text:
In 2012, the United States Women's National Team beat Japan to take the Gold Medal in Women's Soccer at the London Summer Olympics. Redemption for losing the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup to Japan? Perhaps a small measure of redemption. But this is the one, the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, that the Americans needed … Continue reading
Tagged with Kelley O'Hara …
Carli Lloyd Leads United States Women's National Team Into 2015 Women's World Cup Final With 2-0 Victory Over Germany
Like millions of others, I've watched the United States Women's National Team play three group stage matches along with knockout stage matches against Colombia and China at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. I didn't recognize the team that took to the pitch against Germany. And that's a very good thing. Facing their greatest challenge … Continue reading
Team USA Moves On To Face Team Japan In 2012 London Olympics Women's Soccer Final
I don't at all try to hide my fandom of the United States Women's National Soccer Team, especially Hope Solo and Alex Morgan, and it was a thrilling win over Canada in the semifinals of the 2012 London Olympics. The win was reminiscent of the victory over Brazil in the 2011 Women's World Cup. Of … Continue reading
USA Soccer Women's National Team Returns Home, Hits The Talk Show Circuit
I am loving all the love being shown to the United States Soccer Women's National Team upon their arrival after a silver medal finish at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. They first went to Good Morning America. Hope Solo and Abby Wambach visited David Letterman. It is so good to see the team embraced. … Continue reading


text:
Everyone's Taking Ice Bucket Challenge For People Like Him, But What He Does Here Enough To Inspire Millions!

My dad, David Kurt McClain, has had ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for over 12 years! Despite being completely immobilized by this disease, David has maintained a positive attitude because of his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He continues to encourage and inspire hundreds and thousands of people each and every day!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Career Center
Job Seekers, Welcome to CVMUFL Career Center
The job you tried to view is no longer active.
See similar jobs below or perform a new job search.
See similar jobs below or perform a new job search.
Sort By
3,042 'associate OR veterinarian OR STATECODE:"AL"' Jobs
West Palm Beach, Florida
VetNetAmerica Employment Services
2 Weeks Ago
Charleston, South Carolina
Patrick Veterinary Clinic
2 Days Ago
Thornton, Colorado
Caring Hands Veterinary Hospital PC
1 Month Ago
New Market, Maryland
Linganore Veterinary Clinic
2 Weeks Ago
Warwick, Rhode Island
Callanan Veterinary Group (CVG)
2 Months Ago
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Twin Pines Animal Clinic
2 Months Ago
Chandler, Arizona
Ocotillo Animal Clinic and Pet Resort
3 Weeks Ago
Chicago, Illinois
Roscoe Village Animal Hospital
2 Months Ago
Powered By


text:
Defense Motion to Dismiss Securities Fraud Class Action Granted because Defendants had no Duty to Disclose Merger Discussions Prior before Definitive Merger Agreement Reached and because Anonymous Source Insufficient to Satisfy Heightened Pleading Requirements of PSLRA (Private Securities Litigation Reform Act) New York Federal Court Holds
Plaintiffs filed a class action against Bioenvision and certain officers and directors, and Perseus-Soros Biopharmaceutical Fund (Bioenvision's largest pre-merger shareholder) alleging violations of federal securities laws; the class action complaint alleged violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against Perseus-Soros under section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and against the individual defendants and Perseus-Soros under section 20(a). Vladimir v. Bioenvision Inc., ___ F.Supp.2d ___, 2009 WL 857552, *1 (S.D.N.Y. March 31, 2009). According to the allegations underlying the class action, "defendants artificially deflated the value of Bioenvision's stock by issuing and by failing to correct or update statements that contained material misrepresentations and omissions as to Bioenvision's plan to enter into a merger with Genzyme." Id. Defense attorneys moved to dismiss the class action on the grounds that the allegations in the class action complaint failed to meet the heightened pleading requirements of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). Id. Defendants further argued that "they had no duty to disclose the merger discussions until May 29, 2007, the date when the merger was announced publicly." Id. Plaintiffs countered that defendants' failure to disclose the plan to sell Bioenvision to Genzyme had the practical effect of artificially suppressing Bioenvision's stock price, causing damage to plaintiffs because they sold their stock before the merger was officially announced (at which time the stock price skyrocketed). Id., at 4. Essentially, the "false and misleading" statements consisted of disclosing that its "primary focus" was the development of cancer treatments when its real focus was to find a merger partner. Id., at *5. The district court granted the defense motion and dismissed the class action complaint.
Cutting to the heart of the federal court's analysis, the district court held that under Second Circuit authority "'a corporation is not required to disclose a fact merely because a reasonable investor would very much like to know that fact.'" Vladimir, at *7 (citation omitted). Put simply, "[t]here is no specific duty to disclose merger negotiations under SEC rules until they become definitive agreements." Id. (citations omitted). And since there was no duty to disclose, defendants' silence could not be deemed misleading. Id. (citation omitted). Plaintiffs argued that the parties had reached a "definitive agreement" to merge in January 2007, thus creating the duty to disclose. Id. But as this allegation was supported only by an anonymous source, it failed to satisfy the PSLRA's heightened pleading requirements. Id., at *7-*8. Further, as the federal court observed, "Under plaintiffs' proposed rule, any public company that publicly described its core business or strategy – which is to say, every public company – would be required to disclose potential or actual merger negotiations. Statements that do not raise the subject of mergers, even tangentially, cannot impose a duty to disclose all material information concerning merger discussions." Id., at *10. The district court ultimately concluded that the allegations in the class action complaint did not plead fraud with particularity as required by Rule 9(b), and in any event do not support a duty to disclose. Id., at *12. Accordingly, the court granted the motion to dismiss by the Bioenvision defendants. Id., at *13.
With respect to the class action claims against Perseus-Soros, the district court noted that a private right of action does not exist under Section 13(d), but that a violation of that statute can be the predicate for a Rule 10b-5 claim. Vladimir, at *13. The court again found that plaintiffs' claims "improperly rely upon an anonymous source for the key allegation that an undefined secret agreement was formed between Perseus-Soros and Bioenvision." Id., at *14. Moreover, "plaintiffs have alleged little more than that individuals on the Bioenvision board who may have been controlled by Perseus-Soros encouraged the other directors to take a step that could lead to a merger with Genzyme." Id., at *17. And as to the Section 20(a) claims, plaintiffs' failure to adequately allege any other violation of the Exchange Act meant that the class action could not state a claim for control person liability. See Vladimir, at *19. Accordingly, the district court granted the defense motion to dismiss the class action complaint, but did so without prejudice. Id.
Download PDF file of Vladimir v. Bioenvision
Comments are closed.


text:
It's hard to believe that we had 50 degree temps a week ago. This morning we woke up to -8. With blizzards blowing off Lake Ontario this last week, we hunker down and take care of business. Winter is the time to take care machinery, build tools and stancions for the coming season, and make plans for the coming year.
When we look out, the snow swirls about us in great waves of white. Conditions were so severe that at times the animal barn would appear and disappear behind the snow. One walks cautiously beside the buildings this time of year. Well aware that a load of snow could easily break and come sliding down, burying the unware passerby.
As suddenly as it came, the storms passed leaving 14, 16, 20, 24 inches of snow behind in its wake. We gradually clear paths with snowblowers and plows, pausing occasionally to breathe in the frosty air while wondering at the new world before us.
Deer and other wildlife now venture at twilight, pawing at the snow, hoping to find a bit of green grass hidden there. Mice and voles burrow underneath, creating grass lined highways leading from nest to cache to water to other hiding places. Those that come to the surface are soon discovered by Sparrow hawks and Owls.
The orchard and the garden sleep, as we wait for winter to pass.
Something lovely to listen while watching the snow: A Season of Silence (Winter Music) by Jesse John Wilson Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5duFGwjE9Fs


text:
We have been very fortunate to travel to many beautiful places. Look at this photo and see if you can guess where we were when we experienced this breathtaking view.
Hello Lovelies,
Our boys were 6 and 7 years old when they first visited Costa Rica. Before our departure we made the decision to gift them their own cameras. We bought them each their own digital waterproof cameras. Waterproof for obvious reasons – they are boys and they were 6 and 7…did I mention they are boys? Right, I did. Good, moving on.
We labeled each camera with their name and encouraged them to take photos of everything and anything they pleased. Unbeknownst to us, we were about to return home with some of the most wonderful memorabilia of our vacation.
Join me as I reminisce.
These types of photos have become some of my favorites.
Their ability to see past the obstructions made it possible for them to truly capture the essence of the city.
These photos enabled us to recall the sites just as if we were driving down the streets once again, we were able to remember the stores we passed, the types of vehicles that were driven and how uninhibited the drivers were. Which is a polite way to say, they interpret their traffic laws more as suggestions rather than defined rules and they pretty much lack any semblance of order on the roadways. But HEY, that's what makes it thrilling to drive around Costa Rica, in a weird take your life into your own hands kind of way.
All of these intricacies are what comprise some of our most fond and funny memories. These details are what make each country unique. Details that are not always photographed by those of us who are older, but our little boys with their uninhibited spirits captured them expertly.
Don't just take my word for it – Give your kids a camera and see for yourself.
People taking pictures of people taking pictures ~ or in this case brother taking picture of brother taking picture.
I just adore this photo. It will always remind me how small their little hands were on this trip.
They're growing up so fast – excuse my while I go sniff their baby blankets and cry…
This reminds me of a sign we saw on our way into the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, most probably because it is the sign we saw on our way into the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. Coincidence, I think not. Wait…What?
Our first morning in Costa Rica we were greeted with this view.
At this point I remember wanting to cancel our flight back home, sell everything we owned and move immediately.
FYI – We didn't cancel our flight home, we still have everything and a whole lot more and we've never moved. But we do have this photo. So, obviously it's a win, win.
When I look at his photo I think I should have brushed my hair and that my husband is a very safe driver.
It's funny how you can travel to another country, yet years later when you are enjoying the photos you are most captivated by your children and how fast they've grown up.
Their little ears, their tiny features – good grief I'm off to sob in the corner again.
The Costa Rican countryside whisked by right in front of their beautiful little boy eyes. What a gift these memories will be for them.
If your goal is to take photos of animals, give a child a camera. They can find animals anywhere!!
I literally could be standing with a snake under my feet and a monkey on my head and I'd miss them both.
But hey, that's what I have my boys for ~ they're mini ninja animal locators.
Daddy…handsome, amazing, brilliant, mmmmm…what were we talking about ~ I've lost my train of thought!
Pardon me ~ That often happens when I'm wooing over my sweetheart.
Upon inspection, you will notice neither one of the boys took this photo.
Upon further inspection and by process of elimination…you probably concluded it was me..if so you're right!
I wanted to show you the fanny packs our boys use when we travel. Upon a variety of other things this is where they store their camera for easy access.
In truth, I just wanted another opportunity to look at my handsome hubby and cute kids…what can I say, I am clever like that.
Here's a photo that represents what great parents we are…
Sure kids, go climb on the jagged rocks in a foreign country with no medical care close by. Have fun!
Before you lay judgement, please note this was clearly solid parenting and well worth the safety risk as we were able to bring home this glorious photo of a dead crab.
Until Next Time…Give your kids a camera and see the world through their eyes. You won't regret it!
~Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience. Francis Bacon
Be blessed, stay blessed and remember if you don't laugh at yourself someone will do it for you.
Love, L


text:
The Nasty Boys are not affiliated with any professional or collegiate sports organization, including, but not limited, to the MLB, NBA, NCAA, or NFL. All opinions are that of the writer and may not be the opinions of The Nasty Boys as a whole or of any of the listed organizations.
All images used are done so strictly for non-profit purposes and are found courtesy of Google Image Search and are hosted locally. If the original owner of any images found on this site does not feel properly credited or would like the image removed, please leave a comment on the corresponding post and we will happily negoatiate an alternate agreement or remove the image completely.
In addition, all images used on or after June 13, 2008 and are not an original production of a team member of this site will still be hosted locally but will now also be linked to the original image found using Google Image Search. This is part of a continual effort to credit all sources as much as possible.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.


text:
Scarf - Vintage?? // Dress - Primark
Jacket - Topshop // Watch - Michael Kors
Bag - Zara // Boots - Topshop
Hello Lovies,
So I frickin' love this scarf! It was my nan's, but I've kind of permanently borrowed it from her... (with consent of course ;) ) It really adds a bit of colour to an otherwise plain outfit.
I wore this outfit last week when I was out and about with my mumma and like a total idiot I forgot it was summertime in England and left my brolly at home and ended up having to use my scarf to cover my hair as I ran back to the car. Such a 'mare!
Have any of you been caught out by the rain yet? Will it ever stop?
Love Keeks xo


text:
The company has booked 39,514 rooms in 40 hotels and 409 tourist guides
Dubai: In what is considered to be one of the biggest vacations organised by a company for its staff in history, a Chinese company will transport more than 16,000 of its employees on a 10-day trip to the UAE, CNN Arabic news channel reported.
The company will begin transferring its staff in seven batches, starting from Sunday until April 17. The company's offices represented in the trip are from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the news channel reported.
Each batch will include at least 2,000 people. They will be brought in on 77 flights, including two chartered trips organised by Emirates. The cost according to UAE and Chinese media will be "hundreds of millions of dollars," CNN Arabic said.
The company has booked 39,514 rooms in 40 hotels and 409 tourist guides. According to officials the company also booked the "Ferrari World" nightclub for three days, and dinner parties on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for 8,000 people.
The company Nu Skin, specialising in beauty products, said it wants to reward its employees, especially sales staff for their performance by sponsoring their visit to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.


text:
Last night was fun. Alin and I went out to a few bars in my neighborhood where we decided to have a drink in each place and keep going. Unfortunately, we didn't make it too far. Alin's friend, who was supposed to meet up with us, finally caught us and dragged us back to a place we'd been.
By that point, both Alin and I were about 4 drinks in and were adequately smashed. Alin's friend ended up buying us a round of drinks, which I might add was awfully nice of her. That was that, shortly after, Alin and I decided that it might be best if we headed back home because staying out meant more drinking, which was probably not a good idea.
On our way back home, we stopped into Milano's Pizzeria, which is always a delight. We each grabbed a slice of mushroom and cheese and ran home to enjoy our treat in private. Soon after, we fell asleep.
In the morning, we made our way to Ocean Beach for a light jog. It was beautiful and the dog owners were out in full force. There were dozens and dozens of poochies for Sophie to play with. She ran up and down the shore, occasionally making a b-line into the water. As we were leaving, she decided to get distracted with another pooch and ran way far up the coast, so far that she lost track of us. By the time we had caught up with her, she was making her way up onto the street looking for us.
Fortunately, we caught her before she got even remotely close to traffic.
Unfortunately, I don't remember what happened the rest of this day. It's as though I just blacked out, or maybe I didn't publish this for a long time and I've since forgotten the truth ;)


text:
In my last blog post, we explored the types of smells associated with the seashore. However, there is one other important aromatic found, very occasionally, on the beach – ambergris. The name translates as 'grey amber' which gives a clue to its appearance. Ambergris can be found washed up on the shores of New Zealand, Australia and the Indian Ocean, and it has long held an important place in perfumery, as a medicine, aphrodisiac and incense. Originally it was thought to be bird excrement, or congealed gum or bitumen, or even a Continue reading
Tag Archives: Paris
Scent-Enabled Movie: Poll Results Are Out!
This poll was a popular one with lots of votes for Pirates of the Caribbean. Also, a wild card that was often voted in the "other" category was Pixar's Ratatouille. Although we did not consider Ratatouille when creating the poll, I love the idea of scent-enabling this film! I would love to smell the Parisian kitchen and explore it with Remy! The cheeses! The sauces! The spices!
Scent and Movies: The Next Dimension of Entertainment
Eadweard Muybridge & his "flying horse", Black & White films, piano as soundtrack, the introduction of written & spoken dialogues, colors, motion seats until the introduction of 3D, film technology kept evolving and improving. But what's missing?
…What if you could watch Avatar and smell the wild forest? Or maybe The Notebook, and being able to smell Ryan Gosling under the rain? (Sorry, I had to say that). Well, this Continue reading


text:
'Les Perles du Val de Seine' –
a fun app to help you discover our heritage and history!
Chateaux, churches , museums, abbeys….the Caux-Seine Valley Region has so many places full of history, so many "pearls" made by man over time.
Starting on the banks of the Seine at Heurteauville, follow a fun and enjoyable circuit that visits 10 of the best sites in this lovely corner of Normandy.
A route to suit everyone:
•If your with friends and family, you can take the time to appreciate the places and all their charms! You can complete the circuit in several goes, or go back to a place that you particularly enjoyed… there's no time limit on the game.
•Treasure hunt enthusiasts can split into teams, go from place to place, answer the questions, complete the challenges and WIN!
The game is free and can be played without paying entrance fees at any of the sites. We advise you however to check the opening times of the various sites and to download the circuit before starting.
The application, developed by Furet Company, is available to downlad on Google Play or App Store via the application "Piste et Trésor".
If you have any problems downlading the application, don't hesite to contact us at: email@example.com


text:
Pazazz Printing has filed a Notice of Intention to restructure the company under Canada's Companies Creditors Arrangement Act. President Warren Werbitt says, "Pazazz file a Notice of Intention to preserve and maximize the value of the business."
WhatTheyThink spoke with Warren this afternoon and he was upbeat and is making moves to to get the business back on track after taking chances to grow the business in tough economic conditions. He is working with his suppliers and is forming a strategic alliance with financial backers from outside the industry.
"Moving forward, I have every intention of maintaining the same level of integrity and respect that I have had for this industry over the past 18 years." says Werbitt
Pazazz made large capital investments within the last year which included a KBA 56" UV 6-colour press and a Xerox iGen4 digital press.
Werbitt's gained industry notoriety when his fanatical love of print was captured in a viral video the company posted on YouTube.
Statement from Warren Werbitt
I am writing this letter to set the record straight and to correct rumours that have been circulating recently. As the Founder and CEO of Pazazz I want to personally reach out to you during this important time in my company's history.
On Monday March 1, 2010 Pazazz file a Notice of Intention ("NOI") to preserve and maximize the value of the business. However, in the next weeks we will be making a proposal and restructuring the company.
Pazazz will continue to be a productive, efficient and capable print solution provider. We remain confident in our strategic decision to acquire the KBA 56" UV 6-colour press as well as the iGen4 digital press. Those acquisitions have enabled us to provide our clients with unique applications such as printing UV on plastic, flute and board up to 48 points that no one else in Eastern Canada is capable of doing. As usual, our presses are running continuously, our services continue to advance and our employees continue to be trained. As always, our goal is to provide you - our clients with superior print products and services. Our commitment to our employees, clients and suppliers remains strong.
On Tuesday March 2, 2010 I spoke with every Pazazz employee face to face to proactively explain the current situation. Everyone had the opportunity to process the information and ask questions. Employee response was sincere; they respected my honesty and were very supportive.
On Wednesday March 3, 2010 I began to call our suppliers and advise them of the circumstances. My goal was to personally talk to each one before they received a letter. We are loyal and will continue to be loyal to our suppliers. We have been dealing with the same suppliers for several years and have witnessed outstanding cooperation and moral support.
On Thursday March 4, 2010 I started to call our clients and advise them of the current situation, they too have offered a strong vote of confidence and are willing to stand by Pazazz.
Going forward I have brought together a couple of strategic partners to help advance Pazazz in the future. We have introduced many exciting innovations and we are confident that we can continue to serve your needs in a most meaningful manner.
In the last week I have learned that after 18 years of being an entrepreneur, my consistent effort to be honest, respectful and loyal to others has paid off. It is true that what goes around comes around.
I firmly believe that with the encouragement and cooperation of our dedicated team, loyal clients and committed suppliers Pazazz will be better and stronger.
I am available to everyone at anytime if you want to speak to me. I hope that we can count on your continued support.
Yours Truly,
Warren Werbitt Founder and CEO


text:
Popcorn Palace wants to celebrate Easter with you, our fans and so we're giving away popcorn every day this week! All you need to do is "Like" us on Facebook and watch our wall. We'll be posting a new easter picture every day and you try to correctly identify the popcorn flavors in the picture (eg. Top Right = Lightly Salted). The first person to correctly ID each flavor will win it.
– No purchase necessary to enter.
– Contest runs from April 2 – April 6 2012.
– You may only enter once per day.
– You may only win ONCE during this contest
– Once notified, winner is responsible for responding with their postal addresses, email addresses and phone numbers (for our shipper).
– Postal addresses must be submitted within seven days of notification or another winner will be selected.
– Employees, interns, contractors and vendors, as well as their immediate families, of Popcorn Palace, its affiliates, and any representatives or agencies of Popcorn Palace or other persons professionally connected to the Contest are not eligible to participate.
– Judges' decisions are final.


text:
Cargo carriers concerned about tax hike
JUNEAU — Most attention focused on the state Legislature is on the big revenue bills: a state income tax, more changes in oil taxes and restructuring how Permanent Fund income is managed.
But there are serious issues bubbling just below the surface, and even legislators aren't aware of how they could adversely affect the state's economy.
Take air cargo, for example, which provides the majority of the revenues to Alaska's international airports in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
The state's proposed increase in jet fuel taxes, which are included in Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 60, would triple the state tax when it is fully implemented, from 3.2 cents to 9.6 cents per gallon, according to information air carriers have given legislators.
The bills are at an advanced stage in the Legislature, pending in both the House and Senate Finance committees.
When a 2.7 cent per gallon "fuel flowage fee" — a kind of tax — is added to the tax increase, the total cost of fueling up a big air cargo jet at Ted Stevens International would be 12.3 cents per gallon, including the tax and the fuel fee, air carriers told lawmakers.
That compares with a 2.4 cents per gallon jet fuel tax at Seattle-Tacoma, 3 cents per gallon tax in Portland and 2 cents per gallon tax in Vancouver, British Columbia, three west coast airports that are competitors with Anchorage for air cargo business. No fuel-flow fee is charged at those airports.
"This scale of a tax increase could tip the scale for these carriers, undermining the Anchorage advantage in air cargo. It could have devastating long-term results for our economy," said Bill Popp, president of Anchorage Economic Development Corp.
In the midst of Alaska's recession, the air cargo business, which is growing, is a bright spot. Cargo largely underpins the finances of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and the airport itself is a huge economic engine for the community, sustaining one in 10 jobs in Anchorage, Popp said.
Cargo operators like FedEx and United Parcel Service use Anchorage as a hub for those carriers' network of U.S.-Asia flights, and the locations of the hubs, despite Alaska's higher costs, are supported by the favorable economics of refueling.
This also underpins an extensive number of refueling stops by other U.S. and foreign air cargo carriers. Carriers can load their planes with more paying freight and stop in Anchorage to refuel and make more money compared with flying nonstop, for example from the continental U.S. to Asia.
Landing fees and other costs are already somewhat higher in Anchorage compared with Seattle and Portland and considerably higher than Vancouver.
The current jet fuel taxes are also higher in Alaska but close enough that the overall economics still support stopping in Alaska for refueling and operating hubs here, as UPS and Federal Express do.
However, Popp thinks the magnitude of the tax increase being considered in the Legislature might be enough to tip the balance and begin the erosion of the industry.
Carriers would be encouraged to consider other airports and eventually overfly with cargo as passenger jets now do.
At least one major cargo operator is already flying nonstop West Coast-Asia and U.S. Midwest to Asia, although that is linked to specialty cargos, for now.
Nick D'Andrea, United Parcel Service's public affairs vice president, said his company is sympathetic to Alaska's fiscal problem and even supports the motor fuel tax, which would affect UPS's extensive surface delivery system in the state for freight and parcels.
"We support the motor fuel tax because it's a user fee," with the revenues helping support road and highway maintenance, he said.
Other parts of the legislation, which also hikes general aviation fuel and marine fuel, are similarly "user fees" that will help support infrastructure.
"The jet fuel tax is different, D'Andrea said. "It is not a user fee," linked to support of major airports UPS and other freight operators use.
That's because the state's international airport system, which operate the Anchorage and Fairbanks airports, is already financially self-supported through landing fees and the fuel-flowage fee, which also helps support airport operations, D'Andrea said. The airlines own and operate their own fueling facilities.
Instead of supporting airports the major airlines use revenues from the jet fuel tax will go to help support airports outside of Anchorage and Fairbanks that the big cargo carriers mostly do not use and where landing fees are not charged, with maintenance funded through the state's general fund budget.
That cross-subsidy is seems unfair, D'Andrea said.
However, the more serious effect is that it will undercut the economics of the industry in Alaska. While fuel loaded on planes for international flights is now tax-exempt, D'Andrea said the tax increase on fuel for domestic flights can indirectly affect international flights.
The carriers' international flights that connect with domestic flights at the hubs in Anchorage would be tax-exempt on the international leg but would pay the higher tax on the domestic leg, D'Andrea said.
D'Andrea said a solution to the problem is to exempt jet fuel sales at the Anchorage and Fairbanks airports from the tax increase because the taxes are not user fees, unlike the other fuel taxes in the legislation.
Tim Bradner is co-publisher of Alaska Legislative Digest and a contributor to the Journal of Commerce. He can be reached at [email protected].


text:
Like many cold-averse, full-time RVers we're snowbirds.
During the past 12 years, we've only spent one winter in a northern climate. But since we were living onboard our RV the entire winter season, there was no need to put our systems into winter storage mode.
See also: How To RV In The Winter: Essential Tips For Surviving the Cold
We'll be staying North again this winter, but will be away from the RV for about two months while traveling by air. Rather than leaving the heat on, we're winterizing our plumbing to prevent pipes from bursting while we're gone.
There are two methods for winterizing an RV:
- pump pipes full of antifreeze (the RV type that's safe for potable water systems)
- or use compressed air to blow the water out
Rather than fill our drinking water system with any chemical – even a non-toxic one – we prefer to blow the lines out.
While it's common to use a typical air compressor for the job, an air compressor unit with a tank can blow oil or other debris into our fresh water lines.
Instead, we use a tankless compressor with an air filter which protects our drinking water system from contamination.
There are a lot of steps to follow, especially if you have additional options like an ice maker, washing machine or dishwasher.
We have all three, so we covered that and much more in our video below.
Try the RV LIFE Pro Bundle FREE for 7 days


text:
In the web industry, you mostly read about the benefits of leaving your job to freelance. But is it always the right choice? I had both successes and failures, as well as feast and famine as a freelancer. This is not career advice. This is my story, of how I left a job to pursue a dream and independence, and why I returned years later.
In late 2011, going freelance was the right choice for me. My boss and mentor had retired and I had gone as far as I could go with Ancestry from the Munich office. I did not want to leave Munich, so it was time to leave. I loved many of my colleagues. There were goodbye tears when the European team gathered at the 2011 company Christmas party in London.
Looking back, I would split my self-employment into 3 phases:
Freedom and Growth
While freelancing, I made an enormous shift and dived deeper into both frontend and backend development, eventually leaving design behind. I wouldn't be the experienced self-taught developer I am today if I didn't have that flexibility and time to learn while freelancing.
In the first year, I worked as a frontend contractor for InterNations. Their developers taught me git, which to this day I can only use on the command line (thank you Lars and Marc). Working 4 days a week let me spend time on startup ideas and organizing Refresh Munich events. After the UX Munich Conference, I felt as motivated as ever to go all or nothing into pursuing my goal of starting a company.
The Founder's Dream
I blew my entire savings twice trying to launch a company.
I chose Munich for its lifestyle but career-wise I was in the wrong city. Germany has always been playing catch-up with the UK and US. Berlin would be a better choice for me. Although I visit Berlin many times a year and like the city, it has never felt like home to me.
There are some good companies in Munich, more so today than in 2012. But I (arrogantly) thought I could do better. I took weeks and months off from freelancing to learn new technologies and work on a startup idea that never launched. Despite being active in the Munich web scene, I never found the right co-founder either. In 4 years, I blew my entire savings twice trying to launch a company.
I did some things right. I did some things wrong. I have some feelings of regret. But they never last long because I know I tried - itched scratched. Time to move on.
From Freelancing to Consulting
In my first few years of self-employment I worked as a one woman agency, offering services from design to full stack development. I worked more on websites than apps. As a solo freelancer I wasn't finding the more challenging projects I wanted.
At some point I stumbled on Amy Hoy's writings on bootstrapping products, doubleyourfreelancingrate.com and the success story of Nathan Barry and ConvertKit. Following those lines of thought, I switched to consulting by day and working on products in my spare time.
As a consultant I offered specialized services, for example frontend architecture solutions (esp. refactoring) with some drive-by design if budget and timelines allowed. In this way I got more interesting projects - and higher rates. This felt great and like the first step forward in my career in a long time.
I did some things right. I did some things wrong. I have some feelings of regret. But they never last long… Time to move on.
Then I took consulting further and tried to focus on E-Mail consulting and leverage my existing reputation. This paid off in many ways. More than ever, most clients and leads were coming to me directly because of my reputation and marketing efforts. I later learned, however, that referrals are much easier to convert into paying clients. I could have tried more, but this was not the root cause of my growing frustrations.
"Where does freedom end and loneliness begin?"
About a year ago, some negative thoughts started to creep up on me:
I've stopped learning.
Specialization resulted in better and higher paying work, but at the cost of personal growth?
What is my legacy? What have I built?
I pitched efficiency and fast results to clients. This saved them money and gave me more freedom. But I started to miss the feelings of success and relief after the launch of a project after months (or years) of work. I built and launched some small products. But still something was missing.
I was lonely.
Remember those tears after the company Christmas party? It took me many months to figure out why I wasn't happy inside despite my perceived success on the outside. Recently I came across a Fast Company article that captured my feelings perfectly:
"Lone-wolf contract work does benefit from a broad skill-set," [data-visualization designer Nicolette Hayes] conceded, "but it isn't necessarily the preferred work style of the comprehensivist." She pointed out that she thrives in "alone-together situations," which are certainly hard to produce outside of firm walls, no matter how cozy the coworking space.
— Why High-Skilled Freelancers Are Leaving Corporate Life Behind
As a one woman agency, I was the lone-wolf. I also worked from a shared office space. But my office-mates were not my colleagues. We were not a team. We were all self-employed, suffering our trials and tribulations alone.
Our industry idolizes the designers, developers, and writers who quit their jobs and travel the world while working from exotic beaches on laptops. We celebrate those who city hop and work from co-working spaces. I've traveled and met many people at conferences. Our community is supportive and I love it. But in the long term, it wasn't enough.
Serendipity and Corporate Life
I used to plan everything, which is why I am my own worst enemy. I had been looking for jobs on and off for months. I wasn't excited enough by any companies in Munich to leave the freedom of freelancing. Remote job applications at U.S. based companies I admire didn't pan out. When I realized I needed a team, I preemptively canceled my shared office space, forcing me to actively find the next step.
I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. Hello networking, office politics, and meetings galore.
One of my office mates did consulting for a large corporation headquartered in Munich - on paper, the opposite of the startup culture I was looking for. I went out of curiosity and to do a friend a favor. There is a lack of skilled and experienced workers in our industry. But damn, they wooed me aggressively unlike any startup had. So I said yes. Why not? It was a risk and departure. If I didn't like it, I would just quit.
And 6 weeks later, I'm happy, really happy, which has been a pleasant surprise. The transition and first weeks were tough. I was contracting up until my first day on the job, so I didn't have any break before diving into corporate life: I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. Hello networking, office politics, and meetings galore. But you know what? Once a startup reaches a certain size, you'll find these same traits - except maybe the wardrobe.
Team found
In my first week on the project, some executives and a team of journalists toured the office to get impressions of the startup "vibe" within the monolith corporation. The photographer snapped candid photos of me and two developers laughing behind a 5K iMac - the picturesque shot. But they didn't know we were laughing in defeat and desperation. Our services weren't talking to each other properly. And we had just exhausted all our ideas on what to adjust in nginx, docker, sockets, etc.
But we were laughing because we were tackling the challenge together - as a team.


text:
I know it's only October, but I've been feeling the end of the year rushing towards me like a high tide: inevitable and quickening. This is being exacerbated by Sarah and my current obsession with next year's t&a calendar. (Which will be on sale very soon.) We have been choosing our favourite recipes from the year as we ready it for publication and it feels like we're summing up our year and in a way, we're preparing for the next. This sandwich has been helping me with my end of year anxieties. After a bite everything seems attainable and easy.
The relish is earthy, sweet and lightly spiced. It makes a perfect companion for the fennel with the pickled aniseed flavours. The sandwich (which we make for Bonne Femme, and Nadia serves a version of it at her café New Day Rising) combines these flavours with a peppery green leaf and salty feta. It's a refreshing sandwich. The relish is also delicious served as part of a cold platter, ploughman's platter or served with ham or roast meats.
When I was little I would always go for a walk with my mum along the beach before school. We walked miles and miles and I would search the high tide line for interesting flotsam or shells. Sometimes I would find a cowrie shell. They were rare and I considered any find a good omen. We had a collection of them in a wooden bowl at the centre of the kitchen table. I loved how every night the beach was washed clean and the morning always held the possibility of new treasure. Remembering this I am going to embrace the rush towards the end of the year and the possibility of renewal.
Beetroot Relish and Quick Pickled Fennel
for the relish:
4 medium beetroots, peeled and grated finely
ginger, thumb sized knob peeled and grated finely
1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground in a mortar and pestle
180 ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
a little salt
In a large heavy based pot, over a medium heat, combine ingredients and stir. Turn the heat down and simmer for an hour and a half or until the relish is sweet, shiny and soft. Make sure to stir occasionally and add a little water if the relish becomes too dry. When ready, put into hot, sterilised jars. Once opened keep in the refrigerator.
for the pickled fennel:
1 bulb of fennel, sliced super thin using a very sharp knife or a mandolin
100ml rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 tbsp caster sugar
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix. The fennel should be ready for use after about half an hour and can keep in the fridge in the vinegar mix for a week or so.
Tags: beetroot relish, fennel, sandwhich
Category: picnic, preserving, recipes, salad, snack
Subscribe: RSS 2.0 feed
Hey guys,
I made this and it was really good!
Thanks for the recipe, Louisa
Thanks Louisa! How are you? So nice to hear from you. The relish is an absolute winner.
Hi Sarah! I'm really well, thanks. Your blog is looking great. See you around.


text:
Tony Romo and Jason Witten Admit to Homosexual Romance. I knew the Cowboys sucked, but this story takes their sucking to a whole new level. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and receiver Jason Witten have finally admitted to having a intimate relationship with each other for the past several years. This is coming out after the duo had been called out by former Cowboy Terrell Owens. The two said that with the new found acceptance of being gay in society they had no reason not to come out.
"Jason and I both felt like the time to come clean was now. With the all the acceptance of being gay now we had no reason not to. We are in love and no one can take that away from us. Since day one we felt something special between us and that eventually led to us having a relationship for several years now." Romo said this as he was hand in hand with Jason Witten right next to him. Romo's wife Candice Romo was asked for her input on the situation and she had this to say, "I'm upset to say the least. I knew they were very close but I didn't expect them to be actually together. I love Tony and we have a family but this clearly changes everything. I am unsure what is next for our marriage and what Tony plans to do but I will raise my daughter and I hope he will continue to be a father to our child. But I do hope the best for him in what he chooses to do with himself. I still love him with all my heart."
Hopefully the two of them will be able to work through this new development in Tony's life. I'm sure that he will still play a big role in his daughter's life. None of the Cowboy players or staff could comment on the story. I wonder if this will change the player dynamics on the team in the next season. Only time will tell. CLICK HERE —> TO LIKE DAILY BUZZ LIVE ON FACEBOOK!


text:
Lost in all the debate over the potential takeover of the Rutgers-Camden campus in South Jersey is the extended presence of Rutgers and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station throughout New Jersey and especially in the food producing regions south of 195.
Rutgers operates the Rutgers Food Innovation Center in Bridgeton, participates on the State Agriculture Development Committee and has a presence in all counties in South Jersey through it's county extension and cooperative services. The Rutgers-Camden Library serves the South Jersey extension agents and cooperative services programs and is a portal to Rutgers statewide network of 26 libraries and more then 10.5 million holdings.
As New Jersey's land grant institution, Rutgers has a federal mission to serve the state.
If Rutgers is pushed back north of 195, what happens to the farmers, growers, producers, distributors, packers and canners in South Jersey?
Can the proposed regional university that is supposed to take the place of Rutgers in South Jersey quickly duplicate the reach, mission, and 150 years of service of Rutgers — New Jersey's state university — to the New Jersey or South Jersey agricultural community?
Why further divide an already divided state and carve up one of the few institutions in New Jersey with real statewide reach? An institution that serves the entire $82 billion New Jersey agricultural and food sector from High Point to Cape May.


text:
EDMONTON - Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Jim Prentice launched his campaign Wednesday in Edmonton, vowing to clean up government, restore fiscal conservatism and establish the province as an international energy and environmental leader.
Widely seen by some as the race front-runner even before announcing his bid, Prentice, 57, delivered a speech that broadly outlined his plan to reinvigorate the party and restore Albertans' faith in government following a tumultuous period, under former premier Alison Redford.
"I am running because I believe Alberta has before it, right now, an opportunity to achieve great things. It's going to take discipline and it's going to take focus, but we will do this," Prentice told a packed room at the CKUA building in downtown Edmonton, his wife, Karen, in the audience.
His campaign said Prentice has secured the support of at least 45 PC MLAs and at least 16 were on hand for the launch. Prentice delivered a second speech Wednesday afternoon in Calgary, where he lives.
Prentice, a lawyer and former federal Conservative cabinet minister, laid out his five priorities, first promising to commit to "sound, conservative principles," if he becomes PC party leader and the province's next premier.
"This is Alberta. We will not run deficits to finance the basic operations of government. We will not have a sales tax and we will save for the future," Prentice said to loud applause. He also vowed to shrink the size of cabinet and introduce a "refocused and renewed" capital infrastructure plan.
"In the Alberta that I lead, our children will not be housed in makeshift schools," he said.
After the speech, he said he would address the province's approach to debt and its new three-part budget presentation — both of which have been lightning rods for criticism — promising to soon provide more specifics.
Putting a focus on public servitude and distancing himself from the scandals of the Redford era, Prentice said he will restore the public trust in government by "putting an end to entitlement." He vowed to end the practice of handing political staff "sweetheart government contracts," hiring lobbyists as consultants for government and signing sole-sourced contracts.
Former Edmonton city councillor Kim Krushell, who was in the audience for the launch, said Prentice has the skills for the job but is an outsider who hasn't been mired in the recent politics of the party.
"The guy is somebody who comes from a federal perspective, which I personally think puts him in a position where he doesn't wear the Redford government issues," she said. "I think he brings a different perspective and I think he is good for Alberta, and I'm happy to see him step up as a leader."
Prentice also promised to sell Alberta's natural resources on the world market, but, in an apparent attempt to woo back far-right voters whose support has shifted to the surging Wildrose, said he would balance that with the rights of private property owners. While selling the province as an energy powerhouse, Prentice said another of his priorities is to establish Alberta as an environmental leader.
"If we're serious about becoming a global leader in energy, then we need to become a global leader in environmental performance," he said.
He said he would also establish targets to enhance the quality of life in the province to ensure Albertans have access to the best in public services and care.
Prentice said he would work to improve the province's relationship with cities, defend Alberta's interests in Ottawa and build new relationships with First Nations and Métis communities. As a lawyer, Prentice developed a reputation as a broker in complex negotiations with aboriginal communities and more recently was retained by Enbridge to restart stalled talks about the Northern Gateway pipeline with First Nations communities in B.C.
Prentice also promised to "modernize" the PC party and "empower its members," but didn't say how.
He had been touted as a potential future candidate for the leadership of the federal Conservative party, but on Wednesday he ruled that out.
He denied allegations his campaign had been urging other PC leadership candidates to bow out. So far, Calgary MLA and former infrastructure minister Ric McIver remains the only other declared candidate in the race, but has yet to file his nomination papers. His campaign says he will join Prentice at the PC policy forum scheduled for Saturday in Edmonton.
Edmonton MLA and Jobs Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has said he is considering a bid, but did not returns calls for comment.


text:
New Models Drive Ford Europe Sales Up 10% in First Three Quarters of 2015; No. 1 Commercial Vehicle Brand
- Ford's total vehicle sales* grew 8 percent in September and 10 percent year-to-date
- Total vehicle market share at 8.9 percent in September, and 8.1 percent year-to-date
- Ford No. 2 in total vehicle and passenger car sales; No.1 for commercial vehicles
- Ford increased market share in 12 of its 20 traditional European markets, including Germany, Spain, France, Italy and others; share also up in Turkey; leads UK market
- Ford sales in higher value retail and fleet segments accounted for 73 percent of its passenger car sales in both periods – 1 and 3 percentage points better than industry
- Mondeo sales up 45 percent in September; EcoSport compact SUV sales doubled; Ranger sales rose 17 percent; Mustang orders at almost 10,000 in Europe
- Commercial vehicle sales up 12 percent in September and 26 percent year-to-date
- One of four cars ordered with Ford EcoBoost direct injection petrol engine; One of five with award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost
COLOGNE, Germany, Oct. 7, 2015 – Ford's European vehicle sales increased again in September driven by strong demand for its all-new or significantly freshened vehicle line-up, led by the new Mondeo, the company's SUV range and commercial vehicle family.
Ford sold a total of 140,300 vehicles in its 20 traditional European markets* last month, and 978,800 vehicles in the first nine months of the year – a year-over-year increase of 8 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
The company's total vehicle market share was 8.9 percent September and 8.1 percent year-to-date, the best total vehicle share for the first three quarters since 2011. Ford was the No. 1 brand for commercial vehicles sales in Europe in both September and year-to-date, up from No. 7 in 2012, and remains Europe's No. 2 selling brand in Europe for total vehicle and passenger car sales.
"We offer our customers not only one of the freshest and broadest vehicle line-ups in the industry, but also a wide range of technology options, including our fuel efficient EcoBoost petrol engines," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. "Today, one of four cars is ordered with Ford EcoBoost technology, and one of five with the multi-award winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine."
The company's combined sales in the retail and fleet market accounted for 73 percent of its passenger car sales in September and in the first nine months, 1 percentage points and 3 percentage points better than industry average, respectively.
Ford said it was also seeing a strong take rate for more upscale and well-equipped versions of its vehicles, such as Titanium series.
Passenger Car Sales
Ford's momentum comes on the back of growth across the company's product range, led by new model introductions.
Almost 10,000 European customers have ordered the all-new Ford Mustang which went on-sale in Europe this summer for the first time in the iconic Muscle car's 51-year history.
Sales of the all-new Mondeo were up 45 percent year-over-year in September and up 60 percent year-to-date. Customer orders for the new Focus were up nearly 37 percent in September. The Fiesta continued to be the best-selling small car in Europe for the first eight months of 2015, according to Jato Dynamics.
Ford's SUV range also continued to increase sales. Kuga sales in September and year-to-date were the highest since the launch of the first-generation Kuga in 2008. Sales of the EcoSport compact SUV doubled in September compared to September 2014.
Commercial Vehicle Sales
Ford was No. 1 in commercial vehicles sales in September and year-to-date as demand continued to grow for its completely new and expanded Transit range – including Transit, Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier – and the Ranger pickup. Commercial vehicle sales were up 26 percent year-to-date. Market share for the period was up 1.5 percentage points at 12.8 percent, the best share performance in almost two decades. Customer orders for Transit grew 25 percent in September.
Demand for the Ranger pickup continued to grow with September sales up 17 percent, the best September and first three quarters since the model's launch in 1999. Customer orders for Ranger were up 73 percent in September. The Ranger claimed the No. 1 sales position in the European pickup market in the first seven months this year, according to the latest available data.
Market highlights
Ford closed a strong September and year-to-date across many markets in Europe.
Ford was market leader in total vehicle sales in the UK in September and year-to-date, in Ireland in September and in Hungary year-to-date, and achieved market share improvements in 12 of its 20 traditional European markets, including Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Poland, plus at its Turkish joint venture, Ford Otosan.
New model announcements
At the recent 2015 Frankfurt IAA, Ford reaffirmed that it is launching five all-new or redesigned vehicles that will compete in the SUV and crossover space in Europe in the next three years, starting early next year with the Edge large SUV.
# # #
* Ford of Europe reports its sales for the 20 European main markets where it is represented through National Sales Companies. The Euro 20 markets are: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
Latest News
Scheduled servicing, is not only an important way to ensure your safety on the…
Read more >
Our vehicles sales department remains closed until further notice. Where…
Read more >


text:
About Us
"Kanlo Gourmet Tea" is a New York based company. Established in 2010 to introduce good quality tea from Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon.
Our Families have been in the tea industry for 3 generations in Sri Lanka growing and selling tea. In 2017, we partnered with Heladiv tea brand which is owned by HVA Foods PLC, Sri Lanka. All our teas our premium quality and will continuing to expand and elevate to new markets as we introduce from other tea regions in the world.
Please enjoy a good cup of tea.


text:
The 50 Best Fish Bra Photos You Will Ever See
The fish bra photos have taken over Instagram in the fishing community.
A girl catches a fish and then poses using the fish as her bra.
Here are the 50 best fish bra photos we could find
Feel free to rate each picture with a Like or Dislike


text:
While research at Roman sites tends to concentrate on the three-and-a-bit centuries of the Roman occupation, the end of the Roman period is no less interesting.
It is often assumed that when Roman rule ended in AD410, the Roman soldiers 'went home', but for most of the men stationed at Epiacum, this was their home! Although no more pay packets would arrive from the Empire, it is presumed that many people continued to live locally, perhaps making use of the old Roman buildings within and around the fort for a few generations. The remnants of the army, groups of men well trained and equipped with weapons and based within the old forts, formed the basis for local 'war bands' as political turmoil followed the decline of Roman society. This period is what is often referred to as the 'Dark Ages', although elsewhere in Northumbria it became a golden age of learning and discovery. Excavations at Birdoswald fort on Hadrian's Wall have uncovered evidence of a great timber hall within the fort, possibly the headquarters of a local Dark Age war lord. Similar structures may exist at other forts, including Epiacum, but as they were built in timber no sign of them survives above ground.
At Epiacum, we currently have no information about what happened during the Anglo-Saxon centuries, between the end of Roman rule in the early fifth century and the arrival of the Normans after 1066. There may be evidence beneath the turf, but is unlikely to be found without careful excavation. Evidence for activity in the wider Alston Moor landscape is equally elusive, though the original church at Kirkhaugh (not the current church which is much later) may well have been pre-Norman in date. The ancient stone cross in the churchyard is not accurately dated, but may have tenth-century origins.


text:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas achieved no jaw-dropping breakthroughs as they relaunched direct peace talks Thursday with a determined nudge from the Obama administration.
But the two leaders did take a couple of steps that should keep the talks going for a few weeks, and perhaps even through the mine field that awaits them after that.
They agreed to meet again in less than two weeks and to set as their first goal the conclusion of a "framework agreement for permanent status." The idea behind such a framework is to set out the tough decisions that each side will have to make in order to complete a comprehensive treaty.
Such an Israeli-Palestinian agreement should be "more detailed than a declaration of principles, but it is less than a full-fledged treaty," said former Sen. George Mitchell, President Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, in explaining the idea to reporters at the State Department Thursday afternoon.
This framework should not be thought of as an interim agreement, said Mr. Mitchell – who along with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with the two leaders in what were their first direct talks in 20 months. Rather, Mitchell said, it is a way to "establish the fundamental compromises necessary to enable the parties to flesh out and complete a comprehensive agreement."
Mr. Obama is aiming for a year of talks to culminate in a peace accord.
Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas agreed to meet next on Sept. 14 and 15, again with Secretary Clinton and Mitchell, though this time in the region. The venue is likely to be Sharm el Sheikh, the Egyptian Red Sea resort city, officials said Thursday afternoon.
The plan sketched out at Thursday's talks has the parties meeting roughly every two weeks following that initial meeting in the region.
Mitchell, a seasoned negotiator perhaps best known for his part in achieving a Northern Ireland peace accord, refused to discuss with journalists the issue of settlements, the looming expiration of Israel's moratorium on settlement construction, and other stumbling blocks. The parties, he said, agreed that their desire for success dictates that the talks "be kept private and treated with the utmost sensitivity."
But Mitchell was willing to comment on Netanyahu's reference to Iran in the morning's opening session, where the prime minister spoke of the "changed" security threats facing Israel.
"Obviously the actions and policies of the current government of Iran have an effect in the region and in the wider world, and they influence what is occurring here," he said. "And in my judgment," he added, "they add another argument ... to why this conflict should be resolved."


text:
Ben Armstrong
Division 7 Councillor
If you are looking at this page you have found me—I am the Councillor for Division Seven (26 years). Welcome!
I am happily married to my wonderful wife and partner, Terry of 48 years. We have two grown boys, two wonderful and loving daughters-in-law, and five special grandchildren (two boys and three girls).
As of October 2017, I am in my 26th year as Councillor. After serving as Councillor and eight years as Reeve, I stepped down and was nominated to the position of Deputy Reeve until October 2017. I am honoured to represent the rate payers of Wheatland County and am proud to be working with six capable Councillors (5 of them new this October 16) and an excellent Chief Administrative Officer, Alan Parkin. When I came on Council I was the youngest Councillor to take the position and now am also the longest sitting and oldest Councillor, hence all the grey hair.
Division Seven is the largest of the divisions, with a land base of just over 15 1/2 townships and approximately 1100 residents. Division Seven is a very productive, mixed-grain and cattle area, a large gas and oil industry, and with a very large wind farm in the northeast corner which consists of 55 turbines, which went on line in 2011.
There are approximately 70 miles of paved provincial roads and 32 gravelled provincial roads with numerous municipal roads linking the communities of Duck Lake, Dalum, Hussar, Standard, Rosebud, and east to Gem in Newell County, north to Drumheller, and south to Highway 1. The land goes from flat to rolling hills with numerous mini lakes (sloughs) to the rugged Red Deer River Valley. The animal wildlife varies from fox, coyote, rabbit, white tail, antelope, and numerous moose to the odd cougar and bear. All varieties of small and large birds exist in the area, such as geese, duck, pheasant, prairie chicken, hawk, eagle, and much more. Oh, and the ever-present Richardson's ground squirrel (gopher).
We reside on a small farm 10 miles north of the Village of Hussar, on Highway 564 and 56. Our son Clay and wife Colleen run a small automotive shop and agricultural supply in Hussar. I have now joined the infamous coffee crew when I am not on Council business, which has become almost a full-time job. Our other son, Chris and wife Krista live in Trochu with their family where he works in the gas and oil business, sits on Trochu council and is a volunteer fire fighter and first responder.
I hope that I am open and receptive to listening to and helping the ratepayers of Division Seven and the County whenever possible. Stop by the shop in Hussar for coffee anytime. There will usually be a gang there drinking coffee and swapping tales about best crops and farming issues and are more than willing to hear new tales. You may even find me there swapping tales!!
Ben C. Armstrong
Division 7 Councillor


text: noemienours + Francisca Griffin + Maryland, at Laurel studiosnoemienours description: Inspired in its early days by Nobel-prize winners Herta Müller or J.M. Coetzee's depiction and account of totalitarianism and segregation, noemienours developed through her work a criticism of anthropo-centrism, and of mankind's prejudiced entitlement, told through the sole point of view of bears, with a meditative horizon as possible overcoming of species-, class- and gender-wars.Albeit its deep meaning is with no doubt far too deep for the usual barbaric male-centered music business and she might be evolving in a league of her own, her music still follows the same kind of sensitive line developed by musicians such as David Pajo (Slint, Papa M...) or Nicola Hodgkinson (Hood, New North Wales,...). The obsessive, unusually slow and thought-provoking nature of her music has also drawn comparisons to bands such as Earth, Grouper or Low. Although "bears (themselves) have better to do than performing shows", noemienours, after several years of reclusive creative work and 3 DIY vinyl releases, will perform a longer electric set for the first time.


text:
Nike Women's Dry-Fit Scoop T-Shirt - White
Exercise in comfort, confidence and style with this Dry-Fit Scoop Tee from Nike! Built with Nike's Dry-Fit technology that moves sweat from your skin for quicker evaporation, you'll be able to train feeling comfortable, cool and focused on smashing your next workout!
Available in women's sizing - see size chart for correct fit! Our model wears a size S and is 176cm tall
- Nike apparel
- For women
- Style: Dry-Fit Scoop Tee
- Colour: White
- Sizing: Athletic cut
- Short sleeves
- Low scoop neck
- Nike swoosh on chest
- Built with Nike's Dry-Fit technology that moves sweat from your skin for quicker evaporation
- Materials: 58% cotton, 42% polyester
- Machine washable
- Country of origin: Vietnam
Helping serious athletes and casual trainers alike reach their true potential for over 50 years, Nike is one of the world's most trusted makers of sportswear. Maximise your body to its fullest and go far beyond what you thought possible.


text:
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Time Keeps On Slippin'...Slippin'...Slippin'
WELL. The short answer to that is yes, we DEFINITELY get overwhelmed. A great example of that? RIGHT NOW. I'm stepping away from the usual tone of my posts because I'm not feeling my usual self. The last few weeks have been a whirl wind. I have moments where it's all I can do to just breathe calmly. The crisp cool air of the evenings and mornings has always been one of my most favorite things. A sign that my favorite season is on it's way....but this year, there is so much going on that I wish summer could last another 5 months.
Dan recently found employment (HOORAY!), which we are both very happy about. He did such a bang up job his first week and a half that they asked him to come on full time. Considering he has been looking for quite some time, and our financial situation was getting a bit tight, we were happy for this opportunity. What I wasn't expecting however, was the inevitable backlash to our progress on the house.
In fact, it was never made clearer to me than now. One of the biggest balancing acts of life is time versus money. This is a scale I have had trouble with for many years- always trying to make time the more valuable item, but somehow someway, money always had more heft. I can't just walk away from my bills and my debt, and I will not put them off any longer either. I am determined to reach a point in my life where time out ranks money- sooner rather than later. We are positioning ourselves with the tiny life we have chosen, but it seems, much like everything else, there is always one more major stressful squeeze before you burst out the other side.
I have been traveling quite a bit over the last month, and when I am home, our schedule has been filled with family gatherings, weddings, showers, and other related parties. I get this feeling like all my waking hours from now until some point in the unforeseen future has already been scheduled for me. It's quite frustrating at times.
We need to finish the dang siding on this place. We need to put our solar power system together. We need to water proof and seal the siding. We need to create gutters and some form of water shed for our roof line. We need to purchase and install a wood stove. We need to do all this before November.
Now- add getting married out of state in October to that list. Catching my drift?
This past weekend we attended a beautiful garden wedding on Dan's side of the family. We wanted to save money and time so we drove home that night instead of staying over. We spent part of Sunday morning in recovery, then dragged ourselves out to Dan's dad's store to do more work. We needed to process more pallets. Our tools have been scattered to three different places now...and I don't like it. Some things are here at the Pod, some things are at my Dad's, and some things at the store. More than once we have gone one place only to realize the tool we need is at another. I don't recommend this. haha We wanted to give my Dad a break from seeing us constantly working in his yard, and we needed to use the table saw at the store. His dad's saw is the only one that will hold the special blade we use for ship-lapping.
So, the only free day we had was spent sweating in the beating sun of a paved parking lot. I know I'm probably being a total whiner right now, but DAMN! It's been almost 2 years of working constantly on this place. I want it to be over! I want to return to having time to relax, be social (not just attend major family events), visit my hobbies again- I'm pretty sure I will have to learn guitar all over again. Blurg.
Oh, and the solar power system saga continues. We ordered what we needed and now have another 6 boxes of stuff waiting for us to open. We also realized that our solar panels are at the wrong angle. Joy. The semi-good news is that we did do our math right, we just flip flopped how it should have applied to the racking. We don't have to build them all over, since the angle we need is sharper. We plan to take the panels down and make the angled cuts to the posts right where they stand. That should be fun.
Some nights I lie in bed feeling like I have the actual weight of our tiny house on my chest. I try to keep my mind on the positives. We have accomplished so much and we are making our dream a reality, but I feel I have mustered all I can muster- even from my reserve tank at this point. It's hard to be the spearhead day in and day out. My brain begins to skip and scramble as I think about all the loose ends we still have and all that MUST get done before the cold sets in.
I WILL come back to you all with a more chipper voice again soon. But until then, do any of you folks that have already "made it to the other side" have any advice? Maybe part of your story you can share? I could really use something to recharge my batteries.
Thanks for reading!
Like Us On Facebook
20 comments:
I have once piece of advice. Buy flood lights. Seriously. We did so much work after dark it was crazy. We fired up the generator, plugged in the flood lights, and kept on going. It was a lot like college. We had coffee and some snacks and we got giddy with laughter from being so overwhelmed. We drew things on the studs inside so we (or someone) could possibly find them years later. We made shadow puppets. I even got to see my dad moonwalk on our platform. Trust me Jess. It will all be over one day and you will wish you were back in those creative, inspired moments.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2014 at 8:55 AM
*Virtual hug* You guys have done so much and have inspired me to build a tiny home. I won't be doing it for a few years, but I'm looking forward to all of it. Hearing everything, ups and downs, frustrations and triumphs, have been just what I needed. We're all human. We all have emotions, breaking points, etc. (And I really like what "anotherkindofdrew" said.) You've accomplished A TON! You've grown as a person too. Smile. You'll get through it and be so proud of yourself!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hearing that we inspired someone else to build- even with all the ups and downs- is just what I NEEDED to hear! Thanks so much for sharing and reminding me of the great parts about this adventure, the sense of community and inspiring others to go for their dreams too! Thank you! Thank you!Delete
- AnonymousAugust 22, 2014 at 9:27 AM
You're welcome! :) but thank YOU for sharing your adventure with all of us!Delete
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2014 at 10:19 AM
I can totally relate, it's not whinning, it's real. This process is crazy stressful and you need space to just feel that, I know I do. Our build has to be finished by Novemeber, we plan to live in it by snow fall. So I hear ya, it is so consuming and overwhelming. But, you are doing! I had a fellow tiny houser tell me to not focus on finishing projects but focus on finishing each day instead, which has helped me, especially when we are behind "schedule". Wishing you all the luck with your build!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks so much for the kind words and relating. It's good to know that we aren't the only ones struggling and that how we feel isn't unfounded. Good luck to you on your build! I'm sure you will have it done in time! We did something similar where we finished our lease in October of last year and needed to push hard to have it move in ready. It's amazing what kind of a pace you can keep up when you know you're going to be booted from your current place! haha And thanks for the tip on finishing each day. I like that approach and I'm going to try going with that. We really appreciate your support! :)Delete
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2014 at 4:28 PM
as someone with a lot of projects on my mind and on the table and as well someone who travels a lot with work.i can feel your frustration.i know with as far as you have come along you see the whole project needing completion.i think you need to go back to setting smaller challenges goals.for instance with the siding we have seen the tremendous amount of work that goes into breaking them down getting them to size and thickness and getting them up. try making your goals just about one task at a time and don't worry about the bigger picture it will come.it will be beautiful.but don't let the stress and the worry cloud your amazing journey. don't take shortcuts and take pride in your work...as we all have seen you clearly do.you are a inspiration to many on the journey to tiny house living and we all wish you the best and want to see you reach your goals.ReplyDelete
oh and sorry about the anonymous it don't like my google password for some reasonReplies
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. It means a lot to know that people have been following along and drawing inspiration from us. I still feel like when we first started- we had maybe 4 readers and they were my family! Haha It feels really good to know we have such a great community now. We are going to try and focus on small steps once again. I need to be reminded once in a while- even thought many of my first posts were about taking things one step at a time! How quickly we forget when we are in the thick of things. Thank you so much! <3Delete
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2014 at 7:12 PM
I am so excited every time you add an entry into your blog that I LOVE. My life is very hectic with 5 teenagers, sports, big house, big debit. I am interested maybe in our retirement to build a tiny house. I think you guys are doing a great job!!! You will get this done and it will be something you will be so proud of!!! Jeep up the Great Work!!!ReplyDelete
Beth from Ohio!!! Sorry it's says Anonymous!Replies
Awww! Thanks Beth! I can't imagine having five teenagers! Never a dull or free moment for you I'm sure! Thanks so much for the kind words, the encouragement and the complements! It's so cool to know that people around the globe are following our story and rooting for us! Thanks so much for reaching out and giving us a little boost when we needed it. :) Best of luck to you in your future endeavors with tiny houses! I think tiny houses are the WAY TO GO when retiring! I'm sure we will move into a more traditional type house when we begin a family, but I have a feeling we will return to this way of living when all the little birdies are gone from the nest! :)Delete
You will finish this house, Jess! I liked the comment at the top about buying floodlights to work during the evening. It's cooler at that time and it shouldn't be that strenious when the sun isn't bearing down on you. I'd also double check if things are being done right so you won't have to do over it again, such as what happened with the solar panels. Solar's the way to go, and once everything's finished, you'd be glad you had those put up! Good luck!ReplyDelete
Deanna Walsh @ Solar ConciergeReplies
Thanks so much Deanna! We are keeping our eyes on doing one thing at a time, which has helped! Staring at the entire picture and expecting to solve every last problem at once certainly wasn't making things any easier. Thanks so much for the encouragement and the tips! :)Delete
If you guys want an extra hand, I can drive down (from Maine) tomorrow morning and lend a helping hand. Just send me an email with the address and time you'll be getting started: (myfirstnameLastname)@gmail.comReplyDeleteReplies
Chris! I can't believe your generosity! Wow! Thanks so much for offering to help us out! We were busy working all weekend, so I didn't see this in time, but the gesture is amazing. Thank you SO much for the offer! THe support we have received has been wonderful- thank you for being a part of that!Delete
While glass windows in today's homes and offices buildings provide a necessary function and aesthetic appeal, they can become extremely dangerous, even deadly, when shattered or broken panes transform into flying "shards" of glass. Natural hazards, accidents and crime all pose potential risks to most glass systems existing today.Fortunately, there is a preventative solution that can greatly reduce the risk of human injury and property damage – GLASS-GARD.ReplyDelete
The installation of GLASS-GARD safety and security film offers protection to people and property.
Click Here..Glass Gard
There is a chance you qualify for a new solar rebate program.ReplyDelete
Click here to find out if you qualify now!


text:
Henceforth they are Chairman Huam and Vice-Chairmanm Deng, not Premier Hua and Vice-Premier Deng. The change in titles, accompanied by the elevation of Zhao Ziyang to the premiership, marks a bold experiment in communist history. For the first time, an orderly, peaceful transfer of power is being attempted while the previous incumbents are still hale and hearty.
No change of policy or party line is intended. Quite the contrary. Incoming Premier Zhao will carry on and strengthen the economic modernization policy pushed forward by Mr. Deng and acquiesced in by Mr. Hua.
Furthermore, both Mr. Hua and Mr. Deng retain their powerful positions in the Communist Party. Mr. Hua is chairman of the party and of its military commission. Mr. Deng is vice-chairman of both bodies.
Tall, imposing, almost Buddha-like in his moon-faced serenity, Mr. Hua made the long-awaited announcement of his resignation as premier in a lenghty speech to the National People's Congress Sept. 7. His audience knew this was Mr. Hua's last speech as premier, and applauded him warmly before, during, and after in a somewhat high-pitched Shansi accent.
Mr. Hua also announced the resignation of six vice-premiers besides Mr. Deng: Li Xiannian, Chen Yun, Xu Xiangqian, Wang Zhen, Wang Renzhong, and Chen Yonggui. Messrs. Li, Chen Yun, Xu, and Wang Zhen retain their Politburo seats. They, like Mr. Deng, are retiring largely because of age and will continue to watch over the implementation of the modernization program.
Mr. Wang Renzhong has recently shifted from agriculture, a government post, to propaganda, a party post. He resigns as vice-premier on the principle that major party and government posts should be separate.
Only Chen Yonggui resigns under a cloud. He is an illiterate peasant, who benefited from the Cultural Revolution to win a seat on the Politburo and a vice-premiership. He is likely to be dropped from his Politburo position at the next party congress, if not before.
The National People's Congress, China's legislature, will vote on these proposed changes Sept. 10. The result, however, is a foregone conclusion. Mr. Hua's speech touched on all the major themes of communist policy in China during the past 30 years, from population control to nationality policy. One characteristic of those moderate reformism to ultraleftism, in cycles of five, six, or ten years.
The present goal, repeatedly stressed by Mr. Hua in his speech, is economic modernization, a more abundant life for China's billion people by the end of the 20th century.This requires continuity of policy over a long period.
But newspapers in Peking and the provinces have been full of stories of the persistence of what they call ultraleftist opposition to the policies associated first with Mr. Deng and now with his proteges Messrs. Zhao and Wan. Remnants of the "gang of four," headed by the late Chairman Mao's widow Jiang Qing, are accused of resisting economic reform.
The "gang of four" held nearly absolute power for the ten chaotic years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which they used for their own ends. Their long-delayed trial is expected to begin soon, possibly during September.
The next four to five years, therefore, will be a crucial period for China. This is the time, observers here believe, the new team headed by Mr. Zhao will need in order to solidfy its position and power. Vice-Chairman Deng's strong backing from within the party will be essential.
As for Chairman Hua, despite his warm reception at the Sept. 7 session, he remains an enigmatic figure. He was chosen premier in January 1976 after Premier Chou En-lai's passing, at the time when the "gang of four" was still in power and with at least their tacit approval. He was catapulted to the chairmanship of the Communist Party as well following Mao's death in September that year.
The justification for the sudden promotion was Mao's famous saying, "With you in charge, I am at ease." This kind of succession by the choice of a single individual is now widely criticized within the party and among the citizenry.


text:
Friday, February 13, 2009
Knobhead of The Year - Keith Vaz
There he was on Newsnight last night pontificating on how morally riught it was for Jacqui Smith (Home Economics Minister...sorry, slip of the tongue, Home Secretary) to ban Dutch MP Geert Wilders from entering the UK to attend a screening of his film (Fitna) that contains extracts of the Koran, on the grounds that he is anti Islamic.
Vaz gave a perfunctory performance, until it was noted that he hadn't actually seen the film that he said was anti Islamic. Moreover he went on to say that he didn't need to see the film in order to know that it was right to ban Wilders.
A British Muslim guest on the show complained to Vaz that he would have liked to have debated publicly with Wilders, to expose the foolishness of his views.
Vaz said he could do so by going to Holland!
As the Muslim guest noted, that response from Vaz said a lot about the so called freedom of speech in this country if he had to go abroad in order to be able to discuss a subject.
The added irony being that the film was screened anyway, and Mr Wilders (whom, until now, most will have never heard of) has now gained an awful lot of publicity.
I guess that Mr Vaz was a tad too busy to view the film, as he had been involved in a "lively" phone call with Boris Johnson the day before; a transcript of which had been inexplicably leaked by someone (not Boris or his team, that's for sure) to the media.
Keith Vaz, well deserving Knobhead of The Year!
Visit The Orifice of Government Commerce and buy a collector's item.
Visit The Joy of Lard and indulge your lard fantasies.
Show your contempt for Nanny by buying a T shirt or thong from Nanny's Store.
www.nannyknowsbest.com is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Celebrate the joy of living with champagne. Click and drink!
Why not really indulge yourself, by doing all the things that Nanny really hates? Click on the relevant link to indulge yourselves; Food, Bonking, Toys, Gifts and Flowers, Groceries
9 comments:
- Anonymous12:01 PM
i have seen fitna and no it doesn't show islam in a very favourable light...but then again the twin towers, the murder of theo van gogh, the threats to ayan hersi, the treatment of women, stonings, marriage of children are not fiction.ReplyDelete
Muslims may be 'moderate' to a point in the west, but where they hold sway in Iran, Irac, Afganistan and many African nations they do far worse than fitna dare show.
Check out Richard Dawkins website for newspaper stories relating to the horrors that occur in the name of Islam.
- Anonymous12:23 PM
In the 1930s, we "appeased" the Nazis - and look where that got us.ReplyDelete
History seems to be repeating itself today with the appeasement of Islamist extremists
- Anonymous1:03 PM
It seems that many Muslims are Muslim first and British second. It appears that many have an auto response to attack anything or anyone, that they are told or perceive questions their religion. If you question or attack one Muslim they feel you are attacking them all.ReplyDelete
The Muslims have a word that describes non believers that bend over backwards to try to appease them.
Dhimwit: "A non-Muslim member of a free society that abets the stated cause of Islamic domination with remarkable gullibility. A dhimwit is always quick to extend sympathy to the very enemy that would take away his or her own freedom (or life) if given the opportunity."
- Anonymous1:11 PM
Well personally I think Fitna has nothing on Casablanca, all those derogatory comments towards Sikhs and the readings from The Satanic Bible, I highly applaud the government's decision not to allow Michael Curtiz into the country to peddle this disgusting film. Of course I've never seen Casablanca myself so I can't discuss the exact nature of the offensive scenes and engage in a properly reasoned debate, though if you like you can hold a seance and have an argument with Michael Curtiz. And don't get me started on the evils of Bambi...ReplyDelete
- Anonymous2:49 PM
Yet if it was some Iman from iran coming coming to Britain to spout his anti-west/antisemetic crap, he would have had a red carpet rolled out for him. The attempts of western governments and the far left to appeased Radical Islam will come to grief.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3:32 PM
That, sadly, is very true! And we cannot even deport those Islamic hatemongers already here, because our judges are more concerned with the human rights of terrorists and criminals rather than protecting the decent people in this country (including some Muslims).ReplyDelete
The way Geert Wilders has been treated shows that the government, including the home secretary and Keith Vaz have abolished free speech in this country, without even a parliamentary vote!
Welcome to the new Zimbabwe!
Free speech in England used to mean something roughly along the lines of say whatever you want subject to it being defamatory (civil suit) or criminal (such as C of E Vicars asking their congregation to commit murder or perform impromptu exotheric chemical reactions in crowded places). If anyone rioted or there was civil unrest about someone's expressed opinion then the crime was with the rabble.ReplyDelete
You were quite free to disagree but you were supposed to defend to the death their right to express their grotty offensive little piss-ant opinion.
Now the emphasis is much more on not being allowed to say anything (anything at all) that may, in the opinion of some Civil Serf-Ant, cause unrest or incite a rabble, whatever the rabble, no matter who is prompting that rabble or why. The crime is now what you say, not someone's over-reaction to it.
Freedom of speech has gone.
Just like God. Oops. Did I just say outloud that there is no god? Bugger!
Peace for our time. Can't you just see dear Neville stepping off the 'plane and waving his bit of paper?
"The attempts of western governments and the far left to appeased Radical Islam will come to grief."ReplyDelete
Yes. OUR - the ordinary citizens' - grief: not the grief of the crazy 'multiculturalist' appeasers and dhimmi quislings of religious totalitarianism. who will whine "we meant well" and "it wasn't us, Guv".
I was a child in the 1930s and grew up during WW2. The attitude not just of our crackpot government, but of all the mainstream political parties, alas, is identical to those British fools who were bamboozled by Goebbels and Ribbentrop into fondly believing that the Nazis were jolly nice chaps, really, and only wanted to be left alone to drink beer and go hiking in lederhosen.
As someone said on another blog: if we don't fight this supine attitude with words now, we shall end up fighting it with blood.
Oh dear! Am I beginning to sound like Enoch Powell? I deplored his gloomy premonitions at the time, but they are beginning to look uncannily prescient now.


text:
Best music apps kids ipad
Turn your mobile device into an instrument with these amazing apps. One of the only ways to fit a piano in your pocket.
Parents need to know that this music app is a great way to introduce toddlers to the piano. It plays 14 notes — just enough for Mary Had a Little Lamb. Just make sure you don't have your iPhone on silent!
Bloom HD
Parents need to know that Bloom HD is a mesmerizing app that combines making music and art. It is simple to use; and is both visually and aurally stimulating without being grating. The effect is so calming that there's even a sleep timer setting so that kids can use the app's ambient tones to fall asleep to. It's recommended that the app be experienced with headphones to get the full effect.Designed by ambient musicians Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers, BLOOM HD lets players explore the relationship between sound and visual art. Tapping the screen creates a blip of sound and a colorful circle that expands outward. Tapping different spots creates different pitches and hues that loop and overlap each other. Users can experiment with various color palettes, delay effects, and modes, or just sit back and have the app create something automatically. Unlike the harsh bleeps of other sound manipulators, Bloom HD is a tranquil and thoroughly mesmerizing experience.
Juno's Piano – Learn Songs, Play with Parents, and Free Play
Parents need to know that Juno's Piano – Learn Songs, Play with Parents, and Free Play is an interactive and educational music app that allows kids to play music on a piano keyboard. There are three main options for gameplay. Learn a Song teaches kids to play three different songs on the piano, a few notes at a time, with a large amount of positive verbal feedback. Play Together allows parents and kids to interact with the app together. Free Play allows kids to play what they like on the piano, which on this screen is ten white keys and six black keys. Juno stands above the keyboard encouraging kids to keep going. An HD version is also available for the iPad.JUNO'S PIANO – LEARN SONGS, PLAY WITH PARENTS, AND FREE PLAY is both fun and instructional, teaching kids to play songs on the piano and also allowing them free-play time. Because of the Free Play and Play Together options, this app will continue to be fresh once kids master the three songs in Learn a Song. In Learn a Song, the app teaches cumulatively, reinforcing notes in the song that have already been played. By the end of the song, kids are playing the whole series of notes. The app doesn't require the notes to be played at the right beat or tempo, merely in the right orde.
You love your iPhone, and for good reason. It's your social calendar, your family organizer, and your connection to the best friend you haven't seen since your first year of college. Your kids love your iPhone, too, but for them, it's all about the sheer fun of messing around with Mom's apps. When you consider that the iTunes Store has launched more than 500,000 apps to date, there's plenty of fun to be had! Read More ↓
For Babble's roundup of the top 50 iOS (Apple's operating platform) apps for kids, we looked at some basic criteria that you and your family might also consider before downloading an app. Every app we tested had to have received Apple's age-appropriate "4+" rating. We also considered whether the app allowed parents to participate in, or at least oversee, whatever their kids were doing onscreen. And, even if the apps were designed to do nothing more than keep the kids busy while you're in line at the store, there had to be some positive or educational element to it.
We've broken down our top 50 apps by category, price and age range. (Though many of these apps have a free edition, these "lite" versions often include ads or limit the number of features you can use.) Apps that are labeled "HD" are exclusive to iPad, but nearly all of the apps we selected can be used on any iOS device you own. We hope you have as much fun checking these out as we did testing them. And if we missed one.You have your connect-the-dots apps and your color-by-number apps, but with Connect N Color, you get both in one fun package. The app's activity pages flow together as a simple story about a character, Fuzzy the Fox, as he goes through an ordinary day at school. You start by connecting the dots, as each scene in the story offers at least one such puzzle to complete, and when you've finished, you use the color palette to shade in the numbered sections in each puzzle. Besides its two-in-one artistic benefits, Connect N Color also helps to teach patterns and number recognition, so you're actually sneaking in some rudimentary learning skills as you keep the kids entertained.


text:
2013 is turning out to be a banner year for the Californian buzz band known as The Neighbourhood. Having just dropped their debut album I Love You in April, they're currently in the middle of a North American tour, fresh off successful gigs at Coachella. The sold out show at the Commodore Ballroom was a testament to their burgeoning popularity, and it seems the band is on track to have one of the biggest songs of the summer with their single "Sweater Weather", which seems made for those airy summer night cruises; ironic considering how it's all about being so cold (whoa ohh).
Alternately described as indie-hop and dark pop, The Neighbourhood's music is full of amorphous beats that would work equally well as either hip hop or rock, and it finds a nice balance between the two and is likely to appeal to those who like a little rock with their hip hop, and vice versa. It's fitting that frontman Jesse Rutherford dabbled in rapping prior to The Neighbourhood, and you can hear those influences in his multi-syllablic rhymes and hip hop cadences.
The Neighbourhood opened on a strong note, as the intro for "How" kicked the crowd that was already buzzing and cheering into high gear. Then, as the drums started hitting, it was over – the energy boiled over and everyone started moving. They have a carefully managed image where everything is monochromatic black and white, and this colour scheme permeates everything from their website, to music videos, to promo photos. Even onstage, they captured that neo-noir look through the effective use of strobe-light flashes, smoke, and silhouette that worked amazingly well as we'd see brief glimpses of the band in colour before they got swallowed up into the shadows.
After a few songs, the band took a quick intermission to wish the drummer a happy birthday, as it just so happened to be the day of the concert. Out of the five band members, I think the drummer secretly stole the show. I'd find myself occasionally just watching the drums and trying to see if I could hear every single hit and thump. I was also impressed by their versatility, as the songs would transition from dubstep influences to hip hop to alt-rock, and all the different rhythms and styles were capably handled by all members.
Randomly breaking out into song with complete strangers is a luxury not often afforded in everyday life. One of the highlights of my night was this one girl beside me whom I thought was particularly awesome because of the way she played the air drums wholeheartedly. Music can do that to people.
Standout tracks included "How", "Let It Go", and "Sweater Weather". The show was a tight, cohesive set where the moody and atmospheric songs would bleed into each other, and they played the majority of their debut album, plus one or two additions from their earlier I'm Sorry EP. I'd been listening to their album on repeat the last few days as a quick crash course, and the band certainly delivered as the live performances sounded close to studio quality. As I listened to the dark, atmospheric synth-hip hop beats infused at times with the dubstep "woomp woomp", I realized how heavy bass just sounds awesome in the Commodore as the floor rumbles with the music and movement of feet.
I can honestly say that, even after seeing them live, I wouldn't be able to recognize any of them if I happened to pass them on the street, save for possibly the lead singer. The Neighbourhood are a somewhat enigmatic and mysterious band, seeming to subscribe to the 'less is more' approach when it comes to background info. Their performance at the Commodore successfully maintained that mystique.