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HeartWave (Final Documentation)
HeartWave visualizes your pulse, turning heartbeats into waves.
One or two people can activate HeartWave. To begin, users hold their hands against sensors on the side of the tank. Each heartbeat briefly powers a magnet, pulling a fin and generating a wave. This simple interaction quickly becomes mesmerizing as ripples emanate, override, clash and dissipate. Variations in liquid and lighting allow for a range of unique HeartWave experiences.
The HeartWave team includes Engin Ayaz, Tak Cheung and Doug Kanter. Our assignment was to produce a media controller for our Intro to Physical Computing class at ITP. Design, coding and construction was both painstaking and fun. After a week of brainstorming, we defined our product and began three weeks of production.
This post documents construction and testing as well as lessons learned along the way. We do not cover details of our first prototype, which are well documented here. For additional information on the construction process, see Tak's blog entry.
The two essential components for this project were the Polar heartbeat sensor and the electromagnet.
This is a full component list for the final design:
- 2 x Polar heartbeat sensor ($70 each)
- 8 x metal pieces for touch handles (free)
- 2 x Electromagnet ($25 each w/ discount)
- 2 x TIP120 transistors ($1.60 each)
- 2 x small metal pieces for magnet attraction (free)
- 2 x black flourescent lights ($17 each)
- 2 x soft white LED strips, 18″ ($ 9 each)
- Plexiglas, blue foam, black plastic, magic smooth epoxy polymer finish, spray paint
Circuit Diagram
Box Construction & Lighting
Here are documentation photos from the build:
Lessons Learned
Buying Sensors: We began by trying to build our own pulse oximeters to sense each heart beat. After two frustrating weeks, we were still getting inconsistent and noisy readings (detailed here). We certainly gained a lot of good experience with circuits and hardware. But in the end, this new found knowledge did not translate into good input data. Our input problem was holding up progress on the rest of project. Fortunately, ITP Chair Dan O'Sullivan rescued us with an off-the-shelf Polar heart rate circuit board. Unlike our homemade devices, which gave us analog information, the Polar solution registered pulse in digital form. Since our output was going to be digital anyway, this was a simpler and more effective solution. With the input side sorted, and we could attend to other parts of the project.
Lesson learned: You need to keep perspective on getting the whole project built. If one aspect of the build is not working, you need to consider other solutions to keep things moving forward.
Virtual Model before Physical Model: From past experience, we have learned that it saves time and money to first iterate and modify in the world of bits before moving on atoms. This HeartWave project proves this point. We developed a reasonably detailed SketchUp model for the tank and made multiple design decisions based on that model. It was great for determining all the technical and aesthetic issues throughout the rest of the physical build. It allowed us to determine how to cut the majority of the components (minus the bottom plexi layer and the fins). Even so, using SketchUp we failed to consider later details including where to hide the Arduinos, place the lights and put a label for the project.
Lesson learned: The devil is in the details. Taking an hour to think through the final presentation can save you many hours later.
Dimensions: We used a laser cutter for most of the large plexi sheets that form the box. Our tank design was too big for ITP's laser cutter, so we had to use the one at Canal Plastics. They did a great job, though not at a bargain price. If we had kept our design within the constraints of ITP's laser cutter, we could have saved money.
Lesson learned: Ambitious designs are expensive.
Laser Cutter > Craftsmanship: There is really no reason to go with manual cutting for most parts. The time saved and higher quality of laser cutter parts beyond compare.
Lesson learned: We could have saved even more time cutting the fins and small plexi components using the laser cutter.
12V != 5V (or how to fry an expensive chip): Pay attention when you are using multiple power sources! I mistakenly wired the Polar board with 12V, which fried the chip ($70 loss!).
Lesson learned: Create a system to distinguish power lines of varying voltages.
Future Work / Wishlist
- Lighting: The Polar board takes 8 seconds to capture and report your heartbeat. A lighting effect could improve the experience by letting the user see that a countdown has begun after they touch the sensor.
- Interaction: Thinking through all the assumptions of the users is key. What may seem intuitive to you might not be intuitive for others. For this project, subtle explanations for the user could allow them to understand what the device does and where to put their hands.
- Code: Refine the code (see comments in Arduino section below).
- Two lighting setups: Create two scenarios, playing with shifting light from below/above, the associated ripple shadow and the mirror effect.
Reference Projects / Inspirations
We found several projects that deal with heartbeat, though none incorporated water as a design element. In this way, it was nice to explore uncharted territory.
- Blow Up
- Emergence
- Pulse Park
- Pulse Sensor
- Your Heartbeat Paints A Picture
- Ink and Heartbeat (ITP project)
Arduino Code
We went through dozens of code variations for the original pulse oximeter (analog), Polar board (digital) and an if-all-else-fails fake heartbeat generator using RandomWalk (analog). In the end, we went with the following relatively simple code. In future iterations, it would be nice to replace the delay() function with AttachInterrupt(), add more functionality for lighting and sound output, and perhaps add start/reset buttons.
// TRUE PULSE | POLARTOUCH const int polarTouch_Pin = 2; int polarTouch = 0; // OUTPUT | MAGNET const int magnet_Pin = 9; // TEST LED const int led_Pin = 8; // OUTPUT | LIGHT const int LED_Array = 5; int brightness_high = 255; // the duration between the high and low pulse for the magnet const int magnetMoveDelay = 150; void setup(){ Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(polarTouch_Pin, INPUT); pinMode(magnet_Pin, OUTPUT); pinMode(led_Pin, OUTPUT); pinMode(LED_Array, OUTPUT); analogWrite(LED_Array, brightness_high); } void loop(){ //digitalWrite(LED_Array, HIGH); polarTouch = digitalRead(polarTouch_Pin); Serial.println(polarTouch); if(polarTouch>0){ digitalWrite(magnet_Pin, HIGH); // send current to the magnet delay(magnetMoveDelay); digitalWrite(magnet_Pin, LOW); delay(magnetMoveDelay/2); digitalWrite(led_Pin, HIGH); } else{ digitalWrite(magnet_Pin, LOW); digitalWrite(led_Pin, LOW); } }


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|In stock (1)
When it's time to lounge in the living room or sprawl in the hall, we put the "rug" in rugged! This soft and huggable plush rug captures the time-honored look of animal rugs, with skillfully detailed faces and feet. A non-skid backing allows adaptation to almost any floor setting. It will look cute in kid's rooms as well as hanging on the wall!

subset: commoncrawl


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The youngest of Sara Mohammed's children is underweight and listless. IFRC
Sara Mohammed's crops were destroyed by insects, now she fears for the health of her young children. IFRC
Conditions in northern Chad have always been dry but this drought, combined with insect infestations and the return of workers from Libya, have made living here almost impossible. IFRC
by Faye CallaghanSara Mohammed has five children at home and no way to feed them. Her husband died and her two eldest sons are on their way back to Chad from Libya. They used to work there and sent money every month to keep the family going. But since the revolution they don't feel safe. "They tell me the Libyans think all black Africans are mercenaries and they worry they will be arrested," explains Sara. An estimated 86,000 Chadians have recently returned from Libya, with more expected.
"Life is difficult for us now. Last year there was not much rain and then the crickets arrived and destroyed our crops and make our animals sick. Now we have nothing." Sara and her children live in the small village of Kermele in Northern Chad's Kanem province. The wind rips across the sandy plains where nothing grows but small, scraggy bushes. Food for camels and goats, but not for humans.
When her crops failed and her goats started to become sick she sold the remaining healthy ones to buy maize for meals. Now it has run out and she lives off the generosity of others in the village. "Even though it's hard to live here, we can't move. This is our land and we've been here for many years. Besides, we don't have the money to move and we have elderly people with us that can't travel. Moving isn't the solution. We just want to be able to have a good harvest so we have food," said Sara.
The Red Cross of Chad visited Kermele village to assess the nutritional status of children under two years of age. Volunteers measure their arm circumferences and height. Many were malnourished and have been referred to a mobile health clinic that will visit the village to provide nutritional support. The Red Cross will also provide food to the families to enable them to stay healthy and ensure food provided for the infants doesn't get shared with others.
"We are providing the food rations here as this village is so far from other services," said Idrissa Traore, IFRC food security delegate in Chad. "But the real solution is to help people who live in places like this to find an alternative livelihood. We will launch an emergency appeal and hope to provide people with goats which they can breed and then sell. Also the goats will provide milk for the family."
Other activities, like supporting small businesses and providing seeds and supplies to ensure a better harvest, will also help people like Sara have a better outlook for their long term food security. Living in the Sahel has always meant a precarious balance for hundreds of communities who have developed strategies to cope with failed rains. But the combination of poor rains, insect infestations and the sudden drop in remittances from Libya has left thousands of people on the brink of collapse.
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Dinner is going to cook while we are at work. I did the prep the evening before, but the last stages of prep; browning the chicken and assembling it in the cooker, still chew up too much valuable morning time.
What to wear? I washed my preferred trousers and neglected to iron them and now it is not an option. I could wear the pants that are too long, listen to them drag as I walk or the pants that are a titch too short, a pet peeve of mine. I loathe the whole "business casual" office repertoire. Mostly because I can never find anything that fits or flatters. I pause and imagine what sort of
office I'd rather work in; contemplate yet again the sort of work I want
to do, not in an office or someone else's office. Or one with a dress code.
I tussle with my contact lenses to get them in. Why today? I'm already running behind. I'm wearing them out of vanity (not entirely) but of convenience. It's a hassle pushing my glasses up my nose over and over again as I squint over papers.
Breakfast is a hastily prepared smoothie, gulped quickly in the few minutes I have before I need to get out of the house. Lunch will be a similar affair; I'd meant to prepare something the night before and came up with
nothing. I end up grabbing a packet of
carnation instant breakfast and tossing it into my bag on my way out the door.
I sprint out of the house into the crisp morning air. My eyes are assaulted by a blinding sun slung low on the horizon. The morning air bites hungrily at my fingers. It's a rude awakening. Even though most mornings I am out of bed at this hour (my new habit so as to discourage sloth), I am rarely outside. There was a time when I went for life affirming brisk walks first thing. Not anymore. Why the glow went off it so quickly, I don't know. Maybe because even though I strode with purpose it was like I had none.
The train seems full, but I find a seat shrouded by the figure of someone standing in front of it. Why the kind stranger couldn't indicate this fact rankles me a bit, but that's just the way it goes so.I manoeuvre around him, settle in and throw open my book, eager to jump back in where I left off. I don't normally read in the mornings; merely plug in and tune out, but I've only got this book for 14 days and I am captivated by the story.
It's one of those magic mornings where you might imagine what you would do next if you were on holiday. I am striding down the hill from the
skytrain to my workplace, pulling in deep inhales of the cool and fresh air; blowing out plumes of steamy warm air. I am working out the math of the trip length in my
head. And I marvel, how can it be that I left the apartment at 8 and waited almost 10 minutes for the
bus at the end of the block to take me to braid station and still arrive only 10 minutes later
than if I had left at 10 to eight and walked the 8 minute walk to
sapperton and took the train directly from there? I'm baffled. But first things first. I skip across busy Grandview and retrieve a Tim horton's Coffee (my second coffee of the day) and a banana from the gas station. This will be the highlight of my day and will sustain me until I take my customary later lunch.
On the return trip, I notice the cost of gasoline and marvel at the cost of gasoline. 112.9 …That's what? $4.50 a gallon. How does anyone afford the cost of driving? I remember when we heard that gasoline in Europe was less and everyone thought that it was scandalous.
I knock on the side door of the building until someone hears me. The woman who generally answers sits closest to the door and is always chirpy and friendly. I hang up my jacket and notice it smells of fried something. I can't stand that; another of my pet peeves.
I turn on the computer and go off to fill up my water bottle while it lumbers to life. I settle in, take a few sips while I check my email. None of it pertains to me. I get up go right to work and my back protests with pain after just a few minutes of bending and stooping. Again comes a moment of decisiveness that I have GOT to get a glimmer, a clue and some motivation to get onto a more desireable career path. A little more stunning clarity wouldn't hurt.
Later in the day I have a bit of a training session; for specific tasks beyond what I've learned already. I thought I had it nailed, now I feel myself begin to shut down; suffering a bit of information overload. I take copious notes but I can't read them within a few minutes of scribbling them down.
I leave the building, immediately feeling buoyant and relaxed. My evening is now my own. I see a train pull into the station, and know that if I keep walking this pace, I will only have to wait a few minutes for the next and there's no need to hurry. I decide I will take the train all the way to my stop and take the short hilly route home, instead of transferring to one of the buses that will drop me at the end of my block.
I think to myself as I walk the short incline home, that it would be lovely if a person could sustain themselves on such a mere amount of toiling. I sigh and give my head a shake. My day isn't entirely over, there's dinner to prepare.


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The is a research and education lab at the IT University of Copenhagenworking with Pervasive Computing and IoT, along full data lifecycles
From instrumentation (sensors, actuators, embedded programming, energy) over transmission (networks, gateways) to back-end (storage, analytics).
We study the socio-technical context and implications of IoT systems.
Our method is experimental: We build/evaluate prototypes. We deploy demonstrators. We collect and curate data sets.
We focus on IoT systems contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda.
Contact: mail
Physical location: 5A56, ITU Copenhagen
The PITlab in its original form was founded in 2009 by Professor Jakob Bardram.


text:
Villa Katarina, provides 8 self-catering apartments in an exclusive hillside getaway overlooking the Lapad Bay.
An imposing architectural structure shelters within it an oasis of peace and luxury where the style is acutely modern, but classic Dalmatian values are still maintained.
Its concept combines a clear lifestyle design language with an elaborate attention to details that interlock the warmth of a home and the comfort of an elegant accommodation.
All our apartments feature:


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Recommend UsEmail this PageeGazetteAlislam.org
Indonesia still struggling to embrace pluralism: Scholars
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia is still facing considerable challenges in its efforts to embrace pluralism, with the government only recognizing major religions and people continuing to commit violence in the name of their religious beliefs, Muslim scholars said Saturday.
Addressing a discussion on pluralism and multiculturalism attended by religious scholars from Indonesia and the United States, Sukron Kamil from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University said the government only recognized six major religions in Indonesia: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
"The government, through the Religious Affairs Ministry, has stated that it doesn't agree with minor religions such as Baha'i and local religions such as Patungtung and Kajang," said Sukron.
He said the recent attack on followers of the Ahmadiyah sect was proof of the problems faced in Indonesia's struggle to embrace pluralism.
"For the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the theology of Sunni (the largest denomination of Islam) is absolute. And they think that religious freedom only belongs to non-Muslims, saying it would be acceptable if Ahmadiyah followers declared themselves to be non-Muslims," Sukron said.
The MUI issued an edict declaring Ahmadiyah a heretic sect due to the fact its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, referred to himself as a prophet.
Executive director of the Wahid Institute, Ahmad Suady, said the ongoing debate over the foundations of the country and whether it should remain secularist or be converted into an Islamic state were also hampering efforts to promote democracy and pluralism.
He also said the inclusion of religious morality into local regulations, such as Muslim women being required to wear jilbab (head scarves) in some areas, was equally problematic.
Racelle R. Weiman, the executive director of the Dialogue Institute at Temple University in Philadelphia, said during the discussion that Indonesia, with its Muslim majority, should show the world how Muslims can be open-hearted, compassionate and interested in other cultures.
"I saw a picture in the newspaper of Javanese Muslims celebrating the (Islamic) New Year. It didn't look like the Muslims most Americans think about. It was beautiful, a gorgeous part of Indonesia. It showed that there are many faces of Islam here.
"The hope that Americans have with you (Indonesians) is the fact that you have the possibility of living in a pluralistic world and celebrating it," she said.
Weiman said although Muslims were a majority in Indonesia, in many parts of the world they would be in the minority.
Abubaker Al Shingieti, another U.S. scholar, said Muslims should not interfere with the beliefs of other people as the matter was "between those people and God".
"And God, with His ultimate wisdom, will hold them accountable to believe in Him or not. This is the right of God. We don't want to represent God or punish people for their beliefs," Shingieti, the regional director for Europe and North America at the Sterling-based International Institute of Islamic Thought, said.
The interfaith dialog Saturday was part of a two-year exchange program involving lecturers, Muslim scholars, clerics and prominent figures from the U.S. and Indonesia.
The program is being funded by the U.S. Department of State and is being coordinated by Legacy International and the Center for Civic Education Indonesia. (wda)


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The river flowing north from the Trikelas and emptying into the Sea of Trite is known as the Sryfe River. The river is regularly used by the small communities of dwarves in the Trikelas to transport their goods downriver (north) to the humes of the Sea of Trite.
War of the Ages > Places & Locations >


text: Blair McMillen is one of the most versatile and sought-after pianists today. He has performed in major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Moscow Conservatory, Lincoln Center, Miller Theatre, and the Library of Congress. A member of the Naumburg Award-winning Da Capo Chamber Players and the American Modern Ensemble, McMillen serves on the music faculty at Bard College and Conservatory.


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Donald Trump and Rick Perry appeared before members of the press today to deny rumors that Trump has hired his former rival as his ventriloquist's dummy. Their argument was undercut by the fact that Trump stood with his hand in Perry's back as Perry appeared to answer questions while Trump nodded and smiled, his lips barely moving. Asked who was doing the actual talking, Perry insisted it was him, not Trump.
"I'm nobody's puppet, even if that nobody is a tremendously successful businessman who is going to make America so great and so beautiful, you won't believe. In other words, I'm behind Donald Trump because Donald Trump is behind me. Right, Mr. Trump?"
"Right, Ricky.
"Hey, Mr. Trump."
"Yes, Ricky."
"How can you tell when a politician is lying?
"I don't know, Ricky, how?"
"My lips are moving!"
"Funny, Ricky. Now say goodbye to the nice press people. It's time to go into the cabinet."
"Oh boy! I'm going to be in the Cabinet!"
"No you're not."


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This is a story about young penguin. Who decides to take a chance on his dreams and defy all logic and laws that stand in his way. Mean while he constantly remains under attack by the Evil Gravtronics. They try to hypnotize all of the kids to follow their logic. But our young penguin RISKII is showing them away to defy the Gravtronics and their rules. Believe and you shall become a part of the movement.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Believe it.
Posted by Flight Risk at 8:55 AM No comments:
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Follow Flight Risk Gear
Posted by Flight Risk at 9:32 AM No comments:
Saturday, October 9, 2010
New Shirt Coming soon,,,
So we have our Tees coming and you will not be disappointed. Stay tune for tickets to our first take off.
Posted by Flight Risk at 9:39 AM No comments:
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Where does this go?
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Have you seen David Accola's video on YouTube about Irlen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N5qbMFtKQ4
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Have you seen David Accola's video on YouTube about Irlen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N5qbMFtKQ4
John Hattie to head research unit at the University of Melbourne.
Renowned education expert Professor John Hattie has been appointed Director of research at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education.
Hattie is widely regarded as a leading education authority. His influential 2008 book, Visible Learning, is believed to be the world's largest evidence-based study into what factors improve student learning.
Involving more than 80 million students from around the world and bringing together 50,000 smaller studies, the study found positive teacher-student interaction is the most important factor in effective teaching.
Currently a member of the Faculty of Education and Director of Visible Learning Labs at the University of Auckland, Hattie regularly advises governments in New Zealand, Australia and the US.
He has authored or co-authored 12 books and more than 500 papers, and said he is looking forward to supporting researchers in MGSE.
"There are so many excellent projects and people within the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, and it will be an exciting and enjoyable process to maximize their impact on education in Australia and beyond," he said.
I am planning my talk to our new parents for next year and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the partnership between school and home. Research shows that student performance and results improve when parents help at their school is some capacity. Here are a few ideas that you as a parent can be doing with your child pre school and even in the early years of school to develop a love of Reading. If you would like a copy of the handout subscibe to my blog and I will send you a free copy.
Cheers Christine
School Psychologist Response to Critics
I am in my 31st year as a school psychologist. I am so grateful to have learned of the Irlen Method relatively early on in my career. Like you, I was very skeptical when I first heard of this process. It sounded too easy; another educational fad. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to witness first-hand the difference identification and treatment can make for someone who has this visual-perceptual disorder. In my school system, we have seen test scores increase significantly when students are regularly screened for this problem. In addition, teachers report that the attitude their students have toward reading has greatly improved; students come to class eager to read.The local community college now has students complete a Reading Strategies Questionnaire when they enroll in the Adult Basic Skills Program. The questionnaire helps identify students who need to be screened so that they can use a colored overlay, if needed, to take their placement tests. This process was implemented after test administrators saw test scores improve anywhere from 1.3 to 6.5 grade levels (as measured by the TABE) for students who had originally failed the test. (The students were screened after they failed the test, given an overlay, and took a second form of the test. No instruction was provided in the interim.) By the way, students are allowed to use colored overlays on the GED in addition to other placement tests. They are allowed on End of Grade and End of Course tests in North Carolina. They are allowed on tests such as the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc., with prior documentation.There is now a great deal of research documenting the effectiveness of this process. Among the most exciting are SPEC scans documenting the differences in brain functioning and the improvements made with color modification.
I have worked with the Irlen Method for over 20 years now. During that time, I have met many, many individuals who have suffered needlessly because this simple screening was not made available to them. This process should be available in all schools. I encourage everyone in this field to keep an open mind and look further into this process.
Susan Youngman,School Psychologist
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, North Carolina
It's that time of year when reports are due and teachers are busy finishing the testing of their students. They are exhausted! I have a mantra that I like to say : 'every day is a new day'. I really like that one because it works especially well when you have had a very bad day at school. It was then that a timely article came to my inbox from D. Trinidad Hunt, and I thought I would share it at our next Literacy PLT. I'm also pasting it here for you. Have a look.
Jim Collins in his now classic book From Good to Great said the hardest leap to make is the leap from good to great. Collins was talking about making the leap as an organization. Yet the same thing can be applied to leadership in schools and in the classroom.
The longest mile seems to be the stretch from being good at what we do to becoming great at what we do. There is a tendency to accept good as 'good enough'. But this will never make you a great teacher and great teachers are made not born. There is a choice involved and practice required.
The first step in this journey necessitates becoming aware of this tendency to accept good as 'good enough'. When you feel you are a good teacher, reflect for a moment… has good become good enough? Are you settling for less than your personal professional best?
If you became a teacher, as I did, because of the love of children and a passion for learning, then you won't settle for good. But how do you recognize the plateau of rest and status quo Vs reflection and preparation (to move to higher heights).
I can remember the moment that I confronted this place in my own life. I had taught for twenty years. I was tired of it. I wanted to quit. In truth, I had hit the wall! And the wall was the barrier between being a good teacher and moving up to the level of great.
There was another mountain peak before me and I knew that it would require all of my resilience, my grit and my commitment. It would require a critical eye, and authentic self-assessment. I would have to be brutally honest with myself about my inner feelings as well as my outer actions.
In fact, I would have to change and from my perspective at that time change took work! The stages I went through look like this:
Denial: In my mind I didn't need to improve. I wanted to quit. It all looked too hard for me and I justified these feelings by saying it was time to change profession. I explained it as burn out. I denied that what might be up here was a breakthrough. If I admitted it, I might have to embrace the change and I was not ready to do that!
Acceptance: This is not the acceptance of a need to change. This was the beginning of a realization and an acceptance that something was going on with me. I started to become aware that something was trying to break through into consciousness. I sensed that there was a deeper message here. I began to feel that I needed to listen to it.
Willingness: Then came the stage of willingness. I was now willing to make a change. I was in the middle of a full teaching schedule and I wasn't willing to leave all the people I was teaching in the lurch. So maybe, I thought, I better let go of my resistance and go with the flow, at least for the moment!
Decision: So I made a decision to put one foot in front of the other and really give it my all for the next six weeks.
Action: Having made this decision, I went to work. I taught with all my heart and at the end of the day I assessed my score on a metaphorical score card made of the questions below. I practiced my craft and I assessed my results with an intention to improve daily.
After six months I was renewed with the love of the game of teaching and I was getting better at it every single day. That's when I realized that there is no arrival. Every day is a new day. Every mountain top reveals a view of another and even higher mountain behind it.
So here are a few mantras that have helped me continue my passage from good to great:
Along with the mantras, here are a few questions that help me keep expanding and growing daily. I invite you to ask these questions of yourself every day for 30 days. I guarantee that if you are honest and work at it, they will change your life.


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First off: apologizes for my sudden blogging disappearance. I know you've heard it all before, and, let's face it, you're probably gonna hear it again in the future, but I got really busy. It's been a big adjustment, this senior year thing. But I've really, really missed our weekend chats. And I really am going to try to be better. Forgive me?
Over here, I've been in a rut. I feel lazy...and sluggish...and just generally lacking in inspiration. And I feel so wretched to pop back on the interwebs to tell you that. Because honestly, life is great. I've got so much to be thankful for, I'm doing new stuff, and I really feel like a new phase of life is opening up at my feet. But getting out of bed in the morning, or just off of facebook, has been embarrassingly hard.
I'm at the point where I really just need to slap myself in the face and pull myself out by my bootstraps. I've been repeating Coco Channel's quote like a mantra, "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." Hopefully, I can attempt to leave this weekend with a little more fab in my step than I started it with.
So as a reminder to myself, here's a list of 25 ways to be a little more fabulous ('cause let's face it, you're already pretty cool).
01: Make faces at yourself in the mirror while you get ready.
02: Actually do yoga.
03: Make afternoon tea (or coffee!) a thing.
04: Commit to exclusively using colored pens. Purple's my go-to.
05: Throw on a scarf (sweater weather's better weather!).
06: Paint your nails. a $2 bottle of Sinful Colors always makes me happy.
07: Find your personal life mantra. I like "Nothing is ridiculous."
08: Do some goal writing. Like, legit, time sensitive goal writing.
09: Eat a doughnut this week end.
10: Call up that one friend you NEVER talk on the phone with.
11: Watch Seinfeld. 90's TV will always be amazing.
12: Jam out to the Beach Boys WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF WE WERE OLDER.
13: Poke the cutest guy on your friends list. I dare you.
14: Actually sit down an do your homework. And then share your self-motivation secrets with me.
15: Grab some non-fiction free reading.
16: Compliment someone on a random trait--their voice? Their openness? Try to make it something they haven't heard before.
17: Meet up with your best friend. Because no matter what, it's been too long. I suggest combining this with number 9.
18: Take a look back at yourself from a year ago.
19: Smile at a stranger. And see how weirded out they get.
20: Actually be smart about current events. Know what's going on, have an opinion, and take a stand.
21: Do some tidying. Fold that laundry. How long has it been since you vacuumed?
22: Make a photo wall.
23: Make that healthy food you genuinely love. Lately, I've been obsessing over vanilla yogurt with almond granola, and PB apples are always a favorite.
24: Tackle that inbox. No matter how intimidating.
25: Stick some money in savings. Look at you, being all responsible.
There we go! Let's rock this weekend, and step into Monday a little more sassy, classy, and fab, okay?
Happy Weekend! xo


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The Best Shakti Kapoor Movies
List Rules Vote for your favorite
List of the best Shakti Kapoor movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Shakti Kapoor's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Shakti Kapoor movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Shakti Kapoor movies will be at the top of the list. Shakti Kapoor has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Shakti Kapoor movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Shakti Kapoor films to end the squabble once and for all.
If you think the best Shakti Kapoor role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Shakti Kapoor performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.
The list you're viewing has a variety of films in it, like Masterji and Baabarr."This list answers the questions, "What are the best Shakti Kapoor movies?" and "What are the greatest Shakti Kapoor roles of all time?"
Notable directors that have worked with Shakti Kapoor include names like Dev Anand, Amjad Khan and Sunil Dutt.


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About the Women's Council
The Organization
The Council has 26 participating Asian/Asian Pacific member countries, and the female Heads of Mission or the wives of Heads of Mission to the Court of St James are the Patrons of the Council.
Doris, The Lady Butterworth of Warwick
Mrs Patricia Yaxley
Trustees ex officio
Mrs Patricia Yaxley, Mrs Elizabet Yates, Mrs Gerda Pope, Mrs Bina Sagoo, Mrs Jenny Habib
Trustees, Elected
Mrs Thelma Akrawi, Mrs Anam Al-Jumaili, Mrs Ruth Whitehouse, Miss Antonia Derry, and co-opted members
Honorary Advisor to the Training Programme
Dr Frances Moore MBE, Hon. DSc
The Council's work is supported by a Committee which comprises the Trustees, Diplomatic Patrons or their representatives (all ex officio), Mrs Lena Freeman, Dr Lamees Ibrahim, Mrs Pat Mellor, Princess Yasmien Abbasi, Mrs Nasim Khan, Mrs Fatimah Gammage-Sa'adon, Mrs Caroline Muir, Dr Rajni Rijal and co-opted members.
A brief summary of the 2019 AGM with pictures can be viewed under 'Recent Events' on the 'Events' page.


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In the early days of composite boatbuilding before glass fibers, the pioneers experimented with natural reinforcement materials such as palm fronds and sisal. And once glass fibers were employed, builders such as Curtis Herberts, who founded Wizard Boats in Hollydale, California, added a final layer of bleached muslin for a smooth finish. The year was 1946.
Soon though, laminates were all glass. Cape Cod Shipbuilding in Wareham, Massachusetts, which acquired all the jigs and forms for Herreshoff Manufacturing's small boats, converted to fiberglass in 1951 but employed only cloth fabrics. Chopped strand mat (CSM) and woven rovings (WR) followed and were the workhorse fabrics for the next several decades.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, unidirectional glass fiber reinforcements were introduced. In 1982, Dick Lazzara employed biaxial and triaxial reinforcements in a Gulfstar 60, a first, he believes (see PBB No. 169). What builders realized was that orienting fibers in the direction of a load increased strength. And with tools such as FEA (finite element analysis) now available to define those loads, engineering a laminate has become much more sophisticated.
Vectorply, a major producer of reinforcements for composites, offers approximately 350 different styles of fabrics, and cloud-based software—VectorLam Cirrus 2.0—to assist builders in selecting the best laminate for a given application. It was employed to assist Viking Yachts in evaluating the laminate and construction process of its 80' (24.4m) Convertible, launched in 2015. The VectorLam Cirrus software was part of what the company calls its Road to Optimization (R2O) process, in this case managed by Trevor Gundberg, Director of Composites Engineering, and Seth Holman, Northern Region Sales Manager. The initial objective was weight savings over the 48-oz/sq-yd and 64-oz/sq-yd (1,628-g/m2 and 2,170-g/m2) E-glass quads (quasi-isotropic, four-layer fabrics with plies at 0°, +45°, 90°, and –45° orientations) in Viking laminates at that time. In cooperation with 3A Composites, several series of tests of replacement reinforcements were undertaken, specifically the E-glass/carbon hybrids EC-QXM 3508 and EC-QXM 4408 weighing 35 oz/sq yd and 44 oz/sq yd (1,187 g/m2 and 1,492 g/m2), respectively, and Viking's infusion resin, Ashland AME 6001 INF-35 with United Initiators' Norox MCP-75. The tests measured tensile, compressive, and flexural properties in several orientations. Final reinforcements were selected (after tweaking based on test results), and Vectorply manufactured the custom fabrics, sending them to the Mahogany Company in Mays Landing, New Jersey, for kitting. The result is a lighter sportfisherman that is also faster than Viking's 82' and 76' (25m and 23m) models.
Named by founder Maurice Aaron for one of the hardwoods it distributed from its warehouse, Mahogany started in 1945 and evolved from a materials distributor to a specialist in kitting reinforcements and cores. That shift occurred in 2007, and today about half its business is with Viking. As a member of the four-company team, it purchases reinforcements from Vectorply and core from 3A Composites. A 100,000-sq-ft (45,300m2) facility incorporates a warehouse, panel-making shop, and cutting shop with several 3-axis CNC routers and a 5-axis machine—seven cutters in total. Flattening software converts 3D shapes into 2D patterns for all fiberglass, carbon fiber, and core materials.
Lonni Rutt, Viking's Vice President of Design and Engineering, said, "Working with the R2O process has enabled us to utilize the expertise from several areas in the material chain when optimizing our laminate design. We can work collectively with the reinforcement and core manufacturer engineers to specify the right material for the application. We develop each project around our focus to 'build a better boat every day.' Settling or compromising the design around only certain materials selections is not a limitation. If the material doesn't exist, we discuss if and how they can make it." Indeed, the subject reinforcements were custom made for the Viking 80.
Vectorply's Gundberg further explains the concept: "R2O is a concise approach taken on by the Technical Services group to identify customer needs or issues and travel 'down the road' to a successful product enhancement. In concept, it is analogous to a Six Sigma project, where a need is defined, solution developed, employed, and then the improvement or change is measured to determine effectiveness. In the R2O process, these steps begin with an on-site customer audit, which defines the project subject; then materials and laminates are developed and tested. Once the solution is implemented, the effectiveness is measured and deemed successful or not. If not, then another trip down the road is required."
These three vendors, along with resin supplier Ashland Chemical, offer extensive knowledge and combine their recommendations for each new Viking model. In the end, says Director of Communications Chris Landry, it's Lonni Rutt who makes the call—armed with the best information available.
3A Composites/Baltek, P.O. Box 16148, High Point, NC 27261 USA, tel. 336–398–1900, website www.airexbaltekbanova.com.
Mahogany, 5450 Atlantic Ave., P.O. Box 99, Mays Landing, NJ 08330 USA, tel. 609–476–6400, website www.mahoganycompany.com.
Vectorply Corp., 3400 S. Railroad St., Phenix City, AL 36867 USA, tel. 800–577–4521, website vectorply.com.
Viking Yachts, P.O. Box 308, New Gretna, NJ 08224 USA, tel. 609–296–6000, fax 609–296–3956, website www.vikingyachts.com.


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In the Ithaka S+R publication MOOCs In The Classroom?, Rebecca Griffiths asks many important questions. While the collegiate market is an interesting Petridish (pun intended) for economies of scale experiments, this post will argue that K12 would be an even better place. The K12 education market is made up of over 3,000,000 students in the US, who must typically endure 6 hours of instruction per day for 180 school days to move up to the next grade level. In most cases, these students are mandated by compulsory attendance laws and are required to be in school until they are 18 years old.
A typical first generation MOOC was a mix of multi-media, self-graded assessments, discussion board postings, and peer review. Faculty members developing 2.0 MOOCs have come up with innovative ways to improve them. Some will test whether they can "flip" their courses without having to create lecture videos themselves. Other instructors will weave the critical thinking focus of their courses in via seemingly unrelated subject matter. For instance, a program for incoming college freshman uses social networking activities to improve students' personal health habits while "teaching" a class called Health in America.
All of education could benefit from discovering the cure for Baumol's disease, when institutional costs rise annually without commensurate increases in output, or productivity. This phenomenon was named after economist William Baumol, who observed productivity in labor-intensive services lagged manufacturing, because labor-intensive services cannot cut staffing without reducing output, and compensation costs constantly rise (Hill and Roza, 2010).
The K12 arena provides a more robust experimental setting, because unlike the collegiate market, K12 students are not directly paying for their own education. Hence, it stands to reason that these students may be even less motivated than college students. Therefore, if MOOCs can be used to engage K12 students and factors can be discovered that help them persist until course completion, this could substantially benefit all of education.
Is anyone researching whether MOOCs can be used to improve outcomes, or reduce the costs of teaching students in middle and high schools? We know from research that hybrid course formats have the potential to improve student outcomes and reduce costs. Yet MOOCs only seem to benefit students with healthy amounts of intrinsic motivation (Bok). How much scaffolding and encouragement from face-to- face instructional coaches would online courses need to yield better outcomes? Maybe 2.0 MOOCs will be better able to improve the college readiness of students struggling in mediocre high schools? Conversely, perhaps the costs of adding high touch personalization elements will destroy the cost efficiencies inherent in the MOOC model?
These are questions I would like to learn the answers to, however, the major MOOC players are preoccupied with finding profitability and answering to investors. Perhaps when the dust settles and the principal players (Canvas.net, CourseBuilder, Coursera, CourseSites, EdX, Mooc.org, P2PU, Saylor.org, Udemy, and Udacity) have all conceded to a merger, we will be ready for some experimentation in the K12 market.
Bok, D. (2013). Higher Education in America, Princeton University Press. New Jersey. http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10059.html
Griffiths, R. (2013). MOOCS in the classroom? Ithaka S+R. October 28, 2013. http://www.sr.ithaka.org/sites/default/files/files/S-R_BriefingPaper_Moocs_20131028.pdf
Kelly, A. (2014). Disrupter, distractor, or what? A policymaker's guide to Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCS). Bellwether Education Partners. Accessed on May 29, 2014 at http://bellwethereducation.org/policymakers_guide_to_moocs
Hill, P., and Roza, M. (2010). Curing Baumol's disease: In search of productivity gains in K–12 schooling. Center on Reinventing Public Education. University of Washington Bothell. Seattle, WA. http://www.crpe.org/publications/curing-baumol's-disease-search-productivity-gains-k–12-schooling


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How many of you have had teachers that did as little as possible to teach you anything? With some of these teachers, you could get as much from reading the text as you could from listening to their long drawn out monotone lectures that were the perfect cure for insomnia. There was nothing innovative about their lessons. Their classes were boring to say the least.
Then there were those teachers that made learning fun. They had different and unusual approaches to teaching that often captured your attention. By the time you completed their class, you discovered that you actually learned something.
I recall my high school biology teacher, Mrs. Shipley. She was an older woman and when you first looked at her, you thought she was going to be one of those boring teachers that I described above, but she was the exact opposite. She made biology fun and she made it real. Mrs. Shipley would often explain her lessons with flare, drama and an enthusiasm that made you want to know what was next.
We often studied for tests by dividing into quiz teams that competed against each other for extra credit. It was a common practice to have non-venomous snakes being held during class time. Sometimes on Friday's if we had everything done, we would have the Friday Afternoon Fights. Mrs. Shipley would place a glass beaker on an overhead projector and then she would place a black widow spider and scorpion in the beaker and we would watch them fight. Sometimes the spider won and sometimes the scorpion won. Mrs. Shipley was the kind of teacher that you never really knew what to expect in class, but were always anxious to find out. She is the reason I pursued biology in college and graduate school.
Now let me ask you this question: should Mrs. Shipley have been paid exactly the same as the dry boring teacher that you learned very little from or do you think she should have been paid more because she was such a great teacher and students loved her classes?
Many school districts around the nation have tried to establish performance pay for teachers. They feel that it not only rewards good teachers, but it gives poor and mediocre teachers an incentive to be better teachers. However, very few school districts have such a program in effect and you know why? Unions!
Teacher unions, especially the National Education Association (NEA) are against such thing as performance based pay for teachers. For some reason the unions believe that such a performance based salary discriminates against the teachers that really shouldn't be teachers in the first place.
Teachers' unions do everything they can to block parents from having a choice of schools for their children. In fact, according to Lindsey Burke of The Heritage Foundation, teachers' unions have blocked a number of major positive reforms for public education. Terry Moe, a Stanford professor and author of Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America's Public Schools, says that most major reforms in education have failed because of the problems created by the unions.
As you look around the world and see how the American public education system falls further and further behind other nations, you can blame the teachers' unions for a large part of that failure. The only reform they are interested in is to promote and teach the liberal progressive and socialist concepts that destroy the values, morals and religious foundations that made America great.
When you go to a store and realize that the cashier can't even count out your change without the help of the computer, thank the unions. When you see them on the news and they sound like a complete illiterate, thank the unions. When your kids come home and tell you that homosexuality is great and that their teachers told them to vote for Obama, blame the unions. When your 13 year old daughter comes home and you find out she just had an abortion, thank the unions. As America is being dragged into the cesspool of hedonism, debauchery and perverseness, thank the unions.


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sfAdminDashPlugin is one of the most useful symfony plugins (it's the 8th most popular plugin at the moment). I want to show few ways how to easily extend your backend application with custom icons: where to get them from and how to make your project use them. It seems not very complicated - and it's not :)! But the way your website looks like is still very important.
sfAdminDashPlugin built-in login screen
sfAdminDashPlugin is provided with some standard icons, but probably you'll need more of them. Especially that it's really easy to add new ones - just follow these steps:
- find icon(s) that have the folowing sizes: 16x16 and 48x48, should be in .png format and be transparent in the background
- copy those files to the plugin directories: PROJECT/plugins/sfAdminDashPlugin/web/images/icons - for the 48x48 file and PROJECT/plugins/sfAdminDashPlugin/web/images/icons/small for the 16x16 file
- use new icon(s) in your config/app.yml configuration file:
items: Articles: url: article image: CustomIcon.png
set of icons provided with sfAdminDashPlugin
desktop environment
The easiest place to look for your icons is your desktop environment resources directory. For example, I use KDE which stores its icons in
/usr/share/icons/ /usr/share/icons/default.kde4/16x16 /usr/share/icons/default.kde4/48x48
external resources
KDE has lots of icons added by users, which you can find here. I have downloaded several packages and whenever I need a specific icon, I look through them. Good thing about icon themes is that large amount of icons are created in the same style, which would make your backend look even better!
nuvola KDE icon theme
Of course, you may also find nice icons at special websites, such as
icon usage example
drop-down menu example
icon usage example
drop-down menu example
icon usage example


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Soccer: Germany wants to unite people hosting soccer's Euro 2024
(Mainichi Japan)
GENEVA (AP) -- Germany wants to host the 2024 European Championship and bring people closer together amid populist waves across the continent.
Believing sports can be a positive force in political debate, German soccer federation president Reinhard Grindel told The Associated Press on Monday, "This is what a Euro can deliver."
Rival candidates Germany and Turkey give their bid documents to UEFA this week. UEFA will choose a winner in September.
Turkey has never hosted a major tournament, while Germany's staging of the 2006 World Cup was a huge success for visitors and its citizens. It became known as Germany's "Sommermaerchen," or summer fairytale.
"The fairytale that must be told is that the values of football -- fair play, respect and tolerance -- must also be the values that bring people in the whole of Europe together," Grindel said in an interview. "Whether you are Muslim or Christian, whether you are black or white, wherever you have your family roots."
In 2006, the home team's run to the semifinals in a notably hot month helped Germans finally forge a stronger and warmer identity with their country more than a decade after east and west were unified.
Now, the German slogan for its Euro 2024 bid is "United by football. In the heart of Europe."
Grindel shares that aim with the government he supported as a lawmaker in the Christian Democratic Union party led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. He left the federal parliament in 2016 to lead the soccer federation.
While Grindel claims Germany has the "economic and political stability, and security" UEFA seeks, bidding rules bar him commenting on Turkey.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called elections for June 24 which could give him new executive powers and abolish the office of prime minister.
For the fans, Germany will repeat its 2006 policy of granting free train travel with match tickets, and all 10 stadiums proposed are already built to hold at least 45,000 fans for a major tournament. Four of Turkey's 10 are set to operate close to UEFA's minimum capacity of 30,000.
The German selection process did not pick Hanover, which was a 2006 World Cup city and is the capital city of Grindel's home state, Lower Saxony.
The new leadership of the federation "means to be transparent, to be compliant," he said. "It is not important where the president is living."
Grindel also favors UEFA publishing all documents relating to the bids, including human rights assessments that are a mandatory part of Euros bidding for the first time.
Immigration issues that have challenged European society, and fueled nationalism in recent years, have let sport play a role, Grindel said.
"Football is the part of society where integration looks very good," he said, citing 50,000 registered players in Germany who arrived as refugees since 2015. "The ball is not interested in by whom it is kicked.
"The values of football are the values of the countries in Europe."
Grindel suggested a five-week, 24-nation tournament can let people "live these values in a free and secure environment."


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Charlie Puth might not be able to stomach another visit to The Late Late Show With James Corden.
The "Attention" singer nearly puked playing a game of "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts" with Josh Gad, Michelle Dockery and Rachel Bloom.
Here's how the game worked: James Corden and his guests sat around a table and were split into teams: Corden and Dockery versus Gad, Puth and Bloom. The teammates then took turns asking members of the opposing team questions. If someone chose not to answer a question, his or her entire team had to eat one of the items on the table—and these weren't exactly the most appetizing options. The smorgasbord included turkey testicles, bird saliva, grasshoppers and cow tongue.
Puth seemed a little nervous about the game.
"People who know me know I have a very, very sensitive stomach," he told the host. "I can't even be around brussels sprouts let alone this stuff."
Even a whiff of one of the courses was enough to make the "Marvin Gaye" singer gag. Still, he decided to carry on with the game.
"I really really want Charlie Puth to throw up on television," his teammate Gad said.


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We are a family owned business that has been operating in Poulsbo for over 35 years. Our loyal customers are our lifeline. Thank you Kitsap County!
John's body shop, Inc. has historically been at the forefront in setting the highest quality standards in collision repair. The auto body industry is constantly evolving with new and advanced technology. With that comes the need for implementing new repair procedures and proper training for our technicians and estimators. Quality and safety are our #1 priority.
Our experienced estimators and technicians continue to provide customers with a quick repair time and outstanding service. We know how important your vehicle is to you, as so, we treat it like our very own. Let us bring your vehicle back to pre-accident condition with today's techniques and equipment. Come see us to get started.


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[This post was edited]
Two known blogs on Skype picked up my previous post or the information in my blog and made some own changes or interpretations.
See Russel Shaw here: Skype call trend lines are changing: here's what this means
And Skype Journal here: 12 Million Online - New Peak on 18 February 2008
Correction on one of these posts we did reach 12 million on Monday 18 February, not on Sunday 18 February.
And, thanks for the compliments Russel :-)
Posted by Jean Mercier at 19:07
Labels: mistake
2 comments:
- ONLYEBAY said...
I think you may need a buy a more reliable calendar:)
18th of February was, in fact, a Monday. And that is the day Skype reached 12 million users.
And it was 42 days.
- February 22, 2008 11:17 AM
- Jean Mercier said...
I should take some time to think before reacting. Indeed i was right, but overreacted! Hectic professional life the last weeks, makes me think too hectic ;-)
- February 22, 2008 7:18 PM
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UPDATE. BudgetMobile is no longer in the Lifeline Assistance Program. If you are looking for a new provider in your state, please check here.
Budget Mobile phones. You may qualify or are free phone or Budget mobile phone upgrade. This Lifeline phone service is available to the public through the Lifeline Assistance program. They serve low-income residents throughout the US. These government subsidized phones, give the poor access to free landline and cell phone services. Without help, many might not be able to afford a phone.
Budget Wireless, offers FREE cell phone, and 250 FREE minutes monthly, to those who qualify. With this plan, there are no long contracts or credit checks. Only Budget Mobile's 'California Connect' offers free unlimited talk and text messaging. You qualify for these benefits if you receive help from a government agency. You qualify, if you receive Stamps, Medicaid, Disability, etc. (check eligibility). You also qualify if, your total income is 135% – 150% below the federal poverty level depending on your state. Budget, limits subscribers to one phone per household and yearly re-certification.
Budget Mobile Phones
Budget Mobile phones, give disadvantaged residents access to free, or inexpensive affordable phone services, at a time when they might not others have phones. The services here give low-income families the ability to:
- call the doctor,
- look for a job,
- call the police and
- many other benefits afforded by cellular service. (phone plans)
How do you Qualify?
Low-income phone assistance gives discounts to your monthly bill or a discount on the activation fees. You are eligible if you are receiving help from a government assistance agency.
- Medicaid
- Food Stamps (SNAPS)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Senior Citizen Discount Plan (from the gas or power company)
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Budget Mobile, serves residents of Arizona, Arkansas,California, Colorado,Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming
How Lifeline Assistance Helps
Lifeline, is a decades-old, government-subsidized program, providing free, and discount landline and cell phones to disadvantaged individuals and families. Funding for the program comes from Universal Service Fund fee, charged on all telecommunications services. You qualify if you meet federal poverty standards eligible consumers who enroll in the program.
Proof of eligibility with documentation is necessary at the time you apply for a Budget Mobile Phone. All information must be accurate and any false statements will bar the applicant from receiving Budget Mobile service and any other the program and can incur fines or jail time. There are many other providers of government phones in the U.S. the benefits and policies may vary from state to state. See what providers cover your area.
Budget News
Budget Mobile First Store in Fresno California
Shreveport, LA 12/01/2014 – Budget Prepay, Inc., d/b/a Budget Mobile, has launched operations in Fresno with the opening of its newest full-service retail store located at5247 East Kings Canyon Road, Suite 101. Budget Wireless provides free wireless services and free cell phones to qualified customers under the California LifeLine Program — a state program that provides discounted home phone and cell phone services to eligible households. (more)


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Great Wall Maps
Great Wall Maps: The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest sights in the world. The longest wall in the world, it is an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture. Its winding path over rugged country and steep mountains takes in some great scenery.
Tap on the maps of Great Wall of China to get the information of Great Wall, including, Great Wall location, Great Wall sections, the length of Great Wall in China, Great Wall tourist map, etc.
Click on the image for a large version and view!
- To Great Wall Travel Guide Page
- To Great Wall Tours Page
- To Beijing Maps Page
- To Beijing Photo Gallery Page


text: TV Kendra Wilkinson Sent Home on 'Dancing With the Stars' 7:22 PM PDT 5/3/2011 by THR staff FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Adam Larkey/ABC Five pairs remain after Tuesday night's episode. Kendra Wilkinson has danced her last dance -- at least as a competitor on ABC's Dancing With the Stars. The reality star and her professional partner, Louis Van Amstel, were eliminated Tuesday night. The pair scored 31 out of 40 points on Monday night's episode, which featured guest judge Donnie Burns. That score put the pair in fourth place out of six couples after Monday's show. Judges' scores are combined with viewer votes to determine who goes home. Ralph Macchio and Hines Ward were tied for first with 36 points after Monday's episode. Wilkinson becomes the sixth celebrity to be eliminated this season, following Chris Jericho, Sugar Ray Leonard, Petra Nemcova, Wendy Williams and "Psycho" Mike Catherwood. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME THR staff firstname.lastname@example.com @thr


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Partly on the basis that the quietest guy in the room is often the most interesting, a cottage industry has grown up seeking the low-down and scoopy on that most secretive of organisations, Apple Computer. Little wonder then that Steve Wozniak's just-published autobiography has generated plenty of coverage this week.
Read the complete story here. (The Inquirer)


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Ariana Resources has raised £900,000, gross, through an oversubscribed placing of 56,250,000 new ordinary shares at 1.6 pence apiece.
The net proceeds will be used to advance the company's projects outside of Kiziltepe, and to support ongoing working capital requirements.
Managing director Dr. Kerim Sener said: "We are pleased to be raising £900,000 at this important time in the evolution of the Company. Following the recent acquisition of 100% of the 1 million ounce Salinbas Project and the completion of a highly encouraging scoping study at Tavsan, the funds raised will be utilised to advance these projects in particular.
"Both projects require additional value additive work that it is important that we conduct during the winter months and immediately ahead of the exploration field season. Completing this work while Kiziltepe is in the process of entering production, will contribute significantly towards our strategy to enhance our production profile towards 50,000 oz gold per annum."
Story provided by StockMarketWire.com


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Shredding Paperon August 15, 2016 at 12:00 am
It's hard to shred sarcasm.
That's a lot of garbage Chris 😐
Never mind it will soon be Christmas lol
I had lots of paper to shred.
Yes it happens to me
all the time too. I think
we need to do it as we
get it instead of it piling
up so much 🙂 Yes? 🙂
That would be wiser, but I just got a new paper shredder and wanted to have fun with it.
Great I will bring all mine round 🙂
We could have a paper shredding party!
Have a great Monday Peter 😆☺
Thanks, Andro. You too.
Thanks Peter it has been fun 🙂
I can understand that, Chris!
I'm glad someone does!
No one will find his discarded sketches!
Or my secret Wombie files!
were those files on your private email server by chance?
No comment.
Bwahahahahahahahaha. I get it.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Shredding is fun!
Hide the cake before he shreds it!
Chris better not try that!
It's a good time to be unimportant. I like the glossy shine effect you used on the garbage bags Peter. Very realistic looking
You're right! Unimportant papers just aren't as fun to shred.
You sure lead an exciting action filled life Chris. Most guys would be out on the town driving hot cars, drinking & chasing women but you know where the real fun is at.
Yes, my life is full of fun and adventure. My next adventure is cleaning out the basement.
Thanks, Tony. I had to play around with the material settings (highlight intensity and size), to try to get it to look right.
So important to shred document with personal information on them. Just don't shred the chocolate, wine gums, and spam.
If I did that, no one around here would ever speak to me!
When you're finished I have a pile of important stuff to shred. Just saying
I'll be happy to shred it for you!
It's fun for a day. Then it gets kind of boring. 😉
A full day of fun is probably more than I can stand.
That's quite a stack of important papers, is he changing his identity?
Maybe he's going to run away from us!
There must be a thrill in shredding work and calling it over.
There definitely is!
A new shredder! Looks like bags of fun.
It was about all the fun I could handle.
Bet with the wombies helping you, it probably shredded your nerves.
Yes, they are very experienced at that.
There's not a shred of evidence that he was being sarcastic.
That's right, not a shred!
*high five* Chris!! I also like shredding papers 🙂
Maybe we can shred some papers together one day.


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Portuguese visitors to China up 13%By TPN/Lusa, in News · 13-06-2018 07:38:00 · 0 Comments
The number of Portuguese visitors to China in the first quarter of this year increased 13% compared to the same period of 2017, the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal said.
According to the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau Forum), ambassador Cai Run provided the figures during a campaign in Lisbon organised by the Hangzhou city authorities to promote the city as a tourist destination for the Portuguese.
The Ambassador also emphasised the enormous tourism potential between the two countries that has increased further since the launch of flights between Hangzhou and Lisbon, with a stop in Beijing.
According to the Hangzhou Daily newspaper, quoted by the Macau Forum, Lisbon has become a transit point between Latin America and China since the launch of the first China-Portugal direct flight in June 2017.


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Joe Rogan's podcast has been excellent lately. Bret Weinstein, the now-famous professor from Evergreen State College and Sebastian Junger, a NYT writer (former foreign correspondent who made the documentary Restrepo) talking about his new book Tribe were both on in the past couple weeks.
Rogan seems most known for his MMA involvement and controversy over his standup routines, but he's a very good interviewer and seems to have a broad knowledge base to interact intelligently with his guests.
Thanks for this @burban. I was not aware that Junger has a new book out. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading his other novels and will have to see if the most recent one is at the library.
Pod Save America. Politics with former Obama staffers, but with lots of swearing. Basically my liberal support group.
Anyone been listening to Alice Isn't Dead? I thought the first seasons was decent but my interest is starting to wane this season. Interested to see what others think/have to say.
I'm just skimming the thread, and searched for "Sam Harris" and found this. I'm a fan. It will be interesting to see what his app looks like when it comes out.
ETA - Thanks @DocDave - I'm going to check out On Time.
Waking Up with Sam Harris is absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about this one. Sam has to be the clearest thinking and most well spoken person I have ever heard.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
@carlitos That and The HourTime Podcast are pretty good, non-watch snobbery podcasts. At least for my listening they seem to be pretty good.
I added the Undiscovered podcast after hearing The Waste Book on Planet Money. It is another science-related podcast. It is well done. Another keeper, I think.


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Swissôtel Wedding Packages for the Ultimate Big Day
- Recommended Links
- Swissôtel Hotels Brochures
- View All Luxury Hotel Groups
Planning a bachelorette party for the girls, an elegant garden wedding or a romantic honeymoon?
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts offers a range of different packages to ensure everything about your wedding adds up to make it "the most wonderful day of your life."
Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul Bridal Showers and Wedding:
The Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul has a special "Bride to be" package to guarantee a proper pampering for the bride and her friends before the big day. As well as a visit to the Hamam for 10 people, the package includes a special Amrita massage and a facial treatment for the bride. Prices start at €1,000 and include sandwiches, biscuits, freshly-squeezed juices and local drinks.
The Swissôtel in Istanbul is also the perfect venue for a dream wedding. The bride and groom can choose to tie the knot in the ballroom, the Sultan Park, the Chalet, one of two boats that the hotel owns or the Gaja Party Lounge. Head chef Kurt Johnson can create any combination of dishes based on Turkish, French, Far Eastern or Swiss cuisine for the wedding menu. And the happy couple will have the use of a suite, including champagne and treatments in the Amrita Spa & Wellness, for the wedding night. Prices for wedding menus start from €50 per person.
For the Luxury Wedding Packages
Seventh heaven at the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy, Moscow
The bride and groom can relax after the wedding at the elegant Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy, Moscow. The wedding package in the buzzing Russian capital includes transfers from the airport to the hotel, one night in the Presidential Suite and a romantic evening meal with live music on the rooftop overlooking the city. The package is rounded off by breakfast on the terrace or in the suite, a spa treatment for the happy couple and a present for the bride from TSUM, Moscow's most exclusive department store. Prices start at RUB 360,000.
Lake Geneva Wedding at the Swissôtel Métropole
With its views over Lake Geneva, the terrace of the Swissôtel Métropole is perfect for wedding cocktails before guests proceed to the elegant rooms inside the hotel to enjoy their dinner or lunch. A price of CHF 195 per person includes an aperitif, a four-course menu including drinks as well as floral decorations and candles. The bride and groom can also spend the night in a suite, while special discounts are available on rooms for the guests.
Elegant Garden Wedding at the Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir
The huge, elegant garden of the 5-star hotel in the centre of Izmir is legendary when it comes to weddings. If you like to do things in style, you can celebrate your big day with up to 1,500 guests and even get married in the garden. The package comprises a night at the hotel for the bride and groom, including champagne, a romantic dinner and breakfast. The price per person starts from EUR 50 including unlimited local beverages. The luxury hotel also offers a special honeymoon package, starting at EUR 100 for a double room, including an upgrade, champagne and late check-out.
Full Wedding Package at Swissôtel Grand Shanghai, China
Couples getting married at the Swissôtel Grand Shanghai in China have nothing to worry about: the hotel can organise the whole wedding, from invitations through corsages for the men to the wedding cake. Special wedding menus, themed table cloth and chair cover, technology and music, overnight accommodation for the bride and groom and special discounts for the guests – the all-inclusive service quite literally includes everything. There is also a wedding present, a guest book and a restaurant voucher to make sure the memories are unforgettable even after the wedding. Wedding packages start at CNY 5388.
Luxury Honeymoon Swissôtel Göcek Marina & Resort
Newly-weds can put their feet up after the wedding and relax in style in the Turkish coastal village of Göcek. Swissôtel Göcek, the only hotel in the area, has a 280-m-long private beach and a 400-berth marina. The wedding package includes two nights with breakfast, sparkling wine and fruit in the room as well as a tour around the 12 islands on a boat. Prices for the honeymoon package start at €570.
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What does the name Kayligh mean? Find out below.
K is for keepsake, you treasure your memories.
A is for achievements, the many over a lifetime
Y is for youthful, your eternal look.
L is for luxury, the luxury of your smile.
I is for independent, a balance between being overly reliant and alone
G is for glamorous, you know what to do!
H is for hopeful, you see the bright side of things
I do not know how you feel about it, but you were a male in your last earthly incarnation. You were born somewhere around the territory of USA South-West approximately on 1775. Your profession was philosopher and thinker.
Psychologically, you were timid, constrained, and quiet. You had creative talents, waited until that life to be liberated. Sometimes environment considered you strange. Your main task - to make the world more beautiful. Physical and spiritual deserts are just waiting for your touch. Keep smiling!


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Mile High Networks provided our company with a thorough risk assessment of its IT infrastructure and network. From this assessment, we were provided with a comprehensive and informative report of the low, medium and high priority risks to which the company was exposed. Based upon this report Mile High Networks worked with us to develop and implement a plan which greatly minimized our exposure to risks and was tailored to our current size, future growth and existing budget. Through extensive up-front planning we were able to successfully migrate our network and implement the necessary changes, all with minimal impact on users and day-to-day operations. Following the migration, Mile High Networks was there to assist with troubleshooting the smaller issues that remained after the initial migration was complete; additionally, the project was completed on time and within the budget. Mile High Networks did an outstanding job in all aspects of the project, from the initial assessment, planning, implementation through follow-up
Displaytech Inc.


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TYLER BAZE, ALERT BAY, WINNER: "He's a nice horse. He'll do anything, dirt, synthetic, any distance, anything! I wanted to break sharp, which he did, because I wanted to keep close to the pace. Halfway down the backside I had a chance to ease him out of the tight spot we were in and give him a breather. He took a deep breath going into the far turn and I said, 'it's time to go!' I didn't know how he would take getting dirt kicked in his face; he's never had to, but it didn't bother him. He's a phenomenal animal, he's professional."
GARY STEVENS, LIFE IS A JOY, SECOND: "The horse really improved today. He ran super big for us. I wish we were a little closer. It was tough coming from behind and going six wide."
BLAINE WRIGHT, ALERT BAY, WINNER: "This is my first stakes win here. I've been training my whole life, really, but on my own since 2006. Tyler (Baze) and I go back a ways. Our families have known each other forever.
"We told Tyler the track was real tight today, try to stay as close as you can without taking the run away from him. I said, 'Watch when the dirt hits him in the face,' because he's run on turf, he's run on Tapeta synthetic, and sometimes those horses get to stinging a little bit in their face and they'll back up.
"Tyler said he never balked from it, but he did watch his last race and he got stopped, so he decided he was going to take him out of there and give him a breather. He said he took a big, nice breath on me and I knew I had a good race underneath him."
BRYAN ANDERSON, RACING MANAGER, ALERT BAY, WINNER: "Baze rode (Alert Bay) here before and (Julien) Couton rode him up at Golden Gate in his last race. We like both guys. Julien won the Emerald Downs Derby for us last year (in August aboard Worldventurer). We like both riders, but since Tyler rode him here at Santa Anita last time we kept him on and he'll ride him here again. It's just one of those calls you make (as an owner)."
NOTES: This is Wright's first stakes win at Santa Anita. Winning owner Peter Redekop is from Richmond, British Columbia.


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I am a little out of date with all the latest SNK news due to my prolonged absence, but I thought I'd post about something that I just read. Apparently KOF XII for the PS3 and Xbox 360 is going to feature downloadable content. While I am all for DLC, and quite happy to pay a little bit if it is something that is worth it, I think many companies just use it as an excuse to get more money from people... I'm really hoping this isn't the case with SNK and KOF XII!
It's possible that they might offer stuff like extra costumes (see SFIV), which personally I would avoid like the plague and not even consider buying, but what about the prospect of extra characters? If they added them later on and released them as free updates then fine... but if you had to pay for them? Ugh. What do you guys and gals think of this? Let's say for example that SNK released a character pack that featured Mai Shiranui and it cost a few $'s/£'s? Would you be tempted? Personally, as much as I would want Mai enabled, I don't think there is anything that would make me pay extra cash for it! What happened to the days when playing the actual game and completing it was what you did to enable extra content?
As much as DLC can be a great thing, it really has made certain companies greedy... (cough... Capcom.... cough). I hope SNK isn't going to go the same route. As an example of good DLC, Valve recently put out the survival pack and other updates for Left 4 Dead for free, which is great (as a side note I am hopelessly addicted to that game right now ;). Hell, if they release some good extra stages for L4D at a later date and charge a little for them, if I think it's worth it then I'll grab them. Paying money for stuff that should already be a part of the disc or should be free is a big no no for me personally though!
Opinions? Obviously we don't know what DLC will be available for KOF XII yet so it may turn out to be great and it may even be free, so it is all speculation at this point. How much are you willing to spend though?


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This Month's Highlights
Plus Home Theater and Quadricentennial 2009.
(page 1 of 3)
Party On, Wayne
Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger, the principal songwriters behind the group Fountains of Wayne, are masters of the pop song. If you need proof, think back to how many times the song "Stacy's Mom" has been stuck in your head. (And, since we've just mentioned it, we bet you're humming it now.) The band's most recent album, Traffic and Weather, is no less catchy and features the perfectly foot-tapping "Someone to Love." Fountains of Wayne will be at the Tarrytown Music Hall July 2 to give a rundown of tunes you'll be whistling long after you leave the theater.
The Swing... of Things
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy burst onto the music scene during the revival of Big Band music in the '90s, when swinging songs like "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight" were popping up everywhere from movie soundtracks to Gap commercials. This year finds the band returning to its roots, releasing the album How Big Can You Get: The Music of Cab Calloway. Using vintage microphones and equipment, they created an album that covers 11 of Cab Calloway's most famous tunes, including "Minnie the Moocher," "Jumpin' Jive," and "Calloway Boogie." To hear them run through the classic catalog, and throw in some of their own songs for good measure, head to the Paramount Center for the Arts on July 23.
Storm King Photo by Jerry L. Thompson
Rolling Hills
There's no better time to visit the Storm King Art Center, the 500-acre sculpture garden in Mountainville, New York (just an hour away from White Plains), now that you can see Maya Lin's new installation, Storm King Wavefield. Lin has transformed a former gravel pit into a series of 300-foot-long hills that recall the ocean's waves. The grassy swells, which rise to between 10 and 15 feet each, look simple enough—they're made only from real grass, soil, and rocks, after all—but are the result of some high-tech planning that involved fluid dynamics, cartography, and other studies of wave formations. This isn't look-don't-touch art, either. You actually can walk around and on the "water," then take off and explore the Alexander Calder and Henry Moore works on the rest of the grounds.
Banjoes & Djembes
When you hear the word "banjo," you don't necessarily think of African music. Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, on the other hand, knows better. He traces the instrument's origins to its African roots when he performs at the Caramoor International Music Festival on July 3. He'll be joined by Oumou Sangaré and her band, a 10-piece ensemble that includes the kamele ngoni, djembe, flute, and both acoustic and electric guitar.
Mella Jaarsma's The Follower
Dress Up
They say that clothes make the man. This month, they also make an art exhibit. The Katonah Museum of Art is hosting Dress Codes: Clothing as Metaphor, in which 35 artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Do-Ho Suh, Willie Cole, and E.V. Day, garner inspiration from their wardrobes. Be warned: Dress Codes is not just about fabulous frocks and strutting down a runway. The artists manage to explore heady themes, such as racial stereotyping, immigration, globalization, and even war through these garments. The exhibition opens July 12 and will be on view through October 4.
Continue Reading for our Home Theater and Quadricentennial 2009 sections.