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- Research
- Open Access
Asynchronous transcriptional silencing of individual retroviral genomes in embryonic cells
© Schlesinger et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
- Received: 5 February 2014
- Accepted: 1 April 2014
- Published: 17 April 2014
Retroviral DNAs are profoundly silenced at the transcriptional level in embryonic cell types. The transcriptional profile of pluripotent stem cells has been demonstrated to be extremely heterogeneous from cell to cell, and how the silencing of retroviral DNAs is achieved is not yet well characterized.
In the current study, we investigated the transcriptional silencing dynamics in stem cells by independently monitoring the expression of two Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) retroviral vectors newly introduced into embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells. Although MMLV is efficiently silenced by epigenetic mechanisms in most such cells, a small number of the doubly-transduced EC cells transiently show double-positive proviral expression. These cells were sorted and their expression patterns were studied over time as silencing is established.
Our data suggest that retroviral silencing occurs stochastically, in an individual locus-specific fashion, and often without synchronous silencing of both viruses in the same cells. Surprisingly, the chromatin modifications that mark the silenced proviruses are unchanged even in cells that temporarily escape silencing. This local silencing effect is a feature of stem cell epigenomic regulation that has not previously been revealed.
- Embryonic stem cells
- Transcriptional silencing
- Chromatin modifications
Developmental programs are executed by the tightly controlled and temporally coordinated transcriptional regulation of large sets of genes. As cells move through developmental stages during embryogenesis, groups of genes are often synchronously turned on and off to induce specific changes in cell phenotype and in the capabilities needed for tissue and organ formation. This gene regulation is mediated by trans-acting transcription factors, and is accompanied by long-lasting alterations in chromatin folding, histone modifications, and DNA methylation at the genomic regions of the genes being regulated. While the sets of coordinately regulated genes may sometimes be genetically linked at a single chromosomal region, they are most often unlinked and dispersed at many disparate locations on many chromosomes. In these cases the trans-acting machinery must find and act on the multiple loci in a coordinated, synchronous manner. The timing of these regulatory events can be tightly synchronous, but there is some inherent noise or variability in the regulatory machinery, and thus there can be considerable cell-to-cell fluctuation in gene expression [1]. As a result, even genetically identical cells in a largely homogeneous environment can display different phenotypes. This variability can arise either from stochastic fluctuations in biochemical reactions that regulate gene expression in "trans" ("extrinsic" variability), or from preexisting epigenetic heterogeneity of the genes being regulated ("intrinsic" variability) [2]. These fluctuations in gene expression can play useful and important roles in development. Fate choice in pluripotent stem cells involves the modulation of networks of transcription factors occurring in an apparently stochastic fashion and resulting in a heterogeneous cell population [1, 3, 4]. The heterogeneity in expression of many components of the transcriptional network was shown to be a key feature of pluripotency [5–7].
Retroviral DNAs provide a unique tool for the analysis of gene expression because they can be introduced into the genome at will by infection, and because they are introduced as "naked", unmodified, newly synthesized DNA that is assembled into chromatin by the addition of new nucleosomes. Vector genomes that express reporter genes are powerful tools to monitor regulation of transcription in infected cells [8]. Regulatory elements within the newly integrated DNA have to be recognized by trans-acting factors, and the subsequent expression pattern of the DNA has to be established by those factors and by the preexisting state of the chromatin around the site of insertions. Although retroviral expression can be affected by the site of integration, it is most profoundly influenced by the cell type. In differentiated cells, infection by the MLVs typically results in high-level constitutive expression of the provirus, while in mouse embryonic stem cells, embryonic carcinoma cell lines, and other primitive cell types, the viral DNA is heavily silenced at the transcriptional level [9–11]. The silencing of retrovirus DNAs occurs rapidly when the virus contains a conserved sequence element termed the proline primer binding site (PBS), an 18-nucleotide sequence complementary to the 3′ end of proline tRNA, the tRNA primer used for initiation of reverse transcription by MMLV [12, 13]. Silencing at the proline PBS is mediated by the zinc finger DNA binding protein ZFP809, and by a well-characterized silencing protein, Trim28/Kap-1/Tif1b, which interacts with ZFP809 [14, 15]. Retroviral vectors utilizing alternative PBS sequences that are not recognized by this silencing machinery escape the rapid silencing but are still subject to some transcriptional repression [16, 17]. The machinery mediating this silencing is also used to repress or regulate expression of many of the endogenous proviruses resident in the mouse genome, most strikingly the so-called IAP elements [18], through the DNA binding factor YY1 [19]. We note, however, that not all endogenous proviruses are equally or even similarly regulated in this pattern, and that some retroelements show the inverse behavior, expressing well in ES cells and not in differentiated cells; these include the HERV-H proviruses in human cells [20] and the virus-related L1td1/Ecat11 gene in mouse [21]. For these elements other regulatory factors must be in play.
F9 cells infected with two reporter viruses rapidly and efficiently silence both proviruses
Transiently-expressing PBSpro viruses are rapidly silenced, but not globally and synchronously
Isolation of two double-positive populations – one stochastically silencing and one permanently expressing
Stochastically expressed proviruses are still marked by repressive epigenetic marks
Different histone modifications on the proviral alleles
The experiments above show that embryonic cell populations that have silenced most proviruses still contain some cells that transiently transcribe the viral DNAs at low frequencies, and then quickly shut them off. We can recover such expressing cells by sorting, and we can watch the kinetics of the shutoff on a cell-by-cell basis. The results suggest that the silencing of retroviruses in these cells is most often a stochastic event mediated through local changes occurring independently at each provirus, and is not mediated by a global change in the state of the cell that acts simultaneously in a coordinated way on all the proviruses in a cell. This characteristic seems to be true whether the cells utilize the highly efficient PBSpro-directed machinery, or the less efficient PBS-independent machinery. The local, cis-acting nature of the suppression seen in these cells is reminiscent of the cis-acting control of expression seen in the course of silencing of MLV vectors introduced in successive infections [26, 27].
EC cells have long been known for their ability to silence incoming viral DNAs, first documented for the silencing of the papova viruses [28]. This behavior is manifested by many mouse EC lines, including the F9 studied here and the PCC4 line [14], as well as authentic embryonic stem cell populations. The silencing of retroviral DNAs in our EC cells is moderately rapid, with expression decreasing sharply over the course of a few days at most. We note that the true time of transcriptional shutoff may be even faster than the apparent time course, because the GFP and mCherry proteins are relatively stable and the observed loss of fluorescent signal cannot be faster than the rate of decay of the accumulated proteins, likely occurring over several hours. Similarly, the appearance of a single-positive cell from a previously double-positive cell requires that the difference in time between the shutoff of the two reporters must be at least several hours. Thus, the asynchrony in the shutoff that we see in our experiments is very significant.
It was previously shown that genes expressed at low levels tend to be bound by fewer transcriptional regulators, both activators and repressors, which results in high cell-to-cell variability [29]. This variability has been proposed to be the result of the transcriptional regulators fluctuations [30], suggesting that as the number of different regulators increases, target sensitivity and variability of expression decreases [31]. In our experiments, the variability in timing of the establishment of silencing does not strongly depend on the level of expression. Both the efficiently silenced PBSpro and the less efficiently silenced PBSgln viruses are stochastically silenced. Thus, both the potent silencing mediated by the PBSpro-dependent ZFP809/TRIM28 system, and the silencing of the less potent non-PBS system, show similar asynchronous silencing. The behavior of both these systems may result from local fluctuations in the regulators acting at each provirus.
The status of the histone modifications and DNA methylation at the proviruses suggests that our EC cells typically mark the incoming viral DNAs for silencing soon after infection. Even those cells selected as transiently double-positive and single-positive, as well as double-negative, contain proviral DNAs exhibiting the chromatin and DNA marks of silent genes. Thus, the brief expression of the proviruses in these cells occurs in spite of these marks, and relatively quickly responds to the marks by shutting down. It is also possible that because most cells contain more than one copy of each virus, and because only one copy in the double-positive population may be expressing at any given moment, the silencing chromatin marks that we observe are present on the silent alleles. The expressed alleles thus may be at least partially depleted of the silencing marks, and this loss may be obscured by the silent alleles.
The rare population of cells that are stable expressors of both GFP and mCherry, recovered as high expressers after two sorts separated by many days in culture, are unusual escapees of the silencing process. These cells may have been selected to have proviral integrations at special loci. They may be similar to an EC line described by the Jaenisch lab, isolated after selection for expression of a marker gene delivered by a vector with a proline PBS [32]. It is noteworthy that the proviruses in these cells show the histone marks, and DNA methylation status, of completely open chromatin and highly expressed genes. But the fact that these cells also show altered chromatin marks and DNA methylation status for their endogenous retrovirus DNAs strongly suggests that they have undergone a global change in their silencing machinery acting in trans, and that the expression of both GFP and mCherry vectors is not solely a consequence of their integration sites. We surmise that the cell sorting regimen has selected for a cell population that has stably lost some components of the silencing system. Further analysis of the repertoire of expressed genes in these cells may ultimately allow for identification of the basis of their permissivity.
The silencing of newly introduced retroviral genomes in embryonic cells is achieved by the recognition of the viral DNAs by transcription factors and chromatin modifying machinery. This machinery acts on the independently integrated proviruses in a temporally asynchronous manner, such that each provirus can be silenced without strict coordination with another provirus in the same cell. The findings suggest that there is a stochastic aspect to the determination of the chromatin modifications that are imposed on each provirus. Rare clones in which more profound escape from silencing arise by more dramatic global changes in the embryonic cell state.
Cells and viruses
F9 and NIH3T3 cells were cultured in DMEM with 10% FBS, 2 mM glutamine, 1000 U/mL penicillin, 100 mg/mL Streptomycin. F9 cells were cultured on gelatinized tissue culture plates. All cells were cultured at 37°C in 5% CO2. Viruses were prepared as previously described using pNCA-GFP/mCherry vectors [33] pseudotyped with VSV-G amphotropic envelope glycoprotein. At 48 hr posttransfection, culture supernatants were harvested, filtered through a 0.45 μm filter, concentrated by ultracentrifugation, and resuspended in growth medium.
Virus copy number determination
The difference in threshold cycle (CT) values (DCT) between Q-PCR assays using two of the primers on the pro-virus, 40NT and PBS, was used to monitor proviral DNA copy number. The Gapdh primer set for the genomic DNA was used to normalize the amount of genomic DNA. A one copy number standard was established by infecting NIH 3 T3 cells at a very low multiplicity of infection (MOI) with the MLV-GFP vector and sorting the GFP(+) cell population (10% of the total), ensuring that a single copy of GFP virus was present [25]. The ratio of GFP to genomic DNA (Gapdh) in this sample is normalized to 1 (one copy of provirus per cell genome), and this sample is taken as the calibrator. The differences in DCTs (DDCT) for the samples of interest and the calibrator are used to estimate the relative quantity (RQ) of provirus by using the formula RQ = 2 -DDCT. The copy number values given were obtained by averaging results from three PCR reactions. Uninfected NIH 3 T3 cells were used as negative control. In the flow analysis results presented, all numbers were normalized to the infection efficiency as seen by the % of NIH3T3 expressing cells. The numbers are given as GFP-positive F9 cells/GFP-positive NIH3T3 cells x100; this is to correct for variation in multiplicity with different viruses.
Flow cytometry and sorting
GFP-positive cells were isolated on a cell sorter (FACSAria Cell Sorter; BD Biosciences). Data were acquired on an automated cell analyzer (LSR II; BD Biosciencs) and analyzed with FlowJo software (Treestar).
Bisulfite analysis of methylation
Bisulfite conversion of genomic DNA was carried out using the Zymo EZ DNA Methylation-Gold™ Kit. PCR primers were designed using Methyl Primer Express software version 1.0 (https://www2.appliedbiosystems.com). See Additional file 4: Table S1.
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)
107 cells were crosslinked with 1% formaldehyde at room temperature for 10 min. Chromatin was extracted and then sonicated to an average size of 300–1,000 bp. Immunoprecipitation was carried out by using Magna ChIP™ kit as recommended by the manufacturer (Millipore) and then purified using QIAquick PCR purification kit (Qiagen). Antibodies used (about 5 μg per 10–30 μg of DNA) were: Anti YY1 (H-414, Santa Cruz), Anti Trim28 (Anti tif1b- MAB3662, Millipore), Anti-trimethyl-Histone H3 (Lys9) (07–442, Millipore), Anti-trimethyl-Histone H3 (Lys27) (07–449, Millipore) and Anti-trimethyl-Histone H3 (Lys4) (07–473, Millipore). IP with IgG antibody (sc-2027, Santa Cruz) resulted in enrichment level < 1. Amplification was carried out by real-time PCR, and the bound/input values were then normalized by setting the negative control gene results to 1. Multiple assays of the same sample or the same gene sequence were analyzed in separate immunoprecipitations. All immunoprecipitations were repeated at least 3 times. Primer sequences used for qPCR are listed in Additional file 4: Table S1. In Figure 6D,E bound/input ratios were normalized to the U5-PBS primers value of the same sample and results are presented relative to the value in the negative sorted cells fraction.
This work was supported by NCI grant R37 CA 30488 from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. S.P.G. is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
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New Orleans Scenic Montage Video
This video of scenes from New Orleans brought back great memories, so I had to share it with you! A montage of many different images.... the Mississippi River, French Quarter, historic buildings, Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde, St Louis Cathedral, streetcars, musicians.... including the man singing the song which accompanies the wonderful photos ~ Louis Armstrong.
Labels: Aeiral Views, Bourbon Street, Cafe Du Monde, City Skyline, French Quarter, Jackson Square, Louis Armstrong, Mississippi River, Musicians, New Orleans, NOLA, St Louis Cathedral, Street Cars, Videos

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2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic Unveiled
Adding to its family of world-class go-anywhere SUVs, Land Rover has taken the wraps off the 2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic. Developed by Jaguar Land Rover's high-performance SVO operation to stress enhanced on-road capability, the new Dynamic model is a standard-wheelbase version of the current LWB-only SVAutobiography. While it shares the same 550-horsepower/5.0-liter supercharged V8 that cranks out 502 ft-lb of torque as well as an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, the new SVAutobiography Dynamic boasts a host of distinctive functional and cosmetic touches to set it apart.
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Modifications to the chassis of the new SVAutobiography Dynamic that help increase its overall handling start with lowering the ride height by a third of an inch as well reducing the amount of body roll by fitting "active anti-roll bars" at each axle to complement the adjustable active dampers. Fully integrated with the vehicle's full air suspension and Range Rover's permanent 4-wheel drive, standard locking center differential and Terrain Response systems, the setup reportedly increases low-speed agility as well as high-speed stability to provide the driver with a more confident feel without compromising ride quality. Rounding out the mix are Brembo brakes – a first use for Land Rover – complete with sporty red calipers.
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New driver assists and better connectivity
While the new SVAutobiography Dynamic is set to grab the lion's share of interest, there's plenty of other impressive upgrades coming for all Range Rovers. Owners who choose to venture off the beaten path will benefit from a new Low Traction Launch mode that better manages torque and limits wheelspin to help the vehicle get moving on slick surfaces. There's also a new All-Terrain Info Center that uses a touchscreen to display the status of various drive-assist controls, slope-assist info and more to make negotiating more challenging off-road venues even easier.
The 2017 Range Rovers will introduce the latest driver assists including rear park distance control, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking. A new Drive Pack option bolsters the existing Blind Spot Monitor, Traffic Sign Recognition and Reverse Traffic Detection with an Intelligent Speed Limiter that uses the Traffic Sign Recognition and navigation speed-limit data to automatically adjust the vehicle speed. The Drive Pack Pro adds Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, and Blind Spot Assist. Two new features include Lane Keep Assist and a Driver Condition Monitor that monitors various control inputs and can warn of potentially dangerous levels of fatigue.
Also: Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards of 2016
On the connectivity front, the 2017 Range Rover lineup will be fitted with a new Land Rover InControl Touch Pro infotainment system that features a larger 10.2-inch touchscreen and delivers superior satellite navigation that now includes door-to-door routing, a route planner app and a host of other real-time apps along with remote control over various vehicle functions. Occupants of the 40/20/40 split-folding aft bench also will be able access this information using the built-in rear-seat entertainment screens. The 2017 Range Rovers will start rolling into dealer showrooms in January. Pricing will start at $86,645 with the new SVAutobiography Dynamic opening at $171,990.
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Past Regional and National Games Online Results
TOKYO,15 OCTOBER 2015 (INSIDE THE GAMES) ---- Tokyo 2020 organisers are going from "strength to strength" as the Japanese capital prepares to host the Olympics and Paralympics in just under five years' time, according to International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates.
Coates, also the chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Games, was speaking today after the fourth project review meeting between the IOC and Tokyo officials.
His positive comments come despite organisers having to deal with both the plans for the Olympic stadium and the Tokyo 2020 logo being scrapped.
"It's clear to us that in the two days we've had here that the close relationship between all of the parties for the preparation of your Games is going from strength to strength," said Coates.
"The foundations have been laid and they are very solid."
Initial stadium designs, drawn up by Zaha Hadid, were axed in July by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe as costs spiraled to ¥252 billion (£1.3 billion/$2 billion/€1.8 billion).
The hunt is now underway for a new, cheaper design with a decision expected next month, but fears remain that the stadium will not be ready in time for the Olympics.
A deadline of January 2020 for the completion of the stadium has been set by the IOC, with the scandal already forcing the resignation of Japanese Sports Minister Hakubun Shimomura.
The new design will also not be ready in time for Japan's hosting of the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
"Cooperating with the national government, we will do everything we can so that we will complete construction of a new national stadium by January 2020," said Tokyo Governor Yōichi Masuzoe today.
Coates also said he had been assured that the stadium would be ready in January, which would give the IOC enough time to test the venue before the start of the action in July.
He also said that he was "impressed" with the openness of the process to select a new logo, after the initial emblem was scrapped following plagiarism allegations.
The original design by Kenjiro Sano was contested by Belgian designer Olivier Debie, who said it resembled his logo for Liege Theatre too closely.
The Theatre dropped a lawsuit against the IOC but Debie is pressing ahead with his case, with a new Emblems Selection Committee created by Tokyo 2020 to pick a replacement.
A competition to design the new emblem will be open to everyone in Japan over the age of 18 and will be officially launched later this month.
"We received confirmation of the announcement that was made recently of the process, which we are very impressed with," said Coates.
"The wide consultation impresses us and we are looking forward to the process as it unfolds."
Meanwhile, Coates also declared himself pleased with the five sports which Tokyo's Additional Events Panel recommended for inclusion in 2020.
Baseball and softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing have all been put forward but bowling, squash and wushu missed out.
"Our reaction is that it's a very good, balanced package," said Coates.
"We have traditional sports and then sports that are innovative, new and will appeal to the youth of the world.
"We have outdoor sports, we have indoor sports, and it's that assessment of that package as a whole that it is very important.
"There were always going to be some that were not selected.
"They had the opportunity twice to present.
"I'm sure Tokyo fully understand what those sports had to offer.
"I have no issue on transparency there."
The IOC are due to decide how many of the five sports to include at their Session next year in 2016 Olympic host Rio de Janeiro.....PACNEWS
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Applications for this job are closed.
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This group of Victorian greenhouses, patterned after the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, is the centerpiece of the Botanical Garden established here in the early 1890s and landscaped by Calvert Vaux and Calvert Parsons, Jr. The Parsons family were pioneer horticulturalists who imported many trees and plants from abroad that we consider native today, including the most common plant in the city, the ailanthus tree, which they brought from Asia as an ornamental plant, never dreaming it would thrive in any nook and cranny, and thus dominate entire urban neighborhoods. The ailanthus inspired the theme of the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but it grows like a weed in every borough.
ENID A. HAUPT CONSERVATORY NEW YORK Photo Gallery


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Meet Donna and Doug . . . .
It's early evening as Reggie and I stroll through Ponderosa Grove Campground in the coral-pink sand dunes area of southern Utah.
At the last campsite, Reggie darts forward, pulling on his tether.
"Okay, okay. Take it easy, Reg. I know what you want to do."
A young man sees us and immediately brings his dog out. The man tells me his name is Doug and the dog's name is Sadie. The woman standing at the picnic table is Donna. She doesn't come over because she's in the middle of making supper.
Sadie is part Labrador and part Blue Heeler (if I remember correctly!). Sadie is a beauty, all 70 pounds of her!
Donna and Doug are from northern Washington, close to the border with Canada.
They have a way to go before retirement age. I glance at their campsite and see a tent, two hammocks strung between trees, a propane stove (in use) and camp chairs.
These two are experienced campers. In fact, Donna looks up from her cooking and calls out to me, "I remember you when we were here last time!"
Doug tells me the dinner menu includes grilled pork chops and baked potatoes.
Doug and I talk for quite a while. He's a relaxed sort of guy. I dare to tease him.
"So. Donna does the cooking and you do the gabbing. I see how that goes."
He smiles and comes back with a quick reply.
"Well, I do the clean up . . . . and it's a mess!"
~ ~ ~
Meet Susan and Curt . . . .
"Your dog looks like a smaller version of our dog!" Susan exclaims as we approach the campsite she shares with Curt and their Jack Russell Terrier named Jackson.
Reggie sprints over to make Jackson his friend, which he accomplishes in an instant. Reg is so excited he goes airborne!
After complimenting the couple on their handsome dog, I add, "Gosh, he seems very tall for a Jack Russell."
"Oh, he's the long-legged variety. You're thinking of the short ones."
We watch the two canines play and I note their resemblance to each other, "Reggie is Minnie-Me!"
The next morning Reg and I pass their campsite again.
Curt and Susan are outside their tent, sitting at the campfire sipping coffee. We exchange good mornings and a conversation starts. I notice they aren't as perky as yesterday, but, of course, I don't say anything. No need to. Curt soon explains.
"Our air mattress went flat in the middle of the night."
"That's okay," pipes up Susan. Curt smiles. The sun is up. It's a new day!
~ ~ ~
More Ponderosa Grove campers in a future post!
Reggie and I plan to leave Ponderosa Grove on Sunday, October 16th. That morning I decide we will stay one more day. It's windy and gusts are predicted to increase in velocity as the day progresses.
I write and publish the previous post. Reggie and I enjoy a last day at this special camp. It's a peaceful time.
Monday, October 17
I break camp, hitch up, and move us out. Reggie snuggles in his doggie bed next to me as I drive us to Kanab, then turn south to Fredonia, across the Utah border into Arizona. From there we take Route 389 across the Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation.
I'm glad I waited a day. Very little wind, a perfect day for travel . . . . It's great to be on the move again!
"You know, Reg? This is a pretty good life."
Follow any of the links or ads you see on my blog and your Amazon purchases will send a commission to "RVSue and her canine crew." These are a few of the items recently ordered by readers:
Inflatable Solar Light
No Insect Bumper Cap – Pack of 2
Men's Big & Tall Cotton Jersey Robe
Nutribullet Blender/Mixer (15 Piece Set)
Red Gold (A Gabe McKenna Mystery Book 1)
Amazon eGift Card – Woofy Birthday (Animated)
Reggie waits outside the laundromat, Bluff, Utah — May 2016


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This beautiful two bedroom getaway cottage is nestled on a one acre oceanfront secluded vacation spot. With over 450' of bluffed shoreline along its flanks, it presents a spectacular view of Passamaquoddy Bay. The tourist town of St. Andrews by the Sea is just miles away.
The cozy cottage presents an open floor concept with a front view to the ocean with two bedrooms and a modern kitchen. A wrap around deck provides a vantage point for relaxing and taking in the scenery. There is an access to the beach where a sitting and firepit area are carved out of the rocks just feet from the tide line. There is also over a mile of shoreline to stroll on for those who love beachcombing.
If you love the outdoors, oceanfront scenery and a friendly atmosphere, give us a call.
Keywords: cottage, private, ocean front, acreage, St. Andrews, Canada, Atlantic, Bay of Fundy


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Latitude Geographics is a software and services company that is headquartered in Victoria, BC. Since 1999, our Geocortex mapping technology has helped customers make better, important decisions that impact real people, society at large, and the natural world. For example, we help:
Latitude is a great place to work: we engineer software using new technologies; we follow and help define emerging best practices; and we love implementing good ideas. And, while we usually aren't the kind of company to chase after awards, we were honoured to be recognized by the Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATEC) as the "Technology Company of the Year" for 2015.
We believe strongly in a meritocracy, and in treating others how we'd want to be treated. We're always striving to build a better company, and to do that well requires top-notch people working together.
Though we also like to have a bit of fun, we work hard and our standards are high. If you're truly interested in contributing your best and reaching towards your full potential to help build something special – something extraordinary – let's explore if Latitude is a fit with your background and future.
We're comfortable going on record saying that Latitude Geographics is an awesome place to work. We hire and retain great people, pay fairly, and make our company the kind of place employees enjoy coming to every day. We reward top performers and stay true to doing right by everyone. Since 1999, we've built our business based on steady, sustainable growth – we're growing and think our future is bright!


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Nature is something that attracts
the urban minded. It's not something
that exists far away from the city.
So we travel with the city rush
into the nearby nature. The trip
gives us new energy, mindfulness
and power to go out and enjoy
the urban lifestyle.
Since its foundation in 2004, HUB Footwear has remained focused on its main objective. This is to design truly timeless high quality footwear with the comfort of a tennis shoe. The brand represents an urban lifestyle, combined with a clean look. Each season, these characteristics will serve as inspiration to reinvent some of the classic designs. Resulting in a must-have for the next season.
Our vision
We live our life in an active way. HUB Footwear and tennis have always been strongly connected. Our founder is a former professional tennis player that played the fields of the US Open and Wimbledon. Our designs are styled for urban life. We get up and go. We live the city. Twenty four seven.
Styled for
Urban life.
Fall Winter 2018
Comfort is King
Where tennis is our inspiration, comfort is our king. Each HUB model is based on the comfort of tennis footwear. This is one of our core features. Our insole provides additional support. It has shock absorbing gel pods and an air flow ventilation system. This ensures to let the foot breathe. The pre-moulded shape enhances stability and gives optimal support. Providing freedom of movement for urban players, all day and night.
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Dragon's 1986 album "Dreams Of Ordinary Men", recorded in New York under producer Todd Rundgren, was released in August and made it to 18 on the album charts. Three singles were released from it, "Dreams Of Ordinary Men", "Western Girls" and "Nothing To Lose". In 1987 they toured Europe as support to Tina Turner. So as to not sound like a heavy metal band, their name was changed to "Hunter" for the tour. The "Dreams Of Ordinary Men" CD was released in Europe and the US under the name Hunter, with a different cover. "Rain" was added to the track list, and all of the songs, except "Midnight Sun" and "Start It Up" were remixed in the US. They all sound different to the originals. Here to download is the extended version 12" single of "Dreams Of Ordinary Men" b/w "Start It Up" (885 655-1) on Polydor Records. Out of all their 12" extended singles this by far was the hardest one to track down. The only one believe it or not I could find was in Finland. Lucky for me I have a very good friend that lives in Finland and also loves Aussie music so she got hold of it and sent it out to me, Thank you Marina for your help. Flac
Friday, 15 April 2016
Post 630 - Hunter - Dreams Of Ordinary Men - Start It Up (Extended Versions)
Posted by Ozzie Music Man at 20:40
2 comments:
- Damien Stewart said...
Hello just found your blog and w want to say thanks for your post. I'm a favourite of Dragon songs among many others. I found it amusing they changed the band name symbolic of a big green beast to that of man out to hunt and kill prey. So they would "sound" different. Looking at it that way again anyway. 😀
- 3 March 2017 at 16:33
- Jason said...
Thanks for this FLAC rip Garry.
- 11 February 2018 at 14:01
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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So the weather got better in Winnipeg! (And then got worse.) But for a few wonderful days it's been like spring. Temperatures have climbed to a searing 10 degrees (and above)! The sun's been shining. The snow has melted. And as a city, we've been venturing out of the caves where we've been hibernating for months. In a 3-day stretch, I took the boys for multiple walks to the park, had ice cream at Sargent Sundae (twice), barbequed steaks on the back deck, and even got the patio table set up. All of which has left very little time for sitting in front of the computer and blogging, or for wondering what it is about the sight of me that made one of my sons decide to plunge headfirst down a flight of stairs (I still haven't gotten over that).
The onset of warmer weather has me thinking about travelling, again. In the B.C. (Before Children) era, J and I traveled often. For the several years preceding the twins' arrival we would take at least one big trip a year, sometimes more, money and vacation schedules permitting. We also took a number of shorter trips, and many backcountry camping trips each year, because we live in a country and a province that is graced with kilometres upon kilometres of forests, lakes, and rivers. Many of these trips were planned and executed with only a few hours' notice. We just packed up and went. And we loved it.
And then came kids. I always thought we'd be one of those couples that just packs up the kids and takes them with us (perhaps in backpacks? I hadn't really thought it through). Kids weren't going to hold us back, no way! In fact, last summer, when the boys were barely two months old, we seriously contemplated a road trip to the Rockies with them. But we were exhausted new parents in a strange new world, and even a discussion of the logistics of a road trip with newborn twins in a Honda Civic was tiring. Back then we were lucky if we could get out of the house for 20 minutes, never mind two weeks. We stayed put.
If only I had known! Back then, the boys slept 16 hours a day. They were immobile. They weighed less than ten pounds each. They were on a liquid-only diet. A road trip would have been EASY!
Now, they move independently and require somewhat closer supervision (by which I mean they need to be chased and monitored at all times, lest they decide to eat dog poop or push eachother into oncoming traffic). They eat real food, on a schedule, meaning we could not just eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch straight out of the box in the car at 9 pm and call it "dinner," as has been our habit. We'd instead have to stop somewhere and eat a proper meal, thereby prolonging the painfully boring Regina-to-Calgary stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway. Of course, the boys would not be content to sit for long stretches in the car. And they go to bed at 7:30 pm , which could somewhat limit our travel agenda.
But we certainly can't put them in the middle of our canoe and paddle out to a lonely patch of Canadian Shield rock and set up our tent, hoping to enjoy the silence and solitude. Choking hazards, open water, bears…the baby-proofing in the woods is mediocre at best. And we want to relax.
There's also the option of travelling without the kids, but I don't think we're ready for that. Actually, I know the boys would be fine, it's me that I'm worried about. I might be okay for a weekend, but a whole week (or more?) When they're a bit older, sure, but not yet. I get anxious when we're apart for more than a few hours. I know, this isn't healthy – that's a discussion for another time.
I was having a chat about this with friends over dinner the other night. Three couples, two of which have kids, us included. The husband in the childfree couple mentioned that when they have kids, he's still planning to take a one-week vacation every year with his wife, sans babies. Immediately my inner judgy voice kicked into gear and I think I might have actually said, condescendingly, "You'll change your mind about that once the baby arrives." (If I didn't actually say it out loud, I was certainly thinking it.) It was jealousy, because for months I have been dreaming of beaches and palm trees and 20 uninterrupted minutes to finish reading The Great Gatsby, which I have renewed at the library three times now. (It should not take two months to read a novel!) And this couple had just finished showing us pictures of their recent month-long trip to Thailand – while all I had to show were pictures of my boys tearing into a basket of freshly folded laundry.
I'm at a bit of an impasse over this whole travel thing. More trouble than it's worth? Maybe. But I can't help but think – life is so short, and their childhood is even shorter. Even if it's hard, and they won't remember it, I want the memories, the stories, and the photos to show them later. And if J is driving and the boys are asleep, I might even get the 20 minutes I need to finish that book.


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Travis Perkins (LON:TPK) Rating Reaffirmed
AlphaValue now has a GBX 2182 target price per share on shares of Travis Perkins (LON:TPK). The target price per share would possibly suggest a potential upside of 6.39% from the stock close price of Travis Perkins (LON:TPK). This rating was released in a very recent research note on 3 December.
From a total of 18 analysts covering Travis Perkins PLC (LON:TPK) stock, 12 rate it a "Buy", 1 a "Sell", and 6 a "Hold". This means that 63% of the ratings are positive. The highest target price is GBX 2650 while the lowest target price is GBX 1558. The mean of all analyst targets is GBX 2190.28 with a 10.48% above today's (GBX 2049) stock price. Travis Perkins PLC was the topic of 57 analyst reports since July 24, 2015 according to the firm StockzIntelligence Inc. Liberum Capital maintained shares on November 25 with "Buy" rating. Deutsche Bank maintained shares with "Buy" rating and GBX 2234 target share price in a report from a November 11. Deutsche Bank maintained TPK stock in a recent report from November 23 with "Buy" rating. Barclays Capital maintained the rating on October 23. Barclays Capital has a "Equal Weight" rating and a GBX 2050 price target on shares. Finally, Goodbody maintained the stock with "Buy" rating in a report issued on an October 23.
Approximately 116,430 shares of stock traded hands. Travis Perkins plc (LON:TPK) has declined 1.32% since May 6, 2015 and is downtrending. It has underperformed by 1.03% the S&P500.
Travis Perkins plc is a United Kingdom firm operating in the builders' merchant and home improvement markets. The company has a market cap of 5.09 billion GBP. The Firm is a product supplier to the building and construction market in the United Kingdom. It has 19.71 P/E ratio. The Firm operates through four divisions: General Merchanting, Plumbing & Heating, Contracts and Consumer.


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The most amazing aspect of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship journey is this community of warm, loving, caring, compassionate, sharing, insightful, supportive friends from every corner of the earth with one heart, open minds, and open arms. We may never physically meet, but you are some of my closest friends.
A Conversation About The Journey and Parelli Connect
Click here to check the Parelli Connect Site.


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Working women, founded in 2011, it was a good combination for working women since then. This fashion brand provide huge and nice verity of dresses for working women. The Working Woman display stylish Eid collection 2014 For women. If you love to wear simple and light designs then the working woman's Eid collection is a must option for you. They have put the light and bold colors which summers demands and the best thing I like is the cuts and little embroideries.
Heavy embroidered outfits really create a mess in this heat of summers. Eid is almost coming and I'm seeing a pretty rush of fashion Eid collections and every brand is trying their best to bring the most gorgeous designs.All working women meet women Eid collection 2014 for a very reasonable policy at their place of work clothes. This collection are suitable for parties at work.So graceful, elegant and creative ensembles they have designed. You can even wear it as a casual wear. The light weight embroideries and bold colors are really perfect for the occasion.


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Archive for January 2014
Finding the Face of God
Over a meal, my daughter wondered what God looked like. She figures we'll find out when we get to heaven. *PSA for Sunday School Teachers: do not threaten the gospel on children. As in, ask Jesus into your heart otherwise HELL.* If all we speak of the good news is a salvation to heaven, children,…Read More
TCKs and Tired Conversations
When the question is asked, "where are you from?" Most people give a straightforward answer. TCKs tell really long winded stories involving our parents' career choices with boring political/historical details. Then one of two things happen: 1) The person reacts with strong interest and curiosity and fires lots of questions. In my case, people often…Read More
First Time Donating Blood
My hands and feet got cold and clammy. My knees became a bit weak and I felt faint and on the verge of passing out. This was BEFORE I gave blood for the first time today. I was one of those kids who was deathly afraid of needles. My mother wrote notes citing religious reasons…Read More
Extraordinarily Ordinary
Who is breaking the internet today? Which viral post is infecting your newsfeed right now? Clickety clickety click. Website copy is designed as click-bait; our attention is being vied for every which way. It is getting increasingly difficult to focus on what is primary. Drama sells. Scandal sells. What is ordinary does not. As a blogger,…Read More


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This deluxe programmable foot switch pedal can be pre-programmed to generate any keystroke, or keystroke sequence desired; Just specify your desired keystrokes!
1 year warranty, Free Technical Support.
Due to our low prices, we cannot accept refunds or returns on this item.
Package Includes:
Weight 3 lbs
Please specify desired keystrokes in the Billing Information "COMMENTS" field during checkout, or call 866-254-0714 x3 to speak with one of our friendly engineers about your specific application, or email to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Resilience isn't something we seek. Resilience is a muscle we choose to develop when hit with a life-altering experience. That muscle is part of the God-given light within each of us. Like every other muscle in our body (physiological, emotional, or mental) Resilience only grows and strengthens when flexed.
The interesting thing about Resilience is that it needs a counterpart in order to be stimulated to grow. Unlike strengthening a physical muscle like your bicep, or mental or emotional muscle such as kindness or gratitude, Resilience is our yin to Life's yang. Unlike kindness, Resilience doesn't get flexed by walking around giving random acts of resiliency. Resilience is invited into the fighting ring from the daily unknowns called Life. From the moment we're born we are challenged to develop our Resilience. Those challenges take center stage when we become old enough to manage our choices. When we acknowledge that growing older doesn't necessarily equate to growing up, is when we start making the choice as whether to flex and strengthen our Resilience muscle and grow its light or wither from fear and despair.
All of us face daily challenges that give us opportunities to build our resiliency. One of the hardest life-altering experiences we will all experience is losing a loved one. Not only is it painful in the moment, but the pain re-ignites every time we realize that death is forever. My mom died when I was 25, she was only 53. My most vivid memory from the first year after her death was the wave of pain that kept crashing over me daily that she was never coming back… ever. I would never hear her voice again, I could never call her again, I could never hug her again. Regardless of how important the milestones I would go through: becoming the UCLA Gymnastic head coach, winning our first championship, marrying this amazing man who's soul reminds me so much of hers, being inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame, going through breast cancer and coming out a better version of me because of it – Life doesn't care about our biography.
One of the most haunting verses in Hamilton, "Death doesn't discriminate, it takes and it takes and it takes and it takes."
Death of a loved one puts the survivor on one of two tracks, either the fast tract to resiliency or the track in the opposite direction toward disintegration. Like every single thing we do it is a choice.
The choice to fuel our resiliency muscle builds a personal inner armor that shows us that we really are stronger than we think. Finding ways to be grateful and happy after tragedy or severe challenges fuels the Light in us that we never knew we had until we needed to call upon it. That Light is one of the many reasons I believe in my Creator. Building resilience doesn't necessarily lead to further enlightenment, but when resiliency is accompanied with gratitude, the inner Light shines brighter than before. It truly is remarkable when dissected in this manner; and once again it leads to my life motto: Life is about Choice. The choices we make dictate the life we lead.
My mom's been gone 33 years and every single day there is another ripple of that initial wave that she really isn't ever coming back. At that moment I feel the warmth of my light, while I acknowledge she's never coming back I sure am blessed I had her for 25 years.


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Kochi experiences a sunny, hot and humid climate throughout the year.
Kochi is well connected with all
Kochi international airport,
Kochi has two important railway heads
Kochi is the most vibrant city in Kerala and the state's business capital. Situated in the south-western coast of India, Kochi is branded as the Queen of Arabian Sea due to the prominence of Cochin port since the colonial era. From time immemorial, the Arabs, British, Romans, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have left their marks in the development of a Kochite culture. This mark is still visible, making it a cosmopolitan city.
The present day Kochi is an extended metropolitan region in Ernakulam district spanning an area of 94.88 square kilometres. The up-market area of the town is called Ernakulam. Over the last two decades, the geography of the city has drastically changed but still Kochi retains its innate greenness and charm with tourists round the year. For tourists, Kochi is referred as "The Gateway to Kerala". The country's first and only international marina is in Kochi which makes the city one of the top water tourism destinations in the world.
Despite many fast-paced changes, Kochi still has not lost its charm. Museums, cultural centres, pristine beaches and places of worships preserve its history and culture. And moreover, Kochi is the shopper's hub of Kerala.


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Sec. 102-1 The following definitions shall be applicable to these standards:
102-1.01 "INTERSECTION" is the area embraced within the prolongation of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at approximately right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
102-1.02 "BRIDGES" Structures of a span of more than 20 feet, measured under the copings along the centerline of the road and multiple span structures where the individual spans are in excess of 10 feet,
measured from center to center of supports along the centerline of the road.
Sec. 102-2 Other Documents Referred to in Standards
The following documents are referred to in these standards may be applicable and are on file in the Roads and/or the Engineering, Surveying & Permit Services Departments. References are to be current editions unless specified otherwise.
102-2.01 "Planning Manual of Instructions," published by the California Department of Transportation.
102-2.02 "California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CMUTCD)" of California Department of Transportation.
102-2.03 "Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges," "A Policy on Geometric Design of Rural Highways," and "A Policy on Arterial Highways in Urban Areas" of the American Association of State Highway Officials.
102-2.04 "Bridge Design Manual" of, the Office of Structures, California Department of Transportation.
102-2.05 "Highway Design Manual" of California Department of Transportation (HDM).
102-2.06 "General and Specific Plans" of County of Kern.
102-2.07 "Standard Plans and Specifications" of California Department of Transportation.
102-2.08 "Subdivision Map Act" of the State of California.
102-2.09 "Land Division Ordinance" of County of Kern.
102-2.10 "Hydrology Manual" of County of Kern.
102-2.11 "Federal and/or State Regulations pertinent to accessibility guidelines & requirements."
102-2.12 "California Fire Safe Regulations, Title 14-California Code of Regulations."
102-2.13 "Federal and/or State Regulations pertinent to Wildland fire protection on State Responsibility Areas."
102-2.14 "California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection."
Sec. 102-3 Plans to be Approved by Director
The developer shall cause to be prepared, in accordance with these standards, and submitted to the Director for approval, plans, profiles and specifications for the proposed improvement of all streets, and
related improvements. The developer shall obtain the approval of the Director of said plans, profiles and specifications prior to commencing any construction.
Sec. 102-4 Where no Standard Specified: Requirements to be Prescribed by Director
Where the requirements for street improvements are not specified in these standards, or the documents referenced in these standards, the requirements shall be established by the Director. Such requirements shall conform to accepted engineering standards.
Sec. 102-5 Payment for Improvement
102-5.01 All improvements required by these standards shall be constructed and installed by the developer at his expense unless expressly agreed by the Board of Supervisors that the County will bear the expense or
any portion of the expense.
102-5.02 Arterial or Collector Highway Alignment in Development:
In case of an arterial or collector highway alignment lying within the development, improvement thereof shall be subject to the following provisions:
Sec. 102-6 Access
(See Section 18.55.030 A.5 Land Division Ordinance).
Sec. 102-7 Widening and Improvement of Existing Streets
Where land abuts an existing substandard street is to be developed, the developer shall dedicate any necessary additional right-of-way and improve such street, including drainage improvements, modifications to traffic control devices, and all necessary improvements needed to conform to these standards in order to provide adequate traffic capacities.
Sec. 102-8 Design of Street Systems
The design of street systems, including right of way and improvement widths shall provide:
Sec. 102-9 Utilities, Design and Installation
All utilities shall be designed, constructed, and installed by the Developer in accordance with all applicable County requirements and State laws. Underground utilities including services to be located within street right-of-way shall be installed prior to surfacing the streets. Underground utility construction shall be in accordance with the provisions of Public Utility Commission General Order 95. The director of Kern County Department of
Planning & Community Development may require aboveground cabinets or facilities to be screened in an approved manner. Any aboveground cabinets or facilities located within the road right-of-way shall be permitted only upon approval by the Director. Compliance with this requirement may result in the need to create public utility easements outside of the right-of-way.
Public Services Building
2700 M Street, Suite 570
Bakersfield, CA 93301-2370
Phone: 661-862-5100


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One morning I moved Lucy next to Clara in bed. She looked over at her sister and smiled the biggest, ear-to-ear smile at her.
I can't wait to see how their relationship develops over time.
aww that is adorable! they already look precious together!ReplyDelete
That is the most adorable picture!!ReplyDelete
Oh my goodness, this is the sweetest! I've loved watching the boys' relationship grow- there is nothing like it!ReplyDelete
My girls are doing the same thing. I put them on their tummies in their boppies facing each other and they smile and coo at each other. It totally sounds like they are having a conversation. Of course, they stop as soon as I try to film it!ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete


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The dating site fraud allegation saga continues. Indirectly, they hurt the entire industry. Worst case scenario prediction, they settle out of court with a people duped by a supermodel photo at a time when they were most vulnerable. If it comes to a class-action lawsuit, maybe a few million people get a free month extension on their existing dating site. What does that cost a major dating site? Electricity and bandwidth. 30 days later, we're back where we started.
Companies that offer background checks have been trying to get dating sites to offer their background check and authentication services to the online dating industry for almost two years now. The industries resistance (costs, integration, fear of being first) has hurt everyone, from other dating sites to, most importantly, the consumer who puts that $20 a month in their coffers.
It could be that all that's required is a more stringent signup process, including verification, or perhaps dating sites will take a look at social networking to see where they should be headed. Otherwise, the progenitors of Myspace will continue to usurp members at an alarming rate. Soon enough, dating sites may be perceived as virtually indistinguishable from social networking sites.
All dating sites contain a certain number of fake profiles. They are either placed by the service, directly by first-person scammers, or indirectly as in a dating agency scam. How will lawyers identify the origin of "fake" profiles? this is much more difficult than I previously thought.
Dating site A contacts members at the end of their membership cycle via fake profiles, with the goal of extending your membership. Clearly, this is fraud. To be sure, any dating site unethical enough to put up fake profiles or otherwise deceive customers deserves the wrath of Elliot Spitzer. As if consumers weren't down on online dating already.
Russian dating agency B, which take money from women and posting their photos on dating sites without their knowledge, then demanding exorbitant fees from American men to contact them, clearly is committing fraud.
This type of fraud is incredibly difficult to identify.
Dating site C has scammers directly posting all varieties of fake profiles, and continues to defraud members of the site via various scenarios.
Type B and C scammers will always remain one step of the dating sites. The fraud may occur farther down the timeline, but it always does. Some things will never change.
Dating site D contacts people at the end of their membership extolling the virtues of the service, asking them to stick around, surveying them to find out what went wrong and suggesting solutions that outweigh leaving the service. Not as part of a "We're sorry to see you go" form letter but a more dynamic form of communication, perhaps in the form on IM's, emails or even clearly-identified employee profiles (again, acting as community monitors. chat rooms have done this for years.)
Why aren't they more proactive about keeping their members happy and content? Because until now, no one cared. As long and the burn & churn rate keeps 2k-10k people signing up a day, the site is making money, either from advertising or subscriptions.
At iDate you will find several companies entering the online dating space who are going to force the old guard to change how the run their service and treat customers. New dating sites that take advantage of the new way of dating will have a tremendous effect on the bottom lines of dating sites large and small.


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Today, I will be doing a review on the Blistex DCT spf 20 lip balm. This is a product that I've been using since I was a kid, and I'm surprised it doesn't get talked about more in the beauty blogger/youtuber community.It's one that my mum and I both use, and though the smell is a bit off putting, it works really well. In the winter, this stuff works great on dry and/or chapped lips. It has a decent spf for a lip balm, and comes in a little 7 gram tub. The DCT stands for daily conditioning treatment, which is pretty self explanatory. Basically, one should use it every day. It glides on easily, and has a menthol and vanilla sort of scent. If you look at the pictures above, the first one shows my plain lips, the second shows me wearing the blistex, and the third shows me wearing blistex underneath my revlon stormy pink matte lipstick. It keeps the matte texture of the lipstick intact, whilst helping the lipstick glide on evenly, whereas the coverage of the lipstick is less even when worn on its own. I wouldn't quite put this at hg level, but it's pretty close. This is a great lip balm, or those who don't find tub packaging, want something that has spf, and need something that keeps the matte lipstick formula intact.
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Any opinions of mine are my own. They are not influenced by any company, advertiser, or affiliate. If I am given a product to review, or am paid for affiliate links, those will be clearly marked.


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Research and Development – Who are the Global Leaders?Manufacturing
Following on from my recent blog about "Is Manufacturing Coming Back to the US?" one of Morgan Stanley's Investment guys, Ruchir Sharma, (Managing Director and the head of the EmergingRead More
Status-Quo Disruption: What Constitutes Enough Competition?Connected Life Exchange
By Howard Baldwin, Contributing Columnist Interesting news came out of Europe last month regarding upstart service providers' potentially disruptive behavior, as well as the responses of established competitors. The newsRead More
Trends, Care-abouts and Industrial Networks: Guy Denis – Cisco Insiders SeriesManufacturing
About the 'Cisco Insiders Series' – You won't find product pre-announcements, insider trading tips or other things we can't tell you about here! You will find, however, nuggets of informationRead More
STEM and the U.S. Manufacturing ConundrumManufacturing
The Conundrum In my most recent blog "U.S. manufacturing: is it sustainable?", I referenced an article about how U.S. manufacturing has been leading the economy out of the depths of the GreatRead More
Are Sunny Days Possible in the Cloud?Manufacturing
Yes, but only if there is Trust… Do you remember not too long ago hopping into your car, driving, across town (when gas was $1- something) to your local retailRead More
Cisco Partner Invite Reminder: Warehouse Management with IntermecManufacturing
As part of the Manufacturing Impact Series, here's a reminder not to miss the Cisco and Intermec Mobile Warehouse Management Webinar set for Thursday 23rd June, 2011. It's essential viewing and listeningRead More
Cisco Partner Invite Reminder – Context Aware SolutionsManufacturing
As part of the Manufacturing Impact Series, here's a reminder not to miss the Context-Aware Solutions for Manufacturing Webinar set for Tuesday 21st June, 2011. It's essential viewing and listening ifRead More
Cisco Partner Event: Industrial Intelligence for ManufacturersManufacturing
As part of the Manufacturing Impact Series, here's a reminder not to miss the Industrial Intelligence for Manufacturers Webinar set for Thursday 16th June, 2011. It's essential viewing and listeningRead More
Cisco Partner Invite Reminder – Mobile Video Webinar RecordingManufacturing
STOP PRESS: Here's the recording of this Webinar for those folks who couldn't attend! Very worthwhile for Cisco Partners! Click the link: Cisco Manufacturing Mobile Video Collaboration Solution The Just a quickRead More
Innovation: The Cisco and Librestream Video Collaboration SolutionManufacturing
I'm really excited by this new Cisco and Librestream MMVC solution. Lots of information out on the web, and lots of questions so I thought I'd put a brief video togetherRead More


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Prepare card by folding 101/4" x 7" mustard cardstock in half using a bone folder to make a nice crease. Cut Plum cardstock 43/4" x 61/2". Stamp edges with leaves #23173.H page 193 using gold pigment ink. Mount to center of card and set aside.
To Make the Printer Paper Background:
Apply Plum dye ink to a scrap of printer paper by dragging and swiping the pad directly on to the paper. Do not cover the entire piece – leave some open areas.
Load stipple brush with Vivid ultramarine dye ink and pounce randomly on to some open white areas as well as over top of the plum ink – see sample picture on the right.
Tear down the right side of the paper creating a strip about 2" wide.
Load stipple brush with yellow dye ink and pounce randomly onto remaining white areas of the paper as well as over top of the plum and blue ink, allowing colors to blend. Stipple the torn edge then rub the torn edge against the yellow ink pad for accent. Over stamp with the crackle stamp #18082.I page 201 using gold pigment ink. Set aside.
Cut plum cardstock 3" x 5". Stamp the right side with the Stampendous words #XXW001 using gold pigment ink. Mount the printer paper background to the left side and trim to fit. Set aside.
Stamp flower #14080.F page 68 on to a scrap of white cardstock using black Memories ink. Color with plum and mustard pencil crayons. Cut into a square and edge with yellow ink.
Cut a scrap of gold cardstock 11/2" square. Mount on an angel to the top left corner of the printer paper background. Glue flower on top. Mount on to 31/4" x 51/4" mustard cardstock and then on to 31/2 x 51/2" white cardstock. Mount these inner layers to the stamped leaf frame.
First taught this class on May 1st, 2002


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SAN DIEGO — In powerlifting, size doesn't always equal strength. In fact, some of the biggest totals come from some the smallest lifters.
San Diego High School's Anthony Perez is a perfect example. Standing all of five-foot, three-inches, he was one of smallest lifters in the San Diego Brush Country Classic. However, he was pound-for-pound one of the strongest lifters at the annual meet in San Diego Friday afternoon. And when his totals for the day were finally logged into the Texas High School Powerlifting Association, Perez stood as the No. 1 ranked lifter in the state in his weight class and division.
Perez easily won the 148-pound weight class at Friday's meet with a total of 1,435 pounds. Only three lifters in the meet put up more weight, but those lifters competed in the 220-pound weight class or heavier. Perez had a squat of 580 pounds, a 325-pound bench press and a deadlift of 530 pounds.
He was one of three San Diego lifters who won their weight class and helped the Vaqueros to a first-place team finish in the meet.
Ethan Gonzalez won the 220-pound weight class with a 1,440-pound total. Gonzalez had a 570-pound squat, a 350-pound bench press and a 520-pound deadlift. Aqua Dulce's Austin Kennemer trailed closely with a 1,405-pound total to take third place. Kennemer had a 570-pound squat, a 320-pound bench press and a 515-pound deadlift.
San Diego's Michael Salaiz had the biggest total of the meet. He won the 242-pound weight class with a 1,570-pound total. He squatted 630 pounds. He had a bench press of 370 pounds and a 570-pound deadlift.
For their efforts, Perez was the meet's Outstanding Lifter in the lighter weight classes. Salaiz won the award for the meet's heavier weight classes.
Benavides lifter Arnold Pena won the 114-pound weight class with an 885-pound total. Adrian Campos of Freer won the won the 123-pound weight class with a 1,010-pound total.
Perez puts up big numbers at San Diego meet
SAN DIEGO — In powerlifting, size doesn't always equal strength. In fact, some of the biggest totals come from some the smallest lifters.


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The recent weather Â? with freezing and thawing, snow and rain Â? caused problems for a lot of residents. But it is also having an effect on the future of some local road projects.
The unseasonable weather took a heavy toll on some Elkhart County roads. The county highway department now has more repair work than it planned, and less money to do it with.
Many drivers in Elkhart County say they've noticed problems with local roads. For Paul Spencer, it's County Road 45, with its increasing number of potholes and erosion.
"(It) looks to me like more than a patch job; it looks like a complete repave job," Spencer said.
Like many drivers, including county officials, Spencer is blaming the weather.
Â?Freeze and thaw and the rain at the same time,Â? he added. Â?Rain comes down, then it freezes. Makes it all the worse.Â?
Workers at the county highway department say the recent roller-coaster weather is causing more repair work than they planned for this year.
Â?After the freezing and thawing this spring we've had, we had to add about another 72 miles to that maintenance program,Â? said Jeff Taylor with the county highway department. Â?That doesn't mean necessarily all paving but chip and seal and spot paving."
The additional work means the highway department will need $1.2 million to make up the difference. That's in addition to the other road projects already funded.
Taylor said with or without additional funding, his department will do the best they can with what they've got.
Well, I don't know that we're going to see any extra funds. But itÂ?s going to be a little bit challenging when you're that short,Â? Taylor added. Â?That means some roads are going to have to be overlooked for now and maybe come back in a couple of years and address them."
The county says about the only way to find additional money for needed road work would be increasing the local Wheel Tax.
Only one county commissioner has brought that up as a possible option. The Elkhart County Council will vote on renewing that at its meeting next month.


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Work and children under one roof
Expected opening in autumn 2012
A young child belongs with the parents. Parents are the most fulfilled among their peers where self-realization and recognition can be found…
What is goal of this project?
We would like to create a modern center for parents with young children on paternity leave. The center is designed in a way to enable parents to devote time to work, education, networking or relaxing, while their children are close by under the same roof and taken care for by professional educators.
Who we are?
We are four women of different ages, professions, with various parental and working experience. Endeavor to support active parents with small children brought us together. By supporting parents on their way to personal satisfaction would help to overcome obstacles set by society.
Who can benefit from this space?
- Mothers/ fathers who are taking care for children full time, but do not want give up completely their professional and personal development.
- For self-employed mothers/ fathers who need babysitting but wish to be near to and available for their children.
- For those parents who wish to work part time and need not only babysitting but also working opportunities.
- For women who need re-training and guidance prior returning to working place after parental leave.
- For women and men interested in developing social and professional networks.
- For parents seeking education and personal development while their children are provided with a quality programme.
- For women who desire to relax with a massage or beauty treatment, while their children are cared for.
- For entrepreneurial pa looking for opportunities to promote their own projects, services or products.
Service offered at Baby Office
The following activities are being considered in this stage of the project which is not final yet.
- Providing remote employment opportunities for parents at companies across Czech Republic.
- Providing part-time job opportunities at company's site located in Prague for selected target group.
- Providing a working environment for self-employed parents.
- Offering a variety of activities for children of parents who take advantage of the premises.
- Supporting education of parents (language courses, trainings, workshops, vocational trainings…).
- Offering job opportunities at the center (Baby Office).
- Offering relaxing activities (beauty treatment, massages) on the premises.
How should Baby Office look like?
We envision an modern space divided into several segments according to the purpose which they serve:
- Room for Children – a space where children (1-6 years) will be led by professionals in a play activities to develop their skills and knowledge
- 'Open space' type workspace with office equipment (copier, printer, tie) and a connection to Internet, where parents could quietly work
- 2 meeting rooms for business appointments, workshops, meetings, language courses, etc.
- reception with cafeteria and tables for relaxing cup of coffee or meals for children and parents
- Facilities with a kitchenette for heating meals, classic bathroom, dressing room.
Pracovní příležitosti
Akce Baby Office
- 24. 01. 2019
- 22. 03. 2019 - 24. 03. 2019
- 09. 04. 2019
- 25. 05. 2019
- Všechny akce


text: I'm glad to say I've got a great To-Do app on my Touch that's serving me well along with a finance app that's keeping making me realize how much I spend a day. I'm on the market for a health app. You know, the kind that tracks exercise along with eating. Recommend a good one? So far i've tried 2. The first is MyNetDiary which seemed promising since it checks my current weight, along with being able to input what i eat daily and what exercises i do. Problem is if i want to sync it to their website along i need to have a paid account. Secondly I'm using Livestrong which syncs up well with their website. Seems like there are a lot of people under this one and along with the forums and "dares" for people to do, it looks like a good website and the syncing (free) from site to app is super easy. The only thing I don't like here is that when inputting what you ate is a bit tough unless you're typing in something generic like a McDonalds cheeseburger. That and in terms of weight & calories, the system just wants to know if you wanna lose weight or gain weight and therefore sets a score of calories for you to achieve by eating more than you should or not enough; it doesn't take into consideration what you eat and etc etc. Essentially, just like how i've gotten my spending limits in check and am now closely looking at the errands and events I gotta get done throughout my week, I'd love to have an app that I can jot down how much i run daily, how much cardio and weight lifting i do, track calories burned, the good foods i eat, the bad ones and to stop eating them, etc. etc. I guess even just an app with a great helpful interface with the necessary tools would do the trick.


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PUFA Toxicity
Our diets contain 20 times more omega-6 fatty acids than the diets of humans before agriculture, industrial solvent extraction of seed oils and hydrogenation. These acids including linoleic and arachidonic acids are precursors to eicosanoids that mediate inflammation and blood clotting and the amount in our diet has been shown to correlate with negative health outcomes. Should NHLBI fund more research into the effects of dietary omega-6 (Polyunsaturated) fatty acid toxicity?
9 up votes
13 down votes
Idea No. 515


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Trevor Henthorn
Audio Production
Adjunct Faculty
The Art Institute of California—San Diego, a campus of Argosy University
The best way to prepare for real-world production is to adopt and continuously use real-world workflow, routines, and standards. Trevor Henthorn , Adjunct Faculty , The Art Institute of California—San Diego, a campus of Argosy University
What would you say is the defining moment in your life when you knew you were destined to become a creative professional?
I would have to say that moment when I was offered money to perform with the trumpet. I had signed up to participate at a Renaissance Fair, assuming I would be a volunteer. It turned out that they needed a herald trumpeter. I had played trumpet for 8 years, but never herald trumpet. The Fair provided me with the instrument, most of the required costume and union pay. This was quite an honor, especially for a high school student. Before the season began, I was also invited to fly from San Francisco to Portland to play at a corporate event. Travel, music, costumes, pay and, most importantly, respect—I was sold!
How do you weave your professional background into the classroom experience to provide an industry veteran's sense of the realities / challenges / opportunities of the profession?
For the past 30 years, I have worked in the music, performance and technology industries. So, I have seen (and still see) the realities of production workflow, impossible deadlines, competition, unexpected delays, the need to be 'cutting edge' and the balance of creativity with technology, administration, and funding. The students (well, most of them) seem to enjoy my real-life stories of production complications and related solutions. Certainly, they enjoy seeing, learning and using modern tools. The 'Emerging' and 'Interactive' courses turn out to be a great platform for sharing new ideas and technology. The 'recording' courses allow for exploration of quality, professional capture using traditional and modern techniques and collaboration with accomplished artists.
Is there a class assignment that exemplifies your approach to teaching and mentoring? Similarly, how does your approach inspire each student to push themselves beyond their own perceived limits?
I believe that it is important to bring professional workflow into the classroom and studio. We establish industry standard roles such as "production manager," "producer," and "engineer." We use industry standard tools, not just for recording, but also for scheduling, document sharing and media archiving. This includes the integration of smartphones, tablets and 'the cloud.' Most importantly, we keep to real-world standards. I use the same criticisms that I received as a consultant when working for record labels, radio and TV (including NBC, CBS, and Universal) to gauge "professional quality."
What role does collaboration contribute to students' success, especially when students from other programs contribute to the same project?
It's no secret that collaboration and group work is difficult for folks (especially students), but a necessity for the success of large projects. In class, we explore use of social tools such as peer critique and technological tools such as eCompanion, Brightspace, Wordpress, Basecamp, as well as various audio-centric cloud services.
In your opinion, what is the single most important thing you impart to your students to help them succeed in your class and in the real world? Alternatively, what is the most critical advice you would offer any student as he / she embarks on a creative career?
I believe the key phrase here is "real world." The best way to prepare for real-world production is to adopt and continuously use real-world workflow, routines, and standards. Use industry standard tools, not just what is most convenient. This includes collaboration and leverage of all local resources, on and off campus.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you, your experience, or your role as a faculty member at The Art Institutes?
Before coming to The Art Institute to teach in the evenings, I support the technical infrastructure in the Department of Music at University of California-San Diego. This is a very different environment from The Art Institute—different resources, different technology and different students. It's always rewarding to connect the audio production skill of Art Institute students with the musical skill from UCSD. Outside of both of those schools, San Diego and Tijuana host active music and art scenes. As working in the audio industry means working with performers, bringing those performers into the studio and bringing students to meet local musicians is a blast!


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It seems investors' patience runs very short nowadays. Too often they grow restless if they see their fund underperforming for a short period – even three or four months. Really you have to give fund managers more of a chance than this, particularly in markets dominated by political decisions, macro-economic events and geopolitical risks. It is virtually impossible to switch whole portfolios from one direction to another, and it is also very costly. Managers have to stick with their long-term strategy, so it pays to have some patience and assess a fund's performance over a longer period.
That said an investor is entitled to be disappointed with lacklustre progress. One such fund for me is the Schroder Global Alpha Plus fund, which is run by Virginie Maisonneuve. Her high conviction approach favours good-quality growth companies investing for the future. Despite many admirable aspects to the fund, performance has been poor over the last year, so I recently met with her to understand what has happened.
Her honest reply was to say that very little had gone wrong. Turnover has been low, and she has stuck rigidly to her process – a good sign. Quite often chopping and changing can be a road to ruin in fund management, and it usually tells you the fund manager has lost their nerve. Whilst there have been a small number of stock-specific disappointments, what really seems to be driving underperformance is the types of stocks she picks are not finding favour with the wider market. In short, her 'style' is currently at odds with the prevailing mood.
To explain this it is necessary to look at the central themes of the fund. Virginie Maisonneuve looks at the world as an increasingly interconnected "global village" and considers how companies are being confronted by trends that are continually shaping the world. These include climate change and the need to cut emissions; demographics and the resulting shift in demand likely to result from changing consumption patterns; and growing demand for commodities and natural resources. Clearly these are all long-term themes, and with many investors primarily looking at the next year, or even the next quarter, of company earnings, it is easy to understand that her longer term outlook may not be shared by others.
Looking at the portfolio it is reassuring to find there is real quality. Apple and Google are two stocks that have fared particularly well, capitalising on the proliferation of mobile computing through devices such as smart phones and tablets. Virginie Maisonneuvebelieves Google is good value and retains a 4 per cent exposure in the fund, whilst she has begun to trim her position in Apple following the stock's tremendous run. She believes we are approaching saturation in the mobile phone market and while the tablet business offers further growth, profit margins are not as high. Elsewhere, Home Depot, a US home improvement retailer, has also been doing well. Property prices in the US seem to have bottomed and consumer confidence is picking up.
Other stocks, though, have not worked so well. Atlas Iron, an iron ore producer based in Western Australia, has been hit by the fear of a Chinese economic slowdown. Continuing urbanisation means iron ore inventories are actually quite low in China and Virginie Maisonneuveexpects a recovery in the share price. Similarly, Infineon Technology, a German semiconductor company, has struggled due to falling demand for its chips. The business is highly cyclical and she thinks better times lie ahead.
Herein lies the problem in my view. The market is more interested in defensive, high yielding stocks than the higher growth companies Virginie Maisonneuve is seeking out. Indeed, the fund has tended to perform particularly badly in "risk off" periods such as December last year and May and June this year. Yet these stocks have a latent value, and although they might be perceived as more risky, they could now be good value compared to the more fashionable defensive stocks investors are currently enamoured with. Defensives may offer greater certainty of earnings but they have less scope for growth – a key ingredient for long term returns. I suspect funds like this are due a return to form, though in a market dominated by the actions of central bankers and politicians I fear it may be some time coming. Nonetheless, for investors with some patience, exposure to good-quality growth companies via a fund such as this should pay off over the long run.
Mark Dampier is head of research at Hargreaves Lansdown


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News and Views
Yakubu Hopes To Appear At Wolves
06 February 2015
By Hob Nob Anyone?
New shock signing Yakubu will be in the squad this Saturday as Reading travel to Wolves in the Championship looking to build on a run of three games unbeaten. The Royals have made a slight recovery in the league and progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup since the arrival of Steve Clarke.
The arrival of striker Yakubu has caused plenty of interest throughout the football world and a mixture of reaction from Reading fans. Some fans feel he could be the player we need to give the side a boost and help us climb the table after an inconsistent season. Others are worried about the lack of his match action at a reasonable standard in recent years. It is a long time since Yakubu was banging in goals in the Premier League, but Reading remain hopeful he can pick up where he left but at a division lower. Yakubu seems likely to make an appearance from the bench depending on how the Royals are faring at Wolves. Clarke believes that Yakubu is match fit and ready to go.
Other than Yakubu, Reading should be essentially unchanged at Wolves. Full back Chris Gunter continues to make progress towards returning to action from injury, but Kelly is expected to continue defensive duties in his absence. Hope Akpan will be trying to get back into the side as he returns from injury. Anton "45 minutes" Ferdinand will be off-duty once more.
Wolves will be without regular goalkeeper Carl Ikeme for the first time this season after a major injury has ruled him out for up to two months. He suffered the injury after a tackle from former Reading player James Henry in training. Perhaps Reading born Henry is still on the payroll?
Reading are unbeaten in five games against Wolves. Before that we lost five games in a row against them, which included both legs of the Division One play-off semi final in 2003. Earlier this season we drew 3-3 at home with Wolves - Hector, Taylor and Murray were on the scoresheet for Reading that day.
Read More:
|Reading and Wolves - Head to head record (since August 1994)
|Games Between Reading and Wolves
|Reading Wins
|Wolves Wins
|Reading Goals
|Wolves Goals
|Average Goals Per Game
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5th Annual
Book Carnival
May 9-13
Bring a Book, Take a Book!
All students are invited to visit this exciting book exchange.
For each book you bring in, you get to take a book.
Last year over 1,000 books were exchanged!
This event will take place in the bus drop off area
during 4th grade class times.
Teachers will be bringing students and sending students to the event.
Once a book is donated to the exchange, it is available for someone to choose. Please only bring in books you are ready to part with and that are in good condition. New and used books are accepted.
Thank you, The 4th Graders!