text:
The Lord's Prayer
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible membership
$14.95 a month
Buy for $6.95
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
"In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that, as Jesus was awaiting His arrest and crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane, He went to his disciples and found them sleeping. He asked them to tarry with Him and to keep watch. (Matt 26:38) ("Tarry" meant to watch and pray with Him.) Similarly, here we are at the end times and the great and awesome day of the Lord is fast approaching. Jesus is asking this question again to each and every one of us saying, 'Will you tarry with me?'
"I am writing this as an encouragement for you to take your prayer life to another level. There is nothing wrong with any type of prayer, even our quick prayers that say thanks, help, or especially 'I love you' to the Father. But I believe we need to advance higher and press in farther, no matter where we are currently in our prayer life. Some may not know how to get closer in prayer or take that part of their life to the next level, but remember: even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. (See Luke 11:1) By studying The Lord's Prayer, we can tap into this same teaching Jesus shared with his disciples and allow it to enrich our own prayer lives."


text:
We're delighted and excited to announce that Mark Boyle's new book, The Moneyless Manifesto, is now available!
Mark's first book The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living documents his experiment to see if it is possible to live entirely without money for a year. Starting in November 2008, he then went on to live moneylessly for 3 years!
In this new book, the Moneyless Man, ex-businessman Mark Boyle, not only demystifies money and the system that binds us to it, he also explains how liberating, easy and enjoyable it is to live with less of it. Mark will help simplify and diversify your personal economy, helping to free you from the invisible ties to money, and making you more resilient to financial shocks. The Moneyless Manifesto will enable you to start your journey into a world where money takes on a new meaning.
In the spirit of The Moneyless Manifesto, the book is available to read in different ways:
1. For those who wish to own a copy, the book is available from us directly as a paperback copy and in e-book format. Money from sales will go towards the cost of printing the book, as well as helping to fund Mark's latest venture, a land-based gift economy which will serve as a research and education centre for moneyless living, where people can come and learn through doing, participate in free courses and experience how it feels to live in complete connection with the land.
2. Mark's freeconomic approach also means you can read the book online for free.
If you have a free evening on 8th November, do come to the book launch. Mark and Tom Hodgkinson (author of How to be Free) will be speaking at the Idler Academy at 6.30pm. For more information, visit our events page.
For more information, visit www.moneylessmanifesto.org
Mark has his own author page on our new permanentpublications.co.uk – Read his autobiography, watch videos and buy the book here.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fireside Chat: Reflections on Frederick Douglass and Daniel O'Connell
Event01 November 2018
Fireside Chat: Reflections on Frederick Douglass and Daniel O'Connell.
Please join us at the Consulate from 5.30 to 7.30pm on Wednesday 14th November for a "fireside chat" with Dr. William H. Smith, Founding Executive Director of the National Center for Race Amity and Irish author Don Mullan, of Hope Initiatives International.
Smith and Mullan recently returned from Ireland where they completed a four province screening of Smith's documentary film 'An American Story: Race Amity and the Other Tradition', about "The Other Tradition" in American race relations - the tradition of amity and close cross/racial collaboration to advance equity and social justice. The film focuses on the relations between pivotal figures of different races who worked together to advance equality, including the meeting in Dublin in 1845 of Frederick Douglass and Ireland's Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator.
The fireside chat will discuss the visit of Frederick Douglass to Ireland, his encounter with Daniel O'Connell – including an inspirational speech by O'Connell which Douglass transcribed and sent back to the Abolitionist Movement in the USA, and the view that having come to Ireland as a single issue campaigner (to help end American slavery), Douglass left Ireland as an internationalist.
Smith and Mullan will be reflecting on their experiences in Ireland, their vision for a Frederick Douglass and Daniel O'Connell "Season", and their views on the issues facing the U.S. and Ireland in the area of race amity.
If you are interested in attending, please register through Eventbrite here:


text:
When the creator and original performer of DNA's 'Chicken Licken' Adam Bennett met Melvyn Rawlinson to work together with Luis Zornoza Boy at Norwich Puppet Theatre to create a solo show of The Pied Piper, neither of them had the slightest idea that many years later they would still be working together to perform and tour a solo show of Chicken Licken for DNA.
Melvyn is currently touring 'Chicken Licken' to schools and theatres in the Winter and Spring of 2012/13 around the UK. Chicken Licken continues to be a popular classic and we welcome Melvyn to the ranks of seasoned performers of this show; Adam Bennett, Mark Down and Mark Whitaker. We're sure you'll enjoy Melvyn's skill, comedy and coviviality as he delights children and adults in this magical performance.


text:
Welcome to Advanced Placement Environmental Science!
Welcome to Advanced Placement Environmental Science, also known as APES! On this page you will find a general overview of the APES course as well as links and other resources. For specific unit content information, calendars, etc. please hover over "AP Environmental Science" under the "Classes" tab and select the current unit of study. While many resources and coursework will be posted on this class webpage, please know that we will use the Canvas LMS for some assignments, blended instruction learning modules, etc.


text:
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
As the feared court poison master, Nikko is sworn to do as his king bids. As the lover of the king's nephew, Lord Rodas, Nikko must hide his affection or risk being labeled a traitor and punished. A former thief who clawed his way into the palace from the filthy streets, Nikko longs to be deserving of Rodas's love.
A respected war hero, Rodas is in a delicate political situation. He is not the kingdom's natural heir, though many support his claim over the wastrel, Prince Fortin. The last thing Rodas wants is war. His highest ambition is for Nikko to openly wear the jewels he's bestowed on him as a public declaration of their love.
Neither man is prepared for the king to order Nikko to poison Rodas during the solstice feast or for the deadly intrigue they're plunged into, which exposes their affair and rocks the foundations of the kingdom.
This was a nice story, however as I thought when I first read the description it isn't what one would think of as a Christmas story. It is focused on the Solstice but doesn't have the same feel. I could feel Nikko's pain of indecision and duty when he is ordered to kill his lover. Rodas seems genuine but I didn't really get a good feel for him. I'm not a fan of the whole have to have an heir thing but I can have a lover also; it just feels too close to cheating to me but in the world they seem to live in it's the best that Nikko could hope for.
Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza. Great cover….for anything but an Advent story. Not sure how I feel about it.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 56 pages
Published: December 12, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English


text:
New hours, offers, sermons, or announcements - these are just a few of the things you can display with your own Outdoor Programmable LED Signs. Large, high-quality videos, words, or pictures can grab people's attention and provide you with effective marketing and increased business. No other marketing option delivers the results as Outdoor LED Signs.
Whatever industry you're in, your company can profit from outdoor LED signs. And when you want affordable, quality LED signs, you have MaxxLite.
Industries MaxxLite has helped:
- Advertising Agencies
- Auto Dealerships
- Banks, - Bars, - Bowling Alleys
- Churches
- Dentist and Doctor Offices
- Entertainment Centers
- Government
- Grocery Stores, - Plazas
- Realtors, - Restaurants
- Schools, - Shopping centers
When you want an LED sign for your business, you shouldn't have to pay for a sign at a price that is half your company's yearly budget. At MaxxLite, you can have a beautiful, high-quality sign at a rate you can reasonably afford. Our prices are consistently less and even up to half of our competitors' prices.
We also offer deals for non-profits.
Need financing? We offer plenty of options. You can pay over a one- to five-year basis and even get tax benefits from leasing one of our signs.
For over 43 years, we have helped companies nationwide design and manufacture LED signs that are of quality workmanship. We always provide state-of-the-art aluminum cabinets and other parts that don't fade when the sun comes out.
We offer both custom and standard LED sign sizes, so whatever you need, we have.
Ready for your sign? Contact us through our online form or call us at 248-399-0111.
LED Pixels Per SqFt:
Full Color Text, Graphics, Video
Front Serviceable LED Sign Cabinets and Front Serviceable LED Modules.
We have your LED sign solution.
Need an LED sign for your business, church or school?
An LED sign provides immediate messages & increases traffic.
We will guide you through the selection of your display to insure that you have a successful project.
Established and Based in the
Great Lakes State of Michigan.
Our focus is customer satisfaction!
Superior manufacturing through value added engineering, design and materials. True outdoor Technology.
Value added support and service includes remote access.
I couldn't be happier with my experience working with MaxxLite signs. From the customer service all the way to the quality of my sign, they did such a great job. This sign has brought so much new business to my store. If I am having any issues adding new pictures or advertisements on my sign they are always available to assist me. Thank you for your great service!
Great Digital signs...Used MaxxLite on several commercial projects...Customer Service is #1... MaxxLite did a great job in all aspects of the commercial design and installation of our LED sign...Will be using them again for sure!
...Look forward to our next project.
Very happy with the results of all three of my sign projects with over several years. The first still looks great after 16 years. Most recently I had them change our church's changeable letters with a big gorgeous color LED sign that I can edit remotely from the comfort of my home. That system has been running flawlessly for over two years now. Great people to work with and very competitive pricing.
So I did a lot of research on LED signs and how much they are able to increase business. I decided to go with MaxxLite's Outdoor LED Signs because they are local, and I was able to look at a few signs that they installed. I ended up buying an 8' double sided LED 16 mm sign, which the upgraded to 13mm, and let me tell you it looks great! MaxxLite is very knowledgeable, personable and very professional. This company comes highly recommended!
Absolutely love my new electronic message board from MaxxLite. It's proving to pay for itself by the number of impressions it's making with street level traffic exposure. I can not recommend MaxxLite Outdoor LED Signs enough. Top notch service, from concept phase to installation. Sincerely, Bill Nalu- Interstate Auto Care
Website is extremely user friendly and fast, we go there often for content to display on our LED sign and for continued training for new users! I haven't had any problems with our MaxxLite outdoor LED sign since we had it two years ago...They have a great staff that are very helpful and knowledgeable. We highly recommend this company.
We love our customers, call or visit us today!
44731 Woodward Avenue, Pontiac, Michigan 48341, United States
Copyright © 2020 MaxxLite LED Signs, A Sitto Industries Company - Manufacturing Quality Since 1976 - All Rights Reserved.


text:
Ajax Messages
Urgently required M&E Quantity Surveyor for Riyadh location on Rental basis.
Education:• Degree in Mechanical or Electrical related field.• Be fluent in English having Arabic is preferred but not essential.
Experience:• Minimum 5 years of experience in a relevant field, experience with large complex construction projects.• UAE/KSA experience preferred but not essential.
Responsibilities:• Strong knowledge of MEP systems.• Cost Planning and estimating• Undertake cost analysis for repair and maintenance project work• Tender services including compilation, tender analysis, negotiations and recommendations;• BOQ preparation, take-offs and build feasibility studies.• Ability to physically assess and survey various building types for MEP services in order to draw up a detailed priced BOQ.• Carrying out inspections on MEP services in buildings before purchase to assess the quality of and to identify faults.• Undertake condition (snagging) surveys of MEP related services.• Ability to conduct and produce Planned Preventative Maintenance programmes related to MEP services within buildings.• Plan, organize and carried out M&E project management activities to ensure that assigned projects are executed in a smooth and effective manner to achieve and exceed the cost, quality, timeliness and customer satisfaction objectives.• Ensure that safety procedures are incorporated in all M&E project management activities and takes initiatives to promote a safety working culture.• Prepare works schedules• Ensure project performance through close supervision, site checks, close monitoring of site progress and swift resolution of any quality and work schedule issues• Update and summarizes all project development performance in monthly management meetings• Pre- and post-contract experience including cost planning and procurement• Supporting new tool installations for quantity surveying, cost management, project controls and project management• Supporting and preparing project cost estimates from conceptual through various stages of design using experience, historical data and parametric ratios• Supporting change order and claims review, including review and recommendation of entitlements in accordance with the contractual terms and conditions• Understand the implications of health and safety regulations.
Others:• Good I.T skills• Be familiar with Auto CAD, preferably BIM 360


text:
This section contains 841 words
(approx. 3 pages at 400 words per page)
Superstition is the belief in supernatural causality. In this novel, the good people of Schongau believe in witchcraft, in the idea that one woman could have the power to call on the devil to kill multiple times and cause a fire even while she is in jail.
Superstition was common in the 1600s, the time period in which this novel is set. During this time, people were deathly afraid of witches because they believed that these witches could do things that are beyond explanation, bringing death or plague down on the people around them. It was during this time that many innocent women were put to death because of the belief that they had the power to cause illness or death.
In this novel, the village of Schongau suffered a witch hunt a generation before in which more than sixty women were put to death, some...
This section contains 841 words
(approx. 3 pages at 400 words per page)


text:
Click Here for Online Booking
All Pro Heating & Plumbing provides Prompt, Professional Plumbing Services in the Northern NJ Area.
We take pride in what we do and we are 100% Committed to Providing our customers with a pleasant experience when dealing with their Plumbing issues. Contact us today for Professional Plumbing Services at fair prices. All Pro Heating & Plumbing is a Full Service Plumbing & Heating Contractor. We perform any job from the smallest repair to a full Kitchen or Bathroom Renovation. Below we have listed a sample of the Plumbing Services that we offer. Contact us today for Fast, Fair Service!
Some of Plumbing Services that we offer:
Shower Plumbing
Toilet Repair
24 Hour Plumbing
Plumbing and Heating
Water Heater Repair & Replacement
Commercial Plumber
Residential Plumbers
Construction Plumbing
Bathroom Plumbing
Clogged Toilet
Toilet Plumbing
Plumbing Heating
Drain Repair
Plumbing Maintenance
Plumbing Leaks
Home Plumbing Repair


text:
Virtual Tour
Located in the plush leafy neighbourhood of New Friends Colony in South Delhi, 'Smile Delhi-The Dental Clinic', is an ISO certified multispeciality dental clinic. For the last 18 years, I, Dr Suprriya B Bhatia with my team of six visiting specialist dentists have been providing comprehensive dental care (from the latest to the most basic treatments) to patients from across the globe (58 countries). "Smilemakeover in just 4 days" & "Dental implants & crowns in just 1 week (one phase)" are our signature treatments.


text:
I always intend to try out different recipes of chicken available on the internet. Initially, I follow the base recipe with a little changes as per the ingredients readily available in-house or as per the need of my taste buds ;).
Here where we stay, incase we want to buy halal chicken be need to buy it in tray form which weighs a minimum of 1.5 kg that is 3 lbs and so ideally is alot for us two people. We do get lesser quantity in the American stores but the type of pieces is fixed like on drumsticks or breast or skinless thighs, etc. As such we don't mind buying large quantity at halal store as we get a mix of pieces. I always prefer to store it in portions of four.
I had a portion remaining in the freezer and wanted to consume it trying out something new. I came across this recipe on YouTube. Personally I had not tasted chicken do pyaaza anytime before. So I didn't have anything to compare the outcome of what I tried with. Though the outcome was very delicious and spicy and liked by all at home. So lets begin.
Recipe :
Ingredients :
for marination :
- 500-750 gms of chicken, cleaned, washed and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt as per taste
For the masala blend :
- 1 tbsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp cloves
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp black cardamom (roughly 3-4)
For the base :
- 2 medium onions, one – finely chopped and other – cut into cubes
- 3 small/ medium tomatoes – blanched and puree them after removing skin
- 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup yoghurt/dahi
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder/paprika
- 3 green chillies, slit (optional) – I had added these but these chillies I used were too spicy and the curry turned too hot. So incase the chillies that you are to use are also spicy avoid using them if you can bear too hot curry.
- 1 tbsp of masala blend
- 1 tbsp kasoori methi or dry fenugreek leaves
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
Method :
- Marinate the chicken with the other ingredients mentioned under marination. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder till well incorporated
- In a wok or saucepan, heat the ghee.
- Saute the ginger garlic paste till its rawness disappears.
- Then add the chopped onions and saute till slight brown.
- Add the tomato puree and allow to cook.
- Next add the yoghurt mix and cook for another 5-7 minutes till oil separates.
- Add all the remaining spices, salt, marinated chicken and cubed onion. If you using the green chillies add them here.
- Allow this to boil till the chicken is well cooked. The twisted I added here is I had pressure cooked the marinated chicken prior for 2 whistles. And then added the pressure cooked chicken at this stage. 2 whistles didn't completely cook the chicken but was 75-80% done. The rest was cooked while we boiled it in the gravy.
- Garnish with kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy the spicy Chicken do pyaaza with rotis or phulkas.


text:
Review: Smart Storage Systems Optimus 400GB
Welcome to Myce's review of the Smart Storage Systems Optimus
SAS Enterprise SSD.
Smart Storage Systems (hereafter referred to as Smart) is a
member of the Smart family of global companies. This family is a leading
supplier of electronic subsystems for the most demanding OEMs around the
world. So, whilst Smart may not be as well known as some of the household names
such as Intel and Samsung, they are very well known to the large OEMs, such as
IBM having won large scale contracts for the supply of Solid State Storage
('SSS') solutions to be used within OEMs' integrated server solutions.
I find the term OEM a bit confusing, it stands for 'Original
Equipment Manufacturer', so it sounds to me as if Smart is an OEM but within
the computer industry it is the IBMs of this world (the systems integrators that
buy specialist parts from other companies, which they then package into an
integrated solution for their customers) that are regarded as the OEMs.
Smart was acquired by the Silver Lake, Private Equity
Company in 2011. Silver Lake is widely regarded as being the global leader in
technology investing with over 23 billion USD in combined assets under management
and committed capital. They are also regarded as having unparalleled
Technology Sector expertise and have a reputation for investing in market
leaders that are positioned for dynamic growth. So suffice to say, Smart is
well funded and is, in my opinion, very likely to be one of the big winners in
the SSS industry as the battleground continues to grow in the coming years.
Market Positioning and Specification
Market Positioning
Smart differentiates the Optimus in two ways:
Firstly, and simply, they assert that it is the fastest SAS
Enterprise SSD. We'll look at this in our Performance Testing.
Secondly, they believe their proprietary Guardian Technology
is a key differentiator from competitors' solutions. This is how Smart
positions the Guardian Technology –
And here is a video, which explains it further –
Here is Smart's specification for the Optimus (taken
directly from Smart's Product Overview PDF) –
I understand that the Optimus Ultra and the Optimus Ultra+ SSD
models, also offered by Smart, are essentially the same as the standard Optimus
except for greater levels of over provisioning and the number of random Drive Writes
Per Day (DWPD) warranted – the standard Optimus is warranted for 10 DWPD for 5
years, the Optimus Ultra for 25 and the Optimus Ultra Plus for 50.
Product Image
Here is a picture of the Optimus drive I tested. The
picture shows it plugged into a 'T Card' which enables access to both ports for
testing dual/wide port performance.
I understand the Optimus uses Toshiba 24nm toggle NAND. It
has a total of 512GB of NAND with 112GB being set aside for over provisioning
and use by the controller. The controller is a proprietary Smart solution.
Now let's head to the next page, to look at Myce's
Enterprise Testing Methodology…..


text:
Custom signs are the best way to convey a message to customers and future customers. In order for a sign to be effective, it must be able to be read. Selecting the correct letter height, type style, and color scheme is necessary or your investment in any type of sign will be ineffective. Below are some simple guidelines to help explain how to reach as many targets as possible with you signs, be it vehicle wraps or graphics, yard signs, banners, or building signs. There are many factors to consider when creating custom signs, if you feel overwhelmed, don't worry we are here to help! You can call or email us and we can help you select the best color combination, font, and letter height to guarantee that your message doesn't go unnoticed.
You can use our letter visibility chart to determine the best size of letters for your sign. Our recommendation is that for every 10' of distance a letter will need to be 1" tall or larger. For instance: if your banner needs to be read from 50' away the letters should be at least 5" tall for maximum impact. The letters will be able to be read up to 175', but 50' will provide the best readability.
Even with the correct letter height chosen, your sign might not be as effective as it can be without using the correct color scheme. High contrast colors allow a message to jump off a signs surface and impact the reader. The most common schemes that are easiest to read included red and white, black and yellow, dark blue and white, among others combinations. If colors are used that are too close in tone your message could be difficult to read, or even worse, it may go completely unnoticed.


text:
First things first: I, Poppa .. have not been posting enough. I've been a tad bit busy, but I want to avoid neglecting this blog too much. So, I put together a look inspired by one of my current favorite songs. Bondax's "Gold (Snakeships Bootleg)" is on repeat for me right now, as it should be for you. Especially if you're wearing an awesome pair of holographic ankle strap heels, the coolest sunglasses invented, and a vivid red-orange lip. (more…)
Can You Stand The Rain?
This, my first ever Outfit Of The Day, has quite a funny story behind it. Basically, I got dressed in kind of gloomy, neutral colors ('cause that's how I roll), even though the weather outside was absolutely beautiful. I mean old-school-Windows-2000-background beautiful. Then, I got this bright idea to take advantage of the lovely weather by asking my friend if she'd snap some pictures of me in a nearby park, which is even more beautiful. But by the time I finished getting dressed, doing my makeup, and driving to my friend's house to scoop her up, it was not only raining cats and dogs, but also striking lightning like once every five seconds within what seemed like a few miles of our houses and the park! So, we ended up trying to dodge raindrops on her back porch to get the shots.
Apparently taking OOTD pictures is a dirty job! (more…)


text:
You are hereMarch 19, 2014
'DIY' finger prick yields ample stem cells for banking
Researchers have discovered what appears to be an easy way to collect large quantities of viable stem cells that can be banked for future regenerative medicine purposes – all from the simple prick of a finger. The study results were published online in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine.
"We show that a single drop of blood from a finger-prick sample is sufficient for performing cellular reprogramming, DNA sequencing and blood typing in parallel. Our strategy has the potential of facilitating the development of large-scale human iPSC banking worldwide," said Jonathan Yuin-Han Loh, Ph.D., of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. He is principal investigator on the study that also included scientists from other Singapore facilities as well as those in the United States and Great Britain.
The medical world in general is excited about the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for studying diseases and for therapeutic regenerative medicine. Stem cells harvested from bone marrow and cord blood are highly amenable to reprogramming.
"Some methods can result in negative side effects, and then you have bone-marrow harvesting, which is invasive, while cord blood is limited to individuals who have deposited their samples at birth," Dr. Loh explained. "The large amount of blood needed to collect enough cells for reprogramming has also deterred many potential donors."
But two recent studies describing the generation of human iPSCs from a relatively small volume of peripheral blood – about 2 milliliters — made the Loh team wonder if they could reduce that quantity even further. "We gradually reduced the starting volume of blood (collected using a needle) and confirmed that reprogramming can be achieved with as little as .25 milliliters," Hong-kee Tan, lead author on the study and a research officer in the Loh lab reported.
This then made the team wonder whether a "DIY" (do-it-yourself) approach to blood collection might work too.
"To test this idea, we asked donors to prick their own fingers in a normal room environment and collect a single drop of blood sample into a tube," Tan said. "The tube was placed on ice and delivered to the lab for reprogramming."
The cells were treated with a buffer at 12-, 24- or 48-hour increments and observed under the microscope for viability and signs of contamination. After 12 days of expansion in medium, the cells appeared healthy and were actively dividing. The team next tested what happened when they reprogrammed the cells and succeeded in forcing them to become mesodermal, endodermal and neural cells. They were even able to induce some into giving rise to rhythmically beating cardiomyocytes.
"Interestingly, we did not observe any noticeable reduction in reprogramming efficiency between the freshly collected and the DIY finger-prick samples," Dr. Loh said. "In summary, we derived healthy iPSCs from tiny volumes of venipuncture and a single drop finger-prick blood samples. We also report a high reprogramming yield of 100 to 600 colonies per milliliter of blood."
"This highly efficient method for generating human iPSCs has the potential to accelerate both research on the cells and the banking of cells from large groups of donors," said Anthony Atala, MD, editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.


text:
Let's kick things off with my favorite books from 2013, while I'm still adjusting to 2014. Quite a few of these books were published in 2013, but I included older titles as well–those need some love too!
Conspiracy of Faith
Jussi Adler-Olsen
In Adler-Olsen's third entry in the Department Q series, Detective Carl Mørck and his unorthodox team of assistants investigate a bloody message in a bottle that washes ashore 14 years after its composition. Conspiracy of Faith lives up to the expectations built by the first Department Q entry "The Keeper of Lost Causes", and surpasses the somewhat disappointing follow-up "The Absent One", with intricate plotting and suspense.
The first two parts of this history/personal memoir hybrid detail the thrills of ballooning and of new love, and the inevitable plunges back to earth for each. These serve as a preamble to the final section, in which Barnes meditates upon the deep grief that accompanied the loss of his wife.
"Any Human Heart" is the personal journals of the fictional Logan Mountstuart, a remarkable man who wanders through much of the twentieth century, as a spy, a writer, a soldier, and a lover. I found myself rooting for Mountstuart, despite his deep flaws in character, through all his triumphs and tragedies in this clever and moving novel.
The Professor's House
Willa Cather
Willa Cather's best novel details an aging professor whose routine is upset by the move to a new house. He clings to the past and reflects back on the impact that an idealistic student had on his family.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman
This coming-of-age tale of a young boy and his other-worldly tormentor haunted me long after the book was finished. "Ocean" is Neil Gaiman's best novel since "Coraline".
Following a global outbreak that wipes out much of the population, pilot Hig, his dog, and a gruff survival partner Bangley struggle to protect what's left of their existence. Heller's novel is less about physical survival and more a meditation on spiritual survival in a world where so much has been stripped away.
Though very different in form and tone, Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep" was a welcome follow-up to "The Shining". Worth reading if for no other reason to find out just what happened to those characters decades later.
Full of twists of plot and parallel points of view, "Alex" lives up to its "exhilarating, literary, Hitchcockian" (Le Monde) description. Due to some brutally violent scenes, it's not for everyone, but I for one look forward to the next translation in the Commandant Camille Verhoeven series.
The Rosie Project
Graeme Simsion
Simsion's debut novel is best consumed with a large bowl of popcorn by your side. Despite hitting all the standard plot points expected in a romantic comedy, I still flew through the pages "The Rosie Project" pulling for self-micromanaged Don to set aside his social quirks and find his perfect match.
Tenth of December
George Saunders
Those who enjoy biting satire will find much to love in these complex and dark morality tales from Saunders. His previous collection, "Civilwarland in Bad Decline", is also a winner.
Joy in the Morning
P. G. Wodehouse
The adventures of Bertie Wooster and his faithful valet Jeeves are always good for a laugh, and this one just might be Wodehouse's funniest.
Have a beloved book from last year that you want to recommend? Talk to us in the comments section!
–Michael Hawkins
Head of Adult Services


text:
Hello, thanks for visiting my blog. I have moved my posts over to a new website. Please click here for the paper plate dragon post. Thanks x
Paper plate dragon craft for kids
30 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Craft Tags: activities for kids, activities for toddlers, art, art activities for kids, art activities for toddlers, craft, craft for kids, craft for toddlers, gluing, googly eye, Masking tape, paper plate animal, paper plate teeth, rainy day activities, sticking, tissue paper
Butterfly craft for toddlers and younger kids
09 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Craft, Uncategorized Tags: art, craft, craft for kids, craft for toddlers, glitter butterfly, glitter picture, handmade card, toddler craft
Hello, I have moved my blog, the post you are looking for can now be found here. Thanks for clicking.
Graze box craft – Happy Spring Chicken!
04 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Craft, Graze box art Tags: art, chicken, craft, craft for kids, craft for toddlers, draw around your child's hand, Easter, gluing, googly eyes, Graze box art, hand art, spring, sticking
Hi there, I have moved my blog self-hosted. Click here to find out how we made the Graze Box Spring Chicken. Thanks!


text:
Let's face it. If there was ever something to be said about blogging – it has been said. Well, maybe not everything. But, most of the time we hear more about blogging than the topic being blogged about. So, why am I endorsing and recommending that you get Beyond Blogging (affiliate link) by Nathan Hangen and Mike Cliffe Jones?
Because they've collected the wisdom of top bloggers and distilled it into one place. Yours truly was humbled to be a part of this lineup – but seriously, this is an excellent list of bloggers –
* Chris Brogan (who doesn't love Chris and his blog?)
* Gary Vaynerchuk (wine and personal branding GURU!)
* Penelope Trunk (a blogger who pushes the envelope and succeeds)
* Chris Garrett (awesome blogger + humble soul)
* Darren Rowse (one of the original bloggers)
* Pete Cashmore (good looking? yes. also the force behind Mashable.)
* Jonathan Fields (good buddy and super cool blogger)
* Steve Pavlina (excellent writer and builder of communities)
* Brian Clark (fellow Dallasite and ummm CopyBlogger!)
and more….
I love the fact that it doesn't matter if you are a new blogger or a pro – you will really walk away with some solid ideas on what it means to leverage blogging for your greater goals. And, you have to love that.
So, whip out some of your holiday money and go get Beyond Blogging.


text:
Who Doesn't Like Chocolate?
As you may know by now, my wedding is coming up soon! And this past weekend my fantastic sister threw me a super fun bridal shower that included non-embarrassing shower games (thank goodness for that!)
Her ice breaker game was a huge hit and taught me something I'm pretty sure we all already knew.
The object of the game was to interact with everyone at the shower. Family and friends were encouraged to chat with her "Getting To Know You" game which gave everyone a card with "facts" on them. Each card was different and included things you had to find among the other shower guests. Like someone with blue eyes, someone who drives a Volkswagon or someone who had held the groom as a baby.
Most were pretty easy to find if you asked around, but a few were downright impossible.
It turned out that not a single person at the shower had a birthday in May and perhaps the most obvious there was no one there that didn't like chocolate.
I know what your thinking, what a cheat! How could that even be a question. Who doesn't like chocolate?!? And yet, it was on my card. I asked everyone and (shocker!) couldn't find a single person in attendance that did not like chocolate.
I mean it's chocolate...what's not to like?
What was really weird was that a couple of people knew someone that didn't like chocolate, though that mythical person wasn't there. I think it's cause those people don't exist. I mean it's chocolate...what's not to like?
I think that's why our Chocolate Affair event is such a huge hit. A night where you can sample all sorts of chocolate treats, learn about chocolate skin care and even see some gorgeous chocolate diamond jewelry...it all sounds good to me!
Of course if you are that rare non-chocolate enjoying anomaly this might not be the night out for you. Though you are more than welcome to come with me, so I can nab your share of the chocolate deliciousness!


text:
At HHMM, we have many solutions for your budget needs. Based on flexibile programming and milestone achievements, we can scale a project up or down, meeting our client's needs.
Each project is carefully discussed and reveiwed with our client's objectives in mind.
We offer:
Office: +1 800 806 5285
Fax: 1 646 792 4678
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Monday-Friday: 8am-7pm est
Looking to increase your product brands visibility? We are here to help. Contact us today to put our team to work for you.
See for yourself how our creative mobile and gamification solutions have driven the success of other companies, founded in our gaming heritage, Wha Entertainment, Inc.
Explore our portfolio Gaming Heritage!


text:
How to Paint an Old Vinyl Chair
Painting an old vinyl chair is simple, but don't use just any paint you have on hand. In general, paint and vinyl don't go together well. In no time, the paint will start to peel off, leaving you with a chair that looks worse than before.
Instead, purchase specialty vinyl spray paint, which allows it to adhere to flexible vinyl surfaces. You can find vinyl paint at most home and garden centers.
Clean the chair thoroughly with a solution of 1/2 cup of oxygen bleach and 1 gallon of hot tap water. Use a scrub brush to remove stubborn grime. Rinse and wipe dry with a microfiber cloth.
Cover any nonvinyl parts of the chair, such as chrome or wood, with painter's tape.
Place the chair on a drop cloth outdoors.
Shake the can for one minute. Hold the can 10 inches from the vinyl, and spray an even coat of paint on the surface. Allow the paint to dry for five minutes, or as recommended by the manufacturer, then apply a second coat.
Allow the vinyl paint to dry overnight before use.
Things You Will Need
- 1/2 cup oxygen bleach
- Scrub brush
- Microfiber cloth
- Painter's tape
- Drop cloth
- Vinyl spray paint
Paint a new color over your old vinyl for a total makeover.
Always use spray paint in a well-ventilated area or outdoors.


text:
Destructive marketing habits of major brands
Brands inevitably develop bad habits if they fail to continuously consider the consumer's perspective. The sheer number of tools available can convolute the industry, so it becomes easy to copy others who've seen success with certain tactics while failing to ask the critical question, "What will this actually do for my brand?" Commonly, the pressure to adopt shiny new methods can force marketers to forego strategic thinking in favor of a potential quick fix. On the other hand, time-tested marketing tactics must be regularly reevaluated to ensure continued efficiency.
The line between good and bad marketing practices can be very thin. If you're not effectively measuring your efforts, what you think is benefiting your brand may actually be having an insidious effect. The following is a look at damaging marketing behavior that even the most dominant brands develop. Interestingly, these habits evolved after embracing some of the most valuable marketing tools today. Do any of these behaviors look a little too familiar to you?
Oversharing on social
To say the least, creating deep social connections with consumers isn't easy. As a brand, though your fans and followers have agreed to receive your content, you are still a brand, regardless of the human beings managing your social presence. Consequently, connecting with individuals without driving them away is a major challenge. Brands are under high levels of scrutiny, so it's crucial for companies to circulate more useful, entertaining, or interactive messages than posts created from a sales perspective. Even if you are able to do so, a simple mistake can sabotage your entire efforts. That mistake is oversharing. But how does a brand know if they are oversharing on social?
For the sake of this argument, we'll examine two types of oversharing: excessive posting and lengthy content. First, let's look at content length, specifically on Facebook. According to Jeff Bullas, referencing his study on retail brands, wall posts fewer than 80 characters gained 66 percent higher engagement than lengthier posts. Additionally, posts between one and 40 characters receive 86 percent higher engagement from fans. Clearly, consumers love brevity when it comes to sharing. So, what does it look like when a brand violates this golden rule?
Consider the following posts from Rite Aid, published three days apart on the topic of Valentine's Day. Specifically, examine the engagement seen through "likes," comments, and shares.
The February 14 post is short and sweet, consisting of 54 characters which comprise a simple call to action. In contrast, the February 11 message contains three sentences of 221 characters and a call to action buried deep within the text. Sure, "sharing" is an easier task than uploading a photo, but higher engagement would have likely come from solely posting the concise sentence, "Upload a photo of your kid's homemade valentine here."
On the other hand, posting too often is another way to shoot oneself in the foot. For three months, Socialbakers analyzed the content from Facebook's top brands and concluded that brands should typically post no more than once a day. Furthermore, if brands post fewer than two times a week, they may fail to maintain connections with fans. However, posting more than two times a day leads to engagement loss as well. To understand the significance of keeping one's posts rare, check out the sheer amount of "likes," shares, and comments accumulated on Oreo's Facebook page for content published five days apart.
In addition, Socialbakers studied brand tweets and found that the average engagement rate declined after the third tweet of the day. Consequently, three or fewer tweets create the most engagement for brands; however, brands are still inundating followers with an onslaught of Twitter messages.
All the same, social marketing is extremely complex. It's possible for oversharing brands to establish deep, long-lasting connections with their fans and followers. Obviously, the more a brand posts and tweets, the more chances consumers have to engage, which makes oversharing an easy habit to develop. However, the power of one meaningful social message is diluted when consumers are overwhelmed by a sea of your brand's content. By following simple guidelines regarding frequency and length, brands can maximize the value of each post or tweet and minimize consumer resentment.
Jumping on bandwagons
Casanova once said, "Be the flame, not the moth." Constant innovation in tech has created numerous sources of light -- and even more attracted insects. Ever chasing the buzz, brands want to reach early adopters. Smart brands capable of harnessing new technologies and engaging consumers with timely, relevant, and strategically aligned marketing messages -- in the new communication mediums of consumer choice -- lead the way for others to follow. Certainly, brands can benefit from quickly adopting the latest marketing tactics; however, they must do so with an overall strategic goal in mind or risk resembling a pest loitering around with no apparent purpose. In other words, adopting new marketing tactics solely for the sake of adoption leads to nowhere. Unfortunately, this is a habit that's tough to break.
Although real-time marketing has been around for years, the phrase has exploded within the past year -- and the practice will continue its growth. According to MediaPost, "76 percent of marketers are using real-time marketing, and 88 percent consider it important to their 2014 plans." Consequently, brand marketers are waiting with bated breath for that perfect opportunity to reach audiences with contextually relevant content in the moment. And many brands have seen success -- from Oreo's oft-mentioned "Dunk in the Dark" to NASA's "Gravity" tweet during the Oscars to my personal favorite from Citi Bike and J.Crew. Trying to duplicate these real-time victories, other brands have hopped on board with dissimilar results.
Take, for instance, Dockers' attempt during the 2014 Oscars. We all remember Arby's Twitter conversation with Pharrell Williams during the Grammys, in which the sandwich chain commented on Pharrell's hat for its resemblance to the company's logo. Proceeding the Grammys, Pharrell put his hat up for auction on eBay. Just before the Oscars, Arby's purchased the hat for $44,100, receiving a shout out from Pharrell.
Dockers, who had been encouraging Arby's to purchase the hat prior to the event, chimed in on the conversation.
Although it's hard to fault Dockers' endeavor, the company's tweet pales in comparison with the more substantial, wider-reaching conversation between Pharrell and Arby's, which, needless to say, involved thousands of retweets and dollars. The unfortunate result for Dockers, despite its best intentions, is an appearance of desperation, attempting to ride the coattails of Arby's real-time success. As previously mentioned, quickly adopting something new can prove beneficial. However, if you chose to catch a ride on a bandwagon, be sure to know where it's going.
Relying too much on automation
An invaluable tool, automation is an extremely hot topic. Aptly stated on Econsultancy's blog, automation is "an important tool for bringing order to the warring worlds of marketing and sales by improving lead scoring and nurturing." When correctly applied, it effectively manages the targeting and timing of marketing content in response to consumer behavior. In other words, automation can lead to personalized interactions and increased engagement rates. When used incorrectly, marketing automation undercuts the human-to-human connection ingrained in the most innovative and exciting advertising efforts today.
There are a number of ways to fail with automation. Although it leads to consumer insights in real time, brands may neglect to create new content to match the buyer's entire life cycle, relying on hackneyed messaging from the past. Furthermore, even if new content is created based on holistic knowledge about consumers, it should reach them via the right channels, not exclusively email. In addition, brands that merely talk at consumers with automation tools rather than using the technology to sharpen their listening skills undermine the person-focused approach behind automation. One area in particular where brands seemingly can't help but screw up is social media automation.
We all remember the slogan from the Ronco rotisserie oven infomercials, "Set it and forget it!" Unfortunately, marketers are applying this motto to their social messaging strategy, scheduling updates to increase efficiency but neglecting their accounts entirely. Consequently, brands miss entire conversations with consumers, which is the point of social media marketing -- reciprocal conversation. As a result, many have turned to auto-replies to ensure consumers aren't ignored. This obviously increases response rates, but when the replies are generic, irrelevant, or inappropriate, high response rates mean nothing.
Although Domino's Pizza managed to turn its business around with a complete product makeover and extremely innovative marketing, the company isn't immune to automation fails. As reported by Digiday, when a happy fan posted a compliment on Domino's Facebook page, the company responded with an apology.
Even if this mistake can be accredited to a human, as Domino's suggests, it is likely the result of an individual uploading a predetermined response -- failing to actually listen to the fan -- which is robotic behavior nonetheless.
Furthermore, Twitter is a treasure trove of auto-reply failures. Oreo, a company that typically dominates social media, recently found itself in hot water. The brand replied to a user with a chance to receive a free pack of cookies. Sounds harmless right? Not when the reply is (likely) automated and the user's handle contains extremely offensive and racist words.
Social media automation is only a small piece of the entire automation pie, but mistakes within this segment reach a vast number of people, especially for brands as pervasive as those detailed above. If you're able to create highly personalized relationships with consumers by engaging them with relevant content and monitoring the conversation, automation is the tool for you. On the other hand, if you're lazy with automation and allow it to overpower the human voice and human judgment of your brand, consumers will move on to other, less robotic options.
Creating content for the brand -- not the consumer
As iMedia has noted, content marketing is nothing new. In fact, John Deere began publishing its magazine for farmers, The Furrow, in 1895 (and it's still produced today). However, 2013 was arguably the year of "content marketing," so companies scrambled to produce content internally or outsourced their efforts to those claiming expertise. Although savvy brands established clear marketing goals and understood the fundamental characteristics of successful content, many recklessly circulated haphazard content to the world. Consequently, a glut of shoddy content flooded the internet.
Let's not forget the purpose of content marketing. According to the Content Marketing Institute, its function is to "attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior." If your content isn't relevant and valuable from the consumer's perspective, it's pointless. Consequently, for a brand to truly capitalize on content marketing's potential, it should not approach content creation from a sales perspective but should assess the value of content in relation to practicality and genuine allure. Content marketing should be messaging individuals want to consume, not forced-fed junk food. With this in mind, let's take a look at how an innovative company failed to maintain a consumer-centered approach with their content marketing.
GE's visually appealing Ecomagination site is home to articles, videos, and images focused on green innovation and clean technology. Unfortunately, upon further investigation, the majority of content on the website is self-promotional, focused primarily on highlighting GE's accomplishments rather than painting a comprehensive portrait of the topics covered. Sure, the content is important to GE, but do clients and customers care?
At the same time, GE's online destination Txchnologist certainly upholds its focus on customers, serving as a genuine platform for conversations about science and technology.
Whether you love it or hate it (love the term or hate the term), content marketing is an essential part of many brands marketing mix. For it to be effective, however, brands must continue to create content from the consumer's perspective and always remember to provide value, not volume.
Kyle Montero is contributing editor of iMedia Connection.
On Twitter? Follow iMedia Connection at @iMediaTweet.
"Concept of stress and frustration" image via Shutterstock.
Login to leave comments.


text:
The Prince, the Pauper and your Brain
What it all means for Advisors
Tom Canty was loitering outside the Palace gates when he collided with Edward Tudor, the Prince of Wales. A pauper from Offal Court in east London, he was immediately seized by the Royal Guards…
And so begins the Mark Twain's delightful novel, The Prince & The Pauper. It is a searing critique of the huge economic and social disparities between the have's & the have nots. Deeper than that, it is also a commentary on judging people by their appearance.
Something that is all too common. Which is why so much emphasis is placed on first impressions.
It's all driven by your Neurobiology
In many ways people can't help it. There are fundamental behavioural traits that have evolved over millions of years that drive this.
1. Sensory overload
As a physical being, our brain receives up to 50 Million bits of sensory information per second. (Reddit, 2015) Yet our conscious brain can only absorb 120 bits per second. (Levitin, 2015)
To cope, our brains have evolved highly effective ways of absorbing and processing that information. It happens instantaneously and unconsciously.
The first we are aware of it is after the thoughts that enter our brain have been fully formed and we are already making silent judgements.
2. Our success is social
Our survival and success depends upon how well we perform in a social context.
Therefore, we need to evaluate another person rapidly and 'read' them as a sign of who / how they are and how they will impact our well-being.
3. Imperfect mind readers
Finally, we all believe that we are good mind readers and can make accurate first time assessments of others. This is in spite of robust scientific evidence to the contrary. (Korb, 2013)
The result is that we all make first impression assessments of others in less than 1/10th of a second. (Todorov)
And we want to be right
The final clincher is that we have powerful psychological biases - confirmation bias and the powerful internal need for consistency - that many people automatically and unconsciously "look" for reasons to justify their first impressions.
[Note: people can and do change their mind but it requires emotional maturity and energy draining conscious effort. Hence, for example, the slippery slope of little lies]
For advisors, this can be especially tricky
For businesses that offer services and advice this can be especially tricky as most people do not have the technical knowledge to assess their capabilities:
1. Your accountant's performance
Because you got a refund - in which case, your business effectively loaned the Australian government money over the course of the year and they are giving it back to you.
2. Your IT support
Because your network security is never breached and has 100% up-time. In the meantime, they take ages to resolve individual IT issues and you keep having to explain yourself each time you call up.
3. Personal Financial Advisor
Because they are employed by a big bank. Cue Royal Commission in Canberra.
These are just a few of the mental short-cuts that people make in evaluating businesses.
It is difficult so they revert to first impressions:
- The advisors seem like a nice person
- They are well-dressed
- John, the referrer, said nice things about them
Which is fine but does leave things to chance as this is highly subjective.
Tips on how advisors can help themselves
1. Check the fundamentals
a. Your Web-site
Long before they meet you,between 68% and 83% of all buyers of business services go to your web-site first. They are checking you out. Does it look good visually? Is it easy to understand? Does your eyes flow easily through it?
b.Your point of difference
Can you explain why you are different and how you help prospective clients in ways that are meaningful to them?
c. Are you easy to find / meet
Coles & Woolies fight major business battles - as do shopping centres. Convenience is more important than brand loyalty (in spite of what the marketing people say) If you are not easy to find and reach then you're off the radar!.
2. Check yourself
a. Your appearance
Is it appropriate for the context of the meeting? You are exactly the same person whether you are in your swimmers as you are in formal wear, yet they give off completely different messages.
b. Are you present?
Are you there with your prospective client 100% in the moment or is your mind still distracted by other things: your to do list or the urgent email you have to respond to? They will pick up on it - automatically, unconsciously and make judgements.
3. Your initial process
How do you understand them as people, their particular world and its challenges. This is why they are coming to you. It is all about them.
Do you know me?
Do you know my world?
Can you relate?
These are the fundamental questions in every clients' head. They need to be answered first long before you go into a discovery process about their challenges / problems and how you might be able to help / fix them.
Too many advisors revert to talking about themselves and just playing lip-service to this - calling it building rapport. Yet, they lack the questioning, empathy and listening skills to build understanding.
However, manage this part well and it can even overcome dandruff on your collar.
As always, if you have any questions about this, I'd love to hear from you; just give me a call on 0459 320 999 or send me an email. - Alex
ReferencesHow much data does the human brain process per second? (2015). Retrieved from Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2xtz6n/how_much_data_does_the_human_brain_process_per/Korb, A. (2013, 7 1). Mind Reading and Miscommunication. Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201306/mind-reading-and-miscommunicationLevitin, D. J. (2015, 9 23). Why It's So Hard To Pay Attention, Explained By Science. Retrieved from Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/3051417/why-its-so-hard-to-pay-attention-explained-by-scienceUniversity of Penylvannia. (2006, 7 26). Penn researchers calculate how much the eye tells the brain. Retrieved from EurekAlert!: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-07/uops-prc072606.phpTodorov, A. (n.d.). Princeton University Department of Psychology.


text:
Collaborative WritingCategory
T LAB – Case Studies
T Lab is the R&D arm of Tipping Point Community, a Bay Area nonprofit that helps address problems of poverty and social inequality by seek..
STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW – Think Strategically About Prize Hosting
Social media has made it easy for organizations to launch competitions, but too few consider how such efforts best align with their goals…
TOPP – Design Technologists will transform your creative process — if you let them
What if the designer/developer dichotomy is undermining our creative process?
Great user experience is often integrative, bringing object..
TOPP – How to get the most out of your creative workshop
Creative workshops can build trust, and uncover ideas and design solutions you won't find anywhere else — if you plan and lead them proper..
BRESSLERGROUP – The Simple Secret to Unlocking Product Innovation
Designers and product developers have argued for years whether true innovation comes from new technologies or smarter insights. The answer..
SMART – The power of personalization in health and wellness
As technology's role in medicine grows, it promises to make therapies more effective through better use of data to shape treatment, or thr..
ZIBA – The Gen Z Report
It's tempting for brands to think of Gen Z as "like Gen Y, but more so", but this would be a mistake. Not only is America's current under-..
PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL – Portland at a crossroads
The city of Portland needs to rethink its approach to housing development, or risk losing what made it such a vibrant city in the first pl..
FAST COMPANY – How to Personalize Products Customers Actually Want
After more than a decade of flirting with mass personalization, we've learned it can be a double-edged sword: it's so tempting to customiz..
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW – CRM is an executive concern
Customer Relationship Management software is often hailed as a breakthrough for companies wishing to transform the way they connect with t..
CORE77 – The End of Product Failure
An explanation of three emerging technologies that take much of the potential risk out of product innovation.
The End of Product Failu..
WIRED – Millennials do products differently
A Gen X designer reflects on his interactions with Millennial-run startups as clients, and sees plenty of cause for optimism.
How Mille..


text:
10 Things To Do Around the City With Your Family This Weekend
Looking for things to do in Dubai with your family this weekend? From spooktacular Halloween parties to BBQs under the sun, there's something for everyone…
Thursday 26th October
1. Light & Sound Show
Time to get the whole family together! Embark on a musical journey of light and sound at Wafi, as the ancient Egyptian tale of 'The Return of the Pharaohs' unfolds.
When: 8pm & 9.30pm, daily
Cost: Free
Where: Pyramids building, Central Courtyard – Wafi
2. Julius Caesar
Got teens that are studying theatre? Head down to The Junction Dubai and watch Dubai's talented actors perform the Shakespearean classic, Julius Caesar, live on stage.
- Thursday & Friday, 7.30pm
- Saturday, 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Cost: AED 100
Where: The Junction Dubai, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
3. World Pasta Day
If you like pasta as much as we do, you are 'tortelli' going to love this. Italian restaurant Ricetta Dubai is giving away one free pasta dish to everyone who purchases a pasta dish! Don't be an im-pasta, head there asap!
When: 12pm to 3pm & 7pm to 12am, until 31st October
Cost: From AED 40
Where: Ricetta Dubai, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai
Friday 27th October
4. Kidzania After Dark
Kidzania Dubai Mall invites all the little ones down for some kid-friendly Halloween activities! From trick or treating to face painting and a spooky maze, it's going to be fang-tastic!
When: Daily until November 4th
Cost: AED 30 (online)
Where: Kidzania Dubai Mall
5. Pottery Class
Feeling creative? Get your hands messy and sign your family up for this fun taster class in pottery making at Yadawei Ceramic Studio. One of the most popular pottery classes in Dubai, each participant will enjoy an hour of pottery play with an experienced teacher, learning all the basics.
When: 11am to 12.3opm
Cost: AED 80 for adults, AED 45 for under 16s
Where: Yadawei Ceramic Studio, Al Quoz
6. Halloween Brunch
Out of all the fun things to do in Dubai, this one is going to be spooktacular! Get dressed in your scariest costume, and make your way down to the Halloween brunch at Chamas Dubai! There will be live entertainment, fun activities and a supervised play area for the little ones, too!
When: 1pm to 4pm
Cost: AED 299 (soft drinks), AED 399 (house), free for kids under 5
Where: Chamas Dubai, Crowne Plaza Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road
Saturday 28th October
7. HarvestFest
Fancy a proper British BBQ? Head to Reform Social and Grill Dubai for an entire day of family fun. There will be live music, over 50 beers and ciders from around the world, a bouncy castle for the kids, and many more fun things to do!
When: 2pm to 10pm
Cost: AED 50, under 21s enter free
Where: Reform Social and Grill Dubai, The Lakes
8. Halloween Bash
Creep it real at Wafi this weekend, with fun Halloween-themed activities for all ages. There will be trick or treating, storytelling, costume competitions, arts and crafts and so much more!
When: 2pm to 9pm, Friday & Saturday
Cost: Free
Where: Main Atrium, Wafi Mall
9. Truckers & Riders
Want do dine with horses? Make your way to Truckers this weekend, where you can enjoy delicious food, watch a spectacular horse show, play games, shop from little stalls and dance all night long.
When: 4pm to 11pm, Friday & Saturday
Cost: AED 50 (without brunch), AED 375 for brunch
Where: Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club
10. Trick 0r Treat
Are your little monsters ready for some fun this Halloween? Don't miss the annual trick or treat tour at City Walk Dubai, which includes two hours of Halloween-themed arts and crafts, and a trick or treat tour around the neighbouring shops!
When: 4pm to 9pm
Cost: AED 99
Where: Caboodle at City Walk Dubai


text:
For those of you who don't know, I started doing Crossfit back in October. And yesterday, I recently joined the 2012 Crossfit Games Open! I love being a part of my Chi-town Crossfit affiliate (check out the video!) and am hoping to help get some of my Rowfit teammates to regionals!
The first step is the Open, a worldwide, inclusive, five-week competition that kicked off yesterday on February 22. Each week on Wednesday at 5PM EST, there is a workout posted to www.games.crossfit.com. Teams around the world complete the workout and record their scores. The top 30 teams from the Open will qualify for the second step of competition – Regionals. The season culminates in the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games in Carson, California. At the Games, thousands of participants will be whittled down to around a 100 of the fittest men and women in the world.
What was the Week 1 workout?
Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of Burpees. This workout begins from the standing position. The athlete will move from flat on the ground to touching an object (such as a bar or rings) with both hands that is 6 inches above their max reach. Score is total reps completed.
How did I do?
I did 74 burpees in 7 minutes. It. was. brutal.
Sadly, I didn't make any appearances in the promo video at the top of the post, but here are some of my moments-in-time at Chi-Town Crossfit…
Double-unders in motion and Will in the background!
And last but not least, my new yellow Reebok RealFlex Crossfit Nano shoes!
Until next week…


text:
Ramifications of Rebuild Cube Options
There are important differences in the ramifications of the three Rebuild Cube options. By reading this topic, you can make an informed choice and achieve your desired outcome. The Rebuild Cube dialog has these three rebuild types:
Figure 1. Rebuild Types for Cubes
The following table summarizes the key features and ramifications for each of these rebuild options.
Table 1. Rebuild Cube Options
The Rebuild Metadata option can be performed quickly on Cubes that are largely populated with transactional data obtained directly from the relational data source (and have little manually inputted data). But the Rebuild Metadata process takes longer with Cubes that have a significant amount of manually inputted data because proCube must first export all of this data and store it so that it is not deleted during the Cube rebuild. After the Cube rebuild, proCube will automatically import this saved data back into your Cube.
The following table presents an alternative approach to understanding the differences between the Rebuild Cube options.
Table 2. Alternative View - Rebuild Cube Options
*The Mark Member as Persistent option (= "Persist") enables you to "save from deletion" a proCube-created Member. DO NOT use Persist feature on a Member that has been generated from underlying relational tables. The above bracketed statements are valid when that "Multidimensional Editing Allowed" option is enabled.


text:
Grab a pint and let us introduce ourselves.
Exploring Homebrew is the brainchild of a few parents from the inaugural class of Explore! Community School in Nashville, Tenn. In 2016, the group aspired to create an event that would promote the school, be fun for parents and community members to attend, and raise much-needed funds to support the operations of the school.
This innovative homebrew event was the first of its kind in Tennessee. Homebrewers from across middle Tennessee donate their best brew for event. Event goers enjoy unlimited tasting pours and vote for their favorite brews, ultimately determining the homebrew winners for the evening.
Over the last 4 years, Exploring Homebrew has grown to host approximately 20 brewers and over 30 beers each year, donating over $18,000 to the school. Exploring Homebrew has become a respected event among middle Tennessee brewers and a much-anticipated night out for supporters of Explore! Community School.
Learn more about the great work and mission of Explore! Community School.


text:
|Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
|$24.19 - $36.81
|Computer Programmers
|$29.92 - $49.90
|$18.93 - $31.31
|Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
|$15.55 - $23.08
|Welders and Brazers
|$12.91 - $21.09
|Insurance Sales Agents
|$18.69 - $40.97
|Associate Teachers/Educators
|$9.07 - $12.76
This site includes Information on California high school and community college courses, career options, and financial assistance. It will help you make decisions about the right courses to take in high school and community college so that you have the opportunity to turn that passion of yours into a great job and a great future.
California Career Zone is a new way to explore exciting jobs and occupations that the Golden State has to offer and to learn about what career path interests you.
CCCApply is a California Community College service provided free of charge to help students and their families plan for college.
CACareerCafe is a virtual career center for California Community College students. The website provides free activities and resources to help make decisions and get experience along the journey to a career and job!
Find many different types of financial aid available year round at California Community Colleges that directly connect you with events in your area where you can get free professional assistance completing financial aid forms.
Find college financial aid and scholarship information on this comprehensive search engine.


text:
On 15 April I hopped on the train to Manchester to see and photograph the Animal Mummies: Gifts to the Gods exhibition at the Manchester Museum in its last few days. I also met up with Curator of Egypt and Sudan and my old university buddy Campbell Price to find out how the exhibition has worked out.
The interview
How's exhibition gone? Has it been a success?
It has been a success. Obviously, I would say so, because I was working on it. But I think you can measure success by going into the gallery and hearing what people say, and we've had lots of positive comments from students, from little children, from older children, from very old people. Across sections of society, I think people have enjoyed the exhibition.
On a professional level, the museum's journal gives a very good review, which is always important in the industry. We've had a very good review from the Arts Council; they come and do a new thing in museums about quality control. You get a peer review from someone in the arts museum sector, so that was very important.
And finally, we actually won the best exhibition in the city award for Manchester, which is voted for by the regular museum-going public, so yes, it's been a massive success.
What's been the most popular part of the exhibition?
Honestly, I didn't think it at the time, but we chose to do smells right at the end of the chronological trail of the exhibition. We did some limited sampling of the mummies, and through that my colleagues have established the ingredients of mummification, so we have given people the chance to sniff the ingredients. I thought it would not be that interesting, but everyone loves it, and the smells are still really strong six months later.
And something else I thought really wouldn't be of much interest are the hieroglyph embossing stamps. I think it's because it's something you don't get at home. If you've got an iPad in the exhibition and it asks you a question, well, everyone knows what an iPad is. Not everyone has a hieroglyphic embossing stamp of animal hieroglyphs at home. So having the chance to learn something from the exhibition – understanding that in ancient Egypt you can communicate with the gods, put a message on a piece of paper, get an image of the god on the paper and then post it in the catacomb – is really something. So, that's probably been the most popular.
Have you had any particularly hair-raising moments?
Yes, when we were installing the exhibition. the painting, the big canvas [The Gods and Their Makers, Edwin Longsden Long], we thought it would be glazed; I had misunderstood the loans documentation and in fact it wasn't glazed, and it was quite hair-raising installing it, but it's' been fine. We were worried that when visitors come out the catacomb, little children would run out, excited, 'Aaaah, we're in an ancient catacomb!' and run straight into a 19th century painting, but it's been fine. But it was hair-raising to put in.
What lessons are you taking away in respect of organising future exhibitions?
Be organised. Know exactly where everything's going, know what size things are, whether things are glazed or not glazed. As I speak to you now, we are planning for its move to Glasgow, which is a very different space; our temporary exhibition space as museums go is quite small, quite tight. It's been quite a challenge to rethink the exhibition modules in a different configuration, so I think I would learn: plan in advance, plan for the unexpected and get a good designer. We've been very fortunate with our designer Andrew Gibbs; he had a real idea of what we wanted to achieve and I think the success of the exhibition is largely due to his physical design.
Planning and organising an exhibition obviously adds a lot to your workload, but what about during the exhibition; how does it affect your workload throughout?
When the exhibition opens, you do get asked about it in the duration. So, tours, which are great fun; you'd never normally be asked to do so many tours. You also get more requests for images or information about animal mummies. I think doing an interesting subject attracts more interest to you. There was a documentary recently on cats; I don't particularly like cats – living cats – but they came and did that documentary not based on the research that was done here, but because they heard of the exhibition. So the exhibition happening attracts more requests for information and media interest.
Do you have plans or ideas for future exhibitions or will you be having a bit of a break first?
There won't be a bit of a break because there's a plan already for something, although it's not specifically to do with Egyptology. And of course we have responsibilities now to Glasgow and to Liverpool, so we'll be working with Animal Mummies until the end. Hopefully, we can catch up again when it's in Liverpool, on home turf for us both. I'd be interested to see what you think of it in different venues.
Seeing people like you coming to take photos of the exhibition has really inspired me. I've thought about objects in different ways and I've thought that, based upon some people's photography – not necessarily professional photographers – I might display things differently. So I think it's very important, as you're doing, to go around, even if it's the last few days of an exhibition, to make a record, because a student in ten years' time might decide they want to do a history of Egyptology exhibitions in the UK, and will need source material, so we need photographers.
If you could organise an exhibition, no restrictions, no holds barred, what would be your dream exhibition?
I'd like to do something about the curse; the concept of the curse as a deliberate destruction of monuments and identity, and it's never really been done. There's been a lot of scholarship that's gone into the reuse of coffins, the reuse of tombs and the usurpation of monuments. It's never really been done in a museum, and I'd really like to challenge the idea of 'eternal Egypt'; you get so many exhibitions called 'Eternal Egypt' or 'Immortal Egypt'. As an Egyptologist, you study the material and you see the reality is very different. I'd like to challenge something that might tap into that popular idea of the curse, look at what the curse meant to the ancient Egyptians, which is non-existence. So I would like to do that, if I had no holds barred, I'd take great international loans from the States and from the continent in Europe and do it in a big space.
Are animal mummies one of your real Egyptological loves?
Now they are; never before. A few years ago, I thought animal mummies were oddities. I didn't realise there were so many of them, I didn't realise they could be so interesting and I honestly didn't realise they could be so popular. When we were planning this exhibition, the director's eyes lit up when he heard 'Egypt', 'animals', 'science', 'mummies' – you've got pretty much the top museum things. Someone suggested that if you could do an exhibition about mummified dinosaurs, that would the ultimate. But we can't do that. So animal mummies are very special to me now, as I understand the science that's gone into them.
What else floats your Egyptological boat?
Late Period non-royal sculpture is my thing. Colossal New Kingdom royal sculptures. Statuary in general. Reused, altered, deliberately damaged monuments; I think that's quite cool. Archaism, deliberate quotation of the past in text and image. That's my research interest and I'm trying to get back into that now in my own time, but I don't think that would make the sexiest exhibition. I'd love to do it, but I don't think the museum would see that. You'd need to find a twist; you'd have had to have a story. What the British Museum are about to do in London with Sunken Cities, I have it on good authority that there's going to be some animal mummies in that, so they're taking Ptolemaic Alexandria, expanding it out to include marine archaeology, huge sculpture, small objects and society at the time. I think that's the kind of thing that makes good use of that material.
Are there any publications or online catalogues people can get to for the exhibition if they haven't been able to see it or they want a record of it?
If you want a record, there is an accompanying book [Gifts for the Gods: Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies and the British]. It's not a catalogue, but it is an accompanying book that my colleagues Lidija McKnight and Stephanie Atherton-Woolham edited. And if people want more information, but you can't get the book and you can't get to the exhibition, we did a series of blog posts on Egypt Manchester blog, so there's a dozen posts summarising the content of the book, and related to the exhibition. The tag is 'animal mummies'. Some of the information has featured in the exhibition, and some was focused on the public program; if you were lucky enough to go to one of the lectures or handling sessions or wrapping/rewrapping events, you will have seen it, but we summarised all that on the blog.
I'd like to thank Campbell for making time in his busy schedule to have a chat with me about the exhibition. It was a lot of fun, and I hope you found what he had to say as fascinating as I did.
The photo gallery
The photos are roughly ordered to take you around the gallery as it was laid out.
Animals from Ancient Egypt welcoming visitors to the exhibition
Follow the footprints around the gallery
Gilded ibis coffin, probably Ptolemaic Period
Cast of a relief from the temple at Edfu, c.165 BC
Walk through the catacomb, honour the animals and hear an Egyptian offering spoken with a twang of Glaswegian
Niches in the catacomb wall with mummified animals and statues
Statue of Isis with the child Horus, wrapped in linen. Late Ptolemaic Period
Basalt statue of a baboon, 22nd Dynasty, Coptos
Limestone offering table, Abydos, Late Roman Period
Three 19th-century masterpieces showing interpretations of life in Ancient Egypt
Detail from The Gods and Their Makers, Edwin Longsden Long
Detail from The Gods and Their Makers, Edwin Longsden Long
Detail of Alethe, Attendant of the Sacred Ibis, Edwin Longsden Long
Detail from The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat, John Reinhard Weguelin
Horrible result of using the "Egyptian fur-tiliser; a cartoon from the 19th century following the mass sale of animal mummies in Liverpool that were used as fertiliser
Notable collectors and Egyptologists. The quotation reads: [I]t would hardly be respectable, on one's return from Egypt, to present oneself in Europe without a mummy in one hand and a crocodile in the other.
A tourist souvenir of an ibis mummy, probably from Saqqara, not the Sahara
Campbell with the diary of Sir John Gardner Wilkinson
The mummified head of a cat, from Beni Hasan
Young and old alike have enjoyed the exhibition
The last part of the exhibition, with a mummified crocodile, the science corner and the smells
Choose your animal and see the CT scan of the mummy
Mummy of an ibis wearing an atef-crown. Abydos, Roman period
The science corner, where visitors could learn about scanning and the mummification process
Visitors could press a button to start scanning the mummy and watch the scan results come up on the screen next to them
The head from a limestone statue of a jackal
This is where visitors could write a message to one of the gods
Writing a message to the gods
My six-year-old asked Sekhmet for a pet bunny
My four-year-old chose to draw a picture of Thoth
The smells table, with three of the ingredients used in mummification: pine, honey and incense
Campbell doing a last bit of inventorying before the exhibition closed down
Exhibition itinerary
The exhibition is now closed at Manchester and is in the process of moving to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. It'll run in Glasgow from 14 May to the 4 September 2016, then move back south to Liverpool. It'll be on in the World Museum in Liverpool from 14 October 2016 until 26 February 2017, which will provide some much-needed Egyptological relief for those of us in the city while the Egyptology gallery is being renovated and expanded.
Personally, I was really very impressed with the exhibition, and my girls can vouch for the child-friendliness, too. I would love to see it at Glasgow, but that's probably not going to work out, unfortunately. However, being Liverpool based, as Campbell said in the interview, I'll definitely be revisiting the exhibition when it's at the World Museum, and will bring you an update then.
Have you been to see the exhibition, or will be you going to Glasgow or Liverpool? Get the conversation started in the comments below.


text:
Friday, October 9, 2009
Elephant Birth
Absolutely extraordinary, but not for the squeamish!
12 comments:
- Rachel said...
fascinating- thanks for posting this!
- October 12, 2009 at 2:34 PM
- G6 said...
Amazing... thank you.
How come we don't see an umbilical cord and a placenta?
- October 12, 2009 at 2:56 PM
A couple of times in the video, the narrator said that the elephant mom knows what she's doing. This got me thinking. Most animals give birth successfully without any intervention. When most human moms give birth, they don't know what the heck they're doing. Without a doctor, who knows how many babies would die. From an evolutionary perspective, why don't humans have this advantageous faculty of "knowing what to do when having a baby"?
- October 14, 2009 at 11:55 PM
- Zev Stern said...
It's a fascinating story. The baby's head is very large relative to the mother's cervix (and even so much of the brain's development must occur after birth) and needs to do a perpendicular twist to get into the birth canal. This necessitates a tight squeeze and the need, across all cultures, to seek assistance. Even so, death in childbirth was commonplace until the advent of modern obstetrics. There is an interesting article on it in a special issue of Scientific American:
Click here
As Dobzhansky said, nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.
- October 15, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Bruce said...
Oh my...messy miracles.
- October 15, 2009 at 12:59 PM
- pogomcl said...
fantastic-- nothing squeamish about it. totally amazing. really very beautiful film.
- October 15, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Neandershort, it seems like you're saying that a mom who needs assistance in giving birth is evolutionary advantageous to one who does not. (Am I interpreting you incorrectly?) This goes against (my) common sense.
PS, I'm not so sure about Dobzhansky's grandiose claim. A.S. Wilkins, a leading evolutionary biologist, writes: "The subject of evolution occupies a special, and paradoxical, place within biology as a whole," he wrote. "While the great majority of biologists would probably agree with Theodosius Dobzhansky's dictum that 'nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution,' most can conduct their work quite happily without particular reference to evolutionary ideas. Evolution would appear to be the indispensable unifying idea and, at the same time, a highly superfluous one." - BioEssays, December(2000)
- October 15, 2009 at 10:54 PM
- Nachum said...
Alex: There is, in fact, a theory that human society is due to the helplessness of babies.
- October 18, 2009 at 10:31 PM
- Zev Stern said...
Pogomel - Did you read the Sci Am article? Nature does not have the luxury (as a putative "intelligent designer" would) of starting from scratch. It must work with "facts on the ground." Large brains necessitate a tight fit of head to pelvis, which creates difficulty giving birth. Given that constraint, seeking assistance increases the likelihood of a positive outcome, i.e. a healthy mother and baby. Most mothers don't need assistance; they can be tied to a tree and would give birth safely if uncomfortably, but since we are a social species and seeking assistance at birth is possible, it is advantageous to do so. By the way, the upshot of all this is that difficult childbirth is the price we pay for being intelligent animals - not too far from the account in Parshat Bereshit. And until recently it was a high price indeed.
As for evolution being a superfluous theory, engineers, including practicing physicians, can go about their business without making reference to the underlying theory that makes their work possible. It would be difficult to imagine a working scientist, one engaged in creating new knowledge, not referring back to his/her discipline's basic theories. As a teacher, I know that without evolution biology is little more than a set of disjointed facts that students have to memorize. Evolution gives my students the "big picture." It is the tie that binds all the disparate parts of the course and makes it a coherent, internally consistent, intellectually satisfying and supremely fascinating whole. In my course evolution is not merely one of many units of study, and it is a rare day in my class when I do NOT make some mention of it.
- October 20, 2009 at 3:02 AM
There are theories for just about everything that goes against common sense, so I'd like to see more than just a theory offered.
- October 21, 2009 at 11:25 PM
- Zev Stern said...
Ah, "just a theory." You don't understand what a scientific theory is and what scientists mean when they dignify a statement by calling it a theory. It's sad but not surprising - they don't teach science in most yeshivot. A theory is not a hunch or conjecture. It's a construct that explains a large body of data and generates testable predictions. Gravitation and electromagnetism are "just theories." And in biology, there is no theory that explains the data better than evolution. Indeed, evolution is the only theory that comes under the heading of science; supernatural explanations do not.
Many statements in science and math are counterintuitive, i.e. they "go against common sense." But when rigorous proofs are offered (the theorems we studied in geometry) and data are marshalled, they become clear. And if we are lucky, we can devise an overarching theory to explain them.
- November 3, 2009 at 10:01 PM
And we mammals think reptiles are disgusting...
- October 25, 2010 at 8:53 PM


text:
The Cape has more than its fair share of fabulous restaurants, lucky us…and The Food Barn is right up there. Co-founders Franck Dangereux (the chef) and Pete de Bruin have done something really clever by serving what is high-level fine dining in a totally relaxed environment without pretension and fussiness. You can bet no-one feels uncomfortable or intimidated when they are eating at The Food Barn, the atmosphere, service and whole feel of the place ensure that, plus the food is just wonderful.
I always think that you can tell Franck really loves cooking, the dishes are made and presented with love and are never quite what you're expecting when they arrive at the table – in a good way! I can't wait to see what my masterpiece meal is going to look and taste like.
The fresh fish (tuna) tartare I started with today came with lime, basil and avocado, aioli, soy and petit mussel fritters. Creamy, limy avocado (and a substantial portion of it), topped with the freshed of tuna and surrounded by a cornucopia of tasty sauces, and delicate, melt-in-the-mouth mussels.
And here's something different…bravely ordered by Sarah who had never tried pigs trotters…braised rabbit croquettes, pig trotter and parsley samoosas, carrot ribbons, star anise juice and herb butter. An adventure on a plate – Franck does seem to like offering the more unusual options – today there was tripe as a main course, for example.
This prawn fritter starter is legendary among regulars – these are not your regular fritters. They come with a celeriac remoulade tian, sweet calamata tapenade, crunchy legs and basil salsa. This dish is sweet, succulent, crunchy and herby and results in plates wiped as clean as can be!
The petite Bouillabaise du Cap was packed with mussels, fish and prawns and came with a rouille sauce and crouton. The taste of the sea in a bowl.
For mains I opted for the Karoo lamb. Roasted rack with Dijon mustard herb crumbs, tomato, basil and pecorino quiche and a thyme scented jus. Karoo lamb is world class – flavoursome and tender and this rack arrived perfectly pink as recommended by the chef. I also loved the little quiche it rested on, the perfect companion.
The spring risotto was a celebration of herbs – basil, chervil, parsley and chives giving the creamy rice a real uplifting zest. It can be ordered plain or with plump sauted prawns (as here). A must-have for risotto fans.
Today's grilled sustainable fish was tuna and it was served with a Basque pepper ragout, wild rocket, chorizo and red onion spring rolls and smoked paprika cream. A wonderfully Spanish influence coming through in this pretty-as-a-picture dish.
The pasture reared beef was a grilled sirloin served with an onion tart tatin and a rich Cabernet jus. We also ordered a selection of fresh market vegetables which all got polished off smartly. Even the vegetables are impossible to resist at The Food Barn.
A selection of desserts were ordered to share (this is getting to be a habit). They were all spectacles to behold as you can see. My highlight – the hibiscus ice cream in the third one. The creme brulee was pretty damn spectacular, too. Thanks to Sarah for letting me use her pudding pictures – stunning they are, too.
How I love lunch at The Food Barn – we were the last to leave the restaurant – which is not the first time and probably won't be the last. It's hard to tear yourself away – no one's rushing you and you want to hold on to that state of total contentment. Some of it is still lingering nearly a week later…
The Food Barn is in Noordhoek Farm Village on the corner of Village Lane and Noordhoek Main Road.


text:
October 3, 2012, Brussels — Steptoe is pleased to announce that Pieter Bekker has joined the firm's International Arbitration Group as a partner. Dr. Bekker, who brings 20 years of experience in all aspects of cross-border dispute resolution, is based in the firm's Brussels office, but will regularly work out of Steptoe's London, Washington and New York offices.
A Dutch native, Dr. Bekker focuses on international dispute risk management and resolution. He has particular experience in disputes involving public international law, in which he holds a doctorate. In international arbitration matters he draws upon a rich background, having practiced in both Europe and the United States in civil, common, and public international law. Dr. Bekker also advises private and public sector clients on a wide range of matters relating to private and public international law, including immunity, enforcement, investment, the law of the sea, treaty law, and state responsibility. He regularly represents sovereign parties, including states, state-owned entities and international organizations before both domestic and international courts and tribunals.
Dr. Bekker has experience with a wide range of arbitration procedures, including those of ICSID; the ICC; the AAA, where he is listed on the panel of international arbitrators; the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration; the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre; and UNCITRAL. Dr. Bekker combines with the practice of law his position as professor of international law at the University of Dundee's prestigious Centre for Energy, Petroleum, and Mineral Law and Policy in Scotland.
"Pieter brings a wealth of global experience to Steptoe, having had leading roles in a number of high-profile, high-stakes litigations and arbitrations throughout his career," said Roger Warin, chair of the firm. "In particular, his energy-related work at the University of Dundee and in practice will greatly complement the firm's existing disputes, trade and energy practices, and his civil law background will enhance our bench strength in arbitration."
Dr. Bekker commented: "Steptoe offers a world-class international disputes and compliance practice with an established global footprint and a multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-jurisdictional team of lawyers. I look forward to utilizing my own multi-lingual, multi-jurisdictional perspective and the experience I have gained over the past two decades to help Steptoe's clients navigate the various legal regimes they face when operating and investing in energy and other markets around the world."
Steptoe's International Arbitration Group combines strong practices in cross-border litigation, international commercial arbitration and investor-state disputes. The group's clients cover a broad spectrum, including individuals, governments and corporations engaged in energy, banking, construction, defense, insurance and supply operations around the world. The American Lawyer's July 2011 biennial Arbitration Scorecard featured five of the firm's arbitration cases.
Dr. Bekker chairs the Committee on Intergovernmental Settlement of Disputes of the International Law Association's American Branch, having previously served on the American Society of International Law's Executive Council and Nominating Committee.
He earned his undergraduate and doctoral law degrees from the University of Leiden in The Netherlands and a master's degree from Harvard Law School on a Fulbright grant. He is the author of four books and dozens of articles and conference presentations on public and private international law. Along with his native Dutch, Dr. Bekker speaks English, French and German.
He is a member of the New York and Brussels (B-List) Bars.
About Steptoe
Steptoe & Johnson LLP is an international law firm widely recognized for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in complex litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in guiding business transactions. The firm has more than 500 lawyers and other professionals in offices in Beijing, Brussels, Century City, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.


text:
The New Zealand Esri User Group is bringing the Esri Regional User Conference to the Dunedin on the 29th of March 2019.
Our Regional User Conferences focus on user presentations and a technology update by Eagle Technology on the Esri platform fresh from the Developer Summit in Palm Springs. Lunch will be catered for with opportunities to network at lunch and networking drinks at the closing of the event.
The agenda for this conference can be viewed here. Registration will start at 9:00am, the first presentation will start at 9:30am.
Please email firstname.lastname@example.com; with any questions or if you are interested in presenting.
For more information on the New Zealand Esri User Group please visit our website: www.nzeug.org
I'm interested in presenting at this event, how do I organise that?
Email firstname.lastname@example.com or email@example.com to register your interest.
How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Email email@example.com with any questions
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No, you just need to pick up your name badge at the entrance.