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fHouston (TX) – Scientists at the University of Houston are researching an advanced form of 3D facial recognition. They're hoping to prove this technology powerful enough to serve as a foundational security component, one possibly working alongside other biometrics. More secure than PINs, faster and easier than swiping a card, and less invasive than being thumbprinted, 3D facial recognition systems could be the security breakthrough which keeps us all from being chipped.
TG Daily recently had the opportunity to visit the University of Houston to see state of the art research in this field. Dr. Ioannis Kakadiaris leads the team and was on hand with Ann Holdsworth from the office of communication to give me a guided tour through his research facility. Dr. Kakadiaris' work is considered to be the bleeding edge of this technology discipline. And although it is a young science, it could well solve the problem of identity theft and provide enhanced personal security.
Data points
Most facial recognition systems today rely on data obtained from 2D images. Emerging 3D prototype recognition systems are expected at a faster pace now that more parallel compute abilities exist. In fact, in 2004 the U.S. government recognized this trend and issued a set of guidelines for the minimum requirements of facial recognition software. These baseline a level to which all future offerings must equal or exceed.
The technology we observed is called "URxD", which stands for Ultimate Recognition in X Dimensions. The name was chosen as Dr. Kakadiaris' technology can be extended to include additional data whenever new input abilities are made available. This does not limit it to 2D or 3D images, but can include even future, currently unknown technologies. According Dr. Kakadiaris, the basic rule for this extensible idea is simple: The more input data is provided, the more accurate the system is.
Dr. Kakadiaris' prototype system considers many factors when determining if you are really you. Today, these include an reconstructeded data set of more than 120 computed factors from 3D landscapes and images. The factors describe many facets relating to the front half of your head as is observed by their image capture ability.
Facial scanning
The idea behind facial recognition is quite interesting. Basically, the biggest advantage is that no matter where you are, your face is also there. Dr. Kakadiaris said no two people look exactly alike, and that's especially true when observed through the infrared spectrum. Even identical twins have some differences. His team is working on twin research right now, but he was unable to share his findings with us at the time of our visit (because the tests are incomplete).
When his technology is combined with another very simple form of non-invasive biometrics, such as voice recognition, the ability to show your mug and talk could become a very powerful way of identifying yourself. It would be a security mechanism which could not be stolen, and one that's always with you without being invasive.
2D, 3D and xD
Many existing facial recognition systems rely on 2D images. They look for various data points visible through a 2D photograph. This 2D system is often the result of keeping costs down. 2D cameras and software algorithms are readily available at low cost making them very attractive. But, they can be fooled. For some of them, even holding up a large, quality photograph of someone can fool the system.
Recognition technologies include search criteria such as the distance between the eyes, eye socket height, width, eye angle, nose length, multi-point nose width, cheek position, size, shape, jawline, size, shape, temple shape, depth, overall face shape, relative distances across and up/down the face, lip thickness, height, width, contour, texture, and about 60 more attributes and various combinations thereof. When assembled and pieced together these comprise a set of data points which is stored in a database and can be compared as necessary.
Dr. Kakadiaris' research effort takes this process a few steps further by moving from just 2D data into xD data. He describes each new form of data as providing "additional dimensions". When infrared is added, it increases the dimensions to 5D (3D + 2D for the infrared image). When the full shape is considered, and not just 3D rendered texture data, he calls it 7D (2D texture + 2D infrared + 3D shape). It is 8D if time is added.
Data points in 3D are no longer limited to just those generally observable from two dimensions. With 3D the entire surface structure of the face becomes a mine for data points. That mine includes both textures and shapes. In fact, when you see the full contour of your face shown on-screen in a movable manner, it's almost freaky how real it looks. What was previously a technology using only a flat image with certain attributes known and understood from a single vantage point, now with 3D it becomes much more alive. A raised image holds not only the same set of original attributes, but also a whole new set of attributes derived from the 3D facial landscape.
As additional data points are included, such as infrared and motion, an "average sample" can be constructed. The database search then becomes much more representative of the real face as it is based on more data, all of which makes errors less pronounced.
3D cameras
The imaging process begins with the subject moving into a field of view where the camera system captures the image. The 3D camera system is a set of 2D cameras arranged at a series of specifically spaced positions. When their multi-view 2D images are run through special software algorithms, they reconstruct an amazingly accurate 3D model of the whole front half of your head from a relatively small camera box (about the size of a large box of breakfast cereal).
Dr. Kakadiaris also has a type of stereoscopic 3D camera, a system that includes a pair of 3D cameras pointing toward the subject's face. It's connected by a rod and provides a greater field of vision. Though, because its field of view is larger it can capture not only the front of your head, but also much of the sides as well.
All of this collected data is used in the prototype. It includes high-definition textures, a full-frame wire mesh showing the shape, as well as a complete landscaping or topography view visible via shading. The images it produces of the capture face, when rendered and moved around in 3D, are quite stunning.
The capture system is not limited to just 3D, however. The X-Dimension system also allows this data to be merged with other sources. The most obvious is infrared which reads the thermal data from your face. On the day we were there the infrared cameras had been loaned out to another department so that information was not available to us. However, from Dr. Kakadiaris' stock material we can see what it would look like. By rendering the captured data into the visible spectrum, a person's face takes on a whole new appearance.
The thermal data provide not only additional data points, but it's really like a true facial fingerprint. When combined with the 3D image, even if two people look almost identical on the outside, the aspects and qualities of their facial thermal terrain can be used to differentiate and identify them very easily. This data set makes the process far more accurate than the 3D image data alone. But, it's not even limited to infrared.
Laser scans are also available as an alternate source of 3D input. And, as mentioned, motion capture can also add additional data points which allow the recognition system to become more accurate. Again, the more points sampled the more accurate.
Read on the next page: Scan time, Operations, Accuracy, Capture software
Scan time
The process acquires the digital image data from the multiple cameras in 2 ms. Anyone moving in front of the camera is automatically captured once the prototype realizes there is a human face in front of the system. This actually caused a few test snapshots to occur before I was ready. The 2 ms capture time includes both the 3D visible-light cameras and the infrared camera.
I was told the source for image data is really of no consequence. Provided it adheres to a type of open standard they're currently developing, it could come from any source. This could even include in-store video cameras or still-frame captures which are only 2D in nature. The xD design of their system does not require 3D data, but can receive any 2D or greater data.
Once the data is received, the rendering from multi-point capture to 3D wireframe plus textures (and infrared, I'm told) took about ten seconds on their prototype using a standard dual-core desktop PC running Windows XP Professional. A real-time progress indicator shows the patterns as they're found. This actually makes the decode process quite interesting to watch. The prototype contains this display information but future production systems would not even have to have a screen. It could be as simple as a type of "red light, green light" camera box for all practical purposes. As long as the light stays green, the ID of the person is known.
Scanning involves several filters. Above are just two passes run across the data as the algorithms attempt to determine what's face, and what's not face. As you can see they're not literal reverse images of one another. There is actual logic involved in making the determination. While those algorithms are proprietary, they do serve as the foundation for generating the 3D point data. There are also several more algorithms used in the actual process.
The prototype they were using had the ability to do two things. First, it could enroll someone in their database. Second, it could lookup the face scan against their database to see who it was. For the prototype, enrollment involved clicking the "Enrollment" option and having your face scanned. Your name and other personally identified data could be input (though for our test we did not do this). For lookup it's even easier. Clicking the "Identify" option and stepping in front of the camera performs a search. Attempts at identification can be done again and again – each taking about 10 seconds on their prototype.
The prototype process they have developed is quite accurate, even on my mug. I had allowed my beard to grow to almost unseemly lengths in the hopes of fooling their system. But I was unable to do so except for when I wore my glasses. My beard geometry was simply introduced into their system as part of the shape of my face. Even when I would contort my face it would still recognize me. I tried puffing out my cheeks, raising one eyebrow, leaving my mouth open, etc. In each case it found me. Their 120 data point set are obviously sufficient enough to accommodate variable geometry.
The only problems it had were with my glasses. If I enrolled in their database with my glasses on, and then took my glasses off it would not recognize me. If, however, I had my glasses on it would recognize me.
While their infrared camera wasn't available when I visited their facility, I was told that its data helps identify "live" and "dead" aspects of an image. Items like my beard and glasses, which do not convey a lot of heat information relative to my warm skin, would be isolated and removed from the data stream due to their infrared signature. This would allow a more accurate picture of my real face without regard to beard or glasses, thereby correcting the geometry to more accurate levels.
Capture software and rendering
The system Dr. Kakadiaris and his team created allows any kind of capture front-end. For the prototype they were using a system originally designed for the plastic surgery industry. It was the tool responsible for taking the subject's image and converting it to 3D. This would allow the plastic surgery patient to see the effects of their surgeries before and after, from any angle. The technology was quite robust and whereas they didn't show what I would look with an eye-tuck, they did show the motion of moving the captured data around in three dimensions.
Dr. Kakadiaris was bound by the camera company from giving me any information about the cameras in use, their resolution, angles or really anything about them. He did indicate, however, that any input devices which could convey digital camera info quickly could be used in a similar setup. He did show us the actual camera boxes and allow us to photograph them.
It is the research team's hopes to reduce the size of the multi-camera capture device from its current large breakfast cereal box size down to something the size of an average set of desktop computer audio speakers. Once miniaturized like that, they can be employed anywhere and very discretely.
Read on the next page: Extensibility and Recognition success
One of the research effort's goals has been to make everything as extensible as possible by design. This relates also to some of Dr. Kakadiaris' other research efforts in bio-medicine imaging. Whereas traditionally these kinds of "more generic" data abilities often result in slower computation, the reality is that the acquisition and format conversions represents only a very small portion of compute time.
The real heft of the algorithm comes from the 3D interpolation of data. And it's in those areas that the extensible nature of their designs really weigh in. And of course the advantages are that as new scanning techniques become available they can be used almost instantly by such a system.
The captured data can be channeled after capture and rendering to external programs for additional manipulation. The team demonstrating the software was able to get me a 3D Studio Max data set of one of the scans I made. I can now look at myself in 3D on my computer.
Recognition success
In 2004, the FRGC database (Face Recognition Grand Challenge) was released with 4007 facial maps from 466 different subjects in various forms including 2D and 3D. The subjects had both neutral and non-neutral expressions, with 1 to 22 images per subject. These images came with a minimum benchmark for software recognition percentages. Basically, any new software hoping to enter the facial recognition field must operate at least at these levels on that data set.
In 2007, Dr. Kakadiaris's URxD algorithms achieved 100% recognition in "face neutral" positions. When people contorted their face in some ways, such as raising an eyebrow, puffing out their cheeks, or opening their mouth, the numbers dropped to 97%.
This was notably better than any other contestant in the challenge, and something the research team was very proud of. There were actually about 10 different data sets computed against the baselines based on real results. In every slide, the URxD algorithm exceeded the baseline by significant margins with no recognition score below 95%, and that score came in facial recognition across an entire semester.
Read on the next page: Passive biometric security, faking the system
Passive biometric security
Unlike invasive methods, such as blood samples, or active methods like placing your thumb on a pad, the completely passive facial recognition system would allow many more people to use it without feeling "invaded". This is a real component of the human psyche as we are quite resistant to people "getting in our business." And since this technology uses something we already have with us, and something that is uniquely tied to us, and because it can act passively, it can serve very adequately as a form of ID without causing similar concerns.
The only time this kind of system would become more than passive is if the people were wearing accessories which might prohibit a passive scan from obtaining their true facial geometry. In such a case the person to ID might be required to remove the accessory to obtain a more accurate picture. Some more common difficulties in facial recognition right now include the following. Some of these have already been solved by Dr. Kakadiaris' algorithms.
Faking the system
One thing the team was quick to point out was that 3D facial recognition systems, especially those with infrared input data, is that they are nearly impossible to fake. This is one of the biggest problems with 2D facial recognition systems. Some of them can be fooled into thinking a high-res photo held in front of the camera is actually a person. With URxD, this limitation is overcome in several ways.
First, the infrared capture has a data resolution of less than 40 mK per pixel. Such high-res data would be extremely difficult to fake and would require making a full 3D mold or model with appropriate color, hair, eyelashes, etc., and then creating an appropriate heat landscape underneath. It would be all but impossible to do on somebody (such as by wearing a mask). And, it would be rather obvious if you were holding up a fake head trying to gain access into something.
Second, and even more powerful than that, is the possibility of adding another dimension to to the captured data; that of motion. When motion is added, a 4D data set is captured. By using pattern analyzing techniques, the software could determine if you were moving the way you move as compared to a previous sample.
Third, when coupled to a sample of your voice the system would be complete. Each person's voice is unique. And whereas a computer can make mistakes due to algorithm limitations in small samples, as each new dimension of data is added and the sample set grows, the possibility of mistakes being made decrease greatly.
Read on the next page: Practical use, storage, conclusion
Practical use
One of the most interesting aspects I found was that the system does not require a pose to acquire accurate data. In fact, that's one of the desires for the technology. Dr. Kakadiaris referred to this as "cooperative and uncooperative" capture abilities. The uncooperative nature could come from people who do not want to be captured, but more often it would refer to the non-pose requirement.
Because the capture step occurs in 2 ms, the system could act passively during the normal course of activity in something like a checkout line, for example. It would record the voice pattern and scan the face without having a specific, required pose.
In such a case, and provided there was no problem, the transaction would complete without any prompting for ID or anything else. But, if there was a problem, then something along the lines of a more straight-forward pose and voiceprint would be requested. Also, possibly bringing out other forms of ID if everything failed completely. Still, if you think about this system, the maximum amount of difficulty or effort we would every have using this technology would really be no more than that which we all go through each time today. "Can I see your ID." "Please scan here." "Please sign here." When it worked, it would be much easier.
How to store?
When I asked Dr. Kakadiaris about how this technology could be employed by companies or governments, he gave me several possibilities. But the truth is they are still researching which solution would be best for a given need. Would it be better to have a centralized database with full image data? That would be subject to theft. Or what about a card system with data stored on the card with only a part of the cipher being stored locally. Without the card, the merchant and the third part of the cipher then any other piece would be useless. This one seems the most promising, though there are still details to be worked out.
What's really needed is reliability, accuracy and speed. And right now this technology is too young to know what will work best on the commercial end. While the technology itself works today, and will be made practical for commercial applications in the near future, it will likely be some time before it will be used for something like a National ID card replacement system. Though there are so many advantages to this form of security that such a system is believed to be coming.
Thanks and other research efforts
I would like to thank the team at the University of Houston for their time and dedication, as well as Ms. Holdsworth from the office of communication for her excellent assistance. All of it made for a most enjoyable visit. The campus itself has a lot of history and I wish I could've spent more time taking it in. There are some beautiful fountains and buildings and the back-to-school atmosphere was really contagious.
As I mentioned briefly above, Dr. Kakadiaris is also heading up additional research efforts in the field of bio-medicine. His imaging technology research used for facial recognition is actually quite multi-discipline, hence its extensibility. What I saw of his early research in these other areas indicates some truly amazing things. And while you won't find The University of Houston on any top 50 list of science academia, the research I had the opportunity to work with is at the bleeding edge, the best in the field.
And, as is now becoming a very common theme in my interviews and visits, Dr. Kakadiaris wanted to make sure I acknowledged his team. He made it very clear that it takes a village to raise a research effort.
Additional research
If you'd like to read more about the specific technologies involved in this research effort, visit some of these sites.
Dr. Kakadiaris' lab: www.cbl.uh.edu
URxD: www.cbl.uh.edu/URxD
FRGC: www.frvt.org/FRGC/
FRVT: www.frvt.org
If we consider the unique qualities of our face and voice, those things which are garnered from the outside just by us being us, then this type of recognition software technology will have to eventually come to light and will be wide spread. It's just a matter of research, funding and time it takes until the details are flushed out making this form of non-invasive technology a desirable alternative to being chipped.


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By Britt Appleton
Our winter interns are a hard-working and talented bunch. We're so proud, and we want to show them off.
First up: Prasad, Kristy, and Siddhant.
Prasad Narse is from Mumbai, India. He is an animation intern in our CG department. Prasad has been a fan of animation since he was little, when his dad would take him to the theater to watch animated movies. He preferred 2D animation as a kid, but once he saw Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E, he decided to make a career in 3D animation.
In 10 years, Prasad hopes to be directing feature-length animated films. If he were an animated character he would be Master Po Ping.
"I mostly like him because he shows us how to enjoy each and every part of our lives." More than anything in the world Prasad hates smoking. "Eat healthy, be stronger!" He could live on tea, wheat bread and butter.
To see more of Prasad's work, visit his website his Facebook page, or his twitter.
Kristy Kay is a Concept/Storyboard intern from the Bay Area. She was first drawn to animation by James and the Giant Peach. When she saw that movie she knew she wanted to become a visual development artist.
In 10 years Kristy hopes to be traveling and creating beautiful artwork, with close friends by her side. If she were an animated character, she would be Dory from Finding Nemo because she loves that positive outlook. Just keep swimming! More than anything Kristy hates spiders and the dentist. She could live on Flaming Hot Cheetos and coffee. Bonus fact: Kristy is a twin, and her sister is also very creative.
For more from Kristy, visit her website.
Siddhant Sakoskar is a Compositor Intern from Mumbai, India. Sidd loves animation for its ability to tell stories. In 10 years he'd like to be on the forefront of an animated film or animated short. If he were any animated character he would be Olaf from Frozen. Just like Olaf, he enjoys all kinds of crazy weather.
More than anything, Sidd hates hate. "We all need to learn to like everything and everyone or just ignore, if we can't like them." He could live on his mom's home-cooked Shrimp Biryani. Fun facts: He's got Bollywood dance moves, loves mimicking accents, is a huge comedy fan and a Cricket enthusiast. Also, he loves rain.
You can see more from Sidd on his website, on twitter, Instagram, and Soundcloud.

subset: commoncrawl


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Whether the national anthem should be played inside cinema halls or not has been a hot topic for debates during last few months. Sanjay Dalmia, renowned industrialist and philanthropist, believes that respecting the national anthem is one thing, but imposing it on people is another.
According to Mr Dalmia, a nationalist at heart, Indians need no moral policing for respecting the national anthem, since their love for the country and the anthem is innate and needs no proof. In his statement, he also said that no Indian would ever refuse to respect the national anthem, but playing it inside cinema halls was a completely illogical step.
Sanjay Dalmia's statement came in the wake of the Supreme Court's judgment, which was released a few days ago. In its order, the apex court has modified its earlier order by making the playing of national anthem in cinema halls before screening of movies optional.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said a 12-member inter-ministerial committee, set up by the Centre, would take a final call on the playing of national anthem in the cinemas. The Centre's decision had come after the top court had in October last year observed that the people "cannot be forced to carry patriotism on their sleeves" and it cannot be assumed that if a person does not stand up for the national anthem, he or she is "less patriotic".
Also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, the bench said that the committee should delve into all the aspects relating to the playing of national anthem and allowed the petitioners to make representations before the panel.
Moreover, the Court has accepted the government's affidavit which said the 12-member panel has been set up to suggest changes in the 1971 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. Attorney General KK Venugopal told the bench that the committee will submit its report within six months.
The Chairman of Sanjay Dalmia Group has applauded the top court's decision. According to him, people need entertainment and that's the only reason they visit cinema halls. Patriotism is not something the government can force upon people. "No court order can ever inculcate the feeling of patriotism in people. Being a patriot is about desirability, not about making it mandatory," he said.
Love and respect for the motherland is reflected when one shows respect to the national anthem as well as to the national flag. However, the order passed by the Court on November 30, 2016 passed a slew of directions, without taking into account the choice of people.
The order thus passed was met with great hue and cry by both – the politicians as well as the common people. While some believed playing national anthem before the screening of a film was a good step, most people disagreed about the mandate doing any good. Some even went on to say that the Court was robbing people of their fundamental rights by issuing such orders.
However, the latest order issued by the court is being welcomed by many. According to industrialist and philanthropist Sanjay Dalmia, people cannot portray their love for the motherland all the time. Cinema halls are meant for entertainment, and it would be wrong to impose such regulations on places of entertainment.
To prove their patriotism, people don't need to stand up every time they visit a cinema hall to watch a film. Time is changing, and so is our country. What we need today is not a set of stringent rules that 'ensure everyone is a patriot'.
In the opinion of Mr Sanjay Dalmia, today's India needs better policies for the overall development of the country. Once people see their country growing and moving forward in a better direction, their love and respect for it would increase without any orders from the Supreme Court.


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Juniors 13-16 years
There is no such thing as a typical Pauline. The typical Pauline is atypical by definition.
When boys join St Paul's School they are introduced to a huge range of experiences, both academically and co-curricular.
In the classroom, they start a new Modern Language and meet several aspects of Technology, Art, Music and Drama. When it comes to choosing options at GCSE, they can reach an informed decision.
A Societies' Fair on the first Monday of the year showcases many of the societies, clubs and activities which pupils can join in our long lunch-breaks.
During Monday lunchtimes, boys are introduced to many new sports, games and activities. On games afternoons, after a term of rugby, most boys try out two different sports in the spring — and a further two in the summer.
When the boys move up to the Fifth Form they will study 11 subjects in preparation for their GCSE.
By now, students are well aware of the many opportunities St Paul's makes available to them. They are naturally drawn to the co-curricular activities which they enjoyed the most in the Fourth Form and greater maturity sees them wanting to explore further the many societies on offer. The Duke of Edinburgh scheme is particularly popular, whilst a host of sporting options give everyone the chance to participate and also compete against traditional rivals.
Boys enter the Sixth Form with two years of activity and learning at St Paul's under their belts. They leave it as young men who have gained their first national exam qualifications and who have made their decisions about A Level subjects.
Read more about the day in the life of a Fourth Form boy at St Paul's


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Pete, Viv, Ethan, & JP
Welcome! We are Pete, Vivian, Ethan and John Parker (JP). Together we make Team Sung. We put this site together to help you better connect with us (and us with you). In it, we share the joys and challenges of life together. We're glad you came by.


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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Turkey Day 2006
One of the joys of always having my camera with me is that every now and then the conditions are just beautiful for photography. Saturday was one of those times. Hot and overcast, casting a softer light on everyone and without stark shadows. The bushfires around Sydney had put lots of smoke into the air, which is a terrible, terrible thing, but perfect from the aspect of creating a soft golden sunset.
The dynamic of photographing friends is easier too I guess. I had my camera out all day, snapping away like a mad thing, which serves to desensitize people to the presence of the camera. Being able to display the photo on the camera and show people just how good they look (glory be for digital!) helps put people at ease a bit too.
Alcohol, food and a bunch of laughs also puts people at ease. There was lots of all three.
I've only posted my absolute favourites so far on Flickr. They might not even be the best pics I took artistically, but I love them for the moments and the personalities that they capture.
It's great to have records of these goods times. Already I look back on photos from events just 6 months ago and see the new children that have arrived, the rapid growth of others, the relationships that have come and gone, and the laughs and the good times shared.
The hosts of Turkey Day are heading back to the U.S. in January, so it's a bit bitter sweet to think that this may be the last Turkey Day. Certainly not the last party by any stretch of the imagination, but Turkey Day has a unique magic that will be hard to recapture.
18 comments:
- DestructoMeg said...
Absolutely-and-then-some gorgeous pics.
- 1:05 pm
- The Other Andrew said...
Thank you kind lady! Look how pretty your hair was! So elegant.
- 1:24 pm
- Mikey (The Lovely Ex) said...
Who's the guy in the red t-shirt?
- 1:39 pm
- The Other Andrew said...
You're a classic, aren't you? No "nice photo", no "nice post"...
Nick. His name is Nick.
- 1:52 pm
- Ur-spo said...
great photos, as usual!
- 2:58 pm
- The Other Andrew said...
- 3:41 pm
- Gabrielle said...
Beautiful shot of AJ- thanks so much!
- 5:48 pm
- Cozalcoatl said...
Its good to be a golddigger...;)
Look how happy I am
- 8:37 pm
- M-H said...
Just to prove how small Sydney is, not only do you know my friend Kris (from whose blog I found you), but you eat turkey with Karinne. I used to work with Karinne. :)
- 10:39 pm
- The Other Andrew said...
Gabrielle, that was the best one of AJ but there's another nice one. I'll put all my AJ pics on a CD for you!
Coz, exactly. I got me a diamond AND a Green Card!
M-H, that's too funny that you also know Miss Krin! Wow, really is a small world.
- 9:17 am
- Mikey (The Lovely Ex) said...
By the way, great photos ;-) especially of AJ who is looking a lot like his parents
- 10:23 am
- The Other Andrew said...
Mikey, AJ looks like such a little guy in that pic, captures his slightly 'rough and tumble' edge I thought. Plus the light in his hair is gorgeous. It was one of those pics you look at afterwards and think alriiiight!!
- 10:32 am
- anti ob said...
Not that we're surprised or anything, but thats a truly lovely set of shots. I particularly like the shot of Coz, but its just possible I'm biased...
- 5:35 pm
- worldpeace and a speedboat said...
yeah, seconding everyone - the pics are really fab. they capture everyone 'just so' - even Fz! even though it sticks in one's craw to say something nice about Fz... heh. the photie of AJ especially stands out for me. beautiful lighting and fortuitous shooting to get any child in that sort of shot.
btw TOA that's Dr Nik to you. like Dr Bob and Dr Two-Eyed Pete :-)
- 11:00 pm
- The Other Andrew said...
Doctor schmoctor. Will he take a look at my bad back? Help me with my chillblains?
Calls himself a doctor?...
- 9:08 am
- The Other Andrew said...
Speedy, Anti-Ob, thanks for the compliments guys. These were my favourites, but there's some other nice ones there that I haven't posted. I'll burn some copies - plus Rob, make sure I give you copies before you head off to the U.S., m'kay? ::sniff::
- 9:40 am
- DestructoMeg said...
heh you don't have to say anything nice about Fzt, just that the pic captures him extrodinarily well ;)
- 2:57 pm
- worldpeace and a speedboat said...
true, megzie, very true ;-)
- 10:09 am


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I remember stumbling across this blog a few months ago. It's written by Julia Sweeten from hookedonhouses.net
Makes you wonder why some houses stay on the market for months, maybe years at a time…
6 Real Estate Photos
That Have Me Baffled
by HOOKEDONHOUSES on SEPTEMBER 10, 2013
1. Does this listing photo from Key West make you want to kick up your feet by the pool and stay awhile…or just keep on walking to the next house?
View original post 400 more words


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I have made two different trips to Israel. During that time, I have spent a number of days in Jerusalem. In addition, I have read dozens of blog posts and Internet articles about the city. I have also purchased books about Jerusalem and read through them. Often, I have people ask me, "What can you tell me about Jerusalem?" My sarcastic answer is usually the same, "It is confusing."
Seriously, Jerusalem is an amazing city. It has a unique beauty. It is has been almost continually inhabited for over 4,000 years. Over time, the city has been built up and destroyed a number of times. Millions of people throughout history have called Jerusalem their home.
About a year ago, when I first saw the seven minute promotional video for Jerusalem, I instantly fell in love with it and could not wait to see it. Then, in August, they released a trailer for the movie. However, the movie was not being shown in my area. My wife and I discussed making trips to St. Louis or Atlanta to see it, but we were having a hard time fitting it into our schedule.
Every year, we travel to Jacksonville, Florida to visit family for the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, we decided to take a slight detour through Tallahassee and see the Florida State/Idaho football game. (My wife and I met each other at Florida State.) Two days before we left home to head to Tallahassee, I saw a Facebook post advertising that Jerusalem was being shown in Tallahassee the same weekend. I quickly bought tickets online and we headed out of town.
So, how was the movie? Fantastic. I really enjoyed it. The movie revolves around the lives of three young ladies who live in Jerusalem. One is a Christian, on is Jewish and one is Muslim. They all live within the confines of the Old City of Jerusalem, but due to their different religious beliefs, their paths rarely (if ever) cross. In the movie, the three women are interviewed about the city and what it means to them. It is a compelling story which highlights some of its history and, at a very high level, attempts to explain the religious, cultural, social and economic differences that currently exist within the city.
While this was interesting, I was more interested in the cinematography. I went to the movie because I wanted to see pictures of the city in IMAX format. In the theatre where we went, the movie was being show in 3D. While I am not a huge fan of 3D movies, there were a number of scenes in which it has a huge impact. Some of them are:
Mount of Olives - Many scenes from the Mount of Olives were fantastic in 3D. When you travel to Israel, this is the "traditional view" of the city that all tourists enjoy. Seeing it in 3D helped you visualize the true beauty of that overlook.
Temple Mount - There was a sweeping view that started at the bottom of the southwest corner of the Temple Mount. As the camera panned up and away from the corner, the view changed from actual video to a computer generated image of the Temple Mount during the First Century. It was fantastic.
Garden of Gethsemane - The traditional location of the Garden of Gethsemane is below the Church of All Nations that sits just east of the East Gate across the Kidron Valley. Outside that building, they are several (very) old olive trees. There is a view that begins beneath one of these trees and then rises to show the city of Jerusalem. It was a great sequence showing the close proximity of the Garden of Gethsemane to the city. I wrote about this in an earlier post, and it was interesting to see this same view in a different perspective.
Should you go and see this film? In a word, YES. It is really good. While there were a few statements that I did not totally agree with, it is a good introduction to the city itself. And, it gives any student of the Bible an opportunity to see some fantastic pictures of the land of Israel.


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NYFW Veda Fashion Presentation Fall/Winter 2016
Veda came onto my radar the second I saw those freaking incredible Best Friend leather jackets everyone seems to be wearing these days. Veda's Fall/Winter 2016 Fashion presentation took place this morning and the collection was all equestrian vibes. The belts and bags had a major western feel, as well as the pantsuits. I was especially feeling the monochrome cropped jacket pantsuit, a modern twist on the classic style. My assistant and I spoke to Veda's designer, Lyndsey Butler, who explained that she loves to take an abstract painting and use it as the color palette for her collection. We saw a lot of reds and earthy tones at the show, definitely my kind of color scheme.


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Supporting Early Education and Development (SEED)
Supporting Early Education and Development (SEED) Department provides Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) in Nevada. CCR&R promotes quality child care that is affordable and accessible to all members of our community. SEED actively engages providers, community agencies, businesses, and parents to help meet this goal.
Click on the option below that best describes you: Parents, Providers or Community.
CCR&R agencies that demonstrate outcome-based, best practices can achieve Quality Assured status from Child Care Aware. The Children's Cabinet was validated nationally as a quality assured CCR&R agency in May 2006 and continually strives to meet national best practices in all its programming.
Nationally Quality Assured by Child Care Aware®


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Hamilton-based mystery writer Stephen Ross has a short story, entitled "Boundary Bridge", in the March 2010 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. Ross has written and had published several mystery short stories, and also has two short stories coming out in upcoming issues of AHMM's 'sister' publication, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
As many of you will be aware, for over fifty years, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine has been one of the foremost publishers of mystery, crime, and suspense short stories. AHMM each month publishes mystery fiction of the broadest range and the highest quality, featuring every subgenre of mystery fiction. Several of the biggest names in crime and mystery writing have contributed over the decades, and stories published in AHMM have won dozens of writing awards. Quite simply, AHMM is one of the premier short story publications in the world.
One of six brand new mystery short stories in the March 2010 issue (along with a classic mystery short story, "The Shape of the Sword" by Jorge Luis Borges), "Boundary Bridge" features an expatriate American script writer who "exhibits a rather low threshold for the petty annoyances of life".


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Where in the world has time gone? The past year has flown on by and Not Starving Yet has officially turned 1. It's been a great year and I couldn't have done it without your support. Since we've accomplished so much this year I thought it was only fitting to celebrate some of the highlights starting with...
My 15 Minutes of Fame
The year started out with an unexpected bang when my dinosaur bones s'mores cake went viral on the one day I decided to take a day off (go figure.) I had just left for a day out with my son when my husband called to let me know I had made the front page of the internet (aka Reddit.) In 24 hours I had over 940,000 views and my fellow Redditors dubbed my cake Jurrasicake.
Fame like that could have gone to my head, but don't worry, it didn't (much.) After that I continued on as usual and managed to make enough messes and have enough accidents for an entire kitchen full of cooks. Graceful is something that I am not, despite years and years of studying dance and martial arts.
You may have seen my most recent kitchen antics on
although I failed to take a photo of the aftermath of my kitchen cabinet that collapsed last week. Anyone know a good yet affordable cabinet builder? New kitchen cabinets just went to the top of my mile long things that I need to replace list, even surpassing our broken air conditioner. A girl has to have priorities!
Food For a Cause
This year I decided to use my kitchen talents to give back and I can't even begin to tell you how amazing that was. I participated in the 3rd annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap which partnered withCookies for Kids' Cancer to raise money to fund new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to participate again next year. I made gingerbread boys to send out to the bloggers I was paired up with, they're one of my favorite cookies and it turns out my readers loved them nearly as much as I do. It ended up being my most viewed cookie recipe this year.
In case you were wondering... This years top ten most-viewed recipes are:
- Dinosaur Bones S'mores Cake (it will take a lot to push this one from the #1 spot)
- Caramelized Onion Dip
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Gingerbread Boys
- Great Grandma Bessie's Peanut Butter Cookies
- Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
- Easy Crock-Pot Applesauce
- Basic Cajun Seasoning Mix
- Egg Drop Soup
- Green Bean Casserole with Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Mushrooms
Lessons I've learned this past year
- Some days I just don't feel like writing and other days life gets in the way. It's best to plan ahead and have back up posts in reserve for when life happens.
- I can't do it all at once and trying to do it all at once means something else in my life suffers. This usually winds up being general housekeeping, so it's a good thing we don't often have company.
- Social media will eat up all of my time, but only if I let it. It also take a lot of effort to gain a social media following which is something I had no clue about when I first started blogging a year ago.
- Don't be afraid to take a day off (but be careful when you do, it's the day you're going to become internet famous!)
- There is one thing that hasn't changed since high-school, I still have a problem with run-on sentences. I've been making a lot of effort to improve the quality of my writing now that I know where my weaknesses lie.
What's Coming Up Next?
I have so much planned for the next year that I don't even know where to begin.
- Starting next week I'll be spending two weeks covering tea, books, and food with a French theme.
- Later in June we'll be having our first giveaway! I was hoping to have it coincide with our blogiversary, but I've been so busy there wasn't enough time. Looks like it will be a belated blogiversary giveaway, but it should be open to my readers in Canada and the US. More details to come soon.
- More chocolate tutorials! They've been a lot of fun, so I have a few more projects up my sleeves.
That just barely scratches the surface of what I have planned for the rest of the year, so make sure you check back to see what we're up to here at Not Starving Yet. It's going to be a fun year!


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Thursday, 12 February 2015
I don't normally wear nude lipstick. If I'm wearing lipstick, I go by the mantra: go bold or go home. However, L'Oreal have recently released the Collection Privee 'The Perfect Nudes,' with a nude coloured lipstick that corresponds to a particular celebrity. And while this whole idea seems quite gimmicky, I was intrigued to see which celebrity's nude I would match up to.
When these finally arrived on the Priceline shelves, I spent ages swatching them and comparing them to my skin tone in the mirror. I eventually decided on J.Lo's nude. This shade is the exact shade of my lips, so it's perfect to even out the colour on my lips, and add a bit of shine and sheen to the lips.
In the bullet this shade looks quite brown, but on the lips it is the perfect 'your lips but better' pink. It helps even out the colour, and give a bit of glow.
The packaging of these is quite luxurious, with matte black outer packaging and gold detailing.
The only problem I have is with the smell. These lipsticks are quite heavily fragranced, so if you don't like that, these might not be up your street.
And the more exciting news, is that there is a collection of reds coming out in the same line! I will definitely be picking up some of those!
Who is your nude?
Beth. x
Labels: ausbblogger, bblogger, bbloggerau, j lo, l'oreal, lipstick, nudes, priceline, swatches
2 comments:
What a pretty color! I've been dying to try this collection!ReplyDelete
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This color looks very pretty!ReplyDelete
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Cardiovascular & Renal Pharmacology
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Haemodynamic Studies
Pithed, Anaesthetised & Conscious Models, etc.
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Renal Function
- Diuresis and electrolytes excretion
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Disease Models
- Acute Renal Failure
- Induced by ischaemia and reperfusion
- Induced by glycerol injection
- Chronic Renal Failure


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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Abundance (06/08/06)
- TITLE: Trudy, Happy at Last!
But, Trudy was very unhappy. You see, she had an abundance of something else that was killing her—and there didn't seem to be anything that she could do to stop it….You see, Trudy was vastly overweight…
Most of her life she carried around about forty pounds too much. She had been made fun of, had difficulty finding and keeping a job, her friends and family had given up on her and so she consoled herself everyday with even more food, staying inside most of the time, reading a lot and thinking of her past successes of writing and school.
She still wrote but often the depression was so bad, that she couldn't think of anything positive and encouraging to write.
And then, something wonderful happened that changed everything!
She found an online Christian Group called Christians for Friendship and found some great Christian people that she could share with. Many of the emails were uplifting and encouraging and it wasn't long before some of the writers were helping with her weight problem. A "buddy system" was developed where several of the writers wrote to her daily and asked how she was doing. She began keeping a journal of what she ate and took up walking on a daily basis.
It wasn't long before Trudy was finding the motivation to do some of the things she hadn't done in years –such as going back to church, doing some volunteer work at a local hospital, going out with her husband on the weekends and visiting friends and family. She found to her surprise that food was no longer a top priority.
Several months later, around Halloween, she got on the scales as she usually did the first part of the week, and found to her great surprise, that had reached her goal! Instead of weighing 190 pounds, she now weighed in at 145!
Needless to say, she was abundantly happy, her husband was proud of her accomplishment and life was just beginning!
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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Sarah Hyland's Halloween Costume Inspired Her Shadowhunters Role of the Seelie Queen
Jul 24, 2017 6:00 PM EDT
Sarah Hyland is about to blow us all away as the grown-up version of the Seelie Queen on Freeform's Shadowhunters. But did you know she has her Halloween costume to thank for the part? Showrunner Matt Hastings explained that Hyland showed him a phot… Read more


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Twins testing results
Results of your twin DNA test will be ready in just 3-5 working days from receipt of samples at the laboratory.
Identical twins result when a single sperm cell fertilizes a single ovum and the egg then splits into 2, forming 2 separate embryos which are genetically carbon copies of each other. Non Identical twins result when two ova are fertilized independently by 2 independent sperm cells forming 2 embryos with different genetic makeups.
Our twin DNA test can confirm whether the DNA profiles of the test participants are identical (proving they are identical twins) or whether their DNA profiles are different (proving they are non-identical twins).
Collecting your DNA samples
Our home kit will enable you to collect DNA samples using simple to use oral swabs.
You will then return the swabs for laboratory analysis.
- Because looking at resemblance and the physical characteristics between twins is not always a clear way of knowing if twins are monozygotic or dizygotic.
- Identical twins will have the same blood groups; they can donate blood to each other or even organs.
Pricing of the twins test
The cost of our Twin DNA test for 2 people is €139. Multiple siblings can be added to the test at an extra cost.
Siblings DNA testing
If you are siblings or perhaps non identical twins and wish to know if you share one or both biological parents in common, you can opt for a siblings DNA test. Siblings testing a good alternative to a parentage test (a maternity test or paternity test) and can provide strong results.


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Menu for the Week of March 19, 2012Submitted by rlw on Fri, 03/16/2012 - 08:28
We have LOTS of root vegetables from our CSA. They are not the kid's favorite type of vegetable but I think I may have found some creative approaches to these "earth-diggen" veggies with lighter meals sprinkled in between.
Blueberry Oatmeal PancakesSubmitted by rlw on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 10:51
We first had a version of these pancakes on a trip with good friends to the Grand Tetons in the Fall of 2002. Maybe it was the magic of the trip, but these pancakes have remained a favorite. We made them for my aunt and uncle at least seven years ago. Recently I received a message from my aunt saying how much she still loves the pancakes and munches on them throughout the day (the extra are great frozen as well). Pete's dad, who never has been able to eat pancakes, even likes them. You have to give them a try!
Sprouting the BeansSubmitted by rlw on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 19:53
Today was a BEAUTIFUL day - sunshine, no wind, birds chirping, snow melting and no jackets required. Rather than writing a post, it was the kind of day for "sprouting" myself and the kids. So stop back tomorrow when I share a recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes. One more way to help get your daily fill of fruits and veggies.
Weekly Menu for the Week of March 12, 2012Submitted by rlw on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 21:57
This week my mouth was watering as I compiled favorite meals that feature fruits and vegetables. It made for easy meal planning this week!
Lovin' Your Fruits & Veggies for Better NutritionSubmitted by rlw on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 21:13
March is National Nutrition Month. Fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and are usually low in calories. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help you ward off heart disease, stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, protect against autoimmune diseases and depression, avoid intestinal ailments, as well as guard against cataract and macular degeneration, not to mention make you FEEL GOOD!!! In today's post I've compiled many great ways to eat delicious fruits & veggies.
Menu for the Week of March 5, 2012Submitted by rlw on Sat, 03/03/2012 - 21:28
Most of this week we need easy or make ahead meals. We're also having Skoogie's leftover bean salad creation.
Garden PlanningSubmitted by rlw on Tue, 02/28/2012 - 21:44
With potential blizzard conditions coming tonight and tomorrow we are EXCITED about more snow. If we are going to have winter, let's have some white stuff! BUT it also is the time of year that we are dreaming about and planning our garden. Last weekend we thumbed through our seed catalogs, picking produce to supplement our existing seed packets. We'll start seedlings inside in the next couple of weeks—you need a jump start when you live in the Northland!
Weekly Menu for the Week of February 26, 2012Submitted by rlw on Fri, 02/24/2012 - 09:46
In her first week on the job, Skoogie picked mac and cheese with a kale salad. We ate it the other night so that we would have a photo for the blog. After eating her salad and first helping of macaroni, I thought she was done and cleared things off the table….but I was wrong! Another bowl was downed! She earned her first week as Assistant Meal Planner with that meal!!
Skoogie's other meal request this week is cheeseburgers and bean salad. It was interesting to decipher what she wanted. I heard loud and clear that it needs to be GREEN beans. I thought maybe a pickled three bean salad might be worth a try. But told Pete I wanted to check to see what Hannah had in mind. The other night while we were eating dinner I asked her what she wanted to do with the green beans and I KID YOU NOT, she said, "I want pickled green beans." Spooky!!! But exciting at the same time, because maybe that means there is a greater chance of her eating them! We'll let you know.
Meal Planning AssistantSubmitted by rlw on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 09:28
This week the kids have their Winter Break. We just got back from a fun weekend of cross-country skiing. Both kids are trekking along on their skis and it is exciting to see! The rest of the week we have lots more adventures planned to sprout the beans.
Weekly Menu for the Week of February 20, 2011Submitted by rlw on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 23:21
We're keeping things simple next week, allowing for playtime during the kids break.


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Lámha Suas was set up in 2010 by Deborah Sheeran, a primary school teacher from Dublin. Deborah had been going out to Uganda for some years and knew that education was the key to helping improve people lives, especially the lives of girls and young women.
She knew she wanted to work in Mubende, the district with the worst education record in Uganda. She contacted the Irish Embassy in Kampala, told them what she wanted to do and asked them for any contacts they may have in the area. They put her in contact with Kakeetos Stephen, who was the District Education Officer of Mubende at that time. He recommended Madudu as the place to base Lámha Suas' programmes and the rest, as they say, is history….
Since then, Lámha Suas has brought 20 volunteers out to live and work in Madudu. We have provided Kisoolo Primary School with new latrines and Madudu Primary School with a kitchen, grinding machine, grinding machine shelter, a new staffroom, a Rain Water Harvesting System and five 10,000L water tanks, fruit trees, doors and window shutters on all classrooms, we have renovated the teacher quarters, painted all the classrooms, employed an extra teacher and a school cook and converted the original school building to staff accommodation and a library for the children.
In 2015 we started a Safe Motherhood Programme in partnership with the Rural Health Care Foundation Uganda. We have also developed a strong friendship with the Juliana School for the Deaf in Mityana and Busibozi Teacher Training College.
In 2016, we will start working with 2 new schools: Kawuula Primary School and Kiruuma Primary School. We look forward to developing a good relationship with both schools.
Lámha Suas is a signatory of the Comhlámh Code of Good Practice (CoGP) for Volunteer Sending Agencies. The Code is a set of standards for organisations involved in facilitating international volunteer placements in the global south.
View Comhlamh's Code of Good Practice For Volunteer Sending Agencies
If you feel we are not adhering to the Code please contact us at email@example.com, email@example.com or email@example.com


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Card File Drawer, Triple Card 3 x 5, 1500 Crd Cap, Black263F3516TBLA
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Card File Drawer, Triple Card 3 x 5, 1500 Crd Cap, Black
Product Details
Triple-drawer card file is made of side-by-side drawers that hold up to 1500 index cards each and accommodates 3" x 5" cards. A label holder on the front of each drawer can be used for content identification. Sturdy pull handles allow easy opening and closing. Rubberized, nonmar feet keep the cabinet from slipping even if the drawers are stacked. A follower block and compressor lock keep cards upright - no matter the number of cards. Heavy-gauge steel features a scratch-resistant, chip-resistant finish. Index cards and guides are not included. Card cabinet is made with a high percentage of recycled material.
Condition: NEW


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Email has been sent to with instructions on resetting your password.
Enroll in a Dignity Health account to simplify finding a doctor and scheduling an appointment. Let's start!
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In the emergency room, blood tests are necessary to quickly gain information needed to manage and diagnose medical emergencies. A blood test involves withdrawing a sample of blood into a vial and sending it to a lab for analysis.
At Dignity Health, our emergency care team performs prompt, high-quality blood tests in the Bay Area.
Emergency blood tests fall under the following general categories:
In the Dignity Health emergency room, a doctor, nurse, or technician will draw your blood to collect the sample.
The health care provider who draws your blood will apply pressure to the site to stop the bleeding. You will have a small bandage with a cotton ball to absorb any residual blood. You can usually remove the bandage within a few hours.
Once the sample goes to the lab, it usually takes up to an hour to get the results. However, some tests may take more time to process. The doctor will discuss all test results with you and explain what it means for your care.
Rely on our emergency doctors to quickly work to diagnose your condition and provide personal care.
Dignity Health offers patients expert and efficient emergency care, including blood tests, in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Redwood City.


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Her manager, Lupe De Leon, said that the cause was complications of leukemia. Ms. James, who died at Riverside Community Hospital, had been undergoing treatment for some time for a number of conditions, including leukemia and
Ms. James was not easy to pigeonhole. She is most often referred to as a rhythm and blues singer, and that is how she made her name in the 1950s with records like "Good Rockin' Daddy." She is in both the
She was also comfortable, and convincing, singing pop standards, as she did in 1961 with "At Last," which was written in 1941 and originally recorded by
Regardless of how she was categorized, she was admired. Expressing a common sentiment, Jon Pareles of
For all her accomplishments, Ms. James had an up-and-down career, partly because of changing audience tastes but largely because of drug problems. She developed a heroin habit in the 1960s; after she overcame it in the 1970s, she began using cocaine. She candidly described her struggles with addiction and her many trips to rehab in her autobiography, "Rage to Survive," written with David Ritz (1995).
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in
She began singing at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles at 5 and turned to secular music as a teenager, forming a vocal group with two friends. She was 15 when she made her first record, "Roll With Me Henry," which set her own lyrics to the tune of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters' recent hit "Work With Me Annie." When some disc jockeys complained that the title was too suggestive, it was changed to "The Wallflower," although the record itself was not.
"The Wallflower" rose to No. 2 on the rhythm-and-blues charts in 1954. As was often the case in those days with records by black performers, a toned-down version was soon recorded by a white singer and found a wider audience:
In 1960 Ms. James was signed by Chess Records, the
She remained with Chess well into the 1970s, reappearing on the charts after a long absence in 1967 with the funky and high-spirited "Tell Mama." In the late '70s and early '80s she was an opening act for the
After decades of touring, recording for various labels and drifting in and out of the public eye, Ms. James found herself in the news in 2009 after Beyoncé Knowles recorded a version of "At Last" closely modeled on hers. (Ms. Knowles played Ms. James in the 2008 movie
When the movie was released, Ms. James had kind words for Ms. Knowles's portrayal. But in February 2009, referring specifically to the Washington performance, she told an audience, "I can't stand Beyoncé," and threatened to "whip" the younger singer for doing "At Last." She later said she had been joking, but she did add that she wished she had been invited to sing the song herself for the new president.
Ms. James's survivors include her husband of 42 years, Artis Mills; two sons, Donto and Sametto James; and four grandchildren.
Though her life had its share of troubles to the end — her husband and sons were locked in a long-running battle over control of her estate, which was resolved in her husband's favor only weeks before her death — Ms. James said she wanted her music to transcend unhappiness rather than reflect it.
"A lot of people think the blues is depressing," she told The Los Angeles Times in 1992, "but that's not the blues I'm singing. When I'm singing blues, I'm singing life. People that can't stand to listen to the blues, they've got to be phonies."Continue reading the main story


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Convention Data Services Launches Lead Retrieval Dashboard
Convention Data Services added a Lead Retrieval Dashboard to the CDS X·Press Reports event management tool.
The new dashboard provides show management with a deeper understanding of exhibit hall activity and charts important data on exhibitor and attendee behavior.
The product, which analyzes data collected from scans on all CDS lead retrieval devices, provides a unique display of the aggregated data.
This data can be accessed during the show or post-show by all onsite and remotely located show management staff to monitor the activity and progress of the event.
The dashboard displays hall and aisle traffic; it shows scans by date, time and exhibitor, as well as year-over-year comparisons that show event growth and exhibitor performance metrics.
Graphical reporting provides show management with a visual of the data for ease in making decisions regarding their event. The graphs and charts can be exported for use in campaign materials, correspondence, the exhibitor kit or for booth sales and general event advertising.
"The Lead Retrieval Dashboard is an incredibly beneficial addition to the CDS X·Press Reports tool. It is a great resource for show management to monitor their show's activity and comes with full support from the CDS event team," said David Lawton, executive vice president of sales at Convention Data Services.
He added, "The dashboard is easily accessed through the X·Press Reports portal and assists show management in planning their event and demonstrating exhibitor ROI."
The dashboard opens with a summary of pertinent information about exhibitors, scans and equipment.
Tabs within the dashboard lead to exhibitor, traffic, geographic and demographic details. Demographic reports detail buyer positions, professions and interests for a clear picture of potential exhibitor ROI. The quality and growth of qualified buyers on the show floor and their networking with exhibitors is shown in detail and makes it easy to prove the event's value to prospective exhibitors.
Features and Benefits:
- Lead retrieval scan summaries
- Daily scan detail (with a drill down by hour and top exhibitors)
- Hall traffic (broken down by aisle, top aisle, hall and top booth traffic by exhibitor)
- Geographic summary (by country, state and region)
- Demo summary (by demo questions and registration class)
The dashboard is available onsite or post-show for any event that uses CDS' lead retrieval technology, including current clients with completed events.


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Instead of going to prison for more than a year, a former Boca Raton financial advisor on Tuesday was ordered to pay the U.S. Coast Guard the $1 million it spent searching for him when he tried to fake his death at sea nearly two years ago.
Calling Richard Ohrn's bizarre plan to escape mounting personal problems an "aberration" in an otherwise upstanding life, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg said there was no reason to put the 46-year-old U.S. Navy veteran behind bars.
"There's no indication you don't respect the law," Rosenberg said while placing Ohrn on probation for one year. "You're no threat to society."
"It was a (reaction to a) personal crisis that, quite frankly, we all have," she concluded.
Rosenberg's decision was supported by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy McCall. He said Ohrn has cooperated with government agents since he was indicted by a grand jury after he emerged from hiding in April 2015. By pleading guilty in August to a felony charge of making a false distress call to the Coast Guard, Ohrn has accepted responsibility for the burden he placed on the agency that is "stretched thin" and has better things to do than search for phantoms, McCall said.
In addition, McCall said, as part of the plea deal, Ohrn and his wife agreed to sell their 5,000-square-foot house off Yamato Road in suburban Boca Raton that is valued at $550,000. Orhn will use half of proceeds to partially reimburse the federal agency. Rosenberg ordered Ohrn to pay $400 a month until the debt is repaid.
The Coast Guard launched a nearly three-day search by sea and air after a boater discovered an empty blood-stained vessel adrift 6 miles south of the Boynton Beach Inlet and 2 miles from shore.
Later, Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies said they discovered that after renting the watercraft in Broward County, Ohrn used an inflatable boat to return to shore. Once on land, they said he climbed into a recently-purchased truck and drove to Albany, Ga., where he hid out for two weeks.
Pointing to a December 2014 decision by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation to yank Ohrn's stockbroker's license after national security regulators accused him of forging client signatures and emptying $15,000 from the accounts of two elderly customers, officials said it appeared Ohrn hatched the plan as a way to escape financial problems.
His attorney, Tama Beth Kudman, disputed the claims made by financial regulators. While Ohrn had recently lost his job at a bank, she said his financial woes were only partially responsible for his breakdown.
One of his two sons was struggling with drug addiction, spinning in and out of rehab, she said. His wife was diagnosed with life-threatening health problems that still haunt her today. The victim of horrific abuse as a child, Kudman said Ohrn was ill-equipped to deal with stress of being unable to save his loved ones from financial, medical or psychological ruin.
"All of this came to a head," she said. "Mr. Ohrn didn't have the emotional tools to deal with what was happening at home."
While he contemplated suicide in Georgia, he ultimately decided to return to rebuild his fractured life, Kudman said.
In rejecting federal sentencing guidelines, that called for a maximum 18-month prison term, Rosenberg referred to a sealed report that detailed the abuse Ohrn endured as a youngster. "You are a very good person who achieved great success and have much to be proud of despite a very debilitating childhood that many people may not have found a way out of," she told Ohrn.
Unable to find work in the financial sector as a result of his conviction, Kudman said Ohrn and his wife plan to start a pest control business. Rosenberg wished Ohrn well after ordering him to continue to receive mental health treatment. "Hopefully," she said, "the worst is behind you."


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Even as Singapore's trade-dependent economy faces risks in the wake of a global slowdown, one sector in this Southeast Asian island state stays upbeat.
In this year's Forbes rich list for Singapore released in July, 10 of the 40 wealthiest individuals were either hoteliers or property tycoons with a growing stake in the hospitality business – an indicator of the robustness of the industry.
The owner of budget chain, Hotel 81, Choo Chong Ngen made his debut on the list at No. 25 with a net worth of $690 million. Snapping at his heels at spot 26 was another newcomer Michael Kum with a net worth of $670 million. His M&L Hospitality Trust has many hotels in its portfolio.
The largest listing in the city state's otherwise lackluster marketfor new issuances was also from the hospitality sector, with Ascendas Hospitality Trust raising $600 million in July.
The hotel industry has had a great year so far with total room revenues over the first half hitting $1.1 billion, according to the Singapore Tourism Board, a jump of 6.6 percent year on year.
The sector is reaping the benefits of a growing number of visitors, who continue to flock the tiny island for leisure and business. A financial hub and gateway to the Far East, Singapore has continuously been reinventing itself to attract visitors. From 2008 it has been hosting the Formula One's only night race and in 2010 opened its first casino. It is also increasingly positioning itself as a medical tourism and educational hub.
"Singapore's unique proposition is that it has a good mix of demand drivers like medical, convention and education tourism that insulate it from the vagaries of leisure tourism. There is no one reason that draws visitors here," says Robert McIntosh, Executive Director of CBRE Hotels, advisors to the hospitality industry.
Nearly 6 million people visited Singapore over January to May 2012, an increase of 12.3 percent year on year, boosting daily room rents and occupancy rates at its hotels, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.
In the first quarter of the year average daily room (ADR) rates rose more than 11 percent year on year to $206 and revenue per available room (RevPar) grew 14.7 percent to $178, according to CBRE Hotels.
The occupancy rate in the first quarter was 87 percent, the same as last year, but industry experts expect full year occupancy rates to beat that.
"The historic high RevPar is an indication that the hospitality industry is performing very well. This reverses our earlier assessment that global events may cast a shadow on hotel performance in Singapore," says McIntosh.
Singapore's average room rents have beaten those of other big Asian cities. In June, for example, Singapore hotels were commanding an average daily room rent of $230, while in Seoul the rents were $185.
In the first six months daily room tariffs have fallen 0.1 percent in neighboring Kuala Lumpur, while in Shanghai they are down 3.2 percent, according to CBRE Hotels.
Year-End Boost
As the global economic uncertainty worsens, there are doubts whether the sector will continue to deliver on good growth. The Ministry of Trade and Industry had said in Augustthat tourism had begun to slow, according to a Reuters report.
But Derek Tan, Hotel Industry Analyst at DBS Vicker Research, says the second half of the year could be even better for Singapore's hotel industry as it is traditionally the peak period.
"With a pick-up in conference activity and events, we believe the overall industry has room to catch up with industry leaders like Marina Bay Sands and Resort World Sentosa commanding occupancy above 90 percent despite the average ADR touching a high of $320 a night," Tan said.
Marina Bay Sands, subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands, Singapore's iconic landmark of three hotel towers topped by a floating sky park that opened in 2010 has grown into its hottest tourist destination with its Las Vegas-style casino, while Resorts World Sentosa's key attraction include the Universal Studios theme park besides a casino.
Singapore is targeting 13.5 million to 14.5 million visitor arrivals in 2012, more than the 13.2 million people who visited Singapore last year, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.
The city plans to achieve this by continuously adding to its list of attractions. In May 2012, Asia's largest $400 million Marina Bay Cruise Center was completed raising Singapore's potential as a cruise gateway to Southeast Asia. In June 2012 the Gardens By the Bay, a horticulture sanctuary of forest clouds and flower domes on 250 acres of reclaimed land was also launched.
As Singapore prepares to welcome even more tourists, the number of hotel rooms are expected to increase 26 percent by 2016 according to data from CBRE Hotels. But industry experts see no danger of a glut in the market.
"The market has experienced tight room inventory recently. The additional supply would alleviate the room crunch experienced by Singapore," says David Ling, Chairman, China and Southeast Asia at hotel consultancy HVS.
Asok Hiranandani, proprietor of the real estate and hotel firm Royal Group Holdings, who also made it to the Forbes rich list this year, says, "For another five years, at least, I see the hotel boom continuing. Asia is poised to be the engine of growth and this will keep hotels in robust health."


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LA CROSSE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Playing two close games at UW-La Crosse to open the 2014 conference schedule, the UW-Eau Claire softball team came up short in both at North Campus Field today. The Blugolds fell 5-3 in the first game and 5-4 in the second.
In game one, the Blugolds led early but couldn't hold off the Eagles in the end.
Amanda Fischer (Jr.-Wausau, Wis./West) crossed home plate first in the top of the first inning with two outs and the bases loaded after Deanna Gilane (Jr.-South Milwaukee, Wis.) was hit by a pitch. La Crosse answered in the bottom of the inning and then scored two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead.
In the top of the third, again with two outs and the bases loaded, Leah Wolff (Fr.-Middleton, Wis.) doubled to left field to bring in Taylor Pierce (Jr.-Ashwaubenon, Wis.) and Nikki Brooks (Jr.-New Richmond, Wis./St. Croix Central), tying the game 3-3. But the Eagles scored two unanswered, one in the bottom of the fifth and one in the bottom of the sixth, and held off the Blugolds to capture the 5-3 victory.
The Blugolds finished the game with six hits, with Pierce leading the Blugolds with two. Fischer and Brooks each stole bases.
Emma Wishau (Sr.-Burlington, Wis./Waterford Union) started the game in the circle and pitched one inning before being relieved in the bottom of the second. She allowed six hits and three earned runs while striking out one batter. Lauren Blasczyk (Fr.-Appleton, Wis./East) was given the loss after pitching the rest of the game. She allowed seven hits and two earned runs. Blasczyk drops to 1-2 on the season.
In game two, La Crosse took the initial lead, scoring in the bottom of the second, but the Blugolds took the lead in the top of the third after Kelsey Meredith (Fr.-Golden Valley, Minn./Armstrong) and Emily Pomykalski (Fr.-Cross Plains, Wis./Middleton) scored runs. Eau Claire went up 3-1 in the top of the fourth after Amanda Houle (Sr.-Chisago City, Minn./Chisago Lakes) scored but the Eagles then had a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 lead.
The Blugolds answered in the top of the fifth with Pierce scoring a run and tying the game 4-4. The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. With just one runner on at second base and two outs, a fielding error in center field allowed the Eagles' runner to score from second to secure the victory.
Eau Claire finished with nine hits as Rachel Heffel (Fr.-Racine, Wis./Case) and Pierce tied for a team-high with two each. Gilane led the game with two RBI and Fischer again stole a base, bringing her season total to 23.
Laura Raflik (Jr.-Plover, Wis./Pacelli) started the game in the circle and pitched four innings, giving up nine hits and four runs, three of which were earned, while striking out one batter. Wishau relieved Raflik in the fifth inning and gave up one hit and one unearned run while striking out one batter. Wishau received the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season.
Eau Claire is now 13-9 this season, losing four straight games, and 0-2 in WIAC play. La Crosse is 13-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
Sunday the Blugolds will play another conference doubleheader at UW-Platteville. Action will get underway at noon.


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As the internet's most popular search engine, Google is a central part of any advertising strategy. Remember the days of Excite and Lycos? 🙁 Well those search engines died and the only real player in town these days is Google.
Fortunately there are a number of different tools and methods to MARKETING ON GOOGLE so that it can be a valuable place to advertise that provides some real results.
To get in front of your customers quickly Google AdWords allows you to set up paid search ads where you bid on the price people pay when they click on your ad. We'll cover this topic further below.
With Google you can also set up pages for your business on Google Plus and Google My Business to help build your brand on the Internet.
Google Analytics can help you analyze your results and keep track of your progress as you adjust and maintain your marketing campaign.
An effective marketing strategy on Google can help you increase visibility and allow people to get to know your brand so that your business is more recognizable to users. Continue reading is that's important to you!


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Storytime 30s by the Penny Rose Studio for Penny Rose Fabrics is great for quilting, apparel and home decor. This 1930's reproduction print features teacup kitties on a pin dot teal background.
Release Date: June 2019


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Special Thanks to Darwin and Michelle for the Amazing great day and night. Congratulation for Both of you. And Thanks to Jaeson for accompany us during the shot time.
Make-up: Kings and Linda Ariyanto
Location: Marina Bay, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Changi Airport.
Equipment: EOS Canon 5D MKII, Canon 50mm f1.2L, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L, Canon 580EXII.


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Hey Everyone:
Just a quick note to bring an article to your attention. Muscle and Fitness recently did a review on a bunch of new equipment that debuted at IHRSA 2009 a couple months ago. Amazingly, they reviewed almost all of the same stuff we did…except we did it first!
Anyhow, the line of strength equipment from Exerbotics was very well liked. Muscle and Fitness went so far as to call it the "gym of the future". It's unlikely that many of you have tried any of the Exerbotics pieces, considering they just came out, but if you get the chance, I highly suggest you give them a shot. Be prepared to blown away at the effectiveness of the line. The whole Exerbotics team was very hospitable -they let us hang out for a long time and try all the pieces. We were totally blown away by the effectiveness of the equipment and yes, the next couple days we were sore as hell.
I'll be posting a video of a small block of time we spent trying out the Exerbotics stuff.
In the meantime, here's the article from M&F.
Be on the lookout for the video which I'll post a bit later today. You can see all of the other IHRSA 2009 videos on Hybrid's YouTube Channel.
Keep training hard!
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Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: conditioning, fitness, gym, hybrid fitness, IHRSA, muscle, strength, workout | Leave a comment »


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We are available to speak about all aspects of managing the juggle. We can share our top tips for managing a career and family or delve deeper into topics such as women at work, flexible working, returning to work after parental leave and work-life balance.
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Bali Real Estate for Rent
My place is good for small families looking for a relaxed, carefree holiday.
Spacious and fully equipped one bed room villa with large kitchen, swimming pool and outdoor area.
Famous Jimbaran beach with manifficent sunset view and delicious seafood restaurants is just across the road
I was very happy with the villa. Clean, new and quite. Lovely atmosphere and feel safe as well! Location is great.. Andy was very helpful. He helped us arraged a driver during our stay. Very communicative and always available.. Thank you to Andy! It was a pleasant stay over all. I highly recommended!!
nice and private one-bedroom villa in good location near airport. That part of Jimbaran Bay area has lots of tourist buses, but the villa is part of a compound of 15 villas that are private yet only 5 min walk from the beach. Andy was great and even helped me arrange a car a driver through out my stay. Some the villas aren't completed yet in compound, but imagine they will be done soon.
I spent the night of April 7 in this villa. I needed a place to stay near the 'airport to catch my flight back to Jakarta' s tomorrow morning. It took 12 minutes to arrive at the terminal. I was traveling to Bali by combining a little 'work, viviste to friends and a little' free time to relax. The villa and 'spacious and nice to be a "1 bedroom". And 'well it positioned from the beach. A short walk of a few minutes. The villa has a beautiful and large kitchen with everything necessary, a living area bright and well decorated, a spacious and very comfortable bedroom. The bathroom has both a beautiful open shower and a bathtub. The garden has a nice sized pool for this type of villa. A 'good value for what it costs in a very nice area, quiet and strategically accessible.
I came here for a little staycation and it was perfect. We loved the location because it whilst it felt very private within the villa compound but in fact it was only 2 minutes from the beach, Jimbaran Bay. We were given bicycles too to explore the area (which we did in the early morning!) and we thought this was a lovely touch. The villa itself was spacious and very stylish, with its own pool which was great when we just wanted to stay private and still get some sun. The bathroom was gorgeous! It had a really well-equipped, modern kitchen, everything you need to make a nice meal but we never used it because Jimbaran has so many great spots to eat and try so we were out each night, all about 5 minutes drive away. Our host was extremely friendly and helpful upon check-in - even leaving us a big fruit basket - but was respectful of our privacy during our stay. Texting once to double check everything was okay. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay here.
The villa is exactly as pictured: modern and very private. It was also generally quiet, spacious and new. The swimming pool was large enough to do mini laps in, and the drinking water dispenser was a welcome amenity. Some distant noise from the nearby restaurants/resort can be heard in the evenings, but this was hardly an issue. Location-wise, there are the usual touristy seafood restaurants right outside the residence (with accompanying tourist prices). It is preferable to take a taxi to better dining, or contend with the few good dining establishments within walking distance (the Spanish restaurants Akua being one of them). A mini mart with basic food and sundries is also nearby (about 15 Min walk). Best of all (if you can ignore the tourist hordes) the beach offers stunning views of the sunset. Andy and his crew were exceedingly helpful. When we had issues with our local SIM card, he booked taxis and even bought a replacement SIM card for us. He was always just a text message away. Overall, we'd recommend the villa to anyone looking for an affordable yet quiet place to relax and unwind.
We arrived at the villa much earlier than we planned but this was no issue for Andy the property manager and he arranged to meet us at a cafe near the accommodation until the property was cleaned and presentable for us to go to. Andy showed us around the villa and ensured we had everything we needed, coffee, towels, filtered water, toilet rolls etc. he also explained there are frogs that live in the garden but they were so tiny and cute and we love frogs and nature so it was no trouble for us. The property is so much better than what you see in the photos. The pools seems bigger, the rooms are more spacious and the couch is so comfortable. The villa was exactly what we needed after a crazy three nights in Ubud (New Years!). The entire complex is contained by walls and there is a security guard at the front gate and the lanes are well lit at night so we always felt very safe walking back to our villa at night. The location is perfect for guests who want to experience beachfront seafood dining as the cafes are directly across the road from the complex. And if you don't feel like seafood, there is a restaurant at the Jimbaran beach plaza next door. Andy is such a friendly guy and we kept in touch right throughout our stay. If there was anything we needed he was so obliging. He even provided us with bikes as we weren't keen on using scooters in Bali. A taxi to the seafood cafes at the northern end of the bay only cost 30, 000 IDR. We had a fabulous time staying at the villa.
Thank you Andy, for a wonderful stay in the villa. WOW!!! It is a wonderful newish villa in a private estate, so is very quiet and peaceful. The villa has a "European" feel, with top-end facilities and decor, but still with a "homely" feel. The pool is big by private-pool standards, with both a shallow and deep end (which my husband appreciated). It is also cleaned via a sand filter, which meant that the water was actually clean, and not just "topped up" with chlorine each day. The cleaners did a great job, not just tidying up, (as with some of our other villas in Bali) but actually cleaning. It is right in the heart of Jimbaran Bay, 150 metres to the famous restaurants, so if you love seafood, you will be set for dinner for your stay. That being said, there are not many restaurants close by that cater for non-seafood lovers. Bicycles are provided for your stay, so you can ride to the restaurants, or the beach or the supermarket, but we found that to do anything else, transport is needed. We hired a scooter through Andy for a very reasonable rate, and found this invaluable for discovering the local area, and for going further afield. I would highly recommend this villa to anyone looking for a quiet, relaxing and peaceful stay, we spent many hours by the pool, listening to the birds and the peaceful sound of the pool waterfall.
This is a great little villa with all rooms looking out onto the pool. We were greeted with fresh fruit, wine, and flowers. You have COMPLETE privacy. You always read that the 'manager was great' but Andy really is great. He bent over backwards to make our stay enjoyable. You are so close to the sea that you can hear the waves. The villa is located in a gated community. We biked the short distance to the main entrance, dropped the bikes, and then walked across to the beach. We plan to come here again.


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corporate offices | restaurants | retail | residential
Boston (Back Bay), Massachusetts Residence
The owners of a brownstone condominium unit in Boston's Back Bay purchased the neighboring unit below and hired McMahon Architects to assist in joining the two halves to create a Single Family home for their growing family. The original existing central stair, which had been altered over the years was transformed back into a continuous and open staircase which now links all floors of the enlarged single living space. The original quarter sawn oak details were replicated on the new stair sections to produce a continuous "original" staircase top floor to the newly renovated lower level. The subterranean lower "garden" level was completely renovated and reprogrammed to include a new family room, bathroom and playroom complete with Sliding Red 'barn' door. The rear exterior wall of the garden level was opened up by adding new windows to provide light and views to the back yard.
The main parlor level includes a restored front vestibule with new Encaustic tile floor and new mudroom. The original over door stained glass window was fully restored. Correct attention to late 1800s period details, such as hardware and finishes were implemented throughout the main parlor level. A modern day front parlor fireplace was replaced with a repurposed antique oak fireplace surround and new marble hearth. Renovations and updates were also made to the parlor level powder room and kitchen. The upper floors were renovated and reprogrammed to include a new contemporary master bedroom suite. The overall renovation and restoration resulted in a family home that will provide quality and comfort for years to come.
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Boston (Back Bay), Massachusetts Residence