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Justin Timberlake shows off new Myspace
"Imagine what the room would be like if Andy Warhol, Liz Taylor, and Stanley Kubrick all got together," Justin Timberlake said yesterday. "What was that conversation like? What type of collaboration did that breed? And how can we make that happen?" The answer, he hopes, is the new Myspace.
Thursday, a small group of journalists were invited to the sleek SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills to preview the beta version of Myspace. Chris and Tim Vanderhook, COO and CEO of Myspace, want to be very clear that the new site is not a relaunch. It's something new. It's something that we haven't seen before. And yes, Justin "Sean Parker" Timberlake is a key figure.
The public has only seen glimpses of Chris and Tim from the few interviews they have given over the past year, and the flashy trailer that zooms through the musical tastes, photos, and connections of the floppy haired, safely hip, Ben Whishaw-lite "David Croft." But it still wasn't very clear exactly what the new Myspace had to offer.
After a few hours interacting with the Vanderhooks, their designers, technicians, product managers, the site itself, and, yes, even Justin Timberlake, Myspace still feels like a bit of an enigma. But that's because it's very much still in development. I did learn a few things, though. I was never a Myspace user, but we were told that even though they built the site from scratch, they kept two nostalgic features — the top eight, and the profile song. Other than that, well, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Individuals have a simple homepage with a profile and cover photo, but the site was clearly set up to encourage browsing outside of your own universe. Liking, Subscribing, Friending, and Following have all been combined into one term and one action — Connecting — whether it's to Fiona Apple, your best friend from the second grade, or a playlist that happened to look appealing. Just because someone connects to you, doesn't mean you have to connect back. And connect is a less charged word than some of its contemporaries.
Though signing up for a new interactive site always requires a bit of a learning curve, Tim and Chris are certain that after a few days, it will become intuitive. So what is there to do on Myspace? You can scroll across your own stream that includes updates from everything and everyone you've connected to. You can look at your connections and hover over their photos to see your "affinity" (sort of like an OkCupid compatibility rating, except platonic and based on music tastes). You can create mixtapes that include songs, videos, and photos. You can go to the Discovery tab where you'll find music and videos that can be sorted in various ways, including by most popular, recommended for you, and newest releases. Or you can search for something specific, which is perhaps the coolest feature of the new Myspace — when you want to search for anything, you can just start blindly typing. No mouse moves, no scrolling. You type, and your search begins.
It's easy enough to use, and it looks great. Everything is horizontal to mimic the layout of a magazine. Songs and videos and playlists will continue playing as you navigate the site, and you can easily drag a song to a playlist, no matter what page you're on. Design was a top priority. And so were artists, which starts to explain why Timberlake is one of the top three at Myspace next to Chris and Tim Vanderhook.
Myspace has a long history of supporting licensed artists and helping new, unlicensed artists get discovered. In our small roundtable, Chris and Tim said that they wanted to give artists a single home because being on six or seven social sites was too confusing and too taxing. On the new Myspace, they can share their music, they can connect with fans, and they can put forth their own vision of the world through multimedia mixtapes.
Timberlake said it "blurred the lines" between the artist and the fan. Say you "connect" with a song, and because of you, 300 of your friends listen to it and connect to it as well. Myspace will track that, and, if you're particularly influential amongst your connections with a certain artist, you may just see your profile photo on the artists homepage as a "top fan." This is supposed to be a perk. Timberlake compared it to spotting the most enthusiastic fan in the crowd at the Staples Center and inviting them up on stage with him. Maybe some people will like that. It seems a little creepy to me.
Along these lines, Myspace will incentivize artists to become part of the community by providing analytics on who is listening to their music — ages, gender, location, tendencies. They'll also connect artists to one another. Justin Timberlake will be able to see if his fans are just as inclined to listen to him as they are to Kendrick Lamar, and maybe that will result in a collaboration.
The current universe of music on the site is expansive, but it's no Spotify yet, and that's mostly due to licensing issues. When trying to create some mixes for myself, I found many of the songs I was looking for, but Adele's Skyfall theme and Grizzly Bear's Shields, for example, were nowhere to be found.
Also, the site feels a little hermetically sealed right now. The only content that you'll have access to is what's been created by their own editorial team. And the "popularity" of certain albums and songs has been mysteriously determined under the site's terms. This was done intentionally. Tim said that they didn't want to "build the entire web."
Eventually, though, you will be able to share outside links and articles.There was even talk of allowing sites like Pitchfork and other trusted and established voices to create pages and playlists — services that Spotify users have already come to depend on. The site is still growing though and deals are still being made. Nothing about this iteration of Myspace is sacred, and everything is subject to change.
For those of you who are current Myspace users, you will have to create a new profile. You can use your old login, but there will be two sites operating simultaneously for a little while. The idea of creating a whole new presence for yourself online is always a little daunting — finding all the songs you like and all the people you're already connected to on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and everywhere else. Or it could be a fresh start. Admit it, you don't know half the people who show up on your Facebook feed these days.
"The Internet became boring," Chris said. "I want to make it fun."
Read more:


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Coluzza Wins Morgenthau Award
A member of the Oneida County District Attorney's Office has been presented with the prestigious Robert Morgenthau Award.
Michael Coluzza is the first Assistant District attorney from Oneida County to win the award.
The award was created in honor of of Manhattan's legendary District Attorney, who retired in 2009 after 35 years on the job.
The award is presented each year to four assistant district attorneys from designated regions across the state.
Coluzza has worked for the Oneida County DA's Office for 21 years.

subset: commoncrawl


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Amersham Road Community Garden was set up by Food4Families in 2010.
Since then we have worked with various local community groups to create, maintain and develop the garden. The youth group were the first to be involved and they worked hard to build and fill the raised beds. The local housing associations, local charities and businesses have given their financial support to the garden.
Many local groups and individuals such as Caversham Children's Centre, ARCC (Amersham Road Cooking Club), Caversham Children's Fund, The Over 50's club, The Monday Craft Group and The Brownie Pack, now use the garden throughout the week and are often supported by a garden tutor.
There are also one off events in the garden. In March the local children were invited to a day in the garden when we planted vegetables, had an Easter egg hunt and had a BBQ on an open fire.
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) have worked very hard to develop the garden over the past year. They have laid a hedge, cutting back much of the growth that was causing too much shade, they have also laid paths around the garden to make access easier. They created new higher raised beds for people who find bending over a challenge.
Our next aim is to provide some seating so we can encourage local residents to come along sit, chat and watch the garden grow and for the diggers to take a rest.
There are weekly Saturday sessions at the garden when local residents can come along and get involved. The sessions run on Saturdays from 10.30 – 12.30 from March to the end of October. They are drop in and free! We welcome any age, children must be accompanied.
Please contact Sandra on email@example.com or 07534716177.


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PDMovie PD3-X3 Remote Air Pro 2 (Triple Motor Kit)
4th Generation of Wireless Follow Focus
The goal of the PDMOVIE REMOTE AIR PRO was to create an innovative wireless follow focus with a rapid response system. In order to achieve such a distinctive design, we incorporated the high quality, delicate touch screen of iOS devices. We also combined the motor and receiver into a single unit for maximum convenience. The torque and high-speed features allow little audible noise at all times. The PDMOVIE REMOTE AIR PRO represents a full range of advanced technology achievements that produce the most outstanding performance to date.
Evolving Design with a Simplistic Touch
Extreme simplicity within a high-end design is what we adhere to at PDMOVIE. A unibody concept creates the sleekest of designs for the Remote Air Pro. Not a single screw can be seen on the remote control body, giving it a true sense of comfort and style.
High-precision Brushless Motor
The new German imported, high-precision brushless motor runs smoothly even at high speed rotations. Best of all, it barely makes any noise! Because of its internal structure, the controller motor accommodates both the driver and receiver. This makes it lighter, thinner and extremely compact.
The new Remote Air Pro is built to withstand harsh environments including severe weather, extreme shaking and long-term operation. It maintains safe, stable performance with the new aviation locking plugs. The cable is also designed to provide convenient power and signal transmission.
Two Motor Types
Only one motor/receiver is required for single channel use. The standard motors can be added for dual and triple channel use. The cable powers and transmits from the controller to the standard motor. By daisy chaining the motors, you can have unlimited channels and series connections! This makes the Remote Air Pro the ideal choice for 3D filming operations.
Lighter, Thinner, More Robust
With a modest weight of 170g, the Remote Air Pro is the lightest, thinnest PD Movie remote ever. That's 430g lighter than the first generation EF motor and 600g lighter than the max motor! The low-profile design, which measures only 19mm, makes it the perfect choice for gimbal and steadicam work. Best of all, it can operate ANY lens on the market!
Long Battery Life
The Remote Air Pro controller uses a built-in battery that can last up to 60 hours at a time. It is also compatible with a mobile power supply and can even charge your iOS device! When the controller is low on battery, it will stop charging the device but will continue to operate.
Mobile Compatibility
The PD Movie Remote Air Pro is compatible with the iPhone 6s/6s Plus/iPod touch and the Apple Watch. In order to use a different mobile device, all you need to do is replace a small accessory clamp.
Precise & Accurate Focus Pulling
The REMOTE AIR app contains a large database of current lens parameters. A vast number of stills and cine lenses are conveniently available for reference. Users can access their account on different iOS systems as well as back up and share their lenses to the database.
Convenient Lens Data Preservation and Update
The REMOTE AIR app contains a large database of current lens parameters. A vast number of stills and cine lenses are conveniently available for reference. Users can access their account on different iOS systems as well as back up and share their lenses to the database.
Stable Signal Transmission
Using the PD Movie Remote Air app, the iPhone is connected to the controller through Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology. The controller is synced with the motor using 2.4 GHz wireless technology and the full duplex mode. This allows the signal to consistently operate without delay and support a transmission distance of up to 100M.
Unlimited Expansion for Unlimited Potential
To make this device unparalleled in quality, we improved hardware capabilities, added custom presets, and reduced size/weight while maintaining strength and durability. Future firmware updates will be available. Experience the full and ultimate potential of the PD Movie Remote Air Pro!
More Ways to Control
The new PD3-S control unit features a pressure sensitive rocker switch to give you more control when using a zoom lens. The switch is positioned to make it intuitive to use and its tactile feel allows you to make precise and confident movements.


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CTFG Introduction/Overview
The Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) agreed in 2004 to establish a clinical trials facilitation group (CTFG) to coordinate the implementation of the EU clinical trials directive 2001/20 EC across the member states.
In relation to clincial trials, the Clinical Trials Facilitation and Coordination Group (CTFG) acts as a forum for discussion to agree on common principles and processes to be applied throughout the European medicines regulatory network (EMRN). It also promotes harmonisation of clinical trial assessment decisions and administrative processes across the national competent authorities (NCAs).
CTFG Members and representatives
- Representatives from the national competent authorities for the authorisation of clinical trials on human subjects, the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency
- Representatives from other interested parties may be invited to attend the CTFG meetings on an ad hoc basis if deemed valuable and consensual and in agreement with the HMA rules on
- The Chair is elected amongst the members for a period of two years
- Currently chaired jointly by two Co-chairs: Elke Stahl, Ph.D (BfArM, Germany) and Ann Marie Janson Lang, MD, Ph.D (Swedish MPA, Sweden)
- The mentor of the group at the level of HMA is Xavier De Cuyper (FAMHP, Belgium)
CTFG Contact
The secretariat of the group is managed by Italy. The HMA contact is Massimiliano Sarra, PhD, from the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA).
Contact: email@example.com
CTFG Activities and achievements
- Stakeholder information: HMA VHP for clinical trials - 1000th procedure
- Publication of updated Q&A documents e.g. on follow-up of patients after clinical trials, DSUR reporting.
- Enlargement of the Voluntary Harmonisation Procedure in the number of initial applications, substantial amendments and distribution of Sponsors (worldwide: EU;USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore).
- Liaising between the EMA, CHMP and CTFG on specific topics where the decision on a marketing authorisation has an impact on clinical trials in Europe.
- Continuation of work sharing e.g. DSUR, exchange of opinions or assessment on critical topics/ national Clinical Trial Applications.
- Supporting and analysing the new Clinical Trials Regulation
CTFG Key documents list
CTFG Activity Report
Clinical Trials Authorisations (CTAs)
The Voluntary Harmonised Procedure (VHP)
- Results of the Voluntary Harmonisation Procedure 2009 - 2019, February 2020 | pdf
- European Union Member States national pilot projects and participation in VHP-plus in support of the transition to the new Clinical Trial Regulation EU 536/2014, January 2020 | pdf
- VHP procedures in preparation and in case of a no-deal Brexit | pdf
- Guidance document for a Voluntary Harmonised Procedure for the assessment of multinational Clinical Trial Applications, June 2016 | pdf
- List of participating member states in VHP, 2019 | pdf
- Guidance to sponsors on how to manage clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic | pdf
Update of the guidance 28 April 2020 available here
- Link to National guidance on CT management during the COVID-19 pandemia | pdf
Updated on 31 March 2020
- Recommendation Paper on the Initiation and Conduct of Complex Clinical Trials | pdf
- Best Practice Guide for sponsors of transition multinational clinical trials | pdf
- Recommendations related to contraception and pregnancy testing in clinical trials, September 2014 | pdf
- Q and As on GLP, March 2017 | pdf
National fees/information
- Overview of the fees charged by NCAs for submission of different types of clinical trial or amendments, January 2012 | pdf
- Q and As - Frequently asked questions on CTs, updated January 2012 | pdf
Clinical Trials Safety
CTFG News and events
Guidance to sponsors on how to manage clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic
Update of the guidance 28 April 2020 available here
CTFG Meeting with Stakeholders 28 October 2019
hosted by the Swedish Medical Products Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
CTFG will arrange a one-day stakeholder meeting, hosted by the Swedish Medical Products Agency in Uppsala, Sweden.
More information will follow by the end of July.
The aim of the meeting will be to exchange on topics of interest concerning clinical trials, including:
- Interplay between legislation on in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and clinical trials
- Follow-up of CTFG's Recommendation Paper on the Initiation and Conduct of Complex Clinical Trials
- Burning issues and horizon scanning
Invitation to the CTFG Meeting with Stakeholders - 28 October 2019, Uppsala
Invitation | pdf
CTFG Recommendation Paper on the Initiation and Conduct of Complex Clinical Trials
Please be informed that the Recommendation Paper on the Initiation and Conduct of Complex Clinical Trials has been published on the HMA website under CTFG section "Key document list/Guidance".


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What Happens In Venice
Book One
Diana Cachey
Genre: Romance/paranormal.
Number of pages: 160
Word Count: 40,000
Tagline: Among the romantic canals of Venice—and oh so many Italian distractions—can a stunning American lawyer and her psychic sister help the Ghosts of Venice solve a hushed-up crime?
Book Description:
Louisa Mangotti is a gorgeous American lawyer and Interpol expert who, after being offered a job working with the international crime unit in Venice, receives a mysterious postcard from the Venetian Ghosts, the ancient protectors of the Republic. But Louisa assumes her bad-boy ex, Matteo, sent it in a quixotic attempt to gain her attention. Louisa may have dismissed the ghosts, but the ghosts aren't quite done with her.
When the bodies of two glassmakers wash up on Murano Island, the cryptic messages persist. Reluctantly, Louisa calls upon Matteo to help decipher the clues. And before she knows it, a flame that was never fully extinguished is rekindled. Sensing that her sister is in over her head, Barbara Mangotti rushes to the rescue, only to be lured away by two handsome Venetian men.
With time running out, can the two beauties solve a crime that could threaten the city of Venice itself?
Keywords: Chick lit mystery ,Venice fiction, Ghosts of Venice, Paranormal mystery, Contemporary women novels
Book Trailers:
Love Spirits -- Take One http://video214.com/play/t6LZ8mFclEqpBCQlb11gGw/s/dark
Love Spirits -- ghost story http://video214.com/play/R71iLBUayFB0CJEg02UFkg/s/dark
What Happens In Venice -- A Trinity
Book One, Love Spirits
Book Two, Lagoon Lure
Book Three, Magic Island
Venice kidnapped her. It stole her breath, it made her weep, and she forgave it. This trip was no different. Palazzos flanked the Grand Canal as if playing the role of soldiers obedient to the eyes of tourists who passed in public boats, water taxis and gondolas. These old palaces sparkled on water like porcelain figurines on a glass shelf. A soft breeze rolled across Louisa's cheeks and it rippled the reflections and transformed the scene. Mesmerized by the magic, Louisa missed her boat stop. No problem, she thought, I'll find another place for coffee. She refused to drink it alone in her apartment and religiously sipped her brew at one of the little cafes where handsome Venetian men worked. There were many such establishments on her way to police headquarters. When she arrived a few weeks earlier, American lawyer Louisa Mangotti hoped to spearhead the creation of an essential link between Venice police and the rest of the world. But was she leading the department into the future of global law enforcement as she'd envisioned? No, she sat shackled to a desk where she sorted and translated police data because Interpol sent red alerts and formal requests for information in English or French, not in Italian. Therefore, many unsolved crimes remained ignored in the file drawers of the lagoon city, a thriving metropolis and huge tourist destination. And Louisa? Louisa remained bored in a cubicle learning about law and disorder. According to recent updates to her sister, Louisa was focused on everything but international law enforcement anyway:
Ciao Barbara, Remember that lagoon island said to be full of ghosts where patients with the plague were once sent to die? Well many other haunted places exist in Venice too. I don't believe in ghosts, not like you do, but I am checking out some haunts. I am checking out Venetian men too.
Because Barbara objected, Louisa promised not to explore the haunted island. But didn't Barbara object to Louisa going to Venice at all this time? Wasn't it just like Barbara to try to direct everything, even from afar? How much of the seemingly haunted happenings in Venice could Louisa ignore? Blame the postcard, thought Louisa. And as she thought it, a loud bell rang out. Louisa took note. In Italy, it is customary to pause and recall whatever you were thinking when a bell chimes, especially this bell, the one that echoed from the famous bell tower, high above St. Mark's Square. The massive San Marco bell continued to sound in the serene setting, bang, gong, gong, bang, and it reverberated across the piazza, across the lagoon, to the nearby islands of Murano and Lido. It sounded authoritative and mighty. Every day. For centuries.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
Yes, I was born to write. But I sold out, became a lawyer, which is really a highly paid different type of author, one who writes legal arguments for courts. I published academic papers as a student, was chief editor for the law review and clerked for an appellate judge where I drafted court case opinions for her, so it was always in my blood, even in the law.
When did you first consider yourself a "writer"?
Probably as a teen when I first started to write poetry and short stories.
How long did it take to get your first book published?
I like to say it took seventeen years for Louisa, my main character in Love Spirits, to get to Venice, the romantic setting for these novels. I started putting pen to paper in the novel format in 1997. Once I started writing full time, it took four years to write the three books of the What Happens in Venice Trinity.
Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?
I've been a Colorado attorney for twenty years. I'm a litigator, which means I'm a trial attorney. My favorite is criminal law, it's so television, you know what I mean? I've both prosecuted and defended suspects in drug busts, drunk driving, domestic violence and gun cases. I also love class action lawsuits and medical malpractice - fighting injustice for the little guy.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
LOVE SPIRITS -- What Happens in Venice: Book One.
Amongst canals and romantic suitors, can a young lawyer and her psychic sister help Venetian Ghosts solve a hushed-up crime?
Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?
I'm indie pubbed (as it's starting to be called) because I wanted more control, royalties and online longevity. It's not for everyone - it is a lot of work - and you never have full control over anything in this business. I've screamed, cried or had full-on meltdowns during the publishing process, regularly. Whichever route one takes, remember to breathe. Always breathe. Deeply.
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
Two years after many drafts, edits, more edits then polishing it to a shine and this doesn't include final review of the printed proofs.
What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
Besides the second and third books of my What Happens in Venice Trinity, I've already started a new book set in Venice that involves the same characters but a new ghost and a different mystery to solve. I also started a science fiction time travel story, which will feature another strong female lead character.
What genre would you place your books into?
Mysteries, paranormal romance.
What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I love to read mysteries, romance, suspense and anything in the supernatural arena. Naturally I gravitated to those genres when I began my novels. Love Spirits is a mix of these genres.
Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?
Any of the handsome Venetian men whose charms are irresistible to the women they woo. Because of these winning ways, my female characters have the best sex and much romance.
How long have you been writing? and who or what inspired you to write?
I've written poetry and stories since I was a child. The city of Venice inspired my novels!
Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
Go in room, shut door, meditate for at least 11 minutes, stare at computer until words appear as first sentence of the day. Do not leave room nor open door until 2000 words are written. Repeat as needed until the laborious first draft is born.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
I really don't want to read reviews because I'm frightened of them and think criticism can be not only mean but inaccurate. However, I've been fortunate to get great reviews, people even saying it is a bestseller in the making. I wish! Who wouldn't want to read that in a review? I'm very grateful for anyone to review it. What an honor to be read, and commented upon, no matter what is said.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
The title evolved from a long brainstorming process with writers, mastermind groups and coaches. I also gave my favorite choices to everyone to get opinions and votes. Then a flight attendant en route to Venice said, "What Happens in Venice" and we all went "yes!" Therefore, the title for What Happens in Venice: The Trinity evolved while I wrote the books, but the titles for the separate volumes, Book One - Love Spirits, Book Two - Lagoon Lure and Book Three - Magic Island were decided after they were written.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books? Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
For my books set in Venice, the muse picked the character names for me. The Venetian muse of ghosts, that is. They floated down to me it seemed. As for the place names, I've been to every location in Venice mentioned in the novel so those names are real places. For fictional spots or places, I invented evocative names for each.
Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Some were birthed immediately, right on the page, I guess from the ghosts, so thank you, Venetian Ghosts. Others I tweaked if I thought they needed to be spicier, shier or more comedic where a scene or interaction would require it.
Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
Go for it! Follow your heart, travel, be adventurous, then the universe will reward you with more ... In mysterious ways.
Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?
I travel frequently and pack light but haven't gone all "E" so it's paperback. Smaller is better.
What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
Wuthering Heights was the first novel I couldn't put down. Ah romance! When I read Steven King's first novel, Carrie, I Was In Awe. Still am, as a matter of fact and could read it every year, for Halloween, of course.
Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?
What a great question. My answer is ... it depends. If an author is fully involved or writes the screenplay, they turn out better, like Steven King's horror flicks or the Harry Potter series.
Your favorite food is?
Pasta or pizza. Was there ever a doubt?
Your favorite singer/group is?
The Rolling Stones, just like Louisa, the protagonist of Love Spirits.
Your favorite color is?
A rainbow, no, make mine a double.
Your favorite Author is?
Classical: Shakespeare. Modern: Steven King.
Diana Cachey is a licensed attorney, published academic, and former adjunct law professor. She also holds a BA in English, and while in law school, she was the first female editor in chief of her university's law review. The author of the novel Love Spirits, she has trained with several New York Times best-selling writers, including Robert Allen, with more than seventy-two million books sold. For more than a decade, Cachey has been traveling to Venice, the setting of her novel, on extended trips several times a year. The cafés, restaurants, and many other haunts of Venice play a prominent role in her sexy paranormal mystery-romance about a beautiful American lawyer guided by the Ghosts of Venice in the investigation of a hushed-up crime.


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I recently had the opportunity to reflect on what we B2B marketers can learn from Disney to improve our global demand creation activities. Having wished our Summit 2014 guests farewell, the SiriusDecisions analyst team was allowed an afternoon to ourselves, and I visited Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which, for those of you who do not know, features a "World Showcase" attraction, where guests can take a circular route to visit shops and restaurants in the traditional style of 11 different countries. I was intrigued by everything I saw, but being European, I was especially interested in the areas representing Norway, Germany, Italy, France and the UK. Here is what I learned:
As I made my way around the park, I finally crossed the water into the UK, which was just like crossing the channel for real. Being a Brit, I was keen to try the fish and chips at the local pub. I was blown away. It tasted great, and the attention to detail in the pub was excellent. The server was even born in my home town. If only the Disney executives had brought in wind and rain machines, the illusion would have been complete. My experience in the park made me determined to emulate this level of quality in my marketing efforts. With today's instant communication capability, it's a small world we live in – but let's not forget the value of understanding and incorporating local nuances into our marketing activities, however inconvenient.
Julian Archer is a VP, principal analyst in the Marketing Operations Research Service at SiriusDecisions. He has more than 25 years of international B2B demand marketing experience within corporate and pan-European field functions. Follow Julian on Twitter @julianarcher


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Why Do Women Have So Many Shoes?
Why do you have so many pairs of shoes?
How many of us women have heard that question before? Most men just don't get it! It' simple! Let's sum it up for them…And while we're at it, let's tell them why we love shoes too! We do! We love our shoes! Here are just a few quotes to show you what I mean:
"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." — Marilyn Monroe
"The perfect high heel is not a marriage, but rather a threesome when fantasy, form and function meet." — Qiana Markham
"Return the shoes?! I can't talk to you when you're being hysterical!" — Gabrielle, Desperate Housewives
"I see a pair of shoes I adore, and it doesn't matter if they have them in my size. I buy them anyway."–Kiera Knightley
"Funny that a pair of really nice shoes makes us feel good in our heads — at the extreme opposite end of our bodies." — Levende Waters
You see…the truth is women are in love with shoes…and we need a lot of them!
Here are some of The Reasons Why Women Are In Love With Shoes And Why Women Need So Many Of Them:
1. We have choices: What woman wants to get up day after day and wear the same old shoe? Unless women are wearing uniforms to work and have no choice about it, not many! We wear different clothes everyday, so we need to have just as many shoe choices as well! 🙂
2. We need variety: So now that we've established we have choices, we need a variety of shoes to choose from when putting together the perfect outfit. Just think of how different your dress will look with boots vs stilettos. The shoes can make the outfit work…or fail! =]
3. It's a great deal: Let's admit it, ladies. We have all purchased at least one pair of shoes just because they were on sale! Of course, they fit well and looked great too, but it's hard to pass up a good deal on shoes…especially when we can justify that we can wear them later, and we will! 😉
4. They make us feel good: It's just like having a good hair day! When you put on that perfect pair of shoes, you feel like you "can conquer the world." Well, us women do anyway…for men, maybe it's the perfect power suit or driving that perfect car…for some of us women, it's the perfect pair of shoes! 🙂
5. They last a long time: Since we have so many shoes, and we don't wear the same ones on a daily basis, they usually last for a long time! Provided we are buying quality brands, this is true. With shoes, like it or not, you get what you pay for! :]
6. They're an investment: When we splurge on those designer heels or boots, we know it is an investment. And we take great care of that investment so that they do last a long time. Like I previously mentioned, those high end shoes hold their value because they last so long! 🙂
7. They're our BFFs: Someone once said a diamond is a girl's best friend, right? Well, I am here to tell you that a shoe is a woman's best friend! We love them, and they love us back (or at least that's what we believe)! 😉
Ladies, please feel free to add some more reasons why we love our shoes and why we need so many of them…let's educate the men so that they understand and know what to get us for our next birthday/holiday, ok? (Hint, hint! My birthday is in 3 weeks…I'm just sayin'!)
–Dr. Michele, The Shoe Expert
4 Responses to "Why Do Women Have So Many Shoes?"
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sharee Williams, Michele Colon. Michele Colon said: "Why do you have so many pairs of shoes?" How many of us women have heard that question before? Most men just… http://fb.me/DBxjZhSj […]
I love shoes so much. I actually forget what shoes I have because they are kept in their boxes and I have many, many pairs. I have a few pairs in the same design but in different colours. Is that called addiction? I just couldn't get enough of the design so I said to myself, why bother choosing which colour to buy but buy them in all colours available. My favourite design when it comes to high heels is Mary Jane. I also love ankle straps. My maximum heels are 4.5 inch.
Women are like shoes. Men look after the good looking ones. But at the end they chose the one they feel comfortable with.
hahah…pretty good resons ..Thumbs up


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COVID-19 Update: We are still opened and able to process orders, however due to COVID-19, we cannot guarantee next day delivery on some items. Stay Safe - from Richard, Anne and the Team at Quzo.
Buy Huawei Mesh Wifi Q2 PRO and 1 Satelite online with confidence, security and peace of mind. All transactions are covered under the PayPal Buyer and Seller Protection programme.


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Making a call with hidden caller identification
Checking PIN and IMEI number on my mobile phone
Turning caller identification on my mobile phone on or off
Cancelling all diverts on my mobile phone
Restarting my mobile phone
Want to set an alarm on your mobile phone? Follow these easy instructions.
Find "Clock"
Slide your finger left on the display to open the main menu.
Tap Clock.
Add alarm
Tap Add Alarm.
Enter alarm name
Key in the required name.
Set time
Tap Alarm Time.
Tap hours and minutes and slide your finger up or down the display to set the time.
Turn snooze on or off
Tap Snooze.
Tap None or the required period.
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Tap Recurrence.
Tap the required day until it's selected.
Tap the Return key.
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Select alarm tone
Tap Alarm Tone.
Tap the different alarm tones to select them.
Tap Try It to listen to them.
When you've found an alarm tone you like, tap the Return key.
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God so loved the world
My earliest memory of this Catholic worldview happened in the lunchroom at St. Joseph Catholic School in Rosemount. Every day at lunch, one of the sisters would stand next to the garbage can and say to children wanting to waste food, "How can you waste food when so many people are going hungry in the world? Please don't take more than you need."
Long before the modern slogan of "reduce, recycle and reuse" entered current parlance, I knew somehow that I was bound to people all around the world and that my daily behaviors of using things and consuming affected them. I came to see that Jesus' command to love my neighbor extends beyond my local and national borders.
Building solidarity
Living in the age of globalization has come to mean that we are connected in terms of economics and sharing the world's resources. It also reveals the limits and vulnerabilities of our planet to sustain this economic activity.
One of the promises of globalization was that the standard of more people's lives would improve. Sadly, the reality has been that relatively few people's lives have improved except those at the top of the global ladder, and the gap between the haves and have-nots has only grown.
As the chain between producers and consumers of food and other products becomes so long and obscure, it becomes easier to waste and exclude others. We even celebrate our excesses as a sign of success rather than a symptom of what Pope Francis calls a globalization of indifference.
The opposite of global indifference is global solidarity. The U.S. bishops said in their 1997 pastoral letter on solidarity that "a parish (or church) reaching beyond its borders is truly a 'catholic' church."
It builds on the biblical ethic that I am my brother's (or sister's) keeper and that we are called to love the world as God's neighborhood.
I think this is one of the messages of the Christmas season we have just celebrated. We recall John's Gospel, "God so loved the world that he sent his only Son" (John 3:16).
Christmas celebrates God's solidarity with the world by entering our human condition. Christ lived in solidarity with the poor, the sick, the lost and forgotten to restore them (and us) to our true dignity and reconcile whatever is divided.
Riding the wave
The path to peace is paved by the solidarity of Christ. And it is the vocation of Christian disciples to participate in God's plan of restoring the world to communion and peace.
Pope Francis recently initiated a global campaign against hunger. It began on Dec. 10 with a prophetic action called a global wave of prayer.
The global wave was modeled after "the wave" that happens in many stadiums during sporting events. The Holy Father called upon people in every time zone to stand and pray at noon for an end to hunger. The global wave of prayer opens up an opportunity for us to stand in solidarity with our neighbors in need. We can follow up this symbolic action with concrete steps and policies that foster global solidarity over global indifference, exclusion and inequality.
As a new year begins, we are asked to pray again for greater peace and unity in our world. Let us consider the wisdom of the sister who stands at the garbage can asking us about our habits of waste and indifference to our brothers and sisters — our neighbors in need.
How is God's love for the world, celebrated at Christmas, being born in us? And, how can we participate in Christ's plan to restore all things in himself? This is the peace that the world cannot give.
Deacon Friesen is director of the archdiocesan Center for Mission.
Category: Social Concerns


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Yahoo Mail Proxy Login Steps | Yahoo Mail Proxy Signin Steps
Proxy is a server in an internet. It works like an application or even called as a software. These software are often used by those internet surfers who needs to download or run some sites that are not available in particular area. It helps to hide the original IP address and makes you surf through that particular site that isn't available in particular area. Proxy can be used in Yahoo mail as well. Yahoo Mail Proxy Login steps are simple and its quick. Below are the steps we have provided for you.
To use Yahoo mail through a Proxy site, you can follow some few steps. The Yahoo Mail Proxy login steps are:
- So, first you need to open the browser of your computer and a search engine in it. Search engine like Google will be best. In search engine, you need to search for the Proxy server.
- You will get numerous proxy site but if you are using Google then you can use the first result. Or simply use the My-Proxy site as you follow these following step.
- In the My-proxy site, you will see two blanks. In first blank, you need to enter the URL of the Yahoo mail login page and that is https://login.yahoo.com/. The second blank is the options that you can choose.
- You can choose either Random IP, US3 Missouri, US2 California, UK1 London or UK2 London. As you choose one option, you need to click on the "Surf!" button.
- This will directly open the Yahoo mail login page with Proxy server. You will need to login your account in a normal way but your IP address will be changed.
- First, you need to enter your email address respectively and click on the next button or press "Enter" key from the keyboard. In the next page, you will get another blank where you need to fill it with your login password respectively. After entering password, you need to click on "Sign in" button or simply press "Enter" key from the keyboard.
This login process will make you easy to use your account from a particular place where the site isn't available.


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The Ten Best Eighties Cult Classics Are Huge (Scarface), Trippy (Labyrinth), and Cool (Road House)
What makes a cult classic? One man's cult is another's mainstream hit, but a few common denominators unite cult movies: a cult classic must, by definition, have a cultlike following of slavish devotees. It should probably not have found favor in its initial release — or, at least, widespread acceptance. Often it can be traced back as the originator of a genre, accompanied by the phrase "before its time." And it must either be really, really good or so bad that it's good. The eighties, best appreciated after the fact, were a ripe time for cult classics, and these are the ten best of the decade.
10. Better Off Dead…
Starring John Cusack, this dark comedy was so misunderstood in its original run that Cusack actually told the director never to talk to him again. Over time the flick has been recognized as a heady mix of absurdity and drama, with scene after scene becoming iconic canon of the '80s — who's seen a paperboy since the movie's release without thinking, "I want my two dollars!" Even Cusack has accepted Better Off Dead, paying homage to it in Hot Tub Time Machine.
9. Vision Quest
Falling under the "so bad it's good" category, Matthew Modine's tale of a high-school wrestler just trying to be his best has gained cult status, particularly among…high-school wrestlers. The nonstop training sequences would be enough to secure its place in film history, but Vision Quest marks the first screen appearance of Madonna, who sings two songs in the film.
8. Repo Man
Grossing a meager $129,000 in its initial box-office run, Repo Man should be a failure of epic proportions. But this cult classic, which features Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton as the titular repo men driving around to find a car full of dead space aliens, has gone on to become one of the more critically beloved sci-fi films of the decade. Repo Man has even inspired a recent graphic novel and sequel, both of which should have their own cult followings in another few decades.
7. They Live
John Carpenter's sci-fi horror film has a lot going for it: "Rowdy" Roddy Piper kicking ass, magical sunglasses that let Piper see the evil aliens controlling the world, and a litany of quotable lines. Yet it failed to make a dent at the box office. Years later, the film is considered a lost Carpenter classic and an inspiration for the Evil Dead video games and an entire generation that questions what's real.
6. Road House
Patrick Swayze is basically a cult classic onto himself, and he's the center of Road House, as a bouncer brought in to tame a rough-and-tumble bar ruined by a criminal element. Though the movie was a modest success in theaters, it has gained in infamy over time, even inspiring a long-running live version that played Off-Broadway and around the country. With Swayze's untimely death, Road House may be a cult classic that's just starting to get its legs.
5. Scarface
One of the biggest success stories for a cult classic, Scarface was a disappointment upon its release. But thanks to Al Pacino's blistering portrayal of mobster Tony Montana, the movie lived on — first in the underground rap scene and then on posters and clothing. Scarface has since broken into the mainstream and become a legitimate success, recognized as a modern classic both critically and financially.
4. Heathers
Home video saved this black comedy, which inspired countless subsequent high-school comedies. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater team up to taunt the original diabolical mean girls (the Heathers). With a unique tone that mirrors how high-school students actually feel (quite misunderstood), Heathers made black comedy become the default for high-school comedies and still retains a life on video…or DVD, that is.
3. Brazil
Terry Gilliam's sci-fi head trip was repeatedly hampered by studio interference, so much so that Gilliam was forced to release his preferred (darker) version of the movie himself. After several home-video releases and numerous theatrical cuts, Gilliam's superior version finally saw the light of day. With interest stoked in the behind-the-scenes story as much as the one onscreen, plus Gilliam's avid fan base, it was inevitable that Brazil would draw a cult following, which is exactly what happened.
2. Labyrinth
A fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and starring David Bowie seems like it couldn't fail. But Labyrinth, dream team and all, did fail to connect with audiences in theaters. However, the film has become a classic with families and adults alike, inspiring a manga series sequel, a yearly masquerade ball in Los Angeles called the Labyrinth of Jareth, and untold viewings by marijuana enthusiasts worldwide.
1. This Is Spinal Tap
Without This Is Spinal Tap, we wouldn't have the mockumentary genre — for better or for worse. Though Rob Reiner's parody fared poorly in theaters, on home video fans ate it up, quoting lines, playing covers of the songs, and trading VHS copies of the four-and-a-half-hour version of the movie. Since its release, the members of Spinal Tap have toured successfully in character and sold millions of videos and DVDs. This cult classic goes all the way to eleven.


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I'm Going POSTAL!
I got a little notice from the post office (Correo Argentina) the other day to let me know they tried to deliver a registered letter but I wasn't home. In actual fact, I never left the house all day so that was a big fat lie. Mr Postman just couldn't be arsed ringing the buzzer. The notice said I had to come and pick up the 'package' from the local sorting office. There was no option to have them redeliver but that's fine I'll go and stretch my legs.
Twenty minutes there, take a number, twenty minute wait, show drivers licence as id, twenty minutes back. The 'package' was in fact a letter from the post office. Hmm... why are the post office sending me registered letters? The letter was a notice from the international sorting office advising me that I have a 'package' to pick up. W.T.F. - Why didn't you just let me know that in the first place!
So I head to the international sorting office downtown. Forty minutes there by subway and walking, take a number, forty minute wait, show drivers licence as id and...
- Surly Bored Postal Worker: - "You need to show a passport."
- Me: - "huh!...I just showed my drivers licence to pick up a registered package this morning so why do I need to show a passport now"
- Surly Bored Postal Worker: - "That was a domestic package, this is an international package."
- Me: - "W.T.F. why didn't you let me know this?"
- Surly Bored Postal Worker: - "We did, it's in the tiny fine print on the back of the notice near the bottom."
- Me: - "F$%&8@#&{~>?{}][%%#!!!!" x 10
- Me: - "So I need to come back tomorrow, forty minutes by subway and walking, take a number, forty minute wait, show Passport as id and then I get my package right?"
- Surly Bored Postal Worker: - "No, this line is just to show id. We then give you another ticket with a number and you go into the next room with 300 people and wait for your number to be called"
- Me: - "You're F'in joking right?"
- Surly Bored Postal Worker: - "Actually no and there's one more thing, you need to pay a 4 pesos admin fee."
- Me: - "F$%&8@#&{~>?{}][%%#!!!!" x 1000
Roll on tomorrow!


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Left unsatisfied by the Bangkok International Film Festival? Then head down to the Singapore International Film Festival, April 13 to 29, where there's an impressive lineup of films from across Asia and around the world.
Not too many Thai films at this year's fest. There's the Tsunami Digital Short Films, which Apitchatpong Weerasethakul had a hand in.
And then there's Promise Me Not (Kor Koei Sanya) (review at ThaiCinema.org, synopsis at MovieSeer), a film I barely remember and didn't go see. Probably it's another case where the trailers and posters weren't advertising the film properly. It looked like just another dumb comedy to me.
It is a romantic comedy, but the story is about a star-crossed couple that commits suicide and swears to love each other in the next life, but are thwarted at every turn. Promise Me Not tanked at the box office last year and was such a colossal failure, the studio, Matching Motion Pictures, had to shut down for a time, according to an article in The Nation.
In line with the Thai trend of having multiple directors, Promise Me Not was helmed by the trio of Sakchai Deenan, Duloisit Niyomkul and Theeraton Siriphu.
Other films at the Singapore fest include:
- The Burnt Theatre - I can't say enough about Rithy Panh's gut-wrenching picture of contemporary Cambodian society and arts. Go to hear the soundtrack, supplied by a pile-driver rig at a casino they were building next to the theater in Phnom Penh. Stay for the meal of fried bats.
- Tori - Somehow, Tadanobu Asano found the time to make a movie, even if it is a short film (50 minutes). From the festival website: "It is a visualisation of dreams through live action and animation in five seamless episodes. With Bird as a starting point, it spreads its wings and flies on and on, beyond time and space. In Sword Of Mind, a samurai's sword keeps cutting people down against his will. ATO is a visual poem depicting graffiti art and skateboarders. In Eternal Duo, a comic duo is captivated by a beautiful living thing. In the last episode, or, a bird puts on the costume of a beast, and dances in the air."
- The Last Communist - Loosely based on the autobiography of Chin Peng, the legendary Malayan communist guerrilla leader.
- The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai - Wacky satirical slapstick by award-winning pink film director, Mitsuru Meike. They quote Twitch: "Featuring enough raunch, humour and weirdness to please all."
- Tribute to M Amin - "This tribute acknowledges a maverick talent and the three films - Cucu Datok Merah (1963), Dua Kali Lima (1966) and Aku Mahu Hidup (1970) reflect different stages of his career and his handling of different genres. In fact, Cucu Datok Merah is one of the finest anti-hero films ever seen in Malay cinema."


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Simpsons Flaming Moe Energy Drink
New 12 fl oz tall cans! For a blast of energy, try this beverage, packed 12 per case.
- Fun Facts
Fun Facts
- Every Simpson family member's middle name begins with "J".
- The Simpsons orginally appeared as short sketches on "The Tracy Ullman Show" in 1987.
- Lisa has celebrated her 8th birthday on two separate episodes.
- The Simpsons have been awarded over 40 major television awards.
- Ingredients / Nutritional Info
Ingredients / Nutritional Info
Serving Size: 12 fl oz
Servings Per can: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from fat 0% Daily Value *
- Total Fat 0g 0%
- Saturated Fat 0g 0%
- Trans Fat 0g 0%
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Sodium 160mg 7%
- Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
- Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
- Sugars 40g
- Protein 0g
Vitamin A 0% * Vitamin C 0% * Calcium 0% * Iron 0%
Niacin 80% * Vitamin B6 80% * Vitamin B12 150% *
Pantothenic Acid 80%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Ingredients: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Taurine, Natural Flavor, Caffeine, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Potassium Benzoate (preservative), Ginseng Root Extract, Guarana Seed Extract, Inositol, Niacinamide (Vitamin B-3), Calcium D Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B-12), Contains One or More of the Following: Gum Acacia, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1. Not Recommended for Children, People Sensitive to Caffeine, Pregnant Women or Women Who are Nursing.


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(Health Secrets Newsletter) The link between exercise and health is an old one. The connection between exercise and breast cancer has also been well established. Early studies found that women who exercised like mad were able to reduce their risk of breast cancer, because they exercised to the point where their estrogen production was nearly stopped, reducing the possibility of estrogen imbalancein the body. But this information was not too useful for most women who had no interest in becoming professional athletes or spending eight hours a day at the gym. But now there is good news for everyone. Recent studies have shown that exercise in moderation has a profound effect on breast cancer prevention and prognosis, and a positive effect against death for all causes.
Moderate exercise has a dramatic impact on breast cancer development
A group from the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina confirmed that even moderate exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer. They examined the association between cardio-respiratory fitness and risk of death from breast cancer in women who participated in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, a study that ran for 31 years. Over 14,000 women aged 20 to 83 with no prior history of breast cancer were classified according to their performance on treadmill tests and other exams as low, moderate or highly fit depending on their results. The findings showed that women in poor physical condition were three times more likely to die from breast cancer than those who exercised regularly.
A half hour of daily aerobic exercise can make a person highly fit
Hours of grueling workouts are not required to get into the highly fit category. This study measured fitness through aerobic exercise, a type of workout that aims for a sustained increase in heart and lung activity that allows for the burning of fat. When exercise becomes so grueling that muscle is burned instead of fat, it is no longer considered to be aerobic. Any activity that gets a person moving for a sustained period with increased heart and lung action, such as walking, jogging, cleaning, gardening, dancing, or doing calisthenics will qualify as aerobic. Jogging in front of the TV will even get the job done.
Aerobic exercise is actually be very enjoyable and invigorating, so much so that it can become addictive. Aerobic exercise promotes the circulation of oxygen in the blood and floods cells with enough oxygen to chase cancer away. Aerobics helps normalize cholesterol, lower blood pressure levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease. It works wonders with anyone who has diabetes. Mood and outlook are uplifted with this form of exercise, and sense of well being and feelings of empowerment are heightened. The mind is cleared and the ability to concentrate is restored.
A half hour a day of aerobic exercise can result in a person being classified as highly fit. Fifteen minutes a day is all it takes to achieve moderate fitness. Just waving the arms about in imitation of an orchestra leader while listening to music for fifteen minutes a day can even make a person moderately fit. Aerobic exercise has the added benefits of easy weight loss and a price tag of zero.
Exercise is associated with positive outcome from hormone sensitive breast cancer
In a study scientists examined the association between physical activity and hormone receptor-defined breast cancers in women ages 25 to 64 years who were recruited into the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study, a population-based study conducted in China. Women with confirmed breast cancer and available receptor status information, and matched controls completed in-person interviews. The association between measures of physical activity with each breast cancer subtype, (ER/PR positive, ER/PR negative, ER positive and PR negative, and ER negative and PR positive) was investigated using the control population as the reference group.
Results showed that exercise during adolescence and also during the most recent 10 years was associated with a decreased risk of both receptor-positive and receptor-negative breast cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women (odds ratios were 0.44, 0.51, 0.43, and 0.21 respectively). Sweating during exercise within the most recent 10 years was also associated with decreased risk for receptor-positive and receptor-negative breast cancers among postmenopausal women (odds ratios 0.58 and 0.28 respectively). These findings suggest that exercise can reduce breast cancer risk through both hormonal and non-hormonal pathways.
Research from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark studied inflammation as a key player in the development of degenerative diseases such as breast cancer, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Given that regular exercise offers protection against all causes of mortality through its ability to protect against insulin resistance, the scientists suggested that exercise may exert some of its beneficial effects by inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines, which they have labeled myokines. Interleukin-6 is the first identified myokine. It is produced and released by skeletal muscle fibers when they contract with exercise, and exerts its beneficial effects on other organs of the body. These scientists suggest that skeletal muscle qualifies to be an endocrine organ, and myokines may be involved in promoting beneficial effects against all degenerative diseases associated with inflammation, including cancer.


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The new facility is the white addition which measures about 55 feet in height is nestled in between the four silos.
Walls by Walltopia taking shape in the dark
The skeleton of the lead wall (which is nearing completion), the gym's come a long way since 2x4s...
On top of the roof! A look at the Nordelec, Allez-Up's former location
Oh man, and the view! An awesome vantage point of the downtown skyline.
Looking up close at the massive PBW tag, can I even call it a tag? It's huge!
Looking out from inside on top of the silos
Les Silos Allez UP from Allez Up on Vimeo.


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Monthly Archives: July 2005
How you feeling? HOT HOT HOT
OK, it has been really hot!!! Not even an understatement. I really don't hit the web when it gets like this, main reason: no AC in the office. We have it in the bedrooms, but I am still a cheap … Continue reading
Summer is 4, Don at House of Blues
Wow! Long weekend! First, I started out Friday with a little outpatient surgery. I had a wart removed. I have had this thing on my elbow for the past year, and could not shake it. I have tried every ointment, … Continue reading
London Bombing and Claire Roma
Dana created a great website dedicated to Claire. Very cool and informative. 8 hours of labor!!!! Holy Cow! I am going to thank Ang tonight that she did not put me through that! Here is a link to the site … Continue reading
Constant Chaos and clumbsiness.
Contact Center Humor… Funny stuff! Go Ian! Constant Chaos and clumbsiness.
The Great Hunter's Wife
Ang caught a coon the other night, I completely neglected this story. Once reason for the neglect… She did the work! If I had been the hunter, I certainly would have run to the computer to explain the hunt in … Continue reading
July 4th, 2005
Conversation from Adien tonight at Fireworks: Dont like this Go home Too loud Dont like this Get in truck Go home Daddy Drive That is about word for word! We did trick him into calling out colors for all the … Continue reading
Live 8 thoughts
Happy birthday to sister Sylvia. The main reason I wanted to post today was for the Big Live 8 shows. The article below only deepens my doubt on what Geldoff wants to achieve. http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/entertainment/12023967.htm Don't get me wrong! (Don) I … Continue reading


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Nick Bostrom is described in the piece as a scholar concerned with "existential risks" and as the head of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute. The reference to Oxford confers an immediate gloss of legitimacy on Bostrom's brand of futurism (entirely as it was meant to do), and it is important to note that Bostrom is not also described in the piece as a transhumanist, and the founder of the World Transhumanist Association and writer of the FAQ that continues to define that techno-transcendental "movement" for many of its members. That the World Transhumanist Association subsequently repackaged itself as a slick pop-tech site called Humanity-plus (non-member humans by comparison being of course merely humanity-minus), and that Bostrom went on to found the more reputably monikered stealth-transhumanist Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies provides what seems to me to be indispensable background restraining any acceptance out of hand of the scholarly legitimacy of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute as well, especially once one discovers how many familiar faces from Bostrom's more robocultic earlier outings throng the ranks of his august corporate-sponsored Oxford-inflected effort.
A couple of years ago I wrote a piece entitled Insecurity Theater: How Futurological Existential-Risk Discourse Deranges Serious Technodevelopmental Deliberation, in which I proposed that the sort of existential-risk analysis Bostrom is promoting in the Salon piece represents "the other side of the counterfeit coin of expertise provided by [the] hyperbolic promotional/ self-promotional pseudo-discipline" of futurology. I usually critique superlative futurism/futurology of the kind associated with transhumanism, techno-immortalism, singularitarianism, digital-utopianism, nano-cornucopism, and so on as essentially faith-based initiatives, hyperbolizing consensus science and legible policy concerns into promises of techno-transcendence modeled on the omni-predicates of theological godhood, omniscience, omnipotence, omnibenevolence.
Existential risk discourse is the apocalyptic obverse to these futurological raptures, at once diverting attention from threatening criticisms of the belief system itself while also providing still more diversions from real science, actual harm-reduction policy-making, substantial problem-solving, serious deliberation over actually-existing dangers, risks, costs, inequities, crimes. In that earlier piece I warned: Any second an actually accountable health and safety administrator is distracted from actually existing problems by futurological hyperbole is a second stolen from the public good and the public health. Any public awareness of shared concerns or public understanding of preparedness for actually existing risks and mutual aid skewed and deranged by futurological fancies is a lost chance of survival and help for real people in the real world. In a world where indispensable public services are forced to function on shoestring budgets after a generation of market fundamentalist downsizing and looting and neglect, it seems to me that there are no extra seconds or extra dollars to waste on the fancies of Very Serious Futurologists in suits playing at being policy wonks. To put the point more concisely, existential-risk discourse seems to me an existential risk.
Am I over-reacting? Am I indulging yet again in "hate-speech" against the innocent futurist subcultures? Am I engaging -- as the robocultically-inclined charge again and again -- in name-calling without any substance to back my pessimistic and relativistic and nihilistic and "deathist" assertions? Am I being unfair to serious futurologists with important concerns about the public good? Judge for yourself. From the Salon piece itself:
"Global warming is very unlikely to produce an existential catastrophe," Nick Bostrom, head of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford, told me when I met him in Boston last month. "The Stern report says it could hack away 20 percent of global GDP. That's, like, how rich the world was 10 or 15 years ago. It would be lost in the noise if you look in the long term." ... But, Bostrom believes, even the misery caused by this kind of decline pales in comparison to what could be inflicted by high-tech nightmares: bioengineered pandemic, nanotechnology gone haywire, even super-intelligent AI run amok.While the author of the piece may seem to want to insert some sanity at this point by declaring (the obvious) that "[t]hese [are] exotic and unlikely-sounding disasters" he immediately confounds that expectation by completing the sentence with the observation that "these possibilities that are finally getting some attention." Whew! Finally! Won't somebody please think of the Robocalypse! Enough of this shilly-shallying about silly atmospheric carbon and human trafficking and arms proliferation 'n stuff!
The piece goes on to describe a burgeoning institutionalization of this sort of discourse with serious corporate-military dollars behind it and serious academic heft lending it prestige (it is not irrelevant to the latter that the neoliberal corporatization of the academy renders once-prestigious places of scholarship much more ready to eat their legacies for cash on the barrelhead):
In the last few years, a number of institutes have sprung up to begin to do serious research on the risks of emerging technology, some of them attached to the world's most prestigious universities and stocked with famous experts. In addition to FHI, there is the Center for the Study of Existential Risk at Cambridge and the Future of Life Institute at MIT, along with the Lifeboat Foundation, the Foresight Institute and several others. After years of neglect, the first serious efforts to prevent techno-apocalypse may be underway.It is unfortunate that the Salon piece provided no links to the organizations listed here as undertaking these serious efforts. For example, The Lifeboat Foundation which is soliciting participants in, among other things, its "LifeShield Bunkers program [which] is a compliment to our Space Habitats program. It is a fallback position in case programs such as our BioShield and NanoShield fail globally or locally. A bunker can be quite large, such as Biosphere 2. A large bunker would be a place where babies are born and children play and go to school... Let us know if you wish to participate in a local LifeShield Bunker. We will contact you if and when we find a cluster of interested people in your area. Read The Case for Survival Colonies: Soliciting Colonists." Very serious! Or The Foresight Institute, devoted to Eric Drexler's promises of a super-abundance and near-immortalization "technology... based upon putting atoms where we want them rather than upon handling 'atoms in unruly herds[.]'" Again, very serious! For those who read my blog with any regularity you will find many familiar faces recurring in the advisory boards and recommended readings of these organizations (both the ones that are striving for mainstream respectability and the ones that are letting their futurological freak flags fly -- the talent pool for this brand of moonshine isn't exactly capacious), just scroll down the names of the futurologists who have come in for analysis, and no small amount of ridicule, in this anti-futurological archive of mine, and you will find most of them there.
All that said, I will concede Salon's point, to a point. This business is indeed serious -- serious as a heart attack. The ramification of these institutional spaces for futurological flim-flammery is taking place across a terrain in which think-tanks have already displaced or deranged the role of the academy as a source of rigorous scholarly support and critique of public policy deliberation (and even those with absolutely valid critiques of the academy -- stratified as it is by sexism, white-racism, and plutocratic upward-fail -- can grant the force of this point). Indeed, rather than view the latest arrival of futurology to the pseudo-scholarly commandeering of and feasting on public deliberation as a particularly new phenomenon, I would insist instead on the role of a futurological/instrumental/computational logic especially congenial to the ends of corporate-military "competitiveness" -- a logic originating in no small part out of the host of speculative pseudo-disciplines connected to the inequitable distributions of costs, risks, and benefits of market futures -- in the original and abiding corporate-military think-tankification of the public sphere in the first place. To these developments should be added the recent entrance of faith-based techno-transcendental aspirations like coding Robot-Gods or "solving death" into the budgets of (what now passes for) elite technology companies, like Google and Apple. It is no surprise that the celebrity CEOs of venture capitalism whose skim and scam operations have thrust some of them into lotto-luxe multi-billionaire precincts they rationalize through assertions of sooper-genius would find themselves attracted to infantile fantasies and facile pseudo-scientific formulations of faith-based futurisms -- but at some point throwing real money and directing real media spotlights at this nonsense threatens to have an effect in the real world.
The "Sixth" of my Ten Reasons to Take Robot Cultists Seriously goes right to the heart of this concern:
As Margaret Mead famously insisted, "Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world." The example of the neoliberals of the Mont Pelerin Society reminds us that a small band of ideologues committed to discredited notions that happen to benefit and compliment the rich can sweep the world to the brink of ruin and the example of the neoconservatives reminds us that a small band of committed people can prevail even when they are peddling not only discredited but frankly ridiculous and ugly notions. Futurologists pretend that hypberbolic marketing projections are the same thing as serious technoscience policy deliberation, which is a gesture enormously familiar to the investor class and the technology sector's customary membership, and the futurologists inevitably cast rich entrepreneurs as the protagonists of history, which is a gesture enormously attractive to the skimmers and scammers and celebrity CEOs of the technology sector's essentially narcissistic culture. Although their various predictions are rarely more accurate than those of chimpanzees at typewriters, although their various transcendental glossy-mag editorials and tee-vee ready techno-rapture narratives are rarely more scientific in their actual substance than those of evangelical preachers, although their dog and pony show sounds almost exactly the same now as it did five years ago, ten years ago, fifteen years ago, twenty years ago, twenty-five years ago as they still drag out the same old tired litany (super-parental robot gods! genetic fountains of youth! cheap nanobotic superabundance! better than real immersive VR treasure caves! soul-uploading into shiny robot bodies!), and all with the same fervent True Belief, the same breathless insistence that this is all New! the same static repetition that change is accelerating up! up! up! it is not really surprising to discover that the various organizations associated with superlative futurology are attracting more and more money and support and attention from the rich narcissistic CEOs of the technology sector whose language they have been speaking and whose egos they have been stroking so assiduously for years and for whom they provide such convenient rationalizations for elite-incumbent rule. You better believe that, ridiculous and crazy though they may be, the Robot Cultists with well funded organizations (like the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford, Global Business Network, Long Now Foundation, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technology, Singularity Summit to name a few) to disseminate their pet wish-fulfillment fantasies and authoritarian rationalizations can do incredible damage in the real world.It is easy to find yourself smugly shaking your head at the stark realities implied by the concession in the Salon piece that, "Some of these institutes have not even started to do research yet; they're still raising funds." You don't say! Why, that's like declaring "some evangelicals haven't researched their fire and brimstone claims; they're too busy passing the collection plate"! But the funding these organizations are starting to attract from corporate sponsors and the derangement of the terms of public policy discourse introduced by the multiplication of techno-transcendental figures, frames, conceits, narratives are all too real whatever their palpable idiocy -- just look how eager people are to describe unintelligent artifacts as "smart" to the denigration of their own intelligence, just look how eager people are to describe as "disruptive" completely conventional right-wing deregulatory schemes, just look how regularly the public will describe the stasis of our unsustainable conformist consumer socioculture as a period of "accelerating growth," in each case a futurological reframing in the service of elite-incumbent interests and to the utter detriment of sense.
New to me from reading the piece, and I must say enormously interesting, was its observation that "[t]he field [of futurological existential risk discourse] has benefited from a well-informed patron, the Estonian entrepreneur and computer programmer Jaan Tallinn, co-founder of Skype... [who] told me that his concern with the future of humanity began in 2009, when a lawsuit between Skype and eBay left him temporarily sidelined. Finding himself with millions of dollars in the bank and no obligations, he spent his time reading through the web site Less Wrong, 'a community blog devoted to refining the art of human rationality.'" It is very interesting that any of this is supposed to qualify Mr. Tallinn as "well-informed" in some way. Does the article tell us that Tallinn spent this time earning a degree in some legible scientific field in a university or doing research in a laboratory setting or consulting with policymakers beholden to majorities or even coding usable software or building prototypes of workable devices? No, no, no, no, no. Instead we hear of a techbro sitting on a pile of lucky-lucre with time on his hands reading some guru wannabe's internet manifesto about the coming of the Robot God and thinking this puts the Keys of History in his hands. Very serious, well-informed. About Tallinn's singularitarian guru Eliezer Yudkowsky and his Less Wrong coterie you may find it enlightening to read A Robot God Apostle's Creed for the Less Wrong Set, or Deep Thoughts on Democracy from Eliezer Yudkowsky, or So Not A Cult. I did a little more digging and discovered soon enough that when Jaan Tallinn isn't giving his money to futurologists who would worry us about Robocalypse he is devoted to the work of "a medical-consulting firm" called MetaMed which he founded and which received an infusion of start-up cash from none other than market-libertopian and singularitarian Robot Cultist Peter Thiel.
I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to think through, by way of conclusion, the political implications of championing "personalized medicine" for the super-rich when universal single-payer basic healthcare hasn't arrived after more than a century of heartbreaking mass social struggle backed by a consensus of healthcare expertise, or to think what eugenic transhumanists may have in mind when they speak of providing client performance enhancement. No doubt the countless millions of people who die from treatable or neglected diseases because they cannot afford basic healthcare or because they live in over-exploited regions of the world without access to basic healthcare does not rise to the level of an "existential threat" that would attract the notice of our futurological faithful -- even if every single human being who dies for the lack of healthcare available to others is a human being who potentially could have contributed their measure of imagination and intelligence and effort to the solution of shared problems that really do imperil humanity as well as to the archive of creative expressivity that makes life worth living for us all.


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Apr2009 06
Fiber to the Home
Posted In Tech : Web |
"The Federal Government and private sector will invest up to $43 billion over eight years in a super-fast national broadband network, in the "single biggest infrastructure decision in Australia's history".
In a bombshell decision this morning, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced that none of five bidders for the national network - including Optus and Melbourne group Acacia - were up to scratch."
Click here for more information.


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I have just realized that there is not enough time in a day to do everything I want or need to do. I am currently taking a few college courses, have a few speeches that need writing, and research that needs to be done over the next week, and I am all stressed out. This is not the first time I have felt overwhelmed, and it will not be the last.
I think we have all felt overwhelmed, at one time or another. However, I think that it is more prevalent than ever to feel this way. In modern times, we see people doing a million things, like doing college, working a part-time job at Chick-fil-a, participating in a rec. league, writing a book, dating, social media engineering and volunteering at the local rescue shelter, all at the same! With the advances in transportation and the internet, people now can travel to more places, and learn more about anything they want.
With all of these advances in technology and information, why are people overwhelmed, and stressed for time? You would think that with the increased ease of access to anything, that this would save time, and make people less stressed…but it does not.
I believe that this is the case, because of…
Increased Opportunities
With technology taking over the world (basically), and connections to the entire world, careers and people taking less time, and becoming more readily available, this has created a lot more opportunities for individuals. 50 years ago, most people only had a few career or hobby choices to choose from (for the most part). Depending on where a person lived, and what family you were, determined how many options you had, and what resources were at your disposal. However, now, it is not quite that way. Even though location and pedigree still are some factors in the opportunities that people have, those opportunities have increased dramatically. Now, people can study for a college degree, even if they are not near a college. People can apply to jobs miles away, learn about events, and can even write and draw random stuff online (not that anyone would ever do that last one…obviously). There are more opportunities, which means…
Individuals Do More Activities
With the increase in opportunity, allows for the increase in activity. A person may have been satisfied being a manager at a retail store 30 years ago, but now an individual can be a manager, an online disc jokey, and creative Pinterest influencer. We are told that we can be anything you want to be, which means, that people try to be everything that they want to be, even if that is physically, mentally, or talent-ly impossible. Nobody has a single interest, and feel that if you dedicate your entire life to a single career, that you have not lived life to the fullest.
Time has stayed the same
With people jumping at more opportunities, trying to do more, and better things, there is often one thing people have forgotten…While opportunities, and activities have increased, time has not. Yes, you can make the point that people may live a few years older now, than they did decades ago, but it is basically the same. People partake in more and more activities, and yet, do not have the time to do each efficiently, and to its full potential. No wonder people are stressed, and overwhelmed. They are trying to do ten times more stuff, within the same amount of time.
So what does this mean? Should we stop doing activities, and become a hermit in a wooden shack on top of a mountain? Maybe, but I do not believe that is the answer for me, and probably not for you, either. When we become stressed, and feel overwhelmed, we should take a step back, and look at everything that we are doing. Ask, "Is it necessary?". Sometimes, we put more burdens and tasks on ourselves that we do not even realize. Our minds create fake timetables, and standards that are not realistic, or helpful.
Basically, all I am saying is relax…do not let emotions stack on top of emotions…and look at the problem at hand. Focus on that credit card statement that is due tomorrow, and forget about the dinner you have to prepare for the 15 people visiting your house next week. Take activities one at a time, and stop multi-tasking out of your control.
Maybe you do not have this problem. Perhaps, this is more for me. However, keep this in mind if you are feeling overwhelmed…
Now stop reading this post, and get back to work!


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METOPROLOL (me TOE proe lole) is a beta-blocker. Beta-blockers reduce the workload on the heart and help it to beat more regularly. This medicine is used to treat high blood pressure and to prevent chest pain. It is also used after a heart attack to prevent an additional heart attack from occurring.
Take this medicine by mouth. The capsules can be swallowed whole or opened carefully and the contents sprinkled over a small amount (teaspoonful) of soft food, such as applesauce, pudding, or yogurt. This mixture must be swallowed within 60 minutes and not stored for future use. Do not chew this medicine. You can take it with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food. Take your medicine at regular intervals. Do not take it more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on your doctor's advice.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 6 for selected conditions, precautions do apply.
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
cold hands or feet
signs and symptoms of low blood pressure like dizziness; feeling faint or lightheaded, falls; unusually weak or tired
signs of worsening heart failure like breathing problems, swelling in your legs and feet
suicidal thoughts or other mood changes
unusually slow heartbeat
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
change in sex drive or performance
trouble sleeping
upset stomach
This medicine may interact with the following medications:
certain medicines for blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heart beat
MAOIs like Carbex, Eldepryl, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
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You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medicine affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol may interfere with the effect of this medicine. Avoid alcoholic drinks.
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. Check your blood pressure as directed. Ask your doctor or health care professional what your blood pressure should be and when you should contact him or her.
Do not treat yourself for coughs, colds, or pain while you are using this medicine without asking your doctor or health care professional for advice. Some ingredients may increase your blood pressure.
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FREE for use with an Inquisit Lab or Inquisit Web license.
An implementation of the Flanker Task as developed by Eriksen & Eriksen (1974).
Eriksen, B. A., & Eriksen, C. W. (1974). Effects of noise letters upon identification of a target letter in a nonsearch task. Perception & Psychophysics, 16, 143-149.
Cagigas, X.E., Filoteo, J.V., Stricker, J.L., Rilling, L.M., & Friedrich, F.J. (2007). Flanker compatibility effects in patients with Parkinson's disease: Impact of target onset delay and trial-by-trial stimulus variation, Brain and Cognition, 63, 247-259.
Salthouse, T.A. (2010). Is flanker-based inhibition related to age? Identifying specific influences of individual differences on neurocognitive variables. Brain and Cognition, 73,51-61.
White, C.N., Ratcliff, R., & Starns, J.J. (2011). Diffusion models of the flanker task: Discrete versus gradual attentional selection. Cognitive Psychology, 63, 210-238.
Johnstone, S.J. & Galletta, D. (2012). Event-rate effects in the flanker task: ERPs and task performance in children with and without AD/HD. International Journal of Psychophysiology,


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After many years of driving with a spare in all my cars and never needing to use it, aside from when I had my wheel reshaped last year... I removed it to save what seems between 30 and 40lbs.
I am feeling liberated and anxious at the same time. How many of you run without a spare?


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You can choose to spend your tax return in many ways, but there are a few we strongly recommend that will prove useful in the long run.
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posted on 4/20/2018
To help customers make the most out of their tax refund, Lincoln Savings Bank has highlighted several ways to use your tax refund money.
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Did you know there is a new tax deduction for home owners that pay mortgage insurance?
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In our first blog post of the month, we offered up some ideas for using your tax refund wisely. However, we know it's tempting and more fun to splurge and be reckless if you find yourself with a tax refund from Uncle Sam. Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB) has your best interests at heart, so we feel compelled to list out the following no-no's when it comes to your tax refund.
posted on 4/9/2014
The tax deadline is nearing! While many of you have already filed your taxes and had your return deposited into your bank account, our guess is that some of you may be debating what to do with your refund. At Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB), we're all about wise money management, so we've come up with some smart ideas for your tax refund. These ideas are ones that will help you reach your financial goals, so take a look!


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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (WCCO) — A bright holiday tradition in downtown Minneapolis is nearing the end of the road.
The Holidazzle parades have been running down Nicollet Mall since 1992 – the year Mall of America opened in Bloomington — with new competition for downtown retailers.
But the Minneapolis Downtown Council said it's time to "re-imagine the holiday experience downtown" and focus on features that could attract visitors in every season.
"We are taking a step back to really look collectively at the downtown experience, and what we can do to activate the streets 365 days a year," said Leah Wong, spokesperson for the Downtown Council.
This will be the final year for the parades, and there will be far fewer than previous years. They will only run on Friday and Saturday nights this year, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 21.
Holidazzle has drawn an average of 400,000 visitors to the downtown area in the past 21 years. In the early years, the parades would run five or six nights a week.
"It becomes a tradition every time I bring the family here," Nancy Anderson said.
It's meant big money at the end of the year for businesses like Zelo Restaurant. Customers book months in advance for tables by the window.
"For the whole Nicollet Mall, I can probably speak for everyone — any restaurant or hospitality business — it really fills us up," said Zelo General Manager Eric Carrara.
Several Minneapolis residents said it was nice to have an event that set their city apart.
"It's just homey," Annie Brenner said. "It makes the downtown feel a little more like small town."
The Minneapolis Downtown Council has drawn up a "Downtown 2025" plan, which is focused not only on transforming Nicollet Mall. Leaders want the entire downtown to be what they call "consistently compelling" to visitors and residents.
"And so while the holiday experience will look different moving forward, we're very committed to making sure that we have a holiday event that will draw people in," Wong said.
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