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Paulette created different designs and styles for every cavern, giving each one very specific qualities and textures. He carved over 14 different caves in the desert outside of San Jose.
No two of Paulette's caves are alike. Some feature under-size doors or skylights that let the sun in, while other include benches carved into the wall. The walls are also decorated with designs from flowers to abstract formes.
The purpose of this gigantic artwork is to create an environment that would inspire "spiritual renewal and personal well being." It will also serve as a venue for artistic events once it's finished.
See the documentary of Ra Paulette's carvings: http://cavediggerdocumentary.com/


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Two packs of 6 sheets (hence 12 total) of thick expanded SDN polystyrene sheets (EPS 70). The size of each sheet is 2400x1200x50mm (8ftx4ftx2").
EPS70 exapnded polystyrene sheets are used for a large variety of purposes. These include the following: To place between joists to provide insulation, below floor screed, below concrete slabs, for postage & packaging - to protect items from breaking and movement. Perfect for use within the building trade, removals and also warehouse dispatches.

subset: commoncrawl


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The AlphaLISA® immunoassay kit for detection and quantitation of human VEGF (VEGF-A) in serum, cell culture supernatants, and other sample types allows for fast, reproducible, and sensitive detection without the need for time-consuming wash steps or complicated assay development.
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The antibodies in this kit recognize VEGF-A (VEGF165 or isoform d), VEGF162, VEGF145 (isoform e) and VEGF121 (isoform f). One of the sandwiching antibodies is a mouse monoclonal, clone 26503. The other sandwiching antibody is a goat polyclonal raised against human recombinant VEGF165.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A or VEGF) is a homodimeric 34-42 kDa heparin-binding glycoprotein specific for endothelial cells. Currently at least eight variants of VEGF generated by alternative splicing of the same gene have been identified. The various isoforms have different heparin- and neuropilin(-1 or -2)-binding properties as well as solubility characteristics reflecting the different functional properties of the VEGF forms. VEGF is believed to play important roles in inflammation and during normal and pathological angiogenesis, a process that is associated with wound healing, embryonic development, and growth and metastasis of solid tumors. Elevated levels of VEGF have been observed in synovial fluids of rheumatoid arthritis patients and sera of cancer patients.
AlphaLISA technology allows the detection of molecules of interest in a no-wash, highly sensitive, quantitative assay. In an AlphaLISA assay, a biotinylated anti-analyte antibody binds to the Streptavidin-coated Donor beads while another anti-analyte antibody is conjugated to AlphaLISA Acceptor beads. In the presence of the analyte, the beads come into close proximity. The excitation of the Donor beads causes the release of singlet oxygen molecules that triggers a cascade of energy transfer in the Acceptor beads, resulting in a sharp peak of light emission at 615 nm.
|Assay Target
|Assay Target Class
|Automation Compatible
|Detection Method
|Experimental Type
|In vitro
|Product Brand Name
|Shipping Condition
|Blue Ice
|Target Species
|Therapeutic Area
|Unit Size
|500 assay points
A lot-release assay was developed using the AlphaLISA human VEGF detection kit as a competitive binding assay for the antibody drug, Bevacizumab
Product brochure for the Alpha Technology, a versatile, no wash, homogeneous assay technology that's suitable for a broad range of applications.
For the detection of three biomarkers in complex sample matrices, the AlphaLISA and Electrochemiluminescent (ECL) assay technologies were shown to have similar: Assay windows (linear dynamic range), Lower and upper detection limit, Intra-and inter-assay precision (lower % CV) The advantages of using AlphaLISA over ECL are: Shorter total assay duration No wash steps No shaking Lower sample volume requirement for equivalent performance Less expensive instrument and plates required
Biomarker levels were measured directly in CulturPlates-96 and-384 in a simple, fast, all-in-one-well AlphaLISA assay format. The elimination of transfer and wash steps simplifies cellular assays, reduces variability and significantly reduces hands-on time and costs associated with consumables. Integral plasma membrane (EGFR) and secreted solubleproteins (TNFa, IL1ß, IL6, IL8) were successfully determined, on adherent or suspension cells, using the standard AlphaLISA Immunoassay buffer.
The AlphaLISA® assay is a homogeneous immunoassay alternative to classical ELISA. AlphaLISA assays were originally utilized to detect analytesin cell cultures upernatants or serum/plasma samples.
Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay is the most widely Kits adopted method for detection and quantification of cytokines and other biomarkers. This traditional technology offers good,selectivity, sensitivity and assay versatility; however, it has certain disadvantages such as limited dynamic range and low throughput due to the numerous wash steps.


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Thank you Jodi Schuman for raising money for CCA in memory of Bandit!
Canine Cancer affects one out of every three dogs. Of those, over half of them will die of cancer. Unfortunately, my sweet Bandit fought Mast Cell Tumors – a form of cancer – for 9 months, so I'm all too familiar with canine cancer. His cancer was terminal so his treatments were to attempt to extend his life, not to cure him. He lost his battle on February 28, 2009. I was fortunate enough to be able to afford his treatments, however, many, many people cannot afford the expense and their dogs do not get the chance to be saved or spend extra quality time with their families.
Please visit Jodi's page here:


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General and Cosmetic Dentistry in Sudbury, MA
Sudbury Family Dental Care
Sudbury Family Dental Care is a modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment and experts in all areas of dental care and oral hygiene. We perform a variety of dental services including general and cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and always strive to be pain free. There is soft music in every operatory, and our facilities are clean and well-maintained. Our facility even includes a child playroom with a Wii system, and more.
Sudbury Family Dental Care offers…
"Zoom Teeth Whitening" Service
We specialize in offering the latest techniques in teeth whitening in a variety of methods based on our patient's needs. At Sudbury Family Dental Care, we look forward to providing you the quality dental care and oral hygiene you deserve.


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Carolina Real Estate
201 Frontage Rd. Suite 2
Clemson , SC 29631
201 Frontage Rd. Suite 2
Clemson , SC 29631
8091 Abbeville Highway
Price$ 424,900
Sq Ft
TypeSpecial Purpose
Area114-Anderson County,SC
Total Acres
Approx Age
DescriptionIf you currently own a gas station or gas stations or wish to venture out with your very first gas station, this is the one!! This gas station is in almost ready to go shape. Walk-in cooler, cooking station, counter, ice machine and shelves. This gas station is ready to be stocked and then ready to sell product. This is a must see!
Status : Pending
Construction : Metal
Cooling : Heat Pump
Currentbusiness : Gas/Convenience
Heating System : Heat Pump
Landstatus : Land Included
Onsiteparking : 11 - 25
Roof : Metal
Utilities On Site : Electric,Public Water,Septic,Telephone
Vacancy : Vacant
Listing courtesy of Michael Carithers - Carithers Real Estate
The data relating to real estate for sale on this Web site comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program of the Western Upstate Association of REALTORS® , Inc. and the Western Upstate Multiple Listing Service, Inc.


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Last year, our Thanksgiving post was about the lingerie that we were thankful for. Since this was a pretty timeless piece, we decided to take a bit different angle this year. So here is what we're thankful for in the lingerie world this year, from trends to new innovations and everything in between!
1. 50 Shades Of Grey - Who would have guessed that a series about an S&M relationship would be the best-selling books this year? Not only did these books spark a sexual revolution of sorts, opening women up to new possibilities and giving them the courage to try new things, they also drove sales of toys and lingerie through the roof, with retailers all over the world (including us) benefiting.
2. Getting the look for less - It seems that now more than ever, it's easy to get lingerie pieces and sets that look and feel like designer, luxury brands but without the high end price tags! To see just a few examples of this, check out this post and this post.
3. Fabulous florals - One of the biggest lingerie trends this year was the return of flirty, feminine floral patterns. We were excited to finally see floral prints pop up on our website, and hope there will be even more in the next year!
4. Pinterest - This one might seem a bit odd, but Pinterest has quickly become one of our favorite ways to share our products with people! We also loving seeing what other items everyone is pinning.
5. The start of holiday collections - This is such an exciting time because we're adding new items almost daily as lingerie brands roll out their Christmas/Valentine's holiday collections! This is the time when brands really go all out, with designs that have more oomph, are a bit more special, than the rest of the year.
Now tell us, divas, what lingerie trend/piece/design/etc. are you most thankful for this year?


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After marriage, I felt like I needed extra care to my hair. I didn't need just to feel good, but I need to look good too since I have someone to impress now. 😉 I've tried various hair products which I feel good using, but it doesn't really have the complete package to make my hair look good as I want it too. Going to salons are expensive and I couldn't really afford frequent visits, so I had to find a cheaper alternative. This is when the Limited Edition Hair Box from Althea caught my attention. Wanna know why? Keep on reading.
Althea Korea has recently been coming out with Limited Edition Beauty Boxes which comes out a few every month. I know you might thinking of subscription based Beauty Boxes that you can find so easily now, but Althea is one step ahead from this Beauty Boxes because it deducts the most unwanted feature of typical Beauty Boxes, which is SUBSCRIPTION.
I believe that some of you get turned off when it comes to subscription based since shopping may not be one of your main priorities. Like for me, I only spend when I have to and I take a whole lot of thinking when it comes to it.
Like most Beauty Boxes, Althea comes out with new Beauty Boxes every time they release it. But the best part is that they give full size products and detailed descriptions on what we will be receiving in the box. You can check out the link for Althea's Hair Box here: Hair Box
They don't really have a specific date to when boxes will be released, so if you are interested, you may need to recently check Althea's Website or allow push notifications on your devices so you'll never miss it.
Coming back to the Hair Box, the purpose why I got attracted to the hair box was of course I need a cheaper way to get my hair looking good and at the same time too, my husband loves pampering his hair too! 😂 He takes care of his hair better than me, which makes me more embarrassed of my hair. So when the Hair Box arrived and I opened in, he got excited as well (which is a good sign to get more in the future) LOL... There were 7 hair products completely packed inside the box all neatly wrapped in bubble wraps which got may husband more eager to do the unboxing rather than me. I could tell that the box first appearance impressed him a lot.
Forgive me if this post seems a bit to messy, I'm finding my writing style again after a few months break. So let's see what we have inside the box.
1. Innisfree Green Tea Mint Fresh Shampoo
This shampoo seems to be pretty famous among Althea customers and I have always wondered why. When I took this in into our bathroom, the first person who used is was no other than my husband. He came out of the shower and instantly gave his review on this. (I didn't ask him to 😏)
"Sayang, sejuk eh shampoo tu, best gila kulit kepala" "rasa macam segar gila, betul betul mint ke tu?" LOL... His reaction made me laugh so hard, so I gave it a try for myself too and indeed I felt the same way too. The shampoo's texture is very light and it has a soft minty scent to it. Applying it did create a generous amount of bubbles but the sensation comes once you got your head covered up with shampoo and rinsed off with water. Your scalp feels like its finally breathing and it felt so refreshed.
I've been using this shampoo ever since and the packaging is not nice and clean too, I'll think I may need to stock up a few more of this shampoo at home.
2. Piolang Raspberry Hair Vinegar (500ml)
This Hair Vinegar has been on my wish list since last year. I've seen a lot of comments on how good this hair vinegar is and got me excited to try this one out as soon as I got it. My husband asked how to use it and what does it do, since this is not a product that everyone is familiar with.
Well this hair vinegar seems to help your hair problems heal, by applying it everyday to your wet scalp after shampoo then rinse it of again with water. You could also apply it to your hair, so no problem.
When you think of vinegar, I know you may think of a strong stinky smell, but this one smells like raspberries, even my husband approves it and he hates weird stuff. Both of us used it and both of us loved it! The packaging is neat and simple and the product comes out easily too. There packaging is just right. Usually I'll get tangled hair after shampoo without using a conditioner, but this solves the problem. This product may just be the solution to not using conditioner anymore since it's not really good for your scalp. Honestly I have not been using any conditioner since I used this hair vinegar and my hair condition has totally approved.
3. Merit Perfume Graphy Leave On Treatment (150ml)
There are some products in Limited Edition Boxes that you may not found sold individually in Althea. For the hair box, one of it is this hair perfume from Merit. Honestly at the first glance of this product I was not so keen of it, since the design look too simple and I couldn't really understand what it was. The design of the packaging didn't really sent out the message well of what product it contained if you don't understand Korean.
But, my first perception of the product totally changed once I used it and searched on Althea on how to use this product. After shower, I applied this to my damp hair and it smells AMAZING! I really love the scent, honestly. The packaging of the product was perfect, except for the lousy design. I had no problem getting the right amount from it.
The texture of the product is so smooth and it is not oily, well you may feel a little oil to it but it's not uncomfortably sticky. This product is made from 12 great ingredients which makes you feel that this product really is something.
After applying, my hair feels so soft and it helps with tangled hair too. The fragrance is just to die for, even my husband loves it and it lasts for a really long time. This product really helped boosted up my mood every time I get a scent of my hair.
4. HELLO EVERYBODY Biotin Oil
This Biotin Oil is something to look forward to too since it's purpose is to save your damaged hair. It contains hair vitamins for your hair to lock moisture and supply the nutrients needed to get your hair voluminous and healthy. This product could be used on either dry or wet hair and functions almost the same as Merit's Perfume Graphy. Comparing both of these products together, I would say I would choose the Leve On Treatment rather than Biotin's Hair Oil because of the scent. The Hair smells a bit like jasmine which I don't really like, but function wise, I do love how smooth my hair gets after use the Biotin hair oil.
It has now become a habit for me using the Biotin hair oil once I dried my hair under the hair dryer. It gives back the shape and the smoothness of the hair once applied and I love the feeling. The only turn down is the scent since I don't really prefer the Jasmine scent. It's not that it smells bad, but it's just my preference of the scent of the product. But still, the scent does not restrain me from using the product since it's a really good product and does not get your hair greasy and sticky even after a long day with a headscarf on.
Packaging on the other hand is just nice, even the pump works well and get out the right amount of oil needed.
5. Missha Senseful Lady Hair Mist Sensual Musk (100ml)
This is another product not sold individually in Althea so the only way to get is through the hair box. There is not much to say about this Hair Mist except that it has a really lovely design. This is a really nice product to show off and to have it in your carry on bag. But the turn down of this product is that it does not really have much use to me since I wear a headscarf when I go out. This product is supposed to be a quick solution to clean up your frizzy hair on a long day.
The scent is quite nice too but not as nice as the Leave On Treatment from Merit. I asked my husband if he wants to use it, but he does not prefer the scent either. I'm just keeping it for the packaging design which is really pretty. 😝
6. RiRe Scalp Scailing Program
To get healthy hair, the scalp must be taken care off too and having the Rire Scalp Scaling Progam included is worth to be looked forward too. I sometime have dry scalp which makes my hair become itchy especially wearing a headscarf under hot weather. This results in dandruff and it's embarrassing since my husband has no problem at all with his hair. I just tried out this Scalp product for the sake of trying because I wasn't really having the feel to try it out. There was no special feel to it especially as you look at the packaging. It doesn't really suite the name though.
The 3 massage balls on top was the purpose why I tried it out and once again it changed my perception of the product. Once applied to the scalp, I felt an instant cooling sensation, it felt great! It was way cooler than the mint shampoo. An instant freshness to the head and I loved it. Since then I used it almost everyday and it's almost gone now. My dandruff problems seems to be gone but I'm not exactly sure if it is because of this. I just love the sensation feeling once applied the product to the scalp.
7. KOCOSTAR GGONG JI Hair Pack (8ml)
Lastly, its the famous Hair Pack from Kocostar. I've seen a lot of reviews about this product and it seems a product worth to try. I took time to actually use the Hair Pack since the packaging is too nice to be torn. 😓
First glance it kinda looked like baby diapers but when I had it on, it looked pretty nice. Almost like a hair accessory but I wore it wrong, so check out Althea's website for a proper picture on how to wear it. The advisable time to wear it is minimum 30 minutes but you could wear it up to hours for a better effect, so that the serum could be fully absorbed into the hair. I wore it about an hour and the ends of my hair really did see instant improvement.
Overall I find this box really value for money. This box is worth RM300+ but only sold for RM100 in Althea. Currently the Hair Box is Out of Stock from Althea and the chances for it to get restocked again are really low. This is because Limited Edition Boxes are special boxes curated, and once it gone, it could be gone forever. That's why it's called limited, so not every person could own it. You'll have to be fast when you purchase the a limited edition box since you are fighting with people from 5 countries.
For regular customers in Althea, they don't think twice anymore to get a limited edition box since the price is super cheap compared if you purchase the products individually so it is sometimes seen always out of stock even though the promotion banner is still on the main website. The tip is, if the banner is still on the website, the chances of the box to be in stock again could be high. They may have limited the box availability per day, so try checking out stocks around 10am to 12pm while the promotion is still ongoing. But if you don't seem to find it in stock, then it's just not your luck.
Check out more of their limited edition boxes here: Althea Limited Edition Boxes
Till then peeps!


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Punta del Faro
Punta del Faro[1] is the northeastern promontory of Sicily situated in the city of Messina.
Historical significance
As the ancient Pelorus, Punta del Faro is one of the most celebrated promontories of Sicily, forming the northeastern extremity of the whole island, and one of the three promontories which were considered to give to it the triangular form from which it derived the name of "Trinacria".[2] It was at the same time the point which projected furthest towards the opposite coast of Italy; so that the narrowest part of the Sicilian straits was that which lay between Cape Pelorus and the coast adjoining the headland of Caenys (It. Cenide, modern Punta del Pezzo) on the coast of Bruttium (modern Calabria), therefore the nearest points of the Strait of Messina. A strange story is told by some Roman writers that it derived its ancient name from the pilot of Hannibal, who was put to death by that general from a suspicion of treachery; thus overlooking the fact that it was known by that name to the Greeks for centuries before the time of Hannibal.[3] The actual headland of Pelorus, now called the Capo del Faro, is a low, sandy point; but about 3 km from its extremity there begins a ridge of hills which quickly rises into a range of mountains, of no great elevation, but steep and strongly marked. These continue in an unbroken range at the back of Messina, near which they attain a height of about 1000 m, and flank the east coast of the island as far as the neighborhood of Taormina, where they turn abruptly to the west and stretch across in that direction without any real interruption, until they join the more lofty group of the Monte Madonia. It is to this range of mountains that the name of "Mons Neptunius" is applied by Solinus called today mounts Peloritani,[4] and which that author describes as separating the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic (i. e. Sicilian) seas. But there is no real geographical line of separation between these mountains and those further west, which were known to the ancients as the "Mons Nebrodes".
The headland of Pelorus may thus be looked upon as the extremity of a great mountain promontory, formed by the range of the Mons Neptunius, and extending from the neighbourhood of Messina to that of Milazzo (ancient Mylae), or, in a still wider sense, from Taormina (ancient Tauromenium) on the east coast to Tindari (ancient Tyndaris) on the north. Diodorus calls it 100 stadia from the promontory to Messana, and the distance is still commonly reckoned near 20 km, though it does not really exceed 13 km. (Diod. xiv. 56.)
From its proximity to Messana and its position commanding the passage of the straits, Pelorus was an important naval station, and as such its name is frequently mentioned in history. Thus, in 425 BCE, when the Athenian fleet under Laches was established at Rhegium (modern Reggio di Calabria), the Syracusans and their allies took post with their fleet at Pelorus, where they were supported also by a land force.[5] In 396 BCE the Carthaginian general Himilco took post at Pelorus with his fleet and army, and, when the Messanians sallied out to attack him, by taking advantage of a north wind, sent his fleet down suddenly to Messana, which was surprised and taken before the troops could return to its defence.[6] Again, during the siege of Messana by the Carthaginians: at the commencement of the First Punic War; it was at Pelorus that their fleet was stationed, with the view both of threatening the city and preventing the Romans from crossing the straits.[7] And at a later period, during the contest between Octavian and Sextus Pompey in the neighborhood of Messana, the headland of Pelorus once more became an important post, being one of the points sedulously guarded by Pompey in order to prevent his adversary from effecting a landing.[8]
The actual promontory of Pelorus, as already mentioned, is a low spit or point of sand, about 3 km in length, which has evidently been thrown up by the currents, which flow with great rapidity through the straits.[9] A tradition, reported by Diodorus, but as ancient as the time of Hesiod, represented it as an artificial work constructed by the giant Orion.[10] Within this sandy point, between the beach and the hills, are enclosed two small lakes or pools which are famous for producing the best eels and cockles in Sicily,[11] a reputation they already enjoyed in ancient times, as the cockles of Pelorus are repeatedly noticed by Athenaeus; and Solinus, who mentions the lakes in question, speaks of them as abounding in fish. There appear to have been three of them in his day, but the marvels which he relates of one of them are purely fabulous.[12] A temple of Neptune stood in ancient times upon the promontory, as well as a lighthouse or Pharos, the memory of which is retained in the modern name of Punta del Faro, by which the cape is still known. This appellation seems to hare indeed come into use before the close of the Roman Empire, as Servius, in describing the width of the Sicilian strait, measures it a Columna usque ad Pharon.[13] But no remains of either building are now visible.
See also
- ↑ Also Capo Peloro; Greek: Πέλωρος ἄκρα, Ptolemy; Πελωρίς, Thucydides, Dion. Per; Πελωριάς, Polybius, Strabo; Latin: Pelorus, Peloris, or Pelorias.
- ↑ Pol. i. 42; Strab. vi. pp. 265-66; Diod. v. 2; Plin. iii. 8. s. 14; Dion. Per. 467-72; Ovid Met. xiii. 727.
- ↑ Mela ii. 7. § 17; Valerius Maximus ix. 8. § 1; Sallust, ap. Serv. ad Aen. iii. 411.
- ↑ 5 . § 12.
- ↑ Thucydides iv. 25.
- ↑ Diod. xiv. 56, 57.
- ↑ Pol. i. 11.
- ↑ Appian, B.C. v. 105, 116.
- ↑ Symth's Sicily, p. 109.
- ↑ Diod. iv. 85.
- ↑ William Henry Smyth, l. c. p. 106.
- ↑ Athen. i. p. 4. c., iii. p. 92. f.; Gaius Julius Solinus 5. §§ 2-4.
- ↑ Servius ad Aeneidos iii. 411.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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Gov. Corbett to Speak at 150th Memorial Day Service in Boalsburg
What is typically a small evening service to honor fallen American service members on Memorial Day will be an expanded ceremony Monday to also honor veterans and feature Gov. Tom Corbett as the keynote speaker.
As Monday will be the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day in Boalsburg, organizers are planning to not only remember those who died in war, but also pay tribute to veterans who live in the State College area, according to Dan Barker, who is in charge of this year's service.
"It's always been just a small commemoration, but this year we wanted to get more people involved," Barker says. "Memorial Day is a day to remember those who have fallen and for 150th anniversary we want to remember those who died, but also thank those who are veterans and here with us."
Organizers announced this week that Corbett has confirmed he will offer remarks at the service.
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy organizes a memorial service for 6 p.m. Memorial Day, with a procession that starts at 5:45 p.m. at the intersections of Main and Church streets, also known as the "diamond," with the service held at the end of Church Street at the cemetery.
This year is unique in that organizers are inviting veterans to participate in the procession and attend the memorial service. Additionally, organizers have invited several dignitaries, such as local, state and federal officials, including Gov. Tom Corbett.
According to local historians, the event began 150 years ago when three women walked to the Boalsburg Cemetery where they placed flowers on the graves of their loved ones killed during the Civil War.
The women - Emma Hunter, Sophie Keller, and Elizabeth Meyer – decided they would return the following year and decorate all of the graves of the other fallen soldiers in the cemetery, and the community joined them. That one act of kindness is believed to have started Memorial Day.
Barker has been participating in the Memorial Day event for more than 25 years.
"Historically, it's one of those unrivaled stories and then, from a pure patriotic thought process, it's a phenomenal event that happened to occur in this tiny little town in central Pennsylvania and it's an opportunity to annually show appreciation for those folks who gave their lives for our country," says Barker.
For more information on the 6 p.m. service, click HERE.
For more information on Memorial Day weekend events, click HERE.
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Jennifer Miller is a reporter for StateCollege.com. She has worked in journalism since 2005. She's covered news at the local, state and national level with an emphasis on crime and local government.
More articles by Jennifer Miller →


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Sold Out
Set of 5 41″ resistance bands
1 yellow 15 lbs
1 red 30lbs
1 black 50lbs
1 purple 70lbs
1 green 100lbs
A great starting set up with resistance ranging from 15 to 100 pounds.
Set of all 5 resistance bands. Extra heavy duty made from multiple layers of latex for strength and durability. Resistance bands range from 15 lbs to 100 lbs of resistance. Perfect for preforming pull ups, stretching, squats, hip thrusts.


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I am pleased to have the endorsement of the member for O'Connor that the coalition parties' policies did not provide him with much to say! It was interesting to hear this from him. He said that there had been too much attention paid to money and not enough to outcomes. Well might he say that; for the policies of the previous government in relation to dental care there was—particularly in relation to the Commonwealth dental care program—no outcome, because the primary decision made by the former government immediately on coming to office in 1996 was to scrap the Commonwealth dental program. Well might the member for O'Connor say that not enough attention was paid to outcomes—by the previous government. This government, as part of its commitments to the Australian people made at the last election, said it would take seriously the dental crisis that the country is experiencing. This government is acting, and that is what we see in the legislation before the House. Notably, this legislation will create the Medicare Teen Dental Plan, and that is part of delivering on the commitments made at the last election by our party.Read more
Mental Health Services
It is extraordinary to hear from the member for Sturt anything about mental health given the very low priority given to that area of government policy by the former government, represented by the fact that the former Minister for Health and Ageing was not prepared to take up ministerial responsibility for mental health but, rather, delegated it to the member for Sturt in his junior capacity as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.Read more
I rise in support of the National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical and Other Benefits—Cost Recovery) Bill 2008. This bill amends the National Health Act 1953 and provides authority for the Commonwealth to recover costs for the listing of medicines, vaccines and other products or services on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the designation of vaccines to the National Immunisation Program. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is very important to the people of Australia. Along with Medicare and public hospitals, it forms a cornerstone of our public health system. We should recall that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme itself was one of the great social reforms of the Chifley government when it was established in 1948.Read more
Death Penalty
I want to speak tonight on constitutional change, but, before I do, I want to add my voice to that of the member for Werriwa in relation to capital punishment. I have a very sharp memory of attending a vigil in Melbourne with hundreds of others at the time of the hanging of Van Tuong Nguyen, an Australian in Singapore's Changi Prison, on 2 December 2005. He was hanged despite calls from the former Prime Minister, from my party—then in opposition—from this parliament, from every state parliament and from tens of thousands of Australians. The very first thing we need to do is to pursue through diplomatic efforts the banishing of the mandatory death penalty. It is the first step in getting rid of the death penalty everywhere. Courts everywhere must have the discretion to impose appropriate penalties, which means that judges must have the choice of leniency.Read more
International Men's Health Week
International Men's Health Week, to be held from 9 to 15 June 2008, is a week of activities designed to raise awareness of men's health and related issues. Men and boys face specific health concerns relating to anatomical and biological differences and also to differences in lifestyle and culture which are far too often overlooked. International Men's Health Week is an important opportunity to encourage men to attend regular check-ups with their doctors and other health services.Read more
Isaacs Electorate: Manufacturing
It is important to recognise the efforts of manufacturers in my electorate of Isaacs, in the south-east of Melbourne. It is fitting to do so this week, which is National Manufacturing Week. It has become all too common to downplay the important role that manufacturing continues to play in the Australian economy. Manufacturing exports were worth over $87.1 billion last year and the sector was responsible for almost 40 per cent of business expenditure on research and development. A strong manufacturing sector is critical to the current and future prosperity of our nation. All of this is particularly true for the south-east of Melbourne, which is the manufacturing hub of Victoria and a key manufacturing centre for the country.Read more
I rise to speak in support of the Export Market Development Grants Amendment Bill 2008. This bill forms an important part of the Rudd government's commitment to a whole-of-government approach to supporting Australian companies in the global economy. This commitment stems from deeper values held by the Australian Labor Party and from its view of Australia and what our nation can be. The Labor Party believes in a prosperous, fair Australia supported by an open, outward-looking economy—an economy where Australian companies that want to invest overseas and export their goods and services are not held back but are instead encouraged and supported.Read more
Condolences for the Hon. John Norman Button
John Button was a very important figure in Victorian Labor politics and indeed on the national stage. It is a mark of John Button's stature that the tributes to him flowed from leaders and former leaders of all major political parties and from people of all walks of life. All acknowledged his role in reforming the Australian economy. All acknowledged his commitment to the Australian manufacturing industry. Many of the tributes recounted his achievements through his life—and we have heard during the debate on this condolence motion that kind of acknowledgement.Read more
The Commonwealth budget is an opportunity for a government to lay out a path forward for our nation. It is an opportunity for the government to address the challenges that our nation faces now and in the future. This budget demonstrates to the Australian people that this is a government which will fulfil its commitments on education and skills, its commitments on climate change and the environment, its commitments on infrastructure and its commitments on health. It is a budget which does so in a fiscally responsible manner. The budget has delivered a surplus of 1.8 per cent of GDP. Together with the Prime Minister's five-point plan to tackle inflation, this budget demonstrates that Labor is the party of fiscal responsibility and economic reform. It is a budget in the Labor tradition, which delivers for the people of our Isaacs electorate. It delivers for working people, for seniors, for pensioners and for those doing it tough.Read more
I rise today to support the Higher Education Support Amendment (Removal of the Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements and National Governance Protocols Requirements and Other Matters) Bill 2008. This bill is an important step in overturning the regressive and mean-spirited agenda of the previous government. The introduction of the higher education workplace relations requirements and the national governance protocols themselves represented very directly one of the worst elements of the former government's policies. They represented the ideological commitment to what was, in reality, an unfair workplace relations system. They represented unwarranted interference in the running of important national institutions and they represented very directly the willingness of the former government to use every Commonwealth power to further the government's ideological attacks on perceived or imagined opponents, which, in this case, were universities and trade unions.Read more


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A visit to Hickory Hill Vineyard's Gift Shop is a lot like walking into your great grandmother's house as it is located in a 1923 farm homestead. The house is original to the farm, built for $500 as a wedding present, and has been lovingly converted into the Gift Shop & Tasting Room. Visitors will see the original pine wood floors, bead board walls and ceiling, stone fireplace and a pass-through from what was the kitchen to the dinning room.
In an effort to keep the 'ol' farm house' feel to the house, several older pieces of furniture are used to display an array of gift shop items.
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Visiting Whitby | From our Bed and Breakfast in North Yorkshire
Whitby is a traditional maritime seaside town steeped in history and set among spectacular cliffs and bays. Here you can discover the legends of smugglers, Dracula and whaling or enjoy the sandy blue flag beach and explore the 13th century cliff top Abbey, bustling quayside, picturesque houses and twisted cobbled streets. There are 199 steps taking you down from the cliff top into the old town's maze of narrow streets and shops selling antiques, crafts and jewellery made from locally mined jet.
Whitby was once renowned as one of the country's most important ship building ports and it's where explorer Captain James Cook's ships were built. You can visit the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby and see where James Cook served his apprenticeship.


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Can't Find What You're Looking For?Call us: (800) 858-4044
Adjust the image on the product as necessary the controls to place it where it will be embroidered. Be sure to scale it to the visually correct size.When finished, click "Save Design" to add the current design to the queue.
Each design can be applied to multiple sides of the product. Add as many different angles as necessary to achieve the required look.


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February 2018 - Digital Report
On 25th January, Theresa May spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos and told world leaders that big tech firms need to take more responsibility for the content they host. Harmful material such as child abuse, terror and extremism should be "removed automatically".
"Earlier this month, a group of shareholders demanded that Facebook and Twitter disclose more information about sexual harassment, fake news, hate speech and other forms of abuse that take place on the companies' platforms," she said.
"Investors can make a big difference here by ensuring trust and safety issues are being properly considered - and I urge them to do so."
Perhaps unsurprisingly then, just a few weeks later, the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd announced the development (at a cost of £600k to the taxpayer) of a tool that supposedly detects and blocks jihadist content online. There were hints that tech companies may end up being legally required to use it.
The Home Office claims that the tool, developed by London based firm ASI Data Sciences, can detect 94% of Daesh propaganda with 99.995% accuracy. Industry experts however were skeptical of the tool for two reasons.
Firstly, being able to distinguish between real extremist content versus legitimate interest pieces (i.e. news reports showing footage of terror) is notoriously difficult and often means with minor tweaks, extremists can defeat the content filtering tool easily.
Secondly, legally requiring firms to implement a tool which pre-filters content based on an algorithm decided by the government is a potentially slippery slope towards wider censorship.


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Did You Know?To manage an Explorer well, you must be both open to his ideas and capable of resisting their allure. -- Richard Warner, author of All Hands on Deck: Choosing the Right People for the Right Jobs
Featured WorksheetApril 2016Let Chaucer help with your next book report.Visit the teaching resources section of Chaucer's personal website for downloadable phonics and spelling worksheets and coloring pages, too.
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Tag Archives: Rindge May Fair
Announcing Our Third Bark for Books! Campaign
Chaucer will be launching his third Bark for Books! Campaign this Saturday at the May Fair in Rindge, New Hampshire. For every copy of Learning Is Cool… It's the First Day of School! sold between now and 15 August 2013, … Continue reading


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Roast chicken soup recipe
|Photo: Roast chicken soup recipe
The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Roast chicken soup Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Roast chicken soup.
Use up leftover chicken in this rustic soup with garlic cream and cheesy scones on the side.
Serves 4
Prep 15 mins
Cook 35 mins
Can be frozen without garlic cream
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions , chopped
3 medium carrots , chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1.4l chicken stock
300g leftover roast chicken , shredded and skin removed
200g frozen peas
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove , crushed
squeeze lemon juice
Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add onions, carrots and thyme, then gently fry for 15 mins. Stir in stock, bring to a boil, cover, then simmer for 10 mins.
Add the chicken, remove half the mixture, then purée with a stick blender. Tip back into the pan with the rest of the soup, peas and seasoning, then simmer for 5 mins until hot through.
Mix the yogurt, garlic and lemon juice, swirl into the soup in bowls, then serve.
Feta & spinach scones
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put 280g self-raising flour and a large pinch of salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, combine 100g cubed feta, 3 tbsp sunflower oil, 2 eggs, 280ml Greek yogurt and a small handful baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped. Stir into the flour to form a soft dough, tip onto a floured surface and shape into a thick, flattish round. Brush with milk. Bake for 40-45 mins. Cool, then serve in wedges.
Nutrition per serving
339 kcalories, protein 39g, carbohydrate 18g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 6g, sugar 11g, salt 2 g
Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2009.
More from the Lebanese Recipes Kitchen:
Lamb and Brown Rice Broth
Barley with Beef and Mushroom Soup
Kofta Spring Season Soup
Beef kofta with saffron yoghurt
Chicken kofta
Lamb kofta with mint and garlic yoghurt
Save and share Roast chicken soup recipe
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Life is to a very great extent a matter of choice. It is true we do not choose our parents, our birthdays or the day on which we die. But that is about all.
It, therefore, follows we are largely what we choose to be. We made a very radical change in our lives when we chose not to drink, and what further gains we make in life will be, likewise, of our own choosing.
Hazelden Foundation
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'Monarchy' is the newest product of the Belgian manufacturer Feld, designed by the Greek designer Yiannis Ghikas. It is a rocking chair, which is designed not to be overturned but at the same time allows the user to escape the dullness of the ultimate stability.
'Monarchy' received this year's red dot design award.


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We're delighted to be stocking EatLean's grated protein cheese!
Check out these macros:
Calories per serving: 52
Fat: 0.9g
Carbs: 0.6g
Protein: 10.8g
Amazing. We know.
Sprinkle on a pizza, put in your sandwich, in your morning omelette… you name it.
With a naturally strong Cheddar flavour, this remarkable cheese is ideal as an ingredient for your low calorie meals, low carb recipes, or high protein diet.
Ingredients: Pasteurised Cow's Milk, Salt, Potato Starch


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I'm not very fond of cars, but I was curious what all this auto show hype has been about. I went to check out the car extravaganza at the 9th Middle East International Motor Show held in Dubai.
Even the auto-illiterate (such as myself) would be amazed at the displays of more than 650 absolutely gorgeous cars! Kandoora-clad men ride in and out of the latest automobile design and technology from Aston Martin, BMW, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti Veyron, among others.
The yet-to-be released models unveiled for the first time in the Middle East are the C63 AMG by Mercedes-Benz, Reventon by Lamborghini and the BMW Concept X6. Also on display was the Shelby Ultimate Aero, one of the fastest production cars in the world.
Other highlights of the show include Dubai's first solar-powered car developed by Emirati Saqr Bin Saif. The two-seater runs on solar panels and batteries and can reach a top speed of 50km/h. The Chinese made Haima also made its world debut at the show. Haima, currently among the top three sedan manufacturers in China, was launched for the first time outside China.
West Coast Customs also dropped by to do some live pimping of cars.
Maybauch S62 Landaulet, which made its world premier in the show, was undoubtedly a real crowd drawer. With the Landaulet selling for Dh 2.4 million, "you wouldn't worry about the traffic because the saloon's plush fully reclining airplane-style Seychelles white leather seats would give you the same comfort which travelers enjoy in the first-class armchairs of modern passenger jets."(xpress4me.com)
The new Mini has been voted Best Small Car of the Year, Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe was named Convertible of the Year and BMW took the over-all prize for Best Design and Technology awards.
My Experience at the Dubai Motor Show
References: emiratestodayonline & xpress4me


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Questions About Geothermal Energy
Geothermal systems rely on the earth's subsurface maintaining a constant temperature. The temperature may fluctuate significantly at the surface, but at depths greater than 6 feet, the temperature remains relatively stable (approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
The standard geothermal system includes a loop (tubing) containing a liquid (antifreeze) which is constantly circulating. This loop runs from the building to the exterior, horizontally in the ground, or vertically in a boring, and then back to the building.
As the liquid is circulated, it absorbs heat from the surrounding earth in winter, and transfers heat to the surrounding earth in summer. The liquid is circulated through the compressor or heat pump, which extracts heat for distribution throughout the structure.
In the summer the system works in the opposite direction to provide cool air.
No. This system is based on the earth's subsurface maintaining a stable temperature, regardless of the season, and not the production of steam. The stable subsurface temperatures are actually the result of the sun. If you do live on a volcano, we can still help you.
Yes. Depending on where you live, your heating and cooling needs will vary. This will result in different geothermal loop sizes. The system will work well anywhere in the US, as long as the properly sized geothermal loop for your area is installed.
Not necessarily. It is the length of the heat exchanger (earth loop) that is critical, not its orientation. A larger space is required for a horizontal loop system. Significantly less area is required for a vertical loop, which may be installed in one or more borings (to depths ranging from 100 to 400 feet). A vertical loop system for a 2,500 square foot building can be installed in an area the size of a parking space.
Yes. We can drill through bedrock. Bedrock drilling is actually preferred because most rock will transfer heat better than soil.
No. Geothermal systems are extremely quiet. The rumbling noise of an oil or gas system and the roar of combustion has been eliminated. Most noise from heating systems comes from the fuel combustion. Geothermal systems operate at a noise level similar to a refrigerator.
The units are comparable in size to a standard gas or oil furnace.
Homeowners can expect their geothermal unit to meet approximately 40 to 60% of their annual hot water needs. When the geothermal unit is operating, up to 100% of the hot water needs will be met by the system. When the unit is not operating, the unit will not generate any hot water. Over the course of a year, the system will produce about half of your hot water. Your water heater will do the rest.
Most buildings can be retrofitted with a geothermal system. Geothermal systems typically take up less space than fossil fuel systems.
If your property currently has forced hot air or air conditioning, a geothermal system should integrate easily with your existing system. In cases where the current system includes baseboard heaters or radiators, radiator replacement and/or the installation of a duct system may be required. Geothermal can integrate well with existing radiant floor systems.


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After Robert Casey, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination to challenge vulnerable Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, joined Santorum in backing the Supreme Court nomination of conservative judicial activist Samuel Alito, Kate Michelman was not happy.
After saying she was "sorely disappointed by the lack of commitment to women and fundamental rights by the United State Senate," the former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America ripped into Casey and local and national party leaders who back the socially-conservative Pennsylvania Democrat who is an ardent critic of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed women the right to choose.
"As a Pennsylvanian, I am particularly appalled that local and national Democrats would hand our Senate nomination to someone who openly supports giving Roe an Alito-induced death," said Michelman. "Those whose political successes have depended on the ballots and contributions of pro-choice voters but now facilitate the career of someone who would repeal those rights deserve special enmity."
How angry was Michelman?
The veteran activist who has lived for almost three decades in Pennsylvania might just jump into the Senate race herself.
"After Casey announced his support for Alito, I got calls from around the country," says Michelman in a Legal Times article on the fallout from the Alito fight. She tells Legal Times that she has been urged by Democratic donors and feminist groups to run this fall as a pro-choice independent challenger to anti-choice Republican Santorum and anti-choice Democrat Casey.
If she does, it will be a blow not just to Casey but to liberal college professor Chuck Pennacchio, who has had worked hard — in the face of opposition from most prominent Democrats in Pennsylvania and Washington — to mount a Democratic primary challenge to Casey.
The filing deadline to enter the May 16 Democratic primary passes on Tuesday. But the filing deadline to run as a third party or independent candidate remains open until August 1. Theoretically, Michelman could wait until Democrats make their choice and then run if Casey is nominated. In reality, however, the prospect of a Michelman run will divert energy — and potentially resources — from Pennacchio's already uphill campaign.
Says Pennacchio, "A third party pro-choice candidacy would also divide Pennsylvania Democrats. Since 2000, Al Gore, Ed Rendell, John Kerry, and Arlen Specter have proven that Pennsylvania is a pro-choice state. The best way to defeat Rick Santorum in 2006 is for Democrats to nominate a pro-choice candidate who can and will unite Pennsylvania?s pro-choice majority and make a third party pro-choice candidacy unnecessary. My campaign has established county organizations around the state, and is already uniting Pennsylvanians by fighting for what they want: choice, universal health care, an end to the Iraq War, and other widely held majoritarian views."
But, with expectations high that Casey will be the nominee, the argument for getting started now on an independent candidacy cannot be disregarded altogether. Nor can the prospect that, with sufficient funding and the right breaks, Michelman could be a serious contender.
The classic case of a three-way race for a Senate seat was seen in 1970 in New York State. Both the Republican incumbent, Charles Goodell, and the Democratic challenger, Richard Ottinger, were strong critics of the Vietnam War who embraced generally liberal positions on domestic matters. William F. Buckley's brother, Jim, running on the Conservative Party line, backed the war and steered to the right on social issues. Buckley, whose campaign drew substantial financial support from conservatives around the country and support from many renegade Republicans at the state and national levels, did not win a majority of the vote. But with the major party candidates dividing up the liberal base — Goodell got 24 percent of the vote, Ottinger 37 percent and Buckley 39 percent — the outsider who wasn't supposed to stand a chance won the seat.


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R&B songstress Cassie teamed up with Diamond Supply Co. to create the "Neon" capsule collection. The collection features an original paint drip photo of Cassie printed on t-shirts and crewneck shirts. "Neon" marks Cassie's fifth collaboration with Diamond Supply Co. … Continue reading
Tag Archives: fashion
5 Ways To Wear Monochromes Without Looking Boring.
Black and white are everyone's go-to colours of choice when it comes to fashion, but we underestimate the power of monochrome. It's clearly our go-to look for a reason! The monochrome trend is one of the most influential fashion trends to … Continue reading
New Years Trend: 5 ways to wear heavy metal in 2015.
It's definitely time to get your shine on, metallics are in it this year for the bold and daring fashionista.New year, new look. Now's the time to take some chances—at least in the style department. We're greeting January with striking, … Continue reading


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Samsung Chromebook Series 3 Review and Giveaway
People today are constantly on the move and connected to the Internet, doing anything from creating presentations to checking emails to chatting with friends to playing games. People use all sorts of devices to accomplish these tasks, primarily via smartphones because they're so mobile. However, they're nowhere near as power as an actual computer, but traditional computers tend to have low battery life. The geniuses over at Google have thought about these issues and created their solution: the Chromebook. We'll be taking a look at the Samsung Chromebook Series 3, and giving it away at the end of this review!
About Chromebooks
The Chromebook is a small laptop (technically too large to be considered a netbook, but it's very close) which runs Chrome OS 5 Reasons To Give Chrome OS A Second Chance Google's launch of Chrome OS was one of 2011's most disappointing moments. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of Chrome OS was its performance. Since then, Google has been gradually updating Chrome OS. The user experience has... Read More , an operating system specially created by Google for Chromebooks and Chromeboxes (which are essentially the desktop equivalent to Chromebooks, but that's irrelevant to this review). Chome OS is pretty much the Chrome browser running on top of the Linux kernel. Therefore, Chromebooks only have one real application which you can use — Chrome. The idea of Chromebooks is that as an increasing amount of tasks can be accomplished online, especially with cloud apps, a normal consumer will only require a browser and internet access to do everything they need.
Of course, no one would use a Chromebook if it were just like any other laptop. Because all that's run is a browser, the machine can be slimmed down and configured in a fine-tuned manner. I'll discuss the results of those customizations below.
Samsung Chromebook Specifications
The Chromebook we're reviewing today is Samsung's new second generation Series 3, which includes:
- 1.7 Ghz Exynos ARM-based processor
- integrated graphics
- 2GB of DDR3L RAM
- 11.6″ 1366 x 768 pixel resolution LED-lit matte screen
- 16GB of eMMC storage
- 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking
- 3G connectivity
- SD card reader
- 0.3MP webcam
The final price, minus taxes and shipping, is a mere $249, which makes it a great value.
Unpacking the Samsung Chromebook was surprisingly easy. When you first open the box, you'll be greeted by a Quick Start Guide, along with styrofoam covering that goes over the actual Chromebook. After taking away the styrofoam covering, you'll see the Chromebook inside an anti-static soft bag. In the smaller brown box next to all the styrofoam is the power supply that you'll need to charge your Chromebook. Besides those items, there was nothing else in the box.
Upon first look of the unpacked Chromebook, design is something that must be instantly admired. It looks very sleek, and doesn't ask for too much attention. While it looks like it is made from metal parts, I still believe it's in reality just plastic, but its extremely durable and looks fantastic. Plus, the Chromebook's dimensions add to its impressiveness – 11.4″ wide, 8.09″ long, and just 0.69″ thick. It also weighs in at just 2.43 lbs, which makes travelling with it one of the best experiences I've ever had.
If you expect a full keyboard from this Chromebook, you may be a bit disappointed. While it does have most keys, it lacks some that I use regularly such as Delete, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down. It also lacks F1 through F12, but these are replaced with web-related buttons for forward, back, refresh, brightness, and sound. However, the keyboard is very nice to type on. The keys are distanced far enough apart so that hitting multiple keys at once on accident isn't an issue. They are also somewhat low-lying and quite silent when typed. They do tend to show fingerprints pretty well, but that's about the only complaint I have. The lack of certain keys isn't my own preference, but understandable for the niche that Chromebooks are trying to fill.
I can easily tell that the trackpad is made to accommodate both Windows and Mac users. First off, the trackpad has physical borders around it so it's easy to know when you're on it and when you're not. The entire trackpad surface can be used to move the mouse, and the bottom left and bottom right corners can be used to make respective mouse clicks. The trackpad doesn't have any physical buttons except one — the entire trackpad itself. This is where it also accommodates Mac users who are used to clicking in this fashion on their Macbooks. Therefore, left clicks can also be accomplished by depressing the entire trackpad with one finger, or right clicks by depressing it with two fingers. Scrolling is accomplished with two-fingers swiping up or down. By default, it uses the "traditional" scrolling directions where when you swipe up, your view of a page goes up as well (the page itself gets moved down). In the settings, you can configure it to the new Mac-style "natural" scrolling, where when you swipe up, you move the page up and your view of the page down.
Build Quality
I'm very impressed with the build quality of this Chromebook. It's extremely sturdy and doesn't budge whenever I type more violently on it. A large part of the great build quality comes from considerations taken at the design level. For example, the rubber feet which elevate the Chromebook from whatever surface its standing on doesn't protrode out much from the Chromebook at all, and they are also rounded. This prevents them from easily being ripped off of the device.
The system doesn't come with many ports, as one might expect for a device that is purely meant to connect to the Internet. However, there are still a couple useful ports which you can make use of. As you see, the right side of the device has no ports whatsoever.
The left side, however, has a port for a headphone and/or microphone, as well as an SD card reader.
Most of the ports on this device are located on the backside, which includes a place to insert a USIM for wireless carrier internet, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, and a power port. The USB ports allow you to plug in some devices such as cameras, but a few others such as wireless mice work as well. The HDMI port is pretty interesting, and in my opinion a little buggy, because when an HDMI cable is plugged in, the screen is switched over to the other screen/projector, but you still see a static pointer on the Chromebook's screen.
I personally find the choice of placing most of the ports on the backside of the device questionable, but it hasn't really caused me any issues. I suppose I'm just more used to the way laptops usually place their ports. In case you haven't noticed, the device doesn't have a vent anywhere, not even on the underside of the device. The Chromebook doesn't need one because the ARM processor inside it is so efficient and doesn't generate much heat. The only times when it does get quite a bit warm is when watching 720p videos on YouTube, but for everything else, the temperature barely changes. The device also doesn't have an ethernet port because they're larger than the device is thick, so it may be a very small inconvenience for some people, but adds mobility for others.
The Chromebook includes two speakers (totally 3W) in the front, right underneath the palm rests. I'm actually quite surprised at the quality of the speakers, because they don't sound like tinny laptop speakers, and they can get pretty loud, especially for their size. Of course, the placement allows some muffling to occur if something is blocking them, but there's not really much place to put them somewhere else.
The screen on the Chromebook is quite nice! I do enjoy the fact that it has a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, whereas my previous netbook of similar size had a smaller resolution. The matte screen is also a nice addition, which makes reading in sunlight and other abnormally-lit areas a lot easier. The screen also offers plenty of brightness levels, so you won't have to settle for one that's too bright or too dark.
Even though this Chromebook is powered by an ARM-based processor, it is surprisingly fast and absolutely shames my old netbook. Pages load rather quickly as you'd come to expect out of Chrome. The machine does start getting a little bit sluggish when you have 15-20 tabs open, especially if you have a YouTube video or two playing, but otherwise it chugs along just fine. YouTube 720p videos run smoothly in full screen mode, which is something else I didn't expect to see. Graphical elements of the OS appear very smoothly as well, so the integrated graphics are definitely good enough, whatever they may exactly be. Long story short, Samsung has made sure that it isn't underpowered for what it does.
Battery Life
The biggest feature of this machine is its battery life. The ARM-based processor and LED-lit screen are so energy efficient that the Chromebook is advertised to have a battery life of 6.5 of hours. Under personal tests, I got this number to go up to around 8 or 9 hours when at the lowest readable brightness setting. The thing that makes this so surprising is that the device only has a 2-cell battery. In comparison, most laptops pack 6-cell batteries and get a much shorter battery life. It's an absolute joy to go around and literally be able to use it all day long.
Chrome OS
Chrome OS as a whole is actually pretty interesting to use. It most certainly isn't your average desktop operating system, but it does simplify a lot of things that people tend to get confused over. The graphical user interface elements do try to resemble a traditional desktop interface, but all functions are tied to the Chrome browser. Besides the usual Chrome settings, there are only a few system-related additions, such as keyboard, trackpad, and wireless settings. Printing is also supported via Google Cloud Print How To Share Your Printer With Anyone On The Internet Windows 7's Homegroup feature makes sharing printers on your local network easy, but what if you want to share a printer over the Internet? This has traditionally been very complicated, involving print drivers, firewall rules... Read More . Because Chrome OS is Linux-based, the user doesn't have to worry about viruses, and updates are handled automatically without any user interaction. Chrome OS is pretty successful at letting the user do what they want to, and handle all of the system tasks by itself.
Instead of desktop applications, you can install Chrome apps which link to web services. Google is pushing the idea that all applications can be run in the cloud, and this is their implementation of doing so. As such, it's also easy for them to promote their own suite of online apps, including Gmail and Google Docs. As you might be concerned about, Chromebooks are very limited if they don't have working Internet connections. However, cloud apps which support offline functionality can still be accessed, so you're not totally out of luck. Internet connections shouldn't be that much of an issue as there is Internet almost everywhere, especially if you have inserted a USIM card.
In the end, I find a lot of joy and productivity by using the Chromebook. I am pretty invested in Google's online tools, which makes it a lot easier to jump over to a Chromebook. However, the smallness, lightness, and long battery life make the Chromebook one of the best computers for mobility. It's simple to setup and use, and helps you get your work done if you don't have too many specific offline needs. I also assume that Samsung's support will be similar to all their other devices, and since a Chromebook is a big name, they should definitely know how to help you out.
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I don't own a lot of fine silver. The one or two pieces I do have don't get a lot of time in the public eye. That's because they seem to attract tarnish like flies do honey. I was recently given a silver charger plate that is so beautiful, it had me revisit this tarnish problem. It was time to conquer silver-polishing at home once and for all! Let's do this thang, shall we?
I'm a bit of a crunchy girl -- if there's an all-natural way of doing something, I prefer to go that route. There are enough chemicals and weird ingredients in the things we use every day. If I can keep a couple of bad-for-me-and-my-family things out of the house, I'd rather go that route. Luckily for me there are COUNTLESS modes of polishing up your silver out there. Here are 10 of them! And they are as a natural as it gets.
More from The Stir: How to Clean Your Jewelry Using Common Household Products
1. Toothpaste
The abrasives in toothpaste are just right for silver. They work, but they won't damage the polish. Avoid using a toothpaste with whitening ingredients, which might cause damage. To use this method, apply the toothpaste to a unused brush, and scrub as you would your teeth: Gently, but with purpose! Be sure to rinse completely clean and then dry thoroughly.
2. Hot Foil Bath
This one is a goody -- and fast! Line a pan with aluminum foil, put your silver inside, and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for five minutes, and your silver? It will be shining! The aluminum and boiling water both draw away the tartar-causing dirt.
3. Buffing
In between big cleaning days, keep your silver shiny with regular buffing. Using a jewelry or auto sham will do the job nicely! It's like a massage to keep it sparkly.
4. Baking Soda
Gotta love baking soda. It goes to follow -- since toothpaste works so well -- that this will too! Make a paste using baking soda and water, and then proceed the same way you would with toothpaste. Presto! Clean silver.
5. Salt
Only use this for very tough stains. Salt is really abrasive -- we're using it here as we did in option 4, as a paste. So try it if there are stains that won't budge, but go carefully. You don't want to scratch the silver.
6. Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergent contains a lot of the ingredients we've used so far -- baking soda and salt, to name a few! An overnight soak in detergent and water can sometimes do the trick.
7. Ketchup
Weird but true! Use it like you would any of the pastes we've discussed. The natural acid of the tomatoes eats through the tarnish and leaves your silver sparkling. It doesn't get more natural than that.
8. Citrus Soda
I'm not a huge believer of wasting Sprite, but the carbonation of the soda and the natural sodas containing lemon can bust away stains with their bubbly, acidic powers!
9. Hand Sanitizer
This one is the least natural on the list. That said, if you're in a pinch, hand sanitizer and the chemicals and alcohol therein can definitely get the job done.
10. Hair Conditioner
This is a preventative one that I'm really fond of. In the way conditioner protects your hair, so it protects silver. Use a little bit before buffing to keep tarnish from resurfacing. A little bit of coconut oil also works -- and smells great!
How do you keep your silver sparkling?
Image via Corbis


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Topic 1: Team Penske is off to a quick start again just like 2015. They became nonexistent after the Indy 500. Have they figured out how to get 4 number 1 drivers to work together, will they implode like last year or will the other teams catch up and give them a run for their money?
TonyD:I don't think Team Penske will ever implode. You are talking about one of the best run organizations in all of motor sport. Helio Castroneves was in the championship fight until Mid Ohio last year, while Power and Montoya fought until the last race. I expect them to be in the running every race all year.
Tomas: Penske never implodes, they have good drivers and excellent engineering. It's whether the likes of Ganassi find what they are looking for.
Ashley: I do think all four Penske drivers will work well together. As with any multi-car team, it gives them an opportunity to compare data. But I also think there are some other strong driver/engineer combinations this year that will give them a run for their money.
Nancy: I think other teams will catch up, at least that's what I am hoping will happen. IndyCar needs to have as many winners as possible to keep fans interested. Other teams are starting to figure out the chassis, aero-kits etc.
Rick: Not sure they "imploded" last year as much as everyone stepped up their game accordingly. If anyone can have four number one drivers work together, it is Penske. Not really sure what we mean by "working together". If a race came down to the last 10 laps and it was three Penske drivers, it would be very interesting to see how that would play out. Further, I would truly expect both Gnassi's and Andretti to catch up by mid-season. I think it is more a function of their off-season work, the quality of their personnel, and the quality and capabilities of the drivers and the equipment.
Topic 2: Honda's aero-kit work in the offseason made big strides compared to what their teams had last year. Do you think Chevy still has an advantage and is this the last year for aero-kits?
Tony: Too much money has been spent on aero kits, I think they stay. I think Honda will have made strides, but expect Chevy to still have the upper hand, especially in qualifying.
Ashley: There is no doubt that Chevy will be strong again this year, but as evident by the recent test at Phoenix (six Hondas in the Top-10 in Session Four) and St. Pete, I think Honda will be right up there with Chevy. I don't think this will be the last year for aero-kits.
Nancy: I believe it is the last year for aero-kits as they are an added expense the teams don't need, and Honda is still behind. They should have had this figured out last year.
Rick: Yes, Chevy will start the season with a continued advantage, but that gap will be narrowed before too many races. The real challenge here is to try and determine what is the litmus test to decide the aero package difference is being closed. Looking solely at which team is in the winners circle is not necessarily the best indicator. Take a look at where the entire Honda field is finishing versus the field.
Tomas: I don't know.
Topic 3: Who do you have for rookie of the year: Max Chilton, Conor Daly, Alexander Rossi?
TonyD: Daly
Tomas: Conor Daly.
Ashley: Conor Daly. I think Chilton and Rossi will still do well given that they are driving for two strong teams in Ganassi and Andretti/Herta. I know that the competitive drive in them, as with any racer, will push them to win. However, Conor knows exactly what it takes to get where he is right now and has fought for that.
Nancy: Conor Daly! I think he is a great driver and will prove it this year.
Rick: Conor Daly. He will have the advantage of having spent a fair amount of time in an IndyCar, compared the other two. All three are accomplished drivers, all three will have interesting seasons, but ultimately, I would put my eggs in the Conor Daly basket.
Topic 4: Ratings for the St. Pete race came in at 1.1 which was a significant jump. Is IndyCar on the right track by focusing on the tv audience? Have they focused on improving the tv audience at the expense of the fan experience at the track? Please expain.
TonyD: I believe so . Having the first race of the year be a billboard for the month of May, followed by the Angie's List GP and qualifying for the 500 on ABC to advertise the race is big. I love NBC Sports Coverage however, but I think both are on the right track.
Tomas: I am not sure, but I can tell you that tv numbers are the most important. Sure it's great to see fans at the track and it's good for atmosphere but tv is where the money is at.
Ashley:I am so glad to see a jump in TV ratings. I might be partial since I work for NBC Sports, but so many people on the production side are putting in hard work, so it's great to see the high ratings follow. Ultimately, I don't think it has to be one or the other. I think there can be high TV ratings AND a great experience at-track. They feed off one another. If you see a great crowd at the race on TV, you want to go in person and experience it for yourself.
Nancy:They've focused on the TV audience, but not the race times, meaning a 5:00 race on Sunday TV start will get many tuned in but not as many will attend. Fans want to be able to go home after the race due to work, if it rains fans have to make a choice. Therefore why would a fan come to a race vs. watching on TV.
Rick:I guess I didn't realize IndyCar was focusing on the tv audience. The fact the numbers are better is a function of being on ABC on a weekend where the NASCAR race was not on simultaneously, there were not a lot of other events to take viewership away, and IndyCar is producing a quality product. They were able to pick up motorsports fans and provided a product that was engaging, competitive and interesting. Not sure they have reduced the fan experience at the track at all. I was not in attendance for St. Pete, so am not sure what or how the fan experience has been reduced at the track.
Topic 5:Is the Mazda Road to Indy viable and successful? Spencer Pigot is the reigning Lights champion and only has a 3 race deal, Gabbby Chaves the 2014 champ lost his ride after 1 season at BHA, Sage Karam the 2013 champ lost his ride after 1 full year at Ganassi and Tristan Vautier is out after 1 full season and a partial season last year? It seems to work well until you get to the last rung. Please elaborate.
Tomas: Indycar is where it's at. These kids could have been good racing against other kids, but when you step into an Indycar you have to push yourself to another level to try be on the same page as guys like Dixon, Montoya, Power and Castroneves. These guys drive 110% all the time, not only that they have experience at knowing what they need from their cars. I think it's a good thing as it shows how tough it is. A kid that does make an impact, leads, wins and drives it like he stole it will sooner or later pop up.
Tony: The problem is, these older drivers are still having success. Montoya, Kanaan, Helio, Dixon are still getting it done and have been for the last 10-15 years. Some of these drivers get one off races and don't succeed in mediocre equipment. Karam is on the sideline because he didn't prove anything last year, besides he can't be trusted.
Ashley: I am a huge fan of the Mazda Road to Indy. There was nothing more exciting to me than getting to work with some of the MRTI drivers and then watching them make their way to IndyCar. While I think it is still a system that works, IndyCar runs off the money that comes into a team. Winning the Indy Lights championship is not enough to get you a full-time IndyCar ride, so drivers still need to find sponsorship funding. It makes me disappointed to see great drivers like Gabby Chaves & Sage Karam out of a full-time IndyCar ride right now, simply because a driver from another series can come in and bring sponsorship money.
Nancy: It is becoming successful and car counts are going up, with that being said, IndyCar doesn't seem to care about success as much as it does bringing money to the table. If you don't bring money you don't drive.
Rick: To me the MRTI is viable and successful if there are graduates running in the prime series, that are competitive and that win races occasionally. By those conditions, the MRTI has been successful. If the qualifications are the champion is running competitively year after year, then it has been a miserable failure. In addition to all those mentioned in the question, JK Vernay won the Lights Championship and never got a ride with any IndyCar team. What exactly does the Lights Champion win? It was billed early on as a $1 million scholarship, which one could intrepret as cash. In reality it's meant the lack of entrance fees and reduced tire costs amounting to a million dollars.
It would seem to be a bit of a curse. The scholarship gets your foot in the door, but doesn't provide enough to get a full season ride. The Champion is still required to raise enough funds to put with the scholarship to make it through an entire season. Raising funds has little to do with being the Lights Champion.
The entire ladder system has the capabilities to allow the cream to rise to the top. The first rung is more expensive than karting, yet less expensive than trying to run your own team. Same with the second level. With each level becoming progressively more expensive, there seems to be a number of people willing and capable to write the checks and get into a seat to take the shot. And there is talent in the Lights Field. Especially this year. Dean Stoneman is going to be really fun to watch. Check him out. A great story and truly deserving of the opportunity. To me, he is representative of what the MRTI should be about.


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My game got 15th place on 204 entries. "Yay", mesays.
And 4th in Innovation, Community and Theme.
So close to a medal! Thank you so much for your votes, and comments.
About the comments, they are very very positive, and this is extremmely rewarding. You all point out very clear downsides, that I am going to list here.
You big enthousiasm gave me the will to rewrite the game. Take your comments in account, try to make it better. More optimised, more fun, more functionnal, more beautiful. It might become my first full fledged game. And that would be nice.
Controls are awkward
True. As I wrote, I designed them with a gamepad in mind, and that was probably a bad idea. First because everyone doesn't have a gamepad, and second because as it's been pointed out, mouse controls would be a lot better.
Also, there are far too many controls. Moving, rotating, zooming camera is already 8 buttons. Could be reduced by suppressing the "strafe" left and right controls and probably still be functionnal. Given the height of the hills, we certainly need camera rotation, to reach "behind" them.
In the same vein, the "beacon" and "boat" shortcuts might be removed. They allow for faster play, but are confusing at first.
However, mouse controls were a lot harder to implement (I'm still not sure how to do the inverse transformation to get from screen to heightfield cell), so I went for buttons.
Solution: go for mouse control, as in classic RTS. Mouse to select buildings, mouse buttons to bring up menus, mouse at the edge of the screen to scroll. Mouse wheel to zoom. Maybe mouse in the top corners to rotate?
With of course keyboard equivalents for the poor chaps who still one one button mouses… Wink wink nudge nudge. And good old RTS keyboard shortcuts.
Gameplay is a bit confusing
Some of you mentionned this, and the fact that 3 pages of manual is too long. I can understand that, especially when you have 204 games to grade. Guilty as charged. When I decided to make a strategy game — with different types of buildings, each with its specificities — the game became inherently complex. And not "casual" anymore like many of the LD entries. That's a choice that probably rebuked many players, and a risk to take. On the other hand, the only remaining ones were the most perseverent, and they seemed to find the game worth the effort. And graded well. Thanks again!
Solution: as suggested, inside help could be useful, as well as tooltips, maybe even tutorials. And pictures in the external manual.
Shading is a bit off at night time, menus sometimes disappear under water, aiming precision is not great, beacon rings should be visible at all times, colors didn't get unanimity, etc.
Obviously, in a limited time competition, some polish gets left out. Especially since the technical part was quite challenging to me. All that would be corrected/improved in a post compo version. Notably, I would like to:
- replace my lousy 3D icons by 2D, maybe have a HUD à la Warcraft, or just a bring-up menu.
- use 2D sprites as well for the dezoomed view, instead of OpenGL square dots.
- more eye candy. My lightnings are a bit lame, the uniform water is not that nice. could use a sky in zoomed views. Maybe more gimmicks on the land so that it doesn't look so empty.
- sound effects.
- longer music, maybe different themes.
- different environments, colors themes, etc.
More gameplay
No one commented on that, but I was thinking about it in my postmortem. Although many of you found the game enjoyable as it is, my intention was in fact to make it multiplayer.
- cooperative mode. 2+ players share the same ressources (max number of stuff) on the same map, and try to save as many people possible, together. Allows for more micromanagment and interesting strategic interaction.
- competitive mode. 2+ players share the map and people, but have their own ressources/buildings. In the end, the winner is the one who saved the biggest number of people.
- versus mode. 2+ players play on totally independent games but with an identical starting point. Other players can be displayed as "shadows". There is no interaction at all between players, the point is to see how many people is saved by each player, given the same map.
Now I'm not sure a solo campain would be interesting. There are few types of buildings, one type of guys, and the point of the game is to control them indirectly. There wouldn't be heros, or real stories behind.
Of course, there could a be a series of tutorials, introducing the buildings one by one. Or I could radically change the whole thing and add lots of unit/building types, and make it a full fledged RTS with military and bloodbaths and whatnot. But that wouldn't really uphold the original concept.
I could, later, make a wargame out of this, in a sequel. But for now I'd just like to remake *this* game, since you seemed to like it so much.
Technical notes
I'm not really sure what i mean by "rewrite". Of course, the LD code is pretty much unusable. Globals everywhere, fake OOP with ugly shortcuts, last minute patches that became core functions, etc. Also, it's written entirely in Lua, and performance is probably not excellent. That means I should probably move the computation intensive parts to C (or a C based language such as Objective-C that I happen to know): heightfield generation and altitude interpolation, drawing calls, etc.
Sadly I don't really know where to put the limit, and I haven't really experimented yet with C-Lua communication and design. For now my library is mainly a wrapper that makes low-level functions available to Lua, and everything from low-level to logic is in Lua.
Might be an interesting challenge. Might also be one of these things I get sucked into and in which I roam around for ages in technical desperation.
The good things
You mentionned awesome, fun, damn cool, interesting, great visual style, atmosphere, "perfect" music, great feeling of doom.
Mission accomplished. Thank you a billion times.
Stay tuned for a possible remake, and see you during the next LD!


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WASHINGTON — U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's chief of staff, Tom Strickland, will step down in February after 21 sometimes troubling months at a federal agency that is still reeling from one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
The announcement today comes days before an oil-spill report is set to be released by President Barack Obama's commission probing the disaster, but Strickland and Salazar told The Denver Post that Strickland's departure was voluntary and that it is in no way indicative of a shake-up in the Interior Department.
White House officials said Strickland, who also serves as assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, is leaving the post on his own.
The two-time Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and former U.S. attorney for Colorado says he will likely return to the private sector and stay in Washington, where his wife, an architect, has a job she likes.
"I came to Washington to take on this job and help (Salazar) in the task of cleaning up this department," Strickland said. "We've had even more excitement and challenge than we bargained for. . . . We always brought our best effort. We always tried to do right by the people."
Salazar says he begged Strickland to stay on.
"I asked him not to leave. I begged him. I'll miss his 80-hour weeks," Salazar said. "He wants to move forward and do another chapter."
Tenure overshadowed
Strickland is applauded internally at the department for representing the United States' effort to protect the bluefin tuna and for launching America's Great Outdoors — modeled after Great Outdoors Colorado.
But largely, his Interior tenure is clouded by the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher of 2010, the largest accidental marine oil spill in the nation's history. The April accident killed 11 people and dumped more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico before the well was capped in July.
Strickland compared it to being sworn in as a U.S. attorney on April 21, 1999, the day after the Columbine High School massacre.
"It was a comparable scale," Strickland said. "The personal tragedy of the families who lost family members will always be there."
Strickland, who took a work-related trip to the Grand Canyon with his wife during the early weeks of the gulf spill, says he went down to the affected area at least 20 times to work on the crisis.
The Grand Canyon trip, widely criticized in Washington as oil poured into the ocean, was something he was asked to do by Salazar. The department didn't know the scope of the tragedy when the decision was made.
"I was doing my job," Strickland said. "I was working hard."
Strickland's long resume reflects the 58-year-old's tension between the lucrative private sector and the public one. He had two stints as a partner at Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber and was also U.S. attorney. He twice ran for the U.S. Senate in Colorado and then worked at United HealthCare, reportedly for more than $5 million a year.
"I've had a very interesting and varied career," he said. "We've got great people in place, and it's time for me to look for other challenges."
Obama's appointed commission to look into the oil spill is supposed to release its report this week. It is expected to be hard on BP, as well as on contractors working with BP. Salazar had no comment on the report's findings.
A good multitasker
Bill Meadows, president of the Wilderness Society, said balancing the gulf crisis with the other demands of the department showed Strickland's strength as a multitasker.
"The gusher was intense," Meadows said. "It disrupted the positive agendas. He was good at keeping those positive agendas moving. I think we came out with some good policies."
Michael McKenna, a Republican energy lobbyist, said he senses trouble at Interior. It has slowed domestic oil production, and gas prices are rising at a time when Obama is vulnerable.
"I'm surprised that it's him and not the secretary," McKenna said. "Maybe it's a canary in the coal mine."
Allison Sherry: 202-662-8907 or email@example.com
Strickland's successors
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says Tom Strickland's two jobs will be filled by two people.
His next chief of staff will be Laura Davis, who has been serving as deputy chief of staff. Before coming to Interior, Davis worked for Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., when he was in the House.
The assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks requires a Senate confirmation. During the interim, the job will be filled by Will Shafroth, also from Colorado.


text:
"If God hadn't answered my prayers, I don't know what I would have done," Kay Wheeler said, watching the workers in her backyard wrap up their two-hour effort. "I'm so thankful — you don't know how thankful I am."
Kay Wheeler was reading the Bible Sunday morning, inside the brick rambler she's called home for a quarter-century, just a block away from the St. John's River. She had lost power for several days when Hurricane Irma — by then downgraded to a tropical storm — hit Jacksonsville, as fallen trees and limbs enveloped her house, knocking down wires and fences and the like.
With her husband battling gout in his knee and having been at the hospital just two days earlier, Wheeler had cleaned up the front yard by herself. But she sought a little divine intervention to finish the rest.
Help arrived — and it collectively wore yellow Mormon Helping Hands T-shirts.


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A couple of years ago, I wrote an editorial titled "The Problem with Superhero Sagas: Why Treating Movies Like Television Is a Bad Idea." In it, I voiced my displeasure at the growing trend of approaching an interconnected feature film franchise like a TV series. This was mostly aimed at Marvel's model—president Kevin Feige is the showrunner, setting the creative tone and overseeing all aspects of the overarching story while the directors served like TV directors, infusing each "episode" with a bit of their own sensibility, but never deviating too far "off-brand." Each film (i.e. episode) was its own contained story, but also had to fit within the overall MCU narrative visually, tonally, and story-wise.
This, I argued, was a deflating way of approaching film that robbed these movies of their individuality, as evidenced by the creative woes voiced by directors like Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) and Joss Whedon (Avengers: Age of Ultron) relating to their collaboration with Marvel Studios. I also wrote this editorial in the wake of Edgar Wright's departure from Ant-Man, noting that Wright's unique filmmaking voice was apparently a bad fit for the Marvel model, and surmising that we'll never see a movie that singular within the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ultimately, the promise that MCU movies would never be incredibly filmmaker-driven, and that we'd never see anything as singular as say The Dark Knight, had me frustrated with the MCU as a whole despite the fact that I quite enjoy a number of their films. Now, four movies later, I'm singing a bit of a different tune.
As we approached Doctor Strange, I'll admit I wasn't particularly excited for it. It seemed like the same-old, same-old and I felt like I already knew what I was getting. And in a sense, I did. The film doesn't break the mold from a story standpoint, and while the set pieces are conceived in unique ways, the visual palette of the film is once again very similar to the rest of the MCU. But you know what? I enjoyed it. I had fun with Doctor Strange. It was smartly plotted, compelling, and even a little funny. It made me smile. And I think, at this point, that's what I'll get out of these MCU movies—enjoyment. I may not love another MCU movie like I do Iron Man 3, and I may not get Dark Knight-level thematic heft, but I'd be a fool to ignore the fact that Marvel knows exactly what it's doing, and it does it really, really well.
The truth of the matter is Marvel is approaching its movies like TV, but A) No one else is doing this and B) Their track record is undeniable. They have had 14 consecutive #1 debuts, and in terms of quality, 10 consecutive movies to earn an A CinemaScore from audiences. They consistently make large-scale, blockbuster films that a vast majority of audiences (and a fair amount of critics) find pleasing, and they're running like clockwork. That's pretty spectacular.
You can say approaching film like TV derives the films of their singularity (and I did), and maybe prevents the prospect of an auteur like Edgar Wright or David Fincher ever signing on to direct one. And that's probably true. But regardless, it works, and I've decided I'm OK with that.


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www.johnsonpublications.zenfolio.com Bonnie Becker | Johnson Publications
Dr. Shane Banks (center) and Certifed Wound Ostomy Nurse CJ Einspahr (to his right) treat Norma O'Brien's wound with the assistance of nurses Ann Aufdengarten (left) and Lydia Wolford (right) at the PCHS Wound Care Clinic that began treating patients in December.
PCHS Wound Care Clinic benefit to community
Perkins County Health Services is continuing to strive to meet the needs of their patients with the addition of the PCHS Wound Care Clinic.
For the past eight months, Dr. Shane Banks and staff have been seeing patients in the outpatient clinic on Wednesdays, with the addition of Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse Conchita "CJ" Einspahr, of Sutherland, in April.
Einspahr said as a comprehensive wound care clinic, they treat patients with anything from a skin tear to a severe pressure ulcer and aid the patient in healing those wounds, using traditional and advanced therapies to facilitate the healing process.
She said typically wounds will heal on their own in 14-30 days unless an underlying problem exists. Several factors are taken into consideration to determine the course of treatment, which averages 12-14 weeks.
In the decision to bring the clinic to PCHS, Vice President of Nursing Dana McArtor said, "This was a missing service line in our region. We are very excited to bring this type of dedicated program to our patients."
Dr. Banks said as a general surgeon, he was seeing a new patient every week with a wound problem or chronic wound.
"These types of problems can up end up being quite a big health care cost and burden if they're not treated properly," he said.
He noted another benefit to the clinic was being able to work with the patient's insurance more effectively and decrease patients' out of pocket costs for supplies.
About six patients have graduated from the wound care program since December, which Dr. Banks noted does not sound like a big number, but it takes time and patience with the tough cases.
They are currently seeing up to 12 patients each week.
The closest wound care center is located in North Platte, and Einspahr said having the clinic at PCHS is a great benefit to the community.
Einspahr is contracted through RestorixHealth and also travels to wound care programs in Cambridge and Atwood, Kansas.
PCHS received a Clinical Distinction Award from RestorixHealth earlier this year for demonstrating exceptional success by meeting or exceeding clinical and safety benchmarks.
For more information about the PCHS Wound Care Clinic or to schedule an appointment, call 308-352-7102.