can provide these services without any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported by this work, should fully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of this synopsis.
Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on December 3, 2012. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.
The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
Point of Contact
Name: Julie A. Janus
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 301-286-4931
Fax: 301-286-0341
Email: email@example.com
// end //
More status reports and news releases or top stories.
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Recent Articles


text:
I think I'm in love with their day as much as they're in love with one another. It was quaint, intentional, full of meaningful conversation, smiles and kindness. I am delighted to share a snippet of their beautiful day here for you... just to keep you curious.
Cheers, sweet friends.


text:
You are using an old browser with security vulnerabilities and can not use the features of this website.
The chair of British Cultural Studies has a double focus: on the one hand, a historical perspective is employed to investigate the cultural history of Great Britain and its former colonies. On the other hand, the theoretical discussion of established as well as newly emerging approaches in cultural studies is an important part of the curriculum. These theoretical foundations are informed by an understanding of the transdisciplinary nature of cultural studies, which in turn leads to an analysis of the different dimensions of culture as well as their practical application to various fields.


text:
Bank of China is finding the threads of its Western partnerships fast unraveling. Following in the footsteps of
Last week,
Bank of China has been experiencing a mini-exodus of large investors. Swiss bank
Bank of China had hoped to extract technological and risk management knowhow from its Western partners, but the global financial meltdown and the expiration of lockup periods has put an abrupt end to its biggest strategic partnerships.
It is hard to say how much transfer of knowledge took place from UBS and RBS, said Kim Eng Securities analyst Ivan Li in Hong Kong. Bank of China gained experience from operating private banking joint ventures with Royal Bank of Scotland, but improvement in risk management is difficult to measure, and substantial progress in intermediary banking services was unlikely in the short-term, he said.
For Western management expertise, Bank of China is left with French bank LCF Rothschild, which it acquired a 20% stake in last year.
Of course, the financial meltdown has greatly reduced the attractiveness of emulating Western banks, particularly their risk control systems, which were seen as models for Chinese banks three years ago. The U.K. government took majority control of Royal Bank of Scotland last year with a $30 billion lifeline, after the bank suffered over $10 billion in write-downs (See "Her Majesty's Royal Bank of Scotland").
The Bank of China stake proved less lucrative for RBS than the China Construction Bank partnership for Bank of America. Bank of China's share price has been underperforming its peers for years, said a Shanghai-based analyst who asked to remain unidentified due to company policy.
Bank of China has been punished for taking on more risk in the West than its peers. With greater U.S. subprime exposure than its rivals, it took $3.7 billion in write-downs on U.S. mortgage-backed securities in 2008 (See "U.S. Mortgage Meltdown Slams Bank Of China").
Investors have been concerned about foreign-exchange losses for its U.S. operations, which are larger than its peers, due to the yuan's appreciation, the Shanghai-based analyst said. Bank of China shares lost nearly half of their value last year.
Are there any more Western banks that could be selling off Chinese stakes? There is speculation that
In Hong Kong trading, Bank of China shares were up 7 Hong Kong cents (1 cent), or 3.8%, to 1.92 Hong Kong dollars (25 cents). The broader Hang Seng index was up 194.99 points, or 1.4%, to 13,863.04.


text:
Tow Licenses
In accordance with Platte County Ordinance: Chapter 605 Section 605.010 and RS MO. 304.154.1, any wrecker or tow service business registered with the US Dept. of Transportation either physically located within Platte County or when the business conducts more than fifty percent (50%) of its wrecker or tow service business within Platte County, is required to obtain a license from Platte County and display the license.
Obtaining a Tow/Wrecker License
In order to obtain a Tow Permit for the County of Platte, the following is required:
- Completed two-page Platte County Tow/Wrecker License Application
- Copy of either the most current:
- Missouri Safety Inspection Certificate(s)
- Missouri Department Of Transportation inspection(s)
- Certificate of Insurance containing the following liability limits:
- Property Damage Liability
- $100,000 per accident
- Bodily Injury Liability
- $ 100,000 per person
- $300,000 per accident
- Property Damage Liability
- Current paid Platte County Personal Property Tax Receipt
(Paid receipt for the year prior to the license year.)
- Corporations: a current copy of "Certificate of Good Standing" from the Secretary of State.
- Appropriate fees paid: (make checks payable to Platte County Treasurer)
- Licenses are issued on a yearly basis from January first (1), expiring December thirty-first (31).
- Fees are not prorated for periods of less than one (1) year.
- $75.00 per business
- $25.00 per vehicle
Mail or deliver all of the above to:
Platte County Clerk – Tow License
415 Third St., Rm 116
Platte City, MO 64079
Issuing a License
After receipt of all of the above documents, requests are submitted during the County Commission Administrative Session held the first and third Monday of each month.
All documents must be in the County Clerk's office by 5:00 the Tuesday prior to session in order for the request to be processed by the Commission.
After Commission approval, licenses are emailed to the email address of record. If a hard copy is desired, indicate so on the application.
Licenses must be kept in the vehicles at all times.
Submitting Location
Platte County Clerk's Office – Tow License
415 Third Street Room 116
Platte City, Missouri 64079
Additional Information
Phone - 816 858-3342
Email: email@example.com
Platte County Regulations, Chapter 605: BUSINESS REGULATIONS, Section 605.010 – Wrecker or Tow Service Businesses
PENALTIES: Per Platte County Ordinance Chapter 605: Business Regulations – Section 605:010
Any person, wrecker or tow service business which fails to obtain a license from the County Clerk or pay the fee for said license as required by this Section shall upon conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the County jail for a term not exceeding one (1) year or by both said fine and imprisonment. (County Order No. 36-96, 12-31-96; County Order No. 02-03 §1, 1-9-03)


text:
Today we started carving our forms.
& I'm not much in love with the surface design I went with.
I probably should have come to class more prepared...
I just couldn't bring myself to do anything more organic than free form stripes.
I think I should have made less marks on the vertical form
and I dont know, just not done the horizontal stripes.
The funny thing is everyone in the class really likes the horizontal bands.
I was still working on my forms when some students from another class showed up
and started working on their stuff.
I was actually embarrassed with my work in front of me
though no one here seems to be judging or have an ego about their work
which is lovely.
One woman had this phenomenal camel just come out of the kiln
and it got me thinking about what i could make that would inspire me more.
(the only vases I have came with flowers other people sent me
apart from a set of 3 I made years ago
with left over clay from something or other).
I think its time to play more...


text:
It's important to look forward, but it's just as important to reflect back on where you've been. Here at TripIt, we believe that this mantra doesn't only apply to history but to travel as well – look forward to your upcoming travels, but also appreciate and share knowledge from the trips you've already taken.
That's why we're so excited to debut past trips on the latest version of TripIt's Android app. No matter where you are, you can now get all the great info stored in your past itineraries.
So whether you want to share that great hotel you stayed at during your travels to Beijing, or get a cost estimate for a past business trip to Atlanta or if you simply want to show off your road warrior record, all that information is now available at your fingertips.
The updated app is now available in the Android Marketplace. Check it out, and let us know what you think!


text:
Scotia Canadian Dividend Fund
Right for you if:
You want to maximize after-tax income by taking advantage of the Canadian dividend tax credit
You're investing for the long term and can accept medium risk
Investment Objectives
To earn a high level of dividend income with some potential for long-term capital growth. It invests primarily in dividend-paying common shares and in a broad range of preferred shares, such as floating rate, convertible and retractable preferred shares of Canadian companies.
Rates of return
|Date established
|Series Availability
|Series A, Series F, Series I
|Fund Category
|Canadian Dividend and Income Equity
|Benchmark Index
|S&P/TSX Composite Index
|Distribution Frequency
|Portfolio Advisor
|1832 Asset Management L.P.
|Eligible for Registered Plans?
|Management Expense Ratio
|For details on the fund's fees, please refer to either the Fund Profile or the Fund Facts.
|Minimum Initial Investment
|Minimum Subsequent Investment
|Fund Code
Ready to Invest?
Distributions may consist of net income, and/or dividends, and/or net realized capital gains and are taxable in the hands of the investor. Monthly distributions are made by the last business day of each month, or the last business day of each calendar quarter for quarterly paying fund series, other than in December. The final distribution in respect of each taxation year will be paid or payable by December 31 of each year or at such other times as may be determined by the fund's Manager. Generally, any capital gains dividends with respect to corporate class funds are distributed within 60 days following the calendar year end. Distributions are automatically reinvested unless an investor elects to receive them in cash. Investors should not confuse a fund's distribution rate with its performance, rate of return or yield.
Target monthly distributions are determined based on the target payout rate for the indicated series of the fund. Target distributions are not guaranteed and may change at any time at the discretion of the fund's Manager. If distributions paid by the fund are greater than the performance of the fund, distributions paid may include a return of capital and an investor's original investment will shrink. A return of capital is not taxable to the investor, but will generally reduce the adjusted cost base of the securities held for tax purposes. If the adjusted cost base falls below zero, investors will realize capital gains equal to the amount below zero.


text:
During our one-on-one time with Nintendo at this year's E3, one of the issues I raised was that of the future of Nintendo's handheld platforms. With the GameBoy living out its final days, and the touch-based DS still going strong, I was curious about the next step for Nintendo's handheld strategy. Would the DS follow the Wii's lead and adopt some motion control? While I didn't get a straight answer, a patent filed by Nintendo reveals what the company didn't want to tell me.
A patent doesn't necessarily imply that the DS' successor will definitely use motion control, but the details do make for an interesting though jargon-heavy read. Building on the concepts similar to those used in the motion-based Warioware titles, the new "WiiBoy" focuses on physically moving the handheld unit itself as a means of control not unlike the motion-sensitive cell phones that were recently released. The patent explains:
A game control method for a game apparatus including a housing to be held by a player and change-state detecting means provided related to the housing and for detecting at least one of an amount or a direction of a change applied to the housing.
According to the patent, the device is able to sense motion in 3D space: with "movement input" on the z-axis and "impact input" on the x and y axis, which would lend itself to motions like sliding, tilting, and so forth. A "Marble Madness"-style game is frequently referenced in the application for demonstrative purposes.
As novel as the idea may seem initially, I don't know if this would be the best route to go in practice. It's one thing to swing wildly in front of the TV in the comfort and privacy of one's home, but to be in public places moving with a wild abandon seems to be a little much.


text:
State of the Art ~ A Lament
Our times are somewhat curious. Purportedly "new" work in photography generates yawns. And the big news continues to revolve around photographers like Diane Arbus (here too) and Lee Friedlander who had already "arrived" four decades ago. (Of course, the recent death of John Szarkowski focused attention on this older group too.) The point is not to deny that Arbus and Friedlander, et. al. are masterful photographers. My perplexity is why they still seemingly dominate the field so thoroughly.
Labels: Really Big Shows


text:
I don't really do reviews, because
nobody's ever asked me *sob* that isn't what this blog is about.
(No, I don't know what this blog IS about. But it's not that. Shut up. I'll know it when I see it).
This is just a cool thing that I found and ya'll should know about. Because it's both weird and useful, and what better combination than that?
Unlike me, who can slip instantly and without fuss into a sleep that's just this side of a coma, Paul has issues falling asleep. Combine that with a job where he mostly works nights and a loud toddler that thinks 6am is a reasonable time to wake up, and it makes for a cranky hubby. We try to make it work so that he gets as much sleep as possible, but part of the problem is it takes him an hour just to GET to sleep.
While Christmas shopping online (I do probably 75% of it online now, because hello? Lazy) I came across this little gem at thinkgeek.com. For those of you too lazy to click on the link (you're my kind of people!), it's a "stress relief pillow" shaped like a heart, called - wait for it! - My Beating Heart (ewwwwwwww). It simulates a heartbeat of someone in a deep meditative state. Hugging it makes your own heart want to beat in rhythm, and lo! You're de-stressed.
The geeky yogi in me thought, "Coooooooool", and the practical side of me thought, "If hubby hates it I'll try it on the toddler". So I ordered one. Because it was late and I'd had too much wine.
When it arrived I thought, "What the hell?", followed quickly by, "Oh right. What the hell?". But I'd blown my Xmas budget so I wrapped it up. And explained it for like, 10 minutes to a very skeptical hubby. But he has lots of experience in humouring me, so at the first opportunity, he took it to bed and while holding it gingerly, thought:
"This is stupid. This isn't going to work. Keely is weirder than I thought. This is...sssxzxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz".
Then he woke up 5 hours later. It's THAT GOOD.
I've tried it myself, though I don't need help getting to sleep, but there is the very rare occasion that I might get stressed. It's a little bizarre. It feels like it's purring. Whatever's in the pillow actually changes every time you turn it on, so you get a different heartbeat every time. It's kind of like it's alive. And purring.
Before I wrote this I asked hubby if he still uses it or if it's just in our bed to humor me (because if you sleep like me, you don't notice quietly purring pillows in your bed at 3am). He said he did, but said it that way that made it obvious there was a "but" attached to the end of the sentence. So I waited.
"Actually, most of the time I don't even turn it on. I just hug it and fall asleep," he admitted finally.
Yes folks, it's THAT GOOD. You don't even have to turn it on.
Or possibly I just outed my husband as someone who essentially sleeps with a teddy bear.
Either way.
PS - It says for ages 3 and up, but I bet it would work REALLY WELL on a toddler. Not that I've tried that, because mine isn't 3 yet. I'm just sayin'. I bet it would.


text:
Residents of Fernandina Beach Use Florida Title Loans to Obtain Cash!
Title financing, frequently referred to as car title loans or auto title loans, are quickly ending up being a prominent option in various US locations including Fernandina Beach. Today, countless residents in Fernandina Beach are searching for a certain and safe and secure means to get cash that could help them pass through a tough stage of their life. Florida Title Loans could aid Fernandina Beach citizens obtain the money they need through a title loan without any type of hassle.
Florida Title Loans has a reliable process to get automobile title loans in Fernandina Beach that are simpler and need less documentation for approval in comparison to a payday loan. With your car title as collateral, you could be able to obtain the money you need without bothering with points like your credit score, credit report history, and various other extensive paperwork often needed by conventional financial establishments. With Florida Title Loans, we offer professional aid, receptive consumer assistance, and cost-free on phone consultation so that we could aid our clientele learn more about title loans, our customer-friendly terms, and other supplied functions in detail, prior to they determine to proceed with their title loan.
Do you have the Possibility to Qualify?
Are you a citizen of Fernandina Beach and trying to find an auto title loan? Numerous aspects can stop you from being approved such as the car's title not being in your name, your car having no equity, not having enough income to cover month-to-month payments, or your credit shows that you may be at threat of defaulting on the loan. Sending your info and talking to a representative is the best means to discover if you satisfy the needed requirements. Typically our representatives are able to discover options and help inform customers about all of their readily available choices. Submit the auto title loan online application.
Citizens of Fernandina Beach must have all of the necessary files, including (but not restricted to):
- Proof of Residency– current mail like an energy bill
- Paycheck stubs and/or savings account statements to validate your income and ability to pay back the loan
- Possession of a qualifying car with a clear automobile title that is in your name
- Have a legitimate Driver's License or State Picture I.D
Funding can be as fast as the day you submit your information if you qualifies. Our loan agents will call you and help take you through the loan process, along with educate you of the rates and terms of the loan. Most importantly, you get to retain ownership of your automobile and keep driving while making month-month payments. Discover getting a title loan.
Automobile Title Loans for Locals of Fernandina Beach
For all the citizens of Fernandina Beach, we take pride in our efficiency of processing your car title loans. We are the leading car title loan referral business since we have gotten in touch with the top lenders throughout the state of Fernandina Beach. We are open 7 days a week with prolonged business hours. Please call our offices and speak with a live representative today, or feel free to check out our frequently asked questions about title loans page to learn more. Once again, we have no processing charge and no pressure to commit to anything. Submit your info online or by phone today and learn precisely how much you can qualify for.There is not points to locate on the map


text:
Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok, Bangkok
- Free WiFi and free parking
- Collect nights
Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok, Bangkokfrom $72
- Deluxe Room, City View
- Premier Room, City View (Deluxe)
- Suite, City View
More great choices
What's around Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok, Bangkok
- In Bangkok City Centre
- Jim Thompson House - 5 min walk
- MBK Center - 6 min walk
- Siam Center - 6 min walk
- Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World - 8 min walk
- Siam Paragon Mall - 8 min walk
- Erawan Shrine - 16 min walk
- CentralWorld Shopping Complex - 17 min walk
Getting around
- Bangkok (DMK-Don Mueang Intl.) - 20 min drive
- Bangkok (BKK-Suvarnabhumi Intl.) - 22 min drive
- Yommarat - 25 min walk
- Bangkok Chitrlada Station - 4 min drive
- Bangkok Samsen Station - 6 min drive
- Rachathewi BTS Station - 5 min walk
- National Stadium BTS Station - 6 min walk
- Siam BTS Station - 8 min walk
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 80 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 7 floors
- Check-in time starts at 2 PM
- Check-out time is noon
- Express check-in
Required at check-in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 15
Travelling with others
- No pets or service animals allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Free self parking (limited)
Payment types at the property
- Cash
Other information
- Smoke-free property
In the hotel
- Full breakfast daily (surcharge)
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Poolside bar
- Room service (during limited hours)
- Outdoor pool
- One meeting room 1
- 24-hour front desk
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Luggage storage
- Porter/bellhop
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Year Built - 2013
- Elevator
- Garden
- Wheelchair accessible path of travel
- English
- Thai
In the room
- Air conditioning
- Ceiling fan
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Bathrobes
- Slippers
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Turndown service
- Premium bedding
- Private bathroom
- Bathtub or shower
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- 40-inch LED TV
- Premium TV channels
- DVD player
- Desk
- Free newspaper
- Free WiFi
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe
Also popular with travelers from the USA
Special features
DiningMiss Siam - Overlooking the pool and garden, this restaurant specializes in Thai cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Ivy lounge - This lobby lounge overlooks the pool and garden. Open daily.
Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok, Bangkok's small print
Also known as
- Bangkok Hua Chang Heritage Hotel
- Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok Hotel
- Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok Bangkok
- Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok Hotel Bangkok
- Hua Chang Heritage
- Hua Chang Heritage Bangkok
- Hua Chang Heritage Hotel
- Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok
- Hua Chang Heritage Bangkok
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation.
Optional extras
Rollaway beds are available for THB 1500 per night
Full breakfast is offered for an extra charge of THB 824 for adults and THB 470 for children (approximately)
We have included all charges provided to us by this property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the unit you book.
Didn't find the right property?Continue searching for Bangkok, Thailand
Recent reviews
Fabulous 8.8 From 493 reviews
Very nice rooms and breakfast was excellent.
Over all it was a good boutique hotel. Very nice and caring person at the front desk, clean, located at one of the best location in bangkok, and big room. I never tried the breakfast because in my opinion I felt it was not worth the cost when I took a look. The pool was nice but noisy with the sound of the cars in front. It would be nice if there was a concrete wall to cover the noise from street. Other then that overall a good experience.
I love this hotel. This is the 2nd time that I have stayed here. The staff is extremely friendly and very helpful. The location is convenient to shopping, dining and the sky tram. I have a deluxe room the first time and the premium room this time which was large and very spacious.
Hotell oli tõeliselt heas kohas ja teenindus väga hea.
We booked 2 separate bedrooms. Everything is good except flooded shower compartment, plugged sink and leaking toilet in both rooms! Hotel restaurant serving the best Thai food we have ever had in Thailand.
Is the description of this hotel not correct? Tell us


text:
This Renaissance-style candle sconce (left) is a great example of just such an item; it's ornate strap work and flourishes modeled in the very best heavy plastic that you could find in 1963, when it was manufactured by Homco. Though I know most would be totally dismissive of anything plastic, this sconce is actually quite well-done; the original finish certainly does not look like plastic, and at $1.50, it was a nice fit for my current budget. My only regret is that I could not find a pair.
The second example I've included here today wasn't really found by me, but obtained as a gift from my best friend, who was a former city councilman. Back in the 1990's a local redevelopment project required a partial demolition of the huge M. O'Neil Co. department store on Akron's Main Street. Though most of the building was thankfully preserved and renovated, the back portion was taken down, and my friend claimed a few of these cast concrete parts from the Italian-renaissance balustrades that graced some of the upper office windows. About 12" long, I once thought to make some type of lamp or candle-base from it, but for now, it remains an interesting and sentimental relic.
If you have any interesting found objects of your own, send us a photo - we'd love to see them.


text:
5 Life Lessons Learned as a Creative Entrepreneur
"[Stay humble], stay hungry, stay foolish." - by Steve Jobs, edited by me.
As the year draws to a close, I find myself feeling more introspective than ever. Life happens and goes on - whether you like it or not - in a blink of an eye. It's been quite a spectacular year of accomplishments and drawbacks; suffice to say, a lot has transpired. Throughout this process, I've had to learn new lessons and un-learn some old ones. I thought this would be a suitable time to share them all with you. Without further ado, here are the top 5 lessons I've learned thus far as a self-employed entrepreneur:
1. Your are the boss (and also your assistant).
As a young and burgeoning entrepreneur, "doing it all" is an inevitable and sometimes harsh reality. Initially this may seem like an obstacle. In retrospect, however, the act of "doing it all" really forced me to be more resourceful and proactive. Just like any other career path, entrepreneurship requires you to get your feet wet and hands dirty. The strongest takeaway from wearing multiple hats is the broader understanding of what it takes to be a servant leader and build a well-rounded, dynamic team that tends to the needs of the business. It keeps you grounded and excited as the larger vision of your business continues to unfold. To add to Steve Job's infamous quote: "Stay hungry, stay foolish, [stay humble]."
2. There is balance - but only if you make time for it.
More often than not, this lesson proved to be the most difficult struggle to overcome. Self-employment is one big juggling act that won't stop, until you willingly put an end to it, since it's not your typical 9-5 job. In light of this on-going dilemma, I've taken extra steps to carefully carve out pockets of time in between intense days of content production, meetings and logistical administration. Quality time can exist beyond the weekend - it could be a random night when a meeting or event falls through. Catching up with a friend over lunch? That can be squeezed in between a day of meetings. Any downtime essentially becomes an opportunity for quality time - every moment suddenly becomes so much more precious.
3. Spending wisely (budget, budget, budget)
Most freelance contracts and payment terms dictate a Net-30 or Net-60. This translates to having to wait until 30 or 60 days after the project is completed in order to receive compensation. While this is the norm when it comes to freelance work and will certainly strike fear amongst any unsusceptible, Millennial entrepreneur, it forces you to budget for expenses and untimely rainy day situations. It also means you gradually and ultimately spend less but more wisely over time. The 'splurges' and investments you make become more meaningful and less materialistic.
4. Be decisive, diplomatic and flexible.
There is saying that "80% of success is showing up." While there's certainly truth to that statement, it's no longer a mantra I blindly follow. Social media visibility has quickly become the primary driver - and biggest detractor - behind self-branding. Saying yes to and attending every single event, every networking opportunity could potentially be over-saturating and damaging for your brand. Not every event or networking opportunity is a life-changing one. Sometimes it's more productive to do some soul searching to ensure the opportunities you pursue properly align to your branding efforts. In my personal experience, when things aren't exactly going your way, it's a better option to go with your gut feeling and practice diplomacy to keep the doors of communication open. Keep it zen at all times.
5. "Your network is your net worth."
A sage individual in the distant past left me with this quote during my college years - I don't quite exactly remember who but these words stuck with me. And they've held true all these years, especially after I started undertaking my entrepreneurial endeavors. Nurturing and nourishing your network is essential to the growth of your business. Contrary to what you might think, one's network doesn't have to be exorbitant nor nepotistic. Collaborating with like-minded individuals, who align seamlessly both in work ethic and personality, are far more beneficial and conducive to further exposure for your brand. For instance, I have comfortably and organically partnered up with my dear friend Stephanie Liu of HoneyNSilk on a number of projects with much aplomb. It's all about the quality of your network - not so much the quantity.
The bottom line is - you can do it all while staying true to who you are, your intentions and convictions. It's about combining your mind, body and soul and put that into action. Just like Faces Apparel's ultimate collection, which is designed to maintain optimal core temperature. Its every fiber is wholly made and manufactured here in the USA and from the ground up - much like all hard-working entrepreneurs out there.
Hope you guys enjoyed this post on some life lessons I've acquired thus far - please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below to win a prize package from FACES Apparel! All you have to do is enter using the widget below - deadline is next Tuesday, 1/19/15. Good luck everyone!


text:
McLaren Track Event with The Collection at Palm Beach International RacewayNovember 22nd, 2013
We were invited by The Collection in Coral Gables in conjunction of McLaren to an exclusive driving event at Palm Beach International Raceway to experience the amazing capabilities of the McLaren MP4-12C on and off the racetrack. With around 10 McLaren MP4-12Cs on hand we went from experiencing the F1 inspired supercar's amazing launch control down the dragstrip to warming up on the autocross course to some all out track time on the 11-turn, 2 mile FIA Grade II certified road course. At the end of the day we jumped in the MP4-12C with a professional driver to see what the car can really do in capable hands hitting over 160 MPH down the back straight.
Special thanks to The Collection and McLaren for putting on a great event and demonstrating just how incredible the McLaren MP4-12C is on and off the track. Take a look at some of the videos and pictures from the day below.


text:
I know, I know, vegetables and chocolate. My reflex reaction is 'blurgh' too. But bear with me, these brownies are good, contain lots of dark chocolate and are a handy way to use up beetroot if you find yourself needing to do so.
Not that I often have spare beetroot about the place. I love the stuff, in line with my enthusiasm for pretty much all vegetables. The humble beetroot is a member of the Amaranthaceae family and related, would you believe, to chard. Our modern-day beets descend from the sea beet of the Mediterranean. Our little beet has an ancient and distinguished history. Remains of beets have been discovered in illustrious and ancient places, including the third dynasty pyramid Saqqara and the Neolithic site Aartswoud in the Netherlands.
So naturally we people of the 21st century have found that mashing up beetroot and baking it with chocolate is a delicious, modern usage. The best tip I can give you about this recipe, as warned in the excellent original from BBC, is to wear gloves and ideally an apron when peeling the beets. Beetroot has a brilliant red juice, which is a stunning, attractive colour, but will make it look as though you killed someone and it takes some time to scrub off.
You will need:
- 3-4 medium-sized beetroot
- 100g unsalted butter and a little extra for the tin; I have done a dairy-free version too, and used 100g dairy-free olive oil spread
- 200g dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 100g plain flour
- 25g cocoa powder
- Icing sugar for sprinkling over
Set the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Butter then line a 20 x 30cm tin.
Cover up with rubber gloves and an apron then peel the beetroot and cut it into chunks. I find it helps to do this bit in the sink, so that you are not left with a pink kitchen.
Place the beetroot in a large microwave-proof bowl and cover with water. Cover the top of the bowl with cling film, pierce the cling film with a few holes and microwave on high for 12 minutes.
Drain the beetroot then place back in the bowl with the butter, chocolate and vanilla extract. Use a hand-held, bladed blender to mulch into as liquid-y a mix as you can manage. You can also do this bit in an electric mixer, although I find my hand-held one works fine as the beetroot is soft and its warmth melts the chocolate.
Crack the eggs into another large bowl and add the caster sugar. Beat until foamy and pale, about two minutes with an electric beater. Gently fold in the beetroot mix, then sift in the flour and cocoa. Mix in the flour and cocoa gently with a metal spoon. It will be quite pink!
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes, until the top is all risen. Cool completely in the tin and once cooled, dust with icing sugar.
This is sweet and chocolatey and honestly, not a hint of beetroot. It has a very pretty pinkish tinge, not unlike a red velvet cake.


text:
When we conjure fashion, our thinking immediately reverts to the clothes and footwear we put on our person, and without a blink, we regard our cloth cut and the shades that complement our complexion and the upcoming trends and what we are going to purchase in to and the stuff we won't. But what to do with our hair and the styles to wear on our crowning glory? Our hair and its styling are central to our persona and reveal how we view ourselves similar to the clothes we wear.
Those men who are ardent followers of hair styling creams and sprays, the leading online fashion portal of South Asia, Lazada with their styling cream products and those related to hair grooming will help you in your hair fixing and styling efforts. You can access all from hair coloring to hair oils and shampoos and even conditioners. Just click on your mouse and venture into their vast assortment of fashion apparels, electronic gadgets, and household products, besides much more. Scan these rebated deals at CollectOffers and get entitled to hefty discounts.
The men's hairstyles have observed all from quiffs to slick behind barnets, shoulder heights and side cropped and back combed at the top look.The recent times' hairstyle of males has arrived in various shapes plus styles as dictated by the trends and personal preferences.
Here are some of the distinct styles followed in men's haircut:
The Slicked Back Style
The wet look with an oiled or slicked back is one that has a vast following with innumerable men sporting such crooner brand style. It was previously the most preferred style of the yesteryear work-wear brigade, but it has been reinvented by a new breed of well-groomed gentlemen.
Clean Cut
This look has neatly cut mops on the head with blunt cut fringes and a jumbled hair feel was also central to this appearance in which the sides were trimmed near to the scalp that gave this conventional haircut a modern feel.
The Quiff
The top most go to haircut remains the quiff for many men with the back and sides kept short and length remaining on top. The fades performed on the side and behind has reached higher with the modern versions of the quiff donning high fades.This haircut is about texture, so it is best suited for hair of medium length.Combing with a pompadour comb make this style appear natural.
The Buzz style
It's a style where to need to have a haircut after few weeks and though very easy to handle, you can maintain
this style for the whole year. A great benefit of the buzz cut is that a short or lengthy buzz style is not difficult to pull off and blends perfectly with a beard. It is a classic hairstyle that displays short hair all over but can be extended to the sides or mixed with a low, middle or upper fade. It received its name as it was used by army recruits.
Though Clothes are the mainstay of your individual style but do not downplay the various ways you can stylize the hair. If you admire your dresses and your dressing sense, try to maintain a hair-makeover that complements the same.
Choose from the wide range of electronic products, computer accessories, diapers, skin care items, mobile phones and other products and get a discount on your first order by using this Lazada Singapore voucher code. Shop now!!


text:
Focused and with improvised casualness, PLOT (winner of »Junger Münchner Jazzpreis 2014«) venture into Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Credence Clearwater Revival territory and make the songs their own with great sensitivity. Philipp Scholz (dr), Robert Lucaciu (b) and Sebastian Wehle (ts) bow to and pay tribute to the late 1960s.
Track listing
Strawberry Fields Forever 3:37
Dazed and Confused 4:35
Fool On the Hill 3:48
I Am the Walrus 5:13
Long and Winding Road 5:07
I Put a Spell On You 7:05
Incident At Neshabur 4:46
Across the Universe 5:26
Run Through the Jungle 5:56
Sebastian Wehle (ts), Robert Lucaciu (b), Philipp Scholz (dr)


text:
Like Miss Oprah Winfrey herself, I had an A-Ha moment this past week. I discovered that while my bank account was fattening up, my ass was shrinking down. How could this be? The truth is, since I haven't had the luxury of eating out, I have been forced to cook. And since being forced to cook, I have discovered that it's a sonofabitch to make actual junk food. The sheer effort that it takes to make a pizza, fried chicken, or french fries makes me want to take a nap. It's like the Christmas miracle, where my innate laziness is actually working in my favor. So this has resulted in meals composed of grilled chicken on a the Foreman grill, boil-in-a-bag rice, and if I am feeling really ambitious- a green salad. The result? I have lost more weight on this "financial" challenge than I did on the actual "weight loss" challenge! I also cancelled my gym membership to save $40 a month and started walking Buddy Lee everyday, who kicks my ass more than any trainer every thought about doing and doesn't feel the slightest bit of remorse for it. So maybe for my next project I will write a how-to book called "Lose your dignity, lose your ass." And then I will sell a million copies which will allow me to once again eat in restaurants, gain it all back, and then go back to my self-loathing challenges.
So here is what my typical lunch is looking like these days... this is my "fancy" green salad with Field greens, red onion, tomatoes, avacado, feta cheese and balsalmic vinegarette. Budgeting never looked so tasty...
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)