text:
Carbon promises to replace silicon at the end of the semiconductor roadmap, but what about gallium arsenide which is already used instead of silicon for high-performance applications such as radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers (PAs). Now researchers have succeeded in combining graphene and gallium arsenide into a new super-material. Look for hybrid graphene-on-GaAs in discrete devices within five years. R.C.J.
Pure carbon atoms based on depositing graphene on gallium arsenide wafers could yield the next generation of high performance semiconductors, according to German researchers. Investigators at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Braunschweig, Germany) recently claimed to have imaged graphene on the surface of a GaAs wafer for the first time using an optical microscope. Nearly invisible single-carbon atom layers can be made visible using a normal optical microscope if the support layer is designed as an anti-reflection filter. Single-layer graphene is identified inside the marked areas. GaAs is widely used in semiconductors that must outperform silicon chips, especially in RF applications where the wavelengths are too short for CMOS. Future carbon-based chips will likely use layers of crystalline carbon--graphene--to outperform silicon, prompting the German researchers to begin investigating ways of depositing graphene on GaAs to achieve a hybrid material with advanced properties.
Text: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220000856


text:
Our teaching is broadly Christian based, though children are introduced to stories and beliefs from other cultures. Daily school assemblies aim to encourage the children to consider relationships with other children and adults, and foster the child's sense of awe and wonder.
Christian festivals are observed and celebrated such as Christmas and Harvest. The children are also given an insight into the culture and festivals of other religions. Religious Education is non-denominational and follows the LEA Agreed Syllabus.
Most of the children's work is based on practical experience, observations of the world around them and planned investigations. These help to build the necessary scientific language, skills and knowledge.
As the children develop they carry out experiments which demand greater observational, problem solving and recording skills.
Sex education is integrated into the Science, PSHE and religious education curriculum. Questions raised will be answered in a way thought suitable for the age and ability of the children. The School Nurse supports the Year 6 teacher in dealing with changes during puberty.
Relationships within families form part of Religious Education as do rites such as baptism and marriage.
Children are encouraged to take an active interest in both their immediate and more distant surroundings and have a consideration for the world that they live in.
An interest and knowledge of people and places in other parts of the world and an appreciation of the variety of human and physical conditions throughout the world will be developed.
It is regarded as a high priority to give children confidence in Literacy. They are encouraged to:
The children will read many books whilst in school, including those from a range of formal reading schemes, they will follow a reading course matched to their needs and abilities. The school follows the National Literacy Strategy.
Design Technology is concerned with practical ways of solving problems directly related to our needs and ourselves. Children will be taught to work with a variety of different materials, experiment with their use and observe differences between them.
They will be taught how to use tools appropriately, emphasising health and safety issues. They will be encouraged to design plan and make products.
In March 2013 the government announced that they would introduce a dedicated primary PE and Sport Premium that would go directly to primary school head teachers so that they could decide how best to use it to provide sporting activities for pupils.
The government has since announced that they would be spending over £450 million on improving physical education (PE) and sport in primary schools over the 3 academic years 2013 to 2014, 2014 to 2015 and 2015 to 2016.
Schools can choose how they use the funding, for example to:
Since September 2013, Ofsted inspections have reported on PE and sport provision and on how schools spend their additional funding.
Schools are accountable and are required to publish by April 2014, on their websites, details of how they spend (or will spend) their PE and sport grant. They must also include detail about the impact this funding has on pupils' PE and sport participation and attainment.
A wide selection of materials and media is available for use in school for many art and craft activities. Skills such as drawing, painting, collage and 3-D work is encouraged from the Early Years.
An enjoyment and appreciation of a variety of music is encouraged. All children learn songs, from early rhymes to more complex choral pieces.
As well as class singing, time is given to music appreciation and percussion sessions where the children experiment with sound, rhythm and dynamics. The children are encouraged to play the Ocarina, steel drums or another musical instrument.
The National Curriculum defines Mathematics under the broad headings of number, shape space and measure. Much of the work, related to the use and application of mathematics is done in a practical way, using a variety of apparatus.
Children widen their knowledge of mathematical language and concepts through focused learning objectives for every lesson which are taught by the teacher and investigated/ tested by the children. The school follows the National Numeracy Strategy.
In school we have computers, Roamer, speaking and listening centres, interactive whiteboards and other equipment, which is used to deliver this subject through all areas of the curriculum. Children learn to use the computer as a learning aid.
Internet access is available and we subscribe to an approved filtering service to deny access to unsuitable material.
All children will be supervised when using the Internet.
Teachers will access and view any sites to be used in a lesson.
Computers are sited so the teacher can see the screens.
Material brought from home must not be run on the school system.
Teachers will encourage children to be critical Internet users.
Children are helped to develop an awareness of historical skills and to use those skills to show an understanding of change over time.
The lives of the children are compared to both the recent past and ancient times. The lives of different historical eras and figures are studied in different year groups.
There are six curriculum areas covered by the Foundation Stage, these are as follows:
Personal, social and emotional development
Language and literacy
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Physical development and creative development

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome to the Sideline Sisters blog, where we share essential tips, tricks, and tools we've found for growing a successful Network Marketing business.
When was the last time you received a hand-written thank you note? How did it make you feel? I know that one of the things that impressed me so much about my sponsor into my business was that she consistently sent me hand-written notes. Sometimes it was a simple thank you for an order; sometimes just to say hello and keep in touch. It meant a lot to me that I knew I was on her mind and meant enough to her to take the time and effort to send me "snail mail".
Today I want to outline some of my favorite ways to show generosity through your business—not only does it make your client or team member feel good, but it really makes YOU feel good, and shows that you are a person of integrity and caring.
- Write a thank you note—Like I said above, this can have huge impact, and it is so easy to do. Grab some thank you cards from your local dollar or discount store, and write a quick note to let your client or teammate know you're thinking of them. The goodwill this builds is priceless—much more valuable than the price of a stamp!
- Donate to charitable causes—find something that really speaks to your passion and give of your time, money or products. Most non-profits hold fundraisers throughout the year that will require items for auction, for example, and your product could be the perfect item for them to raise money with!
- Add in free samples or services to client orders—this is a no brainer. Sell cosmetics? Add in a lipstick sample to your bag when you deliver their order. Sell a service? Offer to give them 30 minutes of your time for free. Get creative; there are many ways to add value to what you already provide your clients.
- Send birthday/anniversary cards—just like sending thank you notes, this little bit of attention to detail can add up to your client and team feeling very special.
- Offer special "client only" sales opportunities—again, if it's within your business structure to offer special discounts or complementary pampering sessions or consulting time, DO IT. Not only just for your best clients, but for the people who may only purchase a little bit from your business. You never know who they may refer to you in the future!
- Give TIME to your team—whether it's 1-on-1 coaching or a team BBQ, giving of your time and experience to your team can only help your entire organization grow.
- Offer this business opportunity!— If you're not thinking about your offering your business as one of the most generous acts you may perform in your life, then you need to think again! You probably know from personal experience how much your life has grown and changed and improved since getting into network marketing. Why not share that same amazing opportunity with others? Invite people to coffee, share with them with an open heart, and give them a chance to see how much this industry can change their lives. You're doing them a favor.
I hope this gives you some great ideas to start implementing in your business and life today! If you have any other ways you like to show generosity, post in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!


text:
ProdCast 5: Living in the future
In this episode, we talk about how you can live in the future through the magic of delayed send email. Give yourself some more breathing room and get a better response to your emails, even when writing and responding to emails at 2 AM.
Joel reviews Boomerang for Outlook, a great app that will help you become a delayed send ninja.
In the "That's not productive" segment, we debate the productivity merits of Siri/Cortana/Alexa.
Follow us on twitter @ mcanderson and joellindstrom and Matthew's blog Connecting The Data.
This episode is a production of CRM Audio. Subscribe to the CRM Audio network of podcasts on ITunesThis episode is a production of Dynamic Podcasts LLC.


text:
Put aside whether you thought it was legitimate for Victoria Azarenka to call for an MTO at 5-4 in the second set of her 6-1, 6- 4 win over Sloane Stephens in the Aussie Open semis. What got lost in the shuffle and never should have is why the chair umpire never gave her a warning/point penalty/ game penalty or defaulted her for doing so when she clearly took more time than allotted. I
Notes on a draw sheet: Putting the Aussie Open to bed
By January 29, 2013:: Posted
Nice report Matt. One small thing: Vika didn't call an MTO. Only the Chair Umpire can order one for a player on the advice of the medical staff. All Vika did was call for the trainer, who then deemed her injuries serious enough to warrant a medical time out.


text:
Behind the scenes at our factory
We've always had big ideas and those ideas are no longer dreams; we've made them a reality over two generations. We're proud to work with people who are passionate about our product...and we look forward to more big ideas.
Posted on July 22, 2015
Efficient Installation
The film demonstrates by choosing a wider product you can effectively manage your time and consequently be more profitable. Products used are 20mm x 180mm (3/4" x 7") and 20mm x 57mm (3/4" x 2 1/4")
Posted on July 21, 2015


text: I want you to know how much help Karen Meier has been in repairing my back. It was out of line and took a little time to repair, but thanks to Karen I am just fine now. Not only is she an excellent physical therepist but she is a wonderful person. You certainly know how to pick your staff. Thanks.


text:
Loaded Baked Potato served with cheddar cheese,
green onions,bacon and sour cream.
Loaded Baked Potato served with cheddar cheese,
green onions,bacon and sour cream.
Our homemade Hummus with chickpeas, tahini garlic lemon juice and olive oil, served with celery sticks and toasted pita bread for dipping.
Freshly Baked Rolls served in garlic oil. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served with a side of marinara.
Half Order 2.95 with cheese 4.85
Stuffed with onions, bacon and mozzarella, served with a side of Ranch dressing.
Tender Baby Calamari Served with Marinara or Jalapeno Ranch and Garnished with Lemon Wedges.
Breaded strips of chicken, deep fried and served with a side of Honey Mustard. Add fries for $1.99
10 Boneless chicken wings, served with a
side of Ranch. Add fries for $1.99
Chunky steak fries served with your choice of dressing. Add cheddar and bacon for $3.25
Beer battered onion rings served with a
side of BBQ sauce.
Crispy Egg Rolls Filled with all the Great Flavors of the Southwest, Served with Ranch Dressing.
Copyright © 2012 Rudy's New York Pizza | 3780 Old Norcross Rd., Duluth, GA 30096 | (770) 813-5585·
Website by WebDesign Xperts


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Person Rescued By Fishermen, Boat Goes Up In Flames In Plymouth Bay
One person needed to be rescued off a boat before it was fully engulfed in flames near Plymouth Friday afternoon.
Massachusetts Reports 617 New Coronavirus Cases And 78 More Deaths
The Department of Public Health said there have now been 95,512 total cases with 6,718 deaths in the state.
Massachusetts Restaurants To Get Reopening Date On June 6
Gov. Charlie Baker said will announce on June 6 when Phase 2 of Massachusetts reopening can begin, which will include a plan for restaurants.
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text:
Use Azure Queue Service to create and delete queues from Node.js
Check out the Azure Storage code samples repository
For easy-to-use end-to-end Azure Storage code samples that you can download and run, please check out our list of Azure Storage Samples.
This guide shows you how to perform common scenarios using the Microsoft Azure Queue service. The samples are written using the Node.js API. The scenarios covered include inserting, peeking, getting, and deleting queue messages, as well as creating and deleting queues.
What is Queue storage?
Azure Queue storage is a service for storing large numbers of messages that can be accessed from anywhere in the world via authenticated calls using HTTP or HTTPS. A single queue message can be up to 64 KB in size, and a queue can contain millions of messages, up to the total capacity limit of a storage account. Queue storage is often used to create a backlog of work to process asynchronously.
Queue service concepts
The Azure Queue service contains the following components:
URL format: Queues are addressable using the following URL format: http://
<storage account>.queue.core.windows.net/
The following URL addresses a queue in the diagram:
Storage Account: All access to Azure Storage is done through a storage account. For more information about storage accounts, see Storage account overview.
Queue: A queue contains a set of messages. All messages must be in a queue. Note that the queue name must be all lowercase. For information on naming queues, see Naming Queues and Metadata.
Message: A message, in any format, of up to 64 KB. The maximum time that a message can remain in the queue is 7 days. For version 2017-07-29 or later, the maximum time-to-live can be any positive number, or -1 indicating that the message doesn't expire. If this parameter is omitted, the default time-to-live is seven days.
Create an Azure storage account
The easiest way to create your first Azure storage account is by using the Azure portal. To learn more, see Create a storage account.
You can also create an Azure storage account by using Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, or the Azure Storage Resource Provider for .NET.
If you prefer not to create a storage account in Azure at this time, you can also use the Azure storage emulator to run and test your code in a local environment. For more information, see Use the Azure Storage Emulator for Development and Testing.
Create a Node.js Application
Create a blank Node.js application. For instructions creating a Node.js application, see Create a Node.js web app in Azure App Service, Build and deploy a Node.js application to an Azure Cloud Service using Windows PowerShell, or Visual Studio Code.
Configure Your Application to Access Storage
To use Azure storage, you need the Azure Storage SDK for Node.js, which includes a set of convenience libraries that communicate with the storage REST services.
Use Node Package Manager (NPM) to obtain the package
Use a command-line interface such as PowerShell (Windows,) Terminal (Mac,) or Bash (Unix), navigate to the folder where you created your sample application.
Type npm install azure-storage in the command window. Output from the command is similar to the following example.
email@example.com node_modules\azure-storage +-- firstname.lastname@example.com +-- firstname.lastname@example.com +-- firstname.lastname@example.com +-- email@example.com +-- firstname.lastname@example.com +-- firstname.lastname@example.com +-- email@example.com (firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com) +-- firstname.lastname@example.com (firstname.lastname@example.com) +-- firstname.lastname@example.com (email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com)
You can manually run the ls command to verify that a node_modules folder was created. Inside that folder you will find the azure-storage package, which contains the libraries you need to access storage.
Import the package
Using Notepad or another text editor, add the following to the top the server.js file of the application where you intend to use storage:
var azure = require('azure-storage');
Setup an Azure Storage Connection
The azure module will read the environment variables AZURE_STORAGE_ACCOUNT and AZURE_STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY, or AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING for information required to connect to your Azure storage account. If these environment variables are not set, you must specify the account information when calling createQueueService.
How To: Create a Queue
The following code creates a QueueService object, which enables you to work with queues.
var queueSvc = azure.createQueueService();
Use the createQueueIfNotExists method, which returns the specified queue if it already exists or creates a new queue with the specified name if it does not already exist.
queueSvc.createQueueIfNotExists('myqueue', function(error, results, response){
// Queue created or exists
If the queue is created,
result.created is true. If the queue exists,
result.created is false.
Optional filtering operations can be applied to operations performed using QueueService. Filtering operations can include logging, automatically retrying, etc. Filters are objects that implement a method with the signature:
function handle (requestOptions, next)
After doing its preprocessing on the request options, the method needs to call "next" passing a callback with the following signature:
function (returnObject, finalCallback, next)
In this callback, and after processing the returnObject (the response from the request to the server), the callback needs to either invoke next if it exists to continue processing other filters or simply invoke finalCallback otherwise to end up the service invocation.
Two filters that implement retry logic are included with the Azure SDK for Node.js, ExponentialRetryPolicyFilter and LinearRetryPolicyFilter. The following creates a QueueService object that uses the ExponentialRetryPolicyFilter:
var retryOperations = new azure.ExponentialRetryPolicyFilter();
var queueSvc = azure.createQueueService().withFilter(retryOperations);
How To: Insert a Message into a Queue
To insert a message into a queue, use the createMessage method to create a new message and add it to the queue.
queueSvc.createMessage('myqueue', "Hello world!", function(error, results, response){
// Message inserted
How To: Peek at the Next Message
You can peek at the message in the front of a queue without removing it from the queue by calling the peekMessages method. By default, peekMessages peeks at a single message.
queueSvc.peekMessages('myqueue', function(error, results, response){
// Message text is in results[0].messageText
result contains the message.
Using peekMessages when there are no messages in the queue will not return an error, however no messages will be returned.
How To: Dequeue the Next Message
Processing a message is a two-stage process:
- Dequeue the message.
- Delete the message.
To dequeue a message, use getMessages. This makes the messages invisible in the queue, so no other clients can process them. Once your application has processed a message, call deleteMessage to delete it from the queue. The following example gets a message, then deletes it:
queueSvc.getMessages('myqueue', function(error, results, response){
// Message text is in results[0].messageText
var message = results[0];
queueSvc.deleteMessage('myqueue', message.messageId, message.popReceipt, function(error, response){
//message deleted
By default, a message is only hidden for 30 seconds, after which it is visible to other clients. You can specify a different value by using
options.visibilityTimeout with getMessages.
Using getMessages when there are no messages in the queue will not return an error, however no messages will be returned.
How To: Change the Contents of a Queued Message
You can change the contents of a message in-place in the queue using updateMessage. The following example updates the text of a message:
queueSvc.getMessages('myqueue', function(error, getResults, getResponse){
// Got the message
var message = getResults[0];
queueSvc.updateMessage('myqueue', message.messageId, message.popReceipt, 10, {messageText: 'new text'}, function(error, updateResults, updateResponse){
// Message updated successfully
How To: Additional Options for Dequeuing Messages
There are two ways you can customize message retrieval from a queue:
options.numOfMessages- Retrieve a batch of messages (up to 32.)
options.visibilityTimeout- Set a longer or shorter invisibility timeout.
The following example uses the getMessages method to get 15 messages in one call. Then it processes each message using a for loop. It also sets the invisibility timeout to five minutes for all messages returned by this method.
queueSvc.getMessages('myqueue', {numOfMessages: 15, visibilityTimeout: 5 * 60}, function(error, results, getResponse){
// Messages retrieved
for(var index in result){
// text is available in result[index].messageText
var message = results[index];
queueSvc.deleteMessage(queueName, message.messageId, message.popReceipt, function(error, deleteResponse){
// Message deleted
How To: Get the Queue Length
The getQueueMetadata returns metadata about the queue, including the approximate number of messages waiting in the queue.
queueSvc.getQueueMetadata('myqueue', function(error, results, response){
// Queue length is available in results.approximateMessageCount
How To: List Queues
To retrieve a list of queues, use listQueuesSegmented. To retrieve a list filtered by a specific prefix, use listQueuesSegmentedWithPrefix.
queueSvc.listQueuesSegmented(null, function(error, results, response){
// results.entries contains the list of queues
If all queues cannot be returned,
result.continuationToken can be used as the first parameter of listQueuesSegmented or the second parameter of listQueuesSegmentedWithPrefix to retrieve more results.
How To: Delete a Queue
To delete a queue and all the messages contained in it, call the deleteQueue method on the queue object.
queueSvc.deleteQueue(queueName, function(error, response){
// Queue has been deleted
To clear all messages from a queue without deleting it, use clearMessages.
How to: Work with Shared Access Signatures
Shared Access Signatures (SAS) are a secure way to provide granular access to queues without providing your storage account name or keys. SAS are often used to provide limited access to your queues, such as allowing a mobile app to submit messages.
A trusted application such as a cloud-based service generates a SAS using the generateSharedAccessSignature of the QueueService, and provides it to an untrusted or semi-trusted application. For example, a mobile app. The SAS is generated using a policy, which describes the start and end dates during which the SAS is valid, as well as the access level granted to the SAS holder.
The following example generates a new shared access policy that will allow the SAS holder to add messages to the queue, and expires 100 minutes after the time it is created.
var startDate = new Date();
var expiryDate = new Date(startDate);
expiryDate.setMinutes(startDate.getMinutes() + 100);
startDate.setMinutes(startDate.getMinutes() - 100);
var sharedAccessPolicy = {
AccessPolicy: {
Permissions: azure.QueueUtilities.SharedAccessPermissions.ADD,
Start: startDate,
Expiry: expiryDate
var queueSAS = queueSvc.generateSharedAccessSignature('myqueue', sharedAccessPolicy);
var host = queueSvc.host;
Note that the host information must be provided also, as it is required when the SAS holder attempts to access the queue.
The client application then uses the SAS with QueueServiceWithSAS to perform operations against the queue. The following example connects to the queue and creates a message.
var sharedQueueService = azure.createQueueServiceWithSas(host, queueSAS);
sharedQueueService.createMessage('myqueue', 'Hello world from SAS!', function(error, result, response){
//message added
Since the SAS was generated with add access, if an attempt were made to read, update or delete messages, an error would be returned.
Access control lists
You can also use an Access Control List (ACL) to set the access policy for a SAS. This is useful if you wish to allow multiple clients to access the queue, but provide different access policies for each client.
An ACL is implemented using an array of access policies, with an ID associated with each policy. The following example defines two policies; one for 'user1' and one for 'user2':
var sharedAccessPolicy = {
user1: {
Permissions: azure.QueueUtilities.SharedAccessPermissions.PROCESS,
Start: startDate,
Expiry: expiryDate
user2: {
Permissions: azure.QueueUtilities.SharedAccessPermissions.ADD,
Start: startDate,
Expiry: expiryDate
The following example gets the current ACL for myqueue, then adds the new policies using setQueueAcl. This approach allows:
var extend = require('extend');
queueSvc.getQueueAcl('myqueue', function(error, result, response) {
var newSignedIdentifiers = extend(true, result.signedIdentifiers, sharedAccessPolicy);
queueSvc.setQueueAcl('myqueue', newSignedIdentifiers, function(error, result, response){
// ACL set
Once the ACL has been set, you can then create a SAS based on the ID for a policy. The following example creates a new SAS for 'user2':
queueSAS = queueSvc.generateSharedAccessSignature('myqueue', { Id: 'user2' });
Next Steps
Now that you've learned the basics of queue storage, follow these links to learn about more complex storage tasks.
- Visit the Azure Storage Team Blog.
- Visit the Azure Storage SDK for Node repository on GitHub.
Create a Node.js web app in Azure App Service
Build and deploy a Node.js application to an Azure Cloud Service


text:
Trekking with Mao
Unforgettable Views
Touched feeling in every single moment
Even if you've heard of the astonishing beauty of Sapa, you will be touched at the moment you reach it. Your mind will find peace and relaxation in this wonderful stress-free place. You're sure to find serenity while trekking the ornate rolling foothills of Sapa.
If you're looking for a secluded adventure, away from the hustle and bustle of tourists, come join a local trek with Mao. She's a member of the H'Mong minority who knows Sapa better than anyone. Her knowledge of local customs and culture will make for an unforgettable experience!
Sapa with Mao itinerary
8.30- 9.15pm: The bus company pick you up from our hostel, or the hostel where you have chosen pick up (note, please be ready by 8.30 in case you are the first pick up).
9.30-10pm: Bus leaves Ha Noi
4am: Bus arrives in Sapa. You can stay sleeping on the bus for 2 hours or so.
6am: Alight from bus. Can check out the market opposite if you like.
First Day:
6:30 – 7 am: Guide will meet you at the bus drop off point at about this time, and then take you for breakfast
[note, if you travel by train, someone will pick you up from the station – they will have your name and be looking for you-and take you to the cathedral/church in Sapa, where the guide will meet you and take you for breakfast. If she is picking up from both she will be late for one of you, so please be patient].
9am: Start trekking, remembering to ensure you have bought enough water for the day. You will rest when you like and have lunch on the way as well.
In the afternoon sometime (depending on how many times you stopped to rest), you will arrive at the homestay. You can meet the family, and see how the rural life is. You can get involved with cooking dinner (including catching and preparing the chicken if you want).
Have the home cooked evening meal (vegetarian etc. catered for). You will be definitely offered rice wine by Mao!
[note, if you are staying 2 nights or more in the homestay you will go on a long circular walk on the second/other day. You will decide in the morning if you want this to be easy, medium or hard. Be warned, those little mountain ladies can hike!]
Second Day
If you stay only 1 night in Homestay, you will wake, shower (she can provide towels, but please do bring your own if you can as she won't have enough for all). You will have breakfast and then start to trek back towards Sapa, having lunch en route.
You will arrive in Sapa at 3.30pm or so. There is a bus at 4pm, so if you are booked on that you will head back to Ha Noi then. If you are booked on the 10pm bus you will have free time to explore Sapa.
[Note, if you are going back by train you will take the transfer back to Lao Cai to the station. The last transfer is 5pm from the church/cathedral].
If you stay 2 nights in Homestay,
You will join the longer trekking to other village, admire more local area, different ethnic groups in Sapa, and stay in other village in further mountain.
The next day morning, you can have shower and have breakfast, before trekking back to Sapa town.
Arrival back to Hanoi
The 4pm bus arrives about 10.30 pm. The 10pm bus arrives about 4am. The train arrives around 5am.
The tour finishes where the bus drops you off (on the main road just east of Hoan Kiem lake, or at the train station.
Please walk away a bit from where the drop off is to get a taxi, as night time drivers massively overcharge. Good taxi companies are Mai Linh (Green taxi) and Taxigroup.
For the option staying in the hotel, you will have shorter trek with easier way in more popular area in Sapa.
You might see the decent waterfall in Cat Cat village with about 3 km trekking away from Sapa town, and then come back to the hotel in Sapa town for staying overnight.
And with this option, you can consider between 2 star hotel (which is quite basic in the little town standard) or 3 star hotel (which is in nicer condition or in nicer view of Sapa)
Get in touch through the contact form below so we can tell you more about what options you have on offer.
You can choose between sleeping bus (day or overnight bus) or sleeping train to Sapa.
Let's contact with us to find out which transportation is most suitable for you!
I planed with them my whole trip to Halong Bay and Sapa very quickly, and theses two trips were perfectly organized !
The room I was in was quite big and very clean, just like the shower. Every day there is someone coming to clean and arrange your room.
If you need a taxi to go anywhere around you can tell them to order one for you. They even booked my plane back to Ho Chi Minh for me !… Florian J


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Resource List
This list is of local School Psychologists, Counseling, Educational Consulting, Behavior Therapy, and Pediatricians that TAL and our families have had good experiences with in the past. Dr. Jim Forgan: A licensed School Psychologist in Jupiter, Florida. He is a...read more
Regulatory Organizations
These regulatory organizations work with homeschool families in Palm Beach County and beyond. There resources are an invaluable help to The Academic Link and our students. http://www.palmbeachschools.org/9044he/ – The School District of Palm Beach County Home...read more
Home Education Organizations
This is a list of organizations both in Florida and nationwide that are helpful for home educators. This is a list that we update occasionally so be sure and check back. www.fpea.com A nonsectarian organization, and open to all Florida home educators. Comprehensive...read more
Curriculum Publishers
These recommendations for curriculum publishers come from the direct experience of the homeschooling families that work with The Academic Link. Please feel free to ask any of our teachers about their experience with the different systems recommended here. BJU Press...read more


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Pryor, Boozman split on immigration bill
A 68-32 vote on immigration reform was a display of bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate, but it split Arkansas' senatorial delegation.
The U.S. Senate voted to approve the immigration reform measure, S.744 – the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, which still must clear a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., voted in favor of the bill, while U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., opposed it.
The legislation includes a 13-year pathway for 11 million undocumented immigrants to earn legal status. It also includes enhanced border security measures and increases the number of visas available for high-skilled workers and entrepreneurs as well as visas for temporary agricultural workers.
"Today, the Senate reached across party lines to strengthen our nation by passing the strongest border security bill in history," said Pryor. "Those who have been in the shadows for decades will be taking responsibility for their actions by paying owed taxes, fines, and penalties; contributing to Social Security; helping reduce our deficit; and strengthening our economy."
Boozman disagreed, complaining that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) should have allowed more debate on potential amendments to the bill.
"There is no disputing that we need to address our nation's porous borders, backlogged immigration system and lax enforcement of hiring practices. Unfortunately, the Senate's 'legalize now, enforce later' approach is the wrong way to reform our broken system," he said.
"This legislation fails to address the core problem of border security and does not provide the resources necessary for enforcement. This needs to be the cornerstone for reform. Instead of listening to the demands of the American people by focusing on securing the border, Majority Leader Reid offered immediate amnesty with a 'promise' of future security enhancements that will likely never happen," he added. "Immigration reform is a serious subject. It deserves a serious debate. Instead, we are left with another instance of Washington's rush to do something, instead of doing the right thing."
The bill is all but dead in the U.S. House, however, although the chamber could take up its own version of immigration reform.
"The House is not going to take up and vote on whatever the Senate passes," Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters. "We're going to do our own bill, through regular order."
A number of Arkansas business, education, and civic interests issued statements of support for the Senate vote.
"Every state—including Arkansas—stands to benefit from comprehensive immigration reform," said Randy Zook, President and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas. "Arkansas's business and industry understand that immigration reform is the right thing to do and now is the right time to do it."
Ivan Zapien, vice president for federal government relations with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said, "As the nation's largest employer and a retailer that offers products and services to 140 million customers each week, we are committed to working with all interested parties – policy makers, employers, and consumers – to support this reform that is so desperately needed to our immigration system.We now encourage members of the House to continue the momentum so we can make comprehensive immigration reform a reality."
"The Arkansas poultry and agriculture industries will benefit from this comprehensive immigration reform legislation with an improved guest worker program and stronger borders," said Marvin Childers, President of the Poultry Federation. "We look forward to working with our congressional delegation in support of similar legislation."
"As a mayor of a city that is a compassionate community that values diversity and has benefitted greatly from immigrants to our nation, I support sensible immigration reform to fix a broken system," said Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan.
"At universities across the country we educate the best and brightest from around the world. Unfortunately, our current immigration system requires these students to then return to their home countries where they put their talents to work. We need immigration reform that allows these students to promote innovation here in the United States," said Dr. Zulma Toro, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
A national group called Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which polled the issue in Arkansas, issued a statement calling passage of the bill a "betrayal."
"We fully expect that this betrayal of the American public will be dead on arrival in the House. Thankfully, the House has made it clear that true immigration reform must protect the interests of the American people," said Dan Stein, FAIR's president.
"FAIR expects to work with members of the House to ensure that legislation coming out of that body provides a workable plan to secure our borders, enforce immigration laws in the interior of the country, and protect American jobs and tax dollars," he added.


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POLL: What do Americans Really Want ?
AMNESTY or DEPORTATION of ILLEGAL ALIENS ?
Publish Date: 2 September 2016
We find this latest FOX NEWS' poll (below) on what Americans want to be done with illegal aliens hard to believe. Given the current split between Hillary and Trump is essentially 50/50, the FOX poll indicates, assuming 90% to 100 % of Democrats / Liberals want legalization of illegal working immigrants:
Is this correct? Let's check the FOX NEWS poll with our own poll at the bottom of this page. Only Republicans, whether you support Trump or not, should vote. Let's see what you say!


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The finance market in Australia is in a weird state at the moment. On the one hand we're doing pretty good economically, with unemployment remaining low and our major trading partners still buying things from us despite our strong dollar. The finance market, specifically credit and lending, on the other hand looks much like it did back during the peak of the global financial crisis with lending rates at record lows. Now it's not like this is completely unexpected considering that the Eurozone Crisis is still working itself out but favourable economic conditions and low lending rates rarely go hand in hand.
Indeed it's gotten to the point where the Reserve Bank of Australia doesn't believe they can effect much more change by lowering the official rate and will likely hold off on any changes until sometime next year. At the same time though banks funding conditions have continued to improve which has led to calls from industry bodies for them to start cutting their rates independent of the RBA. Banks have never been shy to raise rates outside of official RBA decisions but cutting them be something new for all of the major lenders, especially considering the rather turmutuous funding environment we've had to endure over the past 5 years.
Now no one would be expecting these cuts to happen now as there's really no pressure on the market from either direction that would make such a move advantageous. Most industry analysts agree that within the next year however though conditions would be favourable for banks to do this. If this is the case then there's a pretty simple method for checking to see if banks think that there'll be a rate cut, whether by them/their competition or the RBA, within the next year. All we have to do is check the current fixed term rates and compare them with the current variable rates on offer and see what the difference is between the various fixed term lengths.
For this we'll use fixed and variable rate home loans as they're the best indicators of long term bank forecasting.
Right now the cheapest variable loan you can secure is about 4.99%, a bargain that we haven't really seen since the deepest parts of the GFC. Whilst there's quite a spread between the lowest and highest there's a pretty good chunk of the market hovering around the 5.25% region so we'll use that as our baseline for comparison. For a 1 and 2 year fixed loan it's looking pretty similar with the rates basically remaining the same overall, although there seems to be more lenders willing to lock in at 4.99% for that amount time. It's only at 3 years do we start to see much change when the average jumps up about 0.25% which is a pretty small increase and is essentially a hedged bet against any unforseen circumstances.
The take away from this is that by and large the banks don't really expect the funding situation to change dramatically in the next couple years as their loan term loans aren't really priced with that in mind. There are some examples of lenders offering very attractive rates around the 2 year mark (ones lower than their current variable rates) but they're most certainly not the majority and consist primarily of smaller, non-bank lenders. Barring any drastic changes (like the Eurozone escalating again) I can't see any indication that the banks are thinking of moving rates in any meaningful direction for the next couple years, nor do they expect the RBA to do similar.
This doesn't really mean much unless you're currently in the market for a new loan or refinancing but if you are then it means that the choice between variable or fixed is essentially moot at this point and you should go with whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. It's actually a great time to get a home loan thanks to the wide spread stagnation of house prices and cheap funding which are set to continue for at least another year. Of course you probably shouldn't dive in unless you've done the proper due dilligence but if you've been on the fence for a while I really can't think of a better time to buy in the last 5 years.
Well apart from the darkest parts of the GFC, but that had a whole bunch of other issues associated with it.
Kickstarter was one of those services that faced the typical chicken and egg problem of Internet start ups. As a crowd funding platform its success was born out of the exposure it could bring to potential projects and in the beginning that was essentially nothing. As time went on and crowdfunding became more mainstream Kickstarter then became the portal to get projects funded online and since then we've seen the projects transform from being mostly single guys in garages to mutli-discplinary teams looking to launch disruptive technology. Whilst I still believe that Kickstarter doesn't fundamentally change the rules of the funding game the shift of the value judgement from the entity to the wider world is a big one and one that has seen many products come to life that might not have done otherwise.
Of course as the service and the number of projects has grown over the years it was statistically inevitable that things would start to go wrong. Thankfully the majority of the problems faced by Kickstarter campaigns are usually overly ambitious product designers who under estimate the time it will take to get their product to market leading to delays to their initial time frames. There haven't been that many outright problems either with failed projects never getting any money (and still being publicly accessible after the fact) and there's only a handful of projects that vanished into the ether, all apparently due to copyright claims.
Still there were a couple high profile cases of projects being showcased that were little more than a concept that someone wanted to create. Now this is the reason why Kickstarter exists, to get projects like that the funding they need to get over that initial hump, however for physical goods having nothing but a couple product renderings can lead to some serious down the road and there were numerous projects that suffered major delays because of this. There were even notable projects that had a prototype but struggled to scale to meet the demand created by their Kickstarter campaign.
Kickstarter, to its credit, has recognised this problem and recently changed the rules, putting it rather bluntly that Kicksater is not a store.
Looking at the changes the first thing you'd notice is the number of projects that were previously funded that would no longer fly under the new rules. Personally I think its a good thing as requiring an actual prototype means that a project creator will have to have gone through many of the initial hurdles to bring the product to reality and thus won't be using the Kickstarter funds to do this. It does mean that the barrier to entry for product and hardware categories just went up a few notches but it also means that there's a much higher likelihood that such products will actually come into existence. The change that puts an end to multiple items is done to ensure another Pen Type-A/Pebble situation doesn't occur again, although there's still the potential for that to happen.
I think the changes are overwhelmingly positive and whilst there might be some projects excluded from using Kickstarter as a funding platform there's still many other crowd funding alternatives that still support projects of that nature. It also helps to make sure people understand the (usually low) risks of using Kickstarter as there's every chance in the world that the product/service will not be viable and neither Kickstarter nor the project founders are under any obligation to issue refunds for projects that fail after funding. This might be spelt out in no uncertain terms in the fine print when you sign up but anything to make people more aware of what they're getting themselves into to is a good thing and does wonders for Kickstarter's reputation.
It hasn't turned me off the idea, that's for sure.
I have to admit that I was somewhat sour on the whole Kickstarter idea for quite a long time. Not that I thought it wasn't viable or anything like that, there are many many projects to prove to the contrary, more that in the age of near instant gratification for nearly anything you can care to dream of the idea of shelling out cash long before a product would ever grace my presence made me…apprehensive. It was also partially due to the fact that I didn't really need nor want most of the products I saw on Kickstarter, even if they were technically cool. However I've recently backed 2 projects that I really wanted to see succeed and both of them I backed at something of a premium level.
The first was the OUYA, the crazy Android games console that could shake up the console market in much the same way that the Nintendo Wii did. Of course it could also easily go the other way as whilst the Kickstarter numbers were impressive they only translate to some 60,000ish consoles which in comparison to any of the 3 current major players is really quite small with most of them selling that number every week for as long as they're available. As long as the hardware gets delivered to me I will consider it successful as whilst its primary purpose might be gaming it will make a solid media extender for a long time to come thanks to its use of Android as a base operating system.
One that really caught my eye though was Planetary Annihilation. Now game Kickstarters are always fraught with danger as the majority of them will never make their funding goals however whilst Planetary Annihilation didn't have an explosive day 1 like many high profile projects do it did have consistent funding growth over time. In fact it was only just last week that it reached its seemingly lofty funding goal of $900,000 but it's steadily been growing ever since. It's rather contrary to many of the other high profile Kickstarters I've seen over the past year or so with many reaching their funding goals early and then staying steady until a last feverish burst before the final deadline. Looking at the way they structured their rewards you can see why this is so.
Most Kickstarters start out with their initial goal and upon getting more funding than they expected will usually try to make an announcement of what they intend to do with the extra funds. Whilst its admirable that many do come up with good ideas it usually comes late in the piece so the stretch goals can't be used as a carrot for those who were on the edge of funding them or not. Right from the beginning though the guys behind Planetary Annihilation made it clear that they had many additional stretch goals already planned out should they get the requisite funding and, just to make people want to fund them more, kept them secret until previous funding goals had been achieved.
Additionally they continue to add value to the more premium tiers to encourage people to up their pledge level. This means people coming back to check on how the Kickstarter is going will have that little extra incentive to jump up to the next tier and indeed the vast majority of their funding is coming from the $95 and above tiers showing just how effective this can be. Whilst the extra rewards didn't really mean that much to me (I pledged $250 because I'm one of those crazy collector's edition nuts) I was definitely happy to see I was getting even more for my money.
With just 11 days to go on this particular project it'll be interesting to see how many more of the stretch goals the Planetary Annihilation guys can hit before they reach the end of the funding period. In the week since achieving their funding goal they've already added on another $200,000 so it's quite possible that they could hit their next stretch goal without too much trouble. Whether this consistent funding flow builds to a mighty crescendo at the end thought will have to remain to be seen.
I'd definitely recommend backing them though, even if you only spend $20 to get the full game upon release. Some of the guys behind Planetary Annihilation are the same people responsible for Total Annihilation and the first Supreme Commander, two games which took the traditional RTS idea and took it to a truly epic level of scale. If anyone can pull this kind of game off these guys can and I really can't wait to follow this game from the alpha stages right up to its final release.
The idea behind Kickstarter is a great one: you've got an idea and you've got the fixins of a potential business going but the financial barrier of bringing it to market are keeping you from seeing it through. So you whip up a project on there, promise people rewards or (more commonly) the actual product you're intending to sell and then wait for backers to pledge some cash to you. For the backers as well its great as if the project doesn't get fully funded then no one has to donate any money, so your potential risk exposure is limited. Of course Kickstarter take their slice of the action, to the tune of 5% (plus another 3~5% for the payment processing) so everyone comes out a winner.
It's a disruptive service, there's no denying that. There are many products that wouldn't have made it through a traditional venture capital process that have become wild successes thanks to Kickstarter. This of course gets people thinking about how those traditional systems are no longer needed, I mean who needs venture capitalists when I can get my customers to fund my project? Well whilst I'd love to believe that all we need for funding is crowdsourcing tools like Kickstarter I can't help but notice the pattern of most of the successful endeavours on there.
They're all done by people who were already successful in the traditional business world.
Take for instance the latest poster child for the success of Kickstarter: The Double Fine Adventure. For gamers the Double Fine name (and the man behind it, Tim Schafer) is a recognizable one, having worked on such cult classics as The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and releasing others such as Psychonauts and Brutal Legend. Needless to say he's quite well known and made his name in the traditional game developer/publisher world. Kickstarter has allowed him to cut the publishers out of this particular project, putting more cash in his pocket and allowing him total control of it, but could someone without that kind of brand recognition pull off the same level of success?
The answer is no.
For all the successes that are seen through Kickstarter only 44 percent of them will ever actually get the funding they require. Indeed in the Video Games category the highest funded game (there are a lot of projects in there that aren't exactly games) before the Double Fine Adventure managed about $72,000. Sure it's nothing to sneeze at, it was almost 6 times what they needed, but it does show the disparity between relative nobodies attempting a to crowdfund a project and when a well known person attempts the same thing. Sure there are the few breakout successes, but for the majority of large funding successes you'll usually see someone who's already known in that area involved somehow.
Now I don't believe this is a bad thing, it's just the way the process works. Nothing has really changed here, except the judgement call is shifted from the venture capitalists to the wider public, and as such many of the same factors influence if, when and how you get funded. Name recognition is a massive part of that, I mean just take a look at things like Color that managed to pull in a massive $41 million in funding before it had even got a viable product off the ground just because of the team of people that were behind the idea. Kickstarter doesn't change this process at all, it's just made it more visible to everyone.
Does this mean I think you should keep away from Kickstarter? Hell no, if you've got a potential product idea and want to see if there's some kind of market for it Kickstarter projects, even if they're not successful, are a great way of seeing just how much demand is out there. If your idea resonates with the wider market then you're guaranteed a whole bunch of free publicity, much more than what you'd get if you just approached a bank for a business loan. Just be aware of what Kickstarter does and does not do differently to traditional ways of doing business and don't get caught up in the hype that so often surrounds it.
It seems that whenever I mention NASA and the US congress together I've never really got anything positive to say. Indeed my last 3 posts tagged congress are all critical of the government's involvementin NASA's affairs and how their constant medlinghas caused nothing but harm. Still I recognise that without congress' involvement there wouldn't be a NASA at all and that whilst I may lament the organisation being used as a part of pork barrell politics it at least keeps their budget from being drastically slashed. Today I was hoping to write about some of the more positive news that had come out of the US congress but unfortunately the relationship hasn't changed one bit.
About 4 days ago saw the passing of a bill in congress that saw some funding approved for NASA. Now usually this would be something to celebrate but in true congressional style they've managed to bollocks it up once again:
The House Science and Technology Committee approved H.R. 5781 with strong bipartisan support July 22, sending forward a bill that authorizes only a small fraction of the $3.3 billion NASA sought to invest in a commercial crew transportation system over the next three years. The bill authorized $150 million through 2013 for commercial crew and another $300 million in the form of government-backed loans or loan guarantees. The measure also would continue much of the work being done under NASA's Constellation program, a 5-year-old effort to build new rockets and spacecraft optimized for lunar missions that President Barack Obama targeted for termination in his 2011 spending proposal delivered to Congress in February.
Now whilst I'm excited at the fact that they're adding another space shuttle flight to the manifest (as that means I'll definitely be able to go and see it next year) the rest of the bill shows a complete disregard for Obama's vision for spacethat was laid down at the start of this year. The idea of replacing all of NASA's routine activities with cheaper commercial solutions was a sound idea, especially when companies like SpaceX are proving just how capable they are. $3.3 billion would have bought at a rough guess about 30 fully stacked Falcon 9 rockets with Dragon capsules on top, more than enough to tide NASA over for several years. $150 million would probably cover the cost of a single rocket and little more, meaning that all you'd really get would be one demonstration flight.
Keeping the Constellation program alive is something I can't really support unless it gets a whole bucket load of new funding. Right now many of NASA's other activities like robotic space exploration and science have suffered because the Constellation program is using resources that were once planned for them. The program's vision was too ambitious for the amount of funding it was given and unless new money is brought in to complete it NASA will continue to suffer under its burden. You know that this is all done in the name of pork barrelling when the bill will "prohibit NASA from laying off civil servants for at least six months following the bill's enactment".
Most often the criticisms I see laid at the commercial alternatives to NASA's own launch systems is that they don't have the experience nor do they meet the safety ratings required for NASA's human program. The first is somewhat valid as whilst companies like United Launch Alliance have a vast wealth of launch experience they have never actually launched people into space on one of their rockets. On the other hand however the requirements for man ratingare well known and SpaceX's Falcon 9 conforms to all required specifications. ULA has also has specifications for man rated versions of their ATLAS-V and DELTA-V rockets so the notion that commercial space alternatives aren't up to the task is plainly false.
The bill makes even less sense when you consider some of the most recent developments coming out of the commercial space industry. SpaceX just recently announced their plans for some new launch systems and boy are they impressive:
For the transition from Earth to Mars, however, SpaceX believes nuclear thermal is the preferred propulsion means for the piloted aspect of the mission, while solar-electric power could be used to transport supplies.
The U.S. government "should take the lead on nuclear and commercial industry should take the lead on building heavy-lift launch vehicles," Markusic says. "Low-level propulsion technology research and development should be government-led, with a transition to flight development in 2025."
A growth development, dubbed Falcon X Heavy, would employ nine engines clustered in three cores. Collectively these would generate 10.8 million lb. of thrust at liftoff and boost 125,000 kg. to orbit. The ultimate launch vehicle, the Falcon XX, stands as tall as the Saturn V, is configured with six engines in a single core and is designed to lift 140,000 kg. to LEO.
SpaceX's new rockets are simply staggering in their specifications. The Falcon X Heavy already outpaces the Saturn V (the biggest rocket in history) and the Falcon XX is nipping at the heels of the planned Ares V. They've nailed the point that the private industry should be responsible for the more routine activities of getting into space as NASA has no real need to do this when cheaper, viable alternatives are available. Interestingly enough this is the first I've heard anyone talk about nuclear thermal propulsionin quite a long time and realistically I've always seen it as the next logical step in rocket technology once chemical propulsion reached its limits. Whether or not SpaceX's push to get NASA to develop such technology gets off the ground is another matter however and it might be another decade before it sees any traction.
I've always been disillusioned with the US congress when it comes to meddling in NASA's affairs and these recent developments haven't done anything to help that. The private space sector is really starting to pick up steam and it just makes sense for NASA to drop their current launch systems in favor of cheaper alternatives. This will allow them to get back to their roots of pioneering in space rather than getting caught up in the routine activities that can be easily offloaded to someone else. With Elon Musk's plan to retire to Mars I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more progress from the private sector in the decades to come and right now it looks likely that they'll become the ones to inspire the next generation. Maybe then congress will wake up and let NASA do what they do best.
Today I started my new job. Along with the typical first day awkwardness there was also the information overload that I always seem to get. There's just so many new things to remember, and I know that I've already forgotten at least half of my new work mate's names. Still my new work place is a great example of what I used to believe was just an executive speak term, but it seems it can actually exist.
Way back in the good old days you'd always hear of companies down sizing workforces due to automation or a down market. Over time the word downsizing became something of a black word and managers sought to conjure up a couple euphemisms so that they could speak about firing a large portion of their workforce and make it sound like a positive thing. Enter the term right sizing where management could say that they weren't particularly looking to down size, no they were just trying to find the most optimal size for the organisation. Most people would hear that and think that everything was going to be OK, only to get hit just as hard. It seems in recent times that employers are now more direct with their employees and don't try to beat around the bush anymore, which is probably for the best.
Austrade however is a great example of what I would class a right sized organisation. The total workforce is about 1000 employees worldwide with an infrastructure to match. In terms of technical progression they're far and away the most advanced of any I've worked for, even if I do disagree with some of their choices. There are two major factors at play in this:
Overall my first impressions are extremely good and I'm looking forward to the challenges that face me ahead. My direct manager has some big plans that he wants to get done, and they've already put me to work on achieving their goals.
It's nice to feel wanted and useful on your first day 🙂


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Inclusivity offsite: Self awareness and teamwork
With every new joiner to a team, the team dynamic changes. In my experience, there are two types of joiner; Those who sit back and observe and plan their strategy, using what they've learned about people and processes in the business Those who hit the ground running, who already have an idea of what they want to implement and can't wait to get stuck in. Let's call the first type the observer; while they may seem slower to nudge the needle and make changes, their decisions are informed, strategic, and considerate to others.


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Search Results
... financial interest in an individual's death. Requesting a death certificate There are five ways to obtain a death certificate: 1. Order online by . 2. Order By Phone Call ...
Vital Records
July 7, 2009
... at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip. What will a Burr Oak death certificate cost? The cost of obtaining a death record will drop from ... the Board decides otherwise. Where do I get a Burr Oak death certificate? The Clerk's Bureau of Vital Records has six locations. ...
50 W. Washington St. East Concourse Level - 25
Chicago IL 60602
Chicago IL 60602
January 1, 2011


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Here are the newest Weekly Deals for you!
Weekly Deals
October 7 - 13, 2014
while supplies last!
Pick a Pack of Paper Promotion
Dates: October 1 - 31, 2014
Are you a Stampin' Up! fan? October is a great time to join! Stampin' Up! is offering a FREE 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (DSP) to all NEW demonstrators who join in October for their first 6 months. That's right! Six packs of paper - 1 pack every month from November 2014 to April 2015. You can pick any DSP pack priced at $10.95 on a demonstrator order to redeem your free pack. Holiday catalog paper will be unavailable after the catalog ends, at which point NEW SPRING catalog paper will be available on January 6, 2015. Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
Thank you for stopping by today. Have a wonderful day!!!


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Dept. of Nutrition Sciences
School of Health Professions
Office Address: WEBB 419
Phone: 205-934-4088
E-mail: email@example.com
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Nagy is a Professor of Nutrition Sciences and Associate Director of the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center. He directs the UAB Small Animal Phenotyping Laboratory that is a resource for the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center, the UAB Diabetes Research Center, and the UAB Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging. Dr. Nagy's career research focus has targeted the role of energetics in the regulation of body weight since his doctoral research studies in 1987. His research has spanned studies on unique animal models of energy balance, ranging from fruitflies, zebrafish, snakes, lemmings, and mice, to studies of energy balance and body weight regulation in humans. In order to conduct many of these studies, Dr. Nagy had to develop and validate methods for the non-invasive determination of body composition. Dr. Nagy worked with two imaging companies to develop and validate dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for small animal research. In addition to the validation of DXA for animals, he has validated their use in the pediatric population. Dr. Nagy has validated and published on the use of μCT and quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR), being the first to use this latter technique to measure in vivo body composition of fruitflies and zebrafish. He has developed MRI methods for the in vivo determination of brown adipose in mice. He is considered a leading authority in the area of body composition and energy balance in both animal models and humans.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
BS, Biology, 1984
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
MS, Biology, 1988
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
PhD, Biology, 1992
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Postdoctoral Fellow, Endocrinology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Postdoctoral Fellow, Energy Metabolism and Body Composition, 1996
Dr. Nagy is a Professor of Nutrition Sciences. He directs the Small Animal Phenotyping Laboratory that a subcore of the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center Animal Models Core. Dr. Nagy's research is focused on three areas: (1) the regulation of body weight, (2) the development and validation of methods for phenotyping small animals, and (3) the link among body fat, caloric restriction and cancer.
Dr. Nagy's studies on the regulation of body weight have utilized both humans and animal models. Currently his studies are focused on animal models to better understand the mechanisms regulating energy expenditure and thus body weight. These studies include antipsychotic drug-induced weight gain, the role of uncoupling proteins, and the role of dairy in weight loss and bone health.
During Dr. Nagy's studies on the regulation of energy expenditure using animal models, he realized the need to improve the measurement of body composition in small animals, especially in vivo methods. Thus, he worked with two medical imaging companies to adapt human peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometers (DXA) for use with mice. Dr. Nagy was the first to validate and publish on the use of DXA for measurements of fat, lean, and bone in mice. He has extended his interest in imaging techniques to that of peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). His studies have demonstrated that pQCT can be used to determine relative body fat and the relative fat content of organs in mice and rats. Recently, Dr. Nagy acquired a micro-computed tomography instrument and is currently validating its use for both hard and soft tissue. These non-invasive techniques are extremely useful and important tools for bone and obesity researchers using animal models in their research.
The final area of research interest is the link among body fat, caloric restriction, and cancer. Dr. Nagy has developed a mouse model in which energy intake can be held constant while body fat is modified by varying energy expenditure using ambient temperature. Thus multiple groups of mice, whose body fat are vastly different but food intake is the same, can be studied. This line of research will determine the independent effects of body fat on cancer.


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Llandudno Hotels and Upcoming Events!
Llandudno hotels have been buzzing with activity this summer with all the great weather. Walking along the beach and the Pier, exploring beautiful parks, partaking in activities, shopping and dining have entertained all the Llandudno visitors this summer.
If you thought summer was nearly over and all the excitement was drawing to a close you could not be more wrong!
There are big events coming to Llandudno very soon and you will need to book Llandudno hotels fast to avoid missing out. August and September will be bringing the very best entertainment of the summer with a number of incredible and unusual events.
People from all over the UK and beyond will be flocking to Llandudno very soon as several big events bring not stop excitement to Llandudno over the coming weeks.
It is only a couple of weeks until the Llandudno Light Parade fills the streets with glittering colours. On the 30th-31st of August visitors to Llandudno can witness the pretty and quirky event that is the Llandudno Goldwing Light Parade for a whole weekend. It consists of 150 Honda Goldwing touring motorcycles parading around the town adorned with bright colours and many lights! Like a travelling Christmas float they will ride through the town. There will be competitions and day time displays too. Goldwing riders travel from all over the UK to attend this great event. The parade was a huge success last time and so it returns for 2013. It is a great atmosphere for spectators too with all the lights and vibrant energy.
September will be upon us very soon but there is no reason to miss the summer in Llandudno hotels as a number of amazing and awe inspiring artistic events takes over the town of Llandudno. First is ArtFest 2013! A completely unique event and the biggest of its kind in North Wales, ArtFest is a large art supplies market aimed at artists, art lovers, crafters and art novices. You can get hold of hard to find specialist art supplies, see professional art demonstrations and buy pieces from local artists. ArtFest will take place on the 13th and 14th of September and is a great way to warm up for the highly exciting micro festival that is the Llandudno Arts Weekend.
The Arts Weekend is an exciting collection of varied events celebrating Llandudno's Victorian history in a number of artistically creative ways. On the 20th-22nd you will see the bizarre site of Victorian bathing machines returning to the Llandudno shore. These six bespoke creations will house events all weekend from puppets, time travel, film, art and much, much more. All these events explore the history of the 'Queen of Welsh Resorts' that is Llandudno. This festival will attract artists both local and international to create something wonderful for the people of Llandudno and those holidaying in Llandudno hotels this September. The Art Trail is also coming to North Wales and Llandudno this September, giving you the opportunity to see artists in action in their own studios!
There are also various Welsh Craft fairs taking place over the summer and autumn so for a taste of Welsh culture you should visit Llandudno soon!
It is not too late to book Llandudno hotels and have a truly fun packed holiday with so many upcoming Llandudno events.


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DULLES, VA and NEW YORK, NY – FourthWall Media®, the largest independent source of cable set-top box viewing data, and Collective, the ad tech leader and programmatic pioneer, today announce their newest partnership to expand Collective's use of television viewing data across their digital marketing product portfolio. Under the new agreement, Collective is licensing FourthWall's census-level set-top box data and TVMatch™ product.
"Combining FWM's granular television data with the digital data, execution and analytics capabilities available in our VISTO™ platform allows us to further realize the vision of transparency, interoperability and accountability across all ad technology platforms," said Kerry Bianchi, Chief Operating Officer at Collective. "Our advertising partners will benefit from our patented process for television to digital bridging and allow them to leverage these cross-platform services both through our VISTO™ enterprise ad hub as well as our Media ad network."
Since 2013, Collective and FourthWall have worked together on audience segmentation services for tailoring digital advertising based on exposure to television commercials. Now, Collective has direct access to FourthWall's TVMatch product, which FourthWall uses to identify customized television audience segments via an extensive list of demographic and purchase intent attributes that serve as targeting criteria. In addition, Collective is licensing FourthWall's second-by-second set-top box data to power the VISTO enterprise advertising hub and Audience Engine digital advertising products.
"Census-level set-top box viewing data can inform digital advertising and allow marketers to reach their campaign goals more effectively," said Bill Feininger, president, FourthWall Media. "Granular, second-by-second viewing data connected to online exposures and activities provides marketers with a 360 degree view of their buyers. We support Collective's effort to turn cross-platform accountability into a reality."
About FourthWall Media, Inc.
FourthWall Media® delivers census-level viewing data, reports, analytics, and advanced advertising to television stakeholders who need to target the right audience with the right message. FourthWall's TVPanel™ is the largest independent source of second-by-second cable viewing and diagnostics data that enables actionable messaging, measurement, and analytics for operators, programmers, agencies, advertisers, researchers, and analytics firms. Unlike traditional measurement companies, FourthWall Media works closely with cable operators by providing embedded device-level expertise and technology that allows the collection and processing of ultra-precise TV viewing data. FourthWall Media is headquartered in Dulles, VA and can be found online at www.fourthwallmedia.tv.
About Collective
Collective empowers enterprises with data-driven technology and programmatic expertise to unify digital advertising across platforms, screens and formats. Through our VISTO enterprise-advertising hub or Audience Engine digital advertising network, Collective provides industry-leading transparency, interoperability and accountability across ad technology platforms. To learn more about Collective, visit www.collective.com.


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LGBT India Tours offers best and full assurance services to the gay, lesbian and LGBT clients at affordable rates for reveling holidays and tourism packages to various destinations in India.
We are Delhi India based India Tour Operator and Travel Agent. We offer all kind of Holiday Packages in India, Tour Packages in India, Honeymoon Packages, India Package Tours, India Package Tour, Package Tours to India, Package Tour for India, Vacation Tours in India, India Vacation Tours.
The very best sights, tours and activities in Playa del Carmen
What is Pligg?
Pligg is an open source content management system that lets you easily create your own user-powered website.
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Re-Location of Traffic Dept/ Receipts City Hall, High Street, Kilkenny.
The Receipts/Traffic Office currently based in City Hall, High Street, Kilkenny is being re- located to County Hall Offices, (Motor Tax Section) John Street, Kilkenny on Tuesday 29th May 2018.
Please note that the Traffic Section will be closed for business on Monday 28th May to facilitate the move and will re-open in County Hall, John Street Kilkenny on Tuesday 29th May 2018 at 9.10am.
Kilkenny County Council wishes to apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused during the period of this move.
Traffic Dept.
County Hall
John Street
Tel: 056 - 7794540
Email: email@example.com
Opening HoursMonday to Friday
9.10 am to 3.30 pm (through lunch)


text: Weeds do not grow in a vacuum. At a minimum they need a reasonable temperature and minimum amounts of water and oxygen. Given proper conditions, they will of course flourish, and without attention, can take over a garden. The first few attacks on Muslim and Christian institutions were attributed to "weeds" – every group has … Continue reading


text: Püha St. Jacob's church In comparison with the other churches of Saaremaa, the church of Püha tends to go relatively unnoticed. Even in art history it receives little mention. The reason, however, is not a lack of artistic value, but the fact that after the great fire of the Livonian War the church was covered with a thick layer of plaster; as a result less is known of its architectural history than of the other churches of Saaremaa. Nevertheless, Püha church is an especially interesting source of material in the observation of changes that take place in the process of architectural thinking over the years.Similarly to Kaarma church, and apparently in direct imitation of it, the vestry was the first part to be erected. Then the choir was built and the nave designed. The latter was slightly narrower than the present one. The change in socle profile confirms that another master built the choir. It is possible that the congregation had to be content with a provisional wooden construction at first. The stone nave with a bracket turret on the western gable (the remains of which can be seen in the present-day tower) was built somewhat later than the choir.The church appears to have been vaulted in the second half of the l4th century. The western tower is believed to have been added around 1500. A fireplace in the tower suggests that the church also served as a refuge. The church of Püha is the only church in Estonia on which information can be found in historical records: in 1576, during the Livonian War, the church was burnt by Russian troops after peasants sought refuge in the loft and the tower. InteriorThe original decorative details of the church were severely damaged, apparently in the great fire of the Livonian War. The damage was later repaired using plaster. The rib vaults of the nave and the choir are similar in form. They are of late Gothic style and are reminiscent of the vaults of Kuressaare castle and the apse of Valjala church. Not surprisingly, none of the earlier furnishings have survived. Besides the Baroque altar, one of the most valuable furnishings here is the pulpit with its predominantly neoclassical forms (for example, the urn that crowns the sounding board) dating from 1793.The altarpieceThe Kuressaare master, Gottfried Böhme, made the altarpiece of Püha church, decorated with rococo elements, in 1793. Compositionally it is an almost exact copy of the altarpiece of Riga Cathedral, which was framed with two projecting pillars and a heavy entablature with a headpiece. The clumsily carved figures of cherubs and angels on the upper part of the altarpiece betray the carpenter's poor sculpting skills. The painting The Ascension is a later addition to the altar, and according to tradition was made by Ludwig von Sass, a tenant of the Ilpla estate.


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New Treatment for Pulmonary Embolism
Have you heard of pulmonary embolism (PE)? It's a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs.
In most cases, PE is caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from the legs or other parts of the body, which is known as deep vein thrombosis.
These clots contribute to 100,000 deaths per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lexington Medical Center now offers a new treatment option for patients suffering from PE — the EKOS EkoSonic® Endovascular System.
With this system, interventional cardiologists can deliver lower doses of thrombolytic, or clot-busting, medicines directly into the clots. Ultrasound pulses in the system are used to fragment the clot, helping the clot-busting drug to more effectively "melt" it away.
"While systemic thrombolysis relies on blood flow, which is very limited in completely blocked vessels, to deliver a larger dose of thrombolytic drug to the intact surface of the clot, catheter-directed thrombolysis uses catheters placed directly through the clots to deliver smaller doses of thrombolytic drug right into the middle of the clots," said Robert Leonardi, MD, FACC, FSCAI, at Lexington Cardiology.
Dr. Leonardi talked about the procedure on WLTX recently.
"Catheter-directed thrombolysis helps patients recover from life-threatening PE more quickly and more completely by providing most or all of the benefit of full-dose, systemic thrombolysis with substantially less bleeding risk," said Dr. Leonardi.
LMC performed its first catheter-directed thrombolysis for PE last year.
Risk Factors for Pulmonary Embolism
Even though anyone can develop blood clots and pulmonary embolism, certain factors increase your risk.
•Medical history
•Heart disease
•Certain cancers
•Prolonged immobility, such as bed rest and sitting during travel
•Supplemental estrogen, such as birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy


text: salish sea 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2013 health care (jws, if we remained in the US, we'd be among your 40 million uninsured, alas) ... climate (at 4000' or around 1175 m) ... wildlife (who knew that hummingbirds are so mean to each other or that a dragonfly would prefer perching on the end of my finger to the flower I offered it?) ... people ... culture ... being able to get gasoline for the same price everywhere (yes, the cost is high, but that keeps us from wasting it: do we really to make that trip into town?) ... etc, etc. And, Jim, some people are always chasing the "best" or "cheapest" location to retire. I've made the comment before about (to me) the importance of forging connections within the local community, but that's important to me, probably not to some others. It all depends! regards, Gayle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Pause for a moment on World Mosquito Day to reflect on the little bloodsucker that probably causes more human suffering than any other organism.
Observed annually today, August 20, World Mosquito Day originated in 1897 by Dr. Ronald Ross of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, according to the American Mosquito Control Association, a nonprofit based in New Jersey.
Ross is credited with the discovery of the transmission of malaria by the mosquito, and was honored with a Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1902.
Each year 350-500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But malaria is not the only disease spread by mosquitoes. There's also West Nile virus, various strains of encephalitis, Dengue Fever, Rift Valley Fever, Yellow Fever.
Photo courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Humans aren't the only targets of these sanguinivorous pests. Mosquitoes can also carry parasites and diseases to dogs and cats (including heartworm) and horses–and many wild animals, including birds. West Nile virus cycles between birds, mosquitoes, and humans.
The Asian tiger mosquito was accidentally introduced into the U.S. 20 years ago and is a carrier of West Nile virus. The mosquito has spread rapidly around the world and is known for its aggressive daytime activity and ability to breed in the smallest puddles of water commonly found in gutters, old tires, and empty cans.
North Americans know it for the particularly nasty welts and skin irritation left by its bite.
Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) courtesy CDC
The CDC recommends four ways to Fight the Bite:
- Use mosquito repellent (new research released this week shows that they really don't like DEET!)
- Eliminate standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs
- Install or repair window and door screens
- Support community-based mosquito control programs
Related National Geographic News stories:
Mosquito Adapting to Global Warming, Study Finds
Warming Will Lead to Major Disease Outbreaks, Experts Warn
Beat Bugs Without DEET: U.S. Boosts 2 Alternatives
DDT to Return as Weapon Against Malaria, Experts Say


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Metso to supply railcar dumper technology to Westshore Terminals Limited Partnership
Metso Corporation's press release on October 5, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. local time
Metso will supply railcar dumper technology to Westshore Terminals Limited Partnership, which operates a coal storage and loading terminal located at Roberts Bank, Delta, British Columbia, Canada. The terminal is the largest coal export facility and the largest dry bulk terminal on the west coast of the Americas. The value of the order will not be disclosed.
Metso's delivery includes equipment for railcar unloading lines. Metso will provide three new 240 kip wire rope positioners and a new rotary railcar dumper and a replacement rotary railcar dumper, both to include all new hoppers, feeders and gates. The contract comprises the design, supply, installation and commissioning of all equipment.
"What makes the project special for us is that this will be the first Gemini positioner system with positioners on both the exit and entrance ends of the dumper. In this way the system can automatically index trains with mid-train locomotives. Each line will be able to handle 64 cars per hour," says Tim Sexton, Manager, Product Support, Metso.
Metso's delivery will be completed during 2012. The order is included in Mining and Construction Technology's third quarter 2011 orders received.
Westshore Terminals has been the leading name in coal exporting facilities in Canada since 1970. It is Canada's No. 1 coal export facility, and this project will raise its throughput capacity to an anticipated 33 million metric tons of coal per year.
Metso is a global supplier of sustainable technology and services for mining, construction, power generation, automation, recycling and the pulp and paper industries. We have about 29,000 employees in more than 50 countries. www.metso.com
For further information, please contact:
Richard Schmitz, Vice President & General Manager, Bulk Materials Handling, Metso, tel. +1 412 269 5227
Tim Sexton, Manager, Product Support, Mining and Construction Technology, Metso, tel. +1 412 269 5140


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Some Thoughts about macOS SierraAugust 23rd, 2016
Since the middle of June, Mac developers have had the chance to pound on betas of Apple's operating systems to find bugs and make sure their products are compatible. The public got their chance a couple of weeks later with macOS Sierra and iOS 10. All told, more than a million have had their chance to see what Apple is working on, and there's been plenty of coverage.
Let's hope Apple pays attention to all that user feedback they must be receiving.
It's unfortunate that a few have treated these betas as final releases in the way they cover them. The bugs, of which there are plenty, are described in exquisite detail, and Apple is criticized for their lapses. Forgotten is the fact that prerelease software is apt to have lots of problems, and the purpose of a beta is to iron out as many as possible, with the emphasis on things that can cause crashes, data loss and poor performance.
The beta process is entering the late stages. iOS 10 will be out in less than a month, meaning that the Golden Master, or the first Golden Master, is near. So iOS 10 ought to be in a pretty decent state of development by now, with only some final spit and polish and lingering bugs left to deal with.
I had more confidence in iOS 10 than macOS Sierra, so my iPhone 6 has been running it since the early days. After suffering through some irritants and sluggish performance for the early betas, it's in good enough shape now that I find it hard to locate the signs that it's still a beta. I'm sure some of you have your own lists, but the worst I see is a Safari glitch, where after using the option to "Clear History and Website Data," some sites won't display properly until I restart. Otherwise, it's been rock solid.
But this isn't a review, so don't pay attention to the problems.
I've been using Macs for over 30 years, so let's focus on macOS Sierra for the rest of this column.
Siri is, as expected for weeks before Sierra was launched, is the big deal. Siri is smarter for iOS 10, and for the Mac as well. But I generally use Siri to set alarms or map directions on my iPhone. I also made it clear Siri's arrival on the Mac wasn't my first choice of a most compelling feature. I will give it its due, however.
What I do like is the fact that I'm not forced to call upon Siri with my primary input source, the external Behringer mic mixer I use to record my radio shows. So I was able to pick the Internal Microphone without changing what I selected in the Sound preference pane. Maybe the rest will come, or maybe I'll write my review of the release version of macOS Sierra and conclude it's still not my cup of tea.
Sierra also has a smarter Photos app, with a Memories feature that lets you harness its face recognition capability to create slideshows and other fancy collections.
If you have an Apple Watch or iPhone with Touch ID, you can use it on a Mac with Sierra to make online purchases funded via Apple Pay. Here Apple is leveraging its Continuity feature, which allows all its devices to talk with one another. You can also awaken your Mac from the Apple Watch, and it makes me wonder if the next generation of Macs will have their own Touch ID sensor.
The cloud's importance is never more obvious than the Universal Clipboard, allowing you to copy on one device, paste on another. The Desktop and Documents folders are shared on your iCloud Drive and available to all your gear, even your iPhone and iPad.
If you have a Mac with a tiny SSD, such as a basic MacBook Air, you'll appreciate the Optimized Storage feature that can call upon iCloud for storage of documents you don't lose often. It can also help you get rid of duplicate and obsolete files, such as all those extra app installers that accumulate over the years.
Messages is flashier, echoing some of the advanced formatting features of the iOS version. If you're into emojis, you'll be in your element. It won't light my fire, but I'm sure it has its charms.
Although it's supposedly in a fairly advanced state of development, Sierra, to me, remains in shakier condition than iOS 10. I'm using it on a second partition on a recent 27-inch iMac. But it hasn't become stable enough to consider using it as my primary OS, even though Sierra-savvy apps are arriving. As usual, Mail has not been well behaved.
In a sense, this is reminiscent of Mail's condition with El Capitan. One problem, stalling for 30 seconds for no accountable reason, still exists with OS 10.11.6. I assume the chances of a 10.11.7 are probably slim to none.
I'm not overly concerned with macOS Sierra's shaky condition, since it probably won't be out until October, in keeping with previous releases. There's still time to clean it up, so it probably won't be long before it earns a place on my primary partition.
But not yet.
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text: Ok, I have my SD card partitioned via ROM Manager Now when I run Link2SD, it gives me an error saying, Mount script cannot be created mount: mounting /dev/block/ vold/179:2 on /data/sdext2 No such device. I am running Chevy SS 5.5 Some sites say "These phones need ext2.ko or ext3.ko modules and even some additional modules to be able to mount." Where do I got these? how do I install? Other sites said that I need a kernel that handles ext2. Where do I get this? Anyone's thoughts?