text: If you are a human and are seeing this field, please leave it blank. Fields marked with an * are required DO YOU WISH TO BE CONTACTED BY SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COLLEGE? * The law is changing, which means we need your consent to keep sending you important information. To opt in and to continue to receive communication from us please tick the box below to give your consent and let us know your preferred communication method(s). For details of how we'll use your information please see our privacy notice. You'll be able to opt out at any time by clicking unsubscribe in our emails or by emailing email@example.com. Yes How do you prefer to be contacted? Please select one or more options * EmailPostPhone FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER * EMAIL * ADDRESS * TOWN/CITY * POST CODE * COMPANY NAME (if applicable) Confirm that you are not a bot * Please wait while we process your form. This can take a few minutes in busy periods - do not re-submit or leave this page until you receive a confirmation message that your form has been submitted.


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Northwest ISD's Academy of Business Management & Entrepreneurship, housed at Eaton High School, won 39 events at the recent DECA regional competition, sending them to the Texas DECA's State Career Development Conference in February.
The total marks the second straight year the program has sent more than 30 students to the state DECA conference, where they compete in career-oriented events across marketing, finance, hospitality and management as well as related fields. DECA competitions are based on co-curricular education that is presented as an integral part of classroom instruction. Students must qualify for the state conference from earlier DECA district conferences; in the business academy's case, the District 7 conference was held Jan. 14 at Haltom High School.
In addition to its competition winners, 11 academy students ran for positions as vice presidents for District 7, with two winning the district's only positions.
Cathy Slagle, business instructor at the academy, leads the DECA team, serving as its advisor.
This year's Texas DECA State Career Development Conference takes place from Feb. 20-22 in Dallas. For more information about the conference, click here.
Students advancing to the state convention are as follows:
Physical Address:2001 Texan Drive, Justin, Texas 76247
Mailing Address:
PO Box 77070 Fort Worth TX 76177
Northwest ISD empowers learners and leaders to positively impact the world.

subset: commoncrawl


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I dabbled in the realm of abstract art briefly before I discovered my niche in a mixed media approach. Inspired by other artist's "she art" and my love of scrapbook papers. I started looking at some of those old abstracts as just the inital background just waiting to explore an era from the past.I still loved the blues contrasting with the mottled golden drips that I had achieved but when I began to add the black and silver pattern paper with vintage ephemera it seemed more grounded. The glamerous 20's inspired women, drapped in teal diamond dust and crystals painted using Faber-Castell India ink artist markers, finishes the piece. Making her..."Absolutely Kissable"
Taking It A Step Further
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Save up to 40% on eyewear and contact lenses, and get exams for as low as $50 when you visit EyeMed Vision Care providers.*
Vision discount program members have access to over 76,000 providers including optometrists, ophthalmologists, opticians and leading optical retailers such as: LensCrafters, participating Pearle Vision and Sears Optical locations, Target Optical, JCPenney Optical and many independents.
For more information or to locate a participating provider, visit the EyeMed website or call 866-559-5252 and refer to plan id# 9235631.
For more information about our discount programs, please refer to the Official Plan Brochures, or call us anytime at 800-410-7778.
* These benefits are not part of the FEHB contract, but are made available to all MHBP members at no additional premium. You cannot file a FEHB disputed claim about them. The fees you pay for these services do not count toward FEHB deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums.


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The American Hospital Association's Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence, Institute for Diversity in Health Management and others will host a free webinar during National Minority Health Month on health equity and health care coverage. During the April 28 webinar, Cara James, director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will discuss the agency's Equity Plan for Improving Quality in Medicare and its "From Coverage to Care" initiative.
In addition, leaders from Children's Hospital Los Angeles will share strategies related to the hospital's work on health equity, as well as steps hospital leaders can take to embed equitable care in their own organization. For more information and to register, visit www.hpoe.org.


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Last week, when the NFL named Ted Wells the independent investigator for the Dolphins investigation, the league pointed out that the final report will be made public.
It made sense on the surface, given that it was inevitable that the report would be leaked. Still, applying that label prospectively has a potential impact on the manner in which the investigation proceeds.
On Sunday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen explained that the public nature of the report could prompt some Dolphins employees to be careful about what they say, especially as it relates to possible examples of conduct extending beyond the Jonathan Martin situation. And we've separately heard that the plan to make the report public could have a chilling effect on Martin's comments to Wells.
Sure, Martin has said he'll fully cooperate. But does that mean Martin will, for example, surrender his cell phone to Wells for full inspection of text messages that possibly will be included in the public report? Martin may regard certain text messages to be sensitive and irrelevant; Wells may disagree. The end result could be that Martin ends up dealing with an unnecessary embarrassment that he believes extends beyond the treatment he claims he experienced.
That leads to another question. With the league committed to making Wells' report public, how much of the supporting documentation will be made public, too? It's one thing for Wells to include in his report a specific statement that a teammate made to Martin. It's quite another for a full transcript of Martin's entire interview with Wells to be made public.
Per a league source, the NFL currently doesn't know whether Wells plans to release the supporting documentation publicly, or whether those documents will be concealed.
As a practical matter, it will be difficult if not impossible to scrutinize the quality of Wells' investigation by simply reading the report. And it's quite possible that, by vowing to make the final report public, the league has stepped onto a slippery slope that could result in thousands of pages ultimately being dropped into the media's lap.


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Tulou Studio is a young, full-service architecture and interior design firm that specializes in sustainable, regionally specific, and ecologically sensitive design — the design of buildings and spaces that not only comply with, but go beyond standardized green-building guidelines such as LEED. The results are projects that enhance local community patterns, refresh the local architectural character, restore vital links within existing ecosystems, and promote the development of a "greener" future.
We believe that the surest path to a "greener" tomorrow lies in projects that encourage communities to develop in a sustainable manner – implementing green strategies that not only improve a building's sustainable "score", but encourage a harmonious and mutually gainful relationship between the built and natural environments.
Whether that involves the re-development of a worn-down, suburban mall into a high-density, mixed-use, sustainable entertainment center, developing new forms of interactive, open space in urban centers, or designing homes nestled within the beautiful, but ecologically sensitive Florida swamplands, our clients look to us to create fresh and approachable spaces to live, work, eat, and play in the cities and landscapes they love – ensuring the continuity of the "places" they grew up in, fell in love with, or dream of visiting.


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Photos by Lloyd Pursall.
Follow him on Instagram here.
London Collections: Men has wrapped up, and when people weren't talking about the likes of Jeremy Scott's menswear debut for Moschino or Astrid Andersen's sumo wrestling inspiration, they were peeping the gear that dudes were rocking while hopping between shows. London is famous for its sharp-dressed gentleman and eccentrically dressed dudes, and this edition of LCM did not disappoint. Luckily, we were on hand to document the madness. Check out our Street Style at London Collections: Men, Part II.
RELATED: Street Style at London Collections: Men, Part I
RELATED: Street Style at the Odd Future Pop-Up Shop Is Exactly What You'd Expect It to Be
Also Watch


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English2Go in San Jose, Costa Rica has immediate openings (June start) for qualified teachers
Date 2017-06-12 18:06:53 Location : Central America
Teach English to employees and executives in their homes or workplace during the week and explore Costa Rica's rainforests, volcanoes, white water rivers, world class surfing, fishing and beaches on the weekend. We offer Business English classes to all levels, onsite at our client's homes and offices.
General requirements (Qualified candidates should have most the following):
• University Graduate (B.A. or higher preferred)
• ESL teaching certificate: CELTA, TESOL, TEFL etc.
• Minimum 6 months ESL teaching experience with references preferred or experienced in classroom teaching
• 6-month minimum commitment
• Native English Speaker (North American English preferred; other native English speakers are eligible) Please do not apply if English is not your native language.
• Experienced ESL teachers with overseas experience will be given priority
Financially stable
• Excellent presentation with good personal hygiene
• Must have own computer, tablet (preferred) or smartphone and mobile Internet connection
• Experienced ESL teachers with overseas experience will be given priority
• Teacher candidates should also have the following characteristics: independent, responsible, dependable, personable, dynamic, energetic, outgoing, customer and service quality oriented, and reliable
We offer: Competitive pay, airport pick-up, help booking arrival accommodations, a relaxed professional work atmosphere, we will help you find a place to live, and in setting up a bank account.
Although we are looking for teachers who can start now, we are always looking for qualified staff throughout the year.


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Mumbai: Illegal dumping of debris near mangroves irks Malad locals
Mangroves near Evershine Nagar, Malad (West), are under threat as illegal dumping of debris has begun once again, along the stretch
Construction debris dumped near the mangroves at Evershine Nagar in Malad
Mangroves near Evershine Nagar, Malad (West), are under threat as illegal dumping of debris has begun once again, along the stretch. A year ago, on November 30, mid-day had reported (Road in BMC's DP eats up Malad mangroves in three days flat) how the 1.5 acre stretch at Evershine Nagar was wiped clean for a proposed road, without seeking permission from the mangrove cell or the environment ministry.
According to locals, it's on that same stretch that trucks have been spotted dumping construction waste post midnight on alternate days. A mid-day reader and environment lover from the area has shot a video, which shows the dumpers heading towards the mangroves.
"For the past one week, the vehicles used at construction sites have been dumping debris near the mangroves. Unlike last year, the land mafia is involved this time is using a different modus operandi — choosing to dump the waste in the wee hours of the day, on alternate days. At least three to four trucks come at a time," said a local resident.
Incidentally, three to four building redevelopment projects are on in nearby areas, which increase the probability of debris from these projects being dumped at Evershine Nagar.
RTI activist and social worker from the area, Sharique Raza, said, "It's a complete failure of our government which pledges to protect the environment. We expect stricter laws and faster execution of cases against those polluting the environment, including the mangroves and the wetlands. It should be deemed a non-bailable offence."
Taking serious note of mid-day's report last year, Bangur Nagar police had arrested Angad Chaurasia, who was allegedly dumping construction debris at the spot. He was booked under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Locals, however, alleged that P/N Ward, Bangur Nagar police station officials as well as the Tehsildar office have failed to check the illegal dumping of debris.
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Like the rest of the Midwest, we celebrated the warm weather with time in the sunshine!
Don't laugh people in warmer climates. 65 degrees in February feels like a heat-wave.
We walked down the lane and I gave strict instructions, NO PUDDLES!
They danced close to the edge but obeyed.
Look, I can cross my arms!
And then the shoes came off and Mama lightened up her rules because she couldn't resist the carefree toddlers.
Looking at the clouds and treetops.


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Hi there! You have found the Halal Food Bank – Perth blog! How exciting 🙂
This is a space for the team to share their experiences of the project and showcase some of the cool things going on in Perth around food security. You can connect with us in 3 ways, FB, Instagram or email. We also try to post videos to YouTube (coz we're cool like that). Thanks for stopping by 🙂


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For our Capstone project it was hard to choose a topic, Capstone is the main project of 5th grade and I would look forward to it when I was little. When I was picking my topic, there where many challenging parts, one of them is trying not to pick the same topic as another person, also it was hard to find a topic that is not so easy, but not so hard as well. At the end, now my Capstone project is the Amazon Echo. I really want to start the actual topic. I'm so excited! I cant wait to choose my main inquiry question, which is the question we will be asking. I really hope my project will turn out very well.
5 thoughts on "Choosing a Topic for Capstone"
I like how you showed the challenges but you really need to write more. I did not have a very good visual and you need more detail.
I like how you added what you stuggled with while choosing a topic but I think you could've written more and gone into more detail.
I think you could write more and talk about your feelings and say why you chose amazon echo. Maybe write more about your feelings on choosing a topic instead of saying that the other grades are looking forward to it. But I like how you wrote some challenges you faced maybe you could add a little more challenges you faced. But it was good.
I like you blog post. I think you did a good job explaining what you had trouble with and how you had been looking forward to it. I think you could of maybe described why you picked the topic and maybe your other choice as well, but I still think you did a good job explaining everything. Great Work!
Deciding on a Capstone topic is not easy, but I think you did a good job sticking with the process until you found a topic that was both interesting and adequately challenging. The privacy issues related to Amazon Echo are so interesting!


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With Vampyr, Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer channeled his genius for creating mesmerizing atmosphere and austere, unsettling imagery into the horror genre. The result—a chilling film about a student of the occult who encounters supernatural haunts and local evildoers in a village outside Paris—is nearly unclassifiable. A host of stunning camera and editing tricks and densely layered sounds creates a mood of dreamlike terror. With its roiling fogs, ominous scythes, and foreboding echoes, Vampyr is one of cinema's greatest nightmares.
Picture 7/10
The German version of Carl Th. Dreyer's Vampyr receives a Blu-ray upgrade from the Criterion Collection, who yet again present the film in its original aspect ratio of 1.19:1. Criterion is reusing the same high-definition master they used for their original DVD edition from nine years ago, though present it here in full high-definition with 1080p/24hz encode. The high-def scan comes from a 35mm fine-grain master positive restored by Cineteca di Bologna.
The upgrade is noticeable but not as significant as I probably hoped. The source materials still limit the image in a variety of ways and I don't believe any—or at least much—further restoration has been done since the original release, so the improvements between this and an upscaled image of the DVD aren't in-your-face obvious at first. The materials are still in rough shape, with several scratches, tram lines, bits of dirt, frame shifts, stray hairs, missing frames, pulses and fluctuations, and more littering the image regularly throughout. The damage is quite heavy, to the point where, in all fairness, it probably would have been more detrimental to the image to do any further digital restoration.
Yet there is still the noticeable improvement in resolution here. Despite the now obvious limitations of the format Criterion's DVD still holds up surprisingly well, all things considered. The level of detail on that disc is extraordinary when you come down to it and revisiting that release all these years later I was probably more impressed with it now than I was when it was originally released. Still, the Blu-ray manages to deliver a more filmic texture, though not without limitations. Film grain does look better here in comparison to the DVD but it can still come off a bit too coarse and maybe a wee-bit unnatural in places. It's possible that a newer scan could have improved this area. Otherwise the image overall delivers a staggering amount of detail within the scenes, close-ups looking particularly good (the wild hair of the film's villain is clearly defined to the point where you can make out individual strands). I also must say that the bits of dirt and debris that rain through also look sharper with the added resolution. Contrast and gray levels look decent, while black levels can fluctuate due to the varying quality of the materials used: sometimes they're fairly deep with a nice balance so that details can still be seen, while at other times they can be either too deep, killing shadow detail, or more on the grayer side, the latter issue probably having more to do with fading of the print.
Despite all of the problems still present I think the film still comes off looking pretty good on this new Blu-ray. It's possible a whole new (costly, I'm sure) scan and restoration could have improved things further but this release does offer a noticeable if not astounding improvement over the DVD.
Audio 5/10
Though the audio does get an upgrade with a lossless PCM 1.0 mono presentation it doesn't sound like further restoration has been done and the same issues present on the DVD are still there, though all of the issues appear to be related to the source. Both music and voices can sound distorted and flat, but at the very least neither come off overly edgy or harsh. There is also an obvious background hiss but damage is pretty much limited to that. It ultimately is what it is.
Extras 8/10
Criterion thankfully ports over everything from their original first-printing DVD edition (later printings dropped one significant feature). First off Criterion again presents two versions of the film. The main presentation is the German version, containing German text with English subtitles. Criterion has also included a version they simply call the "English-Text Version." One of the problems with the German version is at times it can be hard to read the subtitles displayed over sequences with written text, including the sequences featuring text from a book on vampires that is shown often throughout the film. Criterion has digitally inserted English text over the German text sequences, even altering the text that is shown in this book. I'm sure this will be viewed as a sort of blasphemy but you are at least given the option to view wither version, and in all fairness this digital tinkering is very impressive. It manages to look very natural and organic to the film, and is even presented in a similar manner to the German version with the same print flaws, frame shifts, and a similar fuzzy look along with the same font, and this goes for both the on-screen text and the text from the book. So if you do have trouble reading the subtitles for the German version, which can get lost and be hard to read when they are laid over the text within the film, this isn't a bad alternative since the work is about flawless. The only issue, and it's a curious one, is that the audio for this version is presented in Dolby Digital mono (it's not presented through seamless branching, which I thought would have been the route they would go). I couldn't detect a difference but audiophiles may want to take note. Also, this English version only translates the on-screen text, dialogue is still in German with English subtitles.
The audio commentary by film scholar Tony Rayns recorded for the original DVD also makes its way over. I rather enjoyed this track, which flowed rather naturally (though I'm sure he has his notes with him.) He begins with the film's rather bad reception, released after sitting on a shelf for a few months, and then gets into the production of the film itself, Dreyer interested in making a more commercial genre film. He does get into the technical aspects of the film, such as the editing and camera work, as well as the use of sound (including working with minimal dialogue), and then even offering a decent analysis of the film itself. There is mention of the German censors and what was cut out, specifically the more graphic details during two key sequences near the end (which I won't spoil). Rayns mentions that these sequences, still in the French version of the film, will either be put back into the film or included as a supplement elsewhere on the release. These sequences have not been edited back into the film but have been placed in another supplement. In all, despite Rayn being unsure of how to pronounce some names (though I'm sure I wouldn't do much better) and his unwillingness to suggest that there is some humour in the film, as if that would somehow depreciate the film on some level, it's very informative covering many aspects of the film within its 73-minute running time.
The remaining supplements are found under the "Supplements" menu, starting with a short 30-minute documentary from 1966 called Carl Th. Dreyer. It begins with footage from the French premiere of Gertrud, where Clouzot, Godard, and Truffaut (among others) are present. The documentary then moves on to an interview with Dreyer who goes over some of his filmography, briefly talking about them. Unfortunately the discussion for each film is rather brief (Passion of Joan of Arc and Vampyr running only slightly longer) and the clips can run longer than Dreyer's comments, but I still found this a worthwhile supplement to go through just for his comments.
The next supplement on the disc is a Visual Essay by Casper Tybjerg. Made up of photographs, film stills and clips (that includes an interview segment from the previous supplement) it gives an in-depth look at the making of the film, from its inception (including pictures from location scouts) to its release (including the re-edits that followed.) At times it is a little dry thanks to Tybjerg's voice, but overall it's a great sort of "making-of" on the film. The most interesting part, for me, had to do with the film's "deleted scenes" most of which only exist in stills (like one that was used for the cover art of this DVD release.) There's also the mention of an alternate ending. This is also where you will find those scenes censored from the German version, but I must admit I'm unsure why they weren't just reinserted back into the film. A note on the restoration in the booklet mentions the sound is quite bad but I didn't think it was altogether too bad here. In the end, though, it's definitely worth going through. It runs 36-minutes.
The final supplement on the disc is a 1958 audio recording of Dreyer talking about filmmaking. Dreyer first states he is "not a film theorist […] only a film director" but that a filmmaker still gets ideas about the craft from his work. He of course pushes that the director is the more important aspect of a film, though recognizes the team work aspect of making a film. He also talks about colour filmmaking, bringing up the Japanese film Gate of Hell as an excellent example. Dreyer speaks in English and I will admit at times I had trouble understanding every word he said, but it's an interesting essay on the art of filmmaking (and art in general) by the director, but the fact he is obviously reading his essay and not in his native language does make it a bit dry. The audio plays over a still of Dreyer and runs approximately 24-minutes.
This closes off the disc supplements. Though it may feel a bit light on disc supplements Criterion does port over the entire package of their original DVD edition, yet again includeing a book containing the screenplay and one of the stories that inspired the film, the story "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu. The script is a little different, with some different sequences, different names and a different ending, and the movie doesn't share much with the story other than the vampire angle, but after listening to Rayns and, to a lesser extenet, Tybjerg talking about both it was nice to be able to see the actual materials. The book has been resized to fit the Blu-ray packaging but is still 214 pages.
And rounding off the release is a 40-page booklet, containing a few essays and notes, as well as an interview. There is an essay by film scholar Mark Le Fanu (who professes a kinship with the author of "Carmilla") offering a history and an analysis of the film. Another essay by author Kim Newman focuses not only Dreyer's film but the vampire genre in general. A reprint of Martin Koerber's notes on the 1998 restoration of Vampyr, which has more notes on the multiple versions of the film as well as the deleted scenes found in the French version. And then finally we get an interview with Baron Nicolas de Gunzberg, a.k.a. Julian West, taken from a 1964 issue of Film Culture. In this interview he talks a bit about his history, his desire to be in film, and his work with Dreyer on Vampyr and his excitement over what sounds like a re-release of the film. An excellent booklet worth reading.
Again, like the old DVD, it doesn't have a lot of on-disc content but it still feels like a very comprehensive and satisfying collection of material, the book and booklet adding a lot to it.
The upgrade is noticeable enough and the image certainly has a more filmic texture, at least in comparison to the old DVD, but we unfortunately don't get a significant upgrade. At the very least Criterion has ported everything over from their original DVD edition and it's yet again a lovely looking edition. Definitely worth picking up if you have yet to pick the film up or own the trimmed down later DVD printings.


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We've just received a spam webform on our helpdesk, and from the IP address it lists (this is done auutomatically and isn't obvious to users) I've just found the name, address, phone number and email of the person who has that IP address. Which has really made me worry about the amount of personal information available online without you being aware of it. We all too freely give away details about ourselves and yet don't realise what the consequences of that could be. It's even more worrying when this information is given away by someone else. It took me 2 mins max to find this, and that was having to find out how to identify an IP address too – if I'd known what I was doing it would have been much quicker.
It does make me tempted to become a luddite and refuse to do anything with computers, but I'm becoming addicted to facebook and online banking has revolutionised my life…I'll just have to continue being careful!


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Followed by the presentation of the 2019 40+ cricket league trophy, the league started on 25 march 2019 in Montjuic. Openning day there was one match played between Catalunya Green vs Catalunya Blue. Catalunya blue own the match by 12 runs.
The match was curtled to 14 over where batting first Catalunya blue made 135/5 after 14 overs. Catalunya green managed to reach 123/7 in there 12 overs. 2 overs of the green team was reduced because of the delay occured by green team.
This year 4 teams participating in this tournament with the name of Catalunya Green, Catalunya Red, Catalunya Blue and Catalunya Yellow. All the player participating in this tournament were borned before 31 december 1979.


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Wednesday, April 25, 2012
V is for Verbalizing your Vision in a Pitch Session
Since we're heading into the heart of writer's conference season, let's talk pitching! Because if you thought that clicking send on a query while sitting at your computer in your nice, comfortable home was hard, it's nothing compared to pitching in person! (Not to scare you or anything if you are about to do it for your first time.)
But first, a poll! (And fail on my part for the poll! I didn't think to put a valid option in the second question if you answered no on the first question. So if you answer no on the first, just guess how you'll be when/if you ever pitch. M'kay?)
Me? Um.... I may have been a little nervous at my first pitch. I may have told about my story in a speeding bullet voice, and finished 30 seconds into the pitch. It's a safe bet to say I didn't ramble. Definitely not cool and collected. I have debated whether or not to post this picture, because the body language tells pretty much how I felt.
Nervous hands? Check. Fake laughing to cover up the nervousness? Check. The conference photographer (wanting to get a picture of a pitch session or two) in the room to witness it? Check.
But that's me. And that's Sara. (Isn't she adorable?) And I had absolutely no idea at the time that my fumbling / shaking / speed-talking with her would one day mean I could call her my agent.
But I can't say I didn't learn anything! I'll have you know, though, that the next time I pitched, it went 1000 times better. Tomorrow, I'm going to post about what I WISH I would've known before I pitched. Because life is better if you know a few things before you pitch.
So what's been your experience with pitching? Are you pitching to an editor or agent anytime soon?
29 comments:
- Tonja said...
They serve alcohol at conferences, right?
- April 25, 2012 at 7:23 AM
- Valerie Hartman said...
Now that was funny. Hehe.
- April 25, 2012 at 7:41 AM
- Anita said...
Thanks for an interesting post :)
I actually had no idea what pitching was, so had to look it up first. I only write on my blog, so have no experience of this, but can imagine it must be nerve-wracking!
- April 25, 2012 at 8:01 AM
- Unknown said...
Great post. I haven't pitched to anyone yet. It sounds a bit frightening :)
- April 25, 2012 at 8:04 AM
- S.P. Bowers said...
OK, maybe I'm just being technologically challenged again but I couldn't submit the poll. I haven't ever pitched in person so I answered no on the first question but couldn't answer the second question because it all pertained to answering yes on the first question. And it wouldn't let me submit without answering the second question. So anyway, now you know what my poll was. Cause I know you were dying to know.
I can't wait to see what you have to say though, this is definitely an area I need help with.
- April 25, 2012 at 8:10 AM
- JeffO said...
Same as S.P.
I haven't done an in-person pitch. I haven't even developed one or practiced it, which means I'll get a call from an agent, who will say, "Give me a thirty-second pitch for this book of yours that I just read; if I like the pitch, you're in!" Better start practicing....
- April 25, 2012 at 8:14 AM
- Krista McLaughlin said...
If I had the money to travel to a writer's convention, I'd pitch my book to an agent. :)
- April 25, 2012 at 9:05 AM
- Jaime Morrow said...
I get nervous and a little bit queasy just thinking about it. I would definitely be the shaky voice, shaky hands pitcher. O_o
- April 25, 2012 at 10:45 AM
- Lauren said...
I'm afraid I'd be the type that would ramble on and on and on...
I've pitched to my sister before ("Come here and listen to this pitch and tell me what you think." "Do I have to?" "Yes.") but never to an agent or editor. :)
- April 25, 2012 at 11:16 AM
- Weaver said...
Too funny! Your poll doesn't have an option to finish and submit you answered no. Which I did. lol
- April 25, 2012 at 11:19 AM
- Carrie Butler said...
I've never had the opportunity to pitch in person, but I think I would prefer it to querying. (I'm weird. I know.) I love the photo! :)
- April 25, 2012 at 1:05 PM
- Annalisa Crawford said...
I'm glad it worked out for you, but I know that would be my worst nightmare. Give me a email query any day!
- April 25, 2012 at 1:11 PM
- Delia said...
The agent I pitched to had my query and first ten pages ahead of time and I still managed to ramble on and on and on. Gah.
That is a very cute picture.
- April 25, 2012 at 2:41 PM
- SharleneT said...
Hello, Fellow Challenger, from #398 - aka Rockin'Chair Reflections! Having years of stage experience, I rehearsed my pitch for a few days before the actual meeting. It wasn't to be repeated exactly as memorized but to fix in my mind the points I wanted to make and have them naturally flow. Come visit when you can.
- April 25, 2012 at 2:42 PM
- Janet Johnson said...
Okay, just saying, the back of you doesn't look like you AT ALL. :)
But yeah, I get WAY too nervous. The last one I did, however (3 weeks ago) actually went well. I was cool and calm and collected just like option #3. It helped that I'd met the agent earlier at the conference and had a chance to chit chat and get to know her a bit. If that's ever an option, I highly recommend it! ;)
- April 25, 2012 at 5:43 PM
- Guilie Castillo said...
New follower from the A-Z challenge, and sooo wish I'd found your blog earlier in the month. You'll never get rid of me now *evil cackle*.
The pitch, oh yes, the pitch. Did it for the first time in February at the San Francisco Writers' Conference (my first conf, too). Got to say, I thought it would be much much worse. I didn't have a breakdown, didn't puke on the table (or, God forbid, on an agent's shoes--or briefcase), got seven out of nine pitched agents to request my MS.
And *then* I decided the MS wasn't ready.
What a waste, eh?
- April 25, 2012 at 5:55 PM
- Unknown said...
Never pitched before. However, I hope to have the need to do so one day soon.
Happy A to Z-ing!
- April 25, 2012 at 6:00 PM
- Nancy Thompson said...
I wrote out my pitch and was starting to prepare for my next conference. I asked the coordinator if they were doing pitches and she said NO! I was so disappointed. Then I got a book deal and I didn't care anymore. Whew! I am so glad cuz I don't think I could manage very well.
- April 25, 2012 at 6:40 PM
- Julie said...
Hahahaha! Love this pic! What's that saying... a picture is worth a thousand words! So true ( :
And I'm totally not laughing at you... I'm laughing at myself!!
But lookie, lookie! You got an agent! And that's happy ( : Thank goodness THAT part is over, eh?
- April 25, 2012 at 6:57 PM
- E.D. said...
Great post and picture - thank you for sharing. Nowhere near making a pitch. Writing / submitting from home is one thing, but speaking / presenting? Scary!
- April 25, 2012 at 9:01 PM
- Cynthia Heart Books said...
I've pitched before at conferences. Though I know that pitching is part of the process, I'm still not the kind of person who is accustomed to jumping in front of an industry professional to do this. =)
- April 25, 2012 at 9:37 PM
- Leigh Covington said...
Oh my goodness! I get butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it! You rock girl and you scored the dream agent too! So, I may need a private coaching lesson when I get to that point! okay! ;)
- April 25, 2012 at 9:42 PM
- Nicole said...
Nice tale! I haven't pitched in person yet, and I'd like to think I'd do fine...but I'd be shakin' on the inside. :)
- April 25, 2012 at 10:05 PM
- Susanna Leonard Hill said...
I would have chosen options 1 and 2 together - nervous, hand and voice shaking, forgot what I was going to say AND rambled on hoping I might stumble on it :)
- April 26, 2012 at 4:53 AM
- Francene Stanley said...
I know my voice would shake. I've never pitched to an agent in person, but I have got two contracts from publishers through an email pitch. Blog on!
- April 26, 2012 at 6:53 AM
- Coleen Patrick said...
I am kind of terrified of pitching. It feels crazy that I can write thousands of words and spend hours with my characters but then be completely clueless as to how to sum it all up. I have some fears to work through!!
- April 26, 2012 at 7:53 AM
- Z said...
I'm still trying to finish my book so I CAN pitch it...getting there, I swear I'm getting there!
But as for the nervousness--no stranger to that one! I did a TON of theater growing up, and a person typically goes to a dozen auditions for every one play they get to perform in. Auditions are a lot like pitch sessions, except you get the luxury of pretending to be somebody else when you open your mouth!
- April 26, 2012 at 8:23 AM
- Libby said...
I've never had to do a real verbal pitch BUT I have to do it every time someone asks me what my novel is about. I feel like this is something I need to get better at.
- April 26, 2012 at 8:37 AM
- Angela Cothran said...
That pic is awesome!!! I can't wait for the tips. I NEED them :)
- April 26, 2012 at 9:33 AM


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If you're on the path toward health improvement, you may want to start with your gut health. Your stomach and digestive system work hard to keep your body running efficiently. Between a healthy diet, regular exercise, and herbal supplements, you're on a course to support your health in the long run.
As you start your journey, you may have heard of Ashwagandha. But what is it and how can it improve your health?
Here's what you need to know about the history and benefits of this remarkable plant.
Ashwagandha: What is it?
Ashwagandha is a well-known traditional plant that is said to help your body better manage daily stress. The roots and berries of the plant are used by wellness professionals to create herbal supplements which usually take oral form. For example, Himalaya's very own Organic Ashwagandha. However, some people have even crafted ointments to be applied directly to the skin.
Ashwagandha's name comes from Sanskrit and translates roughly to "the strength of the stallion" because it has traditionally been used to support the immune system (but it also smells a little like horse). Other terms for the Ashwagandha plant include Indian Ginseng and Winter Cherry.
The scientific name, however, reveals a little more about this trusty plant. It is known as Withania somnifera, with somni referring to the Latin word for sleep. Home remedies have taken advantage of this factor to promote relaxation and work as a type of natural stress relief during times of occasional sleeplessness.
Uses and benefits
People have used Ashwagandha as a health-supportive plant for centuries stemming from a variety of reasons, including stress, energy, relaxation, and body balancing. As such, the root has been used in traditional African. Indian, Unani, and Ayurvedic medicines. Himalaya's Organic Ashwagandha hopes to follow their lead.
Some research has shown that Ashwagandha can improve adrenal function, a primary system that works to support hormone levels throughout the body, particularly the "stress hormone" cortisol. As such, your adrenal system helps control mood, stress, strength, and more. Even though your adrenal glands are only one inch by two inches in size, they can play a big role in living a healthy life.
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Whether you're a fan, friend, or family member, there are several cost-free things you can do to support the writer in your life and it will still mean a lot to them (and their success).
Whether you're a fan, friend, or family member, the obvious way to support the writer in your life is to buy their book(s), if they've written any. Think of it as an investment in your relationship with them and in their future. When you buy a book, you are literally helping that writer pay their bills and buy food.
A writer spends months – even years – writing, editing, formatting, re-editing … All of that to create one tiny book that will most likely get lost in the sea of other books written by other authors. It's a gamble a writer takes; time invested vs. potential income. It often takes a few rolls of the dice – several books – before an author's name starts to get noticed. Even if a writer is producing articles, short stories, or other written material, those are often overlooked, the pay is usually low, and the reward is, well … It's like beauty; it's in the eye of the beholder.
If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to Share it:


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http://www.bangladesh-economy.org/ is a site dedicated to presenting economic news about Bangladesh. It offers information and guidance to anyone interested in the economic and investment potential of Bangladesh.
If you have news or articles you would like to get published on this site, or if you have any query, please email:


text:
History of Computer Power Supplies
Power supplies are often an easily-forgotten component of a computer build, but they've actually changed quite a bit over the years. Thanks to Braintree for supporting our channel. To learn more, and for your first $50,000 in transactions fee-free, go to http://www.braintreepayments.com/techquickie. Follow: http://twitter.com/linustech Join the community: http://linustechtips.com License for images used: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode source


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We always make payment procedures, as easy as we can do to our customers. You can make payments in Cash, Bank draft, TC or by credit cards (we accept all major credit cards). For the reservation or advance book, you can wire deposit in our company bank account by telex transfer, money transfer,or you can send us fax with your credit card details.
We accept major cards include Maestro, Visa Debit, Visa, Master Card and American Express. Please note the name and address of the card registered should be the same as on your booking form. We are unable to accept card payments from somebody who is not travelling on the tour.
• Help us preventing credit card fraud, please do not send your credit card information to us by email.
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Beneficiary : Sharma Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Current A/C(NPR) : 0101011668101
Paying Bank : Nabil Bank Limited
Address : Durbarmarg, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sift code : NARBNPKA
Telephone No. : +977-1-4421450
Fax No. : +977-1-4005003
Beneficiary : Narayan Gaire
Current A/C (NPR) : 17715240020093
Paying Bank : Nepal SBI Bank Limited
Address : Main branch, Durbarmarga, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sift code : NSBINPKA
Telephone No. : +977-1-4421450
Fax No. :+977-1-4005003
During transfer, Bank service charge should be paid by the clients themselves at the time of deposit, please make sure we could receive the actual amount invoiced with your bank.


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alienlady wrote:Charity and antique shops I love. Yet I detest shopping!
Pajarita how do you utilise the christmas please ? I was told they couldn't be used for parrots .Habing seen them out on the streets for collection I thought it a shame.
alienlady wrote:I have an idea for those of you with numerous birds or sanctuaries. Do you remember or have the old wooden clothes airers that you used to dry clothes in front of the fire ?
I was just thinking they would make great parrot gyms with toys etc hanging from them. Unfortunately I don't know which wood was used to make them.
However, a copy could be made today. Seeing as they came in ladder and concertina designs , they seem like an idea to play around with and they had a good height.
What do you think ? Hmm maybe I should patent this
Pan racks hanging from the ceiling is something else that you can have fun converting to a parrot toy.
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Published at SB Nation.
Part 1: On Winning Close Matches (In Which I Predicted Cardiff City's relegation):
How well a club does in close matches in the first half of the season does not usefully predict how well the club will perform in close matches in the second half.
I'm not saying that winning close matches is "luck." In general, I think that winning clubs have usually played better than losing clubs. But whatever it is that leads to good performances in close matches, usually it doesn't carry over as the season progresses. We shouldn't use points taken from close matches as a good predictor of future points.
Part 2: On Losing Close Matches:
Even these clubs don't usually do better than 3-2-1 in close matches, and they average more like 2-2-1. Spurs' 8-4-2 record so far i close matches would be among the best on this table, which is populated mostly by title contenders. I'd guess here that anything over 1.8 or so points per match in games decided by under two goals is probably unsustainable. Even Mourinho's 2004-2005 Chelsea only took 2.1 points per match in this subset of the season.


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>This is one of those 'tying-up-a-loose-end' posts – although in this case there remain several 'tails' still to be told.
In my piece on 'Lululaund' I referred to the Tapestry Weavers of Bushey and then later discovered The British and Irish Spinning and Weaving School that had been located there. I mentioned the presence of Miss Clive Bayley and conjectured that she was the ladies teacher. Hence I was delighted to find in the National Archives of Scotland a reference from 1901 to 'Miss Clive Bayley. Home Industry. Expenses incurred at Bushey' that is filled under the Congested Districts Board (Ref:AF42/890)
Unfortunately there are no further details and the file, which is held off-site, has to be pre-requested but it nicely corroborates the foregoing guesswork and links the CDB to this particular endeavour. As it appears in Bushey, and Mrs Captain Thomas was now living in East Sussex as Mrs Frances Beckett, I wonder if once again she had a hand in yet another textile offshoot from Harris, this time one that was training some seven young ladies from 'Obbe, Harris'?
Whilst on the topic of connections twixt Bushey & Harris, here's the piece on 'A Somewhat Strange Affair' …


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Cooled Storage Incubator
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| Athena SatNet, how may I assist you?
- Athena Cannon rolling out of the Armor facility
Named after Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, the Athena cannon was the main Allied artillery unit during the Third World War.
Created by the Stockholm-based Angstrom Defense[1], the Athena Cannon is an integral part of the Allied Orbital Defense Network designed by Lydia Winters[2]. The name "Athena Cannon" refers to both a network of orbital beam weapons and their eponymous target-designating vehicles.[3] Unlike traditional artillery units, the Athena vehicle does not attack its targets directly. Rather, it merely designates targets for an Athena satellite in orbit using a target painter, which then fires a powerful proton beam at the target.[4]
Alternatively, an Athena Cannon can order a satellite to fire at its mounted collector dish, allowing it to absorb the energy of the beam and project an "Aegis" energy shield, which protects it and any surrounding units from enemy fire. The shield does hinder movement, however and the Athena must remain immobile while the shield is up.
Despite initial controversies regarding its exorbitant development costs, the Athena SatNet proved instrumental in cracking the defenses of the Soviet Union and the Empire of the Rising Sun during the war. However, the limited satellite coverage prevented its wide usage, prompting the FutureTech Corporation to develop an alternative field artillery unit: the Pacifier FAV.[3]
|Aegis Shield
|By changing its weapon configuration, the Athena Cannon can engage an Aegis shield which will protect all friendly units within. When the shield integrity falls, so does the size of the shield. A low integrity shield means it is too small to protect units around it.
- Very powerful beam (two Athenas can destroy an Apocalypse Tank in one sequence)
- Aegis Shield can protect the Athena and all friendly units within from all sorts of attacks
- Pinpoint accuracy
- Splash damage
- Cheaper than Wave-force artillery
- Can beat both the Wave-Force artillery and V4 Rocket Launcher in a one-on-one fight
- Available at tier 3 only
- When the shield integrity falls, so does the size of the shield.
- Can't use shields and space cannon simultaneously
- Enemy units can still go thorough the shield
- Has hard time targeting moving units since laser beam focuses on one target only
- Costlier that V4 Rocket launcher
Game unit
| Orbital defense network
- Athena Cannon
First use of the Athena Cannon was granted to the Allied Commander after his base was decimated by the Imperial Psionic Decimator in Tokyo, during the attempt to take the Empire out of the war for good. Two were chrono-teleported in after the Allied commander successfully executed a flanking maneuver by chronoshifting his MCV and setting up a base to the rear of the Imperial forces. The Athena Cannon was used in all subsequent missions thereafter.
Notes from the Field
The Athena Cannon is a versatile artillery-type vehicle that utilizes Allied satellites to bombard its target. They have the Aegis Shield ability which protects nearby friendly units for up to 2,000 damage. The longer the shield is active, the smaller the area of protection gets. The shield is useful for defense from air attacks, but the unit cannot fire during the time the shield is active. Athena Cannons can target through walls, making them a ruthless weapon for destroying power plants, or other base defenses protected behind walls.
Depending on the distance between the Athena and the target, it only takes mere seconds to lock on the target and destroy it. The Athena will also do its best to hit moving targets, but will only do small amounts of damage to moving targets...as the beam is stationary as it fires. One trick is to make the Athena fire on a spot on the ground that an expected group of enemy units will be occupying when the satellite beam fires. This takes good timing, but the beam causes "splash" damage and can take valuable health off of groups of units that would otherwise be harmful for your units or base defenses.
In groups of 5+, Athena Cannons can destroy any building, super weapon, or powerful unit in one strike before the opposition has a chance to react. Very useful tactic when attempting to make a quick run at an enemy Construction Yard, or superweapons.
Upon exiting an Armor facility
- Athena SatNet, how may I assist you?
- Athena cannon!
- Full satellite access!
- Orbital defense network!
- How can I help?
- Standing by!
- Sat link initialized!
- We're connected!
- GPS signal clear!
- Can I be of assistance?
- Your call is important to us!
- Space cannons on line two, sir!
- Orbitals on line two, sir!
- Orbits on line two, sir!
- Confirmed!
- Understood, please stand by!
- Updating position!
- Certainly!
- Thank you, please hold!
- Scanning for reception!
- My pleasure!
- Anything else I can do for you?
- One moment sir!
Trying to move when shield is active
- Shields are still engaged sir!
- Can't move while the shield's are up sir!
- Negative sir, not while the shield is up!
- Begin sequence!
- Patching it through sir!
- Focusing reticles
- Powering up!
- Call for fire!
- Recursive firing!
Active shield
- Defense systems on!
- Shields are enabled sir!
- All powers into shields!
- Nothing can get through the Aegis!
- Shields are enabled!
Move to attack
- Moving to targeting range!
- Get ready orbital!
- Stand by for coordinates!
- Yes sir, approaching!
- Ready the fire sequence!
- Set up the target array!
- Target acquired!
In combat
- Locking coordinates!
- Reloading, please wait!
- Link established!
- Sat link check!
- We're live!
- Confirming retreat codes!
- Code Olympus!
- Falling back for repairs!
- This call will not be recorded!
Under fire
- Our position is compromised!
- System are damaged!
- We're losing signal strength!
- We can use some help here sir!
- Can anybody hear us?
- The Athena Cannon's appearance may be based on the Swedish BV-206.
- The Athena's quotes are based on phrases said by telephone operators.
- The Zone Captain from Tiberian Twilight is also based on the idea of a unit that designates targets for a space-based energy weapon.
- The said structure's first name was a reference to Athena Massey, the actress behind the voiceover and role of the Allied EVA in Red Alert 2 and its expansion pack Yuri's Revenge.
See also
- V4 Rocket Launcher - Soviet artillery counterpart.
- Wave-Force artillery - Imperial artillery counterpart.
- Pacifier FAV
- ↑ Apollo Fighter profile. COMMAND & CONQUER RED ALERT 3. 2008-07-02.
- ↑ Uprising loading screen
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pacifier FAV profile. Red Alert Universe. 2009-02-22.
- ↑ Red Alert 3 unit profile video


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AshevilleNews StoriesOpinion
USDA Spews Funky Agenda for Human Feeding Sites
This is the third year Buncombe County has been providing USDA meals for children over the summer. In 2012, the program sort of flopped, delivering only 1500-2000 meals. Last year, 74,000 meals were served. Counts aren't in for this year, but seventeen locations, including county pools and libraries will be serving free meals to any child under 18 years of age, no questions asked, and, according to the ads, "no strings attached." The meals are free inasmuch as you pay no attention to the children behind the curtain.
The first year, participation was slow for reasons county staff did not want to expound when making a follow-up presentation before the commissioners. Last year, a post on the county's web site explained meals were provided at county parks as "an incentive for children to participate in summer enrichment programs . . . . Having the meal sites at locations where children want to come and enjoy the outdoors has the added value of encouraging participation in the program and fighting obesity."
Quotes of pertinent statistics tend to be incomplete and disjoint, but a report released this year by Feeding America, which bills itself as "the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity," estimated 26 percent of Buncombe County's children are "food insecure." Although definitions have changed through the years about what exactly that means, the USDA's web site now states one can qualify with "reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet, and little or no indication of reduced food intake."
When the summer meals program, which some counties actually refer to as a feeding program, began, 55.5 percent of children in Buncombe County were receiving Free and Reduced lunches in public schools. At that time students on the Free and Reduced list comprised over 80 percent of the population in twelve counties, and over 90 in four. To qualify this year, a single parent with one child need earn no more than $27,991. A family of four could have a household income of $42,643 and still qualify for trickledown from the federal deficit. What's more, 14,224 children in Buncombe County are now on food stamps, and soup kitchens abound.
And yet, the USDA web site indicates the food-insecure continue to be underserved. "Learn how you can spread the word about free summer meals in your community," it says. "Our resources include customizable fliers and handouts, an innovative strategies library, training videos, and radio PSAs. You don't need to be a site or sponsor to use these resources; anybody can help raise awareness of summer meals!"
Some of the suggestions on the rather lengthy "Innovative Strategies for Increasing Participation in the USDA Summer Meals Program" pdf include, "Encourage schools to work with migrant sites;" "Let sponsors know about grant opportunities;" "Create banners, yard signs, and flags;" "Provide schools with flyers they can send home with students;" and "reframe the image of [what the USDA refers to as 'feeding sites'] (for instance, fighting obesity)."
Promotional stories for the program, as well as former county web site posts, have referenced WhyHunger. The group, founded by the late recording artist Harry Chapin and Bill Ayres (not to be confused with the Weather Underground's Bill Ayers), seeks to provide a voice for the very communist-sounding subject matter of food justice. The group receives funding from private grants and donations, fundraisers starring famous musicians, and, yes, a little bit from the USDA.
WhyHunger, among other services, provides a toolkit for community food assessments. The tool was endorsed by Barbara Cohen of the USDA's Economic Research Service. She supported its use by government officials and community planners for "gathering information about general community characteristics and community food resources as well as material for assessing household food security, food resource accessibility, food availability and affordability, and community food production resources."
WhyHunger encourages individuals to lobby their local governments to appropriate funds for food policy councils. The organization's web page explains, "In most governments, many different departments work in some way with food. Because there is no one Department of Food, however, efforts are often uncoordinated, or even at direct cross purposes. A food policy or systems council can be an effective body to examine all food-related policies and departments and make recommendations for how they can better work together."
Among capacity-building endeavors, the site explains that most people who have migrated to the United States legally are prohibited from receiving food stamps for five years. It then provides a link to the USDA's page with the title "Non-Citizen Guidance." Clicking on the link to SNAP, one finds FAQ #6 to be an inquiry about SNAP and medical marijuana.
Well, Asheville and Buncombe already have a Food Policy Council, championed by Asheville City Councilman Gordon Smith. The group, which is made up of a number of clusters, held its first meeting on April 2 of this year. To its credit, instead of begging for more federal funding, the group has thus far worked to ease up on zoning ordinances that unnecessarily prohibit gardening or the sale of fresh produce off the back of a truck. If leftists in Asheville continue to pursue this sensible course of action, local liberty-loving independents could actually bite the hand that is trying to bait them into becoming a knavish bunch of urchins at the feeding sites.


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Learn About Pertussis, Commonly Called Whooping Cough, And How To Protect Your Baby.
Learn about pertussis, commonly called whooping cough, and how to protect your baby.
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, can be deadly to babies. According to the National Institute of Health, "Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing. The coughing can make it hard to breathe. A deep 'whooping' sound is often heard when the patient tries to take a breath."
What is pertussis?Pertussis is a respiratory tract infection that is highly contagious. It is spread through the droplets that are emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Pertussis usually lasts six weeks.
History of pertussisPertussis was the leading cause of death in children during the first half of the 20th century. After the creation of the pertussis vaccine, the incidence greatly reduced and hit an all-time low in the '70s. However, more and more whooping cough cases are occurring today. The highest incidence of pertussis is among babies who aren't old enough to have a completed vaccine series and teens, who have less immunity.
Risks or pertussisThe NIH lists the following risks:
- Pneumonia
- Convulsions
- Seizure disorder (permanent)
- Nose bleeds
- Ear infections
- Brain damage from lack of oxygen
- Bleeding in the brain (cerebral hemorrhage)
- Mental retardation
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- Death
PreventionThe DTaP vaccine helps prevent pertussis. Children are given five pertussis vaccines at the following intervals:
- Two months
- Four months
- Six months
- 16 - 18 months
- 4 - 6 years


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The students in Art III concluded the 1st semester with a self-portrait painting study in oil paint. The students examined a variety of artists who represented themselves through portraiture, including Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt van Rijn, John Singer Sargent, Loïs Mailou Jones, Frida Kahlo, Kehinde Wiley and others. The students also studied oil paint mixing and painting techniques, which covered the creation of skin tones, utilizing various oil paint mediums, and using complementary colors to enrich highlight and mid-tone values. Below are examples from the 1st and 7th hour Art III classes from 2016 – 2017.
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Every now and then, I come across a book which really tickles my funny bone. And this is one of them. I love reading books that look at the hilarious side of things that we normally take for granted; like our zodiacs. This book takes our typical, normal and what author Hazel Dixon-Cooper calls our 'own inner brat'. Forget that Librans are indecisive and that Virgos are Perfectionists... this book will tell you exactly how horrible those star signs really are underneath all that sugar-coating we've been hypnotised with all these years.
I found this book at a Community Thrift Sale two weeks ago, and sat down with my Mum to have a good look at it before going out again that day. We giggled and laughed at everything that was wrong with us as well as everyone else in the family - and this book came up trumps with everyone. It told the hard, cold facts and we weren't about to say it was lying either - well because how can you escape who you really are?
I've tried looking for this book online for you all, however, just trying to find the author was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Besides Hazel's home site - which I found through Google easily enough - I couldn't find anything of her works through the publisher she went through in New York. However, I did find a great site for rare and out of print books! What a way to find one thing when looking for another! Well, until my next post, happy reading!


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Smart Grid Program
The Call for Proposals under the Smart Grid Component of the Green Infrastructure Phase II Program is now closed following the submission deadline of 23:59 EST, March 4, 2018.
Proposal selection was completed by an Expert Panel in April 2018.
Notifications were sent in May / June 2018 to those applicants who will now move onto the due diligence phase.
Projects announced under the Smart Grid program can be found on our Current Investments page.
Program Background
Up to $100 million will be invested for utility-led projects to reduce GHG emissions, better utilize existing electricity assets and foster innovation and clean jobs for:
- demonstration of smart grid technologies
- deployment of smart grid integrated systems
Do you qualify?
The request for proposals was open to:
- legal entities formed in Canada, including: electricity and gas utilities, electricity system operators, transmission system owners and operators (including provincial Crown corporations, agencies, co-operatives, Indigenous and municipally owned) and local distribution companies as direct or ultimate recipients; and
- provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies where applicable as initial recipients.
Frequently Asked Questions
A list of commonly asked questions and their answers will be maintained on this site. It will be updated as often as required. Please click here to go to the FAQs.
Why is Canada investing in Smart Grids?
Smart grids help ensure safer and more secure delivery of electricity, provide foundations for new market structures and a higher quality of service for customers. They are a key enabler for GHG mitigation as they increase the hosting capacity of renewable generation, improve asset utilization and increase resiliency. Benefits of smart grids include:
- better utilizing the existing capacity of electricity assets
- increasing the penetration of renewable generation
- increasing the reliability, resiliency and flexibility of the power system
- maintaining cyber security
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- creating jobs
NRCan reserves the right to alter the currently envisaged process, funding amounts and deadlines, or to cancel the entire application process at its sole discretion. Any changes will be communicated to registered applicants via email.
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
As part of the Invest in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $ 180 billion over 12 years in transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and tourism projects. Canada's rural and northern communities.
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We are sorry but there are no available rooms for August 14, 2020.
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Description
As one of the premier 5-Star Hotels in South Delhi, a single glance at this luxury hotel in Delhi will reveal that The Eros Hotel is so much more than just a convenient location. They offer peerless accommodation as well as a multitude of excellent amenities and services that will leave their guests feeling pampered and spoilt. Less than 30 minutes from Connaught Place, the commercial hub of Delhi, our luxury hotel in Delhi, by car, stands just 15 to 30 minutes away from most popular travel attractions of the city. Overlooking the renowned Lotus Temple, their lavish 5 star hotel in Delhi stands as a true icon of leisure with a with international standards of hospitality. The Eros Hotel is the perfect location for your corporate lunches, meetings, and conferences.
Historical Places - To get the glimpse of the vast culture of India, you must visit these religious and historical places - Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Akshardham Temple, Red Fort, Jama Masjid in old Delhi are the perfect places to enjoy your daycation.
Shopping centers - If you're looking for a unique shopping experience during your daystay, then head to one of the best shopping centres of Delhi, Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, or take a round at the business and shopping epicenter of Delhi i.e. Connaught Place, or visit Dilli Haat, a perfect combination food plaza and craft bazaar located in the heart of the city.
We should mention
Conference & Events - The Eros Hotel has wide range of conference/event rooms to choose from. Bold entrepreneurs might make their way down to the Viceroy Room. Primarily designed for corporate meeting, this 1400 Sq Ft room is perfect for small private training sessions, product promotions or next-gen presentations. The Governor's Room is also a great place for entrepreneurs to link up and make decisions during their daystay. Featuring an elite drop-down wall screen for all your media, the U-shaped table sets the ambiance for a successful business meeting.
Leisure & Spa -There is no better way to revitalise yourself than being at the Healthy Self Health Club. Their holistic Health Club provides you with ample recreational options. And that's not all, their team of experienced staff looks forward to make your experience very authentic and enriching. For the first time in Delhi, a hotel offers wide range of spa treatments in the Health Club and Pool for their guests. Combat the stresses of everyday life with a spa treatments. An expanded spa menu including Oriental treatment, as well as specific treatments such as foot massage and reflexology, and hand and scalp massage. The Eros also offers the ultimate in indulgence – a full-day spa package, available to Hotel guests and to the city's businessmen.


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Bigger houses
Britain's new homes are the smallest in Western Europe, even though it has been shown that family space is essential for health and wellbeing
Sir, Within the next week the Government will publish its consultation into Housing Standards, which will look at the possibility of introducing mandatory national minimum standards for all new homes.
Homes that give families space to thrive are essential to their health and wellbeing, yet Britain's new homes are the smallest in Western Europe. Space standards would ensure that new homes provide peace and privacy for children to study and play, room for families to grow and homes that are flexible enough to adapt to the needs of our ageing population.
The public want to see more good quality, family-sized homes being built. Research shows that four in ten people would be more likely to support new housing developments in their area if homes were


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Facebook competition winner!!!!
Our facebook winner has completed her examination and x-rays, scale and polish and in chair bleaching... We also included two complimentary fillings as two of her anterior composites were old and stained.... the results are awesome!! Check out the before and after photos under "Smile Gallery" on our website...Big thanks to Jessie and Holly for donating their time and to our amazing competition winner who was a pleasure to treat :)


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With the possible exception of Barack Obama's puppy-anticipating daughters, no one is more eagerly awaiting the incoming Administration than the leaders of the renewable-energy industries. President-elect Obama campaigned on the promise to spend $150 billion over the next 10 years to support alternative energy, like wind and solar, as well as the green jobs that the sector has the potential to create. At California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's climate summit on Nov. 18, Obama, in taped remarks, reaffirmed that he would hold fast to those campaign promises, starting with mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. "This is a crucial step forward," says Linda Church Ciocci, the executive director of the National Hydropower Association.
The problem is, it won't be enough. As ambitious as Obama's campaign promises were at least compared to his predecessor's the future state of global energy will demand government policies with a much longer reach, according to alternative-energy leaders. The International Energy Agency's (IEA) annual World Energy Outlook, released Nov. 12, projects that global energy demand will increase by 45% between 2006 and 2030 and that $26 trillion in power-supply investments will be necessary simply to meet those needs. Barring radical changes in our energy policy beyond what Obama has pledged greenhouse gas emissions will rise 45% by 2030, and extreme global warming would be virtually unavoidable.See TIME's special report on the environment.
The risks of unabated climate change are frightening: A detailed new study from the University of California, Berkeley, predicts that severe warming could cost California alone up to $50 billion annually, due chiefly to weather damage. "We have to have the foresight to avoid this crash," says David Roland-Holst, a professor of economics at Berkeley and the author of the report. The question is: Do Obama and other world leaders possess that foresight?
In a press conference last week the leaders of the solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower industries called on Obama and the incoming Congress to look ahead. First, energy leaders asked Obama to immediately adjust the alternative-energy production credit to provide green investors with a cash rebate, rather than a tax reduction. With the economy tanking, simple tax credits which Congress renewed in October and without which the renewable-energy industry would not survive aren't the lure they once were for companies looking to invest in new energy projects.
Other items on the renewables industry's wish list: a national renewable-energy portfolio standard, which would require a certain percentage of U.S. electricity to come from alternative sources. (More than 20 states already have similar standards, but a national one would be tricky, given that utility regulation in the U.S. is localized.) Green energy leaders would also like to see an executive order that would greatly expand the federal government's procurement of renewable energy a smart idea, easily doable plus a major initiative to update and smarten the nation's aging, overworked electrical grid. That last item is a necessity, if the country has any hope of scaling up alternatives. A report published Nov. 10 by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation found that without drastic investment in a better grid, scaling up intermittent renewables like wind and solar could lead to frequent blackouts. And there's no better way to turn people off of renewable energy than to periodically plunge them into TV-less darkness.
"[The grid] is the single largest long-term issue facing wind and other renewables," says Randall Swisher, the executive director of the American Wind Energy Association. "We can't solve the climate challenge without the green electricity superhighways that we are calling for."
Indeed, pumping money into the renewable-energy sector while neglecting the antique electrical grid is like building a fleet of cars without laying down roads, but it's far from clear that the government is ready for that kind of investment. In any case, the grid is just one in a very long line of energy priorities that will need to be addressed over the coming decades, as the IEA's report makes clear. Take oil consumption, which the IEA predicts will rise from 86 million barrels a day to 106 million barrels by 2030 (one of the main reasons why the days of triple-digit oil prices will return soon enough). Production at many top oilfields is declining slowly, but that drop-off will accelerate over time. Just to make up for that decline, we'll need to add 45 million barrels a day of capacity by 2030 roughly four times the current capacity of Saudi Arabia.
That's going to cost roughly $1 trillion a year for all energy investments. And if we want to increase the share of renewables and control the growth of greenhouse gas emissions we'll need to spend an additional $9.3 trillion, if we're aiming to stay below the 2 degree C warming max recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Of course, an increasing number of scientists argue that we need to avoid even that level of warming.) "We would need concerted action from all major emitters," said Nabuo Tanaka, the head of the IEA.
Environmentalists point out that many actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions like improving energy efficiency can pay for themselves with long-term savings. But the sheer size of the figures involved point to the need for intelligent policymaking now, before we install hundreds of new coal power plants or begin ripping up the Rocky Mountains for oil shale.
That's why renewables-industry leaders say Obama's first priority has to be energy. If we get this wrong now, we'll put ourselves in an enormous hole and the consequences, as the Berkeley study makes clear, are pretty scary themselves. "It's like guiding a supertanker to avoid a distant collision," says Roland-Holst. It's time for all hands on deck.


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Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ
article courtesy of Leslie Borasi, photos courtesy of Judy Pinney of Trinity, Folsom
Trinity Episcopal Church, Folsom's popular Trinity Thrift Shop debuts a new, remodeled look in 2012. More than 1,000 volunteer hours were contributed in the past month to refurbish and refresh the interior of the charming Victorian that has housed racks of nearly-new and gently-used clothing and household items since 1963.
Demolition, painting, installing sheetrock and flooring were just a few of the activities that volunteers carried out to give a new look to this shop as it nears its 50th-anniversary year at its Old Folsom location. All of the building supplies needed throughout the remodel, including the purchase and installation of new carpeting, were donated by generous parishioners.
Serving the community by offering quality clothing and goods at bargain prices, the shop radiates a boutique atmosphere. After hosting a year-end clearance mega sale, the shop has been restocked with fresh merchandise, still offered at bargain prices. An already popular addition includes a rack of vintage clothing.
It's the all-volunteer staff that makes the extremely low prices possible for the high quality merchandise. More than 35 volunteers - several have been helping for 10, 15 and even 25 years - keep the shop open four days a week and one Sunday each month. The shop continues to serve a very broad customer base, including young families and many on fixed incomes.
"We are here to do good deeds for our community by providing great deals, whether it's clothing for babies, young children and teens, career wear or something for that special occasion," according to Sue Mack, who helps oversee the shop and its volunteer force.
The shop's success is also based on donations. The staff gladly accepts them any day the store is open. The shop's emphasis is on clothing and accessories and small household goods. It is not able to accept electronics, children's furniture or stuffed furniture. People are encouraged to call if they have any questions about donations.
A grand reopening celebration is underway this month, including a ribbon cutting. A special blessing by the Right Rev. Barry Beisner, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, is scheduled for Sunday, February 19.
Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am – 1pm, and the second Sunday of each month 9am – 1pm. The shop is located at 412 Wool St., Folsom, CA 95630 (view map). For more information, call the shop: (916) 985-3870.
To learn more about Trinity, Folsom, visit www.trinityfolsom.org.
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In General News | Tags: L-system, Lindenmayer system, WACM, Workshop on Algorithmic Computer Music
- Played around extensively with neural network/genetic algorithm combination
- Developed test for GA convergence
- Decided that the genetic algorithm was NOT converging with neural net fitness functions...abandoned the whole darn project and got a new idea
- Finished L-system engine
Well, my new direction is a much simpler one. Basically, I'm going to try to use L-systems for percussive pattern generation. In other words, an L-system drummer.


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To report a power outage, please call 866-374-1234 or text OUTAGE to 352667 (please note that your cell phone number must be saved under the mobile field in your member profile for YEC to associate your cell phone number with your account through texting).
To report a hazardous condition: 803-684-4248
York Electric's Member Services Department has been organized to provide our member-owners with fast and friendly assistance in a wide range of areas. These include establishing new service, making changes to existing service and getting answers to questions about billing or any of the programs we offer. Each member services representative has been extensively cross-trained in all of our departments. There are 17 representatives available — 14 at our main office and 2 at our branch office in Fort Mill.
If you would like to speak with someone in our Member Services Department about the services we offer, please drop by or call 803-684-4248 or email.
When calling to request service of any kind, other than an initial connect, it is not just helpful, but more efficient, to have pertinent information on hand, ready to supply to member services representatives who will take your call. Such information includes:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Social Security number
- Account number
Having this type of information ready BEFORE calling will help ensure your call is processed quickly and correctly.
Main Office
York Electric Cooperative, Inc.
1385 East Alexander Love Highway
P.O. Box 150
York, SC 29745
Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fort Mill Branch Office
York Electric Cooperative, Inc.
2089 Highway 21 By-pass
Fort Mill, SC 29715
Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Fact Act Legislation requires the account holder to provide identification prior to YEC employees conveying any account holder information either by phone or in person. Please help us better serve you by having your account number, and any other necessary documentation for identification purposes, with you when you inquire about your account. This is just another way YEC is looking out for you.


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Bobby Brown has tied the knot with his longtime manager.
The 43-year-old R&B singer married fiancé Alicia Etheredge Monday in Honolulu, surrounded by family and friends, People reported.
An Instagram photo Brown's son Bobby Jr. posted showed the singer dressed in a red suit jacket and pants and white sneakers. Etheredge donned a strapless wedding gown.
U.S. & World
Bobbi Kristina, Brown's daughter with the late Whitney Houston was reportedly not in attendance. A source told People that the pair was not on good terms lately.
Brown's other kids who attended the wedding included Landon, 23, La'Princia, 22, and Bobby Jr., 19. Brown's only child with Etheredge, 3-year-old Cassius, was also there for the big day.
The wedding came within hours of Brown's performance with New Edition in Hawaii where he told fans he planned to get hitched while on the island.
The "My Prerogative" star popped the question to Etheredge on stage back in May 2010 after three years of dating, according to People.
Brown and Houston divorced in 2007 after a tumultuous 15 years.


text: Kim Kardashian defends her ass Kim Kardashian is sick and tired of defending her ass-ets, so she's decided to put all the controversy to an end. The reality star is constantly questioned as to whether her rear end is the real deal or fake, fake, fake. So what's the only logical thing left to do? Get a butt X-ray of course! Yesterday, Khloe Kardashian Odom tweeted a picture of Kim next to her X-ray after a doctor's visit saying, "Kim got a butt X-Ray...See, it's REAL!!! LOL." See for yourself..... source 2:50:00 AM Minza Labels: celebrity Kim Kardashian Share to: Twitter Facebook URL Print Email


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What is a photograph? This is the (admittedly unoriginal) question Akram Zaatari poses in this excellent exhibition packed across two gallery spaces.
The first venue is largely given over as a screening room for the artist's 42-minute film, On Photography People and Modern Times (2010). Formed of two synchronised projections, showing a desk in what the press release reveals to be the Arab Image Foundation, a nonprofit research institution that Zaatari formed along with fellow artist Walid Raad and photographers Fouad Elkoury and Samer Mohdad in 1997, from bird's-eye and front-on views respectively. The desk is occupied by a digicam and monitor (the screen of the monitor invisible from one perspective, the screen of the digicam similarly obscured from the other), which each display video interviews, recorded by Zaatari between 1998 and 2000, with various retired studio photographers (or their relatives) from across the Middle East.
We see his subjects leaf through their old photographic work, which in most cases seems to date back to the 1970s. Their reminiscing is largely anecdotal. Teased out via the dialogue, however, are differing meditations on the nature and affect of a photograph.
One interviewee posits the photograph as a means of capturing the present, "like a reflection in the pool", he says in thickly accented English. In another conversation, the daughter of a deceased photographer recalls all the props and costumes kept at her father's studio for customers to dress up in, foregrounding the photograph as fiction; conversely, a third subject looks wistfully at an old photo of friends and family and notes that "very old memories" are being reconstructed by the image.
A convivial chap remembers the occasions when one of his customers branded the portrait he had taken of them a "lie" because the camera had not captured the subject's personal (mis)perception of their appearance. "It simply captures what one is like; it acts as a mirror," the photographer remembers explaining to the angry sitter.
If On Photography People and Modern Times poses questions, then something of an answer is provided by a selection of works presented in the gallery's second space – among them an installation of short Super-8 films, HD videoworks projected onto the walls or displayed on Kindles and iPads, black-and-white portrait photographs developed from archive negatives (smiling wedding photographs, grinning boys larking about with a cardboard cutout of a glamorous Western starlet, demure young ladies) and new still-life colour photography shot by Zaatari himself, either wall-mounted or displayed in archive drawers.
All of these works in some way document vintage imagemaking equipment or portray an old photography studio. While further reading reveals the subject of this work to be Studio Sheherazade, a photography business belonging to Hashem al-Madani, a Lebanese portraitist who worked in the city of Saida from the early 1950s (and in whom Zaatari has had a longstanding interest), nowhere in the actual exhibition is this fact revealed. Instead the viewer is left to treat these documents as mysterious archaeological artefacts, around which we are free to weave our own historical narrative. When coupled with the knowledge of the turbulent, traumatic chapter of Lebanese history that unfolded concurrent to this studio business's period of operation, the idea that an image can form the basis of unreliable, or indeed fictive, memory, is a politically poignant one.
This article was originally published in the March 2014 issue.


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It's been almost a year since Google first mentioned Hangouts Chat -- a totally redesigned messaging service that's more like Slack than the Hangouts most consumers know today. As of now, Hangouts Chat is out of its "early adopter" program and will be available to all G Suite users over the next week, assuming their company enables it, of course.
To be clear, Hangouts Chat is a totally separate and distinct service from Hangouts proper, which still lives in your Google mail inbox. And while we'll forgive you for rolling your eyes at yet another chat service from Google (the number of different chat apps the company has built is legendary at this point), Hangouts Chat does offer something potentially valuable to companies using G Suite -- assuming they're not on Slack already.


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While Congress tries to head off a "fiscal cliff" tax hike, a so-called "milk cliff" could double the price you pay for milk after the House refused to vote on a Senate-passed farm bill.
Purdue animal sciences professor Mike Schutz says going over that cliff would double milk prices and cause the U.S. to lose a chunk of its share in the milk market.
"That price would be so far above the world price for milk that other countries would have the opportunity to replace US milk in export markets, and exports account for somewhere around 10 to 15 percent of the milk produced in the US," Schutz says.
If a new farm bill does not pass by Jan. 13, federal price supports revert to a "parity pricing" system created in the Truman Administration, a system which incorporates inflation and production costs into federal price supports.
Schutz says milk prices have risen on their own to roughly double the price floor set by the government. But if there's no farm bill, reinstating the 1949 pricing formula, with 63 years' worth of inflation, would quadruple that price floor, forcing supermarket prices to rise to meet it.
Schutz says many dairy producers have wanted higher prices to keep pace with rising feed costs. But he says the milk cliff would drive prices so high that sales would drop.


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Are you ready for Halloween? We decided to ditch the Pac-man idea Judah had a few months ago, because he changed his mind for some reason and now wants to be a Power Ranger. BUT… we went through a few other of his ideas, first. Let me tell you the story, while you also take a look at our Halloween costumes from past years…
A few weeks ago I bought Judah a cheap ninja costume from Dollar Tree just for play around the house. He loved it so much that he kept saying he wanted to be that for Halloween now. Then the other day he mentioned he wanted to be a police man again (one of his costumes from last year) and in the same breath he mentioned Super Man (another costume from last year). This week, it's all about Stink Bomb (a Skylander).
So, yesterday, we were at Walmart to pick out a couple of birthday presents for parties this weekend and we saw the Stink Bomb costume. Of course, they didn't have his size. So I looked on their website where the size was also not available. After checking Target.com, I found it in his size ON CLEARANCE (woop!) for just $12.00! BUT… the fastest/only delivery option was for Wednesday or Thursday (free with my RED debit card). His school party is on Thursday and we have a couple of costume parties this weekend and week.
I ordered the Stink Bomb costume, but after we left Walmart we headed to Target just to see if they possibly had his size at the store so not having to wait for shipping. They did! Well, at least we thought so. The packaging was for Stink Bomb in size 4/6, but when we opened it up, it was a totally different character (Night Shift) inside! And, it was broken. 🙁 I'm so glad I opened it in the store before purchasing it!
While at Target, Judah saw the red Power Ranger costume and was super excited about it. I let him get it since it was just $20.00 and I know he will play dress up with it through out the year. So, for our Halloween parties, he'll be the red Power Ranger, and for actual Halloween, I'm guessing he'll be Stink Bomb. Unless he changes his mind again… but he's only allowed to change it to something we already own! No more buying costumes! (And, I'm totally not a crafty DIY'er when it comes to costumes.)
Ben and I haven't dressed up for Halloween in a long time. Actually, I think we've only been in costume together once, and it was a few years ago in California. We were HUGE fans of the TV Show "Chuck". Ben was the character Morgan from the show and I was his girlfriend, Anna. We threw these costumes together at last minute… kinda lame! haha! I think this was the year 2010.
Are you dressing up for Halloween? Tell me about your costumes!
Let's talk about a few of my favorite things lately…
Dessert Mash-Ups – Do you love cinnamon rolls and cookies? How about Cinnamon Roll Cookies? Maybe you prefer a brownie and cookie…"brookies"! What happens when a scone marries a donut? You have a sconut! These are just a few of the dessert mashups represented in Dorothy Kern's (Crazy for Crust) newly released cookbook. A fun book to flip through, you can find many creative ideas and even get inspired to mash up your own favorite desserts!
My Yellow Balloon – This children's book is precious. The story is about a boy who learns to deal with loss through his favorite balloon. I won't ruin it for you, but this book is very touching and is a creative way to prepare little hearts for a time of grief before they even experience it. It's an opportunity to talk to your kids about tragedy, big and small. I also love the illustrations that really make the book come to life!
The Lemon Bowl – If you read more food blogs than just mine, then chances are you have come across or are an avid reader of The Lemon Bowl. Liz, the author of The Lemon Bowl and my good friend, is one of the most positive and friendly people I know. Not only is she beautiful, she is tough, smart, a great mom and the best cheerleader ever. Always ready with encouraging words, I am extremely thankful for having this lovely lady in my life. If you are one of those few people who do not yet know about her, then please go on over and visit her blog! She publishes healthy recipes that are very do-able in your home kitchen! She's even maintained a 60+ lb. weight loss! Such an amazing lady!
Have a great weekend!