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p. 10 :: The Simple List: (Suzanne Rust) -
- 1862: the 1st U.S. income tax was levied.
- 1.1 billion: estimated number of people with no access to clean drinking water. Visit csdw.org to find out how $1 can give a child clean water for 50 days!!
- 50: number of items you should get rid of, according to life coach, Gail Blanke, who is also the author of Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life.
- 7: Bits of baseball lingo:tater {homerun}; cheese {good fast ball}; wheels {a player's legs}; fireman {closer/late-inning relief pitcher}; meatball {easy pitcher to hit}; circus catch {outstanding grab by fielder}; Mendoza line {batting average of .200}
- April 6: Major League Baseball's Opening Day
p. 25 :: How do you Stay Connected to the People You Care about Most? {This month's question} - Answers included: Wii online, leaving notes in kids' lunches or husbands' briefcase, care packages to her daughter in college, + keeping a blog or Facebook. My favorite is this one woman's answer that said she bought gym memberships for her children + grandchildren, and they made it a point to go to the gym twice a week! Isn't that a wonderful idea?
p. 30 :: RealSimple.com
- /browsehowtos : check out different how-to's {with instructions on anything + everything}
- /browsechecklists : check out checklists on everyday projects
- /browsetools : help on pairing food + wine, etc.
- /browsegalleries : amazing photo galleries of flowers + inspiration
- /browserecipes : yummy recipes {enough said!}
- realsimple.com : special products, gifts, books, and more favorites from the people behind Real Simple.
p. 35 - 42 :: SOLUTIONS
- Interested in spicing up your drinking glasses + help people distinguish whose glass is whose? Use some window decals.
- Do you get irritated with the gunky hair that gets stuck in your brush? It's Oscar's pet peeve {he thinks it's totally disgusting}. Use some hoisery and create a screen on your brush, so you can easily remove that hair + gunk easily!
- I hate when my groceries slide around in my back seat. Try a nonskid rug pad to line your trunk.
- Have you tried dusting your ceiling fans and got more dirt on the floor than in your trash? Try cleaning them with an old pillow case, so you can catch the dirt.
- For you florists or those folks who have been exposed to floral supplies, try a flower frog as a photo holder on your desk. Now, that's fresh!
- Trade Secrets : Get Designer Deals Online : check out the following sites for designer items at discount prices online.
- www.hautelook.com/realsimple : $20 credit towards your first purchase + expect up to 75% off retail prices
- www.gilt.com/rs : $25 credit towards your first purchase + expect up 70% off retail prices
- www.ruelala.com/simple : expect up to 80% off retail prices
- www.billiondollarbabes.com : expect up to 80% off retail prices
- www.badjoan.com : expect up to 80% off retail prices
- Giant spatula {it's like an ice cream scooper... everyone needs one!} : www.kingarthurflour.com
- MP3 swapper {trade musice from ipod to ipod} : www.mishare.com
- Task mug {write your to-do's as you casually sip your coffee/tea}: www.fredflare.com
p. 53-111 :: The Guide to Florals
- 3 fool-proof ways to wear florals
- pair with a solid shade - if it's a vibrant shade, pair with khaki, black, or white
- don't mix floral patterns
- camoflauge trouble areas
- check out these sites for some floral goodness : www.whitehouseblackmarket.com {OMG... big mistake showing me this site! Everything is b+w! I have no idea why I have never come across it before.}, www.hm.com, www.bodenusa.com
- also features items from www.janemarvel.com, www.myoilcloth.com, adidas polyurethane watches {in a variety of colors}, and these cool rain boots from dav {my favorites are below!}
- some advice on how to decorate your home with green included: choosing the color green to create a "calm setting". Recommended colors were: Ralph Lauren in Sea Grass #ML15, Valspar in Lovely Green 6009-9, Farrow & Ball in Minster Green, + Benjamin Moore in Spring Meadow Green #2031 . Follow this advise if you're looking for:
- "natural look" : try a moss green with sky blue palette
- "soothing" : try seafoam green with a chocolate palette
- "fresh" : try a kelly green with white palette
- "playful look" : try a lime green with soft pink palette {I know I've seen pictures of a recent wedding like that!}
p. 79 :: Article by Elenie N. Gage about Elizabeth Rogers, who is an environmental consultant and the author of the bestselling book, The Green Book. Elizabeth shares her beauty secrets, from hair + body to face + all!
p. 85 :: Have {less} money, will travel by Elizabeth Schatz Passarella. If you're interested in taking a vacaction or travelling to get away, but don't have all the funds you think you need to do it, read this article. She gives tips on: {1} "If flying seems too pricey..."; {2} "If multiple hotel rooms are draining your wallet..."; {3} "If you can travel only at peak times..."; and {4} "If you tend to spend too much, then suffer later..." Trust me, they're helpful tips, and by the end of the article, you'll be dying to start planning a trip!
p. 95 :: The 20-minute workout by Megan McMorris. My #1 excuse for flaking the workout is not having enough time. Well, this article busted that myth, and made me realize that keep that out of my head. Really? 20 minutes? I don't know exactly how effective these exercises would be to getting you as toned as the girl in the photos, but it sure doesn't hurt to try. It's a full-body workout, I suppose, since she mentions a several exercises, targeting several body parts, as well as variations to increase the workout's effectiveness.
p. 105 :: how to save on green goods by Kristin Appenbrink. Another myth busted by this article, because a lot of people say that they "can't go green" because it's too expensive. For example, my favorite store Target has a variety of organic goods, and everyone knows Target doesn't drain the wallet {unless, of course, you go as much as I do}!
p. 109 :: cost comparison: a cup of coffee - hands down, Dunkin' Donuts has the cheapest black coffee, cappuccino, and espresso {in comparison with Peet's, Starbucks, + Seattle's Best}.
p. 113 :: road tests. This month's included tests on tape, hair smoothers, + low-fat yogurt. From masking tape, double-sided, + duct tape to clear/transparent, painter's, and packing tape... they cover the best in each category. The hair smoothers evalution for all types of hair. and low-fat yogurt was based on the best brand for each flavor {raspberry, peach, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla, plain + Greek}.
p. 129 :: 10 Ways to be a better thinker by Jonah Lehrer. I think I need this one.
- Tap your emotions.
- Don't think under pressure.
- Consider alternative points of view.
- Challenge your preferences.
- Take long showers.
- Be skeptical of your memories.
- Don't expect to diet + finish the crossword.{This is a gooood one... very interesting study.}
- Study your mistakes.
- Go ahead + daydream.
- Think about thinking. {Go figure!}
p. 135 :: Back-to-Basics in CLEANING. {article by Nicole Sforza}. I don't love to clean, but I don't absolutely abhor it either.
- Lemons can clean: countertops, dishes, faucets, garbage disposal, grout, hands, laundry, AND plastic food-storage containers!
- Essential oils can help you clean: combs + brushes, gum-encrusted items {disgusting!}, scuffed floors, shower doors, + windows.
- Liquid Castile soap can help you clean: your car, floors, leather upholstery, marble countertops, sinks, showers, tubs, ceramic tile, stove, + vent hood.
- Cooking oils can help you clean: cast-iron pans, hands, leather shoes, rattan + wicker furniture, stainless-steel surfaces, + wood furniture.
- Borax can help you clean: baseboards, countertops, walls, china {including hand-paintd}, dishwasher, pots, pans + toilet.
- Vinegar can help you clean: your coffeemaker, dishwasher, drains, floors, glassware, moldy walls {nasty!}, showerheads, steam iron, + windows.
- Baking soda can help you clean: your garage floors {+ other concrete surfaces}, garden tools, grills, barbecue utensils, stove burners, stained teacups + coffee mugs, upholstered furniture, + scuffed walls.
- Toothpaste can help you clean: your acrylic accessories, chrome fixtures, scuffed linoleum, piano keys, tarnished silverware, + steam iron.
- Table salt can help you clean: your artificial flowers, glassware, greasy pots + pans, spills in the oven, stained teacups or coffee mugs, + wooden counters and tables.
- Plus these odd items do wonders too: white bread {cleans your oil painting}, ketchup, oatmeal, rice, tea, glycerin, club soda, hydrogen peroxide, cornstarch, + rubbing alcohol. If you want to know WHAT exactly these items clean + don't get a chance to pick up a copy, email me!
p. 144 :: 42 mood-boosting ideas to bring joy to every day. Their list is great. My favorites are the Gloveable dish gloves from www.surlatable.com, patterned decorative tape from www.containerstore.com, business card filing cabinet from www.thinkgeek.com, + the Cup-a-Cake Single Cupcake Carrier from www.organize.com.
p. 148 :: Wild About Rice, with recipes by Sara Quessenberry. Instructions on how to make a variety of rices, plus recipes for the best dishes that accompany rice:
- Gingery Glazed Asian Ribs
- Creamy Shrimp with Corn + Bacon
- Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes + Basil
- Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber-Feta relish
- Chicken with Olives + Carrots
p. 157 :: Can Facebook be your friend? by Susan Dominus. The most common question I'm getting these days from everyone, young + old, is "Are you on Facebook?" This article helps those of you who are struggling on trying to decide whether you should jump into this new frontier. Quit debating with yourself + just do it! It's not a meat market like MySpace {at least, it's not to me}, and it's staged so that you can become "re-acquainted" with current, long-lost, or old friends. It's not to "meet" people.
p. 163 :: The Ultimate Bathroom Organizer by Roopika Malhotra.
- Out with the old, manage the new... some tips on rummaging through your "stuff" and keeping the essentials, which will lead to a cleaner, more organized bathroom.
- What to conceal + what to reveal... what should you hide away, and which items should be exposed to guests? This portion of the article breaks it down on which disposables should be disclosed, and which ones should be kept private.
- Think outside the box... bag, box, rack... what is best for you? You can explore the options here.
p. 173 :: Five Easy Dinners
- 20-minute meal : Blackened salmon with broccoli rabe + raisins
- heart-healthy : Pork tenderloin with cabbage + apple slaw
- vegetarian : Mediterranean salad with chickpea patties
- slow-cooker meal : Chicken with tarragon + leeks
- kid-friendly : Spaghetti with quick meat sauce
p. 184 :: Dessert in a flash - caramelized pineapple with coconut sorbet


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Periodontal treatment methods depend upon the type and severity of the disease. Your dentist and dental hygienist will evaluate for periodontal disease and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Periodontal disease progresses as the sulcus (pocket or space) between the tooth and gums gets filled with bacteria, plaque, and tartar, causing irritation to the surrounding tissues. When these irritants remain in the pocket space, they can cause damage to the gums and eventually, the bone that supports the teeth!
If the disease is caught in the early stages of gingivitis, and no damage has been done, one to two regular cleanings will be recommended. You will also be given instructions on improving your daily oral hygiene habits and having regular dental cleanings.
If the disease has progressed to more advanced stages, a special periodontal cleaning called scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) will be recommended. It is usually done one quadrant of the mouth at a time while the area is numb. In this procedure, tartar, plaque, and toxins are removed from above and below the gum line (scaling) and rough spots on root surfaces are made smooth (planing). This procedure helps gum tissue to heal and pockets to shrink. Medications, special medicated mouth rinses, and an electric tooth brush may be recommended to help control infection and healing.
If the pockets do not heal after scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery may be needed to reduce pocket depths, making teeth easier to clean. Your dentist may also recommend that you see a Periodontist (specialist of the gums and supporting bone).
Our Office
Thousand Oaks
Imagine me holding my 3 year old on my lap, while Dr. Ali did the x-rays. She made us feel comfortable. So patient and thorough, a real perfectionist. And I love her office! My husband previously avoided dentists for 10 years , but now he is really comfortable with her... now that's a huge plus!
Mrs. Lorna W, Thousand Oaks
She really does have a mother's touch! Despite my initial nervousness and pain, I immediately began to relax and be comfortable. There was something about her beautiful, friendly, incredible office. It was great! One of the best dental experiences I ever had!
Mr. Richard A, Newbury Park
I came to Dr. Ali in an emergency and have to come to really appreciate her services on a regular basis. A very enjoyable 'un-dentist' like environment! She has a very caring, uniqueness to her. She goes above and beyond the call of duty for a dentist!
Ms. Christina B., Thousand Oaks
Contact Us

subset: commoncrawl


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Can I improve my toilet rather than throwing it away?
The short answer is yes, you can. I am a big fan of minimizing the amount of waste that goes into our local landfills. There are plenty of "do it yourself tricks" out there that can be more trouble than benefit. The good news is there are simple, effective, affordable options for improving the efficiency of your existing toilet. First let's look at a couple things to consider;
1) If your current toilet uses more than 3.5 gallons of water per flush it's probably best to go ahead and replace the whole toilet. You will recover the cost of buying a new toilet pretty quickly by replacing that old water monger, so just get rid of it.
2) If you have a pressured assist toilet it can not be modified.
One of the easiest ways to improve the water efficiency of a toilet is by converting it to a dual flush. I know this sounds complicated but trust me, it's not. The DualFlush Pro toilet conversion kit makes this easy to do and cost's less than $55. This kit comes with everything you need to turn your existing toilet into a Dual Flush water saver, high efficiency toilet in about thirty minutes.
The handle incorporates a dual function; push the lever one way for ½ flush to remove liquid waste or the other way for full flush to remove solid waste.
For a typical 1.6 gallon per flush toilet the kit is pretty much set up right out of the box to provide the expected 0.8 gallon half flush and 1.6 gallon full flush. Not all toilets are created equal. Some models will require some minor adjustments to the factory settings. These adjustments are simple with the Dual Flush Pro kit.
AskAsheville – Asheville Twitter – Asheville Blog –
Asheville Videos – Asheville Social Media


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In the I-wish-I'd-thought-of-this-myself category, The Kitchen Classroom by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is a paperback cookbook/CD-ROM combo designed to help parents (and professionals) use the kitchen as a classroom with children with special needs and/or developmental delays who also happen to have food intolerances or allergies.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is the kind of expert that I like to learn from. She is the mom of a child on the autism spectrum. She's an RDI(r) mom. And she knows cooking, too; she is a former cooking instructor for Williams-Sonoma who now teaches at Gratz College in Pennsylvania.
Part of her story is here. Or here.
Back to "The Kitchen Classroom": Every recipe is gluten free and casein (dairy) free. Every recipe is simple and kid-friendly. (Note: The recipes are not allergen free. If your child is more than GFCF, you will have to make some substitutions or skip some recipes entirely.)
The $22.46 paperback includes chapters about the relationship and sensory aspects of cooking. Author Kaplan-Mayer includes information about child development; about being in the kitchen with children who have developmental delays; about framing shopping for recipes and cooking; about the GFCF diet; and about kitchen safety as well.
Both the paperback and the accompanying CD-ROM include the 32 recipes.
The paperback features lots of little ideas and suggestions that parents can use, things to spotlight for the child, if developmentally appropriate, with hints about using activities as part of academics, too.
The CD-ROM features recipes in pictures for six breakfast choices; five lunch choices; seven dinner choices; nine snacks and treats; and five veggie side dishes. You may choose to look at the picture cards right from the computer, or you may choose to print them. Each recipe on the CD gives users a reminder to wash hands, an ingredient and tool list, and the recipe steps in pictures and words. The photos are full color and Kaplan-Mayer is generous with the photographs; she gives us almost 500 photos to guide us as we cook with our children.
Some of the recipes require little "cooking"; some require more. There are recipes for toast, eggs, pancakes, muffins, sandwiches, latkes (sweet potato!), salmon, rice, noodles, pizza, salad, fries, a smoothie, and more, all simple and all things kids tend to like. A sample recipe is here.
If you are a beginner in Relationship Development Intervention, I think you'll really like Kaplan-Mayer's suggestions. One of the mistakes I made a lot in the beginning is creating an activity that was too complicated. Kaplan-Mayer keeps all of these recipe activities simple. She frames the simplicity for me. I like that.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer blogs here, giving readers information, recipes, and how-to on video.
Thumbs up, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer. I wish I'd had something like this in my RDI(r) beginning to help me keep activities simple. Several years into RDI(r), your cookbook is still a wonderful reminder and help.


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Welcome, Carnival of Breastfeeding readers!
As a mama who has had one breastfeeding champ who instantly stepped up to the bar for her first drink of milk and another who took his time learning to latch, here are my tips about "How to Breastfeed."
1. Nothing Beats a Live Demonstration
Breastfeeding, like much of parenting, is one of those skills you mostly pick up on the job. It never hurts to prepare a little, though, and get comfortable with the idea.
Most hospitals offer classes where you can pepper the lactation consultant with whatever questions pop into your head.
And, of course, KellyMom is a treasure trove of information for first timers and old pros, alike.
I find that breastfeeding is something that is easiest to understand when you actually see it done. In fact, I'm convinced that one of the reasons we struggle with breastfeeding so much as a culture is because it has become rare and hidden. Fortunately, you can easily find breastfeeding tips on video on YouTube.
2. Relax
When my son was born, we were separated for a few hours after his birth as I needed some surgery following the delivery. When he came to me, he was sleepy and the doctors were concerned about his blood sugar because of his weight (over 10 lbs).
I could not understand why what had been so simple with my daughter was so hard with my son. And the nurses who were pressuring me and insisting a baby that large needed formula if he didn't breastfeed RIGHT NOW were not helping matters much.
He would fuss, I'd try to feed, he'd cry, I'd get stressed, he'd pick up on that. The harder you try, sometimes, the harder it becomes.
As difficult as it can be, take a deep breath and relax.
With all the articles about the benefits of breastfeeding, it can be easy to become goal oriented about it. Remember, though, that the point is not to force feed your baby, but to establish a beautiful bond that will grow with your relationship.
3. Get Back to Basics
As part of relaxing, pare down. Send everyone away (unless they make you feel relaxed), turn off the lights, get close and cuddle skin to skin with your baby, do whatever makes you feel most relaxed.
Offer the opportunity to breastfeed but do not push it.
As soon as you can, learn to breastfeed lying down–you'll get a lot more rest if you do.
4. Be Flexible
I'm guessing many lactation consultants will disagree with this, but if you are having trouble with getting started, my personal opinion is to just let your baby latch however works for the two of you. There is a lot of emphasis on correct technique, which I do believe is important for a successful breastfeeding relationship, but sometimes it is just good to start nursing so both you and your baby know you can do it. You can always fix the positioning and latch later.
5. Reach Out
One of the many remarkable things about becoming a mother is that you gain a new understanding of the importance of community. I encourage you to reach out to other mothers even while you are pregnant. If you find you are having difficulty breastfeeding, I strongly recommend asking for help from someone who has experience coaching new moms with breastfeeding.
With my first, I was desperate to learn to feed her in a sling so I could continue whatever I was doing if she got hungry while we were out. Our hospital offered the services of a free lactation consultant and she helped me figure out this neat and convenient technique. If you do not have access to a lactation consultant, La Leche League is a great resource–you'll find experts and experienced mamas and other new mothers just like you.
To all the mamas out there, I wish you the best as you begin your beautiful relationship with your child. I hope that breastfeeding becomes a joyful experience that helps you build that bond.
I'm writing this post for the Carnival of Breastfeeding.
Don't miss these posts from other bloggers (updated throughout the day):
- Marketing Mama: How to pump successfully at work
- BabyReady: How to get baby to take a bottle
- Strocel: How to get breastfeeding off to a good start
- Baby Carriers Down Under: How to breastfeed hands-free
- Blacktating: How to treat a cold while breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding Moms Unite: How to become a breastfeeding support professional
- Breastfeeding Mums: How to wean a breastfed toddler
- Mama Knows Breast: How to get a spouse to help with breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding 1-2-3: How to teach your baby nursing manners
- Zen Mommy: Using YouTube to stop nosey questions!
- Natural Birth and Baby Care: How to improve milk supply through nutrition
- Happy Bambino: How to deal with unsupportive family members
- The Bee in your Bonnet: How to be comfortable around nursing mothers
- MoBleez: How to naturally increase your milk supply – try seaweed
- Milk Act: How to care for a sick nursling
- Maher Family Grows: How to to increase milk supply using supplements
Photo Credit: The Blessed Virgin Breastfeeding


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Re: Launch kernel and packages from Mac OS's launchd utility
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg111961] Re: Launch kernel and packages from Mac OS's launchd utility
- From: David Reiss <dbreiss at gmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 08:09:36 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
I haven't used launchd, but rather just use crontab -- this way the approach (for the project for my consulting client) works on Linux as well. It has worked quite well. Note that, if you use the -init approach rather than the -run approach, you may encounter problems. if the code is in the init.m file and you use -init, then the code may run before other components of the Mathematica system are loaded; this can cause unexpected results ( the -init approach is the one I first took, but I then went over to the -run method after encountering such issues). So I recommend staying with the -run approach, which ensures that the whole system is up and running before your code is executed. I hope this helps... --David http://scientificarts.com/worklife On Aug 21, 4:17 am, Garapata <warsaw95... at mypacks.net> wrote: > This question follows up on an earlier one where I needed to find out > how to launch the Mathematica kernel and a package from the command > line on a Mac. > > (See:http://groups.google.com/group/comp.soft-sys.math.mathematica/browse= _...) > > The required syntax for the command line looks something like this: > > /Applications/Mathematica.app/Contents/MacOS/MathKernel -run "<</ > Path.../myAutoRun.m" > > myAutoRun.m has initialized cells that do some stuff and then quit the > kernel. Works fine. > > For my next step, I'd like to run the kernel and myAutoRun.m from a > Mac's "launchd" utility and set it up to launch and run the package at > specific intervals automatically without further human participation. > Apple created launched to integrate a bunch of UNIX utilities like > cron. > Ostensibly, one can use it to launch daemons, process, and programs > from a launchd "property list", basically an XML file that the system > runs at startup. > So, following Apple's documentation something like this ought to work: > > <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> > <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC -//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN > http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd> > <plist version="1.0"> > <dict> > <key>Label</key> > <string>myAutoRun test</string> > <key>Program</key> > <string>//Applications/Mathematica.app/Contents/MacOS/MathKernel</ > string> > <key>ProgramArguments</key> > <array> > <string>MathKernel</string> > <string> -run </string> > <string> "<</path/myAutoRun.m"</string> > </array> > <key>StartIntervall</key> > <integer>3600</integer> > </dict> > </plist> > > The stuff between <dict> and </dict> does the specific work. > The section: > <key>ProgramArguments</key> > <array> > <string>MathKernel</string> > <string> -run </string> > <string> "<</path/myAutoRun.m"</string> > </array> > > identifies what to run (apparently, with launchd one can't put the > entire command on a single line like you can from a cmd prompt, hence > the array). > > and finally the StartInterval section should launch the kernel and run > the package every 3600 seconds (each hour) > > Looks good in theory, but it seems launchd doesn't know what to do > with the Mathematica command: > > <string> "<</path/myAutoRun.m"</string> > > following the -run option. > > I've started trying to use: > > -initfile " file" > > which the documentation mentions, but doesn't discuss in detail (that > I've found). I think it should "execute the commands in the > initialization file, ' file' during startup". > > Sorry for the long winded explanation. > > Now, a number of questions. > > Can I get launchd to launch the kernel and run the package? > How do I do it? > Does a better approach exist? > > If anyone can offer general insight or guidelines for auto running > packages and the issues involved, that would help a lot. > > Thanks to all. > > G


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Flamboyant Jay-Aeron sets new fashion trends
Donna Collins Fashion and the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) goes hand in hand, and this year didn't disappoint, with a stand out moment from Jay-Aeron Gertze (22) who is blowing up the local fashion scene with his divinely daring cross-dressing trends. Of course the blue carpet for anyone to get noticed is an annual highlight, which once again exploded into a hive of popping flash bulbs, glamorous women in glittering evening gowns with men strutting their stuff like GQ models. But this was Jay's night. The slender young boy who owned the carpet like it was New York fashion week, flounced, preened and posed for selfies, whilst dressed in a beautiful billowing full length floral print skirt with matching long sleeved cerise crop top, coutured by 'SynEDGY'. To crown the look, his non-conformist gender bending vogue was accentuated by a funky hair style, shaved on the sides and dyed bright pink on the top. His make-up was accentuated by pouty purple lips topped by dangling jewelled earrings. Jay-Aeron is a fresh breeze on the fashion scene, and his cross-dressing style is something that is fast becoming the talk of the town. Already Jay-Aeron pioneering play on gender bending fashion, is catapulting this daring Karasburg boy to new heights - whilst wearing 'killer heels'. But Jay-Aeron is not just a pretty face, and it turns out that this sweetly spoken young boy, is a final year media student at the College of the Arts (Cota), and is honing his skills in the media field – from television to radio as well as hosting events. "Yes I am feminine, and a feminist for that matter - but why does that have to define my masculinity - I own my masculinity, but love my feminine ways - so we need to change the standards," says the trend setter. "It wasn't always easy being this flamboyant, but you just have to be yourself, own it, and the world will adapt to whatever you want to be," he says confidently adding that when s(he) is not dressed up, he embraces the boy in him by wearing jeans and a top - but still wear make-up on any occasion I feel like," he quips. Jay-Aeron recalls starting the make-up craze as a teenager, which is self taught and would do the make-up for girls going to matric farewells. After learning various techniques he has worked as a freelance make-up artist ever since to "get the bills paid". He began wearing make up at 16. "There are haters in this world that will always have something negative to say about people who are different, but I don't focus my energy on that as most people are positive about me and my dress style," adds Jay-Aeron, who calls himself an "agent of change". "I get messages from so many young boys and girls, complimenting me on the way I dress and look, and it makes me feel good knowing that that I am helping and inspiring someone to have a better understanding of themselves.'' "My mother who is my biggest fan always had glossy fashion magazines in the house, which motivated my dress sense and encouraged me to be part of the exciting world of high fashion. I am also inspired by the drag culture which has pushed my trend setting dress trends, whilst challenging social issues and being an example to other young boys like me. It's ok to be who you are, and be your creative self." Referring to his "glamour squad" and close inner circle of friends who accompany him to most social events, Rumano Fabrish and fashion stylist Reinhard Mahalie, are an integral part of Jay-Aeron's fantasy world of dress up. The trio who have become the symbol of unapologetic fashion, and use any excuse to step out in jaw-dropping outfits, whilst spending hours on hair, make-up and accessories. All three together are a magical representation of this new movement of transgender couture that is sweeping the new "in" scene. It comes as no surprise, however, that he has sent his portfolio to a top androgynies South African model agency, who has signed him up for future shoots. He was also invited to Cape Town's Fashion Week recently as a taste of things to come. So what's next for Jay-Aeron? "I want to make a name for myself as a make-up artist, and with a lot of social events coming up I am under pressure to top the outfit I wore at the NAMAS, so that is very exciting - but mostly I want to become a fashion icon and continue breaking gender barriers. "You can follow Jay-Aeron on www.instagram.com/byjayaeron
New Era Reporter
2018-05-11 11:11:17 | 2 years ago


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Indiana Court of Appeals
John Alden v. State of Indiana
Miscellaneous. Reverses denial of motion to prohibit the release of Alden's criminal record. The trial court abused its discretion when it denied his motion on the basis that the Legislature had repealed I.C. 35-38-8-3. Remands for the trial court to consider the merits of his motion.
Richard M. Tallman v. State of Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, et al. (NFP)
Civil plenary. Affirms summary judgment in favor of the Department of Natural Resources and other state actors on Tallman's complaint alleging that DNR officer Anthony Mann negligently injured Tallman when he arrested him.
In Re: The Paternity of A.G.P.; M.O. v. R.K.P. (NFP)
Juvenile. Affirms denial to set aside a paternity decree.
Tamara J. Shidler, surviving spouse of Michael R. Shidler v. Dennis G. Lockrey, M.D., and Sigma Medical Group, LLC, d/b/a Sigma Med Express Care, and James D. Pike, D.O., et al. (NFP)
Civil tort. Affirms jury verdict in favor of defendants on Shidler's medical malpractice complaint.
Troy A. Bratton v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms the trial court decision that declined to find Bratton's mental health to be a mitigating circumstance. Reverses Bratton's sentence and the award of 67 days of credit time. Remands with instructions.
Chukwuemeka Chidebelu-Eze v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms battery convictions, one as a Class C felony and one as a Class D felony, and Eze's sentence.
Marquise Lee v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class B felony attempted aggravated battery.
Dana Banks v. Evans Limestone Co. (NFP)
Agency action. Affirms denial of Dana Banks' petition for lack of diligence, which was filed against his employer, Evans Limestone, which refused to authorize a spinal cord stimulator procedure that was recommended by three physicians.
Timothy E. Gabehart v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms denial of motion to withdraw guilty plea.
In the Matter of the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of L.B. and J.B., W.B. v. Indiana Department of Child Services (NFP)
Juvenile. Affirms termination of parental rights.
Breondon D. Pinkston v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms convictions of Class C felony carrying a handgun without a license and Class A misdemeanor criminal trespass.
Jackie Robson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms sentence for Class C felony child molesting.
James E. Robinson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Post conviction. Reverses denial of petition for post-conviction relief and remands for an evidentiary hearing.
Leonel H. Arellano v. State of Indiana (NFP)
Criminal. Affirms convictions and sentence for child molesting as a Class A felony and two counts of child molesting as Class C felonies.
The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions by IL deadline. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals posted no Indiana decisions by IL deadline.


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Hindsight is 20/20. Everyone says it but never has that message been clearer to me than a week before I'm supposed to launch my debut novel. And as I start to freak out and stress, I do what I normally do—I turn to writing.
So, if any of you hopeful authors would like to know some mistakes I've made and ways to make your first book launch go smoother than mine, I guess there's no better time to tell you about them than when they're fresh in my mind.
1. Do Plan to have a Print Version of your Book
I didn't plan to have a print version of my debut novel. Until today. 11 days before release day. This was not a good plan. Actually, it was the absolute lack of a plan that got me into this terrible situation. Do not do this. Print is good. It's your friend.
Why didn't I have a plan for a print version, you ask? Because it seemed silly. We have technology strapped to us all the time. Your dang watch can be an e-reader (okay, maybe this is an exaggeration, but maybe it isn't). I didn't think anyone except for super nerds like me preferred print over eBook. As it turns out, this is not true. A lot of people still really prefer the print version. They like the way books feel in the hand and the way they smell, and your friends and family like the fact that they can have an autographed copy.
Be prepared to use CreateSpace at the very least. They facilitate the handy "Print on Demand" feature on Amazon. Also be prepared for a bit of a formatting headache if you're not a computer whizz (guilty). If you're not, watch this YouTube video tutorial on formatting your book for CreateSpace. It will help, I promise.
Also be prepared to have a wrap for your print version. It's more than a cover, it's a PDF spread required by CreateSpace that includes the spine and the back of the book blurb. You can create your own through CreateSpace but in my humble opinion, they simply don't look as good as one done by a professional. Thank heavens my designer, Fiona, was willing and able to put one together for me on short notice. But it isn't a nice thing to do to a designer, so try to avoid it and have it ready to go in advance.
2. Do have some Wiggle Room in your Budget
This was actually something I did do, but I was amazed how quickly the money in my budget disappeared. This self-publishing thing is not cheap. One of the biggest errors I made was only including "big ticket" items in my budget, like the artwork and editing. The little things add up quickly and caught me by surprise. Here's a quick list of the things I included my budget and others that popped up along the way:
- Cover Design (included in budget)
- Artwork/graphics for website, Facebook, etc. (included in budget)
- Wrap for print version of book (not included, popped up)
- Content Edit (included in budget but went over budget)
- Copy Edit (included in budget)
- Costs associated with buying ISBN numbers and barcode (I literally didn't know this was a thing until about a month before launch. I'm not proud of this lack of knowledge, but if it helps one of you avoid the same mistake, I'm happy to admit it. Obviously, this was not included in my budget)
- Website hosting costs (included in budget)
- Vellum formatting costs (or other formatting costs if you choose to go with a formatter for print and/or eBook) (not included, popped up)
3. Do Consider Pre-Orders
The pre-order function on Amazon didn't really seem to make much sense to me for a first book. I mean, no one has heard of me and the only people who were going to pre-order my book were people who were going to read it anyway (my family and friends, mostly). But as soon as I started posting about the release date on Facebook and officially launched my website, I found a lot of people were interested in pre-ordering my book. My editor also asked about posting pre-order links to her social media accounts. This left me in a bind.
I actually did manage to scramble and get something ready for pre-order, but it's not much of a pre-order as it's only coming a week before launch. It was also extremely stressful (I've been working for going on 14 hours today), and in my haste, I messed something up on my Amazon submission and my book is now listed under my editor's name instead of mine, and I'm sitting here with my fingers crossed obsessively checking my email every 17 seconds to see if Amazon gets my email begging them to fix it before it goes live on the site.
Which leads me to my next point about pre-orders on Amazon. At the very least, pre-orders give you a chance to correct any silly mistakes you've made (like listing your book under your editor's name instead of your own) BEFORE your hard launch. The other great thing about pre-orders is that if it's already ready to launch, it will be released exactly when you want it to instead of having to wait 12+ hours on launch day for it to go live on the site.
4. Do Remember to Breathe
I'm a naturally anxious person, so I might be more stressed than most, but this is advice I could have used. All throughout my day, I kept telling myself: there is nothing that has been done that cannot be undone. There is nothing that cannot wait. It helped. Well, at least until I put my book out for pre-order under the wrong name.
Seriously though, it can be fixed. I know it can. That's the great thing about technology and the great thing about self-publishing. This would have been much more serious if I'd just put the wrong name on a slip for a 10,000 book print run. That could probably be fixed too, but this is much simpler. I can fix it quickly with Amazon (aren't they the greatest?), and I'll be right back on track. Nothing is so big it can't be addressed.
5. Don't Forget—Taxes are a Thing
Any retailer is going to ask you to fill out a W-9 for tax purposes. For me, this was relatively simple, but I didn't realize it until I was basically ready to start uploading to various retailers. This might be an added complication for some, so I wanted to throw it out there in the event someone wasn't expecting it!
Happy Writing! And if you see The Wheel Mages listed on Amazon under someone else's name, please still buy it! I'm pretty sure I got the mailing information right for the check, at the very least!


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As access control systems integrators it is our job to ensure that all the disparate elements that make up an access control solution work seamlessly and in sync. As such we spend a lot of time working with partners to ensure the systems and products we specify are fully integrated. Please find below links to our various partners. This list is not exhaustive and if, for example, your software partner is not on this list don't worry, call us and we will work with them to ensure the necessary integration happens.
Access Control Partners
Our advantage as a systems integrator is that we can supply you with the best products from the best manufacturers. Here are just some of our key partners……
Software Partners
Our solutions are fully integrated into a number of leading software providers so you can be sure our solution works "out of the box" and we are adding more partners all of the time…….


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we're not starving
at least not artistically
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.Steve Jobs
live intro
Learn more about me and We're Not Starving in the first live video! Next week we will start the artist profiles and chatting with other artists about their lives, schedules, and creativity. If you want to catch us live, it's on Instagram @werenotstarving ! Or you can click the handy dandy side handle on the […]More


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Billy Zane didn't know his director was blind for four days.
Adam Morse – the director of Zane's latest movie 'Lucid' – was initially afraid to admit he is blind as he believed "no one would finance his film" and Adam was so good at hiding it, Billy had no idea about his visual impairment until his fourth day of filming.
In an exclusive interview with BANG Showbiz at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London, he said: "Our director Adam Morse is blind, literally, and didn't tell anyone because he was afraid no one would finance his film if he told anyone he was.
"When I found out, I figured it out my fourth day, he's good at hiding it but the concept of a man who had a degenerative stigma that led to his blindness, and one who is hired to direct a film, is curious.
"You'd think it wouldn't be possible but he had forged an aesthetic, clearly, through his lifetime and knew what he liked and what he didn't but was still as open as confident and as comfortable with the role and the process that it just became a non-issue, but fascinating none the less."
Billy, 52 – who won Best Actor at the Gold Awards for 'Lucid' – went on to say that he and his producer for his upcoming film 'Waltzing with Marlon Brando', in which he will play the late star, have considered making a documentary around Adam's incredible story.
He said: "Now he's kind of coming out with it and writing a bit about it and it's a fascinating journey we were just discussing.
"You know my producer Dean for the Brando project, said we should have made a documentary on the subject we haven't stopped talking about doing that. So maybe we'll make a doc just covering Adam's next film and what that process is like."
Billy Zane didn't know director was blind for four days
Billy Zane didn't know his director was blind for four days.


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4311 Erwin Drive, West Vancouver Listing #: R2457242
Located ON BEAUTIFUL ERWIN DRIVE just steps to the beach. This fabulous 2015 home with CONTEMPORARY DESIGN is simply a must see as it provides a LIFESTYLE we all look forward to enjoy. BEING ON ERWIN DRIVE is simply stunning as the street has such a beautiful charm. The trees and other stunning homes create such a GREAT neighbourhood which we all desire to find in life. Exceptional quality and design are evident throughout the entire home and includes beautiful engineered hardwood and tiled floors, high quality KITCHEN CABINETS and an atmosphere which feels very much like the FAIRMONT PAC RIM.
Taxes (2019): $7,551.71
- Air Cond./Central
- Sauna/Steam Room
- Swirlpool/Hot Tub
Site Influences
- Central Location
- Marina Nearby
- Private Setting
- Recreation Nearby
- Shopping Nearby
- Ski Hill Nearby
Similar Listings
Listed By: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
Disclaimer: The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS Reciprocity program of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS Reciprocity logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.


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Over at Scrap Friends they have a very cool challenge, and that is to post your very first scrapbooking layout. I had to think for a while whether or not I wanted to do that. There are still two more days to join in if you dare!!!
I was invited to join old school friends Lee Schertzing and Colleen Connors, who had taken a week off work to scrapbook together at Colleen's place in Brockville. My response to them? "I'd rather gouge my eyes out". I couldn't figure out why someone would waste holiday time to scrapbook.
The girls would not be daunted. They asked me if I would take one day off work, and come up the night before to scrapbook with them for at least the evening and full day. I asked "Do you girls drink wine?" (Keep in mind I had not laid eyes on these girls since high school). They assured me that they would drink wine, so I consented to go. I packed my wine, my clothing, and a very cheesy boxed scrapbooking kid that I had bought a while before at Giant Tiger (for you non-Canadian girls, Giant Tiger is a discount store that is not noted for high quality merchandise).
Anyway, did I ever have a lot to learn. The scrapbook album in my kit did not have sleeves to hold pages, and was completely unsuitable. A quick trip to the dollar store with one of the ladies and I had some inexpensive papers to use for scrapbooking. (The girls had offered to share theirs, but I didn't want to impose anymore than I already had, and I knew by then that supplies could be expensive).
I had absolutely NO CLUE how to begin. I had never even seen a scrapbook page before that trip which took place in February 2008. Here is my first attempt:
Anonymous – lol!


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Link to Flames Club page
Last Monday, the Flames Club hosted a highly successful meet and greet event in Atlanta, introducing new head football coach Turner Gill to several generations of football supporters and former players.
Over 60 people attended the event held at the Embassy Suites in Alpharetta, Ga., an area that represents one of the largest concentrations of "Flames Nation" (a mixture of Flames Club members and donors, Liberty University alumni, Liberty University online students and fans in the greater Atlanta area).
During the evening event, Gill shared his vision for Liberty Football and his assessment of the program following his first spring practice season. Gill noted that he was pleased with the talent he will have for the upcoming 2012 season and that his coaching staff has emphasized speed, explosiveness and playmaking during spring workouts.
Gill identified the defensive line, defensive back field and the running backs as some of the positions of greatest strength on the team. Gill also told those gathered for the event that his focus as Liberty's head football coach was to develop players spiritually, academically, socially and athletically, while operating a program that was consistent with the mission of Liberty and that was an excellent representation of the University.
"This is the first time that we have held an event featuring our head football coach this far from Liberty, and we were very pleased with the response and turnout, especially considering it was planned and executed in just over three weeks' time," reflected Bob Good, Flames Club director. "The success of the event was a reflection of the excitement surrounding Liberty Football, particularly the hiring of Coach Gill and the possible move to the FBS level."
Good stated that evening would not have been possible without the help of several Liberty University staff members who were also in attendance, including Lauren Thom (Flames Club membership coordinator), Paul Rutigliano (Assistant AD for Football Operations), Kevin Keys (Associate AD for External Operations) and Bethany Conrad (Student Recruitment representative).
One of the many former players in attendance at the event was Chip Smith, the program's first-ever scholarship student-athlete and a member of the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame. Smith closed the event in prayer and shared how the Lord used the later founder Dr. Jerry Falwell and first Liberty head coach Rock Royer to bring him to Liberty.
Good noted during the closing of the event that the Flames Club plans to hold other similar events in the future in different areas of the country next May.
Liberty opens its football season on Sept. 8 at Wake Forest and holds its home opener against 2011 NCAA FCS Playoff participant Norfolk State on Sept. 15.
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Sophie Maslow, a choreographer who drew on the populist sympathies of Woody Guthrie, Carl Sandburg, Duke Ellington and others to create dances about various sides of American life, from jazz to the Dust Bowl, died Sunday in Manhattan. She was 95.
Her death, at Lenox Hill Hospital, was confirmed by her daughter and only survivor, Abigail Blatt, also of Manhattan.
Ms. Maslow, a former dancer in Martha Graham's company from 1931 to 1943, was also a noted teacher of modern-dance technique. Beginning in the 1940's, she created dances for a number of troupes, including her own, the Sophie Maslow Dance Company, and the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio, an ensemble she directed in association with Jane Dudley and William Bales.
Ms. Maslow's works set to folk music were especially popular. "Dust Bowl Ballads" (1941), to songs by Woody Guthrie, depicted the endurance of people in the rural Southwest during the droughts and the Depression of the 1930's. Ms. Maslow returned to Guthrie's music and Dust-Bowl themes in 1980 when she created "Woody Sez," a suite of comic and serious episodes, each with some reference to dust.
The cheerful "Folksay" (1942), based on Carl Sandburg's poem "The People, Yes," blended dancing with songs and dialogue. Pete Seeger sang in many early performances.
Jazz and pop music also attracted Ms. Maslow. "Manhattan Transfer" (1953) was a boogie-woogie suite; "Poem," set in a San Francisco beatnik hangout, featured music by Duke Ellington and the recitation of a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. At its premiere in 1963, Allen Hughes, writing in The New York Times, called it "an instant hit."
Not all Ms. Maslow's American commentaries were genial, and not all received rave reviews. "Champion" (1948) depicted the career of a champion boxer who, in his personal life, was a champion heel. The critic John Martin of The Times found it "imaginative and formally interesting in the two boxing sequences, but in its more dramatic scenes it relies on fairly obvious dumb-show."
Ms. Maslow's versatility was evident in such disparate creations as "The Snow Queen" (1953), a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale; "Decathlon Etude" (1976), which turned sports movements into dance, and "Voices" (1980), a lyrical piece set to lush Romantic music by Schumann.
Ms. Maslow also created several works on Jewish themes, most notably "The Village I Knew" (1950), a set of character sketches based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem. During the 1950's and 60's she choreographed many of the annual Hannukkah Festivals at Madison Square Garden, and in 1954 she staged "Israel Through the Ages," an elaborate music and dance spectacle at the ANTA Playhouse.
Born in New York on March 22, 1911, Ms. Maslow, who was a first cousin of the artist Leonard Baskin, received her dance training at the Neighborhood Playhouse on the Lower East Side, where Blanche Talmud and Martha Graham were among her teachers. She joined the Graham company in 1931 and remained with it for 12 years.
While dancing, she also began choreographing works of her own, many for the New Dance League, a forerunner of the New Dance Group. In the 30's, both organizations favored dances on social-protest themes. The New Dance Group also offered low-cost classes in various techniques and sponsored a dance company. Ms. Maslow participated as a teacher and choreographer.
She was associated with the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio from its founding in 1942 to its dissolution in 1954. After that, she continued to work with the New Dance Group.
Although primarily known as a modern-dance choreographer, Ms. Maslow also choreographed theatrical productions. One was the Off-Broadway musical "Sandhog" in 1954; another, in 1974, was "The Big Winner," based on a Sholem Aleichem story about a poor tailor who gains a fortune through a winning lottery ticket.
Ms. Maslow spoke of her populist leanings in an interview in Dance Magazine in 1946. Referring to herself and her colleagues in the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio, she said: "We're popular, if by 'popular' you mean 'of the people.' But this is the Age of the Common Man, and it is the common people who are the backbone and the strength and hope of our civilization and our culture. We as artists, and above all as thinking people, are touched by problems of our fellow men because they are our problems."


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We all know the great lengths Apple goes through to protect its patents – it's just entered a huge legal battle against Korean manufacturing giant Samsung, with Apple saying Sammy copied the look and feel of their products. What few know is that the company isn't as finicky when it comes to respecting IP of others. UK-based developer Greg Hughes developed Wi-Fi Sync, an app which basically allows the syncing of an iPhone and iTunes library and took it to Apple, who then rejected his app. If his app sounds familiar, you shouldn't be surprised – it's one of the same features that comes with iOS5 that was just announced a few days ago."Obviously I was fairly shocked," said Hughes. "I'd been selling my app with that name and icon for at least a year. Apple knew that, as I'd submitted it to them, so it was surprising to see that." After Apple rejected his app, he took it to he Cydia store (which is the go-to place for apps for jailbroken iPhones) where it sold briskly. Adding insult to injury, Cupertino even used Hughes' logo with only minimal alterations.
Next time Apple cries foul over perceived patent infringement, it might be a good idea for them to look in the mirror first.
Source: The Register


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For a brand synonymous with bold designs that pop with colour at the mere hint of light, turning a hand to black and white was a brave choice for the duo behind Dinosaur Designs. But as Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy reinterpreted their usual casting process for their latest collection – throwing colour out the window in favour for a monochrome palette – they stumbled upon the purity of paring back in the process.
Drawing inspiration from artists like Jackson Pollock, the collection entitled The Art of Black & White uses delicate and painterly techniques to render the contrasting tones together. In some pieces the speckled and splashed Pollock-esque effect stands out in polar white on pure black, while in others it's the swirling convergence of the two that creates an explosive pearl effect.
It's hard not to notice the individual forms that are created via each clash. To Olsen, the process of reducing elements to black and white allowed the form and casting of each individual piece to be stand out.
"You really understand how each piece is one of a kind and handmade," he says.
The result is an aesthetic that is a pure product of the process. If you're a fan of unique design, these pieces are its embodiment.


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Bringing Local Talent To Light - Invest NI Helps Local Firms Enhance Their Exporting Ability<strong> </strong>
Within the last financial year Invest Northern Ireland's local office based in Ballymena has helped an impressive number of 13 local start-up companies sell their services and products outside of Northern Ireland through its 'Export Start' programme.
Export Starts are businesses with the potential to trade outside Northern Ireland, generally exploiting near-market opportunities such as Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland, but also with the potential to do business further afield. The 'Export Start' programme offers a range of financial and non-financial support, including access to business planning services, technical advice and market intelligence, to eligible new businesses across the region.
All13 firms have been working closely with Invest NI's north eastern Local office, which was established to ensure that businesses within the local area have access to the right support and advice they need to stay competitive in today's aggressive market place.
Based in Larne, Design to Reality specialises in the production of novelty children's bedroom furniture. A relatively new company Design to Reality has already managed to tap into markets in France, Cyprus, Spain and the Republic of Ireland. To date Invest NI has provided the requisite financial and non-financial assistance to support the establishment of this new venture.
Leslie Morrison, Chief Executive of Invest NI, commented:
"We have helped these companies accelerate their growth by providing the knowledge and capabilities they need to be successful within their own business sectors. By providing this information we are helping local firms to exploit new market opportunities and enhance their export potential."
George McKinney, Local Office Manager for Invest NI based in Ballymena, said:
"Through our office local companies with the potential to export their product s or services can access the full range of services and expertise that Invest NI has to offer. For most companies exporting further afield this means a significant increase in the number of rival firms they must compete against. We are helping local companies to prepare for that challenge and to enhance their capability to compete in export markets."
Patrick McClean owner of Design to Reality commented:
"The financial assistance and support provided by Invest NI has helped us to sell our products to customers outside of Northern Ireland. By establishing an overseas client base we will be able to expand our business offering and develop new products that will in turn lead to increased revenue."


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May 26, 2020 - Latest: What has happened to markets this year? by Darius McDermott
25th February 2015
Government plans to allow some older people to top-up their state pension could provide a unique opportunity those with low savings to boost their income in retirement.
For certain retirees, this opportunity to boost their state pension could be worth twice as much as they would be likely to receive by investing an equivalent sum in an annuity, according to analysis by Tilney Bestinvest, the financial adviser.
Men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before April 1953 are set to be given an 18 month window to top-up their state pension between October 2015 and April 2017. This provides a unique opportunity for retirees with small pension pots to get a better deal than they are likely to be able find in the annuities market.
During this window, the maximum additional state pension that can be is £25 per week, equivalent to £1,300 per year. The cost of purchasing this depends on whether the individual is male or female and their age at the time they purchase the benefits.
According to figures from the Association of British Insurers, the median size of annuity purchase in the UK is around £20,000 and 29% of annuities are purchased with pension pots of less than £10,000.
At the small end of the market, research also suggests there is a much less propensity to shop around, meaning many retirees are simply not getting as good a deal as they might. But even then, small pots provide only modest levels of annuity income of around 2.86%. Some retirees could achieve an income that is roughly double this rate by boosting their state pension instead.
The costs associated with buying the maximum additional State pension of £25 per week for a 65-year old male are:
|Equivalent annuity rate
David Smith, director of Financial Planning at Tilney Bestinvest, said: "If the same 65-year old male were to use a comparable £22,250 pension pot to purchase an annuity, then this would currently purchase an income of just £637.20 per annum rather than £1,300 available through this top-up scheme. Therefore this window of opportunity to acquire additional State Pensions seemingly provides an incredibly attractive option for those with small pension pots of less than £30,000 and who are not subject to the higher rates of tax.
"Under the new pension freedoms coming into place from the next tax year, those with small pots will be able to cash in their pensions with 25% tax free and the remainder will be subject to their marginal rate of income tax. The proceeds can then be used to purchase an additional State Pension rather than a traditional annuity. In essence, the Government is effectively willing to absorb the smaller end of the annuity market for a limited window of time – you could argue this is de facto nationalisation – but the main challenge is going to be lack of awareness of just how attractive this could be."
Smith added: "Retirees have suffered greatly in recent years, in part due to monetary policies that have kept interest rates and bond yields low in order to keep the financial system afloat. These, alongside increased life expectancy, have had a very negative knock-on effect to annuity rates which has had disastrous consequences for those with little pension provision."


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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Turkey Returns Properties to Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Turkish government has announced that it intends to transfer ownership of seven properties in Constantinople formerly belonging to the Bulgarian Orthodox Exarchate to the representation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Constantinople. The properties include both a former monastery and a Bulgarian Orthodox cemetery. More here.
Posted by Jon Marc at 5:18 PM
Labels: Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Constantinople, politics, Turkey
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NEW YORK – Ravaged by injuries, the New York Yankees hardly resemble the 100-win team that set a major league record for homers last year.
And even though it's very early in the season, they are frittering away games during a favorable portion of their schedule.
Tim Anderson hit his first career grand slam, and Carlos Rodón pitched the White Sox to a 5-2 victory over the scuffling Yankees on Sunday. New York is 3-6 at home against the Orioles, Tigers and Sox – all teams that lost at least 98 games last year.
"It's frustrating to lose two out of three to a team that we should probably beat," first baseman Luke Voit said. "I think a lot of us just need to get out of our heads and go back to playing Yankee baseball the right way."
On deck for New York, a visit from the World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the first meeting this season between the longtime rivals. Both are off to surprisingly slow starts.
"Anytime a team comes into Yankee Stadium, they're going to give you their A game. We've noticed that," right fielder Aaron Judge said. "We've just got to make sure we match that every single game. People are coming after us, so we've got to keep the intensity up and just play our game."
José Abreu almost had a grand slam, as well – to almost the same spot in the ballpark – but settled for a sacrifice fly when Judge made a jumping catch in front of the wall. Held to one hit Saturday in a 4-0 loss, the White Sox chased Masahiro Tanaka with nobody out in the fifth and won for only the second time in eight games.
Yoan Moncada had three hits and a walk for the White Sox, who stole five bases in the last five innings – several of them uncontested. The White Sox won two of three to take consecutive series in the Bronx for the first time since 2002-03. Before last August, the White Sox hadn't captured a series at Yankee Stadium since 2005.
With the Yankees (6-9) missing five dangerous regulars from their lineup, Judge did all he could in this one. He scored on Voit's double, lined an RBI single and threw out Moncada trying for a two-base hit. New York handed Tanaka (1-1) an early 2-0 lead, but he unraveled in the fourth and fifth as the Yankees lost their fifth in six games.
Tanaka had trouble with his splitter.
"It wasn't coming out of my hand right, and not just today," he said through an interpreter. "Definitely need to make some adjustments so it's an effective pitch."
Rodón (2-2) allowed three hits in six innings and struck out five, improving to 3-0 in three starts at Yankee Stadium. He retired his final 11 batters after a visit from pitching coach Don Cooper.
Four relievers finished a four-hitter, with Alex Colomé getting three quick outs for his third save.
"I found a groove after the third," Rodón said. "This is a playoff club, the Yankees are. I think this is a good series win for us. Hopefully, we can build off it and get some momentum going."
Tanaka faced only 10 batters in the first three innings, striking out six, but then all of a sudden he fell apart. Eight of his next 10 hitters reached safely, and the right-hander was done.
"We made him make pitches, and we didn't let him off the hook," Anderson said. "We were able to draw some walks, and we were able to make it hurt."
Anderson, who began the day leading the majors with a .444 batting average, drove a fourth-inning splitter the opposite way. He urged it with a waving hand into the front row of seats just beyond the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center for his third homer and the White Sox's first slam of the season.
"It was my first one, so it definitely felt good," Anderson said.
Abreu added his sacrifice fly after Tanaka exited with the bases loaded in the fifth. Tanaka had permitted one earned run in each of his first three starts.
Now that Baltimore's Chris Davis snapped his record 0-for-54 skid Saturday, White Sox outfielder Daniel Palka has the longest current hitless streak for an active major league position player, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Palka went 0 for 3 on Sunday, leaving him 0 for 28 this season and 0 for 30 dating to last year. Mikie Mahtook, sent to the minors over the weekend, is hitless in his past 31 at-bats for Detroit. Palka led the White Sox with 27 homers last season, tied for the most among big league rookies.
White Sox: Looking for his 150th career win, right-hander Ervin Santana (0-1) pitches against one of his former teams Monday night when the White Sox host Kansas City. The two-time All-Star was tagged for seven runs and seven hits over 32/3 innings by Tampa Bay in his White Sox debut last Tuesday.


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Step by step :
1. Get your table number
2. Tell the waiter what soup do you want (chicken or Tom Yam)
3. Pick all the meat, fish, vegetables, and so on that you like
4. Take and fill the drink that you want (no-refill, so yes, fill it all up guys!)
5. Order rice (if you want)
6. The cashier will total all your dish + you have to pay
7. There you go! Have a seat and enjoy your do it yourself stew and grill!
Can't remember the steps? Don't worry, Raa Cha has like a brochure about this one. Or else, you can ask the waiter to guide you
So yes, let's review!
I went here at 9p.m. I know right, too late to have a dinner. Hahahaha but who can resist food? ;)
When I got here, almost all the dish are sold out. Fortunately, I still can grab some of the beef (well, can't live without it, haha)
Food & Price
I don't remember the dish name and also the price one by one
You know, I only grab grab grab grab and grab, and yes. The cashier is already in front of me and total all my already grabbed dish.
Spent approx IDR 350,000 for 5 persons (bunch dishes,3 drinks and 2 rice)
Quite affordable if I may say.
The Grill
Actually I really want to try the spicy and also the salty one, but all sold out (
I also love the chicken meat even though when I grill it, the colour aren't really nice.
The Soup
The all kind of fish balls, Siomay, and Tofu that I took taste good.
Suggestion :
don't pick the angel hair (Read : bihun) because it's so hard to grab and cut - seriously -
don't forget to grab your sauce near the cashier desk!
It's a Thai food right? But well, I don't feel like it's a Thai food.
They're trying to show the Thai concept only by using unique cooking stuffs.
Well, I feel not really comfortable eating here.
Maybe because it's approaching the closing time, the waiter is busy cleaning up all the mess around us.
They start to grab all the "Stove" to cook, the grill plate, and the pot around us, cleaning the table
Even they already clean all the pantry where they put the dishes before.
They also said to us that it's the last order so we can't add anymore dishes again after that.
(This last paragraph read : pengusiran secara halus?)
I don't get offended though, because the waiter still serving us nicely.
They also really responsive, when the fire for my grill is out, they quickly turn the fire back on again.
Stay awake for another food journey!
--Megan Faustine
Instagram & Twitter : @meganfaustine
Blog : borntobite.blogspot.com
Recommended Dish(es): Grill
Spending per head: Approximately Rp100000(Dinner)
Other Ratings:
Rasa4 |
Lingkungan4 |
Pelayanan2 |
Higienis4 |
Sesuai dengan harga4
Keep it up!
Looking Forward
Cool Photo


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2017 program highlights include:
- Professor Ernest E. Smith presents his annual Case Law Update.
- Bart W. Huffman, Reed Smith LLP, and Will R. Daugherty, Baker & Hostetler LLP, explore the ethical and legal obligations of attorneys and law firms to protect against cybersecurity threats including threats to client data and communications.
- Brian Sullivan, McElroy, Sullivan, Miller, Weber & Olmstead L.L.P., delivers the Railroad Commission Update.
- Matt Ray, Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., presents on Gas Exports to Mexico during the luncheon presentation.
- J. Robert Goldsmith Jr., Goldsmith, Bogisch & Chaires, moderates a panel discussion of Legal and Regulatory Issues in Light of Current Drilling Technology with panelists Gregory S. Mathews, Chevron USA INC., and John B. McFarland, Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody.
- Hear Fun New Ways for Density and Proration Rules to Bust Your Lease with Brandon Durrett, Dykema Cox Smith.
The Institute is jointly presented by The University of Texas School of Law and The Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.


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ITG "Give A Sheet" Draw at Spring Expo
ITG Gives A Sheet Draw
2012-13 has been a difficult time for the hockey trading card hobby.
After a lengthy labor dispute and the decision by the licensed trading card manufacturers to reduce the number of products they would produce once the games started, times have been tough.
These events have had a serious impact on the hockey trading card industry from the distributors to the dealers to the collectors.
In The Game has chosen to do everything we can to help the hobby. We have continued to produce products and support hobby shops with our redemption programs.
The 2013 Spring Expo will be no exception. This is our 34th consecutive Expo, a streak we are very proud of.
In addition to three very exciting Redemption Programs that we have available throughout the Spring Expo and our always popular Deal or No Deal contest, we are pleased to announce something new for the Spring Expo.
In The Game – Gives A Sheet Draw.
Each day of the Spring Expo, In The Game will hold three Give A Sheet Draws.
In each draw, four uncut sheets will be given away. That's a total of 36 uncut sheets.
What do you have to do to enter the Give A Sheet Draw
Just ask any member of the In The Game staff for an entry ticket, they will be pleased to give you one. Please only ask for one ticket only and give everyone a fair chance win an uncut sheet.
The hours of the draws are:
Friday 3:00 pm 5:30 pm 7:30 pm
Saturday 11:00 am 1:00 pm 3:30 pm
Sunday 11:00 am 1:00 pm 2:30 pm
Your ticket is good for all nine draws but you must be at In The GameLand to win, draws will be made for each sheet until there is a winner.
In The Game wants to bring as much excitement to the Spring Expo for collectors as we can, because at In The Game – we give a sheet.
Comments are closed.


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Extend Health helped over 150,000 choose Medicare plans during AEP
January 25, 2012
We just put out a press release announcing some results from the 2011 Medicare annual enrollment period. In addition to helping more than 150,000 people evaluate and choose Medicare plans, we were able to submit 99% of enrollment applications to carriers within 24 hours, thanks to our back-end integration with carriers.
Read More >
Visit Extend Health — the nation's largest private Medicare exchange.
Washington Extension
January 20, 2012
Medicare News
Medicare Advantage plans that offer gym memberships to enrollees may have the same effect as cherry picking healthy beneficiaries, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The authors found that enrollees in plans with gym memberships are healthier and have fewer mobility limitations than enrollees in plans without fitness benefits. The study did not address whether the plans were purposefully trying to attract and retain healthier enrollees, which is prohibited by law.
Gradually increasing the Medicare eligibility age to 67 would save the Federal government $148 billion over ten years, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report, or about a 5 percent annual reduction in Medicare spending. Although most seniors losing access to Medicare would have employer-based coverage, they would face higher premiums and pay more out-of-pocket for health care.
ACA Update
The White House released a report showing that 28 states have taken concrete steps toward establishing a health insurance exchange—half with clear authority to set up an exchange and half with executive orders or studies authorizing exchange work. Another 22 are still studying their options. The report highlights the actions of ten states and summarizes the authority and funding for exchange development in each state.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will officially return a $37 million Early Innovator grant from the Federal government. He has also directed the state health agency to cease work on a state-run health insurance exchange and will rescind the creation of the state Office of Free Market Health Care. Kansas House Republicans are pressuring Governor Sam Brownback to cancel the state's $135 million contract with Accenture to design a computer system to track social service applicants. Though Governor Brownback has put a moratorium on health insurance exchange work until after the Supreme Court decision, Republicans saw Accenture's project as laying the groundwork for an exchange. New Hampshire's Senate voted unanimously to establish a health insurance exchange, with backers citing the need to keep state control over if the ACA is implemented. New Hampshire's House is opposed to ACA implementation.
The US Department of Health and Human Services faces pushback on its essential health benefits proposal. Patient advocates are asking for an additional 45 day comment period, after the initial deadline of January 31, 2012. Republicans are criticizing the use of sub-regulatory guidance rather than the traditional rulemaking process, accusing HHS of sidestepping regulatory requirements for cost-benefit and unfunded mandate analyses.
On the Hill
The House and Senate conference committee assigned to negotiate a longer-term solution to the payroll tax break and Medicare physician payments will convene on January 24th. The House returned to Washington, DC on January 17th and the Senate returns on the 23rd. Current law expires on February 29th, at which point Medicare's payments to physicians would fall by nearly one-third.
Other News/Reports
The Congressional Budget Office found that Medicare demonstration programs—used to explore new ways to deliver and pay for Medicare—rarely reduce Medicare spending and in fact are often more costly. Value-based payment experiments struggled to overcome Medicare's fee-for-service payment incentives while trying to increase the quality and efficiency of care delivered, and only successfully decreased spending by negotiating lower payment rates. CBO concludes that effective demonstration programs focus on transitions in care settings, gather timely data on care utilization, encourage close interaction between physicians and case managers, and target interventions to high-risk enrollees.
Visit Extend Health — the nation's largest private Medicare exchange.
How to accurately and fairly measure health care providers
January 19, 2012
In keeping with its mandate to inform the public of the measures it's considering for adoption, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has compiled a list of 367 new ideas on how to accurately and fairly measure doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. The proposed measures came from a variety of sources, including the CMS, CDC, industry groups, companies, health care organizations, universities, research groups and others. After a thorough review, CMS is expected to adopt about 60 of the measures.
A key goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to shift reimbursements from being based on the quantity of services delivered to being based on improved efficiency, lower costs and improved quality of care provided. These new measures will be assessed and selected based on their ability to help CMS in their efforts to achieve this goal.
In addition, the ACA requires a federal "pre-rulemaking process" for selecting quality and efficiency measures. In compliance with this requirement, CMS submitted the entire list of proposed measure to the NFQ organization Measures Application Partnership (MAP) for their review. MAP has studied the proposed measures to determine which ones it believes will accurately and fairly measure health care provider performance." Their pre-rulemaking report is posted online and indicates which measures it does and does not endorse.
The new measures under consideration for 2012 are spread across 12 out of 23 CMS programs. In the chart below (from the CMS list of measures) you'll find the number of measures being considered listed by program. It's interesting to note that most of the measures are concentrated into just a few of the programs.
- 153 measures (more than 40%) fall under the CMS program Physician Quality Reporting System
- Other programs with many new measures include Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Program for both eligible professionals and for Hospitals and CAHs, and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting
- None of the measures are related to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Health Insurance Exchange Quality Reporting, or Medicare Part C and Part D Plan Rating Programs.
|CMS Program
No. of new measures
|End Stage Renal Disease Quality Improvement
|Hospice Quality Reporting
|Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting
|Hospital Value-Based Purchasing
|Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting
|Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality Reporting
|Long-Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting
|Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for Eligible Professionals
|Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for Hospitals and CAHs
|Physician Quality Reporting System
|Prospective Payment System (PPS) Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting
|Physician Feedback/Value-Based Modifier Program: Value-Based Payment Modifier
Health Care Trends to Watch: How insurance carriers are evolving to prepare for ACA
January 11, 2012
At Extend Health we like to keep an eye on trends in the health care and insurance industries, and lately one big trend is erosion of the clear boundaries between providers and payers – specifically, insurance carriers who are positioning their businesses to cope with the cost-control challenge they face as MLR requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) start to kick in.
The trend of hospitals expanding into regional super-providers, buying up physicians groups and ancillary service providers, has been going on for some years now. But recently there has been a spate of activity among carriers who are expanding into new areas, buying companies or forming partnerships to offer new services both to patients and providers. Carriers are also investing in ways to educate patients and increase compliance with preventive and wellness measures, improve patient care coordination among their provider networks, and help patients find the services they need. A few examples follow:
- Aetna recently announced Whole Health, a new insurance plan available to employees of small businesses. Employees who are covered under the plan receive lower co-pays if they get their care through Arizona's Banner Health Network, Aetna's ACO partner on the plan. The Whole Health plan is built on the ACO model of care, using electronic medical records (EMR) technology to allow providers to share patient information and data so they can better coordinate care. Employees will also have access to technology in the form of on-line tools that will help them do a better job of managing their health.
- UnitedHealthcare (UHC) purchased XLHealth Corp., a Baltimore-based provider of programs for managing Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions such as diabetes. XLHealth's model includes a variety of interventions enabled by health information technology to address the needs of its Medicare membership. For example, XLHealth members may be provided with advance home monitoring tools used to gauge their health status on a daily basis.
- UHC also recently opened a consumer storefront, dubbed a "comprehensive health benefits store" in Flushing, New York. The store is meant to serve as a prototype for future consumer-support centers around the country. The center gives UHC plan members access to customer service representatives who can explain benefits, resolve claims issues, and help with other insurance-related matters. Specially-trained staff will also be available to help both UHC plan members and nonmembers find and apply for state and federal financial aid for such things as prescription drugs, food stamps, and heat and electric subsidies. Visitors to the center will be able to use available computers and iPads to find and print health-related information, and a health-screening kiosk will measure blood pressure, pulse and body mass index. Finally, the center will host an ongoing series of free-to-the-public seminars on topics such as nutrition and exercise, disease management, and financial planning.
- Taking another tack, Humana has acquired Anvita, a health care analytics firm – a move that will allow Humana to give actionable clinical data to health care organizations, which they can use to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Humana will offer Anvita's suite of software to hospitals and physician practices within its network.
- Humana also recently bought a company that employs care managers for seniors with chronic illnesses. SeniorBridge, a clinical care company based in New York, provides in-home care for chronically ill patients. According to SeniorBridge, its beneficiaries have fewer unnecessary hospitalizations, falls, and emergency department visits.
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in Ohio has teamed up with Cardinal Health on a clinical pathways program for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The partnership engages nearly 70 rheumatology practices who will participate in a "treat-to-target" approach to RA care – testing different treatment options until a patient's symptoms are in remission. The goal of the program is to find ways to standardize the way rheumatologists treat RA patients.
Many of these programs are targeted at Medicare beneficiaries for several reasons, not the least of which is the funding and support provided by the ACA-instituted Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMI). Seniors are also a good target for finding care improvements and cost efficiencies – older people generally need more health care services, and are far more likely to suffer from one of the 15 chronic conditions that account for 44% of total U.S. health care expenses.
There are many other examples; these are just a representative few. Looming MLR target requirements, along with the economic downturn, are making it imperative that carriers push for efficiency. It's encouraging to note that so many carriers are looking for ways to improve efficiency by also improving patient care, enlisting both providers and consumers in improving health and managing chronic conditions.
Visit Extend Health — the nation's largest private Medicare exchange.
The Washington Extension
January 6, 2012
Medicare News
HHS is proposing changes to its quality rating methodology for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans for 2013. Plans receive bonus payments based on quality scores. Updated quality ratings would reflect measurements of plan enrollees receiving high-quality hospital care, coordinated care, and medication reviews. The quality scores would also reflect statistically significant improvements in individual quality measures. Public comments are accepted until January 13, 2012.
ACA Updates
HHS released a bulletin proposing minimum requirements for essential health benefits that most health plans in the individual and small group markets must cover by 2014. Rather than list specific benefits, HHS proposes to allow states to choose a benchmark plan that reflects one of the three largest plans by enrollment in the small group market, State employee benefit plans, or national FEHBP plans, or base the benchmark plan on the state's largest non-Medicaid HMO. Health plans must offer benefits that are "substantially equal" to the benchmark plan, as well as any necessary additions to meet the ten health benefit categories required by the ACA. HHS proposes this approach for 2014 and 2015 and will reevaluate for future years. Public comments are accepted until January 31, 2012.
Alaska will contract with Boston's Public Consulting Group for exchange planning consultation. PCG already provides operational support for Massachusetts' exchange. Democrats in Ohio proposed legislation creating a state-run health insurance exchange, though Republicans—including the governor and lieutenant governor—claim that their actions are premature due to continued uncertainty about the law. Republicans in Michigan's Senate removed authorization for use of federal funding to begin exchange planning in the state, despite Republican Governor Rick Snyder's support for an exchange. Lawmakers prefer to wait until after the Supreme Court decision about the constitutionality of the ACA but state health officials fear that delay would make exchange preparedness by January 2013 impossible.
On the Hill
A bicameral, bipartisan conference committee will begin working on a longer-term fix for Medicare's payments to physicians, which were frozen through March 1, 2012 to avoid a 27% payment decrease at the end of 2011. Members of the committee include chairmen of the House and Senate committees of jurisdiction, as well as freshmen members.
The House is recessed until January 17th and the Senate is scheduled to return on January 23rd.
Reports/Other News
Major health insurance companies increasingly derive revenue from government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, rather than from commercial business, according to a new report by Bloomberg Government. Commercial business now accounts for less than half of the combined revenue of WellPoint, UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, Humana and Cigna. Average operating profit margins have also increased in 2011 relative to the 18 months before the ACA was passed, largely due to expansion into the public sector, according to the report.
Visit Extend Health — the nation's largest private Medicare exchange.


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Nov 03, 2008
To stop receiving these e-mails,
just click here.
Visit lockharths.alumniclass.com
Fellow Alumni, lets hear your views
Hello Alumni, fall is here again. This season always reminds us of football, cross-country and other sports, so take a moment to reflect and reconnect with those friends who share your memories. Also don't forget to participate in our election poll. We want to know where our alumni stand. Read on to find out about some of the exciting changes that have been made to the site.
Latest Alumni Registrants
brian kelly '99
Cathy Ray '77
Cindy Miller '88
Lou Ann Escobedo '90
Chuck Franz '82
Tonie Lee '02
Israel Israel Guerra '06
Katy Carmack '08
Nicky McKinney '73
Cathy Salazar '80
Arthur Hernandez '80
Create your own custom shirt!
An awesome new feature has been added for creating your very own custom school t-shirts and sweatshirts, or any other type of design you want. Family, pets, work, sports, get creative! Create a shirt and then order it through the site.
Create shirt
What's new on the alumni site?
Custom Survey Builder
- Create a customized survey containing multiple questions for your class (or all classes), and then watch the results pour in. This is a fun way of revisiting memories, and can also be VERY useful for reunion planning. Go to your class homepage to access this tool.
Presidential Poll
- We've all been talking about it; now see what the alumni have to say about this year's election. Visit the new surveys area which is accessible through your class homepage to complete this survey or view the results.
New Class Surveys
- An interesting new survey has been posted for all classes, please complete it. Visit the new surveys area which is accessible through your class homepage to take this survey.
Custom T-shirts/Sweatshirts
- Let those creative juices flow freely, and design a t-shirt with this awesome tool. After you've created the design, you and your classmates can order it through the site!
Click here
to try this out.
Visit the alumni site >>
Recent Profiles Updated
brian kelly '99
Cathy Ray '77
Lou Ann Escobedo '90
Chuck Franz '82
Tonie Lee '02
Israel Israel Guerra '06
Nicky McKinney '73
Arthur Hernandez '80
New Profile Photos
These are among some of the new photos which have been uploaded:
Browse more photos >>
In Memory Of...
Jacob Ross Parish '07
Read more
Reunion Information
"15 Year Reunion!"
- class of '92
New Class/Reunion Photos
Browse more photos >>
Map Locator
Members that marked their location on our map recently:
Allison Kelly '85
Melissa Whited '88
Jerry Basey '91
Sherry Knight '77
Lauren Martin '07
Johnny & Ran
Click here for more Johnny and Ran >>
Visit the site for a more detailed look at what's been going on.
Go to the alumni site >>
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[ lockharths.alumnclass.com has no association with the school or school district ]


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"If I fall asleep with a pen in my hand, don't remove it - I might be writing in my dreams." ~Danzae Pace
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Costco signing cancelled
Tonight's signing (Tuesday, October 26th) is cancelled, due to my stupidity. I locked my keys in my bedroom and it's a keyed knob, then realized I had left my spare in my car . . . which is also locked. Oh, and my phone is in the car too. Yeah, not one of my brightest moments. *sigh*
Posted by Karen E. Hoover at 5:02 PM 4 comments:
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Holy crap, I'm on Youtube . . . TWICE!!!
Doesn't Ali just rock? I loved when she did this Vlog for me for my blog tour, but love her even more for putting it on Youtube. Love you, Ali!!!
This was at LDSBA (LDS Booksellers Association) and was my first time in front of a camera. It was nerve wracking and totally fun! And now that I actually got to see it, am rather pleased with how it turned out. I don't sound as stupid as I thought! :D Always a good thing.
Anyway, just had to share. So totally cool.
Posted by Karen E. Hoover at 2:09 PM 2 comments:
Sunday, October 10, 2010
I'm not usually one to toot my own horn or beg for nominations, so I won't--but I would like to ask that any of you who have read The Sapphire Flute and enjoyed it and feel it worthy of a nomation for the 2010 Whitney Awards that you go to http://whitneyawards.com and submit a nomination for me? This particular contest is very meaningful to me, as I feel I am a product of the LDStorymakers conference. It is the place where I learned to write and write well, and it is the place I won my first contests, and met both my editor and publisher, so to be nominated for a Whitney, a contest for LDS writers and their books that was started just a few years ago, would be the greatest compliment I could receive.
So please, if you liked the book, take a few minutes and send in a nomination. It would mean so much to me, whether I ever win or not, just to know that people find this book worthy of a nod in that direction.
Thank you!
Quote of the Day: "There is creative reading as well as creative writing"
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson~
Posted by Karen E. Hoover at 1:39 PM 1 comment:
Thursday, October 7, 2010
I finished The Armor of Light!!! 112,553 words, some of which will go, and more of which will come as I edit, but the book is done! Hooray, hooray! I have not finished a book in about 5 years, so this was a bit scary for me. Now I know I can still do it, even with my mom gone and being busier than I've been in my entire life.
I can write. It feels amazingly good!
Posted by Karen E. Hoover at 2:32 AM 6 comments:
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The Moa the Merrier Moa
Here is one indigenous plant that you might find growing around your home without even planting it: Moa, a.k.a moa nahele, or pipi. I find it popping up in odd places, such as in the cracks in the walkway cement, for example, and thriving without any special care from me. There are two species, both found here in Hawaii: Psilotum nudum, the upright whisk fern, which has triangular stems and (yes) grows upright, and Psilotum complanatum, the flat-stemmed whisk fern, that has (yes) flattened stems that curve downward. The two can produce a hybrid known as Psilotum intermedium. These stems can appear as a lovely green, usually when growing in shadier places, and sporting a yellower hue when in full sunlight.
The generic name Psilotum is from the Greek psilos, meaning naked, referring to the plant's lack of leaves. They also lack true roots; for anchorage and absorption of water and nutrients, they rely on horizontal stems called rhizomes. Flowers are also absent, and therefore seeds as well. However, a splash of white or yellow color from the sporangia, the reproductive structures that produce spores, adds to their appeal. The silky texture of the spores found use in ancient times as a talcum powder, keeping things comfortable under the loincloth. A children's game, moa nahele was also known, in which children would interlock the stems of the moa, then each pulling apart until one or the other's stem broke. The victor with the unbroken stems proclaimed victory with a loud rooster crow. Stems were used in lei, and continue to be, adding a beautiful texture.
Leave a Reply.
welcomes you to visit with the all the wonderful flora and fauna that we share this lovely aina with.
October 2014


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The Fresh MARTA Market is a farm stand that takes place in five MARTA stations. The Markets are located with the Bankhead, West End, Five Points, College Park, and H.E. Holmes MARTA Stations, serve multiple areas with limited food access. Each stand operates one-day per week, providing fresh produce to MARTA customers from Tuesday to Friday at a different station each day. The goal is simple: help get healthy, fresh food into places where people already are.
This innovative food access solution is a partnership between MARTA and the
Community Farmers Markets,
GA Food Oasis-Atlanta,
Atlanta Community Food Bank, and
Organix Matters. The Fresh MARTA Market sources locally grown produce from members of the Southwest Atlanta Growers Cooperative and farmers affiliated with Community Farmers Markets, as well as several local food hubs. This gives local farmers the opportunity to sell more produce to consumers that might not otherwise make it to a farmers market. This produce is complemented by non-local produce so that Fresh MARTA Market patrons can do a large amount of their fresh food shopping on their way to or from home.
The markets accept cash, credit and debit, as well as EBT/SNAP. SNAP is doubled at the market, meaning that $5 swiped is worth $10 to spend.