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Feb. 29, 2012
Engineers create a rainbow-colored polymer
University at Buffalo engineers have developed a one-step, low-cost method to fabricate a polymer with extraordinary properties: When viewed from a single perspective, the polymer is rainbow-colored, reflecting many different wavelengths of light. Used as a filter for light, this material could form the basis of handheld multispectral imaging devices that identify the "true color" of objects examined.
Shielding with conductive polymer and carbon fiber composites
SPE Plastics Research Online
Materials that protect against electromagnetic interference with high shielding effectiveness have gained great importance due to their applications in electronic, aerospace, medical, and military devices. Short carbon fibers mixed with blends of ethylene vinyl acetate and acrylonitrile butadiene copolymer are promising materials for shielding electronics from electromagnetic radiation.
An inverse modeling method for parameter identification of thermoplastics
SPE Plastics Research Online
Polymers are widely favored in the transportation industry, whether as structural components or for the safety of passengers and pedestrians. Nevertheless, experience in the numerical modeling of polymers used in impact protection and structural systems is limited, generally because commercial finite-element software lacks robust material models. A new procedure simplifies the identification of true stress-true strain laws for the characterization of thermoplastics.
SELLING EQUIPMENT NPE Booth 9138
Arlington Plastics Machinery will be BUYING and SELLING used plastics equipment at NPE 2012. Most booths will only be selling, Arlington will be…
Chemical Foaming Agents for Molding & Extrusion
Bergen International offers a comprehensive line of Chemical Foaming Agents specifically formulated for various low density Molding and Extrusion applications and a variety of resins. NPE Booth #29027
Natural gas renaissance sparks favorable chemical reaction
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Meet the latest market to be upended by North America's energy revival: ethane. Just as with natural gas and crude oil, there are winners and losers from this disruption. Ethane is a natural-gas liquid, or NGL, that is produced alongside natural gas. It is used primarily to make ethylene, which is used in turn to make plastics and other chemical products. Having jumped in 2011, its price has plummeted 39 percent so far this year.
Compressed natural gas tanks set for plastic makeover
Plastics Today
Chesapeake Energy Corporation and 3M plan to collaborate in designing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of compressed natural gas tanks for use in all sectors of the United States transportation market. Currently the fuel tank on a CNG vehicle is its most expensive single component. The new plastics-intensive CNG tanks will reportedly reduce costs while increasing performance. Less expensive tanks will enable greater market adoption of CNG as an alternative automotive fuel source.
Your Solution. Your UPES Resin.
UPES additive resins provide foam producers with cost-competitive solutions that deliver material source reduction opportunities without compromising performance. Visit
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Results mixed in ACC annual resin statistics
Plastics News
For high-density polyethylene and PVC demand in the U.S. and Canada, 2011 was a good year — but it was only a so-so year for low and linear low density PE and an unpleasant year for polypropylene. HDPE and PVC sales each grew a little more than 3 percent for the year, according to the American Chemistry Council in Washington, D.C. It was a mediocre year, however, for LDPE and LLDPE, with LDPE slipping 0.4 percent and LLDPE with a slight 0.5 percent gain.
Polymer film that can capture tumor cells shows promise as a diagnostic tool
Nanowerk News
Cancer cells that break free from a tumor and circulate through the bloodstream spread cancer to other parts of the body. But this process, called metastasis, is extremely difficult to monitor because the circulating tumor cells can account for as few as one in every billion blood cells. Research has produced a polymer film that can capture specific CTCs. With further development, the system could help doctors to diagnose an advancing cancer and assess the effectiveness of treatments.
Read why SIGMASOFT is different!
Plastic manufacturers in Ghana call for mandatory use of biodegradable additives
Ghana Business News
The Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association has appealed to the government to urgently consider regulations for the incorporation of biodegradable additives in the production of plastic carrier bags, water pouches and agricultural films. The association also proposed that through the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, the government makes compliance with such regulations a pre-requisite for renewal of license of plastic manufacturers.
Bans on polystyrene containers and single-use bags continue to spread
Plastics News
Unless there is an unexpected reversal in a second vote, Dana Point, Calif., is set to become the 50th community in California to enact a ban on polystyrene takeout foodservice containers. At the same meeting, Dana Point city council approved a ban on plastic bags. That means 54 cities and 12 counties in the U.S. have adopted plastic bag bans, three communities have taxes on plastic bags, and more than a dozen cities are actively pursuing plastic bag bans.
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Specialized polymer materials, services and solutions
What if you could rely on a single materials supplier to meet your global needs and help you grow, no matter where you are in the world? You can – when you work with PolyOne. Our solutions help to improve your profitability. For the biggest questions facing your business, visit
Plastics manufacturer to open facility and add 140 jobs in Mocksville, NC
Winston-Salem Journal
Carolina Precision Plastics LLC will open a new facility in Mocksville, N.C. The plastics manufacturer plans to create 140 jobs and invest $5.3 million during the next three years. The project was made possible in part by a $250,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The average annual wage for the new jobs will be $39,183 plus benefits.
Industrial Plastics Co. moving up to 140 jobs from Ohio to Kentucky
The Plain Dealer
Industrial Plastics Co. in Valley City, Ohio, will close its plastic injection molding facility and move up to 140 jobs to Kentucky by the end of the year, the company said. The move is designed to save the company money by switching most of the work to an underused facility in Leitchfield, Ky., owned by MTD, the parent company of Industrial Plastics Co.
Introducing the Datacolor 45G
The Datacolor 45G Portable 45/0 Spectrophotometer. Take the guesswork out of Appearance Quality Control with the industry's best repeatability and inter-instrument agreement.
GP:50 is proud to announce the completion of the next generation in pressure measurement. Using true thermal compensation, GP:50 Model 400 is now the most advanced, accurate and dependable pressure transmitter available on the market today.
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for more information.
Harvard scientist developing edible food packaging
Food Product Design
A Harvard University scientist has developed a new edible packaging technology that allows individuals to eat and transport food without plastic. Called WikiCells, the packaging encloses food and liquid in an edible membrane. WikiCells imitate such natural packaging by enclosing food and liquid in an edible membrane. The membrane, which is comprised of a charged polymer and food particles, is in turn protected by a hard shell which can be broken away much like that of an egg.
Profits at German chemical firm BASF held back by higher raw material costs
The Associated Press via The Washington Post
Rising raw materials prices and weaker demand in a slowing economy held back fourth-quarter profits at German-based chemical, plastics and oil company BASF SE. But the company showed a strong result for the full year, raised its dividend and predicted things would pick up again in the second half. Net profit rose 3 percent in the fourth quarter to €1.13 billion ($1.5 billion).
Carbon nanotubes improve fracture toughness of polyurethane composites for wind turbine blades
As demand for renewable energy increases, wind turbine blades are increasing in size, leading to longer blades that can achieve larger swept areas. Yet, gravity-induced bending loads on blades create dramatic increases in dynamic stress, heightening market demand for a material that reduces blade mass while retaining strength.
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Engineered Thermoplastic Composites
is a "complete" product portfolio of thermoplastic composite materials, where the customers' requirements define the pellet composition. For thermoplastic polymers and continuous reinforcing fibers, Complēt offers the total LFT portfolio.
Beverage Plastics sells 51 percent in partial takeover deal
Belfast Telegraph
Beverage Plastics has been partly bought by a Thailand-based multinational for an undisclosed sum. The 51 percent purchase of the plastics company was revealed in a filing to the Bangkok Stock Exchange by Indorama Ventures. The filing said Beacon Trading, an indirectly-owned subsidiary of the "integrated polyester chain producer," had acquired 51 percent of the Northern Ireland business.
BASF targets next-generation car batteries
The Wall Street Journal (blog)
Chemicals giant BASF underscored its plans for developing next-generation batteries for cars and trucks, after making three acquisitions in the technology this year alone with a total value of more than $100 million. The German company has long been keen on reducing its dependence on cyclical businesses like plastics and chemicals, and has recently set its sights on developing batteries.
SIGMASOFT® - Virtual Mold & Process Development!
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MAR-BAL is the leading innovative thermoset compound and molding company.
What's behind the recent hike in gas prices?
Oil prices have jumped sharply in the past two weeks, and the price of gasoline is also moving up. Across the country, a gallon of regular costs nearly $3.60 on average, with some areas facing $4 gas. That's causing sticker shock at the pump, and concern that rising prices could derail the economic recovery.
Mechanism behind capacitor's high-speed energy storage discovered
Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered the means by which a polymer known as PVDF enables capacitors to store and release large amounts of energy quickly. Their findings could lead to much more powerful and efficient electric cars.
The Best Thermoset Molder in the World
Westmoreland Plastics Company has been in the forefront of Custom Molding for over five decades. This experience has given us the ability to anticipate the needs of our customers, provide the services and components they require, as well as enjoy the overall success of building long-term relationships.
Precision Parts in Liquid Silicone
Silcotech's precision liquid silicone molding, utilizes lean Six Sigma GMP and Risk Assessment. Silcotech provides complete manufacturing solutions for simple to most complex geometries. Capabilities and value added services: 2 component, micro and clean room molding, in-house tool design, complete automation, product design, engineering and prototyping.
Facilities: North-America and India
Gravimetric Blender Innovation at NPE
Process Control will be showcasing advancements in their line of gravimetric continuous and batch blenders during NPE in April [Booth #2051]. The showcase will include the redesigned Guardian® Series 2 line of batch blenders, a new brushless drive package for continuous, and color touchscreens which will be standard on all blenders.
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Who are Mystery Shoppers
Each year, Confero conducts thousands of mystery shop visits across North America. During such visits, mystery shoppers pose as average customers and provide feedback on their experiences. Clients use this feedback to make improvements in sales and service and to reward employees for jobs well done.
Confero's client base is diverse, including banks, automotive services, quick and full service restaurants and retail stores.
Confero's mystery shopper base is also diverse. Mystery shoppers are independent contractors, most of who are employed full-time elsewhere in fields ranging from accounting to zoology.
Confero mystery shoppers report on observable behaviors and conditions. Because they remain anonymous, they provide very candid feedback.
They are not employees of Confero and are not obligated to accept Confero shopping assignments. This leads to willing participation and reduced bias.
Confero strives to provide mystery shoppers with enough information to perform a specific mystery shop without providing so much information that they lose their "average customer" perspective.
Mystery shoppers apply to Confero via a shopper profile form. Mystery shoppers are asked a series of questions to determine their background and capability to report fairly. Their ability to communicate via surveys is assessed prior to acceptance by Confero to be a mystery shopper.
Confero continually recruits mystery shoppers to replace those lost to natural attrition, bias or poor performance in reporting on their visits. To recruit new mystery shoppers, Confero seeks referrals from its experienced mystery shoppers. Confero also recruits just as any company would.

subset: commoncrawl


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I have made it no secret that I have been in a rut this year. I've been struggling with my lack of motivation. Some days are great while others I have no energy for absolutely anything. Lucky me though a little over a month ago I received a little surprise. I was contacted by the people from Nutrition53 to try out their protein powder. I had heard great things about their line of products so I jumped at the opportunity to try out their protein powder. Even though they did provide me with free samples, all opinions are on my own.
So a little history on Nutrition53:
Nutrition53 has different lines of protein from their Lean1 (Healthy Performance Shake), Neuro1 (Mental Performance Formula), Vegan1, and their LeanPro1 (Fat Burning Protein). Of course the company also has a line of supplements but I only received samples of the four protein powder lines along with a shaker to mix. The founder and CEO of the company happens to be a former NFL player, Bill Romanowski. He along with doctors, scientists, and nutritionist came together to formulate the Nutrition 53 line. Getting these protein packets in the mail was just what I needed to get back in training mode. I set my calendar with long runs and gym sessions to test out the products.
The Lean1 protein powder is made from 27 different vitamins and minerals, 20g of lactose free protein, green coffee extract, 7-8 grams of fiber, omega-3 essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes & probiotics, 17 fruits and vegetables, amino acids, and grape seed/grape skin extracts. It contains 15% less sugar than most protein powders out in the market and only 200 calories. They also offer a wide variety of flavors: banana cream, chai chocolate, cookies and cream, chocolate peanut butter, vanilla raspberry, strawberry, and strawberry banana.
The Lean1Pro contains many of the same ingredients except for it has 30grams of lean protein along with amino acids and leucine peptides for defining and increasing muscle, help burn body fat faster, and speed up muscle recovery. They do however have less flavor options: chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, vanilla, and cookies and cream.
The Neuro1 was created for mental performance. It contains neuroactive amino acids, powerful herbal extracts and other supplements to boost workout intensity, enhance learning capacity, improve memory recall, and to calm concentration under stress. It is meant to improve long term brain function.
As for the Vegan1, it is a plant based with 20g of protein. It is rich in antioxidants and made with healthy fats and carbohydrates. The Vegan1 also contains 5g of fiber, 5g of fat per serving, and 22 essential vitamins and minerals. And of course their is no dairy, gluten, or soy.
When to use:
- On the go meal
- A healthy snack
- Daily supplement
- Post workout
- Jumpstarting your morning (Neuro1 only)
How to use:
- Pour 8-10oz of cold water
- Add one scoop of protein powder
- Add 4 ice cubes
- Shake or stir until powder is dissolved
* Can be mixed in a blender, shaker, or a regular tall glass
Over the years, I have tried my fair share of protein powders. Some were so disgusting and chalky while others were good but would only keep me full for maybe an hour. I can say with all honesty that all their protein samples were delicious. None were chalky or clumpy. Although I did not taste all flavors, I did get a wide variety of them from the four different lines and they were all good. I have never been a fan of vanilla flavors but even those I liked. My favorite by far were cookies & cream, strawberry banana, and chocolate.
I understand cost is a big factor in trying out new protein powders. On their website, they offer different serving sizes and sample packets for sale. The price will obviously vary depending on what you choose, but it does average anywhere from $25-40. I do know the website offers varies discounts as well. And I recently saw Nutrition53 on Groupon. The price is just about average compared to other protein companies out in the market though.
Overall, I loved my samples and can't wait to purchase more. I used them mostly for post workouts after my runs or gym sessions. Only a few were used as a meal replacement during my night shifts at work. They filled me up for about four hours which was just enough time until my next snack/meal. I know that Nutrition53 does advertise that if used consistently, you can loose weight fast. I, however did not loose any weight. I maintained the same but did notice an increase in energy. I was motivated to workout and I honestly just felt great!
Other places you can find me:


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ALIGN's ethical guidelines are based on the following main elements:
- We behave in a righteous, proper and decent manner
- We abide by the laws and rules that apply to our work
- We do not misuse our position to obtain personal advantages for ourselves or others
- We do not take part in corrupt and unacceptable business transactions
- We do not engage in actions aimed at harming other parties
Our sub-contractors and partners will have policies that are in line with ALIGN's stated ethical guidelines.
We recognise that great people want to work for great companies. We want people who share our values of being professional, ambitious, caring and enthusiastic. In return we offer a competitive package of salary and benefits and a global platform to help you realise your ambitions.
Our brands are leaders in their fields. Together we are a global supplier of technical safety and total fire fighting solutions for the global oil and gas business. We are growing fast and want our people to grow with us.
We are ambitious for our company and our employees and nurture out talent by providing the resources and opportunities they need to reach their goals.


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We're in the playoffs and our first round is against OKC. They have home court advantage as we have a tie and they won the tie breakers against us.
This was the team I didn't want among all the teams that arean'y the Rockets. I think Adams is a good defender against Rudy. Not too worried about George, but if Westbrook suddenly realizes he doesn't need to shoot all the time (like last game of the season) then we're in trouble. The best part of OKC is Westbrook shooting 100 shots a game and only making a fraction of them.


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Two recent reviews by LensCulture's editor confirm the stylistic key of my photographs: pictorial, romantic, poetic.
October 10, 2018
90 authors selected by ImageNation over 30 countries for the exhibition at the prestigious Galerie Joseph during the Paris Photo Days. After Milan MIA Photo Fair and Arles Voies Off, we'll fly to Paris for the last show in 2018.
July 05, 2018
ImageNation presents at Voies Off in Arles a group of emerging photographers from all around the world. Arles, July 16-22, 2018.
May 17, 2018
Milan, June 6-10 at Paratissima Art & Photo Fair.
With Roberto Caielli, Giacomo Infantino, Ilaria Pezone.
March 03, 2018
For the second edition, you'll find me at MIA Photo Fair, the most important artistic photo fair in Italy. Caielli Fine Art stand, March 9-12, 2018.
February 26, 2017
Caielli Fine Art, stand 50 corridoio B. MIA Photo Fair, 10-13 Marzo The Mall, Porta Nuova, Milano. . . . . View other pictorialism works. For info and buying prints,… Read More →
February 02, 2017
My pictorial series "Seasons" will be present in representation of contemporary Pictorialists.
April 20, 2016
Natura e uomo rappresentati attraverso delle radiografie: immagini retroilluminate che accostano queste strette relazioni, come quella tra le ramificazioni di un albero e quelle del sistema nervoso
December 08, 2015
Two honorable mentions in Nature:Trees and Nature:Other, at ND Awards Photo contest. The mentions were for "Time as transition and consciousness", and for "Waiting along the way".
May 28, 2015
Il Marchio dell'Alba, primo capitolo della nuova saga fantasy italiana "Le Cronache di Experya" scritta dall'esordiente Carlo Milani, è disponibile nei principali eBook store online in formato ePub e Kindle. Con la possibilità di ricevere a casa il romanzo stampato ordinandolo da Amazon o da LaFeltrinelli.it oppure presso tutte le librerie del circuito Feltrinelli.


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Courses numbered in the 100s and 200s are aimed at first- and second-year students; courses numbered in the 300s and 400s are upper-level.
The second digit of the course number for Physics courses specifies its subfield within the discipline. Courses numbered #0# are courses of general interest; #1# courses (for example PHYS 115 or 415) are in astronomy; #2#, in mechanics; #3#, in electro-magnetism; #4#, in modern physics; #5#, laboratory-focused courses; #6#, mathematical physics; and #7#, thermal physics.
PHYS 107 PHYSICS FOR FUTURE PRESIDENTS (3 credits) This course covers physics relevant for future world leaders, whether in business or politics, or for an informed electorate. There are many economic and political issues that involve high technology content. This course will cover the science behind global warming, energy issues, counter-terrorism, space exploration and many more pertinent topics.
*PHYS 115 ENCOUNTERS WITH THE COSMOS (3 credits) Explore and discover the origin and evolution of the expanding universe that surrounds us, and the processes that created the "star dust" of which we are composed. Find out what really happens when you travel into a black hole and hear the latest discoveries from the Mars Rover! This course provides a descriptive study of the origin and evolution of the universe and the nature of the solar system, the stars and galactic systems. (A-QR)
*PHYS 116 ENCOUNTERS WITH THE COSMOS (WITH LAB) (4 credits) Explore and discover the origin and evolution of the expanding universe that surrounds us, and the processes that created the "star dust" of which we are composed. Find out what really happens when you travel into a black hole and hear the latest discoveries from the Mars Rover! This course provides a descriptive study of the origin and evolution of the universe and the nature of the solar system, the stars and galactic systems. Lab. (A-QR)
*PHYS 120 PHYSICS FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES (4 credits) How can we understand the complexities of motion? What determines the arc of a basketball free-throw, or how can we model blood pressure in the humans? This course develops concepts of force, momentum and energy and applies them to a variety of phenomena ranging from the motion of elementary particles to the motion of the planets. High school algebra and trigonometry are used. Lab. (A-AR, A-QR) (AY)
*PHYS 125 MATTER IN MOTION (WITH CALCULUS) (4 credits) What dictates the complexities of motion? How can we use physic to understand energy issues, or control the path of a probe launched to rendezvous with Mars? This course develops concepts of force, momentum, energy and heat, and applies them to a variety of phenomena ranging from the motion of elementary particles to the motion of the planets. Lab. Co-requisite: MATH 180 or background in Calculus. (A-AR, A-QR)
*PHYS 230 ELECTROMAGNETISM, WAVES AND OPTICS (4 credits)You can change the direction of a baseball's motion by hitting it, but how do you curve light's motion to form the image on your retina? How can you move a beam of electrons without touching them? This course extends concepts like force and energy to realms that we cannot experience by touch. This course investigates the nature of electrostatics, electrical currents, magnetism, waves and optics, as well as a few concepts from modern Physics. Lab. Prerequisite: PHYS 120. (A-AR, A-QR) (AY)
*PHYS 235 ELECTROMAGNETISM, WAVES AND OPTICS (WITH CALCULUS) (4 credits)How is electricity created or lightning modeled? What is the fundamental nature of light? How can we use mirrors to create three-dimensional images? In this course, electrostatics, electromagnetism, electric and magnetic fields, waves and optics are treated using analytical techniques of calculus and vector analysis. Lab. Prerequisite: PHYS 125. Co-requisite: MATH 280. (A-AR, A-QR)
*PHYS 325 BIOPHYSICS (3 credits)What sorts of patterns do we expect to find in biology? When molecules are diffusing randomly through a cell, and when are they being moved around actively? What are the main forces governing protein folding? small number of fundamental physical models will be applied to a broad range of biological problems in this course. Students will explore their own interests through a significant independent project. Sophomore or junior level is recommended. Prerequisites: PHYS 125, PHYS 235 and MATH 280. Also listed as BIOL 325. (WI)
PHYS 345 MODERN PHYSICS (4 credits) Few ideas stretch the imagination or challenge the intuition as much as Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. In this course, you'll investigate special relativity, quantum Physics, atomic and nuclear Physics with elementary classical Physics as a foundation. In the study of special relativity, students will reason through the implications of Einstein's postulate and find how the predictions of his theory can be put to experimental tests. Elementary quantum mechanics, on the other hand, will show how scientists have sometimes had to change their conceptual framework when confronted with phenomena that cannot fit into an earlier paradigm. Lab. Prerequisites: MATH 280 and PHYS 235.
PHYS 350 ELECTRONICS AND INSTRUMENTATION (3 credits) This is a laboratory-oriented course dealing with analog and digital circuits. Circuit theory is developed for diodes, transistors, operational amplifiers and integrated circuits. These components are used to construct a range of devices, including power supplies, oscillators, amplifiers and logic circuits. Laboratory work will allow students to gain an operational understanding of these basic concepts. Skills debugging, circuit building, and reading circuit diagrams will be stressed. Lab. Prerequisites: PHYS 230 or 235. Also listed as CS 350. (AY)
*PHYS 355 ADVANCED PHYSICS LABORATORY (3 credits) Explores experimental techniques, such as programming and machining, associated with advanced undergraduate physics courses. Studying a wide range of physical phenomena, students will be exposed to a wide variety of experimental techniques. Emphasizing individual initiative and deep investigation, students will be able to direct their work to areas or questions of particular interest. Students develop skills in communicating scientific results in journal article format as well as through oral and poster presentations. Lab. Prerequisite: PHYS 345 and junior/senior standing or consent of the instructor. (WI)
*PHYS 360 MATHEMATICAL METHODS OF PHYSICS (3 credits) Applies mathematical techniques to the study of physical systems. Examines topics such as vector analysis, complex variables, Fourier series and boundary value problems. These topics are studied in the context of modeling and understanding physical systems. Students will see how individual techniques, once developed, can be applied to very broad classes of problems. This course develops skills in communicating scientific results in written form as well as in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: MATH 320. Corequisite: MATH 350. Also listed as MATH 360. (A-AR, A-QR, RCH)
PHYS 375 THERMAL AND STATISTICAL PHYSICS (3 credits) Examines basic concepts of thermodynamics such as internal energy, heat, work, temperature, reversibility and entropy. This course shows how the application of a few basic concepts from probability and statistics can elucidate a wide range of phenomena such as the kinetic theory of gases, osmotic pressure and changes in equilibrium states cause by variations in pressure or temperature. Quantum applications include Planck's theory of blackbody radiation and statistics for identical particles. Prerequisites: PHYS 345 and MATH 280. (AY)
PHYS 425 CLASSICAL MECHANICS (3 credits) Examines statics and dynamics of particles, rigid bodies and continuous media, along with Lagrangian mechanics and normal coordinates. Students will extend their ability to analyze mechanical systems through math techniques such as differential equations, Fourier series, and solutions to systems of linear equations. Approximation techniques are introduced for dealing with systems for which no analytical solution is possible. Prerequisites: PHYS 235, MATH 320, MATH 350, PHYS/MATH 360 or consent of the instructor. (AY)
PHYS 435 ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM (3 credits) The development and application of electromagnetic field theory. This course covers material from PHYS 235 in greater detail, deepening the level of application of mathematical approaches that are useful in a wide range of Physics subjects, such as divergence, curl and Fourier techniques. The core of the course, Maxwell's equations, expresses the fundamental interrelationship between electric and magnetic phenomena, as well as radiation theory and an understanding of behavior of light. Prerequisites: PHYS 235, MATH 320, MATH 350, PHYS/MATH 360 or consent of the instructor. (AY)
PHYS 445 QUANTUM MECHANICS (3 credits) An introduction to the techniques, problems and interpretation of quantum mechanics. The quantum conditions, Schrodinger's equation and other formulations are applied to the rectangular potential well, the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom. Also considers perturbation theory, identical particles and multiparticle systems. Students will gain familiarity with quantum systems, and the implications of quantum theory. Mathematical skills such as integrating Gaussian functions and partial differential equations will be developed. Prerequisites: PHYS 345, MATH 320, MATH 350 or MATH 360. (AY)
PHYS 480 SENIOR SEMINAR (3 credits) Students and faculty meet to discuss topics of current interest in physics. These topics focus either on some area of Physics or on an area in which Physics overlaps with other disciplines. Recent topics have included Cosmology and General Relativity, Solid-State Physics, and Computational Models in Biophysics. PHYS 480 may be counted toward the major more than once if the topic of the course is different. Prerequisite: PHYS 375 or PHYS 445, or permission of instructor.
PHYS 481 INTERNSHIPS, FIELD STUDIES AND OTHER FIELD EXPERIENCES (1-3 credits)
PHYS 482 SPECIAL TOPICS (3 credits) Selected topics determined by the instructor for upper-level study.
PHYS 483 TEACHING ASSISTANTS (1-3 credits)
PHYS 484 FORD/KNIGHT RESEARCH PROJECT (1-4 credits) Collaborative research with faculty funded by the Ford/Knight Program.
PHYS 485 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits) An investigation of a specific problem or topic.
PHYS 486 PHYSICS RESEARCH (1-3 credits) Qualified students engage in independent research under the direction of a faculty supervisor. The research is typically part of ongoing research projects which in recent years have included a study of X-ray emission from active galactic nuclei, vibrational modes of drumheads and the physics of ultrasound. Offered by special arrangement.
PHYS 488 SENIOR CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE (0 credits) Majors must successfully complete comprehensive examinations during the Senior year. Offered both semesters.


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Cecilia Gimenez, who is in her 80s and a regular volunteer at the Sanctuario de Misericordia in the village of Borja near Zaragoza, denied that she had undertaken the work without permission.
"The priest knew about it, he did. How could I do something like that without permission? I did not do it secretly, anyone who entered the church could see me painting," she said.
has found herself at the centre of a media storm after burying the delicate 19th century brushstrokes of the artwork Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) beneath a heavy layer of paint.
The depiction of Christ with a crown of thorns now resembles a hairy gorilla. Twitter users have even begun calling it "Ecce Mono" - Spanish for "Behold the Monkey".
But Mrs Gimenez explained that she had been saddened by the deteriorating state of the fresco.
"We have always repaired everything here ourselves," she told Spanish state television RTVE after being tracked down in the village.
The octogenarian is said to be very upset at all the attention after her botched repair job became public and made headlines across the world and insisted that she had not yet had a chance to finish the job.
"With nothing but good intentions I did what I believed was the right thing," the good Samaritan explained. "Besides, I hadn't finished it".
The image was painted by local artist Elias Garcia Martinez more than a century ago but had recently suffered surface damage due to damp conditions in the church.
A local councilor for culture called the amateur restoration "unspeakable" but conceded that it had been undertaken only out of concern for the fresco's condition.
"She is an elderly woman who has had a hard life and I think she acted with good intentions," said Juan Maria Ojeda. "Next week she has agreed to meet with a repairer to explain what kind of materials she used."
But he admitted the chances of reversing the damage were slim. "If we can't fix it, we will probably cover it over with a photograph of the original."
The family of the artist, Elias Garcia Martinez, who discovered the DIY restoration when they donated money towards its upkeep, are less forgiving.
"It was bad enough that she painted the tunic," said Teresa Garcia Blanc, a granddaughter of the artist.
"But the problem worsened when she started on the face because now the painting is completely destroyed."


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Star Wars: Episode IX, the conclusion to the most recent Star Wars trilogy, is set to premiere December 2019, with The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams returning at the helm. And now, The Hollywood Reporter writes that actor Billy Dee Williams will reprise his iconic role as space scoundrel Lando Calrissian. This marks one of the longest gaps between appearances of a character played by the same actor in American film history. Actor Donald Glover portrayed a younger Lando in the standalone Solo: A Star Wars Story. With the mysterious absence of Lando in the sequel triology, many fans were left displeased. The news of his return for the upcoming Star Wars film leaves fans thrilled.
The film, set to release in December 2019, will have a lot of the cast from the new Star Wars trilogy. The famous characters of R2-D2 and Chewbacca will be back. The late Carrie Fisher will also reprise her role of Leia Organa through the use of unreleased footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Actress Keri Russell will also join the cast for the upcoming film.
Lando Calrissian first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, and Williams reprised the role in Return of the Jedi. He was first introduced as an old friend of Han Solo, as well as the original owner of the Millennium Falcon. The character has also appeared in the animated series Star Wars Rebels (voiced by Williams), and the live-action anthology movie Solo: A Star Wars Story, which features a young Lando played by Donald Glover. Lando also frequently appeared in the Star Wars expanded universe of novels, comic books, and video games. However, Lando has been mysteriously absent in the sequel trilogy this far — and after all this time, fans are thrilled by the news of his return.
Other characters set to return include the famous humanoid robot C-3P0, portrayed by Anthony Daniels. Both C-3P0 and R2-D2 are the only characters to appear in all Star Wars films except Solo: A Star Wars Story. The return of Luke Skywalker comes as a bit of a surprise. Luke Skywalker, portrayed by Mark Hamill, died in The Last Jedi but will be brought back as a Force Ghost, as dead characters are usually reintroduced in Star Wars. Leia Organa will also make a Skywalker comeback. Despite Carrie Fisher's death in December 2016, the film will incorporate unseen footage into the final installment.
RELATED: Is Star Wars Still Special?
Director J.J. Abrams began a new chapter in the Star Wars story through 2015's The Force Awakens. It was followed by Rian Johnson's 2017 epic space opera The Last Jedi which quickly became the highest grossing film of 2017. Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow was set to direct the final installment but later parted ways due to creative differences. Now J.J. Abrams is back to direct the third and final installment to the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Lucasfilm has confirmed that this will be the final film based around the Skywalker clan.
Variety recently reported another major casting surprise: Keri Russell may be joining the cast of Episode IX. Russell previously worked with J.J. Abrams on Felicity and Mission: Impossible III. It's not known yet what role she will play, but based on her performances in The Americans, Mission: Impossible III, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Russell clearly knows her way around a fight scene. The Crown's Matt Smith was another late addition to the cast with an unidentified "key role" in the sequel.
Related: Star Wars Movies, Ranked from Worst to Best
This deal is getting better all the time: catch the return of this far away galaxy in theaters on December 20th, 2019.
Featured still from "Return of the Jedi" via Lucasfilm


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Hudson Valley Restaurant Week has Begun
Running 14 days, with 200 restaurants participating, this two-week celebration of culinary excellence is an opportunity for chefs to flaunt their best dishes, for diners to check out new spots and visit old favorites.
The over 200 restaurants throughout the Hudson Valley are offering special, three-course dinner menus for $32.95. Many also offer 3-course lunches for $22.95. (Plus beverage, tax and tip).
No passes, tickets or coupons are required. Diners browse the list of participating restaurants and call the restaurant directly to reserve a table. Reservations highly suggested at most restaurants.
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week includes restaurants from seven counties including Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Orange and Ulster, spanning 115 miles along the valley.
Social media fans can participate on Instagram hashtag #HVRW.
An Irish Blessing…
May you always have…
for the winds. A roof for the rain.
Tea beside the fire. Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you. And all your heart might desire.
We think you will find all of these, and more, when you stay here!
This coming weekend is Saint Patrick's Day, and the Hudson Valley puts on the best darn shindigs to be found in all of New York State! Some great local events to check out this weekend and next!
The 4th Annual Snout to Tail Event Hosted By Slow Food Hudson Valley
March 17th and March 24th 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Slow Food Hudson Valley puts on their fourth annual event which gives people the chance to watch and participate in the creation of some delicious pork delicacies, led by professional chefs. Chef and Butcher Thomas Schneller, Chef John Kowalski and Chef Dan Turgeon are your hosts and teachers for this special event.
Kesicke Farm Cattle, 229 Middle Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery Wine & Irish Cheese Pairings
Saturday, March 17th
Seatings will be at 1:00 and 3:00 pm on Saturday and reservations can be made by calling 845.589.5122 ext. 21
A special wine and cheese pairing in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Come experience a tasting of Millbrook wines with a selection of Irish Cheeses.
Cost is $40 per person or $35 per person plus tax for PSR Club Members.
Come out and support local music at The Shelter: Underground Bar this Saturday at 8pm for our St. Paddy's Day Shindig. Get yer Irish on ☘cause the band Little Creek is gonna give you a good dose of Irish tunes mixed in with country.
Olde Rhinebeck Inn's favorite Irish Soda Bread Recipe
2 cups flour (can use all purpose, pastry flour, whole wheat, combinations of ) try adding a little wheat germ too.
1 tbs. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
2 tbs. butter
½ cup raisins or craisins
1 large egg (beaten)
½ cup buttermilk (can substitute milk with 1 tbs. vinegar or lemon juice)
Preheat oven to 400
Line baking sheet with parchment paper
In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda
Cut in butter until only small specks are visible
Add raisins or craisins
Add egg, and milk, stir only till dough comes together will be slightly sticky
Scrape onto baking sheet, with floured hands, shape into ball, flatten, cut top in a traditional cross
Bake 30 minutes, until a medium golden brown.
Erin Go Bragh!!
Looking for a place to stay with your comrades?


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Can't ignore the sharing economy22 February 2016
This article was written by Kelly Oversby for National Safety magazine and republished with their kind permission. Penny Stevens, who is quoted in the article, is a partner in our Workplace Group.
Where does the rapid rise of the sharing economy leave work health and safety?
The share economy has shaken traditional industries like taxis and hotels to the core. Failure to mobilise and move with the times has impacted these industries to their detriment, and created a media backlash against companies such as Airbnb and Uber, which have redefined the market.
What is quite apparent is that Australians are embracing these new services. Airbnb claimed in 2014 to have approximately 30,000 Australian host properties, according to a federal opposition discussion paper. Uber claims UberX (the company's low-cost option) now operates in seven cities across the nation and it celebrated its 10 millionth trip in Australia in October.
While the benefits of these shared services are fairly obvious—lower overheads, flexible employment, etc.—they currently exist in a regulatory grey area in many jurisdictions, with the self regulation side of the business providing a question mark over the level of work health and safety (WHS) these services provide for consumers using their services and for the workers operating the services.
The sharing economy is described as the "rise of new business models ('platforms') that uproot traditional markets, break down industry categories, and maximise the use of scarce resources ..." according to the Institute of Public Affairs report 'The Sharing Economy: How Over-regulation Could Destroy an Economic Revolution'.
"[It] coordinates exchanges between individuals in much the same way as a traditional market, but does so in a flexible, self-governing and potentially revolutionary way."
At the moment the ride-sharing industry is unregulated in many jurisdictions—regardless, UberX and its drivers have safety responsibilities.
Uber in the US claims to have a $1 million liability insurance and $1 million underinsured/uninsured motorist policy for the passengers. So, passengers there are theoretically protected up to $1 million—and possibly $2 million depending on where the fault lies for the accident.
In Australia, however, every UberX trip is covered for up to $20 million, says Uber Australia spokesperson Caspar Nixon.
Nixon says Australian UberX trips are underwritten by CGU, which provides cover for third party bodily injury and property damage, in addition to the driver's own insurance cover.
In addition to insurance, Sparke Helmore Partner Penny Stevens says the safety of passengers and drivers in Australia is covered under the Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act.
"The Model WHS Act in Australia is not just confined to employers—it applies to a person conducting a business or undertaking and they have an obligation to ensure the relevant safety policies and procedures are in place and adhered to," Stevens says.
Under the Act, a 'person conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBU) must meet certain safety standards and do what is 'reasonably practicable' to minimise the risks and ensure health and safety, whether that be UberX or its driver.
While most states have been slow to legislate specifically for sharing economy services, the ACT became the first Australian state or territory to regulate ride-sharing services at the end of October, with drivers now facing similar rules to the taxi industry. New South Wales followed in December. Other states are not far behind.
"[In the ACT] ridesharing vehicles and drivers will undergo accreditation and registration, including criminal and driving history checks—just like taxi drivers," according to the ACT Government. "Vehicles must be checked for safety and rideshare will be fully insured, ensuring safety for passengers, drivers and the community."
"Appropriate compulsory third-party (CTP) and property insurance would also be required to be in place. As well as having a zero blood alcohol level and being drug-free ... " says ABC News.
Customised CTP and property insurance for rideshare activity will also be introduced, the ACT Government adds.
In a letter to the transport ministers of Australia posted on its website, Uber promotes its own safety standards which state:
- "All Uber partner drivers must pass a rigorous criminal background and driving history review process to be able to use the platform.
- From request to drop-off, the entire Uber experience is geared towards ensuring reliability and safety. Upon requesting a ride, our technology provides the rider with their driver's name, photograph, licence plate, vehicle type and a contact number. The rider can see the vehicle approaching on a map and share their journey in real time with friends or loved ones using our Share My ETA feature.
- Every UberX trip is covered by our US$5m contingency liability cover, in addition to each partner driver's own full insurance policies.
- Both riders and drivers must also provide feedback after each journey, which is reviewed on a continual basis by our local teams.
- As all of our transactions are cashless, drivers no longer need to fear being the target of thieves, with some cities seeing a 20 per cent reduction in taxi crime after Uber's arrival there."
Stevens says that while governments are clearly looking at how to regulate the industry, she questions whether regulation is enough to satisfy prudent employers whose employees use share services.
"I think employers should satisfy themselves that the provider is complying with OHS [occupational health and safety] legislation and obtain documented evidence that they have the systems and procedures in place to guarantee the safety of their employees. Employers should also seek insurance advice," she says. "Shared services have OHS obligations and they are required to comply with them under every state and territory's OHS Act so they need to demonstrate this to employers if employers are going to allow their employees to use these kinds of services."
Stevens views shared services as innovative and progressive, and a way to increase competition in the market, and therefore says she wants shared services to be successful. "They do a very good job; they just need to fall into line with OHS legislation for an employer to be satisfied the shared services provider is as safe as reasonably practicable," she says. "It should be as easy as a simple checklist they run through themselves supported by any documentation that confirms insurance."
The rights of workers operating these services are also paramount. "Progress and change is a great thing for society but there needs to be protections to ensure that worker's rights, wages, safety and other conditions aren't decimated in the process," Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) assistant secretary Scott Connolly says. "We can't be dazzled by new technologies and not protect the standards we value."
Union leaders held a symposium on the issue in November last year where it was agreed the current frameworks need to be remodelled. "We need to do more to rectify this both from an industrial sense and equally from an OHS sense," Connolly says. "We need to explore what kind of regulatory frameworks or mechanisms we need to be able to ensure people's health and safety at work [because] what is currently there doesn't work and will not work going forward in these areas for people working in the shared economy."
However, Connolly says regulation is not the only solution. "I don't think it can just be a regulatory response because that is going to be latent in any effect that it is going to have on people working today or tomorrow in these areas. The capacity for the existing frameworks to respond and develop has a delay that isn't effective for people in work today to have any difference on their health and safety at work."
Connolly says union leaders will meet again in early 2016 for further discussions on the issue, including reframing the legal and regulatory mechanisms in the shared economy space.
To download the PDF copy please click here.


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The VS4 clips on your hat or belt, automatically detects your course when it's turned on (comes pre-loaded with over 38,000 courses around the world), speaks in 8 different languages, is water-proof and has a battery life of 10 hours. Optional accessories such as wristband and retractable clip are available as well. See this deal and explore buying options now on Amazon.com.


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This summer, scientists mapped more than 20,000 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico. The red lines indicate newly mapped areas of the continental shelf. *
Illustration: Chuck Carter/Paul Morin * Two and a half miles below the bright, icy surface of the North Pole, in the dark calm of the deep, a robotic arm extending from a submarine jammed a 3-foot Russian flag into the ocean floor. The audacious move, captured by underwater cameras mounted on the face of the sub, made headlines around the globe in August. Not since the scramble to the pole a century ago had there been such nationalistic bravado at the top of the world. With five countries — Russia, Canada, the US, Norway, and Denmark — looking north, Russia's claim was heralded as the beginning of what could become a mad scrum over trillions of dollars in untapped oil and natural gas in one of the last regions on earth where geopolitical lines have yet to be drawn.
Some 3,200 miles and 47 degrees of latitude away, at the University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM), Jim Gardner followed the action with intense interest and a wry smile. One of the country's foremost marine geologists, Gardner knew the flag-planting itself was meaningless; it gave the Russians as much legal claim to the undersea Arctic as the US got to the moon when Armstrong and Aldrin put up the Stars and Stripes in the Sea of Tranquility. He also knew, however, that the Russians had a legitimate reason to celebrate. The stunt capped off a Russian study of vast swaths of uncharted seafloor, including the survey of an undersea mountain range called the Lomonosov Ridge. Canada and Denmark are also arguing that the ridge is their own, but Russia's new maps could prove it actually belongs to Moscow. And it's this kind of work — not the flag-planting — that is at the center of the current "landgrab" in the Arctic, and indeed across the globe.
For centuries, nations marked what they owned at sea by measuring out from their shoreline. But in 1994, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea took effect. It stated that countries can move their boundary lines to the edge of their continental shelf — this can give them more territory but is difficult to determine. Today, as sea ice thaws and undersea mapping technology improves, countries are rushing to assert their ownership over potentially lucrative chunks of extra turf.
To assert sovereignty over its submerged continental shelf, a nation has to map multiple off-shore points. Among them: the area where the ocean depth drops to 2,500 meters, and the place where a country's land mass drops off to become seafloor, a spot called the foot of the continental slope. If these points are farther out than current boundaries, there may be a case for extending the oceanic property line. But the foot of the slope can be tricky to locate. Think of a continent as a big rock sitting in a bathtub, and imagine that a chunk of it rises out of the water. The question for scientists is, where does the rock end and the acrylic tub begin? It sounds simple enough, but imagine now that your tub is also made of rock, and that smaller rocks are piled up all over the place.
Because new territory could mean new natural resources, CCOM researchers, tapped by the US government and led by Gardner, have been silently scanning for six years now — mapping the frozen north as well as the Bering Sea, the gulfs of Alaska and Mexico, the Atlantic Margin off the East Coast, and the Marianas in the Pacific. They're racing to prove the US controls more territory than anyone thought. Alaska, for example, could extend 150 miles farther into the Arctic Ocean than today's maps show. And the country's sovereignty may not end off the shore of the Gulf Coast; it's really more like the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
Of course, if everyone's territory extends an extra 150 miles, then a lot of countries are going to be planting their colors in the same ground. Britain, which claimed a certain chunk of Antarctica a century ago, has already gotten into a scuffle with Argentina and Chile about overlapping claims near the South Pole. The same thing will almost certainly happen in the Arctic, with a big battle brewing between Russia, Denmark, and Canada over the Lomonosov Ridge.
Conservative estimates suggest that a new set of boundaries could cause the US to "grow" by at least 386,000 square miles, and the oil, gas, and other resources contained in that area could be worth about $1.3 trillion. With so much money at stake, Gardner's job is to collect the data that will allow his country to extend its fence line as far as the science can justify.
Jim Gardner's maps could give the US access to a trillion dollars in untapped oil and natural gas.
Photo: Chris MuellerA bespectacled guy with a solid build and white beard that makes him look at home at sea, Gardner has been poking and plumbing and scanning the ocean floor since the 1960s. Twenty-five years ago, when the standard limit on territorial claims was 200 miles out from shore, he led the project to map the United States' undersea territory. Now, faced with the possibility that the country could outgrow those drawings, Gardner has put off retirement. He's commanding a 247-foot research ship that passes over places where the exact topography of the continental shelf is unknown, shooting down sound waves and then figuring out what the seafloor looks like by how the signals bounce back up. His boat crosses back and forth in a process he compares to "mowing a giant lawn."
Down in the ship's belly, Gardner monitors a bank of computer screens linked to a sonar system called a multibeam echosounder, which is affixed to the ship's hull in the shape of a cross. Forming the long part of the cross are sonar devices that repeatedly shoot bursts of sound into the water. Each blast lasts a mere 15 milliseconds, and as the sound waves bounce back, they're picked up by receiving sensors that make up the crosslike array's other line. Motion sensors link up with the computers and compensate for the roll of the ocean. "Even though the ship is flopping and these angles are shifting, the system is keeping the data stable by making adjustments hundreds of times every second," Gardner says. The boat's onboard GPS is also connected to Gardner's computers, syncing the soundings with the ship's location.
To calibrate the data, Gardner also fires disposable thermometers down into the water, making him look somewhat like a whaler harpooning minnows. The instrument, called an expendable bathythermograph, is little more than a shaped weight with a temperature sensor inside. As they sink, they spit numbers back to the surface, allowing Gardner to plot the temperature of the water at various depths — the colder the water, the slower his sound waves will travel — and adjust the information he gets from the echosounder. In the Arctic waters, there's an additional challenge created by the presence of ice: Listening to underwater sounds isn't easy when your sensors are distracted by the thud-thud of the ship plowing through chunks of ice the size of buses.
The looming threat of overlapping claims is creating tension in the Arctic, where the bounty is greatest and the boundaries are faintest. During one cruise near Siberia, researchers from the New Hampshire team were buzzed by a Russian reconnaissance plane that had been scrambled to the area to keep an eye on the US scientists. Last summer, during a military exercise dubbed Operation Nanook, Canada announced it would construct up to eight new naval ships to patrol the Arctic region and also build an army training center there.
Of course, in the annals of maritime property rights, militarist undertones are nothing new. A country's nautical reach was once governed by the so-called Cannon Shot Rule, a doctrine that gave countries control of waters up to 3 miles out — roughly the range of a cannon in the 17th century. Advances in artillery notwithstanding, the 3-mile rule held sway into the 20th century, in large part because no one thought there was much beyond that distance worth claiming.
In 1945, to tap newly reachable offshore oil resources, President Harry Truman unilaterally proclaimed that the US boundary was henceforth extended to its continental shelf. The pronouncement prompted other countries to take similar stands and inevitably led to more than a little confusion about what exactly constituted a continental shelf. Four decades later, the UN created the Law of the Sea treaty and defined the term more precisely. Countries were given 10 years after ratification to submit maps to the UN with their proposed boundaries — a deadline fast approaching for many nations.
So far, the UN's Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has received petitions for boundary extensions from nine countries and given recommendations on three of them. But many more nations are likely to file soon, and the UN will almost certainly find itself faced with overlapping claims to the rich Arctic — particularly near the area Russia mapped before brazenly planting its flag.
The US is the one industrialized country that has yet to ratify the accord, mainly because some Republican senators opposed to extending international law have long stood in the way. But with oil prices high, and Arctic bounty seeming ever more reachable, President Bush has voiced support, and most experts expect the Senate to vote for ratification. Then, the quicker Washington can submit a claim, the quicker it can use its new resources. That's why the State Department is beginning the process of assessing the CCOM maps — beautiful images that show the ocean bottom as a world of canyons and rocky walls, all rendered in a rainbow of colors that delineate depths. When Gardner pulls up a profile of the continental shelf south of the Gulf Coast, facing west, the deep ocean floor spreads out on the left side of his computer screen, while the last bits of the continental shelf rise in a jagged saw-tooth pattern to the right. He can then zoom in close, looking for the foot of the slope. Eventually, diplomats and scientists will use a complex formula to draw property lines out beyond the standard 200-nautical-mile zone. "They're going to have their work cut out for them," he says. "Our job is to give them the science."
For that to happen, Gardner needs to spend more time on the boat. On a muggy morning last summer, the vessel Northern Resolution cut an imposing figure churning south from the shipyards of Pinto Island, Alabama, through the gunmetal-colored waters of Mobile Bay, and into the Gulf of Mexico. Gardner's itinerary on this cruise, his second of three last year, covered more than 20,000 square miles.
Out on the sun-scorched deck, the breeze was hot and thick, pushing low-rolling breakers back toward the shore. Belowdecks, the stale air was chilled with AC and full of the low, rumbling hum of the ship's engines. Gardner was all smiles. "I've been at sea long enough to know that from up there oceans all look the same," Gardner says. "But down here, we get to see something for the first time."
Geoffrey Gagnon (firstname.lastname@example.com) wrote about Penn & Teller in issue 14.11.
FEATURE Russia Contests Borders With Canada, Denmark and the United States The Last Great Landgrab


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- Sweet Stampin - Clean & Simple
- Cute Card Thursday - W, C5 - #374 School Or Sports
- Seize The Birthday - 2W - Must be Birthday Card (W1 of 2) - Birthday + Topping -Anything Goes
- Inspiration Destination - W, F- #34 Always Anything Goes
- Penny's Paper-Crafty - W,3E - #228 Anything Goes
- Stampavie and More -2W, JFF - #238 Boys
- Stampotique Designers' Challenge - W, 1E, SIO, No digi stamps, 5E- #196 Something old, something new (old paper and new image)
- Always Something Creative (P1/15,JFF) # 99 Men
- creatively corner -Atg
- Melonheadz Friends Challenge - 2W, 2E, SIO - (Week 2) All About Kids
- Crafting When We Can - 2W, 2E, C5 - #94 One For The Kids
- Scribble and Scrap - 2W, SIO, E3, C15, F - #44 Always: Anything Goes
- clear it out - Holidays /summer fun
Friday, 22 May 2015
27 comments:
- tilly said...
a super card for the kids.......... we had a little drizzle here today as well but stopped now
- 22/5/15
- Janette said...
WOW Sue...gorgeous card and a fab image....xxx
- 22/5/15
- Chris said...
Great card, fab colouring. Thank you for joining in with us at Scribble & Scrap Challenge and good luck Chris x
- 22/5/15
- Michelle said...
Fantastic this card. Lovely with the red colours.
Thanks for playing with us at Inspiration Destination.
Hope we see you again and good luck.
xxx Michelle (DT)
- 22/5/15
- Cass said...
Super boys card. Thanks for joining us at Sweet Stampin'
Cass xx
- 22/5/15
- mixamatoasties said...
Super boys card.
Thanks for sharing at Sweet Stampin'
- 22/5/15
- Rachel said...
Cute card!
Thank you for sharing at Sweet Stampin this week, Wedgie xxx
- 22/5/15
- Colleen said...
Awesome card and perfect for a little star athlete! I especially love your die sentiments!! thank you for sharing at STB!
- 23/5/15
- Isobel said...
Great card thanks for joining the challenge at
http://craftingfromtheheartchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk. Good luck x
- 23/5/15
- Unknown said...
Hi Sue, fabulous boys card, love the image and great colouring. Thanks for joining us at Penny's Paper Crafty and we hope you will join us again soon. Jennifer DT member x
- 23/5/15
- Creating with Susan said...
This is a perfect card for a soccer/football player!! Great coloring - love the patterned paper you added too!
- 23/5/15
- Unknown said...
'Knowledgeable' LOL Sue, you keep on amazing me... Thank you for preparing such a fun card for this challenge, I am so glad you have chosen the 'boy' theme, the are a minority in the cardmaking world, don't you think? Wishing you a better weather and 100% of sunshine!
Anna xxx
- 23/5/15
- NickScrapShack said...
Perfect boy card! I love the the sentiment cut out twice to create the shade.
Have a great weekend
- 23/5/15
- Poppet said...
A fabulous boys card Sue. Love the grungy backing paper, perfect for the soccer image.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful work with us at Crafting When We Can Challenges. :-) xx
- 23/5/15
- Jac's Playground said...
Awesome card Sue, love how you've layered the sentiments, have a great week xx
- 24/5/15
- StampNScrapJunkie said...
Perfect child's card! We're moving on Wednesday! I hope you've had a chance to visit the new blog and become a follower. If you haven't had a chance yet, remember, it is a requirement to claim prizes at IDCB. If you have, thank you so much for your support and thanks for sharing and joining us at Inspiration Destination Challenge Blog. Hope to see you again and good luck!
IDCB Owner
- 24/5/15
- Naomi Johnson said...
Awesome card this week.Have a great week. Naomi x
- 24/5/15
- CRAZYCRAFTSHED said...
Gorgeous card Sue love the image fabulous colour's and design
Dianne xx :)
- 25/5/15
- Jeanette (Forest Ranger) said...
Great card! Love it!
Thank you for participating in the MelonHeadz Friends "All About Kids" Challenge!
- 25/5/15
- Cards By MI said...
Stunning card and lovely card design. Love the dies which fits so well with the TPS image. Great job! Thanks for joining us over at AUD challenges.
Love n hugs
- 25/5/15
- Michelle said...
A lovely creation - great work - thank you for joining us this week at Penny's Paper-Crafty and good luck - Michelle x
- 26/5/15
- Susie Moore said...
I think YOU are the star!!
- 26/5/15
- Susie Moore said...
Love LOVE LOVE your card! Thanks for creating with us this week at Little Red Wagon Challenge Blog.
- 26/5/15
- Sandy said...
A handsome little soccer star. Fab card. Thanks for sharing with us at Aud Sentiment Challenge this fortnight and hope to see you again soon.
- 27/5/15
- Glenda J said...
Super fun! Great card for little boys. Thanks so much for playing along with Seize the Birthday.
- 2/6/15
- Glenda J said...
Super fun! Great card for little boys. Thanks so much for playing along with Seize the Birthday.
- 2/6/15
- Linda said...
Nice card.
Love the fresh colors.
Thanks for playing along over at the Creative corner challenge blog.
Linda -DT CCC
- 7/6/15


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Memorial Day Weekend Skiing and Riding at Aspen Mountain
Submitted by kpiosa on Thu, 05/16/2019 - 16:59
Dust off your skis and snowboards and bust out those jean shorts - Aspen Mountain will open for skiing and riding this Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27! Don't miss out on the 130 acres of skiable terrain that will be open for spring corn and slush bumps. Memorial Day Weekend also marks the start of Aspen Mountain's summer operations, which includes access to sightseeing and food/beverage options at the Sundeck restaurant.
Memorial Day Weekend Hours & Terrain
From Saturday to Monday, the Silver Queen Gondola will operate from 9am - 4pm for sightseeing and the Ajax Express chairlift (Lift #3) will run from 9am - 2pm. Take advantage of laps on Aspen Mountain's upper blue runs, as well as black runs including Summit and Blondie's. Guests will need to download on the Silver Queen Gondola to end their day after skiing the top of the mountain.
Memorial Day Weekend Lift Ticket Pricing
Aspen Snowmass Premier passes and six and under passes are valid for free Memorial Day skiing, riding and sightseeing. Other lift ticket pricing is as follows:
- Adult Lift Tickets: $54/day
- Children, Teens & Seniors: $27/day
- Pass extension days (Flex, Double Flex, Classic, Club Escape, School, AVSC, Ikon & Mountain Collective Passholders): $27/day
- View Sightseeing ticket pricing >>
Full Memorial Day Weekend Pricing Details
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text: HomeIn MemoriamNorm Slagh, founder of Filler Specialties Inc., passed away on July 22, 2005.Sep 30th, 2005Companies in this articleFiller Specialties Inc.RoboticsRobotics Special Report: E-Commerce Requires new SolutionsNew robot technology addresses the specific needs of e-commerce packaging, including mixed pallet loads, labor challenges, and a variety of secondary packaging formats.Anne Marie MohanAug 6th, 2020HomeWorkers Wanted? Contact the Robot Employment AgencyStart-up MusashiAI introduces intelligent autonomous robots for quality inspection and forklift driving—allowing the redistribution of human labor to more value-added jobs.Stephanie NeilAug 6th, 2020RoboticsRobotics Special Report: Cobots Continue to AdvanceAccording to a PMMI robot report, cobots accounted for about 3% of all robot sales in North America in 2017; by 2025, that number is expected to increase to 34%. Here are some of the new cobot technologies driving that growth.Anne Marie MohanAug 5th, 2020SustainabilityBiodegradable and Compostable PackagingDespite COVID-19's unwelcome intrusion into our lives this year, sustainability continues to be a substantial area of opportunity for brands and retailers. Increasingly, consumers around the world are demanding more environmentally-friendly packaging.Aug 5th, 2020PMMI newsPandemic Cancels In-Person PACK EXPO InternationalPMMI Media Group launches new live, web-based event: PACK EXPO Connects 2020.Sean RileyAug 4th, 2020Package DesignBold Punctuation on Condiment Label Compels Consumers to Stop and ThinkAn attention-grabbing exclamation-point logo for U.K. condiment brand Dr. Will's dominates new graphics for the packaging of its all-natural ketchup, mayo, and BBQ sauce.Anne Marie MohanAug 4th, 2020RoboticsRobotics Special Report: Addressing Labor Shortages can 'Help Feed the World'Robot manufacturer develops a system to alleviate the lack of labor in the nut industry that can sort nuts at the final stage of the conditioning process.Anne Marie MohanAug 4th, 2020Package DesignA Jewel of a Presentation Box for Royal Salute WhiskyA new addition to the Royal Salute whisky range, The Treasured Blend gets a presentation box with double-door design that opens to a stunning, gold foil menagerie fit for a queen.Anne Marie MohanAug 4th, 2020Package DesignLeinenkugel's to Update Logo, Trader Joe's Says "No"The Miller Brewing Company brand will remove the image of a Native American from its packaging in 2021, but Trader Joe's stands firm against public pressure to remove "racist" packaging references.Kim OverstreetAug 3rd, 2020Package DesignNesquik Bunny Quiky Reimagined for Brand ExpansionFacing competition in the RTD category, Nesquik updates its packaging to emphasize its nutritional value for all ages, resulting in a more mature, silhouetted bunny mascot.Anne Marie MohanAug 3rd, 2020Package DesignE-Comm Package StorytellingUnlike retail packaging, e-commerce packages are first viewed after purchase, providing brand owners the opportunity to present a new insight or character of the brand with each shipment.Dr. R. Andrew HurleyAug 3rd, 2020RoboticsRobotics Special Report: Food-Safe Solutions EmergeNew opportunities for the direct and indirect handling of foods emerge as manufacturers begin developing robots for handling unpacked goods.Anne Marie MohanAug 3rd, 2020Operational excellenceDigital Label Printing Comes In-houseCannabiz Supply, a packaging company serving a variety of businesses in the cannabis industry, recently improved its production capabilities with in-house digital label printing.Pat ReynoldsAug 2nd, 2020Contract packagingHand Sanitizer Spike Here to StayU.K. co-packers' association reports that inquiries for personal care items rocketed by more than 500% shortly after the coronavirus lockdown was implemented.Anne Marie MohanAug 2nd, 2020Contract packagingCP/CMs Navigate COVID-19Sean Riley, Senior Director, Media and Industry Communications for PMMI, speaks with CPA Managing Director Ron Puvak about how COVID-19 has affected the co-pack/co-man industry.Anne Marie MohanAug 1st, 2020RoboticsRobotics Special Report: Big Data is the New CurrencyNew software systems for robotics collect and analyze data to increase OEE, protect against cyberattacks, and predict failures.Anne Marie MohanJul 31st, 2020RoboticsRobotics Special Report: Vision for the FutureNew vision systems for robotics, including 2D and 3D machine vision, enable broader packaging applications.Anne Marie MohanJul 30th, 2020Controls & automationEnd-of-line Specialist Moves Toward Condition MonitoringFallas Automation places an even greater emphasis on integrating early warning systems for predictive maintenance since COVID-19 set in.Pat ReynoldsJul 30th, 2020RoboticsRobotics Special Report: Mass Customization Demands FlexibilityA growing omnichannel environment requires that CPGs have the flexibility to produce a range of package sizes and styles. Automation provides that capability.Anne Marie MohanJul 29th, 2020SustainabilityAbsolut SustainabilityKarin Ekroth, Senior Manager of Communications & Sustainability for The Absolut Company, shares how the world's sixth-largest international spirits brand—with production of nearly 26 million gallons in fiscal year 2018/19—works toward a circular economy.Anne Marie MohanJul 29th, 2020


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If you thought balloons were just for décor, think again. Edible Balloons Group blows up helium-infused sugar-based balloons that not only make for novel eating, but also bestow guests with a hilarious voice-changing experience for a whole other dimension of entertaining fun! The deliciously cute, seriously social-media worthy dessert treats inflate into a wide range of your-choice flavours and colours and are attached to a candy or chocolate pretzel stick. Licensed events can even make them cocktail strength.
The airy confections are made on the spot – about six per minute – at an interactive food station equipped with a portable stove top and helium tank. They'll stay inflated for about 30 minutes, making for a tantalizing display for guests to help themselves. The company's balloon "chefs" cheerfully coach guests on eating techniques that maximize the chipmunk voice FX. Resulting visuals and video are so share-worthy! Available in different sizes, the company can also prepare its balloon cuisine for plated table service as a unique, memory-making dinner course.
Karen Orme
Latest posts by Karen Orme (see all)
- Master Sculptors - March 4, 2020
- A Sensory Feast - March 4, 2020
- Cannabis Budtending - March 4, 2020


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By PATRICK MacDONALD
Staff Writer
The 2014 World Cup is now firmly in the rear view mirror for Jurgen Klinsmann and company.
It's now time to prepare for what lies ahead.
The next four years will be a bit unusual for the National Team as they could play in as many as four international tournaments, on top of World Cup qualifying. They have the 2015 and 2017 Gold Cups, the all important 2016 Copa America, plus they've earned the right to at least compete in a playoff for the 2017 Confederations Cup.
One thing's for sure; the U.S. will have plenty of international experience once they touch down in Russia come 2018.
With all this approaching, Klinsmann has decisions to make. Should he kick some of the old guys to the curb and get the young guys as much experience as possible leading into Russia? Or should he continue to just play the best players possible? It's probably a bit of both.
First up is the 2015 Gold Cup which should be a "victory lap" of sorts for the squad that went to Brazil. Most of the older guys should get one last chance to represent the shirt in front of their fans. Guys like Kyle Beckerman, Jermaine Jones, and Clint Dempsey have earned that right having likely played their last World Cup.
Considering how American goalkeepers age, Tim Howard's a bit of a wildcard. He may have already anointed Brad Guzan as the U.S. keeper in Russia, but with his contract keeping him at Everton until 2018, don't rule out the possibility Tim Howard will still be a key member of the national team going forward.
Other veterans like Chris Wondolowski and DaMarcus Beasley may be done in the jersey. Wondo is a bench player — one who failed on the grand stage. At 31, why keep him around when someone like Terrence Boyd can gain that experience? Beasley was excellent in this World Cup, but will always be a stop-gap measure at left back. It's time to find his replacement. With the emergence of DeAndre Yedlin as a potential right back, that replacement could very well be Fabian Johnson.
The biggest reason Klinsmann may want to trot out his strongest lineup, even with guys who may not be around in 2018, is that winning this Gold Cup automatically qualifies the U.S. for the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Klinsmann will likely get a pass at the Gold Cup — not that he'll need it. The U.S. should have no problem playing a possession based attacking style offense against CONCACAF opposition, much like they did with a B squad in 2013. The big test comes in 2016 with the Copa America. It's hard to think of a situation where Jurgen Klinsmann can escape criticism if the team plays meekly against South American opposition like they did against Belgium this past week. The 2016 roster probably won't be the 2018 roster, but the shift should be noticeable by this point. And as hard as transitions can be, the U.S. cannot skip a beat.
If you think Klinsmann is invulnerable, you need only look south of the border at Jose Manuel de la Torre to see how quickly an 'untouchable' coach can lose his job.
The 2017 Gold Cup will look an awful lot like the the 2013 version, especially if the team makes the Confederations Cup. Second teamers will take the field and gain valuable international experience. Don't forget; 2013 was when Kyle Beckerman became a revelation. Off year or not, the Gold Cup is always important for those players looking to impress the manager for World Cup consideration.
Klinsmann has a tough road ahead of him, there is no doubt about that. But in the long run, the many international tests against tough opponents should only benefit the squad that eventually touches down in Russia. The U.S. coach did it in 2013, so there's little reason to doubt that he'll bring this squad back to its possession based style.
He'll have to — his job depends on it.


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| 16.8°C Dublin
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal does not believe Manchester City's Champions League exit will have any bearing on the battle to finish in the top four.
City's European dream died meekly in the second leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid, going down 1-0 at the Bernabeu with little attacking threat.
And while that might have an impact on their morale, it also leaves City with clear objectives between now and the end of the campaign. A priority will be to maintain the gap that keeps them in the Premier League's Champions League spots and ahead of their neighbours.
That stands at four points going into the weekend, with United having three games left to City's two.
"The situation has not been changed by the defeat of Manchester City. It is the same situation," said Van Gaal. The Dutchman is right to suggest the mathematics of the equation did not shift in Madrid, though there is a psychological aspect to City's defeat that is harder to quantify.
It remains to be seen how much effect defeat in Spain will have on a squad who had prioritised Europe, while manager Manuel Pellegrini's interest in the club's fortunes is now on a short clock, as he prepares to leave at the end of the season. But Van Gaal knows from recent experience that defeat in one competition need not cast a shadow over another.
When United were ousted from the Europa League by Liverpool in March, they rallied with a 1-0 away success over their city rivals just three days later.
Asked if he expected Pellegrini's side to experience any sort of hangover, Van Gaal said: "It's dependable on the team and the way you recover in your head also.
"We have done that several times after a big defeat. That's why I said I'm proud of my players at the (end-of-season) gala, they have the spirit to show that after a big defeat."
For their part, United must simply look to take three points at Norwich tomorrow and at West Ham in their last match at Upton Park to ramp up the pressure heading into the final weekend.
"Now we have to win three games in a row, (with two) away games," said Van Gaal. "We don't win too many away games."


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Glam Camping Party – Customer Feature
I absolutely loved designing the printable files for this glam camping party!! A friend of mine, Lauren Scheck, used this printable party package to design a stunning 9th birthday party for her sweet girl, Laney! The photography was done by, Annye, from Faith Photography! There are tons of awesome photos and ideas for any girls glam camping party or just a slumber party! Lauren did a fabulous job styling this party! You can read all of her details at the end and see the awesome vendor credits! You can purchase this entire Printable Party Package with Invitation HERE!
What Lauren Had To Say ……
"My daughter was turning 9 and decided to have her first sleepover birthday party. I knew just a normal sleepover wouldn't do, so I called my friend Kara with Lillian Hope Designs and started brainstorming for ideas. I knew I wanted chevron and bright colors, but that was about it. She gave me the idea for glam camping. She had already made party printables for something similar, but did not have professional pics to go with it. So it was a great trade off for both of us! She made all of the printables and I designed and created the entire table. Her photographer Annye with Faith Photography came by and captured some amazing photos. The cake was made by a friend's mom, Cathy Weems. The detail she did on the cake was amazing! The cookies were made at a local favorite cookie shop, 1 Smart Cookie I made the oreo pops, spray painted lanterns, chevron p ainted plates, the yarn pom poms and fabric garland, the tent (with help from my husband) and the tin cans that held the drinks, napkins and campfire flames (cheetos). My handy grandpa took care of the woodlogs for me by cutting down an old tree stump on his farm. I just made a whitewash paint (white paint and water) for a weathered look. For their goodies each girl received a custom made tote bag (made by me), flashlight (Dollar Tree), water bottle, notepad (for scavenger hunt) and pajamas (all from Walmart). The decorations came together and fit my vision perfectly. All the girls had a blast (10 stayed the night) and they were all asleep by midnight! The next morning they were treated to a fancy breakfast outdoors with croissants, brie, strawberries, eggs and muffins".VENDORS and CREDITS
Party Styling – Lauren Scheck
Party Printables – Lillian Hope Designs
Photography – Faith Photography
Cake – Cathy Weems
Cookies – 1smartcookie
Oreo Pops – Lauren Scheck – firstname.lastname@example.com
Shirt – Elle Couture
Skirt – It's Sew Cute Boutique


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Recently, more "homesteading bloggers" have been finding my blog. I am pretty sure it was the addition of "backyard chickens" to my entries. A few days ago I read an entry by a young Canadian blogger I really like at Twin Acres Homestead. She had a long entry on "Six Ways to Start Homesteading Today." Her list surprised me, as well as her claim that you could be an owner or renter, live in the country or city, home or apartment, with or without land. It led me down an Internet rabbit hole into the question of what qualifies as modern homesteading. In a nutshell, a switch to practices that are more DIY and self-sustaining qualifies as living the "homesteading life." That's a pretty broad category. And it probably explains the list on Twin Acres Homestead's blog. Here are her six ways:
- Plant a garden.
- Start composting.
- Bake your own bread.
- Make cheese.
- Forage for food.
- Make your own cleaning products.
I was surprised that making cheese was in the top six, but I see how making bread and cheese is easier for the urban set. As I tried to imagine this in a Chicago or New York apartment household I quickly envisioned the worm composter in the corner and the bottle gardens climbing up the windowsill.
Twin Acres Homestead also says that their own homesteading journey began when they brought home three ducklings. Much like my homesteading tags jumped higher when I brought home my five baby chicks. Nothing says homesteading like chickens in your basement!
Readers of my blog will know that I, a suburban/urban person all the rest of my life, came to embrace my current lifestyle on our 80 acres through Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. And in that book, in addition to becoming convinced I could grow food on a large enough scale for us to eat year round, I also was introduced to cheesemaking.com and started making my own cheese. I have never graduated higher than yogurt, lactic cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella, but it is easy where I live to supplement with hard cheeses bought by local cheese makers.
My own lifestyle is also tied to my identity as a Benedictine Oblate. Of all the aspects of Benedictine spirituality, the one I was latest to embrace was "stability." I even wrote an essay and gave a talk about stability in Scripture, where it is only found in the context of "good rule" (i.e., monarchical stability). It says nothing about staying in one place, and in fact from Abraham through the apostles, they were all nomads of one sort or another, never settling for long and even losing the Promised Land. They carried their stability with them. As a person who moved every two years, living in Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Joliet, Reno, and Long Beach, California, before coming to Minnesota in 2005, that definition worked for me! At the end of this summer, however, I will mark seven years on this farm and ten years in Central Minnesota. I'm looking much more traditionally "stable" these days.
The original meaning of homesteading was claiming land, either through squatting or getting a deed, and working it, making it your own. So if I were going to make my own definition, I'd skip all but the most determined and settled urbanites and start with land. Here are my four criteria:
1. Grow food, working toward 4-season gardening and/or a level of food independence. Kingsolver claims it takes 1/4 acre to grow most of the food for a family of four. I have considerably less cultivated, but all three families on the property get some produce, and thanks to home preserving, we now have food from the garden year round. What you can't grow, try to buy locally. (I'm not at all a purist on this or any item. I will never give up lemons and avocados, or salmon and a lot of other things. I would like to grow enough food to sell that it would pay for my own eating-from-the-garden.)
2. Raise animals, at least a few chickens or bees. I will probably get to beekeeping in the not-too-distant future, but I'm starting with chickens. I love the idea of lambs, goats, or even a cow, but I don't see that happening. I also don't see myself skinning and gutting a deer anytime soon, but I'm working on renting a hunter and paying a processor to get large quantities of venison from our land. Until then, I do have this generous brother-in-law…
3. Achieve some level of energy independence. This is the get-off-the-grid part of the equation. We are lucky to have plenty of groundwater and so do not purchase water. We use propane to heat the house, which feels pretty off-the-grid until the tank is low and there's news of a propane shortage (see coldest winter ever, 2014). We follow the solar market closely and would love to have solar panels, but right now they still feed into the grid and you buy the energy back. There is talk of wind power among the families on the farm, too.
4. Make some stuff from scratch. This is the "natural living" part of the equation. Most homesteaders are trying to get rid of some chemicals, preservatives, and other processed foods. My own wake-up moment came visiting a family who live in a house above an old quarry. They said they'd switched to natural cleaning products when they realized what they were pumping into the quarry pond where they swam. It made me think of my own septic and drinking water. (This is the first time I've ever thought of waste not going into pipes to some centralized processing plant.) Right now I make my own laundry detergent, cleansers, and deodorant. There are definitely some gaps, but I am amazed how well especially the cleanser works, and how good the essential oils make everything smell. (And how much we're saving on laundry detergent!!) This also really shows how one thing leads to another in homesteading, as you bond with your property in a totally different way.
As far as making food from scratch, I have enjoyed fermenting and sprouting (though I must disclose that the kombucha gave me some kind of allergy to fermented drinks so I'm not doing that anymore!) Growing food leads to this step pretty naturally. I use white sugar in my jams and the sprouts have been going to the chickens now that there are greens for the humans to eat, but I do love the processes: the pickling, the canning, the jamming, the freezing. I'm not a bread baker (my pizza crust is coming along nicely) but my husband bakes bread all winter when he's not doing outdoor work. I don't envision grinding my own grain, but I love making pasta from scratch with our own eggs.
So that's my homestead. As in all things, it's important not to become militant or doctrinaire about it. My Benedictine monastery neighbors also model generosity and it's important to me to retain that value in all I do. Self-sufficiency can easily become smug and tight (I see this on a continuum from survivalist cult to Monastic farm). Community is as much a value as stability, and fostering community means remaining engaged with those around you, not becoming isolated in your self-sufficient home. In this way the monastery has been a great example, and so is my local farming, growing community, who have shared so much wisdom with me. I think it's something I've learned from living on a family compound and also in a small town– if you're going to live with these people longer than two years, you need to develop some real virtues (patience and charity come in handy) and remain open to others. Cultivating the land and cultivating generosity alongside it are good places to start.