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So, last night — actually, very early this morning — I was delivered my annual dose of disappointment in the form of the Chicago Cubs' final loss of the season.
It always happens: The Cubs always lose their last game of the postseason because, as we all know, the Cubs never win the World Series (100 years and counting, now) … and only the team that manages to do that ever wins its last game. When it comes to the postseason, anyway.
Bah, humbug!
And the day started out so promisingly (is that even a word?) …
Tennis at 10 a.m., and though I didn't play particularly well — I had getting-it-over-the-net and keeping-it-on-the-court issues, combined with my usual not-moving-my-feet issues (my serve was coming in pretty good, though!) — playing tennis with this particular foursome (Diane, Amy, Sarah and me) is always fun. And the weather was PERFECT: I told myself (and maybe the others? I cannot recall) that it was the kind of day that made you feel like you wanted to go outside and do everything.
(Looks like today might be another one of those days. Durn those Cubs for keeping me up so late and leaving me bleary-eyed this a.m.!)
After tennis, a swing by the ATM and Taco Hell for some crunchy tacos and a Pepsi, then home to get cleaned up. I had a couple of hours before Diane, Cindy and I would be heading out for dinner and a movie (not necessarily in that order), so I thought, how about a drive to the lake to check out the fall colors? (They're not quite there just yet, but in a few days, they just might be spectacular!)
We went to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which I must give an enthusiastic two thumbs — er, perhaps two paws! — up.
I knew I'd get roped into seeing this movie as soon as I saw the first preview, in no small part because of the fact that the dearly departed Chico was, indeed, a Chihuahua. I had about the same level of excitement regarding this movie as I'd had about Live Free or Die Hard, whenever that was (last summer? this summer? I'm having total brain fog at the moment; I think it was last summer), and, wouldn't you know it, once again I was very pleasantly surprised. And entertained: No deep thinking involved, just a simple plot, cute doggies and lots of laughs — and I'll even admit, I got a little teary-eyed in a couple of places.
Dinner at 17th Street Bar & Grill was not the greatest, primarily because I deviated from my usual pork BBQ sandwich and opted for the pulled chicken. BIG mistake: The chicken was dry, and not even extra sauce or spice rub could render it edible. Fortunately, the baked beans (almost every kind of bean you can think of, with a sweet, sassy sauce!) and the potato salad (I swear there's some form of ranch dressing in there!) were tasty, as usual, so I managed to fill up on those.
Back in town, I went out to the high school to see the Best of the Beatles: The Pete Best Band performing. Starring — you know — Pete Best: The Beatles' original drummer. The guy who got fired and was replaced by Ringo Starr. The guy House mentioned on last week's episode of House, M.D. when he and his assistants were doing differential diagnonsense (that's a Girl, Interrupted reference for those of you who aren't paying close attention!).
Can you imagine being young and in a band with all your "mates" (isn't that what they're called in England?) and being told you're not good enough — and then having the band become the phenomenon known as the Beatles? Arguably the best, most popular band ever? (I'm torn on whether they were or not; perhaps this will stir some lively debate for the "Comments" section of my bloggie?)
Anyhoo, apparently, Pete Best is actually the second Beatle ever to visit Benton. George Harrison visited his sister, Louise, who resided here, during the 1960s. Unbelievable!
To be quite honest, the show was pretty good. The Pete Best Band did a nice job with its own music and, of course, some Beatles tunes, including my favorite, "P.S. I Love You" — which surprised me so much that they were halfway through it before I realized, hey, they're playing my favorite Beatles song, and started singing along:
As I write this letter (o-oh)
Send my love to you (you know I want you to)
Remember that I'll always (yeah-ah)
Be in love with you …
I didn't stay for the whole show, so I'm not sure if they got around to playing my close-second-favorite Beatles song, "Here Comes the Sun" … but I did get to hear a guy playing that song on an acoustic guitar a couple of weeks ago when a busload of senior citizens came to town for the day, so I'm actually quite good on live Beatles covers, thank you.
I left the concert just in time to hit the couch early in the Cubs-Dodgers game.
Sadly, I probably shouldn't have bothered because, much like their first two games against LA, the Cubs just didn't have it. In no small part because the Dodgers played so well, but mostly because the Cubs really weren't in the game.
Heck, let's be honest: They really weren't in the entire series.
Still, they had a great "regular" season, winning 97 games, including both the games I got to see in person. A bitter ending, true, as their postseason losing streak reached nine games (counting last season's sweep by Arizona and dating back to the NLCS debacle in 2003 … but even that postseason wasn't a total loss because I got to watch two of those National League Championship Series games on a big-screen TV alongside some of my favorite pals from college in the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas), but I still say having a competitive team to watch throughout the summer is worth going through the inevitable heartache when the Cubs actually do make it into the playoffs.
On that note, how about a couple of photos from the concert?
Not sure who that guy in the dark suit is, but he caught my eye from across the gymnasium because he was doing this sort of slide-step dance to every song performed by the Pete Best Band.
Just watched this guy (Roger Federer) win the U.S. Open men's singles championship:
I have to admit, I was hoping he'd be playing the final against this guy (Rafael Nadal):
Although, admittedly, if Fed and Rafa had been playing each other for the title, I probably would've been pulling for Nadal. As it was, I like Andy Murray OK, but nowhere near as much as Roger and Rafa, so that made watching the final relatively stress-free. Especially once Fed took control of the match in the first set.
By the way, both of those photos were taken by me on Aug. 29 and 30, from the south end of Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows (or is it "Meadow"?). Our actual seats were up in the nosebleed section — which, actually, isn't that bad, but somehow, we never actually made it all the way up to our actual seats because we kept finding empty ones in the section below, and no one ever made us leave them.
Anyhoo, now the 2008 U.S. Open is officially over, and after that fortnight and my two-week Beijing Olympics binge, I have to admit I'm all sportsed-out for the moment. Which is ironic because the Cubs are still (amazingly) in the lead in the National League Central (but in the midst of losing, what, six of their last seven games? and seven of their last 10?), and I should be all fired up about what's left of the baseball season — especially considering the Cubs start a three-game series in St. Louis on Tuesday — but right now, I'm in la-la land.
Which ain't surprising, for a Monday.
More later on the whole NY trip, perhaps …
Jim Edmonds takes a curtain call after hitting his second home run against the Cardinals in the Cubs' 3-2 win in 11 innings Friday at Wrigley Field. (Photo by Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune)
This was my favorite moment of the game. Followed closely by Jimmy's first home run of the game and his diving catch in center field. Followed by Alfonso Soriano's throwout of Joe Mather at home plate. Followed by the Cubs getting out Cesar Izturus on a suicide squeeze attempt. Followed by an 0-for-13 showing by Ryan Ludwick, Troy Glaus and Yadier Molina. Followed by Jeff Samardzija's throwout of Albert Pujols attempting to steal second in the top of the 11th. Followed by Henry Blanco's no-out, bases-loaded, game-winning liner past short in the bottom of the 11th.
Don't get me wrong: I actually do enjoy watching the Cardinals, and I'll admit I root for them when they're not playing the Cubs. And when they're not threatening the Cubs' lead in the NL Central. (And it's not JUST because The Lovely is a Cards fan.)
Anyone who knows me (well or even casually) knows that sports have been a significant and much-enjoyed part of my life.
I grew up playing all kinds of sports at school with my boy friends — ironically, I never cared all that much for girls back then — and in the neighborhood. I played on the high school tennis team (and basketball team … briefly), and even entertained thoughts of attempting to walk on to the EIU tennis team. I have continued to play tennis, competitively, "as an adult"; in fact, just last weekend, Diane and I won the doubles championship of the Benton Summer Classic. (Hey, I realize it ain't Wimbledon, but it was our first title since Diane returned from knee replacement surgery in October 2006, so in our little world, it was pretty amazing. And it felt great!)
Anyhoo, 17 years of my professional career were spent as sports editor at a small daily newspaper. It was a job that had its share of ups and downs, and it was one that I did not give up all that willingly. I have gotten to the point that I don't miss covering high school sports on an almost-daily basis, but there are times when I miss doing what I did because I know I was very good at it.
I don't dwell on those times, however, because life moves on. In fact, there are moments — and sometimes weeks, actually! — when I don't think about sports at all, really, except maybe when I'm out there on the tennis court, and even then, it's not so much "thinking about sports" as it is "trying to keep the ball on the court" — a simple strategy, it would seem, but in reality: It's one of the secrets to success in the game.
There are other times, though, when my world revolves around sports: A good portion of the Major League Baseball season, especially when the Chicago Cubs and/or the St. Louis Cardinals are in contention (the Cubs, of course, are my heart's favorite, but the Cards have become a tolerable team because of their proximity AND the fact that Diane loves them … and they tend to play an exciting style of baseball), and any time a Grand Slam tennis tournament (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open) is going on.
Especially Wimbledon, which is, was and always will be my favorite tournament. Make that my favorite sporting event in the world. From back in the day when Debra and I pretended to be Chrissie Evert or Billie Jean King or Evonne Goolagong when we were playing badminton in the front yard. (Hey, I know Wimbledon is played on a grass court, but have you ever actually tried to play tennis on actual grass, in an actual yard, filled with actual bumps and holes and dirt clods and twigs and roots and stuff? Believe me, badminton is MUCH more realistic because the birdie doesn't hit the ground except to end a point … and, besides, we eventally discovered that Chestnut Street was adequate for playing tennis!)
And also from back when I watched John "Superbrat" McEnroe lose to Bjorn Borg in the 1980 men's championship match. I went into the match pulling for Borg, found myself rooting for McEnroe at various times throughout and ended up, when it was all over, wishing that somehow, some way, both men could have won. (McEnroe, of course, did win the Wimbledon title the next year against Borg, and went on to beat him a second straight time in the U.S. Open final, and not long after that, Borg retired from the game.)
I missed most of last year's Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer because I was under the influence of Benadryl for most of the match and simply could not keep my eyes open.
This year, however, I had everything perfectly arranged for the day to include a sports doubleheader of sorts: 8 a.m. to noonish — Watch Roger Federer (1) vs. Rafael Nadal (2) on NBC; 1:30 p.m. — Drive to Busch Stadium in St. Louis; 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. or so — Watch the Chicago Cubs vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.
We stayed at Karl's house Saturday night, mostly so we could play with the grandkids but also because they reside 90 minutes closer to St. Louie than we do, so we could watch the match and then go to the game — instead of having to leave the match way early.
Everything went according to plan, as far as getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, having my "breakfast at Wimbledon" — Karl made waffles, YUM! — and settling in for the tennis match — to be viewed in HD on Karl's 60-something-inch TV screen.
Unfortunately: Rain delay at Wimbledon! Only for 20 minutes or so, thankfully, so before we knew it, the match was under way.
Diane and I were both rooting for Rafa … although I admit I have always admired Fed, so, to be honest, after Rafa went up two sets to love, I was pulling for Roger to make it a match (I couldn't help noticing Diane was rooting for Fed at certain points in the match, too).
Third set: Another rain delay — by which point I was starting to wonder whether the match would finish before it was time to head to the game! Federer managed to win the third set, and despite having two championship points against him in the fourth, he pulled out that tiebreaker, too, to level the match at two sets apiece, right around 1:30 p.m. — the time we were supposed to be leaving for the ballpark!
"We can stay and watch a few more games," said Diane, who was every bit as caught up in the match as I was.
We watched Rafa and Fed play to 2-2, 30-all in the fifth set, and then: Another rain delay!
"It's almost 8 o'clock their time," Diane said. "Surely they won't be able to finish the match today."
We grabbed our stuff and got in the car and headed to Busch, convinced that the match would be suspended until Monday morning (afternoon, London time); still, just to be safe, I called Tee-Hee and instructed her to call me if the match did resume. Diane and I talked about the match all the way to St. Louis, where we found a parking garage right across the street from the ballpark and arrived at the game just as the first inning was ending.
While we were still searching for our seats, the Cubs scored a run, somehow (I couldn't see the field as we were making our way to the Casino Queen Party Porch). We finally settled in, ate our ballpark food (a hot dog for me, supreme nachos for Diane) and began watching the game.
Then came a text message from Teresa: "5-4 Fed in the 5th set."
The match HAD resumed! So, suddenly, I'm sitting in a pretty good seat at Busch Stadium, watching a great game — by now, the Cubs are up 2-0 — and I'm keeping tabs on a great match at Wimbledon, thanks to texts from Tee-Hee: "5 all," "6-5 Fed. Can u say tie break? Cubs still winning?" "Oops! There is no tie in the 5th set!" "Tied @ 7."
Then Christopher gets in on the action (it's only fitting, since I was glued to the set two or three weeks ago watching Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open Golf Championships): "I think Roger is done … this final has been great!" "This match is insane!" and then: "We have a changing of the guard at the All England Club."
And another from Tee-Hee: "Rafa wins!!"
Yes, Nadal ended Federer's reign at Wimbledon — five straight championships! — with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 victory.
All Diane could do was smile when I told her. I felt a twinge of regret over not seeing the action "live," but I knew we'd be home in a few short hours and then I could watch (and rewatch and rewatch and rewatch) the highlights. And, of course, I can see the entire match tonight on ESPN Classic (6 p.m. Central, for those of you keeping score at home)!
Meanwhile, back at the ballgame: The Cubs have extended their lead, and shortly after we finish our Ben & Jerry's ice cream (butter pecan for The Lovely, chocolate fudge brownie for moi), Diane announces that she's pretty much done with the game (Cubs were up 5-1 or 6-1 at that point; who's counting?). I always like to leave the ballpark when the Cubs are WINNING … you know, just in case disaster strikes (as it had the day before when they blew a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth).
All in all, one of the best sports days ever in my little world! In fact, the only drawback was not getting to see Jim Edmonds play for my beloved Cubbies; however, it was cool enough to be able to see (and hear) a couple of interviews with him prior to Friday's televised game, during which he received a standing ovation from Cubs AND true Cardinals fans.
Sadly, Jimmy went 0-for-7 against his former team with four strikeouts and three runners left on base. He did draw a walk in the second game of the series but was thrown out at the plate for a run that would have given the Cubs a 5-2 lead (they eventually lost the game 5-4). However, the Cubs DID win the series, 2-1, so all is right the world, still … for the moment.
Anyhoo, here are some photos from left field from Sunday's game:
Albert Pujols Follows Through
Albert Pujols is, in my opinion, the best player in baseball. He hit his 300th MLB career home run Friday night. Fortunately, this "hit" was actually a foul ball; I believe Albert flied out later in the this at-bat.
Cubs on Base
Reed Johnson (9) and Ryan Theriot lead off first and second while first baseman Albert Pujols, second baseman Brendan Ryan and shortstop Cesar Izturis (3) wait for the pitch.
Aramis Ramirez Delivers
Aramis Ramirez (16) drills an RBI single in the third inning to score Reed Johnson. Ramirez had three RBIs in the game (he now leads the Cubs with 60), doubled and scored on Mark DeRosa's single in the first inning (so THAT'S how the Cubbies took their early lead!), and had sacrifice flies in the fifth and ninth innings. Not a bad day at the plate!
OK: Time for me to get outside!
Do you ever forget what year it is? Right then, right when you're right in the middle of it?
Ever feel like, right when you weren't looking, someone pushed the Pause button on your life, and there you were, stuck?
Neither one of those "feelings" accurately describes what I have been feeling lately — and by "lately," I mean, "oh, for the last three or four months (or longer)" — but, somehow, they both seem to apply. Mix in the fact that the change of seasons has already occurred (can't you just feel the days getting shorter and shorter?) and the knowledge that winter is just around the corner (I'm sorry, Jane and Deb and everyone else with a disdain for cold weather, but it's true!), and there you have it — and by "it" I mean "me."
(It is all about me, still … right?!)
So, here I am, stuck in my lil' time warp, convinced that, in the midst of it all, every once in a while, I am also experiencing something painfully similar to what my mother– and other mothers before her, and women in general long before (and after) all of them, and so on and etc., into infinity, more or less — would possibly refer to as a hot flash.
And I'm only 42.
Although, the other day (maybe yesterday?), I got to thinking about turning 43. And so far, my years as a fortysomething have never bothered me, but suddenly I was struck (stricken?) by the notion that, suddenly, 43 sounded very old. I mean, although I wouldn't want to wish any of the years of my life away, there's something that sounds so much better about 44 — mostly the fact that it's a multiple of 11 — than 43.
I don't know. I'm kinda cranky. Could be because I'm still dealing with my sinuses/allergies and my mostly screwed-up sleep patterns thanks to the congestion and the Benadryl or NyQuil or Claritin-wannabe that I've taken over the past two weeks. (No, I haven't mixed or over-indulged in the medications, and I'm pretty sure I'm not dependent on any of them.) Meanwhile, I developed my mid-winter cough last week, about three months early, but I'm happy to report that it seems to be fading.
In fact, all in all, I'm happy overall … just a little out of it, I guess.
Other than that, what's been going on?
Well, for starters, I'm looking quite forward to watching the Cubs play Arizona in the National League Division Series starting on Wednesday. Karl and I both attempted to get tickets — both of us spending 45 minutes or so in Virtual Waiting Rooms at our respective computers, hoping to get logged into the system — but we were denied. If I wanted to pony-up a couple hundred bucks, I could probably go on eBay or StubHub and get a seat for Saturday's Game 3, which will be played at Wrigley Field, but to be perfectly honest, I can't bear the idea of spending the weekend "on the road" (See? I told you I've been feeling old!) … especially when the idea of watching the game from the comfort of my couch or, better yet, viewing it on the 48-incher, sounds much more appealing.
I realize that not everyone likes baseball, but if you happen to be feeling the least bit ambivalent about which team to root for in the playoffs, I would encourage you to cheer for the Cubs. They could use all the positive energy we can muster because, let's face it, 1908 was a long time ago … and, as I have become painfully aware, none of us is getting any younger!
In other medical news, I am pleased to report that Kiddle is doing amazingly well after having The Operation last week. I took her to Dr. Clark last Thursday — after needing three attempts to get her into the dreaded "pet taxi," the final try leaving me with scratches all over my right forearm and a gash in my left palm — promptly at 7:30 a.m. The vet had originally said she would be ready to come home at 12:30 p.m. that day, but when we told him we also wanted to get her wormed and vaccinated, he told us he'd keep her there overnight.
Kiddle emitted a couple of mournful "meows" on the way there, but otherwise didn't seem too upset. I picked her up at 9:30 a.m. the next day.
Diane had told me, going in, that Kiddle "might not like you anymore!" after I had crammed her into the carrier and taken her to the vet's office (seems Patches turned against Kurt a few years back when he caught her, put her in a box and took her to the vet's office to be treated for what turned out to be a sinus infection). However, not long after I had set the carrier on the ground and Kiddle had sprinted out of it, sure enough, she started rubbing against my legs like before.
My kitty still loves me!
(I'm supposed to take her back in a couple of weeks to have her stitches removed. We'll see how much she loves me after that.)
In photography news, I've been shooting away, occasionally, but have been slacking about posting. Believe it or not, I'm still trying to get organized in ordering prints of photos from the past year or so (that's sort of where my confusion over what year it is comes about) and am making a genuine effort to, at the very least, get some of my favorites into albums or frames.
Meanwhile, here are a few shots from the day I saw Peter Tork. I was en route to the tennis tournament later that afternoon, but a light rain was falling, so I figured the tournament was still in a weather delay. I swung by a road on the west edge of town where, the previous night, I had found some sunflowers. While I was shooting, my phone rang; it was Diane, asking me where I was (because, apparently, it wasn't raining at the tennis courts and our match was getting ready to start) and what I was doing. I told her I was taking pictures of sunflowers, and she seemed neither impressed nor convinced that that was a very good reason to be late for a tennis match.
I, on the other hand, thought it was a perfectly understandable reason — and I'm pretty sure at least a few of you agree!
Weekend before last, we — Diane, Karl, Sherry, the kids and I — are all sitting around at Diane's, watching Roger Federer play Novak Djokovic for the U.S. Open championship and the Chicago Bears play the San Diego Chargers on the split-screen. Actually, Diane and the grandkidlets are out in the kitchen, coloring and what-not around the new Spider-Man table.
A few minutes later, Kameron comes running into the living room and yells, "Go, Cubbies!"
Confusion ensues, for Diane, Karl, Sherry AND the kids (for all we know) are fans of the St. Louis Cardinals. I, of course, am the lone Cubs fan in the group. (Kurt likes them, too, but he's way down in Loosiana.)
"What's that?" I ask Kameron.
"Go, Cubbies!" he yells again and then scampers back to the kitchen.
"Who taught him that?" I ask — convinced that one of the adults did so, simply to taunt me.
They all deny it, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that none of them would EVER do or say anything that could even remotely be considered in favor of the Cubs.
Apparently, Kam has come up with this gem on his own! And he is all too happy to repeat himself, several times, whilst I capture it all on cell-phone video.
The next morning, Karl and I are in the car at 7 a.m., heading to Wrigley Field in Chicago where we are going to watch the Cardinals play the Cubs in a game that was postponed a few weeks ago because of rain. (Note to self: Driving to Chicago and back, all in one day, is a road trip you never want to take … especially when the drive home includes constant rain from just outside the city clear down to Troy!)
Although the city itself, as usual, is great fun. We spend 45 minutes at Niketown on Michigan Avenue, then tool over to Arturo's for nacho chips and tacos for lunch. Less than an hour later, we're cruising toward Clark, parking about five blocks from Wrigley and then walking to the historic stadium.
Along the way, I see a cute doggie:
Before long, we're at the ballpark, and I make Karl snap a picture of me in front of a very recognizable landmark (and, no, I don't mean McDonald's!).
Once we're inside, I see one of my favorite Cubs players, shortstop Ryan Theriot, warming up on the sidelines.
Yeah, OK, it's pronounced "terry-oh," but isn't that a cool last name: THE RIOT?!
We've got awesome seats, too, so I shoot some action shots during the course of the Cubs' 12-3 rout of their arch-rivals — including Jacque Jones getting a base hit, and three of my faves (Derrek Lee, David Eckstein and Jim Edmonds).
It rains a little during the game, but thanks to my scorecard serving as sort of a windshield/rain deflector, my clothes AND my camera stay dry.
Two of my favorite parts of the game — aside from the Cubs' five-run fourth inning — are the women serving as gatekeepers/bouncers for the row in front of us. People try, hard as they can, to get to their seats by walking down the row, but NOTHING gets past these old women, who make them go back up and around and back down! (It's not all hard work; they also get to take part in the traditional "Y-M-C-A" performance.)
And this sign makes me chuckle:


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SNICKERS… A Sneak Peek…
A bubbly Hound/ Shepherd pup under a year old came to Last Hope as a
Brookhaven Town Shelter Stray. He's still a pup so he needs an owner who will train him to be a well-mannered fellow.
He likes other dogs; would be best with kids over 10.
SNICKERS would love to come
to your home to STAY.
I've found my forever home! Thank you!

subset: commoncrawl


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Design To Market Engineering:
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API Description
One of the key elements in 99c Analytics is the notion that computing time is cheap and you shouldn't have to pay much for something that doesn't cost much to produce. To get our beautiful metrics in order, we do a ton of data gleaning and cleaning. These processes cost us next to nothing but can mean a world to start-uppers, students and academics. So, we present to you the 99c Analytics API!
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Text categorization API provides a category for any given document. To see the list of categories, please click here.
Geocoding API
Our geocoding API retrieves addresses from coordinates (WGS-84) or provides addresses for coordinates. At the moment we only support Finnish locations.


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In-car technology hits the fast lane
Published on July 26th, 2018
In early 2016, wireless operators in the US were activating more connected cars than phones; and in the UK, two out of three cars sold by 2022 will have some sort of connectivity – a market estimated at roughly £120 billion (€134.97 billion).
Given the rise in internet connected in-car technologies along with strong consumer interest in posting, accessing and streaming content reliably while on the move, operators should be actively building out their 4G networks with a strong focus on motorways and major roads; and they should be planning for their future 5G networks as the connected car progresses towards Level 5 – full automation, says Paul Carter, CEO, Global Wireless Solutions (GWS).
Most major car manufacturers have been working on their connected cars; several interesting connected concepts were introduced by Renault, Audi and Volkswagen at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and Toyota and Mazda have recently announced a joint venture to build connected cars. The EU is also in on the game as it introduced regulation that meant all new cars must have some sort of emergency call function built in, as of April 2018.
Fast connections on the move
However, in-car services are nothing without connectivity but tests by GWS show there is a long way to go regarding ubiquitous access to 4G, even on major routes. For example, we conducted a test of 4G network connectivity on ten UK motorways; the results showed great variation in the availability of a 4G connection.
Depending on the operator, our devices were served by a 4G network on average between 30% and 84% of the time. Most of the 'gaps' where filled by 3G networks, but in the not too distant future 3G connectivity will not be enough to support connected car functions.
Operators know this and are working towards an all LTE-based network. Vodafone, for example, has a lot at stake since it was announced as the operator behind Vauxhall's OnStar 'personal onboard assistant' – a product that includes 4G-enabled Wi-Fi. Further, consumers are showing an overall interest in on-the-road connectivity.
GWS also conducted consumer research and found that the most popular future technology people want to see in their cars is indeed Wi-Fi. As new car sales have fallen 5% year on year, wireless technology is becoming a main differentiator in the marketplace.
Consumers want more in-car services
Consumers' demand for internet services while on the move is likely to rise even more over the coming years. Ford has begun selling cars with Amazon's Alexa personal assistant built in; meanwhile Google demonstrated its updated in-car Android OS again at its I/O conference this year, allowing manufacturers like Audi and Volvo to apply their own skin over Android 8.0.
Much media and consumer attention is focused on the big tech names and the opportunities available; operators should view these advances as positive reinforcement in their 4G investments and readying themselves ultimately for 5G networks. Consumers soon will expect to seamlessly access on-line services in their vehicles at all times; in other words, the demand is there so mobile networks need to support it in the near future.
Where will the road lead us to?
The improvements in in-car entertainment have shown that consumer interest in in-car technology is high, particularly when it comes to autonomous driving. However, this is the application which will require the most data to be transmitted wirelessly. Manufacturers like Tesla and Mercedes offer self-driving features that are somewhere between level 2 and level 3 systems (where drivers must still pay attention to the road in case the system makes a mistake).
As self-driving systems become more sophisticated, cars will begin to communicate with each other, likely over car-to-car wireless networks, and all the information collected by vehicles on the road will be shared and analysed in the cloud. Currently Tesla's vehicles use 4G networks to send over-the-air software updates, however in the future, the promised gigabit throughputs and sub 1 millisecond latency of 5G will become a critical feature within the mesh of different technologies that enable driverless cars.
While prototype systems and technologies for connected and autonomous cars are being developed quickly, the business case for the enabling 4G and especially 5G networks rather less so. There are many key building blocks that need to be in place before cars can zoom down the motorway without human drivers, including insurance considerations, manufacturing and product development, advances in wireless and public infrastructure and more.
It will happen: technology and innovation are making it easier for everyone to envision a connected car future and demand is there from consumers, which in turn helps strengthen the financial case for investment.
The author of this blog is Paul Carter, CEO, Global Wireless Solutions (GWS)
Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow_OR @jcIoTnow


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No flower fills your garden with brilliant true blue flowers like blue False Indigo. False Indigo (Baptisia australis) is a native American beauty. In fact, Europeans used to pay Americans to grow this plant, for the dye they made from the blue flowers. True indigo was expensive and Baptisia, which made a similarly colored dye, grew like a weed. That's why it's called False Indigo.
False Indigo is a member of the pea family and you will notice the resemblance in its foliage and flowers, as well as its fondness for cooler weather. Baptisia australis is a standout because of its striking blue flowers. There are also newer hybrids of Baptisia with yellow and purple flowers.
False Indigo has an upright, shrubby form. It offers a long season of interest, with colorful flower spikes, unusual seed pods, and foliage that is almost never bothered by pests or disease.
- Leaves: Clover-like trifoliate leaves have a blue-green coloring.
- Flowers: Pea-like blossoms start as plump, tight buds. The flowers are borne on long racemes and are a vivid blue, often with flecks of cream or yellow. They are followed by seed pods which further demonstrate they are a member of the pea family. The pods persist and turn black and are often used in flower arranging.
Botanical Name
Baptisia australis
Common Names
Blue Wild Indigo, False Indigo
Hardiness Zones
Baptisia plants are very adaptable and are reliably perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10.
Sun Exposure
False Indigo will get floppy without at least six hours of full sunlight. Full sun also prevents fungus diseases.
Mature Size
Although in most areas it dies back to the ground in winter, Baptisia grows like a small shrub, reaching four to five feet tall and three to four feet wide.
Bloom Time
Your Baptisia plant will bloom from late spring through early summer. If you do not deadhead the flowers, you will get attractive seed pods similar to pea pods, which turn dark and rattle in the breeze.
Suggested Varieties
- "Purple Smoke" (Baptisia x "Purple Smoke"): A hybrid with a purple eye in the center of the blue flowers.
- "Twilite Prairieblues" (Baptisia × varicolor "Twilite Prairieblues"): A trademarked cross between B. australis and the yellow Baptisia sphaerocarpa, making purple flowers tinged with buttery yellow.
- "White Wild Indigo" (Baptisia alba): A similar plant, with white flowers set against dark stems.
Using in Your Garden Design
False Indigo blends beautifully with pastel, late spring bloomers, like peonies, as well as with shocking colors. Spiky plants, like iris, salvia, and tall alliums, complement both the color and the texture of Baptisia. The blue blossoms really bring out the chartreuse of Lady's Mantle.
Since it is a large plant and it only blooms once, be sure to put it somewhere in your garden where its foliage will continue to offer interest. Snuggling it between other plants will prevent the branches from falling open under the weight of the flowers and seed pods.
Growing Tips
Soil: False indigo prefers drier, well-draining soils. It is not particular about soil pH but does best in a soil that is neutral to slightly acidic.
Planting False Indigo: You can start Baptisia plants from seed, but they are slow to establish and it will probably be three years before you see flowers. Even a young false indigo plant will take at least two years to get established before you really start seeing it bloom. On the plus side, they are very long-lived.
False Indigo seeds have a hard outer coating. If you do decide to try growing them from seed, some type of scarification will improve germination. Soaking them in hot water for at least eight hours prior to scarifying them would be even better, although, some gardeners have luck simply planting the seeds in the fall and allowing the winter weather to soften the seed coat.
Because False Indigo plants have long taproots, they are difficult to divide; however, they do grow well from cuttings.
Caring for Your Plants
False Indigo requires very little maintenance. Keep it watered regularly for the first year. Once established, Baptisia is very drought-tolerant.
You can leave the spent flowers and enjoy the seed heads. The pods are attractive and jingle in the wind. However, they can make the plants top-heavy and prone to splitting open in the center, especially plants grown in partial shade. You can prevent this by giving your False Indigo a modest shearing after flowering.
False Indigo leaves turn an unattractive black with the first hard frost and the plants tend to collapse by mid-winter, so cutting them back in fall is usually recommended.
Pests and Problems
Fungus diseases such as leaf spot, powdery mildew, and rust can occur if grown in crowded, damp conditions. Be sure to provide good air circulation around your Baptisia plants.
Weevils have been known to eat and infest Baptisia seeds. This can be a big problem if you are saving the seeds to plant. Always check your seeds before bringing them indoors.


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Rich tidal pools, a shoreline full of life, and fantastic geological features attract visitors to Botanical Beach, northwest of Victoria.
Botanical Beach offers one of the best opportunities to view intertidal marine creatures and plants on Vancouver Island. Botanical Beach has 251 hectares of upland habitat, but it is best known for its abundance of intertidal life. The area is a protected zone, so please take nothing but photographs from Botanical Beach.
It is one of the most amazing places on the entire West Coast, particularly at low tide. This is when visitors can walk a long way out across flat sandstone and granite outcroppings to view tide pools filled like jewel boxes with brightly coloured marine animals. Purple, red and orange starfish and sea urchins, blue mussel shells, white gooseneck barnacles, and green sea anemones and sea cucumbers only begin to hint at the spectrum of intertidal life that thrives here. So significant is this location that a research station was first established here in 1900 by a team from the University of Minnesota.
The organisms that live here must be able to handle a wide range of conditions. When the tide is out there are significant changes in temperature, predators, food sources and salinity. Each creature has adapted to contend with these variable conditions.
Organisms that cannot cope with drying will survive in the tidepools or in shaded crevices. There you will find congregations of seastars, chitons and anemones, the seastars often piled together to reduce moisture loss. Barnacles, snails and mussels are able to survive by closing up tightly with a small amount of water inside their shells. Purple sea urchins have established a particular niche in the soft sandstone. Their sharp, hard spines help to wear away the indentations in which they live.
Highway 14 is a spectacular coastal route that ends in Port Renfrew, 104 km from Victoria. Visitors find their way to the beach along the same rough road used for most of this century. The distance from the dock in Port Renfrew to the beach is 5 km. Only four-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance should attempt the road past the parking area. Beyond here the road narrows, parking is limited, and turning around is all but impossible. Better to bike or walk in. Allow 45 minutes on foot from the parking lot. As you near the beach the trail divides: take the right fork to reach Botany Bay, go left for Botanical Beach and the tide pools.
Ridges of shale and quartz jut up through the basalt at Botanical Beach to create immense tableaus in places such as the awe-inspiring Devil's Punchbowl. The Punchbowl, flanked by smaller bowls on either side, features a gallery of caves rising above two huge cedar logs and a field of driftwood kindling. Although you wouldn't want to be anywhere near here at high tide, it's staggering to imagine how conditions must boil in there during winter storms.
These formations are located at the north end of the sandy beach and require some scrambling to reach. Wear rubber boots, as the going is always wet. Even during the lowest tides of the year – December and January, June and July – the prospect of being caught out here will make your adrenal gland flutter.
Plan ahead so that you visit here when the tide is falling. At this point on the coast there is often only one major tide per day, and you can spend several hours waiting for it to recede if you arrive at the wrong time. The best local tide chart to consult is the one issued for Tofino. The store at the Port Renfrew Hotel is a good local source; so is Parks Canada's West Coast Trail office in Port Renfrew, as well as the Sooke Visitor Centre.
Killer whales (or orcas, the largest member of the dolphin family) and gray whales are often seen swimming offshore from French Beach, China Beach, and Botanical Beach. Although the orcas live in these waters year-round, the best time for spotting gray whales is during their annual migration in March and April, when they are en route to Alaska from their breeding grounds in Baja, Mexico. California and Steller's sea lions appear from August to March as they follow migrating fish stocks.
From these beaches along the southern coast of Vancouver Island you'll almost always spot the smooth-domed head of a curious harbour seal bobbing offshore. It's not unusual to spot black bears in early spring on some of the beaches as well, particularly around China Beach and Mystic Beach. Bears are unpredictable and potentially dangerous animals, especially when they emerge hungry from winter denning. If you see a bear, back away slowly. Do not leave food or garbage lying around: a fed bear is a dead bear.
Botanical Beach is located in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, near Port Renfrew on the south coast of Vancouver Island. There are four main areas to the park: the China Beach Campground, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, the China Beach day-use area and Botanical Beach.
Botanical Beach is the northern terminus for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail . The community of Port Renfrew is the southern terminus of the rugged and remote 77-km West Coast Trail, which challenges hikers from around the world each summer.
Nearby Regions & Towns
Park Notices


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The World's Favourite Destination to Buy Gemstones Online. The authority on Jyotish Gemstones & Astrological Gemstones
call +91-80-25216611 (Worldwide), 1-888-864-1187 (USA)
The World's Favourite Destination to Buy Gemstones Online. The authority on Jyotish Gemstones & Astrological Gemstones
The World's Favourite Destination to Buy Gemstones Online. The authority on Jyotish Gemstones & Astrological Gemstones
Clicking on Underlined Links will give more information about a topic. You can always come back to this page
What Problems Can Astrology & Jyotish Gemstones Solve? Can they solve My Unique problems
Which is the Best Gemstone Choosing Method | Which Gemstone Should I wear
Do Gems Work- No They Don't for 90% of the People-Why?.
What results Can I expect from Jyotish Gemstones?
In Quest of India's Best Gemstone Astrologer.
Tell me My Best Life Changing Gemstone
Blue Sapphire Price | Blue Sapphire Price Per Carat | Blue Sapphire Price Guide
Buying a gemstone can be a daunting task. To the outsider, the market may appear an intimidating and whimsical place, mainly due to the highly unorganised structure of the trade. One may come across a mind boggling variety of gems, with all kinds of jargon and spiel accompanying them. Distinguishing the real and the fake and finally knowing that you are paying the right price for your gem is absolutely essential.
The riddle becomes even more complex when it comes to gemstones like blue sapphire that come in amazingly wide variety of shades. Added to that, the benefits of blue sapphire make it an alluring gem. The information on blue sapphire presented below should help any individual in assessing the blue sapphire quality and correct blue sapphire price per carat. This irrespective of the fact whether you are buying blue sapphire in India or abroad and even if you are looking to buy blue sapphire online!
Discussed here are the parameters that determine the price of blue sapphire gemstone in this most elaborate Blue Sapphire Price Guide:
Colored Gemstone Color Variation Chart, Notice the sheer range of Blue
Color: In the world of coloured gemstones, color becomes the most important parameter for judging the price of a gemstone. The richer the color, higher will be the price per carat. In case of price of blue sapphire, the most valued color is the medium toned blue with good saturation, that is characteristic of the legendary Kashmir blue sapphire. Blue sapphires come in several shades of blue, with those ranging from the palest ones with a mere hint of blue ( now these are the entry level gems and will cost relatively lesser) to the light sky blue, sky blue, moving into the cornflower blues with varied degrees of saturation, to royal blues, deep midnight blue etc. The deepest blue comes in the rare Burmese blue sapphire, which has such a surreal glow when light is shone on it! Sometimes they also have a tinge of violet coming through. If you see better colour in a blue sapphire with and even spread across the gem, you can be rest assured that it will command a higher price.
Then there are the Montana sapphires which come in a violet- green color that resembles the color of the neck of the peacock and is often called mayur neelam in the local parlance.
Unheated Blue Sapphire from Ratnapura Srilanka
Clarity: A gem can command a superlative price only when the color is complemented by a excellent clarity. By clarity, one means the relative absence of inclusions, feathers, crystal ingrowths and other clarity characteristics in the gemstone. A couple of inclusions are a sure mark of the genuineness of a gem. It is extremely hard to find totally flawless gems and if you do find one, make sure that you ask for the necessary certification, vouching for the authenticity of the gem. Gemstones with 95 per cent clarity and above with come with a super premium price tag. As the number of clarity characteristics increase, the price of the blue sapphire will drop.
Cut: Much of the gem trade even today is inclined towards holding on to the maximum gem weight in a gem crystal. And mixed cuts have evolved because of this. Most of the blue sapphires available today in the markets are oval mixed cut or mixed cushion cut gems. Fancy cuts will trim out the fat and therefore will lead to loss. One can get a fancy cut blue sapphire but it's price will be much higher (keeping in mind that a larger gem had to be trimmed to get the desired fancy shape).
Also, cutting of the gem determines how well the color of the gem is brought out and how good a playground is given to the light to bounce around and bring out the best effect in a gem. If the cutter goes wrong with the cutting and faceting angles, the potential of a gem can be ruined. On the other hand, a master cutter can give an average gem material, a phenomenal lift by cutting well. No wonder, despite the advent of the most advanced technology in cutting, the master cutters of Israel and Idar-Oberstein prefer to cut the expensive and exceptional pieces manually by themselves!
Carat weight: Higher the weight of natural blues sapphire, the more costly the gem will be. Larger crystals are hard to find in nature. Anything above 4 carats and above could be a collector's item commanding its own price, depending upon the attributes.
Rarity: Blue sapphires are rare and top quality blue sapphires are extremely rare and natural and treatment free blue sapphires are rarer still! Blue sapphires are subjected to intense heat treatment and beryllium treatment to give them a better color and therefore fetch a better value. Caveat emptor! Ask questions, seek certification and do your preliminary study before setting out to buy a blue sapphire! A rare gem determines its market and the value can be anything depending upon the intensity of desire of the one who covets it!
Check Blue Sapphire prices over 36 months. Use the principles given above to arrive at differences and accuracy due to shades, clarity etc.
Selected Rings, Pendants and Talismans made available to Gemstoneuniverse.com patrons in August 2013
Gemstoneuniverse.com Table Natural Blue Sapphire Gemstone Facts
Natural Blue Sapphire
2.39 carats
None. Fully Natural,
Planetary Energy
Patron Location
All inclusive Price
Natural Blue sapphire or neelam gemstone is the gem of Lord Saturn and is used in a talisman to harness the planetary powers.
Enjoy it in Video:
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Gemstoneuniverse-The Gold Standard in Planetary Gemology
Clicking on Underlined Links will give more information about a topic. You can always come back to this page
What Problems Can Astrology & Jyotish Gemstones Solve? Can they solve My Unique problems
Which is the Best Gemstone Choosing Method | Which Gemstone Should I wear
Do Gems Work- No They Don't for 90% of the People-Why?.
What results Can I expect from Jyotish Gemstones?
In Quest of India's Best Gemstone Astrologer.


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BBL personnel are located throughout the UK, Ireland, Mainland Europe and Worldwide for speed and efficiency of response, no matter how big or small your requirement.
Senior Sector Experts can be deployed whenever deep and proven technical knowledge would give your solution a strategic advantage.
Our Bid Coaching service will give you all the knowledge and confidence you need to ScaleUp and grow your business profitably.
Our On-Site and Remote Solutions
- Bid Management
- Bid Qualification, Assessment and Planning
- Solution Mapping
- PQQ completion
- Strategy Development
- Bid Writing/Editorial
- Maturity Reviews
- Training
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Secondment
- Rapid Response
- Get Bid Ready
Bid Qualification
Many organisations bid for every single opportunity and do not undertake an analysis of pros and cons and whether bidding is an effective use of resources. The advantage of focussing on opportunities where there is a better chance of success means that resources can be channelled on a reduced number of prime bids resulting in more comprehensive and better quality responses, tailored towards the client. David is an expert on qualifying bid opportunities, taking into account all variables including the likelihood of success, relationship with the client, together with company targets and priorities. The BidCompass tool by Bespoke Bids makes this exercise much easier and David integrates this within the overall process.
Peter WinscheClient Director / BT
Having run a number of bids through BidCompass I am delighted with the focus it instils. Fully exploiting the "comments" feature throughout the process enables me to quickly and effectively produce an Action Plan to ensure I can enhance position. The range of management information BidCompass delivers really supports quick and effective Trend Analysis and Reporting.
Bid Management and Writing
Bespoke Bids' Consultants are multi-skilled, and deeply experienced in all aspects of Bid Management and collateral creation, acting as an extension of your own teams and ensuring seamless proposal creation and presentation.
As sector-agnostic bidding experts, Bespoke Bids can work with you to identify and qualify opportunities, analyse documentation, strategise, author, and review, as well as offering overall management services to ensure that you produce a compelling and compliant response, within the required timeframes.
Additionally, we can work with your existing collateral to update and improve your responses – working in line with opportunity scoring and weighting criteria to maximise the marks achieved.
To support continuous improvement, we devise a collateral review and verification schedule tailored to your organisation, adding value long after an assignment ends.
Furthermore, we can offer Subject Matter Expertise across a wide range of industries.
Roisin Mallon Heads our Operations in Ireland
Neil FranklinOwner and Managing Consultant / Minc
In my capacity as a Senior Subject Matter Expert and Volume Leader I worked with Bespoke Bids on a recent major bid for an international Train Operating Company. The attention to detail and compelling writing delivered to myself and the team ensured we submitted a first class proposal. Allied to this, and vitally important in the bidding environment, was the non-intrusive but considered and professional approach deployed.
International Bidding
Many of the Bids and Tenders that Bespoke Bids are engaged to support involve cross border and consortium issues. Our in-country teams ensure that local procurement and cultural issues are fully understood, respected and communicated.
Managing multi-country or international RFPs can be challenging, often requiring the collaboration and input of multiple stakeholders in different countries and locations. Whilst most international tender opportunities are conducted in English, the in-house teams dealing with them do not always have access to native English speakers or to professional bid managers with international bid experience.
Bespoke Bids can assist non-native English and mixed international teams, facing significant RFP processes in the English language, to coordinate the bid process across matrix teams, and produce quality response documents with high standard content in line with the strategy and requirements to win the bid.'
Bespoke Bids also has translation experts within the team should this service be required.
Fiona Quiroli Heads our Operations in mainland Europe
Chris RobsonRail Technical Account Manager / Houghton International
Bespoke Bids assisted Houghton International in making an important business decision based on facts, not opinions. I would have no hesitation in contacting Bespoke Bids again or recommending them to Houghton International customers and suppliers.
Bid Reviews
With a team of experienced Bid Managers and Senior Sector Experts Bespoke Bids is ideally equipped to provide a Bid Review service that will tangibly enhance your submission. Ideally deployed prior to a Red Review we look at your Bid from the Customer's viewpoint. We ensure your Win Themes are evident throughout, that all the questions posed are fully answered and the Benefits and Unique Selling Points of your submission are fully communicated. Furthermore we ensure your draft is error free, consistent and a compelling selling document rather than a technical report.
Christy Costelloe is our Senior Sector Expert in Air Traffic Management
Ragnvald Johan Stensland/ Indra Sistemas
BBL has the required background to advise on how to focus your proposal and ensure the client finds it navigable, easy and enjoyable to read… provided highly valuable inputs to the form and content of our important international ATM proposal which clearly transformed it from "good" to "great".
Funding Bidding
Do you have a product, service or technology that might be of interest to Government? Or do you have an innovative idea that could be developed to support the achievement of National or International Policies or Objectives? Globally, Development Banks, Governments and other Agencies offer a vast array of funding opportunities. But engaging successfully with them can be daunting and time-consuming, especially for SMEs. At Bespoke Bids, we have considerable experience of working with these bodies giving us the insight, knowledge and contacts to facilitate your involvement and support your responses to Calls For Proposals.
Graham Arnold Heads our Operations in Midlands UK
Our coaching services cover businesses that are new to competitive Tendering and those with existing Bid systems and processes in place that are under-performing. Delivered to your Leaders on a 1-2-1 or team basis. This will reveal where weaknesses and obstacles exist within your business that prevent you from winning potentially lucrative contracts. Appropriate measures will be designed with you that, when implemented, will enhance your success rate paving the way to profitable growth and scale-up opportunities.
Bespoke Bids Ltd is delighted to be an approved Scaleup North East Solution Provider. We help businesses to remove barriers to their growth through our "Winning Competed Contracts" service. Get in touch to find out what we can do for you.


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And now for the silver lining to tough times.
Every once in a while, a dear friend of mine, author and Archbishop Robert Wise, and I get together for lunch and talk History of Ideas, strategize, and just let our minds soar. The last couple of lunch-discussions, we discussed the fiscal plight our nation and the world are experiencing.
Well, after coming to some rather grim conclusions: subjects such as the disintegration of the modern family, the decline of literacy and parallel dumbing-down of society and polarization brought about by myopic thinking, the increasing likelihood that societies that devalue centrists will turn to dictators for leadership, the breakdown of governmental medical assistance and retirement benefits, the obesity/diabetes epidemic, the substance abuse epidemic, the continual trashing of Christians by a generally unchurched media, the lost generation of boys into men who have opted out of advanced education (locking themselves and their mates into minimum wage subsistence), the gradual disappearance of our middle class, skyrocketing joblessness, the epidemic of foreclosures and bankruptcies, etc—Dr. Wise leaned back, with a thoughtful look on his face, and said,
"But we must not leave out the one factor that could reverse all this—God. Down throughout history, God has again and again stepped in with men and women who made a seismic difference:
• St. Francis, whose counter-revolution within Christianity reverberates still;
• Monasticism, which almost single-handedly preserved civilization by their hand-copying of fragile manuscripts;
• Martin Luther, who brought about Protestantism;
• The Wesley brothers, who almost single-handedly rebuilt the English family and saved Britain from a bloody revolution such as France's; and
• Other luminaries such as St. Patrick, Dwight Moody, Abraham Lincoln, Billy Graham, Albert Schweitzer, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., etc."
These were, more often than not, obscure individuals who came onto the scene when things appeared bleakest, and by the power of their words and examples, turned their world around.
Perhaps it is long past time for us to adjust to new realities: A house is not an ATM, a credit card is not money, government without a vibrant economy cannot long survive, avoiding education and mental growth is almost certain to lead to minimum wage substandard living, a society that has lost its moral bearings will inevitably self-destruct, a society that ridicules marriage and lifetime commitment can not long endure, living on dole is no substitute to earning your own living, leisure without work is insipid and depressing.
If this current global recession wakes us up in time to our true condition, it will be possible for America to regain its position as the world's most admired and coveted society. If we do not, we will disintegrate just as surely as did the Roman Empire almost two-thousand years ago.
The choice, each of us must make.


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The automotive industry is well over a century old. That's plenty of time for strains of business and culture and personality to splice and split and rejoin like so much hyperactive DNA. The last few years have only jumbled things further.
It can be hard to keep track of who is involved with what or when thing got to how they are, especially when it involves the international conglomerate that is Fiat. Thankfully for those pressed for time, Cheeseslap offered to provide a quick take on the lineage of the Maserati Kubang, revealed today in Detroit:
Powered by Ferrari, built by Chrysler.
Loved by investors, laughed at by campers.
Scratched by haters, eaten by cheap automatic car washers.
Fondled by septegenarians, skanked by hookers.
Purchased by hedge funders, licked by the mentally unstable.
Spun by journos, lowered by the common denominator.
Snubbed by TOTY, paid by Viagra.
Driven by trophy wives, abducted by aliens.
Snatched by oil barons, smirked by yuppies.
Flambe'd by design, covered by Cosmo.
Abandoned by Saudis, liquidated by Cerberus.
Snowed by Fiat, puked by Jeep.
And now, I think we've come full-circle.
Then again, maybe some things are best just accepted.
Illustration Credit: dullhunk


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For some reason split-window command worked differently for session attached and detached. Yes, I specified window size, number of lines - all this and yet it was pain to use. The only working solution I found (without using frameworks for that) was using select-layout. Command list-windows can give you string representation of the layout which you can reuse later. Format is straightforward and let me specify all the things and then rearrange panes with one command. Beautiful.
In the beginning of the string there is also checksum of the layout so you can reuse just some valid layout which existed before. I don't like this approach as it only means that they were too lazy to implement layout validation. I'm not fan of preventing users from shooting into their leg so here you can have shell version of checksum calculation.
tmux_layout_checksum() { local layout="$1" local csum=0 local i for i in $(seq 0 $((${#layout} - 1))); do let csum=$(((csum >> 1) + ((csum & 1) << 15))) let csum=$((csum + $(LC_CTYPE=C printf '%d' "'${layout:$i:1}"))) done printf '%x' "$((csum & 0xffff))" }Now you can just create your $layout and call tmux set-layout "$(tmux_layout_checksum "$layout"),$layout".


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By Chris Jones At the start of Dust and Summer, Mark is stirred from his slumber by his iPhone alarm (other smart phones are available). No doubt he was dreaming of riding as he's in his kit already. And from there in Dust and Summer takes a different path to the one that most readers will be familiar with… Read more →
Tag Archive for mountain bike
Favourite photos of 2014
A collection of our favourite photos taken whilst exploring in 2014. On and off the bike. Here's to an awesome 2015 too! Read more →
Midland Series Race Report: Tom Albutt
Tom has had a great few months racing with the following great results: National XC Championships at Richmond: 29th place "It was a good race, with some some fierce racing as you'd expect. I was gridded almost last out of 60 so could only go forwards from there! I managed to pick up a few places on the first lap.… Read more →
Singletrack Classic Weekender Race Report: Pete McNeil
Pete has just competed in the Singletrack Classic Weekender and came 10th place overall. Great result Pete Read more →
Joyriders takes 1st at Nutcrackers: Tom Albutt
Tom has been having a fantastic run of races recently. He finished 5th at Dalby for round 2 of the British series (pic attached of Tom riding "Worry Gill"). Here is what Tom had to say about the day: "I finished 5th in the sport race, my best result yet. The Dalby course is a real test of fitness and… Read more →
Bontrager 24/12
What a great weekend! Riding, eating, drinking and a bit of racing with old friends, past guests and new guests alike. The Joyriders camp was set up on Friday in glorious sunshine – so a great weekend was set in motion! A practice lap of the 12km course gave us some short sharp climbs and some great swoopy singletrack! Berms,… Read more →
DYFI Enduro Race Report: By Darren Hartley
DYFI ENDURO – 2ND MAY 2010 Machynlleth, located in the Dyfi Valley and the unofficial "ancient capital of Wales", was the setting for the annual Dyfi Enduro. The event, organised by local cycle shop Summit Cycles based in Aberystwyth, took its traditional place on the calendar on the first May Bank Holiday. This was my fourth visit to the event… Read more →
Brownbacks race report: By Tom Albutt
We've been racing again today, back at Brownbacks for round 2. It was hot but really good fun, the trails are great at Lee Quarry. I had a pretty good race and came in 5th but I was shown up by Jo who won the women's race! The pace was quick off the start and I tried my best to… Read more →
Mountain Mayhem 24hr Race: By Tom Albutt
Well I've just about recovered from what was a superb Mountain Mayhem. It's taken me all week to catch up on the sleep and I've had the appetite of a horse. It was a weekend to remember with unusual blue skies and sunshine, the only rain falling on the Friday afternoon to dampen the course for our practice lap. After… Read more →
Brownbacks racing report: By Tom Albutt
Hope XC Series at Lee Quarry, Lancashire There was a high standard of racers there for Sunday's race with the series now counting towards BC ranking points. High winds also contributed to make the already technical, rocky course even more tricky and we had to fight hard against the wind to keep a line on the narrow rocky singletrack. It's… Read more →


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Saving Stephen Hawking
It is a Harvard tradition never to announce in advance who will receive honorary degrees at Commencement. It's also a tradition to honor the reunion-class marshals after the morning exercises by having them escort the honorands during a reception, a lunch, and a tour of the campus, and finally to the Commencement day afternoon exercises. As First Marshal of the College class of 1965 for a quarter-century, I was offered that opportunity in 1990 and gladly accepted. I was not told who the honorand would be until I arrived in Cambridge on the day of the event, when I learned it was theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. The other honorands included Helmut Kohl and Ella Fitzgerald. I may have been paired with Hawking because I was a physician/scientist and the Commencement planners thought I could better connect with him than others could. It would turn out to be a life-saving decision.
The event planners had prepared a large three-ring binder on Hawking for me, and I was told to read it so I would better know the man. In addition, I was told that two small spaces on campus had been set up with medical equipment if "needed."
If "needed," I thought? Needed for what? I quickly committed their locations to memory.
I dressed in the required clothes: cutaway formal, vest, white tie, and black silk top hat. I was also given a white and crimson "wand"—a 16-inch wooden rod that is traditionally carried (and waved, to direct traffic) on Commencement day by class officers. I had carried one at my own Commencement 25 years earlier, and it held special memories for me.
Hawking had just published his first book, A Brief History of Time, and had flown to Boston overnight from California, where he had met with Steven Spielberg and discussed a movie to be based on that book. I was told that the batteries controlling his breathing machine—he had had a tracheotomy years before—were low. I stored that information away.
After going through a metal detector supervised by the Secret Service (because Kohl, then prime minister of the about-to-be-reunified Germany, was also at the lunch and reception), I was introduced to Hawking. I called him Dr. Hawking and he called me Dr. Abramson. He was unable to speak, but could communicate using a voice synthesizer controlled by just one of his fingers. The first thing he did was apologize for his "voice," which had a generically Midwestern American accent. I sensed that he wished I could hear his real voice—but I was to learn that was only one of the many compromises he had to live with because of his disease—so we moved on.
My first task was helping him sign a large, leather-bound volume signed by many of those who'd previously received honorary degrees from Harvard. Hawking had anticipated this, and his team of helpers had brought a pad (a very worn-out pad that didn't quite close, so the inked part had dried out) that enabled him to leave his fingerprint in the book. It turned out that Harvard, recognizing the need for such an inkpad, had also supplied one. As the ink was cleaned off his finger, Hawking gave me a look and I understood what he was thinking; I left his old pad for Harvard and he retained the new one. He moved his wheelchair away after the transfer and said, "Thanks, and now call me Stephen." From then on, he was Stephen, though I was still Dr. Abramson.
The reception lasted about 25 minutes. I wondered how to start a conversation. I started by mentioning that I had read his book recently, and told him that as an undergraduate I had studied physics, including relativity and quantum mechanics, so I understood most (but not all) of what he had written. I asked why he had chosen to write a book on the origin of the universe and relativity without mathematical formulae—there is only one: E=mc2—and speculated that perhaps he thought it would bring about world peace or a better understanding of the common origins of all people on earth. To answer, he had to use his single finger to access letters, words, and phrases saved in the synthesizer's computer, so while his mind reacted quickly, his "voice" didn't. Eventually it said, "I needed the money," and added, "Why else would you write a book?" He then explained that as his ALS progressed, he needed more assistance and had applied to the British National Health Service for 24/7 care. They had replied that he could have 24/5 care. He needed to cover the costs of the additional two days or, as he said, "I would live exactly five days and die." So much for world peace.
I tried another subject. I mentioned that I had looked through a friend's relatively high-powered telescope twice at night. I could identify some planets and classic constellations but little else. I asked if he had ever looked through a telescope, wondering whether such an experience was the origin of his quest for the history of time, or perhaps had stimulated him to envision black holes and space-time warp. I imagined him as a child sitting under a tree at night being transfixed by what he was seeing. He replied that he had indeed looked through a telescope (only once), and that all he saw were white dots that meant nothing to him at all. He never wanted to view them again through a telescope, he said. To him the origin of our solar system and the space-time paradox was a mathematical puzzle better envisioned by formulae than by star-gazing.
Lunch was served, and Helmut Kohl, Ella Fitzgerald, and my fellow marshals sat at our table. Stephen was on my left and Kohl on my right. As per tradition, each of the honorands stood up and addressed the audience. Ella Fitzgerald sang. Stephen turned his wheelchair to face her, and then told me she was his favorite singer of all time and that had been the high point of the Harvard visit so far. Kohl also stood up to speak. Because Stephen was no longer facing him, I asked if he wanted me to turn his wheelchair around so he could face Kohl. He blurted out, "Why would I want to listen to that man?" Everyone (including Kohl) heard that. I remembered a line from that three-ring binder: "Dr. Hawking has strong feelings about some issues and often expresses them."
We left the luncheon and strolled around Harvard Yard together and then went to a receiving line where students, faculty, families, and graduates could "meet and greet" the honorands before the actual afternoon exercises. I stood behind Stephen as hundreds of people walked by. I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for him. It wasn't. Yes, a few graduate students came up to ask detailed scientific questions and each waited while he painstakingly replied. Most people asked a question and, when he didn't respond immediately—which was impossible (it could take 20 seconds to reply)—simply walked away. I was embarrassed, and then appalled when others walked by, pointed at him, and said, "What a funny-looking man." Here was one of the world's greatest minds, a teacher to millions, an emblem of human strength and dignity, and all they saw was a "funny-looking man." I was relieved when we joined the formal procession and went on stage for the ceremony.
The afternoon exercises are long and it was extremely hot that day. To save the battery, Stephen turned off his synthesizer because he knew he would not be "speaking" for a few hours. I sat behind him but positioned myself so I could watch his breathing. About 20 minutes into the ceremony (being broadcast live on TV), I noticed that his chest was not moving and his color was rapidly changing. Though I was not able to identify all those white dots in the nighttime sky with a telescope, I knew exactly what was going on medically. Stephen could not move or "talk," and with his synthesizer off he couldn't even send a message that he was in trouble. I immediately saw a headline in my mind—"Stephen Hawking dies at the Harvard Commencement"—but my medical training instinctively allowed me to react quickly. I stood up, grabbed his wheelchair, turned him around, and pushed him past the dignitaries and off the stage. (A ramp had been constructed for him.) His nurse followed.
I remembered that Harvard had left some supplies in a room nearby so we pushed him there…and discovered that it was also the temporary headquarters of the Secret Service. I quickly learned that you don't rush full speed into a Secret Service headquarters. For a few seconds I think the agents thought I was a crazed terrorist, and I did see weapons, but quickly they recognized what was happening. His nurse and I realized that his tracheotomy was clogged and that was why he was not breathing. Thanks to the medical supplies at hand we were able to get him breathing again. Yes, he would have died.
We wheeled him back to the podium (the program had not stopped—no one except my wife seemed to have thought anything was awry), and after the ceremony I escorted him to his van, where I said good-bye…and took a very deep breath as the van drove away. I had started walking back to the Yard when I heard the van screech to a halt. An aide jumped out and came running toward me. I thought the worst. Perhaps the headline was going to be "Stephen Hawking dies just after the Harvard Commencement."
The aide said that Stephen had asked me for my "wand." He wanted to put his fingerprint on it to thank me for saving his life. I gave it to the aide and he returned a few minutes later with the wand and the fingerprint on it. He said Stephen had told him to tell me that he "used the new ink pad," although the aide said he didn't know what that meant.
I smiled and walked out of Harvard Yard…waving the wand proudly and holding only the edges, so as not to disturb his fingerprint.


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Message from the Director:
On behalf of Harmony Arts Daycare and Education Centre, I would like to welcome you to our home. The arts are used as a means to help the children not only to become proficient artisans, but also to discover new ways of learning academics in a gentle, holistic manner. As you explore our unique programming you will discover that we offer distinction through the collaboration of the highest standard of academia combined with enriched fine arts.
Each of our students receive one-on-one individualized education plans tailored for their specific needs and talents. Whether a learner is enrolled in our toddler, pre-school, or our graded program (Gr.1-8) YOUR CHILD WILL RECEIVE an education the focuses on integrating the fine arts (dance,music, drama and music) into the Ontario Structured Curriculum.
We are committed to supporting your family through all the stages and transitions of learning. The doors of Harmony School are open in mind, body, and spirit.
We welcome you to come in and see our facility and learn more about our programming. Call us today to book a tour and become part of the Harmony Family of happy children!
In The Spirit of Education,
Nancy English Van-Dyk,
Executive Director


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Lagakos, PhD Yael Grauer Yunus Barisik Zach Even-Esh Zach Gallmann Zach Moore Tags BCAA Bigger Stronger Leaner Bodybuilding Building Muscle Calm Down & Sleep Carb Control Carbohydrate Control Cortisol Control Creatine Curcumin Deadlift Diet Plan Diet Strategy Dietary Myth Busting Feeding the Ideal Body GABA GLA Good Fats Insulin Sensitivity Losing Fat Most Popular Deadlift Articles Nutrition & Supplements Omega-3 Fatty Acids Performance Proteins Plazma Powerlifting & Strength Protein Rhodiola Rosea Super Health Tips Training Tribulus A - Z NEWEST 1 - 25 of 50 articles 15 Lessons From Deadlifting 500 Pounds by Mike Roussell, PhD | 05/08/13 Great. 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Dietary Myth Busting Are You Inflamed? by Mike Roussell, PhD | 04/19/10 Inflammation helps protect the body... and then it kills you. Mike Russell shows you how to smash it before it smashes your goals. Diet Strategy GLA Omega-3 Fatty Acids Curcumin Build and Burn by Mike Roussell, PhD | 12/05/07 Bulking is dead. The new approach? Carb manipulation. Use food to get your body to release its own anabolic hormones. Here's how. Protein BCAA Tribulus Insulin Sensitivity Carb Cycling for Idiots by Mike Roussell, PhD | 11/29/07 It's wintertime and you're faced with the yearly seasonal conundrum: do I go on a mass building cycle and say goodbye to my abs until the spring, or can I possibly keep my abs while bulking up? Diet Strategy Carbohydrate Customized Diet by Mike Roussell, PhD | 05/28/14 Why drop your carbs crazy low if you don't have to? If your insulin sensitivity is good, and it probably is, you can eat more carbs than you think. Carbohydrate Control Insulin Sensitivity Dietary Myth Busting Curcumin: The Next Big Superfood by Mike Roussell, PhD | 12/31/10 What can help you lose fat, fight off catabolism, smack down pesticides and make chicken taste great? Answer: India's golden superfood. Cortisol Control Curcumin Death Match: You vs. Your Body by Mike Roussell, PhD | 10/22/09 It's a battle royale between you and your body: you want to lose fat while keeping your muscle, but your body has other plans. Diet Strategy Does Your "Fat Math" Add Up? by Mike Roussell, PhD | 10/15/10 Fat is back on the menu, but the amount and kind you eat matters. Fix your health and improve your body comp. Get your fat facts straightened out here. Diet Strategy Don't Kill the Messenger by Mike Roussell, PhD | 01/24/07 Complexity – Simplicity – Ubiquity. The complexity of the human body is incredible. Maybe it's not necessarily the sheer complexity, but the complexity in spite of utter simplicity. 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Filed under: Culture, Expat life, Health, News, Nightlife, People, politics, Relationships, restaurants, Thai news, Travel | Tags: 7-Eleven, anti-government protests, antibiotics, Bangkok, beach, Beer, Benz Bungalows, Buddhism, children, Chinese, condominiums, crab, diarrhoea, dogs, English language, fast food, food, goats, Gulf of Thailand, Hat Thampang, Hat Thampang Bungalows, hospital, hotels, Hua Hin, Isaan, islands, Ko Sichang, Malee Blue, May 19, monastery, motorbikes, nighclubs, palaces, Pan & David Restaurant, Paree Hut, Pattaya, politics, rabies, Rama V, Red Shirts, restaurants, salad, seafood, shops, Sri Racha, swimming, temples, Thai culture, Thai language, Thai people, Thai politics, Thailand, Travel, tuk-tuks, whale
Thailand's image needs all the help it can get right now. Last month's dramatic footage of bomb sites and gun fights across Bangkok played out internationally and many countries have yet to lift their travel warnings to the erstwhile Land of Smiles.
For sure, confidence has been rocked, and even beyond the photos of war on the streets, the reputation of Thai people as gentle, benevolent Buddhists has been tarnished by displays of downright ugly behaviour during such fractious times.
Whether the protesters promising – and almost succeeding – to turn Bangkok into a "sea of fire", or their opponents cheering and swearing as the death toll neared a hundred, there was precious little positive humanity on display.
Filed under: Culture, Outside Thailand, Travel | Tags: Asia, Asian travel, backpackers, Bangkok, Batu Ferringhi, beach, bhangra, Blue Diamond Hotel, Broadway Budget Hotel, Brunei, Buddhism, Buddhist temples, Burmese architecture, Butterworth, car hire, carpetbag steak, China, Chinese, Chinese architecture, Chinese food, chocolate, coffee, colonial architecture, crabs, European food, expats, fabrics, Georgetown, Georgetown bars, Hindu temples, Hinduism, holidays, Indian, Indian food, Indian music, Islam, Jalan Chulia, Jalan Penang, Kek Lok Si, Langkawi, lizards, Malay, Malay food, Malaysia, Miri, monitor lizards, mosques, multiculturalism, Muslims, nightclubs, Nightlife, Penang, Penang Bridge, Penang Butterfly Farm, Penang Hill, Penang Snake Temple, Penang Tropical Fruits Farm, prayers, restaurants, Rough Guide, sari shops, Shalini's Guesthouse, South East Asia, South East Asian travel, steak, stray dogs, temples, Thai architecture, Thai food, Thailand, tourism, Travel, tuk-tuk
Filed under: Culture, Nightlife, restaurants, Travel | Tags: Bang Saen, Bangkok, bars, beach, Britain, Buddha Cave, Cha-Am, Chinese, Chinese temple, European people, Germany, guesthouses, Hua Hin, Kaeng Krachan, Khao Sam Roi Yod, Khao Takiab, Ko Chang, Ko Samet, macaques, markets, mass tourism, Monkey Island, monkeys, Naresdamri Road, national parks, night markets, nightclubs, Nightlife, Pattaya, Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria pub, red light distrcut, Scandinavia, sea, seafood, seafood restaurants, sex tourism, south Thailand, sports bars, tailor shops, temples, Thai people, Thailand, tourism, tourists, Western food, Western restaurants, Yorkshire, Yorkshire Inn, zoo
Hua Hin is the best beach spot within easy reach of Bangkok – by a long way, in my opinion.
Pattaya remains the busiest, but its popularity is more due to it being Thailand's sex central – and unabashed position as such – rather than its unremarkable beach, dirty sea and culture-less city centre.
Cha-Am and Bang Saen have a nice atmosphere to them, but their beaches are gritty, with parasols spoiling most of the views (Thais like to be beside the seaside as much as Europeans, but hate the prospect of the sunshine darkening their skin).
Ko Samet and Ko Chang are both wonderful, but at around 4-5 hours' drive from Bangkok, plus a ferry ride, they're just a tad too far for a short hop.
Hua Hin, then, at 2-3 hours' drive from Bangkok, is not only viable but also offers a lot that the aforementioned seaside spots don't. Continue reading


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Australia's Manuka
Australia's Manuka (Formerly Tyagarah Apiaires) is a family owned and operated bee keeping company based on the beautiful North Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Established in 1996, we have been supplying Australia and the world with premium medical grade honeys, harvested primarily from our own hives here in New South Wales.
Our new production facility is 100% Solar Powered and off the grid, and we pride ourselves in managing our bees and hives in a manner that exceeds the industry best practice.
Our product, Active Jellybush Honey is now a well known and established brand and all our honeys are tested for their efficacy as a medical product by Independent Laboratories.
We supply Active Jellybush Honey to retailer's throughout the world and it is also available for secure purchase and fast delivery online from our sister site www.activejellybush.com
Our Mission
to supply the highest quality, authenting Medical Grade Honey to Australia and the World.
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy is simple. We're passionate about honey and especially Active Jellybush Honey. We manage our hives according to industry best practice but our approach to business goes much further than the standards require. We believe that bees are to be nurtured and cared for as they are such critical aspect of your environment. We also believe in sustainablity and so our honey processing plant is 100% off the grid and powered entirely by solar energy.
Our Promise
The rise in popularity of Medical Grade Honey is phenomenal. And for good reason. The potent healing benefits of this amazing substance have now been scientifically proven. Unfortunately there are many suppliers trying to profit from the increase global demand for Active Honey by providing sub standard products which have been diluted with syrup or non-active culinary honey. Our promise is that we will continue to supply only the highest quality Active Honey, that our labels will always be accurately and clearly marked and that every single batch of our honey is tested by independent laboratories.