text:
Celebrate Mexico; enjoy its natural and cultural riches wrapped up in laughter, music, colors and flavors.
Xcaret is a majestic park by the sea, with one-of-a-kind activities in the middle of a rainforest, where visitors have fun discovering the natural and cultural heritage of Mexico by exploring its amazing underground rivers, is surprising range of land and aquatic animals, its gastronomy and its multiple artistic expressions.
Opening Date: December 1990.
Project Begun: 1985
Area: 80 hectares
Visitors per Year: 1,200,000
Meaning of the Word "Xcaret": Small Cove
Distance from Cancún: 56 Kilometers south of the airport
Direct Employees: 1,600
Indirect Employees: 6,400
Website: www.xcaret.com
Fact: We are the only business in the world that holds a Guinness World Record for the preservation of an endangered species, the Red Macaw.
Activities: A nature park with more than 40 attractions in its rain forest, its coves, its underground rivers and its spectacular shows, as well as cultural activities that promote Mexican traditions.
Location: At kilometer 282 on the Chetumal-Puerto Juárez highway, on the Mayan Riviera, 74 kilometers south of Cancún.
History: The project began in 1985, when the architect Miguel Quintana Pali, along with three brothers, Oscar, Marcos y Carlos Constandse, realized their dream of sharing the beauty of the subterranean rivers and cenotes discovered when their property in the Mayan Riviera was being prepared for building.
This dream became a reality called Xcaret Park, which opened in December 1990. Since then, this majestic park by the sea is visited by an average of 1,000,000 people a year, and it has become iconic among destination nature parks.
Parque Xcaret contains a large extension of rain forest, three underground rivers, a cove, beaches and archeological sites. Visitors here enjoy more than 40 natural attractions, as well as Mexico's most representative cultural manifestations, including dance, charrería, music and the gala spectacle called Xcaret México Espectacular, with more than 300 artists on stage. The park has five restaurants that are open every day, as well as various venues that are ideal for group activities.
To encourage the preservation of our traditions, two special events take place in Xcaret Park each year: the Travesía Sagrada Maya (Sacred Mayan Crossing) and the Festival de Tradiciones de Vida y Muerte (Festival of Life and Death Traditions). People from surrounding communities, society in general, and tourists from all over the world are involved in these celebrations.
Among the many awards and distinctions that Parque Xcaret has received are the Earthcheck Internacional Certification in Sustainable Tourism, the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, a prize awarded by the Programa de Reproducción de la Guacamaya Roja (the Red Macaw Reproductive Program) and the H Award in all our restaurants, for cleanliness and sanitation in all our food preparation.


text:
On Blogger since November 2010
Profile views - 1312
My blogs
Blogs I follow
- Bakergirl
- flour on her nose
- freshfromevaskitchen
- Gourmet Baking
- Harvest Moon Cooking Site
- Indressme Chic Destination Online
- Yochana's Cake Delight!
|I talk a LOT. A talented procrastinator, I play the piano, the violin, and I sing, and I enjoy nearly anything that has to do with music and the arts. My dream is to become a singer, and I'm getting pretty close! I want to become happier, brighter, smarter, wiser and more joyful ever day, and I wish for all people to lead beautiful lives. My goal in blogging is to create a place in which people who feel lonely or bogged down by the darker things in life can come together and give each other a hand. We all need a place to belong- and sometimes, rant! It's so nice to meet you all!
|Music, painting, drawing, all of the arts section. Sports are enjoyable, particularly swimming, running, basketball, and soccer
|Favorite Movies
|All of Miyazaki's animations. I have a lot of appreciation for good animes/animations, and I really enjoyed the film Interstellar. I don't think I really have a favorite movie- I'm fickle at heart >.<
|Favorite Music
|Kpop, classical, pop, rock, hip hop, indie, etc.
|Favorite Books
|Harry Potter, Leven Thumps, Fablehaven, I Am Here!, Kitchen Princess, Count of Monte Cristo, In Cold Blood, etc.
What is the only thing humans are born craving? The answer is... sugar! Incidentally, fruit flies are also attracted to sugar... although that is completely besides the point.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
RC44 : Team Aqua Rules in Cagliari
RC44 fleet. Image copyright Nico Martinez
by Jessica Gray
The scene was set and the only the final act to play. Team Aqua was the team to beat, and to win the RC44 Cagliari Cup they had to fend off the challenge of the Spanish and the Swedes.
A three point lead when you can't discard a bad race is slim to say the least, that was the margin Team Aqua had over Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, with Artemis Racing just another eight points behind in third.
As the teams were released from the dock the wind was still north-westerly, but due to fade and be replaced by a southerly sea breeze at some point in the day, the problem was no-one knew when.
The first race started in 8 knots, but as the fleet were half way up the first beat the wind started to shift to the right, Team Aqua (GBR) were on the left hand side of the track and rounded the windward mark in 10th place, their main opposition Artemis Racing (SWE) and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) rounding second and fifth respectively.
Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. Image copyright Nico Martinez
Places didn't change much as the course was shortened and presented limited passing lanes. ORACLE Racing made up for their disappointing day yesterday, taking the first win of the day. Team Aqua could only finish ninth, handing over the overall lead to the Spaniards.
But Chris Bake and Cameron Appleton have competed on the RC44 Circuit since it was first created in 2007; they are an experienced and well polished team and were not going to see the title snatched away at the last hurdle, as Bake explained. "We knew we had picked the wrong side of the course but we buckled down and everyone stayed focused."
As the sea breeze kicked in, Cagliari produced some stunning sailing conditions, 12-14 knots and beautiful blue sea and skies. Team Aqua were never worst than second in the penultimate race of the series, passing CEEREF (SLO) on the second beat to take the win. It was then Islas Canarias Puerto Calero's turn to struggle, their 12th place put them down to third overall, one point behind Artemis Racing.
Katusha had also picked themselves up from their disappointing day yesterday, adding just seven points to their score-line from the three races sailed. A great move at the windward mark saw the team sail CEEREF and Aleph high of the mark before Katusha tacked, ducked around the mark and never looked back, taking a convincing victory.
But it was the places behind that mattered for the overall title. Artemis Racing's owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) and tactician Morgan Larson (USA) were on a charge. A third place in the final race cemented their second place. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero could only manage a ninth place, enough to keep them third. With owner Daniel Calero unable to attend Cagliari due to business commitments, Alfredo Morales was the man that stood in for him.
Owner of second placed Artemis Racing Torbjorn Tornqvist was pleased with the result, but still think they can do better. "I'm very proud of the team we had a bit of a disappointing last regatta so it's great to bounce back like this. We had a solid performance, it wasn't outstanding and I think we have more to give but of course I am very happy with the result and the way things went."
Artemis Racing. Image copyright Nico Martinez
The win in Sardinia moves Team Aqua to the top of the 2011 RC44 Championship Tour leader board. Adding to their win here, they also count a third from San Diego and second on Lake Traunsee, Austria. They sit one point ahead of Team ORACLE who finished second from San Diego and first in Austria but fourth here in Cagliari.
With Katusha winning the opening event of the season in San Diego, there have been three different winners at each of the RC44 venues this year, indicative of the different sailing conditions each have produced.
The Yacht Club Cagliari has hosted a tremendous event for the RC44 class. The weather threw everything at the 15 teams, a gentle start to the event for the opening match race day along with two full on days of racing when the mistral showed up.
Having just completed his first event in the RC44 class Krzysztof Krempec (POL) from Mag Racing is looking forward to the challenge ahead, starting in Marstrand "The plan is to be in the class for a minimum of three years, this year we are just learning were not trying to win every race we just want to learn and watch the guys close to us and then every regatta we will get higher and higher."
The fourth event of 2011 RC44 Championship Tour will be held in Marstrand, Sweden from 17-21st August where the teams will race for the RC44 Sweden Cup, a venue the class have never visited before. The competition for who will be crowned 2011 RC44 Champions is hotting up.
Quotes of the day:
Chris Bake (CAN) – owner and helmsman – Team Aqua (GBR)
It's been a great regatta we've been very consistent, had a few blips along the way. We were a little nervous after the first race waiting for the sea breeze but it was great and the team have done a phenomenal job so I'm really thrilled and very excited for them and for me. Looking forward to Sweden and hopefully we can stay on a roll.
Russell Coutts (NZL) – tactician – Oracle Racing (USA)
We had fantastic race conditions here in Cagliari, it was really good close racing and the speeds between the boats are getting closer and closer. Marstrand will be interesting it's a different place and none of us have sailed these boats there, each time we go to a different venue we have a different winner, we've have three different winners at three different venues which is also indicative of the different sailing conditions.
Krzysztof Krempec (POL)– owner and tactician – Mag Racing
The class is very exciting and interesting, it was a fantastic four days for me and my team, we started off not so good in last position but we've been getting better and better. We've started to get a feel for the boat now, especially me as this is my first big boat but I'm very happy with the racing.
We started to get competitive after three days when we found the speed in the boat and today we feel like the boat is going fast and we can be close and sometimes in front of the fleet.
Jose Maria Ponce (ESP) - tactician – Islas Canarias Puerto Calero
It was a very exciting day, after the first race we were leading overall but Team Aqua took it back. We are very happy and sailed very well all week; Artemis and Aqua have sailed better than us all week so they deserve the place.
Chris Bake (Team Aqua) Alfredo Morales (Islas Canarias Puerto Calero) Torbjorn Tornqvist (Artemis Racing). Image copyright Nico Martinez
2011 RC44 Cagliari Cup Fleet Racing Results
(After ten races)
1 - Team Aqua - 36
2 - Artemis Racing - 42
3 - Islas Canarias Puerto Calero - 49
4 - ORACLE Racing - 51
5 - RC44 Team CEEREF - 55
6 - Katusha - 60
7 - No Way Back - 68
8 - Synergy Russian Sailing Team - 85
9 - Peninsula Petroleum 87
10 - Ironbound - 99
11 - AEZ RC44 Sailing Team - 103
12 - RUS-7 Sail Racing Team powered by AnyWayAnyDay.com - 110
13 - Team Nika - 118
14 - MAG Racing -122
15 - Aleph Sailing Team - 124
2011 RC44 Championship Tour Ranking
(After three events)
1 - Team Aqua - 6
2 - ORACLE Racing - 7
3 - Katusha - 13
4 - RC44 Team CEEREF - 14
5 - Artemis Racing - 17
6 - Islas Canarias Puerto Calero - 18
7 - No Way Back - 21
8 - Ironbound - 25
9 - Peninsula Petroleum - 26
10 - Synergy Russian Sailing Team - 28
11 - Aleph Sailing Team - 33
12 - AEZ RC44 Sailing Team - 33
13 - Team Nika - 36
14 - RUS-7 Sail Racing Team powered by AnyWayAnyDay.com - 40
15 - MAG Racing - 42
at 01:19


text:
Falkland Islands gardens
Feb 13, 2009
Pi and Victoria,
This is not anything like the conditions you face but I thought you would be interested…
You mentioned wind — in the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, the Antarctic wind, even in summer, is so strong in places the penguins lean over with their backs to the wind — so they don't get blown away I guess. They use hedgerows to break the wind.
These are some photos of the Sea Lion Lodge's garden on Sea Lion Island. They grow fresh veggies here for the summer tourist season. They have the luxury of heading back to the capitol, Stanley, for the winter.
The photo below is the garden of a family of four who live remotely on East Falkland Island. He has a commercial fishing company and they also have chickens for protein. They live there year 'round and rent out cottages in the summer.
The Falklands are entirely different from Alaska — it's very, very cold one minute and warm the next — like Chicago on steroids!
It doesn't snow much, although I was there on the first day of summer and there were flurries, and I don't think the ground freezes but it's challenging to have fresh produce. There's a weekly flight from Chile and three military 16 hour flights from England so they are pretty isolated.
Your comments reminded me of this and I thought I would share.


text:
Vicki Sanders
Liliana Arancibia
Natalia Wodecki
View a complete list of Web 2.0 Expo contacts.
This workshop will explain how to use a simple 5-step model for startup metrics to make better product & marketing decisions. We'll show you how the model works, how to apply it to your business, and we'll do live "Startup Makeover" reviews for 5-10 companies.
This model focuses on measuring user activity at five basic levels of conversion:
Examples & variations on the model will be explored for several types of startups, and we'll cover the following topics: create a basic conversion dashboard, define your site's keyword vocabulary, select & evaluate marketing channels, test & optimize landing pages, setup simple email strategies for user retention, choose which users to target for viral marketing, and design a business model that won't require three rounds of venture capital funding.
You can view or download a copy of the workshop presentation slides here:
Along with the basic metrics model, we'll provide an intro to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Startups from Vanessa Fox.
Dave McClure has been geeking out in Silicon Valley for almost twenty years as a software developer, entrepreneur, startup advisor, angel investor, blogger, & internet marketing nerd. He is an advisor or investor for Mint, Mashery, Simply Hired, TeachStreet, Oortle, KissMetrics, SlideShare, Eventvue, RichRelevance, HealthUnity, & Canopy Financial.
Dave is the conference chair for Graphing Social Patterns, and a co-chair for Web 2.0 Expo, and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford University for the nation's first-ever course on building Facebook Apps. Dave is a board member for microfinance accelerator Unitus, advisor to microfinance lender Kiva.org, and a co-founder of the Silicon Valley Microfinance Network.
Previously, Dave launched and ran marketing for job search engine Simply Hired, and was Director of Marketing at PayPal, where he started and ran the PayPal Developer Network program. Prior to PayPal Dave was a database consultant and programmer for several companies including Microsoft and Intel. In 1994 he founded Aslan Computing, an internet and e-commerce firm later acquired by Servinet/Panurgy in 1998. Dave barely graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a BS in Mathematical Sciences Engineering and a minor in frisbee, billiards, & foosball. For more info see Dave's blog: Master of 500 Hats
Hiten Shah graduated from UC Berkeley in 2003. Since then he has been engulfed in the Internet marketing world. He first started off with offering SEO and SEM services by co-founding Advantage Consulting Services and helping to write ACS's company blog, Pronet Advertising. Soon after he saw the need for better Internet marketing tools and started creating web applications including Crazy Egg, Siteblimp, and Serph. More recently along with his partners at ACS, he has been focusing on providing Social Media Marketing solutions for companies of all sizes.
Vanessa Fox, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Ignition, is a noted technology blogger who has been cited in publications such as USA Today and the London Times. She's been building websites since 1995 and has been involved with product strategy in a number of industries including telecom, retail, and wireless. A Google alumnus, she created Google's Webmaster Central, designed to help site owners improve their web sites and gain more visitors from search. Vanessa writes for a variety of publications, particularly as Features Editor for SearchEngineLand.com, hosts a weekly show on webmasterradio.fm, and consults with clients on building online communities and on internet marketing. Read her observerations on the web 2.0 world at vanessafoxnude.com.


text:
So I started to investigate it in one of mine test environments, and indeed there I had the same issue. But besides just importing the SQL MP, I hadn't done anything else. This was a very new environment and I had just imported some MPs without having done any configuration. (even I do sleep sometimes…). Then I looked in another test environment, older but configured and here all is well.
So I started to configure the SQL MP in the new environment properly, as stated in the MP guide for the SQL MP. Also I checked the OpsMgr event log of this server and here I saw two interesting events (right after a restart of the Health Service), both with EventID 21406:
The first was the most interesting one since it told me there was an issue with the needed permissions:
And almost straight afterwards, I saw the second event which told me why there was no data to be found in the reports and the Views:
Yes, SQL Distributed Management Objects (DMO) is installed on this SQL-server so is has to be an authorization issue as well.
The SQL MP guide is clear about authorizations, page 21, Security Considerations, Run As Profiles states clearly:
The same document also tells how to go about it and what authorizations are needed in order to get this MP up & running. Page 22:
So I made an account in AD with the needed permissions, added it to SQL (SysAdmin role) as well. Then I used this account for the profiles as stated in the SQL MP guide and chose for More Secure distribution, selecting the SQL server.
Then I restarted the Health Service and checked the OpsMgr Event log. It seemed to be OK now since no more EventID's 21406 were popping up.
Checked the Views (Microsoft > SQL Server > Databases > Database Free Space and ~> Transaction Log Free Space) and after 10 minutes they got populated! So the report will work as well but needs a bit more time in order to collect data.
So RTFM (Read The Friendly Manual) is very important. Especially in OpsMgr R2 where one can import MPs straight from the Console. Nice feature but when the related guides aren't read, it is prone to error. Even when one wants to use this new functionality, it is to be advised to RTFM first by downloading the MPs from the MP Catalog, unpack them as I described in another blog posting (also why), read the related guide, understand it and then and only then to import the related MP.


text:
Experimental tuba: Two words you don't see side-by-side very often.
The big bulky brass instrument conjures up images of lockstep marching bands, or smoky New Orleans jazz joints, but never anything remotely new or avant-garde.
Set all you preconceived notions about the tuba aside, and get ready for Boca Raton born and bred musician Bill Muter to blow your mind with the beast of brass. Seriously, Muter emits sounds out of the tuba that are simply perplexing. Bending, molding, and shifting the notes of the lowest pitched brass and producing head-scratching noises that resemble guitar strums, keyboard bleeps, didgeridoo fizzes, and more.
He also tips and taps on the oversized horn at the same time, recreating the pitter-patter of drums. The real showstopper is when Mutter starts beatboxing out of the thing, a little boom boom biff hip-hop throwback emitted out a symphonic instrument leaves the crowd like putty in Muter's hands.
See also:
- A Practical Approach: At Only 27, Bill Muter Writes the Book on Playing the Tuba
He takes the tuba into realms unknown; dimensions we didn't even know were possible for this orchestral instrument. Classical, jazz, symphonic, hip-hop, rock, fusion, funk, Muter has no sonic boundaries.
To give you an idea of Muter's brilliance, on his debut solo album Off Script, he lays out 120 compiled tracks of tuba, playing the melody, bass lines, and the drum parts out of the horn. "In the album, 99-percent of the sounds you hear were produced by the tuba," he says.
Muter's intent was to create newer divergent sounds out of the instrument, emitting noises and resonances that people have never heard before from it. He really knocks it out of the park on Off Script. Muter teamed up with ever-eccentric Mike Mineo on this effort, Mineo taking a seat in the producing chair for this distinctive record. The two have been working together for five years now, Muter loaning his inimitable skills on Mineo's two records, Eccentricity and Beach Season.
Mineo and Muter made a template of the number of different sounds they could make with the tuba, according to Muter. "We blew into the instrument, hit it like a drum, scratched it, flicked it, and pretty much anything that made a noise, we recorded all of those sounds and just started writing music with what we came up with."
The end result is an unclassifiable yet alluring record that will appeal to every sort of music fan. Experimental tuba jazz fusion or Postmodern tuba rock, we suggested as genres. "Yeah... When you submit to iTunes and all of those other online music retailers, it asks you what genre of music it is. Damned if I know!" said Muter.
The physical album release is May 17, at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Muter is giving a presentation and performance at the Midwest Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conference, hosted at ISU.
"Wait, there are such things as tuba conferences?" we asked the 28-year-old gifted musician. "This is actually the first one I have ever attended," responded the personable Muter with a guffaw. "I'll be doing a clinic and performing, so I am pretty curious to see myself, should be an interesting group of people."
Although a Boca Raton release party from this homegrown artist would have been fantastic, a Tuba Euphonium Conference seems a fitting venue for the unveiling of this pioneering album. Muter is the most inventive tuba player we've ever seen. He has the potential to do for the tuba what Louis Armstrong did to the trumpet. Innovative the sounds of his instrument and change people's perception of it too.
"Wait, what about 'Tuba funkadelio-beep-bop?'," we said as a last ditch effort to come up with some sort of classification for his tunes. "Nice, that just might work," Muter admitted kindly.
The album, which features Muter originals and hits from Bob Marley, JJ Johnson and the Chordettes, is also available on iTunes now, for those of you not making it to the tuba conference. Let the tuba melt your face.
Here is the first track from Off Script, "Tuba Conduit." Believe it or not every single note, percussion, blare, and screech was produced by the tuba. Its like Explosions in the Sky meets Medeski Martin & Wood, meets Miles Davis.
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to New Times Broward-Palm Beach's mission. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling South Florida's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
More info on the album release can be found here.


text:
Happy Sunday, my friends! I'm so excited to be participating in the Sunday Street Team for F.M. Boughan's Cinderella Necromancer! Be sure to check out our Q&A below and enter the giveaway!
About the Book
Title: Cinderella, Necromancer
Author: F.M. Boughan
Pub. Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Pages: 324
Preorder: Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Indigo
Cinderella, Necromancer is Chime meets Anna Dressed in Blood and was inspired by a real medieval grimoire of necromancy from 15th-century Germany.
Ellison lost her mother at an early age. But since then, her father has found love again. He's happy and doesn't quite notice that Ellison does not get along with his new wife or her mean daughters. When Ellison discovers a necromantic tome while traveling the secret passages of her father's mansion, she wonders if it could be the key to her freedom. Until then, she must master her dark new power, even as her stepmother makes her a servant in her own home. And when her younger brother falls incurably ill, Ellison will do anything to ease his pain, including falling prey to her stepmother and stepsisters' every whim and fancy.
Stumbling into a chance meeting of Prince William during a secret visit to her mother's grave feels like a trick of fate when her stepmother refuses to allow Ellison to attend a palace festival. But what if Ellison could see the kind and handsome prince once more? What if she could attend the festival? What if she could have everything she ever wanted and deserved by conjuring spirits to take revenge on her cruel stepmother?
As Ellison's power grows, she loses control over the evil spirits meant to do her bidding. And as they begin to exert their own power over Ellison, she will have to decide whether it is she or her stepmother who is the true monster.
Q&A with F.M. Boughan
1- I think it is so neat that this book is based on a real medieval grimoire! How did you come to find out about the grimoire?
One year at Christmas, a family member gifted me a copy of Magic in the Middle Ages, written by a professor at Northwestern University. After reading that book, I sought out additional books by the professor and discovered his work on the grimoire. Naturally, I bought a copy immediately!
2- In your research on that grimoire, what was the most interesting thing you learned?
I found it fascinating that the grimoire was actually marked as belonging to the Royal Library of Munich. It's important to know that occult magic like this was anathema, totally forbidden, absolutely illegal in every way possible. Hence, these grimoires were hidden away and used under cover of darkness, and if discovered, destroyed immediately. It's completely mind-boggling that one of these manuscripts not only survived, but was entered into the Royal Library! It should have been burned on sight, not kept and protected! Clearly there's more to the story of this grimoire than we'll ever know for sure.
3- Since this story is also a retelling, how did you approach the task of taking a classic work of literature and adapting it into your own story?
I literally printed out paper copies of all the versions of Cinderella I could find, read them, and then went back through to make notes on the commonalities, unique details, and historical elements in each piece. I was also fortunate enough to find some annotated versions online that provided extra insight, which was fun.
4- Which character in CINDERELLA, NECROMANCER did you find the most challenging to write and why?
I don't spend a lot of time around really young children, so writing Ellison's six-year-old brother was definitely the hardest for me.
5- Without giving away any spoilers, can you tell us a little bit about what your favorite scene was to write in this book?
My absolute favorite scene is when Ellison finally confronts her stepsisters, and what happens immediately afterward. What she does, and the entrance that someone makes directly after that action, literally had my heart pounding as I wrote it. I didn't expect that chapter ending, and then it happened, and I had to pause to catch my breath!
6- If you could have a glass of wine with any classic fairy tale character, which one would you choose and why?
I'll have a root beer, but uh… maybe the princess from The Frog Prince. I'd have a little chat with her about cruelty to animals. After all, if she hadn't thrown the frog against the wall, she wouldn't have been saddled with a prince and could have spent her life with a cute frog for a pet instead… what? I like frogs!
7- What are a few of your favorite YA retellings?
If you haven't read A Thousand Nights and Spindle by E.K. Johnston, you really should. They're lyrical and poignant, and honestly a must for anyone who enjoys retellings. Ella, Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a classic that stands the test of time (and straddles the MG/YA line, I think), but also I'm always here for anything by Jackson Pearce, Danielle Paige, and Rosamund Hodge.
8- What is the single best piece of writing advice you have ever received?
About the Author
F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it's hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic. Her debut YA fantasy, CINDERELLA NECROMANCER, publishes Sept. 5th, 2017 from Month9Books. Feel free to yell at her to get back to work on Twitter (@faithboughan), check out her bookstagram (@boughanfire), and sign up for her newsletter (clicky http://fmboughan.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3d0cc1d5cf9db171a538d0647&id=2fdaa951e5) for updates, giveaways, and total randomness.
Twitter | Bookstagram | Instagram
Enter the Giveaway!
Enter to win a pre-order of Cinderella, Necromancer by F.M Boughan (INTL okay as long as Book Depository ships) + signed bookplate!
Follow the Sunday Street Team Tour
9/10 Tour Stops
Excerpt – OMG Books and More
Review – The Kindred Reader
Interview – A Thousand Words A Million Books
9/17 Tour Stops
Guest Post – Read Write Love
Interview –A Backwards Story
Unique Post – Books Boys and Blogs
9/24 Tour Stops
Interview – YA and Wine
Review –Haunted by Books
Review – Wonderland Novels
Follow me online for more YA and Wine!


text:
Sen. John McCain isn't committing to supporting his vice presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, if she runs for president in 2012.
McCain — the GOP's presidential nominee last year — says he wants to see who the other candidates are and what the situation might be.
When asked whether he'd like to see Palin win the presidency, McCain wouldn't give a definitive answer.
"I'd like to see her compete," he said. "I think we have some very good candidates."
He also said he was unsure whether he would support his former running mate.
U.S. & World
"I'd have to see who the candidates are and what the situation is at the time," he said.
The Arizona senator elevated Palin to the national stage with his surprise pick. He says he has great affection for Palin and her family. But he also cites three other governors — Utah's Jon Huntsman, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty as potential candidates.
McCain joked he was going to get himself in trouble for forgetting a name.
McCain appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy


text:
Nick has a BA Honours Degree in Music and taught Degree level Advanced Musicianship and Technical Development at the British Institute of Modern Music (BIMM).
Nick is a member of Roger Taylor's Queen Extravaganza with singer Marc Martel, hand-picked and managed by Queen. His debut was to 40,000 people in the Hong Kong Stadium and has since toured extensively, recording their Live at Hammersmith double CD in 2017.
Nick performed 'School's Out' with Alice Cooper for the song's 40th anniversary, and has performed Bohemian Rhapsody with Brian May.
He plays regularly with 80's legends Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet) and Nik Kershaw in festivals across Europe.
London West-End shows include (currently) the official Motown show, Rock Of Ages, Queen's We Will Rock You, The Bodyguard with Beverley Knight, Jersey Boys (The Frankie Valli story), and Ray Davies' Kinks show Sunny Afternoon.
Former guitarist for Multi-Platinum artist Gabrielle; UK tour, recordings, numerous TV and a BBC Radio live concert for the British Olympic team; headlined festivals and support slots for 'Mike and The Mechanics' and 'Al Green'.
Nick was chosen by Brian May for the Queen musical We Will Rock You, was approved by Pete Townsend for a tour of The Who's Tommy and has toured stadiums and arenas around the world with a Pink Floyd production.
Nick has recorded many sessions for Multi-Platinum selling M People, X-Press 2, EMI Music Publishing, and various TV soundtracks including Tia Carrere's Relic Hunter.
However, he will tell you that his proudest achievement was standing applause from Jimmy Page after watching Nick emulate James Burton in a faithful reproduction of an Elvis Las Vegas concert.
Nick is the Owner and Director of FretHub Ltd.


text:
Hi loves! This months Fabletics review is of the "On the Edge" collection which features the Lisette high waisted leggings in the "Rosie Night Print". This will be a pretty simple review because I love the Lisette leggings in this particular fabric. The fabric is not too thick (unlike the first Lisette leggings) its got a silky feel, and they glide on and move with your body. My opinion is also the same for the salar capris in the same print and fabric. I opted to get the 27 inch instead of the petite 25 inch inseam and they were much much more comfortable. I have short legs but a long torso, so when I ordered my first Lisettes in the 25 inch inseam, they kept rolling down on my naval.
Mariela Tank
Salar Capri
Erin Tank
Lisette High Waist Legging
Snapdragon Reversible Sports Bra
The only thing I did not care for with this collection were the odd shirts that came with the complete outfits. They to me were just unflattering, and unnecessary in my opinion. In January, I actually just bought bottoms during a 30% off flash sale to avoid the strange tops all together.
Everything I have here is true to size in xxs for the bottoms and the tops are xxs unless that is not available in the style. Come join me on my fitness journey on Instagram my user name is Fashiontolive. XOXO.
Erin Tank
Lisette High Waist Legging
Snapdragon Reversible Sports Bra


text:
The DWP Has Been Silencing Criticism Of Its Policies
With many thanks to Vox Political. Sharing in the interests of sending it viral.
Ministers have been doing their best to pretend that they never do anything wrong – and have then done their best to hide the fact that this is what they're doing.
Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know about the DWP?
Officers for the Department claimed that the information was "commercially sensitive", of all things.
That just leads one to ask why. What commercial contracts would this information prejudice?
Clearly the Information Commissioner was not convinced by whatever argument the DWP produced, because we have our information now.
This Blog is one of the social media sources that offers almost exclusively negative coverage of the Department for Work and Pensions, and it is interesting to note how the DWP treated one of my biggest stories.
In August 2015 the DWP "proactively briefed" the media about the long-awaited statistics which showed the amount of ESA claimants who had died after being found fit for work.
I had no way of knowing this at the time, but this action was successful in 'spiking' coverage in the FT (whose editors should have known better), the Express (this is more understandable) and on ITV.
The DWP's commentary stated that the most critical initial coverage of the statistics misrepresented their details. This was because the DWP had done its best to present them in a manner that would be misunderstood. Still, it was able to secure corrections in the Grauniad and the Mirror which weakened the story.
We are left with a clear message: The DWP is more concerned with distorting the facts – or preventing them from being known at all – than with the facts themselves.
It does not matter to Conservative ministers that their policies have killed thousands of people.
They just want to make sure nobody finds out about it.
Following a 13 month battle, the DWP have finally been forced to release secret documents illustrating the tactics they use to control and manipulate the media.
The documents reveal that the DWP monitors and analyses both mainstream and social media to reduce and manage negative coverage.
And even more worryingly, the documents show the DWP have managed to kill hundreds of stories by making sure that they are not reported.
Almost every month since March 2014 the DWP communications team has produced "Media Evaluation Reports" detailing the ways and methods that the DWP controls negative stories about them in the media.
The reports give valuable insight into a department that is unhealthily focused on the press coverage [it receives].
The fact that they have managed to kill so many stories that they don't approve of raises serious questions as to how the department is exercising its influence over the free press.
The role of journalism is to bring people the truth behind the DWP's rhetoric, not to act as the chief mouthpiece for it.
Source: Secret DWP Documents Prove They Silenced The Media From Running Stories They Didn't Approve Of | EvolvePolitics.com
jeffrey davies permalinkNovember 14, 2016 11:21 am
aktion t4 rolling along


text:
Bahrain GP: Friday Press Conference
Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari)
Monisha KALTENBORN (Sauber)
Martin WHITMARSH (McLaren)
Paul HEMBERY (Pirelli)
Eric BOULLIER (Lotus)
Stefano, I have no previous experience but I'm sure the role of team principal at Ferrari is not the easiest job in the world, but it has seemed – apart from the front wing on Fernando's car in Malaysia – a fairly straightforward and happy start to the season for you all at Maranello.
Where do you think that the progress has been made with the competitiveness of your car? Where has the strength has come from? What have you put right over the winter that wasn't necessarily going so right this time last year?
Well, we'll see what happens over the rest of the weekend. Monisha, good afternoon and welcome to the first team principals' press conference you've been involved in this season. Two new drivers, an all-new driver line-up at Sauber. How would you gauge the progress of the rookie and of the experienced driver you have this year?
It's part of your job, almost, reassuring Esteban that you believe in the talent he has.
And the situation you have in terms of the budget this year: Nico Hulkenberg has been urging the team on to push, you need to develop the car. You have excellent facilities at Hinwil, but do you have the resources you need to use those facilities to their optimum?
Martin, no doubt about it, a very difficult opening three races of the season. What progress do you feel the team has made since winter testing, and Australia. Is it enough or are you really pinning your hopes on a major breakthrough when we get to Spain?
It's likely that you'll be even further behind in the Constructors' Championship when we get to Spain. I know that will only be round five and it's very early, but realistically, are you still racing for a Constructors' Championship or is it now just wins?
Q: Paul Hembery, Pirelli made the decision to change the tire compounds from soft and hard to medium and hard, can you explain why that was Paul HEMBERY: Yeah, it was done on the Sunday night after the Malaysian race. Malaysia obviously being similar in some respects, from a tire point of view, to here in some respects: very hot, very abrasive. We felt that both had worked well there and that was the right thing to do coming here.
Q: Pirelli were tasked with spicing up the racing. Given the level of opinion on the tires and the racing this year, do you think the introduction of softer compounds has been an aggressive step just a little bit too far?
Q: If you're looking at it from the Saturday afternoon and a lack of action in the early part of the qualifying sessions and then on the Sunday with drivers having to pit after two, three or four laps. Is that what you would have wanted as a tire supplier?
Q: Eric, Romain Grosjean has a new chassis for this weekend and for the next few races. What was the thinking behind that? Was there a problem with the old chassis? Was it trying to help his confidence rebuild?
Q: We have a debate in Formula One, as F1 fans, what's more important: good car or a good driver. At the moment you've got a good car and in Kimi Räikkönen a very good driver – how important is Kimi Räikkönen to the long-term success of the Lotus team?
Q: And you're confident that once again you have the budget to cope with a title battle and a development race off the track as well as on it as well.
Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Monisha, we've heard recently in the last week or so talk of Pirelli bringing an extra set of slightly harder tires for teams running a young driver on Fridays. Given your comments earlier, is this an initiative you support? To give rookies and developing drivers more opportunities on track? Do you think it's a good idea, will it be better for the show, and so on…?
Q: Just to clarify, what would you prefer? Two cars running on the track or a third car being run for a rookie with the extra tires?
Q: Stefano, if I can bring you in on this. Would Ferrari be wanting to run rookie drivers, drivers from your Young Driver Development program?
Q: Martin, don't run a rookie driver?
Q: Eric, your theory?
Q: (Mike Casey – Associated Press) It caught my attention the other week that Red Bull were talking about possibly breaking the two second mark in pit stops. I just wanted to get your thoughts how pit stops had changed in the last year or two and if they're becoming a much more significant part of the whole race, especially with the tire issues?
EB: Pit stops are part of racing. In most of racing today you have pit stops. It is clearly important to get this association with the pit crew, having this competition involved into the result as a global performance.
Q: Martin, I suppose with the regulations getting ever tighter, pit stops are one area where you can gain tenths of a second.
Q: At Sauber, how do you prepare your crew for a pit stop and try to gain extra tenths?
Q: (Dieter Rencken – The Citizen) Last week, I asked the team principles present in China how they felt about the fact that the FIA will apparently no longer get involved in regulating the cost control process. How do the four team principles here feel about that?
MK: For us it's absolutely clear that you have to control costs in the near future. You can do that in different ways. You can look at the measures that we have now, like an RRA. You can look at stable regulations, probably a mix of everything which would lead you there and you definitely need to do that to have a healthy sport. Ideally, like Martin said you would want your Federation involved in it and we won't give up on that, and try to maybe talk to the FIA to find ways how we can get the involved.
EB: I think we need to take into consideration how to control costs. It's a very serious matter now in Formula One. The RRA was one way to do it which I believe was the right way to do it but it looks as if there were different opinions. There are, as Monisha said, several ways to do it, we need to do it properly, having more stable regulations and stricter technical regulations to avoid any loopholes to spend more money. I think this may be the only way to control costs, to have them policed correctly. This is the support I will give.
SD: I agree that we should control costs, the matter is how to control them, to be honest, because we tried in a way, we made a great step forward, because I can talk about us, which for sure is one of the top teams which spends that amount of money because other teams honestly will not reach that level. For sure, we need to work together in finding the way to control it. I'm very open whether it has to be the FIA or the teams working together because there are always pros and cons but we should do something together, that's for sure.
Q: (Mike Casey – Associated Press) Obviously we're in a country that is going through a political crisis, not at the circuit but outside in some of the neighborhoods there are some pretty tough clashes between protesters and police. Your thoughts on coming back here again, even with those protests going on?
SD: I don't think it would be good for Formula One to be involved in the political situation of the country because then there is the risk of being pulled from one side to the other, which is not really what we should do. For us, it's a place where Formula One has always been hosted at the top level and we see since 2004, when I believe the first Grand Prix was here, that there was a great development of Formula One as a sport in the Middle East area. Other than that, I cannot comment more.
MK: I fully agree with that. For us, it's first of all the responsibility of our Federation and the commercial rights holder to evaluate the situation and then decide whether we race here or not and if they think it's the right decision then we come and race here.
MW: I think we're only all qualified to talk about it from a sporting perspective and since Bahrain introduced Formula One to this region, it's been a great event and a hospitable Grand Prix to attend. Really we're racers here, we're here to go motor racing, and I think that's all we should be commenting on.
PH: There's not really a lot you can add to what's just been said in many ways. It's hard when people try and draw you into a political situation which is something that we're not really qualified to comment on. I really just concur with what's been said.
EB: Being the last one... I just hide behind my colleagues saying they've said everything. It's true that we don't want to be dragged into a political situation. If the promoter, the FIA and the commercial rights holder agree with the decision to race here we race here.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – The Citizen) Paul, shortly before lunch, when asked about the Pirelli situation, Mr. Ecclestone said rather cryptically that 'from our side it's all done.' Is that your understanding of it? Could you explain what he could have meant by that please?
Q: What is the time scale?
Feedback can be sent to email@example.com
Go to our forums to discuss this article


text:
B.C. seeks civilian for police oversight office
The B.C. government is looking for a civilian to head its much-anticipated Independent Investigations Office that will look into all allegations against police in the province.
The director will oversee the new office, which will conduct investigations into serious injuries or deaths involving municipal police officers or members of the RCMP.
The chief civilian director position is a five-year order-in-council appointment, with the possibility of a second five-year appointment.
The independent office was one of the key recommendations from retired judge Thomas Braidwood's report into the October 2007 death of Robert Dziekanski, who died after being stunned by an RCMP Taser at Vancouver's airport.
The Independent Investigations Office will take over such investigations from police forces, who currently are called in when deaths or injuries involve members of other forces.
Under the legislation, the director must be a civilian who has never worked as a police officer.
Attorney General Barry Penner said the office should be up and running by the end of the year.
Applications will be accepted until August 16.


text:
Disposable SMS numbers
Also in this country you can buy:
Either forward incoming calls to your real number or just take a message on online disposable number you can be sure that your privacy is maintained. Moreover, you can manage additional phone number for SMS without being skeptical of losing on your sensitive information through this holistic set up. The system is flexible and adaptable. In Malaysia it can be readily incorporated and you can purchase the number without any technical challenges. The system is essential for maintaining confidentiality.
Get disposable phone number in Malaysia
You can use disposable number for SMS for your business operations, readily. For Malaysia we serve great deals choosing which our customers can use customized services and be at ease that their information is secured every time they get the code. The advantages of the solution outweigh the threats.


text:
Become a Lay-Up Partner!
We are actively looking for both financial partners and programming partners that can support our work.
Financial Partners
We always looking for new partners that can help us reduce our wait-lists and provide access to more kids throughout Toronto. We work closely with our partners to create custom investment opportunities that meet their philanthropic priorities.
Programming Partners
We believe in a model of a collective impact and are always looking for partnership opportunities that can provide value to our current and/or new participants. Whether you are a school, programming agency, or other community entity, we would love to hear from you.


text:
Below are the terms of use for the annual William and Mary Quarterly Subscription via the OI Reader:
- Annual subscriptions include four consecutive issues of the William and Mary Quarterly.
- Subscriptions are $34.99; individual issues are $9.99.
- Payment will be charged to the user's iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase.
- Subscription automatically renews unless the auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period.
- Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal.
- Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase.
- Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.


text:
Mitrione pummels Emelianenko in Bellator heavyweight bout
NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Mitrione pummeled 40-year-old MMA heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko in just 74 seconds to win the co-main event of Bellator's Madison Square Garden debut.
Mitrione (12-5) and Emelianenko both connected on right hands and hit the canvas late Saturday night. But Mitrione, who briefly played in the NFL, pounced and smashed Emelianenko (36-5) with uppercuts and busted open the Russian great.
Emelianenko, maybe be the greatest fighter to never sign with UFC, had won his last five fights, but the days when he ruled in Japan as one of MMA's most dynamic fighters and top heavyweights are well behind him.
Emelianenko, in his Bellator debut, might not have his career recover from this finish.
Bellator made its Madison Square Garden debut seven months after UFC christened the arena in the MMA genre with a record $17.7 million gate. Bellator was going to fall well shy of that massive box office bank, but for the No. 2 MMA promotion in the United States, just snagging a spot at MSG was a needed credibility boost.
Bellator will wait to find out if the pay-per-view buys (at $49.95 a clip) hit 200,000, the total the company aimed for to count as a major success. Bellator broadcast on pay-per-view for only the second time in promotional history, signaling another step in its growth as a rival for the industry-leading UFC. Bellator staged its only previous pay-per-view event in May 2014, shortly before CEO Scott Coker took over the promotion.
Bellator loaded the card with some of the biggest names in MMA to make a splash in New York.
Wanderlei Silva takes on Chael Sonnen in the main event grudge match; a fight first scheduled for a UFC pay-per-view in 2014. The 40-year-old Silva, who made his name fighting for Pride in Japan, was set for his Bellator debut following a six-year run in UFC. Sonnen, also 40, was choked out by Tito Ortiz in his Bellator debut in January. Ortiz was on hand at the Garden.
In a sign Bellator craves star power over super bouts, neither of the two main events were for a championship.
But there were title fights on the card, highlighted by Brent Primus defeating Michael Chandler in a gruesome fight to win the 155-pounds title. Chandler, one of the Bellator stalwarts, broke his left ankle and the fight was stopped in the first round.
"Cut it off! Cut this thing off! I'll keep going!" he barked in the cage.
If the loss wasn't tough enough, like a bad practical joke, the injured Chandler had his stool pulled away in the corner as he tried to sit and the fighter fell on his bottom.
Ryan Bader defeated Phil Davis by split decision in his Bellator debut to win the promotion's light heavyweight championship. Bader (23-5) defeated Davis (17-4) in an MMA bout for the second time in his career and his win capped the undercard in Bellator's New York debut. Bader won a lackluster bout filled with more boos than blows. Referee Dan Miragliotta stepped between the fighters in the fourth round and warned them about inactivity — one of the few times the crowd cheered in a TV bout designed in part to get fans hooked on ordering Bellator's second pay-per-view card. Bader had edged out a split decision victory over Davis when the former Division I All-American wrestlers fought for the first time on a UFC card in January 2015.
Coker wore a headset as he sat cage side and watched a bank of monitors, former NFL great Herschel Walker in the first row behind him. Coker might have listened to the revamped broadcast lineup. Bellator signed Mike Goldberg, unceremoniously dumped last year by UFC after 20 years as the voice of the company, and veteran combat sports announcer Mauro Ranallo to bolster the broadcast booth.
Bellator, founded only in 2008 and named for the Latin word for warrior, has failed to build that mainstream star that UFC has in the mold of Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor. Bellator has eschewed the PPV model and built its fan base on the strength of live TV cards on Spike (broadcast home of Saturday's undercard) and by signing past-their-primetime MMA players to main event their biggest cards. Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie and Rampage Jackson all took their turn in main event bouts more spectacle than sport that delivered record ratings for Bellator.
Bellator did sign more than just a few 40-something fighters for its New York debut. Aaron Pico, 20, was widely considered the top MMA prospect around and had advanced to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in wrestling last year. His breakthrough will have to wait. Zach Freeman made Pico quit in just 24 seconds and stunned the crowd that had fallen for the hype.
Heather Hardy, a boxer signed under promoter Lou Dibella, won her professional MMA debut with a bloody TKO over Alice Yauger. Hardy, of Brooklyn, New York, had the crowd going wild when she dropped Yauger with a vicious right. Hardy suffered a deep cut over her left eye following an accidental head-butt. Even the New York crowd gasped when blood gushed down Hardy's face. Hardy wiped it off, then wiped out Yauger while the crowd roared.
"I think I just fell in love. I'm hooked," she said. "I can't feel it, but I have stitches in my face."


text:
The Brit Awards have confirmed that they will not hand out the Outstanding Achievement award in 2013, replacing it for one year at least with a Special Recognition award.
War Child, the charity which helps support children living in war-torn countries, will receive the first ever Special Recognition award when the ceremony takes place in 2013. The charity raises lots of money through musical ventures, such as compilation albums and special one-off charity shows, including a 2012 event which saw Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon performing at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Speaking about the decision to hand War Child the award, Brits Chairman David Joseph said: "For two decades now, War Child has worked with artists to raise funds and awareness to help children whose lives have been torn apart by war. The Brits are proud to give recognition for their vital work as well as saying thank you to all the artists who have given their time, help and energy to something so important".
Meanwhile, supporter of the charity Paul McCartney said: "A lot of people say that music cannot change the world… I think it really can make a difference. Music can make people aware, put the issue into focus and shine a spotlight on the bad stuff. It also eats away at the horrors and alleviates some of the pain by raising the money to help these children. I have been supporting War Child since 1995. Their work saves lives. I urge everyone to support War Child".
As revealed earlier this year, Damien Hirst will design the Brit Award statues for 2013. James Corden will return as host for the third consecutive year when the ceremony returns to the O2 Arena on Wednesday February 20. Set to be Corden's fourth time presenting The Brits in total, he will equal the record held by BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans. The ceremony will be broadcast in the UK on ITV1.
The nominations launch for The Brits will take place on January 10 at The Savoy in London, and will be hosted by BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw, and highlights from the nominations launch will be hosted on the official Brits YouTube channel directly after the event.


text:
Adult Ministry
Holy Spirit offers opportunities for men to come together in prayer. A well established Men's Faith Sharing group meets 6:30–7:50 a.m. on Wednesday mornings in the Parish Office Conference room. If you are interested in this early bird group, please contact Frank Ricchio at email@example.com for more information.
A more recent addition that arose during our ARISE gatherings meets on Monday nights from 7:15-8:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. If you are better able to make an evening gathering, please contact John Stubler at email@example.com.
Either time, these groups offer an opportunity for the men in our parish to build a deeper relationship with Jesus and one another.


text:
Sometimes it is obvious that people would try to find out their desired things online and they can get things easily delivered to their doorstep. In Australia, most people who shop online may end up comparing a lot of things together and they may or may not get the thing that they needed the most.
This is a common situation because it is not possible to get the exact thing you need at the time when you need it the most. Rather you may have to wait for the availability of the stock or the time when it can be ordered form a trusted store.
There are many sellers and website that offer products from LG, asus, apple, asics and other brand that may include smart watch, headphones, TVs, 4k tv or iPad.
There are many stores and online shops offering the same models, same brands and similar products online but it can be noticed that not all of the buyers go to reach out all of the available shops online. This is because not all of the webs stores are reliable and they may not offer the safety features, payment protection and authentic products that most buyers have been looking for.
Most people may not prefer buying things form just any of the available store because they know not all of the stores or online shops are eligible enough or worthy to get things purchased from them and they may not offer legit products with little authenticity of the genuine features that they claim in their products.
That is why people may choose the web stores which are legit, have certain trust developed among the buyers and offer authentic products that anyone could trust to buy from them.
It is possible that the sellers may offer certain incentives to attract new buyers but still there are many things that people compare before finding out the right seller.


text:
During this Advent season, we have been preparing our hearts, changing our thoughts, and working to break chains we've forged in life in order to experience the manifest presence of God this Christmas. We have found that we have focused on the wrong stuff at Christmas time and so we are rekindling the joy and expectancy of the coming of the infant in a manger. We even did a little couples dancing at the end of our service this past Sunday! WOW! What an expression of the joy we have inside.
As we have prepared, we've learned some lessons from Charles Dickens story, "A Christmas Carol" which is about a miserly old business man named Ebenezer Scrooge who responds to the festivities of the Christmas season with a hearty, "Bah Humbug." To Scrooge Christmas is " a time for paying bills without money, a time for finding yourself another year older and not an hour richer." Yet, he is confronted by his nephew, Fred, who is filled with Christmas cheer. His idea is that Christmas is all about giving it away. It is a time of forgiveness, a time of charity, a time when people open their closed hearts to other people.
I encourage you today, to decide to place the focus this Christmas on Christ, not presents--not money--not problems. Remember that Jesus came as a babe, grew up, proclaimed the Kingdom of God, died at a young age, was resurrected, ascended to the heavens, and is coming back! Because we have this good news, we can break chains, mend relationships, sing as if no one is listening, dance like there is no tomorrow, and live our lives in service to others. We can express an inner joy that no one on this earth nor in hell can suppress! For God has always been there for us, will always be there, and one day we'll see him face to face! Whoa! I am getting all excited just writing about it! My Jesus, Oh what a wonderful child! New life, new hope, new joy he brings! No Humbugs---Shout Hallelujah instead.
May the Spirit of the Living God fill you with joy as we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Pastor Rebecca


text:
The My School website, myschool.edu.au, has been heavily discussed in the media and had 9 million hits on its first day! While the website experienced some initial technical difficulties, it is the comparison of 'statistically similar schools' via the Index of Community Socio-Economic Advantage (ICSEA) that has been most widely criticised.
Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Julia Gillard claims that the website enables parents to make informed choices about their children's schooling. However, informed choices are near impossible, without significant effort. In the field of usability, we'd say that the website does not meet with the users' expectations, in this case parents, when trying to compare schools.
Why have a website that lets you compare schools on an index that doesn't make much sense to you or does not reflect the practical decision making process when it comes to choosing a school? Rather, the government has decided to provide parents with comparison data and a selection vehicle the government feel comfortable with.
Searching for a school on the My School website
Naturally, parents will want to easily and quickly navigate the website. The My School website clearly prioritises a school search on its homepage. The only way in is by selecting a school from the list that appears. If you don't select one, but type in a name yourself and press enter, the site doesn't work.
Usability best practice tells us, make sure people know exactly what they need to do before they do it. If this fails then the next way to help users proceed is to ensure error messaging is useful. The website doesn't do this and this makes it even harder for parents. I thought, "Why can't I just type in my postcode like Domain.com.au or Realestate.com.au and get a list of results presented? Or like 131500.com where a 'did you mean' question is used to pinpoint the address." I guess the website really would rather you did not compare schools, geographically.
Comparing schools on the My School website
While the website's limited search functionality has been the centre of media attention (for fear that schools will be inappropriately compared), parents are only human and will ultimately want to compare schools according to their own basket of schools. Checking out one school in isolation seems reasonable but for parents looking to the website to help them make an 'informed choice' for selecting a school for their child, their needs are overlooked completely.
Vast improvements could be made in comparing schools that are 'statistically similar'. Most of the schools automatically shown in the search results are not even in the same state. A simple table would be able to show most of this data but the My School website lists only the names of the school and their performance so parents know nothing about the type of school that is performing better or worse, apart from that it's 'statistically similar'. And what does that really mean? For those interested in the definition of 'statistically similar schools' the site offers not one but two glossaries to explain this, adding further confusion.
What parents really want is to compare a collection of local schools, or even better select a group of schools to compare between. Ideally, this comparison should also show more than just the ICSEA scores such as NAPLAN scores and facts about the school. Hoping to find this information on the local schools page proves to be a disappointment. There is no comparison data but only a simple list of local schools. Printing each school page to compare is not advised either, as every page prints with a large grey area at the end of it, quickly using up valuable ink and paper. An optimised print version via a printer icon on each page would enhance the site's experience considerably.
Of course, parents should be made aware and are clever enough to know that one school differs from another on many different factors, but how else are parents going to shortlist schools and make an 'informed choice' without greater flexibility in the search function? It's inevitable that new websites will emerge that will give parents greater flexibility based on the data provided by the My School website.
With a 'real life' comparison missing, the comparison tables presented are not particularly useful. None of the comparison tables allow parents to manipulate the data, such as sort or filter, to make it easier to interrogate and engage with.
Some more general issues that would improve the user experience
It is safe to say that the legends on the website are necessary to understand the tables, however, finding them is another story. Serious scrolling is involved.
The colours sometimes blend in so much with the visual design of the website that it isn't always obvious what they actually represent. Perhaps it can be made more obvious. Especially, white does not stand out at all.
The use of an arrow icon (generally signifying a link) as a design element in the heading further compromises the user experience. Replacing the phrase 'selected school' with a more informal 'this school' would make the data more accessible.
Users may feel the font is a bit on the small side and use the enlarge font button present on every page. A useful tool, however, surprisingly this does not change the s
ize of the comparison tables! This is not a good result as the data is still too small! Equally it is impossible to see if the text can enlarge or decrease any more unless you click the icon a few times and realise nothing happens. It's as though the icons are on the page because someone said they had to be but no-one actually understood why they are there!
Perhaps it was imagined the website audience would simply look at the indicidual school data and ignore the rest. This is obvious when you look at the other pages. For instance, the Resources page shows a list of PDFs hiding valuable content within these. The About page does not say much about My School and could be bolstered with content from the 'About the My School website' PDFs on the Resources page.
Overall, the idea of the My School site is great but its execution leaves room for improvement. Let's hope some of our suggestions are included in their next update.
What do you think?
Objective Digital is a Sydney based usability consultancy.


text:
Summer has finally arrived, and for me that means one big thing: It's fellows time! Today is the first official day of OFA Summer Fellows training, and events are happening right now in 40 states. The field of over 8,000 applicants was narrowed to 811 superstar fellows who are ready to do really big things.
"Your job this summer is to be a voice for the voiceless." – @sara_ela on the immense responsibility of our Summer #OFAFellows.
— Ryan O'Toole (@ryanfotoole) June 8, 2013
The OFA Fellows program is a central part of the Obama legacy—previous incarnations have produced thousands of talented new organizers across the country over the past six years.
For many fellows, this is much more than a fun summer gig. On the 2012 re-election campaign, 33% of all full-time staff got their start as summer fellows. And the payoff doesn't stop there—after the campaign, alumni of the fellows program were hired in huge numbers by allied organizations in Washington and elsewhere.
So what's the secret sauce to this program? It's the winning combination of great coaching, formal training and real-life organizing that fellows get to experience throughout their 12 weeks with OFA. Each of those weeks will include at least two live webinar trainings with national experts on topics like "Campaign Data," "House Meetings as an Organizing Tool," or "Digital Organizing Strategies."
The best part: Rather than getting trained on a topic and then going back home with nothing but scribbled notes as a reminder of what they learned, OFA summer fellows get the chance to put their training immediately into practice, planning real events with real volunteers around real issues that impact Americans in every community.
Doesn't that sound like a great way to spend a summer? If you missed the boat this time, don't worry—we'll do it again in the fall. Get ahead of the game and express your interest in the OFA Fall Fellows program right now. We'll be sure to keep you in the loop!


text:
A new CyPlus Idesa sodium cyanide production plant was recently inaugurated with a ceremony in Veracruz, Mexico. CyPlus Idesa is a joint venture between German Evonik and Mexican Grupo IDESA. The new sodium cyanide plant has a capacity of 40,000 metric tons (mt) and uses state-of-the-art hydrocyanic acid and cyanide technologies.
"The new local production facility will make us an even better and more flexible supplier for our customers in the region. The facility represents another important step in the growth strategy of Evonik," said Dr. Klaus Engel, chairman, Evonik Industries.
Special attention was dedicated to the compliance of all environmental and safety regulations ensuring that production of sodium cyanide complies with the provisions of the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMC).


text: Al-Kubaysi said AMS will not participate under occupation On Tuesday, Shaikh Abd al-Salam al-Kubaysi, a spokesman for the Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), said: "A lot of people ask about the committee's position on the elections. The committee announces that it will not participate in any political process under the shadow of the occupation." "The committee is not dreaming of power and does not want to give the occupiers the right to remain in Iraq." Al-Kubaysi added that the AMS respects the choice of Iraqis whether to participate in the poll or not. The committee had earlier said it would not announce support for any list in order to remain neutral. The scholars also refused to participate in landmark elections for an interim parliament in January that were boycotted by the Sunni community, but a Sunni Arab coalition has presented a list of candidates for next week's vote. On 15 December, about 15 million Iraqis are eligible to vote for a 275-member national assembly in the first four-year term elections since Saddam Hussein was toppled from power by the US-led invasion of 2003. SOURCE: AFP


text:
Team Member Completes Cambodia Trek!
Quality Care are an active supporter of Chestnut Tree House, with our most recent project seeing Lorrie Maslen travel to Cambodia with her husband Martin and 40 other participants to take part in a 5 day trek.
The trip could not have got off to a more difficult start, with monsoon rains causing flooding through the fields that the group needed to trek through. Add this to the 40 degree heat and 90% humidity they had to endure as well and it makes for a tough time!
Although Lorrie admits she found the trek tough as did everyone else, she fell in love with Cambodia, saying that the locals were so welcoming and proud of their country.
Most importantly though, Lorrie & Martin combined raised an incredible £5700 for Chestnut Tree House through generous donations and multiple fundraising events.
A huge congratulations to Lorrie, Martin and the rest of the group for taking part in such an amazing event and raising vital funds for a great cause!


text:
#79B "Bring ME to your leader!"
A grasshopper that look evil and fit perfectly into a invading martian in sci-fi movie. Except this quiet and non-assuming creature is a peaceful garden dwellers that was found in the serene Bukit Batok Nature Park.
Besides the fierce alien look, this grasshopper is unique in the orientation of its hind "jumping" legs. They seems to "lean" forward and in a very unnatural position.
I am still trying to find out the ID of this grasshopper. The first one i met was at Mandai Orchid Park a couple of months ago. Hope the next time we meet i will get to shoot the front shoot showing those big compound eyes.
#5 I like Pentax!
it was fellow Pentax users monthly outing at Hortpark in June. This beautiful butterfly was shot in the butterfly garden which open only on the last Saturday of the month.
There were friendly Hortpark staff attending and willingly telling us the name of the butterflies in the park. This is a "Jacintha Eggfly" butterfly. Actually it was feeding on the dirt in the rubber grip of the lens. Yuck!
Brown Capuchin
this is the first time i visit the zoo after ah meng the orang utan passed away. there seems to be a lot of changes going on at the zoo with new construction and exhibit being put up.
only brought my f*300 prime lens and shoot a lot of monkeys during this trip. somehow, these primates were too fast for my camera. this brown capuchin is one of the few sharp ones that i got.
i will be back.
#54 Two are Company
Ants tending to their herd of aphids. The aphids are sap sucking animals which the ants kept for their sugar supply. Sap is rich in sugar which the aphids take and excess will be excreted. The aphids are treasured by the ants for their sugar-rich excrement.
Hellow 2010!!
Hi! i am finally awaken from my slumber after like more than one year away. First post in 2010. Not bad hor… I havent changed into a spider lah. Just one my models in my new hobby – photography. Actually, not new also lah, been doing photography for 3 years already. but recently got very addicted to macro photography. Macro photography is shooting animals not more than 10mm in size. Aiyah, insects and bugs lah. Forgive the pun, but really got bitten by the "macro" bugs hahaha….
West Coast Plaza
Ginza Plaza my kampung shopping mall is gone. Once famous for its many massage parlours and hair saloons, the new mall had been renovated and reopened recently….
Feng shui must have played a part as there is a lot of water scape and curvilinear line at the front entrance. Renamed West Coast Plaza, residents at the sleepy West Coast finally have a place to hang out.
Staples F&B outlets like NewYork2, Starbuck, Sushi Tei, Sakae Sushi now filled the new mall. The uncle must had felt disoriented with these new changes. Well, call this development…
The shops spread over 3 storey with a central atrium and may be it is a sign of time, not all lots were taken and there was no crowd during the soft opening.
As with all urban mall, family with kids in tow from the neighbourhood was a common sight…
At lots that were not taken, the landlord put up giant posters of famous places to cover up the vacancy. Not a bad idea since a lot of shoppers stopped to take photograph in front of these giant posters.
With catchment from the nearby newly built condo, the taste of West Coasters (hahah…) had upgraded. No wonder upmarket "Cold Storage" took over from old "Shop & Save".
The neighbourhood aunty and uncle reccing the new environment. But alas, the take up rate of shop lots had been slow as can be seen from the green and red hoarding at the background.
Forgot to mention, there were a lot of spectacle shops in the old mall. Only a handfull is left with some moved over to the HDB shop lots at West Coast market.
This is a new and very welcome addition in West Coast Plaza – money changer!! These guys give good rate and they even deal in Durham. Anyone working in the Emirates can come here to do your money changing.
Development has finally come to the sleepy West Coast. I miss the old shops of the old especially one massage parlour (Xiao Xie) who had relocated to Beauty World but this is life is Singapore. You can expect at least one major changes in your environment every five years.
Year End Marathon
Didnt get myself killed running the annual Singapore marathon. Tried that stunt in 1987, and i couldn't walk for 3 months. Ok… i exaggerated, couldn' really walk for 3 days. What i did this time round is to organise a photo shooting marathon that started at 730 with breakfast and ended at midnight. Never bluff, got photographs to show…
morning session: Botanical Garden
Afternoon: Chinatown
Evening: Sunset at Labrador Park
Night: Orchard Road – Shaw Centre
Entrance to Orchard Road
Takashimaya Shopping Centre
The crazy bunch who joined me for the marathon. Group photo taken in front of the Chinatown Relic Tooth Buddhist Temple.
Wish everyone a happy 2009!! … and hope you will end your year end with a bang too like pipit!!!
Void Deck
The empty space below lil dot public housing is called void deck. If you die, you can hold your wake there, if you are getting married, you can hold your kenduri (wedding dinner) there, if you want to get rid of your old fridge, you can dump it there too, not too openly cos it is illegal….
Don't know why it is called "void deck"? There is always something happening in the void deck. It is never void nor empty. Don't believe me, lets take a look….
Study – a good place for some peace and quiet
Passageway – short cut for the neighbouring auntie
Runaway – planning a quick getaway
Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix
lucky to get a free ticket from a friend to attend the recently concluded F1 race. some photo to share…
a personal touch from the organiser. the feeling was like those relative of wedding dinner of friend you attend that you barely know. nevertheless a good gesture.
the winner… fernando alonso of renault.
there were a lot of oversea fan and this FERRARI supporter is from India…
long way back for the crew of ferrari with the fuel pipe heavy on their shoulder…
the singapore porsche car, smoking from the engine and last in the race…
the much hyped grid girls getting into position before the bmw pacific rally
with overpriced cap at S$65 and t-shirt at S$150, ferrari shop at the circuit park can employed models to be the saleguy
nah… these guys are not formula 1 winners but from the earlier race bmw pacific. the bmw is a feeder race to the biggies f1.
Sunrise….another begining
The begining of a new cycle
The seemingly endless cycle
The cycle of my mundane life
Mundaneness is the base of my life
It is the foundation of my life
From which shiok and spark take flight
Only from the mundaneness of my life
I can enjoy and taste these exceptions
For without mundaneness, life is flat
For without the valley, there is no peak
Life without peak is a life wasted
Thank God It's Friday, LIFE is BACK!


text:
Toledo Radiological Associates Claims Data Access, Technology and Premium Service Drive RCM Renewal with Zotec Partners
INDIANAPOLIS (February 18, 2016) – Zotec Partners (Zotec), the industry leader in radiology revenue cycle and practice management services, announces a continued revenue cycle management agreement with Toledo Radiological Associates (TRA), an Ohio-based radiology group with 34 highly specialized board-certified radiologists. In the extended four-year arrangement, TRA will continue to use Zotec's revenue cycle management (RCM) services and analytical tools to monitor data and ignite practice growth to the year 2020.
TRA is a radiology medical practice comprised of a dedicated team of radiologists who are fellowship trained in seven radiology subspecialties; neuroradiology, musculoskeletal, body (including cardiac imaging), pediatrics, nuclear medicine (including PET/CT), interventional, and women's imaging. TRA has served Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan as the largest radiology group since 1929 with a mission to provide the highest quality radiology services, distinguished by a commitment to excellence, compassionate care of its patients, and premier service to its referring physicians.
TRA's President, Charles Price, MD says of the continued partnership, "Since 2010, Zotec has given us greater capabilities to analyze practice, payment and payer trends in our data. With access to their technology, we have gained a greater understanding of our business and have maximized reimbursement." Dr. Price also credits TRA's success to Zotec's superior levels of service, adding, "Each member of their staff is an entrusted business partner who monitors our revenue cycle closely."
David J. Law, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Zotec says despite operating with strict policies in a new value-based system of health care delivery, TRA continues to be successful, noting, "TRA's practice leaders have transparent access to all areas of their business using Zotec's proprietary revenue cycle and business intelligence technologies." He goes on to say, "Given the ability to compare industry data, glean insights about physician activity and effectively manage claims, the group has optimized its collections in many areas while maintaining healthy hospital relationships year after year."
Zotec is the largest radiology revenue cycle management provider in the country, with more than 20 years in the radiology industry. It serves 35 of the nation's top 100 radiology groups, including thousands of radiologists. Zotec integrates the best people, processes and technology for fast, accurate and compliant radiology reimbursement solutions. Zotec's proprietary processes and technology manage in excess of 70 million medical encounters across all 50 states.
About Zotec Partners
Founded in 1998 by CEO T. Scott Law, Zotec Partners is the Indianapolis-based industry leader in specialized medical billing and practice management services for the hospital-based specialty market. Zotec Partners is committed to the continual pursuit of excellence in the physician revenue cycle management industry by delivering effective solutions through its proprietary technology, personalized service and measurable client results. Currently, the company serves more than 8,000 physicians in all 50 states. For media inquiries, contact Tara Rowland at firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information about Zotec Partners, visit http://www.zotecpartners.com.


text:
Thanks to the work of Dave Hill and his team, the C5 was nearly perfect when it hit the road. Nevertheless, it only took two years for Team Corvette to decide that a new platform was needed. So in 1999, Chief Stylist Tom Peters started penning the C6.
Thanks in part to the relative newness of the Internet at the time, the C6 didn't spark the frenzy of speculation that's surrounded the C7 over the past four years. Still, there were the usual spy photos of C6s wrapped in hideous camouflage, and Motor Trend splashed a C6 rendering on the cover of its Jan. '04 issue. The blurry photo illustrations by Antoine Guilbaud proved fairly accurate when the production car made its formal debut a month later.
Generational transitions are never easy, and the C6's arrival was no exception. The new Corvette looked pretty familiar, prompting many automotive journalists to take a wait-and-see attitude. After all, the engine was still in the front, the drive wheels were in the back, and the car didn't have warp drive. Yes, the design was an evolved C5, but as Dave Hill pointed out, "You could put all the parts carried over from the C5 in a bushel basket." True enough, but what about the styling?
Back in the C2 and C3 days, the biggest complaint about Corvettes was the lack of accessible storage space. The market longed for more of a GT Corvette, so the C4's rear end got, well, big. And while the C5 had an even larger rump, owners liked the extra space and didn't seem to mind. But the C6 designers were listening to the critics. While cargo space was reduced 2.4 cubic feet, from 24.8 to 22.4, the overall interior volume increased 1 cubic foot, to 52.1. VETTE former editor Bob Wallace reported, "To me, the C6 feels smaller, slightly more confined, and more intimate." The overall dimensions showed that the wheelbase was 1.2 inches longer, but the overall length was 5.1 inches shorter—just 0.1 inch shorter than a Porsche 911 Carrera.
Some had complained that the C5 was too rounded and soft. Stylist Peters pulled off a real optical illusion with the C6. While the car seems to have sharp, crisp fender humps, a closer look will show rather gentle, rounded surface changes on the fender tops and front leading edges. The "sharpness" is really a trick of light. Then, there are the headlights. Peters reported, "There was a lot of internal commotion about this. To go or not go with the fixed headlights was nearly 50/50. Some felt they were cleaner and modern; others saw them as busy and perhaps strangely shaped." Well, eight years later, I'd say we're used to them. Certainly any car enthusiast can instantly recognize the C6 as a Corvette.
Aesthetics aside, and despite Hill's assertion that, "We weren't out to fix what wasn't broken or reinvent the wheel," those longing for a revolutionary C6 were still unsure. While 70 percent of the part numbers were new, the overall structure and design were very similar to the C5's: hydroformed framerails, next-gen LS2 all-aluminum engine, carry-over six-speed manual transaxle, and similar (albeit improved) suspension components.
While the LS2 didn't sport forced induction or an extra pair (or two) of cylinders, everything from intake to exhaust was tweaked and improved, delivering an increase of 50 hp and bringing the output tally to 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The new aluminum five-spoke wheels were an inch larger in diameter and looked great, and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Run-Flat tires had softer sidewalls for a smoother ride.
When journalists finally got to drive the C6, virtually all of their complains went out the window. With 0-60-mph times of 4.3 seconds, quarter-mile times of 12.7 at 113 mph, and a top speed of 186 mph (a new high for the marque), the new base model handily outpaced its predecessor. Best of all, it cost $290 less than an '04 C5.
Dave Hill retired in January 2006 with the highly successful C5, C5 Z06, C6, and C6 Z06 to his credit. A job well done, I'd say.