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We'd like to welcome a special guest today. In this blog post, Alonna, LovelySkin Lead UX Designer, describes her experience with Viviscal Professional Supplements and her results after using the product for six months.
How did you feel about your hair before taking Viviscal?
Before taking Viviscal, I was starting to feel hopeless about my hair. I had become self-conscious about wearing particular styles and haircuts. I stopped pulling my hair back around my face in fear of exposing the thinning areas around my temples. I also decided to cut my hair short as it would look frail and lifeless after reaching a certain length.
Alonna's hair before using Viviscal Professional Supplements
What made you want to try Viviscal Professional Supplements?
Hereditary hair loss runs strong in my family and, as I get older in age, I've noticed my hair starting to thin and shed at a faster pace. Volumizing hair products, tools and styling techniques were not working and I knew I had to get more serious about finding a healthy, proactive solution.
I first learned about Viviscal while browsing LovelySkin.com for thinning hair products. I initially disregarded the product, thinking it was too intense of a solution for me. However, after hearing more positive reviews and doing some research, I was enlightened to how natural it really is. It is 100% drug free, has natural ingredients and clinically proven results! I was also pleased to learn that it helps with eyelashes and eyebrows, which have also grown sparse with over-plucking and styling.
How did taking Viviscal Professional Supplements affect your daily routine?
In all honesty, remembering to take Viviscal both morning and night was a bit difficult at first. However, after the first month and with the help of my phone alarm, I did form a daily habit. With my sensitive stomach, I also made sure to eat food with the vitamin as precautionary measure, though I never experienced stomach concerns related to Viviscal.
Did you do anything else to help supplement Viviscal Professional Supplements?
To supplement my Viviscal treatments, I used Rene Furterer FORTICEA Stimulating Shampoo, which contains cleansing ingredients to remove product buildup, oil and debris that often slow hair growth. Along with my stimulating shampoo, I also aimed to not wash my hair at least one day out of the week. With my consistent, daily workout schedule and oily complexion, it was a challenge but I was able to make it happen with Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk!
Did you see the results that you hoped to achieve?
I absolutely did! I first started seeing results about 3 to 4 months into using the supplement. After 6 months my hair has grown longer, stronger and has filled out in the areas that were previously thinning! Not only did I see results with my hair, but found that my over-plucked eyebrows had made a comeback and my normally weak and brittle fingernails were stronger and breaking less. On the flip side, I did have to shave my legs a little more than normal, but a side effect that was quite manageable.
Alonna's hair after using Viviscal Professional Supplements
How has your hair care routine changed since you finished taking Viviscal Professional Supplements?
This experience overall has helped me to understand that I need to take care of my hair just as I need to take care of my skin to help with the effects of aging. I now try to wash my hair less, use more gentle styling techniques and use products like Rene Furterer LISSEA Thermal Protecting Smoothing Spray when I style with heat.
I recommend Viviscal Professional Supplements to anyone who has thinning hair issues and wants an easy, healthy solution. Though my 6-month program is over, I will be continuing Viviscal Professional Supplements to maintain thick, full hair for my wedding in one year!
What are your must-have products to combat thinning hair and hair loss? Share with us in the comments below, or tell us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #LovelySkin!
A heat protectant spray that creates softer and smoother strands.
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|Sun / Holidays


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This weekend I was exceptionally lazy. Which is pretty much unheard of because I typically make busy little bees look like couch potatoes. I don't know why but I'm always dashing hither and thither, and seem to thrive despite my insanely long to-do list. I don't particularly enjoy it either, I just seem prone to being an overachiever and overly efficient I suppose.
While I am certainly never going to be satisfied with a sloth-like lifestyle, I did decide to schedule a little rest and relaxation this weekend. I was still productive (I couldn't resist scrubbing all my floors and the majority of my apartment to boot, just because it was looking a little lackluster) but I also spent an equally lovely amount of time in bed reading.
Reading books again is like discovering long lost treasure. I was a voracious reader as a child, and as I grew up and changed from an adolescent to an adult, my social calendar in all its busy glory surreptitiously sucked away my time to indulge in my favorite pleasure. The worst part was that it happened so gradually I never noticed until I went to Hawaii this Christmas! Since then I've been fairly diligent planning reading time before bed.
Saturday AND Sunday morning I rolled over, opened my curtains wide to let the sunshine pour in and grabbed my Kindle which was waiting on my bedside table. I simply adored the luxury of lounging in bed with nothing else to do than read my book (and eventually migrate to my kitchen for my necessary coffee and then back to my bed & book).
Whenever I'm truly happy nothing can keep me away from my kitchen. There is nothing like cooking with sunshine pouring into my kitchen and singing along to country music…my poor poor neighbors, they must absolutely hate me when I'm happy.
This weekend's creations were all apple themed because I had quite a few waiting to be used in my fruit bowl. I resolved to cook with apples more because it makes your house smell like heaven! Inspired by something I saw on pinterest, I decided to try making apple chips. My first try was a spectacular disaster. Please, pleeeeease do yourself and your house a favour and never ever attempt to make apple chips in a toaster oven. I burned mine to a crisp….(literally, charcoal black) and set off the smoke detector, much to my embarrassment. I had to open all the windows in my kitchen to air it out and flee to the sanctuary of my bedroom in shame for quite a while before attempting batch number 2, using my oven this time, which thankfully turned out ok. As my friend Lizzy said, sometimes even the best cooks have to mess up every once in a while.
The secret to making apple chips is to slice your apples very very thinly, cover in cinnamon sugar, bake in an OVEN for 1 hour at 100ºC. Turn them all over and cook another 1 hour (or more) until nice and crispy.
My second recipe was equally delicious, and luckily I nailed it on the first try. I'd really recommend it if you are looking for some yummy comfort food this cold winter!
What you'll need:
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 apple
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
What you'll need to do:
- Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Then coat in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat olive oil in frying pan. Once oil is hot, place chicken breasts in pan and cook until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and place in casserole dish.
- Peel apple and cut into thin slices.
- Add apples to frying pan. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add apple juice, cider vinegar, dijon mustard and rosemary to the pan. Cook together with apples and bring to a simmer.
- Pour this sauce over the chicken.
- Turn on oven to 190ºC (375ºF) and cook for about 30 minutes, basting your chicken occasionally.
- Place chicken on plate, spoon sauce over top and garnish with fresh rosemary. Tada!
Now doesn't that look yummy! I certainly think so! Very easy-peasy to cook too! I would also throw out the recommendation to serve this with a cider instead of white wine. I personally opted for Strongbow and thought the two went great together. Then for dessert I whipped up my favourite chai-spiced rice pudding. A savory way to end a beautifully-lazy weekend!

subset: commoncrawl


text: A friend of mine just copied me a Tool CD. but this is no ordinary Tool CD, it is some people on classical instruments doing Tool covers! Kinda like that one band that did Metallica covers on cellos. But yeah, everyone should get one. If you don't have one, you better be dead, or in jail, and if you're in jail, break out!


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Travel in North America
Trip Planning
The Ann Arbor District Library
The Ann Arbor District Library [1] has an extensive collection of current travel guides that can be checked out. They have all the most popular guides, such as Fodor's, Let's Go, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, etc., for all regions of this country. To get started, search their catalog online [2] by the subject: United States – Guidebooks. To get a borrower card at the Public Library, you just have to give them proof of Ann Arbor residency (such as an envelope with your name and local address on it).
State and National Tourist Offices
All U.S. states have travel and tourism offices. Visit the U.S. Travel and Tourism Sites [3] which may offer free brochures and maps in addition to their online information. Some cities also maintain their own Convention and Visitors Bureaus with information about the city and local events. The Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau [4] is located at 120 W. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, 734.995.7281.
Travel to Canada [5] has links to Canadian tourism and visa information.
Mexico Tourist Information [6]
Local Travel Agencies
Travel agencies sell or provide information on airline tickets, student tours, train passes, car rental, and hotel reservations. For bus travel or for individual train tickets, see Greyhound and Amtrak information below. There is no cost to visit or call a travel agency but there may be a fee if the agency makes a booking for you. Boersma travel is an agency in Ann Arbor that offers special airfare from time to time. Also check STA travel's website for student deals at https://www.statravel.com/ [7] or call 1-800-332-5442.
Boersma Travel
12 Nickels Arcade
Ann Arbor MI 48104
Local Tours
The Outdoor Adventures [8] rental center offers camping and sports equipment rentals to students at very reasonable rates.
American Automobile Association ("Triple A" or AAA)
Once a membership fee is paid, members receive emergency road service, free Travelers Checks, discounts on car rentals or admission tickets to local amusement parks, free tour books and city, state or country maps, as well as other useful information. AAA will also plan the best route for any automobile trip in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. If you are good at doing your own planning, you may not need to join AAA.
AAA Worldwide Travel Service [9] locations:
1200 S. Main, 734.747.7000
2650 Carpenter Rd., 734.973.2800
This section contains information on several major modes of transportation: Train Travel, Bus Travel, and Airlines, and Car Travel.
Train Travel
Amtrak [10]
Amtrak offers train service to most major cities in the United States. The Amtrak Station in Ann Arbor is located at 325 Depot St and can be reached by telephone at 734.994.4906. For routes and schedules, visit the Amtrak [10] web site. Be sure to check out the Hot Deals section to look for reduced prices on certain routes.
VIA Rail Canada [11]
VIA Rail Canada offers train service in Canada only. You can find routes, schedules, and book tickets directly from the Via Rail Canada [11] web site.
Bus Travel
Greyhound Bus Lines [12]
Greyhound offers cross-country bus service as well as service between cities within Michigan. The bus station in Ann Arbor is located at 116 W. Huron St. between Main and Ashley Streets and can be reached by telephone at 734.662.5511. You can find routes, schedules, and book tickets directly from the Greyhound [12] web site.
Megabus [13]
Megabus offers low-cost bus service in the Midwest and Northeast part of the U.S., however currently the only route available from Ann Arbor goes to Chicago. Megabus boasts fares as low as $1 (plus fees) on certain days! Fares vary depending on when you are planning to travel, but often it can be one of the cheapest ways to get to and from Chicago! Unlike the Greyhound buses which makes several stops en route to Chicago, Megabus is direct, which results in a slightly shorter commute. The Megabus picks up in the State Street Park and Ride Lot [14], which is easily accessible with AATA [15] Bus 62.
Green Tortoise [16]
Slow but sure is the rule of thumb here. This company offers long leisurely trips through the U.S. national parks, Alaska, the west coast of the U.S., Mexico and several Central American countries as well as elsewhere in the U.S. Participants work together to set an itinerary, cook meals, etc. Past participants have occasionally reported mechanical problems with the buses, so make sure you are not in a hurry if you sign up! Visit their web site for routes and schedules.
Greyhound of Canada [17]
This bus company is independent of Greyhound USA. Tickets and bus passes for Greyhound of Canada cannot be bought or used in the USA! They can only be purchased at the Greyhound Canada station IN CANADA. Visit their web site for routes and schedules.
Prices and schedules change so quickly in the airline industry that the best idea is to call several airline companies or travel agencies or check out their websites every time you want to take a trip to see what special offers they have. Be sure to ask about frequent flier programs; most airlines will give you a free ticket after you have used that airline a certain number of times. A few on-line travel sites are provided below:
- Priceline.com [18]
- Travelocity.com [19]
- Expedia.com [20]
- Orbitz.com [21]
- Kayak.com [22]
- Hotwire.com [23]
With web sites like Priceline.com [18] and Hotwire.com [23], you find out the name of the airline only after you have purchased the flight. Be sure to read the web site carefully for information about how this process works.
For information on airlines and flights to and from Detroit Metro Airport please visit here [24].
For student airfare, be sure to check out STA Travel [7].
Shuttles to Detroit Metro Airport
Airport taxis and shuttles make it easy to get from your home to the Detroit Metro Airport. Visit the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau [25] web site for a list of companies or the Office of New Student Programs Airport Transportation [26] list.
The Central Student Government (CSG) also offers airport shuttle service called CSG AirBus before and after Thanksgiving, fall, winter and spring breaks. Visit the CSG AirBus [27] web site to learn more about this service.
Car Travel
There are many different companies that rent cars, and they often run special offers.
You must have a valid U.S. driver's license or an International Driver's License to rent a car.
If you already have automobile insurance, please check with your insurance agent regarding whether or how your policy covers you in a rental car. Insurance is also available from the rental car company. Please check with the rental car agent for details.
Zipcar [28]
Zipcar is a car-sharing service that allows you to use designated Zipcar vehicles which are parked in various places around Ann Arbor. You can use Zipcar with a driver's license from outside the U.S. or Canada, see zipcar.com/universities/university-of-michigan [29].
In general, hotels are the most expensive places to stay in North America. Motels are somewhat less expensive. Book hotels online at web sites such as www.hotels.com [30] or www.priceline.com [31]. Alternatively, you could book directly on a hotel's web site. Some examples of lower cost hotel chains include Holiday Inn [32], Best Western [33], and Days Inn [34].
For alternatives to hotels and motels you may consider:
- Camping
- Home hospitality organizations: Some examples include couchsurfing.com/ [35] and joomla.servas.org [36] (click on "travellers" in the main menu)
- Youth Hostels: Search web sites like www.hostelworld.com/ [37], www.hostels.com [38], and www.hihostels.com/ [39]
Further Reading
See the Resources for Travel in North America [40] page on this site for more travel information. Local book stores typically have a travel section where you can find detailed guides on locations all around the world. These books often include great amounts of destination-specific information on the topics covered above and more!


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UPDATE: Grabbed a Vimeo version, watch it while it lasts.
UPDATE: I've replaced the video three times and Warner Brothers has blocked it three times. I'll have to find another more permanent source.
I am taken aback by how good this trailer is. I guess I am now officially optimistic. Editing that Oppenheimer sound bite directly ties this movie to the original fairly anti-American Gojira in 1954. If they actually explore those origins this movie could really be something.


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Shopkins: The tiny faces of a holiday toy craze
Vicki Vanilla. Susie Sausage. Buncho Bananas.
If these names sound like gibberish to you now, consider yourself warned: There's a good chance you'll soon be on a frantic hunt to get them under your Christmas tree.
These tiny plastic characters are part of an explosively growing line of toys called Shopkins, which can perhaps best be described as personified versions of items you'd find at the grocery store or the mall - miniature pastries or high heels with cute faces.
After just over two years on store shelves, Shopkins has become a huge business: Market research firm NPD Group reports that a 12-pack of assorted Shopkins was the single best-selling toy in 2015, edging out items from popular properties such as Star Wars and Barbie. The line's U.S. market share rivals that of established brands such as My Little Pony and American Girl, according to Euromonitor. And so far this year, Shopkins has seen a 98 percent increase in sales.
As with any toy craze - Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, Skylanders - it's hard to pinpoint exactly why these characters have captured kids' attention and parents' wallets to the extent they have. But industry analysts say that much of it has to do with finding a niche in the noisy toy marketplace that wasn't being filled.
Shopkins are designed to be collectibles. Like baseball cards or Pokémon, you trade them with your friends. There are rare characters that keep you constantly scouring the toy store, hoping to add to your trove.
Prior to Shopkins' arrival, "there really hadn't been a strong collectible for girls," said Laurie Schacht, co-publisher at toy review site The Toy Insider.
Indeed, that was an opening that executives at Moose Toys noticed when they decided to develop Shopkins, whose primary audience is 6- to 10-year-old girls. The relatively small Australian toy company had seen some healthy sales for a boy-centric line called Trash Pack, a collectible set of what chief executive Paul Solomon describes as "gross little characters who live in garbage cans."
"We saw the opportunity to come out with more of a girl-skewed or girl-themed line," Solomon said.
At a moment when properties such as Lego, Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are relying on movie tie-ins to boost sales, Shopkins has taken a different tack, relying heavily on YouTube to connect with kids. From the get-go, the brand has posted one- or two-minute cartoons on the video site - short bits that can easily be watched on a smartphone or tablet. Collectively, the videos have been viewed some 100 million times.
"We call it snackable content," Solomon said.
That's not the only way YouTube fueled the rise of Shopkins: They have also become popular subjects for so-called unboxing videos, where people film themselves opening a new item. The company has recently pushed to expand its media tie-ins, releasing a full-length movie on DVD this fall.
In this era of fast fashion and same-day delivery, Shopkins has made it a practice to introduce new toys at a breakneck pace. It rolls out an army of new characters about every six months, betting that a focus on freshness is important at a moment when kids (and parents) have so many programming and toy choices. Jim Silver, chief executive of toy review site TTPM, said this strategy may be another reason the brand has gained traction.
"You can go back to Beanie Baby, how that lasted for many years," Silver said. "What was part of the key is continually refreshing the lines."
The price point doesn't hurt either, Silver said. Some items in the line are priced at $2.99, and Solomon says 80 percent of sales are on items that cost $19.99 or less. That means it's the kind of thing kids can buy with their allowance money.
It's hard to know whether Shopkins has sparked a broader wave of interest in collectibles, or has simply been the beneficiary of it. But, either way, NPD has found that the category has "significant momentum" heading into the important holiday selling season, with sales up 64 percent so far this year. Juli Lennett, NPD's toy industry analyst, says there is especially strong growth in sales of what are known as "blind bags," where you buy a toy pack not knowing which characters are inside.
Retailers appear to be anticipating a big holiday season haul for the brand: Walmart, Toys R Us, Target and Kmart each have some Shopkins property on their "hot toy" lists for the season. Toys R Us has also launched "store within a store" areas for Shopkins at all of its locations that peddle Shopkins and Shopkins-bedecked bedding, jewelry, bicycles and other goods.
To be sure, though, the tiny toys will be up against some stiff competition. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is set to hit theaters Dec. 16, providing a jolt of momentum to that property. Old-school toys such as games and puzzles have seen monster sales growth so far this year, so items such as Pie Face and Pie Face Showdown are likely to draw big dollars, too.
And then there's Hatchimals, a new toy from a company called Spinmaster in which a fuzzy, dancing-and-singing creature hatches from an egg. Stores were starting to run out of Hatchimals in early November, and the $59.99 toy is already popping up on eBay with three- and four-figure price tags. Silver said he predicts Hatchimals will sell three times as many units as Tickle Me Elmo did in its 1996 holiday heyday.


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Halloween Costume of the Year: Taito's Elevator Action from 1983
I haven't dressed up in costumes much in my life. And if I'm going to do a thing, I like to do it big. So, this year I decided to make my own costume, anticipating going to West Hollywood's insane 500,000 person strong Halloween Parade. I decided to make a fully playable, original ROM version of my favorite coin-op arcade game, Taito's "Elevator Action" from 1983.
I built it using a tablet pc running XP, the MAME emulator, original Elevator Action ROM, real arcade controls, Ultimarc I-PAC controller interface, inner wireframe truss (that I made), and a universal laptop battery delivering 3.5 hours of mobile fun! Also, not necessarily visible in the photos, but a very nice touch, the marquee sign does in fact light up!
Here are the assembly photos:
And photos from the event:
Thanks go to Michelle for helping motivate me to create a costume, a huge thanks to my buddy Matt, without his help and more importantly his encouragement I wouldn't have gotten it done in time (if at all)! And thanks to Andy at Ultimarc for the last-minute fast shipping, and for producing the controller board without which I'd have no clue how to build this thing.
My Vegetarian Halloween Party 2009
I had a big Halloween potluck and costume contest at my place, for my friends in my Vegetarian Dining Club, Dating English Style, and Realities Singles. Had about 50 people. Costumes were encouraged, but not required. The best costume was worn by Fred, and he won the grand prize, an As Seen On TV Snuggy (tm).


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News that the UK will seek to maintain its existing customs union arrangements with the EU for a transitional period after Brexit will be welcomed by big business.
The priority for those companies exporting and importing goods from the EU has been to avoid a "cliff edge" effect.
They want to be sure that, after Brexit, they may continue with a trade in goods that is, in the jargon, as "frictionless" as possible and avoids, for instance, a build-up of trucks at channel ports while safety checks are carried out and customs paperwork completed.
Accordingly, there has been a broad welcome from the likes of the British Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses to the announcement, as well as trade bodies such as the British Retail Consortium and the ADS, which represents the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors.
However, getting to even this position is going to be far from straightforward, given that such a deal will need the blessing of the European Commission.
It, as its chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was quick to note on Tuesday, wants to concentrate on securing the post-Brexit rights of EU citizens in Britain, achieving a financial settlement with Britain and resolving the Irish border issue before going on to discuss customs and trading arrangements.
Moreover, for some businesses, the UK Government's own proposals are likely to entail more bureaucracy and not less.
Central to the longer-term arrangement, following the transition period, would be measures to prevent goods that do not comply with EU regulations from being imported into the UK for onward sale to the EU.
That could entail a lot of hassle for importers and exporters as they have to prove that goods they are exporting are not, if they do not comply with EU rules, ultimately destined for the EU.
It looks a form-filler and box-ticker's charter. As one (Other OTC: IUSDF - news) wag put it, the proposals would simply replace red tape with red, white and blue tape.
Those exporters who supported Brexit, meanwhile, are likely to find little in these proposals to like.
They supported Brexit because they wanted to swiftly strike free trade deals with the likes of the US, Canada, India and Australia. A transitional arrangement along the lines proposed would put the completion of such deals way into the 2020s.
Lastly, the bigger question is what happens with services, which account for 80% of UK GDP.
In some ways, this is less pressing, as the single market has yet to be completed in many services.
But some key export earners, especially the financial services industries, are anxious that the Government sets out its thinking for their sectors quickly.


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Zenith Nutrition Magnesium Citrate Powder Review
Magnesium is a vital mineral of human body. It is an essential part of more than 300 biochemical reactions, which occur in our body. It is also responsible for good cardio vascular health. It promotes a healthy immune system and maintains proper nerve and muscle function. Magnesium also keeps our heart beat steady and strengthens bone structure. As important as magnesium is for our body, it is generally not possible to get its recommended quantity…Read More


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Gainesville Hogs on to State Championship
The Gainesville rugby club will be advancing to State Championships this weekend, April 21st. For anyone in the Stuart area, come watch the Hogs take on West Palm at 1pm. Here's the link: Florida Rugby State Championship
*Training Tuesday April 17th at Squirrel Ridge Park, 6pm.
Training Thursday April 19th at Hal Brady, 8pm.


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Classic Computers Cover Classic Rock
Covering songs with the assistance of household objects is certainly something that's been done on YouTube time and time again, and yet, it somehow never gets old — unless we're talking about songs being covered by old computers.
This particular cover of The Doors' classic "Break On Through (To the Other Side)," which does indeed skillfully utilize old computers for instrumentals, has two iterations — one with just instrumentals and one with a robotic speech program talking through the lyrics, the latter of which drives home even further just how unique and specialized this version of the song is.
Uploader bd594 is no stranger to old school computer remixes, with his 2012 Gotye cover drawing nearly four million views.


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Creating a peaceful oasis in your own backyard is every homeowner's dream, but it is not something that occurs without effort. Spring is the best time to get started on a Japanese garden project and pick up Zen fountains, Buddha statues and other supplies. But you may not be aware of what Japanese garden is supposed to look like. Fortunately, there are countless books available on this subject alone.
The Japanese take their gardens and Zen décor very seriously and they go about the design of a garden in very deliberate ways, but there is no one method for creating your own. Your backyard garden may look very different from someone else's, depending on the space you have available.
Looking at many of the Japanese garden accessories available at Chopa.com, it's clear that the Zen garden is unlike the typical American garden. The use of color and assorted flora is usually kept to a minimum, and many are simply done with various rocks, boulders and sand. Garden fountains and Buddha statues add focal points throughout the landscape, and are often accented by a few brilliant flowers or greens.
What are the most important elements of a Zen or Japanese garden?
- Rock and stone forms – a symbol of strength and durability, rocks are often used as the focal point in a Japanese garden design. A combination of rough and smooth, large and small stones can give your garden an appealing look.
- Gravel or sand – in a dry Japanese rock garden, the gravel and sand line is used to represent water, with wavy lines and concentric circles symbolizing the movement of the water.
- Ornamental features – many of which include stone lanterns or Buddha statuary – are an important feature of any Japanese style garden.
- Water features, such as a water basin or small Japanese fountain, are often used to add interest to a Zen garden space. Adding water to an otherwise dry rock garden exhibits the essence of Japanese style.
If you want to create a quick and easy Japanese garden, it helps to start in an area that has a wall on one or two sides – or a secluded location in the corner of the yard. Anything that can help to define the borders of the garden will add to its intimacy.
To find out more about Japanese garden supplies, including beautiful Zen fountains and Buddha statues, visit Chopa.com.


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Guillermo Del Toro's magnificent movie monsters first come into being on the pages of ornate sketchbooks created by the director. Get an inside look at his gorgeous creative process in this video from The New Yorker, which shows how the Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth, the Elemental from Hellboy II and other fantastical creatures came to life on-screen.
For more on Del Toro, read "Show the Monster," Daniel Zalewski's profile of the master horror storyteller.
See Also:
- Straight to Hellboy: Translating a Dark World From Sketch to Screen
- Guillermo Del Toro Will Make You Afraid of the Dark
- QA: Hobbit Director Guillermo Del Toro on the Future of Film


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It looks like Gavin & Stacey won't be coming to the U.S. after all. Rumors of an American remake have been circulating for just over two years and word on the street was ABC had a pilot in the works in 2009. However, The Sun says the network is no longer interested.
"It's a massive shame as we had high hopes for the show," a source said. "We loved the idea of seeing how the characters would have worked across the pond."
For those not quite in the know, BBC America's Gavin & Stacey is a fabulous romantic comedy that captures the perils of a long distance relationship between Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). Joanna lives in the Welsh suburb of Barry, just outside of Cardiff, while Gavin resides in Essex, England. On the American flipside, there were talks that the show would have been set in New Jersey and South Carolina.
Here's hoping an amiable cable network picks this up. American versions for The Office and Queer as Folk have done extremely well, just to name a couple.
Would you like to see an American version of Gavin & Stacey?Read More


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The Bow Tie Guy Tip of the Day: Don't wait around for your life to happen to you. Find something that makes you happy and do it. Everything else is just background noise. — George Mason
The Bow-Tie-Guy Tip of the Day:
Filed under advocacy, Advocate, Bow Tie Guy, Caregiving, Unconditional Love


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Not really a surprise because Dangerous Girls was the book that made me love the mystery genre.
3. You're not feeling yourself and need a pick me up. Which book do you read to put yourself in a great mood?
4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years. What book would you most likely have caught yourself reading?
5. Your friend surprises you with a 4 day trip and you have 1 hour to pack. Which book do you bring to read on the way?
6. Your house has been robbed! Don't worry - everyone is safe, but your bookshelf has been raided. What's the book you really hope is safe?
7. Your friend borrows a book and returns it in awful condition. Do you a) Just pretend you haven't noticed b) Ask them to repurchase it or c) Secretly do the same to something of theirs?


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Our oceans cover over 70% of the globe's surface. The solar energy that is received by the oceans is mainly absorbed and converted into heat, due to the low reflectivity, or albedo, of the ocean. This heat is trapped in the upper layer of the ocean, above the thermocline, which is the transition layer between the mixed layer at the surface and the deep water layer. The ocean is very cold below the thermocline. This cold water is replenished by the global ocean conveyor belt, the thermohaline cycle, bringing the cold water all the way from the artics. As such, the tropical ocean can be seen as a huge, constantly charging, thermal battery.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature difference between the surface and deep layers to generate electricity. The energy production with OTEC is very constant, as the temperatures in the ocean hardly vary between day and night or even between the seasons. This makes OTEC a very reliable source of energy that can be easily integrated into the electricity grid.


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What Do Engineers Do?
Engineers: They're Math Ninjas, Science Samurais, and More
You say "engineer" and I say "math ninja."
You say "engineer" and I say "logical thinker" and "creative problem solver."
You say "engineer" and I say "science samurai."
Yep, you've got that right. Thank heaven for engineers—wonderful, under-appreciated, and (let's be honest here) well-paid engineers.
If you value the efficiencies and conveniences of your modern life, you can thank engineers. Many of us, however, are barely aware of the sheer value of their contributions. We don't know what engineers actually do.
So What Is an Engineer?
If you look in a textbook for a simple explanation of what engineers do, you're likely to find a definition similar to this one:
Engineers creatively apply scientific and technological principles to
- design or develop structures, machines, equipment, or apparatuses, or
- improve manufacturing or other processes.
What this really means is that engineers find creative ways to take science out of the lab and apply it in ways so that you and I can benefit. They apply their scientific knowledge to solve problems.
Engineering is about creating things. Whether it is traditional, physical buildings — from bridges and robots to power transmission systems and race cars — or a 'virtual' product like Facebook or an iPhone app, engineering requires you to conceive of something that doesn't yet exist, and then make it happen. ... It's about inventing, creating, and building.— Mikell Taylor, Robotics Engineer
Engineers design and develop
- the tools that entertain and connect us with one another
- the technologies that keep us safe and comfortable
- the systems that transport us across town or to elsewhere in our galaxy
- the devices that help detect, monitor, and treat illness and injury and enhance our quality of life
- the structures that shelter us, and
- the processes that deliver electricity, fossil fuels, and every other type of energy to power our modern lives.
Engineers Make Products and Processes . . .
more energy efficient
less variable (more consistent)
less harmful to the environment
more resilient
more useful
more cost effective
Examples of Engineers' Impact on Society
Engineers have helped to create . . .
social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn
plant-based textiles and bio-plastics
3D printing of animatronics, prosthetic limbs and artificial organs
post-consumer recycled paper and greener packaging technologies
our transportation infrastructure
the electrical grid and its energy alternatives
clean, safe drinking water
robots that perform IED (improvised explosive device) disposal
tele-robots that locate people after disasters, perform surgeries, or work underwater to turn off a valve (e.g., on an oil rig)
alternative energy sources for automobiles (e.g, high energy, rechargeable batteries)
cardio-pulmonary stethoscope to predict heart failure
more durable asphalt and greener concrete
structures that are resistant to high wind, earthquakes, etc.
space travel and underwater exploration
Why Study Engineering? Several Fortune 500 CEOs Weigh In
Civil Engineers: Building Our Future
Who designs roller coasters that are not only structurally sound but also provide the adrenaline rush that amusement park goers seek?
And who can we rely on to design buildings that resist the damage of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods?
Civil engineers are the masterminds who plan, design, and oversee construction and maintenance of public and private-owned infrastructure and public works, including:
- buildings and power plants
- roads, tunnels, railways, and bridges
- water supply and sewage systems
- airports and
- levees, ports, dams and reservoirs.
Can you imagine going about your daily life without the life-affirming impact of civil engineers?
On a day-to-day basis, the job relies heavily upon analytical and problem solving skills, particularly in the project planning phase. During project planning, civil engineers review survey reports, maps, blueprints, aerial photography, and other topographical or geologic data.
They also typically
- direct and participate in surveying in advance of construction
- perform tests on soils and building materials, and
- assemble cost estimates and submit compliance documents such as deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.
Given the particularly critical nature of the nation's transportation infrastructure, the career outlook for civil engineers is very positive.
Mechanical Engineers: Engineers in Motion
If you couldn't do without your automobile, air conditioning, or smart phone, you owe a debt of gratitude to mechanical engineers (among others) who make these technologies a reality.
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, as well as one of the largest and oldest. Mechanical engineers create and build mechanical devices, often helping to take a product from concept to marketplace.
Their expertise comes from a knowledge of mechanical systems as well as the following:
- materials
- solid and fluid mechanics
- thermodynamics
- heat transfer
- control
- instrumentation
- design, and
- manufacturing.
On a day-to-day basis mechanical engineers may
- Analyze blueprints, technical drawings and schematics.
- Structurally design products.
- Troubleshoot manufacturing problems. Investigate system, equipment, or product failures.
- Recommend and implement design modifications/improvements.
- Document design details.
Chemical Engineers: Delivering Solutions
What do each of the following have in common?
- gasoline and biofuel
- vaccines and antibiotics
- plastics and adhesives and
- the catalytic converter.
Chemical engineers made each of these innovations possible.
Chemical engineering is a remarkable profession. It can take the smallest of discoveries in laboratories — from all fields of science and technology — and replicate them on a mass scale, consistently and economically.— David Brown, IChemE's Chief Executive
From biotechnology to pulp and paper ... from chemical processing to energy ... from food and beverages to electronics ... chemical engineers are employed in a broad range of industries. In general terms, chemical engineering is concerned with
- how to combine or separate chemicals to achieve an intended result
- how to store, transport and handle chemicals safely and
- how to recycle or dispose of them.
On a day-to-day basis, chemical engineers apply their knowledge of physics, chemistry and engineering principles to solve a variety of problems. For example, they may:
- develop safety procedures for employees who work with chemical processes
- troubleshoot chemical manufacturing processes
- perform chemical testing to monitor performance throughout the production process
- evaluate the chemical manufacturing process for compliance and
- research and implement process improvement recommendations.
Electrical Engineers: They Get a Charge out of Their Careers
Electrical engineers are the brainiacs behind a variety of electrically powered products and systems. They design and develop equipment that supplies, generates or transmits electricity. If you appreciate the following, you can thank electrical engineers:
- lighting and wiring in buildings
- radar and navigation systems
- broadcast and communications systems
- electric motors
- machinery controls and
- power generation and transmission equipment, such as that used by electric utilities.
On a day-to-day basis, electrical engineers may:
- plan electrical circuits and wiring
- test electrical products, installations, and systems to diagnose and correct malfunctions
- make design improvements
- oversee electrical maintenance and
- design, develop, test, and supervise electrical equipment manufacturing.
Want to Know More? Additional Engineering Resources
O*NET Online
Need to know what the needed knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics are for an occupation? This large database provides a career outlook, as well as a job description, wages, related occupations, and links to actual job openings.
Professional Societies
These professional organizations can help you gain insight into the types of projects, priorities, resources, and technological advances that are relevant to the engineering discipline. Student memberships may also be available.
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- Institution of Chemical Engineers
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
This government resource describes pay rates and where the highest concentration of jobs are in the United States for engineers.
Funny Tidbit: Engineers Make Upgrades Everywhere They Go
An engineer dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter checks his dossier and says, "Ah, you're an engineer. I'm sorry, but you're in the wrong place."
So, the engineer reports to the gates of Hell and is welcomed in. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in Hell and begins designing and building improvements. After awhile, they've got air conditioning, flush toilets, and escalators. Obviously, the engineer is a pretty popular guy.
One day, God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, "So, how's it going down there in Hell?"
Satan replies, "Hey, things are going great. We've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators. There's no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next."
God replies, "What?!? You've got an engineer? That's a mistake—he should never have gotten down there; send him back up here immediately."
Satan says, "No way. I like having an engineer on staff, and I'm keeping him."
God says, "Send him back up here or I'll sue."
Satan laughs uproariously and answers, "Yeah, right. And just where are YOU going to get a lawyer?"
—Source Unknown
Engineering Quotes
"Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them."
—James A. Michener, American author
"What we usually consider as impossible are simply engineering problems ... there's no law of physics preventing them."
—Michio Kaku, American theoretical physicist
"The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds."
—Theo Jansen, Dutch artist
"The story of civilization is, in a sense, a story of engineering -- that long and arduous struggle to make the forces of nature work for man's good."
—Lyon Sprague de Camp, American science fiction writer
"Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world."
—Isaac Asimov, American author
"Scientists study the world as it is, engineers create the world that never has been."
—Theodore von Karman, Hungarian-American NASA engineer
"The scientist discovers a new type of material or energy and the engineer discovers a new use for it."
—Gordon Lindsay Glegg, Scottish mechanical engineer
"This is not the age of pamphleteers. It is the age of engineers. The spark-gap is mightier than the pen. Democracy will not be salvaged by men who talk fluently, debate forcefully and quote aptly."
—Lancelot Hogben, British zoologist
"There can be little doubt that in many ways the story of bridge building is the story of civilisation. By it we can readily measure an important part of a people's progress."
—Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President
Reader Poll
You and an engineer will be banished to a deserted island. You can choose what type of engineer you will take with you. Which will it be? (Tell us why in the Comments Section below!)
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
Questions & Answers
© 2014 FlourishAnyway
Comments: Tell Us What You Appreciate Most About Engineers
I am still laughing at that joke. We would not enjoy the lifestyles of today with safe buildings, drinking water, pharmaceuticals, and so much more if it were not for engineers. We should have songs that celebrate them!
I am in awe of those who call themselves engineers. How different our lives would be if those who pursue this career were not on the planet. Hoping many of our young ones decide to choose this as a life's work.
Angels once again on the way ps
Wow! Very in-depth article. I liked your poll questions, too...lol. I once dated an Engineer. Very logical, and non-emotional. But, he was extremely intelligent and reliable, I must say! If I was having a down-day, he'd go and install a brand new electrical fixture for me. I didn't get much of a shoulder to cry on, but my house was in excellent condition, inside and out. Ha haha...
Engineers certainly make the world go around and without them we wouldn't have much technology. A career in engineering is both demanding and rewarding. The decisions that engineers make when they are designing things can often literally be a matter of life or death. You mentioned roller coaster designers in your article - It reminds of something I recently heard on the news where a child died on a roller coaster that was not designed by a qualified engineer. That designer has now been arrested.
I loved your joke as well. Here's one for you that I've said on more than one occasion:
Is the glass half full or half empty?
An Optimist Says: "It's half full."
A Pessimist Says: "It's half empty."
An Engineer Says: "The glass is twice as large as it needs to be"
Great Article!
Thank you for your comment, Flourish. I have thought about such things but my age and my health have been kind of taking a toll on me. January was a terrible month health wise and I am in remission on my facial pain, but I have anxiety anywhere I go that this may be the time that it returns. Congrats to your daughter. We need more people like her to get manufacturing back into this country.
I just love this article. There is no doubt that engineers bring the world to life. I worked in manufacturing for 30 years and I worked closely with engineers in one of my jobs. I developed a riveting process for a contact on a little part that engineers in that company were unable to do for 30 years. My developing that process made 3/4 of a million dollars a year for that company. I made the original tooling to assemble the workings of a hand held bar code scanner by working with mechanical engineers. In my manufacturing career I put flint tubes in cigarette lighters, work on parts for shrimp boats, worked on large valves, a part that went in the space shuttle, a part for the stealth bomber, and numerous other parts. My work was stressful at times but rewarding.
Very good article. Loved all the information. Thanks
Engineers certainly are important people in what they achieve in making our lives a better place in which to live. I am still laughing over that joke near the end. Ha ha! Giving this a share.
Hi Flourish - This is surely an intellectual subject to undertake with excellent results. It could easily arouse interest in the engineering field. I know a girl who is an engineer and also a Type I diabetic. She is a recent graduate, and I often wonder how she is doing. She is highly paid and lives in Kansas City. I admire any person who goes into this specialized field and appreciate your breakdown of the different kinds of engineers. Your technical article impresses me. Pinning. Blessings. Audrey
Being engineer myself, I just loved reading your hub. Great thumbnail Images, Engineers are no doubt out-shiners, creative's and full of effervescence !!
Whether its civil, electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, mining, chemical or any kind !! Engineers make us proud through innovation and we do not get bored of so many things attached to our lives!
Very interesting information about engineers. My father is an engineer, he is one of the smartest person I know.
Awesome and detailed information on engineers. It's absolutely impossible to think of any technological advancement without these under estimated and less sung community.
And the hub presentation is absolutely first class.
Congrats, Flourish.
This is an interesting overview of different types of engineers and their achievements. There are lots of engineers in Peru but not enough work for all of them. The engineers who work with mining do well, but it´s too bad they´re destroying the earth. Still, I know engineers do much good. I will go hug an engineer today! : )
Once again another fantastically written article! Ha ha I love the mushy gushy emotions reference, my dad has his major in engineering and yeh he's not great with emotions!
Excellent Hub on the field of engineering. I have a daughter who is an engineer, and works at Boeing Aircraft. She is highly intelligent, and never have settled for just any career. I do think these people have high IQ's.
Let's hope some women get inspired.
What a great article you've created here, FlourishAnyway. Extremely useful for teenagers considering career choices. I'll be suggesting a few take a closer look at your lists. Thank you. :)
Awesome article and what a grand tribute to engineers!
And I say this, not because I belong to a family of five, in which excluding me, all are engineers, but I truly believe in them and their contribution to mankind. My husband is a mechanical engineer, whereas in two of my sons, one is an electronics engineer and the younger one a mechanical engineer. My daughter is a software engineer.
It's a very well presented and unique hub, acknowledging their work and contribution for the development of society.
A well deserved HOTD! Thanks and votes up!
Congrats FlourishAnyway! You the One!
Congratulations for HOTD. A lot of very interesting stuff here that I'm sure an engineer will have a good laugh over some of it. Enjoyed Thanks.
Congrats, Flourish on HOTD! My brother is an electrical engineer so I really enjoyed reading about his profession and all the different types of engineers. Great, fun information and love the pictures too! Thumbs up!
Good Hub. I am a retired engineer and my son is an engineer. Keep up the good work.
Hey, thanks, Flourish, for the best wishes.
This one is educational and funny, Flourish. I had to laugh at the Engineering joke at the end. I'll be sending this one to Facebook so my brother, the Electrical Engineer will get a spark out of it. Oh, and the hug an engineer was great, too. Congratulations on Hub of the Day. Well done.
I'm sure you've cleared up the job description for engineer for many. I use to think it was just the driver of a train. Good job, and congratulations!
Excellent hub and tribute to Engineers! And congrats on HOTD!!! My uncle and cousin are a civil engineers, and my great uncle was an engineer as well. If stranded on an island, I'd prefer to have one of each :D They all have their strengths and specialties that are extremely valuable! Voted Up!
Great job on the Hub of the Day! The quote you used really sums it up..."conceive of something that doesn't yet exist, and then make it happen." Engineers are truly awesome and worth the big bucks that they earn. Voted up and interesting.
Have to share on more insight into the way an engineer's mind works. My dad worked on a project in the Carter Administration that got moved to a California-based firm when Reagan got elected. When it item was first used in combat a few years later, I asked Dad what he thought. He answered, "I'm glad it still worked."
I had not sppreciTed how creative engineers are tntil I read this hub. Thanks for the eye opener.
Hi Flourish,
You say engineer and I say "I was there once and regret not being in it".
What a useful/informative, funny, awesome, beautiful, and an interesting article all at the same time! You have captured everything relating to the introductory world of engineering in a very captivating manner. Hats off to you!
Btw, a former boss while introducing me to the members of senior executive committee had said, "Suhail is a civil engineer by education, regulatory compliance specialist by profession, and a nature conservationist by choice." I loved that intro and have been carrying it for job interviews and creating profiles on websites, such as the one on Hubpages, ever since then lol.
So powerful was your article that it took me back thinking about the glorious days of my active days in civil engineering world.
Hey, congratulations to you!
BIG congrats on Hub of the Day Award! Well deserved, as always!
Kathleen your joke about the child going to the doctor is LOL funny. Thanks for sharing.
Flourish congratulation on HOTD voted up, interesting, funny, useful, beautiful, and awesome. I all put it on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ because I think it will be very inspirational for anyone trying to interest their child in a STEM field. You come across as having a good sense of humor, energetic, and extroverted in this Hub; a little unusual for an Engineer--I love it! Well done.
Hooray for engineers! You're quite the cheerleader. What an excellent article. Wish I would have read this when I was in high school (although much of the content would have been science fiction back then). Engineering is a very popular major at our local university due to the job market, especially one large local employer, as well as our proximity to Houston (although I'm not sure where all those NASA engineers are working now). Congratulations on well-deserved Hub of the Day honors today!
Flourish: Glad you mentioned the humor about engineers. My Dad, husband, and both sons either are or have degrees in engineering (aerodynamic, fluids, electrical and mechanical). Sounds like your family. This hub is a great tribute to them. But you know from living with one the challenges you face trying to peacefully co-exist in a household with one! A mother takes her toddler to the doctor. "Doctor, I can't leave him alone in any room. He will take apart anything mechanical he can get his hands on." "That's serious," says the doctor. "Will he live a normal life?" asks the Mom. "No," says the Doctor. "He'll be an engineer."
This is an excellent article! Very well-written and thoroughly enjoyable. I know an engineer, so this really hits home because it is right on!
Woo hoo, Flourish ... Congrats on the HOTD!!! Well-deserved no doubt!
Hi @FlourishAnyway! I use to be a Computer Science Engineer before I joined HubPages and became a Children's Story Book Author and Story Teller. Computer Science, Engineering was a challenge and I got a kick out of it! I helped to Optimize PrePaid Phone cards and constructed programs that developed certain Robotics especially the cellular telephone. This was awesome, however, today I totally enjoy what I do. And this is writing and writing some more wherever I have the opportunity.
With the rapid pace and increasing size in engineering activities and projects, the world is facing greater environmental pollution issues affecting the air, water, soil, noise, etc. Again engineers, including environmental engineers, have made significant contributions in controlling this environmental problem, towards ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. You have captured the main engineering fields very well. This interesting article is brief but concise, supported with excellent videos, making it a good reference for encouraging more students to become engineers of the future.
Congrats on Hub of the Day!
Nice article! Don't know much about engineers but their moto is the best! :)
Engineers are geniuses: They make our daily lives simpler day by day. Who knows, may be in future we'll be able to book hotels in space:)
So often we don't give much thought to engineers and you chose to enlighten me here. A well-researched and very useful hub. Voted up, interesting.
Yes, indeed, engineers make things happen in our world! Sometimes the title "engineer" is also given to those troubleshoot and diagnose the equipment and systems that the designing "engineers" create. Technically, they should be called "mechanics."
Though they might be considered "mechanical engineers," "plant engineers" are getting more attention these days, too, as green buildings become more of the norm.
Great review of these careers that definitely need to be "sold" to younger generations as possible paths. Voted up, awesome and interesting!
Your hub really does open your yes to all the areas of life that affect
I have a Brother in law who is an engineer. I would take a Civil Engineer on the island. Great and interesting information.
Very good article, one of your very best. We hear the word "engineer" a lot, but most of us are a little foggy as to what these men and women actually do. You're right, we owe them a lot of gratitude. Without an engineer, we wouldn't be reading this article online.
Actually I do know a couple of engineers but never not really what they did. I do know they make really good money! Guess I see why. ^+
Wow thank you for this informative hub. My son in New Zealand went back to university when he turned 40 and today he got his Mechanical Engineers degree and now I know at least what he has been swatting for for the last 4 years. Great work
I have a cousin who's an engineer and I didn't have a clue of what he did until I read this hub! Now I see why he's such a math wiz! Great information and a delightful read (as always). Voted up!
What a great hub! I remember watching Professor Brian Cox, one of our top scientists over here in England, say that they need people to go into science more these days, and most people find being an engineer as boring, his words as he explained it, but he went on to mention some of yours here and yes its exciting, fascinating and well what a great job! so many different fields, this will certainly help people when they are looking for jobs in this area, nice one!
You say "engineer" and I say "logical thinker" and "creative problem solver." - I agree with you :* Voted up :)


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Click here to go back to the T In The Park Wiki Page
The daily programme has not yet been fully released but we can confirm the following:
Thursday 5th
- Slam Tent: Jackmaster, Spencer, Boom Monk Ben, Vitamins, Deadly Rhythm
Friday 6th
- Main Stage: Snow Patrol, Florence + The Machine, The Darkness
- Radio 1/ NME Stage: Tinie Tempah
- King Tuts Tent: New Order
- Slam Tent: Sven Vath, Slam
- Transmissions Stage: Pulled Apart By Horses
- Unknown Stage: Example, Professor Green, Kaiser Cheifs, The Temper Trap, The Darkness, Miike Snow, Labrinth, Tribes, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Cher Lloyd, Feeder, Hilltop Hoods, King Charles, Olly Murs, The cribs, The Jezabels, The Parlotones
Saturday 7th
- Main Stage: The Stone Roses, Simple Minds TBC, The Dryburgh Soul Band
- Slam Tent: Major Lazer (Live), Skream feat Sgt Pokes, Erol Alkan, Benga (Live), Fake Blood, Crookers, Jack Beats (live), DJ Yoda, Clouds
- Unknown Stage: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, The Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club, Emeli Sande, Ben Howard, Amy McDonald, The Courteeners, The Maccabees, Enter Shikari, Rizzle Kicks, The Wailers, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Blood Red Shoes, Childish Gambino, Cover Drive, Django Django, Here We Go Magic, J.Cole, Lonsdale Boys Club, Mull Historical Society, Ren Harvieu, Shed Seven, StooShe, The Minutes, We Are Augustines
- Transmissions Stage Peter Doherty, Alabama Shakes
- The Stand Up Comedy Club Tom Stade, Mark Nelson, Damien Crow, John Gavin and Billy Kirkwood
Sunday 8th
- Main Stage: Kasabian, Nicki Minaj, Keane, Nicola Benedetti
- Slam Tent: Orbital, Dubfire, Joris Voorn, Paul Kalkbrenner (Live), Simian Mobile Disco, Maya Jane Coles, Len Faki, Pan-Pot, Gary Beck, Hans Bourrmyhire.
- Transmissions Stage: The Horros, Little Roy, Spector, Band Of Skulls, Howler
- Unknown Stage: Elbow, Chase & Status, Skrillex, Happy Mondays, James Morrison, Frank Turner, The Enemy, Miles Kane, The Wanted, Maverick Sabre, Twin Atlantic, Christina Perri, Devlin, Bellowhead, Bombay Bicycle Club, Dog Is Dead, Fun, Lawson, McFly, Nero, Reverend And The Makers, Rita Ora, Swedish House Mafia, The Beautiful Word, The Chevine, The Coronas, The Milk, The Subways, Zulu Winter
- The Stand Up Comedy Club Tom Stade, Keir McAllister, Jay Lafferty, The Wee Man and Chris Forbes
Day TBC
- Slam Tent Teengirl Fantasy
- Transmissions Stage Dawes
- T Break Stage Andreson McGinty Webster Ward and Fisher, Bacchanal Party, Beerjacket, Blank Canvas, Brown Bear & The Bandits, Capitals, Chris Devotion and the Expectations, Crusades, Davey Horne, Nevada Base, Open Swimmer, Randolphs Leap, Roman Nose, TeKlo, The Machine Room, The Mirror Trap
- Unknown Stage: Alt-J, Jake Bugg, Josh Osho, St Lucia.
Sunset Strip Entertainment
Organisers are hugely excited to announce a brand spanking new entertainment area called Sunset Strip – a dual purpose area that straddles the arena and the campsite and will become the ultimate party destination for both campers and day ticket holders. Sunset Strip is bigger and bolder than any T in the Park campsite entertainment zone ever before, and will be fuelling the festival fun and hosting top notch performances throughout the 4-day weekend in three incredible entertainment areas – the relocated Slam Tent, all-new Cabaret Club and the Sunset Club.
Festival goers can witness something truly spectacular in the Sunset Club. Describing themselves as Quentin Tarantino directing Cirque Du Soleil, Dr Haze & the Circus of Horrors have toured the world gaining cult status. Dragging circus screaming and shouting into the 21st century and beyond and featuring some of the world's most bizarre and extraordinary performers, an incredible show at T in the Park is guaranteed. Performance collective Bearded Kitten are a huge hit with festival fans, and return to T in the Park to host an opening extravaganza on the Thursday night, as well as a variety of entertainment throughout the festival weekend. Expect live comperes, DJs, visuals games, stage dancers, a Movie Mash-up Party like no other, and loads and loads of energy.
Ken Fox Troupe's Wall of Death bring their exhilarating, world famous daredevil motorcycle stunts to Sunset Strip for the first time. Featuring skilful performers who ride vintage Indian motorcycles around an 18ft high cylindrical wall with heart-stopping panache, this thrillingly visceral, unmissable show will surprise and amaze the crowds, who can view the gravity-defying stunts from a viewing platform at the top of the wall.
It's safe to say that the Sunset Strip sets a whole new standard for festival campsite entertainment, as well as being uniquely set up to allow the day-trippers to join in too!
Campers are in for a fun-filled night on Thursday 5th July in Sunset Strip. Open from 3pm, there will be a whole host of entertainment kicking off the party weekend. From the allure of cabaret, burlesque and comedy in the Cabaret Club, to the sounds of the Sub Club DJ's at the all-new Captain Morgan's Spiced Shack, through to the banging beats in the Slam Tent and the entertainment in the sizzling new Sunset Club, there's something for everyone. The Sunset Club will be home to a wide variety of entertainment including the Smiffy's Fancy Dress Friday Disco, Bearded Kitten, Roman Nose DJ's, Third Door DJ's, Dr Haze & the Circus of Horrors and more.
Mixed Bizness bring a handpicked selection of some of Glasgow's very best club nights to the Slam Tent on Thursday, all celebrated for their diversity, unique sound and reputation for getting the party started. Heading the bill (10pm – 12am) are Jackmaster and Spencer from the NMBRS crew, international tastemakers and leaders of the Scottish electronic music scene. Mixed Bizness' Boom Monk Ben plays his last ever Scottish DJ set, bringing his bass fuelled party styles to the floor one last time (8-10pm). Vitamins (6-8pm) and Deadly Rhythm (3-6pm) have established themselves as two of Glasgow's most talked about collectives over the last 2 years and will get the floor moving and the pulses racing on Thursday night before the advertised Slam Tent bill kicks in from Friday afternoon.
For campers that want a more chilled start to their long weekend, the Thursday open-air Campsite Cinema returns with some comedy classics creating fun and laughter into the night, showing The Inbetweeners Movie, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers, voted for by the fans.
Campers can savour Sunset Strip from 9am Friday, until the Main Arena gates open at 4pm. Campers will now access the arena from Sunset Strip. From 4pm Friday, Sunset Strip will provide fun for all, day ticket holders included. Day trippers can enjoy Sunset Strip until the Main Arena entertainment stops at midnight, after which the area will remain open for campers to party on until 2am.
Sunset Strip will continue to be a dual party zone opening from 9am for campers and 11.30am for day trippers. Again, this area will continue on into the night until 2am for campers with various forms of entertainment available whether T in the Parkers want to dance until the early hours or soak up some late night comedy and cabaret. All day trippers must be at their departure points for returning home no later than 1am.
The all-new Cabaret Club will bring a glitteringly diverse programme of cabaret, burlesque and comedy entertainment to tantalise the taste buds and tickle the fancy of the 85,000 festivalgoers per day that will spend the weekend of a lifetime at T in the Park 2012, over 6-8th July.
Tickets are on sale now from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and by calling 08444 999 990. More information on all ticket prices/packages at www.tinthepark.com. Ticket buyers should only purchase from the official outlets published on this website. For regular T in the Park news, check out www.facebook.com/tinthepark and follow on Twitter @tinthepark
THURSDAY 5th July: 3pm – midnight – Campers only
Thursday night exclusively allows campers to bring food and drink into the Sunset Strip area, but this is ONLY on Thursday night and all the bars will also be open so no shortage of choice! From Friday onwards it becomes a licensed area which doesn't allow festival goers to bring in their own alcohol. Sunset Strip is packed full of bars, food stalls, fun fair rides and much more.
FRIDAY 6th July:
- 9am – 2am – Campers
- 4pm – midnight – Day ticket holders – day trippers should be at departure points no later than 1am to return home
SATURDAY 7th & SUNDAY 8th July:
+9am – 2am – Campers + 11.30am – midnight - Day ticket holders – day trippers should be at departure points no later than 1am to return home
- 8pm – Midnight: Bearded Kitten Movie Mashup
+1pm – 4pm: Smiffy's Fancy Dress Friday +8pm – 10pm: Bearded Kitten +10pm – 2am: Roman Nose DJ's
- 6pm – 8pm: Bearded Kitten
- 10pm – Midnight: Third Door DJs
- Midnight – 1.30am: Dr Haze & the Circus of Horrors +1.30am – 2am: Third Door DJs
- 8pm – 10pm: Bearded Kitten
- 10pm – 2am: Third Door DJs
Dr Haze Circus Of Horrors:
If Quentin Tarantino had directed Cirque Du Soleil, then you would only be half way there. This is not circus as you know it! Over the last seventeen years, Dr Haze Circus of Horrors has toured the world gaining cult status, and dragging Circus screaming and shouting into the 21st century and beyond. The show is packed with new shocks that will take you on a whirlwind journey, and features the most bizarre, unbelievable and unique performers in the world.
Bearded Kitten:
Bearded Kitten will be hosting a variety of events to keep you entertained throughout the weekend! Including the Movie Mash-up Party T in the Park's official opening party extravaganza has seen us travel through time and fly around the globe. This year we countdown the best 100 movies of all time in a mash up like no other. Expect live comperes, DJs, visuals games, free give aways, stage dancers and loads and loads of energy. Not to be missed.
Third Door DJ's will include:
Cheap Picasso (Gasoline Dance Machine), Ryan, Blair Harrower & Ross Scott (Rendez-vous), Kirk Douglas, Chris Graham & Jamie McKenzie (Souloco), Stewart Clason & Laurie Neil (The Boiler Room), The Oxygen Junkies (Karnival) Darrell Harding and Ritchie Bryson (Pulse) and Bixon residents
THURSDAY: DJ & Ambient Trapeze & Circus, The Redettes in Caught in The Rollers, Chris Cross is Escaping Reality, Flash/Bang! Burlesque and Cabaret Nightclub
FRIDAY: DJ & Ambient Trapeze & Circus, Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Frisky & Mannish, DJ & Ambient Trapeze & Circus, RwP Late Night Cabaret Hosted by Madame Myfanwi
SATURDAY: Markee de Saw & Bert Finkle's Lazy Saturday Morning, Bumble Tree Cabaret Hosted By Paul Puppet, The Creative Martyrs in An Hour Long Sinister Wink, The Stand Comedy Hour, The Redettes, Horndog Brass Band. East End Cabaretm DJ & Ambient Trapeze & Circus, RwP Late Night Cabaret Hosted by Desmond O'Connor
SUNDAY: Teencanteen's Lazy Sunday Morning, Bumble Tree Cabaret hosted by Paul Puppet, Rufus & Ben's Cabaret Quiz, The Stand Comedy Hour, The Mathletics Team, Joe Black in Sex, Drugs and Vaudeville, Rayguns Look Real Enough, DJ & Ambient Trapeze & Circus, RwP Late Night Cabaret Hosted by Rufus & Ben
- Also appearing across the weekend: AcroBalance; Aerial Edge, Ammie Jay; Cat Aclysmic; Daiquiri Dusk; DJ Rufus; Edd Muir; Eilidh MacAskill; The Flying Jalapenos; Frayed Knot Circus; Glasgow Student Dance Company; Graphix; Kamikaze Girls; Leyla Rose; DJ Lord Holyrude; Lucille; Mia et Philippe; Miss Hell's Belle; Oz; Scunner; Spitfire; Stakatto Blue; Vendetta Vain.
Creative Scotland Kaliedoscope Club
Located in Kaleidoscope Fields which includes Healthy T and the Eco Village, festivalgoers will get a taste of everything from string quartets to physical theatre, solar powered films to urban dance
Acts, performances and other things to look out for:
- Graffiti artists alongside robots
- Arches Community Choir
- Cairn String Quartet and Electric String Orchestra
- Horndog Brass Band
- Flying Jalapenos are Glasgow's premiere b-boy & hip-hop crew. This year is their 10th anniversary, and since their formation a decade ago, they've been getting bigger and better.
- Ceilidhdonia will make a welcome return to T in the Park. Not your average ceilidh band, not even your average band, they are led by acrobatic accordionist, Sandy Brechin, with a line-up that rocks 'n' reels through a variety of classics to keep the crowd going. Cutting-edge ceilidh band and DJ Whiskey Kiss will be mixing the finest underground folk tunes and native instruments with 21st century DJ culture, and young, high energy band KODA will be performing Scottish Music in their own unique contemporary style. CAL is a new, exiting five piece rock band who will showcase their passion and their intense love of two things, music and their homeland Scotland. T in the Parkers can get ready to rock the night away.
- Musical cabaret girl group The Redettes


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Fab Auto Tours of Central Oregon Coast: Scenery That Drives You Wild
Published 05/06/2015
(Yachats, Oregon) – Sometimes, the weather just does not cooperate on a trip to the Oregon coast. Or even if it is in a really good, sunny mood and disposition, you want to see a large swath of it in one sitting. A nice drive will fit this bill nicely.
On the central Oregon coast, near the very center of the state's beaches, two wild and rugged possibilities lurk next to each other. Some of the best views and drives are nestled cozily along the water's edge between Florence and Yachats. Two cajoling and memorable drives in this area provide some of the most intense scenery from the comfort zone of your rig.
Cape Perpetua Auto Tour. Whether it's rain or shine, the area around Cape Perpetua is a consistent wow-inducer. Just south of Yachats, a few hundred feet south of the Devil's Churn parking lot, you'll find the entrance. The sign is clearly marked here: take the road on the east side of the highway to get to the Interpretive Center, to go to the top of Cape Perpetua and its trails or to take the 19-mile, 45-minute tour around the mountain and back to Yachats.
Stay straight, and you soon have the choice of taking the big Auto Tour and scenic route, or wind your way up the small mountain to the top. You'll meander through a thick rainforest before ending up back in Yachats.
The tiny, twisting ride to the top provides an enormous reward, however. Here, you've risen 803 feet above the sea and the panoramic view is awe-inspiring - augmented by an atmospheric stone wall encircling the viewpoint.
"This is always one of my favorites," said Angela Rawlins of Eugene. "We always stop at the little stone building looking out at and over the ocean. It's just jaw-dropping."
South of Yachats. It's the kind of drive that could be your last: it's so tempting to keep looking out the window that it needs a lot of discipline to keep your eyes on the road.
Rawlins never tires of this one.
"I just discovered it recently, having found out a lot of the show Bates Motel films here," Rawlins said. "All those ocean vistas and beach road scenes are filmed right here."
This mere 25-mile stretch between Florence and Yachats is filled with numerous tight curves atop high cliffs which create a never-ending cavalcade of amazing ocean views. If the weather is rough, there's plenty to see along this route. And if it's anything but rough, it's among the most pristine and uncrowded sections of all the Oregon Coast.
First up, south of Yachats, you begin the climb towards Cape Perpetua and the Devil's Churn, as blackened basalt shelves meander between you and the sea in various, unidentifiable shapes. For the next 20 miles or so, the road rises and falls, interspersed with rocky landscapes and sandy beaches dotted with boulders and basalt structures.
Some have bluffs and some are fairly flat, but all are rather bereft of human presence. At Strawberry Hill, climb out over a large headland with steps embedded in the rocks and sand, and wander down to a sandy stretch of various colors and textures, where boulders and formations create a kind of labyrinth. Tide pools reign supreme here.
There's the cobblestone surrealism of Bob Creek Wayside, where at low tide, weird mushroom-like rocks emerge that are covered with crusty marine life and starfish. At Rock Creek Campground and Roosevelt Beach, there's sand and small sea stacks, with a patch of basalt that cradles an idyllic, babbling brook. A bit south of there, spots like Muriel O. Ponsler Wayside are all sand, and it's about where the landscape flattens out to seemingly endless beaches.
Just north of Florence, you'll hit the incredible views near Heceta Head Lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves, where a myriad of pullouts allow you to gaze in awe at the wildlife covered cliffs and dramatic waves slamming into bulging structures at the bottom.
"I love all this stretch," Rawlins said. "There's not a bad beach in the bunch."
More on this area below and at the Upper Lane County Virtual Tour, Map.
More About Yachats Lodging .....
More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....
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Bruges (Brugge) is a small city full of character that is worth a visit. It is so close to London I was able to take a day trip! I booked the tour through internationalfriends.com. Here are some dont miss attractions if you decide to check out Bruges.
The Canals
The canals run throughout the city. When you first arrive take a canal boat ride and get some great views the canal side restaurants, shops, churches and homes.
This is an old convent and is beautiful. Take a picnic and enjoy the peaceful scenery!
Famous buildings
Church of our Lady
Belfry (bell tower)
Saint Saviour's Cathedral
These 3 spires dominate the Bruges skyline. The Belfry is the symbol of Bruges' independence and has been for centuries. Take the time to climb up its stairs. When you finally get to the top you will have an awesome panorama view of the city.
The Burg is othe city square lines with great chocolate shops and restaurants.
Godshuizen are tiny villages within the city- beautiful gardens and whitewashed façades
And last but most importantly Bruges is ….The World 's Capital of Chocolate!
49 chocolate boutiques, a chocolate museum, chocolate trail and a chocolate fair. Make sure and try the hot chocolate! Its like nothing you've ever had before and involves warm milk and chocolate on a stick…yum!
Allie Hinds


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Well, I was running slightly behind schedule with today's article so, instead, I thought that I'd show you a few more random sketches, doodles and lineart from my sketchbooks.
Sorry about this, hopefully I'll write a proper article or review for tomorrow (possibly a review, since I'm planning to review, or at least write a "first impressions" article about this "Doom" WAD soon).
Anyway, enjoy 🙂
Anyway, I hope that this was interesting 🙂


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Making the case
Posted by Unknown in Social Media, Web 2.0 on Wednesday, 20 May 2009
This months edition of Inside Knowledge carries an interesting article* on the business case for and against the use of Social Software within an Enterprise. The article is an excerpt from the CMS Watch Enterprise Social Software & Collaboration Report and is a brief look at the "Hard" and "Soft Benefits" of using Social Software.
Hard actually means the financial gains from using Social Software, these include:
- Reducing expenses
- Increasing productivity
- Increasing customer retention
Soft benefits, or those benefits that are more difficult to measure include:
- Improving internal communication
- Improving internal collaboration
- Improving employee morale and retention and...
- Improving agility(!) or how your company can adapt/respond to changes
This is a useful introduction to some of the benefits associated with using Social Media. Unfortunately the full report cost $1650.00 so I cant see my firm purchasing this!
*You will need a subscription to Inside Knowledge Magazine to read this article
This entry was posted on Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 09:30 and is filed under Social Media, Web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.


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Originally published October 8, 2013
This BeyeNETWORK spotlight features Ron Powell's interview with Manan Goel, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Teradata Aster. They discuss the next-generation discovery platform architecture of Teradata Aster 6, the only fully integrated and complete solution available for big data analytics.Teradata recently announced the Aster Discovery Platform 6. Could you give us a high-level summary of what is included?
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Author: Tere Michaels
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 160 Pages
At a Glance: Tere Michaels is a great storyteller, and this novel had lovely moments of passion and humor, but, unfortunately, the plot felt a bit rough around the edges.
Blurb: When drama threatens to ruin a romance on a reality show, only a true friend can save a groomzilla's wedding.
Daniel Green, an event planner with a neat, quiet, orderly life, reluctantly agrees to plan the wedding of his childhood friend Ander, an outrageous fashion designer soon to marry a wealthy entertainment lawyer named Rafe. To complicate matters, the happy couple have agreed to have their wedding made into a reality show—something that practical Daniel isn't sold on.
Daniel is neither a romantic nor a wedding planner, but he's the only person in the world who can manage Ander. Distracting him from his mission is Owen Grainger, a too-handsome-to-be-true producer whose quiet charm pulls Daniel into his orbit.
When the stress of the show triggers bad behavior from Ander, co-producer Victor Pierce decides it's the key to a ratings bonanza, and he begins to undermine Ander and Rafe's relationship to create more drama. Daniel is determined to protect his friend and his own reputation, but when he finds himself falling hard for Owen, there's much more at stake than ratings.
Review: Tere Michaels sends up a humorous look at a wildly talented control freak and his best friend as they wade into the pre-matrimony waves of wedding planning. Daniel has known Ander nearly all his life, and fully accepts that his friend will gleefully stick his nose into every aspect of Daniel's life if it means both of them will get a happy-ever-after. Now, Ander has gone one step beyond crazy and signed on to have him and his fiancée, Rafe, be part of a documentary filming every aspect of their upcoming nuptials. He has asked Daniel to be the wedding planner, but little do both know that reality TV is about to wreak havoc on their lives in more than a few ways.
When Daniel meets one of the producers, Owen, he is instantly smitten and definitely in lust. However, Owen hides more than a few secrets, and Daniel has been left behind one too many times to trust that theirs is little more than a meeting of convenience with great sex attached. As time moves on, Daniel will find himself falling hard for Owen, Ander will begin to doubt Rafe really wants to marry, and the sumptuous wedding all had planned may not be the happy-ever-after all had expected.
Groomzilla is a bit of a wild romp. With snappy dialogue and a completely off-the-charts group of characters, the novel moved swiftly and kept me on my toes. There were times when Ander crossed the line from humorous diva into a somewhat nasty and controlling best friend, which surprised me. I felt that the author was going for something warmer and loving when, in reality, Ander was downright obnoxious and rude to Daniel, particularly when it came to emotional blackmail and getting his way. However, Daniel really counterbalanced those moments by having incredible patience with his bestie, and knowing exactly how to handle Ander's passionate tantrums.
Owen's character was the basis for the mystery element in the novel. Here and there throughout the novel, we learned just enough about his past and the current business relationship with his smarmy partner, Victor, to keep us wondering exactly how these two hooked up and why Owen seemed to endure a horrible work environment. Unfortunately, it was this plot point that weakened the story for me. I kept expecting to read more about Owen's dark past. He was obviously struggling with the need to punish himself physically, as was evidenced by extreme workouts and the near constant popping of antacids. Anorexia was touched upon, and Daniel was shown as being concerned with the fact that Owen never seemed to eat, but again, this element was never fully developed or resolved. Yet, there were so many references to it that I felt at some point Owen should have gotten professional help.
I did enjoy how both Owen and Daniel rallied to fix the dilemma near the end of the story. I felt the wrap-up was both sweet and realistic, given Ander's character and his volatile behavior. However, here again, I thought it was odd that Owen locked himself away from Daniel to finish the film, leaving our hero to wonder if he was ever going to return and pick up the pieces of their tenuous relationship. The way in which they abruptly parted, post-wedding, left me wondering if I had misread the previous romantic gestures and promises they had made to each other, particularly since Daniel "took to his bed" in despair for four days while Owen failed to contact him at all due to his working feverishly to complete the project.
All in all, it was these small, puzzling moments that added up to make Groomzilla less cohesive than it could have been. Don't misinterpret, Tere Michaels is a great storyteller, and this novel had lovely moments of passion and humor, but, unfortunately, the plot felt a bit rough around the edges, and the story resolved a bit too quickly for me.
You can buy Groomzilla here:


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A notebook or a journal is one of the most useful things on the planet.Use this as a record of what's happening now or as a space for planning future ideas and dreams.
Details of this notebook
Each journal is hand cut, sewn and printed/drawn by Emma Makes. They are A5 size, which is 14.8cm × 21.0cm.
The 'When I'm 64' journal features lyrics from The Beatles song of the same name, which was played at my wedding.
"I could be handy mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride."


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FOLLOWING the proposal made by the Federal Government on the implementation of the key demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nigerian students have appealed to the lecturers to sheathe their swords and reopen schools for academic activities to commence.
President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Aruna Kadiri, made the call on Wednesday while addressing newsmen on some national issues in Abuja.
He equally called on Nigerians to partner with the police in order to effectively reduce the crime and criminality in the society.
He said the students were concerned about the image of the police, saying the trending Senator Isah Hamma's allegation that the Inspector General of Police, makes a whooping N120 billion every year through the provision of special security to some agencies without proper investigation was not healthy for the reputation of the police hierarchy in the country.
He, however, said the leadership of NANS would further meet with some officials of ASUU before the end of this week in order to prevail on the lecturers to quickly call off the strike, saying the students were already tired of staying at home.
The Federal government had on Friday last week agreed to release the sum of N220 billion not later than October 2017, to the universities as part of the revitalisation fund being demanded by Union.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who announced this after long hours of meeting with ASUU leadership, said fund when released is expected to go into the revitalization of federal universities across the country.
According to the Minister of Labour, the closed-door meeting also discussed how to set up the National Universities Pension Commission, while the issues of fractional salaries and Academic Earned Allowances were being addressed.
"We also discussed the issue of university staff schools and treasury single account with a view to finding how the system could accommodate funds for research grants that need to be independent from the government.
"We also discussed the issue of how the Federal Government could be involved in the running of state universities," Ngige said.
The NANS President, said the students were glad that the leadership of ASUU at the meeting with the Federal government accepted the proposal and agreed to reverse back to the government within one week after meeting with its members.
Kadiri said: "We are not resting on our oars until the strike is called off. We earlier gave both parties two weeks ultimatum within which the resolve the impasse. This yielded positive result at the Federal government assured us that the they would not wait for the two weeks to elapse before the crisis was resolved.
"We, therefore, call on the ASUU to consider the proposal and in the interest of the suffering Nigerian students, call off the strike for students to resume academic activities. We will meet with the leadership of ASUU before the end of this week and we are hopeful that the strike will be called off soon," he said.


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(If you see yourself in these pics... shout out!)
Just sharing a few pics... then I'm off to lunch!
A bunch of us leaving the cocktail reception and heading to Uptown Lounge for the party hosted by SunKissed Mommy
Chevy On Star provided us with free transportation!! Check my twitter pics to meet Rene, our fabulous driver.
Are we done partying yet?! Apparently not. Headed up to the Suite for the Sweet treat party hosted by the Clever Girls
1 am I had to call it a night...
The hotel we're staying in is s-w-a-n-k-y.... stay tuned for pics


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Affordable Home Security Equipment.
With the advance in technology, the web is where most individuals go to seek help concerning different problems. This is due to the fact the web is filled with DIY life hacks that you can use in many areas like homes office or even school. Safety is one thing that nobody should ever take for granted if it's your home or organization. People who have been victims of home invasion may know the importance of having maximum safety whenever you are to be able to protect your valuables and above all people that you love. There are several DIY life hacks that will help you protect your life, valuables and that of your family members. Mentioned below is a breakdown of five affordable pieces of security equipment that could help many people keep their family safe.
The first equipment to be discussed in this article it the motion detector lights. For individuals on a fixed budget, this gear will best serve your goal because it is among the most affordable security gear that the marketplace has to offer you. In most cases, you could mount them on your garage, above your front door or anywhere else you think a criminal might target. You might be wondering how the lights work. It is very simple when someone walks by these lights, they automatically turn on. When you have them installed in your house, you won't just frighten away uninvited guests with terrible intention but also offer mild when getting home late from work or any kind of function.
The second gear you want to know about is safety cameras. Even in case you don't have them installed on your property, you may obviously have heard of them. Security cameras may not stop a home invasion but will capture the pictures of these intruders so that you increase your probability of getting justice. Additionally, it is advised that you invest in night vision camera because a normal camera might not be able to catch much when it's dark.
The third security equipment to talk about is window alarm. For those who are not able to afford a full system alarm, window alarms could act as a great alternative. Whenever someone tries to force open your window, the alert will serve its own purpose, which might send thieves running for their lives until they are captured in action.
For people who have been devoting their spare keys under the front door mat or over other areas that are obvious, it's about time you changed your ways since someone might have already learnt about your little secret. Why don't you install a small lock box to stow away your key?
How about a pick-proof deadbolt? Because most offenders are going to have little trouble choosing your entrance door lock. You should consider making their jobs harder by using a pick-proof deadbolt.


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"Everything the Savior did and said was for the benefit of humankind," Sister Cheryl A. Esplin, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, told students at Brigham Young University during a campus devotional on Feb. 3.
"His Atonement. His example, His teachings — everything was to help us not only to have a more abundant life on earth but also to attain the most abundant of all life — eternal life."
Sister Esplin explained she had recently been reading the Savior's words from John 10:10. The words she read made her ponder and apply them to her own life. Quoting the scripture she said, "I am come that they [meaning you and me] might have life, and that they [you and me] might have it more abundantly."
She emphasized three principles the Savior taught that would lead people to a more abundant life.