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Geraldton Port - improving long wave predictions with real-time wave buoy data/
"MetOcean Solutions has worked exceptionally hard to assist the Port of Geraldton with its surge problem. The product they now deliver is heavily relied on when scheduling shipping. The efficiencies gained in reduced labour costs to port users are significant, but is the contribution to safety that represents the greatest gain. In 2005 there were 242 parted ships lines at Geraldton. Following the developments in forecasting Long Wave effects at Geraldton, last year there were only 30 parted ships lines. This was the lowest number of parted lines since records have been kept. MetOcean Solutions is keeping Geraldton Port efficient, and port workers safe."
Captain Ross Halsall, Acting Harbour Master, Port of Geraldton.
Observational wave data can help ports manage the onset of long wave events. In recent work for Geraldton Port (Australia), we improved our harbour long wave forecasts by integrating wave buoy data from two upstream locations into the short-range predictions.
Long (or infragravity) waves are created when swell waves interact with the coast and result in water level oscillations with periods much longer than the original swell waves. Long wave periods of 60-120 seconds are typical, and these are very problematic because their wavelength is similar to the size of ships. When such waves enter a harbour the moored vessels are energised, causing dangerous surging which can break lines and put personnel in danger. As a result, ports often have to close when long wave heights exceed a safe threshold.
Accurate forecasts of long wave height can help ports increase safety, reduce unwarranted closures and effectively plan for reopening. For the past 11 years, MetOcean Solutions has provided a specialist long wave forecasting service that ports and harbours throughout New Zealand and Australia have come to rely upon.
"Our scientific research over many years provides the basis for a robust prediction system," explains Senior Oceanographer Dr Severin Thiebaut. "We use a semi-empirical technique to establish the relationship between the offshore wave spectra and the long wave height at each berth in a port. It's a method that we have tested at more than 30 locations worldwide".
The forecast wave spectra is derived from the suite of global and regional numerical models run by MetOcean Solutions. Geraldton Port have been using these predictions to guide the harbour operations since 2007. Predictions have proved very reliable, but sometimes the arrival of a swell front may differ from the forecast by a few hours as the exact timing is difficult to resolve perfectly with a spectral wave model. To supplement the long wave forecasts, we developed a new technique using real-time wave buoy data to improve the short term predictions and better detect occasions with a sharp rise in long wave energy inside the harbour.
'"The goal is to ensure that our port clients are never surprised by weather events," says Dr Thiebaut.
The Department of Transport maintains wave buoys at Rottnest Island and at Jurien Bay, some 370 km and 170 km to the south of Geraldton, respectively. The live data from these buoys, updated at 30 minute intervals, are used to track the progression of swell up the west coast of Australia and provide harbour long wave predictions some 5-6 hours ahead.
"Using the live buoy data provides additional confidence to the standard forecasts. In particular, it allows us to accurately capture any rapidly rising long wave events. It also gives the port operators a better idea of when wave heights will decrease to safe working levels. Geraldton Port accesses the forecast information through the web-based MetOceanView platform and through their local environmental monitoring software. On the same plot we show the measured long waves at the berth along with the values that are forecast by our standard system plus those predicted by the buoys."
Contact us for a discussion of what we can do to help your port. Call +64 6 758 5035, email email@example.com or visit www.metoceanview.com.


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Every person desires to have strong and shiny hair, especially ladies. After your facial beauty, it is your hair that gets noticed.
A healthy head of hair with a healthy, flake-free scalp is a wonderful thing. But due to rising pollution and health problems now it's difficult to maintain hair. So if you notice a few strands of hair on the floor in your bathroom, it might not be cause for concern, because unfortunately, everyone loses hair.
It's normal to lose about 50-100 hairs per day. But if you begin to notice bald patching or excessive thinning, you may be experiencing hair loss.
What Causes HAIR LOSS?
Millions of people experience hair loss for different reasons. When hair loss happens suddenly, it may be due to illness, diet, medicine or childbirth. But, when hair loss happens more gradually, it may be hereditary.
Factors That Can Cause Hair Loss Include:
- Hereditary thinning or baldness
- Autoimmune disease
- Major surgery
- Severe infections
- Cancer treatments
- Childbirth
- Menopause
- Stress
- Weight loss
- Iron deficiency
- Eating disorder
- Medication
- Hair products
Make Natural Hair Tonic To Regrow Thick, Strong Hair!
Men and women alike often spend thousands each year on hair products that promise to make their hair thicker, longer and give them a healthy shine.
There are many factors that can cause hair loss and thin hair, but there is a natural hair tonic you can use to start regrowing strong, thick hair.
The good news is, you can make this tonic at home and it's super inexpensive. You only need three ingredients!
Natural Hair Tonic Recipe:
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon of Honey
- 2 tablespoons of Castor oil
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. (You can double or triple the recipe depending on the length of your hair).
- Apply for to the scalp and roots of the hair, then apply the remaining mixture to the rest of your hair.
- Put a shower cap on to cover your hair and let the tonic sit for 2-4 hours.
- Rinse, wash and condition your hair as usual.
- Use this mixture once or twice a week.
***In about 2 months, you'll notice the amazing results!
Benefits of the Ingredients and How Does It Work?
Egg Yolk
Egg yolk contains protein, fatty acids, and vitamins that all work to strengthen your hair.
The Vitamin A that egg yolks contain helps to moisturize your hair and promote growth. The lecithin in egg yolk helps protect the hair from brittleness and breakage.
Honey is packed with antioxidants that work to soften your hair while giving your scalp and hair follicles a healthy boost!
Adding honey to this hair tonic helps give your hair a healthy glow while promoting growth. The sugar in the honey also helps to moisturize your hair while preventing hair loss.
Castor Oil
Castor oil contains the amino acid ricinoleic. It has the ability to penetrate into the scalp and hair follicles to work its magic.
It helps regulate the pH level of the scalp while eliminating dandruff and protecting the hair from damaging environmental factors.
How To Make Natural Hair Tonic To Regrow Thick, Strong Hair In No Time – Via http://keepyourbody.com

subset: commoncrawl


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They might have come into circulation in the UK in late March, but the new bimetallic 12-sided one pound coins still get my attention each time I have one in my hand.
The coins, complete with their distinctive new look and series of security features – including grooved edges and a high-tech hologram – got me thinking about the lessons businesses can learn from their launch.
Although switching from one coin to another might not seem like a big deal, it does draw attention to a range of issues that all companies should think carefully about. Here are a couple of the most important lessons I think businesses can learn.
It pays to plan ahead
Forward planning is vital in any business, and this includes paying attention to any upcoming developments that could affect your day-to-day operations. If you don't put effective measures in place to help your company cope with any imminent changes, you could be left counting the cost – and your reputation may be damaged as well.
Highlighting this fact, some businesses seemed to be caught off guard when the new pound coin was first launched. Around the country, a range of ticket and vending machines, as well as supermarket trolleys, weren't adapted to accept the new coins.
In fact, according to the Automatic Vending Association (AVA), around 15 per cent of the UK's vending machines were initially unable to accept the replacement coins. This may have resulted in countless missed sales opportunities. Tesco was one of the supermarkets hit. It had to leave trolleys at some of its larger stores unlocked while it updated its locking mechanisms to accept the new coins.
There's a risk that any long-term strategic planning will end up taking a back seat – especially when you're under pressure to meet demand for your products or services and you have other important priorities to focus on. But if you want to ensure your company is ready for whatever lies ahead, it's essential to devote time and energy to future proofing your strategies on an ongoing basis.
Factor your finances into any change
The launch of the coin also reinforced the importance of factoring your finances into any changes or enhancements you introduce in your business. Treasury assessments of the economic impact of the introduction of new 5p and 10p coins in 2011 suggest that it cost the coin-operated industry approximately £80 million.
This time round, the figures are likely to be even higher. The British Parking Association states that it can cost up to £130 per machine for a software upgrade, while hardware changes can come with a bill of £350 per machine. The AVA estimates that it will cost companies a combined total of around £32 million to upgrade the UK's 500,000 vending machines.
It may not be easy, but creating a financial cushion around the implementation of any new idea will help you cope with expenses like these. In turn, it could increase your chances of securing the long-term success of your business – and it means you can enjoy greater peace of mind.


text: How many times have you actually gotten out of a bad situation and stopped to reflect about what could have been? The past month or more I have been experiencing unusual feelings in my chest and pain in my left arm (Classic symptoms I know) and I had been taking asprin and ignoring it till this past week when at my wife's urging I finally went to the doctor's. The doctor basically told me to get my arse to the hospital immediately which I did. Turns out I did have a very mild heart attack but there was no real damage. Next I had a Catherization and there were some blockages which they were able clear through Angioplasty and Stenting. No major surgery was needed. I felt like the luckest guy on earth. My New Year's resolution was to get into shape so now I have no choice! LOL And the icing on the cake is I just got a Mike Lull P5 last Friday and have a Rick Turner Renaisance due here on Monday so I'll get to enjoy them. Man stop and smell the coffee (Decaf that is)!


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One thing will save America, it is not the government. It is an awakening to God.
America is destined for another great move of the Spirit but the devil does not want it to happen. However we have tools to defeat him, just like you have garden forks to uproot the your weeds. But if we don't pick them up and put them to work, thistles, dandelions and clover will spring up and choke the life out of your flowers. That's when you have to rise up and take authority in prayer over forces that try to stop the move of His Presence.
The First Great Awakening created the system of American education. Ivy League colleges in the East Coast began as ministerial training schools.Harvard was formed in 1636 and was thoroughly Christian. It's mission statement began with, " Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed that the main end of life and study is to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ...." Connecticut Puritans began Yale in 1701 to give youth a "religious education so that leaders for the churches should not be lacking..." Most grade schools and universities were patterned like this until after the Civil War.
So what is our part now to see America wake up? It starts with prayer. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 instructs us to "First of all then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercession and giving of thanks be made for al men, for kinds and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." Lift up your leaders before family, friends or finances. You will be glad you did, if you want to live in peace, no matter who you voted for.
We were in a meeting in Tulsa, OK, in 1989 when East German Pastors were speaking right after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They said if they had not decided to walk in love and pray for the communists who treated them so cruelly, that the wall would have never come down. When you walk according to His Word, even when it goes against your feelings, God prevails.


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For more than 20 years I have been working with leaders and individual contributors on the topics of Leadership and Change Management.
As part of my consulting approach, I support teams and organizations to utilize their talents and resources, maximize their leadership potential and successfully manage sustainable change. Complexity and the speed of change in today's business environment and our personal environments are ever increasing and the external view of systemically trained business partner can aid to create innovative structures and business processes while cultivating and nurturing what is unique about your organization.
During my coaching sessions, you will be able to experience new and powerful ways to learn more about yourself, deeply understand your interactions with others and develop new strategies that will have immediate and powerfully positive impact on you and those around you. Escpecially in change situations individually tailored coaching can be a powerful resource for sustainable change.
Selected METHODs I work with
The Leadership Challenge® - The five practices of exemplary leadership
Systemic Consulting
Systemic Change Management
Mindfulness-based approaches
Internal Family Systems Therapy by R. Schwartz
Voice Dialogue
Myers-Briggs Typenindikator (MBTI)
Big-Five Personality Model
Coaching Certification by Dietz Training & Partner (recognized by DBVC e.V. )
Certified Master Facilitator for The Leadership Challenge® -
Systemic Consulting (Prof. Dr. Simon, Berlin, Germany)
Systemic Change Management (Strasser & Strasser, Munich, Germany)
Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher (Dr Christopher Germer and Dr Kristin Neff)
Schema-therapy based coaching (J. Young; Dr. B. Migge)
Customer-Oriented-Selling (Certified Facilitator)
Member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Lecturer at the Hochschule Fresenius - University of applied sciences
My experience in international environments working with Global and European Leadership Teams forms the basis of my consulting approach.
Work experience
Vice President Talent & OD,
Pieris Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Human Resources Director Europe,
Analog Devices Inc.
HR Manager Central and Northern Europe, Veritas / Symantec
HR Development Representative Central- and Eastern Europe, Intel Corporation
M.Sc. in Business Administration (Diplom-Kaufmann), University of Bayreuth, Germany


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Around the blogosphere...
Best Video (nominated by Susan Rogers St Laurent):
Clark Retirement Community LipDub
Funniest Photo:
What Really Happened to Stonehenge
Most Inspiring:
Elaine Storkey at Christianity Today with "A Liberating Woman: A Reflection on the Founder of Christians for Biblical Equality"
"As founder and president of Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) and of Peace and Safety in the Christian Home (PASCH)—as well as in 13 books and hundreds of scholarly articles and lectures—Kroeger demonstrated, while holding to scriptural authority and evangelism, that the gospel addressed many concerns of contemporary feminism."
Most Powerful:
Emerging Mummy with "In Which I am Part of the Insurgency"
"Sometimes I think that there is a war on women. It may be unofficial but oh, sisters, it's pervasive and horrible in some ways, culturally acceptable and mundane-but-devastating in others…"
Most Important:
Mark Galli at Christianity Today with "The Most Risky Profession"
Most Honest:
Shan K. with "A Spectator Along God's Highway"
"Being a gypsy at the side of the road, though, leaves me with a view of all the caravans passing by. I look away often, but when I don't I see a parade of people in spiritual machines moving forward, forward. They get in these machines together and fly the flag of their particular vehicular choice. They sing driving songs and shout driving directions to other travelers from bullhorns. They make faces at the people in the cars and chariots and flintstone-mobiles travelling the road near them. They move fast, they move slow, they move all zig-zaggy. They throw out candy or maps or broken glass or umbrellas. But they never seem to understand that from where I'm standing now they all look the same."
Best Satire:
Kurt Willems with "Sign My Petition for a Constitutional Amendment to Ban Divorce"
Best Series:
Mason Slater with "Whatever Happened to Sin?"
Best Question:
Laura Ziesel with "Is Christianese Always Bad?"
"After my miscarriage, sometimes I had no words of my own. I was unable to form coherent thoughts and put words to my feelings. I think this is a common occurrence during grief...once I was able to borrow the words of Scripture to express my grief, I thought and spoke in Christianese a lot. But you know what? I didn't give a rip. I had words, and I had words that were both helpful and true. So, I sounded like an 80-year-old church lady. Oh well."
Best Conversation-Starter:
Scot McKnight with "I Wish I Hadn't Said That"
Scot asks, "What is one thing that was so important to you in your early 20s that you now either don't believe or are downright embarrassed about?" (The comments that follow this post are a fun read.)
Coolest Image:
The Kitchn with "Pots and Planets"
Strangest 'Religion' Story:
Austrian Atheist Wins Right to Wear Pasta Strainer In Driver's License Photo
"Effemigate" …
I never expected that our effort to stand up to Mark Driscoll's bullying would trigger the reaction that it did. But after a crazy week (in which I was accused of "libel" by WORLD magazine of all places), Driscoll issued a response that suggests the elders of Mars Hill Church heard our requests and spoke with Mark about the carelessness of his words. My hope is that this acknowledgement of fault represents a first step toward changing the overall tenor and tone of Mark's ministry…but of course only time will tell.
Hundreds of folks wrote blog posts on the subject. A few that stood out to me included:
Tyler Clark with "Mano-a-Mano"
John Jensen with "A Letter to Pastor Mark" and "A Follow Up…"
Brian McLaren with "Two Roads Diverged in an Evangelical Wood"
Karen Swallow Prior (at RELEVANT) with "Who Would Jesus Bully?"
Donald Miller with "What Does Healthy Masculinity Look Like?
Jamie Arpin Ricci with "What A Godly Man Looks Like"
David Hayward with "The New Jesus"
Ellen Cooper Davis with "Be A Lover and a Fighter"
Brian LePort with "Let's Put a Human Face on the Other"
Alise Wright with "Why I Wrote Mark Driscoll"
Preston Yancey with "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
Anna Blanch with "Calling Out Christian Leaders in an Age of Digital Media"
There are many more worthy of sharing, so if one comes to mind, please feel free to link in the comment section. For now I'm ready to move on from this kerfuffle and work instead on building better frameworks for discussing masculinity, femininity, gender, and sexuality in the Church. As many have noted, this conversation transcends a single Facebook status or a single pastor. And I am convinced that once we strip away the stereotypes, the prejudices, the cruel jokes, and the biblical abuses, this conversation will result in GOOD NEWS for men and women alike!
So what caught your eye online this week? What's happening at your blog?
Shareable Permalink
© 2011 All rights reserved.
Copying and republishing this article on other Web sites without written permission is prohibited.


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The future-proof peat meadow polder 'Lange Weide', is unique bottom-up initiative and the largest submerged drainage project in the Netherlands.
Projects & Practice
Adjustments to water management and remedial measures help to preserve protected areas and conserve the landscape of the Western Langstraat.
The project made an Ekso Bionics Exoskeleton available to patients in rural areas. This enables community rehabilitation of patients recovering from spinal injuries, strokes and brain injuries.
An investment project that allowed a company to fill the gap in the local supply chain for wood chips in the north-west of Ireland.
A leading manufacturer of conserves and jams used RDP support to increase its winter water storage capacity for use during the summer dry months.
The project supported the construction of a water supply network in the village of Reka, ensuring that all inhabitants have adequate access to water.
The Walloon RDP supports the provision of quality healthcare services for ageing inhabitants of rural areas in Belgium.
A project that supports the integration of young immigrants into Swedish society and is organised by young immigrants themselves.
A LAG organised a series of tailored workshops to combat digital exclusion among people over 50 years old.
Reducing the cost of renovation works for households lacking essential energy services by bringing together local resources, including people's skills and time. This is the winning initiative of the 2019 Rural Inspiration Awards in the 'Social Inclusion' category.


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Synthesis of Amphiphilic Block Copolymers for Use in Biomedical Applications
Carmichael-Baranauskas, Anita Yvonne
MetadataShow full item record
The research presented in this thesis focuses on the synthesis of three amphiphilic block copolymer systems containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks. The polymer systems were developed for use in biomedical applications. The first of these is a series of poly(ethylene oxide-b¬-oxazoline) (PEO-b-POX) diblock copolymers for use in the progress towards novel non-viral gene transfer vectors. Poly(ethylene oxide-b¬-2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEO-b-PEOX) and poly(ethylene oxide-b¬-2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PEO-b-PMOX) were investigated. The PEOX block was hydrolyzed with acid to form linear polyethylenimine (L-PEI). The polycation L-PEI is well known for its DNA binding efficiency but the water solubility of the resulting DNA/polymer complex is limited. Addition of a PEO block is directed towards the formation of a water dispersible DNA/copolymer complex. Dynamic light scattering of the PEO-b-PEOX and PEO-b-PEI block copolymers indicated that both systems existed as single chains in aqueous solution at pH 7. PEO copolymers also play a significant role in the formation of magnetic magnetite nanoparticles, which are dispersible in water at biological pH (pH =7). There is significant interest in the design of magnetic nanoparticle fluids for biomedical applications including magnetic field-directed drug delivery, magnetic cell separations, and blood purification. For use in vivo, the magnetite nanoparticles must be coated with biocompatible materials. Such polymers render the nanoparticles dispersible in water. Harris1 et al. synthesized PEO based, polyurethane triblocks with pendant carboxylic acid groups for use in formation of stable aqueous magnetic fluids. Building from this work, two polyurethane and polyurethaneurea systems were synthesized with 1300 g/mol PEOX and 2500 g/mol and PEOX2070 g/mol poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) tailblocks, respectively. The PEO/PPO random copolymer contained about 25 weight percent PPO, and this disrupted the capacity of the PEO to crystallize. The PEOX based urethane triblocks were synthesized through reacting the tailblocks with the monomers for the center block whereas the PEO/PPO based polyurethaneurea was synthesized through forming the central urethane block with pendant acid groups first and then terminating the copolymer with the monofunctional copolymer. Terminal amine groups on the PEO/PPO tailblock afforded a triblock linked with two urea groups. The new polyurethanes with the PEOX tailblocks and the new polyurethaneurea with the PEO/PPO tailblocks could be utilized to efficiently stabilize magnetite nanoparticles in water.
- Masters Theses [19240]


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Torchwood star John Barrowman will put his 1,000-watt smile to good use in Gilded Lilys, the next drama in the works at ABC from uber-producer Shonda Rhimes.
Barrowman will play Julius Lily, the playboy son of a family looking to open a ritzy hotel in New York. Here's the official logline for the drama pilot; "Set in 1895, this epic love story follows the opening of the first grand luxury hotel in NY, against a backdrop of vicious family rivalries, scandalous secrets, and conflict and co-mingling of classes." Writer K.J. Steinberg (The Nine, Gossip Girl) composed the script.
Barrowman played Capt. Jack Harkness in Torchwood. He previously guest-starred in Desperate Housewives.
Meanwhile, Rhimes' next show, the political soap Scandal, will bow April 5.


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So, you're in the learning process, and you need a tutorial that will teach you on drawing wolves accurately, right? I hope I'm not mistakened, because I have a great lesson to share with all of you. In this helpful guide, you'll be learning "how to draw a wolf body", step by step. When you focus on these creatures, it's best to involve most of your visuals on the body of a wolf. Observe how it twist, turns, and moves around in order to provide a work of wolf art onto your paper. It takes artists years after all their practicing and observing to get to where they're at now. I would suggest for you to search on the net for reference pictures of these sacred beasts, as well as books that brew with photos. You're more then likely to find these books at your local bookstore or library. Anyways, I'll provide you with a few resources to better your skills at "drawing wolves" and I'll even give you a fluffy pillows. This site is solely dedicated on getting your skills primed up to set your own style!
You want your body of a wolf to resemble this:
The head of a wolf is upright – sturdy. Making them too long or too short, will result in a deformed body. 2. wolves are no where near very thin. Most artists make this mistake; giving their wolves an appearance of starvation, illness. 3. The hocks are not too high or too low. Keep them at a normal height.
If you would like more information on "drawing wolf bodies", here are a few resources:
How to draw a wolf head
How to draw wolves
How to draw wolf paws
These links should be fairly helpful for your drawing needs. I've been searching high and low for many resources to draw these miraculous animals. Thanks for viewing this post and good luck!


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Weather Warnings - Bushwalking Alert
Cancellation of Bush Walkers Weather Alert
for the Western and Central Plateau forecast districts.
Issued at 9:25 pm EST on Monday 16 September 2019.
The Bush Walkers Weather Alert for the Western and Central Plateau forecast
districts has been cancelled.
No further warnings will be issued for this event.
Weather News
Drought-affected farmers hit hard as freak hailstorm wipes out crops in NSW hinterland
Farmers struggling to cope with the drought are desperate for rain, but in northern New South Wales they have instead been hit by a severe hailstorm, which has wiped out a number of crops.
Asthma sufferers urged to stay indoors as South Australia braces for damaging winds and dust
Asthma sufferers are being urged to stay indoors tomorrow as the state braces for potentially damaging winds and dusty conditions.
Rain reaches parts of western NSW but no real relief for farmers battling drought
Rain has fallen in some parts of western NSW but farmers in the most critically dry areas have been left disappointed after failing to receive a single drop.


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The Electus website strives to apply accepted standards of accessibility with the aim of optimising use for a variety of users. Our site accessibility is an organic process and will continue to improve over time.
Basic Standards
- The site has a clear visual hierarchy and works acceptably across target browsers.
- The site has a meaningful 404 page (error page) that will contain information redirecting users to other relevant areas within the site.
- Where possible, decorative images are in Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
- "alt" attributes are employed for images.
Basic Usability
- Headings clearly indicate the document structure.
- Navigation is consistent throughout the site.
- The site has an easy to find sitemap and contact page.
- The site has a link to the home page on every page.
- The site is optimised for speed and page size.
Accessibility for Devices
- Content is accessible without CSS.
- Content is accessible without images.
- Content is meaningful in text browsers.
- Content is accessible when printed.
- The site works well in different window sizes greater than 800x600.
- The site is accessible on Hand Held Devices.
Site Management
- The site has friendly URLs that work without "www".
- The site has a favicon.
Accessibility for Users
- In order to increase font size, please press ctrl + +, and to decrease font size, please press ctrl + -.
- Hyperlinks are made as descriptive as possible.
- The site has sufficient colour contrasts.
- The site does not use colour alone for critical information.
Separation of Content & Presentation
- CSS are used for presentation aspects.


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Implementation & Best Practices
All submitted artwork for 303live.com and newsletters must follow best practices set forth by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). For more information, visit iab.net/guidelines. Flash files are not accepted for newsletters.
All banners are due at least 6 business days before the start of the campaign.
Clients can request a status report during the campaign as well as a final report at the conclusion of the campaign. Please contact your account executive for more information.
Please contact an account executive for pricing and terms.
Wallpaper Ads
- 1280px wide
Inline Side Ads
- 300×250
Promoted Articles
please call us if you would like more info 303-800-5455
Please contact an account executive for ad specifications.
Ad Units available:
- 300×250
- 468×60
- 160×600
- 88×30 sponsored link
Newsletter traffic changes daily. Please contact your account executive to get up-to the-minute statistics.
For More information or support contact us.
Dondrae Mills – 303-800-5455
Email:Support (At) rmae.co


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The Return of Vintage Light Bulbs
In designing a space, antiques such as furniture and art are typically the go-to considerations for emulating vintage styles; and yet, perhaps the most critical element of period-specific aesthetics is found in lighting. At the surface, some might consider this to just be a matter of "how bright you want the room", but lighting is comprised of everything from the physical construction of a fixture to the luminance, warmth, and power consumption of individual bulbs. Vintage lighting and décor has ever been a provider of style and class, with old-school aesthetics granting a personable charm to storefronts, an adventurous mood to dining, and a timeless sense of character to our homes.
This visual ambiance is able to immediately communicate the purpose and personality of a space, from the bright fluorescents of a corporate office to the dim yellows of a study. Society has experienced a steady revival of vintage appreciation – particularly for Art Deco and Industrial Victorian styles – which is often accompanied by the warm, yellow glow of complex carbon filaments (typically emitting light at a color temperature of 2200K). A number of restaurants such as Miami's Yardbird and Toronto's Guu Izakaya are well known specifically for their vintage style, which incorporates Edison bulbs and exposed carbon-filament fixtures.
Steady reproduction of these antiques has been ongoing for decades, but it wasn't until the 2007 EISA banning of low-efficiency light bulbs and the accompanying push for compact fluorescents that these vintage Edisons regained their popularity. With existing bulbs of certain wattages limited in sale to only what inventory had already been produced, decorators began to search for alternatives. Those who used the spiral-form compact fluorescents, which are more focused on energy-efficiency than style, complained that they clashed with restored antique fixtures (some even causing a green color shift). As a result, many interior designers have turned to stockpiles of Edison reproductions for their lighting needs. While these 19th century replicas provide high quality lighting and the warm glow that so characterizes vintage charm, this choice in style has been criticized for the high demands it places on energy consumption and air conditioning.
It's not uncommon for these antiques to pull a massive 100 watts of power which, when replicated across a large space such as a storefront or restaurant, can become both costly and environmentally unconscionable. While most Edison reproductions and other antique bulbs normally pull 75 watts or more, LEDs replicating the Edison style require less than a tenth of that amount, and have become a popular alternative for many consumers. At the time of the EISA restrictions, LED replicas of antique bulbs simply could not produce similar light to that of their high-power predecessors, and were summarily disregarded by vintage-style locales. Now, LED bulbs are able to mimic the light and style of the classy vintage Edisons at only 4.5-watts, while lasting an incredible 15,000 hours (five times longer than their 60-watt equivalent).
Thanks to the advances in LED bulbs, our desire for vintage styles doesn't have to come with the caveat of mismatched lighting and energy inefficiency. Now you can light your business or home with a warm glow right out of the 1880s, properly complimenting period-specific décor while keeping the electric bill low and remaining environmentally responsible. With years of history and style ready to create your perfect aesthetic, we'd love to know how you have used or experienced vintage-style bulbs and lighting. Let us know in the comments, or send us examples of your own lighting on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, or Pinterest!
Article courtesy of Richard Wirth.


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Following Orlando, Congressman and Iraq War vet says civilians shouldn't have assault weapons
Massachusetts Congressman and Iraq War veteran Rep. Seth Moulton wants everyone to know his stance on gun reform after Sunday's terror attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando — he is staunchly for Congress taking action to remove assault rifles from America's streets.
On Monday, House Speaker Paul Ryan asked the House of Representatives to participate in a moment of silence for the 49 victims and 53 injured. The shooter, Omar Mateen, used an assault-style rifle Sig Sauer MCX.
Along with other congresspeople who did not participate Moulton refused to observe this moment of silence in an act of protest. They walked out of the House. Moulton tweeted, "[The House of Representatives] routinely holds 'Moments of Silence' after each mass shooting-- underscoring their cowardly silence on even VOTING on gun reform."
RELATED: See Seth Moulton's tweets about gun reform
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He continued, "So I'm joining [Rep. Jim Himes] in not attending anymore House 'Moments of Silence' for mass shooting victims. Walked out of my first one tonight."
Initially after hearing about the tragedy Sunday night, he tweeted that his "thoughts and prayers" were with those affected by the shooting. Afterwards, however, he said that "thoughts and prayers" are not what the United States needs. "The tradition is to send 'thoughts and prayers' first, then perhaps demand policy changes later. I'm done with that," he tweeted.
SEE ALSO: Orlando mom of 11 sacrificed herself to save son
Moulton insists that his team will take action and that others should follow suit. Moulton's opinions are also impacted by the fact that he is a veteran and fought in the Iraq War. "I know assault rifles. I carried one in Iraq. They have no place on America's streets," he tweeted along with a picture of him with an assault rifle.
RELATED: Orlando survivors speak out
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Our aim is to create and sustain educational excellence for all young people, whilst still developing the whole person…building in them the skills they need to be confident, happy and successful. At Stocksbridge it is not a choice of academic excellence or personal development. We believe all our students should achieve both.
Based in superb new buildings with state of the art facilities we are proud to offer a stimulating environment for learning. As a growing school we have a unique opportunity to get to know every child individually, enabling us to develop and support them throughout their time at our school.
We are driven as a school to constantly challenge ourselves and to accept the challenge of our parents to improve all that we do.
House points so far …
For more information on the house system and what each house has been getting up to visit the Houses page


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Sonoma County solar industry ranks 13th in nation for job numbers
Sonoma County shared in the U.S. solar industry's boom times last year, with strong job growth reported here, a jump partly attributed to increased customer demand and a rush to take advantage of federal tax credits.
The county ranked 13th for 2016 among the nation's metropolitan areas based on the number of solar-related jobs, according to a new report by the Solar Foundation of Washington, D.C. Employment in the county's solar sector grew 44 percent from a year earlier to 3,476 jobs.
Some Northern California communities enjoyed even bigger growth rates.
The San Francisco/Oakland area, the top-ranked metro area in the United States for solar jobs, reported a total of 26,000 such workers last year, an increase of 67 percent from 2015.
Sacramento, which ranked sixth, saw its solar jobs grow 99 percent, while San Luis Obispo, ranked 15th, had an increase of 137 percent.
In contrast, the nation's solar workforce grew by 25 percent last year. That compares with an annual growth rate of about 20 percent for the previous three years.
"California is obviously the leading market in terms of solar in the U.S.," said Andrea Luecke, the foundation's president and executive director.
Santa Rosa has distinguished itself for encouraging solar by becoming one of only 21 communities in the nation to receive the top-ranked SolSmart Gold designation, Luecke noted. The recognition is part of a U.S. Department of Energy program that is administered by the Solar Foundation.
"The city of Santa Rosa is taking all the right steps in becoming more solar friendly," she said.
The foundation's annual census counts solar employment in such areas as installation, manufacturing, sales and distribution. To be counted, a worker must devote at least half of his or her time on solar-related work.
The nation's solar industry enjoyed its biggest year ever in 2016. Its new installations equaled 14.76 gigawatts of power, which was nearly double of that completed in 2015, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
A gigawatt provides enough electricity to power about 200,000 homes, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The largest share of installations last year involved "utility-scale" projects that were started in anticipation of capturing a federal tax credit that had been slated to expire at the end of last year, the association reported. In late 2015, Congress did extend the credit, but by that time many of those projects were well underway.
After last year's big bump, utility projects are expected to decline this year, thus lowering the nation's total of new solar power for 2017. However, the association still expects growth in the residential and commercial solar sectors.
As for employment, the Solar Foundation forecast that the nation's solar workforce this year will grow another 10 percent to a total of 286,000 workers.
For the county, the solar jobs amount to 1.7 percent of the total workforce, but few sectors experience 44 percent job growth in one year.
For example, the county's total construction industry amounts to 4.7 percent of the workforce and grew 9 percent in one year to 13,200 workers by November 2016, the time of the solar census.
Geoffrey Smith, who runs the Solar Sonoma County program for the Center for Climate Protection in Santa Rosa, said the growing numbers show how important solar is to the county.


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Join our email list for exclusive savings and new product information.
The L.A. Rescue O2 To Go Pro bag serves as a "first in" EMS jump kit. A center padded compartment holds a standard or jumbo aluminum D oxygen cylinder and has tough mesh pockets that store oxygen masks and supplies. The top opening lid has tough mesh compartments for numerous medical supplies. Exterior side compartments have elastic loops for airways, trauma dressings, etc. and can store cervical collars. Exterior end pouch can store demand valve, etc. The other end has a pull strap. The ballistic material bottom is incredibly tough and waterproof. Deluxe padded shoulder strap included.
Note: Bag only - supplies are sold separately.
All orders are shipped via ground except for certain larger orders, ambulance cots, etc. which ship via commercial trucking service.
When shipping ground you can expect the following transit days to your location. Please note: The transit days are based on business days.


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Our Roots
With roots in the Unitarian and Congregational traditions, the First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) celebrates many theologies and spiritual beliefs. We advocate inclusion and respect for all people. We gather each Sunday for worship at 10 a.m. During Sunday worship, we offer church school for school-aged children as well as nursery care for toddlers and preschoolers. Following worship, we come together at "coffee hour," an ideal time to meet the minister and members of the congregation, as well as get information about the church.
Our Practices
Throughout the year, we rejoice in marking the changing seasons. Our celebrations range from a water communion welcoming all in September; winter concerts, solstice and Christmas Eve services, and children's pageant in December; to the annual publication of a Lenten booklet filled with personal submissions from parishioners and the celebration of Easter in the spring.
The community of First Parish draws many members. Whether encountering friends and neighbors on Sunday, volunteering in the church school, or working on committees and service projects, our members and friends embrace the collective whole, recognizing that we are not alone, that we are part of a strong and supportive community.
Our Parishioners
Parishioners are instrumental in helping to run the church. While there is a core staff in place to provide the essentials, our members and friends come together to support the church in whatever way they are able. In addition to financial support, this can include arranging flowers for the pulpit, serving on a committee, teaching Sunday School, or helping with a special event.


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Diet Changes/
"I haven't eaten FISH in over 10 years. I loved fish but stopped after reading the label on a $7.00 can of tuna - "Only minimal amounts of mercury." Minimal mercury?"
What a great comment by my friend Sharon on my "Who's Eating Who?" blog. By sharing her personal decision, she motivates me to get clearer about how and why I'm eating fish.
I realize that one of my pleasures in eating salmon is tied to my identity as a Northwester. Many in our local towns make their living from their fishing fleets in Alaska. At any potluck, fisherman wear the evidence of their work in leathered faces and often a shortened finger or two. The same way that eating lobster was part of being a New Englander in my childhood, salmon and its seasons is part of my community now.
I've been focusing on eating salmon because it's very likely that Northwest Orcas are dying because of a lack of their preferred diet of King salmon. I want to know ─ have I been competing with them? After a bit of checking I'm happy to learn that my local markets have been limited to wild Alaska Coho and Sockeye salmon, not the King variety. I still have to look up the five major types of salmon; their complicated seasons of fishing regulations are still beyond me.
Even if our resident Orcas can shift to a different salmon type, it certainly is easier for me to change what I eat. We humans are the ones who have survived extinction by our adaptability (so far). We, way more than wildlife, can shift both what we eat and where it comes from more easily than any wildlife can.
It looks like the highly regulated Alaska fisheries are pretty sustainable. I'm aware that the widely held guideline of 'eating fresh and local' doesn't match having Alaska salmon frozen and shipped in, but my current focus is on the Orcas.
I'm not so sure I'll stay willing to change what I eat though. Chime in with comments about foods that you'd be willing to change and those not so much.


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The Municipal Courts in this Area/
There is a certain business operation in suburban misdemeanor criminal justice. Suburban municipal courts handle all of the suburban misdemeanor prosecutions in the Northeastern Ohio area. Some municipal courts handle just the city where they are located - like Lakewood, South Euclid, East Cleveland, Euclid and Cleveland Heights. Some municipal courts handle multiple cities - like Parma (8 cities), Rocky River (5 cities), Garfield Heights (8 cities), Berea (6 cities), Bedford (13 cities), Stow (16 cities), Lyndhurst (6 cities), and Elyria (10 cities). Often a client has been initially confused as to why their case went to a municipal court that was located outside of the city where they were alleged to have committed a traffic or criminal offense. Essentially some cites find it much easier to have the business of their trial court cases essentially "outsourced" to another city. In fact, often cities actually compete to get the business of a municipal court operation. Recently, one municipal court which served over ten cities relocated from one city to another because the new city essentially offered a better deal, and, of course, a brand new courthouse. Our active practice has taken us to all of these courthouses.


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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
A Thousand Word Thursday Story from JL Merrow
Nick fought to control the bile rising up in his throat as he pulled off the lane and into the clearing. Jerking the handbrake on rather harder than necessary, he switched off the engine.
"It'll be all right," Julian said softly.
"You don't know that."
"Better than you do," Julian told him, but the tone held no arrogance.
They got out of the car, and Julian looked around at the woodland, seeming to approve. Nick felt absurdly relieved—almost as if this were some kind of date. It was quiet here, the rush of traffic from the main road only a murmur, and the smell of damp earth and intriguing small creatures rose to meet Nick's nostrils, calming him with its familiarity.
"What is this place?" Julian asked.
"It's called the Godolphin Estate. An old country manor, built on top of an Iron Age hill fort, but it's all gone to wrack and ruin, now." Nick couldn't keep the disapproval out of his voice at such wanton disregard of historical relics. "You can still see the remains of the fort—there's a huge ring-shaped ditch in the middle of the woodlands."
Julian nodded and with a complete lack of self-consciousness, began to strip, slinging his discarded clothes through the open door of the Mini Cooper. His skin seemed almost blue in the moonlight as long limbs were revealed. Nick found his heart beating faster, his breath quickening. Julian looked like some spirit of the forest, all slender lines and pale, perfect skin. Despite himself, Nick found his eyes falling to the boy's groin. Silvery curls surrounded the most beautiful cock he'd ever seen, and Nick drank in the view as it began to rise slowly, as if resisting the force of his gaze. He could feel an answering pressure in his own groin and took an involuntary step forward.
All at once Julian's form shifted. Confusing in its swiftness, the body he was scrutinising so eagerly seemed to twist, to writhe, but there was no convulsing in agony, and Julian didn't even whimper as he became a wolf.
He was beautiful. Still slender, seeming half-grown, his fur shimmering in the moonlight. He trotted over to Nick and gave him a cautious sniff. Nick was appalled to realise he was still hard, aroused by the boy even in this form. For a moment he thought Julian was about to lick him—intimately.
Nick drew a deep, shuddering breath—and suddenly Julian was human again, smiling at him with mischief in his eyes, and the proximity was too much for Nick. He grabbed Julian's hips and pulled the boy to him, hard.
Dr. Nick Sewell. Non-conformist. Werewolf. The first puts him at odds with his colleagues' idea of how an All Saints College lecturer should behave. The second, bestowed upon him by an ex-boyfriend, puts him at odds with himself.
There's his tendency to change into a wolf on the full moon. And his visceral attraction to Julian Lauder, a troubled young German student. Despite his determination not to act on his desire, Nick's brutal response to seeing Julian with another man frightens them both. At first.
Then Nick learns that Julian is not only a naturally submissive werewolf, but one who has learned better how to deal with just being a werewolf. That explains the attraction, but it doesn't make it any easier when the tables are turned, and Julian—once the student—is now teaching Nick…who still isn't happy about conforming to the "werewolf way".
Meanwhile, reports of a strange wolf stalking the town barely register on Nick's radar—until Julian disappears. Accusing eyes—both wolf and human—are turned toward Nick. Even with the help of friends, hope is growing as cold as the kidnapper's trail. Unless Nick gives free rein to the wolf's inhuman power…
Find Camwolf here as an ebook or on Kindle now or in print April 2012.
More werewolves are coming, too! Look for Midnight in Berlin from Samhain just as soon as JL's editor has her way with it.
JL Merrow also has a book coming out in early November, with nary a werewolf in sight.
A stranger could light up his world...or drive him deeper into darkness.
Will Golding needs a break from his usual routine, and he's been looking forward to a holiday helping Baz, his friend-with-benefits, research a book about Isle of Wight ghosts. When an evening beach walk turns into a startling encounter with Marcus Devereux, Will can't get his mind off the notoriously reclusive writer's pale, perfect, naked body. And any interest in ghostly legends takes a back seat to the haunting secrets lying in Marcus's past.
Marcus, painfully aware of his appearance, is accustomed to keeping to himself. But the memory of tall, athletic Will standing on the beach draws him out from behind defenses he's maintained since age fourteen, when his parents were murdered. While his heart is hungry for human contact, though, his longtime guardian warns him that talking to anyone—particularly a journalist like Baz—is as dangerous as a day in the sun.
As Baz gets closer to the truth, the only thing adding up is the sizzling attraction between Will and Marcus. And it's becoming increasingly clear that someone wants to let sleeping secrets lie…or Will and Baz could end up added to the island's ghostly population.
Product Warnings: Contains perilous cliffs, elusive might-be ghosts, a secret tunnel, and skinny-dipping by moonlight.
From Samhain in November or preorder from Amazon.
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Dear Beloved,
Today is just a day.
You are not a failure, you are finite.
You aren't going under for the year, you're only 12 days in.
You can't change what you can't control.
You are loved even if you are lonely.
Have you ever had one of these days? Where everything feels zero to sixty? Where you move from "I'm OK this isn't that bad" to "THE SKY IS FALLING?" and you don't know how to make it stop? The lies. The intimidating beat down of unmet expectations where you suffocate grace and feed off of fear.
I have.
I've sat white-knuckled in the car, willing myself not to let the tears that are building spill over. I've sat down and tried to breathe through the storm brewing in my heart and mind. I've sat down and made myself think about something. Anything other than how I'm feeling.
Eventually, the clouds do break. And there is some sort of relief that comes. Most importantly, in the calming of the storm, you somehow remember that you will not always feel this way.
What is true about the Lord and what is ultimately true about you exists outside of how you feel.
It burns.
It burns through.
But it doesn't burn out.
Its a choice to taste and see in the burning.
To taste and see that the Lord is good and His love endures forever. (Psalm 34:8)
To taste and see that her gain from her work is good (Proverbs 31:18) because the Lord wastes nothing. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
To taste and see that He works only for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)
To taste and see that He will never leave or forsake. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
To taste and see that He has begun a work that is not finished. (Philippians 1:6)
What does it mean to taste and see?
What does it mean to burn through the night?
What does it mean to gird oneself with strength?
I think it begins with the Truth. And the truth that I know is written above, but is also penned through song. For me, there are many nights, that for me to keep burning and not to burn out, I have to bathe myself in spirit-led worship. If you're like me, I've made a playlist just for you.
I also encourage you to look up and write down the scriptures above and keep them with you. Moses told the Israelites to literally write God's words on their walls and place them on their foreheads and bind them to their wrists so that the words of the Law would be cemented into their hearts and we would be able to share it from one generation to the next. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9) I love that the Lord knows us so well that He knows we need the truth to be that close to us to survive the storms of our own feelings.
Deep breaths. Tomorrow is a new day.


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Home > Your brain > How do drugs affect your brain? > What are stimulants? > What is cocaine?
What is cocaine?Cocaine is a drug found in leaves of the shrub Erythroxylon coca. It exaggerates changes caused by at least two brain chemicals, noradrenaline and dopamine, increasing alertness and causing euphoria. Pure cocaine was prepared in 1860 and was hailed as a cure-all. Doctors used it to treat anxiety and depression until they realised it was addictive. Dentists also used cocaine to numb their patients' mouths. But, because it damages living tissues, it has been replaced by drugs such as lignocaine.
Addicted to Coca-Cola?
In 1886 the American chemist John Pemberton developed Coca-Cola - 'French wine of coca, ideal tonic'. The ingredients included cocaine and kola nut extract, which contains caffeine. Within a few years, Coca-Cola and similar drinks had caused widespread cocaine addiction in America and so, in 1906, the cocaine in the Coca-Cola recipe was replaced with extra caffeine.


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The technology behind Quiltography was designed to use "fabrics", in order to maintain the integrity of the database and allow for searching of fabric and blocks we decided that creating reusable fabric was the best approach. Although it initially adds an extra couple of steps for using, simple, plain fabric; once a color has been created, reusing that fabric makes designing blocks faster and a more enjoyable experience.
Posted in: Usage


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Our faculty and students are engaged in projects and research in many areas of Computer Science. The major areas of our focus, with some of the ongoing projects and participating faculty, are outlined below. If you need more details, please contact the first professor listed for that research area.
Computer Science Technical Reports
To view information about past and current technical reports online visit our: Department Technical Reports Web Page
Research Centers and Labs
- Department Global Software Engineering Laboratory Web Page
- Department Multimedia and Visualization Laboratory Web Page
- Biocomputing and Media Research Group Website
- Biomedical Image and Data Analysis Lab - BIDAL Website
Areas of Emphasis
Computing for Life Sciences (Professors Buturovic(adj.), Petkovic, Yoon, Singh) with collaborators from SFSU Biology and Chemistry/Biochemistry departments
- Visualization of biological data
- Development of multimedia WWW sites for biology content, with special features for collaboration like asynchronous annotations.
- Use of pattern recognition in analyzing genetic differences among various animal populations.
- Tools for format conversion amoung different bioinformatics standards
- User interfaces for biology field researchers.
Soft Computing and Decision Support Systems (Professor Dujmovic)
- Modeling of human reasoning and decision making
- Computational intelligence, fuzzy sets, rough sets, and soft computing
- Graded logic and its applications
- Evaluation reasoning and the LSP decision method
- Development and use of decision support systems: a decision engineering framework
- Applications in software engineering, medicine, ecology, real estate and urban planning
Software Engineering and Systems (Professors Dujmovic, Hsu, Kulkarni, Levine, Petkovic, Puder, Wong, Yang, Yue)
- Computer system performance models and software metrics tools (LSP method)
- Performance analysis and visualization tools (QNAS)
- Distributed client server benchmarks
- Program space theory
- Quantitative methods for benchmark design
- Compiler performance measurement and analysis
- Quantitative models of software evaulation
- Java workload characterization methods
- Distributed middleware - MICO
- Scheduling algorithms for distributed systems
- High performance embedded systems
- ER design tools
- Scientific Data Management
- Parallel joins over the Internet
- Distributed software development
- Outsourcing project management issues
- Virtual computing applications
Human Computer Interaction (Professors Petkovic, Yoon)
- Ambiguous intention in pen-based interfaces
- Accessing large multimedia information repositories
- Sketch recognition
- HCI issues related to Computing for Life Sciences
Multimedia Systems and Applications (Professors Dujmovic, Hsu, Levine, Okada, Singh, Yoon)
- Sound synthesis
- Interactive computer music
- MPEG transport over the Internet
- Distance learning technologies and on-line education tools
- Multimedia classroom
- Interactive visualization
- Interactive Realtime 3D Graphics
- Web-based Virtual Tour
- Scientific Visualization
- Motion Tracking
Foundations (Professor Wong)
- Analysis of algorithms
- Complexity of algorithms
Collaboration with Local Community and International Universities (Professors Hsu & Levine)
- Distance learning technology and usage (with American University of Armenia)
- Internet Bid Opportunity project (with Oakland East Bay Black Chamber of Commerce)


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Packing for Two Weeks in the U.K./
Tomorrow I'm leaving for nearly two weeks in the UK to visit/pick up my younger brother who has been studying there. I'm going with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law (that's right, sans children - the part I'm most hesitant about) and will be making our way from London to Scotland and then back down to London for a few days.
I wanted to share a quick packing list for those of you who may be interested. Although I'm packing it all in a carry-on (mine is from Lo & Sons and I LOVE it), I feel a bit like I overpacked. However, I've had each of these pieces in mind for months and am excited to mix and match them for some easy, travel-chic outfits while I'm gone.
I'm also bringing my Eba Tote with me - it's INCREDIBLE for travel, with a center divider, several pockets, and a cup holder in the bottom. I'll bring reading material, a smaller clutch, Keepcup, Yuhme water bottle, and other essentials in it.
Here's what I'm planning to wear:
VETTA Capsule Multi-way Sweater (currently sold out) | Thrifted Camel Trench | Thought Clothing Cardigan
GRAMMAR NYC Verb Button Up | Striped Long Sleeve Tee | Encircled White Tee | Sudara Gratitude Tee | EcoVibe Apparel Dolman Sweater
Sotela Jumpsuit | Thought Wide Leg Pants | Thrifted Madewell Mom Jeans | Elegance Restored Distressed Denim
Be sure to follow along on my Instagram for updates on the trip and check back here at some point for a recap :)


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Check In
Two young people stand on a street corner in a run-down part of New York, kissing. Despite the lawlessness of the district they are left unmolested. A short distance away walk Maria and Andreas. They are on their first date. In an episodic style the film tells of encounters and love among young people. The stories are set in Cairo, Paris, on the coast of Normandy and in New York.


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Xiaomi Mi Note 3, the best alternative for high-end smartphone with Snapdragon 860 & 6 GB RAM launched in China in three variant priced at 2499 Yuan ($384) for 6GB RAM+64 GB ROM), Yuan 2899 ($445) for 6GB RAM+128GB ROM -BLACK) and 2999 ($460) (6GB RAM+128GB ROM — BLUE). Xiaomi has recently launched Mi Mix 2, Max 2, Redmi Note 5A.
Xiaomi Mi Note 3 supports Dual-SIM (Nano SIM), 4G VoLTE, GPRS/ EDGE, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC, IR port, under-glass fingerprint, stereo speakers, USB Type-C, improved face unlock, and AI beautify algorithm bears a 5.5 -inch Full HD IPS display with resolution (1920×1020 pixels), 18:9 display with a pixel density of 403ppi with reading Mode.
Read More About:- Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Price, Full Specifications
Note 3 comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC with 6GB RAM respectively. It runs on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) out of the box. It's packed with 64GB/128GB Internal memory with 128GB expandable memory measures 151.8×75.5×7.7mm and weight 185gm.
Mi Note 3 spoting a Dual 12MP rear camera, laser autofocus, OIS, and PDAF, auto Focus Rear camera with Sony IMX378 sensor featured with Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama and HDR. On the front it offers you a 16-MP Noise less camera with 2μm sensor for video calling and selfies. It's powered by a 3500 mAh Li-Po battery with Fast charging technology.
Read More About:- Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Price in India, Release date, Specifications
Xiaomi Mi Note 3 Specifications:-
- Dual-SIM Support with 4GLTE, 3G, BDS, NFC
- Latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat
- 5.5 -inch Full HD IPS display with resolution (1920×1020 pixels), 18:9 display with a pixel density of 403ppi and reading Mode.
- Octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC
- Dual 12-MP Rear Camera with Sony IMX378 sensor
- 16-MP front Camera for Noiseless selfies with 2μm sensor
- accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, digital compass, gyroscope, and ultrasonic proximity sensor
- 3500 mAh battery with Fast Charging feature
- Fingerprint Scanner
- Colours Black and White
- Weight 185gm
- Dimension 151.8×75.5×7.7mm
- Release date in India Oct. 2017
- Price in China 2499 Yuan ($384) for 6GB RAM+64 GB ROM), Yuan 2899 ($445) for 6GB RAM+128GB ROM -BLACK) and 2999 ($460) (6GB RAM+128GB ROM — BLUE)
- Price in India approx. Rs 25,000 for 6GB RAM+64GB, approx. Rs 29,000 for 6GB+128GB + Black, Approx. Rs 30,000 for 6GB+128GB+ Blue
Read More About:- Xiaomi Redmi pro 2 Price in India, Release date, Specifications
At last few honest words, Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is the best alternative for high-end smartphone. What you think? Please be open to give your view.


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Karma in the City: A Survival Guide
Those who live in New York City truly understand the meaning of 'word hard, play hard'.
In the city that never sleeps, everyone is too busy, too active, too engrossed in their own life to help out others. New York is a loud, vibrant, bustling metropolitan with an exciting nightlife and an exhaustive workday. We should know - We're based here.
A city of bankers and movie stars, firefighters and garbage men, lawyers and designers. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Everyone who's anyone comes to the Big Apple and many people believe it to be the greatest city on earth.
It's easy to get carried away by the hustle and bustle of the big city. With so much to do and so much to see, it can be easy to forget about those we pass by on the street.
Take a moment to look around.
While everyone else is living in their own little bubble, you can be the one to see the world around you. In such an extraordinary and crazy city, it takes a strong person to stop and consider others.
Perhaps you already spend your time helping people or have ideas of simple ways to improve the lives of those around you. If so, we'd love to hear from you! Let us know at the bottom of the list what you think and we might be able use your advice to help others create good karma in New York.
Surviving in the jungle that is New York can be tough. Of course that means it is tough on everyone, so any help you can provide in the wild city could make an incredible difference to others.
We have put together a list of ways to survive in New York City while creating good karma.
Buy food for a homeless person.
For a person struggling on the mean streets, a meal is always welcome. This allows the person to focus on other important areas of their life, things and simple and finding shelter or connecting with a service that can help them rebuild their life.
Food will keep a homeless person healthy or at least prevent hunger, making daily life easier. It is an quick and cheap thing to do instead of passing by a homeless person who needs help.
Provide directions to a tourist.
Show the nice side of New Yorkers and banish the myth that New Yorkers can be rude. Perhaps you know New York inside and out, that's great! Put your knowledge to good use. Anyone could get lost in the big city, ruining the plans of tourists who are trying to see as much as they can before they have to leave.
Help them see how great New York is and make their visit far more enjoyable, if you ever visited another area of the USA you might find yourself in the same position.
Bring donuts to the office.
Everyone appreciates a treat! And donuts are always popular so show your co-workers you appreciate them by bringing in a box for the whole office to share. You want them to enjoy their day so you can enjoy yours.
Everyone will be asking who brought in the treats and will associate you with all things sugary and delicious.
Thank a sales clerk or ask about their day.
In such a busy city, a salesperson in a store must be busy with customers all day. Meeting a customer who is able to stop and allow the clerk a few minutes to catch their breath would inspire them to provide great service for the rest of day.
Hold the camera for tourists taking a picture.
So, you've already directed the tourists to the best spots in New York, now help them make memories. Tourists have a hard time figuring out who should hold the camera and who gets to be in the shot. These days, selfies allows everyone to be in the picture but whoever is holding the camera risks losing half of their face and blocking the view behind the group.
Offer to take the picture and get a fantastic photograph that tourists can show to friends and families back home, while telling them how great New York is.
Give out high fives.
Everyone needs some encouragement. Offer high fives to people on the street to show them how awesome they are doing that day. Don't rush at people, you may worry them and defeat the purpose of your high five. Simply offer high fives and shrug when confused pedestrians pass you by.
Receiving high fives from people will make you feel great too and prove that your are kickin' it today!
Help a stranger carry their bags.
Everyone needs to get around New York City and you can bet that people carrying bags are heading from or to something important. Make their day easier and remove some of the stress by offering to carry their bags for them.
Again, make sure you offer to carry their bags first, you may give people a surprise if you just grab their bag off them! The subway is the toughest place to carry luggage (not to mention a stroller!) around, with so many people and so many steps, an offer of help will be very much appreciated.
Let others push ahead of you in line.
If it's important enough for a person to try and get in front of you, then why not let them? It will make them feel good for succeeding and it will make no difference in your own life. It will give you the warm glow of knowing that while the person who has pushed ahead of you in entirely self-involved, you have the courtesy to let them in.
The person who pushes ahead of you may be running late for something important, it's usually impossible to know, so letting them cut in could make a huge difference to the rest of their day.
Support a local business.
With so many big businesses and so much choice in New York, it may be easy to pass over the little shop on the corner of your road. But they need your custom far more than the large brands in the square and will be far happier to see a returning customer walk through the door.
Visit small stores regularly to get personal customer service and provide them with ongoing trade. You might just find a hidden gem on the next street.
Give a compliment to a street performer.
Some performers are incredible and they deserve to be told so! Performers can work harder and be far more talented than the superstars we see everyday in the media. Cash is always welcome, and sometimes needed, but a compliment often has the biggest affect on their day. So while you donate a few dollars, offer up a word of encouragement for the artist on the street.
Hold the elevator door for a stranger.
No one likes running late and those few seconds you take to hold the door could affect the course of another person's day. It will give them an extra few seconds to set up their desk in the morning or to get to an appointment. Of course the best thing about holding a door for a stranger is that it shows you care and are willing to give those few moments to consider another person's priorities.
Feed the birds in the park.
On your break or late in the afternoon, go for a walk and throw some seed for those hungry birds. There's so little wildlife in New York that it may be worth making the most of what we have here. The birds struggle to find food in a city, especially in the midst of winter or during Spring when they have little ones to feed, and bird seed will ensure they are eating well.
It's good for you to get outside, especially after being stuck at home or in an office all day, and feeding the birds is a brilliant way to do it.
Write a kind note for a waiter.
Words are powerful and while everyone appreciates a big tip, waiters will remember those few words scribbled on the bill. They may mention the note to their colleagues and you will always be welcomed back in future. Everyone has tough days at work and a few words could provide encouragement to the waiter who is likely to give you excellent service next time you visit.
Smile at people you pass and wish them well.
Cheer people up for a split second or make someone's day with a simple smile. Once you begin to feel down it's easy to let that affect your entire day but a smiling stranger may surprise you into changing your attitude. That stranger could be you.
So smile at people you pass, even the moody ones as they are possibly the people who need it most, and politely wish people you meet a good day. A smile is incredibly infectious so pass it on and who knows, maybe that smile will find it's way back to you.
Help set up an event.
There is always something happening in New York, that's part of what makes the city such a excellent place to live!
People are always rushing around, trying to provide great customer service or do a good deed for the community, but they often assume a big deed needs to be huge like an event. If you see a person struggling to put up a stall or a stand then go help. By setting up an event you are helping others do a good deed by entertaining and inspiring people who pass by.
Hand out flowers.
An anonymous man on the subway bought the entire stall for $140 from a woman selling flowers. He said he wanted to her to pass them out freely to strangers. No one ever found out who that man was but his generosity left the flower seller in tears.
Perhaps you cannot afford to spend that much money on your karma, but handing out even a couple of flowers to strangers is a generous way to brighten everyone's day.
Thank a firefighter for their service.
Firefighters must regularly receive thanks from people they've saved, but the daily trauma that goes with such an intense job can be difficult to overcome so any extra wellwishers will provide them with the encouragement to keep going.
When you next see a firefighter, take the time to thank them for their bravery and strength. They risk their lives to save strangers so a few words of thanks might seem like nothing to you, but could mean everything to them.
Prepare a delicious meal for your family.
Happiness starts at home so feed your family some good, healthy, home-cooked food. It will give everyone a chance to sit down together and reconnect, and the effort you have put into it will no doubt make the meal taste even better.
Washing up and cleaning the house are also fantastic ways to help at home and take the pressure off others, but nothing brings people together like good food.
Hopefully, this list has given you some useful ideas of how to help others and keep your karma in check while living in New York City. If you are looking to do more there are always charities and functions that need volunteers so check out your local neighborhood for opportunities.
No matter where you are in the world there is always opportunities to help others if you know where to look. Compliments are always popular and mean far more than a cash donation, and something as simple as buying your groceries from a small business will provide you with that weekly dose of karma and keep you feeling good.


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At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, your appointment is much more than meets the eye. Behind the scenes, a network of dental specialists, labs and technicians help ensure that you receive outstanding esthetic results from our office. Today, we would like to highlight Synergy Dental Lab and its owner Andy Knapp, for their efforts in delivering our patients beautiful crowns and bridges.
At Andy's lab, a team of technicians bring together over 70 years of design, ceramic and modeling expertise. They use a combination of proven techniques and the latest CAD/CAM technology to deliver products that fit and look wonderful. This ultimately means less time spent in our office, away from your friends, family or work. Even difficult cases can be handled with ease, through the use of digital photography and shade matching. The end result is a crown or bridge that looks, feels and fits like a natural tooth.
Synergy is a locally owned and operated business. Aside from being a part of the Thousand Oaks economy, this allows them to provide quick turnarounds and immediate support. Difficult time constraints, complicated cases and other concerns can be addressed in a matter of hours or days, instead of weeks.
We love working with Synergy dental lab because they offer a high quality product with excellent customer service. The speed, accuracy and support offered by this lab allows us to provide more convenient appointments at our office, ultimately saving you time and money. If you have any questions about Andy's lab, or any of the other offices we work with, please give us a call. We are here to make your entire dental health experience as easy and confusion free as possible!


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Children's Dentist in Aurora CO
Welcome to Lil Teeth Dentistry!
Children's Dentists Dr. Andre Gillespie and Dr. Quynh Nguyen, Aurora, CO, practice a full scope of children's dentistry. Lil Teeth Dentistry has the specialized equipment, facility and staff to properly address today's most demanding children's dentistry needs in a warm and caring environment.
We've moved! Our new office is located at 3464 N. Salida St., Aurora, CO.
Office Hours
Let Us Help You Introduce Your Child To Oral HygieneIf you have any questions or to schedule an appointment call us at Lil Teeth Dentistry Phone Number 303-307-9999. Or fill out our appointment form.
Why a Children's Dentist?
Has your child ever begged you not to leave the dentist? Impossible you say? Not at our office. It could be our gentle touch and special way with kids. Our pediatric specialists and staff love children and are specially trained to put them at ease. At Lil Teeth Dentistry, we teach your children the proper way to take care of their teeth and just as important, they learn that going to the dentist can be fun.


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Reel Rock: SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock
Join us in this episode of Reel Rock, where we get into 'SHOT! THE PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL MANTRA OF ROCK'. A recent documentary about famed rock photographer Mick Rock.
The subtitle of this episode could be "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Photography"
Some of the questions we will be answering in this show:
- Who is Mick Rock?
- How did Andy NOT know who Mick Rock was?
- What does a modern day photographer think?
Stream the movie here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80168033
Check out Photographer Mike here: http://www.mikemicciche.com/
Adorn yourself with Reel Rock merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/rocknroll


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Details of Edison Blueprint Emerge In Mass. Designs
At an Edison Project school, "great'' works of literature for young students, such as Aesop's Fables and Peter Rabbit, would be in. Basal readers would be out.
Cooperative learning would be in. Academic tracking would be out.
Character and ethics courses teaching right from wrong: in. But "values clarification'': far out.
As the privately managed, for-profit venture edges closer to reality, the most detailed picture to date is emerging about what an Edison Project school might look like, including what it would teach and how it would measure student progress.
When the effort launched by the Knoxville, Tenn.-based media entrepreneur Christopher Whittle filed applications for five Massachusetts charter schools last month, a wealth of information about the design for Edison schools came to light.
Winning a charter in Massachusetts would allow Edison planners to put their much-vaunted design to the test, and they say they are eager for such an opportunity.
"This is what we always wished we could do in California'' with state curriculum frameworks, said Francie Alexander, the deputy director of curriculum for the Edison Project and a former associate superintendent for curriculum in California. "This is an advanced curriculum that represents a whole new paradigm.''
The Massachusetts education secretary is to decide by March 15 which of 63 applicants will be awarded charters. (See Education Week, Feb. 23, 1994.)
With each of its applications, Edison submitted its 80-page "Partnership School Design.'' The document is the blueprint for Edison's plan to manage existing public schools or new charter schools, an approach it adopted last year after failing to attract sufficient funding for its original plan to open hundreds of private campuses. (See Education Week, Sept. 8, 1993.)
Edison also submitted a 62-page document detailing the first set of student standards, for a K-2 "primary academy.'' Edison schools would be divided into six such academies, with each covering two to three years of instruction.
What emerges from these documents is an ambitious curriculum that draws on other popular reform ideas and would set high standards for what students should know and be able to do when they leave the 11th- and 12th-grade "collegiate academy.''
"We aim to create schools that achieve quantum gains in students' academic performance and in the quality of their lives,'' the design book states. And the Edison designers claim this can be done by spending about the same per student as the average public school district currently spends.
Great Performances
The reading curriculum states that even in kindergarten and other primary grades, students will be taught with classic works of literature instead of basal readers.
The choice of literature is an example of Edison's use of what it calls the "greats''--great books, great performances of music and drama, and great lives of people who have shaped the world. The selections range from Treasure Island and Little Women in grades 3 through 5 to Animal Farm and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in grades 9 and 10.
The schools are to aim for higher levels of "mathematical and science literacy.'' More time will be spent on mathematics in the elementary grades than is typical in most schools, the project documents say. By graduation, most students will have passed either Advanced Placement calculus or a college-level course in probability and statistics, according to the design.
Science instruction is an example of Edison's emphasis on cooperative and project-based learning. Primary academies are to maintain gardens where students learn not only about plants and soil, but also do projects about the weather and use computers to chart plant growth.
In the social sciences, Benno C. Schmidt Jr., the president of the Edison Project, who has also served as president of Yale University and dean of Columbia University's law school, will take the teaching reins for a required electronic-lecture seminar on the U.S. Constitution.
In addition to a strong emphasis on the arts and physical fitness, Edison schools plan to squeeze in instruction on character and values. However, the controversial "values clarification'' approach and the use of "pointless 'moral dilemmas' that sometimes do more to confuse children than to teach them'' will be avoided, according to the design.
The lengthy curriculum is unlikely to fit into the traditional U.S. school day or year. For that reason, the project has long stressed that its school days will be one or two hours longer than the usual school day, and the school year will be 210 days.
Electronic Portfolios
The Edison design states that the project will attempt to "align'' curriculum, instruction, and assessment into a coherent system.
Every student will have a "quarterly learning contract,'' signed by the student, parents, and school, with a set of individual expectations. Each quarter will bring a detailed report on how well a student is meeting his or her goals.
Each student is to have a cumulative portfolio of his or her work that will include writing assignments, videos, and multimedia presentations. Computer disks of student portfolios, the designers suggest, could be sent across the country for external evaluation.
Given Mr. Whittle's other big venture in precollegiate education, the Channel One television news show that is broadcast to thousands of secondary schools, it is not surprising that technology is seen as a big part of the Edison equation.
The design envisions that each student will be provided a computer at home that is plugged into the Edison network. The student can use it to retrieve homework assignments, while the parents can read electronic mail from teachers about their child's progress. And Edison libraries, or media centers, are to have access to electronic data bases such as the Internet.
The plan says Edison schools across the country will be part of a computer network called "the Common,'' to include computer bulletin boards, electronic mail, a reference library of student-produced reports, and curriculum frameworks for teachers.
Whether the Edison vision can be translated into reality may be answered in a place such as Lowell, Mass., where the local school board voted 5 to 2 to endorse the project's bid for a charter school.
The local charter-school group that has teamed up with the Edison Project includes Richard Howe, the city's Mayor; Timothy Golden, a school committee member; and Paul Tsongas, the former U.S. senator and Presidential candidate.
"This is a great opportunity, because you've got a corporation that has put in [millions of dollars] in research and development to be on the cutting edge of education in America,'' Mr. Golden said. "And here they are, looking at Lowell.''
Edison Highlights
A School Design
Documents submitted by Edison in Massachusetts detail the academic standards and other features envisioned for its schools. Among the highlights:
- By 12th grade, all students will have completed either Advanced Placement calculus or introductory college-level probability and statistics.
- Grades K-2 will maintain a garden for learning in several subjects.
- Reading will emphasize "great'' books such as Aesop's Fables and Little Women in primary and elementary grades.
- Student assessment will include "quarterly learning contracts'' and electronic portfolios of student work.
- The use of technology, seen as a major component of the project,
will include computers installed in every child's home so that
teachers can send electronic mail to parents, and vice versa.
Vol. 13, Issue 23
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Thursday, March 31, 2011
Trealy Farm charcuterie
I used to be a bit sniffy about British charcuterie. It didn't seem quite right - surely only the French and Italians had the centuries-old know-how to do it properly? And for a while all the samples of rather bland British salami and sausage I tasted bore this out.
But there's no reason why we shouldn't do it well - we have great raw materials for a start - and I'm increasingly impressed by the local charcuterie I'm tasting
Last Sunday at the Love Food Spring Festival was a case in point. There was a stall from Monmouthshire-based Trealy Farm including a very tasty venison salami, a brilliant soft chilli-spiked black pudding (for eating cold rather than cooking) and one of the best garlic sausages I've ever tasted - apparently much admired by Raymond Blanc in his recent series. They also won the title of Best UK Food Producer in last year's Observer Food Awards.
I've also had some really authentic French-style country paté recently (ironically from an Italian, Vincent Castellano who sells in Bristol's Wednesday farmers' market). There's also Bath Pig which specialises in chorizo and former chef and forager Andrew Sartain's Wild Food Larder.
Given the charcuterie craze in restaurants and wine bars at the moment they should do well.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Hansen & Lydersen smoked salmon
I tasted some fantastic smoked salmon this week at The Albion in Islington. Actually I didn't order it so it was half demolished by the time I got to try it. As you can see from the photo.
It came from Hansen & Lydersen who are hardly new kids on the block having been smokers in Norway since 1923 but the youngest scion of the family, Ole Hansen, has now set up in Stoke Newington. Although the fish appears to receive quite robust treatment (they use, they say, 100% pure juniper, beech wood flour and chips from smoked products specialist Dansk Traemel and smoke the salmon for a minimum of 10 hours) the end result is very delicate subtle cure.
I think it rivals Frank Hederman and Ummera, up to now my favourite smokers.
They don't sell it vac packed as they think it destroys the quality. You can buy sides or fillets through Hubbub which organises an online service for independent shops in that part of North London
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Spuntino - a place not to take your friends
One visit to Russell Norman's new bar Spuntino and I was smitten so why on earth should I say you shouldn't take your friends? Because you'll stand a much better chance of getting a seat if you don't, that's why.
I swung by at 6.30pm on the offchance and got sat straight at the bar. That's the way to do it according to Norman - good advice in a place that only has 26 covers.
Those of you who are familiar with Polpo and Polpetto will feel entirely at home with the carafe wine and cichetti (bar snacks) formula which sees some tempting new variants on the theme.
I had to try the much hyped Truffled Egg Toast - a truffley sort of Buck's Rarebit - and wasn't disappointed but also liked the fresh, zesty duck ham (duck ham?), pecorino and mint salad with peashoots and the look of my neighbour's stack of Brick Lane salt beef. Other dishes that have received plaudits are the house pickles, egg and soldiers, lardo and caperberry crostini, eggplant chips with fennel yoghurt and, above all apparently, the mac and cheese which I failed to order. Drat!
Even so the food is not entirely what you go for. All Norman's restaurants are cool but this is ubercool in a part of town - the sleazy side of Soho - that is definitely on the up. There are no reservations, no phoneline. There isn't even a name over the door. (It's at no 61 Rupert Street just off Shaftesbury Avenue.)
My only gripe is that the minimum amount of water you can buy is a 75cl bottle - not so good for sole diners for whom this is otherwise the perfect venue.
Incidentally I never mind eating by myself, especially at the bar. Do you feel the same way?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
St John Custard Doughnuts
Not having a particularly sweet tooth (yes, weird, I know) I don't often blog about cakes but these custard doughnuts I spotted at the St John Bakery in Druid Street yesterday are simply awesome.
Thank god I didn't try to eat them in the street. As you bite in a fountain of vanilla-flavoured custard cascades over your chin. Real vanilla of course - you can see the specks. The doughnuts are featherlight and not too sweet, freshly dusted in sugar as they should be. This has to be the most perfect doughnut ever and I've eaten some of the concoctions at New York's legendary Donut Plant. (The carrot cake doughnut is particularly fine)
I'm sure they'll serve them at the new St John Hotel which opens on April 2nd and which will reputedly be serving home-baked breakfast buns. Maybe even for elevenses or for the afternoon Little Bun Moment . . . Can't wait.
(The St John Bakery opens on Saturday mornings in Druid Street from 9-2. More about this happy hunting ground shortly.)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
McDo et le Crumble Pom' Fruits Rouges
I never thought I'd find myself saying this but I spent several hours in McDonalds last week. Quite happily.
It turned out to be the only place in Agde (in the Languedoc) where I could get a fast broadband connection or 'weefee' as they pronounce it in France. It was quiet, it was clean and the coffee was actually quite good.
Even more surprising they had something edible, a red fruit crumble to which I became strangely addicted. It wasn't too sweet and the crumble topping actually tasted quite buttery.
I didn't go as far as to have a meal there but you know I was almost tempted. They had burgers topped with goats cheese (though I can't find that on the French McDonald's site). And fat chips aka 'Les Deluxe Potatoes' rather than the usual pallid string fries. Not to mention a 'p'tite salade de saison avec son nouveau mélange hivernal et sa vinaigrette à l'huile de noisette' which all sounds very Michelin-ish though admittedly almost anything sounds better in French.
Was I so pathetically grateful to get online that I overlooked McDonald's usual shortcomings or has it actually improved? Or is it just French McDos? Have you been in one lately?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Pitney farm shop - the farm shop we'd all love to have on our doorstep
I've been too busy to blog much lately but really wanted to tell you about this fantastic farm shop I went to in Somerset a week or so ago. Not that all of you will find it convenient to get to it but it represents everything a farm shop should be.
It's run by Lizzie and Rob Walrond who farm their 100 acre farm, Glebe Farm, organically. They have pigs, sheep, cows and laying hens and all their meat is slaughtered locally. They also have a wide variety of organic vegetables as well as - enterprisingly - ingredients like risotto rice and spelt flour which are sometimes hard to find in rural areas.
I bought a joint of beef off them purely on the basis of the name: it's called a 'bread and butter cut' and is apparently designed for slow roasting though I haven't tried it out yet. There's a good diagram of where it comes from here.
I also bought bacon, a big lettuce, Russian kale - which was delicious and unusually tender (they only pick the tips) and some intensely flavoured (and lethally fart-inducing) Jerusalem artichokes. And I didn't buy the swede but for some reason took a picture of it.
They actually pressed some free eggs on us because they have so many. Apparently conventional egg producers have eggs all year round because they keep the hens under artificial light throughout the winter but organically reared hens lay off until the spring and then go crazy. So if you have an organic flock nearby up your egg purchases to help out the farmer.
Glebe Farm is right in the depths of the Somerset countryside, 9 miles south of Glastonbury but they have directions on the site and it's well-signposted from the main road (the B3153).
While you're in that neck of the woods you could also go and visit - as we did - Julian Temperley's Somerset Distillery and the Brown and Forrest smokery where we had some great smoked eel. And we missed it but Moor Beer, to which a beer-loving friend of mine is addicted, is apparently in the same village. You could actually drive round and pick up everything you need for a weekly shop.
The only dampener on the day was that it poured practically non-stop hence the dark, gloomy pictures. But I can imagine it's heaven out there in the summer.
There's a fascinating account of the manors of Pitney which date back to the early 13th century here.
Let's hear it for farm shops - have you got a good one near you?
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Exuberant Animal Half-Day Experience
This half-day event will help you reconnect to your body and the world through ongoing sessions of movement, meditation, and presentation.
This half-day event will help you reconnect to your body and the world through ongoing sessions of movement, meditation, and presentation.
Limited to 20 participants
Join us for this exciting 3-day training in beautiful Leavenworth, WA. Ideal for health enthusiasts and professionals alike, this training will give you a deeper understanding of what it means to be healthy and a new appreciation for what it means to be human.
The experience is physically challenging, intellectually stimulating and socially engaging. It's pro-health, pro-habitat, pro-social and pro-active. The action includes: functional movement classes, intriguing presentations on the art and science of healthy living, meditation, food and fun. This is a powerful and uniquely engaging experience.
Perfect for teachers, trainers, physicians, coaches and other health enthusiasts. The action is vigorous and sometimes challenging; you must be in moderately good physical condition to participate.
Exuberant Animal CEU's are also avaiable (Accepted by American Council on Exercise by petition).
The Exuberant Animal spring training workshop will be held in Leavenworth, WA. Details will be sent via email before the event.
For participants traveling to Washington, the nearest airport is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA-TAC). Driving time from airport to training site is approximately 2.5 hours.
The action begins at noon on Friday and runs through 5 pm on Sunday. Due to the comprehensive and holistic nature of this training, no late arrivals or early departures are permitted. Depending on flight schedules, you may want to arrive early or stay over an additional night. You are welcome to do so. If this is the case, please let us know.
Prerequisites for aspiring teacher-trainers: Before attending as a teacher-trainer, you must have previous experience with Exuberant Animal and approval. The 5 day teacher-training includes a full day of training at each end of the regular 3-day event. You must attend the entire 5 day training, beginning 9am on the Thursday (October 6).
Registration fees include home-cooked food, lodging and safari-style house camping. Travel expenses not included.
Short summary goes here.
Short summary goes here.
Small summary goes here.