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Source: Star Advertiser
December 05, 2013
Bourbon fans will have a rare opportunity to meet — and eat! — with Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, who arrives on Oahu next week for a series of public events.
Born and raised in Kentucky, Wheatley holds degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering and joined Buffalo Trace in 1995. He worked his way up the ladder from distillery supervisor to distillery manager in 2000 and Master Distiller in 2005. He is the sixth individual to hold the position at Buffalo Trace since the Civil War; the distillery is now owned by New Orleans-based Sazerac Company.
Along with Buffalo Trace's namesake bourbon, Wheatley also oversees production of more than a dozen types of bourbon, rye whiskey and vodka, including Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, George T. Stagg and Sazerac. His company's distillate is also used to produce Pappy Van Winkle, one of the most-hyped and hardest to find bourbons in the United States.
Wheatley will make appearances at three Oahu retail locations, where he will sign bottles for customers and pour samples of Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor Small Batch, Eagle Rare Single Barrel and Sazerac Rye.
He'll be at Foodland Aina Haina from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10; Don Quijote Kaheka from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11; and Tamura's Waialae from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12.
In addition to the in-store appearances, Wheatley will be the featured guest of the whiskey club at O'Toole's from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 10. Ticket information is available by calling the bar at (808) 536-4138; samples scheduled to be poured include Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor Single Barrel and Small Batch, Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique.
For those who need to eat something with their whiskey, three food-related tastings have been announced.
From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 12, Wheatley will join forces with Vintage Cave executive chef Chris Kajioka to present "Whiskey & The Man Cave" at the Ala Moana Center restaurant. Guests will be treated to tastes of Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, George T. Stagg Jr., Weller Reserve and E.H. Taylor Single Barrel, Small Batch and Rye. Tickets are $150, with priority given to Vintage Cave members; call (808) 441-1744 for more information and reservations.
The next day, Dec. 13, Fujioka's Wine Times will host a whiskey dinner at Pint & Jigger, 1936 S. King. St. from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $80; call 739-9463 for more info about the night's menu. Seating is limited to 30 guests.
A third dinner planned for Dec. 11 at the new 12th Avenue Grill in Kaimuki is sold out.
View Article: honolulupulse.com


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The Lodge is a place where you'll find happy people doing happy things!
Our heated indoor Swimming Pool is in the lodge. Our quality outdoor ping pong table is on the lodge deck.
Hungry? We have a restaurant and dining room in the lodge, where you can enjoy excellent pizza, many flavors of hand scooped ice cream and frozen glass mugs of root beer on tap. Try our root beer float and get free refills of root beer until your ice cream is gone! Now that's a treat!!
Ice Cream! Many different flavors of delicious hand scooped ice cream, which includes Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, Moose Tracks, Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. We carry a variety of candy bars.
Our gift shop offers hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, stuffed animals, toys, fishing tackle like hooks, sinkers and bobbers, limited groceries, lake maps, post cards, self lighting charcoal and a wide variety of soda pop. Get a t-shirt that describes the nine lake chain. Need a fresh cup of coffee? Come in the lodge and ask…we'll have your fresh cup of coffee brewed within minutes.
Enjoy the taxidermy in our gift shop. One mount has six Northern Pike that are each 42 to 47 inches long….each between 22 and 29 pounds! You'll also find other taxidermy, such as a Beaver, plus a 33 inch Walleye and some really big Sunfish and Bluegills.
We enjoy an annual Fishing Contest. No cost to enter, get your name in our permanent records if you catch a big fish. Guests enjoy coming to the Lodge to review the daily updated standings, as we post the ten biggest of nine different fish species nearly every day all summer long. Lots of great kids and adults have their names in our big fish record books. In each cabin, our Welcome Book shows the Fishing Contest results for every year all the way back to 2008. Plus, it shows the Biggest Ten of each species caught by our guests since 2008. Check 'em out when you get here! And keep fishing every minute you can….it only takes one fish to break a record!
Questions? Come to the Lodge
Thank You!
Deb and Mike Trachta
Owners and Managers since 2007
Oak Haven Resort

subset: commoncrawl


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"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." ~ Matthew 25:35-36
One of the easiest (and fun!) ways that we have found to follow Christ's words and feed the hungry is to serve at Feed My Starving Children. Each semester we organize a group together and carpool to Eagan, MN where we spend a couple of hours learning about the impact of food insufficiency throughout the world, and then respond by helping to pack simple, nutritious meals that get shipped to dozens of countries around the world.
Want to know more? Check out their website!


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Men's Tropical Print Polo Charcoal (Grey) - Ocean Current S
Browse all deals at Target
See more in Shirts
See more from Ocean Current
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Target to confirm actual price & availability.
- Be the first to comment!
3130 S Airport Rd W
Traverse City, MI 49684


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|Cell Therapy News 17.31 August 22, 2016
3K3A–Activated Protein C Stimulates Postischemic Neuronal Repair by Human Neural Stem Cells in Mice
Researchers report that late postischemic treatment of mice with 3K3A-activated protein C stimulated neuronal production by transplanted human neural stem and progenitor cells, promoted circuit restoration and improved functional recovery. [Nat Med] Abstract
(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)
Targeting Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)-MHC Complex with CAR T Cell Therapy for Liver Cancer
The authors report that T cells expressing AFP-CAR selectively degranulated, released cytokines, and lysed liver cancer cells that were human leukocyte antigen-A*02:01+/AFP+ while sparing cells from multiple tissue types that were negative for either expressed proteins. In vivo, intratumoral injection of AFP-CAR T cells significantly regressed both Hep G2 and AFP-expressing SK-HEP-1 tumors in SCID-Beige mice. [Clin Cancer Res] Abstract
GD2-Specific CAR T Cells Undergo Potent Activation and Deletion following Antigen Encounter but Can Be Protected from Activation-Induced Cell Death by PD-1 Blockade
Researchers described the events following activation of third-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells specific for GD2. CAR T cells had highly potent immediate effector functions without evidence of functional exhaustion in vitro, although reduced cytokine production reversible by PD-1 blockade was observed after longer-term culture. [Mol Ther] Abstract
Enhanced Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal-Promoting Ability of Clonal Primary MSC versus Their Osteogenic Progeny
Scientists cloned and functionally characterized a murine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells sub-population that was uniformly Nestin+ Lepr+ Sca-1+ CD146+ and could be stably propagated with high CFU-F re-cloning efficiency. [Stem Cells] Abstract
Asymmetric Collagen/Chitosan Membrane Containing Minocycline-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Guided Bone Regeneration
The authors' objective was to prepare a novel asymmetric collagen/chitosan guided bone regeneration membrane containing minocycline-loaded chitosan nanoparticles. [Sci Rep] Full Article
Radiofrequency Hyperthermia Promotes the Therapeutic Effects on Chemotherapeutic-Resistant Breast Cancer When Combined with Heat Shock Protein Promoter-Controlled HSV-TK Gene Therapy: Toward Imaging-Guided Interventional Gene Therapy
Researchers explored a new technique for the effective treatment of multidrug-resistant breast cancer by combining fully the advantages of multidisciplinary fields, including image-guided minimally invasive interventional oncology, radiofrequency technology, and direct intratumoral gene therapy. [Oncotarget] Full Article
Directing the Differentiation of Parthenogenetic Stem Cells into Tenocytes for Tissue-Engineered Tendon Regeneration
Investigators hypothesized that parthenogenetic stem cells could be directed to differentiate into tenocytes and applied for tissue-engineered tendon. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Abstract
Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Repair of Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury Impairs Adjacent Bone Healing in a Rat Model of Complex Musculoskeletal Trauma
Researchers tested the hypothesis that repair of volumetric muscle loss injury concomitant to fracture with a small intestine submucosa-extracellular matrix improves musculoskeletal healing. [J Trauma Acute Care Surg] Abstract
Anti-Tumor Immunity Elicited by Direct Intratumoral Administration of a Recombinant Adenovirus Expressing either IL-28A/IFN-λ2 or IL-29/IFN-λ1
The authors constructed an adenovirus vector expressing either interleukin (IL)-28A/interferon (IFN)-λ2 or IL-29/IFN-λ1 to evaluate the therapeutic properties of intratumoral injection of recombinant adenovirus to apply for the clinical implementation of cancer gene therapy. [Cancer Gene Ther] Abstract
A Comparison of Foamy and Lentiviral Vector Genotoxicity in SCID-Repopulating Cells Shows Foamy Vectors Are Less Prone to Clonal Dominance
Foamy retroviral vectors have a promising integration profile and are less prone to read-through transcription than gammaretroviral or lentiviral vectors. Scientists directly compared the safety and efficacy of foamy vectors to lentiviral vectors in human CD34+ repopulating cells in immunodeficient mice. [Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev] Full Article
Chemical Modulation of Cell Fate in Stem Cell Therapeutics and Regenerative Medicine
The authors discuss recent progress, new insights, and future challenges of the chemical approaches in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. [Chem Biol] Full Article
Mesenchymal Stem Cell: A New Horizon in Cancer Gene Therapy
There are promising new results in animal models whereby mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as vehicles for targeted therapies. The use of MSCs as therapeutic biological vehicles in cell therapy has several advantages, including immune-silence, tumor tropism, easy and rapid isolation, ex vivo expansion, multilineage differentiation and the capacity to deliver a number of therapeutic agents. [Cancer Gene Ther] Abstract
Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cell therapy research field.
Three CardioCell-Sponsored Studies Reveal Results
CardioCell LLC. announced results from three of its sponsored studies were accepted for presentation at ESC Congress. Each study – a Phase IIa clinical trial and two pre-clinical studies – applies CardioCell's unique ischemia-tolerant mesenchymal stem cells for cardiovascular indications. [Press release from CardioCell LLC. discussing research presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2016, Rome] Press Release
Following Successful First Stage in Trial: Kadimastem Signed Agreement with Medical Device Company to Expand Joint Trials of Diabetes Therapy using Unique Encapsulation Device Joint Feasibility Trial on Animals to Start Next Month
Kadimastem announced that following success in the first stage of trials held under the agreement entered on November 24, 2015, an addendum was signed which sets out the timetable for starting feasibility studies in animals in the course of next month. The first stage involved joint trials in which optimization of the conditions was carried out and it was shown that the insulin-secreting cells developed by Kadimastem demonstrate activity which is similar to human pancreatic islet cells. [Kadimastem] Press Release
Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics Joint Venture, Named Casebia Therapeutics, Establishes Operations in Cambridge, MA
Casebia Therapeutics, the joint venture founded by Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics, started its operations in Cambridge, MA, U.S. Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics agreed to create a joint venture to discover, develop and commercialize new breakthrough therapeutics to cure blood disorders, blindness, and congenital heart disease. [Bayer AG] Press Release
Audentes Therapeutics Announces First Patient Enrolled in the INCEPTUS Clinical Assessment Study of XLMTM
Audentes Therapeutics, Inc. reported that the first patient has been enrolled in INCEPTUS, a prospective study designed to characterize the disease presentation in children living with X-Linked Myotubular Myopathy (XLMTM). The study is evaluating subjects prior to potential enrollment in ASPIRO, the planned Phase I/II clinical study intended to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of AT132, the Audentes product candidate for treatment of XLMTM. [Audentes Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release
Regen BioPharma, Inc. Receives New Preliminary HemaXellerate Clinical Data on Bone Marrow Suppression from Pan Am Cancer Treatment Center
Regen BioPharma, Inc., announced that the Pan Am Cancer Treatment Center in Tijuana, Mexico, which has a non-exclusive license to test HemaXellerate in a first-in-human proof of concept study, presented new interim clinical data on their first five patients. [Regen BioPharma, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release
Antibe Therapeutics Announces the Launch of Neomem® FlexPlus, a High-Performance Barrier Membrane for Oral Surgery
Antibe Therapeutics Inc. announced that its subsidiary Citagenix Inc. has launched Neomem® FlexPlus, a high-performance barrier membrane for regenerative procedures in oral surgery. Data suggest that Neomem® FlexPlus exceeds performance of a leading barrier membrane in areas that are considered highly important to dental clinicians. [Antibe Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release
BioTime Announces Issuance of 31 New Patents to Strengthen its Patent Portfolio in Regenerative Medicine
BioTime, Inc. announced the issuance of 31 new patents between July 3, 2015 and August 3, 2016 that are owned by or licensed to BioTime, or its family of companies. The new patents add to the over 700 issued and pending patents worldwide in the collective portfolio and further strengthen the company and its affiliates' IP position in the field of regenerative medicine. [BioTime, Inc.] Press Release
Cytori Therapeutics Receives Frost & Sullivan 2016 Technology Innovation Award
Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has received the Frost & Sullivan 2016 Technology Innovation Award in recognition of advancements made in the field of regenerative medicine for over a decade. [Cytori Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release
Biostage Receives Two National Instruments (NI) Engineering Impact Awards for Cellframe™ Technology
Biostage, Inc. announced that it has received the NI Engineering Impact Award for Regenerating and Restoring Organ Function Damaged by Disease or Trauma for its groundbreaking Cellframe™ Technology. [Biostage, Inc.] Press Release
Kite Pharma Advisors and Scientific Pioneers in Cancer Immunotherapy Receive Prestigious Cellular Immune Therapy Award
Kite Pharma, Inc. announced that two of its key advisors and scientific collaborators, both pioneers in the field of cancer immunotherapy, have received the renowned Novartis Prize for Clinical Immunology. [Kite Pharma, Inc.] Press Release
Putin Appoints Church Historian as Science Minister
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a church historian as the country's new science and education minister. The president announced that Olga Vasilyeva would succeed the current science minister, Dmitry Livanov, who will become presidential envoy on trade and economic relations with Ukraine, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. [Nature News] Editorial
Obama's Science Legacy: Betting Big on Biomedical Science
Ambitious bids to map the brain and cure cancer have not boosted overall research funding. [Nature News] Editorial
US Personalized-Medicine Industry Takes Hit from Supreme Court
Rejections for US patents related to personalized medicine have spiked after recent Supreme Court decisions tightened the rules for such claims, an analysis of more than 39,000 patent applications reveals. [Nature News] Editorial
Chemistry Group Throws Out Election Results after Fears of Vote Rigging
Members of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry are reacting with puzzlement and shock after learning that the results of a recent online leadership election have been thrown out because of voting irregularities—raising concerns over possible manipulation. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
Updated: Companies Settle Gene Technology Patent Fight That Was Shrouded in Mystery
Illumina Inc. and Oxford Nanopore Technologies have reached a settlement in this legal battle, according to a U.S. International Trade Commission document released last week. Oxford has agreed not to import or sell any product containing a pore with an amino acid sequence at least 68% similar to Mycobacterium smegmatis porin — the protein at the heart of Illumina's infringement claim — and to destroy any inventory of such products. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Export of Medical Devices; Foreign Letters of Approval (FR Doc. No:2016-19807) Notice
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review Comment Request; Voluntary Qualified Importer Program Guidance for Industry (FR Doc. No:2016-19643) Notice
Use of Nucleic Acid Tests To Reduce the Risk of Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus From Donors of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products; Guidance for Industry; Availability (FR Doc. No:2016-19588) Notice
NEW 2016 Till & McCulloch Meeting
Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells to Model Neurological Disorder (University of Cambridge)
NEW Research Scientist – Downstream Bioprocess for Vaccine, Gene Therapy and Biosimilars (Univercells)
PhD Studentship – Fibrosis (National University of Ireland, Galway)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Immunology and Head and Neck Cancer (University of Lausanne)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Immunology and T Cell Differentiation (University of Lausanne)
Scientist/Sr. Scientist – Nanoparticle Research, Delivery Innovation (Moderna Therapeutics)
Research Fellow – Hematology (Mayo Clinic)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology (University of California Davis)
Associate Member – Stem Cell and Gene Therapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Pathogenic Mechanisms of Rare Bone Disorders (University of Connecticut Health)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Oxidative Lung Injury (Temple University)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Lentivirus-Mediated FOXP3 Gene Transfer (Stanford University School of Medicine)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Hematology/Oncology (Boston Children's Hospital)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cell Cycle Control and Tumorigenesis (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization's career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
Have we missed an important article or publication in Cell Therapy News? Click here to submit!
Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.


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Exhibitor Information
China Arabian Horse Show Committee would like to invite you to be part of the First China Arabian Horse Fair, Saturday August 4- Sunday August 5, 2018 in the ancient capital city Beijing, China.
China has the second largest horse population in the world after the U.S., is an emerging market for Arabian horses. Dear Arabian breeders, farms, and training centers, it is our sincere hope that you will consider of being a commercial exhibitor. As an exhibitor you are eligible for opportunities to promote your horses, farms, and services.
We will have limited commercial exhibit booth spaces. Please reserve your booth promptly as space will sell out quickly.
2018 China Arabian Horse Fair (August 4 & 5, 9am-5pm, outdoor Polo field)
Silver Commercial Exhibitor - $3000
· Commercial Exhibit Space 5m x 5m
· 3 large trade show displays (camera ready art due July 1st)
· 1 P.A. Announcement from center ring daily
· 1 full-page color program ad
· Listed in show program as corporate sponsor
· 1 show program
· 3 pieces of furniture + 1 beach umbrella
· 1 month free listing in China Horse Farm Directory and Horses Trading APP
· All labor costs are inlcuded
Gold Commercial Exhibitor - $3500
· Commercial Exhibit Space 5m x 8m (Outdoor Polo field) – two days
· 2 P.A. Announcement from center ring daily
· 2 show programs
· Display brochures on all indoor Show VIP tables
· Advertisement on outdoor large screen* (camera ready art due July 1st)
· 7 pieces of furniture (sofa sets) + 2 beach umbrellas
· Beverage and refreshment served
· Receive copyrights of all Official Expo photographs
· 2 months free listing in China Horse Farm Directory and Horse Trading APP
* Non-refundable.
* No Free General Admissions to the China Arabian Horse Show & Gala Dinner (August 5th). VIP ticket is $300/person.
For any questions please contact email@example.com.
contact us
Website: www.chinaarabian.com
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: +86 18640266150
Show address:
Dashing Stable (or Duomei Int. Equestrian Center)Wantong Rd, Heizhuanghu Village, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 110001
Show address in Chinese:
©2018 China Arabian Horse Show. All rights reserved Designed by Kaihong Technology


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The Doll House Elora opened in Elora Ontario in 1980 offering Secondary market dolls, Doll Houses and Miniatures. At that time, the only option doll collectors had was to purchase secondary market dolls or antique dolls. Dolls that had originally been designed for play became very popular with collectors. Dolls such as Chrissy and Velvet, Chatty Cathy, and Shirley Temple.
The years following showed many moves, all to larger locations, as well as opening satellite shops in Orangeville Ontario and St. Jacobs Ontario. As well as retailing, our retail space included a full fledged doll hospital where people brought their dolls in for repairs from all over Ontario.
A decision was made to concentrate more of our efforts with an online store in 2002 and we closed our main Elora location at that time. We continued to offer a small retail outlet in St. Jacobs Ontario until 2012. With the closing of our last remaining retail outlet, we are excited to be putting all of our energies into our online stores.
We will be updating our stock and selection here on a regular basis and hope that you enjoy the dolls that we have to offer.


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U.S. Athletes Eligible for Olympic Trials
By ITU Admin on 27/02/08 at 12:00 am
A total of 22 U.S. athletes are currently eligible to compete in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Triathlon scheduled for April 19 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The initial list is based on the 2007 end of the year International Triathlon Union Olympic rankings. USA Triathlon requires athletes be ranked in the top 125 in the world the week before the Olympic trials in order to compete. The list could change as athletes continue to compete and earn ITU ranking points at international events prior to the Olympic Trials.
Here is the preliminary list of eligible U.S. athletes:
Women (listed alphabetically)
Name (Hometown / Training Town)
Laura Bennett (N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Boulder, Colo. / Noosa, Australia)
Mary Beth Ellis (Rehoboth Beach, Del. / Thornton, Colo.)
Julie Swail Ertel (Irvine, Calif. / Irvine, Calif.)
Sarah Groff (Cooperstown, N.Y. / Boulder, Colo.)
Sarah Haskins Kortuem (St. Louis, Mo. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Becky Gibbs Lavelle (Minnetonka, Minn. / Los Gatos, Calif.)
Sara McLarty (DeLand, Fla. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Jasmine Oeinck (Littleton, Colo. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Margaret Shapiro (Great Falls, Va. / Herndon, Va.)
Amanda Stevens (Enid, Okla. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Rebeccah Wassner (Gaithersburg, Md. / New York, N.Y.)
Joanna Zeiger (San Diego, Calif. / Boulder, Colo.)
Name (Hometown / Training Town)
Brian Fleischmann (Jacksonville, Fla. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Doug Friman (Alameda, Calif. / Tucson, Ariz.)
Hunter Kemper (Longwood, Fla. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Tim O'Donnell (Shavertown, Pa. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Victor Plata (Minneapolis, Minn. / Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Andy Potts (Princeton, N.J. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Matt Reed (New Zealand / Boulder, Colo.)
Jarrod Shoemaker (Sudbury, Mass. / Maynard, Mass.)
Joe Umphenour (Bellevue, Wash. / Colorado Springs, Colo.)
The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Triathlon is the second event in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team selection process that will field the likely three American men and three women who will represent the U.S. in Beijing in August. The top American woman and top American man at Tuscaloosa will each secure spots on the team.
The first selection event was held at the BG Triathlon Beijing World Cup last September, with Laura Bennett and Jarrod Shoemaker qualifying.
Click here for full field results from Beijing
Click here for the 2007 Beijing photo gallery
The final event will be held in Des Moines, Iowa at the Hy-Vee BG Triathlon World Cup. The last male and female athlete will be selected after that race based on a points system that calculates the best two of three races.
Click here for more information on the race
The Trials will actually be part of a weekend of multisport action April 19-20 in Tuscaloosa. Collegiate Nationals will take place on Saturday morning, with the Trials race to follow that afternoon. Sunday, April 20 will feature a citizens' and collegiate alumni sprint triathlon followed by the USA Triathlon Twenty-12 TalentID race, a draft-legal, sprint-distance event that will be open to athletes ages 16 to 29, including junior elite, U23 and age group athletes. It will give athletes experience in draft-legal racing and provide exposure to the Olympic style of racing to the public.
More details can be found at the USAT Olympic Trials website


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We rely so much on our services that when they are cut off it comes as something of a shock. If you lose your electricity in Spain, in particular, you suddenly realise just how much you rely on it. There's no television, internet, phone line. You can't boil the kettle or put on the fan. You're lucky if you have some gas appliances so at least you can still have hot water and a shower.
Depending where you are based, you can also be subject to the odd power failure in Spain that is not your fault. The electricity does go off occasionally, particularly if the weather has been bad. However, in this blog I'm talking about what you should do if the electricity is cut off and this time it is your fault.
It might be that you have forgotten to pay your Spanish electricity bill or you just didn't leave enough money in your account to pay it. The difference between Spain and many other countries is that if you don't pay your bill you don't get numerous warnings. They will send one letter to inform you that the bill has not been paid and the date when it will be disconnected if you don't catch up with the arrears. That's it.
It can get worse. If you still haven't paid your bill two to three weeks after your electricity has been cut off then they will send an electrician round to remove your meter. This makes the process of being reconnected even more complicated.
If you have just been cut off then you should go to your electricity provider's nearest office, explain the situation and find out how much there is to pay. You will need to pay this in at a bank taking your electricity bill with you and then collecting the receipt of payment. You will then need to return to the electricity provider, show the receipt of payment and hopefully they should arrange to have you reconnected over the next couple of days. If the meter has been removed, it will take longer.
Of course, the best solution is not to let your bill go unpaid in the first place. Make sure you always leave enough money in your bank and a bit extra, just in case.
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text: Since 1981, Vanellis has been serving fresh Italian food across Canada. Established by the MTY Group, Vanellis has now grown to over 100 units worldwide and will continue to grow & expand to meet our customers' needs. Offering customers delicious traditional Italian food with the freshest and tastiest ingredients remains a brand priority. Our pastas are always made fresh to order and our pizzas always come straight out of the ovens, hot and fresh! We also offer a wide selection of pizzas cooked everyday, salads that are freshly prepared, and a choice of fresh pasta which customers can customize according to their choice of fresh vegetables, herbs, meats and sauces with quality homemade products in a fast and friendly environment.


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Our pal Christina recommends a song:
I wanted to share this song which I think could kind of be a Mission anthem, my friends wrote it so I may be a little biased, but doesn't it just want to make you go lay out in the sun in Dolores Park? Feel free to share with MissionMission fans. The band is called The Cannery and they're local.
Listen to the song in question here. Might be a little mellow to be the sound of the Mission, but it's good.
Thanks, Christina!


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There have been recent rumors that Audi wants to expand the TT's variant joining the coupe and roadster. This TT Shooting Brake Concept is the work from artist X-Tomi Design. It is based on the Allroad Shooting Brake Concept that was revealed earlier this year. If an Audi TT hatchback (shooting brake) reaches production, this rendering does a great job of exploring that option.
Click the Title to comment & HERE for the full story and source


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Technical description
Multimedia iSculpture has 2 LED-displays
demonstrating videos and high resolution animation.
It is possible to download new movies.
It is equipped with the temperature and voltage regulator system
that ensures safe operatio in a wide temperature range.
There is a possibility to connect an optional interactive equipment
for interacting with people.


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Open Dialogue in Mental Health Care: From Treating to Talking
Mark Hopfenbeck is an anthropologist and assistant professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where he is director of the postgraduate programme in Open Dialogue. He also teaches Norway's first post-graduate programme in mindfulness.
Mark is also lead trainer for the UK peer-supported Open Dialogue Project together with psychiatrist Russell Razzaque and family therapist Val Jackson. He is co-investigator on a £2.3 million grant application for the first large-scale randomised controlled trial on Open Dialogue involving six Trusts across the UK.


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Two Wheeling
Two Wheeling
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Browsing Archive: November, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving
Posted by Jim Zeiser on Wednesday, November 27, 2013,
My scooters and bikes are slumbering peacefully in the garage today and a holiday ride appears out of the question. The nasty upstate New York weather has decided to descend upon us and dumped a few inches of snow on the area. The driveway is shoveled so a future ride will be possible but the dark days of Winter are here. Any rides from now on will be short and sweet until Spring. Sigh.
The bright spot in all of this is that my daughter will be coming up for Thanksgiving Day festivities at our...
Continue reading ...
A New Name
Posted by Jim Zeiser on Monday, November 18, 2013,
I've decided that it was time to give my Chinese 150cc scooter a name. We were calling it the "Blue Scooter", "The other scooter" and "the Original Scooter", to distinguish it from the big scooter, Galileo. I decided that Lazarus was appropriate after leaving the scooter for dead for almost a year with a cracked cylinder head on the engine. In July I finally got around to resurrecting it with a new cylinder head and associated bits and breathing new life into it.
It has now been returned to it...
Continue reading ...
Another Milestone
Posted by Jim Zeiser on Thursday, November 7, 2013,
The little 50cc bike just keeps on continuing to amaze me. Over the weekend I managed to kill the battery in a typical boneheaded maneuver and it still forgave me. I put the bike away on Friday morning with the key still on and after lighting the gear indicator LED for three days I finally discovered it with a battery that refused to spin the starter motor. I've spent the last three days push starting it to get it going and decided the only way to recharge the battery was to take a good long ...
Continue reading ...
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My Ride
Jim Zeiser
Deposit, Ny
If you wish to comment my e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com. I'd like to hear anything-good or bad-that anyone would like to say. As they said in college, we're all lifelong learners.
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How can playing among the pebbles at the water's edge support your child's development of emotional intelligence and self-esteem?
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. EI is the key to success in life.
In his ground-breaking book, Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman infers that "Achieving mastery of any skill or body of knowledge should ideally happen naturally, as the child is drawn to the areas that spontaneously engage her-that, in essence, she loves." (p. 94)
Let's look at pebble beach play through the lens of Daniel Goleman's five domains of emotional intelligence; as they relate to the document How Does Learning Happen?
Children are content to engage in their own activities.
The calmness of the water evokes calmness in children.
Open-ended materials promote mindfulness.
A sense of calm and focus comes from playing close to others who are calm and focused.
Children are respecting others need for space to explore.
How can the adult (educator, parent, and caregiver) support this development?
According to Forest and Natures School's guide, educators "believe in the importance-and the joy!-of not simply permitting but encouraging children to get dirty and wet in order to experience a sense of connection to place…" (18)
© Copyright 2016 by Family Space
website designed and developed by Engine Communications


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FREE EBOOK - Equipping Your Home Recording Studio
eptember 21, 2004
Queensryche founder, drummer, and Grammy-nominated composer Scott Rockenfield has launched RockenWraps, a new line of custom drum finishes that make it easy for drummers to make a strong visual statement and stand out on stage.
Designed and created by Rockenfield after touring the world for more than twenty years with Queensryche, RockenWraps are produced using a process that combines vivid designs and durability, are super-easy to apply, and interchangeable. From a 5-piece starter kit, up to a 20 piece-kit & beyond, RockenWraps can handle the job.
RockenWraps designs are rendered in high resolution digital graphics that are layered until they are as vivid as possible, then printed using a special process that seals and secures the wraps for durability.
RockenWraps were born in Rockenfield's basement, where he was experimenting with new ways to refinish drums. "Designing a drum kit that was unique and stood out to the crowd was always my goal, yet the one thing that I could not find was something unique with the actual drum finish itself. Almost all of the finishes that were available were solids, or sparkles, or wood tones...I wanted to be different," says Rockenfield.
RockenWraps are available in 80 designs that range from abstract cool to outrageous.
For more information, visit their web site at www.rockenwraps.comCome on the FREE COURSE TOUR
Great home recording starts with a great home recording studio. It doesn't need to be expensive if you know how to select the right equipment for your needs.Download Now
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You can add 15 more points to your Pampers Gifts to Grow account with codes:FB84SL2DADDAY16 and TWXPEK27DAD2816 (exp 6/20). Enter your Pampers Gifts to Grow points here.
If you are not a member of Pampers Village, you should really sign up. You can redeem points for free things like Diapers.com gift cards, Shutterfly gifts and ALOT more! It may seem like just a small amount of points you are getting, but they really do add up fast. We usually see new ones at least once a month. So if you have a little one, you won't want to miss these. Click here to get started.
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Cancer will kill almost no one under the age of 80 by 2050 due to continued advances preventing and treating the disease, a major study suggests.
The research by University College London was published as experts said that a daily low-dose aspirin is the single most effective action to protect against cancer.
Prof Jack Cuzick, who leads research into disease prevention, urged GPs to do more to ensure patients were given advice to take "baby aspirin" for a decade between the age of 50 and 65.
He cited research showing that such action reduces the chance of cancer, heart attacks and strokes by between seven and nine per cent, in 15 years and cut overall death rates by four per cent in two decades.
The new study by University College London suggests that on current trends, by 2050, cancer will rarely kill anyone under the age of 80.
Dramatic improvement in cancer death rates in the UK in the last 20 years mean that half of those who die from the disease are over the age of 75, researchers said.
Author Prof David Taylor, UCL Emeritus Professor of Pharmaceutical and Public Health Policy, said that within decades, it would become rare for cancer to kill those in middle age.
"This is a projection of what is already happening," he said. "Overall age-standardised cancer deaths are down 20 per cent since about 1990."
"What makes this a special point in history is that cancers are in the process of becoming either preventable or effectively curable," he said.
Prof Taylor said that with the right positive actions – such as wider uptake of aspirin, and more sophisticated tracking of prostate cancer – improvements could accelerate further.
The report says: "It is realistic to expect by 2050 nearly all cancer related deaths in children and adults aged up to (say) 80 years will have become preventable through life style changes and because of the availability of protective technologies and better pharmaceutical and other therapies.
Prof Cuzick, director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, said not smoking and not putting on too much weight were both effective ways to reduce the chance of cancer – but he said taking a daily 75mg aspirin was the best positive step to lower their risk of the disease.
Experts have argued over the benefits of aspirin versus its risks, because the drug can increase the risk of stomach bleeding and ulcers.
But Prof Cuzick said the recent study found that aspirin saved 17 lives for each death caused.
Anyone at high risk of bleeding should talk to their GP first, experts said including those on blood thinning drugs, with diabetes or smokers.
Cancer experts said preventing cancer and diagnosing it early was crucial to improvements.
However, at the launch of the report yesterday, leading researchers and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry expressed anger at the decision by NHS officials to withdraw funding for 25 life-extending cancer treatments.
Around 8,000 patients a year suffering from breast, bowel and prostate cancer will be denied NHS drugs which could extend their survival under plans to limit spending by the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Many of the treatments are currently given to those with advanced disease, who have no other options.
Paul Catchpole, from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the decision by NHS England to strike 25 treatments off the list of those it funds was "crude and rushed" and would devastate patients.
He said: "This is a further sticking plaster on a sticking plaster when time should have been taken to address this problem at the source."


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Running out of power...quick post!
Been working the past two weeks almost non stop. Going to rip my own head off in a few hours out of the amount of frustration I have.
But for everything bad going on, everything stressful, we have had an EXCEPTIONAL amount of good news this week. Long story. Ask me about it sometime.
Going to be performing tomorrow. Lets hope it goes well. It's been raining a lot.
need to clean icarus. Plus, we need to put ourselves together for the next few months. It's going to be a LOOOOOOONG week.
I must away before my power ends!
*rips head off and starts juggling it*
Friday, July 17
Transmission by Captain JHW @ 3:02 PM
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Bohning Blazer A Nock 12's
Brand: Bohning
Blazer A Nock fit Axis and smaller diameter style arrows
Bohning Blazer A Nock 12'sPrice: $17.95
$16.32 excl. GST**
** Your price if you do not reside in Australia
Bohning Blazer A Nock 12's Description
Fits Axis and smaller diameter style arrows.
The "A" Nock features the same throat system as the Bohning Blazer Double Lock Nock which has a double lock feature that is just tight enough to keep your shaft on your string while maintaining an incredibly clean release.
Keeps your shaft on your string during "let down", without affecting its release when shot. A small, press fit nock designed for "D" loops, perfect for the "string loop" shooter.
Made of durable, impact resistant polycarbonate. Weighs 7 grains, one size fits all. Available in packs of 12.
Available in 4 great colours of Neon Green (NG), Neon Orange (NO), Neon Yellow (NY) and White (WH). Please specify colour.


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If you are create new posts for each image or video from Instagram then the plugin allows you to displays the comments and likes count from Instagram.
This is currently a read-only display of this data. You cannot send comments and likes from the plugin back to Instagram. Yet.
Instagram comments can be added to a post and will be displayed like normal WordPress comments, displayed in the way your theme dictates.
You will need to check the 'Enable Comments' setting in the plugin's settings page.
Author Avatars
You can show the comment author's Instagram profile image as the author avatar in the WordPress comment.
Comment Approval
You can enable the plugin to automatically approve the comments that come from Instagram, or you can moderate them as you would normal comments.
Username Mentions
You can enable the plugin to automatically link mentions of Instagram users in comments to their Instagram profile link.would normal comments.
These setting can be found in the plugin's settings page.
The count of the image likes is available via the template tag
%%likes%%, the shortcode
[igp-likes], or the custom post meta
When the image is initially posted by the plugin the comments and likes count are shown as they are on Instagram at that point in time. If someone adds a new comment on Instagram a day later this will not appear on the post. Because the process of synchronising comments and likes, to keep them updated with those on Instagram, can take a long time and could have a negative effect on site performance there are two ways to perform synchronisation.
When you view all the accounts via Instagrate Pro -> All Accounts, there are buttons for each account to synchronise the likes and comments.
Cron Job
To keep post comments and likes updated regularly you will need to set up an external cron job to perform the sync. The url to use in the cron job is provided in the plugin's settings.


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Thursday, October 8, 2015
Either way, I have just bought a great book recently and I can't put it down so thats helping me get some shut eye. The book is called "I am Malala" and it is written by a young girl from Swat in Pakistan. She was shot in the head by the Taliban because she dared to speak up about their regime. In particular, their ban on education for girls. Its a marvelous insight into that world, and an eye opener for many who think that all muslims think alike. I strongly recommend it.
Since coming home it has been non stop. I have a series of concerts in Ireland in October and November. These are solo shows, and I'm calling it "The Great Irish Songbook". In the show I will sing songs that I think pay tribute to all the great songwriters over the years to come out of Ireland. Go as far back as Percy French and Thomas Moore, to modern day greats like Jimmy mcCarthy, Van Morrison,Brendan Graham and indeed Phil Coulter, to name but a few.
The challenge with this concerts is getting word out there. I have been Stateside for the past four years and prior to that I was spending a lot of time there too with Celtic Thunder. So reintroducing myself takes a lot of time and effort. Making sure posters and flyers are circulating as well as all media is just the tip. Learning lyrics and making sure all is in place for the actual gigs is most important.
I'm very much looking forward to them but always stress leading up to concerts. There's a lot to be said for being in a production like Celtic Thunder. You simply turn up, know your stuff and sing. However, I'm not complaining. For all info on tickets go to the "news and events section" on www.paulbyrom.ie
On that topic, it was great being back with the guys last week for the gigs in Minot, and Oklahoma. Although I had met Colm and Emmet, I had never performed with them, so it was a real pleasure. I was delighted as we had similar interests and literally all made fun of each other from beginning to end!
It was a strange feeling, because although I had been away from the show for a long time, when I joined up again, it all felt like I had never been away. Certainly things have changed and there are personnel changes, but by and large, it was the same. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to do it again sometime soon.
Upon arriving home, my little dog Bradley nearly lost his life when I walked in. It always amazes me how excited he gets each and every time. Whether I'm away for a few hours or a few weeks. The reception is the same.
I got home on Dominique's birthday and as it was a Monday, we didn't really get to celebrate it. So I will make it up to her this weekend as its a special birthday this year! My mother always said you should never divulge or ask a women's age! Needless to say, she's not in her 20's anymore!!!!!!
I love routine, and for someone who travels a lot, that may seem strange. When I'm home, I am up everyday around the same time. 8.30am I'm out the door for a walk with Bradley, then we come home and have our breakfast. After which, I sit at the lap top for a couple of hours doing work. Lunch, walk, do whatever other bits and bobs need doing, (like developing my new online store, which is close to completion) then I head off to Crossfit at 5pm.
Fitness has become such a huge part of my life as I know you all know. I go nearly everyday to crossfit and even on "rest days" I'll head for a run. Why so much? It's great for the head and body. You never leave the gym or come in from a run in bad form. whatever is bothering you, is gone for the few hours you are working out. Aside from that, in many respects its like a drug. Once you start seeing results you want to keep going. What I've learnt more than anything is, your never too old to start. I can safely say, I am fitter at 36 than I was when I was 21! That's just mad!!!
So being able to balance my career and fitness is a real pleasure for me. Your health is your wealth!
Tonight I'm heading off this evening to take my nephew in to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to watch Ireland take on Germany (the world champions) in a very important soccer match. We call these kinda outings "the lads day out". No women allowed!!! I'm certain it wont be long till he's too cool to hang out with his uncle, but in the meantime, I'm gonna take every chance I get!
Keep well and chat soon
My Loves
My Doves
My Eggs
8 comments:
Lovely blog Paul, as always. I struggled with some jetlag myself after your tour so know what you're talking about. I'm always encouraged by your fitness regime and understand completely. Of course I'm more aerobic in nature with my cycling, but I never come back from a ride, even one where I've had difficulty, without feeling better about myself and everything around me. Have a great weekend with Dominique and give her my best Happy Birthday wishes. Looking forward to hearing about Come Home to Ireland II in the near future. Also best of luck on the Irish Songbook tour. I know after hearing so many of the songs that will be included it will be a resounding success!! love always, PatReplyDelete
Lovely Blog Paul. I was so very disappointed to not be able to catch the CT shows this year. To far away. I have traveled 5 hours in either direction since the beginning. Sorely missed you and Damian when you left, but have kept up with both of your careers. So very happy for you all. Congrats on your marriage and all of the success you have so diligently earned. Looking forward to hearing more from you and your many talents. You are a staple in the Christmas Music playlist.ReplyDelete
Love the blog,Paul I enjoy exercising also especially in the fall, although I prefer bicycling.I never realized how important exercise is at every stage of your life until my mom got Parkinsons.Now she uses exercise to control her symptoms.ReplyDelete
Love the blog,Paul I enjoy exercising also especially in the fall, although I prefer bicycling.I never realized how important exercise is at every stage of your life until my mom got Parkinsons.Now she uses exercise to control her symptoms.ReplyDelete
As always you write a great blog... I can't wait for your new online store opens .. I hope to get your calendar and you Cd you made when you were 21 "I hear you calling " ... I will buy them also for my daughter in law Karyn for Christmas ..she keeps asking me when you are going to have another show at Sellersville , Pa ...Again I'm hoping you do more shows with CT near Philly, Pa ..would love to see you perform with them again .. Hope you and Dominique have a great weekend celebrating her birthday ... My son Keith on Karyn's birthday he took her for a ride on a air balloon .. They had a blast ... I wish I could be there at your Irish Songbook tour... Best a luck with it wish you could bring it to the States so we can see it here ..ReplyDelete
As always God bless you
Love Charlotte Patton
I always enjoy your blogs, Paul! As always thank you for sharing some of your life with us! I hope you and Dominique have fun celebrating her birthday :) good luck on your Irish tour. I know it will be amazing! I hope to see you in concert here in Michigan. It would be a dream come true :)ReplyDelete
Awesome blog glad your home safe and sound. Wish Dominique a belated Birthday wish.ReplyDelete
Stay True
Jeannie Rose
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Jerry Zhang is the Conservative Candidate in the riding of Waterloo. His personal and professional background provides him with dynamic perspective to win back Waterloo and represent his beloved community in parliament.
Jerry was born and raised in a mining town in Northern China as the youngest of three children. His parents were migrant workers, and their commitment to hard work and perseverance left an indelible mark on him.
After completing his undergrad degree at the Harbin Institute of Technology, a top-ranked engineering university in China, Jerry began his career in Beijing as a research engineer at the Institute of Electrical Engineering. In 1996, Jerry married his remarkable wife, Changling Chen. Together, they embarked on a journey that took them to Wisconsin furthering their education.
While Changling was finishing her Ph.D. in Accounting, Jerry graduated with a master's degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He then went on to IBM New York to work as a chipset design engineer. Changling started her academic career in 2004 at the University of Waterloo, where she is now an associate professor. Jerry's industrial experience propelled him to a managerial position at AMD Technologies in Toronto. With these new opportunities, Jerry and Changling chose Waterloo to be their home.
Today, Jerry is an entrepreneur with his own consulting business. His boys, Michael (14) and Adam (10), are ensconced in activities from hockey to arts in this wonderful thriving community. Jerry brings them alongside as he volunteers his time with organizations such as the Food Bank and Kiwanis, putting an emphasis on giving back to the community. Jerry and Changling love raising their family in such a positive and idyllic environment like Waterloo! A strong community makes the difference, and Jerry wants to share this belief.
While canvassing, Jerry engages with a wide variety of community members about their lives and concerns. He assures them: the opportunities exist here! He will work hard to ensure that the seeds of your efforts and perseverance will flourish for you, your children, and your grandchildren.
Waterloo is unique! Waterloo fosters technology, education and innovation.
Jerry will provide a strong voice in Ottawa for the people of Waterloo. To get there, he needs your time and talent – sign up today to join the campaign!
Check me out on LinkedIn:


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There are skills all girls should have; baking a cake, parallel parking, explaining the off side rule. As of yesterday I can now add another to the list: plastering a mud hut.
It all starts at 5am, fresh off the 14h night bus from Luang Prabang, with only a random urban myth about a voluntary project that some Oz guy Matt told me about…
Daauw home, was founded by a Dutch-Laos couple. They are building a centre at their home on the Laos Thai border town of Huay Xai, to encourage the empowerment of local women through cultural exchange, education and support in selling their art and craft work. The set up is you that you can homestay with the couple & their extended relatives, eat meals together, play with the kids etc, so it's instantly like being part of a family. The cost is just $10 USD a day, 75% of which goes towards the project.
Hannah (UK) and Josh (OZ) are both long term volunteers. Josh's is unofficial gaffa in the construction of the main house. He's a carpenter in real life, and so knows a thing or two. Hannah has been there since the mud hut was built from scratch. It's her baby, and she's vowed to stay till it's finished.
Today Matt and I are on mud duty. Bet you thought you would never hear from me the secrets of how to plaster a mud toilet. Well here you are. Just in case you wanna get creative in B & Q.
First we sift 3 buckets of sand, then we hack out and sift 1 bucket of clay from the earth nearby, then we mix in one shovel of concrete & some chaff (no one is sure what this is really for). Now, when I say 'sift' and 'mix' I don't mean in a mixer, oh no no no. I mean by hand! We sift like old miners would panning for lumps of gold; back and forth with a giant net. We are at it an hour and make just enough to fill a few buckets worth. I over dramatise of course, but it's what i imagine it's like to being a cave women. A modern-ish one that has to help the boys and work.
The structure of the hut is already standing with sandbags underneath. Now im an expert, I can get away with sentences like the following. Now, the thing about mud is that a) it's painstaking work, all layer by layer and has to dry in the sun b) it's incredibly messy c) the whole thing is like a giant game of Jenga. if you do it wrong it all come crashing down and you lose a few hours of blood sweat and tears.
Our only real objective for the day is to cover the few inches of sandbags still bare by the door. We are there 6 hours without ANY real progress, it's honestly a lot harder than it sounds! In this time Josh manages to drill up an entire roof structure, and then takes 10 secs to 'render' (I learnt a new word – it means 'smooth over') a patch that had taken me an hour. I have a new appreciation for anyone that can actually build/make stuff for a living! Especially in Laos/Asia it's such a useful talent to be able to share.
We break for a really tasty lunch of sticky rice and salty fish, which we eat with our hands. So of course, I consume a fair bit of the concrete that we have been mixing all morning from under my nails. At 4pm, moral is low. Matt's doing an only slightly better job than I am, and Josh gave us permission to go ahead and experiment with anything we think will work. In a fit of innovation, I tip a bucket load of water into the mix. Matt siphons it off as an attempt to fix it, and low and behold, between us we've only accidentally hit upon the exact right formula. Everyone later agreed it is a true breakthrough for the Mud Building world and surely the blueprint for all future endeavors. We were almost delirious, and in that last hour covered more space than we had all morning. Yes this involved the incredibly messy 'smeer the gunky stuff or just lob it into the high roof part at times,' but to hell with neatness, it worked. If I never achieve anything again, it will be ok leaving Huay Xai knowing there is a toilet there for years to come (or probably till it next rains) that I helped to build!


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I'm pretty happy. Things seem to be going well. There has been change and sadness, the end of a long partnership. There was no drama, just a point of sorrow from which we could not salvage each other. Things had been sad for a long time. I hope people don't think me heartless. It hurts. A part of me is gone. An era of my life, 5 whole years, is over. This is the first really amicable break up I've ever had. It's a lot more painful without the balm of righteous anger.
Endings lead to beginnings and I've made a new start: I fell in love and he's amazing. I never planned this. I planned the opposite, a year of being single and working on my mental health. I guess the universe likes to surprise us. We've been having some amazing adventures. I think he's good for me. I hope we're good for each other.
I'm happy and it's like standing on a clifftop while the wind gusts through your hair. It's exhilarating and amazing. It makes your heart beat faster. It's a fucking long way down. Don't jynx it.


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Cineraria Dusty Miller Plant Seeds (Cineraria Maritima Silverdust) 200+Seeds
$ 5.99
Cineraria Dusty Miller Start this attractive annual from Dusty Miller seeds! It is known for its attractive silvery-gray foliage and mounding form and makes a lovely accent plant in the border or in containers. Dusty Miller Silverdust has lacy, lobed and deeply cut, silvery gray leaves and grows to 8 - 12 inches tall and wide. Dusty Miller plants can winter over and act like a perennial in warmer areas, and mulching helps it survive the winter. Another common name for Cineraria Maritima is Silver Ragwort. The botanical name may also be Senecio cineraria.
Dusty Miller produces flowers that are golden yellow in color. The silvery colored foliage makes a wonderful back-drop for brightly colored bedding plants. The contrasts can be very striking. Shear or pinch back plants if they become leggy. Cineraria Maritima plants are tolerant of many soils, prefers full sun and a well-drained site. Sow Dusty Miller seeds indoors in starter trays 4 - 6 weeks before last frost. Cover the flower seeds lightly with peat moss and keep moist until germination occurs. Transplant seedlings outdoors in the garden after frost season has passed. Space the Dusty Miller plants about 10 inches apart.
- Season: Annual
- USDA Zones: 6 - 10
- Height: 8 - 12 inches
- Bloom Season: Summer and fall
- Bloom Color: Yellow
- Environment: Full sun to partial shade


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Aware and knowing it
Awareness is something that is inherently part of us, so developing awareness through the practice of mindfulness meditation does not mean adding something new or extra to the picture, it involves developing and enhancing skills that are already here, naturally within us. Mindful awareness can simply be described as knowing what is happening while it is happening. It is the knowing quality of awareness that helps us to develop all the beneficial qualities of mind that meditation brings. We don't just see a flower, we know we are seeing a flower. Through consciously paying attention to what is immediately within our experience, we become more conscious of what is arising in our awareness, from moment to moment.
Whatever we experience, and whatever appears in the mind, whether it be a sound, a smell, a sense of touch, taste, a thought, emotion, or physical sensation, we can be aware of it. So everything can be part of meditation practice and a support for mindful awareness. It is not something we add to life, it is life itself. So moments of seeing the bare winter trees, smelling woodsmoke in the wind, feeling the warmth of water in a tap, hearing the clank of cutlery in a washing up bowl, can all be moments of meditation, and reminders that practice is here with us, and right under our very noses. It is not something elusive that we either "do" or "don't do". When we begin to explore meditation practice, with the subtle shift of effort involved in remembering to be aware, it is easy for us to make a big deal of it. But in essence, it involves a simple shift of focus, many billions of times. And it includes recognising clearly, when awareness has drifted, and we are not present. This is not something that has gone "wrong" or off the rails, it is part of the practice itself.
It is through recognising awareness and in countless ordinary moments, that meditation practice builds, outside of any more formal practice that we may do. As long as we are are aware, we are meditating. So the process of building up a practice, deepening concentration, mindfulness and compassion, stems from this very simple fact of human life, that awareness is a capacity we can develop beneficially in our lives to bring us greater clarity and connection to life. And it can be completely part of our ordinary, everyday life as we go about our business.
The Tibetan meditation master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, gives the most wonderfully encouraging advice to us all as follows:
" As long as you maintain awareness or mindfulness, no matter what happens when you practice, your practice is meditation. If you watch thoughts, that's meditation. If you can't watch your thoughts, that is meditation too. Any of these experiences can be support for meditation. The essential thing is to maintain awareness, no matter what thoughts, emotions, sensations occur. If you remember that awareness of what occurs is meditation, then meditation becomes much easier than you think."
From "The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness".


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The Digital Customer Journey Exposed: From Awareness to Purchase
In the traditional world of marketing, organizations started off with a product, did some TV or radio ads, then customers went to brick and mortar shops to choose among brands and buy a product.
Today's digital customer experience is vastly different. There are many more touch points to connect with consumers. They are exposed to digital media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and an array of Internet platforms (websites, forums, blogs, etc.). There are also many more ways to buy the product, including via a website, a mobile website, an app, in physical stores, or by ordering online and picking up the item at a physical location.
The average household today owns more than five Internet-connected devices, so buying a product is a very long "journey" of loops on multiple devices. And every device has multiple points of interaction. Recent research suggests that the average person swipes, taps, and pinches their phone screen 2,617 times per day* (or about a million times per year)!
*Source – http://www.businessinsider.com/dscout-research-people-touch-cell-phones-2617-times-a-day-2016-7
Think about the last product you bought. How many times did you interact online with the brand before you started your online research? How many times did you visit the brand's website before you bought it online? Did you interact with online help? Businesses need a way to follow, map out, and better understand this customer journey from beginning to end.
What is a Digital Customer Journey?
- A "customer journey" identifies all customer interactions with your business from the customer's point of view.
- "Digital customer journeys" combine all the contacts a customer has with a brand: basic online consumer data, information about transactions, browsing history on all devices, and online customer service interactions.
Digital Customer Journey Mapping
A digital customer journey map is a complete framework that enables you to see how clients and prospects connect with your brand and product. It shows all the different stages that customers go through as they interact with your online channels, from awareness, to consideration, to purchase.
The Requirements of a Digital Customer Journey Map
To understand customer journey analytics you will need to consider the following features:
- Automated Customer Journey Mapping
You need a visual map of your customers' digital journeys and the ability to filter these journeys via any attribute.
- 100% Tamper-Proof Recording
Preferably from both the client and server sides, you need a full record of digital interactions between the customer and the site or app.
- Accurate Session Replay
All web and mobile app sessions can be replayed in the exact same way they were experienced by customers.
- Real Time Reporting
For the immediate resolution of customer problems (particularly in call centers), there needs to be access to data as it happens in real time.
- Data Compression
No matter which industry you operate in, storage can be expensive and you need to consider the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). When capturing millions or even billions of sessions every month, we're talking Big Data. Therefore, you may have to consider solutions that can powerfully compress collected data, so it can be stored for as long as suits you or is required by regulation.
- Security & Privacy
Highly sensitive recorded information requires the highest levels of data security and privacy.
Analytic Tools for Digital Customer Journeys
Customer journey analytics enable you to understand why conversions are underperforming and find out exactly why customers are experiencing problems. These are the tools that are essential for improving digital customer experience:
- Funnels
You can decide on your own criteria for funnels, either by selecting a specific customer journey from the map, or by using free-text. For example, you could decide to retrieve and analyze all the traffic coming from Facebook, then narrow it down to all the sessions where visitors spent more than 20 seconds on the "Special Offers" page and then clicked to buy a specific offer. This will allow you to understand why people struggle, why they are abandoning your channel or a transaction, why they're not converting, etc.
- Customer Journey Filters
To optimize customer experience on a particular page, you may want to filter sessions according to:
- Mobile device
- Operating system
- Geographic location
- Mouse movements
- Customer demographics
- Customer segment
- Traffic sources
- Amount of time spent on page
- And many more attributes
This type of information can help you to understand who is struggling most, what are the issues encountered, and how to fix them for a successful outcome.
- Clickmaps
A clickmap shows you on average how many times a specific element is being clicked on, is being changed (e.g. data populated in a field) and how much time is being spent on it, within a given timeframe. You can use this data to understand if the behavior of an individual customer or visitor is representative of everyone's behavior on a page or web element and if the issue you're witnessing on a specific session is a much wider problem experienced by many customers or not.
- Flexible Data Exporting
Everyone in the organization needs access to the data – IT, Marketing, Distribution, Customer service. Therefore, you need to be able to export the raw customer journey data, real-time scenario-based data, or even batches of data.
Why Improve the Customer Journey?
Many businesses have used customer journey analytics to focus on the performance of specific touchpoints in an effort to improve customer experience. As journeys happen over time and over multiple touchpoints, McKinsey and Co.* have shown that focusing on the journey – interactions over time and multiple touchpoints – has greater impact on business performance.
- Journey performance has a 30%-40% greater impact on customer satisfaction than touchpoint performance.
- Journey performance has a 20%-30% greater impact on value and business outcomes than touchpoint performance.
*Source – The Truth about Customer Experience, McKinsey research, Harvard Business Review 2013 https://hbr.org/2013/09/the-truth-about-customer-experience
The Business Benefits of Digital Journey Data
Experience performance data and digital business metrics can assist in many ways:
Testing Capabilities
By replaying exactly what the customer sees, IT departments can test website changes, website content, campaigns and even microsites before they go live. This allows for better workflows and journey optimization.
Site Usability Monitoring & IT Troubleshooting
With 40% of consumers abandoning a website if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load, site usability must be fine-tuned down to even a few seconds. The digital consumer has little patience, and monitoring usability can significantly impact the business.
Customer acquisition, conversion rates, retention and even SEO rankings can be improved by performance data.
Reproduce & Diagnose Errors
If something goes wrong (even if it's not visible), the performance data and access to session replays can immediately pinpoint what to fix. This allows for rapid diagnosis and problem solving instead of having to tediously and repeatedly reproduce the error.
Improved Customer Experience
For the user experience designer, a customer journey map helps to identify gaps and points in the customer experience that are disjointed or painful. These might be:
- Gaps between devices, when a user moves from one device to another
- Gaps between departments, where the user might get frustrated
- Gaps between channels (for example, where the experience of going from social media to the website could be better)
According to a report from Forrester Research*: "Understanding the specific devices, touchpoints and interactions is the only way to know if your digital investments will directly improve a customer experience."
*Source – http://www.cio.com/article/3168841/cio-role/driving-digital-strategy-with-customer-journey-maps.html
Most of all, a digital journey map puts the customer at the center of the organization's thinking. It demonstrates how both mobile and web layouts have an impact on customer behaviors.
At Glassbox, we have one single platform, for documenting a customer journey. It supports web and mobile app session recordings, replays and analysis. Glassbox enables businesses to see not only what online and mobile customers are doing but also why they are doing it.
Digital Customer Experience Solutions for Telecoms in 2020
How is the telecommunications industry expected to change in 2020 and throughout the next decade? As technology advances and global connectivity becomes more important than ever, creating meaningful, impactful customer relationships is the most important area to focus on when…
Expectations for Retail Experience Performance in 2020
Online retail is bigger than ever, and this fast-growing sector will be critical to watch as we enter the next decade in 2020. As the purchasing power of Millennials and Generation Z grows and Generation Z becomes the largest consumer…
Banking 2020: Risk Management in the Digital Age
As we move into the new decade, the banking industry faces new security challenges and an uphill battle to gain consumer confidence in light of widely publicized breaches – many of which impacted even widely respected financial brands such as…
Digital Risk Management for a New Decade
With 2020 right around the corner, there are plenty of fresh challenges facing the travel industry worldwide. In order to stay relevant and retain customer loyalty, travel, and hospitality businesses must practice comprehensive digital risk management in order to protect…


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The scoop from those who made it to the front lines at NY Fashion Week …
Ralph Lauren chooses a literal translation of the recession with his Depression-era Spring/Summer collection. Fashionista reports.
The Frisky caught porn king Ron Jeremy on the front lines (well, second to front) during fashion week. Ick.
Diva alert: Lindsay Lohan takes G-Star runway seating arrangements into her own hands according to NY Post's Page Six by moving Juliette Lewis and Christian Siriano and throwing Taylor Momsen's place card to the floor, all so she could get a better view.
Another story of actress turned designer—Emma Watson is collaborating with People Tree on a sustainable style collection. (via The Cut)
Gasp! Fashion embraces accessibility, a word once thought of as the death of daring and creativity. WSJ shows who's on board.
The scoop from those who made it to the front lines at NY Fashion Week …


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TLD Registry
TLD Registry Ltd. is the parent company behind ChopChop.Domains and ChineseLandrush.com.
A global company with offices in Helsinki, Beijing, Hong Kong, Austin, New York, and Dublin, TLD Registry is the owner and operator of both Dot Chinese Online and Dot Chinese Website, serving the global marketplace for brands, business, individuals, and any other online venture who wish to utilize a language that 23% of humanity speaks.
TLD Registry is based in Ireland, alongside many prominent tech sector and domain name industry leaders. The company is fully funded and is supported by the Vision+ Fund, as well as a group of veteran business angel investors.
The founding investors of Vision+ are Nokia, Microsoft and major pension funds. Vision+ leadership have held board roles at Nokia, NAVTEQ and Innofinance, and have strong expertise in IPR development, commercialization, protection and litigation.
TLD Registry's angel investors have backgrounds in various European tech category leaders, including Apple.
TLD Registry's executive leadership benefits from a close working relationship with the highly successful Vision+ team and our angel investors.
China Online Ltd
China Online Ltd, a subsidiary company of market-leading Chinese domain name registry TLD Registry, is a company dedicated to connecting China and world via the online ecosystem. Led by Internet, tech, and business executives Arto Isokoski, Pinkard "Pinky" Brand, and Jin Wang, China Online Ltd's services reflect the years of expertise and success these individuals have had and contributed to the Internet & domain name industry, particularly regarding China market entry for foreign businesses.
China is a massive market with even greater potential, especially online, and China Online Ltd helps bridge the gap of business between China and the rest of the world.


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This week's browser game isn't really much of a game in a traditional sense, it's more of an experience. Okay, that sounds really stupid and you can punch us for saying it, but there isn't a better way to describe Osada. Maybe you could call it an interactive music video, but that doesn't really work either.
Osada comes to us from Amanita Designs, a studio well known for its artsty, quirky and fantastic games like Samorost and Machinarium. That pedigree doesn't really matter here, though, because as we already mentioned, this isn't a game.
But it is a thing you point and click at, so by a very loose standard, there is something gamey about it. It's also a surreal and bizarre trip across the Americas featuring plenty of weird shit that'll quickly start appearing in your dreams and make you wish you could own your own flying bug-man to ride into the sunset on.
The only thing you'll really do throughout Osada is click on various things to trigger different events and sounds. You can kind of make your own little remix of the songs, choosing when new instruments come in or when a particular thing goes flying off into the difference. It's kind of a hidden object game in that respect -- click on things until something happens and you win.
Winning isn't really that big of a deal here, though; it's more about finding your way to the next screen that'll inevitably be filled with more oddness. It's all rather jovial in the end, a strange trip into the minds of weird things with a neat western-tinged soundtrack to push you along. It's nutty, surreal and filled with enough quirk to cause even the most able-minded among us to second-guess any type of logic that may be at play here, but it's well worth spending a few minutes of your afternoon with. If nothing else, you'll feel a little queasy by the end.
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Play it here.


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Contents: The Academy of Achievement connects students with extraordinary leaders, visionaries, and pioneers who help to share our world. The collection includes dozens of achievers in the arts, business, public service, science and exploration, sports, and other fields. A biography, profile, and interview is provided for each honoree along with other information such as a photo gallery, quotes, and background information.
Classroom Connections: There are two ways to explore this collection with students. First, students can explore by categories such as arts or public service. Second, they can examine people who reflect six principles including passion, vision, preparation, courage, perseverance, integrity, along with the American Dream. Combine a biography unit with a character education lesson by asking students to compare the people who reflect a particular principle. Use the website along with the biography section of the library.
Featured Digital Objects:
Achiever Gallery - https://goo.gl/Eqbw5A
Keys to Success - https://goo.gl/7AIBXy
Achiever Gallery - https://goo.gl/Eqbw5A
Keys to Success - https://goo.gl/7AIBXy
To visit the collection, http://www.achievement.org/


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Friday, December 9, 2011
Rare $1/2 Peeps Item Coupon = FREE at Walgreens!
Here's a coupon you don't see too often! Go on over to the PEEPS Facebook page, "like" them, then click on the "Christmas Treats" tab to print a rare $1 off any 2 Christmas Peeps Items coupon! With Christmas around the corner, I'm guessing these are on sale at various stores.
And speaking of sales, starting Sunday, 12/11-12/17, Walgreens will have select Holiday Peeps on sale 2/$1 with in ad coupon, so after the coupon here – you'll score 2 FREE treats!
(Thanks, Couponingfor4!)
Posted by Shannon at 12:19 PM
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If you are here as part of the Bloggers' Quilt Festival, welcome! The quilt I have to show you all hasn't been on my blog before, so this is new for my regular readers, too {I heart my followers!}
I am a huge enthusiast of The Deerfield Fair. I went to my first one when I was 2 weeks old, and have only missed it once in my life. {I had sick Little People, and it was cold & raining that year. O, the depths of a Mother's love, right?} ;)
Anyway, since my kids share my love of the Fair, Son #2 would really love it if I entered the quilt I made for him. The only problem is, he would have to give it up for about a week, and that just isn't something he is willing to do. He is thrilled to have it entered in the Festival - this way his quilt can be shown off and he doesn't have to part with it; and that is why I'm showing you a Golden Oldie today {He asked me to make sure you know this is his quilt, all for him. It makes me so happy that my kids appreciate handmade} :)
Son #2 wanted a cowboy quilt; a red cowboy quilt. At that time, cowboy prints were not the 'in' thing, and the ones I did find were not red. I can't remember how many years ago I made this quilt {4 or 5? more?} but it was before I discovered Etsy, or online fabric shopping. It took months to chase down suitable fabrics. I went to shops all over NH, ME, and even one or two in MA. My mother brought two or three prints home from Florida.
I fussy-cut squares of large scale cowboy prints on point, then put delectable mountain blocks on each side of the squares. I love the secondary pattern that gives the look of flying geese units when the blocks are put together. I did use a pattern - I can't remember the name or designer, but I wouldn't recommend it anyway because it had a couple significant errors. Like listing yardage and cutting directions for half of the background pieces really needed. Not a fun thing to notice months after you have already bought the fabric :( {this experience is a big reason why I always over buy}
My Mom quilted this on a longarm.
Can you see the different patterns she used in each section of the design?
The binding is extra wide, which I think is a great complement to the 'rustic' theme. If you want to make your binding wider, after quilting just don't trim your batting and backing fabric to the edge of your top. Stitch your binding strips a 1/4" away from the top's edge a usual, fold around to the back and stitch down as usual. Don't forget to cut your binding wide enough to accommodate the extra width.
I hunted all over for a red bandanna fabric for the binding; this paisley was the closest I could find. Don't you just know, once this quilt was done cowboy fabrics apparently 'came back'. Red ones, too. And bandanna fabrics. :)
The backing is a flannel buffalo print - I was so excited to find that fabric :)
Even though I pre-washed everything, with all the reds, this quilt bled like a stuck pig in the wash. I was heartbroken, because I had put so much into this quilt and was so proud of it and it was for my son. Son #2 couldn't have cared less - it's all about perspective, right? :)
This quilt lives on my son's bed, no matter what the weather. So much so, that his older brother just looked at the photos and said 'wow, I didn't know it looked like that!' lol
This quilt has been snuggled with, dragged around the house, used to build bunkers for various war re-enactments, thrown up on, washed a ton, and generally loved hard continuously since the last stitch was made. And it has just gotten softer and better with use. {I use cotton batting, either Warm & Natural or Warm & White in all my quilts, if you wanted to know}
The leaves were deliberately left on the ground in the backyard to add character to the pictures. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. {cough}
Thank-you Kris for coming over just to hold up a quilt!
The important details:
measurements - 66" x 82"
quilted by - my mother, a professional long-armer :)
best category - Favorite bed quilt or Favorite professionally quilted quilt


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Whether it's your first or third, newborn babies are simply magical! Capture those first few days, weeks, and months of pure perfection with one of Hong Kong's best baby and newborn photographers. Our top picks have the patience, experience, and skill to deliver heirloom pieces you'll be proud to share with family and friends for years to come.
Want more? Check out these photography guides to Hong Kong:
Top Family Photographers in Hong Kong


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The Warrior Pack is the safest and most functional bag ever created. Our simple strap system changes the look and function of the bag 8 stylish ways: Thigh Holster, Purse, Protected Purse, Shoulder Holster, Backpack, Handbag, Fanny Pack, Messenger Bag. The Warrior Pack's design incorporates 3 separate pockets: Flat zipper pocket - 9" tall x 7" wide x 1" deep. Zippered pouch - 7" tall x 6 ½" wide x 1 ½" deep. Flap pouch - 5 ½" tall x 5 ½" wide x 1 ½" deep. This Pack also features a heavy duty elastic restraint band within the middle zippered pocket. Excellent for seperation and easy access of concealed carry, phones, or other personal items. Additional features include a chained detachable card wallet and cut resistant straps. Made from the highest quality leather and hardware, this bag surpasses everything about the everyday purse. Stay hands free and never lose your bag! Comfortable, functional and badass sexy. Available in many styles and colors, the Warrior Pack is undoubtedly the most innovative bag ever designed.
Note: The standard waist strap fits a Size 0 up to 58 inches. The standard leg strap fits 22 inches to 29 inches. Straps can be customized to fit any length. Simply email us your Invoice # and measurements upon ordering for a customized set at no additional charge.


text: I'm wearing out the grooves on a Claude Bolling Trio CD a friend gave me. "Jazz a la Francais" it's called, and its about the most UP music I've heard lately. Claude Bolling is an absolute genius, his blend of classical and jazz puts a smile on my face in the same way that Menuhin and Reinhardt do. But I can't find out who's playing the bass. Beautiful melodic, swinging lines and solos and a perfect match for Bolling's fun on the keys. I've googled and I've googled to no avail. One of my favourite pastimes is listening to a new jazz track on the car radio and trying to guess the bassist. But here I have a whole CD of great bass and aaaaargh i want to know who it is! *Sounds* a bit Ron Carterish to me, but with an album title like that, I'm guessing its a frenchman. any clues? anyone got the album cover?


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Boys score as well as or better than girls on most standardized tests, yet they are far less likely to get good grades, take advanced classes or attend college….
The sometimes controversial Christina Hoff Sommers wrote about this problem of "Boys at the back" in our public schools, illustrated in this chart posted by Mark Perry.
Boys score as well as or better than girls on most standardized tests, yet they are far less likely to get good grades, take advanced classes or attend college. Why? A study coming out this week in The Journal of Human Resources gives an important answer. Teachers of classes as early as kindergarten factor good behavior into grades — and girls, as a rule, comport themselves far better than boys.
The study's authors analyzed data from more than 5,800 students from kindergarten through fifth grade and found that boys across all racial groups and in all major subject areas received lower grades than their test scores would have predicted.
The scholars attributed this "misalignment" to differences in "noncognitive skills": attentiveness, persistence, eagerness to learn, the ability to sit still and work independently. As most parents know, girls tend to develop these skills earlier and more naturally than boys.
That last sentence, which I've highlighted, may hold a key to one reason for the gender gap in school performance. Girls have the edge over boys not only in earlier development of certain social and organizational skills, but also in reading and writing. Over time schools have pushed down more rigorous academic and organizational requirements to younger grades, making it more likely for boys to develop early gaps that often persist to the upper grades and college.
A related reason for the gender gap may be what David Brooks called the lack of cultural diversity.
… The education system has become culturally cohesive, rewarding and encouraging a certain sort of person: one who is nurturing, collaborative, disciplined, neat, studious, industrious and ambitious. People who don't fit this cultural ideal respond by disengaging and rebelling.
Far from all, but many of the people who don't fit in are boys….
Brooks is describing what is often called the "feminization" of public schools. This term is distasteful to some, probably because it reinforces gender stereotypes. Whatever the label, it does appear that schools have become "culturally homogeneous" in a way that hurts boys more than girls. It starts in elementary school when an early reader is told that he got the wrong answer because he picked "mad" instead of "sad" to describe how the boy in the story feels after he doesn't get the bike he wanted for his birthday.* It continues through high school where group discussions in history class only allow expressions of compassion for victims of war but no praise for brilliant military maneuvers. The message is clear – only certain types of behaviors and thoughts are welcome in the classroom.
There's no doubt that students do need to be "studious and industrious" to perform well academically. It just seems that public schools are misguided in the methods they use in trying to develop those qualities in all students, particularly in boys.
Suggested reforms
Sommers points out that this gender gap should motivate schools to find ways to promote boys' academic achievement, as they have done for girls in recent cases when the gender gap has been reversed. She suggests some changes that the British, the Canadians and the Australians have implemented.
… These include more boy-friendly reading assignments (science fiction, fantasy, sports, espionage, battles); more recess (where boys can engage in rough-and-tumble as a respite from classroom routine); campaigns to encourage male literacy; more single-sex classes; and more male teachers (and female teachers interested in the pedagogical challenges boys pose).
One example of how poor noncognitive skills can create a misalignment between grades and test scores
I know of a case where a middle school boy consistently earned almost perfect test scores in his social studies class and who reached the finals in his state's geography bee contest. However, his average grade was significantly lowered by his poor class notes, likely due to a deficit in "noncognitive skills". Because of his grades, and because "behavior and work habits" counted so heavily in the admissions process, he was shut out of his high school's social studies honors track. If not for his parents' intervention to override the school's policies and allow him to enroll in the honors course, he might have languished in courses that were too easy and boring for him. As it happened, he went on to graduate with honors and enroll in an elite university.


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Felicia Lee, who also performed under the name Felicia Tang, was a stunner. And now she's gone.
Her boyfriend, Brian Lee Randone, a self styled preacher and reality TV contestant, tortured and murdered her, say police, extinguishing that flame forever.
But Lee will be remembered both by her body of work, some of it controversial, and by friends and family who knew her best.


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For the last several years, economists have been trying to crack the mystery of low U.S. inflation. Despite being ten years out of the financial crisis, U.S. inflation stubbornly refuses to resume normal growth and remains below the Fed's 2 percent target.
Some are questioning if it will ever get there — and if Amazon is the reason growth has been so sluggish. And by some, we mean Goldman Sachs' chief economist Jan Hatzius.
Over the weekend, Hatzius observed that the last half year has seen "many investors worry that structural drags in the retail sector will prevent a return to the Fed's 2% target."
The "Amazon effect" is thought to be a culprit — it prevents brick-and-mortar retailers from raising prices, and instead forces them to "cut prices in a desperate bid to stay alive" to compete with online retailers (Amazon primarily).
According to Hatzius, this effect has pushed a decline of 0.25 percent to core U.S. inflation — while also reducing overall core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) inflation by 0.1 percent.
Also driving deflation — according to Hatzius — is international trade as it is done in the early 21st century.
He identifies U.S. imports from low-cost nations as "the other key disinflationary force in the goods sector in recent decades."
Hatzius also noted that the changes in the domestic retail market — particularly when wedded to the changing import market — are critical to understanding the deflation issue wracking the U.S. economy. He also pointed to some factors that are largely external to retail in his report over the weekend.
"Structural forces in the service sector — particularly healthcare and education — are weighing more heavily on inflation than they did back then," Hatzius noted.
Those forces in the service sector, he wrote, when paired with the apparently still-escalating Amazon effect, "may continue to delay a return to the Fed's 2 percent target."
New PYMNTS Report: Preventing Financial Crimes Playbook – July 2020
Call it the great tug-of-war. Fraudsters are teaming up to form elaborate rings that work in sync to launch account takeovers. Chris Tremont, EVP at Radius Bank, tells PYMNTS that financial institutions (FIs) can beat such highly organized fraudsters at their own game. In the July 2020 Preventing Financial Crimes Playbook, Tremont lays out how.


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- Publications
- Watching Backyard Birds
February 2017
Julie Zickefoose remembers, as a child, her first encounter with eastern bluebirds. In this issue of WBB, she shares lessons learned about feeding and housing them. She shares her recipe for "Zick Dough," a high-protein treat that will have bluebirds, cardinals, woodpeckers, and many other species lined up at your feeders! Also in this issue, Birdsquatch, our tall, hairy, and slightly stinky columnist, answers reader questions about feeding suet dough and why nest boxes might fail. Find all this and more in the February 2017 issue of Watching Backyard Birds!
Already a Subscriber?Read This Issue Online »
Issue Features
Species Profile: Living with Eastern Bluebirds by Julie Zickefoose
Watcher at the Window: Lessons from Garrett, the Red-headed Woodpecker (Part II) by Julie Zickefoose
Readers Write: American Tree Sparrows Under the Feeder by Cathy Priebe
Photo Blog: Owls in the 'Hood by Jeff Bouton
Ask Birdsquatch: Nest Boxes and Over-feeding Suet Dough
Short Stories from Al by Al Batt
Editor's Note
BIRDbites: Feeding Peanuts; Zick Dough Recipe; How to Make a Pole-mounted Stovepipe Baffle