text: Over the last few decades, new uses for coastal and offshore areas have emerged, including aquaculture and renewable energy (wind, wave, and tidal), while more traditional uses, such as commercial fishing and oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf, have continued to flourish. As technologies improve, companies may increasingly seek to move activities farther offshore and to expand resource development in both state and federal waters. Various interests argue over which policies and regulations will best minimize conflicts between competing offshore resource users while effectively safeguarding already crowded coastal areas from further development. An issue that is fundamental to the regulation of offshore activities is determining which level of government has primary jurisdiction over particular offshore areas. Who has jurisdiction depends, in part, upon the federal-state maritime boundaries. Unlike most countries, the U.S. federal government shares jurisdiction over its 12-mile (nautical) territorial sea with its coastal states. The 1953 Submerged Lands Act (SLA) generally gives coastal states title to the submerged lands, waters, and natural resources located within three nautical miles of the coastline. The waters, seabed, and natural resources beyond these three miles belong to the federal government. Identifying where a federal-state maritime boundary lies is not always an easy task. Federal-state maritime boundaries are represented on nautical charts published by the National Ocean Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These charts reflect the federal government's official position on where U.S. maritime boundaries (federal and state) are located. Determining the baseline from which federal-state maritime boundaries are determined can be difficult, depending on the geography of the coast. International law, which guides U.S. practice, recognizes different methods for locating a coastal baseline in such circumstances. The U.S. has traditionally applied a measurement standard that minimizes the extent of state offshore waters. But while setting maritime boundaries is primarily a federal prerogative, states have continued to challenge the National Ocean Service charts. When a U.S. coastal state disagrees with the federal government's position on its maritime boundary, the courts have been called upon to resolve the dispute, often the U.S. Supreme Court under its original jurisdiction under article III of the Constitution. Congress also may become more involved in maritime boundary and jurisdiction issues as the pace of offshore development increases, and legislation to address some of these issues, such as S. 735 , has been introduced in the 109th Congress. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant.


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As it's the last day of #blogjune, I thought I should wrap things up re the documentation workshops.
At the last documentation workshop we finished assigning authorship, which achieved a lot towards getting others at the table other than the original few. We then extended this exercise by identifying which documents could possibly be prepared concurrently across the teams. This was really worthwhile as their was recognition that even more people needed to be a part of the process. We finished the session there.
So my initial issues were:
– the process of documentation is more important than delivery
– the process of documentation is controlled by 2-3 people, while teams await instruction
– the documentation is written to meet the needs of the authors, not the end readers who need instruction
– the process of documentation is mind-numbing slow, with at least 2 workshops and revisions per piece of documentation
– there is an expectation there will be about 30 pieces of documentation. To be completed before handover to delivery can begin
– the owners are very possessive of the documentation
I was hoping the process would:
– share ownership of the documentation
– reduce the amount of documentation required
– reduce the time to produce the documentation
– get us moving towards delivery while still ensuring people receive the instruction they require.
To date, the changes are:
– we have shared the ownership of both the documents and the process of creation
– we have identified documents that can be prepared concurrently, to try to address the time required
To address the amount of documentation my Manager colleague and I will be looking at the 'templates' to either reduce, or introduce shorter versions. We will also look at how we can start working towards delivery without all the documentation needing to be completed first.
It is an ongoing negotiation with the teams, but I do feel there is a step forward. I also know that the next 'review workshop' now has 8 at the table, not 3. The 5 that are now included are very happy to be there.
It's one small step, but it's in the right direction.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday the 29th of March saw Alex and Gary from Disability Sport and Recreation come and visit us. Gary explained how he had had a work accident as a young man and become a paraplegic. He told us all about how he learnt to cope with life and how he had to relearn how to do many of the things he always took for granted.
Alex was born with Spina bifida, she could actually use her legs but found life much easier in a wheel chair.
After a chat we went outside where we got to sit in a wheelchair and play basketball.


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Greencastle, Ind., Feb. 15, 2015 – The No. 8-ranked Washington University in St. Louis women's tennis team won four of six singles matches to earn a 5-4 win at No. 11 DePauw University Sunday afternoon.
After dropping two of three doubles matches, the Bears got singles victories by sophomore Rebecca Ho, freshman Grace Deering, senior Hanna Newstadt and sophomore Kaylan Griffith to rally for the 5-4 win.
Match-by-Match Results:
1. Maggie MacPhail/Claire Marshall (DPUW) def. Rebecca Ho/Jamie Silverberg (WASHUW) 8-5
2. Grace Deering/Hanna Newstadt (WASHUW) def. Kaitlin Pickrel/Julie Wittwer (DPUW) 8-6
3. Carolyn Huerth/Taylor Mahr (DPUW) def. Aly Coran/Kate Lee (WASHUW) 8-6
1. Rebecca Ho (WASHUW) def. Claire Marshall (DPUW) 6-1, 6-1
2. Maggie MacPhail (DPUW) def. Jamie Silverberg (WASHUW) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
3. Taylor Mahr (DPUW) def. Aly Coran (WASHUW) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
4. Grace Deering (WASHUW) def. Julie Wittwer (DPUW) 6-4, 6-1
5. Hanna Newstadt (WASHUW) def. Kaitlin Pickrel (DPUW) 6-4, 6-1
6. Kaylan Griffith (WASHUW) def. Maddie Lee (DPUW) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
• Washington U. has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, including each of the last four.
• Deering and Newstadt improved to 4-1 as a doubles team this season.
Up Next: Washington U. (2-0) returns to Greencastle, Ind., to compete in the ITA Division III National Team Indoor Championships Feb. 27-March 1. The Bears begin play at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships against No. 17 Skidmore College at 10 a.m. (ET) Friday, Feb. 27.


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Losing anyone you love and care about is never easy. But to me, losing a parent is the hardest hit my heart has ever had to take. Growing up, my father was everything to me. He took me everywhere, showed me so many things. We would ride around the city in his Cadillac and he'd take me to Eden Park where'd he play chess with his friends and after we left the park, we'd always go to get some Alabama's.
I can frequently recall him telling my sisters and I that we were beautiful and were born beautiful. I loved that. He always bragged on my accomplishments, no matter how small and always told me how proud he was of me.
Whenever we left each other's presence, he'd say "see you later, alligator" and I'd always reply "after while, crocodile". After my parents divorced when I was 12, and he would come to visit, he'd have a special knock he would do so I would always know when he arrived.
I cherish the time we spent watching shows like Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune & wrestling. He'd be sitting in his favorite recliner and I'd climb into his lap and we watch tv until we fell asleep. He'd always have me make him peanut butter & jelly sandwiches even though I absolutely hate peanut butter. He was the best chef I knew and I loved watching him in the kitchen. My absolute favorite of his was his chess pie and I wish I could have gotten that recipe.
He shaped so much of my childhood, obviously. He gave me his version of "the birds and the bees talk" when I was 9. He always said what he was thinking and feeling and have no second thought about it. He was the smoothest dresser I knew. He always made me laugh and now that I'm a little older, I can see so many of his ways in me.
It's been almost 10 months since my father passed and honestly, it hasn't gotten any easier. Knowing that half of what helped to create me has only left me with this sense of emptiness. Someone I've literally known my entire life is no longer here. He was sick for a long time and it saddened me that he couldn't get up and around like he used to. One thing about my father, he waited on no one to do anything, he was always on the go. Always driving somewhere and when he couldn't drive, he was on the bus.
Part of me feels selfish for wishing I had more time with my father. I had 24 years but it doesn't feel like enough. But who wouldn't want more time with someone they've lost that they hold dear to their heart? When I see my friends with their fathers, I get a little sad. It also warms my heart, cause I have tons of memories of what that's like. But I miss his laugh, his stories, his hugs & kisses, our conversations. He won't be there to walk me down the aisle. He'll never be able to meet any children I may have. All I have to hold onto is the love he gave me and the memories. That doesn't always feel like enough though, only because I miss his physical presence so much.
I love you daddy and I miss you. Hope I continue to make you proud. 💙


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Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008mark wiggans Apr 22, 2008 2:24 PM (in response to Vango)
I don't believe that is supported. Currently only Windows Vista (IPv4 mode only), Windows XP SP2 or later, Windows Server 2003 SP1 & R2.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008chris.lapoint Apr 22, 2008 5:58 PM (in response to mark wiggans)
That's correct. We're planning on adding support for Windows 2008 in a future release. To help us prioritize, we'd be interested to know our customers' deployment timeframes for Windows 2008. Are you just kicking the tires right now? Or is it a 2009 project?
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008Vango Apr 24, 2008 1:17 PM (in response to chris.lapoint)
We have been using ipMonitor for 3 years now. It's time for us to retire our old apps and servers and upgrade. We are deploying all of our new servers based on Windows 2008. We will deploy ipMonitor as soon as it's available for Windows 2008. When do you expect your next release?
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008chris.lapoint Apr 24, 2008 1:22 PM (in response to Vango)
We hope to have a 2H08 release, but our current thinking was to only support monitoring Windows 2008 servers not running on them.
Are there others out there that require the ability to host ipMonitor on Windows 2008 servers? If so, please post to help us prioritize.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008LarryS May 7, 2008 2:39 PM (in response to chris.lapoint)
We are already deploying Windows Server 2008 and will be more aggresive in the next 3 months. I would expect these tools to both monitor and be hosted on Windows Server 2008. My experience to date is that any product that runs on Windows Server 2003 will most likely run on Windows Server 2008, it may take a bit more work as the product is significantly more compartmentalized and secure.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008chris.lapoint May 7, 2008 6:22 PM (in response to LarryS)
Thanks for the feedback!
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008DDX May 28, 2008 1:06 PM (in response to chris.lapoint)
today i tried to install ipmonitor9 on a new windows2008 server
(our old server is eos next month)
I found out (after mailing with support) that windows 2008 is not yet supported.
Just fyi: officially we are not allowed to install windows 2003 on this new server (the OS is licensed from microsoft in the SPLA program)
looks like we have to install windows 2003 on the server.....
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008ccolumbus Jul 16, 2008 1:10 AM (in response to chris.lapoint)
I would definitely like to see Windows 2008 support as I'm in the process of migrating servers wherever it makes sense.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008Scotty Jul 17, 2008 1:33 PM (in response to Vango)I have installed the trial on my windows XP desktop, and have found it is monitoring all our Windows Server 2008 computers very well. We are running all windows 2008 servers, with the exception of our Anti-virus management computer which is server 2003. I am not sure if i would want to install this on the server, as I see more functionality of having the program on my personal desktop and just monitoring all the servers from here. Having the ability to install on the servers is not so important in this aspect. As long as the servers are monitored, why does it matter what computer the program is installed on, i have full functionality installed on my desktop.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008evelkly Aug 14, 2008 8:04 AM (in response to Scotty)
We are likewise solely using Windows Server 2008. It's great that you can monitor the server, however, being able to run the software from a central server is very important. Desktops turn off frequently enough to not be viable as a monitor station.
Is there an ETA for a release?
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008chris.lapoint Aug 18, 2008 3:59 PM (in response to evelkly)We hope to have this available in early 2009.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008scott.herrick Aug 20, 2008 9:53 AM (in response to chris.lapoint)
Will ipMonitor be able to run on a Win 2008 virtual machine that is part of a HyperV cluster?
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008chris.lapoint Aug 20, 2008 1:25 PM (in response to scott.herrick)
HyperV should not have any impact if ipMonitor supports Windows 2008 as a host OS, but we'll ensure we do some testing in that configuration.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008fishermc Sep 22, 2008 9:02 PM (in response to chris.lapoint)
Is it still planned for early 2009 for Server 2008 support. We too are moving to Server 2008 very quickly.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008chris.lapoint Sep 23, 2008 9:01 AM (in response to fishermc)
We are actually in testing now. Our hope is that we might have it before 2009, but can't commit anything until we are further along in the testing cycle.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008jpsolomon Jun 2, 2010 11:02 AM (in response to fishermc)
Hi, was wondering if there is support for IPmonitor on Win2008 (better yet, R2) ... the last post was dated Oct. 2008, but here we are in 2010 -- any word?
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008bmurching Jun 2, 2010 1:39 PM (in response to jpsolomon)
Version 10 has Server 2008 32-bit as a supported OS. No word on R2 or 64-bit. It would be nice to have official 64-bit OS support since that's where we're all headed anyway.
Re: ipMonitor 9 & Windows 2008jpsolomon Jun 2, 2010 2:09 PM (in response to bmurching)
I agree ... I didn't even know v.10 was out yet, but it's good that at least it can be installed on 2008 32-bit. Thanks for the heads-up!


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And again, random reminder that its a US Legal issue, not a German one. You can get MR223A3 etc over in Canada.
edit: and before someone doubts this:
Printable View
And again, random reminder that its a US Legal issue, not a German one. You can get MR223A3 etc over in Canada.
edit: and before someone doubts this:
WHAT was that plant in GA built for again????
Pains me to say it but the current reality for gun owners in places like CA, NJ, ect. is probably gonna spread like cancer nationwide eventually.
Besides that, it would be enormously expensive to set up a civvie HK 433 production line in the US and the market is already swamped with very cheap and reliable .223 ARs.
Consequently, we'll never see 433's on gun store racks.
On the military/LE side nobody seems to be beating down HK's doors to get the 433 either... HK may already have a flop on their hands even if it's objectively a decent gun.
As for HK, their latest stated policy is, correct me if I'm wrong, to only sell to "green" countries (determined by NATO membership or NATO equivalency, & "Transparency Internationals corruption perceptions index", and "Economist Intelligence Units democracy index") and to avoid sales to "conflict zones". On top of that they have to abide by EU arms exportation and proliferation policies. This is a lot to saddle an arms manufacturer with, and is often times wrong-headed.
The example which I still remember, and mentioned earlier, was that when the German government banned the sales of weapons to Mexico, due to legit human rights violations (mostly attributable to official corruption and collusion with organized crime). Two of the users of the G36 rifles at the time that I became aware of it (around 2009), were the Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana Municipal police departments. At that time both departments were having literally dozens of their officers targeted and gunned down by local cartels, on a weekly basis. Particularly, officers who were not "on the take", and leaders attempting to root out corruption were being targeted. I remember 7 municipal officers being killed in Tijuana in one night, for example. The officers were significantly outgunned, with most not having long-arms, and also very much under-armored. In my eyes, that was an example of this well-intentioned "social justice" policy having very negative effects on the ground. The cartels, on the other hand, are money heavy, and have no trouble acquiring modern rifles.
I just think HK needs to consider if moving their corporate HQ to another country would increase the viability of their business. Avoiding conflicts and war zones, and transferring culpability for the human costs of conflicts from the actual bad actors to Oberndorf may be a recipe for bankruptcy, and still will not show a positive effect in any of these conflict zones. I think the common sense solution is to arm the good guys (or the least bad guys). I also think that there is considerable money for HK to make here in the U.S. civilian market. There are a lot of people who want something other than an AR-15. As the saying goes, "If you can't make a dollar, make a dime."
Part of why HK guns are so popular is because they are made in Germany. If they moved their facilities to the US, they would have enormous trouble keeping their quality standards, finding labour force (machinists, etc) and their quality would drop.
Making such changes to a company for some short term profits is never a good thing. After maybe 5 years all the HK fans in the US would have their guns and for the rest they would still be way too expensive (Muh AR does the same thing for a third of the price). Therefore civilian sales would decrease. Some countries (Germany for example) won't buy ITAR guns.
I'm honestly not sure if there is so much money to make in the US civilian market.
If you take a look at the AR market, you can observe an economic phenomenon.
If the products are all the same (and pretty much all there ARs are), profits will go to zero.
Look at American gun companies (Sig Sauer, Freedom group, colt, etc) and tell me if you want to see HK go the same path as they did.


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Simple and effective, here is the style that you will project with this slim men's classic jeans and a little stretch, with some scratches giving a trendy appearance. Combine with all your favorite sweats or jackets to complete your outfit and a pair of white sneakers for a perfect finish every time.
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My preschooler stayed home sick today.
I should probably preface the rest of this post by noting that he isn't seriously ill, or retching or having bowel issues. If that were the case, I probably wouldn't be writing about the simple joy of a sick day while he naps.
As it is, he has pink eye. So here we are.
This is my little man's fourth bout with pink eye in two months. It's been running a bit rampant through his preschool, and he seems particularly susceptible. So he's been home quite a bit.
Today, however, was a day he was bummed to miss. Yesterday, his class filled their "warm fuzzier" jar with pom-poms, which they earn for being kind to each other. When the jar is filled, they get a pajama party day at school. So today was to be PJ Party day, and my poor little guy woke up with gunky eyes.
As he dissolved into tears when we told him he wouldn't be going to school today, I resolved to make it a great day. I promised him we'd have a PJ day at home. We put the movie Brave on TV and he got to have popcorn and fruit snacks for breakfast and pretend we were at the movies. We snuggled on the couch in our jammies while baby brother napped. We went to the doctor and got an eye drop prescription — and a donut afterwards!
So far, it's been a good day.
When you're a working parent, a sick kiddo is often an automatic stress factor that launches a parental negotiation process. Who has more sick days left? Who can most afford to miss a day of work? Whose boss will be less annoyed that they're out? My wife and I tend to strike a pretty good balance, and I imagine most other families with two working parents have worked out a system that works for them, as well.
But this morning has been a great reminder to me that sick days aren't all bad — at least not as long as my child isn't seriously ill. My boys (baby brother usually goes to daycare at my place of work, so he's home with me, too) and I have gotten in some good quality time. We've had tickles and giggles. We might go play outside in the snow this afternoon, or maybe do an arts and crafts project.
Here's to the sweet, simple joy of a sick day.


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Five Bedroom Villa
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This delightful, very private, one-bedroom pavilion, which stands in its own walled garden with plunge pool, is available for rent with either Bendega Nui or Bendega Rato - or both, to make up a total of nine bedrooms. It cannot, however, be rented on its own.
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An advance directive is a legal form you fill out to say what kinds of medical care you want if you aren't able to make decisions for yourself. It tells your family and your doctor what to do if you're badly hurt or have a serious illness that keeps you from saying what you want.
There are two main types of advance directives: a living will and a medical power of attorney.
Last Revised:
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Medical Review:
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a three-year contract for IT support, solutions and maintenance to HP.
Valued at $21 million (£13.5 million), the contract covers core service areas, with an option to add bespoke and ad-hoc services. HP fought off competition from Fujitsu to win the contract, which began on 1 April 2012 and has an option to extend for a further two years.
Paul Beavin, head of ICT procurement at the MoD, said: "For the first time, the British Armed Forces - the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force - can rely on a consistent and transparent level of support for IT assets in the UK and at overseas bases.
"This contract has been adopted as a model by the Government Procurement Service, part of the Cabinet Office's Efficiency and Reform Group, so could be used for other government departments."
The core services that HP will provide includes a 24/7 UK call centre, hardware break-fix services for repair or replacement of MoD IT equipment around the world and bespoke software support for the MoD's desktop and data centres.
The IT company will also provide hardware refurbishment, redeployment and recycling, asset maintenance, management of the IT asset database and computer room environment management.
HP has provided support for the MoD's IT environment for more than 10 years. It currently supports more than 200,000 PCs, office equipment and telecommunications assets at the MoD.
Its previous contract with the MoD was also for three years, but the scope was "slightly different" said Melanie McGrory, CIO of HP Enterprise Services. One of the differences was that in the old contract, the call centre, and some other services, were not provided on a 24/7 basis, she said.
The contract win is good news for HP, which recently lost a payroll and personnel services contract, believed to be worth £100 million a year, to CSC.


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Diane Vance from Fairway Independent Mortgage in Tampa Bay, FL, is committed to taking great care of people who are looking to buy or refinance a home. Diane has been in the mortgage industry since 1987, and prides herself on her expertise to educate her customers to find the best solution for their needs.
Diane lives in Crystal Beach, FL, with her husband Tim, and has three children and three grandchildren. She loves to spend time with her grandchildren and is involved in practicing yoga and running.
Diane enjoys working for Fairway Independent Mortgage because of her passion to help people achieve homeownership with a company that has the same goals for their customers as she does.


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Baghdad Officials Fear Outbreaks From Dirty Water
LIANE HANSEN, host:
In Baghdad these days, many Iraqis with cell phones have been receiving messages from the Ministry of Health. They warn residents not to drink untreated tap water, it is unsafe. And officials fear an outbreak of typhoid or other waterborne diseases during the baking-hot summer months. Those most at risk are people who live in Baghdad slums where few have cell phones or television to receive the health warnings. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports.
COREY FLINTOFF: Doctors in the children's ward of Fatima al-Zahra Hospital see dozens of patients each day with symptoms of waterborne diseases.
Unidentified Woman: (Arabic spoken)
FLINTOFF: One mother tells Dr. Abbas al-Nuaimi that her three-and-a-half-month-old baby girl has been throwing up and suffering from diarrhea. A doctor gave the baby injections, she says, but the diarrhea has gotten worse. Dr. Nuaimi says he sees many such cases in infants and toddlers, and the source is almost always contaminated drinking water.
Dr. ABBAS AL-NUAIMI (Fatima al-Zahra Hospital, Baghdad): There is a heavy pollution in the water, make a problem for us. So we face many problem that suffering from typhoid and diarrheal disease and hepatitis.
FLINTOFF: Waterborne diseases are common in poor countries that have no sewage or clean water systems, but Baghdad once had such things. Dr. Fathil al-Hadawi of the Ministry of Health says the pipes have been wrecked by years of neglect and war. [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: DR. FADHIL AL-MEHDAWI.]
Dr. FADHIL AL-MEHDAWI (Director of Community Medicine, Ministry of Health, Baghdad): They are all - they are broken, some cracks happen. This would lead to contamination from the surrounding area of sewage system or under-soil water.
FLINTOFF: Hadawi says that in addition to the broken pipes, chronic electricity outages in the city mean that water treatment and pumping stations often stand idle, so even polluted tap water isn't always available. In Sadr City, one of Baghdad's poorer neighborhoods, school supervisor Jabar Ali says people sometimes go for three or four days without any tap water at all.
MR. JABAR ALI (School Supervisor, Sadr City, Baghdad): (Arabic spoken)
FLINTOFF: So whenever water comes through the pipes, he says, people will rush to drink it or store it up. Ali says the government's clean water education campaign is too little, too late. He adds that the government should keep in mind that most people in his area are uneducated, without cell phones or even electricity to power radios and TV sets.
In a small market street in Sadr City, people line up at a stand where the ice seller, Abu Hassan Hadi, is attracting customers by offering free glasses of water. Everyone drinks from the same glasses, but Abu Hassan insists that the water is clean. He says the same goes for the chunks of ice he's sawing.
Mr. ABU HASSAN HADI: (Ice Seller): (Arab speaking)
FLINTOFF: He says he buys his ice from factories that take it directly from the Tigris River, not from the city water system, and treat it with chemicals themselves. Health Ministry officials warn people specifically that ice is just as likely to be contaminated as water is. Dr. Abbas al-Nuaimi at the hospital says he knows of no major steps that the government is taking to rebuild the water in sewage systems.
Dr. NUAIMI: All these are deficient. They promised the people that they will make this in the future. On what future, I don't know.
FLINTOFF: Dr. Fathil al-Hadawi at the Health Ministry says that most people in Sadr City have already contracted Hepatitis B from tainted water and that officials are bracing for more dysentery and typhoid cases this summer. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Baghdad. [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: The Hepatitis B virus is not spread by contaminated food or water. We should have said "Hepatitis A."]
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text:
Hosting Out-Of-Towners: A How-To Guide
December 23rd, 2010 |
Published in
Apartments, Entertainment, Holidays, Living in New York, MetroCards, Public Transit, Subway, Things to Do, Travel
by Cyndi Zaino
So your friends and family are ready for the big visit to the home that you now call New York City. How do you make sure to show them the best time they've ever had in the Big Apple? And, more importantly, how do you not become overwhelmed playing guide and host to your nearest and dearest? Check out these suggestions for a few things to consider before embarking on that tour.
Eating: easily accessible, good food no matter where you are
When I have visitors, one of the things I try my hardest to do is give them a great culinary experience. I try not to eat within a 5 block radius of major landmarks and sites, because there is a good chance that I will pay a lot of money for terrible food. To avoid this, I plan parts of my itinerary around a specific restaurant that I want to visit, which a nice rest stop for my visitors that also serves as an authentic NYC experience too. If you can't swing the advanced planning or you're hard-pressed for time and have to eat, try going down a street, not an avenue; you'll have a better chance of finding something decent and well-priced.
For reference, here are some very reliable neighborhoods for good food: Hell's Kitchen, LES, Alphabet City, Chelsea, and the West Village. And if you have a smart phone, make sure you have the Yelp app to use in a clutch.
Moving: getting around the city
One of the most stark differences your visitors will likely notice is the process of getting around. Most people travel from place to place by car, with a limited need to walk, take public transportation, or maneuver in congested areas. The best advice I can give is this: Know your audience. You don't want your poor elderly grandma walking 13 blocks to go from St. Patrick's Cathedral to Times Square. You probably don't want to squish her in the crosstown shuttle either. Although they're not my favorite, there are tour companies which offer a ride around the city in double-decker buses with an audio tour. This may be a great option for granny so she can see the city in relative comfort without much hassle. With a younger crowd, say with a judgmental friend visiting from London, you most certainly don't want to commit that friend-faux pas of toting a native around on a British-inspired, cheesy bus tour. In any case, make sure you think ahead and do a bit of research on what modes of transportation best fit your guests.
Quick tip: check out the package fares for the MTA to save your guests some cash.
Seeing: landmarks, site seeing, and entertainment
There is so much to see in NYC that it's pretty much impossible to do it all in one trip. Trying to squeeze everything in at once can make the outing seem like a job rather than a vacation. To make your guests' visit an activity-packed, yet enjoyable one, I recommend picking a few of your favorite places and making an itinerary. Give it some variety and mix it up: plan to see some of the "classic landmarks" (Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building) as well as a few of your own unique finds (that awesome dive bar, your favorite brunch spot, the best place in Central Park to throw a frisbee), all the while making sure you have some good rest stops in between (e.g. the Chelsea Market).
To get you started, here are some great lists of things to see and things to do. For more inspiration, grab yourself a copy of Time Out New York; it's a terrific resource for all things local – eating, music, museums, unique events, one-time special offers. When planning, be skeptical of package deals and tour company offers – use your keen New Yorker senses to determine if these are ripoffs or well worth the money.
Finally, I can't resist plugging a few of my favorite spots that I share with my visitors:
- Impress your guests by explaining to them what color the Empire State Building is today and why.
- Enjoy the views from Top Of The Rock rather than the Empire State Building. It has way better views of Central Park, not to mention the Empire itself. It's also less expensive, and generally has shorter lines.
- Visit the Tenement Museum, a preserved tenement apartment building from the mid-1800s. You can almost step back in time to a New York of another era, when immigrants were trying to live out the American Dream. It's really pretty awesome.
Finally, to save a little cash, think about all of the outdoor activities and things to see for free in New York. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge doesn't cost a dime, and neither does an afternoon in Central Park. You can stroll along the High Line or get a stunning view of Manhattan in the Brooklyn Bridge Park gratis. And although it's not altogether free, many people don't know that admission to the Metropolitan Museum is suggested only.
Staying: finding the right accommodations
Finding your guests the right place to stay for their visit is paramount to your success. Hotel rooms in NYC are not cheap, and good ones can be hard to come by in a busy season. Just like you would for any other destination, try using hotel searching sites like Priceline.com or Kayak.com to find a good deal. If your guests are staying for more than a few days, Craigslist is also handy for finding a vacation rental – your guests can get not only a room but also a kitchen to cook a few meals in. Also, don't rule out hotels in – say it with me – New Jersey. There are plenty of great, and considerably less expensive, hotels just across the Hudson in Hoboken and Jersey City. To get to the city, they're just a PATH stop away (about 10 minutes).
New York City also offers several "boutique" hotels, like the Library Hotel, the Roger Smith Hotel, a few W Hotels and the Gansevoort Hotel for your guests that have extra change to throw down towards an extra-unique hotel experience. And then there is always the Plaza.
To really save some cash, your guests could check out the hostel scene, try out couchsurfing, or if you're up for it, they can crash your place. If you opt for the latter, it's worth investing in a blow-up mattress or a futon as an inexpensive bedding option.
Weather-ing: preparing for the elements
While touring NYC, the need to be outside often makes you and your guests especially vulnerable to whatever Mother Nature throws your way. Most non-New Yorkers won't be used to dressing for the weather. If it rains in their home town, they likely wouldn't ever think of wearing a pair of good boots, a water-proof jacket and an umbrella. However in New York, it's pretty much a necessity to prepare for the elements. For example: Flip-flops + run-off water + unknown greasy trash residue = really f'ing gross. Also, think about how cold the city gets around the New Year – most aren't prepared for the frigid, windy torture that is a New York winter. Ever wonder how those street vendors make so much money selling those plain old scarves and hats? Yea, it's from ill-prepared tourists. So just give a kindly reminder to your guests that they should pack the right clothes, shoes, and accessories for the season in which they are visiting.
Well, that's it. I hope you and your guests have a terrific time touring the greatest city in the world!If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our RSS feed!
Image Credit:Dave Sizer
About the author: Cyndi Zaino
Cyndi joined "Become a New Yorker" in the fall of 2010 as a content contributor. She was born and raised in Long Island, NY and then moved down to the DC Metro area for a few years, only to come back to NYC to finish college and start her career. Some of her favorite things about the City are its diversity, variety of things to do, and unique places to eat. She is especially fond of its dirt, grime, and the fact that "it feels like a real city". Cyndi is hardcore and a level 80 Night Elf Druid.
Email Cyndi | All posts by Cyndi Zaino


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Army researchers participate in DOD's first TED talk
September 11, 2017
By Joyce M. Conant, ARL Public Affairs
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Sept. 11, 2017) — Researchers from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory were among the nearly 200 guests and participants at the DOD's Basic Research Office's Science, Technology and Innovation exchange, or STIx, held in Crystal City, Virginia, Aug. 24 - 25.
STIx provides members of DOD's science and technology community – both internal and external – a forum to discuss new ideas and opportunities for progress across the defense research enterprise. According to its website, STIx is a "series of talks and seeks to showcase and connect our brightest minds, communicate new ideas and share novel approaches to confronting old challenges facing the Defense community. STIx takes its cues from TED and TEDx."
The invited speakers included researchers from universities, DOD laboratories, and students participating in the Science, Math and Research for Transformation scholarship program and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship. Their 12 minute talks or demonstrations followed the TED talk format and were based on the theme of "The Big Questions" facing the DOD from a science and technology standpoint. The event was live streamed on YouTube.
The event targeted middle and high school administrators, educators and students, university administrators, professors, researchers, graduate students, industry researchers, and R&D executives, and anyone from the public interested in learning about basic research in the DOD.
Dr. Robin Staffin, director for Basic Research in the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said he is looking at different ways of doing research and learning. He indicated the event was the first try at this type of forum.
"STIx gives us incredible diversity across the Defense enterprise, including industry and academia. We've got an exceptionally diverse group talking about science, technology, innovation and humanity – broad set of missions for DOD – it's about unity of the mission," said Staffin, who has responsibility for oversight and coordination of basic research activities throughout DOD.
Dr. Daniel Cole from ARL's Vehicle Technology Directorate spoke about additive manufacturing and addressed the big question "Why don't we just 3-D print all of it?"
Cole discussed some of the major challenges facing the additive manufacturing community, including fundamental issues with processing-structure-property relationships and the need for more testing standards. He touched on the cultural shifts needed for additive manufacturing to become more widespread and took a playful jab at Navy football with a 3-D printed scoreboard from the 2016 Army-Navy game.
"This event was a great opportunity to present our research in a dynamic and non-technical forum," Cole said. "We also got to learn about a variety of other basic research projects happening across the DOD."
Dr. Jaret Riddick, acting chief of VTD's Mechanics Division said it was a very important forum for the DOD to innovate and collaborate. He said ARL is fortunate to have forward thinking subject matter experts who can represent the lab.
New to the lab and representing ARL's Network Security Branch was Dr. Charles Kamhoua. He gave his talk on the "Cyber Physical Security Game."
Kamhoua presented a game theoretic modeling of cyber-physical security threats and how to automatically find the best countermeasures. He identified cyber physical systems that are pervasive in today's battlefield. He also highlighted the need for theoretical constructs or mathematical abstractions to provide a rigorous scientific basis for cyber security to ensure dominant strategic land power.
"This event present an opportunity for DOD scientists to communicate their research to the general public," said Kamhoua. "I am happy to increase the public's understanding of cyber security threats."
Jerry Clarke, chief of ARL's Network Security Branch said that in addition to experts in cyber operations, ARL is fortunate to have top level scientists who perform critical basic research into cyber security in an effort to help the United States achieve cyber overmatch for the conflict after next.
"Being able to communicate this vital mission at an event like STIx can help provide new collaborative opportunities as well as attracting additional talent," said Clark.
Dr. Mary Harper, ARL's deputy chief scientist attended the two-day event. She mused, "This is a great event to help researchers draw connections among a variety of fields of science and engineering and aim higher to solve the problems we will face in 30-50 years. Many of the talks also highlighted just why careers in these fields are so amazing!"
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, currently celebrating 25 years of excellence in Army science and technology, is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to provide innovative research, development and engineering to produce capabilities that provide decisive overmatch to the Army against the complexities of the current and future operating environments in support of the joint warfighter and the nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.


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National Cyber Security Awareness Month Calendar of Events
Yes, it's that time of year again… National Cyber Security Awareness Month kicks off its tenth anniversery, and even though this awareness campaign sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center is geared towards those with no background in security, it is also a good time for the savvy to double check their online habits.
As security pros, we still surf the web, click on links to destinations unknown, open emails and attachments from trusted and untrusted sources, use weak passwords, and all the other no-no's we preach against, even if not to the extent that the average netizen does.
So, makes sure your software is up to date, change those passwords, exercise caution on the web, and help spread the word on the most basic of responsibilities we all need to uphold in the digital realm.
Making every single person more secure makes us all more secure – so here's the official calendar of awareness initiatives for this month:
|Week One (October 1-4):
Launch of 10th Annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity is Our Shared Responsibility
|The next ten years in cybersecurity are critical to ensure a safe, secure, resilient cyberspace where the American way of life can thrive. Given the stakes we must remain focused on meeting the challenges of the next ten years.
|Week Two (October 7-11):
Being Mobile: Online Safety and Security
|Emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity no matter where you are or what device you are using.
|Week Three (October 15-18):
Cyber Workforce and the Next Generation of Cyber Leaders
|Highlights the importance of fostering the next generation cyber workforce through education and training.
|Week Four (October 21-25):
Cyber Crime
|Focuses on national and local efforts to prevent traditional crimes like theft, fraud, and abuse that can also take place online.
|Week Five (October 28-31):
Critical Infrastructure and Cybersecurity
|Highlights the growing intersection between cyber and physical security when protecting the Nation's critical infrastructure.
"Through a series of events and initiatives across the country, National Cyber Security Awareness Month engages public and private sector partners to raise awareness and educate Americans about cybersecurity, and increase the resiliency of the Nation and its cyber infrastructure…"
Read More Here…


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Zbog zastoja u radu POST EXPRESS-a, pošiljke šaljemo Daily Expressom!
The VOX Lil' Looper looper multi-effect pedal combines two independent loops with a dozen onboard effects and shares many of the winning features of the VOX Dynamic Looper. The easy-to-use design, solid footswitches, 12 versatile effects and layering loops are ideal for guitarists who want to break new ground in looped performances. The Loop Quantize feature creates perfect length loops on the beat and lets you synchronize the two loops to a specified tempo. Lil' Looper offers the additional convenience of being compact, lightweight and battery operated. A Mic input allows any mic'd instrument or vocalist to enjoy the power of the Lil' Looper.


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01. Blaze A 50 (Nas)
02. Who Ya Wit (Jay-Z)
03. You (Lloyd ft. Lil Wayne)
04. Life's A B**** (Nas ft. AZ)
05. Two Words (Mos Def ft. Kanye West)
06. The World Is Yours (Nas)
07. Westside Story (The Game)
08. Soul Survivors (Akon ft. Young Jeezy)
09. Fast Life (Nas ft. Kool G. Rap & Raekwon)
10. Pourin Up (Bun B ft. Pimp C)
11. 3 Kings (Slimm Thugg ft. Bun B & T.I.)
12. Beef (Mos Def)
13. Setup (Nas ft. Mobb Deep & Foxy Brown)
14. Whut Chu Know (T.I.)
15. Hustlin' (Rick Ross)
16. Feelin' It (Jay-Z)
© 2008 Chasebeatz Productions, LLC
01. Intro
02. Dirt Off Ya Shoulda (Jay-Z)
03. December 4th (Jay-Z)
04. 10 Crack Commandments (B.I.G.)
05. Smile (2Pac ft. Scarface)
06. Small World (Nas)
07. Dead Wrong (B.I.G.)
08. Takeover (Jay-Z)
09. Ether (Nas)
10. Everyday Struggle (B.I.G.)
11. Gettin' Money (2Pac)
12. My Block (2Pac)
13. Song Cry (Jay-Z)
14. Me Against The World (2Pac)
15. One Mic (Nas)
16. Who Shot Ya (B.I.G.)
17. Encore (Jay-Z)
©2007 for Chasebeatz Productions, LLC.
And most recently, Dionne. If u like violins and dope beatz, this is a collector. Also features a bonus disc for unreleased beatz & blooper cutz.
Featuring live performances and rare/hard to find album chops & breaks...arguably one of the most soulful editions in the SoulTapes Collection. Also features moderate commentary by George Carlin
This is the 5th addition to the bunch....DEFinitely a showcase of chop skills and drum breaks. With movie clips from some great blaxploitation flicks!!
4th Installment. Identifiably one of the dopest beattapes to date! Features Richard Pryor commentating this seamless beat mix. This is a collection of Minnie & Rotary Connection at her best moments, crazy chops!
This was the 3rd installment, and might I say the most tedious to put together. It features clips from the movie "Claudine", which Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded under the direction of Curtis Mayfield. Definitely an audio movie!
This was the 2nd installment in the SoulTapes collection. This project featured also some rare gems chopped up.
This beattape is a collection of classic and some never before heard Al Green chopped by yours truly. This was the 1st installment in the SoulTape Collection.
ft. DJones, Chasebeatz & P.G. (Prod. by Chasebeatz)
Tribute to the LEGENDS and the Golden Era Pioneers of Hip Hop!
This is the Official Chasebeatz Daily Blog!!!!
This site is designed to bring you nothing but unsaturated soulful hip hop!!! Please check back daily as new music and videos will be brought to you on a current basis!
Please make sure to also drop by Myspace to hear new music too!!!


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By Kim Painter
Special for USA TODAY
Many migraine sufferers could have fewer, less severe headaches if they took preventive medicines, but few eligible patients do, say doctors releasing updated treatment guidelines Monday.
The guidelines list seven prescription medicines and one herbal remedy backed by strong evidence, and include many other treatments that might work for some patients.
"Migraine is one of the most disabling conditions known to man, but patients need to know that there is hope," says Stephen Silberstein, a neurologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and lead author of the guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. They were presented at an academy meeting and published in the journal Neurology.
Medicines backed by the strongest evidence include anti-seizure drugs (divalproex sodium, sodium valproate and topiramate), blood pressure drugs (metoprolol, propranolol and timolol) and, for menstrual-related migraines, a medicine called frovatriptan, the guidelines say. They also cite strong support for the herbal remedy butterbur and include a longer list of prescription and non-prescription therapies patients can consider.
These preventive treatments usually are used daily. The guidelines do not look at the options patients have once symptoms begin.
Not everyone with migraines needs prevention medicine. But nearly 40(PERCENT) have headaches that are so frequent (at least once a week), severe or hard-to-treat that they qualify, Silberstein says. Studies find that just 3(PERCENT) to 13(PERCENT) use the treatments.
Why so few? One reason is that it's hard to persuade people to take medicines on days when they feel fine, says Elizabeth Loder, a neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Silberstein adds that some patients have not been properly diagnosed or made aware of their options. Still others try the treatments and decide they don't work or have unacceptable side effects.
"You have a lot of gun-shy patients because of a lot of bad experiences," says Michael John Coleman, founder of the patient group MAGNUM, also known as the National Migraine Association. Many spend months or years taking medicines that don't work and make them miserable, he says.
That's what happened to Emily Guzan, 26, a lawyer from Pittsburgh who was diagnosed with migraine in 2008. She was given a prescription for Topamax (topiramate), and it "was a real nightmare," she says. She kept having headaches bad enough to land her in an emergency room once a month and suffered nightmares, an altered sense of taste, an unwanted 30-pound weight loss and memory problems -- all of which she attributes to the drug.
She tried some other medications, but for now, she's given up on all of them and says she's getting better results with diet, yoga and other lifestyle changes.
Finding the right medication for the right patient can take a lot of trial and error and careful dosing, Silberstein says. But about 80(PERCENT) will get relief, he says -- defined as a headache reduction of at least 50(PERCENT) -- after trying three or four drugs, alternative remedies and lifestyle changes.
Even hard-to-treat patients may eventually respond to something, Loder says, so she urges frustrated patients to keep trying.
"The life toll that poorly controlled headaches take is really underappreciated," she says. "You don't get back the time you lost at work or the time you lost with your children."
Coleman, of Alexandria, Va., also urges fellow sufferers to keep working with their doctors: His own migraines took 40 years to control. "This is not a cookie-cutter disease and there is no magic bullet, but there is hope."
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Mainzer's German Deli
Pincrest, FL 33156-5235
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Bhubaneswar, March 19:
Rest of India (RoI) put up a dominant second-half show to thump Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) 4-1 in a thrilling exhibition hockey match at the Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday.
Though the result of the match, hosted by PSPB in association with Hockey India (HI), went in favour of RoI, PSPB showcased class as they held their opponents to a stalemate in the first half.
Their defence was tight and they rarely allowed the RoI forwards to foray into the striking circle. However, Roelant Oltmans-coached Rest of India's breakthrough came in the 34th minute after the master strategist Dutchman made key changes during the halftime break that were perfectly executed by his team. It was Santa Singh who scored a stunning field goal to take a much-needed 1-0 lead.
Talwinder Singh soon doubled the lead with a 41st minute field goal while Ajit Kumar Pandey who was part of the Junior World Cup winning team scored in the 53th minute to take the score to a formidable 3-0.
Though PSPB made a late comeback with a successful penalty corner converted by Harmanpreet Singh, who is now part of the senior men's core probables for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, in the 56th minute brought some respite to the PSPB.
PSPB boasted of an fine line-up including S.V. Sunil, SK Uthappa, Harjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit Singh, Devinder Walmiki.
RoI scored almost immediately and showed their dominance with a 57th minute goal by forward Talwinder Singh to win the match. (IANS)


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Amazon has announced that it is working with the U.S. Postal Service to begin delivering packages on Sunday, starting in Los Angeles and New York.
Amazon Prime members, who receive unlimited, free two-day shipping on millions of items, can now receive their packages on Sunday in these areas. Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service plan to roll out this service to a large portion of the U.S. population in 2014 including Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix, to name a few.
"If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can order a backpack for your child on Friday and be packing it for them Sunday night," said Dave Clark, Amazon's vice president of worldwide operations and customer service. "We're excited that now every day is an Amazon delivery day and we know our Prime members, who voraciously shop on Amazon, will love the additional convenience they will experience as part of this new service."
"As online shopping continues to increase, the Postal Service is very happy to offer shippers like Amazon the option of having packages delivered on Sunday," said Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer. "With this new service, the Postal Service is now delivering packages seven days a week in select cities. Customers can expect the same reliable and valued service that the Postal Service currently provides."
Sunday deliveries are set to begin on November 17th in Los Angeles and New York and will be available to all customers, not just Amazon Prime members.
You can now download the new Limerain App and follow Limerain on the go. Also follow Limerain on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS to be notified of any updates.
*thanks iclarified*
Send us a story or tip @ email@example.com
- Posted using my iPhone 5s


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How's that for a post title? I have lots of goals this year, both personal & business…but all of them settle on one word. My word of the year: intention. This year I am striving for intention in everything. A small part of that starts here, on this blog I started so many years ago. For a handful of years I was a pretty decent blogger…the past 3 years or so…well, let's not travel down that road. There are so many reasons for this…a big one, well, my daughter is 3 years old this month ;) Bigger, I stopped reading blogs…and even now, I only read a handful (I know, I know). For me, blogs kind of slowed down in this industry and I let that change how I was operating as well. That being said, this is the best way I know to share my work with you all…oh, also, I miss it! I miss showing off my amazing seniors, beautiful weddings and sweet, sweet families I have the honor of meeting and photographing. So there you have it, I won't promise anything consistent, however, I will try. Not only sessions and weddings and events from this past *amazing* year, but hopefully I'll share some of my favorites from the past years…so many good ones, just sitting on my hard drives, I mean, I want you all to see them!
Let's start with Brady & Jessica…because I am in Ohio, and it's cold here…and their wedding was in South Carolina this fall…and well, do I need anymore reasons than that? Didn't think so.
I was absolutely honored that they asked me to come along…it's hard to beat destination weddings in my book, so any time we get asked, we pretty much jump at the chance! Brady & Jessica were married on Folly Beach, South Carolina and we hopped over to Charleston & Angel Oak for photographs. We couldn't have had a better day for a beach wedding…but coming from southern Ohio…it doesn't take much for a beach wedding to be basically perfect ;) Here's just a handful from their day.
They handpicked the house they would use for the day. I am positive they couldn't have chosen a better one. Loved all the details of this place.
The famous Angel Oak Tree, and yes, I could photograph under it every. single. day. (It was pretty crowded that day, but I loved the challenge of trying to avoid the other visitors ;)
Gosh, that felt good. It's nice to be back friends :)


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VMP-1100 Laser Pointer from Apollo is a laser pointer whose aesthetic appeal matches its functionality. The device is housed in a black metal barrel with a gold pocket clip. Its bright red laser dot can be projected onto any surface up to 1500' away as needed. This is a class 3a laser and the (2) AAA batteries required to power it are included with the device.
Professional Presentations
Use this laser pointer to enhance your professional presentations.
Operating Range
The pointer can project a red laser dot up to 1500' feet away.


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Vacation With Your Writer-Radar On
I'm back. Of course, it was a working vacation. Are you green with envy wondering if my trip was comped by the Disney Company? Not exactly. Guessing which travel magazine bought a magazine article? None. Hoping I'd share everything I'd learned at the writer's conference held at Disney World? Sorry, no writer's conference.
- Met a woman who lost over 100 pounds in under a year with no surgery or special diet, just exercise and moderate eating.
- Met a woman who is starting her own photography business.
- Learned about a mentor program for minorities in Georgia.
- Learned about a controversial campaign to make a small South Carolina town smoke-free.
- Learned about an unusual use for leftover pecan shells.
- Learned about Coca-Cola's habit of making different flavored "Coke" for different countries. Would you believe ginger, honey, and strawberry flavors?
- Experienced the wildly upbeat Disney attitude which must somehow tie in to a business article.
- Two sides of the same coin: I met people vacationing in Disney with babies(one was a 10 week old) and older couples horrified by the thought of bringing babies to Disney.
- Met a turtle who was rescued by Disney scientists that developed a taste for plastic while in the wild and had to have an operation as a result. He'll be returning to the wild--hopefully to eat more healthy meals.
- And we won't even mention the several ideas for personal essays I have from my travels.


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Pole Dancing Level 1 / Foundation experience required. (You should have taken a few Level 1 sessions before starting this class).
This class focuses on improving and mastering inverts, climbs and spins. We will work on core conditioning techniques, inverts from the ground with and without a kick up, inverts from up the pole and inverts on a spinning pole.
Inverts, Climbs & Spins Beginners will develop and improve your technique as well as enhancing your general flexibility and stamina.
Don't worry if you have not yet nailed your inverts or climb. With a max 2 students per pole, you will benefit from lots of teacher contact and practice time to perfect those new moves.
Pole Dancing Level 2 / Elementary required. (You should have mastered all basic inverts, climbs and spins before taking this class.)
This is a great class for students who have been pole training for a while. You should feel confident with basic inverting and climbing, so you're ready to move onto some more advanced techniques.
We will help you to improve your straddle, aerial inverts and advanced climbs, whilst also working on advanced aerial conditioning. Inverts, Climbs & Spins Intermediate will get you stronger and ready for your higher level moves.
Inverts, Climbs & Spins Intermediate will develop your technique as well as enhancing your general flexibility and stamina. Max 2 students per pole. You will benefit from lots of teacher contact and practice time to perfect those new moves.
If you are running late for a class, please do call reception to let us know. Please be aware that if you are more than 10 minutes late, you may not be able to join, as it may be after the warm up. Also, please note we require a minimum of 48 hours notice for cancellations.


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Venue & Location
Venue - Cumberland Lorne Resort
The 25th Annual Lorne Proteomics Symposium 2020 will be held at the Cumberland Lorne Resort. Head down Victoria's iconic Great Ocean Road and visit Lorne where you can let the salty air wash over you, kick back and soak in some world-class science discussion.
150 Mountjoy Parade
Lorne, Victoria 3232, Australia
- Check in: 2pm | Check out: 10am
- Reception hours are 7:30am-7:00pm (Sunday-Thursday), 7:30am-9:00pm (Friday-Saturday).*
- Accommodation details
- Venue Layout
- Location Map
Guests checking in outside opening hours: Please contact the reception on +61 (0)3 5289 4444. Located on the wall outside the Reception doors is a wooden box with an intercom system that is connected to afterhours service called NITEL. Envelopes with guest's name will be located in this box and NITEL will give instruction on how to locate their room and car parking if required.
Parking Details
For guests staying at Cumberland Lorne:
Parking for one car per apartment is permitted in the Cumberland Resort underground car park. Please turn into Bay Street from Mountjoy Parade and park temporarily in the Reception courtyard opposite the Lorne Hotel. The Cumberland Resort Front Office staff will advise the best area to park underground upon check-in.
For guests staying offsite:
Street parking is available adjacent to Cumberland Lorne in Bay Street (2 hours parking) and Smith Street, behind the property (24 hour parking).
How to get there
Lorne is 140 kilometres south west of Melbourne and an approximately 2 hour drive.
The Annual Lorne Proteomics Symposium has specially coordinated private bus transfers form Melbourne city (WEHI) and Melbourne Tullmarine Airport to get delegates to Lorne and back in a safe and timely manner. CLICK HERE for information on the private bus transfers.
Alternatively, you can drive by car along the spectacular Great Ocean Road or travel by train. Information on public transport options to Lorne can be found on the V/Line website.
Things to Do
Resort Facilities
The Cumberland Lorne Resort is located directly opposit the swimming beach. The Resort offers a great range of complimentary leisure facilities including an indoor heated pool, gym, sauna, tennis and squash courts as well as surf equipment for hire.
Water activities
Lorne sits in the middle of the surf coast that stretches from Torquay to Cape Otway. With the competition swells at Bells Beach, gentler waves loved by beginners of all ages and a museum dedicated to the history of surfing, there's a little bit of famous Australian surf culture for everyone. Or simply stretch your legs and take a beautiful beach walk. The surf swell softens at the town beach for easy, pleasant swimming.
Great Ocean Road
Justifiably known as one of the world's most beautiful scenic coastal routes. For nearly 250 kilometres along the rugged south-west of Victoria, you'll tour what's known locally as the surf and shipwreck coasts, taking in one amazing view after the next. Hop out of the car at various lookouts along the way.
Great Otway National Park
The Great Otway National Park stretches from Torquay through to Princetown and up through the Otways hinterland towards Colac. The park features rugged coastlines, sandy beaches, rock platforms and windswept heathland. In the north, the park features tall forests, ferny gullies, magnificent waterfalls and tranquil lakes. Read more...
Will Dielenberg Galleries
Will Dielenberg Galleries showcase the beautiful Fine Art Landscape Photography of Australian photographer, Will Dielenberg. Will's imagery is greatly influenced by coastal Southern Victoria, having lived, surfed and photographed the Great Ocean Road coastline for almost 40 years. It's the love and affinity that he has for the region that continues to motivate and inspire. Read more...
Otway Estate Winery and Brewery
Otway Estate Winery and Brewery is located in the northern foothills of the Otway ranges, 10 minutes south of Colac. The cellar door and Prickly Moses brewery outlet is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Visitors can taste a range of beers, ciders and wines produced at the estate and brewery, and can enjoy a light lunch in the café. The large deck overlooking the dam is a lovely way to soak up the serenity of the Otways. Read more...
For more things to see and do in Lorne, please click here.


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We wanted to show the state of our projects:
Projects in Development
These Projects are in development & design, and will be finalized in the near future, and each finished project will be announced:
🔘 Real Estate eCommerce Site
This website will allow normal people & Real Estate agents, to register their estates (Houses, Apartments, Lands, Offices) for renting or selling, with their pictures.
* Estates information registered with some of the following properties: Type of estate, Renting or Selling, size, location: city, state, street, number, estimated price.
* Possibility to search for estate, by city, state, street, or any property of the above.
* Show search results as points on Google Maps.
* Sharing estate on social media(Facebook, twitter,…)
* A Mobile App for each estate site.
🔘 Hotel Booking Site
Online Hotel Booking of rooms, apartments.
* Show available rooms and apartments , and provide booking for them.
* Unlimited number of rooms, and room types and multiple ways of searching.
* Set room prices based on the days of the week.
* Pictures for the rooms.
* Send email notification or SMS to the hotel & the client on finalized booking.
* Possibility to set the number of children and adults for rooms.
* Online electronic Payment.
* A Mobile App for each site.
🔘 Company Contacts Mobile App
Shared contacts for all the company employees, and their branches location on Google Maps.
So all employees can see the company contacts.
and the company branches and their location on Google Maps.
Projects Needing a Client
The following projects need a client to initiate them, as their requirements, and main infrastructure is ready, but without a client we can't begin at them:
🔘 Job Posting & Resume/CV Collecting & Recruitment site
We will design for all your companies, one site, that each company can add their required jobs, and provide a way to upload resumes/CVs for job seekers, to look like bayt.com
* Possibility to send e-Mail notification on job applications.
* Show related jobs.
Easy management of available jobs.
* Possibility to send emails to applicants about available new jobs.
* Possibility to search for CVs by category, main words, location, type, experience, education.
* special page for each job candidates
* Possibility to let other companies to add their available jobs into your site, and charging them electronically.
* You can share jobs on social media(like Facebook. twitter,…).
* You can show the available jobs as points on Google Maps.
* Based on the client requirement, the site can be multilingual(Arabic/English).
Estimated time for developing & design: 1~4 months.
🔘 PC components e-Shop site
Website to sell a computer shop components on the internet in a strait manner like amazon.com, with electronic payment on the site.
Estimated time for developing & design: 1 months.
🔘 Staff & Customer Teaching site
Site for managing training courses for a training center, as it can show its courses in video clips, that people pay to watch them.
Or for a company that is responsible to teaching its staff, and managing their courses, and making quizzes on them, to give certificates.
* Courses can be organized by category, subject, lesson, quizzes.
* Courses can be sold on the site by electronic payment, and payed users can see their courses.
* Possibility to give Certificates.
* Multiple ways for creating quizzes electronically.
* Users can be denied access to courses after a specified period of time.
* Managing the tasks giving to students/staff/trainees.
* Each course can have its Forum for its students to talk with each other.
* Each course can have its required lower courses.
* Reports to see the student/staff/trainee progress.
* Course lectures videos can be uploaded.
Estimated time for developing & design: 1~4 months.
🔘 Reservation Site
A site to preserve booking for clients, and its good for the following fields:
Doctors clinics, women salons, massage, physical therapy centers, hotels and conference halls, sports stadiums and football, rented gardens, equipment rental shops, booking training courses, car workshops, auto repair and car agencies, etc …
Estimated time for developing & design: 1 month.
🔘 Car Rental Site
A site for managing renting cars.
Estimated time for developing & design: 1 month.
Projects needing a Businessman/Entrepreneur
The following projects need a Businessman/Entrepreneur to complete them, as their requirements, and main infrastructure base code is done, but without a Businessman/Entrepreneur to handle the cost we can't begin at them:
🔘 eCommerce site for All shops
This site gives the opportunity for all shops to register an account in it, and then upload their products and sell them online, and have the opportunity to deliver/ship their products by them-self, or by shipping companies that have signed contracts with the website in all cities.
Also their can be a desktop version from it, so the shop can manage his sales locally in his shop, and if he wants he can sync it with his online account on the website.
We need an investor/entrepreneur, to handle the project costs, which will take 3-6 months to finish.
As the "Nwa3em Online shop", that we made, is the base for that project, so what is left is much easier, and this service can be given to all gulf countries and Arab countries.
this eCommerce site is like "Souq.com", as its a famous site collecting thousands of shops from gulf countries.
🔘 eCommerce site that group all Restaurants (All Restaurants)
A site that all restaurants can register in it, with their own account, and then sell their food online, and give delivery by them-self or by delivery companies contracting with the website.
also, their can be a desktop version of the site, so a restaurant owner can manage its sales locally, and if he wants he can sync it with his online account on the website.
We need an investor/entrepreneur, to handle the project costs, which will take 3-6 months to finish.
As the "Restaurant Shop Site", that we made, is the base for that project, so what is left is much easier, and this service can be given to all gulf countries and Arab countries.
This eCommerce site is like "grubhub.com", "eat24.com", as they are famous sites collecting tens of thousands of restaurants from the USA.
This post is also available in: العربية (Arabic)


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Crowdsourcing Surveillance
by Bruce Schneier, Schneier on Security, November 9, 2010
Internet Eyes is a U.K. startup designed to crowdsource digital surveillance. People … can log onto the site and view live anonymous feeds from surveillance cameras at retail stores. If they notice someone shoplifting, they can alert the store owner. … Although the system has some nod towards privacy, groups like Privacy International oppose the system for fostering a culture of citizen spies. … This isn't the first time groups have tried to crowdsource surveillance camera monitoring. Texas's Virtual Border Patrol tried the same thing: deputizing the general public to monitor the Texas-Mexico border. …
For full text of this article, visit Schneier on Security: Crowdsourcing Surveillance.


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Dino Media Publishing consist of a network of news portals and social media channels, serving 3 million people monthly with news about entertainment, lifestyle, humor, viral news, and all things trendy. NextUpAsia.com chats with one of the founding members of one of the fastest growing startups in Asia about the Art of Building a company to serve millions of content hungry consumers online.
(a) Getting to know The Start-Up Entrepreneur
- Tell us more about yourself – Who are you, what do you do, what are your qualifications (If any) and what have made you into the successful entrepreneur that you are today?
I'm Aaron Teng, my team and myself are part of the founding members of Dino Media's Digital Publishing Arm. We build and grow news portals as well as various social media channels. Our team are from diverse backgrounds from graphic design to editing and all of them are equipped with great passion for technology and information. We wouldn't accomplished what we got today without them.
- Why did you get started on this path towards building your own business?
We want to build our own business in digital publishing because on top of having control of the flow of information, we genuinely want to entertain our audience with great engaging content. That would be our primary motivation that is still driving us forward.
- Was there any inspiration or anyone who inspired you to pursue your dream to become an entrepreneur today?
Naturally, in the modern digital publishing industry, we would put Khailee Ng from SAYS as one of the people who greatly influence what we do. Our team's dream is not short of ambition and we want to make Malaysia proud.
- In your experience, what are the 3 Winning Traits that Entrepreneurs should possess when they start their business?
a) Adapatable b) Determination c) Visionary
### End of Part 1 ###
About Dino Media:
Dino Media Publishing consist of a network of news portals and social media channels, serving 3 million people monthly with news about entertainment, lifestyle, humor, viral news, and all things trendy.
About the Founders:
We are a group of young and capable team who are hustling to entertain the world with stories and news we find engaging. We strive to never stop innovating the way you read news and we hope we could ultimately build a news portal that would channel you with personalized news that really matter.
Related Posts
- Business Advice from the Founders of Dino Media as one of Asia's Fastest Growing Startups
- Top Tips of Building Followers and Customers Online by Dino Media's 3 Million Community Following
- Dino Media Captures 3 Million Online Users in Less than 1 Year of its Founding
- The Inspiration Behind Social Media Platform Startup for Public Safety Developed by MYHERO
- MYHERO Founders Provides Startup Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
- Marketing at Almost Zero Cost to Revolutionize Email Management with Mailbird


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The notion of empty-nesting often carries with it a sense of winding down. But in late 2013, when Sofie Howard sold the grand, 5,000-square-foot suburban Santa Monica residence she had owned for 20 years after her youngest went off to boarding school, it signaled "a total rebirth."
The founder of the photo agency Commune Images, a now-shuttered division of Commune Design (which designed the interiors for L.A.'s Ace Hotel, Opening Ceremony and Heath Ceramics), Howard was also at a professional crossroads: She was leaving Commune to start her own, eponymous fine-art talent agency. So when she stepped across the threshold of a Craftsman-style cottage in Venice Beach, set on a pedestrian alley just a couple of blocks from the sand, she says, "I reimagined who I was going to be."
The trappings of her former self and her current persona converge here to tell a maximalist story — one where the self-professed "hippie yenta" exhibits floral tufted rugs alongside surf and skateboards, and midcentury furniture. Works by Raymond Pettibon, Peter Beard, Irving Penn, Cindy Sherman and Picasso coexist with pieces by her clients, such as the documentary-style fine-art photographer Jim Goldberg (she also represents the San Francisco Mission School pioneer Barry McGee and the photographer and film director Larry Clark). Howard showcases the disparate pieces in dialogue, juxtaposing hand-blocked wallpaper by the octogenarian British craftswoman Marthe Armitage with Hole and Smashing Pumpkins posters from the decade she spent as an art director for Geffen Records.
"Sofie didn't want a white beach shack; she wanted something more interesting," says Frances Merrill of Reath Design, whom Howard enlisted to oversee the renovation and design of the space. (The two met while working at Commune, before Merrill left to start her own firm.) They sought to preserve the crumbling integrity of the early 20th-century house, originally built for the prominent Mexican Sepúlveda family, and played a game of Tetris to fit Howard's existing inventory of objects — including Art Nouveau Handel lamps and vintage Pez dispensers — into the space.
Howard is a frequent entertainer, and the rooftop of the detached modern guesthouse, built by the green architect David Hertz, is the site of many a post-dinner-party hang, including a recent gathering that drew The Elder Statesman designer Greg Chait, the Swedish pop star Robyn, the artist and curator Aaron Rose and the singer-songwriter and actress Sky Ferreira. (They stayed to chat and listen to records for hours.) Howard admits she is in the midst of a social renaissance, having recently moved both of her sons, Hayden, 19, and Jackson, 22, to New York, and earlier this year, parted ways with her longtime boyfriend (the artist Grant Shumate, with whom she remains close). "My friends are like, is this Chapter 3 or Chapter 4?" she says with a laugh. "I was so responsible for so long, and I just became a young person again. I have no idea what's in my fridge — there might be one yogurt," she adds, with exhilaration.
Still, she spends plenty of time in the kitchen, which has stone floors that were laid by hand in the '60s, original light fixtures and and a stove sourced from a place called Antique Stove Heaven. The adjoining breakfast nook has a cabin-in-the-woods vibe. "When I first walked in, it was a time machine; it reminded me of growing up in the Valley in the '70s, of orange orchards in Encino, and horses and those old ranch houses," she says. "It reminded me of just what California was."
A series of decorative gilded antique plates embellished with portraits of aristocratic-looking women hangs there; she inherited them from her grandmother, and jokingly describes the aesthetic as "Franklin Mint" (they are in fact, rare and highly valued collectors' items). They're not quite to her taste, and for years they were resigned to a drawer, but are now on display next to an oversize print of the Hoover Dam by the photographer Spencer Lowell — the plates' stiff formality blended with the room's rustic ambience has an in-joke effect, one she adores. "They could probably be in the Getty," she says with a laugh. Like the lady of the house, they work best here.


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Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused outside forces hostile to Iran of exacerbating anti-government protests that have claimed the lives of at least 21 people since Thursday.
"In the recent days' incidents, enemies of Iran utilized various means — including money, weapons, politics and intelligence apparatuses — to create problems for the Islamic system," Khameini said in comments posted to his official website, according to today's AP.
Iranian state television reported that overnight clashes between security forces and protesters killed another nine people, adding to the twelve already reported by various international news outlets.
The protests erupted in Mashad, Iran's second most populous city located in the northeast, over Iran's failing economy and an increase in food prices. They have spread to towns across the country.
In addition to economic issues, many protesters blame the government for focusing on foreign affairs to the detriment of resolving domestic matters.
While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has acknowledged public dissatisfaction over the stagnant economy, he and others have warned that the government would crack down on those it deems lawbreakers.
Hundreds of protesters have been arrested over the past few days.
In Tehran alone, 450 protesters have been arrested in the last three days, this according to the semi-official ILNA news agency.


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Cobra Merkury 1950 in movie Cobra with SLY Stallone
Whether you remember the Cobra movie from 1986, with Sylvester Stallone
Where he performed an excellent performance with a car Cobra mercury 1950
Perhaps some of you can not be remembering for which car it is
but we have show a video insert where Sly Stallone drive him Cobra
and you can see the performance of the car which is for that time it was quite popular
Performance and specs of Mercury Club Coupe, model year 1950, with 2-door coupe body type
RWD (rear-wheel drive) and manual 3-speed gearbox.
Petrol engine of 4184 cm3 / 255.4 cui displacement with advertised power 110 hp /3600 and 271 Nm / 2000 of torque.
Dimensions: this model outside length is 206.8 in, it's 76.9 in wide and has wheelbase of 118 in.
The value of a drag coefficient, estimated by a-c, is Cd = 0.62
How fast is that Mercury ?
Top speed 82 mph; accelerations 0- 60 mph 17.6 s; 1/4 mile drag time (402 m) 21 s
Fuel consumption and mileage:
average estimated by a-c: 15 mpg / 12.5 mpg /average estimated combined driving range of this car is 244 miles
And now you can see a movie insert with cobra mercury


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What do you think of when you think of Oklahoma City?
Rodeos? Livestock? Do you skew a little more morbid and think of the 1994 bombing?
No matter what you think of when you think of Oklahoma City, it's unlikely you're conjuring ideas of a "possibility city."
So why did Greater Louisville Inc., the Metro Chamber of Commerce, plan a trip to Oklahoma City for 90-some Louisville movers and shakers?
The 2012 Greater Louisville Idea Development Expedition (GLIDE) on Oct. 21 through Oct. 23 took these civic leaders and business people to Oklahoma City to discover why and how the city changed its spirit and its momentum dramatically in a short period of time.
We talked to two GLIDE attendees last week. Grace Simrall is the CEO of iGlass Analytics who was recently featured in our "New Establishment" List. We said she's "exactly the kind of person econ-dev types envision when they talk about a new, prosperous and educated Louisville." John Guthrie was granted one of two emerging leaders scholarships to attend. Guthrie is a self-employed nonprofit and marketing consultant and an advocate for neighborhoods and the arts.
Guthrie said he had the sense the trip to Oklahoma City was different from previous GLIDE trips to cities as varied as Jacksonville, Florida and Dublin, Ireland. The difference, he said, was this trip seemed primarily focused on the city's very successful tax-and-spend program. A version of which the Fischer Administration is now advocating.
What they saw was a city where leaders embraced boldness and caution at the same time, spending wisely and efficiently to rise from the ashes.
After the boom of the late 1980's, Oklahoma City was devastated. More than 100 banks closed. Home values dropped 150 percent. A whole generation of young people moved away.
This downtroddeness, though, was nothing new to OKC. Oklahoma City was founded on a land grab during the Land Run of 1889 and boasted a population of 10,000 homesteaders or more within hours. But these weren't necessarily entrepreneurial go-getters; they were westward-goers who were down on their luck.
Chesapeake Energy CEO, Aubry McClendon, called by Forbes Magazine "America's Most Reckless Billionaire" said, "We didn't come to Oklahoma City because we were successful in Louisville. We came to Oklahoma because we were a failure in Arkansas."
In 1992, in an effort to stem the bleeding, the city decided to pursue a United Airlines hub. They put together an amazing incentive package and did such a good job selling the plan to Oklahoma City citizens that voters happily elected to tax themselves an additional 1 percent to fund the package.
But Oklahoma City lost the bid.
To Indianapolis.
The reason?
According to United, OKC was "too ugly."
But the United bid had spurred a civic something, a spirit of forward momentum maybe. And from that momentum arose this idea: let's tax ourselves again and improve our city.
And the first Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) was born.
MAPS is a massive redevelopment package intended to rebuild the city center and establish more activities and life to downtown. This additional 1 percent sales tax raised $2 billion for the city. The effort was so inspiring an additional $10 billion came in from the private sector.
When the first MAPS ended, a second round was proposed. And then a third. MAPS3 was launched in 2010.
And with that money, OKC has been transformed.
Simrall says, "It's not my vision of a city. But it's theirs, and they love it."
The MAPS project is a cash-as-you go venture: There was no borrowing involved. No project was started before the money had been raised by the tax increase.
Unlike in Louisville, where we're still paying for Slugger Field and haven't even scratched the surface of paying for KFC Yum! Arena, both of which are open and operational and running on borrowed funds.
As Guthrie said, the speakers at GLIDE repeatedly stressed how fiscally conservative both Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma are. The cash-as-you go part of the deal has been critical to its acceptance.
But because it is a cash-as-you-go system, the citizens of OKC grew impatient quickly. They'd been taxed. The city had collected its money. But the progress came too slowly. One local television news channel had a "MAPSWatch" segment nightly to criticize the perceived bureaucratic crawl.
Snark reached an all-time high.
And then the Oklahoma City bombing occurred.
Simrall says it's "too pat" to say the tragedy "galvanized the city." But the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing led to very raw dialogue about public spaces. Dialogue that didn't occur behind closed doors between decision-makers.
This was raw dialogue that occurred in public.
"Does Louisville suffer a bit from Midwest niceness?" asked Simrall. "I don't know" (which I think means yes). But she does suggest that Oklahoma City couldn't have broken through the tragedy and moved on to positive action without those naked discussions.
The structure of MAPS reflects the conservative nature of OKC. Each of the three MAPS pushes have had a clear "sunset" for the tax increase. Each of the three MAPS have had clear goals and defined projects. And each time a MAPS was raised, it was an all-or-nothing vote; you could not approve Projects A, D, and E without also approving Projects C and B. It's a package deal.
If Louisville could increase its taxes 1 percent, according to Simrall, that would mean around $90 million a year to the city. If the Fischer administration is making 25-year plans, imagine the kind of changes that could occur in Louisville with 25 years at $90 million a year.
Maybe you can imagine transformational, world-class projects that would change the face of Louisville. But too bad. That's as far as you can go right now.
We can't follow OKC's MAPS precedent because it's unconstitutional in the state of Kentucky to levee a local tax. And boy does Louisville have a lousy track record in Frankfort.
There's no way the state will pass an amendment to allow for a local option state tax unless we get other communities on board.
Old Man River's Project
OKC is a city bisected by the North Canadian River (renamed the Oklahoma River within the city limits in 2004). The North Canadian River routinely flooded, destroying neighborhoods on its banks and even the old site of the Oklahoma City Zoo. In 1940, the Army Corps of Engineers, straightened, widened and dammed the river, lowering its levels, and eventually rendering the site of the river an arid, empty drainage ditch.
Local lore says that for years, there was a line-item in the city budget to "mow the river" three times a year.
As part of MAPS 1 in 1993, the city voted to transform the ditch back into a waterway again and to create a park-like riverfront on both sides of the seven-mile stretch of the drainage ditch in the middle of the city. There was no boating tradition in OKC, no river tradition, but one citizen who had a singular vision exacted transformational change on the city.
According to a 2008 New York Times article, "Renaming the river was the idea of Ray Ackerman, an advertising executive from Oklahoma City who said he cringed whenever he flew over the ditch on his way home. Ackerman argued that the name North Canadian River would confuse out-of-towners, but the change drew grumbles from many longtime residents who worried history was being erased."
Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Ray Ackerman started the state's largest advertising agency. Even so, Ackerman was never what you would call a "city insider." Nevertheless, Ackerman earned the nickname "Old Man River" for advocating for the Oklahoma River before it became cool to do so.
Ackerman died last week at the age of 90. Mayor Mick Cornet said: "We owe many men and women a debt of gratitude for the MAPS program but I think Ray, in terms of the river, had a very special role, and it's one he really, really was very proud of."
After the project was completed, citizens were suddenly saying, "Hey, this river? – it's pretty great for rowing." Mark Knopp, a rowing enthusiast, led that charge after realizing that 2000 meters of the river is perfectly straight, it's wide enough for the requisite 8 boats for racing, and the two bridges that cross the river have piers that line up directly.
Knopp quit his job as a lawyer and became the rowing coach at the Oklahoma City University, one of four area universities that began offering rowing after the river was opened.
But turning this river into a rowing mecca was never a goal. It was, as Guthrie calls it, "the happiest of accidents."
Now USRowing works out of the Oklahoma City National High Performance Center. That means our rowing Olympians are training in one of the Plains States. Who would've thunk?
When I asked Simrall about the number one thing she took away from the trip, she said, "I'm going to keep my ears open and listen for our Ray Ackerman. Someone with big crazy ideas."
According to Simrall, Oklahoma City's MAPS only funded projects that were transformative and world class. MAPS didn't fund "low-hanging fruit" or projects that guarantee success. No playing it safe. Big risks mean (and have meant) big rewards.
Because of the cost of the event, says Guthrie (roughly $2,500 per person), people from the non-profit sector and young people were not represented, or at the very least were underrepresented on the GLIDE trip. Simrall agrees we need to include more people in the conversation. While there were close to 100 people involved, even in the smaller breakout sessions, all the ideas for Louisville were ones she said she'd heard before.
And none of the ideas was as transformative as the river project has been for Oklahoma City.
But both Guthrie and Simrall suggest there was probably no way for such transformational, world-class change to occur without the MAPS tax.
Some programs could have been completed through philanthropy, says Guthrie. But maybe not to the level or as quickly as they occurred because of MAPS. It's taken us 25 years to do Waterfront Park. With a MAPS-like program, could it have been done in ten? In five?
"The Big Four Bridge would already be done by now," he says. "We're all so ready to walk across that bridge.
Had OKC mismanaged MAPS1, there would have been no chance to try again, says Guthrie. Not in a such a fiscally conservative environment. But because the city and the citizens and the private sector really got behind MAPS1, the city government built a great deal of political capital. This feel-good has trickled down to other parts of the government and government agencies. The school board, for instance, had very little problem recently pushing through a bond issue because of the feel-good.
Businesses in Oklahoma City, says Simrall, used to not only pay people to relocate to OKC but also used to promise to re-relocate them elsewhere if they came to OKC and hated it.
Now, it's a city where people choose to move.


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Mooloolaba Triathlon
The annual Subaru Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival has been held in Mooloolaba each March since 1993. USM owns and manages the event. While the event attracts elite international and international athletes, there are also events for the "not so elite". The Elite men's and Elite Women's events are the feature events for the three day festival. Opportunities for the athletes of varying abilities andinterests include the Age Group Triathlon, teams triathlon, the Asics Twilight 5 km run, Mooloolaba 1K Ocean Swim, and the Special Tri. The triathlon comprises a 750m swim – usually swum off the beautiful Mooloolaba beach but moved to the Mooloolah River (canals) if conditions are not safe for competitors-20 km bike ride and a 5 km run. The Superkidz event is for children aged seven to eleven and consists of a 100m swim, 1km cycle and 500m run. Children aged eleven to thirteen will compete a 200m swim, 3 km cycle and 1 km run.
The Mooloolaba Sport and Lifestyle expo also runs during the festival. This has been held in the Festival Village at the wharf, just outside Sealife Mooloolaba (formerly Underwater World). This is a ten minute walk from Northwind Beachfront Apartments. In 2015 the Lifestyle Expo was moved to The Esplanade near the finish line.
Both the run and bike courses go along Mooloolaba's scenic Esplanade past Northwind Beachfront Apartments. Each self-contained apartment in Northwind Apartments has a balconey from which you can watch the competitors for the bike and run courses.