text:
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
|Tashi Lhunpo
Tibetan transcription(s)
Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་ལྷུན་པོ་
Wylie transliteration: bkra shis lhun po
Pronunciation in IPA: [ʈáɕi l̥ympo]
Official transcription (China): Zhaxi Lhünbo
THL: Trashi Lhünpo
Other transcriptions: Tashi Lhunpo, Tashi Lhümpo
Chinese transcription(s)
Traditional: 扎什倫布寺
Simplified: 扎什伦布寺
Pinyin: Zhāshí Lúnbù Sì
Entrance to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
|Tibetan Buddhism
|Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
|Geographic coordinates
|1st Dalai Lama
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་ལྷུན་པོ་), founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama,[1] is a historic and culturally important monastery in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet.
The monastery was sacked when the Gorkha Kingdom invaded Tibet and captured Shigatse in 1791 before a combined Tibetan and Chinese army drove them back as far as the outskirts of Kathmandu,[2] when they were forced to agree to keep the peace in the future, pay tribute every five years, and return what they had looted from Tashi Lhunpo.[3]
The monastery is the traditional seat of successive Panchen Lamas, the second highest ranking tulku lineage in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The "Tashi" or Panchen Lama had temporal power over three small districts, though not over the town of Shigatse itself, which was administered by a dzongpön (prefect) appointed from Lhasa.[4]
Located on a hill in the center of the city, the full name in Tibetan of the monastery means "all fortune and happiness gathered here" or "heap of glory". Captain Samuel Turner, a British officer with the East India Company who visited the monastery in the late 18th century, described it in the following terms:
"If the magnificence of the place was to be increased by any external cause, none could more superbly have adorned its numerous gilded canopies and turrets than the sun rising in full splendour directly opposite. It presented a view wonderfully beautiful and brilliant; the effect was little short of magic, and it made an impression which no time will ever efface from my mind."[5]
Pilgrims circumambulate the monastery on the lingkhor (sacred path) outside the walls.
Although two-thirds of the buildings were destroyed during the excesses of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, they were mainly the residences for the 4,000 monks[6][7] and the monastery itself was not as extensively damaged as most other religious structures in Tibet, for it was the seat of the Panchen Lama who remained in Chinese-controlled territory.
However, during 1966 Red Guards led a crowd to break statues, burn scriptures and open the stupas containing the relics of the 5th to 9th Panchen Lamas, and throw them in the river. Some remains, though, were saved by locals, and in 1985, Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, began the construction of a new stupa to house them and honour his predecessors. It was finally consecrated on 22 January 1989, just six days before he died aged fifty-one at Tashi Lhunpo. "It was as if he was saying now he could rest."[8]
The monastery was founded in 1447 CE by Gedun Drub, the disciple of the famous Buddhist philosopher Je Tsongkhapa and later named the First Dalai Lama. The construction was financed by donations from local nobles.
Later Lobsang Chökyi Gyalsten, the Fourth Panchen Lama and the first Panchen Lama to be recognized as such by the rulers of Mongolia, made major expansions to the monastery. Since then, all Panchen Lamas have resided at Tashi Lhunpo, and have managed to expand it gradually.
In 1791 the monastery was attacked and looted by an army of Nepalese Gurkha warriors but were driven out by the Chinese who simultaneously strengthened their control over the temple and Tibet.
Choekyi Gyalpo, the 11th Panchen Lama according to the government of the People's Republic of China, has been enthroned there, while Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama recognised by the Dalai Lama, has been held under "protective custody" by Chinese authorities since 1995.
Tashi Lhunpo in its heyday housed over 4,000 monks and had four Tantric colleges, each with its own Abbot. After the death of a Panchen Lama, these four abbots led the search for his infant reincarnation and one of them always acted as a prime minister of Tsang under the control of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa.
In 1960, the monastery was dismantled by the Chinese army whilst the Panchen Lama was absent, although less damage was inflicted on the monastery than on most others around Tibet.
During the 1960s many senior lamas and monastics left Tibet and helped re-establish new monasteries in India, Nepal and Bhutan. The late Panchen Lama did not leave Tibet and consequently many of the senior lamas from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery remained inside Tibet. Therefore, while other monasteries-in-exile have expanded and developed under the guidance of senior lamas, Tashi Lhunpo has remained at a disadvantage, although in 1972 a new campus of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery was built by Tibetan exiles at a settlement in Bylakuppe, Karnātakā in southern India.
Since the early 1980s parts of the Tashi Lhunpo monastery have been open to the public and it is an important tourist attraction in Tibet today.
Branch monasteries[edit]
One of its branch monasteries was the famous Drongtse Monastery, 14 km north of Tsechen.[9]
See also[edit]
- ^ Chö Yang: The Voice of Tibetan Religion and Culture. (1991) Year of Tibet Edition, p.79. Gangchen Kyishong, Dharmasala, H.P., India.
- ^ Chapman, Spencer F. (1940). Lhasa: The Holy City, p. 128. Readers Union Ltd., London.
- ^ Richardson (1984), p. 69.
- ^ Chapman (1940), p. 141.
- ^ Captain Samuel Turner, 'Embassy to the Court of the Teshu Lama,' p. 230. In: Das (1802). Reprint: (1988), p. 45, n.
- ^ Dowman (1988), p. 273
- ^ Chapman (1940), p. 140.
- ^ Sun (2008), pp. 84-85.
- ^ Dorje (1999), p. 261.
- Chapman, Spencer F. (1940). Lhasa: The Holy City. Readers Union Ltd., London.
- Das, Sarat Chandra. Lhasa and Central Tibet. (1802). Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi (1988).
- Dorje, Gyurme. (1999) Tibet handbook: with Bhutan, 2nd Edition. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 1-900949-33-4, ISBN 978-1-900949-33-0.
- Dowman, Keith. 1988. The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York. ISBN 0-7102-1370-0
- Das, Sarat Chandra. Lhasa and Central Tibet. (1902). Edited by W. W. Rockhill. Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi (1988), pp. 40, 43 ff., 69, 114, 117, 149, 237; illustration opposite p. 50.
- Richardson, Hugh E. Tibet & its History. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. (1984). Shambhala Publications, Boston Mass. ISBN 0-87773-376-7.
- Sun, Shuyun (2008). A Year in Tibet. HarperCollins Publishers, London. ISBN 978-0-00-728879-3.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tashilhunpo.
- Website of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Bylakuppe
- Life on the Tibetan Plateau Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
- Le Tibet par la G219: bouddhisme, monastères et temples tibétains Photos made in 2012 (text in French).
- Grand Monastery of Tashi-Lhunpo 1902, Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas, Austin
- Tashi Lhunpo Monastery UK Trust, a charity based in Salisbury, set up in 2003 to support the work of the monastery in exile
Coordinates: 29°16′07″N 88°52′12″E / 29.26861°N 88.86994°E


text:
Due to the rapid advancement of technology and changes in the job market, employers are seeking employees that are Subject Matter Experts. Previously, schooling was a more holistic experience aimed at creating well-rounded individuals—students learned something about everything. Now the employment world has shifted and candidates with specializations are in demand.
As a result, universities around the world started offering courses that cater to these demands and give way to new and more diverse career options, creating a new generation of professionals who are specialists.
Having a specialty has become so common that many people don't even understand the significance behind it. The following are some ways in which specialization can benefit you and your career:
Continue reading "4 Reasons to Boost Your Career with a Specialization" »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Previous ArticleIntroducing the magic of Moo Music
Tips For Helping A Grieving Child
Next ArticleDADDY (UN)COOL: Parent Blog
Tips For Helping A Grieving Child With Special Needs
Written by Jenny Wise.
While it's true that dealing with death is part of being human, that doesn't help anyone who lost someone they love. The death of someone close to you will be devastating, and it will take some time for the grieving process to end.
However, this will all be more difficult for a child with special needs. Any child can have trouble coming to terms with such a loss, and some may not fully understand what's going on. But there are ways you can help the child get through their mourning. You can start by knowing what the mourning can look like.
Image Source: Pixabay
What Grief Looks Like
Whether someone has special needs or not, they typically go through the same five stages of grief. PsychCentral.com explains they are:
- Denial and isolation: Refusing to accept the death and deny that anything has happened.
- Anger: Feeling strong, negative emotions, often centered on others who had nothing to do with the death.
- Bargaining: Trying to feel in control of the situation by running "What if we only …." scenarios.
- Depression: Getting sad to the point where you obsess over the death and how it impacts you.
- Acceptance: Finally coming to terms with the passing and getting ready to live a normal life again.
When this happens to a child with special needs, these stages can come in any order — depending on the particular needs. For example, a child with anger or anxiety issues might skip denial and start with anger and depression. That's fine, as no one must go through those stages in order.
Explaining The Death
Before the child can go through these stages, they need someone to explain what happened. It might be tempting to consider not telling the child, but that's a bad idea. They deserve to know the truth no matter what they're special needs might be.
Friendship Circle offers some tips for explaining the death, such as:
- Be honest about how you are feeling when talking to the child. Don't avoid using terms like "sad."
- Along the same lines, understand that a child with special needs may not get phrases like, "Going to sleep," as they can think you literally mean sleep leads to death.
- Take time to celebrate the life of the deceased and help the child focus on the positive parts of their experience.
Once you've explained what happened, you need to be there to help the child with those stages of grief. Here are some tips:
- Be patient as the child processes their grief. Everyone's mourning process is unique and takes a different amount of time.
- Help them when they are hurting, but let them experience the pain. They need that to finally reach acceptance.
- Allow the child to ask questions, and when you answer, try to be honest but concise. Longer answers can just make things complicated.
Planning For Your Child's Future
If the child is yours, talking about death like this can make them ask some uncomfortable questions about what happens when you die. In turn, that can make you concerned for your child's future.
Redfin explains that you need to think about a caregiver. Family is always an option, but some kind of special needs living facility can be a better choice, as they often have the training needed to meet those needs. You'll also have to worry about finances and legal documents to protect your child's inheritance and even provide an income when you are gone. If you haven't done so already, meet with a financial planner in your area to discuss your options.
They Need Your Help With Grieving
Mourning the loss of a loved one is never easy, but it's often harder for children with special needs. That's why your help is needed. Understand what grief looks like, then have some honest conversations about what happened. Then work on creating a legal and financial future for your child. All of this can help the child get through the grieving process.


text:
Joan, played by Kim Zimmer, was a character introduced in Models Inc., the third series of the Beverly Hills, 90210 continuity.
Joan was a woman who paid for the sexual services of Eric Dearborn after being recommended to him by Dinah Malone. After their affair got back to Joan's husband, he stormed into Stage 99, where Eric worked, and punched him.
Joan then approached Eric and told him she considered their affair real, despite paying for him to be with her and that she wanted to continue seeing him.
She was later revealed to be an old friend of Hillary Michaels. After telling her about her upcoming divorce, Joan gave Hillary the number for a male prostitute, not knowing that Hillary and Eric already knew each other.
Joan fell in love with Eric, but her husband, Bob, made Eric an offer to get out of her life. Knowing that the relationship was never going to go anywhere, Eric took the money. Joan was upset, but the two of the ended on good terms by the end of the series.


text:
King, the European makers of the unbelievably popular game Candy Crush Saga, have moved a step closer towards an IPO filing in the U.S. The updated F-1 filed with the SEC this morning prices 22.2 million shares between $21 and $24 per share, which will raise up to $533 million and value the company in at up to $7.6 billion. This is an increase from their prior initial F-1 with a maximum aggregated offering of $500 million.
The filing continues the trend of tech companies taking advantage of generous public markets that have been largely rewarding tech companies. However, free-to-play gaming companies like Zynga have been incredibly volatile in their stock price, since many have revenues dependent on the hit of a single game. Some analysts argue that companies like these are better of staying private due to the speculative and volatile nature of their earnings.
Even if Candy Crush Saga, or any of King's other free-to-play games, sees a decline in popularity and usage, that isn't the case now. And obviously King is trying to make hay while the sun shines. But it's fairly certain that, as with other gaming companies, King will experience a decline at some point.
As of December 2013, King claimed 128 million daily active users playing its games more than 1.2 billion times per day. In today's filing, King notes that as of February 2014, an average of 144 million daily active users played their games more than 1.4 billion times per day. "We believe Candy Crush Saga, our top title to date, is one of the largest interactive entertainment franchises of all time," the company wrote in the filing. That game alone brings in some 97 million daily active users and over 1 billion daily game plays. (I've contributed to this myself on occasion, such as long flights without wifi.)
King's revenues are mainly derived by in-game purchases. When you run out of allotted lives in Candy Crush Saga, you can opt to purchase an additional set of lives, or wait a specified amount of time for your lives to recharge (protip: or move your system clock forward). Interestingly, because of the size of in-game purchases, King was able to reduce advertising on its platform considerably. That has led to a massive boom in sales, in which King raked in $1.88 billion in revenues in 2013, up from a paltry $164 million in 2012. This is mostly tied to mobile, with 73% of revenue from mobile in Q4 2013.


text:
First Published for The Platform
The recent violence in the Gaza Strip excited three distinct groups in a battle far beyond the Middle Eastern frontline
It is ironic that even the best of intentions, when circumstances change, they can have unintended consequences. The man who invented the wheel, for instance, would never have expected Top Gear, where viewers are bombarded with a bit too much of Jeremy Clarkson. Likewise, social media has transcended its initial intentions.
The above reflects well in a friend's acerbic Facebook status: "What is happening to Facebook! I don't want to see pictures of dead dogs/abused kids/war victims on my five minute break – it's a given that I'm against paedophiles/war/poverty without having to like some shocking photo! What happened to mindless fb stalking and comedy updates?! Jesus wept."
Whether one agrees or disagrees, one would be inclined to consider this to be remarkably genuine.
The extra judicial killing of Ahmad Jabari, the head of the Al Qassam Brigades, led to the recent escalation of violence in the Gaza strip, with Israel using disproportionate force in 'retaliation' to Hamas rocket attacks. Israeli attacks resulted in over 100 Palestinian deaths and less than ten Israeli deaths. Palestinian casualties would have been much higher, if Israel had initiated a full scale ground invasion as in 2008, and if not for the truce between Hamas and Israel. Israel has said that it will never negotiate with "terrorists", although Hamas very much fits the Israeli description.
Misfortune gives rise to the excitement of three very similar but different sets of groups: The Activists, Armchair Activists, and The Cynical Sedentary Scoffer's.
Activists are staunchly dedicated to a cause. Much like career politicians, but perhaps not as allured by fame, fortune or material possessions, they are driven by an unblemished ideological underpinning. In this particular conflict, activists were usually pro-Palestinian, pro-Israeli/Zionist, or human rights activists. Pro-Palestinian activists largely comprise of Muslims, Lefties, Liberalsand/or Humanists. Solid activists live for a cause and find great satisfaction in the work they do and are, therefore, willing to sacrifice much of their personal comforts to get that one extra inch closer to their goal.
Then we have activists of the armchair variety – a tricky lot, and much like a Dulux colour palette, come in various hues and varying saturation. I trust an armchair activist is a person commonly understood to propel a cause sitting on an armchair (or toilet seat). Due to advances in social media, the vagaries of an armchair activist has become somewhat limited to being active online and disseminating information. Armchair activists usually take a lot of stick from various people for being "neither here nor there". The reality, however, is very different – at least for most of them.
To be an armchair activist, one usually needs to have a sense of ideological bearing, diluted as it may sometimes be compared to activists out in the field. The content of their Twitter feeds or Facebook status may be determined by their personal interests, type of friends, followers, want for attention and recognition, and all of the above, or even none of the above.
If one is an activist, at some point in their lives they may have been an armchair activist or may even have had armchair stints. This may be at a time when being in the forefront of activism isn't particularly feasible, like when one is a student and therefore can't fully engage in activism due to time constraints. Therefore to consider the term 'armchair activist' to be heavily concentrated with negativism is preposterous, if not plain wrong.
The role of an armchair activist shouldn't be underestimated – they provide a vital service by disseminating information that they rightly or wrongly think would aid their cause. Of course it is up to the receiver to verify information before they act upon it. As a full-time student inundated with assignments and exams, the most effective form of activism I can be involved in, is armchair activism, with my blackberry to hand.
Of course, a common mistake armchair activists make is to be too idealistic or rhetorical in their actions. This occurs when the gulf between theory and ground realities diverge and expand. Therefore armchair activists should be conscious of this inevitability and be measured in their tones.
I believe (or like to think) that by making my voice heard, I do make a difference and help to formulate opinion that would be useful. This might enable the average apolitical or political person to understand the world better and galvanise like-minded souls to work towards a noble cause.
Like activists, armchair activists come under intense pressure from various elements in society. From those who hold opposing views to those who have found too much immoral comfort in the status quo to want to change it, to the plain idiot who would much rather question the means of activism than come up with something original. Therefore defeatism is intrinsic to the psyche of some activists or armchair activists, and they fight such sentiments not to their peril.
The feeling that one's tweets with the hashtag #Gaza would result in nothing is an understandable feeling. If armchair activism ceases, activists on the field will have to shoulder the added burden of disseminating information, thereby delaying progress in the cause, in this case exposing Israeli war crimes and fighting the powerful Zionist propaganda machinery.
If you have activist-y (for lack of another word) intentions, and yet, can't really engage for one reason or another on the "frontline", take heart in the fact that your services as an armchair activist are much needed. Purify your intentions and find the nearest armchair (or toilet seat), wherever your thoughts flow unhindered. Remember, however, that with your intentions and actions comes the responsibility to act within a discourse of morality and nobility that does not cause more problems.
This conveniently brings me to the third and final group, The Sedentary Cynical Scoffer. These are those who would much rather scoff at those who try, and pointedly do nothing productive themselves. This mostly being because they seem to think that activists or armchair activists act on matters that have no bearing on their own lives, or of others. One may not be a US citizen, but it does matter if Romney or Obama won the last US presidential election – though for most people Obama and Romney are as close to each other as bum cheeks, politically speaking. Given the position of the US in the world and the globalisation they perpetuate as a super power, it is a given and isn't even worth mentioning that the president of the US is going to have a bearing in life wherever in the world you live.
So, the next time you see a Facebook status or tweet that is political and different from your tweet that possibly says "I just burped aloud, but no one heard #facepalm #aerobicdigestion", please note that some others are driven, motivated and affected by what happens in their homes, in their own backyards or the backyard of a friend who lives next to a bully that is supported by the biggest bully in the neighbourhood, and a few other smaller bullies. People are driven by various facets of life, and as long as these facets do not impose tangible and direct harm, scoffing at another's efforts only seeks to undermine your own standing.
Now, back to my armchair.


text:
Since reading the first book on this list, I've become a very avid and wide-ranging reader. The seeds sown by the book list below have immensely helped enrich the content you see here on the PAOSS blog and other PAOSS content.
You'll begin to notice a very curious thing about this list though. There are only two books in the entire list that are actually about OSS. I have many OSS books in my library, but most struggle for relevance beyond the author's frame of reference – they have been written from the specific technical experiences of the author, which are rarely transferable to other OSS. Either the technologies are now out of date and/or the details / terminologies were pertinent only to that OSS time and place. It's one of the reasons that PAOSS content is specifically intended to abstract from technology and deliver insights, methodologies, processes and frameworks that have a broader relevance and greater longevity (hopefully).
The remaining books in the list have not been written with OSS in mind but definitely provide insights and perspectives that are transferable to the challenges we face in the OSS industry. In no particular order (except the first being the first…)
|Rich Dad, Poor Dad
by Sharon L. Lechter Robert T. Kiyosaki
This was the book that changed it all for me. Whilst its intent is to educate on personal finance, the effect it had was to lift my eyes beyond the purely technical. Like 95%+ of people in our industry, I had previously only ever focused on delivering the best technical solution I could with the assumption that this would deliver a great customer outcome. I now know that the challenges we face are far bigger than that!
|Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success
by Ken Segall
The greatest OSS (but non-OSS) book I've read. The first half of this book in particular delivers powerful examples of simplification at all levels of an organisation as experienced by an advertising executive working alongside Steve Jobs at Apple. The OSS and communications industry need more people who are able to wield the simple stick like Steve did.
by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
These gentlemen have built a strong business around the Basecamp project management suite of tools. In Rework, just like their blog at 37signals, they provide brilliant contrarian insights into how to run a software business… Or any business for that matter. Efficiency and simplicity are the mantra ahead of the Red-Bull fuelled heroics spouted by many organisations in the software industry. One of my all-time favourite business books.
|Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions
by Guy Kawasaki
Guy defines enchantment as, "the process of delighting people with a product, service, organisation or idea. The outcome of enchantment is voluntary and long-lasting support that is mutually beneficial." If there was ever an industry that was in need of enchantment, it is the OSS industry right now.
|Rain: What a Paperboy Learned About Business
by Jeffrey J. Fox
An easy to digest story about a boy with a paper-route learning the key tenets of rainmaking, the ability to delight customers and make sales (and projects) happen.
|The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience
by Carmine Gallo
There are two acronyms that pervade in the OSS / telco / tech industry; DBA (Death by Acronym) and DBP (Death by Powerpoint). This book provides some stunning insights into how to make a compelling presentation on your latest OSS project.
|Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry
by Stephen Denny
There are a number of goliath incumbents in our industry. However, I suspect that most of the required disruption is coming from the Davids of our industry, despite the burning platforms at the goliaths. Interesting reading for a different perspective on innovation and change.
|Jack Welch & The G.E. Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO
by Robert Slater
This book describes a number of key strategies for how Jack Welch pared back the weighty bureaucracy of General Electric upon his ascension to CEO. I suspect our industry needs similarly brutal change leadership to thrive into the future
|The Best Service is No Service: How to Liberate Your Customers from Customer Service, Keep Them Happy, and Control Costs
by Bill Price, David Jaffe
There is a distinct difference between the customer service models of the typical communications service provider (CSP) and digital service providers (DSP) like Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al. Most CSPs can only wish for the level of customer self-service that the DSPs enjoy. I was working on a project for a customer-facing business unit of a CSP whilst reading this book and the parallels were almost scary.
|Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown
Think: Less but better. A motto for our industry, one individual at a time.
|Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur
by Derek Sivers
Derek Sivers was a professional musician before starting his own business, one that helped sell the CDs of the long tail of the music industry, musicians overlooked by the big labels. This might sound barely relevant to the OSS industry but there is an uncommon clarity in the way that Sivers views businesses, customers and delivery. Many of his thoughts really struck a chord with me (bad pun intended).
|Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry
by David Robertson, Bill Breen
Bespoke creativity took this icon of childrens' toys to the brink of bankruptcy. Perhaps counter-intuitively, paring it back to the basic building blocks (another bad pun) allowed creativity and profitability to thrive at Lego.
|Principles: Life and Work
by Ray Dalio
Built around the principles that Ray Dalio codified at his company, Bridgewater Associates. Many of his principles of team and culture seem like common sense, but helpfully compiled into a single volume. Not all OSS teams have these principles mastered.
|Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
by W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne
This book provides frameworks for shifting an organisation out of fragmented, highly competitive markets (bloody red oceans) into a unique market segment (blue oceans). I've even added some of the concepts in this book into a framework that helps my clients plot differentiated strategic roadmaps and product evaluations.
|Leading Change
by John P. Kotter
OSS projects are challenging to implement. Through harsh experience, I've learnt that even technically perfect implementations are prone to fail if the organisational change effort hasn't been managed well. Whilst there are newer change management methodologies available, I still find that Kotter's 8 steps provide a valuable framework for building OSS change management strategies around.
|Everything Is Negotiable: How to Get the Best Deal Every Time
by Gavin Kennedy
Introduces some fascinating negotiation tactics such as "The Mother Hubbard" (ie the cupboard is bare). There is more negotiation required in OSS than I first gave it credit for.
|Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales
by Bob Burg
In the early days of my career, I'd gone from one project to the next, with my head down focusing on delivery. This book opened my eyes to the value of staying in touch with past colleagues and adding value to my network. The results have surprised me so I recommend this book's teachings to anyone who is purely tech-focused.
|The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
by Jon Gertner
Put simply, this is probably the most inspiring book I've read in relation to the communications industry. The groundbreaking innovations (including OSS) that were developed within R&D powerhouses like Bell Labs during the 1900's are staggering and something that we can barely even aspire to today. It's no coincidence that the OSS Call for Innovation references this book
|Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
by Seth Godin
A call to action to become a linchpin, someone who delivers in territory where there is no map / rule-book, someone who inspires those around them. OSS needs more linchpins.
|Dangerous Company: Consulting Powerhouses and the Companies They Save and Ruin
by Charles Madigan and James O'Shea
This book provides some insights into the best and worst of management consulting. It is a little old now, dating back to the late 1990's but it had a significant impact on me when I read it in the 2010's. It describes some of the unscrupulous acts / tactics / results that have lead to the poor reputation that consulting has in some circles. It also reinforced a strong belief I've always had in doing right by the client before the firm because building reputation and integrity ultimately benefits the firm anyway.
|Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
The term "stickiness" was popularised by Malcolm Gladwell in "The Tipping Point." This book borrows the term and looks to explain why an idea or concept remains sticky. OSS tend to be so sticky, in many cases to the detriment of the customer experience, but our industry is also in desperate need for powerfully sticky new ideas and approaches.
|The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
by Michael E. Gerber
The ideas in this book are based on growing small businesses, but there are certainly take-aways for OSS. The biggest for me is the need for repeatability. We need to codify and systematise if we are to refine and improve.
|Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
by Seth Godin
In a cluttered or fragmented marketplace, like OSS, it is difficult to stand out from all other suppliers. Seth Godin introduces the concept of the purple cow – when you're on a long trip in the countryside, seeing lots of brown or black cows soon gets boring, but if you saw a purple cow, you'd immediately take notice. This book provides the impetus to make your products stand out and drive word of mouth rather than having to differentiate via your marketing.
|Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
by Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace
From the creative brilliance of Pixar Studios comes this book of how to cultivate inspired creativity. My biggest take-away was the amount of time and money Pixar spends on upgrading its hardware and software platforms between films…. unlike some of our OSS that are still rooted in tech from the 1990s.
|The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
by Timothy Ferriss
Starts off strongly but drops away rapidly in the second half IMHO. The words of a friend of mine aptly paraphrase what Tim Ferris talks about in this book, "Only do what only you can do." Prioritise your efforts on what make you truly unique and use other efficiency tools and/or engage others to do the rest
|OSS Essentials: Support System Solutions for Service Providers
by Kornel Terplan
Finally, a book that's actually about OSS. Whilst covering some obsolete technologies, this is one of the very few OSS books that retains a longevity of relevance (it was published in 2001)
|Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice, Fifth Edition
by Alan Weiss
Alan Weiss has the ability to cut through the waffle that's offered in many consultancy how-to manuals. He provides insightful and often contrarian advice that will make you a more professional consultant, no matter what area of expertise you cover.
|Mastering your OSS: Operational Support System Implementation Tips and Techniques
by Ryan Jeffery
This is the best OSS book that I've written (so far), but with new material in the pipeline, watch this space for even better publications. It provides the frameworks, processes, insights and recommendations that will help guide you through the myriad of challenges, technical or otherwise, that you will face in the world of OSS.
|Power Listening: Mastering the Most Critical Business Skill of All
by Bernard T. Ferrari
Bernard Ferrari advises the use of the Pareto Principle to listening. In other words, spending 80% of the time listening and only 20% talking. It's such an important trait for all technical resources, yet perhaps somewhat uncommon unfortunately. As the "hired gun," there is a tendency to start firing from both barrels verbally as soon as you meet with the customer. But the most insightful insights are the ones that are understandable to the customer. They have to be relevant in terminology, desired outcomes, roles/responsibilities, respective capabilities, etc, etc. You only get that context from Power Listening.
|The Click Moment: Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World
by Frans Johansson
Johansson also introduces the concept of the "smallest executable step" as a mechanism for harnessing the apparent randomness of our modern, rapidly changing world. He suggests that we make many small bets rather than one massive bet as a means of improving success rates. OSS are complex systems so any small deviation makes predictions of completion time, resources and cost difficult. As implementers, it's our job to remove as much complexity as possible
|Harder Than I Thought: Adventures of a Twenty-First Century Leader
by Robert D. Austin, Richard L. Nolan
More than anything else, one paragraph has stuck with me from this guide to project change leadership, "….once you start a company transformation, it's like a stampede. If you try to lead from the front, you get trampled; if you try to lead from the back, you have no impact. Best to lead from the side by carefully nudging and turning the stampede to avoid everyone going over the cliff."
|Waging War on Complexity Costs: Reshape Your Cost Structure, Free Up Cash Flows and Boost Productivity by Attacking Process, Product and Organizational Complexity
by Stephen A. Wilson, Andrei Perumal.
Amongst other things, this book introduces the concept of The Whale Curve, a model that breaks products into the profitable or the cannibalistic.
|Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order
by Paul Vigna, Michael J. Casey
You may (or may not) be interested in cryptocurrencies right now, but this book provides brilliant context for two concepts that are likely to have a big impact on future OSS – blockchains and smart contracts.
What have I missed? What should I be adding to my reading list? Alternatively, which books on the list do you think I've over-rated?Read the Passionate About OSS Blog for more or Subscribe to the Passionate About OSS Blog by Email


text:
WBA Annual Celebration
Join SCI as we receive the Woburn Business Association Humanitarian Award at our annual celebration on Wednesday, November 7th! A cocktail reception and silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m.. Donations of gifts and tickets to support SCI and the silent auction are welcome and can be sent to David Crowley at email@example.com by this Friday.
For more information about the event and registration, visit the link below:


text:
|Search: '1910, Atlas, Dorchester' (2057 of 2656)
|previous | next | slideshow | close
|No. 11485: Outside the Eire Pub when President Ronald Reagan was in Dorchester
Scene outside the Eire Pub when President Ronald Reagan visited Dorchester, Jan. 23, 1983.
Do you know something about this topic? Do you have
other pictures or items or knowledge to share? What
about a personal story? Are you a collector? Do you
have questions? Contact us here.
Created: February 1, 2011 Modified: February 1, 2011


text:
What Kind of Books Do Kids Like?
Reading is a fundamental part of every child's life. Whether they are being read to, looking at pictures or reading a book themselves, kids should have as many experiences with books as they can. However, presenting kids with any old book simply won't do. Depending on age and developmental level, there are certain types of books that kids should enjoy.
Babies and toddlers between 1 and 2 years old will enjoy looking at books with bright colors and large pictures. Plastic, vinyl or cloth books are appropriate for children of this age because they are easy to hold and can be washed if they come in contact with kids' mouths. Infants and toddlers like to look at books that include pictures of babies and familiar objects such as a type of animal living in the home, favorite types of toys and foods and familiar items such as bottles and blankets. Older toddlers may also enjoy looking at sturdy board books including photos and pictures of familiar objects and children doing familiar activities such as sleeping or playing 1.
2 to 3 Years
Kids between 2 and 3 years old like to read picture storybooks that include vibrant, detailed illustrations that support the story line. Since kids of this age are becoming more aware of language, books that include rhythmic patterns, rhyming and repetition or predictable text provide them with opportunities to memorize stories to tell to others. 2 and 3 year-olds will also enjoy books that they can interact with including pop-up books and touch-and-feel books.
4 to 5 Years
Kids who are 4 and 5 years old love to make connections between their own lives and what is happening in books. Picture books are a big hit at this age and introduce children to the joys of language. A picture book might play with language, delighting this pun-loving age group. The language is often lyrical. Figurative language such as simile and metaphor may be used. "The Napping House" by Don and Audrey Wood is an example of such a book that makes a connection to the child's life in a fun way. "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen introduces children to the poetry of winter and makes the familiar connection of a special time shared with a parent. As a parent, you may enjoy reading these books to your child as much as he enjoys listening to them. Also choose picture books that introduce diversity, as well as books that help them practice skills, such as letter recognition, rhyming and counting as well. The most important thing is for your child to learn to love books.
Older Kids
As kids begin to read books on their own, they will develop a preference for stories of different genres. Many children like to read books involving adventure, mystery or fantasy. Many tweens and teens also enjoy realistic fiction, that is stories where the protagonist must deal with hard issues, such as divorce and peer pressure. Judy Blume continues to be a popular realistic fiction author with preteen girls. Typically tweens and teens want a protagonist who is slightly older. Older children may also enjoy reading informational books about different animals, vehicles or sports that interest them.
School age kids progress from easy reader books, such as "Henry and Mudge" by Cynthia Rylant to chapter books, such as the classic "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White and series such "The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warneras, to young adult novels, such as "Eragon" by Christoper Paolini. A children's librarian can recommend based on the child's personal interests, life experiences and reading levels.
- Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images


text:
We are proud to announce that this Sunday, March 7, 2010, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 328 E 11TH Ave in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver. This is an opportunity to visit this excellent Condo for sale in beautiful Mount Pleasant.
Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Mount Pleasant Condo for sale.
As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604-737-8889 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.
Donna Leyland
RE/MAX Select Properties


text:
Posts tagged pay week.
A federal appellate court has re-affirmed that the FLSA permits an employer to change its seven-day workweek, even when a stated reason for doing so is to reduce FLSA overtime costs.
Our prior post raised questions about how to calculate a non-exempt employee's pay for the timeframe during which the employer changes the workweek.
FLSA compliance is typically measured with reference to a "workweek", an important term that has a specific meaning.


text:
Bush Considering Freeing
Jewish Spy Pollard
(Xinhuanet) -- The United States is considering the possibility of releasing a Jewish spy in return for the release of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, Israeli media reported Monday.
The website of Israeli Ha'aretz daily said the idea of exchanging Jonathan Pollard for Barghouti came after international requests to release Barghouti to race in the Palestinian legislative elections due on Jan. 25, 2006.
Barghouti, 46, is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison after he was arrested in 2002 during the Israeli Defensive Shield operation in the West Bank.
The jailed Fatah leader won an overwhelming victory in the latest Fatah primaries last month, which prompted several Israeli political and security leaders to mull over his release.
Pollard, an American Jewish citizen, has been imprisoned in the United States since 25 years ago under a life sentence for spying for Israel.
Washington has rejected some Israeli and Jewish attempts to release him. Enditem
This Site Served by TheHostPros


text:
In "Giants," Masters of Sex continued to explore the terms of relationships, first through the lens of Ginny and Bill's working (and extracurricular) arrangement, and then among others. There's a central thread about choosing the easy way, or the path of least resistance. But as Betty succinctly observes, nothing is free. What each of these characters give up in order to create a sense of normalcy, however much a delusion, was the main part of the episode's exploration. Hit the jump for why it's ok, as long as you're taking notes.
It was smart, and telling, for Ginny to require Bill to define his terms of her new employment with him at Buell Green: "I want to be very clear on what you are offering me. I would just like the specifics spelled out ahead of time, in writing." She tells him it's because she has two children to support, and yes, that is certainly true. But it also echoes a conversation the two have been dancing around all season, which is exactly which parts are work between them, and which are not.
The lines remained blurred, especially after a complicated scene where Ginny suggests stopping their personal involvement in the study. Bill waffles, but when she asks him point-blank whether or not her employment is contingent on them continuing a physical relationship, he says that it is. Ginny acquiesces, and somewhere, Lilian DePaul had the urge to righteously laugh. But Ginny finds a way to gain back some control by staying clothed and taking notes as she instructs Bill to masturbate, before stopping him so she could guide him towards performing oral sex (which he does).
It's another notation in the complex relationship between the two with Bill, by the end of "Giants," admitting that there are some things that Ginny does better than he does (interpersonal relationships, for example). It's a step in the right direction, but it still leaves so much to unpack (like what Ginny is giving up for "the work," and whether it's legitimate). Ginny confronts Lilian over her judgements, and the two have it out (in hearing distance of the hospital secretary pool). Neither are necessarily wrong with their arguments, but the bottom line is, as Ginny has to admit (and which serves as part of how the two are able to continue with their relationship with a new honesty) is that Ginny was always going to leave DePaul's study for Bill. DePaul giving her study away really was, for Ginny, not being asked to the dance by a boy she didn't want to go with anyway (as she said).
Elsewhere, Betty's rekindled relationship with Gene over the shared desire for adoption is short-lived, once her former lover Helen (Sarah Silverman) returns, wanting a piece of the money pie Betty stumbled into. She and Gene may also have a newfound honesty grounding their relationship, but there are some things even Gene might not be able to handle (such as Betty's sexual preference, something I had honestly forgotten all about). The return of Helen led to some beautiful but sad moments between the two, particularly when they laughed together, and later, in the bathroom when they shared a kiss. But Betty has already outlined what their lives would be like by choosing to remain "spinster friends who live together," and she rejects it.
Masters of Sex has always sought to (like Mad Men) chronicle a time when a shifting of ideas and an opening up of the world was starting to really challenge the notions of its characters. Like Don Draper, Bill doesn't understand why people see race as a barrier, but he's not willing to challenge it unless it benefits him personally. Libby, who was last season's most progressive character, has devolved into its least. Her interactions with Coral and Robert are both so heavily reminiscent of Betty Draper's treatment of her black housekeeper it's actually a little shameful (right down to Bill, like Don, telling her that she is actually in the wrong).
Libby tries to apologize, but does so only to Robert, not to Coral, sticking to her feelings about Coral disobeying her (to make up for her lack of equality at home, Libby exerts dominance over Coral — or tries to). But Coral, though young, is not naive, and she throws Libby's notions back in her face. Pretending that Robert is her lover instead of her brother (right?), she details their sensuality before telling Libby if she should make up Dr. Masters' bed after Libby's. Later, Libby instigates sex with Bill under the guise of anger, but it's weak and uncomfortable lovemaking.
"Giants" was filled with uncomfortable relationships that were most apparent in the halls (and waiting room) of Buell Green. But even there, where things seem (or have become) clearly segregated, lines are blurred — starting with Dr. Hendrix sabotaging Bill's study.
Episode Rating: B
Musings and Miscellanea:
— I don't know how many times I will say this (probably every week), but I'm really unhappy with what they've done with Libby. The show believes in honesty and "opening people's eyes," and a better way to do that with Bill and Libby's relationship seems to be for them to come to a mutual and obvious agreement that they shouldn't be together. At the very least, Bill leaving Libby should be an act that is instigated because of him (and his relationship with Ginny), not because Libby is demonized.
— "Try not to perpetuate the sick belief that women need to get a leg up by opening their legs" – Lilian DePaul.
— "They'll become ours once we love them" – Gene, speaking of adoption.
— Libby really has the most stunning outfits.
— "Did you say 'white people'??" – Libby.
— Unsurprisingly, Bill is not making friends at his new hospital.
— "Your voice sounds like migrating geese" – Gene to Betty, after her cute song.
— Libby is in need of some real friends. She can't keep trying to get advice and girl talk out of her husband's mistress.
— I am a little worried about the Buell Green storyline, only because of how ham-fisted the show is with its "politics in hindsight" (like how Ginny is a feminist crusader, even if the real Virginia was not). If the show really wanted to do something different, it would give time to a black character's story outside of and unrelated to them being around white characters.


text:
Have you experienced interference or intimidation?
High Country News is collecting reports of current federal or state employees who are experiencing interference, suppression or intimidation in regards to their work and/or scientific research about public lands and policy.
If you or someone you know have experienced any of the above, please contact us. The information on this tip form remains anonymous unless we have explicit permission to publish any details.
If you're uncomfortable using a form, you can email us at [email protected], call us at 970-527-4898 and ask for Anna Smith, or write to us at PO Box 1090, Paonia, CO 81428. If you are a federal employee, please use a non-governmental email and device.
Thank you for contacting us. We respect sensitive information and will not disclose without your permission. Someone from High Country News will be in contact with you shortly.


text:
Suzanne & Richard Pieper Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Servant Leadership
Opportunities within the College of Engineering
Student Organizations
The Student Leadership Center (SLC) connects students with numerous opportunities within the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering. The SLC administers the annual Innovation Days Competition, assists with the COE Dean's Leadership Course, and advises the 55+ registered engineering student organizations. With respect to student organizations, the SLC strives to provide student leaders with the support and resources necessary to implement quality programs and events, by assisting with special event planning, budgeting and financial oversight, organizational development and more.
The SLC also houses numerous resources on student leadership available to the COE community and serves as the central reservation unit for conference rooms in the Engineering Centers Building.
Engineers Without Borders-UW Madison is a student-run non-profit organization that works on five community development projects around the world. Our mission is to design and implement environmentally and economically sustainable solutions to community issues.
EWB-UW is dedicated to developing socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible students by providing opportunities to interact with different cultures and by raising awareness of the challenges faced by disadvantaged communities.
Leadership Courses
InterEgr 103, Core Competencies for Engineering Leaders (2 credits)
Future engineering leaders will need to build on their solid technical skills and develop a complementary set of people skills. Though people skills are frequently referred to as "soft skills," they are oftentimes the most difficult to develop for technically focused professionals. They are also the skills that will likely limit or expand your career opportunities.
This course is intended to be a launching pad for your leadership development by taking you from wherever you are, to the next step in your learning and engineering professional development. We will cover a wide array of topics, starting with an overview of historical and contemporary models of leadership, exposure to the breadth of the engineering discipline, followed by a focus on the theory, practice, and application of the Social Change Model for leadership. It will all come together by putting the lessons into action with a real world engineering leadership project of your choice.
Core Competencies in Sustainable Development, Engineering Professional Development 690
Leadership Development, Civil and Environmental Engineering 698
Engineering EXPO is a large three-day event that brings out thousands of kids and adults to see, learn and experience engineering firsthand through exhibits put on by students and industry, a variety of competitions for all ages, and entertaining presentations.


text:
Home > 1883 Norristown, Pennsylvania... Blue Laws...
Show image list »
1883 Norristown, Pennsylvania... Blue Laws...
Item # 627804
October 15, 1883
NORRISTOWN REGISTER, Pennsylvania, October 15, 1883
* Uncommon title
* 1702 Blue Laws enforced
This 4 pages newspaper has news of the day with several interesting advertisements, many that are illustrated. The front page has an interesting article concerning a number of people who were arrested for driving on a Sunday - as a result of the Blue Laws from 1702 (see images).
Complete, a little spine wear, generally nice.
Category: Post-Civil War


text:
Kelly Willis' second disc for Rykodisc, the first recorded expressly for the label, expands on the wealth of musical expression divulged on her previous release, "What I Deserve." This follow-up, however, trades the urgency of 1999's outpouring for a more relaxed expression. It's as if Willis realized that Rykodisc signed her for who she is, not, as her previous label (MCA) supposed, who she could be fashioned into. Ironically, the pressure of capitalizing on the success of "What I Deserve" has resulted in the most easy-going release of her career.
The arrangements provide the same acoustic-dominated backing found on Willis' impressive, but short-lived, 1996 association with A&M. The sparkling acoustic guitars of "If I Left You" and exquisite banjo picking on Paul Kelly's "You Can't Take it With You" frame the fragile strength of Willis' voice perfectly, and the mandolin and dobro of "Getting To Me" show off the singer's bluesy side. Her solo writes, especially the laconic "Not What I Had in Mind," are more assured, perhaps emboldened by the responsibilities of motherhood (Willis and husband Bruce Robison's son Deral was born in January 2001).
Robison's "What Did You Think" and Kirsty MacColl's "Don't Come the Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim!" display Willis' on-going mastery of emotionally complex covers, and the closing lullaby, "Reason to Believe," is flush with discovery and transformation. "What I Deserve" shook off Nashville's makeovers, "Easy" showcases Willis' ensuing artistic growth.


text:
Wasps, Ants, and Ani DiFranco
UC Riverside graduate student names ant-feeding wasp species after the musician Ani DiFranco
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — A University of California, Riverside graduate student has discovered several new species of wasps, including one that she named after musician Ani DiFranco.
Judith Herreid, who studies a unique family of ant-parasitoid wasps, named two wasps after physical features of the wasps, one after where it was collected, one after her fiancée-now husband, Levi Zahn, also a graduate student at UC Riverside, and another after DiFranco. The DiFranco idea came from her advisor, John Heraty, who suggested naming one after a favorite musician.
"I have admired Ani DiFranco for about 10 years," Herreid said. "I like her music and I think she is a great role model."
The description of the DiFranco-inspired species, Orasema difrancoae, and the other species, are outlined in Herreid's recently published paper in the journal Systematic Entomology. This particular group of wasps is of interest because they could potentially control invasive ant populations, including important ant pests such as the Red Imported Fire ant, the Little Red Fire ant and the Big-headed ant.
Wasps belonging to the family Eucharitidae are all specialized parasitoids that take nourishment from ants and eventually kill their host. The wasps do not directly attack their ant host, but instead deposit their eggs on or into plant vegetation that is separated from their ant host.
The larvae, less than 0.1 mm in size, are responsible for finding their way into the ant nest where they attack and kill the larvae and pupae of the ants. The wasp larvae use various means to gain access to the nest, but these always involve using a foraging adult ant worker for transport.
Once inside the ant nest, the ants treat the killers very well, and have even been observed protecting the wasps when the ant nest is disturbed or threatened. Pheromones help disguise the wasps while in the nest.
In addition to describing the new species in the paper, the co-authors Herreid and Heraty, a professor of entomology, found an interesting association between the wasps and extrafloral nectaries, which are nectar-secreting glands found on plants independent of their flowers.
The adult wasps deposit their eggs close to the extrafloral nectaries so that their larvae, which hatch and migrate to the nectaries, can get collected by the feeding ants into a specialized pouch in the ant head. The young parasitoid larvae then hitchhike in the ants' mouthparts until they are eventually transferred, possibly as potential food, to the ant larvae in the nest. Once attached to the ant larva, the wasps wait for the ant to pupate, kill their host and then complete their development within the ant nest.
Ants are one of the most successful insect groups on the planet. Their often large, complex societies are built around feeding and nurturing the egg-laying queen and protecting their brood from enemies. Few insects have been able to broach their formidable defenses. Eucharitidae is the only family of insects where every species specializes on parasitizing ants. This may have been accomplished by evolving close associations with the ant food resources, and unwittingly being brought back to the nest by the foraging worker ants.
Heraty has studied parasitic wasps in the genus Orasema and other related members of the family Eucharitidae for 40 years. He calls the ongoing project "a phenomenal detective story", with regular discoveries of new wasp species, ant hosts, plant hosts and behaviors associated with both getting into the ant nest and then getting out again after they finish development.
The paper is called: "Hitchhikers at the dinner table: a revisionary study of a group of ant parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) specializing in the use of extrafloral nectaries for host access."
The research has been supported by a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation.
Media Contact
J.D. Warren
Tel: (951) 827-4756
E-mail: email@example.com
Archived under: Science/Technology, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Entomology, John Heraty, Judith Herreid, Levi Zahn, press release
E-Mail Subscription
Don't miss the news! Receive an e-mail once a day with every new story straight to your inbox.
Experts on Demand
UC Riverside has dozens of experts in virtually every field you can imagine.
Whether it's the latest fad in Hollywood, the latest must-have gadget or the latest row in Washington, UCR has a vast pool of staff and faculty who can present a unique view right now.
These interactions can take place in person, electronically, through a campus ISDN line, or even via video through our Digital Production Studio, which can put a UCR expert on the air anywhere in the world through AT&T's regional fiber network hub.
UCR is ready to help you find the expertise you need to get the story.


text:
BREA, Calif. (January, 2018) – When the time came for Jennifer Liotino of Mooresville, North Carolina, and her family to look for a new pet, she came across a 12-week-old Siberian and decided this would be the perfect companion for them and their mixed breed dog, Henry. Named "Sugar Cookie" by Jennifer's kids, the cat has made a sweet and loving home with the Liotino family. However, one Saturday evening caused quite a scare when a load of laundry turned into hide and seek for the family cat, who was heard meowing from the dryer. Sugar Cookie's fluffy dryer cycle ride and quick recovery have earned her the title of January's "Most Unusual Claim of the Month" by Nationwide, the nation's first and largest provider of pet health insurance.
Sugar Cookie fit in well with the entire family and had extraordinary luck, up until the night of the incident. It was a Saturday night, and Jennifer found herself at home tidying up the house and doing laundry. In the middle of folding clothes, Jennifer took a quick break to work on something else, and put the remaining clothes to be folded back in the dryer. Jennifer set the dryer on a quick fluff cycle and went to complete her other task. Minutes later, Jennifer heard meowing coming from somewhere she thought to be the pantry.
Jennifer went to the kitchen pantry to look for Sugar Cookie, but there was no sign of her. After a few more meows, Jennifer realized where the sounds were coming from and rushed to the dryer. When Jennifer retrieved Sugar Cookie from the dryer her coat was very hot and her hair were sticking straight up. Unsure of what to do next, Jennifer took Sugar Cookie outside to cool off and immediately called an emergency veterinarian who recommended she bring Sugar Cookie to the veterinary emergency hospital.
Sugar Cookie was taken to Carolina Veterinary Specialists of Huntersville, North Carolina, where she was put on an IV for dehydration and had several tests performed, including bloodwork. Luckily for Sugar Cookie, her results came back normal and she was released to go home with a recommendation of close monitoring.
"Sugar Cookie is lucky she was heard after only a short amount of time in the dryer," said Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary officer for Nationwide. "Being in the dryer any longer may have resulted in serious burns, injuries or possibly even death. It's a good thing Jennifer took Sugar Cookie to a veterinarian as quickly as she did."
Since the traumatic event, Sugar Cookie has returned to her normal self, but finds herself staying away from the dryer.
"The service we received at Carolina Veterinary Specialists was excellent. They examined her immediately," said Jennifer. "I recommend pet insurance to everyone. You never know what can happen to your pets, especially with your indoor pets."
As the most unusual claim submitted in January, Sugar Cookie will be in the running for the 2018 Hambone Award. Sugar Cookie's incident was one of more than 160,000 pet insurance claims received in the month of January by Nationwide, and was selected by Nationwide associates as the most unusual of them all. Honorable mentions in January include a miniature smooth-haired dachshund who chewed his way through the kitchen wall, a Shetland sheepdog who chewed up an electrical cord and a miniature schnauzer who fell through a frozen lake. All pets considered for the Hambone Award have made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses.
Note to editors: Digital images of Sugar Cookie are available upon request. Please send requests to email@example.com.
The Hambone Award is named in honor of a Nationwide-insured dog who got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire holiday ham while waiting for someone to rescue him. The dog was eventually found, with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia. This quirky title was first awarded in 2009 to Lulu, a hungry English bulldog who swallowed 15 baby pacifiers, a bottle cap and a piece of a basketball. The Hambone Award and these unusual pet insurance claims have since helped educate the public about the unexpected mishaps that can affect household pets. Stories and pictures of the Hambone Award nominees are available at HamboneAward.com.
With more than 650,000 insured pets, pet insurance from Nationwide is the first and largest pet health insurance provider in the United States. Since 1982, Nationwide has helped provide pet owners with peace of mind and is committed to being the trusted choice of America's pet lovers.
Nationwide plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Insurance plans are offered and administered by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and DVM Insurance Agency in all other states. Underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (CA), Columbus, OH, an A.M. Best A+ rated company (2017); National Casualty Company (all other states), Columbus, OH, an A.M. Best A+ rated company (2017). Agency of Record: DVM Insurance Agency. Pet owners can find Nationwide pet insurance on Facebook or follow on Twitter. For more information about Nationwide pet insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, travel, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. ©2018 Nationwide.


text:
By Alan Duffy
Barcelona 0-3 Bayern Munich (agg 0-7) – Champions League – 1st May 2013
And so Wembley will play host to a rather tasty looking all-German Champions League final at the end of the month, after Bundesliga champions Bayern hammered Barcelona for the second time in a week.
With the unfit Lionel Messi forced to watch the game from the bench, the Catalan giants were always going to struggle to overturn Bayern's 4-0 first leg lead. However, few would have expected the home side to go down with such a whimper in front of their own fans.
Bayern were in control from the start, allowing Barcelona to feck around with the ball in midfield without doing any damage, although it took the Germans until the 48th minute, when Arjen Robben netted courtesy of a trademark curled effort.
While the Spaniards pushed for a goal, the visitors were always dangerous on the break and eventually doubled their advantage on the night when Gerard Pique shinned a Franck Ribery cross into his own goal. French wingman Ribery then set up Bayern's third, with Thomas Mueller heading home to rather embarrass the mighty Barca on their home patch.
With Bayern qualifying for their third Champions League final in four seasons, the final outcome of this two-legged tie is hardly that surprising. However, the manner of the defeat and the failure of the Catalans to cope without Messi will have given the Barca hierarchy plenty to think about ahead of next season.
Photos: PA


text:
Book an Appointment
Welcome to our online booking site
Acupuncture & Traditional East Asian Medicine
We specialize in Japanese Style Acupuncture using gentle yet powerful techniques, using the thinnest needles and very shallow needle insertion. Indeed, sometimes we use no needles at all. For those who are very sensitive, including children under 10 years old, we use blunt tools to stimulate points or stroke the surface of the skin.
Much emphasis is focused on pulse diagnosis, palpation of the abdomen, and limbs to identify the root patterns underlying your symptoms. By identifying patterns of tightness, pain, coldness, heat, dampness, dryness, or other findings, we determine which is your weakest system and strengthen it so that it functions better. If your weakest system starts functioning better, all of you will function better and you will heal yourself. Before you leave, you will directly feel some of the changes that have occurred throughout your visit.


text:
A Community of Healing
There is a much bigger picture to today's Gospel than the obvious question and answer to "why did you work on the Sabbath?" We've read this piece of scripture and others like it numerous times and here we find it facing us once again. So while we know how the story ends, let's go back to the beginning. Sometimes if we place ourselves as characters in the reading we can gather some other information.
Imagine a world where while you were traveling on foot, the only things you ever saw were on the ground right below you. The sky is forever out of your view. Perhaps you may catch a glimpse of the sun or the moon on the horizon from time to time, but in the mountain country that would be rare, as would be seeing the constellations and the night sky lit up with a billion stars. You can hear the sounds of animals and you feel the wind, cold, and heat upon you. There is no scenic vista to look out over. The dirt, grasses, and entire landscape is limited to whatever is directly in front of your eyes that are aimed just slightly ahead of your feet. You have no idea how high it is to the tops of the trees, nor have you understood and experienced the awe of watching an eagle soar in the blue skies of the heavens. The only home you know is under your feet. But you know it well. Perhaps like someone who cannot see at all, your other senses are finely tuned to help identify your surroundings.
Such is the life that is led by the unnamed woman in today's Gospel. For eighteen years most of the world she was familiar with was the one I just described. Bent over, looking down, and probably relying on a staff of some sort that would provide enough stability to keep her from falling over. Luke doesn't tell us much about how she came to be this way, other than a generalized explanation of "a spirit". Some bible translations use the word "Satan" instead of "spirit." Doing so takes my memory back to the book of Job where Satan was the accuser and accomplice with God. It seems the lack of further comment in the passage makes the reason less important. Regardless of whether he means some sort of demon, or simply an illness that caused it, the focus shifts to the act of healing.
This is a rare moment in the Gospels where Jesus is not asked to heal. The woman is present, and in the midst of the crowd in the Synagogue on the Sabbath to pray. Nobody points her out as needing a cure. Nobody carries her in on a stretcher or lowers her through the thatch roof to Jesus as we've read in other chapters of the Gospels. She doesn't fight 3through the crowd to touch his garment or climb up a fig tree hoping for a simple glimpse of him. She is simply there like all the others, doing what she needs to be doing. Her affliction is noticeable to everyone but she has done her best to avoid making a scene of herself. After all, she is in a house of worship. But through her entering and exiting week after week, it becomes evident that she is one of those ignored by society. Those who pass her by on the streets ignore her bent body because most likely she won't be seeing the faces that step from side to side and around her. This is an ugly reaction, pretending not to notice someone in trouble. The woman is probably numb to it after eighteen years; her emotions are callused from a silent ostracizing by the community. Some of us have been in her shoes, but I'm guessing at least a few of us have been the observer of a situation like this at least once in our lives.
How many homeless people have we passed by on the sidewalks of our large cities, or even our local cities and towns and ignored their presence? We pass by them, but with our heads turned aside so we don't encounter that uneasy moment of eye to eye contact. I would hope we at least offer up a silent prayer for them. Better yet, to offer a warm smile and hello. Jesus was fully aware of his surroundings in every way, particularly with those he referred to as "the least of these." Can you imagine him standing in the synagogue, preaching or reading to the crowd, stop in mid verse and say, "Woman, yes, you, come over here with me." And then when she finally makes her way over to him he says, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." What does it take to move you into action such as he does? Could we break away from our agendas and schedules long enough to at least acknowledge that there is someone hurting along our paths almost everywhere we go? Can we be confident enough in our prayers to know how much they would help the situation? Will we make a gesture that tells them they are somebody, a part of humanity, not just a body in the way of our stroll down the sidewalk? Jesus takes that chance and he does so completely aware that he is standing in the middle of a Sabbath service in a synagogue. There's a saying I think comes from the Franciscan order (correct me if I'm wrong) that says; "You must never break a rule unless you know the reason the rule was made in the first place. Once you understand the 'why' you can break as many as you need." Jesus understands the why. He understands that we need a day of the week for rest and re-creation. He also knows that there is more right than wrong in breaking this law. The church leaders, callus in their own schooling and self-righteousness, call it a sin; Jesus tells the leader that not taking action and not healing was the real sin. In Mark's Gospel we hear him say "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." What seems to be a radical disregard for authority and legalism is in truth, an act of common sense and necessity.
There is one more part to this healing process that cannot go unnoticed. Before she is completely healed and can stand upright he lays his hands on her. There are other healings such as the Centurion's servant who was healed without even seeing Jesus. He even raised Lazarus from the dead without walking into the tomb. It's important to make note of this because the healing takes place not in private and not by request, but in a public arena without prior intent. They are in a crowd and the unnamed woman has been singled out. He tells her she is healed, but she does not respond until he lays his hands on her. The touch that Jesus uses not only anoints and heals, but symbolically welcomes her as a member of this community. It is the touch of inclusion. It says "You are not a loner, but one like the rest of us, come and join us, you are fully capable of enjoying all that is offered here."
Some of us have reason to look for healing in this community. There are people who feel they've been wronged and there are those who feel others have been wronged. Some steps have been made toward this healing, but as a community we've acknowledged there is more that we need to do in order to bring us up to a healthier parish than we've been in recent times. I can assure you, your leaders are taking appropriate action to move forward in a direction that addresses all of our issues. But as we see in today's Gospel, we can talk amongst ourselves and with each other forever; but all of the words in the world may not be enough to complete the process. We'll need to put that symbolic act of a healing touch into action. Let us begin this next phase of transition today. As we share God's Peace with each other from now on and forward, I ask you to share your healing touch with those around you. Can we do this? As we respond in our baptismal convenient, we will "with God's help." Amen.
Scripture Reference: RCL, Year C, Proper 16, Luke 13:10-17


text:
Smoothies are a fantastic way to include additional fibre, healthy fruits, veggies and other essential nutrients during pregnancy. This berry smoothie will have you feeling fantastic in no time! Perfect complement to your existing pregnancy diet.
Berries are packed full of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, as well as flavonoids (which give them their bright colours). Blueberries tend to get the biggest rapt as they contain the highest amount of antioxidants compared to the other berries, as well as being lower in fructose. This 'Thriving Berry Smoothie' combines the healing power of berries with that of kale, spinach and chia seeds to make this one mighty powerful smoothie plus it tastes incredible! Add a few scoops of PregmaPlus Supplement for that extra boost of vitamins during pregnancy.
Ingredients (Makes about 1 litre)


text:
- Get this branch:
- bzr branch lp:~alexei-kornienko/testrepository/bug-1271133
Branch merges
- Robert Collins: Needs Fixing on 2014-02-10
Diff: 36 lines (+9/-4)2 files modifiedtestrepository/testcommand.py (+8/-4)
testrepository/ui/cli.py (+1/-0)
Related bugs
Related blueprints
Branch information
- Owner:
- Alexei Kornienko
- Project:
- Testrepository
- Status:
- Development
Recent revisions
- 238. By Alexei Kornienko on 2014-02-10
Added stderr processing for testcommand.
Unescaped newline in cli output
Partial-Fix for https:/
/bugs.launchpad .net/testreposi tory/+bug/ 1271133
- 237. By Robert Collins on 2013-11-04
Release 0.0.18.
- 236. By Robert Collins on 2013-11-03
* ``run`` now accepts ``--isolated`` as a parameter, which will cause each
selected test to be run independently. This can be useful to both workaround
isolation bugs and detect tests that can not be run independently.
(Robert Collins)
- 235. By Robert Collins on 2013-11-03
* ``capture_ids`` in test_run now returns a list of captures, permitting tests
that need to test multiple runs to do so. (Robert Collins)
- 234. By Robert Collins on 2013-07-17
* Restore the ability to import testrepository.
repository. memory on Python 2.6.
(Robert Collins)
- 233. By Robert Collins on 2013-07-17
Release 0.0.16.
- 232. By Robert Collins on 2013-07-17
* When test listing fails, testr will now report an error rather than
incorrectly trying to run zero tests. A test listing failure is detected by
the returncode of the test listing process. (Robert Collins, #1185231)
- 231. By Robert Collins on 2013-07-15
* A new testr.conf option ``group_regex`` can be used for grouping
tests so that they get run in the same backend runner. (Matthew Treinish)
- 230. By Robert Collins on 2013-07-15
* The scheduler can now groups tests together permitting co-dependent tests to
always be scheduled onto the same backend. Note that this does not force
co-dependent tests to be executed, so partial test runs (e.g. --failing)
may still fail. (Matthew Treinish, Robert Collins)
- 229. By Robert Collins on 2013-07-13
Make an assertion format check more lenient, for Python 3.3.
Branch metadata
- Branch format:
- Branch format 7
- Repository format:
- Bazaar repository format 2a (needs bzr 1.16 or later)
- Stacked on:
- lp:~testrepository/testrepository/trunk


text:
So you have the perfect dress envisioned for your wedding day only problem is you can't seem to find it in any shops. What to do? Hire a seamstress, of course!
Now if your seamstress has a boutique you would go in, chat and get to know one another, discussing fabrics and dress styles, what would look good on you in the way of color and cuts and price. Afterward she'd have you stand on a small pedestal and start taking measurements. If your seamstress is over the internet then you carefully take them yourself and send them to her. I've included this article in my blog because taking measurements is an area of knowledge that most girls have not needed till now or avoid.
In the field of sewing the old adage of "measure twice, cut once", is sage advice. While I'm not a sage, I will try to impart some guidelines to help you out.
~First off, never take your own measurements.
~Always have someone else help you.
~If you feel you are in over your head ask someone who knows how to sew to be your assistant.
~It's a good idea not to wear bulky clothes or clothes so tight that it distorts your shape while measuring.
~Be sure to wear a comfortable, well fitting bra.
~Stand normally. Holding your arms out like a windmill will change certain measurements. Then you will have a garment that only looks good when you hold your arms out.
~When you measure, don't pull the tape tight. If the skin is dipping in on each side of the tape, it's too tight. Which means your dress will be too tight. Your seamstress knows how to make something close fitting, she needs your measurements to be accurate.
~Write your numbers in pencil. After you've double checked them they can be written in pen.
~Tie a string or cord around your waist, not too tight, not too loose. Bend and twist to get it to settle on your natural waistline.
~If you are planing on wearing heels with your dress, make note of the heel height and wear heels of that height while measuring. You posture changes with different heel heights, therefore, your measurements as well.
You should have on hand a measuring tape, your string on your waist, a ruler about 1″ wide, and some safety pins.
Okay, you're ready to get started….
Your name, date, wedding date, contact information, and bra size should all be filled in. Click here if you are asking, "Why do you ask for so many measurements?"
Now, with each of the major measurements(bust, waist, hips) you need the total measurement, plus a front, and a back. The front and back are taken in the same place you took the total circumference measurement at, only it's the amount measured from your side seam on one side to the side seam on the other, in the front and then the back. The side seam is the seam on your clothes that starts under your arm and runs straight down your side. If you have trouble finding it or your side seam isn't straight, tie a string around your arm near the shoulder leaving a long piece hanging down. Tie a pen or something light on the end so it hangs straight. Now hold your arm out like a scarecrow. Mark this line on your clothes using safety pins. Your front and back measurements must add up to the total circumference measurement, if it doesn't measure again, carefully.
When this page is finished it will have 25+ measurements shown with, instructions on taking each, and a video.
I hope this was helpful. I do apologize to anyone who feels that my succinct tutorial has caused them to lose their marbles. If you need any help please email me, I'll be glad to help.
For a measurement chart click here.
Feel free to download it, fill it in and then email it back.


text:
Oct 02, 2012 6:44 AM GMT
I am listening to some new artists at the moment! I currently love Jay Brannan and One Direction (Liam Payne) ! Jay is 28, Liam is about 20? My past favorite male singer is James Blunt, yep the British crooner with the hit *You're Beautiful and 1973! haha, do you have any favorite male singers? If so, please share and post his pics !!!


text:
By: Jarri Mirza
Presently all non-serious politicians and so-called champion journalists are reporting or publishing baseless stories without research and giving one side picture to the public. This act is being done by some private TV Channels as well as political analysts in daily newspapers and electronic media.
They want to put pressure on the present government and the real party of the peole, which is the largest political party in the country. The ruling political party proved its popularity in the most recent Gilgit Baltistan elections that they have roots is the people of Pakistan who love democracy and rule of law in our beloved country.
For last few weeks our TV anchors are busy along with the so called political analysts discussing about corruption and anti President campaign only for the sake of point scoring and gaining sympathy from whom they are affiliated with and also for monetary payments from their lords involved in terrorism in South Waziristan and Afghanistan. They are unable to think that these hearsay stories are encouraging the wrong doers in the public; while some English TV Channels are telecasting accurate reporting, certain Urdu electronic media anchors telecast sensational conversations and scary stories spreading panic among innocent people, blocking the positive way to develop the country and making obstacles in the way of foreign investment.
They can now read the statement made for head of 2nd largest political party (PML-N) given to daily news; when he said he has never talked about the impeachment of the president nor has he demanded his resignation. The Chief Minister of Punjab also talked with journalist in Karachi that they don't want to derail the democratic system in Pakistan. President should complete his tenure, who unanimously elected through democratic process.
Now political analysts and media persons should wait the decision from court of law, as judiciary is independent and impartial. Corruption will put before the court of law. Let us see the institutional mechanism for dealing with the corruption cases not emotional attacks against the corrupt.
My suggestion for media persons that burning issue should be taken up i.e. social, economic issue in the society, war on terrorism, health care, drinking water, education and other necessaries of people.
Cannon should not be toward one personal, latest gallop survey reports confirm that present government has ability to coop the crises and other problem faced by the people of Pakistan. Media should improve their image, so people could rely upon them.
Editor's Choice
We encourage you to visit our new site. Please don't leave your comments here because this site is obsolete. You may also like to update your RSS feeds or Google Friend Connect (Follow the Blog) to the new location. Thank you.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Cannon Should Be Towards Burning Issues
1 comment:
- Aamir Mughal said...
Mr. Abbasi Praising General Musharraf's Martial Law Regime's "Alleged Reforms" when Ansar Abbasi used to be a Correspondent in Daily Dawn, he never mentioned even a single time that Impsoing Martial Law is Treason and Violation of Article 6 of 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.
This may help to understand the whole game.
and ensuring swift and across- the-board accountability. [Musharraf in 1999]
Now watch and read as to how he and his team ruined the very name of accountability.
DETAILS: Martial Law, NRO, NAB & Across The Board Accountability.
- 21 November 2009 at 22:07
Post a comment
1. You are very welcome to comment, more so if you do not agree with the opinion expressed through this post.
2. If you wish to hide your identity, post with a pseudonym but don't select the 'anonymous' option.
3. Copying the text of your comment may save you the trouble of re-writing if there is an error in posting.


text:
After the successful launch of the JORT collection last fall, Suitsupply is introducing the summer collection of its in-house dandy, Jort Kelder.
The JORT collection means clothes with a story; a feel for traditional tailoring, high-quality fabrics, stylistic classiness, and a touch of fetishism. Or should we consider normal the fact that the cotton for the shirts is always of the Egyptian variety, and that a JORT suit is unmistakably unlined and fully-canvas, woven from smoothly fitting Super 140s wool with a characteristic 'Neapolitan shoulder'? Yes indeed. The wearer of a JORT suit feels in top shape with a romantic button fly, elegant side adjusters, and kissing buttons on the sleeve.
JORT heralds the summer with a safari outfit that looks smart not only in the Kalahari, but also in the urban jungle. "That's quite puzzling to those who know I don't eat any meat," says the Jort. "I'm still an animal lover, but I'm dressed for the city jungle to fight against creases and scrap suits."
Another novelty in the collection is the JORT travel suit; woven by the famous fabric manufacturer Vitale Barberis Canonico from extra fine merino wool, and mixed with high-end mohair. As Kelder puts it, "This is the solution for all those men you see getting out of their cars or off the plane in wrinkles. Even after being jammed for hours, our travel suit smoothens out in an instant."
The JORT collection also features summer blazers, light cotton trousers, and a nice linen travel bag + accessories


text:
We got our classroom computers this week, an exciting day! We reviewed our classroom user policy and then explored our classroom website. We continued with our team-building activities this week. Our SOAR expectation this week was Show Respect. The 5th grade lead the school in an assembly on Monday morning about showing respect.
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply.


text:
Reservation for our heirloom fruit trees commence July 1st for shipment in winter & spring 2021.
Your cart is currently empty.
© 2020 Trees of Antiquity
Sign up for our mailing list to receive new product alerts, special offers, and coupon codes.
All-in-One almond is the most popular almond for home orchards. Heavy crops of soft-shell nuts with sweet, flavorful kernels. All-in-One requires a hot summer to ripen. Very winter and frost hardy. Self-fruitful. Low chill (500 hours).
USDA Zone: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Harvest Period: Late
Low Chill: Yes
Bloom Period: Early
Pollination Requirement: Self-Fertile
Origin Date: 1945 and beyond
Storage: 3 Months or More
Rootstock: Mariana (semi-dwarf)
Years to Bear: 1-3 years
Recommended Spacing: 12-16 ft.
Mature Size: 12-16 ft.
Pruning: Summer prune to maintain 8 ft.
Water Requirements: 12-15 gallons per week May through Sept.
Shape when Shipped: Feathered (prominent branching)
Size when shipped: Our trees range in height from 4-8 ft. in our field and trimmed to 4 to 5 ft. when shipped. Our young two year trees are most often feathered (side limbs). The trees diameter (caliper) is often 1/2 to 3/4 inch; *As noted by University of California Scientists and other qualified professionals the most successful trees often have caliper from 1/2" to 5/8" and usually establish faster than smaller and larger planting stock.
Sold out
Sign up for our mailing list to receive reminders, tips and sale items
© 2020 Trees of Antiquity
| |
Powered by Toa & Coffee


text:
As the seabird nesting season is about to get underway, beginning February 1st, there are a few landscape areas that we do one final weeding and tending to the plants, as the gardeners won't be allowed back in these areas until September.
One area the volunteers weeded last week was a section of survivor plants on the west side of the island. The survivor plants include Agave americana, Pelargonium 'Alphonse Ricard', Chasmanthe floribunda, and Aloe arborescens. All of these plants are quite happy on their own but a little weeding never hurts!
The aloe, commonly referred to tree aloe, candelabra plant or Krantz aloe, is a plant that we have been giving some extra attention the past few years. The bush aloe was once a full stand, approximately 20 feet across. But, the weight of all its beauty caused the aloe to collapse in 2006. We had repotted some of the smaller plants and grew them in the greenhouse, transplanting them back when they filled a one-gallon pot.
While we cleared away oxalis and weedy mallow, the original aloe 'trunk' could be seen. The trunk had fallen over and was sprouting new plants, just like a nurse log in a forest. A nurse log is very common in woodlands, where an older tree has fallen and as it begins to decompose, seedlings take root.
With the aloe listed in Pam Peirce's 'Wildly Successful Plants', this must be a tough plant, especially to survive on Alcatraz. Native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, the aloe was used as plantings on top of earth embankments, creating corrals for livestock. The plant travelled to Europe in the early 1700s with explorers and later arrived in California with the early Spanish settlers. How the plant arrived on Alcatraz is a mystery, but it certainly is a good plant choice. The aloe is thriving in poor, well-drained soil, receives full sun and tolerates the cool coastal summers. The plant also happens to be deer resistant (not that we have that problem), but we do protect it against seagulls!
A few of the propagated plants were established along the road that takes visitors through the Prisoner Gardens. We also have a yellow blooming aloe, donated from the Ruth Bancroft Garden that is blooming right now. All of the aloes are great for attracting and feeding hummingbirds.


text:
Location: Lot 3249, Block 10, Lorong Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce 12, 93150 Kuching
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday, from 4pm - 11pm. Closed on Monday.
Tel: +6082-420733
The first time I visited Big Oven was 3 years ago (I think so?). They had promotion on Groupon. We purchased the voucher for pizza. It was good. Despite we used Groupon voucher to redeem it, the quality of the pizza was not 'altered' for cheap ingredients. This is the third time, I came to Big Oven, one of the fine dining restaurants in Kuching.
The menu: (Pictures are quite blurry and inferior because I used handphone, shall carry my digital camera along next time for better photo quality).
Open kitchen, customers can see them working at the kitchen crystal clear. Their kitchen is hygienic and equipped with air-conditioner.
Our Hawaiian Pizza. Thin Crust and crisply crunchy. We love it...
This is pork chop with bacon. I seldom order pork chop in restaurant because of its texture is very dry and hard. But I got surprised with their pork chop! It's juicier compared to others. Meat hardness is acceptable to me. I like the bacon a lot! Its taste is something like our "bak kwa" Chinese dried meat, but I never like Chinese dried meat. This bacon is sweet and crispy. It has no difficulty to chew. Another credit to note is the mashed potato. Other than french fries, who can resist mashed potato? It's a lot healthier compared to fried fries.
If you would like to make reservation, call them at +6082-420733. Here's their website: http://www.bigovenrestaurant.com/. You can also view their menu from there.